#but i refuse to try on another calvin klein dress

[dudeshusband]

do you all remember what happened last time i went dress shopping? i posted a photo shoot. expect a repeat.

[thinkingaboutyoungroyals]

I’ve re-watched “Young Royals” so many times and each rewatch just never fails to astound me. This is one of the most beautiful stories I’ve ever seen in a teen drama. Yes, it’s trope-y, there’s no avoiding that. And it’s not a perfect show. But, it managed one thing that many teen dramas often struggle with: authenticity.

All the characters, yes, including August, are all so well thought out and no one is one-dimensional. They’re all flawed. They have their own morals and beliefs that they either embrace or reject. They have their own background stories and motivations for their actions. Not to mention, the teens? They act like teens! They go to school, hang out with friends, complain about their families, have crushes, and take part in hobbies. 

And none of them look like they’re about to walk a runway! They have acne and scars and messy hair.

The costumes, man! The kids wear regular, comfortable clothes that are still fashionable and appropriate for school. Yes, the rich kids are wearing designer names that scream “money!” (I noticed the Calvin Klein logo in one of Wilhelm’s sweatshirts) but that’s the thing — they’re subtle without being in your face. Even the girls’ makeup looks like the actresses themselves did their own makeup!

And don’t get me started on the relationships! All the relationships! Familial! Platonic! Romantic!

Wilhelm clearly loves his parents but he’s the second born. The spare. Most of the attention growing up was most likely on Erik. And Wilhelm most likely felt invisible, which was just fine with him, he doesn’t like the attention… until Erik died and Wilhelm became crown prince. Suddenly, all the attention that their parents gave Erik was given to him and it wasn’t the good kind. They have expectations for him now. Big ones. I don’t think Wilhelm’s parents are homophobic, not at all. His mother seemed sympathetic towards him after the video came out. But, at the end of the day, she was still the Queen and she had to make choices for the good of the Crown. And, unfortunately, that clearly took precedence over her role as a mother.

Simon and Sara’s dad made some wrong choices and lost his family in the process. And although Simon seemed more forgiving, Sara is clearly not. Micke tries to get back in Simon’s good graces by getting him the booze for the party but freaks out when he thought Simon was using drugs. And even Linda, best mom ever, clashes with Sara, who believes that their mother isn’t doing enough for them. We, the audience, sees that she is and Simon does, too, but Sara feels that it’s not enough and Linda doesn’t even try to fight her on it.

And Felice clearly loves her mom and struggles to meet her expectations but is getting choked in the process (’quite literally). It makes me wonder if her initially going after Wilhelm is because her mother is pressuring her to get with the prince. During parents’ day, her mother asked after Wilhelm, not Felice. And Felice realizes pretty quickly how toxic her mother is but, in the beginning, there wasn’t much she could do but go along with it. But, slowly and surely, she starts breaking away, starting with refusing to wear her mother’s dress and refusing to be Lucia and giving it to Sara, who actually wanted it.

And there’s August’s obvious distaste of his mother’s boyfriend and his rocky relationship with her after his father’s suicide. August is still clearly grieving while his mother seemed to have already moved on. And although this doesn’t excuse August’s actions, it shows his motivation and how strongly he’s holding on to whatever sort of control he can get his hands on: the rowing team, his status in school as prefect, and Wilhelm.

(More under the cut cause this was longer than I anticipated.)

I can’t talk about “Young Royals” without talking about Wilhelm and Simon’s relationship. The way it started because Simon spoke up in class about the unfairness of the law when it comes to welfare scams and tax evasions. Wilhelm’s whole life was probably filled with fake friends, people who only wanted him for his connections or to elevate their own status. In a sea of fake people, Simon was authentic. He never pretended to be anything he was not. And I can see why that must be intriguing to Wilhelm and he pursues him without even realizing it. He’s drawn to Simon and not just ‘cause he’s cute and has the voice of an angel.

And they got the actual way teenagers act when confronted by feelings for a crush. They watch and long from a distance. They shyly try to get close but get overwhelmed at any hint of reciprocation. The careful hesitation at that first kiss. The heartbreak of the possibility that you read the signs wrong. The giddiness of that first relationship. Yes, they do have sex from the get-go but the relationship itself was not sexual — it was innocent, sweet, and full of adoration.

They even have a fairly healthy relationship! They communicate and talk about their feelings. They don’t let things fester. When Wilhelm realizes he’s hurt Simon, he apologizes. And Simon, even if he may not understand Wilhelm’s motivations, tries to do so, anyway. They have so much respect for each other. They had a relationship that stemmed from friendship and trust.  

That’s what makes the eventual reality setting in hit hard. Because we suddenly remember that Wilhelm is no ordinary boy — he’s a prince. He’s in love with a commoner who also happens to be another boy. I don’t know what it’s like to live under a monarchy but I can imagine that even if the actual people they rule don’t care if their crown prince likes boys, the monarchy is still set in their traditional ways.

And these boys, who are experiencing love and a relationship for the first time had theirs marred by the violation of their first time and the expectations of the crown. Not to mention, they’re teenagers! That’s traumatizing for both of them! 

Suffice to say, I’m glad we have this piece of media that, despite it about being about royalty and nobility and rich kids, it’s enjoyable to watch because it’s incredibly relatable and real.

When you see these characters, you see your peers and people you’ve grown up with. You can even see yourself. 

And that, my friends, is why we need a season 2.

[anastasiaskarsgard]

Can you write something where reader and Roman goes on a vacation but Roman barely pays attention to her and basically takes there relationship for granted by paying attention to other girls. Then reader snaps when he doesn’t come to the hotel room all night. She buys an early plane ticket back to HG and tells Roman there over since he wants to cheat and not pay attention to her. Then a week and half goes by where the reader doesn’t speak to him and his assistant calls reader and tells her to..

You swore If he bought one more round for his group of giggling, nearly naked “friends” at the pool on your vacation, you we’re leaving. The weekend get away you had planned and worried over for the past 3 months, trying to make both your busy schedules work together. This was supposed to be a bonding one on one time, but as soon as you arrived, what could pass for the swedish swimsuit team hadn’t left your boyfriends side.

Initially you thought they were just some brazen whores, with dollar signs in their eyes, and air in their heads going for the famous billionaire, and although that still accurately described them, they apparaently knew him. How Roman knew half a dozen supermodel swimsuit models was beyond you, but not in the least shocking.

“Why weren’t you at the show this year? I looked for you.” Poofy lipped Barbie asked as she ran a finger down his bare arm. “I was so sad, ask anyone.” She finished with an alluring pout.

You were gonna pull her fucking hair out.

“Oh she is telling you zee truth handsome! She looked so pouty. And not just cuz her lips too.” The other platinum blonde in the group whined. Of course she was French.

“You know I’m a busy man. I can’t go to every Victoria’s Secret show they put on. Even if all my favorite models are there waiting for me to kidnap them afterwards.” He drawled sexily as he winked at them and smirked.

That was it. You we’re leaving! But you weren’t going to make a scene. You wouldn’t give these bitches the satisfaction. You took a few calming breaths and walked up in front of Roman to remind him who he came with. Flashing your brightest smile, you got on you tip toes and whispered in his ear, “you were right. I should of worn my suit under this dress. I’m gonna go throw it on and be right back. Don’t get lost! Do you need anything from the room?” You looked up in his beautiful green eyes and refused to show any of the heartbreak you currently were feeling.

“No I’m good. Already got my suit on and I’m ready to swim. Who’s with me? Let’s gets another round and then everyone in the pool.” He glanced over to you and winked just like he had just done to the other girls and it steeled your resolve.

“Be right back!” You said merrily as you caught the sneer of disdain clearly present on half the girls faces, directed right at you, just as you turned towards your bungalow. Just when you thought that was it, you felt two strong arms wrap around you and you were spun around to be kissed quite passionately in front of his little fan club. Pulling away, you looked up in his smiling face.

“I love you. Miss you already!” He said as he released you and headed back to his lounge chair in the shade. You always joked around with him and called him your little vampire, since he really seemed to dislike it, in more than minuscule amounts.

If looks could kill, you’d be dead from the glares you got sent your way now. Every woman there was as readable as a billboard, and hardly made an effort to hide their intentions from Roman.

Making your way to the little beach bungalow, you decided maybe you were being crazy and over reacting. He just said he loved you in front of a bunch of supermodels! Was it really a huge deal he was nice to them? They were his friends, and after the huge fight you guys had last week over why you could have male friends, it’d be pretty hypocritical to get mad now.

Throwing your suit on, and putting your hair up in a messy bun, you grabbed your sunscreen and giant sunglasses and made your way back out to find your man. It was kinda funny you were wearing a Victoria’s Secret swimsuit too.

Laughing at how exciting life was with Roman Godfrey, you turned the corner bringing the pool into view and stopped dead in your tracks.

Roman currently had a Topless supermodel straddling his shoulders, as she very Unenthusiastically attempted to get her top back from the other supermodel straddling what appeared to be a Calvin Klein underwear model or fucking professional athlete, in what appeared to be a game of chicken.

All of a sudden it was all too much. They were all too much. Too tall, too gorgeous, too fit, too intimidating, too athletic, too perfect. Those girls were who he belonged with. You didn’t know who you were kidding.

While you know that you werent unattractive, and considered pretty in a lot of circles, you were not a freaking supermodel angel or whatever they called them. You were hurt and mad, but you were also realistic.

No longer in the mood to swim, you headed back to the bungalow and felt like you stuck in a haze. Deciding to lay down for a few minutes, you soon were fast asleep.

By the time you woke, it was very dark and you were still very alone. Turning to the clock it read 11:52pm. You lay there blinking at the clock. It was too late to catch a flight home, but every fiber of your being had no desire to look at your neglectful asshole now ex boyfriend . You weren’t going to think about that now. Right now you were calling the front desk and getting your own room.

Thirty minutes later and you had all your stuff moved to your own room, a flight booked for first thing in the morning, and a sympathetic female front desk person that thought very little of Roman godfreys treatment of his girlfriend. As long as she didn’t give up where you were, you were pretty sure you could get out in the morning realatively conflict free.

By the time 2 am rolled around and not even a text message, you resigned yourself to being cast aside. Turning off your phone and removing the SIM card, you swiftly walked to the bathroom and flushed it before you could think about it. That would at least stop her from being able to talk to him or get messages for a day or two.

That’s all she could mentally handle at this point. One day at a time.

One and half weeks later....

You stared at the ceiling listening to your ringtone for the umpteenth time in a row. Whoever they were, they were persistent. Luckily you really liked the song your phone played when it rang so you just kinda zoned out and wiggled to the beat.

When the song ended, and almost instantly began again, you huffed and marched over, grabbing the phone without looking at the caller ID. “Someone better be dead.”

“Excuse me? Um. I’m sorry to disappoint but everyone here is alive and well. However I have to request that you dress yourself in something business casual and get in the limousine waiting outside.” The clipped unmistakable tone of Romans assistant cane through the phone.

Staring ahead incredulously, you couldnt help but laugh out loud. “Is he insane? I’m not getting into a fucking car. It’s over. Tell him to call Malibu Barbie and eat a dick.”

“Mam, I’m afraid I have to insist that you get in the car. Please I am begging. He’s been a nightmare. He said if I failed to convince you to get in the car, then I’m fired. I am actively looking for new employment, but I can’t afford to be jobless. I know this is unprofessional, but please get in the car and have lunch with the man. That’s all he’s asking.” The assistant pleaded.

You knew Roman was difficult and treated his employees poorly at times. You didn’t want to see him but you also didn’t want anyone to get fired because of you. And free food never hurt anybody..

Famous last words....

“Ok. I’ll go.”

[getitinbusan]

97 Line :

Jungkook finally gets a night off to hang out with his friends. Fluffy, Smutty One Shot.

•97•97•97•97•97•97•97•97•97•

Jungkook was trying not to let his nerves get the better of him.

Coming back from tour he finally had some downtime and was looking forward to going to the club. It wasn’t just spending time with friends he didn’t see very often, it was getting to see you again.

97 Line Group Chat:

Bam Bam: We’ll be pre-gaming at my place and then heading to the club. I’m bringing Yugyeom, Jackson and his girlfriend and her friend Y/N so Jungkook you’d better be prepared.

Jungkook: You’re sure she’s coming? I haven’t seen her in months. Do you think she remembers me?

Mingyu: I know she doesn’t like me, I tried hitting on her 2 weeks ago and she shot me down. Good luck my friend.

Bam Bam: Jackson says she asks about you all the time. Pretty sure she has a crush on you JK.

Jungkook: Ahhh, I’m so nervous. You all better be good wing men tonight.

Yugyeom: I’ll make sure she has a few extra drinks before we go😉

Mingyu: So 11pm?

Bam Bam: Yep

Jungkook: Let’s Get it

Private Text:

Jungkook: Please make sure Yugyeom doesn’t get her drunk, I like this girl…a lot.

Bam Bam: I’ll watch him.

It was about 10:30 and the meal had just arrived. Jimin always ate fast but Taehyung liked to take his time.

Jungkook sat impatiently knowing it would take at least 20 minutes to get to the club.

What if someone else caught your eye? What if you got too drunk?

Jimin couldn’t stop laughing, “JK, how could she not like you? Just relax.”

Taehyung chewed slowly, “I’m not leaving food on my plate so you’ll just have to wait.”

Taking that as a challenge Jungkook reached over and grabbed his garlic bread shoving it in his mouth.

“I hope your happy, now we’re late and I have gross breath.”

Breathing deeply he got out of the cab. He’d thought about this night for weeks, did he look okay? Was his cologne too much? Did it even matter? You probably weren't even into him.

The door opened and he could feel the pulsing bass through his body, the lights and fog were immediately disorienting.

Was everyone already here or did he have to wait longer to see you?

Walking to the bar the three of them ordered  drinks and started to look around for the rest of the group.

We are bulletproof began playing and the dance floor went crazy. Jungkook felt a surge of pride that everyone was feeling it, he hoped you were here to see.

His eyes skimmed over the crowd, there you were.

At the front dancing, you spotted him too. Pointing directly at him and coming closer you sang in time, “The name is Jungkook, my scale is nationwide.”

He couldn’t help but laugh as you approached singing his own lines to him. God he wanted to kiss you. You kept singing and dancing in front of him until the song was over.

“Hello Jungkook.” spilled from your lips as you smiled. “I was hoping I’d see you tonight, it’s been too long.”

Should he? He put his arm around you in a makeshift hug, “I’m really glad you’re here.”

Yugyeom appeared, slipping in between you he handed you both a shot.

"To friendship", he toasted.

Your glasses clicked in cheers and the shots were downed quickly.

Bam Bam's voice rose over the crowd, "Let’s VIP room!"

“Are you coming Y/N?”

You looked around the room, “I don’t know where Jackson and Y/F/N are, I’ll come after I find them.”

Shit did he just blow it?

“Ok, I guess I’ll see you in a bit”

Walking in seperate directions Jungkook felt his heart drop, he was sure you didn’t see him as more than a friend.

Monitoring the time closely it was a least 45 mins later when you appeared in the VIP with Yugyeom by your side.

Stopping at the bar you were both laughing while taking another shot.

"What an asshole," Jungkook muttered under his breath.

You perused the room until you saw him sitting there frowning. When your eyes locked he managed a smile but what little confidence he’d walked in with was gone.

The waitress followed behind you with several shot glasses and bottles meeting the group at the table.

“Shots for everyone!” Yugyeom called out.

Everyone grabbed one and cheersed, except Jungkook. Feeling tipsy you decided to leverage your liquid courage and take the lead.

“Come dance with me Kookie.”

Off to the side, Yugyeom made drinking motions and threw Jungkook a thumbs up.

Following you to the floor he was hesitant. He wanted nothing more than to be pressed against you but didn't want to take advantage of your state.

“Don’t be afraid to touch me Guk, this is just dancing, we don’t need formalities.”

It was now or never, if he didn’t make a move he’d end up back on tour masturbating to thoughts of how he’d feel inside you.

Wrapping his arms around your waist he pulled you in until your bodies were pressed together. Face to face he stared into your eyes.

“You know I like you right?” he whispered.

“I do,” you grinned, “Do you know how badly I want you Jungkook?”

He started blushing, “I guess I do now."

You began moving with the music, hands exploring each other, trying to make up for lost time.

Turning your back to him you pressed your ass into his crotch swaying to the music. Moving up and down grinding into him you could feel his bulge growing.

Closing his eyes he imagined you doing this in bed. He couldn’t control his erection so he subtly tucked himself into his waistband.

Turning to face him, your hands wandered, moving under his shirt your fingertips traced his abs. Continuing your path you dragged them lower feeling the tip of his cock sticking out his pants. It was so smooth and hard you just wanted it in you.

His mouth came crashing down on yours like he couldn’t wait a second longer. His fingers were in your hair, your head was back and your tongues met in a soft sensual dance.

It felt so good to finally break the anticipation but the taste of liquor was distracting.

How much have you had to drink, was this taking advantage of the situation?

“Jungkook, I’d like to leave with you if that’s ok?”

He nodded in agreement.

“I’ll be back in a minute i’m going to let Y/F/N know we're leaving.”

The minute you walked away Yugyeom approached Jungkook.

“You can thank me later, she’s had at least 10 shots and you can probably do whatever you want with her tonight.”

Shit, there was no way taking you home was the right thing to do. Disappointed and upset Jungkook went outside to clear his head.

He’d waited so long for this night and now you’d only kissed him because you were drunk.

Maybe he should just leave? Sitting alone on the steps outside of the club Jungkook was internally wrestling his desires against his morals.

You looked around the club and couldn’t find him anywhere. Fuck, maybe you’d been too forward with him. You knew Jungkook was a gentleman and now you were cursing yourself for coming on to him so strongly.

You’d already told everyone you were leaving so you might as well just head home. It had been weeks of anticipation for tonight, you were finally going to make your move and now it was ruined.

How did you even fool yourself into thinking that Jeon Jungkook could be interested in you 

Opening the door into the cool night air you found him sitting by himself.

“Hey Guk, I’m sorry if I scared you off.”

You sat down beside him, "I’ve just been fantasizing how this night would play out for a  long time and I got carried away."

He looked at you and reached for your hand.

"Do you really like me? I’m worried that the alcohol is making think you want me more than you really do.”

You couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “Jungkook I think I can handle my liquor a little, I’m no lightweight”

“Yugyeom said he was giving you shots all night?”

You rolled your eyes, “Yugyeom is a dick, he told me he liked me and kept trying to hit on me a while ago. I gave away most of the drinks he bought me because I figured he was trying to get me into bed.”

His thumb rubbed the back of your hand, “So you’re not really drunk?”

You leaned in and kissed his cheek, “Jungkook I’ve had my sights set on you for months, I didn’t want anything to ruin tonight. This has all been planned since I knew you’d be coming here...right down to my lingerie.”

That was all he needed, his lips found yours again and you were immediately lost in each others lust.

The Uber pulled up and honked, startling you when you failed to notice its arrival.

“Who’s place is closer?”

“Too many people at my place,” he moaned. “I don’t want to have to be quiet, can we go to yours?”

Pulling up to your complex Jungkook led you out of the car and up to the door. Digging through your purse you couldn’t find the keys. growing impatient he latched on to your neck and dragged long deep suctioned kisses over your collarbone.

“You’re distracting me Guk, fuck we need to get inside!”

Finally locating them you made it into your apartment and clothes immediately began coming off.

“Bedroom?”

“That way”

Refusing to break contact you fumbled your way towards your room. Once in the door you steadied your feet as he halted the make out session. He cupped your chin and tilted your head to look at him.

“I need you to know how much I like you. I’ve thought about you for months, I've imagined being with you... it kept me going when I was lonely on tour.”

He slowly took off the dress you were wearing and revealed the lingerie you’d bought just for his eyes.

“Fuck, so much better than my fantasies”

Blushing your eyes took in his bulging cock. His black Calvin Kleins were straining to contain his erection.

“Kookie, do you know how many of your damn V-Lives I’ve watched just so I could see you?” 

He ran his hands up your arms and reaching around, unclasped your bra.

Tangling his hand in your hair he kissed you, hard. He moved his lips inch by inch lower and lower stopping at your breasts, kneading and sucking until you were moaning under his ministrations.

Lower again down your stomach, down your abdomen until he got to your clit.

Stopping there he sucked deliberately light enough to tease you, coaxing the juices from your already wet entrance.

Softly pushing into you with his tongue he moaned, “you taste so good, you’re so beautiful”

Your legs shook, struggling to stay on your feet while your body felt like it was floating. You held tight onto his shoulders as he spread your folds and twisted his finger inside you.

“Maybe you should lay down.”

He guided you backwards to the bed, laying you down so your knees were bent over the edge.

“Do you want to cum like this? Should I keep going?”

You could barely find your voice, “please keep going.”

He moved back in, two curled fingers dragging against your soft spot and his tongue flicking your clit relentlessly. It only took a minute to have you hyperventilating. Repeating his name you came on his lips.

He gave you a moment just to be still and catch your breath as he placed small kisses on the insides of your thighs.

“Are you ok?”

“I’m so much better than ok.”

He got up from his knees and you sat up, face to face with his six pack. Sucking red marks onto his abs you hooked your fingers into his underwear. Slowly you pulled them down exposing him bit by bit lowering your mouth with them until you’d taken him all in.

You could hear him slowly releasing his breath as you slid back up to the tip. Popping him out of your mouth you looked up at his face.

“I can’t believe you’re real Jungkook, you are so incredibly perfect.”

He reached down placing his hand on your cheek and smiled.

Putting him back in your mouth you began sucking him until he was hitting the back of your throat. His hand slid from your cheek to the back of your head where he grabbed your hair and pulled slightly.

Moaning at the tension, he clutched it harder, angeling your mouth to make it easier to thrust into.

His hips picked up speed and he was about to cum when he stopped completely.

He held your head still while his cock sat in the back of your throat cutting off your air.

“Don’t move, please don’t move, I don’t want to cum yet”

When he was under control he pulled himself away from you.

“I want you so badly you can’t possibly even know. I just want to fuck you so hard and fill you up until you’re screaming my name... but I’m not going to do that.”

Confused and waiting for an explanation, you moved up the bed to lean on the pillows. Crawling up to lay beside you, his rock hard cock pressed into your leg.

He kissed you, “I only have one chance to be with you for the first time and I want to make love to you."

He kissed you for what felt like an eternity, until you both reached the euphoric feeling of seeing stars in the black void of a blissed out mind.

He moved on top of you until he was positioned at your entrance. Looking you in the eyes he pushed slowly while watching your face for discomfort.

Finding nothing but pleasure in your reactions, he began moving himself, rolling his hips into you.

Neither of you could control your sounds and you found yourselves sweaty and moaning in an act of pure ecstasy.

Bringing your legs up around him his cock hit you over and over rubbing your g spot while his pubic bone rubbed over your clit with each stroke.

Picking up his speed he was reaching his high.

"Can I cum in you Y/N”

Pulling his hair you came for a second time.

“Yes, Yes, Kookie…please."

You could feel the spurts of his release spill inside you before he collapsed on top of you.

Holding onto each other, you rested. Post coital quiet took over the room as you lay trying to regain your strength.

His phone suddenly broke the silence, going off with incessant notifications. He snuggled closer into you not moving to look.

"Just check it already Jungkook it's making me crazy. What if something's wrong?”

97 Line Group Chat:

Bam Bam: JK? Where did you go?? Lol, hope you’re having fun brother.

Mingyu: I can’t believe she’d pick you over me, I’m way better looking. Must be your money.

Yugyeom: You're welcome, I had to get her good and drunk before she’d consider going home with you.

Jungkook: You guys can just shut the fuck up. Have some respect for Y/N.

Bam Bam: It’s…

Mingyu: About…

Yugyeom: Time…

Jungkook: How long did it take all of you to plan that clever response?

Jungkook: You’re all assholes.

Jungkook: Stop texting me.

Jungkook: I'm busy.

Jungkook: WITH MY GIRLRIEND.

[alj4890]

Choices September Challenge

Day 16 I'm Sorry

(Thomas Hunt x oc*Amanda) in a Choices Red Carpet Diaries/The Royal Romance Crossover drabble.

A/N This is actually a fic I have had sitting in my draft folders forever. Someone a while back requested another first time meeting gone horribly wrong for this OTP and I kept getting stuck on the ending. Once more, let’s get these two stubborn people together, LOL!

@choicesseptemberchallenge20​ @xjustin-ethansgirliex​ @lovealexhunt@lxaah11​   @alleksa16​   @penguininapinktuxedo​   @blackcoffee85​   @stopforamoment​     @hopelessromantic1352​     @krsnlove​     @annekebbphotography​        @hopelessromantic1352​   . @sunflowergirl05​   @desireepow-1986​  @greywitchyshots​   @moodyvalentinestories​  @emceesynonymroll​   @my-heart-beats-for-ya​ @aworldoffandoms​   @ab1901​     @lolablackwrites​     @flyawayboo​   @i-bloody-love-drake-walker​   . @trappedinfandoms​   @kate-mckenzie​

Masterlist

Great Expectations

Olivia quirked an eyebrow in question as Amanda walked into her suite.

Instead of the usual calm, sweet greeting followed by an attempt to coerce her into doing something fun, Amanda threw her purse across the room and let out a strange, strangled noise that sounded suspiciously like a string of curse words trying to be smothered by guilt.

"I would ask what is wrong, but I assume you are about to tell me." Olivia drily remarked.

"Remember when I was excited that Maxwell invited us all to come here and see how The Royal Romance movie was going?" Amanda asked.

"I believe I recall you skipping down the palace halls." Olivia responded.

Amanda narrowed her eyes at her. "Well, the skipping is done." She flopped face down on Olivia's couch. "I hate everything here." She mumbled into the cushions.

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Must we succumb to overly dramatic behavior?"

Amanda turned her face toward her. "Are you seriously asking me this when just last week you threatened to throw every dagger you had at the waiter for accidentally calling you Madeleine?"

Olivia flicked her hand dismissively. "Details." She sat down in a chair across from her friend. "What happened?"

Amanda closed her eyes. "It all started this morning."

****************

Around 8 a.m., The Beverly Wilshire...

"Wake up!" Maxwell burst into Amanda's suite and proceeded to jump on her bed.

"Wha?" Amanda rolled off of it in a tangle of blankets. "What time is it?"

"Time for you to get ready and go to the studio." He leaped off her bed and went straight to her closet. "Hmm." He pulled one dress out after another. "Is this all you packed?"

Amanda stumbled over to the closet. "Why are you going through my clothes?"

He finally settled on a skirt and sweater. "I need you to go to the studio and give this to Thomas Hunt.” He held up a large manila envelope. "Within this lies the very heart of The Royal Romance."

She blinked sleepily a few times. "Why do I have to do this?" She gestured toward his body. "You're already dressed and fully compos mentis."

His dimples deepened with his grin. "You shouldn't use Latin if you are trying to get out of this with the excuse that you are dumb with sleep." He gently pushed her into the bathroom. "Get ready. I arranged a surprise for you."

"What kind of sur--" her words were cut off by him shutting the door.

She dropped her head back in frustration while going through a list of reasons why she shouldn't crawl back into bed. It was then followed by a list of reasons of what Maxwell would do to get her to do this. After a quick three minutes of debate, she reluctantly started the shower.

****************

Olivia’s suite

"So, this is about making you get up early this morning?" Olivia snorted. "This is why I don't give my room keys to anyone."

"It wasn't that horrific event that cemented this burning hatred of mine." Amanda turned over on her back and stared up at the ceiling. "It was that jerk, Thomas Hunt."

Olivia did not bother to hide her surprise. "Wasn't he the reason you had that little hop to your skipping?"

Amanda closed her eyes. "They say never meet your heroes."

"He's a hero?!" Olivia wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Does the man even know how to fight?"

"I don't mean that kind of hero!" Amanda muttered. She let out another strangled, frustrated sound. "I admired him. His movies are some of my favorites."

"And you certainly never shied away from admiring his underwear modeling days." Olivia artfully dodged to the right when Amanda threw a decorative pillow at her. "Wasn't there a poster in your bedroom at one point?"

“FINE! I THOUGHT HE WAS ATTRACTIVE!" Amanda shouted. "Today proved differently."

"Was he not in his underwear?" Olivia easily batted a second throw pillow away that was aimed for her face. "What did he do?"

****************

Earlier that day, at the studio…

"I've seen your picture in magazines."

Amanda smiled at the intern escorting her toward Thomas Hunt's office. "Hopefully, I didn't look like I normally do." She shuddered. "I take horrible photographs."

"I thought you looked pretty." The hopeful actress replied. "You and Queen Riley were laughing at Maxwell Beaumont."

Amanda chuckled at that. "So, a normal day was photographed?"

The girl's phone vibrated. "I have to go handle this." She apologized to the duchess. "Mr. Hunt's office is the last door on the left."

"Thank you." Amanda watched her leave, then pulled out Maxwell's packet for the script. "Why did I agree to deliver this?" She mumbled as she continued down the long hallway.

When she reached the door, she paused before knocking. Voices raised in what sounded like anger could be heard.

Not wanting to walk in on an argument, Amanda checked to make certain no one else was in the hallway. She then pressed her ear to the door.

******************

"You know I don't have time to cater to a rich, spoiled woman! Maxwell is now suggesting that I take this--" Thomas checked the text message once more. "This Lady Amanda on not only a more in-depth tour of the studio but also to some of the historical sites around Los Angeles." He slammed a drawer shut to help rid himself of his mounting irritation. "If I ever act remotely interested in another story from some playboy royal, you have my permission to have me committed to the nearest asylum."

Holly rolled her eyes at his dramatic outburst. "Then don't take her out. It's a simple fix."

"If Maxwell's unhappy then the studio heads will become upset." He explained. "Next, it rolls downhill on us." He glared out the window. "What right does this duchess have to demand I take her around as her glorified tour guide?!"

"It might not be so bad." Addison pointed out. "She must be important to Maxwell if he asked you to do this."

"Apparently she is his bff or whatever acronym he used." Thomas spat. "I would rather deal with practically anyone else on this planet than babysit some snobbish, probably doesn't even know how to act in public, idiotic woman."

******************

Amanda took a step bac from his door. Her heart sank at discovering the director she had so admired was in truth a spoiled jerk.

Her lips firmed in a frown as her anger slowly took over her sadness. 

“He--I’ll show--oohhh!” She gasped, unable to get a complete insult out. 

She took a deep breath and returned to the receptionist desk. “Something has come up.” Amanda explained. “Would you mind giving Maxwell’s notes to Mr. Hunt?” She nearly strangled on his name.

“No problem.” The young intern replied. She tilted her head in question. “Are you okay?”

Amanda nodded quickly. “I am.” Or at least I will be once I get away from here, she thought. I will NEVER spend a moment in that loathsome man’s company.

******************

"I don't think I have ever seen you this angry." Olivia's eyebrows were lifted in surprise as she observed Amanda pacing about the suite. "Why didn't you confront him?"

"Because I don't do that kind of thing." Amanda snapped. She quickly apologized to her friend. "You know I try and be nice to everyone." Her eyes narrowed. "Something about that man got under my skin. How dare he judge me without meeting me?!"

Olivia's lips turned up somewhat. "What will you do when we are all at the set tomorrow?"

"Maybe I shouldn't go." Amanda muttered. "I can't embarrass Maxwell by setting Thomas Hunt straight."

"Now I'm making you go." Olivia announced. "I think it's time you felt that sweet relief of finally unleashing your temper." Her smile grew. "You don't know what you have been missing all these years."

“We’ll see.” Amanda murmured. “Do you know where Maxwell is?”

“No. Why?”

“Because I am going to make sure that I am never put in the path of Thomas Hunt again.”

*************

The Blvd restaurant, The Beverly Wilshire...

"There you are." Amanda said between clenched teeth.

Maxwell looked up. "Hey! How did the meeting go?"

She sat down across from him. "Why did you decide to ask Thomas Hunt of all people to give me a tour?!"

His blue eyes widened when he realized she was upset. "Because you've always been crazy about him."

"I have not." She snapped, refusing to accept she remotely found the director anything other than repulsive.

"Really?" Maxwell folded his arms on the table and leaned forward. "I would like to present to the jury, exhibit A: The Calvin Klein poster of one man, Thomas Hunt, in nothing but boxer briefs." He shuddered at the memory. "I still suffer from PTSD whenever I see your closet door cracked open."

Angry spots of color appeared on her cheeks. "I was young and stupid and had horrible taste in men."

"Exhibit B: You own all his movies, including the one he has a brief cameo in." Maxwell continued.

"I own a lot of movies." Amanda muttered. "He just happens to make some."

"Exhibit C:," Maxwell pointed out. "When I told you, I had been offered a chance to have The Royal Romance turned into a film, you literally chanted that Thomas Hunt needs to direct until I talked to my agent."

"I wanted your story to earn critical acclaim." Amanda averted her eyes.

"Exhibit D--"

"Enough!" Amanda hissed. "I get it, okay?" She leaned forward, looking directly into his eyes. "Don't ever force me to--"

"Thomas!" Maxwell yelled out, waving toward the director.

Amanda felt her stomach drop when she felt his angry presence pause behind her right shoulder.

"Maxwell." Thomas greeted curtly. “I waited for as long as I could on your,” his tone hardened, “Lady Amanda, but she never showed up.”

Maxwell turned his attention to her. “You didn’t deliver my notes?”

"I did." Amanda snapped, her eyes darted to Thomas. "But I didn’t want to spend a single second in your company."

His eyes widened. "I beg your pardon, what--"

"I refuse to spend the day with a man who so readily judges a person without meeting them." Her chin lifted. "You made it quite clear this morning what you think of me."

Thomas remembered his intern bringing in Maxwell's notes. "You were the one who came by today." His temper snapped. "On top of everything, you listened in on a conversation that wasn't any of your business. Why am I not surprised?" He mocked.

Amanda moved quickly out of the booth until she was standing directly in front of him. Her eyes flashed as heated color flooded her cheeks. "It wasn't hard since you were yelling like a petulant child." Her mocking smile appeared. "I'm grateful that I found out what type of egotistical, judgmental, miserable old man you truly are before being forced to accept your escort anywhere."

"Nowhere nearly as much as I am." Thomas barked, stung by her insults. "I wouldn't escort you a single inch across this room. You've proven that I should continue to trust my gut instinct when it comes to people like you." He bowed in an exagerated insult. "Thank you, Lady Amanda, it has been a pleasure that I hope is never repeated."

Unable to think of a proper insult, Amanda’s eyes sparked with unshed tears. She didn’t want to give this wretched man the satisfaction of thinking he had hurt her to the point of crying.

Without a word, she shoved past him and quickly left the restaurant.

"I had that going differently in my mind." Maxwell said once Thomas sat down. "Maybe after she cools off, the two of you could--"

"Maxwell, there will never be the two of us if Amanda is a part of that equation." Thomas stated firmly. "I will never spend a moment alone with her."

****************

Olivia’s suite, again…

"You should have used one of the butter knives on him." Olivia told her. "I've trained you in the places on the human body that will cause the most pain."

Amanda sighed.

"At least you stood up for yourself." Olivia continued.

Amanda nodded silently.

"Don't tell me you regret this?" Olivia prodded at the lack of verbal response.

"I'm exhausted." Amanda finally said. "I haven't lost my temper like that in years." She ran her hands over her face. "I just stopped by to let you know I'm not going out tonight." She got up and gave a swift hug to Olivia. "Thank you for letting me vent again."

"Don't let that man keep you from going out." Olivia ordered. "Take a nap. I'll make certain you're not disturbed, and we can join everyone else for dinner."

Amanda neither agreed nor disagreed. She gave a halfhearted smile and left.

****************

That night...

"I want everyone who has a spare key to my suite to return them." Amanda announced at dinner.

Maxwell and Olivia ignored her request.

Drake quirked an eyebrow at her. "How many keys were you given?"

"I thought just one." Her eyes narrowed. "Yet, I've had no less than four people enter my room today."

Hana blushed and handed her key card over. "Maxwell told me to help with picking out a dress or two."

Riley slid hers over. "Me too."

"I appreciate the concern." She narrowed her eyes on Maxwell as he raised his menu up to hide his face. "But it is not necessary." Her bitterness then settled on Olivia. "Nor was the wakeup call."

The red head merely shrugged. "I'm not going to allow you to lock yourself away to wallow in guilt and misery over Thomas Hunt."

"I wasn't wallowing!" Amanda snapped. "I was sleeping because Maxwell woke me up after at practically the crack of dawn!"

"As soon as you awoke, you would have started the misery and guilt trip." Olivia calmly stated. "It never fails to happen once you lose your temper."

"It's true." Maxwell added.

Amanda slumped in her chair. All the fight left her. She knew they were right.

“Don’t worry about Thomas.” Maxwell told her. “Tomorrow, he’ll be so busy with the movie that he won’t even notice you’re there.”

*****************

The next day...

Thomas surreptitiously peeked over the script each time he heard Amanda's voice or laughter. Seeing her this way made sense that she was friends with the group whose story he was filming.

She wasn't the irrational shrew he had unleashed the day before.

She looked like a different person. Gone was her insulting temper. For some reason, he was puzzled by her appearance. She hadn't bothered to wear any jewelry other than a watch, which she kept glancing at. He expected her to dress according to her station. Yet she looked like she would easily blend in with a crowd.

He suspected that he would have spotted her immediately.

His eyes moved down her figure when the group followed Addison, leaving him to review today's schedule. Since their altercation, he had been unable to get her off his mind. He had even dreamed about her.

It was disturbing that he woke up in a cold sweat over her. The dream had him ending their fight differently. That was the last thing he wanted to do with her.

Thomas couldn't hear what she was saying, but the entire group were laughing at an observation she made.

He swallowed the last of his coffee and decided to get another cup as the group moved closer to craft services.

"Where are you going?" Holly asked.

"Coffee." He muttered, wondering why Amanda wouldn't look his way. He had expected glares the entire time, not being completely ignored.

“Three cups of coffee wasn’t enough?” she asked.

"What?" He asked.

"You've had three cups." Holly pointed out. "You never have more than that in the morning."

He couldn't think of a clever enough retort, so he walked off without a response.

"This might be my favorite part of filmmaking." Maxwell teased as he reached for one of the fresh pastries Addison offered.

Amanda's smile disappeared when Thomas approached. She moved away from the table, pretending interest in a prop, when he came along next to her for the coffee pot.

He glanced at her back, deciding to force her to acknowledge his presence. "Is there anything I can get you, Lady Bridgerton?"

Her shoulders stiffened. Without looking at him, she automatically responded. "No thank you." Before Thomas could say anything else, she quickly walked over to the set that was a recreation of the palace's hedge maze lit by moonlight.

Her lips curved. She was impressed with the attention to detail the film crew had done. She walked the familiar path, turning to see the swing she had spent a great deal of her childhood on.

Thomas appeared beside her.

She stubbornly looked straight ahead.

"What do you think?" He prodded.

"About what?" She responded, folding her arms across her chest.

"The soundstage? The sets?" He motioned around. "I know you were wanting to tour a studio. Does this meet your approval?"

"It does." She couldn't quite hide her excitement at seeing something like this in person. "I find it fascinating."

He blinked at her words. "I'm…glad."

She stiffened once more at having inadvertently complimented him and tried to get around the hateful man. "If you will excuse me,"

"Perhaps I can--"He began, surprised at the thought of trying to rectify her opinion of him.

“Good day, Mr. Hunt." She tried to escape yet saw that he blocked her path. When he seemed unable to move, she squeezed past.

Their bodies brushed one another, causing her to pause.

Their eyes met and she quickly wiggled free.

He watched her hurry off to rejoin the others.

Thomas tossed his untouched coffee in the garbage and returned to work.

*******************

A few days later, they bumped into each other inside the hotel.

"Lady Bridgerton." He gently grasped her arms. "Nice to see you again."

She grit her teeth. "Please stop calling me Lady." Her eyes narrowed. "Since I discovered your opinion on nobles, I know you mean it as a verbal jab."

He quirked an eyebrow. "Then what should I call you?"

"Amanda." She replied. "But I don't believe I will hear it often since we will never spend more time together." She smirked and left him.

He knew he was supposed to meet with Maxwell, but instead decided to follow her into the hotel's restaurant.

He talked the hostess into seating him in a booth beside Amanda's. He couldn't recall a time in his life when he desired to annoy anyone as much as he did her.

He settled his gaze on her after ordering a drink.

Amanda gripped her menu and purposefully kept her eyes averted.

After a few moments, she dropped her head into her hands. "Why are you trying to drive me crazy?" She practically pleaded. "You can’t stand me, yet you sit there on purpose to stare!"

"You never allow me to finish what I’m saying.” He countered, scooting around his booth.

“Why should I?” she snapped. “You are only going to hurl more insults my way.”

“How do you know?” He asked. “Do you dare presume to know my mind?”

She scooted closer, eyes narrowing. "You don't like me!" She hissed. "And I'm not too fond of you." Her eyes searched his. "Why are you trying to talk to me? I made certain to not bother you at the studio and have not returned each day when the others have."

Thomas propped his arm on the seat and leaned closer to her. "I don't know." His eyes touched on her hair softly curling toward her cheek, guiding his eyes to her lips. "But you have been on my mind." His eyes lifted to hers. "Perhaps it is because I have yet to meet the real you. I’ve seen you at your worst, and yet with those you care for…you’re a completely different person. Who is the real, Lady Amanda?"

"I assure you; this is the real me. Regardless of how irritated I am at the moment this is me!" She quickly thanked the waitress for her drink. "Now, I think we--"

"That we should eat together, I agree." Thomas rose and told the waitress he would be joining Amanda.

He slid into the booth, bumping into the shocked duchess. "I recommend the lobster frittata."

"I'm allergic to shellfish." She said in a stunned voice.

"Then I will order something else." He remarked. "I'll have the steak and eggs." He handed his menu to the waitress. "Shall we have a bottle of champagne with brunch?"

Amanda absentmindedly ordered the cheeseburger. Once they were alone, she settled back against the seat, intent on pretending she was dining alone.

"I'm considering taking time off once filming wraps up." Thomas announced.

"What about the sequels?" Amanda forgot about her plan to ignore him. "You aren't going to let someone else direct, are you?"

He shook his head, turning more toward her. "The screenplay for the second part hasn't been completed yet. Ryan and Chris both have obligations to other directors that they will complete in between the first and second part."

"I see." She tried to ease away from being so close beside him, but her skirt was caught under his leg. He apparently was not inclined to give up his hold on her.

"Amanda, have you been on any other tours?" He asked when she became stubbornly silent again.

"I have." She replied. Her smile held a hint of mischief. "Ryan took me to some points of interest."

Thomas narrowed his eyes. "Did he?"

"Yes." She propped her chin on her hand, attempting to have a dreamy far off look. "He was a perfect gentleman."

"He's seeing someone." He informed her, wondering at this new irritation he felt.

Amanda shrugged. "Like I said, he was a perfect gentleman."

"I expect to hear news of his engagement at any moment." Thomas continued.

"Then perhaps you should be drinking champagne with him." She kept a pleasant smile on her face. "For you and I have nothing to celebrate over."

"I disagree." He countered.

"Of course, you do." She pointed at his shirt. "I would call this blue, but I'm positive you would say it was another color."

"I always thought it was more gray than blue." He said to purposefully needle her.

She ran her fingers through her hair. "Of course, you would."

Their food was brought out and each focused on eating while ignoring the emotions the other was causing.

He poured her a glass of champagne then lifted his in a toast. "To expectations."

She searched his eyes for some hidden meaning then tapped her glass to his. "Cheers."

"What are your plans today?" He asked.

She set her glass down. "I'm going to see a movie."

"Really?" He slowly smiled. "What will you be--"

"There you are!" Maxwell walked over, his dimples deepening with his delighted grin. "I must have forgotten we were to meet down here."

Amanda took that moment to jerk her skirt out from under Thomas' thigh. She smiled with her newfound freedom. "I was just on my way out." She wished them both a good afternoon and escaped.

"I knew you two would hit it off." Maxwell boasted.

"And when exactly is that supposed to happen?" Thomas asked.

************

A few nights later...

"Everyone knows the drill." Maxwell whispered.

"Yes." Hana reassured him. "I spill my drink on Amanda."

"I drop a plate in Thomas's lap." Addison whispered.

"They are both forced to go to the master bathroom because I have food poisoning in the hall bathroom." Riley added.

"I get everyone to move to our suite." Liam added.

"I turn everything off." Holly glanced over her shoulder to make certain no one was near enough to hear.

"And I lock them in the bedroom." Maxwell announced.

"What about the phone situation?" Ryan whispered.

"Bastien is confiscating everyone's phone for security purposes." Drake explained. "And I have already removed the hotel phones from the bedroom and living room."

"You all have your missions." Maxwell looked around at his group. "Good luck."

Addison and Hana nearly bounced with excitement as they took their places.

****************

Thomas sat down when Addison insisted yet again. "I still don't see how this helps the crick in your neck."

She rubbed the side while rolling her head. "Because it doesn’t hurt tilting it down, only up." She huffed. "You're too tall."

She eyed Hana and watched as the graceful lady stumbled, splashing her glass of wine down Amanda's dress.

"I'm so sorry!" Tears filled Hana's eyes. She grasped Amanda's hand and dragged her into the bedroom.

"I have something that will help get this out before it stains." Hana made Amanda remain in the bathroom. "It's in my room. I'll be right back."

Addison waited patiently, keeping Thomas talking. She then saw Hana give her the sign.

"...and then we should--" Thomas jumped to his feet when Addison dropped her plate.

"Oh my gosh!" She exclaimed. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to."

He brushed her hand away and went toward the bathroom. He heard Riley's sounds of sickness and quickly backtracked.

"There's a bathroom in the bedroom." Maxwell pushed him toward it.

"Thank you." Thomas stepped inside and opened the bathroom door.

Amanda whirled around. "You startled me."

He glanced down at the red stain on her peach colored dress. "My apologies. We both seem to be the ones with accident prone friends tonight."

She wet a rag for him. His fingers brushed hers when he reached for it. Their eyes lifted to one another's.

Amanda looked away first. "You should take your jacket off first."

He shrugged out of it, thanking her when she offered to hold it for him. Thomas brushed at the different stains on his shirt and tie.

She did the same with his jacket.

The two worked quietly.

"Do you hear that?" She asked once the water was turned off.

He stilled. "I don't hear anything."

"Exactly!" The two hurried to the bedroom door.

It wouldn't open.

Amanda knocked on it. "Maxwell! We're stuck in here!"

Thomas leaned his ear against it. "There's no noise out there."

"I'll call someone to--" she twirled around. "Where are the phones?"

They searched throughout the drawers and closets. Nothing except a pair of pajamas and a nightgown were in the drawers.

"What is going on?" Amanda wailed, slowly backing away.

"I think," Thomas began, recognizing his pajamas from home. "that Maxwell and the others want us to spend the night together."

**************

After changing their ruined clothes, the two sat down on the bed. It seemed that Maxwell had removed the chairs that had also resided there. He had also had the television removed.

"Now what do we do?" Amanda asked. "It's only eight thirty."

Thomas tried to keep from staring at her in her silk nightgown.

She guessed that Riley and Hana had taken it earlier that day when they kept having her try on dresses. His eyes traveled up her legs --

"Why don't we talk? Settle this...whatever this is between us?" He suggested as she stood up to pace.

Amanda quit her agitated movements and sat down in a breathless huff. She reclined on the pillows and attempted to not stare at how sexy Thomas looked in pajamas. That little bit of hair flopping over his forehead softened his angular features, making her want to run her fingers through his hair as his lips touched--

"I expected you to be different." Amanda began, lowering her eyes. "I think this might be as much my fault as yours."

Thomas stretched out beside her. "What do you mean about expecting me to be different?"

She ran a hand through her hair. "I guess I expected you to be nice." She grimaced. "I thought we would get along. Perhaps become friends or...something."

"I see." He said softly. "And I ruined that when you overheard, that I was expecting the worst."

"Yes, I mean," she dropped her head back on the pillow. "I was so disappointed that you were like so many people I have encountered at court. That you were so set on disliking me…I just thought why bother even trying to be nice."

“Ah.” He snorted softly. “And in my preconceived notions, I decided you had proven me right.”

“And now we are being tortured by our so-called friends.”

He turned his head toward her. "I don't feel tortured right now."

She turned too and realized how close their faces were. "You don't?"

He focused on her mouth. Perhaps he was being tortured. "No, I actually like being around you like this."

"So not hostile or hurling insults at you?" She teased.

He surprised her with a sudden smile. "If we must make that distinction, then yes, I prefer this version to any of the others I have encountered."

Her burst of laughter made him scoot closer to her.

“I must admit, it has been exhausting remaining angry around you.” Her warm smile was focused on him for the first time. “You sir, have kept me on my toes during every altercation.”

“You have been a worthy adversary.” Thomas chuckled when she solemnly thanked him. “I haven’t’ wanted to annoy any woman as much as I have you.”

The pair became quiet in thought after sharing another laugh.

Amanda turned on her side and studied his face. "Thomas?"

"Hmm?"

"Why do you think we have been snapping at each other all this time?"

"You've been doing most of the snapping lately." He reminded her.

"I suppose I have." She admitted. "Why have you been chasing after me though since I have been, you know?"

"Cruel?" He offered. "Cold? Mean?"

"I get the picture." She grumbled. "I apologize for my rudeness."

"I told you once before I wasn't certain what it is about you, but I think I might have solved the mystery." He inched closer.

"And that is?" She asked.

"I think we have some unresolved sexual tension." Thomas waited to see what her response might be.

He didn't expect laughter.

"Hold on.” she said once she saw he was serious. "You find me attractive?"

"I did even when I despised you." He admitted.

Amanda blinked. "Oh."

He cleared his throat. When she still remained silent, he prodded her. "Any chance you find me attractive?"

"I do." Was her hurried response. "I mean, I always thought you were handsome."

"Being thought handsome is not the same as being attractive." He reminded her. "Do you find Liam handsome?"

"Of course, I do." She sighed, knowing where he was going with this. "And no, I am not physically attracted to Liam."

Thomas gently placed his hand over hers. "Then, should we use this time to test out the waters? See if the fights can cease once and for all after we discover what this is?”

Amanda slowly nodded. Before she could think too hard about all the ways this could backfire, he had pulled her flush to him. Her breath caught as he tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

His fingertips slipped down her neck and over her shoulder, sliding down before coming back up. She closed her eyes as he caressed her skin. His eyes followed his hand before flickering up to her parted lips. He closed the distance and placed a tentative kiss to them.

And then they knew why they had been fighting so much.

**************

The next morning…

“There’s no noise.” Maxwell whispered. He had his ear pressed to the bedroom door.

“Either they are asleep, or they killed each other.” Olivia hissed. “I’m hoping he is at least bleeding out in there.” She smacked Maxwell on the back of the head. “Why did you persist in putting them together?”

“Because I know what I’m doing as a matchmaker.” He grumbled. “If you would only listen to me about you and Dra—“

She put her hand over his mouth. “I’m warning you, Maxwell. Do not ever link my name with his again.”

Addison pushed between them and pressed her ear to the door. “I say we leave their clothes here and quietly unlock the bedroom door. “I don’t want to walk in on something I shouldn’t see.”

“Good idea.” Maxwell carefully removed the chair he had wedged under the doorknob. He then unlocked the door and jumped back in case one decided to open it.

As his coconspirators sneaked out of the room, he quickly jotted down an apology in case he had been wrong and slipped it under the bedroom door.

Just as he was about to leave, the note was slipped back with a response written.

You better book another suite for yourself. This one is ours now.

Thanks for locking us in together,

A & T

[jj-lynn21]

HOLLYWOOD MOBSTERS Starring Bill Skarsgard and his family ch 6

ch 1  ch 2 ch 3 ch 4 ch 5 ch 7

Warnings: violence discussed, cussing, angst, smut, fluff

Bunny’s bedroom dance: Love Me Like You Do 

Photos from esquire Singapore September 2019, Calvin Klein, IMDB and Ejalo’s Instagram 

Bunny shimmies out of Bill’s arms in the morning. She is getting her outfit back on when Bill wakes.

“You ok?” He asked as he sat up body drizzled with sweat from sleeping so close to her.

She tied the outfit around her neck looking at him acting all nonchalant, “Yeah, I’m cool. No big deal.”

Bill whines, “I’m sorry. Did I hurt you?  I just meant to make you feel good. But if you want to leave, I won’t stop you or anything.  Just…” He laid back down pulling the sheet over his head turning away. “Don’t tell Alex I fucked up again. He will kill me for hurting you. I can’t believe this wasn’t fucking real.” 

“What?” bunny looks over at him. When she sees Bill has buried himself, she goes to sit on the side of the bed. “Bill you made me feel things I never thought I would or could with a man but I thought you were just looking for a one night stand to make you feel better, feel something good.”

“I’m not fucking like that at all Bunny,” He cried under the sheet that shielded him. “But get the fuck out of here. I will get my own place soon enough. You do not ever have to see me again. Before Genna there were other women who I thought cared but fucked me and left. You are not the first and you probably will not be the last. You were fucking leaving so get the fuck out already.”

“Bill,” She rubbed his back though the sheet. “I haven’t even slept with anyone in ten years. I’m sorry, I didn’t believe you could possibly care for me. Look at me baby boy, please.”

Bill throws the sheet off and sits up to look at Bunny. His eyes red. “Don’t hurt me Mommy.” He touched her cheek.

She leans into his touch. “That’s a good boy. Mommy’s going to dance for you, okay?”

“I’d like that,” Bill smiled innocently. “Mommy can I kiss you before you dance for me.”

She nods. He moves in slowly as they close their eyes. His lips lightly brush over hers before staying for a long deep kiss. He pulls away. “I’m ready to watch you now Mommy.”

She gets up to go to the pole by the windows. Alex has a stripper pole in just about every room of the place. Girls, other than Bunny, have taken special clients to the bedrooms. It is an extra two-thousand-dollar fee but all have said they got their money’s worth and tipped the girls extra well for the evening. Bunny flips through the music on the phone and plays Love Me Like You Do  for her special routine for bill’s eyes only.  Bill gets out of bed completely naked to walk over to her when she is done. His arousal on display.

“Mommy can you help me now?” Bill looked shyly at her. He had a way of acting so innocent when he was looking less than innocent.”

“Oh, baby boy of course Mommy will always take good care of you when you are such a good boy.” She untied her outfit to let it fall off of her. “Just no more pouting or whiling or Mommy will have to discipline you.”

Bill nodding. He would pick another time to test what she would do to him. Bunny pushed him back towards the bed. He went willingly falling back when he felt it behind his legs. He watched with wide curious eyes as she straddled him. Bunny put his hands on her hip.  She gasped lowering herself to take in his manhood. Whimpering softly her hips rolled to find that spot he hit before. Bill bit his lip watching her as his thrusts pushed in deep.

“Can I touch you more Mommy,” Bill groaned.

“Yes,” Bunny whined.

Bill reached down to work her clit as she road him.

“Fuck, more.” She begged as she road him harder.

When they came together it was like a blessing. Bill held her close. They rested awhile, before Bill ordered Pizza and cloths for her. They showered together making love again before actually getting cleaned up.  She threw on a robe. Bill put jeans on to go get the things that should be at the back door. He comes back. Hands her a bag with a new dress and under garments.

Bill stripped his jeans off and got back in bed with a piece of pizza, “You can leave the cloth in the bag. I think its Naked Sunday.” He chuckles.

Bunny giggle as she slides off the robe. She crawls over to him going to take a bite of his pizza. He pulls it away. They are laughing when Alex is walking past the door.  He smiles at the match even though it means he can no longer tell her everything that has been on his mind this past week. He knocks.

“How’s everything going?” Alex teases as he listens to them scurry.

Bunny puts her robe back on. Bill slides on some boxers before answering the door.

“We’re fine Alex,” Bill leans on the open door.  “What’s up?”

“Can we talk in my office,” He smiles at Bunny. “I will just still him away few moments baby girl.”

“Its fine Daddy,” She giggles. “It will give me a chance to put some clean linens on the bed.”

Alex nods with a grin. Him and Bill walk down the hall.

“Its good to see you, happy brother,” Alex opens the door for Bill to step into the office before him. “But business does have to continue.”

“What do you need me to do Alex?” Bill crosses his arms over his bare chest.

“Gustaf is going to have to heal before working again.” Alex poured a scotch on the rocks. He raised it to Bill, “Drink?”

“No thank you,” Bill waves the offer off. “Do you need me to take his place?”

“Yes,” Alex takes a sip of his drink and walks to his desk to sit. “I know you haven’t worked for the family full time since you were fifteen, but we really need you now. Truth be told you were always a bit better at picking things up and dropping them off then Gustaf. He always wants to try to talk to are friends. You intimidate people more. Especially now. It’s a good trait little brother. I don’t even remember why you stopped helping.”

“Because it fucking sucks,” Bill mumbles. “I had other options Alex. I never thought I’d be back in this whole thing. I’m here now. I will help with what ever you need. Do I have to keep secrets from Bunny?”

Alex chuckles, “She knows everything. She’s good to talk to when things go sideways, isn’t she?”

“Yeah,” Bill blushes.

“Go on and get back to her,” Alex makes a shoo shoo motion with his hand. “Just don’t do anything that makes her want to go against the family. I don’t want to deal with that sort of problem again.”

“What do you mean again?” Bill looked at his brother curiously.

“Nothing,” Alex put his feet up on his desk. “I’m interviewing a possible new girl in a few minutes, Go have your fun with Bunny. Tuesday night you have a job to do.”

Bill nods and heads out. He crosses paths with small nervous looking blonde. He smiles, “break a leg.”

She smiles, “Thanks.”

Bunny and Bill spend the day in bed talking, eating, and having minding blowing sex in her opinion. It is extremely good in his mind. He teaches her some diffident positions that she never thought she would enjoy. He has her toes curling time and time again until he needs to carry her to the bathroom to clean up.

“I better be able to work by Wednesday night,” She laughs.

“We can take a break on Tuesday,” Bill grins.

On Tuesday after he is off work, they decide Bill will move into her loft apartment. They had already been caught naked running after each other in the club by Alex when they thought no one was there. He just suggested they be at least partially dressed when out of the bedroom.  

Alex starts sending Bill on runs since Gustaf cannot do it. Everything goes smoother than his first time. Word got around Bill killed all the guys at his first run, so they feared him. The Thomas Family representative just dropped the cash in front of Bill and backed away slowly. Bill grabbed the cash and dropped the products at their bar. Same as he did with Gustaf. He kept the money and cleaned it at his bank the next morning. Bill had gone from not wanting to be apart of the family business at all to doing a shit load of dirty work out of guilt mostly.

Valter’s graduation party was held at the main family home. Angel was by his side stuck to him like glue until Alex needed a private word with him. By that time, she felt comfortable sitting with Eija, Bunny, and Bill. She really wanted to get to know Bunny so maybe she could be a dancer at the club when She moved to Hollywood for Valter. It was perfect timing since two dancers had decided to move on when they were married and only one new dancer was hired. Valter and her were planning to move into Bill’s old place.

Valter grabs a note pad and pen from Alex’s desk as Alex starts to speak.

“We are all so proud you little brother,” Alex gushed

Valter wrote on the paper BUG ON MY CHEST, “Thanks Alex. I worked hard. I’m ready to help the family out how every you need me.”

Alex nods, “I would still like you to work the bar if you would like that. It would entail you balancing the books for that part of the club. You would distribute the tips from the bar tip jar to the girls at the end of the night also. Do you think you could handle that?”

“I could do that. Angel still wants to be a dancer.” Valter writes THEY TOLD ME TO ASK YOU THIS NEXT THIS, “Is there anything more you would like me to do involving other business?”                                                                                                                                                                                                                “Angel can try out as soon as the two of you get settled,” Alex nodded his understanding. “Bill is going to be our delivery man of coca cola to the other bars. As long as the other bars don’t try to bully our family to join them in less legal activities. The Malforals are not happy we refused to do all the things they want our club to be involved in. They pretty much admitted to your brother what happened to his girl was their doing. To tell you the truth I would rather not do business them, but I fear we have to so no one else is hurt.”

Alex was willing to sell out the Malforals. Maybe get rid of them for good if the F.B.I. busted into their club and killed or arrested all of them. He knew they would not get taken in without a fight. It would be good enough pay back for trying to kill Bill and Gustaf.

“Probably a smart idea,” Valter said uncomfortably.

“I have some paperwork for you and I to go over since you will be taken over as head bar tender,” Alex takes the paperwork out of the desk for Valter to sign.

Gustaf and Stellan come in from a walk.

Bill stand with Bunny to introduce her. “Papa this is Bunny Nisson.”

“Nice to meet you Mr. Skarsgard,” She smiles politely.

Stellan looks a little caught off guard for a moment. Then smiles, “Well isn’t this kismet. I knew your Father Miss Bunny. You and Bill use to play in one of those tot cages your mom liked to use while the adults had tea.” He chuckles. “You’re a very lovely woman. Are you Keeping Bill out of trouble?”

“I’m trying,” She giggled

Alex and Valter walked out of the office.

“Excuse me kids,” Stellan nodded. “I need to speak with Alex. He motioned for Alex to follow him outside.

Bill teases Bunny, “I knew you looked farmilar when I saw you.”

“Yeah,” Bunny giggled, “you seriously remember playing in a playpen with me when we were babies.”

to be continued...

[lesbianfeminists]

“March was women's History Month, and in the wake of the graduation-dress debate, Marlborough confronted self-image with a special all-school assembly featuring Dr. Joan Jacobs Brumberg, a professor at Cornell University. Dr. Brumberg had written two books about the collision between cultural pressures and a girl's sense of herself, Fasting Girls: The History of Anorexia Nervosa, and The Body Project: An Intimate History of American Girls. The title of her speech was 'From Corsets to Body Piercing.'

…

She started out with a rattling set of statistics: By the age of seventeen, according to her research, 78 percent of American girls reported that they disliked their bodies. Girls as young as eight and nine complained to their pediatricians that they were fat and needed to go on a diet.

Teenage girls had become 'appearance junkies, valuing their appearance over creativity, intelligence, generosity, kindness,' said Dr. Brumberg. 'And there's anecdotal evidence, though its not yet established in the literature, that it's worse in southern California than anywhere else in the country.’

There was in this country an epidemic of what she called 'bad body fever,' and she believed that they only way to eradicate it was to confront it. To bolster her argument, she read excerpts about New Year's resolutions from two different girls' diaries. The first spoke purely in terms of personality traits she wanted to improve, while the second girl wrote about how she wanted to look and what she hoped to buy. 'One diary projects good works,' said Dr. Brumberg. 'The other projects good looks.' The first diary, one of the ones she had collected for The Body Project, was from 1892; the second, the one that focused on appearance, was from 1982. The implication was that today's young women had replaced moral concerns with a narcissistic set of desires. 'So what's happened?' Dr. Brumberg asked her audience. 'Can we blame it all on Calvin Klein, on advertising? Can we blame Hollywood? MTV? Are you the first generation to feel this way? What was it like in the past to get your period, to develop acne, to start to feel sexual?'

She presented a slide show of 20th-century photographs and advertisements, designed to illustrate how the media defined femininity. She wanted the girls to see just how aggressive the message was, how pervasive the cult of physical beauty. If they understood the pressure they were under, they would be better able to defend themselves against it. 

…

Katie Tower and her friend Lisl came because they were furious. To them, all this talk of 'bad body fever' was a colossal insult, no better than a racial or religious slur. What right did a stranger have to suggest every girl in the auditorium was neurotic about her appearance? 

For the first ten minutes, the lunchtime session was a polite round of agreeable sentiment: Several girls wanted to talk about advertisements they hated, and one devoutly embraced the idea of 'being more aware of ourselves." Dr. Brumberg referred to herself as 'unlean,' and the girls chuckled. Dr. Morgan and Les Klein hovered in the background with a parent who had offered to serve as Dr. Brumberg's chaperone for the day.

Finally, Lisl could stand it no longer. She had strict criteria for true gender equality, and she saw insidious threats where most of her friends did not. She believed in hygiene-- her long, straight strawberry blond hair was always shiny and clean-- but beyond that, she took an almost belligerent stance about her appearance. She rarely bothered to tuck in her uniform shirt, and she preferred dark slacks to the more popular short skirt over boys' boxer shorts. She often wore a school blazer, as though happy for the extra camouflage, and favored heavy, lug-soled shoes. 

To her, all this talk about looks was somebody else's problem. It had nothing to do with her life. She was going to Brown University and intended to become an engineer. Gender and looks were irrelevant to that. In fact, she found Dr. Brumberg's presentation to be condescending-- a double standard masquerading as a commitment to equality.

'Using the terms like bad body fever and stuff, I think you're really emphasizing negative aspects,' Lisl said. 'Putting all this emphasis on how the female appears, and what the teenage girl appears to be. My question to you would be, Do you think you're adding to it? When you speak so fervently about how we have to stop this, or look at the impact-- don't you think you're simply adding to it?'

Dr. Brumberg was startled by Lisl's question. She picked her words carefully. 'I'm a historian,' she said, 'and I'm reporting on what the clinical establishment is saying. Do you follow what I'm saying? I didn't do the research. The data show-- and it may not be your problem, all right?-- that women in America are dissatisfied with themselves, and that they're more demanding about physical appearance than any other aspect of their lives: their creativity, their athleticism, their sociability, their relationships.'

Her voice tightened up. 'I didn't make that up, okay? I'm trying to explain why we might have come to that position. I'm not chastising you."

Lisl refused to yield. 'Doesn't dissatisfaction create change, though? So wouldn't that be beneficial change? Maybe we're in sort of a time of change.'

Dr. Brumberg cut Lisl off. How could anyone consider a negative self-image to be a tool of progress? 'Dissatisfaction about your body,' she said, incredulous. 'You think that is going to generate social change?'

'About whatever,' said Lisl. 'Any dissatisfaction moves people to change things.' She accused Dr. Brumberg of acting as though beauty were a bad thing, and attention to hygiene and athletics, evidence of a superficial nature. Perhaps girls were simply being practical about how the world worked. She brandished a magazine ad that touted yogurt. 'Look at this,' Lisl said. 'It says, 'You need yogurt or else you're not going to get a date.' In some ways isn't that true?' The girls Lisl knew who had boyfriends were slimmer and prettier than the other girls. Maybe the ads were merely a reflection of reality, not an attempt to define it.

Dr. Brumberg and the teachers hardly expected such antagonism, and Lisl was not finished. What really infuriated her was the implicit suggestion that Marlborough girls were no different that anyone else.

'We heard you say that external appearance came in lieu of good deeds and actions and stuff,' she said. 'I don't think you can say that vanity has totally disappeared from Marlborough's campus, but we're heavily motived people here. Its hard for us to look at somebody who's omitting that part of our life and saying--'

Dr. Brumberg cut her off. 'You're taking the thesis of my book as somewhat of an insult,' she said. 

'I'm not,' said Lisl. 'I'm just explaining to you, since you seem rather surprised-’

'You regard it as a charge that women of your generation are shallow.'

'Its personal,' said Katie. 'Maybe I feel better in makeup or certain clothes.'

'What's wrong with enjoying it?' chimed in another girl.

'There's nothing wrong with enjoying it,' replied Dr. Brumberg.

'That's the way you're coming off,' said Lisl.

Dr. Brumberg appealed to Dr. Morgan, who had arranged for her visit. 'In fairness to me,' she said, ' have these people read my book?'

Dr. Morgan sighed. One assigned chapter.

Dr. Brumberg decided to make her case one last time. 'The book is about the way in which in the twentieth century, not just young women but everybody, regards the body as perfectible,' she said. 'That's a change in our intellectual psyche. If you deny that the body is a critical piece of your self-identity, I think you're being pretty defensive. Your parents watch their cholesterol. Your grandparents may be counting their fat grams. This is the kind of culture in which we live. My charge is not that you're shallow and you don't have other interests. What I'm telling you is that if you looked at these diaries the way I have, from the 1830s to the 1980s, you'll find there is a big difference in the way girls think about themselves.'

Her stern tone of voice was a warning. As the session drew to a close, she would not tolerate interruption.

'This is not an argument against makeup, against earrings, against getting dressed up and taking care of yourself,' she said. 'But you are a little blind and a little defensive if you can't admit that there are people in this culture who become appearance junkies. I'm not saying you are all like that. I'm not saying you can't do wonderful things….I'm just telling you that girls beat themselves up today about appearance in ways they didn't in the nineteenth century. That's the thesis. If that is threatening and upsetting to you, I'm quite surprised.'

…

Her audience was plainly skeptical. For six years, they had lived in a world that considered them capable. The last thing they needed to hear, as they waited out the final weeks before the college letters arrived, was that they carried an internalized flaw, like a damaged gene, that rendered them not quite good enough: lacking in depth, concerned with frivolous things.

Their nerves were too raw to appreciate Dr. Brumberg's study. All they heard was a middle-aged woman telling them that they were narcissists. She was the universal bad mother, wagging a disapproving finger in their faces, and they simply did not want to hear what she had to say.

Erica's friend Chrissy, a gracious, soft-spoken girl, tried to lower the temperature in the room with a confession. People were always telling her she was not thin enough, or needed more makeup, or ought to color her hair, 'and they say its not for yourself-- its so a boy will like you.'

One of the other girls cut her off. There was no way to rid the world of people who said stupid things, but a smart girl refused to listen-- and she surrounded herself with like-minded people. A Marlborough girl did not need instruction. She just needed other girls who understood.

'You need a friend to say, 'No, no, you're plenty thin,' said one senior. 'Girls need to say that.'”

All Girls: Single-Sex Education and Why It Matters, Karen Stabiner. 2002.

[lovemecharlie]

Five Months In.

Charlie's Gender Reveal x Kristina the FreakyThief finds a new love 💕

Charlie felt like she was on her period almost, but without the blood and once her belly had grown to a noticeable size, suddenly everyone in her life was an expert on pregnancy and babies, feeling the need to tell her everything they'd ever half-read or heard. Her parents had stories about her childhood for days, odd stories that only Erik wanted to hear so that he could look at her and laugh. He wanted to get slapped, Charlie had the suspicion that he got off on it especially since she'd been a bit more temperamental than usual. Her moods changed quicker than Bastion's outfits. Her clients had helpful tidbits at times, but mostly empty aww's, nosey digging questions, and general knowledge. Nothing for the swelling, constipation, or bloating. She was grateful for the consideration and well wishes, but she wished people would mind their own business in the most polite way possible while keeping their hands to themselves. They weren't at the Apollo and her stomach was not a block of wood people could rub for good luck. Anyway, that was neither here nor there, the day of her gender reveal had arrived and she was determined to have a great day. She felt energized and there was a party to prep for.

"Need help," Erik asked waltzing into the room. He never knocked, he'd always just barge in.. often not even saying anything, just staring out of the window. Sometimes she'd stand next to him and he'd hug her. Those were the times she wondered if he was really okay, though she never asked, she just stood with him. "Nope, I'm feeling pretty decent so I've got this," Charlie smiled casually lifting from the bed to take her shower. Erik walked to her west facing floor to ceiling window. Nearly all of her walls were replaced with windows tinted from the outside. Thick glass stretched horizontally across the room, giving a magnificent sky view, property view, and beyond. He could see everything from her windows, the perfect high perch.

"You know this used to be my office before we met? I used to come in here to think when life, Wakanda, the center, Hennessy, Angéle, Kimora, and that damn Davita," he smirked, "..would get to be too much." He paused looking out and Charlie made her way to his side to stare out as well. "Sometimes they would really raise a nigga blood pressure to the point where I could either snap and do something terrible that I'd regret or I could walk away. It's like the same decision has been presented to me over and over again my whole life and because of the love implanted in me by my father, I've been forced to face these situations head on. Because I loved my wives, I couldn't hurt them like I'd hurt someone else. I'd lock myself in this room and look out these windows reminding myself of why I chose this road. Why I ain't give up in Wakanda? Why do I still push for these folk who act like they don't give a damn when I do it for them? Why I let myself fall in love?"

Charlie simply listened as Erik was transported back in time through his thoughts.

"I want you to know that no matter what happens in this house, you're special to me like this room is special to me. I'm safe with you. Don't think I don't appreciate it and all the times you spent right here with me while I was going through it."

Wordless, Charlie wrapped her arms around his waist, her head against his bare chest. He smelled good.. clean and fresh like rain. His fingers absentmindedly played in her curls as they stood there in silence.

"Can I be your safe place," he asked suddenly, catching Charlie off guard and causing her to realize that other than prayer.. she didn't really have one. She didn't trust anyone enough to be that vulnerable. Did she even trust Erik? She had to think about it. No, she didn't, but if she was going to stay with him, she needed to start. There was a long silence, since she refused to give him a yes that she did not mean and he was patient as he said he'd be.

"..Yes," she finally whispered into his raised skin answering the spoken and unspoken questions between the two of them. On her return to the household, she'd promised she'd try to make the marriage work and this was taking a giant step in the right direction. She hoped she wouldn't regret it.

The shower was exactly what her body needed and when she emerged towel-wrapped and hair wet, Erik was still there at her window. She approached and he did a double take, taking in the wet curls draping over her shoulders and her glistening skin. As if forgetting the thoughts he'd been tangled in, he tilted her head back kissing her on the forehead and lips before halting her with his hands in the air. "Wait here, I'll be right back," he stressed before jogging off. When he returned a minute or so later, she was sitting on the bed, waiting. He held out a garment bag and what he unveiled was a jumpsuit. An iridescent champagne colored jumpsuit with a long bejeweled train glowing from the waist. It was beautiful.

"This is for me?" Charlie leaped inspecting the garment. It was precisely her style.

"Try it on," Erik grinned full of pride, helping her into it. It was a perfect tapered and comfortable fit with space for her growing belly. She looked in the mirror, her smile wide as he stood behind her adding a chunky diamond choker set in more diamonds in rose gold. "Don't worry," he rushed watching her expression, "I'll return it if you don't wanna keep it, but for today let me ice you out. Then you can trade it for a mountain of haircare products or whatever it is you splurge on."

She laughed. She splurged on gifts. The Kompound was bougie and fancy as hell. Diamond this and that, cars on cars.. She couldn't buy them Calvin Klein. Calvin Klein??? She'd be shot! No, she saved her coins and splurged on holidays so that she could afford the big brands.

"I'm a spoil my lil monster when she comes. She finna be the iciest baby all because her mama wanna be plain."

"You can spoil our SON however you wanna spoil our SON, HE's our SON," Charlie grinned.

"Like I said, my PRINCESS will get the south pole around her neck."

"Poor polar bears," Charlie chuckled admiring her sparkling reflection. She needed to beat her face and throw on some heels, although her feet were swollen. She wondered if she could jam them into some heels.

"Just wear flats," he chuckled dropping some sparkly flat shoes near her feet.

"I want heels. This look needs heels!" Her hands posed on her hips, she was feeling herself, standing on her toes.

"As clumsy as you are without them? I don't need a reason to worry. Angel's pregnancy stressing me enough."

"How are you holding up?"

He looked at her like he had just run a marathon and was out of breath, shaking his head.

"Damn," she grimaced. "It'll be worth it. Once the twins get here and she's given birth, she will heal and you will too. You'll be able to show her all the love you've been afraid to and the twins will help you."

"I'm scared, Charlie. I need her around. I don't know what I'll do if... I can't.. I can't do this shit without her-"

"I know. She'll be okay," Charlie smiled holding his chin in her hand, "She will!!! You'll be okay. You'll look back on all of this and it'll be another segment of your crazy life that you've fought through. You're Killmonger! If anyone can make it through this rough stage, it's you. Positive thoughts. In fact, let's go see Angel right now."

---

The time had come and Charlie's face was finally beat, her hair twisted with added hair in a long ponytail. She felt like a badass intergalactic fairy. Erik wore white, his vest accented with the same champagne iridescent material. The wives, Kristina, and Davita wore variations from the same color family from champagne to white to silver to lavender.. as did the extended family for the most part. Diamonds dangled all over and everyone was beautiful. The event was in the massive backyard near the lush garden where the large gazebo stood overgrown and taken over by flowers. The DJ mixed oldies like Frankie Beverly and Earth Wind & Fire with new music from the likes of Sango, H.E.R, Khalid, MNEK, etc. There was even a sprinkling of some lit gospel, something for everybody. People drank, laughed, danced, and feasted on a spread produced by the mansion's kitchen staff. Of course, Josphine and Kristina had to contribute a few gems like cobblers and pies because they had a specific way of making them that couldn't be duplicated.

When the games came, the guests got even louder and Charlie was grateful that Erik owned so much land, the neighbors were far away. "It's a boy, her stomach is low!" "She a little fatter in the middle, it's a girl." "It's gotta be a boy!" "No, the baby's too high, she's a girl!" Charlie earhustled as the loud debates went on and Erik being the hustler that he was took bets causing Charlie to roll her eyes. Nakia insisted that the baby was a girl siding with Erik while T'Challa refused to comment. Nakia's sideeye kept him from disagreeing. The wives refrained from comment too, already aware of the baby's gender since they'd set up the reveal.

"Travante!" Charlie yelled, waving excitedly when she noticed the chocolate man appear in white and silver, his smile the whitest of all.

Erik's brow raised as he watched the exchange from a short distance away, his ears listening hard as he watched her lips trying to read them. He decided to trust that Charlie knew what she was doing while he socialized, but he still stayed close.

"I'm glad you could make it," Charlie grinned giving Tre a loving side hug and dragging him to meet the other wives. "Y'all this is THE Trevante. Trevante, this is Hennessy, Kimora, her sister Davita, Bastion.."

"I've seen you before," he pointed to her and she grinned, swishing her dress, flattered.

"This is Aly'Sha, Ryley, Angel.."

"Wow! I've heard about you. I'm glad you're doing better.. and you look stunning. You strong as hell," he gaped and Angel's warm smile made him smile.

"Aight nigga," Erik spoke in warning stepping back to Angel's side in her tricked out Chanel inspired black and gold wheelchair. He was being extremely patient and Charlie was proud, giving his hand a squeeze as she smiled at Tre. Tre nodded, calm and understanding.

"And this is Josephine, Homie, and where is... oh there she is!" Charlie grinned. Over by the dessert table was Kristina making sure everything remained presentable and attractive. She wore a champagne sequined one- shoulder dress that fit her like a second skin, her cleavage sparkling and her full and flowing. "Kristina," Charlie yelled waving her over. The second she spotted Trevante, her eyes focused in on his face and she swallowed.

"This is our little bee, Kristina. Little bee, meet Trevante," Charlie gestured. Kristina's face flushed and Trevante grinned. It was an instant connection that Charlie felt. She could see the chemistry creating bonds on their eyes. It made her feel like playing Cupid.

"Aow SHIT," Charlie yelled dropping her glass of sparkling cider. It shattered and Erik pulled her away quickly from the glass. As he was about to bend to pick it up, she gripped him hard pausing him. "Tre, would you mind going to find a staff member to clean this up? Check in the house. Kristina, could you escort him so that he knows where to go? I'm so clumsy, wow. I can't believe I did that.. Sheesh!"

Watching the two walk away toward the house, Charlie saw the visual herself and Erik in the early stages and it made her smile.

"Okay, Cupid," Erik grinned, "I see you."

"See what happens when you trust me," she mused.

As the festivities continued, the moment everyone had been waiting for finally came. Charlie was so anxious with excited energy that Erik had to rub her arms and he was just as antsy. "Are you excited, are you excited, are you excited?" Charlie bounced.

"AHH," good his eyes widened before he shook his head laughing out the excess energy.

"Look at you, you shook boy," Hennessy teased. "We already know the gender, it's fun watching you sweat," Ryley laughed enjoying the flustered Erik. He put up a playful middle finger, pacing and Charlie could see him taking deep breaths. "As long as it's healthy," she mouthed and he nodded picking up the bedazzled handgun and aiming it at the target set up free and clear in the distance, a large white balloon with 'Charlie & Erik' written on it in black script. She picked up the identical gun laid out for her and aimed it at the large black balloon with the same writing in white.

"You ready, C?"

Charlie made sure her aim was on point. "Let's go get'em!"

The guns fired simultaneously and both balloons popped flaring into two pink explosions. Erik dropped the gun, not knowing what to do with himself as his arms swung across his body.

"TOLD YO ASS," he grinned with an aggressive index pointing, eyes wet. Charlie wiped his eyes nodding. She was speechless, her own eyes wide in shock. She really thought it was a boy, but she was happy regardless. Nakia could be heard in the crowd telling M'Baku to pay up and all of the wives congratulated the happy couple one at a time followed by the party-goers, some of them very drunk. It was a perfect moment.

"Daka," Charlie whispered in Erik's ear with a humored expression once they caught a break, "Where did the little bee and Trevante go? Did they ever come back?" Erik grinned rubbing his beard and shaking his head before looking to the house. They'd been MIA for a while.

@poosypoosy @bastioncarterstevens-udaku @hennessystevens-udaku @itsangeludaku @alyshastevens-udaku @itskimorafireudaku @allhailnjadaka @bidibidibombaclaat @blackpinup22 @destinio1 @hold-me-like-a-heart-beat @leahnicole1219 @vikkidc @thehomierobbstark @trevantesbrat

[imnotinclinedtomaturity]

Love Yourself (Chapter 11)

title: Love Yourself summary: A lot of things about Dan’s life are pretty great. He gets to make the music he wants, he’s got a great fanbase, and his manager is his best friend. A few things about his life suck a bit more. He’s currently lacking inspiration, he’s rather lonely, and he’s stuck in a rut. Dan’s been going to the same coffee shop for years. It’s quiet, it’s quaint, it’s near his home. Most importantly: none of the employees give a shit that’s he a world-famous singer. Things change when he meets the new barista. chapter words: 6.8k story words: 66.1k (so far) chapter: 11/? rating: m warnings: language, alcohol, sex mentions genre: singer!dan, coffee shop au, barista!phil, slow burn [[ao3]] [[first chapter]] [[previous chapter]]

a/n: thank you very much to @auroraphilealis for reading and editing this chapter, especially today when she was feeling overwhelmed from work. this chapter took a little longer to publish because i got wrapped up in the oneshot i posted (read here if you want!). also, you’ll notice that i included a link -- it’s not *technically* nsfw but it’s close, just fyi lol (you don’t have to look at it, just included it for those who were curious)

The next morning, Dan woke up with a start. Faintly, he thought he heard the ding of his lift door, but he was almost certain that he’d dreamt it until —

“Oh, Dannnniel!”

A cheery, high voice trilled throughout the flat, echoing in the early morning silence. Dan’s eyes flew open in surprise, just for a moment, before stubbornly fluttering shut again. He’d been up well past four in the morning the night before. Whoever was here would just have to kindly fuck off.

Dan rolled onto his stomach in defiance, burying his face in his pillow in a hazy attempt to hide from whoever had shown up completely uninvited. In his half asleep stupor, Dan tried to muddle through his thoughts long enough to try to figure out who was here, if he had plans that he’d forgotten about, what time it even was. Dan peeked a reluctant eye out of the darkness of his pillow and was greeted by the sun drifting in through his curtains, so it must not be that early. It felt like the blasted sunlight was trying to cajole him into facing the day, but Dan was pretty adamant about doing the exact opposite.

Especially after last night’s epiphany.

And the subsequent hours spent worrying about it.

Nope. For now, Dan would hide in bed. As long. As humanly. Possible.

“Daniel, dearest? Where arrrrrre you?” The singsong voice drifted closer as whoever it was moved further into the apartment.

Dan bit back a groan, not wanting to give away his location before he hand to. Why hadn’t he locked his bedroom door last night? Oh right, he lived alone and that was a stupid thing to do.

It’s not like he was expecting someone to show up at — he glanced at the clock — ten in the morning.

Well, on second thought, it wasn’t that early. At least not to the rest of the world. It felt like it might as well have been daybreak for how tired Dan felt, but most people didn’t share his affinity for staying up well into the night to contemplate life, its meaning, his place in the world… Jesus, there he went again.

Blearily, Dan tried to remember if he had any morning plans, other than going to Beans and Grind. He was fairly certain that he didn’t technically have anything scheduled until his dinner with Isabella that night.

Oh fuck.

That’d better not be Isabella.

Realistically, Dan knew that there were only a small handful of his friends and family that even had access to his apartment, so the intruder could really only be a small number of people — unfortunately, one of whom was his dearly beloved.

And he really didn’t want to see her right now.

Dan groaned quietly and pulled the covers over his head, as if practically suffocating himself in his own pillow wasn’t enough. He listened for the telltale click clack of heels that always accompanied Isabella, but the flat was shockingly quiet.

He couldn’t cope with seeing her right now. Not half-awake, not before coffee, not before he’d figured out how he was going to handle things. He’d tried to come up with a solution all fucking night, but he just couldn’t. Why had he waited to come to such a strong realization the night before Valentine’s Day? He couldn’t have waited one more fucking day to finally get his head on straight?

(Or, well, maybe straight was the wrong word, all things considered).

Valentine’s Day was the one day of the year that absolutely everyone agreed that dumping someone was completely unacceptable.

And, yet, here Dan was, unable to stomach thinking about spending another five bloody minutes in his girlfriend’s company. It was just his luck that Isabella had planned a big fucking romantic dinner for them tonight.

Dan sunk deeper into his bedsheets, dreading the thought of Isabella appearing in his room.

The flat was still silent, though — peaceful, even. Not a mood he usually associated with Isabella. Whoever it was, they’d stopped screaming for him. He didn’t hear any heels clacking, or even anyone moving around outside of his door. Despite the low hum of panic coursing through his body, sleep pulled at Dan, lulling him into the false sense of security that maybe, just maybe he might have dreamed the intruder. He let his eyes flutter closed again, blissfully choosing to ignore the world.

“Lazy boy, there are you!”

Jesus.

Dan tensed up in reaction. The bed gave a quiet squeak as someone sat down, causing him to slip towards them. Refusing to look up and finally face today just yet, Dan took in a deep breath of air, air tinged with roses and lilacs and lilies — Louise.

He let out a sigh of relief, body going boneless against his sheets. He could handle Louise. Of all of the people who could have been in his apartment at ten in the morning on Valentine’s Day — especially when he was this fucking tired still — Louise was by far the best option. He smiled into his pillow, and relaxed against her thigh, where he’d shifted when she’d slid into bed with him.

“Morning, Lou,” Dan murmured, face still muffled by the pillow. He felt her hand land in his hair, petting softly.

“Morning, Danny Boy. Wakey, wakey. It’s Valentine’s Day!” Louise still sounded annoyingly chipper for so early in the morning.

“Valentine’s Day is cancelled. Can it just be tomorrow already?” Dan moaned, rolling over, accidentally knocking Louise’s hand from his head. Too distressed about his own predicament to be upset at losing Louise’s comfort, Dan stared blankly at the ceiling.

“Nope! We have a best friends brunch date that you’re not getting out of, and while we’re eating, you can tell me why you’re being a grumpy goose,” Louise chastised.

“Brunch?” Finally, something good for today. Dan perked up in interest, raising himself onto his elbows to better see her. “We had brunch plans?”

“Not that you knew about, love,” Louise reassured him camly. “I just figured it would be nice to do something for breakfast since I’m sure we both have plans tonight.”

Louise was a good friend. No matter what was going on in their lives — professionally or personally — she always deliberately made time for just the two of them to spend together. He should have known she’d have something up her sleeve for Valentine’s Day.

Dan smiled, unabashedly pushing back the covers, finally feeling like today might be a day worth facing after all. The chilly apartment air hit his bare chest, and he was tempted to pull the duvet back over himself, curl up in bed, and never get up. But Louise was beaming at him, dressed in a pink sweater with a matching pink bow in her hair, looking excited, and against all odds, Dan was looking forward to their morning, too.

Apparently, though, Dan was too slow at getting out of bed because she started swatting at his shoulders with one hand, bundling the blankets towards her with her other.

“Okay, okay. I’m coming,” Dan whined petulantly, sending Louise a grateful smile so she knew he was kidding (mostly). He pushed himself out of bed and made his way to his closet before realizing he had no idea what to put on because he was missing a key piece of information. “Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise!”

Rolling his eyes, Dan turned back around to face Louise. “Can I get a dress code, at least? Otherwise I’m just wearing this,” Dan motioned down to the tight black Calvin Klein’s he was wearing.

“I’m sure plenty of the world would be excited about that, but I’d prefer you put something else on.” Louise’s eyes were twinkling, and she reached down to grab something resting out of Dan’s site on the floor. When she straightened back up, Dan saw that it was a shopping bag, and it looked fancy.

“Lou...” Dan warned warily. He’d had plenty of experience with Louise buying him things. To be fair, he always ended up loving them, but she had a tendency to… push his style comfort sometimes.

“For you!” Louise cooed, passing him the bag. “Black jeans are fine to wear with it. I’ll be in the lounge. Don’t take too long!”

Before Dan could protest, Louise was jumping down from his bed, and walking briskly from his room.

Half expecting Louise to poke her head back around the doorway to see his reaction, Dan waited until Louise’s footsteps faded out of site to open the bag. Pink. Everything he saw was pink. Warily, Dan pulled the garment out of the bag and held it up, assessing just how bad whatever he’d apparently agreed to was.

Truthfully, it wasn’t hideous. It was just… pink. A muted, light pink sweater edged with blocky black trim. Looking more closely, Dan saw that it was almost sheer and had a very faint pixelated heart pattern. If it weren’t for the fact that it wasn’t black, Dan would almost concede that it was very much his style.

If he was going to wear something outside of the monochrome rainbow, it seemed fitting for it to be something soft, but a little bit ostentatious. But even if he did hate it, he’d probably still wear it without a fight, just to make Louise happy.

Dan pulled the bright garment over his head, and searched for his nearest pair of trousers. Strewn across the armchair were his black jeans, the ones with massive rips across the thighs and knees. They might be cold but they kind of leaned into the slightly-edgy aesthetic of the pink sweater, so it felt like a good choice. Once they were on, Dan paused in front of the mirror and ruffled his hair, quickly rubbing a bit of product in it to tame the curls ever so slightly.

Good enough.

Deciding he didn’t care to try any harder to look nice, Dan shoved his wallet and keys into his pocket, grabbed his coat off the back of his bedroom door, and headed into the lounge to find Louise.

“There you are, my handsome best friend.”

“Shut up, Louise. You’re lucky I love you,” Dan grumbled, making an effort to sound more annoyed than he really was. His mock-annoyance couldn’t last long though; Louise had placed black and white flowers on his bar cart. She’d allowed him to keep some part of his dark aesthetic today and, really, the flowers looked lovely. He really loved flowers — enough so that he bought them for himself sometimes. But there was something about having someone else buy them for him that made the flowers feel extra special. .

He smiled, washing away the exaggeratedly bitter grimace. “No Darcy today?”

“Nope!” Louise stood up and pulled on a dark pink trench coat that she’d must of tossed over Dan’s sofa when she’d first got in. Dan spotted his notebook on the armrest, and tucked it into the inner pocket of his jacket on a whim. Just in case. “Tom is being a good boyfriend and taking care of her so that you and I can do something together.”

“Oh that’s nice of him,” Dan agreed. “Who’s watching her tonight, then?”

Dan crossed his fingers, praying that perfect mother Louise had forgotten to hire a sitter that night, that she would need someone — Dan, for example — to last minute take care of Darcy.

“Tom’s sister. She’s single, so the poor dear didn’t have anything to do tonight anyway. It was actually rather nice of her to offer.”

“Why didn’t you ask me?”

Louise gave him a confused look over her shoulder as she pushed the button to call the lift. “I assumed you had plans with… your girlfriend.” Louise’s voice was forcefully chipper, but there was a tinge of confusion to it, as if she didn’t quite understand why Dan was so offended.

Shoulders slumping in defeat, Dan nodded his head. “Oh, right. Yeah, Isabella.”

Louise looked downright confused, now, and she stared suspiciously at Dan while they waited for the lift to arrive.

“You do have plans with her tonight, right?” Louise asked, sounding a bit outraged.

“Yeah, yeah of course,” Dan reassured her. ”She’s flying in from Turks and Caicos specially for dinner,” he continued, unable to keep the dread out of his voice as he realized just how much of a mess he was actually in.

Louise’s eyebrows shot up in surprise at his tone.

“Someone sounds excited,” she teased .

“Shut up, Lou. No one asked your opinion,” Dan grumbled,

Louise rolled her eyes as the lift doors opened, and the two of them stepped inside. “Right, because if you had asked for my opinion, you would have broken up with her ages ago.”

Dan grimaced — Louise had hit a little too close to home with that jab — and his cheeks flushed red in embarrassment. He’d planned to talk to Louise about his revelation about Isabella at some point, but he hadn’t exactly meant to make his distaste for tonight’s plan quite so clear. At least not this early ino brunch.

Apparently, his expression wasn’t missed by Louise, however.

“Daniel. James. Howell.” She gasped. “What is that look about?” she asked, sounding entirely too happy for someone who was speculating about the demise of Dan’s nearly year-long relationship. But then again, she had never taken any efforts to hide her hatred for Isabella in the past, so her gleeful attitude now shouldn’t be that surprising.

Groaning as he realized he wasn’t quite awake enough to deal with this just yet , Dan stabbed the ground floor button, and crossed his arms defensively over his chest. “Can this wait until brunch please?” he begged.

Louise narrowed her eyes. “Fine. But you are telling me everything as soon as we have mimosas.”

“And coffee,” Dan added. Fuck, he really needed coffee.

************

Louise kept her promise. The entire walk to the mysterious brunch place, she chatted about Darcy and what she’d been doing in school lately, how cute it was to see her making friends with the new boy, and ‘experimenting with fashion’. Dan laughed and, just for a moment, let himself forget his own problems. The lives of Louise and Darcy caused Dan a lot less stress to think about, and he relished the distraction. The moment the waiter left from delivering mimosas and coffee, however, Louise abandoned her topics and turned on Dan.

“Okay, spill. What’s going on with you and what’s her face?”

“You know her name,” Dan said, rolling his eyes and giving Louise an exasperated look.

“Unfortunately,” she muttered, not bothering to hide her distaste. “Now, talk. Because it sounds like you’re finally fed up with her after months of me telling you she wasn’t worth your time— or anyone’s, really — and if that’s not the case, I’d rather you crush my dreams sooner than later.”

Dan sighed, and picked up his coffee, savoring a sip as he tried to decide where to start. He hadn’t exactly been anticipating talking about this any time soon, and he’d only just realized himself last night. Louise wasn’t wrong though, not by any means. Dan just had no idea how to tell her that she was right.

He huffed a sigh, rubbing his hands down his face. No better place to begin than with the whole root of the epiphany, he supposed.

“Well, I was incredibly productive last night. I wrote the entire instrumental part of a song, and have a mess of lyrics to go with it.”

“That’s great, but focus please.” Louise snapped her fingers in front of his face, trying to get him to stay on topic.

“No—” Dan cut himself off, struggling to figure out how to vocalize everything he was feeling and thinking. This was why he was a musician. So that he could express himself with something more than just talking.

Music. Right. Dan twisted around in his chair and groped the breast pocket of his coat — good, his song notebook was there. Maybe just showing Louise would be easier. Dan dug the notebook out of his jacket, flinging it onto the table in between them in lieu of a proper response.

“Isabella first, music second,” Louise warned sternly.

“I promise it all connects. Just read read what I wrote,” Dan pleaded.

Eyeing him suspiciously, Louise picked up the notebook and flipped to the last page.

Dan averted his gaze, studiously reading the menu while Louise read. Doing his best to ignore his anxiety at Louise reading what, essentially, amounted to a confession, Dan did his best to focus on brunch.

Did he want something sweet or savory for breakfast this morning? If he was having dinner with anyone but Isabella tonight, he’d assume that they’d have dessert then, but, well. He wasn’t.

Pancakes, then.

Dan snuck a glance up at Louise. She was still engrossed in the notebook.

Secretly, Dan was a little self-satisfied that Louise — Louise, the most talkative person he knew — was rendered completely silent for three full minutes.

Finally, finally she pulled her eyes from the page and looked up at Dan.

“This is some heavy shit.”

“I know.” Dan agreed.

“What’s it about?”

Dan gave her an incredulous look. “What do you think it’s about?”

Louise was silent for another moment, contemplating the notebook again. Her perfectly pink lip was drawn into her mouth; knowing Louise’s luck, she was probably getting lipstick on her teeth. Eventually, Louise turned her attention back to Dan

“Wanting someone you can’t have.” Louise’s tone was neutral, guarded even. Dan shrugged, silently telling her that she was close enough. “And you wrote this last night?”

Dan nodded again.

Louise didn’t ask any more follow up questions. Apparently, she was waiting for Dan to explain on his own. The problem was, Dan didn’t know how to explain. He didn’t know how to admit that he was wrong, that he’d finally fucking seen what his mother, his sister, Louise had all seen from the get go. He hated being wrong. He didn’t want to say it. Not out loud.

So he didn’t.

“Phil,” Dan said instead.

“...Phil?” Louise repeated flatly, looking flabbergasted by the seeming shift in the conversation.

“Phil,” Dan confirmed.

Louise nodded slightly, looking back down at the lyrics. When she looked up again, there was a smile threatening to break across her face. “And Isabella?”

“Ugh,” Dan groaned. “Isabella can go fuck herself.”

The smile that was tugging at Louise’s lips spread into a wide grin. “Thank fuck, Daniel!”

“I know. I know. I haven’t —” Dan was cut off by their waiter arriving.

“May I take your orders?”

Dan nudged Louise’s menu at her because he suspected she hadn’t made a decision yet. “I’ll have the mixed berry pancakes, please.” He glanced at his coffee cup. “And some more coffee when you have a moment.”

“Of course, sir.” The waiter turned to Louise. “And for you, miss?”

“Oh!” Louise exclaimed, eyes still roaming the page. “I’ll have pancakes as well. These ones here with the chocolate, please.” She glanced at Dan, pointing at their nearly empty mimosas. Dan nodded emphatically. “And another round of mimosas. Actually, whenever you see that we’re out of mimosas, we’d like another round. We’re celebrating!”

“Yes,” The waiter smiled fakely. “Today is the celebration of love.”

Dan waited until the waiter had taken their menus and was out of earshot before he added, “More like the celebration of love dying, mate.”

Louise giggled. “So love dying, eh? Tell me more. How did you finally get to this realization?”

“God, I don’t even know honestly. I haven’t felt like myself in months and I’ve just been so fucking busy that I haven’t figured out why and... Izzy’s been out of town for almost two weeks, which has been… great, to say the least.”

“You mean distance doesn’t make the heart grow strong when the only thing you’re interested in is sex?” Louise asked sarcastically.

“I know, I know. Shocking isn’t it?” Dan joked back. “But anyways, so last night I was skyping with Phil —” Dan brushed over Louise’s attempt to interrupt and ask about that “— and I felt so fucking comfortable and myself again. And I wrote that whole song in like an hour. I haven’t written that way in years.”

“I know you haven’t.” Louise agreed consolingly.

“And I just — fuck.” Dan smacked his head on the table, wallowing for a moment before pulling back up and starting to take a drink of his mimosa, only to remember that it was empty. His hand shifted over, grabbing his coffee mug, only to disappointedly realize that was empty, too. Luckily, he saw the waiter approaching.

As the man brought over a tray with two more mimosas and another cup of coffee, Dan fleetingly wondered how things might have been different this past year if he hadn’t been dating Isabella. Would he have written more music? Done more of the things he liked to do? Been able to enjoy his new flat more?

“God,” Dan continued. “She’s so fucking self-obsessed, and so fucking concentrated on fame and being in the spotlight and going out all the fucking time, and I just hate all of those things so fucking much. I just want to focus on music.”

Louise bit back a giggle. Dan could tell that she was feeling incredibly smug, but he appreciated her restraint from being patronizing.

“I know,” Louise sympathized. “I’ve been watching you struggle to balance focusing on yourself and your music with managing all of Isabella’s demands since you got together. It’s looked… tiring.”

“Yes! And I’m fucking exhausted of it now. How the fuck am I supposed to —” the end of Dan’s sentence was interrupted by the waiter arriving once again, this time with their food.

There was a silent agreement to drop the conversation for a moment so that they could focus on their food. Taking turns, Dan and Louise tried each of their pancakes, exchanging tastes of each other’s meals. They both agreed that Dan’s mixed berry topping was good, but it wasn’t nearly as amazing as the chocolate streusel on Louise’s

“So now what?” Louise asked as she popped another bite into her mouth.

Dan looked at her, a bit lost. Still chewing, Louise raised her eyebrows, nudging her head at Dan imploringly.

Right. His conundrum.

“So now I dump her,” Dan said simply, shrugging his shoulders and stealing another bite off of Louise’s plate. Louise didn’t react, just as Dan knew she wouldn’t. She was far too used to Dan stealing her food.

“Yes!” Louise cheered. “I’ll happily pay for your uber to her flat after brunch!”

Dan choked on the food in his mouth. He fumbled for his drink, downing half of his mimosa in one swallow. When he finally had control of his breath again, he turned back to Louise, affronted. “What the fuck, Lou?”

Louise looked taken aback by his outburst, her eyebrows high on her forehead and her eyes wide. “What? What?”

“Are you insane? I can’t break up with her today!”

Louise’s shock turned incredulous. “And why, pray tell, not?”

“That’s such a dick move! Valentine’s Day is the one day of the year that the entire fucking world agrees is supposed to be about romance. You know, the opposite of breaking up. You can’t dump someone on Valentine’s Day! Or at least not without a really, really good reason.”

“Um, she’s a massive bitch and has treated you like crap for almost a year. I think that’s a really, really good reason.”

“I said no, Lou,” Dan snapped. “I’ll do it tomorrow. I’ll ask her to breakfast before she flies off to… wherever she’s supposed to go tomorrow night and… just do it then.” Dan said apathetically as he swirled the contents of his mimosa around. “I have no idea how I’m going to stomach tonight’s date. God, it’s going to suck.”

“Good luck with that, love.” Louise said rather facetiously and not quite as sympathetically as Dan was hoping for. “Do you want to —”

“Oh fuck,” Dan cut her off, suddenly remembering something. “I haven’t gotten her a present.”

“Good?” Louise responded, confused.

“No! Not good!” Dan exclaimed indignantly. “That means I have to get her something now. Today! I have to buy her something when I know I’m breaking up with her tomorrow. I can’t buy her anything too nice because one, I refuse to spend that kind of money on her and two, that will only get her hopes up. But if it’s too shitty, she’ll get mad and it will be a whole thing.”

“Dan, sweetie.” Louise said slowly, as if she were trying to explain something to a child. Her eyes twinkled with mirth. “Maybe you should take the fact that you even procrastinated buying a present until today as a sign that you shouldn’t be postponing breaking up with her until tomorrow morning.”

“No.” Dan’s voice came out harsher, tenser, than he intended. He tried to soften it. “It’s… I can’t do that. Okay? I’ve done my own share of shitty things to her. I don’t need to add to it.” Dan tapped his unused spoon on the table rapidly.

When Louise just looked at him blankly, perplexed, Dan continued.

“She’s mad about how much time I spend with Phil, about how we interact on twitter — I’ve told you that,” Dan tried to explain, his words rushed. “How do you think she’d react if she knew what we’re like in person? How flirty we are? The fact that we’ve both somehow seen each other shirtless? The fact that I’ve sat in his lap?”

Dan hung his head, defeated. His voice grew meeker and less heated. “But she’s right. She has every right to be mad. I’m no better than her. I don’t get to stand on some moral high ground and use her shitty behavior as an excuse for breaking up with her on the most romantic day of the year, not when I’ve been just as shitty.”

“I…” Louise floundered for a moment. “I didn’t realize things had gone that far with Phil.”

“I told you Louise,” Dan said tightly.

“I know you did. I didn’t know your feelings were that serious, though. I thought, hoped even, that they might be. But I didn’t know.” Louise reached out and covered Dan’s hands with her own, effectively stilling the tapping of the spoon.

Did it matter? Did it matter what Dan’s feelings or intentions had been? His behavior was the same: shitty.

“What?” Dan snapped, picking up his glass with the hand Louise was holding. “And all the flirting was okay when I didn’t think I was head over fucking heels for the guy, but the second I realize I might fucking love him, suddenly the behavior is unacceptable? I don’t think so, Louise. I think it was always toeing the line of something very, very dangerous. Even when I just thought it was a schoolgirl crush.”

“I guess you’re right,” Louise relented, briefly thumbing his cheek. “I’m just biased when it comes to you. I know that you have a heart of gold and wouldn’t intentionally do anything to hurt anyone.”

Dan shrugged but didn’t respond.

Louise was silent for a moment, staring at Dan like she was trying to read his soul. Self consciously, Dan averted his gaze, flitting his eyes around the room and taking in all of the nauseatingly heart-themed decor. It wasn’t exactly the reminder that Dan was looking for at this moment in time.

“Those are some big words, Daniel.”

Dan was tempted to play dumb, to pretend that he didn’t know what Louise was referring to. But his own words were bouncing around his head, echoing loudly in the vast numbness of his current mind. Crush. Head over heels. Love.

“I know,” Dan acquiesced, knowing he couldn’t avoid this conversation any more than he could the one about Isabella.

“So what about him?” Louise asked gently, more tender than she’d been thus far.

Dan chewed on his lip, pulling his gaze away from Louise and poking his fork at the remnants of his pancakes.

“What about Phil?” Louise repeated.

“I don’t know.” Dan huffed, still staring downward and fiddling with his cutlery.

Louise slapped Dan’s notebook against the table, effectively startling Dan into attention. “What do you mean you don’t know about Phil?” she asked fiercely. “According to this song, you very much know about Phil.”

“Look, Louise. You know I’m not great at dating. I’m either too distant and aloof, or I dive all in. And I dove all in with Isabella and it went to shit.”

“It went to shit because Isabella is shit.” Louise pointed out.

“I get that, but also I trusted her. I believed her when she said she loved me — when she said that she loved me for me, regardless of me being famous. Which, in hindsight, was not true.”

“How is this all connecting to Phil?”

Dan hesitated, shifting his sight back down to the table and running his cloth napkin through his hands. When he spoke, his voice came out smaller than he anticipated. “What if I’m wrong again?”

“Love,” Louise cooed, “it sounds like that boy is the sweetest, most genuine person on the planet. You really think he’d try to use you like Isabella did?”

“I mean, no. Not really. Not deep down anyway. But there’s still this gnawing fear about it.” Dan shoved his plate back some and drank the last bit of his coffee. Louise waited patiently for him to go on. “Besides, I don’t think I’m good enough for him.”

“Dan, you have made a lot of bad choices with relationships recently, but you deserve to be happy.”

“It’s not that — I mean, maybe it is a little. I was so fucking vulnerable in this relationship and it backfired and... Mostly it’s that I don’t think I’m in a good mindset to be anyone’s anything right this moment. And Phil — Phil could be the real fucking deal and I’m terrified of messing that up because I jump in too quickly.”

“So do you think you just need to take a little time to yourself first?”

“Maybe,” Dan hummed. “I mean. Yes. Definitely.” Dan nodded, more sure of his choice. “I just feel like I need to be on my own for a little bit, maybe work on myself.”

“I thought you hated being single, Mr. I Love Sex and Affection?” Louise sounded genuinely impressed beneath the teasing.

“I do,” Dan said with a smirk.

“But you’re willing to wait?”

“I want to, need to do this right.” Dan steeled himself, decision made. “And the right way to do it is to fucking figure my own shit out and deal with all this mess from Isabella before I just dive into Phil.”

Louise smiled, looking proud. “When did you get to be so emotionally mature, Daniel?”

“Shut up,” Dan muttered bashfully. “It’s not a big deal.”

“Whatever you say.” Louise swallowed the last bit of her mimosa.

Feeling a bit better about his shit situation, Dan leaned back in his chair, sighing deeply. Everything was going to be okay.

“Dan?”

“Yeah?”

“One last thing, and then I swear we can move on, okay?”

Dan sighed. “Okay, let’s hear it.”

“Just don’t wait too long? He seems like a good egg, and I don’t want you to lose him because you’re scared.”

Dan blanched. He knew she was right. He knew he couldn’t keep Phil on the line forever. He didn’t want to do that either. He just needed to… to… sort himself out.

“I won’t, I promise.”

True to her word, Louise dropped the subject for the rest of brunch, letting their conversation drift to only the fun and salacious parts of their lives. Dan filled Louise in on his sister’s most recent boyfriend (the consensus was that he sounded okay), and Louise turned a shade of deep red while describing the failed position she and Tom had tried in the bedroom (why either of them looked at a position called the butter churner and decided to try it was beyond Dan).

It wasn’t until they paid their check and finished the last drops of their fourth — or fifth? — mimosa that Dan’s love life came up again — this time by his own doing.

“Louise, I hate to ask this, but can you please please please come to a jewelry shop with me? I have no idea what you’re supposed to get your girlfriend for Valentine’s Day when you’re planning to break up with her the next day,” Dan whined.

“How about nothing?” Louise suggested bitterly.

Dan shot her a stern look as he pulled his coat on and wrapped his scarf around his neck.

“Fine, fine. Maybe Tiffany’s sells a necklace that you can engrave with we’re over.” Louise snickered.

“Hilarious.” Dan said through his teeth, pulling her down the street towards the shops. He was thankful that Louise had picked a brunch place on high street. “Like fuck are we going to somewhere as expensive as Tiffany’s. You have a fifty pound budget and it has to be returnable, just in case.”

“Someone’s feeling generous,” Louise muttered sarcastically.

“I’m doing the best I can, okay?” Dan stuck his tongue out at Louise, happy to at least be able to do such a shitty task with his best friend.

“Fine, fine,” Louise conceded, starting to look around more seriously for a place they could shop. “How about this one?” she asked, tugging Dan into a jeweller that was packed with desperate looking men and women, staring down at the cases like they were a life raft in the middle of the ocean. Louise dragged Dan over to the clearance counter, waving her hand politely at the saleswoman.

She finished up with the man she’d just finished ringing up, and headed over to Dan and Louise.

“Hello, how can I help you today?”

“Hi!” Louise smiled brightly. “He’d like to buy the nicest thing you have under fifty pounds that isn’t final sale, please.”

The woman’s eyes widened a little, but her tone remained that token customer-service cheerful. “We have a few options, I’m sure. What are you looking for sir? A necklace? Perhaps some earrings or a ring?”

“No!” Dan almost shouted. “Definitely not a ring. Literally anything but a ring.”

Dan looked at Louise and muttered under his breath, “I’d buy her a fucking broach before I bought her a ring.” Louise muffled her laughter into Dan’s shoulder and he had to cover his hand to quiet his own giggles.

The woman gave them a suspicious look but bent down to unlock the counter anyway, selected a few pieces of jewelry with her gloved hands, and placed them on a velvet tray.

“Here you are, sir. I hope one of these will be to your liking.” The saleswoman sat the tray down on the table for Dan to look at.

Unsurprisingly, there weren’t too many options. Dan knew that fifty pounds was an incredibly low budget, especially for a proper jewelry store, he just… didn’t care. He didn’t want to spend a single pence more than he had to on this.

Dan pulled the tray down the table some, moving away from the clearance rack, where it seemed a few people were competing to look. Louise moved with him, hovering over the options the woman had pulled out for them, and contemplating each piece.

“The earrings are nice and delicate, but the necklace is a bit gaudy,” Louise hummed.

Dan eyed the two pieces. The earrings were nice — they were simple gold studs with tiny pearls. The necklace, on the other hand, was a large, round, black onyx pendant on a chunky gold chain. The color of the chain clashed horrendously with the pendant, even Dan knew enough about women’s jewelry to know that.

“Great,” Dan pushed the tray back towards the saleswoman. “We’ll take the necklace, then.”

Both the saleswoman and Louise looked at Dan in shock. Louise sputtered, but the saleswoman tried to regain her composure, and finally said, “Wonderful! We’ve had this… special piece for a while now. Would you like me to gift wrap it for you?”

“Please,” Dan smiled, fluttering his eyes and pretending not to catch on to the woman’s subtle implications that the necklace was, in fact, hideous.

She wasn’t wrong. Dan just didn’t care. In fact, that was kind of the point.

While the saleswoman wrapped up the atrocious necklace, Louise poured over the cases and Dan fiddled on his phone. He noticed that Phil had DM’d him on twitter earlier.

Phil Lester: Hey! I thought you were coming by today?

Dan smiled, happy to discover that Phil still wanted to see him today. On Valentine’s Day of all days. Dan was quick to type a message back, not even bothering to censor his enthusiasm.

Daniel Howell: i will! Louise showed up for surprise brunch though, so i’ll be there on my way back from the shops

The saleswoman came back, setting the wrapped box on the counter in front of Dan with a forced smile. “Anything else, sir?”

“Sorry, do you mind if I see those earrings?” Louise interrupted, pointing to a pair of pretty flower earrings with diamonds for petals.

“Of course, miss.”

The earrings were even more beautiful up close. The center of the flower was a delicate, dimpled gold. They were earrings that Dan would easily consider buying for his mother or sister — he could see why Louise liked them.

“Dan, Dan, look how lovely they are,” Louise cooed.

“They are nice. I like the diamonds.”

“They’re actually part of our Mommy & Me collection,” the saleswoman said as she pulled out a pair of earrings from a neighboring case that neither of them had noticed. The earrings were similar to the first pair, but were smaller and had green stones instead of diamonds.

“Oh my gosh!” Louise gushed. “That’s so precious. Can you imagine Darcy and I running about in matching earrings?”

Dan smiled. “You both would look so adorable.”

“How much are they?” Louise asked.

“The Mommy ones are two-fifty and the daughter ones are one-fifty.”

Louise physically recoiled. “That’s too much,” she murmured. Dan looked over at Louise, who was still eyeing the beautiful pairs of earrings with a wistful smile.

“We’ll take them,” Dan said, pushing both pairs towards the sales woman.

The saleswoman’s eyebrows shot up, undoubtedly surprised that the customer who stomped in demanding something less than fifty pounds and bought the world’s ugliest necklace would impulse buy two pairs of earrings, each at least triple the price of his original budget.

“No no no no no, Dan.” Louise insisted. “Four hundred pounds for earrings for Darcy and I is ridiculous.”

Dan nodded to the saleswoman, signaling her to wrap up the earrings as well, and motioning to the cute “Mothers need Valentines, too!” bags next to the register.

“Lou, you put up with more of my shit than anyone should ever have to, and we all know Darcy is my favorite human being on the planet. It’s Valentine’s Day. I’m short-changing my girlfriend, let me spoil my favorite ladies.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Dan could see the saleswoman’s jaw drop, but he didn’t respond. There was no point in trying to explain to her that his relationship was going to hell and he was breaking up with his girlfriend as soon as it was socially acceptable.

“Dan, really, we both know you love us. You don’t need to buy us expensive gifts.”

As Louise pleaded with Dan, the saleswoman motioned him down the counter, pointing to the register in front of her.

“Hush, I’m buying them.” Dan handed his credit card to the woman, smiling softly at Louise, who shook her head but didn’t say anything. When the saleswoman passed him back his card and the two bags, Dan handed the Mother! bag to Louise with a sheepish grin.

“Thank you,” Louise said softly, pressing a small kiss to Dan’s cheek. Dan looped his arm through Louise’s, gently pulling her towards the exit of the shop.

For a few minutes, Louise was content to walk in quiet peace. Dan should have known, though, that it wouldn’t last.

“So, when do I get to meet Phil?”

Dan blanched, tossing Louise a wary look.

“If you don’t introduce me to him, I’ll just stop by Beans and Grind to meet him myself.”

“Ugh, Louise. Soon, alright? Soon. I promise.”

Soon, Dan elaborated in his head, when maybe I can introduce him as something other than a friend.

a/n: and to think some of yall actually thought dan was gonna dump her on valentines day smh. looks, here’s just some friendly, good bants. see, he’s a good boy :) 

[[next chapter]]

[holllandtrash]

Rich Love Part 2; Tom Holland/Harrison Osterfield

pairing: reader x tom holland / reader x harrison osterfield (triangle)

warnings: pg, some sexual undertones

words: 3700+ im sorry its so long

summary: being harrison’s best girl (friend) (?) has some perks, one of them being you get to spend a lot of time with Tom and you really want nothing more than to confess your attraction for Tom but something always gets in the way, most times that something ends up being his own best friend

a/n : this is a chaptered fic, part 3 to come soon

part (1) + (2) + (3) + (4) + (5) + (6)

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Hours passed by and before you knew it, the sun was setting over the tall wooden fence that separated Tom’s house from his neighbors. From where you sat, it was blinding you in your left eye, but if you kept your head turned at a certain angle you were fine.

The sun hit Tom more than anyone. He sat with it directly in his line of sight. And because of the warm rays, his skin was positively glowing. Everything about him was radiating. You were thankful he was in the middle of talking because it gave you an excuse to stare at him without seeming creepy.

Tom talked with his hands a lot which became a problem for you because you were torn between watching his lips and watching his motions. On one hand, watching his lips allowed your mind to wander. You thought about what his mouth would do if you were alone with him. How he would tease you by bringing his face close to yours, so close you could feel his hot breath hit your skin. His lips would brush against yours, but would never make contact and if you went to kiss him he’d pull back, attacking your neck instead. He would leave a wet trail until he found that certain spot below your ear that would cause you to willingly melt in his hands. And even after involuntary moans escaped through your mouth, he would still be persistent on playing with you, lightly nipping on-

“Oh we’ve been friends for years.” Harrison nudged your arm with his elbow, and you blinked a few times to focus on what he was saying, “We grew up together.”

“Yeah, yeah!” you smiled at him, pushing the thoughts of Tom to the back of your mind. You then realized that two of his friends had left, and you felt bed for not saying goodbye but not too bad because you hadn’t even bothered to learn their names. Only Harrison, Tom and another girl remained. She was currently sitting beside him, doing her very best to inch closer to Tom as often as she could. You thought her name was Tia but you weren’t too sure and it was far too late in the day to ask.

“I’m sorry that I stole your best friend away from you,” Tom joked, sending a wink in your direction. It was a harmless gesture, but you darted your eyes away from his, paying attention to the other thing that was distracting you earlier, his hands.

He constantly used his hands while talking, always using them to add effect and depth to his words. There was no doubt in your mind that he was exceptional as using his hands in other ways as well.

Vivid images of him over top you filled your mind, one of his legs pressed in between yours, pressing his lower region against yours as he would slowly drag his fingers along the side of your body. His touch would be cold but would no doubt ignite a flame from within, causing you to arch your back, begging for more than just what he was giving you. But he’d refuse to fulfil your needs, playing with the waistband of your panties, slowly slipping his fingers in only to pull them back out and-

This time, it wasn’t a voice that brought you back to reality, but a touch. For a split second, you nearly forgot how to breathe as your first thought was that it was Tom who placed his hand on your thigh, but it was Harrison.

It meant nothing. At least, you assumed that. He wasn’t even looking at you, he was telling Tom and Tia that story about something that happened to the two of you when you were children. If you were being honest, you had barely listened to anything anyone has said all day.

It might have meant nothing, but his hand was still on you. His palm was placed just at the hemline of your dress, his fingers were dangerously close to the inside of your thigh. You tried to ignore the fact that he would lightly squeeze the bare skin every once and a while and you were already so worked up from just thinking about a touch that this definitely wasn’t helping your case at all.

It got worse when he started to rub his thumb and forefinger softly against your leg. At one point, you glanced up at him, trying to get a read on what the hell he thought he was doing, but he was so engaged in his conversation with Tom, he still didn’t even bother to look at you. 

So you remained there, silent and still. Letting Harrison carry out his action and you really tried to listen to what he was saying.

But at one point, Tia determined she had to leave because she worked in the morning and both Tom and Harrison stood up to wish her goodbye. She even snuck a kiss onto Tom’s cheek before leaving. Tom, however, looked completely unfazed by it. Maybe it was something she usually did or maybe he didn’t care enough for her to show any sort of affection back. 

“Am I overstaying my welcome?” you asked. It was the first time in an hour that you said more than two words. They two boys looked at you and simultaneously they shook their heads. 

“Of course not,” Tom said as the corners of his lips turned upwards. “Harrison’s spending the night anyway you can stay as long as you desire.” 

“Oh are you guys leaving for Montreal tomorrow?”

They both laughed but Harrison was the one to respond, “[Y/N] we don’t leave for another week and a bit. We talked about it earlier. Were you even listening?”

“You’ve seemed to be sort of off all day.” Tom pitched in, “Are you alright?”

“Yeah.” you nodded, releasing a breath you didn’t even know you were holding as Tom held your gaze intensely, “Just have a lot on my mind, that’s all.”

“Have another drink, take the edge off.” Harrison didn’t even give you an option to say no before he was already inside the house. You were going to deny it if he brought you another one. Alcohol and you didn’t mix very well and you already finished a few bottles earlier.

“Yeah darling,” Tom’s voice was dripping with allurement as he leaned backwards in his chair, “take the edge off.”

You weren’t the type of girl who would refrain from flirting. You had a natural charm about the way you spoke and acted and if someone was trying to win you over, you’d show them that two can play at their game. But what Tom was doing right now, wasn’t flirting. He’d barely spoken to you all night. 

He was teasing you and he damn well knew it.

If at any point throughout the day, he caught you looking at him – which happened often – he’d bite his lip, holding the bottom one between his teeth only to release it slowly. Or he’d raise his arm up to scratch the back off his neck, showing off his arms and how they budged under the thin material of his shirt. At one point when he stood up he did the same thing, lifting his arms up and behind him to stretch. The trail of hair from his navel to below his jeans became noticeable when his shirt rose up and so did the pair of Calvin Klein briefs he chose to wear that day. 

He definitely knew you were watching him. 

But how could you not?

He looked like something an artist would have spent countless hours sculpting only to place him on display in a museum for the world to see. The world deserved to see him but as greedy as it sounded, you wanted him to be for your eyes only. You wanted all that he had to offer and maybe it was pure lust that was causing you to think like this but it was driving you insane.

Harrison came back with a drink and sat beside you in the same spot. As soon as you took it from his grip he placed his hand back on your leg where it originally was. This time, the simple motion didn’t go unnoticed by Tom as he glanced back and forth between his best friend’s hand and both of your faces multiple times.

“I really don’t want another.” you told Harrison, placing it on the short table in front of you, “I have to walk home and I’d rather be in a sober state of mind when I do so.”

“You’re walking?” Tom asked before Harrison had the chance to, “You can’t walk home. It’ll get dark soon, that’s just not safe.”

“I only live ten minutes away.” you assured him, “I’ll be alright.”

“Stay the night,” he then offered. Momentarily, you thought about saying yes. The only thing that kept you from doing so was remembering that Harrison was also staying the night. And yes, you would have loved to the spend the rest of the evening with Harrison to allow the two of you to catch up on missed things and you also would have enjoyed to be with Tom. With the way he was acting you wanted to see how a simple invitation to stay would have played out. 

But you didn’t want to be with both of them.

That situation would make you feel uncomfortable. When you were surrounded by their friends, the stolen glances and tempting smirks had gone unnoticed by everyone, but if it was just Harrison with you and Tom, surely he would catch on. And you had no interest in being called out for it by him.

“I’m not drunk enough for that,” you responded with a laugh and looked up at Harrison. He had stayed silent throughout your exchange with Tom, but you could easily read the look on his face. He wanted you to stay with them, but since you already said no he wouldn’t ask. Ever since you were younger, Harrison knew to not pester you and he definitely knew that getting you to change your mind was an impossible task.

“Can I at least walk you home?” Harrison asked before taking another sip from his drink.

And there was something about the way his blue eyes bore into yours that you just couldn’t say no. He looked at you with such longing and gave your leg another light squeeze. Harrison wanted to spend as much time with you as he could. He missed you.

But you had been so busy focusing your attention elsewhere all night that you barely even spoke to him. Immediately, your heart filled with regret. When did you become the type of girl to ignore her friends because of a boy? You felt awful knowing that Harrison invited you out so that he could catch up with you, yet that was the one thing you neglected to do. 

You wanted to blame Tom, but this was all your doing. It would have been more than easy enough for you and Harrison to slip off into your own conversation, you just didn’t give yourself the opportunity for that to happen.

“I’d love that,” you told him.

He smiled so wide it took up most of his face as he finished the last of his beer and set it down on the patio table. “Tom I’ll help you clean up when I’m back,” he told his best friend as the two of you stood up. Harrison started to walk towards the gate that led to the street and you were about to follow behind when you felt a grip on your wrist holding you back.

You turned and followed the arm up until it led you looking eye to eye with Tom. 

“You can’t just go without a goodbye,” his voice was deeper now than it was earlier when he was talking to all of his friends. It sent a chill down your spine.

“Bye, Tom.” you smiled at him and took a quick glance over your shoulder only to see that Harrison was no longer in the yard. He must have been waiting for you out front.

Instead of saying it back, in one swift motion Tom took a step forward and pulled your body towards his. For a split second you thought he was going to kiss you, but then his arms slid around your waist. It took a moment for you to raise yours around his body as well but when you finally did you couldn’t help but notice how perfectly the two of you felt together. It reminded you of all those times as a child when you got to put the last piece in of the puzzle, giving you a great feeling of satisfaction and making you undeniably elated. Your body against Tom’s felt right.

“I’ll see you again soon, yeah?” His whispered in your ear as he pulled back, brushing his fingers against your skin slowly, holding onto the feeling of you before letting his arms drop at his sides.

He probably meant for it to be a question but the way he worded it made it sound more of a promise. He was determined to see you before he left.

“Yeah,” you nodded in agreement, only realizing now how hard it was to speak around him. Your voice was continuously caught in your throat and your breathing became rigid. Why was he doing this to you? How did he have this effect over you?

You took a few steps backwards before turning around fully and heading towards the gate. You could practically feel him watching you with such intensity as you headed out, but you didn’t give him the satisfaction of looking back at him, even though it killed you inside to not sneak one more glance at his features one last time before leaving.

You spotted Harrison standing on the sidewalk, staring at his phone. When he heard your footsteps in his direction he slid it into the back pocket of his jeans and smiled at you again.

“Sorry.” you told him and pointed your thumb behind you, “Tom wanted to say bye.”

“I figured.” He said with a nod as you both started on the walk to your home. “I’m really glad you came tonight.”

There was that guilt again, eating at you from the inside, “I’m sorry we didn’t get to do much talking.”

“It’s alright,” he shrugged his shoulders, shoving his hands into his pockets and kicking a stone to the side as he neared it. His head was down and for once, he was avoiding eye contact with you. Harrison never did that, even if he was nervous or afraid. Something was up with him and you thought to yourself that maybe you would have noticed it earlier if you weren’t so busy staring at Tom.

“What’s up?” you asked him, genuinely worried about your friend. You lightly touched his arm, a gesture to show you wanted him to talk and open up to you. He looked at where your fingers rested on his skin and you ignored the pain in your chest when he shrugged them off. Less than five minutes ago he had his own hand on your leg and seemed very adamant on keeping it there. What changed?

“Nothing, it’s fine.” he shook his head, but you knew that the smile he wore on his face now was forced, “I get it. You see Tom Holland, you see Spider-Man, and you become star-struck. If the roles were reversed and you had a famous best friend, I’d probably act the same.”

So maybe he did notice you gawking at Tom a little too much, but for completely incorrect reasons.

Half of you wanted to jump to the defense and argue that he was wrong. That you weren’t the type of girl to fawn over celebrities and forget the rest of the world around you.

The other half fought to stay quiet because in a sense, that’s exactly what you did all day. Granted, you weren’t thinking about Tom because of his roles in the Marvel movies, but because you were truly infatuated with him. Everything about him stood out to you in a way nothing else has. The way he carried himself, the way he laughed at almost anything and the sound of his laugh in general sounding like music to your ears. You barely spoke to Tom, but there was a magnet that was pulling you close to him, urging you to be with him in every way possible.

But you couldn’t tell Harrison that. He’d think you agreed to come only to see Tom. And any future plans you hoped to make with your old best friend could be ruined by him assuming you’re using him to get to Tom. And that was something you definitely wouldn’t be doing.

You couldn’t let him think you were like every other fangirl out there though.

“You’re wrong.” you said, but you weren’t sure if you were trying to convince him or yourself, “Yes, maybe at first I was in awe of him a bit. But Harrison, I was serious earlier when I said I had a lot on my mind. If I seemed spaced out all day I’m sorry. I really wasn’t in the right headspace.”

He was silent and you figured he was going to stay silent for the rest of the walk. So you reached for his arm again, this time pulling his hand free from where it rested in his denim and interlocked your fingers with his. He didn’t try to stop you, in fact his entire body seemed to relax and you heard him exhale loudly.

“Yeah you were eerily quiet which isn’t like you at all,” he laughed at his own words as you smiled at them. “Any other day you would do anything in your power to direct everyone’s attention to you.”

“Rude!” you bumped your hip against his and he laughed again. His laugh was so pure and wholesome. It sounded like everything good in the world.

“What? You’re a bit self-centered!” he responded in defense, “But you can’t get mad at me for saying that because you’ve been saying it about yourself since we were 10.”

He was right. You wouldn’t call yourself the vainest person out there, but you enjoyed when people directed their attention to you. You liked the feeling of eyes on you. Being in the center of it all made you feel empowered. It was a trait that most of your friends and family had grown to live with, but wouldn’t refrain from telling you if you were getting out of hand.

“Whatever.” You rolled your eyes, not even bothering to fight about it because he wasn’t wrong. “That’s why I liked you as my best friend. You never complained about how much I talked. You always listened.”

“Liked?” It was the only part of the sentence that stood out to him, and that pain in your chest came back. “As in we’re not best friends anymore?”

Now it was you who was avoiding eye contact, “Harrison I haven’t seen you since graduation. That was three years ago.”

“And you still hold that spot in my heart like you did when we were six.” His voice was filled with despair, “In my eyes you’re my number one girl you always have been. Time and distance won’t change that.”

You were stuck. You couldn’t tell him that he too was your best friend still because you already said he no longer was. And it wasn’t anyone’s fault that you felt this way. The space that wedged between you and Harrison was unavoidable as you both grew up and lived separate lives. It hurt, but you managed to move on from it. He remained in your heart all this time, just not in the same way.

You were thankful when you spotted your apartment complex coming up. The two of you walked to the large glass doors in complete silence, not knowing what to say. The only sounds that could be heard was from the few cars that drove down the street and the barking of a passerby’s dog when it spotted a rabbit. At one point, your fingers slipped from his but you didn’t know if that was his doing or yours. Tension started to rise when you didn’t respond to him and it hadn’t stopped. 

You searched for your keys in your purse and when you managed to find them, he stopped you by grabbing your hand again.

“I want you back in my life.” he said as his eyes met yours, “I’m sorry that we grew apart, I’ll take most of the blame for it. Hell, I’ll take it all even. [Y/N] I just know I was a happier person when I had you beside me and it breaks my heart that you no longer see me in the way you used to. I want us to get back to how things used to be, please.”

Instead of responding, you dramatically threw your arms around him and he didn’t hesitate to hug you back. You relaxed into the embrace like you always did because if you were being honest, Harrison gave the best hugs. The way he held your body tightly against his made you feel warm and safe. He made it seem as if you belonged there, and maybe you did.

You weren’t sure how long the two of you stood there, holding each other, but you didn’t care. You were getting your best friend back and that was the most important thing in the world to you. In this moment, Harrison was the only person that mattered.

So when Tom’s face appeared in your head, so did that sharp pang of guilt. The little voice in the back of your mind was screaming at you, telling you that you were going to end up using Harrison to get to Tom.

You pushed the thought of Tom and your inner voice to the side, ignoring it completely and took a deep breath. If you were going to spend time with Tom again you wouldn’t go about it through Harrison. Tom and him were two completely different people and you trusted yourself to make the right decisions going forward. You wouldn’t use Harrison for your own personal gain.

No matter what, you couldn’t let that happen.

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hairy atk free - Sexy Hot Hairy Pussy Reviews & Tips

This happened when i moved to Spain for a year, turns out i bumped with my 3rd cousin Sarah, big coincidence, i was looking for a cheap place to stat the whole year, and one of her roommates just moved back home, she amateur hairy pussies immediately offered me the room and i took it. Never had trouble with the ladies thou. She is very attractive, not pretty, but has a huge sex appeal. Nice body, brunette, fit, medium boobs, amazing ass, and like i said her best asset is her sex appeal. I arrived to Barcelona and i planned to stay in a hostel the first week while i found some place to stay, a lot of people from my country live in the city so i thought it was going to be easy. A little background about it, we were both 22 when this happened, last time we saw each other before that, we were 15. On the other hand me, an average joe kind of guy, not super fit but not fat. It was a nice party, i was already mellow, pouring another drink when a girl comes to me and says "i know who you are but you probably don't remember me" well she was right, at first i was thinking that it was the first time i see that face in my life, then as we started chatting i could start seeing something familiar but when she laughed i recognized her. My dad and her mom are cousins, so i think that makes her my 2nd or 3rd cousin. When she turned 16 she moved to Barcelona, and i never got to see her again in those reunions. I move in with Sarah and her roommate Veronica. Well the night went on, and as i told u before she offered me a room that just got free at her place. For more information on amateur hairy pussies look at the internet site. Didn't doubt for a second, it was cheap, and i was about to live for a whole year with one hot girl and another one whom at this point i haven't met yet but turned out to be another hottie. I got in touch with some friends and they invite me to a party, best thing that could happen, perfect place to find a roommate. Can't remember exactly how the conversation went but it was very flirty since the beginning, what i can remember for sure is the impression that she made on me, she was fucking sexy, wearing leather pants a loose top that allow her bra to show and a ponytail. Btw Veronica is a blonde girl, petite with small boobs, but nice body, very pretty. We were never close since she used to live abroad growing up, we only saw each other at big family reunions that happened like every 2 years. She wasn't flirty with me, but was always very open with sexual topics and dresses very sexy. First girl on girl atk scary hairy pussy i wanna give you some details about what hairy pussy nude pics living with two hot girls feels like, i was one lucky son of a bitch. The first two weeks everything was very normal, we didn't get to see each other much, we coincided at nights and it was awesome, mostly chilling wathcing tv in our pjs, Sarah wore tank tops and shorts, Veronica wore panties with any long sleeve she could find, being open with those sexual topics, she shared that she loved sleeping naked. Some mornings they walked around in towels, i even got to see Sarah in her bra walking out of the bathroom, she acted very normal about it, i must have looked like a complete pervert that time staring at her boobs but nothing happened. Anyways, it was all very friendly throughout the first month, then came the month of July. The beautiful atk scary hairy pussy girls are very athletic and when they could they do yoga in the balcony, very nice sight. The night before she left we started chillin with some beers and weed, that turned the mood into a naughty night with dares and games like never have i ever, as i said before Veronica loved this kind of things, Sarah wasn't too open but the mood turned her very flirty too. So in general it was being very awesome living with those girls, not getting any action but loving every minute of it. They had a 6 week break, Veronica was going to travel with the family she worked for. Veronica made me strip to my briefs, i made her strip too and to my surprise and joy she did it, Sarah dared me to dance for Veronica, it was very silly, but then Veronica dared Sarah to strip specifically for me, she did it and it was amazing. By this point i was already sporting a semi hard, but i was sitting all the time so maybe they haven't noticed. She started by doing a ponytail in her hair, that to me was so fucking sexy about her. The apartment was a very old place, three rooms very close to each other, two bathrooms, and a big living/dining/kitchen room all joint together, what makes the place great is that it has a balcony. I remember i was so excited about it, they were both very sexy i was dreaming so many fantasies, but none of them could compare with what was about to happen to me. And went for it, stripped all the way to a black lacy thong and black bra, Veronica was wearing a white thong and pink bra. Obviously i was hard all the time. I woke up and Sarah was cleaning all the mess we left, i helped her finish and we made plans to go out get some food. Im not a super hung guy, but im very ok with what i got. Both girls were studying and working part time, Sarah works in a golf club and Veronica as a Babysitter for a rich family. Well my friends, by this point the deal was made. " first she was all shy just laughing, then said between laughs "im actually impressed and somewhat curious". That being said, when i stood up both of them stared for like 5 seconds that felt like 20 minutes, then they looked at each other and started laughing, i started laughing too, and the game stopped there, Veronica went to get another beer, she started dancing and we joined her, they both were very flirty but when i tried to kiss them they both rejected me and just teased me more. We got home and only got to the couch, it was just plain rough sex, we ripped each other clothes right away, i stood up and she started to suck my dick sitting in the couch, one hand on my balls the other on my shaft and her mouth working magic, then i returned the favour, she had a very nice shaved pussy, her moaning was incredible and her movements had me very excited. It was already sunrise when we stopped, Veronica took a shower and left, Sarah went to her room and i passed out in the couch. She said before she was on BC so without remorse i went and did as she said. I'll never forget when she whispered "now fuck me with all you got". It was my turn and i dared them to kiss, they refused, but instead Sarah made out with me, now my dick was like diamonds, Veronica must have noticed or suspected, as she dared me to stand up, i did kinda slow, staring at them, wanting to see their reaction. We started walking back home, it was a 15 minute walk any normal day, that time took us 30 minutes maybe, we stopped to make out 2 times. When i felt that she came, i just told her to turn around, i didn't tell her to suck my dick, she did it by herself and she knew what she wanted and what was about to happen. like 5 minutes went by and i told her to go doggy, so now she was with her knees on the couch and me standing fucking her doggy pulling her hair, another 5 minutes into this position and she starts saying that shes going to cum, well im about to pop too but so i try to hold with all my mind. Then she stood up to take a shower. It lasted maybe 15 minutes, but it was amazing, that night we watched a movie cuddling and that was the start to one of many hot experiences i had that year. I said that i was also very intrigued by her boobs, to which she said "im glad at least we can help each other". I know i made a lot of mistakes, but i just wanted to share, the important thing is that you get the point. My reflex was to instantly push what was left of my dick inside, i felt her stomach and legs tense up and started fucking her literally with all i got. I came so fucking much, all over her mouth face and boobs, we both collapsed in the couch. We went to a place nearby, and started talking about last night, she was very embarrassed as i joked that she should send her pics to victoria secret, then she said that i should do the same with calvin klein, i couldn't help it and ask "so u did like it? I always like starting it by slowly rubbing the tip of my dick on the clit, then i slowly put it in, as i was doing this she started moaning heavily and moving her hips like crazy, we were on missionary, she grabbed my back and again whispered "fuck me hard".

[the-quasar-hero]

Aight so what I've been doing the past four days was getting this showroom ready for a sample show for Calvin Klein. If you don't know what a sample show is, basically it's a big ass sale where stuff has a flat rate. This shit was chaos. They were selling underwear, belts, ties, and pillows cases 2 for 5$. All shoes were 20$ I mean all shoes too, high heels, sneakers, dress shoes, 20$. Short sleeve shirts, shorts, wallets 5$. Sweaters, certain jackets, and long sleeves shirts, jeans and pants 10$. Clutches, handbags, depending on how big they were 10-20$ book bags 30$ heavy winter coats, genuine leather coats, 40$ blazers 20$ and there was a shitload of clothes, like I cannot exaggerate the massive amount of clothes that were there. Anyway this shit was bananas, this dude came in and literally bought 200$ worth of belts, and that's like a lot I refuse to do the math rn. This one lady was trying on every jacket in existence she brought 640$ worth of stuff, she had seven bags filled with clothes, and these were like those clear recycling bags, she had a bunch of those filled with the high clothing quality that Calvin Klein provides. 640$ with all that. You know how much a Calvin Klein winter coat usually costs? 400$ easily. So buying a coat, and a pair of their shoes would cost as much as her total and she got clothes for her whole family. This one lady got like 20 purses. Another guy bought every color of underwear we sell apparently 40$ worth of 'em. And this sale was long too 11 a.m - 5 p.m. Anyway I got a couple jackets and sweaters for 50$, yes they let us buy stuff too. I told this to my sister, dad and brother and they wanted me to get them stuff too. In total i got 230$ and I got them all something and I had to carry two big (paper) bags and my book bag that I filled with stuff on the train. Anyways I'm exhausted but at least I got a fresh jacket and sweaters out of it.

[buzzedbabe]

Before I Dive... Chapter 14

Alright, lovelies...Tonight’s present is... SMUT! Yes, we finally have some action between Amy and Richard! No sex yet, but definitely NSFW material! I hope this makes the transition to Monday easier. And as always, I love feedback/reactions/love.

@ritacavaliere @dulcedemani @calonlan15 @teaenthusiast65 @robbstarkmademedoit @olivermellors @mrsharington

“Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?” Richard said, taking Amy’s hand across the table.

“You have, but I’ll let you tell me again,” Amy giggled.

Her free hand adjusted the spaghetti strap of her wrap dress with a blue abstract print. She brushed her hair behind her shoulder and smiled at him.

“You look so beautiful, I think I’m still trying to catch my breath,” he said, brushing a kiss over her knuckles.

“Might I tell you that you look good enough to eat?” she replied, a coy smile tugging at her lips. “You could have skipped dinner.”

He chuckled, eyebrow raised. “Oh really?”

“Okay, maybe not dessert. That was really good,” she laughed. “Do you mind if I sneak back to the room?”

“For what?”

“I need to use the bathroom,” she whispered.

“I’ll take care of the bill and meet you back there.”

She smiled as she stood from the table and headed down the hallway to their room. She didn’t feel bad for fibbing to him. She had to finish preparing his surprise she had planned while he was in the shower earlier.

After shutting the door to the room, she slipped off her dress and sandals, grabbing one of his button-down shirts from the bureau and pulling it on. She glanced around to see the votives spread around the room, creating the perfect amount of romantic lighting. She pulled out her phone, turning the ringer to silent.

“Okay, Google. Play Ed mix,” she said, setting her phone on one of the nightstands.

She smiled as Kiss Me started to play. She cuffed the shirt’s sleeves as she moved to stand in front of the window facing the sea as she heard his key in the door.

Richard stepped into the room, confused when he saw the candlelight dancing on the walls. He came in and shut the door, eyes finally seeing Amy by the window, biting her finger. She turned, smiling at him. His eyes widened a bit when he saw her wearing his white button down shirt. She crooked her finger, beckoning him closer.

“What’s all this?” he asked quietly, registering the music for the first time.

Her finger moved to his lips. She took his arms and set them on her waist before she placed her hands on his shoulders. She started swaying her hips, and he responded, beginning to dance with her.

Kiss me like you wanna be loved You wanna be loved You wanna be loved This feels like falling in love Falling in love We're falling in love

He tried to speak again, but her finger came back up to his lips. He glanced down and she shook her head no. He nodded, eyebrow starting to creep up. He smiled as her hand moved up to his forehead, trying to push his eyebrow back down. She resumed her position, gently resting her cheek on his chest. He leaned his cheek on top of her head, gently swaying to the music.

Towards the end of the song, she pulled her head back slightly. He glanced down to see her slowly unbuttoning the top button of his black shirt. She moved down to the next button and his hand came up to hers, being met with a small slap. His hand lifted her chin, meeting her eyes with a questioning look. She smiled at him, then resumed her work on the next button. He reached up to try and help her and was met with another small slap. She glared up at him, stepping back out of his arms. He held his hands up in surrender, then brought them together in a pleading gesture.

She smiled as she stepped back to him. Richard did his best to keep his hands from helping as clearly this was something she wanted to do herself. As she reached his waist, she tugged his shirt free from his khaki pants. He caught her smile as she finished with the buttons. He inhaled sharply through his teeth as her hands lightly brushed his skin at his waist, nails softly scratching as they wrapped around his waist. He tried to stay still as her fingers explored the planes of his back under his shirt.

Amy bit her lip as she moved her hands around from his back to explore his chest. She could see he struggled to retain his composure. She wanted to explore him, but also wanted to try and push his boundaries a bit.

From his chest, her hands moved up to brush the shirt from his shoulders. He moved his arms slightly to allow the fabric to pass over his arms and fall to the floor. He reached up to try and touch her face, but she frowned and pulled back, shaking her head no. His hand dropped, eyebrow arching. He watched as her eyes greedily resumed their inspection of his body.

Amy’s fingers found themselves threading through his chest hair of their own accord. They brushed up over his shoulders and down his arms. She dragged her hand across Richard’s upper chest as she walked around him. His eyes followed until she disappeared behind him. He felt her hands dance up and down his back, tracing the edges of his muscles. He stiffened slightly when her lips grazed down his spine.

Richard’s hand reached back and grabbed her hip. She batted his hand away but he persisted, catching her hand and pulling her back in front of him. She locked eyes with him a second before he crushed his lips to hers. She smiled against his lips as he pulled back. He started to say something, but her fingers immediately covered his mouth. Her hands gripped his waist, turning and nudging him to sit on the bed.

Richard reached out to pull Amy closer to him, yet again his hands being batted away. Amy reached up, pushing on his shoulders until he reclined back, leaning on his forearms. She trailed her index finger down the center of his chest, hooking under the waistband of his pants. His eyes widened as she stared him in the eye, using one hand to flick open the button of his pants.

“Amy,” he whispered softly, somewhere between concern and lust.

“No interruptions,” she replied as she slid down the zipper.

His hand reached down and held hers. Her eyebrows furrowed as she looked up at him.

“I just want you to be sure,” he whispered. “I know…”

“I know that I want to see you. All of you,” she said, her hand sliding free from his. “I want to touch you.”

His hips lifted unconsciously as she tugged on his pants. She smiled at the Calvin Klein waistband of his black boxer briefs, snapping them against his skin. He chuckled, fully laying back on the bed as Amy pulled his shoes off his feet followed by his pants.

She straightened up, nudging his legs apart so she could stand between them. Her hands reached up and trailed down his body, teasing around the edge of his underwear. She leaned forward, kissing along his collarbone, smiling as his eyes fluttered shut.

His hands reached up to gently hold her hips, fingers bunching up her shirt until he made contact with skin. He smiled when she didn’t stop him. A soft groan escaped his lips when her tongue flicked one of his nipples.

She felt his groin twitch when she wrapped her mouth around the pink bud and started sucking. Her hand trailed down his stomach, faltering only for a second before brushing against his member through his underwear. She giggled as swear words started flying from his mouth as she palmed him.

Amy squeaked when Richard sat up and kissed her, his hands diving into her hair. Seven months of pent up frustration drove him, kissing her with fire. Her hand continued palming him as their tongues fought for dominance. He moved from her lips to her jaw and down her neck, sucking on her collarbone. Her soft gasp made him twitch hard in her hand. He tried to move her shirt aside, but it refused to give.

With a scowl, he ripped the shirt open, buttons flying across the room. Her arms flew up to cover her bare chest, earning her a soft growl from him. She slowly lowered them, earning a short nod from him before he resumed kissing and biting along her collarbone. He slipped the shirt off one shoulder, gently pulling her arm free from it. He took that arm and held it out, kissing his way down to her hand. When he let that hand go, it moved instinctively to thread through his hair.

Amy looked down as Richard pulled her other arm free of the shirt and stared at her. She wanted desperately to cover herself, but at the same time, loved the feeling of his eyes growing dark with desire as he looked at her. Her. She made him feel this way. It was intoxicating.

Richard stared at Amy, drunk on the confidence she projected at that moment. All he wanted to do, needed to do, was to show her how good this could feel. How to be appreciated in this way by a man.

“So beautiful,” he whispered, running a finger down the center of her torso to her underwear.

She gasped when his mouth latched onto her nipple, sucking greedily. Her hands threaded through his hair, nails scraping his scalp. His hands grasped her hips, pulling her close to him, playing with her underwear. She ground her hips against him, making him moan. His lips left her nipple, a sad groan coming from her mouth. She quieted however when the tip of his tongue slowly traced a path down to her belly button.

Without warning, he turned both of them, laying her back against the bed. His hands greedily brushed against her skin, his tongue drawing patterns on her stomach.

“Richard,” Amy whispered.

He froze, staring up at her. Her fingers brushed through his hair.

“I need you.”

He smiled, fingers sliding beneath the waistband of her underwear. She nodded, and he slowly pulled them down her legs. He kissed each foot as it came free, then started kissing up each leg, back and forth between the two. As he neared her torso, he stopped, leaning back.

She sat up slightly when she didn't feel his touch to see him staring at her. Her hands moved to cover herself only to be gently slapped. She giggled, her hands resting on her stomach.

“So fucking beautiful,” he whispered, his hand ghosting over her bare mound. “You did this for me?”

She almost teared up at the awe in his voice. Her hand reached down to his, gently placing both of them on her lower lips.

“For us,” she whispered.

She removed her hand, her body reacting to the heat of his touch. His hands brushed down the outside of her, before he leaned in and started kissing the inside of her thighs, slowly nearing her center. She shuddered when his lips gently kissed her there.

He looked up at her, kneeling by the bed. His eyes never left her as his fingers slowly spread her lips, skimming from her vagina up to her clit. Her hips arched, his hand coming to rest on top to keep her still. He repeated the movement, adding a bit more pressure as he neared her clit. His hand stopped where his fingertip started making small circles on her bud.

“Oh!” Amy whispered.

Her hands started bunching up the sheets as he added another finger, making broader circles before brushing up and down, fingers starting to tease at her opening.

“Please,” she moaned.

He watched her face as he slowly inserted a single finger into her, feeling her tightness wrap around him, squeezing and adjusting to him. Her eyes had fluttered closed and her mouth hung open in a little “o”. He slowly pulled his finger out most of the way as he crawled up to lay next to her. He kissed her as he slid his finger back inside her, earning a husky moan from her. His thumb rubbed in circles on her clit as he started moving in and out.

“Rich…” she moaned, her hands curling in his hair. “Oh, Rich.”

“I want you to cum for me,” he whispered, nipping her earlobe. “Can you do that for me?”

“So. Close,” she moaned. “Faster.”

He smiled, kissing her deeply as he pulled out from her. He started fluttering his fingers back and forth across her bud, making her hips buck.

“Yes, yes,” she whispered. “Oh, God.”

He met her lips in a kiss as he continued, hearing mewls of pleasure. Her hips started bucking faster, more in tempo with his fingers. She started shaking and she pulled back from his lips, gulping in shuddering breaths. Her hand reached down to his and he stopped. She relaxed fully against the bed, a dopey smile across her face. He brought his hand up, staring at her as he took his finger in his mouth, tasting her juices.

Her hand reached up and brushed his cheek before her arm flopped back on the bed. He leaned over and kissed her, hands ghosting over the skin of her torso.

“You like that?” he whispered.

“Uh huh,” she said, kissing him.

He leaned back and she curled up against his chest, catching her breath. His fingers slowly drifted up and down her spine, a smile on his face. Her breathing deepened, and he glanced down, seeing her eyes closed in what was surely sleep. He smirked, pleased with himself.

That is, until he realized he was still hard as a rock. He reached down, figuring he could take care of things without waking Amy. He slipped himself out of his underwear and started jerking himself off.

Amy’s eyes fluttered open when she felt Richard move. Looking down, her eyes sprang open fully seeing him with cock in hand. She glanced up at him, seeing his eyes closed as his hand rubbed up and down his penis. She bit her lip as she slowly moved her hand down and rested it on top of his, moving with him.

Richard's eyes flew open when he felt Amy's soft touch on his hand. She didn't shy away as he continued moving his hand.

Amy slowly moved her hand so it rested above Richard's, both of their hands grasping him. She let him move them both a moment before she felt his hand drift back.

Richard hissed through his teeth when Amy took over from him. Her fingers examined the different textures of skin, at first very nervously before feeling encouraged by the noises coming from him. Her thumb brushed over his tip and his hips bucked. She then started moving up and down, finding a quick rhythm assisted by the pre-cum leaking from his tip.

“Amy…” he groaned, bucking in her grip as he started to cum, his stream hitting her hand and his stomach.

Amy smiled as she let go, but her brow furrowed as Richard reached down and pumped himself a few more times as he finished. She made note of that as he tried to catch his breath.

Richard glanced down at the top of Amy's head, which hadn't moved at all. He smiled as he went to sit up, gently moving her head to the bed before making his way to the bathroom.

Amy's eyes widened as Richard got up.

Was something wrong? Did I not do something I was supposed to? Did he not like it? Oh, God, he thought I was horrible. And he can’t face me. That has to be it. He can’t bear to tell me…

She curled up into a ball, tears forming in her eyes.

Richard came out of the bathroom with a wet washcloth to clean him and Amy off. His fulfilled smile faded when his eyes lit on Amy's curled up form. He hurried over to the bed, kneeling down next to it.

“Amy? What is it?” he asked, trying to get her face out of the crook of her arm.

“You hated it,” she whispered. “I screwed up and you hated it.”

“What?” he asked. “Why on earth would you think that?”

She finally lifted her head to look at him. Even though his eyes were clouded with concern, his face also showed his contentment and satisfaction. He held up the washcloth, reaching for her hands. She watched as he gently wiped them off, kissing each of her fingers.

“So you didn't hate it?” she asked shyly.

“Oh, love,” he said, dropping the rag to the floor. He scooped her up, sitting on the bed with her in his lap. “There is no possible way I could have hated any of this.”

She leaned in and kissed him, a tear escaping her eye. He brushed it away with his thumb.

“I am so proud of you,” he whispered, leaning his forehead against hers. “I don't think you've blushed all night.”

Amy giggled. “Not that you could see at least.”

“I've just come to a decision,” he said, leaning back to look in her eyes.

“What's that?” she asked.

“We're moving to Scotland. There's apparently something in the air here that makes you more confident.”

“It's not in the air,” she whispered, brushing her fingers through his hair. “It's right in front of me.”

Richard woke up, arms reaching for Amy. Yet again he was met with empty space next to him. He groaned, not opening his eyes.

“Come back to bed,” he moaned.

He heard Amy chuckle from across the room, and then her laptop close. He smiled when he felt her climb into bed next to him. He gathered into his arms, her hair tickling his arm as she rested her head there.

“Why do you get up so early?” he whispered.

“Hard to avoid the inspiration I get here,” she said, kissing him. “The views here are just beautiful.”

“It’s home,” he said, smiling.

“I wasn’t just talking about the view outside the window.”

His eyes fluttered open to stare into her deep blue eyes. She smiled, her hand brushing over his cheek. He leaned in and kissed her slowly, lips teasing and tempting. She adjusted her position, snaking her leg in between his, her foot brushing up and down his leg. Richard pulled back, fingers threading through Amy’s hair.

“You keep that up, we might not leave this bed,” he chuckled as she kept trying to kiss him.

“What if that was my plan all along?” she asked.

He kissed her before turning to roll out of bed. He yelped when Amy pinched his butt. He turned back to her, diving back into bed and kissing her. She giggled as he began to tickle her and squealed when she couldn’t escape his grip. His kisses went from playful to sensual as he rested his weight on top of her. Her fingers moved from pushing away his hands, sliding up his arms, and threading into his hair.

“You’d be lost if I shaved my head, wouldn’t you?” he whispered.

“Don’t you dare,” she said, frowning. “Unless you have to. Then I want to be the one to do it. But until you’re playing some hottie hero soldier, you will do no such thing.”

He laughed as her fingers gripped his hair, not letting him move his head.

“Promise me,” she said.

“I promise,” he whispered, kissing her. “Now we should get going.”

He rolled out of bed again, peeking over his shoulder to see her pouting. He chuckled as he went into the bathroom.

“Where are we going?” she asked, flopping back on the bed.

“My turn to surprise you,” he said. “You’ll want to wear those boots you bought with Lily.”

“So hiking,” Amy sighed. “I don’t see how that is romantic.”

“Then it will be my job to change your mind about that,” he said, stepping out of the bathroom drying his face with a towel.

“Did you just…” Amy started.

He dropped the towel to look at her, eyebrow cocked. “Did I just what?” he asked.

“I thought you’d shaved,” she whispered. “But you didn’t.”

“We can do that if you like,” he said. “I’ll go set up.”

“Wait, what?” Amy said sitting up.

She scrambled out of bed to see him pulling out his beard trimmers from his toiletries bag. She adjusted her bathrobe, tightening the sash. He pulled out his razor and shaving cream, setting them on the edge of the sink.

“We don’t have to do that right now,” she said, pulling on his arm.

“Now is as good a time as any,” he said, scratching his scruff. He turned to kiss her before sitting down on the lid of the toilet. He chuckled at the look on Amy’s face. “Love, I was planning on doing it soon anyway.”

He reached over and picked up the trimmers, placing them into her hand.

Amy looked down into his eyes and said, “Richard, you’re sure?”

He chuckled, “A deal is a deal.”

The trimmers jumped as she turned them on, making her jump slightly. He tipped his head to the side and she set them on his cheek. He didn’t say a word as she drew them down the side of his face, leaving a path of bare skin in its wake.

His eyes were drawn to her lips as she blew gently to dislodge the hair from the teeth. He focused on her face as she worked, the tip of her tongue peeking out from her mouth every so often, her blue eyes intensely focused on the task at hand.

She tapped her finger on his lips and his teeth let go of the corner of his mouth he had unknowingly been chewing. A few passes with the buzzer and his mustache became a memory. She tilted his head to the opposite side, her fingers lingering in his curls.

He watched as her eyes focused on his face, completely unaware of his staring. He longed to reach up and brush back the stray hair in her face, but feared moving would disturb the calm that had settled between them.

Her robe slipped off the edge of her shoulder as she tipped his chin towards the ceiling, but he gently pushed it back into place, brushing her soft pale skin as he did.

Her fingers brushed his throat as she quickly removed the hair from his neck and under his chin. They tickled as they probed for any strays the buzzer might have missed. She slowly stepped back and turned the trimmers off, setting them on the edge of the sink. Her breath fluttered as he lowered the gaze of his deep blue eyes to meet hers.

He gently grasped the knot of the robe and tugged until she stepped in between his legs. Her hand rested warm on his cheek as she smiled. She bent down and pecked his lips.

“Time to finish up,” she whispered. She padded out of the bathroom as she heard him turn on the sink.

She should have known it wouldn’t bother him. She sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for him, thinking about how easy changing his look was for him. He obviously shaved or grew his facial hair for different roles. She’d seen enough in the pictures he’d shown her. She just wanted to be able to see it in person, to feel it.

She looked up to see him leaning in the doorway, watching her as she picked at her lip absentmindedly.

He padded across the bedroom to her. He reached over to nudge her hair behind her ear and smiled.

Her breath caught in her throat. She slowly stood, balancing herself with a hand on his shoulder. His blue eyes and smile dazzled her, making her dizzy. Slowly she reached up and brushed his smooth damp cheek, working her way up into his hair.

“My Kit,” she whispered.

“My queen” he said, leaning down to kiss her passionately. “So do I pass muster?” he asked as she kept staring at his face.

Her fingers kept gently brushing over both of his cheeks. She traced them over his lips and started to tear up. She turned from him, biting a finger, willing herself not to cry.

“Whoa, is it that bad?” he asked, taking her by the shoulders and trying to turn her around. She struggled at first, but he stepped as he turned to face him, seeing a tear roll down her cheek. “Amy, what is it? It’ll grow back. I’ll wear a paper bag.”

She shook her head. “No, it’s not that. It…It’s just…”

“It’s just what?”

“It’s just, you’re so beautiful and I was just thinking how I got so lucky. You are this amazing man with the world at his fingertips. Why would you pick someone like me?” she whispered, desperately trying to avoid his gaze.

He sighed. Another tear rolled down her cheek and he caught it on his thumb.

“I am the lucky one. I found this beautiful woman,” he said, turning her to face the mirror on the dresser, leaning down and pressing his cheek to hers, “who is kind, and loving, and genuine, and loyal, and stubborn. Who makes me feel like I am the greatest guy on the face of this earth. She makes me want to be a better man. She could have any guy. But she chose me.”

She turned back to him, wrapping her arms around his waist, leaning her cheek on his chest.

“And you make me feel like I could fly,” she whispered. “Like nothing is impossible. Because I have you.”

He kissed the top of her head, then rested his cheek there as she collected herself. She slowly wiped one eye, then the other. They stood there for a moment in contented silence. He took her hand leading her to the bed where he sat down, almost at eye level with her. He pulled her in between his legs and let his arms snake around her.

“So now that we have that settled, what do you think?” he asked her. “Do I start growing back my beard? Do we ask the front desk if they have any glue?”

She giggled. “No, I think I like this look too. I mean, I like both looks, but there’s no need for glue. It’ll just take a bit of getting used to.”

He smiled at her, eyes sparkling, which knocked her back slightly.

“There you go again, making me forget how to form thoughts,” she said, running her fingers over his smile lines.

“Then let me do the thinking for both of us,” he said, kissing her as his fingers worked to untie the sash around her waist.

Her fingers climbed into his hair as she kissed him. She felt the robe slide off her shoulders, his hands sliding down her bare arms, finding her breasts. She gasped as his thumbs flicked her nipples, then groaned as his lips suckled her right one. She pushed him back on the bed, straddling him. She kissed her way from his earlobe down his jaw, her hands making swirling patterns on his chest and stomach. He drew her back up to him, kissing as he turned her to lie on her back.

“What about hiking?” she whispered as he nuzzled her chin, lips working their way down to her collarbones again. “Don’t you dare give me another hickey.”

He laughed against her skin. “And what would be wrong with that? Maybe I like marking you.” He started sucking on her skin again, Amy squealing and trying to free herself from his grip. “And maybe I like the noises you make when I do it,” he whispered.

He laughed when Amy hooked her leg between his and managed to flip him onto his back. She leaned down, her hair forming a curtain around his face as she kissed him. She moved over, trailing her tongue down his newly bared jawline. He struggled when she started to suck on his cheek but she pulled back laughing.

“What? Maybe I like marking you,” she giggled.

He growled as he sat up, kissing her. She continued to giggle, fingers brushing over his cheeks.

“I take it you’re getting used to it,” he said, turning so she sat in his lap.

“This makes you look sexy in a whole different way,” she whispered. “Like more of a boyish, charming sexy.”

“And with the beard?” he asked, chuckling.

“More of a devilishly handsome sexy.”

“And which do you prefer?”

“I'll take you any way I can get.”

[mastcomm]

Weirdness, Emotion, Provocation Mark Paris Men’s Wear

PARIS — Clothes are not fashion. Or maybe it’s the other way around.

Three weeks and four cities into a notably strong men’s wear cycle that will creep to a conclusion next month in the truncated remains of New York Fashion Week: Men, an observer comes away with an assortment of press kits, stacks of engraved invitations and series of moments — sometimes comical, occasionally bizarre, often absurd and many rising to the level of magic — that amount to a semi-disorganized whole definitively greater than the sum of its parts.

Take, for instance, that moment at the Valentino show on Wednesday when, out of the darkness surrounding a stage in a chamber of the Grand Palais, emerged an incandescent image of a woman in a long white dress, her face partly obscured by a fencing mask of crystal beads. Even before she brought a microphone to her face and began to sing in a voice possessed of its own eerie iridescence, people in the audience speculated in whispers that it might be the performer FKA Twigs. It was.

Sure, a new men’s wear collection followed, notable mostly for flower images printed on the clothes. And, yes, like almost everything produced by the designer Pierpaolo Piccioli, that collection had its formal strengths. But who would want to be the person who, looking back, said that what they recalled from that day were the boxy suits, the olive drab field jacket with a purple calla lily printed on the shoulder, the cross-body bags and not, instead, the indelible image of FKA Twigs, shimmering and ethereal as an angel in a Valentino haute couture dress?

Fashion ought to be about those memorable moments — about dislocation, the unexpected, about weirdness, emotion, provocation, even discomfort — as much as it about garments, Thom Browne said this week.

“I always want to do something different,’’ added Mr. Browne, who has staged shows featuring men dressed as sharks, zipped into body bags, wearing codpieces or soccer balls rendered as shoes. “I don’t think people come to my shows just to see another 40 looks.’’

For this season, Mr. Browne decided not to mount a men’s wear show at all. Instead he staged and photographed a surrealistic dinner party. “The animals are the guests and the people are the furniture,’’ Mr. Browne said, adding that the humans are — symbolically, at least — also the meal.

And what was the significance of it all, Mr. Browne was asked, after he had conducted a visitor on a tour of a beautiful collection. There were Harris Tweed chore coats; blazers with frayed lapels; coats embellished with a menagerie that included squirrels, elephants, rabbits, rhinos and zebras; and other items so commercial the shock was they had been produced by the designer that first put guys in suits with short pants, skirts and Pee-wee Herman jackets. “I do things instinctually and don’t overthink them,’’ Mr. Browne said. “It’s important not to know so much. It’s easier to create something when you know less.’’

Sometimes, in other words, it’s good to get out of your head. Virgil Abloh, the artistic director of men’s wear for Louis Vuitton, echoed that sentiment during a preview of his collection at Vuitton headquarters, as soul-deadening a corporate space as you will ever see.

Mr. Abloh has been doing a lot of work restoring the mind-body-spirit connection over the past year, apparently on doctor’s orders. The designer — who became a poster child for millennial multi-hyphenates: a guy who boasted of living on planes and working on 10 projects simultaneously; who once said, “I couldn’t do just one project day in, day out’’ — found himself becoming atomized and decided to rein it all in.

Where in the past, his workrooms were mobbed with friends and hangers-on, now the only people given access were fitting models and members of the design team. His thoughts had been corralled as well, made more linear and focused, specifically on the history of Louis Vuitton and its crafts ateliers.

“Modernizing a historic house for the mood of today is what I’m known for,’’ he said. “But I didn’t want to keep iterating the same thing.’’

He wanted to create tailored clothes, said the designer who triggered an internet firestorm last year when he predicted in “Dazed” magazine that streetwear’s time was up and it would die within a year. “In my mind, how many more T-shirts can we own,’’ he said then. “How many more hoodies, how many sneakers?’’

Exactly how sincere Mr. Abloh was about leaving behind the designs that brought him success was hard to tell. Rumblings from within Vuitton suggest pressure has been put on the designer to bolster the apparel that appeals to the house’s traditional clientele. (And everyone in the industry is trying to talk post-millennials out of their hoodies and stuff them into suits.) It is obvious that if there are limits to the number of sneakers and T-shirts one can own, this is truer still of the $3,800 Prism duffel bags that were Mr. Abloh’s first big hit for the brand. Still, Mr. Abloh said, he refuses to be typecast.

And so, he doubled down on strict tailoring for his show, which was held in a stifling tent set up in the Tuileries Garden. Outside mobs of teenagers did battle with paparazzi for a glimpse of the Migos members Quavo and Takeoff, even as armed French soldiers clad in camo patrolled the park for potential terrorists.

Inside, the Colombian reggaeton star J. Balvin made polite conversation with the Taiwanese pop sensation Leo Chen while a sweaty and hyped-up crowd awaited what turned out to be a show of conventional and largely rehashed tailoring that drew on both Mr. Abloh’s roots in hip-hop and his personal design credo.

That is, it fell somewhere between a mash-up and a bald application of Mr. Abloh’s “three percent rule” (all that’s required for design success, he once said, is to change something original by three percent.) There is nothing daring at all about swiping ideas and motifs from Helmut Lang, a designer whose career is the gift that keeps on giving. It is impressively brazen, though, to send out suits in cloud patterns seemingly lifted from the spring 2014 collection that Italo Zucchelli designed for Calvin Klein. (Mr. Zucchelli’s influence, particularly the fluorescent suits he innovated, has been widely seen here this season, including at the Berluti show on Friday.)

Maybe originality has been devalued by the recursive loop that is digital culture. Or so you might think until you see one of the mad presentations by Rick Owens, a designer as analog as they come (he reads books! he listens to classical music on vinyl!). Mr. Owens described his recent designs as almost insanely exaggerated, which was not at all the case.

Edit out the body contoured, one-legged jump suits and the coats with Ming the Merciless shoulders and you were left with an awful lot of commercially wearable stuff. (Commerciality is the dirty secret of many progressive designers: Mr. Browne may design hobble dresses for guys, but he also produces a wearable chore coat in granddad’s Harris Tweed.)

One incomparable delight of any Rick Owens show, however, is not to be found on the runway at all. Rather, it takes the form of the designer’s die-hard followers, who routinely, almost religiously, turn out in force dressed in Frankenstein boots, bondage straps, veils of chain mail, and with faces painted to look like a cross between Morticia Addams and Exene Cervenka.

“There’s a special dispensation for vampires on Rick Owens show day,’’ one front-row wag said as he surveyed the crowd on Thursday. “The money on this is that they only come out once a year in daylight.’’

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[jj-lynn21]

HOLLYWOOD MOBSTERS Starring Bill Skarsgard and his family ch 1

ch 2​ ch 3 ch 4  ch 5 ch 6 ch 7

Wedding music 

Entrance Music for Wedding Reception

Warnings: fluff, smut, violence, cussing, angst

Tag a few I thought would be interested. 

@cheeseandthankyou​​ @crazyjam-pot​ @madamaholmes​ @super-pink-a-palouza​ @dreambigbeawesome​   @shenevertricks1831​​

Photoes from esquire Singapore Septemper 2019, Calvin Klein, IMDB and Ejalo’s Instagram

Twinkle lights hang sporadically in the white tent fit for five hundred people. Guests start streaming in to sit at soft pink linen covered tables. Pale pink and white roses with baby’s breath that match the bride’s bouquet are the center pieces on each table. Light music plays.  A half an hour after the guests are seated the wedding party arrives in their white limousine.

To make some time for the guests to arrive at the reception before them the wedding party had the driver drive around town as they drank in the back. Laughing and enjoying each other’s company. It was the Skarsgard’s only sister, Eija’s wedding day. The ceremony was beautiful outside at the Cypress Sea Grove  in Malibu. 

 Views of the ocean behind the happy couple and wedding party made the photographer’s job easy to capture moments of love.  Now the same wedding party that was perfectly put together at the ceremony falls out of the limousine. Eija, her husband Zeke, Valter and his college girlfriend Angel, Bill and his companion Genna, Sam and his wife Pat, Gustaf and bride’s maid Rose, and Alex with Maid of honor and his partner in crime so to speak and very literally, Princess are laughing for no apparent reason getting themselves together before entering the reception behind the family mansion. 

Genna and Valter attempt to try to fix Angel’s dress. When she fell out of the limousine first, obviously intoxicated more than the others, the strap on her champagne pink top fitted flare bottom dress broke. Stellan just shook his head as he watched the young people try to get it together. Him and his wife Megan had driven in a second car with ring bearer eight-year-old brother Ossian and flower girl, a Cousin, Sara. He didn’t think the limousine would be any place for the children. And by the looks of things he was right.

Stellan got the little ones to dance with each other. This melted the hearts of the crowd. They were clapping as Stellan and his wife danced next followed by Bill who spun Genna out on to the floor. They smiled as they looked into each other’s eyes lovingly. Camera flashes going off repeatedly. Angel was still giggling as Valter lead her on the floor with her pinned up strap falling off her shoulder. His right hand in hers as his left rested on the small of her back. She rested her head on his chest and her free hand on his shoulder. She believed herself to be the luckiest girl at the University to be dating him.   Sam and Pat took to the floor elegantly. Gustaf followed suit with Rose gliding on to the floor like some kind of dance pro. But Alex made a grand entrance with Princess. They swayed to the music like Johnny and Baby in dirty dancing captivating the crowd. He didn’t mean to over-shadow the others, especially his sister on her wedding day but he just had this natural way of pulling attention to himself and anyone else he was with and Princess loved being in the spotlight with him.

By the time Eija and Zeke made their way into the tent everyone that could stand were standing. Many hooting and whistling their approval for all the couples. She felt blessed and loved with all her family and friends around her on this perfect day. Other couples joined in the dancing. Megan took the children to a table to give them some black and white cookies before the caterers had even put them out. This would appease the little ones until dinner was served, Stellan motioned for Alex to join him at the bar. Princess went to mingle eventually joining Bill, Genna, Valter, Angel and the rest of the wedding party at their table in front of the crowd.

Stellan and Alex get some scotch before discussing business in a way that doesn’t seem completely illegal. They never know who is listening or if a bug is planted to pick up every word they say.

“We have a truck coming with coke cola tomorrow, “Alex informed his Father. Coke cola really being cocaine. “The Malforals would like us to share the shipment. They were unable to get their own for some reason. I thought I would charge them the regular costumer price plus thirty percent.”

“That sounds reasonable,” Stellan tipped back his drink. “You talk to your little brother about what he wants to do for the family after he graduated college next month? He has been making us plenty at his University. Referring his friends to Bunny’s. Maybe he can replace the current bar tender. I don’t fucking trust that guy.”

“I’ll talk to him before he goes back to college,” Alex downed his drink and snapped his fingers for another. “I think he has his hands full tonight. That girl of his can’t handle her liquor.” 

“How about Bill,” Stellan asked, “Is he going to play for the family baseball team? We could still use him as clean-up batter.”

“I’m not sure he has a good time playing ball with the family,” Alex said. “But you are right he is the obvious choose for still being the clean up batter. I’m sure there is something I can do to convince him to join the team on a more permanent basis.”

“Good,” Stellan waved and smiled to some friends as they passed. “Let’s go celebrate your sister. This has been enough shop talk for tonight. Update me when necessary. Get Gustaf’s help with the Malforals.”

“Sure thing,” Alex downs another drink.

Stellan starts to walk away, “I think you can do better organizing the whole team together.”

Valter is feeding Angel some canape’s as she giggles. Water in her wine class.  She keeps tapping it with her spoon to signal the new married couple to kiss but she also kisses Valter each time insisting the whole wedding party is supposed to follow what the bride and groom do. He just chuckles having no problem kissing his girl in front of everyone. But when his sister gives him a look the tenth time, Angel makes her glass chime, he takes her hands.

“You don’t need to do that for me to kiss you,” He kisses her passionately, “my Angel.” He whispers in her ear as he moves her hand to his lap. “You can keep your hand busy under the table instead.”

Angel blushes and giggle. His lips brush over her earlobe before he moves his head up to look at her. He grins mischievously. He puts her hand with his over his bulging dress pants. Not the roomiest pants he has ever worn. He thinks the tailor could have let the crotch out a little more for him to be comfortable.

“No,” She giggles blushing whispers in his ear, “Ththere isss no ways you could keepp straight fasse if I give you a hand job under the table. Ssso no begging.” She was slurring some of her words.

Valter gives her a pouty puppy face, “we can just go to my room inside the house?”

She puts his hands in her lap. “Traditions sssay we can only leavvve after the bride and groom, ssso you wait. You knows good things come to those who wait.” She giggles more.

Alex makes his way outside. He lights a cigar as he walks towards the family’s private beach. Noticing he is being followed he dodges behind a large fat palm tree. He grabs the person pushing them against the tree wrists pinned up with one of his hands. He puts the cigar out on the tree and puts it in his inside pocket.

“You are getting better, Princess,” he grinned. “I didn’t notice you following me until I was almost on the beach. I bet you were following me from the tent.”

“I was,” She stared him down. “What did you hear first, my breath or my heel hitting the rock at ten paces?”

“The way you suck your breath in to quickly before holding it,” he breaths in Princess’ scent nuzzling his nose into her neck. She takes in that breath he was just telling her about. “I don’t know about others, but I can feel that breath you take in my groin.” He groans.  “Do it again and see what happens.”

Princess grins his hands still holding both of her wrist above her head. “Do your fucking worst to destroy my will Alex, I dare you.” She took a deep breath and let it out right in his face. The smell of champagne and the strawberries she had snacked on before stalking him hit him like cupid’s arrow. He smashed his lips to hers as he undid his belt. Princess knows him by now and didn’t even bother wearing panties under the long dress Eija chose for all her ladies. As soon as his pants hit the ground, he has her dress pulled up fucking her relentlessly against the tree.

When they met, she was a cop. She didn’t get paid shit. And didn’t see any way she was going to workup to captain. Because of the way she looked, her commanding officer often hand her playing a hooker on Hollywood Blvd. to catch pimps trying to put underage girls on the street. She knew most of the ladies were just trying to feed their kids. She thought it was her job to beat the shit out pimps that got to rough with girls or turned out underage girls like twelve-year-olds. Alex had picked her up one evening while she was working. He knew she was an undercover cop. Her partner was on the payroll. Alex also knew she would protect the girls at Bunny’s gentlemen’s club. He made her an offer she couldn’t refuse. They had been friends with benefits ever since. He like she didn’t give a shit who else he fucked. She liked the money of course, but also that she was the woman he chose to have on his arm at any event.

When they were done, they casually walked back up to the tent. They were just in time to watch the couple cut the cake.  After that there was one more dance before the bride and groom left to go on an exotic vacation to an island the family owned. Valter and Angel slipped out soon after to his room in the main house. They were both to drunk for anything but sloppy awkward laughing at each other sex, but it was enough to put them out cold within a half hour. It wasn’t always like this. They practically lived together in his frat house even though it really wasn’t allowed. No one was going to tell such a prestigious alum not to do something they were going to do anyway. Sometimes he would stay at her sorority. Pretend to be one of the girls using a high voice to get out the door if the house mother saw him. He even put on his girlfriend’s cloths to get past her out the door once.  They both thought it was hysterical.

Most of the family and some guests stayed the night at the house. But Bill, being the BAL (Bank America Loan) owner and head manager had to go to work the next morning so he and Genna went home.  He tucked her into bed, her eyes heavy with sleep, before stepping into the bathroom a few feet away to brush his teeth. He had been with Genna seven years but didn’t believe they needed marriage to show their love for each other. She was everything he ever wanted. Other than laundering money for the family a handful of times he didn’t go near the family business. He wanted nothing to do with it. He didn’t want to know more than he already did which wasn’t much in his opinion. As soon as he heard the window break, he grabbed the closest gun which was taped under the sink. He went back in the room shooting at the figure in all black and the person fell over the balcony right after he grazed Bill with a bullet.

Bill didn’t bother to look over the balcony. He pulls the bloody white comforter off his companion. Her eyes fluttered as she gasps for breath. Blood is ran down Bill’s arm where the bullet grazed him. He did not feel the pain of that. He only feels the pain of loosing the love of his life.

“Its alright baby girl, I got you,” tears run down his face, “I’ll call my brother. Sam will save you.”

Bill calls Sam to his apartment. But its to late. When Sam gets there, Bill is holding his dead girl’s body in the blood soaked comforter against him sobbing uncontrollably.  Sam’s not only worried about the abrasion still seeping blood on his brother’s shoulder but also his mental state.

Alex hobbles in and sat on a chair in the corner. He seems stunned by the site. “Fuck, I think they tried to take us all out. I chased a shooter off the grounds at the main house. They grazed my shoulder and hit me in the thigh. I tied it off like you said Sam. Bill what happened here?”

“They fucking killed her Alex,” he was still rocking her bloody body. “I don’t even have anything to do with the rest of you and they fucking killed her. I will fucking find out who did this and kill them. Who the fuck have you been doing business with?” He glares at Alex.

“We do business with a lot of people that see are family as a threat.” Alex said flatly. “I will help you, we will all help you find who did this to you best girl. I am sorry brother but you have to put her down so Sam can see if you need stitches. I have a bullet hole in my leg but you first brother. I insist.”

Bill slowly puts Genna’s body down in the bed. He closes her eyes and kisses her cheek before pulling the comforter over her completely. Tears still flowing even though anger is rising. He feels no pain. He just feels emotions, grief and hate.

“Bill look at me,” Sam pleads. “He checks bills reaction to light. His pupils are dilated. He washes Bill’s arm off, and he does not even flinch when Sam wipes the wound with stinging alcohol.

Alex and Sam are both concerned. Sam stiches up his arm. Bandages up the stiches and puts a water-proof wrap over the bandage.

“I need to work on Alex.” Sam throws the bloody suture kit in the nearby trash. “You should shower. You will go back to the house tonight. A cleaning crew will deal with the apartment and make sure your love is taken to our family funeral home. We can deal with the rest tomorrow.”

“Yeah,” Bill mumbles, “they are all fucking dead by tomorrow night. Whoever planned this and whoever did this and there whole fucking family are dead.” He gets up slowly. Then goes to shower stripping off the bloody remnants of the night before turning the shower on and stepping inside.

Sam checks out Alex, “Keep an eye on him closely. He is in terrible shock.”

“We will all take care of him.” Alex assures.