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rose-tinted-kalopsia · 7 months

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≡;-꒰ 𝐙𝐀𝐘𝐍𝐄 ꒱₊˚ ପ⊹ I 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒖𝒍

╰┈➤ ❝ zayne x afab!reader | smut nsfw 18+ mdni

tags : softdom!zayne, husband!zayne x wife!reader, reader has body insecurities and negative thoughts, kissing, heavy petting, body worship, praise and reassurance, nipple play, clit play, fingering, vaginal sex, unprotected sex, creampie, breeding, soft sex, slight dirty talk, slight cursing, use of pet names "sweetheart" "snowflake", lmk if i missed any tags !! ((unedited))

wc : 5.4k

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You couldn't sleep.

It was late; later than late—you knew that once Zayne got home, you would definitely be reprimanded for your sleeping habits again.

But how could you sleep like this?

The day had kept you restless.

Tara had proposed another one of her gala nights this afternoon, having practically spammed your texts with an invite for next week. She was quite adamant in this one, considering it was the only time that everyone seemed to be free enough at the same time, and of course, it went without saying that you were invited. But Tara wanted it to be extra special—to make up for all the lost time, and to make the most of the moment, because who knew when you all could get together like that again?

And you couldn't really argue with her on the matter; she had a good point. Though Tara and you saw each other often enough, both being the senior hunters that you were, schedule clashes were becoming more and more common. Suffice to say, it was even harder for the two of you to get ahold of the other girls you'd become close friends with over the years. Adulting was hard, sometimes.

So naturally, this was, as she put it, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, one worthy of a little extra—and while exaggerated, in typical Tara fashion, you could definitely see where she was coming from.

You wanted to meet with the girls, just as much as she did.

But formal events had never been your favorite.

Earlier in the afternoon, you had spent your lunch break with Tara in favor of scouring for the perfect new outfit for that night out. "Window shopping only, for now, of course!" she had said, none too keen on spending right from the get go, but excited to scan all the options nonetheless. And perhaps, you, too, had been excited along with her—Tara's energy was always contagious, and she knew exactly how to string people along with her in all of her happy-go-lucky skip-throughs. But soon enough, you were quickly reminded as to why you disliked formal events so ardently.

It was the clothes.

While many girls you knew jumped at the prospect of dressing up a little fancier, it was hard for you to love—you never saw yourself as someone with a body shape that could easily fit into these fancy clothing, and you had always been jealous of the girls around you that did. You weren't exempt from the same desire to dress up, of course, but—it was simply harder to enjoy when it has only ever caused your confidence to dwindle.

You, yourself, had never really voiced out your insecurities.

You didn't know if the girls knew, nor if Tara had figured out why you were so hesitant to try things on with her.

But whether or not you spoke about it or showed it at all, it did nothing to change the reality that those thoughts were there.

In truth, you hated it.

Despised it.

You never thought yourself to look good in those form-fitting clothing; never thought yourself to look good in a dressed up skirt. If anything, it was hard for you to feel comfortable in such clothing at all—and shopping for them was always a pain.

You wanted to meet with the girls.

You did, you really did.

But suddenly Tara's little cocktail dinner party was more daunting to you than you'd have liked it to be.

Naturally, by the end of your little mall adventure, Tara had found herself a few options to go back, revisit and, perhaps, buy for that very night... While you remained blank on your choices.

The mere thought had you sinking even deeper into the duvets, never more grateful for the fact that you were covered and unseen under the thickness of them.

Your mind was simply racing too much.

You, too, wished you could just sleep all of your thoughts away, and maybe, maybe, the morning will be more bearable.

...If only.

You haphazardly brought the duvet over your head, burying yourself completely hidden under them, and let out a whine.

Zayne would probably be home in a few moments.

He would see you like this, very much wide awake despite all his texts having insisted you not to wait up for him, already on the verge of crying from the sheer intensity of your less-than-welcome thoughts.

You didn't know how much he knew of all this, either.

Though you had been together for a couple years, married for roughly one—the topic had simply never come up. You hadn't explicitly told him anything about it; you'd simply managed enough through all the other formal events you'd had to attend.

You didn't want to be a baby.

In the end, you knew that this would pass, and you would get through it just fine like you always did—

Only that, somehow, today, it was worse than all the other days.

The thought of trying to get through this like you normally would only made your heart churn with discomfort, tears welling up in your eyes unwarranted.

Fuck.

Your lips quivered.

You didn't want to cry.

Zayne would be getting home from a long day.

He would be tired.

He would want to sleep.

He had an equally early start to the next day, and you couldn't—

You couldn't possibly bother him with petty problems you could solve on your own.

You always have, anyway, right?

Why should now be any different?

You heard the door click gently, followed soft, careful footsteps padding the floor to the room—

The minute the doorknob turned and you could vaguely make out the brief flicker of light, you shut your eyes tightly and turned to the side.

You had to sleep.

You swallowed thickly as you heard the faint rustle of fabric, the lightest clink of a hanger meeting its clothesrail, and the shifting of weight on the mattress.

Though you were under the blankets, you could feel the telltale warmth of your husband beside you, enough for it to have some form of comcort wash over you in an instant.

Perhaps, too much comfort.

You felt a tear roll down your cheek, and you drew in a careful, shaky breath.

Of course, Zayne, of all people, would never miss the slightest of cues from you.

"Sweetheart?"

There was a soft murmur of his voice over the top of your head, and you felt the duvet being slowly peeled off of.

There was a rush of cooler air over your face, and Zayne's arms wrapped around you, pulling your body closer to his.

...Ah, shit, you instantly surrendered, knowing there would be no way to play it off, only willing for those stupid tears in your eyes to magically disappear.

"You're awake, aren't you? It's not healthy to sleep under the blankets like that."

His voice was soft, and gentle, and he placed a light kiss into your hair.

You swallowed thickly.

"H-how was your shift...?"

You winced internally, thinking the waver in your voice was already a very telltale sign.

And as you were met with momentary silence, you figured you had been right.

Zayne shifted around, gently pulling you backwards against him, just enough for him to see your face.

And the moment your eyes locked, it was almost as if you couldn't take it anymore.

His lime-green eyes regarded your own with concern, and affection, and love—

It was almost as if all and any emotions swimming restlessly in your heart overflowed in an instant, and you couldn't think to stop the tears from falling. Choked sobs edged their way out of your throat, completely ignoring the horror at your sheer inability to control your own emotions.

You were so... pitiful. So pathetic.

You'd promised yourself you wouldn't cry in front of him over this, and yet, here you were.

Insult after insult swirled adamantly in your head as you turned, burying your face into his chest, desperately searching to anchor yourself in his warmth.

"What is it, snowflake? Are you unwell? What's wrong?" He murmured into your hair, soft, soothing rubs against your back, holding you tight against him—and you didn't feel like you deserved any of it. You wanted yo shy away from his gaze, from his touch—but the mere thought of such irrationality had you sobbing harder, berating yourself for even daring to doubt him at all.

You shivered in his arms, shaking your head, willing yourself to calm down.

And, perhaps, to you, there was no greater comfort than having him here with you.

Despite the conflicts in your mind—whether or not you were deserving of all of his affection—Zayne, and his sweet whispers of comfort, his reassuring squeezes, his loving caresses... Time and time again, you would never fail to find solace in his arms.

Now was no different.

Zayne always had that effect on you, and, perhaps, you wondered if maybe you should have considered opened up to him about this much sooner.

Now, at least, it was enough for you to steady your breaths, eyes closing, your own arms shifting to hug him back.

"Talk to me, sweetheart," he said, running a hand through your hair, soothing you through your sniffles. "It's bad to go to bed with negative feelings. Won't you tell me what's wrong?"

He didn't push you away, nor egg you to look back up at him, but you could easily hear the concern in his voice.

You shut your eyes tightly.

"...But you're tired," you whispered. "It's silly, Zayne..."

"It is not silly, not if it can make you cry."

This time, he brought his hand to your cheek, caressing it gently, and you tilted your head upwards to meet his gaze. "I didn't see you all day, snowflake," he nuzzled your forehead. "What happened to make you so upset while I've been absent?"

You pouted, already feeling another set of tears prick at your eyes, though you blinked them away rapidly.

"I... I missed you," you said quietly. And it was the truth, just not—all of it. It wasn't as if you planned on lying to him—what kind of a wife would you be if you did?

But you wouldn't have known where to start on this otherwise.

It was still true, anyway.

You'd missed his presence; you almost wished you had spent your lunch break with him like you normally did, and, perhaps, that way you wouldn't be feeling so down in the dumps like this.

But what was done was done.

"I missed you, too, sweetheart." He brushed the tears away from your face, and leaned down to place his lips on your temple, causing you to close your eyes at the gentleness in his every action. "But it's more than that, isn't it?"

Ah, a faint, barely-there smile made its way to your face. Zayne always knew you so well.

You let out a sigh, feeling yourself move in to chase his lips, hopeful for a more proper kiss that you had, in fact, been missing for most of the day.

While he allowed you to steal one, his eyes were expectantly searching yours.

You faltered, like you always did.

"...There's... a cocktail party next week..." You started quietly, moving to lay back on your back, eyes focusing on the ceiling above. "Tara planned it just this afternoon. A girls' outing."

"Did she? It's been a while since you've had those."

"...Yeah."

You turned to look at him, another tiny pout forming on your lips. "I just... I don't know if I want to go..." You leaned into his touch when he brought his hand back to cup your cheek, a familiar, comforting action he would often do with you.

"If you don't, then you shouldn't," he spoke matter-of-factly.

You let out a soft laugh.

It was a very Zayne-typical answer.

"Right, because it's always that simple," you rolled your eyes playfully. "...I wish it was, anyway. Zayne, I haven't seen them in forever..."

"Forever would be an exaggeration..."

You could almost hear the frown in his voice, but for a while, you didn't say anything else.

"...Sweetheart?"

Another gentle squeeze of your arm, and your eyes searched his, feeling your throat close up at truly admitting the source of your problems.

But you should, right? This was... communication. The both of you had always valued it; you couldn't just... go back on your own promises to him.

...It might have made you hate yourself more if you did.

"Zayne... I— I want to, but..."

You paused, taking in a deep breath, averting your gaze once more. Your lips quivered again, and Zayne's immediate reaction was to give you another soft, gentle kiss. Now, you could only close your eyes, focusing instead on the lingering feeling of having his lips upon yours, if only to keep yourself from breaking into tears yet again.

"I-I don't feel like I... Like my body very much, these days..." Your voice came out barely a whisper. "It's a formal event, right? Fancy dresses and all that... I went window-shopping with Tara today, and, I—"

Your breath got caught in your throat, and you shook your head, moving once more to bury yourself into his chest.

"I don't know, Zayne... Maybe, I think I just feel—hard to love, right now, or something. And it's so stupid. I know that you love me, I know that the girls do, and I've never questioned it, I just—I don't feel like I'm pretty enough to be loved, and..."

You clutched him tightly as more of your tears seemed to fall without your consent at all, your own heartbeat thrumming wildly in your ears just painfully hyperaware of just how pathetic you were being.

And you've been feeling pretty darn pathetic for virtually the entire day.

You really couldn't tell if crying was making you feel any better, either—you'd held it together this whole day up until now, but each and every time you spoke, it was almost as if the tears wouldn't stop. Even as he sighed into your hair, even as he hald you close, even with his soft, feathery kisses over the top of your head.

"Don't cry, snowflake," he murmured, gently rubbing your back. "Here, breathe with me. Relax, alright, sweetheart?"

You swallowed your sobs, settling slowly into whimpers and then slowly into hiccups, focusing on the steady movements of his palm against the silk of your nightgown.

"That's it. Breathe, okay?"

You sniffled as you looked up, pouting visibly, and he reached over to wipe your tears away once more, shifting to press his forehead against yours.

"Sweetheart. Have you been feeling this way for some time now?"

His eyes were intense. They carried within them was an emotion you couldn't quite place. It was almost as if it had swirled into a complicated mix, almost as if desperate to pull you out of your self-deprecating reverie; only giving way to a certain kind of sorrow when you feebly nodded your head.

"Oh, snowflake," he whispered, and the genuine regret that was laced into his voice made your heart thrum. "If only you had told me sooner."

"...M'sorry, Zayne..."

"Why do you apologize? I only wish to make you feel loved. Because I do love you. And I think you are the most beautiful, beautiful woman I have ever laid my eyes upon."

His words felt weighty on your heart, nd you had to swallow down, for the nth time that night, that very same desire to cry.

"...Zayne..."

This time, he kissed you—soft, and slow, and gentle; not unlike most of his kisses, but laced with a certain passion that almost seemed to drown out all the fragments of disdain still in your mind. His hand moved up to your hair, his other drawing you even closer against him, the heat from his skin becoming ever more noticeable to you.

When you pulled back from his kiss, eyes dazed and mildly breathless, he traced his fingers over your face—from your eyes, to your nose, to your mouth, to your jaw... And down, over your collarbone, over the skin of your upper arm.

"You are beautiful, sweetheart," he repeated. And he stroked your arm, never once taking his eyes off of you.

For the first time that night, you thought—yeah. Maybe I am beautiful.

His hand, then, moved from your arm over to your clothed breast, grazing over the exposed skin peeking out of your now-disheveled nightgown, before trailing down to your stomach—and your hips—and your thigh—

You let out a shaky breath, your eyes moving downwards to watch as his hnd repeated the same motions, steadily feeling yourself relax into the lull of his caresses.

"Your hips," he mumbled. "Your stomach... your thighs... your arms... your breasts..." Zayne leaned over to kiss the tip of your nose, offering you the smallest of smiles. "Your cheeks. Your lips. Your nose, your eyes, your..."

"—Z- Zayne—"

"...Everything." His voice dropped low into a whisper, his hand slipping right between your thighs, brushing a knuckle against your clothed heat.

He nuzzled against you, sighing.

"You're beautiful, my snowflake. And I love every single part of you. Do you understand?"

You could only nod underneath his gaze, staying completely still as he moved his arm down to settle firmly over your waist, his eyes conveying a certain desire that was quite familiar to you.

"...Zayne," you mumbled. "A-aren't you sleepy?"

"No."

"But... You always say it's bad to stay up late..."

He gaze was unwavering; firm, yet expectant. You could feel his thumb rubbing circles into your skin, and when he lened back in to whisper over your lips, you could feel yourself dizzy at his hot breath against you.

"Maybe so," he whispered. "But you are more important right now. And if you would allow me, sweetheart... Then I, as your husbnd, would want nothing more than to show you just how much I love you."

Your breath caught in your throat.

His hand, now, would slide up ever so slowly, tracing the curvature of your spine, and you shuddered—

"Okay," you spoke, breathless, quiet, waiting in anticipation of his movements.

And when he smiled, you thought, truly, you couldn't wish for a more loving husband.

"May I know?" he mumbled as he gently moved the fabric of your gown up above your breasts. "What about your body do you hate so much?"

He stopped when you shivered involuntarily against the cold air on your stomach, subconsciously moving your arms over to cover yourself.

You looked away.

"I understand if you do not want to talk about it. If it's too much, then please, forget I as—"

"...I'm not slim, like the other girls," you cut him off softly.

Zayne's hands gently pried your own away from your stomach, bringing one of them up to kiss at your knuckles.

For a while, there was silence, and you shrunk under his gaze.

What if he also...

"You don't have to be," he interrupted your thoughts with a nod of his head, having finally gathered his thoughts, and his other hand moved back to stroke the side of your waist.

"...But... I-I don't fit well into dresses... My torso is long, and my figure isn't very flattering, my belly fat would show if I—"

He moved lower, this time, to place a trail of kisses from the valley of your breasts down over your navel.

"Z-Zayne..."

"You must understand that I think your figure is very flattering, sweetheart. You've always looked stunning in everything that you've worn. Don't you know how much self-control I must practice whenever I see you?" A smile tugged at his lips, and you almost shivered at the look in his eyes, goosebumps raising on your skin when he snaked his hand over to the plush of your inner thigh. "And I love the way my hands would mold into your skin. They fit so perfectly around your waist, your thigh... So easy for me to hold. Very easy for me to love."

He gave you a squeeze as if to prove his point, but you could only look away almost shamefully. "...But I have scars on my legs," you mumbled. "So wearing short skirts would expose them, and they're—"

"Beautiful."

He bent your leg to kiss your knee, gently brushing his fingers over the marks on your skin.

"They are beautiful."

Zayne shook his head with a sigh, before moving back up to capture your pout into another kiss.

"But—"

"No buts, sweetheart. These are not flaws to be hidden, nor things that you should feel the need to get rid of. They are part of you, and to me, that makes them perfect."

Another kiss, this time by the side of your jawline, and you drew in a breath.

"You are perfect, snowflake."

You felt your skin burn against his touch, and his words made you feel warm and tingly.

"The shape of your face is, too, perfect as it is. In case you were wondering. Just as perfect for me to hold, and just as perfect for me to kiss."

A kiss on your neck, to your collarbone, to your shoulders, down your arm...

"I can only say the same for your arms. So soft. They wrap perfectly around me, did you know that?" He smiled against your skin, before shifting to press you onto your back, caging you between his arms and hovering above you. "And your shoulders sit on you perfectly fine, I hope you don't think of them so badly, either. Frankly, they must be tired from carrying all the burdens you keep from me still..."

You noted the seriousness in his voice, and felt yourself subsequently relax.

"...Zayne, I—"

"Do not apologize. I won't ask for it, and you've nothing wrong. However... you must tell me, next time, sweetheart, whenever you feel like this. Can you promise me that?"

A silence followed, as if you were weighing your words—

And perhaps, you were.

It was never easy for you to speak of this thoughts. You'd think yourself normal if not for all these baseless insecurities, and you'd much prefer to keep them to yourself—

But what had that done? All these years spent holding in your tears, only to break at the slightest prod of your thoughts.

It wasn't as if crying had helped you.

It even made things worse, probably.

And it would do more harm to you if you continued in this unhealthy cycle of bottling things up.

"...You don't mind?" you whispered. "I don't want to bother you... You're always so busy..."

"Oh, sweetheart. I will always have time for you. And I am always here to listen. You understand that, don't you?"

"...I know, but..."

"I am your husband. What husband would I be to ignore your concerns?"

You smiled faintly at that, finally finding in yourself the courage to loosely hook your arms around his neck.

In the end, Zayne was willing to be your confidant. And communication had always been important between the two of you, you knew this well enough—an issue like this shouldn’t be too different from that. Why would you keep such things from him, truly?

"Okay," you nodded, a promise to yourself and a promise to him. "I promise, Zayne."

"Good girl."

His praise, so associated now with certain activities that you had often done, went straight to your core—you almost wanted to hide, despite knowing you had given him consent to do as he wished, but he leaned in for another kiss.

You could feel his smile as he moved his lips against yours, biting gently at your lower lip enough to elicit a gasp.

When he pulled back, the mirth in his eyes was clear, and you jumped as you felt the pad of his thumb graze ever so slightly over your pert nipple.

"Z-Zayne..." you whispered, eyes searching his.

"Do you know what I love the most about your body?"

He spoke against your lips, close enough just to touch, but not quite.

You slowly shook your head no.

"You're always so responsive."

His hand moved to knead at your skin, brushing slightly over your nipple but never quite touching. His eyes fixed upon yours, taking in the way your eyelids would flutter and the way you would instantly shudder at his touch;

"So... expressive. So telling."

You couldn't help the way you whimpered, feeling yourself arch slightly into his hand, eyes closing as he flicked once more against your nipple before pinching it between the pads of his fingers.

The moan he elicited out of you was airy and long, and had you opened you eyes, you would see the way he tilted his head, watching you, observing you. He only continued, of course—rolling it slowly, tugging slightly, feeling the bud get harder between his nimble fingers. It was almost as if he were eager to hear more of you moans, and he would get them instantly.

"You're always so sensitive for me, sweetheart."

Without giving you a chance to react to his words, he dipped his head down, latching his mouth over your other bud, causing goosebumps to erupt all over your arms. Another moan fell from your lips. You felt him gently rub your waist once more to ease you into the pleasure, expertly working you up.

He knew you so well.

You could feel it in the way he pinched and rubbed at you in all the right places, skillfully swirling the tip of the warm muscle over your stinging nipple. You felt his saliva pool from the sides of his mouth and onto your breasts—when he pulled back with a 'pop', you flushed at the way he casually wiped it away, eyes never leaving yours.

"Z-Zayne, really, you..." You were breathless when he spoke, barely getting a chance to collect yourself when he sat up, spreading you open and settling between your legs.

"You're wet, aren't you?" he spoke matter-of-factly, but the look in his eyes told you that he was quite pleased. "Hm, what did I say? So responsive for me."

His hand moved lower.

"Just like the good girl that you always are..."

Lower, lower, digging into the waistband of your panties—

"And you are such..."

Another kiss on your stomach, and he slowly pulled the fabric away.

"A beautiful..."

His eyes dropped to the way your slick pulled with your underwear, a telltale sign of your wetness.

"Good girl."

Zayne moved to swipe a finger over your slit, collecting your arousal and spreading it over to your clit. He raised an eyebrow slightly at you as he did so, taking in the way you would mewl almost instantly; "So wet for me, my snowflake."

You whimpered, hands reaching out for him, settling only when he tucked you under his chin, easily slipping a finger into your hole.

"Mmh— Zayne..."

Another moan, and he kissed at your hair, gently pumping his finger in and out of you.

"See how perfect you are?" He murmured, and his thumb would press over your clit, gently rubbing in time with the languid thrust of his finger. "The way you wrap around me like this... I could keep my fingers inside of you all night long, sweetheart."

You could feel everything, with the way he took his time with you, exploring every inch of your pussy almost as if committing it to memory. And he was right—he felt perfect inside you, feeling his sighs against the crown of your head everytime he would clench around you.

He slipped another finger in, and you groaned at the stretch.

"Shit, Zayne," you whispered, feeling yourself buck up into his fingers.

"Language, sweetheart."

You almost laughed at his words, had he not quickened his pace, finally moving his head down to bring you into another deep kiss.

You could feel it—the gradual knotting in your stomach, the jolt of pleasure when he rubbed against your sensitive spots.

"Zayne—" You moaned when he pulled back from the kiss, eyes turning hazy. "Zayne, please, I'll cum—"

He peppered kisses over your face, and smiled.

"Cum for me, sweetheart."

You gasped as you climaxed almost as if by command, trembling in your place, eyes wide as you felt the pleasure rip through you intensely. Zayne continued to kiss at your skin, soothing phrases in your ear, gentle caresses over your arm.

"Z-Zayne, I... You...—"

He pressed his cock against your cunt, sighing into your neck.

"One more, sweetheart, okay?" he breathed, teasing your entrance with his tip. "I need to be inside you."

And how could you say no?

You could feel the lust radiating off of him, his chest heaving with remnants of self-control, leaving slow, languid licks on the side of your neck if only to placate himself.

It was rare to see him lose control, but you knew that he would always end up getting like this whenever he would push himself inside you.

He would only get like this with you.

For you.

Your heart jumped, and you nodded, running your hands over his back.

"I can take one more," you mumbled.

Immediately, inch by inch, you felt him sink deep into your cunt, feeling the stretch of your walls to accomodate his length no matter how many times you'd done this.

Your eyes closed as you hissed in pleasure, wrapping your legs around his waist, taking in the way he would gently rut against you. Soft, steady, rocking movements; the bed would creak along with his thrusts in a lull that had your eyelids fluttering closed.

"You take me very well," he groaned from the throat, voice slightly muffled into your neck. "So perfect for me, snowflake... Your pretty pussy around my cock..."

His words sent jolts of pleasure straight to your core, every squeeze of your cunt on eliciting a sharp hiss from his lips.

"Haah... Zayne..."

He made you feel loved.

His cock was snug in your walls, every vein and ridge dragging perfectly against you. You were made for him, and he for you—his low moans were music to your ears, and you hugged him tighter, your chest swelling with warmth.

"I love you," you whispered, bucking your hips up to meet his. "I love you, Zayne... so, so much."

He finally lifted his head, the lustful cloud in his lime-green eyes mixing with overflowing adoration.

"And I love you, sweetheart. More than you think. More than you know."

You'd never felt yourself glow at such words before.

The pace he kept was steady, but the lingering feeling of your previous high had you now moaning unabashedly, feeling yourself getting closer, and closer to another one.

"Please," you whimpered, feeling your nails dig into his back when he angled his thrusts, hitting that spot that had you seeing stars. "Please, Zayne, 'mso close..."

He shuddered at the way you clenched, obliging you with harder, deeper thrusts, adoring the way you would throw your head back in moans of his name.

"Fuck," he cursed, eyes closing, hips stuttering. "Go ahead, sweetheart, 'm right there with you."

You could feel the way he twitched inside of you, thrusts getting faster, more erratic.

"Inside, right?" you breathed, clutching him tightly, almost locking him in place. "Inside, Zayne, please—together—"

He moaned lowly, nearly driving you into the mattress with the force of his thrusts, your words igniting a newfound fervor. "Shit—you'd like that, huh, sweetheart? Want me to fuck a baby in you? You'll be such a beautiful mother, won’t you?"

Your eyes squeezed shut, focusing on the feeling of his cock against your walls, claiming your cunt in the way you liked best. "Yes, yes, yes," you chanted, "please, Zayne—"

You mewled in your release, clenching tightly, feeling him paint your insides white as ropes of his cum spurted deep inside of you.

You held him close, panting, burying your face into his neck.

"I love you," you whispered, repeating your words. "I love you, Zayne. I love you, and thank you... For always being there for me."

He panted as he thrust inside of you once, twice, plugging you full of his spend, before pulling out and kissing you deeply.

"I love you ever more. I will never stop feeling lucky to have you, and I will always be here. I meant it, sweetheart... You'd make a beautiful mother." As you flushed, he pressed a hand against your stomach, and smiled. "For what it's worth, your weight is perfectly healthy. And there is nothing wrong with your body, okay, snowflake?"

"...I know. Thank you, Zayne."

"Would you prefer to go shopping with me, instead? My shift will end earlier tomorrow. I would love nothing more than to spend the rest of the day with you."

This time, you smiled. You snuggled into his embrace, finding solace in his warmth, just as you always did.

"I'd like that a lot."

⁺₊ / an: i ended up combining a couple of requests for this (and the youtiful series as a whole) and finally got around to writing zayne!!! this was incredibly hard to write, i love him INCREDIBLY so, and something about writing him amplifies the need to have it down perfectly 😭

© rose-tinted-kalopsia. all rights reserved. do not: steal, copy, repost, reupload, modify, or claim any of my works as your own, regardless of credit given. absolutely do not use my works for AI training and other related purposes.

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abitlikelemon · 2 months

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Before I get any further into the 1900's, let's take a quick moment to reflect back.

For anyone just joining us, I am currently playing through a cc free (ish) decades challenge. I'll post expanding on what the (ish) means at some point, but I'm doing this for a number of reasons, the big one is I want to know if you can do it. Can you dupe the vibes well enough to feel emersed during each decade? I've got all the packs. This is easily a thousand-dollar game I now have. Yes, I am ashamed saying that. But, with all this money spent, I should be able to make this work.

With the 1890 decade complete, I wanted to share how I dressed or wished I had dressed my sims during this decade. Posts like this, shout out to out to Ashubii, really helped me along the way- so I want to return the favor to the community.

To start: -I am using zero CC clothing, hair, accessories etc. -I do have some "body" cc (lashes, skin overlay, body blush) -I am not a CAS simmer, so I'm not revolutionary in my styling -Between the limitations of what is available in game and my basic knowledge of the decade, don't expect accuracy just inspiration -If you want to know what pack an item is from, please ask! I am very WCIF friendly

I think it's also a good callout that I played the 1890s very 'country' focused. The 1900s outfits I have planned, I think, could easily work for 1890s if you were starting in more of a 'city' so come back for that post if you need fancier inspiration!

Here we have our main man, Bobert Pancakes showing off his everyday, formal, athletic, sleep, party, and cold weather outfits. He was a farmer, so his outfits were simple, and repetitive. His swim wear was his sleepwear, minus the socks, and his hot weather was his athletic wear plus the bandana from his every day- so I just saved a little room and left those off.

Here's Eliza 'I don't have a favorite child' Pancakes rocking an extra outfit because you know she has to be showing off. I have her everyday, formal, athletic, sleep, party, hot weather, cold weather outfits. Eliza is pretty country, maybe a little more than she would have liked. So, her outfits are also simple, repetitive, but with an extra bow. Her swimwear was a dress from Eco Lifestyle- but she never swam so I'm leaving it out, though you can see mouse nose Nora wear it in some gameplay screenshots.

Speaking of Nora! I grabbed her to show off some teen outfits. Though, these are more outfits I wished I dressed her and Hazel in. I also grabbed Arthur, Herbert, and Walter to show off their actual outfits. I've got, for the boys, an everyday for Walter and Arthur and party for Herbert. Nora is styling everyday, hot weather, and party. I dressed the teens, mostly, like adults because teenagers weren't really a thing in 1890, so I imagine they are wearing a lot of hand-me-downs. What I like about the outfits above is that they blend in the 1890s with newer fashion I will be including in the 1900s, I wish I did more of that sooner. I imagined those pieces were the few new items Eliza made for them.

So! Here we have Thomas rocking everyday, formal, party, hot weather, and cold weather. Hazel is wearing everyday, sleep, and formal. Children are tough to dress. Or, rather, dressing Hazel and the gals in this age group was painful. Some of her outfits are so bad, I won't share them. If you wanted to get a little CC in your life, this would be a spot I'd consider adding to. I was feeling so limited because all the skirts are short or very themed to Island Living. Swatches also were very modern, so there just felt like a million restrictions. You can see in the rest of the outfits, I have a preferred color pallet, so Hazel stands out (to me) like a sore thumb in comparison.

I'm grouping infants and toddlers together and, for the first time, showing off Aunt Sylvia and Uncle Harold's children. This is where my lack of interest in CAS really stands out. I do actually think this age group has good options but... I don't careeeeee. Again, I'm not a CAS simmer and this is where it shows. Generally, my toddlers and infants aren't going to events or honestly even leave the house. They are also this ae for only a few days. So, I repeated these looks for almost every little one. This is also probably why I couldn't tell the Pancakes' kids apart until they hit childhood/teens.

I hope this was as fun to skim over as it was to compile! Again, super open to questions or honestly suggestions. I'm having so much fun with this challenge I'm already thinking about doing it again, so I'd love ideas for the next round!

#ts4 historical #ts4 #ts4 decades challenge #pancakes decades challenge #decades challege #pdc gen 1 #ccfree #cc free decades challenge #the sims 4 #sims 4 decades challenge

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iyla-devar · 1 year

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Fangs & Fury || Iyla & Zane

TIMING: April 14, Iyla’s Birthday Party LOCATION: Iyla’s Home/Shimmering Sky Ba PARTIES: Iyla @iyla-devar & Zane @rn-zane SUMMARY: Zane offers himself to be Iyla's date to her birthday party CONTENT WARNINGS: alcohol, blood mentions

So apparently, regular people did live in giant houses like this and that wasn’t just something from movies. Zane had checked the provided address three times before finally daring to walk up the driveway, readjusting the lapel of his maroon blazer for the umpteenth time this evening. It didn’t quite fit right anymore, the sleeves a bit too short for his arms now, seams a bit tight around his shoulders. It was either that or an old jean jacket, which coupled with his least fabric pilled black T shirt, didn’t really scream cocktail. Or so he assumed.

This is what he got for not saying no, not even to strangers on the internet. Well, a stranger whose name he did know now. Iyla Devar, the owner of the intimidating house he was walking up to, the host of tonight’s party and someone who was apparently loaning him a tie. This could have been so easily avoided by some white lie about working tonight but perhaps, some small part of him was curious.

He hadn’t been to a party in… well, a while, and the fact that Iyla was so happy to invite strangers either meant she was hoping to make new friends or didn’t have many people to invite. Zane could relate to both so he soldiered on, fixing the gifts in his hands before politely knocking on the door. He had no clue whether the ribbon decorated bottle of wine was any good, seeing as he had zero experience in that department, but it had been one of the more reasonably prized bottles in the fancier shelves so fingers crossed. The box of chocolate had been grabbed as an afterthought because everyone like chocolate… right?

Feeling like he was picking someone up for prom (probably, he hadn’t gone to any of his) as he waited for the door to open, Zane took one last glance up at the giant expanse of the house. Hoping Iyla didn’t live here on her own, thinking it would probably get lonely in a giant house all by themselves. Lost in thought as the door swung open, he startled, holding out the wine and chocolates almost like a peace offering. “Hi, uhm… Zane. Happy belated birthday?”

Iyla didn’t know how to feel. She’d missed her usual week (or let’s be real, month) -long of birthday events. None of her friends had so much as texted about it, let alone thrown something together for her. And to top it off, half the fucking town had their birthday this week. It was gearing up to be the worst birthday since the one immediately following her death.

But that wasn’t going to stop Iyla from having the time of her unlife. She wasn’t one to sit around and mope, she hadn’t been like that in decades. Moping didn’t bring you back to life, didn’t bring you the one person you truly cared for, didn’t bring the heads of those responsible on a platter. No, your own action did those things. They also brought complete strangers to her very nice home on World’s End Isle.

Iyla had selected a number of fine ties, ties she’d foreseen giving to Tomas whenever she found him. The fury hadn’t anticipated it taking quite this long, but he wouldn’t mind her lending them to an altruistic nurse. Slinging about five or so ties over the back of a plush armchair in her formal living room, Iyla went to answer the knock on the antique heart pine door, her heels a crisp staccato on the hardwood.

The door swung open, revealing Iyla in a Mochino gold and black embroidered bustier top with a flowing black satin skirt, her hair slicked back, hinting at the styles she used to wear in the 20s. Diamonds trailed from her earlobes and dark, smokey makeup surrounded eyes that now raked over the nurse in front of her. She smiled as he thrust out his offering, making no move to take it herself. “Oh, Zane, thank you so much. This means the world. Won’t you come in? I’ve laid out a few options for you just there,” the fury gestured to the armchair.

Zane’s carefully plastered on smile faltered for a second as he was ushered inside, gifts outstretched for a moment too long before accepting the invitation to come in. It still felt odd, the feeling of gentle force making sure he didn’t cross a threshold to a home subsiding with an invitation but everything about his current situation was odd enough to make that part low on his list of priorities to think about. Wondering if Iyla had spotted the wine label and immediately recognized it as something she hated, Zane wandered into the large living room, feeling like he should be taking his shoes off as to not disturb the immaculate set up.

Feeling that the best option was to go with the person that was clearly comfortable with this whole situation, Zane stepped up to the armchair and carefully put the presents on the plush seat. The ties all looked nice and he had no idea if it made a difference which one he chose to go with the jacket and very scuffed up dress shoes from another of the vampires. So he stalled, turning back to Iyla while tugging at his blazer sleeves for lack of something better to do with his now free hands. “You look really nice,” he offered, gaze focused on her stunning eyeshadow and light catching earrings. The bustier top was sure to get her attention tonight but the rest of the outfit he had no idea on - she definitely looked eye catching but he wasn’t one to judge on the whims of straight men. “Definitely a birthday outfit that demands attention.

Clearing his throat, still working through the overwhelming sensation of being in a house this nice, Zane continued talking because how else would he quiet his thoughts trying to trample over one another. “Hope this,” he gestured lamely to the blazer and dark jeans, “makes the cut. I haven’t owned a suit since I graduated high school.”

Iyla was no stranger to people being awestruck around her. Her clothing, her accessories, her homes, her face, it all brought forth a sense of unease from people she was around. Usually due to their uncontrollable envy, but it was all the same to her. The man hovered in her doorway for so long Iyla wondered if he’d been stuck there, doomed to awkwardly enter a nice home for eternity.

Iyla glanced quickly down at the gifts he’d brought along, wondering if the closest Tiffany’s had been too far of a drive. The wine seemed reasonably priced for a Bevmo. She’d regift that one for sure. Perhaps to that other birthday woman with the child who wanted her to have happy hour to celebrate. She scoffed to herself at the thought.

“Oh, this old thing?” Iyla feigned modesty, giving a quick twirl to show off the gown that may as well have been sewn together just for her. “I didn’t have time to go shopping for something new, so I supposed it has to do.” Of his own ensemble, however, the same could not be said. Iyla’s eyes narrowed at his jacket with too short arms, his scuffed shoes, as if she were solving a puzzle that didn’t ask to be solved. “Hmmm, I actually think I might have something for you! One moment -” Her heels clacked away to one of the many coat closets, this one specifically overflowing with coats and jackets she’d “borrowed” from ex lovers or Alan. Plucking out a deep navy number, she returned and immediately set about removing his old blazer.

“Lucky for you, I’m a fashionista of all kinds. And I tend to have an eye for sizes…Aha!” Iyla stepped back from her human dress up doll, beaming. “Amazing what a simple coat change can do!” She crossed her arms. “Now I don’t believe I have shoes in your size, but no one will be watching your feet when the rest of you looks so good!” Or when she was stealing the limelight.

“Why don’t you own a suit? Everyone needs one, at least one.” Iyla turned to touch up her lipstick in the mirror. “You can keep that, by the way. For the next situation where you need a fitting coat.”

Zane was resisting the urge to squirm under the heavy gaze currently raking over his clothes, feeling overly scrutinized. Any attempt to object to more generosity from the woman died on his lips as Iyla was already storming off, continuing to demand control of the situation with the simple act of her heels clicking. The navy jacket she returned with did look nice, definitely nicer than what he was wearing. Again, his words didn’t manage to leave his mouth, the ‘thank you’ you going silent when swift hands were pulling at his blazer.

Trying to keep up with the rapid movements, turning this way and that to allow himself to… well, be dressed in the jacket by this still-stranger, Zane almost could have laughed at the absurdity that the first person to ever remove his clothes like this was a woman. A very beautiful woman, sure, but not quite his type. It was over quickly, his old blazer discarded and the new one - as promised - fitting snugly.

Iyla looked happy and well, if choosing some stranger’s outfit gave her this much joy then Zane wasn’t going to ruin that moment. Especially not on her birthday. “Very lucky,” he finally agreed, hands brushing over the fabric. It felt nice, probably more expensive than the whole of his closet combined. “And you’re definitely good with sizes.” A genuine smile finally found its way onto his lips. Moving closer to the mirror when she did, Zane watched the woman deftly apply her lipstick, feeling a note of envy for magic of makeup.

“I don’t know, there’s never been an occasion for me to need a suit in the last years. At least none that I’ve attended. Going solo gets a bit much after a while, anyway.” Zane slid his hands into the pockets, somehow even softer than the outside material, and smiled gratefully at Iyla’s reflection. “Thank you. I’ll try to get myself into more situations fitting of such a nice coat.”

If Zane was uncomfortable with her dressing him, Iyla paid him no mind. It wasn’t the first time she’d dressed a man and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. So hopeless, the lot of them. She stood back, admiring her work in the reflection. Just the simple change out of a blazer and the entire ensemble worked. It wasn’t perfect, the scuffed shoes, the wrinkled shirt, the slightly too short pants, but the fury wasn’t sure she had the time or permission to rip off Zane’s pants.

“I’ve had a lot of practice,” Iyla murmured, realizing she’d been so focused on the suit she never even bothered to realize there was no face above said jacket, not in the mirror at least. Interesting. Her eyes flickered back to the real person beside her, her gaze now more scrupulous than ever.

“No occasions?” Not even a funeral suit? Iyla thought. “There’s always an occasion, even more so if you’re going solo. You never know when there’s someone out there to impress.” Suddenly this interaction seemed more interesting than her party, which was saying something. “If you ever need a date to a function, I will almost never say no,” she offered, knowing damn well if the event wasn’t up to her standards she would 100% say no. “Or does your work keep you from attending?” Or your non-reflection?

Fine, there had been occasions. Staff parties, hospital galas, birthdays. Going solo meant more than just showing up without a date, though. It was quite literal, showing up alone and shuffling around people he knew from work while they talked about their personal lives, which were complete mysteries to him. Zane knew a lot of it was his fault, a combination of lack of trying and anxiety that he wouldn’t fit in even if he did. It always seemed better to not go.

“I’m pretty rusty in the impressing department too. If my total lack of date clothing didn’t give it away,” he joked, turning away from his host to have another look at the ties. Now that he had an actual, nice piece of clothing on, the task of choosing seemed a bit less daunting. Zane settled on a nice blue one, a lighter color than the jacket he’d been given, a distant memory of someone mentioning that blue highlighted his eyes rearing its head. “Work. General lack of social standing. The fact that I don’t drink,” he rattled off, turning back to Iyla with the tie hanging limp around his neck. He wasn’t even going to attempt to make the knot and even if he had, something told him the fashion-forward woman would have fixed it afterwards, anyway.

“And that’s a really nice offer but if I were trying to… impress someone, bringing you might give the wrong impression.” It felt nice to get it out there, to prevent any fumbled comment of his from being taken as flirting. “Aside from the fact that you’re way out of my league, you’re also on the wrong… team?” It was hesitant, a part of him still always expecting push back to the realization. The smile that followed was hopeful in a way. Iyla was… strange. But definitely not boring and underneath the glamorous house and general disregard for most things, there was a hint of something nice. At least Zane wanted to believe that, feeling his new gift on his shoulders as a reminder.

Iyla stepped over to the array of gifts the reflectionless man had brought over. She attempted to hide her wrinkled nose at the wine’s brand, bringing it over to her silver bar cart anyway. It was the thought that counted, right? At least it was wine that might get him talking more. Did he know he was dead, like her? Did he even know there was no one looking back at him when he smiled at himself in the mirror? Iyla knew better than most how hard that transition was, from life to life after death. Her own stubbornness had made her what she was, and Iyla doubted that her relatively slow acceptance to her new fate had helped anything in that department.

“Well practice makes perfect, you know.” Iyla popped the cork with ease, setting the bottle down to let it breathe while she selected two crystal glasses, her hand pausing as he said he didn’t drink. “Ah, so a little less fun, but no less in need of socialization.” She put one of the glasses back and poured herself a hearty cupful. “I have tonic or sparkling water?” Iyla offered, ever the hostess, her fingers already reaching for a rocks glass that had seen World War 2.

Iyla nodded, a sly smile winding onto her face. “Ahhh, there it is. Is someone not comfortable in their own skin? Is that why you don’t go out to parties?” The fury had plenty of friends, many of them all over the spectrum. She, herself, didn’t like to be tied down to one gender. Perhaps being undead wasn’t his only hangup regarding hang outs.

Iyla would have blushed had blood still moved within her. She was always a sucker for compliments. “What a shame,” she purred, setting her wineglass down as she set about preparing the tie he selected. “For someone who claims not to be fashionable or wear suits, you have good taste.” She was, of course, referring to her being out of his league as well as the tie he chose. “This one brings out your eyes.”

It was definitely a change, the instant acceptance of him not drinking. The excuses had already started forming on his lips when the cork was popped but died just as quickly. If anything, it made his stance on the whole thing completely flip, eyeing the now full glass with curiosity. It wasn’t like Zane was staying sober for a reason, more so a force of habit and general distaste for the bitterness or sting of all alcohol. “I should at least try it since I brought it.”

Not that thought out but this whole evening felt very spur of the moment, anyway. Zane was wearing someone else’s clothes, in a house that made him feel a little bit like a movie star and there was something about the woman that felt slightly dangerous but not in the life threatening way. Wasn’t alcohol supposed to be a bit of an anxiolytic, anyway?

The questions that followed were slightly condescending in nature but they didn’t quite hit the spot of making him want to recoil like when the other members of the clan called him ‘the freshman’. It felt more teasing but not quite judgemental. More so just… the way Iyla seemed to be, from what little he was starting to learn about the woman. “I guess,” Zane admitted, chin tilting up as she worked on the tie. “Even though male nurse usually makes people assume correctly.” The smell of her perfume wafted into his nose, the scent nice. Classy. Fitting for the woman currently complimenting him, making him fluster and feel grateful for his inability to blush.

“Thanks,” he stuttered out, nervous hands running over the perfect knot of the tie. His smile was lopsided as Zane reached for the glass she’d poured him after the rash decision made earlier, delving deeper into the unthought out plan as he took a sip. He’d never had wine before and would now never know how it was supposed to taste, but the faint sweetness and irony aftertaste was definitely… pleasant. Clearing his throat, he glanced over at the clock hanging on the wall. “We should get going, right? Guest of honor and everything.”

Iyla’s fingers lingered on the man’s tie, the whole impromptu evening feeling so familiar. She used to flirt and dress all her friends, men, women, gay, straight and everything in between. Of course, back in her prime things were much less accepted, but no less common. Her soirees were the talk of the town not only because they were lavish and second to none, but also because they were accepting.

“Ugh, you’d think we would have outgrown the idea that nurses and handmaids are meant to be feminine and weak, as if you don’t do more than half the doctors where you work, am I correct?” Iyla’s nose wrinkled, this time from the misogynistic way the world worked. Even in the 20s and 30s, Iyla never liked to succumb to the female stereotypes laid out before her. Socialite, sure. Kept housewife? Never.

Iyla sighed, downing the rest of her wine like a shot - it honestly tasted better that way - and snatched her purse off the coat rack. She glanced at Zane out of the corner of her eye, watching how he sipped at the wine he said he didn’t drink. Vaguely, she hoped she hadn’t helped him break some important act of sobriety, but the thought was quickly banished. What would it matter to her if he had? So long as he didn’t ruin the party. In fact, Iyla hoped he might loosen up a bit, maybe even dance with a cute boy or two. She smiled and snaked her arm through his.

“You’re right, we should be off.” Iyla nodded down at the glass in his hand. “If you enjoyed that, I have a bottle of Cristal in the car you can try. It’s vintage.” She wondered if he was as well, or if his undeath was shiny and new. “Now, let’s go make an entrance.”

The sensible part of his brain knew that one didn’t get drunk from two sips of wine, no matter their experience with alcohol. Even so, that was the feeling Zane had as the glamorous lady of the house led him outside to a sleek and shiny car, where the doors were opened for them by an elderly gentleman who addressed him as ‘sir.’ Not in the annoyed way that patients sometimes did when they were tired of waiting, calling it at his back as he tried to do five things at a time. No, it was respect. Granted, respect that radiated of Iyla and clearly seemed to affect everyone in her vicinity but the feeling was definitely a rush.

Cristal - a quite fancy champagne, Zane learned - was nice. It didn’t taste like much to his very picky tastebuds but the bubbles made it very pleasant to drink and toasting with Iyla in the back of a freaking town car was making it easy to pretend he was someone else for a moment. Someone who drank champagne, went to parties and knew most of the people there, was greeted by everyone he walked up to. The feeling of being that person overwhelmed whatever sense he usually claimed he had and the bottle was empty by the time they reached Iyla’s party. Who had drank more, Zane wasn’t sure, but he wasn’t really feeling anything so it was fine.

Just like when they’d left the house, Zane offered his arm to Iyla when she stepped out the car, finding himself to fit quite nicely into this role. With the way his companion looked, no one would really take notice of the pitfalls in his current outfit. If just for tonight, he could totally be chill and not overthink everything. The decorations inside were nice, the people dressed even nicer and it overwhelmed him for a second as he tried to remember the last time he’d been to an event. Despite the lack of practice, Zane had watched enough TV to know the next part his current role demanded of him. “Get you a drink?” he asked Iyla, already scanning the place for the bar.

Towncars and limos were so commonplace for Iyla, she’d forgotten the wonder they had over people. Feeling like a rockstar, feeling glamorous even if it was only by association, Iyla was always the provider of these feelings, and while in the past it made for shallow friendships, she never minded. Not to mention, Zane seemed much different from the twittering girls who usually clung to her sequined skirts and leather seats. Leonard drove them in style while Zane tried his first Cristal, not an event he was sure to forget. Even if the popular stuff didn’t taste all that much better than a Dom Perignon, the experience was one to remember.

Iyla, impressed with Zane’s manners as they exited the car, felt on top of the world. This was her playground, her native surroundings. A party, all for her. Not for all those other birthdays, just her, even if a few of them swung by for a drink. She took his arm, proud to be dangling from the altruistic and now well dressed Mr. Invisible Reflection, ready to begin the night’s festivities in earnest.

“Thank you, such a gentleman,” Iyla purred, intent on not fidgeting over the misplaced centerpieces or lack of ice sculpture she’d ordered last minute. How hard was it to carve an ice dancer in less than five hours? “I’ll take a vodka gimlet, make sure they use Rose’s Lime Juice.” Her eyes were already roaming over the crowd, a bit light for her taste, but it was still early enough. For a moment, she had a flash of that disastrous night, flames licking up the curtains, Tomas’ face disappearing behind a wall of fire.

Iyla cleared her throat and smiled. “I’ll just be a moment, have to make the rounds of course. Come and find me when you get those drinks, doll.”

Something flashed in Iyla’s eyes, barely visible in the room’s faint glow but it was there. Only for a second, her previous persona returning almost instantly. Zane wondered if she was worried about the party, wanting it to go well, but he didn’t ask. She was already moving on to other thoughts, whatever the fleeting one had been about, it was dismissed, and Zane decided to let her. His self assigned job tonight was making sure Iyla enjoyed her birthday. She probably didn’t need any help with that but as of right now, she was the only person he knew here, however little he did know.

Her drink was ordered with utmost care, the bartender giving a pleased nod at Zane when he made the special request. As if he knew anything about what he’d just ordered. The order was made for two drinks, if only so he had something to hold onto and better blend into the crowd, and then the mission of finding Iyla began. People were chatting happily all around, sipping various drinks and seeming to be having a generally good time. A brief thought, wondering just how many of these people Iyla actually knew. As he stood, thankful for the extra height in allowing him to better survey the crowd in the hopes of finding Iyla, a woman approached. She seemed tipsy but friendly.

“Ah, who’s the lucky lady getting a drink delivery?” she asked, hand unnecessarily running over his upper arm. The first thought was that he didn’t have a lucky lady but, in the weird twist of events that this evening was, Zane was indeed delivering drinks to a lady. Looking around for said lady, with no luck, he smiled sheepishly. “The host actually. I was on my way to find her, so-” His sentence was caught short as the woman scoffed, grabbing one of the drinks from his hand with not so much as a hint of hesitation. “Iyla? Why bother with her. Honestly.” Zane shifted uncomfortably, making one last attempt at spotting the woman currently being trash talked by this stranger.

This was Iyla’s element. Drinks flowing, music pumping, people dressed to the nines, all for her. This town wasn’t the most happening in the country, nor was it the highest class, but the Sky Bar offered at least a modicum of quality. She stopped chatting for just a moment, gazing out over the peaks, a faint glow emanating from behind the mountains. It was almost magical.

Iyla’s magic wasn’t beautiful like that. Sometimes it could be, but it was tinged with something darker, something bitter. Revenge may be sweet, and it certainly tasted that way to the fury, but it could be hollow too. Especially when it wasn’t her own. Coming back to the party at hand and wondering what was taking Zane so long, Iyla smiled and excused herself from a banal conversation, just in time to hear her name. Her name accompanied by the words ‘why bother with her’.

Fury rose within her, not an uncommon feeling but one she hadn’t thought her party would induce. Iyla stomped in Zane’s direction, her attention on the drunk woman beside him, the woman holding her drink and tarnishing her name. “Funny, I was about to say the same about you,” Iyla snarled, crossing her arms over her sequined bodice. “Apologies, but I don’t remember stating ‘Messy drunk bitches’ on the invitation.” Power rolled off her, and even though she couldn’t do anything with it, not until someone asked her to, Iyla knew it was felt. She might not be able to use her magic, but she could still use one thing.

Iyla slapped the drink upward so quickly the vodka missed the woman’s face entirely, though the martini glass didn’t. Shards of glass sprinkled her cakey foundation, small droplets of blood blossoming while fresh tears started. “Oh! I’m so sorry, I’m so clumsy sometimes!” Iyla feigned innocence, snapping for a waitress to come and call a med kit. “Here, Iris will get you all fixed up, but I do think you should grab a cab home…you don’t want to bleed all over the carpet.” She turned to her date who wasn’t a date but also was. “Let’s go get another drink while Messy Martha here gets fixed up.”

Iyla’s appearance was a tangible relief, loosening the knot in his chest because she could definitely take charge of this situation and get Zane out of it. There was no way she had the same response as him to awkward scenarios as these, which usually ended way too close to the ‘freeze’ spectrum of stress response. This instant relief was very short lived however as another feeling washed over him, seeming to resonate off his non-date for the evening. She was angry in a way he had somehow assumed someone as composed as Iyla couldn’t get. His longing to end this situation finally overpowered the awkward politeness but it was too late.

There was blood and crying and a small commotion, controlled completely by the woman Zane was now realized he didn’t really know at all. Instinct told him to help the injured woman but what he assumed was the champagne from before seemed to be settling in, making his head feel like it was filled with cotton. Which made it really hard not to focus on how good the blood smelled, even through the stinging smell of vodka. So he let Iyla usher him away from the scene towards the bar where it felt safer, the piercing look that had been in his companion’s eyes seconds before the glass exploded still reeling in Zane’s head.

The second glass he’d gotten for himself, mostly as a prop, was raised to his lips for a lack of something better to do as Zane tried to get a hang on what had just happened. Iyla ordered her drink and he watched her curiously. She was back to the persona he’d witnessed for most of the evening, seeming completely unfazed by the whole thing. “I’m sorry about your drink,” he finally said dumbly, not sure where else to begin. “She sort of just… took it.” A pause. “Are you… okay?” Asking Iyla that and not the woman who was being escorted out with napkins pressed to her face was odd but it seemed the safest question to ask at this moment.

A flurry of waitresses and bar staff surrounded Martha, a woman who for some reason thought she was always invited to Iyla’s parties even though she always made a scene. Someone had screamed and there were hushed whispers, wondering what happened, but just like any other party, it dissipated quickly. There were other, more fun, events happening, and one case of a spilled drink or a few flecks of blood wasn’t going to keep a crowd down for long.

Iyla ordered them another pair of drinks, this time taking hers directly from the bartender. She raised it to her lips, finally tasting the perfectly crafted cocktail, one her mother had taught her how to make to perfection but so many got wrong. “Ugh, I’m sorry you had to see that. I know it wasn’t your fault, that bitch always thinks she can just take anything that’s mine. Drinks, men, women, shoes…” Iyla settled against the bar, leaning her elbow on the surprisingly unsticky surface and looked up at Zane. Poor thing looked like he’d seen a ghost.

Iyla’s voice went from annoyed to sincere in a matter of seconds. “Oh, and I’m sorry about the blood. Was that hard for you? Or if you don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine too. We can just drink and dance and stargaze.”

Zane drank when she did, knowing that alcohol for worry and stress wasn’t recommended for a reason but this evening was already a mess so he let the sour-sweet taste of the drink soothe him. It seemed that Iyla had a long standing feud with the woman and even though he couldn’t say he agreed with the host’s methods, it was definitely rude to show up to a birthday, drunk, and start berating the birthday girl to anyone willing to listen. His shock over the whole situation was fading, whether under the comfortable blanket of alcohol or because he felt a bit sorry for Iyla having an unwanted guest, and Zane found that he much preferred the sincere version of Iyla.

“The blood…?” Had she noticed him staring? His eyes hadn’t changed, had they? No, this was way too calm of a response to anything like that. She was just being kind. “Oh, no! I mean, I see way more than that at work, just… caught me by surprise is all.” It was easy to forget that Iyla had verbally and physically hurt a woman, literally moments ago, when she was being kind and almost genuine now. And trying to enjoy this evening in the way they’d been having fun before in the town car, letting her dote over his tie and chuckle at how much Zane liked the champagne, seemed much more appealing than the evening being ruined by this. Ruin the risk of friendship.

“I have two left feet but if you’re willing to risk it, me dancing can definitely be your worst birthday present this year.”

“Yes, the blood.” And the no reflection. Iyla was constantly grateful she hadn’t been made into a vampire, losing her ability to see herself in the mirror, plus the taste of blood…the though had her wrinkling her nose. To anyone else, it must have come off as someone who simply couldn’t handle the sight of blood. “Mhm…” She placated, her eyes narrowing just a bit. A newbie, then, she decided. Most older vampires she knew wore it proudly, once someone was in the know. But perhaps that was just the crowd she ran in. No point in pretended we aren’t what we are, she thought. Might as well embrace it.

Iyla smiled at her date for the evening. Sexual attraction or not, Zane here was her lovely ken doll for the evening, a perfectly wonderful plaything that she wanted to drag out of whatever shell he was hiding in. She downed the rest of her drink, all the alcohol she’d ingested finally making its way to her brian. Curses of being undead. “Well then let’s forget that ugliness, and cut a rug.” Iyla held out her arm, waiting for Zane to be the gentleman and lead her out to the floor. “I can think of no better present.” And for once, for one inexplicable moment, she actually meant it.

#fangs & fury #w: zane #@rn-zane #wickedswriting #alcohol tw #blood tw #bullying tw

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scarlettriot · 3 years

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Stood Up

You (Y/N) get stood up from a date and Kaminari decides to do something about it.

Pairing: Kaminari/F!Reader

Contains: Fluff, Flirty Denki, Established BakuSquad Friendship

Warnings: 18+ Below the cut, Minors DNI! Swearing, Electro-Stim, Overstimulation, use of pet names (cuddle bug & cutie), oral (F receiving), consensual recording

A/N: Well, here we are with the third in my Stood Up series. There is also Bakugo & Kirishima if you're interested. This one took me way too long and it's also my first time writing Kaminari at length. I hope you all like it :)

Word Count Starting Below: 2,461

You slipped your foot into the silver heels you had picked out. Something a little fancier since this was a first date after all and you wanted to make a lasting impression. Not only that but this was your first first date in a while. Being a Pro Hero made life busy and dating difficult.

Practically the entire day leading up to this very moment revolved around you either getting ready or babbling with excitement to your closest friends.

An alert chimed on your phone with a text from your date, a smile sliding onto your face expecting to read some message about how they were on their way and that they'd see you soon, but that wasn't what you were met with.

Instead, it was a screenshot of your Instagram page, multiple of them actually, all of you and the ridiculous photos you took with your friends but mostly with one Denki Kaminari. The most recent of which was from a tea shop he met you at just earlier that day so you could show him the shoes for your date.

The message below was simple and more than enough to leave a sour taste in your mouth, this isn't what I want to see when I'm supposed to be taking you out tonight. What, one date a day isn't enough? Why are you even dating? Does your blonde boyfriend know?

You giggled at what they were implying, quick to explain how these were all your friends, they had been since high school! They are people you spent what little free time you had with. Especially Denki, your best friend since you were 15!

That joy you felt started dissipating within the next few messages. You hadn't even had a first date and they were already jealous, and that was something you didn't have room for in your life. So, you slipped the heels off your feet and put them directly back in the box to return when you had the time. Tight black jeans and fitted top were exchanged with a hoodie and sweats although your makeup and hair stayed done, you didn't have the energy to undo your hard work.

Instead, you slid back into your computer chair, your headset snuggly back on your ears and before you notified everyone you were back online, you took a moment listening to the chatter of your friends.

"Shitty Hair! Fuckin' pay attention!"

"Yeah, man! We're getting slaughtered over here!"

"Less yelling at Kiri! More shooty shooty!"

"All of you are hopeless..."

Eijiro chuckled out an apology that was accompanied by a lighter giggle also coming from his mic. "Think this is gonna be my last round for a bit, guys."

"You're so fuckin' whipped." Bakugo scoffed, before screaming profanities.

"Is it whipped if I'm the one who's wanting to get her into bed though?"

You clicked your mic back on then. "Hey, remember last week when Kats forgot his push to talk so we all heard him getting head and we party whipped because someone couldn't focus?"

"You better shut the hell up right fucking now!"

Everyone else roared with laughter. "Yeah! At least I have the decency to mute myself!"

"Hey, wait a sec, why are you online, Y/N!" Denki noted, "You should have already left!"

You screenshot your messages to the group chat because it was far easier than just explaining the ordeal.

"Cute shoes." Eijiro and Kyoka commented at the same time.

There was a lull as their game ended and the messages were read.

"Ya don't need 'em if they're gonna have their head so far up their ass like this."

"I agree." Hanta chimed in. "They're not worth your time."

"Still, sorry they turned out to be a shit." You could hear the frown on Kyoka's face, "I know how excited you were."

"Right, you doin' okay, Y/N? I can stick around and we can all shoot some things!"

"Thanks, Kiri but I'll be just fine! Go spend time with your girl!"

One by one, everyone signed off. You pulled up Spotify and Stardew Valley, something of a comfort for you to get lost in for the rest of the night.

Less than an hour later, you noticed your phone lighting up with your best friend's familiar smiling face. "What's up, Denki?"

"Open your door! I have my hands full and don't wanna put everything down to get my key!"

You sprang from your desk and rushed to your door. Sure enough, on the other side was Denki with bags in both hands and his phone tucked between his ear and shoulder. You grabbed it and a bag before he had a chance to drop anything like the klutz he was. "What's with all this?"

"I feel bad."

"Why? You didn't stand me up?"

He fiddled with the edge of a paper bag. "Yeah, but, we both read those messages and no one said anything but they didn't just call our group out, they called us out.

"Denks, it doesn't matter to me-"

"But, it does to me! You were so excited about this and I got in the way, unknowingly but, still! So, I gotta make it up to you now!"

He pulled out take-out boxes from your favorite restaurant. Two bottles of your favorite wine. Your top three favorite movies and video games, and a board game you both had been meaning to try. "I mean, if they think I'm your boyfriend I kinda gotta live up to the hype, right?"

You really wanted to insist that none of this was necessary. That just because some person that neither of you really knew that well, assumed something about your relationship that didn't mean he had to blame himself for it.

But, you had to admit, this was really sweet. It shouldn't have come as a surprise to you that he knew everything you liked but it was nice. Instead of sitting across from a stranger, making awkward small talk, and trying to learn about one another, you were barefoot in your kitchen, laughing with your best friend while he plated dinner and you poured the wine.

Formalities were out the window. Both you and Denki were eating dinner in your living room, laughing and drinking just as you'd done a million times before. You snapped a photo of the delicious food on paper plates, toasting good times with your cheap wine, ready to post them to your Instagram.

"Gonna make them more jealous..."

"I think they made it pretty clear they don't want to see me so why should I care?"

He shrugged. "I just thought they might, you know, come to their senses that they obviously lost."

"I don't really care either way." You wandered back into your kitchen, putting away the leftovers, "They can forget I exist or they can stalk my page like a creep. If someones' gonna try and tell me I can't be friends with my friends or just not listen to me, then I don't want them in my life. No matter how good-looking they are."

Denki watched you from the sofa, a bit of a lopsided grin on his face that had butterflies taking flight in your stomach. "What?" Laughing to hide the bit of a crush you always had on the man. It was unavoidable you told yourself. His personality was infectious and had 15 year old you head over heels.

He pushed back bright blonde hair back off his forehead and just shook his head. "Nothin'. Uh, what's next? Video game, board game, or movie?"

You peaked on the counter at the options. "Well, we probably should have checked this but the board game needs at least four people to play... guess we'll have to save that for our next game night. Is a movie okay?"

Of course, it was.

You brought over the DVD with a refill of wine and he pulled a blanket down off the back of your sofa.

It really didn't take long, just fifteen minutes or so, and you were curled up into Denki's side. You'd make grabby hands for your wine glass and he'd pass it over with that damn grin again.

And not long after that, he'd pulled out his phone, angling it to take a picture of the two of you. "What are you doing?" You could see him on his own Instagram, tagging you, with the caption, Check out my cute cuddle bug.

"I thought you didn't want to make them more jealous."

"I decided I don't care either. You're mine tonight, their loss. And since you're mine tonight, I get bragging rights." He snapped another quick picture of you rolling your eyes at him, and then he kept snapping them.

"Denki! Why!"

"Because you're cute, cuddle bug! I like having all the pictures of you that I can!"

Even as you tackled him back down on the sofa, pinning him below you, he still managed a photo. "Bet if I post this one, they'll really get the wrong idea."

You could have moved. You were the one on top of him and you had his arms above his head. You had the power here and yet you just lingered above him.

"Y/N? Not that I'm one to complain about having a beautiful person such as yourself pinning me down, like, it's kinda hot, but..." Looking down into half-lidded golden eyes, you wondered why you had to become best friends with such a damn flirt! "Are you gonna take advantage of this situation we're in or are we just gonna keep dancing around this for another decade or so?"

You couldn't have heard him right? No... no this was your brain playing tricks on you because he certainly hadn't had that much wine tonight. You sat upright on his lap. "Another decade then, Y/N?"

"You- ha- you should stop that, Denki."

He leaned up, moving his arms around you, "Gimme a good reason to and I will."

You didn't have one. And not just because you've been in love with him for ten years but also because he was your best friend. The only reason to not go through with it was the possibility of losing your friendship if something bad were to happen but, you really didn't think anything would.

Denki might have been a serial flirt but he was surprisingly loyal in all the relationships he'd been in, not that there had been all that many serious ones.

"I'm not hearing anything." He teased, his face getting closer to yours. You could count each and every one of the faint freckles that littered the balls of his cheeks and the bridge of his nose. "But, I promise, if you tell me no, I'll stop, won't push this any further."

This whole thing seemed like a frickin' whirlwind, happening faster than your brain could really process the situation but you didn't want it to stop either. You wanted to take it further, didn't want to say no.

Which was why you coiled your arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. There was that small little buzz of electricity that tickled your lips when he'd kiss your nose or cheeks that was now playing on his lips, on his tongue when you welcomed him in.

He leaned back again, pulling you with him until you were both a pile of needy hands and breathy pleas. Everywhere his hands roamed you felt that faint trail of shock against your skin, making the little hairs on your body stand on end.

Clothes were shed, tossed haphazardly around your living room, both of you pausing to laugh when Denki managed to land your hoodie over a lamp. His attention was drawn back to you quickly though, still perched on top of him but now he had your chest on full display since you'd forgone a bra when your date canceled.

Electrifying tongue twirled around your nipples, sensitive normally, now it felt like you knew what it was like when he fried his damn brain. He was eager, relentless even, pulling and sucking, another hand giving your other breast a similar treatment. He had you so focused that you let out a broken moan when slender fingers found their way into your panties.

"Fuckin' hell, Denki."

The bastard winked up at you, nipple still between his lips and before you could retort, he sent another small jolt through you.

You were blatantly grinding down on his hand, reaching behind you, you found him completely solid, barely being contained in the tight black boxers he wore. You had enough sense to tug them down and wrap your hand around him making his teeth sink into your soft flesh, whining when you stroked him.

"Y/N..." He whimpered, his hand momentarily distracted from his ministrations gave you enough time to shift in his lap to scoot forward putting his cock in front of you. In one swift motion, you had his length between your slick. "Oh fuck, cutie!" Golden eyes were squeezed shut while you moved along him, feeling that pleasant curve he had, you could only imagine what it was gonna be like to have him inside you.

"You're being a little tease, ma-makes me wanna do all sorts of things to y-you."

He was kissing your neck, your chest, shoulders, and arms, anywhere on you that he could reach. His hips bucking up into you, just trying to hit that perfect angle.

Strength and agility were something most overlooked when it came to Denki Kaminari but when the man wanted something bad enough, he found a way to get it.

He had your ass rising up in the air with a harsh thrust of his hips and a small squeak from you, giving him exactly enough time to scoot down on the sofa so you were sat atop his face. If you complained, he didn't hear you. Denki already had your thighs around his head and his tongue devouring you completely.

Little shockwaves rocked you while you cried out his name, hands fisting blonde locks just trying to stay upright.

One orgasm from you apparently wasn't enough, neither was two but on the third, Denki finally relented, allowing your heartrate to come back down and your gasping breaths to come in more steadily.

You slid back down his body, his erection now smack against your ass. His hair was recked, face completely flush but he had the biggest grin on his face that you'd ever seen.

Denki kissed both your cheeks, "You are so amazing, cutie!" Kissed your lips, "You taste better than anything I've ever had!" And one more on the tip of your nose. "Doin' okay?"

You nodded, starting to really gather yourself again, and by this point, you really just wanted one thing.

"I wanna... Denks... can I take care of you now?"

"Sure, cutie! How do you want me?" The wiggling eyebrows had you rolling your eyes and pushing him on his back again.

It took little effort for you to position yourself above his cock, and with how slick you were, his bright pink head slipped right inside. He held your hands while you scrunched up your face, sliding all the way down him until he was completely sheathed within.

The curve was immaculate. Hitting in just the right way that had you moaning with just a couple thrusts from him. Before long, you were eagerly bouncing on his cock. Riding him hard so he filled you up each and every time.

You barely registered him reaching for the coffee table, his phone now in his hands. "What're you doin'?" You practically slurred, slowing only slightly. He tapped the camera lens with a wicked grin. "Seriously?"

"We could make 'em really jealous now..."

Somewhere in your brain, you knew your date wouldn't give two shits, in fact, this probably would have only validated their thoughts about your's and Denki's relationship but with his cock stuffed so deeply into you, kissing your cervix in the most beautiful way, you really didn't give a damn.

You and Denki put on the best possible show you could think of. You were overstimulated, sore, and completely elated! He balanced the phone against the wine bottle so neither of you had to try to hold it.

This way he could play with your breasts or squeeze your thighs while you dug half-moons into his chest. Shocked with the playful zaps he sent right to your core.

Your makeup you'd didn't feel like taking off now ran down your cheeks with tears. Your hair was a mess thanks to him pulling at it.

Denki had you howling through another two orgasms, telling you how perfect you were, how nice you felt squeezing him so tightly, your nails felt so good against his skin.

It was only when you collapsed against his chest did he hoist your hips up so he could ram into you, pulling out just at the last second with a strangled cry of your name.

He wiggled himself free, grabbing a towel from your bathroom and cleaning you both up before stopping the recording.

"You're, hey you're gonna send that to me right?" You asked when he handed back your hoodie off the lamp.

He dropped a kiss on your lips, plopping down beside you on the sofa again and you noticed your email already up and the video uploading. "Obviously, we share all our videos and photos. Why would this be different?"

#mha #bnha #mha smut #denki kaminari #kaminari #kaminari smut #denki kaminari smut #mha fluff #denki fluff #denki smut #denki x you #mha x reader #kaminari x reader #denki x reader

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ladiesinshiningarmor · 3 years

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Empires art & world building challenge

An Empires smp inspired Daily Drawing challenge (once per week/month also works. My friends are doing this on a per week basis. Either way it's drawing practice.)

1.) What land will your empire claim as its own? Draw the pristine unspoiled biome.

2.) Your empire needs a ruler, so sketch us up a leader. Consider as you design your character's appearance some of the following questions:

What parts of their ensemble mark this character as in charge? How is status shown in your empire? And what status do they have - are they a noble, or elected, or a religious figure?

How much of their finery would they wear on a daily basis - do they have a special set of robes/jewelry/armor for formal appearances? (optional, draw that too).

How does your ruler's outfit reflect the fashion of their people? Are there any common motifs, between them and their empire?

3.) What sort of build style characterizes your buildings? Draw a normal building, like a house or shop.

4.) What people live in your empire? Is there a single normal, or a diverse group of people? Draw a group of commoners.

5.) Commerce: What does your empire export, and what can you never get enough of? Draw a typical trade shipment, considering as you do, how your empire might move goods.

6.) What sort of amour and weapons do the people of your empire favor? Consider whether you even have an army, and how your people feel about those who fight.

7.) Monuments: what cause has driven your people to build something more than just necessary shelter? What places in your empire hold a special place in the hearts of your people. (Churches, tombs of dead kings, sacred trees, and communal meeting spaces, for a few examples. Or from empires smp itself, things like Pix's vigil, the tower of trust belonging to house blossom, the lost empire's temples, ...)

8.) What does your empire's flag, or banner, look like? What colors represent your people?

9.) Where does your ruler reside? Do they have a grand palace, a fancier longhouse, or just a simple house in their capital city?

10.) What do your people prize? Show something that is considered desirable, or sacred, by the culture at large.

Now let's start to put things together

11.) People tend to stratify - what classes are their in your empire? How might one spot the difference between the haves and the have nots? The soldiers and civilians? Draw people from the different levels of status in your empire. Or if your have a level playing field, show us what that looks like. (Is it all clones of your leader, cough Joel cough?)

12.) You have a capital city right? Draw people from your empire bustling about it's busy streets, some landmarks visible. (Or the equivalent in your empire, perhaps your ocean dwelling people bringing their boats to dock at the traveling market.)

13.) Who are your neighbors? Show me the borders of your empire.

14.) Yours is not the only player on the political stage - show me your ruler with their allies. (Or, if they have none, draw how your ruler feels about that.)

15.) And you have enemies too. Draw me them. This is a good opportunity for political propaganda, if you are that kind of ruler.

16.) A war is brewing - show me how your empire prepares. Are there crates of bandages, forges making armor, people cowering in their houses, or bright parades of strength? Do you pray for the fools who fight despite your council?

17.) Show me a battle, or its aftermath.

18.) What hazards might an unwary traveler find in your land? Draw a warning for your guest, or perhaps the fate of an uninvited intruder. (To avoid having to depict violence at this step, a clearly labeled poisonous plant, or unstable cliff-side will do.)

19.) Not everything is wars and danger - consider a holiday of your people, and how you might draw it.

20.) What do your people consider their greatest triumph, and how is that remembered? is there a spot where one might observe the effects of what you have done?

21.) The beginning of then end: what is the catalyst that sets things in motion - the death of a dragon, the summoning of demon? And where was your ruler when it happened, how do they react. ( An opportunity to draw the end dragon fight, or your ruler punching Xornoth, if you feel so inclined. Alternatively, invent a new crises for your cycle.)

22.) How does it end? Do you burn with your land, as did Pearl of Gilded Helianthia. Do you flee for distant shores before the consequences of your actions. Or does your ruler simply step down or get voted out of office - draw the end of their reign.

23.) Do your people mourn, do they celebrate? Is there anyone left to miss your ruling character? Draw the reactions to #22.

24.) What you have done, if you only had more time? Draw the vision your ruler never got to finish.

25.) Draw the landscape you started with, changed by your people.

#empires smp #drawing challenge #world building

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knittingdreams · 3 years

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Fireheart - Chapter 23

Sorry for the wait! Here’s another chapter for y’all <3

If you’re following the story on Ao3, I uploaded the newest chapter there last night!! It’s a good oneee :D

If you’re not up to date, here’s the Masterlist

Tiny tag list: @tillyrubes10

CHAPTER 23

Owning the title

As Aelin got her gown out of the plastic bag from the dry cleaners, she found herself still thinking about the night before. She had stayed with Sam at the beach long into the night, and they had talked about the past few years, about everything they knew about Arobynn and their secret dreams of wishing he was out of the picture.

Sam explained he wasn’t scared about himself, but about her when he had made the deal with Arobynn; and after a lot of convincing, Sam had agreed to stop passing information to him, and only give him the information they would agree on. He also told her Arobynn had been oddly distant, traveling all the time and having secret meetings Sam wasn’t invited to.

Aelin had even confided in Sam that she was gutted to have lost Nehemia and that it sucked not to be able to be herself with people. She was tired of lying and hiding all the time, and Sam was the only other person who could understand that. But what other option did she have? He had suggested for her to try again, to give Nehemia the chance to get closer, to get a glimpse of the real Aelin, and she had almost told him to fuck off for it. But she had promised herself to try and be the sister Sam had always seen her as, so she had just punched him in the shoulder for being obnoxious and unrealistic instead.

She had woken up that morning feeling so much lighter, so relieved to have let such a huge weight off her shoulders. She might have fucked things up with Nehemia, but at least she had Sam back.

A knock on the door startled her, and she went to open up.

“Since when do you knock?” She raised her brows at Sam and made sure her dressing gown was properly closed.

“Well, after our chat last night, I thought you’ve earned it.”

“You’re such a weirdo, Cortland. Come in before anybody sees you lurking around.”

She pushed Sam into the room and closed the door behind him.

“Everything good and ready for tonight?”

“Actually, I heard Arobynn talking on the phone today,” Sam said as he followed her into the bedroom. “And he’s going to that gala.”

Celaena turned around swiftly. “He, what?”

“I think he’s someone’s plus one, but I’m not sure I got that right. I just thought you ought to know.”

“Well, that sucks.”

She paced up and down the room, considering what she could do about it. Did it change anything?

“It’s a masquerade though, isn’t it? He might not even recognize you.”

“No chance of that,” she said, showing him the dress she was about to put on. “It’s one of the dresses he gifted me, and I was going to wear Fireheart’s mask because it matches it perfectly. He will know it’s me.”

The dress was a red long gown, with a low V neck that went down almost to her navel and a closed-back, all embroidered with silver and gold stones. It had short sleeves that hugged her shoulders nicely, a tight bodice that accentuated her curves, and a flowy skirt that seemed to dance around her every time she walked.

“Well, you have an excuse to be there, it’s not a big deal. I just wanted you to be mentally prepared to run into him.” Sam grabbed the dress off her hands and took it out of the hanger. He ran his fingers across the stones in the back and started opening up the hidden zip on the side. “What shoes are you wearing?”

Feeling a bit weirded out, Celaena grabbed the shoes off the side of the bed and lifted them for Sam to see them. They were high heels that wrapped up halfway through her calves.

“You’re going to give Dorian a heart attack,” Sam said laughingly. “Want a hand getting into it?” he asked as he passed her the gown.

“Oh, fuck off, Cortland, we’re not that kind of friends!” She set the gown down on the bed and started pushing Sam out of the room. “Now, come on, get out of here, I need to get ready.”

“We could be that kind of friends, you know.”

“Out, now!”

Sam laughed out loud as he was shoved all the way down the hall, and walked the rest of the way towards the front door. He grabbed the duffel bag by the entrance and turned around to smile at her before heading out the door.

“See you later!” he chanted as he closed the door between them.

“Fuck sakes, I give him a fingertip and he grabs my whole damn arm.” Celaena walked back to her room biting her lip, the laughter stuck on her chest as she tried too hard to keep it down.

An hour later, she walked down the hall, hit the call down button, and jumped into an empty elevator. When the doors opened up at the lobby, Dorian was already waiting for her, leaning against the front desk casually while talking with one of the receptionists. As she walked out, he straightened up and walked over, meeting her in the middle of the lobby.

“Wow,” he said as he offered her an arm. “You look stunning tonight, not like you don’t usually look stunning.”

“Thanks.” She hooked her elbow on his, and they turned towards the exit. “You look pretty okay yourself.”

“Okay? Wouldn’t you say… dazzling? Marvelous? Splendid?” He smiled broadly at her, and Celaena stifled a laugh.

“I’ll stick with okay.”

It was a lie, Dorian was wearing a dark blue tuxedo with a red bowtie that matched her dress perfectly, and he did look indeed dazzling. He had a dark blue mask that covered only his eyes, making them seem a lighter shade of blue if that was even possible. They would have matched so much better if Celaena wasn’t wearing those damned contact lenses. His dark hair was the perfect contrast to her ash-blond curls, and as she caught a glimpse of themselves in the mirror by the entrance, she realized heads would be turning their way all night... And there was no way Arobynn wouldn’t notice her.

They rode alone in a limousine, Dorian trying to make small talk and convince her to stay till later the whole time. Walking into the venue, heads did turn their way, and Dorian greeted absolutely everybody, introducing her to other businessmen, female entrepreneurs, and even a few family members. He was polite and kind to everybody, and Celaena was surprised to see a side of him she hadn’t seen at school.

The stuck-up guy was gone, and a more formal but caring Dorian was showing instead.

“Celaena, would you like a drink before we head towards the dining room?” he asked her once they had greeted everybody.

“Uhm, sure, just a glass of water would be fine.”

“Really?” He scowled.

“Yes, that’s all I want for now. Get them to pour it in a flute if it makes you happier. You can even make it sparkling water. Fancier, you know.”

Dorian shook his head before walking away and leaving her in the middle of the room by herself. She shouldn’t have been surprised that Arobynn found his way to her side as fast as he did once Dorian was gone.

“Funny to see you here,” he whispered into her ear, casually standing next to her with a drink in his hand.

“I could say the same,” she replied politely.

“Shouldn’t you be getting ready for a fight? I have a lot of money on tonight,” he said as he looked to the front, pretending he wasn’t talking to her.

“Don’t worry, you won’t lose a dime.” She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, glancing at him sideways.

Arobynn was wearing a black tuxedo with a black shirt and black bowtie. He was freshly shaved, and his hair was shorter than the last time she had seen him, which meant he was probably trying to impress someone; but who?

“Let’s just hope things don’t go sour like last time.”

Celaena turned to look at him nimbly, but Arobynn was already walking away, getting lost between the crowd.

“Are you okay?” Dorian asked, reaching her at that moment, and passing her a flute of sparkling water with a slice of lemon inside. “Looks like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“Yes, fine. Let’s go find our table, my feet are sore already.”

“Sure thing, this way.”

Dorian guided her between the crowd, saying a few words here and there to people she didn’t pay any attention to. Plates came and went, and she cut food up and shoved it into her mouth without really tasting it. She said her piece when people talked to her, and stared at the stage as strangers gave out speeches. But the whole time, Arobynn’s words were playing back in her mind.

Sam couldn’t have told him anything; Sam hadn’t even known.

And Arobynn had acted like he didn’t know anything about it during the weekend, so what had changed? Had anything even changed, or was Arobynn playing with her? He was seated on a table towards the back, and she could barely see his figure from so far away. She had glanced his way a few times, but all she could see was his profile, and the long dark hair from the lady sitting next to him.

Once the time for her to leave came, she purposely walked past his table and caught the lady as she was standing up and walking out of the room. She was wearing a silver gown that hugged her curves nicely and watching her from behind, she could have been anywhere between 20 and 40 years old. Celaena tried to follow the woman but lost her in the lobby as she walked into the women's bathroom. She considered going into the bathroom for a fraction of a second, but she was running out of time and she couldn’t afford to be late.

She walked out of the venue and found her motorbike parked at the back, where Sam had left it for her. She lifted the seat and pulled out her black leggings, then put them on under the dress, and folded the dress up as much as she could manage. She closed her jacket over the dress covering most of it and pulled her hair up in a low ponytail. She rode over to the fighting pit, where Sam would be waiting for her with the full change of clothes. At least, she already had her mask on and didn’t need to worry about makeup or hiding her identity any further.

The Fossa was already packed when she arrived, and the crowd was going wild. Celaena nodded at Connall as she walked through the back door, who barely nodded back. She didn’t see either Rowan nor Fenrys as she made her way to the backroom; not like she was looking for them anyway.

Sam handed her the duffle bag as soon as she walked in and she sneaked into the changing rooms. Luckily, there was a women’s changing room that was always empty, where she got rid of the dress and put on a short-sleeved red top. She was done with black, she was out of the shadows, she was fire, and she would live up to the name.

“Ready?” Sam asked as she walked back into the room and scanned the small crowd. To her surprise -and delight- Cain was nowhere to be seen.

“Always.”

“Good, because I think you’re up first.”

“Great. By the way, the mask suits you.” She laughed at Sam’s annoyed look; the black mask was similar to hers and looked hilarious on Sam. But it was a necessary measure now that they knew someone from school was lurking around the pits too. If Lorcan recognized either of them, they could potentially get into a lot of shit. It was better if neither of them could be traced back to the school and stayed anonymous. The masks didn’t conceal the whole of their faces, but it was enough to make them harder to recognize to strangers. Or so she hoped.

Fenrys poked into the back room as Celaena was still laughing at Sam’s expression, and looked straight at her with a serious look on his eyes.

“Fireheart, you’re up.” He turned his gaze towards Sam for a moment, and then turned around and was out of the room. She followed him out, and they walked the short hall towards the stage.

“Missed me?” Fenrys whisper-yelled as they walked, the crowd roaring around them.

“Not at all.” She kept her eyes on the stage, her chin up, not looking at the crowd.

“Was that your mysterious boyfriend?”

“None of your business.”

“So sassy, I love it. Good luck, girl.”

They reached the stage, and she looked at him for a fraction of a second. “I’m not your girl, and I don’t need luck.” She finished with a wink and jumped onto the platform.

While her rival jumped onto the stage too, she looked around the crowd quickly. No woman was lurking in the shadows, and there was no sign of Rowan anywhere around the venue either. She spotted Lorcan far away, minding the crowd close to the customer’s entrance; and then the fight started.

She was back to her usual self, and she felt fast and confident as she danced around the stage, giving the crowd the show they had paid for. After the suffering she had endured after the last fight, she wasn’t looking for a clean and quick fight, she was eager to get her hands dirty, to make someone suffer. She was merciless, she was ash, and smoke, and embers. She was blazing, and no one could beat her. Fireheart punched and kicked, sidestepped and twirled, blocked and jabbed. She was unstoppable, and by the time the fight was over, there wasn’t a single new bruise on her body.

“That was impressive,” Fenrys said as she jumped down, the crowd roaring so loud that she could barely hear him. She scoffed as she walked right past him, and kept walking towards the back room.

“I was just warming up.”

#throne of glass fanfic #tog fanfic #fireheart #chapter twenty three #aelin #nehemia #sam cortland #fenrys moonbeam

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love-and-monsters · 5 years

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Wyvern Prince 12

The first step of your plan for ignoring your feelings was to avoid Davrakoss as much as possible. It wasn’t a perfect plan, of course. You were still his servant, and that meant you had to be around him at least some of the time. But you could at least be a distant servant. You would do as you were asked, nothing more and nothing less. No personal interactions, no familiarity. You were a servant, not his friend.

It was a good plan, and it probably could have worked, if Davrakoss hadn’t been completely determined to undermine you at every turn.

Every time you tried to pull back, he tried to draw you back in. If you were silent, he would try to engage you in conversation. If you tried to be more formal, he would insist on being more familiar. No matter how distant you tried to make yourself, Davrakoss was disarmingly and almost annoyingly friendly.

It was a surprise when, one afternoon, you were sent to the kitchen to collect an afternoon tea set. Tea was fairly common among the nobility as a time to meet and gossip with others in their social standing. Meeting with the queen herself for tea was considered a high honor. But Davrakoss never took tea. Considering how rare it was that he ate anything other than meat, you were inclined to believe he didn’t even like tea. He wasn’t much of a gossip either, so he entirely skipped over the tradition by choice.

Climbing the stairs with a heavy tea tray was often difficult, but learning to do so one handed was practically a requirement of the palace staff. With careful balance, you walked up the spiraling stairs and placed the tray on the table.

Davrakoss was waiting by the window, staring out over the kingdom. His tail tip traced the floor in a series of small twitches. He turned when he heard the tray hit the table. “Thank you,” he said.

You curtsied, deliberately looking slightly down so your gaze was on his feet rather than his face. “Of course, sire.” You glanced at the tray, which had been set for two. “Are you having a guest? Would you like me to fetch them?”

Davrakos laughed. “No need. She’s already here.” He crossed the room in a few quick strides. “Would you mind joining me?”

You took in a very slow breath and let it out in a very slow exhale, careful not to react. There were several protestations you could give, most of them relating to how it was entirely unbecoming for a servant to join a prince for tea, but you couldn’t actually think of one he would listen to. The only excuse you could think of was the truth- that it would be too uncomfortable- and you weren’t exactly eager to go down the lime of questioning that would cause. Instead, you lowered your head in a nod. “If you wish it, sire.”

Even without looking at his face, you could sense his frown. He took a seat and you set out the dishes and poured tea before sitting as well. It was very difficult not to look him in the eyes when you were staring ahead, so you did your best just to stare at his chin.

Davrakoss lifted his cup and rotated it in his hands. “I feel like we haven’t talked much lately,” he said. “How have you been?”

“I’ve been all right,” you said. Your tone as deliberately clipped and careful. You were trying to avoid drinking the tea or eating the tea cakes, but they did smell good. Your stomach protested quietly.

“That’s good.” Davrakoss took a sip of tea. His tail curled close to his body. “Have-” He cut himself off, cleared his throat, and set his teacup back on the table. “Have I done something to make you uncomfortable?”

You lifted your eyes too high, just for a moment, and you caught a glance of his entire face. His lips were set in a downturned line, his eyebrows furrowed, and his eyes full of worry. Your chest clenched and you dropped your gaze away.

“No. You haven’t done anything.” It wasn’t as though he had intentionally manipulated you into being attracted to him. “I apologize if I gave you that impression.”

He half-lifted the cup to his mouth, sniffing at the slightly-floral liquid. “You’ve been quiet around me,” he said. He took another sip of tea.

You lifted your teacup. The warmth was soothing against your fingers; you hadn’t realized they were cold until you were actually holding something warm. “I apologize, sire.”

Davrakoss shifted in his seat. “You’ve been calling me sire again. You were getting better at that for a while.”

“Apologies, Davrakoss.”

He sighed and set his teacup back on the table. “Are you frightened of me?”

That wasn’t a question you’d really been expecting. You looked up into his face again, too startled to stop yourself. He looked a little sad, but more resigned. His eyes looked oddly dull, not quite like glowing embers anymore. “I’m not afraid of you,” you said, not taking your eyes off his face.

His eyes brightened, but his expression was still uncertain. “I thought perhaps you were nervous after seeing me in my true form so much,” he said.

“That doesn’t bother me,” you said honestly. “It’s beautiful.”

You hadn’t meant to say that, but Davrakoss brightened immediately. “Most humans wouldn’t think so,” he said. “I’m glad that you do.” He took a swallow of tea and glanced at you. “Do you not like the tea? I could try and get something else.”

You lifted your cup to your mouth and took a few sips. It was good tea, sort of flowery and delicious. “It’s good,” you said. Davrakoss nudged the plate of biscuits and tea cakes toward you and you took one. He selected another and nibbled on it thoughtfully.

“If that hasn’t been bothering you, is there something else?” he asked. “I miss talking with you.”

It was a simple statement, but his voice was so earnest that it made your face heat and your stomach flop over. You took a second to recover before speaking. “There is nothing bothering me,” you said. “I suppose I am having a hard time recovering from the trip.”

“You can ask if you need some time,” Davrakoss said. “If you need a break, I’ll give it to you.”

“Thank you, Davrakoss,” you said. You had no intention of actually asking for the time, but being offered it was nice. You took another sip of tea. When you lowered the cup again, Davrakoss was looking at you with an expression of interest. “Is something the matter?”

“No,” he said. He leaned back in his seat. “Tell me about yourself.”

You blinked at him. You were forgetting more and more to not look him in the eyes. “I’m sorry?”

“I told you already, I don’t know much about you. You know a lot about me, but I can’t say the same about you.” He smiled, mood already improved. “I’d like to know more about you.”

“I’m afraid there’s not much to tell,” you said. “My life certainly hasn’t been as interesting as yours. I’m not terribly important.”

Davrakoss let out a little sigh. “If it’s easier, you could tell me about what life is like for people in your social class more generally,” he suggested. “I don’t know much about their lives either. It isn’t written about much in books.”

“That’s because it isn’t interesting,” you said. “Truthfully, there’s not much to tell.”

“I still would like to hear it.” Davrakoss put down his teacup and leaned over the table. His gaze was entirely fixed on you. It was almost magnetic. You couldn’t look away.

“Well.” You took a sip of tea to give yourself more time to think. You weren’t sure what would be interesting to a prince. “I suppose a lot of people in my class are farmers. They own their own farms and land and they raise animals or crops. Often, they sell them.”

Davrakoss frowned slightly, but he made no indication for you to stop. He just waited for you to keep going.

“Some people in slightly higher classes than me are craftspeople. They make fancier clothes, pottery pieces, furniture.” You put down the cup. “Likely, a very respected craftsperson made and painted these teacups.”

Davrakoss glanced at his teacup with some interest, but he still didn’t seem satisfied with what you were telling him. “Why don’t you tell me more about what living was like before you came to the castle?” he suggested.

“It was hard work,” you said. “I helped with chores, cared for the babies when they were young, cooked.”

“Is that why you became a servant?” Davrakoss asked. “Less work?”

A startled laugh escaped you before you could clamp down on it. Dammit, why did he always make you so much less guarded? “No. Being a servant doesn’t tend to be that much less work. I just couldn’t stay with my family anymore.” Davrakoss frowned, waiting for you to continue. “We had a lot of kids. Not as much food. My options were to immediately get married or to go and find another job. I didn’t have anyone I wanted to marry, so I went to be a servant.” I considered my teacup. “Sometimes I feel as though I should have just married anyway. It’s going to be hard to find someone now.”

Davrakoss took a gulp of tea. “Perhaps less difficult than you might think.” You gave him an odd look and he smiled through tightly pressed lips. “I mean that you are admirable. You work hard, you’re quite caring, and it isn’t as though you’re unattractive.” He took another quick swallow of tea, letting his cup linger at his lips for a moment longer than seemed necessary. “I think you might sell yourself short, is all.”

The words made a warm flush roll across your skin. Your stomach felt light and fluttery. How unfair and cruel it was that he was simply able to sit there and say things to you that almost undid you without even realizing. You closed your eyes for a moment, trying to detach yourself from the moment. He was being kind. It meant nothing.

“Thank you, Davrakoss, but I’m still on the older side for marriage. Though I suppose a prince’s approval might help.” You forced a smile, but he just gave a little nod, looking somewhat uncertain.

“You still plan on getting married?” He seemed thoroughly unenthusiastic about the idea.

“It is expected,” you said, neatly dodging any of the more complicated questions on the subject. You hadn’t thought much about marriage since you’d discovered your crush on Davrakoss. Any husband would pale in comparison to him. Your heart swelled and sank like a stone. You wouldn’t be marrying someone you felt like this about. Maybe you would grow to love them, in some way, but it was hard to imagine. Davrakoss seemed like the sort of person it would be difficult to live up to.

“Sara.” Davrkoss’ voice drew you out of your thoughts. “Are you all right?”

“Yes, of course. I was just lost in thought.” You turned your lips up. Davrakoss looked unconvinced.

“You’ve never been all that enthusiastic about marrying,” he said. “Every time I ask, you seem more or less resigned to it.”

“It’s… complicated.” Davrakoss waited. “I know I will not love the person I marry. Not at first. It’s just unlikely. I will grow to care for them, I’m sure, but I would like to be able to marry someone I love.” You smiled more forcefully. “But I would like some of the ideals that come with marriage. The companionship would be nice, and the family. So, I do what I must.”

Davrakoss nodded. “I’m sorry you feel pressured into this.”

You weren’t sure what to say to that. Instead of speaking, you took another biscuit. They were good. Sweet and slightly ginger-y. Davrakoss clicked his claws along the side of his teacup. “Is there anything you miss, living in the castle?” he asked.

“Obviously I miss my family,” you said. “I suppose I miss the spare time. I enjoyed embroidery, when I had the time for it. I have less time now.” You sipped the tea. “Not that I’m ungrateful. There are many lovely things about the castle that I appreciate. The gorgeous tapestries and the fine decorations and the like.”

“But it’s not the same,” Davrakoss finished in a low voice. He looked in your direction, but he was staring through you, not at you.

“You must miss your home too,” you said. His gaze focused back on you.

“I know humans don’t think much of sleeping in the wild, but I miss it. There’s something to be said for comfort, but there’s also such a thing as being too comfortable.” He shrugged. “Makes you soft in more ways than one.” One of his eyelids flickered shut in a rapid wink. You swallowed a laugh and forced your expression to be sympathetic.

“And it must be hard for you to not be in your own shape,” you added. “It must be uncomfortable.”

Davrakoss looked at you with an inscrutable expression. “It isn’t terribly uncomfortable,” he said. “Holding this form isn’t actually hard. I miss my wings and it dulls my senses a little- not as much as yours, but more than I’d like. That doesn’t mean there aren’t upshots, though. Hands, for instance.” He stretched one out in front of him, flexing his fingers. “Very useful. And while most human senses are, as I’ve gathered, a bit abysmal, you do outclass wyverns in one area.” Without giving you a chance to ask what, he extended one of his hands and took yours in it. He pulled your hand toward him, flipping it so it was palm-up. With his other hand, he traced along the lines of your palm. It tickled faintly, in a way that made the hair on the back of your neck lift.

“Touch,” he said. His eyes flickered to your face, then returned to your palm, almost shyly. His fingers trailed along your skin in little circles. If you didn’t know better, you would have thought the expression on his face was almost reverent. He seemed entirely fascinated by the simple feeling of your hand under his. “Wyverns can’t feel much,” he said quietly. “Our scales are thick, and they dull much of the sensation.” His fingers came to rest lightly on your wrist, as if he was testing your pulse. The hand underneath yours exerted a slight amount of pressure, just barely holding your hand. It felt like your heart had lifted into your throat. “Humans can feel so much more than we can. Even this… even this is a lot.” His throat bobbed as he swallowed. Slowly, his hands enfolded yours. There was something light and reverent about his touch, like he was holding something as delicate as a tiny bird.

You pulled your hand away. Your heart was pounding hard enough to almost shake your body. Davrakoss pulled his hands back, a faint flush coloring his cheeks. “Apologies if that made you uncomfortable. That wasn’t my intention.”

“It’s nothing, sire,” you said hurriedly. “Thank you for the tea. It was kind of you.” You stood, gaze focused on the table. “If you’re all done, then I can take the dishes back to the kitchen.”

Davrakoss nodded, standing up as well. “I’m glad you joined me,” he said. “I had a good time.” He caught your hand as you moved to clear off the table. “Perhaps we can do it again?”

“If you wish,” you said. Davrakoss smiled softly and squeezed your hand before releasing it.

“Only if you wish,” he said. “I will see you later.”

You nodded and dipped into a small bow before hurrying out of the room.

You managed to make it back to your quarters before breaking down. Quite a bit of effort had been put into rebuilding the servant’s quarters since they had burned down. Only a few parts of the building had been remade, but one of those parts was your room, which was good, because you really didn’t like crying in front of anyone else.

The emotions poured out of you in a stream of tears and sobs. You alternated between cursing at Davrakoss and just crying over him. He was kind and sweet and a good person and you needed him to stop being so nice to you because it hurt too much. Because the more he was nice to you, the more you would fall in love with him. And you couldn’t love him because he was a prince and you were a servant and he wouldn’t love you back. Nobles didn’t love servants. Not even when they said they did. You just needed to give it up.

You rolled over in your bed and mopped your eyes off. But what the hell were you supposed to do, though? Ignoring him hadn’t worked; if anything, he just tried harder to get your attention. And every time he was even remotely nice to you, it felt like your heart would jump out of your throat.

Okay, new plan. You couldn’t ignore him, you couldn’t withdraw from him, so you would endure it. You would be calm and rational. No matter what he made you feel, you just needed to remind yourself that you were a servant and you had no chance with him. And it would only be for another year, at most. Then you would leave and you could forget this all had ever happened.

You went to bed feeling not entirely satisfied with that solution, but better than you had about any other one before. Still. Your chest hurt.

#wyvern prince #exophilia #monster lover #monster romance #monster boyfriend #wyvern #I'm quite proud of this chapter tbh

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shibasparklez · 6 years

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Selfshiptober Day 9!

I sort of cheated here since I didn’t exactly write the date, just us getting ready for it. Honestly, I had so much fun writing us being all domestic.

Day Nine: Black Tie Date

“You look amazing in a tux, how come you’ve never worn one for me before?” I came up and hugged him from behind.

“Do you think it looks good? I’m admittedly not used to this.” Thor leaned into me lightly.

“Oh come on, you’re a prince! You’ve gone to a bunch of balls, haven’t you?” I slid my hands over his.

“Yes, I’m not referring to the event itself.” Thor chuckled lightly. “Earth’s formal clothing seems extremely informal to me.”

“Well, I’ve always thought you looked hot in casual clothes.” I bit my tongue, not saying anything more.

“Darling!” Thor turned to face me, placing his thumb under my chin with a cheeky grin. “You can’t say such vulgar things, unless you want us to be late to the dinner.”

“Honestly, if you think that was vulgar you don’t even want to hear what I was thinking.” I stuck out my tongue playfully.

Thor suddenly picked me up and placed me on the counter. I squealed, clinging to his shoulders for the brief moments I was up in the air. Sometimes I still couldn’t believe how easily he could lift me. He put his hands on both sides of my legs, pressing his forehead against mine. I giggled, trying to keep my composure and daintily placing my hands back on his shoulders. Slowly I began to trail them down his back, something I knew was a weakness of his. He shivered, bringing me in for a slow kiss on the lips.

“You’re so cute.” I cooed, moving one hand to his cheek.

He leaned down to bury his face into my neck from this, I let my other hand begin to run through his hair.

“Did that make you blush?” I giggled, kissing his shoulder.

“Of course it did. I’m still not used to that name being used for me.” Thor kissed my neck in retaliation, and I couldn’t hold in my small squeak.

“W-well getting all shy only makes you more cute!” I stuttered, before combing through his hair more with my fingers. “Speaking of cute, you should wear your hair in a bun.”

“Do you think that would work with what I’m wearing?” Thor took his head away from my neck, I could still see a hint of pink on his cheeks.

“Yeah! Especially with a few strands framing your face.” I tried to bring a bit of his hair up to see what the bun would look like, my face flushing when I saw the results. “Oh! You look so handsome!”

“Am I handsome or cute?” Thor smirked, pecking my cheek.

“Why do I have to pick? You’re both at all times!” I gave him an enthusiastic hug.

“Dear, you’ve been focusing too much on me. Have you picked a dress yet?” Thor took my hug as a chance to pick me back up.

“Yeah!” I instantly responded, before thinking my answer through. “Well...sort of. I have a few options that I can’t pick between!”

“No need to worry, I can always help the princess pick her gown.” Thor gently kissed my head.

He brought me to our bed, putting me down in front of the three dresses I placed on our sheets. One of them was bright red, and longer than I usually went for. Another was a deep blue with lots of frills. The final one was black with a slit down the leg. I usually liked to go for pink, short dresses for fancier events. Yet, that day I wanted to wear something different. Since it was a formal dinner that all of the Avengers and their partners were invited to, I wanted to look as cool as possible. Even though it was a group outing, after our time at Tony Stark’s house we wanted to treat everything like a date.

“All of these are lovely.” Thor stroked his chin, deep in thought. “Personally I believe the black dress would fit the most tonight.”

“You know, I think I agree...wait a moment.” I realized something mid sentence. “Are you sure you’re not just picking this one because you got it for me?”

“Well, that’s partially the reason.” Thor let out a small chuckle. “Also...we would be matching if you wore this dress.”

“How do you not realize how adorable you are?” I had to stop myself from squealing. “Did you wanna match with me this whole time? Why didn’t you just say so? I’ll put this dress on right now!”

“You have no idea how ecstatic this makes me.” Thor flashed me a big grin, and I suppressed the urge to kiss him right then.

I remembered the day he got me the dress clearly. We had only known each other for a few days at that point. He was running errands with Izzy and Bree, when they got a frantic text from me after I’d found out I was having dinner with someone important to my writing career that night. I was at a convention with Sozui and Sydney. Me being the forgetful person I was, I hadn’t packed anything fancy for the trip we were on. So I asked them to get me something while they were out, with my money of course. Neither of them knew very much about fashion, but Thor stepped in and offered to find something for me. When we met later that day he had picked a lovely black dress that fit me perfectly. I changed into the dress quickly, spinning around for him.

“You look absolutely stunning.” Thor wrapped his arms around my hips, bringing me closer.

“Now I can’t wait to get there!” I could barely stand still. “We’re all matching and cool now! Oh! I know! Let’s do our hair in similar styles too!”

“I love when you get bursts of energy.” Thor tenderly grasped my hand. “What a lovely idea. Should we have buns like you suggested earlier?”

We ended up spending most of our time before the dinner styling each other’s hair. Even though the date hadn’t even started I was having a lot of fun messing around with him. We could always make each other laugh, even if we were doing something mundane. I knew that no matter how amazing the night ahead of us was going to be, I would remember us getting read for a long time after. The big, goofy grin on Thor’s face told me that he felt the exact same way.

#selfshiptober #self insert #self shipping #self insert writing #lila writes #thunderlily #mine 🐇

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mfpa · 3 years

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geimei · 7 years

Note

What supplies would someone need to open an okiya? Same question for Ochaya.

I’m pretty sure that @missmyloko has written about this before, but I can’t seem to find it right now, so I’ll try my best ^^’.

As for okiya, the first thing that comes to mind is a big collection of kimono and obi. It depends on how big the okiya is, but you’d need enough kimono and obi to outfit a few Maiko (maybe like three is the minimum, I’d say?) at the same time, both senior and Maiko, and some kimono and obi for dependent Geiko as well (again, I’d say at least two? But they probably wouldn’t be as important as Maiko-kimono in the beginning).

In kagai that give their Geiko more time to become independent, the okiya have bigger collections of Geiko-kimono, in kagai where that’s not the case, the collection is smaller.

Of course, the collection would start out smaller and get even bigger over time, and once in a while, okiya also discard of old, overused items and sell them, if their condition is still good enough (Umeno did that last year, for example).

A regular Geiko-kimono costs at least 10,000 USD, with fancier ones being up to 15,000 USD and formal ones costing around 20,000 USD, and a regular Maiko-kimono costs around 15,000 USD and their kuromontsuki can cost up to 25,000 USD, and that’s not even counting any obi, so you can imagine to how much money just the clothing would amount to.

You’d also need hada - and nagajuban, eri, komon for the Maiko and houmongi and some tomesode for the Geiko for casual events, so the kimono-collection of an okiya can easily surpass 1 Million USD.

And then you’d also need hair ornaments and obidome! Regular daikin, maezashi and bira ougi wouldn’t be that expensive, but the tama, tachibana (only for junior Maiko) and hirauchi kanzashi (only for senior Maiko) and also the kushi very senior Maiko wear are already more expensive.

The kushi for Geiko are also quite expensive, and the bekko kogai they wear are made of real tortoiseshell and not only are these very expensive in the first place, since tortoiseshell-trade is heavily restricted nowadays, most of these pieces are antiques, quadrupling the prices. You’d also need toirtoishell-kanzashi for Maiko (kushi, hirauchi and chirikan) they wear them during their Misedashi and the first few days as Maiko and during very formal events like Shigyoshiki.

The obidome are the most expensive part of a Maiko’s outfit, and since they are worn almost every day, you need a good deal of them. They are made of precious stones and things like silver and platinum, so they can easily surpass the price of a kuromontsuki.

And then you’d of course need a building, you’d need the okiya itself. As far as I know, they don’t really build new ones anymore, so one would need to purchase a suitable building from the original owner, and this could, again, be over millions of dollars. Some of these buildings are smaller or bigger than others, so some okiya have enough space to house a lot of Maiko and Geiko at the same time (Komaya - 7 Maiko and 2 Geiko (I think?), Tama - 6 Maiko) and others only have adequate room for around 4 or 5 people, excluding the okaasan and the maids, who sometimes live on the premises.

Then, you’d also need furniture for the okiya, which needs to be of the finest quality, should guests be invited (which will be quite often). An okiya needs to be able to own expenive, high-quality furniture, both traditional and new, and art-works to not only show off their wealth, but also show that they are able to adequately support their Maiko and Geiko.

This is all excluding the running costs like utilities and food everyone has to pay for, and the lessons for Maiko and Geiko, the cleaning of the kimono, the maids and cooks etc. An okiya is incredibly expensive, 1 or 2 million seed capital won’t (even) cut it.

And you’d also need something that might be even more important than the money for both an okiya and an ochaya: You need conncetions. You could just go into any kagai and try and open an okiya or ochaya without any connections if you have enough money, but firstly, I highly doubt that you’d be very successful, and secondly, I doubt that they’d even let you (as in, purchase a building) in many districts.

You don’t necessarily need to be or have been a Geiko yourself to open an okiya or ochaya, but it does help, because it means that you already have many connections to the people working in the karyukai and the clients, have artistic experience and know what it’s like to be a Maiko/Geiko. However, you can also build relationships to the people in the karyukai in a different way (Katsufumi, okaasan of the newly-established Katsufumi Okiya of Kamishichiken, was a Geiko for only 2 years, but owned a bar and henshin studio for over a decade, Yuko, okaasan of the Umeno Okiya of Kamishichiken, was never a Maiko or Geiko, but grew up beside them and also has artistic experience).

And of course, as the okaasan of an okiya, you’d need girls and women wanting to be Maiko and Geiko to join you and as the okaasan of an ochaya, you’d need customers wanting to pay for your services and Geiko and Maiko wanting to work for/with you.

As for an ochaya, you of course wouldn’t need any kimono, obi or hair ornaments, you’d need the building and very nice furniture and artworks and also quite a lot of them, and everything would need to be absolutely spotless, so you’d also need to pay for maids and servers as well. Again, to open and run an ochaya, you’d need a lot of connections and people would need to like and respect you and think highly of you.

You’d need to be able to pay the restaurants preparing and delivering the food for you, you’d of course have to pay the Maiko and Geiko and you’d need to always be stacked up on expensive drinks, mostly alcoholic drinks like sake, wine, beer, shochu, whiskey etc., but also some non-alcoholic options, and depending on the guests, they might have to be personalized.

You’d need to buy less things to open an ochaya, but that doesn’t mean that the job of running an ochaya would be any less demanding than that of running an okiya. Not to mention that many okiya also have an adjoined ochaya, so they have to deal with a dual burden.

It feels like I’ve forgotten something, but that’s all that I can remember right now ^^’. If I’ve made any mistakes or you have something to add, please tell me so!

#ask #okiya #ochaya #okaasan #geisha #maiko #geigi #geiko #karyukai

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raybansandcoffee · 7 years

Text

In the Heat of Los Angeles - Chapter Twelve: Liar Liar (Alexa Johnson)

If you have missed the first eleven chapter find them HERE.

The plane taxied onto the runway and came to a stop. There were two cars waiting for us, one for Ty, Kammi and Nick who were headed to the Upper East Side and one for Joe, Eliza and I to head to Tribeca. I had managed to sleep most of the trip by putting on headphones and a sleeping mask. I was exhausted after Harry and I had decided to stay up all night. I really just wanted to go home, crawl in my bed and sleep. But I had a meeting. I dropped everything off in my bedroom and quickly threw everything in my backpack to head to the recording studio to meet with my studio manager.

“Where are you headed?” Joe asked as I came downstairs. He was in the kitchen getting a glass of water.

“Studio. I’ve got a meeting with Jax.”

“Are you coming back here before dinner?” he asked.

“Yeah, there’s no way I’d go to dinner at the Mackin's house in this." I had bothered to try and change before my meeting. Jax wouldn't care if I showed up in leggings and my boyfriend's shirt, he'd probably think it was mine actually. Victoria however would not like me showing up in my boyfriend's clothes to her house for dinner. "I'll text you when I come back here. We can all head over there together."

"Okay, have fun at your meeting," Joe said. I headed out the door slipping my headphones in and clicking through the phone to call Harry.

"Hey love," he answered.

"Hi baby."

"Did you land okay?"

"I did. I slept most of the flight now I'm headed to my meeting."

"What is your meeting?" he asked.

"It's with my studio manager, Jax. We are going over the schedule for the next few months. I want to make sure that the higher priority artists are getting their time in the studio. Sometimes our producers have pet projects they want to work on and I need to know the studio space is going to the artists that have a higher profile. Which sucks because the pet projects a lot of the time are the thing I love listening to. But I need to make sure that if you wanted the studio space that you have it over the unknown songwriters that my producers love working with."

"Sounds tricky."

"It is. I don't want the producers to refuse to work in the studio but I also need to make sure shit gets done. The pain of running multiple businesses under one umbrella." I took a deep breath as I walked out onto the street. "How was your day?"

"Good. I got some laundry done. Worked on my second audition with some of the notes Eliza and the casting director gave me. You left some of your stuff here."

"Anything important?" I asked.

"Me?"

"Aww, miss me already?"

"More than I should probably admit."

"You're cute."

"At least you don't find me psychotic for missing you."

"I miss you too."

"So who is staying at your place?" Here was what I wish I could avoid telling him. I hadn't realized Joe was going to be coming with us to New York, despite inviting him to Chicago for Jonny's birthday I didn't actually think he'd come.

“Well, Ty on the flight decided to stay at Kammi's parent's house with she and Nick. Makes sense to have her assistant with her. Which leaves Eliza and Joe staying with me."

"Joe came with you?”

“Yeah.”

“Why didn’t you tell me Joe was coming?”

“I didn’t know he’d decided to come until I got to the airport this morning.”

“Does this mean he’s in Chicago?”

“Yeah, they are all going to be there Friday through Sunday morning.” I heard him sigh on the other end of the phone call. “Are you upset?”

“I can’t say I’m not the tiniest bit upset that my girlfriend has a guy with her that obviously as some point had feelings for her based on how he behaves around her.”

“Joe doesn’t have feelings for me. Never has. We are just friends.”

“I doubt that.”

“Harry, baby, you need to trust me. Nothing is going to happen between me and Joe. Never will. YOU are who I like spending my time with.”

“I know and I really don’t want to be an ass about this. I just wish I’d known he was going with you before you left.”

"I know. I wish I’d known as well. I’ll talk to Nick and Kammi. They’ve always done this shit to me. They had ulterior motives for a long time. They can’t anymore. And neither can Joe as much as I think he maybe has a girlfriend, that doesn’t matter. I have a boyfriend and he cares that Joe just shows up places.”

“I don’t want you to cause problems. But it does make me uncomfortable.”

“I’m sorry.” There was silence on the other end. “I miss you. I wish you were here.”

“I wish I was too. We will have to take a trip to New York together sometime.”

“I’m sure we will but I wish you were here now. I just know that you can’t be. Your audition is too important to be here with me. And I get you on Friday, though not all to myself. I have to share you with The Circus and the entire Fazio/Ferrera clan. I won’t have you to myself until Wednesday night next week.”

“We will make the best of that. Maybe the weekend after we get back from Chicago we do something just us. No circus. No family. Just us.”

“If I don’t end up having to work the whole weekend maybe we can do that.”

“No working the whole weekend.”

“Well, I’m not doing a whole lot of work while I’m in Chicago so I don’t know that I can afford to go that long without working. Plus I got the deal worked out for that magazine. You will need to be back home the beginning of May for it.”

“Will you come with me?”

“We can talk about it. I can look at my schedule. It would probably be good if I was with you for your first major magazine cover.”

“And so you can come home with me. I’ll have met your whole family by then. You could come meet mine.”

“We can talk about it when I’m not walking through the streets. Maybe tonight. I don’t think we are going out tonight because we have dinner at the Mackin house. I think we are all going out tomorrow night.”

“Sounds like fun. I’m going to be sitting here at home.”

“Whatever, you have friends to go out with that you’ve been ignoring for a week.”

“That’s true. I have dinner with Ben and James tonight.”

“That will be fun. Tell them both I say hi.”

“I will. Evidently when I got off the phone with James yesterday he told Ben that we’d been hiding from them.”

“Those two are hilarious.” I walked up to the front door of the studio and stopped outside for a second. “H, I’m at the studio. I should probably go. I’ll text you when I get home from dinner so I don’t bother your dinner if you’re out. Then you can just FaceTime me when you get home from dinner. I’ll probably be up late working.”

“Don’t work too hard.”

“Oh, I will but I can here. You aren’t here to tell me no laptops in bed.” He started to laugh me.

“God I miss you,” he said.

“Me too. We will talk later. Have fun tonight.”

“You too.” We said our goodbyes and I headed into the studio. This was my happy place in New York. As much as I loved our offices in Hudson Yards I often just skipped out on the office when I was in town and worked from here. It was a few minutes of walking from my condo and so much more chill. The office in LA pretty much knew that I’d run around barefoot on busy days and often had pens stuck in my bun. In New York there were people who thought that I acted like a child and so I was always dressed like I had the biggest presentation of my life here. The culture of our offices was so different. Moving from Midtown to Hudson Yards had changed the culture of New York a little and made people relax a bit and enjoy some down time when they were in the office but it was rare. New York truly was the city that never slept and never stopped hustling.

My meeting with Jax went well and we had the schedule worked out. He of course was full of questions about Harry being a client, just like nearly every person in our company had been since the announcement. I answered the questions without being too specific. All of our studios and producers had opinions on him going solo. Some wanted to record with him, they knew it would raise their profile to work with someone like him. Some wanted nothing to do with him, fearing it would lower their credibility to work with someone going solo from a boyband. None of them had any idea what he would decide to do, I didn’t either. I was starting to build a list of the producers we usually worked with and some people I knew through the industry that I thought he would mesh well with so he could meet with them and make decisions on his own time. I didn’t want to make this decision for him. His debut album was going to be his chance to show the world what his music was and what he was made of. It had to be completely his decision.

I headed back to the condo and quickly changed into something more appropriate for dinner at Cameron and Victoria’s house. They were much more formal than anyone in my family ever was. Mom a lot of times had fancier events where I had to dress nice but if it was just dinner with my friends because we were in town we could show up in ripped jeans and t-shirts or whatever we were comfortable in. Dinner with Pops was usually at a restaurant but if it was at his house it was always casual because it usually involved either a day at the pool or riding horses. It was only a more fancy occasion if whatever woman was in his life at the time decided she wanted to impress people.

I looked through the clothes I’d brought with me. I wanted to be comfortable because I was completely exhausted but I knew a dress would be my best option. I settled on a black and red patterned cap sleeve dress that was form fitting and came to just above my knees. I had packed it thinking I could maybe wear it for Jonny’s birthday party but had another option for that as well. The other option was lower cut and something that wouldn’t shock my mother but might shock Victoria. I touched up my hair and makeup before putting on a pair of heels. I grabbed my coat and headed downstairs. I found Joe and Eliza in the living room laying on the couch watching TV. They were both dressed and ready.

“Are we taking the subway or a car?” Joe asked.

“Car,” Eliza said. “I ordered it and it should be here any minute. We have to wear heels to this sort of shindig. I’m not doing a train in these.” She held her foot up and her heels were about as high as mine. Her phone buzzed in her hand. “Car is here.” We all put on coats, Eliza and I grabbed our purses and we headed down. We were in the car and headed across town for dinner.

“Anyone else nervous about this?” I asked.

“Yes,” both Joe and Eliza replied.

“Why are you nervous?” Eliza asked.

“I value what Cameron and Victoria think of me. I’m dating my client. This is almost as bad as telling Jimmy all over again.” They both laughed at me referring to my father by his nickname. It wasn’t an unusual thing to have happen. I had a lot of parents. I often referred to my mother as Grace with them. They were just used to it by now.

“They will be happy for you. Jimmy was,” Eliza said.

“I know. I’m just keeping my fingers crossed and maybe thankful that I don’t have him here with me. Though admittedly I miss him.”

“Of course you do,” Joe said. “You’re still in the phase where everything is new and awesome and you like being around each other. For most people that phase eventually ends.”

“Something happen that I don’t know about?” I asked.

“I’m here to have fun and replace you as the single one on the trip.”

“Oh no. I’m sorry Joe,” I said resting my head on his shoulder. He was in the middle of the seat in the back of the car Eliza had ordered. She put her head on his other shoulder.

“We are here for you,” Eliza said.

“Thanks, I knew a few days away with all of you could make me forget yet another break up.”

“Of course. Maybe we can go grab drinks tonight, though I sort of figured tomorrow night would be our big night out.”

“Yeah, I think tomorrow is the big night out,” Joe said. “Nick said that Kammi’s sisters were going to be at her parents’ place tonight so she wanted to stay home. Plus we all figured that with you not sleeping last night that you might want to just go home and crash.”

“I do,” I replied. “I don’t even want to go to this. I want to go home, crawl in bed and sleep. But when your business partner invites you to dinner, you go. Tired or not.”

“True,” Eliza agreed. “You can’t exactly say, ‘Sorry Cameron and Victoria, can’t come too dinner. I was too busy screwing my boyfriend.’ That wouldn’t work.”

“No and I’m pretty sure Jimmy would be pissed off about all of it. He reacted almost too well to the news. Which I know that Grace told him about it before I did but still, it seems too good to be true.”

“He did react really well. I can see why that would make you uncomfortable,” Eliza said. “Jimmy very rarely reacts and doesn’t have some sort of criticism to go along with it.”

“Exactly!” I exclaimed. Joe just laughed.

“Maybe he is actually happy about it though." Joe always tried to give my father the benefit of the doubt. He had always gotten along really well with him.

“Maybe, but it’s suspicious,” I said through my laughter. I felt my phone buzz in my hand and looked down.

Have fun at dinner tonight. I'll FaceTime you when I get home.

The car pulled up in front of the Mackin house. They’d had this same house my entire life. A half block from Central Park, a rod iron gate going around a little area at the front that lead to the front door and a service entrance that went straight into the basement. I’d snuck in and out of that service entrance a time or two when I was a teenager and didn’t want to get caught by Cameron and Victoria. We went to the front door and rang the doorbell. This was the easiest way to tell the difference between the households. At my Mom’s you just walked in to the house and yelled for someone. You’d hear the boys playing their video games in the family room upstairs and Mom singing along to the radio in the kitchen. At my Pops’ house you had to have a code to get in the gate. We all had it. We all let ourselves in. There had never been knocking. Eliza’s parents were a lot like my Mom and Dad. They had a house full of noisy kids. They were prepared that any of the their friends or their kids’ friends would just walk into the house. Mom usually showed up with a bottle of wine and had the first glass poured before Marie even made her way into the kitchen. At Kammi’s parents’ house you knocked and waited for the butler to answer the door. Ty’s grandparents’ house was the same way. New York life was just so much different to me than anything I’d grown up with.

“Welcome,” the butler said as he opened the door.

“Hello Alfred,” I replied.

“Miss Scarcello, Miss Richards, Mr. Jonas, welcome. Let me take your coats. The Mackins are in the bar.” Alfred took all of our jackets and we went up the few steps into the main foyer and to the bar that was on the first floor. Kammi, her sisters, her parents, Nick and Ty were all sitting and talking. I was glad I’d opted for heels as each of the women already sitting in the room had on sky high Louboutins.

“Hello everyone,” Cameron said. Victoria stood to hug all of us giving us all an air kiss on each cheek. I headed over to Cameron at the bar and hugged him before taking the glass of scotch he was offering me. “Did you have a good flight out?”

“Yeah, I slept most of the way,” I replied. “I had a meeting with Jax as soon as I got off of the plane. We needed to start working through the summer recording schedule.”

“Yeah, you’ve got a lot of artists in the studio. Should be a busy time for you. Any word on when Harry plans on going in the studio?” he asked.

“None at all yet. We need to get him through his second audition for a Christopher Nolan movie this week and then figure out if he’s spending his summer on a movie set or in a recording studio.”

“When is his second audition?”

“Thursday morning. It’s all pretty rushed. But he did great. Then in a couple weeks he’s off to head home for a magazine cover and then who knows what. Maybe France to film a movie or a recording studio somewhere.”

“And what about you?” Cameron asked. “Will you be tagging along?”

“My job is my first priority,” I replied. “I may be going to London for the magazine cover shoot. But if he gets sent to France for an extended period of time to film a movie I can’t feasibly work from there for a whole summer. So I would not be attending. He doesn’t need his manager with him.”

“He might like his girlfriend.”

“So who told you? Jimmy or your kid?”

“Jimmy, but Kammi and Nick filled me in on everything. They say you’re happy.” I nodded. “And finally not living in your office.” I laughed as I nodded again. “That’s all we can ask for as parents. And as your business partner, I’ve always been a little worried that you’d burn out early. So knowing that you might have a reason to skip town this summer and go to France for a while and maybe not spend your life in your office, has me believing that you aren’t going to tell me you’re quitting before you hit 30.”

“Thanks,” I replied laughing. Cameron hugged me. “It’s been an unnerving situation to say the least. I never expected it to happen. Hell I never expected him to walk into my office that day.”

“Things happen when we least expect it. Look at Kammi and Nick. She never expected him to be interested in her after all the years they spent growing up together as friends. Now they are moving in together and their future together looks promising.”

“Yeah, I’m happy for them both. They are good together. It’s nice to see them both so happy.”

“It’s nice to hear that you’re happy as well. You deserve it.”

“Everlee, I hear you have a new boyfriend,” Victoria said.

“I do.”

“Will he be joining us on the trip to Mexico next month?”

“I have no idea. He is coming home to Chicago with me this weekend to meet Mom, Dad and the boys. Considering Mom is who invited him to Chicago I imagine she’ll invite him to Mexico but it will all depend on his work schedule. I also don’t know that I should overwhelm him with everyone and that trip so fast.”

“Overwhelm him?” Nick asked. “He’s basically jumping in head first to all of this. And I could use help judging all you idiots when you do karaoke roulette.”

“We will have to wait and see. He could be gone filming a movie or something.”

“Well, if he’s not I say he comes with. Maybe this year even Joe can come along,” Victoria said. She must’ve had a few drinks before we got here because she was acting like my Mom, inviting everyone along on trips.

“I’d love to finally get an invite,” Joe said. “If we all end up going we can be like the judges on The Voice and get spinning chairs.”

“No,” I replied glaring at him. “Nick drinks enough that the spinning would have him puking everywhere.” Nick flipped me off from where he was sitting.

“So Eliza, are you seeing anyone these days?” Victoria asked.

“Not currently. I’ve been working a lot. Between SME and the few shows I have booked right now I’ve been pretty busy. Hard to find time to date. And unlike E, they don’t come marching into my office.”

“What about the cute guy you were in the play with last winter?” I asked.

“Turns out he was more into Ty than me.”

“He was definitely in to me.”

“Ty does this mean you are seeing someone?” Victoria asked.

“No, not seriously. I’m too young to be tied down,” he said causing everyone to laugh.

“Are we all going out tomorrow?” Kammi’s sister, Stassi asked.

“We better be,” Blair said. “I cleared my normal Wednesday schedule so that we could all go out tomorrow night since you all came home.”

“Don’t get into too much trouble, Blair. You’ve got auditions coming up for your summer programs,” Cameron said.

“I’ve got it covered, Dad.” She took a sip from her wine glass. She was only 19 but it was common amongst all of our families to allow us to have wine at dinner parties once we were out of high school. None of the parents were naive enough to think we weren’t drinking elsewhere. We sat chatting before moving towards the dining room and sitting down. Joe sat in between Eliza and I on one side of one of the tables in the room. Dinner parties at the Mackin house always meant multiple courses and delicious food. Their chef was talented and had been with the family for a number of years.

“Thank you so much for having us all,” I said as we were enjoying our dessert.

“We are happy to do it. It’s not often we get all six of you in town together. Let alone when we can get Stassi and Blair to show up at the house.”

“I’m always here,” Stassi replied. “If I’m not in class or working I’m here.”

“True,” Cameron replied. “It’s Blair that is the struggle.”

“I’m busy,” she responded taking a sip of her wine making us all laugh. The 19 year old who didn’t have a job was of course the one hardest to nail down in this family. Not the 21 year old who was on track to graduate in December and had worked for her mother since she was 18. And not the 25 year old who lived on the opposite coast helping run their father’s business. It was the 19 year old who was always busy having fun. I’d give my right arm to have approached life the way Blair did. She didn’t feel pressure to meet any sort of expectation, she just did what she wanted. I’d never done that. Kammi hadn’t really either. She’d been able to have a bit more fun in college than I was because she was away from her family and SME. She only worked in summers whereas I was a workaholic all through college. I would’ve been able to graduate a year early if I’d focused myself on my school the way I did on work. My Mom and Dad were always worried that I’d have a breakdown or burnout early. But I just kept going. The thought of being 19 with New York as my playground sounded like a blast. I was jealous of Blair.

“You’re busy out finding a new guy every week,” Kammi said as she stuck her tongue out at her sister.

“Not all of us are lucky enough to land a hot boyfriend that we’ve known practically our whole life,” Blair responded. “Hey Joe, you single these days?”

“Uh…” Everyone in the room erupted into laughter. “Blair, you’re cute but you’re also like a little sister to me. Sorry?”

“What about your new client?” Blair asked as she turned to look at me. “Is Harry Styles single or is he still dating Kendall Jenner?” I didn’t even know how to react. I had noticed that Blair had been on her phone the entire time we were in the bar so she obviously wasn’t paying attention. Phones however were not allowed at the dinner table, Cameron’s #1 rule. We all put them in a basket at the door to the dining room when we came in. You could hear them vibrating against each other in the basket which usually gave me anxiety.

“He’s got a girlfriend,” I responded. Everyone else was holding in their laughter.

“Like a serious girlfriend or am I hotter than she is?”

“Everlee is his girlfriend,” Nick said. “Based on how they act around each other neither of them are looking for anyone else.” I smiled.

“That might be true.”

“Things are serious already?” Stassi asked.

“I mean we aren’t talking about running off together or moving in together.”

“They practically are living together. She’s stayed with him every night since they started dating,” Ty said.

“His house is quiet. The sound of silence is the most beautiful sound in the world after living with all of you.”

“So you are sleeping with Harry Styles?” Blair asked.

“Blair!” Victoria scolded her daughter.

“What? She probably is.”

“It’s none of your business if she is. They are enjoying each other’s company and having fun together. You care about each other. Right?” Now Victoria was looking at me.

“Yeah, we care about each other a lot. He’s pretty special.”

“Have you guys talked since you got here?” Kammi asked.

“Yeah, I called him on my walk to the studio this afternoon.”

“He miss you already?” I nodded.

“He told me that I forgot some of my stuff at his place when I was packing to leave last night. When I asked if it was anything important his response was ‘me’.” I smiled at her.

“Awww,” Kammi said. She’d taken the seat next to me and hugged me. “I’m happy to see you this happy. Though I admit I’m excited to see him meet Grace and Marco. If I know Marco well enough he’s going to try and intimidate him.”

“Already did,” I replied laughing. “He called him the other morning because Mom gave him Harry’s phone number. She’s crazy in case you forgot. He tried to act all intimidating and just when he’d about given my boyfriend of like a week a heart attack he started laughing and I’m sure it was his maniacal asshole laugh that I’ve gotten most of my life when he tortures me.”

“That’s funny,” Cameron said. “Marco can get away with that.”

“And he too often does.”

“Are you excited to go home?” Victoria asked. “We were invited to the birthday dinner but I’ve got several open houses on some high end property that hits the market this week so we couldn’t sneak away. I’ve got a gift for your brother for you to take with you.”

“I am excited to go home. I miss my Mom and Dad. I’m sure that Toph has grown like a foot since I’ve seen him or something. Jonny is going to be 16 which still blows my mind. These are my baby brothers. They are still all little guys playing in the park while Mom and I sat together watching them on warm afternoons. I’m not ready for them to be grown up.”

“We were the same way when you girls all started to get older,” Victoria said. “You and Kammi are born so close to each other that when we did the trip to Los Angeles together to celebrate your 16th birthday Grace and I just stood there crying in Jimmy’s driveway as you three drove off in that Jeep Jimmy gave you for your birthday.”

“I loved that first Jeep!” Eliza said.

“I thought Grace was going to kill Jimmy for taking the roof and doors off before setting you girls free,” Victoria said. “When you finally rolled back home at midnight and were alive we all felt a little better.”

“That was the best trip. That was when all three of us decided that we were moving to LA after college,” I said.

“It was,” Kammi replied. I rested my head on her shoulder. That had been the trip that changed our path in life. We made a decision that night as the three of us girls stood staring at the Hollywood sign that when we were all done with college, which we knew was several years off in the distance, that we would all come back here. We took a picture of us out the top of my Jeep that night with the sign in the background. We came back the first night we were all in LA and recreated the picture, we were even nice enough to even take a new version that had Ty and Nick as part of it. It had started with a dream the three of us had and had become so much more in the years since we made the decision.

The rest of dinner was nice, we said our goodbyes and climbed back into the car to head across town. It was obvious we were all tired because we were relatively quiet. Once in the apartment we said our goodnights and headed to our respective bedrooms. I sent Harry a quick text to let him know I was home and started in on my work. I had to have a lot of stuff prepped for a full scale meeting with my New York team. I don’t know why but my New York meetings still felt like I was going in to give a presentation to every professor I’d ever had in college asking them to grant me the right to graduate. I was going over my presentation and notes when the FaceTime notification popped up in the corner. I clicked okay and the screen transitioned into showing me Harry, laying in bed with no shirt on and based on his smile he was a bit tipsy.

“Hi,” I said.

“Hi,” he replied.

“How was dinner?” I asked.

“Good. We all three agree that it was bullshit that you went to New York for a few days because we all miss you.” I laughed.

“I miss you all too.”

“James thinks you miss him more than you miss me.”

“Doubtful.”

“That’s what I said.” He smiled at me and I sort of melted back into the pillows behind me. “He doesn’t give you multiple orgasms in an evening.”

“No, he doesn’t. Thank god!”

“Are you working in bed?”

“I am. You aren’t here to tell me I can’t.”

“You shouldn’t be working. You should be sleeping and dreaming of me.” I laughed.

“I have a big meeting with my team tomorrow. Dreaming of you will only end up getting me in trouble.”

“I miss you.”

“I miss you too,” I replied. “Friday can’t come soon enough.”

“Maybe if we both close our eyes and wish really hard we will be together.” He closed his eyes tight and I watched him crack one open when he heard me laugh at him. “You aren’t closing your eyes. It won’t work if you keep your eyes open.”

“How much did you have to drink tonight?”

“A bit of wine. Probably too much wine because I miss my girlfriend.”

“I know the feeling except I started with scotch. Had to pace myself on the wine after that.”

“It’s so hot that you drink scotch. I don’t even do that well.”

“I noticed that first night. You had a reaction face that was funny. Made it obvious scotch was not your drink of choice.”

“Yet you still came home with me.”

“Your accent did me in.”

“Is my accent doing anything to you now?” he asked raising an eyebrow at me.

“Are you trying to get me to have sex with you via FaceTime?”

“Maybe…”

“Harry,” I responded now laughing uncontrollably.

“What? I miss you. I’m going through withdrawal symptoms. It’s been like almost 24 hours since I had sex.” The laughing got harder. “You know you miss me too.”

“I do. I miss you a lot. It’s going to be a rough two days until Chicago.”

“Are you picking me up at the airport?” he asked.

“Of course. I want to see you first. If you just show up at my house it would be my luck that my Mom would just sit on the front porch waiting for you to get there.”

“I’m excited to meet everyone.”

“I’m really excited for you to meet them all too. It will be a good time. I just need to warn you though. Wrigley Everlee is unlike anything you’ve ever seen. So be prepared.”

“I’ve watched baseball with you. I know how you get.”

“You haven’t been to a baseball game with me. It’s just different.”

“I’m prepared. So what should I get Jonathan for his birthday?” he asked.

“You don’t need to worry about it. I’ve got him a really nice gift. I can put your name on the card.”

“What did you get him?”

“Well other than the suite for the game, I also got him a new personalized jersey with the number he wears for his high school ball team. I had been considering getting him a guitar. He started taking lessons on an acoustic like a year or two ago because he thought he could woo girls if he could play guitar.”

“It is a nice trick. I’ve been able to woo his sister with a guitar a time or two.”

“You have. I like listening to you play while I do shit around your house.”

“So you were going to get him another guitar?”

“A nicer one. He started on the old acoustic I left at home so I had a guitar there for when I visit. But then he started bugging me about wanting an Apple Watch so I weakened and got him that.”

“You spent a lot on your brother for his birthday,” Harry said.

“Yeah, but you only turn 16 once, right?” I shrugged. “He’s a great kid. And it’s nice to do nice things for him. Dad is insisting on splitting the cost of the suite with me since I won’t just let him pay for it.”

“Well, I’d like to get him a gift if that’s okay.”

“That’s fine. It doesn’t need to be anything extravagant though. Really the funny part is as much as I’ve shelled out this money on Jonny the thing he’ll love most is that I came home.”

“That’s nice. I know what it’s like to want to spoil family. I wish Gem would let me spoil her, she’s a pain in my ass about me spending money on her.” I put the laptop next to my pillow where he would normally be laying in bed and laid on my side to look at him. “You look tired.”

“I’m exhausted. I didn’t get any sleep last night.”

“I bet it was for a good reason.”

“It was for a great reason.”

“Well get some sleep now.”

“Okay. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Okay. Goodnight, love. I miss you.”

“I miss you too, H. Goodnight, baby.” I ended the FaceTime call and quickly passed out. The next morning I was up and dressed to head to the office. I had some cute pant suits and only really ever wore them in New York. It was crazy the way I treated the offices different because of the way I felt going into them. Rather than have an office devoted for each of us Kammi and I shared an office in New York, Chicago and London. Made work difficult when we were traveling together. We often ended up spending more time goofing around because Ty and Eliza’s desks were in here too. It was our own mini-bullpen of sorts.

The meeting with the New York staff went well. They were a great team but were so used to working without me present that it was always unnerving to try and tell them about a new initiative or something that I wanted to try out. They knew that I would be receptive to their ideas but also knew that the staff in Los Angeles had an easier time swaying me to what they wanted because I interacted with them every day. I’d often thought that I needed to split time more evenly between each of our offices, but as we grew and now had four offices with the potential of adding more down the road, it became harder to imagine splitting my time more evenly between each of the places. I had lunch with my New York head to get caught up on some of the stuff going on and then was back to my normal work in the afternoon.

Kammi and Ty left at about 6:00 to head to her parents to get ready for our night out tonight and Eliza and I headed home shortly after. Joe and Nick were both hanging out on the couch when we walked in the door.

“Get tired of hanging out at the Mackin house?” I asked.

“It’s weird there during the day. Like if I’m at the condo I’m by myself. But Alfred and Penny constantly ask if they can get anything for me. I’m not used to having a staff who wants to like make me lunch or coffee. So I came down here this morning.”

“Have you told Kammi?”

“Yeah, I told her that we should all just meet here before dinner since I’ve relocated.”

“Good to know. I need to change before we go out. I’m done rocking my pantsuit look today.”

“It’s at least cute,” Eliza said.

“Thanks, but I need to feel like myself for a little bit. Before I return to the more stuffy Everlee look again tomorrow for work.” I headed up to my bedroom to find something to wear and make a quick phone call to Harry. He didn’t answer so I left him a message telling him that I’d be heading out with The Circus for dinner and a night out and to just give me a call. I wouldn’t hesitate to answer a phone call from him in a bar when I’m out with my roommates. Especially considering I didn’t want to wake him up when I headed to the office this morning so we had only managed to exchanged a few texts in between my meetings.

I got dressed in a black mini dress that had a few transparent stripes at the bottom and was low cut. It was a bit on the sexier side of my style but it felt like I was rebelling by acting my own age for a few hours. The pantsuit had done me in today. I put some ankle booties on and grabbed a black leather jacket before switching my purse and heading downstairs. Ty and Kammi had arrived while I was upstairs. Kammi was obviously also feeling the need to sex it up a bit tonight. She had on skintight red pants that I was pretty sure at first glance as I walked down the stairs were leather and a black silk shirt.

“Are we ready?” Ty asked.

“Yup. I need a drink and to feel like I’m 25 for a few hours and not 50,” I replied.

“Stressful meetings?” Joe asked.

“You all know that New York stresses me out. There’s a reason I didn’t move here after I graduated. I can only do New York in small doses.”

“You know, I grew up here and even I get it now. I want to go back to the life where if the weather is really nice people get that you might show up in a sundress on a Tuesday or come in from lunch with a tan you didn’t have when you left. I make my mother cringe every time I tell her I’m pretty sure I could stay in LA for the rest of my life.”

“My parents gave up on Joe and I moving back to the East Coast permanently a long time ago. At least they aren’t up here anymore or they’d probably start the same sort of thing. Now, Kevin and Dani, that’s another story. They want us home,” Nick added.

“You could go back to Chicago in a heartbeat though, right E?” Joe asked.

“If business became big enough that I could rationalize being in Chicago full-time I’d go back. Well maybe.”

“You’d also maybe go to London these days,” Eliza said.

“Maybe.”

“Did you finally get him on the phone?” I looked at Eliza and shook my head. “That sucks.”

“Yeah, I left him a message and told him to just call me when he had a chance and as long as I wasn’t at dinner with all of you I’d just take off to answer so I could talk to him. He’ll have to go to bed early tonight is my guess. Audition in the morning.”

“What is he auditioning for?” Joe asked. We were now in the lobby waiting for the car service to pull up.

“Dunkirk. It’s a new project by Christopher Nolan. A World War II drama about British soldiers during the battle of Dunkirk.”

“That’s an intense first flick.”

“Yeah, Nick told him to avoid the Camp Rock type scripts.”

“I’d do another Camp Rock in a heartbeat,” Joe said. “It would be a chance to spend a few weeks with my best friends at a camp acting like idiots.” Kammi and I had managed to convince Joe and Nick to get us parts as extras in Camp Rock 2 just so we could come spend a few weeks with them while they filmed it. It was a lot of fun despite it being a sort of cheesy movie, though it was perfect for their fan base at the time. The car pulled up and we all climbed in.

“A summer away with everyone and no work might be awesome, but I doubt that we would be able to not work,” I said.

“Yeah, we’d both end up working the whole time,” Kammi said. “Mexico is about the only time during the year that we get without working and even then we all dedicate an hour a day to email.”

“I know. I have a lot of friends from school who are envious that I’m not working a shit job at an agency or struggling writing and everything. I’ve offered to trade jobs with them for a week. I would kill for a week working freelance where I could stay in my pajamas and write whenever I wanted.”

“That sounds like heaven,” Kammi replied. “My friends from school do the same thing. Granted we both know our friends who are freelancers hustle their ass off and most of them are still bartending.”

“True. But seriously they think that because my name is on the door that I am just like a figurehead in an office that doesn’t work. I've threatened to blog about what my normal days are like.”

“Just leave out the days you’ve had lately,” Ty said. “You practically have been in your pajamas since you strolled in the office in the outfit you wore the night before.”

“I have. I don’t have clothes at his house. I have to figure out how to deal with that without being like ‘Hey H, baby, I like you and you’re cute and I basically use you for your super comfortable bed. But I need space in the closet.’ It would be so weird.”

“So just stay at home,” Ty said.

“And give up sex? E isn’t crazy,” Kammi replied. I started to laugh. The phone rang and I glanced down to see Harry’s name.

“Hey baby,” I answered. The whole car started to make cat calls. I flipped them off.

“Hey love. It’s so loud, where are you?”

“The car. We are headed out to dinner. The Circus says hi.”

“Fun. I didn’t realize you would’ve left already. I had just got your message I was in the gym when you called.”

“It’s okay. I wanted to call you between work and dinner. Can I call you later? I’ll sneak out of the bar for a few minutes to call or something.”

“Don’t worry about it. Just call me when you get home. Even if you got home at like 2AM, which I know is unlikely, it’s still early for me. Have fun tonight.”

“Okay. I miss you.”

“I miss you too,” Ty yelled. I heard Harry start to laugh.

“We all miss you,” Joe said as he leaned in towards the phone. “See you in the Windy CIty!”

“Be careful tonight.”

“I will. I’ll call you later. Bye baby.”

“Bye love.”

“You are all a bunch of assholes,” I said as I slid my phone back into my purse.

“You just aren’t used to us giving you shit for being in a relationship,” Ty said. “You were never cutesy with Drew.”

“There was nothing to be cutesy about. You never saw us act like a couple. You three guys touch me more in public than he did.”

“True,” Joe said. “It just wasn’t his thing. Clearly, it is Harry’s.”

“Yeah, it’s strange to be in a relationship with someone who is so okay with the PDA thing. I mean it’s what I grew up around. Every married couple in my family was super affectionate. It was always weird to have Drew who wasn’t.”

“I can see that,” Kammi said. “I never really cared either way until Nick. And I like that he’s okay with it because sometimes in a crowded room when I really would rather be anywhere but there just the simple gesture of him holding my hand is something that makes me feel better. Drew didn’t do that with you.”

“Nope, even that made him uncomfortable. Funny thing is, his Mom and Dad are very affectionate.”

“I noticed that,” Eliza said. “I only met that am his graduation and they were affectionate with each other and him. I never said anything because it didn’t feel like my place.”

“Eh, I don’t need to worry about it now. New York is just tough. It brings back memories. I spent a lot of time traveling here to wait for him to not be busy and spend some time with me.”

“You’ve got someone so much better now,” Kammi said. I felt her hand rub my shoulder from behind me. “You are so much happier with Harry and it’s only a week. Imagine what it will be like when you’ve been together as long as you and Drew were. You won’t even think about it. You’ll have made your own memories in places.”

“Thanks.” We pulled up to the restaurant we’d decided on and all climbed out of the car. We had enough of a party tonight with the six of us, Stassi, her boyfriend Darren, Blair and whatever guy she’d decided on bringing to dinner that Eliza had called in a few favors and gotten us a private dining room at the restaurant. Stassi and Darren, were already there when we arrived so there were hugs all around. It was about fifteen minutes later that Blair came in with someone none of us at the table had ever met. I gathered this because even Stassi introduced herself to him. His name was Brock but he didn’t really talk much at first, he basically just stared at the chest of every woman sitting at the table, it clearly made Nick and Joe uncomfortable.

Dinner wasn’t too terrible until Brock started talking. He played lacrosse and it was the only thing he wanted to talk about all night. I forget that despite 19 and 25 not being too far apart in age that there is a huge maturity difference between those ages. I take back what I said last night, I was not jealous of Blair. I was happy to have someone in my life who could carry on a conversation about more than lacrosse. I grabbed my phone midway through dinner to text Harry.

Please tell me you aren't secretly a huge lacrosse fan. No. Why? Blair brought some new guy to dinner with her tonight. He hasn’t shut up about lacrosse the entire night. The Circus is in our group text and sending each other texts just so we don’t go crazy listening to him. Who is Blair? Kammi’s youngest sister. She’s 19 and this guy is evidently the captain of the lacrosse team at whatever college he attends. I haven't figured that out yet. His name is Brock. Brock the Jock. Hehe. Honey, are you drinking? Yes. How much? I ordered a different wine than everyone else and it made more sense to get a bottle. I just poured the last glass. I told you to be careful. I will be. And I wouldn’t have drank this much if anyone else could talk. If I’m forced to be quiet I use my mouth to consume alcohol. I can think of another thing to put your mouth to work doing. That sounds like a good idea. Can I close my eyes now and get you to New York? I wish. Me too. Not much longer. It's just unfortunate that between now and then I have to be in a room with this Brock person. You’ll be okay. FaceTime me when you get home. I will. I miss you. I miss you too.

We finally left the restaurant and headed to a bar that we usually loved going to. I ordered another glass of wine when we got there and managed to find a tall table that most of us could sit or stand around. I took a seat and looked down at my phone. Harry had sent me a few pictures of the random stuff I had left around the house as if my things were missing me. One of the photos was of a hair tie. It was pink, I knew it wasn’t mine. So I had fun picking on him for having a pink hair tie laying around his house. It was weird being out with all of my friends and feeling like I’d rather be somewhere else or at least with someone else. Nick sat down next to me first and Joe came to stand on the other side.

“The brothers Jonas.”

“Are you getting drunk Ev?” Nick asked.

“Maybe a little.”

“Why?”

“My bed is lonely. I wish that the Brit had come with.”

“It’s fun to see you like this,” Joe said. “I mean not drunk and lonely but you really do like him. It’s nice.”

“Everyone appears to think it’s nice that I’m happy, which is…nice. But also weird that everyone thinks they need to tell me how nice it is to see me happy.”

“Well to see you not only working is a change. Maybe next time I’m in the studio I won’t get 3AM texts about demos,” Joe added.

“Maybe. I mean I would say it’s doubtful but I’m not allowed to bring my laptop into the bedroom.”

“Is that why you were working in bed last night?” I nodded which made Joe laugh.

“I love just laying in bed with Netflix on and going through my email and meeting notes. But evidently it’s a mood killer to hear my email notification go off constantly.”

“I would imagine it is.” That was when the whole mood of the night changed. I saw the door open and in walked Drew. I think I forgot in that moment how to breathe and swallow, I began to choke on my wine. Nick rubbed my back.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“What is he doing here?” They both followed my glance to the door. I saw that Eliza must’ve seen the same thing and she came over immediately.

“Are you okay? Do you want to leave?”

“Why would she want to leave?” Joe asked. “I invited him. We are all in New York. We haven’t all six been here in almost a year and a half. I thought it would be a good chance for everyone to hang out.”

“What on Earth makes you think I want to hang out with my ex-boyfriend?”

“You two are fine.”

“Aren’t you?” Nick finished the sentence his brother’s sentence.

I mean of course we aren’t fine but my friends wouldn’t know that because I was the girl that tried to save face when she got her heart shattered by her boyfriend. I was the one that told everyone we decided to take a break after my visit over Valentine’s Day. I was the one that made up the lies and the stories and told them everything was fine but we had just grown apart. He was friends with my friends. I didn’t want them to think less of him and I didn’t want them to think I was an absolute idiot. I knew that I should’ve told them the truth, told them that the reason Drew was pissed off at me for my surprise visit to New York for Valentine’s Day was that he’d gotten an expensive hotel room for the weekend to spend time with the girl in his program he’d fallen for. That he was a big enough asshole that he tried to play me that weekend and act like he’d been called to the hospital. He forgot that Apple invented the ‘Find My Friends’ feature. That I found him at a five-star hotel near the park. That I actually went to the hotel that night and knocked on his room door. She’d answered the door in a robe thinking I was room service. He was wrapped in a sheet when he followed me down the hall as I was running and crying.

I had called Eliza crying when I got into the car to go back to my apartment that night. I was in the city alone or at least I thought I was. Joe was in town. He took me out and got me drunk. I admittedly told him that night that we should sleep together so I could forget about how much my heart hurt. Pity sex was not something I got from Joe and looking back on it I’m glad I didn’t. It would’ve made this entire moment a million times worse. He didn’t know anything other than I showed up in New York for Valentine’s to surprise my boyfriend and we ended up breaking up instead. I played it off with everyone like nothing happened. I’d always felt guilty for not telling Kammi but she would’ve told Nick who would’ve told Joe and then I would’ve had to deal with pissed off Drew, which was the only emotion I saw for the last two years of our relationship. I picked Los Angeles over him, that was how he viewed it. Not that I picked the chance to live in the same city as my father for the first time I since I was five and build a stronger relationship with a man I worshipped but often times felt like I barely knew.

And now here he was, the first time I was seeing him since that night in the hotel room hallway. I’d told everyone I went back at the beginning of April to see him and that we’d called it off then. In reality I’d spent that weekend eating carry out food from my favorite restaurants and listening to really depressing music. But I needed to follow along with my story that I’d told everyone.

“Yeah, sure,” I replied. “I’m fine, EJ. I’ll be fine.”

“If you want to leave just tell me.” Eliza was whispering in my ear. “I know this isn’t going to be easy.” I saw Drew move to waive at us and that’s when it got worse. SHE was with him. “Shit. Is that her?” I just nodded. “We are leaving.”

“No, I’m going to stay right here. These are my friends. I can handle this. I’m better without him.”

“You are. But if you want to leave I will leave with you.”

“I’m fine.” They finally walked up to the table and he started doing the man hug with all of the guys. Kammi looked over his shoulder giving me a sympathetic glance as she hugged him. He got up to me.

“Hey Ev. It’s been a long time,” he said as he came to me.

“Not long enough,” I mumbled. I knew he heard it as he hugged me. It was the most awkward hug of my life.

“Are you going to be a bitch tonight or are you going to be civil?” he asked quietly while still hugging me.

“I haven’t decided yet. The longer you hug me the lower your chances of me being civil become.” He backed away and I gave him my fakest smile.

“Everlee, this is my girlfriend, Kayla.”

“It’s nice to officially meet you,” she said. Oh she was going to use the officially so she could act like she’d never met me.

“Nice to meet you with clothes on,” I said loud enough that only she, Drew and Eliza could hear me.

“Everlee,” Drew said in his stern tone.

“What? You thought that bringing her out tonight was a good idea? You thought wrong and you found me a bottle of wine into my evening. Best of luck to you both.”

“You could’ve warned her,” Eliza said to Drew.

“Joe invited me. I thought she knew I’d be coming.”

“You know better than to accept an invitation out with all of us. You aren’t part of this group anymore, despite wishing you were.”

“Eliza, don’t worry about it. I’m fine.”

“She’s always been fine on her own,” Drew said. I glared at him until he and Kayla took a seat at the table. I saw my phone light up and this time it was a picture of Harry shirtless on the couch reading through his script.

“Has he been sending you shirtless pictures all night?” Eliza asked loud enough the whole table heard it.

“Pretty much. He’s also been sending me my stuff laying around the house and saying things like ‘You forgot your favorite hair tie. You should hurry home for it.’ The hair tie was pink. Clearly not mine.”

“He would use pink hair ties,” Kammi said.

“Everlee, are you dating someone?” Kayla asked. The whole table turned to look at her. Eliza and I both glaring.

“Yeah, I am.”

“She’s dating Harry Styles,” Blair said. “Total bitch for that by the way E. You should’ve saved him for me.”

“Sorry, no saving him. He’s all mine.”

“Is he at least good in bed?” she asked. Blair loved the details.

“I don’t want to know this,” Nick said.

“Best I’ve ever had,” I said as I looked at Drew and smiled. “First night was the best sex of my life and it’s just gotten better.”

“Like can he go multiple rounds?” Stassi asked. She wasn’t usually the one asking the questions.

“All I’m going to say is I’m satisfied, completely satisfied.”

“When did you become so crude, E?” Drew asked.

“I’ve always been this way. I just had to censor myself around you. No censorship required now. He finds me funny. He likes the things you hated, mainly me.”

“I never hated you. I hated this side of you.”

“Well, this, is me.”

“I did something wrong didn’t I?” Joe asked as he turned to look at Eliza.

“Ya think?” she replied.

“So Kayla, how long have you and Drew been together?” I asked. She froze.

“Umm, just about a year,” she said timidly.

“Oh honey, it’s longer than that isn’t it. It’s at least a year and a half now, right?” She didn’t answer. “So did you know about me when you started dating?”

“Everlee, leave her out of this,” Drew said. “This wasn’t her fault.”

“You’re right. It wasn’t. It was yours. So Drew, did she know about me when you started dating? Did she know that I was sitting in Los Angeles waiting for you to call me every night when you’d tell me you were on call late but in reality you were with her? Did she know I was in town Valentine’s Day weekend when you rented a suite to celebrate without either of your roommates or was she as naive about how big of an asshole you were like me?” The whole group sat stunned as my phone started to ring on the table. There it was, the cheesy photo of Harry and I from Malibu that he’d snuck on my phone. “Looks like you’re lucky, I need to take this.” I grabbed my phone and headed away from the table. “Hi,” I said trying to hold back tears.

“Hi.” His voice was cheery as I let out a sob. “Are you okay, honey?” I stepped out onto the street and walked away from the bar. I found stairs to a nearby apartment building and sat down.

“No.”

“What’s wrong? Did you hurt yourself?”

“No.”

“Why are you crying?”

“Drew is here. With her.” I’d told Harry about everything. I don’t even know why I did. But the night before I left for New York I spilled everything to him. I wanted him to know what held me back emotionally from feeling like I should just dive head first into us.

“Fuck. What happened?”

“I reacted so badly, baby. I can be such a bitch.”

“I’m aware.”

“I asked how long they’d been together and when she lied I called her out on it. I asked if she knew about me when they first started hooking up of if she was as naive as I was and just thought he loved her.”

“I’m sorry. I wish I was there. I mean first of all, I’d punch him for ever treating you poorly.”

“No, you wouldn’t. You’re too kind.”

“You’re right. I’d want to punch him but wouldn’t.”

“I wish you were here.”

“Me too. Only just over a day and we are together. You should just go home, love. I bet Eliza would go home with you.”

“She texted you didn’t she?”

“Yeah, she said you needed an excuse to remove yourself from a situation and knew that you wouldn’t ignore my call. She didn’t tell me what was going on though. Just text her and tell her you’re ready to leave.” I looked up from the ground to see The Circus standing in front of me.

“I think they all know I’m ready to go home. Can I FaceTime you in a little bit?”

“Absolutely love. You’ll be okay.”

“I miss you.”

“I miss you.” I hung up the phone and was engulfed in a hug by everyone who had been at that table except Drew and Kayla.

“I’m so sorry. I wish I hadn’t invited him out,” Joe said.

“It’s okay. It’s not your fault. I should’ve told all of you what really happened.”

“You should have,” Kammi said. “But I get it. Sometimes we want to protect ourselves from reliving something really terrible. Let’s go back to your place and drink there. None of us have big meetings tomorrow, that was just today. We can work from your place in our pajamas tomorrow.”

“We are going to head home,” Stassi said. “Sis, I’ll get your luggage put together and have Alfred deliver it to you at Ev’s.” I hugged Stassi. “You looked so happy when you got here. Focus on that.”

“I will. Thanks,” I replied as I hugged her tighter. “You can come over if you want.”

“Nah, I’ve got class early tomorrow and I barely got Darren out of his apartment. He’s studying for the bar.”

“Sounds like fun.” I hugged Darren. “Sorry about the shitshow.”

“Eh, it’s okay. Sometimes it’s nice to be reminded we are all just kids.” Darren was as ambitious as Stassi. He’d graduated college a year early and started law school right away. He had been in Kammi’s class in school growing up and had always had his eye on her younger sister. They started dating in high school and were still together despite both of them being crazy and working so hard.

“You two are cute. Go study you crazy student people.”

“We are going to another bar if you guys don’t want to go home,” Blair said.

“No, we need to take Ev home,” Kammi replied. “Be careful and call a car if you need one.”

“I will.” There were hugs all around and in the time span of saying goodbye our car had arrived. We all headed back to my place and were quickly in pajamas; Nick, Kammi and Ty borrowing from those of us who were already here. We opened a bottle of wine and I spilled the whole story to all of them. They sat with shocked faces.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Kammi asked.

“I only told Eliza and my Mom, until our last night in Los Angeles, I told Harry. I didn’t want to burden all of you guys with the drama between Drew and I. You were friends with him. And there had been so many signs that he was cheating and I should’ve seen it coming. It was easier to just tell all of you a giant lie than to be honest and admit that I’d been played by the asshole. Worst of all, did you see him walking in tonight holding her hand?”

“Yeah,” Nick said. “I’m sorry.”

“Well, I’m sorry I invited him out. I didn’t realize it would be that bad,” Joe said.

“It’s not your fault. It’s mine. I should’ve been honest. I just wanted to forget about it. But when she walked in tonight it was hard to forget what she looked like in the hotel robe and the look on her face when she realized it was me at the door and not the champagne Drew had ordered.”

“Well at least you spoke your peace,” Ty said. “I mean the asshole had it coming. He deserved more. He’s lucky Harry called you.”

“He’s lucky Eliza told Harry to call me.”

“You mean I could’ve gotten to see more of the show and Eliza cancelled it. Bitch.”

“You can sleep on the couch now,” she said.

“Then where are we supposed to sleep?” Nick asked.

“Eliza can sleep with me,” I replied. “You can have her room, Ty can sleep on the sofa unless he gets an invite into Joe’s bed.” I took a drink of my wine. “Now onto a better subject. Brock the Jock?”

“I’m so glad you came up with that nickname,” Kammi half yelled. “What is my fucking sister thinking?”

“That he probably has nice abs,” Ty said.

“Probably,” I replied. “But he has no brain. Brains are better than abs.”

“You only say that because you have both,” Eliza said.

“And so do all of the men in this room,” I replied. A few more glasses of wine and I headed up to my room to FaceTime Harry.

“Hi,” he answered.

“Hi,” I replied giggling.

“You look like you’re in a better mood.”

“Much better mood. I still miss you though.”

“I still miss you too. You are drunk aren’t you?”

“Sure am. We declared we were working from here tomorrow. I don’t want to deal with the office tomorrow. I have no meetings they don’t know what I’m doing so I can just stay here and work in my PJs that way you can call me or FaceTime me when you’re audition is done.”

“Good. As long as you’re feeling better. Though you’ll probably be hungover as hell tomorrow.”

“Probably,” I replied giggling. We talked until I was tired enough that I needed sleep and he was tired of listening to me giggle and yawn. I passed out and the next morning woke up to my phone ringing. It was a text from Drew telling me to fuck off. I thought about responding and didn’t. I rolled over expecting Eliza in bed next to me and found Ty. “What are you doing in my bed?”

“I fell off the couch so I came up here. Your bed is big enough for all three of us.”

“There’s only two of us.”

“Hmm, maybe Eliza woke up already.” I got out of bed and went through my normal morning routine then headed downstairs to make breakfast. Eliza came strolling in the kitchen a few minutes after me. Her hair was in the messiest bun I’d ever seen, she had a smile on her face and wait…is that the t-shirt Joe wore yesterday.

“You didn’t!” I exclaimed.

“Umm, I did.”

“Did what?” Kammi asked as she came into the kitchen in the sweatpants I’d given her yesterday.

“Slept with Joe!”

“Whoa!” Kammi said. “Sit. Spill.”

“It just happened,” Eliza said as she took the cup of coffee I handed her.

“Had it happened before?” I asked.

“Yeah,” she replied.

“More than once?” Kammi asked.

“Maybe?”  “When?” Kammi and I both questioned this time.

“Malibu and before his last girlfriend.”

“Well this is just too good,” I said laughing. “I guess it’s Ty that’s alone now.”

“Why am I alone?”

“Because Eliza and Joe hooked up.”

“Dammit.”

We eventually all got to work and it was no different at home today than it had been at the office yesterday except there were no pantsuits and we had Nick and Joe bothering us on occasion. We went to a restaurant around the corner from my place for a late lunch. Harry called after his audition to let me know that it went well and they said they’d get in touch with me as soon as they’d made a decision. Our dinner was our normal Chinese take out place in the city and a night of TV with two Jonas boys added in. We all said our goodnights, Ty coming up with me while Eliza went to Joe’s room. Harry got the joy of FaceTiming Ty and I both before bed tonight which was rather entertaining. He looked relieved when I told him that Joe and Eliza had evidently been hooking up for a while. Ty sleeping in my bed wasn’t a threatening thing to him. It was just like me sharing a bed with Eliza or Kammi.

Our alarms all went off earlier Friday morning than any of us would’ve liked considering how much we had drank the prior two nights. Showers were quick with all six of us staying here. We were packed and out the door before 8:00 to catch our flight to Chicago. I was practically dancing in the car and up the steps to the plane. I got myself buckled into my seat and should’ve slept, but it was like a kid before Christmas. I was headed home for a few days to see my Mom, my Dad, my baby brothers and my boyfriend. There were few things that could possibly have made me happier. As the plane flew over the city and into the private airport my heart filled up. This city just did something to me that I couldn’t explain. We all climbed into the car waiting to take us to my house. I loved driving through the city and along Lake Michigan before pulling up to the house. There it was, the house of my mother’s dreams, standing grandly amongst modern buildings showing the history this city once had. We got in the house to find it was buzzing with people setting up for today’s party. Everyone headed to their respective guest rooms and after dropping off my bags in my room I found my Mom in the ballroom.

“Hey Mom,” I said hugging her.

“Evie Mae, I’ve missed you,” she said as she started to tear up.

“Me too, Mom. Me too. I hate to have this be a short reunion but I need to go pick up Harry.”

“Take my car. The keys should be in the foyer.”

“Thanks Mom,” I replied. She hugged me again.

“I’m really happy to have you home.”

“I’m happy to be home.”

“Now go get that boyfriend of yours. I can’t wait to meet him and your Dad should be home any minute.” I took off down the stairs, grabbed her keys and headed out to the garage. I jumped in the car and took off for O’Hare. I looked at my watch as I pulled into pick him up. I had timed it perfectly. I got out of the car and stood leaning against the door trying to pull off my best Ferris Bueller picking up Sloan look possible. I saw him before he saw me. His hair wild and curly, his sunglasses on as he walked out the door. Tight black jeans and a white t-shirt. His bags slung over one shoulder and a guitar case in his hands. When he saw me the smile spread across his face. He walked across the traffic carefully stopping in front of me.

“Hi,” I said.

“Hi.”

Well, New York was an eventful trip even if it was short.

Everlee hadn’t expect to have to face her past in New York other than the memories that came up. But she had to face it, literally. Drew should send Eliza a thank you gift for getting her to have Harry call Everlee because she probably would’ve just kept going. It was maybe not her finest moment, but I would probably have reacted worse if my ex walked into the bar with his girlfriend, who happened to be the woman he cheated on me with. I would’ve likely thrown a drink or two and gotten in a lot of trouble. But Harry calmed her down. I think it also says something that she felt close enough to Harry that she has already told him something she kept from her roommates and best friends for over a year. In other news from that night, Joe and Eliza?! I guess Harry doesn’t have anything to worry about anymore. It will be interesting to see how Ty handles being the only one that doesn’t have someone to share a bed with on occasion.

I can’t even begin to tell you how happy am that that we are FINALLY in Chicago. This is what I’ve been waiting for. Harry gets to meet her ENTIRE family in the span of the few days of their trip. Will he get along with her family? What will her Mom and Dad think of him? Or her brothers? I’m excited to get to write her family getting to know him and for us to get to know them! There will be so much to follow in Chicago between parties and friends and family. It’s going to be a fun thing for me to write and consider I wrote most of the 11,981 words of chapter twelve TODAY I can only hope that thirteen goes as fast, it should it’s my lucky number right? And no not because of T. Swift, my Dad married my step-mom on Friday the 13th so 13 has been the collective family lucky number for 23 years...well on this coming Saturday. :)

On a side note, the “hi” “hi” between Harry and Everlee that started that first time in her office was an unintentional thing that became intentional that I continued for a while until my editor demanded I keep it. It’s a reminder that he sometimes makes her forget how to put a sentence together like the highly intelligent woman we know she is. So it’s here to stay!

I can’t wait to hear what you thought of this chapter. As always thank you so much for reading it and giving me feedback. I can only improve if I get feedback from readers. This chapter was a struggle for me to write since Harry physically only appeared in the very end of the chapter. As he and Evie are our main characters it was a bit of a struggle to write the first chapter that they spent entirely apart. But as I hit my groove I hit it hard! So I hope you like it and that my groove wasn’t lying to me. :)

Also I totally picked a song from the TV show "Instant Star" which I still will occasionally binge watch because I love the song so much and Alexz Johnson has one killer voice. Plus what is more perfect for this than a song called "Liar Liar"?

Thanks again for reading this story and for supporting me as I write.

xx AM.

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If you’re interested in checking out the homes that were mentioned in this chapter you can find the links here:

Scarcello Apartment

Mackin House

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