#either a) a frank will drag him to pull pranks

[pedriache]

hii, i was hoping i could request a pau cubarsí x reader—maybe a fic where she pranks him by calling him by his friends name? thank you i love u 💕

Keep it cool — Pau Cubarsí.

Pairing: Pau Cubarsí x Fem!Reader

Summary: After a boring day at home, you decide to mess around with your boyfriend.

Word count: 445+

Disclaimer/s: banter , slightly annoyed!pau to fluff !

A/N: no clue what or where i was going w this..

You had invited Pau over to keep you company while you cleaned your room, which was simply an excuse to hang out with him. He sat back on your bed, phone in hand while you folded laundry.

Your TV was being used as a speaker, playing music at an acceptable volume. ‘Ivy’ by Frank Ocean was playing, which had your eyes flickering up to your boyfriend with a grin.

‘Ivy’ had long since been coined as your song, ever since Pau had claimed when he thought of it, he thought of you, and you found that very adorable.

Getting sick of cleaning, feeling far too bored either it, you sigh. “What are you doing?”

“Texting my mom, she asked what we want for dinner.” He turns his phone around to show you as if you needed proof.

“We’re going to yours?” You cock an eyebrow, “thanks for asking, I suppose?”

Pau laughs, “I knew you would say yes anyways.”

“True.” You nod, returning to your clothes as the room falls silent again.

Stupidly, an idea pops into your mind and you had to pinch yourself to not grin. “Can you pass me my phone?” You don’t bother looking up, just pushing your hand in his direction.

Pau leans across the bed, setting the phone in your hand. “Thanks, Marc.” You try to grab your phone but it doesn’t budge and your eyes dart in his direction.

Pau’s face had fallen flat, his eyebrows pinching together. “Excuse me?”

“My phone please?” You quirk an eyebrow, feigning confusion.

He lets go, dropping his grip the phone. “What did you just say?”

Setting your phone down on the floor, you continue to fold your clothes. “I said ‘thanks, babe’?”

“No.” He wags his finger, “you said, ‘thanks, Marc.’ Why did you say Marc?” He wasn’t even hurt, just genuinely confused and maybe a little annoyed.

“I haven’t the slightest clue what you’re talking about.” You shrug, standing to bring your folded clothes to your dresser.

Pau’s jaw clenches, “don’t..” He takes a breath, “don’t play dumb, please just answer my question. Truthfully.”

You spin around on your heels, your expression teasing. “I’m messing with you, Pau.” You climb onto the bed, plopping down beside your boyfriend. “It was a joke.”

Pau gives you an annoyed look, head rolling to the side to look down at you. “Never do that again.” His face softens slightly, “seriously, you had me worried for a second.”

“I’m sorry.” You drag out the ‘y’, cupping his cheek with one hand to bring his face closer. Giving him a quick kiss, you pull away, “super sorry, in fact.” Ignoring your apology, Pau leans back in for another kiss.

likes , comments , and reblog’s are all appreciated. lmk if you’d like to be tagged in future pau posts.

DTS , @halfwayhearted @sakashq @ar4ujos @hrts4havertz @spidybaby @unx100to @joaoflms !

[virtucvs]

        “...” HE’LL WATCH, THANK you.

[tender-rosiey]

welcome back | gojo satoru x gn!reader

ᴀ/ɴ: guess who’s back— back again; ahem, HI THERE AND I MISSED YOU ALL, please accept this humble gojo work because this man can take everything I have and I would give him my kidneys

gojo never begged, maybe only once, just once. he very rarely felt vulnerable either, and even despite the rarity, he despised the feeling with all his being. thankfully now, he had you to make him understand that it’s fine; he still hates it but at least he has you by his side.

but he jinxed himself, as this morning, he had woken up without you there for him to cuddle to death because, as he read from the note you left, there is a mission you were needed for but would be back the same day.

he pouted, wish he could’ve spent the morning with you at least; nonetheless, he got up and got ready for his school day as a teacher in the jujutsu tech. hour by hour, minute by minute, second by second, he felt himself getting rather lonely and impatient, despite being surrounded by all his students and fellow jujutsu sorcerers. he pulled through the day expecting to see you in your shared house at night, but the elders had other plans.

your mission was extended to 5 days, he found out. with every part of him, gojo cursed profanities at the elders in his mind; now, what the hell is he going until you are back? nothing has been happening lately that deserved his attention or effort.

he sighed dramatically before dipping a bit in the bathtub and playing with that rubber cat you got for him. you even put glasses like his own in it, and oh god— look at him remembering you through everything. what a long 5 days these will be.

if someone had to see him this way, they would surely laugh to their heart’s content at how pathetic the great gojo satoru is being. “i wonder—wait no.” he pondered before deciding to talk to particularly no one but himself “in today’s talk show, we will talk about me being the strongest and the best sorcerer to ever exist! not to mention, that i, effortlessly, am the best husband too!” i must be going crazy, he thought.

if rubber cats can talk, then the cat in the water would join him. catoru was quite the lovely and chaotic rubber cat, after all.

gojo dragged his feet to the bed before slamming himself on it, miraculously not breaking it. his mind drifted to thoughts filled of you: like how, despite his absence sometimes, you still make it seem like nothing happened and pamper him the same, how he had to be the taste tester for that one meal you wanted to make for the students and while the first trial of it wasn’t exactly the best, but he never said that, only thing said being: “oh, this is great! i prefer sweet things more though; how about we add that?”

after some reminiscing, he slowly closed his eyes and succumbed to the drowsiness and boredom. and so the cycle of the 5 days begins: he wakes up, thinks about you until he gets to school, trains his students and joke around, annoy everyone, especially nanami, and exorcise some curses then sleep and repeat. it was getting on his nerves, to be frank; gojo hated routines.

despite him pulling through days like these, when he is the one on a mission, easily, he is struggling quite a bit right now. however, he will soon see you. at least, that’s what he told himself while also having prepared a ton of pranks in advance. it’s the end of the 4th day and gojo is laying on your shared bed, groaning dramatically and flipping and tossing around. what a bore, it was so lame without you—

okay but maybe he can go check up on nanami. “nanamin! i have come to grace you with my presence!” said blonde male sighed at the sight that teleported in front of him “how unfortunate, i was about to eat my favorite bread too.” gojo flapped his hands around and started opening about a million subjects at the same time “so yeah, that’s why children are born from coconut trees and not pelicans.” another long sigh is delivered “you lie more than you breathe, don’t you?” “it helps with global warming and evens out the carbon dioxide.”

a barely noticeable eye roll is done by nanami before he speaks up “aren’t you supposed to be with y/n, right now?” gojo pouted once again for the millionth time this week and nanami can’t help the sigh that escapes him once again “so they are on a mission, and you, because of your boredom, chose to bother me?” gojo laughs before patting nanami’s back “not bother! more like entertain! aaaaanyways i have to get ready so i can welcome them with open arms, byeeeee!”

after gojo leaves, nanami can’t help but wonder: how the fuck do you deal with this man on daily bases? guess he will never know, now time for that casse-croute.

left to nothing but himself, gojo stares at ceiling and continuously making random noises with his mouth like farts and what so. weren’t you supposed to be back? (well, hate to break it to you satoru but y/n can’t be back at 12am exactly) after getting bored of the already boring ceiling, he got his phone out and started looking at pictures of you for god knows how long. however after that,a sigh, after a long wait escapes his lip “won’t you please just come home already?”

“you look lonely, what’s up?” “oh no nothing, just waiting for my spouse who left me for a mission and clearly isn’t peppering me with kisses like they are supposed to.” your laughter echoed through the room that was once filled with deafening silence before you wrapped your arms around him “i am home, you big baby.” soon, he returned the gesture and a murmur of his own “welcome back.”

taglist: @magenta-cat-drawingss @pompompurin1028 @scul-pted @dazaisdeathwish @requiem626k @nameless-shrimp @shinys-bsd-world-2 @sonder-paradise @ravenina14 @jessbeinme15 @todorokichills @ginneko @missrown @shrynkk @simplyxsinned @beautiful-is-boring @bakugossanity @izukus-gf @irethepotato-reblogs @thekaylahub

copyright © 2020 tender-rosiey

do not copy or plagiarize or you will be reported

[leviiattacks]

Hi, you're a very talented writer and your works are very beautiful. Can I request one where Levi's fem s/o does the ignore your boyfriend prank? Thank you so much and take care of yourself ❤️

author note :: thank youuu i’m glad you think that anon !! this isn’t good at all bc i’m just very sick and yeah,,, i’m sorry if this doesn’t live up to your expectations but i needed something to do and ended up finishing this. hmmm what is this is it fluff?? idk it’s captain levi and survey corps member reader though :-) requests are open so feel free to drop by if you’d like :D word count :: 3.4k 

you should NOT be bothering levi as much as you are because he understands you need your own space to relax sometimes

but come on... you’ve been ignoring him for an unreasonable amount of time now??

and he’s not talking about groggy ignoring, it’s not the type you do when you’ve just awoken from a restless night’s sleep

no. you’re talking to everyone apart from him.

and it’s driving him up a literal wall

did he do something wrong???

has he made a mistake so large that you’re too scared to bring it up???

are you finally sick of him??

will you break up with him?

levi winces when thinking of that specific question

but he’s the type to silently keep his worries to himself as soon as he sees any indication of a bad omen

currently, he’s mentally preparing himself for you to break the news to him any day now

but little does he know you’ve just pulled a prank hoping for him to whine and complain a little

the point of this all is to elicit an out of character reaction

;-)

the idea came from historia at first

her playing such a foul trick on ymir didn’t go unnoticed and little by little ymir’s resolve crumbled away throughout the day

she went quite literally ballistic trying to get historia’s attention

and watching it all play out made you want to try it out with levi

you’d be a FOOL not to

WELL!!!! the fun part about this is that you’re a bit actually, no. a lot, more stubborn than historia!!!

and instead of committing to the prank for a day you’ve chosen to see how far you can stretch this out

if you have to drag it out for two days so be it

you have good reason to

levi isn’t the most affectionate man, your relationship is kept a total secret from all of the cadets

meaning pda never happens

and,,, listen you would love to kiss him before expeditions without having to drag him behind your horse for cover

to be frank the back of a horse does smell rather unpleasant and it’s not as romantic as you’d like for it to be

honestly you’d rather have everyone stare and gawk in awe watching the two of you make out

seeing them put two and two together realizing what it is that’s going on between you and the captain would be hilarious

especially since reiner said last week he could never picture levi dating anyone

AND!! he even had the audacity to say he thinks someone like him would never date someone on the team

is it really not that obvious to them?

do you and levi lack chemistry?

silently fuming you walk away and even then none of the cadets get the hint

but you do think mikasa has known for a while. her senses are sharp and whenever she sees you and levi together she makes a u-turn heading in the opposite direction away from the both of you

but even if she does she isn’t going to tell anyone about it unless she’s directly asked so it’s not like the cat will be out of the bag any time soon

it’s silly getting worked up over reiner’s comments but it’s kinda disheartening having the relationship be kept a secret

and you thought even if it was there would be at least a hint of a rumour, like it should be decently obvious it’s been months since the two of you began to see each other

ESSENTIALLY, this is your plan to “accidentally” let the cadets figure it out

eventually levi will have to get restless enough to do something bold

that’s what you think will happen

but then the reality of the situation hits you at the end of the first day

he seems to be dealing with it just fine ?????

after giving him the cold shoulder he shows no signs of returning at all

...

WHY IS IT NOT WORKING???

mayday mayday mayday....?!??

red alert....?!??

you are about to bang your head against a wall he’s the one who’s meant to be suffering over this not you

but again, you’re stubborn and won’t give in easily

by the end of day one levi has approached you two times

two...

each time you’ve given him completely blunt responses

it’s frustrating you that he’s just dealing with it as it comes

and when he does speak to you it’s not to ask what’s wrong

the first time he approaches you is to ask if you’ve seen petra around which makes your blood boil a little because everyone knows petra has a big, fat, MASSIVE crush on him

you know he won’t ever reciprocate or anything for a number of reasons but you can’t help but feel annoyed

the second time he speaks to you is to ask if you’re willing to help hange out with some paperwork

??????

he doesn’t even look interested in asking you what’s wrong

honestly you would drop this plan but you’re in too deep now

may as well keep it up.

the second day rolls around and it’s not your best day

you burn breakfast

trip over a broom and hit your leg rather hard against the dining table

spill an ENTIRE cup of tea over hange’s important documents

and you haven’t slept a wink after overthinking your relationship status for hours on end

maybe this prank wasn’t a great idea

you’re hunched over the documents close to tears not knowing how you can save them now

there’s nothing you can do and even though you know hange will be okay with it, (they’ve never cared much for paperwork) you just don’t want to inconvenience them with this mess

“y/n?”

looking up you see eren standing by the doorway of the kitchen watching with a humored expression as you place paper towels over the disaster you’ve created

“captain’s looking for you.”

perking up a little internally you make sure to remain as disinterested as possible on the surface

“what does he need?”

“i don’t know he didn’t say.”

“tell him i’m busy.”

and that’s all that occurs during day two

you pass by levi and occasionally his gaze flicks to you but he doesn’t take any action to address you in public or in private

you end up going to bed even more disappointed than you were the first night

the prank definitely isn’t going the way you want and instead of it leading to levi cornering you in front of everyone and dipping you into a dreamy swoon worthy kiss it’s led to you developing doubts.

many doubts.

but you aren’t giving up any time soon, now more than ever you want to be reassured levi even wants this relationship because he’s not acting like it

it’s admittedly a bitch move on your part for pulling this prank in the first place but you expected him to ask how you were doing it has been forty-eight hours after all

if the roles were reversed you’d force him into a room until he would tell you

so you can’t explain his weird behaviour at all

maybe he doesn’t like you as much as you think

that thought makes your eyes sting at the corners

he’s always been reserved and a little lost when it comes to opening up but you’re beginning to lose hope if he finds it this hard to ask if you’re okay

drifting off to sleep before you can wallow in your thoughts any more you wish tomorrow is better

it’s the third day and to say you’re exhausted is an understatement

midday and you’re training in the sweltering heat

the lack of sleep you’ve had recently paired with your stress isn’t doing you any good

a little dizzy you attempt to hold onto a nearby tree for stability but end up somehow missing the mark by a MILE??

tumbling to the floor painfully you hiss at the collision and rub the back of your head which is now sore

footsteps approach you in a hurry and for the first time in days you’re face to face with levi

“you okay?” concern is very much evident in his voice and that eases your nerves

without you even responding he’s turning you around just to check in case

nodding wordlessly you try to get to your feet when you feel a shift.

your ankle without warning gives out on you and you’re sent crashing back down to the ground

closing your eyes and bracing for impact you’re pleasantly surprised when levi catches you by the waist

your weight is leaning onto him and you’re looking down to the floor

hange is yelling from across the courtyard telling levi to drop you off at the infirmary but he doesn’t need to be told that

his instincts do the talking for him and he’s already slung you over his shoulder and begins carrying you towards the base

“levi. put. me. down. this position’s embarrassing.”

he doesn’t respond and you can hear sasha and connie cackling at the compromising situation

swatting his back you’re huffing and puffing yet he’s still ignoring you

you’re being given the silent treatment but you suppose you do deserve it

sighing you deal with the stares you receive on the way there

this is levi and at this point nothing is seen as abnormal when he does it

you can’t really look behind you to see levi’s expression either but when a cadet walks past and mouths “y/n, what the hell did you do??” you know you’re in for it

eventually he reaches the infirmary and without even letting you get a word in he plops you onto the bed albeit a little rough

“what’s with the cold shoulder?” he places both his arms by your sides leaving you trapped

“i-”

“if you want to break up you can just say that instead of beating around the bush.”

you’re stunned by the harsh tone of his voice, he doesn’t have his usual soft timbre and your eyes glaze over in defense

“you want to break up?” your question hangs in the air

chewing at your lip anxiously you know if you bite any harder you’ll draw blood

“i don’t care. if that’s what you want, sure.”

oh.

oh no.

this isn’t going how you planned

nails digging into the flesh of your palms you hang your head low

he doesn’t care at all

if that’s what you want????? really???? that’s his response??? he won’t even fight for you???

it’s silent as he bandages your ankle and you’re burning in a mix of embarrassment and fury.

“i was just pull-” choking up in the middle of your sentence you feel yourself automatically frown

“i was just pulling a prank on you. you know how historia did with ym-“

really you’ve always been terrible at holding back your tears and a few spill over the edge and you sob

why are you like this why why why why why?????

yeah,, you get why everyone calls you overly emotional from time to time but really you swear you feel your heart shatter a little at how levi’s acting

shielding your eyes with your sleeve you cower away from him

lord have mercy.

levi wants to curl up into a ball and die from the wave of embarrassment that hits him

a prank.

a trick.

and he didn’t catch on.

and now you’re crying.

because he thought acting tough and cold in case you wanted to break up with him made perfectly logical sense???

spoiler : it didn’t make any sense...

but now it’s made him look like he hates you??

but he doesn’t hate you

no, no, no. not at all.

he could never hate you.

you’re always willing to help anyone out, you’re genuine, always say sorry even when you don’t need to, unapologetically yourself at any moment, you’re fearful yet push it all aside to be courageous and most of all he loves your little hobbies because who in their right mind actually enjoys gardening??

he’s convinced people who say they like gardening are looking for something unique to make themselves stand out but really you enjoy it and it’s quite cute

ok, ok no more getting side tracked whilst talking about your love for plants

he could name so much more he admires about you but he’d be here all day

“i tried to talk to you yesterday but after you refused i thought you hated me and wanted to break up. that’s why i was acting like that just now.” he slowly tries to explain his point to you

“i know i’m hard to love so when you began to ignore me out of the blue i figured you didn’t want to-”

cutting him off without giving him the option of finishing his sentence you’re wide eyed in horror. he was NOT meant to interpret the prank this way.

“levi?? for as long as i’m alive i’ll never get tired of you. i promise.” his heart rate shoots and the intense magnetism between the two of you becomes stronger by the second

you pause for a second gathering yourself.

“and i’m sorry i should’ve thought about how you’d feel. the reason i did it was stupid.”

levi kneels by the bed and takes your hand in his, he graciously lifts the sleeve of your uniform and ducks down to press a soft kiss onto your wrist.

your heart flutters seeing him be so careful and gentle with you and bashfully you look away

guilt overwhelms you at that moment because you really are horrible for putting him through all of that.

levi cares for you he does

he may be silent about it and not the best at being public with it but you know how he feels.

you feel it in the way he looks at you

you feel it when he helps you mount your horse

you feel it when he double checks your harnesses before expeditions

you feel it when he tends to your injuries

and, you definitely feel it right now when it sinks in that he was acting like he hated you just so you wouldn’t feel bad if you really did want to break up with him.

he’s always been bad at picking up on hints and cues so you now understand why he interpreted it as you wanting nothing to do with him

of course he wouldn’t ask how you were if it looked like you wanted to skin him alive

“what was the reason for the prank?” he inquisitively asks genuinely wanting to know what it is he can do for you

“i...” you’re wandering off and suddenly don’t want to tell him

“i wanted you to kiss me.” you whisper in a rush

he cocks an eyebrow up even more lost. “i kiss you all the time?”

“i mean, in front of everyone else.”

he blinks and his mouth forms into an “O” shape

it’s a little awkward now

he doesn’t bring it up again so you assume he doesn’t like the idea of letting everyone know just yet

and that’s okay!! you respect that!!

after all, you can’t get mad at him for it, it’s the best choice.

you don’t want people to accuse him of having bias towards you and it’ll probably upset petra and hinder her performance if her crush just suddenly starts dating out of nowhere

your gaze is back on levi and he’s now double checking the bandage on your ankle after tending to it

“you can’t walk for a few weeks.” he tsks

“be careful next time.” he’s always been blunt when he does show he cares and you warmly smile after not talking to him in days.

you feel the need to apologize again

“to make it clear i really am sorry, i should have thought more about you.”

he scoffs and rolls his eyes

“i’m overjoyed that my beautiful girlfriend doesn’t want to break up with me. now, stop moping around about it i’m over it.”

he scoops you up effortlessly and you wrap your arms around his neck.

“y/n, for the record, i’ll work on not jumping to the worst case scenario first.”

you love this aspect of your relationship

being able to understand how your flaws impact the other and choosing to make changes or adjustments

it’s sweet and you must be smiling like an idiot when thinking of it because levi blows a puff of air onto your forehead knocking you out of your daydream

feeling a little less light headed than before you notice he’s walking back out towards the courtyard

why is he doing that...?

“you’re walking in the wrong direction?”

“no i’m not.” he replies with a smug grin

oh my god

no he isn’t

oh my god

is he???

you’re bright pink in the face as you turn to look at him panicking when you hear hange’s group returning

eren can be heard arguing with jean as per usual and now you’re smacking levi’s chest even harder

“you don’t have to do this no, no, no. it’s okay really.” it’s funny how you’re begging him not to do what you’ve been waiting on for three days

but you really don’t want him to feel like he has to do this

as if he’s read your mind he replies. “i’m doing this with my own free will.”

he gives you one last grin and pushes you up against the wall, your back is against the cold yet solid surface and you tense up

oh god. it’s happening he’s diving down and it’s as if everything is moving in slow motion.

gradually you feel the familiar feeling of your heart jumping out of your chest

both of your lips mould together, he’s hoisting you up again preventing you from slipping away. hungry hands grip at your thighs and a knowing smile twitches across his mouth.

nipping at his bottom lip he groans and you nearly forget why it is he’s kissing you

that is until you hear a SCREAM from your right

“eren what the fuck are you yelling at?” jean’s voice can be heard scowling in the distance but you’re too distracted by levi’s mouth to care

eren must be speechless because nothing is heard until jean reaches the scene

“OH. MY. GOD.”

“WHERE IS REINER??? HE’S NOT GONNA BELIEVE THIS.”

“you’re both overreacting.” mikasa makes her appearance and you’re not sure if she’s seen you and levi yet because your eyes fluttered shut long ago

“Y/N AND THE CAPTAIN????? WHY ARE YOU JUST STANDING THERE MIKASA??” eren’s voice sounds so distressed you guess you’re right for assuming he may have had a crush on you at some point

“it was obvious, i don’t know how no one else knew.”

finally levi pulls away and you’re panting practically gasping for any traces of air

“what you looking at brats?” levi snaps in their direction and mikasa nonchalantly shrugs and walks away

jean and eren however, dash away at LIGHTENING speed probably on their way to let everyone else know of the shocking new development

levi pecks your forehead and you nudge your nose against his.

since that day you and levi have been able to get away with a lot more pda

you can hold his hand and stare at how pretty your hands look laced together

you can nuzzle your face into his neck without any questions 

you can loop arms with him and even if he acts like he doesn’t enjoy it he genuinely does like walking around with you latching onto his bicep

although he still prefers the privacy of his office he’s more than happy to give in once in a while

and at the end of the day you’re ecstatic because there’s no more kissing behind your horse!!!

GONE ARE THOSE DAYS

wooHOO

honestly, you’re over the moon about it 

and so is levi

:-)

[iliveiloveiwrite]

My Love, My Soulmate

Request: Hi there - I see your requests are open! Would you consider a Marauders era Sirius x reader for a Soulmates au? With Sirius resisting of course! Tattoos, colour, dreams - I don’t mind which you choose. Nice angsty/fluff mix with a tiny bit of zest?! 💕 - @fific7

A/N: Here’s your request! I hope you like and I hope it meets your expectations! There’s a little bit of fluff, little bit of angst and a little bit of zest. I’m unsure of whether my explanation of soulmates makes sense but I still like it nonetheless. Also, I 100% believe that the teachers at Hogwarts had like a bet on which students would end up together and that they thrived on gossip.

Pairing: Sirius Black x Reader

Warnings: swearing, making out, eludes to sex, angst. If there is anything I've missed, let me know and I’ll add it immediately.

Word count: 3.4k 

It starts as a burn. As if you’ve caught yourself on your curling wand. A short, sharp shock of pain and it’s over.

Pulling your wrist from your chest, you peek at the two letters now engrained onto your skin. A mark no bigger than the size of a muggle penny coin details your soulmate’s initials. There in magical black ink are the letters: S.B.

You lie back with a groan, pulling your pillow over your face to hide away the emotions. It seemed the fates were playing a sick game with you when they decided to make Sirius Black your soulmate.

The initials of your soulmate appears on your wrist on your seventeenth birthday. As far as you know, it is only a phenomenon that occurs within the wizarding community. Muggles, for the sake of their hearts, believe in soulmates but will spend their lives trying to find their perfect match. For wizards, the soulmate mark is the result of the countless hunts for witches and wizards across history. As society progressed and began to hunt those who did not seem to fit with the norms, the fates decided that every witch and wizard would find their soulmate at the age of seventeen as a way to protect the population. It would manifest in a bond between the soulmates; only felt between the two individuals.

As witches and wizards went underground and hid their identities, the soulmate mark and the subsequent bond became a thing of fairy tales told before bedtime. Little girls and boys lulled to sleep with the idea that somewhere in the big, wide world there was someone waiting for them.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sirius sees the initials on his wrist and knows immediately whose they are. Your face flashes in his mind and he groans as he falls back onto his pillow.

For so long, he has dreaded this day. He believed in soulmates, he did. His own parents were soulmates; their initials marking each of their wrists. But they were completely wrong for each other, and he slowly saw his mother become poisoned with his father’s vitriol. From a young age, Sirius had always questioned the magic behind soulmates. If they partnered someone as lovely as his mother with someone as mean as his father then he couldn’t put much stock in the whole institution.

He watches you that day; checking for any reaction for whether his initials had been marked onto your wrist. The day ends with him feeling disappointed; you either hadn’t got the marks yet or you were an exceptionally good actress. Your face gave nothing away the whole day other than curiosity when you caught his eyes on you for the third time.

You were the complete opposite to him. He loved heavy metal music; you preferred the crooning sounds of artists such as Frank Sinatra and Louis Armstrong. Sirius had heard you hum their songs under your breath enough that he was sure he knew the lyrics to them.

You think pranks are childish and they have the potential to be a real danger; he disagrees, he thinks that pranks can be a work of genius if the right amount of planning and preparation is put into it.

Sirius frowns; he didn’t think he paid you this much attention. You had never flowed in the same social circle; conversations between the two of you limited to classes where communication was only necessary if you were sat together. He found you attractive, that much he could not deny. But the fear of turning out like his parents loomed over him; prevented him from taking it any further.

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“He couldn’t be any more my polar opposite!” You moan to your friend, Jude.

It had been a month since Sirius’ initials had appeared on your wrist, and for all of your wondering, you could not figure out how Sirius worked out to be your soulmate. There was so little you had in common. The only things being your academic status and a love of books. It was rare to see Sirius with a book when he was in a crowd, but when it was him and the Marauders in the common room, he could be found with a leather-bound book open on his lap. His eyes would scan the pages so fast, you wondered if he was truly reading the words on the page.

Jude pats your head, “Yes, you’ve mentioned.”

“Jude… I need a little more sympathy here, please.”

She frowns, “It’s hard to dredge up more sympathy when all you’ve done is complain since you found his initials, my dear.”

You frown back at her, “You’re right. Of course, you’re right. I’ve been an arse about this – who knows? Don’t they say opposites attract?”

Jude smiles at you, “I do believe that is the saying.”

“Well let’s hope it’s true then.” You murmur, your eyes landing on the shaggy-haired Marauder sat further down the table from you. His friend, James, elbows him, pointing over to you when Sirius protests his elbow. Your heart starts to race the minute you lock eyes with Sirius; for a singular moment, everything else seems to fade away and your vision solely focuses on him.

The moment is broken when Sirius turns away with a scoff.

The hope that had begun to grow within you quickly dims. You let your head fall onto your arms, “I don’t think he likes me, Jude.”

Jude tuts, sending a glare down the table to where the Marauders sit, “Then he’s a prick.”

“That’s my soulmate you’re talking about.”

Jude shrugs, “He’s still a prick. If you were my soulmate, I’d be over the moon.”

“You’re too good to me, Jude.”

“I know.” She states, “Now, come on, we’ve got Charms first and I want to practice the Deletrius charm, I’m certain it’ll come up on the summer exams.”

You let her drag you out of the Great Hall by the hand, feeling Sirius’ eyes on you with every step you take.

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Filius Flitwick was an exceptional teacher and an interesting man – but he was also notorious for loving gossip. The staff room at Hogwarts was always rife with gossip when another pair of students had found their soulmate in each other. Professor McGonagall would always claim that she had known from the start; Flitwick was not one to argue with her. Besides, she was probably right.

The staff room was positively rioting when news hit of Sirius Black finding his soulmate in (Y/N) (Y/L/N). Professor Flitwick wanted to question the match given how at odds they were to each other, but he knew never to argue with the fates.

Professor Flitwick had changed the seating plan.

He changed the seating plan so Sirius would be sat next to (Y/N). The teachers at Hogwarts all promised to not intervene with soulmates, yet they all did. Professor McGonagall would be happy to hear of this prompting; she had been worrying over Sirius Black finding his soulmate for longer than she cared to admit.

Walking into Charms, you saw that the class was lined up against the back wall. You grumbled to yourself; the last thing needed was a new seating plan. You got on well with the Ravenclaw girl you were sitting next to, you didn’t want any more change.

Your stomach dropped to the floor when Professor Flitwick announced that your new place would be next to Sirius.

You felt as if you were in two minds. Since seeing his initials on your wrist, you were drawn to him – wanting nothing more to be in his orbit. Yet, the look on his face as he turned away from you in the Great Hall had dread unfurling in your stomach as you walked towards your new seating place.

“Sir, what was wrong with the old seating plan?” Sirius asks, refusing to take his seat next to you.

“Seating plans need to change to better fit the needs of the students, Mr Black. Please take your seat next to Miss (Y/L/N) so I can begin my lesson.”

Sirius grits his teeth as he slides into the seat next to yours. His entire body tense while he opens his parchment and prepares his quill and ink.

It doesn’t take long for the atmosphere to change between the two of you.

It’s like electricity, or so you think. The space between the two of you hums to life and you can feel the change. You gasp involuntarily, biting your lip as goose bumps break out across your skin at the mere notion of having Sirius this close to you. You know he hears your gasp and you know he feels the same as you; he shifts imperceptibly to try and stave off whatever he’s feeling but he’s finding it harder and harder to resist you.

It’s the bond between soulmates, you think to yourself. The bond was a living, breathing thing between the pair whether it was accepted or not.

The class drags on for what feels like hours. Sirius gives up trying to pay any attention to Professor Flitwick and instead, focuses on resisting the urge to drag you from the classroom.

He practically throws his things into his bag when Professor Flitwick dismisses the class at the sound of the bell.

“Sirius, I need to talk to you.” You call, following him from the classroom.

“I know what you want to talk about, and believe me, I was just as shocked as you were when I found your initials on my wrist.”

“But what do we do about it?” He can hear the hope in your voice and see the promises in your eyes.

It almost breaks him when he says, “Nothing. We do nothing.”

Your mouth drops open, “What? Why?”

“I didn’t choose you.”

“It isn’t a choice, Sirius. The fates decide soulmates, everyone knows that.”

“Still. I didn’t choose you.”

His words land this time; each one a blow to your heart. Tears prick at the corner of your eyes, but you refuse to let them fall, gritting your teeth to stop them. You would not show an ounce of weakness in front of him. Anger rises within you, turning your blood to flame.

You glare at the teenager in front of you, spitting the words, “I wouldn’t have picked you for me either, but the fates did Sirius and it’s something that we both have to live with.”

You turn away from him, leaving him there in the corridor. You barely make it to the common room before the tears start to fall and your breath falls short due to the sobs heaving from your chest. You blindly make your way to your room, pausing now and then to wipe the tears from your eyes and to berate yourself for crying over a silly boy.

But he isn’t a silly boy; he’s your soulmate and he rejected you. That lone thought has the tears beginning all over again as you hide yourself under your duvet, making sure to pull on all the curtains around your bed.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

His rejection of the bond did nothing for your feelings. If anything, they made them stronger, but you knew that you could not act on it. Sirius had made his feelings for you clear so you settled for loving him from the sidelines; watching as he hid his wrist whenever he started to flirt with other girls.

It destroyed you, but he had made his decision. You would not push him on this.

In such a short amount of time, you had gone from barely recognising Sirius as a friend to being his soulmate to being completely in love with him. Whenever you thought of your feelings for the Marauder, you felt dizzy because of how fast it had all happened. If this was the magic of soulmates, you felt whiplashed.

Jude remained your rock; handing you tissues and listening to your complaints. She had found her soulmate; a Slytherin named Poppy. And yet, Jude remained by your side through it all. Poppy joining her more often than not, and a close friendship developed between you both. You felt like a burden to them; ruining their happiness with your sadness but they assured you that they would have a lifetime to be happy. But they wanted you to be happy too – which you were working on.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sirius felt awful. Truthfully, he felt empty. And he had done since he said those words to you after Charms class.

He felt the idiot; he felt the fool. He could see how it was affecting you and knew that it was mirrored on his own face. He was just so scared of turning out like his parents; of fulfilling the cursed cycle all the couples in his family seem to take. First, loving each other passionately before turning to hate each other down the line. If that happened with you, he would never forgive himself.

He watches you from across the room. Your nose stuck in a book that he’s seen you read a thousand times over the last month; as if this particular book is a comfort read. He takes a deep breath before walking over to you.

“Can we talk?” He asks you, motioning to the stairs that lead to the boys dormitories – the only place in Gryffindor tower where there is privacy.

You nod, not trusting your voice around him. You wanted so badly to say no, that he has to earn that right but looking into his eyes, seeing the small light of hope there. You had to say yes. Your mind rebelled, throwing every logical reason at you, but your heart won out and you were following him up the stairs before your mind could catch up.

Sirius holds the door open for you. You duck inside, stopping in the middle of room. Tensing slightly as you hear the door shut.

“Can I be honest with you?” He asks, joining you in the middle of the room.

“Of course.”

“I didn’t want to reject the soulmate bond.”

“What?” A hot flash of anger pangs through your body – how dare he say that? How dare he say that after the pain you’ve been through watching him with other girls and keeping your mouth shut.

“I didn’t want to reject the soulmate bond.”

“Then why did you? Why have I sat by for a month with a broken heart?”

He voice is small when he replies, “I was scared.”

“Of what?”

“I don’t want us to be like my parents,” He confesses, “They’re soulmates yet entirely wrong for each other. It’s like that with every couple in my family, and I would never forgive myself that happened to us. So I pushed you away, told you I didn’t want the bond and then flirted with other girls to dig it in. It was a shitty move, and I am so sorry, but I can’t do it anymore. I don’t want to stay away from you, I want to be with you.”

“Sirius, I just spent the last month of my life wondering what was so wrong with me that you couldn’t possibly love me. I sat by and tried to be happy for my best friend who had found her soulmate, but I couldn’t because my heart was in pieces. I watched you flirt with other girls as if I was nothing to you and it broke me. And it was because you were scared? Sirius, you should have talked to me. I know that we didn’t socialise much before, but you should have told your fears when my initials showed up on your wrist. I am your soulmate; I am supposed to help you through it all.”

Sirius falls to his knees before you, pressing his face to your stomach, “I know, I know. You’re right, and if I need to I’ll stay on my knees and beg for your forgiveness even though I don’t deserve it. But we can do this right? We can be together?”

Your hands begin to card themselves through his hair without thinking, “Sirius…”

He shakes his head, “There aren’t enough words in the English language for me to tell you how sorry I am. I felt it too; I felt the heartbreak and the sadness. I shouldn’t have done it, but my fear outweighed my logic.”

“We aren’t going to be like your parents.”

“But how do you know?” He whispers, fear creeping into his voice.

Your hand cradles his cheek, “Because I’ll remind you… every single day if I need to. I’m not saying I forgive you immediately, but I want this to work. The fates gave me your initials for a reason; I felt our bond in Charms, we are destined to be together.”

Sirius presses his face into your hand, dropping a kiss to the palm, “I didn’t mean it, you know. If I had to pick anyone to be my soulmate, it would be you. I am honoured that it is you.”

“You mean it?”

“I do. You’re perfect for me, and I think I’ve already fallen in love with you.” He states, eyes shining with unshed tears.

You close your eyes, his words feeling like balm spread over the gaping wound of your heart, “Thank god, because I’ve fallen in love with you too. I didn’t mean it either, I would always pick you.”

You are in his arms in an instant; his mouth hot and insistent on yours. His hands roam over your body. Your hands in his hair, grabbing a handful to keep him pressed to you. At the feel of his touch, all previous reservations fly out of your mind – the only word running through your brain is his name being repeated like a prayer. His touch feels so right, and you simply give in to what your heart has wanted since the night you saw his initials.

He walks you back towards the bed, never once pulling his lips away from yours. He only pulls away when he lays you down on top of his covers; you lie underneath him happily, enjoying the feeling of his lips leaving open mouthed kisses down the expanse of your neck and collarbone. His hands undo the buttons to your shirt, and you shift so he can push your shirt from your shoulders. He latches his lips back to your collarbone, sucking a mark there that will surely be a dark bruise by morning.

Your hands shove the hem of his t-shirt up; he pulls away from your body for long enough to take the shirt off. The minute its gone; your hands run over the expanse of his stomach, savouring the feeling of his muscles contracting at your touch. You pull his face back to yours, desperate to feel him. Your lips glide together seamlessly; as if made for each other.

Sirius runs his hands down your sides; memorising every curve of your body, grinning into the kiss as you shiver underneath him. You bite down on bottom lip; a move that has him moaning into your mouth.

“I need to know…” He whispers into your mouth; the words barely heard as they’re swallowed by you.

“What?”

“Do you want to do this?” He asks, pulling away from your mouth to run his eyes over your face, checking for any hint of hesitation whilst simultaneously asking for permission.

Your eyes sting with the tears at his care for you. You kiss him sweetly, lovingly before looking into his eyes, “I want this. I want it to be with you.”

That’s all he needs to know before he’s casting a silencing charm on the room and locking the door.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sirius finds it hard to keep his hands off you after the acceptance of the bond. He has to be touching you at all times whether it’s a shoulder pressed against yours, his hand holding on tight to yours, or his arms around your waist. It keeps him grounded, it keeps him calm when the stresses of life begin to settle in.

He thinks back to the beginning of your relationship; how cruel he was, and he looks at you in awe because he still doesn’t understand how you could forgive him – let alone, love him. On the days where those thoughts plague his mind, he places kiss after kiss on the mark on your wrist where his initials sit.

You know the meaning behind these kisses, knowing he’s torturing himself internally. On these days, you draw his attention from your wrist to your mouth instead where you remind him of how much you love him and how you’ve forgiven him for those early days.

His fears are quashed and his love for you only grows. You’re his soulmate, he’s yours. It’s as simple as that.

*******

General (HP) taglist: @the-hufflefluffwriter @obsessedwithrandomthings @kalimagik @summer-writes @lupins-sweater @slytherinprincess03 @mischiefsemimanaged @soleil-amaryllis @masterofthedarkness @bforbroadway @chaotic-fae-queen @peachesandpinks @nebulablakemurphy @haphazardhufflepuff

Sirius Black taglist: @cheapglitter @fific7

[if-you-built-yourself-a-myth]

hey would you write a marauders/jily ice skating!au?

I'm not sure if this is what you meant, but I hope it's close enough. AU where Peter never gave up James and Lily, they never died, Sirius never went to Azkaban, and the prophecy wasn't about Harry. And they ice skate when it's all over.

The Great Lake froze over for the first time since the war ended. James looked out across its vast expanse, its rivered end tapering into trees on the other side. He never thought he’d see the day. Hogwarts cast a thin shadow onto the lake’s bank, where students, parents, and alumni gathered with their ice skates and screaming young children. His own son, little Harry, toddled along in front of Remus and Sirius, the pointer fingers of each grasped in his chubby hands. Peter took up the rear. Further past, the Weasleys dragged their youngest in circles. Baby Ron. He was around Harry’s age; James thought it might be nice if they were friends.

He turned to Lily beside him. She was as beautiful as she’d always been, her shining red hair and unguarded smile. He didn’t think he would ever get used to having her hand clasped in his own—it was surprising enough that someone so amazing existed at all, let alone at the end of a war.

But the war was over. And here she stood. His Lily. His lovely, lovely Lily.

“I’m going to fall,” she told him, taking the first tentative step onto the ice. Remus and Sirius were naturals, but the Potters… not so much. “James, don’t let go of me.” Her nose was nipped red in the winter air, her voice muffled by her striped scarf.

“I’m not letting go,” he said. His own skates were wobbly.

“Go slowly, go slowly.”

“I’m no good either.”

They did their best to synchronize their steps and glide forward in short bursts. Standing on two blades sounded much easier than it was in practice. Ahead, Remus and Sirius had lifted Harry from the surface of the lake to spin him around and around, until Sirius planted the toddler on his shoulders and took off skating with Remus at his heels. Peter, less steady, stumbled along behind them. It made James’s heart warm to see his best friends bonding with his child.

Lily followed his gaze. “I keep telling Remus they should adopt,” she said. “He keeps saying Harry is plenty for him and Sirius.”

“Classic Moony,” said James.

Harry let out a garbled string of baby talk, his face broken into the most carefree smile James had ever seen. He reached his tiny hands for the sky like he could grasp the clouds. On a day like today, it seemed possible that he could. Harry shared his appearance with James, really, the young James who pulled pranks with his best friends and loved Lily Evans with childish adoration. He already had the same messy hair, the same tanned skin, and, according to the muggle doctors Lily saw, the same shitty eyesight. James should have seen himself when he looked at Harry. He only saw Lily.

Lily loved to look at the clouds. They hadn’t had time for it during the war. Now they had all the time in the world. James tilted his head upward, and noticed in his peripheral vision that Lily did the same. It complicated their skating pursuits more than it should have. The cloud directly over their heads was an old book, followed by a man riding a hippogriff off into some mountains.

“But it would be nice, don’t you think?” Lily said, after a while. Her ankle shifted weirdly. She tripped and almost took James down with her, but continued to speak as if nothing had happened. “A playmate for Harry?”

James laughed. “If you want, I’ll talk to Sirius about it. Anything for you.”

“It would be very sweet.”

“I will let them know. Though, they like you so much, I think they’d cave if you asked again.”

“Sirius would.” Lily pulled her scarf down from her mouth to plant a kiss on James’s cheek. “Remus wouldn’t.”

“Always the rational one.”

Lily got her sea-legs—ice-legs—before James did. It was one of the things he loved most about her; she caught onto almost any skill within an hour of attempting it. He spent so much of his Hogwarts career trying to beat out Sirius and the Slytherins in his classes, but he’d never been able to best Lily Evans. She did him the service of not releasing his arm as she glided along, taking longer strides than before, and forcing him to keep up with her footwork.

In no time, they were center-ice. Hogwarts, while still huge, seemed so much smaller when they were so far away. It did not cast a shadow out here. Here, there was only the sun above, lingering clouds, and the buzzing life of so many wizards in one location. Ah, Hogwarts. How could he have known that it would lead to the happiness he had now?

They came to a stop rather slowly, letting the momentum die out as it pleased. James’s skates tilted back and forth as he tried to stand still. He should invent a spell that kept them from breaking his ankles—with a little help from Remus, it wouldn’t be that hard. Their innovative spell mixing techniques had transferred from pranking to lifehacking with phenomenal success. Lily stared out at the other skaters.

“It could have been us,” she whispered. She didn’t have to elaborate.

James and Lily were in hiding with Harry because of a prophecy about a boy born at the end of July. Sirius held their location first, using a binding magic that the Dark Lord himself could not break. He transferred it to Peter when he thought that was the safer course of action.

Before the night it happened, James might have considered Peter his least-close friend in the Marauders. They did not speak much in their last years of school, even less with the war on, and Peter never agreed to any risky operations before Sirius approached him with the proposition. But that night, when Voldemort knew that Peter knew… Peter stared the world’s darkest wizard dead in the eye and refused. He barely escaped with his life.

“Thank you, Moony,” he’d said, when the group saw each other next. “If I couldn’t turn into a rat, I would’ve bit it for sure.”

In a rage, Voldemort sought the next viable option on his list. He arrived at the Longbottom house to virtually no magical resistance. Frank and Alice died protecting their child. Word had it that Voldemort tried to kill the baby, Neville, as well, and the curse had rebounded. The only damage to Neville was a scar like lightning on his collarbone, the Boy Who Lived.

“But it wasn’t,” said James. He stroked a finger down Lily’s cheek. “It wasn’t us.”

“Harry could’ve been the one.”

“But he wasn’t.”

Lily took a deep breath. She released his arm for a moment, edged her way to face him, and clasped his hands instead. “I’ve been meaning to tell you. I wanted to wait—just to make sure he was gone. You-Know-Who. And he is. So.”

“The war is over,” James agreed.

Just saying the words out loud made his heart leap for joy in his chest. It was over. The prophecy came true, just as Dumbledore promised that it would, and Voldemort was defeated. No more Death Eaters in Diagon Alley. No more late nights stalking the streets for sympathizers. No more holding wands to his friends and making them prove they were themselves, no more casting protective spells outside his house every evening, no more hiding away with their little baby while Sirius, Peter, and Remus fought. No more. Here was his family.

James thought back on his late nights in the library with Remus and Peter during his first year. How can I get Lily to fall in love with me? he begged Remus. Tell me how I can do it. Remus had said something largely unhelpful and probably sarcastic; that part didn’t matter. James wanted to go back in time and shake himself by the shoulders, or give that boy a pat on the back. She loves you now, he would say. She loves you and it’s better than could ever have imagined. And himself in fifth year, in sixth year, all those lingering glances. She loves you and the war is over.

He wasn’t afraid of the world anymore. He looked at Lily. He looked at Harry, carried by a posse of scarved godfathers with a need for speed. This was a safe place for all of them to build their lives. The war is over.

“James,” Lily said, her voice like hot chocolate after a day in the cold. He wanted to take her happiness and trap it in a bottle. “James, I’m pregnant.”

And the moment was complete. Because nothing could ever be any better than this.

[star-six7]

Don’t Stop If I Fall (And Don’t Look Back)

Frank Iero x Gender Neutral!Reader (ending 2 of 4 for Here In This House of Wolves)

Word Count: 2013

A/N: This one’s kinda spooky! Hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: This is entirely a work of fiction. No part of this story is meant to be libel, slander, or in any way derogatory towards any character’s real life counterpart. I’m not delusional; I know that these characters are simply based off of a public persona and may not actually resemble the people behind those personas. Any additional characters that you do not recognize are entirely fictional, unless otherwise stated. And finally, if you got here by Googling yourself, whatever happens next is 100% on you.

You sighed, shifting restlessly from foot to foot, waiting as the guides explained the rules and prepared to unlock the door leading to the walkthrough. Though there was part of you that still doubted the legitimacy of the whole set-up, you were definitely excited to see if it would really measure up to the promises of both the brochure and the hosts. As a self-proclaimed and Way-brother-confirmed horror nerd, you had been through many a haunted house. And while some were bone-chillingly terrifying, others fell more on the Scooby Doo side of frightening. Either way, you knew you wouldn’t be short on entertainment with the way the others were carrying on.

Finally, the hosts led you to the door, with a final warning to keep your wits about you. They opened them to reveal a pitch black hallway, and without warning, shoved everyone forward. Before you could even spare a final glance back, they slammed the doors shut, leaving you in total darkness.

“Oh god,” Ray moaned miserably. “I knew this was a terrible idea.”

You could practically hear Mikey’s growing irritation in the all-consuming nothingness.

“Well, the only way out is through, so,” Gerard said, with the certainty of someone who had seen hundreds of fantasy and adventure movies. “On we go.”

“Yeah, whatever you say, Gerard. Let’s just try and get out of here with all our limbs still attached.” Brian sighed. There was a shuffle of forward-sounding movement, and you tried to keep.

Suspiciously absent from the conversation was Frank.

---

After what seemed like a mile, but you knew rationally couldn’t have been more than a dozen yards, the hallway became a bit narrower with faint, faint, cracks of light low to the ground on either side. Up in front, Ray and Gerard kept bumping into the walls and swearing, though they were sure they were heading straight on. 

Suddenly, you were yanked back by your elbow. Instinctively, you tried to scream, both out of fear and hope that the others would hear and help you, but a warm, calloused hand clamped over your mouth. Whoever it was that had grabbed you began to drag you backwards, much to your horror, and a pit of icy dread began to form in your stomach. Though you kicked your feet in protest, it was no use. You could barely even hear the others anymore. You were on your own.

Desperately, and with the sudden realization that this might not be part of the haunted house any more, you began to bite down on the hand pressed over your mouth, doing anything to get away. Suddenly, you and your abductor stumbled backward through an unseen door into a brightly lit room, and the hands that had restrained you released.

“Holy fucking shit,” an insanely recognizable voice swore. “Are you insane, you could have fucked up my hand-”

Instantly, all the fear in your body evaporated and was replaced with red hot anger. Frank.

“No, are you fucking insane?!” You whirled around on him. “What the hell were you thinking, I thought someone was gonna kill me, or worse-”

Frank rolled his eyes. “You need to calm down, you’ve been hanging around Gee too much. We would’ve found your body eventually.”

You took a moment to relax, close your eyes, and let the remaining terror drain out of your body. When you opened them, you noticed just how small the room you were in was, as well as how close Frank was standing to you. You also noticed that your heart was beating way faster than normal, something you hoped that, if he noticed, he would attribute to the fight-or-flight response of almost being kidnapped, which, by the way, what the actual fuck? 

“Where the hell are we, Frank? And also, why?”

“One of those rooms off that hallway.” 

You remember the faint light you had seen just before Frank grabbed you. “Oh.”

“And… the reason we’re in here is because I thought it would be funny to fuck with them. And I thought you’d be down to help me.” You sighed, rubbing your elbow where his hand had been only moments earlier. “And you couldn’t have told me about this before you gave me a heart attack?”

“Well,” You could tell he was trying to justify his reasoning on the spot. “If they thought you were actually being abducted, that would add to the prank.” “Asshole,” you muttered, though you really weren’t mad anymore. “I don’t even think they noticed I was gone.” “Then that makes them the assholes. Which is another reason you should help me. Please?”

You pretended to still be annoyed. It was best to not let Frank know when he had already won you over; otherwise, he would try to get away with everything underneath the sun. You were sure the others were far ahead of you now, and you weren’t too keen on the idea of wandering through the haunted house by yourself. There was also the small matter of being flattered and giddy that Frank chose you to pull this prank with, and deep down, you knew there was no chance you would turn down some time alone with him.

“Fine. I hope you have a really good plan.”

Frank grinned.

---

“So, I think I have it figured out,” he said a few minutes later as he was leading you down the hallway by your hand. You were glad that it was so dark that he couldn’t see how much your cheeks were heating up. “Somehow, they made this hallway sorta curved, but only a little bit, so it totally disorients you. And I think at some point, it opens into a maze?”

He stopped abruptly, and let go of your hand. You tried not to be too disappointed.

“Hey, do you feel that?” You heard some rustling, like he was waving his hands around and shuffling closer to the wall. “It feels like a breeze.”

Before you could respond, you heard his palms land on something solid and heavy, and then suddenly, the hallway was filled with the bright afternoon sunlight. You hurried through the previously hidden door after him, not wanting to be discovered. After your eyes had adjusted to the light, you saw that you were in an open area on the side of the building. The wind rustled through the old pine trees, but there wasn’t another soul around besides you and Frank. Towards the back end of the building, you saw some weathered marble slabs that you had the sinking feeling were tombstones.

“Oh shit, check it out!” Frank laughed, ducking down and running alongside the wall.

You followed him through the knee-high grass and peered through the old window with him. On the other side, though dimly lit, were your bandmates and manager. You could see Gerard closest to the window, trying his best to contain his panic. Ray and Brian were up front, in some sort of passionate discussion about… something. Mikey was in the back, expressionless as usual, but you could tell by the tilt of his shoulders that he was, at best, vaguely uncomfortable.

“Okay,” Frank whispered, turning to you. “On three, okay?”

You nodded, trying to keep from laughing.

“1… 2…3!”

You and Frank sprang up from the ground and slammed your palms on the windows, much to the surprise of everyone inside. You could hear Gerard’s scream through the glass.

“Oh my god,” Frank laughed loudly as he rolled in the grass. “Think they could see us?”

“I don’t think so.” You shook your head. “I don’t remember seeing any when I was in the hallway, though they must have been there. Maybe it’s a one-way mirror.”

“Well, that was funny, but not exactly what I had in mind. How do you feel about a little psychological torture?”

---

Frank’s plan was pretty impressive, you had to admit. For the next few minutes, you waited patiently until the group passed another window. Based on how long it took them, you had a feeling that Frank’s suspicion about the maze was correct. You waited until they were right in front of the glass, and then you sprang into action.

“GUYS! HELP!” You tried your best to sound as terrified as possible, but it was hard with Frank grinning up at you. It should be illegal for someone to look that good while cackling.

Apparently, your “distress” call stunned them into silence.

“Oh my god,” Mikey whispered, and though it was muffled through the glass, you could tell he was serious. Next to him, Gerard had gone as white as a sheet.

“Where are you? Tell us where you are, we’ll come find you!” Ray called back.

“HELP!” You screamed again.

You could hear Brian and Ray start mumbling and cursing again as the group pushed forward, this time with urgency. 

“Oh, god,” you laughed, flopping back onto the grass next to Frank. “That was an excellent idea, oh my god.”

“Yeah, they-”

“I hate to interrupt,” a cold, cutting voice spoke from somewhere above your heads, “but I believe that we were very clear in our introduction that there was only one acceptable entrance and one acceptable exit. I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

You and Frank glanced at each other with wide eyes before staring up into the unamused face of one of the hosts from the lobby.

---

“We regret that you couldn’t see more of the tour, and ask that you please refrain from returning. Thank you!” The man turned and walked away from the van. He had followed you and Frankie the entire way back, just to ensure you got the message.

“He did not sound regretful at all,” Frank frowned as he shook the door handle on the van. “Success!” he smiled as it popped open.

You followed him as he climbed into the second row of seats. “That’s the last time I go along with one of your ideas,” you moaned, leaning into his shoulder. “That was humiliating.”

“Hey, you get used to being escorted out after the 50th time,” he smiled, resting his head on top of yours. “I am glad you came with me, though. It’s fun having someone to do that kind of stuff with though.”

You smiled, just enjoying the closeness for a few more moments, before putting it all on the line. “It was fun and all, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have another reason for going.”

“Hm?”

You moved back and turned to face him. “I really like you, Frankie. I know that might be a lot to handle right now, especially with the album coming up, but-”

You were cut off by the sudden realization that Frank was kissing you. It took your mind a few seconds to catch up with your body, but once it did, you jad no intention of stopping.

When you both broke away for air, Frank leaned in to press his forehead to yours. “I like you a lot too, if it wasn’t already obvious. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.”

You laughed, and tilted your face up to continue what you had started. Unfortunately, before you were able to get too far, the doors of the van swung open. You and Frank scrambled to opposite sides of the seats as the rest of the band climbed in. They did not look happy.

“Where were you guys?” Ray was fuming, a rare sight to see. “We turned around and you were gone!” “Yeah,” Gerard cut in. “You had no idea how scared we were; we kept hearing you screaming and we thought you were hurt!”

“I hope you guys are happy with yourselves because you’ll be the ones cleaning the van at the end of the tour,” Brain muttered, rolling his eyes, much to Frank’s protests.

“I gotta know, though,” Mikey said, leaning over the seat to talk to you. “What the hell were you guys actually doing?” You caught Frank’s eye and smiled. “Let’s just say it’s a long story.”

A/N: Thanks for reading :) The other endings will be up soon!

[halothenthehorns]

All in the Family

Chapter 81: The Yule Ball

"Achoo!" Regulus sneezed painfully hard, his eyes watering so much they were squinted nearly shut, leaving him half blind as he tried to gaze blearily around to their new torture grounds. The bright sunlight was helping nothing, the nausea that still persisted through their trips along this place was as heavy as ever, and this time in particular they seemed in a truly bizarre area that he couldn't imagine had to do with Harry Potter's circumstances. It was a garden, a truly illustrious one that Professor Sprout would water at the mouth to see. He'd landed on a pile of Honking Heleniums that were vocally none too happy at him as he scrambled onto the smooth limestone pathway, and looked around to see Evans the Muggleborn in the field across from him gazing in just as much confusion at some purple flowers he couldn't identify.

Brushing pollen from his robes and looking around carefully, surely no one had forgotten the Devil's Snare, he found nothing immediately dangerous about their environment, but didn't quite relax either. The hedge walls were about a foot above his head, but he could see even taller ones in the distance as if they fluctuated in size, or perhaps the whole place was built on rolling hills, and behind him in the distance he could see where the trail began in the shadow of an odd building. It looked sort of like an abandoned, though clearly once very fancy hotel carved right into a mountain. The huge cracks along its surface made him leery though it would collapse any moment and start an avalanche, so he wasn't keen on inspecting it too closely. Rising clear above all of this was the mountain peak, the glinting sun shining down right on the whole place like a spotlight.

He turned back around to see Evans was cautiously making her way through the plants with the most dainty of steps, and waited patiently for her to make it to the pathway before deciding she wasn't going to die so turning to be on his way in search of the book.

"Hey, err, Black!"

He turned back with honest curiosity what she had to say to him, they'd hardly spoken this whole time, and he certainly had nothing to say to her.

"I, um, I don't recommend stepping back off the path, alright? There could be something more dangerous than Dancing Dahlias around here, wherever here is."

He nodded once to show he'd heard before going back off, hands deep in his pockets. He was surprised at himself he didn't care anymore what anyone would have said about how he handled that situation. That he should have cursed her, or at least reminded her that as the more superior wizard he needed no such warning, would have been the expected return, but now he had other things on his mind to worry about than whatever that Muggleborn got up to in this place.

He didn't have to travel much farther, taking two right turns before he found the book nestled in a patch of strange-looking plants. From what little he knew of them, he'd guessed they were foxglove and irises mixed together in a bright plum color to create whatever was strong enough to hold that hefty book aloft nearly up to his waist. Even though it was in arms reach, he wasn't stupid enough to try grabbing it from the strange plant, and instead he looked miserably at his bare hands. Even if he did summon the book to him, he wasn't sure he trusted the strange plant enough it wouldn't leave residue on his hands to cause some adverse effect. Then his eyes brightened with an idea, and he shucked off his shoes, slipping them carefully into his bag this time, almost enjoying the warmth of the path on his bare feet while he pulled off his socks and used them as makeshift gloves before getting the book in hand. He was quite proud of his ingenuity and didn't care how ridiculous he probably looked as he read out the chapter title, happy at least this was being gotten out of the way already.

Frank had landed in a very prickly shrub, and the more he twisted to get free, the sharper the leaves dug into his clothes. He could feel small nicks where several had already broken skin. He was cursing so frantically by the time the hand was being shoved in his face he didn't care if it was You-Know-Who offering him help out, he took it with gratitude as he was finally pulled free.

"Thanks," he said in relief, already scratching at a bead of blood traveling down his wrist as he looked up into the werewolf's eyes. He yelped so hard in surprise he backed right back into the bush, which gave him a very uncomfortable prod and sent him stumbling back forward right into him. Lupin caught him with a look on his face Frank's panicked mind couldn't process. Was he smelling the blood? Was it going to send him into a frenzy? He didn't know, he bloody didn't bloody know-

"Oi, Moony! What was all that then?"

Lupin rolled his eyes with an expression anybody in the world could have understood. 'This idiot, right?'

"What do you think it was Sirius? Frank petting the thing?"

Sirius Black was giving him a look that was somehow more dangerous than even the werewolf had yet given as he was scrutinized, and Frank took another automatic step back. Black was splattered in what appeared to be gray paint and was already clearly in a bad mood. Frank saw this as a perfect opportunity to make his escape. He meant to turn around and leave, and found himself face to face with a very large hedge, at least twenty feet high. Looking around properly now, he saw there was only one path away, where Black was standing, with only a cobbled limestone walkway leading towards the bramble bush he'd landed in. It still had a few delectable, succulent green fruits hanging lowly from it, resilient little thing it was.

"I don't suppose you two know where we are then?" He asked into the awkward silence, taking all self restraint not to scratch at his itchy skin, the blood quickly mingling with sweat that had nothing to do with the pleasant weather.

"Not one little bit," Lupin said pleasantly.

"If we find out, we'll let you know at the next landing," Black shot off with more venom than a Venomous Tentacula could hold as he spun around and stalked off, clearly expecting his friend to follow. Lupin watched him go with an exasperated look, gave him an awkward sort of smile, before jogging after him.*

Swallowing uncomfortably, and well aware whatever insane garden they were in could possibly have that as well, he made his choice and stood his ground as they turned the corner and left. Counting to thirty in his head, he then left the area as well, hoping Alice was alright.

James was staring up at a tree full of golden apples and was very tempted to climb up and grab one. Not for eating even, just for something to toss around and do. Peter was being no help, humming to himself and bouncing on his toes as he watched a patch of Sunflowers carefully, the edge of their enclosure keeping them in a nice warmth despite the breeze blowing through. He seemed no more intent on breaking the awkward silence though.

"Wish Evans was around," James finally said. "Bet she'd be able to name every plant here. Wonder if that will give you the Midas Touch if you eat it?"

"You never need an excuse to want her around," he returned passively.

They were saved from anymore stilted attempts by Sirius' little brother's voice breaking the silence, and to James's further bewilderment, he saw an actual smile break out across Peter's face.

"We should go find him. I've been meaning to ask for ages-"

"Why bother?" James blurted in confusion. He barely registered Peter's downcast look at being interrupted, this had been baffling him for ages. "What on Earth have you two been getting so chummy about anyways?" His tone came out far more bitter in the end than he really meant it to, how he wished none of this had even happened anymore and they could just go back to school. If he had to find a way to get Remus and Sirius to make up again all over he'd take that over this constant spin-table of his usual life.

"I, I mean we, well he doesn't-" He's never interrupted me, just sounded petty out loud, but Peter couldn't think of anything else to say in that moment. The first time he'd talked to Regulus, he'd just been trying to be friendly in some bad circumstances as well as outsourcing a prank on Sirius, it wasn't until this moment he realized he'd been so excited to go find Regulus and ask him about this strange environment he'd not even bothered to question he'd be able to ask without somehow being overlooked.

He'd stuttered himself into silence, and James just gave him a bizarre look for it. For a peace offering, Peter summoned one of the golden apples to him and gave it a toss to James, who smiled in delight at the distraction and began tossing it in the air, turning on the spot and walking off without glancing back, expecting Peter to follow as usual.

Peter only hesitated for a moment before he did.

Alice landed in a fountain with an undignified squee. Standing up and checking all over her skin wasn't melting off or something, she slogged through the golden liquid and had to crawl on her belly to drag herself over the edge and flop down on the other side, shivering harder than ever. Realizing she was alone and instantly weary of this fact, she kept her wand held tightly and turned slowly, hopefully to clue in what was going on.

The fountain was glamorous, the water itself had a charm on it to sparkle in the sunlight from the two golden wands crossed, being held aloft by two people she vaguely recognized for some reason. It took a lot of concentration for her to recall that was Nicolas Flamel, and so possibly his wife Perenelle with him. As the book echoed around her of Harry being at the Yule Ball, and not enjoying it one bit by the sounds of how the night was going, then further progressing into the grounds where Hogwarts had set up a sort of mini garden path as well, she suspected her home school had been inspired by the Beauxbatons Academy for some decorative inspirations.

She sighed wistfully and shivered again Frank couldn't be here to dance with her at the mention of all this, she'd have much rather landed in the splendidly decorated Great Hall, and she winced in sympathy instead it seemed to be wasted on the patrons as not everyone's love life was going so well. Hagrid and Maxime, then Ron and Hermione even having an unpleasant spat, as well as Harry's Champion Rival giving off the oddest of advice before going back to the girl of Harry's affection. As grand as this place was, she couldn't imagine even its splendid manor could fix the myriad of problems going on in these worlds.

HPHPHPHP

Sorry I couldn't show off how I imagined the real Beauxbatons would look, but you know, they are outsiders and I'm probably cheating a bit by even showing off the gardens.

*Lemon to be posted separately

[mwolf0epsilon]

Why not kill two birds with one stone?

---

The way they'd established supply runs was an intricate ordeal. It was an effort split between a group and a solo act of sorts, with the group scavenging for anything useful (like food , tools, or any bits and bobs that might come in handy later) while one lone soul would run around leading the Ink Demon in circles to keep it well away from the supply run's path. That "morning", after the usual breakfast of bacon soup, stale coffee and ink brew, Henry had assigned the roles through the drawing of straws (actually just pieces of paper he'd tried to cut as evenly as possible) among the few toons that did not have a particular task to complete for the day. Norman, Buddy, Shawn and Grant had thusly ended up together as a group, while Sammy was the unfortunate bait of the day. Not that he had any trouble getting around mind you... He could run faster now that he had a stable body, and he knew the layout of the top floors pretty well now that some of his memories as the Prophet ressurfaced. He could also sense the demon's presence more acutely so he could run circles around the damn thing without it realizing it was being duped.

Overall it was a solid team. Too solid even.

Which of course called for some action on 'Wally's part.

'Wally' had it all figured out or at least that's what he liked to think. He was, for a matter of lack of words, a wolf in sheep's clothing... Or... a sheep in wolf's clothing? Or was it an idea in sheepish wolf's clothing?

Ok maybe he didn't have it all figured out, but who cared? He didn't have to do the big thinking anyway because there were two people doing that for him anyways. All he really needed to do was play is part as the clumsy but charming guy that got everyone else to laugh. Get all cozy and cute with these people and get the plot running real smooth without them realizing it.

Simple in theory but very difficult in practice for, you see, 'Wally' was the idea of Wally Franks constructed in the image of an off-model Boris with a goofy grin, a Brooklyn accent, and a love for pranks and foods he'd never tasted before. Every single tape the Ink could find it used to create him. Including one very specific trait: Wally Franks was a bit of a dick sometimes, but he was genuinely nice to those he care for. And it just so happened he cared for all these other dicks who were currently living cartoon characters. Yes even Sammy Stick-Up-The-Ass Lawrence... What a dang predicament...

Sabotaging them on Joey's and the Ink's command was getting harder and harder each time, and both his creators were not happy with this.

He either did as he was told, or he'd be in a world of trouble. He needed to do something big, and fast!

Thus came the idea to sabotage the supply run. A plan that quickly went off the rails big time because he'd turned off his brain for just a second...

Sneaking off was really easy. Tom had told him to fasten some of the bolts on the less stable pipes upstairs and, after some very convincing grumbling under his breath, he'd gone up to do just that. Except he kept on walking right past where his stop was at. He had eyes on a much bigger task than fiddling with some faulty pipework that was gonna burst later anyways.

Sammy was awfully suspicious of him, so 'Wally' made sure to wait around to check where he was headed before searching the upper floors for Norman's crew. The Ink had whispered to him, told him that if he took Polk's reels he'd be able to cut the run short and force them to go back. Then the Ink would simply scare off Sammy by leading the demon straight to him when he least expected it.

He'd stupidly not questioned why taking the reels would force the group back. He'd been too curious to see what was on them anyways to consider they might be important to Norman in a physical sense.

Stupid, stupid, stupid!

"Anyone else feeling a bit watched?" Grant whispered as 'Wally' crept around from within the walls, keeping his eye on the prize. Polk had fastened the reels into place before leaving, so snatching them off without being noticed wasn't going to be easy. He wasn't a dull joe, however, so he got around that issue with quite the clever grift.

Some of the walls were rotten from being soaked with ink for so long, so one careful tug was all he needed to make a part of the wall and ceiling collapse.

"Watch out!" The object-head toon turned around to shield his partners, blocking their view and being unable to see as 'Wally' quickly descended upon him and took both items in one swift motion. Using the dust clouds and sound of crunching wood as cover to flee from the scene.

As easy and sweet as pie! He could already hear his creators praising him for the good job. Now to figure out what was so damn important about these dang films that Polk obcessed over them so much...

As soon as he'd found a projector he popped them in and eagerly awaited a show. The first few minutes of footage confused him, as he wasn't seeing cartoons but real human people. Then a few more minutes of this strange "real people film" made him realize it wasn't some fictional bad soap opera that the projectionist had somehow saved.

These were moments in Norman's life. Norman's memories. They were a part of him.

Which is when 'Wally' realized he fucked up. Wait no, that wasn't true. He realized this when a terrifying roar and three terrified screams shook the halls...

---

Sammy's wool stood on end as soon as he heard the roar just one floor below him. The bellowing of the Projectionist when he was still a feral ink abomination. A screech that had followed him and Jack as they ran like their butts were on fire towards the base where a temporary cage awaited the monster Norman Polk had become.

That screech that was somehow ringing downstairs, diverting the demon's attention from the sheep toon. Something terrible had happened and the others were likely in a world of trouble. He had to move.

Rushing down the stairs Sammy listened to the horrific roars and the screams of his coworkers. He then followed the mess left behind. Splintered doors, broken furniture and a trail of ink. Someone's ink.

Someone was injured while the demon was on the prowl.

He turned a corner and stumbled as he walked into 'Wally'. He was surprised at first, unsure why the cartoon wolf would be all the way upstairs, before his eyes landed on two very familiar blank looking reels. It clicked in his mind that the roars and 'Wally' holding these two items Norman had been protective of were connected somehow.

"You..." He snarled, actually snarled, wool turning to bristled fur on the back of his neck and tip of his tail as anger replaced apprehension.

"I... I can explain!"

"What did you do?!"

"I was... I was fixin' the pipes and a wall collapsed! I swear! I found these and... I think they were Norman's? I figured I might need to give 'em back an--"

"Cut the €π@¶, you're a $#!¥ liar mutt..." Sammy hissed furiously as he grabbed 'Wally' by the ears. "I told Henry you were bad news, but did he listen? No!"

"O-ow Sammy that smarts!"

"Trust me once I tell the others, me pulling on your ears will feel like a light spanking..." The sheep toon began to drag the wolf along, continuing his search for his missing teammates.

His anger dissipating as the trail of ink (blood) continued on. And then it stopped. Right in front a little miracle station situated in a trashed room.

Sammy stared at it for a little while before pressing his head to it. He could hear muffled familiar crying.

"Grant, you in there...?" He called, hoping for anything. A meek yes, a sob, anything...

He didn't expect the station to open up and have two child-sized toons tackle him in desperation.

Shawn and Grant were terrified. Worse yet... Buddy was with them and he did not look well.

'Wally' stared at the heavily wounded toon dog, barely able to look at the extensive damage. The kid was missing chunks for Pete's sake!

"What happened?" Sammy tried to get the others to talk.

"A wall collapsed, and... £¢€&... Oh my god..." Grant was hysterical and Shawn wasn't any better.

"It was mad, madness! I can't... And Norman..."

"Words, use your words, come on! What happened? Where's Norman?!" Sammy insisted, shaking the two smaller toons for good measure. They hiccuped and sobbed, and Grant could barely hold up one of his hands to point to a corner, where a lone projector lay discarded. 'Wally's stomach plummeted at the sight, and Sammy's grip slackened as he realized the implications.

"He went n-nuts... He attacked us! Buddy t-tried to stop him... W-we could barely escape into the station and then... Oh god Sammy, the Demon killed Norman! It just..."

"Head straight off, like he was nothin'!"

The reels clattered to the floor, rolling a few feet to meet with the projector that was spurting ink like a macabre fountain piece. 'Wally' had messed up big time.

[unabletoforget]

I Miss My Lover Man

@pranking-masters

     Jillian sat with her knees pulled up to her chest in the corner of her ratty old couch, watching the smoke slowly rise from the half smoked cigarette between her fingers. She had smoked a few times here and there when she was younger but she had stopped when Harry was born, wanting to think of his health and be careful around him. But with Harry gone and most everyone she loved dead, why should she care for her health? She had picked the habit back up about a week after James and Lily died, having been too distraught up until then to even remember what a cigarette was. Remus tried to talk her out of it, to tell her that Lily had been so proud of her when she had quit. Her response, as she had so eloquently put it on that cold November day, was ‘Lily’s dead, it doesn’t matter anymore...nothing matters anymore.’

     She often wondered if that statement had been part of why Remus had left, wondered if he had gone away because he didn’t think he mattered to her at all anymore. It wasn’t that she stopped caring about Remus that day, it was the opposite in fact. She adored him so completely, he was all she had left, but it felt so much easier to cut herself off from the world that day. Lily died, James died, Peter died...and Sirius was to blame for it all. And not only had he betrayed their dearest friends, put their god son in danger, but he had killed all those muggles in the process. If he did it at all. No, he had to have done it. The Ministry had been so sure of it, especially Barty Crouch Sr. Well, then again, he wasn’t all there, was he?

     Barty Crouch Sr was a man hell bent on revenge, though she wasn’t quite sure what crime had been committed to make him so hell bent on such a mission. He was a wizard drunk on his power and authority in a time of extreme chaos. Hell, the man had even locked away his own son under the accusations of having been involved in the torture of Alice and Frank Longbottom. God, that was an entire other can of worms she didn’t want to open. Alice and Frank were her friends, and even thinking about them or hearing their names made Jillian’s chest feel tighter. When they had been attacked she knew the world had truly fallen apart, since even the fall of Voldemort had not ended the pain to their people. Damn the LeStrange family. And to think, if her mother had gotten her way, she would have been married to Rabastan as soon as she graduated. Thank Merlin for her rebellious nature. But...it wasn’t that alone that saved her, was it? No, it had been Lily and James, it had been Peter and Remus. It had been...it had been Sirius.

     Jillian swallowed thickly and took another drag of her cigarette, a long one that lasted so long she was surprised the entire thing didn’t burn out. She held the smoke in her lungs for so long it made her chest burn, preferring the physical pain in her body over the pain in her heart and in her soul. She sniffled softly, another tear rolling down her cheek as she flicked the ashes off of her cigarette into the tray she had balancing on the arm of the sofa she sat on. “You were doing so well,” she heard from the corner of the room. Jillian tensed at the sound of the overly kind voice ringing in her ears. It wasn’t real, it wasn’t true, it was all in her head. “You promised me you wouldn’t do this anymore,” the voice said again, a flash of red hair catching Jillian’s attention. She turned her head to see Lily standing in the corner of the room, her arms behind her back as she leaned on the wall.

     “And you promised me you would be safe. Guess we’re both liars,” she said bitterly, watching as Lily sighed heavily and shook her head. Lily always accused Jillian of being the dramatic one, which was mostly true, especially when she and Sirius got together. But Lily was partial to her own form of dramatics as well, she just wasn’t as theatrical about it as Jillian and Sirius were, not even as much as James really. 

     “I didn’t do that on purpose. This, this you are doing on purpose,” Lily said, pushing herself off the wall and slowly walking over to the sofa before sitting on the other side, Jillian not hesitating to take notice of the fact that she didn’t feel the weight in the sofa cushions shift. “Jilly...you have to stop punishing yourself for what happened.”

     “I can’t,” Jillian responded quickly, not daring to look at Lily as she stared at the dwindling cigarette in her hand. “I should have been able to save you. To save James and Peter and Harry...to stop Sirius,” she choked out. “He was my responsibility, just like James was yours. I...I should have been there. It should have been me, not you.”

     “Jilly Bean…” Lily whispered softly before Jillian cut her off.

     “No! It's true. You were always more useful to the Order than I was. Your potions were stronger than mine, you were better with people than me, you were a better soldier than I was...you were smarter than me. And if I was smart like you, you would still be,” she said softly.

     “That isn’t how it works and you know it,” Lily said firmly, causing Jillian to glance over at her. She was exactly how she remembered her. A face full of freckles, hair as fiery as her heart and green eyes as piercing as a sword. She wouldn’t have it any other way. “Even if you had been there, you couldn’t have saved me. You couldn’t have saved James. And Peter, well I wasn’t there for that but if all those muggles didn’t stand a chance then neither did he, so don’t you go feeling responsible for his death either,” she chastised. 

     Jillian stiffened as Lily talked about Peter, his sweet face flashing behind her eyes as she slumped further into the couch. “And as for Harry...well it turns out he didn’t need saving,” Lily said. And even though Jillian wasn’t looking at her, she could hear the smile in her voice. “That little boy made it out of the impossible. And he is going to be the strongest of us all someday. And if you don’t quit smoking, if you don’t take care of yourself and get out of this hell hole for a little while, you won’t be there when he needs you. Because Jill, he will need you. He will need you to guide him and love him, to protect him and take care of him because his father and I can’t,” Lily reasoned. 

     Jillian shifted as if uncomfortable, like she was trying to curl in on herself to keep away from Lily because she thought touching her might make her vanish. “I miss you,” Jillian said softly, barely above a whisper. “I miss talking to you.”

     “We’re talking right now, Jilly,” Lily pointed out with a tilt of her head. 

     “You’re not real. You’re in my head...a figment inside my mind.”

     “Well, of course I am,” Lily said, her smile brightening a bit as she spoke, making Jillian turn her head in confusion. “But why should that mean it isn’t real anyway?”

     Jillian felt tears balancing on her lower lashes before shaking her head, laughing softly. “I hate you,” she said.

     “No you don’t,” Lily responded smoothly. Just like old times. 

     “No...I don’t,” Jillian agreed, leaning her head back on the couch as she watched Lily. “I still miss you though.”

     Lily smiled, knowingly almost, like how a mother would look at a child. “I miss you too.”

     Jillian watched Lily with an ache in her chest, wishing she could just reach out and grab her hand. Lily always had soft hands, she wasn’t sure why she remembered that. Maybe it was because it fit so well with her gentle nature. Just like how she remembered James always had the best hugs and Peter always had the biggest appetite. “Jilly,” Lily said, causing Jillian to look up from her hands to her face. “We aren’t all gone, you know.”

     Jillian sighed and nodded “I know. I don’t mean to push Remus away I just...it's so hard to be a person around him when I worry maybe he blames me too. Even if he did, he would be too kind to say it,” she pointed out.

     Lily shook her head “He doesn’t and you know it. You two need each other, you should call him,” she pointed out. Jillian nodded but didn’t say anything, almost ashamed to know that she was right. Remus wasn’t the only one at fault here, she was too. “And Sirius isn’t dead you know...he can still come home.”

     Jillian flinched at the sound of his name as something tickled her mind, her head shaking “He betrayed you.”

     Lily shook her head and sat up a little bit better “You’ve been in love with him since we were fifteen years old, you know there isn’t an evil bone in his body. It's just me and you here, you can be honest...do you really believe he did it?” she asked slowly.

     Jillian swallowed thickly as her mind fell back to every beautiful moment she had ever had with Sirius, every moment where he had ever made her feel loved and beautiful. Each kiss, every time they made love, the way he whispered in her ear, even down to the look in his eyes when they held each other at night. That man wasn’t evil, that man wasn’t heartless, that man wasn’t a murderer. That man would never betray his friends. Jillian’s lower lip trembled as she shook her head “N-No,” she admitted. “I-I think it just...it’s easier for me to blame him. To say he did it rather than to think he...to think he is suffering in there for no reason. To think you...whoever betrayed you will never be brought to justice.”

     “But do you still trust him?” Lily asked plainly.

     Jillian felt a sense in her stomach that told her the answer to that one clearly. “W-With my life.”

     “And do you still love him?”

     That one was easy. “Always.”

     Lily slowly smiled again and nodded once, standing up from the couch, as if she was going to leave. “Then stop smoking. Because when Sirius gets out of prison, and that stubborn ass will get out, he will need a healthy girlfriend to take care of him. One that will fight by his side to get my son back. It’s going to be a long road, you should travel it with him. I wouldn’t have traveled the road I went down without James. Don’t go down this one without Sirius. Or without Remus. Harry will need all of you.” Lily nodded her head once and turned as if she was walking away towards the hall, causing Jillian to sit up quickly and press her cigarette into the ashtray, moving it to sit on the coffee table. 

     “Lils!” she said hurriedly, standing up but not following her because it wouldn’t do any good. She watched Lily turn around, catching those green eyes again. “What if I’m wrong?” she asked. “What if I’m wrong and he did it and I love him still?”

     Lily smiled warmly, shaking her head as if she had said something silly. “I know you better than anyone. You wouldn’t love a monster. And you adore him. You’re not wrong. He didn’t do this to me. But he is the only person who can help you find whoever did. He needs you, and you need him.” And like that, Lily seemed to fade right in front of her eyes. Jillian felt an ache in her stomach as she whimpered, holding her stomach as she fell back onto the couch, curling her legs up underneath of her. She was crying too hard to hear the front door opening, and even if she had heard it, she didn’t think she would believe it was real at this point considering her dead best friend just came to give her relationship advice. 

     No, none of it mattered now. And as Jillian cried into the couch, her body trembling and her heart broken, she realized that at the end of it all nothing had changed. She was all alone. 

[cakesunflower]

Fall From Grace [C.H. AU] Part 1

A/N: sooo if any of y’all remember, i had a fanfic called Fall From Grace and i ended up deleting it because i lost inspo. but i just decided to pick it up again bc i got motivated to write it again. so this entire part 1 consists of the 8 chapters that used to be on here, roughly over 24.8k words. part 2 will be everything that comes after, so if you’d read the 8 chaps that used to be on here, this part may seem familiar bc it’s literally the same thing. happy reading!

-----UPDATE: once again tumblr has fucked up and i realized a little too late. please do not read this on desktop, because parts of the story seem to be missing from it. read it on the MOBILE APP. that way, you get the FULL version. this website is so dumb.-----

READ!!! ON!!! MOBILE!!!!!

Part 1

“YOU CAN’T BE serious,” Calum Hood laughed, though even he could hear the slight nervous tinge that slipped into his tone as he stared at his parents, utterly baffled and taken aback at what he just heard. He was sure his parents were kidding, but the stoic expressions on their faces had Calum’s gut twisting in dread.

“Does it look like we’re joking, Calum?” His mother responded, staring at her son in practiced disappointment. He was twenty-three years old, she shouldn’t have to treat him like he was some teenager making mistakes. Yet, here they were, doing exactly that because Calum hadn’t left them with any other choice.

Calum’s hands curled into fists, the same hands that had the initials of the very parents that were doing this to him tattooed on them, exhaling a sharp, affronted breath. “What the hell am I supposed to do in North Carolina?” he demanded, his voice that only carried a hint of his Australian accent deepening with the irritation that ran through his veins.

“Stay away from the limelight you’ve attracted to yourself,” his father answered, not at all perturbed by Calum’s annoyance as he nodded towards the several tabloid magazines on the table between them, all slapped with headlines and pictures of Calum that did not paint him, or his family, well. His dad lifted his chin, continuing, “Your grandparents already have a room ready for you; they expect you at the airport tomorrow evening.”

Calum couldn’t believe this. He loved his parents, he truly did, but having this being done to him made him seriously question their love for him. They would argue they weren’t doing this to him but for him, but in this moment it was all the same to Calum. So what if he got into some trouble here and there—that didn’t justify them sending him to a town that barely had the population of his alma mater. He may be out of school, but it was still the summer—Calum would be damned if he had to spend it in fucking Bridgelake, North Carolina. He wasn’t a child. They couldn’t just ship him off as a way of getting rid of the problem.

He crossed his arms over his chest, the short sleeves of his shirt straining against his muscles as he tautly stated,  You can’t make me go there, let alone spend the entire summer.”

“Actually, we can,” his dad countered smoothly, his accent thicker than his son’s as he pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose, leaning back on the couch. Calum remained where he stood, only his gaze flickering towards his dad. “I still have control over your accounts and I’m freezing most of your assets.” Calum froze, adam’s apple bobbing in his throat at the news and muscles tightening in anger. “You’re lucky I’m even sending you across the country in first class. You’ll have limited access to your account; should you run out, your grandparents will give you an allowance as they see fit.”

Calum was sure there would be bruises left on his arms from how tightly he was gripping them, still crossed over his chest as he felt even the material of his rings biting into his skin. Was his dad serious? Part of Calum still hoped that this was some kind of prank his parents were pulling on him, but each passing second had the ball of dread sinking lower in his stomach and his anger over this whole thing spiking.

Before he could get another word out, his mother spoke up once more, this time her voice soft and carrying maternal gentleness. “Sweetheart, you’re out until odd hours of the night and you’re showing up to company events either high out of your mind or drunk off your feet. If you’re not doing that, you’re getting involved with some girl or another or getting kicked out of places for acting out. You’re bringing bad attention to your father’s company and more importantly, to yourself.”

A dull ache formed in Calum’s mouth from clenching his jaw so hard as his mother listed off everything he’s done in the past few months. The partying, the drinking, the drugs—he’s always done that, but he’s always been smart about it. But with each shot of whiskey, drag of a cigarette or hit of a blunt had more and more of Calum’s common sense slipping away and soon enough, he didn’t care who saw him doing what.

Though, he’s pretty sure the recent scandal of some girl he met once leaking messages, videos and pictures of a very nude Calum was the last straw for his parents.

Still, he couldn’t help but grumble, “What happened to there being no such thing as bad press?”

“You’re being careless,” his father snapped, making Calum tighten his jaw once more. “This decision is final, Calum. Maybe staying off the grid in a no-name town will help you realize there’s more to life than getting high or partying every Goddamn night. Besides, it’ll give you some time to spend with your grandparents—it’s been a while since you saw them.”

Calum exhaled sharply through his nose, aggravation running thicker than blood in his veins. He didn’t mind seeing his grandparents; he missed them a lot, actually. But the mere thought of leaving his Los Angeles home to stay in some small-ass North Carolina town for three months made him want to smoke three packs out. He was pissed and, frankly, mildly embarrassed that his parents were treating him like he was thirteen instead of twenty-three. But more so pissed because he had plans with his friends for the summer and now what? He was being dropped in the middle of nowhere?

Fucking hell.

                                           ✩✩✩✩✩

After a seven and a half hour flight with a stop in Charlotte, Calum’s plane finally landed in Wilmington, North Carolina around eight at night. The airport was ridiculously small—the plane from Charlotte to Wilmington didn’t even have first class, though since the flight was only an hour long, Calum didn’t mind too much. But when he greeted his grandfather with a hug after collecting his bags and stepped outside of the airport, a heavy sigh escaped him at the sight of the pouring rain. Los Angeles would never treat him this way.

Though, Calum would admit, the rain was definitely a startling depiction of his mood ever since his parents dropped this news on him.

“Oh, come on, pal. It’s not gonna be like this every day,” Grandpa Daniel assured Calum with a clap on his back, opening up the umbrella as the two of them made their way through the parking lot to where his car was parked. It wasn’t busy and not many people were around, so only the sound of rain pattering against the ground and the rattling of the luggage cart wheels could be heard. “You’ll see the sunshine soon.”

Calum hiked the strap of his duffel bag higher up on his shoulder, hands gripping the bar of the cart as he pushed it along. “It’s not L.A. sunshine,” he grumbled under his breath.

Grandpa Daniel heard him over the rain. “Sun’s the same everywhere, Cal. Only difference is you’ll see it here three hours sooner.”

Rolling his dark eyes, Calum didn’t say anything in response as they finally reached his grandfather’s station wagon, putting all of his luggage in the trunk and refusing Grandpa Daniel’s help before quickly making his way over to the front seat. He had his hood up under his leather jacket, which his grandfather made fun of him for wearing because who wore leather jackets and hoodies during the summer? Apparently Calum.

The drive from Wilmington to Bridgelake didn’t take too long, especially with Calum’s grandfather playing Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin through the car, but that didn’t stop Calum from drearily staring out the raindrop stained windows. They drove through the somewhat busy roads, the small houses and stores nothing but shadows in the night yet a sharp reminder to Calum that he wasn’t in Los Angeles anymore. Even during the night when no one was out and about because of the rain, Calum could see the difference in this town and the city he loved; the fact that it was raining on his first night here was probably a sign on how the rest of his so-called summer was going to go.

Shit, he couldn’t believe his parents did this to him.

It wasn’t long until his grandfather was pulling the car onto the gravel driveway of one story house that Calum couldn’t help but compare to a hotel suite. Correction—he’s stayed in suites larger than his grandparents’ home, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to tell them that. By the time they had arrived, the rain had slowed and the house was a shadowy structure save for the light Calum saw through the window on the house and on the front door.

This time Grandpa Daniel grasped Calum’s duffel and one of the suitcases while Calum carried the other two by the handles, following his grandfather up the steps as the mild drizzle pelted at his jacket and hood. “Here we are,” Grandpa Daniel breathed out, shooting his grandson, who was almost a head taller than him, a grin as he used his keys to unlock the front door. “Home sweet home.”

Calum took in a preparing breath. Not what he would call it.

                                              ✩✩✩✩✩

Olivia wished she was used to the stares that often followed her when she left the comfort of her home, feeling the judgmental gazes burning into her skin like they have been for the past four years. Sure, they weren’t as bad as when she was eighteen, but apparently some people still thought to visualize their opinions whenever Olivia came into view, and all she could do was ignore them and not feed into their contempt.

So she pasted on a smile, kept her head up as much as she could bring herself to, and went on with her day.

Still, that didn’t mean she couldn’t hear the two women standing at the end of the cereal aisle, glancing over at Olivia as if she was a different species. Olivia sighed. Perks of living in a town with a total population matching that of a small school in a big city. Some weren’t as bad as others; they either didn’t care enough to send a glare Olivia’s way every time she stepped out of her apartment or they had moved on altogether, but there would always be some people in Bridgelake that would hate seeing Olivia out and about in the same streets as them.

She could only hope her fourteen year old sister, Alana, wasn’t as hyper aware of others’ stares as she was.

“Alright, I got my Loopies, can we go now?” Alana smiled innocently as she dropped the box of Froot Loops into the cart, staring at her older sister with a hopeful expression.

Olivia raised bemused eyebrows, chin dropping slightly. “Okay, first of all—you’re fourteen. When are you gonna stop calling them Loopies?” Alana rolled her eyes, waving Olivia off, who continued, “And we still have half the grocery list left. Keep it moving.”

Alana’s shoulders dropped with a huff and Olivia had to suppress her amused smile. Her younger sister wasn’t really a fan of going grocery shopping—when whatever Alana wanted was in the cart, she was ready to leave, and sometimes the only way to quell her was to promise a McFlurry from the in-house McDonald’s up front.

Alana walked beside Olivia as she moved the cart along, making their way out of the aisle—they walked past the two women, who noticeably quieted as the two girls walked past and Olivia didn’t spare them a glance, her stomach twisting in annoyance—and towards the back of Walmart. But as they made their way to the wall of milk and juices, another cart made its way through an aisle to their left, causing Olivia to stop short so the two carts didn’t collide.

“Olivia, honey, almost ran right into you!” Came the voice of Claudia Hood, an elderly woman who adored Olivia and Alana as much as they adored her. She was in her late sixties but always on her feet, active especially at the animal shelter she ran. Olivia had met her years ago when she used to volunteer at the shelter when she was in high school, which Alana now volunteers at. “Already time for your weekly shopping, hmm?”

“Yeah,” Olivia responded before shooting her sister a dry smile. “Alana wasted all the eggs trying to bake a cake so, you know, it was time.”

Amusement danced in Claudia’s dark eyes, eyebrows raising. “Did it turn out well, at least?”

“Yes.”

“No.”

Alana scowled at Olivia for her negative answer, the older one just smiling innocently as Claudia laughed at the sisters. “My grandson arrived last night so I brought him with me to stock up on anything he may want to eat,” she informed with a shake of her head. “I’m getting all the healthy food and he’s off somewhere getting snacks.” Claudia then glanced around, a slight furrow in her eyebrows. “Though, he’s been off for some time. Wouldn’t be surprised if he’s gotten himself lost.”

Olivia raised her eyebrows at that, her maternal instincts derived from practically raising her sister for the past four years sending a tiny rush of worry through her at the thought of Claudia’s grandson being lost somewhere in here. Despite the size of the town, the Walmart here was intimidatingly big and easy to get lost in.

“Oh, there he is!” Claudia’s voice suddenly exclaimed, making Olivia look at her as she raised her hand, looking straight ahead as she called, “Calum, over here, love!”

Following Claudia’s gaze, Olivia had expected to see a young boy, maybe even a teenager, since Claudia had never disclosed her grandson’s age. What she hadn’t expected, however, was a six foot tall man with dark curls and tattoos inking his arm that carried some bags of chips and fingers decorated with rings that held a case of beer making his way over. Olivia blinked at the sight of the startlingly handsome guy who was probably around her age, with golden skin and deep, dark brown eyes, making his way down as if he owned the place and didn’t give a shit about it.

He had a bored expression on his face, plump lips pressed together as he approached them and dumped what he carried in his grandmother’s cart with a clatter. “Olivia, Alana, this is my grandson Calum,” Claudia introduced with a smile, gesturing to the man who was a good two heads taller than her. Maybe more. “Calum, this is Olivia and Alana.”

“Hi,” Alana chirped happily, while Olivia offered a polite smile of her own. Calum’s gaze flickered to the younger of the two, his lips twitching into the smallest of smiles, before he looked at Olivia. She felt herself stiffen slightly under his gaze, feeling as though he was looking right through her, and she forced herself to break his intense gaze. Olivia was used to people staring at her—she wasn’t used to people looking at her.

“He’s staying with us for the summer,” Claudia said, bringing Olivia’s attention back to the elderly woman, who smiled happily, “So you’ll be seeing lots of him around town.”

“‘M not exactly a social butterfly, Grams,” Calum’s low voice spoke, crossing his arms over his chest and Olivia tried not to notice how his biceps bulged under the tight black shirt that read GUCCI across his broad chest. She did, however, notice the hint of a lisp in his accented yet raspy voice; Olivia didn’t know someone’s voice could hold so many traits.

“Really, now?” Claudia raised an eyebrow, shooting her grandson an amused yet skeptical look as she clicked her tongue. “That’s not what your father tells me.”

Olivia’s eyebrows lifted curiously, if not by what Claudia said then by the reaction it elicited from Calum, which consisted of his sharp jaw clenching tightly—how could someone have baby-like chubby cheeks but a jaw sharp enough to cut glass?—while turning his head away from his grandmother. He almost reminded Olivia of a petulant child, which would be amusing if it weren’t for the muscle jumping in his jaw.

Calum, on the other hand, was seething with irritation because he didn’t need his dad talking to his grandparents about what Calum got up to. Let them see it on TV, the Internet, or on magazines like the rest of the world. Other people’s words were less incriminating than his own father’s. Calum knew he had no room to be angry about his grandparents learning what he had gotten up to—they may live in the middle of nowhere but they still had Internet and a TV, they could easily find out what Calum got himself wrapped up in—but the last thing he wanted was his parents gossiping to his grandparents about him.

His mood sour, more so than it already was, Calum’s jaw remained tight, ignoring the dull ache his teeth soon began experiencing. Olivia found herself looking at him again as Alana and Claudia talked about one of the dogs at the shelter, wondering what Claudia could’ve meant by her words that had gotten Calum so blatantly pissed off. She didn’t know him at all, but she knew an angry person when she saw one.

Calum just radiated a bad energy at this point, and Olivia felt a bit uncomfortable being around someone who looked like he’d rather be anywhere but here, too used to people giving that vibe when she was near, so Olivia quickly yet politely interrupted Claudia and Alana’s conversation. “Sorry, guys, but we still have some grocery left and gotta stop at the library before it closes,” Olivia smiled apologetically, thanking the universe that her excuse wasn’t really a lie. They did have to do those things and it was coming close to the public library’s closing time, but she hadn’t been in a rush until after meeting Calum.

“Oh, sure, sure, honey,” Claudia nodded, gesturing for the girls to run off.

Alana waved goodbye as Olivia pushed her cart forward, forcing herself to bring her gaze over to Calum, feeling her heart thump particularly harshly when she saw his dark eyed gaze already on her. She forced a smile on her face as she said, “It was nice meeting you, Calum.” He blinked before nodding once, not bothering with a verbal response. Jeez, what was up with him? Shooting a wider, more genuine smile to Claudia, Olivia added, “I’ll see you later!”

The two girls moved along after bidding goodbye, though Olivia could still hear Claudia admonish Calum behind her. “You could at least say a friendly goodbye, Calum. No grandson of mine is going to walk around as if he’s learned no manners.”

Olivia didn’t hear Calum’s response as they kept moving. She didn’t see Claudia or her grandson again as they continued shopping, though Olivia bit the inside of her cheek when she thought about him for a moment. He definitely looked like a city guy; tight shirt and jeans despite the eighty degree weather outside, and she had even noticed his expensive looking boots. Who wore polished black boots to Walmart?

“Claudia’s grandson’s cute, don’t you think?” Alana hummed as they finally got to the self-checkout, loading the items on the belt as Olivia scanned them.

Olivia shot her a glance, trying not to think of the dark eyes and inked skin. “Kind of old for you, isn’t he?”

Her fourteen year old sister rolled her eyes but Olivia didn’t miss the flush in her cheeks, once again trying to hide her amused grin as she double bagged the gallon of milk.

Bridgelake rarely ever got new residents, even if Calum was a temporary one for the summer, Olivia would be lying if she wasn’t curious about the new guy. Even if he did seem like he had a stick shoved up his ass. He was Claudia and Daniel’s grandson, and Olivia and Alana were close with them and enjoyed being around them. Especially because they were such happy, genuinely kind people and were two of the few people who didn’t turn Olivia and Alana away when the accident happened four years ago. So with grandparents like that, Olivia couldn’t help but wonder why Calum seemed to look like he perpetually woke up on the wrong side of the bed.

                                                 ✩✩✩✩✩

Calum could quite honestly name only two things that didn’t make his stay in Bridgelake as intolerable as it potentially could. The first thing was seeing his grandparents and the second was getting to hang out with their German Shepherd, Bruno. His mood remained sour since he arrived from the airport, but even Calum couldn’t keep the smile off his face when he greeted his grandfather at the airport and then his grandmother and Bruno at the house.

If there were two things that could put a smile on Calum’s face, it was family and dogs—even when the former were making him want to put his head through a wall.

He’s been in Bridgelake for three days, and was already fielding calls and messages left and right from his friends back in Los Angeles, asking him where the hell he was. Really, he told his three best friends already about his punishment, all of whom laughed their asses off at Calum’s expense, and everyone else was just wondering where their party provider friend ran off to. Calum sometimes wondered if those people were actually his friends or just wanted him around for the parties he threw and the alcohol he provided.

Technically, he knew the answer, but didn’t want to think about it.

But really—Calum would rather be partying it up with his real and fake friends back home than slouching in his grandfather’s La-Z-Boy, aggravated that he quite literally had nothing to do here. There was always something going on in Los Angeles, so Bridgelake being dryer than dirt was making Calum irrationally irritated. He liked being entertained, he liked going out in L.A. with his friends—none of which could happen here. Being left alone with his own thoughts was a pastime he’d rather not indulge himself in. Especially when they reminded him of how truly alone he was.

As if reading his lamenting mood, Calum’s grandfather spoke up, “You know Bridgelake may not be your fancy big city, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to do here, pal.”

Calum leaned his head back in the recliner haphazardly, as if it took too much effort to hold it up so he lolled it to sideways to raise a bemused eyebrow at Gramps, who was sitting on the couch to Calum’s right. “Oh, yeah?” he snorted in disbelief. “Like what?”

Gramps looked up from the book he was reading, gaze landing on Calum. “Well,” he began, taking off his reading glasses. “There’s the cinemas, a new bowling alley opened up a few months ago and—oh, there’s also the beach. That’s something you should definitely be familiar with, eh?”

Calum rarely ever went to the beach in Los Angeles, only when there was a bonfire or if someone was throwing a party at their beach house. But, really, was that list his grandfather just gave him supposed to impress him? It was pathetic—it was nothing. If Calum wanted, he could do all of that in one day and the rest of the three months would be spent in bored misery. “No clubs? Bars?”

His grandfather rolled his eyes. “Sorry to disappoint but we don’t have any of your Californian clubs here.” Then he pointed at Calum with his glasses. “We do have a few bars around town—though, they don’t open until five.”

It was only eleven-thirty in the morning and Calum was two seconds away from calling up his parents and demanding a flight back home. He might as well just smoke to keep himself entertained for a few moments. Calum let out a deep groan, sinking lower into the recliner as he stared up at the ceiling, eyes following the quick movements of the fan whirring around. “Why don’t you go to the shelter, then?” Gramps suggested with a sigh. “I’m sure your grams wouldn’t mind help with the animals.”

It was comical how Calum perked up at the mention of animals—some of the very few things that could put him in a good mood. Maybe being surrounded by little balls of fur would help distract him from being in this miserable town.

So Calum stood up with a huff, ignoring the satisfied expression on his grandfather’s face as he walked out of the living room, past the dining room and kitchen and headed down the end of the hall where his room was. Honestly, it was literally smaller than his bathroom back home, but he wasn’t going to tell his grandparents that. It baffled Calum how his family lived in a house that had a garage the size of his grandparents’ entire home, and they stuck to living in this small space. They had the money and the means, Calum knew, so living here was their choice. He didn’t—couldn’t—understand why.

Once he had put on his jeans, boots and favorite leather jacket over his Led Zeppelin shirt, he left the house after taking the keys to his grandfather’s truck that he was allowed to drive. It was rustic and a deep red color, the engine sputtering to life and not at all familiar to Calum’s ears since he was so used to hearing the roar of his BMW back home, but it’d have to do, he lamented.

The town was small and his grandfather had given him directions to the shelter, which was on First Street, so Calum drove with the air conditioner blasting against his face. It was hot out, and his outfit probably didn’t help, but Calum was used to the California heat so the North Carolina weather really was nothing in comparison.

He drove through the surprisingly busy streets, past houses, restaurants, salons, farmers markets and parks and he almost felt suffocated by how strong the small town vibe this place carried was. Sure, Los Angeles was packed with people and New York was even worse, but something about big cities comforted Calum. He could feel lost and have his own headspace if he wanted, even if eventually his face ended up in front of some tabloid or another. Small towns may be isolated, but even inside them a person had a low chance of getting lost amongst everyone else unlike in a big city. Small towns weren’t as private as his cities were.

It wasn’t hard to find his grandmother’s animal shelter; right in between a bookstore and a photography one, with a blue and white sign labeled New Homes with a paw print in the corner of it. Finding a parking space, Calum stepped out with sunglasses shielding his eyes, shoving the keys in his jeans pocket as he stepped onto the sidewalk before pushing open the door.

Immediately, the many smells of an abundance of animals greeted Calum’s nose, as well as the occasional barking and meowing that overpowered any other sound. It was a spacious place, with the left and right walls lined up with little dens for cats and dogs, roomy enough for them to fit in comfortably with a caged gate to keep them inside. There were playpens in the middle and a counter in the front where all the paperwork was done, and there was a doorway in the back that led to the bathing area, behind the shelves of pet food, toys, and other care products for sale.

Calum took off his sunglasses, taking in the sight of two young kids sitting in one of the playpens, overjoyed to be playing with labrador puppies, and a few adults looking around as he hung his glasses on his neckline. He instantly felt himself drawing closer to the dens where the dogs were, the biggest ones on the ground and the smaller ones higher up on the shelf.

“Hi, buddy,” he murmured quietly, sticking his fingers through one of the den cages where a basset hound sat, tilting his head towards Calum’s fingers to brush up against them. The corner of Calum’s lips tugged up at the puppy trying to get closer to him even with the cage separating them. “You’re pretty cute, huh?”

“Calum, honey,” his grandmother’s voice sounded, making his hand drop from the cage, much to the puppy’s dismay as Calum turned around, watching as his grandmother smiled and made her way over. “Dan told me you were coming. Got bored of sitting around the house, hm?” she asked knowingly, raising a pointed eyebrow.

Calum shoved his fists into the pockets of his leather jacket, feeling the cool metal of his bracelets on either wrist rest against his skin. “Something like that,” he vaguely responded, his attention drawn towards the playpen when the young girl let out a delighted squeal because a puppy was happily licking at her face. Even Calum had to admit it was a heartwarming sight.

“Can you do me a favor, love?” Grams brought his attention back, making him look down at the short woman with dark blonde hair speckled with grey. He lifted his eyebrows silently. “Head off into the back storage room and there’s bags of dog food sitting on a top shelf. Can’t miss it. Bring over two and put them on that shelf over there, will you?”

He wanted to tell her he was just here to see the animals, not be put to work, but the hopeful look on his grandmother’s face had him swallowing his words. So with a nod, he turned to head to the back room, though he still rolled his dark eyes in exasperation. Calum passed all of the other animals, weaving through some of the people loitering around the store as he entered the back. He walked past a bathing area, nose wrinkling at the unsurprising smell of wet dog before reaching another door, where he saw an abundance of products that he saw some of in the actual store.

Catching sight of the large packages of food, Calum picked up two of them and hoisted them on his right shoulder effortlessly, right hand resting on top of it to keep the two pile steady as he made his way back. Once he spotted the shelf he was supposed to put them on, he put the two packages there on display, habitually dusting his hands off together as he turned to make his way back to where his grandmother was, though stopping when the shop door swung open and in came two familiar faces.

It was the two girls from Walmart the other day. Calum had to admit, the older one was ridiculously attractive with brilliant blue eyes, sharp cheekbones and full lips Calum couldn’t help but notice. She—Olivia, her name Calum remembered—was definitely a sight for sore eyes in a town like this, and while Calum had the opportunity to be a decent human being to her, his sour mood prompted him to keep his mouth shut when she appeared. His grandmother had given him an earful for that.

Calum watched as Olivia entered the store behind her younger sister, Alana, who wore the same light blue shirt the other workers in the store did. The two talked to his grandmother for a bit before Alana went off to the side to the cages, leaving just Olivia with his grams as he made his way over.  

“—can’t really afford it, so she wanted me to ask you if she could increase her volunteering hours just by a little bit,” Olivia was saying as Calum leisurely made his way over, watching as the brunette ran her fingers through her wavy hair to push it back. She let out a quiet sigh. “I promised her she could go next year, but she was still pretty disappointed and I feel bad.”

“Oh, sweetheart, you’re doing such a wonderful job raising her—I’m sure Alana understands,” Grams reassured with a smile, giving Olivia’s hand a squeeze right behind she noticed Calum’s presence once he reached them. “Oh, Olivia, you remember my grandson.”

As if I could forget. Olivia smiled at him, the same smile she offered at Walmart that Calum hadn’t even bothered to return, and didn’t feel inclined to do so now because of the heavy weight on his shoulders. His grandmother delivered a sharp yet subtle jab to his side, causing the 6’1” man to grimace slightly before forcing a small smile. “Yeah, good to see you again,” Olivia greeted kindly.

She came off as kind of shy, Calum couldn’t help but observe, especially with how her fingers were fiddling with the strap of her purse. He also noticed how Olivia wore little to no makeup, which was quite a difference from the many women he knew back at home, and while that wasn’t something Calum noticed nor cared about, he couldn’t help but think how Olivia was one of the most attractive girls he’s ever seen.

Calum wanted to snort at himself; what was he supposed to do with that thought? Then again, he figured if he was going to suffer in Bridgelake for three months, then he might as well have something nice to look at.

Suddenly Grams let out a small laugh. “Looks like the retriever pups are having a field day with Alana.”

Calum looked at his grandmother, seeing that she was looking past him and followed her gaze where he saw Alana cradling two of the Golden Retriever puppies, who were happily licking away at her face. “They’re livin’ the dream,” Calum’s low voice sounded, eyes on the sight. He wasn’t sure if he meant his words of if they were supposed to be some kind of sarcastic dig at the fact that he’s most certainly not living his dream in this town.

Olivia peered at him, taking in the curly tousle of his hair and the sharp line of his jaw as he stood tall with shoulders squared and hands in the pockets of his leather jacket. Seriously—how was he wearing that in eighty degree weather? She felt constricted in the capris she was currently wearing. “Yeah,” Olivia found herself slowly speaking, wondering if he was up for holding a conversation. She wasn’t sure if Calum wasn’t the talkative type or if his obvious dislike of the town had him keeping to himself. “Our apartment building doesn’t allow pets so Alana gets her fill volunteering here.”

The smallest of smiles curled at Calum’s lips hearing that, gaze flickering to Olivia. She was also watching Alana, and just by the fond look on her face Calum could tell how much she loved her sister. It made Calum miss his own, who was living her life in New York, as he pursed his lips. Maybe if his parents hadn’t sent him here he could’ve gone to see her.

“Anyways, I should get going to work,” Olivia said, shooting Claudia a smile. “I’ll be back during my lunch break to pick her up.”

Calum watched as Grams shot Olivia a mildly exasperated look. “You know Alana likes staying here for more than just a few hours, especially now that her hours are going to increase,” she said with a light laugh. “I’m more than willing to drop her home.”

Olivia’s lips parted and for a brief second Calum saw the hopeful look flash across her eyes before she worried, “Are you sure?”

Grams shot her a look. “Olivia.”

Then the blue eyed girl grinned, taking a relieved breath as she hiked her bag higher up on her shoulder. “Alright, thank you, Claudia,” Olivia breathed as she walked backwards towards the door. “I’ll see you,” she added with a wave as Grams called back a goodbye and Calum merely pulled at the front of his jacket, hands still fisted into the pocket, as a makeshift wave.

Calum watched after her as she disappeared down the sidewalk, unable to process even a single thought since his grandmother sighed next to him. “Such a hardworking girl, bless her heart.”

He glanced at her, quirking an eyebrow as she moved over to the counter, opening up a binder full of lists that Calum didn’t spare a look at as he lazily followed Grams. “So you, uh, know her well?”

Grams hummed, eyes on the binder. “Oh, yes, for a few years now. It’s unfair what’s happened to her and her sister.”

Calum blinked, unsure of what she meant as he glanced over his shoulder where Alana was playing with the puppies before asking confusedly, “What do you mean?”

A sigh left Grams, left arm folded on top of the counter as she looked up at her grandson. “There was a horrible accident four years ago,” she began quietly, voice lowered so no one else would listen in as Calum found himself leaning in slightly. “The girls’ parents were involved. Their father, Sid, was drunk and had gotten behind the wheel. Swerved into another vehicle and ended up injuring one of the other people involved, and killing three others. One of them was the girls’ mother, Jana.”

Eyes wide, Calum stared at his grandmother in disbelief, her words an unexpected head spinner. That was definitely he hadn’t seen coming, and suddenly Calum’s chest felt tight as he thought of Olivia and Alana, and how he couldn’t possibly imagine what they must have felt, what they must feel, with a past like that.

Grams had a sad, heartbroken look in her eye, gaze distant as her brows furrowed slightly. “Sid’s serving a fifteen to life sentence. Olivia was eighteen when it happened so she got custody of Alana, since the poor girls had no family to take them in. They stayed with a family friend but their mum and grandparents left money for them so Olivia sold their family home and got an apartment for herself and Alana. Been raising her sister ever since.”

He didn’t know Olivia or Alana, but Calum’s jaw dangerously tightened at Grams’ words, feeling a heaviness in his chest at the thought of the two girls being alone after something as horrible as that. Calum couldn’t even imagine what it would be like to live in a world where their father was imprisoned for unintentionally killing their mother, and an uncomfortable shiver traveled down his spine. He didn’t want to even think about something like that; the fact that it was those girls’ lives was horrific, gut twisting uneasily as his throat worked to keep it from tightening.

“But it’s a small town,” Grams continued, bringing Calum’s attention back to her, watching as her thin eyebrows furrowed together in a distasteful frown as she shook her head. “People talk—they haven’t stopped. Many see Olivia and Alana and it’s a reminder that their father killed three people they all knew and loved, even if one of them was the girls’ mother. Give the poor things nasty eyes as if it’s their fault everything happened. People talk and stare and Olivia hears and sees it all and all she does is keep a smile and mind her own business and look after her sister. For someone who’s only twenty-two, she’s been doing an amazing job with Alana. I just wish people would let them be.” she sighed, a dismayed expression washing over her aged face. “That’s one of the harsh things about living in a place as small as Bridgelake—everyone knows everyone and when something like that happens, they never stop talking about it.”

That’s one thing he loved about Grams—and Gramps—that they were both laid back. They had done their duty with Calum’s dad, raising him to be the best he could be, which he did by becoming a successful entrepreneur who owned hundreds of hotels and banks around the world and was constantly attributing his career to his parents, and weren’t at all judgemental or strict or anything like that.

As Grams’ words settled in Calum’s mind, his hands clenched into tighter fists in the pockets of his jacket. Calum was used to having people talk about him, what with him being on every gossip site and magazine issue weekly, but that didn’t mean it didn’t annoy the shit out of him or that he enjoyed people staring at him as if he was an exhibit at the zoo. Some people, his parents sometimes included, thought he was purposefully getting drunk or high or caught doing the walk of shame from one girl’s house to another for the attention when in reality, he was just trying to live his damn life. But of course everyone needed a picture, needed a story to publish, and they were all about him being a party animal with girls hanging off each arm. Not too shabby, sure, but certainly annoying. Certainly the kind of person his parents weren’t too proud of.

He hated the tabloids talking about him—he was well aware he could just stopping putting himself into those situations but he just didn’t want to because he didn’t want to live by anyone’s standards but his own—and he wondered if that’s how Olivia felt with the people in this small-ass town gossiping about her. It was a horrible thing that happened, but it wasn’t her or her sister’s fault. How did everyone blaming them for it make any sense?

And when Grams told him how Olivia’s just kept her head held high in the face of the disapproval stares and plastered a smile on her face for the sake of her sister, told him how she tried to protect Alana as best as she could, Calum felt a twinge of guilt scratching at his gut. He knew he had come off as standoffish and rude towards Olivia. He may have a partying problem and Bridgelake may be the last place on Earth he wants to be, but Calum Hood wasn’t an asshole. At least, not to people who didn’t deserve it. And Olivia most certainly didn’t. Not when all she was trying to do was make a life for herself and her sister.

                                              ✩✩✩✩✩

Olivia shot her best friend, Addy, an exasperated look, who merely returned it with her blue eyes widening hopefully and lower lip jutting out pleadingly. But Olivia averted her gaze, cheek resting against her palm as she ate her Chinese food.

“Come on, Liv, you’ve got no plans and Alana has a sleepover,” Addy begged, sitting across from her at the small. They were both on their lunch break from work, sitting outside at one of the local Chinese restaurants under an umbrella to shield them from the mid afternoon sun. “We haven’t gotten dumb drunk in so long, it’ll be great!”

Olivia’s lips pursed, quirking an unimpressed eyebrow as she swallowed her spoonful of fried rice and orange chicken. “You’re not really selling that too well. I don’t wanna get dumb drunk.”

“Why not?” Addy pouted, her voice a high pitched whine that made Olivia’s lips twitch into a smile. “You’re literally going to be sitting in your living room binge watching Suits for the millionth time. If you ask me, getting drunk with your best friend sounds so much more appealing.”

“Not if Alana wants me to pick her up or something,” Olivia countered pointedly. When her sister was younger, she’d end up calling in the middle of the night because she couldn’t sleep anywhere but her own bed. But over the years Alana became better about sleeping over her friends’ houses, but Olivia would rather be sober for the night just in case Alana’s issues rose up against and she needed to be picked up. And since Uber wasn’t a big thing in Bridgelake and Alana hated bothering her friends’ parents, Olivia was her only ride.

Addy threw her head back with a groan, frustration with her best friend’s refusal of joining her nighttime outing. It’s not like she and Olivia didn’t hang out often—they always did, especially after Addy returned from school since she was a year younger—but their meetups mostly consisted of grabbing lunch or dinner. But Addy yearned for a fun girls night out at the local bar, which there weren’t many of because after her mom’s death, Olivia didn’t drink as often, especially when her sister was under her care.

Sure, Addy had managed to drag Olivia all the way to Charlotte for a concert a few months ago and left Alana under Claudia and Daniel Hood’s care, but Addy couldn’t help but miss her best friend. She was well aware that Olivia’s responsibilities had changed since four years ago, forced to grow up a lot quicker than everyone else their age, but Addy would be lying if she said she wasn’t a little bit selfish.

Glancing at Addy, Olivia felt her chest tighten guiltily at the disappointed expression on her best friend’s face, rolling her lips into her mouth as she thought for a moment. She hadn’t had a proper night out in a bar in a long time, always opting to drink some wine in her apartment with Addy or by herself, which irreversibly meant either Addy would have to find someone else to go with her to the bar when she wanted to or wouldn’t go at all, settling for a night in with Olivia and sometimes Alana. Addy, and her family, have done so much for Olivia and Alana; letting them stay with them when the accident happened and having them over for every holiday and anything else. Maybe one night at a bar wouldn’t hurt.

“Alright, fine,” Olivia relented as she put down her fork, and Addy’s head snapped up, eyes widening in anticipation. “I’ll go but I can’t promise getting dumb drunk. Maybe slightly tipsy, but not out of my mind, okay?”

Hours later, Olivia wasn’t regretting her agreement of coming to the bar with Addy. Alana had assured her she would be fine at the sleepover, and while it was a Thursday night, the bar was still busy. Temperance was one of the two bars in town, the other one being all the way by the shore towards the outer part of Bridgelake, so Olivia and Addy frequented and preferred Temperance because of its proximity. If Olivia was being honest, she’d say she liked when the dive bar was so busy; lots of people in town would be gathered there for drinks or a round of pool or something, and sometimes it made her think that they lived in a big city with so many people in there rather than a practical village.

And while Olivia wasn’t exactly a well-liked person in their town, she still enjoyed being around people, didn’t really shrink under their gaze. You know. . . So long as they didn’t scowl at her too much. Though, her smile was a trained mask that always remained to fool.

Music mixed from the seventies and eighties played through the speakers, joining in with the hum of patrons chattering and the clinking of pool balls, as Olivia and Addy sat in a small booth along the wall. They had taken two shots of tequila and while Grace was nursing a cosmo, Olivia had opted for a Bacardi and coke—though, heavier on the coke in an attempt to overtake the disgustingly bitter taste of Bacardi.

“Is he good looking, though?” Addy asked with a raise of her eyebrows, lowering her glass as the curious expression overtook her face.

Olivia had just finished telling her about Calum, since Addy had been out of town visiting her grandparents and Olivia didn’t really want to tell her about Daniel and Claudia’s visiting grandson over the phone. She preferred having in-person conversations. “Ridiculously,” Olivia answered truthfully, making Addy blink excitedly as she sat up. “Tall, dark curly hair, golden skin with tattoos. . .” Addy grinned widely, thrilled at this new man-candy that just landed in their boring town. “But he’s kind of, like, in a perpetual state of annoyance.”

Addy tilted her head to the side. “What do you mean?”

“Like,” Olivia paused, sucking in a breath as she tried to gather her thoughts and leaned back in the booth, hands outstretched to hold her glass. “I mean, I only saw him twice but both times he looked irritated as fuck. He looks like he’d rather be anywhere but here, honestly.”

Snorting, Addy raised her glass to her mouth once more, shooting Olivia a pointed look over the rim as she returned, “Can you blame him?” before taking a sip. “We live in Bumfuck, North Carolina.”

Olivia shrugged, her gaze wandering around the upbeat, packed bar that seemed to be lively with energy. “I’m used to it,” she mused.

“You don’t ever think of leaving? Living somewhere in a city with more than a schoolyard population?”

“I mean, if there’s an opportunity or if it’ll be good for Alana, then I’d be down to leave,” Olivia answered, returning her gaze to Addy’s blue eyes. “But I’m not actively looking to leave, you know? Can’t really afford it, anyways,” she added with a mumble as she brought her glass up. “Though, getting away from everyone here wouldn’t be the worst thing.”

Addy nodded in understanding as Olivia took a sip of her drink, thinking over her words which were honest and true. Bridgelake may not be the most popular or bustling town, but it was home, and she liked it here. Despite everything that happened, and despite the fact that there were some people around her that shunned her for her father’s mistake. She understood their anger, knew where it was coming from, but it’s not like it was her and her sister that poured the alcohol down his throat or forced him to get behind the wheel.

Nonetheless, there still was a small pool of guilt that he took the lives of two other people, yet some townsfolk seemed to forget that she lost her mother, too. And every time she thought about that—which was everyday—Olivia felt her throat tighten more and more until she couldn’t breathe.

But there were still people in town that still loved her, looked after and cared for her and Alana. Olivia didn’t mind living in Bridgelake, she had a comfortable life, but if given a good enough reason to leave, she wouldn’t let the opportunity slip by without sparing it a thought or two.

She chatted with Addy some more about mundane topics; their jobs, some gossip they read about their favorite celebrities online or the latest town gossip. Addy took another sip of her drink, feeling warmth pool in her stomach because that’s all she consumed, as her gaze flickered past Olivia and towards the door of the bar which just opened.

“Oh, hey, it’s Mr. Hood—oh, my God, that’s his grandson?” Addy demanded, her eyes widening and jaw slackening at the sight in front of her.

Olivia sat up at her best friend’s stunned expression and words, looking over her own shoulder and blinking in realization because, yes, Daniel Hood just walked into the bar with his tall grandson in tow. She watched as Daniel greeted a number of patrons at the bar, shaking hands and grinning before gesturing over to the looming figure behind him, most likely introducing everyone to Calum.

Who, in turn, nodded and shook hands in greeting, left hand still shoved into the pocket of his leather jacket yet a small smile curled politely at his lips. The lighting in the bar consisted of overhead lamps above each booth, lights on the bar and the ones above the pool area, and as Calum and his grandfather sat on the available seats on the side of the bar facing Olivia, she couldn’t help but admire how soft the glow of the yellow lights made his skin appear almost golden.

“Yeah, that’s Calum,” Olivia finally confirmed with a nod.

Addy turned to look back at Olivia, since she had turned in her seat to unabashedly follow Daniel and Calum’s movements as they sat behind her. Olivia wanted to laugh at the wide eyed, dropped jaw look on her best friend’s face. Addy looked absolutely stunned. “That’s gotta be the hottest guy I’ve seen in my life,” she stated, her voice a rushed whisper as she leaned forward on the table. She threw another look over her shoulder. “Holy hell.”

Letting out a laugh, Olivia took another sip of her drink, nodding her head along slightly in agreement. Addy wasn’t wrong—Calum was startlingly good looking. Olivia noticed some of the other women in the bar look over at him, his presence demanding to be acknowledged even by him merely sitting on a barstool. She never met anyone who just drew attention to themselves without meaning to, so effortlessly.

“He really does look like he’d rather be anywhere else in the world,” Addy added with a snort, leaning back in the booth. “He also looks kind of familiar, which is weird because I don’t think I’d ever forget a face like that.”

Olivia raised a confused eyebrow and looked over at Calum once again, taking in the indifferent expression on his face as his ring clad fingers wrapped around a bottle of beer, not even bothering to take part in the conversation his grandfather was having with the two men sitting with them. His dark eyes were lazily wandering over his surroundings, taking in the old movie and band posters on the walls and the shelves of liquor behind the bar, not looking particularly impressed with anything. As for why he looked familiar to Addy, Olivia had no clue, and neither did the girl herself. Where could she have possibly seen Calum before?

Narrowing her eyes at him, the words slipped out of Olivia’s mouth before she could stop them. “He looks like he’s got a stick shoved up his ass.”

Addy nearly choked on her drink, letting out a laugh as she covered her mouth with her napkin and stared at Olivia in amusement. Her best friend rarely ever said anything negative about anyone—especially when she knew first hand what it was like to hear people talking shit about her—so when Olivia uttered the smallest of insults directed at someone, Addy found it a lot funnier than it was. Ever since the accident and everyone giving Olivia and Alana the evil eye, Olivia did her best to ignore it and focus on the positives, especially to put on a brave face for her sister. Olivia was a sweetheart, and if anyone acted out with her, she would just put on a fake smile and move along. Wherease Addy would tell them to fuck right off and not look at her best friend and her sister like that again; sometimes she wished Olivia would stick up for herself more.

“He sticks out like a sore thumb,” Addy hummed, drawing her attention back to Calum.

Olivia agreed, eyes once again finding the dark haired man. She watched as he raised the bottle to his lips, taking in the sharp line of his jaw and the strong column of his throat as he drank the beer. He made a distasteful expression as he drank it, clearly not happy with the taste. Calum stood out in not just the way he looked but the way he dressed; everyone in Bridgelake’s attire consisted of summer shorts and tees because of the hot weather and humidity, along with truckers caps because of the popular rest stop just a few miles out of town. And then there was Calum, dressed in pants, expensive looking boots and a leather jacket that had Olivia’s body temperature rising just by looking at it.

Suddenly, as if feeling her gaze on him, Calum’s head ticked over a smidge, dark eyes meeting Olivia’s green ones from across the bar, causing her to straighten in her seat at the sudden eye contact. She saw the mild recognition flash across his face, brief and gone within a second, and she would be lying if she said she didn’t feel a bit surprised when Calum tipped his bottle towards her in acknowledgment before busying himself on his phone. It wasn’t much, but at least he greeted her in a way. It was something.

“You should talk to him,” Addy suggested, taking in that interaction and cracking a smile when Olivia stared at her in confusion. “What? You’re close with his grandparents and you’ve seen him, like, three times now.”

If anything, Olivia’s bewilderment intensified. “So that means I walk over and talk to him? He doesn’t look like he wants to talk.”

Addy shrugged. “Maybe he just needs a friend.”

Olivia raised an eyebrow, one corner of her lips curling up into a suspicious smile. “And that friend has to be me?” Addy shrugged as if to say sure, why not? Olivia rolled her eyes. “Not tonight. I’m here with you; I’ll befriend the moody Australian some other day.”

Addy grinned excitedly. “Promise?”

“Just finish your cosmo.”

                                                    ✩✩✩✩✩

The shrill sound of Olivia’s phone ringing interrupted the sound of Brooklyn Nine-Nine playing on the television in the living room where Alana was watching it, and Olivia put her plate in the dishwasher before drying her hands and answering Addy’s call. “Hey, what’s up?”

“Hey, oh my God—I figured out why Calum seemed so familiar!” Addy’s voice rang through, not even bothering with a proper greeting.

Quirking an eyebrow, Olivia pressed the phone between her ear and shoulder as she loaded the dishwasher. If she was being honest, it had slipped her mind that Addy had commented that she recognized Calum the other day at the bar. “And why’s that?”

“He’s the son of David Hood!”

Olivia blinked. “Who?” Was that name supposed to mean something to her?

Addy clicked her tongue impatiently. “He’s the CEO and owner of Hood Tower Hotels! They own hotels and resorts around the world and are, like, super rich. Holy shit, I didn’t know Mr. and Mrs Hood’s family were a bunch of millionaires!”

Olivia prided herself in not letting the plate slip out of her grasp at Addy’s words, eyes widening in stunned surprise at this piece of information. Millionaires? If that was true, what the hell were Claudia and Daniel doing living in a town as small and insignificant as Bridgelake? Surely they had the money to live anywhere they wanted, and they chose this place? Did anyone else know about their family? Sure, it was none of Olivia’s business, but she would be lying if she said she wasn’t curious. She’s known these people for years and not once did they mention anything like this.

Though, she didn’t blame them, really. If Olivia or her family had that much money, she wouldn’t go around announcing it to everyone she met.

“There’s more,” Addy’s conspiratorial voice pulled Olivia out of her thoughts, making her quickly shut the dishwasher and dry her hands before leaning against the counter. “Apparently Calum’s gotten, like, a ton of articles written and pictures and videos of him partying it the fuck up. I’m talking, like, drunk off his ass, videos of him smoking pot and even, like pics and videos of him leaked by some girl he’d been hooking up with.”

Olivia’s mouth dropped, staring at the opposite wall of the kitchen where a square table for four sat in absent astonishment, processing Addy’s words. In the living room, she could hear Alana laughing at the show she was watching, oblivious to her sister in the midst of trying to process this information. Calum was from Los Angeles, Olivia knew, and from what Addy told her, it seemed like he lived that lifestyle in its full experience.

Honestly, it was surprising that that’s the kind of person Calum was. He seemed so withdrawn and quiet every time Olivia came across him that the fact he was that much of a partier seemed almost unbelievable. And he had pictures and videos of him leaked by some hook up? Olivia didn’t have to wonder what kinds those would be. If all of that, plus the drinking and weed, warranted for articles to be written about him that told the entire world of his activities, then Olivia couldn’t help but feel bad for Calum. He was a young adult living his life—he shouldn’t have to be judged for any of that by the world. She knew what it was like to have eyes and whispers follow you everywhere you go, but it was a whole new level in Calum’s case.

Was that why he kept to himself since arriving here? Olivia wondered if his life being exposed to everyone made Calum Bridgelake’s new recluse. But then Addy told her how right before Calum arrived to town, there had been articles and pictures concerning him getting kicked out of some restaurant for drunk and disorderly behavior. So it seemed that Calum wasn’t as much of a hermit as he was presenting himself to be.

Safe to say, Olivia’s curiosity and confusion regarding the Australian only intensified.

Moments later, Alana’s footsteps came running into the kitchen as she called, “Olivia!” The elder of the two turned around, Addy still on the line, as Alana held her phone up. “Mrs. Hood just called me—she said she tried calling you but the line was busy.”

“Oops,” Addy said on the line.

Olivia raised an eyebrow. “What did she want?”

Then Alana grinned excitedly, bouncing on her heels. “She invited us over for dinner tonight. Said she’s gonna make a trifle for dessert!”

The thought of having dinner at Claudia’s house brought a smile to Olivia’s face, but then she suddenly remembered the new guest living in that house and Olivia’s mouth dried slightly. Addy gasped, seemingly having the same idea as she needlessly pointed out, “Oh, my God—you’re gonna have dinner with an L.A. boy!”

                                                ✩✩✩✩✩    

Familiar brown eyes stared back at Calum, full of a warmth and happiness that had him wondering if it was still there. Did people still see those things when they looked at him now, as opposed to when he was a young kid, like in this picture? He, for some reason, found himself lingering in the hallway of his grandparents’ home near the staircase, having just used the bathroom and absently stopping in front of the wall that had many pictures hung up.

They were all of his grandparents, aunts and uncles, parents, cousins, his sister and himself. The photograph Calum was currently staring at was one of himself, probably around four or five in age and a wide grin on his chubby cheeks, sitting on his grandfather’s lap. For the life of him he couldn’t remember when or where the picture was taken, but he still found himself smiling at it. He’d been here for nearly a week now, and hadn’t even stopped to look at the pictures until now.

“You know. . .” A hesitating, familiar voice sounded, prompting Calum to glance to his right where Olivia had entered the hallway. She and her sister had arrived to a dinner his grandmother had invited them to, which apparently wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. Calum regarded her for a moment as she neared, pretty in a casual pale yellow sundress and a denim jacket on top, until she came to stand next to him. She was so much shorter than him, which was different, because a lot of the girls Calum knew back at home came up at least to his eyes or something. Olivia barely grazed his shoulders. “For a town as small as this one, you’re pretty good at hiding out. Are you trying to be the new Bridgelake recluse because we already have one. His name’s Mr. Dobrosky; he lives next to the public library and tries to steal books from the drop-off box.”

Oh, my God—seriously? Olivia tried not to cringe. Did she really have nothing better to talk about than poor old Mr. Dobrosky and his sticky fingers? In her defense, she didn’t know what to talk about with Calum because even though Addy had filled her in on some of his activities back in California, that didn’t mean she knew him as a person—just what he got up to with his friends. Olivia was just trying to do what Addy had told her to: befriend him. But she doubted comparing him to Mr. Dobrosky was going to help her in that case.

But, much to her surprise, Olivia watched Calum shrug his broad shoulders lightly, eyes trained on the pictures in front of them. She followed his gaze. How had she not connected that one of the little boys in the photos she’s seen a hundred times was him? In a low, cool voice Calum responded, “Not much to do around here that makes me want to leave the house.”

Olivia tilted her head to the side slightly. “How do you know what’s there to do if you don’t leave the house?” she countered with a life of a perfectly plucked brow, her tone taking a challenging, playful lilt to it that even surprised herself.

Brown eyes flickered to meet green as Calum turned to face her properly, tilting his head and answered her question with one of her own, “What is there to do in this small town?”

“Lots of things,” was Olivia’s instant reply, trying not to get too excited over the fact that Calum finally said more than three words to her, allowing her to hear a bit of his accent. He was quiet, contrary to what Addy had informed her of his partying habits, and that somehow made Olivia want to hear from him. “There’s a movie theater and an old drive-in theater that still runs, a bunch of parks that are good for jogging, the beach, a lake where you can go canoeing, the library—”

“Where Mr. Dobrosky tries to steal books from?” Calum cut her off with a quip, a smirk curling at his lips as he raised his eyebrows at her. His gaze was fixed on her face and the way she pressed her lips together to suppress the smile threatening to appear.

Olivia, on the other hand, picked up on the mirth dancing in his dark irises, feeling strangely giddy to see something other than casual indifference he’d been sporting since she met him. He was joking around with her, kind of. “Yeah,” she affirmed, letting go of her fingers behind her back and gesturing absently with one hand. “Charlotte’s also only a couple hours’ drive from here; there’s lots of museums there and lots of musicians come for their tour to the Music Pavillion and The Fillmore.”

She hoped she didn’t sound like some kind of pressuring weirdo, telling Calum all the things he could do. That wasn’t strange, right? She was just being friendly, like Addy had suggested for her to do. No harm in informing Calum of the places he could go to while he was here, right?

Apparently Calum didn’t think so as he lifted his chin a little. “D’you go to lots of concerts there?”

“A couple, yeah,” Olivia answered with a nod and a small smile. “I went to see The Weeknd a couple of months ago with my best friend. It was fun but. . .” She trailed off with a small shrug. “Coming back home was rough.”

Calum’s thick brows furrowed. “How come?”

Olivia’s eyes were trained on the photographs on the wall in front of them, taking in the familiar pictures of Claudia and Daniel’s family. Something in her heart tugged, remembering all of the pictures she took with her sister and parents before everything went to shit, and a ghost of a sad smile tilted her lips. “I don’t really like being away from Alana for too long. Your grandparents watched her while I went but I wanted to get back as soon as the show was over. Except showing up at their doorstep at four in the morning seemed like a dick move.”

She chuckled nervously—why did talking to Calum make her nervous?—as she thought of that night a few months ago. The concert had ended around half past midnight and she and Addy had driven to Charlotte for it. Addy was exhausted and wanted to stay at a motel for the night, even though Olivia wanted to get home for Alana. But Addy reminded her that traffic would be awful, and by the time they’d get back to Bridgelake it’d be four in the morning. So Olivia reluctantly stayed in Charlotte, sending Alana a text that she’d see her in the morning. She hated leaving her sister for too long. Their parents were gone, and Olivia didn’t want Alana to feel any kind of loss again.

Honestly, Olivia panicked over the distance between her and Alana before giving her little sister a chance to.

Then Olivia wondered if Calum knew about her parents, knew if she was Alana’s legal guardian, and quickly explained in case he didn’t, “It’s just the two of us so, like, I’m not fond of leaving her that much.”

There. That was straightforward and to the point, right? She didn’t care if Calum asked about her parents, it was public knowledge, and while she was ashamed of her father’s actions and she missed her mom so fucking much, that topic of conversation wasn’t taboo. Sure as hell wasn’t for the people of Bridgelake.

But Calum didn’t ask, not when he already knew the answer. Not when he already knew Olivia’s mum was dead because of her father’s mistake and that she and her sister were practically social pariahs in this town. His jaw clenched at the thought, especially when he thought of the fourteen year old he could hear giggling in the living room with his grandparents. Neither of them deserved this.

For a strange moment, Calum wondered where Olivia worked, if her job provided enough for her and her sister. Calum was never one to hold down a job—why would he even need one, with how much money his family has?—and he wasn’t interested in much. His parents—despite sending him across the country for his behavior—weren’t hard asses and didn’t expect Calum or his sister to take over the family business someday, so he didn’t have to worry over that.  He used to play soccer in high school until that merely became a hobby and something he was good at, and was admittedly interested in music. Both in writing and producing it, and in that moment he cursed himself for not bringing his guitar or bass with him to North Carolina. Maybe he could ask his parents to send it over.  

But money had never been an issue for Calum, and when he recalled the portion of the conversation between Olivia and his grandmother he heard at the shelter the other day, of her not being able to afford something for Alana, Calum felt a stab of sympathy. He never had to worry about not being able to afford something.

“Dinner’s ready, everyone!” His grandmother’s voice sounded throughout the house, and soon enough everyone was gathered in the dining room.

Gramps at the head, Olivia and Alana on one side and Calum sitting across from Olivia next to his grandmother on the other. The aroma of the food was delicious, effectively watering Calum’s mouth at the side of the pasta, rice, chicken and salad his grandmother had made. The first bite was as amazing as he figured.

Dinner conversation began almost immediately. “So, Livvy, how’s the boutique going?” Gramps questioned, causing Calum’s gaze to flicker up. Livvy? Were his grandparents really that close with Olivia and Alana?

“Pretty good,” Olivia answered with a smile. Guess that answered his pondering of her job. “We’re actually looking to expand, probably buying Mr. Bernard’s space next door.”

Gramps hummed in appraise and Calum watched as Alana nudged her sister. “Tell them about your promotion.”

Grams’ eyebrows raised at that. “Promotion?” she perked up, an excited glint in her eyes.

Olivia rolled her eyes, shooting Alana a look. “It’s just a rumor right now,” she told Calum’s grandparents with a small chuckle. “Apparently Val’s firing Heather and I’m the next choice for manager.” Calum noticed the way his grandparents both looked pleasantly surprised at this news as Olivia quickly emphasized, “But nothing’s been said yet. They’re just rumors, so I don’t know.”

She looked and sounded modest, as if she didn’t really believe that those rumors she was speaking of were true and that she would get the job. But Calum hadn’t missed the hopeful tone in her voice, and apparently neither had his grandfather as he scoffed, waving his fork. “Not promoting you would be a mistake on their part. You’re their hardest working employee and you, my dear, deserve it.”

Olivia rolled her lips into her mouth, though she was unsuccessful in hiding the smile as she dropped her gaze to her plate, cheeks pinkening. One glance at his grandparents and Calum knew they believed what Gramps said wholeheartedly, and Calum understood in that moment, answering his own question from seconds prior, that his grandparents’ relationship with the two sisters sitting across from him was a lot deeper than he figured. Grams and Gramps treated them the same way they treated him, and Calum instantly realized that they saw the two girls as family.

His gaze flickered to Olivia, saw the easy smile on her face as she conversed with his grandparents, and felt his own lips curl upwards a bit.

He hoped she would get that promotion.

                                               ✩✩✩✩✩

Sunday mornings consisted of Olivia waking up just around sunrise, freshening up, changing into her work out clothes and leaving the apartment. Alana was sound asleep, wouldn’t be up until noon, so Olivia walked the short distance to the nearby park where she did her Sunday morning jogs. With music playing in her ears, she began jogging on the path, the area empty as usual, just as she liked it. It was a cool morning for June, thanks to the beach just a few miles away, and the thin layer of sweat on the back of Olivia’s neck by the time she completed three laps was a bit chilling.

Olivia slowed to a stop to catch her breath, heart pounding in her chest as she took a few long gulps from her water bottle, the cool liquid thoroughly rejuvenating her dry throat. She squinted slightly, looking off in the distance; less than a handful of people were on their morning runs as well, some of them familiar to Olivia because of their similar routine.

Reaching to pull her phone out from the pocket of her thin hoodie, Olivia let out a small grunt of annoyance at the tangled headphones. Pausing the music, she pulled them out to begin the tedious process of untangling them, giving her a chance to hear a familiar voice call, “Bruno, slow down, bud!”

Before Olivia could even hope to register the voice, a familiar German Shepherd came running up to her, prompting Olivia to let out a startled gasp before she giggled joyously at the dog licking at her chin, his front paws on her chest to keep himself up as he showed her some love.

“Hi, buddy,” Olivia greeted Claudia and Daniel’s dog, fingers of her right hand tangled around her headphones while her left rubbed at Bruno’s face. “Whatcha doing out and about?”

This was the first time she’d ever seen him out at this time, but her question was soon answered as someone jogged up to them and that same familiar voice breathed out, “Sorry about him.” Olivia glanced away from Bruno, eyes landing on Calum standing right in front of them, wearing black athletic shorts and a green hoodie covering his large frame. “Didn’t expect him to run off like that.”

Olivia laughed lightly as Bruno got off her chest, circling between her and Calum’s feet before settling on the ground, peering up at them with dark eyes. She smiled at him before looking at Calum, taking in the way a few curls peeked out from under the black beanie he wore. “It’s okay,” she assured. “I’m never opposed to Bruno’s kisses.”

Calum chuckled, sliding the beanie down a bit at the back of his head. His eyes took in Olivia’s face as she smiled down at Bruno; her ponytail high and tight with few tendrils slipping out to frame her heart shaped face, cheeks slightly flushed pink from her running and face free of makeup. He would be lying if he said she didn’t look unadulteratedly pretty like this.

“So you took one of my options into consideration, hmm?” Olivia hummed, a smile tilting at her lips as Calum raised his eyebrows. “Looks like you found something to do here.”

Realization dawned on Calum as he let out a short laugh, remembering the dinner the other night when Olivia had listed off a bunch of things he could do in Bridgelake—going to the park being one of them. And she’d been right; Calum had woken up early this morning, annoyed that his eyes opened right when the sun was rising, and out of nowhere he remembered Olivia mentioning a bunch of parks around. So he brought Bruno to the nearest park and here they were—running into the very woman who practically motivated Calum out of the house.

“I did,” Calum conceded with a nod, the smile easily remaining on his face. It seemed almost effortless, to relax in front of Olivia. She seemed so open, so comforting; Calum found himself forgetting that he didn’t want to be in this town, that he was forced here, when she was there. Which was kind of head spinning and bewildering, but Calum didn’t seem to mind. “It helps that I’ve got good company,” he added one hand reaching down to rub at Bruno’s head.

“See?” Olivia smiled, tightening her ponytail. “How often did you get to do this in Los Angeles, huh?”

Not often, Calum realized. He preferred going to the gym he’d been a member of for years, because while he didn’t mind going on a hike every now and then, Calum found himself feeling more relaxed in a weight room than he did out on a jog in a park. Especially because there were often times where the paparazzi would spot him and while getting his picture taken outside of a club was one thing, Calum wasn’t fond of being photographed while he was going for a jog. So he didn’t.

“L.A. isn’t as bad as you think, you know,” Calum found himself saying, feeling strangely, or not so strangely, defensive of his hometown, his favorite place.

Olivia raised her eyebrows, not deaf to the protective lilt his voice took. “I never said it was bad,” she countered lightly with a slight tilt to her head. “I’m just saying—there’s probably things you could do or find here that you wouldn’t be able to in a big city like L.A.”

Calum couldn’t help himself. He let out a droll snort, rolling his eyes at Olivia’s words because he was having a hard time believing her. “Yeah? Like what?” he challenged, his slight accent lifting the last word a bit.

The attitude that he presented when she first ran into him at Walmart was shining through, Olivia noticed. Like being in Bridgelake was the worst possible thing that could happen to him, and she had foolishly hoped that he would no longer feel that way anymore. It’s been, what, two weeks since he’s been here? Shouldn’t he start warming up to the idea of having to be here for a couple of months? Olivia didn’t see what the big deal was, but she wasn’t one to be vocal about it.

So Olivia shrugged, hands on her hips. “Maybe if you got out of the house more, you’d see what a small town has to offer.” Then, with an almost conspiratorial grin, she added almost teasingly, “They can have just as much magic as your big cities, you know.”

But Calum wasn’t buying it as his chin lifted a bit. “I doubt it.”

“What’s the harm in trying to find out?” Olivia hummed with a single shake of her head, raising an eyebrow, not entirely deterred by his skepticism. “You’re stuck here, whether you like it or not, right? Why don’t you try to make the most of it without whining over L.A.?”

Calum’s eyebrows shot up, lips parting as he scoffed. “Excuse me?” he returned, unsure if he’d heard her right. Her tone wasn’t unkind but it most definitely made him sound like a brat, and Calum didn’t appreciate that. He crossed his arms over his chest defensively. “I don’t whine.”

He was getting worked up, Olivia could tell, and while she wasn’t one to purposefully push people’s buttons, she would be lying if she said it wasn’t amusing seeing Calum get all tensed over something so mundane. “You look like you do,” Olivia retorted. “It’s obvious you don’t want to be here. Do you ever think about how that might make Claudia and Daniel feel?”

She touched a nerve, she knew, when she saw Calum’s face tighten and jaw clench, and she’d be intimidated if it weren’t for the fact that she’s been facing people’s angered, near disgusted expressions thrown towards her for years. And while she hadn’t really meant to annoy Calum, Olivia didn’t recoil from his scowl. She was used it. After a while, you just become immune to others’ distaste of you.

Truthfully, Olivia was a bit disappointed Calum was one of those people who gave her that look, even if it wasn’t for the same reason. Somehow a stranger looking at her that way stung more than it did when people she grew up in town did it to her. But she didn’t let it show. She was good at that.

“My grandparents have nothin’ to do with this,” Calum stated firmly, the way his arms crossed over his chest combined with his hoodie making him appear bigger than usual. “I’m happy to be with them.”

“You’re not very good at showing that.”

Calum scowled, unafraid of showing his irritation. He liked Olivia, thought she was sweet and kind and undeserving of whatever treatment people in this town may give her. But who the hell was she to say something like that to him? To just assume he wasn’t glad to see his grandparents? Bridgelake wasn’t his ideal vacation spot, sure, but being with his grandparents was definitely a plus point. So what if Calum wished they were together in Los Angeles rather than North Carolina? It was just a matter of preference.

He tilted his head, almost mockingly, asking with a sarcastic tint in his voice, “Then what d’you reckon I do?”

“Be appreciative of what’s around you,” Olivia answered simply because, to her, it really was simple. She’s faced enough loss in her life, dealt with too many people’s shit for too long to not be happy for what she does have. She misses her mom every day, hopes to keep her memory alive for her sister, and her cheeks often hurt from the forced smile she shoots towards those who are blatantly rude to her. But for Olivia, it always comes down to being grateful for what she has in front of her.

Honestly, things could’ve gone to even more shit than they already were with their mom dying and dad being imprisoned. Olivia could’ve shut down. But she had a younger sister to look after, one who she was solely responsible for, and Olivia wasn’t about to let anything or anyone tear them apart after the losses of their parents. She was grateful for still having Alana, and while living in a world where their mom wasn’t around and their dad was in prison and half the town hated them for what he did, Olivia was glad she was still around. Glad she still had her sister, her best friend, and people who still cared for them.

Upon hearing her words, Calum blinked, face relaxing and tension in his shoulders easing somewhat. He watched as Olivia squinted slightly, the early morning sunlight filtering through the trees and bathing her in a golden glow, blue eyes glinting against the light, giving her irises an almost golden sparkle of their own. And even though Calum was bothered with her insinuation that he didn’t like being around his grandparents, he couldn’t help but think how pretty she looked in the morning sunlight.

“I’m not saying you don’t enjoy your grandparents’ company,” Olivia spoke up once more, as if reading his thoughts. Or, well, part of his thoughts as her blue eyes locked with his brown. “I’m just saying. . . I’ve seen you out with them a few times already and each time you look miserable. And, like, I get it—Bridgelake is no L.A., but you can have just as much of a good time here as you can there. If you give it a shot, that is.”

There was logic behind her words, Calum knew. He also was aware that every time he ventured out with his grandparents, he wasn’t the most willing participant. Being with them was something Calum was up for, but every time he stepped out of the house he was struck with the fact he wasn’t in California and Calum could physically feel his body slump at the reminder. The city boy in him was probably never going to get used to the small town aesthetic Bridgelake wreaked of.

Still, Calum lifted his chin a little, arms still crossed over his chest as he defiantly told the blue eyed girl, “Show me.”

Olivia blinked, bewilderment flickering across her features with furrowed brows and confusedly pouty lips. “What?”

Calum’s gaze briefly glanced at her mouth, pink and inviting, before he averted it half a second later. It wasn’t the appropriate time—or thought?—but Calum couldn’t help but think how unfair it was that Olivia had such inviting lips and he couldn’t kiss them. He quickly refocused on his thoughts as he met her confused stare with a challenging one. “Show me how to have a good time in Bridgelake,” he dared with a shrug of his shoulders. “It’s not gonna happen being by myself. I need someone to keep me company.” Then, with a boyish smirk, Calum teasingly clarified, “I need someone to show me the magic of Bridgelake.”

Her lips parted at his words, not entirely expecting Calum to request—or demand, she wasn’t entirely sure about that—her to show him around. Olivia certainly remembered listing off a bunch of things for him to do in Bridgelake, but she didn’t think he’d want her to come along with him.

Gazing at Calum, Olivia’s throat worked as she saw the quirk of his brow and tilt of his lips. He looked both smug and challenging, and Olivia felt her cheeks heat up against his stare. A person should not have that much of an effect on another human being just by the way they were looking at them.

But still. . . Olivia lifted her own chin slightly, regarding Calum for a moment before finally agreeing, “Alright.” Both of Calum’s eyebrows shot up. Had he not expected her to agree easily? This time, Olivia offered an easy smile. “Are you free tonight?”

Calum scoffed through the smirk dancing on his lips. “What do you think?” he asked, sarcasm tinting his slightly accented tone. As if he had any other plans here.

Olivia’s heart thumped in her chest. “Then tonight it is.”

                                           ✩✩✩✩✩

“It’s a date.”

“It’s not a date.”

“Alana’s right; it’s totally a date.”

Olivia shot an exasperated look towards her best friend and younger sister, who were both sat giggling on Olivia’s bed as if they were a bunch of middle schoolers. Well, Alana was, at least. But both Alana and Addy were teasing Olivia the entire time she got ready for her outing with Calum which was not a date, like the two of them were so convinced it was. And them constantly calling it a date didn’t do anything to ease the nerves swimming in her belly.

It was just a habit of Olivia’s, getting a bit nervous around boys, and it most certainly didn’t help that Calum was most definitely not the average boy she’d see around Bridgelake. He was the epitome of the tall, dark and handsome package and while Olivia found it dumb that she had the potential of getting anxious around someone that good looking, she couldn’t help it. Especially because the point of this night was to prove to Calum that he could have some fun in a small town, and Olivia hoped what she had picked out was going to be enough to at least start pushing him in the direction of seeing Bridgelake in a positive light. Not just as a prison.

“Stop calling it that,” Olivia huffed as she put her lipstick in her bag. She hadn’t done her makeup too heavily, and her outfit consisted of a baby blue romper and a denim jacket in case it got cold. “People only go on dates if they’re interested in each other—which we’re not.”

Addy scoffed with a roll of her eyes, dismissing what she considered Olivia’s negativity. “You never know,” she argued, leaning back against the headboard with her legs stretched out in front of her. With a comically suggestive wiggle of her eyebrows, she added, “Maybe he’ll find the magic of Bridgelake in you.”

Olivia didn’t know whether to cringe at Addy’s words or shoot her a glare because she knew her best friend most definitely did not mean that in an innocent way, and while Alana wasn’t a baby, the mere topic of her own sex life in front of her sister wasn’t something she was too comfortable with.

Thankfully, Alana swooped in as she shot Addy a distasteful look. “You sound like a crappy Hallmark card.”

Addy shoved Alana as Olivia let out a laugh, wholeheartedly agreeing with the fourteen year old. Looking back at the older brunette, Addy asked, “Where are you guys going, anyway?”

“The Orbit,” Olivia answered, brushing the ends of her hair as she stood at the foot of the bed, facing the two sitting on it.

Alana sat up excitedly. “That’s cool. What play are they putting on?”

“West Side Story,” Olivia replied with an unamused snort, because the play of choice wasn’t too surprising. Every summer, putting on West Side Story was a must. The Orbit was an outdoor theater, where anyone interested could sign up to put on a play or act in it throughout the summer. They were all really good, in Olivia’s opinion, since she’d been going since she was a kid. She particularly enjoyed the town’s adaptation of Mamma Mia! which has been her favorite musical for as long as she could remember.

“What if Calum doesn’t like plays?” Addy asked as Olivia put the brush away.

Olivia paused for a moment. She’d thought of that, but she had told him she would show him how to enjoy the small town things, and the plays The Orbit put on always brought a smile to Olivia’s face. She hoped it would do the same for Calum. She shrugged. “He’s just gonna have to suck it up.”

But, really. Olivia hoped he liked plays. Or this could already start off bitterly.

                                                ✩✩✩✩✩

Once he pulled his grandfather’s truck into a vacant parking spot, Calum killed the engine before hopping out of the vehicle. He closed the door behind him, furrowed brows looking ahead and around him as he took in his surroundings, turning to lock the car. Slowly, almost unsure, Calum walked over the curb and towards the area where he saw most of the other people around headed towards. There was an entrance where Calum noticed people behind booths were sitting, and he realized it’s where tickets were being sold and bought as a line of people gathered there before moving on to the few steps that led down to where they could be seated.

He shoved his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket, the gravel and road crunching under his boots as he slowly made his way over, unsure of where he was supposed to go. Calum’s dark eyes gazed around in hopes of finding the woman he was meant to meet, passing over the few curious looks being thrown his way. It definitely was a small town by the way some people were looking at him, unsure of who the hell he was.

Meanwhile, Calum was left wondering where the hell Olivia was. He obviously didn’t know about this place when she texted him, and so he had asked Grams, who had told him that The Orbit was one of the more popular locations in Bridgelake. She told him of the plays that were put on here, and Calum wasn’t going to lie—he was kind of interested. He didn’t go to any plays in California, only less than a handful of times when he went to New York to visit his sister, but those were Broadway productions.

He highly doubted he’d see the same level of sophistication at some outdoor theater in Bridgelake, North Carolina.

“See—that’s the face I was talking about.”

Calum blinked, looking around before his gaze went to the left where he saw Olivia approaching him. Immediately he took her in, her blue outfit and loose hair and killer legs before her words registered and he frowned in confusion. “What face?”

Olivia scoffed as she reached him, shaking her head a slightly to move away some locks of hair. “The I’d rather be anywhere but here face,” she countered with a knowing quirk of an eyebrow, as if she could read him easily. Calum bristled. She didn’t have to be so smug about it.

“I’m not wearing that face,” he defended, pursing his lips because even he could hear the bullshit in his voice. Honestly, he hadn’t meant to look like that; he may never have been to something like this, but Calum did find himself wanting to be here with Olivia. It was nice of her to hang out with him—she was a nice girl—and the least he could do was not look like he didn’t want to be here with her. He didn’t want to send that kind of message. “Just—” he huffed before glancing around and asking, “What’re we watching?”

Olivia pulled something out of her purse, Calum’s eyes catching sight of two tickets as she smiled. “West Side Story. Hope you like Romeo & Juliet adaptations,” she hummed while walking past Calum.

He had no choice but to follow after her, his long legs allowing him to easily catch up to her in two strides before falling in her pace, hands still in the pockets of his jacket. As they stood in the line to show their tickets, Calum asked, “How’d you get tickets so quickly?” They’d only been talking this morning.

Olivia shrugged. “I know a guy,” she answered vaguely before biting her tongue. She almost added on, Not everyone in this town hates me, but stopped herself. This was most definitely not the time or place to be self pitying.

Calum quirked an eyebrow, finding her words strangely amusing as the line moved up. “That sounds suspect,” he pointed out, peering down at her with the smallest of smirks tilting at his lips.

She let out a light laugh as she looked up from the tickets, the lights around The Orbit making her blue eyes glitter. The line moved quickly, and as one of the guys working there scanned their tickets, Calum asked, “Do you come here a lot?”

“Whenever there’s a play I really wanna watch,” Olivia answered with a nod as they moved forward. The seats, Calum realized, was that similar to stadium seating, and before they moved to find theirs Olivia glanced at him. “Do you want anything to eat or drink?” she questioned, jutting her chin to something behind him.

Calum glanced over his shoulder, just then catching sight of a small canteen where people were gathered if they weren’t already in their seats. It wasn’t too far, and Calum’s eyes took in one of the signs pasted on it and his eyebrows rose. “They’ve got milkshakes?”

“Mhm,” Olivia hummed with a smile, and not for the first time did Calum notice the way her prominent cheekbones rose at the action. “What flavor do you want? You can get to our seats and I’ll get them.”

“Chocola—wait, no—” Calum frowned. “You got the tickets, the least I can do is get the food.” He knew this was both of their idea, in some way, and if Olivia bought the tickets then it was only fair he spend some of his own money on something.

But Olivia shook her head, her smile turning teasing as she took a step away. “My town, my treat,” she grinned. “Our seats are seven and eight in row eleven. Towards the bottom,” Olivia added, nodding down the steps before swiftly turning around and making her way towards the canteen.

Calum’s lips parted to protest, but she was gone in the growing crowd and he let out a breath. Pressing his lips together, Calum absently made a mental note that next time it would be coming out of his pocket—assuming there was going to be a next time—before proceeding to make his way down the concrete steps.

It wasn’t that big, unsurprisingly. Calum was pretty sure there were more seats on his high school football field back in California. He walked down the steps, looking at the numbers of the rows on the ground, ignoring the few looks he could be felt getting thrown his way. It helped that he was used to being stared at, though he knew that this time it was different. Eyes weren’t following him because he was the son of David Hood; they were on him because he was a stranger in this town, an unfamiliar face amongst those who’ve grown up together.

But it didn’t phase Calum. He found their seats, shuffling past those already seated before plopping down in the seventh seat, the one to his right available for Olivia. Rubbing his hands down his pants, Calum noticed they had a good view of the stage up front, almost in the middle, curtains drawn as people continued to find their seats. Glancing up at the sky, Calum noticed it was mostly clear, just a few clouds drifting here and there and hiding the stars that glittered above, and he let out a sigh as he leaned back in the seat.

He busied himself by texting his friends, all of whom told him both that they missed him and jokingly added they liked not seeing his face every day, and Calum smirked to himself. He missed them, too.

Soon enough, Olivia made her way over and Calum glanced at her, catching sight of the two plastic cups of milkshake she held as she walked over. She caught his eye, offering a smile that Calum found himself returning almost instinctively, sitting up as she came over. But his eyes drifted as she shuffled down the narrow aisle, landing on the few people, mostly middle aged women, sitting a few seats away to Calum’s right, their narrowed eyes following Olivia as she made her way past them.

His eyebrows twitched into a frown, watching as the women looked at Olivia while they whispered amongst themselves, reminding Calum of a bunch of high school gossipers and his lips curled into a sneer. It was obvious they were talking about Olivia, obvious that whatever they saying couldn’t be good, and Calum was about two seconds away from standing up and asking them what the fuck they were saying.

But then Olivia reached him, the easy smile still on her face as she held out one of the cups. Calum’s dark eyes left the women, who were now looking at both of the with raised eyebrows, probably wondering what he was doing with Olivia or she with him or what the fuck ever, and he looked up at the blue eyed girl. He took the cup from her instantly, taking in the pink in her cheeks, wondering why she was flushed, as she sat down.

“Thanks,” Calum told her, taking a sip of the chocolate milkshake. It was really fucking good.

“No problem,” Olivia answered nonchalantly, almost too casually, as she fixed her bag on her lap, gaze straight ahead purposefully.

Don’t look. Don’t give them the satisfaction. But she couldn’t help herself. Olivia glanced to the right, eyes landing on the same women Calum noticed, pulling her lower lip into her mouth as they looked away just when they saw her looking. How fucking hard was it not to be so ridiculously obvious you were talking about someone just a few feet away? Olivia inhaled deeply yet quietly. Calum only noticed because he’d been staring at Olivia unashamedly, and his jaw tightened when he saw her glance down at her lap, lips pursed.

He wanted to say something; tell her that people were assholes and that she shouldn’t have to deal with them. But Calum wasn’t sure if Olivia knew that he knew of how some people in Bridgelake treated her, if she wanted him to know the whole story about her parents and the town even though he already did. How was he supposed to comfort her over something he wasn’t even sure he was supposed to know?

“D’you know any of the people starring in this?” Maybe he could opt to distract her instead.

Olivia glanced at him before looking back at the stage. “A few,” she answered with a nod. “A girl I went to high school with, Raechel, plays Maria and my best friend’s cousin, Barry, plays Riff.”

Calum blinked at her, before his lips curled into a smirk and he raised an eyebrow. “You realize I’ve no idea who any of those characters are, right?”

She returned his gaze, shorter than him and an arm rest separating them yet their shoulders brushed every so often. Olivia let out a laugh, the sound widening Calum’s grin, as she picked up her milkshake. “I’ll point them out, don’t worry,” she assured.

“And explain to me what’s going on?” Olivia shot him an exasperated yet playful look and Calum shrugged defensively. “What? I’ve never seen this before.”

“If you ask me questions every two minutes I’m going to dump your milkshake on you. I promise.”

Calum clicked his tongue, shooting her a mocking disapproving look. “I don’t think that’s gonna help you show me how fun Bridgelake is.”

Olivia sank in her chair as she caught his smirk widening, her cheeks flushing at the sight of it as she pressed her lips together to suppress the growing smile. Calum wasn’t aware of it, but Olivia was grateful that he managed to distract her from the eyes she could feel piercing her skin. She glanced at him, watching as his lips wrapped around the straw as he drank his milkshake, and Olivia forced herself to look away as the heat in her cheeks intensified.

She took a deep breath, sipping her own milkshake. Fun. Right.

                                                 ✩✩✩✩✩

Olivia was trying to fight off the smile from growing on her face as she raised her eyebrows at Calum, who was staring out the window as he sat across from her, fingers tapping the tabletop as his head nodded to the song he was humming. The play had just ended and the two of them were at a nearby diner for a late dinner, and Calum was shamelessly humming the tune of I Feel Pretty after having just heard it at the show they attended.

Much to her relief, Calum seemed to enjoy the play a lot, his eyes following every character on the stage with focused interest and head bopping to the songs being performed, curls lightly bouncing at the movement. And now as they waited for their food, Calum still had that song playing in his head and while satisfaction coursed through Olivia’s veins, the fond smile won over as it graced her lips, gazing at the man sat across from her in the booth.

He looked her way then, taking note of her raised eyebrows and curled lips, and Calum was suddenly aware of what he was doing as he instantly stopped humming and leaned back in the booth. “It’s a catchy song,” he half-heartedly defended, uncharacteristically feeling his face warm at the look Olivia was giving him.

“I know,” she laughed lightly, the bright lights of the diner dancing against her blue eyes. Olivia leaned forward, arms folding on top of the table as she asked, “I’m guessing you liked the play, then?”

“You can say that,” Calum responded, willing himself not to be embarrassed because, really, there was nothing to be embarrassed about. Honestly, he really did enjoy the play, and the performance put on by everyone was amazing. Bridgelake, Calum concluded once the show was over, had some pretty talented people. “Thank you for bringing me to see it,” he found himself adding sincerely, the corners of his lips tilting upwards.

Olivia’s head tilted slightly, her smile widening at the sincerity in his tone, utterly contrasting the indifferent yet bored expression she often saw him wear. “You’re welcome,” she said just as the waitress returned with their food.

Calum’s burger and fries were placed in front of him while Olivia’s grilled chicken sandwich and curly fries instantly watered her mouth, and the two of them dug into their food while the Top 40 songs played throughout the semi busy diner. Things fell quiet between them for a few moments, though it wasn’t an uncomfortable one as they enjoyed their food and, Calum had to admit—his burger was one of the best he’s had.

As he took a bite of his fries, Olivia couldn’t help but muse, “How can you pick regular fries over curly ones?”

Calum paused in his chewing, holding the uneaten halves of his fries as his gaze snapped towards her. When he saw the unimpressed raise of her brows and the small smirk on her lips, Calum let out a short laugh. “Are you judging me on my choice of fries?”

Olivia gave an unapologetic shrug of her shoulders. “I don’t trust anyone who picks regular fries when they have the option of getting curly ones.”

Amusement danced in Calum’s dark eyes as his lips formed an O and he released a mocking offended breath. “Now you’re just hurtin’ my feelings.”

She laughed before taking a sip of her drink, and Olivia couldn’t help but think how easy this felt. Her nerves had been prickling under her skin when she’d been driving over to The Orbit, over thinking if Calum would want to watch a play or if he’d enjoy it, but they had fun. Admittedly, Olivia had kept glancing over at Calum, taking in his reactions to what was happening on stage, and each time she was relieved to see that he looked so into it.

But her grin soon diminished as the door of the diner opened and in walked the three women that had been sitting in their row at The Orbit, the same women who’d been unashamedly been whispering about Olivia when they saw her. She knew of them—Mrs. Dixit, Mrs. Shaw, and Mrs. Rizzo—and was painfully aware that they were just three of many people who weren’t fond of her. So Olivia’s smile vanished as she drank her soda, watching as the women were seated at a table in the middle of the diner a little ways beside them, where she had a perfect view of them and they had one of her.

As per usual, Olivia did her best to pay them no mind, ignoring the looks she could feel them throwing her way every now and then as she ate her dinner and made light, easy conversation with Calum.

And she thought things were going fine, would be fine, until Mrs. Dixit’s voice consisting of a fading Indian accent flowed over. “I heard they’re replacing that poor Heather with her. They’re risky, aren’t they, for hiring her in the first place? Now they’re making her manager?”

Mrs. Rizzo scoffed distastefully. “They’ve lost my business.”

“I stopped going there the day they hired the Moore girl.” Olivia winced at Mrs. Shaw’s haughty tone, eyes casting towards her nearly finished plate, hoping Calum hadn’t noticed the rigidness in her shoulders. Of course he had; she just missed the way his eyes darted in the direction of the women after Olivia broke their gaze.

His eyebrows twitched into a frown, not oblivious to the discomfort Olivia didn’t succeed in hiding as he looked at the three middle aged women. It was kind of ridiculous, how a couple of women their age were so openly and unashamedly talking about Olivia as if she wasn’t even there, not at all perturbed by the fact that she could hear them. They were doing it because she could hear them, Calum figured, and his grip on his glass tightened, rings slightly scraping against it. How pathetic were they to talk about someone younger than them, as if they were a bunch of teenagers in high school taking part in cafeteria gossip?

Olivia glanced up at the sound, eyes going from Calum’s tight grasp on his glass to his face, mildly taken aback at the glare she saw on his face directed towards the women a few tables over. She hadn’t expected him to look so annoyed, eyebrows scrunched into a scowl. “Calum—”

“Why’re you just lettin’ them talk about you like that?” He spoke up at the same time, the muscle in his jaw jumping as he finally looked back at Olivia once more. The irritation in his dark eyes was surprising and, ironically, comforting. His brows were drawn downwards, shaking his head once. “Why don’t you just say somethin’?”

She stared at him for a moment, mouth drying at the curious yet confused look in his demanding eyes. Truthfully, Olivia hadn’t expected Calum to speak up about the women, didn’t think he cared enough to pay attention. Swallowing the dryness from her throat, Olivia answered, “It’s not worth it.”

Calum gaped at her, the irritation being completely replaced with bewilderment. Not worth it? Was she serious? “So you’re just. . .” His eyebrows twitched into a frown just like his lips. “You’re gonna let them disrespect you like that for no reason?”

Olivia inhaled sharply before surprising herself by blurting, “They have a reason.”

And then Calum surprised her even more by countering, “I know the reason. ’S not justified.”

Her eyes widened slightly, this time it was her turn to stare at him disbelief. He knew? What exactly did he know? Most of the town’s dislike for Olivia wasn’t news, it wasn’t a secret, but Calum wasn’t from here and she was hoping that everyone’s opinion of her wasn’t going to morph his opinion of her. It would’ve been refreshing to have someone new who didn’t judge her for someone else’s tragic mistake. “What do you—”

“Grams told me,” Calum confessed with a sigh, a familiar expression crossing his face, one Olivia knew too well. Sympathy. She suppressed a sigh of her own—she hadn’t wanted to see that on Calum’s face. But he leaned forward, arms crossed on the table as his gaze remained locked with hers. “And I agree with her; it isn’t right that you and your sister get judged for something you had no control over.”

Olivia’s lips parted at that, at the sincerity on his face emphasized by the determined frown on his face, like he wanted her to believe his words, shown in the emphasis each word he spoke carried. If Calum found out about Olivia’s family through his grandmother, then no doubt he got the real story rather than some twisted version she knew a bunch of people in this town would have no problem spewing. Some people were disgusting enough to contort the events of that night to say that her father purposefully killed those people in the accident. Yes, it was his fault for driving while he was drunk, something he should have never done, but the way some people spoke of it, it would be easy to assume by their words that it was premeditated. He had made an awful, horrific decision to drive under the influence, something even Olivia herself would never forgive him for, but had to endure the aftermath of.

Calum’s defense of her was kind of surprising, but Olivia was appreciative of it. They didn’t know each other too well and only knew about her situation through Claudia’s words, yet the look in his eyes was determined enough to show her that he was on her side. And Olivia felt her heart swell at that. Playing with her crumpled napkin, she kept her gaze on it as she quietly told him, “If I say anything back, they’re just going to be more annoyed and hate me more than they already do.” She hated that she let out a tired, defeated chuckle at that before shrugging. “Like I said—it’s not worth it.”

He didn’t understand as he took in her downcast blue eyes and the purse of her naturally pouty lips, staring at her with his own lips slightly parted. Calum was the kind of person who, if he ever heard someone talk badly about himself or his family or his friends, wouldn’t hesitate to go on the defense. He knew he couldn’t change everyone’s minds and opinions, but he could let them know he wasn’t going to take their shit.

It almost disturbed Calum that Olivia wasn’t willing to do that for herself.

The waitress came by to drop off their check and before Olivia could even think to reach for it, Calum swiped the small black folder right up. “Wait, no—it’s my treat,” Olivia argued, trying to reach for it from across the table.

Calum merely placed it on his lap, pulling out his wallet and placing the credit card inside the folder without even checking the bill. “You paid for the play and the milkshakes,” he pointed out, lips curling into a small smirk. “Least I can do is pay for dinner.”

She stared at him, lips pursed and bemused, but Calum merely smirked wider when the waitress returned for it and he handed it to her without breaking from Olivia’s gaze. Calum chuckled as he reassured, “Next time you can pay for the food.”

“Oh?” Olivia quirked an eyebrow, feeling some of her previous playfulness creep back as she tilted her head slightly. “So there’s gonna be a next time?”

Calum huffed out a laugh. “After tonight, you’re my official tour guide. I don’t have any other friends here to show me around Bridgelake.”

Both of them were smiling, teasing and maybe even a little bit flirty if Olivia squinted, enough to make her heart flutter because he had such a nice smile. Calum’s cheeks would push up and depending on how much he was smiling there would be crinkles by his eyes, only adding to the adorability of the expression. A much better look, a wonderful difference, than when he barely made any expressions when he first arrived.

“We’re friends now?” Olivia countered, enjoying the banter with a smile. She didn’t have that many friends, only Addy whom Olivia adored the company of and would never get tired of, but she had to admit—a new person’s company was always welcome. Especially when it was someone like Calum.

“Like it or not,” Calum shrugged before thanking the waitress once she brought back the folder so he could retrieve his credit card.

Olivia chuckled as she gathered her purse and the two of them stood up as Calum put the card back in his wallet and then dropped a twenty dollar bill on the table for tip, Olivia’s eyebrows shooting up at the sight because she knew the tip was almost as much as the actual bill. Damn. Glancing at Calum, she sarcastically mused, “I’m honored.”

Calum stood by his side of table so Olivia could walk past him towards the door, and as she did he joked, “I’m honored you’re honored,” earning another laugh from him as she shook her head and kept walking.

He smiled after her. Before following Olivia’s steps, Calum couldn’t help but glance over at the table a few feet away from him, occupied by the women seated there. Unsurprisingly, they were looking over this way, their judgmental gazes burning holes in Olivia’s back before simultaneously—creepily—their eyes shifted over to him. One of them offered a smile while the other two looked at him with expressions mixed with curiosity and coyness, the second not at all in regards to the obvious age difference between them. He was used to older women sending him those kinds of looks—he was from Los Angeles, after all.

And his mother raised him to be respectful of those older than him, and for the most part Calum was. But as soon as the three of the women looked at him, Calum couldn’t help the scowl he sent their way, triggered by the rude words and glares they sent Olivia’s way. They all immediately recoiled, almost affronted yet discouraged, and looked away from him, and the satisfied smirk tugged at Calum’s lips as he fixed his jacket and Olivia out of the diner. He wasn’t afraid to give those women that look if he saw them again.

Easily catching up to Olivia, they walked together in a comfortable silence towards the parking lot that was between The Orbit and the diner they were just at, the night breeze cool and inviting, and a fruity scent suddenly invaded Calum’s nose. He realized it must be Olivia’s shampoo or something, inhaling softly, subtly, because it just smelt so good.

They reached Olivia’s car since Calum silently decided to walk her to it, and as she unlocked the door she faced Calum. Before she could say anything, Calum shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket and said, “Thank you, Olivia,  for tonight.” The street lamp above made his dark eyes glimmer. “I really did have a good time.”

Olivia couldn’t fight the smile as she looked up at him. His curls swayed slightly in the mild breeze, the glow of the light above softening his features. “Enough to change your opinion of Bridgelake?” she asked with a tilt of her head. She knew it wasn’t going to take just a theater show to make Calum fall in love with Bridgelake or something, but she still wanted to get a feel of what he thought.

Calum let out a breathy chuckle, bowing his head as he did so, his curls brushing across his forehead before he lifted his head and smirked at Olivia. “Slowly,” he agreed and Olivia’s smile widened. “Might sound crazy to say but I kind of already prefer The Orbit than Broadway.”

Olivia’s jaw hung with a disbelieving scoff, staring at Calum incredulously before she waved him off. “Alright, psycho, I somehow doubt that,” she laughed, earning another laugh from Calum as he argued, “I’m serious!”

She shook her head in amusement as she stepped aside to open her car door. “Whatever you say, Mr. California,” she responded with a roll of her eyes, giggling at the bemused look he sent her way at the nickname.

“Drive safe, Olivia,” Calum chose to say instead of retorting, smiling fondly at the blue eyed girl.

Then, to her surprise, he pulled his left hand out of his pocket before pulling her in for a one armed hug, and Olivia’s eyes widened as her cheek was pressed against the cool leather of his jacket. But she relaxed in his embrace, in the mesmerizing scent of vanilla, leather and something that seemed like a wonderful mixture of wood and flowers as she returned the hug, unable to stop the smile from growing from her face. How fucking cute. “Goodnight, Calum,” she returned softly, before reluctantly pulling away from the tall man.

Calum smiled at her, stepping back to allow her to get in the car and as he shut the door behind her, Olivia let out a breath as she put her bag on the passenger seat and reached for the seatbelt. He stood by as she started the car, and Olivia sent him a smile and a wave as she pulled out of the parking spot, smile widening as he raised his hand in response.

Olivia couldn’t help but glance at her rearview mirror as she drove off, watching as Calum’s standing figure became smaller and smaller until she had to make a turn, and she let out yet another breath. The smile was still on her face, grip on the steering wheel tightening as the giddiness bubbled in her stomach, only intensifying when Calum’s I’d rather be anywhere but here face hadn’t made an appearance after she called him out for it at the start of the night. Not because he had been actively trying to keep it off his face, but because Olivia could tell he was genuinely enjoying himself, much to her fluttering excitement. She was definitely down to do this again.

                                                    ✩✩✩✩✩

Calum was more of a night owl than a morning person. He enjoyed staying up at night but he also appreciated his sleep, hating when the sun came up to start a new day. And he especially hated it in Bridgelake, when every other day there would be one neighbor or another of his grandparents’ who was mowing their lawn, the roar of the lawn mower jolting Calum out of his sleep practically every other day.

Safe to say, he started most days in a shitty mood.

Rolling out of bed reluctantly, Calum sat up and ran his fingers through his messy curls, a tired sigh escaping him before grunting as he stood up. Pulling on his sweatpants, Calum didn’t bother with a shirt as he used the bathroom before heading to the kitchen, the scent of eggs pulling him to where his grandparents already were. His grandfather sat reading the newspaper while eating his eggs, while his grandmother drank her tea and read whatever she was reading on her iPad.

“Morning, sleepy head,” Grams greeted, just like every other morning, as she smiled fondly at the sight of her sleep ridden grandson. “There’s coffee in the pot.”

Calum mumbled his thanks as he poured some for himself before sitting down next to his grandfather, across from his grandmother as he propped his elbows on the table and took a long sip of the steaming drink. He was quiet in the mornings, which wasn’t unusual, and drank his coffee and ate the pancakes that were left for him as a way of getting energy to brave the day.

Not that he had any plans.

He was still at the table when his grandparents got up to gather their things before walking back into the kitchen, frowning at them in confusion. It was Saturday and the pet shelter didn’t open for another few hours, and his grandfather didn’t have work either. But upon noticing Calum’s expression, his grandfather let out a chuckle. “We’re going for a friend’s birthday up in Wilmington. I told you about it a couple of days ago, bud.”

Calum blinked before his memory stuck, nodding as he recalled being told something like that. “We’ll probably be back around the late evening, so you’re on your own,” Grams teased as she picked up her purse and followed Gramps to the door. “Oh, by the way!” Calum glanced at her over his shoulder as his grandmother sweetly smiled at him. “Mind making a trip today to Olivia’s boutique? There’s some things I ordered that should be ready for pick up and the store’s going to be closed tomorrow. Make sure you go before closing at nine, alright?”

Then they were gone, before Calum could even offer up a response. He leaned back in the chair with a huff, eyes falling to Bruno, who sat on the floor staring up at him with dark eyes. Guess it was just him and his dog for the day.

                                                 ✩✩✩✩✩

It wasn’t until around noon did Calum leave the house and go to run his grandmother’s quick errand. He knew the name of the boutique and knew the name of the street it was on, so it wouldn’t be too hard to find it. Since his grandparents took his gramps’ truck, Calum was left with Grams’ station wagon, and it took him a minute to adjust the seat since his grandmother was significantly shorter and with the settings she had, Calum’s knees were practically up to his chin.

The drive wasn’t long—not that any drive from one location in Bridgelake to another was more than fifteen minutes—and Calum parked the car along the sidewalk before hopping out and pocketing the keys. Calum really hoped Olivia was at the store, but his grandmother had texted him that he could just ask anyone that he was there to pick up stuff for her.

He walked into the boutique called Moonflower, blinking at the store. Everything was split into color coordinated sections, each containing only clothes and accessories of specific colors, which Calum found kind of cool. A woman by the door chirped out a greeting and Calum shot her a quick smile before making his way towards the back where he could see was the register.

It was fairly busy in the store, women of all ages looking about and a few men here and there, and Calum was nearly to the front when he heard a familiar voice call, “Calum?”

He let out a sigh of relief when he caught sight of Olivia and her pretty blue eyes, shoulders sinking as she made her way over to him. She was dressed in dark blue jeans and a black blouse tucked in, complete with a small headset, and Calum was aware of the brief thought that flew by in his mind—a thought that couldn’t help but acknowledge how cute she looked in her uniform.

“Hey,” he greeted her, the smile coming to his face a lot more easily than he thought. “How’re you doin’, Olivia?”

He hadn’t seen her for a few days, since their outing the other night, but the two still texted. She was the only person, other than the boys back home, that Calum came to regularly texting, and he found himself really enjoying her company, whether it be in person or virtually. Olivia was one of the few people in Calum’s life that knew how to keep a conversation going, that was interested in what he had to say and Calum couldn’t help but return the sentiment.

“I’m good,” she smiled, blue eyes glinting under the bright lights of the store before she asked, “What brings you here?”

“Oh, uh, I’m here to pick up something for Grams?” he told her, his answer coming out as a question, wondering if Olivia could help him out. Hoping that she could. “She said she ordered some stuff and that I could just come by and pick it up for her.”

Realization dawned on Olivia as her lips parted. “Oh, yeah, right. Give me a second, yeah? I’ll go get it from the back.”

Calum nodded as Olivia walked around him, heading off to the back of the store as he lingered about. He looked around, noticing the store had practically everything that a boutique did, his eyes on a bunch of scarves and accessories. Calum’s fingers trailed over the soft fabric of the scarves and he looked at the designs for the cell phone cases, wondering if his mum or sister would want something of the sort. It got cold in London. Maybe he could buy a scarf for Mali.

As he waited, Calum’s eyes happened to trail over to a rack of socks, chuckling to himself at the designs on the unisex socks. His eyebrows raised as he caught sight of a pair of blue socks with dogs printed on them, with the furry animals wearing a beanie and glasses, and Calum found himself picking up a packet of those kind and grinning at them, finding them to be the most amusing and best things ever.

“Here you go.”

Calum jumped slightly, hastily putting the socks back on the rack as he turned around, catching sight of Olivia standing there with a Moonflower bag, missing the curious look that flashed across her face. “Oh,” he blinked before taking it from her, smiling as he added, “Thanks, Liv.”

The nickname just slipped out of his mouth, something she was commonly known by but not used by Calum, and for some reason he found himself strangely worrying if she would be okay with that. Some people were weird with nicknames like that.

But then he saw the soft smile on her face, one that even though it was subtle it still emphasized her cheekbones, and Calum couldn’t help but smile back, feeling his neck warm. Jeez—since when did he blush because of a girl? Olivia just smiled and Calum found himself wanting to smile back without pretense.

“So what’re your plans for today?” Olivia asked casually. She knew she should be getting back to work, especially with the promotion just about being handed to her, but walking away from Calum seemed so. . . Unappealing.

Calum raised his eyebrows, his smile turning into a smirk as he mused, “Why? Got another adventure planned?”

Olivia let out a laugh, a sound so pretty to Calum’s ears, enough to make his heart pick up a pace or two. “Depends on your answer.”

He chuckled before shrugging. “Nothing, as usual. Grams and Gramps are in Wilmington for the day and won’t be back ‘til late. So it’s just me.”

Olivia pouted her lips in thought, prompting Calum’s gaze to almost immediately flicker to her mouth, feeling his throat tighten at the sight of her pink lips. Get a fucking grip, man, he chided himself. “Wanna come over to my place for dinner?” Olivia asked, surprising Calum. “Alana and I order tons of food most Saturday nights and have movie marathons. You’re more than welcome to join.” She added with a grin, “It’s not as much of an adventure, but my sister and I are pretty good company.”

A rush of gratitude flooded Calum at that, and not for the first time since the night of seeing the play did Calum feel fortunate to have found a friend in Olivia. Sure, he still didn’t leave the house as much because she was busy with work and he had no one else to hang out with, except for when he took Bruno out on walks or accompanied his grandparents on errands, but Olivia was there, too. Maybe not physically, but they were texting whenever she could, since her schedule was a lot busier than Calum’s.

Maybe he should get a job.

Calum pushed back a snort. Not likely.

“Sure, if you and your sister don’t mind,” he found himself answering, smiling as Olivia’s grin widened.

“Not at all,” she grinned, her face lighting up with that smile of hers. “I’ll text you the address. Come by around, like, six or seven.”

He nodded and Olivia was bidding him goodbye since she had to go back to work, and Calum found himself leaving the boutique with a smile that only Olivia seemed to be able to bring out in him. And it was strange and maybe a little bit crazy, Calum knew, how one girl could somehow so easily change his attitude when he came to Bridgelake with one as moody and bad as his.

There was a little voice in the back of his head teasing him about Olivia’s words, about the magic of Bridgelake. That same voice was telling him maybe it was all Olivia. Calum pushed it away. He truly sounded crazy.

                                             ✩✩✩✩✩

“Oi! What happened to you promising me the last breadstick?”

Alana grinned unapologetically after swallowing the smaller piece of cheesy bread whole, shrugging innocently at Calum as she hummed, “You snooze, you lose.”

“You can’t trust her around your food, Calum,” Olivia said as she wandered back into the living room, a bottle of beer in each hand before handing one to Calum and settling down next to him on the couch. “She’ll steal it right off your plate. Sometimes even off your spoon.”

Calum shook his head in amusement, his grin widening when Alana snickered from where she sat on the floor. The younger girl then grabbed the TV remote, switching over to Netflix so they could find the first movie of the night they were going to watch. Calum had been over for about an hour now and their food had arrived from the local pizza place around twenty minutes ago, and they already finished all the cheesy bread before even picking the first movie.

He felt immediately at home in Olivia’s apartment, big enough for her and her sister with a joint yet open living room and kitchen space with a hallway leading down to where the girls’ bedrooms were. There were many pictures around the house of the girls with their family, and Calum had felt his heart tug in his chest at the smiling pictures of Olivia and Alana with their parents. He couldn’t imagine how they lived with a dead mother and imprisoned father, and with the smiles he’d seen on their faces so far already, he never would’ve guessed the girls had been through hell.

And with the horrendous way some people in this town treated them with, how they still went through with it with smiles.

He took a sip of his beer, sitting tucked in the corner of the three seater couch, right arm on the arm rest and left draped over the back of the couch, when Alana turned her head around to shoot her sister a wicked smirk. “You know what tonight’s theme is, don’t you, Livvy?”

Calum glanced at the older girl, catching the wary expression cross her face. “No. . . What?” Olivia asked hesitantly, her gaze flickering back to the screen and Calum saw the way her face fell. He followed her gaze, saw that Alana had stopped at the horror/thriller section of Netflix, and heard Olivia let out a groan. “Can we not, please?”

“Nope,” Alana happily chirped, scrolling through the options.

Calum quirked an eyebrow at Olivia, whose shoulders had sunk and face fell, and she saw him looking at her as she huffed. “I hate horror films.”

He smirked, amused. “Never would’ve guessed,” he responded, sarcasm tickling his voice as Olivia rolled her blue eyes and muttered for him to shut up.

“Oh, wait, I know!” Alana suddenly yelled, making the other two jump in surprise as the fourteen year old got to her feet. “Oh, my God I know exactly what we can watch!”

She ran off down the hall, bare feet thudding against the floor as Calum and Olivia stared after her with raised eyebrows until Olivia sighed, “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

“I’m sure it won’t be too bad,” Calum assured her, laughing into his beer bottle when the blue eyed girl shot him a deadpanned look. Then, cheekily, Calum shot her a wink as he said, “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.”

Olivia’s cheeks heated up at his playful words, unsuccessfully hiding her smile in her own bottle as she took a sip, and Calum could tell because he saw the way her cheeks turned up. He felt almost satisfied, knowing he could make her blush.

Alana ran back into the room and without saying anything to either of them, went up to the TV and turned on the DVD player before putting in whatever movie she brought from her room. Olivia and Calum watched, the former a lot more apprehensive than the latter, as Alana switched the channels, and Olivia let out a groan when the words Sinister appeared on the TV.

“Oh, my God—I’m going to die,” Olivia breathed, her eyes wide. She knew of this movie, had seen the trailer for it when Alana played it for her when she was trying to convince her sister to buy it for her. Unlike Olivia, Alana loved scary films. Whether they were trashy, melodramatic horror or full-fledged horror films that left people having nightmares. And just how Alana loved them, Olivia didn’t see any difference in any of them—they all scared her.

Olivia only bought her sister the movie because she knew Alana wouldn’t stop bitching about it, and because she knew her sister never had nightmares about horror films. But Olivia could barely get halfway through the first time Alana tried to get her to watch it with her, and she knew she wasn’t going to be any less scared now.

To make matters worse, Alana excitedly turned off the lights, enveloping the room in complete darkness save for the glow of the TV, and Olivia swallowed the tight lump in her throat as her sister hit play before sitting comfortably on a floor cushion with her back against the couch Olivia and Calum occupied.

Quickly, Olivia finished off the rest of her beer, knowing the potential jump scares were either going to make her spill the drink or choke on it, and put the empty bottle on the coffee table. Calum and Alana were happily munching away on the pizza, and Olivia wasn’t sure if she should even try to pick up a slice, too nervous for any potential scares that would come her way. She really fucking hated scary movies, and of course the universe would give her a little sister that thrived off of them.

At least Ethan Hawke was in the movie. He was hot.

Of course, that wasn’t entirely enough to make Olivia enjoy the movie. In fact, nearly half way through it, she brought her knees up to her chest and faced her body to the arm rest, back to Calum, cheek resting on her knees and hands brought up to cover her eyes to watch the movie through her fingers. There had been a few scary scenes already with that creepy monster thingy the movie revolved around, and the very sight of it freaked Olivia out.

And when another home movie started playing in the movie they were watching, where the music got loud and intense and downright terrifying because people were dying in it, Olivia closed her eyes and pressed her forehead against her knees, truly unable to watch it. She dismissed the fact that she was probably acting like a big baby, with Calum sitting right there, because she couldn’t help it. She was going to kill Alana for this.

The music was still loud, telling Olivia that the scene was still going on, and she let out a gasp when she felt a hand on her left side, quickly looking over her left shoulder—away from the TV—to see Calum reaching over for her. She stared, surprised, as he offered her a smile and gestured for her to come over.

Olivia took in a deep breath, her heart pounding—most definitely not from the movie anymore—and quickly turned, refusing to look at the TV as Calum kept his arm outstretched for her. She shifted towards him, feeling her cheeks warm up as his arm then moved around her shoulder, and Olivia was suddenly enveloped in Calum’s warm embrace with her knees still brought up and face pressed against his chest, cringing when the music grew more intense, hoping to calm herself down when she inhaled Calum’s familiar vanilla scent. It brought her a wave of comfort, especially when she felt his hand rub her arm and his chin rest atop her head to keep her from looking, knowing that she didn’t want to unless the truly frightening parts had passed.

All the while, Olivia wondered if Calum could feel her quickening heart—just like she could feel his under her ear.

Olivia would be embarrassed that Calum had to comfort her during a movie night she invited him to, but she couldn’t bring herself to care. Being in his embrace unexpectedly brought her solace that surpassed the terror the stupid movie brought. So instead of feeling like an idiot, Olivia welcomed the comfort Calum was giving her, reveling in the softness of his shirt and his familiarly pleasant scent and his warmth.

When the music from the movie died down, Calum lifted his chin from her head and murmured, “Alright, you can look now.”

Taking a breath, Olivia chanced a glance at the TV, seeing Ethan Hawke’s character talking to a police officer and she let out the breath she just inhaled. Instead of moving away from Calum, she found herself staying close, resting her cheek against his chest and watching the movie, ready to look away if something freaky began happening.

She completely missed the smile growing on Calum’s face at her closeness, but didn’t miss the way his heart was a steady, happy beat under his chest. It may or may not be because of her, but it definitely brought a smile to her face.

After the God forsaken horror movie ended, with a jump scare at the end neither Calum nor Olivia saw coming, resulting in her letting out a short scream and an amused laugh from both Calum and Alana, Olivia demanded they watched something heartfelt and light. No way was she going to bed with that movie being the last thing she watched.

They ended up watching one of the Scooby-Doo movies—which, although it wasn’t a scary film, still had Olivia and Calum sitting right next to each other, sides pressed and welcoming the warmth each other provided. Neither moved, neither wanted to move, away, and Olivia was finding it difficult not to let her lips break out into the smile they desperately fought for.

By the time they were done, it was a little after eleven at night, and all the food and jump scares had tired Olivia out. So the three of them cleaned up the living room, ridding of the empty boxes and putting the dishes into the dishwasher.

“Thanks for coming, Calum,” Alana smiled at the man as he put on his shoes. “It was really fun—you should come again next week.”

Calum playfully narrowed his eyes at her, sitting up straight and shrugging on his leather jacket. “You gonna steal my food next time?”

Her grin widened, not at all innocent, bringing a smile to Calum’s face as she shrugged. “We’ll see.” When Olivia returned from her room, having excused herself to grab something, Alana gave Calum a hug. He was surprised, but returned the gesture with a soaring heart as Olivia smiled at them. “See you later, Calum. Goodnight!” Alana chirped happily before turning and running down the hallway.

Olivia smiled after her sister, her hands behind her back as Calum chuckled softly. “She really likes you,” Olivia told him as they walked towards the door. “Thanks for joining us tonight.”

 “Thanks for inviting me,” Calum returned with a genuine smile as he opened the door. Honestly, he really was grateful that Olivia welcomed him here, included him in a night for her and her sister. He would probably be bored out of his mind at the house if he just stayed there, so being around Olivia and Alana was definitely a step up. Calum found himself enjoying their company—he already knew he liked hanging around Olivia, and he found himself adoring Alana and the utter spunk the young girl carried. “I had fun.”

“Me too,” Olivia nodded before letting out a sheepish laugh. “Even if I was using you to hide from the first movie. Thank you for that,” she added, her cheeks once again warming as she recalled his strong arm around her, the occasional soft words he’d whisper to assure her that it was okay. She felt like a baby needing all of that reassurance, but coming from Calum. . . Olivia found her thoroughly enjoying it.

“And as my thanks,” Olivia began once more, pushing back the thoughts of her and Calum’s proximity, her grin widening as she brought her hands around from behind her back, “I got you something.”

Calum’s eyebrows shot up as he caught sight of the lavender Moonflower bag, letting out a scoff of a laugh as he took it from the grinning brunette. “What’s this?” he asked, dipping his left hand into it. When he pulled it out, Calum let out a louder laugh as he caught sight of the blue socks with dressed dogs on them, the very socks he’d been eyeing at the boutique earlier today. “No way.”

Olivia’s grin widened at the sound of his laugh and wide smile on his face. “Don’t think I didn’t see you eyeing those bad boys,” she teased, clasping her hands behind her back. “Honestly, if you weren’t going to buy them for yourself, I totally was.”

His heart was light, the smile on his face easy and genuine because how fucking great was Olivia? The socks were dorky and adorable and Calum loved them, and he was absolutely surprised that she had managed to see his interest in them and decided to act on it. This gift wasn’t at all necessary, but the mere thought of it had Calum’s body igniting with genuine gratitude.

“Thank you, Olivia,” Calum laughed, grinning at the socks before putting them in the bag. He then brought his free arm up, and Olivia stepped into his embrace as her arms wrapped around his waist. Calum’s eyes closed at their closeness, her flowery scent making his heart race. “You’re absolutely incredible.”

Her blush intensified, cheeks probably resembling tomatoes as she modestly joked, “I try, I try.”

They pulled away and Olivia too a steadying breath, shoving her hands in the pockets of her loose sweatpants as she smiled up at Calum, fingers itching to brush back the few curls swooping across his forehead. Her heart felt as though it was about to fly out of her chest with the way his dark eyes were looking at her, as if he was taking her in, and she honestly prided herself for her legs not giving out beneath her. How was anyone supposed to stand upright when Calum was looking at them like that?

Suddenly there was a sound of a phone beeping, and Calum had to force himself to look away from Olivia as he pulled his phone out, seeing that he had a text from his grandmother, asking when he’d be home. “I should get going,” Calum sighed, looking back at Olivia, the soft smile returning. “Thank you for tonight. And this,” he added, lifting the bag slightly.

Olivia returned the smile, nodding along. “No problem,” she told him earnestly as Calum stepped out in the hallway. She held the doorknob, leaning against the door as she hopefully asked, “Text me when you get home?”

It was a short drive, Olivia knew, one she’s made hundreds of times. But a chance to talk to Calum again even after he left her house from being there for hours? Olivia didn’t want to pass it up.

Neither did Calum, it seemed, as he smiled and promised, “Of course.”

--

tags: @irwinkitten @glitterprincelu @sweetcherrymike @meetashthere @valentinelrh @astroashtonio @hereforlukescruff @calsangel @novacanecalum @captain-what-is-going-on @txcobell @angelbbycal @singt0mecalum @hopelessxcynic @lfwallscouldtalk @bodhi-black @findingliam-o @softlrh @calntynes @calumsmermaid @erikamarie41 @quintodosuniversos @longlastingdaydream @babylon-corgis @lukehemmingsunflower @spideyseavey @imfuckin10plybud @liviibi123 @pastelpapermoons @malumharmonies @conquerwhatliesahead92 @rotten-kandy @metangi @neigcthood @ohhmuke @old-zeppelin-shirt @5sos-and-hessa @trustmeimawhalebiologist @vxlentinecal @pettybassists @vaporshawn @lu-my-golden-boi @heartbreak-5sos @visualm3nte @isabella-mae13 @dontjinx-it @lifeakaharry @neonweeknds @antisocialbandmate @ixcantxdecidexwhosxmyxfave @calpalbby @grreatgooglymoogly @sunnysideblog @cocktail-calum @miahelizaaabeth @madelynerin @dramallamawithsparkles @hzi0 @aulxna @mermaiden004 @theagenderwhocriedwolf @kaytiebug14 @hoodskillerqueen @bitchinbabylon @empathycth @xhaileyreneex @inlovehoodx @calistheloml @aestheticrelated @bloodlinecal @sublimehood @madbomb @raabiac @britnicole11 

[solange-lol]

could you possibly write some sort of high school au solangelo??

school! aus! are! my! guilty! pleasure!

my apologies, this is kind of long, I got excited. 

read on ao3

Will Solace hated Nico di Angelo with a burning passion.

Okay, that was a bit dramatic. But he didn’t like Nico. All through middle school you expect the whole “guys stick together,” thing, and for the most part Will did have a lot of friends by his side. He was pretty popular, laid back. Not on any sports teams, but everyone still liked him. 

Well, everyone but Nico, who teased him consonantly and pulled every prank imaginable on him. There was no reason behind it, maybe just for the sole reason that everyone liked Will whilst Nico had his sister Hazel, and that was all. 

Of course, Will never thought of this teasing to be anything besides a constant threat against him

₪₪₪

When they got into high school, Nico finally seemed to hold an unspoken truce to Will. Maybe because Will had sort of lost all his friends from middle school and only hung out with the kids who ate lunch in the band room.  

By their second year, Will couldn’t recall the last time Nico di Angelo had even spoken to him. Either he gave up, or he was too busy paying attention to the infamous Percy Jackson, a junior who played Fullback on their schools football team along with Jason Grace who played Quarterback and who had grown closer to Nico over the years, meaning that the three of them spent a lot of time together, as well as their girlfriends Annabeth Chase and Piper McClean, not to mention Hazel who still sat as his lunch table along with her boyfriend, Frank Zhang (who was also on the football team and played wide receiver.) All in all, Nico had found himself a small friend group. 

When Will first heard the rumors about Nico liking Percy, he wasn’t sure what to think. At first, he didn’t know if he should believe it. They started out high school with “gay” still being an insult, but as the months passed, Will started to see more and more LGBT couples, including Jason’s older sister Thalia, who was in Percy’s grade, and Reyna Ramírez-Arellano, also a junior. (not to mention Will deciding he was bi.) After a while, it all made sense to be true. Nico basically looked up to Percy, always tried to engage in conversation with him, and laughed at all his jokes, which 90% of the time weren’t even funny. 

A few weeks later, word got around that “Nico finally got the guts to tell Percy how he felt, Percy politely rejected him, now Nico refuses to talk to him” which was the first time Will ever felt bad for him. 

₪₪₪

After all the “Percy rejecting Nico” drama, everyone had the unspoken agreement that Nico was gay, and by the middle of their sophomore year, everyone mostly forgot about it, including Will. 

So when Nico and Will were paired up for a History project, Will thought nothing of it besides anxiety that this is where Nico will remember he existed and start teasing him again.

To his surprise, however, Nico seemed to act like nothing ever happened in their past years, and worked with Will quite well. They talked a lot during the week they had, and afterwords they continued to talk to the point where they were maybe kind of friends?

They didn’t eat lunch together, Will still sitting in the band room while Nico sat awkwardly in the cafeteria with his friends (and as far away to Percy as he could get) but they exchanged “hellos” in the hall, and talked a bit together before the classes they took together would start. Will was surprised by how much they actually had in common when it came to interests.

And by winter break, Will had developed a kind-of-sort-of-crush on Nico di Angelo. 

“Just ask him out!” his cousin Kayla told him while they sat on the couch watching their younger cousins unwrapping presents on Christmas morning after Nico had sent Will a half-faced snapchat saying “merry xmas solace” making Will’s heart melt. When it came to relationships, Kayla was always there for Will. 

“Thats what Lou Ellen said, but I can’t just go up to him and ask him out!” 

“Why not?” was her response. “You can handle rejection!”

“Not from him!” he hissed.

“William Solace, theres nothing to be afraid of, because he obviously likes you!” Kayla said indignantly.  

Will huffed, “We’ll see.” 

₪₪₪

To Will’s surprise, a note fell out of his locker a couple mornings later when he opened it to get his textbook for Math.

skip lunch. meet me in gender neutral bathroom on the second floor across from the library. -nico 

Will smiled. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but it was a harmless note.

Like the note said, Will showed up outside the bathroom on the second floor, where Nico was standing against the wall, with his usual black shirt, tattered black jeans, and black converse. 

Upon arrival, Nico barley looked up before grabbing Will’s hand and dragging him into the bathroom and locking the door behind him. 

“What a-” Will started before Nico turned around, trapping him against the bathroom tiles, fierce determination in his eyes, and suddenly bad feeling were flooding into Will’s stomach, making his heart beat fast and his eyes widen.

It’s a trap, it’s all been a trap, this is where he beats me up, forget friendship, forget crushes, it was all a trap

But Will didn’t have any time to put his thoughts into actions before Nico stood up on his tiptoes, leaned in, and-

kissed him

Nico was kissing him.

He didn’t think, he didn’t notice any feeling except for the soaring feeling of his heart as Nico di Angelo kissed him.

As soon as he could process what was happening, he responded  to the kiss, hands lifting from his sides to wrap around Nico’s waist, pulling him closer. Nico’s hands dropped from the walls onto Will’s shoulders, then sliding his hands up so his palms cupped Will’s face, his fingers closing around the back of his neck. 

It felt like days when they finally released each other, smiling with flustered cheeks and messy hair. 

Needless to say, Nico showed up to his Biology class in the same state, mumbling an excuse as he slid in the seat next to Piper, who gave him a knowing wink.

₪₪₪

(junior year)

Nico was at a party.

He hated high school parties. He wasn’t big on socialization, despite being friends with 3 of the best football players in the school. His friend group had grown since last year. Sometimes he sat in the cafeteria with Jason and Piper and Hazel and all the others, but most of the time he sat in the band room with the theater kids, and now had a solid group there too. Lou Ellen and Cecil, Leo and Calypso, and of course Will.

Will. That was the only reason he showed up to the freaking thing. He would’ve preferred to spend a nice quiet night together watching a movie or something at Will’s house. But Jason asked Nico to come while Will was standing next to him and Will decided they were going. And Nico didn’t argue because frankly, he wasn’t paying attention to the conversation.

But now he as at this party with a bunch of drunk juniors and seniors in Jason’s house and he didn’t know where Will had gone or where anyone was frankly, and so he stood in the back with a Diet Coke, hoping no one would try and approach him.

Unfortunately, that didn’t go very well because he suddenly found himself in a conversation with Percy Jackson, his first crush that had rejected him, which Nico wasn’t as crushed as he could be, considering he knew how much Annabeth and Percy liked each other. 

And now here was Percy, chatting away with Nico instead of making out with Annabeth somewhere else, just like Nico’s awkward sophomore year didn’t happen.

Sophomore year. He had a crush on Will Solace ever since 6th grade, but by the time they got to high school, Nico undoubtedly decided that Will didn’t like him. This was also when he mt Jason, who then led to Percy. All through freshman and sophomore year all he thought about was Percy. It was unrealistic, yes, but isn’t everyone’s first second crush?

And then, yes, he got rejected by Percy which basically outed him to the entire school which would have made him probably transfer in any other situation, but instead he took it as an opportunity to get closer to Will, and eventually kiss him, who thank god liked him back, and by the end of the month they were dating. 

And now here he was, not really paying attention to this drunk Percy while scanning the room for Will. Just as he finally spotted the blonde head, Percy put his arm around Nico’s shoulder. Nico caught Will’s eye at this exact moment, and what happened next was not his fault. 

Will practically ran over to the two, grabbing Nico’s arm. 

“Sorry Percy but we have to go,” Will said quickly before dragging Nico out of the house. 

Nico was relieved to feel the cool night air on his skin, to get away from that loud party which would no doubt be caught soon. 

“Do you still like Percy?” Will asked suddenly.

Nico turned. “What do you mean?”

“I mean do you still like Percy?”

“No, idiot, of course I don’t like Percy.”

“Okay, good.”

“Why do you ask?”

Will sighed, avoiding eye contact “I haven’t seen you two talk in forever, and just the way he stood next to you, with his arm around you? I don’t know, I guess I just panicked. Thought that you still liked him… more than me.”

“Will?” Nico said. Will raised his head, squinting one eye to look at Nico. 

“I liked you first, before Percy. I used Percy as a distraction, because I thought you would never like me, but I’ve liked you ever since 6th grade.”

“Really? I thought you hated me in middle school? The constant teasing?”

“Thats called flirting, sunshine.” 

Will smiled, now looking at his palms and shaking his head, “All this time I could have spent with you and I thought you hated me”

“Hey, it’s alright,” Nico said, taking Will’s hand with one and putting the other on his cheek. “I have you now, and thats all I need. That past doesn’t matter. What matters is.., I love you., Will Solace”

Will’s eyes widened, and for a second Nico cursed at himself for going too quickly. But then, Will pulled him into a kiss, and Nico knew everything was alright.

“I love you too, Nico di Angelo,” he said when they pulled apart, smiling down at him as brown eyes met with blue. A small smile crossed Nico’s face too. This was all he needed. 

So I may or may not have been thinking about that freaking RIverdale thing with the “i love you’s” and Jughead and Betty while writing the ending iudbhskja

Anyway, I actually had a dream that I was Nico di Angelo and I went to a party and fell asleep on a couch cuddling Will Solace which is like the best dream ever but of course I was going to actually do that but I didnt add the party because why not

I have more ideas but I didn’t want to add them all because this was already super long so that can be saved for another fic :))

If you do want me to write another school!au oneshot then I will because like I said I absolutely love school au’s and I have more ideas !!

If not… well I’m sorry you didn’t like it but I’ll probably write some more anyway ;) 

[silverstarsheep]

So after seeing these posts by @owldart for @doodledrawsthings‘ Hell’s Studio Au, I realized I needed to write something for it! Because I am a HUGE sucker for body swap stories. This was a lot of fun to write, but it came out... Quite a lot larger than I had anticipated! I hope you enjoy!

Word Count:  8,489

The feeling of ink-covered hair on his own head was a surreal one. To the point where Bendy had a hard time grasping what exactly he was touching. On top of that, his hand felt weird. Why was that? Having gallons of ink dumped on him was something that he didn't want to admit he was used to, but this time seemed to have messed with his senses something fierce. If Sammy hadn't turned back into an ink monster, had Bendy gone off model again? Gracious, he hoped not.

"Aw man, what a trip..." he moaned. Was there ink in his ears, or did he sound a little different? He rubbed his hand along his head, shuddering slightly as the stringy texture passed between his fingers, "Hey Sammy, am I meltin' or just--" he stopped when he reached the top of his head. Where he would have normally found the dip between his horns, he didn't feel... Well, anything. Just more head.

"Drippin'?" he croaked. At that point he realized that the voice he was using was certainly not his. He couldn't pin whose it was, but it did sound familiar... His eyes popped open, and he was met with a pale, five-fingered hand.

Sammy was quickly catching on himself. He had kept his eyes closed for a while now, a surge of dread washing over him like a devastating tidal wave. He didn't feel like himself; he felt cold and unnatural. Defined in shape, but able to melt and sink into the surrounding ink at any moment--and he knew that only meant one thing: he was an ink monster yet again. He grit his teeth and dared himself to open his eyes as Bendy spoke, though... Wait a moment. That was his voice that he was hearing. Why was he hearing his own voice, and with Bendy's accent of all things?

Eyes fluttering open, he gingerly lowered his arms and cast a slow glance to the person beside him... Only to find his own face, staring wide-eyed at his hand. Bendy's eyes then flicked upwards, a frown etching deeper and deeper into his features; seemed as though he was having just as much trouble comprehending the situation as the music director. All of the sudden, Sammy's entire body felt numb, not sure what to do with the fact that he was now staring at his own face, but without the help of a mirror. He then looked to his own hands--if they even were his own--and found that he was shy a finger on each hand, and was now wearing gloves.

Bendy and Sammy had locked eyes, and the realization finally hit the both of them with ten times the force of the ink that had just fallen on them prior. There was barely a beat before the studio halls were filled with their panicked screams, broken up only on occasion by a colorful swear from Sammy, or a coughing fit from Bendy.

Heavy footfalls accompanied their cries as a handful of people rushed to the scene. Bendy had fallen all but silent, coughing into his fist and clenching his stomach. Yikes, did that hurt! Sammy meanwhile was starting to melt, hands on either side of his newly obtained horns as he paced back and forth in the knee-deep ink. He muttered feverishly under his breath, trying desperately to make sense of the situation. It had to be some kind of dream, it just HAD to!

Wally was the first to arrive, still picking feathers and honey off of his uniform. He shot glances between Sammy and Bendy, finding himself terribly confused, but also sadistically satisfied to see that his boss had gotten his comeuppance for the little "prank" he had pulled earlier. Though he clearly had no idea what was going on.

Susie was soon to follow suit just as Wally opened his mouth to speak, "What's going on?" she asked through heavy breaths.

"I was 'bout to ask that myself!" Wally shrugged. He leaned one arm against the halway's door frame, scratching at his cheek, "Hey uh, boss? Everythin' okay?"

"Does it LOOK like everythin's okay, Franks?" Bendy hissed. Though to Wally, it just seemed as though Sammy had replied.

"Uh, didn't ask ya, Sammy," Wally continued, "But yeah, guess that was a dumb question..." he gave Susie a quizzical glance, and she merely shrugged at him in reply. They were just covered in ink. Aside from that, what was the problem?

"Uh, Sammy?" Susie spoke up. Sammy's head spun around so quickly that his body couldn't keep up with it. He stumbled and grabbed hold of his head before plopping rear-first into the ink with a significant splash. He had... Forgotten that Bendy's head floated. Placing a hand over her mouth, Susie tried to not laugh at her boss--though Wally was a little less successful as he snorted loudly.

"What?" Sammy snapped, "Don't you laugh, Franks!" he pointed bitterly, scattering ink everywhere as he threw his arm into the air, "If you can't tell, we're having a bit of an issue here!"

"Ya got that right." Wally muttered. He received a sharp elbow to the ribs for that from Susie.

Holding out her hands in a placating way, she gave a simple and sympathetic nod, "I can see that, Bendy. Let's get the both of you out of the ink first. Maybe get you two a nice cup of coffee to calm down!" she looked to Wally and used her eyes to motion over her shoulder, "Get some rags, please." she added.

Wally huffed, but complied without another word. At least Sammy hadn't turned into an ink monster again, but he'd still have yet another set of inky footprints to clean up after all of this. Along the way he passed a concerned-looking Boris and Alice.

"Hey, what's goin' on?" Boris asked.

"Beats me," Wally grunted, "Sammy n' Bendy are in a real sore mood. Talkin' a bit funny too."

Alice rose an eyebrow to this, but when Wally continued on his way she merely sighed and strode to where Susie stood, Boris at her heels. She peered around the corner and found both of her friends wading around in the ink in a clumsy fashion, Sammy still muttering bitterly about the situation. Susie lent a hand to who she had no reason to believe wasn't the music director.

Bendy took Susie's hand, "Thanks, Campbell," he sighed. He hadn't realized how weird it was to talk with a human mouth until now. The weird way that his tongue didn't fit quite right in his mouth, the way his teeth clicked together, and how it felt more natural to frown than to smile. There was an odd ringing in his ears too; it wasn't terribly loud, but it was noticeable and a little annoying.

After hoisting himself to his feet, Bendy found it a bit harder to find his sense of balance. Boy was Sammy TALL! As he tried to take a step it felt as though he was made entirely of leg, and he put more weight onto Susie's arm than he originally intended. Her foot slipped into the ink, but Boris had acted quickly enough to grab her free arm and keep her upright.

"You alright, Sammy?" Susie squeaked, shaking her foot off.

"Uh," Bendy's voice still hurt from the screaming, "Yikes, how do I put this...?" he had the sudden compulsion to run his hand through his hair, which he only questioned after doing the motion.

Sammy had stood up again and was dusting the ink from his clothes as if it were dirt, "Like this: I'm Sammy." he thrust a thumb at his chest, "That's Bendy." he pointed to what was supposed to be his body.

Silence hung in the air, and the confusion between the others was almost palpable. The stupefied quiet was broken by Wally's footsteps, holding a wad of clean rags in one hand, and pushing a mop bucket along with his other.

Blinking, Boris tilted his head to one side, "What're ya talkin' about, pal?" he asked, "Got another weird prank for us?"

Alice smiled, though she folded her arms over her chest, "I'd expect something a little more extravagant out of him if that were the case."

"It ain't a prank!" Beny blurted suddenly, "Do ya really think I could convince Sammy to participate in onna my pranks?" he motioned to Sammy, "This well, at that? You know he couldn't do my accent!"

Sammy rolled his eyes and shook his head, choosing to ignore that remark for now. Alice snapped her fingers, "Yeah, you have a point there." she stated.

There was a few more moments of silence, before it hit everyone what exactly was going on. Wally had missed an important detail, so when the others all shouted in surprise and dismay, he stumbled back first-into the wall with wide eyes and a loud cry of shock.

"What the heck?!" he cried.

"You're?!" Susie slipped her hand out of Bendy's, pointing at him with the other, "He's?!?" she looked to Sammy with fretful eyes.

"That's not possible!" Alice squawked, "It's not possible, right?" she looked between Bendy and Boris as if she could find an answer, "Ink can't do that can it?!"

"What's goin' on?!" Wally demanded, trying to raise his voice enough to compete.

Boris shook his head briskly, his ears flopping this way and that, "No? I don't know! How'd this even happen?!"

"Heck if I know!" Bendy cut in, "I was tryin' to stop Sammy from gettin' covered in ink again," he explained as he pointed to the ceiling, "When a pipe burst over us, and then...?" he made a distressed sound and motioned between himself and Sammy, who was positively fuming once again, swearing under his breath... Though that just resulted in numerous sound-effects seeping through his grit teeth.

"Wait, wait," Wally huffed, "D'ya mean to tell me they... What, switched bodies or somethin'?"

"That would be the case, Franks," Sammy groaned, "Now make yourself useful and go get Joey!"

The others looked to him expectantly, and therefore the custodian had no choice. He pushed the rags into Sammy's--or rather--Bendy's hands and stormed off while muttering under his breath. Boris could catch a low, "or I'm outta here," before Wally vanished up the stairs.

While they waited, Sammy had dragged himself out of the ink, still muttering bitterly under his breath. His words were growing in both anger and volume as he looked himself over, "If it's not one thing it's another," he grumbled, "If Joey doesn't fix the problem with these pipes I'm going to follow after Wally's stupid catchphrase!"

"Ah, I'm sure he can figure out a way to fix this!" Susie piped, though her words went completely ignored by the musician.

Bendy was trying to make do in the meantime, attempting to get used to his now rather lanky legs. He had to use the wall for support, but he eventually got the hang of it, "Yikes, I gotta learn how to walk all over again!" he chortled, "Hey Sammy, how do ya walk with these twigs? I'm gonna call ya beanpole from now on!" he joked. He knew he should've been taking this situation a little more seriously, but... A joke or two couldn't hurt!

Sammy's head spun around again, though this time his body had an easier time keeping up with it, "You will NOT!" he screeched, "You'd better not get comfortable in there!" the musician hissed.

Throwing his arms up, Bendy grinned and rolled his eyes, "Nah nah! Wouldn't dream of it!" he put his hands on his hips and leaned over, "You'd better not get comfortable in there either, Lawrence! Don't get to thinkin' ya can't do work just 'cause you're in my body!" he teased.

"Wouldn't. Dream. Of. It." Sammy snarled through his teeth. His fists were clenched tight enough for them to shake, "I don't plan on staying that long."

"If it's not weird hearing Bendy's accent with Sammy's voice," Alice giggled lightly, "It's even stranger seeing Bendy's smile on that face!" when Sammy groaned, she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, "Come on, you know I'm just teasing. That smile looks good on you!"

Shrugging her hand off of his shoulder, Sammy threw his arms into the air and walked away, "Can't you toons take this a little more seriously?!" he snapped, "I didn't want to go through anything like this again anytime soon, and yet look at this! Look at US!" he spun back around and pointed to Bendy, "YOU need to get Joey's act together, and have him fix this &@#$ place!"

After stifling laughter over Sammy's censor, Bendy took an a more dire expression, though traces of a smile could still be seen on his lips, "I AM takin' this seriously, Lawrence," he insisted, "Over the years I've learned to internalize most of my strife. Sometimes laughter is all we got, y'know?"

"No."

"Makes sense that he wouldn't get it," Wally's voice came down the hall, "He don't know how to laugh!"

"Shut your MOUTH, Franks!" Sammy snapped shrilly. He really didn’t appreciate how everyone was having a good time at his expense, "Keep going and you're out of here!"

Wally rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah..." he mumbled. Tucking his hands into his pockets, he leaned against the wall to let Joey and Henry squeeze past.

Book in hand, Joey scurried between Sammy and Bendy, casting concerned glances between the two of them. He scratched at his stubble while flipping the book open over his arm. He was eerily quiet as he leafed through the pages, his brow furrowing further with each turn.

Henry stood beside Susie, who was fiddling with her skirts. He leaned over and whispered, "Did they... Really switch?"

"Yeah."

"How did that happen?"

"We don't know! But I'm hoping Joey can fix it..."

Henry inhaled softly, watching the director search. He had his doubts, he he also had his hopes, "I'm sure he can."

Getting tired of waiting, Bendy strode to Joey's side and peered over his shoulder, "C'mon, Joey," he egged the other on, "Ya gotta have somethin' in that big book o' rituals!"

"Uh, well..." Joey's voice was barely audible as he started, only speaking up when Bendy gave him a nudge, "At first glance, I'm having a hard time coming across anything that's relevant to the situation..."

"Well look again!" Sammy barked. Ink was seeping over his eyes, but he hadn't bothered to do anything about it yet.

Joey wordlessly continued his search, pausing now and again to run his finger across the page, only to shake his head and continue looking. He flipped from cover to cover at least three times before he finally gave up and snapped the book shut.

Sammy glared, "Well?" his arms were folded, his fingers tapping impatiently against the opposite arm.

"Well..." Joey inhaled sharply through his teeth, rubbing the back of his head, "I can't say that the book... Which is to say, I don't think anything in here... Uh... There's nothing on this in the book. Not a single thing. At least about switching bodies," he adjusted his glasses, "Just allowing a demon to take control over yours while you're still somewhat aware of your surroundings. You don't get the demon's body, or anything!"

"You've gotta be kiddin' me, Jo." Bendy remarked flatly. With a swift movement he snatched the book from the other's hands and started to flip through it himself with great determination.

Sammy was quiet. He had finally pushed the ink out of his face, the toothy frown he had bearing deeper and deeper into his features as the realization was starting to sink in. Did that mean that Joey didn't cause this? Then what did? He jumped when he felt a hand take hold of his arm and  an arm wrap around his shoulder. It was Alice, who was giving him a sweet, though very concerned smile.

"Hey, don't melt on us now! Keep it together, okay?" she cooed, "It's going to be alright."

Placing a hand over her's, Sammy nodded slowly. He trusted Alice, at least a lot more than he trusted Joey...

Joey's gaze had gone distant, staring at the ceiling as he tapped the tips of his fingers together pensively. His brow creased, a light "hm," coming from him when he placed a hand over his mouth. The gears were obviously turning in his head, and the others had taken notice.

"Ya got somethin' in mind, Jo?" asked Boris.

Instead of responding Joey walked away, pulling the book from Bendy's hands as he passed by. Hand on his chin he brushed past Henry and Susie, then proceeded to walk over Wally's freshly mopped floor. The custodian shouted in frustration, though his and everyone else's calls had gone completely unnoticed by the director, especially as he opened the book once more and started up the stairs.

"DREW!!" Sammy screeched. Alice immediately backpedaled away, "GET YOUR @$$ BACK HERE AND FIX THIS!" he darted after him, though stopped short, clenching his fists and breathing in a ragged way.

"Hey, hey!" Henry cut in, "He's probably going to look for more references! Or... Something!" he continued in a hopeful way. He backed off when Sammy shot him a glare, flecks of ink flying off of his horns as he turned his head, "Hey," he added, "It's going to be okay. Just keep your head level."

"And don't let it float away!" Bendy jeered.

Sammy merely groaned, but his eyes widened as the idea settled in his mind. Could it do that? Could it really float away? He subconsciously put a hand between his horns, pushing his head closer to his shoulders. The guffaw that followed suit quickly told him that Bendy was merely messing with him, "Hah." he grunted.

"Alright, alright," Bendy shifted gears, "Joey's gonna work on that, but for now," he instinctively looked at his wrist, though he didn't find a watch there, "Oh." he gave a wave to the others, "Well, we gotta get back to work. That deadline's gettin' on us fast, and I don't wanna be blindsided by it!"

"Hah, you got it, boss!" Henry sighed. He gave a little salute and sauntered off to his desk. Susie followed his lead, returning to the recording booth. She was in the middle of recording something when she heard the screams.

Boris and Alice dawdled a bit, shifting in a concerted manner for the whole affair. They shared glances, Alice biting her lower lip, and Boris scratching the back of his head. After the whole fiasco where Sammy turned into ink, they knew this was only going to be trouble for him. With Bendy involved in this whole thing, they knew he'd be just as affected!

"Huh, are ya gonna just... Let everyone know what's goin' on?" Boris asked, "I mean, it's sure gonna be weird havin', y'know, Bendy directin' the band!"

Bendy stuffed his hands into his pockets and shrugged, "Yeah," he replied, "It'll be more trouble than it's worth to keep THIS a secret!" he threw a thumb at Sammy, "'Sides, I don't think he'd be able to keep the act up!"

"Not as if I'd want to." Sammy added bitterly. He wasn't even going to humor the idea of a challenge.

Bendy placed a hand to his chest, "And me? Actin' like Sammy Lawrence the entire day?" he continued in an offended way, "I'm an actor, not a miracle worker!"

"Yeah, probably for the better!" Boris mused.

Alice twirled a finger in her hair, "Hey, are you going to be alright, Sammy?" she asked with a soothing tone, "I can keep you company for a bit, if you need it!"

Brusquely shaking his head, Sammy heaved a sigh, "No," his reply was short, "I think I'm going to look over my sheet music and get to recording." without another word, he stomped off. Oh, he was going to be a real pill today, wasn't he?

Alice merely sighed through her nose, folding her hands together. She eventually started down the hall herself, waving to Bendy and Boris, "See you in the band room, Boris!"

The wolf smiled and waved in return, though quickly turned back to Bendy, "Hey pal," he spoke, "What about you? You gonna be alright?"

Bendy shot the other a grin, jumping to give Boris some reassurance. He nodded and waved in a dismissive manner, "Sure, sure!" he squawked, clearing his throat, "The most I gotta get used to is these lanky limbs Sammy's got." he winked, "But hey! Sure is nice bein' able to look ya right in the eye!"

Boris laughed at the comment, "Yeah, you got a point there!" he scratched the base of his ears, "But hey, if ya need me, I'm where I always am!" he added.

With a wordless nod, Bendy rolled up his sleeves and made his way to his room. His smile faltered however, worried thoughts flooding his mind with the force of a thunderous downpour. His shoulders slumped. Did Joey know how to fix this? COULD they fix this? He closed the door behind him and puffed out a long sigh, pressing his back against the door and sliding closer to the round ever so slightly. He had to push that thought out of his mind. His hand impulsively ran through his hair as if to push ink out of his face, though when the strange and stringy sensation was too much for him he tried to pull his hand out--only for his fingers to get tangled in the ink-matted mess.

Once he managed to free his digits Bendy searched his room for a bowtie, as well as a pair of gloves. It took a bit of searching but he did eventually find a pair with five fingers; they hadn't yet been modded to fit his toon hands. Comfortable four-fingered gloves simply didn't exist, so if he wanted to wear real ones he had to either make, or modify them. Sadly, none of his other clothes would have fit Sammy's proportions, but he found small comforts in the silky smooth fabric of the gloves, and the embrace of a tie around his neck.

Well. That was going to be as good as he'd get for now. No sense putting it off any further! Pushing his feet into motion Bendy started his rounds. There were a few revisions to be made, and he needed to discuss that with his employees before they got too much further into their work. The first to inform was usually Laura Nelson, a mousy little woman that could whip up sketches so fast that even Bendy had a hard time keeping up with her. He rasped gently on her door before stepping inside.

"Yes? O-oh hello, Mr. Lawrence...!" she stuttered. Eyes wide, she looked him over and was quickly taken aback by the large grin that had graced his usually frowning lips. She smiled nervously, drumming the end of her pencil against the desk.

"Mornin', Laura!" Bendy chimed. This only seemed to make her more uncomfortable, "Meet me in the boardroom in ten... I'll uh, explain it all there!" he started to slip out the door, "If ya see anyone on the way, tell 'em!" he could just barely hear her squeak in reply.

The more he called to the meeting, the more he was met with the same sort of response. Everyone was positively floored by the stark change in disposition that, for all intensive purposes, Sammy Lawrence suddenly had. Of course it certainly didn't help that they were all confused as to why Sammy was calling them to a meeting rather than Bendy. Did the music director suddenly get more jurisdiction, or something? It took everything in Bendy to not just explain the situation to each individual he came across, but he did NOT want to repeat the entire spiel countless times, when he could get it all out at the meeting.

There was a certain relief when he finally came to Henry, who gave Bendy a warm smile. What a nice change of pace it was, to not be greeted by confusion and alarm.

"You're looking a bit frazzled," the man remarked.

Bendy puffed, "That obvious?"

"Your hair's a mess!"

"It's any wonder Sammy can keep this mop in order!" Bendy chuckled. He pushed his hair back, "Anyway, I'm callin' a meeting. Really lookin' forward to tryin' to explain this hot mess to everyone..." his voice seethed with sarcasm--it only seemed fitting for a voice belonging to Sammy Lawrence.

When they entered the boardroom, any confusion the employees had was immediately amplified when it looked as though Sammy had taken Bendy's seat at the head of the table.

"Uh, Sammy?" someone piped, "The boss isn't going to appreciate you sitting there..."

"Yeah, about that..." Bendy started, "So, today's been a bit freaky, only fittin' I guess, seein' it's Friday. But we always gotta top the last weird ink-based event, don't we?" he sighed. The animators exchanged glances as Bendy continued, "Somehow, Sammy and I got switched. Dunno how, dunno why! We're workin' on fixing it, but--"

"You SWITCHED?!" exclaimed one writer

"Freaky's right!" shouted another.

"Oh, is that all? Thank goodness, I thought Sammy was going mad..." Laura cried.

"I... I don't think that's possible...?" an animator muttered.

"Is it though? I mean, there's no way that Sammy would go around smiling like that!" a writer replied.

"It ain't permanent, is it? Don't think I could EVER get used'ta seein' Sammy Lawrence smile." one writer chortled.

A light smile returning, Bendy's shoulders seemed to relax a bit. They certainly took that well, a lot better than he had expected...!

"Nah, I don't think it is! Joey's workin' hard to find a way to reverse it." Bendy replied.

"So how's it like for ya bein’ on the human side of life?” someone teased with a giggle.

“I’ll letcha know after two cups of coffee,” Bendy chuckled.

The meeting quickly devolved into everyone discussing the logistics and the probability of something like that happening, or if it could even happen again. Though the general consensus was that they hoped it could be reversed, and that the issue with pipes bursting really needed to be remedied, and fast. Bendy allowed them a few moments to get it all out. The less distractions they had the better… Glancing at the clock on the opposite end of the room, he heaved a sigh.

"Alright, alright. Let's get this meeting in order! We've got a lot to cover today!" Bendy called. It took a few seconds for everyone’s chattering to subside, but they were soon all listening attentively to their boss… Though a few couldn’t get over the fact that they were listening to Sammy Lawrence for the duration of the meeting...

After the meeting had concluded Bendy found himself exhausted, and with a strange pang in his stomach. He could only assume that was hunger, unless his nerves were somehow starting to get to him. Henry offered to take him out to lunch, and despite how much work he needed to get done Bendy jumped onto the opportunity. The chance to go outside without some sort of ridiculous outfit? Yes, please!

Though he bumped his head against the door frame of Henry's car (Sammy was honestly too tall...), Bendy had a wonderful time out and about town. Though they didn't see much with only a half hour to spare, they got sandwiches at a nearby shop and had a pleasant conversation. After such a stressful morning it was positively a blessing to have such a calm lunch...

Though they still had to return to the studio. As much as Bendy wanted to stay out and relax, he was itching to get back to work and get to animating.

__________

Meanwhile, Sammy was having a difficult time convincing himself to get to work. He knew it had to get done, and he knew that he'd have Bendy on his case if he didn't get to directing the band. But did he REALLY want to deal with the strange stares and odd questions for why Bendy of all people decided to take on directing the music? No. Gloved hand gripping the door handle, Sammy's fiery inner war on made him clench his teeth and gave him a frightful headache.

Flinging the door open he decided to drop the news on them all at once, and hopefully get right into work. But knowing the band, they'd get stuck in a stupor, unable to get past the idea. Or perhaps they wouldn’t even believe him. At that point, was there any real reason to try, other than to prevent a few annoying questions? Though trying to explain would only result in more. Today was going to be awful, wasn't it?

Bursting into the room, the band fell into a dead silence--one that was far quieter than anything they had done for Sammy when he was in his own body. Taking the director's stand he lowered it to his now low level and dumped his papers onto it. There was a beat, before Sammy gave the group a long, hard stare. They stared back, shifting uncomfortably in their seats and scratching at their ears in confusion. A few of them were starting to look a little worried… Bendy looked like he was in a sour mood, and it was starting to seem as if they were going to get chewed out for something.

In hopes to distract him from this, the banjo player tentatively held up his hand, "Excuse me, sir?" he squeaked, "Is Sammy out sick...?"

"No, that's--" Boris started.

"Couldn't be! I saw him clock in!" the drummer interjected.

"He's--" Boris attempted again.

"I thought I heard him screaming earlier. I wonder if he blew his voice out?" the bassist added.

The silence had been shattered like a pane of glass and the band members were now talking amongst themselves, leaving Sammy to rub where the bridge of his nose normally would have been. Boris couldn't compete with the growing volume, and had given up entirely.

"Alright!" Sammy suddenly bellowed, throwing a fist onto the stand, "That's enough!" boy was he glad that Bendy's voice held as much presence as his own, as the room fell silent once again. Adjusting his shirt collar Sammy stood tall and addressed the band once more, "Due to..." he sneered, "Unfortunate events, you'll all have to take instructions from me while I'm... In this state."

A few members looked to one another in confusion. Sammy's head fell back, his eyes glancing at the ceiling in utter frustration, "This may be difficult to believe, but I am not Bendy. Joey somehow managed--at least I'm certain this is Joey's fault--to get the two of us switched. For now we have no way to switch back, so if you would all kindly ignore the fact that I look like the mischievous little imp and get to work," he gave a strained smile, "I would greatly appreciate it." he hissed.

Sammy was surprised with how well the band had taken it... But then again, nobody could say "no" to Bendy, now did they? Though judging by their faces, he didn't feel they were entirely convinced. In fact it looked as though they were keen on asking questions, but the only thing that held them back was the potential of Sammy’s rage coming out of Bendy’s body. A few of them muttered between each other that it was probably some kind of prank, or Bendy just wanted to mess around for a day. But was that really in character for him when they had such a close deadline? At any rate they seemed to fear their boss' wrath more than anything, so they took great haste to comply to his wishes.

Otherwise, the recording session had gone far smoother than Sammy had expected. Whether it was because they felt the pressure of their "boss" looking over them, or if they were simply having a good day Sammy couldn't tell... Though his pessimistic nature went with the former.

Once everyone was dismissed for their lunch break, Sammy shuffled gloomily back to his office. It was as if a dark cloud was hovering over him, and it was slowly spreading about the rest of the floor. Any distance he was given was only doubled today. Alice was quick to notice this, and when no one was looking she had swiped a bottle of ink and was soon falling behind Sammy's footsteps. She knocked lightly on the door, only to hear a despondent "What?" come through.

Cracking it open, Alice smiled gently and called, "Hey, Sammy. Can I come in?"

His head had fallen into both of his hands, his elbows awkwardly propped against the edge of the desk as his chair was too low for him to reach. He didn't vocalise a reply, though he did raise a hand and gave the angel a pathetic wave. The toon took that as enough of a welcome and entered.

"Got you some yellow ink," she said. Sammy looked up, his eyes darting between the bottle in her hands, and her face.

"I can't believe you're encouraging this." Sammy mused. A light smile had cracked through his dour expression as he sat up.

Alice shrugged, "Well you wanted to try it when you were an ink creature," she said, "I figured it could help you get your mind off things... And it was Boris' idea, anyhow." she added keenly. Placing the large bottle of ink on the desk, she pulled over a stool and took a seat.

Sammy took the bottle and downed it with little hesitation, a little hiccup slipping through his teeth as a tingling sensation overcame him. It was like a warm blanket had wrapped around his shoulders, his troubles rolling off his back like droplets of ink. A yellow hue started to take over the black that covered his body, and a smile was slowly spreading over Sammy's face. He slid down in his chair, cooing in an odd manner.

"Got any more?" he asked, giggling lightly.

Alice shifted and shook her head, "No, I..." she chuckled, "I didn't expect you to go through that bottle so quickly!"

"Why don't you get some more? We can both drink our worries away." he continued as he rubbed at his face. He stooped however, "Oh, you don't drink the stuff do you?" Alice shook her head. Instead, Sammy slipped off his chair, teetering slightly, "Alright, how about we play some music? Suddenly got in the mood."

The angel's face lit up, her shoulders perking, "Sure!" she sang, "It's been a long time since we played together!"

The pair made their way to the recording studio, and played for the remainder of their lunch break. Boris heard the music and came running, eager to play along with them.  The effects of the ink hadn't yet worn off on Sammy, even after the band had returned--it certainly made the rest of the afternoon much easier for the lot of them.

__________

The meetings were done, he had gotten his keys finished, and all that was left for Bendy was paperwork. Paperwork, paperwork. Even in a human body it was just as tedious and boring as ever. But like the cartoons, they had a deadline of their own and needed to be completed. He had his fun for the day, and much to his disappointment Joey still hadn't quite figured out how to get Bendy and Sammy back into their respective bodies. Bendy was lucky if he could even get in the man's office! But he could hear Joey call, "Working on it! I've almost got a breakthrough!" whatever that meant.

After clicking on the radio in hopes to block out the ringing in his ears, Bendy lowered his chair (significantly, at that,) and dove into the stack of papers he had on one side of his desk. Endless paragraphs to read, countless pages to sign. Certainly the least fun of all of his work.

As he was getting into a rhythm, Bendy was hit with a strange craving. It wasn't hunger, it wasn't thirst. The body he inhabited wanted SOMETHING, but he couldn't quite pin what. He propped his arms against the desk and leaned against his hands, quietly mulling over the sensation to try and figure it out. But nothing came to mind. Pen back to the paper he attempted to push past it, but the more he tried the less he could focus. His writing had ceased, the ink having long dried as his body started to feel antsy. Bendy sat back and bounced his leg impatiently. As his nose grew closer to his clothing, he caught the scent of... What was that, cigars? It was a potent smell, but the faint remnants of it seemed to hit all the right notes as a small bit of satisfaction came to his senses.

He lifted the cuff of his shirt and took a whiff. He got the smell down, but it wasn't nearly enough as the craving only grew stronger at that point. Now on his feet, he leaned over his desk and contemplated going to Sammy's office to grab a cigar. Well, it was almost quitting time... And it wasn't as if working overtime was anything new to him.

As he passed through the music department, he said his good-byes to the musicians he passed by. Most of them got mixed up by calling him Sammy or Mr. Lawrence, but they quickly corrected themselves with more apologies than necessary. Bendy waved them off with a smile. It was hardly a problem, but he hoped that it was one that wasn't going to persist. Though he hadn't had this many people staring at him like this since he was first brought to life... Such a big smile on Sammy's face was absolutely alien to the employees, especially to those that worked under him!

Down the hallway and making his way to Sammy's office, even from the end of the hall Bendy could tell that the musician had reserved himself to his fate of having to stay overnight again. The infirmary cot had been moved to his room once more and was pushed to the opposite wall of the room. The effects of the colored ink had long since worn out, and despite negative feelings washing over him again Sammy had managed to get himself to be productive. He was hunched over his desk and working furiously, using a stack of folders and books to comfortably reach the top.

Rasping lightly against the window Sammy immediately shot a glare, though his tension seemed to calm when he saw who it was. He stared for a moment before rolling his eyes and motioning for Bendy to enter. He slipped inside with a grin.

"At least I can work like this," Sammy remarked distantly, "Your body's a lot less messy than mine when..." he grunted instead of finishing.

"The gloves help!" Bendy piped. He hovered over Sammy for a moment, his eyes darting back and forth over the man's work, "Hey, got a smoke?" he asked rather quickly, leaning against the desk.

"You got to that fast." Sammy drawled. He pushed Bendy out of the way to pull open a drawer, where a sizable wooden box sat. He flipped the lid up and pulled out two cigars, passing one to the other before grabbing a lighter and jumping down from his seat.

"I'd rather ya didn't smoke in my body," Bendy sighed.

"Don't think I could. You don't have lungs, do you?" Sammy asked.

Bendy merely shrugged, "Don't under-estimate toon logic, pal!"

"Whatever. I'm just going to light it. The smell is good."

They both plopped down into the cot. Sammy lit his cigar first, then held the lighter out to Bendy. Sammy rested his elbow against his knee, resting his chin in his hand as the cigar burned away. The pungent aroma filled the room quickly, and it didn't take long for smoke to start pooling at the ceiling. Watching it for a moment, Bendy looked to the lit cigar in his hand.

Though he had never really smoked before, Bendy had picked up on the motion by watching Sammy and a few other workers around the studio. He stuck the cigar between his lips and took in a long drag, filling his lungs too quickly and sending him into a fit of coughs. Smoke billowed from his mouth and nose, and if it were possible he would have expected it to come from his ears, too. He could have sworn he heard a snicker from Sammy.

"You don't have to smoke it all at once, Bendy."

"Yeah," Bendy sputtered, "Yeah!"

His body seemed to be satisfied however, as the antsy feelings started to melt away. He sat back and puffed away at the cigar, his mind wandering off as he wondered if Joey finally figured anything out, or if he'd have to stay like this for a while. He could handle it of course, but he knew that Sammy's productivity would take a serious blow for it... He blew out more smoke, trying to get the billows to make rings, but he couldn't quite get it.

"Hey, Sammy?"

"What?" he shook some ashes onto the floor.

"Do you know how to make smoke rings?" it'd probably be easier if he were a toon!

"Not a clue. Never really tried, I guess." Sammy sighed. His eyes drifted to Bendy as he continued to try, to little luck. His attention was drawn to the window however, as he saw Joey flagging them down from the end of the hallway, "Oh, looks like Drew might have figured something out." he announced as he sat up.

"Huh?" Bendy flicked ashes off of his cigar, "Oh, great!" he was the first on his feet, though last to extinguish his cigar. In no time at all however, they were both out the door and down the hall.

"Alright, I've been testing around with the ink, and I may have come with a conclusion!" Joey chimed joyfully when they were within earshot.

"Lay it on me, Jo!" Bendy hummed. He had tucked his hands into his pockets in an almost casual fashion, though he was eager to hear what he hoped would be good news.

"Well, I was just thinking... If it wasn't due to a ritual, which I've been very good about recently mind you!" Joey added quickly, with an accusing point at Bendy. "Then perhaps the ink has... Well, taken on special properties."

Bendy cocked his eyebrows, "Ya think?" his voice was flat. Sammy said nothing. They knew. Everyone knew, and therefore gave the ink as much berth as they could. If they could.

"Well, I do have an idea, regarding the situation. It's a bit," Joey paused to inhale through his teeth, "Well, maybe a lot not to your liking, but it's all I've got to run with!"

Eyes narrowing, Sammy stared Joey down. His face was beyond incredulous at this point, but the fact that he had kept silent was enough to let Joey know that he was going to listen. Or at least he was going to try. Bendy motioned for him to continue.

Joey coughed lightly into his fist, his eyes darting away, "What if we," he cleared his throat and spoke rather quickly, "Try to replicate the event?"

"What?" Bendy shot Joey a look.

"I know it sounds stupid, but..." Joey held up his hands and shook his head, "Listen, when I say the book doesn't have anything, it just... Doesn't have anything! My hands are tied! The only thing I can think of is to try covering you both in ink at the same time again!"

Bendy grunted, "He's right about the book," he started with a huff, "Ain't nothin' in there. I dunno about you Lawrence, but I'm MORE than ready to get my marketable face back. We'll just... Have to try it!"

Closing his eyes, Sammy took in a deep breath before letting out a long, drawn out sigh. He stood rigid and eventually gave a nod. There wasn't much else that could be done. While he could have imagined hundreds of ways for that to make the situation worse, he chose to shelve those worries and try to not fret about it. One afternoon in this gremlin's body was more than enough for him.

"How are we gonna do it?" Bendy wondered, "I ain't waitin' until another one bursts naturally... I've had more than my fair share in this body!"

Joey placed a hand on his chin, "Well... Maybe we could force a pipe to burst." he looked over to Wally, who was sweeping, "Hey, Wally?" the custodian looked up, "How would we force a pipe to burst?"

It was clear that he hadn't been listening very attentively, or at all for that matter, as Wally's face scrunched up in disgust, "Why would'ja wanna do THAT?!"

"To try and get us back to normal, Franks!" Bendy snipped.

"Right, right..." Wally muttered. He pushed his cap back and scratched at his scalp in thought, "Well, I guess ya could close off the other pipes, then increase the ink flow in the one still open. That oughta do it without makin' too big a mess..." he still didn't like the idea of having another pipe to fix...

"Get to it then!" Sammy and Bendy ordered in unison.

The custodian grimaced, "Ain't there another way to do it? We already got one pipe to fix! I swear, Joey! One more'a these this week and I'm OUTTA here!"

“Then you’re lucky it’s Friday!” Bendy replied.

Joey ignored Wally's threat and instead considered the first idea, "Well, no. I don't think so. The ink seems to lose most properties after leaving the pipes... Well, perhaps we could open a pipe, instead! Have those two stand beside it. It... Should work!"

"You sound uncertain." remarked Bendy.

"Well...!" Joey started, "I'm just thinking it would be better to replicate it in it's entirety!" he glanced back to Bendy and Sammy, "What do you two think?

"Honestly, I don't care how it's done. Just so long as it's done." came Sammy's dry response.

"Yeah, we'd better be safe than sorry," Bendy sighed, "Sorry, Franks! Tell ya what: me n' Boris'll help ya tonight. Okay?"

Rubbing a hand over his face, Wally groaned. He stared hard at the ceiling for a moment before dropping his hand to his side and propping his broom against the wall. He pointed to an adjacent hallway, which still had a protruding pipe in it, "We'll use the one in there. I'll letcha know when it's ready..." and he stormed off.

It took a few minutes before they got the all-clear from Wally. Sammy and Bendy were standing anxiously underneath the pipe, while Joey stood a reasonable distance away. He seemed eager--perhaps a bit too eager about this. Sammy fiddled with his gloves, trying to keep himself distracted and failing. Bendy had slipped his hands into his pockets, and was rolling from his heels to his toes absent-mindedly.

"Gosh y'know? Human bodies are real weird," Bendy commented out of nowhere.

"Well, it's not as if having a body comprised entirely of ink is a walk in the park either," Sammy responded bitterly.

"I mean, ya gotta breathe," Bendy prattled on, "Blink now 'n again, not to mention ya get hungry and thirsty real fast!"

"M-hm." it was clear that Sammy simply did NOT care.

"It's a good thing the body does most'a that stuff automatically," he continued. Though he was going to say more, there was sudden banging and shouting in the floor above.

It was difficult to make out, but Bendy could just hear Wally's voice seep through, "Shoot, shoot SHOOT!! INCOMING!!" there was loud thumping, as if the custodian was stomping his foot on the ground to get their attention. Yeesh, he had some pipes in him!

Without another moment to spare, the pipe above the duo creaked and groaned as a massive amount of ink was being forced through it. But without anywhere else to go it quickly buckled under the pressure and burst, showering them in ink. It flowed for a moment before it suddenly stopped--Wally must have turned the machine off.

Sputtering and coughing, Sammy instinctively put his hands to his face to wipe the ink away. He felt the sensation of fabric rubbing against his cheek bones and over his sunken-in eyes. His eyes flew open when he felt ink drip from his hair onto his nose, and he felt a wave of relief overtake him. A small smile cracked his lips as he looked over his hands, wiggling all five of his fingers. Thank GOODNESS. His head fell as he heaved a sigh of great relief.

"Alright, back to bein' good ol' me!" Bendy sang. He hopped from one foot to the other, adjusting his bowtie and shaking out his sleeves.

"Thank goodness!" came Joey's cry. He approached them, clapping his hands together and grinning from ear to ear under his mustache, "I was hoping for a bit more of a display, but..." he admitted lowly, "It looks like the problem is fixed! You two feeling alright?"

Bendy was the first to reply, "Right as rain!"

"Fine." Sammy replied. He ripped the gloves off of his hands and undid the bowtie that Bendy had put on earlier.  After passing them back to the toon he closed his eyes and heaved a sigh, running his fingers through his hair, "I'm going home." he declared firmly.

"Hah, right," Bendy nodded, "Get some rest, Sammy. See ya Monday!"

Sammy didn't really respond, he merely walked away. Bendy and Joey stood in silence for a moment, before the ink demon turned to the other.

"Say, you'd better get home yourself!"

"Oh, no!" Joey puttered, "I've got a few things to catch up on before I do that... An entire day surrounded by ink with my nose in a book makes your day surprisingly unproductive!" he continued.

Bendy shrugged, "Alright. I should probably get to helpin' Wally out, then. Be sure to tell me goodnight before ya head out, Jo!"

"Will do, Bendy!"

Now on his own, Bendy heaved a sigh and allowed his shoulders to slump. What a LONG day it had been…! Certainly not his best of days, but he was glad that the worst of it was finally all over. Picking himself back up he figured he should at least tell Boris and Alice the good news… Then he’d have to help Wally clean up a little. His day was far from over, but he could deal. The fatigue his limbs felt could easily be pushed back by a cup of ink and coffee or two! After a quick stretch, the demon went off to find his toon companions.

[thephoenix-hq]

☞ NAME: James Potter. ☞ AGE: Nineteen (03.27.1960). ☞ BLOOD STATUS: Pureblood. ☞ HOUSE: Former Gryffindor. ☞ GENDER: Cis-male. ☞ FACECLAIM: Maxence Danet-Fauvel.

+ THE STORY SO FAR +

Euphemia and Fleamont Potter thought they couldn’t conceive. They tried for years with no success, even using non-magic, holistic practices to discover what the problem was with no answers. In 1959, they were elated to find out that their hoping and waiting had finally resulted in something. On 27 March 1960, their pride and joy came into the world. James was a pampered little boy. Though he was an only child and lived in a village that housed mostly older witches and wizards, he could hardly define the word lonely. The three Potters went to church in the square on Sunday morning’s and listened to the minister tell fascinating stories that taught lessons about life. He went to the town pub with his father and sat at the bar yapping to the keep as Fleamont and a number of his mates sat around a small table playing some muggle card game involving chips that they traded for drinkings.

When James got a little older, his dad taught him how to play and James quickly became exceedingly skilled at Poker. They’d leave the pub and play Quidditch in the fields behind the cemetery. Or he would explore the few boutiques lining the center street with his mother dragging him along behind her. On special occasions, they would go to the nearby muggle town of Cornwall and visit the beaches there. Saturday afternoons were reserved for tea with Bathilda Bagshot. James had an extensive knowledge and love of wizarding history because of the colorful stories he grew up hearing from her.

Going off to school meant sadly waving goodbye to his beloved village every fall. James had such a happy childhood, leaving for Hogwarts was equal parts exciting and devastating. Sorted unsurprisingly into Gryffindor, James would find himself on the quidditch team by the time he was in second year and become Captain after Frank Longbottom graduated in 1975. By way of his invisibility cloak gifted to him by his father, he would explore every expanding inch of the school with his three best mates in tow. In his fifth year, he would succeed in becoming an animagus and take on the form of a stag. James would start dating in his fourth year, though his attention was always more focused on quidditch causing quite a few problems for him throughout the years. James was appointed Head Boy in his seventh year, procured the girl of his dreams, and graduated thinking he had the world in his palms.

- J U N E 1 9 7 9 -

In the year after James graduated, he had turned down multiple job offers. From chasing for Puddlemere United to being inducted into the auror program. He had excellent marks, been head boy, a historic quidditch captain… it made sense that people were lining up to take him. And yet, he turned every single one of them away. He loved quidditch, but didn’t want to ruin the joy he found in it by making it a career. And he wasn’t going to work for the ministry. The Daily Prophet remained inadequately positive when he knew that things were growing steadily darker in the world around them. When Albus Dumbledore came to tell him about the Order of the Phoenix, James merely nodded, affirmative and determined. It had been the outlet he had been searching for.

← C O N N E C T I O N S →

← Lily Evans

James would only admit to the first two instances in which he asked Lily Evans out being genuine. The other times were split between a prank, the constant desire to piss her off, and the incessant need to fulfill all of his desires no matter how trivial. Perhaps it was the first time in his life that he didn’t get what he wanted simply by stretching out his fingers and grabbing it. He had to work for her and though he had hated it as a fifteen year old, a few years later, he recognized it as the best thing that had happened to him. James might have never grown up if it hadn’t been for her forcing him to. Lily was an enigma right from the start. The way she approached love didn’t make sense to him and he wanted to learn about it. Then he figured it out and there was nothing in the world he wanted more than to show her what it really meant. They became friends some time in their sixth year, but it was extremely casual. It started with her laughing quietly at something he said and James, perhaps too coolly, trying not to react to it. It progressed to having to maneuver around each other as head students (they had completely different tactics that caused quite a lot of bickering) and ended with a kiss that left them both grinning stupidly. They were great together. They were two opposing forces that somehow met in the middle to form a dynamic, undeniably immovable force. They graduated and she started staying over, night after night. And before either of them knew it, they were basically an old married couple. They reminded James of his parents, and it had a calming effect on him he didn’t know he was capable of. School-age James needed constant excitement and loved her because she was wildfire. Old-man James enjoyed the quaint, quiet life of domesticity. When he decided to propose to her, he had a ring the very next day. There had been no doubts in his mind that she would say yes, but as was unnecessarily common for Lily Evans, she surprised him again. She said no. She said no and while he was sitting there processing it, she apparated. He figured she’d just go home, but when he got there a few hours later, (finally ready to talk about it and tell her it was fine that she wasn’t ready, he just wanted to know that it was possibility) she and all of her stuff was gone. Four months would go by until the first Order meeting, where he knew without a doubt she’d be. She was too passionate, too brash not to be there. His loud-mouth, short-tempered, opinionated muggleborn had always gotten herself in trouble that way.

→ Sirius Black

James met and befriended Sirius Black immediately on the train to Hogwarts for the very first time. They talked quidditch most of the way, inquiring after what houses they wanted to be in and what their opinions were of the other ones. Sirius told James that he hated the idea of being in Slytherin house and James immediately decided that was the house he wanted nothing to do with. Even early on, James could tell Sirius struggled with the way he had been brought up. Most days he wanted nothing to do with his family or their twisted viewpoints, but some days that barrier was blurred slightly and he could almost see where they were coming from. That side of the spectrum was always fleeting. One look at James, the way he had been raised, the friends they had and the friendship they kept was enough to make him see the light. Sirius, unbeknownst to him and most everyone else, was considered James’ first real friend of his own age. No ugly thought his mate had would change the sparkling opinion James saw of him. That is, until their sixth year. Sirius pulled a prank on Snape involving Remus that could’ve resulted in death if James hadn’t stepped in. It made James realize that Sirius saw the wolf as a beast and separate from his nice, gentle friend Remus. James realized that it didn’t occur to Sirius that it was Remus who would have to deal with the consequences of the cruel joke. It didn’t matter if he couldn’t control it, it was still him and Remus would never forgive himself for hurting another human. They made up eventually, James forgiving Sirius for his wrongdoings, but he could tell that Remus lost his comfort in Sirius. They would perhaps never be quite the same. He would never tell either of them, but the rift between his friends weighed heavily on James’ shoulders.

← Remus Lupin

James loved a good conquest. Befriending Remus Lupin had been a valiant one that he won honorably. He took notice of the way the scrawny kid seemed to crawl into himself the second after the sorting ceremony had ended. The excitement wore off and it was like he realized something about himself he had momentarily forgotten. James spent days pondering over how to get his attention. So much so that Sirius got to the point where he would merely roll his eyes and tell him to get over it. ‘I can’t,’ James would tell him. ‘We’re roommates, we might as well be friends, too.’ or even the trivial, ‘Gryffindor’s have to stick together.’ So he watched him. Remus would gather enough food at lunch time to get him through dinner and breakfast of the next day, keep his head down during classes as if putting his full attention into his work, and generally avoid all conversation that didn’t directly pertain to school work. James came up with the idea about a week into classes. Using his invisibility cloak, he sneaked out past curfew and went in search of the kitchens. Bathilda Bagshot had told him a story years before about how there was a rather large portrait of a bowl of fruit at the bottom of the staircase off the great hall. ‘Tickle the pear and you’ll find the kitchens!’ So he put the theory to the test and had (so easily he laughed about it) found the kitchens in no time at all. A house elf came up to him with an empty tray in her hands, asking him what he needed. James drew a blank, realizing he had never actually paid attention to the kind of foods Remus grabbed when he stocked up at lunch. After some deliberation, James simply told her his favorite foods and a few minutes later, she came back to him with a tray piled high. That next morning, Sirius and Peter were waiting for him at the door to go to breakfast when he told them he’d catch up. Confused but shrugging, they left him. James pulled the food out from under his bed, scrawled something on a piece of parchment and tossed it on the tray. He left it beside Remus’ bed without saying anything. He had a feeling it would get the job done. And, amazingly, it had. Remus showed up for every meal after that. He fit in like James always knew he would, effortlessly turning their threesome into a four.

→ Peter Pettigrew

Even when they were only eleven years old, Peter was devious. It was one of the things that occurred to James first about the other boy. He wasn’t quiet and timid, he was pretending to be quiet and timid. James, who was someone who never pretended to be anyone other than exactly who he was, found this oddly compelling, but extremely alarming. Why would a kid need survival skills such as going unnoticed by those around him? So, being the extremely transparent bloke that he was, one day James asked him. There was a bit of spluttering and all-around avoidance of the question. He had caught his small friend off guard. James approached this subject in various different ways over the course of a few months in their first year. In fact, it was the start of his experimenting with different ways of speaking to people. Most people found it endearing that he could recognize that he didn’t always have the best methods. Others (Lily Evans, for instance), found it to be a problematic flaw of character. On about his fourth try, it had just been James and Peter sitting in the quiet common room. They were playing chess on the floor in front of the fireplace when he approached it with extreme caution. Peter pondered in silence for a moment and when James thought he was once again not going to answer the question, he started talking. Peter unloaded to James the story of his childhood and James listened intently. He took in every detail, wishing he had known him back then to maybe change it all in some way. It strengthened their friendship, the honesty that passed between them. In the summers, James would begin to invite Peter over and the small boy would graciously deny it until the last week before they went back to school, every time. Soon it became Marauder’s tradition that the last week of summer be spent at the Potter’s in Godric’s Hollow.

JAMES POTTER IS CURRENTLY CLOSED FOR APPLICATIONS.

[halothenthehorns]

All in the Family

Chapter 50: Snape's Grudge

Sirius at once lost his feet upon landing and face planted a puddle of foul smelling green sludge. No matter how much he tried to spit it out and wipe his face clean, the mess clung to him. By the time he'd at least cleared it away from his eyes and mouth, he got himself onto all fours and looked around to see what should have been a familiar site.

He was on the very outskirts of Hogsmeade, a place he and his friends frequented far more than the others of Hogwarts and possibly even the villagers themselves. He'd spent more times having adventures in every nook and cranny of this place than even doing homework, if one could believe it. This particular spot, and what it looked down on, meant more to them than words could express. The Shrieking Shack stood in the distance, the measly fence guarding it off, the sheer drop and magic bordering one from going inside through any of the blocked off windows or available door were quite powerful to one who didn't know what they were doing. There was melting snow upon the ground and puddles of mud every few adjacent feet, perfect for a prank to pull or vanish at a moments notice.

His friends were the ones he was having trouble recognizing.

They had not landed near each other at all, but each held the same expression of shock that was quickly growing into something Sirius had no desire to look at. His breaths were coming out in short, sharp little panting gasps, as if he'd broken a rib. He wished the Devil's Snare were strangling him again, or even better, a venomous tentacula. He'd rather be back in a dragon's cave than fight his blurry vision and see what he knew would be there on his real family.

"Sirius, you daft idiot, how is eating mud any solution to this?" Then there was a warm hand thumping him on the back, a kind voice affectionately telling him to stop being stupid, and James' hand hovering in front of his face.

"How the hell are you lot still," words wavered off, Sirius didn't know how any of them could stand to be around him after what they'd just heard. That didn't stop him from clinging to this while he could, taking Prong's hand and only staggering for a few moments before his feet steadied beneath him.

"I don't know what to make of the madness of this future," James brutally told him, expression defensive as he scanned around for the book, but he gave Sirius' hand a reassuring squeeze before dropping it. "I do know it hasn't happened yet though, so would you stop panicking about it every other second please?"

Sirius spat out one last glop of mud and still gave a slight grin. "Yeah, I'll try."

"If you manage it, Moony will owe me three galleons," Peter smirked. "We've a running bet you can't go longer than three days without freaking out over something."

"Define freaking out," Sirius huffed with an exaggerated pout.

"Shouting and your general presence are the commonly accepted terms," Remus shrugged. "He almost won last year actually, until you found out it was Wormtail who ate your Potions homework and our deer friend graciously played partisan and gave me the win."

"Aha!" Said Marauder had wandered off from their babble and managed to spot the book resting in a nearby tree. He scaled it the Muggle way for the onlookers.

"I will never understand those four," Lily muttered, shielding her eyes from the sun and waiting for Potter to fall from the tree any second. Maybe he'd land on his fat head and deflate it a bit. "They really can laugh off anything, even attempted murder on each other."

"The kind of friendship we should all aspire for," Alice shrugged.

Lily flushed slightly in unease, thinking if rolls had been twisted slightly and Sev had ever done anything of this scale to her, she couldn't forgive such a thing. The way he was acting now was inexcusable, and the chapter title Potter declared only promised things weren't going to get much better.

Regulus listened to the school in controlled chaos because of his brother and couldn't decide who he was more impressed with, the Sirius of the future getting in and out of that place undetected after a debauched murder attempt of his best friends kid, or his idiot brother smiling along at the events now. Chest out, hair swept over his shoulder, pride rolling off of him in waves for managing such a stupid move. Would they still be acting like this if that was the end of the story? If Sirius had really killed Potter's kid, would they all go back home and pretend none of it had ever happened?

He wondered, not for the first time, just what their most recent fight had been about. Something equally as bad as nearly getting an innocent killed? How many times would Sirius get away with this before his friends cast him out? Regulus knew, even if Sirius had done all those horrible crimes, at least he'd still forgive his brother. He never did anything without a good reason, and was continuously amazed the three he called his brothers seemed to feel the same. Would his friends do the same if he suddenly told them he was having questions about their future plans?

Frank listened intently to the kids interpretation of why they thought Black hadn't murdered Harry when he had the chance, and didn't take to the idea. If he was mad enough to be breaking into this school at all to exact these plans, surely his way out wasn't on his mind, just the murder itself. So either Sirius wasn't as mad as everyone was saying in this future, or they were still missing something.

He forgot everything else when he heard his poor son was in the most trouble for all this. His indignation at McGonagall's treatment of him grew with his fury, he had half a mind to get up to that castle and tell her off for this the second they got back. As if he was the first child to lose a password or let another student into the dorm, he shouldn't be punished for Black's doings!

When Hagrid's note arrived and they went to visit him, Alice huffed impatiently at those two forgetting about Buckbeak as much as they seemed to everything that wasn't a Firebolt lately. Just because it wasn't their responsibility didn't negate they'd offered to help. She was glad they had Hagrid in their lives all the more when he straightened them out about how they'd been treating Hermione, someone needed to tell them that sooner rather than later.

Hermione threatening to turn around and tell McGonagall about Harry's new found map wasn't garnering much sympathy though.

"What a snobby little brat!" Sirius huffed. "Can you believe this is the same kid who brewed an illegal potion last year."

"She's trying to keep her friend safe," Remus shrugged in some defense. "She's not going about it the right way, but I give her credit for trying." He didn't seem to have convinced any of his friends, but they were also the ones who ran around with a werewolf once a month. Safety wasn't often their first concern.

Alice and Frank were all the more unsympathetic to Harry's wanting to sneak out here again by trying to ditch Neville to do it. It was obvious their son was wanting a friend to be around and Harry was only thinking about what he wanted, couldn't he at least invite Neville along? He wouldn't be like Hermione and go tattling his first chance, of that they were sure.

James at least got some enjoyment of Harry's time through Hogsmeade now, especially his trip inside Zonko's. Then his son ended up here, on this very spot, and he looked around with fondness as he tried to imagine the scene. Him and a red haired kid instead just having a laugh, or him and a son who looked so much like him but with Lily's eyes as he told of the grand adventures and tails of the Marauders. He glanced at Lily and saw she was merely ignoring them, playing with her hair in agitation and clearly wishing he wasn't out there at all. He sighed and wondered what it would take for her to start daydreaming the same.

Then Malfoy arrived, and while his friends began muttering in frustration for that prat ruining their spot by his mere presence, James had the kind of grin that automatically had Lily narrowing her eyes at him once more for whatever nasty prank he was thinking.

She didn't have to wait long as Potter described the following fight with glee, along with Harry's invisible revenge. She tossed her hair over her shoulder and went as far away from them all as she could, beyond words this child kept resembling his father, always trying to solve every argument with underhanded tactics. She only listened with vague interest as Harry went off same as Malfoy for the castle and was still left wondering how Snape and a grudge of his would be involved even as he appeared and dragged Harry off to his office.

He belittle and accused him, but that was nothing unusual. He even brought up the same thing Dumbledore once had in his own light, about Potter supposedly saving his life, but now sharing more it had been some prank gone wrong. Her eyes widened in surprise and then narrowed suspiciously when exactly this had happened. Surely it wasn't the exact same instance Snape had told her about only last month.

It wasn't until Lupin was called in that she got her first hint of what was coming. She knew Snape's suspicions about him and what the Marauders got up to and still laughed at Sev's crazy ideas, but his reaction to the same man now full grown almost made her want to laugh. If this was the grudge being referred to, it really was a bit pathetic he couldn't let an old schoolboy resentment slide for a fellow college. Lupin was acting the same in this future as he did now really, avoiding everyone given the chance, why did Sev care so much?

She wasn't getting an answer as Lupin talked Snape out of any punishment, but then proceeded to berate Harry himself.

Lily watched from afar as the Marauders shifted with further unease as one of their own invoked Potter's name. Seemed she wasn't the only one unhappy with the way their future friends were acting.

Hermione ended the chapter with the gory announcement Buckbeak's death had been sentenced. If only that were the worst thing going on right now.

[gerxrdwxy]

Maybe I Will - Frerard

Read it on ao3 By PagebyPaige

Summary: My normal fluffy, canon frerard

Word Count: 1423 Chapters: 1/1 Language: English

��Fandom(s): My Chemical Romance •Rating: Teen And Up Audiences •Warning(s): No Archive Warnings Apply •Categories: M/M •Character(s): Gerard Way, Frank Iero, Mikey Way •Relationships: Frank Iero/Gerard Way, Frerard - relationship •Addtional Tags: Fluff, canon, tbp era, for sayuri

This was one of their wildest sets so far, and it wasn’t even half over. Though, really, what were they expecting? Projekt Revolution was just insane all around. Because of this, it was no surprise when about four songs in Frank somehow managed to cut his finger and smeared the blood down the side of Gerard’s face. The next couple of songs went as normally as was possible during an MCR set. Until ‘Prison.’ When they passed the first chorus, Gerard pranced himself over to Frank, and the smirk on his face reflected in both of their eyes.

The Jumbotron magnified the way Frank’s eyes widened when Gerard pulled the mic away and whispered into his ear.

“I’ll get you back for that,” he chuckled smugly. He then sauntered in his dramatic way back towards center stage, picking up exactly where he left off. Frank scrambled to get his fingers back on the frets of his guitar and figure out how to breathe again as he contemplated what exactly Gerard might have in store for him.

Frank didn’t have to wait long, though, before Gerard beckoned them with a finger behind his back and they advanced on each other. Suddenly Ray’s guitar got unnecessarily loud and they figured he knew he was going to have to be compensating for some kind of distracting prank in a moment. Frank played violently for a moment until he reached Gerard, and just as he was letting his fingers loosen their death grips on the neck of the guitar, Gerard was grabbing him around the back of the head and kissing him. Hard. He let go of everything, his guitar dangling between their hips as he grabbed for any part of Gerard he could get his hands on and Gerard pulled them closer together, sweaty foreheads sliding together. Too soon, Gerard put a palm to his temple and shoved him off with a flourish.

Frank was still flushed and panting as they finished the song, and he could see in Gerard’s eyes that he wasn’t the only one who thought it ended too soon. Frank tried not to think too hard about the fact that for the first time, Gerard kissed him first. He tried not to think about how maybe this wasn’t just a stage thing, or at least maybe it didn’t have to be. He tried not to think about it because as soon as they left the stage, it was as if their heated kisses had never happened. Frank figured he should probably take what he could get, but this time was different. This time, Gerard had started it.

When they left the stage, sweaty and exhausted, Frank couldn’t decide whether to be devastated or relived. He was, of course, ready to get back to the bus and take a fucking nap, but he knew as soon as he did, today’s set would be just another thing for him to store away in his memory. Another thing to wish for.

So when he finally dragged his own lazy ass to the bus, he was surprised to find Gerard sitting on his bunk, vibrating. Gerard was shaking so badly it was like he was trying to defrost or something.

“Gerard?” Frank asked tentatively, not sure if he wanted the answer. “Are you okay?”

“I’m f-fine, Frank,” Gerard tried to sound snappy but he just sounded cold. If you knew him as well as Frank did, though, you’d know that this isn’t cold Gerard. This was borderline-anxiety-attack Gerard.

“Hey, what’s got you so fucked up?” Frank asked gently. Gerard shook his head vehemently.

“No.” He said, tone adamant and somewhat steady.

“Come on, Gerard.” Frank persisted. “Spit it the fuck out.”

“I, just, fuck, I don’t know what to say,” Gerard said, sounding defeated.

“That’s okay, Gee, but try?” Frank wasn’t giving up. He sat himself beside Gerard and tilted his head, waiting.

“I- can I just, um, fuck.” Gerard let his head fall downwards again.

“What were you tryin’ to say, Gerard?”

“It’s stupid, sorry, I shouldn’t have thought it-”

“Gerard, whatever it is, it’s fine. Just tell me.”

“Can I, um,” Gerard kind of flailed his arms in the general vicinity of Frank’s shoulders. Frank gave an encouraging nod and Gerard gripped his shoulders tightly, pulling him in for another heated kiss, less rushed and more passionate than before. Frank felt himself falling into Gerard’s embrace as the long artist’s fingers wound into the short hair at the back of his head. At the same time, he wanted to jump up and down and scream at the sudden adrenaline surge he was feeling. Gerard was kissing him. Again. Off stage. It was all too much, and Frank froze. Gerard pulled back almost instantly, holding Frank at arm’s length.

“S-sorry, I shouldn’t have done that…”

“Oh my god, Gerard,” Frank practically groaned. “Don’t be fucking sorry, oh my god.”

“Then why’d you-”

“Gerard.”

“Yes?”

“Do you want to do this, um, off stage thing more often?” Gerard’s face split into one of his infections grins, showing off the rows of tiny teeth that Frank had probably stared at for way too long for it to be normal.

“Frank Iero, are you trying to ask me out?”

“Depends,” Frank replied cockily.

“If it depends on my answer, honey, I think this’ll suffice,” Gerard said, pulling Frank in by the hair for another kiss.

“Yeah,” Frank panted when they finally broke apart. “I’ve got my answer.”

They wrapped themselves up in Gerard’s covers and Frank curled in Gerard’s side.

“You’re warm,” he murmured, content.

“Mmhm,” Gerard replied. “Fuck,” he said, speaking up again suddenly after a moment of silence. “I’ve wanted to do that forever.”

“Yeah? How long’s forever?” Frank asked.

“I don’t know, really.”

“Why the wait?”

“You always… did it…. first,” Gerard sounded like he was forcing the words out.

“Hey, I waited five years to kiss you, so I was takin’ every chance I got,” Frank defended. “What’s your excuse?”

“I was scared you thought it was just a stage thing, y'know?”

“Gerard Way, I joined your fucking band in hopes of gettin’ to kiss you,” Frank sounded shocked.

“Well then we’ve wasted enough fuckin’ time, huh,” Gerard smirked, inches away from Frank’s face.

“Fuck yeah,” Frank grinned. Gerard tightened the grip he had around Frank’s back, and Frank wriggled his arms up between them to wrap around Gerard’s neck. Gerard drew their lips together again and Frank never wanted the moment to end.

Frank was pleasantly warm, snuggled under the covers and pressed up against Gerard.

“Can I take you out for coffee sometime?” Frank asked when they pulled apart to breathe.

“You know me too well,” Gerard sighed. “Now sleep.” Gerard pulled Frank tight into his chest and they both quickly fell asleep.

They woke up to Mikey banging around a few feet away from them. The first thing Gerard did when they woke up was press his lips to Frank’s as if to say, “I didn’t dream this, right?” and Frank kissed him back to say, “No, and I don’t think I did either.” Frank smiled against Gerard’s lips and tried to pull away when he heard Mikey’s voice. However, Gerard held him fast.

“Oh look, they’re awake,” Mikey said sarcastically. “A-and kissing.” He awkwardly turned his back and retreated down the hall. As soon as they heard a door slam behind him, Gerard let Frank breathe again and they both burst out laughing.

“Fuck, that was hilarious,” Gerard said through giggles.

“What’re you gonna do next time, tell him we fucked in his bunk?” Frank laughed and he felt Gerard’s body against his, shaking with laughter.

“Maybe I will,” Gerard said, fake determined. They busted out laughing all over again.

“You will what?” Mikey asked, a disapproving look already painted across his features.

He glowered down at them.

“I fucking dare you to hurt him, Frank, you see what happens,” he said threateningly.

“Mmhm,” Gerard mocked from behind Frank’s back, his arms still locked around his waist. “Big, bad Mikey will come and get you.”

Mikey jerked his head up indignantly.

“Fine, fucking suit yourself, Gerard.” He huffed and Gerard started laughing again.

“I’ll be okay,” he said, pulling Frank even closer. Frank let his head drop back onto Gerard’s shoulder and he nuzzled his neck.

“I’m fucking leaving,” Mikey announced. He slammed the door behind him again and Frank would’ve been laughing if he wasn’t kissing Gerard. Again.

And he would continue to do so for years to come.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/10983666