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lokisprettygirl · 1 year

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Under his influence (Post Avengers! Loki x female reader)

Read chapter 17 here // Series Masterlist

Chapter 18

Summary : You visit NYC for Jane's birthday where you bump into the love of your life again.

Warning: mention of sex, mention of periods, heartbreak and angst, talk of murder and kidnapping, mention of psychological torture, angst, insecurities, self deprecating behaviour, panic attack, best friends to lovers who are also bestest of friends to just best friends to possibly lovers as well as best friends again, Melissa is mentioned

"What should I be wearing?" You asked Jane and she started to ramble on excitedly. You had to leave first thing in the morning for NYC. First thing first you were glad to travel the distance with an actual flight this time instead of Thor's Mobonil. It would be a hassle but at least the chances of a sudden heart attack risk would remain low.

You tried so hard to convince Jane that that you won't be able to come because it's been just two months since that night when Loki and you had decided to continue this relationship platonically and it's been three weeks since you have seen him last. Avengers were on a mission, something about a certain winter soldier, you didn't understand much when Loki was telling you about it. He wasn't your boyfriend and considering how busy he was with his new job as an Avenger, you didn't want to continue to pester him with every little thing that you wanted to share with him.

Everyday you woke up with a heavy heart knowing that your friendship with Loki would eventually fade with time and he'd drift apart. A week ago Loki had arranged a press conference to come out with the truth about Melissa and the whole farce. The response was her filing a FIR against him for domestic abuse but Loki was able to get away because the Avengers refuted any such claims. He was surprised he had their support, their attitude regarding him was starting to change, some people were shocked over the break up and you still remembered when he was asked about whether the story of him ending up in a woman's apartment was true or not, he looked right into the camera as if he was trying to deliver a secret message to you and said that everything was true and it was real for him and being cooped up in your apartment was the happiest he had ever felt in his life.

You were still in love with him and you wished for him to feel the same but deep down you knew you weren't anything special, you saw several pictures of Loki where he was surrounded by a herd of men and women alike, he wasn't really doing anything with any of them, he didn't even seem to flirt, he was just talking but those pictures were still scandalized because an Asgardian god was single and everyone seemed eager to try their luck with him.

A week ago you had called him after that video of him preventing a whole skyscraper from collapsing went viral all around the world, while he did that the Avengers were able to get everyone out safely. It was truly magnificent but the longer you stayed away from him the more phantomic he became for you, you started to see him the way everyone else was seeing him and it wasn't that much of a shock that he was being lusted after so blatantly by everyone around him and you knew one of these days someone will catch his eyes and he'd give into those feelings and then he won't even be your friend.

No woman would ever want her man to be friends with his ex this way, especially a man like him, you'd be just another stranger for him. It's been six days since you had heard anything from him and it was starting to bother you alot.

You wiped your tears before you got up and decided to pack a little something for the trip. You'd leave tomorrow but you still didn't have any idea where you were going to stay, the day after her birthday Jane wanted to go sightseeing in New York City, then you'll return the next day.

She had just moved in the Avengers towards with Thor and her assistant Darcy, she was also an astrophysicist, you noticed her chatting up with Loki in one of the Instagram videos Jane had uploaded. Of course the focus wasn't on them but like an obsessed creep you downloaded the video, zoomed in and found them in the corner just talking and laughing with each other, you cried all night after that because you felt absolutely pathetic and scared about this development. He hadn't told you anything about her yet.

She was beautiful, funny and intelligent and she didn't seem to have a crappy personality like Melisaa so you couldn't even hate her. What else a man like Loki would ever need from a woman?

Did he even know you were coming there? You didn't tell him and he didn't ask either, maybe Jane hadn't told him yet. You felt nervous, your anxiety was over the roof, you knew there would be several high profile personalities there and you barely knew just three of them.

"Okay she's coming, now all we need to do is to hide her from him until the party" Jane said to Thor so he smiled.

"Oh that won't be a problem, I will take Loki somewhere"

Thor didn't know the full extent of what had transpired between you and Loki but it had something to do with the attack on Melissa. He did feel though that both of you were being really foolish about this situation.

He stepped out of his room to find Loki and located him in the living space along with Darcy, they were having a conversation about the alignment of the stars that he wasn't interested in participating in.

"Brother tomorrow you and me shall go see that statue everybody keeps hollering about" Thor told him so loki furrowed his brows,

"Really? It's Lady Jane's birthday. You wouldn't want to be here with her instead?" Thor gulped as Loki questioned him "Besides Darcy is taking me to the mall to buy presents for her" he said so Thor breathed in relief, he just wanted him out of the tower anyhow.

"Aren't you worried about being seen with a mortal again?" Thor questioned again so Loki smiled and waved his fingers, in a moment Loki and Darcy were turned into different people who had no resemblance to any of their real self whatsoever.

"Should I worry now?" Loki chuckled as he questioned.

"I suppose not"

The next day you woke up early in the morning to reach the airport on time, it took approximately three hours to reach NYC and it was around 2 pm when you landed, you called Jane immediately and she told you that there was a car waiting to pick you up so you found the person, hopped in and it took you straight to the Avengers tower, you kept your eyes on the road just enjoying the sight, you had never been to NYC before.

As you reached the tower, you were scanned and your belongings were checked carefully before they allowed you to enter. The place was huge and your anxiety was only bubbling more and more. When you reached the 18th floor Jane was waiting for you, she immediately pulled you in a hug and that's when you were able to calm down, even if just a little, Thor approached you as well and he grabbed the back of your hand to place a formal kiss. You wished her happy birthday and you could tell she was so happy, she was turning thirty and you couldn't help but feel envious about her accomplishments in life, you both were almost the same age and while she was on top of the world you had nothing going on for you.

"So ummmm where's Loki?" You asked them so they looked at each other.

"I think he's away with Darcy, they had to buy presents for Jane" Thor answered you and Jane grinned like a cheshire cat.

"I'm getting presents?" She asked him so he kissed her softly,

"Of Course you are, it's your birthday my beloved" you stood there awkwardly at the interaction, just the thought of Loki not being here and worse him being out there with Darcy was enough to make your heart sink again but before you could sulk in self pity Jane grabbed your arm and took you to a room on the same floor, you passed by Loki's room and your heart clenched again.

"Ummm Jane, is this dress good enough for the party? Or I can go buy something if it's not, this is the fanciest thing i had in my closet" you pulled out a dress from your luggage, it was a black fit and flare sort of dress with once inch wider straps. The hem of the dress was flared and it gave it a sexy but elegant look. Though your elegance probably wasn't up to their standards so you just wanted to ask for her opinion first, she invited you, the last thing you wanted was for her to be embarrassed of you in front of everyone. You were so nervous to be in the same room as the goddamn Avengers but she assured you that the dress was perfect for her birthday party and you had nothing to worry about.

You also lied to your mom about the trip, you told her it was an old friend from college and not Jane Foster because your mother knew everything about Avengers and who they were dating. Her opinions on Loki had pretty much stayed the same.

Once you had showered Jane took you to get lunch, it was nice to roam around the tower without needing the cloak of invisibility. You had the cloak in your luggage, Loki never asked for it, thankfully the man at the security had barely picked it up so it just seemed like a fancy robe.

Around 4 pm while you were doing your makeup you heard Loki's voice echoing in the hallway, your heart sped at the sound of his voice but then you heard her voice as well, Darcy. They were talking and laughing about something you didn't understand but your heart broke into pieces knowing that it wasn't you making him laugh like that. He sounded…okay, more than okay, he sounded happy. Was she the reason he hasn't been in touch with you lately? Was he moving on and falling for her? Your eyes welled up at the thought. You heard a knock on the door and felt your gut sinking when you heard his voice,

"Is someone in there?" He asked but you were frozen in your spot. Just a few months ago you were hiding with him and now you were hiding from him.

This wasn't the first time you had been here at this very place in your life but it always hurt the same. He was supposed to be your best friend, you probably never should have taken it any further than that because those romantic feelings always complicated the friendship too.

"That room is vacant Kiki, you know Jane said she was having a friend over for the party so it's probably her..how did you know someone was in there?" She even had a nickname for him. Wow.

"I just… I just thought that…nevermind" you heard him saying before their footsteps faded into the hallway.

What were you thinking coming here? You just wanted to get out of here and run away but it wouldn't have been fair to Jane, she had gone through so much trouble for you, you didn't think you would have ever done anything like this for her.

The party was in the lounge of the 18th floor, you had noticed the directional map of the floor in the living room so you just followed that and you bumped into Thor as soon as you did.

"Norns are you alright lady y/n? My apologies" he apologized immediately

"It's okay I'm okay" you let out a nervous laughter so he smiled,

"Lady y/n, would you be so kind as to grant me a favour?" He asked you and you looked at him nervously.

"Ofcourse anything "

"Please can you just go to Loki's room and retrieve him, i wouldn't want him to be fashionably late as always" you nodded as he said that and turned around to leave the lounge and into the hall again. You probably should have said no but you knew Thor knew that you both were still friends at least and you didn't want to make it more awkward than it already was.

You walked towards his room and sighed before you knocked. At last you had come face to face with Darcy but somehow you managed to find your voice. What was she doing in his room?

"Ummm hiii is Loki here? His brother has been looking for him" You asked her so she opened the door all the way to the end and you were met with his pale but pretty as always face, he seemed shocked and taken by surprise of your presence there. He had a black blazer on with a white tee shirt underneath and a black fitted pants, he slowly walked towards you and past Darcy to reach closer to you. He looked devastatingly handsome and you were devastated by it.

"Y/n?" He gulped as he looked at you so you faked a smile.

"Hiii"

"I can't believe you are here" he smiled briefly before he pulled you in for a hug, the smell of his cologne immediately made you relive the memories you had made with him before everything fell apart. As he pulled away he cupped your cheeks and kissed your forehead.

"How come you are here? Why didn't you tell me?" He asked you so you looked at Darcy and then looked at him.

"It was so sudden..umm Jane invited me yesterday..I was going to call. I just thought you were busy" you said to him.

"I am never too busy for you, you know that. Right?" Your eyes teared up as he said that so you looked down and blinked rapidly in order to restrain your tears. You felt pathetic.

"Thor wants to see you in the lounge" you said to him so Darcy closed the door of his room and all three of you proceeded towards the lounge together.

"When did you get here and how?" He asked you so you told him. He looked at your room as you all passed by it and he had a sudden realization, his instincts were never wrong about you. He smelled you and he could feel you around him but he just thought he was overthinking as usual.

As you reached the lounge you got away from him to go be with Jane and it hurt him a little. Were you upset with him? You must be, he hadn't been calling lately but he had his reasons. This wasn't getting any easier for him by the day.

"Okay if anyone asks just tell them your name is Stacy" Jane said to you so you nodded, there was a woman you didn't recognise at the party and she was watching you like a hawk for some reason.

"Do you know all these people?" you asked Jane so she laughed.

"Not really but they all work for the Avengers" you nodded as she said that. You felt Loki's eyes on you and it made you feel nervous, you probably shouldn't have gotten away without saying anything but you just felt extremely hurt. Seeing another woman in his room had burned you with intense jealousy, there was probably nothing between them but you still felt bothered by their situation. When Jane took you to the open bar, you got a mocktail, you didn't want to consume alcohol and embarrass yourself any further. She had to go see other people so she left you on your own and that's when the woman who couldn't stop staring at you approached you.

"Hello" she raised her hand forward so you shook it.

"I'm Dalia, I'm their publicist" she introduced herself so you gulped nervously. You knew about her but you had never seen her. This was the same woman because of whom Loki wasn't able to get in touch with you when they had brought him here first .

"Ummm imm Stacy, Jane's friend"

"Really? So you're not Y/n Y/l/n?" She asked you and you looked at her a little shocked that she recognised you. She looked at you up and down before she started to speak again "Look.. nothing against you but I really hope you're not here to seduce Loki again, though I must say you're really fucking it up already with that dress" your eyes teared up as she mumbled. There was a smirk on her face that you just wanted to slap away.

"He's just a friend"

"Keep it that way..I mean I am glad you came. Now you can be around here and see that you don't belong with these people and especially not Loki" she walked away after saying that. You put the drink down on the counter as you had to get out of the lounge for a moment because you could feel the panic increasing in your chest. Your eyes met with Jane so you gestured that you wanted to go use loo and she smiled at you. How was she so much better at dealing with this stuff?

You walked out of the lounge and you wished you didn't have the stupid heels on so you could just run away but you were helpless, you cut the corner and braced yourself against the wall as the anxiety rose rapidly, your chest felt constricted again and you couldn't breathe properly.

You didn't belong here or with Loki, that was one of your fears coming here but having someone confirm it to your face was what tipped you off the edge.

You breathed heavily and hoped for the feeling to pass but it was only worsening every second. The tears rolled down constantly and you were so close to just burst into a fit of cries when you felt someone grabbing your shoulders, you looked up at him and it was Loki.

"Loo" you could barely whisper, you couldn't see his face properly because your vision had gotten blurry but you noticed those tears in his eyes "I can't breathe" your voice again came out breathless so he stepped closer to you, cupped your cheeks and you felt his fingers rubbing over your skin

"You can, just take a deep breath for me on the count of three alright, can you do that?" The broken look on your face clenched his heart. He hated himself in the moment, even more so than usual, he should have been here for you, he was supposed to be your friend, your best friend. You followed his instruction and the wheezing breaths were starting to diminish the longer he had you in his embrace,

"That's it, you're doing good my darling, you are okay i promise you are okay" he cooed gently before he pulled you into him for a hug. You cried as much as you needed to cry to let it all out but you had to pull away at some point.

"Thank you, and I'm sorry" you mumbled softly so he smiled.

"I am sorry too"

You shook your head as he said that.

"I shouldn't have come here, i don't belong here"

"Really?" He asked you as he was certainly offended so you nodded, he suddenly grabbed your arm and took you back to the party.

"See that lady over there? She's so inebriated you will find her hurling her insides out before the night ends" you looked at him a bit taken away by the sudden statement as he pinpointed towards a woman.

"Oh look at the Captain, he's drinking his sorrows away and once he's intoxicated he's going to embarrass himself by singing an old school love ballad" you looked at Captain America as Loki pointed towards him.

"See those two, they are publically having an altercation over something trivial" he gestured towards Tony and Pepper and you sighed, you knew what he was trying to say "These people are just humans like you, just mortals, they are not perfect or better than you, they could never be" you nodded as he said that.

"Thank you lo..thank you" he smiled as you said that.

"I have mis–" you cut him off before he had even finished his sentence. You wished later that you hadn't done that.

"What about her?" You hinted towards Darcy so he looked at her, he was confused by the question and the all the implications they carried..

"She's a friend, that is all" A friend, same as you two used to be?

You nodded as he said that. Things had gotten extremely awkward between you two, for once since you had known him you both felt out of sync with each other, the conversation just didn't feel natural.

The party went well and you couldn't have been more thankful for Jane that she invited you here but you shouldn't have come here because you felt as if this would ruin whatever friendship you had left between you two.

When you went back to your room that night all alone it was hard to fall asleep. It was even harder to not cry every other minute. You decided that you had to talk to Loki and see if you still had him in your life or not because if not you had to make sure you weren't hurting yourself like this every moment because this didn't seem healthy. You got up and walked into the hallway, halfway through you saw Loki walking towards you as well, as he stepped closer he seemed as if he had just showered.

"Hiii" you smiled at him, you just wanted to talk to him..

"Can we talk in your room?" He asked you so nodded, you both walked side by side back to your room, was he coming to see you as well? You truly hoped so.

As you reached there, you both sat down on the bed,

"I'm sorry if I have been weird today, I just.. it's hard, it's the most difficult thing I have ever done in my life" you said to him so he turned his head to look at you.

"It's torturous darling, I don't enjoy this and I apologize if I have been a bad friend to you but I just can't see you everyday because everytime i look at you I am only thinking of the things we'd never get to have with each other" your eyes welled up as he said that "I can't stop obsessing over the moments we have spent with each other, I can't stop thinking that I'd never get to kiss you again and I haven't slept in a month because all I think of as soon as I hit the bed is you. I stay awake all night just wishing for you to hold me again"

You felt speechless by the confession, you didn't know what to say to him.

"Lo, I miss all that too I really do. I was so scared coming here today because I felt as if we were drifting apart. Ten years from now I don't want to look back at my life and regret losing a precious person like you, ten years down the line I still want to have you by my side" he wiped his tears as he sniffled.

"I am upset you did not tell me that you were coming here" you placed your hand on his as he mumbled, he had every right to be upset with you. You would have been upset too if the roles were reversed.

"I am sorry, i should have, i should have told my best friend that I was coming here"

"Yes, you should have because If I knew I'd have come pick you up at the airport and perhaps we would have gone for sightseeing" he smiled and it was so infectious that you were compelled to do the same.

"I am staying tomorrow so we can go do that" he nodded as you said that. He brought your hand up to his mouth and gave it a few birdlike kisses and you hugged him as appropriately as you could. It didn't feel awkward now anymore, it felt perfect, all you had to do was communicate with him.

"We are definitely doing that" he got up and smiled again as he wished you a good night of sleep. But before he could step out of your room he turned around to look at you and smiled but his eyes were teary again.

"Darcy is just a friend, we have similar interests but she's not anything more than that and we definitely dont share the same affinity as both of us do" You gulped as he said that, he must have sensed your jealousy regarding her "No one could ever be you or take your place in my heart. I hope you will always remember that my sweet darling princess"

Your mouth stayed open in shock as he stepped out of the room and then you cried again. He still loved you and you loved him, then why weren't you two together? Why did he allow his fear of losing you to death win over his love? For once in your life why couldn't you just take a chance for the love you felt for him? What more did you have to lose here? You were pondering over this complicated situation when you remembered the saying on the knife he has gifted you.

"If you ever find yourself trapped by the twisted paths of uncertainties, remember that you can always cut through and make a new one" A new path, something in between, maybe tomorrow you'd be able to create that.

🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

Taglist (if you want to be tagged or removed let me know.. also I’m not able to tag some of you, please check your settings)

@annoyingsweetsstranger @mcufan72 @nixymarvelkins @stupidthoughtsinwriting @fictive-sl0th @huntress-artemiss @eleniblue @violethaze @anukulee @ladymischief11 @12-pm-510 @wolfsmom1 @whylokiissocute @hyperlokilover @vickie5446 @pics-and-fanfics @daddylokisqueen @tallseaweed @olivertwistrabbit @blog-the-lilly @prettylittlepluviophile @vanilla-daydreaming @somewiseguy @yaaamadaa-blog @dragonmurray @nyxxharmonia @elthreetimes @gruftiela @thenotoriouserg @optimisticyouthdefender @mcuhplover @greep215 @yallgotkik @obscureenigmatic @janineb86 @sflame15-blog @nyxlaufeyson @lokidokieokie @purplekitten30 @sunnixart @nikkig496-blog @frozenhuntress67 @qardasngan @rosecentury

#loki x female reader #loki #loki x reader fluff #loki x reader #loki x reader insert #loki x reader fic #loki x reader angst #loki x you #loki fics #post avengers loki #canon divergent au #soft loki

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vanwritesfan-fiction · 8 months

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What You Heard

A Klay Thompson Insta AU

****

Liked by yourusernamefan, atlanticrecords, user and 202k others

yourusername Cali has been so good to me, this east coast girl just might have to move. Still a Knicks fan till I die tho 🤭

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yourbestiesusername you better not, NYC is not ready to let you go!

yourusername I'm thinking summers in NYC, winters in Cali 🤔 yourbestiesusername but you hate the beach yourusername true, but San Fran is so cute, you need to come see for yourself yourbestiesusername hell no, I don't cross over the Midwest yourusername 😂

yourusernamefan when is the new album coming out?

yourusername its part of the reason I came out here! working so hard on it right now

user I'm sure your Daddy will make sure it sells yourusernamefan she's not even signed to her Dad's record label, she's been making music independently for years now

user I heard that her and Klay are dating, wonder if the rumors are true after she went to one of his games? 🤷🏾‍♂️

Liked by yourusernamefan, user, klaythompsonfan and 51k others

tmz Is the other Splash Brother finally off the market after being single for two years? Klay Thompson was seen arriving at Liholiho Yacht Club last night in San Francisco, shortly after Y/N Y/L/N, singer and daughter of Atlantic Records Exec, Y/F/N Y/F/L/N, arrived with a group of friends.

Y/N then posted some photos from the night on her private Instagram, where fan think they can see Klay in a few of the shots.

The two arrived and left separately, but a trusted source says the couple was more than friendly during dinner, with lots of touching and PDA throughout the night.

The pair were first linked together when Y/N was spotted in a suite at the Chase Center taking in a Warriors game last month. Neither management team was available for comment.

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yourusernamefan oh I love them together! they make such a cute couple

user It won't last. Y/N Y/L/N has a history of dumping guys right and left yourusernamefan you sound salty🙄 She was with her last boyfriend for over two years

user that nepo baby that can't sing worth shit is going to ruin him

user I think she'll be good for him. He kind of seemed like a playboy

warriorssplashfan this better not affect his season. Warriors need another ring this year

user No, Klay isn't single anymore?!?! 😭

Klay Thompson posted on his story

Klay Thompson deleted his story

Liked by stephcurry, goldenstatewarriors, yourusername and 42k others

View 4,523 comments

klaythompson The people’s champ @mosesmoody . Thank you to the Moody family for having me at camp. That was a blast ! #proudvet

user are your really gonna pretend like you didn't hard launch Y/N on your story and then delete it?

klaythompsonfan its really none of your business

goldenstatewarriors a great guy on an off the court

yourusername couldn't agree more user are the two of you are together? user I think they are, she's currently in in Arkansas as well user no she was just at the VMAs last night, she couldn't have been in Arkansas

stephcurry my brother! can't wait for the season to start

Liked by klaythompson, ayeshacurry, yourbestiesusername and 45k others

yourusername don't get it twisted- the only thing I'm hard launching is my love for Rocco

klaythompson Rocco isn't the only one who loves you, ya know?

yourusername 😘

yourusernamefan I knew it! They make the cutest couple!

user where's the album?

user we're gonna have to wait a while, she only writes her best songs when she's heartbroken yourusername ya'll are getting nothing but love songs from me

yourbestiesusername I can't believe this man got you to go to the beach

yourusername the things you do for love 🤭

#klay thompson imagine #klay thompson #klay thompson instagram au #klay thompon x reader #klay thompson fan fiction #nba fan fiction #nba instagram au

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glcive · 9 months

Text

⋆⁺｡˚⋆˙‧₊☾ welcome ☽₊‧˙⋆˚｡⁺⋆

about me

you can call me juno or astraea

im a cancer sun, libra moon and sagittarius rising

my pronouns are they/she (and my pronoun page is here)

i'm a proud bisexual (i am very sapphic lol)

im taken (you can hear about my love via the “them tag <33")

i am a minor (i won't immediately block people 18+ but if you're creepy i will <3)

australian!! also a bunch of different places, none really interesting

this blog is for me to dump thoughts, interact with people and just have a good time :)

i play the drums and im currently in two bands! i also love playing guitar and one of my 2024 goals is to get better at playing!!

currently listening -> 🍁☕️🎸 nyc

currently reading -> the odyssey translated by emily wilson

currently watching -> doctor who and rewatching gilmore girls

things i like

i love: literature, the arts, queer culture, astronomy, feminism (no terfs allowed!!!!), fruit flavoured drinks, flared pants, converse, dark red, nail polish, eyeliner, burgundy lipgloss, tank tops, tote bags, brie (always dreaming of cheese), pinterest, spotify, my headphones, the ocean, my grandparents house (im there rn i love it), spring+winter, very specific shades of pink and green, black <3, folklore and 1989 girl, fiddling around on the guitar, fantasising about being a famous musician, finding new music, snow, picking silly little outfits,

books: osemanverse, the hunger games, books by rhiannon wilde, tim te maro's subterranean heartsick blues, all the best liars, books by octavia butler (specifically parable of the sower and parable of the talents), the last true poets of the sea, acotar, the weight of the stars, the seven husbands of evelyn hugo, the picture of dorian grey, house of hollow, howls moving castle, harry potter (mainly marauders, FUCK JKR), i kissed shara wheeler, red white and royal blue, song of achilles

movies + tv shows: dont look up, little women (2019), scream (i like most of them but 1996 is my fav by far), ladybird, barbie (2023), some of the mcu (thor and guardians of the galaxy <33), spiderverse (itsv is my love), gilmore girls, stranger things, loki, heartstopper, arcane, scott pilgrim takes off, she ra

musicians/bands: boygenius, taylor swift, lovejoy, glaive, brakence, paramore, ricky jamaraz, melanie martinez, lana del rey, ashnikko, girl in red, billie eilish, doja cat, big thief, adrienne lenker, ethel cain, mitski, remi wolf, cigarettes after sex, ericdoa, tv girl, clairo, the neighbourhood, bon iver, deftones (getting into them just a little), maneskin, courtney barnett, poppy

my favourite colours are black, dark red, burgundy, denim blue, sage green, soft pink, glaucous blue, golden yellow (i love colour theory so all colours are beautiful in their own context but here are my favs to wear/see)

i really want to get into more poetry so if you have any recs lmk!!

i have recently begun practising some very simple witchcraft, so feel free to talk to me about that and i would love to learn more!!

i love learning about astrology and use my birth chart frequently

i write very, very infrequently and think of more stories than i even start to plot lmao.

i draw way more than i write and will occasionally post some!! its not good by any means but its fun ig

talk to me + dni

my asks and dms are open!! feel free to talk to me about anything and everything!! i love talking!!

i love my mutuals so much so if ur my mutual *looks you dead in your eyes* i love you

my discord is the same @ as here, i literally just got it today so idrk how it works but feel free to add me there <33 but please lmk if you do if your username is different

if we’re very close you can ask for my insta!!

i rarely follow people without an intro post/descriptive enough bio (with name, age group, pronouns) so if you want to be mutuals please have one!! if not just shoot me an ask about who you are and what you like so we can be friends <33

dni: rude, racist, homophobic, transphobic, zionist, terfs, sexist, ableist, antisemitic people

tags

#juno.txt -> ramblings, original posts

#asks -> asks ive answered

#ask bait -> hehehe send me asks <3

#tag games -> tag games ive participated in

#beautiful mutuals -> interactions with my beautiful mutuals!

#spotify -> my music obsession dw im fine fhdklfhdal

#them tag <33 -> posts that remind me of my wonderful bf <3

links + sideblogs

spotify

@likeasugarcubeinateacup -> my notes app poetry

@slowrotburiedinthepark -> a random sideblog i post art and occasional web weaving on

@stabbingstarsthroughmyback -> my writing sideblog (ask me about my wip!!)

stunning dividers by @chachachannah :))

here is a totally beautiful and amazing moodboard by @svnflowermoon that always makes me so fhadkfhakd

last updated: jan 19th 2024

#intro post #Spotify #juno.txt #asks #ask bait #tag games #beautiful mutuals #pinned post #them tag <33

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gracegrove · 7 months

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Elf au Harringrove (mostly Billy tho)

Where the plot is mostly the same as Elf except,

Billy grows up in the North Pole not believing that he's a cotton-headed-ninny-muggins but rather an exceptionally genetically gifted elf who is by far taller than all the other elves. He excels at winter sports and is a menace at ice hockey and polar bear polo. He is not talented with toy making but why would someone such as himself want to waste time on Litebrites and Mr. Potato Heads? No, Billy wanted more than an elf's life. He is often in trouble for racing the reindeer, swapping spit (and other things) with other elves, and passing out in the stables hiccuping with an empty bottle of maple bourbon from Santa's personal stores.

One day while sobering up in a pile of hay, Billy overhears the stable elves complain that Billy's behavior is human and no elf would act this way. Why did they ever take in a human? Billy then has an identity crisis.

Billy finds out from his adopted elf parent, that as an infant he was in a car accident in which his mother was driving. She died in the crash and Billy was taken to an orphanage. No one at the time came to claim him. Billy's name was known because he was found with a blanket that had his name embroidered on it. However, Santa knows who Billy's father is.

Santa tells Billy that his father is Neil Hargrove, a New York City police sergeant with a wife and daughter who live in Queens. Santa says that Neil is a good man who has been on his Nice List since 1973. Billy cannot believe it.

Blaming Neil for abandoning his mother to die and not claiming him at the orphanage, Billy sets out for New York City with the goal of putting Neil Hargrove back on the Naughty List.

Billy puts his plan in motion by going to Neil's precinct on his first day in NYC (still dressed as an elf) and introduces himself to Neil with the most vulgar Christmasgram complete with ass shaking. Neil arrests Billy and has his lieutenant, Hopper run fingerprints and DNA on this guy because he's gotta have priors for prostitution or distribution or something. No way that kid was telling the truth, even if he somehow knew his late girlfriend's name. The DNA comes back a familial match. Father and son.

What is he going to do? Hopper suggests taking Billy home and Billy musters his most innocent smile in agreement. As Billy worms his way into Neil's life he learns that his parents had a fight the night his mother died and that Neil and his new wife fight sometimes too. This fuels Billy's mission, as he decides to tail Neil during his day to catch Neil messing up.

After meeting Steve and growing closer with Neil's daughter, Maxine, Billy begins to realize that his efforts to put Neil on the Naughty List aren't worth it. He will never forget what happened to his mother and how it affected his life, but seeking out revenge will not fulfill him. Billy realizes that Neil does not need any help getting back in the Naughty List and that he should put his efforts into protecting the new relationships that he has found.

Elf au extras

The pennies from heaven montage but Billy style:

Billy sneaks into a peep show, kicks his feet up, and enjoys himself with a Christmas themed striptease. “Santa was sooooo elfing wrong… this is better (than peeking at presents early)”.

Goes into the WORLD'S BEST CUP OF COFFEE cafe to try it. He silently takes a sip. Says with a straight face, “This is gumdroppings.” [Insert elf equivalent of cussword to mean shit] Then he walks out of the cafe without paying.

A teenager on the street offers Billy a CD copy of their ‘demo’. Billy takes it because it looks like a shiny Christmas bauble, but doesn't pay for it.

Billy gets asked by a family from Des Moines if they can get their picture taken with him. He says no but gives in when their little girl starts crying.

Billy acts like he's cool but goes round and round in the carousel door until he can't walk straight and falls back out onto the sidewalk.

Billy farehops the subway.

Billy has done at least five different things without paying that the cops are now chasing him like a cartoon character and the only way he loses them is by blending in with the Christmas decor at the department store…. Where he meets Steve.

#'bye billy hope you find yer dad 🐳'#billy #harringrove #elf au #harringrove au

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zoekeating · 3 months

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Dear Listeners,

It’s winter break here in Vermont so my son and I have been out on the slopes every day. For many years I have stayed away from fast slidey sports because I was afraid of injuring my hands. If my hands don’t work, how do I make music? But among the many bits of advice I’ve gotten in my parenting journey, “be into what your kid is into” has been one of the best. My lad needed someone to ride the lifts with and I needed to overcome my fear and learn how to fall properly, so here I am.

I found that skiing is not all that different from rollerblading, which I learned to do in Central Park the summer of my junior year. I brought the skates with me on my year abroad in Florence. On weekends there was this amazing city to explore but buses and museums and cafes cost money. And whenever I roamed the quiet streets and parks alone, I would be perpetually harassed, groped and even flashed by pathetic men. But rollerblading was free and, bonus, I am already quite tall, so with skates I was at least 6ft2in. No one ever messed with me on skates. I adapted to the cobblestones and explored all of Florence with exhilarating freedom.

One Sunday, as I was enjoying the expanses of asphalt in Parco delle Cascine, I came upon a group of folks on old-school rollerskates. They had a boombox and were dancing, just like the skaters of Central Park but without the sequined hot pants. They waved me over and exclaimed over my weird skates. They invited me to join them and for the rest of the school year, I spent every Sunday afternoon I could with the rollerskaters. We would gather, dancing and skating around obstacles, and once we had critical mass, tear off along the Arno and into the old city. We’d skate past the David, circle the Piazza della Signoria multiple times and whizz down the marble collanade along the Piazza Republica, ending in a bar, still on skates, for an espresso or aperativo. Those are some of my best memories of my year in Florence.

I continued the skating when I moved to San Francisco, zooming most days through Golden Gate Park to the beach and back again. Sometimes I’d join a similar group of mad skaters on Friday nights to roll fearlessly down hills and through tunnels. Skating was always a great source of joy. But then I moved away from the paved environment of the city and I transitioned to music full time. After acquiring a broken finger from an Evil Door and being shocked at how much that tiny injury impacted my ability to play, I quit skating.

Fast forward to Vermont. Like many people did during the pandemic, I got back on skates except this time with padding, wrist guards and a helmet. And then, as my boy learned to snowboard, I learned to ski. We still ride the lifts together but now he zips down black diamond trails while I ski carefully down the easy ones. He is mystified as to how I can bear to do the same runs over and over but I like it that way. It’s like a meditation. I focus on perfecting my technique and try to make each turn better than the last. It feels similar to one of the things I enjoy about playing the cello, which is noticing tiny details and gradually polishing them. How can I improve this one phrase that I have played thousands of times? It never gets old or boring for me.

I hope it never gets boring for you either! Next week I’ll get back to work improving my old songs and figuring out to play some of my new ones in time for my concerts in March.

March 15 - ArtYard in Frenchtown,NJ

March 16 - Underground Arts in Philadelphia, PA opening up for my old friend The Sleepytime Gorilla Museum

March 17 - Le Poisson Rouge in NYC

March 21 - St John’s Cathedral at the Big Ears Festival in Knoxville, TN

And one more

April 6 - Unitarian Univeralist Church in Burlington VT, accompanied by mesmerizing visuals by Alex Reeves

also, outside my solo work on April 7 I’ll be a part of composer Randal Pierce’s ensemble, performing his live soundtrack to George Méliès’ silent cinematic masterpiece, A Trip to the Moon

6:30 and 8:30pm shows

More about all the events happening in Burlington around the eclipse

Thank you for listening and please wear a helmet when you are going fast.

celloly yours, Z

#cello #eclipse #bigears #rollerblading #skiing

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ekimdesonbaharbaskadir · 2 years

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Things to do in New York #shorts #travel #newyork Things to do in New York

Things to do in New York #shorts #travel #newyork #NewYork Things to do in New York #thingstodoinnewyork #travel #newyork 3 Views – 0 Likes Part 1 Copyright info: * We must state that in NO way, shape or form am I intending to infringe rights of the copyright holder. Content used is strictly for research/reviewing purposes and to help educate. All under the Fair Use law. #shorts #travel #newyork…

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#best things to do in new york #best things to do in nyc #cool things to do in nyc #fun things to do in nyc #living in new york city #new york city things to do #nyc things to do #things to do #things to do in new york #things to do in new york city #things to do in nyc #things to do in nyc winter #top 10 things to do in new york city #top things to do in new york #what not to do in new york #what to do in new york #what to do in new york city #what to do in nyc

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tarasmithshifts · 8 months

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𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐄 𝐃𝐑 𝐔𝐏𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄: 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐃 𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐅𝐓

𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐈𝐍 𝐃𝐑. 4.5 months 𝐀𝐆𝐄. 26-27 𝐌𝐀𝐈𝐍 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃 𝐆𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐏: timothee chalamet, jenna ortega, billie eilish, amybeth mcnulty 𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐂𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐌𝐘 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓: pedro pascal, oscar isaac, emma watson, natalie portman, scarlett johansson etc.

𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐏 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐒. single :(

ＡＰＲＩＬ

well, there was a lot of going on in april :)

first: MY BIRTHDAYYYY i threw the whole party and invited the half of hollywood lmao. There was a lot of my co-stars, artists and singers. I did it like there was no tomorrow, the party was crazy, basically everyone got drunk and sang 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY' like 5 times BUT IT WAS SO COOL UGHHHHH i love them all so so so fucking much. I caan't take it anymore.

I threw the party back in LA, where i was living since my hollywood debut in Ad Astra, but i was planning on moving into NYC fro like a year. SO I DID IT HAHAHAHAHHH it's so cool and i was so excited, but we will move to it later :))

What also happened: PEDRO'S BIRTHDAYYYYY my favourite (okay, he is not the only one BUT STILL) babygirl on earth turned 48 and he invited me to his party which was so COOL!!! idk how will i move on from this, i met BELLA RAMSEY (FINALLY???!?!?!? UGHHH) and met oscar isaac again (for those who don't know, he's my future s/o but it's a long slowburn lmao ✦ he was also my co-star in moon knight, but we knew each other for like a year before this series) after party he took me out to the city, we were talking and walking around LA for HOURS it was so cute he even bought me a rose literally when florist's wanted to close the shop, then we found out paparazzi took a pictures of us there 💀 they are so annoying i swear. but anyway, i had amazing night and oscar made it even better :')

Emma also had her birthday, but i couldn't show up, because of filming 'joker II' with JOAQUIN FUCKING PHEONIX I STILL CANNOT BELIEVE IT. But i sent her birtday present, which was the whole album of photos that i took on my digital camera on our summer & winter holidays - which i thought was super cute :')

April was super productive in a birthday-way as you can see, lmao

But also other super thing happened! Warner Bros. accepted my movie idea and hired me as a director of it. I'M SUPPER EXCITED TO BRING IT TO LIFE UGHHH

ＭＡＹ

talking, talking & talking about my movie and me as a director - which was super stressfull for me but everything turned out okay! I started writing the script at the end of april, so until i will write it and it gets accepted by Warner Bros. it will take a while for me to cast people :(( but still so excited for it!

and... MY DREAM ABOUT MOVING TO NYC FINALLY CAME TRUE!!!

i bought cute little flat in Manhattan, and started to plan how to move there with all my things. but you know, i didn't sell my old house - no no no. i would never do that, actually. It's the best house in the whole world duhh🙄. I will be still using it!

My friends helped me a lot with planning the whole 'mission' lmao. Shout-out to pedro he told me to move to NYC and live with rats under brooklyn bridge LOL

ANYWAYYY oscar & i met for some coffee instead of actually putting my things into huge boxes for my flat in NYC which was super cute BUT I CAN'T STAND THAT I SCRPITED THE SLOWBURN MAN.

so freaking annoying. why would i do that. AND ANGST which is also annoying

but yup, he helped me a lot, also bc he also lives in new york, so he can help me there :))

(he gives me a little flower everytime we meet, but we are still 'friends' so it should mean nothing BUT IT MEANS SOMETHING TO ME GUYS. it's super super super cute and i wanna hug him so badly, but i am not doing it bc of paparazzi, those rats are following me and oscar literally everywhere 💀)

the whole may was me writing script for a movie, shooting joker II, planning on moving out and meeting oscar just for 'helping me with this nyc thing'

ＪＵＮＥ

'Priscilla' movie with me in main role had its global premiere! I missed this vibe so so so so much, and being on the same red carpet as CILLA PRESLEY had me in tears. i think i've never been more stressed in this dr but she was sooooo kind to me like I CANNOT BELIEVE IT i will have this moment tatooed i swear to god!!!

(i hope this movie will give me an oscar nominee tbh OH WAIT I SCRIPTED IT)

i also got a 2 months break from joker II :) bc they are shooting the scenes without me, so i can finally 'rest' and get my life in new york together

well... beside that, nothing new happened. scripting, FINALLY all my things that i wanted in new york already are there, so week after the movie premiere i moved in :'))

also, i auditioned for some random (lmao) part in new kingsman movie that is in making

from funny things that happened: pedro locked himself in his car LMAO idk how did this happen but he literally called me and oscar to help him before calling the police or smth. HOW COULD YOU LOCK YOURSELF IN YOUR OWN CAR BRO this is too funny to be true. IF YOU COULD SEE OUR FACES

then we grabbed some coffee and went to central park (me and oscar of course were making fun of pedro but who wouldn't)

ＪＵＬＹ

I. STILL. DID. NOT. MOVE. ON. FROM. THIS.

my beloved billie want ME to sing with HER on her new single? LIKE WHAT

W H A T

ofc i said yes WHO WOULDN'T

this is ubelievable

i will NEVER shut up about this. we were working on this song for like the whole month, i came back from NYC to LA just to be close to her and finneas, so we would work together in one room, not online. UGHHH I CANNOT BELIEVE IT

❥•°❀°•༢

i had A HUGEEEEEEE break from my fame dr but i am back? and im SO HAPPY? i still cannot believe that i truly was there again ;'(

me in priscilla movie? WHAT

me and billie making song together? WHAT

me and oscar living in new york, so i can see him more? W H A T

#hollywood #fame dr #reality shifting #shifting #desired reality #quantum jumping #nyc #movies #singer #actress #manifesting

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high-functioning-lokipath · 2 years

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Bucky x reader is an assassin avengers are after reader finds an apartment with bucky. Don't know who they are. Bucky notices her wounds and comments on it.

Possible ending bucky puts two and two together. And asks are you this person and potential fight insues.. and reader realizes they like bucky and don't want to fight him

A/N: This was inspired by a random post that I cannot refind. Nonetheless! Here it is! Words: 1,961

"Okay, Mz. Y/L/N," Your boss says darkly. "I'll give you one last chance on this mission. You have 3 months. If the Winter Soldier isn't dead by the end of those 3 months-" He cuts off in a menacing chuckle. "Well, you understand."

"Yes, sir. I won't disappoint you." With that, he hands you a bundle of money, holding onto it firmly.

"You'd better pray you don't," He says, getting the final word before letting you go. You gulp and nod, gathering your things and hurrying out. Your parents had moved out of the country when you were very young. You only remembered a little about your hometown back in the states. When you became a teen, you realized that your ‘Uncle’ that visited your Dad every week was actually a mob boss. You never understood how, but somehow your Dad had gotten into deep debt when he moved to this country and the only way he could pay it off was by working for the mob. Once you turned 18, your dear old ‘Uncle’ hired you too as a way of helping to finish paying your Dad’s debts. You wanted to move back to the States but the only way your ‘Uncle’ let you go was if you agreed to do something for him. That something was taking down his enemies. He trained you to be a master assassin and sent you on missions throughout the States. This one was different though.

Usually it was quick in and out jobs. This one was going to be longer. Your ‘Uncle’ told you that this target would need a different tactic. You’re not familiar with the background of your target outside of the fact that he is a wanted criminal in the country your ‘Uncle’ lives in. You were instructed to rent a small apartment near something called ‘Avengers Tower’ in NYC. Your ‘Uncle’ told you that this would be the best way to monitor your target without getting too close.

Unfortunately, the money he had given you wasn’t enough to cover rent, food, and other general expenses and you were afraid to ask for more. As you roamed the streets, wondering where you’d spend the night, you saw an ad in a window for an apartment-mate. Deciding that if the person was a murderer you could kill them first, you go to the address and knock on the door.

“Hi, I’m here about the apartment share?” You ask the man who answers.

“Um, yes, of course,” He replies, hesitantly. “Are you still interested?”

“Seeing now that you’re a man asking for a roomie? Yeah, I’m still interested. As long as you don’t make a habit of walking around naked, I couldn’t care less. May I come in now?” You ask. The man steps aside and lets you in, an astonished look on his face. “My name’s-um, Y/A/N Y/A/L. Yours?”

“My-” He gasps, stepping in front of you again. “You don’t know who I am?”

“Um, no, am I supposed to?” He chuckles softly and shakes his head. “Sorry, I’ve been living out of the country for a long while.”

“Oh, well, I suppose you don’t have to know me,” He smiles. “Are you alright with the price?” You nod and hand him the first month’s rent.

“Does that answer your question?” He grins and nods, shaking your hand. “Well then its a deal!”

A couple weeks pass, neither of you questioning the other’s schedule. You do surveillance on the Winter Soldier, seeing him come and go from the tower, but you never get a good view of his face. Meanwhile, you and your roommate, Bucky, have been getting closer. To your great surprise, he’s an old fashioned type guy. After the experience you’d had dealing with your ‘Uncle’ and his cronies, you found Bucky’s style refreshing. He was such a gentleman.

One day last week, while watching the Soldier, you finally got a shot but unfortunatly he moved at the last second and it only grazed him. You cursed under your breath and thought nothing of it when later Bucky came home with a bandage on his arm. After all, he did say he was clumsy. Now today, you managed to catch the Soldier alone in an old, dark, smelly warehouse and you’ve found yourself physically fighting him. Both of you wielding your respective knives, lunging at each other. He catches your leg, you catch his side. It ends suddenly, both of you hurrying away before you can see him well.

That night, you’re back at the apartment eating dinner and watching a movie when Bucky finally comes back. “Sorry I’m back so late. Uh, work kinda, well, today was unexpected.”

“No worries. There’s leftovers in the fridge if you want. I just got takeout today. I hurt my leg this afternoon and didn’t feel like standing and cooking.” He hums an agreement and gets the leftovers, sticking them in the microwave. He leans in the doorway, checking out what you’re watching. His eyes wander to you and he notices the bandage you have on your leg. He frowns softly, remembering the fight earlier. He didn’t get a good look at his attacker but he remembers the fighting style seemed distinctly femanine.

“It couldn’t be,” He mumbles to himself. The girl he’s come to know the past few weeks is the complete opposite of the assassin fighter he faced today. “Hey, Y/A/N, how did you hurt your leg?”

"What? Oh I was just," You pause, trying to find a good excuse. "I fell." You sigh, knowing the excuse is lame, but you're not used to working so closely with people on the job.

"Oh, okay. Just, um, be careful? Alright?" He goes back to the microwave, chewing on more than just his food.

Over the next few days, he keeps a careful eye on you hoping to disprove his suspicion. He only gets more and more evidence that you are indeed the assassin after him. The final straw is when he catches you right outside of the tower. You don’t recognize him, but he sees you.

When you finally come back home, you’re angry. Your ‘Uncle’ called you again demanding an update which you didn’t have. You yell and throw your bag on the floor, punching the wall for good measure. “Hey! This is my apartment!” Bucky yells, coming out of his room at the commotion.

“And I pay for half the rent so you can-”

“Really? Really? I can what?” Bucky yells, interrupting your own screams.

“Just forget it. I had a bad day.” You try to push past him but he doesn’t let you. He grabs your arm and for the first time you realize who he is. “Y-you have a metal arm.”

“That’s right. And you have a contract. Now why don’t we have a little chat, hm?”

“I don’t know what you mean!” You cry, panicking. Your mind is scrambling, trying to reconcile how the man you’ve grown so close to could be the man you’re trying to kill.

“Oh don’t give me that bull! I saw you today outside the tower. And that leg injury? You didn’t fall. Now who are you working for?” You stare at him and find yourself unable to see the criminal you were sent to kill. Even though he’s angry, all you can see in his eyes is the man you’ve come to love. “Love?” You think to yourself. You lose all fight in you at that realization.

“Hey, look, I’m sorry I yelled,” Bucky says, seeing your face fall. You slump into his arms, sobbing. “Woah, okay, I-” He doesn’t quite know how to react.

“I’m sorry. I-I don’t know how to get out of it.”

“Okay, let’s just sit down and you can explain everything.” You follow him to the sofa and tell him your whole story.

“I didn’t know. I mean, I knew he was not a good guy, but I figured his motives were valid.” Bucky nods slowly, hesitnetly reaching out for you.

“I can help if you want. I know people who can get you out of this. But you’re going to have to trust me.”

“I do, Bucky. You’re not the man he said you are. Even if you were at one point, I mean,” You chuckle dryly and shale your head. “Look at me.” He smiles at you and nods again.

“Alright, let’s get started.”

The process is slow and painful but eventually, with Bucky’s help and the rest of the Avengers, you have your freedom. Tony throws a party for you, small but nonetheless a party. “Congratulations on your new life, Y/N!” Bucky says bringing you a drink. You gratefully accept and drink it down quickly.

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“Don’t know what to do?” He asks knowingly. You laugh and sigh.

“Yeah. It’s been so long.” He finishes his own drink and holds his hand out to you.

“How about starting with a dance?” You smile.

“Yeah. That sounds good.” You take his hand and the two of you dance for hours it seems, your mind wandering. “So, um, I guess I should pack my things. Now that my job is done, you’ll probably want me out of your hair.”

“Um, I mean, if you want to leave but-” He struggles to find the right thing to say. “Don’t.”

“Don’t?”

“Well, I did have that ad out in the first place. So, I kind of need you around. Being a superhero doesn’t always pay the bills. And it’s such a pain training a new roommate.” He gives you a face, a goofy grin you’ve come to know well.

“Mm-hmm, sure. I think you’re just too attached to my pretty face,” You tease.

“That is also very possible,” He replies, his voice dropping as he pulls you in closer. “Would that convince you to stay?”

“Are you sure? After all, I am a dangerous woman,” You smirk.

“And I’m a dangerous man. I think I’ll be okay,” He replies with a wink. You smile and lean on his shoulder contentedly.

“Is this alright?”

“Perfect.”

TAG ME IN EVERYTHING

@captain-shitty-kitties

@for-hearthand-home

@dindjarinsspouse

@1marvelnerd3000

@swiggly

@lovingchoices14

Marvel (all characters, including Loki)

@lokislittlesigyn

@gaitwae

@kind-of-crazy-butthatsokay

@thoughts-and-lovely-illusions

@lokistoriesblog

@hugsforhiddleston

@vbecker10

@the-gods-gloted-but-they-burned

@acefeather2002

#bucky x reader #james bucky barnes #bucky barnes oneshot #bucky barnes fanfic #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes imagine #bucky x you #bucky barns x y/n

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nurturercelia · 17 days

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Celia Rowe Robinson (Lashana Lynch) is a thirty-two year-old Therapist in Albany, NY. They were brought under Richard’s care when they were only fourteen. They are known as The Nurturer because they are warm-hearted but also restrained. Let’s see what choice they make regarding the fate of Woodrow House.

BASIC INFORMATION

Full Name: Celia Rowe Robinson

Nickname(s): Cee, anyone can use. She is not picky.

Date of Birth: July 1st, 1973

Age: 32

Occupation: Licensed Clinical Therapist, LCSW

Current Residence: A townhouse in Albany that she shares with her husband

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Hair: black shoulder-length, usually pulled back behind her ears (think of her Miss Honey hair in Matilda)

Eyes: dark brown

Height: 5' 9"

Notable Features: soft eyes, easy to feel safe around (she hopes), big smile. Used to feel insecure about it but has since learned to love it

PERSONALITY & BEHAVIOR:

Strengths: good listener, sympathetic, selfless, genuine, loyal

Weaknesses: sensitive, deflects, anxious as all Hell

Quirks: Celia will clean when she is nervous. She does not mind it, in fact, she finds the act of taking a space that was messy and making it new very satisfying. Growing up I imagine she would get quite stressed if she had to spend time in a ward's bedroom if it was messy, maybe even start picking things up without realizing what she was doing. Always cold.

Vices: Drinks: sometimes. Smokes/Drugs: no. Loves a little sweet treat. A Shirley Temple, a coke, a cupcake.

INTEREST & HOBBIES:

Interests: Plants/gardening, musicals (watching, not performing), tea, talking to strangers (she is the type to make a friend in line somewhere), audiobooks in the car

Hobbies: Celia loves a little keepsake!! She is a scrap booker and probably has everyone's baby teeth in a little bag (this is cute not creepy) that she hot glued to a page with ribbons and stickers. She WILL be buying an NYC snow globe or a Myrtle Beach keychain for the memories!!! She writes to all the wards pretty regularly and you always know the letter is from her because it's written in a beautiful script where the i's are hearts <3 and it's on thick patterned paper

BECOMING A WARD

tw: child neglect, suicide/suicide attempt

Gloria Robinson was quite keen to keep up with appearances. Despite being a single mother with a full-time job, she ran in intellectual circles that valued fellow scholars exchanging the brilliance of their own minds. Richard was included in this exclusive list of mostly Arts and Humanities professors at Kingsbury College. And young Celia would relish in the attention she was provided by them. She was the after dinner entertainment in the form of a little violinist, a wide smile practiced and rehearsed as she geared up for her solo. She loved the accolades that fell on her: “Great job, my dear” and “what a little Chopin you have!” and “someone ought to tell the New York Philharmonic about her!” Always the best ones coming from Richard. She wanted to impress her mother, to show her she could be useful in her mother’s pursuits. If she saw her with her head in a book, maybe she would be proud of her.

But everything changed just days before Celia’s 10th birthday. Moments before the start of a large party being held at their house, Gloria received a call that her brother passed. He ended his life when the recession tanked and took all of his stocks with it, something Celia’s uncle who worked in the city, urged Gloria to contribute to as well. The house grew silent. Frozen. Dark. The frequency of parties dwindled to fewer and fewer until they were a distant memory. Celia’s mother lost her job and the instruments turned into nothing more than firewood during the frigid winters when the heat got turned off; the lavish banquets turned to frozen peas meticulously distributed for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There was no time to build resentment when her stomach rang louder than the screaming in her head. Falling into this role wasn’t a choice, but a duty. Who else would feed them while her mother sat stoic in front of the television all day?

And with only the two of them to fill that big house, it was only a matter of time before Celia found her mother had attempted the same fate as her late uncle. But now, Celia could do nothing to help. She was thirteen now, thinking of herself as a fully-fledged adult, or close enough to it. But no amount of force-fed dinners could let her escape what she saw.

It would be a month later that Celia would see her mother again when she emerged from the woods of their home, pajamas muddy from the overnight rain. Celia placed a bowl of soup in front of her spot by the TV--watery noodles and some seasoning--and cried.

Maybe it was the way Celia answered the phone when Richard called, voice far too hoarse and drained for one so young that drew Richard back after what had to be years of silence from the Robinsons. It was there he found little Celia, hair matted, trash piled up to the ceiling, the young girl finishing her daily routine of spoon feeding her mother lunch. It was Richard who suggested checking Gloria into a psychiatric ward, ("a quick hour away”) but Celia who ultimately agreed to it. After a failed attempt to find any information about Celia’s father, it was Richard who ultimately took custody of her. The news spread fast among their circles--those same voices now whispering things like “poor dear” and “how tragic” and “thank goodness for Richard, bless him.” It is here Celia learned not all attention was welcomed.

LIFE AS A WARD

After what she had witnessed, she was grateful for a warm bed and some other folks to talk to. In many ways, she felt a bit like a burden, a case Richard took on to clear his guilty conscience from his lack of contact earlier; something he owed her mother rather than out of the goodness of his heart. She did not think of him as a parent necessarily, for she had one of those, even if Celia could only see her for an hour every second Tuesday of the month during planned visitations.

Even so, she was thankful and showed it by always being respectful to all the staff in the house. She grew close with the mental health professional who came to the house every week, valuing the time she spent with the woman who could help her cope with her past. She knew what others said, remarks made in open and closed doors about her mother and she refused to let the rumor mill run even more because of her behavior.

AESTHETIC

TJ Maxx/Marshalls/Ross girl. She is sooo going to be obsessed with the Live Laugh Love sign movement. The inspirational quotes are everywhere in her office. She loves a mule or sling back. Comfortable but professional. Florals and lil pops of color. Her house is full of quilts and blankets, vintage dishware. Too many pillows on the couch, tons of cards stuck on the fridge. Absolutely NO overhead lighting ever. Always smells like vanilla.

EDUCATION

Celia chose to continue her education at Woodrow House, not yet ready to leave the other wards who so clearly needed her help. She would continue her studies there and use it as an opportunity to look after them for as long as she could. Celia's respect for Richard for all he has provided her runs deep, and she majored in Psychology at Kingsbury College for undergrad, Richard’s alma mater, as an ode to both him and her mother’s former place of work. She went on the complete her Masters in Social Work at Skidmore College, not far from Woodrow House, where she met her now husband. No matter how hard she might want to get away, there seems to be some sort of rope puling her back.

EXTRACURRICULARS

Celia tried to pick up a violin again--there was plenty of music around to study, but something about doing so felt off. It was hard to separate the instrument from the dark memories she had with it as a child. Still, she missed the feeling of creating something beautiful with the strings and the bow. She was introduced to the cello and found it to be different enough that she could play in peace. Richard and her mother's love of literature has also made its way into her. She found joy in reading to the younger wards as well.

THEIR LIFE NOW

Celia's wedding took place about three years ago--it was by a lake not far from Woodrow House, a convenient excuse to get the gang back together, whether or not everyone chose to attend or not. Celia and Michael started dating soon after they met in grad school and have been together since. The love they both used to feel for each other is clearly dwindling, and Celia finds herself clinging to the need to fix it herself more than she should. She likes having a husband, regardless of who that husband is, feeling like the first time in her life she should have something totally put together. Recently, she hasa been spending more and more time alone in her house, Michael's overnight shifts at the hospital seemingly going longer and longer. She has noticed a distance from him, but can't bring herself to face the truth.

Up until Richard's death, Celia remained close to Woodrow Houses in the townhouse she owns with her husband Michael in Albany for frequent visits to both her mother and those at Woodrow House. While Celia does most of the initiating, she makes sure to always keep up with the other wards, whether it is a letter or a call or a visit. If she doesn't hear from them directly, she will ask those who do keep up with her about what they know about the others. Selfishly, she needs to know that they are doing okay and will often call or write more than necessary just to double check. She keeps a spare room open in her house at all times and goes out of her way to make sure they all know her location in case they need a place to stay.

Her career can be quite draining, and she often finds it difficult to separate herself from the work. That is definitely being put to the test during her week at Woodrow with all the wards again.

HOW ARE THEY HANDLING NEWS OF RICHARD’S PASSING?

Deep down, Celia is quite broken over it. She thought she could handle death--she has pre-grieved the loss of her mother for more than half her life, after all. But dealing with it head on is another thing entirely. Much like when she was a child, she finds herself welcoming distractions, choosing to lose herself in helping others come to terms with their grief instead of dealing with her own. After all, she makes a living listening to other people’s problems, not sharing her own. Being a licensed therapist, she feels she is uniquely suited to handle everyone else’s feelings--the difference is those clients choose to see her once a week and then say goodbye. They pay for her to help them in one-hour weekly sessions and then stop when time is up. With the other wards, it isn’t that simple. They did not ask her for help and many have made it clear they do not want it, despite how desperately she needs to feel wanted.

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME THEY WERE AT WOODROW HOUSE?

Celia visited for one of her scheduled dinners a month before Richard’s passing. She noted how he showed no signs of feeling ill, although she admitted she did not see him for much of the dinner and spent most of it catching up with Mrs. Tristan and Edward.

#celia: bio #gonna add to this soon but wanted to get something going for now!!

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virgo-mess · 2 months

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The Birds and the Bees

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Chapter List

1.Alexithymia- The Inability to Express your Feelings Parts 1 and 2

2.The Woes of Adolescence/ What the heck Happened that Summer Parts 1 and 2

3.Caught in a Summer Storm/ What the heck Happened that Christmas.

4.Summer Bluffs? Part 1

5.Disco, Strippers, and Margaritassss Part 2

6.Sleepless in a Hotel Suite Part 3

7.Shades of Pink

8.The Things I’ve Dreamed Part 1

9.Renewal Part 2

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TW: None really just two angsty pretty people that can't communicate, flirting, with a little fluff ....ENJOY!

Alexithymia- The Inability to Express Your Feelings Part 1

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“For adults, summer was different- flatter, the way everything became flatter when you grew old, like the hills you once sledded and stood on your pedals to climb, like the Christmases and birthdays you once anticipated, even after you discovered they disappointed, again and again, until you became numb to their disappointment.”- Dana Cann

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Shay’s Pov

Shay hummed softly to the radio while she inhaled the salty scent of the New England coast, she watched the deep blue of Plymouth Harbor flit past her car windows for the first time in two years. The ocean and their pretty beaches were one of the things she missed the most about coming back to her hometown of Plymouth Massachusetts, at least when they weren’t hidden under a thick blanket of winter snow. Winter was usually the only time of year Shay could afford to slip away from her job as Vice President of an investment banking firm on Wall Steet and make the nearly four-hour drive back home. She had moved to New York what felt like a lifetime ago to attend school at NYU but in reality, it was only seven years. She had only intended on majoring in marketing, but the allure of upper-class New York City living was too strong. Shay ended up toughing college life out for one more year to earn an MBA and before she knew it, she was calling NYC home and worked her way up the investment banking chain. The hours of being a VP of investment banking were grueling, but the pay was good with extra perks like end of the year bonuses and paid time off, but Shay had come to find the life of a workaholic was also incredibly lonely. The only reason she was even able to swing this trip home was because her boss, Harold Weber, had suggested she take a sabbatical after having a mild mental breakdown in front of a few clients a couple of weeks ago. A breakdown that landed her in the back of an ambulance. Needless to say, Shay jumped at the opportunity to expand her horizons for a few months and oddly enough home seemed like the best place to do it.

So, here Shay was back in her hometown about to meet up with some of her oldest childhood friends, her breakdown had conveniently lined up well with some major life events. Her best friends Daisy and Pete were getting married in a few weeks, and Shay was sweetly bestowed the title of Maid of Honor. Daisy had gone all out and had showed up at Shay’s New York loft to hand deliver the biggest bouquet of flowers and spa basket Shay had ever seen about three months ago. How could Shay say no after such a grand gesture? Truthfully, she would’ve accepted if Daisy had just shown up with a cupcake and a big hug it had been so long since she had gotten one of those. Shay turned her forest green Audi R8 into the 1620 Wine Bar parking lot at exactly 12 o’clock for her scheduled lunch date with Daisy Martin, soon to be Daisy Foster. They were meeting to not only catch up but to also put together some of the last-minute touches on the wedding Shay had promised she’d help her with as soon as she got the time. Luckily for them both, Shay seemingly had all the time in the world now after this sabbatical she wasn’t sure if she was going to stay in the world of investment banking or New York in general.

Shay sighed stepping out of her car and taking in the warm summer rays as she made her way up to the small wine bar at a leisurely pace. She only made one stop the entire four hour drive up and that was to put actual clothes on, so she didn’t show up to a fancy wine bar in a pair of skimpy pajamas with a set of hair rollers in her hair. Instead, she opted for a simple mint green floral mini sundress and a matching cardigan that matched her misty green eyes. She even took the time to apply some make up and the hair rollers helped her achieve her routine picture perfect 90s blowout in a sketchy gas station bathroom. Shay looked at her reflection in the glass for a moment before pushing the heavy door open and walking into the dim wine bar with an awed expression on her face. Soft jazz music lulled through the overhead speakers as Shay’s green eyes took in the antique furnishings, beautiful stone walls, and gilded ceilings.

“Welcome to Sips at 1620, do you have a reservation?” a girl’s voice came from behind the hostess stand pulling Shay out of her thoughts with a polite smile on her face. She couldn’t help but feel a bit underdressed and fidgeted with the hem of her sundress as she took the last few steps up to the hostess stand.

“Yeah, it should be under Daisy” Shay said feeling a bit out of place in such a pretty place despite how polite the hostess was being to her. She wondered why Daisy picked such a romantic looking establishment, it seemed more suited for a date night than to just be planning parts of your wedding with a childhood friend but perhaps they weren’t going to be alone, and Daisy was looking to make a good impression.

“Looks like you’re the first one here, do you have a seating preference we have our main room off to your left here or our patio overlooking the harbor is just through doors.” The hostess said with a knowing look in her eyes as she watched Shay fidget with the hem of her dress again.

“The patio sounds perfect” Shay admitted letting out a faint sigh of relief. She could push her suspicious train of thought to the back of her mind for a little while and worry about surprise guests later, for now all she really needed was a glass of wine.

“Good choice, I know it can be a little intimidating in here, but I promise we aren’t nearly that fancy you’re not underdressed. You can go out and have a seat wherever you want, I’ll send someone out to bring you refreshments while you wait.” She said with the same knowing look in her eyes and a soft smile. Shay let out a soft, embarrassed sounding giggle and wondered how some people were able to get a read on her so easily.

“Thanks, could you make the first refreshment a glass of sangria please” Shay asked with a sheepish smile on her face, the host chuckled nodding her head as she began to shuffle out from behind the desk.

“Sure, thing hon, I’ll be with you in just one second sir.” The hostess said giving her one last smile before disappearing through a back door. Shay took one last look around the bar to get a closer look at some of the pretty furnishings before heading towards the patio doors and stepping out into the warm late June sunshine. The patio was empty but had a much more relaxed feel to it than the main room. The tables were covered with black and white striped umbrellas and the chairs were a pleasing assortment of cushioned patio loveseats and cute wicker chairs with brightly colored pillows. Shay all but skipped to one of the tables closest to the rippling blue of Plymouth harbor, she sat her purse down and quickly discarded her cardigan before taking a seat on one of the comfortable loveseats. Her green eyes fixate on the crashing waves and a loved-up couple in the distance, the faint lull of soft music could still be heard floating through the balmy air. Only instead of smooth jazz, the soft notes of a dreamy sounding indie pop song graced Shay’s ears. She couldn’t help but get dewy-eyed as a small wistful type of smile made its way across her face because the music and the couple on the beach reminded her of the happy summers of her girlhood. Most of which were spent with the boy next door, her first crush, and also her best friend before she and Daisy got really close.

“Hey gorgeous, what are you doing over here by yourself?” a deep, flirtatious voice asked, Shay jumped slightly in surprise halting her daydreaming to focus on the tall man standing in front of her table with a flirty smile on his face. Shay blushed under his gaze as she let her eyes trail over the man’s tall, muscled body for a bit longer than socially acceptable. He’s dressed in a pair of dark fitted jeans, a white button down that gave her a very teasing display of his muscled chest, and a dark blue blazer. Cropped gray hair sits atop his head and a pair of dark sunglasses shield his eyes from Shay’s view but even with the sunglasses on she can tell he’s incredibly handsome in a mysterious, brooding type of way. Something about the man feels remarkably familiar to her but she can’t quite pinpoint what it is.

“I’m um, waiting for my friend and my glass of sangria” Shay said awkwardly letting her eyes sweep the patio to find it still completely empty save for her and the mysterious man wearing sunglasses in front of her that almost seemed to appear out of thin air. The man let out a soft chuckle under his breath that somehow had Shay’s stomach doing flips and her eyes giving him another quick once over because she swears, she’s heard that chuckle before.

“Sorry I startled you; would you mind if I keep you company while you wait pretty lady?” he asked in the same deep coquettish tone, Shay felt her cheeks flush a darker shade of pink as she gazed up at him for a long time. She couldn’t see his eyes but part of her knew he was gazing right back at her in a way that made her feel like he was undressing her and staring into her soul at the same time in a sensual, tantalizing sort of way.

“You’ve complimented me twice in under a minute that can’t be good, have a seat Casanova” Shay said coyly motioning to the two other chairs around the table. Mystery man let out another soft chuckle before plopping in the empty spot next to Shay on the patio chair close enough for his large thigh to ghost hers in the most teasing way. He flashed her another flirty smile as he propped an arm on the table and rested his chin in the palm of his hand. Shay rolled her eyes and let out a soft giggle of her own as she teasingly mirrored his action, placing her chin in the palm of her hand as she flashed him a coy smile before deciding to break the brief silence the pair of them had seemingly fallen into.

“Have we met before Mr…?” Shay trailed raising an eyebrow at him expectantly as her eyes continued to try and pinpoint why on earth, he felt so familiar yet oh so different at the same time. She watched him bite down on his lip like he was trying to bite back another chuckle. She concluded that the sunglasses were what was throwing off whatever picture she had of him in her head.

“Right or Perfect for you, whichever you prefer darling. You know I think we have met, in my dreams…” his tone had a playful edge to it this time and Shay could see one of his eyebrows peek up at her from behind his glasses, mirroring her expression with a teasing grin. Shay giggled, shaking her head as she felt the familiar fluttering of butterflies in her stomach.

“Yeah, okay Casanova. Let me guess, you’re in town for that big rodeo happening down at the fairgrounds and you need some ‘eye-candy’ in your cheering section…” Shay said with a coy smile on her face at her artfully subtle tack of asking the silver haired mystery what he’d be getting up to while he was in town. It’d been ages since Shay actually let loose and entertained a random guy that had the guts to brazenly flirt with her like this but part of her felt like the guy sitting next to her wasn’t just a random guy and that she’d known him her whole life. There was only one other guy Shay had felt such a thing for, someone she knew a lifetime ago back in those carefree days of her youth…

“I’m no cowboy, doll but you aren’t too far off about me wanting some eye candy and luckily I just happened to stumble upon the prettiest girl in Plymouth.” He all but purred, reaching out to brush his thumb against her flushed cheek affectionately, too affectionately for a supposed stranger… Shay eyed him suspiciously but couldn’t find it in her to pull away from him because everything about him had her utterly transfixed and once again feeling oddly homesick, homesick for a person rather than a place.

“Let me guess, you’re in town for that over-the-top Foster wedding, aren’t you blondie?” he crooned in a teasing tone. His long fingers left Shay’s flushed cheek to toy with a lock of her blonde hair and Shay found herself biting down on her lip to prevent a displeased whine from escaping her throat at the loss of contact. Familiar waves of conflicting feelings coursed through her veins as she gazed over at him with the same coy smile on her face.

“That obvious huh, seems a bit unfair that you know what I’m doing here when you still haven’t told me your name or what you’re doing here. To think I let you sit at my table with me and everything.” Shay said letting out an exaggerated sigh and ditching her coy smile for a playful, mock pout of sadness. He chuckled shaking his head to himself for a moment before settling his shield gaze back on her with a teasing smirk on his face.

“Oh, I’m just here looking for my soulmate maybe you’ve seen her. She’s wearing a cute little green dress that matches her eyes and has an adorable albeit, fake pout on her pretty face right now” he said in a teasing tone, still twirling a lock of her blonde hair on his long finger. Shay rolled her eyes playfully and found herself biting back a giggle.

“Do you use that line on everyone, Casanova?” Shay said nonchalantly, raising an eyebrow at him as she rested her chin back in the palm of her hand, she silently wished she could take his sunglasses off not just because she wanted to see who was behind them but more so to getting a better feel for what he was thinking. Interpreting his thoughts and expressions based on eyebrows alone was getting tedious.

“No, just a cute little blonde with pretty green eyes and an adorable button nose who also happens to be my soulmate. Haven’t you been listening?” he said in a low borderline seductive tone as he bit down on his lip and gave her a teasing bop on the tip of her nose with one of the long fingers that had just been toying with her hair. Shay didn’t resist the urge to giggle this time, finding the action mildly ridiculous but strangely adorable all the same. Her giggles took a second to die down but when they did, she found herself analyzing his face again.

“She’s got a cute laugh too…why are you staring at me like that ch…blondie?” he all but cooed, dragging a finger down her thigh delicately, staring at her in a way that implied he was searching her eyes for something. Shay tensed a bit at both the action and the intensity of his shielded gaze as she felt an unexpected wave of arousal creep up on her.

“You remind me of someone…” Shay breathed out tearing her eyes off the man for the first time since he had magically appeared in front of her table a mere twenty minutes ago because it finally dawned on her to dig through her purse for her cell phone. She doubted it was a coincidence he showed up at the exact time Daisy was supposed to be meeting her here. No, Daisy Martin was playing matchmaker again and she was in for an earful when she finally decided to grace her and mystery man with her presence.

“A good someone I hope, tall, handsome, pretty blue eyes, might be a cop, could’ve got suspended for beating up a dirtbag named Tyler in a hotel lobby in New York…” he trailed nonchalantly.

“Huh” Shay said though she wasn’t really listening to what he was saying as she unlocked her phone to see about ten text messages from Daisy.

“…Nothing, what’s your favorite flower?” he asked in the same nonchalant tone, pointedly running his fingers up Shay’s thigh again in a teasing matter to get her attention. Shay sighed, pausing her skim through Daisy’s messages to arch her brow at him again though this time it was in a snarkier manner than the previous ones she raised at him. He smiled over at her almost seeming sheepish under her gaze for the first time in the last twenty minutes or so.

“Why does that matter, you gonna buy me some Casanova?” Shay sighed, forcing a tight smile on her face before glancing back down at her phone to read the first few messages her meddlesome friend Daisy had sent her. Apparently, Pete had convinced Daisy to go up to Boston with him early this morning to take a look at some incredibly last-minute ideas for their reception décor, they hit a ton of unexpected traffic on their way back down but would be here at 12:40 by the latest.

“I don’t know maybe, women like that stuff you know, and I bet a favorite flower says a lot about a person. Looking at your phone when someone is trying to talk to you is rude blondie…” he said letting out an exasperated sigh before placing a long finger under her chin, urging her to look at him with a teasing grin plastered on his face. Shay scoffed, narrowing her misty green eyes at him.

“Well, if we’re really soulmates shouldn’t you be able to guess what my favorite flower is. Pretty sure I read that in the soulmate handbook, I can fact check that for you on my phone if you want…” Shay said coyly. Looking past him, she finally spotted a glimpse of Daisy’s black curls in the afternoon sun coming out of the patio doors with a disheveled looking Pete Foster in toe. “Sure… stuck in traffic…” Shay said sarcastically under her breath as she watched Daisy try to discreetly readjust her denim skirt.

“You don’t have to do that; I already know the answer is cherry blossoms Shay” he chuckled. Shay sharply settled her green eyes back on the not so mysterious man’s amused-looking smirk at the sound of her name and her childhood nickname coming out of his mouth in the same sentence. There was only one person that ever actually used that nickname for her on a regular basis, he had dark curls and a pair of carefree, captivating blue eyes.

“CASHTON MICHAEL EWING!” Shay all but snarled, reaching up to aggressively tear his obnoxious sunglasses off his face and carelessly tossed them down on the patio harder than necessary. Cash let out a deep annoyed sounding sigh as he watched the glasses clatter and skid against the stained wood with an audible smack.

“I just bought those, that was rude Cherry Blossom, bad girl” Cash chided her though his amused smirk and spread into a full grin as he teasingly bopped her on the tip of her nose with his finger again. Shay scowled at him through her lashes and swatted at his shoulder as hard as she could before finally scooting away from him. Shay crossed her arms over her chest and tried to process everything that happened between them in the last twenty minutes.

“You haven’t seen me in almost seven years, I was hoping to get a warmer greeting especially from you, Cherry Blossom. You’re not being very neighborly, you know.” Cash sighed with an unreadable emotion swirling in his eyes. Shay let out a sigh of her own but refused to meet his gaze even though he was in fact the person she’d been thinking of in the back of her mind this entire time. The someone she had known her whole life, the someone she was feeling homesick for. Cashton Michael “Cash” Ewing was Shay’s neighbor, the first friend she made when her parents moved into the Manomet neighborhood and her first crush though looking back on it now, it was more than just a crush. From the ages of four to fourteen Shay and Cash were basically inseparable, they did everything together back then and Shay had so many happy memories of those years. The innocent years, the ones before the dreads of awkward adolescence crept in on them both and set them down different paths to live separate lives that no longer involved the other.

“Well, we haven’t been neighbors in like eight years Cash… I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you with the hair…it’s looks great though really suits you, brings out your eyes” Shay tacked on awkwardly finally meeting his gaze with a timid look in her eyes. Cash gave her a half smile in response though there seemed to be a million thoughts running through his head as he gazed back at her with almost affectionate eyes. Shay was sure she was misreading the look in his eyes though; she felt the all too familiar bundle of conflicting emotions Cashton Ewing often brought upon her were still coursing through every fiber of her being.

“You don’t have to apologize Cherry Blossom it’s not your fault, I figured Daisy didn’t tell you I was coming when you checked in with the hostess. I’m just surprised and only mildly offended it took you so long to piece it together” he said lightheartedly though his blue eyes were sincere as they stared back into her green ones for what felt like an eternity. Gazes like this always had Shay’s mind flooding with happy memories from those early years of their friendship but then she’d remember all the more dreadful, angst filled memories of her adolescence and somehow some way, Cash Ewing was at the center of them all. She could remember all the summers their families spent together down in Cape Cod and all the days she and Cash spent running up and down the beaches, the day trips up to Boston during Christmas, stargazing in her backyard, eating ice cream every Tuesday at the parlor downtown, and movie nights with pizza in Cash’s basement. The Cash in those memories was like the one sitting beside her, gazing at her with sincere blue eyes yet something about him still felt so foreign. In the early days they told each other everything and sought comfort in each other when one of them was upset or cried. Shay missed the way things used to be between them before she knew the depth of the feelings she had for her then best friend. Shay knew the distance between them was her fault, they say girls mature faster than boys and that was definitely the case for her and Cash. She still remembered the summer, everything changed though sometimes she really wished she could forget it.

“Shay… are you okay?” Cash asked, pulling Shay out of her moment of reminiscing by running his thumb along her still rosy cheek almost tenderly. Shay nodded her head in acknowledgement without even thinking about it, a habit she picked up that summer between middle school and high school. The summer she no longer felt comfortable letting Cash Ewing know every thought and feeling she ever had because the weight of her feelings and the heartbreak that came with having a crush on her best friend were too embarrassing to admit.

“I’m fine” Shay replied softly, not really knowing what else to say to him because she still felt mostly confused by his charade of choice. Shay knew she should be used to Cash giving her a hard time by now but given her still ever-present feelings for the doofus she can’t help but feel hurt by it. Cash and Pete had been routinely teasing her since they were Sophomores in high school. Shay always assumed it was just because she spent most of her time with Daisy after she pointedly distanced herself from Cash that sour summer, but she didn’t know why he bothered to keep it up after all this time.

“Good, I thought I lost you again” Cash said, flashing her an almost sheepish grin as his finger trailed the length of her thigh again. Shay gave him a weary look before gently pushing his hand off her leg and rising to her feet to greet Pete and Daisy, clad in their matching pastel pink polo shirts and denim bottoms like a couple out of a magazine spread.

“Hey guys, you’re a little late don’t you think” Shay said giving Daisy a pointed yet playful look as she pulled her into a hug. Daisy rolled her eyes but hugged her back, nonetheless before pulling away with an unmistakable impish glint in her brown eyes.

“Didn’t you get my text messages, Pete insisted on driving on up to Boston at the crack of dawn like a deranged rooster because we simply have to have this over-the-top archway at the end the isle. Long story short we’re already way over budget so this fanciful archway ain’t happenin’.” Daisy said giving Pete a pointed look of her own, Pete let out an exasperated sigh before pulling Cash into a brief half hug.

“Yeah, I did get your text messages and you failed to tell me Cash was gonna be joining us for lunch in all ten of them Daisy Martin. Also, don’t think I didn’t see you readjusting your skirt on your way out the door over there, stuck in traffic huh.” Shay said in a hushed tone, Daisy blushed giving Shay a sheepish smile.

“I could’ve sworn I told you that, what’s it matter anyway? You two sure looked nice and cozy together from what I saw. Love is definitely in the air” Daisy said wiggling her dark eyebrows suggestively. Shay let out a sad sounding sigh and gave Daisy a weary look.

“What you saw was Cash toying with me like always. Made a whole show of flirting with me because I didn’t recognize him right away. I’m sure it meant nothing…it never does” Shay said quietly, Daisy’s brown eyes softened a bit, and she reached over to place a comforting hand on Shay’s shoulder the same way she’d been doing since they were kids.

“Shay, you don’t know that alright. I think Cash just has a hard time flirting with you as himself, you can come off a little cold towards him sometimes you know. That doesn’t mean he isn’t being genuine, maybe you make him as nervous as he makes you. You two should really talk…” Daisy trailed; her tone implied that she knew something Shay didn’t, but Shay was already feeling too vulnerable for her comfort level.

“Cashton Micheal can’t have an honest conversation to save his life, Daisy even you know that. Let’s just eat alright, I’m starving, and the hostess forgot to bring me a glass of sangria” Shay said in a lighthearted tone, but sadness was swirling in her green eyes even as she glanced over at Cash and Pete who were having a hushed conversation of their own. Shay could still recall the last two serious conversations she and Cash Ewing had on the last Christmas Cash had come home for and the one on Thanskgiving seven years ago. A conversation that landed her in tears on a train to Cleveland, she was headed back to reassemble the shambles of her first traumatic break up with her ex-boyfriend, Tyler. The second break up happened a mere two years ago but Shay knew their relationship was over the first time around. She just didn't want to be alone...

“Okay, are these yours?” Daisy asked, grabbing Shay’s attention she held up Cash’s battered looking sunglasses with a raised eyebrow. Shay bit her lip to stifle a chuckle as Cash grumpily walked over and took the sunglasses out of Daisy’s hand. The annoyed look in his blue eyes as he looked over the scuffed lenses left Shay feeling oddly satisfied.

“No these are mine, Shaylee Rose thought she’d try her hand at being Walter Johnson before you got here. You owe me a new pair, Cherry Blossom, I know you can afford it, I saw you pull up in that fancy green Audi” Cash smirked with an all too familiar mischievous glint in his ocean blue eyes as he glanced at a surely grinning Pete behind her. Shay rolled her eyes and mentally prepared herself for Cash Ewing and Pete Fosters routine teasing session to begin.

“It was awful nice of you to take a break from your upper Manhattan circle and spend some time with us poor people, Shay. After you ditched us these last two Christmases, I was beginning to think you turned into Scrooge on us.” Pete chuckled, reaching over to pinch Shay’s cheek playfully. Shay scowled and let out an annoyed sounding sigh as she plopped down on one of the wicker patio chairs instead of the loveseat Cash weaponized to entice and torment her just for fun as it would seem.

“You didn’t come home for two whole years, and you couldn’t even come see me an hour car ride over in Jersey City, Cherry Blossom. I’m not too sure she hasn’t turned into a Scrooge after all Petey. That’s not your spot, Shaylee.” Cash said pointedly, sitting back down on the loveseat with a raised eyebrow. Shay stared back at Cash blankly watching his large hand patting the spot next to him almost…seductively. Shay felt her cheeks flush despite her growing annoyance towards him and his cocky attitude at the moment. She knew Cash moved a few years back, but she never realized he had only been a half hour drive from her on a good traffic day.

“Doors work both ways Cashy, I didn’t know you moved to Jersey City but if you wanted to visit me all you had to do was show up Daisy does it all the time.” Shay said flatly, pointedly ignoring his adamant ‘pleas’ for her to sit by him even though part of her wanted to more than anything. She was sure his insistence was just part of whatever this playful act of flirting with her was, she wouldn’t allow herself to fall for it this time.

“Well, I figured if you wanted anything to do with me you would’ve at least answered one of the letters I sent you. Now get out of Pete’s seat.” Cash said, matching her flat tone with a serious expression on his face. Shay furrowed her brows at his words, she hadn’t gotten a letter from Cash since her sophomore year at NYU. She’d received it shortly after that sad Thanksgiving at his mom’s house but at the time she’d been trying her hardest to forget about that day all together. So, she just never answered it with the vague after thought she’d just talk to Cash about it at Christmas if he ever brought it up. Of course, that was because Shay didn’t know Cash had no intention of ever coming back home for a holiday again…

“Pete can sit by you, what letters are talking about?” Shay asked in a gentle but serious tone as her green eyes searched his blue ones for an answer. Cash sighed and shifted uncomfortably under her gaze for the first-time since he walked up to her table which took Shay a bit by surprise. She could count the number of times Cashton Ewing had ever looked this vulnerable on one hand and most of those times were back when his abusive, alcoholic father, Huck Ewing was around. Seeing him like this had forgotten memories of a battered Cash crawling through her window with tears streaming down his face and Shay couldn’t help the twinge of guilt that came along with them. Shay wasn’t sure how her brain ever let her forget the way they used to cling and hold each other back then. Or why neither of their parents seemed to care Cash and her slept and cuddled in the same bed every night until they were fourteen, innocently of course, but Shay can’t recall them ever being supervised. Shay glanced over at Daisy and Pete who were looking between her and Cash like they were watching a daytime soap opera.

“Pete doesn’t want to sit by me, do you Pete?” Cash asked him sharply, taking a turn at ignoring part of Shay’s words this time. Shay sighed feeling some of her guilt subside to make way for her growing annoyance towards Cash once again.

“Nope, I’d very much like to sit by my future wife Shay, so, mosey on over there by your silver fox why don’t ya” Pete replied almost instantly, almost as if he and Cash had rehearsed it beforehand. Shay felt another blush sweep across her cheeks as she looked at the two feeling equal amounts annoyed, suspicious, and embarrassed that Cash had told him about her complimenting his hair.

“No can-do Pete, Daisy and I are planning for the wedding and the bachelor parties. I know Cashton is insufferable, annoying, and obnoxious but do you think you can manage sitting next to your best friend just for today?” Shay asked in an overly sweet tone. She stared up at Pete and batted her eyelashes while a trace of a smirk made its way onto her face at the annoyed look, she could see Cash making out of the corner of her eye. Pete looked like a deer in headlights, his brown eyes darted between Shay and Cash before settling on an amused looking Daisy.

“You didn’t find me that insufferable when you thought I was a total stranger Shaylee Rose. In fact, it looked like you were contemplating letting me get you out of that cute little dress before they got here, and all I had to do was touch your thigh.” Cash said with a coquettish smile plastered on his face. He barely even had to move from his planted spot on the loveseat to trail a pointedly teasing finger up Shay’s leg because his arms were just that long. Shay felt her whole face flush a bright shade of red as she swatted Cash’s hand away from her sharply despite the wave of arousal she felt radiate throughout her body.

“Don’t flatter yourself Cashton and mow I know better than to let someone sit at my table so, trust me it won’t happen again” Shay replied with a scowl on her face, Cash’s coquettish smile didn’t falter, and he opened his mouth to say something snarky back to her, but Daisy cut him off.

“Okay let’s pause the bickering like an old married couple just for a second here…” Daisy said clearing her throat awkwardly though her brown eyes looked very much amused as they looked between them. Shay narrowed her eyes at her comparison of choice but managed to not snap back at her even though she could feel Cash tugging on a few of her curls teasingly.

“Actually Shay, I think it would be easier to talk about things if you sat across from me so, you and Pete should switch. Cash will behave himself, won’t you Cash” Daisy said sharply, Shay heard Cash let out an annoyed sigh and his pestering pulls on hair stop immediately.

“Sure, I’ll behave myself but only if you do darling” Cash said, reaching over to bop Shay on the nose with the same coquettish smile on his face. Shay narrowed her eyes and looked between him and Daisy with an obvious pout on her face.

“Daisy, I don’t think that’s necessary…” Shay said through gritted teeth, Daisy batted her eyelashes innocently, but Shay didn’t miss the impish glint swirling in her eyes. Shay had a sinking suspicion her original train of thought had been correct; Daisy Martin was playing matchmaker and for whatever reason she’d decided Shay and Cash were going to be the new couple that emerged from her wedding party.

“Shay it’s just for lunch” Daisy said reassuringly but it did absolutely nothing to soothe the influx of conflicting thoughts and emotions running through Shay right now. Part of her wanted something to happen between her and Cash and yet part of her didn’t. Part of her wanted to believe Cash was being sincere and that his flirting wasn’t just him toying with her but part of her still felt like it was and ultimately, she’d be the one hurt in the end because she always was…

“Daisy…” Shay said looking at her with pathetic and pleading green eyes that seemed to be having Daisy rethinking something at least. Cash let out a dissatisfied sounding grunt and Shay felt him wrap his arm around her waist firmly enough that she couldn’t wiggle free.

“You heard her, Cherry Blossom, come on now, be a good girl and sit with me, please…I won’t bite you without your permission” Cash said, his tone was more playful than anything this time, but Shay couldn’t help but still feel annoyed with him and everyone really. She made sure to shoot every one of her friends with a menacing glare before she begrudgingly let Cash guide her into the spot next to him with one strong arm.

The minutes ticked by with a long-awaited waiter finally coming out to take their order. He returned sometime later with a pitcher full of sangria and a heartfelt apology for Shay never getting her glass. Shay was mildly aware the waiter was flirting with her at some point during said apology, but free wine is free wine, and she wasn’t about to let it go to waste. Cash had mostly stayed true to his promise to behave by the time the appetizers came out and Shay and Daisy had finally got around to discussing plans for the bachelor party. Shay noticed that Cash seemed to become increasingly grumpy every time, said waiter emerged from the wine bar but she chalked it up to him being annoyed he couldn’t pester her the way he really wanted to.

“Instead of doing separate parties for bachelor parties we could do one big, combined party and pick a fun theme” Shay said, trying her best to ignore the way Cash resumed twirling a lock of her hair. She could see him staring at her intently out of the corner of her eye but kept her gaze trained on Daisy. Daisy nodded her head and pondered the idea with a smile on her face.

“That could be fun everyone could dress up, what do you guys think?” Daisy said animatedly, looking over at Pete with hopeful eyes. Pete nodded his head in agreement because his mouth was full of spinach and artichoke dip at the moment.

“Depends what theme Shay thinks up in this pretty head of hers. I for one don’t fancy dressing up and I know a lot of the guys feel the same way” Cash shrugged nonchalantly. Shay rolled her eyes because you could always leave it up to Cashton Ewing to be a party pooper for the sake of being the cool tough guy. Shay hadn’t seen him dress up for anything other than a school dance since they were kids and of course he wasn’t dressing to impress her. Shay took a long swig of her glass of sangria as names of Cash’s past connections flashed in her head in big angry letters.

“Then I guess you won’t be coming to the party, how sad” Shay said dryly though her gaze was still fixated on a now uncomfortable looking Daisy. Cash didn’t reply but his finger halted twirling her strand of hair and his ocean blue eyes bore into the side of her face for a long moment.

“Well, I’m sure it’s okay if not everyone dresses up…it’ll still be fun” Daisy said, Shay shook her head just as their waiter reemerged from the bar with a tray full of their food.

“Nope, I’m putting it on the invite dressing up is required if people don’t want to dress up, they’re welcome not to but then they aren’t coming. They can stay in their suites and pout, I’m sure they’ll find someone to keep them company and warm their bed…” Shay shrugged, she felt Cash’s hand fall from her hair and another dissatisfied grunt escape his lips.

“Or we could just have separate parties like traditional people. The guys can do what they want to do, and you girls can play dress up and throw your party like you want to do. Then everyone wins because like I said a lot of the guys share my stance, right Pete?” Cash said, Pete once again looked like a deer in the headlights and didn’t seem to want to pick a side for once. His brown eyes grew wide as saucers and pleaded with Daisy to rescue him.

“Oh, please believe it or not, not everyone is a party pooper like you. Some people enjoy having fun and even if they don’t the party isn’t about them. I think you can afford to not be selfish for once and go to a party, smile pretty, and dress up for your best friend Cashton Michael. You can take Pete to the strip club on a different night, can’t you?” Shay said coolly, finally turning to meet his gaze with harsh green eyes. Cash’s face hardened into a glare and his blue eyes turned icy as they met hers in a way that oddly enough had her stomach doing flips again.

“Who said anything about a strip club, I just don’t want to dress up in a stupid costume for a party you just started planning five minutes ago and Pete already knows I don’t like dressing up. And why do you keep saying ‘your best friend’ like that when you’re the one who decided you didn’t want that title anymore, I didn’t take it from you. So, I’m really failing to see how you think I’m the one being selfish here Shaylee Rose, what about you” Cash said sharply, Shay stared at him blankly for a minute before rolling her eyes.

“What about me Cashton when have you ever done anything for me or anyone for that matter just to make them happy, huh? Because last I checked I was always the one bending over backwards to make you happy in our friendship and I just couldn’t do it anymore, sorry. I bet if Opal May, Winnifred, or any number of your girlfriends from Boston wanted you to dress up for their party you’d do it in a heartbeat, wouldn’t you” Shay said dryly, gulping the rest of her wine before angrily pouring herself another heaping glass. Cash stared at her with disbelief swirling in his blue eyes, he opened and closed his mouth several times appearing to finally be at a loss for words. “Yeah, that’s what I thought” Shay muttered taking another long swig of her fruity beverage.

“I don’t know what Opal May has to do with any of this…Is that why you planned a whole trip to Cancun for spring break and didn’t invite me because you think I’m selfish and prioritize other people over you…Are you talking about what happened at Thanksgiving with Winnifred because…” Cash asked her in a soft, careful tone with an unreadable expression swirling in his eyes. Shay pursed her lips and took another small sip of wine as she focused her seething gaze on the waves crashing on the shore in the distance.

“I didn’t invite you because I didn’t think you’d detach yourself from dear old Winnie long enough to get on a plane. Besides she shot down the idea about sunny vacation after she whisked you away to help your mom in the kitchen said something about redheads and the sun being mortal enemies or something… Where is Winnie anyway, not enough glory being the plus one to a small-town wedding?” Shay grumbled; she heard Cash let out a frustrated sounding sigh behind her, but she couldn’t bring herself to meet his gaze as unwanted flashbacks from that Thanksgiving trampled her brain. A thick layer of silence fell over their table with a level of awkwardness that matched the one that loomed over them the last holiday the four of them had spent together. That Thanksgiving was the first holiday and last, to Shay’s knowledge, that Cash had brought one of his girlfriends home only he seemed to fail to tell everyone about her including his mother. Everyone was shocked when a redheaded Winnifred Howards popped up out of seemingly nowhere, at least that’s what Daisy told Shay after she’d already gone back to Tyler and New York. Shay wasn’t stupid, she knew when nothing came of her seemingly unrequited crush on him in high school the day would eventually come that Cash showed up with someone better than her in every way on his arm. She had just hoped it would happen at the point in time when she was finally able to put her feelings for Cashton Ewing to rest. All her efforts to do so over the years had failed and Thanksgiving had been Shay’s biggest failure to date.

“Well gee, I guess I see where I fall on your friend roster Shay. You didn’t know I moved less than an hour from you and you apparently didn’t know Winnie and I haven’t seen each other since that Thanksgiving seven years ago either. You can say we broke up I guess but I’d hardly even call her my girlfriend, I just…” Cash trailed, his tone was low and serious but somehow had Shay’s annoyance and anger flaring tenfold. In her eyes Cash put her at the bottom of his friend pool long before she ever put him at hers, sure she distanced herself emotionally that sour summer but after that they still saw each other every day. They still talked regularly, which can only be expected when both of their other friends were dating each other. The emotional distance was more a necessity to protect what was left of her pride because she’d been stupid enough to fall for her best friend, the most desirable boy at their school. She’d also had been stupid enough to let herself believe that there might be something between them on far too many occasions for her liking. The last of which was that heavy conversation on Thanksgiving they had in his bedroom, which seemed more like a confessional more than anything to Shay now. Whatever hope of requited love she had during that conversation walked right out the door when an overtly perky redhead came in and insisted Cash help her and his mom in the kitchen. No amount of Cash pleading with Winnie to give them a few more minutes could ever make that level of heartbreak go away. It was a level that surpassed the angsty melodramatic one she felt most of that lonely summer with her aunt in LA but still it wasn’t quite as gut wrenching as walking into Tyler’s hotel suite in Cleveland later that evening.

Shay felt her green eyes well up with bitter, vulnerable tears before she finally turned her gaze back to Cash. Cash gazed back at her with intense, melancholy looking blue eyes that seemed to be searching hers for something. You could cut through the growing tension between the two with a knife as another awkward type of silence overtook their table.

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“Daisy, she really looks like she might kill him right now maybe this wasn’t a good idea��” Pete said in a hushed voiced, his brown eyes were fixated on the two friends he’d known since his grade school years with a fearful type of fascination. Daisy sighed, still looking at the pair like she was very much watching a soap opera.

“I know, I don’t even know what happened. They looked so cute when we got here, maybe we should just let them have lunch alone. Cash seems to perform better that way, I know he’s nervous but this… this is just sad” Daisy muttered, Pete stifled a chuckle as he finally let his eyes fall on the love his life adoringly.

“We still can you know, lovely. Honestly, they probably won’t even notice at this point. We could go to the beach and sip cocktails, we could even…” Pete trailed, Daisy furrowed her dark brows at him although she was smiling at him as brightly as ever.

“We could even what?” Daisy asked.

“Leave the rest of the planning for the wedding and the parties up to them. The two of them working together might implore them to finally unpack allll of this” Pete said in the same hushed tone as he motioned between their two glowering best friends. Daisy bit her lip, pondering his proposal for a moment. Honestly, nothing could be worse than whatever was going on between the two now.

“I love it when you encourage me to play matchmaker, my lovely but what if Shay actually kills him?” Daisy said in a joking tone as she started jotting a quick letter for their unsuspecting best friends on a piece of paper. Pete stifled another chuckle.

“She loves him too much besides you and Shay weren’t going to get any real planning done with Cash doing… what his doing now?” Pete said letting out an almost disappointed sounding sigh as he took in the sight of Cash gripping Shay’s face in one of his large palms and gently squeezing her cheeks with a serious look in his eyes.

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Shay glowered at Cash for what felt like forever partly because she couldn’t decide if she just wanted to argue with him some more or just cry her eyes out. Those always seemed to be the only options she ever had with him since she was fourteen and she hated it.

“I don’t know how that’s my fault Cash, you bring him flings home and treat them like regular girlfriends and somehow it’s my job to be able to spot the difference?” Shay said in a low bitter tone, Cash sighed and with it his blue eyes softened up a bit.

“No, I’m saying you could’ve just asked me, Cherry Blossom, you used to ask me things you know and now you just shut me out…” Cash said in a careful tone, Shay opened her mouth to argue with him but part of her knew she couldn’t because he was right. She had shut him out and she wished she could tell him why, but her words always seemed to fail her when it came to him, and she could never figure out why. Talking to him used to be so easy and now it just felt like an up-hill battle, an endless trek that seemed to lead her nowhere.

“I don’t know what to ask you anymore, Cash, okay. Everything between us is weird and different and awkward, and I just don’t know how to talk to you anymore, I guess. So…” Shay’s rambling was cut short by Cash reaching over to grip her cheeks in the palm of his hand, gently squeezing them between his thumb and fingers with amusement swirling in his blue eyes though his expression was serious.

“So don’t talk, Cherry Blossom” Cash chuckled softly, Shay felt her cheeks flush at both the action and his words as familiar nervous, smitten butterflies swirled in her stomach. His squeeze loosened the slightest bit as the two of them stared deeply into each other’s eyes for what felt like an eternity. Unlike the previous silence they had fallen into over the twenty or so minute emotional rollercoaster they went on, this one was more comforting, more wholesome, and dare Shay allow herself to think it almost loving in an odd way because she for once felt like Cash heard her loud and clear.

“Your foods getting cold, Cherry Blossom…” Cash said just above a whisper though he made no move to let go of Shay’s face for some time even after the words left his mouth and hung in the air. The faint lull of another dreamy indie pop songs floated between them in a way that seemed oddly fitting for the odd little moment they were sharing.

“Well, I can’t really eat until you give me my face back, Cashy. Unless you want to feed me” Shay said almost timidly, she watched Cash’s lips curl into a genuine smile that reminded her of the ones he used to give her when they were silly kids running up and down the sandy beaches. And she swore she felt her heart flutter when his blue eyes lit up at her before looking over at Pete and Daisy.

“I’ll feed you if you want me to darling and I’ll even drive you home, preferably in that fancy new Audi of yours if you’ll let me but you’re definitely going to need a designated driver after lunch…” Cash chuckled, turning Shay’s head to face their table full of food and cocktails with an amused smirk on his face.

“They ditched us” Shay gasped in disbelief taking in Pete and Daisy’s now vacant chairs with wide, mildly offended eyes. Surely the last twenty minutes of her and Cash’s bickering couldn’t have been that bad, no this was all part of meddlesome Daisy’s plan.

“Oh look, they left us a cute little note, how sweet of them” Cash said finally letting go of Shay’s face to grab the piece of paper neatly tucked under one of the cocktail glasses.

“It says and I quote, Dear Shay and Cash, if you're reading this it means you’ve finally noticed Pete and I ditched you bickering old bats to go to the beach or Cash is dead and the detectives assigned to solve his case are reading this…in which case it definitely was not Shaylee Harris. Cash is pretty and all but he ain’t that smart and I’m sure he just pissed off another blonde and got himself shot in the shoulder nothing to worry about…. Any who, during your insistent bickering Pete and I decided your problems would best be solved by you two spending some quality alone time together 😉. From here on out you two will be tasked with working out our wedding details and planning those parties TOGETHER. We know you can do it just put those pretty heads of yours together and figure it out, talk it out, kiss it out…. DO WHATEVER IT TAKES, just get on with it already. Lunch and cocktails are on us. Have fun, lots of fun, Love Pete and Daisy” Cash finished reading out loud.

“Ugh, they planned this you know” Shay said glancing over at Cash with the fainted pout on her face and rosy cheeks. Cash flashed her yet another uncharacteristically sheepish smile that had Shay narrowing her eyes at him in suspicion because she swore, he was blushing.

“Were you in on this too…Casanova?” Shay asked him pointedly, Cash shook his head and busied himself by twirling her pasta on a fork.

“No, Cherry Blossom, I can honestly say this…was all them but I’d be lying if I said having an excuse to be attached at your hip for the foreseeable future wasn’t making me giddy. Now be a good girl and eat some of this for me, I’d hate to see you hurl all over those nice leather seats of yours, beautiful” Cash said raising the fork to her mouth with a teasing smile on his face.

“This is going to be the longest few weeks of my entire life…” Shay muttered, picking up her wine glass with a soft, defeated sounding sigh despite how many flips her stomach was doing….

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#thomas ian griffith #black friday 2007 #eventual smut #cash ewing #friends to lovers #cash x oc #the kidnapping 2007 #terry silver #summer romance

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