#chapter7 | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

konstantine11-11 · 10 years ago

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twinkle toes - seven

Hi my little ballerinas! Sorry for the long wait with this one but I hope you enjoy! It’s a bit longer than my usual and it’s my favorite chapter so far! I’m v excited to see what you think about it so be sure to hit me up!

READ BELOW or on 1dff!

“This is a bad idea,” I said aloud.

There wasn’t anyone else in the flat but me and my thoughts, and that was a dangerous enough combination given my recent string of decisions. But it had to be done. For the sake of my family, my relationship with Robyn, and my own sanity.

The knock on the door jarred me visibly, causing me to jump out of my skin even though I was already expecting it. He wasn’t a second late; that was another thing about Zayn— he was nothing if not punctual.

With a deep breath, I opened the door and…waved. Of all the greetings on the planet, I couldn’t force out a hollow hello or even a hi. I simply waved like the Queen of England herself, y’know, if Lizzie were a total mess in a dress whose master plan was the ruin the lives of those who mattered most to her.

“Hey,” Zayn smiled casually. His hands were in his pockets as I held the door open wider. The amount of awkward space between us was so embarrassing, I was glad Niall had dipped out as not to witness this. “How are you?”

“Fine,” I mumbled. “You?” It was all for show. The awkward standard script we were programmed to say when we felt the least bit uncomfortable in a given situation. And with the way we left things, I wouldn’t have been surprised if he began talking about the weather or latest news stories plugging the telly stations.

“I’m well,” he nodded. Quietly, Zayn followed me into my flat, making sure to keep a fair amount of distance between us when I led him to the sofa.

“Would you like some tea? And I’ve got some chocolates too. Picked ‘em up at the market yesterday.”

“Um, no thanks.”

His posture was rigid and his lips were drawn in a straight line; everything about him read that he wanted to make this as quick and painless as possible.

“Are you sure?” I pressed. “You’d be happier with a cuppa and I just got this new flavor that I’m sure you’d adore. It’ll only take a second!” Turning on my heel, I swiveled around and headed to the kitchen where the kettle was sitting on the stove, filled with hot water and ready to be poured.

Robyn once told me that it was impossible to be angry while drinking a cuppa rose tea.

Here’s to hoping she wasn’t wrong.

Practically a statue among my furniture, Zayn sat still and quietly as I made him a cup. I tried to ignore the way my heart pounded double time in my chest and the clang of the loud ceramic as my hands shook while mixing in a few cubs of sugar. It didn’t take long to fix the tea but I needed a few more seconds to breathe before facing him and explaining my actions.

It wasn’t easy to do—telling someone how you feel. Perhaps it’s less difficult when you already know for certain that the person feels a certain way, but with so much ambiguity, I really had no idea what was going on in Zayn’s head. The worst part of it was…I wasn’t sure I really wanted to know in the end.

“Everything alright in there, Tori?” Zayn called out cautiously. Shit, I’d taken too long. Now he was suspicious, and rightfully so.

“Mhm,” I hummed. In an effort to come off cool and collected, I grabbed the tea and spun around on my heels, making a quick bee line back to the sitting room, but my body came into contact with something hard and firm and before I even registered what was happening, Zayn and I were falling into a tangle of limbs and hot tea all over my kitchen tile. The ceramic cup crashed to the ground with a terrible crunch sound, scattering bits of broken pale pink glass all over the place.

“Jesus Christ!” Zayn swore, jumping up like his body had just caught fire. I didn’t grasp the severity of his reaction until I glanced up at his midsection and realized where all the hot liquid had gone.

All over the crotch of his black jeans.

“Oh God,” I moaned. Swiftly, I pushed myself up and grabbed a rag from a drawer. “I’m so so sorry. I didn’t realize you were there! So bloody quiet! And you just crept up on me like that with no warning and I—“

Zayn cut me off with a painful groan, his hands desperately grabbing at the fabric around his waist. “S’cuse me,” he mumbled, backing away toward my bedroom slowly. “I just…need a minute.”

He was hiding out in my bedroom with the door closed for longer than a couple of minutes and I was starting to think something more than spilt hot tea was the issue at hand. He’d been at my flat far longer than I anticipated and Robyn was supposed to be around in less than fifteen minutes for a sister film night with pizza and Coke.

This talk was supposed to be over already.

He should be gone by now.

Bringing my knuckle agains the smooth white wood, I knocked on my own bedroom door. “Is—is everything okay?”

He let out a non distinct grunt, followed by some more silence. I wasn’t sure how to help him or even get him out of my flat until he spoke up again. “Tori, erm, do you by chance have some other trousers I could borrow?”

Trousers?!

“Yeah,” I blurted. “Course I do. Let me just—“ My eyes darted around the hallway and landed on Niall’s pile of dirty clothes on the floor of the spare room. The bloke was weeks behind on it all. He’d probably hate me for it but I pushed those thoughts away as I snatched a pair of grey joggers up and knocked on the door again. “Found some.”

His tan, tattooed arm snaked out and snatched them up just as my phone went off with a ping, a text message from my sister appearing on the screen.

On the way x

SHIT.

“Um, Zayn. I don’t mean to be insensitive or anything but I think maybe we should try this again another time. Like any other time. And maybe not here.”

Pulling my bedroom door open wide, Zayn revealed himself in Niall’s joggers which were a bit small on him but still did the trick nonetheless. Towering over me, his expression was blank and he looked exhausted. “I think that’s a good idea.”

“You should go.” I didn’t mean for it to come out so harsh but my insides were shaking with the fear of being caught alone with Zayn by Robyn herself.

“When are you free to—“

“I’ll text you,” I cut him off, hurrying him toward my front door and mentally making a note to be sure to get those joggers back to Niall.

Oh shit! Zayn’s trousers!

“Wait!” I shouted. Quickly I scrambled to my bedroom and grabbed the damp, fainting smelling of rose denim. Breathing heavily, I thrusted the garnet at him and practically pushed him out into the hallway. “Um, okay. So, another time then?”

“I guess, yeah.”

“Sorry bout the trousers,” I winced. “Guess I’ll be seeing ya.”

After closing my front door with a slam, my body collapsed against it, sliding all the way to the floor. I couldn’t help but let out a loud wail that seemed to ease the frustration building up in my body. Wiping my brow with a bead of sweat that escaped, I nearly laughed at myself, at the situations I dug myself into.

If Zayn didn’t think I was a freak after kissing him out of the blue at the farmer’s market…he sure as hell did now.

Aloud knock on the door jolted my body upright, giving me a hell of a freight. I didn’t have to wonder who it was. The loud, sing-song of a “Helllooo!” filled the outside hallway loudly.

Relief filled my lungs and I opened the door quickly to see my sister in a matching PINK sweatsuit. The full face of make-up she had on kind of ruined the whole idea of just bumming it out though. “You’re early, Rob.”

“Brought you cinnamon knots!” she winked, setting the Styrafoam box on my kitchen table. “Don’t eat too many though. We’ve got the dress fitting next week and you got a size six remember?”

How could I forget? It had only been haunting me since the very moment she decided on fuchsia full length dresses that also happened to be quite a tight mermaid style until it flared out at the feet.

“Yep.” Ignoring her completely, I popped open the box and shoved an entire messy knot into my mouth in one big bite. It tasted like Heaven on my tongue and for just a moment, the world was okay.

Robyn let herself into the kitchen and pulled out some plates from my cabinets. She was always more proper than me. I’d bet she never even drank out of the milk carton or ate Ramen over the sink before.

“Have you been working out, Tor?” she asked as she slid a piece onto her plate.

I snorted. With all the worrying and emotional instability, I didn’t need dumbbells or a Zumba class to keep my body’s weight down. The constant stress in my life did the trick, thanks very much.

“The other gals and I have been doing Wedding Bootcamp. You should come sometime!”

I squinted my eyes, not quite sure of the meaning behind her words. Either she was calling me fat or she wanted to spend some extra time with me, doing something she deemed fun, while it might as well have been equal to a trip to the funking gynecologist in my eyes.

“Maybe. I’ll have to check my schedule.” My nonexistent, invisible schedule. “What films did you bring?”

“The Wedding Date, The Proposal and My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” she beamed, holding up the three plastic DVD cases with pride. “Ya like my theme?”

“Mhm,” I hummed. Original. “You getting excited then?”

“The wedding’s in less than two months, Tori. I can’t believe it. It’s happened so fast. I just…I’m so lucky to have Zayn and you and Mum and Daddy and all the girls and even Harry. It’s a dream come true.”

Forcing a smile, I nodded and busied myself with a slice of pizza as she continued.

“And you know, I’ve heard of wedding disasters? Where something huge goes wrong and everyone panics. But things have been so smooth because of your help! And Zayn doesn’t have cold feet, and of course I don’t either. I just can’t wait to be married to my best friend.”

“S’pretty great,” I agreed gently. “So, how about we pick a—“

“Oh, Tori, I hope you get to have this all some day too. It’s so lovely,” she gushed, taking a hold of my hand that was free from the greasy pizza slice. “You need to go out and find him. He’s out there. I know it.”

“You reckon?”

“I do!” she breathed. “I really do. If you want I can talk to Zayn for you.”

My eyes flashed at my sister. “Why would you do that?”

“He’s got male friends, Tori…maybe one of them is your soulmate! I bet he’d help set you up.”

“Oh,” I let out a relieved sigh. “Yeah, maybe after your wedding is over. I just want to focus on you right now.”

Robyn’s face scrunched up with affection. “I don’t say this enough, Tori, but I love you and I’m sorry for being crazy sometimes. I can’t help it.”

Shaking my head, I felt a sting in the corners of my eyes. “That’s alright,” I mumbled. “No one’s perfect, right?”

“Enough of this,” Robyn laughed, “Crying makes your eyes puffy, and now there’s mascara under my eyes.”

“You know I don’t care.”

“Do you have those make-up remover wipes I like?”

I bit my tongue against making a comment on why she bothered to put make up on in the first place, y’know since I’d snogged her fiancé not too long ago.

“Erm, in the bathroom I think. Might be a pack on my wardrobe too.”

“Be right back,” she whispered. “Pick any film you want.”

I nodded and grabbed the disk from inside The Proposal case and crawled on the carpet where the DVR player was. I hardly ever used the bloody contraption and was taking far too long to find the right setting on the telly. I was an education, independent woman. I lived alone and took care of myself, and yet it felt like actual brain surgery getting the damn thing to work.

“Do you know what channel the telly should be on for the—“

And then I heard her scream.

Nearly falling over, I flung myself into the air as she stomped into the living room, my eyes bulging with fear.

“What in God’s name are these?” she shrieked again, her eyes wide as the sun. In one hand was the pack of make-up removing wipes that had been on my wardrobe.

Between her thumb and index finger of the other hand was none other than a pair of...Zayn’s little white boxer briefs. The pair he’d apparently taken off earlier, that I’d failed to give back in the flurry of kicking him out of my flat.

It was at that moment I became physically aware of the drum that was beating in my chest. I could feel it in my ears and in my hands, the shaking and the vibrating with fear, terror and utter panic.

“Oh my God,” I blurted out, covering my face with my hands instantly. I could feel my face heating up, my body beginning to physically change as my secret exposed itself. This was it. My whole life was about to crumble, all for a stupid fucking boy.

“This isn’t...Robyn, it’s not what you think,” I began. Reaching for my sister’s hands, I tried to calm myself down. Perhaps if I explained it rationally, she’d understand. “Those...he left them here when he was--”

“I can’t believe this,” she clucked, shaking her head. With disapproval? Betrayal? I couldn’t tell. Her crazy eyes and heaving chest were giving me mixed signals. Flicking the underwear at me, she pursed her pouty pink lips then steadily brought her gaze back to mine. Calmly, she swallowed and met my eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

My jaw fell open in shock. “Robyn, h-how could I?”

“Tori. It’s me. I’m your sister!” she said sympathetically.

“I know,” I blushed. I could feel it. The hot sting of tears in the corner of my eyes about to erupt. I was a terrible, terrible person. I didn’t even deserve to be a sister. I didn’t deserve to be--

“I’m going to ask you something and you need to tell me the truth, Tori.” Her tone was firm and strong, her gaze unwavering.

I had no choice but to agree under her scrutiny. If this was how it all went down, there was nothing I could do. “Okay.”

A thick silence blanketed the room, tense and uncomfortable as Robyn twisted her lips, as if to formulate the right combination of words. With a final breath, she did it. She asked me point blank, “Are you sleeping with Niall?”

“N-Niall?” I stuttered, my eyes bugging out like a frog’s. The mistake instantly had my mind spinning with ideas. What happened next was a result of fear, nerves and terrible judgement. As the spark lit in my mind, I began to nod profusely. “Niall! Yes, I’m-I’m sleeping with Niall.”

“I can’t believe it,” she exclaimed with a shake of her head. “You’ve been so secretive lately. I knew something was going on, but this? You and Niall? I wish I could say I’m surprised.”

“I’m with Niall again,” I stated. Out loud for the first time ever, it felt foreign, like tasting black coffee for the first time. “And you need to respect that.”

Robyn’s face filled with what looked like a combination of disgust and confusion but she wasn’t able to voice her opinion further because of a minor disruption. Just then, the flat door opened as none other than my chipper Irish friend himself sauntered into the room full of smiles and chuckles to see us both standing in the middle of my living room with such heated expressions on our faces.

“You!” Robyn pointed dramatically, unable to hold back. I cringed as she flew across the room toward him. “I knew it! All along, I had a feeling you wanted her.”

“I-- what?” Innocently, Niall frowned, giving my sister a weird look before quickly glancing my way. He set down a grocery bag he was holding and crossed his arms across his chest. Like the asshole I was, I left him hanging, choosing to glance down at my feet instead of help him out. Poor guy didn’t know what hit him.

“You’re shagging my sister!”

“I’m shagging your sister?” he repeated with a humorous smile, stepping a few feet backwards. That’s when I saw my life really flash before my eyes.

I could see it now: Niall would deny it, reminding Robyn that we’d already tried and failed once; nothing would ever bloom between us again. She’d thrust the boxers at him and demand an explanation. One look and he’d know what was going on (because he wears briefs). What a mess I’ve made of things. Everything I knew and loved would fizzle into a complete disaster.

I couldn’t let it happen. Not like that.

“She knows, Niall!” I blurted out, abandoning the rug to stand at his side. Carefully, I clutched his bicep and gave him a careful look. “It’s okay. I told her about us. About you and me.”

“About...us,” he nodded disjointedly. His eyes darted back and forth between mine and Robyn’s and I prayed she didn’t see all the confusion I could see swimming in those blue pools. Meanwhile Niall was nearly cracking out some popcorn to enjoy the show.

“She’s going to accept that we’re together. It’s okay,” I swallowed.

“This better not affect the wedding,” Robyn lectured, speaking slowly.

Niall looked at me carefully, like there was something he was desperately searching for in my eyes. Probably answers, explanations. But I offered nothing but a soft smile and a squeeze on his arm, silently promising to come clean later. And for some unknown reason, he simply turned to Robyn with his goofy grin and held out his arms.

“Give your new brother a hug then. C’mere.”

Relief filled me like air in a balloon and I could actually take a breath for the first time.

Crushing Robyn in a tight bear hug, Niall folded her into his arms and sent me a look that said, “You fucking owe me for this shit.” I nodded, wide-eyed, counting down the minutes until she left.

Seventeen, it turned out.

It only took Niall telling a story about meeting some travelers on the tube and agreeing to meet them at a pub later tonight to irritate her right out the door, abandoning any movie night we had planned. His friendliness was always something she wasn’t so fond of and with our newfound ‘relationship,’ she didn’t exactly want to stick around to watch us.

As the front door closed behind her, I lost it. Completely and utterly lost it.

“Oh my God.” My throat felt like it was closing over, my internal temperature spiking. It was like I was seeing stars, and needed to sit down. I wasn’t even sure how I got there but moments later, I felt a hand on my back as I collapsed onto the sofa with my head in my hands, breathing so heavy not even an oxygen mask would’ve helped.

It was the kind of anxiety that couldn’t be tamed with soothing words or deep breaths. No meditation or inspirational quotes could help the way I mucked everything up. It was all going to go down in flames because of me.

Niall fell beside me, brows pulled in opposite directions with lips twisted up in confusion. “I see you’re upset and all, but I need you to relax so you can explain what the hell I just got myself into.”  “I’m sorry!” I wailed. “I just...she came over and saw the boxers, and she ambushed me. It all happened to fast. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t breathe. And then you showed up and she just--”

“Love,” Niall interrupted. “Slow down a bit and start from the beginning.”

“Zayn came over to talk.”

There. It was out in the open. No longer a secret weighing me down like a brick.

Niall didn’t ask questions. He didn’t want clarification or any little details. He simply licked his lips slowly, an indicator that he was feeling a bit stressed, maybe disappointed as well.

“I know,” I rasped, shaking my head. “I know it looks bad! But nothing happened, I swear. It was just an innocent mishap that freaked me out and I just…I couldn’t think and then Robyn was here and I didn’t know what to do. And now Zayn’s got your joggers and I don’t know how to ever get them back for you because I’m 99% sure he never wants to see me again.”

“Tori...”

“How do I fix this?” I whispered.

“I wish I could tell you.”

“I was going to come clean to Zayn.”

His sea blue eyes pierced mine in a way that made me want to hug him and run away from him all at the same time. “You still can.”

It was past my bedtime but I couldn’t sleep much anyways. It probably wasn’t the best idea to drown my embarrassment and stress in bottomless alcohol but hey, we all get our fix in different ways. Mine just happened to cost less than therapy.

The piano man was playing something jazzy and soulful, alleviating some of the thoughts spinning round my brain. The doors of the pub opened and I shamelessly moved my gaze up to see, but to my disappointment it was just some redheaded coed slipping inside. Letting out a sigh, I silently lectured myself. It was a long shot even contacting him at all; he didn’t live in the same city as me. But as much as I hated that I’d even dared to venture into that uncharted territory with him, there was a part of me that really, really wanted him to show up tonight.

If someone asked me why, I wouldn’t have been able to explain it. All signs pointed to me absolutely abhorring his attitude and way with being so bloody charming at all fucking times of the day. And I did, along with his stupid lopsided smirk and easy-going outlook on life that made him so relaxed about everything. However…sometimes he made me smile a little.

And I was in need of some smiles tonight.

I heard his footsteps before I saw him. Probably because he was wearing the same clunky ass cheetah printed pair that he wore when I first met him and I would know the horrid sound of them even if he’d been walking on pillows in a padded room.

“Rough day?” Harry Styles stared back at me with mischievous eyes and a goofy grin from across the table.

“You could say that,” I rasped, trying to hide the upward tug of my lips at the sight of his tangle body. “What tipped you off?”

Harry sat down across from me took off his coat, setting it on the back of the chair neatly. “Maybe the fact that you called me.” His eyebrows danced teasingly and we had been sitting closer I probably would pushed his face away for being so cheeky and cheerful. “And didn’t even make fun of my hat.”

“S’a terrible hat,” I agreed. Smaller with a shorter rim than his usual over the top floppy ones that I’d had the pleasure of witnessing in the past, the one he chose tonight was black with a simple band around the middle. More subtle, but still silly as fuck.

Raking his gaze over my face, he went on acting like we were old friends. “Was pretty damn surprised to hear your voice on my phone, Tor. Can’t say I didn’t like it though.”

“Imagine my surprise to actually make use of your number, Twinkle Toes.”

Dipping his eyes down to my hands, he tipped his head. “What’re you drinking?”

“A mixture of vodka and loneliness,” I deadpanned, which elicited a tiny smirk out of him.

“I’ll get you a refill. Be right back.”

For a weekday, the place was pretty full. With seats filled at the bar and people joyously tipping the house musician while they drank away their problems, it was just where I needed to be. Not necessarily close to my flat, it was a brisk walk for a couple blocks away. There wasn’t a chance that Zayn would show up, and Niall was busy at a different pub. I was in the clear.

“Switching it up for you. Hope you don’t mind,” Harry explained, placing another glass before me. “This one’s rum and joy. Go ahead. Take a sip.”

I rolled my eyes at him attempt to make me smile. “Why are you in town, Harry?”

“Work.” He brought his beer to his lips and took a big swig. “Checked out some cool indie artist that was playing at Cafe Oto. Gonna do a piece about them next week.”

“Well?” My eyebrows shot up as I took another long sip. This stuff was yummy. “Were they any good?”

“I quite liked ‘em, yeah.”

“Why don’t you just move to London if you’re here for work so often?”

“I like the beach,” he said simply, running a hand through his positively fucked hair. “S’peaceful.”

“I hardly ever go.”

“You don’t like it?”

“No, that’s not it,” I shook my head. “I love it, actually. S’a bit far for me though and I’d rather not go alone.”

Harry cocked his head. “I reckon Robyn would join you. Or Niall.”

I winced and closed my eyes. “Can we…not talk about them please?”

Harry’s eyebrows jumped in question and he studied my face for a couple of minutes. “No? Trouble with the Irishman?”

Yeah, everyone and their mothers thought I was dating him.

When I didn’t immediately reply, he hummed, “Or with your sister…?”

“Can you get me another?” I pointed to my drink with a frown. It was running on empty and if I was going to do any kind of talking tonight, I needed at least 3 glasses of alcohol in my system first.

Harry did what I asked, buying us both a few more rounds until we were good and drunk to the point of forgetting our differences and laughing so loudly our bodies shook.

At one point, the piano man started up with a particularly lively song and I found myself blushing as Harry got to his feet and pulled me onto the floor. Even though I knew how stubborn he was, I still tried to wrangle out of his arms until it was no use and we were standing in the center of the pub. There wasn’t really a designated dance-floor or anything but that didn’t stop him from pulling me close, dipping his nose to my ear where he let out a deep chuckle.

“Have you been practicing your dancing then, Tori? For the wedding?”

We were moving in circles, something that was practically impossible to fuck up, and to my surprise I saw a few other couples follow our lead and get up to dance as well, though I couldn’t deny that they were much more graceful as they kept to the tempo of the song. It was no surprise that Harry and I couldn’t follow the beat. Instead, we kept to the beat of our hearts and our chuckles as we jerked around, trying to look like we weren’t totally mental.

“Have you?” My eye flashed humorously over his face, watching as his lips turned up in a definite negative.

“Maybe we need another class,” he suggested. His hands were settled around my waist more comfortably than the first time we were forced to dance together, and it felt so completely different. I remembered seeing red when he messed up or made fun of me, but now all I could concentrate on was the scent of his cologne and the warmth I was feeling beneath the spot were he had his hands on me.

“Maybe I need a new partner,” I challenged.

“Oi! I wasn’t that bad!” I let out a loud chuckle and he took the opportunity to pull me in closer. Harry pushed the hair off my shoulder before dropping his head to my the crook of my neck. His hot breath flared against my sensitive skin and I felt a rush of pleasure hit me hard in the pit of my stomach.

“What I lack on the dance floor, I make up for in bed,” he mumbled against the shell of my ear, causing shivers to roll all down my spine. The tone of his voice was so serious that I would have assumed he wasn’t joking around with me until his usual cackling laugh vibrating up his throat as he pulled his head away.

“You’re my favorite person to tease,” he whispered, looking at me under half-lidded eyes.

We were so close I could feel his racing heart against my chest. I opened an eye slowly, then the other to see that I was only inches away from his lips. The damn lips that were always smirking or smiling smugly. The lips that knew how to drive me absolutely nuts with one-liners.

“Tori, what the hell am I gonna do with you?” he rasped, tightening his grip around my waist.

I held my breath, waiting for my heartbeat to go back to normal but it didn’t. Harry’s head dipped slightly to the side as his arms pulled me in, nearly crushing my face to the spot where his chest met his neck. He hadn’t done up the buttons of his shirt and I realized that it was the first time I was touching his skin. Really touching it.

I wanted to say something witty, to pull away from him and run so he wouldn’t have a chance to laugh in my face about how I rect to his body, to him. But I for the first time in my life, I found myself silent, from my mind to my lips.

Wrapping one arm along my waist, the other arm soothingly coasted up my back, settling just behind my beck as he held me against him. His feet stopped our dancing and we were just standing there…holding each other.

Chests rising and falling and hearts beating loudly, my eyes gently closed as I got accustomed to the warmth of his embrace, the very gently rocking of his body.

He was hugging me.

My body went rigid at the realization but before I could talk myself anywhere, he mumbed against my hair, “It’s late and I’m sleepy. How about we go home?”

The door of the pub opened with a whoosh of cool wind that immediately brought goosebumps along my skin. The outside crisp nighttime air was a sharp contrast from the warmth Harry’s body provided me only moments ago. Folding my arms around myself, I began walking down the cracked cement sidewalk, Harry’s much louder footsteps falling into place with my own. For such a gangly man, he had no trouble keeping up with my fast pace though.

I wanted to shove him away, to demand he explain himself—the way he held me like he cared.

“Your shoes are loud,” I commented instead, dropping my head to give them a look. He was the only man I knew who’d even dare to venture into such creative fashion choices. Even Zayn liked to keep things more neutral and subdued.

“You’re loud,” he smirked.

As usual, I managed to ignore him as we made our way down the littered concrete sidewalk. To keep my mind at bay, I began counting the cracks in the cement, the pieces of rubbish I noticed in the gutter. It wasn’t long though, before another gust of wind assaulted the bare skin of my arms and legs.

“Guess I should’ve worn tights today, huh,” I giggled, grabbing onto his arm warm arm.

Harry let out a snort and rolled his eyes. “Y’know, there’s an app that tells you exactly the temperature of the day? Don’t even have to pay for it or anything.”

“Oh, fuck off,” I smacked him. “I thought I looked fit!” When he didn’t respond to my blatant fishing for a compliment, I pulled him to a stop and gaped at him. “Harry, do you think I look fit in this?”

Spending only a second looking me up and down, his lips turned into that smirk I knew all too well. “I reckon you look cold.”

“Unbelievable,” I hummed.

“Just sayin’ is all.”

“Are you gonna walk me home again?”

“Will you get angry at me if I do?”

“Probably,” I snorted.

He did anyway, but I managed to fill my head with other things. I was so cold that I swore my goosebumps had goosebumps of their own, and my teeth were chattering. Until they weren’t anymore because my shoulders were suddenly covered with a thick wool coat.

“What are you—“ I sputtered, flinching at the feeling of his fingertips on my shoulders where he’d just slid the jacket. “Harry!”

“You’re about to turn to ice,” he rolled his eyes.

“It’s your’s! And now you’re gonna be cold and—“

“Just take it, woman.”

“Fine,” I snapped, shrugging into the warm coat with a scowl on my face. It was nearly impossible to act so annoyed by it for much longer though, because the scent of his cologne had sunk into the fabric, providing me with a nearly high-inducing cloud of manliness. I managed to slip out a brief and quiet “Thank you” once my teeth stopped chattering.

From that point on, the walk didn’t seem so bad. Harry rattled on about the band he’d watched earlier, trying to convince me that a review from him would up their street cred in London by at least four notches. I rolled my eyes, of course. Harry seemed to be thinking quite highly of himself, but I still reminded myself to read his next column to fact check. It would be nice to have some ammo against him the next time he tried to rile me up with all that sex talk.

Our conversation flowed easily and quickly, and it seemed far too soon that we were actually standing before my flat, where a single dim lamp post illuminated the steps up the stoop.

Dropping my gaze to my shoes, I struggled internally with the question that had been plaguing my mind since the moment we left the pub.

“You wanna come up?” I asked finally.

“To your flat?”

“No, to my neighbor’s,” I deadpanned. “Yes, Harry. I’m inviting you in.”

“Oh,” he frowned. Ever so quickly though, his lips turned up into a smirk. “Oh, I see.”

I rolled my eyes and began typing the key code into the pad at the door. “You missed the last train home. No need to jump to conclusions. I see your head spinning under that ugly hat.”

His lips turned up fondly at the mention of his favorite accessory. Stuffing his hands into his pockets, he rocked on the balls of his feet. “Thought maybe I’d stay at Zayn’s,” he shrugged.

“You’re already here, and it’s late.” Not to mention dark and cold. “And you’ve been drinking.” And I had his coat, and wasn’t quite ready to give it back just yet.

Not quite taking my word for face value, he squinted and looked at me carefully, as if to search my face for answers I wasn’t sure I could give him. At last, his lips turned up in a way I’d seen so many times on him before. “Are you—are you inviting me for a sleepover, Tori?”

I groaned. “Maybe before, but now all this talk has me changing my mind.”

Eyebrows kinked, he pursed his lips in contemplation. “Will there be a pillow fight?”

“No, but I’ll paint your nails to match your toes, and if your lucky we’ll get Niall to give your hair matching plaits before bed.”

“Well, how could I turn that offer down?”

His obnoxious shoes clunked the whole way up the stairs to my flat and I wondered briefly if we’d woken up every damn sleeping person in the complex. Just when I thought we’d made it back alive, I pulled my key from my purse and slot it in the hole, but before I could turn it, Harry’s hand covered my own.

I craned my neck over my shoulder to get a better look at him, but was thrown off by the way he was looking down at me.

“To answer your question from before…I reckon look very fit in that dress.”

[last chapter / story home page / talk to me!]

#twinkletoes #chapter7 #seven #harry styles fanfic #1dff

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betweenmeandyouff · 10 years ago

Text

Chapter 7 | Higher

Authors Note: Avery’s and Drew’s FCs have been changed due to personal preference. They still have the same roles (i.e: Avery and Drew are still stepsisters) That hasn’t changed. Just the faces. Sorry for the inconvenience. Enjoy the chapter loves.

Avery

“Oh shit!” I blurted out, almost tumbling down the steps while walking down to August’s basement. Grabbing ahold of the railing and swinging forward, pushing my body up against the wall, I listened as everyone began to cackle. “I see how it is you guys.” I nodded my head. “If I would have fell, I would have sued.”

“Ya woulda been suin’ ya self cause that woulda been ya own fault.” August retorted, continuing to walk down the extremely steep steps.

“Nope.” I regained my composure and grabbed ahold of Tyler’s shoulders from behind, returning back to my trek down to the basement. “No one told you to get these steep stairs put in your house. I’m always stumbling down these and the other ones too. I don’t know how you guys don’t.”

“Because unlike you, we have balance.” Blair stated once we all made it down to the bottom of the stairs.

“Says the one who can’t even walk in a straight line when she’s not under the influence.”

“We all have flaws ling-ling. Shut the hell up.” Blair spat playfully, walking over to the bar stools with her cousins in tow at the mini bar and sitting on one of them.

“That’s the furthest thing from a flaw and stop calling me that shit, B.” I giggled while plopping down onto the royal blue couch in the middle of the basement.

“Nah. That’s your name. Don’t be acting brand new.” I shook my head and waved her off as Kyle sat down on the couch next to me and Tristan sat down on one of the green chairs, which was adjacent to the couch. We turned our heads and watched as August, Trey, Chris and Omarion wasted no time heading to the bar, which was located by the air hockey table.

“Y’all thirsty or what?” I tossed over my shoulder, my eyes landing on Chris who was holding a bottle of Hennessy in his left hand.

“A lil bit.” He retorted through his smirk before I shook my head and turned back around, scanning the room slowly. While scanning the room, I noticed August added a few new games in here and he even added two bowling lanes in the far right corner of the room.

Whenever he hosted smoke sessions at his house, he’d hold them down in his man cave, which we all loved because of everything he had down here. He literally had everything you could think of in here. From a bar, to a customized juke box and sound system attached to it; and clearly, he was still adding more things to it.

The fact that he has bowling lanes in his man cave now, made me all too excited. Bowling is one of my favorite things to do aside from dancing.

“Soooooo…..” I drawled out. “I wanna bowl.” I stated, sitting up and scooting to the edge of the couch.

“You tryna play against the champ, Chink?” Omarion questioned, walking over to where Blair was sitting with his cup of God knows what in his hand.

“Champ?” I inquired before laughing. “The lies you tell.”

“Better ask about me. Tell her, B.” Blair allowed her head to fall back, looking up at Omarion as he slowly trailed his eyes down to meet hers. She giggled lowly before bringing her head back upright and looking at me.

“He ight.” She tossed out through a smirk and shrugged as O kissed his teeth. I could tell Blair was trying hard to suppress her laugh but O taking his free hand and leaning forward to tickle her, ruined that. “Okay, okay, okay!” She bellowed out in between her laughter, trying to get Omarion to stop tickling her. “I was just playing!”

“Better be, Goldie.” Omarion smiled before bringing his red cup up to his lips as she jokingly waved him off.

“Still don’t believe that. So let’s go ahead and play a game so I can whoop that ass.”

“Aye!” Chris yelled out as I stood up. “Put my name on the board. I wanna play too.” I turned my head to the side and noticed Chris, August and Trey walking over to where the rest of us were sitting.

“Gutter boy wants to play?” I probed while raising my right eyebrow and looking at Chris. I watched as he leaned up against the wall, gaping back at me for a minute before saying anything.

“Yea…” He smiled as I broke away from our stare, hoping no one took notice in it. “I mean, I ain’t shit when it comes to bowling but I still wanna play.” He finished.

“Well, alright. That’s fine.” I looked over at my girls. “We need one more person. Tris…”

“Nope.” She hastily responded while holding up her hands, flashing me her nails.

“Really? You’re getting a fill this weekend anyway. Come play with us.”

“This is why your sister needs to be here. I don’t know what it is about y’all and bowling but you know no one likes to play against you two.” Tristan stated, putting her hand back down.

“It’s not my fault y’all can’t keep up with our strikes.”

“And that’s exactly why I don’t wanna play. You’re not about to embarrass me. No ma’am.”

“Speaking of your sister…” Trey chimed in. “Where is Drew anyway?”

“Her boss called her into work again at the last minute. You would’ve known that if your fat ass didn’t go buy everything at the concession stand a little after my performance.”

“I didn’t even buy that much though.”

“So three hot dogs, chili cheese fries, a pretzel, two churros, and uhm…what else am I missing?” I inquired while looking off to the side and snapping my fingers. “I know you had more than that.”

“Cotton candy, a bag of Fritos, a spicy pickle and some nachos.” Tristan rambled out before scratching her head and avoiding eye contact, as if she just didn’t snitch on Trey.

“Yea. So all of that isn’t that much?” I quizzed.

“Shorty, forreal. You just gone out me like that?” Trey directed his question to Tristan before we all busted out laughing. Tristan looked at Trey and flashed him an obtuse smile before he shook his head and chuckled.

“Lunch Trey, it’s okay. We’ve accepted your greedy ways. Both yours and Kyle’s.” I giggled while making my way over to the bowling lanes. I turned around and watched as everyone stood up and followed me over to the lanes as well.

Not only did August have the bowling lanes in the corner, but he had a little couch set up over here as well. So even those who weren’t playing could just sit back and watch me hit these strikes.

“I’m not greedy though.” Kyle finally spoke up.

“Says the one who practically inhales all of her food in less than ten minutes and then goes back for more.”

“Avery, I know you aren’t talking. You can probably out eat all of us.” Blair chimed in.

“Just like you can out drink all of us?”

“It’s not my fault I can handle my liquor and y’all can’t.” She flipped her curls over her shoulder and smirked as I gave her a blank stare.

“We’ll see if you’ll still be able to handle it once your birthday rolls around next month, B.”

“Y’all try to get me fucked up every…single…year. Give it up, it’s not gonna happen boo but uh...us whooping these two goofs, will.”

“You’re filling in for me Blair?” Tristan questioned.

“Yup. Gotta redeem myself from when we all went bowling at Santa Fe a couple weeks ago.”

“Ya mean when ya went slidin’ down the lane with the ball?” August inquired before we all fell out in laughter; all of us except Blair.

“Bruh.” Chris stated through his cackling. “That was some funny ass shit. Thought you only peeped shit like that in movies.”

“Y’all know what?” Blair started before the doorbell rang. We all turned our heads towards the basement stairs then looked at August.

“Harpo…who that?” I quizzed with a confused look on my face.

“Iono.” August replied before setting his red plastic cup down and jogging upstairs to answer the door.

“It’d suck if that’s the feds.”

“KC, why would the feds be here?”

“Cause Chrez is here.” She simply replied with her head buried in her phone as usual.

“Oh so you got jokes?” Chris questioned before walking over to her and ruffling up her hair.

“Chris, stop!” Kyle bellowed before smacking the shit out of his hand.

“Damn, girl. You heavy handed too.” He scrunched up his face while shaking his hand vigorously.

“Sorry, not sorry.” She flashed him a quick closed-mouth smile and went back to doing whatever it was that she was doing in her phone. I’m assuming by the way she was constantly tapping her screen that she was on Snapchat.

I chuckled lowly to myself and shook my head as I heard a series of conversations coming from the basement stairs. We were all a little confused since no one else was in this house besides us.

“Who is Aug talking to?” I quizzed in a low tone.

“The hell if I know.” Tristan responded.

“Y’all showed up mad late. Told y’all this shit started at nine. It’s eleven-thirty.” August stated once he made it to the bottom of the stairs.

I turned around to look at everyone and we all pretty much had the same looks on our faces. Confusion. That is, until all of these people finally started pouring into the man cave with us.

In walked Jhene, Tinashe, Kehlani, Bryson Tiller, Jacquees, Ty Dolla Sign, Big Sean, Marcus Cooper and Nicki Minaj. Also known as, a few good friends of all of ours.

“August, what the hell?!” Blair, Kyle, Tristan and I all yelled in unison.

“Whoa…” I stated before all four of us looked at one another and started laughing. “We’ve definitely been around each other for too long.”

“What the hell what.” August inquired while he started walking over to us, everyone else in tow behind him with smiles plastered on their faces.

“You didn’t tell us they were coming, that’s what the hell what.” Blair spat, walking over to Jhene and giving her a hug first.

“I can’t surprise ya?”

“Nope. We need to know when our babies are coming to see us.” I walked over and embraced Tinashe in my arms first before moving on to do the same to Kehlani.

“They ain’t eem’ come ta see y’all. They came ta see me.” Everyone in the room turned and looked at August. Nicki was the first to bust out into laughter, the rest of us following suit.

“Boy, stop.” Nicki stated after she wrapped up her laughing fit. Watching as Tristan walked over to Nicki, she embraced her in a hug and smiled. “Trissy, boo. I missed you.”

“I missed you more, Nick. Where have you been all my life?”

“Seriously though. We haven’t seen you guys in a long ass time.” Kyle chimed in.

“Blame August.” Kehlani stated.

“Don’t blame me. All y’all got each other’s numbers.”

“You the only one who hosts these live ass smoke sessions though, nigga.” Bryson spoke up.

“You right…” August started. “My fault.”

“And uh….” Marcus commenced, walking over to where Blair’s cousins were sitting at the mini bar. “I don’t think I have her number.” He stood in front of Haiden and looked down at her before Blair intervened.

“Marcus. If you don’t get your ass away from my cousin.”

“Cousin? Mm….” He looked from Haiden to Blair. “I see good looks run in the family.”

“Well, duh. I’ma still need for you to take two large steps back for mankind, sir.”

“B, chill out.” Omarion demanded, walking over to her and wrapping his arms softly around her neck.

“But…but…O.” She pouted.

“But nothing.” He leaned his head down and spoke into her hair. “She’s twenty-two years old ma. Same age as you. Let her live.” They both glanced across the room at the two of them as B stopped pouting and scrunched up her face.

“Marcus, you didn’t even say hi to the rest of us. Lil ugly.”

“Oh shit.” He turned around to face us. “My bad. My bad.” He walked over to Tristan and gave her a hug first before making his rounds around the room and doing the same to the rest of us females, dapping up O, Trey, and Chris. He walked back over to Blair as O removed his arms from around her shoulders.

“Do I have your permission to talk to your cousin, lil bit?” Blair sighed and ran her fingers through her curls before I walked over to her and nudged her. She looked at me from the corner of her eye and looked back up at Marcus.

“Yes, Marcus. You do. Fuck her over though and I’ll send your front teeth flying down your throat.” He chuckled and lifted his hands up in the air for defense.

“You know me, B. I’m not that type of dude.”

“Yea, okay. Don’t make me call up Spec, Baby Blue and Slick’em and ask them what type of dude you are.”

“Damn. You gotta ask them now? You’ve known me longer than them.”

“I’m just playing.” She chuckled as Jacquees approached us.

“Ight. She’s in good hands though, ma. Don’t worry.” He smirked and licked over his lips before turning around and heading back over to Haiden. I sighed and shook my head before laughing lowly to myself.

“That man is a mess.” I looked at Blair before looking at Jacquees.

“So uh, B. You related to the other one too? I’m only askin’ cause I don’t want no problems if I go over there and chop it up with her.”

“Oh sweet baby Jesus. Avery….” Blair looked at me and pushed all of her hair back out of her face. “Remind me to never bring these two to a smoke session again.” She looked from me to Jacquees and removed her hands from hair. “Yes. That’s my other cousin. They’re sisters and if you wanna go talk to her, go ahead Mr. Come Thru and Future Baby Mama.” She stated, referring to two of his songs off of his album titled “19.” Jacquees laughed and raised his eyebrows.

“Word?”

“Yes, boy. Now go before I change my mind. Oh and hi to you too.” He chortled deeply before walking closer to Blair and embracing her in a hug.

“Wassup, Goldie Locks. Oh and I prefer to be called Mr. Perfect or Mr. Soldier.” He tried defending himself with two of the more appropriate songs off of his album.

“Mm. If you say so.” Blair replied, still wrapped up in Jacquees’ arms.

“Ight, ight,.” O walked back over to us and stood next to Blair and Jacquees. “Long enough hug, bruh.”

“Oop.” I smirked and took a step back away from the three of them, glancing around at everyone still saying their hellos to each other as if I didn’t hear a thing.

“My bad, bro.” He released Blair from his hug as B cleared her throat. “But uh, B. Ya other cousin, yea, she’s in good hands too.”

“I’m sure she is.” Blair replied, her voice laced with sarcasm. We watched as he turned around and walked over to where Tyler was sitting next to Haiden and Marcus.

I turned to look at Omarion and just stared at him. “What?” He quizzed, as I shook my head.

“Oh, nothing. I’m going to leave you two alone though.” I replied through a few giggles, walking back over to the bowling lanes.

“Ight, so now that all y’all got ya greetin’s and shit in….” August spoke up, a little louder than usual. “It’s time to roll up.”

“It’s about got damn time.” I called out.

“We need something to vibe to first though.” Kehlani stated, walking over to the jukebox. “Let’s see. Which one of y’all voices do I feel like listening to first? Or do I feel like listening to my own?” She quizzed as a few of us started laughing.

“Don’t play no weak shit, Lani.”

“Also known as your shit, right Chris?” Kehlani roasted as we all chortled, her head deep in the jukebox selection. She lifted her head up moments later and looked back at the crowd, only to find Chris staring her down. “I was just playin’ boo. Relax.” She flashed him a hefty smile before “How Many Times” began playing from the speakers of the sound system. “See.” She giggled and walked over to where Jhene and Tinashe were standing, unzipping her PINK fanny pack that laced her waist.

“Can’t stand yo ass, Lani.”

“Oh shut up. You love me. Anyway, y’all wanna match up? We brought weed too.” She pulled out five pre-rolled blunts and flashed them to us once I walked over to where they were standing.

“You already know we do.” I stated. “I’m gonna smoke and bowl though. That’s cool with you?”

“Yea, that’s cool. You gotta roll one up first before you hit them lanes.” I nodded my head and walked over to the couch, digging through my purse. I pulled out my pink tin can, which held my stash and walked over to where Kehlani was standing.

I already had two blunts of my own rolled already so there was no wasting time. I haven’t smoked in a minute because of dance but I needed that high right now. I’ve needed it ever since I saw my first love out on a date with my stepsister.

To my dismay, another one of Chris’ songs “Give it Away” began to play as soon as “How Many Times” concluded. With the two blunts still in the palm of my hand, I glanced across the room at Chris who was now on his third drink, only to find him glancing back at me with a smirk on his face.

I started biting on the inside of my cheek before clearing my throat and looking back at Kehlani. It wasn’t long before Big Sean and Ty Dolla Sign made their way over to us, wanting to match up as well.

“Let me see the weed.” Kehlani stated bluntly, nodding her head in approval once they both pulled out a dime bag and papers to roll it up in. “Ight.” She pulled out a lighter as Big Sean and Ty walked over to the second pool table to begin crushing and rolling.

“Another strike!” I heard Blair yell from over at the bowling lanes.

“How are you guys bowling without me when bowling was my idea?” I bellowed out before Omarion and Blair snapped their heads towards me at the same time.

“You were taking too long though.” Blair tilted her head to the side. “And besides, I’m whooping O and Chris’ ass right now for the both of us.”

“Yea okay. What frame are you on?”

“Just the third one. Listen, we can switch off. Take a few hits and come bowl then I’ll go smoke.”

“And I’ma switch off with one of y’all cause I wanna match up too.” Chris stated.

“You brought some….”

“Fire? Yea, I got that.” He interrupted Tinashe as Big Sean and Ty walked back over to us, grabbing the lighter from Kehlani and sparking up.

“Alright, cool.” Tinashe grabbed the blunt from Kehlani after she hit it a few times and took a few hits, exhaling a thick cloud of smoke into the atmosphere. I grabbed the lighter from Ty and sparked up one of the two blunts that I had in my hand, setting the other one down on counter.

Taking an elongated pull from my blunt, I inhaled sharply again before holding it in for a bit. Finally exhaling a few seconds later, I closed my eyes until all of the smoke departed the cave of my mouth. I hit the blunt two more times before passing it to Jhene and grabbing the blunt that was being passed to me by Sean.

“Ave, yo eyes low as fuck. You high already?” Sean inquired, chuckling and grabbing the blunt from Kehlani.

“You know I’m one of the light weights in the group.” I tried to defend my case, licking over my lips and smiling faintly.

“You a light weight with the liquor – both you and Tristan. I know that but with weed?”

“Tristan what?” Tristan inquired, walking over to us with a red cup in her hand.

“You a light weight.”

“Uh, not all of us are alcoholics like you.”

“And besides…” I intervened. “We like to consider ourselves cheap dates. Not light weights.”

“Okay?!” Tristan held up her hand and I high fived her with a smirk broadcasted on face.

“Well whatever y’all wanna call it, y’all be turnt after two drinks and apparently…” He paused, grabbing the blunt from Kehlani. “You get turnt after a couple hits.”

“I don’t think I get turnt after smoking. Smoking eases my mind and takes my stress away.”

“You stressed?” Tristan quizzed, blocking the pass Tinashe was trying to make to me. Tristan grabbed the blunt and took a quick hit, passing it to me once she was done.

I shrugged my shoulders and grabbed the blunt from her fingers, bringing it up to my lips. “No…” I lied before exhaling the smoke into the already clouded air. I passed the blunt to Ty before standing up and looking around the room.

Everyone was in his or her own zone. Haiden and Tyler were still conversing with Marcus and Jacquees. Nicki was playing pool with Trey, August and Kyle, rotating a few blunts of their own. Chris, Omarion, Bryson and Blair were sitting down on the couches by the bowling lanes exchanging conversation as well. Then we had our little session going on over here.

“Alright you guys, hope you don’t mind but I’m about to go bowl for a lil bit.” I stated, eyes a little lower than they were a few minutes ago.

“Don’t leave us, Chinky love.” Jhene stated, linking her arm in mine. Jhene was such a sweet heart. I loved me some her. It was something about her positivity that always made me smile.

“I’ll be back over here after I whoop some ass.” I giggled and wrapped my free arm around her. “I’m tryna get higher anyway, so yea, I’ll definitely be back.” I replied, just as Jhene’s song “Higher” began to play next.

The irony.

“Just get the other blunt you had rolled up already and take it over there with you boo.” Tinashe stated, reminding me that I had another blunt of my own.

“I forgot about that shit.” I released Jhene from my hug and walked over to the counter, grabbing my blunt from off of it.

“I got you.” She flashed me a smile before I flashed one back to her. “Come on Tristan.”

“Where are we going?” She inquired before bringing her red cup up to her lips and taking a sip of her drink.

“Back over by the lanes so I can give y’all the four-one-one on my date.”

“Yasssssss.” She drawled out, smiling and walking over by me before I let out a giggle. On the way back over to the lanes, I called Kyle over to us as well because I didn’t want her to miss out on the details.

Approaching the couches that Blair, Chris, Omarion and Bryson were sitting on, Chris was the first one to look up at us.

Go figure.

“You lit as fuck, ma.” He chuckled lowly.

“Sean just pointed out the same thing. I’m not even that high though.”

“Tell your low ass eyes that.” He licked over his lips and stood up as Tristan and I took our seats on the couch. Well, I took Chris’ seat and Tristan sat on Blair’s lap. Once Kyle made her way over to us, she decided to sit next to me and toss her legs over mine. I staled face her before she blew me a kiss, shaking my head after she did so.

“I promise you I’m not that high, Mr. Brown.” Returning my attention back to Chris, I trailed my eyes up his tall frame and stopped once our eyes met. He looked down at my hand and raised an eyebrow. “Mind your business.” I laughed lowly and brought the lighter up to the blunt, sparking it up as he continued to eyeball it.

“You not that high…..yet.” He stated, adding extra emphasis on the last word of his sentence while looking me back in my eyes.

“You’re absolutely right.” I dropped the lighter in Kyle’s lap and held the blunt up to my lips, inhaling deeply once again while looking Chris in his eyes.

Chris and I used to smoke together damn near everyday back when we dated. He was actually the one that introduced me to weed. At first I was a little hesitant about trying it because of all the negative things you hear about it but I eventually got over it.

He was the one who taught me how to roll, he bought me my first hand pipe, introduced me to the best dealers and everything. We stayed having smoke sessions – just the two of us.

When I told my girls that I smoked, they thought the World was about to end. They never took me as the type to smoke. Why? I don’t know but I don’t see anything wrong with a female that smokes; especially if she’s cute and has her shit together. Like myself and my girls for instance. The only one that doesn’t smoke in our circle is my stepsister, Drew.

Whenever Chris and I used to get high together, we’d always end up having high sex. Our high sex was some of the best sex ever. We’d literally end up doing it everywhere in his place, from the balcony to the pool in his backyard. There wasn’t a spot my ass didn’t touch and I knew that’s what he was thinking of right now

Taking another pull from the blunt and blowing O’s in Chris’ face, I passed it over to Kyle who was staring absentmindedly at the ceiling. “KC…” I called out, snapping her out of her intuitions.

“Huh?”

“Hit this.” She sat up and grabbed the blunt from my fingers. I leaned back in my seat on the couch and glanced from Chris, to Omarion then to Bryson. “So uh, if you guys don’t mind….” I started. “I have to talk to them about something important.”

“Y’all finna talk shit?” Omarion inquired as I shrugged my shoulders playfully.

“Maybe, maybe not.” I smirked. “But no, seriously. I have to talk to them so can you guys like, find a new home?”

“I guess we can do that.” Omarion stood up and looked down at Blair who was leaned forward, wrapping strands of her hair around her index finger. “You ight, Goldie?” He kneeled down in front of her and placed his hands on her thighs, looking her in her eyes. She smiled but I knew that it was a fake one.

“Hmm. I’m fine.” She unwrapped her hair from around her finger.

“So you lyin’ to me now?”

“O, I’m okay. Go play pool with Nicki, Trey and August or go smoke with Sean, Ty and the girls.” She retorted as his entire facial expression changed into one of concern. He sighed and rested his hand on the back of her head, pushing inward to bring her head towards his lips. He placed a kiss on her forehead and leaned back. That kiss to the forehead was all it took for Blair to curl her lips into a genuine smile – which made me smile too.

These two were too cute for their own good and it made me sick that the only thing they saw each other as, were best friends.

“I’ma get it outta you eventually. You know you can’t keep shit from me.” He stood up and nodded his head at Bryson and Chris before they both walked over to where Tristan and I just came from.

“You sure you’re okay, baby?” I quizzed once we were in the clear to talk girl business.

“I’m fine, Avery.” She grabbed the still rotating blunt from Tristan and brought it up to her lips, inhaling slowly before exhaling the smoke through her nostrils. “Go ahead and tell us about your date though. I need all the details.” She took a few more hits from the blunt before passing it to Kyle.

I honestly knew something was wrong with Blair because her vibe did a drastic three-sixty. Not too sure what happened from the time she got that strike to now but I knew something was on her mind, however, I decided to just let it go.

For now.

“Well, where do I start?” I inquired through my smile.

“Did he end up taking you to the moon?”

“No ma’am. He surprised me and took me to the “Top of the World.”

“That expensive ass restaurant at the top of the Stratosphere?” Blair quizzed as I nodded my head in a “yes” motion. “Shit, that’s damn near the same thing. Moon…” She held one hand up in the air. “Stratosphere.” She held her other hand up in the air. “They’re on the same level.” She concluded as the rest of us laughed at her comparison.

“It’s really not but I did enjoy the surprise. Not to mention…” I turned my head around, scoping out our surroundings to make sure no one was listening. “We almost had sex on the elevator.” I spoke lowly.

“Ooooooo.” Kyle drawled out. “Y’all nasty. Always tryna fuck in an elevator.”

“Oh shush. It’s not my fault. Zane doesn’t care where we’re at; if he wants me, he’ll do anything to get me.”

“Girl, we know. Y’all damn near made a sex tape in the elevator at the MGM. Did everything you could to get that video footage back.” Tristan stated as I felt my face getting flushed. I brought my hands up and covered my face while smiling.

“Stop it you guys.” I dropped my hands onto Kyle’s calves and shook my head.

“Okay, go ahead and finish.” Blair tossed me a smirk. “Lil nasty ass.” I leaned forward and grabbed the pillow that was behind me before tossing it at Blair. “Ow, bitch.” She spat, causing me to laugh.

“Anyway….” I commenced. “So once we finally make it out the elevator, we get showed to our table which was right next to a window. The view was amazing you guys. Well, both of the views - my bae and my city. He looked so damn good. Oh my guh.” I stated, biting down on my lip. “Mm. So then I gave him his gifts, which were two Rolexes and he gave me mine.”

“Which was what?” Tristan probed, leaning forward and grabbing the diminishing blunt from Kyle.

“A promise ring from Tiffany and Co.”

“Shut the fuck up.” Blair stated. “Like the one you told all of us you wanted a long time ago?”

“Yes, B.”

“You told him you wanted it?”

“Nope. Apparently, he overheard me on the phone with you one day talking about it and he took it upon himself to go ahead and get me one.” Grabbing the roach from Tristan, I went ahead and finished the last of it off, leaning forward and tossing the end of it on the table. While leaning back in my seat, August’s song “Let Me Hit That” began to play next.

“Damn. You got you a good one, Ave.” Kyle chimed in over August’s voice seeping through the speakers as Blair and Tristan nodded their heads in agreement with Kyle.

“Yea…” I replied in a low tone, glancing off to the side.

“So what else happened?” Tristan inquired.

“Uhm…” I contemplated telling them about seeing Drew and Chris and how that went but I figured I’d let Drew tell how her date went. That’s if she even wanted to. “That’s pretty much it. I mean we conversed, exchanged gifts, ate….”

“Then y’all went home and he fucked ya brains out.”

“Correction. I fucked his brains out, Blair.”

“Oh, shit.” She put her hand up to her chest and tilted her head to the side.

“See what I mean. Just nasty.” Kyle intervened before she laughed and sat up, removing her legs off of mine and sitting back on the couch.

Little do they know, I had a run in with Chris that same night, which was the result of me doing what I did to Zane sexually. I wasn’t going to tell them all of that though. My little secret of Chris being my first love was still safe with me and that’s how I wanted to keep it.

“Hey, a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do. Right?”

“Right.” Tristan chimed in and agreed with me.

“Listen. Just because y’all have someone to fuck on a daily basis…”

“I don’t wanna hear it B,” I interrupted. “You can easily have the same thing if you’d stop bullshitting and get with Omarion.” I stood up and walked over to the bowling lanes. Blair, who was glaring at me as if I were crazy, stood up and followed me over to the lanes as well. “Just saying.” I shrugged and grabbed a red eight-pound bowling ball from off the rack.

“Y’all got your hopes up for something that’s never going to happen.”

“Well I guess there will be no fucking for you then, huh?” I smirked and walked up to the bowling line, swinging my arm backwards, then forwards to send the ball down the lane. Watching the ball roll towards the pins, I smiled and did a hair flip once I hit a strike.

“I guess not.” Blair shrugged her shoulders and grabbed a green ten-pound ball from the rack. It was Omarion’s turn but she went ahead and bowled for him, knocking all of the pins down except for two.

“B, if you gone bowl for me, I need you to hit some strikes ma.” Omarion stated, sneaking up behind us with Nicki, Chris and Jhene in tow. Hereby, causing our prior conversation to completely cease.

“Linda, listen….” She started, turning around to face her best friend.

“I’m sure she listenin’ to somethin’ somewhere.” He replied, causing Blair’s lips to curl into a smile. “Let me go head and bust out this spare real quick though.” He handed Blair his red cup and went to grab a twelve-pound bowling bowl off of the rack. Walking up closer to the bowling line and releasing his ball, he did exactly what he said he’d do – bust out a spare.

Blair smirked and held Omarion’s cup up to her lips, taking a sip of the liquor that was in it. She scrunched up her face and looked at Omarion. “What’s with the face?”

“What the hell are you drinking?”

“A Jager bomb, just as a drink.”

“Shits disgusting, best friend. This is what you’ve been on since we got here?” Blair inquired.

“Nah. I had some Crown Apple and Cran-Apple earlier.”

“It was lit, huh?”

“Hell yea.”

“Told you. That’s my go-to drink whenever, wherever. You was tryna knock it though.”

“I know but I’m not anymore. I just had to switch it up.”

“To that nasty ass Jager bomb drink.” She chuckled and glanced over at me. “You ready to whoop some ass?”

“You know I am. I already got us a strike.”

“Oh so you bowled shitty on purpose, ma?” Omarion quizzed, setting his red cup down on the table in the middle of the couches.

“Something like that.” Blair giggled as Chris walked over to the bowling lanes with us.

“O, it’s coo. We gone redeem ourselves.” He chimed in, looking from Blair to me.

“Bruh, you know yo ass can’t bowl. You stay hittin’ them gutters.”

“So you ain’t got no faith in a nigga?” Chris inquired. “I see how it is. I’m still bowlin’ with you anyway.” We all watched as he walked over to the rack and picked up a light blue twelve-pound bowling ball from off of it. Walking up to the bowling line, he swung his arm back and sent the ball down the lane. Shockingly, the ball actually stayed in the middle of the lane and knocked down all of the pins except one.

“I stay hittin them what, O?”

“Shut yo ass up.” O chuckled and looked up at the scoreboard. “We still losin’.”

“Of course you guys are. You’re playing against the best.” Replying in a somewhat cocky manner, I walked over and grabbed the same ball that I used to hit that strike only moments ago. I tossed Chris and Omarion a smile over my left shoulder before walking up to the bowling line again.

Swinging my arm forward and releasing the ball, it hit the bowling lane quietly and began gliding down towards the pins. “Ayyyyye.” I drawled out. “Another strike. It’s official. I’m the shit.” I smiled and looked at Chris, watching as he licked over his lips before curling the corners of them into a smirk.

“And the fact that every time you go up to bowl, your ball makes no sound when hitting the ground whatsoever.” Nicki stated. “You two need to step your cookies up.” She pointed to Chris and Omarion before Blair and I started laughing.

“Ling-ling cheatin’ though.”

“Nah, O.” Blair walked over to Omarion and stood in front of him. “She’s just good at what she does.”

“Is that right?” He quizzed, Blair nodding her head “yes” as a response. “And what about you?” He stepped a little closer to her. “You good at what you do?” She raised an eyebrow and shot him a petite smile before glancing down at the ground.

Looking back up at O, she squinted her eyes a little and backed away from him. She walked over to the bowling rack and picked up his ball, walking back over to Omarion and handing it to him.

“I think it’s your turn.” He grabbed the ball from her hands and watched her as she took a few steps backwards. He chuckled lowly to himself before giving Blair’s body a complete onceover and turning around to bowl his turn.

Bowling a strike, he turned around and dapped up an excited Chris. “That’s what I’m talkin’ about, bruh.”

“I gave him good luck, Chrez. Don’t get too happy.”

“Good luck?” Sarcasm laced Chris’ voice.

“Yea. I’m a good luck charm. Act like you know.” Blair retorted confidently, walking over to bowl her turn. Bowling a strike this time, she turned around and looked at me. “I told him to act like he knew.”

“You really tryna redeem yourself, huh?” Chris directed his question at Blair, looking up at the scoreboard. He shook his head in disbelief before gazing in my direction.

“That was my mission.” Blair pulled out her phone and unlocked it, tapping the Snapchat app. She held her gold iPhone six plus up, pointing it to the screen and snapping a picture.

Chris took his orbs off of me and glanced at Blair. “You really puttin’ the score on Snapchat?”

“This disappointing yet hilarious ass score?” Adding a caption, emoji’s and a filter on the picture, she snickered and brought her head up to look at Chris. “Hell yea.”

“We not even done with the game yet though.”

“But we’re about to be.” I replied, going up to bowl my turn in this last frame. I guess I should have held off on being a little too confident in my bowling. I ended up knocking all of the pins down except for three in the left hand corner.

“Ah shit. Looks like lil miss cocky done fucked up.” Chris stated in a teasingly manner before I stale faced him.

My game was definitely thrown off tonight thanks to Chris and his staring habits. I couldn’t really tell what was running through his mind during this game but I did know he couldn’t keep his eyes off of me. I’m normally the one hitting nothing but strikes and that’s been the case, up until now. I was just going to blame it on how high I was at the moment though.

“I’m high. Leave me alone.” Pulling my hair up into a high messy bun, I laughed and went to lean up against the wall.

“But it’s okay though because mama’s here to help.” Blair chimed in, going up and bowling a spare for us. “Consider myself, redeemed.” She smiled and looked at O, sticking her tongue out at him before he smiled and bit down on his bottom lip.

“Nah, hollup.” Chris walked over to the bowling rack and picked up a ball – a different one this time. He began stretching his legs out and rolling his head around, also known as making a fool out of himself. “We still got a frame to bowl. We got this.”

“So you think y’all about to catch up to us?”

“Y’all ain’t even that far ahead of us, Ave.” He glanced up at the scoreboard again and side-eyed both Blair and I.

“Mhm….” I hummed. “You were saying?”

“Ight, listen. We still got this. Come on, O.” We all watched from the sideline as Chris and Omarion approached the bowling line. Omarion was hyping Chris up as we all began laughing. Omarion stepped back a little and let Chris send his ball down the bowling lane. Chris leaned forward and rested his hands on his knees and jumped up in the air once the ball knocked all of the pins down. “Oh shit!” He bellowed as every single one of our jaws dropped.

We looked at one another before busting out into laughter. Everyone else in the room was looking in our direction before coming over to see what all of the commotion was about. Haiden, Tyler, Jacquees and Marcus even broke away from their conversations to waltz over to us as well.

“Did that just really happen?” Blair inquired, walking over to me. I shook my head in disbelief and glimpsed up at the scoreboard. Watching their score increase to one hundred and thirty-five had me stumped. When the hell did they even catch up to us to be able to surpass us like that?

“Yes ma’am.” I took my eyes off of the screen and looked back at Blair. “That definitely just happened.”

“Well. I guess we have to give it to them. They beat the champs.”

“You got damn right we did.” Chris intervened, walking up behind Blair with a smile as big as his ego etched across his face.

“Y’all cheated!” Blair jokingly yelled out while standing on her tippy toes, attempting to mush Chris in his face. Chris blocked her arm and leaned down, swooping Blair up in his arms. “Chris, stop it! Put me down you big bird ass boy, you!”

“Say we the best first.”

“See now you got me fucked up. I’m not saying that shit.”

“Guess I ain’t puttin’ you down then.” Blair began sending forceful punches to Chris’ kneecaps since she was now hanging upside down. How she got like that? I have no idea but this was definitely a sight to see. I couldn’t help but to laugh.

“Avery, is that you laughing?” Still punching Chris’ knees, the faces that he was making were even more hilarious.

“Nope.” I lied; trying to mask my laughter but Chris almost dropping Blair caused me to bust out laughing even harder along with the rest of the room.

“All of y’all fake! Laughing but not helping me.” Finally, Chris swung Blair upright and put her back down on the ground. “Like, I’m too high to be hanging upside down like a damn monkey, Chrez. Now my head hurts.” She pouted and walked over to Omarion, laying her head on his upper arm.

“You’ll be ight.”

“And Blair, you know we love you boo.” Tristan stated from her spot on the couch.

“No y’all don’t. Y’all didn’t come save me from his big ass.”

“You just stated the reason on why we didn’t.” Tristan giggled before struggling to stand up off of the couch. Guess she was high as ever too.

Trey sensed her sign of struggle and walked over to her, extending his hand out to help her up. Tristan looked up at Trey, then down at his hand before placing her hand in his and stood up off the couch. “Thank you, Tremaine.”

“No problem, gorgeous.” She removed her hand from his before walking over to stand next to Haiden, Tyler and Jacquees.

“Good game, cheaters.” I blurted out; right as Trey’s “Mr. Steal Your Girl” began to seep through the speakers next. Like clockwork, everyone turned their heads in Tristan’s direction as the room fell silent.

No one in the room was talking - except for Tristan. She didn’t even notice how silent the room was, nor did she notice what song was playing until Trey’s voice in the first verse exuded from the speakers next.

I glanced over at Trey who was smirking and licking over his lips. A few people began clearing their throats. Some started scratching the back of their heads. This was the most awkward moments I’ve ever been in before and this wasn’t even my moment.

Okay, ONE of the most awkward moments.

Tristan’s sentence came to a halt once she didn’t hear anyone else in the room talking. I’m assuming she heard Trey’s song playing too because as soon as she turned around, her eyes landed on Trey himself. She then trailed her eyes around the room, noticing all other eyes, were on her.

“What the hell are y’all looking at?” She quizzed before a round of “nothings” and “not shits” went flying out everyone’s mouths. Tristan shook her head and turned back around once everyone else resumed back to their own conversations.

I chuckled in amusement to myself and shook my head before feeling my phone vibrate in the back pocket of my blue jeans. Pulling my phone out, I noticed Zane was face-timing me. “Oh shit.” I mumbled lowly. I swiped my finger across the bottom of the screen, answering his call but telling him to hold on. Walking over to August, I tapped him on the shoulder before he turned around and glanced down at me.

“Wassup, shawty?”

“Can I go upstairs to talk on the phone for a minute?”

“Yea, that’s coo. Don’t get lost though. Cause I ain’t comin’ to get ya.”

“I’m not big head.” I giggled and thanked him before walking upstairs to a quiet area. I found myself in the kitchen and sat on one of the barstools. “This’ll work.” I brought the phone up and looked at Zane. “Hi baby.”

“Hi, my beautiful baby girl. How are you?”

“I’m fine. Just missing you.” I play pouted as he chuckled.

“I miss you more. When are you coming home to me? Your side of the bed is too cold for me.” He inquired. Zane and I didn’t live together but I stayed the night at his house quite often. I hated sleeping alone and sleeping with him and just being at his place in general, made me feel safe and out of harms way.

I tapped the screen on my phone to bring the time up. “Is it really two in the morning?” I looked n the direction of August’s refrigerator and instantly got hungry.

My munchies were something too crucial right now so I hopped off of the barstool and walked over to the refrigerator. Opening it, I scanned it before my eyes landed on a stuffed clear container. I held the container up in the air, trying to figure out what was in it. Noticing that it was fried chicken, I shook my head and closed the refrigerator door.

“It is.” Zane replied as I opened up the container and took a piece of chicken out of it. I didn’t even bother heating it up, I just dove straight into it. That’s how hungry I was. Then again, chicken was one of the three foods that I could cold with no problem.

Spaghetti and pizza were the other two.

“Well shit. Uhm....okay. Let me wrap things up here then I’ll be on my way to your place, alright?”

“Alright, beautiful. Be careful driving here. If you need me to come get you just send me a text.”

“Okay, baby. I will.”

“Love you.”

“I love you too, Z.” Tapping the “end” button on the bottom of the screen, I sat my phone down and heard someone clear his or her throat, causing me to jump. I turned around and saw Chris leaned over the kitchen counter, looking up at me.

“You love him, huh?” He inquired as I sighed and rolled my eyes. Placing the lid back on the container, I returned it back in its place in the refrigerator and closed the door. I looked across the kitchen at Chris for a moment, purposely taking my time with a response.

“Yes, Chris. I do love him.”

“You don’t mean that shit.”

“Oh, so you know my life now.”

“I know it and you enough to know you not in love with him.” Still holding my piece of chicken in my hand, I resumed back to eating it because my munchies were still taking over at the moment. A part of me wanted to lunge it right at his left eye, but I remembered there were starving kids in August’s house. I didn’t want to waste food.

“Well you clearly don’t know me. I’m in love with him.”

“Nah. You in love with what he can provide and do for you.” I scrunched up my face and stopped chewing on my food.

“What the fuc….”

“Don’t talk with yo mouth full, ma.” I enlarged my nostrils and exhaled deeply out of them before swallowing the food that was in my mouth.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” I continued.

“Ain’t he the C.E.O of some company or somethin’?”

“He’s the Chief Operating Officer of his family’s oil company.”

“Yea…that shit.” He retorted, standing up straight. “Meanin’ he got money and can provide for you.” I trailed my eyes off to the side, mainly looking for a trashcan to throw this chicken bone it, but also because Chris has no idea what he was talking about.

Finding the trashcan, I tossed the bone in it and walked over by Chris. Staring him in his eyes, I resumed back to our conversation.

“So why was I with you then?”

“Cause you loved a nigga?” He replied more as a question than a statement.

“Oh, really?” I probed. “You sure it wasn’t because you had money and could provide for me?”

“Nah, you loved me ma. I know you did.” I chuckled and crossed my arms over my chest.

“So if you knew that, why’d you rip my heart out and spit on it?” Leaving him with that thought, I brushed past him and made my way back down to the basement. At this moment, my high was fading. I needed to get back on that level that I was on before I entered this kitchen. Before I conversed with the man that broke me. I had some weed left in my bag along with another wrap.

I needed to get higher.

#Chapter7 #Trey Songz #Trey #TreySongz #Urban FF #FF #Fan Fiction #Chris Brown #August Alsina #August #Omarion #FanFic #trey songz ff #Las Vegas

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jjingureum · 7 years ago

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fairytail100yearsquest

*spoiler warning

#fairy tail #fairytail100yearsquest #chapter7 #spoiler #spoiler warning

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antiqueginger · 3 years ago

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Chapter 7 of Times Touch is UP

Meme was made by my lovely @blakeblueboi

#times touch #my works #chapter7 #hijack #frostcup #jackycup

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amunetred · 8 years ago

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Black and Blue

A/N: I’m writing my Leorai week in the form of an ongoing short story. Be sure to read Black & Blue Chapters 1-6 first.

Two souls are sometimes created together and in love before they’re born.

- F. Scott Fitzgerald

Chapter 7

Homecoming

The last time I’d tromped through these woods had been with my Leonardo. This time it was with the shadow of him, a crazed version that for some reason thought we were two parts of a constellation. One insane idea backed by another. He wanted to kill April. And she wanted me to lead him right to her.

The slow burn between my eyes had spread up and across my brow, then began to radiate out with every telepathic word April spoke. Lure him to the cliff. We’ll be waiting. Tell him it’s our rendezvous point.

Okay already. Quiet down, O’Neil. You’re tearing my head apart… and the whole talking to me while not being here thing, it’s creepy.

What’s creepier is that I’ve been with you since you set out on this mission.

What?

I had to figure out a way to repair the seam, to send back all the spirits that do not belong here… while keeping myself alive by the end of it. That meant I needed a lock, and I don’t know if you’re going to like it but I think I found one.

Why am I less than thrilled about this?

Because it’s a pretty permanent solution. Maybe it won’t be so bad, if it works.

I groaned and Dark Leo’s eyes narrowed on me. “You’re quiet.”

I shrugged. “I’m meeting my friend in the woods so I can help you kill her and combine mystical energies somehow so we can repair a rip in the universe and return to our celestial home. You know, I’ve done some crazy shit but this ranks pretty high up.”

He bore some kind of unreadable stern expression that made my stomach turn. He didn’t move like Leo, or talk like him, yet he was him. Or he was in there. My heart knew it more than my pounding head did, because with every step closer to him, to our cliff, an ache began to build inside me. One way or another, maybe even one universe or another, we would be together.

As we breeched the clearing, April was nowhere to be found. I approached the cliff, a pang in my heart at the remnants of ash from a fire long burned out. What was I doing?

It was hard to look over the valley, the rise and dips, a grey world beneath a sunless sky. Everything was dying. All that was green was brown. I closed my eyes, feeling the breeze on my face, the ache in my heart great. If I could find Dark Leo’s version of me, whatever April’s plan was wouldn’t be warranted.

Yes it would. And we’re here, you just can’t see us. Stand in the circle.

What? Who’s here? Why can’t I see you? And stand in what circle?

You’re exhausting you know that?

My teeth ground together. I’m getting sick of you in my head, O’Neil.

From the sound of it Dark Leo was stomping around. “Where is she?”

We’re all here, even Michelangelo. Stand in the center of the fire pit.

I barely stopped myself from gasping. My heart picked up pace. Michelangelo is awake?

He is. He’s okay.

“Where is she? You said she’d be here!” I ignored Dark Leo’s complaints, so relieved to hear good news. I opened damp eyes, turning my back on the mountains. April, why can’t I see you?

Well, for better or worse, it’s uh some combination of physics and— oh just let Donnie explain it later. Get in the circle.

As I took a step toward the soot, Dark Leo marched toward me, one hand reaching for his weapon. “Where is she?”

Where I should feel fear, should be stricken and terrified of him, of losing my life, of losing this long, endless battle, I wasn’t. He’d revealed too much. Told me what he believed to be true, whether it was or not, it gave me an iota of power and that was more than enough. I stepped into the circle as he closed in. “Are you going to kill me, Leonardo? Is this it? You’ve come all this way, been through so much, to take me down here, now? Why? Because she’s a few minutes late?”

His heels dug into the soil, puffs of dirt wafting around his feet. His eyes grew wide, his features soft for a second, but he didn’t lower his hand as a breath later he steeled himself, pulling forth his weapon. “I will. I can, and I will.”

Catch, Karai!

Catch what? Before I could react my tanto seemed to materialize in thin air. Oh! This was the work of Donatello for sure. I grabbed my weapon as Dark Leo took his first strike.

He scowled, eyeing my tanto. “How did you do that?” Our swords clashed as he glared at me over the sharp of his blade. “Has this place put some power in you?”

Get him in the circle!

His eyes darted over me, searching for some explanation. A slight smile graced the corner of my lips and he snarled, wheeling back to launch forward for another strike. “I will kill you! I will! I will and this hurt will die with you!”

I blocked his strike again, my feet sliding, my heel breeching the edge of the ring. I thrust my weight forward, digging in, pushing him back too far.

Hurry up, Karai, I can’t hold this field much longer. We’re all about to be exposed and if he’s not in before that happens, all hell will break loose.

I grunt, struggling to hold my ground. Hasn’t it already?

The circle, Karai!

I’m working on it! “Oh, come on, Leo! I know you’re in there damnit!”

Dark Leo let out a roar as if willing himself to engage me. I edged back, letting him in close, dropped down, and executed a precise kick to his sword wielding hand. His palm opened releasing the weapon, which I kicked away. He ground his teeth together, lunging toward me as he entered the ring.

But as I leapt to my feet, his hands closed around my throat. I looked him in the eye, my heart pounding. “I love you, Leo. I know you’re in there and I need you— I need you. Help me help you. Please—”

A bolt of lightning branched across the sky, lateral above us rather than reaching down for the earth. It bore piercing white arms with crooked limbs, bringing with it clouds that rolled in like gathering cattle. The breeze grew to a strong wind, dirt swirling at our feet as one by one our family appeared.

“I am the dragon of the east.” Donatello’s eyes were closed as he and his brothers sat in lotus, April completing the circle.

“I am the bird of the south.” Michelangelo echoed, his eyes closed as well.

Raphael glared at his lost brother’s face. “I am the tiger of the west.”

“I am the tortoise of the north.” April strained to repeat her words again and again in cadence with the brothers. “We are the guardians of the elements, of cardinal directions, the keepers of the seasons and of one another.”

Dark Leo’s eyes flashed, darting to April. “YOU! I’ll destroy you. You are not me. You are nothing!”

April’s eyes glowed bright white. “I will return you to where you belong, to who you are, with the one you love, and I will become something new, the yellow dragon at the center, guardian of earth.” She reached out, touching Leo’s leg. “I am the yellow dragon. You are the tortoise of the north.”

Karai, tell him you are the snake.

The winds surrounding us grew to hurricane force, trees bending in half, a dark circle opening at the funnel above us. Oh gods. My nightmare. It was happening. Hair whipped across my face, I felt two hands, one on each of my calves, looked down, Michelangelo and Donatello. Raphael had Leo by the opposite leg from April. All were still chanting, and my body began to transform, taking its serpent shape. “I am the snake, lover of the tortoise, keeper of his soul as he is keeper of mine.”

My eyes were wet. If I had to go with this creature, to be with Leo, I would. I looked to his face, his eyes were closed, the space surrounding him calm as if he’d gone into a trance, but the winds grew ever fierce lifting first April, tearing her grasp from Leo, Donatello released me to grab onto her to stop her flying away, he was sucked up too, Michelangelo grabbing his ankle, and Raph onto his. There they were being carried into the sky. Then everything seemed to slow to fractions. I looked at the swirling heavens, recognizing yin and yang represented in night and day, light and dark. At its center the black hole and my family coasting right toward it.

My entire being began to shake, my knees threatening to give. I wasn’t going to lose Leo, I was going to lose everyone. I reached for Leonardo wrapping my tubular body around him so that he was tight in my embrace our two heads cheek to cheek. “I’ve got you, Leo.”

Black smoke emerged from his nostrils, floating up. As I exhaled, a long string of white slipped from my lips. I watched as the two, shapeless spirits wove around one another before forming the tortoise and the snake.

“And I’ve got you,” Leo whispered, lifting his hand for the sky, summoning our family to return. “All of you.”

The two spirits drifted through the black hole and the dark seemed sucked into the tiny space like a vacuum before closing. Our world was our own again. Our family collapsed around us, heavy sighs, coughs and groans as they dusted themselves off.

“Is everyone okay?” Leo asked, lifting a hand to touch my face.

“Is it really you, Leo?” Michelangelo scrambled to his feet, throwing his arms around the two of us, as I was still woven around my love. It was him. If not for his voice and touch alone, I’d know him anywhere.

Leo let out a tired laugh. “Yeah, it’s me.”

Raphael tugged Michelangelo away and I reluctantly released Leo, shifting back to my human form.

Donatello helped April to her feet. “It worked.” She threw her arms around him. “It worked!”

The genius turtle grinned like a fool. “It did!”

“Oh!” She released him, near pushing him over and he fumbled then rubbed the back of his head. “Oh. But we have to seal the lock to make it permanent, so the Unnamed can’t do this ever again.” She reached into her pocket, fishing out two plain silver rings. “You two ready to get married?”

Leo’s entire body went rigid and I looked at her like she was nuts. “What?”

April nodded. “Oh, yeah, see ever since we lost Leo I noticed something off about you too. But I couldn’t put my finger on it until you had the dream, then you revealed to me your first date with Leo, then he revealed the truth and his plan. We had more than enough energy to draw power from between the five of us. The turtle and snake are home, but to keep them there and safe, the two of you must make an eternal promise to one another.”

Leo remained silent, though I could see his Adam’s apple bobbing in my periphery.

“Why?” I loved Leo and all, but marriage was nowhere on my radar. I glanced at the rings she held out to us, my heart skipping beats. Not on my radar at all.

“Because your souls mirror theirs. Their bond is eternal, protected from their side, but if yours isn’t sealed by some act, something that locks the two of you together, you aren’t safe and therefore neither are they.” April brazenly reached out, shoving one ring in my hand and the other in Leo’s. “Everyone knows you love each other. Let’s make it official, because I for one never want to be used by a sentient being ever again. Twice in on lifetime is twice too many.”

I swallowed hard as I squeezed the cool metal against my palm, exhaling a shaky breath. This wasn’t who I am, was it? A wife? Was it? A lump rose to my throat, moist heat burning my eyes. Would he want this?

It was hard to look at the former shadow of Leonardo. I thought I was starving and desperate to look upon his true face, into the heart beneath his endless blue eyes. But to look in them with this demand thrust upon us…. My hands began to shake. Yet as I lifted my gaze he was smiling.

“So, you saved me for once, huh?” He grinned, a boyish grin I hadn’t seen in so long it sent a pang through me. Suddenly it was all I could do not to wrap my arms around him and weep. Our journey had been long, so very long, and I was tired.

His face became blurry as my eyes grew wet. I found it difficult to speak for the tightness, the growing pressure inside me. “Yeah, I think we kind of saved each other. It’s what we do.”

His eyes held me, a tumult of emotion rolling through them like an endless rising tide, uncertainty, confidence, relief, hope, love. “So you, uh—” He held up his hand opening his palm, then closed it and looked to our family. “Can you guys give us a minute?”

Our grumbling bunch warned a time limit of no more than two minutes before a pissed off sentient might rip apart the universe again.

Leo reached for my hand, dropping the ring in my palm. “I’m not going to lie. I have thought about this. A hundred different ways but none of them like this. I thought I’d do something corny like—” He dropped down on one knee and my face rushed hot. “Like this. I thought the stars would be out—”

Both our gazes lifted to the sky as it slowly faded from bright blue to black, one by one the stars shining bright. Perhaps the black tortoise of the North had something to do with that, it did shine brightest. Huh, I could find it so easily now.

He stroked the back of my hand with his thumb. “I imagined a lot of things, but I don’t know if I ever thought they’d be real. But here we are.” A flicker of doubt, no—worry, furrowed his bare brow. “Will you marry me, Karai?”

My head was bobbing, as I dropped to my knees the words bursting from my lips. “Yes, you stupid, annoying, adorable, loyal, dork of an honorable turtle. Yes. I just never want to see that kind of darkness in you again.” I swiped at my eyes, opening both my hands to reveal the two rings, one large and one small. I held his out to him, placing it on his finger. “I will keep close for always, Leo. Nothing will ever come between us, not even the stars.”

His hands were shaking as he placed the smaller ring on my finger. “I love you, Karai. Thank you for coming for me. But understand, it isn’t the stars that kept us apart it was them that created us in the first place.”

∞

It was two years ago when our surprise marriage was thrust upon us. Thankfully, it’s been two very quiet, peaceful years. The only upheaval that has occurred to the Hamato clan in that time has been Raph’s continued grousing, Michelangelo’s antics, Donatello’s creations, and April’s learning not to use her telepathy to eavesdrop. Of course there was the one enormous development that occurred between me and Leo.

I leaned against him, inhaling a mix of cedar smoke and sandalwood, peering up at the constellation that started it all. He hummed into my hair, watching the flames dance about the fire. It bothered him sometimes, the things he had done, because he remembered them, and he recalled Dark Leo’s life before we knew him as well. I exhaled a happy sigh, a sentiment he echoed. I glanced up at him and him down to me then we both looked toward the tent.

“Think she’s still sleeping?” he whispered.

I chuckled. “I think you don’t want her to be. We wore her out with the hiking to get here.”

“What hiking did she do? I carried her most of the way.” He grinned a somewhat dopey smile. He’d loved every minute of our family adventure.

Moving as if we were one, we inched toward the enclosure, peeling back the flap to reveal the sleeping toddler, red-cheeked, almond-eyed, with thick black hair clinging to her face. Her hand curled into a fist and when she stretched out I caught glimpse of the terrapin-snake shaped birth mark on the underside of her wrist. We both held our breath, hoping she didn’t wake. That would surely involve crying, and hours to get her back to sleep. Kameko was beautiful. Even when she shifted, her semi-formed carapace, her little terrapin body was perfect. It had terrified me at first, her skin in her mutant-hybrid form, a glowing iridescent white instead of green. When the sun hit her carapace it reflected pearly rainbows. And she smelled so good, of baby wash, sandalwood, and jasmine. My heart swelled. I thought I’d never be a wife, let alone a mother. For a while I didn’t think I’d even have Leo, or maybe any sort of life at all.

Using every ninja skill in our bag of tricks we crept into the tent, Leo on one side of her, me on the other. We exhaled in unison, our gazes lifting at the same time. Moments like this it was hard to believe there had ever been any darkness at all, that it wasn’t merely a nightmare I’d dreamt up. As we drifted closer above our sleeping daughter, Leo’s rich scent mixed with undertones of baby and my heart fluttered. Our lips met in the sweetest graze, mouths parting, tongues seeking, hearts reaching, always reaching… I was a wife, with my soul mate for a husband, and our daughter a gift from the stars… It had all been worth it.

#leoraiweek #leorai #tmntfanfiction #blackandblue #chapter7 #tmnt fanfic

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charatale-au · 10 months ago

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Charatale Page 266

Comic Overview

[If you like my comics, then consider supporting me on Patreon]

#charatale #c7 #chapter7 #undertale #au #chara

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chayda-chan · 6 years ago

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Chapter 7 illustration for "Over our obstacles" fanfiction on Ao3! ^^

• Commissions are still open, guys! So if interested, feel free to check pinned tweet on my Twitter profile for more information or scroll down my posts on tumblr to find commission sheet. ;) Also thanks to those who already commissioned me! I really appreciate it. :3

#Illustration #chapter7 #overourobstacles #fanfiction #ao3 #pearlapis #pearl #lapis lazuli #pumpkindog #au

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luvblacklove · 4 years ago

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#BlackLove x @raves_7 : • • • My whole heart for my whole life. It’s us for me! Happy Anniversary Boo! 💍😘🤞🏾#Chapter7 #mrandmrsmcqueen •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• ⠀ ⠀ Thank you for sharing your love with us! ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⠀ Want a CHANCE to be featured??⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⠀ Tag 🏷 us in your post or use #luvblacklove so we can search you!⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⠀ Please no DMs or Email submissions. ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⠀ ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• . . . . . . . . #blacklovematters #blackexcellence #unapologeticallyblack #blackunity #melanincouples #blackloveisbeautiful #blackloveisblackpower #melanin #blackisbeautiful #blackcouples #reallove #baewatch #blackcouple #blackloveisrevolutionary #couplesofinstagram #love #melaninrich #baecation #anniversary https://www.instagram.com/p/CPi9D2VFvw6/?utm_medium=tumblr

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lecordonbloo-blog · 13 years ago

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chapter 7 Deviance

deviance can differ from one country to another and it can be anything as simple as not covering your face to as severe as murder and thats what chapter seven has shown me. the lesson i learned from this chapter is to greatly appreciate the civil freedoms that i get as an american and to fight hard to protect those freedoms from those who would take it away because there is no other place in the world where you can express yourself as well as you'd be able to here. there are many countries where if you so much as say something against the government your gone and there are others where you life is dictated by a government that wont allow any form of expression. what i also learned from chapter seven is that there are many forms of deviance and that something as simple as wearing a certain type of hat could be registered as an act of deviance which goes to show that its not just action but also intent.

#chapter7 #chapter #deviance

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jjingureum · 7 years ago

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Ez_chapter7.

#eden's zero #hiro mashima #chapter7 #shiki granbell #rebecca #happy

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silviasutton1989 · 7 years ago

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The True Kings Ch. 7 “1985″

A/N: Hey guys...so this chapter is a little different I am not going to go into detail because I need to see how well I actually did at fleshing out this story. SO.....I need your help!!! If you are reading this (and you have read the other stories) please leave a comment on what you think is going on...who is Persephone? what is she doing? what is going on in this chapter? and if it has answered any questions for you from the previous ones. It is ok if you don’t understand what is going on (that will actually help me in being more clear in other chapters) and it’s ok if someone comments your answer (that will help me see how many people are understanding and how many are not. I thank you all for your help I hope it is as fun to read as it was for me to write.

Count:1800

Rating: NSFW (smut-ish not that bad though) Happy Thirsty Thursday!

Catch up: Chapter 1 1.2 2 3 4 5 6

Summary: All I’m going to say is WELCOME to 1985!!! (click 1985 to get into the decade lol I told y’all I had fun with this one)

Persephone stands before the round table. She shifts her feet as the judgmental eyes of the men seated around her watch her every move. Her clammy hands unknowingly adjust the pins in her rose colored hair. She worked so diligently on it a few hours ago, hoping it would make her seem older, more dignified. She takes a deep breath before she speaks, making sure her tone at lest shows the confidence she lacks.

"Good evening gentlemen. I would like for our first discussion, today, to be the matter of the ever growing protesters. It seems our king feels that--"

"If I may ..." a young equally red headed man stands from his chair. "While we appreciate your drive and ambition as the first woman inductee of the True Kings...well.." he chuckles as Persephone's dark green eyes star daggers into him. "Well, we don't involve ourselves in the king's matters. Our organization is built on the basis of legacy and--"

"Thank you, Oliver, you may have a seat now." Oliver opens his mouth to speak but as her perfectly arched eyebrow rises he obeys and returns to his seat,

"I am well aware of the importance of legacy and heritage in this organization. I learned it just as you all during my orientation, and I respect the values that I must uphold as a new member. But this room has more than legacy, it has power. Untapped power. We have councilmen, dukes, lords and now your first duchess-with her own independent duchy in all of Cordonia might I add."

She watches as the men murmur in agreement with her words.

"With the amount of clout we have in this very room surely we could be doing more than smoking cigars and drinking 30 year old Conyac.

"Speaking of Conyac I've just required a rare--"

"I'm not finished." Her tone is piercing and the men quietly stir in their chairs. "These protesters want to end the monarchy. And I think--"

"That's exactly why the king is extinguishing them." Another man interjects.

"But what if we change their narrative?" The men stare at her in confusion.

"Listen. If the protesters have their way there will be no king. Meaning no councilmen, no nobles and no true kings. The end of any monarch means the end to this very organization."

The men talk among themselves clearly disturbed by her words. The only one not unmoved is Oliver. He watches the woman before him unable to wipe the smile from his face.

"So I propose we work with the commoners, turn them into a direction that doesn't rid Cordonia of a monarch but just of the one we currently have. We can give them a king...or queen that will have the backing of its citizens and some of the highest of the court."

"So you want us to switch out kings? You want us to form a coup? To commit treason?"

"I'm saying we give Cordonia the royal it deserves, The True Kings' motto is legacy and heritage yet you all are afraid to admit that some of us in this room have more lineage to that throne than the current king does.! He has lied cheated and murdered to keep the crown. Robbing our country of its true lineage is treason, not reinstating it! I believe it is up to us to give Cordonia the monarch it deserves, we give them their true king!”

"It sounds as if you already have someone in mind." The older man to her left inquires.

Persephone straightens where she stands, "As a matter of fact I--"

"How about we reconvene this meeting to next week. We can have some time to reflect on Persephone's theories and then put to a vote if we would like to proceed."

"But I have more--"

"All agreed?" The men nod. to Oliver. "Good. So we will vote on our decision next week until then you all may go to the study where a brand new bottle of Cuvée Léonie is waiting for you."

The men all raise from their chairs and quickly out the door. Persephone stays behind furiously stuffing the books and papers she had planned to show during the meeting into her bag. Oliver waits till the last man closes he door behind him before handing her one of her books.

"I had them Oliver!" she spats as she snatches the book from his hand. "Why would you cut me off like that? They were eating out of the palm of my hand!"

"Your so impatient Prue, those men, they like what you have to say but...they are never going to agree with you." Oliver sits on the table as Persephone flops back into her chair. "I mean it's 1985 and we just inducted our first woman! Clearly they are not going to be too inclined in supporting a trade of a king for a queen....no matter how beautiful or brilliant she may be."

Oliver gives her a flirtatious smile. She rolls her eyes in annoyance before jumping to her feet. "They will come around...And I will recruit more women. I can prove my lineage I can prove that I belong on that throne, not him!"

"That may be true but you will need a king." He takes her hand in his. His thumb rubbing circles over her knuckles. "If you want to do this all you need is time...and a husband."

"Is that some sort of proposal?" She can see the edges of his mouth pulling into a smile she she straightens her spine tossing her heavy bag over her shudder. "Because if it is you will have to be willing to change your last name."

"Woah...what?" Oliver scoffs, the smile on his face stays but he is stunned by her statement.

"My family name is important. So if you are considering marriage you have to be willing to forfeit your last name." She says matter-of- factly as she saunters towards the door.

"Well...how about we go discuss that over coffee?" He stands from the table unable to look away from the way her hips sway as she walk. He's been infatuated with her since the moment he meet her.

"Unfortunately I have another engagement today." She stops in her tracks and turns to see that smile one more time. She hates that damn smile, it's far too tempting. "But I will take a rain check."

She is out the door before he can respond.

Soon she finds her way to the throne room of the palace. She has gone there many times. The room is beautiful, royal blue tapestries, golden painted works of art from floor to ceiling. But it's what sits in the middle of the room that has always had her main focus. The thrones of the monarch, king and queen.

She stands and stares at them, as she has done on many occasions for hours on end.

"What are you doing in here?" Persephone doesn't turn around to see the tall blonde at the door. He locks the door behind him before taking off his suit jacket and walking over to her.

"Percy, you were supposed to meet me in the library." He says before wrapping his arm around her waist. He lowers his head to graze her porcelain neck breathing in her perfume makes him moan louder than her.

"I made a detour, Connie." She says as as she leans her head back onto his broad shoulder. She pulls on the nape of his blonde locks as he subtly rolls his hips into her. She wants to close her eyes and enjoy where his hands are roaming but they are focused on one thing: the throne.

Connie pulls away, "Guess what? Father has finally approved my social season! Do you know what that means?"

Persephone finally looks at her lover his blue eyes so wide and happy. "It means you will be king soon." She cup his strong chin and tries her best to force a smile. But it doesn't mater, he doesn't notice...he never does.

"Just think in a few short years that throne will be mine. And if I can convince you to participate in the social season you will be my queen." He holds her tighter to his chest with a sigh of relief. "Jeeze... father has been trying for decades to fully merge Lythikos and Cordonia and all I have to do is marry Persephone Nevarkis, the woman I love, and BOOM I claim it!"

She twitches as he says the word "claim".

Connie works the buttons on her blouse, the sight of her satin black bra almost brings him to his knees. Her eyes stay onto the the throne as she rocks her hips into his stiffening length. She feels his hands bunch up her skirt before her panties fall to her feet.

"Constantine, we need to talk-"

"Shhh...baby. I know you don't want to jump through hoops just so we can marry. But.." Constantine begins to unbutton his own shirt her legs begin to quiver at the sound of his belt buckle hitting the marvel floor. "But maybe I can convince you."

He walks in front of her. His perfectly sculpted body blocking her view of the throne.

"Go have a seat Percy, and I will give you everything you want." He licks his lips, knowing how much that thrills her. She pulls him into a searing kiss, her tongue toying with his, he moans inside her mouth as if the kiss was his very first.

She pulls away smiling, going straight for the grander throne, the King's throne.

"Hey where are you going? The queen consort sits here." He motions her to the smaller one. She sits and watches as Connie lowers to his knees. "Percy, I have never felt this way about anyone in my whole life." He begins to kiss one of her breast so softly as if her entire body was the most precious thing he has ever seen. He does the same to he other flicking his tongue over her perky nipples.

"Connie...." she moans as she watches him kiss even further down. His tongue leaving a cool wet sensation down her belly.

She she makes room for him between her legs as he bites his lips watching her beautiful sex open before him. "Oh Percy, we are going to be so happy. I'm going to show you baby."

His mouth devours her and she cries out. She wants to let go, she wants to love him but..."Claim" and "Consort" blocked those desires. The Nevarkis legacy and land would never be his to claim and being a consort could never be her destiny.

The future king of Cordonia's head is between her thighs lapping up her juices like he was dying of thirst, but even through her moans her eyes stayed focused on one thing: the larger throne that sat so close beside her.

DON’T FORGET TO LEAVE A COMMENT.

Tag List: Ok so I do not want to upset anyone so I’m going to put this with the tags every time. If you want to be on the tag list permanently (this one is randomly selected with some permanent in as well) let me know. If you DO NOT want to be tagged ever just send me a message I will not be upset.

@walkerismychoice @darley1101 @speedyoperarascalparty@mfackenthal@jadedpixiescribbles @boneandfur @andy-loves-corgis @blackcatkita @missevabean @snyggflicka@stopforamoment @agent-zephyrkah @endlessly-searching-for-you@indiacater @choiceswreckedme @tmarie82 @liam-rhys @viktoriapetit

#the royal romance #choices fanfiction #trr #the true kings #chapter7 #Smut

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