#and yesterday I was stuck in a small elevator by myself for an hour and a half

[sophisticatedswifts]

I had two different men accost me on the sidewalk today when I was just trying to buy groceries 😑

[awrldalone]

4th September 2023

Today I finished moving into my new apartment. It took a few days, but now I think I have finally settled. A lot has happened in the months since my previous entry, almost a whole year has passed – I stopped writing because everything felt so repetitive, and constantly talking about it made me feel stuck in this murky whirlpool of cold days and aimless studying. I was drowning in myself, repeating the same words, complaining about the same problems. Endlessly. 

I felt like a stick of wood stuck in the river current, an abandoned lighthouse in the storm.

Typing does not come as easy now. Documenting everything paralyzes me. Part of me feels betrayed: how dare I write about what I did today when there is no record of yesterday, of the months from February to August? I dare.

I visited a Musée Cernuschi today. It is an impressive collection of Asian art, mainly from China and Japan and Vietnam, collected by one of those nineteenth century rich French men. The sheer size of some of the sculptures stunned me. An extremely detailed bronze dragon, which was an incense burner, a winding tiger covered in some golden metal and an enormous statue of buddha got all of my attention, but the pottery was also, simply, pretty. Mundane things have a right to be pieces of art – in an ideal world a small bowl should be no less beautiful than Botticelli's Madonna della Melagrana. For this reason I have been struggling to buy things, stuff for my apartment. 

It's a small room at the sixth floor of a beautiful old building, no elevator. I can see the roofs of Paris from my window. I am living in Paris now and it feels... odd. Some might say it feels like a dream, but everything feels so real, material, concrete. It's not perfect, and i know that living here will be hard, but it's better. 

Moving has not gone smoothly, I had to take care of a lot of things, like signing an electricity contract and changing the washing machine and cleaning for hours, but now I'm here, on my bed, listening to music from my phone and trying not to use up all my internet data before I get WIFI installed. 

–

February I got back together with my boyfriend. Everything is still so complicated, but right after I went back to Maastricht I left, without telling anyone, not even my parents, and I flew all the way to Lyon with only a few sweaters and my history of law textbook in my bag. I spent a few days with him, and everything was perfect again.

Then, during carnival we went to the mountains together. He tried to teach me how to ski, and I failed miserably, falling in the snow countless times. His parents own a little apartment, furnished with a warm wood that makes it feel smaller than it is, but never claustrophobic. He got sick and I played doctor, but it was all just an excuse for him to skip his classes and for me to stay at his place. 

In March, it was his turn to come. It was a snowy month, cold, not much happened– he stayed over for a weekend. I installed a DS emulator on his laptop and we played Pokémon instead of studying, and I started doubting everything again. I always doubt everything. I still don't know if it's meticulousness or an unnerving inability to let myself have good things. We made chocolate covered strawberries, but the chocolate was not tempered and the fruit was wet. 

We saw each other about once a month. My old glasses broke as I picked them up after having washed my face. The frame split without a word or a warning, and one of the lenses fell to the ground.

Once, in April, he came to Venice as I went back home for a few days during Easter. At the end of the month I went all the way to Lyon by bus and train, stopping in Lille for a few hours. Lille is a peculiar city, it feels more Belgian than French, the only way to describe it is a city proud to have been built at the border between two countries. 

After my university's MUN, in May, I took the bus again to Lille, and the train again to Lyon, because M.'s university was having an end of year party. Then, we did not see each other for a long time. I got into Sorbonne. I was waitlisted at first, and I spent a few days biting my nails at the library, among all the medicine students. 

I took a train to Paris in June to look for an apartment. I spend a few weeks between Venice and Rome with a Korean friend of mine. I travelled through central Italy – Assisi and Firenze and Siena – with some friends. 

A lot happened. A lot. But if I started writing down everything I would not be faithful to time. It irks me to see that the most eventful moments have been centered around my relationship. I am my own person, and the passage of my time should not be dictated by kisses. Love cannot be my metronome. I am not sure if I am happy to be in a relationship: Ce. and I talked about this a few weeks ago, in Florence, and we both agreed that making decisions while in high waters is always a bad idea. She was also in high waters, with her mouth under the waves. I need to let things fall into place before I can understand my feelings fully. Perhaps writing about them will help clear out my head. Perhaps I can't just wait for things to sort them out by themselves, I need to keep unraveling this ball of yarn just to roll it back up. 

Ago ergo sum. Our mandate is to create. 

-c.

[bristolianbackpacker]

Day 20 - Machu Picchu & Huayna Picchu

The alarm goes off, we snap into action - shower and get ready. The hotel breakfast starts at 4:30am - they know their customers well haha.

We grab some eggs on toast and coffee to keep us going for a few hours of hiking. Our hotel store our bags after we check out. Today we climb Huayna Picchu. It’s not particularly long hike but it’s a huge elevation gain over a short distance. I’m a little worried about the climb as I’m scared of heights but we’ll see how it goes.

We take the bus up to the site and as I had feared it’s quite misty this early in the morning. However it’s kinda nice and mysterious with the clouds.

Firstly we are on Circuit 4 today so we can enter the Inka House that we looked down on yesterday.

Then we meander our way towards the Sacred Rock which is the start of the trek up Huayna Picchu. We are allowed to start a little earlier than our scheduled 7:00am start time so after signing in we begin the climb. It’s almost immediately lots of stairs but nothing too crazy. The first 3/4 of the hike we are surrounded by bush and enjoying the flowers. At some steep staircases they have metal chains to help you get up.

After this we get to the terraces where it’s cleared and you are able to better see how high up you are. Quickly followed by the “Stairs of Death”. We did need to climb up on our hands and knees but I think they are a little overhyped. Once we get up the stairs we get amazing views down into the valley so we stop for some photos.

It’s still cloudy so we stop to once side for half an hour and eat some snacks. My only struggle is when Jack stands really close to a sheer cliff edge whilst taking photos and it makes me feel a bit queezy!

After this, the clouds start to clear and we head up a short staircase to another terrace where there is spectacular views down over Machu Picchu. We stop again for a while to enjoy.

It’s the last little climb to the very summit, the space at the top is very limited so we don’t stay too long - just enough to snap some photos.

It’s all downhill from here!! The downhill is a little harder as my knee is playing up, but we take it slow. There are so many people climbing by this point (10am) and we keep needing to stop to let them last. Also they are all struggling in the heat so I’m super happy we chose the early slot.

WE MADE IT - I’m so proud of myself. The heights were barely a problem for me at all.

We make our way towards the exit and we stop off at the Temple of the Condor. The Condor (part of three of the Trilogy of the Andes world). The rock has been carved into the shape of a condor.

Ok it’s time to head back down to Aguas Calientes. I’ve been geeking out on Incan stuff for days now so it’s time for Jack to get to do something fun. We head straight for a message next to our hotel. We opt for the Incan massage with hot stones. It’s an hour of pure bliss - one of the best massages we’ve both had. Next we grab some lunch at a nearby restaurant. We both order the beef burritos (plus a pisco sour to celebrate) which look very much like tacos but they do the job.

By the time we pick up our bags it’s time to walk to the train station. This time it’s even more chaotic than yesterday, after a while with utter confusion we realise that the previous train is late to depart so the small station is packed with two trains worth of people. The staff don’t seem to know what is going on and keep telling us different things - the usual South American stuff.

We end up leaving about 40mins late which isn’t too bad but the train goes really slowly the whole way back to Ollantaytambo. We have a taxi prearranged to take us back to Cusco which then gets stuck in heaps of traffic so it’s quite late by the time we get in. Not ideal after our 4am wake up. We head straight out to grab some hot chips for dinner and some more water. The new hostel is pretty bad - black mould everywhere, it smells badly of drains, the walls are paper thin and a dog is barking all night!

One final thought before I sign off - I’ve realised upon returning to Cusco is that the altitude really messes with everything - for example Jack’s moisturiser exploded on him and it reminded me that the same thing happened to me with sunscreen when we first arrived here. The altitude pushed all of his snot out as soon as we arrived back (sorry TMI). Also we’ve noticed that the beer has way too much head and is a bit flat tasting. When the car was stuck in traffic earlier I started feeling sick - it’s difficult to differentiate between side effects from the tablets and actual altitude sickness but I think the summary is that my body just feels a bit fragile at 3400m but glad we took the tablets because everything we’ve experienced has been very very mild.

[delos-mio]

First Thing To Go - DAY 1

DAY 1

Around dinner time and with a complimentary drink in hand, you took the elevator to the top floor. The Oceanfront Suite at the Four Seasons Maui awaited you and Kendra- two full weeks of what was supposed to be romance and relaxation. Now it seemed you wouldn’t be experiencing either. You made it to the grand white double doors of the suite and let yourselves in. 

The suite was enormous with a living and dining room, doors off to the side that led to a master bedroom with a canopied California king bed. The en suite had a jacuzzi with crisp, white his and her robes hanging beside it. Your mouth downturned and you quickly spun on your heel, eager to look at anything else. 

“Holy shit,” Kendra said with a whistle. “You guys were really gonna ball out.”

“Were,” you muttered and tossed your bag aside. 

“Sorry.” Her eyes were down before she turned to investigate the suite further. You shouldn’t have been so defensive, especially toward the one person who dropped everything to be there for you. But you couldn’t help the turning of the knife in your chest every time you were reminded of why you were originally supposed to be here. 

The room was ridiculous. There was a chilled bottle of Dom Perignon waiting for you with a card from the hotel. You flipped it open and read the obnoxious calligraphy inside:

Congratulations, Mr and Mrs Langford! From, your friends at the Four Seasons

Great. You really should have seen it coming by now. The hotel was under the impression this was your honeymoon, after all. 

“This balcony is sick!” You looked up and saw Kendra leaning on the glass wall, face turned up to the sun. You tossed the stupid card in the trash can on your way to join her. She was right- the view was absolutely breathtaking. There was pristine sand and cerulean ocean as far as the eye could see, the smell of salt and tropical flowers heavy in the air. You took a deep breath and stood next to Kendra. 

“I’m sorry for being shitty to you,” you said softly. 

“Hey, don’t worry about it. I get it.” She nudged you with her shoulder. “But I hope you do realize I’m not going to let you mope while we’re somewhere this fucking beautiful.”

You laughed and nodded in silent acquiescence. 

“Can I make a suggestion for our first order of business?” you asked with a playful turn of your lips. Kendra looked over with a raised eyebrow, urging you to go on. “I brought my medical card. Find a dispensary and order room service?”

“Ugh, so brilliant. Such a smart and thoughtful woman,” Kendra said, flashing you a devilish grin. 

—-

It hadn’t taken much work to find a provisioning center near the hotel. You and Kendra made quick work of the trip and returned to the suite, ordering enough food to clean out the kitchen. The sun was long since down and you were laid out in the sun loungers on the balcony, pleasantly high with a belly full of food, just looking up at the sky with Kendra. 

“It’s nice to see them for once,” you said. 

“Hmm?”

“The stars. Don’t really get to see much of them back home. Only if you go out over the lake.”

“Yeah, it’s really relaxing,” she agreed before letting out a long yawn. “I’m sleepy. I’m gonna go lay down- you staying out here?”

“Just for a little bit longer.” Kendra looked at you as she stood up, biting her lip with uncertainty. “I’m not going to jump if that’s what you’re worried about.”

She laughed as she leaned down and kissed your forehead. “Just making sure. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Night.” And with that, Kendra shut the balcony doors behind her, leaving you alone with the ocean breeze and half a blunt. 

The world was quiet out here- nothing like the constant roar of the city. Lake View was a wonderful neighborhood and one you loved dearly. But there was something about only being able to listen to the breeze rustling palm leaves that put you at ease. You didn’t really consider yourself a beach kind of gal, but perhaps you could see yourself becoming one. After the last 72 or so hours, a little quiet felt pretty good. Serene, even. Maybe Kendra really was onto something when she begged you to come out here. 

You lit the end and took another deep hit before closing your eyes and exhaling. 

“Ah, one of my favorite smells.” Your eyes snapped open and you gasped, totally unaware that anyone else was anywhere near you. You clumsily tried to snuff out the blunt, knocking over the ashtray onto the marble floor with a loud crack. “Oh shit,” you coughed and looked around trying to find the voice that had just spoken. 

“No need to stop on my accord.” The voice was deep and smooth, sultry even. There was a good chance you just made a total fool out of yourself while fumbling around in your inebriated state. You were still anxiously looking about when he added “On your left, darling.”

You spun and finally saw a feline smile on the face of a tall, undeniably gorgeous man standing on the balcony next to yours. He was tall and lean, all dark hair, beard, and eyes. Truthfully, he was textbook ‘your type’. But the minute that thought ran through your brain, you were already mentally berating yourself for even finding another person attractive just a day into what was supposed to be your honeymoon. He took a swig from a rocks glass and cocked an eyebrow. 

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t think about the smell traveling,” you said sheepishly. 

“Like I said, one of my favorite smells.” Like a good neighbor, you walked to the railing closest to him and offered out the blunt to him. “Sorry,” he said, raising a hand. Fuck, even his fingers were beautiful. “I’m down to only liquid vices these days, I’m afraid,” shaking around the ice in his glass for emphasis. 

“Ok…” You weren’t entirely sure what that meant, but didn’t think it was appropriate to press a stranger for details. 

“I’m Logan, nice to meet you,” he said and stuck out his hand far enough that you could just barely brush the tips of your fingers against his as you introduced yourself. It was a completely awkward gesture, which seemed to greatly amuse Logan. 

“Likewise.” You put your feet back on solid ground and looked at Logan again. 

“So, are you here in a suite by yourself or is there a mister or missus with you?”

“Real smooth,” you laughed. 

“It’s just a question,” he said, tone laced with faux innocence. 

You stopped short and considered dumping everything that happened on him right then. “I’m here with my best friend, actually,” you said tersely. 

Logan narrowed his gaze as he looked you over. “There’s something you’re not telling me.”

“I literally don’t know you, so yeah,” you laughed, trying hard to keep it casual. 

“Maybe that’s true,” he shrugged, “But it’s written all over your face. It’s ok if you don’t want to tell me.” He took another drink. “I’ll tell you why I’m here.”

“Ok, lay it on me,” you said, almost baiting Logan, and leaned on the railing with your chin resting in your palm. 

“I checked out of a rehab in Malibu last night. My shrink told me it’d be better for me if I slowly worked my way back into the real world and suggested I take a little to myself before getting back to work and my family. Life in general, I guess,” he shrugged. 

You didn’t know the man, that was certain, but you didn’t expect him to say that. Or to be so honest. You were really starting to feel bad for getting high right next door to him. “Wow, I...I’m so sorry for smoking next to you.”

Logan just laughed and waved you off. “You have nothing to apologize for, darling. Besides, you literally didn’t know me, right?”

You rolled your eyes at him quoting your own words  back at you. “Very funny.” You looked down for a minute before taking a long breath and exhaling. “And how’s the ‘time for yourself’ thing going? Is it scary,” you asked. 

“So far, so good,” Logan said, clearly considering how it was actually going. “I’ve been clean for 94 days now, so my cravings aren’t as strong. I mean, I still want to use, don’t get me wrong. But it’s nowhere near as intense. And what’s not to like about being in paradise?” He was grinning, despite the weight of what he just told you. It was admirable, you thought. 

“This was supposed to be my honeymoon,” you said abruptly. Why you decided to tell this stranger, you didn’t really know. But it felt like it would be ok to share it with Logan. Besides, you’d probably never see the dude again- who cares if he knew?

“Pardon me?”

“This,” you gestured broadly at your balcony and room, “I’m supposed to be enjoying my honeymoon right now. But as I already told you, I’m here with my best friend. Like, my actual best friend. Not the ‘oh I’m so glad I’m marrying my best friend’ best friend. And not a husband. Don’t have one of those.”

“I’m very sorry to hear that,” he said with a small frown. 

“He packed up all his things, told me there was someone else, and left me two days before our wedding.” You let out a sad chuckle, using all your might to fight back the tears you knew wanted to form in your eyes. “So, yeah. Guess we’re both kind of bummers, huh?”

“For what it’s worth,” Logan started, leaning in closer over his ledge, “I think the guy’s a fucking douche bag for leaving you. I know we don’t know each other very well, but you seem delightful. Not to mention you’re fucking gorgeous.” 

“You’re seriously going to hit on me when I just told you I was supposed to get married yesterday?” you scoffed. 

“What am I supposed to say?” he asked, raising a perfect eyebrow and checking you out from head to toe. “If I see a beautiful woman, I think it’s my duty to share that with her.” 

“You’re shameless,” you smiled and shook your head. It should have disgusted you. It should have turned you off and made you think Logan was a pig. But you couldn’t help but be just the smallest bit charmed. He was a flirt, and there was a little piece of you that was genuinely flattered. 

“I’ve been called worse,” he laughed. 

“Well, thanks, I guess,” you said before looking back out over the ocean, hoping to hide the heat that was rising in your cheeks. 

“My pleasure,” Logan said with a smile. “So, the asshole left you high and dry and you went on your honeymoon with your best friend anyways?”

“To be fair, it was her idea.” You tugged at the ends of your hair, suddenly nervous that Logan would judge you. 

“I like her style.” He finished off his drink. “I can’t imagine there’s anyone else who deserves to be stoned in Hawaii more than you,” Logan grinned. 

“Ugh, don’t remind me,” you groaned. “So fucking embarrassing.”

“Nah. It’s cute. You’re cute.” His voice was low and gravely, but playful. You felt a stirring in your stomach and knew you had to cut the conversation short while you were still ahead. 

“It’s late, I should probably go to bed before Kendra thinks I’ve done something stupid.” You meant for it to be a joke, but you realized you really didn’t want to worry her more than you knew she already did. 

“Wouldn’t want that,” he nodded. 

“It was nice talking to you. Thanks for letting me dump all my baggage on you,” you said, a tiny smile forming on your lips. 

“Any time, darling.” 

“Maybe I’ll see you around?” As you said it, you realized you really hoped you would. 

“I sure hope so,” he said with a smirk.

“Goodnight, Logan.” You bit gently on your bottom lip and finally pushed away from the railing. 

“Sweet dreams.” 

You let yourself back inside and quickly got ready for bed. Talking to someone removed from the whole ordeal felt nice- someone who didn’t ask a million questions so you could just process what happened in its simplest terms. And Logan had proven to be thoughtful and a good listener. Of course, it didn’t hurt that Logan was ungodly hot. No, you scolded yourself. No thinking about Logan or anyone else like that for a long, long time. Once you’d crawled under the covers, you couldn’t stop the weight of sleep tugging at your eyelids, bringing with it dreams of a dark eyed prince. 

TAGGED: @fific7 @abroadcastofthemind @suchatinyinfinity

[tinyboxxtink]

"Doppelganger" *Part 9*

I don't know if this counts as two chapters today, but there will probably be another one up late tonight which most of you won't see until tomorrow, so I think this is cool to drop now.

Reminder: We are nowhere near the end people, don't worry.

Part 8

Part 10

Tag List

@madamsnape921

@lolliepopsicle

@chasingeverybreakingwave

@milkshqke

@wanniiieeee

@word-scribbless

@gibbs274

@sassyada

@aprildecker-blog

@bookishfanfic

@stars-in-the-skies-world

@stars-trash-18

@omgsuperstarg

@objection-argumentative

-------------------

::Let’s rewind that back::

As soon as you felt that orange liquid run down your throat, your mind blacked out. You woke up in a dark, dark room. You blinked a few times, trying to get your bearings. And then in the distance you saw a light. You ran towards it, it was a small window. You ran to stare out of it, and you saw...Nevada? You could hear your voice echoing around you.

“Vada,” You heard your voice eerily happy. What the…? Then it dawned on you, what Rafael had said about being under Olivia’s spell. It was like he was stuck in his body, screaming to get out. This must be what was happening. Oh God, this was hell.

You saw “yourself” fighting the love of your life. There had to be a way to stop this, there had to be. You ran every direction in the pitch black, trying to find a wall to hit. You ran to the window, banging on it. You felt the room, your “head” shaking, hurting. The window began to crack, you yelled:

“RAFA!!!!!!” You heard yourself speaking. Your eyes filled with hope, but then the weirdest thing happened-- you could hear Nevada’s voice booming through your head.

“NO. YOU HATE HIM. KILL HIM.”

What the hell. What the hell?! No! This could not be happening. You saw your body push him away, walking back to Nevada, then making out with him.

This was a nightmare.

-------

The Next Day

Rafael decided to do something he really didn’t want to-- ask for Olivia’s help.

He nervously walked into the precinct, as soon as he locked eyes with Olivia the biggest smile appeared on her face.

Crap.

“Rafa!!!” She ran over to him and started to give him a kiss, but he stopped her.

“I--Uh, Liv, can I-- can we---?” He gestured to her office.

“Ooooh, private time. Absolutely,” She took his hand and led him inside.

“Now, where were we?” She wrapped her arms around his neck but once again he pulled away from her.

“No, Liv-- Look,” He sighed. “...The...me, that came to you yesterday. That wasn’t...me,”

“....What are you talking about?”

“I…” Rafael hesitated. He knew if he told Olivia about Nevada, she could tell the whole squad, maybe the entire police force. They’d always think he was Nevada pretending to be him, he’d lose his job, maybe his career if they never caught Nevada. But they had to catch him, otherwise he’d never see you again. So really, he had nothing to lose.

“It was Nevada Ramirez,” He finally admitted.

“...I’m sorry, what?” Olivia half laughed. “The drugpin of The Heights?”

“Yeah he-- we, have the same face,” He felt stupid saying it out loud.

“....So what are you, twins or something?”

“No, not at all.” He shook his head. “I...I had no idea. You know he’s always been a ghost, nobody’s seen his face before,”

“So how have you?” She raised an eyebrow.

“....He has Y/N,” He gave her a puppy dog face.

“Ah,” She nodded. “I see," She shook it with a sad laugh. So, yesterday when you were talking about ditching her for me--”

“That wasn’t me,” He gave her an apologetic face.

“Right,” She nodded sadly.

“You don’t believe me,”

“No actually, I do,” She continued to nod. “It did seem pretty odd that you would just come waltzing in here and denouncing your ‘true love’ for me,”

“Liv I’m sorry he did that-- I really am,” He laid his hand over hers.

“Yeah, I’m sure,” She shook her head with a sad laugh. “I guess I kind of deserve it,”

“Well--” Rafael made a face.

“So why did you come here then?” She gave him a look.

“Because I believe you when you say that you really love me,”

“You do?”

“Yes, but you need to believe me when I say that if you truly love me, then you’ll let me be happy with whoever I choose, even if it’s not you,”

“....So you want me to help you get her back,” She raised her eyebrow.

“...AND take down the most notorious criminal in New York,” Rafael added. “Think about what that will do to your reputation,”

“Right, because I care so much about accolades,” She rolled her eyes. “But...I guess I don’t really have a choice. I mean if I don’t help you, it’s not like I’ll get you anyway. And if I let her die, then I’ll never even recover our friendship,” She looked at him sadly. “And I do cherish that,”

“Me too, Liv,” Rafael took her other hand. “I swear to you, I really do,”

“Alright then--,” She smiled while squeezing his hands in return. “Where do we start?”

“....I’m gonna need your signature on some things,” He said in a "I'm really sorry to ask this but--" tone.

------

Meanwhile

Nevada paced his penthouse apartment while your body sat there like a robot. Inside the black hole of your mind prison, you were screaming at yourself to run, make a break for it, something.

“God DAMMIT!!! You screamed. You jumped up and down, pounding on your ‘eye window’. You felt yourself shaking your head, it was pounding. You were coming out of it.

“I…” You started to speak, but realized he still thought you were still under his power. You quietly stood up and tried sneaking towards the door while he kept pacing and looking at his phone, waiting on Rafael’s call. You had almost made it to the door of the penthouse when out of the corner of his eye, Nevada caught you trying to escape.

“Hey! No no no, you sit back down!” He commanded you.

“Fuck you,” You spat as you threw open the door and started to run out and down the hallway, but were met with two of Nevada’s men with guns.

“Ayyyy, hermosa,” Nevada shook his head with a laugh. “Do you think I’m estupido, not having constant supervision? I’m a very wanted man-- in many ways,”

One of the men grabbed you and forced your arms behind your back.

“Now why the sudden change, mujer?” He stroked your face. “Don’t you like being mi reina?”

“I’ll never be your anything, you piece of shit!” You yelled.

“Ooooh!!!! Kitty’s got claws,” Nevada laughed, but soon turned serious. “....You must need another dose, don’t you? Dios mio that’s annoying,”

“Keep her here, I’ll be back,” Nevada ordered his men who dragged you back to his penthouse. He sighed and walked down the hallway to the elevator.

“Always gotta do everything myself…” He shook his head. While he was walking, his phone pinged in his hand. A text from Rafael:

“I have your papers,”

“Ah, bien,” He smiled to himself as he got on the elevator. “At least something’s going right today,”

--------------------

Nevada entered the old woman’s shop, with an unamused glare on his face.

“Ah what now, penjedo?” She crossed her arms.

“Tu anciana estúpida!” He grabbed her by the throat. “Why didn’t you tell me your voodoo only works in a time limit?”

“Well what did you expect, tonto?” She gasped as she wriggled in his hands. “Uno y hecho? That wouldn’t be very good business practice,”

“Ah I see,” Nevada chuckled as he released the old woman. “I can appreciate a good buscavidas such as myself,” His smile turned to an evil scowl. “But not with me. Now you’re going to make me enough of your poción that I can keep mi puta under my thumb for a very, very long time. Or I might not be so nice the next time I decide to visit your little pawn shop,”

“That’s going to take a while, cabron,” She scoffed.

“I’ll wait,” Nevada crossed his arms with a smirk, pulling up an old rocking chair.

----------------

It had been about an hour since Rafael had texted Nevada and he still hadn’t gotten a response. It was beginning to drive him nuts, thinking about why he wasn’t answering. What was he doing? What was he doing with YOU? It was torture. On top of that, he hadn’t gotten any sleep last night just replaying the events of last night over and over in his head. He knew you were in there, he saw you. And those brief moments that you were in his arms, he was terrified he’d never have that again.

“...You look like hell, Rafa,” Olivia’s voice knocked him from his thoughts.

“Thank you?” He laughed sarcastically.

“You should go home, take a nap,”

“But what if--?”

“I’ll forward your texts and calls to my phone, so if he responds I’ll call you and wake you up, okay?”

“....Okay,” He said reluctantly. He didn’t know how much he trusted Olivia with access to his phone, but it wasn’t like she could contact you and mess with you. He left her office and headed back to his place to take a nap.

--------------

Before he knew it, there was a knock at his door waking him from his sleep. He walked out of his bedroom and towards his front door.

“Liv you could have just called--” He started to speak, but the image in front of him rendered him speechless.

You were standing right in front of him.

“...Y/N?”

“Hi baby,” You smiled as you pulled him into a kiss. He picked you up and carried you inside, not breaking the kiss as he sat you on the couch.

“How did you--?” Happy tears started rolling down his cheeks as stroked the side of your face, before he had a horrible realization.

“....This isn’t real, isn’t it?”

“Not yet,” You smiled sweetly, stroking his face as well.

“Right,” He nodded with a sarcastic smile, remembering when this situation was reversed. Wait, when it was reversed.

“But this is you,” He held your face in his hands.

“Well duh,” You shook your head with a laugh. “You think you’re the only one who can dream walk?”

“...I don’t think that’s actually a thing,” He gave you a look.

“It is for us,” You pointed out.

“Because of our love?” He said semi sarcastically.

“Because our love can do anything, Rafa.” You placed your forehead against his. “Haven’t you figured that out by now?”

“I suppose I should have,” He chuckled.

“In fact, right now I’m not even under any of Nevada’s powers, the dumbass didn’t think he’d need to keep me under,”

“Wait so, so he’s not having sex with you right now?” His eyes perked up.

“Rafael!” You hit him playfully. “Gross,”

“Yeah you say that now…” He made an uncomfortable face.

“Look, we don’t have time to unpack all of...that,” You made a face, not really wanting to talk about what you’d eventually have to discuss.

“Just-- Just know, that whatever happens when you see me in person, whatever I say or do to you, it’s not me,” You assured him.

“I know that carino--” He smiled at you while stroking your hair.

“Yeah I know you know that but I need you to know that,” You took both of his hands and squeezed them tightly.

“...Okay?” He gave you an amused smile.

“Just-- I need to hear you say that you know that, okay?” You pulled his hands toward you.

“I just said--” He started but you needed this.

“RAFAEL,” You crossed your arms. “I am doing my damndest to astral project my brain into yours, the least you can do is humor me,”

“Okay Okay,” He softly chuckled, pressing his lips to yours. “I know it’s not you,”

“Okay,” You smiled, pulling him into a deeper, more passionate kiss. A kiss that rivaled your epic “yellow swirly memory floating” kiss.

“Te amo, mi amor,” Rafael whispered, knowing how much his spanish speaking meant to you. “Te amo mucho,”

“I love you too, Rafael,” You kissed him one more time before the both of you were pulled away back into consciousness.

----

Rafael was woken up by the sound of his phone going off, it was Olivia. She had forwarded you the text from Nevada:

“Excellente. Meet me outside your courthouse, wearing your black and pink suit. I’ll be waiting in a town car,”

Great…

------

“Hey amante, nap time’s over,” Nevada shook you awake from your nap in his bed.

“What now, Vada?” You grumbled sleepily.

“Good news baby, we’re going to see your abogado,” He smiled sweetly, before pulling out a champagne bottle full of bright orange liquid.

“But first...a toast,” He added with an evil grin.

Oh no...

[youreacowgirllikeme]

Friday: Sparks

note: wrapping it up today with part five of ‘A week with Chris’. This was so much fun, thanks to everyone who followed along :) enjoy the fluff

(you can find the other parts here)

words: 1.6 k (this is definitely not drabble-sized anymore but I couldn’t help myself)

warnings: swearing

(Thursday, 7:11 pm)

Hey there, here are the pictures I took today, I figured you’d want them. CC

(attached: 23 images)

(Thursday, 7:13)

I almost forgot, meet me at 47-01 111th Street (that’s in Queens) tomorrow at 11 am. CC

(Thursday, 7:38)

By the way, I had a wonderful time today. Have a good night, Y/N. Chris

+++

(Friday)

On the subway ride to Queens, you re-read the messages Chris had sent you last night. The fact that he wrote you another one just to tell you that he enjoyed spending time with you made you immensely happy, and you could see the reflection of your silly grin in the subway window.

You were nervous about today, even more so than the times before. You felt like something had shifted between the two of you in the park yesterday, and you weren’t sure in which direction you were moving with Chris. There was an undeniable spark between the two of you, but he was still very much your boss.

The speaker announced the arrival at your destination, and with a sight, you got up from your seat. You would just roll with it, you thought, and deal with things as they developed.

+++

Like the days before, Chris was already there and waiting for you.

“Morning.” You greeted him. “No coffee today?”

“It’s already 11, I assumed by now you’d be awake enough to tackle today without caffeine.” He replied with a smirk.

“That totally depends on your plans. Spill, what are we doing today?”

“This is my favorite place in the whole city.” Chris said. “The New York City Science Hall, it’s something like an interactive museum, they have exhibitions rooms and a cinema, it’s great.”

“Sounds fun, I’m in.”

+++

“Chris, why are there so many children in here?”

You looked around the entrance hall of the museum with a puzzled look on your face, surrounded by what looked like an entire elementary school, all babbling and laughing. They were creating such an immense amount of background noise that you had to raise your voice to talk to Chris.

“Oh, a lot of the stuff here is intended for children, to teach them about science.” He replied with a grin “But it’s fun for everyone. Lighten up a bit, Y/N.”

“But why exactly is this your favorite spot in town?” you asked, eying the noisy kids around you warily.

Chris face got serious.

“My father used to take me here when I was a child. I grew up in the neighborhood down the street, and some of my best memories are from here, especially with him.”

You felt a pang of guilt in your chest at hearing how quiet Chris voice had become.

Of course you were aware about his father and how much he meant to him, and now you felt like a fool for talking about the place with that kind of disregard. Pulling yourself together, you gave Chris your most convincing smile and linked his arm with yours.

“Let’s make some new memories then. Come on, old man, I want to learn something.”

+++

“Ouch, god damnit.” you cursed, holding your hand in pain. You were trying to light a fire the stone-age way in one of the interactive exhibit rooms, and a spark had burnt your finger.

“Excuse me, ma’am, could you watch your language, there are children present.” one of the guards called your way, and you got beet red when a lot of small heads turned to you.

Chris snickered beside you. “Yes, Y/N, watch your mouth around the kids.” He whispered.

“Shut up, Cuomo. There shouldn’t even be kids here, this is super dangerous. Also I wouldn’t joke if I were you. You look ridiculous.” He really did, his massive frame was crouched in front of small the fireplace, looking even larger between all the children, and there were smashes of ash all over his shirt.

“You’re only jealous that my fire is already burning.” He grinned. You only flipped him the bird in return.

+++

Despite your earlier skepticism, you were having a great time. After several futile attempts of lighting a fire, you dragged Chris to see movie about space in the museums 3D cinema. You sat close enough for your knees to touch occasionally, and at some point, you were deliberately brushing your leg against his, smiling to yourself when he didn’t move away.

At first, you had been embarrassed about revealing your childish, overly excited side to Chris, but he showed zero judgement, acting silly and goofing around with you in a way you never thought was possible for such a serious person. The hours flew by while you were doing every activity the museum had to offer, and it was already late afternoon by the time you made your way towards the exit.

“Look, Chris, they have a photo booth.”

“Dear God, not again.” Chris groaned beside you, but you had already grabbed his sleeve and dragged him towards the box, basically pushing him inside.

“This won’t work.” You complained. “Its way to narrow in here, and you are too big.”

“Easy.” Chris grinned, sitting down on the small bench and pulled you to sit on his knee. Your mind was going into overdrive at being so close to him, and when he said “Smile!” and the flash announced the first picture being taken, you were still looking slightly bewildered.

“Quick, pose!” Chris whispered, and you just stuck out your tongue at the camera.

Suddenly, a huge arm got wrapped around you, pulling you close to the body beside you. You and Chris were basically cheek to cheek now, and you could feel your face burning up.

A sudden surge of boldness went through you, and you turned your head, pressing your lips to Chris cheek just as the last picture was taken.

Instantly, you became embarrassed, why had you done this? You bolted out of the booth, muttering “I need to use the toilet, be right back.”

In the restroom, you splashed cold water on your face until the flush disappeared, then braced yourself to face Chris again. He was standing next to the booth, holding the pictures you had just taken.

“We look cute.” He grinned, and you felt incredibly relieved about the lack of awkwardness. Appaerently, he didn’t mind the peck on the cheek.

“We really do.” You replied, and your heart sped up as he gave you a brilliant smile.

“So, to round up your perfect Cuomo week, I have another surprise planed. My car is just around the corner, let’s go.”

+++

Chris drove you back to Manhattan and parked his car in the garage of a huge apartment building on the Upper West Side. Your mind was reeling, was he taking you to his place?

You were too nervous to ask, riding the elevator with Chris in silence. You went all the way up, almost to the top floor.

“This one’s mine.” Chris announced as you stopped in front of a door at the end of the hallway.

You entered the apartment, and your jaw almost hit the floor.

“This is where you live?”

It was gorgeous, a huge, open space, illuminated by the golden light of the setting sun. The floorlenght windows offered an amazing view of the Manhattan skyline.

“Wow, I’m definitely jealous.” You joked, still a bit overwhelmed by the place.

“Uhm, if you’d like to, the terrace is a pretty good place to watch the sunset.” Chris said, rubbing his neck almost as if he was nervous.

“I love sunsets.” You said, following Chris to the glass door that led to the outdoor space. He was right, the view was amazing, beams of orange light reflected by the countless glass facades around you.

Chris cleared his throat next to you, and you teared your eyes away from the sky to look at him.

“This week has been great, Y/N, I’m really glad you agreed to doing all this stuff with me, and I really hope you enjoyed it as much as I did .” His voice was oddly emotional, his eyes never leaving yours.

“I had the best time, Chris, and I can’t thank you enough for all the effort and time you put into everything. I loved every moment.” you replied, returning his look with a soft smile.

Slowly, his hand reached out, brushing against your arm before cupping your cheek. You held your breath, unable to move a muscle, your heart beating incredibly fast.

Like in slow motion, he lowered his head, his face coming closer and closer until his lips finally settled onto yours. It was a feather light touch, almost shy in a way you hadn’t expected from your usually brusque boss.

You returned the kiss, softly moving your lips against his, you hand reaching out to intertwine your fingers with his.

“This was so fucking cheesy.” You whispered after breaking the kiss, trying to calm your racing pulse a bit.

“Yeah, but it worked, didn’t it?” Chris replied with a small chuckle.

“I wanted to do this since Tuesday.” He continued, voice more serious now.

“That’s funny, me too.” you responded, still sounding slightly breathy. Your heart was almost jumping out of your chest, was this really happening?

“We should do it again then.” Chris murmured, leaning down to capture your lips once more.

The sun had disappeared behind the horizon, the chilly air making you shiver.

“You’re cold.” Chris noted, wrapping his arm around you. “Let’s get you inside. I’m making dinner.”

You snuggled up to him, thinking that maybe you should write a thank-you note to the CNN bosses for giving you the week off.

The end (I think)

[catfe-overlord]

“Feral”

Part 3

Read part 1 here

Read part 2 here

::in which the Bakusquad comes in clutch, and Kirishima and Bakugou have a cutesy moment together::

<><><><><><><><><><>

“Kiri, you with us?”

That voice was Ashido. Yeah, that was definitely her giggle that followed. Funny, because he was just dreaming about her.

“You were, were you?” she snorted. Someone else snickered.

Yeah, he’d dreamt they were at the amusement park. Kaminari got sick on a roller coaster. Ashido got cotton candy stuck in her hair. He’d nearly pissed himself in the haunted house.

Laughter erupted, jarring him out of the last remnants of sleep that were clouding his mind. He blinked up at his three friends, who were all grinning down at him, their giggles dying down to welcome him back to the world of the living.

“Do you always talk in your sleep, dude?” Sero asked, holding his stomach after laughing too hard.

“Uh, I wouldn’t know,” he retorted. “I’m sleeping.”

“Oh my gosh, that was hilarious. My face hurts from smiling so much,” Kaminari stated, wiping a tear from his eye. He forced himself to turn serious after a few moments of collecting himself. “Hey, Kirishima, I’m really sorry about electrocuting you yesterday. I panicked, and I didn’t mean for you to get hurt. It’s just, Bakugou is terrifying on a good day! When he turned on me and something was definitely wrong, like, he had claws and slit eyes and he looked like he wanted to cut me to shreds, I couldn’t stop myself! It happened so fast, I—”

“It’s okay, Kaminari,” Kirishima stopped him there. “I totally get it. Mistakes happen. It was probably a good thing you stopped Bakugou when you did. He could’ve killed someone.”

Ashido leaned in to give Kirishima a big hug. He was thankful for the warm embrace. Other than the new gauze Recovery Girl must have applied after he passed out, he’d slept shirtless and his blanket had fallen down to his waist at some point in the night. He could feel the goosebumps on his arms.

“How are you feeling?” Ashido asked after pulling away.

“Better. Groggy, definitely, but it’ll pass once I’m up and moving. Thanks.”

She pinched his cheek before standing up straight and snapping her fingers at Kaminari. “Fetch the gifts, peasant.”

He stuck out his tongue in her direction before turning toward a few plastic bags on a table across the room. He brought them over to Kirishima’s bed and dumped the contents at his feet. “Ta-da!”

It was everything Kirishima had purchased yesterday at the mall. His crocs and hair dyes and gel and the red sweatshirt. He was so relieved to see them. He’d spent nearly ten-thousand yen on everything, and after Bakugou had been hit he’d just dropped everything and didn’t think twice about it.

“Whoa! I can’t believe you guys found all my stuff,” he beamed, the smile evident on his face. “Bakugou’s too?”

“You bet!” Ashido winked. “We left his two bags outside his dorm, since the door was locked. I doubt anyone would have the balls to touch something of Bakugou’s anyway, so I don’t think we have to worry about it going missing before he gets back.”

“Speaking of Bakugou,” Sero said warily, “how’s he doing? I mean, I know you just woke up, but you were with him last night, right?”

Kirishima rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, I’m honestly not sure how to answer that one. He was definitely still struggling with the quirk when I left him last night, but he’s a fighter.”

“What exactly did the quirk do you him?” Kaminari asked. “He looked terrible. And he had murder in his eyes, like, more intense than usual.”

Kirishima chuckled at that, but he didn’t really find it funny. “Aizawa kind of explained it to me. It’s like he’s stuck in some—how’d he say it?—oh, ‘animalistic rage’ is what he said. And it changed some of his appearance, but I’m sure you guys saw that. I’m actually going to visit him in a little while.”

“You are?” Ashido asked excitedly. “Where is he? Is he still here, at UA?”

“Uh, yeah, he’s in a safe room. But I’m not sure it’s such a good idea to see him right now. He could hurt you guys. The only reason I can go is because of my quirk.”

Ashido pouted. “I know you’re right, but it still sucks. Just keep us updated on Blasty, okay?”

Kirishima offered her a smile. “I will. And I’ll tell him you guys said hi.”

Sero stood then and stretched, cracking some of his joints. “So, Recovery Girl said you should be good to go once you were up. Wanna grab some breakfast?”

Kirishima could feel his mouth water at the thought. “An omelet sounds delicious right now.”

After Kirishima cleaned himself up, removed the last of the bandaging from his torso, and threw on his new red sweatshirt and his fresh crocs, the proclaimed “Bakusquad” made their way to the cafeteria. It was a Saturday, and other students were filing in and out at their leisure. Kirishima caught sight of Midoriya and his own group of close-knit friends, and they waved to one another.

Kirishima inhaled his food. He hadn’t realized how hungry he was until he took the first bite. His friends chattered amongst themselves, and he half listened to their conversations, but he didn’t say a word other than a grunt of affirmation here and there until his plate was clean.

His phone buzzed in his pocket as he was just leaving to head back to the dorms. It was Aizawa.

Heard Recovery Girl gave you the OK. Visit Bakugou whenever you want. Text me when you get here and I’ll let you in.

Kirishima smiled down at his phone. “Guys!” he said, stuffing the phone back into his pocket. “I’ll catch you later. Aizawa just texted me with the go-ahead to see Bakugou.”

Ashido slumped, but she waved him off. “Alright, but tell him we wanna visit soon too!”

“You got it,” he said, spinning on his heels and heading over to the building he remembered Aizawa leading him to last night.

Once he’d been buzzed in by Aizawa and lead down the elevator to the sub surface level that held his best friend, Kirishima suddenly found his stomach fluttering with nerves. He wasn’t sure which Bakugou was waiting for him: the angry, feral Bakugou he’d fought on the street yesterday or his angry, less-feral-more-bitter friend that he cared so much for.

Or maybe it was the Bakugou he’d said goodnight to. The quiet, careful Bakugou who didn’t dare hurt his friend. Who fought the quirk with every last ounce of strength he had to hold himself back.

When Kirishima peered through the one way mirror, it wasn’t a sight he’d expected. It was just Bakugou, still obviously under the effects of the quirk judging by the black, clawed hands and cat-like eyes, and he was just laying on his side on the shredded mattress, head propped up by his elbow. He was finishing up a bowl of rice and chicken, and he had a manga in front of him that he slowly flipped through.

“He’s been like this for the past hour,” Aizawa informed him. “He goes between ballistic and himself pretty often. I’ve had a few conversations with him this morning, but no one can get near him yet without him attacking. If you want to go in, I’ll allow it, but I want you to stay away from physical contact.”

Kirishima nodded. “I mean, Bakugou isn’t a very touchy-feely kind of guy on a good day.”

Aizawa swiped his key card through a small device attached to Bakugou’s door. The little red light turned green. “Well, he’s been asking when you’d come by.”

Kirishima was genuinely surprised by that. “Really? Why me?”

Aizawa sighed. “Because you’re his best friend.”

Kirishima tried to suppress his smile, but he knew he was failing miserably. Aizawa waited patiently while Kirishima pulled off his new sweatshirt and tossed it onto a chair before he finally opened the door for his student. He’d raised an eyebrow, surely wondering why the redhead decided to go shirtless, but he didn’t ask questions.

As soon as Kirishima stepped through the door, Bakugou looked up at him and stared for a long moment. His face slowly twisted into a snarl. Kirishima suddenly felt pretty self conscious and a hint of fear at what his friend might do next, but before he could say anything, Bakugou was yelling.

“SHITTY HAIR! WHERE THE FUCK IS YOUR SHIRT?!”

Kirishima stopped breathing. His heart might have skipped a beat. His lips twitched into a smile, so grateful to have his Bakugou back to normal, at least for now. “I was wearing my new sweatshirt, and I didn’t want you to ruin it.”

“Well, fuck. Go put it back on, dipshit.”

“But what if you get all angry again and tear it up? I like it.”

“I’m not gonna do that, fucker. And if I did, I’d just buy you a new damn sweatshirt.”

Kirishima smirked. “What, you’re not enjoying the gun show?”

He flexed, and the look on Bakugou’s face was priceless. His cheeks turned a deep shade of pink, and he turned away to glare at the wall. It took Kirishima a moment to realize he was blushing.

He put his arms down and turned back toward the door, but the smile was still evident on his face. “Alright, I’ll put it back on. But don’t ruin it, Bakugou. I swear, I’ll be really pissed off.”

Aizawa was already standing at the door holding the red sweatshirt. Kirishima thanked him and pulled it back on before making his way over to the wall beside the head of Bakugou’s bed. He slid down to the floor into a criss-cross position and stretched his spine.

“Kirishima,” Bakugou said then, a seriousness in his voice Kirishima wasn’t used to. “I wanted to apologize for yesterday. For hurting you… and ruining your favorite shirt… and probably losing all of the shit we bought.”

Kirishima blinked. “What?”

Bakugou glared at him. “I’m not gonna say it again, Shitty Hair, so accept it.”

“Oh! No, dude, listen. You don’t have to apologize for anything. The Bakusquad found all of our stuff. See?” He used a hand to refer to his sweatshirt and crocs. “I bought these yesterday when you were looking at those headphones. Ashido said they left your stuff at the dorms. And don’t worry about the shirt! It was getting pretty old anyway. I have lots of favorite shirts.”

“No, that one was the favorite. And I fucking ruined it.”

Kirishima tilted his head. “You were under a quirk, Bakugou. Really, it’s okay. I was way more worried about you than some stupid shirt.”

Bakugou looked like he wanted to keep arguing, but he managed to restrain himself. Instead, he said so quietly, “You called me Katsuki yesterday.”

Kirishima looked up at the blond, surprised. “Uh, yeah. I did. Sorry if that made you uncomfortable. I just… I thought maybe it would help? Like, help you to remember yourself, and overcome the quirk.”

Bakugou wet his lips. “Yeah. It did. Help, I mean. It did help me. So, uh, thanks.”

They were both quiet for a few long moments. Kirishima thought about the way his name sounded in Bakugou’s voice yesterday. He wasn’t going to point out that Bakugou had returned the favor in calling him Eijirou, thinking maybe he didn’t remember it. Kirishima didn’t want to make things awkward. Er, more awkward.

“You can keep doing it. If you want.”

Kirishima stared up at Bakugou, trying to read his calm expression, but the blond wouldn’t look at him. “Huh?”

He sighed through his nose. “You can keep calling me by my given name. I wouldn’t mind it. Fuck.”

Kirishima went light headed for a second. Ohmygodohmygodohmygod—!

He gave Bakugou a bright smile and a thumbs up. “Sure, Katsuki! And feel free to use mine too!”

Bakugou sank to the floor a few feet from Kirishima, leaning back against the cot. He had his arms wrapped around himself protectively. His face was still flushed pink.

“If you don’t want to waste your day here, it’s fine,” Bakugou spoke. “It’s boring as fuck, I get that. It’s Saturday, and I’m sure there are a lot of better ways you could be spending it.”

Kirishima laughed. “No way, dude. I’d rather spend time with my best bro, even if we’re stuck here. You’re not a chore, Katsuki.”

He seemed to shrink in on himself. “Well, you’d better fucking bring some cards or something next time. I’m not a conversationalist like you and the other extras.”

Kirishima made a mental note of that. “Cards. Gotcha. Anything else you’d like?”

Bakugou’s eyes tightened. “Mm. There’s a book I was reading that I left on my desk. You still have the other key to my dorm, eh?”

“Yep! So, cards and book. Got it. Just text me if you need anything else. You have your phone, right?”

He grunted in confirmation. “Aizawa has it. I don’t want it because I’ll probably just fucking break it. I’ll have him text you.”

Kirishima nodded. He’d stretched out his legs so their feet were almost touching. Aizawa was pretty persistent on avoiding physical contact, but Kirishima couldn’t help wondering if a simple touch really could throw his friend into a frenzy. He didn’t want to ruin the moment though, because he really did enjoy being with Bakugou.

It was at that moment Kirishima noticed the jolt that seemed to pass through the blond. His eyes were wide, and his hands were shaking as he stood in a rush.

“You should go,” Bakugou said quickly, unable to look him in the eyes.

Kirishima quickly scrambled to his feet as well, aware that Bakugou stood between him and the exit. “Are you alright?”

“Get out, Eijirou.”

Kirishima flew past Bakugou on his way to the door, but he stopped to look back at the blond. “I’ll be back later.”

Bakugou clutched his head—the source of his pain—but he managed a nod.

And with that, Kirishima left.

+++++++++++++

Oh boy oh boy I love these kids. They take up too much of my brain capacity. Anywho! I have two more chapters planned and I think that’ll be it. I have many a fic planned, and as much as I love this lil guy (which was honestly supposed to be a oneshot), I’m just about ready to move on. Also, I love prompt suggestions !!!???? So like ???? Please send them my way ???????!!!

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed and stick around for the last two chapters (which will hopefully be up by the end of the week). Have a lovely night, friends

Read part 4 here

Read part 5 here

Read part 6 here

8/19/2020

[imyourmumloser]

Trash to Treasure - Eisuke Ichinomiya x reader

Chapter 3

Chapter 1 2 4

It felt like days since I had first arrived in the fancy room yet the ticking clock on the wall said otherwise. The bodyguard was busy typing away on a laptop with furrowed brows. He would spare a glance at me every now and again but otherwise his sight stayed glued to the screen.

In the few hours I had been here two other men had shown up. The tense atmosphere didnt hold up for long with them around as they greeted me in the least serious way possible and joked around with each other while introducing themselves.

"Sor, I didnt think I'd ever find you alone with a pretty lady like this," the one in a red jacket said while nudging him slightly before turning to me. "You can call me Baba, pretty lady," he beamed with a wink. He was definitely a strange man and I didnt hesitate to move away slightly as I eyed him suspiciously. The small gesture of discomfort caused the other man to laugh at Baba as he pouted in rejection. However, it didnt take him long to recover and move closer to me.

"So what do you see in Sor then?" he questioned me while wiggling my eyebrows. Thankfully, I didnt have to reply before Sor dragged him away from me and out of the room with the other man. I couldn't help but silently thank whatever god sent him my way to save me from the situation. Eventually the Sor guy returned alone thankfully and the silence from before the clowns came had returned as well.

More time ticked by yet before I knew it the familiar sound of the elevator opening filled the room and out sauntered a familiar face. My hopes were high as my heart began to pound before I remembered my random, crazy act before and realised this most likely wasn't going to go well. The good thing is that he didnt have a lawyer with him so maybe I wasnt going to end up in prison.

Sor finally looked up to Eisuke who pulled out his phone as he made his way to the sofa. "Come to the lounge and bring Mamoru," he ordered before ending the call without wasting a second of his precious time. He continued over to the raven haired male who showed him his laptop screen. Eisuke's eyes swiftly scanned whatever was on the screen before looking at me. Oh boy.

Just as I gulped and anxiety flooded me, the two clowns from before returned with a sleepy looking man who I'm assuming is the Mamoru that Eisuke ordered to come here. They all sat on the sofas as I felt the breath from my lungs leave. Why did Eisuke want so many people here? Maybe they were his legal team which would mean I was in deep trouble.

The thought made my hands clammy. All I wanted was to carry out my mothers will yet the day just couldn't go as planned and here I was surrounded by men who would most likely change my life. Its moments like this where i would go to my mother for support, comfort and advice but none of it was on the table anymore and I was alone in this world. Eisuke wasnt pleaded in the slightest at me just standing outside his hotel so imagining how he would respond to me acting like a wacko lady and causing a scene sent a shiver down my spine.

As I continued dreading the potential future that was going to be thrown my way they talked among themselves. Even if I was paying attention their voices were hushed enough that it would have been loud enough for me to hear; not that I wanted to hear it though.

"So you're mother is (mother name)?" Eisuke's voice pulls me from my dark thoughts. After processing his question I nodded hesitantly.

"You knew her?" I asked. It didnt click that Eisuke would have known my mother and I didnt really know anyone else who knew her so he would be the first person who I could talk to about her.

"Knew?" he questioned.

Before I could talk, I felt like a pile of bricks had been dropped on me. I hadn't said it out loud yet. I bit my lip as my eyes stung from the familiar heat of tears. I blinked them back as I questioned if I wanted to say it. It was real if I said it. I spent days feeling numb on my own before throwing myself into finding Eisuke so I never got to come to terms with the cold, hard truth.

"She... died," I mumbled back in response. Those two words not only confirmed that she was gone but also dragged a dull atmosphere into the room as a short silence followed suit. My heart ached and I could sense the look of pity on one or two of the mens faces and I hated it so for my sake I tried to move the conversation on.

I took a deep breath to soothe myself and forced the tears back before speaking. "That's why I wanted to talk to you, Mr Ichinomiya," I said as I turned toward him. His brows knitted together in thought as I awkwardly waited in response.

After what felt like the longest few seconds he finally turned towards the other men. "Her safety is to take top priority. Get ready for the meeting for when I'm back," he ordered as he got up and walked towards me. "You, with me," he barked and left before I could respond.

"Where are we going?" I asked but followed anyway despite knowing our destination like a loyal dog.

"Your room. My girlfriend should stay in my penthouse after all," he replied but the answer only fueled my confusion.

"I dont have a room here, I cant afford it. Plus what do I have to do with your girlfriend?" I quizzed yet was only greeted with silence. I turned to the others and noticed the clowns laughing at my confusion. Was it that obvious? I thought over the phrase before it clicked.

"Wait, you mean me?! I'm the girlfriend?" His only response was silence as I was practically running after him to catch up with his long, quick strides. Cold much. After chasing after him we finally arrived in a lounge that felt a little more homely yet still as sophisticated as the room I was in prior.

"Y-you didnt... answer... me back there," I huffed out of breath.

"I shouldn't ask questions you already know the answer to. You'll be staying in the guest room. Dont leave the penthouse without my permission. If you leave then I trust you know what trouble will be waiting for you and if I call you better answer immediately."

"You dont even have my number," I said confused, however, my phone buzzed with a message from an unknown number.

"The only replied I should get from you are yes and okay," he half scolded while putting his phone away and nodding his head in the direction of a door. "That's your room."

Without another word he turned on his heel and went back the way we came. That was short and quick. My brain was baffled by the past week's events. I felt foolish for expecting answers as I stood in the lounge all on my own.

Sighing I turned around and walked towards what would be my new room. None of this sat right with me but it was what my mother wanted so I had no choice but to go through with it and trust that she knew what she was doing when she sent me Eisuke's way even if Eisuke was a bit of a dick.

I closed the door to the room behind me as I scanned over the room. It was as elegant as every other room in the hotel but one thing stuck out to me; my things. Why were they here and how? I shuffled through everything to confirm it was mine and after doing so I stared in shock.

Did he do this in the time I was sat with that bodyguard? How would he have been able to find my address then transport it all here? The bad feeling in my gut only worsened as I felt things were going to go downhill with me knowing these people. Not to mention the fact that he's keeping me here and I didnt even have a say in it. The pile of bricks from before hit me ten times harder as I tried to hold onto faith that my mother would keep me from harm's way.

I sat on the bed as the darkness of the night consumed me just like my thoughts did. Surely I was safe, right? Mother would never put me on harm's way. I continued to try and justify what was happening and before I knew it my eyes were opening to the harsh rays of the sun. I guess I fell asleep at some point last night.

I rubbed the sleep from my eyes as everything came flooding back to me while my gaze wandered around the room, focusing on my things that mysteriously appeared here. As I pulled my body out of bed I noticed the view of Tokyo. The view was breathtaking and looked like something I would never be able to afford even if I saved up five lifetimes. I felt like I was in a trance as I soaked in the modern scenery and ant sized people.

A knock from the door echoed through the otherwise silent room. I turned as the door swung open to reveal a maid in a blue uniform dress that bowed down to me slightly. "Good afternoon Miss L/n. It's time for your appointments. I've been requested to show you to them," she stated as she raised her head to me.

"Appointments? Afternoon?" I seriously overslept.

"Yes. Mr Ichinomiya is waiting for you. He's a busy man as you know. We must hurry," she replied while eyeing my day old, wrinkled clothing. I'm guessing these wont do for his standards.

As I scurried to the bathroom to get dress I wondered about the appointments the maid was going on about. I dont remember being told about any but yesterday is kind of a blur but I did remember him telling me that leaving him waiting would lead to trouble for me so I hurried along and reappeared in front of the maid.

"Ready? We must be quick," the maid said, leaving the room before I could even answer. Do I get a say with anyone in this hotel or am I just a doormat?

We soon arrived in front of an empty boutique. I turned to the maid with a quizzical look but all she did was stand by the door gesturing for me to go in. Eyeing the empty shop suspiciously, I pushed the clean glass door open and looked around in curiosity before my gaze landed on the one and only Eisuke Ichinomiya.

"You're late," he scolded. His brows were furrowed as he looked down at me in disapproval. "Try these on," he ordered. He jerked his head in the direction of several tracks of dresses as confusion took over me slightly.

"Which ones?"

He scoffed in return and as I looked at him I just managed to see him roll his eyes at me. Wasnt he supposed to be my boyfriend? Does he not know that definition of boyfriend or is this how he treats every woman?

"All of them obviously."

My jaw almost dropped in shock as I stared at all the dresses. He wanted me to try all of them on? This was going to be a long day and it was already way into the afternoon.

[ghostburs-blue]

Not So Fast, Lover Boy

Summary: y/n has a... mishap to say the least and Spencer + Derek have a lil competition going ngl

Warnings; I don’t believe there are any? Mostly fluff with a dash of angst and regret, just how I like it

Word Count: 4.61k

Part One

When you arrived at university, you had not expected to be roommates with a guy. Yet, here you were, standing in the doorway of room 402 facing the back of a very shirtless male. You stood there for a few seconds in shock, watching him pull down a grey sweater over his bare back. You, quickly realizing it was creepy, cleared your throat loudly, setting your bags down.

“What the fuck?” You exclaimed. The guy whipped around, face red and flustered.

“I- Uh- What are you doing in my room?” He managed to squeak out. Stepping closer to him and shutting the door behind her, Eden took a closer look at him.

Without a doubt, he was attractive. His messy brown hair looked soft, accompanied by a pair of chocolate-colored eyes that were filled with something she couldn’t identify. His fashion sense was odd, to say the least, but the sweater vest and dress pants combo seemed to work for him.

You snorted. “What are you doing in my room?” You exclaimed, confusion showing on your face.

The boy frowned, holding up a sheet of paper with some writing on it.

“Um- uh room 402? Everything’s right here,” He claimed.

Stepping closer, you took it from his hand. Your eyes quickly skimmed over the piece of paper, and you groaned. You handed it back, grabbing your phone.

Glancing at the time, it read 9:50 pm.

Grumbling, you quickly slipped your shoes back on, opening the door. The front desk at the dorm closes at 10. You were about halfway down the hallway when you heard the boy’s voice again.

“Where are you going?” He called. You turned to see his head sticking out of the doorway.

Walking backward, you responded, “I’m trying to get this fixed!” You turned and ran.

Huffing, the desk finally came into view. However, there was no one behind it. Glancing at the clock on the wall, you frowned as it read 9:55. They must have closed early today.

“Ugh!” You swore quietly, running your fingers through your hair in frustration. You turned to head back to the stairs when you noticed someone leaning against the wall in front of you, arms crossed.

He had a playful look in his eyes as he watched you pace back and forth.

With an almost bashful grin, you waved at him. “Hi!” you took a few steps closer.

Imitating your actions, he waved back. “Hi to you too,” he laughed, making your heart flutter. He glanced at a watch on his wrist. “So what are you doing at 10 pm at the help desk?” He asked, still smiling.

“Uh, there was a roommate mixup. I, how do I say this, got paired with a guy?” Your voice turned up near the end of the sentence, giving away your nervousness. “I was trying to figure it out as soon as possible but,” you gestured lamely to the empty desk, “It didn’t exactly… work out,” she finished.

The guy grimaced. “That sounds rough, I’m sorry,” he offered with a sympathetic look. Offering his hand, he said, “I’m Derek.”

You smiled and took it. “I’m y/n,” you responded, and Derek smiled back at you.

“Well y/n, it’s getting late and I should be heading back to my room. See you around?” He called over his shoulder as he started walking away.

“See you around,” you confirmed, turning to the elevator to head back.

By the time you got to your dorm, the mystery man was sitting on his bed. He looked up as you walked in, but you shook your head.

“No luck, they were closed,” you said solemnly.

“We could always try to make the most of it,” he stated, though it seemed like he was just trying to convince himself.

“We may as well,” you gave a little laugh and stuck out your hand. “I’m y/n.”

“I- uh, handshakes actually can carry a lot of germs and pathogens, it’s safer to kiss instead,” he stammered awkwardly. You gave a weirded out grin. “But, it’s Spencer. Spencer Reid.”

“If you insist, Spencer Reid,” you moved closer to him and planted a small kiss on his cheek before he could react.

Turning, you grabbed some pajamas and headed to the bathrooms to shower and get ready for bed. “I don’t know if you’ll be asleep when I get back, so goodnight just in case,” you murmured softly, shutting the door behind you. Spencer stared at the space you once were.

What is happening to me? he thought, confused. He shook his head, laying back on his bed with an arm draped over his eyes.

Some amount of time later, you walked back into the room, yawning a bit. It was 10:30 and you were exhausted from the day’s activities. You had been traveling all day to get to your college campus, and it was draining.

You smiled as you caught sight of Spencer asleep on the bed. He looked so peaceful like this, no stress or worry evident on his face. You noticed his phone next to him, so you quietly grabbed it and plugged it into the charger by his bed.

You did the same to your own phone, then carefully clambered under your sheets. You were asleep before your head hit the pillow.

The next morning, you woke up to an empty room. A flicker of sadness passed through your chest as you gazed at the unoccupied bed on the other side of the dorm. Shaking your head, you grabbed your phone and saw that it was 8:45. You headed to the bathroom to get ready for the day, limbs heavy.

Walking back to your room, you grabbed your makeup bag and a little desk mirror, placing it on the bed. Sitting down, you laid out your products and started applying them.

As you were finishing up with a little bit of mascara on your eyes, the door creaked open. You looked up, seeing Spencer walk inside and close the door behind him.

“Hey Spence,” you smiled at him. He smiled back.

“Hi y/n.” He walked over to his bed and took a seat. “I uh, I went to breakfast,” he gave an awkward smile and nodded.

You laughed. “I still have to go, just putting on some makeup before then, I guess,” you said, gesturing towards the products strewn about the bed. You turned back to the mirror, adding some gentle contour under your cheekbones.

“You know, you don’t need any of it,” Spencer mutters under his breath. You turn, confused.

“Did you say something?” You ask.

“I- I said you don’t need any of it. You’re pretty without it,” He says, a little more confident in his words. “Uh, the makeup industry is worth $532 billion and growing. Did you know that in the 18th century, a tan was considered a flaw?” He rambled, while you listened with rapt attention.

You chuckled. “Is this supposed to make me want to not put on makeup? Because I can assure you,” you paused, turning to give a small smile, “I’m not doing it for anyone besides myself.”

With that, you finished the rest of your routine, Spencer watching from the comfort of his own bed.

You broke the comfortable silence after a few minutes. “I’m going to go check with the dorm after breakfast. Maybe we’ll have some luck this time.” You packed all your makeup and stood up, grabbing your phone and making your way to the door.

You turned back as you stepped out into the hallway. “I’ll be back in an hour or two,” you said, shutting the door behind you.

Heading to the dining hall, you entered the large building with a deep breath. You knew practically nobody here yet and were a little scared of the sheer amount of people.

Grabbing a bowl, you helped yourself to some yogurt with fresh fruit and granola, and a glass of orange juice. You awkwardly stood by the food bar, scanning the room for an empty table to sit at.

“Hey,” a voice sounded next to you, making you jump and turn around quickly.

“Derek! You scared me,” you laughed, your hand resting on your chest. “What can I do for you?” You questioned.

He shrugged. “I noticed you seemed a little lost. Come sit with us,” he pointed to a table where his (seemingly) friends sat, watching the interaction carefully. You smiled.

“Yeah, why not?” You responded, heading over to him. You take a seat at the table, curiously looking around.

A girl at the table smiled at you. “I’m Belle,” she stuck her hand out. You took it, offering a grin.

“I’m y/n,” you responded. One by one, they all introduced themselves to you. The guys all seemed to be frat boys, yet obviously kind enough to accept you. The two other girls were beautiful, equally as nice. There was Blake, Max, Sam, Alexa, Belle and Julie. It was obvious they were more than well known at the university. To be honest, you felt a little intimidated. Alexa seemed to notice, leaning over to whisper in your ear.

“The guys aren’t as stupid as they look, I promise,” she says under her breath, causing you to laugh quietly.

“You sure about that? Blake seems to be a little confused about how to use his spoon,” you responded back, teasing.

From that moment on, it was like all of you had been friends for years. You got everybody’s numbers, were added to their group chats, everything. It made you smile, feeling included.

After breakfast, Derek walked you back to your guys’ dorms. You both got along well, and you could feel a great friendship coming along. You two had grown closer over the course of the walk, hands brushing. As you stepped into the dorm, he walked with you to the front desk.

“I’m going to, uh, see if I could change anything about my… the situation,” you stammered. He smiled.

“I’ll go with you. It’s okay,” he cut you off when you started to protest. You nodded, then made your way over.

“Hi Miss,” you started. The woman sitting there looked up at you. She looked young, no older than 25. She had blonde hair and a… unique fashion sense.

“Hi sweets, what can I help you with today?” She gave you a kind smile.

“I moved in yesterday and um, my roommate isn’t who it should be?” Your voice turned up slightly at the end of the sentence.

The nice lady gave you a confused look. “What do you mean honey?” She asked.

“I was paired with a boy, not a girl,” you let out with a breath. “I need a new roommate, or at least a new room.”

“Let’s see what I can get you, love!” She responded sweetly. She started typing, fingers moving rapidly across her keyboard. She frowned. “I’m so sorry, but all the rooms are full. Unless you have an adequate reason against it or he does anything to you, I can’t do anything honey, I’m sorry,” she finishes, a pitiful look in her eyes.

You offered a sad smile and shook your head. “It’s okay,” your eye drifted to the nametag she had on her patterned shirt, “Penelope. Have a good day!”

You turned to Derek as you both walked away. He grabbed your hand.

“Are you sure you’re good living with a guy?” He asked, concerned.

You laughed. “I’ll be okay. I’m a big girl,” you grinned up at him.

“I’ll walk you up,” he insisted, pushing the button of the elevator. Giving him a disapproving look, you let him take you up to your floor regardless.

Your laughter could be heard echoing down the hall, even in your room at the end of it. Little did you know, Spencer heard it too. 

You slid the keycard into your door, pushing it open slightly and standing in the doorway. You smiled up at Derek, throwing your arms around his neck and hugging him.

Spencer couldn’t help but notice how his hands lingered on your waist, almost unwilling to let go until you pulled away. After a second, you stepped inside and close the door. The smile stayed on your face as you padded to your bed and sat down.

You turned to Spencer, your grin fading a little bit. “There are no other rooms open,” you sighed, shaking your head a little.

He tried to ignore the slight butterflies in his stomach. “I- do you have a problem with it?” He asked, stuttering slightly.

You shrugged. “I mean, not really,” you responded, before winking. “Just don’t try to kill me.”

He nodded, smiling. “So, what’s up between you and Derek?” Spencer asked, gesturing towards the door.

You laughed. “Nothing’s going on. He’s just a friend who,” you paused slightly, “helped me out a little.” Your eyebrows furrowed. “How do you know Derek’s name?”

It was Spencer’s turn to shrug. “How can you not? It’s Derek Morgan. Everyone knows him.”

Your lips parted into an “o” shape, understanding what he meant. “So, what year are you in?” You asked, trying to start a conversation.

“I’m a sophomore,” he replied, his tone cold. He didn’t say anything else, which prompted you to speak as well.

“Oh, I’m a sophomore too!” You smiled at him.

“Why are you here?” He asked, sounding almost hostile this time. “Why weren’t you here freshman year?”

Your smile dropped. “I transferred here from another college. I don’t really know anyone else,” you replied.

Spencer gave you a brief nod.

The tension between you two was palpable. You decided not to ask about it and hoped it might be gone by tomorrow.

You couldn’t quite meet his eyes as you gave a small smile that you hoped didn’t look like a grimace.

After a few more awkward moments of silence, you stood up. “I’m heading to the library,” you announced, grabbing a textbook and your laptop.

“Have fun,” his voice sounded softer this time. You headed out the door without turning back.

You reached the library, quickly spotting Alexa sitting at a table. You walked over, smiling at her before placing your materials down and pulling out a chair.

Alexa grinned back, and you two started a conversation about a mutual class of yours. Before you knew it, it was almost evening and you two had gotten the majority of your homework and studying done.

You weren’t exactly jumping at the idea of heading back to the dorm to sit in strained silence until one of you either fell asleep or left. So, you agreed to dinner at the closest fast food restaurant together.

As you climbed into her car, she let out a squeal. You turned to her, confused.

“Let’s invite the others!” She exclaimed, and you nodded and grinned.

What was supposed to be a small study session turned into the 8 of you crammed into a small booth at a random burger place. You all laughed and joked around, forgetting about the stress of college assignments and adult life.

Somehow, you had wound up pressed into Derek’s side. You let your body relax against his, letting out a quiet squeak when his arm snuck around your shoulders. You looked up at him to see a glimmer of laughter in his eye, causing you to laugh and slap his chest gently.

Neither of you noticed the table fall silent, your friends pulling out their phones to capture the sweet scene.

Derek leaned forward and whispered something in your ear. You smiled at him, tilting your torso slightly to hug his firm body.

After the moment passed, Max suggested driving around town for a while, just to hang out. Sounds of approval echoed around the table, and one by one you all clambered into Alexa’s much too small car.

After about 20 minutes of driving, Belle spotted a small field on the outskirts of town.

Less than five minutes later, all 8 of you lay sprawled out on the cool grass, gazing at the stars above you.

Your head was resting on Morgan’s stomach, legs tangled with Sam’s. Every once in a while, you would reach up and point out a constellation you noticed. You had always wanted to be an astrologer, and learned everything you could about space and the stars for as long as you could remember.

At one point, you managed to roll off of Derek so that your head lay in the crook of his arm. Glancing at him, you frowned as you noticed that he was already looking at you.

“What?” you murmured quietly, so as to not disturb the others’ conversations. When he didn’t respond, you nudged him slightly.

“You look really cute,” he whispered, and you swore you could see the whole galaxy reflected in his eyes.

“You’re not so bad yourself,” you replied under your breath. His laugh tickled your nose and it took all the self control in the world to not kiss him right then and there.

After a while longer of dozing off beneath the stars, somebody suggested that everyone go back home to sleep for the night. Most of you had classes tomorrow anyways.

You grumbled as your human pillow stood up, causing your head to drop onto the cold earth. You glared at Derek from your position on the ground as he stood over you, grinning.

You took his outstretched hand and pulled yourself up, dusting off your worn out jeans and shaking the grass out of your hair.

Looking up, you noticed that the rest of your group was already close to the car, causing you to shout a loud “WAIT UP!” towards them as they laughed at you struggling to catch up to them.

You and Morgan were dropped off last at your dorm building, stumbling slightly and giggling as you reached the glass doors.

You frowned at the entrance, tugging on the doors. But, they wouldn’t budge.

Eyes widening, you turned to Derek.

“Derek, what time is it?” You whispered.

“Midnight, why?” He responded, confused. You let out a groan, slumping against him.

“You need your room pass to get in after 11:00 pm,” you sighed. “I don’t suppose you have yours?” You looked at him hopefully.

He shook his head. “No, I assumed we wouldn’t be out long,” he frowned.

You nodded. “Same,” you pouted. Then, your eyes lit up. “I can call Spencer!”

Derek frowned. “Spencer? As in, your roommate?” He asked, confused.

You grinned. “Yeah! He can open the door for us from the inside!” You laughed excitedly. He smiled, chuckling at your antics.

“Okay babygirl, I’m getting cold out here so hurry up!” He replied jokingly. Your breath caught at the use of the pet name, smile faltering slightly before you managed to replace it again.

Unconsciously, you stepped back against Morgan’s body. His arms instantly wrapped around your front, and he looked down on you adoringly. You blew him a cheeky kiss, pulling out your phone and bringing up Spencer’s contact.

You nervously chewed your lip as the phone rang next to your ear.

After a few seconds, a familiar voice asked, “Hello?” quietly. You lightly tapped Derek, letting him know Spencer picked up.

“Hey Spence!” You said into the phone, happy that he responded.

“Y/n?” He asked, seemingly confused.

You gave a small laugh. “Yeah… so I’m kind of locked outside right now?” You told him, voice turning up slightly at the end. After a gentle prompt from Spencer, you replied, “I didn’t think I would be out for so long, and the building closes at 11. I didn’t bring my room key, and neither did Derek,” you frowned.

Spencer was silent for so long you were starting to think he hung up on you. Just as you opened your mouth to question if he was still there, he let out a gruff, “I’m coming.”

You frowned as you flicked your phone off; why did he get so rude all of a sudden?

You pressed harder into Morgan’s firm body, and he pulled his arms tighter around you. You closed your eyes as a small smile danced onto your lips. You had to admit, it felt nice.

Not even a minute later, the door in front of you was abruptly pushed open. You and Derek stumbled apart, your heart already yearning for the comfortable warmth of his touch again.

Spencer stood in front of you, a small frown etched onto his features. “Are you coming inside or not?” He asked, tone cold and distant. You nodded slowly, grabbing Derek’s hand and pulling him in behind you.

You awkwardly walked to the elevator with the two of them. Turning to Morgan, you raised a lame hand and waved as he walked to his room.

The whole way back to your room it was dead silent. Finally, 10 minutes into it, you couldn’t bear the tense atmosphere anymore.

You walked over to Spencer’s bed, sitting down next to him and gently placing a hand on his thigh.

“What did I do wrong?” You whispered quietly. He turned to you, face pulled into some emotion you couldn’t recognize.

“You- you didn’t do anything wrong,” he replied, voice strained. You frowned.

“Then why are you acting like this? I’ve tried so hard to be nice to you but it’s- it’s just not working!” You exclaim, exasperated.

Spencer’s eyes soften as he gazes at your face. “I’m sorry, it’s all on me,” he murmurs, his hand tentatively settling on top of the one on his thigh. You looked up at him, seeing the sincerity etched into his skin.

Your hand rose slowly, cupping his cheek and running your fingers over the sharp bone.

“It’s okay,” you replied under your breath, a soft smile making its way onto your features. You gently lay your head on his shoulder, smiling to yourself.

And that was how you two spent the rest of the night, cuddling and talking. At one point, you fell asleep against Reid’s body. He gently lay you down on his bed, climbing in next to you.

Hesitantly, he looped his arms around your waist and placed a gentle kiss on your forehead. You reacted in your sleep, mewling slightly and pushing back onto him. Spencer let out a small laugh, tucking your head under his chin before he drifted off as well.

When you woke up the next morning, the first thing you registered was the unfamiliar warmth next to you. Turning slightly, you caught a glimpse of Spencer’s face pressed into your back, arms holding you tight against him.

You sit up gently, trying hard not to wake him up. However, your plan failed, Reid groaning as his eyes adjusted to the light of the room. You swore quietly, smiling at him.

“Good morning sleepyhead,” you whispered, and Reid could swear he felt his heart flutter in his rib cage.

“Goodmorning y/n,” he murmured, voice still raspy from sleep. You giggled, the sound reverberating throughout the otherwise quiet room. He grinned, but didn’t shift from his position on the bed. You frowned, nudging him slightly.

“Spence,” you whined. “I can’t get up without having to climb over you,” you complained.

As a response, he simply raised his middle finger in the air towards you. You gasped and slapped his back, full on laughing now.

“You dick!” You swore, though your tone was laced with amusement. He reached up and tickled your sides, causing you to squirm and collapse onto him.

Your breath hitched as you realized how close you were to Spencer. You willed your heart to slow down, scared that he would feel it trying to break through your.

Spencer cleared his throat, breaking your trance. His cheeks were flushed red, eyes darting around the room and refusing to land on you.

You slowly rolled off onto the floor, staying there until Spencer peeked his head over the edge of the bed, laughing at you.

You slowly pushed yourself off the ground, legs feeling like jelly. You grabbed his hand, pulling him off the bed too. He grabbed both your hands to steady himself, a little wobbly.

You both looked up at each other, hearts stuttering as you gazed into each other’s eyes.

“Your eyes are really pretty,” Reid murmured. You offered a small smile. As if by magic, you two leaned closer and closer until you could feel his hot breath fanning your lips.

A knock on the door caused you both to scramble apart, each of you taking a moment to catch your breath.

You sat on his bed, watching as Spencer walked forward, not bothering to look through the peephole before pulling the door open. You noticed his body language change the moment he caught sight of the person on the other side of it.

His arms crossed and he fell back into a protective stance. From where you were sitting, you saw Spencer’s jaw tighten, but still couldn’t see who was at the door. At least, you couldn’t until he stepped back.

Derek stood in the doorway, face brightening when he noticed you. You got up, confused.

“Derek? What are you doing here?” You asked, smiling wide. You quickly crossed the room and reached him, throwing your hands around his neck and hugging him.

You knew that Spencer had moved away from you, keeping a wide berth between him and Derek. However, you ignored it, still focused on Derek.

“Babygirl!” He exclaimed, grinning at you.

You laughed, responding with a small, “Hi, Morgan.”His eyes suddenly grew wide and he shifted away from you slightly.

Clearing his throat, he muttered, “I was uh- I was wondering if you wanted to get some breakfast with me?”

You strained to hear his words, and asked him to speak louder.

A little more confident, he straightened up. “I was wondering if you wanted to get some breakfast with me,” he repeated, then pauses. “Like… on a date.”

You should be happy. You should be jumping for joy, like any other girl would be if she was asked out by Derek Morgan. But all you could think of was the man standing behind you, watching the situation unfold.

But, when do you ever make the right decision?

You find yourself nodding, barely registering your mouth moving to say yes. Your attention focused back on Derek waiting in front of you, and you shook your head. 

“I- Let me grab my jacket before we go,” you reply, already turning around to head inside your room.

It took every ounce of your self resolve to keep yourself from looking at Spencer. One look into those beautiful hazel eyes and you knew you would crumble.

The moment you walked away with Derek you knew you had made the wrong decision. You wanted to scream, shout, curse the heavens for putting you in this situation.

As if you were in the passenger seat of your own life, you watch in horror as you climb into the car with Morgan. You laugh at his jokes, smile when he reaches over the console to grab your hand. You nod when he asks if pancakes were okay to order for the both of you at the local diner, fully knowing that you despised the sweet treat.

Your body might be in a tiny booth, eating pancakes on an alarmingly sticky table, but your heart lay next to a certain curly-haired boy, beating himself up for ever even thinking he had a chance with you.

God. What did you get yourself into?

very small taglist! : @pprettyboyreid @rachelssafespace

[thejolexgroupchat]

Would love to see a fic of prompt #57 !!! (“So stick that in your juice box and suck it.” ) I have no idea what it would be like but it just sounds fun ahaha

We absolutely LOVE the prompts you all sent us. This fic was written by Nina @doc-pickles and Leya @iamtrebleclefstories

Enjoy the first of many collaborative fics from The Group Chat!

the one with the juice box

It was an unusually hot May day in Seattle, meaning the ER was filled with heat stroke patients that kept everyone busy. Alex had been running back and forth from the peds floor to the ER all day, checking in on new patients while still maintaining his normal routine. To be honest, he was exhausted and all he wanted was to settle in for lunch with his wife. He hadn’t seen her since they’d walked in together almost four hours ago, which wasn’t unusual, but she usually popped by to see him at least once or twice. 

Clocking off for his lunch, Alex wandered down towards the main surgical floor in search of his wife. She’d seemed okay when they were getting ready for the day, extreme morning sickness turned to only an occasional swell of nausea now that she was in her second trimester. Still, Alex couldn’t help the worry for his wife that wound itself through his body. He knew that the pregnancy was taking a toll on her, both physically and emotionally, so, although he was sure she was going to be fine, he couldn't help but worry. 

After searching and finally asking a few nurses he’d passed, he found Jo laying on an empty gurney in one of the quieter hallways. She wasn’t asleep, just laying on her back and glaring at the ceiling with the most adorable angry pout Alex had ever seen. He smiled because the position she was lying in allowed him to see the tiniest curve of her stomach, so small and barely there that he was probably the only one who noticed.

He came up behind her and pressed a tender kiss on her forehead, “Hi.”

“Shut up,” Jo scowled.

“What?” Alex asked, a puzzled look on his face. “All I did was say hi. You can’t be mad at me for that.”

“I’m not mad because you said hi,” Jo rolled her eyes. “I’m mad at you because you did this to me. You knocked me up and now I can barely stand without feeling like I’m going to fall over.”

Alex wanted to laugh, honestly. But he knew if he did, he’d end up in the doghouse. Jo’s hormones had been a whirlwind lately. Most days, he teetered on the edge of saying something equally snarky back or just taking it in stride. Today, he decided to contain himself, “You’re not dizzy because you’re pregnant. Well, it’s not the only reason you’re dizzy. You’re dizzy because you’ve barely eaten anything all day. This morning when I made breakfast, you almost bit my head off for placing eggs in front of you, and proceeded to tell me how you couldn’t stand the smell and didn’t want to eat anything. I had to practically shove that piece of toast down your throat.”

“It’s still kind of your fault. Because if I weren’t pregnant, then I wouldn’t have weird food aversions that keep me from eating.” Jo pointed out. 

“As far as I remember, you’re the one who got us into this situation. You stopped taking your pills, and I told you that I didn’t have a condom but you said and I quote, ‘I don’t care. I’m naked and horny, stop stalling and just stick it in me.’ So really, you did this to yourself,” Alex shrugged.

“Whatever,” Jo glared at her husband. “What do you want?”

“I was wondering if you wanted to come eat lunch with me,” Alex asked sweetly, knowing if he won Jo over with his charm she might not realize he was just trying to get food into her over exerted body. 

“I honestly don’t know if I can even get up from this gurney,” Jo admitted, eyes moving up to meet Alex’s. He could see just from looking at her how much of a toll everything was taking on her. “I think I’m just gonna spend the next few months here, then I don’t have to move when I give birth.”

“I’ll carry you over there if I have to,” Alex offered, holding his hand out towards Jo. “Come on, I’ll help you up and hold your hand if you get dizzy.”

“Fine,” Jo huffed and held on to Alex as she let him help her off the gurney. 

They got to the cafeteria and Jo wrinkled her nose at the available options. Nothing looked appetizing, prompting her to grab an apple and banana and sit down at a table. Alex joined her a moment later, tray loaded with a burger, a sandwich, two bags of chips, and a fruit cup. He grabbed the burger and bit into it before fixing Jo with a pointed stare.

“Please for the love of god, force yourself to eat something besides an apple,” Alex pushed the tray towards Jo who glared at him. “If you don’t eat any of that, I’m putting you on my service so I can watch you all day and make sure you don’t pass out.”

“I’m not a resident anymore, you can force me on your service,” Jo pointed out, eyeing him warily.

“Dammit. That’s right. You’re a fellow,” Alex wrinkled his nose. “Well, good news is that I’m the chief, so technically I can have you follow me around all day.” 

Jo stared him down for a moment, Alex unfazed by his wife’s glare as he bit into his burger. Finally relenting, Jo grabbed a bag of chips and began to slowly eat them between bites of fruit. 

“You know I really hate you sometimes,” Jo mumbled as she took a final bite of the apple, a low groan escaping her as she did so. “Bailey would never abuse her power like this.”

“You didn’t know her when I was a resident,” Alex took another bite of his burger. “Are you sure you don’t want anything else? You can have some of my burger.”

“I’m sure,” Jo shook her head, a disgusted look crossing her face as she settled one hand onto her stomach. “Watching you eat is making me feel nauseous.”

Alex sighed, looking to Jo with a serious expression “This isn’t okay Jo. I can’t have you walking around the hospital alone without having eaten anything. You’re with me today, okay?”

“I don’t need to be babysat Alex, I can take care of myself,” Jo whined, crossing her arms across her chest like an angry toddler. “You don’t need to watch me 24/7.”

“You fell asleep on our bathroom floor yesterday after puking for 30 minutes. How about this,” Alex leaned in towards his wife with a small grin. “Shepherd and I have a Peds case together, you can come and help us so it doesn’t feel like I’m just dragging you around to make sure you don’t pass out in a storage closet.”

Jo eyed Alex warily, he was almost certain she was going to fight him on it, but he wore his ‘I’m the Chief don't test me right now’ expression well enough that she finally conceded. 

“Ugh… fine,” Jo groaned, standing and reaching for Alex’s hand. “Bailey’s out today anyway, so it’s not like I have anything better to do. But this is a one time thing!”

Alex joined Jo, one arm wrapped tightly around her shoulder as they headed towards the elevators. 

“That’s the spirit, your enthusiasm is appreciated,” Alex chuckled as they made their way to the Peds ward. “If you keep eating and stop feeling like shit, maybe I’ll let you do more things on your own.”

Alex led Jo into a patient room, Helm and Shepherd already speaking with a young girl and her mom. Amelia was explaining the procedure to them, so Alex and Jo hung back by the door until they’d finished. 

“I brought you something,” Alex whispered, handing a box of apple juice to Jo. “Figured you can keep your electrolytes up.”

Jo rolled her eyes as she snatched the juice box from Alex, sticking it in the pocket of her lab coat. "You're a pain in the ass. Stop hovering."

“Geez, Jo. Why are you so grumpy? I'm supposed to be the grumpy one,” Alex tried joking in hopes of lightening the mood. "You're the nice one in this relationship. "

“Did you forget that I'm literally carrying your genes right now?" Jo stared her husband down. "I am part Alex Karev at this moment and will continue to be for the next five and a half months, so you better get used to this.” 

Alex narrowed his eyes at her and reached for the juice box in her pocket. He removed the straw from the plastic and handed both items back to his wife, "Whatever. You can be mean and grumpy all you want, but you're carrying our kid and they need nutrients. So, stick that in your juice box and suck it."

Jo glared at Alex as she stuck the straw in the juice box. She was about to open her mouth in response when her smart remark was interrupted by Amelia calling Alex over to speak to the mom.

“Gracie and Delilah, this is Doctor Karev. He’s the best pediatric surgeon we have and he’s going to help me fix you up Gracie,” Amelia turned from Gracie to her mom. “Seriously this guy is a miracle worker, you’re lucky I convinced him to come consult.”

Alex pulled Delilah aside, explaining in more detail exactly what Gracie’s treatment plan would look like. He could tell she was worried, but hoped that he and Amelia could keep her nerves at bay. 

“Any other questions before we start doing labs?”

“Well just one,” Delilah blushed, eyelashes batting against her cheeks as she looked up to Alex. “Would it be inappropriate for me to ask for your number?”

Now, it’s not like Alex had never been hit on at work before. He had been, plenty of times, especially being a peds surgeon that dealt with scared moms daily. But since he’d been preoccupied with his Chief duties, lately he hadn’t spent enough time alone with moms to have them hit on him. Not to mention it was the first time Alex had experienced this since he’d gotten married. He also didn’t expect for his wife to be standing on the opposite side of the room when it happened.

So for that very reason, Alex blurted out the first thing that came to his mind, “I’m sleeping with her.”

Delilah looked stunned and a bit confused, scrunching her face as she looked to the doctors behind them, “Which one?”

Alex looked around the room and saw Jo standing with Amelia and Helm talking to Gracie. Jo clinked her juice box against Gracie’s and took a giant slurp. Alex turned back around to Delilah and motioned to Jo, “The one with the juice box.”

“Oh,” Delilah nodded, a strange expression on her face.

“Yeah,” Alex laughed awkwardly, his hand coming up to rub against his neck. “That’s my wife. My pregnant wife, sharing a juice box with your kid. Who I’m about to operate on.”

Alex and Delilah stood in an awkward silence that was only broken by Amelia announcing that Helm was going to run labs for Gracie before they prepped her for surgery. Alex quickly said his goodbyes to Gracie and Delilah, grabbing Jo’s arm pulling her out of the hospital room. 

“Geez you’re eager to get out of there,” Jo joked, sipping off her juice box as they walked down the hall. “What’s up with you?”

“She hit on me,” Alex blurted out, turning to Jo with a shocked expression. “Gracie’s mom hit on me.”

There was a beat of silence between the two before Jo burst into laughter, holding a hand to her chest as she tried to contain the giggles coming from her mouth. Jo wiped a few tears from her eyes, "What did you say? Please tell me you froze like an idiot."

Alex ran a hand over his face in hopes of disguising his embarrassment, "I told her I was sleeping with the one drinking the juice box." 

"Oh God… Alex," Jo's laughter started up again. She laughed in between her words. "Out of everything... that's what you said? Did you at least say that we're married. I don't need patients thinking I'm servicing the Chief." 

"Of course. I'm not that much of an idiot," Alex sighed. "I don't need patients thinking that the Chief of Surgery is a man-whore."

"He used to be," Jo muttered under her breath, nudging Alex with a smirk.

"Shut up," Alex stuck his tongue out, deciding to mess with Jo a bit. "I haven't been like that in years. You know that you're the only person I've slept with in the past six years? You can't exactly say the same."

"Hey!" Jo gasped and slapped Alex on the shoulder. "I thought we agreed to forget about that. Me sleeping with Schmidt was a momentary lapse in judgement. And I only did it because I was trying to get over you."

"Well, would you look at how that worked out," Alex poked her small bump lightly. "You ended up with me anyway."

"I know," Jo groaned. "And now I have to put up with you for the rest of my life."

"You love me," Alex bent down and gave Jo a quick peck on the lips. "Come on, we've got like forty-five minutes before we've got to meet Shepherd in the OR and I'm going to try to force a granola bar or something down your throat."

"We've got forty-five minutes free and all you want to do is make sure I eat something?" Jo shook her head in disappointment. "Gosh, being Chief has really mellowed you out. Who are you and what have you done with Alex Karev?"

"Huh?" Alex looked at her in confusion. "What did you want to do with your free time?"

"Alex, come on. You can't be that clueless," Jo looked at him expectantly. Seeing that he wasn't going to catch on anytime soon, she decided to spell it out for him. "Dude. I'm fifteen weeks pregnant and my hormones are raging right now,"

A look of realization finally crossed Alex's face, "Oh… Oh! You wanna?"

"Yup," Jo nodded and looked at him with an expression that could only be described as hungrily. 

"I could be into that," Alex whispered. "Let's get out of here before someone sees me and decides that they need the Chief."

[quicksiilver]

In My Fathers Eyes

All Parts: Here

Also on AO3: Here

Part Seven: Frost Giant

Word Count: 4k

Chapter Summary: After training all morning with Natasha and Wanda, Rachel has lunch with her uncle.  She learns more about her father, which is news she isn’t thrilled to hear.  Another mystery about who she really is has been uncovered.

Wanda and Natasha dropped me off at my floor.  It was a nice journey upstairs, both the girls told me stories and funny details about jobs they’ve been on.  One of the best was Wanda’s laughter over the story of her brother figuring out his power when they were first released.

“It was such a rough time, but looking back now I can’t help but laugh at how ridiculous he looked,” She laughed out loud again describing what he would do.

Natasha and I laughed with her, a scene of Pietro crashing into things as he tested his speed playing out in my head.  It was painful losing a member of your family.  Even though I lost my mother and it hurt, my heart ached for Wanda.  She didn’t just lose a brother, she lost her twin.

“This is you,” Natasha said to me once the elevator doors opened.  Part of me hoped Peter would be there, but unfortunately he was not.  Mentally I noted to find him, make sure he was okay and figure out what was going on.

“Thanks for today,” I said looking back to them.

“We’ll be back again tomorrow,” Natasha smiled, and the doors shut sending them off to wherever they needed to be.  She planned for us to be together most mornings, and as much as that prematurely exhausted me I was also happy to have something to look forward to.  Being around Wanda and Natasha felt so effortless.  Having girls who were actually nice to be around made me feel like I finally fit in somewhere.  Shaun is my complete best friend, no one could ever replace him, but having some friends who were actual girls who actually wanted to be around me was something new and exciting.  Even though I knew I’d be around Natasha for work, I looked forward to her guiding me through this just as she did for Wanda.

Still sweaty and feeling gross I went into my room and pulled the shirt I had on over my head and automatically tossed it to the floor forgetting I wasn’t at home.  Though it was my room for now, it felt wrong just throwing my stuff around the carpet.  I picked it up and placed it on a chair by my bed knowing I needed to find a place to put dirty clothes.  I pulled my leggings off and did the same thing with them.

Going into the bathroom I turned the shower on and shut the door.  Staring at myself in the mirror I examined my face with suspicion turning it side to side.  Since I arrived I was reminded, every hour it seemed, that I resembled my father.  I didn’t feel an urge to look him up, but I knew there had to be a picture of him on the internet somewhere.  Curiosity sparked within me.  Walking back into my room, I grabbed my phone off my bed and shut myself back in the bathroom.  I opened Safari and tapped on the bar at the top.  My fingers were suddenly stuck.  A feeling inside my chest told me to put the phone down.  It told me this was a bad idea.  It told me to wait.

Placing my phone on the marble counter by the sink I sighed looking at my face again.  I tried to imagine what he could look like based off of me, but as a man.  Did he have a beard?  Were his features sharper than mine?  What if they were as soft as mine, actually?  I tried to think of how tall he would be compared to me.  By the time I was seventeen I was about my mothers height, and she was five feet and two inches.  I assumed that’s how tall I was now.  I began to smile as more thoughts about him consumed my imagination.  He was a mystery to me right now.  A mystery who was a bit of a villain with abilities I couldn’t even put into words.  Peter told me stories of what my father could do.

Breaking myself away from the mirror I realized the water was still running and I needed to be ready soon to meet with Thor.  I got in and out of the shower fast, washing my hair in the process along with everything else.  As I got ready I decided on a pair of jeans and a black long sleeved t-shirt that was oversized in just the right way.  My hair dried naturally in a soft curly wave just below my shoulders.  Make-up was never for me, but I did wear mascara almost everyday.

I left my room around one thirty not realizing before that half of my day was taken by stories, arguments and sparring.  I once again had the thought of spending time with Natasha and Wanda and felt purely excited.  After my mother there were never many girls around me except for my friend Jessica, but even then her and Elliot were always off with one another.  Shaun and I were truly the only two out of our friend group to have a connection.  We blame our age, but Jess and Elliot blame the fact that they’re dating.  They’d both be twenty one some point this year anyway.

When I got into the elevator that was waiting for me I had no idea where I was to go.  Thor didn’t specify, and neither did his messenger.  Going with my gut I pressed the floor for the kitchen, at least I hoped I did, and let the elevator do its job.

“Hello Miss Rachel,” Friday said, startling me.

“Hi, Friday, jeez,” I said to her with a small laugh.

“I’m sorry, I always seem to be surprising you,” She said to me in her usual tone that never seemed to change.

“It’s okay,” I said looking down at the ground, feeling a little silly talking to myself.

“Are you going to see Peter?” She asked, getting me to look up.

“Am I?” I questioned for a moment, a tickle of a butterfly in my stomach, but I brought myself back, “No, I’m going to eat with Thor.”

“He is in the kitchen.  Enjoy your lunch,” She said, and I thanked her.

“Hey, Friday?” I asked sweetly.  She had eyes everywhere, she literally was everywhere.  I wondered if she’d be able to tell me anything about other Avengers and where they were, or what they were doing.

“Yes?” She replied.  Biting onto my bottom lip I hesitated, knowing this was wrong, but there was a longing inside of me that wanted to make sure he was okay.

“Where’s Peter?” I asked quickly and quietly.

“Peter,” She stated, “He is with Tony in the gym.” I sighed, closing my eyes.  I was literally just there.

“Would you like me to tell him you ask for him?” She asked, clearly this protocol built into her wires.

“No thanks, I’m good,” I said looking down to my shoes once again.

I arrived to the floor with a ding, and as I stepped out of the elevator an amazing smell flooded my senses.  I came around closer to the counters by the stove where I found Thor standing over it cheffing away.

“Hi there,” He said as I tried to look around him.  My stomach growled as I pressed my lips together.

“What are you making?” I asked, amazed.

“Smell good?” He asked, then laughed as he watched me nod my head fast.

“What are you making?” I asked again, unable to say anything else.

“Something delicious.  Without meat, of course,” He leaned toward me and winked.  My mother was a vegetarian and raised me my entire life that way.

“How did-“

“That friend of yours told me a bit about you yesterday,” He said stirring the spatula around the pan, “He’s different, isn’t he?” His eyebrows questioned me.

“Oh yes.  He is,” I nodded, “Thank you, by the way.  For bringing my things here.”

“Of course,” He said, he implied subtle offense in his tone, “I wouldn’t leave you here with nothing.  Now go sit, I’m almost finished.”

At the table I sat and waited by Thor's request.  He brought over plates and bowls full of food I wasn’t sure I’d be able to finish.  Sitting down across from me, he told me to have as much as I wanted.

“I thought Friday did all the cooking,” I said with a small smile.  Thor shrugged his shoulders, his blonde hair pulled into a bun hanging behind them.

“Jane taught me a few things.  I enjoy it, actually,” He said.  Jane was his girlfriend from a few years back, the two of them meeting when Thor came to Earth from Asgard the first time.  Well, he was banished here actually, by his father.

“You really don’t see her anymore?” I asked curiously between bites of potatoes and carrots, “Oh my god.  This is amazing.” I slouched dramatically closing my eyes, Thor laughing at me.

“I really don’t,” He shook his head, “It became too difficult, her working and studying, and me avenging and battling,” I nodded, encouraging him to go on while I ate.

“Plus I’m over a thousand years old,” He mentioned without a care.  I nearly dropped my fork.

“What?!” I said sharply, watching him with wide eyes.

“I said I’m over a thousand years old,” He repeated himself, oblivious.  I giggled under my breath, then placed my chin in a hand to lean against the table.

“How?” I asked simply.

“We age differently,” He said, “Different realms, different times, different growth stages... It’s all boring really.” He waved a hand and finished off his plate going for another round.

“So Jane didn’t want to date you for your age?” I asked, my voice wiggling around unsure of what was appropriate to ask.  Although he didn’t seem too torn up about her.

“No, no, that wasn’t an issue.  I’d say in your time I’m around her age,” He bobbed his head, “It’s just that I’m going to be around her age much longer than she will be.”

“Oh,” I sighed.

“Yes, and I’d hate for something to happen, or you know... what could our future hold?  She belongs here, I belong there,” He pointed to the sky, then we watched each other.  The room fell into a deafening silence, the last of his words ringing in my ear.  We took it in.  We let it hang around for a moment, because he knew exactly what he did.  He didn’t let his front change.  His words didn’t seem to bother him as much as they bothered me.

“Guess you never gave your brother advice,” I spoke quietly, almost bitter, but mostly disappointed.

“Listen,” He said, motioning toward me, “Now that I have you there is no letting you go, but we never knew who you and your mother were.  I don’t say that with any means to hurt you.”  I hung my head, and nodded letting him continue.

“My father didn’t even know about Loki’s use of the bifrost to come here back then. In fact neither did Heimdall, and he’s the keeper of the gate,” Thor laughed, amazement hidden in his tone, “Your father is powerful.” Looking back up to him, he smiled once our eyes met.

“I want to know how they met,” I said softly, “I want to know what led up to me, and I was told to ask you actually... why he hasn’t come back to see me.” Shaun was in my head making me anxious this entire lunch to ask this one question, and once I said the words that nervousness was gone.

“A lot has been happening on Asgard and around Asgard,” Thor began, “Are you done eating?” He paused to ask me, and after I nodded he went in to eat some more.  He got a small laugh out of me after making a joke about being a god and needing to eat.

“Loki and I were in line for a crown.  One of us was meant to be crowned king of Asgard.  Myself being the first born, we thought, I was the first considered... Now talking about it out loud I was the only one considered,” His voice fell quiet, as if he was only intended to hear those words.

“Why only you?” I asked.

“I can explain that matter in a minute,” His voice regained its strength.  He went on to tell me the story of how the Frost Giants, that I learned of yesterday, got themselves into Asgard unfortunately with the help of my father in his attempt to slightly mess with his brothers coronation.  Thor sent an attack on the Jotun’s messing with a peace treaty, and that’s when he was banished to Earth.  Shortly after, my father sent the attack on New York under the influence of the mind stone by a powerful space being named Thanos.  It was after that he was locked up in the dungeons beneath Asgard.

“Then I needed him to help me in a fight against some dark elves, so I took him out of his cell,” He said, “We won, of course, but he had faked his own death again.” I giggled as Thor shook his head with a small smile.

“He’s like a cat,” I joked.

“Close to death, then he comes right back,” Thor said.

“What happened after that?” I asked.

“After that I went away for a while searching for some Infinity Stones.  You know what those are?” He narrowed his eyes in question.

“I’ve heard of them,” I said with a shrug.

“When I returned to Asgard from my search I found Loki masquerading as our father.  Since then my father has been returned to Asgard safely, but he put Loki back into his cell,” He sighed looking down at the table, “At first I thought it was right, but then I learned something that helped me make sense of it all.”

“And that was?” I asked, leaning forward crossing my arms over the table.  His eyes found mine slowly.  I shook my head as if to ask him again after he hesitated for a minute, his eyes beginning to dart around us as he tried to find the words.

“Loki is not a true Asgardian,” He said, “My brother is a Frost Giant.”  The words struck me in the heart, the sharp pain spreading throughout my body.  Clenching my jaw shut I threw myself back in the chair and turned my attention up to the ceiling.  Closing my eyes I took a deep breath, sorrow filling my being.

“Rachel,” Thor spoke gently, “He was raised to be on Asgard, but he was not treated fairly.  It was clear my father favored me,” More of his words hurting my heart, “From Loki’s attempt to take his own life, to his acting out against the throne and life in general... I never understood why.  Then I learned why he was so damaged.”  A single tear fell from my eye as I looked at him.  Watching him explain more of the same, I felt an anger from within me.  An anger toward Thor that I didn’t want, an anger toward Asgard, and an anger toward their father.

“This entire time I’ve been made out to believe that my father was the enemy,” I said through my teeth, “My father is a villain, my father destroyed half a city, he’s a bad man and nobody likes him.”

“Rachel,” Thor began to speak, but I cut him off.

“Seems to me as though your Asgard is to blame,” I spat, “It’s no wonder why from the start he wanted to take it down, or make it his own.  How dare you all shut him out, push him down, and then blame him for all he’s done.”  My uncle watched me with sad eyes.  I hadn’t even noticed how much I had started crying myself.

“Why did Odin take him,” I whispered shakily, my fists clenched tightly as I squeezed my thumbs.  Thor took a long deep breath, looking down.

“He was castaway by the Jotun’s.  He was abandoned.  He wasn’t built the same way as the other giants,” He said, making me roll my eyes and slam my hands against the glass.

“He was abandoned by his own people,” I was nearly shouting, “And your people wanted to abandon him, too.”

“I never wanted to abandon him,” Thor spoke louder, startling me, but like with Tony I didn’t let it show.

“You think I wanted to let my own brother go?  What did I tell you? How I’ve learned all of this? How I need to get him back before he rips two worlds apart?” His voice shook me, literally.  Groaning, he relaxed and reached across the table for my hand, but I pulled away from him.  My eyes stayed on his.

“Am I one?” I asked at a whisper.  He watched me, his expression not giving anything away.

“Am I?” I asked again, a bit louder.

“We don’t know,” He sighed, “I don’t know.” Rolling my eyes again I turned away, facing the windows that looked out to back fields where the men and women in matching clothes were still running.

“You’re cold to the touch,” He said, “You dislike the heat, but you haven’t shown any signs of any abilities you may have.” I glanced vaguely over my shoulder with no intent to find him.

“How would I even figure those out?”

“You’d have noticed them by now, but seeing as though you didn’t quite grow up the same way... they have to keep looking inside your memories,” He said, “To figure anything out.  It’s the only thing we have... to tell us your past.”  My thoughts directed to my mother who, if she were here, would be able to give them anything on after I was born until she started drinking.  Anything after that was up to my memory.

“Was he the one in my dream?  Or... my reality?” I asked, not even knowing what was considered real.

“No,” He answered fast, “His Jotun form is not that big.”

“Right,” I nodded, remembering what he said about my father being left by his people.  We sat quietly, Thor letting me soak in the information a little longer.

“Are you alright?” His voice rumbled in his chest.  I turned to him completely.

“Am I ever?” I muttered.  He hung his head, waiting for the right moment to speak again.

Wrapping my brain around my father being a Frost Giant, I tried to remember more of my dreams.  I then thought of what Bruce had told me yesterday.  That maybe they weren’t dreams, maybe they were real moments in my life that had actually happened.

They came for my mother, somehow finding us in the maze that Manhattan is.  The dream I’d looked at yesterday was the one that had become a nightmare, them chaining my mother up and the giant grabbing onto me lifting me into the air.  His icy hands gripping my small, seven year old body as my mother screamed violently behind him.  After that I usually woke up with a jolt, my mothers scream chilling my spine.

This thought played out in my mind.  The giant held me up, bringing me close to his face to look closer at me, his crimson eyes burning into mine as I wriggled around trying to escape.  Making tiny fists I punched his face as hard as I could, it affected him just enough to where he dropped me.  Funny how a seven year old was able to do that to a creature of his size and strength.  I hurried to my mothers side, throwing my arms around her neck, pulling at the back of her shirt to cling to her tight.  The giant was turned toward us now, but before he could charge at us thunder shook our building like something of enormous weight landed on the roof.  Lighting was shooting around outside the window like mad.  The giant was frozen in his place, his eyes looking toward our ceiling in what seemed like a panic.  Deafening thunder crashed again.  My mother and I jumped, the two of us pressing our faces together in a means to protect one another.

When the room abruptly fell quiet we looked toward the giant, but he was gone.  The thunder had stopped, the wind had calmed down.  The restraints on my mothers wrists and ankles had disappeared like magic.  Her arms wrapped around me quickly and she lifted me as she stood at her feet.  She held onto me tight as she anxiously paced around the apartment looking for any signs of more danger.

I glanced at Thor finding him watching me already.  He questioned me with his brow.

“God of Thunder,” I said.  He nodded.

“You were there, weren’t you?” I asked.  He immediately knew what I was thinking. His eyes fell to the floor as he sighed guiltily.  He nodded again as he turned his chin back to me.

“But you didn’t know who we were?” My voice was just above a whisper.

“Honestly, Rachel,” His voice was deep and meaningful, “I swear on his life I had no idea.  I was just following the giant, protecting the planet like I was assigned.” It was my turn to nod.  I gave him a small smile after another bout of silence, and he returned it to me.

“Thank you,” I whispered this time, letting him know that I knew he saved my mother and I that night even if he didn’t know we were in there.

“Seems like I’ve been watching over you for a long time,” He smirked.

“Seems like it,” I said.

“Now,” He cleared his throat and held up a finger, “I have a question.”  I gave him a sound of encouragement to keep going.

“You and Spider-boy,” He began.  Cue my stomach dropping to my knees.

“Yeah?” I asked innocently, trying to not give away my sudden nervousness.

“Natasha said he may like you,” His words didn’t do a thing to ease the electricity in my body.

“Oh really?” I asked in a small voice.  He put his arm down and narrowed his eyes.

“Yes,” He took in my state and let out a laugh in the form of breath, “Alright.  As long as he isn’t bothering you.”

“What?” I asked, giving him a confused look.

“Well, I can tell you like him to,” He said simply, gesturing toward my tense body language.  Sighing, I closed my eyes for a second and then glared at him.

“So this you pick up on?” I asked sarcastically, digging at his obliviousness toward Earth being mannerisms.

“What do you mean?” He asked, proving my point.  I laughed and shook my head.

“Don’t tell him,” I said quietly.

“Your secret is safe with me.”

[zwritestuff]

Some Things Are Bound To Be (Kyara) - Epilogue

A/N:  This is it homies. We've made it. I'm sorry it took me so long to post the epilogue, I hit writers block and tbh didn't want to let go of this fic. I tried to make the epilogue longer, but at the end of the day I don't think that's necessary. A big thanks to Emerald for being my biggest supporter during this ride and beta-ing every single chapter. Also, a huge thanks to the people that stuck around even after the season finished, I treasure all of you 💕 I have thought of a sequel focused on another ship that didn't get to shine here, but it's still a thought. I hope you all enjoy the epilogue. 💕

Find the rest of the chapters here | Read on ao3.

Kyne has no idea why she’s so sweaty.

Under normal circumstances, she’d be annoyed. Instead, she has Priyanka talking her ear off on one side, giving her one of her usual pep talks, while Bobo on the other is trying to get her eyeliner as sleek as possible. Bo has her head in her wardrobe, criticizing each and every clothing item she owns. That would gain a hundred eye-rolls from her—but then again, these are no normal circumstances.

She’s had dates before, despite what Priyanka might try to say, it’s just that they were never all that exciting. She was lucky if she was interested enough in someone to accept to go on a second date, and third dates were unheard of for her.

The fact she’s this nervous over her first real date with Kiara should be a surprise, considering she still swings by her office every day, coffee and cupcakes in tow, they still go out for lunch almost every day, they’ve been together just yesterday at work, not even 24 hours ago; but still, she can’t help the anticipation welling up inside her—it’s one thing to grab lunch together, to have movie nights and stay over at each other’s places when they think it’s completely platonic; but once they acknowledge the feelings meddling in the middle, it becomes harder to keep their cool.

It’s just a date with Kiki, she thinks, trying to keep her calm. It’s just Kiki, she repeats it like a mantra, because it’s really not that deep. She knows how to talk to Kiara, how to get out of her those throaty laughs that echo through the room and make her eyes crinkle at the corners. It shouldn’t be all that different from their usual “dates.”

Then again, if that’s the case, why does she feel like her brain has been replaced with TV static once the time for Kiara to pick her up arrives?

Kyne’s going to dig a hole through the carpet pacing back and forth. She doesn’t think she was ever this nervous, not even during her final exam to graduate.

“Don’t stress too much about it,” Scarlett yells out from the bathroom, possibly—definitely—smoking against the window. “She already looks at you like she wants to propose every time you open your mouth, a date can’t be all that bad.” Kyne’s cheeks heat up, not even bothering to yell out anything because she’s too busy chewing on her nails while she waits for a text from Kiara.

And then it comes through. 

‘I’m parking, I’ll be up in a second,’ followed by a red heart. Kyne smiles unconsciously as she grabs her purse and jacket, and turns to Priyanka and Bo sitting on her couch, intently looking at her.

“Right. So, you two keep your hands out of my fridge, don’t let Bobo stain the whole place with smoke, and for the love of god, don’t blow up my phone every ten minutes,” she says, like she’s a single mother giving her children instruction before going out on her first date in years. She stops to wonder why she ever allowed them in in the first place, but considering Priyanka has a spare key, they probably would’ve entered anyway.

They nod with childish grins, and Kyne paces around for a little while before there’s a knock on the door and she nearly jumps out of her skin.

It’s just a date, she thinks one last time.

Then she opens the door, and she feels her cool fade away the moment she sees Kiara’s smile.

“Hey,” they say at the same time, eliciting a chuckle from the other.

“You look really nice,” Kiara offers as a compliment, the smile on her face never faltering. Kyne opens her mouth to return the compliment, when she hears Priyanka and Bo snicker behind her back, making Kiara cock a brow and look past the door. “Ah, nice seeing you guys,” she says awkwardly, waving at them.

“Looking good, Kiki. Have fun, don’t make stupid decisions again,” Priyanka calls out as Kyne shuts the door behind her, mumbling apologies about her friends as they walk to the elevator.

“Nah, don’t worry about it, Rita and Tynomi came over to bother me before I left, too. I get it.” She rolls her eyes, scoffing with an amused smile, and Kyne feels the nerves melt away as she laughs, hooking an arm around Kiara’s biceps, letting her head fall against her arm.

“I have no idea why I ever thought giving Priyanka a spare key would be a good idea,” Kyne comments, chuckling slightly as Kiara recalls that one time she gave Tynomi her apartment keys so she could water her plants while she was away, and she has yet to return the keys.

Kyne makes a comment about not having noticed Kiara’s plants in all the times she visited, and Kiara just shrugs with an embarrassed expression. “Yeah, that’s ‘cause I don’t have any right now—I don’t have a green thumb like you, y’know? My plants always end up dead one way or another,” she admits, as the elevator opens its doors and they step outside.

“I can help you grow some stuff, I think we have plenty of time ahead of us for that,” she comments, meaning it, but Kiara has that shit-eating grin on her face that makes Kyne roll her eyes right away.

“How are we going to grow a garden in just a few hours?” She asks, leaning in on Kyne, and she’s feeling generous tonight, so she doesn’t shove her off, saying how corny she is; she just scoffs and softly headbutts her.

“You know what I meant, dumbass,” Kyne says, the affection in her tone palpable despite the name calling. Kiara doesn’t seem to mind; she smiles cheerily as she opens the car door for her, and Kyne dreads the moment their hands let go, if only for a couple of seconds.

“I know, I know,” Kiara chuckles after a moment, fastening her seatbelt so the annoying beep will stop. She turns to look at Kyne with a smile as she turns on the engine, “I’d love to have a garden with you, babe,” she says, with a tone so soft Kyne can tell she means it. She gets the car going, searching for Kyne’s hand almost right away, giving it a small squeeze before lacing them together.

She’s not sure if it’s the fact she hasn’t had a proper date in a long time, that she’s waited a long time to be like this with Kiara, or just that all of this seems straight out of a romantic movie, one she thought she’s never get to live herself—but she feels like a teenager in love all over again, wanting to dive head first into what she has going on with Kiara without a helmet, because she knows she’ll be there to catch her when she falls.

*

A week after their first date, Kyne gives Kiara a pot of dahlias, and promises to help her not let them die. If Kiara catches the symbolism behind it, she doesn’t say anything, just gives Kyne a kiss and promises to take great care of them.

Red camellias come next, some weeks after the dahlias, when Kyne thinks Kiara is doing a good job with them. Then, a small arrangement of orchids—Kiara notices the pattern at some point, and just smiles and kisses her forehead when Kyne brings her a new plant.

The dates keep on coming, and so do the flowers and indoor plants; Kiara eventually runs out of space to put them. Kyne isn’t of much help, either, since her place is small and barely fits her own plants.

“It’s not fair,” Kiara childishly complains one day, while Kyne’s staying over. They’re cuddled up on the couch, not paying attention to whatever it is that Kiara randomly selected from Netflix’s catalog. “A flower shop opened around the block, do you know how much I have to contain myself to not enter and buy everything when I ride past it to work?” She pouts, adding a vocal fry to really get her point across.

Kyne just laughs, amused at her girlfriend’s antics, while five different types of flowers hang from the sides of the TV. Maybe getting her into gardening wasn’t such a good idea.

“If space was really the problem, you’d be throwing out stuff to bring in more plants,” Kyne comments, not really giving it much more than a second thought.

But Kiara bites her lip, fidgets with her fingers for a little while, and avoids Kyne’s gaze for a solid minute. Kyne knows that demeanor all too well.

“No, yeah, I know. But, like, I dunno, I’ve been thinking about moving somewhere else, somewhere bigger, obviously, where the sun actually can come through and I don’t have to haul a bunch of plants in the same five spots,” she explains, stammering over her words, visibly nervous. Kyne prompts her to go on, knowing there’s more to it. Kiara breathes in hard, looking at her straight in the eyes. “And - and I want to live with you, too.”

The world seems to stop during the seconds it takes Kyne to process what she just said.

When it dawns on her, the sun seems warmer, birds are chirping and the flowers are in full bloom—even if they’re in the middle of winter and there are no birds in the city. That’s just what love does, she suposes.

“I’d love to move in with you,” she says softly, pulling her in for a hug, and Kiara breathes out a long sigh of relief.

She’s ready to plant a long-lasting garden with Kiara.

[johnsbleu]

Hold My Hand: John Wick x Reader Chapter 70

warnings: a quick nsfw moment  hmh masterlist

The last few days have been filled with a lot of food, belly laughs, and way more walking than you’d like. John took you to his favorite restaurant, then he made sure Tess got the gondola ride she’s been dying to have. Jimmy tried his best to sing, but the man knows absolutely no Italian, and that resulted in Tess being incredibly mortified. Everywhere you went, you took pictures, and you can’t wait to get home so you can fill an entire scrap book with them.

You don’t know what John has planned for your last day here, but you’re excited to find out. You told him you didn’t mind just hanging out in the hotel, but John, of course, didn’t want to do that. He’s still trying to make up for coming home all bloody.

Since you’ve been so busy during the day and drained from the sun, you’ve crashed every night that you’ve gotten back to the hotel, and you haven’t bothered to get up until almost 10 every morning. It’s not shocking that you’re sleeping in so late, the shocking part is that John has been as well.

The washer buzzing jolts you awake, and you brush the hair away from your face to check the clock. Seeing that it’s only 9:32, you bury your face in the bed and squirm around as you stretch your legs. Reaching your right arm out, you feel around the bed for John, but the sheets are cold and empty.

“John?” you sit up and look around the room, then reach over for your phone and see a folded up note, “Oh, no…”

You take the note from the side table and sit back in bed to read it: Peach, don’t freak out. I’m fine. I just needed to do a few things this morning and needed help from Tess. Jimmy should still be in his room, and if he is, head down for some breakfast. That is if you haven’t slept through breakfast. That was a joke. It’s hard to make a joke in a letter. I should be back in a few hours. Eat a piece of bacon for me. Yours, Jonathan.

Sighing, you tilt your head back against the headboard and frown dramatically. You don’t know what John and Tess could be doing, but you shrug and reach for your phone. You scroll through your Instagram feed, looking at all the comments on your pictures from the past few days, and you smile to yourself when you see the pictures John has posted of you on his account.

John isn’t one to brag, but when it comes to you, he loves showing you off. You can’t pretend it isn’t flattering. It’s flattering as hell to see the way people look at John, and knowing that he only has eyes for you is honestly one of the best feelings in the world.

You take a deep breath and get up from the bed to stand on the balcony. The sun is so warm already, so today is going to be warmer than yesterday. The sounds of the city are echoing throughout the streets, and you look down to see people walking along the sidewalks.

Rome has been everything you could’ve dreamed of -- even more, to be honest. John has made this trip so memorable, and part of you hates knowing that it’s coming to an end. If only you could stay a little longer, but you know Jimmy and Tess need some time to themselves.

You yawn into your hand and tilt your head back, feeling the sun on your face. You hate to leave the balcony, but you’re in desperate need of a shower, so you reluctantly drag yourself to the bathroom.

__

You’re in the bathroom curling your hair when you hear shuffling in your room, and you're hoping that it's John to explain why he left this morning. You open the door and see Jimmy shuffling in place with his back to you.

He waves his hand and stammers, “Hey, uh, you dressed?”

“Yeah, I’m dressed.” you laugh and tap him on the shoulder, “You can turn around.”

Jimmy turns around with his eyes closed and slowly opens them, then he laughs when he sees you’re fully dressed. He holds up a note and hands it to you.

James, I’m out with John. We’ll be back in a few hours. Hang out with Goose, get some breakfast. I’ll see you later. - xoxo Tess.

“I’m guessing you’re Goose?”

You shake your head and laugh, “Unfortunately. I was hoping that nickname had been forgotten, but apparently it hasn’t been.”

“We’re supposed to go grab some breakfast it seems.” he says, folding the note back up and tucking it away in his wallet for safe keeping.

“Yeah! Let me finish curling my hair.”

Jimmy leans against the door frame as you finish getting ready, and the two of you talk about the most random of things. You tell Jimmy about the time you and John went bowling and how he got a strike every time, and about the time you caught John looking at baby clothes when you were at the mall.

Jimmy tells you all about his baseball collection, how it started when he found a crumpled up baseball card in the schoolyard playground when he was 8, and how it turned into something bigger for him and his dad. He hopes that Finn will like baseball as well, but if doesn’t, he’s fine picking up whatever hobby he’s into.

“You’re going to be a great dad, Jimmy.” you say as the two of you head for the elevator. “Tess is really lucky, and Finn will be too.”

Jimmy smiles wide and shuffles in place a little as you get into the elevator, “Thanks, that means a lot to me. John is lucky, too. You’re going to be a great mom, and he’s going to be a great dad.”

“Yeah, he’d like that to happen sooner rather than later.” you laugh and lean back against the wall.

“This might not be my business, actually, never mind, it’s not my business.” Jimmy says and shakes his head. You look over at Jimmy and give him a smile, silently letting him know it’s okay to ask you. He clears his throat and takes a deep breath, “Um, are you planning on having kids anytime soon?”

“Well, I guess we kind of talked about it, but we haven’t like…set a plan in motion or anything. I guess as of right now, we’re just kind of letting it be, but honestly, I don’t really want Finn and our baby to be far apart in age. So hopefully, we’ll get pregnant within the next year or so.”

“Really?” Jimmy smiles wide, “That’s great!”

You laugh, “Yeah, plus with Finn, it’ll give John a bit of practice before he has his own baby.”

“He’ll be great.” Jimmy nods.

“Yeah, and John is stuck on this whole thing about how he’s so old lately.” you lean closer to Jimmy and whisper, “Between you and me, I think he’s just trying to get me to feel sorry so that I get pregnant sooner.”

“Is it working?”

You smile and let out a small laugh, “I have to admit, I think it is.”

The elevator tings and you and Jimmy get off, heading for the lounge. Since you’ve been here, the four of you have ordered breakfast and had it delivered to your room every morning, so you have no idea what you’re walking into. Before you can open the door to the lounge, a man pulls it open and greets you just as Jimmy’s phone starts to ring.

“Sorry, it’s my mom, I…I don’t know why she’s calling.” Jimmy says and points at his phone, “I’m gonna take this.”

“Go! I’ll grab our table.” you say, waving him off.

“Hello, Mrs. Wick.” a man says, and you turn around to see a waiter. He gestures to a table in the far back corner and smiles, “Just for you.”

“Oh,” you look over your shoulder to see Jimmy talking away on his phone, then you look back at the man and shrug, “Um, I didn’t make a reservation or anything, I don’t think my fiance did either.”

“No reservation needed. Anything for Mr. Wick.” he says and gestures to the table again.

“Uh, thank you.” you give the man a small wave and smile as you walk past and head for the table in the back corner.

A smile is spreading across your face as you think about someone referring to you as Mrs. Wick, and you reach into your purse to pull out your phone as you sit down at the table. John still hasn’t texted or called you, and you’re starting to get a little frustrated with him.

You prop your head up and look around the lounge, and you see there’s a large banquet table in the middle of the room. It’s covered in vases with flowers that are incredibly beautiful, and they’re overflowing in every vase. There are countless amounts of food, and you spot a cream cheese danish that is making your mouth drool at the sight of it.

Just as you start to get up from the table, your phone begins to ring and you look down to see John calling to FaceTime.

“Hi!” you whisper and wave.

John smiles, “Wow, you look…stunning today.”

“Let me see!” Tess says, and you see her trying to get a look at you, “Oh, you do. God, I hate you.”

“Where are you?” you say, whispering. “I’m lonely.”

Tess grabs the phone from John and furrows her brow, “Where is Jimmy?”

You look around the lounge for Jimmy, but you don’t see him so you assume he’s still on the phone. “He got a call. His mom, I guess.”

Tess widens her eyes, and you see her reach into her purse for her phone, “I don’t have a call from her, so hopefully it’s nothing major with the dogs or anything. I told her to call me if something happened with them.”

John takes his phone back from Tess and smiles, “How are you, baby?”

“I’m fine. I’m just sitting here at the table, waiting for Jimmy to get back here. I’m starving, but I don’t want to make a plate by myself and look like a loser. I know everyone's watching me.”

John laughs and stops walking to open a door for Tess. He smiles wide and gasps, “Wow, I see a really beautiful woman, and she’s just sitting at a table all by herself. She looks kind of hungry, too.”

You look up and see John standing in the door of the lounge. “Oh, well, how beautiful is she?”

“Definitely the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. Think I should go talk to her?” he walks closer to the table and smiles as you nod. “Okay, wish me luck.”

You reach up to cup John’s face and you smile as he leans in to kiss you, “Hi, baby.”

“Hey.” John plops down next to you in the booth and wraps his arm around your shoulder, pulling you closer to him. His stomach rumbles from hunger and the two of you laugh as he presses his hand to it.

“I didn’t get to eat a piece of bacon for you yet.”

John stands up from the table and reaches for your hand to help you out, “Well, let’s go eat bacon.”

Jimmy walks over, clapping his hands together and grabs a plate, “I want to eat all of this, oh, hey, John.”

“Hey, Jimmy.”

Jimmy looks over at the table, then around the lounge, “Where’s Tess?”

“Oh,” John places some bacon on your plate and looks up at Jimmy, “She had to run up the room for something, should be back any minute.”

“Is she not feeling well?” you ask and point at the danish you spotted earlier.

John shakes his head, “No, she just said she…needed to grab something.”

You look at Jimmy and shrug in confusion, then you head back to the table with your plate. You forgot to get something to drink and before you can even open your mouth, John sets a glass of pink lemonade in front of you.

“Your favorite.” he says, pressing a kiss to your temple, “So what have you two been up to?”

Jimmy laughs and takes a bite of his omelet, “Just got down here when my mom called. She was so proud because she took Bleu and Sadie to the dog park. Said how well behaved Bleu is. Sadie, not so much.”

“Oh, I bet Bleu loved that.” you laugh, “I wish we had a dog park in Mill Neck. I mean, our yard is big enough for Bleu to run around, but I think he’d like to play with other dogs.”

“Petition the city council or something.” Jimmy says, then takes a drink of his orange juice, “Oyster Bay has a really nice dog park, it’s obviously about a 20 minute drive, but it’s worth it.”

“Hello.” Tess sings as she walks to the table, “Did you miss me?”

Jimmy scoots over and Tess slides in next to him, then he presses a kiss to her cheek and smiles, “I missed you this morning. Didn’t like waking up without you next to me.”

Tess looks over at you and you smile wide, nearly melting at Jimmy’s words. She takes a piece of bacon from Jimmy’s plate, then she looks over at the banquet table, almost drooling.

“Are those…waffles?”

“Yeah.” Jimmy nods, “Let me go make you a plate.”

Jimmy and Tess swap spots, and he quickly heads over to the table to get her some food. You’re looking around the lounge and you look up at the ceiling, and it almost takes your breath away when you see the gold flecks in the tiles. You look back down at your plate, then up at Tess as she winks at John. From the corner of your eye, you see John nod his head and smile.

You look away quickly before Tess looks at you, and you prop your head up on your hand as Jimmy comes back to the table. He’s talking away to John and Tess, and you’re sitting in silence wondering what the fuck is going on with John and Tess.

John’s hand creeps onto your leg and you look over at him, smiling sweetly as you rub his back gently. You’re trying to figure out what him and Tess could have been up to this morning, and you know he won’t tell you if you ask him. Maybe it has something to do with Tess and Jimmy staying a few days more after you leave.

John feels the goosebumps under his hand and squeezes your thigh, “Cold?”

“It’s kinda chilly in here, yeah.” you nod and scoot closer to him. “I shouldn’t have worn shorts.”

John sits up a little and pulls his blazer off, then drapes it over your shoulders. He pulls you closer to him and kisses the top of your head as he rubs your arm to warm you up.

“So, what’s the plan for today?” you ask, playing with a button on John’s blazer.

“Well, it’s going to be hot as fuck out.” Tess says, “So I say either we stay in the hotel all day, find something to do inside, or maybe we should go to the beach. That’s one thing we haven’t done yet.”

“Actually…” John sits up and pulls out his phone. After a few moments, he looks up at Tess, “I know of a really cool place. Might be a bit of a drive though. Definitely worth it.”

Tess looks at you and smiles, “Wanna go?”

You sit up and smile, “Yeah, I bought so many new swimsuits, yet I haven’t stepped foot in the water since I’ve been here.”

__

You’ve packed about three different swimsuits and four different cover ups since you can’t decide. Tess has been squealing nearly the whole car ride, you’d think she’d never gone swimming before in her life. John, surprisingly, is driving and he’s holding your hand tight in his lap. You were a little shocked that he hadn’t ordered a car for the four of you like he’s done all week when you weren’t in walking distance from your destination.

He brings your hand to his mouth and presses a kiss to it, “Are you excited?”

“Yeah.” you shift in your seat to see him better and lean your head against the head rest, “I’ll admit, I’m a little nervous.”

“What? Why?” John laughs.

“I don’t know, I haven’t gone swimming in a lake in a long time. You will literally have to hold me. I don’t want my feet to touch the bottom.”

“Baby.” Tess teases from the backseat, “All because she was bit by a fish.”

“It--”

“It left a mark, we know.” she laughs and leans forward to see you, “We know.”

“You know, I have a question.” Jimmy says, and you see John perk up a little. “This nickname, Goose…where did that come from?”

“Oh, I was wondering that as well.” John says and looks at you, “Goose.”

“Well, Goose can explain this one.” Tess says and laughs loudly.

You shake your head as you roll your eyes, “I swear it’s nothing interesting. She just called me Goose because you know, Mother Goose. Because I’m so maternal and all.”

“Bullshit.” Tess laughs, and you cover your face with your hands. “This goof tried to feed a goose when we were…what, twelve years old, and the damn thing attacked her. You know that scar that she has on her knee? A goose took a chunk right out of her, nearly died.”

“Nearly died?” John laughs loudly and looks over at you, “First a fish, now a goose. You don’t have good luck with animals.”

“She’s lying.” you say quietly, “It’s actually a much worse story than that, and we won’t be going into it today, will we, Tessica?”

“Tessica?” John laughs, “Like Jessica, but Tess.”

You laugh and nod, “Yup.”

“Wait,” Jimmy leans up, “So you didn’t get bit by a goose and nearly die?”

“I did not.” you shake your head.

“Huh, that would have been a cool story though.”

Tess smiles when you look back at her, and you roll your eyes as you shake your head. You see John looking at you from the corner of your eye, and you look over at him as he quickly glances away.

“She was having sex and she sounded like a goose!” Tess blurts out.

“It wasn’t me!” you pinch the bridge of your nose, “It was not me. It was him, and you know it.”

“Wait!” Jimmy yells from the backseat, “It was John?”

Tess is on the verge of tears from laughing so hard, and it’s making you laugh even harder when you see John’s mouth open in shock. John shakes his head and looks at Jimmy in the rear view mirror.

You wipe away the tears in your eyes from laughing and turn around to look at Jimmy, “No, definitely not John. And Tess, can you stop being so mean to me? You always pick on me.”

“I know, but I can’t help but make fun of you. I’m your big sister, it’s what we do.”

John pulls the car onto a dirt road and looks at you, “Hold on to something.”

“It’s about to get bumpy.” Jimmy says, leaning forward to see your face, “Huh? Get it?”

“We got it. We all got it, babe.” Tess sighs, patting his shoulder, “A natural comedian I got here.”

The sun is shining through the trees, almost guiding the car through the woods, and you look out the window at all the trees and birds. John pats your leg to get your attention, and he smiles as he rolls the car to a stop. You furrow your brow a little and sit up to look around. You’re in the middle of the woods, and you don’t see water anywhere.

“Uh, John…” Tess leans forward and looks at him, “You’re not planning on murdering us, are you?”

John furrows his brow as he starts to laugh, “What? No! I just can’t get the car any further, so we’ll have to walk.”

Tess sits back in her seat and exhales, “Oh, thank god.”

You gesture to Tess and roll your eyes as you look at John, “She’s ridiculous. I know you’re not going to murder us.”

John pops the trunk to the car and grabs out your backpack, and you sling it over your shoulders, then you grab Tess’ bag. John and Jimmy grab the coolers, then the four of you start your way to the beach.

You stop walking down the path, and John turns around to look at you, “What?”

“I should have put my swimsuit on before we left. How am I going to change with people around?” you say, and John waves you over. “Is there a little restroom or something here?”

John laughs and shakes his head, “No, it’ll be okay. I’ll hold up a towel while you change, but I don’t think we’ll have to worry about anyone seeing us.”

You look at John quizzically and continue walking with him down the path when you hear Tess scream loudly.

“Oh, my god!” Tess flails her arms and turns around to look at you, “Oh, my fucking god!”

You’re in awe when you see secluded beach with its untouched sand and clear water. The sand is perfect, almost like no one has stepped in it in years. The water is crystal clear, and you can see the bottom perfectly. Off to the left, there’s a small waterfall cascading down and the water hangs in the air like little rain drops, and when the wind blows, it moistens your face.

Before you can even say anything, Tess and Jimmy jump into the water and splash around. John looks over his shoulder at you as he walks down to the beach, and he smiles when he sees you’re still in shock.

“You coming?”

“Uh, I…” you stammer and blink a few times, still trying to take in the view, “Yeah, yeah, I’m coming, I’m…”

“Speechless, I see.”

You drop your bag to the ground and look up at John, then reach out to wrap your arms around his neck, “What…the fuck?”

John nods and looks over at the waterfall, “Beautiful.”

“It is.”

He looks back at you and smiles, “View isn’t bad either.”

Rolling your eyes, you lean in closer to John’s face and press your lips to his, “This place is incredible. They obviously like it.”

John looks over at Jimmy and Tess and laughs, “Yeah. Hey, you wanna change into your swimsuit? We can go back in the trees a little and I can hold up a towel for you.”

You grab your bag from the ground and walk with John through bushes, flowers, and trees. He stops and pulls out a large turquoise towel, then he holds it up and nods, letting you know it’s okay for you to change.

“So, how did you know about this place?” you ask as you pull your shorts off, “I mean, it’s pretty secluded.”

John closes his eyes to keep himself from looking, and when you laugh, he opens them, “Sorry, I don’t want to be rude.”

You stand on your tiptoes to kiss John and you smile, “You’re my fiance, it’s not rude. Not to me anyway. Oh, and also…uh, it wasn’t me moaning like a goose. Tess just loves to embarrass me.”

“Oh, I know it wasn’t you.” John says, cupping your face in his hand. He rubs his thumb against your bottom lip, and you open your mouth to suck on it. “You always sound so pretty moaning for me.”

Looking up to meet John’s gaze, his eyes are slowly rolling shut as you suck on the tip of his thumb. You slowly tilt your head back, and John’s finger slides out of your mouth as he opens his eyes. He smiles as he leans in to kiss you, keeping his lips pressed against yours for a few seconds longer than usual.

“So, this place…”

“Oh, uh, well I’ve been to Rome a lot...” he says and watches you pull your shirt over your head. He stares at your chest when you pull off your bra and he’s at a loss for words. “Uh, I...”

A smile is growing across your face, and you look down at your breasts, then back up at John. His gaze doesn’t fall from your chest, and he licks his lips as he stares at your breasts. You stand on your tiptoes in front of John and pull him down a little so he can suck on your nipple. He wraps his arm around you to pull you closer, then he caresses your breast in his hand.

Since you’ve been exhausted the past few days, neither of you have been up for sex. It hasn’t even been on your mind, and same with John. Every night when you get back to the hotel, you’re fast asleep the moment your head hits the pillow.

“It’s so nice to know the affect I have on you.” you laugh and turn around so John can tie your bikini top. He wraps his arms around you and you feel him hard against your ass, “Ooh…”

“I’m sorry.” he laughs, and you tilt your head back to look at him. “Now is not the time.”

“We’ve been so tired lately.” you say, turning back around. You grab your clothes and stuff them in your bag and head back down the path with John, “Obviously once we’re home, everything will be back to normal, and we’ll probably be like ‘so what now?’ and then we’ll just fight because we’re bored or something.”

“You really think that?” John asks as he pulls his shirt over his head. He has a large bruise on his right pec and another on his left bicep, and you reach out to touch them. “Because I don’t. We didn’t fight because we were bored before.”

“Are you going to be able to swim? Is your leg bothering you?”

John shakes his head, “No, it’s been pretty good. Healing really well. Thanks to my new doctor.”

“Yeah,” you nod and watch John fold his shirt neatly and places it on top of his bag. He’s still wearing his jeans and shoes, and you raise your eyebrows when you look up at him, “You’re going to swim in your pants?”

“No, I’m going to change in the woods.” he says and reaches into his bag, pulling out the swim trunks that you bought for him. “I’ll meet you in the water, okay?”

“Mhm.”

Yeah, of course, no big deal. Just getting in the water where fish are. Fish that probably bite. You ball your hands into fists and exhale as you walk closer to the water. Tess and Jimmy are laughing loudly, and he has her in his arms as he spins in the water.

“Okay, we got this. We can be brave, it’s just water, right?” you say to yourself as you walk closer, “I can see the bottom, so it’s no biggie. You have to be brave, you can’t let John see you like this. It’s just water.”

The water is warmer than you thought, and you step in a little further to feel the sand squishing between your toes. You tilt your head back to look at the sky, and you put your hand up to shield the sun from your eyes, which reminds you that you left your sunglasses on the table in your room. You take another step into the water and feel confident enough to go further when John wraps his arms around you and runs deeper as you scream.

“No! Jonathan, no, please. Please put me down!” you wiggle in his arms and try your best to escape his grasp as the two of you laugh, “I know I’m laughing but this is terrifying.”

“Hey,” John leans forward to see your face and smiles, “I’m right here, so what could happen to you?”

You relax your legs and finally stand in the water. It comes up to your ribs, but for John, it’s only up to his waist. You turn around to face John and wrap your arms around his waist, then you tilt your head back to kiss him.

“You look very cute in your swim trunks.”

“Thank you.” he smiles and looks down at your bikini, “This is new.”

You take a step back and flaunt around John as he laughs. He reaches out for your hands and turns around for you to get on his back, then he walks over to Tess and Jimmy.

“John, you know what? I’m gonna say it, I think I love you.” Tess says, still in Jimmy’s arms with her eyes closed.

“Thanks.” John laughs quietly and hoists you up further on his back as you all head for the waterfall.

“Hey, Jimmy, I’ll give you a hundred bucks if you jump off that cliff.” you say, pointing at the cliff, and Jimmy nearly drops Tess to head over to it.

The water is up to Tess’ shoulders, and she reaches out for John to help keep her above the water. The three of you watch Jimmy as he climbs up the cliff as carefully as he can, and Tess takes a big breath when he teeters a little.

“Is this safe?” she asks and looks up at John, “Will he be okay?”

“Cannonball!” Jimmy yells, jumping close enough to the three of you to splash water in your faces. He comes up after a few moments and laughs, “Whew! That was fun!”

Tess reaches out for Jimmy and wraps her legs around his waist, “I was so worried about you. I thought you were going to slip and fall, then you’d crack your head open and…and then I wouldn’t have a husband, and Finn wouldn’t have a dad.”

You lean forward to look at John and laugh, “And you thought I was bad.”

With you on his back, John starts to swim over to the cliff, and he looks over his shoulder at you when he gets to it, “Wanna?”

You look up at the cliff, then at John, “Only if you do it with me.”

“Of course.” John climbs out of the water, then he reaches out to help you up. He holds tight to your hand to keep you from falling, and he takes a deep breath as he looks over at you, “I won’t lie, this is…”

“Is John Wick scared?” you gasp loudly, causing Tess to look up at you. You look down at her and grimace, “Sorry.”

“Don’t do that!” she yells from Jimmy’s arms.

John laughs as he leans over to kiss you, “Ready?”

“Is this like…a metaphor for being with you? Like we’re jumping off this cliff or…something? Never mind. GO!”

You plug your nose and take a deep breath, and holding tight to John’s hand, the two of you jump into the water. You come up for air, and John laughs loudly when he sees your hair stuck in your face.

“You’re a mess.” he laughs, pulling your legs around his waist.

Wrapping your arms around John’s neck, you crash your lips to his, and he puts his hand in your hair and wraps his left arm around your waist.

“I love you.”

John opens his eyes and nods his head, “I love you.”

“Was that a metaphor though?”

He shrugs and laughs, “I mean, if you want it to be.”

__

You’re leaning against John’s shoulder in the elevator, trying your best to stay awake. He tried to carry you to the elevator, but you knew that John Wick carrying his fiancee to his room would be the talk of the hotel. Not that you aren’t already.

“Mouse, just let me carry you.” he says, and before you can stop him, he lifts you into his arms.

You look over John’s shoulder and see Jimmy carrying Tess, and he presses a kiss to her forehead as he whispers to her. He says something that makes her smile, and she opens her eyes to look at him, then she leans up to kiss him on the lips.

“They’re so cute.” you say quietly to yourself, but John hears you and looks down at you. “Jimmy and Tess. I’m so glad you introduced them.”

“Well, we did.” he says, leaning down to kiss you, “We’re a great team.”

“Yeah,” you nod and yawn loudly, “I’m sleepy.”

John laughs and carefully sets you back down on the ground, holding you for a moment so you can get your footing. He digs in his pocket for the room key and opens the door for you, then holds it open as Jimmy carries Tess in.

“Hey, we’re going to take a nap for about an hour or so.” Jimmy says, heading for their room, “We’ll shower, then head out for dinner. Is that cool?”

“Sounds perfect to me.” John says, and as soon as Jimmy closes their door, John lifts you into his arms, carrying you to the bed. He sets you down and laughs when you flop back on the bed.

“I’m so sleepy!”

“I know, peach, you’ve said that about five times now. We gotta get your clothes off first. I know you hate sleeping in your clothes.” he starts to unbutton your pants, but he waits for you to look at him.

“You can undress me, John.” you say with your eyes closed.

He quickly pulls your shorts off, then he pulls off your bikini bottoms and you sit up a little to pull your shirt over your head. His fingers on your neck make you giggle, and you squirm a little as he unties your swimsuit top. You peek one eye open as he pulls his shirt off, and he lays down on top of you.

“Hi.”

John smiles and kisses your nose, “Hi, I just wanted to feel your skin on mine.”

You frown dramatically, “That is so romantic.”

John laughs as he gets up, and he moves you back in the bed and tucks you in. Your feet are dry from being in the sand all day, so you stick it up in front of John’s face.

“Lotion?” he asks, and you peek one eye open as you nod your head. “Okay.”

John quickly rubs the lotion on your feet and legs, then he tucks you back into bed. He takes a deep breath and grabs his shirt from the floor to put it back on.

“Wait…” you scratch your nails over his back, and he looks over his shoulder at you, “Aren’t you going to nap with me?”

He lounges out next to you and wraps his arm around you to pull you closer to him, “Do you want me to?”

“Please.” you snuggle into his chest and press a soothing kiss to his bruise. “Kinda missing your arms around me, and missing our bodies against one another.”

John sits up to pull off his pants and his boxers, then he gets under the covers with you. He lifts up his arm for you to cuddle into his side, and he lightly rubs your arm as you try your best to fight your eyes from fluttering closed.

__

Stretching out on the bed, you expect your hand to hit John’s chest, but when it doesn’t, you sit up to find the bed empty. You look over at the time and see another note waiting for you.

“Damn it! Not again!” you grab the note and rip it open, “What is it this time?”

Peach, I already know you’re pissed that I’m gone.

“Yeah, you bet your ass I’m pissed.” you huff loudly and roll your eyes.

I also already know that you just rolled your eyes and huffed. So, take a moment to remember how much I love you.

“God, why does he know me so well?” you laugh and look down to finish reading.

Hop in the shower, get ready, and I’ll see you in a little bit. I love you. Yours, Jonathan.

You quickly get off the bed and head for the bathroom to start the shower while you rack your brain to figure out what John could be up to. He was gone this morning and now he’s gone again. You hop in the shower and think about all the endless possibilities of what John could be doing.

“He could be setting up accommodations for Jimmy and Tess? Oh yeah, the tree house. They’re going to need a car to get there.” you say to yourself as you wash your hair, “Probably getting the fridge stocked with food, oh, and money, they’ll need some money while they’re staying there.”

You step out of the shower and wrap a towel around yourself, then grab another towel to dry your hair. You don’t know where the four of you are going for dinner, so you don’t know what to wear. You remember you still have a dress left that you haven’t worn yet, so you head out to your room to pull it out. When you look at your bed, you see a black garment bag and a box waiting for you. It has another note on top, and you immediately laugh loudly.

“Oh, my god.” you walk over to it and grab the note, “He is something else.”

Put this on. There will be a car waiting for you and Tess in two hours. Don’t keep us waiting.

“Oh, my fucking god!” Tess yells from her room, and you run in her room to see her looking at a gorgeous lilac colored gown. She holds it up to herself in the mirror and laughs, “What is he doing?”

“You got one too?” you say, holding up your note, “I got a note from John and a garment bag, but I haven’t looked at it.”

Tess looks up at you and smiles, “I’m in shock, I can’t believe this. Look how beautiful this dress is. Can you imagine how much this probably cost him?”

“Get used to it.” you scoff as you walk back to your room. Tess is following behind you, and she hops on the bed as you unzip the garment bag. There’s a champagne colored dress in it, and you run your fingers down it, feeling the material under your fingertips. Tulle and beads – beading that looks it probably took hours upon hours to perfect.

“Wow.” Tess pulls it out of the bag and holds it up against you, “You’re going to look like a princess.”

“What is he doing?”

“I have no idea.” she says, and you squint your eyes at her.

“Where were you two this morning?”

Tess gets off the bed and opens the box, pulling out beautiful heels and jewelry. She looks up at you and you gesture to her.

“Oh! This morning we just went for a walk, we just talked about you two going home, and where Jimmy and I will be staying and stuff.” She smiles and walks backwards to her room as she laughs, “Look, get your hair dried, put on your dress, then I’ll do your make up.”

__

“I’m so nervous.” you say as you and Tess walk with your arms linked.

“Me, too.” Tess sees a mirror on the wall and stops to look at herself, “But damn, I must say, we look so good!”

“Do you know where we’re supposed to even go?”

Tess exhales and shakes her head, then she perks up at little. She points at a guy holding a sign that says, ‘Mrs. Wick & Mrs. Hendricks’ and she smiles, “I’m assuming we follow that guy.”

“Mrs. Wick?” the man says, looking at you and smiling.

You nod your head and link arms with Tess again, “Yeah, that’s…uh, that’s me.”

“Follow me please.” he says, and Tess grips your arm even tighter.

You have no idea where you’re going, and you don’t know whether or not to trust this guy. Surely he’d know better than to…mess with you. You’re John Wick’s fiancee. No one is that dumb.

There’s a nice car waiting for you and Tess, and the man opens the door and helps you and Tess in. Tess is looking at a note, and you look over at her as she reads it. She starts to laugh and she closes the note, holding it to her heart.

“He’s so cute.”

You look at Tess and smile, “Jimmy?”

“Yeah,” she nods and opens the note again to read it. She folds it up and puts it in her clutch, exhaling contently. She looks over at you and frowns, “You didn’t get one?”

You look around the car, moving your dress and Tess’ to see the car seat. You open your clutch to see if maybe John stuffed it in there, but it’s empty aside from a tube of lipstick, a few sticks of gum, your ID, and your phone.

“No, I guess I didn’t.” you say, sounding much sadder than intended. You sit back in your seat a little and pout. It’s just a note, but you were expecting to get one as well.

“I mean, Jimmy just wrote lyrics to a cheesy 80s song that we love. It’s not like it’s some massive love letter.” she reaches for your hand and tugs it to get your attention, “Look at the jewelry, shoes, and the fucking dress you’re wearing. Just because you didn’t get a cheesy little note doesn’t mean anything.”

“I’d rather have a cheesy letter than all of this.” you say, gesturing to yourself.

“Yeah, okay, same though.” Tess says and laughs, “But I mean, come on, look at us. Did you ever think we’d be in Rome? Let alone married and engaged to two…incredible men.”

You let out a laugh and look at Tess, “Definitely not. I always knew you’d find someone great. I was always jealous of how much attention you got, not that…angry kind of jealous though. Don’t get me wrong, you deserved every bit of the attention you got. But I kind of always just sat back and…waited my turn. Then when we moved to Mill Neck, you adapted so quickly, but I was still the weird girl who followed you around. I mean, we literally work at the same shop.”

“Well, I work for you now.” she says, and you roll your eyes. She reaches out for your hand and smiles, “You’re not the weird girl who follows me around. You never were.”

“I guess I didn’t mean it like that. I just…I think it took me a little longer to get used to living there. You were dating so many people, and I was just sulking because I wasn’t home anymore, I was out of my comfort zone. I never thought of Mill Neck as my home until I met John.”

“Ooh, I knew it was going there.” Tess says, teasing you.

“He didn’t know anything about me.” you start to tear up and let out a small laugh, “But for some reason, he so badly wanted me in his life.”

“Because you’re sweet! Look at you!” Tess reaches for both of your hands and smiles, “You’re so good for him, you have no idea. You have no idea the way he talks about you. I’m sure he says shit to you that makes you want to melt, but the shit he says to me about you literally…I could turn into a puddle of mush right now just thinking about it.”

“You got a good one yourself, Tess. This morning he was telling me how excited he is to have a baby, how happy he is that he met you.” you start to laugh and wipe away the tear on your cheek, “He is so in love with you, and I really don’t know anyone more deserving of a man like him. You really deserve him, and he deserves you.”

Tess reaches out to hug you, and she sniffles a little when she sits back, “Okay, now look at us. What a mess.”

The car rolls to a stop and the driver opens your door to help you out. Tess links arms with you again, and you look up at the building you’re in front of. It’s a stone building and for a moment, you think you’re back at The Continental.

“This way, ladies.”

You follow behind the man as he leads you to a balcony overlooking Rome, and Tess gasps loudly as she walks over to the ledge. The table next to you has a bottle of champagne, chocolate covered strawberries, and another note.

“Hey, you got another note. It has your name on it.” you hand it to Tess, and she quickly unfolds it to read it.

She folds it up and puts it back on the table, “Hmm, well, I guess we’re just supposed to wait. Didn’t they tell us to not keep them waiting? Yet here we are, waiting on them.”

“Men.” you joke, pouring yourself something to drink. You hand Tess a glass and pour some sparking water into it and smile, “I know you’re dying to eat a strawberry.”

“I’m starving.” she laughs.

It’s your last night in Italy, and you’re trying to savor it as much as possible. Closing your eyes, you take a deep breath and feel the sun warm on your skin. It’s nearly 8 PM, so the sun is starting to set already and it’s giving everything the most beautiful soft orange glow. You kick yourself for not bringing your camera, but you hope that maybe Tess brought hers.

“Hey, Tess…” you turn around to find the balcony empty, and you stand there frozen for a moment as you look around. You walk back over to the table for your phone, but it’s gone. “Damn it.”

Tess definitely took it. You knew she was in on this. Of course she was. The note that was for Tess is still on the table, and you open it to see that it’s blank and you toss it back on the table. Sighing, you walk back over to the ledge and look out across the city. You didn’t think your last night in Italy would consist of you being left alone more than you’d like, or that you’d be left out of all of the surprises.

“Wow, that’s a nice view.”

You smile when you hear John, and you keep your back turned to him, “Hi, baby.”

“Hi, sweetheart,” he wraps his arms around you from behind and moves your hair off your shoulder, “Let me look at you.”

John backs away as you turn around to look at him. He’s in a crisp new suit, and even though you’ve seen him in a suit a few times lately, you still can’t get over how handsome he is. His hair isn’t completely slicked back, but it’s pushed away from his face unlike how he usually has it. The cuts on his face have started to heal so they’re nearly gone, and the sun shining on his face makes his eyes so warm, you want to dive in them.

“Give me a spin.” he says and smiles when you spin around, “Wow.”

“This is a great dress for spinning. Felt like princess all day – don’t say it.” you put your hand up, and John laughs.

He wraps his arms around waist to pull you closer, then he leans in to kiss you, “Mmm, what’s it been? Two hours? And I already missed that; your lips on mine.”

You and John sway back and forth, and you lay your head against his chest as he rubs your back. Closing your eyes, you smile to yourself and try your best to soak in this moment before it’s spoiled by something.

“Hey,” John leans back to see your face, “You look beautiful.”

“You look very handsome, Jonathan.” you rub your thumb over his bottom lip and he presses a kiss to it. You look back out at the view from the balcony, and you sigh contently. There’s a loud boom in the distance that catches you off guard, and you jump a little.

“Fireworks.” John says, and you chuckle a little as you look at him.

“I haven't seen fireworks in so long.”

John cocks up his eyebrow and smirks, “You wanna see fireworks? I'll take you home and show you some fireworks.”

You burst out laughing, bending over at the waist and leaning against John to keep yourself from falling over, “Oh, man. That's it. That's the best thing you've ever said to me.”

John laughs quietly for a moment, then he looks up at you, and you can see him growing a little nervous.

You stand on your tiptoes to kiss John, and he exhales shakily when you pull away. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing.” he shakes his head and looks at the table, “Dinner is going to be served soon.”

“John, what’s going on?”

“Nothing.” he says again, laughing this time, “You’re just making me nervous.”

He gestures to the table and pulls out your chair for you to sit down, then before he sits in his, he presses a kiss to the top of your head. You play with your engagement ring on your finger and watch John closely as he fidgets with his napkin. You don’t know why he’d be so nervous, but you’re starting to get worried.

“Baby, you know you can tell me anything, right? I think I’ve made that pretty clear by now.” you reach across the table for his hand and squeeze it, “Is there another job or something?”

John lets out a laugh, “No, no, it’s not that. I’m just nervous for some reason. You still make me really nervous.”

You prop your head up on your fists and smile at John, “So, nothing is going on? No impromptu wedding?”

“What?” John looks up at you and shakes his head, “No. I wouldn’t do that to you. I know you said you don’t care what we do, but I want your mom to be there and I know you do too.”

“That’s true.” you say and look over to see waiters with your food, “Where are Jimmy and Tess?”

“Other side of the hotel.” he says, and just by the look on his face, you can tell he’s starving. When the waiters close to the door to the balcony, he claps his hands and rubs them together.

“This is another Continental hotel?”

John cuts into his steak and watches as you struggle to cut into yours. He gets up from the table and walks over to help you cut into yours.

“Feel like a child, I can’t even cut my own steak.”

John scrunches up his face and uses your knife on his steak, “No, this knife is just really dull. And no, this isn’t another hotel. It’s just a different hotel. You’ll see why after we eat.”

You let out a little chuckle, and you look up at John as you smirk, “I don’t know exactly what that means, but I like the sound of it.”

He leans down to kiss you, lingering for moment as he runs his fingers through your hair and pulling you closer to deepen the kiss. He hums against your lips and kneels down next to you so he’s closer to you.

You press your lips to John’s one last time and point to his side of the table, “You’re hungry, baby. Go eat.”

__

John is staring at you from across the elevator, and he shakes his head as he looks up and down. He licks his lips and smiles when his gaze meets yours again, and you blush a little. The elevator dings, and he reaches out for your hand as you head down the hallway.

“Okay.” he stops in front of you and holds your hands, “You have to promise me that you’ll keep your eyes closed.”

“I promise!” you smile and put your hands over your eyes, “I got my eyes squeezed closed.”

“How many fingers am I holding up?”

“Uh,” you tilt your head from side to side and laugh, “Four?”

John laughs, “Nope. Okay, walk forward. Keep going, I’ll tell you when to stop.”

You cautiously walk forward with your hands over your eyes, and you feel John’s hands on your waist guiding you. His grips tightens on your waist to stop you, and he moves in closer to you. You hear a door beep, so you know you’re heading into a hotel room, and John reaches out for your waist again and stands behind to help guide you.

“Take two steps to the right.” he says, and you do. “Okay, you can open your eyes.”

You open your eyes, blinking a few times and letting them adjust for a moment. The room is darker, only lit with candles and the sun setting. Music starts to play quietly, and you look over your shoulder to see John leaning back against the wall and watching you.

Looking back at the bed, you see a black silk robe and you let out a small laugh, “Am I supposed to change into this?”

John wraps his arms around you and begins to kiss your neck, “Yeah, Tess said you wouldn’t want to stay in your dress all night. She said, uh…what did she say again? Oh! It’s a lot of dress.”

“It is.” you nod and look down at it, “It’s beautiful though, and I haven’t had the chance to thank you for it yet. So thank you, I love it.”

“Of course.” he smiles against your neck, then starts to unzip the back of your dress, “Fits you perfectly.”

“That it does.” you say, shimmying out of it and holding John’s hand so you don’t fall. You sit down on the bed to unhook your heels and drop them to the floor as you rotate your ankles. “Oh, and thank you for this lovely lingerie as well.”

John looks down at the lace bra and panties you’re wearing and smiles, “Yeah, I was really bad at picking it all out, but Tess helped.”

“Of course she did.” you laugh and fix the strap of your bra, “I didn’t wear the stockings or garter belt obviously, since this isn’t the type of dress you wear stockings with, but…I’m more than happy to show you what it looks later.”

“Can’t wait.” he smiles, then leans down to kiss you.

You grab the robe and close your eyes, feeling the soft cool silk against your skin, then you grab a hanger to hang up your dress. You turn around as John pulls off his suit jacket and lays it on the bed. “What now?”

“Well, we have champagne, and we also have…” John walks over to the balcony door and slowly opens it to reveal The Colosseum, “This.”

Your eyes begin to water and you try to choke back tears, “John, oh, my god.”

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” he says, reaching for your hand, “Just wait, I have another surprise for you.”

“More? How could you possibly top this?”

John laughs as he leans over and kisses you, “You’ll see.”

__

John wraps his arms around your shoulders, pulling you closer, “You’ve been staring over there for about an hour now.”

“It’s beautiful.” you whisper, tilting your head back to look at John, “You’ve absolutely blown my mind this past week.”

“Wanna see something cool?” John chuckles, pressing a kiss to your forehead. You nod your head, and John points up at the sky, “Look up there.”

The sky is dark, but you see a faint orange glow flying through the sky and moments later, the sky explodes with bright blues, yellows, reds, and greens. The booms from the fireworks vibrate through your body along with your laughter.

“You’re kidding me?” you look at John and laugh, “Fireworks? Just for me? Because I said I hadn't seen them in a long time?”

“Just for you.” he smiles, and his face glows from the fireworks exploding in the sky, “Just for you.”

 __

taglist: @tnu-ree​​ @dangerouslystrangecrown​​ @weird-civilian @ladiesofamidala​​​ @callmeglenncoco @ficsnroses​​​ @sanctuarygirl​​​ @meetmeinthematinee​​​ @jessicajones616​​​ @cheekybluefox​​​ @jazzyboo2001 @starsstripesandthesouth​​​ @a-small-independent-princess​ @thepastrecedes01​​​ @rubywantsafuitgummy​​​ @lostandfaceless​​​ @sweetgoodangel​​​ @star017​​​ @ladyren33​​​

btw i’m just tagging people from my last list, so if you don’t want to be tagged anymore or you DO want to be tagged, just let me know!

[seokiloquy]

Step - Nishinoya Yuu

AU: Dance Prodigy

Word Count: 1.6K+

A five, six, seven eight.

Your feet hurt. It was something you’d always be able to handle, the curve of your feet as the pushed into the expensively matted floor. It took years to achieve the form you had polished tirelessly. The slightly hyperextended knees and arms, toes that could curl and reach the floor while you sat with your legs stretched in front of you, the flexible spine, neck, and hip sockets. You worked for this form.

Head up.

You gently led your arm in a circle through the air before leaning down to touch your toes that pointed into the floor. Your back cracked as you rotated around into an arabesque. Your hip popped as you rotated it above your head. Your ankle twisted as you descended too quickly. Years of training led to this moment. Bright light bounced off your skin. The stiff build of your skirt showed off your legs as they extended and moved flawlessly, carrying you across the stage. Music fluttered gently across the hall, each sound matched a movement. Your leg hurt. As you made centre stage the music faded out, the curtain slowly closed, and the lights dimmed as the applause roared through the open air around you. The draping velvet cloth made contact in front of you, and as it did your leg gave way.

“Your Achilles tendon tore. It’s about 12 weeks of recovery time, but you’ll need to rehabilitate afterwards. I’m sorry.”

The doctor left, closing the door gently behind him. The stiff fabric of the hospital bedding folded tightly between your fingers as your fists clenched. You glared at your elevated leg. At your bedside was your instructor who stared down at her clenched fists, breathing heavily as if she were about to burst.

“This is my fault. If I hadn’t pushed you-”

“Stop,” you turned your head in her direction. “The fault is all mine. I’ve been having ankle pain for a few weeks. I never said anything but I never imagined it would turn out like this.”

It wasn’t a total lie. The pain in your leg had only started a week prior, after taking a small tumble while you practiced privately.

She sighed, “You’re still young, you’ll recover quickly. But-”

You nodded, biting your lip. “But I won’t make it to the academy. I know.”

“Ballet will be too harsh on your body, you could probably get back into it but you’ll likely never get to the point where you were yesterday.”

You looked at your teacher, “then what do I do?”

You stood in front of the white building, watching as the crowd of students slowly piled in. Your school specialized in high level performance ballet but also had other forms ranging from contemporary to musical theatre and hip hop. Sadly, in your final year, instead of participating in the ballet performance that you were slotted to take the role in (now taken by your good friend who was too nervous for words and kept coming to you for help) you were spending your days in the work-out and rehabilitation wing of the school.

The year-end performance that had taken place just before summer vacation, left you with an injury that took all of summer to recover from. A week into the school year, you had just gotten your cast-off but were still walking with the assistance of a crutch. Despite the likelihood of not being able to participate in this year’s showcase, you still wore your ballet jersey with pride as you hobbled into the school.

“Do you want some help?”

A boy came up to your side offering a hand out to carry your bag. He wore the classic black uniform of the hip hop students. You smiled thankfully and let your bag slide off of your shoulder and into the palm of his hand.

“Thank you.”

“Hey, you’re that ballet dancer. I saw your dance last year, it was amazing. What happened to your leg?”

“Oh, I injured myself while performing. Tore my Achilles.”

He winced, “Ouch, how did you finish? You didn’t even look injured.”

“To be honest, I didn’t realize until the curtain closed and I fell over.”

He opened the door, ushering you in before following closely behind. “I’ll help you to your dorm. How have you been recovering?”

You sighed and continued to hobble next to him as you made your way to the dorm room elevator. “I’ve been managing, but I won’t be able to perform this year unless I get super lucky.”

“But this is your year to get scouted!” he stuck his arm in the elevator door until you made it through.

You laughed at his eagerness, “Ya, and I’ll be spending it in the rehab hall. I’m lucky they didn’t expel me.”

The boy sighed, “The school wouldn’t expel you. You’re the school’s top student, they wouldn’t give you up over an injury.”

“Thanks.”

The two of you made your way to your dorm room, where you pulled a key out of your pocket. As the door opened he handed you your bag back with a nod before heading down the hallway.

“Hey,” you called. “What’s your name?”

He turned quickly, yelling down the hall, “Nishinoya Yuu!”

“Yuu, call me (Y/N)!”

You were working with one of the on-site chiropractors when the doors opened.

“Yu? What are you doing here?”

Your doctor laughed as Nishinoya jogged over in your direction. Behind him were a bunch of other hip hop students that made their way to the pilates machinery.

“We have an hour of pilates today. How’s your leg doing?”

Lifting up the somewhat immobile leg you shook it in the air before going back to walking practice. Next to you, your doctor threw in a comment about the tendon healing at a good pace.

“I’ll hopefully be able to walk normally by December. As for dancing, I don’t know, I think I’d like to try even if I can’t do it fully.”

It was early October. Nishinoya and yourself have managed to create an imbalanced friendship with him carrying your things or most of your weight while getting around. Luckily for him, it wasn’t much of an inconvenience. The hip hop wing was right next to rehab. It also didn’t bother him that he got to make Ryu jealous by carrying a pretty girl on his arm, but that was beside the point. 

True to your own words, once December rolled around you were able to walk around without any assistance. Stairs were a bit difficult, and Nishinoya still managed to convince you to let him carry your things. But at least you could walk.

December was the time when most choreography was coming to a close and rapid polishing would commence. Despite this, the day before winter break started, Nishinoya ran into your dorm, interrupting your packing with a proposal.

“Let’s do a duet!”

The two youngest teachers of either of your branches became your choreographers for your duet. They seemed way more excited about the idea that Nishinoya brought to them than Nishinoya was. Not that you could blame them, the branches of the school didn’t meld very often.

Your bad leg was still unable to go on full point. After about a month of figuring out the choreography, most of it ended up being arabesques and lifts (among other things) that wouldn’t put too much pressure on your ankle. Nishinoya’s choreo was a big contrast with more grounded and heavy movements, looking a bit more like an idol’s stage performance than heavy hip hop, but he looked incredibly confident and comfortable in that zone. Tying the polar opposites together were matching movements, pauses, and overall flow.

You handed Nishinoya your water bottle and sat down next to him. As he chugged the water back you watched as your two choreographers chatter happily.

“How’s your ankle?” he asked, setting down your bottle.

Tilting your head over in his direction, you nudged his shoulder lightly. “It feels pretty good a little tight maybe but alright. Are those two flirting?”

“I think so. Do you think you’ll be able to perform? We’re doing costume fittings next week.”

You rolled your ankle gently. “I think I’ll survive. What do your costumes look like again?”

“Flowy dress, flowy shirt and black pants.”

You huffed out a giggle, causing Nishinoya to turn in your direction while wearing a pout. Grabbing your arm he shook it quickly trying to grab your attention. “Hey! What are you laughing for, huh?”

“Nothing, just. I think you’re going to look a bit like a pirate. With your hair and all.”

“Hey, there ain’t nothing wrong with looking like a pirate. They’re pretty cool!”

It was quiet backstage. Or as much as it could be with strong music playing through the concert hall and rowdy hip hop dancers cheering excitedly through the velvet curtains. You gripped Nishinoya’s hand like a vice as you waited for the song to end so you could take centre stage with your partner. Nishinoya flinched under the grasp but held yours back as gently as possible while talking to Tanaka who stuck around still wearing the costume from his first performance which Nishinoya was a part of.

Most students would perform one or two dances at least, you were stuck with one.

The song ended abruptly, marking your cue to head on stage. Tanaka ran to the seats as Nishinoy and you waited for the previous dancers to come off stage.

“Ready, (Y/N)?”

You nodded stiffly.

“Don’t worry, I’ll catch you if you fall and then we’ll go on like it was meant to happen.”

You didn’t want to let go of his hand.

I almost feel bad that the dancing isn’t descrpitive because I’m a dancer.. - Bacon

Posted: 03/07/2020

[quackeroos]

ONE WEEK || Day Five

Pairing: tom holland x dying ex!reader

Summary: you were dying, and tom still loves you. now he plans on loving you ‘til your last breath, and maybe get you to say those three words back to him.

Warnings: swearing, angst

Words: 5.6k

*gif not mine!

General Masterlist | Series Masterlist 

YESTERDAY'S EVENTS still hadn't left her mind. Remembering every bit of it only made Y/n's heart thump like crazy. She didn't notice that her heart monitor was beeping so loudly, Jamie had to come and snap her from her thoughts. "Oh god. Don't tell me your having dirty thoughts about Tom!" A pillow met Jamie's face and it made her nose sore.

"Oh, shove off! And keep your voice down, will you?"

Her sister gasps. "So, you were thinking of it!"

Y/n groans in annoyance. Jamie can sometimes be a pain in the arse. "It's not that you twat!"

"Then what was it that made your heart go coo coo?"

Y/n didn't answer. She laid back on her bed and continued switching the channels on the telly. A smirk grows on her sister's face. "Okay, I'm assuming it's about Tom, but it's not anything erotic." She only answered with a low grumble.

The door shifts open and closes with a thud. "I'm back!" the person bellowed. Speak of the devil. Jamie eyes her sister with a smirk, but all y/n could do was ignore her sand blush. She wasn't going to give her the satisfaction. Tom settles down his backpack and takes his seat beside y/n's bed.

"Mornin' love," he greets. "How are you feeling?"

She shifted from her bed and sat upright. "I don't feel completely shitty, thanks for asking." Tom chuckles as he was fixing up his meal. "Thank you, by the way, for yesterday. I had a lot of fun." The brunette takes her hand and brings it up to his lips. A soft kiss planted on the top of her hand and he smiles, still not letting go of hers. All y/n could do was grin softly.

The morning went on peacefully. Jamie went to her university to pass her final papers for the semester, leaving the two alone in the room. Unlike before, tension filled the air. But compared to now, the two were at ease, comfortable in their space with each other.

Tom laid his head on Y/n's stomach, their hands still intertwined. His other hand poked at her stomach only for it to bounce right back up, he found it very entertaining. was a lazy Friday afternoon. They were already at their 6th movie of the day, and the time they would only move is when they had to go to the bathroom or change positions.

Tom stood up from his seat and stretched his back with a loud yawn escaping his mouth. "Alright, I'm bored. Maybe we should take a walk around the hospital."

Y/n groaned, "I kinda don't wanna leave my bed yet."

"Oh, come on, please?"

"Make me."

His thin lips pouted; eyes turned soft making it seem like he was a puppy. God, Y/n hated him for pulling that card. He knew she couldn't resist that face, his perfectly goddamn adorable face. "Wise move, Holland." her eyes rolled.

Tom winks at her. "Knew you wouldn't resist that."

"You're so full of yourself!" He was right though.

His strong arms slid under her and lifted her up with no effort. Once placed on her wheelchair Tom takes out his phone and sends a text, pocketing the device before pushing her out of the room.

As always, the nurses they pass by greet the two warmly, and some stopping Tom for a quick selfie, along with patients. From the side, Y/n teasingly scoffs, "Movie Star."

"Don't worry Moonshine," Tom leaned in towards her ear, "You're still my favourite girl." and he kissed the top of her hand before pushing her again. The trip around the buildings was slow, but it made y/n appreciate her surroundings more. (Only if there were windows to the outside world, of course.) They passed by the children's ward, silently watching them on little desks who were colouring and drawing on some sketchbooks and reading a storybook with their favourite toy. They've already explored every building, so Tom parked by the side and faced her.

"Well, we've walked around every building. Wanna head back to your room? I think Jamie's already back from uni." He looks at the time on his phone. When the elevator opened, he brings up his hand to press their floor.

"Wait, I wanna make one more stop."

"To the rooftop?"

She shook her head. "Let's go to the fourth floor." The doors opened with a ding and Tom pushed out. "Take a right and straight through those doors." The hall seemed to be isolated. There wasn’t a lot of people on the floor, just some nurses doing their rounds and the two of them.

"You're not leading me to a kill zone, right?" he joked.

"Believe me Movie Star, if I was gonna kill you it would be in an abandoned warehouse, not an empty hallway."

Tom pushed through the double doors. Their surroundings turned a but dark, and the bright lights that guided their ways was from the window to their left. "Is this the-"

Her hum echoes the hallway. Tom stood beside her and leaned towards the glass to take a closer look at the newly born infants. All of them were wrapped like little burritos, so small with their cheeks that look so soft. They slept peacefully while the nurses cared for them. Tom glanced at y/n, she was looking at one particular baby, the one inside an incubator with wires attached to its little body.

Tom could see y/n's emotional attachment to the baby, and it made him wonder, did she go here often? He had to ask.

"Sometimes, when I just feel like it. Every time I was confined here, I always used to go here to clear my head and give me some inner peace. This was the next best thing in the hospital; the rooftop garden being my number one, obviously." she chuckled.

Silence consumed the air once again. A nurse enters the nursery with an infant wrapped in a pink blanket. She was placed on the little crib and her name was on full display for the any passerby. The nurse notices their presence and sends y/n a wave and a look that only she could understand. Tom wondered what it meant but brushed it off, it didn't seem that important.

"I usually come here when I feel lost, most of the time when I was actually losing hope at living." His head snapped towards her.

"Turns out I found a little ray of hope in that little bundle of joy." She points at the incubated baby. "I thought to myself, this little one is probably fighting for himself to live, while I was here waiting for my life to end. I figured, if I tried living a little, maybe I'd get to see him out of the incubator one day. He was always a fighter, you know?"

"How long 'til he gets out?"

"Less than a month." Silence consumed the air again before she spoke. "You know, these past few days, you’ve been nothing but be a big help to me and Jamie. I just want to say Thank you, for being here right now and for-" She struggled to let it out. What did she wanted to say anyway? Y/n forgot as soon as Tom levelled with her line of sight.

His hand reached out towards her, and the tips of his finger landed on her right cheek. The sudden contact made her blush like a lovesick teenager—She sure felt like one too. His hand pulls back and his index and thumb seemed to hold something in between. "Make a wish." he said. Y/n wanted to question but he gave her a knowing look that said, "Just do it." Eyes closed, her mind formulated tons of it, but none of it were what her heart really desired. Maybe it was because her wish had already come true? Nevertheless, she wished for the other thing her heart desired most.

Her eyes open and she sees Tom still in front of her with his index and thumb still enclosed. "Up or down?"

She laughs, "What?"

"Just choose, up or down?"

Y/n rolled her eyes, not knowing where he was getting at, but she replies with, "Up".

Tom opens his fingers, and on top revealed a single eyelash. He blows it away with a childish smile. "I heard from someone that when there's a stray eyelash in your face you should make a wish."

"Oh really?" She smirked. "Then I guess you have to make one too." Her fingers lightly brushed his faced, picking up the single strand of eyelash and holding it up in a pinch. "Go on, make a wish." Eyes closed, Tom only thought of one thing.

"Down."

Her finger lifts. Blows it away as soon as it was in the open air. "So, what did you wish for?" she asked.

"To have a shit ton of candy."

Y/n playfully rolled her eyes at his childishness. She didn't press him any further, there was no point at beating Tom when it came to his immature personality. He has a mind of an eight-year-old, and sometimes, he would have his fair share of maturity Not always though.

It was nice though, that even though she was so mean and hard on him on the first day, Tom knew how to soften her up.

***

The rest of the afternoon, Y/n had spent the day at her bed, resting, preparing herself mentally and physically for the operation that will happen in less than eight hours. Tom was out to who knows where, no one dared tell her. The moment the two came back to the room, Tom laid beside her with the little space she gave to him. He put her to sleep by watching a bit of sit-coms and stroke her forehead with his finger, trailing off to the tip of her nose.

Getting out of bed was a tricky situation for him. His arm was under her body, and she was cuddled in next to him. He thought it was cute, didn't want to leave even. But Tom had to finish up things before she wakes up, and first order of business: getting out of the predicament. As quiet, gently and carefully as possible, he replaced his body with one of her pillows and leaves Y/n in the care of her sister.

And so, Y/n wakes up, with a pillow right beside her and a humming Jamie, typing away on her laptop. She catches her attention when she sat up. "Still haven't finished your book yet?" she asked. Her sister replies with a tight-lipped face and a shake of her head. "I'm kind of stuck actually. I don't know what to do after this one scene then transitioning it to the other."

"Well, you'll figure it out somehow. By the way, have you seen Tom?"

"Nope. Not a clue."

Y/n shot her a look, fully knowing that her sister was lying. She also had the same gut feeling she had yesterday - that or she's just assuming. Jamie kept silent and continued typing in her laptop. Y/n stopped questioning about Tom because she knew that her sister will eventually have to make a move to set her up or tell her about it directly. "Hey sis, how do you feel about wearing a dress, outside the hospital, at night?" bingo.

"I'll feel cold and say that you're a fucking lunatic." she laughed upon receiving a gentle smack on her head. Jamie rolled her eyes, obviously annoyed, "Tough luck sis, 'coz that's exactly what you'll be wearing tonight." The teen pulled out an ugly red Christmas sweater and a white skirt. Y/n's eyes shifted from the outfit to her sister giving her the "really?" look.

"Jamie it's autumn, and I'm already freezing myself enough inside this damn room."

"Which is why I brought your coat, scarf, beanie and boots." She drops an imaginary mic and mocked her sister continuously with her ridiculous face. Y/n coughs and laid back down. Jamie was a goofball, a complete goofball. But she knew her sister was very persistent on things, especially when it comes to her love life — hence all the set-ups with Tom all throughout their relationship, until now.

"You are enjoying this way too much." she made sure to be evident with sarcasm.

"Yup! Not gonna deny it. Now hurry up you old bean! We can't make them wait you know."

And so, just like yesterday, Y/n had let Jamie take the wheel. Fixing her up again, but leaving her face bare. Because according to Jamie: "A no-makeup-look is the trend nowadays. And besides, you despise wearing too much of it." She closes her kit and takes Y/n coat, wrapping it around her too keep her from the cold.

"Ready to go, Madam?"

***

The trip to the "surprise" was fairly short. It took Y/n and Jamie less than 10 minutes to arrive because it was at the hospital. Her sister pressed the top floor of the building; to the rooftop garden. She wondered, why there? People rarely visit it at night unlike during the day where the patients could sit under the sun and take a whiff of the smell of flowers. Before she could even pop the question, it seems that her sister had already read her mind. "You'll see why. Now hush." 

Her well-known grin displayed on her face when the elevator tinged! The steel doors open to a dark open area. If Y/n didn't know any better, she would've thought that this was a plot to kill her or something. But since she wasn't in a serial killer movie, it totally couldn't be that. Although scared, Y/n was pushed to the middle of it all. The doors of the elevator closed and left along with the only source of light they had except for the moon, stars and a few buildings around the area.

She craned her neck towards Jamie, asking for an explanation. But she shakes her head, and nods off to the direction towards her, making Y/n face it. Little by little, lights lit up around the place, illuminating the once dark area. Strings of fairy lights hung above her, the fountain was alive, and lights outlined it and the water inside it. And at the end of the area, it's last light lit up, and the face that had given her hope in the last three years she had lived in solitude was there.

He was wearing his usual outfit; the iconic jacket over hoodie look. As comfortable as it looked, it also suited him and the cold British weather. In his hand were a bouquet of Baby's breath and Sunflowers. An adorable smile grew on his face as he slowly approached her, and on cue, Jamie took a step back and left her alone with him.

When he was already in front of her a crouched down, holding out flowers for her with a goofy grin. "Jamie said you were looking for me?"

"That's because you were sleeping next to me, then the moment I wake up you were gone. So yes, I was looking for you."

"I'd say you missed me too much. Am I really such a catch? Maybe you're obsessing over me, love." he said with a teasing grin. Y/n scoffed playfully, it was hard not to respond, she loved having playful banters with him. Half of it might be true, but of course Y/n doesn't need to tell him that.

"You are in over your head, Holland. Might wanna get off that cloud."

"Gladly milady. But only if you'll agree to join me for dinner." Behind him revealed a table set for two. The scenery behind it, was beautiful. The buildings with lights and Big Ben made the dark background alive. Tom pushed her wheelchair towards the table, and he sat perpendicular to her. Everything was put together perfectly It made Y/n wonder: How long did he prepare all of this?

"You never cease to amaze me, Tom." A look of admiration and love. Tom could see it fully, in her eyes and in her smile. She was glowing. It was the same look he saw yesterday and the past years he had been dating her. It lit a flame in his heart. And he only thought of one thing at that very moment.

He can't wait to wake up every morning with that look of love by his side.

 ***

This is so cliche, Y/n thought. Tom had asked Sam to cook a bowl of spaghetti and his other friends to play "Bella Notte" in the background. At the corner of her eye, she could see Harry, documenting everything like a supportive mother. No doubt, Tom asked him to do it. It was a "Lady and the Tramp spaghetti scene" come to life. The idea of replicating it was just so romantic and at the same time ridiculous. "What made you think of doing this Tom?" she laughed.

"I don't know. Maybe the thought of accidentally kissing you while eating spaghetti? You gotta admit it though, the Lady and the Tramp; best romantic movie ever."

"Yeah sure, romantic. But I prefer the iconic Heath Ledger scene."

"I'll make a note of that." He joked. Tom ate a mouthful of spaghetti and began slurping. A goofy grin plastered on his face, he managed to get his desired reaction from Y/n.

"Ugh gross! Have some table manners you pig!" Tom only laughed at her, not caring that she was absolutely annoyed at him. He loved seeing her pissed off face, it was entertaining. "Look at your face, you look like a child! Wipe your face with a napkin, you dingus."

An idea popped in his head, and a smirk grew on his face. Y/n did not like the mischievous look. "Why wipe it with a napkin when I have you to wipe it for me."

"I'm not your mother, Tom." She deadpanned. "Just pick up the napkin and wipe the goddamn sauce off of your face, simple as that."

Like a child, he shook his head. "Uh-uh!"

"The napkin is right there, Tom." With no second thoughts, he threw the napkin away and smiled innocently. Y/n muttered curses in her head. She hated his stubborn ass, mostly for the times when he would use it to start a banter and piss her to no end. She took her own napkin and handed it across the table. But instead of taking it, Tom had leaned forward and put his hands behind his back. "Take the napkin, Holland. I'm not a damn babysitter." But he didn't budge. Tom sat there, batting his puppy eyes innocently at her. She groaned in annoyance, hating his stupid smile. She knew that he was enjoying it, how could he not? The stupid grin was plastered on the dumbass's face. Dreading to just get the job done, she leaned forward and dab the cloth on the side of his lip.

"Thank you~" he sang. But a pissed off Y/n wasn't at all amused at him. She crumpled the napkin into a ball and threw it in his face. Tom thought it to be hostile, but unbeknownst to him, Y/n was actually playing along.

She threatened him, "Do that again, I'm throwing off of this building."

But both of them knew it was an empty threat. Y/n could do it, no doubt, but she liked to follow her personal ethics. Tom only laughed at her, "Sure you will, love."

***

As soon as dinner was finished, the two sat at one of the benches and looked at the sky. Y/n loved looking at the night sky, almost as much as how she loved looking at the blue and cloudy one during day. She was fond of looking for constellations, but she never really knew the names, so she would just make one up whenever she would find a pattern in a sky. Tom discovered this at a time when they were sitting on the roof of her house. "I see.... a chicken."

She paused for a moment to scan for a pattern, humming as she does. "I see... a log."

"I see a dog with airplane wings."

"I see pyramid."

"I see.... a duck with a jaguar head, singing karaoke with a dolphin wearing a top hat and a monocle."

Y/n tries to hide back her laugh and turns to face him. It was by far the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard. "What? There's no way you could've spotted that. You're just making things up!"

"And what if I am? I do have a wild imagination, you know.

She scoffed in defeat. "Whatever dude. You've always been such a big baby." The air was quiet once again, and they sat comfortably. Y/n was at ease, after three long years of keeping Tom out of her life, she was glad to finally have him by side. Without even thinking, she laid her head on his shoulder, and in return, Tom wrapped his arm around her. His warmth was so comfortable, like a weighted blanket that covered her body. He sighed in the air, also comfortable with the intimacy and her company. It had already been years, and yet, his heart beats so fast at the action she had initiated.

"Do you think the hospital will let us sleep here for the night?" She wondered.

"Why? you getting tired already?"

"Nah. I just wanna sleep under the stars. Who knows, maybe I might spot a shooting star?" Y/n yawned quietly.

"Wait wait wait, I still have something prepared. Keep those eyes open, darling!"

Y/n groaned. "Don't tell me you're doing another serenade!"

"Oh hush! You love my serenades!" She rolled her eyes, not even fighting back because it was true. Tom took his guitar from behind the bench and secured its strap around him. Tom started strumming the tune. Y/n had recognized the song when he sang its first line.

"I wanna make you smile whenever you're sad Carry you around when your arthritis is bad All I wanna do is grow old with you"

"I'll get your medicine when your tummy aches Build you a fire if the furnace breaks Oh, it could be so nice, growing old with you"

Just like before, Tom spared no second from looking away at her. And of course, the intense gaze that he held maid her melt. She couldn't help but not look away too. How could she tear her eyes away from him?

"I'll miss you Kiss you Give you my coat when you are cold Need you Feed you Even let you hold the remote control"

Tom could only hope that Y/n was getting the message he wanted to convey through the song. He had been waiting to do it for so long. The ring had been kept in one of his drawers, left inside to be built up by dust. He never thought it would ever seen the light of day. Yet here he was, singing to her, with the velvet box in his pocket, hoping that she would understand. Saying it in person was nerve-racking. The first time he did it made him anxious, even now. Although the singing did help him ease up a bit.

"So let me do the dishes in our kitchen sink Put you to bed when you've had too much to drink Oh, I could be the man who grows old with you I wanna grow old with you"

The song ended with a strum and Y/n clapped for him with a proud smile. She joked, "Always had been an entertainer. Thank you for the song, kind sir." Tom tucked away his guitar and faced her with his hands in his lap. "So.... did you-uhm... get the message of the song?" Y/n only sat there, oblivious. She wasn't sure what she was supposed to say. She knew the song meant growing old with your other half, but that's just about it. There were a number of possibilities Tom had wanted to convey through the song, and one stood out. She didn't want to believe it though; it might just be her.

"Uhm... No. I'm not sure really." she winced. God, she hated the feeling. It was like the time she rejected his proposal. Tom sat there with his thoughts. She might have gotten a piece of it, maybe she just wouldn't admit it? It didn't bother him at all, really. The song was just phase one of his plan, the real show was just about to start. He lifts his hand and waved over to Sam, who was at the other side of the garden, now sitting by his keyboard piano. Y/n, curious at the sudden call for his brother, she asked, "Why what happened? Is there something wrong?"

"No. Just told Sam to play something for me."

"What?" And as if on cue, Sam played a beautiful melody that danced in the cold air. And Zendaya had stepped out from the shadows with a mic in hand, she waved at the two with a smile.

Tom stood up from his seat and held out his hand. Y/n only looked at it, not getting what he wanted her to do. Her mind had only understood when Tom uttered the words, "Dance with me."

She laughed, but soon died down when Tom wasn't laughing with her. "Oh. You're serious?"

"Does it look like I'm joking Y/n? Yes, I am serious."

"Um yeah, I don't think that's a possibility. As you can see, I literally can't move my legs anymore. Jamie mentioned it you before, right?

"Well I for one, believe in miracles. And that everything is possible, even the impossible." She giggled, he was quoting Mary Poppins and although it was ridiculous, it was appropriate enough to be used at the time.

"You trust me, right?" he asked.

She didn't need to decide. She knew in her heart the answer. "Yes. I do." because she always had.

"Then take my hand."

Sighing, Y/n reaches out and take his hand. Tom leaned towards her and scoops is her light body. She circled her arms around his neck as he walked to the center of the garden.

"My mind runs away to you With the thought I hope you'll see Can't see where it's wandered to But I know where it wants to be"

Tom slowly settles down her legs, but Y/n held tighter, not wanting to feel the ground. "Tom, I can't. I'll fall."

"Just trust me, Y/n."

"But-" She was silenced by a knowing look. Y/n nodded, although unsure of what he was planning to do. Tom proceeded to let her legs down for a moment, only to carry the other again. Her arms were wrapped around him the whole time, afraid that she might fall. He settled his arms under her and secured it to carry her weight. It was a bit hard to carry her, now that she wasn't able to lock her legs, but he didn't mind. Tom leaned in towards her and rested his forehead on hers. Soon, he swayed to the song.

"I'm waiting patiently though time is moving slow I have one vacancy and I wanted you to know that"

"I haven't had the guts to do this again, you know?" he started.

Y/n furrowed her eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

"This. Coming back to take care of you, winning you back, Preparing this, the songs. I was scared. Not gonna lie, I am until now." he nervously chuckled.

"So sick of this lonely air It seems such a waste of breath So much that I need to say So much to get off my chest"

"Tom, I don't know where you're getting at." she admitted in defeat.

He struggled a moment to formulate the words, but nevertheless, he spoke, "I love you, okay? So damn much. God, Y/n, I never stopped, even after all these years. But, before you leave, for the next couple of hours you're in that operation room, I just really need to know, if you love me back?"

She was silent, it made Tom anxious as the time passed by. He couldn't read her eyes, what she was thinking. But a wide smile grew on her face and nodded. Tears welled in her eyes and she spoke almost like a whisper, "I've always had."

Tom lets go of the breath he didn't knew he was holding. Relief washed over him. And with no second thoughts he pressed his lips against hers, and he had never been more happy. His heart was racing and mind a bit cloudy.

"You're the one designed for me A distant stranger that I will complete I know you're out there we're meant to be So keep your head up and make it to me Make it to me"

Although taken by surprise, she returned the kiss and allowed him to enter. Y/n melted in his arms, relived to have finally felt his lips against hers again. She had never felt more love in her heart, and she was glad to have finally voice out her feelings. Her heart was beating rapidly, and it felt like it was about to explode. It was running on love, and she wasn't sure when it would stop.

She tore away from him and gasped for air but connected her forehead on his. Nose touching and her eyes trained on him. She uttered the three words he had been longing to hear for three long years.

"I love you."

She kissed him again with more passion, held him closer, and placed her hands on his cheeks. Y/n could feel her heart pump out of her ribcage and wasn't sure if it was something she should worried of or not. Moments ago, her heart felt alive, but now it felt like being crushed and pierced through by knives.  It ached in pain, until it had become unbearable.

Tom noticed her becoming intense when she stopped. She gripped tightly on his jacket and started gasping, laying a palm on her chest, and breathing heavily. "I.... c-can't breathe.... Tom, can't  b-breathe!!!"

Panic flashed in Tom's eyes and he could feel his heart stop. She felt weak, shaking and gasping for air. Her heart literally felt like it was going to explode! Tom sat her on the fountain and held her hand, shaking violently, hoping she would calm down. "Someone call for help!" he yelled out. Sam and Harry were quick on their feet and used the fire exit to get down as quick as possible. Zendaya took out her cellphone and quickly called Jamie to inform her of the emergency.

"Y/n, love, you're gonna be fine, okay? The twins are gonna come any moment with a nurse and a doctor." Her hand gripped his tightly and it pained Tom to see her like this. It was worse than time she pushed him away. Tears were falling on her cheeks as she kept her eyes on him to try and calm the ache in her heart. He pressed kisses on the roof of her hand and Y/n could feel hot drops of tears falling on her. "Ssshhh You'll be alright, Y/n. It's gonna be alright. I'm here, for you love."

Out from the corner, Harrison arrived with Y/n's wheelchair. "Harry and Sam are here with the nurses, along with Jamie." Tom nodded in thanks and scooped up her body, laying her on the chair and held her hand again. The elevators opened and the people in it filed out and rushed towards Y/n and Tom. Jamie was the last to come out and her eyes were read fear and worry. She gasped at the sight of her sister.

The nurse takes Y/n's wheelchair and pushed her towards the elevator. Tom followed and they rushed towards the emergency room. Although he wanted to follow her inside and make sure she was safe, the nurse stopped him at the door and told him to wait. "I have to be there, please. She might be scared."

"I'm sorry sir, but no one is allowed inside."

"Yes, I know. But I have to be there. S-she's having a panic attack or something! I have to make sure she's alright."

"Sir, we'll be doing our best to take care of your girlfriend. But you need to calm down and stay here for a while."

"No. No! You don't understand! I need to know what's happening to her! That's my girl! You have to let me in!"

"And I promise you sir, you will. But right now, we need to run some tests on her." The nurse politely excuses herself and goes back inside the emergency room. Doctors came in soon and the hallway was quiet again. The windows on the door were small, and it wasn't helping Tom's case at all. He couldn't relax without seeing her. Heavy footsteps and panting echoed in the hallway, Tom assumed it must be the others and Y/n's parents.

Tom sat himself on one of the hospital's steel chairs, hoping that it might help him calm his nerves. His hands were balled up, head hanging low, and eyes stinging with tears. He could hear Jamie crying at the other side of the hallway, worried for her sister. Meanwhile a hand patted his back, and he could see the familiar pair of sneakers that belonged to Harrison. "She'll be fine, Tom." he said in a hushed voice.

Tom only nods, although it didn't actually help that much. He knew she was strong, but he couldn't help but be worried. He sniffled and wiped his nose. He whispered words into the air hoping that someone could hear his prayers and help him and her girl.

"Please be alright. Please be alright, love."

-

day six of One Week

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I will adopt you.

Monsta X (Shownu) hybrid au

Part1 / Part2 / Part3 / Part4 / Part5 / Part6 / Part7 / Part8 /…

A/N:  Guys, this scenario is going pretty slowly.I am trying to balance a lot of this right now. I will try to finish all the fics I started pretty soon. Sorry for the delay and any mistakes made.

Word count:  2, 833

Warnings: I mean ,just normal 21 century teen cussing.

                               ——————————————–

  The sun warmed up a small area on your cheek. It took a few movements for you to realize that morning was upon you. Once your eyes opened fully ,you were surprised by the still strong warmth making you not want to leave the bed. Soon after, you remembered last night almost like it was a movie scene.

  Your back was currently facing Shownu and you didn’t know what to do. Your body felt frozen in place, or it might not have wanted to move. You could hear and feel his gentle deep breaths on the back of your nape. 

  After some pondering around the idea of doing something, you turned around.The breath in your throat hitched in it’s place, as your eyes were met with his. Shownu was awake. His look was calm, the blinking motion- elegant and gentle. It was so slow and soothing as the hypnotic effect of a watch,  swinging side to side in front of your face. 

  Shownu was just looking at you. His hand gently rose from under the cover, to move a small strand of hair away from your eyes.

“G-good morning.” your voice broke the silence. He huffed a breath of air together with a small smile. The pillow case under his head made a small noise and he came closer, touching your forehead with his.

“Good morning.” you couldn’t take your eyes off of him. From his nose, to his lips, his cheeks and his jaw. You were jumping from one place to the other, trying to take in everything you were seeing.

“We should get up.” you mumbled under your nose, shy from the close exposure 

“Do you want to get up?” 

“We have to, I mean...I have some stuff to do today.” business was on the schedule for the day and you wanted to finish as soon as possible. He didn’t say a word and just sat up in bed. Shownu’s back was big, almost like a mountain covering you. Your gaze soon ended up onto his extremely messy bed hair. It was a bit funny looking on him and a small chuckle slipped out of your lips.His head looked back at you a bit crooked like a curious pup.

 Now fully awake, you stood up on your knees and ran your hand through his hair, trying to calm it down. But it didn’t want to obey you at all. “Wait a second.” swiftly you jumped off the bed and grabbed the first brush you saw on top of your vanity. Shownu sat on the side of the bed as you walked back to him. With a gentle movement you began trying to brush through his hair, with the key word here being *trying*.

“Oh wow!” your hand was firmly on his forehead as you tried to pull the now stuck brush “Strange, your hair didn’t look so tangled yesterday.” the wood got caught in his thick fur like hair and didn’t want to let go. Placing your hands on your waist, you began thinking of something. “Let’s go to the bathroom.”

 Shownu was sitting on the edge of the bathtub as you rolled up the sleeves and cuffs on your pant. You didn’t want to get anything wet since this was going to be a tricky situation. Making sure his hair was wet enough, you put a big dollop of shampoo on your hand and began rubbing it into his hair. After the shampooing was done, you used the conditioner to smooth his hair enough to be brushed.

“Usually, any hairdresser would kill me for brushing wet hair.But you need all the help you can get.” it was difficult, you couldn’t lie about that for sure. He was very obedient, sitting still yet making strange faces as you tugged on his head. At some point you found yourself pulling the brush in one direction and pushing him in the other. It felt more like a fight between you and the knots is his fur. After what felt like an hour, you were able to turn it into something that resembled normal hair. 

“I am done, I am done.” you could hear him growl out from time to time, almost like an angry pup fighting for his favorite toy. Washing off the conditioner, you threw a towel on his head and pulled him back to the couch in the living room. Shownu sat down cross-legged when you rubbed his head furiously to dry it. He didn’t have long locks of hair to pull out the hairdryer, plus you kinda forgot where it was anyways.

  Breakfast was super fast, just some cereal.You wasted most of the morning on brushing Shownu, so you had to do things quickly. He was eating in front of you on the table and staring at the milk in the bowl. It was kinda quiet mainly because he was still shy around you. Or maybe he was more action and less talk type of person.

“I am going to go out for a bit today.” his head shot up in a nanosecond as he heard that you will be leaving for some time “I just finished up some documents that I need to hand them over to my supervisor. I have a meeting with him in a cafe close by, so I will probably take maybe 2 hours, more or less.”

“2?” he mumbled 

“I was planning on meeting some friends too, since I always stay home.” you added ,placing the metal spoon in the bowl. Shownu perked up, when you placed your fingers on his forehead and pushed him back down. Kind of like in those seal videos you liked to watch on YouTube. This man constantly gave off mixed energies- one moment he is dominate and breathtaking and the other he is a total pup that you just want to cuddle all day. “Stay.” pulling your hand back, you pointed at him “Eat slowly and don’t rush or you will get indigestion. I will go get ready.” 

  Quickly you dashed to the bedroom and pulled out the formal clothes you had. Winter or not, you were meeting someone of a high position so being appropriately dressed always gave you extra work points. It made you look like you take your job seriously, even tho you did most of the work in your pjs eating chocolate. 

“I am leaving. Do you want me to turn the TV on for you?” you placed the coat on your back and made sure the scarf was nicely tied around your neck- no cold air was going to reach you and that was the plan. Shownu was staring at you, but didn’t answer nor react to your question. “Ok...I am off then.” the shoes were on in a flash and you closed the door behind yourself. The elevator was taking longer to reach your floor today, since someone went to the last one and down again.

 The doors finally slid open ,when you saw your reflection in the mirror and realized “I forgot the documents!” tapping your head a few times ,you ran back to your apartment “Idiot, idiot. So much for being professional.” the key slid in easily and you swung the door open. Almost instantaneously you jumped up almost hitting the light in the hallway.

“GOD!” you grabbed your chest with one hand and the door frame with the other “SHOWNU!” you screamed out so high pitched it sounded almost like a whistle note.”WHAT are YOU doinggggg!” you were going up and done the scale mixing in emotions that you never new you could express.

  The boy was sitting literally in front of the door with his still half-full cereal bowl, staring. After catching your breath and making sure your heart didn’t relocate in your ears, you looked down at him. “Get up, it’s cold down there.” you tried to drag him to the fireplace, but obviously couldn’t ,so you asked him to move himself. “I made you a nice nest here so you can sleep and not catch a cold. Is this how pet owners feel when their animal doesn’t use something they bought for them? Probably.” the boy was just listening to you talking to yourself. 

“Why did you come back?” his voice cut your monologue short 

“I forgot to take the documents I need.” you grabbed them from the cozy spot on the table and closed the door behind yourself. You were about to lock it, when in your mind popped up a random thought. Slowly you pushed the handle down and slid the door silently open. Shownu was once more sitting on the cold ground looking at you, almost like the situation a minute ago didn’t happen. Eyes locked, you couldn’t take the somehow sad look he was giving you, so you burst into the room.Your hands were on your waist, scrunching the folder a bit. 

“Get up puppy we are going shopping!” he crooked his head to the side and you knew you completely lost the movie reference moment. “Get dressed, you are coming with me.” in a matter of seconds he turned into his hybrid form, standing in the pile of clothes.  He placed them on the bed and stared at you. From the hanger next to the entrance ,you pulled down the leash you got him, making sure it was lose around his neck. 

  Finally you were able to lock the door and jump in the elevator. It was silent until you grabbed his front paws and with all the strength you got pulled them off the floor. Shownu was confused and looking around like he was searching for the explanation in the environment. 

“There we go.” sighing deeply you stared at the small backpack you threw on his back “You are not leaving the house without clothes. I don’t want to get called in the police station to pick your butt-ass naked self up.” his eyes were a bit judgmental about the whole situation You could have told me before hand. “I know I know, I am just all hyper after you scared me.” It is a strange habit I have. “Well we need to work on that.” 

 Checking the time, you calculated that there was enough of it not to rush around town like a crazy person. As you were planning your steps for the day, Shownu’s head shot in your direction. You can hear me?! “Yes, give me a second.I am thinking about something.By the way, didn’t know you can talk in dog form.” I can’t. “Ha?!” you looked down where he was sitting with almost the same emotions on his face “Then how do I hear you?? ?” I don’t know, this never happens with humans. “Wait, there are more hybrids?” Of course, do you think I materialized myself out of thin air? “How then?” he was a different species you could say, so it was natural to expect some differences. When a mommy wolf and a daddy wolf love each other a lot the- “Ok let me stop you there!” you placed your hands in front of his face to indicate how you weren’t looking forward to the direction this was going in “I know how it goes, we are good. I don’t need Sex ED in the elevator. I am good, really.” It’s interesting though. “I said I am good.” I don’t mean that. I am talking about you hearing me. “Do you think you can hear me thinking too?” We can try. You concentrated your mind as best as you could on random things, so the experiment could be with clear results.

“Um, morning Y/N...” your neighbor stepped in the elevator, confused about you intensely staring at your gigantic dog.

“Hi!” you straightened your back and looked at the man “I was just making sure he...um...he didn’t get bit by this other dog.”

“Oh, he is a fighter then?” the old man calmed down a bit and even chuckled “That shows you he is a lively one.”

“Sure is.” you let out a mix between a fake laugh and embarrassment “Have a nice day.” you ran out the building as fast as you could.

“Never doing that again.” your hands were leaning onto your thighs as you took a deep breath. That made no sense to begin with.  “Don’t act all smart with me.” the alarm you set on your phone rang loudly and you cussed out “I am seriously going to be in trouble at this point.” Do you know where you are going? “Yeah, my boss gave me the address, I just need to pull out my phone and not drop it.” people were making way mostly because of Shownu’s size and fierce looks. “Here hold this!” your hand swung and you pushed the folder in his mouth, shocking even the people passing by.

“It’s around the corner we are close by.Oh wait!” stopping in front of the door you stared looking around the glass exterior. What are you doing? “I am trying to see if this place allows animals in.” Just go in.  You pointed at his reflection and Shownu very quickly realized what you meant. The bell above the door rang and a very nice girl with short baby blue hair smiled in your direction. Her finger pointed at the very top corner of the cafe next to the sign.

“We allow pets, you don’t have to worry. Come in.” you bowed a bit from the sudden introduction and followed her inside “We have an area you can leave your pets if you want to. “ the girl sat you down next to the window and gave you a menu. “Is it male or female?” 

“He is a boy.” you said 

“Most of the dogs in the pet area are female, so I am just asking.Some customers are very picky about the animals that play with their pets.” your eyebrows frowned upon hearing that “Strange, I know. But that is how it is I guess.Would you like to order?”

“Oh yes. I would like the cafe’s special please.” closing the menu, you placed it on the table and crossed your legs, making yourself comfortable. “Nunu, do you want to go over there?” you looked at Shownu I am too tired to run around with them.Plus I am not an animal, I am a hybrid. “Ok, suite yourself.” the girl was still next to you while you were having this small chat “I am sorry, I probably look crazy to you.” you laughed out, scratching the back of your neck.

“No, not at all. I am also a dog owner and I know how it is.” she smiled in your direction and grabbed the menu “I will be right back with your order.” you nodded 

  The cafe was pretty nice, even thought there were so many animals. It was quiet and calming. They were all playing and enjoying themselves as their owners were talking with friends or just enjoying a moment of silence. Shownu was strangely falling asleep while you scouted the area. It was cute the way his head bobbed from time to time and his cute eyes blinked, trying to stay open.

“If you want to sleep, just tell me.” you giggled, patting your thighs. I am too heavy. “Not like that stupid.” you grabbed his head and placed it on your lap. He was big enough to lay on the floor and have his head comfortably on you. “See?” you asked Shownu as he was dosing off fast. Mhmm he just mumbled.  The finishing blow came after you started petting his head, he just fell asleep in a second. Kids would come around from time to time wanting to pet him, because he looked like a big cuddly teddy bear.

 Shownu staid awake most of the night making sure you had enough space on the bed, you were warm and comfortable. His worrisome nature kept him awake for most of the time. Your fingers ran through his thick fur slowly. As he was resting and recharging his battery, you were looking out of the glass window, waiting for your supervisor to finally show up.

 Truth be told, you didn’t know who they were. You got a raise and placed in a higher standing branch of the company, so this was kinda you first day at work and your first evaluation. You were a bit worried that bringing Shownu was a bad idea, but his calm sleeping face and the way he would nuzzle himself closer to you, relaxed you and erased all anxiety you had. The tiny bell above the cafe door rang, but your attention was still focused on the outside world. The sun was illuminating your beautiful face and outlining your body in the comfortable yet formal clothes. You looked like an empress, petting her pet tiger and enjoying the empire she ruled over. 

  That picture formed in the head of the man that was walking towards you.