#conrad cereal

[megacross-ground-zero-rated-r]

Okay, how can you be just a little notes blog???

Your thoughts, your descriptions, your analyses... they are priceless

I was tired AF and hurt in my bed, and I was swirling around in tumblr, searching something new about my favorite private detective and I fall on your blog

And I see you barely have notes

Such a waste

Anyway no I didn't read a lot of your stuff because right now I was searching if you have an Ao3 account or something

Because you have to... you have to have write fanfiction, yeah? Please?

Anywah, now you are stuck with me as a fan

Hey, glad to hear you like everything. Sorry to hear about the pain you're in.

I wouldn't call it a waste. Sure, I haven't gotten the attention I wanted, but it's still been a fun ride.

As for publishing anything...

I've been writing fic for nearly a decade and a lot of it has been just playing with characters like dolls for the hell of it. I published one thing years ago and took it down about a month after. I don't know if I'll actually publish fic online again but if I do, I want at least five fics done before I die. Might be one-shots, might be multi-chapter, not sure yet.

I'm trying my damnedest to get on T but money's fuckin' tight right now, that goal definitely takes precedent over finishing a story.

I'm very curious to know what specific thing about Nick Valentine and/or Conrad Kellogg I posted hooked your interest.

For years now I've had the idea of Nick and Kellogg’s ghost learning to share Nick's skull peacefully once Kellogg proves he's not an active threat, not out for revenge, just not ready to leave yet because he's unsure of the state of his mortal soul. He doesn't know what's going to happen to him if they attempt to delete him, so he begs Nick to let him stay, and the two become friends and/or lovers from there.

No disrespect to people who like Possessed Nick stories where Kellogg is actively aggressive or trying to take over, I just lost interest in those pretty quick and wanted to see how it would work out if they agree he has to stay hidden from other people in Nick’s life, but Kellogg will ONLY possess Nick and hurt him if he tries to purge the ghost before he's ready to go. Always acting in self defense and demanding respect as his own person within their shared body / mind.

In Megacross: Ground Zero specifically Kellogg / Conrad Cereal falls into obsessive love with Nick, as the only thing he could cling to to stay alive, and Toon!Nick falls to his worst human impulses, anger and jealousy and his insistence that he has everything under control. He Has To Have Everything Under His Control. He backslides into repressive ideals surrounded by a "Pre-War" ((read: late 40's early 50's)) society and becomes obsessed with Kellogg / Conrad ruining his reputation.

Which may or may not result in him being chased by a horrific representation of his fear of his own Id. His human, needy, embarrassing desires.

Further complicated by the fact Toon!Nick doesn't remember any of their time living together.

[beastiesandsundries]

Two Old Farts in Love (tm)

Conrad(ical) Kellogg was a wasted character. There should've been an option to keep him alive, as a companion or otherwise. So both me and wifey decided to keep him alive in our metas. And wifey @necrophatic gave him a ghoulfriend- good ol' pre-war ghoul, Nora. She hits him in the balls with the butt of a shotgun. True love.

[hungryyheartarchive]

what would your muse do if conrad walked in at 5am and did this (for 1 hour straight)

[finalproblem-mlm]

i like hunchfucks but im seeing so much content thats like theyre in a stable marriage and adopt conrad. respectfully. absolutely not have you met them. daniel fucks is as much of a disaster homme fatale as imelda is a disaster femme fatale.

the true reality of hunchfucks is that they should commit crimes on the scale of the blues brothers (1980) and have increasingly homoerotic interactions and only kiss as a convoluted plan to get out of situations where they might be killed. they can never confess any feelings because they'll both insist that they were doing it for a bit. there is no way anything tangible is coming out of this. it destroys the sanctity of their identities as funnymen.

and forget taking care of a child. hunch would eat cigarettes in brandy like cereal, and fucks would walk by and join him.

[cleo-fox]

Come Back, Be Here

Summary: Conrad has been away on a job for two months. Perhaps the welcome home will make up for it.

Pairing: James Conrad x Female Reader

Warnings: Smut, 18+, Minors DNI, p in v sex, fluffy sex.

Series: A Girl Back Home (I don’t have a masterlist for this yet, but this is what I’m calling this series). Technically, this is preceded by Wildest Dreams, but it can be read on its own as well.

A/N: Once again, I got carried away. Curse this man and his ridiculous biceps!

Conrad has been away on a job for two months.

You knew you would miss him, but you didn’t realize you would feel it in so many places—in the empty space next to you in bed, the shaving cream he’d left in your bathroom, the absence of his favorite cereal in your grocery cart. You sleep in his sweatshirt like surrounding yourself with a physical reminder of him will ease the ache in your heart. 

You wonder if having a girl back home feels equally strange to him. He has a photo of you in his wallet, a candid black and white with “I love you” scrawled in your handwriting on the back. The night before he left, you tried hiding a love letter in the billfold, with the idea that he’d find it while he was gone and think of you. It was the most romantic idea you’d had in the course of your relationship…and he found it almost immediately.

“What’s this?” he’d asked, holding up the letter with a quietly amused sort of expression that made you miss him already.

You sighed. “How did you already find that?”

He raised his eyebrows, like you were being silly. “It was hard not to notice.”

“How? It’s a piece of paper.”

“It completely changes the look and feel of the entire wallet.”

You couldn’t tell if he was being serious or just teasing you. “Well, it was supposed to be a romantic surprise.”

He’d smiled fondly and tucked the note back in the billfold. “I’ll read it later, then. The moment I start missing you.”

(He will tell you later that he read it as soon as the plane took off and that fact makes you want to hold him tighter than ever).

You’d gathered that this assignment is much like the last job—the one that has sent him to your doorstep late at night with his heart in his hands and confessions on his lips. You have his itinerary—or as much as he could give you, anyway. He’d said he’d call when he could—and he does. The line is crackly and you can hear a strange humming that reminds you a little bit of crickets, but just a little bit off. The calls don’t show up on your phone bill—it’s a new technology, he’d said. Something with satellites. Technically, it wasn’t supposed to be used for personal calls, but he’d told them he wouldn’t take the job unless they made an exception.

He’d told you that casually over breakfast, like it was an incidental detail. You knew better, though—you knew it meant that he loved you.

You don’t ask too many questions when he calls. You tell him about your day, what you made for dinner, the progress of the squirrel that has been trying to get into the bird feeder.

He doesn’t talk about what he’s doing—he speaks in anecdotes that could happen anywhere. Something funny that Weaver said, a story Brooks had told him. You could almost believe he was away on a regular business trip from these conversations—sometimes you try to imagine him in a suit in some shitty hotel a few hours away, living off of stale drip coffee and mediocre takeaway.

He always ends his calls the same way: “I love you. Speak soon.”

You’d told him there was no such thing as safe and you know that’s true, but it feels different when you’re the girl back home.

He wasn’t quite sure when he’d be coming back. In theory, it wouldn’t be longer than three months; in practice, you don’t really know. You’re bracing yourself for a longer timeframe in the hope that you’ll be pleasantly surprised instead of crushingly disappointed.

Two months and three days after he left, the sound of the lock coming undone wakes you in the middle of the night.

Right away, you know it’s him. And even though you were dead asleep mere moments ago, you’re on your feet immediately, running down the hall in the dark, heart full of hope.

The sight of him is like a feast in a famine and your eyes rake over his frame with a fervor. He’s barely locked the door behind him when you throw your arms around him, burying your face against his neck.

“I didn’t want to wake you,” he says, which you both know is a lie. It’s been two long and lonely months—you couldn’t sleep through this and he’d be hard pressed to let you. 

“I missed you,” you say. You tip your head up and he meets you halfway, drawing you into a kiss that feels like home. His mouth is warm on yours and you wrap your arms around his shoulders, pulling him as close as you can.

It’s a minute later when he pulls back, eyes hooded. “I missed you, too.” He catches sight of his sweatshirt and grins, tugging at the hem. “Though I must admit, I didn’t realize I’d be relinquishing my possessions when I left.”

You arch an eyebrow. “Don’t you think it suits me?”

He hums, his hands sneaking up beneath the hem to squeeze your waist. “You know I prefer you in other clothes.”

“What other clothes?”

“Absolutely no clothes.”

“Your preferred outfit is the absence of an outfit? Doesn’t really make sense,” you say, barely suppressing the shiver that runs up your spine.

“Jet lag,” he says, pulling you flush against him, his grip firm on your hips.

“Should we go to bed then?”

He kisses you sweetly on the lips. “I’ve been waiting two months to hear you say that.”

Your capacity to tease him is limited in the best of circumstances, but after so long without him, it may as well be nonexistent. You lead him into the bedroom and the two of you descend to the bed in a tangle of limbs, his cock pressing hard and heavy against your belly. He fits his hips against yours and it feels so right, it’s almost as if he never left.

“God, I missed you,” he breathes against your lips as he rocks his hips against you. “I missed this.”

“James.” You say his name like a prayer as you fumble with his belt buckle. “I need you.”

And in truth, it’s not even that you need sex so much as you need to feel him. Safe. Home. Yours.

“You need me?” he asks with a bit of a playful smirk, even as he tugs your sleep shorts down and off your hips.

You nod, unbuckling his belt. “Right here, right now.” 

His smile is sharp as you free his cock. You run your hand up and down his length and a low, pleased sound rumbles in his chest as you line him up at your entrance. He pushes inside you immediately, groaning as his hips slide into place, flush against yours.

He rests his forehead against yours, his eyes fluttering shut. “Have I mentioned how much I missed you?”

“I don’t mind hearing about it again,” you say, wrapping your legs around his waist.

“I thought about you every day,” he says. “Every night.”

“Did you think about this?”

He groans. “Constantly.”

His mouth is back on yours as his hips begin moving in short, shallow thrusts, like he can’t bear to be parted from you for even a moment. There’s something graceful about the way he moves on top of you, body rolling like waves on the sea. You pull yourself even closer, your arms winding around his neck. 

He’s holding back and you don’t want him to. You want him to take you hard and fast, until the ache of his absence is little more than a memory. 

“James.” You think he hears the desperation into your voice because he shifts his hips and hits that angle that makes you see stars, his fingers slipping between the two of you to circle your clit. Your head lolls back onto the pillow as you whimper. It’s been so long and the relief of him finally easing the ache inside of you is almost too much.

He grits his teeth, head tipping back just slightly. “Fuck. I love this. I love you.”

A tingling pressure is building in your hips, your muscles clenching tighter and tighter around his cock.

Conrad groans. “God, yes, that’s it, that’s so good, darling, that’s so fucking good—”

You mouth his name like it’s a magic word that will cause the tension inside you to finally snap like a rubber band and take you to bliss.

And suddenly, it does, with all the rush and roar of a river dam bursting. Two months of a longing, aching need finally reaching its spectacular conclusion. You surrender to the tide, letting it pull you under as you cry out over and over again.

He keeps going as your orgasm moves through you in waves, his thrusts growing more frantic as the rippling shocks of your pleasure drag him closer to his breaking point.

“I’m sorry, darling, I’m not going to last.” He’s panting, hips stuttering in their rhythm as he sucks in a shaky anticipatory breath.

“Come for me,” you breathe and his face contorts in ecstasy and a low, perfect groan falls from his lips as he empties himself inside you. You barely have a moment to appreciate the transcendent expression on his face before his mouth covers yours and he kisses you so slowly and deeply it makes your toes curl.

It’s a minute or two before he stills, savoring the afterglow and the feeling of you underneath him.

“I love you.” He breathes the words against your lips, like they’re a secret only for you to know. It’s not the first time he’s said this, but it feels just as new, just as thrilling nonetheless.

“I love you, too.” You press a kiss against his lips. “And I’m so glad you’re home.”

[taylorsv3rsion13]

we never go out of style || c.f.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

words : 3.0k

synopsis : things were always rocky for conrad and you. after the whole break up, will everything be the same the year later? or will it all turn to shit.

(belly and cam cameron are a thing in this series btw)

The Fourth of July for me was one of my favorite holidays. It's a tradition in Cousins. Susannah decorates the whole house, the dad's come up for the weekend, the boys shoot off fireworks, and most importantly, I get to see my mom.

Usually I was just here, following after the boys with Belly. But this year, I feel like I'm apart of the plans. I have friends.

I finished eating the rest of my cereal.

"Can I have your milk?" Jeremiah said from beside me.

"Yeah. You and your weird obsession with milk." I laughed a little.

I watched as he chugged down the rest of the milk in my bowl/

Conrad walked into the kitchen, "Yo, I'm gonna go wash off the clams. Did you get the lighter fluid?"

"Mm! Yeahh, it's already on the beach." Jeremiah said, a milk mustache on his face.

Conrad whistled in response.

Steven and Susannah came in, Steven wearing a nice dress shirt and Susannah wearing her overalls and t-shirts.

"Are we done with the portrait?" Steven asked.

"Yeah, for today." Susannah smiled.

This year she was painting portraits of all of us. She used to paint them when we were younger, but then we all stopped.

"But you do look good in a dress shirt, Steven." Susannah complimented. "Oh! Which makes me think. If Belly doesn't hurry up and ask Cam to the ball, you should take her."

"Ew. No way." Belly exclaimed from beside me.

"No, no, no, yeah, yeah, I'm already going with Shayla." Steven added.

"To the debutante ball?" Laurel asked as she walked in, holding a batch of towels.

"Yes." Steven said laughing a little.

"As an escort?" Laurel asked.

"Yes mom. Shayla's coming today with Nicole and Gigi, so you'll meet her." Steven said.

"That's wonderful." Susannah smiled. "Oh and girls, don't forget that Ms. Covington's first rehearsal is tomorrow, so uh, tick-tock. I'm not as worried for Belly, but Y/N, you haven't found anyone."

"I know, I know, I'll get to it." I said to Susannah, smiling.

"Yes, and I'm asking Cam today." Belly said.

"Suddenly, I don't know any of these kids anymore." Laurel exclaimed.

I looked at Laurel, squinting my eyes a little, "Wait are you wearing makeup?"

"Yeah, she's wearing makeup." Steven said.

"Oh, my god. She definitely is!" Susannah squealed.

"So What? We're having a party." Laurel said.

"Mhm." I nodded, winking at her. "Anywho, I'm going to go finish getting ready."

From the window of my room, I could see Conrad, shirtless as he was cleaning the clams.

I put on a semi sheer mesh crop top that was red, and a pair of blue jean shorts. I had also added in a white bow in my hair.

I walked downstairs, Laurel making eye contact with me.

Susannah pushed past her though, "Oh my god, look at how gorgeous she looks!"

"Oh Belly, I need you to make up the guest bed." Laurel said to Belly.

"It's okay, I'll make the bed this year. I know Belly's getting ready for Cam." I winked

"Wait, Dad and Victoria are staying here?" Belly asked.

Laurel just gave her a stern look.

"In the room next to mine?" Belly whined.

"Yeah." Laurel smiled, as Belly groaned making us laugh.

Susannah jumped up, "Oh, speaking of dads, yours called. He's closing a deal, so... he can't come."

Jeremiah looked at Susannah blankly, "What?"

The back door closed and Conrad came in, "Did you say Dad's not coming?"

"Mhm." Susannah said.

"But I got some serious fireworks for the show this year." Conrad said.

Susannah shrugged, "We'll take a video."

"It's not the same." Jeremiah mumbled.

Conrad leaned against the kitchen sink, smiling and staring into nothing.

"What are you so smiley about?" I asked, smirking at him.

"No reason." He smiled back.

I took out a flat white sheet, throwing it up into the air and watching as it fell down onto the mattress.

I heard a laugh from the door and Conrad stood there, watching as I put the sheet on the bed, "You have to fold the bottom sheet at a 45 degree angle if you want the tight corners."

I sighed, attempting to fold the corners in a 45 degree angle.

"Yeah not like that." Conrad laughed.

"Okay then, help me." I said, putting the sheet down and laughing a little.

I moved out of the way as Conrad moved to the bed.

"You have to pull this down." He said, as he fluffed the sheet a little. "Like this. Come here."

I shuffled over to his side of the bed as I watched him fold the sheets.

"See?" He asked as he stared straight at me.

"Thank you" I chuckled.

This was the first time I've seen Conrad normal. Like last year. We were actually getting along.

"Do you think it's weird how my mom isn't staying in the house this year?" I asked.

"No, what if she's seeing someone." Conrad asked.

"Ew no." I said to him.

Conrad threw a pillow at me, making me laugh.

"It's gonna be fine, don't worry about it." Conrad smiled.

God his smile. It always made me melt like this.

"Sorry your dad isn't coming this year." I said, looking up to him.

"Don't be. I'm not."

"Y/N?" I heard Laurel's voice shout from downstairs.

"She's here!" I exclaimed, grabbing ahold of Conrad's arm and running down the stairs with him.

My mom stood, her arms held out wide open, but a man was behind her...

"Mom!" I screamed as I let go of Conrad's arm and ran up to hug her.

"Y/N!" My mom said, hugging me back.

I smiled as I looked at her, "I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you as well! Oh and this is Daniel, he's my..."

"Boyfriend?" I asked.

She smiled, "Yeah, I think I told you about him."

"Yeah, you did, just not his name." I said.

I walked up to him, "Hi Daniel."

"Hi Y/N, it's so nice to meet you. Your mom has said so much about you." He said.

I went inside as my mom and Daniel stayed outside talking to Laurel and Susannah.

Another car pulled up, and we easily recognized it as Belly's dad.

All of us peered out from the window in the door.

"Woah, she's hot." Conrad exclaimed from beside me.

"Conrad." I scolded, hitting him in the arm.

"I'm just saying what everyone else is thinking."

"I wasn't thinking that." Belly said defensively.

In a minute, Conrad and Steven began play righting because of Conrad's remark about Victoria being their potential step-mom.

For once this whole summer, it made us feel like all the summers before. As if nothing had ever changed.

"Guys! They're coming!" I said, hitting Conrad in the arm again.

Jeremiah, Conrad, and I ran into the house, leaving Steven and Belly to greet the parents.

The party was amazing. Gigi was talking to Susannah, Jeremiah was hanging out with Victoria, and Conrad was hanging out with Nicole...

I mostly hung out with Belly as she waited for Cam to show up.

Jeremiah, Belly and were mixing up concoctions in the kitchen after Victoria had showed us how to make her pomegranate margaritas.

"What are you three making?" Conrad asked as he came into the house.

"Pomegranate margaritas!" I exclaimed.

"But with a twist." Belly added.

"Well you have to use the good blender." Conrad said as he showed off a blender.

Jeremiah just stared at the blender. "Oh no. I haven't used that blender since the great Kool-Aid debacle of 2011."

Conrad laughed a little, "I remember, the counters were sticky for- two summers?"

"Ew. I remember that." I said.

Suddenly, it was four of us making margaritas for everyone. We added in protein powder for fun.

"No! Keep your hands on it!" Jeremiah yelled over the blender as we let go of the lid.

"Dude, you know what I miss?" Conrad asked Jeremiah.

"Huh?" Jeremiah asked.

"Watching Laurel and Amanda put Dad in his place. They'd walk in and they'd be like, "Adam." " Conrad said, accenting the name Adam.

"Adam." Laurel and my mom said as they entered the kitchen "You came."

All of us turned our heads to behind us to see Jeremiah and Conrad's dad walking through the door frame.

"Happy Fourth!" Adam said.

I looked over to Conrad, who didn't look as happy as he was a few seconds before.

"Dad!" Jeremiah said, "You came." He ran up and hugged his dad.

"Hey guys, hey Connie." Adam said. "I'll have a little of what you're mixing up there."

"Oh yeah sure." I smiled, handing him a glass.

"Y/N! How have you been?" Adam asked.

"Good, I've taken a lot of time to work on myself."

"Where'd everyone go?" Susannah's voice came out through the kitchen.

Adam looked over to the door, "Hey."

"Adam. You managed to get off work." Susannah said, yet I could sense the tension between the two of them.

"Yeah, how could I miss the Fourth with my family?" Adam said, smiling.

The tension was thick in the kitchen. None of us making a sound as we all stared at each other awkwardly.

"All right, well, let's get back to the party." Susannah said, clapping her hands.

I followed out after Belly and tried to get away from the kitchen as fast as we could.

All of us made it to the beach, hanging out and talking.

"May I present! The Belly special!" Belly exclaimed as she came down with a pitcher of the pomegranate margarita.

Nicole and Conrad were sitting next to each other on two different sun chairs, Cam Cameron had come and he was sitting on the inflatable unicorn with Belly, Steven and Shayla were sharing a floatie, and Jeremiah and I were sharing one as well.

Somehow, we had turned this into a drinking game, with all of us drinking much more than we probably should have.

I don't get Conrad." Nicole said as all of the girls sat on the dock. "It's like one minute, he's all over me, and he stays over, but we don't even fuck, right?"

Shayla, Belly, and I nodded.

"And then this morning, he's like, super into me, he was all over me, and now he's like all about football." Nicole continued. "And I know you've dated him before, Y/N, so like, what's up with him?"

"Oh yeah, he's really hard to read. Especially this year."

"Do you really think he actually likes me?" Nicole asked.

"Of course he does, Nicole. He talks about you to everyone a lot." I said.

"Really?" Nicole asked.

I nodded yes.

"Hi!" Cam said as he came down.

There was a water bottle in hand, "You may want to hydrate." He smiled as he offered it to Belly.

Belly smiled cheerfully as she grabbed his cheeks, "Cam Cameron, you are so sweet! Isn't he sweet?" She asked us clearly under the influence.

Shayla smiled, "Mhm."

"Do you want to go for a walk on the beach?" Cameron asked.

"Belly, by the way, I love that dress." Shayla complimented.

"Really?" Belly asked. "Thanks, Taylor got it for me actually."

"Mm, Taylor has great taste." Shayla smiled.

Belly laughed a little, "Yeah, I know, right? She totally does. Oh, my god. You know what? You and Taylor are like twins." Belly laughed yet again as she rambled. "Because you're both super into fashion and you're both like baddies. And you both like the same summer boys, which is.."

Shayla laughed awkwardly, "We do?"

I made eye contact with Cameron as he nodded subtly.

"Come on. Let's go for that walk." Cameron said as he tried to get Belly to sit up.

"No, no, no, Cam!" Belly said. "I'm talking. One sec. Look Shayla, like don't worry, because my brother is an absolute idiot. And it didn't mean anything."

"Let's go for a walk." Cameron said again more urgently.

"Wait, what? What didn't mean anything?" Shayla asked.

Belly stammered, "Uh, them-them kissing."

"Hey..." I said as I pushed Belly closer to the land.

"It was like... He like, loves you. He loves you and, wait, does anyone want another drink?" Belly asked.

I could see the look on Shayla's face. It dropped straight to sadness.

"Everyone's leaving. Tell them not to go." Belly said as she motioned to the group of girls packing up.

"Stay, you guys." I said, though they knew I was slightly urging them to leave.

"Oh, Shayla doesn't feel to well. I think we had a little too much." Nicole said.

"Oh, okay, but I mean. I still feel. I still feel gr-great." Belly said.

"I'm gonna head out as well." Cam said as he took the glass from Belly.

"Why?" Belly asked.

"I just think that we can catch up when you know, you're a little less..."

"A little less?"

"Um, just drink a lot of water."

"Okay. But I'm not, I'm not drunk." Belly explained.

I knew shit was going bad, so I walked off, away from the drama that had basically already unfolded.

"Conrad!" I said as I saw him walking past in the bushes as Belly and Cam were still talking.

"Yeah?" Conrad asked as we both began walking with each other. His body was covered in dirt.

"Belly's messing a little stuff up..." I said.

"Oh she's hammered." He laughed a little.

I watched as Conrad began to wipe off the dirt from his body with the cold water in the shower.

"Can I ask you something?" I asked.

"Yeah?"

"Did you buy me this for my birthday?" I asked, holding onto the sun charm. "And did you buy yourself a matching one? The moon to the sun?"

He just stared at me in shock, his mouth slightly hung open.

"Are you drunk as well?"

"No, I've had little to none to drink." I laughed.

"Wait, so you did give it to me?"

"Can you give me some privacy, please?"

Susannah came walking out, holding onto the cake.

"Where'd all the kids go?" Susannah asked.

"Uh, more for us." My mom laughed.

"I agree, Amanda." Susannah smiled.

Belly came out of the kitchen after Susannah, "Ooh! I want the piece with the strawberries!"

Her foot twisted and I watched as she fell to the floor, bringing Susannah and the cake down as well, shattering the cake stand.

"Belly, are you okay?" I asked, running to her.

"Honey, are you okay?" Adam said as he ran to Susannah "Here let me help you."

"Adam I'm fine." Susannah said as Adam attempted to help her up."I got it. I got it. I got it."

"Come on, please." Adam said.

"Stop it." Susannah hissed through gritted teeth. "Now, just go away." Susannah said.

"I-I'm sorry." Belly said as she stared at Susannah on the floor.

"Come on, let's go." Belly's dad said as she helped get Belly up from the floor.

I helped the boys as we cleaned up the backyard. The adults were inside, discussing what ever, while also checking in on Belly.

Conrad swept up the pieces of cake in the water with a net and Jeremiah and Steven threw away plastic cups and other things.

Jeremiah and Steven were bickering about who was worse at throwing cups or keeping a garbage bag open.

"Hey, dumb and dumber, can you guys get the fireworks ready and Y/N and I will clean up." Conrad said.

"Yeah, sure." Jeremiah responded.

I looked over to the left and Adam came out from inside. Conrad seemed a bit tense, but he continued to pick up the pieces of trash left behind.

"You go talk to him, I'll clean up." I said, taking the bag away from Conrad.

"Hey, Dad." Conrad said.

"Oh. Hey." Adam responded as he took out his cigarette.

"Yeah, and Belly's upstairs with her dad."

"Why'd you let her get so drunk?" Adam asked, "You're lucky her and your mom didn't get hurt."

"I didn't know she had a lot to drink." Conrad said.

"You're the oldest, you're supposed to look out for the younger kids. And you haven't been doing that. This year or last year."

"I don't know why, but I just thought I could talk to you." Conrad scoffed before walking back into the house.

"Con." I called out, but he didn't respond.

His dad had also attempted to make some conversation but that didn't work.

"Just leave, Dad." Conrad said.

I walked in after Conrad, but he was nowhere in the bottom level. I ran up to his room, not even caring to knock.

"Hey, Connie." i said, as I sat down beside him. He had his head in his hands.

"You know you can knock." Conrad said cooly.

I sighed, "Conrad, I know your dad is being a dick right now. But please. It's the Fourth."

He stared straight at me. Just staring and nothing else.

I could feel myself melt under his gaze. And it sucked. Did I like him again? It feels like I did after all the encounters we've had.

"What, is something on my face?" I asked as I began to wipe around my mouth.

He laughed a little, "No, no, just thinking."

I grabbed a towel and ran out to the pool. It was nights like these that the pool felt even more alive. When it was the Fourth and people would light up fireworks in the sky.

What caught my eye was Conrad standing at the docks.

Do I run to him?

Yes...

"Do you hate me?" I sighed as I stood beside him.

Conrad turned to look at me with a smile, "Who could ever hate you."

"Y/N" Conrad said, breaking the moment of silence.

"Yeah?"

"About the necklace..."

"Oh, no please, I'm sorry I even brought it up, I was just messing around. I know it's probably for Nicole or something." I laughed a little.

"No, no... I um... I actually did get it for you and for us."

I stared up at him, "Then why didn't you give it to me? Why did your mom give it to me?"

"I don't know." He whispered. "I got embarrassed I guess."

"Why?" I asked.

"Y/N, you don't know the effect that you can have on people." Conrad said in all seriousness.

I laughed awkwardly, "Effect on people? Conrad, I don't, I just don't know what you're talking about."

"Yeah..." He said quietly, "You do."

I felt us get closer, closer than we have ever been in a year. He stared down at my lips and I stared up at his. We were inches away. Inches before I could have fucked everything up for us.

A firework came from behind us as it sparked green in the sky, bringing my attention away from him.

I stared back up at Conrad, hoping he would come and look back at me. But he didn't, so I only looked back down.

Yet, I could still feel his gaze straight on me as I looked away. He wanted me to look back to him as well, but I didn't. I just couldn't meet his eyes.

I breathed heavily as we both stared across the water, watching the fireworks light up in the sky.

I knew we both felt the same. And I knew we just couldn't get back together.

[buckrecs]

𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙩 𝙛𝙞𝙘 𝙧𝙚𝙘 : 𝙁𝙚𝙗𝙧𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙮

masterlist | monthly fic rec masterlist

FLUFF

Let Me Love You by @slothspaghettiwrites (ABO)

Soup & Cuddles by @beyondspaceandstars

The Gift by @/beyondspaceandstars

Exposure Therapy by @d0wnb4df0rf1cm3n

To Let You Win by @delaber

Truth by @lovelybarnes

You Feel Love! by @halcyonrogers

What Happens in the Dark by @majestyeverlasting

Lost Without You by @jobean12-blog

Undercover Fiancés by @samingtonwilson (Detective AU)

blue jeans by @ichorai

Spice Jars by @fandoms-writings

Eyes That Sparkle by @assembletheimagines

Buchanan by @/assembletheimagines (40s!Reader)

10 Little Lies by @dilemmaontwolegs

Everywhere by @wxntersoldiers

so many kisses, so little time by @sergeantxrogers

black shirts and soggy cereal by @/sergeantxrogers

Genuine by @i-am-a-closet-fanfic-fiend

heal me, baby by @intrepidacious

A Shot Worth Taking by @rookthorne (Nurse!Bucky)

Heist of the Year by @ghostofskywalker

My Girl by @girl-next-door-writes

Daniel by @buckyalpine

Serious Questions by @espinosaurusrexex

ANGST

The Last First Kiss by @witchywithwhiskey

The Casket by @wkemeup

All This Time by @/jobean12-blog (Neighbor!Bucky)

Braces Are Breaking by @ltbarnes (Parker!Reader)

My Blood Turns Into Alcohol by @ltbarnes (Bartender!Bucky, Mutual Pinning)

My Honey by @/fandoms-writings (Ex!Bucky)

Nothing Breaks Like A Heart by @buckybabesonly

Tarot by @writingcroissant (BF’s Best Friend!Bucky)

I like me better when I’m with you by @themorningsunshine

blue neighborhood by @sergeantxrogers (Husband!Bucky)

perfectly wrong by @buckysdvll (Dark!Bucky)

Look At Me by @rosepetalsinwinter (40s!Bucky x Nurse!Reader)

I’ll Be Waiting For You by @oliverwxod

Together, Forever by @moonbeambucky

Confrontation by @imgoingtofreakoutnow

SMUT

troublemaker by @jurassicbarnes

Overly worried and Touch starved by @buckylattes

The Massage by @/delaber

What do they know? by @bucknastybabe

Stupid by @coffeecatsandcandles (ex husband!Bucky)

Sleepwalking by @lanadelreyscokewhor3 (WS!Bucky)

I Hate U by @duckybarnes1917 (Sub!Bucky)

Cry Me A River? by @threeminutesoflife

Call Shot by @/threeminutesoflife

.

.

A Heated Conference by @allthatmarvel

Want to let off some steam? by @kyroscorner

Praise Kink by @bucknastysbabe (Hydra!Reader)

false god by @notafunkiller (Director!Bucky x Actress!Reader)

Sparring Partners by @a-n-conrad

Dressing Up for Bucky by @alwaysf0rev3r

a night in brooklyn by @traitorjoelite (40s!Bucky)

Whiteout by @/dilemmaontwolegs

Linen & Thongs by @softevanstan

Good Graces by @late-to-the-party-81

Feel Good by @russiandoll-from-brooklyn

[girlwiththeobsessions]

love sick c.f.

this book has also been published on wattpad. same username as the one on here. i update faster on there.

you and conrad had a secret relationship two summers ago, when you were 15 and he was 16. you broke up with him because your younger sister, belly had liked him, and you were afraid of hurting her. now, flash forward, you were 17, and you thought you had gotten over him, but maybe you haven’t

iv. deb shopping

part 1 part 2 part 3

i had no clue what was going on with conrad, why he was acting so different this summer, making me wonder what happened to the same conrad who would go on and on about infinity.

i slept in that morning, because of the fact that i stayed up way too late at that bonfire, but i eventually got up since i had work today.

when i went downstairs, dressed in a white lifeguard tank top, and red shorts, laurel, steven, and jeremiah were downstairs.

conrad was on the couch, and jere was making a 'hangover smoothie' for him, while steven was standing behind him, looking over his shoulder.

"do we really have to physically sit for our portraits?" jeremiah complained to laurel. "can't she just- look at a picture on her phone or something?"

"right?" i agreed with him.

jeremiah backed up a little from steven, having enough of him hovering over him. "okay, get out." jeremiah pointed at the door.

steven laughed. "what. why?"

"she needs to see you in the flash to capture you essence." laurel said, fixated on her laptop. "while you're still young, and full of hope."

"so poetic, mom." i joked, while steven and jeremiah laughed.

"her words." laurel rolled her eyes at us with a smile.

"well, conrad does not have hope, actually. he's hopeless." jeremiah insulted, causing me to laugh a little. "but! my hangover smoothie, it cures all."

"can you please just hurry up." conrad rushed him from the couch.

"just go back to bed. alright?" jeremiah shot back to him, and steven started looking over his shoulder again.

jeremiah put a hand on steven's chest. "alright, seriously, steven. get out. this is a delicate science."

"she hasn't painted you since you were little. i think it would be nice to have these portraits for when you're older." laurel added in.

"oh, no." steven joked. "when i'm older, they'd have like, holograms i can watch of myself, you know."

"or, this is why we have technology." i say. "where we have pictures? on our phones?"

jeremiah started the blender, causing conrad to jolt awake.

"just sit for your portraits." laurel told me and steven. "you don't see conrad complaining.

"he'll complain when he's actually conscious." i shot back at laurel.

jeremiah went to the couch and tapped conrad. "hey. here."

"come on, man. hurry your ass up, i can't be late to my first day of work." steven rushed jeremiah. "those little country club boomers are gonna tip me so hard they won't know what hit 'em!"

i made a disgusted look at steven. "ew. steven, i swear."

"come on, y/n." jeremiah laughed. "my boys gotta get that bread."

"stop." i shook my head at him.

i look over to see belly walking in the kitchen, and i give her a small smile.

"good morning." jeremiah says to her in an enthusiastic tone.

"belly, where have you been?" laurel asks her in a serious tone. "is that a bruise."

belly stands next to me and i run my fingers over the bruise. "mom, relax, she tripped when we were at the bonfire and landed on her face." i lied, i knew belly wouldn't wanna tell the actual story

"doesn't look that bad." conrad said from the couch, i look over at him, and made eye contact with him for a few seconds before returning my focus back to belly.

"uh, cereal?" jeremiah asked belly.

"yeah, hit me." belly softly responded.

"oh, my god!" susannah ran into the kitchen. "belly and y/n are going to be debutantes!" she hugged both of us.

belly laughed. "it's really not that big of a deal."

i'd forgotten all about the whole deb thing. it'd be hard trying to balance a summer job and being a deb, on top of that, i'd have to find a date.

"i'm sorry, like those two? my sisters, right there?" steven teased us.

"shut up, cretin!" i shot back.

"okay, this is going to be so much fun!" susannah fantasized. "just you wait. there's the tea, the auction, the- ball, of course.. i gotta write this down. we need to go shopping!"

"this sounds expensive." laurel said.

"oh, don't worry, laur, it's on me." susannah smiled. "it was my idea after all."

"y/n, are you sure you wanna do this?" laurel asked me. "it doesn't seem very you."

in truth, not really. but if it made susannah happy, it made me happy. i had to do it for her.

"it's not." conrad, once again, added his two cents from the couch.

i don't know how he went from how he used to act towards me to.. this.

"conrad, could you please be a little more supportive?" susannah told him. "now, which one of you are gonna be belly or y/n's escort to the ball."

"not me." conrad immediately responded.

"shocker." i say, in a sarcastic tone.

"i went last year." conrad finished his sentence.

"me neither. i swore off balls." jeremiah told us, causing steven to laugh. "the dances dude!" jeremiah said, laughing.

"wow, guys!" i say, sarcastically. "stop fighting over us."

"i'm not going with either of you." belly finally spoke up. "i am going to find my own date.

"it says debutantes require instruction, morals, and social etiquette." laurel read off her laptop.

"i'm going for a swim." conrad leaves through the back door, as i watched him go.

"yeah, y/n could use some etiquette." steven laughed.

"and you wonder why you don't have a girlfriend." i rolled my eyes.

all the sound drowned out as i watched conrad from the window, in his shorts, and no shirt on. i missed how things used to be.

i felt a hand on my shoulder. "you alright, y/n?" jeremiah asked me.

"yeah." i tried push aside anything feelings. "we should probably go soon."

"wait." susannah spoke up. "before you go, we have shopping to do!"

"seriously?" i asked. "i have work. i'm not going shopping."

but that wasn't true. susannah is a really convincing person, so before i knew it, i was shopping around stores with susannah, laurel, and belly, for the debutante thing.

i tried on different dresses, all colors, and different accessory's, hats, sunglasses, and bow, bags over my hands and arms.

then, i had to try on a debutante dress, i found a beautiful white long dress, i loved it, but maybe conrad and laurel were right. this whole thing was not my scene.

what have i done?

ੈ✩‧₊˚ ੈ✩‧₊˚ ੈ✩‧₊˚ੈ✩‧₊˚ ੈ✩‧₊˚ ੈ✩‧₊˚

END OF CHAPTER

[elcpsstuff]

The Summer I Remembered You (C.F) (Part 6)

Summary: Taylor comes to town for Belly’s birthday and suspects something is going on with yn and Conrad.

A/N: Can we talk about how cute this gif is🙏🏻 also i’m getting these all out so fast i’m already working on ch. 7

—

Me and Belly both had Summer birthdays. This was different though, she was turning 16. This day was going to be about her and only her.

Taylor was coming into town, and as much as I love Belly, Taylor can get annoying. She means well though. Frankie, my best friend hates her.

Her and Frankie are both really overbearing.

I rushed downstairs and it was 8:12 exactly. Belly would be coming down soon. I wore a cute white crop top with a light blue jean shorts.

My hair was straightened, and I had decided to wear small, small hoop earrings. Susannah said they made every girl pop out.

Conrad was slouched at the island counter eating his cereal. The first thing I thought of was last night. The second thing I thought of was how bad that is for his back.

“Morning, yn!” Jeremiah says, smiling over at me before helping Susannah with the decorations again.

“Morning guys. So I beat Bells down here?”

“Just in time.” Steven says.

I smiled and when I sent a quick glance to Conrad, he didn’t even acknowledge my existence.

This day is about Belly. Not Conrad.

I shake it off and then Belly walks into the room. She looked really pretty. Her outfit was cute.

“Happy birthday!” We all say in unison, and even Conrad whispers it a little.

I walk over to Belly and put my arm around her shoulder, “Belly’s 16, she’s not a baby anymore.” She then sticks her tongue out at me.

“Nah, she still is.” Steven blurts out.

Jeremiah just smiled at Belly. It was kinda cute.

I think I had coke to terms with it, that I was just pretending to like Jeremiah to get my mind off of, him.

Suddenly I had the craziest thought. If Jere liked Belly, than she might like him and forget about Conrad.

It would make me feel a lot less guilty about the past.

—

Last summer, Age 15 (Almost 16)

It had been 2 weeks since we had gotten there.

It was a lazy night in cousins. Me and Conrad were home alone. Usually, we would have a pillow war or snuggle up on the couch and watch something. I maybe even would listen to him play the guitar.

After the whole rain thing and coming home and holding hands, not to mention Susannah seeing it, I had been questioned by her the whole week. I think she was doing it to Conrad too but he didn’t say anything to me.

I tried to go on and act normal with Conrad, but lately it was hard to look at him like a best friend. He made me question everything.

I was sitting on the counter top when Conrad slouched against the fridge.

“That’s horrible posture, you’ll hurt your back.” I say.

“Hey, stop judging.”

“I’m not judging, just giving tips.” I then place a chip in my mouth and smile.

“What if my moms cancer comes back one day?” He blurts out.

I felt my body get stiff. I was sure Susannah’s cancer wouldn’t come back, I knew it. And if it would, she would fight it. She wouldn’t give up.

“What’s wrong, Conrad? Why are you thinking about this?” I say, and the fridge was close enough to the counter so I reached out and tug on his shoulder.

He moves off of the fridge and closer to me, and we’re only inches away. If I leaned in, we could kiss.

“I don’t know. It just scares me.”

I felt really bad, because I may of come off as harsh. I softened my gaze at him.

“Don’t be, it won’t happen again. Besides, Susannah’s a fighter, the best one I know.”

Conrad smiled, and I could tell it wasn’t a “I believe you” type of smile, more like a “thank you for being here” smile.

I smiled and wrapped my arms around him, and he leaned his head against my shoulder. I felt a big amount of pressure shift into me, and he was fully leaning on me now.

“Thank you for being here.” He mumbled in the crook of my neck.

“Of course. I’ll never not be here. Your my best friend.”

He didn’t respond, and I didn’t mind.

That’s what we were, that’s what we’d always been.

Or had we ever been? Because right now it feels like we’re a couple, and the scary thing is I liked it. I didn’t mind it at all.

—

Present day:

“Open mine next!” Jeremiah says, and Belly picks up his gift.

He had given her a key, key chain. It was really cute and It was because she could drive now and he had been giving her lessons.

Steven gave her a Princeton crewneck, Susannah pearls that were beautiful, and Laurel a book.

“Here!” I say, handing my gift to Belly.

I felt the smile creep up on my face as she unwrapped my gift. “Oh my gosh, you got me the dress I wanted?!”

I nodded. “Saved up for it.” Laurel and Susannah smiled, and I could tell Susannah was impressed and liked it.

“Thank you, yn. I love it.” Belly says through a smile. I send Jeremiah and Steven a “I had the best gift” look.

Then, Conrad gets up and places a little box next to belly. She opens it and I could see her eyes flutter.

“Awh, that’s so cute.” Belly says, pulling out a little wave necklace. It was pretty cute.

“It was kinda last minute, but we’re like at the ocean so it works.” He shrugged.

Leave it to Conrad to make a good gift sound so unappealing and horrible.

Belly sent a half smile and tucked it away.

Conrad sighed, “Well, I gotta get to the Marina. Cleveland needs my help.” He looked at me for a second before walking out of the room.

Jeremiah noticed the mood and then smiled, “Hey Bells, wanna drive a little bit before we have to pick up Taylor?”

Belly’s mood instantly changed, “Yeah, sure, yn do you—”

I shook my head and put my hand up, “No, no, you guys go ahead.”

Susannah then perked up, “This is perfect! Yn, I’m painting you now.”

I groaned, “Actually, Bells—” I say jokingly, and everyone laughs.

“Too late now!” Susannah grabs my arm and pulls me away from everyone and I send a “Help me” look to Belly before entering the backyard.

It was hot out, and as much as I love summer I can’t stand the heat. It makes me feel sticky.

Susannah painted, and it had only been 20 minutes but it felt like forever.

“So, what else are you doing this summer?”

I shrug, “I don’t know, probably just chilling out.”

Susannah smiles, and I knew she had gotten me, “I think you should get a job, maybe at the Marina?”

I laughed a little, because there was no way I was working at the Marina. “Um, I don’t really think-”

I could tell Susannah’s mind was filling with ideas, “Oh! It’s not bad trust me. I know the guy who owns the place and it’ll be super casual, only like 2 to 3 times a week, he pays well too.”

I sighed, knowing Susannah’s mind was made up.

“Oh, and Connie! You guys can go there together.” She said through a smirk.

Fuck.

“Oh, Susannah—”

She looked ahead of me and waved at somebody, and I turned to see it was Conrad. He was already back?

“Connie! Come here.”

He walked over to us but he didn’t make eye contact with me.

“Con, yn is gonna work at the Marina.”

I could see the smirk on Conrad’s face, and it was so smug. Smug piece of shit.

“yn? At the Marina?”

I scoff, “I’ll do just fine.”

“Mom, yn is scared of boating.” I could feel my cheeks burn as he said this. He could at least acknowledge me if he’s gonna say things like that?

Susannah smiles, “That’s alright, you can teach her too.”

Conrad had already tried to teach me to boat a couple of years ago, but it didn’t end well. We just ended up laughing and getting a tan.

Conrad shrugged and then walked inside.

—

“Yn! I missed you bitch!” Taylor hugged me and I smiled a little.

“Me too.”

“Okay, we all have to go into the pool and catch up, I need to get all the tea.”

Me and Belly nodded and we went upstairs to change.

I could just tell that something had changed in Belly, I didn’t know if it was because of me and Conrad, but I needed to find out. I can’t loose her.

Once we were in the pool, me and Taylor and Belly were on one side while Jeremiah and Steven were on the other.

“So,” Taylor began, looking at both of us, “What’s the boys situation?”

Belly shrugged, “I don’t really know.”

I gasped, “Belly! Your basically dating Cam Cameron.”

“Ooo yes! He’s coming to dinner tonight right?” Taylor looks at Belly and she simply nods. Taylor turns to face me.

“What about you? Boys?”

I shrugged, “I don’t know. There’s this kid named Josh?”

Josh. I hadn’t talked to him in a while. I wonder if he’s going to Nicole’s big party tonight. I would see him there if we went.

The boys started talking about a hot girl they knew and Taylor said, “We know your talking about us!”

Steven laughed, “You wish.”

Then Taylor and Belly trailed to the middle of the pool, and I followed.

“Let’s play chicken!” Taylor half screamed.

Not chicken, anything but chicken. I knew there was an uneven number and this was my chance to get out. “I’ll sit this one out guys.”

Belly nodded, “You can play the next?” And I just gave her a half smile. At least she was giving me something.

Belly and Jeremiah were partners and so were Taylor and Steven. I looked at the way Jeremiah’s arms gripped Belly’s and I noticed some tension. Big tension. The way she grabbed his hair. Was something going on with them?

Belly and Jeremiah won which is when Nicole and Conrad walked outside. Nicole looked like she was judging us big time.

“Hey guys— are you playing chicken?”

“Hey..” I say awkwardly. Who was she to judge us? She gripped Conrad’s hand and It made me angry. Stop it. Don’t be angry.

They sat at the edge of the pool with their ankles in and flirted with each other.

We decided to play volleyball and we set up the nets and split up into teams. It was girls against boys and it was uneven so Jeremiah asked Conrad to get in but he said no. Of course.

After a couple of rounds, Taylor got ready to serve and then hit Nicole in the head. It was kinda funny.

“Oh my gosh, Nicole are you okay?” Belly said worried.

“I’m so— sorry.” Taylor says through a little laugh.

“Taylor.” Belly said in a scolding manner.

“I’m so sorry Nicole, feel better okay?” I knew why Belly was saying this. All because of Conrad. Conrad then offered to help Nicole and they got up but before he went inside, he looked back at me for a second.

That second felt like forever. It was like he was staring into my soul. And then it was over. Just like that.

Taylor then leaned in close to be and whispered, “What’s going on?”

I shook my head and got out of the pool, everyone else following.

—

Dinner that night was good, Belly brought Cam over and he even kissed her on the lips at the table. It was cringey, but cute.

Belly decided that we should go to Nicole’s party, and I was very happy to do so. I needed to get drunk, blasted even. I had to forget. About everything. Him.

Once we got there, Jeremiah and Steven dispersed and Conrad had rushed in before us and started drinking. Go figure.

Nicole then came up to me and Belly, “yn! Belly! Hey!”

Taylor looked visibly uncomfortable, but she didn’t say anything.

“Hey Nicole.” I say through a smile.

“Belly, I need you to come with me.” Nicole says grabbing her arm and Belly mouths sorry to me and Taylor before walking away.

“Wanna grab a drink?” I said, half sulking and I didn’t even realize it. My friends had become Belly’s friends and I suddenly felt really lonely. This summer started to not feel so good.

“Yes, please.” At least Taylor was sulking with me.

We went to the drinks table and then I started pounding them down. Taylor noticed but didn’t say anything because she was pounding them down too. We were both upset but I didn’t know why she was, but sometimes it was better to sulk in silence like this.

I looked up and then saw Conrad talking to a group of guys and I started longer than I should have. He looked back at me and then away again which only made me feel shitty and pound down more drinks.

What a night this would be.

—

A/N: what do we think? I promise you guys the drama will be soooo good. trust me. Enjoy!! should I make a master list?

tag list: @kkrenae @callsignwidow @drikawinchester @johannelis2302nely

[violetmuses]

Spill This Blood -  A. Aretas 🔥🖤🩸

Title: Spill This Blood - A. Aretas 🔥🖤🩸

Fandom: “Bad Boys” Film Universe 

Character: Armando Aretas 

Pairing: Armando Aretas + Female Reader

Main Storyline: If loyalty is a sin, watch us burn hand in hand. 

Author's Note: Surprise! Here's my sequel to “No Church In The Wild.” Enjoy! 💜

@nelo0wesker @onlyrealjoy @omg-mymelaninisbeautiful @yassbishimvintage @spaceacelover @nobodygetsza

=====

2024

“How you doing?” 

Here through dark circumstances with partner Marcus Burnett, Detective Mike Lowrey greets his estranged son, criminal Armando Aretas. 

“It's a prison.” Armando rasped, dressed in this orange uniform behind bars. 

“Yeah. Well, look.” Lowrey then struggled for a moment. “We need your help. Captain Howard might've been dirty. Do you know anything about that?”

“How much time in prison do I lose from talking about this one?” Aretas nearly shrugged. 

“I'm still working on the exit plan, but I need answers.” Mike repeated himself. “Did Captain Howard work with the cartels?”

“No. He wanted to shut everything down and clean up the mess.” Armando denied this terrible rumor. 

“Wait, but your mother put Captain right on the hit list.” Mike stood puzzled. 

“He was added to it. Your people wanted this plot to look like our work. Your people wanted him dead.” Aretas exposed brand-new information. 

Someone who joined the Miami Police Department wanted Captain Conrad Howard to die. 

“Our people?” Even Marcus Burnett narrowed his eyes across the space. 

“Be careful. You've played this game and don't even know the rules.” Armando warned. “There's dirty players working on your side.”

“That's bullshit.” Marcus would scold these details. 

“Wait, who set everything up?” Mike Lowrey tagged with questions again.

“I saw him one time.” Armando said, remembering this view of someone from the DEA. 

“Can you ID him?” Marcus wanted to see if Armando could identify the possible suspect. 

“Si.” Aretas quickly used his native language of Spanish. 

“What's his name?” Mike would still attempt further. 

“I don't know. Only my mother could deal with him.” Armando continued offering his perspective. 

“Damn. I knew that we should keep the witch alive.” Marcus grumbled. 

“Marcus, be nice.” Mike corrected his longtime partner regarding Armando's deceased mother Isabel Aretas. 

“May she rest in peace.” Burnett pulled weary sarcasm. 

“Really, dude?” Mike faced Marcus through another correcting glance. 

“You slept with a bruja.” Marcus then lifted his brow. “I'm still calling out the truth at this point.”

“Hey…” Armando pulled accented English to distract the officials. 

“My bad.” Mike still apologized to his own son. “Marcus just won't stop talking. What's up?” 

“Is she okay out there?” Armando gently mentioned you for the first time since Mike last visited. 

“Yeah. You'll be with her soon. Don't worry.” Mike walked from Aretas and left with Marcus once more. 

******

“Someone tried to kill my son, Rita!” Not long after Mike returned to Miami, plotted “inmates” set to kill Armando and this bomb exploded at the prison. 

“What do you need? I know that Armando is part of your family, but he is still a criminal.” AMMO team leader Rita Secada spoke up as expected. 

“Schedule his transfer.” Mike requested. “If we don't move fast, the situation could get even worse and I can't let that shit happen to Armando, all right?” 

“How can we trust your plan?” Attorney and mayoral candidate Adam Lockwood chimed in. 

“We learned that Armando can identify whoever framed Cap.” Mike explained further. 

“Fine, but if anything goes wrong, you're alone with the operation.” Lockwood stepped out grumbling. 

“Who pissed in his cereal this morning?” Marcus tried joking. 

Mike rolled both eyes here, but still planned the next move. 

______

“We need to tell her what's going on with Armando.” Leaving Rita behind this afternoon, Lowrey entered the hallway and whispered to Marcus about you. 

“Hell no! Not yet.” Realization hit Marcus once Mike acknowledged your position. “Listen to me. If that girl finds out what happened from the wrong place, she'll line up body bags for all of us!” 

“Fuck.” Mike rasped toward his partner and grounded the absolute truth. 

If Detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett  showed up on your doorstep without Armando standing, all hell would have gone loose. 

“We haven't even helped Armando leave prison yet.” Burnett continues. “Don't you dare make that call right now.” 

“What's the move?” Lowrey questioned his best friend for advice. 

“Once we set up Armando's transfer, then we'll all find his girl.” Marcus said. “I don't need you giving out false hope or bringing up scary shit.” 

“Deal. Let's do this.” Mike agreed with this point while leaving the department. 

******

“You good?” En route to Miami, Mike questioned his son Armando. 

“Never been better.” Aretas mumbled from the towered cage. 

“In about forty-five minutes, you'll see somebody familiar.” Mike nodded. 

“Cool.” Armando held back his smile this time around, exhausted. 

*****

“Get me out of this fucking cage!” Armando shouts as his placed cell nearly falls out of the dipping aircraft.

This organized plan immediately failed. Unknown experts from the dark hijacked Armando's federal transport! 

Scrambling, Marcus struggled to keep everything steady as Mike hurried, opening the main door with this designated key. 

Even handcuffed when Mike caught him, Armando hobbled to the cockpit and yelled through directions for landing. 

“Ah, grab the stick!” Aretas pulsed through fear and chaos while trying to avoid death for everyone. 

“When the hell did you learn how to fly?!” Marcus went on. 

“I'm a drug dealer, man!” Armando just yelled back. Steer to the right! We'll face water.” 

The helicopter crashes right through large ripples, but all three men survived this nightmare. 

*****

Drenched from murky water, Armando Aretas stands in his ruined orange uniform to travel on foot, outright ignoring Lowrey and Burnett. 

“Hey! Where are you going?!” Mike realized that Armando walked off.  

“Fuck out my way.” Pissed off with Lowrey, Aretas stepped even further back and continued the route forward. 

“Look, you are the only person who can identify whoever is doing this!” Mike pulled Armando's collar without hesitation, but Marcus dodged their fight. “We should reach the suspect before they get us.” 

“There is no us!” Armando shoved Lowrey back once more. 

“We gotta stay together, man. Captain Howard left us files with Dorn in Miami.” Mike struggled. 

Y'all better not slow me down. Before we move again, lose your phones.” Armando then took charge. “Either keep up with me or I'll leave you both in the dirt. You're in my world now.” 

Given no other option, Mike and Marcus followed Aretas through the wilderness. 

*****

By nightfall, this makeshift campfire snapped to keep all three men warm. 

“How should we tell her what happened?” Noting you, Mike offered his question near Armando. 

“It's not up to y'all.” Armando defended his own choice regarding you. “We'll go back there and find her first. If the hijackers reached us, who knows what else happened…” 

Damn. Lowrey thought. 

“Fine.” Mike accepted reality. 

“By the way, ya'll are some terrible fucking fugitives.” Armando tossed more wood, still disgruntled. 

____

After stealing clothes from two idiots, Mike, Marcus, and Armando “found” one rusty pickup truck before Aretas drove away. 

“Did you love my mother?” Armando faces the road when evening returns. 

“I definitely loved her.” Mike told the truth over Isabel despite everything. 

“You sold her out, though.” Aretas darkened this talk with his biological father. Even Marcus squinted. 

“I've made some mistakes.” Mike continued speaking. 

“Like me?” Armando revealed eye contact while facing Mike. 

“Hold on. Now, you know damn-well that's not what I meant.” Lowrey defended himself. 

“Wait a minute...” Marcus tried to interject, but Mike reached the breaking point. 

“Nigga, will you shut the fuck up and let me talk to him? For the last time, this is not your conversation!” Mike couldn't stand Marcus now. 

“So you hate me now?” Flabbergasted, Marcus looked toward his partner. 

“Let ‘em talk.” Armando whispered to Marcus while still driving. 

Though we're judging Marcus, there's progress with Armando.  Mike realized. 

Silenced, Marcus Burnett only watched upcoming streetlights. 

“Shop ahead. I'll go in and use somebody's phone.” Armando set his next plan right as the pickup truck's engine burned out. 

“No help?” Mike glanced toward Aretas for a second. 

“Y'all are detectives. Too recognized.” Armando gestured between Mike and Marcus before leaving this truck himself. 

Mike then watched his son put this trucker  hat back on and enter one neon lighting storefront. 

“Where did he go?” Marcus spoke up again.  

“Doesn't matter.” Mike said. “Let's just wait.”

______

“Hey.” Armando offered accented English just in case. “Sorry to bother you, but my truck broke down outside. Could I borrow your phone?” 

“Oh, damn. I'm closing up here, but sure.” The food mart clerk nodded. “Want anything else?”

“No cash.” Wearing this Bud Light shirt, Armando tapped both dirty pockets of stolen jeans. Boots stepped along. 

“Don't worry. I've been there when times aren't easy.” The clerk just wanted to help out. 

“Thanks.” Need to call my girl first.” Armando took this cell phone from the counter. 

“I know that's right.” The clerk smiled for a moment while gathering free snacks. 

“Hello?” Your sweet voice responded shortly after Aretas dialed. 

“It's me, baby…” Armando couldn't believe this moment. “Lost my phone, but I'm here.” 

“Armando?” Quiet shock reached your entire body right now. 

Yeah, hey.” Armando confirmed his words and promised that you weren't dreaming. “It's a long story, but I need to meet me somewhere. I'll explain everything.”

“Just say where. I'll find you.” You don't ask questions. 

“There's a rusted truck parked downtown, but the engine's dead.” Armando gestured outside. 

“All right. Love you.” You hung up quickly, but Armando can't help grinning this time. 

“Take care.” Once Aretas returned the phone, this sore clerk bid farewell and handed Armando his bag, watching him leave.

____

“Sup?” Mike greeted Armando once the driver's seat door opened. 

“My girlfriend will pick us up soon and I got free snacks from the clerk.” Armando offered this bag. 

“Thanks.” Mike nodded. 

“Skittles?” Marcus just seemed nosey all over again. 

“Not supposed to eat that shit, Marcus.” Mike warned his partner as usual.

Within minutes, Armando smiled once more when your car pulled up at last.

“She's here. Let's go.” Aretas ditched that truck again and met you on the sidewalk. 

Immediately recognizing Armando, you bolted each footstep down this path and jumped right into his arms, knocking off the trucker hat. 

Both of you survived. 

Yet once you reached the sidewalk again, your plan started up. 

“Mike, Marcus! Let's go.” You call the Miami detectives. 

Armando hops the passenger seat and you hit that sturdy engine, noticing Lowrey and Burnett. 

“Armando got the front seat!” Marcus yelled while standing near your car with Mike. 

“Get in this damn car before I smack you upside your peasy-ass head!” Mike warned. 

“Have they always bickered like this?” You questioned Armando. 

“Since we met.” Armando rolled his brown eyes and passed gum your way. 

“Goodness.” You finally started driving and moved along. 

______

“Dorn from AMMO has a boathouse near the harbor. Can you take us there?” Detective Mike Lowrey called from the backseat. 

“What happened? All of you look rough.” You needed to hear the truth no matter what. 

“Long story short, I told you when Captain Howard got framed, but someone hijacked Armando's aircraft. If it wasn't for Armando flying…” Mike trailed his explanation. 

“Who struck down the plane?” You leveled this question. 

“It was probably the same person who just framed Cap.” Mike went on. “Armando can identify the suspect.”

“Done. Just give me an address.” You affirmed and waited to hear more instructions. 

______

Early daylight moves along this harbor when you finally reach the boathouse. 

“Stay in the car.” Mike warned you and Aretas without thinking twice. 

Because Armando stood as a criminal, Mike and Marcus couldn't take chances with Dorn acting spooked yet. 

“And don't fog up windows tryna be nasty.” Even Marcus pointed, following his partner into the residence and leaving you with Armando. 

When the doors slammed shut, Armando loosened his seatbelt. 

 Your man opened both arms and truly hugged you for the first since lockup. 

“Hi.” Greeting him, you didn't let go of this embrace yet. 

“Hey.” Armando held your cheek, just grateful to see you in person and remain alive. “Still beautiful. No makeup last night?”

“I was sleeping when you called me.” You laughed for a second. 

“Sorry.” His slightly accented English returned to you. “I should join you next time.” 

“Let's knock out this bastard first.” You glance toward Armando and make another vow, planning to help Lowrey and Burnett. 

Back together again. Aretas promised. 

*****

“Hey. Dorn just plotted connections with your laptop.” Tapping your driver's seat window, Mike offered an update. 

“Got it. I can set up here.” You walked around the car, but Armando already gathered your bag from the trunk. 

“Damn, ya'll fast.” Marcus noticed the dynamics with you and Aretas. 

“We're a team.” Armando says. “That's why I don't match with you, Detective.”

“Marcus, look. She might work even faster than Dorn.” Mike acknowledged just how quickly you matched databases from the house. 

While Armando noted countless faces, each rejection seemed more and more disappointing. 

“Wait, zoom in again.” Armando grounded his reality now. 

“Here?” You ask. On screen, this grayscale picture of one man with bright hair caught your attention. 

“That's who ordered the hit on Captain. Text them.” Armando confirms his discovery while you immediately contact Mike and Marcus. 

****

James McGrath: Former Army Ranger turned DEA agent. Tortured before joining the cartel himself. 

The monster is cornered, but you realize one very significant problem: 

Mcgarth has kidnapped Mike's wife Christine alongside Captain Howard's granddaughter Callie. 

An alligator park located somewhere deep in Florida veiled as the hideout for McGrath’s operation, but you still can't join this battle. 

“There's me, Marcus, Armando, Rita, Kelly and Dorn. That's it.” Mike dropped your help and even relayed the AMMO squad. 

“Why the hell would you leave her out? You know exactly what she's capable of.” Aretas defended your skill. 

“If anything happens to her out there, you'll go right back to prison. You can't set off a bloodbath if she gets hurt.” Mike offered this horrifying perspective. 

Fed up, your steps leave the dock and Armando chases after you. 

______

“We pushed all that work for nothing! Why did Mike even call me out?” You reached the car once more and planned to leave. 

“Listen…” Armando tried. 

“No. Complete the mission.” You declined this chance, speeding away. 

*******

After taking down James McGrath and saving Callie Howard, Armando Aretas somehow pulls many different strings, finding you once more. 

“Stubborn just like your father.” You open the front door of your home while Armando stands on that porch with flowers. 

“I love you, too.” Aretas chuckled through his accented English and passed one threshold, staying here forever.  

Who gon' pray for me?

Take my pain for me? 

Save my soul for me? 

'Cause I'm alone, you see. 

If I'm gon' die for you. 

If I'm gon' kill for you. 

Then I'll spill this blood for you…

[megacross-ground-zero-rated-r]

Man you know what would be fucked up.

Conrad, in a last-ditch effort to win Nick’s approval, tracks down a way to swap their bodies, offering to make the switch without telling anyone else. As much as Nick hates the idea of literally Becoming Conrad, being flesh and blood again is too good to give up. Maybe he’s planning to switch again to another human body.

He does not say yes to this right away. He's got a more elaborate plan.

It's been demonstrated that some people who've died and been resurrected, or have certain supernatural abilities, can see / sense if there's multiple souls inhabiting one body. It stands to reason they can tell if someone's been switched, too. Even though he plans to leave the country Nick has to kill everyone with these abilities who know the both of them to be sure that the switch is never discovered. Additionally, he has to get Conrad completely wrapped around his finger and dispose of him right after.

So he starts undermining all the work Conrad's been doing in therapy. Claiming yes, you were right. I have loved you, too, all this time, but I was too scared to admit it. Sneaking into Booker's office to read his file, deliberately feeding all the things Conrad remembers happening, but he doesn't. Meeting him in secret, looking at him with such pained longing whenever he takes a single step closer...

And then getting Conrad to axe off any threat. Some they made to look like an accident, but others... Others Conrad did it and Nick handled the cleanup.

And THEN once they swap bodies, "Conrad" has a breakdown confessing to what "Nick" made him do. The incessant calls, the flowery love letters, wearing him down day after day until he fell back into old habits.

Nick did a fantastic balancing act. He knew to cover up most things, because "Nick" would know exactly how to do that, but left a handful of clues. There's no such thing as a perfect murder, in the heat of the moment there's always something going wrong, so long as that part didn't get too out of hand, he would be fine.

Whatever the thing used to switch them is, it has to be immovable. A chamber or a ritual altar of some kind, not something he can easily hide, the location itself has to be incriminating so there's still a threat that they get connected to it somehow.

But not enough that Eddie can prove his suspicions. That maybe "Nick's" desperate claims of swapping places is actually... No. No, that can't be right.

[oscarthedino]

Jeremiah x y/n

Summary: y/n Conklin is the middle sister of Steven and belly. You have been dating Conrad sense last summer but lately you have been noticing he was off. As summer is now approaching fast you can’t wait to see him and also hope you can figure out what is going on with him but you can’t believe what’s actually going to happen this summer.

Warnings: cursing, mention of death/cancer, cheating, possibly assault and smut

Chapter 4

You keep staring at the note everything flooding back. Your shoulder now pounding still as the sleep wears off. All of this was a complete mess and you knew you were about to get the worst of it when you went down stairs. Your head is now pounding to and you look over again and grab the smoothie taking a sip, damn this really does do wonders you think to your self. You lay in bed for a little bit longer but decide it’s time to go down stairs before your mom comes up at yells at you more.

You make your way down stairs and hear most everyone already awake. Your mom is sitting at the counter and Jeremiah and Steven are in the kitchen with jere trying to get Steven to get out. When you get to your set leaving a space in between you and your mom you look around for Conrad and see him sitting on the couch, you both make eye contact with each other and there a thousand words said between that. You get pulled out of your trance by Jeremiah.

“Hey you want some Cereal”

Even though you had the food upstairs you where still really hungry “yeah sure” you told him and he poured you a bowl

“How’s your shoulder” he asked you then immediate regret lined his face as he looked over at your mom.

“What happened to your shoulder” she asked almost annoyed looking at you. You also notice how Conrad sits up a bit to now looking at you again.

“Oh um someone bumped into me is all and I fell on my shoulder, I should be fine” you tell her trying to move it to show her but instead pain lines your face.

“Always something” laurel says looking back at her computer, you just stare at your cereal nor hungry anymore.

A few seconds later and belly walks in with a big bruise on her face from last night. She sits now in between you and your mom and tells Jeremiah.

“Hit me” while placing her hand on the table

“Coming right up” he tells her smiling super big

I really got to ask him about this you think to yourself something has to be going on. Your thought is half cut off by your mom.

“Omg belly what happened to your face” she asks belly concern dripping her voice completely opposite of how it was when she asked you why you were hurt.

“I got bumped into” you tells her mom looking at Conrad

“You look fine to me” Conrad mumbles

Your mom’s face still laced with concerned doesn’t ask any more questions. Susannah comes almost running into the room looking at both you and belly.

“Girls…. I have a question” you tells you and belly “I signed both of you up to do the deb ball this year!” She is almost jumping up and down.

You and belly both just sit there for a moment thinking. I mean it give me something to do this year plus my friends are doing it, you know what screw it”

“You I’ll do it why not” you tell her. Everyone stops what there doing and looks at you.

“Yeah I’ll do it to” belly says looking at you with a smile. At this point everyone’s jaws are on the floor.

“You mean those two things are going to be in a ball” Steven says looking at as

“Ofc they are Steven” Susannah tells him “they are both beautiful young ladies” she looks at both of you her smile so big.

“This sounds… expensive” your mom says

“Don’t worry about that laurel” Susannah tells her. At this point nothing is going to stop her from us being a deb. “We have to go shopping” she tells me and belly “and ofc the boys will be taking the both of you” she adds

I look at Conrad waiting for a response but Jeremiah answers first “ummm yeah no I don’t do that” he says “sorry belly”

Conrad looks at you and says “idk y/n I already did it last year” then goes back to his phone

No one says anything as I sit there pale faced almost embarrassed at Conrad’s words but if I’m being honest I’m not surprised. Belly brakes the silence by saying “wow guys you don’t need to fight over me. But don’t worry I will be finding my own date”

“Ok so lady’s go get ready and we are going shopping!!” She almost screams.

You and belly look at each other in knowing that this is not going to be that fun. Don’t get me wrong you and belly love shopping just not with the moms they get to… into it.

Jeremiah shouts before him and Steven leave “we got to go time to go make some moneyyy” he says dabing Steven up.

I forgot he was working this summer you think as a small but of sadness creeps its way up. You and belly move to the table to finish eating your food. As you stand to move you have both your water and cereal to carry and as you go to grab your water with your bad arm and pain shots up your arm and you wince in pain.

“Are you ok” susannah comes up to you worried. Well at least someone cares you think.

“I’m fine had a small fall” you tell her not wanting to worry her.

In all honesty you should probably get it checked out but you don’t want to worry anyone or make a bigger deal then it is especially after how your mom reacted. You both sit there finishing your breakfast but you leave for your room when you see belly eyeing Conrad swimming in the pool. Could she make it more obvious? You where literally sitting right Next to her and she is staring at YOUR boyfriend omg idk if I’m going to make it through this afternoon.

You thrown on a tank top and I pair of jean shorts and sit to do your makeup. You decided to go for a softer look today sense you where going out with your mom. As you’re getting ready you hear a knock at the door.

“Come in” you say thinking it’s belly or Susannah but slowly realize it’s not when you hear Conrad behind you.

“Hey” he says stepping into your room and closing the door to come sit on your bed.

“Hi”

“I thought we should talk” he tells you picking up a stuff animal on the bed.

You turn around to face him “yeah probably. Umm thanks for the breakfast this morning”

“Ofc, you seemed like you had a rough night” he said looking at your shoulder which has a judge bruise on it now

“I’m fine , don’t worry it will heal” at least you hoped it would without having to ask your mom to go to the doctor.

“Look about yesterday” he says pausing “ I really didn’t mean to hurt you I just didn’t know how to tell you”

“I understand what ever going okay is hard for you but I need you to talk to me, you quitting football is huge. I don’t know why you don’t trust me” you almost whisper the last part.

“I do trust” he says hastily “I just didn’t want to disappoint you I have a lot with school going on right now”

“What’s actually going on” you ask Conrad

“It’s just school I promise” he says but not able to look you in the eye

“Why can’t you just tell me the truth” you almost yell standing up from your vanity.

He runs a hand through his already messy hair “I’m not I swear”

“And for some reason I don’t believe you” you almost laugh after saying that “and everything with belly what the hell is that”

“Nothing is going on between me and belly” he says almost defensively

“We both know she likes you” you tell him “I don’t understand why you can’t except that and do something about it” your almost yelling now “ do you understand how hard it is for me to watch my sister look at you like that how she almost flirts with you, you do absolutely nothing about it to”

“I promise you I don’t like her like that I only like you, and idk how to tell her I don’t want to hurt her feelings” he tells you

“What about me though” tears start to swell but you won’t get in front of him. You won’t show how much this affects you. “What about hurting me”

“I don’t want to hurt either of you” he runs a hand through his hand again and is squeezing your stuff animal so tight.

“Like you didnt want to hurt me when you told me in front of everyone you wouldn’t take me to the ball” you are definitely screaming now but you don’t care.

“I don’t want to do it ok I already did it and it want for me why can’t you understand that” he says yelling now to.

“Why can’t you do it for me” you sigh looking away to compose yourself. “I feel like you only care about yourself, I don’t remember the last time you just called me to talk to me or was the one who wanted to set something up. I understand your going through something right now but you won’t even tell me so I can be there for you”

“Nothings going on why can’t you just except that” he yells now standing up.

You turn back around to face him “because I know you’re lying to me!!! You have never acted this way about school or have held stuff from me”

“I don’t have to tell you everything fucking thing about my life” he walks closer to you

“I don’t need you to tell me everything I need you to tell me the important things” you say frustrated that he doesn’t understand.

“I’m trying ok y/n I’m really trying” he tells you reaching for your hand

You pull your hand away “Obviously not enough” the tears that have built up finally fall. “You don’t have to even think or worry about taking me to a deb ball anymore, I can’t do this hiding things and secrets where done get out” you tell him turning around to go to your vanity again

“Y/n don’t do this please” his voice breaks a little

“Please Connie don’t make this any harder get out” you say once more and watch him leave through the mirror. You finally hear the click in the door and let all the tears fall they steam down your checks in waves ruining your makeup you just did but you don’t care. Your heart hurts so much but you knew deep down it was right you guys would have never lasted.

After about 20 mins of sobbing you finally pull your self together enough to fix your makeup and head downstairs to meet with belly and the moms.

You get downstairs and the three of them are already down there but they all must notice your still red eyes or heard the screaming coming from your room.

“Are you ok y/n” belly asks looking at you

“I’m fine me and Conrad broke up” you tell the three of them. I mean they would have to find out eventually but just saying the words made your heart hurt.

You know all of them are staring at you but you wipe the tear that escaped grab your bag with a wince and walk towards the car. “ you guys coming” you ask over your shoulder.

The next few hours go by in a flash. It’s a mix of your mom and Susannah picking out respectable almost work clothes with your mom criticizing how things look on you and praising belly like normal. No one brought up your break up the entire time and went on like nothing happened thank god but you could tell Susannah was worried.

You finally make it to the dress part but after trying on all these clothes your shoulder feels like it’s about to fall off. But this is your favorite part, you’ve always loved dress shopping no matter how much pain you were in.

After what felt like at least an hour of just trying on dresses and keeping a straight face every time you had a pull a dress up over your shoulder but it all was worth it when you and belly stepped out of the dressing room and moved over the the mirror. You let out a small gasp as you looked in the mirror. You had the most gorgeous dress it was off the shoulder and the bottom flowed so nice it was all lace but it wasn’t to puffy , the bodice was made of lace flowers that scattered down to where your feet where. It looked heavenly and you were in love, but when you looked over at belly she didn’t have the same look I mean the dress was beautiful and very big but.. it wasn’t her.

“Y/n don’t you think we should get something that covers your shoulders more. You don’t even bother turning around you just hope your mom will let you get this one.

“Oh don’t worry about it laurel” Susannah says “doesn’t it look like that dress was made for her”

Before anyone else could say anything the store clerk comes up holding a beautifully simple dress “would one of the girls like to try this on” she asks us but it is mostly aimed at the moms. I give a thank you look to Susannah.

As I look over at belly though her eyes lit up when she saw the dress but disappointment replaced it when Susannah said “no I definitely think these are the ones” and the clerk walks off with the dress.

“So girls why don’t you change out of the dresses and me and your mother will go pay” Susannah tells us standing up. Me and belly both give her a nod and walk back into the changing room.

You start to take your dress off but obviously your shoulder has had enough for one day and are you pull it off your shoulder blinding pain hits you and you a small almost whimper comes out.

“Y/n are you ok” belly asks you from the stall next to you.

“Yes” you say trying to make sure your voice isn’t shaky and apparently you do a good job because belly doesn’t say anything else.

You lean up against the wall and sink to the floor the dress now sitting next to you as you hold your shoulder while silent tears fall for what feels like the thousandth time in two days. You tilt your head back against the wall and memories flood back from last night. Jeremiah helping you, the feeling of his hands on your skin, his body behind you supporting, his cologne that the boys always tease him for wearing that smells like the beach wrapped into a sent.

You let out a small laugh. Omg what is wrong with me I sitting here thinking about Jeremiah when I just broke up with Conrad, what the fuck is wrong with me. This summer was supposed to be the best, I was going to see Conrad again, spend time with my best friend Jeremiah, get an amazing tan and avoid my mom. Now I’m sitting in a dressing room thinking about jere crying because I hurt my shoulder last night at a party I didn’t even see Conrad at except for flirting with my sister. This is already a mess instead of the summer I wanted… I needed.

You eventually got up and put your clothes on with a struggle and now you all are home and you’re getting ready for the first I guess you can call it class. You picked out one of your favorite outfits it’s a white sundress that goes down to the floor with blue flowers detailing it cuts off right about your chest and ties.

You’re sitting on your bed ready to leave but decide you should ice your shoulder. There is a knock on your door before you see Susannah walk in and sit next to you on the bed. “Hi sweetie” she says scooting up close to you.

“Hey”

“How are you doing” she asks but I know she means more than my shoulder.

“I’m fine” you tell her and let out a big sigh “I really tried Susannah I really did try and I wanted it to be work and be ok” you look at her

“ ik you did and that’s all you can do” she smoothes a hand down my curled hair

“I wanted to help him so much, but I couldn’t and he wouldn’t let me” the tears start to well up but you refuse to let them fall especially because of him. “He wouldn’t tell me anything and him and belly I… I just i couldn’t anymore”

You lean against her before she says “sometimes the best you can do and most you can help people is letting them go no matter how much it hurts. Not everyone is right for each other even you with Conrad.” now rubbing a comforting hand down my back.

“I know” you let out a long breath “I’m worried about him”

“I am too”

You both sit there in silence and each other company. These are your favorite moments with Susannah the ones were it is just the two of you and you know she is always there for you. you hear belly calling for saying it’s time to go and you give Susannah one last hug.

“Have fun honey” she tells you as you leave the room.

Your mom drives you and laurel the country club where the Deb ball and class are. You sling your over the shoulder bag on your shoulder a wince a little at the action and luckily no one notices. As you are saying by to your mom you hear belly call out to someone.

“Hey jere” belly yells. You look over as your mom drives away and you see Jeremiah Carrying towels with no shirt on and just his bright red lifeguard swim shorts. You can’t help but look him over but stop your self. No you can’t be doing that he is your best friend you tell yourself.

“Omg belly is that you” he says “ I almost didn’t recognize you”

“Ikr me and y/n got all dressed up for this thing” she tells him and he looks over to you. You can’t help but notice something in the way he looked at you and your breath catches but you have to ignore it and you do.

“Well why don’t I walk you guys there” he tells you both

“That would be perfectly” you say and he goes to set the towels down on his golf cart. The entire time he is joking around with belly and you can’t help but laugh at it to but when you make it to the room it all stops because everyone is staring at you. Turns out the two of you are a little late.

“Paige” Jeremiah says taking the hand of who must be in charge of everything.

“Jeremiah, why don’t you have a shirt on” she asks him

Jeremiah completely ignores the questions and tells her “these are the young ladies my mom told you about belly and y/n”

“Well why don’t the both of you head over to your table” she tells us. Me and belly are walking over to are table when I hear Jeremiah Ask “ooo are those the small Brie and prosciutto sandwiches with jam”

“Yes they are but they are for the girls” Paige tells him walking away before you see jere run to grab one. “Jeremiah those are for the girls” she says again but he already stuffed it in his mouth and was out the door. You can’t help but laugh a little at that.

You and belly find your table and you’re so happy to see that Nicole and Shayla are at it. “Omg hi” you say sitting down next to Nicole and belly sits between you and Shayla

“Hi, I’m so happy that you decided to do this you to belly” Nicole says looking over at her “I’ll be your guys big sister” she tells everyone

“Ugg I can’t believe I actually have to do this” Marcia says who is one of the girls at the table

“At least they are letting you bring your girlfriend”Shayla says

“Yeah I only asked that because I thought they would say no” Marcia says and we all laugh a little at that.

“Speaking of dates” Gigi says who has beautiful big brown eyes and blond hair “ belly are you dating Jeremiah”.

Before either me or belly can answer who just shoved a giant piece of cake in her mouth. Nicole says “actually y/n is dating Conrad and belly isn’t dating anyone” she looks at belly and adds “that’s just what y/n told me”.

You choke a little on the water you took a sip of and everyone at the table looks up at you “actually me and Conrad aren’t dating anymore” you tell them picking at the food on your plate.

“Wait really” Shayla says looking at you with concern the say face you have seen on everyone’s face lately.

“Yeah anyway” you say trying to avoid the question “why are you asking Gigi”

“It’s because she has had a crush on him sense he got a six pack” Nicole says laughing and gigis face turns a little pink.

“I kinda like him before that” she says and we all burst out in laughter before we all go quiet when Paige starts talking about the ball.

You pull out your phone bored and start to scroll through it. Nicole nudges your arm and is holding a flask under the table. You smile up at her grabbing it and pouring some of it into my drink before I pass it to belly. She gives me a strange look before she grabs it to and I smile at her losing up. When you look up you spot those little sandwiches that Jeremiah stole and pull up your guys texts.

You: I will bring you some of those sandwich’s so next time you don’t get in trouble lol

Jere: omg thank you I will meet you outside the pool after my sift 🫶

You: I can give them to you at home my mom is giving me a ride back with belly

Jere: I will give you a ride home don’t worry I want my sandwich’s

You: ok fine

For some reason your heart rate picked up at that but you don’t know why and you know it shouldn’t. You can’t have this type of feelings for him ever he is not only your best friend but now your exs brother.

[stilldancewithyou]

the ending (part 1)

Summary: This is how I imagine the story should end if there was a season 4 and/or book 4 or expanded epilogue to the books. This is taking place a couple years after Belly and Conrad's wedding and it is kind of a mix of the show and the books with some extra added things. It's based on this.

Warnings: none that I can think of, except this is basically one giant spoiler, if you have not read the books, I would recommend proceeding with caution because there are SPOILERS AHEAD. otherwise this is just overloaded with cuteness and all the Belly and Conrad married couple content the books didn't give us.

Word Count: 1783

Sunlight streams through the windows, illuminating the whole house in a way the sun only does in the summer. Everything is ready, and everyone will be here soon. I take one last walk around the house, making sure everything is in its place, that everything is perfect. It has to be perfect, just like Susannah would have done it. There's vases of blue hydrangeas that Conrad helped me cut from the bushes outside scattered throughout the house, and the kitchen is stocked with cereal.

I look up at the pictures on the mantle, Conrad and I on our wedding day; Conrad with Jere and Steven; Taylor and I; a group photo of all of us and Laurel; one of Con, Susie and I on the day Susie was born; and a Fisher family Christmas portrait that Conrad absolutely hates; and in the center, a shot of Susannah and all of us kids from the last summer we spent with her here. I smile, reaching up to gently touch the frame with my fingertips. Susannah would be so happy we're having a big Fisher-Conklin family summer at the summer house again.

I open the sliding door and step out onto the back deck, looking out at the ocean and feeling the sun warm on my face. It's warm but not too warm out, and the sky is clear and blue. A perfect Cousins beach day.

"It's a perfect Cousins beach day," Conrad says as he comes outside behind me, shutting the door very carefully and quietly.

"Yeah," I laugh, looking over at him fondly. "It's like you just read my mind."

He chuckles and then he's silent for a long moment as he takes in the view in front of us and the sunshine. "It feels like my Mom is here," He says softly, and I can see the sadness momentarily flicker in his eyes.

I lean towards him, putting my arms around him gently. "Susannah would never miss a summer in Cousins."

"No," He smiles, burying his head in the space between my shoulder and neck, "she wouldn't."

I'm suddenly aware of another person who is also, at this moment, missing. "Con, where's Susie? Did you check on her?"

"She's sleepin' like a baby, Belly," Conrad replies, with that smirk on his face that has always driven me crazy. "She timed her nap perfectly, she should be wide awake and well rested by the time everyone gets here."

"I should go get her ready. Knowing my mother, she will be here exactly on time," I tell him, starting to untangle myself from his embrace. I would stay in his arms forever if it was up to me.

He laughs, thinking this over. "Oh yeah, Laur will definitely be on time. Jere on the other hand, will absolutely be late. Him and Steven both." He turns to watch me open the door and head back inside. "Do you need help with Suz?"

"No, I've got it under control Con. Can you just do one last check and make sure we didn't forget anything?" I ask him.

"We already checked, like, four times, Bel, but you know I'll do anything for you," He can't keep the smile off his face as he follows me inside, stopping to kiss me for a moment, soft and slow. He smiles against my lips before he pulls away slowly and reaches out to push my hair out of my face and tuck it behind my ear, letting his thumb brush against my cheek gently. "I love you."

Hearing Conrad Fisher say those words to me will never get old. Even after all these years, I still get butterflies and blush like a little girl every time he says it.

"I love you too," I smile at him, stealing one last kiss. It feels like getting the last word, getting the last kiss before I go upstairs. I have to kiss the smirk off his face, smooth out his lips, remind him that he's mine. Even though I know no matter how many times I kiss that smirk away it always comes back.

Upstairs, Susie is laying in her crib, just waking up. When she sees me she sits up, reaching out towards the bars on the side of the crib. Her blue eyes open wide, looking up at me and daring me to take longer than five seconds to pick her up. She has her father's eyes and his attitude. It takes me longer than five seconds to cross the nursery, so she pulls herself up, shaking the bars and making fussy, grumpy baby noises, devolving into crying. "Ma-ma!"

"Mama's got you, Susie," I say, lifting her out of the crib and holding her close to me, her little head resting on my shoulder. I rock her gently to soothe her, and her fussing slowly calms down. "I know, I know, it's hard to be a baby."

I lay her down on the changing table and play peekaboo with my hands, earning a smile and the sweetest little laughter from her. As I change her diaper and get her dressed in the pretty little baby sundress I picked out for her to wear today, I can hear quiet thumps and thuds from Conrad downstairs. He's opening and closing cabinets and doors, and moving things around. I smile to myself, knowing that despite him teasing me, he really is doing a final check. I know he wants this summer to be just as perfect as I do. Susie was born at the very end of last summer, so this is the first summer of her life, her first summer in Cousins. I know she won't remember it, but I want it to be special for her anyway, just like Susannah would have.

Susannah would be so happy that there's another little girl in the family, a Fisher girl. She'd be even happier to know that the nursery is in my old room, the one that was once Susannah's childhood bedroom. And she'd be absolutely thrilled that Conrad and I have made the summer house our home. It's my childhood dream come true. For me, this house has always been my home. Living here is like an endless summer in some ways, although every season in Cousins has its charm, especially winter. Waking up every day in this house with Conrad Fisher, I've never felt more at home.

I carry Susie downstairs, now that she's dressed and freshened up. Conrad is in the living room, refolding a blanket and fluffing up pillows on the couch, and his face lights up and breaks into a smile the second I walk in. "There's my girls," He smiles, giving me a quick peck on the lips and taking Susie into his arms. "Look at my pretty baby, all dressed up," He coos to her.

"She's all ready for her first summer," I say, smiling at the baby, "aren't you, pretty girl? All your favorite people are going to be here any minute."

"Yeah, you're so excited to see Uncle Stevie and Uncle Jere, aren't you?" Conrad says, still cooing in his baby-talking voice. "And Grandma Laur-" He's cut off by the sound of a car door shutting outside, and we hurry over to the door together to peek out the window, and speak of the devil, my mother is smiling and carrying some of her bags to the porch. When we open the door, my mother is standing there beaming at us. I don't think I've seen her this happy in a long time.

"Hi Laur! We're so happy you're here," Conrad smiles sincerely at her, moving in for a somewhat awkward hug since the baby is still in his arms. Susie is smiling wide at her, showing off her four little teeth.

I hug her next, and she squeezes me tight. "Belly, it's so good to see you. You're glowing, bean."

"Thanks Mom," I smile at her. "Now put your bags down and make yourself at home. Conrad will help you carry your things in."

"I'm holding the baby though, so I don't know if I can," He says teasingly, smirking. I know he was going to do it anyway, without anyone ever having to ask; he's still the same old Conrad who is all about duty and doing the right thing. But he likes to joke and tease, even when he's fooling no one. Or at least not fooling me.

"Don't worry, I'll take her off your hands, Connie," my mother smirks right back at him, reaching out and taking the baby into her arms.

Conrad chuckles and calls out, "Thank you, Laur!" as he walks toward the door to carry her bags in just like I knew he would from the beginning.

I look back over at my mom and smile. She's smiling at Susie and Susie is smiling right back at her, listening wide-eyed to everything my mother is saying to her. "I'm so glad you're here, Mom," I say to her.

"Me too," She smiles, "I wouldn't miss Susie's first summer in Cousins for the world. Susannah would never let that happen." She looks at Susie, who lets out a little laugh. "She would have loved you, Susannah Laurel Fisher."

Conrad comes back in then, arms full of my mothers bags and sets them down with a thump. "Geez Laurel, did you pack your entire house?" He jokes.

"No, I just packed the essentials, plus I stocked up on all the good bulk stuff at Costco. We should have everything-" My mom looks at all her bags as if she's remembering something. "Oh shoot, I completely forgot my diet Coke."

"Don't worry Laur, we've got you covered. We made sure to get some for you," Conrad grins at her.

"You must have had to drive so far to find it. I used to always complain to Susannah about how they don't sell it here," My mom says.

"Oh it was no problem. We wanted to make sure we had everything for everyone," Conrad assures her. "Speaking of everyone, the others should be here any minute now."

As if on cue, we hear a car pulling up outside. When we all move towards the door to peek out, we see Steven emerging from his car with a big grin on his face.

I guess now I know how the boys felt at the start of every summer, waiting for us to arrive. This is the hardest part, all the nerves and anticipation and waiting. Thank goodness the waiting will be over soon. Jeremiah and Taylor shouldn't be far behind Steven, and once they get here the summer can officially begin.

_____________________________________________________________

I had originally planned on writing the whole thing as one long one shot, but I decided to just do it in parts so you can get a glimpse at what I've been working on. I hope you liked part 1. stay tuned and please let me know what you thought of this and if you want to read more!

[hiddencitywaters]

Conrad hadn't expected to find a person in his apartment. He had given Jeremiah and Belly keys along with his roommate. But he hoped the lot of them would tell him that they had a guest or were visiting. He was, after all, in his pajamas at 6 am. And had every intention of eating some cold cereal. Frosted flakes in the morning off of classes sounded great. Cooking when the sun had first woken up sounded terrible. "I'd offer you some, but that seems like a bad host." the fisher boy started.

[storminmyveins-archived]

𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑟𝑎𝑑 seems to be a bit cranky ... @conradfish3r ❝ Why are you the way you are ❞

𝙵𝚘𝚛 𝚊 𝚖𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚑𝚘𝚘𝚜𝚎𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚒𝚐𝚗𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝙲𝚘𝚗𝚛𝚊𝚍 , and yet the question comes with this kind of tone that Jere tries to decipher. Is he hung over? Did he wake up on the wrong side of the bed? Did he pour orange juice in his cereal? Or was it just a mood ?

To take the high road is something his mother would be more approving of but he and Conrad have been at odds for a moment now. And he's not feeling very high road-ish in the moment.

❝ They say that a first born child could leave cells and dna in the womb thus transferring to the second child so I guess by that logic...it could be blamed on you.❞ A forced smile comes across his face as he looks up at his older brother, but it is a quick cast. He let's his eyes fall back to the paper he was reading -- or at least gazing over to pretend to be busy and avoid his older brother's cranky vibe.

Seems it didn't work ; Conrad still had to ask.

[taylorsv3rsion13]

we never go out of style || c.f.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

words : 2.7k

synopsis : things were always rocky for conrad and you. after the whole break up, will everything be the same the year later? or will it all turn to shit.

Every year since we were little kids we would celebrate mine and Belly's birthday. We were born on the same day, but a year apart. And it seemed to make us closer. Susannah would decorate the house and Laurel would make us pancakes every year and Conrad would draw a sun with syrup all over my pancakes. It was like a holiday for us.

"Happy birthday, sweetie!" My mom said over the phone as I was calling her.

"Thank you." I said, smiling.

"Okay, I won't keep you away for long, I know you're waiting for your pancakes." She laughed through the phone.

"Bye, love you!"

"Love you too."

I finished getting ready, putting on all of the makeup and jewelry I needed.

My outfit was normal, just wearing a teal tank top and a green cargo mini skirt.

As soon as I came out of the room Belly did too.

"You're looking hot." I said to her as we made our way down the stairs. She was wearing a floral patterned birthday dress.

"Morning!" We shouted in sync as we came into the kitchen.

Steven and Laurel were making pancakes, Jeremiah and Susannah were decorating, and Conrad looked like he didn't want to be there.

There were various smiles with "hey" and "Happy birthday!"

Susannah came to us first, hugging us, "There are the birthday twins!" She exclaimed.

Jeremiah hugged Belly as Steven hugged me, "Happy birthday." They both said to us before swapping.

"Belly Button's getting old finally!" I exclaimed as I gave her sixteen punches on the arm.

She was quick to return, hitting me even harder seventeen times as I screamed around the kitchen.

Laurel raised an eyebrow at us before giving us a group hug, "Happy birthday, beautiful girls."

"Did you call your mom?" Susannah asked as she plated some fruit.

"Yes, she was the first person I talked to."

"Your Minnie and Mickey Mouse pancakes are ready." Laurel smiled.

Belly looked at her mom for a moment, "I'm actually not that hungry..."

I looked at Laurel, "I'll take a pancake or two."

"Okay, how about presents?" Susannah asked.

"You're going to love mine." Jeremiah said, yet I don't know who he was talking to.

Conrad didn't say anything, eating his cereal in peace. He ignored me, but did wave hello to Belly.

Belly opened her present from her mom first. It was a beautiful book.

"It's a first edition. I got it from a rare book dealer." Laurel smiled.

We all noticed how Belly didn't have much emotion with the book, "Turn to the bookmarked page."

"That's the poem Susannah would repeat to us." I said, reading the page.

I grabbed the present that she had given me. I unwrapped it to reveal the most gorgeous cover I've ever seen on a book. It was Little Women.

"Oh, wow." I said, looking through the pages.

"Your mom said it reminded you of home."

I looked up to Laurel, "Thank you so much."

"Girls, open mine now!" Susannah squealed as she handed us our gifts.

Belly revealed a black velvet box, while I had a white one.

She opened hers, and a pearl bracelet was inside.

"Oh, wow." Belly exclaimed.

"These were pearls that my mom gave me for my sweet 16. Now Y/N, open yours."

I opened the box and there was a gorgeous pearl necklace.

"Those were also from my mom. She gave them to me when I was a debutante." She smiled as she admired Belly and I.

"Oh Y/N, I have another gift for you." Susannah said.

I looked at her, puzzled on why I would have two?

She handed me another box, this time it was a velvet red. I opened it and there was a golden chain with a sun in the middle. I immediately recognized it as a matching necklace, needing a moon on the other side.

"Isn't there supposed to be a moon as well?" I asked.

"I'm not sure, maybe someone else has it." Susannah shrugged. "I just thought it reminded me of you."

Jeremiah jumped up, "Ooh! I'm next."

He handed us his somewhat neatly wrapped gift.

Belly was given a charm in the shape of a key.

"It's for good luck. So you can pass your drivers test." Jeremiah smiled.

I opened mine revealing a golden bracelet with a heart charm.

"Thank you so much, Jere." I smiled.

"Think fast Y/N!" Steven said as he threw a present at me. He also threw one at Belly. "Open them at the same time!" He urgred.

We both ripped through the package, opening and unfolding a Princeton crewneck.

"Oh my god you actually got in!" I exclaimed as I ran to hug him.

"No, not yet." He smiled.

Laurel looked at Steven, "I didn't know you were still considering Princeton?"

"Well I'll probably get scholarships and Dad said I could get some financial aid." Steven explained.

The room got silent and tension was high.

"Uh Conrad, do you have a present for Belly and Y/N?" Susannah asked.

He passed Belly a black velvet bag. She opened it, taking out a silver infinity necklace.

His attention then turned to me, "Sorry, I forgot."

"Oh yeah, don't worry, it's cool. I wasn't expecting much anyway." I smiled, trying to actually hide how I felt.

It did hurt. He remembered Belly's birthday, yet he couldn't even remember mine. Which was the same day.

There was a lot of tension in in the room as everyone looked at each other.

"Uhm, so I have to go. I promised Cleveland that I'd show him some knots today."

I watched as he got up from his seat and left. I didn't want it to affect me, but it really did.

"Happy birthday Y/N, and Belly." He said.

"Why don't we go practice driving?" I asked Belly, trying to take my mind off of things. "So you can drive us to get Taylor as well."

She squealed excitedly, "Yes!"

I got up from my seat, heading over to go out the front.

"Hey Y/N?" Susannah called out.

I turned to her, "Yeah?"

"You okay?"

"Of course I am." I smiled reassuringly.

I sat in the passenger seat while Jeremiah sat in the back.

She made a sharp right and we all went flying.

"Whoops." She laughed.

"Dear god, Bells." I said as I held onto anything I could grab on to.

The bus pulled up as we stood there, waiting for Taylor to come out.

"You excited, Bells?" I asked.

"Yeah." She said, but I could tell there was a part of her that wasn't excited.

"Twenty-bucks she's gonna call Jere, Jeremy." I said.

The girl emerged from the bus holding a handful of balloons and a bag.

"Oh, my god!" Taylor exclaimed as her and Belly ran to each other.

"Taylor!" I said as I ran to hug her.

"Here, let me take that for you." Jeremiah said as he took her bags.

Taylor smiled looking up at Jeremiah, "Thank you, Jeremy."

I laughed at Jeremiah as he just stood there smiling.

"So, should we head home?" Jeremiah suggested.

"Ooh, actually, let's make a stop first." Taylor said, making eye contact with Belly and I.

We sat under an umbrella as Jeremiah placed down a banana split with three spoons for us.

Taylor dug in first, "I would literally eat this every day if I could."

She also pulled out a gift for Belly. And another for me.

"Oh wow, these are cute." I said as I opened my present, revealing a blue bikini.

"I know right, it's hot." She said.

Belly opened hers and it was a white bikini.

"Y/N?" Taylor called out as we hung out in the pool.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"Where's Conrad?" She asked.

"Oh, I don't know." I shrugged, swimming over to Jeremiah and Steven.

After a couple of minutes in out own little groups, Taylor suggested to play chicken, which we all agreed to.

"Dibs on Jeremy." Taylor smiled as she made her way to Jeremiah

"Oh, great, that means I'm stuck with Steven." Belly said sadly.

"Wait, what about Y/N?" Jeremiah asked.

Belly looked at me, "Oh, do you want to go on Steven?"

"No it's fine, you guys can play." I said.

There was a few complaints from Belly and Steven about being each others partners, so Taylor and Belly switched.

"Okay, three, two, one, go!" I yelled as they began fighting in the water.

The fight lasted less than a minute with Taylor and Steven falling into the water.

"Woo!" Jeremiah and Belly exclaimed in excitement. I gave them both a high five.

On the other hand, Steven and Taylor were bickering about who's fault it was that they lost.

"Hey guys!" A familiar voice said.

I turned my head around and Nicole was walking through with Conrad.

"Hey, Nicole!" I said.

"Hi. Happy Birthday you two." She said. "Are you guys playing.. chicken?"

"Yeah, it was Taylor's idea." Belly said.

"Hey, I'm Taylor." Taylor said from behind Belly.

Belly smiled, "She's my best friend from home."

"Yeah, I'm just visiting for the weekend." Taylor added.

"Oh, that's cute." Nicole said.

"Do you guys wanna play a real game?" I asked.

Everyone in the pool said yes.

Jeremiah had helped me set up the net and then the games began. I was on the girls side and Nicole and Conrad sat on the edge of the pool, dipping their feet in the water.

The boys groaned 'No!' as us girls cheered for our point.

We did a couple more rounds, as we all laughed a lot. This was definitely one of my favorite summers. Being with everyone, like nothing ever happened.

"You're not ready." Taylor smirked to Steven.

"You're on."

Taylor hit the ball, and it swerved, hitting Nicole in the head.

"Ow." Nicole said.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry." Steven said through in-between awkward laughs.

"Taylor." Belly said sternly before turning back to Nicole, "I'm so sorry, are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry. You guys keeping playing." Nicole said to us.

"Feel better Nicole!" I said as she began walking back into the house with Conrad.

Conrad stopped in his tracks, just looking down at me.

"Have fun playing." He said.

Dinner was just as I'd imagined. It was gorgeous and vibrant.

Susannah had made the girls all flower crowns as well, for Midsommar.

I sat in between Jeremiah and Conrad again, but we added another chair next to Belly, because Cam Cameron was here!

Throughout the dinner, Jeremiah kept question Cameron, making fun of him almost.

Somehow Jeremiah got on the talk about kissing dead animals and then kissing Cameron, which made me kick him hard in the shin.

"Ow." He exclaimed.

"Oh shut up."

"I don't mind at all, in fact-" Cameron said as he kissed Belly on the lips.

I'm not even joking. All of our mouths fell open.

From beside me, Steven and Jeremiah both pretended to retch.

"If you guys don't shut up." I said loudly over their obnoxious noises.

It got into our embarrassing moments throughout our childhood at the Fishers as well, but Conrad stayed silent the whole time.

"Hey, I was thinking. Maybe we should go out to Nicole's party?" I asked

"Yes!" Taylor and Belly exclaimed at the same time.

Conrad's eyes met mine for a second before dropping. He didn't seem happy with what I said.

I laid on Belly's bed, staring up at the cieling.

"I think Conrad still hates me." I stated.

Taylor and Belly turned to look at me.

"Why would you say that?" Belly asked.

'I don't know. When I brought up Nicole's' party, he just seemed to go quieter than normal.

Taylor laughed a little, "It's fine Y/N. He's just a dumb boy either way."

I sighed knowing she was right.

"Look at us," Taylor said as we looked in the mirror, "We're hot ass bitches."

She was in the hot pink mini dress, Belly was in a knit crochet top with beige pants, and I was in a halter white and blue top with jeans.

As soon as we walked into the party, a man came down the stair banister, wooing.

And then to the right of the house was what I'm guessing was a dining room. Lot's and lot's of cakes and desserts with 17 and 16 candles.

"Y/N, you guys came!" Nicole's voice said as she made her way through people.

I laughed a little, "Hi, Nicole! You look gorgeous." I said, hugging her.

"Me? Look at you. You look like a goddess."

Nicole lead us through the house and they followed behind. Well everyone but Taylor. She had decided to find a drink for herself.

"Guys, look who's here." Nicole said to the girls.

Nicole began lighting the candles.

"Is this for us?" Belly asked.

"Who else would it be for, Belly?" Nicole asked with a smile.

"Thank you, guys." Belly and I both had said.

"Okay, well, girls, make a wish." Nicole motioned towards the two cakes.

The topic with the group got onto Conrad and how he was.

"He's not talking to anyone else. He's usually just to himself." I said

"Okay well new topic." Nicole said, not wanting to talk about Conrad, "Have you asked anyone to the ball"

"Oh, no. I'm waiting for the right person." I said, giving Nicole a smile.

I looked past Gigi who was saying something to Belly about asking Cam to the ball. Anywho, past Gigi was Conrad. He was messing with his hair and he was laughing and smiling.

I couldn't even lie. He was attractive.

He made eye contact with me as he drank a large part of his beer.

I couldn't like him again though. But there was part of me that knew it could happen again. Susannah told me to believe in second chances.

I don't know what happened really. I was just watching the boys play their little ping pong drinking game and then Belly came out all mad.

"Hey, can we leave?" Belly asked Cameron.

"Oh yeah, yeah." Cameron said.

"Y/N, you need a ride home? I don't want to take you away from the party." Belly said.

"It's fine. I'll give her a ride home." Conrad jumped in.

I looked at him questioningly, but he didn't look back.

"See you later, Bells!" I called out to her as she began to leave.

Jeremiah looked at me.

"What?" I asked.

"Fill in for Cam Cameron please."

I rolled my eyes playfully at him, "Fine, scooch over."

After an hour or so, we all were ready to leave. By now I was drunker then I probably should've been. So drunk that Conrad had to help me to the car and into the car.

He sat in the drivers seat as I just stared at him.

"You're like the moon to my sun." I sighed, touching his hair.

He grabbed onto my hand, putting it back into my lap.

"Y/N, you're drunk." He said to me.

"Noo, you're drunk." I said to him, booping his nose.

I came down stairs the next morning. Jeremiah already in the kitchen, mixing himself up one of his smoothies.

"Hit me." I said to him as I groaned and propped my head on the table with my arm.

He laughed, splitting his smoothie with me.

"You drank a lot last night for such a small girl."

"I shouldn't have." I said, gulping down a large amount of the drink.

Belly came down the stairs soon, grabbing the box of cereal and pouring some in her mouth.

"I'm guessing you and tay-tay haven't made up yet?" I asked.

"No." Belly said with no emotion.

At the party, Steven and Taylor were making out and then Belly had walked in.

"You guys want to do a muffin run?" I asked.

"I'm always up for a muffin run." Jeremiah smiled. Belly also agreed.

"Can you get the keys from Conrad's room? Jeremiah asked.

I nodded, "Yeah sure. Is he home?"

"No, he dropped you off at home and then spent the night at Nicole's" Jeremiah explained.

"Oh um." I stammered, "Do you know where he keeps the keys?"

"Uh, they should be in his desk." Jeremiah said.

I never really was in Conrad's room often. But it didn't look much different than the last time I had seen it. It was obviously boat themed which was cute.

His drawers were messy inside. Nothing was organized and there were like 5 condoms.

There was also a black velvet pouch which I took out. Yes, I'm nosy, but I wanted to know what was inside.

I opened it and saw a moon bracelet.

I put the bracelet charm against my sun charm and it fit perfectly. What the hell was wrong with him?

When we went home, I drove Belly and Taylor to the bus stop.

I sat in the car with Belly as we watched Taylor wait in line for the bus.

"You're not going to say goodbye?" I asked her skeptically.

"I don't want to talk to her." Belly said, not making eye contact with me.

"Come on Belly, she's your best friend. She loves you, especially if she came out here just for your birthday."

Belly sighed, "Fine."

Once she came back in, she seemed mad, but I didn't care.

"I know i'm only a year older than you, but just take my wisdom for once." I joked, "Boys might come and go, but your best friend is once in a lifetime. You're lucky you have someone like Taylor. We never know what the future will hold, so you have to hold tight to that relationship."

Friends come and go. Boys come and go. But best friends stay. They're real. That's what I loved about the Fishers and Conklins. They were my best friends and they always stayed. Every single year.