#but like. the bathroom downstairs. has towels on the floor. stuff all over the counter top.

[bi-mirandalawson]

me, a fool: i love hosting ! i love feeding ppl dinner ! and ive made a whole thanksgiving dinner by myself before so i can definitely handle doing thanksgiving at my house this year !

me, the day before thanksgiving: there aren't words to contain or describe how stressed and angry and sad and tired i feel

[princessbatears]

can i req javi g & kids taking care of were gf after fighting off a bigass animal that broke onto javi's property? just a bit of angst but mostly fluff pls tysm!!!!

Thank you so much for this lovely ask, darling! I appreciate your patience as it's taken me a few weeks to get written, and I hope you enjoy the result!

Pairing: Javi Gutierrez x Werewolf Single Mom f!Reader Warnings: mild angst, hurt/comfort, injury, description of blood and wounds, first aid care, language, discussion of killing an animal, implication of non-sexual nudity Words: 2k A/N: This takes place during the time skip in Casa Werewolf Chapter 9

The full moon shines ivory through the master bedroom window of the safe house, but it doesn’t disturb the triplets as they nestle together on the bed, bellies full of squirrels and birds.

Javi watches them sleep like he does every full moon night while you’re out getting yourself food. He’ll never get over how cute they are.

He glances at his watch, then frowns. You’ve been gone longer than usual. Maybe you had to go farther to find food. You’ll likely be back any second.

After another five minutes, he’s too restless to stay sitting. He heads downstairs and peers out the front window. No massive wolf shape to ease his mind.

It’s another forty-five minutes before there’s a rapping on the door. He springs for the window again, double-checking it’s you, before unlocking and opening it.

The first thing he notices is the large amount of blood staining the cream-colored coat on your right shoulder. It drips down your front right leg, which you’re keeping off the ground. Your face is also bloody.

“Dios mío!” he gasps, fear immediately taking hold of him.

You limp inside, your breath heavy with effort and pain. There’s other patches of blood on your side and one of your flank, as well as a splattering of it across your whole body.

Javi’s first instinct is to call someone for help, but that’s immediately quashed by the realization there is no one who can call. He’s the help.

“Let me look at you in the kitchen.” The best light’s in there. “I’m going to get the first aid kit!” His voice has risen in pitch with panic.

Hearing your slow plod in that direction, he bolts upstairs. He has to calm down. He’s no good to you freaking out. But shit-shit-shit! What if it’s really serious? What if it’s too serious for your Wolf healing powers to take care of? There’s so much blood, what if you bleed out?

What even happened? Were you attacked by something? Were you shot? Fuck, what if there was someone on his property, like an illegal hunter, and they saw you?!

After snatching the first aid kit from the bathroom and as many spare towels as he can carry, he leaps down the stairs three at a time.

You’re laying on the kitchen floor on your belly, licking at your wounded shoulder. “No, no, no, we need to clean it properly!” he yelps.

The look you give him is scathing enough to finally calm him down. You’re not a child, you’re a grown-ass werewolf, and treating you like anything else is likely to get him forbidden from helping you at all.

“I can help you wash up faster,” he amends in a steadier voice.

He crouches down next to you. Now he can see a large, tearing wound on your shoulder. And there are sets of gashes on your side and flank. Another animal attacked you. A big one.

Despite how serious these wounds are, Javi’s relieved it wasn’t a human. Your secret’s still safe.

“Is it just these three?” he asks, gesturing to each injury.

You nod, jaw clenched. You’re still breathing hard and fast.

“Can you take anything for the pain?” He quickly opens the first aid kit. “I’ve got some over the counter stuff. And wine.”

When you shake your head, he bites back a frustrated curse. He knows you sense his emotions. The best way to help you really is to be calm.

Carefully, he presses a kiss to your snout. “I’ll be as gentle as I can.” He strokes your ears before moving to the sink to run the hot water. Then, he picks up the huge dog bowl of water on the floor and brings it to you. You lap at it thirstily.

Once the sink is full, he gets a few towels wet, then goes to your side again. First, he gently cleans the blood off your face. Next, he moves to the shoulder. Once some of the gore is gone, he can more easily see it’s a deep bite wound. Thankfully, the bleeding has mostly stopped.

“Was it another wolf?” There are some wild wolves around, although they’re quite small compared to you.

You shake your head again.

“Bear?”

This time, you nod.

“You need stitches.” Javi’s not sure he has thread and needle in the safe house to do that with, and he’s never sewn anything in his life, but he’ll figure it out.

Another shake of your head.

“These are really bad, mi luz,” he protests, unsure that the Wolf’s healing properties are enough. “Can I disinfect it, at least?”

More nodding. Your movements are sluggish. It makes him nervous. Are you just tired? Is it the pain? Is it serious blood loss?

He opens a couple of antiseptic wipes and begins to run them over the wound. A whimper escapes you, wrenching his heart.

“I’m so sorry this hurts.”

You rest your chin on his thigh, pressing your cheek against his stomach for comfort.

Javi kisses to the top of your head as he moves onto the gashes on your side. Once he’s cleaned your fur, it’s apparent they’re scratches. Definitely not pretty, but not as alarming as the bite wound.

Once the scratches on your flank have also been tended, he looks down at you, about to ask you if he can do anything else. But you’re asleep, head still nuzzled against him.

He remains seated, lightly petting your ruff. Your breathing has slowed and you seem stable, so he figures the thing you need most now is rest.

Finally, his back getting stiff, he moves your head off his lap and goes to the living room, where he collects blankets and pillows.

Bringing them to the kitchen, he sets up a nest right next to you. Then, calling your names softly, he touches your head. You peek at him from under heavy lids. “Can you scoot onto these?”

Avoiding using your right front leg, you army crawl onto the makeshift bed. With a moan, you relax. He covers you up with another couple of blankets.

Your tongue caresses his hand, tail wagging feebly in thanks.

“Is there anything else you need?”

With your left arm, you make the gesture of rocking a baby, which is the signal for asking after the children.

“They’re asleep upstairs.”

With a sigh, you lay your head on a pillow, eyes slipping shut again. He stretches out next to you, massaging your ears until you’re in a deep sleep.

The moon sets in the early hours of the morning before the kids are up. Javi’s awakened to your sharp cry of pain as you transform back into human.

“Sorry,” you hiss. “Probably should have waited a bit longer to shift.”

Quickly, he sits up to see if the change worsened your injuries. “Stay still,” he says softly, not wanting you to move again until he’s examined you.

Thankfully, you don’t seem to have further damaged anything. The bite on your shoulder has a good scab on it and there’s no sign of inflammation. If he didn’t know better, he’d say it was several days old. The same for the scratches on your side and hip. You have a lot of bruises, as well, and they’re already yellowing.

“They’re healing, but you’re going to have to take it easy for a little while.”

You turn your head to look at your shoulder, grimacing. “That bastard took a real chunk out of me, didn’t he?”

Javi grabs the first aid kit to spread some antibiotic ointment on the wounds. It might not be needed, but it’ll make him feel better. “How did you get in a fight with a bear? You don’t normally hunt them, do you?”

“No. But I chased a buck into his territory and he stupidly decided to take me on. Usually, even a bear would run from me. Maybe there was something wrong with it. Maybe it’s because winter’s coming. Whatever the reason, he wanted me dead and he was big enough to put up a fight.”

Stomach clenching at the idea of you being attacked by a bear, Javi asks tightly, “Is it dead?”

“Made him my supper,” you say wryly.

He narrows his eyes at you. “You ate before coming back here? When you were so badly hurt?!”

“I needed fuel,” you say simply. “Can’t travel, transform or heal without it.”

He huffs, even if that’s a valid point. Then, he changes the subject, “Do you want me to make you a bed in the living room or do you want to go upstairs?”

You ponder for a beat. “Probably down here. My whole body hurts a lot,” you admit, looking like it embarrasses you to say so.

Javi kisses you lips. “Of course. Let me get your pjs, too.”

When he goes up to the master bedroom, the kids are still piled together on the bed in their Wolf forms. Careful not to wake them, he pulls your pajamas from the dresser and slips from the room. He wants you comfortable before they get involved.

Before long, you’re laying on the sofa with pillows, blankets and water. “I’m not going to be able to hunt tonight,” you fuss. “The triplets’ll need food.”

“I’ll buy meat for all of you. You don’t need to worry about that,” he reassures.

Their muffled voices can be suddenly heard from the bedroom.

You turn your head in that direction. “They’ve never seen me hurt like this.”

Javi runs a hand over your hair. “They’ll be okay.”

A moment later, the master bedroom door opens and three pairs of feet thunder down. Tallulah jumps off the fourth step from the bottom, landing gracefully. Bo and Astrid copy her.

“Good morning!” Javi smiles. “Come talk to me and your mama before we make breakfast.”

They bound over to the sofa, but their good energy quickly evaporates when they see your pain-tightened face. And Bo says worriedly, “You smell like blood.”

“Did you get hurt?” Tallulah asks, eyes scanning you. She can only see the few bruises your clothes don’t cover up.

“I’m going to be fine,” you soothe. “It was a bear, but he only hurt me in a few spots.”

Javi doesn’t believe brushing this off so quickly is in their best interest, so he elaborates, “Mama’s got some pretty nasty wounds and her body hurts a lot. In order for her to heal, she needs plenty of rest. Would you three be willing to help me support her?”

You open your mouth to protest, but the triplets nod earnestly.

Astrid, although misty-eyed, seems to take comfort from having a task. “Do you want some ice chips to suck on?” she asks you sweetly.

A genuine smile crosses your face for the first time that morning as you caress her cheek. “Some ice chips sound lovely, sweetheart.”

She trots off to the kitchen.

“Can I see where he hurt you?” Bo’s curiosity has taken over.

You carefully pull your shirt off your right shoulder to show him. “Here’s one spot.”

“Whoa!” he gasps, awed. “And you fought him off?”

“I did. He was my supper.”

Bo grins proudly at how powerful you are. It gives Javi some much-needed perspective. The fact that you were able to single-handedly kill a male Iberian bear is no small feat.

Tallulah’s peering closely at the wound. “You can see some of the teeth marks. It had teeth almost as big as yours, Mama!”

You chuckle. “He had very big teeth.”

Astrid returns, hands carefully cradling some ice cubes. “Here,” she beams, thrusting them at you.

Javi quickly goes to the kitchen for a bowl and give himself a private moment to giggle at how adorably funny the kids are being about all this.

When he returns, he says, “Astrid, let’s put the cubes in here so they don’t melt as fast.”

She drops them in before nestling the bowl on the couch by your head. Then, she joins Bo and Tallulah in their admiration of your wound.

Javi claps his hands together enthusiastically. “Okay, I need some assistants! Any volunteers?”

The children spin around to face him eagerly, all yelling, “Me!”

“I’m going to need one egg scrambler, one table setter, and one juice pourer.”

They dash into the kitchen, arguing loudly about who gets to do what.

“Thank you, Javi,” you sigh, a mixture of gratitude and apology in your voice.

He bends over to kiss you gently. “You are the queen today. You have four willing devotees at your service.”

You smile, abashed.

When a loud crash echoes from the other room, he straightens. “I’d better go see what that was…”

- - -

Thank you SO much for reading this story; I’d love to hear your thoughts! 🥰

Spanish Translations/Notes: Dios mío - my god Mi luz - my light Mi amor- my love

Javi Gutierrez Masterlist

Werewolf Masterlist

[bxcketbarnes]

Love in the Workplace

fPairing: Gardener!Bucky Barnes x Receptionist!Reader

Words: 4900+

Author's Note: I thought of this idea while staying at our hotel in California and it's the cutest fucking thing in the world. I love this. I hope you guys enjoy it as well! Let me know your thoughts!

"Sarah, I don't need this at seven in the morning," you tell your friend while adjusting your bag on your shoulder. You slam your car door shut, your eyes looking towards the entrance of the hotel.

Your breath hitches in your throat at the sight of the new gardener. "What is it?" Sarah asks you and you clear your throat before tearing your gaze from the man.

"Uh, nothing. I finally see the gardener that the hotel hired," you mention while walking closer to the place. "I gotta go."

Sarah bids you goodbye after telling you to let her know if something happens between the two of you. You shove your phone into your pocket and walk past him, your eyes glancing over his shirtless chest.

His blue eyes meet yours and you give him a shy smile with a wave. "G'Morning," he greets.

"Morning. First day?" You ask the man and a laugh leaves his lips.

"That noticeable?"

You bring your bottom lip between your teeth and shake your head. "Not at all. Just the first time I've seen you. I usually work every morning," you laugh and he smiles down at you.

"I'm Bucky," the brunette introduces and holds out his metal hand. You eye it carefully before smiling up at him. "Sorry, if my arm makes you uncomfortable."

"Oh, no, no. It's a real cool looking arm," you reassure him and Bucky lets out a chuckle.

His blue eyes look down at his vibranium arm after you let go, bringing your hand back down by your side. "Well, thank you. That's the first time I've heard that," Bucky mentions and you bite the inside of your cheek. "Hey, do these hydrangeas look alright?"

You adjust the bag on your shoulder and walk closer to him, inspecting the plants he planted. "They look really good. I love the colors," you tell him, and Bucky smiles while nodding his head.

"Good. Wanna make a good first impression," he explains and you chuckle, laying a hand on his metal arm.

"I'm pretty sure you've already made one if they hired you. The bosses are strict about hiring people."

Bucky runs a hand through his sweaty hair, your eyes raking down his shirtless body. God, he's attractive. You turn your head towards the front door of the hotel before glancing down at your watch, seeing it was almost eight in the morning.

"Well, I would love to stay and chat longer, Buck, but I've got to start my day," you mention and start to walk away from him. "I'll see you around."

The blue-eyed man nods his head and waves slightly. "See you around, doll."

Steve's head picks up when you step through the lobby doors and you smile softly at him. "Morning, Steve," you greet while stepping behind the receptionist desk. "Busy night?"

The blonde shakes his head and stands up from his chair, allowing you to sit down in it. "Not at all. It was extremely dead," Steve laughs and runs a hand through his hair.

You're about to say something when Bucky walks into the building, your eyes dancing over towards him. "Hey, Steve," he greets before his blue eyes meet yours. "Y/N."

A small blush covers your cheeks and you provide a small wave before sitting in the seat. Steve looks down at you, a smirk coming to his lips and you raise a finger before he can say anything.

"Hush!" You laugh and Steve joins in, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I didn't even say anything!" He laughs and you look up at him, narrowing your eyes playfully.

"No, but the smirk on your lips said everything."

Steve gathers his stuff while shaking his head as you sign into the computer. A customer walks up to the counter and you greet them happily as the blonde leans in towards your ear.

"Bucky's a great guy and single if you're interested," he informs you while you're looking up the woman's information, a blush covering your cheek.

You swat at him and another laugh leaves your lips. "Get out of here!" Steve chuckles and raises his hands in defense before leaving the hotel lobby. "I'm so sorry about that."

The woman in front of you waves her hand before mumbling, "it's alright."

"Gotta have fun on the job, am I right?" She grins and you nod your head in agreement, a smile coming to your lips.

-

Two Months Later...

"Tony, I really appreciate you allowing me to stay here until my gas leak gets fixed," you mention to your manager as the man fixes up a room key for you.

The older man smiles down at you and rests a hand on your shoulder. "Kid, I'd do anything for you. You've been with this hotel for years and you're so kind. I couldn't even bring myself to say no," he chuckles and you smile up at him.

"You guys are like my family and I appreciate everything you've done for me," you tell him while Tony hands you the key.

Tony ruffles your hair a bit before walking back towards his office. "Oh, I put you next to Barnes in case you have questions. Plus, I figured you enjoy a familiar face," he winks and you let out a groan.

Of course, he put me next to Bucky. Smug bastard. You gently bite your lip while heading towards the elevator, pressing the button to call it. "Way to be so obvious about your feelings, Y/N," you say to yourself with a sigh, running a hand through your hair.

"Are you talking about your crush on Bucky?" A familiar voice asks you and you jump, placing a hand on your chest before glancing to your left.

Steve and Natasha stand in the archway where the two elevators sit, smirks on both of their lips. "Jesus, you two," you groan as they walk over to you. "What are you doing here?"

Nat ruffles her hair a bit before glancing towards Steve. "Steve and I are going on a date. I'm picking him up," she mentions and a gasp leaves your lips.

"No fucking way?!" Your eyes dance between the two of them and Steve's cheeks blush a bit. "That's incredible. I've only been shipping it for almost six months."

The three of you let out a chuckle before Steve pipes up. "Yeah, well, when are you going to ask out Bucky?"

The laughter dies on your lips and you bring your lip between your teeth. "Shut up," you scoff while rolling your eyes. "I'm not going to ask him out because he doesn't feel that way about me."

Both Steve and Natasha give you a look before the redhead rubs her hands along her face. "Sweetheart, that boy is crushing on you just as hard as you are for him," she mentions and your cheeks flush.

"Go enjoy your date," you tell them before pressing the button to the elevator once more.

The door opens immediately and you step inside, giving your friends one last grin. You press the floor your room is on and watch the elevator doors close before letting out a deep breath.

You adjust your grip on your suitcase and pile out of the elevator when it opens back up. You run into someone, muttering out a quick apology before glancing up at the person. Your breath hitches in your throat as Bucky stands in front of you, his bare torso staring you in the face.

"Bucky," you breathe out and the blue-eyed man glances down at you, "h-hi."

"Hey, doll," Bucky smiles and the two of you stand in the middle of the elevator door.

You swallow thickly as your eyes flicker from his eyes to his chest. "S-Sorry, let me just-" you cut yourself off and move around him, your shoulder brushing against his arm.

"Are you staying here?" The man questions and you look down towards your luggage before nodding your head.

"I, uh, yeah. My apartment has a gas leak, so Tony's letting me stay here for a week or so."

Bucky wets his lips and adjusts the towel in his hands. "I'm going down to the pool for a little bit… would you- would you want to join me?" He asks and your heart beats quickly in your chest.

"Y-Yeah. Yeah, I'll be down in about five minutes," you stutter and give the man a shy smile.

He bites his lip for a few seconds before standing in the elevator, keeping his eyes on you. "Great. I'll see you in a few," Bucky says while the elevator doors shut.

"Yeah…" you trail off as your cheeks blush heavily.

You continue making your way to your hotel room, silently hyping yourself up with each step. You place the keycard into the slot before pushing your way into the room. You set your suitcase onto the bed and open it before grabbing your bikini.

After changing into your swimsuit, you grab a towel from the bathroom along with your keycard before making your way back downstairs. You chew on your bottom lip while walking towards the pool area, seeing Bucky sitting in the hot tub.

You insert your key and open the gate, giving the blue-eyed man a small wave. You set your stuff down beside his before heading towards him. You adjust your red top as Bucky's eyes look you up and down.

"Cute top," he mumbles while draping his arms across the edge of the spa.

"Thank you," you chuckle shyly and sits down across from him. "So, how come you're staying here?"

Bucky lets out a laugh and moves his hands through the bubbly water before rubbing his face. "Well, my ex broke up with me a week ago and I happened to be living in her apartment. Tony let me stay here until I can get my own place," he explains and you frown slightly.

"Oh, I'm sorry," you apologize and Bucky shakes his head, mumbling that it was alright. "But, it was nice of Tony to let you stay here until you're on your feet."

"Yeah, it was. Which room are you in?"

A blush dusts your cheeks and you tuck a strand of hair behind your ear. "I'm next door to you. Tony thought it'd be nice to have a familiar face beside me," you laugh awkwardly while looking away from him.

Bucky smirks at you while wiggling his eyebrows. "This'll be fun. We'll be great neighbors," he grins and you roll your eyes playfully while standing up from your seat.

"Shut up," you tell him with a laugh and Bucky watches you step out of the hot tub.

You feel his eyes on you as you walk closer to the steps of the pool, making eye contact with him as you descend into the cool water. Bucky suddenly gets up and makes his way into the pool, jumping in immediately and you release a quiet squeal.

Bucky swims up to you and you take a couple of steps back as he resurfaces. "Well, that was quite rude," you joke and the man suddenly shakes his head, rouge water droplets hitting you. "Bucky! That's cold!"

He hums in response and splashes you playfully. "Oh, come on, it's warm!"

"It's not!" You squeal some more and take a couple of more steps back. Bucky walks closer to you, reaching his hands out before capturing you in his grasp.

His arms wrap around your waist and Bucky holes you against his chest while carrying you into the deeper area of the pool. You wrap your arms around his neck, your chest pressed against the man's face.

"Well, I can die happy now," Bucky jokes and you smack the back of his head, rolling your eyes at him again.

"You're such a guy," you laugh, attempting to get out of his grasp. "Can you put me down now?"

The blue-eyed man looks up at you through his lashes, your breath hitching in his throat as the pool lights shine on his face. "I quite like you like this," he whispers, and your heart pounds against your chest, feeling your cheeks heat up.

Bucky brings a hand to your face and his fingers graze against your cheek. Your eyes flutter shut while resting your forehead against his. He moves his fingers into your hair, gripping softly while slowly reducing the distance between your lips.

Your lips brush against his when a loud voice calls out to both of you. "Hey! The pool's closed!"

The brunette sighs, feeling his breath fanning your lips before pulling away from you. "Sam, it's just us!" Bucky yells and you glance towards the gate to see the man standing on the other side of it.

"Oh, hey guys!" Sam greets with a smile before opening the gate to the pool. "What are you two doin' out here so late?"

"Just hanging out," you tell him while prying yourself out of Bucky’s grasp. "I need to get going anyway. G'Night, Buck."

"Goodnight, Y/N," he mumbles and watches you walk out of the pool. Sam bids you goodnight as you gather your things before heading into the hotel. "Dude, what the fuck!?"

Bucky moves to smack Sam, causing the younger guy to wince away from him. "What?! She said you guys were hanging out! You're too chickenshit to do anything anyway!"

A sigh leaves his lips and Bucky runs a hand over his face. "Well, I'll have you know that we were just about to kiss," he explains while pushing himself out of the water.

"Oh, shit. Sorry, dude," Sam apologizes and Bucky shakes his head. "Go get her! Don't let me stop you."

The brunette wets his lips before nodding his head, quickly gathering his things before running inside. Bucky finds himself standing outside of her door, bringing his hand up to the wooden structure before knocking loud enough for her to hear.

"Y/N? Y/N?" Bucky calls out and rests his forehead against the door. "Goddamn it."

The door in front of him suddenly opens and Bucky catches himself before falling into your room. "Bucky?" You laugh, placing a hand on his shoulder while your other hand keeps the towel wrapped around you. "What are you doing here?"

His blue eyes widen at the sight of you, feeling his cheeks flush. "I, uh-" he cuts himself off as Bucky begins to rub the back of his neck. "I just wanna say sorry… for uh, what happened in the pool."

You furrow your eyebrows in confusion while leaning against the doorframe. "For what?" You ask him and Bucky's Adam's apple bobs in his throat.

"Just… uh, just in case I made you uncomfortable," Bucky explains and you chuckle softly, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear.

"You didn't make me uncomfortable, Bucky," you giggle and the man lets out a small sigh, nodding his head in reply.

You bite your lip gently as you watch the man in front of you, tapping your fingers against the frame. "Good, good. I'll let you get back to whatever you're doing," he mentions and you nod once before Bucky walks away from you.

"Goodnight, Bucky!" You call out to him, seeing the man give you a small wave before he walks into his hotel room.

Bucky rests his head against the door, a sigh leaving his lips while he quietly curses. He runs his metal hand through his hair when his phone begins to vibrate. Sam's name is flashed across the screen and the man picks it up before answering immediately.

"So?! How'd it go?!" Sam asks and Bucky groans in response, moving to sit on the edge of the bed.

"I- I panicked," he mentions and Sam laughs loudly. "Shut up, Sam."

It takes a minute before Sam finally stops laughing. "I told you that you're too chickenshit, Buck," he reminds Bucky and the blue-eyed man rolls his eyes.

"You know… I hate you," Bucky says before hanging up the phone, tossing it beside him.

-

"So, how did last night go?" Steve suddenly asks you. Natasha smacks his chest and the man lets out a deep yelp. "What?! We were both wondering!"

You look from Steve to Natasha, your eyebrows furrowed in confusion as you step behind the reception desk. "It was good? I didn't do much so I don't know why you two are asking," you mention while stuffing your work bag in the little compartment.

"Well, we happen to have watched the camera footage of you and Buck in the pool," Natasha explains and your cheeks blush, a groan leaving your lips.

"Oh, fuck off. Of course, that's why y'all are nosy," you sigh while rolling your eyes. "Nothing happened."

Steve gives you a look and you cross your arms over your chest. "Come on. You have to be lying," he argues.

A laugh leaves your lips and you lean back in your chair before crossing your legs over one another. "It's the truth. If Sam didn't interrupt then something might've happened," you smirk and the two run a hand over their faces.

"Fucking Sam," Natasha mutters and leans down to press a kiss on Steve's cheek. "I have to go, but I'll see you later."

You smile at the two, finding them to be extremely adorable together. "I take it that the date went well?" You chuckle and Steve nods his head grazing his fingers along Natasha's hip.

"Very well, thank you," Nat grins and places a hand on your shoulder before walking around the desk. "Now it's your turn. Go after Barnes."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," you laugh while shooing the woman away. The phone on your desk begins to ring and you pick it up. "Hello, how can I help?"

You can hear a bunch of kids yelling in the background before a woman starts talking. "Hi, yes, I would like to file a complaint on your gardener," she says and your lips part slightly, allowing her to continue, "he's standing outside our window in nothing but a pair of shorts and we don't need our children seeing that."

"I totally understand, ma'am," you mumble while rolling your eyes at how ridiculous she sounds. "Here's what I'll do. I'll head out and politely ask him to put his shirt on, okay?"

"I would love that. Thank you so much," the woman states, not giving you a chance to say anything else before hanging up the phone.

You blink a few times, thinking about the interaction that just happened. "What in the fuck?" You ask yourself out loud, Steve humming in response to you. 

"What?"

"I- This woman called and was complaining that Bucky's not wearing a fucking shirt. It's like ninety-five degrees out," you sigh while pushing yourself off of the chair.

Steve lets out a laugh while resting his hand over his chest. You roll your eyes playfully as the blonde practically dies of laughter. "Oh my god, you're serious? What the hell," he breathes out.

"You're telling me. I'll be right back. Gotta tell him to put his shirt on," you inform him while starting to walk out the hotel doors.

You tuck a strand behind your ear as you make your way around the building, looking for Bucky. You round the corner and see him planting some flowers, the man is sitting on his knees while wiping the sweat off his forehead.

"Hey, Buck," you greet him and he whips his head towards you, a smile coming to his lips.

"Hiya, doll. What do I owe the pleasure?" Bucky laughs and you glance up to see the woman who called the front desk staring at the two of you.

Bucky looks up at you again after not hearing anything, seeing your eyes looking above you. "Uhm, she called the front desk and complained about you working without a shirt on," you explain to him.

"You're joking?" He asks and you shake your head, crossing your arms over your chest. "It's fucking hot out here. Does she expect me to wear a shirt?"

"Well, I told her I would come out here and politely ask you to put it on," you sigh and Bucky cranes his neck, his own sigh leaving his lips. "Just keep it on until you leave this area, please? I really don't want to have to file a complaint about this. She's just being ridiculous."

"Okay, I will," Bucky mentions while grabbing the shirt that sits on the sidewalk, throwing it over his head. You give him a small smile and pat his chest before starting to walk back towards the entrance. "Hey, Y/N?"

You stop in your tracks and glance over your shoulder, seeing a smile on the man's lips. "Yeah?" You ask softly and Bucky walks over to you, his blue eyes casting down at you.

"Are… Do you want to do something tonight?" He asks and you can feel your cheeks heat up. "If you're up for it anyway."

A smile comes to your lips as you tangle your fingers, walking closer to him. "I can see if I can free up my schedule," you joke with a playful wink, causing the man to laugh in response.

Bucky wets his lips and rests his hands on his hips before shaking his head. "Well, if it does you know where to find me," he grins.

You hum while pressing your lips together, feeling your heart fluttering in your chest. "I'll see you around, Buck. Stay hydrated."

That night, you're swimming on your back while staring up at the stars, seeing an occasional plane coming in for a landing every so often. The sound of the gate opening captures your attention and you move your head in the direction of the noise.

"Hey, stranger," Bucky grins while setting his towel down beside yours.

A laugh escapes your lips as you swim towards the corner of the pool before leaning your arms on the warm concrete. "Hiya," you smile up at him, watching the blue-eyed God whisk his shirt off.

Bucky walks over to you before lowering himself into the water, splashing you slightly. "You weren't bothered by that woman anymore were you?" He asks you and you raise an eyebrow.

"Buck, I think I should be the one to ask you that," you laugh and the man wets his lips, shrugging his shoulders in response. "But, to answer your question, no."

"That's good. She was definitely a bitch," he mentions and you scoff, nodding your head in agreement.

You press your back against the curved wall, your body facing Bucky's as his large hands brush along your legs. "I don't get her problem. I totally wouldn't mind a very attractive man working outside my window," you tell him, causing Bucky to glance towards you.

"Oh?" He draws out and your cheeks heat up, realizing what you had just said. "So, you think I'm attractive?"

"I-" you cut yourself off as Bucky's hands grip your legs before swiftly pulling you closer to him. You let out a squeal and rest your hands on his shoulders, Bucky guiding your legs so they're wrapped around his waist.

You can feel your heart pounding against your chest as both of your faces are inches apart. You swallow thickly as Bucky looks up at you through his lashes. "Answer the question, doll," he whispers, feeling his fingers glide up the back of your thighs.

You lick your lips before biting it gently, your fingers moving to card through his hair. "I… I might think you're attractive," you tell him softly while adjusting your position on him.

Bucky grins widely and leans against the wall of the pool, fingers inching closer to your ass. "Good news is that I might find you attractive as well," he mutters and your heart flutters.

"You do?" You whisper and Bucky nods his head in response. The blue-eyed man brings his face closer to yours, your breath hitching when your noses brush against one another's.

Butterflies soar around your stomach when his lips connect with yours, your fingers gripping his hair gently. Your free hand rests on his cheek as you kiss him back. Bucky pulls away from you after a minute or so, resting his forehead on yours.

"You're so breathtaking," he whispers before pressing a few more kisses to your lips. You let out a few giggles while Bucky wraps his arms around your waist, twirling you around the pool. "Do you wanna get dinner tomorrow night?"

"Of course I do," you tell him and kiss the tip of his nose. "Do you want to go out or just have dinner in one of our rooms?"

Bucky brings one of his hands to your face, stroking your cheek before pulling you in again. A short moan escapes your lips as he kisses you passionately, your nails digging slightly into his shoulders.

"I want to take you out, doll," he mutters against your lips and your cheeks blush. Bucky trails his lips up your jaw, a shudder running down your spine when he whispers into your ear. "You can get all dressed up and I can bring you to your favorite restaurant."

Your grip on him tightens as he continues to play out your date. You swallow thickly when Bucky's lips move down your neck, nipping at your skin softly. "B-Bucky…" you trail off and the man pulls away from you before looking up at you. "If you keep going I'm not gonna want you to stop."

Bucky pokes his tongue out, wetting his lips before reducing the distance between your faces once again. A loud crash stops the two of you from kissing, both your heads snapping in the direction of the noise.

"Goddamn it, Steve," you hear Natasha scold the tall blonde and you roll your eyes.

Of course. You think to yourself while detaching yourself from Bucky. "Hey, assholes!" You call out with a chuckle and the two of them suddenly stand up, their heads poking over the top of the fence. "Enjoy the show?"

"We did until someone fell over," Nat mumbles as you make your way out of the pool, Bucky following closely behind you.

You wrap your towel around your body, shaking your head at the two of them. "Well, glad you enjoyed the show. If you'll excuse us," you laugh and grab Bucky's hand, leading him away from the pool area.

"Use protection!" Natasha calls out and your cheeks flush, feeling Bucky's fingers lace with yours.

"I'm sorry about them," you apologize while glancing back at the brunette, seeing a stupid grin on his lips.

Bucky shakes his head and catches up to you, dropping your hand before wrapping his arm around your shoulder. "It's alright, doll. I know how Steve can be," he chuckles while you wrap your arm around his waist.

-

A knock on your door wakes you up, a small groan leaving your lips as the sun shines directly into your room. You shield your eyes before looking around the room, seeing the television still on from last night.

"Y/N? Are you awake?" Sam's voice comes through the door and you rub your eyes while throwing the blankets off of you.

You quickly grab your sleep shorts off of the floor, pulling them up before making your way towards the door. "What's going on?" You ask in a groggy tone, looking up at the man in front of you.

Sam chuckles and notices the shirt you're wearing. "Do you know where Bucky is?" He asks and you furrow your brows, glancing towards his door and Sam speaks up before you have the chance to. "He's not in there. Already tried."

"I-" you cut yourself off and shake your head, not remembering if he works today or not. "I have no idea."

Your friend smirks down at you and reaches out towards your shirt. "Well, this is Bucky's shirt. Maybe he's in your room?" Sam assumes and your cheeks heat up while your eyes snap down towards your clothes.

You are indeed wearing Bucky's shirt and you desperately try to remember what happened after the two of you left the pool. Your fingers comb through your hair as you glance back into the room.

"Well, look, if you see him just tell him that I'm looking for him, okay?" Sam mentions and you nod your head.

You close the door after Sam walks away and steps back into the bedroom area. Your heart pounds against your chest as you see Bucky sleeping on the left side of your bed.

The blue-eyed man shifts his sleeping position as you crawl onto the bed, gently running your fingers up his spine. "Buck?" You whisper loud enough for him to hear and he lets out a groan in response.

A chuckle leaves your lips as he turns his head towards you, his eyes opening a bit. "Yeah?" He mutters huskily, causing your heart to flutter at the sound.

"What are you still doing here?" You wet your lips as Bucky turns onto his back, his metal hand resting on his stomach.

"I must've fallen asleep," Bucky mentions and runs his flesh hand through his hair. "Sorry about that."

You shake your head and grab his metal hand, playing with his fingers. "It's quite alright, actually," you grin and Bucky does as well, dropping his hand onto your thigh. "It's been a while since I've cuddled with a man."

Bucky hums and drags his thumb across your inner thigh. "Yeah, me too. Well, with a woman… not a man," he snorts and you let out a loud laugh, covering your mouth with your hand.

"You're fucking ridiculous," you giggle while shaking your head.

"Yeah, well, you love it," Bucky grins and you softly bite your bottom lip.

"That I do, Bucky, that I do."

-

Taglist: @jessalyn-jpeg​ @queen-of-mischief​ @bumblebet-20​ @thewxntersoldier​

[ashintheairlikesnow]

Christmas Specials: Jake and Kauri

Honestly, this is mostly just some genuinely sharp pining and yearning.

“Merry Christmas.”

The box, small and light, drops onto the kitchen table with a sound more like a tap than a thud. Jake blinks down at it, cheerfully wrapped in a bright cacophony of rainbow colors in vaguely ornament-like shapes. Jake sets his coffee mug slowly down, steam curling up into the air, particles of dust briefly visible floating through the beams of early morning light.

Kauri hasn’t slept, and it’s clear - his hair is still mussed, he’s wearing clothes from the night before, that particular look of shadowed satisfaction he has after a night well-wasted. Red-rimmed eyes and the slightest wince at the sun coming in through the curtains, and still… still, he’s Kauri, and Jake’s glad to see him.

“Not Christmas yet,” Jake offers, carefully casual. If his eyes are on Kauri’s too long, neither one of them mention it. Kauri smells like cigarette smoke and another man’s cologne, and he doesn’t smoke so Jake knows that means he’s been with someone who does. “You’re up early, Kaur.”

“At what point,” Kauri asks, with the air of a philosopher posing a question for the ages, “Does it stop being up late and begins being up early?”

“When it’s 7 o’clock in the fucking morning, you’re pretty safely at up early. What brought you by?”

Kauri shrugs, pouring himself a cup of coffee. The house creaks around them, ancient bones settling into the foundation. There’s the telltale squeak of the spot just outside the bathroom door, and then the sound of water rushing through pipes. Chris, in the shower, Jake thinks. Antoni steps around the spot on the floor that squeaks. Leila moved out, and they haven’t gotten anyone new for her old room yet.

“I just decided to,” Kauri says, yawning, and something about the way his eyes close makes him look like a sleepy kitten, rumpled and ready to simply list to the side until he collapses. “Had this to give you.”

“I have something for you, too, but I haven’t wrapped it.”

Kauri blinks, pouring peppermint mocha creamer into the coffee cup and topping it off with plain milk. He turns and leans back against the counter, sipping, and the way he smiles a little at the taste of the coffee makes Jake’s chest twist in an anxiety he can name but can’t afford to linger on. “You got me a present?”

Kauri sounds so fucking surprised that it hurts.

Do you really think so little of yourself?

“Of course I did. So did Chris, and Nat, and Antoni.”

Kauri lets out his breath, disbelieving, shaking his head with a half-grin. “I don’t know why. I can’t have anything that doesn’t fit in my backpack.”

“I mean, you could stay-”

“No.” Kauri cuts him off. “No. I can’t.”

“Fair. But I think everyone got you stuff that you can carry with you easy. Plus I think Nat got Keira something, but don’t ask me what. What you buy for a fucking Roomba is beyond me.” Jake watches the way Kauri relaxes back into the easy joking, the more sensitive minefield of simply being cared for avoided for now. “I’ll be right back, then we can exchange, yeah? Just us, first.”

“Yeah.” Kauri gives him that cockeyed grin again, turns to look out the window. The sky is a riot of purples and pinks as the sun slowly rises on a California December. The only change is that it’ll start raining soon, and Kauri wears a sweater sometimes.

Jake pushes himself to his feet, ducking his head as usual to avoid knocking it on the top of the doorframe, heading up the stairs with the solid creaks from the old steps that are as much a part of the house as the pictures Nat keeps on the wall. Chris meets him coming out of the shower, towel-drying his longish hair - he’s growing it out, he says, and it has the slightest curl against the back of his neck and under his ears - and wearing all his clothes already.

With some of the rescues, it’s a sign they still didn’t feel safe, when they took all their clothes into the bathroom and never let their skin be seen. With Chris, as with most Romantics, it’s the opposite. He feels safe enough to know he can make himself comfortable any way he wants. Not feeling like he needs to show skin is a sign of security for him.

“Hey, hey Jake,” Chris says, one green eye covered by the pastel purple towel. “Did, did I hear you, um, you talking to, to-... is, is breakfast-”

“Can you chill up here for a sec?” Jake interrupts him, voice pitched low. At Chris’s confusion, he says softly, “I just… want to do something. Give me ten minutes, yeah? Then I’ll start on breakfast and you can come down.”

“Um, oh-okay,” Chris says, frowning, but he slips into the room he shares with Antoni, and Jake heads for his own room, digging out Kauri’s gift from underneath a carefully arranged pile of basically trash papers in his desk drawer. Hidden, like Kauri was a kid who still believed in Santa.

Hidden, like Jake didn’t want to explain what he did to anyone but Kauri, and definitely didn’t want to explain why.

He heads back downstairs with the gift carefully slipped into his back pocket, unseen until he wants Kauri to know. Ducks his head again - and Jake has been ducking to avoid doorframes since he was sixteen, he thinks, or eighteen maybe - and finds Kauri right where he left him, still sipping his coffee, lost in thought.

Warm gold light edges his mussed-up black curls, sets off the blue of his eyes when he turns to look at Jake. Lights his smile a little, too. Jake’s eyes catch the barest hint of a flash of bare skin at his stomach, where shirt hem and low-slung jeans meet. 

“Want to do yours first?” Jake asks, and his voice sounds airy to him, but Kauri doesn’t seem to notice.

“Nah. You open yours, then I’ll do mine.” Kauri gives a smooth shrug, effortlessly graceful. Or maybe it hadn’t been effortless, before it’d been beaten into him until he couldn’t be anything else. 

Jake nods, slowly, and sits down, carefully shifting his weight not to put any on the phone, and takes the box in hand. He rips open a seam very slowly and shifts the box out, then folds the wrapping paper and sets it to the side. 

He catches Kauri watching him, eyebrows furrowed again and glances up. 

“Why-... why didn’t you just tear it?” Kauri points at the folded square, as neat as origami. “Why did you do that? It’s like 15 cents of paper.”

Jake shrugs, running his fingers over the smooth, plain brown box the size of his palm, mostly flat. “We always saved wrapping paper to use the next year, when I was a kid. It’s just a habit, guess I never lost it. What’s in here?”

“Open the box and see.” Kauri holds his mug in both hands, giving him a pleased little smile, and not for the first time, Jake thinks, if I’d met you any other way…

He opens the box. Inside, there’s three gift cards, slightly shiny, and Jake looks each one over, blinking, before he looks up. “This is… the Mitchells Center downtown, the Blue Martini, and… Holden’s Harbor… Kauri, this is-... what is this?”

“A date.” Kauri bites down on his lower lip, looking at Jake over his mug, and his eyes are sparkling bright. Jake almost opens his mouth to say, I’m so sorry, we can’t do that, we just can’t, when Kauri quickly adds, “For you and Addie.”

Jake’s protest dies, unspoken. “For… for Addie?”

“Yeah. You’ve been talking for months about saving up for a big anniversary thing, and then, you know, I heard you say you were giving Nat a bunch of your money when the pipe burst and the basement flooded, so…” He shrug, again. “I didn’t want you to miss out on your date. And I remembered you said she likes that bar, the Blue Martini, I know the bartender there-”

You know everyone, everywhere.

“-so he’s gonna give you drinks half-price, just tell me the night and I’ll let him know. Then Holden’s Harbor, that’s the big one, but I’m friends with a waiter and the hostess is going to give you a table that looks over the Bay, she’s fun, I partied with her a few week ago. And then… the Mitchells Center is doing Hadestown, and you said that’s Addie’s big thing right now. So. Happy anniversary.” 

Jake is, for a moment, utterly speechless. “Kauri this is like-... three hundred dollars of-... you can’t possibly-”

“Four. But don’t worry about it. I had a bunch of really good weeks a couple months ago and I don’t spend much money, anyway. Is it good? Do you think?”

Jake just stares at the gift cards for a second, swallowing around a lump in his throat, a tightening threatening to take his voice. “It’s, um.” His voice cracks a little and he has to clear his throat to recover it. “It’s amazing, Kaur. Thank you. Um… like I said, I didn’t have time to wrap it, but…” He pulls the gift out of his back pocket and lays it out on the table between them.

Kauri steps forward, setting his mug down. “What-... a new phone? Thanks, I-”

“Yeah, but, um, that’s not what’s important. Just…” Jake picks the phone up, and it feels like such a dumb thing, now, what he did, but he powers through it. The phone isn’t locked yet, and it’s easy to pull up the apps and folders, select one, and open it up. He slides the phone closer. “Pick one of those, and click it.”

Kauri looks down, and Jake looks with him. It’s a file folder open to a bunch of sound files, each one labeled with an emoji rather than words. A heart, a broken heart, a smile, a sad face. A gravestone. A tree. A cat.

His finger hovers, and then taps deliberately over the heart. A line of options pops up, each one punctuated with new emojis. The one Kauri picks is marked with a face that has blue eyes and black hair, a leaf, and a flower.

“I swear,” A voice - Jake’s voice - comes out of the phone’s speaker, “since seeing Your face, the whole world is fraud and fantasy. The garden is bewildered as to what is leaf or blossom. The distracted birds can’t distinguish the birdseed from the snare.”

“What is this?” Kauri’s voice is hushed, and uncertain. He almost sounds scared. But he doesn’t stop the recording. 

“A house of love with no limits,” The voice continues, “A presence more beautiful than Venus or the moon. A beauty whose image fills the mirror of the heart. The Divani Shamsi Tabriz XV.”

Jake clears his throat again. “That’s, um, Rumi.”

Kauri’s breath catches in his throat, and he looks for a second like he’ll pick another choice, then pulls his hand back, looking up at Jake wide-eyed. “You… recorded poetry? For my Christmas present?”

“Yeah.” Jake licks at his lips, his heart pounding for reasons he can’t really explain to himself, or maybe just doesn’t want to. “You, um, you quote-... you quote shit all the time, so I started looking it up, and it’s almost always… poetry. So I figured, maybe, um, maybe-... you liked that shit, you know? And you shouldn’t have to… not get it, just because you can’t read yet. So I recorded, um, like… two hundred poems or something?”

Kauri opens his mouth to speak, closes it again. 

“Oh my God,” is all he says. His voice cracks.

Jake’s chest twists, nervous, he finds himself tapping his foot on the floor, twisting fingers into his pajama pants. 

Kauri leans over and pushes another poem, in a sudden burst of movement like he wants to stop himself and can’t. “Sometimes, I think you get the worst of me.” Jake’s voice is softer on this poem, and it’s uncomfortable listening to himself read this. Why did Kauri choose the love poems? “The much-loved loose forest-green sweatpants, the long bra-less days, hair knotted and uncivilized, a shadowed brow where the devilish thoughts do their hoofed dance on the brain.”

“This is Ada Limon,” Kauri whispers.

“I’d like to say this means I love you, the stained white cotton T-shirt, the tears, pistachio shells, the mess of orange peels on my desk, but it’s different than that. I move in this house with you, the way I move in my mind, unencumbered by beauty’s cage.”

“You, uh, mentioned her one day when Nat was listening to NPR-”

“Ssshhhh,” Kauri says, holding up a hand, as Jake’s recorded voice keeps reading.

“I do like I do in the tall grass, more animal-me than much else. I’m wrong, it is that I love you, but it’s more that when you say it back, lights out, a cold wind through curtains, for maybe the first time in my life, I believe it. Ada Limon, Love Poem With Apologies for My Appearance.”

There’s a long silence broken only by Kauri’s harsh breathing, and Jake watches tears build in his wide blue eyes. He’s done something wrong, somehow. It had seemed like a good gift but he’s ruined it, somehow it wasn’t right at all, it wasn’t-

“Thank you, this is-... this is amazing,” Kauri says. Barely words. More just a breath.

Some part of Jake had been tense and coiled to turn in on himself in anger. That part, at the words, relaxes. “You’re welcome. Is it-... is it good, or…”

“You, um-... you fucking heard, some shit I said, and you-... got me something, I just...” Kauri’s hands move nervously, over himself and over the back of the chair, to the phone, back up to his hair. He meets Jake’s eyes, and his brim with tears and Jake feels his own heating up in response. “You just… I, I don’t-... no one’s ever done anything like this for me.”

“Really?”

“I m-mean, not that I know of anyway.” The joke falls flat, Kauri’s voice is too full of tears. Kauri picks up the phone like it’s a precious object that might shatter or disappear, holds it with reverent hands. Swallows and looks at Jake like he’s seeing him for the first time. “I didn’t-... know you listened to me so much.”

“‘Course I do. Merry Christmas,” Jake says, voice maybe a little thick, buried in the things they don’t say to each other. “Merry Christmas, Kauri.”

Kauri pours himself another cup of coffee, and Jake lets out a breath he hadn’t known he was holding at the sign that Kauri will stay a little longer. 

With his back to Jake and the phone still clutched in one hand, Kauri says, “Merry Christmas, Jake.”

They both pretend that Kauri’s voice isn’t shaking.

---

Tagging: @burtlederp , @finder-of-rings , @endless-whump , @whumpfigure , @slaintetowhump , @astrobly @newandfiguringitout , @doveotions , @pretty-face-breaker , @boxboysandotherwhump , @oops-its-whump @moose-teeth , @cubeswhump , @cupcakes-and-pain @whump-tr0pes @whumpiary

[slasherbastard]

May I ask for 31, 41, and 52 from the prompts for either Vincent or Brahms, whoever you want to choose. I hope you're doing well:))

(gif credit: stabhappyslashers)

Warning: Self Harm, Angst, Swearing,  Word count: 2120 Notes: Trigger warning,, this work is mostly about self harm so if you’re uncomfortable please don’t read it. Also “Y/N” is gender neutral in this

A string of curses fell from Vincent’s mouth as the shower water hit his thighs, stinging as the water fell in a light shade of an orangey-red. He tried to ignore the pain as he grabbed some shampoo and massaged it through his hair, trying to promise himself that this would be the last time - but that’s what he’d said last time. Vincent doesn’t fully know what caused his relapse but here he was assuming it was stress. The stress of expanding the wax museum to the whole town, although it’s a team effort it was still hard when he was the one making sure the figures looked human enough. It was also hard when Bo criticised everything Vince did, especially when he was still learning.

“What the hell is that? They’re supposed to look real, not like whatever that is. Do it again.”

There were times when Vincent wished he could talk back to his brother but even if he could he knew Bo wouldn’t have it and the scars would be worse. Vincent bit his cheek and groaned in pain as a sharp sting came from his leg again, moving himself so that only his head was hitting the water, a few drops trickling down his body and narrowly avoiding the scars. He had his eye tightly shut so he could also avoid seeing the scars that littered his upper thighs, they repulsed him but it was too late and they didn’t look like scratches that would fade in a few weeks or a few days if he was lucky.

Half an hour later he was out of the shower and trying to avoid staring at his legs as he slipped on a pair of sweatpants. Looking up and catching a glimpse of himself in the mirror made him freeze for a few seconds, he stared at the chunks of hair sticking to the scarred side of his face and pushed it behind his ear. He felt nothing but pure disgust as he stared into that foggy mirror at himself, how could someone ever love someone as disgusting as me? It scared him to think like that but he couldn't help it. He really couldn't see what you saw in him, he's a cold hearted killer and you're possibly the nicest person he's ever met - although the bar is pretty low, Vincent's definition of a nice person is someone who doesn't treat him the way his brother treats him, like shit. The only person’s company that Vincent enjoyed was yours. Ever since his parent's passing and being stuck in a town where the only person who could tolerate him was his abusive twin brother, Vincent felt so alone - that was until he met you. He really couldn't believe that someone like you existed, but what would you think if you found out about his secret?

A sudden knock on the bathroom door interrupted Vincent’s thoughts. He stepped out and grabbed a towel and quickly wrapped it around his waist as he waited for his brother to bang on the door and yell at him for not answering straight away but instead, he heard your voice. “Vincent?”

He opened the bathroom door and smiled as your face came into view. “Hey Vince, are you coming to bed soon?"

"S-Soon." He managed to get out, Y/N smiled at Vincent and leaned in, kissing him through the space in the door before leaving him to finish getting ready for bed. Vincent closed the door and his smile faded out. He took one last look in the mirror before and left, catching up to you as you finished descending the stairs.

---

You fell beside Vincent and he melted into your chest as you stroked his hair, he pulled the blankets over the two of you and snuggled up closer to you. "Hey Vincent?" Vincent looked up at you and made a 'mhmm' noise. "I don't want to seem like I'm rushing things but are we ever going to- you know, do it?"

Vincent widened his eyes and you quickly began apologising until he held up a hand and let out a mumbled laugh. "Okay. It's okay." He paused and tried to collect his words but he struggled. He didn't want to say yes because he knew you'd be disgusted by him and his scars, but if he said no then you'd be hurt and possibly leave him. Either way, one of you was gonna hurt. Vincent let go of you. "Tired."

"Oh. Uh, goodnight." You fisted the blanket and pulled it close for warmth before almost instantly falling asleep while Vincent laid there, questioning the choice he made and the things you said. Did you really want to have sex with him? No, that can't be. Vincent watched you sleep beside him as he moved a hand down to his leg and pressed down on his left upper thigh through his sweatpants and winced, quickly glancing up at you to make sure you were still asleep. He removed his hand and continued to watch you as his eyes began to drop and he fell asleep beside you.

The next morning Vincent woke up alone. He pulled himself out of bed and slipped on one a sweater that was lying on the floor and headed upstairs to the kitchen where you were making breakfast. "Vince! I'm making bacon and eggs, come on!" Vincent joined you in the kitchen and got out enough plates and utensils for three and set everything up on counter. "Oh, Bo isn't here. He's out looking for trouble." You let out a laugh and brought the pan over to the counter and dropped the food onto two of the plates before putting the pan in the sink and dousing it in water.

The two of you ate mostly in silence except for the occasional crunch from the bacon. "About last night-" You both looked up at as the front door opened and Bo walked in. "Hey Bo, I didn't realise you'd be back this early. Do you want me to make you some breakfast?"

"Nope, I'm just here to grab some supplies n' then I'm gone again."

You waited until Bo had disappeared upstairs before turning back to Vincent. "I-I can wait if you're not ready, it really doesn't bother me." Vincent just nodded in response and continued eating, thinking about the interaction between you and Bo. He just knew that you liked Bo more than him, it was so fucking obvious. Vincent finished his breakfast before you and dumped his plate and utensils in the sink just as Bo was coming downstairs holding a duffle bag. Vincent stepped out in front of Bo and stared at him. "What'cha want, freak?" Bo chuckled to himself and stepped to the side but Vincent followed him.

"D-D-D-"

"D-D-D- What? What the fuck do you want?" Bo started growing more aggressive, that's when Vincent shoved him into the ground and pounced on him, repeatedly punching and kneeing him. Bo threw him off and quickly stood up, Vincent following his actions. Bo reached up to his face and touched his cheek, he wiped the blood that coated his fingertips on his coveralls and picked the bag up again and slung it over his shoulder. "I'll be back late, don't wait up for me, asshole." He muttered the last part under his breath just loud enough for Vincent to hear, as soon as Bo left you turned to Vincent with a disappointed and shocked expression on your face.  

"What the hell, Vince? He didn't do anything." Vincent ignored you and ran upstairs, hoping you wouldn't follow him as he locked himself in the bathroom and grabbed the second best thing to a knife, his razor. He knew it couldn't do as much damage as the knife but a razor sure still hurt like a bitch. He did what he felt like he had to do, small trickles of blood forming over the cuts from last night. He wished he stop, he wanted to, but he couldn't. All he did was disappoint everyone around him, this was for the best. Vincent slid down and sat on the cool tiles and watched the blood pool and drip off his leg onto the floor, he knew what nobody liked him but this wasn't one of those situations where he could run away to a new town and restart his life. Vincent was cursed with the face he has and no mask could ever make him feel human or deserving of anything. "Vincent?"

History repeated itself. A knock on the door interrupted Vincent. "Vince it's me, open the door." Bo's voice was quiet, it was a side of him that Vincent thought died with his innocence. "Please. I want to talk. I promise I ain't gonna hurt 'ya."

Vincent watched the door as he backed up into the furthest wall which wasn't that far since the bathroom was pretty small. "N-No!" Vincent reached for the towel above him and tried to cover up his legs but it was too late. Bo had broken down the door and the sight made him freeze and even worse, you were standing behind him with wide glassy eyes. Vincent tried to open his mouth but he couldn't, he tried to speak but he couldn't. Bo took a step back and tried to process what was happening before him, he was fine with blood but seeing Vincent partially covered in it made him feel weird. You pushed past him and ran to Vincent's side, Vincent looked like he was going to faint either from shock or blood loss. "Vince? Vince? Hey, stay with me."

"Please."

"What is it? Anything-"

"Please don't l-look at me." Vincent's eyes closed, you looked back at Bo and started ordering him to get Vincent into the basement while you looked for whatever could help Vincent, since Ambrose doesn't have a hospital - and even if it did, it would still be completely useless. You tried not to cry as you gathered your equipment, painkillers, bandages, medical tape, towels, alcohol, all that good stuff. How did you not see this? How did Vincent get away with this? How long has he been doing this? You threw everything onto the table and watched as Bo placed Vincent on the bed, you quickly wiped away your tears and started tending to the wounds while Bo watched.

After playing medic for a good 15 minutes the surgery was a success - it wasn't too bad, Vincent thankfully didn't need stitches - you threw the bloody towels aside and threw the blanket over Vincent and turned to Bo. "Did you know about this?"

Bo was silent. You rolled your eyes and turned back to Vincent and stroked his forehead, moving the hair out of his face. "He used to, but I didn't realise he started again or that it was this bad."

You bit your lip and got up from the bed, rubbing your head and looking at Bo. "How long has he been doing this?"

"Since mom died, I think."

"I'll talk to him when he wakes up." Bo nodded and left you alone to wait for Vincent to wake up. You didn't have to wait long, he ended up shooting up and scaring the crap out of you about an hour or so later. "Why are you doing this to yourself?"

Vincent looked at you confused. "What?"

"The- where did all these scars come from?"

Vincent's expression faded and he looked down. "I don't-" Vincent grew quiet for a few seconds. "I don't want to be like this."

"Be like what, Vince?"

"Me." It was just one word but it caused you so much pain. You loved Vincent more than anything in this world and the thought of losing him hurt - you never had to think about losing him, just the realisation threw you back. "I am disgusting." He mumbled.

"Vincent. No. You're not disgusting." You felt useless just saying that but you were lost. "Vincent. I can't lose you. I know that I can't say anything that'll make you stop and this won't stop overnight, is there anything I can do right now?" you swore Vincent could hear your heart through your chest as it felt like it was going to burst out like it does in Looney Tunes, Vincent took your hand and looked at you.

"I w-will try." You smiled and he pulled you in, careful not to touch his legs.

"I'm here for you, Vince. I swear I'm never going to leave you - especially for Bo." you jokingly made a disgusted face at the mention of Bo causing the two of you to quietly laugh. "You're way too important."

[roman-writing]

bring home a haunting (6/12)

Fandom: The Haunting of Bly Manor

Pairing: Dani Clayton/Jamie Taylor

Rating: M

Wordcount: 33,876

Summary: Dani almost has her life together, when a familiar face arrives back in town after ten years. A childhood friends AU written with @youngbloodbuzz

read it below or read it on AO3 here

On Friday night, Jamie showed up at the O'Mara's doorstep with a rucksack over her shoulder like some sort of vagabond from television.

"Hey," she said.

Dani smiled, holding the door open. "Hi. Is that everything? Or do you need help bringing stuff in?"

"Nope. This is it," Jamie said, shrugging at the bag’s weight and looking bored.

"Is that her?" Dani heard a voice behind her and suddenly Carson was at her elbow. He grabbed Jamie by the hand and hauled her bodily inside. "C'mon!" he said excitedly, not waiting for her to take off her shoes in the entryway. "You're going to be staying in my room! I've made up an inflatable mattress and everything!"

Jamie shot Dani a plaintive look over her shoulder, but there was little Dani could do except grin and shrug. She closed the front door and trailed after them, Carson leading Jamie towards the stairs.

"Hold up, mate. Hold up," Jamie muttered. She tugged her arm free and Carson's face fell until she said, "Your mum will flay me alive if I tread dirt all through the carpet."

"I would do no such thing," Judy said from the kitchen.

Jamie ducked her head and gave a sheepish wave into the kitchen. "Hello, Mrs. O'Mara. Thank you for having me."

"Not a problem, honey," Judy said, sounding absent-minded as she continued stirring a large pot on the stove. "Make yourself comfortable. But — yes. Shoes off, please."

Jamie gave Carson a nudge and muttered, "Told you."

"Sorry," Carson mumbled. He waited just long enough for Jamie to toe off her boots until he seized her arm again and began the process anew. "Okay! This way!"

Sighing, Jamie let herself be dragged off up the stairs. Dani trailed slowly behind, pausing in the entryway to the kitchen and peering inside. "Do you need any help?"

Judy did not even glance up. She only turned and began arranging various ingredients on the counter to be chopped for the upcoming dinner. "No, sweetie. I'm good here. Go make sure everyone gets unpacked for me, okay?"

"Okay."

Dani didn't need much encouragement. She raced after the others and was out of breath by the time she reached the top of the stairs.

"Woah!" Tommy raised his hands when they almost crashed into one another at the top of the landing. "Don't wheeze all over me, or Eddie will think it's my fault you're dying."

Rolling her eyes, Dani slipped past him with a mumbled, "Excuse me."

Tommy trotted down the stairs without another word, already calling out for David in the garage and receiving a yell from Mike to not shout in the house — a request which was promptly ignored as David called out in return. Dani ignored them and continued along the hall leading to Carson's room. She passed Eddie's on the way. His door was ajar, but there was a piece of paper painstakingly scrawled in some alien language which probably contained secret words to keep pesky siblings out. Elvish, he'd told her numerous times to no avail. It's an Elvish riddle.

At the very end of the hall, the door leading to Carson's room — the smallest in the house — was wide open. Dani poked her head in, knocking lightly at the open door despite her blanket invitation to enter whenever she so pleased. Inside, Carson was sitting on the corner of his bed, bouncing up and down on the mattress, wholly unable to contain his excitement, while Jamie stood in the middle of the room still clutching her rucksack and looking utterly lost. True to his word, there was an inflatable camp bed carefully laid out on the floor and sheathed in a fitted sheet, complete with a pillow and duvet.

"Sorry for how small it is," Carson said, and his every second word was punctuated by a squeak of complaint from his thin mattress. "But mom said you couldn't stay in the older boys' rooms."

"S'fine," Jamie said.

Her hand was gripping the straps of her rucksack so tightly that her knuckles were white.

Dani noticed. "Hey, Carson," she said brightly. "Can you go get a towel for Jamie to use? She'll need her own for a shower while she's staying over here."

"Yeah! Sure!" Immediately Carson leapt to his feet and scampered down the hallway, his footsteps stamping down the stairs to where Dani knew the linen closet was on the ground floor.

Aiming a soft smile at Jamie, Dani nudged the door slightly shut behind her. It wasn't much, but it was enough. It shielded them from the bulk of the noise that was ubiquitous in the O'Mara house. "How are you?" she asked.

Jamie shrugged. "M'Fine. Good," she said, but her grip was firm and her accent was thick even around the various monosyllables she managed through her tightly held jaw.

"When's Nan coming back?"

Drawing a deep breath, Jamie said, "Two weeks."

"Like no time at all," said Dani. "Soon you'll be complaining that she's back and that you wish she'd stayed away."

That earned a laugh, brief and strained though it was. Jamie's eyes were darting around the room, taking inventory of the exits available to her — door, window, another window down the hall in the bathroom.

“Did she tell you why she was going back?” Dani asked in an attempt to keep Jamie’s attention on her, on the conversation, on anything but the big house that wasn’t hers.

Jamie shook her head. “Just said she needed to -” she waved her hand in a sharp dismissive gesture “- take care of things. Family stuff. I dunno.”

The total sum of what Dani knew about Jamie’s family back in England could have filled a thimble. She took a step closer and Jamie shifted her weight between her feet as though preparing to run at the slightest provocation.

"Sorry it's so loud," Dani murmured, keeping her voice low. "I know it can take a while to get used to."

Jamie blinked owlishly at her. "I don't mind loud."

"Nan's not loud."

"Maybe not when you're around. But with me? She hollers like you wouldn't believe."

Another step, careful not to tread on the corner of the duvet sprawled across the floor. "You know," said Dani slowly. "I live just across the street. Not like clear across town from your house."

"Only good part about this plan," Jamie muttered under her breath.

Dani stopped when she was only a pace away, close enough that she could reach out and gently urge the pack from Jamie's tense shoulder. "Do you wish you'd gone to England with her?" she asked.

Somewhere downstairs there was a crash, a yell, Carson calling out his apologies and being thoroughly rebuked by David. Jamie winced, but tried to hide it with a twitch of her head. Swallowing thickly, looking anywhere but at her, Jamie allowed the rucksack to be pried from her death grip and lowered to the floor.

"Not really," Jamie said. "Wish I could've stayed at your house instead, maybe. Quieter."

Dani's smile faltered. "I did ask, but -"

"- Your mum's proper mental," Jamie finished for her with a weak smile. "Yeah. I know."

Of all the empty rooms in her house, Dani couldn't think of a single one Jamie would fit into without seeming out of place. Every time Jamie stepped foot inside, the house seemed to draw its breath in dreadful anticipation. Or perhaps that was the narrowing of Karen's eyes as she followed Jamie's every movement with furrowed suspicion.

“You wouldn’t have liked it,” Dani said. “Staying with me.”

Jamie looked at her with a curious expression. “Why not? You’re there.”

Dani opened her mouth to respond, but the words got trapped halfway to her tongue. She was saved by Carson’s enthusiastic return, the sound of his running footsteps preceding him until the door burst fully open once more.

“I got two!” he said, slightly out of breath, and he held out two matching towels to Jamie. “Here you go.”

Wooden, Jamie took the towels. “Thanks.”

“Mom said dinner will be ready in about an hour,” said Carson, completely oblivious to the way Jamie stood, back too straight, shoulders too rigid. “Do you want to go mess with Eddie?”

A smile twitched on Jamie’s face, but was gone in an instant. “Tempting.”

“Hey, let’s let Jamie unpack, okay?” Dani said. Draping an arm around Carson’s shoulders, she led him from the room.

“But she doesn’t even have that much stuff!” Carson complained even as he let himself be guided away.

“I know,” Dani said, lowering her voice. “But you need to give her some space, bud.”

Carson scrunched up his nose. “Fine,” he sighed, then pushed Dani’s arm off. “I’m going to go bug Eddie myself, then.”

As he rushed off down the hall and kicked open the door to Eddie’s room, Dani bit back a laugh, hearing Eddie’s voice rise in complaint.

“Get out of here, Carson!”

“Put down your book. Nobody cares about your dumb fantasy riddles.”

“Hey! Let go! Hey!”

Dani caught a glimpse of the tussle inside Eddie’s room as she passed. Carson had grown enough over the last year that he was just about Dani’s height. Large enough that he was giving Eddie a run for his money. Shaking her head, she continued towards the stairs but paused, hand on the railing.

Down the long hallway, Jamie was framed by the doorway to Carson’s room. She was standing stock-still and shell-shocked, holding the towels as though they were a shield. As if she could feel Dani's gaze upon her, Jamie looked over and met her eye. Dani gave what she hoped was an encouraging smile, but Jamie merely blinked at her and lifted one hand in a blank-faced wave. Stifling down the urge to rejoin her in Carson’s room — close the door, shut themselves away for a bit, do something — Dani descended down the steps.

In the kitchen, Judy was chopping carrots. “Hey, sweet pea,” she said in a distracted manner when Dani wandered into the room. “How’re they going up there?”

“Fine,” Dani lied. Then after a moment she added, “I don’t think Jamie’s used to being alone.”

“Think it’s quite the opposite, actually,” Judy said under her breath. When Dani gave her an odd look, she just smiled and set down the knife. “Here.” She pushed a bag of potatoes across the counter towards Dani. “Why don’t you peel some of these for me?”

Grateful for something to do other than anxiously wring her hands together, Dani grabbed a big metal bowl and fished around in a drawer for the peeler. She carefully watched Judy move around the kitchen, mentally noting what she did and how. Every once in a while, she would be brave enough to ask about the recipe, and Judy would answer without hesitation, as if cooking a fully fledged meal was something normal and not something that one only ever experienced when away from home.

At some point Mike came into the kitchen from the garage to wash his hands in the sink. He gave his wife a quick peck on the cheek before grabbing a beer from the fridge and sitting at a barstool across the counter. Dani would instinctively check every time he sipped at his beer, even though she knew he never had more than one or two a night. He nursed his drinks in a way she never saw at home. When asked or addressed directly, he would give an occasional answer. Otherwise, he lingered there for nothing than the quiet presence of their company.

Dani was just finishing up with the bag of spuds, aiming their peels into the metal bowl, when she saw Jamie sidle into the kitchen. She was uncharacteristically furtive as she took the barstool furthest from Mike, sitting on her hands to minimise her usual fidgeting even as her leg bobbed up and down and up and down in an agitated rhythm.

“Are you thirsty?” asked Mike. “We have juice in the fridge.”

Jamie nodded brusquely. “Juice is good. Thanks.”

Without needing to be asked, Dani immediately pulled out the carton of juice from the refrigerator and poured a glass. Behind her, Judy took the peeled potatoes and gave them to Mike for cutting into quarters. He rose from his seat and took the knife handed to him without complaint.

With a smile Judy leaned forward and said, “So, I understand Ruth’s gone back to Scotland. I just love Scotland.”

Frowning and picking up her glass of juice for a sip, Jamie said, “She went to Burnley.”

Judy seemed not to have heard, for she sighed wistfully, “I remember when Mike and I went to Scotland back in ‘68. We have pictures! Mike, get the pictures.”

Dutiful to a fault, Mike set down the knife and wandered off to a bookshelf in the living room. Meanwhile, Jamie said, “Burnley, Mrs. O’Mara. As in Burnley, Lancashire. As in England.”

But Mike was walking back with a photo album in hand, and Judy was gesturing for it with grabby motions. Sitting on the barstool directly beside Jamie, she opened the album and scooted closer to Jamie. “And here we are at Ben Nevis,” Judy pointed. “Would you just look at that scenery? Gosh.”

Jamie made a wordless humming noise behind her teeth, and Dani could see her trying desperately to not fidget while Judy continued flipping through the album, pointing out various pictures and places that Jamie had probably never visited in her life. Dani rounded the counter so she could peer over the top of Jamie’s head at the pictures, resting a hand on Jamie’s shoulder as she did so. Jamie glanced back at her briefly and mouthed, ‘Save me.’ Dani grimaced and shrugged apologetically.

“The Scottish Highlands really are the most beautiful place in the world,” Judy said, running her hands along a photograph of vast hills of heath and stone beneath a cloudy sky. “I’m so amazed your grandmother used to live there. I would’ve loved to have lived there.”

“She was from the Lowlands,” Jamie pointed out dully.

“Does her family have their own tartan?” Judy asked, completely oblivious to the fact that Jamie had spoken at all.

“I don’t know, Mrs. O’Mara. She doesn’t talk about her time in Scotland much. And I’ve never been.”

“Does she still have family living there?” Then Judy gave a little gasp and warmly grasped Jamie’s wrist. “You could go visit one day!”

Beneath Dani’s hand, Jamie’s shoulder went tense. From this angle, Dani couldn’t see the expression on her face, but Jamie’s voice was tight when she said, “Excuse me. I need to use the loo.”

Scrape of the barstool against the floor — squeal of wood and tile — and Jamie stalked out of the kitchen, her shadow extending down the hallway behind her even as she had gone out of sight. Dani gazed after her, chewing at her lower lip.

“Oh, boy,” Mike said, shaking his head. He stirred a boiling pot on the stove with a long wooden spoon.

With a sigh, Judy shut the photo album. “I’ve never seen that girl so reserved.” She gave Dani a fond teasing nudge to her shoulder. “You must be rubbing off on her.”

Dani couldn’t decide if that was a good thing or not. She much preferred the Jamie full of carefree raucous energy in comparison to — whatever this version was. The Jamie she knew wasn’t scared and silent. The Jamie she knew picked fights with people twice her size. The Jamie she knew had a loud and easy laugh. The Jamie she knew was confident and comfortable in her own skin. The Jamie she knew was none of the things Dani would ever use to describe herself.

Clearing her throat, Dani made a motion towards the hallway even as she edged towards it. “I’ll just -” But neither of the adults in the room were listening much. Judy had wandered back to the stove and was engaged in murmuring conversation with her husband. Dani took the opportunity to slip away, unseen.

The hallway was dark and empty. The door leading to the garage at the far end of the corridor was shut, behind it the sounds of muted music and laughter. Overhead, Dani could hear the stamp of feet accompanied by Eddie and Carson’s bickering. She walked along the corridor, letting her hand trail against the painted wall. She paused at the door leading to the basement, but a quick check inside proved that the stairwell leading further down into the ground was pitch black. Just as she was shutting the door, Dani heard a faint choked sound.

Passing by the linen closet, Dani stopped before the door to the downstairs bathroom. She tested the handle only to find it locked. Tentatively, Dani lifted her fist and knocked on the door.

Silence followed. Then the sound of a toilet flushing. A few moments later, the door opened and Jamie stood there, scowling. “I was actually going to the bathroom, you know.”

Dani lifted an eyebrow. “No, you weren’t.”

“How the hell d’you know?” Jamie asked.

Gesturing over Jamie’s shoulder towards the sink, Dani said, “You didn’t wash your hands.”

“Maybe I’m just a dirty pig, then.”

Dani shot her an exasperated look. “You’re not. You always wash your hands.”

Jamie’s voice sounded sharp when she spoke. “Anyone ever tell you that you’re -” she cut herself off.

Dani's brow furrowed in confusion. “That I’m what?”

“Nosy,” Jamie snapped.

Taken aback, Dani blinked. She stared at Jamie, whose hands were curled into fists at her sides, lips pursed so that the scar stood out white against her skin, the muscles of her jaw bunched up and straining even while she refused to meet Dani’s gaze.

“Do you -” Dani started to say, hesitant. “- want me to leave you alone?”

Jamie glowered at a spot on the floor but did not answer. Her shoulders were tense beneath the oversized flannel she wore, the top few buttons undone to reveal the coin necklace Dani had given her at Christmas two years ago. Dani turned to leave, to walk back to the kitchen and let Jamie gather up the pieces of herself in peace, but Jamie’s hand darted out, grabbing Dani’s and holding tight. Jamie still wouldn’t look at her, but her fingers trembled. Her palms were cold and damp.

“Sorry,” Jamie mumbled. “Sorry. Being stupid. It’s - It’s stupid.”

“It’s not.” said Dani. “It’s just two weeks. She’ll be back.”

Jamie nodded, the movement small and jerky, but she appeared entirely unconvinced. “Yeah,” she rasped. “Yeah. Sure. Two weeks.”

“And I’ll be here.” Dani readjusted their hands so that their fingers laced together, and she stroked her thumb across the back of Jamie’s hand. “I’ll be right here.”

The hallway around the downstairs bathroom was dark and a soft shadow was cast over Jamie’s face. Her eyes were dark, searching Dani’s face with tiny flickers of movement, as if looking for any hint of deceit. “Promise?” she breathed.

Dani smiled softly and squeezed Jamie’s hand. “Promise.”

They stood close enough that Dani could see the fine downy hair at Jamie’s temples and without thinking she reached up to brush back a stray curl that had fallen into Jamie’s eyes. Jamie inhaled sharply. There was an odd expression on her face that Dani couldn’t place. Not blank like before in Carson’s room, but just as difficult to parse.

“David! Tommy! I need you to set the table, please!” Judy’s voice called from the kitchen.

In answer, the garage door just down the hall burst open, and the twins barrelled through. Jamie and Dani both jumped apart, Jamie snatching her hand back while Dani tucked a lock of hair behind her own ear. As he jogged by, Tommy reached out to ruffle Jamie’s hair in passing. Jamie scowled and smacked his hand away. He laughed it off and continued after his brother.

“Wanker,” Jamie muttered under her breath, but already her posture was more relaxed. She no longer clenched her jaw like she wanted to snap a steel rod between her back teeth.

“Come on,” Dani laughed. “Let’s go get dinner.”

--

Trailing behind her mother in the botanical gardens, while colorful and beautiful, was not how Dani pictured spending her Saturday afternoon. What was supposed to be a day lazing around with Jamie and the boys had turned into Dani playing dress up at her mother’s whims and being dragged along to some corporate family friendly function.

It was going marginally well for the most part, she thought with relief. She smiled at the right moments, shook hands with her mother’s colleagues with a firm grip the way Nan taught her, she kept fidgeting to a minimum, and above all, she was quiet. Unsure of what to say and when to speak, but eager to make a polite unassuming impression in the belief that afterwards she could go to the O’Mara household and be free of this. She merely lingered behind her mother, her shoulders stiff and her placid smile frozen, as though she were a marionette doll made of porcelain.

Part way through the event, as her mother grew more distracted, laughing with her colleagues, drink in hand, Dani began to wander off. The temptation to stroll the paths lined with greenery and flowers pulled her away until she was far enough to settle into herself, to relax, to take in the beauty of the place as the sun shone overhead and warmed her skin.

She should bring Jamie here, she thought idly to herself. And though Jamie would hotly deny it, Dani knew of her soft spot for plants, her hidden talent for it, having spent much of the summer helping Nan tend to the backyard garden. She’d enjoy the spectacle and quiet, while murmuring criticisms in the same breath.

Further along the path, passing by a plot of vibrant flowers she didn’t recognize, her eyes met Roger’s. He was standing beside his dad who was talking animatedly to a group of coworkers. She had noticed him earlier but kept away, even if he was the only other kid she vaguely knew in attendance. She’d barely spoken two words to him in years, not since that day in the alleyway at school. She couldn’t imagine what she’d say to him now. He was tall and lanky after an unexpected growth spurt last spring. He saw her and raised his hand in a fleeting wave. She offered a faint grin back and a short wave. At the sound of his dad laughing obnoxiously loud, they both grimaced at the same time and turned away.

Dani groaned quietly, wishing Jamie was here to keep her company with her commentary, and hidden knowledge of every single plant and flower that caught Dani’s eye, her tone dry as though she were just making it up and hadn’t spent the past month with her nose stuck in a well worn gardening book.

Eventually, Dani’s path led her straight back to her mom, laughing and seemingly having a good time, but when their eyes met, Dani almost jerked to a stop. Her mother’s expression was hard and her smile tight at the corners. Immediately, a cold sweat spread across Dani’s skin and her stomach clenched. Her mom jerked her head, beckoning Dani over. All but holding her breath, Dani made her way over. When Dani reached her, Karen slipped a hand around her arm, fingers pressing hard and pulling her in close before turning back to her coworker to laugh at a comment, as though nothing was amiss, as if Dani’s heart weren’t suddenly racing and her shoulders weren’t bunching up incrementally.

Dani spent the rest of the event there, racking her brain over what she had missed over the day, of what she could have done wrong to have received such a look, but there were no clues. No other hints that had been somehow misstepped. Just a carry over from a bad week, where Dani had spent as much time as possible away. Away from a house that was a digestive tract. Away from her mom doing the dishes or making drinks with rough, jerky movements, like the objects in hand had offended her. Away from the chain smoking and lingering side eyes as though Dani was one step from being on the receiving end of a sharp-tongued lecture if something was misplaced or misspoken.

By the time the event was over and they were back in the car, the cabin silent from radio or conversation, Dani could feel the tension seeping from her mother in waves. Her hands tight on the wheel and her mouth pursed, not a word uttered about the day. Clenching her teeth until they hurt, Dani rolled down the window just to feel the breeze against her face, soothing against her skin and loose hair, but not enough to relax her fists in her lap and the cramped coil in her stomach, twisting tight like a spring the closer they got to home.

The moment they arrived Dani wasted no time slipping out of the car and into the house with her own keys, hearing her mom following close behind. Pulling off her flats to neatly set aside and starting towards the staircase, Dani had only just managed to dart towards the stairs when her mother finally spoke.

“Danielle, I’d like a word with you, please,” Karen said, stepping into the kitchen without a backwards glance, adding a stern, “Now.”

Holding her fists tight to her sides, Dani swallowed heavily, slowly following her mom’s path into the kitchen to find her peering into the fridge and pulling out a bottle of already opened wine.

“Yes?” Dani said quietly.

Karen didn’t speak. Simply poured herself a glass of wine before pulling out a rumpled pack of cigarettes from her purse. She lit one up with slow, almost leisurely movements that seemed so wrong in contrast with the tightness around her eyes. Flick and snap of a silver lighter, rhythmic as clockwork. Taking her first drag, she looked at Dani, smoke billowing from pursed lips as she sighed and lifted the cigarette once more.

“What am I going to do with you?” Karen said finally, her voice accompanied by a plume of smoke that wreathed her face.

Dani clenched her teeth. Swallowing down words that would make whatever she had done worse, Dani instead said, “What - what did I do?”

“You really have no idea, don’t you?”

Dani's eyes darted away to the ground, going over the last few hours as though her socks might have the answer. “No,” she said, “I - Well, I thought we were having a nice day.”

Her mother scoffed. The sound was so derisive, Dani wanted to stumble barefoot out of the house and into the one across the street where she knew Jamie and the boys would be. Holed up and waiting for her to come back and greet her with bright smiles.

“A nice day?” Karen repeated, her tone incredulous. Dani’s eyes darted up, blinking in confusion. “Danielle, you barely spoke to anyone. You wandered off by yourself. You looked as miserable as ever -”

“I wasn’t,” Dani said, her breathing turning shallow, “I was - I was -”

“Don’t interrupt me.”

Dani’s mouth snapped shut. Her mother exhaled, taking another long drag of her cigarette. Dani held her breath from the suffocating smell and smoke until it dissipated. She pulled her arms tight around her chest, watching her mom rub her forehead.

“I just don’t understand you,” Karen said, strained at the edges, frustration filing the lines of her face, “Why can’t you do anything right? What's wrong with you?”

Dani felt her face flicker with a flinch, and she had to duck her head to hide it. Hide the tremble of her mouth and the burning in her eyes. She bit into her lip to quell the feeling and swallowed hard past the lump in her throat until she was finally able to speak in the unbearably quiet room.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to - I didn't -”

Karen didn’t respond. The room remained suffocatingly silent, though Dani could feel the sting of her eyes, a long, unyielding stare. And then, there was the sound of glass sliding against the marble countertop, her mother picking up her wine. She stepped closer to Dani, no sound from her stockinged feet, until she stood just before her. Dani hunched her shoulders, wanting to back away, but there wasn’t anything behind her to shrink and meld into.

“You aren’t to go anywhere for the rest of this weekend, do you understand?” Karen said. “You are to sit in this house, and do your chores, and think about your behavior.”

Dani stared hard down at the wine glass that dangled loosely in her mom’s grip, wine threatening to spill over the lip. The ashes that scattered to the linoleum floor from her cigarette near Dani’s foot. She clenched her teeth silently before eventually nodding.

Without another word, her mother strode past her. Dani listened carefully to her footsteps as she stood frozen in the kitchen, hearing the soft thud of feet on stairs, traveling through the floor across the ceiling, and eventually, the click of a bedroom door being shut. Dani stood, alone, listening to the sound of her rapid heartbeat. She swallowed down the spark of belligerence in her chest, drowned out by the trembling of her hands and the stutter of her breathing. All hope of escape to the home across the street slowly drained from her. With befuddled disbelief. With weary acceptance. As though this was the only inevitable outcome at the end of a bad week like all the other bad weeks.

Throat tight, heart a clenched fist in her lungs, like moving through a dream — one moment here, one moment there — Dani made her way upstairs. Time passed in snippets. Changing from her sundress into pajamas. Washing the misery from her face in the form of swollen red eyes and splotchy skin with water cold enough to hurt. Curling into bed and sinking into the comforters, her head aching and exhaustion seeping into her bones despite the afternoon sunlight and muted birdsong still slanting through the window.

Her eyes drifted towards her nightstand, towards the walkie talkie Eddie had given her after the novelty had worn off for Carson, but Dani immediately shot the idea down. The walkie talkie was too loud, too exposed, and the house was too silent and too still. She hadn’t heard a noise from her mother since the kitchen, not even when she had crept upstairs to her room.  

She sat up in bed, daring to cross her room and hover her hand over the door handle. Just as quietly as she’d been before, Dani opened her door and peered around the corner of the doorframe to see her mom’s bedroom door still firmly shut. Assured with the minor hope that her mom may have fallen into a midday nap, Dani eased out of her room and downstairs, careful to avoid creaking steps and floorboards.

The kitchen phone, which had once been a creamy off-white, was now a sickly yellow, stained by decades of cigarette smoke. The coiled cord was long enough to reach across the room, and further when Dani pulled the entire phone off the wall with its long translucent and stained cable. Phone in hand, she slipped inside the broom closet in the hallway just outside the kitchen. Leaving the door open a crack to let in just enough light to see, a long strip of golden light that outlined the dust floating in the darkened room, she sank against the back wall with her knees pulled up to her chest and dialed the number she had long since memorized.

It rang just twice before Mike picked up. “Hello, O’Mara residence.”

“Hi, Mr. O’Mara,” Dani said, her voice slightly hoarse. She held her hand against the mouthpiece and cleared her throat before speaking again. “It’s me.”

“Oh, hey bud,” Mike replied, “How was your day?”

“It was really nice,” she lied, “Is Jamie there?”

In the time it took for him to call for Jamie and the crackling sound indicating the handset switching between hands, Dani had sunk further into the wall, pressing her eyes shut.

“Took you bloody long enough,” came Jamie’s voice finally, “You free to come down from your tower yet? I’m going absolutely mad. Tommy and David won’t give it a fucking break, and you’re not gonna believe what Carson dared me to do.”

"Language please, Jamie," Dani could hear Mike sigh in the background, his voice fading as he walked away and left them to it.

"Sorry, Mr. O'Mara," said Jamie, not sounding sorry at all.

Dani chuckled breathlessly, a pressure easing somewhat in her chest. “Hey, um,” she started, her voice quiet, “I’m not sure actually.”

“What d’you mean?” Jamie said. There was a ruffling sound in the background, as though Jamie were settling into her spot and making herself comfortable.

“I mean — “ Dani’s voice cracked. She swallowed hard. “I think I’m - no, I’m - I’m actually grounded.”

Jamie groaned. “Christ, what’s she going on about now? Did you have a strand of hair out of place or something?”

“Something like that,” Dani murmured, the sound of her voice sounding off even to her own ears, a tremble under the words.

The line was quiet for a long moment. “Dani,” Jamie said, her voice taking on a quiet and serious quality. “What happened?”

Dani didn’t respond. Not when she was fighting back the thickness in her throat, feeling her skin pull tight around her knuckles from the grip she had on the handset and biting down hard at her lower lip. When Dani remained silent, there was sound again from the other line, crackling pops and the movement of fabric until there was the soft click of a door being shut.

“Poppins, talk to me,” Jamie said softly.

Once, the nickname had been a joke years ago in the expanse of snow as far as the eye could see, one that Jamie had gleefully revelled in when they returned to school with her endless teasing about Miss Blythe. But then it had stuck, slowly developing into an affectionate term that Dani privately savored underneath her good natured grumbling. Now, Dani had to swallow down a swell of tears at the sound of it.

“It’s just - um. You know. Mom.”

Jamie snorted. “Gathered as much,” she said, “What’d she do?”

“Nothing. Nothing, I’m just — “ Dani pressed the ball of her palm hard to an eye, rubbing away the burning there “ — I’m just really tired.”

“Aye, and I’m Queen Liz,” Jamie said, and her voice went soft again, “Tell me, really. You don’t get this worked up over nothing. I mean, unless you’re the one that’s actually gone mad.”

Dani chuckled again, but her grin slipped away just as easily. “I’m just tired,” she repeated, leaning her head back against the wall, “I’m tired of trying and not being good enough.”

“You are,” Jamie said with conviction Dani wished she could feel a fraction of, “You’re a better sight than any of us, that’s for bloody sure.”

“But, she’s — “ Dani swallowed hard against the ache threatening to burst from her chest, “This entire week, she’s just been — “

“A cunt?” Jamie offered.

“Mean,” Dani said, “She’s been mean, and I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. I feel like I can’t breathe sometimes. Like if I do it in the wrong way, she’ll — “ She cut herself off.

For all her absences and sharp words, her mother has never laid a hand on Dani. But the feeling of her mom’s hands pressing hard into her skin still burned into her memory with a lance of fear she was wholly unfamiliar with.

Jamie was quiet for a long moment before softly offering, “Do you need me to come over? I can have a go at her, if you’d like?”

“No. Please, don’t.”

“I don’t mind.”

“It’s fine, it’ll - it’ll blow over,” Dani said, “It’s fine. She’s just in a mood.”

The closet door swung open. Dani gasped, nearly jerking out of her skin as she jumped hard, her foot kicking over a broom. She scrambled to keep the phone in hand even as she tangled herself up in the chord to grab the broom and keep it upright. She blinked rapidly up at the sudden bright light cascading into the small room, only to see a shadowed form looming over her. Her eyes adjusted to the light until finally she could see her mom, standing in the doorway, glowering darkly down, the lines of her face deep and shadowed.

“Dani?” Jamie’s said, startled. “Dani, are you okay?”

She couldn’t respond, couldn't speak. Words trapped in her throat. Her hands began to tremble, and she had to look away from her mom’s unblinking gaze, eyes darting towards some spot just behind her, her vision going out of focus as her breath became shallow.

“Dani,” Jamie said again, slowly, knowing. “Is she there?”

Clenching her teeth painfully tight, Dani could only hum affirmatively in response, her head nodding faintly.

“Okay,” Jamie breathed, and then there was the sound of movement again. “Okay, give me ten minutes - fuck! Shit! Ed, move your shit off the floor! Useless fucking -!”

The dial tone cut off Jamie's steady stream of swearing. Heart hammering in her chest, Dani slowly lowered the receiver and replaced it back into the base, the sound of plastic clacking against plastic loud in her ears along with the shallow breaths she took through her nose.

Dani flinched when her mom finally spoke. “Why were you on the phone?" Karen asked, her voice calm.

Any other day, it’d be a simple question and answer. Any other day, Dani would’ve happily replied. Today, Dani couldn’t respond. There were no good options. No matter what she did, answer correctly or remain quiet, she was guilty either way.

“Was it Judy?” Karen said, folding her arms across her chest, leaning against the doorframe. Dani shrunk further against the wall, her hands clutching the phone in a white knuckle grip. “Or was it that Heron woman? Or that wild girl of hers? Jamie.”

Dani remained quiet, vision blurring as tears pooled into her eyes. The ensuing silence was agony until finally, Karen relented with a huff and held out her hand. Without missing a beat, Dani pushed the phone into her mother’s hands.

"Well?" Karen asked. She held open the door and gestured with the phone as if encouraging a dog to make up its mind at the threshold of the backyard. "Are you coming out of there or not?"

It felt like some sort of trap. As though the moment Dani tried to leave, a foot or wire would be waiting to trip her. She sank further back, shaking her head and clutching the base of the broom like a lifeline.

"Suit yourself," Karen sighed, and without another word she swung the door shut once more, leaving Dani trembling in the dark.

Dani jerked hard at the sound, feeling as though the walls could collapse atop her like a house of cards. For a terrifying moment, Dani struggled to breathe at the idea that her mother might bar the door and lock her inside, but all she heard was her own shallow panicked breaths and footsteps stomping away, until eventually there was the unmistakable sound of the front door opening and closing.

Dani curled onto herself, her hands trembling hard against the skin over her legs where she held on tight. Blood rushed through her ears as a slow ember grew in her chest, spreading through her lungs like strangling vines, like mistletoe around the roots of a tree. She pressed a hand hard to her sternum, her fingers digging into her skin through her shirt as though she could rip out the sensation, feeling her heart pounding through skin and bone. Unable to stand the dark anymore, the walls that pressed in closer and closer until she couldn’t suck in enough air to breathe, she stumbled to her feet and pushed her way out, tripping over her own legs to collapse against the opposite wall. She pulled her knees up to her chest, her eyes pressed tightly shut, and sucked in the fresh open air, gasping for breath that hurt with every expansion of her lungs.

Dani didn’t know how long she sat there, desperately settling her breathing, swallowing down the panic. Slowly the world lengthened out again from the single point of struggling for air. She exhaled, the pain dissipating from her lungs. She rested her head back against the wall, eyes opening to the lines of early evening light streaking across the ceiling, lethargically wiping at her cheeks. She pushed to her feet, and moved towards the bathroom for the second time today to wash her face. Brisk sting of water against her heated skin, grounding even as it hurt. After drying her face, she stepped out towards the foyer of the house, the floor cold beneath her feet.

There was an eerie silence now that her mother was gone. It should’ve been a comfort, being away from the sting of aimless anger and disappointment. When she glanced around however, she was eight years old again, and left to fend for herself in an empty, expansive house that felt like a creature that could swallow her whole. Like she could step into a room and find a door leading her to another room. And another and another. The house expanding and collapsing like a cage of ribs with every step she took until she could no longer find the exit.

Upstairs — a muffled thump coming from the second floor. Dani jerked, blinking up at the ceiling. Another thump, louder this time. Swallowing hard, Dani reached towards a stand near the door, pulling out a long, thin black umbrella with a pointy end, and started towards the stairs.

She walked slowly, ears pricked. Flinching at another loud thump, evidently coming from her own room, her frown deepened as she edged towards it, holding up the umbrella in front of her, as though wielding a sword. But when she slowly pushed open her door with her fingertips, her head peeking around the door as it swung open, she lowered the umbrella when she found the room empty, just as she had left it.

Dani stepped further inside, her frown slipping away to a dim sense of concern.

Another loud thump. Dani jumped and spun towards the sound. Her eyes went wide when her gaze landed on her window.

“Jamie!” she hissed, dropping the umbrella to the carpet with a soft thud, and rushed towards the window.

“Fuckin’ finally,” Jamie grunted from where she hung, fingers white as they gripped the window ledge between the small gap where Dani had her window open. Half her body clung to the meager amount of roof just below Dani’s window, her rucksack dangling from her shoulder as her brows furrowed and jaws clenched in concentration, her face red from effort.

Dani ripped the window open with a thud and grabbed at Jamie’s arms to pull her in, grumbling and grunting the entire time. “Are you insane?” Dani said when Jamie was safe enough to pull herself the rest of the way inside Dani’s room.

“Not since I last checked,” Jamie said, breathing hard as she tumbled inside, gripping her rucksack with white knuckles and her eyes wide with a sort of frantic wildness, like she couldn’t believe she’d just scaled the sheer side of a house. Her hair was a tousled mess, frizzy strands dangling in front of her eyes. Dani tisked and reached forward to push them off Jamie’s face with a scowl. Grinning wildly, Jamie dropped her rucksack to the carpet and twisted around to lean towards the window, stretching and shaking out her hands as she craned her head to peer outside with a whistle, “Christ, that took some work.”

Dani pushed past her to lean outside the window, eyes darting around with increasing disbelief. “How did you even get up here?”

“Climbed?”

Dani spun around to give her a look.

Jamie shrugged, wearing an impish grin. “Started with the tree, hopped over to the roof, and shimmied over. Easy as you please,” Jamie said, peeling her shoes off and shoving them under Dani’s bed. “Would’ve tried for that branch right by the window, but the bloody thing was too far to reach.”

Turning again to glance out the window to trace the path Jamie took, Dani felt her stomach plummet and her face blanch at the terrifying distance Jamie would’ve had to cross between the tree and the meager roof. It might as well have been the Grand Canyon. “You could’ve broken your neck!”

“I’m alive, aren’t I?” Jamie said, “How else was I supposed to sneak in?”

Dani huffed, crossing her arms. “You could’ve used the front door like a normal person.”

The look Jamie gave her was both amused and dubious. “Oh, sure, and your mum would’ve just let me inside with you grounded and all,” Jamie said, and gestured towards Dani, “And what about you? You know how long I’ve been hanging on out there, banging on the window?”

“That’s what you call sneaking in? She would’ve heard you anyways if she was home.”

Jamie paused. “Wait, she isn’t home?”

“No, doofus,” Dani said, “She left a little while ago.”

Jamie rolled her eyes to the heavens. “Well, how the fuck was I supposed to know that? I was busy dangling from your roof, thank you very much,” Jamie said, and then she was grinning again, her hands tucked into her back pockets, looking far too pleased with herself. “Hey, least I know I can do it now. Next stop: water tower, yeah?”

Dani glowered at her. “No.”

Huffing softly with laughter, Jamie arched an eyebrow and gave her a fond look. It hit Dani like a ton of bricks when the realization struck her, her face slowly falling.

“God,” she groaned, burying her face into her hands, panic settling in, “ Shit . I sound just like her.”

Laughing softly again, Jamie said, “Nah. I reckon you sound just like yourself.”

But Dani couldn’t respond, the image of mother’s glower and the painful grip of her hand pressed hard on her chest. The sound of the closet slamming shut and the ensuing darkness prickling at her skin until her fingers were shaking again as they dug hard into her face.

“Dani?” Jamie said softly.

Hearing her take a careful step closer, Dani curled into her shoulders. “I’m fine,” she mumbled, her throat thick.

Warm fingers grazed the skin of Dani’s wrists, so light that it almost tickled. “Dani,” Jamie said again, slightly firmer this time, more steady. “It’s okay. You’re okay.” Dani sucked in a ragged breath and nodded blindly, feeling herself lean forwards. Jamie’s fingers wrapped around Dani’s wrists into a firm, grounding grip. “It’s okay, c’mere.”

There was a gentle tug on her arm, and Dani went easily, sinking into Jamie, burying her face into her shoulder and wrapping her arms around her waist. Jamie pulled her in close, murmuring, “I’ve got you.”

Tears sprung in Dani’s eyes again, sinking further into Jamie. If Jamie noticed her shoulders shaking from the soft hitching gasps Dani was desperately trying to keep quiet, she never said a word. Just held her tight enough until it hurt, the pressure grounding in such a way that slowly, Dani’s tears ebbed away, leaving her breathing heavy, but steadier as the seconds ticked by.

Jamie’s hand rubbed her back in a soothing motion, the pressure of her arms gradually easing. “Better now?” Jamie asked, quiet and gentle.

Swallowing hard, Dani inhaled deeply, breathing in the soft familiar scent of soap the O’Mara’s favored and the faint hint of earth on her worn shirt. Dani nodded, a short up and down jerk of her head, and pulled her face away just enough from Jamie’s shoulder to murmur, “You always give the best hugs.”

Jamie chuckled. “S’what I’m here for,” she said with another brief hard squeeze, and then gently offered, “You wanna talk about it?”

Dani shook her head.

“No problem.”

With Jamie seemingly happy to remain where she was, Dani held on for just a moment longer, savoring the comfort from her best friend, until Jamie said, “Now, don’t take this the wrong way, Poppins, but you weren’t planning on knocking me out cold with an umbrella, right?”

Dani laughed, a pressure valve releasing from her chest, feeling like she could breathe properly again. Jamie chuckled, and murmured, “There we are.”

“I thought you were a burglar or something.”

“A burglar? In North Liberty? Jesus, that’s considered grounds for a life sentence here, inn’it?”

Dani giggled breathlessly. “Something like that,” she murmured. They fell silent again, Jamie’s arms warm and steady around her like an anchor, until finally, Dani broke and said, “Sorry.”

“Don’t,” Jamie said, her voice firm. “Look, I know I’m a twat on the best of days, but you don’t ever have to apologize for something like that, all right?” When Dani didn’t respond, Jamie flicked her on the back of the head. “All right?”

Dani huffed and pinched her side in retaliation, pleased when Jamie twitched. “All right,” she said, finally easing away, her head ducked as she hastily rubbed her cheeks and under her eyes.

“Good,” Jamie said, and when Dani stepped away towards the umbrella, still not looking straight at Jamie, she added, “Sure you’re steady enough to handle that? Haven’t you heard umbrella’s are considered a deadly weapon?”

Dani picked up the aforementioned umbrella and brandished it towards Jamie as though to spear her through the stomach. “Don’t make me use this.”

Holding up her hands in a gesture of peace, Jamie chuckled and smirked, “Don’t threaten me with a good time.”

Rolling her eyes, Dani left her in the room to stumble back downstairs and replace the umbrella in its stand. She stood there and exhaled heavily, pressing her hands again to her eyes to steady herself. When it finally felt like she wasn’t about to collapse into pieces, she made towards the kitchen and went about setting up the kettle on the stove to heat. Taking out the mugs that she and Jamie favored — one patterned with stars, the other with florals — she also reached further back in the cupboard to pull out a hidden old altoid tin that was packed with a ziplock of teabags. A treasure trove she had once scoured from Jamie’s house for times like these when she was over.

Leaning against the counter as she waited for the kettle to boil, her eyes landed on the kitchen phone that lay discarded haphazardly on the counter top. It laid on its side with the handset having fallen off the base, and the translucent cable unplugged and tossed to the floor. Her hand drifted towards her mouth, eyes unseeing as she bit her thumb hard enough to hurt.

The kettle whistled. She jumped, jerking her thumb away from her mouth at the shrill sound, and she rushed to pull the kettle off the stove and turn the burner off with a rough twist of her wrist. She exhaled heavily, steadying her racing heart, and began putting together their tea.

When she arrived back to her room, mugs of tea in hand, she smiled fondly at the sight that greeted her. Jamie had made herself at home, stretching out on her bed with one leg crossed over the other and an arm resting behind her head as she held up Eddie’s walkie talkie to her mouth, making grotesque noises.

“Edmund,” she drawled in a guttural voice, “I’m coming for you, Edmund. I’m gonna eat your eyeballs.”

Dani snorted. “Just because it worked once, doesn’t mean it will again.”

Rolling her eyes, Jamie rested the walkie talkie against her chest. “Worth a shot,” she sighed, and then her eyes brightened when she caught sight of the mugs in Dani’s hand. She sat up, discarding the walkie talkie beside her and made a grabbing motion towards the floral patterned cup, “Oh, you’re a star.”

Easing onto the bed next to Jamie, she handed the mug over and watched eagerly as Jamie’s mouth curled into a pleased grin, her hand fearlessly wrapping the burning hot mug with practised ease. But at the first sip, she froze, going stock still as her brow knitted together.

“Well?” Dani asked.

Lowering the mug from her mouth, Jamie frowned contemplatively down at the steaming beverage with pursed lips, faintly nodding. “It’s a talent you have,” she said, “Truly.”

Dani groaned, easing back against her pillows, raising her own mug — a smattering of silver stars against a dark blue backdrop — to her mouth, taking a careful sip of her own. “Tastes fine to me,” she muttered.

Laughing, Jamie nudged her leg with her knee. “Appreciate the effort though,” she said, “Didn’t even need to ask for any. And it’s the kind from home, too. Nan know you nicked some from her precious stash?”

“Maybe,” Dani mumbled into her mug, but her eyes darted to Jamie all the same at the mention of Nan, looking for any lingering tension of any kind in Jamie’s demeanor. All she found was a reserved quiet as Jamie sipped again at her tea without any complaint, though she wasn’t able to hide her mouth twisting in distaste as she rested her mug on the nightstand.

“I brought some stuff to keep us company,” Jamie said, grabbing her bag from off the floor and hauling it on her lap, digging her arm inside, “Unless you wanna go downstairs and watch something.”

“No,” Dani said immediately, shaking her head, “She could come home any second.”

“You sure? I’m sneakier than a cat,” Jamie said, “There’s plenty of places to hide, besides. She’d never know I’m here.”

Dani shook her head resolutely. “No, I want to stay up here with you.”

Smiling fondly, Jamie relented with a soft, “All right, then.”

She pulled out her transistor radio and switched it on, the sound of electric guitars and drums filing the room. Twisting a knob on top, the rough alternate music that Jamie loved cut off to a jumbled flickering of noise as Jamie sped through stations until landing on one they both enjoyed. It was only by staring at Jamie’s hands did Dani finally notice the inexplicable blue paint on her nails.

“There we are,” Jamie said to the sound of soft rock music, and set the radio on the nightstand next to her tea.

When Jamie settled back against the pillows, Dani grabbed her hand, inspecting the color. “Is this nailpolish?” she asked, incredulous.

Jamie sighed exasperatedly. “Told you. Carson’s fuckin’ fault,” Jamie grumbled, allowing Dani to inspect her nails with fascination, “Bet him he was too scared to paint his nails with Judy’s nailpolish and the cheeky bastard dared me to do it also if he followed through.”

“So —?”

“So, he’s rocking hot pink nails for the foreseeable future.”

Dani laughed, resting her head against Jamie’s shoulder. “I’d kill for a photo of that.”

“I’ll get it for you when I head back,” Jamie said, her mouth twisting into a mischievous smirk, “Blackmail has never sounded so good.”

Huffing with a soft laugh, Dani smacked Jamie’s arm. “You’re a menace.”

Humming softly, her smirk twisting into outright devilish territory, Jamie reached into her bag again and pulled out two books. “Also brought these with me,” she said in a suspiciously light tone. “Thought you might enjoy an evening of fancy entertainment.”

Narrowing her eyes, Dani reached with her free hand to inspect the books, and when she caught a peak of a familiar provocative cover, she yanked her hand back as if it had been scalded, jerking her head from Jamie’s shoulder. “Jamie!” she hissed, shuffling away and resting her mug on the nightstand on the other side of her bed as Jamie laughed loudly, “Why do you still have that?”

“‘Cause I haven’t finished it?” Jamie said, her voice turning up at the end as though she were answering a dumb question. The smile she wore and the glint in her eyes said she was taking great delight in the way Dani’s cheeks heated up. “You saying you aren’t interested? Brought it just for you.”

Dani scowled. “No, I am not interested,” she said, and warily eyed the way Jamie tossed the other, thicker tome on the bed to rapidly flip through the book, the yellowed pages fragile and flimsy in Jamie’s hands.

The book in question was one of those dirty dime paperbacks hidden at the top shelves of gas stations, the cover an artist's depiction of a blonde woman scantily clad in a dark dress on a bed. It was ancient and peeling in places along the edges, and above all, it belonged to David. Just a week before Nan had set off to England, Jamie had proudly and wickedly showed off her prize in her room to Dani, claiming to have found it peeking out from between the mattresses of David’s bed a few days prior. Dani had nearly ran from the room just from the sheer embarrassment of being in the mere presence of it, her face scalding red.

“How has David not killed you yet?”

“Still doesn’t know who nicked it,” Jamie said, and snickered, “Absolutely losing the plot, too. Keeps looking at Judy and Mike like they’ll strike him down any second.”

“Like I said: a menace.”

Jamie winked and smirked, “You love it.” And without warning, just as Dani was fondly shaking her head, Jamie opened the small paperback, muttered, “Now, where was I,” and began to read outloud.

“Jamie,” she groaned, feeling her face burn at the explicit content Jamie was gleefully reciting.

“Oh, hold on. This bit is good,” Jamie said in between breaths of laughter, “She was ready for him, her lips red and wet, her tongue a thing of raging desire —”

Dani smothered Jamie’s mouth with her hand. “Oh, my god, please stop.”

Laughing against her palm, Jamie pushed her hand away. “He almost died in the wonder of her kiss, of her surging body, and as he thru — shit, wait. Gross. Hold on, here’s a better part  —”

“Oh, my god.” Dani rose to her knees, grabbed the pillow from behind her, and pushed it into Jamie’s face. “Shut up .”

Jamie laughed wildly as Dani pushed her down on the bed, smothering her face just enough to make her stop. Dani held one hand down on the pillow as the other stretched for the book. At the graze of their hands, Dani dangerously close to ripping the book from Jamie’s grasp, Jamie yanked the book away from Dani’s reach. The bed shook as Jamie flailed her legs, squirming away, a foot threatening to push Dani off by her stomach. Laughing just as hard as Jamie, her sides twisting into a cramp, Dani pushed Jamie’s legs out of the way to straddle her hips and gain the advantage.

Jamie froze, her laughter cut off as she sucked in a muffled breath.

“Are you done?” Dani said between fits of giggling, her grip firm on the pillow over Jamie’s face.

Jamie was barely breathing, her ribs beneath her t-shirt expanding and shrinking with shallow movement. A spark of concern abruptly lit in Dani’s chest. She ripped the pillow from Jamie’s face, fearing that she’d maybe smothered her, but she was greeted with Jamie blinking up at her with wide eyes. Her face was flushed, her hair a tangled mess across the pillow beneath her, the coin necklace twisted around her neck.

“Did I almost just kill you?” Dani said, just short of panicking as she leaned closer to get a better look.

Her throat bobbing, Jamie’s eyes flashed across over her so fast, she could’ve imagined it. “I’m breathing, aren’t I?” Jamie said, chuckling breathlessly.

“Hardly,” Dani said dryly, sitting upright and folding her arms. “Now, are you done?”

Jamie smirked. “Maybe.”

Dani gave her a look and held out a hand. “Give me the book.”

Jamie rolled her eyes with a sigh so long-suffering that Dani snickered. “Yes ma’am,” Jamie drawled with another smirk, and moved as if to finally hand the book to her, but her hand froze midair with a considering frown that bordered on insolence. “But are you sure, though? Was just getting to my favorite part. Something about grabbing a pair of firm, creamy bre — “

“Ugh,” Dani groaned, ripping the book from Jamie’s grasp to toss across the room with a thud and pressed the pillow back to Jamie’s laughing face.

Pushing up and away from Jamie and the bed, Dani marched to her bookcase and pulled out a random book from a shelf. “Here,” she said, flinging it onto Jamie’s stomach without even looking to see what it was, her cheeks still burning, “An actual real book you can read.”

Jamie at this point had pulled the pillow from her face and sat up, dishevelled and fondly amused as she picked up the book to look it over. She snorted. “Mrs. Dalloway? Really?” she said, arching an eyebrow at Dani. When Dani gave her another biting look, Jamie aimed a wry grin at her as she tossed the book aside to grab the other paperback she had brought, waggling it in Dani’s direction, “I brought a backup, don’t you worry.”

Scowling, Dani dropped heavily back onto the bed without a glance in Jamie’s direction, swiped up Mrs Dalloway from the sheets and promptly buried her nose in its pages. “Your tea is probably cold now,” she muttered, ignoring Jamie’s soft snickers, her skin refusing to cool down.

“And that’s a bad thing?”

Dani elbowed her hard in the ribs, smirking when Jamie grunted at the impact.

They finally settled after that, sinking into the bedding and pillows next to each other, lost in the world of their individual books. Music played softly to keep them company. Knees and feet occasionally knocking together, shoulders pressed up against each other. Her eyes became heavier as she read, the words blurring in and out of darkness as she sunk further into the mattress, easing her head on Jamie’s shoulder. While she couldn’t see her expression from this angle, she could picture Jamie’s eyebrows faintly furrowed in concentration, turning a page every so often, quietly engrossed in her book that Dani’s seen her cart around before: Valley of the Dolls.

“Is yours any good?” Dani asked.

Jamie’s shoulder shrugged under her head. “Suppose so. Unless you find reading about a couple of Hollywood actresses ruining their lives any kind of fun.”

Dani frowned. “Where did you even get it?”

“Came with the house. Found it in a box in the basement,” Jamie said, “It’s a bit barmy to be honest.”

Humming contemplatively, Dani glanced over the words on the page Jamie had open, finding what she saw nonsensical out of context. “Not the first time I’ve seen you read it though.” Jamie chuckled softly, but didn’t respond. “Can I read it when you're done?”

“Not really your kinda book I think,” Jamie said, a finger tapping on the edge of the pages.

Dani rolled her eyes. “Don’t make me smother you again.”

“Fine. You can have it now if you’d like?”

“It’s okay. You can finish first.”

“As you wish,” Jamie said softly.

They fell quiet again. Dani found that she couldn’t concentrate on the words before her, not with Jamie breathing softly beside her, or her curtains ruffling as the warm summer breeze wafted through her open window, or the music that played like white noise in the background. Her head drooped heavier onto Jamie’s shoulder until she finally let her eyes slip shut.

The next time her eyes fluttered open, the room was darker than she last remembered, the evening sun casting sharp streaks of light across her room. She was curled up on her side, facing the wall but she could still feel the warm length of Jamie next to her. Her eyes landed on the jar on her desk labelled ‘Travel Fund’ , and blinked drowsily at the dollar bill she hadn’t seen earlier that day stuffed inside.

Slowly, her head feeling heavy and sluggish still, she turned around and gazed up at Jamie. Expression set with concentration that seemed more like a scowl than anything, Jamie held up the half dollar coin attached to her necklace, rubbing it between the pads of her fingers while the other hand now held open Mrs. Dalloway. She already seemed to be at least twenty pages in and visibly struggling with the prose, but determined to continue. Then Jamie’s eyes flitted down to Dani and her expression softened.

“Welcome back to the land of the living,” Jamie said.

With a groan, Dani rubbed her dry eyes and turned on her back. “How long was I out?” she asked, her voice rough with sleep.

“Bit over two hours.”

“Why didn’t you wake me?”

Jamie shrugged, resting the book against her legs. “Reckoned you needed the sleep. Had a long day, and all.”

The smile Dani gave her was warm and affectionate, even as her stomach clenched at the reminder of the day's whirlwind of events. Jamie’s throat bobbed, and returned her gaze to the book. “Mind if I borrow this?” At the shake of Dani’s head, Jamie grinned, marking her place with a bookmark before setting the book aside. She visibly hesitated, before she said, “Your mum came home a bit ago, by the way.”

Dani’s stomach sank. “Oh.”

“Hasn’t come to check on you. I blocked the door just in case,” Jamie said with a short gesture to Dani’s bedroom door where clothes hung on a door rack and a chair that normally held clean laundry was propped against the doorknob. “Heard the tv on since she got in, and not a peep since.”

When Dani didn’t respond, didn’t move besides the clenching of her fists and stomach, Jamie calmly continued. “Ed checked in too. Wanted to see how we were doing. You know how he is; always worried. Scared of your mum too. Bit mental how you slept through that though. Thought Carson was gonna blow out the speakers with how loud he was banging on for us to sneak back over.”

Dani huffed out a laugh, and Jamie smiled down at her. “We missed dinner too,” Jamie said, “Ed said that Judy made us plates, so I ran over to grab ‘em and let her know I’ll be here for the night.”

Sucking in a sharp breath, Dani pushed herself up, eyes wide. “But - mom. She - “

“Didn’t see me,” Jamie said, and smiled reassuringly. “She was asleep.”

“Okay,” Dani breathed, nodding faintly, panic quickly receding. She exhaled slowly, grateful for Jamie’s comforting silence, their knees pressing together. “I should - um. I should check on her. See if she’s okay.”

Jamie nodded easily. “I’ll come help bring up dinner.”

Dani swallowed hard, but nodded.

They slipped their way out of Dani’s room, and padded softly downstairs. The lights in the living room were off from where Dani could see in the hall, but for the evening sun and the flickering light of the tv cascading the room. Jamie slipped away to the kitchen, while Dani continued onwards towards the smell of smoke and wine.

Her mother lay sideways on the couch facing the television, breathing deeply as she slept, still wearing her clothes from earlier today, rumbled and wrinkled. A glass with remnant drops of wine sat on the coffee table next to a bottle and an ashtray littered with crushed cigarette buds. Dani swallowed hard, an anxious pit forming in her stomach just at the sight of her, but as she edged closer, eyes searching for any lit or forgotten cigarettes, she slowed when her eyes landed on her mother’s face.

Exhaling softly, Dani moved with the muscle memory of having done this a hundred times before. Reaching for the patterned throw blanket draped across the back of the couch, unfolding it to drape it across her mom’s sleeping form, careful to tuck her in with as little contact as possible. Frowning down at her, Dani hesitantly reached her hand out and shifted a stray strand of blonde hair out of her mother’s face. Karen shifted and Dani pulled her hand away, tightening them into fists by her side, but her mother did not wake.

Doing one more scan across the floor and couch, pleased to find no cigarettes in sight, she turned the tv off and gathered the wine glass and bottle, starting towards the kitchen without a backwards glance. But as she turned, she jerked to a stop at the sight of Jamie standing frozen by the entrance, two plates of food already in hand, eyes unblinking on the sleeping form of her mom, wearing a deep frown that shadowed her features.

Swallowing down a swell shame, Dani stepped closer into Jamie’s eyeline. “Hey,” she murmured.

Jamie’s eyes caught Dani’s, blinking owlishly, her shoulders taut and the muscles of her jaw corded tight. “See you upstairs,” Jamie muttered, and disappeared up the staircase without another word.

Biting at her lip, her stomach clenching, Dani continued towards the kitchen. She washed the wine glass and set the empty wine bottle away under the sink, trying to settle the worrying pit in her stomach from Jamie’s tightened expression, having made its return since the day before at the O’Mara’s. When she was done, she gathered two glasses of orange juice and returned upstairs to her room with a deep fortifying breath.

Jamie was already wolfing down her dinner, shepherd’s pie from the looks of it, not glancing up as Dani entered and blocking the door again behind her. She set Jamie’s juice on the nightstand beside her before returning to her spot on the other side of her bed where her plate was waiting for her.

“Is it good?” Dani asked, more just to hear Jamie’s voice again rather than the quality of food that she already knew would be hearty and appetizing.

Her mouth full, Jamie nodded with a grunt, not looking at Dani.

Ducking her head, her plate in her lap, Dani pushed around the food with her fork. “Sorry,” she said, her voice trembling.

Jamie froze beside her, her knuckles white around her fork. She slowly turned her head to stare at Dani. “What for?” she asked, her voice low and flat.

“Just -” Dani made a weak gesture towards the door, towards downstairs, where her mother slept. “- That.”

“No,” Jamie choked out. “I’m -” She cut herself off, falling silent for a long moment before dropping her fork to the plate, metal clanging against ceramic, and pushed the plate away on the bed.

Dani looked up at her, seeing that same darkened expression, her teeth clenched and her brows furrowed, working her jaw as though she was desperately trying to think of something to say. Dani glanced away, back to her food.

“It’s okay - um. Let’s - let’s just finish dinner,” Dani mumbled.

She could feel Jamie’s eyes on her, piercing and unblinking. When Dani finally forked a mouthful of food into her mouth, she saw out of the corner of her eye Jamie reached forward to pull her plate back into her lap. It was painfully quiet, besides the radio still going and the scrapping of their plates. Dani found that she could barely taste anything at all as she ate. Jamie finished her meal before her — she always ate as though the food might disappear at any moment — setting her plate aside on the table before leaning back against the pillows, knees pulled up to her chest, her hands dangling over her knees, clenching and unclenching. When Dani finished, sipping at her juice before moving to stand, Jamie spoke again, her voice quiet.

“Sorry.”

Dani froze. “Why?”

Visibly swallowing hard, Jamie rolled her head against the headboard to meet Dani’s eyes. At Dani’s frown, Jamie pushed herself up, crossing her legs and taking Dani’s plate from her hands to discard on her own before shifting to fully face Dani, her expression taut but determined.

“I told you that you never had to apologize to me for things like that, for your mum, and I — “ Jamie’s voice cracked, and she scowled down at her lap in response. Slowly, Dani turned to face her, mirroring her crossed legs and patiently waited, her heart thumping steadily against her ribs. Jamie inhaled slowly and caught her gaze again, her eyes stormy and vivid.

“You don’t ever have to be ashamed of it. Of any of it. Not to me,” Jamie said, but there was an odd pinch to Jamie’s expression, a darkened hue of shame of her own as she was unable to hold Dani’s gaze any longer, eyes darting down to her lap. “I just - what I’m trying to say is that I understand. I know what it’s like, what it feels like. More than you think.”

Slowly, Dani reached out and grasped one of Jamie’s hands to pull in her lap, unfurling her clenched fist to lace their fingers together, her thumb running over Jamie’s knuckles, feeling the grooves on her skin. Jamie exhaled slowly, quietly. The muscles of her shoulders easing from their tight coils.

“Told you, you wouldn’t have liked staying here,” Dani murmured.

Jamie’s eyes flashed up to Dani’s, intense and sharp, pinning Dani to the spot. “I meant what I said,” she said, “S’long as you’re here, that’s all I need.”

Words trapped in her throat, not knowing what else to say, Dani just nodded. Her grip on Jamie’s hand tightened. She felt the ghost of the pressure return in her chest before she pulled her hand away and curled on her side upon the mattress. Jamie followed her, facing Dani with a look of faint concern.

“So, she overheard you today?” Jamie asked quietly.

After a moment, fiddling with a strand of untwined thread from her comforter, Dani shrugged. “I don’t know,” she murmured, “She didn’t really say anything. She — ” Dani’s voice caught, memories of trembling in the dark “ — she left kind of right after.”

Jamie watched her quietly, her eyes traveling over her face as if searching for something. “Y’know,” Jamie started slowly, “You’re over all the time already, but you’re always welcome to stay with us whenever you like. If you don’t want to be here or you’re sick of the lads across the street. Nan doesn’t act like it, but she likes you. She wouldn’t mind.”

“I couldn’t - I couldn’t ask you to —”

“Dani,” Jamie interrupted, her grin soft, “We wouldn’t mind. Really.”

Dani could only smile, a warmth spreading across her chest as she reached a hand forward to link their pinkies. “Okay,” she murmured.

“And,” Jamie continued, a glint forming in her eyes, “If your mum catches you on the phone again, you just tell her it’s me. I can handle it.”

“That doesn’t really seem like a good idea,” Dani said, uncertainly.

“Look,” Jamie started, “your mum and I have an understanding. We don’t like each other, and to be honest with you, I couldn’t give two shits about it.”

Dani chuckled, but quickly sobered. “Keep that up, and she’ll probably never let me see you again.”

Jamie scoffed derisively and gave Dani a significant look. “As if she could keep me away.”

Sinking further into her pillow to hide her grin, Dani recalled Jamie scaling her house just a few hours ago. Without a word, Dani slid closer, rolling Jamie on her back to press her cheek against her shoulder and slip an arm around her waist. Jamie stiffened for a moment, and then sank into the sheets, an arm slowly moving to wrap around Dani’s shoulder.

“I’m glad you’re here,” Dani murmured into her flannel shirt, soft underneath her skin.

She felt Jamie’s thumb rub comforting motions against her shoulder, her other hand smoothing over the arm Dani had across her stomach, warm and grounding. “Anytime.”

--

The next morning, Dani woke to the slant of sunlight across her face. Jamie, no doubt having woken up with the sun, was next to her in bed when Dani blinked her eyes open, squinting in the morning light. She held a hot cup of tea in one hand and a book in the other, resting on an upright knee as she read. Dani would’ve thought that time had frozen from the day before if it weren’t for Jamie’s change of clothes and dishevelled hair from a night of sleep.

“Morning,” Dani murmured, her voice groggy, stretching her legs beneath the sheets. She eyed Jamie’s floral mug. “Did she see you?”

Jamie shook her head and flipped a page. “Waited ‘til she was gone,” she said, “Left a bit early too.”

“Oh."

It wasn’t often her mother left her behind for Sunday Church. It generally only occurred when she was upset with Dani more so than usual. The feeling left an acid discomfort in her stomach, and she curled further into herself to quell it. Seeing this, Jamie lowered her mug and her expression softened.

“Hey, more time for us to laze about, yeah?” Jamie said, her foot nudging Dani’s leg from above the comforter.

“I have to do chores,” Dani muttered into the sheets of her pillow.

Jamie’s mouth thinned. “Well, four hands are better than two as they say, or whatever.”

“I think the saying is two hands are better than —”

“Shut it. I haven’t finished my tea yet.”

Dani snorted, and was silent for a moment, before she said, “I really couldn’t ask —”

“Before you start banging on about it, I already did our dishes for you,” Jamie interrupted, her stare firm, “Let me help. Faster we finish, the faster we can get on with our day.”

In the end, it didn’t take much effort to convince her, not when Jamie was intent on being so sweet. It wasn’t often Jamie was so malleable and eager to help, and Dani found it to be remarkably charming and endearing, even as she awkwardly gave Jamie orders to get a head start on vacuuming during Dani’s hasty breakfast of cereal and tea. Jamie only fondly rolled her eyes as she trotted upstairs with the vacuum. They worked quickly and in tandem, Jamie’s radio blaring loudly as they cleaned that eventually Dani couldn’t help bobbing her head and singing along to the words. By midday, the house was clean and they were sweating in the humid summer heat. Before Jamie could even argue, Dani pressed a clean towel to her face and shoved her towards the bathroom to shower. Jamie laughed as she went, her smile brighter than it’d been in days.

Showered and dressed in clean clothes, the day was now theirs. The cinched feeling in her chest since waking up to her mother’s absence was loosened, but not entirely gone. It was the calm before the storm for when her mother returned. But until then, they spent the day much as they did the day before, holed up in Dani’s room with their books and music and endless conversation about everything and nothing.

“You need a bloody tv in here,” Jamie said at one point, tossing aside Mrs Dalloway in favor of returning to the dirty paperback Dani refused to look at, blessedly quiet this time.

When they overheard the unmistakable noise of the front door opening and slamming shut, Dani was all but shoving Jamie’s bag in her hand.

“What do you expect me to do? Jump out the fuckin’ window?” Jamie hissed.

“Don’t be an idiot,” Dani hissed back.

They held their breath as her mom’s footsteps passed by Dani’s room and disappeared into her own with the click of the door pressing shut. And true to her word, Jamie did give off the appearance of a sneaky cat as she slinked quietly through the house with Dani behind her.

“You gonna be all right?” Jamie whispered, shoving her feet into her canvas shoes.

Dani shrugged, quietly easing the door open. “Nothing I’m not used to.”

Jamie frowned at that, but said nothing except for, “I’ll check in later. If you need me sooner, flash the porch light twice.”

Dani nodded.

“Chin up, Poppins.”

With a departing wink and grin, she was gone, jogging across the street. Dani grinned after her and silently shut the door. The house felt abruptly quiet with Jamie gone. A hollowed chamber where Dani could hear the echo of every sound and movement in the walls and floors. A drip of the tap. The groaning pipes. The whistle of wind through a window crease. Twenty-four hours alone with Jamie in her house, and it was like Dani had suddenly forgotten what the emptiness of it felt like.

A creak of a door opening sounded through the second floor. Dani stiffened at the noise and started towards the kitchen for anything resembling food. She was in the middle of preparing a simple sandwich when she heard the steps of her mother pad into the kitchen. Dani swallowed hard, knuckles white against a butter knife, her breath caught in throat, her ears pricked. She held herself still, as though she could camouflage into the walls, making herself as small as possible. Prey hiding from predator. Her mother moved behind her — the opening and closing of cupboards and fridge, the clink of glass, the opening of a bottle — and then, she was gone. Leaving a trail of smoke lingering in the air, never speaking a word. Dani started when the tv in the living room clicked on, the volume loud and oppressive. It was only when she was finally back in her room, the chair lodged under the doorknob, that could Dani breathe again.

She hid there for the remainder of the day with the company of her books, and the radio Jamie had inexplicably left behind. This she was used to. The silences of cold shoulders and the quiet of her room. But a few hours in the company of Jamie by her side, having grown comfortable with her presence in her room, it was achingly lonely and by the second hour, she was bored out of her mind. But then came the familiar voices over the walkie talkie to her rescue.

“Danielle?” came Eddie’s voice, “Danielle, you there?”

“Lower your voice, you knob,” hissed Jamie’s voice.

“Sorry,” Eddie mumbled, “Danielle?”

“Yeah, I’m here,” Dani replied, curling up on her side.

“Everything all good over there? Do I need to climb a tree again?” Jamie asked.

“You climbed a tree?” Eddie said, puzzled.

“Not important.”

Dani chuckled. “I’m fine,” she said. “Just bored, I guess.”

“Tomorrow’s Milkshake Monday, you should come over,” Eddie said, “When you’re not grounded anymore, I guess.”

“Please, Dani,” Jamie added, “Dunno how Mrs. O’Mara does it. If I hadn’t seen it for myself, you’d think this lot never showered with the way they smell.”

“Hey! Shut up, it’s hot outside, okay?”

“I’ll do my best,” Dani said, biting back a laugh.

“Oh! Is that Dani?” Carson’s voice appeared, “Dani, come over!”

“Christ, could you shu — “ Jamie’s voice cut off, as though she had taken her finger off the ‘push to speak’ button.

Dani quietly laughed, her heart warmed and aching with how much she already missed them, even if they were just across the street. They kept her company on and off throughout the rest of the evening. Jamie offered to sneak food over, until Dani had to reassure her she had enough to fill her for the night. Carson recited running commentary on the ongoings of everyone in the house, audibly disrupting them all until they brightened when they realized who was on the other end, saying their hellos. And near the end of the night, when Eddie had finally swiped back his walkie talkie, he murmured in soft tones.

“You sure you’re okay?”

“Really, I’m fine,” Dani assured, refraining from sighing.

“Okay,” Eddie said, satisfied. “You should really try to come over tomorrow. We could have a sleepover too, and um — “ his voice trailed off for a moment “ — I miss you.”

Dani grinned softly. “Miss you too.”

By the next morning, Dani woke early, amping herself up with Jamie’s radio on low, set to a Top 100 Pop Hits station, praying for some semblance of bravery. But when she ventured from her room, she found her mother’s bedroom door already open, coffee already made, and her car keys gone. The house empty and eerily silent. She debated with herself for the next half hour. Eating cereal by herself in the kitchen, writing an absentminded note on a spare piece of paper to get milk for the next grocery run, until eventually she was reconnecting the kitchen phone and dialing a number that was written down on a note on the fridge.

It rang four agonizing times until the line clicked open and her mother said, “Hello, Karen Clayton speaking.”

“Mom? It’s me,” Dani murmured, and she swore she could hear a soft sigh from the other end of the line.

“What do you need, Danielle? I’m working.”

“I was - um. I was wondering if I could go over to the O’Mara’s today,” Dani said, her grip tight on the receiver, and hesitantly added, “To sleep over?”

Her mother was quiet for a long moment. “Is that what you called me for? You know how busy I am.”

“I know, I - I just wanted to ask, because — “

“Do whatever you want, Danielle,” Karen said sharply, and the line went dead.

Dani blinked in the quiet of the kitchen, listening to her heart thudding against her ribs and the dial tone until she slowly set the receiver back into the base. It took a minute for the unease to settle, unsure of what to do, unsure if this was some kind of trap. But the promise of finally escaping to the house across the street proved to be more enticing, and she was racing up to her room to pack. Another storm passed, as they were wont to do.

The smile Eddie greeted her with when he opened the door was bright and infectious. He hugged her tight and happily took her bag from her hand, already marching towards the staircase to haul it upstairs. Nearby, Jamie was leaning against the wall and smirking at her as she pulled off her shoes.

“Finally,” Jamie muttered, “He hasn’t shut up about it since last night. Like he hasn’t seen you in weeks and not a few days.”

“Please, like you didn’t miss me too.”

Jamie’s smirk widened. “Not a clue what you’re talking about.”

Carson came abruptly sliding out of the kitchen on his socks, a jar of peanut butter and a butter knife in hand. “Dani!” he said, holding up the jar and knife as though in victory, “It’s Milkshake Monday!”

Even Jamie smiled through the roll of her eyes. Somehow over the course of the summer, jaunts to Big Bill’s Diner for milkshakes and lunch had become custom every Monday. The twins would occasionally accompany them, as they were today, hauling out their bikes along with Jamie’s to ride across town to the ancient grease diner that half the time was populated by truckers passing through. As was usual, they all doubled up. Dani settled behind Jamie, standing on the rear pegs of her bike, resting her hands on Jamie’s steady shoulders while Eddie and Carson followed suit with the twins.

“Ready?” Jamie murmured.

“Good to go,” Dani replied, patting Jamie’s shoulder. “Giddyup.”

“Say that again and I’ll throw you off,” Jamie grumbled as Dani laughed, and took off behind the twins.

Like all Mondays before, they hunkered down in a booth with their milkshakes and lunches of burgers and fries. It all together felt like being able to breathe once more, sitting in between Eddie and Jamie, laughing at the twins’ teasing and Carson’s brain freeze. Jamie slouched low in her seat, quiet more so than usual, but always wearing a small grin every time Dani glanced her way. When she saw an open opportunity to steal a fry from Jamie’s plate, she reached out a hand just for a reaction, and laughed when Jamie slapped it away, grumbling good naturedly but her smile wider than before.

On the other side of her, Eddie slid his plate closer to her. “You can have some of mine,” he said with an eager grin, knocking their shoes together.

Jamie made a noise that sounded both like a scoff and snicker. “Knobhead.”

On the ride back home, Dani soaked up the afternoon sun and wind on her face, standing higher on the back pegs, pressing closer to Jamie’s back.

“You all right back there?” Jamie said as she peddled, mirth in her voice.

“Never better,” Dani replied, her grip tightening on Jamie’s shoulders.

--

Dani woke up squinting in the morning sun, almost expecting to see Jamie propped up on the pillows with a cup of tea in hand and a book in the other the way she had the other day. Instead, she rolled over and found the other side of the bed empty and cold, Jamie long gone for the morning. She was almost disappointed, but then she remembered: this wasn’t Dani’s house, nor was it Jamie’s. They were in Carson’s room where they had accommodated his bed for the night, seeing as it had more room to spare than a camp bed. They had both demurred at the idea, not wanting to take over Carson’s room, but Judy and Carson had insisted.

As quiet as possible, Dani rose from the bed and tiptoed around Carson sleeping soundly on the camp bed where he had sworn they’d stay up all night talking, but almost immediately fell asleep upon his head hitting the pillow. She opened the door to a quiet house. The boys rooms were still tightly shut, a gentle breeze blew through the open window on the landing, morning birds chirping outside, but there also were soft voices and movement down below. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Dani followed the sound downstairs towards the kitchen, and blinked at what greeted her.

Already dressed in her work clothes, Judy was manning the stove where a familiar kettle was heating up, and sitting hunched over at the counter barstool was Jamie, still in her pajamas, her hair disheveled. They both turned at the sound of Dani entering the room.

“Good morning, honey,” Judy said, smiling at her. “What are you doing up so early?”

Dani shrugged. “Just used to it.”

“An early riser like this one then, huh?” Judy said, nodding towards Jamie with an affectionate look. Jamie in response grinned thinly, her cheek resting against her fist. Judy waved Dani towards the barstools. “Go on, take a seat. Jamie’s teaching me how to make real English tea. I’ll get you a cup too.”

When Judy’s back was turned as she delved into the cupboards, Dani arched a brow at Jamie, grinning as she slid onto a stool next to her. Jamie rolled her eyes with a quiet sigh, but said nothing. Unlike last Friday, there was a relaxed slouch to Jamie’s shoulders as she sat at the counter, her legs still and her expression lethargic, but otherwise free of taut lines that so prevailed the previous week.

Dani grinned softly at the sight, and couldn’t help but reach up to smooth away wild flyaways from Jamie’s hair before leaning close to murmur in her ear, “Did you bring tea and your kettle from home?”

Jamie stiffened for a moment, before turning to scowl at her. “Sod off,” she murmured, poking Dani hard in the ribs, grinning when Dani jerked and swiped her hand away.

It was comforting, to quietly sit next to Jamie, still too tired to speak in full sentences as she listened to Jamie uttering soft, patient directions to Judy as she made the three of them tea. At the first sip, Jamie hummed appreciatively to Judy’s delight.

“S’not bad, Mrs. O’Mara. Definitely better than Dani’s,” Jamie said, failing to hide her smirk as Dani huffed.

Judy chuckled. “Thank you, sweetheart, I try my best,” Judy said, leaning on her elbows across the counter from them as she took a sip, “Not bad if I do say so myself. I’m going to have to get an actual kettle and real tea set, and then you’re going to have to show me how to make a real brew, as you Brits say.”

Jamie nodded and grinned. “If you like.”

Carson and Mike were the next to make an appearance in the kitchen as Jamie and Dani were in the midst of eating cereal and sharing a bowl of fruits. Mike gently guided a still half-awake Carson across the room before kissing Judy lightly on the cheek and helping himself to some fresh coffee. Carson was still bleary eyed as Judy handed him a bowl.

"Carson," Jamie said. When he glanced up she mimed throwing a grape at him until he opened his mouth and she chucked it across the kitchen in a clear arc. The grape smacked him on the cheek and went plonking down to the floor. Judy gave them both an admonishing look. Jamie grinned sheepishly in response as Dani snickered.

The day seemed to fly by after they’d had their breakfast and Judy and Mike set off to work. A whole house to themselves with nothing to do but to hang out and annoy each other. Dani was positive that Carson wasn’t as absentminded as he appeared as he shook his feet, lounging on the basement couch during a movie, a foot hitting Eddie in the head more than once where he sat on the ground, leaning against the couch. Dani was beside him, having found her spot first before Eddie plopped down next to her, refusing to move throughout Carson’s beatings.

Instead, Eddie leaned his shoulder against hers, his hands twitching as if restless with nerves. When she relaxed her hands on her stretched out legs, his arm inched closer, pressing against hers as he rested his hand oddly on the ground between them, his palm up and hands loose. It was like he was waiting for something. Or someone to grab hold of it. The realization made her roll her eyes, and she reached down to grasp his palm. Out of the corner of her eyes, his shoulders tensed slightly, but a small smile curled up his lips as he pushed his glasses up his nose. Dani fondly shook her head as their fingers linked together.

Jamie meanwhile sat in an armchair with Mrs Dalloway in hand, slouching low with a leg slung over an armrest, her foot bouncing lightly. Throughout the movie — some Monty Python picture from the year before — Dani couldn’t help occasionally sneaking glances at her. Her eyes drawn to the way Jamie fiddled with her coin necklace and glowering more so than usual down at the pages as she read, her jaw clenched. A strain had returned to her that Dani couldn’t place beyond the fact that her choleric disposition had made its triumphant return from Friday. But by the time the movie was over, her hand free from Eddie’s grasp as he moved to change the tape, Jamie caught her eyes, her expression relaxed to a faint smile. When Eddie asked Dani what she thought of the movie, she found that she couldn’t remember the plot much at all.

Later, during their fourth round of Uno around the coffee table in the living room that evening, waiting for dinner as Carson helped Judy in the kitchen, Jamie seemed more relaxed but no less ornery in the spirit of competition. When Dani was moments away from putting down another matching card, Jamie looked up from her massive sprawl of cards in one hand with her chin resting on her fist and said, “Skip me again, I dare you.”

Dani raised her eyebrows, and shrugged with an air of nonchalance. “If you say so,” she said, playing a Skip card.

Jamie flung her pile of cards on the table. “For fuck’s sake,” she grumbled as Dani laughed.

“You just ruined the pile!” Eddie groaned, with the fewest cards left in his hand, “We have to start over now.”

“Oh, shut your hole. You already won last round,” Jamie muttered, leaning back on her hands.

“Not my fault you’re just a sore loser,” Eddie said, rolling his eyes as he gathered the cards into a neat stack.

“Keep talking, and see what happens, Ed.”

Dani sighed exasperatedly. “Okay, I think we’re done with Uno.”

“Thank Christ,” Jamie breathed and rose to her feet, marching away towards the stairs. Dani watched her go with another sigh.

“Does she always have to be so grumpy like that?” Eddie asked.

“She’s had a rough couple of days,” she said, frowning at him.

Eddie snorted, and muttered under his breath, “Didn’t seem like it.”

Dani gave him a look that he shied away from. “Okay, okay,” he mumbled, “I’ll go easy on her.”

“I’d really appreciate that,” Dani said softly, and pushed his glasses up his nose.  

He grinned at her, his cheeks tinted pink, and then inhaled sharply, looking down at the cards in his hands. “So, I was thinking tomorrow we could go get some ice cream together or something.”

“Ice cream? Yeah, I’d love to,” Dani said, “I’ll ask Jamie later.”

Eddie’s grin fell slightly as he looked back up at her. “No, I meant - I meant just the two of us.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah,” he murmured, his throat bobbing as he swallowed hard, and for a brief moment, Dani felt like she could hear her heartbeat in her ears. “Yeah, like a da — “

A loud slam from upstairs shook the house. They both jumped at the sound, eyes wide.

“You fucking -!”

Thunderous footsteps ran across the top floor and down the stairs, stomping with every step. Dani and Eddie rose to their feet to follow the sound in the hallway.

“Get back here, you little shit!”

There was the distinct sound of Jamie’s laughter, wild with adrenaline and panic as she came crashing down the stairs, jumping across the last few steps and nearly collapsing over as she hit the ground.

“What on earth is going on?” Judy called out, appearing from the kitchen with Carson, eyes wide with her hands on her hips.

Jamie didn’t stop, rushing past them all towards the front door, ripping it open to bolt outside barefoot, her flannel and hair flying behind her. One of the twins — undoubtedly David �� came thundering down the stairs after her, his face apoplectic and red, racing after her outside and down the street. Dani stepped towards the open door to watch them sprint around the corner and out of sight. Dani pressed a hand to her mouth to suppress her laughter as the others stood next to her in the doorway in bewilderment.

David may have been a whole foot taller than Jamie and then some, but Dani had every confidence that she could outrun him, especially with the dirty paperback she spied clutched in Jamie’s hand spurring her on.

“What in the Sam Hill was that all about?” Judy said, her arms crossed.

“No idea,” Dani replied.

Tommy came up behind them, laughing hard as he clutched his sides, and leaned over them to yell, “Told you it wasn’t me!”

--

“What,” said Dani, squinting down at the sheet in front of her, “is a cleric?”

They were sitting on the ground around the coffee table in the O’Mara’s living room. Eddie had claimed the couch as his throne and had surrounded himself with pages and notes, pencils and erasers, little cardboard tokens and a set of three big books, one of which was open and perched on his knees. On the table, he’d spread a large sheet of paper with grid lines drawn in pen.

It was the only vaguely quiet place in the house apart from the basement, which didn’t have a big enough table to fit them. Judy was baking in the kitchen and had shooed them out of the dining room. Meanwhile, Tommy and David were blasting music upstairs in their shared room. Whenever Mike would stand on the stairs and yell for them to turn it down, the twins would comply for exactly thirty seconds before ramping the volume back up again. Even now, Dani could hear a rhythmic thumping bassline through the ceiling.

Eddie pushed up his glasses. “It’s like a cross between a Fighting Man and a Magic User. You can wield non-edged magic weapons and heal people in your party.”

“Non-edged? Why non-edged?” Dani pointed to the couch. “And can you pass me a pillow?”

“Sure. Here.” Eddie tossed her one of the cushions, which she promptly sat upon and crossed her legs. “It’s just in the rules. I’ve also made you guys level three, so Carson can actually do some damage in a fight.”

“Do I get a sword?” Carson asked excitedly, brandishing his pencil as though it were a weapon.

“You’re a Magic User. You can only use a dagger and spells.”

“Nice! Spells!” Carson pointed the pencil at his brother. “I cast: slap you in the face.”

Eddie frowned. “It doesn’t work like that.”

“I thought you said you were controlling the monsters, though.”

“You did say that,” Dani agreed.

Rubbing at his forehead, Eddie sighed. “I’m the Dungeon Master. I control the story and the monsters.”

“And I control the magic called: slap you in the face.” For good measure, Carson chucked his pencil at Eddie, who ducked so that the pencil bounced against the back of the couch.

“Watch it!”

Carson made a face at him. “Don’t be such a baby!”

“Yeah, that’s your job,” Dani said with a grin.

“Hey, Jamie,” said Eddie. “Come play with us. We need another person for the party.”

Like some sort of cat, Jamie was seated on the back of the other couch that was pushed up against the wall. She leaned her shoulder against the wall, one leg outstretched, the other knee balancing a battered paperback. Every now and then, Jamie would glance furtively over the top of the book towards the windows that showed the front lawn and the street beyond it.

“Don’t want to,” Jamie muttered, scowling back down at the book in her lap.

Eddie rolled his eyes. “You’re not even reading. You’ve been on the same page for ten minutes now.”

In answer, Jamie turned a page.

“C’mon. You can be a Fighting Man.” Eddie held up a character sheet with a bunch of painstakingly pencilled in numbers that he had added earlier that day while Dani watched and chatted with him. “You like fighting.”

Aiming her glower at him, Jamie growled, “Fuck off.”

“Look at that: perfect for the role.”

“Do I get to be evil?” Carson interrupted. “I want to be evil.”

Eddie ignored him. “Danielle, convince her to play with us.”

“She doesn’t want to play, Eddie,” Dani replied.

“Yeah, but she always listens to you.”

“I can hear you,” Jamie snapped.

“If you’re not going to play, why are you even down here?” Eddie asked. “You can always just hang out in Carson’s room if you want to be alone.”

Jerking her thumb towards the ceiling, Jamie said, “You think I can get a moment’s peace with Tweedledee and Tweedledum bangin’ about up there?”

“The basement’s quiet, though,” Carson pointed out.

Dani could see Jamie’s lips purse together, her brows still furrowed and her shoulders tense. Outside, a vehicle trundled down the street and Jamie’s head jerked up to follow it only for her to slouch sullenly once more.

The basement was quiet, but it didn’t have a clear view of the road.

"Let's just -" Dani smiled as broadly as she knew how towards Eddie and Carson "- play. All right? And let’s leave Jamie alone."

Begrudgingly, Eddie picked up a few cardboard tokens and began setting them out on the paper grid map. "Fine. Do you have names for your characters?"

"Uh," Dani glanced down at the sheet again. She couldn't visualize what her character looked like in the slightest. A priest, perhaps. Black robes beneath a set of medieval armour with a patch of white collar showing through. Grimacing, she said, "Dani?"

"You can't have it be your own name."

"Why not?" Carson asked. "Carson the Wizard has a great ring to it."

"Oh, my god," Eddie groaned and rested his forehead on the open pages of his manual. "Can you please take this seriously? Just for two seconds?"

"You want me," said Carson, "to pretend to use magic, and also be serious about it? Are you stupid?"

"Okay. Fine. Fine!" Eddie lifted his head and spread his hands in a sharp gesture. "Your characters are you. Just you with your own names but with powers. Now, can we please play?" When both Dani and Carson nodded, he sighed, "Finally. All right. The two of you are descending into the bowels of a long-forgotten ruin -"

They played. Dani kept forgetting the names of her abilities and how to perform them, but she did her best. She spent most of the time being distracted by the too quiet way Jamie was sitting behind her. More than once Eddie had to call her name to get Dani to stop looking over her shoulder at where Jamie was fiddling with the pages of a book or staring out the window.

"Danielle."

Dani started and turned back around. "Sorry," she said again. "Sorry. I - uh -" Turning over the character sheet, she re-read her list of actions. "I use Turn Undead?"

Eddie mimed an explosion emanating from the little token that denominated her character, pushing aside various other tokens that surrounded it. “With the strength of your conviction and the name of your god’s name upon your lips, you show your holy symbol and the skeletons around you crumble into dust in a blaze of light! All except -” he lowered his voice dramatically, pushing forward one of the tokens, “- for one.”

“Oh, shit,” Carson whispered, eyes wide, utterly rapt.

Without warning, Jamie scrambled from the back of the couch, half falling to the floor and racing to yank open the front door. All three of them — Eddie, Carson, and Dani — jumped in surprise, turning to stare as she ran from the house.

"What's gotten into her?" Eddie muttered.

Craning her neck, Dani pushed herself upright and peered out the window. A familiar truck had pulled up to the curb out front. She couldn't hear what was happening, not over the noise of Tommy and David's music, but she could see Nan pushing open the driver seat door and laboriously stepping out onto the pavement. Jamie was lingering at the other door, its window rolled down so she could lean on her elbows and exchange words with her grandmother.

"Oh! Mrs. Heron's back!" Carson said, abandoning the game of dungeons and dragons in favor of trotting off to the kitchen and hollering, "Mom! Mrs. Heron's back!"

Whatever Judy replied was lost as Dani wandered over to the open front door. She hesitated at the threshold, watching as Jamie's posture rapidly shifted from tense to relieved to tense all over again. Nan glanced up, saw Dani standing there, and gave her a tired looking wave. Dani returned the gesture, but Nan had already turned her attention back to Jamie, murmuring something that made Jamie's head jerk back as though she'd been physically struck.

Behind her, Dani could hear Eddie muttering to himself. She turned to find him cleaning up the coffee table. With a grimace, she returned to the living room to help him. "Sorry," she said as she shuffled together all of the various pieces of paper into a neat stack. "I was having fun. I swear."

"Mmm," said Eddie, sounding unconvinced.

"Do you want to finish the story tomorrow?" Dani asked and she handed over the pages.

Before he could answer, Nan limped through the front door. In one hand she leaned her weight heavily upon the polished wooden cane, but in the other she cradled in the crook of her elbow what appeared to be a bundle of blankets.

"Jesus Christ," Nan winced when she first stepped inside, aiming a sour glance up at the ceiling. "And I thought Louise's house was a racket."

"Hi, Mrs. Heron," said Eddie, packing up the last of the game along with his books. "Did you have a nice trip?"

"Loaded question, that one," Nan replied dryly. "Best answered over a cup of tea, I think."

"I heard the word 'tea.'" Judy emerged from the kitchen. She wore a flour-splattered apron and a smile as broad as it was warm. "Welcome back, Ruth. Long flight?"

With a grunt, Nan corrected her, "Flights. Plural. And I would kill for a half decent cuppa."

"I make no promises about decent, but Jamie’s been teaching me, so it will be tea."

"Ta."

Nan smiled wearily at Judy before she crossed the living room and lowered herself onto the same couch Jamie had been waiting on all day now. She groaned lightly, her movements stiff, treating the bundle of blankets in her arm as though it were a swaddling of gemstones. Outside, the car door slammed shut. Jamie stomped up the walkway towards the house. When she came inside, she paused to wipe her bare feet on the mat.

In puzzlement, Dani glanced between her and Nan. Ever since last night, Jamie had been a cluster of nerves. All short syllables and tense jaw. If anything, she seemed more ill at ease than before.

Carson came back into the living room, greeting Nan cheerfully before he got roped into helping Eddie carry everything back upstairs. Rolling his eyes, Carson nevertheless let his arms be piled up with books. As the two of them went up the stairs, Carson yelled for Tommy and Eddie to turn off the music since they had company. At the noise, Jamie's fists clenched at her sides and Dani could see the way her throat worked when she swallowed.

"You're awfully quiet," Nan said with a nod towards Dani.

"Sorry," said Dani.

Nan rolled her eyes. "I see that good for nothing mother of yours removed some of your spine in my absence. After all my hard work, too." She tutted, shaking her head.

Dani blinked. She opened her mouth to reply, but then the bundle in Nan's arms squirmed. When Nan set aside her cane and began to bounce the bundle up and down in a gentle rocking motion, Dani blurted out, “You have a baby?”

Nan looked at her as though she’d grown an extra head. “Don’t be daft. He’s not mine. Well -” she frowned off into the middle distance. “- As much as she’s mine, I suppose.”

Jamie’s stiff scowl deepened when Nan gestured towards her. When Jamie muttered something acidic under her breath, Nan said waspishly, “Speak up. If you’re going to say something unfortunate, you might as well be loud about it.”

Jaw clenched, Jamie lifted her voice enough to be heard. “I said: I can’t believe you didn’t even tell me that’s why you were going.”

“Wasn’t aware I needed your permission,” Nan drawled. A tiny hand worked its way free of the blanket and grabbed at her chin. Nan leaned her head away with a sigh. “Enough of that, you fussy fannybaws.”

Dani rose up on her toes as surreptitiously as she could in an attempt to get a better look at the baby, but she immediately sank back down to her heels again when Jamie snapped, "What about Denny?"

Nan's expression was hard as flint. "He's eighteen and long gone. Don't waste your breath on the likes of him. Too much like your father, he is."

"And whose fault is that, then?"

Nan glowered and it were as though any vestigial warmth in the room was sucked out of the house. Eyes wide, Dani held her breath, wishing she could sink into the floor. Anything to not be privy to this conversation.

"Now, I've had a long few weeks," Nan said coldly, "And I'm in no mood to tussle with you today. If you're that keen for a smack, we can talk tomorrow after I've had a sleep."

There followed a moment of agonizing silence, in which Dani tried to appear as unassuming and insignificant as possible. She looked at a spot on the floor and remained very still until — without another word — Jamie stormed off down the hallway. Just as she stalked out, she nearly ran into Judy, who was emerging from the kitchen with two steaming mugs in hand.

"Woah!" Judy swerved to narrowly avoid barrelling straight into seventy pounds of distilled ire. She stared after Jamie and shook her head when there came the crash of a door being slammed. Turning to Dani, she asked, "What on earth did I miss?"

Dani shook her head. Meanwhile from the couch Nan made a noise halfway between disgruntled and exhausted. Judy crossed the room to sit beside her on the couch, and as she handed over one of the mugs her eyes widened. "Oh," she said with dawning realization. Her mouth retained a round drawn out moue, and her eyes moved from Nan, to the baby, to the hallway where Jamie had just stormed off, and back again. "I see." Then she added, "Do you want me to add some whiskey to this?"

With a snort of laughter, Nan took the mug, careful to manoeuvre her hands so she wouldn't spill a drop on the all important parcel in her lap. "Normally I'd say yes, but I need to drive us home later."

"Well, the offer stands. I can drive you and Jamie home," Judy murmured around the lip of her own mug, "And it seems like you need it."

"It's not all that bad."

Judy gave Nan a look.

Nan sighed and took a sip of her tea. "Maybe that bad."

"Your daughter -?" Judy asked, trailing off without finishing the question.

In answer, Nan hummed and though the sound was wordless it carried all the bitterness she could muster. "The one and only."

"Louise, right? And what about -?" Judy made a covert motion with her free hand that Dani did not quite understand.

Nan seemed to get the message however, for she shook her head. "No. Someone else."

"And he's -?"

"Around?" Nan finished for her and then let out a bark of laughter. "No, I daren't say he is.”

Dani fidgeted, and suddenly two sets of adult eyes were upon her. Judy seemed a bit uneasy, clearing her throat and crossing her legs at the ankle.

“Dani,” said Nan. Her voice had softened somewhat, but her expression was unreadable. “Go get Jamie, love.”

With a nod, Dani turned heel and left, grateful for an excuse to depart the room. Behind her Judy and Nan struck up their conversation once more, but their voices were lowered to covert murmurs and Dani did her best not to listen. The music from upstairs had been turned down, and as she passed by she could hear Mike descending the steps and the O'Mara boys bickering in the backdrop. Dani ducked her head and hurried further along.

The hall leading to the garage was empty. Fumbling for the light switch, Dani flicked them on. Dim light flooded the narrow corridor. As she approached the garage, she could hear the sounds of banging, metallic and intermittent and not wholly loud. As though someone were carelessly casting aside tools in search of something else. Slowly, she opened the garage door and poked her head inside.

Jamie was crouched before her partially dismantled bicycle — the one she had scavenged years ago. Her back was to the door and she rummaged through a battered red toolbox that collapsed outward with trays when opened. Jamie tossed down a socket wrench, then picked up another, holding it up to her bike to see if it would match whatever fitting she was hoping to loosen.

Dani shut the door behind her as quietly as she could, but the click seemed to echo through the garage regardless. Items were scattered about on the cut concrete between them. A grease-streaked towel here. Remnants of a woodworking project here. Jamie seemed to take no notice in Dani's presence, though she must have known she was there. Dani's hand lingered on the painted texture of the door, hand bunched up at her back before she pushed herself forward. Jamie's head remained bowed over her work, shoulders hunched, movements sharp. When Dani stood close enough that she could reach out and touch her — could but didn't — she stopped.

"It's nice to have Nan back," Dani ventured.

Jamie hummed in answer but said nothing.

"I missed her," said Dani.

For a moment Jamie's movements stilled. When they started back up again it was with a vengeance, as though Jamie could take out all her frustrations on the old bike frame. "Wish she'd stayed back there," Jamie growled.

"That's not true," Dani said softly.

She could see the way Jamie's ribs expanded against the fabric of her t-shirt with a deeply indrawn breath. Her hand seemed to be trying to throttle the life out of the socket wrench, white-knuckled and tense. Then she began loosening the bolt that held the bike's back wheel in place. "Don't know why she had to go around sticking her nose into other people's business," Jamie said. "Again."

"Is that what you want?" Dani asked. "For her to have left you alone in the first place?"

"Maybe. No. I don't know," Jamie snapped.

She still hadn't looked up from her work, still hadn't so much as glanced in Dani's direction. The bike hardly needed the attention. Over the years she and Mike had spent so much time tinkering over the thing that it might as well have been entirely new but for the base frame. And even that had been given reinforcing and several new coats of paint. It was, Dani understood, never about Jamie really wanting to fix something — a bike, a car, turning a new handle for an old chef's knife. It was just something for Jamie to do with her hands.

Dani slowly placed her hand on the arch of Jamie’s back, feeling the muscles bunch up beneath her palm. “Then what do you want?”

She let her hand slip away, falling back to her side when Jamie answered, “For things to go back to the way they were. No excitement. No yelling. No new baby. Things are going to change because she -” Jamie grunted as she twisted at the socket wrench “- had to go and ruin it.”

“Not all new things are bad,” Dani pointed out, but Jamie wasn’t having any of it.

"I don't want -" Jamie said stubbornly "- another brother. This one's probably only half related to me anyway."

Dani crossed her arms. “Hey, that’s not fair.”

“True though,” Jamie replied with one of those bitter grins of hers.

“He’s just a baby. It’s not like it’s his fault.”

That logic seemed to bounce right off, for Jamie just shrugged and lifted the tire away, setting it down on the ground. "Doesn't matter. Still has consequences, doesn't it? People talk. People always fuckin' talk."

"Nobody cares," Dani said firmly. "Who is going to find out, anyway? He's too young to go to school. We'll have graduated by the time he even learns to use full sentences."

Jamie laughed and it was a breathless, incredulous kind of sound. She shook her head, looking over her shoulder at Dani with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Think Nan's going to be the one taking care of him? 'Cause she's not." Jamie pushed at her knees and rose to her feet. She tapped the socket wrench against her own chest, her hands smudged with streaks of dark grease. "That'll be on my head, soon. Just you wait."

Frowning, Dani held her ground. "She isn't going to just up and leave you alone with a baby, Jamie."

"Yeah. Sure. Right."

"That's a bit extreme, don't you think?"

"Is it?" Jamie took a step closer to Dani, but she was pointing towards the garage door with the wrench. "Last time, I was the kid, and mum up and left, and Denny was off doing fuckall, and dad was too busy in the mines to remember he still had kids! And then she -!" Jamie stabbed the wrench towards the door again as if brandishing a weapon, "- comes 'round like she's saving the fuckin' day! And I’ll be the one left holding the can! Again!”

It took a moment for Dani to find her voice, to put together the pieces of what Jamie had revealed — glimpses of a past that she normally held so close to her chest like a fan of cards now tilted just slightly, just enough to peek — to say, “You won’t.”

If anything Jamie seemed puzzled by this response. Her brows furrowed and she blinked. “What -?”

“You won’t,” Dani repeated. “Because you’re not there anymore. You’re here.”  

Jamie opened her mouth to reply, but no noise came out. Her hands were fists but the lines of her face softened somewhat. As much with bewilderment as anything else. As though Dani had tripped her along the war path. As though the wind had been directed right out of her sails.

"You're here," Dani repeated, voice softer now. She reached out to touch Jamie's wrist, curling her fingers around a notch of bone leading to her hand. "And Nan isn't going anywhere. And neither are you."

"You don't know that," Jamie breathed.

Dani's hand drifted down until her finger grazed the handle of the socket wrench. She gently urged Jamie's grip to slacken until she could take the wrench and set it down. "Maybe not," Dani said. "But you have today. Focus on today. Not tomorrow. One day at a time."

Swallowing thickly, Jamie nodded. Dani waited, but Jamie simply stood there, silent and uncertain. Two weeks ago, Dani might have asked if Jamie wanted her to leave, if Jamie wanted to be alone, but now she took Jamie by the hand and tugged her softly towards the door leading back into the main house. Jamie's fingers still held a slight tremor; she allowed herself to be led along. When Dani took the first left as they entered the hallway, Jamie's brow furrowed.

"Where are we -?" she asked as Dani pushed open the door leading to the downstairs bathroom.

Dani switched on the sink tap, setting the water to warm. "Need to wash your hands."

For some reason, Jamie must have thought that was funny for she laughed, a short, breathy sound.

She could have easily washed her hands herself, but she let Dani urge her hands beneath the warm steady stream, let Dani lather a bar of soap between their sets of hands. Streaks of grime were swept down the drain. Dani hardly noticed how close they were standing — their sides jammed together, their knees knocking together — focusing instead on letting the water stream over their wrists and knuckles, focusing instead on twisting the tap shut and drying Jamie's hands with a towel. She half expected Jamie to pull away, to laugh and say she could do this herself, but Jamie didn't. And when Dani glanced up, hanging the towel back on its hook, Jamie was watching her with that blank expression of two weeks ago. As though Dani had happened upon her in a dream.

"You okay?" Dani asked. She wiped any residual water from her own hands upon the front of her shirt.

Jamie nodded, but her smile appeared forced. “Yeah. Thanks.”

Dani searched her gaze, but Jamie’s eyes were steady and unblinking. She was about to ask again, insist even — ‘Tell me. Don’t hide from me’ — but then Jamie was straightening her shoulders and walking back into the hallway. For a moment Dani hesitated, gripping the front of her own shirt, before she trailed after her down the corridor and back into the living room.

Nan and Judy were sitting on the far couch pushed up against the wall, while Mike had taken one of the armchairs nearest his wife. Empty cups of tea were littered across coasters on the coffee table. The adult’s conversation paused when she and Jamie walked into the room, but resumed once again when it was apparent that Jamie was only moving to sit on the other empty couch. Jamie dropped down onto the cushions, feet splaying out and arms crossing, but she was here.

Dani shot Nan a questioning look, and Nan gave her a slight nod as thanks. The pleasure at having done something right buzzed straight down Dani’s spine — a heady mix of elation and relief — and she took a seat beside Jamie.

“Go on, then,” Nan held out the baby to Jamie. “Take him.”

Looking horrified, Jamie leaned away. “I don’t want -”

“Jamie Katherine Taylor, if you think I won’t scalp your arse in front of all these people, you’re dead wrong. Now, take him.”

At the sound of her full name being used, Jamie’s face went an ugly shade of red and splotchy all over. It was only the second time Dani had ever heard Nan use Jamie’s full name before, and the first time had similar effects. Jamie’s throat worked and slowly her face lost its flush of anger, and finally she rose from her seat, reached out and let Nan place the baby in her arms. Then, she slouched back against the couch beside Dani, keeping her eyes sullenly on the squirming bundle in her lap. Dani’s hand crept over as surreptitiously as she could manage and she simply rested it against Jamie’s leg, hoping that it might be a comforting weight. And gradually the tension in Jamie’s shoulders eased.

After a moment of awkward silence, Judy remarked, “Katherine’s a lovely name.”

Jamie shot her a look that should have left Judy maimed on the floor, but she said nothing.

“Not my first choice,” said Nan, settling herself back against the opposite couch and rubbing at the dark circles beneath her eyes. “But Louise was insistent.”

“And is Jamie short for anything?” Judy asked.

Jamie shook her head at the same time Nan said, “No. Just Jamie. After my brother.”

Leaning over to get a better look at the baby in Jamie’s arms, Judy said, “Well, we’re going to have to think of a nickname for this one, anyway. ‘Mike’ is already taken.”

On the sidelines, Mike smiled apologetically and shrugged.

Under her breath Jamie muttered, “Can just call him ‘Bawbag’ and be done with it.”

Nan smacked Jamie’s ankles with her cane.

“Ow!” Jamie hissed, jerking her foot away and glowering at her grandmother.

“Be nice to your brother.”

Jamie rolled her eyes. Her knee bounced up and down — as it always did when she sat still for too long — and the baby grabbed at her hair with greedy hands. With a wince, Jamie stopped jiggling her knee and bowed her head down. “Fuck’s sake. You too?” she muttered under her breath, low enough that Dani was the only one who could hear. “Let go.”

Reaching over, Dani helped pry apart surprisingly strong little fingers from around Jamie’s hair. Every time it seemed they managed to get him to let go, his other hand would grab at her again. Eventually Dani let him grasp at her individual fingers instead, and Jamie was finally free.

“What about ‘Mac’?” Judy said. “That’s a Scottish thing, isn’t it?”

Nan made a face like she’d bitten into a lemon. “That’s even worse than just ‘Michael.’”

“Well, what’s wrong with plain old ‘Michael’?”

“Everything,” said both Nan and Jamie in unison.

“Hey, now,” said Mike, wounded.

As they lobbed nickname ideas back and forth, Dani leaned her shoulder against Jamie’s to look down into her arms, where the baby was squirming against the restraints of his blanket. He had a red and scrunched up face and a shock of dark hair cowlicked to his head. Dani tried to tuck his arms back into the blanket, but he wormed his way free despite her best efforts. When his eyes weren’t closed, he blinked as though against a bright light, turning his face in an attempt to hide from it, but the moment Dani covered his face with the blanket he pushed at the fabric in a fit of fledgling pique.

“You really are fussy,” Dani murmured, but she smiled and tugged the blanket down over his face again, biting back a snort of laughter when he pushed against her hand with a wordless whine of complaint. Without glancing up Dani said, “What about ‘Mikey’?”

The conversation died down and everyone turned to look at her. Dani blinked up at them, still half bowed over Jamie’s lap so that their shoulders were pressed up together. The baby had grabbed hold of her hand between both of his now and was see-sawing her fingers back and forth. She kept her wrist loose and gave him free rein.

Her suggestion lingered in the air as they all mulled over the name. Judy tilted her head slowly back and forth as if weighing between options. Jamie’s frown had vanished. And Nan was contemplatively stroking the polished head of her cane, lips pursed in thought.

“The least worst option I’ve heard,” Nan said finally.

“Better than ‘Mac’ anyway,” said Jamie. “Or Michael.”

“Oh, aye.” With a sigh, Nan sat back and waved towards Dani. “Mikey it is, then.”

--

With the arrival of Mikey, summer began to wane at what felt like an increasingly steady state. Dani spent the time jumping from house to house to house, carrying her polaroid camera everywhere she went, not wanting to miss a thing. Not when it felt like they were all on the precipice of jumping into the unknown, the gilded halls of high school hot on their heels.

Those last few weeks were spent glued to Jamie and the boy’s sides, avoiding home as much as possible. Days were spent finally learning how to drive with the help of Mike, white knuckled around the steering wheel of his car while being egged on and teased with Jamie and Eddie sitting in the backseat, and doing much of the same when one of the others were in the driver’s seat. Dinners were spent around the O’Mara’s dining table and evenings huddled around the coffee table playing Eddie’s dungeons and dragons game — Jamie had finally been roped into playing as a Fighting Man with an uneasy amount of bloodlust and mischief in her eyes. There were also the occasional sleepover nights spent in the O’Mara’s backyard under the dark sky telling scary stories with Jamie terrifying them into sleepless nights over ghost stories from England.

And then there were days spent at the railway cottage. When Jamie insisted on spending as much time as possible away from the house, sprinting the days until the porchlight flickered twice as Nan called them home. They spent their time walking along the railway tracks, biking past endless corn fields in the evening sun, and chasing after summer storms, watching darkened swirling clouds that almost seemed to glow as they passed over corn fields.

The one day they got caught up in the edges of a storm, getting soaked to the bone by the flash of rain, Jamie had laughed and said, “Is this really what storm chasers do?”

“What do you think, idiot?” Dani had said over the crash of distant thunder and wind.

“Think I’ve got a knack for it,” Jamie replied, hands on her hips as she stared at the vortex of clouds, “Reckon we’ll finally see a tornado this year?”

Dani rolled her eyes so hard it nearly hurt before she dragged Jamie back home to the cottage where they spent the next few days shivering fiercely to the sound of Nan’s scolding.

For the times when Nan put her cane down so to speak, they were at home helping watch Mikey. Jamie still hadn’t truly taken to him, her mouth twisting with distaste for every lesson learned on feeding him to bathing him to changing his diapers, but she never spoke another word of disdain. At least, not in front of Nan. Her grumbling of sleepless nights due to Mikey’s growing teeth pains were reserved for Dani only. Though there were days where Dani would find the pair of siblings in the midst of a staring contest as Jamie fed him, as though they were having a silent conversation. Dani was sure to capture the moment the second she could with her polaroid.

Dani on the other hand was enamored. Helpless to big brown eyes that stared unblinkingly up at her, his wordless baby babble and bright laughter when she tickled his sides, his hands grasping at anything to hold as they wriggled around determinedly. Dani and Jamie learned very early on to keep their hair tied back whenever he was in a grabbing mood. The first time Dani managed to rock him to sleep, she was so surprised that she nearly didn’t want to hand him off to Nan to put him down in the crib she had gotten secondhand from Judy.

The boys meanwhile were in the state between being terrified of even sneezing near Mikey and utterly fascinated to be in the presence of a baby for the first time since Carson had been born. Carson himself nearly vibrated out of his seams of having a baby to introduce so many new things to, and specifically with the relief of not being the youngest anymore. Eddie in particular was near bugeyed the first time he held him, frozen solid to the couch in fear of being flayed alive by Nan as though with one sudden movement Mikey would go flying from his arms.

It was a summer Dani would be hard pressed to forget, but eventually it eased to a close and by mid-August, high school came calling. None of them were eager or thrilled for the start of the new school year, especially one in an unfamiliar environment, particularly Carson who would be the only one left in middle school. His mood became morose the closer the day came, quiet and ill tempered that even Dani wasn’t sure what to say beyond the fact that nothing outside of school was going to change. Not even Eddie knew what to say or even felt the need to say anything at all, but to reassure Dani with a roll of his eyes that Carson would be all right eventually.

The only thing that seemed to ease the tension from Carson’s shoulders was the day before school was to start when Jamie took him aside by the shoulders at the river, walking him a few feet away and talking in soft tones that Dani couldn’t hear. She watched them with a fond soft smile until they eventually returned, Carson sitting heavily next to Dani with a sigh and swiping away Jamie’s hand with a faint scowl when she ruffled his hair with a smirk.

Later, when Dani asked her what she’d said to him, Jamie only smiled faintly and shrugged, murmuring, “What I wished someone told me, I guess.”

Jamie didn’t elaborate, and Dani didn’t feel the need to ask, grasping Jamie’s hand with a grin.

The first day of high school felt like walking into a strange new land. Unfamiliar hallways and unfamiliar faces of upperclassmen. Tommy and David left them in the dust the moment they stepped foot on campus with mocking grins and calls of good luck.

“Some help they were,” Eddie muttered with a scowl, his knuckles white against the strap of his satchel as his eyes darted around nervously.

Jamie snorted. “Did you really think they weren’t gonna be dickheads about it?”

“Well - I -”

While Eddie floundered for a response, Jamie rolled her eyes and led them inside.

By the end of the day, Dani could proudly say that she’d only gotten lost twice, and hadn’t verged on some sort of internal meltdown when she ended up only sharing homeroom class with Eddie. For years, eight hours a day, five times a week, she’d had both Eddie and Jamie by her side during school. Being a freshman alone was already nerve wracking with the way upperclassmen would sneer at them in hallways, but this all together felt sacrilegious to Dani’s routine. Jamie had only huffed and shrugged helplessly before darting to her own class as Eddie led her away by the hand.

It was easier as the week went on. Learning all her teachers' names, discovering she shared most if not all classes with Jamie and Eddie in some form or another. By Friday, she had memorized hallways and the locations of the nearest bathrooms, and learned that North Liberty High took its extracurriculars seriously, for being as few as they were. During lunch after her lone AP English class she had by herself, the main hall leading towards the lunch room was lined with small booths displaying various sports and extracurriculars to sign up for. Dani lingered near a few, biting her lip in consideration as she held her books close to her chest.

There weren't many she was particularly interested in, though she knew her mom expected her to thoroughly fill her schedule and future resume for university. Volunteering for some kind of charity or community work had been one thing she’d been considering, along with tutoring and student council. When she neared the booth for cheerleading, her shoulders tensed and her stomach tightened, her eyes landing on a group of girls hovering around the booth already in their uniforms in the school’s colors of blue and white. Swallowing hard, Dani ducked her head to avoid eye contact and sped past them, hearing their ring of soft laughter and conversation as she went.

In the end, Dani ended up picking up pamphlets for the clubs she was vaguely interested in, along with a Young Democrats of America and Model UN pamphlets for Eddie, and after much deliberation, cross country and track and field pamphlets for Jamie. Just as she was about to pull open a door dividing the different wings of the school, it was opened for her and she looked up to see Roger smiling thinly at her.

“Thanks,” she mumbled and walked past him. She only made a few steps down the hall when she realized he was following close by. It wasn’t really anything untoward. They shared the same AP English class much to her surprise, and there was only one way from class towards her locker and the lunchroom and it was down the same hallway they walked now.

“Um, hey,” he said, stepping next to her, his thin frame slouched and swallowed up in his oversized flannel, his hands buried in his jean pockets.

Dani blinked up at him in surprise. “Hi,” she replied with the rising awareness that this was already the most they’ve spoken in years.

“Never realized how ambitious you were,” he said, offering her a faint grin.

“Sorry?”

He gestured towards the pile of pamphlets in her hand. “You just - you have a lot you seem interested in.”

“Oh - um. No, some of them are for my friends,” she murmured, pulling her books and papers closer to her chest, not looking at him.

“Right. Eddie and Jamie.”

“Yeah.”

He was silent for an awkward moment as they walked. “What clubs are they interested in?”

“Um, Eddie’s been getting really into foreign affairs recently, and Jamie’s really good at running so I got them some politics and track stuff."

“Cool. And - uh - what about you?”

This was by far the strangest conversation Dani’d had in forever. “Volunteering. Student council. You know, the boring stuff no one really cares about.”

“Right,” he said, chuckling.

She floundered for a moment before asking, “And you?”

“Track, maybe,” he muttered with a shrug. Dani gave him a puzzled frown, knowing very well he was nearly as bad as Dani was at running. Before she could question it further, he scratched the back of his shaggy brown hair with a sheepish expression, “My dad wants me to join a bunch of stuff like yours, but I...I kinda hate it.”

“My mom too, actually,” she said, and they both shared a commiserating look.

They were silent again for another painful second when, without warning, Roger asked, “Are you going to Homecoming?”

Dani froze, jerking to a stop to blink up at him. “What?”

He seemed abruptly and unusually shy as he stopped next to her, his cheeks pink as he slouched further into the bunch of his shoulders. “I mean - I’m not - ” he started, and exhaled sharply, “I just mean it’s our first for high school, right? I just wanted to know if you were planning on going.”

Dani blinked up at him, lost for words. She was nowhere even in the realm of thinking about Homecoming, much less planning on attending it, not when it was still over a month away, but the way Roger was shuffling his weight from foot to foot sent a shock of anxiety down her spine to her heart, jumpstarting it into a pounding rhythm.

“Are you -? I mean - Is this -?” Dani gestured between the two of them.

His eyes widened. “Oh — no, I’ve been thinking about going, and thought — I guess I thought it’d be cool if I knew someone nice was going, too,” he said, shrugging helplessly, “No one really talks to me besides Sterling and Jackie, and well - you know how they are.”

“Oh,” she murmured, and swallowed hard, shrugging. “Yeah, um - I might go. I don’t know.”

Roger nodded as they continued walking, scratching again at the back of his head, his cheeks turning near scarlet as he asked, “Do you think Jamie would go?”

“Um,” Dani murmured, and tried to picture Jamie in a dress under cheap dance lights, looking absolutely miserable, and had to refrain from laughing incredulously at the image. “I’m not sure.”

His shoulders slumped, looking oddly dejected as he sighed. “Right,” he murmured, and then slowly paused, frowning as his eyes zeroed on something down the hall.

Dani followed his line of sight to see Jamie’s familiar form hunched over in front of Dani’s locker, the lines of her back coiled tight and unmoving. Sterling and Jackie hovered next to her, both wearing wry smirks. Huffing loudly, Dani marched over with a scowl until she was close enough to hear the tailend of Sterling’s remark.

“ — don’t see what the big deal is. It’s just a couple of bucks.”

“Aren’t you forgetting that she can barely afford new clothes in the first place?” Jackie said with a cruel smirk, somehow already wearing a cheerleaders uniform, her hair pulled into a bouncy ponytail.

Clenching her teeth, Dani pushed her way in front of Jamie to face Jackie and Sterling, forcing her mouth into a thin smile. “Hi,” she said, an air of faux civility and sweetness to her voice, “Is there something you two needed?”

Neither of them seemed truly surprised to see her. Jackie rolled her eyes and said, “This act is getting a little old now, don’t you think?”

“I could say the same thing,” Dani said, nodding agreeably, her eyes sharp on them both. “Now, are you done? Or can we help you with something?”

Sterling shrugged. “Was just asking Taylor to borrow some cash for lunch,” he said, as though his family wasn’t one of the wealthiest in town, “Promised to pay her back, but she had to start kicking up a fuss about it — ”

“Ever stop to think about how she might have a good reason why?” Dani interrupted with a pointed glare, acutely aware that Jamie hadn’t so much as moved an inch and breathed a word behind her.

Expression darkening, Sterling took a step forward. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You know exactly what I mean.”

Jackie snorted. “Look at you, Clayton. Knight in shining armor,” she drawled, smirking as she crossed her arms and tilted her head at a mocking angle, “Your mom know you’re still playing babysitter to this loser? Or has she finally started regretting you being born yet?”

Dani’s knuckles went white around her books, her teeth clenched painfully tight as she felt her face and ears go red hot. A growl and metal clanging on metal sounded behind her. Before Dani could react to stop whatever violent reaction that was brewing from Jamie behind her, Roger’s tall frame stepped beside her.

“Hey, what are you guys still doing here?” Roger said, frowning at Sterling and Jackie, “We’re gonna be late for the lunch line.”

Dani blinked up at him, her jaw still wired tight, her breath shallow.

Letting out an exasperated sigh, Sterling leaned heavily against the lockers and gestured towards Dani and Jamie. “I’m just trying to get some cash for extra, man.”

“By stealing it from us?” Dani grumbled.

“To borrow,” Jackie amended in an acerbic bite.

Dani raised her eyebrows and gave her a caustic smile. “I’m sure,” Dani said dryly, “Just like all the other times you borrowed our lunch money, right?”

Arching an eyebrow, Jackie looked to Roger. “Roger? Are you going to help us or what?”

Roger seemed to freeze in place, blinking down at Jackie and Sterling with a frown. Dani swallowed hard, any inkling of irate feeling sinking down the drain to be replaced with unease. Roger’s gaze darted towards Dani’s, holding it for a moment before flickering over her shoulder to Jamie, and to her surprise, she found a pool of shame dimming his eyes, his cheeks pink. He ducked his head briefly before pulling up straight to his full height, his shoulders pressed back and his expression hardened, looking very much like the same angry, violent boy he used to be. But instead of aiming it towards Dani and Jamie, he was looking directly at Sterling and Jackie.

“No,” Roger said, “I’m not.”

Jackie scoffed, wearing an incredulous smile. “Excuse me?”

“They’re not giving you any money. You’re wasting your time,” Roger replied, and crossing his arms, he added, “And mine.”

“Don’t be like that, man,” Sterling said, “I just need an extra five bucks or whatever.”

“If you want to clean out the schools stash of snacks that bad to resell later, then I’ll fucking buy it for you,” Roger said impatiently, “Now, can we go?”

Jackie rolled her eyes again. “Fine.”

Pushing off the lockers, Sterling grumbled something under his breath that only Jackie and Roger seemed to hear. Jackie snickered as Roger huffed, grabbing Sterling by the shoulders to frog march him firmly away. The trio left without another word, leaving Dani and Jamie to stare off after them as though the last five minutes never happened. Just as Dani was about to turn to check on Jamie, Roger glanced over his shoulder and gave Dani a faint apologetic grimace before disappearing around the corner. She blinked after him, blindsided once again.

Dani shook her head and spun around to face Jamie, eyes darting over her with a concerned frown, but Jamie wasn’t even paying her attention. She was hunched over the padlock that kept Dani’s locker securely shut, spinning the dial with jerky, agitated movements, her shoulders coiled taut, the muscles of her jaw sharp, and her brow darkly furrowed.

“Are you okay?” Dani asked, her hands twitching to reach out and grasp Jamie’s arm.

“What’s your bloody combination again?” Jamie muttered, pulling roughly on the lock, growling when it didn’t open, “Keep fuckin’ forgetting.”

Dani slowly wrapped a hand around Jamie’s wrist, and immediately Jamie’s hands went still and her shoulders slumped. With a sigh, Jamie eased aside and let Dani handle the combination.

“I’ll write it down for you later,” Dani murmured, pulling open the lock and swinging the locker open to shuffle around her various textbooks.

“Sure,” Jamie muttered, leaning her shoulder against the lockers. Dani caught her gaze and they exchanged small grins, but a faint hint of worry clouded Jamie’s eyes, “You all right? What Jackie said — Christ, I know she’s a cunt, but that was — ”

Dani huffed out a soft laugh. “Nothing I haven’t really heard from her before,” Dani said, shrugging when Jamie gave her a look. “Roger was unexpected though.”

Jamie snorted. “Sure.”

“Honestly kind of surprised you didn’t blow up at them this time.”

“Wanted to,” Jamie said darkly, glowering at the floor, “If you hadn’t shown up - or even bloody Roger - it wouldn’t have been pretty, believe me.”

Dani smiled softly at her. Ever since the brawl from two years ago, Jamie had been on a lengthy streak of good behavior at school, intent on keeping her promise of no more fighting to Nan this time. A surge of pride rushed through Dani, even as she watched Jamie shove her own books into Dani’s locker.

“You realize you have your own locker, right?”

“Yours is closest to the side entrance.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Didn’t realize you had a super special entrance to sneak in and out of it.”

“Excuse you, I have done nothing of the sort.”

“Yet.”

Grinning cheekily, Jamie winked. At Dani’s laugh, she chuckled with a pleased smile. “Hey, you want to come over after school? Got something to show you at home.”

“Oh? Is it a surprise?”

Jamie shrugged. “Something like that.”

Grinning, Dani gestured to the bag she had shoved earlier this morning into her locker. “Good thing I packed, then.”

Peeking inside, Jamie nodded with an impressed grin. “Thought ahead, have you? Girl after my own heart.”

Dani snorted. “Shut up.”

At that moment, Eddie marched up beside them. “Hey, there you guys are. We’re late for lunch.”

Jamie sighed. “Why’s everyone banging on about lunch today. Jesus.”

Eddie shot her a puzzled frown. “Because I’m hungry?”

With a conceding hum, Jamie nodded. “Fair point,” she said, and dug into her jean pockets for change, “I’m making a run to the corner store, you lot want anything?”

“Beef Jerky,” Eddie immediately answered.

“Can I come?” Dani asked in lieu of an answer.

Jamie shot her a teasing grin. “You going deaf now, too? I said ‘run’ to the store.” Rolling her eyes, Dani shoved her lightly into the lockers. Jamie laughed goodnaturedly. “All right, crisps and Toastettes it is.”

--

At the end of the day, while waiting for Jamie to unlock the chains securing her bike, Eddie gestured to the bag Dani had slung over her shoulder. “Are you going to Jamie’s again?”

At Dani’s nod, Eddie failed to conceal the disappointed slump of his shoulders and his frown. Guilt swirled in Dani’s stomach, knowing she hadn’t spent as much time as usual with Eddie since Mikey arrived, too enamoured and eager to help Nan and Jamie.

When Eddie didn’t say anything more, Dani dug in her bag and pulled out the two flyers she had gotten for him. “I got these for you though,” she said, holding them out to him, “I know you already had your sights on baseball and tennis, but I wasn’t sure if you saw these.”

Eddie’s expression softened as he took them and looked them over. “You remembered,” he murmured, looking up at her, his smile bordering between fond and awed.

Beside them, Jamie snorted. “Hard not too with the way you’ve been going on about the election and this Carter fellow.”

Pressing his mouth together, Eddie gave Jamie a look that she smirked at. He shook his head and turned back to Dani. “Thanks, Danielle,” he murmured, and then paused, his eyes darting between her own, frowning in the same way he usually did when trying to solve a complicated math equation. And then, without warning, he leaned forward and pressed a chaste kiss to her cheek.

With the way her cheeks burned, Dani was sure she was just as red as Eddie as he quickly recoiled away, his eyes slightly wide. He roughly cleared his throat and began to stumble backwards, somewhat dazed.

“Talk to you guys later,” he said with a weak wave of his hand, and without waiting for a response, he spun around and speed walked away off campus down the block.

Dani was still blinking wide eyed after him when Jamie whistled low beside her. “Dunno about you, but that was like watching a car wreck in slow motion.” Huffing, Dani elbowed her hard in the ribs. Jamie grunted, jerking away into her bike, grumbling, “All right, you can just walk home, then.”

“Don’t,” Dani said, biting back an embarrassed laugh, “He was just being sweet.”

“Oh, he’s sweet on you, all right,” Jamie muttered as she hopped on her bike, and before Dani could even begin to process that, Jamie gestured behind her, “Hop on, we don’t have all day.”

After a moment of hesitation, Dani did as she was told. Patting Jamie’s shoulder when she was settled, Jamie promptly took off down the street in the direction towards the railway bungalow. On the way, they stopped to pick up takeout from Big Bill’s and about twenty minutes later of biking through suburbs and past fields of grass and corn, they reached Jamie’s home. She peddled them directly towards the back of the house where they hopped off, leaving the bike resting against the side of the house.

“Okay, where’s my surprise?” Dani asked, eyes darting around.

Chuckling, Jamie waved her over. “This way.”

Leaving her bag resting on the grass, Dani followed Jamie as she led her towards the trellis’ that bordered along the length of the house beneath the porch. It was a beloved spot of Nan’s to grow flowers, but this year she had bestowed Jamie the gift of trying her hand of growing her own from seed to colorful blossom. Despite the years Jamie spent helping Nan in the garden, working as her assistant for the more strenuous work of digging soil and ripping out weeds, Jamie had never gone without Nan’s guiding hand. For the longest time, Jamie had operated under the belief that Nan didn’t trust her to not kill her prized vegetable plots or flowerbeds, but this year had been a surprising change.

Every day since spring, Jamie had tended to her patch of flowers with more care and patience than what Dani was used to seeing, and when Dani neared the trellis, she knew the effort had been worth it. She gasped softly at what once had just been creeping vines and vibrant, heart-shaped green leaves was now bursting with an abundance of bright blue flowers in the shape of trumpets.

“Jamie,” she breathed, stepping closer, eyes wide in awe, “They’re beautiful.”

“Yeah,” Jamie murmured, hands deep in her pockets, appearing unusually shy, “Took their sweet time to bloom, but here they are: morning glories.”

Dani slowly reached out a hand to gently run her thumb across a blue petal, the texture smooth to the touch. “Jamie, this is amazing,” Dani said, smiling wide at her, “I’m so proud of you.”

A pink tint creeped across Jamie’s cheeks, and she ducked her head to hide it. “Thanks, Poppins,” she murmured with a shrug, “Just a bit of flowers.”

“Your first,” Dani said, her smile fond. “You should be proud.”

“Guess so,” Jamie said, finally looking up, grinning shyly at Dani.  

And just then, the back door swung open to reveal Nan with Mikey in her arms. “There you two are,” she said, and tisked when Mikey began to wiggle at the sight of them, “You daft numpty, d’you want to break your skull?”

With an exasperated sigh that only Dani could hear, Jamie bounded up the porch steps to take Mikey from Nan’s arms. “All right, quit your fussing about,” she said over his wordless whines until he settled comfortably against her shoulder, grasping at her necklace.

Nan harrumphed. “Made for each other, the both of you,” Nan said, shaking her head, “Been giving me trouble all day.”

As Jamie visibly struggled to refrain from scowling, a tight pinch at the corners of her mouth, Dani grabbed her bag and started towards them, smiling warmly at Mikey. “That doesn’t sound right, he’s an angel,” Dani said, lightly grasping his free hand for him to hold and swing around.

Jamie snorted. “Only when you’re around,” she said, gently pulling the chain from his hands just as he was about to pull it into his mouth, “Think he likes you more than he likes us.”

“Don’t be dumb,” Dani said, giving her a look, but when Mikey began to lean out of Jamie’s arms to reach toward Dani, Jamie arched an eyebrow at her. She breathed out a small embarrassed laugh and let Jamie take her bag for Mikey to reach his way over into her arms. She smiled warmly at him and kissed his cheek, “Hey, sweet thing.”

His response was to stare blankly at her, raising an inquisitive hand towards her face, his fingers poking at her jaw and cheek. She pulled his hand away where he then rested his head against her shoulder to gnaw at her shirt.

Jamie chuckled, and said to Nan, “See what I mean? Think we just leave him with her and call it a day?”

Nan glared witheringly at her. “You best watch yourself. I’ve had enough of your cheek to last me a bleeding lifetime,” she said, and turned to enter the house.

“Doesn’t bloody know how to take a joke,” Jamie grumbled under her breath, watching Nan go.

“She just needs some food,” Dani said with a teasing grin, “Isn’t that the way to a Taylor’s heart? Food and a nap?”

“She’s a Heron,” Jamie muttered, “Don’t think they have hearts.”

Dani gave Jamie an admonishing look and kicked at her shoe before following Nan inside. Slightly abashed, Jamie huffed behind her as they chucked off their shoes.

“We brought you food from Big Bill’s,” Dani said to Nan in the kitchen where she was at the sink cleaning a feeding bottle.

“Still trying to butter me up, I see,” Nan said without glancing her way, faint amusement in her tone.

“It was Jamie’s idea.”

Nan paused at that, silently arching an eyebrow at her. “That right?”

Jamie muttered something under her breath behind her, but nonetheless pulled the brown takeout bag from Dani’s bag where it was keeping warm and dropped it on the kitchen table that wobbled under the sudden shift of weight. Without looking at either of them, she pulled out a container from the takeout bag and left it on the table.

“Steak and potatoes,” Jamie murmured, and without another word, she marched back outside with both bags in hand.

At the sink, Nan pressed a hand to her hip and shook her head. “That bloody girl,” she said, voice free of her normal cross disposition, sounding more nonplussed than Dani’s ever heard her.

Dani offered her a faint smile, shifting Mikey more comfortably in her arms. Nan sighed and waved her off. Dani left her with one last smile and returned to the backyard to find that Jamie had spread out a blanket in the grass for an impromptu picnic, already in the midst of wolfing down her burger and fries. Dani plopped down next to her and let Mikey roam free on the blanket as she unwrapped her own burger. They ate silently together, listening to the soft breeze blowing through the trees and tall grass in the fields surrounding the property. Jamie finished before her, as she usually did, balling up her empty wrapper and used napkins back in the bag before lying down with her head perpendicular to Dani's crossed legs.

“That’s not good for you, you know?” Dani said in between bites, “Lying down after eating.”

Jamie waved her off, her eyes closed. “I’ll burn that bridge when I get to it later.”

Dani smiled fondly down at her, making sure to keep an eye on Mikey as he wobbled and rolled on his stomach and sides. When she finished eating and cleaned up, she reached inside her overnight bag and pulled out Jamie’s pamphlets.

“I got these for you,” Dani said, resting them on Jamie’s chest.

Jamie peaked her eyes open, picking up the flyers to look them over, and grinned wryly. “Thought you’d forgotten about me with these.”

Though there was no bite to the words, Dani still frowned at her. “I wouldn’t forget you.”

Jamie chuckled softly. “I know,” she said, and waggled the flyers in Dani’s direction, “But you’re forgetting track starts in spring.”

“But there’s cross country in the fall,” Dani said, pulling down the track and field flyer to reveal the cross country one beneath.

“Cross country is a whole other animal.”

Absentmindedly grasping at strands of Jamie’s hair and starting to braid it, Dani said, “Mr. Roberts did say you were the best runner he’s seen in years. Don’t you remember him saying something weird once about you having fast feet to make up for your height?”

Jamie swatted at Dani’s leg. “Shut it,” Jamie grumbled as Dani laughed, “Besides, Roberts also once said I was the bane to his existence, so y’know, pinch of salt.”

“At least think about it? I just - I know you’d be really good at it,” Dani said.

Catching her eyes, a lingering tension around Jamie’s eyes softened and she slowly smiled, “Fine,” she said, “I’ll think about it.”

With a pleased, wide smile, Dani affectionately and gently tugged on the braid she’d been working on. Jamie’s head followed the movement and she sighed goodnaturedly, swiping away Dani’s hand.

“What about you, Miss Overachiever?” Jamie asked, “Still thinking of joining those mad amounts of clubs you mentioned.”

“Probably,” Dani shrugged noncommittally with a small frown, tearing her eyes from Jamie briefly to watch Mikey who had somehow managed to crawl near the edge of the blanket, trying not to think about the one club she didn’t stop to contemplate, “Not all of them, though.”

They were silent for a moment, until Jamie nudged her in the leg. “Hey,” she murmured, drawing Dani’s eyes back to her, “What’s with the face?”

“What face?”

“Your ‘thinking too hard’ face.”

Dani didn’t respond for a long moment, until she softly said, “Mom wants me to join the cheerleading squad.”

Blinking up at her, eyes wide, Jamie said, “She does remember you’ve got lungs like a dried grape, right?”

“Who do you think buys my inhaler prescriptions?” Dani laughed, then sobered, “I just - she was one when she was in high school. I guess she just - she wants the tradition to pass on.”

Jamie went quiet again, wearing a considering frown. “Well, she’s shit out of luck,” she said finally, “As intriguing as the sight of you in a cheerleader uniform is, I don’t need you dropping dead on me from an unfortunate and avoidable asthma attack.”

With a roll of her eyes, Dani flicked her in the head. Jamie laughed and swiped her hand away again.

“You know, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to,” Jamie said.

“I know.”

“I’ll have a go at your mum if I have to.”

Dani laughed. “I know.”

“Good,” Jamie said, grinning impishly, “Just s’long as you know.”

They fell silent again, enjoying the quiet and Mikey’s murmured babbling. At the sound, Dani looked up at him and slowly cringed.

“Jamie?”

“Mm?”

“I think Mikey’s eating grass again.”

Jamie shot up to her feet from the blanket like a compressed spring let loose. “For fuck’s sakes,” she grumbled and pulled Mikey up to reveal that indeed, there were strands of grass stuck to his mouth and clutched in his tiny fist.

Dani laughed quietly as Jamie strode past her to delve back inside the house without a backwards glance, fussing over Mikey and brushing away grass from his mouth and hands, grumbling the entire time.

“You keep this shit up, and I’m not bringing you with me to the garden again, d’you hear me?” Mikey babbled in response. “Oh, yeah? Try me, see what happens. No bullshit, I will feed you to the vultures.”

Even as they disappeared inside the house, Dani could still hear Jamie’s muffled voice through the open windows and screen door, scolding Mikey the entire time. She smiled wide to herself, a surge of fond warmth spreading through her as she laid down on her back and listened. While waiting for their return, Dani pulled out Valley of the Dolls from her bag and read a few passages in the interim. After making it three pages further in, she heard the screen door swing open once more and dropped the book to her stomach to crane her neck to see Jamie quietly murmuring to Mikey as she showed him her morning glories.

Dani smiled softly at them, curiously watching as Jamie snipped a single bloom from the vines with a pair of shears, tucking the bloom in Mikey’s collar and tossing the shears onto the porch with a thud. Jamie didn’t meet her eyes as she returned with Mikey to the blanket, sitting cross legged and placing Mikey next to her. In addition to the morning glory tucked in his shirt, he now adorned a pale blue striped sun hat with a ribbon tied under his chin to keep it in place.

“The kid has something for you,” Jamie murmured with a faint smile.

Chuckling, Dani plucked the blue flower from Mikey’s shirt and brought it to her nose, grinning wide as she inhaled its sweet scent. “Thank you, Mikey,” she said, looking directly at Jamie as she smoothed a hand over Mikey’s back as he began to squirm away again. “You really didn’t have to do that, you know.”

Jamie ducked her head and shrugged. “Wanted to.”

Smiling to herself, Dani took one last smell of the blossom and inserted the stem into the pages of her book next to her bookmark. She folded the book shut, careful not to press on the petals. Setting the book aside, she tilted her head up to Jamie, watching her absently pull at grass as she looked off into the distance.

“You know what’s super funny?” Dani asked. Jamie grunted to indicate she was listening. “You sounded exactly like Nan just now.”

Jamie shot her a dirty look and Dani burst out laughing.

“Oh, I see how it is,” Jamie groused, flinging tufts of grass over Dani, “I snip off one of my hard earned flowers for you, and this is how you repay me?”

“I said it with love?”

“Uh huh. You’re just as bad as him,” Jamie said, jerking her head towards Mikey with a scowl.

“He’s just a baby, he’s not that bad,” Dani said, “He’ll get better once he grows a little more.”

“Oh, sure, and the bigger he gets the more we run out of room,” Jamie said, gesturing broadly towards the house, and groaned, lying down on her back to rest her head on Dani’s stomach and mumbled, “Barely had enough room as it is.”

Dani chuckled, reaching up to pat Jamie’s head, and ending up running her fingers through tangled curly hair.

“I see what you’re doing and it’s not working,” Jamie said, her voice already languid as Dani gently ran her nails over her scalp.

“Don’t know what you’re talking about.”

They fell silent again, watching the clouds and a plane pass overhead, leaving a long trail of water vapor behind.

“If you could have any kind of house you wanted, what would it be?” Dani asked.

Jamie huffed. “Silly question, inn’it.”

“Simple one, really.”

Jamie was quiet for a long moment, the silence filled with Mikey wandering back towards Jamie to rest against her chest. Peering down, Dani watched fondy as Jamie seemed to absentmindedly bring her hand up to run it over his back as he cooed and babbled. Finally, Jamie murmured, “Hard to see myself anywhere but here to be honest.”

“Really?” Jamie hummed affirmatively. “Not even just to make something up?”

Jamie shook her head and grinned faintly up at her. “What would be the point? S’never gonna happen anyways.” Dani opened her mouth to reply, but couldn’t find the words, not really knowing what to say. Seeing this, Jamie gave her a reassuring smile. “What about you? Any dream houses on your mind?”

“Nothing special, I guess,” she said, shrugging and mulling it over. “Two floors, maybe. White exterior. Blue shutters. A corner to read in with a big comfy chair and shelves for my books. A garden in the backyard like this one. An office space to work in. Room to have friends and family over.” She paused, worrying at her lower lip, her fingers twisting gently in Jamie’s hair. “I’d want it to be warm and welcoming. To smell clean like flowers and fresh laundry, and be a safe space for anyone who needs it.”

“Christ, you’ve really thought about it, huh?”

“No. Not really.”

“Must’ve come from somewhere.”

“Maybe.”

The screen door swung open with a creak along with the tap of a cane against wood, and they both craned their heads to see Nan on the porch watching them with an expression Dani couldn’t read, blank save for the faint furrow of her brows and tilt of her head. “I’ve got a pot brewing, loves,” she said, her voice abnormally soft, “Pop him in his crib and come get a cuppa when you’re ready.”

And without another word, she returned inside the house, the screen door banging behind her. Peering back down, Dani saw that Mikey had fallen asleep on Jamie’s chest and that Jamie was watching him with a faint look of panicked wonder. As though feeling Dani’s stare, Jamie’s eyes darted up to her and the expression promptly vanished.

“Not a word,” Jamie grumbled, carefully gathering Mikey in her arms and sitting up.

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Dani replied with a grin, already reaching inside her bag for her polaroid.

--

It was a rare day when Judy came over to Dani's house. Yet when Dani put on her shoes and called out her goodbyes on the way out, Judy had said she would walk her across the street.

Dani blinked up at her in confusion. "It's okay, Mrs. O'Mara. It's not far. I walk alone all the time. And Jamie walks to school by herself."

"Now, don't get me started on that," Judy warned, leaning over to pull on a pair of flats. "Anyway, I need to give back your mother's salad bowl."

Wondering why Judy didn't just give it to her for transportation across the street, Dani shrugged and waited. The boys had gone off to their various extracurricular activities, leaving her with little to do in their absence unless she wanted to trudge halfway across town to Jamie's house. Tempting an idea though that was, her mother had given strict instructions for Dani to be back home by five and it would take forty minutes to make it all the way to the railway cottage on foot. Another time, maybe. Another night.

Judy disappeared into the kitchen briefly — bang of cupboards and sauce pans — until she reemerged with the aforementioned salad bowl and a tupperware container full of leftover meatloaf and mashed potatoes. Dani eyed the tupperware with puzzlement until Judy pressed it into her hands and made shooing motions towards the front door.

Bemused, Dani shuffled out of the house and across the street with Judy at her side. She tested the handle of her own front door, determined she did not need her key, and ushered Judy inside with a murmured, "Come in."

"You're late," her mother's voice called out from the distant kitchen.

Shoulders hunching, Dani winced. She started when she felt Judy's hand on her back and glanced up in surprise when Judy lifted her voice, "Sorry, Karen! My fault! She was helping me clean up!"

There was the squeal of a chair being pushed back followed by footsteps, and Karen walked into the living room still wearing her work clothes. The blouse was untucked slightly from her skirt and her hair had slipped somewhat free of its usual bun, giving her a rumpled relaxed appearance. Her pale eyes moved between Judy and Dani before she smiled thinly and gestured them forward.

"You didn't need to walk her over, Judy."

"It's fine," Judy insisted as she continued further into the house. "Really. I wanted to give this back to you."

Karen took the glass-etched bowl that Judy held out to her. "Well, thank you. That's very kind. Would you like to stay for a drink?"

"Oh," said Judy. "Yes. Sure. Just a small glass."

Dani watched this interaction in silence. She still stood by the entryway, hand holding the door open. When her mother gave her a look, Dani ducked her head and shut it, careful to not make too loud a noise. Quiet hitch of the latch. By the time she removed her shoes and arranged them neatly by the door, her mom and Judy had already disappeared into the kitchen. They didn't even glance in her direction when she came in after them. Making a beeline for the fridge, Dani stored the container of food in the back for later, hiding it behind a shuffle of condiment jars.

Her mother was reaching into a cabinet for another glass and a fresh bottle of red. An empty bottle already stood beside the sink. From Dani's position by the refrigerator, she could see several more clustered on the floor, hidden behind cabinetry and in front of the door leading to the garage. Conquests from earlier in the week.

Shutting the fridge door, Dani mumbled, "I'm going to go read in my room."

"Okay, sweetie," Judy replied brightly, though she was idly tilting her head to read the front page of the newspaper sprawled across the square dining table.

On her way past, Dani paused. "Um -?" she hesitated, glancing at her mom, who was twisting the cork free from the neck, and then at Judy. "Can I come over again tomorrow?"

The cork came free with an expert pop. Her mother's mouth opened to speak, but before she could do so Judy smiled and said, "Of course, you can."

Dani's eyes darted to her mother, but Karen was merely pouring healthy glugs of burgundy wine into the two glasses. Not waiting to be denied this opportunity, Dani quickly slipped away. She retreated up the stairs, only to stop at the very top. There, she turned back around and crept back down a few more steps, avoiding all the boards that creaked and groaned, until she sat atop her favored step, where the sounds of the kitchen and living room could be heard best.

"I'm sorry she's such a bother," she heard her mother saying. "I keep telling her that she can't spend too much time over at your house. That you have other things to do."

"Nonsense. She's always welcome," said Judy, sounding like she actually meant it. "The boys love her. And besides, I appreciate having a little more estrogen around the place."

"If you say so," Karen murmured. There was a pause, a chair being moved, followed by, "I don't know how you do it, honestly. Four boys? Most days I don't know what to do with one girl."

Judy laughed. "Well, Mike's a godsend, let me tell you."

"Mmm," Karen hummed around a sip of wine, a sound that was all too familiar. "Definitely would be easier with someone else to lighten the load. Sam wasn't the best candidate for the job — not by a long shot — but at least he kept her occupied."

There followed a pause, then Judy asking almost too softly to overhear, "Does she talk about him much?"

At that Karen snorted. "No. Thank God. Though for the first year after he died it was 'Dad this' and 'Dad that.' Like he was still around to give her permission or excuses."

"Kids," said Judy, "can bounce back pretty quick, but they still need time to adjust. And she's adjusted just fine, by the looks of things."

"Better than I have, if I'm being honest," Karen said. Clink of glass against the table. "Sometimes I still come across his things around the house. Right when I least expect it. When I’ve thought I’ve finally forgotten all about him. Then suddenly there’s little pieces of him scattered around like — I don’t know. And then it’s like he never left.”

Judy's answer was gentle. "You're doing great. And, you know, Danielle isn't the only one welcome to come over when she wants company."

Dani couldn't remember the last time she'd heard her mother laugh — really laugh — even if it was wobbly, weak, even if her words were already starting to slur slightly. Karen cleared her throat, then Dani could hear the familiar sound of another glass of wine being drained and poured.

Shuffle of the newspaper beneath a set of hands. "Is this today's?" Judy asked.

Karen hummed, the noise rounded as it echoed in a glass.

"Is it baseball season yet? I can never keep track." Judy turned a few pages of the paper. "The boys have been driving me mad at the house this summer, and Mike promised to take them to a game."

"Never was one for sports," said Karen. "Did you read about the latest news from the Courts?"

"No?"

"Well, I have a friend who's a clerk there. You know Graham?"

Crinkle of the page and a noise from Judy indicating that she did indeed know a man by that name.

"At the gardens a few weeks ago," Karen continued and Dani's stomach swooped at the memory of the corporate function at the botanical gardens, "we got to talking about this Pilcher case."

"The sodomy one?"

"Yes, that one."

"I thought it'd already passed? Reynoldson was pretty clear about it."

"Well, Graham says that they're already slammed with appeals. Says that it's just a matter of time until they repeal more than that."

For a moment there was silence. Dani had very little idea what they were talking about — she made a mental note to look up the word ‘sodomy’ later, or perhaps ask Nan — but she listened for any clues.

“I don’t see how that has much to do with us,” Judy said.

“Soon they’ll be teaching queer nonsense in schools, and then it will have something to do with us.”

“They’re teenagers, Karen. The twins are turning seventeen this year — God help me. You remember what that was like. You think they don’t already have some idea of that kind of thing?”

“If they do,” her mother said in those cool clipped tones, “then it’s because of bad influences. And if it’s been taught, then it can be untaught.”

Judy sighed. “I suppose. Thank you for the wine. I should probably get back. I left Mike to finish prepping dinner, but I’ll need to make sure the kitchen isn’t on fire.”

Karen’s answering laugh had returned to the usual stiff and reedy variety that lacked any real joy. There was the scrape of chairs and the rustle of the newspaper pages against the wooden tabletop.

“Oh, no. You don’t have to,” said Judy. “I can show myself out.”

“You sure?”

“It’s fine. I’ll see you on Sunday!”

Footsteps down the hall. Judy came into view at the bottom of the stairs as she walked towards the front door. Dani was frozen in place like a deer in the headlights. She held her breath and remained still, as if moving would draw the attentions of a shark parting the waters. Judy paused at the base of the steps to glance over her shoulder back towards the kitchen, patting at the rear pocket of her jeans to check for keys, but she stopped when she caught sight of Dani further up the stairs, crouched and wide-eyed.

Dani’s heart pounded in her chest. It had been years since she’d been caught eavesdropping. Scampering up the stairs at the last second always ended badly. Flight was as good as proof of guilt.

Judy lifted her hand in a brief wave and offered Dani an anemic smile. When Dani did not return them, Judy continued on her way and she was gone.

--

Dani heard a tap at her window. She ignored it. Just that old tree branch that had grown too close and brushed up against the side of the house when there was a breeze. She wished her mother would hire an arborist to come trim it, but knew she would probably be the one to go over to the O'Mara household and ask to use some tools to do it herself. Most likely Eddie and Jamie would leap at the opportunity to help. And maybe Carson, though chances were he would just stand by Dani's side while they craned their necks and watched the other two risk life and limb to do this menial task.

Another tap. Louder this time. Heavier. Dani frowned and rolled over in bed. The air was utterly still and the tree branch was unmoving. She blinked, startled, when the tap came again and she saw something plink against the window and fall back towards the ground. Throwing off the sheets, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and crossed the room to open the window and poke her head out into the night air.

"Took you long enough. Bloody hell."

Dani gripped the windowsill and hissed, "What are you doing?"

"What's it look like I'm doing?" Jamie gestured to the ground around her. "Hurry up and come down."

"What?" Dani said, incredulous, and froze when she thought she heard the floorboards creak outside her room. She held her breath, looking over her shoulder and listening to her mother stumble past. Karen was murmuring to herself the way she did when she’d indulged in one glass too many.

Dani should have checked on her. She should have checked for the smoking butts of cigarettes between the couch cushions. She should have cleaned up the mess of a kitchen. Wine-dark rings on the table. The residue of a glass and stem.

Instead, she turned back to the window and said in a low voice, "Give me a sec."

Gripping the hem of her nightgown, Dani pulled it over her head and tossed it onto the bed as she crossed the room. She opened a chest of drawers and tugged on a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, and a sweater. She was pulling her hair back with a hair tie when she cautiously opened her bedroom door and, as quietly as she could, shut it behind her and sneaked down the stairs. She held her breath the whole way down and carried her shoes in her hands out the front door.

Jamie had moved around the house and was sitting on the stoop. She twisted round when Dani sat beside her. "Don't know why you're so nervous," she said. "Your mum sleeps like the dead after she's had a few."

Sighing, Dani pulled on her shoes. "Wish Nan slept that soundly. If she finds out you're out tonight -"

"She won't," Jamie said.

Dani paused in the act of lacing up her shoes to give Jamie a significant look.

Jamie rolled her eyes. "She had a glass of sherry. Plus, Mikey’s been driving her mad the last few evenings. She’ll be out like a light tonight."

"Hmm." Dani finished the final lace and leaned her elbows on her knees. "So, what are we doing?"

With a devilish grin, Jamie held up a set of keys and shook them. "Care for a drive?"

Dani's eyes widened. "You didn't."

"I did."

"She's going to be so angry."

"Only if she finds out."

Dani arched an eyebrow. In retaliation, Jamie knocked their ankles together. "C'mon. I bought us tickets and everything."

"Tickets? To what?" Dani asked, but Jamie was already standing and offering her hand, and Dani was taking it, allowing herself to be hauled to her feet and dragged along to the street.

"One of those outdoor picture theatres," Jamie said. She let go of Dani's hand when they reached the run down old truck that Nan had bought off of a local farmer when they'd first moved to town. Rounding the truck to yank open the driver's seat door — nobody ever locked their car doors in North Liberty; most people hardly locked their front doors in North Liberty — Jamie said, "Said you wanted to go to one of those, didn't you?"

"Yeah, I did," said Dani, pulling open the passenger's side and sliding up into the high seat. "But I didn't think anyone was listening at the time."

"Well, I was." Jamie slammed her door shut and stuck the key into the ignition before buckling up. She glanced over at Dani to check she had her own seat belt on, then stamped on the clutch and turned the key. The engine sputtered to life. Jamie flicked on the headlights, put the truck into gear, and pulled away from the curb as though she'd done this a thousand times and not only twenty.

"Have you and Mike been practising without me?" Dani asked, watching the smooth ease with which Jamie shifted gears.

"Nah," said Jamie, not taking her eyes off the empty road. "Nan's been having me drive her places. Says her leg's been acting up."

"Ah, yes. The old war wound," Dani said dryly.

Jamie snorted derisively. "What rubbish. Probably just got trod on by a horse, the daft cow."

"You're very brave when she's not within earshot."

"So're you, you fuckin' hypocrite."

Dani grinned, letting herself settle into the worn seats, the old leather cracked with age and overexposure to sunlight. Whereas her mother's car was always a warren of old wrapping papers and receipts, loose pages and empty water bottles that smelled of vodka, Nan's truck was incredibly tidy. There was nothing to tangle up around Dani's feet when she stretched out her legs. An air freshener in the shape of a pine tree dangled from the rear view mirror, and there were tell tale signs of a rag that had been used to dust the dashboard. Jamie's handiwork at Nan's insistence, no doubt.

"Where is this place anyway?" Dani asked as Jamie shifted into fifth and sped up on the motorway. The ground was eaten up by the tires. The glow of the stars was faint compared to the glare of the truck's headlights parting the gloom.

“Grandview.”

“Grandview?” Dani repeated. “That’s, like, an hour away!”

“I promise to get you home before dawn,” Jamie drawled.

"You'd better. I don't want to turn into a pumpkin."

Jamie snickered. "Awfully cute pumpkin, though."

Dani pushed Jamie's hand off the gear stick. "Shut up."

Jamie let her hand be shoved aside, using the momentum to reach for the radio and flick it on. "Find us something, won't you?"

Dutifully, Dani leaned forward and began fiddling with the dial, sliding through frequencies until she landed on a station. "This one all right?"

Jamie shrugged and rested her hand back on the gear stick. "Your choice, inn’it?"

"Yeah, but I want to make sure you like it, too."

Turning her head quickly, Jamie flashed her an indulgent smile before staring out at the dark stretch of straight road before them. "Long as you're enjoying yourself, I don't mind much. Any music's fine."

For a moment, Dani said nothing. She let the grind of guitars play out for a few seconds, then reached out for the radio again, turning the dial until she found a pop station she actually liked. She furtively checked for a reaction, but all Jamie did was tap along to the rhythm against the steering wheel.

The inside of the truck was boiling, but neither of them bothered with the air conditioning. Dani cracked the passenger side window and leaned her head against the frame to let the warm August air pull across her face. Jamie already had her window rolled down, one elbow leaning against the open gap while she steered with one hand. Dani did not realize she was staring at the way Jamie's messy brown curls were tousled by the fast-moving air, until Jamie stole a glance over at her and grinned.

"See something you like?"

Dani smiled and looked back down the stretch of road before them. "You wish."

Jamie did not answer. Instead, she leaned forward and turned up the volume until the music drowned out the rush of the night air. Dani tucked a stray curl of blonde hair behind her ear and studied the roil of clouds in the sky. The night was humid and tense, as though the heavens were holding their breath in anticipation.

"Should be a big storm," Dani said idly over the music.

Jamie hummed, then replied, "Paper reckons it'll break on the weekend."

"You sure this isn't one of your hare-brained schemes to chase storms again?"

Jamie rolled her eyes. "If it were, I'd've dragged you out tomorrow instead."

To this Dani conceded with a shrug and nod. Outside there called a roll of distant thunder across the plains, but no matter how much Dani craned her neck she couldn't see any lightning.

By the time Jamie pulled off highway 61 and turned down a few back roads, they had switched radio stations three times in search of songs to sing along to. Music blared from the open windows as they drove along, dust and laughter and mismatched singing curling in the wake of the truck's tires. Dani turned down the volume when she saw a big screen looming over a field, its surface already flickering with light.

"Are we late?" Dani asked.

Jamie turned over her wrist to check her battered old watch. "Nah. Two minutes. Tops. Right on time, really."

A bored-looking man at a farm gate checked the tickets Jamie handed over with a flashlight. He shone the light in their faces, and Dani flinched away from the sudden brightness.

"This is an R rated movie, Miss," he said.

"Yup," said Jamie. "Knew that when I bought the tickets."

For a moment Dani was afraid he was going to ask them for some form of identification, but then he just shrugged and pulled open the gate. Jamie gave him a lazy wave as they passed, which he returned, shutting the gate behind them.

Dani was still blinking purple spots from her vision when she leaned forward in her seat. "Jamie."

"Hmm?"

"What movie are we seeing?"

"The only movie that was playing," said Jamie. "Carrie."

Dani's brows furrowed in thought as she tried to recall the premise of the movie. She vaguely remembered seeing an ad in the paper with the title, but she hadn't seen a trailer.

A horror film, she knew. The last time she had seen a horror film, Tommy and David had made them watch The Exorcist in the basement. Carson had spent practically the whole time with his eyes covered by a pillow. Eddie had pretended to be unaffected, but every now and then he would grip Dani's hand and his jaw would clench as he swallowed. For her part, Dani kept waiting to be scared, waiting to feel the same thrill of fear that so clearly gripped the others, only to be vaguely disappointed when the anticipation was greater than the punchline. Or the pea soup, as it were.

"You all right with scary movies?" Jamie asked as she backed into a space beside a row of other already parked vehicles and killed the engine.

"They're okay. I haven't seen many," Dani answered honestly. "I think a better question is: why are we parked backwards?”

With a suggestive waggle of her eyebrows Jamie reached over the back of the seat into the cramped storage compartment between them and the base of the truck's bed. After a bit of rummaging around, she pulled out a pillow and a blanket. "Let's go," Jamie said, jerking her head towards the bed behind them. "I think it's about to start."

Grinning, Dani opened the passenger door and followed Jamie around the back of the truck. Jamie had already hopped out and opened the tray so that they could clamber up inside. It had been swept clean, not a speck of dirt to be found by Nan's critical eye. Jamie tossed down the pillow against the back and sat, peeling back the blanket to leave a clear space beside her. Dani took it without a hint of hesitation, pulling half of the blanket over herself and wriggling closer to Jamie so they could share.

The film had already been running for a few seconds. They’d missed the opening producer’s logo. On screen a group of girls was playing volleyball at school, and all of them were blaming the titular character for being bad at sports and making them lose.

Jamie nudged her side gently. “Didn’t know they made this movie about you, Poppins.”

Dani nudged her back not as gently. “Shut up.”

Jamie just snickered. As the title sequence began to roll across the visual of a locker room, Jamie pointed up at the screen. “Think I saw a tit,” she said.

Dani rolled her eyes. “Is that all you think about?”

Unabashed, Jamie just shrugged. “Usually. Yeah.”

Water and blood was running down a girl’s naked thigh on screen, but Dani hardly noticed. She was too preoccupied by the way Jamie's legs tangled up in her own, both of them wearing shorts. Skin against warm skin. When Dani rearranged her ankles to a more comfortable position, Jamie didn't even glance over at her, simply shifted so that Dani's calves were between both of her own, the two settling against one another. One of their shoulders overlapped. Dani could feel part of Jamie's chest rise against the base of her shoulder blade with every inhalation.

"Is this comfortable?" Dani murmured.

Jamie shot her a quick grin. “Yeah. ‘Course. You?”

Dani nodded. On screen Carrie was in the principal’s office, clutching folders and papers to her chest. “Wish I got a week off of gym class,” Dani said under her breath.

Jamie laughed and Dani could feel every movement. “At least your mum’s not as nutty as this one.”

Dani hummed in agreement but said nothing and the film rolled on. Most of what Dani knew of horror films involved chainsaws and sharks and priests chanting Latin at possessed girls. To her, chainsaws were useful tools. Sharks were all but nonexistent apart from a concept that involved distant oceans. And she had yet to come across a possession no matter how many times Jamie claimed Jackie Pullman was the Antichrist.

This was different. This was a quiet suburban district. This was familiar hairstyles. Familiar midwestern accents and familiar clothes. A school that might as well have been filmed on their own campus, and the kind of crude bullying classmates that made her wince. A mother dragging a daughter through the kitchen and locking her into a closet until she screamed, pounded at the door with fists and wails, voice raw, begging to be let out until she broke. Tremor and prayer and—

“Hey.”

Jamie’s voice jerked Dani from the screen. She was tense all over and squeezing Jamie’s hand tight enough that her own bones creaked.

“Sorry,” Dani mumbled. She tried to pull her hand away, but Jamie held her fast and warm.

“We can go,” said Jamie. “If you want. We can just go.”

Dani’s eyes darted back up to the screen, but the scene had passed. Mrs. White was accepting a kiss on the cheek from her daughter before bed and Carrie was crying into her own reflection in the bathroom mirror.

They could leave. It didn’t matter that Dani had been wanting to go to an outdoor picture theatre for the pure novelty of it. It wasn’t about watching a movie. Jamie would laugh it off and drive them back without even making Dani feel bad about it. They could take the long way home. They could wend their way back, lazy as you please, letting the August wind guide them. She could watch the way Jamie's hair caught the breeze, the way her face was lit up by the rare passing car. She didn't need an excuse to drive with Jamie for hours with no destination in mind, nowhere to be tomorrow, nothing but road ahead and road behind, long and straight as far as the eye could see.

Still, Dani shook her head. “It’s fine,” she insisted. “This is fine.”

In the night, in the soft light of the large screen stretching over a field, Jamie’s eyes were dark. The faintest glint of the screen reflected when she blinked, studying Dani’s face, her own expression inscrutable. Then Jamie smiled. "Right, then."

She shifted and for a brief moment Dani thought she was going to pack them up to leave regardless, but Jamie only moved around enough so that she could slip her arm around Dani's back, her hand lingering at Dani's waist. "Offer still stands," Jamie said. "Whenever you like."

There was a snarky remark on the tip of Dani's tongue, but she couldn't bring herself to say it. Not when Jamie was being sweet. She relaxed against Jamie’s arm with a sigh, letting her head lean against Jamie’s shoulder as they settled in for the rest of the movie. The premise only got more ridiculous. Somehow it was better with the supernatural elements. Less real. Carrie moving things with her mind. Carrie being less of a girl and more of a spectre. Dani actually had to bite her lip to hold back a snort when the bucket of blood dropped on her prom date and knocked him clean out on the floor.

“Bit silly,” Jamie said with a huff of laughter. She was a line of warmth against Dani’s flank. Her hand hadn’t moved from its spot at Dani’s waist in what must have been an hour.

“It’s the hose that gets me,” Dani said, miming it with her hand in Jamie’s face. When Dani dared to tap at Jamie’s nose, Jamie stuck out her tongue and Dani jerked her hand back with an amused squeak. Flames leapt up the twenty foot tall screen, shrouding Carrie in gruesome reds, but Dani was too busy wriggling away from Jamie's treacherous prodding at just the right place on her side that always made her squirm.

The first drop of rain splattered against the blanket and at first Dani thought it was a moth attracted by the soft light. The next drop of rain however landed on the back of her arm. She jerked, looking up at the sky. At first the sound of rain falling was drowned out by the shrill shriek of violins, but a flash of lightning and the roll of thunder was impossible to miss.

“Weekend my flat arse,” Jamie swore, sounding more like Nan than ever as she and Dani both scrambled from the bed of the truck.

“Pillow!” Dani pointed even as she carried the blanket in her own arms.

Swearing again — the rain was coming thick and fast now — Jamie stood on the tire so she could reach into the truck bed and snatch up the pillow. They clambered back into the truck, drenched and laughing. Jamie’s hair was plastered to her face and neck like trails of black ink, and Dani raked a hand through her own hair to get it away from her face.

“This is better than the end of the movie anyway,” Jamie said with a broad grin. Her cheeks were flushed pink and her white shirt might as well have been invisible from the way it clung to her frame.

Dani reached out and plucked at the sleeve of her t-shirt, laughing, “You look like you just jumped into a lake.”

“Think you’re any better off?” Jamie asked. She winked, brushing Dani’s hand off so she could start the engine. “C’mon. Let’s get out of here.”

Rain pummeled the roof of the truck in a steady downpour broken only by the occasional flash and crack of the sky overhead. Jamie nursed the truck along, leaning forward in her seat and craning her neck for a glimpse of lightning forking across the sky in favor of speeding down the road, while Dani rubbed the wet from her hair with whatever dry parts of the blanket she could find.

“Do I really look that bad?” Dani asked.

“You saying I look bad?”

Glancing over, Dani let her eyes wander across the stretch of wet fabric across Jamie’s shoulders. “No,” she said, clearing her throat. Then she added, “The jeans are uncomfortable though.”

With a grimace, Jamie shifted in her seat and tugged at the line of her too short jeans with her spare hand. “True that. Should’ve worn a skirt.”

“You don’t own a skirt.”

“Just because you haven’t seen me wear a skirt,” said Jamie. “Doesn’t mean I don’t own a skirt.”

“I want to see it when we get back.”

“Tomorrow,” Jamie said. “And you’ll make me cups of tea for a week as payment for when you lose.”

Dani stuck out her hand. “Shake on it.”

Gamely — and careful not to take her eyes off the road — Jamie reached out and shook Dani’s hand. As Dani was about to retract it however, Jamie tightened her hold with a grin. “And what do you want if you win?”

“Is this your way of saying you don’t actually own a skirt?” Dani asked, and she teased at the soft underside of Jamie’s wrist with the tips of her fingers.

Jamie tangled their fingers together to get her to stop. “No. It’s my way of asking what you want to do next time.”

Smiling, Dani said, “See another movie?”

“Done.”

Jamie shook her hand firmly once more, then let her go.

--

here take some memes

[btsslowburnfic]

The Arrangement Chapter 9

Series Summary: Desperately in need of money, you answered the questionable ad. AKA-Arranged marriage AU featuring Y/N and Yoongi.

Chapter Summary: Getting your bearings at BigHit

Previous chapter here ---------------------------

It’s fine it’s fine, Yoongi kept repeating to himself this morning after you had left to go to the security office. I’m not even home that often, it’s not her fault. He slipped on a t-shirt and jeans and went downstairs. He put his dishes away and looked in the foyer. Two suitcases and a backpack were sitting there. He couldn’t believe this was all you had. That’s it. He sighed and picked up the bags, wheeling them over to the guest bedroom. He looked around the room and frowned. He would need to order a few more blankets. He took out his phone and ordered some quickly. He walked into the guest bathroom. No towels. He placed an order for those as well. Even if you ended up living somewhere else, it was good to have extra towels and blankets, he reasoned with himself. 

He checked his calendar and yours. You should still be in the security office with Namjoon. He had already texted Hobi earlier.

Y:WTF dude, I thought you were my friend

JHOOOOOOPE: I brought a nice looking girl to your house, how is that not nice **angel**

Y: You can’t just drop someone off into someone else’s house without asking!

JHOOOOOOPE: It’s not my fault no one told you. I was told to deliver your new assistant to your apartment because you needed her to be available to whims at all times. I do what I’m told like every other person who works here. **shrug** it could be worse. I could use an assistant. Send her my way if it doesn’t work **Grin**

Y: >=(

Yoongi walked off the Elevator and saw Namjoon’s smug face there "What the hell is wrong with you?" Yoongi growled, walking up to him. He was surprised he didn’t see you anywhere.

"Not now Yoongi, I have a meeting in 15 minutes." Namjoon sighed. That fucking prick.

"You just dropped a girl into my house without telling me and think I'm not going to have something to say about it?" 

"You knew she was starting today. You agreed that the two of you were going through with all of this. What did you think that meant? Huh?" Namjoon said, almost bored.

"Why don't I get a say in any of this?" Yoongi raised his voice, exasperated. 

"You did. You picked her." Namjoon said calmly as he pushed the up button on the elevator. 

"This is such bullshit!" he yelled. You walked around the corner, surprising him. 

The elevator for Namjoon arrived and he got on it, not bothering to look back. 

You walked closer to Yoongi. "Hey. I'm sorry this was a surprise for you. It was to me too. I thought I would be in a dorm with a bunch of other girls." You gave him a sympathetic look. 

He took off his hat and ran his hands through his hair. "I'm sorry it's not you. It's just...ughhh…" He put the hat back on.

"Really. It's fine. It seems like Namjoon isn't interested in our opinions though, huh? I'm a good roommate. I'm quiet and I clean up after myself. And I can cook." 

Yoongi wasn’t angry at you, so his feelings had morphed into pouting at this point. "It's fine I put your bags in the guest bedroom." He pushed a button on the elevator. He sighed 

"Thanks Yoongi." you said, standing next to him. 

“And I can cook too. So don’t think that’s part of your job or anything.”

“Now what kind of wife would I be if I didn’t cook for you,” You teased as the doors opened up. You were surprised to see him blushing. He hit the button for the 12th floor, feeling like a total idiot.

You looked so cute and professional. He tried to not think about the fact you had seen him in his underwear that morning. He looked down, mumbling something, hoping you wouldn’t notice how embarrassed he was. He was eager to just get to his studio. He understood abstractly that the two of you would be spending time together but now that it was actually happening, he felt awkward and shy. And vaguely annoyed by everyone else. He got off the elevator with you following. “What are you doing exactly?” He turned and asked.

“I’m your assistant. I’m supposed to help you. Do I have a desk or anything? There wasn’t really an orientation. There isn’t anything on the calendar for the rest of the day.”

“Oh. Ok. Umm take the rest of the day off…? Go unpack?” He shrugged.

You scowled. “That doesn’t seem particularly helpful especially since you want me to move out.”

Yoongi sighed and continued to move down the hallway, “You don’t need to do that. There,” he pointed. “That’s Jiwoo. She’s the office manager for this floor. Ask her if she knows anything. I need to get to my studio.”

You had so many more questions but you didn’t want to bother Yoongi.“Ok. See you later.” You turned and walked over to the woman he had indicated to.

Yoongi continued on to his studio. He had no idea if you had a desk or not. He hadn’t really put thought into it. He cursed himself for not thinking to ask Namjoon about any of this. He detested appearing as though he didn’t know something, which unfortunately meant he hadn’t asked questions when he should have. Oh well. He hoped Jiwoo could straighten it out. Otherwise he would later today. He typed in his pass code and walked into his studio. Fortunately he felt inspired this morning and went straight for his notebook.  

“Hello. Excuse me?” You said as you walked up to the desk of the woman who had been identified to you as the office manager. She appeared to be older than you; her hair cut into a bob, she also had super cute glasses. She looked up. 

“Yes, can I help you with something?” 

“I’m Mr. Min’s new assistant, [Y/N]. Today is my first day and nobody really seems sure what to do with me.”

She laughed. “That doesn’t surprise me at all. They all do a great job with the big picture around here. But the details? That’s my specialty.” She stood up. “Follow me. Your desk is over here, near the lounge area. It’s a little noisy, but it’s across from the coffee maker. Which is important because Min Yoongi loves coffee.”

“Yes, thank you. That is like one of the only things I do know.” You smiled, grateful for any help.

“You don’t have a company laptop yet. I would expect it by Monday. You can do most things via the App though. If something does come up, let me know and we can work something out. Now, if you walk around the corner here,” she led the way. “We have some empty studios. If you ever need to rent space for any reason, they are available under the App. Mr. Min has his own studio so you shouldn’t need to book any spots unless you are helping with a collaborator. Speaking of, here is his studio. Good luck with that.” She pointed down to the doormat which had a cat flipping you both off. You laughed. You looked at the plate by the door. “Min Suga. Genius Lab.”

“Humble. Nice.” You pointed at the placard.

“He is really good though.” She said thoughtfully. She began to move down the rest of the hallway, pointing out the restrooms and arriving back at her desk.  “Also, don’t wait up on him. He’s in there most of the time. Follow your calendar. If you try to follow his, you’ll never sleep or you’ll end up with a sleeping disorder. Seriously. He sleeps in there sometimes.” She sat back down at her desk.

Your eyes bugged out a little bit at this. Damn that was some dedication. You hoped he at least had a futon in there then. Jeeze. “Alright. Thanks so much. I appreciate it.”

You almost wished you would have kept your desk plant now, looking at the empty space. You had a few office items in the bags in Yoongi’s house but nothing really worth going back for. A message popped up on your phone. **ORDER READY MIN YOONGI #2983627** You clicked on it. Apparently there was an order at the store ready for Yoongi. Because there was a store in the company building. Huh. Ok. I guess this is part of my job now. You looked up where the store was and headed down to the 2nd floor. It appeared to be a multipurpose grocery and home-goods store with also a few clothing items.  Looking around you found the *Pick up online order* section and walked over. You queued up and recognized the perfectly coiffed blonde hair of Namjoon’s assistant. 

You gave him a light tap on the shoulder. “Hey!”

Jimin turned around, surprised to see the girl from the interview last week standing behind him. “Hey you.” He smiled, “so you got the job?”

You nodded. “Yep. Sorry again about last week. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

He laughed, his eyes turning into adorable crescent-moons  “I’m sorry I literally yelled “shit” at you. So I think we’re even.” He stuck out a hand, “Park Jimin. Nice to officially meet you.” You shook it. “I see you have figured out some stuff. You’ll be on the 14th floor with Yoongi right?”

“Yep. I just got my desk. That’s it. The rest of the day doesn’t have anything and he hasn't given me anything to do yet.”

Jimin turned to move forward in line, with you following suit. He turned back, “Well Yoongi hasn’t had an assistant before but if he’s anything like Namjoon he’ll figure out a million things for you to do soon. Once they get used to it they forget how to even use food delivery apps or how to do their own laundry.” He shook his head. “To clarify: I don’t do his laundry. I coordinate the dry cleaning.”

“And here I was imagining you washing Namjoon’s undies.” You teased, causing him to laugh some more.

“Noooo stop. I don’t want that mental image.” Jimin licked his lips. “If you’re not doing anything later you should join me and Tae for drinks. Not at Club Tokki.” You raised your eyebrows. “Sorry, I peeked at your resume. Think about it and let me know.” He cut the conversation short as it was his turn in line. He concluded his business at the counter quickly. He turned around, carrying a few paper bags. “I’ll see you around.”

You waved, “Alright, I’ll text you about later.” It felt so nice to be included on your first day. He seemed fun. You stepped up and held the QR code up for them to scan. You were handed two paper bags and a larger plastic one. You took them and stepped aside, reading the stapled receipt paper. **PINK TOWELS X 4** on one of the bags. **QUEEN SIZE BLANKET WHITE X 2** on the larger one. He bought me blankets and towels!?!?! You took the bags back to the apartment. Yoongi had taken your bags and put them nicely in the corner of your room. You were pretty sure this stuff was for the guest bedroom and bathroom but you didn’t want to seem presumptuous.

YN: Hey! I picked up your order from the store. Where should I put the towels and blankets?

You waited a few minutes, unpacking one of your bags.

Y: Those are for you. The washing machine is upstairs in the hallway. 

YN: Thank you so much. Pink is my favorite color!

Y: :]

You went and started a load of towels and continued to unpack. Holy shit. This was weird.  You went back upstairs with the blankets. The upstairs loft area had a more lived in feel to it, with blankets strewn over a black couch, a large tv, and a video game system. There was also a keyboard in the corner. There was a short hallway containing a closet and the washer and dryer. You assumed the door at the end of the hallway led to his room. You were a very private person yourself, so you weren’t about to intrude on that. You honestly felt weird being in the loft area, it felt as though the lower level was for show and this was where Yoongi actually lived. 

You moved some more laundry around and decided to head back to the office. You still weren’t sure about joining Jimin for drinks tonight. You decided you would wait and see what the laundry status was. You set a timer on your phone and went back to the office. You stopped by the lounge area and made a coffee for yourself while preparing a coffee for Yoongi. Another ping on your phone.

***EVENT ADDED SATURDAY 6 PM***

Retirement Party for Lee Soobin Akioko Flame Restaurant

The espresso stopped dripping. You added the water and then poured it over ice. You walked over to the studio and gave the door a knock. No answer. 

 You huffed in slight irritation while trying to get your phone out one-handed. 

YN: It’s me. I have coffee.

Y: Leave it by the door.

YN: :( But someone could kick it over

Yoongi took off his hat and ran a hand through his hair and sighed.

Y: Give me a minute.

He got to what he deemed was a good stopping point and walked over to the door, opening it the slightest bit.

“Here you go.” You handed him the iced coffee. 

He took it, eyeing you suspiciously.  “What?” You said, exasperated. You had lovingly hand-crafted this brew.

“You like shitty coffee so I’m worried.” He took a sip. His eyebrows went up. “This is not shitty. This is good. Where did you get it from?” He noticeably relaxed, the doorway opening slightly more. 

“I made it using the espresso maker in the break room.” You said. “I worked in a coffee shop before I was old enough to work in bars. Shitty coffee has to do more with sleep deprivation than actual preferences.”

“True true.” He said, his lips pouting as he took another sip. The sound of a phone ringing in the studio cut through the air. He scowled, making no attempt to answer it.

“Is that your work phone?” You asked.

“Yes. I imagine it’s Jimin or one of BPD’s assistants.”

“So...shouldn’t you answer it?” You asked.

Yoongi shrugged and walked into his office, not bothering to shut the door. You took this as a slight invitation and followed him in. You took a brief look around before the phone rang again and you identified it’s location. You walked over and picked it up. “Genius Lab. This is [Y/N] speaking.” 

Yoongi turned around to ask what the fuck you were doing but then you had sounded so professional, he just plopped down in his work chair instead, a dumbfounded look on his face.

“I’m not sure. I’ll find out and get back with you. What’s the number?” You took out your phone and typed the information in. “Ok yes. Thank you.” You hung up the phone. 

“What are you doing exactly?” He asked. You weren’t sure if he was angry, amused, or confused. He was difficult to read sometimes.

You smirked. “Being your assistant. Would you like me to have this phone forward to mine so it doesn’t ring in here?” 

Yoongi’s eyes grew slightly wider, “You can do that?”

“Yep. There’s an app for it.” You responded, happy some of your previous office experience actually translated to this position.

“Yes. Please God yes.” He said quickly. 

You laughed, setting up the forwarding application. You picked up the phone to see what the number of the studio was. “Alright. I can at least triage some of the calls for you.” You said, satisfied with yourself. “Also. Ew.” You eyed a few take-out containers and coffee cups. “I’m coming back for...this.” You gestured to the room and excused yourself to get a trash bag. 

Yoongi sat there slightly dazed. He rarely let anyone into his studio and yet you had just come in, fixed his phone anxiety issue, and also scolded him. He scrolled through his phone, seeing the event on Saturday. It was annoying but maybe it wouldn’t be so bad with you and J-Hope there. Maybe. Even if it all was a stupid pretend performance.

You retrieved a trash bag from the break room and came back. You started cleaning without saying anything. It was becoming obvious that Jiwoo had spoken the truth, Yoongi really did spend most of his time in here. You made your way around the surfaces, throwing trash away. To your shock, Yoongi just sat there, drinking his coffee and scrolling through his phone.

“Thanks again for the towels and blankets. It was very thoughtful of you.”

“No problem.”

“Are we going to the party on Saturday?”

Yoongi looked up at you, “Sure.”

And just like that, you had committed to your first event at BigHit. “Alright, I’ll let Jin know.”

Yoongi shifted in his seat slightly, “is that who called?”

“Yeah.”

“Cool. Has he hit on you yet?”He asked casually, belying the fact that he was actually very interested in how you would react to the infamous flirt. 

You giggled. You were almost all the way done tidying up. “Of course. Have you seen his face? He had to let me know how in demand it is at all times.” You rolled your eyes. “Yeah, him and Namjoon stopped by the bar last week. Idiots.”

“Agreed.” Yoongi felt his body become more at ease with your answer. He didn’t know why he cared.

You looked around the spartan room. “Alright. I’m all done. Do you need anything else?”

Yoongi put his phone down. “Just to get back to my writing.”

You were so very curious but you didn’t want to intrude. “Sure thing. See you later.” You picked up your trash bag and left the room, shutting the door behind you. You were honestly surprised at how easy your day had been so far.  You sat the trash bag down by your cubicle, unsure of where to deposit it.  A text to Jiwoo about the dumpster and an RSVP to Jin about the party on Saturday and your day was almost done. You dropped the garbage off on your way to the apartment to switch out laundry. You were getting tired.

YN: Hey! I’m going to take a rain check for tonight. I am so tired and I still need to unpack ;-; I do want to though, so don’t think I’m blowing you off. Lunch tomorrow? 

JM: Shit I totally forgot you would need to unpack and everything. Sorry. No worries. Also, check your schedule, we have a huge design meeting around lunch time so they will most likely have it catered. I’ll buy you a drink on Saturday if you actually get Yoongi to attend.

You raised your eyebrows. It was on the schedule clear as day, on you and Yoongi’s calendar. Why wouldn’t he attend?

YN: Of course he’ll be there. Why wouldn’t he be?

JM: HAHAHAHA good luck. See you tomorrow!

It was already after five so you didn’t bother going back down to the office. You finished the laundry and finished your unpacking. And then you stood in the apartment just staring. The sun had gone down and the windows had a lovely view of the city. You could see part of the river and one of the many lit up bridges. You turned on the kitchen light. Shit. You had no idea what the food situation looked like here. Your stomach growled. You took some rice out of the cooker, leaving enough for Yoongi and sat at the countertop. 

You opened up your personal email. You had paid the dorm deposit for your brother, using your “disappear in the middle of the night and change your name again” emergency fund to pay for it. It had scared the shit out of you to pull all your money from savings and you still were secretly afraid that the job was lying about how much money it would pay you. Before you knew it, it was 9. 

YN: Hey, I ate some of the rice but I don’t want to just go through your kitchen. Do you want me to order or make anything?

No response. Ok. He was probably busy. You rifled through the cabinets. If his office was any indicator there should be at least a few ramyeon packs you could eat and replace. Bingo. You made a spicy prawn one and texted one more time.

YN: I owe you a spicy prawn ramyeon pack. Thanks again for everything. See you tomorrow.

You set the coffee maker for the next day and brush your teeth. You nestled into your new bed complete with one of your new fluffy blankets. You couldn't remember the last time you had your own bedroom. It was before your sister was born. The two of you had always shared a room. And then 7 years ago you started sharing a room with her and your niece. You took a deep breath, feeling as though you were letting 7 years of bullshit go all at once. If only it were all so simple. NEXT CHAPTER @lidda  @anpanman-sonyeondan  @firefairy1  @cuteipat  @sugaslittlekookies  @janeelizabeth1216 @deeepvibes @gxldenhunny

[malewifegradyruewen]

An Untitled Original Work, Part 8

y'all are either gonna love me or hate me-

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trigger warnings: none that i can think of, ask to tag

word count: 2755

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Gina was pissed, to say the least. Stupid, oblivious Leo, and stupid, oblivious her. What a pair.

Leo had always been oblivious, so she really couldn’t blame him, but it was her own mistakes that really set her off. Sure, they were her mistakes, but that didn’t make them sting less.

Put it out of your mind. That’s over now, and now we can… try again.

After they’d left, she and Sammie had decided that they should go to Gina’s, just to hang out. The only reason Gina had agreed was because she knew her dad had taken her youngest siblings to their grandma’s, and the oldest two of her younger siblings wouldn’t bother her. They might have even gone over to a friend’s house, leaving the Weathers residence vacant.

“So, what did you think? Salt & Pepper, it was good, right?” she asked, hoping to break the tension that had formed.

“Yeah, it was pretty good! Leo was right, the mocha was pretty good.”

She knew Sammie didn’t mean any harm, but hearing Leo’s name brought a bitter taste to Gina’s mouth. She did her best to swallow it before asking, “Have you ever dyed your hair?”

So she was taking the easy way out of discussing what had happened at the café. There was nothing wrong with that, especially because Gina wasn’t entirely sure what had happened, but they didn’t need to talk about it. Right now, she needed a distraction, something guaranteed.

“Uh, no, I haven’t,” Sammie admitted. “I never had the chance, I guess.”

“How would you feel about maybe, I dunno, doing that at my house?” Gina asked. “I’ve got a couple colours. I accidentally bought some for light hair, too, so that’s been sitting in my closet for a while now.”

Sammie hesitated. Gina could tell she wanted to, but still. It wasn’t something most people did on the fly. Changing your colour was one thing, but doing it for the first time was usually a bigger decision.

“You don’t have to,” Gina added. “Or we can do just like, a little bit. Streaks or ends or-” She gasped. “Under layer would look so good!”

With that, Sammie seemed won over. “Why not? What colours do you have?”

“For light hair, I think pink and blue. And then I have some that’s for darker hair, purple and green and red. And brown. I dunno. Probably pink or blue for you.”

“Pink, for sure.”

“Good, because we’re here,” Gina said as they pulled into her driveway. She quickly parked outside and hopped out of the car. “Do you want a soda or something? We’ve got some in the garage.”

She led Sammie into the garage and to an old, white fridge. Sammie pulled it open and Gina grabbed a Sprite. “Go on, you can take something.”

Sammie grabbed a Sprite of her own before closing the fridge. Gina then pulled open the door to the back hall, a tiny doorway that led into the kitchen. “Shoes on or off?” Sammie asked.

“Either one,” Gina said. “I keep mine in my room.” She then bolted upstairs. “My room’s up here.”

As Gina walked down the narrow hallway, she suddenly felt very… inadequate. Everything seemed too small, too dirty, too embarrassing. It never felt like this when Mally or Andre were over, because they’d been coming over since they were little. But somehow, Sammie seeing it for the first time as a high schooler, the most judgemental group of people on the planet, terrified Gina. What if this was it? Maybe Sammie would stop hanging out with her. Plus, there was the added terror of having your crush see your bedroom. That usually didn’t happen so early, did it?

Gina ran out of time to go over worst-case scenarios as she opened her bedroom door. Luckily, she’d cleaned up a bit before going to pick Sammie up, so it wasn’t too bad. Her bed was made, there were no dirty underwear on the floor, and the dresser was organised.

“Aww, your room is so cute!” Sammie said as Gina stepped out of the way to let her in. “The nail polish is so fun!” She pointed to the row that Gina had lined up in colour order. There were only maybe a dozen bottles, but they took up a decent amount of room on her dresser.

“Thanks,” Gina said as she internally sighed a sigh of relief. “Maybe we can paint our nails later, if we have time.”

“That would be fun,” Sammie agreed.

Gina could tell that there was something Sammie wasn’t saying, but she decided not to push. “Okay, here’s the hair dye,” she said as she opened her closet and grabbed a small plastic basket off the floor. “Here’s the pink.”

She tossed the box to Sammie, who caught it with ease. “Should we do this in the bathroom, and do you have some old towels?”

“Yeah, they’re right here.” She reached into her closet again and grabbed two stained towels. “I know they look gross but they’re clean, I promise. I just washed them.”

“That’s okay,” Sammie said as she took one of the towels from Gina. “Here, you put the basket away. Where’s your bathroom?”

“Right next door, first door on the right,” Gina said, sliding the basket back and closing her small closet. She followed Sammie into the bathroom.

“Okay, what’s first?” asked Sammie as she opened the box.

“You should wash your hair. I can do that in the sink, and then I have some clips in the sink so we only dye the bottom layer.”

“Alright, I’m doing this!” Sammie said as she placed one of the towels around her neck like a cape.

“We’re doing this! Here, I’m gonna go grab a chair so you can sit by the sink,” Gina said. She ran back downstairs to the garage, grabbed an old folding chair, and brought it back up. When she got back to the bathroom, she found that Sammie had found a handful of hair clips in a drawer and had pulled the gloves out of the box.

“Here.” She set the chair down facing the wall. “Sit.”

Sammie sat as Gina grabbed her shampoo and conditioner from the shower. She put them on the counter next to the sink and turned the water on. “Sit back so your hair’s actually in the sink.”

Gina could see Sammie hesitate. “Hey, it’s not too late to chicken out. I still haven’t been able to do Mally’s. You’re fine if you don’t wanna do it.”

“No, I wanna,” Sammie said. “I’m just nervous.”

“Don’t be! This stuff is only semi-permanent anyways, so it won’t last for more than six weeks, if you wash it the same amount as usual.”

Gina could see Sammie take a deep breath before sitting back. “Let’s go!”

She placed Sammie’s hair in the sink and started washing it. “So, how do you like it here?”

“I like it. It’s different from where I lived before, but I like the people here. I think I found a good group, y’know?”

“Yeah, I get that,” Gina said as she started adding shampoo. “Good crew. I’ve known Mally and Andre since elementary school. I think we’re all pretty likeable.”

“Yeah, and the other people in my classes are nice, too,” Sammie said. “Not that I’d hang out with most of them, but they’re nice.”

“Mhm,” Gina said absentmindedly as she rinsed the shampoo and started combing conditioner through Sammie’s hair.

“I can’t wait to just get to know more people, you know? Like I’ve been talking with some of my other classmates and I forgot how fun it is to talk to different people and get their perspectives on things.”

“Yeah,” Gina agreed. “Sit up, your hair is clean. I gotta dry it a bit.”

Sammie leaned forward in the chair as Gina pulled the towel that was sitting on her shoulders up to rub her hair dry. “I’m overall liking it here. I was nervous, but everyone has been really nice and no one’s really bullied me or anything.”

“Yeah, most of the people at our school are nice. It’s actually not too bad. I’ve heard South is way more toxic than our school.” Gina grabbed the clips and then pulled a comb out of one of the drawers. “Hold these,” she said, handing the clips to Sammie. She then ran the comb around Sammie’s head, grabbing the top section with one hand and a clip with the other. “Turn around, does that look good?”

“Yeah, that’s not too much,” Sammie said as she looked in the mirror.

“Okay, I’m gonna straighten out the part there then. Uh, you can continue what you were saying,” Gina said as Sammie turned back to face the wall.

“It’s just a decent environment, better than my old school. Even the worst people here are generally better than at my old school.”

“Yeah,” Gina said. “Okay, hair dye next. You ready?”

“Do it.”

“Okay,” Gina said as she slid on the gloves and opened the package of dye. She mixed it up and started scooping small handfuls onto Sammie’s hair. “Yeah, I’d say the worst person at our school is probably Logan, and she’s pretty bad, so the people at your school must have been terrible.”

“She’s not that bad,” Sammie said. “She’s in my English, and she seems pretty nice.”

“Trust me, she’s not.” Gina combed her fingers through Sammie’s hair. “She’s rude and a bully.”

“Huh, I haven’t seen that,” Sammie admitted. “She seems pretty… normal, I guess.”

“Don’t hang out with her, trust me. Mally and Andre can vouch for me. Just don’t.”

“Okay, I guess I can do that.”

They sat in silence, Gina combing her fingers through Sammie’s hair to make sure it was fully covered. “Your hair looks good, now we wait,” she said, pulling the gloves off and throwing them in the garbage next to the toilet. “Uh, do you wanna do nails while we wait?”

“Sure,” Sammie said. “I can do yours, if you go grab colours.”

Gina nodded before heading back to her room. That was… strange, right? How Sammie had talked about Logan? What was up with the two of them, anyways? Gina wasn’t sure, but hopefully it was just a misunderstanding on Sammie’s part. Logan was bad news, and the two of them hanging out was worse news.

She grabbed a couple colours; sparkly black and her favourite purple. She brought them back to the bathroom and sat down on the floor in front of Sammie. She’d been doing something on her phone while Gina was in her room, and Gina sat for a moment before she put her phone away. “Sorry, I had to respond to a couple messages.”

“That’s okay. Here, here’s my colours.” She put one hand up and Sammie opened the bottle of purple. She started applying the colour with an ease Gina had never been able to master.

“We should listen to music,” Gina said as she pulled her phone out of her pocket with her free hand. She opened her Spotify and scrolled through her playlists until she found one that wouldn’t totally embarrass her.

“Oh, this is a bop,” she said as the first song came on.

“Oh, yeah!” Sammie said, grinning. She started singing along. “You would not believe your eyes…”

Gina joined in. “If ten million fireflies…”

“Lit up the world as I fell asleep,” they sang in unison. They sang the whole song, relishing each other’s company. By the time the song was over, the first coat on Gina’s nails was finished, and Sammie was on the second coat.

“That was good,” Sammie said, almost breathless.

“Yeah,” Gina laughed. “Ooh, this next one is good. I’ve been cheated by you since I don’t know when…”

“So I made up my mind, it must come to an end,” Sammie joined in. She finished the final coat of polish on Gina’s nails before the song ended.

“Alright, your nails are done, just let them dry and we can rinse my hair.”

“The bottom drawer on your left, there’s a hair dryer. We can dry my nails faster,” Gina said. She paused the music as Sammie plugged it in. She put her hands out in front of her as Sammie turned it on and aimed it at Gina’s nails.

They sat in relative silence, the only noise being the hair dryer. Not quite silence, but one sound enveloping the small room. After about five minutes, Sammie turned it off and said, “Try that.”

Gina tentatively touched her pinky nail. “Dry,” she said, standing up. “Now for your hair.”

She turned the sink back on as Sammie leaned back once more. Gina combed her fingers through Sammie’s hair, turning the water in the sink bright pink. After a few minutes of rinsing, she said, “I think you’re good. Let’s blow it dry.”

Sammie handed her the dryer from where it had been sitting in her lap. Gina switched it on and started blow drying her friend’s hair. She pulled the clip out and ran her fingers through until she determined it was dry. Gina turned off the hair dryer and unplugged it. “Ready for the final reveal?”

Sammie nodded with a nervous smile. She stood up and turned around. “Oh my gosh I love it!” she cried. “It’s so beautiful! Thank you!”

Gina smiled. “It turned out nicely,” she said. “Not gonna lie, I was a bit nervous too.”

“You were?” Sammie asked. “You did it so well! I can’t stop looking at it!”

“Ah, it was nothing. But my nails! You made it look so easy! I always get it all over my fingers and then have to wipe it off.”

“I did my nails a lot in middle school.”

“Makes sense.” They stood in awkward silence for a moment before Gina added, “We should clean this up, and it’s getting late. I can drive you home.”

“Yeah, you’re right. A ride would be great.” Sammie grabbed the towel and the chair and asked, “Where do these go?”

“Uh, the towel can go on the hook behind the door there,” Gina pointed. “And the chair goes in the garage. Do you mind taking it down there while I finish cleaning up the garbage?”

Sammie nodded and took the chair downstairs. Gina grabbed the rest of the garbage, threw it away, and brought the nail polish and the rest of the hair dye back to her room. She set them on her dresser and ran downstairs.

“C’mon, let’s go,” she said to Sammie as she entered the garage. She hopped in the driver’s seat as Sammie climbed in next to her.

“This was fun,” Sammie said Gina started backing out.

“Yeah, it was.” Gina realised this was the perfect time to admit something that had been pulling at her stomach all week. “Uh, Sammie, uh, I dunno how to say this. It’s only been, what, a week since you came, but I really-” She stopped herself and swallowed.

“I like you.”

The words hung there, suspended between them for what felt like an eternity. Gina couldn’t take her eyes off the road, wouldn't let herself. She was scared, but she couldn't take the words back.

Sammie gulped loudly enough for Gina to hear before saying, “I think I might like you.”

They didn’t live far apart, and that short ride had already brought them into Sammie’s driveway. Gina parked and neither girl said anything. She turned to face Sammie and saw Sammie staring at her.

Gina could see Sammie unbuckle her seatbelt, but nothing could have prepared her for Sammie to lean over and kiss her. It was so sudden, she hadn’t even registered what was happening until it was over. Sammie had opened the door and was climbing out of the car.

“Bye!” she called as she slammed the door shut and ran into the house, and just like that, she was gone.

Gina sat there, absolutely shocked. Of all the things she had expected to happen that day, that was not one of them. But Sammie had disappeared inside. There was nothing for Gina to do except drive home and hold the secret tight. That experience, that moment, was going to stay in this car, and Gina couldn't do anything about it, so she didn’t try to fight it. Instead, she drove home and tried not to think about it. After all, what else could she do?

[leafs-lover]

Because Two People Got Drunk: 31

Series Masterlist

Chapter 31

Warnings: A few curse words, smut

Word Count: 8200

Fred opens the door and helps you into the living room, the hospital having released you. You still have some pain killers, and will be sore for a few days possibly longer.

Unfortunately the twins aren’t ready, so you had to leave them, which took an hour longer than it should have. Fred had to practically pull you from the NICU with tears barrelling down your cheeks. It wasn’t that difficult given that there was a wheelchair waiting for you in the corner and he can easily carry you. If it wasn’t for Oliver you would have put up more of a fight, but he needs his parents. As much fun as he has been having with your grandparents you know they have been struggling to keep up with him the past few days.

Walking through the house you see some shoes haphazardly thrown by the door, dishes rinsed in the sink waiting to be washed, there are some papers scattered on the table all the outcome of the limited time Fred has spent at home the past week. In the bedroom you see a pile of clothes that has been building in the corner and a few towels in a pile on the bathroom floor.

“Sorry, I haven’t spent much time here” Fred explains leading you to rest against the vanity.

“Babe it’s to be expected” you groan while he picks them up taking them to the hamper.

“I just wish I cleaned up more” he yells from the closet. “Just with spending time with you, the twins, shuttling Oliver back and forth this all kind of got put on the back burner” his voice getting quieter as he gets closer to the bathroom.

You know it’s true, Fred never being the messy type. He struggled with the mess that came along with Oliver; the diapers and never ending laundry mixed with limited sleep lead to clutter he never anticipated. That and he didn’t realize how much stuff babies need so storage was always an issue at your old place. It stressed him out never being able to get ahead of it, but eventually he learned to deal with it; accepting some things were out of control and some days kids are messy.

You smile seeing him walk back into the room, Fred’s face lighting up at the same time. He walks over to you placing a soft kiss on your cheek then he makes his way to the shower turning it on. He walks back helping to slowly peel you out of your clothes. You wince slightly from the pain having to lift your arms which causes a scowl to cross his face.

His eyes slowly scan over your body, but not in a wanting desire filled way; he is looking at your bruises and scars this being the first time he has laid eyes on your body since the accident. His eyes stare at your bruised ribs, hands gently rubbing up your arm tracing the faded colours of your skin. He sighs bringing his eyes back up to yours, shooting you a soft half smile.

He returns to the shower and places his hand under the stream adjusting the dials slightly “almost ready” he says stepping back closer to you. You shiver slightly from your exposed skin in the cool air in your bathroom, your nipples hardening. He pulls his shirt over his head and grips his pants, pulling them and his boxers down in one fast motion. You stare at his naked body, a confused look on your face.

“What are you doing?” you ask him as he stumbles out of his socks.

“Never had a problem with me being naked before” he smirks holding a hand out for you. You take his hand and step forward chuckling “I don’t have a problem with it, just wondering why you are naked.”

He helps you into the shower and you feel the warm stream hit your back “I just thought you could use some help, you’re still in a lot of pain. You can barely take your shirt off” he says adjusting the shower head to hit your hair. He gently runs his hands through your hair you tilt your head allowing you to gaze in his eyes.

The last week has been hard on him, the pain written all over Fred’s face; but today he finally looks at peace. He is still tired; physically, mentally and emotionally, and likely will be until the twins get home but getting you home has been a major relief to him. You coming home means Oliver gets to come home and the first step towards normalcy.

His beard is pretty grown in but given they are in the conference finals that doesn’t shock you. But his mustache that’s a different story. He had been trimming it to keep it from getting into his mouth, but it’s longer than you have ever seen it. It is fully curled into his mouth, but since he refused to leave unless it was to get Oliver it’s not that shocking.

He picks up your shampoo and begins massaging it into your hair. You sigh at the contact having forgotten his delicate touch eyes sliding down his body following the water dripping down his hard chest. You tilt your head, following the trail of water down the ‘V’ of his abs, onto his member.

“Hey” he says tilting your head up, directing your gaze to his dark brown eyes “gonna get shampoo in your eyes. Besides my eyes are up here” he jokes rubbing conditioner into your hair.

“Isn’t the pot calling the kettle black” you mumble with a mischievous grin on your face. Fred doesn’t respond busy rinsing the body wash from your body, but you can tell by his smirk he heard you. When he is done he reaches around you to turn the shower off, you place a quick kiss on his cheek your hand gripping his hips. He turns his head to look at you and smiles and kisses you on the lips; you taste the water that has pooled on his upper lip.

“You need to shave babe” you whisper, his hair tickling your upper lip.

“Been a little busy” he replies stepping away. He grabs a towel from the counter; rubbing it over his arms before wrapping it around his waist. He tucks it into itself, hanging low on his hips under the crease of his muscles. Next he grabs a towel gently wiping down your body before wrapping it around you. The soft fabric feels amazing against your skin having spent the past 8 days with cheap hospital bedding and towels.

“Well you have time now babe” you say as he brings another towel to your hair; dabbing the ends of it.

“We’ll see, kinda like it” he grins trying to wrap it around your head but it unravels in his hands a few times. He loudly groans attempting to redo it but it falls onto the floor landing in a pool of water.

“It’s fine, don’t worry I’m just going to nap soon anyways” you laugh knowing he won’t be able to get it to stay on its own. “I mean as long as you’re fine looking at my hair when it dries crazy.”

Fred rolls his eyes at you “dealt with your bad breath the first couple days I can deal with your wild hair” he says picking it.

“You said it wasn’t that bad” you yell.

“I lied” he responds your eyes going wide. “If I didn’t you would have tried to get up to the bathroom and you were supposed to rest.” The edges of his lips curl upwards slightly “it wasn’t that bad (Y/N).

“You’re lying” you say in a firm voice pretending to be mad your lip curling into a pout. Fred leans forwarding prying the pout from your face with his delicate kiss.

“But back to your facial hair” you smile and Fred just shakes his head helping you to the bedroom. He leaves you on the bed; you notice the duvet is crinkled having been quickly thrown on the bed. All but one pillow remain on the bed, the rest scattered on the floor. Not that that surprises you, Fred hates the pillows you have on the bed, saying the 10 décor pillows are excessive and unnecessary.

You sit on the bed goosebumps developing on your skin. Water dripping from your hair down your body sending a chill through your body. Fred walks in from the closet having exchanged his towel for grey sweatpants and a loose t-shirt. He has yet to brush his hair, damp red hair splayed across his forehead water droplets glistening in the lights.

He hands a pair of your grey track pants and one of his hoodies in his hands. He helps you get dressed, pulling the corner of the duvet back but you shake your head.

“Downstairs” you whisper knowing Oliver will be home soon and you want to spend as much time with him as possible.

Sometime later you are awoken by the sound of the front door closing. Oliver’s excited chatter echoing down the hall, and Fred trying to keep him quiet.

“She’s sleeping so we have to be quiet” you hear Fred say softly followed by a saddened “oh” from your son.

You don’t know how long you have been sleeping for but your body is starting to ache. You are lying on the couch in your living room; Fred brought your pillow down for you and placed a blanket over you while you slept. You sit up resting on your elbows and turning slightly to look down the hall waiting for him. You hear Oliver’s soft footsteps while he walks down the hall, his face lights up when he sees you are waiting for him.

“Mommy” he exclaims taking off running towards you.

“Hey Oliver” you laugh as he jumps on the couch wrapping his arms around your neck.

“Hi mommy” he says hugging you back. Fred walks in setting Oliver’s bag down in the room. Your eyes follow him while he grabs some drinks for everyone while you hold Oliver tight to your chest. You wipe away a few tears once Oliver finally pulls away “why are you crying mommy?” he asks concerned.

“Oh I’m just so happy” you respond pulling him back towards you. You kiss his head “I am so happy that I’m home and that your home with me.”

“I missed you” he sings pulling away when he feels the weight of the couch shift. Fred sits beside you pulling Oliver onto his lap handing you a drink and some pills.

“Want to watch a movie?” he asks him and Oliver nods in response

“What movie” he asks kissing his forehead. “Toy Story” Oliver responds causing you to smile.

Fred adjusts the pillow resting it against his thigh turning on the TV. You lay your head back on the pillow, placing a hand on his thigh. Fred gently runs his hands through your still slightly damp hair. His soothing actions and the pain pills you are on cause you to drift off partway through the movie begins.

“He’s asleep finally” Fred says crawling into bed later in the evening.  “He wanted to stay with you, took a little convincing and 3 more stories.”

You laugh looking at him “sounds about right.” If you’re weren’t so sore you would have objected to Oliver sleeping in his bed, but you know you just need a couple nights rest without a squirmy toddler beside you.

“He missed you a lot” Fred whispers pushing some hair behind your ear, your hand lightly resting on his hard chest.

“I missed him too” you smile “and you, come closer” you say. Fred shakes his head at you causing a frown to develop on your face “I don’t want to hurt you” he says placing his hand on your forearm.

“You won’t, I promise” you respond lifting the duvet up for him. Fred hesitates his thumb gently rubbing your chin “how is this different than you lying beside me in that tiny hospital bed?”

“I never slept in that bed, I lied beside you but always moved to the cot to sleep. I knew I couldn’t hurt you if I was awake. When we sleep we move around and I just….I don’t...”

“Okay babe” you whisper running your hand across his chest. You’d be lying if you said you weren’t disappointed, it has been weeks since you have slept in the same bed as Fred. You have been yearning to wrap yourself in his arm, your head resting on his chest being lulled to sleep by the rise and fall of his chest. But after everything you understand his reluctance and shoot him a soft reassuring smile.

Fred grips your wrist bringing it to his lips for a kiss. He stares at the bare skin mumbling something before getting out of bed. He walks over to the hospital bag tearing everything out of it; you rise up to rest on your forearm watching him having no idea what he is looking for. Not that you mind, he is only wearing a pair of tight boxers that show off his sculpted glutes and thighs while he bends over. So you would be content watching him for a while.

He finally finds what he is looking for and walks back over to you. He takes your wrist wrapping the white gold bracelet around it and fastening the clasp. “The hospital had to take it off” he explains while you smile at him “but you look like your missing something without.”

“I felt like I was missing something” you respond eyes getting heavy.

--

“Babe you need to go back to hockey” you say to him. Fred hasn’t played a game since the accident; he has been reluctant to leave your side unless it’s to go to the hospital to see the twins or the store.

“Your parents are here, my grandparents are nearby. The twins are getting better, and stronger. Your team needs you” you say hands resting on his hips. His parents arrived a couple days ago and have been helping with everything while you recover.

You thought once they arrived Fred would get back into hockey knowing both you and Oliver would be in good hands during his absence, but that hasn’t been the case. Fred ended up going to a couple practices but still hasn’t given them a timeline for his return despite your encouragement. The Penguins are down 0-3, game four being tonight in Pittsburgh, they told him if he feels ready he can start game 4; thinking the change in net could help spark the team.

“My family needs me. You are more important” he responds looking over the stove spatula in his hand.

“I am doing better; I’m moving around, no longer on my pain meds. I am fine. The twins are fine, the doctors are happy with their progress. Your mom will make sure everything is fine” you say turning your head to the island where your son is colouring. “Do it for Ollie.”

“Do what for me?” you hear Oliver peak up at his name.

“Go play hockey tonight” you respond to him.

“Yay daddy!” he cheers running to Fred who scoops him up laughing.

“You should go Frederik; you know I raised four kids. Some people might say I know what I’m doing” Charlotte says from the couch.

He shoots you a glance and shakes his head groaning “we’ll see.”

A few hours later you are on the couch with Oliver, his parents downstairs watching a movie. Fred walks into the living room in in his navy pinstripe three piece suit, his hair has been lightly styled, but you can still see the waves from his curls. He has on a crisp white dress shirt with a red tie tucked behind the vest. He is adjusting the sleeve of his jacket, doing up the button when he looks up to see you staring at him with a grin across your face.

“Can’t look at me like that babe, not for at least 5 more weeks” he jokes kissing you softly.

“Then you can’t look this good” you mumble against his lips, feeling yourself instinctively get wet by his presence.

“You told me to go to hockey, you made me look this good” he says kissing you again.

“Bye daddy, have fun at hockey!” Oliver says wrapping himself around Fred’s legs. “I ordered you guy’s dinner, it will be here at 5:30” he says kissing you on the forehead. After dinner you and Oliver cuddle up on the couch watching the game.

Fred is having an amazing game, stopping every shot; completely in the zone. Oliver sits beside you and claps and cheers with every play Fred makes, you can see the pride radiating off of him. Charlotte laughs watching him “Fred used to be like that watching his dad play” she smiles turning back to the TV. Ernst asked Oliver if he wanted to go to the game, but he said he wanted to stay home with you resulting in the 4 of you watching in your living room.

You notice Oliver’s eyes getting heavy at the start of the 3rd period, you expect him to fall asleep, but you end up falling asleep first. You are awoken a little while later to Fred’s arms gently cradling you while he holds you against his chest.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to fall asleep” you mumble against his chest.

“Are you serious? You’re supposed to be sleeping not up late watching hockey. Should be getting you in trouble for staying up so late, Oliver told me you made it part way through the third” he whispers placing you in the bed.

“He didn’t fall asleep?” you ask him.

“No, he was on the couch, reading to you while you slept. My mom tried to take him to bed and he said no I’m staying with mommy” you laugh at the strong willed nature of your toddler feeling the weight from duvet being pulled up your body. “Now go back asleep” he says placing a kiss on your lips before standing up to get changed.

“Wait” you mumble “how was the rest of the game?”

“We won 3-0” he says hanging his suit in his closet.

--

“Hey babe you’re up early” you hear Fred say through a raspy morning voice, wrapping his arms around you. You set your coffee on the counter and turn around in his arms you can see the bags that have developed under his eyes that are struggling to stay open. You bring your hands to cup his cheek running them through his beard bringing his face closer to yours. “I’m just so excited, I couldn’t sleep” you squeal kissing him.

Today after more than 5 weeks in the hospital the twins are coming home. It has been hard only getting a few hours with them every day, but today you finally get to bring them home. You thought that the best feeling was a week ago when you got to hold them for the first time but you were wrong. You know when you finally walk out the doors with them it will be the best thing ever. Fred’s arms wrap around your back and hold you tight to him “we can’t get them until 10, its 6:30” he laughs.

“I’m going to get ready!” you chirp, ignoring him and heading to shower.

A little while later you have done your hair and makeup when you are standing in your closet. You are in a pair of dark wash straight cut jeans and a bra trying to decide on a shirt. You look at yourself in the mirror, seeing the scar from you C-section, and some of the weight you haven’t lost from the pregnancy. You scowl running your hand over the stretch marks on your stomach.

“You look amazing elskede” you hear Fred say and you turn around and see him leaning against the door frame. You don’t know how long he has been standing there, but he knows exactly what you have been thinking the entire time. He walks over to you and puts his hands on your sides “I love you, and I think you look absolutely stunning.”

You roll your eyes slightly and shake your head at him “lose the weight, don’t lose it, gain more. I don’t care. I’m not with you for your looks just like you’re not with me for mine.”

“Eh” you joke shrugging causing Fred to laugh “I mean this” you point up and down his body “it’s very nice.”

You can practically hear his eyes roll in his head “just wait until I retire, dad bod all the way.”

You stand on your tippy toes and kiss him while laughing, arms wrapping around his neck. His hands slide to the small of your back, his pinky hooking through your belt loop while his mouth opens more for yours. You taste the coffee on his breath as his tongue slides in your mouth. You rock your hips up against him and he groans pulling his hips back “babe you can’t, doctor’s orders.”

“For me” you whisper in his ear “not you.” You bring a hand down and begin to palm over his jeans when he grips your wrist and pulls it off him. A pout comes across your face he quickly kisses it away “it’s almost 8:30, breakfast is ready. Come eat so we can bring our boys home.”

He gives you a playful tap on the ass before leaving the closet. His teasing sends shockwaves immediately to your core; you huff in disapproval mumbling under your breath before pulling on a white tank top with a light pink jacket.

“You ready to go babe?” you ask Fred who is sitting on the couch. He stands up and comes over to you “mommy I come too?” Oliver asks getting up from his toys.

“No buddy, you have to stay here with Christie” you say to him.

You see his eyes well up, bottom lip quivering, he has been having a rough couple days since Charlotte and Ernst left. They stuck around for a couple weeks after the series ended in a game 7 loss. Fred stepped in with a shutout in game 4 and helped them win 5 and 6 but game 7 went to the Leafs in an overtime loss.

They were hoping the twins would be discharged and they could have some time with them, but unfortunately they still had to stay in the NICU for a couple more weeks. The NICU tries to limit the number of visitors which resulted in them only seeing the twins twice during their trip, which is also why Oliver hasn’t spent much time with them. That and hospitals aren’t the most exciting place for two year olds.

Your eyes shoot up to Fred and you sigh, Fred crouching down beside you. “When we come home we will have dinner and play a game okay bud” he says rubbing his hand up Oliver’s arm. You watch him sniffle his tears back and turn around walking away from both of you.

“He will be fine babe” Fred says pulling you up to your feet. “The boys will be home soon and all three boys will be home causing mayhem” he says which earns a light chuckle from you. “Toys and books everywhere, food stuck under the couch cushions. Mini stick games in the basement, wrestling matches” he continues.

“That sounds amazing” you say laughing “I can’t wait for that crazy life with you.”

“I can’t believe they are coming home” you hum walking into the NICU picking up Noah from the incubator. You look to Fred and see him sitting in a rocking chair holding Lucas with no shirt on.

“Where is your shirt?” you ask eyes going wide. Your five pound son looks incredibly tiny pressed up against his 230 pound body, but perfect at the same time.

“Skin to skin contact is good for babies in the NICU, but it also helps them to bond with their dads, the smell or something” he explains smiling at you. “Where’d you go babe?” he says softly returning his attention to Lucas.

“I told you last week I had an appointment today” you explain wiping some spit from the corner of your son’s mouth. You walk over to the couch beside Fred and sit down eyes locked on your son.

“Everything okay?” he asks.

“Yeah just a check up on things since the accident” you respond the edges of your lips curling upwards. “Everything is fine” you coo in your baby voice. You bring Noah’s forehead up to yours and place a soft kiss on him.

Fred’s gaze bounces between you and Lucas for a few minutes before leaning in to press a soft kiss on your lips “this is amazing” he whispers when he pulls back Lucas cooing lightly in your arms.

“I know I can’t believe they can come home today” you say putting your head on his shoulder.

A half hour later you have swapped babies, when Lucas starts to fuss in your arms “I think he’s hungry” you say.

You had been pumping milk for the boys and bringing it with you, but hadn’t brought any with you today. Dr. Lang was supposed to discharge them over an hour ago but was called away for an emergency so you are patiently waiting his return for all of you to leave.

“You can try feeding” the nurse says to you from across the room. “It might take a bit to get them used to it, but they will catch on.”

After a little bit of a struggle and some help with a lactation specialist, he finally latches on. The familiar feeling of him feeding, the feeling you had begun to hate near the end with Oliver because of the pain is the greatest thing you have ever felt. Tears fall from your eyes as he eats; Fred stares at you for a minute placing a soft kiss on your forehead.

“I feel so complete” you say looking into Fred’s dark brown eyes. He smiles looking into yours, a genuine smile one you haven’t seen on his face in a while; since you woke up from the accident.

A few minutes later their doctor comes to complete the final check before releasing them. He takes Lucas from you and completes the exam and giving him the green light before handing him back to you. You buckle him into his car seat, and turn your attention to the exam on Noah. You walk up beside Fred, and he gently places a hand on your back pulling you in close while you listen.

You immediately smell Fred’s cologne which captures your attention. You look at him and see him in a tight grey t-shirt with a pair of dark washed jeans. He has a navy blue ball cap resting a top his slightly untidy hair from when he pulled the shirt over his head. It has been getting harder over the past few weeks, to keep your hands off of him. You hadn’t been together for over a month before the accident, long before your argument. So it likely has been 10 to 12 weeks since you last slept together making everything he does buckle your knees.

If that wasn’t reason enough the pool is open and he has spent a big portion of his time in the water with Oliver. Wet sun-kissed topless Freddie has always been a soft spot for you, Freddie interacting with Oliver another soft spot; combining those things and your knees almost always giving out every time. Lying next to him at night, his hand resting gently on your waist, his hand running through your hair, him just being beside you in bed has been torture not being able to act on it.

After Noah’s exam Fred takes him to put him into the car seat the hospital staff leaving you. You walk over and stand by Fred when he buckles up the straps “this is it” you say excitedly looking at Noah “ready to go home!”

You feel Fred grab your hand, you turn to look at him and see him on one knee. You stare down into his brown eyes that look back at you full of love and adoration “we got to get going babe” you say turning back to Noah.

“(Y/N)” he says softly pulling your hand back turning you towards him squeezing your hand. “You are the most amazing woman in the world. You have brought me the three most beautiful boys and I can’t imagine going through any of this without you. I wouldn’t have made it through these last 6 weeks without you, you are my rock, always have been. Over three years ago I went out for one drink, I ended up with a lot more than I bargained for.” You laugh lightly at that, tears filling your eyes. Fred brings a hand up to the corner of his eye wiping away his tears chuckling lightly at himself. His hands reach out grasping your left hand in his before continuing “you came into my life so unexpectedly but I wouldn’t change anything. I love you and I can’t imagine doing any of this without you” he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small blue jewelry box opening it and your jaw practically hits the floor.

“(Y/N) will you marry me?”

“YES! Oh my god yes Fred, of course” he slides the ring on your finger and stands up pulling you into a deep passionate kiss. Your hands slide through his beard his resting on the small of your back. You moan into the kiss your hands sliding up his face pushing his hat off his head. You hear it hit the floor, his hand dropping lower to your ass. You’re on your tippy toes tongue swirling around his mouth, arms wrapping around his neck “oh sorry” you hear someone say causing you to pull apart; a nurse having walked in to check on a baby in the NICU.

You’re eyes go wide and you turn your back hiding your embarrassment against Fred’s chest. “Sorry about that” he responds clearing his throat, a hand gently touching yours.

“No it’s okay” she responds you can hear how flustered she is without even seeing her face “I was just getting something.”

“We were leaving anyways” Fred explains pulling back from you. He looks down at you, embarrassment plastered on your face. He smirks at you, you hiding your face in your hands. You hear her footsteps descend out of the room; Fred’s hands pull your arms down and you into his chest.

You look up at him a large grin plastered on his face but embarrassment still showing on yours “sorry” he says brushing your hair behind your shoulders. “I was going to wait until we all got home, but I just couldn’t wait.”

You run your fingers over his forearms “babe are you apologizing for proposing?” you ask staring into his golden brown eyes.

“No, but I am sorry for doing it in the NICU” he laughs. “I had a plan, a more private plan. Dinner, candles, music, the sunset. Ugh it was such a good plan” he groans.

You smile chuckling at him “babe none of that stuff matters. I don’t care how you propose just that you did.” You wrap your arms around his neck pulling his face closer to yours “we’re getting married” you squeal.

“Mhm Mrs. Andersen” he mumbles a hand returning to your back bringing you closer to him but before he can do anything Noah begins to cry in the car seat. Fred chuckles and places a quick kiss on your cheek “forgot babies have a radar for when you touch their mom” he groans. You pull apart laughing and Fred turns to pick up both their carriers with ease. He walks out of the room first you trailing behind, you feel yourself getting wet watching him from behind. You see the veins of his biceps, his back and shoulder muscles barely straining with the weight. The fabric clinging to his torso being stretched around his flexing muscles makes your panties immediately dampen, you bite your bottom lip to prevent yourself from moaning for everyone to hear.

A little while later you open the door and Oliver comes running to greet you “my brothers” he says as Fred sets the carriers down. Fred pulls him into his arm for a hug “yeah, they are home now. This one is Lucas and this one…”

“Is Noah” Oliver claims. “When can I play hockey with them?” he asks earning a laugh from both of you. “In a little bit, they need to get a little bit bigger, a little stronger” Fred responds.

“Right now they will be just doing a lot of eating and sleeping so they can grow. But soon they will be big enough to play with you” you say hugging him. Oliver wanders off unimpressed with that answer, all he has been talking about is playing hockey with them for months. You chuckle slightly shaking your head while you and Fred take the twins to sleep in their bassinets.

“You like your ring babe?” Fred asks when you sit beside him on the couch.

“Honestly I haven’t really looked at it” you say laughing. “It was such an amazing day, but this ring could be plastic I wouldn’t care.”

“Better not be plastic for what I paid for it” he laughs.

“I just mean, this isn’t about the ring, it’s about what it represents” you say kissing him. You sit up on your knees running your hand through his beard “it represents us; our family, our crazy love story and I honestly couldn’t care what it looks like or where you got it.”

You bring your lips to his for a soft kiss “but now that you brought it up” you giggle pulling away.

You bring your left hand closer to your face examining the beautiful engagement ring sparkling on your finger. There is one large oval cut centre stone that shines in the light, and is surrounded by multiple smaller halo diamonds. There is some of the smaller diamonds going down the platinum band.

“This ring is so beautiful” you kiss him again.

“You deserve it babe” he says kissing you back and pulling you into his lap. He brings your fingers up to his and slides the ring off you. Confusion washes over your face and he brings up the band “see that” he says showing you the engraving on the inside of the band. You pick the ring from his hand reading the tiny cursive on the inside.

Du var ventetiden værd 12-02-2021

“You were worth the wait” he whispers and you feel tears prick the corner of your eyes.

“Fred” you whisper as he slides it back onto your finger. Your eyes look up to meet his gaze your fingers becoming intertwined with his. “It’s too much babe, like way too much” you say not even wanting to know the price tag that comes along with it.

“Nonsense elskede, nothing is ever enough for you” he kisses you again in a deep passionate kiss. “You do so much for me; I would give you the world if I could.” The smile plastered on Fred’s face has yet to dissipate since you were at the hospital becomes engulfed in your lips. You bring him in for a deep passionate kiss his hand sliding to your side; “yuck daddy” you hear Oliver chirp from his toys. You both pull apart and start laughing with your foreheads still touching.

“Daddy gave mommy her pretty ring” Fred says to Oliver.

“It’s so pretty mommy” he responds building with his blocks. You turn to Fred eyes narrowed slightly “you took him to see the ring?” you ask knowing he doesn’t have the best track record with secrets.

“Yeah you were sleeping and I had an appointment at the jewelers to pick out the setting so I had to bring him. When we came home you were still asleep so I think that helped him not being able to tell you right away. But he said it was the prettiest ring ever” you smile at that, having to agree with your toddler.

Later that night you crawl into bed having just got the twins down, Fred joins you soon after having put Oliver to sleep. You slide up beside him in the crook of his arm, him pulling you against his chest. His hand gently strokes over your back rubbing soft circles. You sigh at the contact, softly running you your finger up and down his stomach. You both lie there in a state of silent bliss for the first time in months, your family finally complete.

Your finger slides low, feeling the hairs resting just above his pelvis. You lay your hand flat, palm sliding across his lower abs, “(Y/N)” he groans a sharp exhale exiting his mouth.

Your head tilts up to look at him, the edges of his lips curling up slightly. “What” you ask innocently batting your lashes.

He shifts a bit under you; bringing his hand to grip your wrist “behave” he grunts.

“Why?” you ask coyly rolling more onto your stomach. You free your hand and begin to palm over him through his boxers again.

“We can’t” he says while your lip attaches to his neck sucking softly. A moan leaves his lips, your leg hooks over his “who says” you whisper nipping his ear. You straddle him, lips peppering his neck and collar bone. You roll your hips feeling his semi-hard member for the first time in over 3 months.

“(Y/N)” he groans shifting under you trying to free himself but it only encourages you, sucking harder on his neck. He carefully flips you onto your back “you have to stop. It’s not fair to start something you can’t finish.”

A grin crosses your face “well good thing the doctor cleared me to finish this.”

“Oh yeah” he smirks arms resting on either side of your head. His hands tangle into your hair lips hovering an inch from yours. You bite your bottom lip nodding up at the large Dane above you. Fred brings his lips down to yours locking you in a kiss. It is a heated kiss full of passion and hunger, both of you yearning for this long forgotten touch.

His lips gently attach to the sweet spot below your ear; you tilt your neck allowing him more access a soft moan leaving your lips. His hand slides under your tank top, finding your perk nipple; he gently massages it while your back arches off the bed.

He gently spreads your legs with his thighs and brings a hand up the inside of your thigh to your slit. He runs it over you feeling some juices that have collected “fuck baby” he mumbles “your soaked.”

“Have been for weeks” you moan feeling his digits dance around your entrance. His thumb begins to softly graze over your swollen bud. You feel his two fingers gently open your folds waiting to sink in. He drops his head onto your shoulder and huffs in disappointment.

“What is it Fred?” you whisper sensing his hesitation.

“I don’t want…what if I hurt you” he asks softly.

“We went through this after I gave birth to Ollie, and you didn’t hurt me then” you explain bringing your hand up into his hair gently running it through.

“Yeah but last time you weren’t in a car accident that almost killed you” he says to your chest head buried between your breasts. “It’s different than last time” he whispers pulling his head up resting on his forearms.

You cup his face gently running your hand through his beard “babe I love you and how much you worry. But I am fine; the doctor said so. I promise you I am fine” you draw his lips down to yours kissing him softly.

Fred’s eyes shift over your face while he processes your words. “If you want to wait then we will wait, but whether we have sex tonight, a week from now or a month from now these worries won’t go away. They won’t go away until we have sex and you see it’s true. But my preference is to have sex with my incredibly sexy fiancé tonight” you pop the word fiancé, it being the first time the word has fallen from your lips.

“Fiancé” he hums “I like that” a large grin plastered on his face.

You raise your eyebrows at him a sideways grin on your face feeling him shift above you. “Well get used to it fiancé” you grin. His mouth re-attaches to your neck gently nipping the skin causing whimpers to slip from your lips.

“What about birth control babe? We haven’t needed condoms in a while” he murmurs against you skin gently biting your neck.

You gasp brining your hands to his broad shoulders the warm feeling of his breath drawing you closer. He sucks on your sweet spot your nails digging in slightly to his skin. “Well” you moan “I didn’t get any today but the doctor said breastfeeding is effective at preventing pregnancy” you trail off feeling him massaging your sensitive breast softly. Your eyes roll slightly into the back of your head his mouth trailing lower down your chest where the shirt allows.

“And I’m going to make an appointment for an IUD soon and then no more babies” you say between your moans. He bites your tank top and pulls the fabric lower with his teeth exposing your breast. His mouth attaches to the freshly exposed skin “but until then we should wait no?” he mumbles.

“We can wait until I get an IUD which I don’t even have an appointment for, or you can run to the store and buy some condoms” you groan tilting your neck while his teeth gently graze over your nipple. “But the doctor said breast feeding is 99% effective for six months or something.” “That’s pretty good” he mumbles pulling your shirt over your head reattaching his mouth to your breasts.

“Yeah and I’ll get an IUD before then” you groan hands sliding down his back. “Babe their sensitive” you groan while he sucks on your breasts.

“They are also larger than normal” he smiles popping his head up to look at you.

“Both the result of breast feeding” you respond laughing at him. You feel his hard member pressing into your stomach through his boxers.

Your hand slides further down his firm back feeling the curve of his muscles while he exhales above you. Your hands reach the elastic of his boxers; they slip under the band and begin to pull the fabric down his ass. You gently grip it and squeeze, pulling him toward you earning a chuckle from him.

He pulls your shorts down your legs and you feel his hard member pressing at your entrance “you sure” he asks one final time. You nod and feel him slowly slip in your walls causing you to take a deep breath in.

He stops only partially in watching your face scrunch up, slowly exhaling “it’s okay” you whisper. He pulls out almost all the way and slides back in at a painfully slow pace, again not using his full length. He does this a few more times allowing you time to stretch and familiarize yourself with him.

Your hands grip the hair on the back of his neck while he continues his slow pace. You arch your back and roll your hips trying to bring him deeper but he pulls back still not bottoming out in you. He rocks his hips in and out a few more times, you bend your knee and his large calloused hand runs up and down the back of your thigh slowly keeping his gentle rhythm inside you.

“Babe” you groan putting your hands onto his shoulder pushing his body away from you causing him to pull out. Fear washes over his face thinking something is wrong. “I’m not going to break” you push him onto his back straddling him.

You grip his member and line yourself up slowly drop down on him, taking him in. You feel your walls fully take him in; you stare at the man below you for a second allowing a smile to cross your face. You rise up drop down on him, Fred allowing you to set the pace, his hands gently holding your hips. Your hand drops onto his lower abs your head falling backward while you continue slowly rising on him.

Soft moans begin to leave your lips, your lashes graze your cheeks. His thumb presses into the sides of your hips a grin crossing his face as he relaxes watching you. You hand slides up his chest, your hair falling in front of your face while you slowly increase the pace. Fred brings a hand around his thumb resting against your hungry bud.

He locks eyes with you and you nod; his thumb pressing soft circles bucking his hips up into you. Your hand slides across his chest slick with sweat to his shoulder; digging into him. You fall forward Fred catches you while he sits up in the bed bringing his mouth to your swollen breast. His other hand trails up your spine lightly grazing your skin leaving goosebumps in its wake. You shudder against his touch while his hand makes it way to your hair tangling into it.

You feel your high approaching, the familiar burn building in the pit of your stomach. Fred flattens his tongue licking around your nipple; your arms wrap around his neck running your nails against his scalp.

“Close baby?” he mumbles sucking on your neck.

You bite your bottom lip deep moans leave you as you are unable to respond, though you know Fred knew the answer before even asking the question. After 3 and a half years Fred knows your body almost better than you do, and he noticed your telltale signs as soon they started.

Whimpering at the sensation overcoming your body, you draw him closer; pulling your body against his. He bites your shoulder and you cry out head falling backward. He uses this as an opportunity to nip the exposed flesh along your collarbone.

Fred’s hips continue to lift from the bed, him now taking over the pace. You feel him stutter getting close to his high. His thumb presses firmer into your swollen bud as you feel your walls starting to flutter around him.

“Cum for me (Y/N)” he strains.

A few more thrusts and you feel the coil in your stomach snap, you clench pulling him deep inside of you. Fred grunts before twitching inside of you, and you are flooded with his familiar warmth. He shoots wave after wave of cum into your pussy while you moan into his shoulder. After a few thrusts Fred stills under you allowing you both to capture your breaths.  

“You okay babe?” he asks tilting your head to look into your eyes. You nod a few soft whimpers leaving your lips in response. You sit there in bliss Fred brushing the hair off your forehead. After a deep breath the edges of your lips curl up into a smile “perfect” you finally whisper in response.

His fingers gently run over the curves of your body settling on your waist. He slowly lifts you up slipping out of you, a mixture of juices spilling down your thigh while he sets you beside him. You go to lie down but Fred quickly picks you up, pulling you against his sweaty bare chest. He brings you into the shower, sitting you on the bench, the cool marble sending a chill through your body.

Fred turns on the water and looks at you, goosebumps covering your body teeth clattering. He runs his hand under the stream turning his attention to you laughing at the sight “it’s not cold, you’re so dramatic” he laughs. He reaches out wrapping his large hand around your wrist pulling you against his hard chest.

“You love it” you chuckle arms wrapping around his waist guiding him backwards to the stream.

“Mhm” he hums spinning you into the water “I sure do fiancé.”

Next Chapter

[hurricanery]

If You Went Away - pt. 4

A/N: Here’s part 4! You can read the previous parts here:

part 1 // part 2 // part 3

If you sent a different prompt, I will get to it/start posting stuff in between. Thank you if you sent a message encouraging to post this next, the feedback is very much appreciated <3 This chapter takes place starting the day after Halloween/the day after the last chapter’s events.

_______

(present day)

A groan leaves her lips the second she opens her eyes and a dull, familiar ache expands through her head. The type of subdued headache you wake up with when you’re five years old and your temper tantrum is what finally put you to sleep in the first place.

But she’s not five years old. She’s a full grown adult who apparently still cries herself to sleep sometimes.

Her first thought is that it’s way too bright in here.

It takes all of her strength to push herself up and stumble across the room in an attempt to shut the blinds.

She manages to fulfill the task, but she’s interrupted on her way to climb back into bed. Because she’s gracelessly tripping over her boots, and her jeans, and her jacket. All of the things she’d worn the night prior. She steadies herself, as the unwelcome realities of the morning catch up with her.

And then it all hits her. As she looks down, noting her attire, dressed in only Link’s Mariners sweatshirt.

Suddenly she needs support. Her legs feel like they might give out from under her as the sleep-induced drowsiness fades and the trainwreck situation that was the night before crashes down on her.

Her head starts to spin as she tries to shut out her own self awareness. The awareness that she’d shown up here last night, acting completely unhinged, and then in her post-surgery sleep-deprived state, she’d practically begged Link for contact. Begged him to touch her. She cringes. Because those were almost her exact words.

She glances at the clock. It reads 9am. Which means Link was definitely at work by now, and Scout was definitely still sleeping. She forgoes her desire to crawl back into bed, and instead, decides a shower will help wash away her faults.

She enters the bathroom that’s attached to their room, reaching her hand over to turn on the shower. She waits a few minutes for it to warm up before stripping the sweatshirt off and hauling her body into the tiled stall.

She sits. Because that’s all she feels her body will allow.

She sits huddled on the shower floor, knees pulled into her chest, as the steady stream of hot water hits her in the back.

She focuses on the sound of the shower, trying to let it soothe her. Somewhere in the back of her mind she registers the sound of her own breathing, trying to keep it steady. Her body feels numb as she focuses on the persistent sound of the water hitting the floor around her. It pounds in her ears, and if she focuses hard enough in her mind, she can trick herself into thinking she’s caught up in a thunderstorm. She likes that better. Pretending to be somewhere else. It’s easier than coming to terms with her own inconsistencies.

In her mind, it’s absolutely pouring. And when she concentrates deeply enough, she can hear the occasional crash of thunder. It’s quiet, but it’s there. Almost resembling the sound of her front door slamming shut with the wind. But more powerful than that.

However, it must be windy, because she feels the house creak with movement that she’s not making herself.

“Mommy….?” A familiar, timid, voice sounds from somewhere in the distance. And Amelia startles only a little.

“Mom?” This time it’s louder, closer.

And now she’s panicking a little. Because she knows Scout hates storms.

A knock against wood shakes her from her reverie and she lifts her head enough so that it meets the stream of water from above. And all of a sudden her head is stinging, because this water is absolutely freezing now.

“Mom?!” his voice is close now, and bordering on impatient. His tone brings her back to reality and she completely realizes where she is. How long had she been in here?

“…Scout?” Amelia finds her voice, perplexed. Scout usually sleeps in well past 10am when he isn’t woken up by her or Link.

There’s another faint knock against the bathroom door.

“I’ll be out in a second, Scout. Okay?” She tries to sound cheerful. “I’ll come make you breakfast.”

“Aunt Mer gave me breakfast.”

She frowns, standing up and shutting the water off. Meredith was here? She doesn’t know how to respond to that exactly. She feels numb, and confused, and out of her head.

“Can I go ride bikes with Bailey?!” Scout’s question pulls her attention back.

“Wait, hold on a minute,” she mumbles, pulling a towel around her body and moving towards the door. She peeks her head out and meets her son’s eyes. “Just wait for me to come downstairs.”

His hyperactive body language isn’t boding well for Amelia’s request. He’s practically jumping up and down from where he stands in their bedroom. “Please. Pleaseee. Bailey has his bike and he’s already out there! Please!!”

“Okay, okay,” she groans. And Scout immediately takes off, running towards the stairs. “Wait! Hold on there, buddy!”

She exits the bathroom fully, and Scout stops in the doorway, looking at his Mom anxiously, like she’s about to be the gatekeeper of all of his fun.

“Scout listen to me,” Amelia says pointedly. “Just because Bailey has a big kid bike, doesn’t mean we’re changing anything about your bike-”

“Mommmm!” Scout interrupts her with an exaggerated whine. “I know I know, please!”

“Hey! I asked you to listen.” She waits for his impatient demeanor to calm a bit before she continues. “Scout, you have extra wheels for a reason, okay? We’re not taking them off until Dad has time to teach you-” Amelia trails off bemusedly as she watches her son nod along with her words, focus elsewhere, his eyes darting back to the stairs every few seconds. She recognizes the distant sound of Bailey’s laugh from the driveway outside.

“Okay, go.” She laughs. And Scout immediately runs off. “But stay in the backyard!”

_______

After about twenty minutes of pulling herself together, Amelia finally rounds the corner into the kitchen. Meredith turns around from where she’s cleaning up some of the mess from breakfast.

She raises her eyebrows at Amelia briefly. “Long time, no see,” Meredith says, somewhat sarcastically.

“You say that like it’s my fault,” Amelia defends herself. “The phone works both ways.”

Meredith frowns, but then nods at her words, in a very ‘you got me there’ type of way. “Well anyway, you look exhausted,” Meredith says blatantly.

“Thanks,” Amelia laughs, reaching for the coffee-maker. “I actually slept really well last night.”

“Something tells me you didn’t.”

This was their typical banter. Amelia actually feels comfort in the layers of sarcasm and utter boldness of their dynamic. It’s sort of refreshing. Compared to Maggie, who often tells Amelia what she wants to hear, Meredith doesn’t beat around the bush.

“You want to talk about it?” Meredith offers, somewhat flimsily.

Amelia grimaces. Because no. She doesn't want to talk about it. But, she knows she has to. It will all come out anyway. And to Meredith, of all people, who was queen of telling her to stuff her feelings in instead of dealing with them.

Amelia clicks the coffee-maker on and listens to the familiar sounds of the machine coming to life. She peeks out the kitchen window, a smile waving across her features as she watches Scout show off his training wheels to Bailey. She turns back to Meredith, who’s still looking at her blankly. Then she decides to rip the bandaid off, putting it all out there.

“I basically begged Link for sex last night.” She leans back against the counter nonchalantly. As if the situation she’s confessing to is completely normal. “And then…” She laughs at the absurdity of her own words. “When he rejected me….? I cried myself to sleep.”

Meredith’s expression doesn’t even falter.

“In his arms!” Amelia raises her voice incredulously, still laughing bitterly. “I should add that. I cried myself to sleep….in his arms.”

Silence fills the kitchen momentarily, until the distinct sound of the coffee-maker clicking off catches Amelia’s attention. She moves toward the cupboards, rummaging for a mug, before pouring herself a cup.

“It could be worse.” Meredith finally says, after Amelia takes her first sip.

“Ah, shit!” Amelia exclaims, burning her mouth on the hot beverage, almost breaking the mug with the force she sets it down with.

She takes a moment to gather herself, closing her eyes and nodding at Meredith’s words. Because she’s right. In the grand scheme of things, it could be much, much worse.

And in an almost ironic turn of events, her thoughts are interrupted by the agonizing sound of her son’s cry from the backyard.

Amelia’s eyes spring open and she glances at Meredith briefly before they are both taking off, sprinting outside.

She feels like she’s having an out-of-body experience as her senses adjust to everything that’s happening around her.

She sees Scout. Sprawled out on the driveway, a bike abandoned about 10 feet away.

She hears him. His scream of a sob. It rattles her eardrums and covers her body in chills.

And she hears Bailey, too. His panicked tone as he explains how ‘Scout just wanted to try it, auntie Amelia, he just wanted to try my bike for a minute!’

“Shh, Bailey, shh,” Meredith murmurs somewhere behind Amelia. “What happened?”

“The...the bike tipped over,” Bailey cries. “He just wanted to go fast, Mom. He just wanted a little push. I’m sorry!”

“Okay, okay. It’s okay,” she hears Meredith whisper to Bailey.

Amelia approaches Scout, and just by the positioning of the fall, she can already tell that things are at the point of much, much worse.

“Meredith,” she breathes, as she kneels on the cement of the driveway. She hovers over Scout, pushing his hair back and resting a hand on his hot cheek, murmuring to him that everything is going to be fine. She turns back to Meredith. “His, his arm….look at his arm. Look at the angle of his arm.”

“I’ll get the car.”

_______

The ER is crowded when they arrive and Meredith decides it’s best to take Bailey home before things get too chaotic. She reaches for Amelia’s hand and squeezes gently as they both watch the resident on call guide Scout into a wheelchair.

“Thanks for driving us,” Amelia whispers, glassy eyes still glued to her son as they begin walking inside.

They get situated in one of the trauma rooms and Amelia hovers over Scout, who has finally stopped crying.

“Mommy,” his voice is still strained from his previous sobs. “It hurts.”

“I know, baby, I know.” She can’t help the tears that spring to her own eyes as she runs her fingers through his hair gently. “But you’re so brave.”

An intern that Amelia doesn’t quite recognize walks into the room and she turns to him. “No,” she says, dismissively. “No, I told them to page Atticus Lincoln.”

“Uhhhh,” the intern looks around, confused. “Well, we did page him but-”

“Go find him,” Amelia interrupts. “On foot.”

The intern stares at her blankly.

“Now.”

The harshness of her tone has him turning on his feet instantly.

_______

“It looks like….the impact of the fall definitely caused a tear in his rotator cuff,” Link murmurs, as he examines his own son carefully. “His shoulder is dislocated. We’re going to have to….reset it.” Link outwardly cringes at the last thought.

Amelia sighs. She stands on the opposite side of the bed from Link. She can’t take her eyes off of Scout.

“Daddy?”

“Yeah, bud?” Link gently responds as finishes his examination.

“Did I break my arm?”

“No, no. Not quite.”

“That’s good.”

“Yeah,” Link laughs, half-heartedly. “Yeah it is.”

“It doesn’t really hurt anymore.”

Amelia’s gaze snaps quickly to Link, out of concern. But Link’s tone provides an instant sense of calmness to the room.

“Well, that’s actually good,” he explains. “Because, you see, your arm isn’t broken. It would hurt a lot lot more if it was broken. It’s more like….your bone is in the wrong place.”

“And….you gonna….put it back where it goes?” Scout wonders out loud, causing both parents to smile despite their joint concern.

“Yeah, bud,” Link murmurs, watching as Amelia brings her own hand up, biting at her thumbnail anxiously. “We’re gonna put it back in the right place.”

“Mkay,” Scout murmurs quietly. “I’m tired now….” He blinks, eyes shifting between both parents on either side of the bed.

Amelia smiles sweetly, tears threatening to make another appearance. She gazes at Link.

“That’s okay, Scout,” Link whispers, eyes shifting from Amelia to his overtired five-year-old. “You can close your eyes….that’s actually better, while we wait….to not have him moving around much….” The last part is directed more towards Amelia, who nods solemnly at this information.

“What do you mean ‘while we wait’?” Amelia whispers, noticing how quickly Scout had drifted off.

Link sighs heavily. He moves towards one of the two plastic chairs in the corner of the trauma room and motions for her to join him.

Amelia bites her lip anxiously. The anticipation of sitting so closely to him, mixed in with the regret of her actions last night, causes her to panic. With the chaos of the morning, Amelia barely even had time to dwell on how their first conversation would go after last night. These weren’t the circumstances she imagined at all.

What immediately registers for her, despite her own nerves, is just how overwhelmed Link looks, too. And that revelation is what allows her to cross the room and take the seat next to him. Because despite what had happened between them, they were in this moment, processing together.

“I’m sorry I didn’t call you,” she murmurs as she sits down. “It all happened so fast….we just had to get here. I completely forgot to grab my phone-”

“Amelia, that’s not what I’m worried about,” Link interrupts, the tone of his strained voice perplexes Amelia and she turns to him, studying his face.

“What then?”

“I, uh….we’re waiting….because I paged Nico.”

Amelia just frowns. “You’re here now, though. I don’t understand why-”

“I can’t do it,” he says simply. Eyes glued to the floor as he zones out slightly. “I can’t be the one to pop his shoulder back in place.”

“You’re….” Amelia trails off, her eyebrows pulling together as she tries to understand. “You’re head of ortho….why would you not be the one to do this….”

“It’s gonna hurt like hell, Amelia!” Link’s voice raises harshly and they both turn to Scout, checking to see if he’s woken up from the slight outburst.

“Sorry…” Link murmurs, much quieter. “I can’t….I won’t let him associate that kind of pain with me. I won’t do it….”

Link’s getting worked up now and Amelia absentmindedly reaches forward, squeezing his knee. When she realizes what she’s done, she quickly pulls her hand away.

“Okay, I get it.”

Link finally looks at her, and for the first time Amelia sees the panic in his eyes. It mirrors her own.

“He’s going to be okay.” Amelia adds. And when she reaches for his knee this time, it’s not absentmindedly.

Link glances down, eyes focusing on her hand. He inhales deeply, and then hesitantly rests his own hand on top of hers, giving it a small squeeze.

The moment is interrupted when Nico walks into the room, and they quickly pull apart.

They both stand. And Amelia exhales shakily as she moves towards Scout, gently reaching forward to wake him up.

_______

“You did so good, baby,” Amelia murmurs, ruffling Scout’s hair as she once again feels her eyes sting with moisture. This time it’s out of gratitude.

“Do I get anything I want now?” Scout wonders, as Link and Nico carefully help Scout up from the bed.

Amelia laughs. Because she had promised that. When the panic set in just before Nico began the process of re-setting Scout’s arm. Scout had lost his cool completely. Breathing rapidly as his eyes darted between his parents in total fear.

‘I’ll get you anything you want after this’ Amelia had pleaded with him.

And Nico had stepped forward, resuming the task at hand.

‘Look at me Scout, look at me and scream as loud as you can. Don’t hold back, I want to hear it.’ Link had instructed.

“Cuz I know it.” Scout chimes in again. “I wanna ice cream sundae. With sprinkles.”

Amelia laughs again, reaching for the hand on his good side as they walk out of the trauma room and towards the ambulance bay. Scout’s injured arm now resting in a sling.

“I can make that happen,” Amelia smiles as they walk outside.

“No, dad too,” Scout whines, pulling his hand free from her grasp. Amelia frowns. “You both have to come!”

“Dad’s working, Scout,” She mutters, “Sorry, you’re stuck with just me.”

“Noooo,” he whines. And the realization dawns on Amelia that it must be closing in on late afternoon. This was Scout’s usual naptime. He was only going to get more irritable.

“Sorry, Scout,” she tries not to sound too defensive, attempting to hide the ego bruise developing at his sudden refusal to be with just her. “That’s just the way it is…”

“Then why's Daddy walking over here?”

“Huh?”

Link catches up with them a moment later. Jacket on. Holding his car keys.

“Hey! I wrapped up early. You guys probably need a ride home, right?” He looks at Amelia. He can’t quite determine the expression she gives back to him. Somewhere between hurt and frustrated.

He looks between the pair, perplexed.

“What’s up?” he mutters in question.

“We’re getting ice cream!” Scout excitedly announces.

“Oh?” Link trails off, glancing back at Amelia, whose appearance doesn’t at all match Scout’s enthusiasm.

She rolls her eyes.

“I can drop you guys off somewhere and pick you up?” Link offers quietly, muttering to Amelia.

“No, no!” Scout interrupts. “No, Dad! You have to come! You have to come, too!” He stomps his foot and Link almost wants to laugh at the impatience. He doesn’t laugh, though. He holds back at Amelia’s demeanor.

Scout looks up at Amelia, and she sighs, weighing her options.

“Okay, let’s just go,” she breathes, glancing at Link. Who frowns slightly at her. But she just nods her head, suddenly indifferent.

Scout squeals with excitement, taking off quickly towards the parking lot. And Link catches up with him. “Wait, buddy, Slow down! Try to keep that arm still.”

Amelia trails behind them a bit further back, mentally preparing herself. Because now that the major crisis of the day was resolved, there was suddenly way more room to process the events of last night. And what their new normal was, going forward.

//

[fleshbarbie]

Same, but different. (Part 3).

Summary: Billy and reader don’t particularly like each other, Billy thinks you’re a snob, you think Billy is an asshole with anger issues. That’s until the party starts to hang out more at your house, meaning Billy is there more often than not (because of Max) and that’s when you both find out you’re more alike than you think.

- not the biggest fan of where this ends, but this has taken way too long to write i really just wanted to get it posted! again, thanks for all the lovely comments so far i really appreciate it!! i think there’s gonna be two-three more parts of this but i’m not completely sure yet <33

-

A content sigh left your lips as your eyes wandered around the newly cleaned kitchen, it had only been an hour since you and Alice had finished eating the dinner you prepared and now she was upstairs getting herself ready for bed. That meant you had the next few hours to yourself until you decided you needed to get some sleep too. Throwing the towel down onto the counter, you left the room and began making your way to your bedroom where your study materials awaited your arrival. There were a thousand things you’d much rather do than force yourself to learn all the bullshit information you needed for the upcoming exams, but unfortunately you had too much to get through and not a lot of time.

You sat at your desk, and tucked a strand of hair that had fallen from your messy bun behind your ear before you grasped at the pen that had been laid on your textbook whilst you were downstairs. It had only been a few minutes when you decided you were already fed up with the words sprawled out on the sheet in front of you, none of it made sense and all it did was stress you out. You were definitely failing.

A loud knock echoed throughout the almost empty house which made you jump in your spot, but once you had recovered from the initial shock you were almost pleased to have a distraction from the seemingly endless amount of work you had to finish. You wasted no time jumping out of your chair and rushing down the stairs that creaked under your weight, however any relief that flew through your body left the second you saw who was stood at your front door. The cold air from outside invaded your house the second the door opened, and almost like deja vu there again stood Billy Hargrove.

This time though, his demeanor was different to the last time, or any other time you had seen the boy throughout your day-to-day life. He was usually stood tall and confident, a cocky look always displayed on his handsome features and a pep in his step. This time, he was hunched over almost, avoiding eye contact with you as if he didn’t want to be seen. It was weird.

“I told you to call me if Max showed up here, (Y/N). Is that too confusing for you?”

He was in a bad mood, clearly. His voice was rough as if he had been shouting prior to showing up here, and you wondered what had led to that.

“She’s not here. Nobody’s been here, Alice didn’t feel like being around people tonight.” You shrugged.

He finally looked at you after that, his brows furrowed in both confusion and frustration. That’s when your vision caught sight of something that made your stomach churn. There was a purple bruise that spread from his upper cheek to above his right eyebrow, along with a small gash that was under his right eye. It looked fresh, blood still leaked from the wound and the bruise clearly hadn’t finished forming.

“Billy, oh my god. Are you okay? What happened?” You approached him slowly, afraid that any sudden movements would send him running.

When you were close enough, you reached your hand up to grip his jaw gently, moving his head to get better lighting on the marks. He remained silent as you did, watching your eyes swarm with concern - something he wasn’t used to. Not just from you, but from anybody. Because at the end of the day.. did anybody really care about him? Max didn’t, Susan didn’t, his Dad definitely didn’t. He had nobody.

“It’s nothing. Just got into a fight with this asshole awhile ago, nothing special.” He broke from his daydream and took a step back, allowing your hand to fall from its place.

You nodded, though you knew he was just giving you any old excuse to shut you up. His knuckles were clean, no signs of any altercation and when did Billy ever have a fight and not get any hits in? But you didn’t say anything. Only glanced back into your house for a second, before returning your gaze to him.

“You wanna come in? I’m not a trained nurse or anything but, I know the basics.” You offered him a smile, “Gotta make sure that doesn’t get infected.”

He pondered your offer for a few seconds, his gaze lingering on you as he did. You felt nervous all of a sudden, his eyes burning into your figure had you twiddling your fingers and you wanted to hit yourself for acting like a lovestruck teen. But you couldn’t help it, it felt like he was looking into your soul.

“I can’t.” He finally spoke, and your shoulders fell in disappointment. “I have to find Max, get her home before my Dad.. starts worrying.”

You nodded in understanding, “That’s fair. Try Mike’s, if she’s not here she’s usually there.”

His lips curved into a grateful smile, “Thanks. See you around I guess?”

“Yeah. See you around.”

His eyes maintained contact with yours for a second longer, before he turned his back to you and stalked back to his car. He drove off and you watched him as he did, with an unusual feeling in your stomach.

—

It was almost two o’clock in the morning and you were just getting into bed, having completed your work. It took a lot of effort but you were glad it was finally over and done with. You had slipped on an old shirt and some fluffy shorts before diving into bed excited to sleep until the alarm you had set was sure to wake up up at 7am tomorrow.

You had literally only just gotten comfortable, the duvet thrown over your figure and your pillow perfectly positioned when a tapping sound came from your window. You sat up, confused and annoyed. All you wanted to do was sleep, not deal with whatever was behind the curtain. The sound happened again, making you groan when you realised whoever it was wasn’t going to go away until you dealt with them. If you weren’t so annoyed by the disturbance, you’d probably be running to Alice’s room by now begging her to let you sleep in there for the night.

You took the end of the curtain in your hand and pulled it across your window, opening it with force.

“Billy?” You questioned, brows furrowed at the sight of him crouched outside your bedroom window.

He looked the same as he did when you last saw him outside your house a few hours ago, the only difference being that now he looked tired which wasn’t surprising given the current time. You slid your window open, allowing the blonde to climb into your room with ease. You shut it once again when his feet hit the floor, not wanting the cold air to flood your bedroom.

“You know, you could’ve just used the front door.” You commented, watching him as he observed your room.

“Well obviously.” He spoke, finally turning to face you. “But I didn’t wanna wake anyone else up, thought your window would be my safest bet.”

You nodded before gesturing for him to take a seat on the edge of your bed, “Sit. Let me get some stuff to clean your face.”

You didn’t bother waiting for him to listen to your demands, instead you walked straight to your bathroom and grabbed the bits and pieces that you used whenever Alice ended up hurting herself. She was an adventurous child who loved the outdoors, she was always coming home with scraped knees and scratches on her arms so you kept a small box in the cupboard under the sink that contained the essentials.

You found it underneath a towel, and quickly returned to your room where Billy was sat on your bed, fiddling with the thin blanket that had been pushed to the end of the mattress when you got up almost five minutes ago now. You sat beside him, thighs touching which made your insides go fuzzy for a second, this was the closest you’d ever been to the boy since you’d met.

He stopped messing with the blanket and looked over to you.

Being this close meant you could see all the stuff you hadn’t been able to see before. The way his eyes were a few shades lighter than you had originally thought, the freckles that were scattered in a few different places, the slit in his brow that made him look that little bit more attractive. Maybe the two of you never got along that well, but even if you weren’t fond of him you’d be stupid to deny how breathtaking he looked even on his bad days.

You shook your head to rid you of the thoughts currently devouring your mind, and instead you showed him the things you had in your hand. “You ready?”

He didn’t even look at what you had, his eyes remained on you whilst he nodded slowly. Just like you, being this close meant he was able to notice all the things about you that he hadn’t noticed before and it was making him feel a way he hadn’t felt with anyone else. It scared him, he didn’t want to feel this way it was bound to end badly for him. But he couldn’t help it.

You grabbed an antiseptic wipe, using your spare hand to angle his face properly so you could lightly dab the wipe on the wound that was now surrounded by dried blood. He winced at the contact at first, but soon relaxed the more it went on. It only took one wipe to get rid of any blood, and so you moved on to cover the injury with a plain white bandaid.

“I don’t need a bandaid.” He grumbled, reaching up to get rid of it but you quickly grabbed his hand to stop him.

“Just for tonight, you don’t have to leave it on for school.” You informed him and so with a reluctant sigh, he dropped his arm.

You then let your eyes wander the bruise that had swollen more over the hours, and you stood from your spot.

“I’m gonna get you some ice, or else that’s gonna be twice the size when you wake up.”

“Okay.”

With that, you left your room and carefully made your way downstairs in hopes that you didn’t wake Alice. She’d want to know what you were up to, not being able to go back to sleep until she was told and if she found out Billy Hargrove was in your bedroom waiting for some ice she’d probably interrogate you until the sun made an appearance.

A door slammed shut just as you made it into the kitchen, and you whipped your head around, your heart freezing at the sight of your Mother stumbling through the front door. She was definitely drunk, probably high too. She could barely walk two steps without tripping, you couldn’t help but sigh at the state she was in. Approaching the woman you were supposed to look up to, she noticed you walking towards her and a goofy smile covered her face.

“Hey baby! What’re you doing up? Don’t you have school in the morning?” Her words were slurred, her arms clung onto you as her failed attempt to give you a hug.

“I’m just getting a drink, woke up thirsty.” You lied, leading her over to the couch. She probably wouldn’t have even cared if you told her the real reason why you were out of bed.

“Oh. Okay.” She hiccuped, happily spreading her limbs out as she got comfortable.

You quickly grabbed a blanket, draping it over her body before taking off her heels and placing them at the end of the couch. Taking a step back you realised your Mom was already half asleep, her eyes closed and her mouth hung open. A sight you had grown familiar with over the years.

Content with how you’d left her, you went back to the kitchen and grabbed the ice you had originally came for before making your way to the stairs as quietly as you could but then she spoke, which made you come to a halt.

“You’re a good kid, you know that? I love you and I love A-Alice too. I’m gonna change baby, I promise. Mommy’s gonna change.”

You rolled your eyes at the empty promise you had received for the past two years. She said it everyday almost but never had she made the effort to keep the promise, by now you were well aware it was never gonna happen. You didn’t bother to say anything back, only continued your journey to your room where Billy was still waiting for your return.

You quickly slipped into the dimly lit room and laid back against the door the second it was shut. You let out a breath you hadn’t realised you had been holding and looked over to the boy still sat on your bed, who was staring right back at you.

“Was that your Mom?” He asked, scooting over so you could sit next to him once again.

You nodded, getting comfortable in the space he had made for you. “Yeah. She worked late, only just made it home.”

He probably would’ve believed you, not giving any second thought to what you had said if it wasn’t for the fact that Max had already revealed everything he needed to know.

“Here.” You held out the ice pack for him to grab, which he gladly took from you without a second thought.

“Thanks.” He muttered, hissing quietly once the ice pressed to his bruised face.

“So..” You trailed off, feeling a little awkward due to the sudden silence. “Do you plan on sleeping here? Because I mean it is almost three in the morning and we do have school. No offence, but I’d much rather be sleeping right now than speaking to you.”

He shot you a look, nudging you gently with his elbow. “Shut up, any girl would kill to be in your position right now. Billy Hargrove, in their bedroom, vulnerable.”

You rolled your eyes at the comment, “Yeah well, unfortunately for you I don’t have a weird obsession with you. So if you’re looking to fool around, I suggest you find someone else to do it with.”

“No, no I’m not.” He shook his head, the ice pack still pressed to his face. “But I do need somewhere to stay for tonight. I’ll owe you one.”

You stared at him for a few seconds, weighing the pros and cons of letting the boy stay in your bed for the night. Eventually you shrugged, standing from your spot.

“Fine. But no funny business Hargrove or else you can sleep outside.”

He laughed at that which made you smile, before you gestured to the bed. “Left side’s mine, don’t get drool on my pillow.”

-

Tag List.

@imagines-by-a-typical-fangirl​

@baker151910​

@flower-child2021​

@bi-andready-tocry​

@sheisweeping​

@seesawmoon​

@theregoestheretardis​

[secrets-of-the-library]

This is a fan-created personal home of Antonio Carriedo, the Hetalia personified nation of Spain. I did look up a few reference pictures but I mostly just took a few ideas I liked from them (A courtyard, a tower, certain design features, etc etc) but it is mostly ‘winged’ and ‘as I felt like it’. I’m not Spanish and I wasn’t aiming to do a 100% authentic or accurate build here. Just for fun. I like to imagine that he loves this huge mansion that he has built up over the years and there is TONS of plants and things to do to entertain not only himself but also guests, friends, and family. Like Arthur, he has his own personal office too. I can imagine Arthur complaining about his home being too big and spacious though lol.

Remember: This is fan/headcanon created. I build for fun and am not a professional. I do not build with the intention of having it livable/non-clashing. If something clashes it will be up to you to fix it because I build for the pure aesthetic and not functionality. I own a lot of packs so if you don’t own all the ones used in this there might be issues.

After the cut here I will provide a visual walk-through via screen captures. You’re more than welcome to download it and look at it for yourself. My username on Sims4 is Shinoshallbugyou.

This project in particular was HUGE, again, I like to do huge projects and mansions. Because of its size the ‘cut’ will be huge as well, keep that in mind. I’ll do my best to walk you guys through it but if you have the game and packs the easiest way would be to just download it yourself.

I chose Oasis Springs because of its desert surroundings. The only lot bigger than this one is park lots. I was tempted to do a ‘central courtyard’ and a house essentially wrapped around it but I chose this one instead. I like to pretend that his property actually extends down several paths on the cliff and to some stables, horses, and etc down below. I like to think the road leading to his house is more long and windy but the lot simply isn’t big enough for it so I compromised. I’ll be showing an occasional night-time photo of the building here and there but for the most part I’ll stay in ‘Afternoon’ because it’s the brightest to see in.

The overall look...

Now the overhead breakdown of each floor, overall...

Now for some shots around the outside in certain spots. I really liked the idea of a courtyard and I wanted to do that. I’m always a fan of driveways that go down to another level of the house. Please note, I am aware that the driveway would be too steep realistically but this lot is NOT big enough so I made do. While cars are not a thing in the Sims 4 (They were in 3) I still like to pretend and put them in there anyways even if the objects do not work. I wanted to try my hand at a lot more balconies and playing around with the outside of a house more as well as trying things I normally wouldn’t do like leaving a section on the roof uncovered or throwing in more gazebos (Or whatever). I especially liked the below photo of a wall that kind of comes out in increments? It looked neat!

The front door. We’ll explore the 1st floor now. I wanted a ‘rug’ that would descend down with the leveled steps/platform here. There wasn’t one like that so I created one. I often play around with things and use them in ways they wouldn’t have been normally used in the game: Such as upsizing that tiny toy horse into a ‘statue’ of a horse.

Next up: The Living room. I can imagine that he shoved in some things to entertain people with like Foosball and more. This area has a balcony too and a lot of areas on this floor open up directly outside to have airflow. Each area kind of has its own ‘major color’ to it. This area is more ‘orange’.

Downstairs here is where I decided to put a bar, storage for drinks (He’s a mass producer of wine, after all, and he likes to drink on top of it) as well as the garage for where the cars would go, etc. I usually improvise and take other objects to look like other objects. ‘Wine caskets’ don’t exist- Those are some weird metal object in the game that is a wall decoration.

Next up is the bottom of the tower connected to the living room. The tower is the tallest building on the map with it being four stories high. The bottom is connected to the living room and it contains a small changing/towel area (This could double up for the pool/hot tub) but mainly for the sauna I have installed in there (Because why not?). I also plugged in a bathroom with the remaining room there. Because it is such a small space it is hard to see.

The next room we’re going to is the opposing wing on the 1st floor, on the opposite side of the main entry room. There is a staircase that goes upstairs here but through the archways is a small reading nook. There are multiple ‘flowing corridors’ around this building, both internally and externally, that are very open for air and breezes.Often these will have a lot of seating and decor mainly on the way to other rooms. I went for more white/grey here.

Next up is the first guest bedroom. It is sandwiched between two of these flowing ‘corridors’ and it has its own personal bathroom. These spaces are big enough for people to stay in plus an additional seating area.

The next is that corridor on the other side that leads out onto an outside corridor as well as the courtyard. I tried often to get different decorations and objects going on in some of these rooms that would differ them from the other ones so it wouldn’t all just blend together into nothingness.

Next up is the courtyard. I had to have some kind of courtyard in here and I really liked how this one turned out with its nooks and crannies. It leads back towards the front door, back to where we came from, or to a wrap-around corridor that is only specifically on this side of the house.

Next up is that wrap-around outside corridor. The first one has a wall separating it from the front of the property. What follows it is what I filled that property with. I thought it would be neat to place what would’ve been an old ruin there that has long since faded away. I thought it would be a treat for the eye. I’ve never been able to use those weird rounded structures from the romantic garden pack before so I wanted to see how they would look here.

Now here is the other half of the wrap-around corridor but what makes this one so different is... Even though it is plain it doesn’t have a wall barricading you and thus you can walk outside with your sim more here. This corridor leads into the solarium.

The Solarium is two stories tall with the 2nd floor being hallowed out in the middle with a pathway surrounding it and a  glass dome on top in a mock greenhouse effect. I wanted to play around with arches and I’ve always loved indoor gardens and such like these so I wanted to include it.

The Solarium branches out towards the ‘backyard’ where there is a pool, hot tub, karaoke, a fire pit, outdoor grilling area, and more. I really wanted to include this ‘gazebo’ effect not only for the look and aesthetic of it but also for potential ‘structural support’ for the 2nd floor balcony up there. Plus it ties in the same effect on the 3rd floor corridor up on top.

I forgot to get a picture of it but if you do an aerial view of the pool (Or perhaps basement level) I did add turtle decorations to the bottom of it. Tortugaaaa.

Here I’m going to show off the tower a bit. Please note: You can’t make rounded walls in the Sims 4. This is my closest attempt to being able to do that. I knew I wanted a tower and I’m happy with how it turned out. As I started it though it was trouble because I simply didn’t know what to do at first. I had no idea how to fill it and at first I was trying to put the staircase INSIDE rather than out. I finally got the idea for a wrap-around staircase which is also difficult given that they only make right angles. Putting them on the outside massively helped save on space inside. That and, actually, I had difficulty in general with stairs on this map. The awkward building spaces made it difficult to place them.

The overall look of the ‘backyard’ with roofs up.

The overall map layout of the 2nd floor with the stairs specifically outlined. I ended up giving up on trying to build another flight of stairs on the 2nd floor leading to the 3rd and settled for putting it, too, outside on the main back balcony. Out of everything on this map that was one of the most frustrating things that I struggled with. I don’t ever do outside stairs so this was interesting for me to try.

Next we’re going up the tower and coming into the pantry. It’s rather nice and big, he can grow stuff in there on hand to eat, a collection of fish, spices, oils, and etc is all in there.

The next up is the kitchen. This one was frustrating too but once it came together it was nice. I went out of my comfort zone here, too. I’ve never made a blue kitchen and while I loved the idea the Sims 4 pallet was NOT working with me. I even tried with yellow cabinets and it just wasn’t working. These cabinets were the best I could do which is rather unfortunate because I wanted older looking cabinets but... It’ll do. I accented it with white and it is very spacious for lots of company! This kitchen has its own balcony and small eating area out there too. While most would argue that the kitchen should go on the bottom floor I actually really liked it here specifically because of the panty, the additional balcony, and the large eating area on the back balcony too. That and the stairs into the main entryway are actually in here and near that front door so it isn’t as far as one would think.

If you look in the below photo, though you can barely see it... On the left countertop against the wall there is actually a ‘tea’ area. We ship spuk/engspa and so I like to think Antonio, while he does drink tea, doesn’t as much. He does have this little cute area for Arthur to make his tea at though. He himself has his own counter under a window where he stores all his coffee stuff. Also, while I’ve never done it before, I really like hiding the stairway with that china cabinet because it just changed the whole atmosphere of the room.

Below is a rather chunky corridor that I chose a ‘black and white’ tile scheme for. It really only serves as a point A to B type of thing. The kitchen is to the right, another corridor to the left, below is a balcony that overhangs the front entryway and the doors at the top of the image lead to a massive back balcony that serves as an outside dining area that I imagine Antonio actually prefers to eat in because of the views and especially when he hosts guests.

Next is the corridor to the left of that chunky middle section. This is a rather odd-shaped corridor that was one of the last things I put together because I couldn’t figure out what I wanted to do with it. I ended up having it being a seating area, a bathroom, a piano area, a small library area, and another seating area. It leads to another guest bedroom as well as the solarium/wrap-around-corridor on that side of the building, to continue the pattern from below. I went with a ‘yellow’ kind of theme here which is completely out of my element. Also, I realize that the lighting on the piano area looks out of place compared to the rest of it but I wanted it that way so that the piano had a spotlight feature.

Alright- The last ‘room’ on this floor. The second guest bedroom. This one doesn’t have its own personal bathroom (Just down the hall) but it does have its own balcony and it is bigger. I actually like this one more, I think.

Alright. This is the last main wrap-around corridor. It opens up and is not separated from the 2nd floor of the solarium. I decided to differentiate this one big time by introducing colored carpets and furniture to give it a fun touch. Also it does have a ‘hookah’ area lmao. The solarium part is  alittle more boring but it does have activities for your sim to do such as painting, woodworking, and more. I figured it was a good spot to put misc hobbies since it is more out of the way of the usual social areas but has a great view and airspace.

Now for the last section of the 2nd floor: The main back balcony. This thing is huge and has a LOT of seating. I really like that big main dining table, the record player, and decorations. There is a stairway here that I put in, cutting through the roof, to get to the 3rd floor because I could‘t figure out how else to do it. I actually picture Antonio preferring to eat out here.

This is that stairwell with the 3rd floor cut off.

And here it is with the 3rd floor activated. It was a pain to get that to work but once I got it it worked just fine. I couldn’t figure out how to really connect the two separate buildings but then realized I could do an open-air corridor with no roof. That was DEFINITELY new for me and interesting to do!

With the roof on.

Next we’ll go to the office. I imagine that because he often shows up late (If even at all) and so he really utilizes this personal office and library a lot. It has its own personal bathroom, small kitchen, small records area, and eve a TV and fireplace near his desk. I often picture him trying to turn his desk around on the rug so that people on camera or on his zoom call won’t see his kitchen but I often see him forgetting to do that and so they just see a big microwave behind him lmao. Also I imagine, while the TV is helpful a lot for news and etc he is often distracted by soap operas, sports, and etc on it. Get to work, Antonio!

So we’re going to go back across that open-air corridor to the other wing and that is Antonio’s personal master bedroom and master bathroom. He has his own personal balcony that is colorful and relaxing.

First we’ll go into the master bathroom. I wanted a nice tub, plenty of space, more yellow accents... And I couldn’t figure out the shower and had to improvise. I actually put up stand-alone showerheads and nozzles into each of those pillars so he could take a really cool shower, if he wanted. I just didn’t want the shower to take away from the overall look of it and that seemed like the best option. Again, improvise, adapt, overcome.

Now for the final room on the 3rd floor: Antonio’s master bedroom. I went with ‘green for this’. It’s really cozy and colorful. I like to pretend that Arthur stitched those designs above his door and he hung them up because he loves them. Antonio also has a large walk-in closet/wardrobe that has been fitted onto the 3rd floor of this tower. I couldn’t get any good brown furniture to work so I shifted it to black in here. He’s a really fashionable guy and loves to care for his looks so it felt natural to make this his closet and area to get ready in.

From Antonio’s wardrobe... You have to use the stairs outside leading upstairs to the last and final room at the top of the tower and the 4th floor. It’s actually an attic/storage area and I often love putting these in the homes I build. I like to make them messy, cluttered, full of memories, and personal things to the person that lives specifically here. I always have a fun time trying to cram them full of stuff.

And with these last few pictures I wanted to show some of the scenery around in the area. It was a massive build and I’m glad I finally finished it at long last! Thanks for checking it out, it was a lot of hard work and time but I love it!

[lunarimagines]

CONDITIONALLY YOURS [1]

Summary: After a minor glitch you are left living with someone you never dreamed of living with. While you swear nothing will happen, a lot can change in the span of a month...

Warnings: language

A/N: This is the new series I have inspiration for right now as classes start up again soon. Does not take place in the current universe... literally no social distancing. Putting Eye on the Target on hold. If you liked Watch Me Babygirl you might like this series ;)

----

Starting college was stressful on its own. Beyond moving to a new school in a new state with new people, moving sucked. Moving was the worst part, in fact, you decided as you hauled up your fifth box from your car to your dorm room. It was digging into your arms and your hands as you hauled it up the four flights of stairs to your room, squishing to the side of the stairwell to allow other students moving in to squeeze by you in a hurry to unpack their own things. You decided that after you finished moving you would never use the stairs ever again. You’d had enough stairs to last you for the rest of your life.

“Woo, I think I’m going to die,” you huffed to your best friend as he followed you into your new room carrying a box filled with your clothes. He snorted as he set the box by your desk and looked around your room. Your side was empty save the boxes of your things while your roommates’ side was completely unpacked - no boxes in sight - and organized.

“The good thing is that I think your roommate has already moved in so maybe she can help you finish unpacking and get organized,” Wooyoung commented as he stared at the made bed across from you stark one. 

You nodded as you looked around the room, taking particular interest in your roommate’s decor. It was nice, you finally decided. It was not only neat and tidy - all of the posters and picture frames were hung up straight with command strips - but the colors were calming. You figured the two of you would get along just fine.

“Hey I think that was the last box by the way,” Wooyoung motioned to the stack of boxes scattered on (objectively) your half of the room. “Want to help me unpack my boxes from my car into my room?”

“I guess it’s only fair,” you joked as you followed him out of your room, closing the door soundly behind you.

“I kind of hate that we live across campus from one another,” Wooyoung remarked. “Like… it almost makes me feel lonely being so far from you.”

You simply smiled at your best friend. The thing about Wooyoung was that he easily made friends. He was positive and boisterous and seemed to just attract people. He would soon find himself surrounded by plenty of friends in his dorm. You… you were hoping to find friends in classes and school clubs where you knew you would at least have something in common with them. It wasn’t like you were sure you and Wooyoung would drift apart, but you were worried that your friendship may be tested in such a new environment. After having become friends your Junior year of high school the two of you had seemed almost inseparable, but now you weren’t so sure you were. 

Pushing all thoughts from your mind, you grabbed the first box from Wooyoung’s car and gritted your teeth as you started your ascent to his third floor dorm room.

Four exhausting hours later, you were laying in your room on your freshly made bed. Nothing other than your sheets and bathroom supplies had been unpacked. You knew you would eventually have to get up to find your pajama box, but that was a problem for future Y/N. Right now you just wanted to close your eyes and rest. Your limbs hurt and muscles you didn’t even know you had were starting to ache. Reaching over to turn off the light above the center of the room, you snuggled into your sheets and dozed. 

You didn’t even hear your roommate come back. Upon seeing your sleeping form, your roommate decided to simply leave the lights off and shower in the ensuite shower in darkness and near silence. They figured it wouldn’t be a good first impression to wake you up… They understood just how tiring moving could be. 

Here’s the thing about suddenly living in such close proximities with strangers though: you get woken up by nearly any sound they make before you know them and their routines. You weren’t fully out of your dazed state until you heard the shower shut off. Your eyes were beginning to adjust to the darkness of the room but you couldn’t imagine it would be easy for your roommate to navigate the mess of boxes coming out of a brightly lit bathroom into sudden darkness. 

Sliding off of your bed, you moved to turn on the light by the dorm door to give your roommate some light.

The click of the bathroom door startled you as you turned around after having flicked the lights on.

“I figured it would be easier for you if I turne-” 

Holy shit. Holy fuck.

A boy around your age was staring back at you in shock, his grey sweatpants hanging loosely off of his hips, no shirt in sight, and his hand frozen towel-drying his hair. And he was not simply a half-naked boy around your age, but a HOT half-naked boy around your age. Your eyes seemed to move on their own as you scanned him, spending more time than necessary staring at his slightly damp abs. 

God, you felt like you were in a stupid drama. This had to be a dream. Or your roommate let her boyfriend into your room while you were asleep to shower in your room because you had a nice shower. Those were the only two options. It wasn’t as if he could have come into the wrong room… the doors locked automatically behind you and only the person with the correct key could get in. It was simple mechanics.

So why was this boy standing there staring back at you with wide eyes? And who was this boy?

“I - uh - you live here - like HERE here, like in this room… with me?” you mumbled intelligently.

“Uh, yeah,” he mumbled back, equally as intelligently. 

You noticed a slight blush rising on his neck the longer the two of you stood there. You moved to the side to let him find a shirt to put on, paying extra attention to the slight curve of his ass in his sweatpants as he bent down to find a shirt in his drawer set. Everything about this boy was attractive, you noted. 

He turned back around, no longer shirtless, and cleared his throat suddenly.

“I, uh, I guess we should probably go downstairs to the desk and see if they can assign us to different rooms,” he reasoned. “I’ll either move or help you move when they reassign us. I’m, yeah, I’m really sorry about this.”

His sudden statement wasn’t entirely surprising to you. The dorms didn’t allow co-ed roommates otherwise you and Wooyoung may have lived together. You simply nodded back, your keys already in your hand to troop down to the ground floor. You would just have to endure the stairs one more time because God forbid you get stuck in an elevator with this boy, too. 

“I’m Y/N by the way,” you said desperately to erase the awkward silence between the two of you. 

“Seonghwa,” the boy replied coolly. 

Fitting name, you thought as you pushed open the door to the ground floor. A cool and sexy name for a cool and sexy guy I guess. 

Despite move-in having finished for the day, the ground floor was in chaos. Students were complaining of beds not having been lifted, of clogged sinks, of lights not turning on, of awful roommates, of missing items. Every time you turned someone was complaining about something else. The line to the front counter snaked across the room. 

“Maybe it’s not just us,” you reasoned as the two of you got in the back of the line. You peered through the crowd but you couldn’t even catch a glimpse of the front of the line now. 

“If we can’t get up to the front before the station closes do you have somebody you can stay with tonight?” Seonghwa questioned. “I have a few friends I might be able to crash with if you don’t.”

“I don’t have any friends besides Wooyoung, and I don’t think his roommate would be too cool with me crashing there.”

In reality you had no idea if Wooyoung or his roommate would be okay with it or not. You didn’t want to move your stuff, you didn’t want to deal with any paperwork, you didn’t want to do anything. It had been an exhausting day and all you wanted to do was go back to sleep. 

“We can only take a few high priority cases before we have to close for the night. IF the issue DIRECTLY concerns your safety, please come forward. Otherwise, we apologize for any inconveniences. Thank you.”

A collective groan went up from the crowd. The surge of people to go back to their rooms pushed you and Seonghwa back against a wall. He simply sighed as he watched the organized chaos, his eyes scanning the crowd in annoyance. His jaw was tight and his eyebrows were slightly furrowed. 

“Here,” he held out his hand, “I don’t want to get separated in this crowd. I think we should go back upstairs and figure out what we’re going to do next.”

You hummed in agreement as you grabbed his hand. It was warm and surprisingly soft, and you squeezed it tightly as Seonghwa wove his way up to the stairs and to your fourth floor room. The stairwell was hell and you rammed your hip into the railing multiple times as Seonghwa led you through the crowd. The girls seemed to move out of his way without even thinking about it, pausing and stepping back enough when admiring him to let you through the gaps. You had to admit, Seonghwa did look very handsome even with his disheveled, damp hair and casual clothes. Still, there were so many people on the stairs it was impossible you wouldn’t get bumped at all. 

Arriving at your floor, you felt the rush of cool air as you stepped into the hallway. Seonghwa didn’t let go of your hand as he led you to your shared room despite the hallway being entirely empty. You chuckled at the action and squeezed his hand tightly before releasing it. You didn’t need protection anymore and your hand was starting to get clammy. The last thing you needed was to sweat on your hot roommate.

Seonghwa seemed shocked. His eyes went wide as he stopped and stared down at his hand before shoving it in the pocket of his sweatpants. 

“Sorry. I didn’t even realize,” he commented as he unlocked your door and went inside. He settled on his bed and stared blankly across the room. You followed suit to sit cross legged on your bed, staring at him expectantly.

“I guess I’ll pack a bag and go stay with my friend-”

“Just stay,” you interrupted. As the two of you had stood in line together you’d been thinking… “It’s not fair to either of us. Why should either of us move? Besides, this room is prime with a bathroom in it and it’s on the corner. Based on the amount of people downstairs and during move-in, I seriously doubt there’s any open rooms, especially in this dorm. This is the most popular dorm on campus. You’re going to give it up because someone else made a mistake?”

Seonghwa looked skeptical but he didn’t interrupt. He only nodded pensively as he stared at you, his eyes narrowed and sucking on his cheek. You had some good points. Still…

“Won’t it be uncomfortable?”

“Why? Because we’re the opposite gender means we have to have a romantic or sexual relationship? Just don’t walk around naked and we’ll be fine,” you dismissed. “It won’t be weird if we don’t make it weird.”

Seonghwa still didn’t seem convinced. 

“Look. Let’s give it a trial period, say a month. If it’s weird, we’ll tell someone and get reassigned. Win-win.”

It was silent in your room as Seonghwa pondered your offer. In some ways, it made a lot of sense. Why give up your spot, not get refunded on your rent, and have to go the process of moving again in the same week just because of a computer glitch? No, better to stay put. Even if Seonghwa moved out you would still feel obligated to help him… which would mean you were also moving in a way. Not worth it. Also, while you found him attractive it stopped there. You didn’t know him. He was interesting physically only. It wasn’t like you wanted to become intimate with him. Besides, it didn’t seem like he liked you too much anyways.

“Fine.”

You blinked in surprise. “Yeah?”

“Yeah fine,” he sighed, “on one condition. We don’t tell anyone. Not even our friends. I don’t want to make it weird for them either. I don’t want to answer their questions. I just… don’t. Deal?”

You smirked at him, your eyes lighting up. Winking quickly, you got up to grab your shower things and a box marked “pajamas and towels.” Walking toward the shower, you dropped your stuff inside before turning and sticking your head out into the room.

“Deal.”

With the resounding clack of the bathroom door shutting and soft click of the lock it was decided: you and Seonghwa were officially roommates. At least for the month.

[littledrummeraussie]

Ashton has a bad day.

all the things we dream about series | series masterlist / masterlist.

Word count: 3200+ Warnings: poly!Cashton (this part focusing on Ashton). bit of a jealous!Ashton. blowjobs. shower sex. comfort & fluff. Author’s note: Kinda forgot I had this one at the ready. Thank @mymindwide for this one as she is definitely the brain behind this scene. ❤️  A bit of pick-me-up sex for Ashton after he has a sucky day. Also, we love Cashton cuddles.

Feedback is always appreciated! ❤️

Ashton had the worst Friday of his life, and no, he wasn’t exaggerating. It should have been like any other Friday; hell, it should have been like any other day of the week. But no, this Friday needed to suck, making him feel like it will never end. First his car didn’t start and he needed to borrow Calum’s, and the car service could only give him a date for God knows when to fix his. Then he found out that his new cymbals will be late (again), that he forgot to buy half the things on their grocery list and needed to go back for another round, and if that wasn’t enough, he spilt his coffee all over his jeans – at least they were black, thanks God.

His day was full of frustrating little problems, making it impossible to focus on the good stuff, and even his head started hurting, and really, he needed to get home as soon as possible, lock himself inside with his lovers and their dog, cuddle up on the couch in their embrace, and rant about his horrible day, and get a few comforting kisses from them to soothe his troubled mind. This was the only thing on his mind as he parked Calum’s car in the garage, picking up the bags full of food to make his way inside. Duke was napping on the couch, only opening his eyes when Ash closed the door, and even then he did not give him much attention.

”Hey, I’m home,” he called out, but no answer came.

This was strange – Calum and Y/N always sent him a quick text or called him if both of them needed to leave the house on short notice, or at least one of them would acknowledge him if they were busy with work. As he put down the groceries on the counter he caught sight of a half-prepared meal still waiting to be finished, and he felt the knot in his stomach twist unpleasantly. Surely they weren’t… The only thing he wanted was to have a little down time with his girlfriend, and he didn’t even mind if Calum joined as well, as long as they helped him work his frustration out. But he already had a feeling what happened while he was away running errands.

He slowly made his way upstairs, already preparing himself for the sight that will wait for him. And surely, as soon as he peeked inside the bedroom he found a naked Calum curled up against their girl, his head resting in her lap as he peacefully slept, a torn condom wrapper on his bedside table. Y/N was sitting up against the pillows, her body wrapped in Calum’s t-shirt (the one he wore when Ashton left in the morning), fingers running through the other man’s blond hair, typing something on her phone. The scene was nothing new, he walked in on them more times than he could count, but today it just left a bad taste in his mouth.

Ash was hoping for a quick fuck and then some cuddles after his sucky day – hell, even a blowjob could have been enough, just to feel like someone cared about him enough to try and make him feel better. But Calum couldn’t keep it in his pants just this once, fucking their girl while he was out, while they should have been making dinner, and now surely everyone was tired and done. The difference was that they’ve got their satisfaction from each other, and he was left with his frustration and probably his own hand.

”I’m– I’m home,” he quietly called into the room, not even looking at the other two as he turned around and made his way downstairs.

A shower would probably do wonders for his bad mood, Ashton thought, as he bypassed the discarded clothes all over the floor. They couldn’t even wait until they’ve got to the bedroom. He felt ill as jealousy crawled all over him, making his skin itch, his stomach sick, his mind clouded. He threw his jacket on the couch, kicking off his shoes, already pulling off his shirt and jeans as he ran into the bathroom, wanting to wash off the day and all his feelings, make them disappear down the drain. He wanted to use their en-suite with his favourite body wash and the girl’s perfume that always made the air smell sweet and the fluffy towels Calum stole from their hotel room in London. But they looked peaceful, cuddled up in bed after their time together, and he just couldn’t take those few steps into their bathroom, not without raising questions.

He pushed his forehead against the cold tiles, the hot water washing over his back as he breathed through his nose, trying to calm his hammering heart. The sick feeling and the knot in his stomach started to ease, his pounding headache slowly disappearing. It was only then that he realized that two arms were wrapped around his middle as soft lips pressed kisses against the side of his neck and over his condor tattoo, making him slightly shiver. He rested his hands over the other’s, letting them lace their fingers together on his stomach and squeezing them. Ash took a deep breath, exhaling all the tension he felt in his body. He was safe. He was loved. He wasn’t alone.

”Bad day?” a light voice asked, kissing against his shoulder blade, and he just nodded.

”Worst in a while…”

 * * * * *

 Calum was horny, and there was no way you could say no to him as he pushed his hips against your ass, trying to sweet talk you into abandoning the dinner preparation and instead have a quickie before finishing your cooking and setting the table for three, waiting for Ashton to come back home. You made him work for it as he cupped your breasts and tried to distract you from the veggies sitting on the counter, but then you needed to give up and let him have his way with you. You were already half-naked as you arrived at the bottom of the stairs where he picked you up, not letting you go until you were under him on the bed, his lips and tongue working you towards your first orgasm.

He was frantic and ravenous; his pace quick as he chased both of you towards your release, his weight pushing you into the mattress as you both finally came, enjoying how you slowly came down from your highs. After that he turned all cuddly and sweet, giggling as he pulled you to his side for kisses, picking up his shirt from the floor and pulling it on you, making a comment about how maybe Ash would love to fuck you in it as well. Cal pushed his face against your thigh, peppering soft kisses on your skin as he snuggled closer, slowly falling asleep in your lap. You ran your fingers through his hair, picking up your phone to check if Ashton was on his way home when you heard a small, quiet voice from the doorway.

”I’m– I’m home.”

Before you could register what was happening, Ashton was already gone, boots thumping down the stairs. Something must have been up with him – he always made sure to greet the both of you with a kiss whenever he left the house or arrived back home. It was something all of you did, you never missed hello-goodbye kisses as he liked to call them. You leaned down, pressing a kiss against Calum’s temple, and he hummed a little.

”Cal, baby, I need you to lift your head up.”

”But I’m comfy,” he mumbled in his sleep, pushing closer to you.

”I know, love, but Ash just came home,” you lightly scratched your nails against his scalp.

Calum turned onto his other side, snuggling against his pillow, and you pulled the blankets over his back before getting out of bed. You could already hear the shower going downstairs, so you picked up a pair of sweatpants for Ashton from his closet, knowing he will need them when he was done. As you made your way downstairs you started picking up the clothes you have left all over the place, intending to sort them later and throw them in the hamper – and then it hit you.

Maybe this was part of the reason why Ashton acted like this. He wasn’t a jealous person – well, not with Calum anyway. But a relationship between three people sometimes meant that one of you gets left out. And even though it wasn’t something that particularly mattered to Ash, sometimes you just needed an extra amount of love and comfort after a long day, and he must have felt like he did not deserve it. No wonder he stormed out of the room without any other explanation.

With his pants still in your hand you went to the bathroom, pushing in the door, and found Ashton leaning against the wall, hot water running all over him, fogging up the glass. You put down his clothes on the counter, pulling off Calum’s shirt as well to put it next to it, and then stepped inside. You slowly wrapped your arms around his body, pressing your lips to his neck, making your way to his tattoo to kiss that as well, and you could feel him relax against you. He pulled his hands back to lace your fingers together, and you squeezed them, letting him know you were there with him.

”Bad day?” you asked, lips against his back, pressing a kiss on his skin.

”Worst in a while,” he sighed, shoulders sagging.

”Hmm,” you hummed a little, pushing up on your tiptoes to whisper in his ear. ”I think we can help with that.”

Before Ashton could say anything you already slipped in front of him, kissing the skin of his throat, nuzzling over his collarbones, fingers lightly teasing over his sides. You could see a small spark flash in his eyes as you brushed against his nipples, giving quick licks to them as he swallowed down a moan. Your lips slowly slid over his chest, his stomach, kissing just under his navel where you knew he was sensitive, and the next time he opened his eyes you were already down on your knees. You softly scratched your nails over his legs, teasing them over the inside of his thighs, then wrapped your fingers around his hardening cock.

”You don’t have to do this,” Ash ran his fingers through your hair, voice soft, but you could hear that raw, raspy undertone that meant he was extremely turned on.

”Not even if I… want to?” you blinked up at him, slowly licking the tip.

”Fuck, Y/N,” he grabbed onto your hair a bit more, trying to keep his hips still.

”Or I could stop, if that’s what you want,” licking over his tip again you let his cock rest against your bottom lip.

”No, no, fuck no. Don’t stop,” Ashton whimpered as you pulled back, and you chuckled as he tried to push you back to take his cock in your mouth.

”Didn’t plan on it.”

Ash finally let out the moan he’s been holding back as you let his length slide into your mouth, lightly sucking on it. You could feel his tension easing as he slowly started moving his hips, his hands gently guiding your head as you teased him with your tongue, wrapping your lips around the head whenever he was close to pull out. He turned into a babbling mess as you licked and sucked him, tasting his pre-cum on your tongue as his body shivered. Then you felt his fingers lightly push you back until you were looking up at him, your hand taking over your mouth as you stroked him up and down. Ash swallowed around his words, his voice hoarse as he brushed his thumb over your bottom lip.

”Can I fuck you?”

It was rare for them to ask this from you – you’ve been together for so long that they knew just from the flash of your eyes or the pull of your lips if you were ready for some sweet loving, or if you wanted to have some quiet time instead. But this was different. Ashton knew that Calum had you not even 30 minutes ago, and that it might be too much for you. You smiled at him as you stood up, brushing your lips against his in a kiss.

”Take me as you wish.”

Ashton pressed his lips back against yours in another kiss, then grabbed your hips to turn you around, pushing you up against the wall. His lips were on your neck as his hand slid between your legs, teasing his fingers over your pussy lips. You moaned as he slipped two fingers inside, and growled in your ear as he felt how wet you were.

”I feel Cal stretched you out,” he bit your ear as he slowly fingered you, his thumb rubbing against your clit. ”Is this wetness all for him?”

”No, Ash,” you whined as he slipped his cock between your thighs, nudging the tip against your entrance. ”It’s for you… it’s all for you.”

”It better be,” he kissed into your ear as he pushed inside, both of you moaning as he bottomed out.

Ash wrapped his arms around you as he started fucking you, his cock dragging against the sensitive spot inside you, making your thighs shake. You both knew it will be quick and won’t last too long – he was already worked up, and you were still a little sore from Calum. But he needed this, he needed to feel like he was loved and cared for, that his needs were important for all of you, that you all took his bad moods seriously.

Ashton’s body started trembling, his pace getting quicker, his moans getting higher and more breathy. His fingers against your clit pushed you through the edge and you came with his name on your lips. He pushed his face against your neck, his words slurred as he tried to hold back his own pleasure.

”It’s okay, do it. Cum, baby. Cum for me,” you squeezed around his cock one last time as he slipped out, his hand quickly working until a groan left his mouth and you felt his hot cum slide down your ass.

You let the water run all over you for a few more minutes, slowly calming down after your shared orgasm. Ashton’s face was still pushed into your neck, his breath hot on your skin as he panted. You turned your head to press a kiss against his temple, and he hummed a little.

”Come on, I think we’re clean enough now,” you smiled, and he just chuckled, hand slipping over your ass.

”You sure about that?” he kissed into your neck, then reached for the tap to switch it off.

”Glad to see you smiling.”

Ashton blushed and quickly reached for the towels to wrap them around your bodies. You both dried yourselves and you pushed the sweatpants into his hands while you pulled on Calum’s shirt. Ash was still a little quiet, so you made him sit down on the edge of the tub, and you stood between his legs, reaching for the hair dryer.

”Can I?” you smiled at him, running your fingers through his wet hair, and he just nodded.

You gave him a few minutes to gather his thoughts while you brushed your fingers through his dark locks, drying them. When you were done with him you quickly turned the dryer on your own hair, and Ash wrapped his arms around your waist, pushing his face against your stomach.

”You smell like Calum and you,” he mumbled when you switched the hair dryer off. ”You smell like home.”

”We are home, Ash. We always are,” you stroked his hair as you sat down on his thigh, pressing your lips against his temple. ”Even when you have a bad day, you can always find peace with us.”

”I know, love, I’m sorry,” he nudged his nose to yours, kissing your cheek. ”Didn’t mean to act like this. I just… got lost in my head.”

”This definitely calls for some cuddles then, huh?” you rubbed your fingers over his neck tattoo, and he just nodded. ”I think someone might be waiting for us upstairs.”

You left the bathroom together, making your way up with Duke following you until you’ve arrived back to the bedroom. Calum was up on his elbow as he scribbled something in his notebook, but looked up when he saw the two of you step inside. Ashton put the dog up on the bed, and Duke cuddled up to Cal’s feet, already going back to sleep.

”Thanks for going downstairs to shower,” he gave you a smirk as he wiggled his eyebrows. ”At least your filth did not wake up your oh so sleepy boyfriend.”

”God, Calum, shut up,” you felt yourself blush at his comment, but started laughing at the same time.

Calum flashed you a smile, and you saw Ashton smiling softly as well as he sat down on the bed. Cal closed his notebook and put it back in the drawer, then opened his arms towards your boyfriend.

”Come here, you. You look like you need some hugs.”

Without a word Ashton crawled into Calum’s embrace, pushing his lips against his cheek in a quick kiss, cuddling up to his chest. Cal wrapped his arms around him, lightly squeezing his shoulder and running his fingers through his hair. You watched them have their moment from your spot at the end of the bed, grateful for the love you shared between the three of you. Ash looked up at you, then slowly turned around in Calum’s arms who rested his hand on his stomach now, and then reached for you. You climbed closer, pulling the blankets over your bodies as you pulled Ashton into your arms, letting him rest his face against your breasts. He let out a sigh as he felt you cuddling him from two sides, and melted against your bodies.

”I’m sorry for– I’m sorry,” he breathed, burrowing closer. ”I didn’t mean to… I just… it was such a bad day, and you did not deserve me lashing out at you like that. I love you so much, you know that, right? No matter what my day brings, I– I hope you know my bad mood is never meant for you. You are my home, and I need you, I need the two of you so much.”

”It’s okay, Ash,” Cal whispered against his hair, pressing small kisses on the back of his neck. ”We love you, grumpy and all.”

”And we’re always here. Bad days, good days. Need pick-me-up-sex days,” you kissed his forehead and you felt Ashton blush, his fingers grabbing onto your shirt.

”It was a really good pick-me-up-sex, thank you.”

”You’re welcome,” Calum snorted behind him, making Ashton laugh out, pulling Cal’s arm a bit more tightly around himself.

”God, I wouldn’t have you any other way,” Ash smiled, closing his eyes. ”I’m so lucky to have you.”

”Yeah,” you wrapped him in your embrace again, giving a smile to Cal over his head, and Calum smiled back at you as well. ”We’re lucky to have you too, Ash.”

[writing-gifts]

we ain’t in kansas anymore ch.02 (bruno x gn!reader)

chapter 01

-----

A/N: okay im trying to do gn!reader but a lot of italian is gendered so when i'm trying to use cute little names or have someone refer to reader it causes issues. So I could use * or @ for the ‘a’ or ’o’ at the end of these terms for writing but that doesn’t work for dialogue, so i'm just gonna use ‘u’ for ex: instead of cara or caro ill say caru

anyways bruno isnt in this chapter but you get to do ur laundry heh 

Italian dialogue is “italicized like this”

---

The whirring sound of the payphone buzzes in your ear as you wait for someone to pick up. You close your eyes as the seemingly perpetual sound fills your head, hoping for the result you want.

Please please please...

A click.

"Hello?"

"H-Hello, is this ___ ___? Or do you know someone by that name?"

"Sorry, I think you have the wrong number."

"Oh, okay. Thanks," you reply, furrowing your brows and biting your lip. You hang the phone back on the receiver.

What now?

Someone knocks on the door behind you.

You lift your head from the glass you had rested it on and see a man looking at you impatiently from outside the phone booth.

You open the door to get out. "Sorry about that. I accidentally zoned out..."

What?

“Uh nevermind." Grimacing, you quickly walk away towards Fugo who’s waiting for you.

The moment you're close enough you realize that Fugo is giving you a disapproving look. “Please don’t talk to random people.”.

You can't help frowning at his tone. It wasn’t that harsh but you're tired. “I know, it's just habit but I'll try to stop...

He sighs. "No, I shouldn't have said it like that. Just try to avoid it okay."  

Even though you were a bit caught off guard by how quickly he backtracked, you nod and follow him as he walks ahead of you.

"I'm taking you to a hotel nearby that you'll be staying at until further notice."

At least that was one less thing to worry about.

After some silence Fugo speaks up again.

“...Did you find out what you wanted?”

“I found out something but it wasn't what I hoped. That guy’s powers--”

“Stand ability,” Fugo corrects.

“Yea that...I’m 100% sure he could pull people from different realities or universes or something along those lines.”

"So you getting home has become much more unlikely."

You rub at your temples. "There has to be a way though…"

Fugo doesn’t look convinced but doesn’t say anything more.

After hailing a taxi, you and Fugo finally reach the hotel. It was a small business that looked like it had been there for many years.

“Who’s paying for this?” you ask.

“Buccellati has already taken care of it.”

You felt a bit strange about that, but it was nice that he was doing all of this instead of leaving you confused in the streets.

For being in the mafia these guys aren’t too scary, especially Narancia. At the same time, you haven’t even known them for a full day however you choose to ignore the small knot anxiety within you.

Maybe Buccellati just felt he was responsible for you...

As soon as you and Fugo enter, you are immediately greeted by a pretty, older woman standing behind a counter.

Fugo and the lady converse in Italian while you look over to the side waiting. You hoped you showing up suddenly like this wasn’t too much trouble.

“___--” your attention snaps back to them, “this is Signora Rizzo”

“Stella Rizzo”, she interjects. “You can just call me Stella caru mio.”

Fugo deadpans but continues, “She’ll show you to your room. If you need anything just come to her.”

You nod. “Um, are you coming back again or…?”

“Most likely, but I don’t know when.”

Fugo moves to leave and you tell him bye which he awkwardly returns.

Stella gives you a warm smile and you feel yourself relax and return your own smile, although not as full.

“Let me take you to your room, you must be tired.”

Mrs. Stella leads you up the stairs to the 2nd floor of the hotel. The hallway’s a bit narrow and there's only 4 doors from what you can see. You wondered if there was anyone else staying here right now.

She stops in front of the door 2nd closest to the stairway. “Okay here's the room you'll be staying in--it’s the best one.” She winks at you before pulling out a key from her skirt pocket and unlocking the door for you.

“Here’s the key.” Her polished nails touch your palm as she places the key in your hand. “I think you're going to be holding on to it for a while so make sure to keep it safe kay?”

"Okay." You look at the key in your hand and slip it into your pocket for now. You needed to find a keyring or bag for yourself later.

“I'll be right back caru. You can get yourself comfortable.”

She leaves you in the room alone. It was simply furnished, with a bed, a desk, a dresser, and a small old tv. There's a door to the side which you go to open and see is a small restroom.

You walk in and look at yourself in the mirror. Your eyes immediately go to your neck. It’s stained with dried blood, but there wasn’t any type of cut. Other than it feeling pretty strange, there was nothing.

Was this another stand thing?

You sigh to yourself. Your shirt was also stained, but the workers at the restaurant hadn’t even shown a hint of anything being out of the norm. You honestly wish you could do the same.

You wanted to shower first but had no new clothes. Maybe you could hand wash and let them dry overnight?

You're about to turn on the faucet to the sink when you hear a knock on the hotel room door. Expecting it to be Mrs. Stella, you leave the bathroom to let her in. She holds out some folded cloth and a basket filled with various items to you .

“I brought you some clothes caru. I thought you would want something to change into for bed--I'm sorry that they aren't very appealing looking-- and I also brought you a toothbrush, soap, towel, and some other stuff I can’t remember grabbing too.”

The appearance wasn’t an issue, you were just glad you wouldn’t have to sleep naked tonight. You laugh a little,“Thanks. By the way, do you have a place where I can wash my clothes?”

“You have to hand wash them. I can get you a tub and detergent.”

“Oh guess you had the right idea. It wasn't a lot so you could just use the sink like you originally planned.”

“Detergent is enough, thanks! Actually I'll come with you.”

“Sure and if you need anything else don't be afraid to come down to the front desk and ask. My children sometimes take up the front but they should still be able to help you.”

Were her kids anything like her?

After you're given the detergent, you head back to your room.

You empty your pockets and change out of your clothes to take a quick shower. After you're done and dried off, you put on the spare clothes you were given--a plain t-shirt and some comfortable athletic shorts.

You loosen the drawstring until you're comfortable, then grab your dirty clothes that you tossed on the bathroom floor. When the sink’s filled halfway, you pour detergent into the (too hot) water. Even after all the scrubbing, the stains were still slightly visible but not enough to notice unless someone was close.

You wring out the excess water and let the sink drain so you can rinse out your clothes. You then take them out to the small balcony attached to your room and hang your clothes on the railing.

The streetlights light up parts of the empty street and sidewalks, while the alleyways seem to only embrace the darkness making it impossible to see or tell the things that could be possibly happening within.

You frown, suddenly feeling even more exhausted and go back inside. The moment you get comfortable in bed, you’re asleep within a minute.

----

You stir from your sleep feeling as if someone has turned on the lights. Your eyes open just slightly enough and you immediately pull the covers over your head when you realise that the light from the window is shining directly on your face.

Did you have work today? You reach out to grab your phone where you usually left it on your night stand but your hands grab at air. You grumble. What time was it?

A minute passes before you poke your head out from under your covers and stare at the glass door of the balcony across the room. You stare wondering when you got a balcony. Your eyes widen and you sit up and look at your surroundings.

So that wasn’t a dream.

You frown remembering your situation, and rub the sleep from your eyes.

You honestly just want to go back to bed but you’re too awake now, so you force yourself to move towards the restroom and go through your usual morning routine. When you finish brushing your teeth, you walk on to the balcony, watching the people going about their day as you gather your clothes.

You snap out of it when you realize that a random person has noticed you staring and go back in to change with sluggish movements. You try to get your appearance in order the best you can with the items that were given to you yesterday..

While you’re in the middle of cleaning your face, Mrs. Stella shows up at your door, giving you a quite chiper good morning and asks if you want to join her for breakfast. Even though the thought was kind, you felt a little nervous going out of your room for too long, so you ask if you can eat in there instead.

“I hope I’m not taking up too much of your time.”

“It’s fine caru mio. I’m serious when I say don’t be afraid to ask for anything.”

Mrs. Stella comes back with eggs, bread with jam, fruit and a caffè latte--you mimic her words--to drink.

Seeing all that food made you realize how hungry you were. You thank her before you take it into your room to eat.

It was delicious and you honestly wanted seconds but you weren’t comfortable asking.

After you’re done, you realize that you need to take the plate downstairs but you don’t want to bring it back down dirty. Cleaning it in the restroom sink wasn’t probably the best idea either.

Other than that you don't really know what to do now. Were you going to spend the whole day here?

You rub at your neck without thinking. Something was definitely wrong with it--you could barely turn your head without discomfort.

A knock sounds on the door and you get up to open it expecting to see Mrs. Stella again.

"Fugo?"

The teen stands in front of you, wearing the same green, holey suit from yesterday. (Did he have multiple of the same outfit?)

“I came to pick you up.”

“That was quick. Uh where are we going?”

“You’ll know when we get there. We’re kinda on a tight schedule; we only have a small time window for this.”

It must not be safe to say here but you can't help thinking it was bothersome not knowing what was happening.

You run inside quickly to grab your phone and key. You see the plate on your dresser and also grab it.

”What's that in your hand,” Fugo asks as you walk down the stairs.

“...My dirty plate?”

He looks at you as if you said something stupid. “No I mean in your other hand.”

“Oh,” okay that was a little dumb, “That’s my phone.”

“So that’s what phones will evolve to...”

You hum showing him your phone more clearly, “Touch screens are pretty much the norm in like 2 decades. I can’t imagine going back to anything before it at this point!” There could be a prototype or something existing right now for all you know.

You wave goodbye to Mrs. Stella after giving her your dish which you can’t help apologizing for. She waves it off of course, but next time maybe you’d eat with her so you could wash your own dish.

You’re then led outside of the building to a car parked at the other side of the street.

You see Narancia’s head poking out of the window on the passenger side.

He perks up when he sees you. "Good morning ____!"

“Good morning”, you say back you can't help grinning. His smile was kind of contagious.

You get into the back of the car and lean towards Narancia’s seat to catch his attention. “Hey, you know where we’re going? Oh wait--nevermind.” You shake your hand next to your head as if you’re fanning your words away.

Leaning back, you pull the seat belt across your body. You wish you knew more than a few basic Italian phrases.

Narancia looks a little confused but understands that he doesn’t need to worry about it.

You play with your phone and Narancia listens to the radio as Fugo drives you all to wherever you are going.

As you slide the screen back and forth looking at the no signal symbol--your phone only had 50% charge left--you land on the page with your translation app.

...Would it still work?

You open it, pick the Italian option and type something into it.

When you press the speaker symbol, you and Narancia slightly jump when the sound of a robotic voice sounds in the car. Woops, you didn’t realize the volume was that loud.

“Uh, what was that?” Narancia asks.

“Ayy, really works!” the app said.

“What are you doing?” Fugo asks, furrowing his brows from the weird sentence but trying to keep most of his focus on the road.

“I have a translator app on my phone. It might come in handy? Probably only for simple statements though.” Typing ‘ayy’ probably wasn’t helping though.

You wonder when stuff like this actually came out. You didn’t have strong knowledge on when certain technology showed up (or became obsolete). These things just came and went into your life without you giving it much thought.

Narancia forces Fugo to explain and then he turns towards you, he eyes your phone with a very curious look on his face.

“I don't completely get it but sounds cool!”

You couldn't see Fugo’s face but he was curious as well.

[siriuslystargazing]

Chapter 2 ~ Domestic bliss

<< Chapter 1 - Masterlist - Chapter 3 >>

“It's okay, I'm here, you're safe with me,” Remus held onto Sirius as he continued to shake and sob into his shoulder. It was a good ten minutes before Sirius composed himself, he pulled away from remus looking into his worryful eyes

“There was a woman she-”

“You don't need to tell me, come, let's get you cleaned up. I'll make a start on some breakfast” Remus offered a smile, Sirius let out a shaky sigh before getting up and heading to one of the bathrooms. Sirius led the way as Remus followed making sure he got there okay, the bathroom wasn't as bad as the men expected, sure there were a few spider webs floating around and dead bluebottles on the windowsill but it was useable.

“You wouldn't have brought any towles and clean clothes would you moons?”

“Don't worry my case is downstairs I'll go grab them, and i apologise in advance I burned a lot of your stuff after… well yeah”

Sirius cracked a smile as he sat on the toilet seat he didn't dare lift the lid in fear of what he would find, remus brushed past him towards the shower/bath combo he looked into the tub grimacing at the orange rust stains along the porcelain.

“I dont know whats dirtier, you or the bathtub” Remus turned the hot tap a few times wondering where the water was, the house let out a handful of groans and brown water erupted from the shower head drenching remus in the foul liquid, Remus yelped gagging at the smell while sirius howled with uncontainable laughter.

“It's not funny Sirius” Remus whined flicking the water at him, “Ugh it smells worse than that time you swam in the lake as padfoot, i think something has died in the water tank or something”

“Remus the house doesn't have a water tank, besides it runs clear after 2 minuets it always has, it's probably the pipes they were always like this, just be glad it wasn't the black sludge again…” Sirius sighed nonchalantly as he began peeling off his Azkaban uniform stepping into the tub. Remus was going to ask but thought it best to head downstairs for his case,

“ right.. Well I'll go grab my bags. I have some shampoo and conditioner you can use..” Remus said quietly his voice but a whisper, Remus left the bathroom closing the door behind him. He left sirius to clean himself up and headed downstairs for his bags, he passed the doorway where he saw the figure stopping to look at the brass nameplate on the door ‘R.A.B’, Remus pushed the open door wider peering into the room

“Master Regulus is sleeping” kreacher sneered behind Remus who jumped back in fear

“Kreacher, Regulus is dead” Remus looked at the house elf who ignored him in reply closing the door with a click of his fingers and returning to his chores.

Remus shuddered again he sensed he was being watched by someone but could tell who, he didn't particularly want to walk pass walburger again so he drew his wand waving it “Accio bags” with the spell muttered his suitcases shot up the staircase landing in front of him, he picked them up and walked back to sirius room. Remus pushed the door open with his back to the room. At that moment it felt as though someone was watching him, he looked up and around the room no one was in there but it felt as though a mother was weeping in the room.

“Hello?”

There was no reply, Remus was relieved but he couldn't shake the feeling someone was watching him as he plopped his bags on the bed grabbing his wash bag and towels from inside and heading back to the bathroom.

“Ugh i can’t believe we did that in there Remus it's disgusting” sirius whined flopping into a seat at the grand oak table in the kitchen

“Shut up, you were practically begging me and it was no picnic for me anyway, head up” remus moved behind Sirius beginning to brush his hair, sirius let out a low moan, oh how he missed it when Remus brushed his hair, he wasn't quite happy at the length after Remus battled with the matted curls he decided the best thing to do was cut it off and start a new.

“Calm down dog boy, your mother is only in the stairwell” Remus jokes

“Don't remind me… the moment we figure out how to remove that blasted thing the better” Sirius sighed once more.

With the morning nearly over and breakfast going down well the two men began work on cleaning the house, Sirius suggested his room and the bathroom first and Remus agreed they needed somewhere to sleep and the place that keeps you clean should be clean. It took a while but they finally got into the rhythm of things with a mix of muggle cleaning products that Remus swore by and magic by 4:30 sirius bedroom was clean and dust free and the bathroom looked brand new. Remus left the bathroom dragging out the mop and bucket his gaze fixated on the floor. He noticed a trail of muddy footprints leading to 3rd floor, without hesitation Remus decided to follow the footprints, they looked practically fresh then he noticed puddles of water along the stairs.

“Moony?” Sirius called from his bedroom but there was no reply.

Remus continued up the stairs it felt as though someone was leading him up there, he found himself on the 3rd floor landing it was a lot brighter thanks to the larger windows on either side of the landing Remus walked over to his right continuing to follow the footprints he looked outside the large window that overlooked a lake.

“Rem?” sirius called walking up the stairs, he didn't like going up to the third floor he remembered when he was little he ran up there away from his mother and heard crying coming from the grand bedroom he never truly believed what he saw in that room but he never went into it again.

“Sirius look… i never knew this lake was here it's beautiful ” Remus waved over to sirius his attention fixated on the lake outside

“Yeah its starfell lake, it smells horrific though” sirius replied

“But how is it here in london?”

“Oh well the house is kind of like frankenstein's monster”

“How so?”

“You see how its so narrow and yet the rooms are huge, well a few hundred years ago the Black family didn't want to leave the grimmauld estate to rot so they merged it with the town house in london that's why you can see parts of the estate and london through the windows. Its old magic. I remember my uncle Alphrad said the house was possessed like it was living or something...” He explained, Remus looked at him his face going slack as if he saw someone standing behind Sirius

“What?” sirius smiled, looking behind him he wasn't a big fan of the upper floors to the house weird things happen up there

“Oh nothing..” remus lied.

“If you say so, I'm going to make a start in the kitchen you coming?” remus Nodded the thought of following the muddy footprints tucked away in the back of mind that was an adventure for a different day they needed to clean the house.

Once more the kitchen looked liveable remus managed to fix the ice box and Kreacher made an effort to help, a constant narration of curses flowed from the stairwell much to the wizards dismay.

“Shes getting rather creative with those insults” Remus mused leaning against the kitchen counter stirring his hot chocolate, Sirius didn't reply but a ghostly smile played on his face

“What time is it?” was all he asked

“Oh its 7:56 why?”

“We have to go to sleep now…” sirius said, no emotion in his voice it sounded as if he was possessed

“Sirius? What are you on about … your not in azkaban anymore you can stay up later-” remus didn't get chance to finish as Sirius grabbed his arm, the house began to moan as a cold wind rushed through the house a grandfather clock began its chimes

“We have to go upstairs where it's safe… he's going to come again and again…. He won't leave until it's broken…” Sirius mumbled

“Sirius you're not making any sense- Ah- stop your hurting me” Remus panicked as he was being pulled up the stairs, he managed to break free at the foot of the staircase when he saw a man in the cDrawing room dressed in elegant clothing 18th century if Remus recalled correctly but the scariest thing was his face, it looked as if he was made of porcelain. The Gentlemans right eye was missing from what Remus could see but he didn't wish to linger as the clock chimes its 5 chime Remus grabbed Sirius and ran up the stairs and into his room. The two men listened to the eighth and final chime of the clock…

“Sirius What's happening?”

“I don't know.. When did we go to my room?”

“You don't remember what you said you were talking in riddles about a man and a curse or some shit”

“Sorry i don't know, it's just.. We never stay up past eight that's all, i told you the house is possessed”

Remus looked at the man in front of him watching as he wrecked his brain for answers, he contemplated telling Sirius about the man in the drawing room but resisted.

“We can talk about his tomorrow lets just go to sleep” sirius didn't object he looked over to the window expecting to see the faceless woman again but nothing, he sighed with relief.

⚱⚱⚱⚱⚱⚱

Enjoyed the story ?? Check out the rest below!! you can also check it out on my wattpad or AO3 first !! please leave a comment or like your feedback is greatly aprecated !! please dont hesitate to send me questions about the story :) love JJx

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