#can you guys tell this kept me away wednesday night?

[sleepanonymous]

Information below the cut and nightmare scenario in the tags.

Interesting facts: This cover was the last video he posted to YouTube under this channel before ST formed. This was also almost a year exactly before the ST YouTube channel was created.

[sweetenerobert]

toy story

8.1k | action figure!joel miller x male reader

summary: contemplating throwing out your favorite toy, he comes to life and makes your last night before you leave for college memorable

warnings: MDNI 18+, agalmatophilia, strong language, slight possessive joel, childhood friends to lovers (if you squint) no mention of age besides reader leaving for college, l-word drops, pet names (mostly doll and baby), spanking, dirty talking joel, no description of reader, but joel lifts you (1), oral (m!giving/m!receiving) rimming, spit as lube, unprotected p in a, creampie,

inspired by this post , also huge thanks to @strang3lov3 new tattoo for this fucking idea, i love you so much and thank you for letting me rant to you about this idea that been in my drafts for FUCKING MONTHS

thanks to @minispidey for beta, love you <333

dividers by @saradika-graphics

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read it on a03 as well

I’VE MISSED YOU GUYS!! SOOO MUCH!!

Moonlight piercing through the cotton curtains of your childhood bedroom, dust dancing through the luminescent shards from your window. Two boxes stacked on each other in the corner of your room, your closet’s life ripped away from the clothes once hung in the small confined space. 

Wiping the sweat that littered your forehead as you huffed a breath, you lay down on the small circular rug that riddled the floor, staring at the ceiling light. You were getting ready to leave for college, and packing up your life seemed more stressful than lifting weights off your shoulders. 

Constant choices about what to throw away or bring with you kept swimming in your brain, and overthinking two simple decisions kept making your head spin, mostly ending with you sitting silently thinking about your answer. This wasn’t one of those situations; you had just finished packing and felt like you deserved a break.

Alone in your childhood home while your parents had picked up late shifts and your siblings were out, the silence was deafening, but you preferred the quiet. It gave you time to process everything. Seeing the stars tapped onto your ceiling made you smirk as you glanced around your bare room.

Eyes catching an object underneath the bed, you turned your body to understand the object better. It was your old lumberjack action figure when you were a kid; it must’ve fallen off the shelf over your window. You don’t remember if it came with a name or you made it up, but you called him Joel. 

That name stuck with you until now, even when you were a kid, when you introduced Joel to your friends as they commented on it. Being a “weird name,” you didn’t care; you loved the name. 

Attempting to grab him from the bed, you realize that it would be easier to grab Joel from your bed. You were quickly climbing up on your bed and scrambling to the side, quickly sliding your hand down the crack of the wall and your bed. Tips of your fingers grazing the fake axe on the back of the action figure, biting your lip as your nail pulls the toy closer towards the wall, retracting your head a few feet up as you see it closer to the wall.

The action figure is in your grasp, sliding your knuckles up on the cold wall while your palm touches the cotton sheets wrapped around your mattress. The toy is now in your hand, and you notice how it’s looked the same after all the years. A couple of tiny patches of color are missing from his plastic hair, and his face and plastic beard stay the same. Joel’s clothes are dusty, balls of lint cover his pants and shirt, and his boots are dustier than anything. You quickly blow a puff of air, trying to clean him off the best you can.

“Hey, Joel. How ya been?’ 

Did I use to talk to this thing? Man, I was a weird kid. 

Joel was your therapist before you even knew what therapy was — telling him about how you finally could spell Wednesday without misspelling it, How you passed each spelling/vocabulary test, and how the boys at school were bullying you. Joel always listened to you; he was your toy, and he didn’t care as long as he was there to protect you – metaphorically.

Loving Joel was easy—he was your first crush—but trying to explain that to a toy was difficult. Bringing Joel with you to live in your college dorm seemed like a hard decision. Glancing at the tiny trash can next to your bed, you glance back at Joel and discard him in the trash bin. 

Wiping your hands on your pants, you looked at the bags and boxes that had cluttered the corner of your room and huffed a breath in annoyance as you decided it would be wise to have your life packed away downstairs.

It didn’t take you long to realize how much you hated your fucking stairs. You were leaning on the top of the stairs – on the handrail, catching your breath. Your bedroom was in your field of view; you would’ve crawled into your room if your knees hadn’t creaked with each movement. 

One of the main things you wouldn’t miss about your house would be the stairs that killed you slowly with each trip up and down the wooden stairwell. 

Slowly getting up from the floor, your feet trudged towards your bedroom door. You were pushing the gateway of your bedroom, earning a creak from its hinges. Your eyes glanced down towards the dark chocolate wood floor with each step into your room. “Finally, I’m ready to lay down in my –” You started to pick your head up, glancing at the figure sitting on your night, playing with a pink eraser he must’ve found in the trash bin.

“– bed.”

"Doll, what's up with you throwin' me away?"

W-what? That one question kept flying around in your head. Not, who is this? Not, what is happening? Just a simple question: What kept spinning around your head?

In the back of your mind, you knew who it was sitting in front of you. It wasn’t a dream, not your imagination; it was real life. Your action figure — your lumberjack, Joel in the flesh? 

He looked real, too real. His hair's curls looked fluffy, and his skin's wrinkles looked defined. His clothes looked like he’d gotten them from a store, with wrinkles littering his shirt and jeans and his boots rubbing against the wood. Your childhood toy was in front of you, alive and in the flesh.

“Too stunned to speak, doll?” 

Shaking your head from the thoughts swimming around you, you look at the male before you. “What?”

“Got my answer. Can’t believe I rendered my doll speechless.”

Joel’s build shocked you as he stood up from his position; his shoulders were broad, his biceps bulging from his flannel – you knew he rolled his sleeves up. Vein’s threatening to burst from his arms and hands. Your former action figure who walked in front of you felt menacing, like his aura made you cower in fear, but instead of fear, it was astonishment. That something you wished for years ago finally came true.

“How is this possible? How are you real?” You quivered. 

“The better question better be, “Why would I throw out such a precious toy?”

“Huh?”

“C’mon, doll, y’think I’m stupid or somethin’; I knew y’threw me out. Half m’foot was in the trash can when I started growing.” 

The answer was plain and simple: you didn’t want to bring him with you to college or leave him to give to someone else, so you thought just about getting rid of him would be. Clearly, Joel’s surprise appearance made things more complicated than they should. “I didn’t throw you out,” You quickly spat out. “You fell in there by accident.”

Joel’s tall figure stood tall in front of you, his once plastic hand – now turned flesh and genuine, his thumb slowly tracing your bottom lip. Your body was shuddering against his touch. “Y’know your body betrays you, sweetheart.”

“Just be honest; it doesn't hurt me, jus’ your pride.”

“J-Joel, listen —”

“Ah, now you know I exist; you were treating me like some hallucination,” Joel announced, backing up, sticking his thumb in the waistband of his jeans. 

“You’re aware that this could very well be a hallucination,” You shrugged.

“Slap yourself, then.” 

“Huh?” 

“Slap. Yourself. In. The face. Then.” Joel enunciated. 

“N-No! I’m not going to do that!” You exclaimed. 

“Okay, fine, then. You’ll never know if this is a hallucination then.” 

Groaning, you quickly connected your palm against your cheek, the skin on your palm and face stink earning a wince that you suck from your teeth.”Happy, now?”

“Blessed. I’m pretty sure you have many questions, which aren’t important, because we need to figger out why you threw me out?”

“I told you, I didn’t–”

“Doll, I’m not stupid. I saw you put me in there, now don’t bullshit me.”

The skin on your palm and cheek had been itchy to the point you wanted to scratch your palm and face simultaneously, resulting in you rubbing your knuckles on your face. But you didn’t even want to answer Joel—your childhood toy. Hurting your friend's feelings was something you never wanted to do; imagine how Joel would feel knowing the boy who had played with him since he was a kid didn’t want to take him to college with him.

But it was something that you had to say, something that you would dread telling anyone you love.

Deciding to rip the band-aid faster than slow, you take a breath, look at Joel’s once painted-on brown eyes, and see a soul behind his real-like eyes. “I didn’t want to take you to college with me, and giving you away seemed way too hard even to think about. So I threw you away.”

Joel looked shocked by your confession. He thought he was ready to hear what you had to say, but Joel wasn’t; he was more perplexed than anything. Moving from where he stood before you, he stumbles on the mattress and sits down to collect his thoughts. Joel’s head hangs as you sit down next to him. It was reminiscent of when you were younger and would watch movies in your living room, having Joel sit next to you while you imagined him laughing or getting mad at a character like you were.

For once, the silence in the room was deafening, and you didn’t like it; you didn’t know what Joel would say, which terrified you.

“Joel? Are you okay?”

Joel nodded. “Yeah,” He snuffled. “Was just thinkin’ bout somethin’.”

“What was it?’

“Joel, when I’m older, I’m taking you everywhere with me, no matter what. You're going to be with me during college, and even when I get the big boy job like my daddy does, you’ll always be there.”

The action figure you played with your whole childhood quoted what you told him in those peak years of being a kid and had nothing to worry about.

“I said that, I'm guessing?”

Joel nods. “You were always a happy kid, no matter what happened, always smiling.” You chuckle at Joel’s statement. It made a smile appear as you remembered that he was always there with you. But, you had to face the fact that you weren't a kid anymore; those promises you made to a toy — a mere plaything- weren't something you thought about as a hormonal teenager. 

Shaking your head, you snap your head at Joel. “Joel, I was a kid back then. I didn't know that growing up would be so different than what I thought.”

“I- I can't be that same kid again. I wish I could trust me, I wish I could, but I can't.”

“It’s a shame,” Joel starts. “I would’ve loved t’see you grow up.”

“I mean, you technically did, right?”

Joel chuckles, “Yeah. Yeah, I did.” 

The cicadas appeared to disrupt the silence in the room when you didn't know what to say to Joel. You hated breaking your best friend’s heart, but being honest was something Joel wanted other than being lied to. “Do you want a hug?” 

“I would love that,” Joel’s southern drawl appeared as you wrapped your arms around Joel, and his arms wrapped you around in a bear hug. 

Hugging Joel felt weird but right – a seemingly impossible wish you fulfilled. You begged to be able to hug Joel, have him hold you in his arms, and melt together, being safe in each other’s arms. “M’gonna miss ya when you’re gone,” Joel grumbles against your head. As you hugged Joel, questions began to swim in your mind as you squeezed his waist; it felt like you were hugging an actual human. The way his body resisted against the tight hold on him, his body felt warm against yours. 

“Okay, wait a second,” you announce, releasing yourself from Joel’s grip and standing before him.

“What’s wrong?” Joel asks, resting one hand on his knee and his forearm on the other knee. You watch at the skin around his wrist, and the watch starts to bend as if he were human.

Questions were floating in your head; you didn’t know where to start, but you took a deep breath and opened your mouth to speak. “How did this happen? How are you walking like this?” 

“I’ve always done it, just done it when everyone isn’t home.”

Perplexity rode your face as Joel’s answer made you think about more questions you wanted to spit out. “So, you’ve always been able to walk around and be so human-like?”

“Yeppers.”

“So, you heard everything?”

Joel nods.

“Everything?” 

“If you’re referring to the times I’ve heard and seen you jerk off and get fucked in here, then yes, everything,” Joel mocked. 

Heat rose to your face. Joel had seen everything, the most vulnerable parts of your body. Things that you wouldn’t admit to if your family asked about it.  “Even when–” 

“Not when you were a kid, I’gave you your privacy. Scout’s honor.”

“But, you’re not a scout but a lumberjack.” 

Joel shrugs. “You’re point?”

“My point is–” You exhale a breath as a hand slides down your face. “If ya wonderin’ of anythin’ sex-related–” Joel interjected.

One question swam around your mind in that topic Joel mentioned. “Can you fuck?” You question, crossing your arms. Joel’s chuckle sent chills picking at your “tough-guy” demeanor. That nervous feeling rose, making you worried about his answer. “If I tell you the truth, will you mind?”

Reflexically shaking your head, you waited for Joel’s answer. “Yes, doll. I can.” Without thinking, you asked Joel. “How?” Joel answered by pointing at you. “You’ve done some pretty interesting things, doll.” 

Moving your head as you eye roll at the “man” before you. “I’m scared to ask, but–”

“You’re interested if I had fucked anythin’?” 

“Honestly? Yeah.” You don’t know how to feel about Joel’s confession. On the one hand, you were intrigued by what Joel had done; on the other hand, it made you feel like you were stepping into a zone you weren’t comfortable with entering. “Wow, my old toy, fucking other toys? I’m guessing.” 

Joel chuckles. “Y’know your sister’s Barbie doll? Fucked her, Ken watched.”

A grimace appeared on your face as Joel's sudden statement made you feel like the cold rushed in from your bedroom. “Wow,” you started. “Wait, Barbie and Ken can become real, like you?” Joel nodded at your answer.

“Huh, well. You learn something new every day.” 

“Blame yourself, doll. I learned everything from you.”

Confusion rode your face, trying to act innocent like you had no reason behind Joel’s actions. “What do you mean?” You shrug.

Joel stands up, his hands draped by the stitched pockets of his jeans, his boots slowly connecting with the hardwood floors, causing you to walk backward at your leisurely pace. You and Joel were working in tandem—with each step he took, you took a step back. You felt slightly intimidated. In the back of your head, you never thought you would feel unnerved by a toy—a toy you never would’ve expected to come to life. 

That rush of cold flew through your back when you connected with the side of your closet, bringing your hands to the wall; that cold sensation connected with your hand. Joel’s looming figure had been present before you, his hand outstretched beside your head. Joel slowly moves his head toward your head; you feel his warm breath against you, causing your spine to chill — mentally blaming the wall. 

“C’mon, doll. You know exactly what I mean.” Joel’s voice made your breath hitch as you felt his mustache tickle against your neck. “I know what you want, your likes, know what you like to be called,” You feel Joel’s realistic fingers on your chin as he picks your head up to look into his eyes; you watch as he backs up from your ear. 

His soft but calloused hand was on your chin, slowly dragging his hand against the fabric of your shirt as you watched the wrinkles in your shirt flatten under the path his hand was sliding down your torso. You watched as the wrinkles disappeared, only to reaper after Joel’s hand moved from its position. Joel’s hand was slow but not too slow, like a snail’s pace, slow to the point where you felt each goosebump underneath his hand — under your shirt.

Joel’s hand had stopped on your waist, while his other hand was above your head as he leaned closer to your eyes. Bracing for the impact of Joel’s lips on yours, you close your eyes. 

The feeling of plump, soft lips against yours sent shivers traveling down your spine as you felt the grip on your waist was getting tighter — rougher. Your hands travel from the wall into Joel’s soft curls. You wanted Joel in the moment; you craved him — yearned for him. Memories of you dreaming of kissing Joel had finally come true; you didn't expect the kiss to feel so passionate, an end-of-the-world kiss — one that stopped the world from spinning.

The feeling of silk had flown through your fingers as you contorted your hands with Joel’s hair. Joel’s hands slid from your waist onto your ass — squeezing lightly, you gasped against his lips. 

Your heart skipping a beat seemed impossible, but Joel’s kisses begged to differ. Your hands slipped from Joel’s hair onto his face, and you felt his defined jawline and patchy beard; you felt soft but coarse underneath your palms, which was something you couldn’t imagine. Reminiscent of when your fingertips would travel against the painted beard, always wondering what it looked/felt like, at this moment, you can. 

Joel’s big hands leave an imprint on your ass; slowly, his hands start sliding down toward your inner thigh, bending his back closer to you so the connection of your lips doesn't break. “Jump,” Joel grumbles against your lips. You push your feet off the ground as Joel’s strength lifts you, chuckling against his lips, wrapping your legs around Joel’s waist; you feel his hands under your thighs, gripping into you with passion; you think his nails may leave crescent moons into your skin. 

Cold drywall leaves your back as Joel slowly turns you both around so your bed can face your back. With each step, your and Joel’s noses keep bumping into each other as your faces keep moving side to side from your passionate kiss. Joel’s mouth leaves yours as his lips trail down your jawline, lightly sucking. Your hands return to Joel's hair as his lips end on your neck.  

Lips on your neck, sucking, biting, Joel marking you with his lips, your moans kept escaping your lips as your fingers flowed through Joel’s hair like water. “Y’like that, baby?” Joel growled. You hiss through your teeth before answering. “Fuck, yes. I love it, Joel.”

Quickly turning his body, Joel sits on the edge of your bed. Your knees indent your mattress as you feel sitting down. His lips return to yours as Joel wraps his arms against the midsection of your back, melting your bodies together. Your hands make their way from Joel’s head onto his broad shoulders. Thinking the flannel was warming his skin, you wanted to get rid of it. 

Backing slightly away, you slip your hands down his hardened chest; you start to fumble with the first button. Quickly unbuttoning the first one, you were on your way to the next one; Joel took notice of your hands and broke the kiss to look at what you were doing. “What are ya doing, doll?”

“Trying to get this flannel off you,” You grumble, popping the second button off. 

“Lemme help.” 

Joel moves his arms from your waist onto his flannel, smiling at you as you watch him pop the buttons out the loops. You watch as your childhood crush takes off his flannel and throws it over your shoulder, chest hair littering his chest. You slowly bring your hand onto his chest—above where his heart should be — but you don't feel a bump vibrate against your hand. You remember that Joel isn't human, which somewhat shatters your heart. 

Joel notices your saddened eyes; he places his hand over yours and looks deep into your eyes, his brown eyes piercing into your soul. “J’so ya know, I may not have a heart, but my love f’you is more important than anything else in this goddamn world. You're one of the best things that’s ever happened to me.”

“I don't want to live in a world where I don't see your smile every day; it's a reminder t’myself that no matter what, my love for you is the most real thing for me.”

You smirk at Joel’s confession, quickly smashing your lips against his. The tears brimming your tear ducts, trickling down from your eyes, wiping your eyes as you back up and look at Joel. “You are such a softie, you know that?”

“Only for you, sweetheart.” Joel quickly pushed his lips against yours, wrapping his arms around your midsection and moving your arms around his neck. 

Feeling Joel’s smile against your lips, you're quickly surprised when you feel Joel stand up and, in one motion, spin you both around so your back is on your mattress. You can’t help but smile gleefully as he backs up from you — sliding your shirt up and planting kisses trailing from your chest to your navel. His thick fingers grab the waistband of your pants as he slides them down. “Lift your hips, doll.” You do as Joel commands; he slides your pants off your thighs and throws them in the corner where your hamper used to reside, leaving your underwear on, your cock hard and covered by your underwear. 

“Look a’that, y’hard f’me already, doll?” You chuckle at Joel; you gasp as you feel his lips press the tip of your hard-covered cock. With each kiss brought against the tip and the shaft of your cock, it feels like heaven to you, bringing you absolute bliss against your skin. You get your foot against Joel’s shoulder as your other one hangs off the edge of the bed, arching your back in pleasure as Joel’s mouth moves down your thigh. 

Joel looks up at you and smiles as he kisses your leg. Noticing the wet spot appears on your underwear. Pre-cum slowly escaping the slit of your cock. “Let’s get these underwear off you.” You didn't need Joel to tell you to lift your hips reflectively. You lifted your pelvis, and he slid the underwear off you. Your hard throbbing cock slaps against your navel, a line of pre-cum connects with your stomach. “God, you’re s’fuckin’ perfect, baby.” 

Standing up from his position, he softly presses his lips against yours, bringing his hand into the bend of your knee, his other hand holding the side of your face. Joel’s tongue licked your bottom lip, awaiting your mouth to open. Slightly parting your lips, Joel slips his tongue into your mouth, causing you to smile at Joel’s eagerness. 

“How do you feel?” Joel questions against your lips.

“Fan-fuckin-tastic.” You answer, bearing your teeth. “How about I make you feel even fuckin’ better.” Joel’s question came out as a statement, causing you to question his meaning. Without warning, Joel backs up from your face and laps his tongue on the shaft of your cock, making a moan escape from your mouth, sliding his tongue slowly up the head of your cock, moans escaping your mouth. “F-fuck, Joel,” You breathe. 

“Y’like that, baby?” 

You breathe out an answer as Joel starts playing the slit of your cock with his tongue. “Yes.” 

“Makin’ sure that you deserve somethin’. You’re too precious to be mistreated.”

Joel must've heard all the times you would complain to your best friend about how one guy seemed great but lacked something when it came to sex. Joel was showing what you’ve been craving for a guy to reciprocate when you pleasured them, but he wasn't expecting anything back; he was just glad to pleasure his boy first. 

Wrapping his mouth slowly around the tip of your cock, Joel slowly goes down the shaft of your length, causing you to moan and white knuckle your sheets as you throw your head back — arching your back and snapping your eyes shut in pleasure. 

His pace was slow but patient. Joel wanted to make you feel something you rarely experienced — over the moon. Wrapping his hands around the shaft of your cock, his fingers would let go for a moment before wrapping.

Dragging your fingers into Joel’s curls, you slowly push his head down, hoping he could speed up. “Fuck, Joel. Can you go faster, please?”

“I can do ya one better, doll.”

As Joel’s mouth felt warm around your cock, he started to go faster as you gasped in pleasure; you felt Joel’s hand slide from your thigh as he slowly began to tease your hole. The skin of your taint felt sensitive with each stroke of Joel’s finger teasing you; each swipe, each light prodding made your body shiver in anticipation. Your cock has never been in overdrive as much as this — Joel was slowly rising you towards your peak. Your cock twitches in Joel’s mouth showing the throbbing pain that was threatening to shoot out. 

Slowly and agonizing, Joel slides his mouth off your cock, swallowing his spit; Joel wipes the reminder off his lips with the back of his hand, glances at you, and chuckles as Joel strokes your cock. “Y’close, doll?”

“Yes,” You whimper. “So fuckin’ close. It hurts so much. Can I cum yet, Joel?”

A chuckle left his throat, a sly smirk appearing on his face as he stared at you. Joel stops pumping your cock — landing on your stomach, precum leaking from the slit. “Not yet, doll. We haven't had our fun yet.”

Lifting your legs, Joel slides his head down deeper in between your thighs. He laps his tongue against your aching hole; a shaky moan escapes your lips as you hold your legs up so Joel can get better access to your hole. His hands are planted on your inner thighs as he keeps his tongue against your taint. 

Joel’s tongue felt like magic against you, showing you things you’ve never felt before — things you’ve only imagined happening. His tongue sliding up and down, in and out of your hole, made you want to cum by how much Joel was treating you. 

His plump lips planting kisses against your taint made your toes curl — the bones could pop out, your nails digging into the skin of your thighs, your moans escaping from you with each movement of Joel’s lips and tongue was giving you pleasure. 

That sensation of something feeling pushed inside you came rushing in as you let go of one of your thighs, gripped the sheets below you, and threatened to rip them up. You look down at Joel, looking up at you with a smirk on his face; you notice what is being pushed inside you; Joel’s thick middle finger has taken a turn to please you. 

“Y’like that, don’t you, baby?”

“Mhmm,” You whimper, throwing your head back, closing your eyes, and biting your lip. 

“I told ya, I know what you like, basically what you’ve been yearnin’ for.” 

“But, you gotta let me know if it’s too much for you, baby. I can't read minds yet.”

“It’s it too much?” Joel questioned.

You shake your head to deny Joel’s question. “It’s just right, it’s so fuckin’ right,” You grit your teeth. 

Sliding another finger in, Joel’s pace had gone faster. You knew Joel was trying to test your limit; you never knew your limit; you were glad to try to figure it out with someone you trusted. 

“Look at that; your hole wraps around m’fingers; it keeps sucking me in no matter how hard I try to pull out.”

Sudden movements from your hips as you kept raising your hips and bringing them back down. Gritting your teeth, tiny whimpers left through your teeth. Pleasure flowed through your entire body — a new goal you never knew you could reach.

Joel would never admit this, but him being the reason whimpers were leaving your mouth, you squirming because of his fingers and mouth, he was fucking over the moon to be the first person ever to make you feel this way. 

“J-Joel?” You breathed.

“Yeah, doll?”

“Can I please suck your cock?” 

Joel was conflicted by your question; all he wanted to do was make you feel good, he wasn’t expecting anything in return, but he wanted to know what that perfect mouth of yours felt around his cock. 

Slipping his fingers outside your hole, aching for more, Joel smirks at you and opens his mouth to speak. “Yes, you can, doll.” As you sit up, you notice the length that resided in his jeans; your eyes almost pop from their sockets from what you have just seen. You’d never seen anything that big in porn, yes, but never in real life. 

Noticing your astonishment, Joel looked at his jeans and then back up at you. “Is this size good enough, sweetheart?” You nod your head. Sliding your back against the mattress, you slid so your knees hit the wood below you. Watching the eagerness flood Joel’s eyes made you feel that excitement swimming in your stomach. The button of his jeans popped above you, and hearing the zipper going down, you watched as Joel’s cock popped out from its restraints.

Joel’s throbbing cock bounced in front of you, precum leaking from the slit of Joel’s cock. In your eyes, Joel’s cock looked more realistic than plastic. You wouldn’t lie; you were a curious kid; you had removed Joel’s clothes before and only noticed a blob on where his dick was now. The veins traveled up the shaft of his cock, stopping at the mushroom tip of his cock. The happy trail from Joel’s tummy showed up his pubic hair that rested above the shaft of his cock. Your mouth went dry in anticipation. It was the first you had seen a dick this big and thick before and so close to your face. 

“You alright, doll?”

Shooting your eyes up at Joel, you can tell a bit of worry on his face. “Yeah, I-I’m fine. Just never seen a dick this big before,” You admitted. Bending down so his face is in front of you, softly placing his hand against your cheek in reassurance. “We can take it slow if you want to.” You nodded at Joel’s words as he planted his lips against your forehead and stood straight. Dragging Joel’s jeans down as your knuckles brushed up against the hair on Joel’s thighs, gravity stopping Joel’s jeans when they stop at his ankles, your hand wraps the shaft of his cock. You slowly wrap your lips around the tip of Joel’s cock, and you hear him exhale in pleasure. 

Slowly pushing your head down the shaft of Joel’s cock, lips wrapped tight, you feel the veins trace the skin of your lips as the head of Joel’s cock press into the back of your throat. A groan of pleasure escapes Joel’s lips as you back your head up. You push your head forward and back leisurely, and you can tell the pace makes Joel go crazy. His member in your mouth kept throbbing against the roof of your mouth. Suddenly, your pace went a little faster; you looked up and noticed Joel’s eyes rolled into the back of his head, his hands were in tight fists, his knuckles threatening to pop out from his hand. The taste of salt fell upon your tongue as you backed your head up from Joel’s cock. A line of spit mixed with precum connecting from your mouth to the tip of Joel’s cock was made apparent, eventually dropping onto the ground below you as you wrapped your hand around Joel’s cock and started pumping his shaft.

The moans escaping Joel’s lips were music to your ears as your moans were to Joel. “Fuck, baby. Y’so good at that. Those boys are so fuckin’ stupid.” His southern drawl causes summersaults in your stomach. Sliding your mouth back onto Joel’s cock, a deep moan escapes his lips as your lips were at a quick pace, your hands planted on Joel’s thighs, the hair on his thighs pressed up against your hand as the tip of Joel’s cock kept hitting the back of your throat.

Moans, grunts, whines, and whimpers were all escaping from Joel’s lips, his hands holding onto your head as his hips humped into your head, his cock pressing deeper – causing you to gag a couple of times. Your nose kept poking into where Joel’s pubic hair rested; the scent was intoxicating, causing your cock to leak with precum below you. 

Suddenly, Joel held your head – your throat grasping around his cock, causing you to gag more. Slobber escaping your mouth as with each inhale through your nose – resting on Joel’s hairy patch made it impossible to exhale without gagging. Your palms were getting sweaty against Joel’s meaty thighs, the hair on his legs feeling nonexistent against your slippery hands.

His hands slide your head back, and lines of spit connect from his cock to your top and bottom lips. Deep inhales and exhales leave your body as you watch Joel slightly shudder. His cock glistened in your spit, throbbing. Sweat littered Joel’s hairy chest and forehead; you swallowed the spit in the back of your throat from your excessive breathing. Your forehead felt heavy with sweat as you looked up at Joel; he slid his hand up his forehead, pushing the curls that had stuck to his forehead. “Fuck, sorry, baby. Y’mouth is so fuckin’ addictin’.” 

“Don’t think I’m finished with you yet, Joel,” You spoke, disregarding his apology. Quickly eager to show Joel what you meant, you pick up his cock and slide your tongue on the underside of Joel’s shaft. Lapping your tongue against his veins, you could hear Joel praise you from above. “So fuckin’ perfect, who wouldn’t want to treat you right?”

Bringing your tongue slowly down to make Joel squirm, you feel his body Joel a little bit as you are still holding his cock in your hand; you place your mouth around his ball sack and lightly suck on one of them. “OH, FUCK!” Joel groaned. Joel’s body felt like jelly – incapable of holding himself up; Joel hadn’t felt this level of pleasure before, from anything he’s ever fucked before. “You like that, baby?” You asked. “Yes,” Joel gritted his teeth. “God, I love it s’much.” Backing your mouth up, you stroke Joel’s cock and watch Joel hold his head back and moans escaping his lips. Bending down, Joel places his hands between the fold of your armpits and picks you up from your knees. 

Planting his lips against yours, the kiss you shared between the two of you felt hungry, Lips mashing against each other, teeth clashing against each other. Joel’s arms holding you tightly against his torso. Joel was fucking starving for you as his lips were latching against your cheeks, jawline, against the skin of your neck. That feeling of Joel’s teeth against your neck made you know Joel was marking you as his. Your nails drag against Joel’s soft curls as you enjoy Joel’s mouth, bringing his head up back against your lips. Sweat from Joel’s chest was seeping through your shirt. You wanted to take it off to feel Joel’s skin against yours. Backing your head away from Joel’s, his head following suit as he watches you attempt to take your shirt off.

Holding the hem of your shirt, Joel helps you slide your shirt off your head, wrapping your arms around Joel’s neck, him wrapping his arms against your lower back. The warmth of each other’s bodies radiated against each other. Your cocks rubbed against each other; the warmth you both shared was hot enough to blow the roof off your bedroom. This experience felt surreal, like a dream you didn’t want to wake up from. 

Backing his head away from your lips, you notice a look of dominance in Joel’s eyes, which darken as he opens his mouth to speak. “Get on that bed, so I can fuck you the way you, a good boy like you should be fucked.”

“But, what if I’ve been a bad boy?” You tease. 

Leaning his head toward your ear. “Then I’ll have to punish you.”

“Get on that fuckin’ bed,” Joel commanded. You listened to Joel, letting your arms go from around his neck, your knees bent on the bed, as you pushed yourself to land your head where your pillow rested, your back collided with the soft cloud-like material. You watched Joel climb on the bed, stopping as he was positioned right between your legs. “Put your leg on my shoulder.”

Compiling to what Joel commanded, your ankle rested on Joel’s broad shoulder. A line of spit leaves Joel’s mouth and connects to the tip of his cock, rubbing the spit to lube up his cock. Slowly leaning over you, one next to your head, fingers spread apart. Joel moves his hand from the tip to his shaft as he starts to tease you – making you shudder in anticipation. 

Moving his cock to poke your hole makes you yearn for him every slight push into you. Hisses escaped your gritted teeth as you craved to feel good. “Joel, can you please fuck me?”

“Nuh uh, bad boys don’t get to beg,” Joel grinned.

Joel had let go of his length and placed his other hand next to the other side of your head. His hips were grinding into you, making you gasp and make your spine chill. Joel’s cock kept rubbing up against your sensitive tip, making you physically shudder and making your cock feel like it was about to burst. “I can tell how much you love this. M’cock grinding up against yours before I get you pregnant.” Your breath hitched as Joel’s voice made you want him more – you’ve never wanted anyone this bad before. 

“Joel, please. I need you.”

“How bad do you need me, sweetheart?” Joel growled into your ear. 

“So fuckin’ much, it's unbearable.”

“Well then, are you going to be my good boy?’

Nodding your head, you shut your eyes and licked your lips in anticipation. You notice that your ankle comes off Joel’s shoulder and collides with the mattress. You feel his lips press against yours briefly as you open your eyes and see Joel’s brown orbs looking into yours before he opens his mouth to speak. “Well, I can’t keep my good boy waitin’.” Looking in between your bodies, Joel adjusts his cock; you feel it press into you for a split second. He looks back up to you, “You ready, sweetheart?”

“Yeah, I am,” You answer. 

Joel slowly pushes in, and you feel the tip agonizingly stretch you out. Your moans rattle the walls next to you both. “Does it hurt, baby?” You shake your head, denying Joel’s question. His shaft is halfway in before he pulls out fast. You gasp before breathing heavily. “Damn, baby. Y’so fuckin’ tight,” Joel commented. Once again, Joel slides his cock into you, making your moans more intense than before. Halfway in, Joel rocks his hips back and forth slowly into you. Your eyes snapped shut intensely, straining your eyelids. The pain was starting to feel good, too good.

“Is this okay, baby?”

Opening your eyes, you notice the concern in Joel’s eyes. He looked so sweet, caring, and compassionate; you’ve always seen him like that growing up. “Yes, Joel. It’s okay,” You smile. Leaning down to kiss you, Joel’s hips still rocking into your hole, moans exiting your mouth and entering Joel’s. Feeling Joel slowly stretch you out felt indescribable; it felt good, but you did want Joel to go faster. “Joel,” You moan against Joel’s mouth. “Yes, baby?” 

Joel backs up to hear you properly. Before you could get a word out to Joel, one push further in, and you feel the base of Joel’s cock clap into you, which echoes throughout the room. Joel realizes what this means; a sly grin appears on Joel’s lips. “Hold that thought, doll,” Joel commanded.

His pace was faster and rougher. Claps rang throughout the room with each thrust, like an audience applauding at the end of a play. Your hands gripped the sheets or ran your hand down Joel’s back while Joel had his hand on the headboard. It felt like Joel had read your mind at that moment, knowing that you wanted more and that he would give it to you. “I can tell y’wanted this before you even said it, baby. Could hear ya screamin’ at me to fuck you harder.’

“Y’wanted this, didn’t ya?” Joel grunted. 

“God, yes, Joel. I’ve wanted something like this for so long, begging for it. This feels fucking amazing.”

“I’can say the same about this boy pussy of yours, grippin’ onto me so tight, it doesn’t want to let go, and I don’t think I want it to.” You bring your hands up to Joel’s back and dig your nails into his sleek skin; an exhale leaves Joel’s mouth as the pain settles in, but it subsides. 

“Mark me, baby. Make me yours.” 

Your nails drag down Joel’s back until you reach the small of Joel’s back. Joel bows his head, grabs your chin, and smashes his lips against yours, but his thrusts stop. You don’t feel anything warm inside you, so you know he didn’t cum. Wrapping your arms around his neck, Joel lifts you for a second so you can get up from the sheets below you. Noticing Joel starts to lay himself down, you quickly move your hands on the mattress to keep yourself from crashing into Joel. You still feel Joel’s cock inside you as his hips start to lift up and down. 

That time when you complained about only being in one position with a guy, Joel did hear you and was giving you something you wanted. 

“Sorry for the sudden stop, wanted to fuck you more.”

Backing your head up, you watched as Joel bore his teeth and started to fuck you senselessly. Wrapping his arms tight around your lower back. Your nails dug into the soft material under your sweaty palms; you could feel the fibers begin to tear a bit. “You like this, don’t ya, baby? Being fucked like the sluts I’ve seen you watch on your phone.”

“Craving to be them, wanting someone to fuck you till you can’t feel your legs no more, huh?”

“Yes.” You whined. 

“Wantin’ someone as strong and big as those guys you watch to be able to fill your sweet, tight, boy pussy with hot cum.”

Nodding your head. “Mhmm.”

“Well, I’m here. I’m gonna satisfy your needs, your aches, your cravings for you to be filled with cum. If anyone else tries. I’ll gladly show them who can treat you better and fuck you in front of them, understood, baby.”

“Mhmm.” 

Joel’s hand connects with your ass, a hard smack against it; a cry leaves your mouth. “I need a fuckin’ yes, boy.”

“Yes, Joel, yes.” You whined.

You felt something move from inside you. You see, Joel looks to wear your cock, but he’s looking in between you both. “You feel my cock twitchin’ inside you, doll? You want me to cum inside you?”  “Yes,” You quickly answer and nod. “You’re leakin’ all over my stomach, baby; you wanna cum too?” 

You whimper out an answer. “Then, I better give my boy what he wants.”

Joel slides his cock out of you and lays you on your stomach as he comes up from behind you and slowly teases you. You feel his cock glide between the bends of your ass cheeks, feelings his balls press into them. “Damn, your ass is achin’ f’me right now. I will give you what you deserve, boy.” 

That feeling of being stretched out came back as you rested your forehead on the bed. Joel’s hands dug into your skin; each push of his length made your moans push out of you more. It was like your body was in heat — Joel’s heat. He was an animal in heat when it came to you. Nodding your head, you felt Joel’s hand on your throat and his lips against your ear — his mustache tickling it. “I’m so –thrust–  close to – cummin’ inside this tight ass of yours, baby. Do you want my cum to swim inside you?”

“Yes, Joel. I fuckin’ do.” 

“Then let me give you what you deserve.” Backing his head up, Joel dug into your skin like he was kneading dough; his thrusts were rough, almost splitting you in half. You could feel his cock throb inside you as you felt your shaft pulsating. You knew you were about to cum. “Fuck, I can’t get enough of you, baby. I don’t wanna stop after I cum in you.” “Joel, I’m so close. Keep going.”

“Fuck,” Joel growled. “I love it when you beg like that.”

His pace was going faster, and it felt the tip of your cock felt like it was going to explode with your cum. “Fuck, Joel. I’m gonna cum.” 

“Fuck, baby. Me too.’

“Here it comes,” Joel gritted his teeth. 

With one final push, you feel your cum shoot out onto the sheets below you, and you also feel Joel’s cum swim inside you. Light breaths are escaping both of you as you feel Joel slide his cock out of you; a squelching sound is heard as Joel’s cock finally dislodges from your hole. A sigh of relief exits Joel’s mouth as he connects his back to the bed. Turning your neck, you see Joel — soft cock against his stomach as you see his chest dip and rise from the breaths he’s taking.

Picking yourself up from your position, you lay down next to Joel, your head resting on his sweaty, hairy chest. Joel’s arm wraps around you as he pulls you closer to him. 

“So, was that everything you’ve ever wanted?” Joel questioned. 

Nodding your head against his chest. “Yeah, and better than what I could imagine.”

Joel chuckles at your statement, and you join him. Once the laughter dies down, a realization hits him like a bag of bricks. “Y’know, for a moment, I forgot that you’re running off to college without me. Followin’ those dreams and gettin’ your degree.”

“Joel,” You start.

“Havin’ a life, a career, findin’ someone who will love you as much as I do.”

“Joel,” You repeat. 

“Havin’ kids of your own, playin’ with their own action figures or dolls, and I’ll be at the bottom of some —”

“JOEL.” 

Joel jumped at your sudden outburst; he was looking at you instead of the ceiling. He saw you staring at him; he felt frightened but safe simultaneously. You suddenly straddle his lap, his hands on your waist, molding his hands onto you. “You’re coming with me to college.” 

“W-what?” Joel smiled. “When did you come to that decision?” 

“When you gave the most beautiful profession of love when I was on your lap, it made me realize something.” Joel awaited your realization, but he couldn’t lie; you sitting naked on his lap like that, faces inches away from each other, he was starting to get horny again. “I know you can never be real, but that’s okay; it sucks that we won’t grow old together, but you’ll always be there for me, and if I do meet someone, you’ll always be the first person I’ve ever loved, Joel.”

A smile appeared on Joel’s face; you couldn’t tell if sweat or a tear was falling from Joel’s eye when he quickly rolled you on your back and was inches away from you. His smell was intoxicating; the sweat mixed with lust made your cock twitch like crazy. “You’re such a softie, y’know that?” Joel quoted. 

“Only for you, sweetheart,” You quoted. 

“Now, how do you feel about one more round?” Joel questioned. 

“Well, everyone will be out for a while.”

“Should I take my time?”

“Joel, fuckin’ show me a good time.” 

“Okay, my good boy, lemme show you a good time,” Joel states, kissing your lips. Feeling the love from Joel’s kisses, you realize you didn’t need anyone to love you as much as Joel did, and you were fine with that. You didn’t care that he wasn’t real; he felt he was real to you, and that’s all you need.

[mountttmase]

Every Second Of Everyday

Note - I’m running out of fics 😭 this one was never supposed to see the light of day but here we are. I hope you enjoy and I’d love some feedback 🩷

Pairing - Mason Mount x Reader

Word count - 6k

Warnings - angst, fluff & smut

‘So yeah I mean Its really easy, you just have to buy in the dip but obviously you need to know when that is, I can totally teach you if you want me too”

‘Oh yeah sounds… super interesting’

Not.

Listening to a man you’d only met properly an hour and a half ago waffle on about crypto currency and NFT’s was not how you imagined your Wednesday would be going. You had no idea what he was going on about, and you didn’t care either. Disappointment had flooded through you from about ten minutes into the date, he seemed so different from when you’d been messaging. He barely asked you anything about yourself and spent the whole time trying to explain, or rather boast, to you what he did for a living.

‘I’m just popping to the loo, be back in a sec’ he smiled as he stood from his chair. You smiled back and nodded lightly, watching him walk away from you as you let out a quiet sigh of relief. Thankful you were finally alone but not two seconds later you felt your phone vibrate in your pocket. You quickly pulled it out to check it wasn’t an emergency, having not looked at it the whole way through lunch, not wanting to be rude, but the name that flashed up was the last person you thought it would be.

Mason

What the hell did he want?

You and Mason were… complicated. You knew how you felt about him and you were pretty sure he felt the same but for some reason nothing has ever come of it. You’d grown up best friends with Lauren James and her bother Reece, so it was inevitable you’d meet Mason sooner or later. Reece had always mentioned him growing up to the point where you felt like you knew him already sometimes, but you kept yourself slightly separate from that part of their lives, wanting to be the escape from football.

The moment of you meeting Mason came just under six months ago. The season had been over for a week and Reece was throwing a party at his house meaning Lauren insisted you came with her. Reece introduced you to Mason within the first ten minutes of you stepping in the door and you were hooked on him from the first look.

You obviously knew who he was but you tried to play it cool and make out you didn’t. Mason bought your calm exterior hook, line and sinker, telling you that you weren’t like most of the girls he meets at these things. You spent most of that night in his company, laughing at his stupid attempts to make you smile and falling for those gorgeous brown eyes every time you looked in them. He wasn’t anything like you thought he’d be, you were expecting an ego the size of a truck to match his perfect face but as time went on you realised he was just a normal guy who did a not so normal job. You exchanged numbers at the end of the night, him kissing your cheek promising to text you the very next day and you didn’t expect anything from him with how busy he was yet when you woke up the next day with a message from him your tummy had erupted into butterflies.

It had all started out so well, cute texts here and there and promises of seeing each other as soon as you could but nothing ever materialised. You got it, he was Mason Mount and you were you but it didn’t mean it hurt any less. The texts mostly dried up, only checking in with each other here and there and only seeing each other at social events. You’d made peace with the fact nothing probably would ever happen yet that didn’t stop him from getting his way when he wanted.

He would always make eye contact with you from across the room when you were together, smirking cheekily when he noticed the blush taking over your cheeks as his come to bed eyes raked over you hungrily. He liked the fact he could do that to you and he seemed to make it his mission to tease the life out of you. His hands always finding your waist as he passed behind you, or sitting as close as he could to you on the sofa so he could run his fingers over your thighs.

You loved and hated every second of it.

You thought he was unbelievably attractive and it only took a flash of his perfect smile to get you hot under the collar. Every time his tongue poked out between his lips to wet them made your knees weak and you were pretty certain no other boy had made you feel like this before. It wasn’t all bad, and you soon fell for his goofy playful side. Admiring the way he was always making people, yourself included, laugh at his stupid jokes and sometimes it seemed like he didn’t have a fear of making himself look like a prat. You found him awfully endearing when he wasn’t trying to get under your skin so the stupid little crush you had on him didn’t face in the slightest.

But in the last two months it had become unbearable. He was a lot braver with his actions and one night after a little bit too much to drink he’d cornered you in the kitchen, pressing feather light kisses to the top of your shoulder from behind you and slowly making his way up your neck as you were trying grab a glass. No words were exchanged as he pressed his lips to your skin, knowing he’d followed you in hoping to catch you alone and If it hadn’t been for the loud crash coming from the other room you would have let him carry on. It seemed to snap him out of whatever trance he was in though and after giving you a quick wink he turned on his heel and left you stood flabbergasted.

You told yourself that night that whatever game he was playing was over. You weren’t one to stick up for yourself, clearly, but you couldn’t stand another second of him having this weird hold over you without it leading anywhere. The next morning you dowloaded a dating app, telling yourself you needed to get out there and meet some different people and see what happens. Show him that he wasn’t free to keep dangling ideas in front of your face without acting on them.

Which is how you need up in this situation today.

Charlie had seemed nice when you matched him a few days ago. He was cute and and he made you laugh but being sat opposite him was a complete other story. This was the third different date you’d been on in a month and you were starting to loose all hope of finding anyone that made you feel a fraction of what Mason did.

You sighed as you unlocked your phone to see what he wanted but your blood ran cold as you opened up the message.

It was you.

Well the back of you anyway, sat in the exact place you were right now. You slowly turned round and your eyes locked onto his right away, sat three tables back and slightly off to the left. You whipped back around before he could do anything else and tried to calm you racing heart.

What are the bloody chances?

As soon as you finished your thought, your phone buzzed again. Another text from Mason coming through.

Why is this happening to me?

You chose to ignore it, locking your phone and turning it over, hoping he would see you’re not in the mood to talk to him. He didn’t get the hint though and you groaned under your breath as his final text come through.

You hated to admit that his assertiveness made you clench your thighs together, but there was no way in hell you were going home with him. Well that’s what you told yourself anyway.

Charlie returned from the loo soon after and after a small back and forth, you agreed to let him pay for lunch. He was putting his pin in when you saw Mason heading for the door, sending you a small smile as he made his way outside. You continued looking at him as he said goodbye to his friend and made his way over to his car. The only thought in your brain being about how good he looked in something as simple as a black T-shirt and cargos, one of your favourite things to see him in and you only snapped out of your trance when Charlie let out a small cough.

‘Sorry, I was in my own little world there’ you apologised with a smile and he just smiled in return. ‘You up too much the rest of the day?’ You enquired, hoping he was so you could make a swift exit and thankfully for you he nodded.

‘Unfortunately yes, I need to get back home and check my stocks, but I’ve really enjoyed this, we’ll have to do it again some time’ he smiled and rather than let him down gently you just nodded, gathering your things so you could get out of there and away from him as quickly as possible. He walked you to the door and put his arm around you awkwardly before leaving a light kiss on your cheek. ‘See you around then y/n’. He smiled and all you could do was smile back before he walked off, thankfully in the opposite direction than you needed.

Now you were rid of him, there was one other person you needed to send on their way before you could go home and think over your life decisions whilst drowing yourself in the tub of ben and Jerrys in your freezer.

You eyes scanned over to Masons car, still parked up, and you walked to him slowly. Telling yourself to be strong and get it over with quickly and once you were at his drivers side window you tapped on it lightly three times before the window came down revealing a slightly confused looking Mason.

‘What you doing? your doors on the other side’ he winked ‘come on, get in’

‘Yeah about that, I don’t think it’s a good idea I’m just gonna head home. I’m sure you’ve got better things to be doing anyway’ you told him. Not meaning for it to come out sounding so bitter and clearly Mason picked up on it, his smile quickly turning into a frown.

‘Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?’

You just shrugged and he studied your face for a second before he opened his door. You stepped back slightly but he grabbed your arm, pulling you back to him, slotting you in-between his legs as he sat side on.

‘Come on, I haven’t seen you in ages. Why don’t you wanna hang out?’ He asked quietly. He was giving you his best puppy dog eyes they were really working on you, he looked genuinely upset you didn’t want to spend time with him. His hands planted themselves on your waist, his thumbs rubbing gentle circles just under your top. His gentle touch was making you fold and he knew it. “Please y/n, just for a little while? I promise I’ll take you home after’ he pouted, and you cursed at yourself in your head for giving into him so quickly but you couldn’t think straight when his hands were on you and he was looking at you like he was.

‘Fine, but I can’t stay long’ you lied. You had all day free, you just weren’t sure you’d be able to handle a whole afternoon of his antics.

He gave you that cheeky smile he always did, but released you so you could jump into his passenger seat. The whole ride to his house was perfect, this was the Mason you liked, no teasing or getting you flustered for his own entertainment. He asked you how you’d been and he seemed genuinely interested when you answered, a stark contrast from the lunch you had just endured and he seemed just as excited to fill you in on everything you’d missed out on in his life recently.

Once you’d arrived at his, he led you through to the kitchen to grab you both a drink, telling you to make yourself comfy on his sofa. You’d been to his house a handful of times but always with other people, today being the first time it was just the two of you and you’d be lying to yourself if you said you weren’t nervous. You tried to relax into the corner of the L shaped sofa, telling yourself you’re just catching up with a friend and there was nothing to fret over. Mason soon returned and placed your drink down on his coffee table before flopping down right next to you, his thigh pressed right up against yours and his arm resting across the back of the sofa behind you. You could feel the tips of his fingers stroking over the material of your top making you even more dazed than before.

‘So you gonna tell me who that was you were having lunch with?’ He asked. You could tell by the tone of his voice he was on a mission to poke fun at you now and you sighed quietly. Knowing it was too good to be true that maybe for once you could just be normal with each other.

‘Just a guy’

‘What’s his name?’

‘Why do you care?’

‘Just curious’ he smirked. You knew he was trying to get at you so you thought you’d try and match his energy.

‘His name is Charlie, he’s a crypto billionaire’ you tried to say confidently but as soon as the words flew out your mouth you wished you could of stuffed them back in. Like Mason would care how much money he had? Charlie didn’t even have a fraction of a billion but you were desperate at that point to make him a little jealous. You mentally face palmed yourself when you saw Masons eyebrow twitch up into somewhat of an ammused smirk.

‘Right… and how did you meet Charlie the crypto king?’

You didn’t want to tell him how, but the longer you sat there trying to think of another way you knew he wouldn’t believe you, so you just went with the truth.

‘We matched on hinge’ you said quietly, avoiding his gaze, but you head shot up when you heard his little giggle. ‘What’s so funny?’

‘Oh come off it y/n, what’s a girl like you doing looking for guys on hinge?’

‘What do you mean a girl like me?’ You scowled. You were starting to get really annoyed with him, hoping he’d choose his next words carefully so you didn’t blow up in his face.

‘I just didn’t think a gorgeous girl like yourself would look twice at any of the guys on there’ he said with a shrug. You tried to brush past the compliment but you could feel your cheeks burning up already, knowing it was giving Mason a kick to see the effect his words had on you. ’He was nowhere near good enough for you, I could tell by the way you were sitting you weren’t feeling it. Its like you’re boredom was radiating across the room’

‘Oh yeah cause you know so much about me Mason’

‘Id like to think so, yeah’ he winked, the hand resting on his thigh now making its way onto yours. You had to ball your fists at your sides in order to keep calm. ‘If you wanted a lunch date you could of always called me, I know you’d rather have me sat opposite you’

‘You’re unbelievable’ you growled, finally rising to you feet and and making a beeline for the door.

‘Hey come on y/n don’t be like this, I’m only messing’ He teased as he jumped up after you and reached out for your arm to stop you, but you’d finally had enough. Seeing red, you yanked your arm out of his grasp and turned to face him. Ready to give him a piece of your mind.

‘You know what Mason? Yeah maybe he was a bit boring but at least he had the guts to ask me out’

‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

‘All you do is lead me on, you make me feel like you like me and then you go cold on me its fucking exhausting. Do you think I want to be meeting up with randomers off hinge?’ You barked at him. He seemed slightly taken aback by your outburst but his eyes were looking at you hungrily. He’d never seen this side of you before and he was loving it. ‘You’re so full of yourself all the time, thinking you can just invite me back here and i’ll come running? I’m so sick of your shit-‘

Before you could think about what was happening, Mason had pulled you into him and his lips were on yours. Slowly walking you back until you were pressed up against the nearest wall, one hand on your waist, the other lightly wrapped around your throat.

He kissed better than you ever imagined he could and you cursed yourself for moaning into his mouth. The feel of his smile on your lips frustrated you even more than you thought possible and his mouth soon detached from yours as he flipped you round. Your chest now pressed to the wall, his front leaning into your back and you could just start to feel him hardening against your bum.

‘This what you wanted from me yeah?’ He whispered into your ear. You turned your face to try and look at him over your shoulder, but his lips on the other side of your neck made you close your eyes. He could feel the way your breathing was getting shallower as his fingertips raked up your side and he was eager to see just how far he could push you. ‘You still sick of my shit or you want me to keep going?’

‘Keep going’ you whimpered quietly, the words coming out your mouth before your brain could figure out what you wanted to say, and you felt him smile against your neck.

‘Good girl’

‘Im not your good girl, mase’ you countered but you knew you were just lying yourself. You always had been and you always would be.

He turned you back round and tucked your loose hairs behind your ears before leaning down and kissing you again lightly. ‘We’ll see’ he breathed into your mouth. ‘Go sit back down for me yeah?’ He asked but you waited a moment, both looking at each other to see who would break first but you could tell he wasn’t budging so you silently made you way back over to his sofa. Your fingertips touching your lips as you still couldn’t believe after all this time you’d finally kissed him.

He stood studying you for a few seconds before following you over, however instead of taking up his seat from before, he knelt down infront of you. Parting your knees and slotting himself in between them. His hands came to rest on either sides of your hips and his face now dangerously close to yours.

‘I know we’ve got some things we need to talk about, but can you please let me make you feel good first?’ He whispered, kissing you again softly. ‘I think it’s just best we get this out our system cause there’s no way I’ll be able to concentrate on anything serious if all I can think about is what’s under these clothes’

You were having an internal battle, obviously you wanted him but would it just make everything afterwards more difficult? Was he just saying this to get one over on you? He could see you were struggling with what to do so he kissed your neck trying to show you how much he needed you.

‘Please baby, just a taste’ he whispered just below your ear and you felt your whole body erupt in goosebumps. Fuck he was good. It was like he knew exactly what to say and do to you. You knew you were wrapped around his finger but up until now you hadn’t realised how much. ‘You can trust me I promise’

Could you trust him?

The only thing on your mind was the thought of him getting you down to your underwear and then him telling you it’s all a joke. That this was just a new low for him to try and get one over on you but you knew Reece would kick him into next week if he ever tried something like that and the look in Masons eyes also settled you a bit.

You wanted to say no but you you were too caught up in him finally giving you what you wanted. Thinking to yourself, even if this is all you ever got from him then you’d find a way to live with it. You just couldn’t refuse him when he was in between your thighs, promising to make it worth you while. So you nodded and kissed him back, a little deeper this time, parting your lips so he could slip in tongue in when he silently asked for permission.

God he was so good at this, you thought as his hands came to rest at the waistband of you jeans. Why the hell haven’t we done this sooner? if I had to pick between breathing or kissing Mason, I think id choose the latter.

His fingers slowly made their way to the button on your jeans, and he pulled back, looking at your face to make sure you were still comfortable. You nodded at him so he carried on, unzipping you before tapping your thigh so you would lift your hips in order for him to rid you of them. Next to come off was your top, leaving you with only your bra on underneath, thanking the lord you’d decided to put a nice one on this morning. Feeling your slight discomfort at being the only one without clothes on, he peeled his own top from his body, tossing it over the back of his sofa.

You’d seen pictures of his body before and knew what it looked like under certain things but seeing it like this in person made your mouth water. He was flawless.

His kisses resumed and then he made his way down your neck, across your collar bones and down your chest. As he mouth was nearing where you needed him, you sank back into the cushions. You felt his lips dance across the band of your underwear before he hooked his thumbs under and pulled them down you legs.

‘So fucking perfect’ he murmured between kisses over your hips and thighs, the sound of his voice made your tummy flip with anticipation.

You were torn between looking at him or laying back and just enjoying it, so you grabbed and cushion and stuffed it behind you, giving you the perfect view of what he was about to do to you. You were growing impatient with his gentle kisses on you inner thighs, wishing he would just burry his face in you already so you threaded your fingers through his hair and attempted to guide him to where you needed him. You felt him smirk against you, placing one final kiss against you before giving you what you wanted.

He teased your folds apart slowly with his tongue, and when he made contact with your clit, circling over it slowly a few times, you let out a pent up breath you hadn’t realised you’d been holding.

You couldn’t help his name falling off your lips and he moaned into you at the sound. A sound he’d been waiting forever to hear. You felt your breathing deepen as he got into his rhythm, bringing his fingers up to spread you apart even further. Your moans for him only growing louder and it was all the encouragement he needed to keep going, eventually slipping those same fingers inside of you to heighten your pleasure.

‘You taste so fucking good’ he growled and pumped his fingers into you a little faster, hitting the spot that made you cry out. ‘That feel good baby?’

‘Yes Mase, so fucking good, please keep going im so close’

If you weren’t so horrifically turned on then you might have been embarrassed about how quickly he’d managed to get you to this point but you didn’t care. You felt too good to think about anything else.

‘Come on baby, be good for me and cum’ he moaned against you and you thought in that moment you you would have done anything he asked you to. Why did he have to be so good at everything?

It only took a few more seconds and you were cumming over his fingers, his mouth still working on you to ride you through it, and when he felt like you’re breathing had calmed down, he kissed his way back up your body to you lips. You let out a small hum as you tasted yourself on his lips, a slight giggle coming from you and you tried to hide in his neck out of embarrassment. He couldn’t help but laugh himself as he sat down next to you, pulling you into his lap, both slightly overwhelmed with what had just taken place. He reached behind him for the blanket he kept there, wrapping it around the both of you.

After a few moments of silence you felt his lips lightly press on your forehead before he muttered the words ‘i’m sorry’

Ah shit.

This was part you were dreading. The first thought coming to mind was him telling you he’s sorry for making you think the two of you could be anymore than you already were. You told yourself you were fine with it, but the feeling of your heart sinking told you you weren’t.

He must of felt your disappointment, his arm tightening around you slightly whilst his other hand cupped your jaw, tilting your face up to look at him. His eyes looked soft and from the slight smile that played on his lips you thought it best to see what he had to say rather than get up and run.

‘All the cocky bullshit with you, it’s always just been a front. Truth is, the way you make me feel scares the shit out of me’ he told you gently. Your eyes pleaded with him to carry on, but the tsunami in his tummy was holding him back. He rested his head on top of yours and closed his eyes, figuring it might be easier to tell you how he felt if he wasn’t looking straight at you.

‘I’ve liked you from the first moment I saw you. Before that even’ he chuckled. ‘Recce talked about you all the time and I’ve always wanted to meet you but you make me more nervous than anyone else I’ve ever known. I think about you every second of everyday and I kick myself that I’ve never been able to just grow a pair and tell you’

You could feel his heart racing in his chest, the tempo matching your own at his words. You slowly stroked your thumb over his hand in an attempt to calm him so he could carry on, your gentle touches only making him fall for you even more.

‘I guess I just thought if we carried on the way we were then I’d still sort of have you. Like the fear of you rejecting me was worse than only having you a little bit’ he chuckled and you nuzzled into his neck a little at his confession. ‘I didn’t mean to make you feel as bad as I did though, half the time I wasn’t even trying to tease you I just wanted to be near you. I know I should of just asked you how you felt but if you haven’t noticed I’m not all that smart sometimes’

You shifted on his lap so he’s had to look at you, you noticed the pink tinge to his cheeks from all of his confessions and all you wanted to do was kiss him. His smile mirrored your own and you were now ready to share your feelings in the same way he just had.

‘Why don’t you ask me now?’

‘Huh?’

‘Ask me how I feel about you’

He took in a deep breath and shook his head lightly with a smile, almost like he couldn’t believe what he was about to do. ‘How you do you feel about me, y/n?’

Come on girl, you got this.

‘I think about you every second of everyday, too’ you whispered, causing him to giggle and burry his head in your hair. ‘It’s true, I’ve always liked you Mase. Maybe I could have been a bit braver and told you first but I couldn’t get the words out. I didn’t know for sure you liked me the way I like you and I guess I was kinda the same? I was alright with having you a little bit but that fear of rejection was holding me back’ you told him and you felt him nod into your hair and hold you that tiny bit closer. ‘I didn’t wanna go on dates with other guys but I couldn’t take not having you anymore and figured it would be a good distraction so I could move on from you but no one ever made me feel like you do’

He moved again so he could look at you, his thumb stroking over your jaw softly and a slight look of guilt dressed his face. ‘I’m sorry I made it get to that point I never meant to make you feel that way. I hated seeing you out with someone else today like it proper hurt but I suppose it gave me the kick up the backside i needed.’ you chucked and turned your face in his hand to kiss his palm. It felt amazing to finally be this close to him but the little voice in the back of your head was stopping you from fully enjoying it. Mason must have sensed your change and tilted your face back up towards his. ‘What’s wrong?’

‘Nothings wrong, just what happens now? Where do we go from here?’

‘Well if you’d let me, I’d love to take you for dinner tonight. Like a proper date?’

‘Two dates with two different men in one day, what will people think of me’ you teased and he just laughed at your silliness.

‘Yeah well I’m saying this mornings one didn’t count. I have a funny feeling you won’t be seeing Charlie the crypto king any time soon’

You felt your face flush in embarrassment but his lips on your cheek made you smile. You snuggled into him more and he moved to lay down taking you with him and after a few moments of silence you felt his breathing getting heavier so you kissed his chest and settled down next to him.

‘Wake me up in ten minutes’ you heard him say softly and you tried to hold your giggle in at his antics.

‘Sure thing Mase’ you whispered and lent back as the face you adored slowly drifted off.

[cosmicpearlz]

bruised heart

summary: you overheard a conversation that your boyfriends were having.

pairing: xavier thorpe x reader x ajax petropolus

…………………………………………………………………………….

at first, people at nevermore found the relationship between the three of you weird. but over time, they had gotten used to the dynamic. you didn’t care about the other people witnessing your relationship because you had the boys. they were the sole reason on how you found out your love languages were physical touch and quality time.

“bye yoko! i’m leaving to meet up with xavi and jax,” you waved to your roommate who you were really close with. principal weems decided to pair the two of you up because you guys were both vampires and yoko was able to help you, showing you the ropes of the school and managing being a vampire better.

you sneak your way through opheilla hall to go to the boy’s hall. looking around twice to make sure you’re in the clear before you were gonna open the door to xavier’s room. xavier’s room was always the spot because he had a single dorm and nobody would interrupt your time together. you go to place your hand on the doorknob as your enhanced hearing began to kick in.

“dude, i think she’s a little clingy,” you heard ajax say and it made you frown. you never thought that they had a problem with that.

“she’s also always right up under one of us,” xavier replied to ajax. they both shared a laugh making your heart drop to your stomach. how come they never told you? now they’re laughing at you, you felt stupid. stupid enough to trust your heart with not one boy but two of them. you let go of the doorknob quietly and back away from the door.

you didn’t want to stay for the rest of that awful conversation. so, you turned to sneak your way back to opheilla hall with tears that threaten to come down. once you made it back to your room, you walked in with your head down.

“y/n, you’re back early. did you get caught?”

“um no. i- uh i just wasn’t feeling good,” you bit your lip to keep it from trembling any more than it was. the sound of you wavering voice made yoko look up from her phone. she saw you fiddled with your fingers and your posture was slouched.

“are you okay?” you finally look up to face her and a tear slips out. a sign that you definitely were going to start sobbing.

“i walked up to the door and uh overheard them talking about how clingy i was. you don’t think i’m clingy right?” your eyes and cheeks glistening with tears while voice began to crack.

“no, i don’t think you’re clingy at all. why don’t you get changed and i’ll be right here to hold you.” you nodded and changed into your pajamas. you walked over to yoko’s side of the room and immediately started crying more when she wrapped her arms around you.

-

the next morning you felt like complete shit. your body ached from the crouched position you slept in, eyes slightly burned from all the crying and your head was killing you. you take a quick shower and do the rest of your morning routine before dressing in your uniform.

“you ready?”

“as much as i can be, i guess.” you and yoko start your journey together to the quad for breakfast. problem was everyone shared one big table meaning you couldn’t avoid your boyfriends if you tried.

you kept your eyes trained on the ground as you took your seat next to wednesday after getting your food. everyone glancing at each other knowing that your normally sat next to ajax every morning while xavier sat in front of you guys. so the two of them took a seat across from you.

“we missed you last night honey. is everything okay?” xavier was the first one to break the silence between the three of you.

“i wasn’t feeling well,” you whispered as you picked at the plate in front of you.

“why didn’t you tell us? we would’ve stopped by your-“

“ajax i clearly didn’t want to see you guys! leave me alone,” pushing the plate away and grabbing your things you walked to your first class. which just so happens to be fencing, a class you shared with the two boys. the table was quiet and nobody moved, it was unnatural to see you guys like that.

“did she just call me ajax?”

“is that not your name, idiot?” enid is quick to slap wednesday’s arm and sending her a look.

“it’s not the same wednesday, she always calls us by nicknames,” ajax rubs the back of his neck in attempt to stop the embarrassment. although, through tears last night you made yoko promise not to say anything that didn’t stop her from sending glares their way.

-

the whole school day, you managed to avoid them even in the classes you shared. it’s not like you wanted to ignore your boyfriends but it hurt you to even hear a conversation like that. you didn’t know how to express your feelings to them, so the best bet was to avoid. the knock on your door pulls you out of your book that you were reading on your bed.

“come in!” the door slowly opens and in comes your boyfriends who looked like kicked puppies. you rolled your eyes and crossed your arms to your chest.

“baby, we just wanted to talk,” xavier takes slow steps towards your bed with ajax following right behind.

“what is there to talk about?”

“why are you avoiding us?”

“maybe just maybe i truly don’t want to talk to you guys. have you ever thought about that xavier?” the boy scoffed at you and shakes his head.

“don’t do that.”

“don’t do what?”

“he means don’t shut us out babe. just talk to us, tell us what happened.” you huffed at ajax’s words and stood up beginning to pace back and forth.

“how come you never told me that i was being clingy? i-i would’ve stopped but no my boyfriends decided to talk about me behind my back. so much for fucking communication, right?” you couldn’t stop the tears from falling down your face.

xavier and ajax shared a look now knowing why you were acting like that. they felt guilty because it wasn’t their intention to hurt you. ajax closed the distance to grab your cheek wiping the stray tears that fell.

“sweetheart, we love that you’re clingy! we didn’t mean it a bad way. in fact, if you stayed longer, you would’ve heard us agree on how cute we think it is.”

“ajax is right. we absolutely love that you’re open enough with us to even be like that. we know about your past and we’re so grateful that you trust us.” xavier was now right by your other side making you cry even more. you had been wrong about the situation.

“i’m sorry, i just thought of the worse and i didn’t even stop to talk to you guys,” you spoke in a hoarse whisper.

“c’mon i think we’re in need of a date.”

“jax right now? i look like shit,” you sniffled and gestures to your outfit. you were wearing some sweatpants and a hoodie you stole from xavier.

“i think you look perfect sunshine. put on your shoes, we’re definitely going out.” you pouted playfully at xavier who grabbed your sneakers and gave you a pointed look.

“this isn’t necessary! we could just stay in and cuddle for the rest of the day.”

“we can do that later. me and xavier need to make it up to you,” ajax grins as you put on your shoes.

you grabbed your book and put it in your tote bag. once you checked you that you had everything, you raised your arms giving both of your boyfriends a small smile, “tada all done.”

“beautiful. absolutely beautiful,” xavier was the first to wrap his arms around you pulling you into a much needed hug. his embrace was warm and even after only one day, you missed the feeling of being in his arms.

“stop hogging up our girlfriend! i want a hug too,” xavier pulled back to place a kiss on your lips and immediately ajax throws his arms around you. you laughed as the boy hugged you tighter.

“promise not to shut us out next time?” you nodded your head with a smile at ajax.

“i promise,” ajax kisses your lips and grabs your waist pulling you to the door where xavier stood waiting for you both.

“glad that’s out of the way, now let’s go to weathervane!”

you were so lucky to have two people that really cared about you and your feelings. although, xavier and ajax called themselves the lucky ones being that they were able to have you in their life.

[suashii]

꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ 𝒞𝐻𝐸𝐸𝑅 𝒰𝒫 𝒞𝒜𝒩𝒟𝒴

info ⭑ suna rintaro x reader. 1.4 wc. sfw ﾉ fluff ﾉ reader is a bit sad

note ⭑ inspired by a scene from the webtoon comic act like you love me!

there’s a guy who comes into your work every wednesday—after the rush of high schoolers who stop by following their tutoring sessions but before it’s late enough for you to clock out and call it a night. he hums in acknowledgment every time you offer him a cordial, customer service “welcome” when you hear the motion sensor bell ring. his movements are predictable now and, as much as you try not to, you catch yourself following him with your eyes as he strolls down one aisle where he grabs a bag of jelly candies (the flavor alternates every week) until he disappears behind the tall, stocked shelves. he always emerges by the fridges where he grabs his usual energy drink before making his way to the counter.

over the span of the past several weeks, the formal utterances you’re required to deliver have evolved into fledglings of conversations. the phrase “did you find everything okay?” is eventually ditched and traded in for more personable questions, ones having to do with his choice of candy or the character printed on his hoodie. he smiles when you ask—not the kind that meets his eyes, but a genuine one nonetheless. when you hand him his change, he’s always sure to tell you thank you and offers a two-fingered wave before taking his leave.

the interactions between the two of you give you a short moment highlighted by something other than boredom during the five-hour shifts. he’s far from a friend, barely an acquaintance, hell, you’re not even sure what his name is—all you know is that you like seeing him.

today should be no different. it’s wednesday, it’s after ten, and the store is deafeningly quiet—too quiet for your liking, truly. you normally wouldn’t mind listening to the low of whispers the refrigerators and fluorescent lights, but the silence allows your mind to wander and it keeps going back to that godforsaken text; one that you wouldn’t have seen until after work if you had kept your phone in the back like you were supposed to.

we should break up. things aren’t working anymore.

“what an asshole,” you say out loud to yourself, wiping the stray tear from your cheek with the sleeve of your shirt. the prick didn’t even have the decency to do it properly—to say it to your face. he’s not worth wasting your tears on, at least, that’s what you’ve been trying to convince yourself for the past ten minutes. but it’s easier said than done. no matter how much you want to be unaffected by this, you’re hurt.

you would have been better off leaving your stupid phone in that stupid, unused breakroom.

you can feel another wave of sadness coming on as the automated bell chirps, signaling the arrival of a customer. with a deep, shaky breath, you turn your head in the opposite direction of the door to hide your tear-streaked face. you’re too busy hurriedly dabbing away at your eyes with the sleeve of your shirt that you forget to greet the customer—the one that happens to be your favorite regular. that much doesn’t go unnoticed by suna.

the absence of your typical “welcome!” makes the corner of his lips turn down. it’s worrying, he thinks, how reserved you are tonight. he used to find your enthusiastic greetings a little strange—how could someone be so chipper working the night shift as a cashier? but now given its absence, suna is starting to realize that, at some point, he’d gotten used to it. he’d even go as far as saying he prefers it.

his grayish-yellow gaze lingers on you as he makes his way down the aisle filled with sweets, but you never meet his eye. reluctantly, he looks away from you to what he came here for. his eyes scan over the selection of jelly candies in search of which flavor he wants this week. he usually picks whatever he has a taste for, but some other factor is swaying his judgment. his hand comes to hover over the lychee ones—he’s sure you said those ones were your favorite. lithe fingers pluck the pack from its box before he’s off to get his drink.

he can see you through the glass of the fridge door as he aimlessly reaches for the cold can. your head is tipped down, eyes glued to the counter in front of you. that’s weird, too, he thinks, fingers finally grazing the tab on one of the cans. on any other day he comes in, you’re mindlessly staring off into space or not-so-discreetly scrolling on your phone. suna knows it’s probably not his place to think so, but something’s definitely wrong.

he knows that much, but isn’t quite sure what to do about it.

nothing, he supposes. you’re not his friend—he’s a customer and you’re an employee. he has no obligation to do anything about your dampened mood, so why is he thinking so hard about how he can cheer you up?

suna tries to shake the thoughts from his head as he approaches you at the checkout. he sets his things on the counter, unknowingly staring you down to see if you’ll make eye contact with him. he’s almost sure you won’t but, surprisingly, you drag your eyes up from the surface to meet his.

they’re puffy and red, like you’ve been crying.

suna isn’t well-known for his ability to comfort others. in fact, he’s incredibly awkward around people when they cry—and you’re no exception. is it better to ask what’s wrong or try and help take your mind off whatever’s bothering you? he doesn’t know the answer to that question, so he simply musters up a tight-lipped smile, one he’s sure is a little inappropriate given the circumstances, but he’s not sure what else to do. you offer him what you think is a smile in return, but all suna sees is the slight wobble of your lips.

the scanner in your hand beeps twice before you read out the price from the screen ahead of you. suna fumbles around his pocket for the money he had stuffed in there earlier. the thousand yen banknote he passes to you is a bit crumpled and you would have laughed if you weren’t feeling so pathetic. the register rings as you open it to fish out the money you owe him.

closing the drawer with one hand, you hold out his change with the other. suna is stuffing the currency back into the pocket of his hoodie when you speak for the first time since he had come in. “have a nice night.”

the familiar sound of your voice, despite its scratchiness, causes suna to perk up. though, his shoulders slump when he realizes you’ve ducked down to busy yourself with something behind the counter. his feet feel like blocks of concrete, weighed down to this spot. he can’t leave without doing anything. he knows that you’d likely prefer to be alone right now, but he only needs to stick around for a few seconds longer before he’s out of your hair.

you don’t rise from your crouched position until you hear the automated bell that signals the man’s departure ring. hiding away after ringing him up might have been a little unprofessional but the thought of crying in front of him was too humiliating for you to even risk letting it happen.

you sniffle as you stuff your hands into the pockets of your uniform vest, eyes wandering to focus on anything but the source of your sorrow. unconsciously, you tilt your head down to look at the counter. there are pops of color against the white surface; four individually wrapped lychee jelly candies—the same kind that guy had just bought. your favorite.

you peek out the window to see if he’s out of sight yet. you’re relieved to see he hasn’t made it far, maybe a couple squares down the sidewalk. his hood is pulled over his head now but you’d never be able to miss those eyes. with a grin plastered on his face, he points at you and then tips his chin up with the same finger. keep your chin up.

in his other hand, the pack of candy he’s holding is torn at the corner.

your eyes begin to water as you breathe out a laugh, your lips tugging up for the first time tonight since you’d read that text. the tears threatening to spill over your lashline aren’t the same as the ones you had already shed—they’re tears of gratitude, the kind you cry when you can’t effectively express how thankful you are through words.

swallowing the lump in your throat, you pull one of your fists out of the pocket it resides in, sticking your thumb up and mouthing a silent “thank you.”

hihi~ sua here :3 ! thank you for giving this a read! if you enjoyed, please consider reblogging and/or leaving a comment! much love from me to you ❤︎

[ornii]

yo dude love your content!

can you maybe do Wenclair x Male reader whos a Skateboarder?

you can add your own twist in it if you want.

MoonWalker

This request reminded me of that Family Guy Edit

(If you know, you know lol)

Summer finally rolls around in Nevermore which means a 3 month break, and more importantly a Weekend of celebration. Your foot tapped the floor until the bell rang and finally freed you from the binds of school, students poured out and you took your board and headed for the halls of Nevermore and out to the quad, specifically searching for a certain Raven haired Girl. His eyes lock into the back of the head of the girl and you cup your hands and call out. “Hump Day!” You said and casually skate up to the girl. Wednesday Addams. You met Wednesday during a, night entanglement that you regret her seeing.

“What do you want (Y/n)?” She asks, you shrug and stop skating, but somehow the board continues to ride at its own pace.

“Came to see my Friend! Enid included of course, Where’s Enid? Her family already hounding her aren’t they?” You said, Wednesday continues to walk to her dorm.

“No. She knows I don’t like threesomes.”

“Oh, so she waiting for us? Well we shouldn’t keep her all by herself.” You gave her a small peck on the cheek, her body tensed up for a moment before a small look of relief washes over her face. But she calmly lets a very loaded question out.

“Are you going to tell her finally?” She asks you, it was obvious what she meant and it took you by surprise. You and Wednesday were pretty open with each other, she’s terrifyingly blunt about things so it was easy to be honest, Enid? Not so much. You still loved them both all the same. But telling Enid what you really are wasn’t easy, she thought you were a Werewolf like her, but that’s far from the truth.

Navajo culture calls them, Skinwalkers. Beings that could transform to multiple animals, even humans. Your culture saw Skinwalkers as the antethesis of Navajo cultural values. community healers and cultural workers are known as medicine men and women, Skinwalkers have no way to heal the sick, and are viewed as Witches, evil begins. It was easy to hide who you were, bur Wednesday figured it out pretty early on. But Enid, not so much.

You still remember the night Wednesday put it all together, you were stretching your hind legs running though the schools grounds free. Pacing like an animal you dart around, until you almost bump into Wednesday, who was standing there. You slowly backed away to try to act like an animal but it was pretty obvious by your stance.

“That’s Odd, a Coyote in Jericho? We’re far from the mountains, aren’t we (Y/n)?” She admits, it was awkward but the Coyote stood up on its hind legs, very calmly. The body began to more and gruesomely transform back into your human form. You two stood across from each other. That day Wednesdays saw you for who you really were. She kept it a secret, which you can respect, who knows the literal skeletons she has in hers.

Standing at the door, You gave Wednesday a nod to affirm and she opened it. Enid was actually painting her nails, her head jerks over to see you and Wednesday. She obviously was elated to see you both. “Besties!” She rushes over and hugs both of you, her blonde hair resting on your chest and You look over to see how annoyed Wednesday was, admittedly it was a lot funnier than you expected.

With school finally over, we can spend all day together!” She said, and Wednesday immediately put you on the spot.

“(Y/n) has something to tell you first.” She said, you wanted to say so less than nice things but you took it on the chin and took a deep breath.

“Okay.. Enid, im… not a Werwolf.” You say first, a look of confusion was on her face.

“I’m a… Skinwalker, i didn’t want you to think I was gonna curse you too. So I, hid who I was.. I’m sorry.” You could barely look her in the eyes, you felt her palms gently lift your face back up and she gave a tearful smile.

“I don’t care who or what you are, you’re my friend and nothing is gonna change that, okay?” She gave a deep hug and you happily took it, you held her for What seems to be forever. Cutting into this emotional moment, Wednesday groans.

“…You two are gross.”

[eldritch-nightmare]

heyy!! can i request LJ and Candypop ( ,,if you write for him) sharing a fem!reader? (headcanons or something else) i don’t mind <33

a/n: I COMPLETELY FORGOT ABOUT CANDY POP WAIT omg he's one of those creepypastas that i heard about but never really looked into so. first time writing him so i hope i did him justice for you! i wasn't sure if you wanted something more lighthearted or something darker so i did my best to keep it balanced.

LJ and Candy Pop sharing a fem!reader.

warnings: my knowledge of candy pop comes from the creepypasta files wiki page so just a heads up if i get something wrong, opted to make reader a creepypasta here but it's very vague, lj and candy pop are like frenemies in this i suppose, sorta hints that the reader might've been forced into this relationship, my hand slipped and i dropped a 'good girl' in here somewhere i couldn't help myself, possessive behavior from both of them, implied unhealthy relationship.

Man, what's it like having a 7ft tall imaginary monochrome clown that terrorizes children and a 7ft tall colorful Night Terrors possessed jester be in love with you? It's probably a strange experience.

They both argue over who caught feelings for you first. LJ swears up and down that he fell for you first, but Candy Pop claims it to be love at first sight. Honestly, you've just chosen to believe that they both fell for you around the same time.

The two of them were definitely hesitant to share you, though that was more on Candy Pop's side than it was LJ's. Listen, sharing a body/soul with the literal demon king makes you a bit possessive over things, okay?

You don't particularly mind either way, to be honest. They're both a bit... much to handle at times, but you guys make it work. Like... literally. You had to plan out an entire schedule and everything because they kept bickering about how much time the other spent with you.

LJ gets you on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays while Candy Pop gets you on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Sundays are days you spend alone because it's always good to have some time for yourself.

Of course, they don't... follow the schedule that often. Why would they? They aren't confined to the mortal chains of schedules.

They are both equally romantic in their own right, and you won't lie, you certainly have enjoyed a few of the spontaneous dates they've taken you on. Sometimes, they'll even get together long enough to plan out an outing for all three of you. They can get along, see?

Now, we can't forget that they are both murderous entities. One is an imaginary friend turned serial killer and the other is... something. A demon? A poor possessed soul of a jester? Whatever he is, he's deadly. Shall I provide some examples?

Example one: Laughing Jack was abandoned by the one person he was created to befriend, so trust me when I tell you that he has some deeply rooted abandonment issues. He's all fun and games until there's even the slightest possibility of you leaving him. Even if someone makes an offhand remark about how you should leave him, his entire persona does a complete 180.

Suddenly, his hold on you is just a bit more tighter than it normally is, and you can feel his nails digging into your skin, threatening to draw blood. It's a subtle, silent threat of what he could do to you if you ever tried leaving him.

Example two: Candy Pop, as a whole, is somebody you have to be wary around because his mood can flip like a switch. He'll be happily humming away about some random topic one moment, and the next he's pushing you up against a nearby wall and looking at you with such a crazed look that it's almost hard to believe that this is the same person who claims to be in love with you.

He's the type to remind you of where you belong. You belong by his and LJ's side, so don't you ever forget that, okay? You really don't want to see what'll happen if you do.

In the end, though LJ and Candy Pop have a habit of bickering with each other, they'll make one hell of a team if it means keeping you in their grasp. You don't fit with anyone but them, and you don't need to fit with anyone other than them. They're the perfect match for you, and you'll come to see that sooner or later. So, all you need to do is be a good girl and stay by their side, got it?

It's Sunday. Sundays are supposed to be your day. You had plans to hang out with the other girls, maybe even play dress up with Sally if she was up for it. So, why the hell were you currently stuck in bed, sandwiched between a clown and a jester?

You have no clue because you just woke up and they were already here. Sure, you could just… wiggle your way out of bed but then they would wake up. Do they even need to sleep? They aren't mortal like you are, so sleep doesn't seem like a necessity to them. But it's not like you can just stay in bed all day either. You had things you wanted to do!

So, with a very silent sigh, you slowly start to sit up, untangling yourself from the mass of limbs trapping you to your bed. You were able to sit up with relative ease, the hard part would be crawling over either LJ or Candy Pop to get out of bed. That would be… that would be difficult.

Even if you were to try and crawl over one of them, you weren't able to because before you could even decide which one to crawl over, you were being pushed back into laying down again by Candy Pop.

You let out a small 'oof' as soon as your back hit the mattress.

"Where do you think you're going?" You hear LJ ask, and with one quick glance at him, you can see a slight pout on his face. It was almost enough to make you forget about the feeling of his nails gently grazing your stomach.

If he just decided to dig them into your--

"She's not going anywhere." Candy's voice murmurs directly next to your ear, effectively cutting off your train of thought. You only belatedly realize that he had buried his face into your neck, his hair brushing against your face, "Right, angel?"

Well… it seems like you're not going to be getting rid of these two today, so whatever plans you had for the day were going to have to be put on hold until next Sunday. You just hoped the two of them didn't make a habit of this.

[milawritesstuff]

I’m sure we all saw those pics of Pedri & the boys are the NBA game for warriors & lakers. He looked so cute & huggable & so boyfriend material ugh anyways can you do a pedri x gf reader where she joins him for the game & their like not public but not private either but they officially are exposed on the kiss cam. If you can make her like a Latina American (just basing her off myself, if not that’s totally fine) & obvi just super cute & bf material pedri 🥰

A/N: Ugh that video of him at the match last night he’s so damn soft. I feel like I can touch that video and ughhhh I’m going crazy for this man lol.

Anyways hope you guys like this. Also, I wanted to make it part of this other one that I wrote … so it’s going to be the same Y/N from THIS story.

I hope you guys like it, I just wrote is super quick.

•••

He stared into the phone screen. Even though you were almost 6,000 miles away whenever he looked at the screen when you were on video call you couldn’t help but blush. His brown eyes shined as he looked into the screen with a sense of hope. He stayed quiet for a few seconds.

-I have to tell you something but don’t get mad.-

You felt your heart fall to the pit of your stomach when he said those words. The last few months hadn’t been easy. After spending a few months together and you deciding to return to the states you had only seen each other less than a handful of times. These daily video calls were the only thing that kept you going. You tried not to pay attention to all of the rumors surrounding him because you knew you were the one he woke up at the crack of dawn to talk to or would stay up late for due to the time difference. But you still knew a long distance relationship was difficult.

-What?- You answer.

-Xavi is giving us a few days off after the Osasuna match and well …-

-Pedri you’re making me nervous, just spit it out.-

He flung his arms in the air.

-Joder, Eric, Fer, and I were thinking of going to the NBA playoffs but I don’t want you to get mad because I should actually be going to visit you instead and…- You cut him off.

-Babe, it’s okay. I know it’s something you’ve always wanted to do so please go. Besides in a few months I’ll be in Barcelona.-

-Are you sure?- He asks. -It’s going to be a quick trip, maybe two days so we can get back on time.-

You shake your head and giggle. -Vamos amor, it’s okay. I’m not mad. I promise.-

The two of you stayed on the phone for a few more minutes before it was time to say goodbye. As soon as you ended the call with Pedri you messaged his brother.

Y/N: Fer, please ask Eric if he can get a ticket to the game for me without Pedri knowing, I want to surprise him.

Fer: On it

Y/N: And ask if you can stay in his room 😉

Fer: 🫡🫡

You knew Pedri would be flying out Wednesday night after the team’s practice and would be arriving late Wednesday in San Francisco. You booked a flight out of Los Angeles early Thursday morning.

You knocked twice on the hotel room door.

-Did you order room service?- You heard Pedri ask his brother in the room.

Fernando laughed. -No, but open it, it’s a surprise.-

Your heart began to beat faster as you heard Pedri’s steps get closer to the door. You felt like throwing up when you saw the handle turn. His face lit up as soon as he saw you and dashed over to take you in his arms. He lifted you in a hug.

-I know you would have preferred Steph Curry but … surprise!- You said as he placed a soft kiss on your lips. He let out a laugh. -Tonta, you’re better than Steph Curry any day.-

You spent the day with Pedri, going out to eat with Eric and Ferran and doing a bit of sightseeing. You had been to San Francisco a million times but seeing it through Pedri’s eyes was magical. It reminded you of how your parents would act when you went to new places. Being immigrants from Latin America, to them being able to take you on trips to see new places was living the American dream. And you couldn’t believe in just a few months you were giving up the American dream for this beautiful Spanish boy.

The night was going to end with the main reason the boys had traveled for, the NBA playoffs. Pedri smiled at you as your group walked to the entrance of the Chase Center. You thought about how nice the day had been because nobody had recognized him. You were able to walk around the city and even on the Golden Gate Bridge holding hands without anyone taking pictures or asking him for anything. A few pictures of the two of you had came out when you were in Barcelona but for almost a year now you had managed to keep your relationship quiet. You preferred it that way, knowing and mentally preparing yourself for what would ensue once the fans found out you had moved in with him in a few months.

As you walked into the Chase Center you let go of Pedri’s hand. Something telling you that there would be cameras and more people who could recognize him and you wanted him to avoid more rumors. Pedri looked back at you and furrowed his brows. You smiled back at him hoping he wouldn’t ask why you had let go of his hand. Luckily Eric dragged him and took the attention away from you. You and Fer stayed behind as Fer took video of everything going on.

Eventually you found your seats. Eric went first followed by Pedri and you decided to let Fernando go after him so that you would be at the end. Once Pedri sat down and he realized his brother was next to him instead of you he turned to look over at you. -Babe!- He called for your attention.

-Que pasa, Pedri?-

He reached his hand out over Fer and grabbed yours. -You belong next to me. Why are you sitting all the way over there?-

You shrugged your shoulders. -There’s cameras everywhere and you know …-

Pedri shook his head. -Come here. Fer move over.-

You did as he asked and sat down next to him. Your hand in his. He leaned over to look at you. -Is that why you let go of my hand when we walked in?-

-Yeah.-

-Amor, they’re going to find out sooner or later and honestly I don’t care anymore. You sit next to me so everyone can see I have the most beautiful girl here.-

You smiled and gave him a quick kiss. He turned around to talk to Eric while his hand continued to hold yours. You stared stupidly at him wondering how in the world you had gotten so lucky to find him and for him to love you the way he did.

A few people came over to take pictures of Pedri and Eric and even one person did a short interview. You managed to stay out of the limelight until the kiss cam came on. You and Pedri stared at the Jumbotron as people laughed.

-Sometimes they chose siblings and it’s super awkward.- You whisper into Pedri’s ear who continues to laugh as he claps and looks at the screen.

-See, they would have done that with Fer and I if you hadn’t moved your seats.- He says causing you to laugh. As the two of you are laughing and staring at each other you feel Fer nudge you.

-Vamos, vamos pareja look!-

You look up and see the screen focused on you and Pedri. Your cheeks glowing red from embarrassment. Pedri turns over to look at you and winks. -I said they would find out sooner or later, I guess it’s going to be sooner.- You smile as he leans in and places a kiss on your lips. His soft hand cupping your chin as his soft wet lips take yours in.

The kiss ends and Pedri pulls away as the two of you give the camera a thumbs up.

TAG LIST:

@cinderellawithashoe @httpswiftie @simpingmyassoff @bubblebeep69 @fictional-l0v3r @httpspedri26 @0alanasworld0 @l0verl4ne @gaviypedrisbride @footballerficsposts @fashphotolife @beaschampagneproblems @jvsgnjrtpdar5stkd-tv-m @ikkehehe @jjishotasf @quemirasboboandapaya @maricciardo @gaviswh0re @pedriwifefrfr @dustell @elijahslover @formula1mount

[theworldofotps]

You Look Like You Love Me

Pairing: Adam Page x Reader Word Count: 1,066 Description: While at a bar Adam is approached by a beautiful woman.

I keep hearing this song on tiktok and it just screamed Adam to me. I hope you enjoy, I tried to switch back and forth between both of them without it being confusing. _______ Tag list: @omg-im-such-a-masochist​ @melissahausen​ @new-zealand-chic​ @writtingrose​ @hotgirlgraps @madhatterbri @sjwrites22 @sassymox @mrsacklesevansmgk @xladyxfatex @adamcolesbaybay @irish-newzealand-idian-dutch @demonqueen29 @itsicantbelievethis666 @lilred91 @rebellious-desires @claymorexpunisher @letsgivethisonemoreshot @ava-valerie @shortyiceheart @serpantscorpio8497 @thatpanpal ​ @wrestlersownmyheart @vebner37 @seeingstarks @whenimakeitshine1234 @legit9thlunaticwarrior @blaquekitty @ironshamelessyouth @unoficialy-married-to-ace-austin @ripleyswhore @moonrosekk @xbreezymeadowsx @alyyaana  @elevennbloom @melblacc @alliwant456  @mcreignsera @auburnwrites​ @aews-four-pillars @thatnerdwriter If you wanna be added to the list lemme know. _____ The dim lights of the small-town bar that Adam decided to visit tonight were a nice contrast to the bright lights he worked under in AEW. He sipped the cold beer occasionally listening to the story his friend Kenny was telling from his days in Japan. A few of their coworkers had eventually found the small bar as well so the place was semi packed for a Wednesday night.

“Did you hear what I said?”

“Huh? Sorry man no, my mind was wondering but I’m listening this time.”

“Nah forget it I can always tell you it later, why don’t we go stand over by the dancefloor? I think Matt is currently trying to refrain his brother from taking his pants off and dancing in his underwear.”

Adam chuckled in amusement as he sipped his beer reluctantly standing from his barstool and walking over to the dance floor. A mix of town folk and wrestlers were dancing to music from an old jukebox in the corner of the room.

“With the life we live sometimes I forget to just stop in the moment and enjoy the present.”

Kenny muttered leaning against the wall while his eyes scanned the place before landing back on Adam, a grin on his face.

“You know you really fit this bar setting with your outfit and them damn cowboy boots I think the only thing missing is a hat.”

Rolling his eyes Adam sipped his beer glancing down at his attire, his friend wasn’t wrong, but this was normally what he wore for work. Being the Hangman wasn’t just a gig for him it was a comfortable outfit if he was being honest.

“Thanks man I guess, now why would I hide this gorgeous head of hair?”

Smirking he looked around the room hearing a commotion from the center of the dance floor a laugh falling from the two men.

“And there goes Nick trying to do a square dance, this is why we don’t go out often with these guys because they’re wild.” Across the room Y/n stood up from her chair her legs a little unsteady from the alcohol coursing through her bloodstream. She hadn’t meant to drink more than one beer but after the tough week at work she didn’t think it would hurt anything. The girls she had come with to the bar were either chatting together at the table or on the dance floor.

Blinking a few times, she gave herself a moment for the room to stop spinning then walked across the bar. Her eyes had been on a cowboy all night long and with the liquid courage she finally felt brave enough to approach him. She had noticed that his eyes kept finding her more than once during the night.  Despite being drunk she felt a magnetic pull to speak with him. Pushing her way through the crown y/n hesitated for just a moment before tapping his shoulder.

“Hello, my name is y/n, and well I think you’re going to want to hear this.”

She said tugging him away from his friend as the song switched to an upbeat country tune, the man smiled at her which caused her stomach to swirl.

“Excuse me, you look like you love me you like you want me to want you to come on home.”

Y/n couldn’t look away from the beautiful blue eyes watching her every movement as she spoke. The man’s smile grew as he let out a chuckle rubbing his chin as she spoke again

“Baby I don’t blame you for looking me up and down across this room I’m drunk and I’m ready to leave. You look like you love me.”

“Well then ma’am why don’t I take you home, I can call an uber for us.”

Adam walked over to Kenny telling him he was heading back to the hotel for the night, making his way back to the woman he held out his arm.

“Lets go.”

Leading her through the crowd of people, Adam pulled his phone out texting one of the staff that AEW had hired to transport the wrestlers tonight so nobody would be drinking. Y/n inhaled the fresh air once outside which smell much nicer than the stale beer scent of the bar. When the car pulled up the two of them got in the backseat, y/n’s eyes closing as her head rested against the seat. She wasn’t sure why she felt so safe with this man, but she wasn’t going to question it right now.

Adam kept his arm around y/n glancing down at her every so often to be sure she was doing okay. When they pulled up outside the hotel he tipped the driver, carefully helping her from the back seat. The pair made their way inside to the elevator, Adam pressing the fourth-floor button. Listening as y/n laughed quietly to herself. Smiling, he walked with her to the room sliding his key card then just scooping her up. Taking her to the bed Adam laid her against the sheets after pulling the blankets back then removed her shoes.

“Could I have some water please?”

“Sure, I’ll be right back.”

Y/n waited as the man left the room, she could hear him in what she assumed was the kitchen opening drawers. When he returned with a bottle of water and two Tylenol pills in his hand.

“It’ll help you in the morning.”

He said helping her drink it then tucked her into bed pushing the hair out of her face he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

“Sweet dreams darling.”

Y/n didn’t remember falling asleep, didn’t remember him climbing into bed with her either, when she opened her eyes the next morning her head throbbed but slightly less. She felt movement beside her, groaning she pulled the blankets up.

“How you feeling this morning baby?”

“Kind of shit if I’m honest.”

“Hopefully not as bad as you would if I hadn’t given you the medicine, you tried to pick me up again?”

Opening her eyes y/n turned looking at her boyfriend who lay beside her with a grin on his face.

“Are you serious?”

“Mhm it was rather cute but I’ll tell you about that later try and get some more sleep.”

Adam pulled her close to him once more his hand rubbing soothing patterns on her back as she was lulled back to sleep.

[mackenzielovee]

parenthood part twenty one: muddy waters

a/n: could you tell i was lazy about the picture this week hahaha. happy tuesday you guys, i hope you have a great day and enjoy this part! please leave me some feedback and reblogs are super appreciated! xoxo

warnings: swearing, complex family dynamics, verbal arguments, kissing, allusions to smut

ambivalence masterlist , parenthood masterlist

     It’s a perfect Wednesday night when you hear the knock on your front door. You’re not used to visitors on weeknights — especially ones that are unannounced — but the relaxation of the evening prior to the knock has you in such a great mood that you don’t mind it at all. 

Rafe had made dinner; a new pesto pasta recipe he found online and wanted to try. Connor had helped him while you braided Josie’s hair — her most recent obsession. She took a turn trying to braid yours, and although it turned out messy and incomplete, you kept it for as long as it stayed in. 

The kids sat down for dinner and there was no fighting, complaining, or even a desire to leave the table. Everyone took a turn sharing details of their day, and the dinner ended in lots of laughter. 

Afterward, you and Connor did the dishes while Rafe and Josie listed off ideas for dessert since the kids had been so good for dinner. Settling on strawberry shortcake, they start to get all of the ingredients out when the knock sounds. You leave Connor on his stool at the sink, where he’s washing silverware, and hurry to the front door to answer it. 

Pulling open the door, your smile falls for the first time since Rafe came home.

“Hey,” Sarah says, swallowing roughly as she stares at you.

You take a moment to wrap your head around the fact that she’s standing on your porch, then fake a smile and clutch the door handle in your fist. 

“Hey,” you reply, your voice hoarse. 

“Um, listen, sorry to just show up out of the blue, but I really need to talk to my brother,” she explains, and you find her word choice interesting. 

“Your brother?” you question before you can help yourself.

Sarah draws back, clearly not expecting you to fire back at her in any sense. You know exactly what Sarah thinks of you — pushover who won’t stand up for herself because she wants to keep the peace with everyone. 

“Yes,” she says slowly, “It’s a family matter.”

You snort, “I’m his wife, Sarah.”

“I get that, I’m just saying, it has nothing to do with you,” she explains, “Could I just—”

“Sweetheart?” Rafe yells from the kitchen, “Who is it?”

You sigh, having no idea what to do. You know Rafe wants the kids to stay away from Sarah, so you can’t yell that it’s her in response. You’re also sure Rafe himself doesn’t want to see Sarah, but that’s not your choice to make. 

You shake your head and look up at Sarah, who stands smugly on your porch, with her arms crossed over her chest. 

“Wait here,” you tell her, “I’ll send him out.”

She doesn’t reply, or even acknowledge that you spoke, so you step back and close the front door on her. 

Your walk to the kitchen feels like an eternity, and by the time you re-enter the room, all three pairs of eyes look up at you. 

“Mommy, we made yours,” Connor says, smiling and holding up a plate for you. 

“Thank you, handsome,” you reply, accepting the plate. 

Rafe tucks his arm around your waist, clearly reading the expression on your face and knowing instantly that something’s up. The kids fall out of tune with the two of you quickly; opting to take turns adding more and more whipped cream to their strawberries. 

“What’s up, baby?” Rafe whispers in your ear, leaving a kiss on your temple. 

“Well, you start, turning around to face him, “Actually, your—”

“Whoa, strawberry shortcake?”

You watch Rafe’s expression change in slow motion; recognizing the voice instantly. Your head shoots over to the doorway, where Sarah stands with a wide smile on her face, watching the kids’ eyes go wide. 

“Aunt Sarah, you’re home!” Connor exclaims, forgetting about his dessert and rushing toward her. 

“Aunt Sarah!” Josie squeals.

Sarah scoops up both kids in her arms and showers them with kisses and questions about how they’re doing. You wince when Rafe’s hands fall from you completely, then watch as he turns around to face his sister. 

He stares at her for a long minute, taking in her appearance. Her hair is shorter and her makeup looks almost professional — making her look older. Despite all of this, the only thing you see when you look at her is the same girl who tried to sabotage your relationship with Rafe in the beginning. The same girl who stole your boyfriend back in high school, then rubbed it in your face. The redemption she’d found is gone, you think, and you know Rafe sees it, too.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Rafe questions, eyeing the kids as he takes a step closer to his sister. 

“Oh, just came to see what Barbie and Ken are up to,” she replies sarcastically, shooting you a look.

Rafe’s jaw clenches, “Don’t do that.”

Sarah grins smugly at this response, seeming that it’s exactly what she had been going for. 

“Why not?” she asks innocently, “It’s totally fitting. You know, boy meets girl; girl ignores boy. Boy develops a substance abuse problem—”

“Sarah,” you gasp, watching Rafe draw back. 

She laughs, “Joking.”

Rafe steadies himself and takes a long, deep breath, then calmly crosses the kitchen, making eye contact with his sister as he approaches. 

“Give me my children,” he says, his voice way too calm for your liking before he adds, “Now, Sarah.”

“Daddy—” Josie starts to pout, but Rafe doesn’t let her finish.

“C’mere, Josie,” he demands of her, already grabbing her and removing her from Sarah’s arms, “Put Connor down.”

“Oh, my God,” Sarah groans, rolling her eyes, “This is so—” 

“Connor,” Rafe’s voice raises, a rare occurrence in your house and enough to ensure the kids know he’s serious, “Get down, now.”

With a pout, Connor squirms from Sarah, then hurries across the kitchen and grabs onto your leg. You sink to your knees, wrapping your arms around him to give him a hug. Just by his expression, you can tell Connor doesn’t understand, and he took his father’s irritation to heart. 

“You’re ridiculous,” Sarah scoffs. 

“Go to your mother,” Rafe tells Josie, setting her on the floor and sparing you half a glance before turning to Sarah, “I told you I didn’t want you around my children.”

Sarah shrugs, “You tell me a lot of things.”

“Why did you even come here?” Rafe questions her.

Josie reaches you and cuddles into the side of your body opposite to where Connor is, and you hesitate on what to do at this point. 

“I need to talk to you,” she says again, “I already told Y/N—”

“Before she let you into our house?” Rafe guesses. 

You stand then, keeping a grip on the hands of both of your kids. 

“No, Rafe, I didn’t let her—”

Rafe’s hand goes up to silence you, and it’s the first time you can really see his expression. He’s angry — so angry, in fact, that you realize he isn’t going to be listening to anything anyone says for the next little bit. You draw back, suddenly feeling as if Rafe isn’t on your side. 

“Whoops,” Sarah snickers, “Did I start an argument?”

She’s faking innocence, and part of you feels as if you could smack the smug look right off her face.

“We’re not arguing,” you defend weakly, while Rafe says nothing. 

“Whatever,” Sarah huffs, “Hey, Connor—”

Rafe steps toward his sister and glares, silencing her. She just smirks wider, watching Rafe turn his head to speak over his shoulder.

“Take the kids to your parents’, Y/N,” he orders. 

“What?” you question weakly. 

He shakes his head at your inquiry, as if he can’t even begin to believe you’re questioning him. Then, he turns, but his eyes don’t meet yours.

“Put the kids in the car, and take them to your parents’,” he repeats, “I need to deal with this.”

Before you can even speak up, your daughter does it for you. 

“But, Daddy—”

“Don’t argue with me,” his voice raises, causing your eyes to go wide.  

“Rafe,” you criticize his tone toward Josie, but he shakes his head.

“Just do what I ask!” he fires out, his voice loud and booming, “For once, just do it.”

You stare at him for a long moment, letting the silence sit between all of you. It isn’t until you catch the smirk on Sarah’s lips that you decide not to waste another second. You smile down at both of the kids and then pull them toward the garage, stopping only to put their jackets and shoes on. 

You try not to look at Rafe, Sarah, or the strawberry shortcake ingredients as you do all of this. You just focus on the kids; giving Connor smiles every time his big eyes find yours, then brushing the stray, silent tears from Josie’s cheeks from her dad yelling. You’re sure Rafe doesn’t know the tears are there — at least, you choose to believe that. 

You turn back once the kids are settled, but Rafe doesn’t even look your way. He’s staring at Sarah with hatred and anger, obviously just waiting for the door to close behind you before he says another word to her. 

“Bye, Daddy,” Josie lets slip quietly, and a small sniffle from her tears follows. 

Rafe’s shoulders immediately lose their tenseness at the little noise, one that he knows all too well. He turns just as you scoop her up in your arms, then send him a glare. 

“Wait,” he whispers, “Jo, princess, wait—”

“Just deal with it, Rafe,” you snap, “I’m doing what you asked.”

His eyes shut as he listens to you guide the kids out to the garage, where you strap them in and give them both hugs and kisses before climbing into the car yourself. You look at them both in the rearview mirror as they process what’s happened; how their favorite night of the week has so quickly turned into this. 

     Your mom welcomes you and the kids into the house with open arms, as you knew she would. Your dad takes Connor and Josie into the kitchen and they all construct ice cream sundaes together while you and your mom spill everything over a glass of wine in the living room. She lets you cry, then offers you more wine, but stops you before it can get to be more than you need. 

Rafe calls you for the first time about half an hour after you arrived at your parents. You chose not to pick up, but you and your mom both watched the phone ring. He calls again after an hour, then after two hours, then switches to texting you. Those, you choose not to open, yet. 

Connor wanders into the living room first, while you’re sure Josie’s trying to pawn more ice cream from your dad in the kitchen. He squirms into your lap and gives you a hug, where he eventually falls asleep. 

“They have clothes here,” your mom whispers, “Sleep here tonight.”

You think about it for a moment before nodding and allowing her to pour you a bit more wine. 

“Thanks, Mom,” you whisper. 

Josie and your dad come in soon after, and both Josie and your dad fall asleep in the armchair soon after. It isn’t until your mom disappears to take care of the dishes in the kitchen that you decide to check your phone, viewing the missed text messages from Rafe. 

Can you talk?

Please?

You stare at the messages for too long. The last one was sent almost an hour ago, and the fact that he seems to have given up makes your stomach turn. Eventually, you type out a message that you hope says exactly what you want it to say. 

We’re staying the night here. Kids have everything they need. Please pack lunches for the kids and put their backpacks in the kitchen before you leave for work. Goodnight. 

Only about four seconds after you hit send does your phone start to ring. You reject the call immediately to stop the noise from waking anyone in the living room from their sleep. Connor squirms against you, but doesn’t awaken. 

Come home. Bring the kids home. 

This time, you don’t hesitate on your response, but instead, type out a quick one and hit send before you even have time to think. 

We’ll see you tomorrow. 

The bubbles that display his typing appear immediately, then disappear, then appear and remain on screen for a while, then disappear again. You lock your phone before you can obsess over it any further, then place it on the coffee table. 

Then, on your own, you carry the kids upstairs. They both grunt and groan on the way up, but you don’t mind. Instead of putting them in Scott’s room to sleep, you decide to keep them with you instead, wanting to have some warmth in your bed tonight. 

     You shut off your alarm before it goes off, given that you didn’t even get one full hour of sleep. Instead, you spent the night staring at Connor and Josie as they slept, both cuddled up with their blankets and letting even breaths in and out. 

Even though you know why he did, you’re sad Rafe left you alone. You know he did it because of the kids — out of fear of waking them up with calls and texts. Given that you know him so well, you’re sure he didn’t get any sleep either, and is now probably considering if it’s too early to call. 

Shaking the thought from your mind, you replay the way he’d looked at you yesterday, his harsh words, and eventually huff as you stand from the bed. You take a quick shower, then come out and wake both Connor and Josie from their sleep. 

All three of you get ready to the best of your ability, then you sneak out of the house with the kids, trying not to wake your parents up. A part of you hates that the kids need their backpacks, because you don’t want to have to go home and face him right now. 

It isn’t until you pull onto your street that Josie finally brings up Rafe for the first time since last night. 

“Is Daddy still mad at me?”

You frown, “No, honey. He was never mad at you.”

She’s quiet for a moment, but you know it won’t last long. Connor gazes longingly out the window, listening to the two of you but not engaging. 

“Yes, he was,” Josie pushes, “Daddy yelled. But, Daddy says we don’t yell at each other. So, he’s mad at me, Mommy.”

You swallow the lump in your throat, but it doesn’t go away. Instead, it remains there, and you sigh. 

“Daddy loves you,” you say weakly, “Both of you. He didn’t mean to yell.”

Josie nods, “Is Daddy at home?”

She asks this right as you pull into the driveway, where Rafe’s truck is parked neatly. Your stomach twists at the thought of having to face him, not knowing what he’ll have to say.

“Looks like it,” you reply. 

You get both kids out of the car and lead them up to the now open garage. Connor grasps your hand in his and keeps his pace with you, and you know it’s no accident. He’s hesitant to see Rafe, too, you’re sure, because of it all. Josie, who seems to want to see him the most, walks a few steps ahead. 

She waits for you to open the door leading into the house, then guides the two of you inside. 

“Alright,” you say to the kids, “School in five minutes, please. Go potty and grab your backpacks.”

Josie ignores you, and instead, walks into the kitchen, “Daddy?”

Connor squeezes your hand, gaining your attention as you look down at him to check on him. His eyes are wide and innocent as he stares up at you.

“Mama,” he whispers, bringing you to your knees, “I don’t really wanna see Daddy right now.”

You stare at Connor, at Rafe’s mini twin, and nod your head sadly. You understand his emotions, because you feel the same, and brush the hair from his eyes before kissing his forehead. 

“That’s okay, baby,” you promise him, “Just go potty. I’ll get your backpack and meet you back here.”

He nods and releases your hand, then walks out of the kitchen and into the living room. Josie continues to search while you listen, relaxing only when you hear the bathroom door close behind Connor. 

“Daddy!” Josie calls again. 

“Josie?”

His voice is faint, and you instantly know he’s upstairs. Josie perks up at the sound of his voice and goes rushing into the living room just as you hear Rafe’s footsteps descending down the stairs. 

“Daddy,” she repeats, sounding relieved to see him, “Daddy, I missed you.”

You watch from the doorway of the kitchen as Rafe meets the bottom step, then sinks to his knees in front of her and pulls her in for a hug. She’s quick to wrap herself around him, squeezing him as tight as he squeezes her. 

“I missed you, too, princess,” he says quietly, emotionally, “I really, really did.”

They remain in each other’s embrace for a few more seconds before Rafe ultimately pulls back, trying to get a look at her. 

“I don’t like it when you don’t tuck me in,” she pouts. 

Rafe nods, “I know. I know, princess, I’m so sorry.”

“Are you still mad at me?” Josie asks, and when Rafe’s eyes close, she continues, “Mommy says you’re not, but—”

“I’m not,” Rafe promises, his eyes glossy with emotion, “Josie, I’m so sorry about yesterday. I never meant to make you cry. I shouldn’t have yelled, baby, I’m sorry. Can you forgive me?”

“I forgive you, Daddy,” Josie nods, letting Rafe pull her right back into his chest. 

You hear the bathroom door open again and step forward, watching as Connor walks out of the bathroom and comes face to face with his dad and sister. 

“Connor,” Rafe breathes, pulling back slightly from Josie, “Hey, buddy. Can I talk to you?”

Connor’s eyes immediately find you, wide with concern. Rafe follows Connor’s gaze, and his eyes meet your figure for the first time today. Immediately, Rafe picks up Josie and stands, licking his lips anxiously as his eyes hit the floor. 

“We need to get to school,” you announce. 

Connor crosses the room and takes your hand, standing by your side with his back to Rafe. 

Rafe nods once, “I packed lunches. Backpacks are on their hooks in the laundry room. Chocolate chip cookies for you, princess, and Zebra cakes for Connor, right, buddy?”

Connor says nothing. Rafe runs a hand through his hair and looks up at you, as if to silently bag for help with his son. You look away, unwilling to provide that. 

“Go get your backpack,” you tell Connor, nodding toward the laundry room. 

He agrees and rushes off, leaving you to face Rafe while he clutches Josie. She sets her head down on his shoulder, seemingly unwilling to separate from him. 

“I could take them,” he volunteers, “I don’t have to be at the office until ten.”

“It’s fine,” you reply. 

He nods, “Alright. Can I have kisses, Josie?”

Josie gives Rafe a hug and a kiss, then promises to see him after school. Connor returns to the living room just as Rafe sets Josie down, and hands her her backpack. 

“C’mon, kiddos,” you say, grabbing each of their hands. 

Rafe clears his throat and takes a step forward, “Are you coming home after?”

You look up at him, wanting to dismiss his question, but the desperation hidden in his expression makes your heart melt. You feel your guard lower, and soon, you nod. 

“Yep.”

His shoulders loosen, “Okay. I’ll be here.”

You just nod, then lead the kids toward the garage. Josie turns back, giving one last smile to Rafe. 

“Bye, Daddy!”

“Bye, princess,” he smiles, “Bye, Connor. Love you all.”

“Love you too!” Josie calls, leaving Rafe with only the echo of her response, and the loudness of the silence from you and your son. 

     Rafe sends you an alert to his location while you’re in the middle of dropping the kids off, sharing with you that he is currently at your favorite coffee place. You stare at the notification for a moment, then tuck your phone away once more. 

You know he’ll be there when you get home, because he’s probably religiously checking your location. You allow him to watch as you circle the neighborhood three times for no reason other than to stall. 

When you do decide to go home, it’s only because you have to work. Your car finds its spot in the garage, and you sit inside for an extra minute before braving the inside of your home. With a sigh, you decide to head in, silently hoping for some sort of strength and resolve. 

You’re not at all surprised when you walk inside to the kitchen and find a bouquet of roses in the middle of the island, sitting in a vase beside a large iced coffee and a box that you’re sure contains donuts. Rafe is nowhere to be seen, but you don’t go looking for him, either. You stand in front of the flowers, peek in the donut box, and sip from the coffee before stepping back, ready to go log into work. 

Just as the donut box is shut, Rafe walks into the kitchen. He’s in slacks and a dress shirt, which remains open. You can see his warm, tan skin, and you’re jealous of the tie hanging undone around his neck, kissing that skin you love so much. 

“Hey,” he says hesitantly. 

“Hey,” you return, crossing your arms over your chest, “I hope you know that this doesn’t make up for any of it.”

Although you’re trying to be serious, Rafe’s lips tip up in a smirk, his eyes never leaving you. 

“I know,” he replies, “Can you tie this?”

He watches your resolve start to melt as he steps closer, giving you a better view of his figure. He smells so good, you notice, and he’s looking at you in the way that always makes your heart skip a beat. 

Just as you feel yourself giving in, you shut it all down. His smirks, his advances, all of it. His expression drops when you step back, shaking your head and ridding yourself of his scent. 

“No,” you say firmly, “Seriously, Rafe? You think flowers and coffee are going to make up for what happened yesterday?”

He frowns, “Y/N—”

“No, you know what? You know where your sister gets that little ‘Figure Eight Barbie Doll’ narrative from? She gets it from you, because that’s exactly how you spoke to me yesterday.”

Rafe draws back, and the expression on his face reminds you of Connor’s earlier. Sad, anxious, and above all, hurt. 

“I—” he starts, his voice weak and fragile, “Sweetheart, I’m sorry.”

Just like that, you melt. His voice, his demeanor, the way he already knows just how enormously he fucked up. It all draws you in, not wanting to fight with him, but sure wanting him to know how it all made you feel. 

“Rafe,” you say, earning his eyes, “If you ever speak to me that way again—” 

You stop yourself, shaking your head and dropping his gaze. He nods, then takes one step closer to you. 

“I was angry,” he blurts, “Angry that Sarah was standing in our kitchen. Angry that she ruined our perfect night. Then, she’s holding our kids and bringing up all this fucking bullshit. I just wanted the kids away from her, because I don’t— they can’t know. About me. About who I was. And, just, the look on her face pissed me off. Like, she was ready to tear apart everything I have, you know?”

You shake your head again, “She didn’t have to work that hard, Rafe. You pretty much ruined it for yourself. I mean, seriously? Telling me to listen to you, for once? What the fuck does that even mean?”

“Nothing, Y/N, it means nothing,” he says quickly, stepping forward again, desperate to reach out and grab ahold of you, “I was mad and I wanted you guys out of the house before I blew up on her. That doesn’t mean I should’ve said it. I’m so sorry, baby.”

You step back, “Okay.”

Clearly, this response is not good enough for him. He closes the space between the two of you, cupping your cheeks in his palms gently, and stares down at you. His eyes are brimmed with tears, and you can tell up close that he truly did not get any sleep last night. 

“Tell me what to do,” he whispers, “I’ll do it. Anything you want. Because, believe me, sweetheart, I’ve been kicking myself since the door shut behind you yesterday.”

You stare at his blue eyes, at the desperation he holds to try and make it alright. You sigh and pull away, letting his hands fall to his sides. His frown deepens, but you don’t let that stop you. 

“Make things right with your son,” you reply weakly, choking down your own cries, “You raised your voice at our children, Rafe, and that’s not okay. I get that you were mad at your sister, but they deserve better than that. So do I. Go to work.”

You slide out from around him then, hurrying out of the kitchen and to your office. You shut the door and sign onto work, holding it together for a few more minutes. It’s not until you hear the garage door open and shut, the alarm beep, and Rafe’s truck start up, that you let yourself crack. Then, you wipe the tears from your cheeks and walk back out to the kitchen, where you spitefully swipe the coffee from the counter, along with the entire box of donuts, and retreat back to your office. 

     On his lunch break, Rafe leaves work and heads to your favorite sandwich joint, which just so happens to be right around the corner from your favorite bakery. He picks up your favorite lunch and pastries, then comes home. You’re in the middle of a lengthy email to Rose when you hear the alarm beep with his entry, but you don’t question it. 

With a knock, he stands in the doorway of your office, waiting on you to turn. When you do, your heart melts as you read the labels on the bags he juggles, along with the cup he clutches. He smiles to himself when he sees the donut box sitting on your desk and the empty coffee cup in the trash. 

You take a deep breath as he enters, and without saying a word, he sets the food down on your desk, then removes the donut box with a small excuse of taking it to the kitchen for you. 

“Thank you,” you murmur, turning back to your keyboard. 

“Mhm,” he hums, and you feel him stop right behind you, “Sweetheart?”

You turn your chair, meeting his eyes and facing him. 

“What?”

He raises a brow at your response, prompting you to stubbornly cross your arms over your chest. 

“I want to take Connor out tonight,” he declares, “Would you be okay with hanging out with Jo?”

You hope he can’t see the way your eyes soften at the idea, but you know that he knows you better than that. 

“If it’s okay with Connor, yes,” you agree. 

He beams, “Perfect.”

“Alright,” you whisper, attempting to turn back around once more. 

Rafe, who feels victorious, grabs ahold of the back of your chair and spins you to your original position — facing him. He smirks when your eyes widen at his movement, but you don’t have much time to dwell on it, because he kneels directly in front of you and places his large, warm palms on your thighs. 

“I’m in love with you,” he tells you, not removing his eyes from you for one second, “Even when you’re pissed at me. Even when you have this cute little attitude. So, push me as far as you want. I deserve it.”

He watches you try and suppress a smile by biting the inside of your cheek. 

“You do deserve it,” you mumble. 

He grins, “I know.”

Before you can protest any further, one of Rafe’s hands cups your cheek the same way he did this morning, and pulls you in. You don’t protest, pretending as if you don’t have time, and let his lips meet yours. 

He’s gentle in a way that you haven’t felt in a long time, yet needy enough that tells you he missed you oh so much in bed last night. His lips work against yours in a desperate, loving fashion, and his tongue tastes your bottom lip before he tucks it between his teeth and pulls, eliciting a groan from the back of your throat. When he pulls back, you have to remind yourself not to beg for more, because you have to play the long game here.

“I really do love you,” Rafe whispers, pecking your lips, “And, I really am sorry.”

“Good,” you mutter. 

He chuckles and lets his hands fall to your lap once more, where they run over your skin before he stands up. He takes you in one more time, then turns and walks out of your office. Once he reaches the doorway, your guilt takes over. 

“Rafe?”

He turns back immediately, “Yeah, baby?”

“I love you, too.”

He smiles then, and you allow a smile to form on your lips, too. 

“I know,” he admits, almost shyly, “Have a good day, sweetheart.”

     You pick up the kids later that afternoon, with a belly full of a sandwich and pastry. They both tell you about their days over their snack in the kitchen, and when they’re through, Josie takes her seat at the kitchen table and opens her favorite picture book. Connor takes his plate and Josie’s to the sink, where he rinses them and sets them down. 

“Homework?” you ask him. 

He nods, “Math.”

You turn your nose up and he laughs, shaking his head. Connor, like Rafe, excels in the math department. You, however, do not. 

Connor sets himself up at the table with Josie; both of them remaining quiet and respecting the other. You do the dishes and clean the kitchen, not at all surprised when you hear Rafe’s truck pull into the driveway. He’s an hour early, but you expected as such. 

Josie’s the first to perk up when she hears the door from the garage open. Rafe walks through and glances around, finding your back to him at the sink, Connor's eyes pressed to his homework, and Josie already out of her chair and running to him. 

“Daddy!” she cheers, launching herself at him. 

“Hey, baby girl,” Rafe beams, “Missed you so much today. How was school?”

Josie starts telling Rafe a story about her day while he carries her across the kitchen, where his hand meets your back gently. You don’t turn — intentionally trying to torture him. He doesn’t show any sign that it works, and instead, he finishes his conversation with Josie behind you. You scrub the casserole dish that didn’t actually need to be washed in the first place; but it had given you something to do. 

“Connor’s doing math,” Josie tells Rafe, who uses that knowledge to excuse himself and walk over to the kitchen table. 

“Is he?” Rafe questions, setting Josie back down in her chair, “Hey, buddy. Need any help?”

Hesitantly, Connor looks up at his dad, then back down at the paper in front of him.

“Yes, please,” Connor says quietly. 

Rafe nods and smiles, then pulls out the seat beside him and slides into it. In a matter of minutes, Connor’s talking to him, sitting up in his chair, and engaging in conversation. After his math sheet is full of correct answers, Rafe leans down and brushes hair from Connor’s eyes, then gives him a sad smile. 

“Listen, buddy,” Rafe almost whispers, “About yesterday. I’m really sorry that I yelled and made you think I was mad at you. I should not have raised my voice like I did, I know that. And, it’s okay if you’re not ready to forgive me, yet, but I just want you to know how sorry I am.”

Connor’s lips part and he nods, “I know, Dad.”

Rafe nods in return and exhales in relief, then leans forward and kisses Connor’s forehead. 

“Good,” he replies, “I was thinking, maybe you and I could go to Mack’s tonight and get—”

“Mack’s?” Connor gasps, thinking of his favorite restaurant in town. 

Rafe grins, “Yeah, buddy.”

“Can we get milkshakes?”

“We can definitely get milkshakes,” Rafe replies, “Sound good?”

Connor’s smile makes your heart melt, and you love how well Rafe knows the kids so much that he knows the right way to communicate with both of them. 

“Sounds great,” Connor replies. 

Rafe kisses Connor’s forehead again, then stands from the chair. He tells Josie to put her backpack up in her room, and for Connor to put his homework away before he gets ready to go. The kids do as they’re told, and you shake your head as he turns back to you once they’re hurrying to the stairs. 

“And then there was one,” he teases, rounding the sink once more, “You’re going to be the most stubborn, aren’t you?”

You keep your eyes trained down in the sink, where you’re now scrubbing every wine glass you own, citing dust as the reason. 

“Yep,” you reply. 

He chuckles, placing his hands on your hips and pressing his body into you from behind, “As expected. I might have to pull out some old tricks.”

You raise a brow, “You’re failing so far, Cameron.”

He laughs, then buries his face into the crook of your neck. His lips meet your skin in firm, wet kisses, and it draws an uneven breath from your lungs. His hands roam greedily, and it isn’t until he gently takes skin between his teeth that you gasp and pull away. 

“Laundry,” you blurt, “There’s laundry I have to do.”

He smirks, “Yeah?”

“Yes.”

“Where is it?”

You falter, and his smirk widens. 

“Where is what?” you ask.

“The laundry. I’ll do it. Just tell me where it is so I can take care of it.”

You sigh and cross your arms over your chest, turning around to face him for the first time since he came over. He grins then, knowing he’s got you right where he wants you. 

“It may not exist yet,” you admit, dropping your gaze to his chest, taking note of how broad he looks in his blue suit, “But, I’m sure I can find something in this house that needs to be washed.”

“Hmm,” he hums, “Seems like you have a few minutes to spare, then.”

He tucks his index finger underneath your chin, then grips it with his thumb. You swallow, and he smiles, and just before he leans in, your entire persona drops. 

“Rafe,” you grumble, “I’m not ready to let it go, yet.”

“That’s fine,” he whispers, breath hitting your lips, “As long as you just don’t let me go.”

You nod, allowing his scent, his words, and the temptation of his mouth pull you right back in. His kiss is desperate and demanding. You’re not in control of it for one second, not even when he pushes you back against the countertop and slips his fingers down the waistband of your leggings. 

“Rafe—” you say, silenced by another kiss from him. 

“Tell me,” he demands, “Tell me what you want. Tell me how to make it up to you.”

“You hurt me,” you blurt, watching his face fall. 

He pulls back and lets his hand slide up from your panties, resting now just over your stomach. His eyes scan your face, silently begging you to take it back, to elaborate, to burst out into laughter and tell him you’ve just been messing with him. 

“What?” 

“You hurt me,” you repeat, your voice sounding weak as you explain to him how you feel, what’s been on your mind since yesterday, “You made me seem like a bad wife. I know that I’m not. But, you acted like I don’t listen to you. Like I’m just supposed to be submissive and give in to every demand. I know you’ve apologized, but it really hurt my feelings.”

“Sweetheart,” he murmurs, but you’re not through. 

“This is a partnership. Regardless of how angry you are, you cannot treat me like that.”

His nod is small, and his lips press together in a line. His warm palm splays across your stomach, heating your skin. 

“I fucked up,” he says quietly, “I fucked up, and that’s on me. You’re the most amazing wife — woman — I’ve ever met, and I know how lucky I am. Trust me. There’s no excuse for what I said, and I’m so fucking sorry that it hurt you. That I hurt you. I love you so much, baby, and I’ll do better. I promise.”

To show him that you’ve heard him, you bring your hand to his and cover it. His palm presses tighter into your stomach, as if he’s desperate to feel your skin on his own. His eyes don’t leave you, but the pout that forms on your lips draws him in closer. 

“Maybe you could grovel a bit more,” you say quietly, trying not to smile, “That might help.”

Rafe doesn’t even try to hide his smile, “Really?”

“Mhm,” you nod, “Just for a few more days, or something.”

“Definitely. A week might be better.”

“Maybe two,” you throw out. 

He laughs, “You’re perfect.”

You smile, too, tugging him down by his arm to give you another kiss. This one is more gentle, loving, and tender. He keeps it soft, and keeps his hands where you can see them, only wanting to do what you’re comfortable with. 

“Hey,” you say when you pull back, earning all of his attention, “What did Sarah even want?”

His eyes darken, the way they seem to only do when he’s talking about his sister. You frown, knowing it won’t be good. His Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows, then sets his jaw. 

“What does Sarah ever want?” he mutters, “Money.”

You scoff, “I thought your dad was giving her money.”

“Nope. He cut her off. Said she could come home if Boston wasn’t working out. She refused. So, she came here.”

You quickly process that information, but your brows furrow when you think about it all. 

“Why would Sarah think you’d give her money?” you ask him, “After everything she said?”

He shrugs, but you can tell just by his expression that he has more to say. 

“Because I thought about it,” he admits. 

“What do you mean?”

He shrugs again, “I mean, I thought about what you always say about Sarah. That she just wants to have a life before she has kids and everything. I kept thinking about what you would do, and I almost gave her the money.”

“Almost?” you question. 

“Yeah, almost,” he repeats, clocking the pitter patter of bare feet on the stairs, “Then, I told her to fuck off, and I couldn’t believe she was standing in the middle of me and you. Again.”

You don’t have time to reply to him, given that Connor rushes into the kitchen and over to Rafe. Even then, Rafe’s eyes stay locked into yours until Connor reaches for his arm, pulling it from your stomach.

“Ready to go, Dad?” 

Rafe smiles and looks down at Connor, who is dressed and holds a pair of socks in his hand, ready to put his shoes on.

“Ready, buddy,” Rafe agrees, “Give Mom kisses while I get your shoes.”

“Have fun, handsome,” you smile, sinking down to peck Connor’s cheeks. 

Rafe steps away and grabs Connor’s shoes, then tosses them one by one to him. Connor laces up his shoes and then stands once more, blowing you a kiss as he guides Rafe toward the garage door. 

“Bye, Mama!” he calls.

“Bye,” you reply, then change your mind and step forward, “Rafe?”

He turns, “Yeah, sweetheart?”

You catch him off guard and you know that, but you don’t care. Your hand meets his chest only seconds before you pull him down, bringing him in for a long kiss. 

You pull back first, and part of you is sure that he would’ve never stopped if you didn’t. When you focus on him, his eyes are hazy and his lips remain parted for a beat too long. 

“I love you,” you tell him, “And, if you grovel a little tonight when you come home, I think I can forgive you.”

When you wink suggestively, you watch him melt. His shoulders fall and his eyes shut, compressing every dirty thought he has flashing through his head. 

“Oh, baby,” he groans, “I’ll grovel a lot when I come home.”

You smile and peck his lips once more, then run a hand through Connor’s hair. 

“Have fun, you guys.”

Rafe glances toward the doorway of the kitchen, “Josephine! Daddy’s leaving!” 

As if on cue, Josie’s little feet can be heard running from the play room to the kitchen, where she freezes when she comes face to face with both of you. 

“I wasn’t running in the house,” she lies. 

Rafe laughs, “C’mere, princess.”

Josie gives Rafe a hug and a kiss, and doesn’t fuss once when he passes her off to you. Deciding to watch the boys leave, you carry Josie outside and both of you wave as they set off, all while planning to order pizza and watch movies until they come home. Rafe winks at you before he pulls away, sending those butterflies you gave him right back to you. You smile and shake your head, already seeming to count down the minutes until he comes home to you again.

*i no longer use a tag list. follow @mackupdates for updates! <3 thank you for reading!

[spicyclover]

She’s everything. He’s just Ken

Summary: You eat cereal when he announces he wants to break up.

Request

Hope you’ll enjoy this part. Let me know in the comments section! And to support me by tipping me!

I'm open to requests.

Little information, I will, for now, only post on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Thank you, and Enjoy! :)

Lots of love, xxx Spicy Clover

Inspire by Dakota Johnson and Armie Hammer. (I don’t remember the name of the series/film where this scene is from. So if you know, comment in the section below. Thank you!)

I wrote another story for this request because the first one was too sad. 

There has been a lot of up and down in your relationship with George. You can’t remember the last time you had a meal together without being mad at each other and having make-up sex afterward. 

You’re not unhappy with him. Actually, you love him dearly. But he’s always been complicated and unsure of everything. One day he would be the perfect gentleman, giving you flowers, kissing you every time he can, saying to you how much he loves you. But some days, it’s like he doesn’t know. 

His mother always refers to you as Barbie, not in the wrong way, like superficial or anything. Just because everywhere you go, you grab attention. Everyone turns at you. Giving you free stuff. Telling you how beautiful you are. She never quite understands why your choice has been on George. To be honest, you can’t explain it either. So eventually, everyone started to joke around, saying that George is just Ken and you’re everything. He hates it, and something that is what the fight is all about.

Last night was a lousy fight for both of you. Yelling at each other all night and him deciding to sleep on the couch. You didn’t sleep. You lay in your bed, waiting for the hours to pass, listening to his sights behind the door. You made a list in your head of everything that happened, all bad and good. 

You finally roll out of bed when your alarm goes off. You rub your tired eyes, and you drag yourself to the kitchen to have your breakfast. Pouring cereal into a bowl, you look over at him. He’s gazing at you to make so much noise, but you don’t care.

“I think we should break up. I don’t believe this is working.” He says, sitting in front of you. 

“Okay.” You say, unbothered. 

“That’s all you got? Okay?” He repeats. 

“What would you expect that we cuddle?”

“Fuck you!” 

You smirk, looking up and down at him. He takes his stuff and slams the door. You expected him to come back, but he didn’t. This surprises you initially, but you no longer have time for him. 

A few weeks passed, and you kept working at the organization for the Grand Prix in Silverstone. Freshly single, you met a guy a few times, but nothing serious. I mean, that’s what you thought. Only after a few weeks he finally kissed you.

You didn’t expect this action so soon but didn’t back down. Yet, the following day, you made it clear to him that it was only one evening. You left, leaving him stunned.

You smirk and get back to your hotel room. You get to the track for the race a few hours later, and you don’t tell George you will be there. So you walk in like you own the place and go straight into his garage. The few team members you pass on your way politely greet you, unaware of your breakup.

You see him talking to his engineers. You smile politely at the person who recognizes you and leaves the Mercedes garage to go to the Red Bull garage. You can feel George’s eyes on you when he sees you kissing his worst enemy on the track.

His hands rest on your hips, visibly surprised by this situation change. After all, a few hours ago, you made him understand that you wanted nothing more, and now you’re kissing him in front of everyone.

“I didn’t change my mind.” You say, getting away. “I’m just playing a long game.” You smirk and get out of the way. 

Leaving the garage to find your place at the paddock club. 

Let's just say this race has been brutal. 

George wins, and your lover DNF.

The first thing George did? 

Grabbing your face to kiss you, unable to let you go. 

“You’re right. I’m just Ken.”

[inawickedlittletown]

You Can Find Me Where the Skies are Blue (BuckTommy fic) - 4/7

Summary:

Soulmates are rare. So rare that it's actually incredible that Buck has two soulmate couples in his life. Statistics tell him it's very unlikely for him to meet his soulmate. Of course, then he meets Tommy. Too bad it happens at the worst possible moment.

Canon compliant soulmate AU where Buck is still a mess and Tommy is still very understanding.

Words: 4,716

Ao3

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

-

Part Four

Eddie’s Chevelle was gorgeous. Old cars just had something about them that gave them so much more character than anything more modern. She was in good condition, too, had probably spent little time out in the sun or other weather. Tommy was more than a little impressed. 

He had Eddie drive her into the garage and right onto the lift even if he didn’t intend to lift her up just yet. Instead, he opened the hood. Eddie joined him. 

“Car’s in great condition,” Tommy said. 

“My Abuela kept it mostly in the garage with a cover. It actually belonged to my Abuelo and she couldn’t get rid of it. But once she decided to move back to Texas, she figured it was time and passed it to me.” 

“I’m gonna take a quick look,” Tommy said. “See if I find anything that needs work.”

“Sure,” Eddie said, and when Tommy looked away from the car found that Eddie had started to wander. 

Tommy didn’t mind. His garage doubled as his home gym and he was sure that a guy like Eddie might appreciate his set up from his mats to the bench press and his weights to the punching bag that Tommy had added most recently. 

“I gotta say, you really got a nice set up here,” Eddie said, returning to where Tommy was tinkering with the car. “I’ve always wanted to do something at my place but I really don’t have the space.”

Eddie wasn’t wrong that the Chevelle needed a little bit of a tune up, but it really was in good condition. Whatever Eddie had been doing, he’d been keeping up with the maintenance. 

“I got kind of tired of going to an actual gym,” Tommy said. “Between this and what we have at work I get all the exercise I need. Of course, there’s no machine or punching bag that can take the place of a real person for sparring.” 

That seemed to catch Eddie’s interest. “Wait, do you do MMA?” 

“Muay Thai,” Tommy supplied. 

Eddie grinned at him. “I think you just found a sparring partner.” 

“Yeah?” 

“Absolutely,” Eddie said. 

Tommy felt his excitement too. 

By the time that Eddie left, his car’s engine sounded better than it had when it arrived and Tommy was left behind just a little bit sweatier with the satisfaction of having taken Eddie down. The singular thing that brought him down was knowing that Evan had yet to answer his text. 

Tommy didn’t want to be pushy. He didn’t want to overwhelm Evan. He figured he’d give him until the start of his shift and then text him again. If that failed, then there was always Wednesday night. 

Before Eddie left, Tommy had made a point of inviting him out to the bar for karaoke night. He had also made a point of insisting that Eddie invite Hen and Chim and of course Evan and even Bobby if Bobby could be persuaded to show up. Significant others welcome too. It’d be nice to see everyone again of course, but his real goal was Evan. In that setting, Tommy would find some way to get him off to the side and then they could really talk or make plans to talk. Whatever worked, The point was seeing him again and Tommy was not above making it happen in a roundabout way. 

Eddie had been happy to agree and he’d also gotten Tommy to agree to go with him to a pick up basketball game that some firefighters had put together. Tommy figured it’d be fun. 

After a shower to wash off the sweat, Tommy finally dealt with Lucy, calling her because that seemed a lot easier. 

She picked up after one ring. “Evan Buckley,” she said. 

“Yeah. Evan Buckley.”

Lucy laughed. “I’m actually…the more I’ve thought about it the more I kinda see it. I just had no idea Buck swung that way. Not that it ever came up. He had a girlfriend when I worked with him. That chick that wrote that book about firefighters that kinda blew up for a minute.” 

Tommy could picture the book in his mind. He remembered it because it had been literally everywhere. Someone had even brought a few copies into Harbor. There was still some kind of ongoing legal battle about it from LAFD’s end which was kinda hilarious. 

“He dated that woman?” Tommy asked. 

“Yeah…I know,” Lucy said. “I don’t think even he liked her very much. I mean…he kinda cheated on her.” 

“And you know this how?” Tommy asked. His heart was racing. 

“Because on the night I met Buck we got really drunk of tequila and maybe we got a bit flirty and he never told me he had a girlfriend and I kissed him. I wanted…well, I wanted you to know. We never really talked about it and it never happened again.” 

“Did you want it to?” 

Lucy let out a sigh. “Yes. No. He’s hot, can you blame me? The point is he never pursued it and I backed off. And we were really drunk. And now he’s your soulmate.” 

“And he’s straight,” Tommy said. “Might mean you still have a shot.” He hated the words even as he said them. 

Maybe it was a result of being deep in the closet and not getting to experience any real firsts until his late twenties — and even then it hadn’t been out in the open — but Tommy had never gotten good at telling when someone was queer unless they were being very loud about it. He’d always been a little shocked when approached by a guy that clocked him because Tommy didn’t think he ever really gave that vibe. So, he really had no idea when it came to Evan. Except that he was his soulmate. 

“You don’t know that,” Lucy said. “Just because he’s only been with women in the past…”

“Soulmates are not always romantic,” Tommy said. 

“You don’t know that,” Lucy said. 

“Lucy,” Tommy said. “That’s…no, just look at the numbers. There are plenty of platonic soulmates. If that is what Evan and I are then that’s fine too. I’ve been realizing lately just how lonely I really am.” 

It was true. Between not having anyone to really tell about finding his soulmate and finding so much enjoyment in hanging out with Eddie and the way that he did feel a little bit like he’d missed out on something when he left the 118, Tommy had realized that he had sort of settled for being on his own. It wasn’t that he hated it, but it did get lonely. He knew Evan would change that — they were soulmates after all — it was just that Tommy didn’t want to put all of that on Evan. The pressure of meaning absolutely everything. 

“However this turns out,” Lucy said, “I got your back, Kinard.” 

—

Buck spent the first hour on shift trying his hardest to keep from asking Eddie about how the night before had gone with Tommy. He’d seen the text from Tommy when he woke up that morning, had felt warm reading it and realizing that Tommy really was interested in getting to know him and yet he hadn’t known what to text back. As rude as it felt to just leave it, he figured he would respond sometime during the day and that Tommy would just have to wait. Maybe it was a little bit petty too, but Buck didn’t care. 

When he saw Eddie in the locker room he almost asked then, but held himself back. He was grateful to Ravi asking Chim questions about the wedding. It had also kept Hen from making any comments, though Buck had caught her making eyes at him a few times once they were all up on the loft like she was trying to communicate to Buck that they should talk. 

When he couldn’t hold it in any longer, they were on a call. It was only him, Eddie, and Ravi because Hen and Chim had gone as an additional RA to another scene. It felt like the right time and place to bring it up. 

“Uh. Hey, you never said. How was Vegas?” Buck ventured to ask. 

“Quick trip,” Eddie said as if it was the type of thing that he did normally when Buck knew for a fact it wasn’t.

“I’ll bet. How long does it take to chopper there?” 

“One hour,” Eddie said.

“You took a chopper to Vegas?” Ravi asked. 

“And how was the fight?” Buck asked, ignoring Ravi. 

“Fight was okay. Seats were amazing. Tommy’s buddies with the promoter so we were ringside. Felt like I was the one throwing the punches.” 

Maybe it would have been fun to be there, but it really wasn’t Buck’s thing. He didn’t see the appeal to watching two people try to pummel each other. 

“Who’s Tommy?” he heard Ravi ask. 

My soulmate, Buck wanted to answer. He held it in. He felt a bit foolish maybe or embarrassed that he hadn’t told Eddie. Not that they’d had any time to talk lately. He didn’t want to just drop the information while walking into a restaurant for a call that dispatch hadn’t been sure wasn’t a prank. 

As it turned out, it wasn’t a prank. They called it in to dispatch even though the restaurant manager had already called the police. Ravi had gone down there and Buck wanted to continue the conversation. 

“I’m not surprised you had a great time in Vegas,” Buck ventured. “You and Tommy have a lot of things in common. Both in the Army. Both like watching half naked men pummel each other.”

As he listed it, it also dawned on him that he and Tommy didn’t have those things in common and maybe not even other things. He knew, logically, that people could have different interests. Buck and Eddie were good friends and they weren’t into the same things. Chim and Maddie had their own hobbies too. And though he could have very long discussions about cosmic things revolving black holes and time dilation and why exactly Pluto wasn’t a planet with Karen, Hen tended to just tune them out. Still, it left something of a bad taste in his mouth to know that Eddie and Tommy had bonded that much when he hadn’t even gotten a chance. 

“Tommy’s pretty cool,” Eddie said. “It’s been a while since I met someone who can go toe to toe with me in muay thai.” 

That caught Buck short. How many times had Eddie hung out with Tommy? They did all meet the same night right? He wasn’t crazy to feel like things weren’t adding up. He hated the way that it twisted at his gut, how it made him feel uncomfortable. 

“Uh, you guys went to muay thai together?” 

“He’s got a set up in his garage. We sparred a bit when I took the Chevelle over.” 

“You…you took the Chevelle over?” Buck asked and he hoped his voice didn’t give away his feelings. 

Eddie had even gone over to Tommy’s? When had Eddie even had the time? It had barely been a whole week since they met Tommy. 

“Yeah, he’s got a car lift. The guy really knows his engines. You should hear that thing purr now.” 

Buck had seen the Chevelle all of twice since Eddie took custody of it. It was a beautiful car, well preserved for its age. He’d sat in the passenger seat while Eddie drove them around and while he’d appreciated the car, it hadn’t really held his interest. He’d never been much of a car guy. 

After his Jeep was flooded during the hurricane, he’d just gone through the process of replacing it through insurance. He hadn’t even thought about getting a different car. He only really had a Jeep in the first place since Maddie had given him her Jeep as a way to escape their parents. That car had gotten him pretty far until Buck sold it and used the money to travel down to South America. When he moved back and needed a car, he’d just figured a Jeep would do and he’d stuck to that ever since. 

They checked in with Ravi, and Buck was so glad that he wasn’t the one down there, though maybe it would have been preferable to talking to Eddie about Tommy. 

“Well, listen, I — I think it’s great,” Buck said and maybe it was. He did want his best friend and his soulmate to get along. “You know, you can’t have enough friends right?” 

“Right,” Eddie said. “You know, it’s like that thing when you meet somebody and you just click. You know what I mean? Kinda like the soulmate thing. You meet someone and you just know you want them in your life or however it is that works.”

Buck felt like his stomach give a turn. 

“I do,” Buck said. “I really do.” 

The feeling in his stomach, the churning and twisting intensified. He knew exactly what it felt like, the instant connection that Eddie was talking about and it was so much more than the bond between two people that had similar hobbies. It didn’t change that Buck downright hated it. How dare Eddie just swoop in and become more interesting to Buck’s own soulmate? 

“So, when do you think you’ll see him again?” Buck ventured to ask, hoping that Eddie didn’t already have plans with Tommy. 

“He’s got this Karaoke bar trivia thing on Wednesday,” Eddie said. 

Buck saw an opening. He was ready to invite himself along. The words were ready, but Eddie spoke first. 

“Hey, what are you doing Wednesday?” Eddie asked and Buck felt hopeful because if Eddie invited him along then he and Tommy could possibly get some time to talk. It’d be perfect. 

“Me? Uh, yeah, no I’m free. Totally free Wednesday.” 

“Do you think you could watch Christopher for me?” 

Disappointment hit him almost exactly like the guy they were rescuing had been hit. A car driving too fast with a driver too irresponsible to accept consequences. Eddie was the driver and he’d just swept Buck into a sewer. When he agreed, it felt like resignation. This was Buck’s role…the babysitter while Eddie went out and had fun with Buck’s very own soulmate. He knew that if he said something about Tommy being his soulmate that Eddie would back off, but Buck didn’t want that. He didn’t want to get to Tommy because Eddie canceled their plans not to mention that he didn’t want to tell Eddie this way. 

When they got back to the 118, Buck didn’t stick around to talk to Eddie. He found Bobby cooking and after the weeks where he’d been gone on that cruise, it was a very welcome sight. This was where Bobby belonged. 

“You alright, Buck?” Bobby asked. 

Of course he could tell that something was up. It was something of Bobby’s superpower. One of the things that made him an amazing Captain and maybe what had drawn Buck to open up to him. 

“What do you think about soulmates?” Buck asked. 

“Soulmates,” Bobby said. “I guess it isn’t something we’ve ever discussed. What brings this on?” 

“Just…I guess I was thinking about it. Was, uh, wondering what you thought about it.”

“Is this another one of your late night research things?” Bobby asked with an amused smile. 

Buck shrugged. “I guess it’s just interesting…like the idea that two people could ever just fit that well together. I was reading about Plato’s Symposium because that’s one of the earliest things we have about explaining it even though there’s so many records that were kept about people meeting their soulmates. It’s why there can even be a claim about how fewer soulmate meetings there are. In the Symposium, Aristophane explains love and soulmates like the gods splitting souls in half as a punishment for humanity. So we walk around trying to find the other half of our souls to then finally become complete.”

“That’s interesting,” Bobby said. “It’s a little mythical. A story.” 

“Well, yeah,” Buck said, “but soulmates are real even if only a portion of the population ever manages to find their soulmates.”

Bobby nodded, thoughtfully. “There are stories within every culture and within many religions. Some people put more meaning to it, but I don’t think not being soulmates with someone devalues that relationship.”

“I know,” Buck said. “You and Athena…it’s amazing.”

“It isn’t perfect,” Bobby said. “All relationships need work. Even when you are soulmates. What else did you find?” 

Research was what he did when he was worrying about something. Information was everything to Buck. He loved talking about the things he found and everyone at the 118 had been subjected to Buck’s info dumps. Sometimes, if relevant, he could even bring things up during calls. 

“Well, I started to look at platonic soulmates,” Buck said. 

Bobby looked a bit taken aback. “Platonic soulmates,” he repeated. 

“Yeah,” Buck said, letting out a nervous breath. “Most of them are same sex soulmates. Which I think is a bit of historical erasure to keep everything heterosexual. But I guess it does happen. There are a few these days that say they’re platonic…I just wondered about it like how if you find your soulmate, there is no way any other relationship could ever mean as much, could it?” 

Bobby smiled at him. “I think every friendship and every relationship is different for everyone, Buck. We each have a lot of love to give.”

“Yeah,” Buck said. 

“I guess think about it like this,” Bobby said, “Chimney and Maddie are soulmates and things haven’t been perfect for them. They love each other. They also both love Jee and the love they each hold for their daughter is not diminished because they are soulmates. So yes, maybe it is possible that someone can find their soulmate and still lead a romantic relationship with someone else.”

Buck hadn’t thought about it that way. He realized it was different. A parent’s love was different, but Bobby did have a point. Somehow he still felt just a little strange at the thought that Tommy could be his soulmate and still have a girlfriend or a wife…that Buck could do the same. Something about it felt wrong, he just had no idea why. 

“Why is it you’re worrying about this?” Bobby asked. 

Bobby really did know him too well. It wasn’t that Buck hadn’t intended to tell Bobby, it was that he was still trying to figure it all out for himself. But maybe that was part of the problem, Buck needed to communicate more. 

“I met my soulmate, Bobby,” Buck said. 

“Buck, that’s great,” Bobby said. 

“I don’t know,” Buck said. “I thought so at first, but I just…it’s a dude and I mean, this has to be platonic, right? I’m not…I love women. Not that it even matters maybe because he’s busy hanging out with someone else.” 

“Ah,” Bobby said. “It’s still a good thing, Buck. You found your soulmate…whatever that looks like for the two of you, I’m happy for you.” 

“Thanks, Bobby. I just hate not knowing.” 

“Not knowing?” 

“We’ve barely talked. I just want…I guess I just want all of this to be figured out already.” 

Bobby chuckled. “Buck, you know by now that nothing works like that.” 

Buck sighed. He dropped his head. “This should be the easy thing, though, shouldn’t it be?” 

“Eventually it might very well be.” 

Buck wanted nothing more than to hold onto that. 

—

Wednesday night, Tommy took a little longer than usual getting ready. He went through a few different shirts until finally settling on a blue henley, threw on a brown leather jacket over it and touched up his hair. He hoped he didn’t look like he was trying too hard. It was just that things hadn’t exactly gone right the first time he and Evan got together after their first meeting. His fault entirely. Looking back, Tommy should have pushed that meeting to a day when he didn’t already have plans even if it meant waiting a little longer to see him.  

Eddie had never confirmed whether Evan was coming, but when they texted earlier, Tommy had reiterated that Eddie should invite Evan, Hen, and Chim along. Eddie had only sent back a thumbs up, but Tommy was hopeful. After all, he had finally gotten a response from Evan. 

Evan: Thank you for the message. I hope we can get that beer soon whenever you’re not busy. 

Tommy took it to mean that maybe Evan was coming along with Eddie, but that he didn’t want to say it outright. So, he took a bit of extra time on his appearance and then he left for the bar a bit on the early side. He was excited, not nervous. 

Tommy had thought about inviting Lucy along, especially since she already knew everyone. Except that she would be a menace when it came to him and Evan and neither of them needed that. Hen knew about it, he had yet to text her back after her message of congratulations but maybe that was another reason to see her in person. Tommy was also pretty sure that Eddie had no idea. Since Chim hadn’t reached out, it also figured it was unlikely that he was aware. Tommy did find it a little curious that despite Eddie claiming to be Evan’s best friend, Evan hadn’t told him about finding his soulmate. 

Wednesday nights with the karaoke aspects meant that the bar was a little busier. The girl setting up the karaoke machine already had her sign up sheet out and a few people had signed up to sing. Tommy didn’t know if he would. He wasn’t exactly the best singer, but that wasn’t the point of karaoke and it had never stopped him in the past. It was just that…well, he didn’t want to make an ass of himself in front of Evan. 

Eddie arrived some fifteen minutes later, completely on his own. 

“Hey, man,” he said and they bumped fists before Eddie sat down. “Didn’t get a drink yet? I’ll get us a couple of beers.” 

“Uh, sure,” Tommy said and he didn’t pretend that he didn’t look towards the door to see if Evan would walk in. He perked up every time the door opened, but it wasn’t anyone from the 118. 

When Eddie got back, he had two bottles in hand and the waitress behind him brought over two shots of some yellow looking liquid. 

“Courage to get us singing,” Eddie said with a grin. 

After the waitress left they lifted the shot glasses and downed them in one. Whatever Eddie had picked, it was both sweet and very very alcoholic. Tommy coughed afterwards and he thought that Eddie’s eyes were watering. 

“What was that?” 

“No idea,” Eddie said. “It had a funny name.” 

Tommy laughed. “Next time, stick to vodka or rum.” 

“Not tequila?” 

“I can’t say I’m a fan of the aftermath.” 

Eddie laughed. 

Tommy gave it some time. Eddie started telling him about the call they’d had the day before with a guy needing to be rescued from the sewer. Tommy had missed the weird and crazy things that you got called to as a firefighter or paramedic. As a pilot, he spent more time flying than doing any of the rescuing and sometimes he did miss being part of the action instead of just being a part of the transport. 

“Hey, is anyone else coming?” Tommy asked when enough time had gone by. 

“Oh. Hen and Karen are taking in a foster kid soon so they had a meeting with someone. Chim is busy with wedding planning.” 

“And what about Evan?” 

“Buck? Oh…he’s actually watching Christopher.” 

It took a moment for it to sink in. Eddie was taking a gulp of his drink and his attention was on the stage where the mic was being set up. Lights shone down in multiple colors. Any minute now they would start with the first on the list. There was a small crowd gathering over the folder that held the list of songs available. 

Evan wasn’t coming. 

Tommy was more than a little disappointed. 

Evan wasn’t coming because Eddie had him babysitting his kid. Tommy didn’t want to be there anymore. The whole night…it felt pointless. He’d gone through so many shirts for the possibility of seeing Evan and even though Eddie had never said he was coming, Tommy had sort of told himself that of course Evan would. He’d wanted to see Hen and Chim too, maybe not as much as Evan, but he had definitely wanted to see them. 

There was one other thing, though. Tommy knew he couldn’t blame Eddie…it was just that with the other day and the fight he had no idea what this might look like to Evan. 

“Did Evan know this was why he’s babysitting?” Tommy asked. “Us going out tonight?” 

“Yeah,” Eddie said. “I mentioned it. He was happy to babysit. Didn’t have anything else going on.” 

Eddie was absolutely clueless. 

Evan’s text from earlier suddenly had an entirely different connotation and Tommy knew he had a choice. He could stay and hang out with Eddie and spend the whole night thinking about Evan…or he could fix it. 

“I really was looking forward to seeing everyone,” Tommy said. “That's why I suggested this in the first place.” 

“Oh,” Eddie said. 

“In fact, there is someone that I actually really do have to see tonight. Right now, in fact.” 

“What are you talking about?” Eddie asked. 

Tommy didn’t know how Evan would feel about it, but it was his truth to tell as well. So, he looked straight at Eddie. 

“I met my soulmate and I need to see him tonight.” 

“You met your soulmate,” Eddie said, awe in his voice. “That’s awesome. So why are you here right now? Hell, if I’d met my soulmate I wouldn’t be out with anyone else.” 

Tommy chuckled. “Because I was counting on him being here.”

“Him,” Eddie said and Tommy could see his mind trying to fixate that to what he knew about Tommy. 

“Yes. Is that a problem, Eddie?” 

“No,” Eddie said immediately. “No. Of course not. I just didn’t realize you were…gay? Bi?”

“Gay,” Tommy said. 

Eddie nodded. “Alright. Yeah, no problem with that.” 

Tommy sighed. He didn’t want to correct Eddie on what Tommy’s soulmate bond might be, but he did like how easily Eddie just took Tommy coming out to him. 

“So I need you to do me a favor, Eddie.” 

“Yeah, anything,” Eddie said. “Though I don’t know how I can help.” 

Tommy chuckled. “I need you to drive us to your house.”

“Tommy that—”

“I just need you to drive us or give me your address so I can take an uber there.” 

“But why do you need to go to my house?” 

Tommy just stared at him. Eddie raised his bottle to his lips and he was drinking when it seemed to start to click. Tommy didn’t have time for it, though. 

“We need to go to your house so you can stay with your kid and I can talk to Evan,” Tommy said

Eddie still didn’t seem to connect the dots. “Why would you need to talk to Buck?” 

“Maybe because Evan is my soulmate,” Tommy said. “And when I asked you to invite him and the others tonight it was so that I could talk to him. But now he’s babysitting and I’m hanging out with you. So I need to talk to Evan,” 

As Eddie finally came to the right conclusion. His mouth opening into an “oh” of surprise. 

“You see, I’ve kinda left him before to hang out with you so…”

“So you gotta talk to Buck,” Eddie said. 

Eddie took care of their tab and meanwhile two skinny girls had made it onto the stage as the first ones to take on a song. They were giggling nervously, clearly not drunk enough yet. He and Eddie walked out of the bar as the first notes were starting. 

“Wait,” Eddie said once they were in the parking lot. 

“Yes?” 

“But Buck isn’t gay,” Eddie said. 

Tommy could have face palmed. 

-

Part Five

[whorelyyy]

Drunk crying at the bar is totally a normal & well adjusted thing to do, right?

Raz, fueled by a caffeine-induced buzz from unpacking well past midnight, found herself wide awake. She thought all her hard work deserved a reward, so she ventured to one of Oasis's only bars, The Watering Hole. The bar was walking distance from her new place, so she figured she could treat herself to a few drinks and not have to worry about driving. When she reached the bar, it was quiet. She ordered a vodka soda, a simple yet satisfying reward for her hard work.

Sipping her drink, she scanned the bar, taking in its plain, lackluster atmosphere. Was this a typical Wednesday night here? With only a handful of patrons, including herself and the bartender, the place felt lonely. As someone tinkered with the jukebox, she braced herself for the predictable twang of a pro-USA country anthem. To her surprise, the familiar chords of The Mountain Goats' "Up the Wolves" filled the air.

“How depressed do you have to be to play The Mountain Goats at the bar?” she whispered to herself, her irritation mounting with every note. The sheer absurdity of it made her angry, prompting her to question the sanity—or lack thereof—of whoever dared to play such an offbeat choice. “What a cry for help…” she whispered to herself, finishing her drink.

As the song played on she unconsciously found herself singing along, muscle memory from playing the song on repeat when she was younger and much more depressed.

“There's gonna come a day when you'll feel better, you'll rise up free and easy on that day and float from branch to branch, lighter than the air. Just when that day is coming, who can say? Who can say?”

As she choked out the last line, tears welled in her eyes. Damn it, this was the last thing she needed. No dredging up the past, just forward, always forward.

She angrily brushed away her tears, refusing to let some damn goat band ruin her night. Hell-bent on making the most of her hard-earned celebration, she ordered another vodka soda, this time a double. The bartender, with her generous pour, swiftly complied, and Raz welcomed the extra dose of liquid comfort. Yet, as she sipped her drink, her mood soured further when the same guy rose to select another song, this time he chose "No Children" by the Mountain Goats.

“You’re fucking kidding me.” She fussed loudly.

The guy who played the song glanced her way, his eyes carrying a haunting emptiness. He offered no emotion, no acknowledgment, just drank his beer and crooned along to what can only be described as the epitome of despair. He kept his gaze locked on Raz before exchanging words with the bartender. Behind the counter, the woman swiftly filled four shot glasses with vodka. Uninterested in witnessing a man drown his sorrows, Raz turned her attention to her phone. No new messages. Not that she should be surprised; he had made sure she was alone right until the end.

“Can’t have you running off and telling someone our business, my business.” echoed in her head.

She shuddered, forcefully suppressing the memory. Before Raz could grasp the situation, two shots materialized before her. The bartender gestured toward the man orchestrating tonight's gloomy playlist as she darted off to serve another patron. Locking eyes with the man, he raised his glass, nodded, and downed the first shot in one swift motion, followed by the second. His gaze bore into her, waiting for her to join in.

She knew better and was well aware of the risks of accepting drinks from strange, depressing men in bars, but in that moment, she couldn't summon the energy to care. Offering the man a faint, uneasy smile, she knocked back both shots. Appearing somewhat satisfied, he returned a sad smile before turning his attention back to his beer.

“And I hope when you think of me years down the line you can't find one good thing to say and I'd hope that if I found the strength to walk out, you'd stay the hell out of my way.”

The lyrics slammed into her like a freight train, shaking her to her very core. Unable to hold back, she crumbled under the weight of her emotions, tears streaming down her cheeks. Wonderful. What a fantastic first impression she was making. Hastily, she fled to the solitary bathroom in the bar. She refused to let this moment define her introduction to anyone in Oasis, not even some depressed weirdo at the bar.

Struggling to regain control, she attempted to calm her racing thoughts, grasping for stability. Counting five things she could see, smell, touch, and taste, she fought to ground herself. Just as she started to catch her breath amid her broken sobs, a knock reverberated through the door, shattering the peace she had managed to build.

"Hey, everything okay in there?" A low, gentle voice drifted through the door.

"I'm fine," she snapped back, her tone sharp with irritation.

"Doesn't sound fine," the voice persisted.

"I said I'm fine!" she practically yelled. "These songs are just fucking awful."

"Apologies for the tunes," the voice admitted. "I chose those songs. Looks like we're both drowning in the same melancholy. Let me grab you another drink? Misery loves company."

“No.” she said firmly, “please leave me alone.”

No response. Thank god he understood. She was in no place to make new friends, no matter how desperately she craved them. The longing to rely on someone other than herself was strong, but this wasn't the place, and she wouldn’t find that here and certainly not in some pathetic man singing sad songs at the bar on a Wednesday night.

She collected herself, giving her reflection a quick once-over in the mirror. It was hard to tell she'd just been a mess of tears, but why did the room feel like it was spinning? Exiting the bathroom, her vision blurred intermittently, not from tears this time, but from the bartender's generous pours. It was time to call it a night; crying and blacking out her first time out in Oasis was not the reputation she wanted. With unsteady steps, she made her way to the bar to settle her tab. Noticing the man from earlier was gone, she shrugged it off, too dazed to dwell on it. The bartender informed her that her drinks had been paid for. Strange, but she lacked the focus or energy to inquire further. All she wanted was to get home.

She stumbled her way home, unlocking the door to her beautiful new space. Unpacking had been a nightmare, but she couldn't deny her adoration for what she’d created here. Collapsing onto her bed, exhaustion didn't quite claim her yet. Opting for distraction, she reached for her phone, mindlessly scrolling through TikTok. What felt like a only 15 minutes turned into an hour of aimless consumption—reviews of eye cream, teasers for her favorite band's new album, snippets from her favorite TV shows, and insane nonsensical memes. The mindlessness was a welcome escape until a video of three childhood best friends, set to Alex Olsen's "someday i’ll get it" triggered tears for the third time that night. The crushing weight of loneliness consumed her, leaving her feeling utterly isolated. No friends, no family, no one to love, support, or uplift her. She was strong, but she was exhausted. Yearning for tenderness, for affection, for rest, she sobbed, drowning in her sadness and intoxication. She had to get these feeling out of her head, and Raz found the best way for her to do that was journaling. She reached for her laptop where she kept an anonymous personal blog, desperately needing to get this aching feeling out. In her depressed and inebriated state, she failed to realize she'd opened the wrong page…

PREVIOUS│NEXT

The songs mentioned throughout the update:

[klcthebookworm]

WIP Wednesday

My second Scooby-Doo reference! The movie is Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island.

Meryl knew the children wouldn’t like Vash leaving them behind when they woke up the next morning, but she wasn’t prepared for how guilty she felt after a lonely night’s sleep when they let their upset out.

Chuck’s ears and antennae drooped along with his frown and slumped shoulders. “But why did Vash leave?”

Milly looked helplessly at Meryl but answered. “He got called out.”

“What does that mean?” Hannah asked bitingly like she was holding in a truly epic scream.

“Demanding a duel,” Milly explained.

“But Vash doesn’t want to fight.” Chuck looked confused. “Why would he go to a fight?”

“To protect people.” Meryl wrapped her arms around herself. Would that be enough for them? Or at least enough for Hannah not to drag her brother into danger?

“Wait, a wrenchhead called Vash out?” Chuck demanded.

“Bluesummers did,” Hannah said. “Vash came while you were napping to check on us and he said Bluesummers called him out.”

“Well, that’s a trap.”

“The five-year-old recognizes that!” Hannah gestured at her brother and took a deep breath. “How can you all fall for something that obvious?”

“It really doesn’t matter if it is a trap,” Milly said. “We’ve seen Mr. Vash dance into a hostage situation and be mistaken as an idiot but kept everyone safe until we figured out who the true bad guys were. He’ll be fine.”

Hannah’s frown deepened. “Really? Meryl-ma’am needs a better poker face then.” She stomped to the hotel door and slammed it shut after her. “This reeks!” Her yell was still reverberating as her stomps went down the stairs.

The tears escaped Meryl’s eyes. “Oh, Meryl.” Milly wrapped her up in a hug. “He’s going to be fine. He’s got survival skills. Made it to a hundred and thirty two years old.”

“Hannah didn’t mean to make you cry, Meryl-ma’am.” Chuck sat down at the table. “She just needs to go stomp off her temper since we don’t have a garage for her to bang around in. She’ll be back.”

“She shouldn’t fuss so about leaving if she’s going to stomp off,” Milly said.

“But she’s not leaving. She didn’t make me come with her. She’ll be back.”

Meryl patted Milly’s back and eased away. “I know he’s going to be fine. I didn’t expect to miss him this much this fast.”

Milly frowned, glanced at Chuck, and then put on her fake brave face. “That’s one of the drawbacks of following your heart, but you should always do that, according to my big big sister.”

Meryl nodded and turned to the window. She didn’t really see the activity taking place on the street below. Milly knew about the biggest reason Meryl didn’t want to lose Vash, but Meryl wasn’t ready to tell the children yet. They were upset now; what if they thought Vash wanted to replace them or something like that?

“Follow your heart?” Chuck repeated. “So you know who to kiss?”

“Not just who you fall in love with,” Milly explained, “but the path you should take into the future.”

“The one Vash says the ticket is blank for?”

“Yes. Your heart knows what the right thing to do is, more often than your head. But its voice is very quiet so you have to listen hard.”

Meryl rested a hand on her stomach. Mr. Krupins had said something similar about paths after the fight was over for the geo-plant. Walk your own path with your head held high. The fact that you are who you are helps the people you love live through you.

Her path was with Vash now; is that why her heart felt like she was abandoning him? He wanted the children safe, even if they didn’t see the need in it, so she was doing what he needed done. But her misgivings clamored inside of her that Vash needed protecting his back more than anything else right now. She heard something pounding down below.

“Somebody’s running up the stairs,” Chuck announced. “Hannah hasn’t had enough time to stomp off her temper yet.”

But it was Hannah who burst through the hotel door. “You never said Bluesummers called Vash out through a corpse!”

“Through a what?” Chuck asked.

Meryl didn’t turn around from the window. “We don’t know how he did that.”

“We also didn’t want to scare you,” Milly said.

“The whole town is talking about it! That pretty much ruins keeping anything top secret.”

“Talking about what?” Chuck asked. “What did Bluesummers do?”

Hannah inhaled deeply. “He made a zombie that walked up to Vash and did the call out trap announcement message.”

“But Dad said zombies aren’t real. After the Scooby-Doo movie with them as the scary not-wrenchheads.”

“New planet, new rules, I guess!”

[bergens-adventure-tours]

Week 12: May 1st – 7th, 2023 // It’s all a blur

We’re just going to jump right into things this week!

--

Monday was spent as a proper “get my life together/organized.”  With tomorrow being my first day back to work after a few months jobless (but thriving I’ll add haha), I had quite a bit of general life admin stuff to check off, with final work forms to fill, grocery shop, computer clean out, van tidying, cooking, emails, etc.

--

Initially Tuesday was meant to be the first official day of training, but because work was still waiting on a few other trainees to get into town, myself and another trainee, Jono, got to go on the West McDonnell’s tour for the day!  We had such a fun day with our co-worker, Felipe, leading the tour – getting to visit some really beautiful sites and future swimming locations when the weather gets warmer.  We stopped at Simpsons Gap, Standley Chasm, Ochre Pits, Ormiston Gorge, Ellery Creek Bighole (my personal fave), and Flynn Memorial.    I ended up heading to the hostel my boss owns to get set up for the next couple weeks, and met some other coworkers + fellow tour guides from other companies (Takk (coworker), Tye, Troy, and Ash. All super lovely individuals).

Today was also a spider-experience filled day lol.  It was pretty funny and ironic, and I’m pretty sure I jinxed myself.  During one of the walks on the tour I was telling Jono how I was pretty surprised that in 3 months in Australia, I hadn’t had any notable spider experiences or seen any of the “crazy” spiders you always see on the internet, and how I kept telling family/friends it just really isn’t that bad here. And he was replying “yeah it’s not too bad but you know, you definitely do come across them eventually – like that one right there” then proceeds to point not even a metre above my head, a huge golden orb ___ and I freaked! LOL the timing was just too good and I was not expecting it to be as close as it was.  We had such a good laugh about it before I was finally collected enough to get a proper look at them.  They make those crazy matted messy looking webs that just feel all the gaps between the trees and branches (they look terrifying).

Then, when I was getting ready for bed I found a spider on my pillow (wasn’t anything big or bothersome) and it was beginning to feel like a message being sent by the spider gods because what came next I swear gave me a damn near heartattack.

Once I was ready for bed, I was just sitting on the floor in my van next to my door, organizing things, when all of the sudden, not even a foot away from me was the most terrifying spider emerging from between the door seal.  I was absolutely shook and had NO idea it was just a huntsman (these are quite common and completely harmless – aussies love these guys as they get out all the bugs. Some jokingly keep them as “roommates”).  In the moment I was very certain this thing could kill me if they wanted to because they looked SO scary (and mine was a small guy compared to how big they can actually get…).  Thankfully they didn’t run in to the van, so I was able to open the door a swoosh them out with my shoe, but when I tell you I had troubles falling asleep that night… I mean I spent the next hour worrying I would wake up to at least two in my van around my head somewhere lol.

Thankfully there have been no other spider encounters since (yet).

--

Wednesday we had our first training day, and got to meet the rest of our training group (Lynda, Cata, and George).  We spent a full day going through all the super dull, dry, typical onboarding stuff. Afterwards, Takk and I did a quick grocery run, and met up with Cata+Jono back at the hostel for some beers and ice cream.  The rest of the evening was spent making dinner and  hanging out with everyone!

--

The rest of the week was honestly pretty brutal.  Thursday we had another full day of dull training and I ended up getting sick with the flu… so the next 3.5 days were spent dying in the van as I burned and slept off the sickness.  Was pretty sad because I missed out on the groups first trip to Uluru and a trip to the climbing gym, but thankfully I’m making pretty decently quick recovery.  Still have a pretty bad cough and some congestion, but managed to start feeling well enough to get out and functioning again Sunday evening – got to meet another new trainee co-worker, Pablo!

One highlight while being sick though was I got to watch the count down for and listen to Ed Sheeran’s new album release on Saturday hehe.

--

I’ll be honest in that while this week was a lot of fun connecting with new people, the energy is still real low as I’m finally come out of the woodworks.  I’ve kept this week’s descriptions quite minimal as I’m still recovering from being sick all weekend, and brain fog is still hanging around.  There will be lots more fun updates to share next week!

Stay passionate and curious, Hunter♡

05/08/2023

[kellyurban18]

Chapter Two

Harry received a response the following evening which was a little surprising considering Kreasiara Institute was a long flight for owls. He had received the letter at dinner but had waited until he was back in his dorm room to actually open it.

Dear Harry,

I must confess I am surprised to receive your letter. The Potter Family has always been very close knit and has always kept track of our members since the 1700s. However, as my father said, when my best friend came to live with us 'the more the merrier'.

I would love to tell you about the Potter Family. As much as you would love to hear. My other two kids are not interested in our past and family. Though occasionally I can get a story out about a family member that I remember.

Before I do that, however, I would feel better verifying this information. When I was 20 my wife gave birth to twin boys. This was the height of the War, and we were members of the Order, making this a very stressful, but joyous time. We had to go into hiding and regrettably; we chose the wrong person as our secret keeper. He betrayed our location to Voldemort in 1981, three months after my son's first birthday.

One son remained untouched and in his crib, but the attacker took the other twin that night with only a few items. You mentioned being adopted and only having a few items that belong to you, which is why I am telling you this. My son, Harry, coincidentally, had four stuffed animals and a baby blanket he slept with every night. He wouldn't be in a separate room without them, which was quite the hassle for us when traveling, but it was quite adorable.

These four animals had tags with their names on them. It's a family joke. The animals were a wolf, a dog, a stag, and a rat and the names were Moony, Padfoot, Prongs, and Wormtail. The baby blanket is handmade, knitted by my mother and my wife. My mother had started both blankets, but had passed before she could finish them, so my wife finished them.

If you did the Bloodline Potion, I think you did, then it would have revealed me to be your biological father. If that is the case, just know you ended up in that orphanage by mistake. Your mother and I never would have given you up. Your twin brother, Charlie, was the harder baby. He would have been the one to go for sure. I'm joking. I love my kids, all of them equally, and never would have given them away.

Lunch sounds great. I work at Hogwarts currently to stay close with my kids while they go to school, but as a professor I may leave when I need or want to as long as preparations have been made. I know little about Kreasiara Institute, but I am more than willing to go there and sit with you if that is required.

I hope to hear from you soon.

Yours,

James.

To say Harry was shocked and confused would be a vast understatement.

He was... Stolen? Kidnapped?

Harry set the letter down on his desk and sat back in his chair letting it sink in. He decided to set the letter aside and focus on his homework for his other classes until he knew what to do. It was only Wednesday evening after all he had a few days before the weekend arrived.

***

After four days without a reply, James decided, against his better judgment, to go to Kreasiara Institute himself. He was desperate and he needed answers. He feared that if he let it go too long Harry would never contact him again and that just couldn’t happen. It took a few hours on Sunday to figure out where exactly Kreasiara Institute was located and how to get there, but after that James was able to plan his trip easily enough. Asking Remus to cover his classes without telling him the reason why was harder, but eventually he was entering the Headmaster’s Office of Kreasiara Institute.

“Lord Potter, it's a pleasure to meet you. I’m Headmaster Cox.”

“You poor guy.” James said unable to help himself, the Headmaster thankfully laughed good naturally.

“I’ve heard it all. Every generation thinks they’re creative with a new one and I have to beak their spirits to tell them I’ve heard it before. They grow out of it after a few years. So, what do we owe the pleasure, we do accept transfer students as long as they pass the required tests if that is what you are here for.”

“No not that. I was contacted by one of your students a few days ago for a class assignment.”

“Magical Families?”

“That’s the one.”

“Say no more. Though I must admit I am surprised. I can take you to the professor. He should have a free period now. He can help you contact the student.”

“Great, Thank you.”

James followed the headmaster through the castle corridors. They stopped outside an open door and an older man with white curly hair sat behind his desk.

“Professor Maldonado, this is Lord Potter. A student of yours contacted him.” The headmaster introduced him.

“Ah yes Harry I remember. Are you here to speak to him? His class starts in ten minutes. I don't mind releasing him for the period.” The headmaster took his leave nodding to them both before he turned and left the room leaving James alone with the professor.

“No, I was actually hoping you had a copy of this bloodline result? The Potters have always kept track of our bloodline and family members, even the ones who went and married muggles. Not saying an illegitimate child isn’t a possibility, but I was hoping to have a little more information about his specific lineage from the family to better help him. That way I’m not giving him unneeded information.” James lied through his teeth, but he made sure to keep a respectful smile on his face to hopefully hide the fact.

“Oh no I do not I’m afraid. We only make one copy and due to the sensitive nature of the information we let the students keep it. We also make the students hide the biological information from us so we can’t see it, we only need to know their closest magical family after all. But Harry I’m sure wouldn’t mind letting you see it. He’s a great student, top in all his classes actually despite his young age.”

“Young age? I assumed he was in his sixth year.”

“Seventh year actually.” All of James’ hopes were crushed by those two words, his shoulders sagging a little. A chime rang through the castle and by the sounds of students in the corridor, James assumed that meant the end of class, “You’re welcome to sit in if you’d like.”

“Oh, I don’t know if-“

“Ah! Harry, just the boy we were talking about!”

James turned towards the door expecting to see a boy with some Potter traits, maybe the unruly hair or the popular hazel eyes. If there were illegitimate children out there, then James was their only family, and he would never turn away family. However, he saw himself. Not an exact replica of course, but there was no denying that Harry, his Harry, had just entered the classroom. Harry looked up from his books he was carrying, and James was met with bright emerald eyes that had a shine to them that was almost unnatural. The young teen stared at him for a moment clearly confused then something must have registered as he came towards them.

“Hi. I was going to respond I promise. I got caught up in studying for my other classes and honestly it was sort of shocking. I wanted to talk to my Papa, but he’s out of the country at the moment.”

“Harry you can be excused for this class. The class will be going to the library to find books and resource material anyway.” Maldonado said handing Harry a black journal, “notes, resources, direct quotes, drafts, anything. It will expand as needed and at the end of the year you’ll turn this in with your final report. Just so we can read where you got your information.”

“Of course. See you in the next class then.” James followed Harry out of the classroom, “I really did mean to reply to you, it’s just I didn’t know what to say. I also wanted to talk to my Papa about the situation.” James chuckled as he shoved his hands into his robe pocket walking beside his son who was alive and right there within touching distance.

“It’s quite alright. I just wanted to know if what I was thinking was true or not. I was desperate to be honest.”

“Can’t say I blame you. I am quite great.”

“Not conceited at all.” James joked watching as Harry grinned, chuffing lightly.

“We can go outside. I can show you the test there and we can talk.”

They walked through a beautiful courtyard that put Hogwarts’ to shame by a lot. Though James still preferred Hogwarts over this, Kreasiara Institute practically had ‘I’m richer than you’ on every wall. Past the courtyard was a perfectly trimmed and cared for grounds, a Willow tree rested against a lake with a picnic table underneath it that Harry headed towards.

They sat opposite of each other, Harry placing his books on the table and his bag on the bench beside him. As Harry dug into his school bag James noticed a graded paper on top of his books so he tilted his head a little to get a better look. A red 1000% was on the corner and under it was an O+ now he was even more intrigued.

“Do you mind?” James asked, reaching for the parchment, Harry at him then his paper then shook his head.

“Go for it.” As he said that he pulled out a scroll holder and set it on the table between them, “That’s the test and that is just an essay from last term.

“ Just an essay? You got a perfect score.”

“Well yeah.” Harry said as if that shouldn’t be such a surprise, “There’s a reason why I’m top of my graduating class this year.”

Which reminds him…

“Speaking of you’re only sixteen. You do know that right?” James asked

“I started school at age 10 under the recommendations of healers. My magic was growing at a rapid pace, and I couldn’t control it anymore. According to Papa my magic had always been strong for a child, but after an accident it grew faster and stronger.”

“So, you’re the youngest in your year and the top of the class. That’s impressive.” Harry shrugged at James’ praise.

“I am very ambitious.”

“Do you mind if I take this with me to read it?” James asked, holding the essay.

“Keep it or else my Papa will add it to the wall of embarrassment at the house. You’d love it, it has pictures of me from when I was first adopted to three weeks ago when Papa caught me sleeping with my baby blanket and stuffies. There is a very good explanation for that.” Harry said quickly defending himself when James looked at him with a raised brow and a slow smile spreading across his face.

“Oh really? Do tell.”

“I…got scared and needed my MooMoo to protect me. Simple as that. Perfectly reasonable so there is no need to look further into it.”

“Your MooMoo?”

“Yes. Don’t give me that look, I was like three, okay.”

“Actually, you were one.”

“I’ve always said that?”

“Oh yes. Those were your first words. Your mother was pissed. You had been making the ‘m’ sound for about a week before then and we were all convinced you’d say mama. Then Remus or as we call him Moony came through the front door and you lit up and screamed ‘Moo Moo!’. And that is how you became Remus's favorite for about two months until you finally said Dada. Then you were all mine again.”

“So I have a twin brother?” Harry asked.

“You do. His name is Charlie, he's in his sixth year at Hogwarts. You also have a little sister, Ariel. She's in her third year. Then there’s your godfather, Sirius and his husband, Remus. Remus is Charlie’s godfather. Though we all live together at the family manor, so really, they’re sort of like two other dads who are more lenient with the rules.”

“It’s just Papa and I. Well there was Papa’s husband for a little while, but he and Papa got a divorce years ago and we don’t speak to each other anymore. I have family friends who are like my aunts and uncles, I talk to Uncle Frankie the most. He’s a werewolf pack leader near the forest we live by. Papa is a Healer for werewolves and other magical creatures like them.”

“Well that’s good I don’t have to worry about anyone being upset that I introduce you to a werewolf then.”

“Going by his very original nickname and plushie choice, I’m assuming it’s Remus?”

“Yes. He was bitten as a kid, revenge against his father by Fenrir Greyback. Dumbledore allowed him to come to Hogwarts as a student after safety precautions were in place and we met there. We were all in Gryffindor house. We found out Remus was a werewolf when we were thirteen and came up with a plan to become animagi to be with him on the full moons, so he wasn’t alone. At fifteen we finally succeeded. I was a stag and Sirius was a large black dog.”

It did not escape Harry’s notice that James didn’t mention the rat, so Harry didn’t either.

“So tell me about this project of yours.”

“Well it can be about any generation or era I want it to be about. It has to be at least two thousand words for the essay and I have to do a family tree that follows who and what is mentioned. The people and the historical events, if there are any.”

“Two thousand words? Really?”

“Well it goes towards my NEWT scores, so that's the bare minimum. It’s why we are given so long to do it.”

“Do you have a time you want to look into?”

“I’m not sure. What’s the most recent historical event and we’ll go from there.”

“The most recent?” James asked, watching as Harry nodded, “The most recent is actually about you.”

“Me? What? Why?” Harry asked, frowning.

“In 1980 before you were born a prophecy was made about Voldemort and the one destined to be his downfall. The month mentioned in the prophecy passed and there were two babies born that fit. Neville Longbottom was born on July 30 just before midnight and you were born July 31st just before midnight. That is the reason we went into hiding, someone told Dumbledore Voldemort thought you were the most likely threat. No one knows why he chose you, but he did and we chose the wrong man to be the secret keeper. He betrayed our location and Voldemort came after us in 1981.”

“Really? I mean…I always figured my birth family was attacked by Voldemort. Well it was the conclusion Papa and I made after enough nightmares. Though you clearly survived.” James nodded, putting the nightmare comment to the side for now to come back to later.

“Charlie was spared, your mother and I were under a fake death curse but we were able to hear everything. He cast the killing curse at you, the entire house filled with this deathly green light then smoke then miraculously we heard you crying. Screaming your lungs out as if in pain, we couldn’t move and eventually we lost consciousness.

“We woke up in St. Mungo’s and you were gone and the papers, before they knew you were missing, named you The Boy Who Lived. The first person to ever survive the killing curse, the person who defeated Voldemort and ended the war. For months the papers sent out massive rewards for any tips on your whereabouts, but eventually they came to the same conclusion everyone else did eventually. That you had been killed in revenge or maybe you were being raised in a torturous home. No one really knew for sure.”

“Why me? Why not my twin brother?”

“Charlie was born on August 1st at 12:15am. He wasn’t the prophecy child only you and Neville were.”

“So why not Neville?”

“We don’t know what made him choose you. Actually very little is known about him and who he was before he was Voldemort.”

“Okay…so maybe not recent history.” Harry said scratching at his forehead making James frown as he spotted what looked to be some type of scar.

“What happened there?” James asked, grabbing Harry’s wrist. He moved Harry’s hair away from his forehead revealing a lightning bolt scar that started at the right temple breaking off into seven branches with three zigzags for each branch. Almost like the wand movement of the Killing Curse was scarred on his forehead seven times.

“Oh that? Papa says I’ve always had it.”

“No...definitely not as a baby. Does it hurt at all?”

“No I forgot about it honestly. Well sometimes I get these weird dreams or nightmares and it tingles a little, but other than that no pain.”

“That’s good.” James said though he was still frowning as he sat back on the bench deciding to not ask about the nightmare this time.

“So what’s the coolest history of the family?”

“Tell you what. Why don’t I get the family book for you and you can look for yourself. I’ll bring it to you sometime this week then maybe this weekend we can get lunch? You can meet the others.”

“That works. There’s a few lunch spots in Ballycastle, it’s the magic town near the school just a short walk from here. Papa says it’s what Hogsmeade is for Hogwarts students.”

“You should invite him too. I’d like to meet him and I’m sure everyone else would too.”

“I’ll extend the invite.”

They stayed outside talking about small things until the next chime was heard then James walked Harry to his next class, History of Magic where Harry surprised him by hugging him in front of almost everyone. Something no sixteen year old boy would typically do, but James treasured it as he hugged him a little tighter.

“See you later.” Harry said, smiling at him.

“Wednesday or Thursday, I’ll bring the book for you. It’s not something an owl can deliver.” Harry nodded as he headed into his class. James lingered only for a moment before he turned and headed back to Hogwarts.