#been hyping myself up for over an hour now to go outside wearing a - gasp - tshirt

[petercapaldi]

really wish someone had warned me that my body image issues and insecurities would get so much worse after losing a significant amount of weight lol

[fallingappleshurt]

Bouncing Through The Years

Helllloooooo, this fic is set in @antarctic-bay s fd au! Please keep in mind what I write might not be canon! (Sorry for the tag)

Skeppy and Techno friendship fic!! :DD

There are no real set ages in this fic, it’s just Skeppy and Techno from a young age bonding over Skeppys trampoline and being buddies!

Swearing but you probably already knew that

Hope you enjoy! (:

Techno had just finished the dishes when someone started pounding on their front door, he would have ignored it but he heard;

“Techno! Techno! Open the door!”

Techno dried off his hands and opened the door, Skeppy standing there panting, a hand on his chest.

“Techno- I got- I got a trampoline!” He wheezed.

“Really?”

“Yes! Come on, I wanna show you!” Skeppy grabbed his arm, Techno shook him off.

“Okay hang on,” Techno started pulling on his shoes while Skeppy bounced in the doorway.

“I’m going to Skeppy’s!” He yelled.

“Don’t care!” Tommy yelled back.

“Tell Wilbur, asshole!” He turned and followed Skeppy out of their apartment building and down the street while Skeppy babbled about how he got it.

“My neighbor had it for a few years so we got it second hand.” He explained.

“And it’s a birthday gift?”

“Yeah! An early one so I can still use it before it gets cold.”

They went around the side of Skeppy’s house and tugged the huge white plastic gate open and Techno saw the trampoline. It was huge with a sagging net and ripped foam around the edges but other than that it looked brand new.

They pulled off their shoes and climbed through the opening in the net, Skeppy zipped it back up, and they started bouncing.

“Wait wait wait, I saw this on TV- I can do a flip, back up.” Skeppy nudged Techno away.

“Oh here we go-”

“Shut up and let me do this!” Skeppy shuffled from foot to foot, Techno snorted.

“Are you trying to rev up?”

“No! I’m just hyping myself up!” Skeppy took a deep breath then launched himself forwards, tucking his head close to his chest with an outstretched arm, and actually managed to do a flip.

And also punch a hole in the net.

He had flipped with his arm out and was too close to the edge. Skeppy pulled his arm out and shrieked while Techno cackled.

“Well, you did a flip.” Techno said, biting his tongue through a grin.

“Shut up!” Techno laughed harder.

“Okay, okay it’s fine, this is fine. I can patch that up later- probably.”

“Good job Skeppy.”

“You’re such a jerk!” Skeppy snapped back with no heat, he perked up a minute later. “I know a game we can play!”

“What is it?”

“It’s called popcorn, one person sits in the middle and curls up and the other people bounce around them and just to get the person in the middle to lose their grip and- like open their arms! Like a popcorn kernel!”

Techno nodded, “Sounds interesting enough, who’s going first?”

“I’ll go first,” Skeppy sat down in the middle of the trampoline and crossed his legs then wrapped his arms around them. “Now you jump around me.”

Techno started jumping, even acting like he was going to land on Skeppy a few times just to sike him out, but couldn’t get him to pop.

“You’re bad at this,” Skeppy commented as he flopped onto his side, arms still wrapped tightly around his knees.

“Shut up,” Techno jumped close to his head, Skeppy shrieked.

Techno was about to give up when the back gate cracked open.

“Techno!” Wilbur poked his head through the gate, “Phil says it’s time- what the fuck? Since when did Skeppy have a trampoline?”

“Trampoline?” Wilbur yelped in protest as Tommy squeezed past him to get a better look.

“Perfect timing- come help me pop this bitch.” Techno walked over and unzipped the opening. Tommy didn’t question it and ran over, pulling off his shoes, grabbing Techno’s outstretched hand and was hauled up.

“Tommy Techno wait, Phil sent us to come get you.” Wilbur pointed out, walking over and resting his hands on the metal rim.

“Just this one round?” Tommy asked, “Please Wil?”

Wilbur bit his lip then sighed, “Okay fine, one round.” He took off his shoes and climbed up. “How do we play?”

Techno explained the rules and they started bouncing again this time with much more success, bouncing Skeppy higher and higher until he lost this grip and flopped on the rubber.

“Can I go next?” Tommy asked, already sitting down in the middle.

“We really should be going,” Wilbur trailed off and looked between his siblings. Tommy stared up at him and Techno smiled weakly, in hopes to persuade him, “One more?”

Wilbur bit the inside of his cheek then finally nodded, “One more.” Tommy cheered and they started up again.

One more turned into several more, each person getting a turn to be the kernel. After they got bored of that they started on trying to outdo each other with tricks.

Skeppy did another front flip and managed not to punch a hole in the net and Tommy also tried to but was stopped by Wilbur who ‘didn’t want to see Tommy break his neck’. Techno did help hold up his legs while Tommy tried to do a handstand.

“I bet I could do a backflip,” Skeppy said, Techno rolled his eyes.

“If you managed too you’d probably punch another hole in the net.”

“Shut up that was one time-”

“Like an hour ago!”

“Shut up!” Skeppy shoved his shoulder playfully.

“I’d like to see Skeppy try to do it.” Wilbur said, resting his chin in his palm. Techno laughed, trying to ignore the waxy feeling the trampoline left on his skin.

“Someone believe in me!” Skeppy said, standing up. He kept trying to figure out how he would do it. After multiple attempts of twisting around and bouncing around Tommy groaned.

“Do it already!”

“I was just about to but you messed up my concentration!”

“Yeah, ‘concentration’.” Techno air quoted.

“You’re a jerk!” Skeppy shot back while Techno laughed.

“What the hell is taking you guys so long?” Techno turned and saw Phil standing at the gate, looking annoyed.

“Uh- we got distracted,” Techno offered weakly, “We were trying to watch Skeppy do a backflip but he keeps chickening out.”

“Hey!”

“Uhuh,” Phil nodded, looking exasperated.

“Phil you should do one, you’ve talked about it before.” Wilbur said.

“I can but-” He started only to be interrupted.

“I bet you can’t!” Tommy said, pushing his face against the net.

“I bet he can,” Wilbur shot back.

“He can’t, he's too old!”

“Alright that’s it,” Phil climbed onto the trampoline, “I’m gonna prove you little shits wrong.” He pushed Tommy’s head, “Then we are going home.”

Techno backed up to the edge along with everyone else and watched as Phil jumped up, arms outstretched, then pulled his knees to his chest then landed the flip perfectly.

Tommy gasped while Wilbur clapped, elbowing Tommy.

“I told you he could do it!”

“That was so cool- can you teach me how to do that?” Skeppy asked, leaning forwards on his knees, Tommy jumped up.

“Teach me too!”

“Later, now let's get going, you guys were supposed to be back like an hour ago.”

Techno got off the trampoline and pulled on his shoes, waving bye to Skeppy.

Techno had been hanging out at Skeppy’s house, laying on the basement floor watching random youtube videos with him because it was too damn hot to do anything else.

“I don’t know how those guys do it.” Skeppy commented, pressing his face into the floor.

“It’s ‘cause of the Environmental Johnson Equation.” Techno said simply, Skeppy nodded.

“Which is based off of the Equilibrium Maintenance Feature.”

“Exactly!”

The sun was setting when Skeppy dragged Techno outside since fiery light was no longer trying to melt the Earth. They bounced on his trampoline for a while, taking breaks to look at sunset as it shifted through dripping vibrant orange to soft pink and blue and an inky purple.

Skeppy laid down and Techno laid next to him. The air was humid but dry and there were more stars out then Techno had seen in a long time.

He pointed out different constellations and planets to Skeppy until Phil texted him to come home.

“I’m going to Skeppy’s!” Techno yelled, tying his shoe.

“Take Tommy with you!” Phil called back, Techno’s head snapped up.

“What? No!”

“Yes! I’m going to work soon and Wilbur is out!”

“Can’t he just stay home alone?”

“Not after last time!”

Techno groaned, dragging his hands down his face, “Tommy! Get your shoes!”

They were headed towards Skeppy’s house, kicking a rock between each other, when they were intercepted by Dream.

“Oh hey Techno, I was just coming to see if you wanted to hang out.”

“Big man Dream!” Tommy yelled, Techno slapped a hand on Tommy’s face and pushed him back.

“I gotta watch my little brother and I’m heading to Skeppy’s,” He explained.

“Oh,” Dream paused, “Mind if I come with?”

Techno shrugged, “I don’t mind, you can ask Skeppy when we get there.”

Tommy bugged Dream the rest of the way there.

“Why is your name Dream?”

“Uh-”

“Why are the tips of your hair green?”

“Well I di-”

“Why are you wearing a hoodie? Do you not have elbows?”

“Oh my god, Tommy, leave the poor guy alone,” Techno said as they reached Skeppy’s house. Techno pushed open the front door and took his shoes off.

“Hey Skeppy, I have two nerds with me.”

Skeppy was laying on the couch, “Great, who is it?”

“Tommy and Dream.”

“Oh that should be interesting.”

They argued about what to play before settling on Mario Kart. Techno took every opportunity to attack Skeppy which distracted both of them enough to the point where they were both lagging behind so Dream and Tommy were constantly neck and neck to finish the race. Dream’s whooping cheer drowned out Tommy’s playful yells as he fell back onto the couch dramatically.

“Skeppy can we get on your trampoline?” Tommy asked, rolling over, cheek against the cushion.

“You just wanna do something else cause I beat you!” Dream teased.

“No! I’m just bored with Mario Kart!”

“I mean, we can but you have to be careful because the net is gone.” Skeppy said, standing up. He didn’t bother to put his shoes on as he walked towards the backdoor.

“What do you mean the net is gone? Did you punch too many holes in it?” Techno asked.

“Shut up shut up,” Skeppy bumped Techno, “The whole net was shredded and it was easier to just take it off.”

“Yeah, sure.” Techno teased, bumping Skeppy back.

They went outside and got on the trampoline, Dream grabbed onto one of the poles and started to climb on it, wrapping his legs around.

“Dream this is pretty old, I don’t think you should climb on that,” Techno pointed out.

“It’s fine,” Dream twisted around on the pole, “probably.” He continued to twist around, pulling off his hoodie and throwing it aside. Tommy gasped loudly.

“Oh my god Dream is stripping?”

Techno snorted and Skeppy burst out laughing. Dream wheezed, he would’ve fell off the trampoline if Techno didn’t grab him.

“Tommy- Tommy- you can’t just- you can’t just yell that,” Techno covered his eyes with his hands, “Where did you even learn that?”

Skeppy ignored them, “Dream is this your new career path?”

Dream twirled around again, “Yes, this is my new goal in life!”

“I wanna be there when you tell the career counselor!” Techno butted in.

Techno was laying on the couch reading when his phone started to buzz non stop. When he checked it he found multiple texts from Skeppy.

“HELPPPPPPP”

“HOW DO U BAKE?!??!”

“TECHNNNOOOOOOO”

“PLEASE THERE IS FLOUR EVERYWHERE”

“DUDE”

“ANSWER ME PLEASE I NEED HELP”

Techno sighed and texted back “What?”

“U KNOW HOW TO BAKE RIGHT?? I NEED UR HELP!!!”

Techno texted back, “Alright” and after telling Phil where he was going he headed towards Skeppy’s.

What he didn’t realize was that he was completely unprepared to see Skeppy standing in the middle of his kitchen with batter all over his shirt and oven, broken egg shells littering the floor along with the aforementioned flour.

He stood there, trying to take everything in. “What the fuck?”

Skeppy looked at him sheepishly, “I don’t know what I’m doing, I keep spilling and dropping everything!”

Techno sighed, taking off his glasses, “That’s it, I’m not wearing my glasses anymore, I’ve seen enough.”

“Techno!”

“Alright alright,” He put his glasses back on, “What are you trying to do?”

“I’m trying to make a cake for my sister's birthday and it’s not going too well,” He trailed off, Techno nodded.

“I see. Show me the recipe.”

Skeppy texted him the recipe, it looked pretty easy, just a two layer lemon cake. Techno rolled up his sleeves and preheated the oven then turned to the mess of a kitchen, sighing.

“You’ve lost cooking rights.”

Skeppy changed and they both started to clean up the kitchen, sweeping up flour and scrubbing down counters.

“How the hell did you get flour on top of the fridge?”

“I don’t know!”

After they finished cleaning up they started on the cake.

“Why do you have brown sugar out? We don’t need it.”

“We don’t?”

“Oh my god you’re so bad,”

Skeppy measured out most of the ingredients while Techno mixed them together. They divided the mix and put in different pans then put it in the oven.

“Okay so for the frosting we need a lot of butter,” Techno said, scrolling through the recipe.

“How much butter?” Skeppy asked, opening the fridge.

“Like three sticks.”

They creamed the butter together with sugar and milk while waiting for the cakes to bake.

Once Skeppy pulled them out and tested to make sure they were cooked all the way through they went set them out to cool then watched TV while they waited.

Frosting the cake was a whole new idea.

The frosting was good but kept ripping at the cake even though it was cool. They combated this by dumping the frosting in big globs on the cake, this had the side effect of getting it all over their hands.

“Oh Technoooo,” Techno looked over to see Skeppy holding a glob of frosting, a familiar glint in his eyes.

“Is this really a fight you wanna start?”

“Nope nope nope nevermind.”

They soon finished and examined their work.

“It’s not the prettiest cake but as long as it tastes good,” Techno shrugged, wiping frosting from his hands.

“Yeah, thanks for helping me out with it.”

“Of course nerd.”

Skeppy rocked back and forth on his feet.

“Do you wanna go out on the trampoline?”

“Eh, why not.”

So they went out and laid on the trampoline, talking about anything and everything. Techno talked about how he didn’t want to go back to school, how everything stressed him out. Skeppy talked about how he felt like the expectations were going to crush him.

They were in the middle of their conversation when a loud crackle pierced the air. Both boys jumped, looking around Techno spotted a gold streak against the deep blue sky then an explosion of orange and yellow.

“What the-”

“What the hell is wrong with my neighbor? It isn’t even July yet!” Skeppy squinted through the trees and over the fence.

“They’re just trying to be festive!”

“Yeah- ‘festive’!”

Techno was two seconds away from ripping his hair out, he was going to lose his mind. Every teacher had decided to dump extra work on him and by third period he already had at least 2 hours worth of homework. Everything was too loud and the crowds and hallways were smearing together like paint.

He had a nervous twitch in his hand again and every noise grated against his skull. He was just trying to make it through the day and almost had when he noticed it was raining. He'd have to walk home by himself since Wilbur was taking the car to work and Tommy had practice.

It wasn’t that he didn’t like the rain he just didn’t like the rain while he was carrying all of his school supplies.

“Hey Techno,” He heard Skeppy bounce up behind him, “Wanna hang out after school today?”

“Can’t, I have too much work.”

“Do you wanna come over and work on it together?”

Techno sighed, “Sure, why not?” He let himself get dragged over to Skeppy’s house, hoping they’d actually be able to get some work done. He climbed into the front seat Skeppy’s rickety old car and watched the raindrops slide down the window.

They made it to Skeppy’s house and sat in his basement, softly playing music in the background while they worked on history questions. They divided the work and actually managed to do it faster, giving each other answers and working together before splitting off to different assignments.

After a while Skeppy poked him with his pencil, “Do you wanna go on the trampoline?”

“Isn’t it still raining?” Techno didn’t look up from his math sheet.

“Probably, but that’s what’ll make it fun!”

“Can’t, still gotta finish-”

“Shut up, we have been working for like hours, just take a little break, calm down, and have fun in the rain!” Skeppy grabbed his hand before Techno could protest “The worksheets will still be there when we get back,” Then he dragged him up the stairs.

The rain was chilly, not cold but enough to wake Techno up. They left their shoes in the kitchen then went out and on the trampoline, which looked to be skin and bones, the foam ring and net being completely gone and the metal springs rusting.

Jumping in the rain was exhilarating, the rain soaked his hair and clothes and splattered against his glasses. Skeppy would push him and Techno would grab him and drag them both down, landing on the wet, waxy mat.

His chest felt looser, his body felt cold but his heart was alive and pounding. They had started trying to jump in sync, to see if it would bounce them higher.

“You know, even though I don’t use this as much as I used too, I’m glad I still have it.” Skeppy said, Techno nodded.

“Yeah this is pretty nice especially since it hasn’t broken yet.” Techno agreed.

“Yeah it-” Skeppy was cut off when the mat ripped under his feet and both he and Techno fell through. Techno slid on the dampened ground and landed on his back.

Techno looked up at the sky through the tear, Skeppy’s shouts seemed muffled as he watched the rain fall and dot the earth. Then he started chuckling which evolved into full laughter as he laid under a broken trampoline in the rain with his best friend.

“What are you laughing at?” Skeppy asked, sitting up, grinning faintly.

“I- it’s just that-” Techno broke off laughing, he couldn’t explain why because it really wasn’t that funny, it was just the fact that they were talking about how much they liked the trampoline and how long it held out only for it to break.

Skeppy laughed along with him, shaking his head, shifting to lay next to him.

They stayed there, looking up and watching the rain fall.

[sevenstarsinning]

Invasion Ch. 12

Description:  A planet conquering race of Saiyans invaded Earth and deemed it worthy of habitation. After bringing the humans to their heels, they set up a new society where humans had one role, to serve. You found yourself in the unlucky faction of being bought and sold as a human pet. With absolutely no interest in owning a human but no way out of having one, Kakarot made a bid on you at the urging of his brother. It was only a matter of time before you were either killed or forced into obedience.

You can find previous chapters in this link: Ch.11 or you can read it here on my AO3

__________________________________

A routine developed for you, wake up, eat, meet with Gine to train, eat lunch, train more, eat dinner, heal any bruises and scrapes in the healing pod, then back to the palace. Bulma had left you alone for the most part, which was good because you really didn’t feel like explaining to her where you were going and what you were doing. That morning you finished your breakfast and opened your door to head out, but you ran smack into the one person you were just trying to avoid.

“Shit, sorry, Bulma.” You said as she took a step back.

“Where are you going in such a hurry?” She asked the question you were trying to avoid.

“Um, just out. I need some fresh air.” You lied.

She pushed her way into your room, “yeah, I understand that completely. Today is not going to be fun for anyone.”

You turned to face her with your brow furrowed, “why not?”

She stared blankly and confused at you, “you- today’s the trial for Kakarot. Did you forget?”

“Fuck. I didn’t even- I knew it was coming up, but I didn’t realize it was so soon.”

“Are you okay? You’ve been a little off lately.”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Um, the trial, you’ll let me know what happens?” You hoped to distract her from more questions.

“You do know that you’re expected to be there, right?” She continued to regard you as if you had a second head or something.

“Me? Why? I didn’t have anything to do with it.”

“Because Vegeta wants to show us off to his father and from now on you’re required to attend any event in the palace. But besides all of that, you love Kakarot, I thought you’d want to be there?”

“Loved,” you corrected, “he made it abundantly clear that it was just great sex.”

“I’m- I don’t know what to say here. You seem so careless about this?”

“No, I cared, I cared too much and ended up hurt. I can’t hold onto those feelings when they meant nothing to him. I’ll go to the trial because the last thing I need is Prince Dickhead angry at me, but I’m not going because of any assumed loyalty to Kakarot.” You felt bad for snapping at her, but you honestly didn’t have the capacity to show any sympathy anymore.

A heavy silence fell over the two of you as you stood there for a moment, “is there anything else I need to know?”

“Just be ready within the hour to meet with the King before the trial and I’d change your clothes if I were you. Also, Vegeta says we don’t speak unless spoken to and even then we probably shouldn’t speak.” Her expression had dropped from concern to one of sadness as she left the room.

You let out a frustrated sigh, wishing you’d said more to her or done something else to make her understand, but it was all too overwhelming and you honestly wanted to just forget everything and move forward, whatever direction that actually was.

Picking out a decent dress shouldn’t have been as hard as it was, but there you were with too many choices and honestly, not enough motivation to care. You grabbed the one that didn’t make you feel completely exposed, black silk with a low cut back. You threw your hair up in a semi-presentable bun and headed down to where you assumed Bulma and Vegeta would be.

You descended the stairs to the main hall to see the two of them standing next to one another as they waited a few feet away from the door.

“Cutting it close, human.” Vegeta snapped as soon as you were within earshot.

“Sorry, dresses aren’t my thing.” You shrugged.

“Clothing isn’t your thing, breeding isn’t your thing, if we weren’t so pressed for time, I’d love to hear what your thing actually is.” He grabbed your arm and pulled you around to his other side.

You peered over to Bulma who looked absolutely flawless in a long, strapless, red dress that hugged her curves almost as if it was her own skin. Vegeta was also apparently wearing his best, his armor was adorned with gold around the seams, a cape flowed behind him, and his emblem was embossed on his breastplate. They really did look like a royal couple and then there was you, looking like you’d rolled out of bed just moments before.

“I’d rather not go on the assumption that she told you this already, but you will not speak, no utterance of even a syllable If you’re spoken to, you’ll answer with a nod of your head. Understood?” He seemed even more tense than literally any other time you’d seen him.

“Got it. No words.” You wondered if Gine was going to make an appearance. She probably didn’t even show for training that morning, especially if she knew about the trial being that day.

“When this is over, there is still the matter of your use to be discussed. Don’t think I’ve forgotten.”

Before you could respond with some half thought out comeback, the large doors opened, and you immediately felt a tenseness building in your stomach.

The second you laid your eyes on the King, you knew what all of the hype was about. His demeanor alone was demanding of respect as he carried himself without an ounce of carelessness or patience. The scowl he held on his face seemed like a permanent fixture, at least you’d seen Vegeta with a little more range.

“Father.” Vegeta nodded with a slight bow of his head.

“Don’t be so familiar in front of others. Have you already forgotten all of your etiquette?”

“I apologize, King Vegeta.”

You held back any facial expression you wanted to give in the moment about his name being the same as Vegeta’s and their entire planet. Vegeta didn’t seem like the ‘junior’ type.

“Allow me to introduce my humans, this is Bulm-“

The King waved his hand dismissively, “I have no interest in knowing either of their names. My concern only goes as far as the abomination of their blood mixing with a saiyan’s.”

“Our race has bred outside of our line in previous years, they’re the most compatible to-“

“You’re doing nothing but chasing a myth with this hybrid idea of yours. I’m only allowing this rouse to continue because this planet has resources we can exploit and the humans seem to keep the morale up for the lower class saiyans.” The King seemed to sneer at the two of you with a glance that barely lasted one second.

“Of course, sir. I apologize for suggesting their usefulness expands beyond that.” Vegeta cowering was an odd sight to see.

“We need to discuss the sentencing before the trial begins. Where can we speak privately?” He made no move to look at the either of you.

Vegeta snapped his fingers at one of the saiyans standing to the side, “show the King to the study, I’ll be along shortly.”

“Do not keep me waiting, Prince Vegeta.” He shot him a warning glance before following the saiyan.

You waited a moment before relaxing a little. Your entire body had been tense that whole time and it was exhausting.

“Go to the throne room and wait for the trial to begin.”

“Do I have to be there?” You asked.

A thick silence lingered for a split second and you noticed the Prince’s jaw tense before he turned to you and clamped his hand over your throat.

“I’ve suffered your insolence for long enough, if you truly wish to be excused from this then I’ll be more than happy to end your involvement now.” He tightened his grip, his fingers digging into your skin and cutting off any air supply you had.

You grabbed at his forearm, struggling to breathe as your vision blurred, “p-please-“

“I’m not in the habit of repeating myself.” He released your throat and left you gasping and choking for air as he headed in the same direction the King had gone.

You held your throat as you inhaled sharply and filled your lungs with air once more, your eyes watering.

“Let’s go.” Bulma placed her hand on your back and guided you with her, offering nothing else for comfort.

After a moment of walking with her, you were finally able to breathe normally and felt like the color had returned to your cheeks.

“He won’t hesitate to kill you, especially not with the King around.” Bulma finally spoke as you walked.

“Maybe that would be better than this?” You rubbed your neck, knowing bruises were already forming.

Bulma stopped suddenly and turned to you, “if you want to keep toying with your life, then do it when I’m not around. This isn’t a perfect life and it’s by no means the life I wanted for myself, but it’s what I have and I enjoy waking up everyday knowing I’m still alive because I’ve seen what happens to the others who weren’t as lucky, who didn’t get the same opportunity as me.” The tears in her eyes remained there, never falling and staining her cheeks.

“Bulma, I-“

“Just stay on his good side when I’m around, please?” She didn’t wait for you to respond before she returned to her path and walked ahead of you.

You felt bad for putting her in any kind of harm’s way. You could tell she was just as frightened as you, but there was something more to it than that. There was still a lot of unknown bits to how Bulma ended up where she was. You never really asked and she never really offered the information freely. Of course there was the curiosity, but you assumed it wasn’t the same as yours. She always seemed so much more capable and put together, and less likely to end up in an auction. She had a genuine fear that doesn’t come from just hearing about something bad, it comes from experience.

You followed her in silence, wanting to reach out and apologize for being selfish, but you couldn’t find the right words that didn’t make you sound like a complete jackass. You entered the throne room, which had been altered a bit for the trial. Two thrones sat at the far end and a cement post had been placed in the center with what looked like an iron fixture on it.

Bulma took her place next to one of the thrones, obviously knowing which one was for the Prince and which was for the King. You stood next to her and fought with yourself on an apology before deciding on how to say what you needed to say. You grabbed her hand suddenly and squeezed it slightly, pulling her gaze directly to you. She offered a small, fleeting smile before turning away again, but she made no move to take her hand from yours.

You stood there together for what seemed like hours. Either time had stopped or it was just going by so slowly due to the anticipation. You felt anxiety sitting like a rock in the pit of your stomach, not just about the trial, but seeing Kakarot again. You hadn’t seen him in what felt like months but had only actually been a few days. You flexed your freehand, feeling the ache still settling in your fingers from the last session with Gine. You didn’t have the full time in one of the healing pods so there were still bruises and aches that remained. As a few other saiyans entered the room to stand in witness of the spectacle, you thought about how far you’d come since your first time take a step into the palace. You were overshadowed by Kakarot, all of it seeming so daunting in the moment.

The second Vegeta and the King entered the room, Bulma released your hand and seemed to stiffen. Her demeanor changed completely, but you assumed she was more accustomed to this sort of thing than you were. You silently chastised yourself for not asking her what to expect at the trial, how it would go down and what would happen afterward. A few moments passed after they took their positions in the thrones, then the large double doors at the end of the room opened, several saiyans entered, surrounding Kakarot. He was restrained almost in overkill. He was adorned with a collar similar to the one you had, only this one was thicker and probably had a lot more stopping power in it. They even had his tail restrained and pinned down around his waist. You couldn’t help but smirk at the black eye Turles was wearing, it made you feel a little better knowing Kakarot was most likely the one who gave it to him.

“Kakarot.” Prince Vegeta spoke first, drawing attention from everyone in the room.

“Prince Vegeta. King Vegeta.” He offered barely a nod at them while he glanced at you.

Just his gaze alone sent a shiver through you. You still felt that pull to him, regardless of what he’d said before. The pain and hurt was still there, but seeing him again made your feelings grow complicated. Your eyes met his in a split second and you wanted two things, to hit him and make him hurt the way he’d done to you, and then kiss him.

“Let’s begin. You’re being tried for murdering seven elite warriors and conspiring to overthrow myself and the Prince. These are treasonous charges, how do you plead?” King Vegeta said with as much disinterest as he could.

“Not entirely guilty.” Kakarot said.

“Explain.” The King urged.

“I’m only guilty of some of it. I did kill the elite warriors, I take the full sentencing for that, but my motives were my own. I had no plans to unseat you or the Prince.”

A lull of gasps and muttering spread throughout the room from the other saiyans. You noticed Gine and Bardock standing towards the front of the crowd with Raditz near. You wondered if they would stay after the trial, mainly Gine.

“You admit to slaughtering seven saiyans without provocation?” The King questioned.

“I admit to killing them, but it wasn’t without reason.” Kakarot continued to steal glances at you.

“Out of my own curiosity, I will grant a less severe sentencing if you share your reasoning behind murdering your fellow elite warriors.”

There was a silence that fell over the room as everyone froze with intrigue, wanting to hear his explanation. You were also extremely interested in why he would do such a thing, especially when he made such a point to be in defense of his brother and the other saiyans. Kakarot looked back at his family, his gaze meeting Gine’s in that moment before he turned back around.

“I can’t do that.”

“Can’t do what exactly?” The King pressed.

“I can’t share my reasoning.”

“Kakarot, please!” Gine called out, but was quickly silenced by Bardock pulling her back and placing his arm around her.

The King seemed to grow annoyed as he sat forward, “and why not? Are you protecting someone? An accomplice?”

“I acted alone. I’d like to request my sentencing now.” He seemed to be in a hurry to get it over with.

You looked over to Vegeta who had remained quiet. His hand gripped the arm of his chair to the point where his fingers were digging into the wood itself. There was more to this than Kakarot was letting on and Vegeta seemed to have answers.

“You’re forfeiting a right to a fair trial? Without sufficient evidence to discount the charge of treason you will be taking on all charges, regardless of your plea.” The King explained.

Kakarot gave you one last glance, “I plea guilty to all charges then.”

Your heart sank as more muttering erupting throughout the room. Gine turned towards Bardock and buried her face in his chest. Kakarot remained calm and stoic, giving no emotion away as he awaited his sentencing.

“Why is he doing this?” You whispered to Bulma.

She turned her head towards you, “I-I don’t know. I’ve never seen a trial like this before. Normally they have witnesses to their character, their actions, someone to defend them, but he’s giving up all of that.”

“You leave me no choice but to continue with your sentence. Since you are under the Prince’s orders, I’ll allow him to deliver the ruling.” The King sat back in his throne.

“As an elite warrior you pledged your allegiance to protecting all saiyans under the rule of myself and the King. You broke that allegiance when you took the lives of those you swore to protect. We find you guilty of all charges of murder and treason, for which the sentencing is death.” Vegeta spoke with little emotion, his hand still holding a death grip on the arm of the throne.

[mustangshelby04]

No

Pairings: Chris Evans / Charlotte Mackenzie (O/C)

Summary: Saying no leads Charlotte to a friendship she has never imagined.

A/N: I’m trying to force myself to write. Maybe this will light a fire under my ass.... Or my muse’s. She’s a bit flakey.

Chapter 1

Charlie stood in line with her boyfriend Sam as they waited for their photo-op with Chris Evans.  They were second to last in line for the last day of the Comic Con they were at.  From the excited giggles of the people in front of them, Chris was posing and having some fun.  

Sam was clearly excited.  He was Marvel obsessed and had spent more money than any sane person should to get photo-ops with every Marvel cast member.  Charlie was just along for the ride.  It had been a point of contention with Sam that she refused to dress up with him this weekend.  She wasn’t a big movie or TV lover outside of old school Disney stuff and she didn’t get into all the hype of celebrity gossip.  She was a book lover and you could usually find her curled up with a book in some corner. 

She looked over at Sam, dressed as the Winter Solider and bouncing on the balls of his feet.  They had been dating a little over six months and this was the first time she had joined him at one of these things.  She wasn’t a fan of crowds and it had been absolute hell for her.  The whole weekend she had been regretting saying yes.  

“Ok, you guys are next.” The attendant said, leading them into the makeshift photo studio.  She was grinning from ear to ear like a creepy Cheshire cat.

Sam rushed in first and started gushing at Chris about how excited he was and how much he loved him as Captain America.  Charlie patiently waited for him to finish and then shook Chris’ hand when he extended it to her. “It’s nice to meet you.” She said politely.

“I really like your shirt.” Chris said.

She looked down at her blue Little Mermaid T-shirt she was wearing with skinny jeans and black Converse sneakers. “Thanks.  It’s one of my favorites.”

“Mine too!”

“So, what are we doing today?” The photographer asked.

“How about this?” Sam asked.  Charlie and Chris both turned to look and Sam was down on one knee with a ring held up at Charlie.

“What the actual fuck?” Charlie gasped.

“Charlotte Grace Mackenzie, will you please marry me?”

“Are you crazy?  No!”

“Charlie….”

“Get up!”

“I love you.”

“Oh my god!” Charlie turned and stormed out of the photobooth, leaving Chris and Sam to stare after her.

Charlie sat in the hallway of her hotel next to the door of her hotel room a little while later staring straight ahead at the horrible wallpaper in front of her.  She couldn’t believe what had just happened.  Sam had rushed after her and the two of them had fought about what he had done.  He had then left her standing there.  When she had finally calmed down, she had gone after him only to find that he had actually taken the car and left her there.

Luckily, they were only three miles from their hotel and she had no problem walking that.  She had busted out her cell phone and turned on her GPS to make her way back.  When she had gotten there, Sam had left her a note on the door.  She looked at the note again, completely flabbergasted that he was such an asshole.

Find your own way home.

They had travelled from Omaha, Nebraska to Chicago, Illinois for this Comic Con in his car.  She was desperately trying to hold herself together and not panic, but she could feel it working hard to burst down her carefully placed walls.  It was why she had curled up in a tight little ball on the floor and hadn’t gone down to see if she could get a key made for her so she could get into the room.  If she spoke to anyone, she was sure she would start bawling her eyes out.

“Is everything ok?” A voice said to her left.  She looked up to see Chris Evans standing there and he clearly recognized her. “Oh!  Hey!”

“Fuck me.” Charlie sighed as the tears started to leak out.  This was so not what she needed.  She had completely forgotten that Sam had chosen this hotel because it was where some of the celebrities were supposedly staying.  Fuck him for being correct.

Chris shifted his weight and glanced around. “Are you ok?”

“Nope.”

“Are you lost?”

“Nope.”

“Can I offer you any help?”

Charlie closed her eyes tightly. “How about a rewind on the last couple of hours of my life?”

Chris chuckled. “Sorry.  That’s a little out of my wheelhouse.”

“Mine too.”

“Seriously, are you ok?”

“Not in the slightest.” Chris sat down next to her on the floor. “He fucking left me here.  I have absolutely no way of getting home now.” Charlie wiped angrily at her wet cheeks.

“Where’s home?” “Omaha, Nebraska.”

“Shit, that’s a bit of a hike.”

“Little bit.” Charlie shoved her messy, curly, dark copper hair back from her face as the dam cracked further. “Fuck!  What the fuck am I going to do now?  I can’t even get into the hotel room because that asshat had the key!”

“Come on.” Chris stood back up and held his hand out to her.

“What?”

“You can use my room to breakdown in and then we can call down to the front desk about that key.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“I know I don’t, but I am.  Come on.” Chris reached down again and grabbed her hand this time.  She allowed him to lift her to her feet and then lead her down the hallway.  He opened the door to his suite and Charlie promptly started sobbing.

“I’m sorry.” She wiped at her tears aggressively again with shaking hands as Chris ushered her to the couch and sat down. “This is so embarrassing.”

“Please don’t be embarrassed.  Your boyfriend should be the embarrassed one.”

“Ex-boyfriend!” She dropped her face in her hands and shook her head. “I’m not even sure what it is I’m crying about.  That fuckwad sure doesn’t deserve my tears.” Chris walked over to the minibar and grabbed two beers.  He popped the tops on them and offered her one. “Thank you.”

“Gotta say, I’ve seen a few proposals at those things, but never a reaction like that.”

Charlie looked over and Chris was grinning hopefully at her.  It actually made her laugh. “What is my life right now?”

“What do you mean?”

“My entire quiet little world has been on the precipice of exploding, I just got abandoned in an unfamiliar city by the guy I was seeing, and I’m sitting here being comforted by a celebrity who doesn’t even know my name.”

“Right now, I’m not a celebrity.  Right now, I’m a good Samaritan who stumbled across a person in need.  It would make my mom proud.  Well, except that I haven’t properly introduced myself.” Charlie snorted as he held his hand out to her. “I’m Chris.”

“Clearly.”

“And you are….” He wiggled his hand at her and she relented, shaking it.

“Charlotte.  Everyone calls me Charlie, though.”

“Pretty.  So, Charlie, your life is about to explode?  How so?”

“You’re really asking?  Like, you really wanna know?”

“I really wanna know.”

She started picking at the label on her beer bottle. “I’m leaving everything I’ve ever known behind and moving to the East Coast in a month.  I think that’s why Sam pulled that shit today.  He doesn’t want me to leave.”

“Where are you moving to?”

“Boston.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.  I accepted a job at Little Brown up there.”

“What’s that?”

“A publishing company.  It’s been my dream to become a book editor and I’ve been working towards that goal for the last four years.  I finally found a company that’s willing to give me a shot at it, but it’s in Boston.”

“That’s pretty awesome.”

“I didn’t even want to come to this thing with him, but I figured I would give him one last good weekend before I broke up with him.”

“You weren’t even going to attempt a long-distance thing?”

“When do those ever work out?”

“I don’t know.  I’m a hopeless romantic, though.”

“I’m not.” Charlie set her beer down. “I need to get into my room.  See if he left my things or destroyed them.  Knowing my luck, he’s set everything on fire.”

“I don’t think he did that.  The fire alarms haven’t gone off.”

“Good point.” She pointed at the phone on the desk. “May I?”

“Of course.”

Charlie walked over and picked up the phone, dialing the front desk. “Hi, my name is Charlotte Mackenzie.  I got locked out and I need a key to get in.”

“I’m sorry, ma’am, but I don’t see you registered in our system.”

“No.  My boyfriend…. Ex-boyfriend made the reservation.  It’s under his name.  Sam Cooke.  Room 828.”

“Mr. Cooke checked out.”

“What?”

“Mr. Cooke checked out a little while ago.”

“But my things are in that room.”

“I’m so sorry about that.  Mr. Cooke didn’t mention that there was anything left in the room.  We can send a maintenance man up to let you in to get your things.”

“I kind of need a place to stay tonight.”

“We’re completely booked up, but you’re more than welcome to rent that room for yourself.”

“Ok.  Yeah.  I can do that, I guess.  How much is it?”

“For tonight, the room would be $238 plus tax.”

Charlie choked on air and started hacking.  Chris came over and patted her on the back, taking the phone from her. “Hi, this is Eric Prince in suite…. Yeah.  Look, can you just put that room on my bill?  I’m certain.  I would appreciate that.  Thank you.” He hung up and offered Charlie a bottle of water.

Once her breathing was back to normal, she shot a confused look at Chris. “Eric Prince?”

He shrugged sheepishly. “Prince Eric…. From The Little Mermaid.”

“Oh.” Charlie blinked for a minute. “Did you just pay for my hotel room?”

“I did, yeah.  Was that not ok?”

“I mean…. It’s your money, you can do whatever with it, but you don’t even know me.”

“I’m not someone who can just sit here and listen to someone in distress.  If I can help, I’m going to help.” There was a knock on the door and Chris went over to answer it.  Charlie stayed seated on the couch, sipping at her water.  When he came back, he presented her with a key card. “Your room key.”

“Oh.  Thank you.” Charlie took it. “I can’t thank you enough for this.”

“It’s no problem.  Let me know if you need any more help or someone to hang out with.”

Charlie laughed. “Yeah, like Mr. Big-Shot Needs-A-Fake-Moniker has no one better to hang out with.”

He frowned slightly. “Actually, I don’t have anyone to hang out with.  I ditched my team for a quiet night in.  Being around all those people all day long…. I need a recharge.”

She nodded. “I understand that.  I’m more of an introvert with some extroverted tendencies.  When I’ve reached my limit on people, I just need to stay in and hide.  Especially if there’s a crowd.”

“Same.” He shifted from one foot to the other. “Would you like to hang out with me, Charlie?  We can recharge our batteries, maybe order a pizza, rent a movie….”

“If you’re sure, then ok.  I just want to run and make sure he didn’t destroy my stuff.”

“That makes sense.” Chris followed her down the hallway to her room.  When she opened the door, she let out an angry groan while he let out a shocked whistle.  Her suitcase had been hurled across the room and it’s contents were scattered everywhere.  In the bathroom, he had squirted out all of her toothpaste, broken her toothbrush in half, destroyed most of her makeup, ripped the rows of bristles out of her hairbrush, and dumped her expensive curly hair products down the drain.

“No, no, no, no!” Charlie ran over to the suitcase and lifted it up.  Her laptop made sounds like little metal pieces were moving around inside. “Fuck!”

“Shit!  He actually broke your laptop?”

“What the hell is wrong with that guy?” Charlie started crying again as she held her broken laptop.

“A broken heart is one thing, but this….”

“He can’t have a broken heart.  We weren’t together that long!”

“Wait, how long were you two together?”

“Six months.  Today was the first time he even said he loved me.”

“Had you said it to him?”

“No!” She looked over at him. “What are you doing?” Chris had started to move around the room and picking her clothes up off the floor.

“Helping.” He started to fold the shirt in his hands.

“You really don’t need to do that.”

“I know I don’t.  You really don’t need to be so difficult.”

She sighed. “I’m sorry.  This is just a really fucked up situation and I’m not even sure which emotion it is I’m feeling.  And I really don’t mean to take it out on you.  Thank you for helping me.  It’s very kind of you.”

“You’re welcome.”

They worked together to collect her belongings and pile them on the bed.  Once they finished, the two of them tackled the bathroom.  Chris took pictures of everything and sent them to his assistant with instructions to purchase them and bring them to his room.  Charlie stopped when she got to a beautifully ornate compact mirror.  It was antique silver with filigree designs carved into it and little jewels set to resemble a starry night sky.  A few of the jewels were missing and the glass inside had been broken.  She clutched the compact and started to sob.

“Hey….” Chris gently pulled her into a hug.

“This was my mom’s.  My dad gave it to her as a wedding present when they got married.”

“It’s beautiful.”

“They died when I was eleven.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“I can’t believe he broke this.  He knew it was one of the few things of hers I have left.”

After Charlie had cried herself out, Chris helped her finish cleaning the bathroom and they went back to his room.  She curled up on the couch and he sat down on the opposite end.  They were quiet for a long moment before he finally broke the silence. “I don’t normally do this.”

“What?”

“Invite strange women to hang out with me.”

“I never said you did.”

“I know, but…. I don’t want you to think that I’m trying to get in your pants or anything.”

“Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why don’t you want me to think that?”

“I don’t want you to get the wrong impression of me.”

“What do you think my impression of you is?”

“I’m not sure.  You’re not like most women I’ve met.”

“How so?” “Well for starters, you ask a lot of questions.” Charlie chuckled. “You’re also like this open book that I can’t read.”

“That’s the most interesting thing anyone has ever said about me.  What does that mean?”

“I…. Ok, so you drop these seemingly big clues about your life.  You were incredibly vulnerable when you told me that your parents died and you’ve cried in front of me while I get the feeling that you don’t do that in front of people very often if you can help it, but none of those clues lead me any closer to being able to figure you out.”

“Do you want to figure me out?”

“I kind of do.” “Why?”

Chris smirked. “I like to read.”

Charlie and Chris sat on the couch with a half-empty pizza box between them.  A pay-per-view movie was playing on the TV, but they weren’t paying attention to it.  The two of them had been talking for hours.  He found it a welcome relief that she didn’t care about him being a celebrity and that she didn’t know anything about him.  It felt great to actually get to know someone.

“I’m really impressed.” Chris said as he looked at the pictures on her phone. “You made out like a bandit on this.”

“I just hope there aren’t any crazy issues I’ll have to fix.” Charlie was showing him the house she had bought sight-unseen at an auction.  It was a two story Colonial house in Concord.

“You realize we’re practically neighbors?”

“Are we?”

“Yeah.  I just bought a house about two miles away from here.”

“That’s weird.”

“Are you sure you’re not stalking me?”

She laughed. “Trust me, I don’t give two shits about your celebrity status.  Unless you wrote a book.  Then watch out.”

Chris handed her back her phone. “The commute to Boston might be crazy.”

Charlie shrugged. “I don’t mind.  There’s a train station and all the research I’ve done says it’s about an hour commute.”

“It is.  You’re going to love Concord.”

“Where did you say you grew up again?” “Sudbury.”

“Gotcha.”

“So, Mac, what made you want to uproot your life like this?”

Charlie laughed at the nickname he’d chosen.  She usually hated it when people tried to call her that, but for some reason Chris made it sound endearing. “You really want to open that can of worms?”

“I really do.”

“Ok.” She took a deep breath. “So, you know mom and dad died in a car accident when I was eleven.  What you don’t know is that my twin sister was in the car with them.”

“Oh shit!”

“Yeah.  I went from having a full family to being alone.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“My aunt took me in and raised me.  Aunt Millie…. She was living with her second husband in Omaha when she got the call that her brother and sister-in-law had died.  She flew out to Maine and stayed with me.  My parents had just written their wills and hadn’t gotten a chance to tell her that they’d named her guardian of their kids.” “I bet that was a big shock.”

“For everyone.  My mom’s parents thought that they should get custody of me, but aunt Millie wanted to honor my parents’ wishes.  She ended up fighting them in court and the judge ruled in her favor.  When the school year ended, we moved to her house in Omaha.  About a year later, she found out her husband was cheating on her and plotting to take my inheritance.”

“Holy shit.”

“Yeah.  It was a pretty significant amount.  My mom’s family was pretty well off.  She had a trust fund which became mine when she died and my parents had really good life insurance.  My grandparents added the money to that trust fund that they intended to put into mine and Max’s trust funds…. Max was my twin.  Her name was Maxine.”

“I couldn’t even imagine losing all of that.”

“How many siblings do you have?”

“Three.  One older sister, Carly; my younger brother, Scott; and my youngest sister, Shanna.”

“That’s a lot of siblings.”

“Yeah.” Chris took a sip of his beer. “So, back to you.  I didn’t need to pay for your room, did I?” Chris smirked at her to let her know he was joking.

“You really didn’t.  I just…. I don’t really like to touch that money.  After what happened with aunt Millie’s second husband and then her third and fourth husbands…. I figured money ruined people’s lives.”

“What happened with her husbands?”

“They basically used her to try to get to that money.  After what happened with her second husband, my grandparents made it very hard for her to touch my inheritance.  I didn’t even have access to it until I graduated college.  By then, I had learned the value of a dollar by watching aunt Millie work her ass off to keep me clothed, fed, a roof over my head, and in good schools.  I had part time jobs throughout high school and college to help her.  I used scholarships and grants and a couple of student loans to pay for my college education.  I’ve only used that money for three things.”

“What were they?”

“To take aunt Millie to Europe before she died and to pay for that house in Boston.”

“Your aunt is dead?”

“She died about two years ago.  Pancreatic cancer.  That’s the third thing I used that money on.  I paid for all of her medical bills.”

“I’m so sorry, Mac.  That’s a lot to go through in only thirty-three years of life.”

Charlie shrugged. “It is, but what can I do about it?”

“When was the last time you’ve been to the East Coast?”

“I visited my grandma in Maine last year when she died.”

“Did you have a good relationship with your grandparents?”

“It was ok.  They loved me in their own way.  Mom was an only child and I was their only grandkid.  They sent me money for my birthday and Christmas.  I got Easter baskets from them, too, and I would go out for a week in the summer when I was younger because the court’s said I had to.  Those weeks…. Makes me glad that I ended up with aunt Millie.  My grandparents weren’t home very much.  I hung out with their butler in the summers.  When I turned 18, I stopped going.  I let aunt Millie have the birthday and Christmas money after that.”

“Wow.  You should write a book.”

“Why?”

“Because your life has been…. Eventful and I would even call it inspiring.”

“Maybe one day I will.  For now, I prefer to give other people chances to get their voices heard.”

“Is that what appeals to you about being a book editor?”

“Yes.  I’ve read some amazing books in my life and I used to wonder what it would be like to be the editor that gets the copy across their desk.  To be the first person to read it outside of the author and their family and know that what I have is going to make a lot of other people happy.  Not to mention the author.  Plus, I’ve been known to be a stickler for grammar, so why not put that skill to use.”

Chris chuckled. “You haven’t corrected my grammar once.”

“You’re pretty eloquent, Evans, but I’ve been silently correcting you.”

That made him tip his head back and laugh loudly, his right hand slapping against his chest.  It sucked Charlie in and they both laughed freely.  After a few minutes, they finally calmed down and wiped their eyes. “I’m really glad I asked you to hang out with me, Mac.”

“I’m glad I said yes despite the shit circumstances.  I really wanted to stay in by myself and hide from the world.”

“Why did you say yes, then?”

“You said the right thing.”

He grinned. “Good.  I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship.”

Please let me know if you want to be tagged in this story. The more people that want to read it, the better. I want my muse to feel the pressure!

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[allmidaddies]

woke up in 1.

Summer had arrived and that meant weddings, weddings, and more weddings. It wasn’t normally like this, it was just that everyone that you had ever crossed paths with in your entire life had decided to get married that summer.

 Well, everyone except Mat it seemed. Which you were grateful for because it meant that you had another single soldier to drink with at the open bar at each of these events.

The two of you had been out in New York over the past four years, arguably the worst place to find love. Or even anything remotely close to love. You had dated people on and off over the years but they all ended more or less the same way. The flame died as quickly as it had sprouted, they had too many cooks in their kitchen, or your personal favorite, Mat ran them off before the second date. He claimed that as your best friend he would be able to determine whether or not the guy was right for you and apparently none of them had been deemed worthy enough because they were almost always sent running for the hills within a matter of days of meeting Mat.

 In Mat’s case, he spent so much time on the road that anything more serious than a casual hook up that never went more than three nights was considered too much of a commitment. You couldn’t blame the kid though to be fair. He was always honest about his intentions from the very beginning and was as gentlemanly as one could be in a situation like that. You still encouraged him to try dating but he always brushed you off and changed the topic before you could even realize he was changing the topic.

 But this summer you were grateful that he had never bothered to take your advice because it meant you could drag him along as your date and he could take you as his, effectively silencing any relatives or old friends from asking about your relationship status. At least, that was the hope. The coming weekend was a trial run to see how the rest of the summer may unfold.

 A long time friend of yours, and a training buddy of Mat’s, was getting married on Saturday at a lake house outside of Vancouver. It meant that both of you were invited to not only attend the wedding but stay in the guest house with a few other friends. Which is what Mat was “helping” you pack for currently.

 You rifled through the collection of dresses you had acquired in preparation for the wedding season ahead. Mat had done nothing but chirp you for how much money you had spent on the different options, all followed by him bragging on how he hadn’t spent a single dime.

 “In my defense, you already own more suits than I own dresses” you argued, sifting through your closet in search of the particular dress you were wearing the coming weekend. Mat was stretched out on your bed and had been chirping you since you let him inside.

 “Yes but my suits are investments. What are you going to do with all of these dresses after you wear them?” Mat asked, tucking his hands behind his head as he leaned against your pillows.

 “Maybe you’ll have to invite me to more events with you and I’ll have excuses to wear them,” you smirked, finally pulling the one you’d been looking for and zipping it into a garment bag.

 “Stop trying to trick me into a date,” Mat teased. You rolled your eyes as you began pulling other clothes to pack for the weekend.

 “You should be so lucky as to date me.”

 Mat laughed, the sound echoing off of the walls in your room,

 “I would be a lucky guy. But you said I’m too annoying to do more with than friend zone. If I remember correctly.”

 You bit the inside of your cheek, the conversation that led to that flashing through your mind. You had only been teasing, and maybe slightly drunk as well, when you told Mat that he was in the friend zone. It was somewhat of a truth but more than that it was a lie. Mat was your best friend and you didn’t want anything to ruin that. However, it was hard to deny that Mat was practically the unit of measurement that you used to evaluate every guy that you dated. You compared everything in a prospective mate to Mat. Their hair, their style, their laugh, their intelligence, their charm, their smile, etc. And nobody ever measured up. At least not completely. Sure, you’d been on dates where the person on the other side of the table had a degree in something ridiculously hard like chemical engineering that surely had more literal intelligence than Mat. But it was never the same and it was never the whole package.

 It continuously baffled you that Mat hadn’t found the love of his life yet. How could someone so charming and successful have such a hard time finding someone who was the perfect match? He certainly had no shortage of beautiful women in his life. You often wondered if maybe he had met the one already but he was so focused on hockey that he didn’t even notice.

 “That’s rather unfortunate for you,” you quipped, swatting Mat’s hand away as he kept removing items of clothing from your suitcase.

 “Actually I think in this case it is rather unfortunate for you. I would make a great boyfriend,” Mat shrugged.

 “Except for the fact that you don’t want to be somebody’s boyfriend,” you laughed. Mat could only grin up at you, knowing you were right. He really wasn’t looking for a girlfriend at the moment. There were too many other stressors for him with contract negotiations and wondering whether or not he was going to need to be packing up his apartment in New York in the next few months.

 Just as you added a pair of folded sweats to the suitcase Mat pulled them out again, making you groan in annoyance.

 “I swear to god it’s like having a toddler,” you muttered, finally moving the suitcase to the floor while Mat laughed.

 “I just don’t think you need to pack sweats. It’s supposed to be 85 all weekend and we’re going to be at the lake.”

 “You also think I don’t need to pack this shirt to sleep in? Or any of my underwear?” You asked, hands on your hips as you gestured towards the other stack of clothes Mat had pulled from your suitcase.

 “I’m not opposed,” Mat smirked, earning him a smack in the face with a throw pillow.

 It was nothing new. Mat’s teasing. He made it clear to you that he found you attractive. Whether it was complimenting how your ass looked in certain pairs of jeans or hyping you up on your Instagram, Mat was open about how hot he thought his best friend was. And it never bothered you, it was nice to feel appreciated. Especially on days when you weren’t feeling your best. Mat was always there to remind you of how beautiful he thought you were.

 “Have you even started packing?” You asked, reorganizing everything in your suitcase so you had room for your makeup.

 “Nope,” Mat sighed, “But I know that I’ll need my suit and my swim trunks. And that’s about it.”

 “You’re going commando?” You teased. Mat grinned down at you,

 “And lucky for you we’re sharing a bed so you’ll have easy access.”

 Because you and Mat had announced that you were going together, your friends had put the two of you in the same room. Which undoubtedly meant you would be sharing a bed. Which, you had only ever done on extremely drunk occasions where you were afraid Mat would throw up in his sleep or Mat thought you might try and sneak out to hook up with the latest guy who had hurt your feelings. So, sharing a bed while sober would be an experience to say the least.

 “It’ll be a struggle but I think I’ll be able to keep my hands to myself,” you winked at Mat as he sat up, watching you tuck the last of your things into your bag.

 “I really should go pack, huh?” Mat sighed, clearly not wanting to engage in the responsibility.

 “Well, considering it’s now almost 9:30pm the night before we need to leave,” you held up your phone for him to see the time, only for him to let out another groan.

 “Hey, you said it won’t take you that long,” you teased. Mat stood up, grabbing his keys from your dresser and slipping his phone into his back pocket.  

 “I’ll see you tomorrow, yeah? I’m picking you up at 9.”

 You nodded, glancing at him over your shoulder as he opened your bedroom door,

 “Please pack something to sleep in!”

 “I’ll consider it!”

 ~

 The area where the wedding was taking place was gorgeous. Driving up to it you drove along miles of tree lined roads. You had completely zoned out of the conversation that Mat was having with Tyson in the front, too busy staring out the window to pay them any mind. They’d spent the entire drive singing to the Mamma Mia soundtrack, reminding you exactly why you should have never shown them that movie. Definitely ruined it for you.

 “We’re almost there can we please put something else on? I’ve been so patient,” you whined, leaning forward against the center console and pouting up at Tyson who was controlling the aux.

 “What! You don’t like being serenaded by us?” Tyson asked, mocking offense as he clutched his chest.

 “Not for two hours,” you muttered under your breath, reaching for his phone and successfully snatching it from his hands. Tyson reached for it but you sank into the backseat and scrolled through his Spotify to find something else to listen to for the remainder of the drive, grinning victoriously.

 “Please play Nickelback!” Mat begged from the driver’s seat.

 “God no!” Tyson leaned back against the headrest.

 “I’ll allow it,” you smirked, poking your tongue out at Tyson as he glared at you.

 “This is why you’re my favorite,” Mat caught your eye in the rearview mirror. Tyson muttered something under his breath that you didn’t catch over the sound of the song but whatever it was earned him a smack on the arm from Mat.

 You furrowed your brows, looking at Mat again but he just shook his head, an easy smile on his face as he started singing along to Rockstar.

 When he finally pulled in the driveway of the wedding venue you gasped, sliding over to the window and watching the house come into view.

 “Oh my god!” You breathed, “This is stunning.”

 “She’s already getting ideas,” Tyson teased, jutting his thumb out at you. Mat couldn’t help but laugh, knowing he was going to be hearing about it all summer. You had always fantasized about your dream wedding. The details were always changing but he knew that you had a Pinterest board full of inspiration and there was no doubt in his mind that come September you would have an album on your phone with pictures captured from the weekends of celebration.

 “We’ll see who’s teasing who when it comes time for you to get married and your fiance is stressed because you have no input on the wedding, Josty,” you chirped, tousling his hair as Mat pulled in to park. Tyson barely had time to swat your hand away before you were unbuckling your seatbelt and climbing out of the car. The boys watched as you ran down the pathway that led to the dock.

 It was still only mid-morning but the sun was already high in the sky, reflecting off of the still water and making it glitter. Even with the surrounding houses and properties it was still quiet. There were a few other cars in the driveway but you knew that there were only a handful of people apart from the bridal party that were staying in the house.

 You were so lost in thought, admiring all of the views around you that you didn’t hear Mat’s footsteps on the dock behind you until he was right there, arms scooping you up.

 “Mat no!” You shrieked, immediately clinging to his neck. If he was going to throw you in then he was going to be right there with you. Mat stood on the end of the dock and held you over the water, smirking down at you,

 “I’m not that much of an asshole.”

 You scowled,

 “I wouldn’t put it past you Barz. You’ve done far worse to me.”

 Mat threw his head back laughing, thinking back to the times he’d accidentally made you trip into a mud puddle, or has thrown up on your shoes after drinking too much, or the time he gave you a black eye after not warning you that he was popping the bottle of champagne.

 “I won’t,” he grinned, turning and setting you down on your feet, “At least not yet.”

 You steadied yourself on his shoulder, catching the mischievous glint in his eyes.

 “I don’t know why I ever thought to trust you,” you teased, letting him pull you back towards the house so you could get your bags.

 It didn’t take long for you to be donning your bikini and for your friends to be pouring you drinks. You had a feeling you were going to be drunk until the next morning, knowing the crowd you were with.

 “Tyson if you don’t put sunscreen on you will burn, I don’t care that you have a ‘base tan,’ you’re going to look like a lobster if you don’t,” you scolded, trying not to laugh as Tyson flopped face first onto the bed in yours and Mat’s room.

 “But it makes my skin so sticky,” his words were muffled by the comforter and you rolled your eyes, taking the opportunity to squirt sunscreen onto his back. Tyson shrank into the mattress, whining about how cold it was.

 Mat emerged from the bathroom, now in his swim shorts, eyeing you as you crawled over the bed to kneel beside Tyson.

 “I feel like I am walking into something I shouldn’t be.”

 “You are,” Tyson said, causing you to roll your eyes, “We’d like a little privacy please.”

 “Tyson shut up,” you continued rubbing sunscreen on his back while Mat pulled his suit from his bag and hung it in the closet.

 As soon as you were done with Tyson he was jumping up from the bed and all but sprinting out of the room.

 “Don’t get in the water for thirty minutes!” You shouted after him, Mat chuckling beside you.

 “He didn’t hear any of that,” Mat laughed.

 “Useless,” you scoffed, grinning up at Mat. You pretended like you didn’t notice that he was now shirtless, golden tan and firm chest staring right back at you.

 “You’ve been working out,” Mat smirked as you stood up from the bed, eyeing you as you bent down to pick up your discarded clothes off of the floor.

 “I have to keep up with you somehow,” you winked at him, reaching for the door when he caught your elbow.

 “Ah ah ah,” he clicked his tongue at you, “You do me and I’ll do you.”

 A brief moment of confusion washed over you but then you realized he was holding the sunscreen bottle in his hand. Unfortunately that moment didn’t go unnoticed by Mat, who was grinning like a cheshire cat,

 “What?”

 “Get on the bed,” you narrowed your eyes at him, not wanting to let him win this one. Now it was Mat’s turn to swallow thickly, cockiness wavering slightly as he let you push him onto the mattress.

 By the time you were fully lathered in sunscreen you were sweating, and it wasn’t from the sun beating down on the lake. There was no ignoring the feeling of Mat’s muscles underneath your fingers and the suggestive comments he kept throwing in your direction. You should be used to it by now but some days he could wind you up tighter than others. The part that made it worse was that you now had to watch him parade around all day in his swim shorts and then crawl into bed with him in the evening. Well, that and the fact that he could say all of these things in passing and then any comment you threw his way only made him stutter for a second and then he was over it. You wished you could deflect the same way, but you couldn’t help it. You were the one daydreaming about finding the love of your life and with Mat possessing so many characteristics that you were looking for, it didn’t take much for him to invade your thoughts.

 You picked your drink up off of the nightstand and headed down the hall to join everyone else outside. Mat was slow to follow you, saying he’d catch up with you in a minute.

 “Took you long enough,” Tyson teased, grinning when he saw you walk out onto the porch.

 “Stop being an instigator,” you muttered, shoving him playfully before leaning into your friend to give her a congratulatory hug.

 “I have the perfect guy for you to meet, Y/N,” Jasmine beamed at you. Tyson raised his eyebrows beside you but you didn’t notice, you were too busy giving Jasmine the same reaction.

 “Oh really? You’re playing matchmaker for me at your own wedding?”

 “Mhm and you can’t stop me because I’m the bride,” she grinned.

 “You know I have a date, right?” You appreciated the fact that she was thinking of you but it felt inappropriate to be pursuing someone when you had promised Mat that you’d be in this together. At least...that’s what you would tell everyone else.

 “Mat doesn’t count,” Jasmine rolled her eyes, “Unless of course you have something you’d like to share with the group.”

 Tyson stifled a laugh, covering it by taking a drink of his beer. You felt your skin get hot as you rolled your eyes. At that moment, Mat emerged from the house, looking more relaxed and calm than he had when you walked out of the bedroom.

 “Hey, congrats Jas,” Mat grinned, interrupting the conversation. You glared at Tyson, having not missed his quiet chuckle. He held his hands up in defense but couldn’t manage to wipe the smirk away.

 “Thanks Barz, hey let me run something by you,” she grinned and you bit the inside of your cheek, suddenly interested in the drink you were holding.

 “What’s up?”

 “So I’ve got this friend who I think would be perfect for Y/N, you don’t mind if I introduce them at the wedding tomorrow, right?” Jasmine asked, feigning innocence as she looked up at Mat.

 “Why-” Mat began to ask but he stopped himself, shaking his head and forcing a smile, “Yeah, I don’t care. I’m not her gatekeeper.”

 You took a long sip of your drink. Tyson cleared his throat, patting your shoulder and nodding towards the grass,

 “Let’s go play cornhole.”

 Your shoulders sagged in relief, barely glancing in Mat’s direction as Tyson pulled you away.

 Mat watched the two of you walk off before looking down at Jasmine.

 “Who’s the friend?”

 Jasmine smirked,

 “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

 Mat scoffed, knowing exactly what she was insinuating,

 “Yeah. As a matter of fact, I would. You know, considering she’s my best friend and all.”

 “Oh right, best friend, nothing more, never thought of her as anything other than that,” Jasmine teased. She was pushing his buttons and she knew it but she’d known Mat just as long as you had and wasn’t afraid of his stubbornness.

 “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Mat ran his fingers through his hair, staring out at you laughing with Tyson.

 “If you really don’t have a problem with me introducing her to my friend I’m going to do it,” Jasmine said, “But if you do, just say the word and I’ll have your back Barzy.”

 ~

 That evening after everyone else had crawled into bed in preparation for the following day, you hung back and made yourself a cup of tea. You tried to be as quiet as possible, turning off the stovetop before the kettle started to whistle. There was no noise from the city to drown you out so you felt as though your movements were amplified, echoing off of the high ceilings. The sun had long since set but the sky was clear and all of the stars were out so you wandered out onto the back porch.

 It was slightly chilly so you were glad you had packed sweatpants, but apparently Mat had also pulled your hoodie from your suitcase so you stole one of his before making yourself comfortable on the deck.

 It didn’t take long for company to join you in the form of a very tired Mat. He was holding a mug in his hands, pressing it against his bare chest to feel some sort of warmth since you had nabbed his hoodie.

 “Thief,” he muttered, voice deep and gravelly, clearly indicating that he was in need of sleep. It had been a long day of drinking and time in the sun, making everyone tired. Mat’s voice was particularly rough because he’d been out on the boat with the guys for the better half of the day, attempting to wakeboard, shouting over the roar of the engine.  

 “I had packed one but somehow it’s not in my suitcase,” you looked at him knowingly, sitting up and wrapping your arm around his shoulders while he laid down on the bench, head resting against you.

 “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Mat hid his smirk behind his mug.

 “What are you still doing up? I thought you’d be dead asleep by now,” you noted. Mat grumbled,

 “Yeah well the bed is lonely without you.”

 “Not even one night in and you’re already clingy,” you teased, Mat reaching out to mess your hair in response.

 The two of you fell quiet, admiring the stars and secretly hoping you’d see a shooting star. Mat had Jasmine’s words running through his mind, wondering if he should say anything to you. He tilted his chin so he could look up at you. The moonlight was making your skin glow and while you had your glasses on he could tell that your eyes were glittering in the night.

 “Are you excited to meet your potential suitor tomorrow?” Mat teased, deciding to rip off the bandaid. You snorted, looking down at him,

 “Not really.”

 Mat’s ears perked up.

 “Why not? I thought you were on the hunt for the love of your life?”

 His tone was teasing but he was dying to know the answer, now fully invested.

 “I don’t think the love of my life is Jasmine’s college friend who works as an accountant. No offense to people who work in finance but I’ve never met an accountant with a personality,” you sighed.

 Mat laughed loudly, earning a shush from you before he woke the entire house.

 “But I don't know. I mean, maybe I’ll let her introduce us. There’s no harm...right?”

 Mat shrugged, not having much to say to that.

 “I just don’t want to waste my twenties with the wrong person. And I don’t know I guess I always envisioned I’d meet someone in a more romantic or interesting way,” your hands found Mat’s hair and you began threading them through his locks.

 “I think a wedding is a pretty romantic place to meet someone,” Mat countered. You hummed in agreement,

 “I just always thought by now I would have met someone and we would be well on our way to falling in love and thinking about starting a life together.”

 “You have time left,” Mat said gently.

 “I know,” you sighed, “But it would be nice to have that security I guess. Maybe I’m going about it all wrong, thinking about it too much.”

 Mat gave you a look that said, ‘duh, you think about it way too much.’

 “Hey,” you frowned, “Just because you don’t think about it at all-”

 “I think about it,” Mat defended, laughing.

 “Mhmm, sure.”

 Mat stared up at you as you continued to look out over the water. Before he realized what he was doing he was speaking out loud, prompting your attention.

 “How about this?” He sat up so he could look at you properly.

 “Mat, what are you plotting?” You laughed, halting your movements and raising your eyebrows at him.

 “What do you say we make a deal?” Mat asked, cocking his head to the side.

 “About what?”

 “If neither one of us is married by the time we’re thirty we’ll get hitched,” Mat shrugged. You threw your head back laughing, not thinking he was serious. You dodged the hand that swung out to hit your shoulder, catching his wrist.

 “Hey!”

 “Don’t laugh,” he whined, though his own laughter was spilling through his words.

 “You’re not serious,” you giggled, trying to suppress your laughter, “Besides thirty is still young.”

 “Well yeah but if you’re thinking kids and stuff you don’t want to wait too long,” Mat said.

 “Oh so we’d have kids in this deal?” You teased.

 “I want kids,” Mat was leaning forward now, elbows on his knees, “And I know you want kids.”

 “Mat you can’t be serious about this,” you laughed airly. Mat cracked a smile but it didn’t reach his eyes,

 “It’s just a back up plan. I’m not saying you’re not going to find the one somewhere down the road, but if we find ourselves in the same situation in the next ten years then why not?”

 “You’re my security?” You smiled softly, feeling your heart swell just a little bit.

 “Yeah,” Mat grinned, “I’ll be your security. Besides, I wouldn’t mind putting a baby in you. I think you’re going to be an awesome mom.”

 “You’ve thought about this,” you teased, watching Mat blush. He had thought about this. More times than he would care to admit. He had seen you through every phase in your life and he had never thought to imagine going through marriage or starting a family without you. But, he knew that there was a guy out there waiting for you that could give you things he couldn’t. Like stability and time. Not to mention far, far less stubborn. So if being your backup plan, or plan b, was the best he was going to get then he’d settle for that. Because it meant he wasn’t totally out of the race.

 “Unless of course you’ve already got yourself a back up?” Mat joked. You rolled your eyes,

 “Yeah, actually Tyson asked me yesterday.”

 Mat laughed,

 “I knew it.”

 “Do we shake on it?” You asked, a smile on your face. Mat couldn’t control his smile as you stuck your hand out to him.

 “Only if you want to.”

 “If I’m going to have a back up plan it should be a pretty damn good one right?” You shrugged. Mat chuckled, nodding.

 “Besides, we’ll still be dating other people, well-you’ll be hooking up with other people and I’ll be dating,” you teased, Mat rolling his eyes, “There’s no harm in it. Right?”

 “Right,” Mat affirmed but he didn’t believe it.

 No harm in you finding someone else to fall in love with that wasn’t him...as if.

 “So how was it?” Jasmine teased you, bumping your hip as you poured yourself a cup of coffee. You glared in her direction, too tired and uncaffeinated to be having this conversation.

“Don’t give me that look,” she smirked, settling onto the barstool across from you.

 “I know it’s your wedding day and all but I reserve the right to not comment on the subject,” you lifted your chin at her, giving a smug smile. She laughed, throwing her head back and making her bun flop to the side.

 “I’m serious Jas!” You whined, rolling your eyes.

 “At least tell me it wasn’t awkward or anything right?” Jasmine asked, sipping her own coffee. You purse your lips, thinking back to the night before when you and Mat had finally crawled into bed.

 After the two of you shook on your agreement, you stayed out on the porch for another hour or so. Until Mat’s mug was cold and he had goosebumps all across his arms. You felt a little guilty for having taken his hoodie but you wouldn’t have had to if he hadn’t been such a pest while you were packing. By the time you were getting into bed you were so exhausted that you didn’t have the energy to worry about the fact that it was the first time you were sharing a bed with Mat sober.

He had asked if it bothered you if he slept in just his boxers, swearing up and down that it was totally okay if you wanted him to keep his sweats on. You told him it was fine, especially considering all you were wearing was a pair of underwear and a large t-shirt. Just because you were sleeping with Mat didn’t mean you were going to change what you wore to bed. He wasn’t that special. You had opened the window, letting the cool fresh air in, in preparation for the unavoidable heat that came with two people sharing a room. The last thing you wanted was to wake up sweating because Mat was a human radiator.

“It’s cold,” Mat frowned, still having not totally warmed up from coming inside.

“You’re such a baby,” you rolled your eyes, making yourself comfortable under the covers.

“I think my balls are in my stomach,” he muttered under his breath. You grabbed the pillow on his side and smacked him with it across the stomach, nearly knocking him back.

“Hey!”

“Just get into bed if you’re cold,” you laughed, “Standing there in your boxers isn’t going to make you any warmer.”

Mat said something you couldn’t make out under his breath as he slid underneath the comforter. You reached over and turned off your lamp, the whole room going dark. Just as you fluffed your pillow and got comfortable on your back, Mat was scooting up beside you.

“What are you doing?” You asked, biting back your laughter.

“You’re warm and I’m cold,” Mat said as if that explained everything, “Now cuddle me before I get hypothermia.”

“You’re not going to get hypothermia in the middle of summ-”

“Y/N.” Mat’s tone was flat and you knew you weren’t winning the argument.

“Fine,” you huffed, “But I’m the little spoon.”

Even in the dark you could tell he was smiling down at you. The bit of lumination from the window was making his eyes sparkle and you cursed him for still being attractive when he was grumpy.

You shifted onto your side and Mat curved his body around yours. Almost too perfectly. His arm wrapped around your waist and pressed his chest against your back.

“Fuck,” he laughed quietly, “Your feet are ice cubes.”

“They’re always like that,” you hummed. Mat nudged your feet away from his own,

“How are you not cold but your feet are like that?”

“I don’t know.”

“You should honestly get that checked out, you probably have low iron,” he continued.

“Mathew if you don’t shut up in the next ten seconds I will make you sleep outside with no blanket, then we’ll see how cold you are,” you snapped. Mat chuckled, nuzzling his face in your neck.

“Goodnight Y/N.”

[thejemersoninferno]

In my place.

· Pairing: Chris Evans x Reader.

· Request: “Reader is from California and she takes a solo trip to Boston to get away for a while (not a good family life) and she bumps into Chris and well even though she’s a fan, Chris starts to develop something right away” by the sweet @afictionaladventure16. You gave me those lines and it really got me hooked up since I read it! 

· A/N: I’m sorry I took too long to post (2 weeks?) but I’ve been really busy at my new job (YAYYY!) and  I couldn’t have time to post my own writing LOL. Once again, I’m beta’d by @jewels2876 who is always helping me and hyping me up all the time! Thank you, my dear!

· Word Count: 4287.

· Warnings: language, a bit of angst.

“My house, my rules!” Your mom shouts at you. You growl and throw your napkin at the table. Your big brother and his fiancé just watch amused, your dad rolls his eyes and monitions you to sit back again. You shake your head and push your chair back.

“You can’t choose my life for me,” You snarl back, “I’m old enough to choose for myself and who I want in my life!” 

Your mom stands up pushing her chair back, she tries to walk to you but your dad stops her, knowing what’s coming after.

“Let me go,” Your mom hisses.

“Love, calm down,” Your dad’s soft voice makes you want to puke, “If she really wants to inherit anything from this family, she’ll do as told,” He throws a cold look at you, his mouth shut in a line. You open your mouth slightly.

“I don’t want your money!” You spat furiously.

“Then get the hell out of my house!” Your mom shouts, your eyes burning from the tears that are forming, making you feel small and vulnerable. 

“I’m your daughter,” You murmur, your lips trembling.

“You stopped being my daughter the moment you walked away from us,” Your mom declared.

You denied upset, your hands flew up to the sky, your leg shaking slightly.

“I was studying!” You spat quickly.

“Study? You call that study?” She howled mockingly.

“See? How I’m supposed to be okay in this family if everything I love is a joke to you?” You babbled upset, “I’ve done everything to please you and yet, I’m always wrong,”

“If you’d only listen like your brother!” Your dad snarled.

“Listen? That’s obeying!” You spat, “Not even the army has to follow rules like yours,”

“Get. Out.” Your mom hissed, her features revealed a furious face.

“That’s what you want?” You asked, sobbing.

“This is not the life I choose for my daughter,” Your mom hissed.

“You’re really kicking me out just because I don’t want to date him?” You asked, shocked.

“You made this choice,” Your dad pointed out. You shook your head, grabbed your phone from your table and walked to your room. You flashed the door open, walked to your private wardrobe and grabbed a big suitcase, you threw your clothing inside and stormed downstairs to get away from once you called, family. Your brother and his fiancé were waiting outside for you.

“Uhm, not sure Dad’s gonna be fine with you taking the car,” He laughed. You glared at him deadly and threw your suitcase into the trunk. 

“You won,” You said, “You always win,”

“Lil sis,” He said, “You could have it all,”

“Not like this,” You murmured denying, “Not under their rules,”

You jumped in the car and drove away, leaving behind your life, the life you never dream of, the life you were given without needing it. The tears rolled down your face, the low music pounding from the stereo, the sun drying the non-stop tears. You drove for a while, one, two hours until you felt tired. You parked outside a hotel and booked a room for the night; you still had money, the money you have worked your ass out to gain it. 

The next morning, you sat in the closest coffee shop, listening to music from your phone. You were trying to think what were you gonna do now, now that you were finally free from any chain around your future. The waitress approached you offering more coffee, you nodded and thanked her.

“Sally!” Another waitress ran to her.

“Ann!” The waitress yelped, “You’re back!”

“You’re not going to believe it!” Ann squealed, “Boston is amazing!”

“Girlsssssssssssss,” The supervisor called out.

“Sorry Jack,” Ann giggled, “I’m happy to see you guys!” 

Sally, Ann and Jack laughed, you smiled at them, once Sally served your coffee she walked away to her friend who was happily chatting with the supervisor about her trip to Boston. You have never been to Boston, you thought. You sat there, drinking coffee and thinking about your future, you didn’t want to stay in California, you knew it will be just matter of days from every single soul around your circle, your family circle will hear what happened and they will start calling you out for leaving your family. You snap your tongue and opened the navigator site on your phone. You checked miles, flights and you decided to start over again, a new beginning in a place no one will know about you. 

You were checking your info to go to Boston when your dad texted you to give him back your car, well his, you rolled your eyes and told him to pick it up. An hour later, your family’s driver arrived to pick the car up, he gave you a sad smile and wished you a good day, you pouted and gave him a hug, you’ve grown around him and you will forever remember the days you spent helping him clean the cars or him teaching you to drive to get your driving license. You said your farewells and you walked away. The next morning you would be on your way to your new life.

You spent the night eating for the last time fast food from your favourite Chinese while you watched Avengers: Age of Ultron. You chuckled and pouted the whole movie, you loved the Avengers with your whole heart. You remembered the time you went to the San Diego Comic Con to see them, good old days you thought. You went with your brother when you were still close friends. After brushing your teeth, you fell down on the bed ready to sleep.

You’ve been four days in Boston already, your bank account’s cards cancelled, your dad called you to give you another talk and you ended up fighting again. He wanted you to rethink things and go back home, with your family. You told him you wouldn’t and he told you one day you’d go back home begging for them to accept you back. 

After a month in Boston, you’ve found a job, you were working in a bookshop and you’ve made a few friends. You were happy and felt relief at the life you’ve started for your own.

You were walking down the street around your work, earphones on, Queen blasting on loud, focused typing back to your friend Ciara to meet up that night for dinner. You didn’t see the man walking until you bumped into him. You glared up to blue baby eyes, you felt the air leave your lungs, you felt your jaw clench and you were lost into the man’s eyes until a bark drove you back to the reality.

You faced down the furry boy who at your look, jumped on you trying to lick your hands. You chuckled softly and kneeled down to pet him, still ignoring the person next to him.

“I’m sorry,” The man babbled, “I wasn’t looking,”

You ignored him completely, you pet the dog and smiled big.

“He’s Dodger,” The man said.

“I know,” You replied, and then you cussed yourself under your breath, “I mean, ugh,” You stood up and scratched your neck, something you’ve done your whole life when you were nervous.

He looked at you, confused, “I- I know who you are,” You admitted shyly, slowly showing him your Captain America SHIELD in your bracelet alongside with Bucky’s star and Tony’s helmet, your golden three-o. He opened his mouth shyly surprised and you saw a reddish colour cover his cheeks, he nodded in understatement.

“Oh,” escaped his slightly open rosy lips and you bit your lip looking at them.

“Yeah,” You muttered, playing with your fingers. He stared at your eyes, you didn’t flinch or made any other movement, you were lost looking at each others’ eyes until your phone rang off.

You looked down to your left pocket and whispered a fuck.

“I need to pick up,” You whispered.

“Yeah, sure,” He said. You answered your friend Ciara, who wondered where the hell you were instead of being at work, you gasped and looked at your watch in your hand before telling her you’d be there in a second, you looked at Chris while motioning you had to go and he nodded and whispered a low goodbye, you stormed your way and stopped your tracks, you quickly turn around and ran to them. You yelled “wait”, he turned to see you, the phone still in hand, you smiled at him big and kneeled down to pet Dodger once again, before waving him off and running down the street to your workplace. 

Two days have passed since your first encounter with Chris, you were still daydreaming about those blue piercing eyes. You told Ciara about the encounter and she nearly choked you for not staying, she told you she would have covered you if you had told her where and with who you were, you laughed and apologised, you missed your chance but you were happy you have finally seen Chris up close and Dodger, lord, you loved his dog.

Tonight, you were going out with Ciara and her friends from around town, you have met two of them, John and Vicent, and they have promised you the best party in town.

After you arrived home from work, you stormed to get a shower, Ciara knocking on the door because she wanted to shower too. You laughed and told her you were nearly ready. Once you finished, you walked to your big room, walls in white and two strips of blue and red line decoring your walls. You dried yourself while facing the big mirror, Iron Man-inspired, you still remember the face Ciara gave you when you bought it. Sharing an apartment with Ciara was the best thing about Boston you thought, you two met during job hunting and ended up sharing a home. She was looking for someone to share apartment bills and you were looking for not a too-expensive house to live. 

Ciara’s shout asking what will you wear drove you back to reality, you shouted back “black jeans and a tank top!” and you got ready. 

An hour later, the two of you arrived at the restaurant, you had dinner and then proceeded to party hard. The next morning you woke up with a headache and a big teddy bear next to you, you didn’t remember where it came from but you thanked for it.

“You’re early,” Your boss said, confused.

“Ugh, yeah,” You smiled at him.

“Why?” He wondered pilling up a few books.

“Nothing special,” You replied, putting your jacket aside.

“Where’s Ciara?” He questioned looking at the door not seeing the blonde girl following you as usual on Mondays’ morning.

“Day off,” You chuckled.

“Oh yeah,” He laughed, “Forgot about that,”

You opened doors at 9 AM and people started coming in during the morning, you walked down the street at lunchtime, you had 1-hour break and you loved eating at the restaurant down the street. You ordered something different from the menu, each day you’d try something new, tasting the different flavours the menu had to offer. You were checking your phone while waiting for your bill when you saw him walking by, your mouth fell open and you quickly stood up, leaving a fifty buck note next to your ticket and ran off the restaurant. You saw him at the end of the road and you ran towards him, luckily for you, the traffic light changed to red and he had to stop. You stopped your tracks slowly and walked slowly next to him.

You checked your phone, biting your lip trying to see if he would recognize you and trying to not scare him out. His phone chimed and you heard him chuckle, you turned your face to see him and his eyes fell on you. His mouth muttered “oh” and then he smiled.

“Hey there, stranger,” He chuckled.

“Hi,” You replied.

“Long time no see,” He added putting his phone in his pocket.

“Uh yeah.” You muttered, “How’s Dodger?” You questioned.

“He’s okay,” Chris said, “He’s with my brother right now,”

“Oh,” You nodded, “That’s good,”

“Work?” He wondered looking at you.

“Ugh, no,” You replied grinning at him, “Work?” You asked back.

“Nope,” Chris said, “Going for lunch,” He admitted.

“Good,” You answered nodding.

The traffic light changed to green and you both walked, slowly next to each other. 

“Uhm..” Chris murmured, “I was thinking..” You looked at him and faced the road again after showing him a smile, “Would you like to go for a coffee someday?”

You stopped your tracks making him turn to see your face, there he was standing in front of you, the sun on his back, his hair glowing, his hands in his pockets, his features insecure.

“Are you for real?” You questioned you felt your knees about to give out.

“Yes,” Chris replied, he ran his fingers on his hair, nervously.

“Well,” You said, “If you bring Dodger,” You smiled wide. Chris laughed hard and you chuckled with him. He shook his head.

“What about tomorrow?” Chris questioned checking his watch, “At 7 PM?”

“You don’t want to walk Dodger by yourself, right?” You chuckled. He laughed and denied.

“Maybe,” Chris giggled, “Is that fine with you?”

“Tomorrow,” You nodded, “At 7 PM,”

“At the Nobel bookshop,” Chris told you.

You opened your mouth but closed it quickly, that’s an advantage to you, right after your work shift. 

“At the Nobel bookshop,” You smiled and Chris smiled.

“Right,” He said, “I gotta go but I’ll see you tomorrow?” 

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” You grinned.

“See you tomorrow,” Chris whispered and he waved you off before turning to the left side of the road, you watched him walk down the street, you noticed him grab his phone from his pocket and you watched his back, damn. You stood there watching him until his shape faded in the distance. You jumped giggling and then stopped to check if anyone has seen you. You couldn’t help but smile big. 

You arrived home to Ciara listening to Andrea Bocelli, you could smell the bolognese sauce and your mouth watered, you swung to the kitchen with the cover song “La Vie En Rose” smiling wide and big. Ciara jumped at your entrance and laughed at your expression.

“What’s going on with you?” She laughed.

“Ugh,” You sighed, “I have a date,” You said sitting down on the stool.

“A date?” She asked stirring the pot, “With who?”

Your smile grew big and you let out a squeal, Ciara laughed and denied laughing.

“Who it is?” Ciara asked again.

“Chris!” You squealed, “CHRIS FUCKING EVANS!” You yelled jumping around. Ciara let out a squeal and joined your side, you two jumped and giggled for a few minutes.

“For real?” She wondered shocked.

“Yes!” You sang, “For I can’t help falling in love with you,” You sang to the song harmonising.

“When? Where?” Ciara wondered turning the heat off.

“I saw him walk down the street, I, of course, walked faster to reach him,” You admitted biting your lip, “Then we walked down the road and I asked about Dodger and we made this quick chat and he asked me out!” You both squealed excitedly.

“Oh my Lord,” Ciara yelped, “You’re a lucky son of a bitch!”

“I swear I was shocked!” You laughed.

“No wonder why,” Ciara laughed back, “When’s the date?”

“Tomorrow after my work shift,” You told her.

“Where?” She questioned taking the apron off.

“Outside Nobel,” You chuckled, Ciara, let out a snort and shook her head. You had dinner and then got ready for bedtime. 

You woke up the next morning earlier than usual, you showered and got ready. You chose some black jeans and a nice t-shirt, your vans covering your feet. You prepared breakfast singing and dancing around, Ciara joined you quickly after laughing at you. You ate your food doing a little chat before heading to work. 

The day went off rather quickly, you had lunch at the bookstore with Ciara, Japanese, Ciara’s favourite. You listened to music and chatted the whole work shift, your boss happy to see you enjoying your time and joining in a few chats. 

You were closing the shop when you noticed Chris approaching, you quickly picked up your stuff and piled out a few books ready for the following day. Ciara squealed when she noticed Chris and you covered her mouth. You turned the lights off and walked out of the shop, Chris focused on his phone raised up his head for a second and then faced up you quickly when she noticed it was you, you gave a soft smile and turned to Ciara.

“I’ll see you at home,” You told her softly.

“I’ll see you later,” She smiled big, you could see the excitement on her features and you bit your lip trying to stop the laughter escape your lips.

Ciara greeted Chris and waved you two off before heading down the street on her way home.

“Ugh,” Chris said, “Were you going to tell me you work here?” He chuckled.

“Maybe,” You chuckled back, “Hi,” 

“Hello,” He said, he approached you and kissed your cheek, “Nice top,” Chris joked. For the first time since you put it on in the morning, you checked your top and let out a snort when you saw the Avengers logo on it.

“I swear I didn’t do it on purpose,” You laughed.

“It’s okay,” Chris smiled, “I like it,” You smiled to each other and started walking down the street.

You walked for a few minutes in silence until you broke it, “Where’s Dodger?” 

Chris let out a snort, “Home,” 

“I thought we were walking him?” You wondered.

“Yeah,” Chris said, “That was the idea but I thought we could go alone?” He looked at you for a second.

“Damnation,” You let out a sigh, “I only accepted because you were supposed to bring him,” 

Chris laughed hard and you joined him, “You only have me now,”

You bit your lip and laughter escaped your lips, “I’ll see what I can do,”

You walked around the area talking about each others’ life, you, of course, asked about Marvel and he happily answered. You stopped to grab a drink and you kept talking and joking around.

Chris accompanied you home and kissed your cheek goodbye, you smiled at him and he asked for your number. You exchanged numbers and said your goodbyes.

You went to bed smiling big that night and not without wishing Chris sweet dreams.

On your fifth date, Chris kissed you and you couldn’t be happier. He has been stopping by your work to see you every day and bring some coffee for Ciara and you. Ciara who has been really happy for you, also told you, you two should take it slow. You agreed but whenever Chris was around you, everything faded away and you enjoyed the moment you were living. Chris has admitted he felt quite insecure about how needy he was to see you all the time and how he felt around you but he couldn’t stop himself, he wanted to be with you, to be around you and to share his time with you. You have met his brother Scott and had been to dinner with both of them. 

Chris invited you over to his house for dinner, it was Saturday and he thought you could have another date on his place. You’d lost count of how many dates you had had by now, it has been nearly two months since you met and you had met every single day.

Chris opened his car door for you, offering his hand for you to get out of the car. You smiled at him and tiptoed to leave a kiss on his cheek.

You sat on his big sofa while he was getting some drinks for you two. You looked everywhere, he had a beautiful house. He had shown you around and then sat down to chat.

“You alright there?” Chris's voice brought you back to his eyes. You nodded.

“Yeah,” You replied, “I like your house,”

“Thank you,” Chris said, “Dodgers’ at my brothers’,” 

“Oh,” You whispered, “You should bring him tomorrow,” You said sipping on your wine.

“You sure?” Chris questioned, sitting back on his sofa.

“Yeah!” You answered, “Ciara loves him and you know it,”

“I know,” He chuckled, “All of you do,”

“But I like his owner best,” You bit your lip and let out giggled.

Chris laughed and shook his head, “You only say that to make me feel better,” He whispered reaching your hand and stroking it slowly.

“Did it work?” You questioned low, looking at your hands together, a smile spread across your face and Chris smiled wide.

“It did,” He whispered.

Chris stroked your hand for a while until you set your glass down on the coffee table. You took his glass too and did the same. You reached for his face, cupping it and getting lost in his eyes. You let a chaste kiss on his lips before parting your lips and Chris let out a sigh, he drove his hands to your neck, crashing his lips on yours. You kissed slowly, you opened your lips slightly and Chris took it as permission, putting his tongue inside your open mouth. The kiss quickly changed to a heated one and your hands flew to his hair. He drove his left hand to your lower back, stroking slowly. You let out a moan and he growled, he grabbed you by your legs, helping you sit on his lap. You moved slightly on top of him stealing a moan from both of you. The friction caused by your parts touching while your mouths fought deliciously on a heated kiss.

Chris drove his right hand to grab your ass and squeezed, you moaned loudly on his mouth and he grunted. His mouth fell on your collarbone, kissing, nipping, biting. Your hands-on his hair pulling from time to time gently, needing more. You moved forward and backwards on his lap, needing the friction your clothed core desired. You felt Chris’s bulge grow bigger on his pants and you let out a loud moan escape your lips, Chris lips lost in your neck and chest, his left hand stroking the nearest boob gently, his finger rubbing circles in your nipple. 

“Chris,” You moaned pulling his face from your neck, kissing his cheek and rubbing the back of his neck.

“Doll,” Chris panted, stopping his movements and focusing on your eyes, then back to your slightly parted rosy lips, his pupils darkening and the urge of kissing you driving him insane.

“Please be mine,” You whispered low but confident, you had him under you, needing you the same way you needed him, his eyes lost in lust like yours, his lips pulsing red, his hands on your lower back and hips, his muscular form trying to stay still but needy.

Chris crashed his lips on yours as he stood up, you strangled your legs on his waist while he walked to his bedroom. Your lips never living the other ones’, your hands flying to every inch of his body you could touch, Chris, rubbing and stroking your ass while low moans escaped his lips.

“Mmm..” You let out rubbing small circles on Chris's chest. Still feeling the chills and the pure sensation of your first time together. 

“I’ll understand,” Chris added.

“Chris,” You tried to stop him.

“It’s just,” Chris squirmed next to you, his legs tangled with yours sending chills over your spine at his soft and warm skin.

“Chris,” Your hand flew to his chin, making him look at you.

Chris sighed, “I just need this more than just a one night stand,” He admitted, “I need the honey when you hold my hand, I know you think it’s too early to call it a romance but,” He closed his eyes shut. 

You sighed and moved on his side, your left leg on top of his hips, your skin warming his, even more, you let a chaste kiss on his chest and then on his chin, followed by one on his cheek and nose and back to his lips.

“I know you’re not ready for that,” Chris whispered so low you barely heard him.

“I just don’t know,” You replied, “What if-”

“I know,” Chris interrupted, you cupped his face, your chest on his chest, his right hand on your lower back, his left hand on your hip while your legs kept tangled underneath the sheets.

“Come back to me baby,” You said, “And I will come back to you,” looking at his eyes. You saw his eyes inspection your face and he let out a sigh, your forehead fall into his while your eyes closed. Chris rubbed your lower back calmly, you moved your head to his chest and closed your eyes.

“I want you,” You whispered low. Chris looked down at you and nodded.

“You have me,” He answered.

“No,” You replied, “I want to be with you,” You declared.

“I can’t go a single day without thinking of you,” Chris murmured, “I hope you believe me,”

“I do,” You said looking at his eyes, “Let the happiness begin,” You murmured, Chris broke the space between you two, your body on top of his body, the warmth on his hands on your back and you felt like you’ve found your place.

____

Much love from me, J x.

[finderskeepersff]

48. Part 3

Watching the sun come up as I sat in the car outside my home, I need to sleep. I would go to the hotel but it is too damn late, I can’t be doing that so I am staying here to sleep but I have been busy actually. To find out that Clover Club is opening up in Miami, I am happy about that. I am happy for Amira because without her this shit wouldn’t be going so smooth, she puts in work while I pay of course but it is working out for the best. I am seeing so much money, like money is openly in a bank account. It is in Kyle’ joint account and I wish I could put Sofia on it but if anything goes wrong we are all going down and I don’t want Sofia to go down, Amira knows it can happen but I don’t see anything going wrong. They all think Raphael is clean cut, he is the biggest fucking asshole going, I don’t know how he is alive at all with all of the drugs he has. I am thankful to be clean, a blessing actually “so are you happy with my work? I work hard for you Cassius, how calm has shit been?” Ethan is impressive “it’s good, I don’t need to worry but there is always worry you know? I want you to release that footage of Samuel killing the Latino boss, I want him gone off my radar ok? I am done with it. I need to have no loose ends got it? I have been thinking hard on it and he is too close to my business, he is plotting and I know it. I want us to have a strong base like it’s happening now. We can all work together in this world, I didn’t think Raphael was right but the rich and famous do pay well. Clover be making that fucking money, people don’t suspect which is odd. But yeah, do that. I will be spending time with my son today. I don’t want to be contacted ok? I want to be somewhat normal, I don’t want people following me. I am going to have nothing on me besides my phone and some money. I got Wheezy but I just want a normal outing, probably risky but I will take it. I don’t know anymore. I have tried to amend a lot of loose ends, everyone is eating remember that so that is why it is quiet” I pointed at him “that is why you are like by the people and not the power hungry government, you should be president” I laughed, it was funny “my corrupt ass, I see it like if everyone is eating then why would you be upset? But there will always be one but anyways. I have a big day, let me get some kind of sleep” dapping Ethan.

Holding my Nets top in my hand that Sofia bought me, I got a few hours sleep. It’s afternoon so let me go down and get some food, hopefully my momma will make me something. Walking down the steps, Sofia did text me she said don’t forget today donor. She is so bitter, it’s actually sexy that she is mad. Like baby continue to be mad. Rubbing my bare chest, I am proud of me. Like I don’t need anyone to be proud of me but I am of myself because I got myself out of it. It was because of the love I had for Sofia but I had to do it and I did it, I can only thank god for the strength “hey Cass, I thought you was here” Jasmine said “yeah, I am. You good?” I asked her, seeing another girl in the living room, she just stared at me all wide eyed “I am, your room door was closed so I assumed so. Is Cartier here?” shaking my head “he is in New York. Come to the game, Sofia bought me a suite. There is like a few spots free, you know” Jasmine gasped “can I really?” nodding my head “yeah, mom is coming. Sofia may come, I hope anyways. But I just want a family thing” Jasmine yelped out “I am coming! I am getting my Nets top out, I can’t wait!!” looking down at Bryce, he actually ran at me this time. Grabbing my legs “girl, I am going!!” Jasmine said “your brother is so sexy, you seen his body” looking down at Bryce “we friends now?” crouching down to him “uncle was being mean and he is sorry” I think he has forgiven me.

My mom held out the Net jersey “so you and Cartier got one?” nodding my head “I think it was nice that she paid out for it. I mean I can take you and Josiah and now Jasmine while dad looks after this one, I don’t know how you like dude” I said to Bryce, he just smiled at me “they have a close bond, weird enough” my mom placed my jersey on the back of the dining chair “I guess he can be a nice guy to someone” my mom touched my arm “I am so happy to see my son like this. Last time you entered this house you set out on a road I didn’t think you wanted to come back from, I look at you and I see my son. Healthy, happy, positive boy. And I do thank Sofia but I thought she lost that touch with you, we all did but look at you. All happy” I smiled “thank you. I am happy and excited for today. I think I want my son to know you all, I want that. I didn’t think Sofia would ever want to come here but she did and I know it was for me, she has no reason to come here. She says Leyton but she can book him a flight. It means so much to me, like I am happy” she did it for me.

I laughed in the mirror “stop it” I said staring at Cartier through the mirror, who said it was easy. Cartier kept crying when I laid him on the bed so I have him on my lap while I do my make-up with one hand, well the things I can do anyways. Cartier is just staring at me through the mirror, he is so intrigued “you making me laugh” I laughed, Cartier gurgled something “mommy crazy huh, mommy putting this make up on looking crazy because I can’t do the the left side of my eye so I do” looking down at him, he didn’t move his head to look at me at all. I feel he is growing so quick to me, everyday it’s like he learns something new and different. He is being a little whiny baby today, just wants me to hold him, I guess I have to be thankful for the fact he slept well, he didn’t randomly cry like he would. I wish I bought the rocker now, I sighed out. A knock at the hotel room door, placing my mascara back in the tube and getting up with Cartier “let’s see who that is” hopefully Mia so they can look after him for me. I didn’t bring the rocker with me like an idiot, Mia and Mitch are coming to the game. I did decide on going, Mia said he asked so go. Olivia is working so she can’t go. Looking through the peephole “it is Auntie!” I yelped, pulling open the door “hey girl!!” Mia opened her arms “don’t look at my face, this boy won’t let me look good” Mia hugged me “I can tell, wow. Which face are you doing?” Mitch pointed at one side of my face being rude as fuck “thanks” I rolled my eyes.

Mia looked over at Mitch playing with Cartier “you ever want one?” I asked her “so I can have my pussy ripped open? No thank you, we will take yours” Mia looked at me chuckling “I can’t, like right now I am ok. I will babysit yours, I think Mitch does. He said he loves seeing pictures of Cartier, he was like have you seen Cassius with Cartier and all of the cute posts I am like yes, just keep looking. Maybe some day but anyways, we looking fire today? Yes?” I shrugged “I mean I may have a little something” I grinned “that is my girl, we show skin. We show bomb pussy, we show out today. You have Cartier on your damn hip too, we come to show out. Also I will look after Cartier as we discussed” she pointed at me, I paused “erm, no need too. I said no” Mia blinked at me several times “we did that three way call, just let him be a dick appointment for now. What is wrong with that? Spend time with him, do it. Don’t put no title on it, strictly dickly. You know” taking in a deep breath “you said you been feeling it? Come on?” nodding my head “there has been moments” I admitted “well today I am hyping you up, you will get some dick tonight. You both going to end up hugging and loving on each other anyways so I don’t need to do shit anyways” Mia waved me off “that is true, in the club you both was off. Like from what I remember you both was playing tonsil tennis” Mitch said “see, so we need this confident and hyped up bitch. The bitch that slept with him in the club. You better get him to eat you out, it’s your time!” Mia eyeballed me, trying to not laugh “we got you today, Cartier will be with us. We good uncle and auntie here. You’re scared to get your feelings hurt, I know Sofia. But keep that to the side, things will fall into place. Dick appointments give the best dick. Me and Mitch were that at first, it was good” Mia always knows what to say.

Thinking to myself, maybe I should wear more. What is wrong with me, why am I being sheepish, maybe I need some booze to give me that push, that little courage but I do know I can do this, I am just being a scaredy bitch. I look good, I think I do anyways. Sighing out as I fixed my hair in the mirror “I am ready anyways” I said to myself, right down to the heels “come out, I want to see!” Mia shouted outside the bathroom door, I need to get out now. I have taken my time “ready?” I said I walked towards the door “yes hoe, hope you are being a hoe” unlocking the door as I pulled it back “surprise” I giggled, Mia’ mouth opened up wide. I am not sure if that is a good or bad thing “wow Sofia, talk about bouncing back from pregnancy, wow!” Mitch said, my cheeks are warming up “you look so good, oh my god” Mia said looking me up and down “the legs! Bitch, the legs!” Mia spat, can she stop “he will like it, and so will all the other men in that place. I mean that is making a statement” I chuckled “I mean it’s simple but you look so good” Mia said, I shrugged “I was like if I was to go I would wear this” just simple booty shorts and a sweartshirt Cassius left at the house, it’s simple as shit but apparently I look good “if you bend forward, your booty come out? Do it so I can check” Mia said, I shook my head laughing because I won’t be doing that.

I love to see Leyton, to spend time with him is nice “Sofia your legs will be get cold outside” Leyton pointed out “what you trying to say to me?” I asked him “aww he trying to play daddy” Mia cooed out “well I think you should cover up, but I am here. I will beat them for you but it’s still cold out there” he is funny “sure, but I rather not. Mia do I really look good, I don’t look fat do I?” Imagine that “me? You think I would let you walk around looking fat? Girl, no. You look so good, I fancy you. I would do you” hiding my face laughing, Leyton looked at Mia in disgust “that is weird but I think you should cover your legs, they fat” Leyton is trying to be mean “men like it fat, they call it thick” I grinned at him “I will tell Cassius, he will tell you not too” I scoffed “is Cassius my father? Leyton please, I ain’t about to change out of shit, Mia has hyped me up and I am staying at this level now. Get off the bed, I need to change Cartier” he should be here soon, let me change Cartier so he can match his dad.

I am glad Cartier is asleep now so he will be more alert during the outing, I hope he doesn’t play up but if he does I am there “you still using those breasts?” Mia asked “yes, I swap over now. He takes the formula, finally. So I give him both, he prefers breast though. It doesn’t bother me actually, also my breasts are bigger, I like it” I shrugged “when I see you and Cartier I do want to be a mother but I don’t want to rent my womb, my pussy being stretched, I can’t. So the milk you giving for when I look after him, is that formula” nodding my head “yes, thank you for offering. It may not happen though” she is jumping “oh it will, he is going to want you so fucking bad. You look so good, you’re hair is down. He better devour you” Mia is something else “look who we found on the way back!” Mitch said, rolling my eyes at Mia “your make-up is bomb, the red lipstick is everything!” looking away from Mia seeing Mitch walk into the room “we found Cassius, he was coming here” I knew it, I knew it would be him “where is the boy? It’s game day!” Cassius spat “he is here, asleep” I pointed at the bed, Cassius licked his lips and kept his tongue out staring at me, and then dragged his eyes down. He stepped to the side because the bed cuts off his eye-view, his mouth opened as he tilted his head “seriously? Do you want to be less obvious” what is wrong with him “you wearing panties under that?” I just smiled walking off “woah, woah, woah. Oh my god. You can’t do this, that is not real. Mia you did this, bring that ass back here” he is so embarrassing.

Cassius clasped his hands together and placed his hands just above his lips facing me in the elevator, he took in a deep breath and then closed his eyes and breathed out “you about to get me back on drugs” he is so dramatic “I am fighting niggas today, this is not good. I will be put off the game” he is stressing “whatever” the elevator doors opened, Cassius balled his fist up and bit his knuckle “you are being dramatic, anyways the receptionist will be here” pushing the stroller out of the elevator “oh wow Sofia, hi” Wheezy said “hi Wheezy” making my way to the doors “that is mine, it’s mine” hearing Cassius say behind me “you need to claim that” the doorman opened the door for me, he smiled at me “Leyton, don’t walk stupid. I will forget about you, is auntie picking you up after?” Leyton shrugged “I ain’t a kid, I can do what I like” frowning at him “what I say about that shit, you are my responsibility. You don’t do that” Leyton acting like a brat “I can get back myself Sofia” side eyeing him, he better fix his little attitude.

I am already impressed, VIP entry and it’s not busy as shit “so good to see you again Sofia” walking over to Monique “and you” hugging her, catching Josiah rubbing his chin as he looked away “fuck me girl, you look so good! You had a baby!? You sure! Oh my god!” Jasmine jumped at me “we need to go shopping again, you look so good” I chuckled “thank you, you look good too. Just thought I am feeling myself, why not. It’s nice that you all came though” it’s nice to see them “it’s a nice gift, and to have Cartier here. A family” smiling at her, hearing Cartier crying. Turning around, Cassius must have done something to upset him “hold my bag for me” I said to Mia, walking over to Cassius “did you do something?” I asked him, making my baby cry “come here, it’s only your ugly father” placing him over my shoulder “wow, now I am ugly. Why you being mean to me?” rubbing Cartier’ back “get his bag thank you” walking around him.

Pressing a kiss to Cartier’ cheek, I think it was because he just woke up “you ok now?” pulling his top down “you need to be a nice to daddy, it’s his day with you” his grumpy self, walking towards Cassius in the suite. I want to eat so he can look after him “he will be ok now” I said to him “you want me son, it’s me. We twins. We rocking the same thing boy, come here. Let me love you” Cassius took Cartier from me “it’s me boy” pulling the back of Cartier’ top down “can you take a picture of me and Cartier” Cassius turned around “my phone is in the back pocket” lifting Cassius jersey up a little and getting his phone out “where do you want it?” Cassius walked off near the suite window where you see the game “Cartier! Hey!” I shouted, that boy won’t look at me “Catier, hey handsome boy” he smiled at Monique “my grandbaby, you’re here with daddy. Is you and daddy looking the same” he is loving Monique, taking the picture “I got it, you smiled” I said to Cassius “I thought of your legs that is why” he laughed “it’s y’all day, have a picture. The both of you” Mia said, she is right. I can take one “take it on his phone, he can send it me after” I said to Mia, holding the phone out to her “ok” walking towards Cassius “come to daddy” he said to me, standing at the side of him but leaving a gap “why you playing?” his free arm wrapped around my shoulder and pulled me in “you look good though, on a real” looking up at him “thank you, you look good yourself” I said back to him, feeling his thumb lightly stroke the side of my face “face me then!” Mia spat, lifting my hand up and gripping his hand around mine to stop him from trying to ruin my make-up.

Basketball is boring as shit, I don’t know what is happening “drink up my love” Mia held up a glass “it’s whiskey, down it” taking the glass from her “it’s nice to see Leyton and Cassius getting on, he is getting on with all of the boys” downing the whiskey “he is, Leyton does like him. See how he said I will tell Cassius, boy bye” watching Cassius with Cartier, he is really enjoying himself “I think I made a good decision, I wanted him to do things with Cartier. Like this, I like that Cassius is happy. Father and son” smiling at them both “I can drink to that, I can get used to this. The drinks are bomb and the food, I ain’t here for the game at all” frowning at the fact Mia is getting drunk “listen here, I think I will let Monique look after Cartier ok?” I can let her have him like this “oh yes, oh my god I forgot” I will only tell Monique if anything happens and we do go out, looking down at my phone. Smiing at the picture of Cassius and I with Cartier, it’s a nice ass picture and I look good. I love it actually “cute family there” sliding across “this is family, just Olivia, Kenton and Lee missing” seeing the group picture “and I like that too” she said, I grinned at it.

I knew at one point Cartier would sleep, walking out of the suite. I need the toilet, refresh my make up too “wait up” looking behind me “for what?” I said smiling “me?” Cassius grinned “you need the toilet too?” he shrugged “I just want to see you and” Cassius looked behind me “your booty” he laughed “and also say thank you, it’s been so good. It’s the small things, like this. A basketball game with your son, I like it. I have had so much fun, he fell asleep but then I have everyone here, you know” I knew he was enjoying himself “that was my point, I wanted it to be you and Cartier having a good time with family. And it worked out” Cassius placed his arms behind him “you know how good you look? There is toilets here, disabled right?” I busted out laughing “you know” he didn’t finish it off, seeing the ladies toilets “you know how good you look” turning to him, bringing my hand up touching his chain “you look good too Cassius” winking at him as I walked off.

Imagine seeing someone like Jay Z, I am amazed. I just stared like a fan, nothing more I can do but stare. The guys around him just stared at me and that was my time to go back to where I need to be, Cassius done left me here. He could have waited, unless the game started again. Walking back into the suite, the game has started again “I am going to sit in front, are you ok to look over Cartier?” I asked Monique, I don’t want to walk off and she doesn’t “oh yes, you go down” I might as well pay some attention to this, I have no idea what is happening but I will watch I guess. Taking my drink with me, my mixer. I don’t want to be drunk so coke with a bit of vodka for me “you came out” Mia smiled at me, seeing the suite at the side of us. Full of men, they all looked at my legs as they do “the game is that way!” Mia spat, I just laughed walking down, placing my hand on Cassius shoulder as I got down “can I sit?” I pointed “yeah, don’t need to ask” moving my hand back as I stepped over his long ass legs that are in the way “my bad” Cassius moved up on the seat “it’s ok, so what is happening?” I am bored already “they are behind” nodding my head “maybe because you’re here, you jinxed them” smiling at him, he is so timid at times “don’t play me” I repeated the very words he says to me “I’m not, you just make me nervous at times. I am good” sitting back in the seat.

Cassius seems so stressed that they are losing, I find it amusing actually. Watching him sit forward as he watched intently, I had to do a double take at the next suite and the guys are just staring, one of them winked at me and I just turned my head. Lazily placing my arm on Cassius back, reaching my hand out playing with the back of his ear “this shit is wack” he sat back “you really upset about it?” moving my arm back “yes, with how they playing” let me be interested “right, what is going wrong?” staring at the side of his face “first D’Angelo gets injured and the rest is history, it’s like they got lazy right at the last point too. They been good all that time too” nodding my head “that is terrible” Cassius looked at me “you don’t give a shit, look at you” I busted out laughing “stop it I do, I am trying ok. I am upset that you are” turning in my seat and sitting more into Cassius because them guys are bugging me “that is sweet, you being nice to me” Cassius placed his arm around me “I am nice sometimes, I am bored that is why. I rather do something else” resting my head on his shoulder “like? I mean after this though” rolling my eyes.

I don’t know what to say to him, his team lost. I will just sit here awkwardly “say something” Cassius said, biting on my top lip trying to not laugh “don’t be an ass” he said, I am doing no such thing “I wouldn’t let my girl walk out like that nigga” I moved forward in my seat “no need for that” Mitch shouted “I am just saying, I wouldn’t let her be out” Cassius moved his arm back about to get up “don’t” I grabbed his arm “just leave it” Wheezy came out from the suite “move it before I come there” one of the guys blew a kiss to me, Cassius jumped up from his seat. Cassius was so quick to jump over the barriers “Cassius, no! Come back” getting up from my seat, Mitch jumped over the barrier also “wait Mitch!” Mia spat, Josiah also jumped over and then Wheezy did also “Cassius, stop it! Leave it” is he crazy, if he gets arrested. Wheezy gripped Cassius away from the guy, seeing the guy’ bloody face. His friends didn’t help “I told y’all to shut up” Wheezy said, Cassius jumped back over the barrier “I told you to leave it” Cassius walked by me, he is angry at what, me or them “nobody told you to go there dummy!” Mia said to Mitch.

I have been waiting for the security or police to take them but they haven’t “are you angry at me? Why did you walk by me?” Cassius looked down at his knuckle “who said I was angry at you” Cassius sat down on the couch in the suite “because it seemed it, are you?” he shook his head “sit down” he gestured, he pointed at his lap “well if you want me too but I would like to know” I sat down on his lap slowly and turning to him a little “you know when you in that moment of being angry, I was just in that moment. It was never to do with you, trust me. I mean I was annoyed, they trying to talk shit” nodding my head, Cassius placed his hand on my thigh “so shall we go to forty forty club?” my smile grew “what about Cartier?” Cassius moved his head to the side a little “my mom will have him, so yeah?” I grinned, “if she doesn’t mind it” looking down at his hand “your knuckles are sore now” poking my lips out “it’s nothing” placing my hand over his “lovers are going to the club then?” Mia asked “like I can’t believe Mitch jumped in you know” I forgot that he did “well I thought the guy was rude, I was helping Cassius out” Mitch said “that’s what I am saying but thank you” Cassius dapped Mitch “you fast though, you jumped over that barrier and punched hit him first shot. That was so crazy” smiling at Mitch, it was nice of him to help.

My baby boy is awake, I don’t want to leave him now “are you sure you will be ok?” I don’t want him to be upset, he is not home. What if I am being careless “oh stop it, he will be ok” looking at my son in the stroller “mommy loves you so much, but you will call me if anything. If he doesn’t sleep or he wants me. Please call me” I am being careless, I feel it. Moving back from the stroller “your mom is going to get some dick” glaring over at Mia “you are drunk young lady, relax” I spat, she is a mess again “I think we should go home” Mitch laughed “nope! To the club now” Mia was supposed to be my hype woman but clearly not “We good to go now?” Cassius has this stupid smile on his face “it’s not that, I don’t care for the sex. I want to be with you, come on now. Let’s have fun” Cassius grabbed my hand “it’s not about that, honestly” nodding my head “ok, please call me though” I keep leaving him, I am a bad parent doing this. Watching Monique walk with Ethan to the car “he will be ok right?” I said to Cassius “yeah, it’s fine” he will be ok.

Walking behind Cassius as I walked into the club with him, Cassius seems to know everyone. I shouldn’t be shocked but I do be at times, looking around the club. Not even going to lie, it brings me memories seeing these bottle service girls “come on” Cassius grabbed my arm, clearly I am being slow with walking. Reaching behind me to grab Mia’ arm, I can’t leave her behind. I am not set out to have sex, that is not my main goal but I guess I will have fun but I don’t do dick appointments, I mean I do. I am a liar, I do. I need to stop being like this, I mean Cassius looks so good and then there is me. He can really get any girl, I see it but here he is with me “climb up” looking ahead of me “where?” I said confused, I looked down at the step “ladies first” letting out an oh, Cassius held my hand to help me up on the step and then I felt a hand on my ass. Looking behind me, he pointed at Mia “feign” hitting her arm, I thought it was him.

Cassius has gone missing, he has been missing for an hour now which has made me drink more. He said he had to deal with something, must be trouble. Pushing myself up and sitting a top of the seating area, can get a better viewing here. Nobody has said anything to us, Wheezy is patrolling like a damn guard but I am annoyed he went, left me here “here” Mia held out the blunt to me “no” putting my hand up “just relax! Take it” she eyed me up “just a little” I guess, taking the blunt from her “give me that bottle of Spades though” she took it from me, placing the blunt between my lips. I don’t smoke, I rarely do actually. I mean it’s very rare thing to do, blowing the smoke out as I looked up “I come back and you doing this” Cassius pointed at the blunt, he has annoyed me “can I sit?” Cassius pointed out, he knows he has annoyed me. Squinting my eyes at him as I opened my legs, he can sit between them. Cassius licked his lips and shrugged as he sat down between my legs. He has a few other boys here but also more females, did he bring them. Cassius dragged my arm down and took the blunt from me and had it for himself, he rested the side of his head on my thigh.

It’s pretty packed in this section now, whatever Cassius did and came back with really made it packed “I like this song” hearing Cassius say, watching him turn around “I can put you in the log cabin, somewhere in Aspen. Girl ain't nothing to the pain ain't tricking if you got it what you asking, for. Put you in the mansion, somewhere in Atlanta!” he shouted over the music, I laughed at him singing it to me. He held his hand out to me, I have not moved from this spot. Holding onto his hand as I step down from the seating area, he spun me around and wrapped his arms around my shoulders “Lets talk about you and me” he sang in my ear, placing my hand on his arm laughing. Turning around in his arms “is that how you really feel huh? What about me and you?” Cassius tilted his head a little staring into my eyes “just like this” he said “just us against the world?” Cassius nodded his head, I grinned looking down. Cassius lips crashed into my forehead “that was supposed to be your lips, why you move!” he spat, he was late on doing that. Looking up at him smiling, I can’t smile anymore than I am because now my cheeks are hurting. He bought his head down to me as he pressed a kiss to my lips.

Cassius randomly brings his head down to me to kiss my cheek, I have been timing him while being stuck between these people. I am so hot right now, hot and tipsy. It’s not a good mix, I actually don’t care where is the toilets in this place. Catching this girl staring at Cassius, mean mugging her as I rested my head back just on Cassius bare stomach. Who is she even staring at, and she has not left Cassius at all, her eyes won’t fucking move. Moving my head forward and turning to Cassius, he is busy laughing with Josiah. Who told him to take off his top off, placing my hand over his dick a top of his jeans and rubbed his dick. That soon got Cassius attention, he leaned down “what’s up?” wrapping my arms around his neck, Cassius placed his arms on my hips and then reached down to my butt and then picking me up, wrapping my legs around his waist “you remember this?” I said against his lips, Cassius was about to kiss me but I moved my head back, I started gyrating against him. Placing my one hand just on his neck as I can hear the cheers, I stopped gyrating and wrapped my arms around his neck tighter hiding my face against his neck. Moving my head back and turning my face to the crowd, resting the side of my face against his and made eye contact with the bitch that was staring.

[gaysparklepires]

25. Favor

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It was only a little while later that Edward reminded me of life outside our new home.

“Are you ready for my birthday gift for you?” He smiled.

“That wasn’t it?” I teased. But I sighed. “I suppose we should go make an appearance at least, right?”

He smiled, “Go get dressed, love.”

“Okay,” I probably looked like a cartoon, the way I sprung up, then looked back at him—his diamond body faintly glinting in the diffused light—then looked away to the west, where our family waited, then back at him again, then back toward the big house, my head whipping from side to side a half dozen times in a second. Edward laughed.

“It’s all about balance, love. You’re so good at all this, I don’t imagine it will take too long for you to find that balance.”

“And we have all night, right?”

He smiled wider. “Do you think I could bear to let you get dressed now if that weren’t the case?”

That would have to be enough to get me through the daylight hours. I would balance this overwhelming, devastating desire with real life—as real as life could be given the circumstances.

I didn’t even pause at the ornately carved double doors to catch my breath before finding out what Alice had done. I just burst through, intent on wearing the first things I touched. I should have known it wouldn’t be that easy.

“Which ones are mine?” I hissed. As promised, the room was bigger than our bedroom. It might have been bigger than the rest of the house put together, but I’d have to pace it off to be positive. I had a brief mental flash of Alice trying to persuade Esme to ignore classic proportions and allow this monstrosity. I wondered how Alice had won that one.

Everything was wrapped in garment bags, pristine and white, row after row after row.

“To the best of my knowledge, everything but this rack here”—he touched a bar that stretched along the half-wall to the left of the door—“is yours.”

“All of this?”

He shrugged.

“Alice,” we said together then laughed.

“Alright,” I muttered, and I pulled down the zipper on the closest bag. I sighed in exasperation when I saw the silk suit inside—baby blue, no less.

Finding something normal to wear could take all day.

“Let me help,” Edward offered. He sniffed carefully at the air and then followed some scent to the back of the long room. There was a built-in dresser there. He sniffed again, then opened a drawer. With a triumphant grin, he held out a pair of artfully faded blue jeans.

I dashed to his side. “How did you do that?”

“Denim has its own scent just like anything else. Now... stretch cotton?”

He followed his nose to a half-rack, unearthing a long-sleeved white t-shirt. He tossed it to me.

“Thanks,” I said fervently. I inhaled each fabric, memorizing the scent for future searches through this madhouse. I remembered silk and satin; I wouldn’t much need those.

It only took him seconds to find his own clothes—if I hadn’t seen him undressed, I would have sworn there was nothing more beautiful than Edward in his own jeans and white button up shirt—and then he took my hand. We darted through the hidden garden, leaped lightly over the stone wall, and hit the forest at a dead sprint. I pulled my hand free so that we could race back. He beat me this time.

Royal and Emmett were sitting at the table, talking quietly to each other. Alice, Jasper, Esme, and Carlisle were sitting on the couch, in a much deeper conversation.

“Good morning,” I called as Edward and I walked into the room.

“Well, well, well,” Emmett grinned. “Look who actually showed up.”

“We weren’t expecting you today,” Royal said, sounding surprised. Then he bit his lip and looked away, trying not to laugh. I could see Emmett starting to shake with silent laughter, sending vibrations through the foundations of the house.

I kept my chin high, “Esme, thank you. So much. The house is absolutely perfect.”

Esme beamed, “I’m glad you like it.” She sighed, “I wish I had been able to figure out something to do with that extra room, though.”

“About that,” I grinned. “We were thinking maybe a kitchen?”

Esme’s eyes lit up with excitement, but before she could respond, Emmett was laughing again—it wasn’t silent this time.

“So the house is still standing?” he managed to get out between his snickers. “I would’ve thought you two had knocked it to rubble by now. What were you doing last night? Discussing the national debt?” He howled with laughter.

I glared at him but focused on keeping calm. I had better things to do than lose my temper at Emmett. Of course, Emmett wasn’t as breakable as some of my friends.

Speaking of, “Where’re the boys today?” I glanced out the window wall, but there had been no sign of Liam or Seth on the way in.

“Jacob took off this morning pretty early,” Royal told me, a little frown creasing his forehead. “Seth followed him out.”

“What was so urgent?” Edward asked. There must have been more in Royal’s memory than I’d seen in his expression.

“I don’t know,” Royal shrugged. “He woke up this morning and seemed like he had a lot on his mind—just sitting there with his mouth hanging open like the moron he is, and then he just jumped to his feet without any kind of trigger—that I noticed, anyway—and rushed out. Iwas glad to be rid of him. The more time he spends here, the less chance there is that we’ll ever get the smell out.”

“Roy,” Esme chided gently.

Royal ran a hand through his hair. “I suppose it doesn’t matter. We won’t be here that much longer.”

“I still say we should go straight to New Hampshire and get things set up,” Emmett said, obviously continuing an earlier conversation. “Beau’s already registered at Dartmouth. Doesn’t look like it will take him all that long to be able to handle school.” He turned to look at me with a teasing grin. “I’m sure you’ll ace your classes... apparently there’s nothing interesting for you to do at night besides study.”

Royal giggled.

Do not lose your temper, do not lose your temper, I chanted to myself. And then I was proud of myself for keeping my head.

So I was pretty surprised that Edward didn’t.

He growled—an abrupt, shocking rasp of sound—and the blackest fury rolled across his expression like storm clouds.

Before any of us could respond, Alice was on her feet.

“What is he doing? What is that dog doing that has erased my schedule for the entire day? I can’t see anything! No!” She shot me a tortured glance. “Look at you! You need me to show you how to use your closet.”

For one second I was grateful for whatever Jacob was up to.

And then Edward’s hands balled up into fists and he snarled, “He talked to Charlie. He thinks Charlie is following after him. Coming here. Today.”

Alice said a word that sounded very odd in her trilling, ladylike voice, and then she blurred into motion, streaking out the back door.

“He told Charlie?” I gasped. “But—doesn’t he understand? How could he do that?” Charlie couldn’t know about me! About vampires! That would put him on a hit list that even the Cullens couldn’t save him from. “No!”

Edward spoke through his teeth. “Jacob’s on his way in now.”

It must have started raining farther east. Jacob came through the door shaking his wet hair like a dog, flipping droplets on the carpet and the couch where they made little round gray spots on the white. His teeth glinted against his dark lips; his eyes were bright and excited. He walked with jerky movements, like he was all hyped-up about destroying my father’s life.

“Hey, guys,” he greeted us, grinning. It was perfectly silent.

Liam and Seth slipped in behind him, in their human forms—for now; both of their hands were trembling with the tension in the room.

“Edward,” his name came through my clenched teeth. Wordlessly, Edward came up behind me and placed both hands on my shoulders; half-comfort and half keeping me in place in case I should lose my temper and decide to throw Jacob through the glass wall.

“Charlie’ll be here soon,” Jacob said to me casually. “Just a heads-up. I assume Alice is getting some bronzer or something for you?”

“You assume waytoo much,” I hissed. “What. Have. You. Done?”

Jacob’s smile wavered, but he was still too wound up to answer seriously. “Blondie and Emmett woke me up this morning going on and on about you all moving cross-country. Like I could let you leave. Charlie was the biggest issue here, right? Well, problem solved.”

“Do you even realize what you’ve done? The danger you’ve put him in?”

He snorted. “I didn’t put him in danger. Except from you. But you’ve got some kind of supernatural self-control, right? Not as good as mind reading, if you ask me. Much less exciting.”

Edward moved then, darting in front of me to get in Jacob’s face. Though he was half a head shorter than Jacob, Jacob leaned away from his staggering anger as if Edward towered over him.

“That’s just a theory, mongrel,” he snarled. “You think we should test it out on Charlie? Did you consider the physical pain you’re putting Beau through, even if he can resist? Or the emotional pain if he doesn’t? I suppose what happens to Beau no longer concerns you!” He spit the last word.

Edward’s words finally cut through Jacob’s strangely electric mood. His mouth dropped into a frown. “Beau will be in pain?”

“Like you’ve shoved a white-hot branding iron down his throat!”

I felt like he was layering things on a little heavy now. I remembered back to the hiker in the woods, the pain hadn’t been thatbad.

“I didn’t know that,” Jacob whispered.

“Then perhaps you should have asked first,” Edward growled back through his teeth.

“You would have stopped me.”

“You should have been stopped—”

“This isn’t about me,” I interrupted. I stood very still, keeping my hold sanity. “This is about Charlie, Jacob. How could you put him in danger this way? Do you realize it’s death or vampire life for him now, too?” My voice trembled and I was surprised that tears still formed in my eyes.

Jacob was still troubled by Edward’s accusations, but mine didn’t seem to bother him. “Relax, Beau. I didn’t tell him anything you weren’t planning to tell him.”

“But he’s coming here!”

“Yeah, that’s the idea. Wasn’t the whole ‘let him make the wrong assumptions’ thing your plan? I think I provided a very nice red herring, if I do say so myself.”

My hands tensed at my side. “Say it straight, Jacob. I don’t have the patience for this.”

“I didn’t tell him anything about you, Beau. Not really. I told him about me. Well, show is probably a better verb.”

“He phased in front of Charlie,” Edward hissed.

I whispered, “You what?”

“He’s brave. Brave as you are. Didn’t pass out or throw up or anything. I gotta say, I was impressed. You should’ve seen his face when I started taking my clothes off, though. Priceless,” Jacob chortled.

“You absolute moron! You could have given him a heart attack!”

“Charlie’s fine. He’s tough. If you’d give this just a minute, you’ll see that I did you a

favor here.”

“You have half of that, Jacob.” My voice was flat and steely. “You have thirty seconds to tell me every single word before I throw you through the wall.”

“Jeez, babe. You didn’t used to be so melodramatic. Is that the vampire side of you?”

“Twenty-six seconds.”

Jacob sighed and shifted awkwardly. Seth and Liam seemed to move slightly with him; Liam’s eyes were on me, his teeth slightly bared.

“So I knocked on Charlie’s door this morning and asked him to come for a walk with me. He was confused, but when I told him it was about you and that you were back in town, he followed me out to the woods. I told him you weren’t sick anymore, and that things were a little weird, but good. He was about to take off to see you, but I told him I had to show him something first. And then I phased.” Jacob shrugged.

My teeth felt like a vise was pushing them together. “I want every word, Jacob.”

“Well, you said I only had thirty seconds—okay, okay.” My expression must have convinced him that I wasn’t in the mood for teasing. “Lemme see... I phased back and got dressed, and then after he started breathing again, I said something like, ‘Charlie, you don’t live in the world you thought you lived in. The good news is, nothing has changed—except that now you know. Life’ll go on the same way it always has. You can go right back to pretending that you don’t believe any of this.’

“It took him a minute to get his head together, and then he wanted to know what was really going on with you, with the whole rare-disease thing. I told him that you had been sick, but you were fine now—it was just that you’d had to change a little bit in the process of getting better. He wanted to know what I meant by ‘change,’ and I told him that you looked a lot more like Carlisle now than you looked like him.”

Edward hissed while I stared in horror; this was headed in a dangerous direction.

“After a few minutes, he asked, real quietly, if you turned into an animal, too. And I said, ‘Beau wishes he was that cool!’” Jacob chuckled.

Royal made a noise of disgust.

“I started to tell him more about werewolves, but I didn’t even get the whole word out —Charlie cut me off and said he’d ‘rather not know the specifics.’ Then he asked if you’d known what you were getting yourself into when you married Edward, and I said, ‘Sure, Beau’s known all about this for years, since he first came to Forks.’ He didn’t like that very much. I let him rant till he got it out of his system. After he got calmed down, he just wanted two things. He wanted to see you, and I said it would be better if he gave me a head start to explain.”

I inhaled deeply. “What was the other thing he wanted?”

Jacob smiled. “You’ll like this. His main request is that he be told as little as possible about all of this. If it’s not absolutely essential for him to know something, then keep it to yourself. Need to know, only.”

I felt relief for the first time since Jacob had walked in. “I can handle that part.”

“Other than that, he’d just like to pretend things are normal.” Jacob’s smile turned smug; he must suspect that I would be starting to feel the first faint stirrings of gratitude about now.

I struggled to maintain my serious expression, fighting the reluctant appreciation. It was premature. There was still so much wrong with this situation. Even if Jacob’s intervention had brought out a better reaction in Charlie than I’d ever hoped for...

Jacob seemed to sense I was still angry at him. He walked past Edward and right up to me, waving Liam and Seth off when they started to follow him. He looked at my eyes, his expression showing more repentance than before. “Beau,” he began in a soft voice. “I guess it doesn’t help much if I say this was supposed to be my birthday present to you?”

I couldn’t help but let a slightly maniacal laugh escape my lips. “Birthday present? Really, Jacob?”

He sighed. “Everyone was talking about leaving, and I could tell you were really upset yesterday talking about Charlie—about not seeing him and missing him. I wanted to fix it for you, Beau.”

He stared at me with half a smile, waiting.

“I’m not going to say thank you,” I told him. “You’re still putting Charlie at a huge risk.”

“I amsorry about it hurting you. I didn’t know it was like that. Beau, things are different with us now, but you’ll always be my best friend, and I’ll always love you.”

From behind Jacob, I could see Liam tense in an odd way, I made a note of it in the back of my head to try and analyze it when I wasn’t so occupied.

Jacob continued, “But I’ll love you the right way now. As your friend.” He smiled his very most Jacob-y smile. “If we’re still friends?”

Try as hard as I could to resist, I had to smile back. Just a tiny smile.

He held out his hand: an offer.

I took a deep breath and put my left hand in his. “If I don’t kill Charlie tonight, I’ll consider forgiving you for this.”

“Whenyou don’t kill Charlie tonight, you’ll owe me huge.”

I rolled my eyes.

Alice raced back through the door then, her hands full and her expression promising violence.

“You, you, and you,” she snapped, glaring at the werewolves. “If you must stay, get over in the corner and commit to being there for a while. I need to see. Beau, I need you over here with me.”

Undiluted fear ripped through my stomach as the enormity of what I was about to do hit me. I was going to gamble on my iffy self-control with my pure human father as the guinea pig. Edward’s earlier words crashed in my ears again.

Did you consider the physical pain you’re putting Beau through, even if he can resist? Or the emotional pain if he doesn’t?

I couldn’t imagine the pain of failure. My breathing turned to gasps. “Coming,” I gasped out.

Jacob frowned, concern wrinkling his forehead. He gestured to the others, and they all went to the far corner of the room. Seth and Jake slouched on the floor at once, but Liam shook his head and pursed his lips.

“Am I allowed to leave?” he griped. He looked uncomfortable in his human body, wearing the same dirty t-shirt and cotton shorts he’d worn to yell at me the other day, his short hair sticking up in irregular tufts. his hands were still shaking.

“Of course,” Jake said.

“Stay east so you don’t cross Charlie’s path,” Alice added.

Liam didn’t look at Alice; he ducked out the back door and stomped into the bushes to phase.

Edward was back at my side, stroking my face. “You can do this. I know you can. I’ll help you; we all will.”

I met Edward’s eyes with panic screaming from my face. Was he strong enough to stop me if I made a wrong move?

“If I didn’t believe you could handle it, we’d disappear today. This very minute. But you can. And you’ll be happier if you can have Charlie in your life.”

I tried to slow my breathing.

Alice held up a round compact and a make up brush, “Thankfully your eyes aren’t toomuch of a problem. I did have some contacts prepared just in case, though.”

“When did you—”

“Before you left on the honeymoon. I was prepared for several possible futures. Now hold still and close your eyes.”

I nodded, closing my eyes. I heard the pop of the compact opening, I could smell some sort of makeup product inside it. Alice was brushing it on my face in lightning quick motions.

“There,” she said, “Open your eyes and tell me what you think.”

When I opened my eyes, she was holding the compact open towards me. It was a lightly colored powder of some sort with a small round mirror in the top half of the compact. She had warmed up my pale skin with the makeup.

“How do I look?” I asked Edward, the makeup felt strange on my skin. I had never worn makeup in my human life, but I imagined it didn’t feel as strange on the skin as it did now.

Edward smiled. “You look gorgeous. Of course—”

“Yes, yes, he always looks gorgeous,” Alice finished his thought impatiently. “You’re not as pale as us, but you’re still paler than you used to be. Be sure you don’t wipe it off, I imagine you don’t like the feel of it. If you do, excuse yourself to the downstairs bathroom for a touch up. Which might be a good idea anyway, because humans need bathroom breaks.” She shook her head. “Esme, give him a few pointers on acting human while I put this in the powder room.”

“How long do I have?”

“Charlie will be here in five minutes. Keep it simple.”

Esme nodded once and came to take my hand. “The main thing is not to sit too still or move too fast,” she told me.

“Sit down if he does,” Emmett interjected. “Humans don’t like to just stand there.”

“Let your eyes wander every thirty seconds or so,” Jasper added. “Humans don’t stare at one thing for too long.”

“Cross your legs for about five minutes, then switch to the other leg for the next five,” Royal said.

I nodded once at each suggestion. I’d noticed them doing some of these things yesterday. I thought I could mimic their actions.

“And blink at least three times a minute,” Emmett said. He frowned, then darted to where the television remote sat on the end table. He flipped the TV on to a college football game and nodded to himself.

“Move your hands, too. Brush your hair back or pretend to scratch something,” Jasper said.

“I said Esme,” Alice complained as she returned. “You’ll overwhelm him.”

“No, I think I got it all,” I said. “Sit, look around, blink, fidget.”

“Right,” Esme approved. She hugged my shoulders.

Jasper frowned. “You’ll be holding your breath as much as possible, but you need to move your shoulders a little to make it looklike you’re breathing.”

I inhaled once and then nodded again.

Edward hugged me on my free side. “You can do this,” he repeated, murmuring the encouragement in my ear.

“Two minutes,” Alice said. “Maybe you should start out already on the couch. You’ve been sick, after all. That way he won’t have to see you move right at first.”

Alice pulled me to the sofa. I tried to move slowly, to make my limbs more clumsy. She rolled her eyes, so I must not have been doing a good job.

“Do better.” Alice commanded.

Edward took a seat beside me and put his arms around me. He leaned into me and kissed my neck gently. “You can do this.”

“I can do this.” I said, but it sounded wrong.

Jacob chuckled.

“Maybe you should leave, Jacob,” Edward said coldly, glaring in his direction. Edward hadn’t forgiven Jacob, because Edward only knew how bad the burning of thirst was from his perspective and as far as he knew I would be suffering terribly.

“I told Charlie I’d be here,” Jacob said. “He needs moral support.”

“Moral support,” Edward scoffed. “As far as Charlie knows, you’re the most repulsive monster of us all.”

“Repulsive?” Jake protested, and then he laughed quietly to himself.

I heard the tires turn off the highway onto the quiet, damp earth of the Cullens’ drive, and my breathing spiked again. My heart ought to have been hammering. It made me anxious that it continued it’s slow, steady pace—an entirely wrong reaction.

Instead of fighting my new body’s natural reactions, I tried to embrace it. I concentrated on the slow, steady thrumming of my heart to calm myself. It worked pretty quickly.

“Well done, Beau,” Jasper whispered in approval.

Edward tightened his arm over my shoulders.

“You’re sure?” I asked him.

“Positive. You can do anything.” He smiled at kissed me.

It wasn’t precisely a peck on the lips, and my new, wilder reactions took me off guard yet again. Edward’s lips were like a shot of some addictive chemical straight into my nervous system. I was instantly craving more. It took all my concentration to remember the talk at hand.

Jasper felt my mood change. “Er, Edward, you might not want to distract him like that right now. He needs to be able to focus.”

Edward pulled away. “Oops,” he said.

I laughed. That had been my line from the very beginning, from the very first kiss.

“Later,” I said, and anticipation curled my stomach into a ball.

“Focus, Beau,” Jasper urged.

“Right.” I pushed the trembly feelings away. Charlie, that was the main thing now. Keep Charlie safe today. We would have all night...

“Beau.”

“Sorry, Jasper.”

Emmett laughed.

I continued to focus on my heartbeat, the more I focused, the more relaxed I got. Then a thought came to the forefront of my mind and I couldn’t help but turn to Jacob.

“Jake. You stripped in front of my dad?”

Jacob opened his mouth to speak, then his face darkened with a blush. “I didn’t want to ruin my clothes…” he mumbled.

Despite my nervousness, I couldn’t help but let out a disbelieving laugh.

The sound of Charlie’s cruiser got closer and closer. The second of levity passed, and everyone was still. I crossed my legs and practiced my blinks.

The car pulled in front of the house and idled for a few seconds. I wondered if Charlie was as nervous as I was. Then the engine cut off, and a door slammed. Three steps across the grass, and then eight echoing thuds against the wooden stairs. Four more echoing footsteps across the porch. Then silence. Charlie took two deep breaths.

Knock, knock, knock.

I inhaled for what might be the last time.

Carlisle answered the door. His stressed expression changed to one of welcome, like switching the channel on the TV.

“Hello, Charlie,” he said, looking appropriately abashed. After all, we were supposed to be in Atlanta at the Center for Disease Control. Charlie knew he’d been lied to.

“Carlisle,” Charlie greeted him stiffly. “Where’s Beau?”

“Right here, Dad.”

Ugh! My voice was so wrong. Plus, I’d used up some of my air supply. I gulped in a quick refill, glad that Charlie’s scent had not saturated the room yet.

Charlie’s blank expression told me how off my voice was. His eyes zeroed in on me and widened.

I read the emotions as they scrolled across his face.

Shock. Disbelief. Pain. Loss. Fear. Anger. Suspicion. More pain.

I bit my lip. It felt funny. My new teeth were sharper against my skin than my human teeth had been against my soft human lips.

“Is that you, Beau?” he whispered.

“Yep.” I winced at my bell-like voice. “Hi, Dad.”

He took a deep breath to steady himself.

“Hey, Charlie,” Jacob greeted him from the corner. “How’re things?”

Charlie glowered at Jacob once, shuddered at a memory, and then stared at me again.

Slowly, Charlie walked across the room until he was a few feet away from me. He darted an accusing glare at Edward, and then his eyes flickered back to me. The warmth of his body heat beat against me with each pulse of his heart.

“Beau?” he asked again.

I spoke in a lower voice, trying to keep the ring out of it. “It’s really me.”

His jaw locked.

“I’m sorry, Dad,” I said.

“Are you okay?” he demanded.

“Really and truly great,” I promised. “Healthy as a horse.”

“Jake told me this was… necessary. That you were dying.” He said the words like he didn’t believe them one bit.

I steeled myself, focused on my steady heart, leaned into Edward for support, and took a deep breath.

Charlie’s scent was at first a fistful of flames, punching down my throat. My mind instantly went back to the scent of the anonymous hikers from before. Charlie’s blood was just as tempting, and he was only a few feet away.

But it wasn’t unbearable. Not as unbearable as I had prepared for.

This was a relief. Edward gave my shoulder a squeeze as he sensed my body relaxed, and Jacob shot a hopeful glance at me across the room.

I collected myself and ignored the pain of the thirst. Charlie was waiting for my answer.

“Jacob was telling you the truth.”

“That makes one of you,” Charlie growled.

I hoped Charlie could see past the changes in my new face to read the remorse there.

“Dad,” I began, but I couldn’t think of what to say that would justify how much I had lied to him.

His eyes met mine, and he stared deeply into them for a moment. As he examined my eyes, something in his expression wavered. Of course, my eyes were still mine but they had changed—I had noticed it immediately—they had a surreal luminous quality to them. His eyes wandered from mine to examine the rest of my face—Surely he could see the lack of imperfections.

Charlie started hyperventilating. His lips trembled. He was trying to understand something beyond understanding. Trying to force it to make sense when he didn’t have all the information.

Jacob got up and came over to pat Charlie on the back. He leaned in to whisper something in Charlie’s ear; only Charlie didn’t know we could all hear.

“Need to know, Charlie. It’s okay. I promise.”

Charlie swallowed and nodded. And then his eyes blazed as he took a step closer to Edward with his fists tightly clenched.

“I don’t want to know everything, but I’m done with the lies!”

“I’m sorry,” Edward said calmly, “but you only need to know so much. It’s to protect Beau, to protect all of us. No more lies, but can you go along with some necessary unknowns? For Beau’s sake?”

The room was full of statues. I crossed my legs.

Charlie huffed once and then turned his glare on me. “You might’ve given me some warning, kid.”

“Would it really have made this any easier?”

He frowned, and then he knelt on the floor in front of me. I could see the movement of the blood in his neck under his skin. I could feel the warm vibration of it.

Jacob reached out to pat Charlie’s shoulder, subtly pulling Charlie back away from me in the process. “Need to know, Charlie.”

Charlie cringed away from the contact.

“Oh, c’mon, Charlie,” Jacob groaned. “I’m the same person I’ve always been. Just pretend this afternoon didn’t happen.”

The reminder make Charlie’s lips go white, but he nodded once. “Just what isyour part in all this, Jake?” he asked. “How much does Billy know? Why are you here?” He narrowed his eyes at Jacob.

“Well, I could tell you all about it—Billy knows absolutely everything—but it involves a lot of stuff about werewo—”

“Ungh!” Charlie protested, covering his ears. “Never mind.”

Jacob grinned. “Everything’s going to be great, Charlie. Just try to not believe anything you see.”

My dad mumbled something unintelligible.

“Woo!” Emmett suddenly boomed in his deep bass. “Go Gators!”

Jacob and Charlie jumped. The rest of us froze.

Charlie recovered, then looked at Emmett over his shoulder. “Florida winning?”

“Just scored the first touchdown,” Emmett confirmed. He shot a look in my direction, wagging his eyebrows like a villain in vaudeville. “’Bout time somebody scored around here.”

I fought back a hiss. In front of Charlie? That was over the line.

But Charlie was beyond noticing innuendos. He took yet another deep breath, sucking the air in like he was trying to pull it down to his toes. I envied him. He lurched to his feet, stepped around Jacob, and half-fell into an open chair. “Well,” he sighed, “I guess we should see if they can hold on to the lead.”

[mezhane]

JUST MARRIED (...kinda)

PART4

I was staring at my phone , nervously tapping my nails on my desk. I didn’t get a text back since I told Marina I was marrying Yixing two days ago. She was upset and I understood. I should have told her as soon as I knew ; I was her best friend and I was engaged to her cousin after all ... She should have been the first to know ... But I knew that no matter how mad she was , she will fly to my rescue if I really needed her. So I sent her a “CODE RED “ message. This is a rule we established when we were younger: no matter what we were doing or wherever we were, if one of us sent a “CODE RED” message, we will automatically have to fly to the rescue of each other. So I did that. First of all because I was so desperate for her forgiveness and attention, but also because today was quite the emergency situation. I was going to have a dinner date with Yixing. I needed my best friend more than anything.

As I was mentally preparing myself for a long scolding from her , I heard the door of my room open brutally.

“Bitch, you have some nerve texting me a “RED CODE” just to get my attention!” I smiled as I heard her voice. She truly is the best friend I have .

“Can you blame me though? You weren’t answering my texts ... Wait... “ My eyes widened at a random thought . “How the fuck did you get into my house? It’s only me here , I didn’t even hear you ring the doorbell?”

“I know where your dad hides the spare key , Mina. “ She shrugged , throwing herself on my bed.

“Wow, stalker much “ I joked, raising an eyebrow.She rolled her eyes ,crossing her arms.

“You better tell me why I’m here quick before you get smacked.”

I laugh loudly then cleared my throat.

“I’m meeting Yixing tonight, we have a dinner date .” I sighed , joining her on my bed . I bet she could see how stressed about this .

“Really?! Well I guess it really is an emergency then ! “ At this point I could see she was excited, squealing , clapping her hands and jumping on my bed.

“Why are you so hyped for? I’m nervous as shit right now, I don’t even know what to wear ! Oh my God, what am I actually gonna wear ? What would he like ? What if he doesn’t like what I’m wearing ? Shit, what if we don’t get along together? And he thinks I’m boring ? And he calls off the wedding? Fuck, I knew this was a bad idea !” I put my face in my hands then ruffled my hair . I’ve never been this panicked before .

“Baby, chill ! You’re gonna be fine don’t worry. Why wouldn’t he like you ? You’re gorgeous both inside and outside ! He’s the lucky one , trust me . “ She held my hand tight and smiled . Her smile always comforted me . “What time do you have to meet him ? “

“Uh... 7.30 ?” I said looking at my phone to check the time .

“Ok, so that leaves us two hours girl, go get in the shower, I’ll pick your outfit .” She pulled me out of my bed and threw me in the bathroom.

As I got out of the shower, she had already picked my dress. It was a mid-length deep red dress, not too revealing, just my type . She paired it with a pair of gold lace up sandals. I’m not the high heels type. Simple but effective. I smiled as I looked at the outfit . She always knew what was best for me . I grabbed the dress and changed .

“Okay, how do I look ? Good ? “ I asked spinning around so that my dress could spin too .

“You look dashing,babe . C’mon get your makeup done quick , he’ll be there soon . “

I sat down in front of my mirror and started my makeup. I was very good at makeup. Not to brag or anything, but it at always been a way for me to gain more confidence . As I finished everything, I looked at my phone to check the time . 7:10 . Twenty minutes left before Yixing comes to pick me up. Marina left a while ago, she told me to text her as soon as we left for the restaurant. I was scrolling through my phone when Yixing called .

“Hello? “

“Hey Babyface, you okay ? “ Hearing him calling me that always made my heart beat faster .

“I’m good Xingie, what’s up ?”

“Um...actually, I know we were supposed to meet at 7:30, but ... I’m already there ,so...”

“You’re there already ?? Eager to meet me ? “ When exactly did I gain the confidence to talk to him like that ?

“Yeah, I guess I was ...” He chuckled lightly. “You ready yet ? Or do you need some more time ? “

“No I’m ready, I’ll be right out !” I was the one sounding eager now .

I looked at myself one last time in my mirror then grabbed my things and headed downstairs. As I was walking towards the door, I looked through the kitchen window and noticed him . I thanked God that the lights were off in my house so he couldn’t see me watching him . Creepy, I know , but don’t we all do that ? I watched him closely and saw him tapping on his steering wheel. Was he nervous to meet me ? Or was I just imagining that to make myself feel less nervous ? I eventually decided to stop stalking the man and got out of my house. I made my way to his car and knocked on the window so that he could unlock the door for me. He obviously was deep in his thoughts because my small knock made him jump in surprise. He relaxed and smiled then unlocked the door when he saw me .

« Did I scare you Xingie ? » I said laughing loudly .

“Nah, I was just... thinking of something “ He answered, clearing his throat.

“What was it ? Something bothering you ?” I was genuinely concerned.

“Don’t worry about it Babyface, it’s work related, and I tonight isn’t about work. It’s about us . “ He said grabbing my hand. I simply hummed and smirked at him . He was always so smooth it was almost annoying.

“You ready to go , love ? I bet you’re mad hungry huh? You always are !”

“Sweet.” I spat raising an eyebrow as I feigned an offended face.

“Shit... I didn’t mean this way, I don’t mind you eating a lot at all... I mean you’re a little chunky but...Fuck! No, listen... what I mean is-“

He was interrupted by me laughing out and clapping my hands . I know it was bad to play with his nerves like that, but I couldn’t help it .

“You’re enjoying this, huh?” He asked smirking.

“I’m sorry , Xingie, but I couldn’t let this occasion pass like that ! Boy, you should’ve seen your face !” I added laughing loudly again , fanning myself to prevent the tears to stream down my face.

“So that’s how you play huh? Just wait till we actually get married, baby , I’ll get you back for sure ...”

His last sentence made me widen my eyes and stop laughing. I cleared my throat and shifted into my seat. It was something about him, Yixing always had this “goody two shoes” vibe, but to me there was always that frightening yet very sexy thing about him. I bit my lip and patted my face, so it could cool down a little bit .

When we arrived to the restaurant, Yixing parked his car and got out quickly , telling me not to move . He ran to my door and opened it for me , offering his hand to help me get out . I rolled my eyes at his cheesy gesture, but I would lie if I said I wasn’t loving every second of it. I stood up in front of him and he gasped .

“What ? What’s wrong , Xing ? “ I panicked, looking around us .

“Nothing, you just look... really good. It’s umm... very sexy ...”

“Really, it’s too much right ? God, remind me not to let your cousin ever choose any of my outfits for me ... “ I whined, pulling at the dress in the areas where I felt exposed .

“No! It’s not too much , actually it’s just showing enough to leave something to my imagination...I love it ! Marina chose this you said? Wow, remind me to thank her ...” He said winking at me .

We made our way into the restaurant. It was a really fancy Italian restaurant, not the type of place where I would normally go to eat with my friends .

“Hello, welcome to the Tripletta !” The man at the reception cheered for us . He was tall and very good looking. I must say; if I wasn’t with Yixing, I would probably be all over him . Yixing must have noticed that, since he came closer than me and put his hand on my lower back.

“Hello, we have a reservation under Zhang, for 8pm ? “ He said , sternly bringing me closer .

The man smiled at Yixing, then smirked at me , telling us to follow him. He guided us to our table and handed us the menus , without refraining himself to take a good look at my clevage . Yixing cleared his throat and thanked him politely. I could tell he was fuming.

“What’s wrong Xingie? “ I asked as if I didn’t notice he was mad.

“Nothing.” He frowned, ruffling through his pockets . “Here, wear this . “ He handed me a small blue jewelry box .

I opened it, already knowing what it was . The ring was beautiful. Very small with a little yet very noticeable diamond on it . Very simple . It was only an engagement ring after all . I took it out and placed it on my finger .

“It’s beautiful,Xing.”I looked up at him and smiled.

“You like it ? I’m happy then . You deserve it . “ He could be so sweet sometimes . “Where is yours ? “ I asked innocently. He raised his hand to show me the silver circle around his finger. I could feel myself smile sheepishly .

“Alright , are you ready to order ? “ The tall handsome guy was back . Uh-oh . Yixing shot him the fakest smile ever and nodded . “Yes, I’ll take the seefood pasta , please .”

“Seafood pasta, alright, and for you, Miss ?” He said in the most suggestive way possible, smirking at me . This was becoming to make me feel very uncomfortable. Yixing must’ve seen it .

“You just don’t know where the limit is do you ?” He said, undoing a button on his shirt .

“Excuse me ?” The waiter was glaring at Yixing like his life depended on it . “I’m just being bold, that’s it .” He rolled his eyes at Yixing... At this point, I was mentally praying for the boy because I knew Yixing couldn’t take disrespect very well.

“Well, there is a fine line between being bold and making people uncomfortable, it’s sad to see you don’t know where to draw it. Now, if I were you , I’ll watch my mouth when I’m talking to her . “ Yixing sat back on his seat properly and kept staring at the waiter , as if he was waiting for him to act up to jump him. Gladly, he didn’t have to.

“Anyway, what can I get you , miss? “ My throat was so dry at that moment. I hated being the center of attention.

“Um.... I-I’ll just take the same as his ... thank you...” My voice was wavering and I had completely lost my appetite.

“Alright, anything else? Drinks maybe ?”

“No that’d be it .” Yixing answered calmly then slowly looked at me and smirked. “ Actually, yes, bring us your most expensive bottle of champagne ! We just got engaged. “ He added , holding my hand tight, for the waiter to see.

Fortunately enough, the rest of the dinner went pretty smoothly, jokes flowing, him flirting with me in the cringiest way possible and me trying hard not to react to it ... We finished our meals and he drove me home . I told him I didn’t mind spending more time with him , but he insisted on bringing me home early, saying he should respect my dad and not make me stay outside at this time of the night . As we arrived at my house , he stopped his car and stared at me .

“You had fun tonight baby ? I’m sorry for the way I reacted with the waiter ... Was I too much ?” He looked worried .

“No , don’t worry, I really enjoyed tonight! But, to be honest, you were a little too much... I can defend myself you know ?” I pouted unconsciously.

“I know that very well, love. But I can’t help it . I don’t really like people thinking they can take what’s mine away from me .” He rubbed my cheek .

“What’s yours? Am I yours now ? “ I asked, raising an eyebrow.

He just smiled at me and put his hand on my knee. “You are , babe...” He kissed my cheek and whispered in my ear .”All mine. And you’ve always been.” My eyes widened at this.

“What?! W-what did you just say?!” I must’ve had the most confused look on my face . He chuckled at my expression.

“You’re adorable... go home baby, and text me before you go to sleep and when you wake up in the morning, ok ? Don’t leave me hanging like last time ...” He pointed a threatening finger at me .

“Okay Xingie, I won’t.” I answered avoiding his gaze .

“Bye,gorgeous.” He said as I got off . I just gave him a final smile and closed the door .

The lights were all off as I got home . It wasn’t late, but I figured out quick that my parents were sleeping. I tiptoed my way to my bedroom and proceeded to get ready for bed . I urged to take my phone with me and texted Yixing

[Me 10:30 pm]

Xingie, did you get home safe ? I’m about to go to bed . Thanks again for tonight, I really enjoyed spending time with you!

I decided not to wait for his answer and turned all my lights off to go to sleep. I jumped as soon as I heard my phone buzz .

[Yixing 10:36 pm]

Yeah , I’m home, I’ll go to bed too. Don’t forget I won’t be here for a few days I gotta be away for work . One week max, then I come back and we’ll go watch a movie , yeah ? Go to sleep I’ll talk to you in the morning,princess .

I pouted as I read the message. I was so happy that for a minute I forgot how complicated the situation was . I forgot where Yixing and I came from. I forgot our marriage was never gonna be simple , let alone normal.

[Me 10:42 pm]

No I didn’t forget, one week max ? I’ll take your word for it then ! And I get to choose the movie , yeah ? Come back soon, don’t let your wife hanging, ok ?

His answer was almost immediate.

[Yixing 10:45 pm]

I never will .

I smiled and put my phone away . Marrying Yixing was probably the best life choice I’ve ever made. I knew I was going to be in a relationship with a man that respected me as much as I respected him . Yes, this was the best for me... But how was I gonna be able to handle all the dirty work he does and the rougher side of him was what worried me the most .

[pedropascallovebot]

anesthesia ↝ peter parker

a/n: guess who got her wisdom teeth removed?? as i sat on the couch, bored out of my mind with my pudding diet, i realized i never got my funny anesthesia storytime, so i spewed this out. i want you to think of every single fluffy fanfic you’ve ever read. recall every cliché you can. this is the all for one special. this is sugary sweet, inspired by the candy I CAN’T EAT. hope you enjoy the ride!! 

despite the needles, giant antibiotics, and being knocked out for an hour or so, you weren’t too afraid of getting your wisdom teeth removed. you had your fair share of injuries and broken bones; one small surgery wasn’t going to change that.

peter, on the other hand, was a bit frantic when he was told he’d be your designated driver for the evening. he was a worrier, brain constantly filling with grand delusions of what could possibly go wrong. what if you woke up during your surgery? what if you forgot to take your pain medicine? he couldn’t bear to see his best friend hurt, especially by something so small and insignificant.

“what if i say something stupid?” you whined, leaning your head against his shoulder. the waiting room was quiet, the dull music barely loud enough to fill the area. “i’m gonna make a fool out of myself!”

peter glanced at you, a smile reaching his eyes as he reached out and tucked some hair behind your ears.

“then it’ll be no different from any other day, won’t it?”

you withdrew from his touch, smacking his arm and threatening to fight him, when your nurse finally called you up. the anxiety in you hadn’t set in quite yet, but peter’s was very easily found when you made the slightest effort to get up out of your chair.

he reached out, grabbing your hand and pulling you towards him. you yelped as you nearly fell into his lap before he stood up and balanced you out, wrapping his arms around your waist and squeezing tightly. he took the opportunity to lean down slightly, whispering into your ear.

“don’t die in there, i still have to get a video for youtube and get rich and famous off of your pain.”

“that’s the goal, parker. if i die, i get to watch you grieve for my loss until i come back to haunt you forever.”

the nurse, who had been standing and watching the entire encounter, coughed awkwardly, and motioned you back into the operating room. you absentmindedly played with the hem of your t-shirt, the familiar kick of dread rushed through you when you sat down in the chair, and were connected to the IV. it wasn’t like you were afraid, but you knew accidents happened. what if you were the girl who was one in a million? what if you could never see that smiling face waiting to drive you home?

you flinched when you felt anesthesia being pumped through your veins, as you were instructed to count back from 10. it was gonna be alright, you thought. it’s just a couple gauzes and pain killers, then it’s smooth sailing from here.

—

part of you had to be completely level-headed and aware of your current state. otherwise, you probably would of said far worse.

but the medicine running through you and clouding your judgement was driving you absolutely insane. you felt completely numb, oblivious to the outside world as you lovingly glared at peter driving.

“y’know-” you stopped in your tracks to reach up, poke the gauze stuffed in your mouth, and then continue your sentence. “i feel very, very brave right now!”

peter took his eyes of the road at at a red light to look over at you for a quick second. it’s unfair how she can look so pretty with drool all over her chin.

“is that so?” he chuckled nervously, gripping his hands on the wheel until his knuckles were white. a car behind him honked when peter had sat at a green light for ten seconds, immersed in the small giggles and gasps you gave when you saw a dog pass on the sidewalk.

“mmhmm! but i just realized something. i can’t even feel my hands, really… i don’t think they’re real. can you hold them for me? i need someone else’s opinion.”

peter felt the anxiety in his chest reach his tongue, having to bite it down to stop himself from confessing his undying love to a girl who was out of her mind on laughing gas. he was breaking a sweat, now. he was nearly breaking the steering wheel, now. months and months of wearing that spider-man suit had to of given him at least a brush of confidence. they’d touched hands earlier; what was the difference?

you dumbass, she’s asking you to hold her hand! full on.. finger locking!

he forced himself to unwrap one of his palms from the wheel, placing his shaky hand in her soft, steady one. she hummed, almost as if she was deep in thought. her eyes inspected his finger tips as if they were the most important thing on earth, and at the moment, peter wasn’t quite sure if he was going to make it home.

“your hands feel so nice.. almost as if they were made for me!” you exclaimed, seeming to be completely awestruck. “i’m so tired of having to keep telling myself i like you as only a - hiccup - friend. it’s so booooring! just wanna.. just wanna..”

if peter hadn’t had you in the car, he for sure would be crashed into a tree by now. his breath was caught in his throat, and the butterflies in his stomach had turned into rabid squirrels. his hand for sure was dripping in sweat, and he already knew how red his face was blushing.

you continued to examine his hand, tapping it and measuring the size between yours and his. “just wanna.. kiss your stupid face! but i can’t do that, because you’d probably like, i don’t know.. laugh at me or somethin’.”

he wasn’t sure how long the words in his throat had been caught for, but by the time he reached a stop sign and glanced over at you, you had already fallen asleep, their hands still intertwined in your lap.

he bit his bottom lip as hard as he could, just to prove to himself that this wasn’t a dream. you were right here next to him, hyped up on medication, and he had no idea how to confirm if this was just some crazy anesthesia dream. his breathing started to slow down, heart rate going back to normal as he pulled into your apartment building’s car lot, and stealthily slipped his fingers from her grasp.

it was a bit difficult carrying you up the stairs when you faded back into consciousness, insisting that you could walk yourself and that you didn’t need him to show off. usually, he would have had a clever response to snap back at you, but his brain was fried.

by the time he got you into bed with a glass of water and a yogurt, you had already forgotten your confession and were back to being his best friend. it was good enough for him, but as he stared at your hair sticking up everywhere, and how your shirt that was 2 sizes too big for you, he wanted nothing more than to ruin your friendship and kiss you.

“peter,” you whined through the gauze, arms reaching out in desperate need of attention and warmth. he could barely contain his gasp, choking it back and covering it with a cough as he sat next to you, above the covers.

when he elevated your head a bit more on the pillows and put his phone on the nightstand, you grinned in victory. “so, did you get any blackmail worthy footage of me to ruin my life with?”

“nah,” peter said after a while. “you were pretty boring, all you did was sleep the whole time!”

[imaginemedreamingstuff]

You’re My Wonderwall 2 || D.H.

A/N: Here’s the second part, I actually like this one more than the first one!

Word Count: 1.8K

POV: Reader

MASTERLIST // PART ONE 

“Did you put him in his place?” Liane asked as soon as I re-entered the room that I shared with my two best friends.

They had been curiously waiting for me to come back. It was actually a very unlike me thing to do, you know, to just storm outside ready to yell at people. I’m glad Dan, the wonderwall singer, managed to drive me that crazy today.

“Uhmm” I stuttered sheepishly. “Not quite”

“How did you get him to stop then?” Frankie wanted to know with a puzzled look on her face.

I scratched the back of my head.

“I just told him his singing is awful.” I said, shrugging my shoulders.

I got into bed and slipped under my blanket again.

“And that drunk guy didn’t punch you in the face for that?” Liane half-joked.

“Nah, Dan is actually very nice.”

“Woah woah hold up. ‘Dan’?”

Liane and Frankie both sat up straight in their beds. Suddenly they weren’t tired anymore and the fact that we had to get up early tomorrow was forgotten.

I felt myself blush a little bit under the eager eyes of my friends. They were like two hungry wolves and gossip or stories about boys were their prey.

“I am actually going on a date with him tomorrow.” I smiled as Liane started squealing.

I shortly told them what happened and they couldn’t believe that this was how I met my summer love.

“So this Dan guy, what’s the deal with him? Is he attractive, cute, handsome, funny?” Frankie asked just for the record.

“Very” I heard myself swoon.  

“Wait, which one is it now?” Liane wondered.

“All of them.”

 When I woke up the next morning after roughly 4 hours of sleep I didn’t feel like a zombie at all. I knew that I was going to see Dan again today and the thought got me so excited that there was no room for tiredness.

I sat down at the breakfast table and I was practically glowing. My face was as bright as the sun or something.

Frankie and Liane knowingly grinned at each other and I was too happy to even roll my eyes at them.

An hour later we arrived in Cannes by train. The thing about Cannes is that everybody thinks it’s super pretty and glamorous but when we arrived there we didn’t see much of that glamour.

There was not much to do besides going shopping.

“Let’s get Y/N an outfit for her date!” one of my friends exclaimed and the rest of the girls cheered.

They were literally as hyped as me although it was just a little date, right? Oh god who am I even kidding.

“But nothing too extra!” I laughed as we walked into the first store together.

After we had spent a few hours shopping we took the train back to our little town. We arrived at our apartment right in time so that I had nearly an hour to get ready for my first date with Dan.

He said he’d meet me in front of our bedroom window at 6pm. At 5:55 I was dressed up in my new outfit and ready to go. I sat on my bed and constantly stared at the clock, waiting for it to be six.

Suddenly I heard the first few guitar strums of a very familiar song. I jumped up from my spot. The music came from outside the window just like yesterday night.

When it was time for the first verse somebody started singing, but it was a new voice, one I had never heard before.

Today is gonna be the day That they're gonna throw it back to you

It sounded skilful and beautiful.

I quickly crossed the room with three fast steps and pulled away the curtain.

As I looked outside I saw Dan, he was looking up to my window and as my face appeared in the frame his whole face lit up. Even from here I could see his dimples.

By now you should've somehow Realized what you gotta do

“Hi there, Y/N!” he shouted over the music.

Dan wasn’t on his own, a guy I had never seen before stood right behind him. He was playing the chords to ‘Wonderwall’ on his guitar and sang along. He was wearing a straw hat and I quickly figured that he must be a street musician.

Eventually a few people actually gathered around the two and started to clap along.

Meanwhile my friends had also noticed what was going on and couldn’t stop swooning and squealing.

“How cute is that?!” Frankie nearly shouted at me, making me smile wider than I had ever smiled before.

Even the French granny who shouted at Dan to shut up yesterday opened her window to listen.  

I don't believe that anybody Feels the way I do about you now

I quickly threw my purse over my shoulder as I headed out the door to finally meet Dan. A few people awed as I ran over to him and took him in my arms.  

He immediately slung his arms around me and held me tight for a few heavenly seconds.

“Hi Dan.” I whispered as I breathed in his scent.

“You didn’t have to do this” I gestured towards the busker, who just sang the chorus again, and the people surrounding him. “But honestly it’s the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for me.”

“I promised you today’s date wouldn’t involve me singing and just getting you flowers sounded boring.” Dan grinned at me as I stared at him in awe.

And after all You're my wonderwall I said maybe You're gonna be the one that saves me You're gonna be the one that saves me

As the song ended everyone started clapping and I thanked the street musician with a little bow in his directed.

My friends were by now all crammed behind our little window and watched our every move like they were watching a romcom. They had all checked out Dan and were by now giving me the thumbs ups. Well at least I now knew that I had their approval.

“Thank you for this.” I breathed, moved by his grand gesture, and gave Dan a little peck on his very soft cheek.

 After his amazingly cute greeting Dan took me out for dinner. We ate at a little French restaurant called ‘le chaudron’. The food was just utterly delicious.

It was close to being 10pm when we finished our meals and Dan paid for us both although I insisted that he didn’t have to.

During our dinner we talked a lot and mainly got to know each other a lot better. He was a very interesting guy and we instantly hit it off. We even shared quite a few interests. It was just perfect.

We both agreed that we didn’t want our date to be over just yet so we decided to go on a little stroll through the old town. The streets were still busy and the air was warm.

Dan took my hand in his as we walked down the path that lead to the beach. Salty air filled my nostrils as I stared at the reflection of the moon in the deep blue water of the ocean.

“Beautiful.” I mumbled in awe.

“Damn yes, you are.” Dan smoothly agreed with a sly grin on his face.

“Stop it!” I groaned, blushing. I playfully hit his shoulder.

We just stood in front of the ocean for a while. I leaned my head against Dan’s chest as he had wrapped his arms around me and rested his chin on top of my head.

We watched the waves break and then darken the sand in front of us while we just enjoyed the other’s presence.

I had high expectations for this trip. I thought my friends and I were going to have the time of our lives here. Not once did I imagine myself finding love here. But I did.

I could feel Dan’s chest rise and fall when he breathed in and out against my back.

“Y/N?” Dan asked me silently.

“Yes?”

“Do you want to go for a swim?” Dan whispered into my ear, a hint of mischief and adventurousness in his voice.  

“You know that I didn’t bring a swim suit.” I teased him, biting my lip.

“You won’t need one.” Dan murmured and I could feel his hot breath on my neck.

I started blushing like crazy.

“We can go in with our underwear on. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.” He added quickly, afraid that he might have scared me. After all it was our first date.

“Okay, Howell. I’m in.” I uttered. I didn’t know if I would have minded going skinny dipping but I didn’t have much time to think about it because Dan loosened his grip and started taking off his shirt.

I swallowed hard at the sight of his bare and broad chest. Barely being able to keep my eyes off him I pulled down the zipper of my new summer dress.

I slipped out of the spaghetti straps with Dan watching my every move. As I let the thin fabric fall into the sand he exhaled shakily.

I had decided to keep it simple and just put on white underwear, but it still had quite an effect on Dan. I was glad that I made sure that my bra and pants matched for once in my life.

His eyes were glued onto my body, his mouth hung slightly open.

I started running towards the water, gasping at the sudden coldness as the first wave hit my feet.

“C’mon Dan!” I shouted, gesturing him to come in.

He quickly unbuttoned his shorts and slipped out of them, I caught myself staring at him as he did it.

Left in his boxers he headed towards me.

“Oh shit it’s freezing.” He moaned as soon as he had reached me. “Good thing that you are so damn hot.” He then quickly added as he put his arms around me again.

I was pressed against his naked chest and put my arms around his neck. I dreamily ran my hands through his brown hair.

Suddenly Dan lifted me up so our faces were now at the same height. I gasped and quickly wrapped my legs around his torso as he started to walk deeper into the water with me.

When the water was as high as our shoulders he stopped walking.

“I never thought that drunk singing would get me the best thing that has ever happened to me.” Dan admitted.

“I didn’t think either that your singing could ever lead to anything good.” I added, laughing.

“So you’re enjoying tonight?” he asked me as he pushed a strand of my hair out of my face and gently secured it behind my ear.

“I actually don’t know how this could be any more perfect.” I told him in all honesty.

“I do.”

“Huh?” I uttered in surprise.

He didn’t answer or explain himself. Instead he just kissed me, in the middle of the ocean. With the moon above of and waves crashing against our bodies.  

He kissed me and our kiss was as deep as the sea.

[ans-atkins]

Can I?

Jeff Atkins x Reader Request: No. Word Count: 1,205 A/N: Finally a Jeff imagine! I’ve been waiting to try and finish other requests before I made this one but there was a ton of Alex requests, YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE <3 I didn’t want it to be back to back Alex so I decided to mix it up a bit. Also, sorry if the ending is crappy :( Hopefully this is a good one, feel free to send in requests for ships, preferences and other imagines! Enjoy! <3 Warnings: None (Y/C/N) = Your crush’s name Italics = You, Bold = Jeff

   “So, what do you think?” You came out twirling in the short, off the shoulder, navy blue dress that you’d purchased earlier this week. Your high school crush had asked you out on a date, and you wanted to make sure that you looked presentable. For you, it was only appropriate to ask your best friend Jeff Atkins for help. He’d known you for the longest time and surprisingly had nice taste in dresses. Of course you’ve been on a date before, but this time you wanted everything to be perfect. However, ever since you had asked Jeff for help, he had been acting really weird and you didn’t know what was up with him. You’d decided to brush it off, thinking it was some personal issue, but something told you it was a bit more than that. “So?” You played with the hem of your dress and looked down, Jeff had been sitting there silent for a while now and it really had you worried. “Do you not like it?” Pushing a strand of loose hair behind your ear, you frowned and looked up at him. “N-no! Yes! I mean…you look great.” “But” “But?” You sighed, “Jeff please don’t lie to me, if I don’t look good then-” He stood up from his spot on the couch and walked over to you, putting his hands on your bare shoulders, “You look amazing, and as far as I’m concerned, (Y/C/N) is the luckiest guy ever to able to have such an amazing girl like you.” His words made you smile and a rosy tint dusted your cheeks. “Thank you, Jeff…” You stood on your toes to kiss his cheek and ran upstairs to grab your purse. “Well I need to get going, or else I’m going to late! Are you gonna stay here?” Jeff muttered out a small ‘yeah’ and plopped back down onto the couch, picking up the remote and flipping through the channels. “Don’t wait up!” You giggled and jogged over to your car sitting on the side of the street in front of your house. Turning the key, you started the car up and made your way to Rosie’s diner.    You had had about three milkshakes at this point and you were completely livid, but also sad. (Y/C/N) stood you up and it was the most discouraging thing ever. Maybe you would’ve understood a bit more if he would’ve texted you or called you, but he didn’t. You were feeling insecure, and wondered exactly what it was that made him change his mind about wanting to date you. You already had other insecurities that you’ve been dealing with, and now this? Pulling out your phone you dialed Jeff’s number, hoping that he would pick up. “Hello?” “J-Jeff?” You’d promised yourself that you wouldn’t cry but you couldn’t hold the tears back any longer. You were feeling so broken and rejected. “What happened?” he asked, worry defined in his voice. You could only shake your head and sit there, you wanted him to get it without you having to say it. He was really good at that, an expert at understanding you. “I’m coming to you okay? Stay there.” The line went dead, and you buried your face in your hands.    Not too long after, Jeff had entered the diner and sat in the booth across from you.  He placed his hands on your wrists and moved them from covering your face. “He stood you up.” If anything it was more of a statement then a question, to which you nodded your head. “I promise the next time I see him I’m gonna-” “Don’t, please.” You smiled weakly at him, putting your hand on top of his to calm him down. Jeff let out a sigh and got up to slide into the seat next to you, he was angry and it really showed. However you didn’t need to him be angry with (Y/C/N), you needed him to comfort you. Placing his arm around your waist, he brought you closer to his body and wiped your tears away with his thumb. “Do you want to know why I’ve been acting strange this week?” You wondered why he’d brought this up at a time like this, but you’ve been curious since that day. “Sure.” He paused for a minute before answering, “I was jealous.” Coughing a little, you took the warm glass of water sitting on the table and took a sip. “Jealous?” You questioned. “Hear me out. You’ve always made me very happy. When you asked me to help you because you had a date…I mean I was happy for you but angry at myself. I was angry because I knew I was going to lose you-” “Jeff, you’re never going to lose me. We’ll always be best friends.” Jeff’s mood had completely changed, and there was something there that had tugged on your heart. “You don’t get it do you? I don’t want to be your best friend. I want to be more than that, and seeing you so hyped for another guy made me realize that I love you. I was angry because I felt that all these other guys were gonna try to play you, and look at where we are now. I know I can give you the world, you just have to let me.” You thought about it for a minute before giving Jeff an answer. “Okay.” It felt weird for a second, your best friend becoming your boyfriend, but you knew that Jeff would make sure you only had the best. He grabbed your car keys, then pulled you outside. Opening the door for you, you got in the car and giggled at the gentleman that he was. “Where are we going?” “You’ll see.” The car ride was pretty quiet, much like your surroundings. You were about ready to drift to sleep until you felt the car stop. “This is it.” Jeff got out of the car and walked around to your side to let you out. You followed him to the wooden fence that prevented you from falling, and the view of the city absolutely was breathtaking. “Woah…” you gasped, leaning forward over the fence a little. “Easy there tiger,” Jeff laughed while placing his hands on your hips to stable you, “It’s…beautiful.” Your eyes twinkled at the bright lights that shone down below. “Not as beautiful as you.“ You giggled looking back at him, "You’re an idiot Jeff Atkins.” “Yeah but you love it,” he said shrugging. “Ever since you’ve announced your crush on (Y/C/N), I’ve always thought you deserved better than him. Now you’ve got it.” You wrapped your arms around his neck and leaned up to kiss him. “You’re really confident aren’t you?” “There’s absolutely nothing wrong with being a little confident.” He flashed you one of his most famous smiles and captured your lips in another heated kiss.    "Hey, since we’re dating now does that mean I get to wear your jacket?“ You looked up at him hopeful as he responded, "Of course, anything for you babe.” Squealing you pulled him with you to sit on the hood of the car, enjoying the view for another few hours before finally heading home.

~A