#football tickets securely

[anissapierce]

Fucked up tht i have to go to work n miss the Senegal match and also miss any updates abt the ticket scalping scandal abt the spain v morocco game

[cheriladycl01]

Hi! Loved your Toto fic… could I request Toto x wife!reader where they both have demanding jobs, reader is deployed in army or navy etc occupation (I know it’s out there 😂) and she’s away while he’s working a race weekend, not being able to concentrate fully only wanting his wife home, safe and sound. Thank you.

The Fight for Entertainment - Toto x MilitaryWife! Reader

Plot: Both you and Toto knew they’d be struggles in your relationship with how busy both of you were. However one weekend … seems a little too much than then rest.

Credit to mythos-writes for the GIF

Your relationship with Toto didn’t start bad. You had just come home from being deployed for the last 8 months. You hadn’t seen any family and all you wanted to was to spend two weeks in the peace of your family home rather than at base.

And for the first 3 days it was perfect. You grazed on the sofa looking after your nieces and nephews who were more than happy to see you and get hugs from their favourite auntie.

But then they wanted to go out to restaurants and then they wanted to drive 2 hours to the nearest beach and spend the whole day there.

The worst was when sport changed from lounging around in the sofa to your dad somehow having acquired some tickets. College football, then his favourite which was the NBA Basketball game you all attended.

But towards the end of what was supposed to be time relaxing your mum won your dad tickets to a Grand Prix at one of the most iconic circuits in North America.

You guys made the flight to Texas, landing in Austin in the early hours of the morning and going straight to the track for FP1 and the F2 practices that were being held there.

It was a pretty exhausting day but that is where you caught the eye of media personal and other security officers. As far as the military went you were pretty high ranking especially after all the news articles around your last deployment.

So it wasn’t a surprise when you got invited for a tour around the Mercedes Paddock. A very nice man, you remember him as he still worked there, Stephen who showed you round the whole day.

You met Toto and at first he didn’t pay too much attention to you. A small hello, before rushing off to do whatever team principles did.

It wasn’t until the end of the weekend, Lewis having won that you actually started talking to Toto.

And then you spent the rest of your time with him, until you were deployed again. He understood and it wasn’t like you guys were serious or anything.

But when he saw you for the first time in 2 months he realised just how much he’d missed you. Work was a beautiful distraction, one where he didn’t think on you being gone much as his full concentration was needed on the races he’d be travelling too.

But as you guys became more serious, the more he struggled to focus at work worried about where you were and what risks you were currently posing. But with the rank you were in, you were actually relatively safe, no longer on the front lines like you had been as a rookie when your first joined.

But you worked around how much you were both apart from one another especially after you guys agreed to marry, you would give him as many updates as humanly possible and would make time for him, whenever you had free time.

Which actually meant you started attending a lot more races, which your dad definitely wasn’t complaining about as he got free tickets every time.

However, a letter that both you and Toto dreaded came through, only 1 week after your last deployment.

“Baby” you say softly, holding the letter behind you, trying to hide the tears in your eyes.

“Yes? What it is Schatz?” He asks taking a seat on the sofa and patting next to it for you to come and take a seat.

“W-we need to talk” you breathe out knowing neither one of you will like the conversation that’s about to follow.

“What is it?” He asks, and you place the letter in front of him on his lap. He tenses seeing the government stamp on it, it being an all too familiar and hated letter in the household.

“Do you want to read it alone? Or with me here?” You ask and he shakes his head, grabbing into your hand as a means to ask you to stay with him.

He read the letter detailing that you’d be going to the frontlines of a war torn country under a protection treaty from the US Military. Something about your exceptional negotiation skills being needed.

You hadn’t been on the front lines in a while, not since you and Toto had become serious and as he’s reading it you can tell from his expressions that he’s fully taking it in.

A little wiggle of his brow in frustration, a sharp intake of breath as he presumably sees where you’ll be going.

“Baby - I” he starts and you just lean into him, pulling him into a hug and nuzzling into the side of his neck as he holds you close, trying not to let any tears fall out of his own eyes.

“You know you don’t need to do this anymore, I provide more than enough for the both of us” he exclaims looking over your face to see if you had any objections.

“You know I can’t do that, regardless of the risk I love my job and I love helping people” you smiled softly.

So that’s where today let you both, you were somewhere in a country fighting for the freedoms of thousands while Toto was providing entertainment for thousands in Miami.

But all he was thinking of was you, he hadn’t heard from you in around 2 weeks and he was starting to worry, he knew this time you’d be busy and more of the grid than he’d ever experienced in your lengthy partnership.

He’d have expected a letter or one of the media personnel to have sent a text on your behalf but there was that fear in the back of his mind that you were coming home too him.

Everyone Toto spoke to that weekend could tell something was wrong, and that it had to do with the absence of his wife as he shut people off whenever they had brought her into conversation.

Media day on Thursday was the most dismal, it wasn’t a bright day in Miami actually brining in some unexpected rain which brought the already down mood in Mercedes even lower.

George and Lewis refused to answer any questions unless they were purely racing related and the affect Toto had on his team was obvious. The rigramole that was where you currently were and why Toto was seemingly affecting the whole team with his bad mood.

The FP1 and FP2 results on Friday also reflected the lack of energy the team seemed to have, having slow practice pit stops, both drivers making rookie mistakes and Toto being angrier than usual.

However by the time Saturday came around things were looking brighter. The usual Miami sun had returned and a few of the Mercedes team members had found a certain rumour of interest that brightened their mood.

So when Sunday came around and they were listening to the anthem, the few that knew what was about ti happen were bouncing on the balls of their feet, anticipated to see their bosses reaction.

You, you were there holding the flag for your country as it was a states race. You’d be asked seeing as you were dismissed early from your deployment for such a good job, and having only had a small break since your last deployment.

So there you were, coming out of the helicopter down a rope as you walk the flag as the National anthem sounds on the speakers.

You pull your helmet fully off and your looking for any sign of Toto.

First you look eyes with some of the mechanics that were aware of this trying to remain respectful for the anthem but being excited that maybe this weekend would turn out better than they had thought at the start of the long weekend.

Then it drifts to the drivers and your immediately looking for the two British drivers in the black race suit and eventually you find the shocked look of Lewis and George, before smiles crown their faces.

“And presenting the flag for us today, Sargent Y/L/N” is spoke just as the anthem ends and you raise the flag up the pole.

Toto watches on with tears in his eyes only having just noticed it was you. He was so confused as to why you were there so early but he wasn’t going to complain.

He couldn’t take his eyes off you as you pulled up the flag to its full glory.

He waits, waits for permission to come see you and stand by you. You were called here on purpose right, it was for him? So he could see you?

He waited to get the nod off approval to come and pull you into a hug.

He stopped at arms length looking over you, he loved seeing you in your uniform, in his mind it was the most attractive you looked.

“Schatz?” He asks in disbelief. He pulls you into a hug and kisses all over your face, bending down due to his tall frame.

“Thought I’d surprise you! I missed you” you grin happily and he just keeps a hold of you.

“You happier now boss? Can we go racing?” One of the mechanics teases from the side.

“Yeah, jeez get your team together man” Lewis adds.

“Now that Y/N’s here it’s going to be a great weekend” George exclaims happily and you smile at the team as they continue to tease Toto.

And what a weekend it ended up being. Not only did they have Lewis as race winner, but George in P3 making it a double Mercedes podium.

And it’s safe to say, that you weren’t deployed for a while after that race which your husband was more than happy about.

Taglist:

@littlesatanicassholebitch @hockey-racing-fubol @laura-naruto-fan1998 @22yuki @simxican @sinofwriting @lewisroscoelove @cmleitora @daemyratwst @lauralarsen @the-untamed-soul @thewulf @itsjustkhaos @purplephantomwolf @chasing-liberosis @summissss @gulphulp @starfusionsworld @jspitwall @sierruhhhh @georgeparisole @youcannotcancelquidditch @tallbrownhairsarcastic @ourteenagetragedy @peachiicherries @formulas-bitch @cherry-piee @spilled-coffee-cup @mehrmonga @blueberry64857959 @eiraethh @curseofhecate @alliwantisadonut @dark-night-sky-99 @i-wish-this-was-me @tallrock35 @butterfly-lover @barnestatic @landossainz @darleneslane @barcelonaloverf1life @r0nnsblog @ilove-tswizzle @laneyspaulding19 @malynn @viennakarma @landosgirlxoxo @marie0v @yourbane @teamnovalak @nikfigueiredo @fionaschicken @0picels0 @tinydeskwriter @ironmaiden1313 @splaterparty0-0 @formula1mount

[ilovejoostklein]

heyy idk if you like ski aggu too but could you write a reader x ski aggu x joost fic with the reader being a rich, spoiled groupie who wants to hook up with them? tysm 💕

i love this omg.

-

I Want It All

You’re a rich, spoiled international student who wants nothing more but to meet your favorite musicians

nsfw: smut

-

You were bored, with too much money to know what to do with. You were an international student in Germany, spoiled rotten your parents hoped that being in a new country and acclimating yourself to a new environment would teach you some independence. In a way they were right, you’d come to this show completely alone, just telling your friends you’d done it spontaneously as a white lie. 

The truth is you’d planned to go to the concert for weeks in excruciating detail. Obsession was an understatement for what you felt for these two singers, Ski Aggu and Joost Klein. Your studies had bored you, school was always too easy thanks to your private school background and rigorous expectations set throughout your life, hard work came naturally to you and became more like a routine than a conscious effort. Spring was turning to summer, the heat, the flowers in full boom, vibrant green trees, and endless possibilities excited you to no end. You had your daddy’s money to waste, the world was like your playground and you’d become accustomed to getting what you wanted no matter what. 

You’d gotten tickets on a balcony to avoid getting overly crowded and to be under the bright lights for too long. You wanted to keep your distance from others, watching closely, singing along to some songs, and recording half the concert to have something to watch back on and show your friends. When the concert ended, you were probably the only one who wasn’t upset it was over.

You carefully snuck past the crowds and approached a security guard who was by the backstage area. After a bit of failed negotiation, it took slipping a few hundred euros into his hand you asked him if he could do you a favor and see if he could get you backstage. You embellished, saying that you were a huge fan and just wished that you could get a few of your CDs signed. It was partly true, you were a fan and had the CDs in your ridiculously expensive purse, but you had other intentions, or rather hopes. 

The security guard escorted you to the backstage area. It was quiet, the walls making the sound of the music that continued to play as people left muffled. All you could hear besides that was your footsteps and the heavier ones of the security guard, who was one of the tallest and scariest men you’d ever seen. It failed to intimidate you though, money always worked wonders to make a scary man sweeten up and tuck his tail between his legs. 

“What do you work as?” The man’s accent was a bit thick and he was forward, you noticed he was eyeing down your outfit

“My dad owns a company.” You answered with a smile, making the man chuckle and shake his head. “But I’m just a student.”

“You are wearing very expensive clothes, so forgive me.” He explained a bit apprehensively, worried he’d accidentally offend you, “Are you sure you just want CDs signed?”

You could tell he was asking as an offer, not over suspicion. You can see that he was willing to pull some strings for you, but you were confident you didn’t need extra help. You only smiled, nodding your head innocently before he led you to a door, knocking three times. You could hear the commotion coming to a halt, the loud conversation of two men, and the sound of a football match. 

“There’s a fan here for you.” The security guard announced loudly. “Very beautiful.” He winked. 

You felt your heart fall to your feet. It felt like an elevator crashing, dramatic and terrifying you stood there motionless as you saw your distorted reflection in the colorful glass the man across from you had. They were up on his forehead now, exposing his eyes that he’d kept hidden for the show. They were beautiful, murky blue like the middle of the ocean. 

“Sprichst du Deutsch?” He asked immediately, you shook your head a bit embarrassed. “Oh, so sad.” He frowned. 

You introduced yourself impulsively before asking your question, “I was wondering if you could sign some things for me.” You asked nervously, pulling out the CDs and a sharpie, one meant for Joost and one for himself. “Please.”

He hesitated for a bit, “Ja, sure.” He took his CD, signing it quickly. “Joost!” He called loudly out over his shoulder. 

Joost sat up from the couch, he had a cigarette between his fingers, grey smoke lingering around him. He looked better up close, taller than you’d expected, His eyes lingered on you, they weren’t invading or judgmental, but slightly confused. You didn’t speak and just gave him the CD just as nervously, watching as they scribbled their signatures. 

“You smoke?” Joost asked, as he handed you back the CD you felt his fingers graze yours. 

“No.” You felt that you were already disappointed, seeing his face make the same expression that Aggu’s had. “Sorry.” 

“Oh no, that’s good.” He suddenly smiled, stepping aside you felt your heart begin to race, blood rushing to your face and ears. “Do you want to come inside for a bit?”

You felt yourself enter almost a trance as you stepped inside the dressing room, smelling of expensive men’s cologne, pungent tobacco, and beer. You glanced over to see the security guard had since left, leaving you completely alone. You didn’t understand why you were so apprehensive now, regret creeping in confused you, after all, this is exactly what you wanted. 

“Did you come here all alone?” Joost asked, walking over to one of the couches and beckoning you over. 

“Yes.” You answered, smoothing down your skirt as you sat down, with both men at either side of you. The couch was warm and plush under your skin, you tried to relax by leaning back as you faced one of the handsome men seated next to you. “I got a ticket last minute.”

Joost smiled again, his eyes looking you up and down before settling on your purse. “You must be a rich girl.” He joked, “Are you studying here in Germany?”

You nodded, distracted by Aggu reaching over your thigh and putting a beer bottle in your lap. You winced at the coldness, holding it in your hands as he opened it for you and pushed it to your lips. 

“Here, you must drink if you don’t smoke?” Aggu asked, you felt his arm settle near your waist, his fingertips hardly touching your exposed skin. “It’s good, German beer.”

You hated beer, but you felt you were already starting on the wrong foot, making how spoiled you were too apparent. “I’ll try it.” You took a sip, grimacing a bit from the bitter, earthy flavor. “It’s fine.” You said when you realized they were anxiously waiting for your response. 

They chuckled, eyes fixated on you to the point it almost felt like you were naked. They looked down at your figure, wrapped away inexpensive, pristine clothing you looked completely out of place. They thought of their cheap CDs stuffed in your bag worth thousands, the blush on your cheeks, and mascara brushed on your lashes probably from luxury brands. They wondered why you of all people were at one of their shows. 

“You must have a boyfriend, no?” Aggu asked suddenly. “Why would he let you come here alone?”

You shook your head, and just like that a shared fantasy began to manifest itself. Aggu nodded with a strained smile, instinctively looking at Joost who was focused on his beer and crushing his cigarette, then at the door to tell him that he needed a moment of privacy. 

The two men excused themselves as politely as possible, saying that they wanted to go out to have a smoke instead of doing it rudely in front of you, but to help yourself to any more beers in the meantime. Joost shut the door quietly, leading Aggu to the closest exit. 

They stood outside, the night was a bit eerie, hardly any stars were visible as they were in the middle of Berlin, nothing was heard but the rustling of trees, and all they felt was the cool and against their skin that was quickly heating up. They were nervous, desperately needing a moment to gather themselves and decide what to do about you. It seemed like an opportunity fell into their laps, but it didn’t mean that it would be wise to take it. 

Even if there was tension between them, almost a sort of unspoken desire that they wanted the same thing, no one spoke. They smoked in silence for a while, the only sound of their breathing. 

“I want to fuck her,” Aggu said suddenly. His tone was shockingly, almost offensively casual as he lit his cigarette. 

Joost hesitated for a moment, flicking the lighter over and over as his cigarette burned and wasted between his fingers. He thought of you again, wondering what you were doing in the room all alone, and what thoughts were racing through your mind. He was strung out tonight, the show allowed him to get pent-up energy out, but never all of it. He smoked until he couldn’t bare it and drank enough to calm his nerves, but he realized that nothing would make him feel better than to fuck someone, it’s been so long, and seeing that you, how beautiful you were, and knowing you probably had enough money to buy him made you more attractive.

“I do too.” Joost finally answered, taking a short drag from his cigarette, wondering if Aggu was serious or just saying it as a vulgar compliment.

“We can fuck her together.” Aggu’s tone was still overly casual, it intimidated Joost as much as it began to excite him. “I think she’d like that.” 

It was subtle, his face was still as he felt overtaken by disbelief and reluctance as he’d never been in this situation before. He thought of it, a spoiled girl like yourself getting fucked by two men was beneath you, and knowing that only made him desire it to the point it was almost torturous. He didn’t realize he could want something this much, the fantasy replaying in his mind was tempting, and he didn’t want to let you slip through his fingers.

“How do you know that?” Joost questioned, his demeanor becoming standoffish. He couldn’t imagine the humiliation he’d feel if you turned them down, or worse preferred Aggu over himself. 

“Don’t be stupid.” Aggu threw the cigarette butt on the ground and stomped it out. “Let’s go, I’m getting cold.”

Joost did the same with his half-smoked cigarette and trailed behind Aggu, watching from just outside the door as he entered back into the room. Your eyes lit up immediately, looking up at him with stars in your eyes he began to suspect that he’d been right about you. Closing the door behind him, he still stayed in the same spot, his back leaning against it.

What came next shouldn’t have surprised him. He watched as Aggu sat down beside you, a drunken smile on his face, hands smoothing down on your arms before he leaned over and kept his face close to yours. 

“Are you sure you don’t have a boyfriend?” Aggu’s voice had softened, his hand grasping your thigh making you instantly grow cold. “You’re too pretty.”

“I don’t.” You mumbled, staring directly at the floor you couldn’t find it within yourself to face him. 

You were allowed a moment away from his burning gaze but soon felt his fingers hold your chin and force you to turn your head. It was a bit jarring to see him without the ski goggles, but still, you couldn’t help but wonder why he’d willingly cover up such gorgeous eyes.

“Did your parents pay for your ticket?” Aggu questioned, your chest ignited with a combination of shame and excitement, you knew exactly what he thought of you.

“Kind of, they send me money often.” You admitted the look on his face made you instinctively squeeze your thighs together. Lust had completely taken over any sense you had.

“That’s cute.” Aggu’s hand squeezed down on your thigh, his thumb tracing circles against your soft skin. 

Everything about you was begging to be ruined. Your skin was almost unrealistically soft. He couldn’t imagine how high maintenance you were, how expensive your self-care products and your trips to the spa were. All for him to be able to hold you and eventually have his way with you. As he continued to touch your thigh, his eyes hadn’t left yours, leaning over he finally caved into his desires.

Joost couldn’t help but stare. He watched as your glossy lips parted and your eyes fluttered shut.  Aggu’s lips were plush against you, he watched as he brought you closer, his lips parting from yours only for his tongue lying flat against your neck the feeling made you squirm in his arms. The sight entranced him, he wanted to touch you but couldn’t find it in himself to move.

“Joost,” Aggu spoke against your neck making you squirm. “Stop watching, come here.”

He sat down next to you nervously. Aggu stopped kissing your neck for a moment to position you perfectly in the center so that Joost wouldn’t just have your back turned to him. 

You felt too many hands on you, squeezing your breasts, grazing over your waist, caressing your thighs. You couldn’t hold in the sounds you were making, the feeling of getting your neck kissed and their strong hands touching you was too much all at once. 

You couldn’t tell whose lips were softer, a minuscule detail you forced your thoughts to center on so that you had some sense of control. It was an empty effort, you were taken over by need and found yourself leaning towards one of the men for a kiss. 

You peeked through and saw you were kissing Joost, but the way his mustache scratched against your upper lip had given it away at first. The kiss didn’t last as long as you’d hoped, Aggu, impatient and a bit jealous moved your cheek so that you’d kiss him instead. 

“Don’t make us fight.” Aggu teased, one strong hand squeezing down on your breast as he kissed you.

You felt Joost press his lips against the corner of your mouth, the two men had become so desperate it intimidated you how strongly they were coming onto you. You began to wonder if you could handle going any further, two men kissing you at the same time was already overwhelming. 

You watched as their lips accidentally grazed each other’s, hearing them chuckle before they took turns kissing you on the lips. It cooled the tension for a moment, you were surprised that they could get along so well. 

You felt Aggu kiss your neck as Joost held your chin in his hand and brought you into a much softer kiss. Aggu was the first to begin to undress you. He carefully slid down the strap to your shirt, as eager as he was, when he saw that you slid the other down for him he took it as a sign to continue. 

You practically felt your clothes torn off your body by them both, stripping you bare as if you were teasing them for hours on end. Joost had left your lips puffy from his greedily passionate kiss, and the delicate skin on your neck throbbed from how many love bites Aggu left. They took everything off except for your stockings. They were black, slightly sheer, and sitting atop your lingerie. It wasn’t blatant with garter and intricate designs, but it was clear you’d made an effort.

“This is very nice,” Joost remarked as he squeezed down on your breasts, you felt yourself burn at the slight smirk on his face and the way he glanced at Aggu. “It’s very nice, isn’t it?” 

“I feel bad for your boyfriend, waiting at home for you.” Aggu teased, “Do you always wear things like this under your clothes?”

You couldn’t answer. You felt Aggu rest his hand on the back of your neck and guide you down so that you were now lying on your side. Your cheek rubbed up against the rough fabric of his dark jeans, you could smell the faint cologne and cigarette smoke, it nauseated and excited you.

Joost’s hands held your waist, gently moving you to the side so that you’d be lying on your stomach. He heard him sit up, the blood abandoning all your limbs to rush towards your head. You felt the room spinning as Aggu played with your hair, alternating from smoothing it down his gently to twirling a few strands around his fingers and tugging at it.     

Joost was behind you, his hands running down your back like stones skipping in the water, you shivered under his touch with anticipation. His fingers grazed against you softly, soon settling on your ass and grabbing and kneading down. You heard the two men share a laugh, Aggu leaning over to spank you a few times. Internally, that was the final moment of sanity you had left. You were never so desperate to be touched, you felt like it was almost cruel and were moments away from begging them. 

“Are these stockings expensive?” Joost asked softly, his hand rubbing down to soothe where Aggu had slapped.

“Uh,” You began, trying to remember where they were from, “I think they were a hundred euros or something.”

The room fell silent for less than a second before erupting in soft laughter. It was mocking, you felt ridiculed but strangely from the way they held you, Joost’s hand rubbing down on your back as Aggu continued to gently pet your hair the shame excited you. 

“You’re crazy.” Joost chuckled, staring down at the stockings he felt an intrusive thought naw at him. “You can get them for 5 euros at any store you know?”

Of course, you knew, and of course, Joost did as well. It shouldn’t have come as such a surprise how fixated he was on your stockings when after a while of his hands running up and down the sheer, thin material he bunched them up as his hands and soon you heard the first sound of the threads snapping loose. 

The sound of tearing had again silenced the room but was intertwined by Joost’s first sound of pleasure. He groaned softly as he watched the fabric tear and split, like a present revealing your soft skin underneath. It invigorated him, relinquishing the power you had over to him and having complete freedom to make you a part of his fantasy. 

“I’m sorry.” Joost offered the apology, not necessarily regretting it but he didn’t want to upset you. “I’ll get you new ones.”

“The ones that cost five euros?” Aggu chuckled, getting a slap on the side of his arm in response. 

Joost finished undressing you completely, and soon everything had completely settled into reality for you. The coolness of the room should’ve helped to prevent how you burned up inside, a fire deep in your stomach and rushing over your body. You had lost a bit of sense, positioning yourself in a way that better to be fucked, and with your free hand, you tugged on Aggu’s belt.

“Zo wanhopig, so desperate,” Joost mumbled, his hands gripping your waist and pulling you back. “Are you comfortable like this?”

You looked back at him over your shoulder, nodding a bit apprehensively. As much as you wanted it you didn’t feel quite ready, but it was as if Joost heard and granted your internal wish. As Aggu continued playing with your hair and letting you palm him through his jeans, you felt Joost’s breath against your backside. 

He drew apart your thighs gently, leaning down, he kissed the backs of your thighs before he began to lick against your pussy. You couldn’t help but become immediately vocal. You whimpered with every movement, writhing your hips against his mouth selfishly. He didn’t seem to mind if anything he encouraged it as his fingers dug into your hips and kept them in place.

Aggu could only see Joost’s head from behind, but the only way thing he wanted was to watch the blissful expression on your face. As nice of a sight it was, paired with the sounds you were making soon made him grow impatient. It was like his body had a mind of its own, before he knew it his clothes were thrown messily in a pile near the couch and he was pushing his cock into your face.

He nudged it on your cheek to encourage you to open your mouth. You couldn’t describe the feeling that completely engulfed your senses. It was as lustful as it made you feel overly exposed. You’d never experienced anything close to this, and the fleeting thoughts of what your friends and your family would think if they knew. You couldn’t help but feel invigorated by the fact that it was so wrong and unlike you. 

Aggu could tell you were trying to maintain whatever poise you had left as you sucked him off. It was cute at first, you felt as he smoothed your hair out of your face and softly praised you, but as you withdrew too often as Joost eating you out was too overwhelming. Just like Joost held your hips in place, Aggu’s hands pulled your hair and shoved his cock into your mouth as softly as he could. 

The way you gagged against him drove him wild, it took every bit of constraint not to fuck your mouth as hard as he could. He relinquished some control, letting you take the lead. It soon dawned on him, from the look in your eyes that was far from begging but satisfied that he was just feeding into how spoiled you were. You came for CDs and now had Joost on his knees eating you out and Aggu aching for when it was his turn. 

As much as you didn’t want this to end, you felt your orgasm build steadily and you leaned desperately into chasing that feeling. Your legs grew unstable, you pushed yourself against Joost’s mouth and felt the enthusiasm reciprocated from how he hummed against you and sunk his fingers into your flesh. 

You cried out incoherently, Aggu’s cock hanging out your mouth as he let you ride out your orgasm against Joost’s tongue. He didn’t stop, the overstimulation sending electric bolts through your spent body. Your body ached with pleasure, every muscle relaxed, your heart pounding into your ears as your mind settled into a heavenly state. 

“You taste so good.” Joost’s face was now next to yours, you felt his breath against your neck making you shiver. “Give me a kiss.”

He brought you into a quick, sloppy kiss. His tongue shoved into your mouth, filling it with the taste of you. It was strange, not unpleasant but you’d never had anyone kiss you directly afterwards, especially like this. 

“Let me see.” Aggu pulled you up and kissed you a bit most gently, tasting remnants of yourself on your soft lips. “Get back on your knees and help Joost out.”

He was authoritative, yanking your hair and manhandling you before he spread your legs the same way Joost had, 

“Wait-“ You protested, overwhelmed, your head foggy and confused as you felt Aggu press a kiss against your sensitive clit. 

You were melting under their touch, your lips wrapped around Joost’s cock as Aggu ate your pussy just for the sake of tasting you. Once he was satisfied, you heard the sound of plastic tearing which made you burn with anticipation. 

“You want me to fuck you, Schatz?” Aggu cooed, his hand delicately smoothing down your back. “Hm?”

“Yes,” You withdrew from Joost’s cock before he guided your head back to pleasuring him. “Please, I need it.”

It was quick and sloppy. You felt completely used and you loved it. Aggu’s tip stretched you out, it burned with pleasure with every movement, matter how much you winced and grunted from the discomfort it was all worth it when he bottomed you out. He filled you up perfectly, the way his big hands felt against your hot skin made you grow weaker. The two men had made indentations of your hips, their infatuation with you, your body, the way you were like a little gift from the universe dropped into their lap.

You were an absolute dream. Joost watched as you gave him head, not being able to focus completely on the obscenities in the room. He listened to you spit on his dick and suck him off, the sound of your groans entertained with his own, and skin slapping from Aggu pounding into you. It was nothing less than a fantasy. He wondered how many people would kill just to get to watch.

“I’m gonna cum.” Joost sighed, breaking the tension momentarily, “Just like that, such a good girl.”

You felt it was almost rewarding to have them both in the palm of your hand. It was better than your climax to bring them both to that point, the two men panting and mumbling incoherent praises as they fucked you. They took turns kissing you just to see how you tasted. You began to truly believe there wasn’t anything in this world you couldn’t have. 

Joost came in your mouth without warning, bringing you back harshly to the reality of the room. Hearing his groan and cry out your name as he desperately bucked his hips into your mouth was the most incredible feeling. You swallowed without a second thought, eagerly licking against the shaft and tip as he watched a bit dumbfounded. 

“Oh, god.” Joost sighed, his eyes and voice weary. “You’re perfect.” He pinched your cheek lovingly before giving you a tired smile. 

Aggu’s pace at first was controlled, he didn’t want to make you overwhelm you as you took. care of Joost, he was a good friend after all. He wished he wasn’t so close, but seeing you suck Joost off and lap up his cock when he was done was too erotic, he wished he’d looked away, but the sounds alone could’ve gotten him off.

He tried to last longer, thinking of something to turn him off,  like the hangover he’ll have the next morning, the thought of packing up all his shit to get on a plane to the next show. It was all an empty effort when you looked over your shoulder. The way your eyes met his immediately, big, pleading with your eyebrows knit together in bliss. He put you on your back, with a few quick motions treating you like a doll so he could finish himself off. 

Aggu’s hands molded into yours, like hot glass,  so delicate and vulnerable. You didn’t notice how many hands were on you, Joost helping Aggu and positioning himself at the side of the couch. His lips suddenly pressed against your nipples, drawing out a pathetic sound. Two fingers pressed onto your clit, rubbing down as Aggu’s pace became punishing. 

Your body moved with his, staring up into his eyes you never wanted to look away. Your body was no longer yours for a few seconds, you’d completely surrendered to their touch and pleasure. Your orgasm had built up as quickly as it washed over you. Your body convulsed with pleasure, unexpedelyh which made it that much more intense. Aggu felt you clench around him, watching your blissful expression and feeling you soak his cock he couldn’t take it. 

He soon followed after you, being far more vocal than both you and Joost. His moans were deep and drawn out, pumping himself inside of you a few more times before he practically collapsed beside you. 

It was a tight fit, Aggu’s body was muscular, warm, and a bit tacky with sweat. Joost’s hands rubbed up and down your body to soothe you. Their tenderness was comforting, despite the fact this was all purely out of lust. 

Your body felt heavy, wrapped in Aggu’s arms you watched as Joost got up and went over to the corner of the room. You watched a bit confused as he took some crumbled bills from his wallet and stuck them in your purse, not before leaning down and kissing you. 

“Sorry about the stockings.” 

-

guys i’m sorry for being inactive! i had some summer courses i was finishing up. i’m working on recs so ty to everyone for ur patience :)!

[mead-iocre]

Football Scarves and Football Kits | Leah Williamson x Reader

Football Scarves: these are a popular accessory among many football fans. They are a subtle or not so subtle way of displaying your support for your football club by adorning yourself in your club’s colours, slogans or logo. 

You glance down at the red and white scarf wrapped around your neck. It wouldn’t be difficult for the other passengers on the tube to guess which football match you were attending thanks to the glaring Arsenal Football Club logo that is printed on the bottom of your scarf. If that wasn’t enough, the new season’s classic red and white Arsenal home kit you are wearing underneath your jacket should be a good enough indicator. 

The familiar rhythmic clickety-clack of the wheels as it rolls over the joints and tracks should be relaxing as a frequent commuter, but it does nothing to sooth the nerves in your stomach. The faster the train glides across the tracks, the closer you are to your destination. The destination being Emirates Stadium. You were attending your first ever football match– an Arsenal Women’s football match to be more precise. You weren’t necessarily a long-time supporter of the team or even a fan of the sport. 

You were dating one of the players. 

From what you knew of Leah Williamson at the time, she was a football player for Arsenal football club and the England national team. You knew she was a great player considering she is a regular starter for both club and country, but that was pretty much all you knew of the England captain. Everything that you knew about football comes from the few times you were forced to participate in the patriotic practice of cheering for your national football team during every major international tournament. You had watched the England mens team play– and consequently lose– during the last mens Euros, and you figured you might as well watch the women’s in the 2022 Women's Euros. Luckily, the results this time were favourable and you were lucky enough to witness the Lionesses parade the trophy at Wembley Stadium thanks to a friend who managed to secure you some tickets. 

Once the post-Euros hype had quieted down a bit, and your friends got tired of using the ‘It finally came home!’ excuse to party, you carried on with your life. You were a currently a post-graduate student at university. Your days consisted of lectures, revision, eating, sleeping and repeat; so imagine your surprise when during one of your very very rare night out with friends, you were introduced to the same England captain who had lead her team to victory. 

Apparently you and the defender had loosely connected social circles and found yourselves in the same party hosted by a friend of a friend. A few drinks later, and a conversation that was far more interesting than the textbooks waiting for you at home, you and the blonde had followed each other on social media and promised to stay in touch once in a while. However, it wasn’t long before the ‘once in a while’ instagram likes turned into daily texts and frequent FaceTime calls. 

It wouldn’t be until a few months later that the blonde finally asked you out on a date, and the rest was history. 

——————————————

You began to notice the growing number of Arsenal fans inside the train carriage. People with red and white scarves, beanies and caps dotted along the aisle of the train. Some fans sported kits from previous seasons that greatly contrast your usual view of men and women in black and grey business attire. This time there was a lot more colour and a lot more chatter, vastly different from the usual quiet bustling of a dull early morning commute. You would be lying if you didn’t admit that the excitement around you was doing a good job of quelling the initial nerves you were feeling. 

Once the train stopped at Arsenal station, it was a flurry of fans donned in Arsenal gear everywhere. Stewards were present to direct people towards the exit, and it soon became a slow and sluggish walk towards the ticketing machines. You faintly heard the familiar names of the players being discussed by a group of giggling girls, and watched from the corner of your eye as a little boy animatedly told his mum about the goal that Beth Mead scored during the last match. 

Once you were through the ticketing machines, you are greeted by a larger crowd of fans just outside of the station. The striking colours of red and white filled the streets at every corner that your eyes could see. You weren’t exactly sure where to go, but you figured following the crowd of Arsenal shirts was a good start.

It wasn’t too long before the aromas wafting from the many food stalls scattered along the pavement caught up to you. The air was a tantalising blend of savoury, spicy, and sweet notes, weaving together. The scent of sizzling smoky meats, mingling with the earthy fragrance of freshly chopped herbs and vegetables was almost hard to ignore. You recognise the faint aroma of caramelised onions, and the occasional whiff of freshly baked bread or frying dough. You mentally remind yourself to stop by the food stalls next time. 

Expertly weaving through the clusters of people around you, you catch sight of a few other stalls. Some stalls were selling merchandise– from enamel pins and beanies to shirts and flags adorned in the Arsenal logo. Your eyes briefly caught sight of a scarf with ‘Williamson’ and your girlfriend’s face printed on it. You add the scarf to your mental wishlist of things to buy soon. 

As you settled into your seat, surrounded by a sea of red and white, the anticipation was palpable. Leah had offered you a seat in the section exclusively reserved for the players’ friends and family but you informed her that you had already bought your own ticket. Initially, your girlfriend had argued against it, saying that she would love it if you sat with her family. However, you argued that you haven’t even officially met them yet and you would prefer to meet them at an occasion where the focus is not on a few women running and kicking a ball around on freshly cut grass.

“The friends and family section is lot less rowdy, baby. And you get food and stuff throughout the match”

“But I want to experience the craziness that you often yap about. You always brag that your fans have the coolest chants and that. I won’t be able to experience that if I was sat far away from it all, sweet” 

So with a grumble, an eye roll, and a not-so-enthusiastic nod, the blonde had agreed.

Football chants: These are an integral part of the game, adding passion, energy, and a sense of camaraderie to the stadium atmosphere. These chants are often sung by supporters to show their allegiance to their team, mock their rivals, or simply to create an electric atmosphere during matches. 

The stadium buzzed with excitement, the air thick with the scent of freshly cut grass, and the opening instrumental of what you’ve now come to recognise as ‘North London Forever’ echos from every corner. It was clear that this was more than just a football match—it was an event, a spectacle, a communal gathering of fans united by their love for the team.

As the players took to the field, you felt a surge of pride course through you. Your girlfriend was amongst those players on the field. Whilst you had watched a few of her matches on telly, nothing compares to the real thing. Those BBC high-definition cameras would never be able to accurately capture an atmosphere this loud and proud. 

Once the whistle blew, the clock started, and the match finally began. You was quickly swept away by the flow of the action. Every pass, every tackle, every attempted shot at goal sent a thrill coursing through your veins. The tension mounted with each passing minute. Every near miss, every save by the United keeper sent your heart racing with a mixture of anxiety and exhilaration. Now and then you caught sight of Leah on the pitch. Even from your place in the stands, you can tell she exuded athleticism and determination. Her movements were precise and calculated as she anticipated the opponent's every move. There were moments where you had to tear your eyes away from your girlfriend, reminding yourself that you had to watch the player with the ball, and not just the defender that has quickly become such an important person to you. You both hadn’t said the three-words yet, but lately they were threatening to spill out. 

Then, in a flash of brilliance, it happened. 

A perfectly executed play, a thunderous strike done by Cloe Lacasse, and the ball found the back of Mary Earps’ net with a resounding thud. The stadium erupted in cheers and applause, as fans all around you embraced each other in wild celebration. You basked in the atmosphere, clapping and shouting when you spotted Leah gesturing for the crowd to get even louder. The rest of the match was practically an Arsenal fan’s dream, with the team scoring two more goals to extend their lead. 

As the referee's whistle pierces the air, the feeling that courses through your veins is a potent blend of euphoria, relief, and sheer joy. There's an eruption of cheers from the stands, echoing the celebrations on the pitch. Fans jumping, hugging, and waving scarves or flags. More than anything, you couldn’t wait to find your girlfriend and congratulate her on the win.

Victory Lap: Players may do a lap around the pitch after a significant victory, with fans clapping and cheering them on in celebration. Sometimes, players might do a lap to show appreciation for the support of the fans, especially at the end of a season or during special events.

You couldn’t see from where you were standing, but Leah’s eyes were currently roaming the stands for you. She lagged behind the rest of the team, wanting to survey the crowds of fans that, unfortunately for her, weren’t dispersing fast enough. As much as Leah adored the fans, the big crowd of bodies, waving arms, and the poster signs were making it very hard for her to spot the one person she was looking for. Her mind was already itching to run to the changing room and call you. 

“Looking for someone?” Leah nearly curses when she is thrown forward by the force of someone jumping onto her back. Luckily, she managed to find her balance before she can fall face-first in front of a stadium filled with fans. She doesn’t need to turn her head to see who it was when the distinct Australian accent and the voice pretty much gives it away. “Get off, Kyra” 

“No! Want a lift” The Australian tightens her arms around Leah’s neck, and giggles when the blonde pinches her on the leg. “Who are you looking for? Your missus?”

“Yes. She wouldn’t let me sit her in the friends and family section” Leah straightens up when the brunette finally jumps off her back. Her eyes trail back to the crowd, still scanning the bodies for you. 

“Who wouldn’t?” Lotte slows down to let the two girls catch up with her. Leah groans when a heavy arm gets thrown over her shoulders. She certainly doesn’t need another teammate sticking her nose in her business. “Y/N?”

“Yeah.” Leah mutters. “Bloody stubborn woman she is” 

The blonde recalls how much you insisted that you want to use your own bought ticket, profusely refusing her offer of a free seat. A small part of Leah loved that you had went out of your way to buy your own ticket. She remembers how you argued that by buying a ticket, you would be directly contributing to selling out the stadium. However, that doesn’t mean she wouldn’t have preferred you sitting in the section where she knows exactly where you were. It would’ve been easy for her to sneak glances at your direction throughout the match. 

The mere memory of how adorably stubborn you were brought a smile to her face. 

“Wipe that cheesy grin off your face, man” Lotte playfully nudges the blonde away with a push and laughs even harder when her fellow defender doesn’t even bother to deny it. “Do you know which section she’s at?”

“…No. Forgot to ask” Leah mumbles, trying to avoid her teammate’s look of disbelief. She’s been so focus on training for this match, wanting to put on a good performance because she knew you would be watching. Outside of training, the blonde spent the last couple of days rewatching footage of their past matches against Manchester United so she can study where she can improve on the pitch. She had completely forgotten to ask you where you would be sitting. 

“How the fuck are ya s'posed to find her then?” Leah didn’t even realise the young Australian was still eavesdropping in on the conversation. 

But before Leah could get to her, Lotte already has Kyra under her arm and in a headlock. “How ‘bout you watch your mouth, kid"

The defender turns away from them with a shake of her head and a small smile on her face. Her eyes continue to scan to crowd as she waves back at fans, still hoping to find a glimpse of you somewhere amongst them. She wasn’t exactly sure why she so desperately needed to see you when you both planned to meet at her place later on anyway. 

Maybe a small part of her just wanted to see you surrounded by a sea of red and white, at her home stadium, with her own eyes. 

As they were nearing the end of the lap around the pitch, Leah could see that some of her teammates had dispersed and were making their way towards the barriers where a crowd of fans were waiting. Whilst majority of the fans seated in the upper tiers of the stadium had already left, there were a few still loitering around, dancing to the music still blasting from the speakers.

If it were any other day, Leah would’ve gladly stayed around to spend some time with the fans. However today, all she wanted to do was find you. As much as she wanted to celebrate their win with the fans, she wanted to celebrate with you more. 

After not spotting you anywhere, the blonde had become anxious. What if the crowd was too rowdy or too loud for you, what if the match was too boring, what if you realised that dating a professional football was too much? All these questions were racing in the blonde’s mind. 

This was your first time stepping into her world, and she was going to make sure that it wouldn’t be the last.

Leah tapped Kim on the back and quickly informed her that she’ll be heading to the changing room. When the Arsenal captain quirked an eyebrow at this sudden and unsual revelation, knowing that the defender was usually one to stay behind and sign for fans, all she got was a quietly mumbled “gonna go look for my girl”

And before Kim could even reply, the blonde was already sprinting down the tunnel. 

——————————————

All this time you were still at your seat, and had seen the entire thing play out. Your eyes hadn’t left your girlfriend the entire time the team did a lap around the pitch. You tried to stand on your tiptoes and wave your hand a few times just as they passed your section, but you were pretty hard to spot amongst a crowd. Pulling your phone out of your pocket, you smile at the text message from your girlfriend. 

Hey, baby. Call me.

You turn to leave your row, excusing yourself as you side-step past the few people still waiting around. As you climb the stairs towards the exit, you press your phone to your ear and wait for your girlfriend to pick up. Not a moment too soon, you hear a familiar voice. 

“Hiya” 

“Hey, sweet. Good game–“

“Baby, the signal is shit–“

You frown and hurry your steps with your phone still pressed to your ear. You head straight towards the doors leading to the outside of the stadium, thanking the stewards on your way out.

“Can you hear me now?”

“Yeah. That’s better” You hear her breathing heavily through the phone. You could picture her pacing around, wherever she is, one hand either rubbing the back of her neck or brushing back her hair. 

“Where are you?”

“Where are you?” You both say at the same time, smiling when you hear the blonde chucking on the other end. Part of you wonders if you are reaching the stage in a relationship where you begin to mirror or adapt your partner’s actions and behaviour.

The next words out of her mouth completely still you. In a softer tone, almost whispered, Leah asks “Where are you, baby? I was looking for you but I couldn’t find you…” The contrast between the confident defender you just saw out on the pitch and the palpable vulnerability that the woman on the other end of the phone was showing you was striking. You loved that you got to see this side of her. 

“I was in my seat, Leah. Where I said I’d be” You teased, hearing her huff on the other end. You could bet £50 she was rolling her eyes at you. 

Around you there was still a lingering sense of excitement. Chatter and laughter stalled in the air around you, and from the distance you could faintly hear a chant being sung. You would love to revel in the post-match atmosphere, but you wanted to be with your girlfriend more. 

And as if she could read your mind, you hear her voice through the phone again “Tell me where you are and I can send a steward to you” 

So you glance around at your surroundings and relay them to Leah. You note the massive poster of Arsenal Legends behind you and the small stall with the sign “Programmes” on the banner across from where you stood. Your girlfriend tells you to wait for the steward to come get you before she hangs up, but not before she mutters a quick “See you soon, baby” 

Football programmes: programmes are printed publications that are sold at football matches and often available for purchase ahead of the match. They provide fans with a variety of information related to the match and the teams involved.

While you wait, you head towards the stall selling match day programmes. You had forgotten to buy one earlier, far too excited to head inside the stadium and find your seat. You smile and thank the steward who hands you one, and your smile only grows bigger when you see who is featured on the front cover– Leah. You place the programme in your bag, mentally reminding yourself to tease her about getting her to sign it. 

It turns out you didn’t have to wait too long at all because soon enough you feel a tap on your shoulder. You turn around, fully expecting to greet a steward, but you end up staring right into the prettiest shade of blue eyes. 

“Found ya” 

Familiar eyes that you know to belong to only one person– your girlfriend.

“Leah–“ You start but before you could say anything more, your girlfriend has a palm over your mouth, leaning close to shush you, and forcing you to walk backwards until you hit the wall behind you. 

“Shush, baby. I’m being discreet here” With her hand still over your mouth Leah turns her head left and right, probably trying to see if anyone else got a glimpse of her. She resembled a meerkat just then. In the meantime, you take the opportunity to take her appearance in.

She wasn’t Leah Williamson, the Arsenal defender, that you had just watched command the pitch. Right now she was just Leah. Gone was the red and white kit, and in it’s place is a matching Nike black tracksuit with the hoodie pulled over her head and her favourite pair of white trainers.

When your girlfriend turns her attention back to you, she uncovers her palm from your mouth and flashes you a grin. Her hair was slightly wet and her cheeks were rosey meaning she probably took a quick post-match shower and then came straight to find you. 

“Discreet, huh?” You tug at her black hoodie– the only thing disguising her. “This isn’t very discreet, sweet” 

Leah chuckles, hugging you by the waist “Yeah well I somehow made it ‘round the stadium without being recognised, so I would say my disguise worked very very well, baby” 

You indulge in the feeling of being in her arms again. You hadn’t seen each other for a few days, with the blonde busy with training and you with your studies. You both texted each other frequently and FaceTimed when you could, but nothing could compare to being with her in person.

All of a sudden you gasp loudly, exaggeratedly, and grab Leah by the arms before she could turn around to see what shocked you. 

“What? Baby, what’s wrong?” 

You cup your girlfriend’s face in your hands– rosy cheeks, messy hair and all. Her blues eyes wide and concerned. 

“I think someone saw you. Quick. Kiss me”

Without waiting for her to reply, you crash your lips into hers. Your soft lips meet her parted ones with the hunger of a starved woman. Tingles wash down your back as she meets your tempo without skipping a beat– impulsively, maybe even instinctually. Her hands glide upwards from their hold on your waist, warm hands curling you further into her, until they’ve climbed up to rest on your back briefly. Her hands then move to cup the back of your neck, tilting your head slightly so she can kiss you deeper. Her tongue brushes against your bottom lip before you feel a sharp bite, making you gasp and groan against her lips. She is quick to sooth the sting away with a soft suck. 

For someone so scared of being recognised by the few fans still loitering around the stadium, she seemed far too focused on kissing you to care. To outsiders, you probably looked like any other couple. Imagine their shock if they knew one of those strangers was Leah Williamson– a footballer constantly put under the spotlight but has remained so tight-lipped about her private life and you– the girl she was been starting her mornings with and ending her nights beside. The world would have a lot to say. 

But for now, under the safety of Leah’s black hoodie and the lingering golden hour sunset, you and her were just two people in love. 

When you both pull away your chests are heaving, breathless from the kiss just shared and the emotions that have been pilling up over the last couple of months. You up look at your girlfriend, who wasn’t quite as breathless as you thanks to her athletic stamina, but her cheeks were flushed and her lips were swollen and red. 

Her gaze darkens, pupils dilated, the corners of her lips turn upwards at the sight of your slightly dazed expression. “Nobody was there, innit? You were just having a laugh” 

You laugh at that. Loud and carefree. Head thrown back and full body giggles. Your girlfriend knew you too bloody well. “Got ya!” 

“You know if you wanted to kiss me you could’ve just said so, baby” 

She tugs you closer for one more wet kiss to your lips and you gladly accept it, smiling against her soft lips and winding your arms around her. 

“But we should go before someone actually spots me” With that, the blonde tugs the drawstrings of her hoodie, tightening it so it covers most of her face. From the pocket of her joggers, she pulls out a pair of black sunglasses and places them over her eyes. 

“Oh so that’s how you actually disguised yourself” You gasp mockingly, poking Leah in the waist and laughing when she playfully shoves you away from her. Not a moment later, she grabs your hand and intertwines her fingers with hers as you fall into step beside her. She leads you down a set of stairs, and stops by a glass door. She flashes a badge attached to a lanyard to the guard by the door, and he nods to let you both through. 

She leads you up the escalator, your hand still snug in hers, and smiles at everyone that walks by. You are led down a long hallway, Arsenal photographs and memorabilia decorate the walls, and eventually stop by the entrance of a large conference room of sorts. You can see round tables scattered with plates and cutlery, a buffet table that spans the room, and a few recognisable faces. You spot some of Leah’s teammates, and wave a hand at them as they greet you. However, Leah doesn’t stop for anyone. Even when Beth practically races over to greet you with a hug, your girlfriend tugs on your arm essentially forcing you to keep walking along. You smile apologetically at the freckled-face Arsenal forward but she just waves you off with a grin, mouthing ‘talk later’

Eventually, you see exactly which table Leah is leading you towards. Nestled in the corner of the room, there is a table with only a few people sitting around it. Her family and closest friends. You hadn’t met Leah’s family yet. She had invited you to dinner at her mum’s house before but you were swamped with university work at the time. You knew that she had been wanting to try again, take you to her mum’s, and officially introduce you as her partner, and there was a small part of you that was waiting for that invitation. However, you didn’t feel exactly ready right now. 

You hastily pull your hand out of Leah’s, forcing her to stop in her tracks. “You’re not introducing me to your family right now, are you?”

The blonde turns to you and notes the slight look of panic on your face. She takes a step back so she’s right beside you again and intertwines her fingers with yours.

“Didn’t realise we were already in that stage of our relationship, y/l/n” Leah jokes, using her thumb to sooth the small wrinkles that has appeared on your forehead. Admittedly, she was planning to introduce you to her family right then but she also knew how much you hate feeling unprepared. Leah knows that you probably wanted to dress up a little instead of the casual attire that you are currently wearing. She knows that you would’ve wanted to gift them something like a bouquet of flowers or a nice bottle of wine because you always tell her that ‘it’s necessary to bring a gift when you are visiting someone else’s home’. 

“Soon though, yeah?” She squeezes your hand, and gives you a peck on the cheek when you nod in agreement.

So instead of stopping where her family is gathered, Leah expertly weaves through the chairs and only stops to briefly wave and coo at her cousin’s baby. You sneak a peek at the faces of her family members, and they’re all smiling at you. Suddenly, you didn’t feel as nervous to meet them when the time came. 

There is one person who seems particularly interested in you though. Leah’s mum. 

“Keep ya nose out of it, mum.” The Arsenal defender sassed when she catches her mum’s gaze. With the way her daughter is gripping your hand and resting the other on your lower back to guide you, she could probably guess what kind of relationship you have with her daughter. She probably also witnessed the kiss earlier. The thought makes your cheeks flush red. You give her a smile in passing, and she gladly returns one with a quick wave of her fingers. 

“She is coming to dinner soon so prepare an extra plate, mum!” The blonde shouts as you both walk away from their table. 

Your girlfriend ignores the wide-eyed look you are sending her, and continues to drag you by the hand towards the doors lead you to the outside of the private box. Outside, you are treated to a few rows of plush red leather seats and a panoramic view of the entire stadium and the pitch. It is now eerily different from the atmosphere a few hours ago.

Gone are the boisterous chants and the full-house stadium of fans, but remnants of the day’s activities still remain here. You see it in the Arsenal scarf that an unfortunate fan must have unknowingly left behind on the barrier, the rolled up flags which proudly display the club’s badge on the floor, and the goalpost still left on the pitch but now unassembled. 

You also see it in the woman sitting beside you. In her messy hair, her tired eyes, and her genuine smile. You knew that she must be tired– having played the entire ninety plus minutes that the match went on for– but she was still here spending time with you and entertaining your little quips at her. She could’ve texted you to let you know that she’ll be meeting you tomorrow so she can rest and recover, or celebrate the big win with her teammates but instead she’s right here with you. She seems full set on integrating you into the football part of her life.

“Hey…” You turn to her and squeeze the hand that is still holding yours. You feel your heart still when those pretty blues meet yours. “Have I told you how well you played earlier?” At your words your girlfriend smiles, but it’s different from her usual smile. This one is sheepish– like she’s suddenly gone shy. 

“You played really well today, Leah. I couldn’t take my eyes off of you” 

Leah runs a hand down her face, like she’s trying to hide the blush that she can already feel coating her cheeks. She presses her lips together to smother the smile forming at your compliment, but her lips are already turned upwards at the corners. It was her first time playing in front of you as her girlfriend, and she wanted to make you proud. Hearing you compliment her and seeing how happy you are right now felt like a massive weight off her shoulders. 

All of a sudden the blonde feels a rise of emotion clogging her throat, as if she wants to blurt something out. Hearing someone that she has started to care so deeply about enjoy this side of her– and to add to that a massive win for the team after a series of shortcomings– it was all starting to feel overwhelming for her. 

She needed something to anchor her back down. 

The Arsenal defender stands from her seat and pulls you up to do the same. She tugs you close and wraps both of her arms around your waist. Tucking her face into your neck, her heavy puffs of breath warm against the skin where your shoulder meets your neck. “Thank you, baby. That really means a lot” 

Leah places a kiss on your neck and practically curls into you. You feel her take a deep shuddering breath, and her body slackens against yours, as if it is in your embrace that she can finally relax. You pull her tighter against you, wanting to envelope her in warmth and provide her solace. Hoping that your actions and your unspoken words are enough for now.

 

Football Kits: fans wearing football shirts with players’ names on their backs is a popular practice in the sport. It is common to walk around the stadium during match day and see people proudly showing off the last name of their favourite player on their backs. Wearing a shirt with a player's name is a way for fans to demonstrate their admiration and loyalty to their favourite player.

It seemed like it was only then that the Arsenal defender had noticed that you were wearing their home kit. You had slightly unzipped your puffer jacket, feeling a lot warmer now. The bright red kit you were sporting underneath was unmistakable. The smile that was already plastered on Leah’s face grew even wider, and there was almost a twinkle in her eyes as she took a moment to admire you being clad in the familiar red and white. 

“Whose name have you got on your back?” Leah wouldn’t admit it right now, but she was hoping it was hers. 

“No ones.” You reply curtly. You had thought about it, and considered it for a moment. You remember sitting on your bed a few nights ago, the Arsenal online shop pulled up on your laptop browser, and your cursor hovering over the ‘Williamson 6’ option.

Maybe if you had been braver you would’ve personalised your kit with her name, added it to your cart, and bought it. However you didn’t know how she would feel about that. Besides, you figured you could always ask to borrow one of hers in the near future

and it would be £126 cheaper 

The blonde raises an eyebrow at your answer and glances down at your shirt once more. The plain red and white kit mocking her.

“You fancy having mine?” 

“You proposing already, darling?” 

“No, ya big goof” Leah lightly knocks on your forehead with her knuckles before she pulls you close by the waist and kisses the same spot. “I meant you can borrow one of my old match day shirts” 

You look up at her. You weren’t that much shorter than the blonde, but those few inches difference in height still meant you had to tilt your head up sometimes, especially when she was standing so close. With her arms wrapped around your waist and yours around her neck, you were both practically intertwined. 

Your eyes meet those pretty pretty blues. 

“Didn’t realise we were already at that stage of our relationship, Williamson” You throw her own words earlier back at her with a cheeky grin. 

You feel her tighten her arms around you before she leans down to your ear, a little secret only meant for the two of you, and murmurs

“We can be, my girl.” 

This was a longgggg one so if you stuck through it till the end, you deserve a kiss!

It's been raining a lot these past few days here. Spare some sunshine from your side of the world?

– kisses, butter

[mrrharper]

Not In The Exhibit Brochure

It was a hot summer day and the city was filled with people coming to be a part of one of the biggest fantasy conventions in the country. Video games, board games, tabletop RPGs, LARP, movies, TV shows, theater shows, even musicals. If one fancied themselves a fan of a franchise that existed in any of these forms, they could be found spending a sunny August weekend in the convention center.

Mark meandered between countless people in the Second Pavilion, getting tired having spent the last five hours walking around the convention area, being asked for pictures and catching up with his friends. This year he came wearing a full cosplay of one of the characters from his favorite first person shooter. He put on a tactical vest, helmet with a full headset, a tactical belt with a bunch of accessories and camo pants. In his hands he was bearing a perfect replica of the most famous gun from the game.

He spent a long time perfecting the costume, both by searching for just the right gear and by spending hours in the gym. Now his broad and thick shoulders, football-sized biceps and veiny forearms were visible for all attendees, which garnered Mark a lot of attention, which he enjoyed.

It was exhausting, however. The temperature inside the convention center got uncomfortably high at times, so he decided to take a break. He fold the few friends who joined him during the day that he was leaving for a while to take in some relatively fresh air, then pushed his way through the crowds until he got to the exit.

Thanks to the fact that the center was basically in the middle of the city he didn't have to go far to get to a park and relax, then find a place to eat and just take a walk through the city.

Mark was aware that many businesses and institutions had various perks for the convention ticket holders, to keep the attendees in the city for longer and spread the economic effects of the convention. He was reminded of this fact just as he was walking by the giant building of the art museum. His curiosity was piqued and he checked if he would get a discount of a ticket. It turned out he could walk in for free, the only requirement was to show his pass at the entrance.

What Mark saw after getting through a quick but awkward security check truly amazed him. He slowly walked from one part of the building to the next, taking his time to watch every piece, all displayed in a well air-conditioned space, which was a nice bonus. The museum had a bunch of different special exhibits currently open to the public and they were all pretty stunning, each in its own way.

Finally, Mark made his way to a part of the museum furthest away from the entrance where he saw a recent collection of sculptures from a local artist. Each statue was an extremely realistic depiction of a person, and they were supposed to collectively represent modern society. There were athletes mid-run, businessmen in the middle of walking in between offices, chefs tasting their newest creations, it was all incredible to watch, every sculpture most likely taking weeks or months to complete. Mark stood in the middle of the room as he looked around and every time he managed to find a new detail in one of the statues. While his eyes were jumping from one piece to another, inspecting every curve and small detail, he was unaware of just how much time has passed since he entered this space.

And then he tried to move.

Mark heard his phone buzz loudly in his pocket. It was probably one of his friends wanting to check up on him. He tried to move his hand to take the phone and answer the call, but it wouldn't move. Neither would his head. Or any part of his body. He was immediately alarmed. Mark tried as hard as he could to get any element within his human form to move even an inch, but it didn't work. His whole body was suddenly completely stationary and he could not control its movements, because he couldn't cause any movements. He started to panic and hoped someone would notice that he wasn't well. There were a lot of people at the museum so it would be just a matter of time before one of them came to this room and noticed a guy in a military cosplay was standing weirdly still.

Except this did not happen. Visitors just passed by him with no interest in the person standing frozen in the middle of the room. As Mark looked with his unmovable eyes at the tourists wandering around the space right in front of him he felt like he was losing the track of time. Was it a minute ago that he realized he couldn't move? No it mus have been almost an hour by then. Nah, it couldn't be.

Then Mark realized something horrifying. Not only was no one coming up to help him, they began to stop in front of him and just look at him, as if he was just another...

Did he turn into a fucking statue?! That terrifying thought seeped deep into his mind wreaking havoc along the way. How could this have happened? Magic? But magic wasn't real! That was impossible, this was a dream, for sure! He tried to move his body even a little bit, but again he failed every time. He desperately tried to force his hand to move so that he could pinch himself and wake up from this terrifying nightmare. But no part of his arm changed position, not even an inch.

A larger group of tourists, mostly retirees, led by a young woman slowly moved through the exhibition space and passed by Mark, who continued to struggle and try to move.

"Huh, the guide didn't say anything about this one. Did that lovely lady talk about this soldier, Harold?" An elderly couple stopped in front of Mark and they stood there and admired him for a moment.

"No, Mary, I'm pretty sure I'd remember" The man, Harold, took a step closer towards the statue.

"Harold!" The woman shouted at him. "You can't walk up too close to the sculptures dear."

"Oh, calm down" Harold responded, slightly annoyed at his wife's comment. "I'm in an art museum so don't tell me to not look at the art." The older man stood just a few steps away from Mark. "There's no plaque or rope or anything, this is a free country, Mary!" He was a few inches shorter than Mark, so he couldn't clearly see everything but it seemed he was just looking at Mark's gear.

"Look. The artist — that Gary what's-his-name — knew what he was doing with this one. I recognize all that gear this man is wearing. Nice work." Harold's tone of voice suggested he was weirdly pleased with the statue that used to be Mark. "This is what a real man's supposed to look like. Not some sissy sitting behind the desk all day."

"Of course Harold, of course" The woman walked up to her husband and put her arm around him, then started gently pushing him towards the other statues.

Mark's brain struggled to comprehend what he had just witnessed. He had really turned into a statue! People thought he was a part of the exhibit! How could this have happened? He couldn't come up with any even remotely plausible explanation for what he was experiencing. He then thought that his only hope would be his friends - they knew he was downtown, maybe some would guess that he used the opportunity to get into the art museum for free, which would lead them to the place where Mark was currently stranded.

The group of retirees came back, walked next to Mark and was about to leave the room when the tour guide looked at him and murmured to herself.

"This statue was not a part of the exhibit. How did it get here?" She grabbed her phone and quickly led her group towards the rest of the museum.

Mark again realized he couldn't tell how much time had passed since any of the recent events. It was as if his internal clock had stopped working, ran out of batteries. This whole experience was so confusing that he had issues fully registering everything. He tried counting in his head, but got lost after 20, maybe? The only thing he was sure of, for now, was that the day had not yet ended, but he could not tell what part of the day it was, as the whole museum was constantly lit with this slightly weird diffused lighting.

Three people suddenly came into view and stood some distance away from Mark, clearly looking at him. He couldn't hear the conversation they were having because of the noise from surrounding visitors, but he could clearly see that they were all agitated, talking over each other and aggressively pointing at themselves and Mark. As he looked closer he realized they were all museum employees, meaning they were probably debating what to do with a statue which has suddenly appeared within the premises of the musem they worked for, a rather uncommon occurrence.

Not long after they left Mark's view and he was once again stuck in this feeling ot timelessness. Tourists stopped in front of him every now and then, looked at him for a moment and moved on, while he stood still, holding the gun in his hands as if ready to fight, and yet incapable of it because of some indescribable force.

The employees from before came back, one of them holding in their hands a metal stand of come kind. It had something written on it at the top, but Mark couldn't see what it was. What he could see was the employee putting the stand in front of him and them all looking at it.

"That will have to do for now" One of them said. This time they were standing closer and Mark was able to hear what they were saying.

"Yeah, I won't be able to make a proper one until tomorrow."

"Okay, but it has to be there by Monday afternoon, otherwise we're fucked. Jesus Christ, still'can't believe this happened."

"No time for moaning, Jacob. We have work to do." Another one replied. They all nodded their heads, took one last look at the stand and quickly left the scene.

Mark thought about what he had just witnessed, and it took him a moment to understand - this was a stand with information about the statue, which meant him. It was the same kind as dozens more throughout the museum that visitors could look at for further information that was meant to enrich their experiences. This was meant to hide the fact that he was not here just mere hours, or minutes, or days, or-- he was certainly not here when the exhibition was opened. That fact was probably what had made them so angry and confused before - from their perspective a random statue of a soldier randomly appeared in the museum.

His mind immediately asked one question - I wonder what did they write on there? What was his title, his author, his artistic description or statement? Wait, his author? That was a strange line of thought, Mark realized.

I am Uncontrolled Power.

Wait, what was that? Who said that? Where was that deep voice coming from?

I was created by Greg Duchaime Arreman.

Was there someone standing behind him?

I am meant to represent unchecked aggression and power of the Military Industrial Complex.

Wait a second, what this voice inside his head?

I am the physical manifestation of toxic masculinity and bravado.

Holy fuck, this was a voice inside his head. Was this... what they had written about him on this stand?

Fuck yeah, I'm an alpha who follows orders and crushes any sign of disloyalty.

The voice was talking to Mark. Shit, the voice was talking to him! What the fuck?

You scum, get ready to experience the primal, animalistic force of a toxic man! I'm gonna crush you!

Mark wanted to sigh loudly, but of course he couldn't. Great, the museum employees with their great art wisdom made him a stereotypical aggressive soldier. Obedient muscle. The armored tool of American imperialism. And this soldier character seemed to have appeared inside his head.

I am here to blindly follow orders, enforce them and show everyone what masculinity really means!

If Mark could have rolled his eyes, he would. He was stuck, like an NPC frozen mid-frame, standing in the middle of an art museum, possibly forever. And from now on he would represent toxic masculinity, aggression and military prowess.

Whoever stands in my way will be violently crushed with the power of the American Military and my primal force! Toxic and proud, that's who I am!

[lucy90712]

I love your writing!!!! I wanted to ask if you could write a story where the reader is a famous actress and has a crush on Carlos and decides to watch a tennis match, but you didn't expect that Carlos also has a crush on you, he's already watched all your films and the whole team know this

Carlos' POV

"Who was your first celebrity crush?" The interviewer asked 

"I honestly don't remember I remember having a few but I can't think of one right now" I answered 

"Can you give us a recent one?" They then asked 

"God this is embarrassing hopefully she won't see this but y/n is definitely one I love everything she's been in" I admitted 

"That is a lot of people's answers so you aren't alone in that" the interviewer laughed 

Your POV

"We know you are very much into sport you are often seen at football matches and f1 or motogp races but a few days ago you posted yourself playing tennis is this another sport to add to the list" the interviewer asked me 

"Definitely I love tennis I can't watch as much of it as all of the grand slams seem to be when I'm really busy but I try my best to watch as many matches as I can I also love to play tennis it's become my favourite thing to do after I get off set in the evenings" I answered 

"Do you have favourite players?" I was then asked 

"I do I like Sabalenka and Coco Gauff and I love to watch Carlos Alcaraz I always try and watch his matches even if it's late I'll stay up and watch him play" I said 

"Have you ever been to a tennis match?" The interviewer asked 

"I haven't yet but I'm hoping to make it to one this year I think I will be in London at the same time as Wimbledon so hopefully I will have some free days to be able to go and watch a few matches" I answered 

~~~~~~~~~~

After my interview saying that I love tennis and would love to go and watch a match at Wimbledon one of the organisers contacted my manager and offered me tickets to centre court for a day. Of course I had to say yes but I couldn't make any day in the first week as I had it be on set every day but I have a few days off during the second week so they gave me tickets to the day with the best matches on. One of those matches happened to be involving Carlos Alcaraz which is the one I'm most excited to watch as I can't lie I have a bit of a crush on him which I didn't mention in that interview as I didn't want him finding out. 

Usually I'm not supposed to go to events like this on my own, my manger likes to arrange security to come with me or makes sure I have a friend with me but this time I insisted that I go alone as I want to experience everything properly. Even if there is a lot of people around who might want pictures I don't care I just want to take it all in without someone stopping me from doing some things. The one thing I couldn't get out of was having someone drive me there and wait for me to leave but I'm ok with that compromise as it's for my safety and I'm still free to roam around Wimbledon all day. 

First thing this morning I had a meeting but by lunchtime I was free to go so I grabbed some food and then got the person driving me to head to Wimbledon. Heading inside the grounds were spectacular there was so many flowers and every green space was perfectly maintained. It wasn't long before people started to notice me and I had fans coming up asking for photos and lots of photographers trying to take pictures of me. Most of the time I try and avoid all of this attention but today I don't mind as I'm just so happy to be here and be able to watch the best tennis players in the world play.

I spent a while walking around looking at all the courts and just exploring before I headed to centre court to watch my first match. My seat was right behind one of the player boxes which meant I got to listen to the instructions they gave to help the players below. I had so much fun watching the match that I didn't even really pay attention to the score but Swiatek won in straight sets then it was time to prepare for the next match which is the one I'm looking forward to the most. There is quite a gap between matches to allow people to leave and get drink and to prepare the court but I stayed put wanting to see everything. One of the perks of getting given tickets is that I've ended up in the vip area so they have been bringing out drinks and snacks which means I really don't have to leave. 

While waiting for the next match to start I decided to actually look at my phone and of course there is lots of pictures from today but I ignored most of those and just looked at what my friends have been up to and what has been going on on set as I like to know what they are filming. After scrolling for a minute I came across a video of Carlos from an interview with Wimbledon so it must be recent so I watched it. They asked him a lot of questions then they asked about his celebrity crush which is when I heard my name so I had to rewind it to make sure I wasn't imagining things. I wasn't hearing things Carlos actually named me as his celebrity crush I mean sure he could be lying but it sure seemed like he was being genuine which has me feeling so much more nervous about watching him play. 

While I was freaking out people started to file back in and there was people starting to take their seats in the box in front of me. I wasn't really paying attention to who was walking in until I saw Juanki sit just a few rows in front of me which is when I realise all of Carlos' team were sat in front of me. I'm not sure if this is a dream or a nightmare there is so much going on in my head it feels like it's about to explode. There was still a bit of time until the match was due to start so I just tried to gather my thoughts but as I did that I made eye contact with Juanki who then climbed up the few rows to stand right in front of me. 

"Hi you are y/n the actress right?" He asked 

"Yes I am it's great to meet you you've done an incredible job coaching Carlos" I said trying to be nice 

"Thank you but he makes it easy" he laughed 

"I wanted to ask you if you are free after this match to come and meet Carlos I know he loves your shows and would love to meet you" he said 

"Yeah I would love to do that I'm a big fan of his tennis so I'd love to meet him" I said 

"Great after the match you can follow us out of here and we can sort things out" he said 

With that he went back to his seat leaving me to watch the match while thinking about the fact that in just a few hours I'm going to meet Carlos. Most people would think that because I'm an actress I'm fine with meeting new people but the thought of meeting Carlos who is someone I admire as an athlete as well as thinking he's extremely attractive is nerve wracking. That being said this match can't finish quick enough as I'd love to talk to him and find out what he's like as a normal person and not the tennis player. 

~~~~~~~~~~

The match was long but Carlos won in four sets and is through to the quarter finals. Once he won he had to do his interview on court and he looked up at his team and I'm convinced made eye contact but I couldn't keep looking as I got nervous. Once he left the court his team started to leave but Juanki stayed and helped me climb over the little wall between my seat and the box and then showed me the way out of the stands. We ended up in a very official seeming building as there was lots of staff and security as well as a few other players then we went down a corridor that had security at the end checking people's passes so Juanki had to assure them that I was with them and eventually they let me through. Juanki led me to a room that had some tables and chairs as well as a few other people I recognised from Carlos' box and told me that Carlos would be here as soon as he's done his media commitments. 

Waiting there made me so nervous it was like I was back on the set of my first big shoot all over again. That day I was nervous that I'd mess up in front of the many seasoned actors and make myself look like a fool but today I'm nervous that I won't be the way Carlos expects me to be. That's something I often struggle with everyone expects me to be a certain way and I always struggle with trying to live up to the high expectations but I'm hoping that by just being myself I won't disappoint. 

After waiting for around half an hour Carlos walked in and looked right at me so I just smiled as I didn't really know what else to do. Our little staring contest went on for a few seconds before I decided to get up and greet him before things got too awkward. As I walked over he started to smile too which made me feel slightly less nervous. 

"Hi congrats on the win you did great out there" I said not really knowing what else to say 

"Thank you I can't believe you watched my match" he said clearly thinking out loud 

"Well I love tennis and you are one of my favourite players so it was an honour to get to watch you play" I said 

"It's so cool to actually meet you in person I think I've watched everything you've been in and made others watch you are an incredible actress" he complimented 

"You haven't seen that awful vampire movie I did right my acting was awful in that it was so awkward" I laughed 

"I have seen it I thought you were great not the best thing you've been in though" he smiled 

After that our conversation flowed a lot easier we sat down together and just got to know each other. We talked about how he got into tennis and how much of his life is dedicated to it and about my career and what it's like working all around the work and with so many different actors. We also got to know each other on a more personal level which was really nice as in our careers you don't really get to know people properly so it's nice to make a human connection not a networking connection. He was so lovely and we got along really well to the point that we didn't notice how much time had gone by until the sun started shining right into our faces as it was setting outside. Both of us have busy days tomorrow so we really had to get back to our normal lives if we want to get enough sleep for tomorrow. 

Before we left his team wanted to take pictures of us together and we both agreed as we both know that those posts will get a lot of interaction as we have mentioned each other in interviews before. He also asked for my number so that we could keep in contact which I was happy to give him as I'd really like to keep getting to know each other. Him and his team walked with me back to my car to make sure I was ok but then they left me and Carlos to say goodbye to each other. He took the initiative and gave me a hug and kissed my cheek as he did so which had me blushing like crazy which I was a bit embarrassed about until I noticed he also had a pink tint on his cheeks. 

We said one last goodbye to each other before I got in the car and taken back to my hotel so I could eat dinner and go to bed. While I got myself ready for bed I scrolled on my phone and of course my picture with Carlos had been posted on his account and then reposted to Wimbledon's account. Of course I had to repost his post to my story which I know will make my fans crazy as I was with a guy but I don't care I had fun today. Right before I went to bed Carlos sent me a text saying that he enjoyed our conversation and asked me to contact him if I'm free at any time both of us are still here so we can spend some more time together which made me smile as I thought about when I have time off over the next week or so. 

[guess-my-next-obsession]

Guilty as Sin? — Chapter 6

pairing: professor!javier peña x f!reader

rating: series is 18+ only, minors DNI, professor/student dynamic, jealousy, brief glimpse of drunk Javi, phone sex but not really, oral (fem!rec), protected piv, dirty talk, little bit of angst thrown in at the beginning, sort of rough!javi? but nothing too crazy

word count: 4.8k

series masterlist

A month went by, summer fading into early fall and bringing a slight chill to the air with it. Things between you and Javier were only slightly awkward, and only when you were alone together. In class, he treated you like a prized pupil but nothing more. In your TA lab, he spoke to you like a colleague. But to say either of you seemed content with the emotional and physical distance after the night you shared together would be a lie. 

You thought of him incessantly, his lips often becoming the focus of your mid-lecture daydreams. You liked to imagine that he stole glances at you too when you weren’t looking, but his gaze never seemed to linger long. He remained respectful, but there was no denying the lingering tension between the two of you. 

Even so, there was nothing that could be done for the secret longing you felt every time he walked into a room. You’d come to peace with that fact. Mostly. 

It was hard not to think of him as you got ready for a date that was set up by your new friend, the one you’d taken to sitting by in Javier’s lectures, Mayte. She’d been so eager to pull you out of the funk your “situationship” left you in, though you managed to leave out just who that situationship was in. The guy—Kade—she set you up with was a friend of her older brother, who she assured you had good taste in friends. That had yet to be seen. 

He’d invited you to the UT vs Texas A&M football game—not your usual scene but a fun chance to get out of the house. You wore a simple pair of jeans and a new sweater you’d recently bought to help boost your confidence. Casual, but put together at the very least. 

You insisted on arriving separately, wanting a quick escape plan if shit went sour—which it usually did. Meeting him in front of the ticket office of the stadium, you were surprised to find out he was handsome. Tall, with dark brown skin, and even darker eyes. He looked to be in shape underneath his long-sleeved University of Texas t-shirt and joggers. Perhaps maybe too in shape. 

“Hey,” he greeted you with a smile, pulling you in for an awkward side hug. 

“Hey,” you replied, nervously fidgeting as he led you up to the security check in. 

“You’re prettier than the pictures Mayte showed me,” he offered, glancing at you from over his shoulder as he waited for the guard to scan the tickets on his phone. You gave him a forced chuckle. After all, you weren’t sure if that was supposed to be a compliment. 

After making it through security, he led you over to the concessions counter and the long line in front of it. 

“You’re tall,” you observed, hating the way charm seemed to evade you when speaking to men. Except for Javier, that is. 

“Yep,” he chuckled. “So…do you come to games a lot?”

“No,” you playfully scoffed. “Football isn’t really my thing.”

“Oh,” he muttered, turning to face the menu. 

A damn near intolerable silence fell over the two of you for a while, both of you quietly shuffling ahead each time someone moved out of the line. When it was time to order and the cashier asked if it would be together or separate, things got even more awkward as you replied in unison. 

“Together, please.”

“Separate’s fine.”

The conflicting responses had the cashier raising an eyebrow. 

“I’m actually fine, so…go ahead,” you said, gesturing for him to order. He gave you a look of irritation before sighing and walking off without explanation. 

You looked at the cashier for help processing what just happened, but she looked just as confused as she shrugged as asked, “First date?”

“Last date, too,” you chuckled, choosing to find the humor in the situation rather than letting it chip away at you. 

You found the exit of the stadium, shaking your head as you swung the glass door open only to hit—

“Javi,” you breathed. There he was in all his casual glory. A simple t-shirt and jeans that threatened to make you fall to your knees. 

“Hey,” he managed, his voice breathy as he took you in. For the first time in the last month, you actually felt something from him. Longing, perhaps. Regret, more realistically. You were about to comment on his presence at such a big event, Javier not exactly seeming like the type to show up to a college football game, but were cut off by an appearance on his left. 

There, slipping her hand around his arm, was a bright eyed blonde that looked to be in her early thirties. 

“Excuse us,” she said, pushing past you and dragging Javier along with her. You watched with a look of horror as he gave you a lingering glance from over his shoulder before disappearing into the crowd. 

You felt sick—not the kind of sick that makes you want to curl up in a ball and cry. No, actually and truly sick. You forced your feet to carry you out of this godforsaken stadium, the fresh air helping to settle your stomach a bit as vomit threatened to creep its way up your throat. Funny how your heart had such control over your body, taking its frustrations out on your poor stomach. You mentally blacked out between the stadium entrance and arriving at your car, only remembering the fit you threw once you were safely in the confines of it.  

Sure, one could argue that you, yourself, had just been on a date with a very handsome man, and that Javier had every right to date around as well. But that would be a logical way to deal with these feelings of betrayal, and when it came to Javier, logic never won. 

You attempted to drown out thoughts of how Javier’s date was progressing as the evening faded into night, busying your mind with studying for the bar exam. You stayed up late, sleep evading you no matter how tired your eyes grew. It seemed every time you closed your eyes you saw his face, that look of helplessness in his eyes. 

You wanted to smooth the worry lines on his forehead away with soft kisses, wanted to shove that pretty blonde off of him and claim him as yours. Jealousy, it seemed, had turned you primal. 

As you settled into bed, this time vowing you’d actually manage to go to sleep, your phone started to buzz on your nightstand. You scowled at the bright light, reaching over and accepting the call without thinking. 

“Hello?” you demanded. 

“Hey.” Javier’s voice both soothed and wounded you at the same time. “Shit. I didn’t—I thought I’d get your voicemail.”

“Javi?” you asked, as if you couldn’t pick his voice out in a crowd of a thousand. “What—it’s like…shit. It’s three in the fucking morning. Why are you calling me?”

“I know,” he sighed, his words slurred. “I just…couldn’t stop thinking about you.” 

You scoffed, rolling onto your back to stare at the ceiling. “Figured your date would’ve kept you distracted.”

“There’s that jealousy I love so much,” he crooned, and you could practically see him smirking. “She was a mistake. I just…I don’t fucking know. Needed to try to get you out of my system.”

“And did it work?” you asked, your tone still clipped. “Did fucking her make you forget about me for a while?”

“I didn’t fuck her,” he promised. “Didn’t even make it through the game. Well, actually that’s not true. I caught the end of it at a bar, then proceeded to get piss drunk because I couldn’t stop thinking about this girl you might know. Clever, brilliant, has the prettiest pussy I’ve ever fucking seen—“

Definitely still piss drunk, then. 

“Javi,” you groaned, covering your face with your palm. “You’re being…cruel.”

“No, I’m not,” he argued. “I can’t stop thinking about you. Having to see you day in and day out, not getting to talk to you, not trusting myself alone with you. Now that’s fucking cruel.”

“So what?” you snapped. “You called me up just to tell me how much you want me but can’t have me?”

“I called you up to tell you I don’t give a fuck if I can’t have you,” he said, his voice so deep and warm it made your thighs squeeze together. “I fucking need you, cariño.”

“Yeah?” you asked, hating—and loving—the ease in which he coaxed you back into this mess of a situation. You bit your lip as you slipped your free hand down your stomach to the waistband on your bottoms. “Tell me how bad you need me, Javi.”

He groaned into the line, the sound of his zipper coming undone urging you to slip your hand further into your bottoms, your fingers finding you soaked with need. 

“Fuck,” he groaned. “Need you so bad. That pretty pussy, the taste of you on my tongue.” 

You let out a soft moan at the memory of Javier between your thighs, the scent of him on his bedsheets surrounding you. “Next time, I’m gonna give you my dick. See just how much of it you can take. How’s that sound? Bet you’ll take it all, won’t you, baby?”

“Shit, Javi,” you whined, swirling your fingers around your swollen bud. “Your voice…”

“Yeah? You like touching yourself listening to my voice, cariño?” he husked, a teasing lilt to his voice that made you throb with arousal. “

“Mmhm,” you moaned, slipping two fingers inside of yourself. 

“Good,” he said. “I’m fucking my hand to the sound of yours, too.” 

“Let me come over,” you begged. Your hand didn’t feel good enough, not like his did. “Please?”

“It’s late,” he cautioned.  

“I don’t care.” It was Friday night, after all. There was an entire weekend ahead of you to catch up on sleep. 

“I’m too drunk,” he said, sounding as if he was trying to convince himself rather than you. “Tomorrow night.”

You deflated a bit, slipping your hand out of your bottoms. 

“Doesn’t feel good when you’re not here,” you admitted with a pout. “You not only ruined me for all men but also for myself, apparently.” 

Javier laughed, the sound bringing a smile to your face. “God, I’ve missed you.” 

“I missed you, too,” you whispered, bashful and girlish. The exact kind of tone you used to tease your friends for using with their significant other. Funny how the tables have turned. 

“What were you doing at the game earlier?” he asked, thankfully picking up on the fact that your body had no interest in feeling good unless it was with him. “Didn’t take you for a football fan.”

“I’m not,” you chuckled. “Just had a…date. If you could call it that.”

“A date, huh?” You grinned at the way his tone seemed to shift. “And how did that go?” 

“He told me I looked prettier than I did in my pictures, asked for a separate bill at the concession stand, and then walked off when I told him I didn’t want anything,” you explained. “Pretty tame compared to some of my dating horror stories. Actually, I’m not sure I’ve ever been on a good date in my life. Not even with my ex.”

“How about we fix that tomorrow?” he said, his voice a casual drawl. You bit your lip to try and tame your smile. 

A date with Javier. Not a hookup, not a one-time thing to relieve some tension. A date. 

“I’d like that,” you said. “Where you gonna take me?”

“That’s a good question,” he chuckled. “Anything I should steer clear of?”

You weren’t sure you’d ever been asked that before a date. Typically, if they even bothered to make a plan, it was just going out for food at a restaurant they loved, going to see a game that you had no interest in, or worse, a male-led action film. 

“I’d probably steer clear of places where men congregate in crowds,” you chuckled. “And places that are loud. Besides that, I’m pretty flexible.”

“I hope to find out just how flexible you are, cariño,” he crooned. before chuckling at himself. Drunk Javier certainly was a lot more generous with his flirtation, and you made a mental note to get him drunk again sometime just to hear that filthy mouth run freely. “No men in flocks and no loud rooms, I can work with that.”

After setting a loose plan for tomorrow night—Javier picking you up at six and whisking you off to a surprise location you still had yet to figure out—you ended the call with a shit-eating grin on your face. Sleep evaded you again for an entirely new reason. 

Excitement. 

Javier arrived at your place with five minutes to spare, his melodic knocks causing you to jolt as you reapplied your favorite lip balm—if tonight went the way you hoped it would, lipstick would only cause a mess. You hurried to the door, swinging it open with a grin. 

“Hey,” he breathed, a boyish smile creeping up on his face as took you in from head to toe. 

You still had no idea what he had planned, but he gave you a few things to work off of: casual clothes, a hoodie in case it got cold, and an overnight bag. 

Your eyes fell to the bouquet of red carnations in his left hand, your brow raising at the gesture you’d only ever seen in movies. “Never had someone give me flowers before.”

“God, I hate your exes,” he sighed, shaking his head as he held the flowers out for you to take. “First of many, I hope.”

Your mouth twisted as your grin bordered the line of full on goofy. You lifted the bouquet up to your nose, breathing in the fresh scent. “This is very sweet of you, Dr. Peña.”

“Oh?” he chuckled. “Back to Dr. Peña now, huh?”

“Mmhm,” you smirked. “Maybe if you impress me tonight I’ll call you professor.” 

“Jesus,” he groaned, invading your space. He settled one hand on your hip, the other cupping your cheek as he leaned in and kissed you like a starved man. You grinned into the kiss, pushing at his chest to coax him away. 

“Bold for a first date,” you noted, relishing in the dimpled, lust drunk smile he gave you. 

“You’re right,” he said, stepping back only to have you pull him in tighter, your lips finding his again. Javier hummed softly into the kiss, his thumb stroking over your cheek. He gave you one last peck, something so soft and tender that there was no confusing it for anything but sheer affection. “We should get on the road, though.”

“The road?” you asked, your brow raised. “You whisking me off somewhere?”

“Mmhm,” he hummed, tugging you tighter to his chest. “Figured we could take a little trip to the lake. Wouldn’t have to worry about anybody seeing us.” 

You weren’t sure why all the sneaking around was so thrilling to you. Surely, it would grow old eventually, but today certainly wasn’t that day. “In that case, I should probably bring my laptop.”

“I’ll just give you an A,” he said, stopping you from walking back into your apartment by giving you another dizzying kiss. 

“You’re not my only professor,” you reminded him with a smirk, relishing in the near-possessive squeeze he gave your hips before letting you go. He waited in the doorway, watching you dart around your tiny space collecting the last of what needed to be packed. “You’re allowed to come inside, you know?”

Javier chuckled, “Good to know.”

“Not like that,” you snorted. “Although…”

“See, that’s exactly why I can’t come in,” he said. “I might just say to hell with our reservation and hole up in here with you all weekend.”

“The walls here are too thin for that,” you joked, stuffing your laptop and notebook into your bag. Slinging your bag over your shoulder, Javier finally came inside to help you with your overnight bag. 

“Come on,” he coaxed, nudging his head toward the door. “Thicker walls await.”

The ride from Austin to the small lakeside town of Horseshoe Bay was a little over an hour, that time spent in conversation with the university’s most unsocial professor. But he wasn’t that crabby, brooding professor with you. No, Javier was an entirely different man. You’d begun to piece together a more concrete idea of the man you’d become fascinated with almost instantaneously, rounding out his sharp edges with bits of his past. 

He’d told you about his family, or at least what remained of it. He was an only child, his father a rancher in Laredo that he only sees on holidays due to the distance between them. His mother had passed years ago, you learned, right after Javier had graduated from high school. 

You listened intently as he fed you bits of his childhood, painting the scene in bright yellows and an achingly palpable nostalgia. He claimed he was a quiet child, not fully coming into his own until college. 

At this you felt a tug of familiarity. You’d never been popular, not until college rolled around and offered you a fresh start. 

In exchange for his past, you told him about your own—your parents, the world you came from, the sort of girl you were as a child and how she never really left you, even now. He rested his hand on your knee as he listened to you, glancing at you every now and again with that look of sheer interest that made it difficult to remember what you’d been saying. 

It was all so deliciously vulnerable and intimate, the giving of one’s past to a soul who never had the chance to experience it with you. Javier didn’t seem the type to open up unless he felt it absolutely necessary, which only added to the frenzy of butterflies in your stomach. He felt you were necessary, that you were deserving of receiving him in the past, present, and if you’d be so bold to guess, future. 

By the time you arrived at the hotel he’d booked, it was half past seven. The stars had come out, stealing the spotlight away from the red autumn sunset over the resort. You stood beside him as he checked the two of you into your suite, your stomach flipping with anticipation over what was to come. 

This was no one-night stand or temporary fix to the issue at hand. No, this trip marked the first time you’d sleep in his bed, the first time you’d share dinner with him, the first time you’d get to feel him, the first time that you’d get an unfiltered glimpse at the man you’d fallen for without ever truly knowing. A small part of you trembled because of that fact, that this entire fantasy could come crumbling down overnight, but despite all of your concerns, you simply couldn’t bring yourself to truly consider the possibility. 

Truthfully, if he hadn’t irked you yet—a woman who’s admittedly very easily irked by men—then it wasn’t likely he’d begin to now. Beyond that logic, there was a different part of your psyche—the part that believed in true love despite the scars earned in attempt to attain it—that felt safe in his hands. Perhaps it was the way he’d handled the situation with Derrick, or maybe it was the amount of willpower he displayed the night he asked you to come over. Either way, Javier had firmly established himself as a good man in your eyes. 

A good man that was capable of conjuring the filthiest of fantasies inside your head. 

The tension between you only seemed to tighten as you made your way up to the suite. You walked behind him, admiring the broadness of his shoulders that tapered into a slim waist, his strong hands carrying an overnight bag in each. You had half a mind to shove those bags to the floor so that his hands could hold you instead, but managed to find the patience necessary to make it into the room. 

“The key’s in my front pocket,” he said, turning to face you as you reached your suite. You licked your bottom lip as you reached out to slip the card from his pocket before deciding on something a bit more sinful. Sliding your hand across denim, you bypassed his pocket in favor of palming him through his jeans. Javier raised an eyebrow at you, his eyes falling to your hand as you gave him a squeeze. “That’s not my pocket.”

“Oh, is it not?” you asked, feigning innocence. “I must’ve gotten lost.”

Javier hissed as you stroked him through his jeans, his now hard length straining against the confines of the rigid denim. “If you don’t hurry up and—“

You slid your hand away, slipping the keycard out of his pocket with a smirk. “So impatient.”

“I’m the impatient one?” he asked through a chuckle, opening the door of the suite and guiding you inside. “I’m not the one who couldn’t keep their hands to themselves.”

You stood in front of the massive king-sized mattress you’d be sharing with your professor. Biting your lip, you couldn’t help but imagine the things that might occur later on between you in those crisp white sheets. Javier seemed to follow your train of thought as he came to stand behind you, his fingertips trailing down your arm until he was weaving your hands together. You pressed back into him, exposing more of your neck. Javier leaned in, his lips soft and warm against your pulse as he pressed a featherlight kiss there. 

“I made dinner reservations,” he mumbled, tracing the line of your jaw with the bridge of his aquiline nose. You let out a soft gasp as he nipped at your jaw while bringing your entwined hands between your bodies. He guided your hand to the bulge in his jeans and pressed himself closer, a sinful sigh slipping from his lips. “We should get going.”

He made no move to do such a thing, instead choosing to spin you around and crash his lips into yours. You moaned into it, cupping his face with both hands as he gently laid you on the mattress. He stood up straight and watched you with a drunk look in his eyes as he peeled off his sweater, throwing it across the room. “Had to change anyways.”

You followed his lead, stripping off your top layer in a scramble before moving to do the same with the skirt and tights you’d worn with the hope of taunting him, but he stopped you. Instead, he unbuckled his belt and set it beside you on the bed with a sinful gleam in his eyes.

“Skirt on?” you asked, giving him a smirk. Javier popped the button of his jeans undone and unzipped himself, shucking his jeans down just enough to free himself. 

“Mmhm,” he hummed, stroking himself a couple times before lowering to his knees and tugging you to the edge. 

“And the tights?”

He smirked as he pressed a kiss on the inside of your thigh. “Depends on how much you care about those tights.”

“Not at all,” you purred, combing your fingers through his hair. Javier gave your flesh a tender bite--a signature of his, you were learning. Spreading your thighs wider to accommodate his broad shoulders, Javier ripped the tights in half where your thighs met to expose you to him. 

You’d forgone underwear for this specific reaction--Javi’s dark eyes flaring with desire, that skilled tongue of his swiping across his bottom lip, his hands gripping the meat of your thighs so hard you hoped it would leave a mark. 

“Fuck me,” he groaned, wasting no time as he leaned in and tasted you like it was the first time. Just like before, your mind was sent reeling, trying to comprehend how something--or someone--could possibly make you feel this good. He tasted you with unabashed eagerness, clearly using his free hand to stroke himself as he drank you down. “You wanna come like this, baby? Or do you want my cock?”

You moaned at the question, feeling yourself empty and fluttering around nothing. 

“I want your cock,” you managed, albeit a bit more bashful than his delivery. 

Javier placed a far too sweet kiss on your swollen bud before standing again, the sight of him and his dominance and his tenderness all driving you mad in different ways. You wanted this man, wanted to have him and keep him all to yourself, wanted to know him and be known by him in a way that no one else ever had. If this was to be your end, those strong hands and kind eyes, then at least it would be a happy one. 

He stroked himself with one hand while he walked over to his bag and located a condom. Tearing the foil open with his teeth—a sight you’d never imagined could be so fucking arousing—he returned to you, rolling the condom down his length. 

“You’re so…beautiful, Javi,” you breathed, watching him as he lined himself up at your entrance. He paused there, bending forward to kiss you with such tenderness, such affection that you nearly forgot where you were and what you were doing. He took those few seconds of dazed bliss to press into you, just enough to acclimate you to his size. He swallowed down your gasp, giving you another inch before stilling again. 

When he was finally fully seated inside your warmth, you let your head fall back against the mattress, a choked moan filling the room as he ground himself deep, his lips finding your pebbled nipples. “Fuck, Javi.” 

“Is it good, cariño?” he asked, his voice taking on a rougher edge. 

It wasn’t just good, it was…perfect. The way he felt, the feelings he stirred within you, the look in his eyes when he lifted his head from your chest to watch your eyes roll as he withdrew himself only to press back in. Absolutely, devastatingly perfect.  

“So good,” you moaned instead, holding his face in your hands as he picked up his pace, his hips snapping into yours. 

“Shit,” he hissed, dropping his head to watch himself disappear inside of you. 

You balled up your skirt to sit around your waist, determined to let him get the perfect view as your eyes squeezed shut, the sparks of pleasure from each thrust making it hard to see straight. 

“Feelssofuckinggood, baby,” he slurred in a moan, sounding almost as drunk as he did on the phone the night before. “Such a perfect fucking pussy.”

You keened at his praise, lifting your hips to meet his thrusts. Javier groaned, pinning your knees toward your chest as he stood upright and began to fuck you without inhibition. All you could do was cry his name and lose yourself in the clouds of euphoria as his hips snapped into yours hard enough to carve his name into them. 

“Fuck,” he hissed, hugging your thighs to his chest and guiding your ankles to rest on his shoulder. “You’re gonna make me come, baby. That what you want? Hm?”

“Fuck, yes,” you whined, feeling the knot in your belly tighten at his voice. 

“You gotta come first,” he panted, licking his thumb before bringing it down to your swollen and throbbing bud. Your walls clamped down on him, earning a growl as he picked up his pace. “C’mon, baby. C’mon.”

“Javi, shit—“ Your vision went white before you could even get the words out, your walls fluttering around his cock as you came harder than you ever had before. Javier let out a strangled moan, leaning down to kiss your lips as he sought his own release. “Good fucking girl.”

You clung to him for dear life, fearing that if you let go, you’d float off into oblivion and never return. Javier hissed, soft moans filling the room along with the sharp slap of skin as he pumped himself into you once, twice, three times before pressing himself as deep as he could go. He laid his head on your chest as he came, whispering filth in Spanish that had you ready for another round.  

“Fuck,” you sighed, content and satiated for now. A laugh slipped past your lips before you could contain it, causing Javier to lift his head off your chest, a lazy, and yet almost smug, smile on his face. 

“What?” he chuckled. 

“We’re fucked,” you said, laughing again, this time joined by Javier. 

“Completely and utterly fucked,” he agreed. 

[tencrushesperday]

Will you go to prom with me?

matt rempe x college!student reader, friends to lovers

warnings : the fluffiest fluff to have ever fluffed for 7.5k words

an : in honor of the rangers playing their game 1 of the 2nd round, i’ve been writing this for the past week and omggggg there must be so many mistakes in it but im so happy with it it’s so cute. idk about the rangers wives and stuff so christine is obviously made up sorryyyy

How did you get so lucky ?

Matthew gave you a ticket for tonight’s game and made you promise to stay after the game to wait for him.

You have gone to see his debut at the stadium series and this was his second game so you would have gone to see him play even if he hadn’t gotten you a ticket.

The two of you met when he was first invited to the Rangers summer camp. You were having a picnic with friends in Central Park on a hot summer evening. Matt was playing football with his friends not far from you and when the ball fell near you he ran up to get it.

The first time he just excused himself then went back to his game. But the second time his friend threw the ball your way intentionally you asked him if they wanted to eat something but you weren’t going to finish all the food you brought by yourselves.

It took all your courage to ask the tall cute guy that question. Especially because he was cute. Your friends had teased you for blushing the first time he came to get his ball and to defend your dignity you had to show them he didn’t affect you that much and you could be chill around tall attractive guys.

That improvised picnic turned into an ice cream date the next afternoon as you bonded over the fact that you were both foreigners in the US. Then that turned into another museum date, and a shopping date when he asked you for help to find his sister a present.

Superficial conversation turned into long conversations deep into the night so naturally.

Yet he had never tried to kiss you. You wanted to think those dates were really dates and that he felt the same way you did. But he never expressed any further interest into you so you settled for his friendship. You knew he would leave after the training camp to go back to Calgary and you would leave too to go back home.

When he came back for the second time for the training camp, you had already left New York. He had texted you that he was in town again and asked if you wanted to go get ice cream with him. You wanted to smash your head against a wall for leaving a week too early and missing him. But he promised that he would try to go to New York before the start of the season so you could catch up together.

After that first catch up in New York, you also went to Hartford for a weekend a few times when you didn’t have too many assignments.

You surprised him once by coming to a practice and staying for his game. Some of your friends teased you that you were head over heels for him and you “really wanted to get that d” in the words of your best friend but you never made any attempt at flirting and neither did he.

However now, he played in New York, for the Rangers and you couldn’t be any prouder of him. He had texted you that he was called up to play for them for the stadium series and you told him that you already got tickets with friends to go see the match. You missed your morning class to get breakfast with him before the game and congratulate him.

So you are now waiting awkwardly by the VIP entrance because he didn’t get you a special pass since he didn’t dare ask for it and you have no idea where the locker room is in this place. You check your phone from time to time to see if Matt has texted you but you just assume that he’s still busy.

At some point, a security guard approaches you and asks what you’re waiting for. You’re about to answer him and you hear a voice answering in your stead.

“For me. She’s waiting for me. But thanks for taking care of her.” He’s always been kinda hot, but that sentence? The messy post game hair? The sweaty look and slightly tired eyes?

You thank the security guard and walk towards Matt with a big smile on your face. “Congrats on your second game and second win champ. Looks like you’re this team’s lucky charm.” You give him a hug when you reach him and he keeps his arm around your shoulder not letting you go.

“Hmm no I think it’s you. You’ve been for every win too.” He winks at you.

“When did you get this cheesy?”, you tease.

“Winning makes me emotional.”

You aww at his honest response and jokingly tickle him. But you love how he’s not afraid to show his emotions in front of you and you cherish that.

“So.. we won… Do you know what that means?”, he asks with an amused look in his eyes.

“Free and good food?”, you inquire hopefully, batting your lashes at him to go overboard with it.

“Better. Free drinks !! I wanted you to come celebrate with us. I got out the looker room as soon as I could to not make you wait and have some time to convince you. The guys are ready to go.”

“It’s a wednesday night.”

“Perfect night to go out the bars are less crowded.”

“Matt I have classes tomorrow.”

He has a resolute look on his face and you know you’ve lost the argument here. “I’ll bring you back to your dorm by midnight.”

You admit defeat by nodding your head yes and he pumps his fist in an overly exaggerated way. Then he puts his arm back around your shoulder and drags you towards the exit.

“Schneider knows a nice place not far from here apparently.”, he informs you.

“You’re new best bud?”

“I would never dream of replacing you”, he says with a funny smirk.

When you walk out of the building you’re met with huge, impressive hockey players and their beautiful significant others. You smile politely and wave your hand when Matt introduces you but nobody pays you too much attention as everybody is eager to get to drinking.

The bar you get to is nice, not too big but still pretty loud and the players overjoyed from their win only make it louder.

You sit squeezed in between Matt and one of the girlfriends. She doesn’t particularly pay you attention except when she asked you who you are and how you met Matt.

When Matt leaves to get you a drink at the bar, Chytil’s girlfriend approaches you and introduces herself.

“So have you and Matt been together for a long time ?” Luckily, the lighting is bad and she can’t see you blush at her question.

“We’re just really good friends”, you answer her after a beat.

“Oh sorry, my bad.. It’s just that usually guys don’t bring such beautiful friends to bars when they try to find other girls to hook up with”, she explains jokingly and you try not to get such thoughts into your head.

“First of all it’s so nice of you to call me pretty. And no honestly i’m really supportive of him trying to hook up with girls if he wants to. He just promised to get me back to my dorm before midnight so he’ll probably have to do that afterwards.” She laughs at your words a bit too much and you laugh awkwardly as well, confused look on your face. Until she looks behind you and you understand.

“Always knew I could count on you to be my wingwoman” You turn around at Matt’s voice, the awkward smile still on your face. “And here’s your cosmopolitan.”

“I'm not even sure you need a wingwoman now that you’re in the NHL.”

“That’s not something we are going to test tonight because i’m here to celebrate with you and not some random girl.” He grins at you.

You spend the rest of the evening dancing and drinking your cocktails with Matt acting as the best body guard to ever exist on the dance floor. It’s not often that you don’t have any weirdo trying to approach you but having a 6’7 guy built like a refrigerator definitely helps so you can enjoy the music and just dance. Maybe you should go to the club with him more often.

You don’t leave before midnight as promised. It’s closer to 1am when you bid goodbye to Chytil’s girlfriend. She asks you if she will see you around more and you promise her to attend the next game.

When you’re outside the uber is already waiting for you and you get in with Matt still talking and laughing.

He then walks you up to your door and you turn around before opening. “So now you know where I leave”

“Yes this was my plan all along now I know where to come to steal the most comfortable blankets”, he says with a smirk

“I knew you were evil. You can’t be tall, hot and ambitious without something hiding under the surface.” Did you just call him hot ? You can blame it on the alcohol even if it was only 3 cocktails.

“Obviously. Now go get some good sleep and drink a glass of water.” He turns around to leave “Good night”

You yell after him “Drink some water too big boy” you giggle to yourself and cover your mouth aware of how loud you just were.

The next morning you have a mild migraine but it hits you when you are brushing your teeth a song from last night playing on your phone.

The reason no guy approached you last night was because Matt always had his hand on you, your hand, your hip, your waist. It was just so natural to have him that close you didn’t even notice in the moment.

——

Almost a week later, as you sit on your bed, music playing on your speaker because your roommate is out, you hear a loud repeated bang on your door.

You jump out of bed, turn off the music and run to the door. “Who’s there?”, you ask warily.

“Open up the door you deaf dumbass”

“Great to see you too my sugar plum”, you stick your tongue out to Matt when opening the door.

He walks right past you into your dorm room and sets a bag on your desk. “I brought us snacks and video games.”

“You know I don’t have anything to play video games on right?”, you look at him eyebrows raised, hands on your hips.

“That's why I brought my Xbox in my backpack?” He starts unpacking his stuff and setting up his gaming corner. Luckily you had a small TV you and your roommate chipped in together to buy.

“Make yourself at home I guess… I also hope you’re aware I won’t be playing with you I have to finish this essay for tomorrow morning.”

“I know. You said that you had to finish it tonight. I just thought it would be more fun to have company. And I haven’t seen you because of the roadie.” You smile at his logic. It’s non arguable. You would rather do anything and everything with him around than without him. And you missed him too.

Once he’s done setting it up, he sits at the end of your bed and looks at you expectantly. “I won’t be noisy I promise. Now can you bring the snacks?”

You smile like an idiot again, hand him the snacks and get back to your previous position in your bed.

He takes your feet on his lap and starts his game. Without even looking your way, he pushes the bag of your favorite candies towards you.

You sight contemptuously, a small smile adorning your face. This was so comfortable. A little too cozy for you to just see him as a friend.

Around 1am, you finish your assignment and Matt is already asleep at the feet of your bed. You lightly tap his shoulder and tell him to get under the covers because it’s too late for him to go home.

Still sleepy, he takes off his hoodie and gets comfortable while you go to the bathroom to get ready for bed. Then you get back to bed and try falling asleep but you are far too aware of his tall presence right next to you.

He is fast asleep when he sneaks one of his arms around you. Your bed isn’t large enough for you not to touch anyway so you decide to enjoy his warm, comforting cuddles and fall asleep much faster now that you’re not stressing over it.

When you wake up for your class in the morning, Matthew has already left for practice.

——

The game against the Devils has been brutal. You couldn’t attend but you were watching on your phone while at the library. You try to get done as much as you can before leaving the library and going to your closest 24/7 store.

You are ready to go around the whole city. You have a mission in mind and you will accomplish it : finding a Lego set (and food of course).

Luckily you only have to try two convenience stores before finding a good enough set. You also grab some snacks and head to Matt’s apartment.

You are already waiting in the lobby of his apartment building when he comes in.

He looks nasty and you can’t help but cringe.

He drops his bag on the floor when he’s near and wraps his arms around you. For a while, you just remain like that, hugging, passing your fingers through his hair in an attempt to soothe him.

“You wanna go up? I got us lego sets to build”, you ask in a small voice. He nods and pulls away without meeting your gaze.

You haven’t seen him since his huge fight in Toronto so the black eye is shocking at first. And now he’s been suspended for four games. You know that even if he likes causing chaos, he likes the game more.

You silently follow him up to his apartment. It’s a small studio, nothing crazy but it’s cozy and it’s clean.

You set your bags near the couch and go to the kitchen to look for something to cook dinner with. In the meantime, Matt gets another cold shower and changes into a pair of sweats.

When he comes out of his room, wet hair falling across his eyes, his t-shirt half up, your breath catches in your throat. Your gaze moves downwards and then you catch a glimpse of the bruises on his side as he finishes putting his shirt on.

“I left clothes for you on my bed if you wanna change into something more comfortable. I looked for the smallest sweatpants but hoodie might be just enough.”

He walks up to you and smells around, “What you’re cooking there?”

“Mac and cheese. Didn’t have too much choice” A pleasant smile appears on his face. “I can finish it, go get comfortable.”

He nudges you lightly so you let him take over and go to take a shower and change.

You had stayed at his place in Hartford the last two times you went up there. But this was different. You had always brought your own clothes and you would eat out with his friends before coming and crashing on his couch before leaving the next morning.

Now you are changing into his clothes, and as he said the hoodie almost reaches your knee so you don’t bother with trying on the pants. It smells of him and you try not to be weird about it but it brings you such a sense of comfort you can’t help but wrap your arms around yourself.

When you walk back into the open kitchen Matt is done with the Mac n cheese and getting the table ready.

“You can sit down. I’ll be ready in a minute.”

You listen to him and sit down and a few moments later so does he. You eat in silence until he asks you about your day.

You don’t want to press him about anything or upset him so you just go with his flow, letting him welcome you in when he’s ready.

When you’re done eating, it’s your turn to tell him to go get comfortable on the couch while you clean up the kitchen. Once you’re done you join him on the couch where he already started taking the legos out of their boxes.

You talk about your childhoods and how you used to play with legos and other toys, about your favorites and the ones you lost but just remembered how much you liked them.

When you finished the set, he put it on the shelf next to his TV and you both went to bed.

You insisted on sleeping on the couch to not bother him but he argued that he would.

Of course you wouldn’t let him, knowing the physical state he was in. So you agreed to both sleep in the bed.

Once you’re under the covers and the lights are off you can’t stop the words from falling out of your mouth as you turn towards him, “Does it hurt a lot?”

He turns around to face you too, “Where?”

It breaks your heart to hear him say this. Are there really so many hurtful part?

You slowly bring your hand to his abdomen under the covers. “Here?”

“I didn’t think you would see it”, he shuddered at your touch so you pull your hand back.

“I’m sorry”

“It’s okay.” your voices are no louder than a whisper.

“Can I hug you?”, there’s timidity in your voice that he has never heard before.

“Please”

You wrap your arms around him and press his head under your chin. You fall asleep in that position only a few minutes later.

——

Now, you are waiting for him by the north entrance after his game against Florida as he had asked you but you have no idea what to expect nor where he is taking you. It didn’t really matter anyway as you get to spend time with him.

He walks out the building wearing his suit, his bag slung over his shoulder.

“Congrats ! You played until the end” You laugh at him throwing your arms around his torso. God how you loved his hugs. It feels like being engulfed in the warmest cloud.

“And I got an assist”, he says pulling back from the hug and grinning at you.

Your smile widens as well as you crank your neck to look up at him “You did great champ!”

You pull away from his arms feeling yourself getting hungrier by the second. “Come one now take me to eat. You know cheering on you is such a physical activity.”

You catch sight of his crooked tie once you are completely out of his arms and reach to straighten it. “I changed as fast as I could so you wouldn’t have to wait long.” He explains looking down at you.

You can’t look up to meet his gaze, too busy trying to hide your blush.

When you’re done, you ask him to lead the way and he points to the left and tells you to follow him because “he knows a place”.

You walk for a few blocks until you’re in Times Square and then he stops.

“Matt don’t tell me you wanna play tourist right now. I swear I’m not kidding when I say I’m famished.” You look up at him with a pout.

He checks his watch, “Can you keep the whining down, I’m the one who’s paying for dinner, please?” He looks around at the billboard like he’s never seen them before.

“I’m hungry, come on let’s go I’ll pay for my meal if it’s what it takes.” You try to argue.

He stops turning around and you get in front of him to try and get his attention back on you. He checks his watch again. What is he waiting for?

“Matt the hell are you looking around for ? This is not your first time in Time Square. I hope the place you wanted to take me doesn’t close too soon…”

He looks behind you and his eyes light up. “This is where I wanted to take you.” He says grinning like a devil.

You want to ask what’s going on, mouth half open but he tells you to turn around so you do.

Mouth still hanging agape, the first thing your eyes lay on is a huge billboard with your name on it. And the question “Will you go to prom with me?”. You heart skips a beat there.

You’re speechless for a second and very confused when you turn back around to look at Matt. “What is this? What prom, Matt? Colleges don’t do proms and I’m in my senior year. What do you…”

He cuts you off seeing the frown on your face “You told me once that you never got to go to prom during high school. And I know how much you love those fancy dresses and dancing to 2000 music. I didn’t want you to feel sad again because you feel like you missed out on something.”

Oh you are so about to cry.

Tears are brimming your lashes already. Your stomach is doing somersaults.

“So will you go to prom with me? The one I organized just for us so you can’t really say no…” You hear the small quiver in his voice and how he slows down at the end. He is feeling unsure. It’s the sweetest thing ever.

The tears staining your face are happy ones so you nod your head vigorously, unable to speak because of the knot in your throat. A smile cracks its way onto your face and at the sight of it he leans down to hug you. You jump into his arms and wraps yours around his neck.

“I can’t believe you did this for me” You’re now sobbing into his shoulder, pushing your face into the crook of his neck to hide your tear stained, all red, face, from the crowd around you.

It feels like it’s just the two of you in the world. You don’t hear the crowd over your own beating heart anymore.

How did you get so lucky?

You want to tell him how much this means to you, how much he means to you. Yet it’s not the time to confess your feelings. You can’t ruin this moment with your selfish emotions when he’s done this for you as a friend. So you settle for thank yous.

“You’re the best, really.” You squeeze harder before trying to pull away but he still has you in his arms and your feet don’t even touch the ground.

Your faces are inches away, and you feel an itch you can’t quite scratch, because he’s not your boyfriend and kissing him could ruin all this.

“Thank you. Genuinely. I don’t know what I did to deserve you but you’re really the best Matt” You think he can probably feel your breath on his face. You hope he can’t hear your pulse this close. You hope you don’t smell of the beer you drank earlier at the game.

Oh no, you realise as he puts you down, your breath probably smells of the beer.

He shots the toothiest smile you’ve ever seen on him. “Good let’s go get you some food now.”

May the universe help your poor little heart, as you melt internally at his smile, words and actions.

——

You knew Matthew was a man of his word and if he said he would do it he will. But what you didn’t expect was for him to go so overboard with it.

A few days after his promposal, he texts you that after class you’re both going shopping the next day. He had called you after the game when they clinched the first spot and said that your fake prom would be before the playoffs.

He waits for you in front of your building, baseball cap sitting backwards on his head, two coffees in his hand.

Your heart skips a beat when you first catch sight of him, easy to notice him with such a height. You think you would recognise him even in the dark anyway, when everything in your body pulls you to him in the way it has done since you’ve met him.

He’s right here and so close and yet so out of reach because you can’t run up to him and kiss him like you would like to.

It has gotten harder to ignore your feelings since he started acting like the best boyfriend in the world while simultaneously not being your boyfriend.

You walk slowly to give yourself time to recompose yourself. He smiles broadly when he sees you too.

He doesn’t know how much he affects so you can’t blame him. He’s just being friendly, like he always was.

When you reach him, he hands you your cup of coffee then pulls you into his chest and your giggle gets muffled by his warm sweater.

He asks you about your day, your classes, why you’ve been up since he went away. He listens to your every word even though you’ve already told him all of this through texts.

You walk the streets of New York together until he stops in front of a dress shop.

“No, no, no Matt, I cant afford this.” You stop him before he walks inside, hand on his arm. “And ai’m not letting you pay for my dress. Just putting this out there hopefully before the thought even crosses your mind”

He takes your hand off his arms and wraps it with his. “Let’s just see what they have.”

He tugs you inside and you don’t have any other choice but to follow.

The shopping assistant greets you and after giving you a few minutes to look around she starts asking question about what you want, the type of event, the color preferences, the length.

Sure you had imagined the type of dress you would have worn if you ever got invited to prom when you were a teenager. But you were never invited by anyone and as you were starting to think about going alone your mom got very sick and you had to stay home while your dad went to work.

But asked this way on the spot you have no idea. You say blue for the colour. It’s you favourite one and Matt has a nice blue suit that could match.

The sales assistant picked out some dresses for you while you and Matt looked around. He made you promise to not look at the price until you’ve tried on all the dresses that you liked but you knew you wouldn’t be getting anything from here.

After going around the whole store, the sales assistant directed you to the back to try on the dresses. Struggling to tie up the dress, you peak your head outside the door to ask her for help but only see Matthew.

“She went to get you heels. Do you need help?” You nod, open the door wider as he gets closer and slowly turn around making sure the dress stays in place.

He gets on it with expert hands pulling the laces tight. “Tighter?” His voice is low, near your ear. It sends shivers down your spine.

You nod not trusting your voice just yet. You feel hot all over but you also shiver.

“Sorry my fingers are cold…”

He is almost done now so you want to break the awkward silence.

“You’re good at it.” Great remark, way to go.

“Yeah I helped my sister a few times.”

Did he just compare you to his sister? Amazing.

With perfect timing your sales assistant comes back with a pair of beautiful black heels. “Sorry for making you wait. Your boyfriend told me you shoe size but I had to find something that would match.”

So much for helping with the awkwardness…

“He um… we’re not um…” You tried articulating your thoughts pointing between you and Matt.

Instead of helping you, he looks at you with an amused look on his face then thanks the woman while taking the shoes from her.

“You can hold onto my shoulder.” He says kneeling down and setting the shoes on the ground in front of you. You lift your dress with one hand, grab his shoulder with the other one as he so kindly suggested, and then extend your foot to put the shoe on. He even helps you get the shoe on.

You were trying not to overthink his every move but it was impossible. Why is he acting this way all of a sudden ? Why didn’t he tell the sales assistant that you were just friends ? Why ..?

Your thoughts are cut off when Matthew stands up and you lose your balance and almost fall.

He extends an arm to catch but you stop him with your hand and a chuckle.

He steps back and he and the sales assistant both look at you. You start feeling flustered so you turn around to look for a mirror.

As you walk over to it, you can feel Matt’s gaze on your black, and the ghosts of his fingertips on your skin.

The dress looks beautiful but something is not right. It’s a bit too over the top and you just don’t feel it. Matthew sees it in your eyes when you look at him through the mirror.

You change into the second dress but you don’t like how it looks around your chest so you don’t even get out of the dressing room.

The third one was beautiful. The flowy fabric, the sea green color of the dress, the thin straps and square neckline accentuating all the right places. You look down at yourself one last time and take a peak at the price tag before walking out of the dressing room to show it to Matt. It breaks your heart to act like it’s not the most beautiful dress you have ever worn. But you can’t afford it.

You don’t think you’ve ever seen Matthew looking at you this way. His mouth is slightly agape which gives you an insane boost of confidence.

“Yeah I’m not gonna take this one. You wouldn’t be able to handle it.” You tease him which makes him slightly blush. Oh this is getting funny.

“Should I do a spin ? Let me do a spin”

Maybe you could not eat for the next month or two ? Because if it triggers this type of reaction from Matt you would wear it everyday.

When you look at him again, he stares at you and gulps.

“You look.. you look like a washed up algue on the Jersey shore” He deadpans. A smirk threatens to crack his serious appearance.

You explode in laughter, “You sure know how to talk to a woman. But that settles it I’m not buying it.” You turn around to go back into the dressing room without seeing his disappointed look or leaving him the time to argue with you.

You try on the rest of the dresses but none of them are what you are looking for so you bid goodbye to the sales assistants and exit the store.

“This was very cute of you Matt but I promise I’ll find the perfect dress in a thrift shop without having to starve for the next month.” You assured him.

“Yeah sure sorry…” How dare he be this cute??

“I know that we went to this type of store with my sister for her proms and she loved it.” He argues

You smile at him, “So you wanted my experience to be as authentic as it gets.”

“Exactly” he gives you that cheeky childish grin. He’s proud of himself and he can be.

You shake your head at him and urge him in the direction of your favorite coffee shop.

“It’s too late for coffee I think”, he remarks which makes you look at the time on your phone.

“Wow I didn’t think we wasted that much time in the store” you were surprised, but then again time moves so fast when you were having fun with Matt.

“Hey come on it wasn’t a waste of time you got to try on beautiful dresses” he argued again, heading back in the direction of your dorm.

“You’re right but not walking faster to get to Phil’s surely is a waste of time” You saying grinning.

“When it comes to getting food it always sounds like you’re the 6’7 hockey players who needs to eat a lot of calories” He’s already caught up to you so you can punch his arm at the teasing.

“Yeah well where would I get the energy to annoy you if I didn’t eat this much?”, you give him the same sassy energy back.

The banter and the laughter doesn’t stop and suddenly he’s already walking you back to your dorm and hugging you goodbye.

Once you are in your pyjamas you get your laptop out and get to work on your assignment.

To your dismay, pretty boys don’t make uni work disappear…

——

You were looking at your eyeshadow palette, indecisive. Maybe you should just do a simple eyeliner ? You wanted to do your best, look your best, impress Matt after everything he’s done for you.

You were lucky to find a dress similar to the sea green one you had found in the store but just a tad lighter in colour. You put on your highest heels so the pictures with Matthew looked better. He promised to make it look as authentic as possible so he got one of the older guys on the team to let him borrow the apartment. Pictures by the fireplace are a must according to him.

So you gathered all the belongings you needed after your only class this morning and came to the address he had sent you. You called the number he had sent along when you were in front of the building and a nice woman who introduced herself as Christine told you what apartment to go to.

You were sort of starstruck when she first opened the door and wondered how these hockey players really bagged all these 10s. She wasn’t amongst the girls and women you had met both times you have gone with Matt to the bar to celebrate after a game and you understood why when you heard two kids arguing in the background.

She had quickly let you in and apologized for the noise they were making while taking you to the room where you could get ready. You had thanked her a million times over for welcoming you this way but she told you that they couldn’t say no when Matthew had explained his plan so sweetly. She had commented about how lucky you were to have him with a wink and you nodded, cheeks flustered.

Now you are almost done. You had begun with your hair, finally decided to just do a soft look on your eyes with some glitter and put on your dress.

You are putting on your pink gloss, looking at yourself in the mirror. You promise yourself that this is the night you will tell Matt how you feel, when you hear a knock on the door.

“Honey, are you ready? Matthew is here.” Christine calls out to you.

“I will be out in a minute.”, you answer as you put on your perfume finally.

You take a deep breath before opening the door and shake your arms in a manner to get the anxiety out of your body. You walk to the living room slowly to not scrap the parquet with your heels, looking down at your feet, dress in hand.

When you get there, you raise your head to find Matt already looking at you. He looks stunning in his suits, you already knew that. But there something that made him look particularly handsome. Probably knowing that he dressed up for you.

A smile creeps its way in your face as he stares at you in awe. You pat yourself on the back internally for doing a good job on the hair and makeup.

“You look um… you look beautiful.”, he finally manages to get out.

You giggle and thank him. He really makes you feel like a high schooler, you think.

“You don’t look bad yourself.” You smile.

“You see me in a suit every other day”, he’s being modest.

“But you have something particular about yourself today”

Oh god, you’re gonna be the death of him. Complementing him so effortlessly. He made more of an effort today it’s true. He wanted to look half as good as you at least. He also made a point of not fighting in his last games so he doesn’t have a bruised face on these pictures.

“Oh I got something for you.” He reaches out behind him on the fireplace and grabs a box. You walk closer, curious to see what it is and your eyes lay in a beautiful corsage for your wrist and a matching flower for his pocket.

You give him your hand and look at him while puts it on “It’s beautiful thank you.”

“Okay kids, let's take some cute pictures,” Christine says, clapping her hands, even though she already took ten pictures of you interacting.

“I see you’re fully playing your role” you laugh at her antics.

“Just rehearsing for the future”, she retorts with the same cocky smile you gave her. “Okay now get in front of the fireplace. Matt stands behind her.” She was giving instructions like a pro and you assumed she’s already done this for her own prom.

Just like she said, Matt walks up behind you and sneaks his arms around your waist. Instinctively, he spreads his fingers but his hands awkwardly cover your whole tummy so he holds your hips.

You try to relax for the picture but you’re overly aware of every inch of his body touching yours.

“Come on guys, give me your best smiles now!” Christine encourages you.

You try to focus on the pictures, the camera, your hair, your smile. You rearrange your dress to be sure it is okay.

Once she says she has a few good ones, you change your pose and you get used to it. You look at a few before takes and they do look beautiful.

Once you’re done, Matt thanks Christine and you both head out to the restaurant he had made a reservation for.

The taxi ride is not too long since you were already in a nice part of the city. The restaurant looks way too over priced and you feel bad for how much money he’s spending on you.

Once you’re sitting at your table, you can help but tease him, “I’m amazed you even managed to make such a reservation.”

“Schneider helped”, he admits.

“So this evening really is a team effort. If I wasn’t enjoy it so much, I would probably feel bad for bothering everybody”, you say half jokingly.

The whole dinner is amazing and delicious. You don’t think you’ve ever eaten in a place this fancy and frankly both of you probably look out of place.

More than once you laugh a little too loud and swear a little too often which earns you some pointed glances from the old rich people around you. That only makes you laugh even more.

By the time you’re out of them, you feel the slight buzz of the overpriced wine and can’t wait to see what Matt has planned next.

The next taxi ride takes you back to his apartment and you’re sad you didn’t get to dance. You think you might still convince Matt to put on some music to dance in the kitchen too.

You think of your arguments all the way up and when he makes you wait in the hallway. But you don’t need any once he opens the door and lets you see what he prepared inside.

There was glitter everywhere, colorful light effects and you couldn’t even catch a glimpse of a photo zone next to the bathroom door.

“I know we don’t have a prom party with all the people dancing around us and our friends but I hoped this would make do.”, he says looking at you from behind, studying your every emotion.

You turn to him, your brightest smile on your face “This is perfect Matt.” You grab his hand and drag him inside.

“Let’s take a picture first. We can set the timer and flash on my phone.” You set your phone in the place he prepared for it and push on the timer. You take your dutiful place in front of him in front of the photo zone and there’s no awkwardness as earlier.

Then you go back to the leaving room to put some music on, he goes to the kitchen and comes out with punch.

“Don’t we face the chaperones too? For the more authentic experience…”

“You plan on doing such naughty things you need a chaperone?” Oh, you weren’t expecting him to clap back this way.

“I don’t have enough alcohol in the system, bring that punch over here”, cowardly move but you didn’t lie. You need more liquid courage to tell him everything you think.

You take the drink from his hand when he extends it to you and down half of it.

You cradle the rest of your hand while Give me everything tonight plays in the background but it doesn’t take long for you to finish that too.

You dance to your favorite songs until a slow by Def Leppard comes on. “Wouldn’t be a full prom experience if we didn’t slow dance”, Matt defends his choice of putting it in the playlist.

“You’re right. Let’s dance”c you nod getting closer to him. Your fingers are intertwined behind his neck and his hands settle in your lower back.

With each sway to the rhythm, your bodies get closer.

You look amazing. He used beautiful earlier but that hadn’t been enough to describe how truly gorgeous you look. He wants to use every word he knows, compare you to stars and flowers and yet it still feels like it wouldn’t be enough. You are giving him your brightest smile and he feels proud at the thought that he is the one who put it on your face. He made you happy. He wants to make you happy everyday in the future.

You are so close to him. Right in front of him. He thinks he should gather his courage and tell you he likes you. He can feel the warmth radiating from your skin through your thin dress, your fingers running through his hair at the nape of his neck.

He thinks about all the times you’ve made him happy. The first time you ever talked to him and offered snacks to him and his friends who were just strangers in the park. The time when you first surprised him by coming to Hartford to see him play. He wasn’t seeing you in that light at the time. However recently, when you came to comfort him after he had been suspended for four games. He had wanted to kiss you then right in his lobby when he saw you. But he couldn’t use you like that to drown his sorrows. And what were the chances that you wouldn’t push him away and leave him all alone?

He always thought you were hot, even Schneider and Lafrenière commented on it when he had brought you to the bar with them to celebrate. He had told them to back off right then and there, to not even think about it. He thought it was due to friendly protectiveness. He later realised that he hated the thought of anyone else putting their hands on you and make you happy in that way.

“Why didn’t you ever kiss me?”, you interrupt his train of thought. He is completely caught out. Did he hear you right? He takes another few seconds to process but he can see the concern taking over your features.

“I could do that? I didn’t know I could?” he looks dumbfounded which makes you laugh. “Can I kiss you now?”

“Do you want to?”

“Stupid question. Can I kiss you?”, his breath is ragged.

“Stupid question.” you giggle, “Lose some more time asking others like this o-“.

He doesn’t let you finish before crashing his lips on yours and stealing your breath away. It’s passionate but sweet and oh so soft at the same time.

It’s so much better than you couldn’t have ever imagined. Sparks fly. Butterflies erupt in your stomach. Shivers run down your spine. You have wanted this for so long, was tempted to do it a million times and it is finally happening.

You need more. You wish he would never stop kissing you.

When he pulls away for air, slightly panting and lips and the skin around them sparkly from your gloss, you can’t help the chuckle.

“It tastes like cherry”, he says through a small laugh of his own.

“Oh yeah? wanna taste it some more?”

[tedlassogif]

"It's one of those amazing things in life that can make you feel shit one moment and then like it's Christmas morning the next. It has the ability to make heroes and villains out of ordinary men. People love this game. My father loved this game. You all used to love this game. I'm sure of it. I knew this little boy, working class, from Richmond, and he loved football so much. He used to sneak into the matches because his family just couldn't afford the tickets. One afternoon he finally got caught. The security guard smacked him round the face and knocked him on the ground but that little boy stood up, smiled, kicked the security guard in the bollocks and ran away. Never to return until twenty-five years later when he walked in and bought the entire club. And on his first day as owner, he went and found that same security guard and gave him a pay rise without any explanation. Just because we own these teams doesn't mean they belong to us and I don't want to be part of something that could possibly destroy a beautiful game because I would hate for all those little kids and grown ups out there to ever lose access to that beautiful, passionate part of themselves."

TED LASSO (3x10)

[romangolden68]

( TF story 4 mah broz @golden-logan10, @scott-golden9 and @toxicafaesthetic) Zeus and Hercules were best buddies growing up. Coming from a small town in rural Texas, they grew up together as their families knew each other heavily. During Easter time, Zeus and Hercules would find shiny, golden eggs together as their families discussed grown-up topics, during the 4th of July they would salute the flag together and play with Roman Candles, but their favorite time together was when they played Football on Thanksgiving. Football soon became their bonding activity, for Hercules was exceptionally strong and made for a great Linebacker, while Zeus was Agile with a capital A and made for a great Wide receiver. They grow up playing football, growing to love the sport to the point of reaching the thresh hold of obsession, but they still had another dream; to travel to the United Kingdom after college. Time passed and they grew up, playing football first in Middle School and being the best players on the team. Then they went to High School and were immediately in first string Varsity. Eventually, during their senior year, they would end up as D1 athletes. As a result of working out and playing football for their entire youth, when they both blew out their candles on their shared 18th birthday, they were truly the strongest people in their small town. Alas, they had to leave the small town and head to a big city college, but they both managed to get to the same college on a sports scholarship. At college they were inseparable. Every class they shared, every schedule was the same, it was as if the gods above didn't want them to separate. They even were able to keep their same football positions on the college football team! Life was truly a dream, and yet they still had one wish left: to visit the United Kingdom. Time passed and they completed their classes. with great difficulty, and they were the posterchildren of the schools football team. They managed to graduate, and the College memorialized them with Hercules and Zeus in their gear posing.

Additionally, their families chose to send them tickets to fulfill their dreams. These shiny, golden tickets were a round trip to the United Kingdom! Hercules and Zeus partied that night, celebrating the fulfillment of their wish.

The next day rolls around, and they pack up their items and head off to the airport. Time passes, they go through security, they get their luggage put away, and they board the plane. Antsy with excitement and anticipation, they begin to sweat in their seats, having to open up their shirts. Unfortunately for the other passengers, they forgot to put on deodorant before getting on the plane, oops.

Anyways, the plane takes off during the sunrise, but little did Hercules and Zeus know, that they would not be returning home to the Texas.

.

.

.

They land in the glorious United Kingdom!

After getting through the airport, they decide to go sight seeing across the city of London. From riding the London eye to watching Big Ben tick away, they loved walking around the city.

However, Hercules and Zeus find themselves in the less developed parts of London after traveling all day. They find themselves taking a short-cut to make it back to the better parts of London. As they are walking through some dirty alleyways, they come across a large, in charge, and incredibly muscular Chav with the name Logan on his clothes. He smirks at Hercules and Zeus, who themselves get a weird vibe from the dude. It also doesn't help that he smells worse than they do, as if he doesn't know what deodorant is. The stranger introduces himself as Logan and asks them if they are in need of some cologne. Hercules and Zeus look at each other, and nod, for they know they do since they themselves left their own colognes at their hotel. The Chav, who introduces himself as Logan, smirks and extends his hand*

And in his hand is the cologne. It looks incredibly cheap and smelling odd, it still stirs the good smell receptors of Hercules and Zeus. They hand Logan some cash and take the cologne.

Logan walks away, stuffing the cash into his baggy pants, leaving Hercules and Zeus to look at the cologne. They both look at each other, and smile. Hercules uncaps the cologne, its smell wafting towards his nose and causing his brain cells to get a bit fuzzy. He then sprays himself and Zeus with the cologne, and puts the cap on again. They both sniff the air, and cough, finding that the cologne has a potent after smell that reeks of... unwashed armpits and jockstraps. They look at each other, worried that they were scammed into buying ineffective cologne.

Unfortunately for them, they did not.

At the same moment, both of their minds clench in an excruciating headache, as if their brain cells were exploding on mass inside their heads. They keel forward and grab their heads, both in pain. Unbeknownst to them however, they are starting to leak golden drool, which is their brain leaving through their mouth. They can only grunt and groan in discomfort and pain as the cologne, stuck and wafting from their skin, keeps flooding into their brains. it is exploding and getting rid of every ounce of brain cell it can find, wanting to purge the brains of the two jocks. Simultaneously, their bodies begin to change. Their muscles expand, the already well-developed coils of muscles flexing and expanding, starting to tear the seams of their clothes. Each muscle fiber ripping and straining, before expanding outwards in a mass growth effect. Their shredded clothes hang to their now overly muscular bodies as thick, blonde hairs sprout from their pits and nether regions. The dense, bushy, blonde hairs already begin to smell, as if they were unwashed and kept sweaty since Hercules and Zeus were 18. Additionally, their feet even tear their white sneakers, leaving them bare-foot!

However, not all is lost, for the headache begins to feel less painful... and actually more pleasurable, as most of the brain cells are completely gone, turned into golden drool that still leaks from their mouths. This pleasure only intensifies as their clothes begin to reform, but they are majorly different. The clothes are now shiny and golden stereotypical Chav clothes. The smell unwashed, and are kind of small, as if Hercules and Zeus never had enough Quid to properly replace their clothes. Their torn shoes soon turn into shiny, golden trainers that reek to the heavens of foot funk and caked sweat. Lastly, their once sizable meat-sticks and fruits expand within their now briefs, their meat-sticks turning into thick, juicy sausage as their fruits grow heavy and swollen with Golden and sticky Chav goo!

After all this, the two find themselves completely and utterly brainless, as the golden drool dries up due to no brain left in their now hollow heads. However, the Cologne fixes that, for it begins to rebuild their brains, but from the ground up. Gone are the former Texan football players, replaced by memories and personalities of two Chav Bruvs growing up in the outskirts of London. Their memories from their childhood are replaced too, for since they were of legal age, they were drinking cheap beer, smoking fags, working out, playing Footie, and being hyper-sexual fuck-bros. Additionally, their personalities change too. They find themselves extremely arrogant, aggressive, cocky, and dominant, with little care for those that aren't their bruvs. The cologne solidifies this by making them drool one gold one last time, and having their eyes turn into golden spirals, leaving their thick, juicy sausages leaking in their now golden and shiny clothes.

They start to chuckle, first softly, then they grab their thick bulges and chuckle like dopes. They look at each other, and smirk. Loving their new looks. For gone are the old Texan Hercules and Zeus, replaced by Chav versions of themselves.

They walk out of the alleyway, cologne in hand, and find Logan facing away from them. He is smirking however, having smelt the putrid musk of his new Chav bruvs a kilometer away. His face straightens as he extends his hand. He asks his new bruv's if they would like to join da chav life, and they smirk like complete idiots and nod their heads.

. . .

Times passes, and Logan, Hercules, and Zeus are all bruv's now. They drink beer. They smoke fags. They work out. They box. They play footie, although their large sizes tend to slow them down, they are hyper-sexual, and they smell each others stank daily! Hercules and Zeus, now nicknamed Chavules and Chavus, are sitting upon golden thrones in the Bruv house. They are going to meet a local gay bro who offered to sniff their trainers and worship their jockstraps, and they couldn't say no. No homo tho! They stare at the doors opposite their thrones, waiting impatiently, their sausages throbbing.

However, they don't wait long, for a knock is heard at the door. They smirk, and give each other a bruv-bump. Life is good now. Life is simple. Being a chav is easy. No thoughts. No worries. Only being a smelly, swole, and stinky Chav.

[mariacallous]

Democrats are charging out of their national convention with enthusiasm and determination ― and in far better shape than seemed possible just a few weeks ago, when then-presumptive nominee President Joe Biden was headed for likely defeat.

Vice President Kamala Harris has wiped out Biden’s deficit in the polls, and now holds small but discernible leads over Donald Trump in both national and swing state surveys. She’s also expanded the electoral map, putting in play states such as North Carolina that seemed lost to Democrats when Biden was leading the ticket. As of this writing, Nate Silver’s predictive model suggests Harris is a 52.8% favorite to win.

It will take a few days for pollsters to figure out whether Harris got the traditional convention bounce, pushing her support even higher, or whether she got a version of it beforehand via the burst of activity and favorable press coverage around her campaign launch.

Either way, it’s hard to look back on the week in Chicago and deem it anything but a smashing political success, from the (still reverberating) call to arms by former first lady Michelle Obama to the (still circulating) sight of Gus Walz, son of vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim, tearfully telling the crowd “that’s my dad!”

Harris, for her part, gave what my colleague Jen Bendery’s story called the “speech of her life.” Plenty of other analysts rendered similar judgments.

With a passionate, near-flawless delivery, Harris introduced herself as the daughter of immigrants who valued virtue and hard work, promising to fight for the middle class and vowing to protect democracy. She wrapped herself metaphorically in the flag and what she thinks it represents to the nation’s non-MAGA majority. The laser focus on trying to win over swing voters was impossible to miss, in part because it was such an overriding theme all week ― whether through cultural symbolism (like having the aging veterans of Walz’s championship high school football team appear on stage) or more overt outreach (like having former House Republican Adam Kinzinger give a prime-time address).

But the appeal to the political middle had some telling substantive elements too.

Insofar as Harris and Democrats talked about policy, they focused on causes such as bringing down prescription drug prices, providing paid leave or helping families to pay for child care ― ambitions considerably more modest than the loftier, more progressive “Medicare for All” calls that dominated the last Democratic presidential campaign and to which Harris herself once pledged fealty. Harris also went out of her way to back a bipartisan immigration bill that would tighten security without creating a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants already here, which is a provision progressives have frequently called essential.

The platform evolved, with party leaders scrubbing a call to end the death penalty ― quietly, until my colleague Jessica Schulberg found out about it. They also refused requests to feature a Palestinian speaker on the conflict in Gaza. That part wasn’t so quiet, or unanticipated. In fact, the prospect of protests and disruptions over Biden’s support for Israel had fueled speculation that Chicago 2024 was going to end up as tumultuous as Chicago 1968. But as HuffPost’s Daniel Marans and Jonathan Nicholson observed, the fissures never blew up into 1968-style conflicts ― not over Gaza, or any other issues for that matter. On the contrary, the Democrats seemed improbably and almost impossibly unified, with would-be progressive dissidents like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) sounding downright giddy about the Harris-Walz ticket.

What explains this unified enthusiasm? Three likely reasons come to mind. One in particular has a lot to do with how the party has changed in recent years ― and what it might be able to do if Harris manages to win.

Democrats In Array

One of these likely reasons is the threat Trump poses to individual liberties, the rule of law and democracy — threats progressives feel every bit as keenly as the more moderates in the party. These threats almost certainly seem even more menacing now after so many months watching Biden struggle.

Staring into the political abyss this way has been known to focus the mind.

Another possible factor is Harris’ identity. Electing the first woman president, not to mention the first Black woman and the first Asian woman, would have obvious symbolic value. But it would also have more practical effects — namely, bringing a new perspective to the presidency and making it easier for other women, and other nonwhite politicians, to make their own way to the Oval Office.

Progressives almost by definition care about these things, enough that it can help counterbalance appeal for politicians who see the ticket as less progressive than they might like. Barack Obama in 2008 benefited from just such a dynamic, as The New York Times’ David Leonhardt pointed out on Friday: “He was more moderate than some other Democratic candidates that year, yet he still excited many progressives.”

Harris notably hasn’t talked about herself as groundbreaker, and the campaign hasn’t made that possibility a focus in the way that, say, Hillary Clinton’s did in 2016. But that’s of a piece with Harris’ broader strategy since appeals tied to race or class can alienate some of the swing voters she’s trying to win. The voters who feel otherwise, meanwhile, don’t need reminders.

This brings us to the third, and potentially most important, theory for progressive enthusiasm: Democrats have gotten an awful lot done since Biden took office. An awful lot of it consisted of initiatives or reforms progressives have long championed. And most importantly, it all happened with progressives having a big seat at the table.

The most significant and visible of these accomplishments was the clean green energy investments of the Inflation Reduction Act, which add up (arguably) to the most important climate change legislation in history, plus the law’s health care provisions, which for the first time gave the federal government leverage over the prices of some high-priced drugs in Medicare.

But the list goes beyond that, to the appointment of aggressively pro-consumer and pro-labor officials at key federal agencies, and the burst of spending during the pandemic that (whatever its real or theorized effects on inflation) drove both unemployment and child poverty down to near-record levels.

All of these feel well short of the kinds of transformations progressives would prefer with, say, enactment of “Medicare for All.” But they had, are having or will have tangible, measurable effects on people’s lives — and are examples of the kind of achievements that might be possible if Harris wins and Democrats have control of both congressional houses again.

It so happens that these are also the kinds of achievements that animate up-and-coming party leaders, even if they are not members of the progressive wing — figures like Govs. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, or Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia. Not coincidentally, all gave Harris rousing endorsements in prime- time speeches.

But that too is part of the story about unity: The party’s “moderate” wing today feels pretty strongly about using the federal government to make people’s lives better, just as it does about protecting the freedoms Trump threatens. They may emphasize it differently — focusing more exclusively on the Inflation Reduction Act’s clean energy manufacturing jobs, for example, and a bit less on its environmental impact. They still land in the same place on policy.

Whether these good feelings would carry through enough to enact a legislative agenda is obviously a separate question and one that is very secondary to the question of whether Democrats even get that opportunity.

The presidential race is still a toss-up, or maybe even a bit worse than that for Harris if the polling now is missing Trump votes the way it did in 2016 and again in 2020. Republicans remain by most accounts a slight favorite to hold at least one house of Congress.

But Harris is coming out of Chicago on a roll, with a party behind her as she reaches out to the swing voters she needs to win. That’s a pretty good place to be.

[woso-dreamzzz]

If Music Be The Food Of Love II

Laia Aleixandri x Reader

Social Media

-- -- --

liked by laiaaleixandri, leilaouahabi and 9,302 others

yourinstagram another concert piece 🎵🎵🎵

laiaaleixandri can't wait to hear it 💕💕

leilaouahabi you two digust me -> laiaaleixandri then stop liking our pictures

user2 need a love like this

user1 laia and her girlfriend are so sweet 😭😭😭

liked by laiaaleixandri, yourinstagram and 30,405 others

leilaouahabi with this idiot on our way to see one of my favs @yourinstagram

yourinstagram I've got the champagne ready for after the show 🥂🥂🥂

user3 Leila vibing with classical music was not on my bingo card -> user3 actually, Laia vibing with classical music wasn't on my bingo card either

user5 you're both so beautiful ❤️❤️❤️

user4 not Leila preferring Laia's gf over Laia 😂😂😂

liked by yourinstagram, manchestersymphonyorchestra and 20,134 others

laiaaleixandri this beautiful girl is playing four nights leading up to Christmas. Buy tickets @manchestersymphonyorchestra here

yourinstagram all profit from tickets go towards funding music classes for sick kids 🤕💕🤕

user4 laia's gf is actually an angel -> user2 they're both angels

mancity tickets secured ✔️✔️✔️

liked by yourinstagram, leilaouahabi and 10,305 others

laiaaleixandri my baby in autumn 💕💕💕

yourinstagram I hate taking autumn walks but you've made me love them 💕💕💕

leilaouahabi 🤮🤮 🤮 -> laiaaleixandri just because you don't have a girlfriend, doesn't mean everything we do is disgusting -> leilaouahabi I'm single and I'm making it everybody's problem -> user1 I'll date you Leila!!!!

liked by laiaaleixandri, leilaouahabi and 2,305 others

yourinstagram date nights with sexy 🥂

user1 not laia's gf simping on main

user4 she's one of us!!! -> user3 one of us! -> user2 one of us! -> user5 one of us!

liked by yourinstagram, leilaouahabi and 25,503 others

laiaaleixandri she said she's teach me but everything looks so complicated 😭😭😭 -> laiaaleixandri I'm scared 😭

leilaouahabi send me the recording 😜

user3 we need y/n playing football now!!!

liked by yourinstagram, laiaaleixandri and 30,405 others

leilaouahabi they're fighting over whether the pasta is cooked 🙄

laiaaleixandri we're not cooks!!!

user1 😂😂😂

user5 at least we know that they're like a regular couple every once in a while -> user5 I was getting a little bit annoyed at how perfect they are all the time

liked by leilaouahabi, yourinstagram and 30,597 others

laiaaleixandri hanging out with my substitute gf while I wait for my real one 😭

leilaouahabi you'd be lucky to have me -> laiaaleixandri 🤮🤮🤮

yourinstagram I'll be home soon 💕💕💕

user4 cuties 💓

liked by laiaaleixandri, leilaouahabi and 29,567 others

yourinstragram walks with my baby 💕💕💕

laiaaleixandri my beautiful girl 💕💕💕

leilaouahabi stop posting -> leilaouahabi it's making me feel sad and single -> leilaouahabi please stop

user2 absolute cuties

user5 need a relationship like this

[pandorasprongs]

CHAPTER THREE | so inviting, i almost jump in.

'it's nice to have a friend' masterlist + playlist | previous chapter

PAIRING: jamie tartt x fem!reader

WORD COUNT: 3.6k

SUMMARY: jamie and reader go out for drinks and meet a familiar face that brings up a painful memory for both of them.

WARNINGS: language

A/N: i'd like to apologize in advance for this one because the end is just 100% angst so brace yourselves sorry :')

It was like deja vu. Over the past weeks, you and Jamie started hanging out on a regular basis. Late nights and weekends were often spent eating pizza, watching old movies, and searching for old schoolmates online. He even helped you re-organize your room when he arrived during one of your cleaning days. You uncovered a box of old toy rings that Jamie gave you every birthday of yours for five years.

Initially, Jamie would message you if he was on the way. But the more he came over, it went back to your usual habits of him just showing up at your door at random hours of the day. When you weren't home, he'd message that he dropped by and then you'd call him when you got back. He'd race over to watch another one of your favorite childhood movies.

You hadn't realized how much you missed it all till you started spending time with Jamie again. You missed it so much that you may have neglected to mention to Liv how often you were with him. Despite the mini-sermon she gave you weeks ago about confronting Jamie, you hadn't actually made any moves to do it. All of this started to feel normal, regular, and the thought of disturbing that scared you too much. Even if there were times where you were annoyed at how casual he talked about the past few years of radio silence from him. Or how he'd mention his Man City teammates and you felt like tensing up every time.

There was no need to bring it up anymore, something you repeated to yourself. Plus, you were noticing that Jamie was now closer to your childhood best friend than the one who broke your heart. But still, you were cautious around the footballers Jamie associated with. Even when the season started again and Jamie would offer to tour you around the clubhouse or reserve tickets for the games, you'd always politely decline. You're sure the AFC Richmond players aren't terrible people given how highly Jamie would talk about them, but better to be safe than sorry.

Besides, with his now swamped schedule, you hadn’t seen Jamie recently. The most you did was when he’d send messages before training or games to which you’d answer with a “Good luck!” It was weird in the beginning, given that when he was at Man City, Jamie didn’t do any of that, but you hoped that this meant he wouldn’t leave again.

The next time you did was the night after one of their games, which continued their winning streak, thanks to Zava. While you knew Richmond fans — well, Liv and Frankie — were absolutely ecstatic to have him, Jamie despised the guy. You stopped yourself from pointing out the hypocrisy of him hating the player for being self-centered and thinking highly of himself.

You guess it’s working though because now you’re watching Richmond secure their fifth win in a row with your neighbor’s kid, Ronnie. When her mom found out you were a Science professor, she practically begged you to tutor her kid (and occasionally babysit). Ronnie was in primary school, so the lessons were pretty simple and you’ve been doing sessions every week to help her out. You always rewarded her afterward with whatever she wanted to watch on your TV that was age-appropriate, of course. This time, — after running back to their flat to get her Obisanya shirt, — she decided on watching the game. 

“Zava’s incredible,” she murmured next to you, staring at the screen as if in a trance. You couldn’t help but chuckle at the reaction. The game was finished and so the channel was just playing match highlights, which for Richmond, were mostly their current star player. Sometimes, you’d spot Jamie in the background and even though the rest of the team was cheering along, he was having a hard time masking his resentment.

When you were finally able to drag her away from the TV, you heated up two plates of lasagna. Ronnie’s mom still hadn’t knocked on your door and you didn’t want to leave her alone in your flat, so she was having dinner with you tonight. For the most part, it was just like eating with Jamie. She was non-stop talking about the match which turned to talking about her favorite players and future games. It reminded you of Jamie as a kid, who’d go on and on about the exact same things.

As you’re washing dishes and Ronnie’s answering some extra worksheets, — she asked for them! — you hear the doorbell ring. You go over and find Jamie standing at the door, much to your surprise.

“Hey! Didn’t know you were coming over,” you say, but after noticing his exasperated expression, you tilt your head. “I know you don’t like a certain teammate, but I thought you’d at least be happy about the win.”

Jamie sighs. “I know." He gives you a weak smile, and you have to admit that even that simple act made your heart skip. “Is that lasagna?”

Jamie enters the room without warning and as soon as he does, your eyes widened remembering who else was there. You turn to the dining room table at the same time as Jamie and together, watch a 9-year-old stare in awe.

“Oh my God,” she let out. “That’s Jamie Tartt!” She walks over to you, leaving behind the worksheets. 

You lean over and whisper to Jamie, “Forgot to mention I’m watching my neighbor’s kid.”

But Jamie’s already jumped into celebrity mode. He crouches down and confirms, “That’s me.” He glances at her oversized jersey before asking, “You a fan of Richmond?”

Ronnie nods her head enthusiastically. “I’m Ronnie! Congrats on winning!”

Jamie chuckles, and thanks her. “Nice to meet you, Ronnie.”

You hear someone approach the door and clear their throat and you turn to find Ronnie’s mom looking curiously at you. You turn back to Ronnie — who has now launched into a full monologue about how much she loves the team — and exclaim, “Look who else is here! I think it’s time to head back to your flat, Neens.”

She pouts at that statement, but one look from her mom and she was waving goodbye to the player. You quickly collect all of her stuff scattered around the place and hand it to her mom, who seems too exhausted from her shift to even notice the other person in the room.

Once you close the door, you lean on it and sigh in relief. “Sorry about that. I sometimes watch her after tutoring if her mom isn’t back, yet.”

Jamie shakes his head. “Nah, not a problem. I love meeting fans. Real ego boost.” 

Yet another countless eye roll. “Calm down. You’re not even her third favorite player.”

Jamie scoffs, almost offended but after remembering the lasagna, he heads to the kitchen for a plate of his own. You walk beside him and after tripping over a loose marker Ronnie left, you fall forward. Jamie's reflexes kick in and he catches you quickly and you grab hold of his — really broad, you notice — shoulders to steady yourself.

Now you're stuck in a position that happens in almost every 90s rom-com you've watched: your feet diagonally off the ground with Jamie's hands gripping tightly at your waist. Both of you are too much in shock to move and simply look at each other with wide eyes. Your faces were close, too close to be platonic if it was intentional. So much so that if you leaned forward, just a little bit…

You snap out of the trance and move to stand straight up as Jamie lets go of you. You head over to the sink and quietly curse at yourself and that stupid blue marker. Things haven't been weird between you and Jamie for ages. And you weren't going to let the possible resurfacing of your feelings ruin that. Not again. Plus, if you were already burying your old feelings of resentment, why not add onto it too?

You go back to washing dishes when Jamie asks you a question. "Are you doing anything Saturday night?"

Given what just happened, your mind wanders off in the romantic direction before you shake your head. Instead, you respond, "I think you know better than anyone that I never do anything Saturday night." You reply as you wipe your hands. "Why?"

"Just wondering if you want to get a drink with me. Well, you get a drink and I get water 'cause fucking Roy’s banned me from alcohol till the season’s over. I just really need a night out. Fucking Zava, I swear." Forget the fact that he was technically at a night out with his teammates earlier; he more of just wanted a night out with someone who isn't so related to his football life. Or, he just really wants a night out with you.

You snort at that last comment but oblige anyway, ignoring the feeling of disappointment.

Jamie and you had only ever hung out together in the comfort of your own home. You'd just assumed that it was to avoid any unwanted press and since the bar he mentioned was one of those members-only pubs, it makes sense that the first time the two of you hung out publicly was there. But seeing as it was a pub, it's not going to be a romantic not-a-date date that you'll be going on.

Though, you soon realized how different it was from your usual places. Everyone there was dressed up so formally and you were glad that you picked the black trousers that you usually only wear to work over your everyday jeans that had paint stains at the bottom of them. Maybe you had worn it in case Jamie at the last minute decided to take a detour to a nice restaurant, but you were relieved either way.

The two of you ended up just sitting in the bar while Jamie complained about his most recent Twitter feud. Christ, you pray for Keeley Jones for having to deal with all his PR nonsense. When he starts shit-talking Roy for getting him up at 4 am for training, — “I thought he was joking!” — you end up tuning out of the conversation knowing how long the rant was going to be.

Your eyes drift off behind Jamie when you notice a familiar face. Suddenly, it felt like the walls were closing in on you. You could feel your breathing hitch and your fingers were scratching the inside of your palm. Before you could even consider doing anything, he reached you.

"Jamie Tartt!" The footballer's train of thought is broken and he turns to his former teammate to greet him. "Haven't seen you since you went off to be a reality star!"

Jamie simply rolls his eyes at the comment. "Well George, I haven't seen you since they forced you out of Man City!"

"They couldn't afford me anymore," He shrugs before his eyes land on yours. You shift in your seat and you can see the exact moment when Jamie notices how uneasy you've become. "And who's this with you?"

He doesn't remember you. And why would he? To him, you were just another crazed fan at a pub, one of many he's encountered over the years. You doubt that the memory of that night stuck with him the way it did to you.

"This is (Y/N), an old friend of mine," Jamie adds carefully and you build up enough courage to shake his former teammates' hand, but not enough to stay in this conversation.

"I'll let you two catch up while I get another drink." You explain, in an obviously fake cheery voice, but only Jamie spots it. He reaches out for your hand on the table to comfort you, but you swipe it away before he can.

You head off to the other side of the bar to order another beer, but you can't stop your eyes from shifting over to the pair of them again. Jamie looked so comfortable laughing and talking to George. You scoff at the sight. How could he act so chummy with that guy when he was the driving force for why the two of you ended on shitty terms in the first place?

Jamie's told you all about how he's been working on himself and trying to become a better person, but a part of you still feared that one interaction with that guy would unravel everything. He was an absolute prick; the number of fights and scandals Jamie had been in for his entire career was nothing compared to the amount George had in his first five years.

You wanted to trust Jamie, but he was always quick to change who he was when he was around certain people. You just hoped he had grown enough to not let his Man City "mentor" — too many of George’s scandal photos had a 19 to 22-year-old Jamie Tartt in the background — bring back the side of him he's tried so hard to erase.

You don't know how long they were talking, but by the time they moved over to the pool table, your vision was already starting to blur. The drinks just kept coming. Flashbacks from that night started to come in too: the spotting Jamie in the crowd, the confrontation, the holding back of tears, and the walk-out. You couldn't look over at the pair of them without an intense pain appearing in your chest.

Jamie looked back to where you were supposed to be seated and found you spacing out into a corner. It was the same dreamy and tired look you had the first time you tested your alcohol limit when your parents were out of town. Immediately, he abandoned the game of pool and rushed over to you.

"Maybe that's enough alcohol for tonight." Someone pulls the Cosmopolitan from your grasp and you squint your eyes to identify them as Jamie.

"Ha, that's rich coming from you." You can't remember how many times you've had to help Jamie sneak up the stairs and into his bedroom after a night out. "Aren't you still busy hanging out with that Man City prick?" Lack of tactfulness is the most obvious sign you'd drank too much.

"Woo, a little harsh there," You hear George come up to the two of you. You rush — well, more of stumble — forward to confront him, but Jamie holds you back. The retired footballer points out, "She's a feisty one."

"Let's bring you back to your flat, yeah?" Jamie offers softly, but you remove yourself from his arms and shake your head.

"I am perfectly capable of getting home by myself." You grab your clutch from the table. "Don't want to ruin another night for you guys, right?"

A pang of guilt visibly hits Jamie, but George is just left confused. You start to walk towards the exit and get to the door till you feel someone gently take hold of your left arm.

"You can't even see your phone clearly to book a taxi. I'll drive you home." Jamie's voice is low and whatever common sense you have left takes him up on your offer. He turns his head to say goodbye to George, but all the former footballer does is shout, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" following by a boastful laugh.

You clench your clutch at the comment, but Jamie brings you out the door before you can turn back and do something that'll land you on the front page of the Sun the next morning.

When you get to Jamie's car, he carefully helps you into the passenger's seat and puts on your seatbelt before getting into the car himself. Once the car starts, you take the chance to close your eyes in an attempt to remedy the throbbing headache you feel is already coming on.

You don't know how long you stay like that, but when you open your eyes, you're already at your building. You slowly get out of the car and once you make it to the sidewalk, Jamie asks, "Can’t believe you just downed a dozen drinks like a recent divorcee."

"I wonder why," You scoff and side-eyed him, unwilling to move your head from looking forward. You see the footballer's expression drop and suddenly you understand what Liv was going on about. You finally break. "How could you still be so friendly with him, Jamie! He’s an absolute arse and everyone in England knows it!"

"He was my teammate! And still a major name in football, even after retirement and all the shit he’s done. I didn't want to risk anything!" Maybe if you were sober, you'd accept that reason. There were countless alumni, tenured professors, and chairmen that you had to suck up to just to keep your job. But were drunk people ever known to be rational?

"Is that why you let him talk to me like that? Back in the pub?"

"You two barely spoke a word to each other," Jamie points out but you shake your head furiously.

"I mean back in Cardiff!" You exclaimed loudly and you knew for a fact that at least one of your neighbors had heard your outburst. But you didn't really care.

For a moment, neither of you said anything. You went to walk up the stairs, expecting it to be the end of it. If Jamie didn't have anything to say, then what was the point? He'd let you walk away and tomorrow morning, you'd be back to normal and you can just pretend this night didn't happen. You've done it before.

"You said you didn't want to talk about that." Jamie finally speaks up.

"I thought I didn't," you admit, your voice levels lower than before. You continue walking when you feel a presence following suit. You stayed in that silence till you made it back to your flat. It's a miracle you didn't tip over on the way in, but spite was enough to power you through.

Jamie closed the door behind him and sighed, "I couldn't just ignore him at the bar."

Suddenly, any fear of confrontation seemed to disappear. Your anger resurfaced and you spit out, "You seemed just fine ignoring me for seven years." You turn to face him and for a second, the pitiful look in his eyes almost made you back off. Almost. "Or is abandoning your best friend easier when she's not some big-shot footballer?"

"I know you're mad," Jamie starts and you angrily run your hands through your hair.

"Yes, I'm mad, Jamie!" You shout and you watch him take a step back, but you don't falter. "I'm mad at you! Seeing George tonight just reminded me of it and how a part of me still fucking hates you for taking their side."

"I've been trying to apologize—"

"I know, Jamie, but I'm still pissed at you, okay? For leaving me like that! And for letting me leave that night! I mean, how could you? Just throw away a decade of friendship for some football assholes that threw you away the second they could." Everyone knew how Jamie's career with Man City ended and it was surely a sore spot for the player, but at that moment, you didn't care.

Before Jamie can even defend himself, you start again. "I... fuck Jamie, I loved you. You were my best friend. I would've spent every waking hour with you if I could've. But you couldn't care less about me, right? The moment someone more famous than me believed in you the same way I always did. You just stopped answering my calls, and my texts, and even my parents when they asked you for me! Worst of all, you didn't give me a single reason why!

"Honestly, I would've been fine if you did stop being friends with me, as long as you gave me an explanation. Even if it was for some stupid reason that I wouldn't understand or hate you for, because at least I could've moved on! Instead, I spent years wondering where it all went wrong. If I could've done something, anything to change what happened." You start to feel the strain on your throat and know for a fact that at least one of your neighbors would be eavesdropping, but you were finally letting it out.

Your voice comes out hoarse, "And then the next time I did see you, in that pub, you were a whole new person. A complete and utter prick, Jamie. After that night, I prayed that you'd come to your senses. Do the decent thing and apologize, even if it was just a fucking text or something. But no, you kept ignoring me and pretending I didn't even exist. So I forced myself to stop thinking about you. To stop caring about you calling me. To stop dreaming about you telling me you fucked up and that you were sorry. So I could move on with my life."

You look away from Jamie and around the living room in an attempt to stop the tears from flowing down. You were unsuccessful. "And after years, I did move on. I went to London, got a job, and stayed as far away as I could from football. From you. But God, you always find a way back to me, huh?

"It just had to be you who found me in Nelson Road that night. It had to be you who picked me up, who drove me home, and reminded me how happy I was when we were kids. So much so that I thought I'd be fine without an apology! As long as I had you back in my life, it'd be fine. But as you can tell now, it's not." The amount of alcohol in your system was wearing you down and you were starting to get tired.

You start to lose your balance when Jamie's there to catch you, but you harshly push him off you. He doesn't seem affected by your strength, but even then, he moves back.

  "Just get out, Jamie." is all you manage to say this time and after hesitating for a moment, he does. Now you're left alone again, only with your thoughts and the realization that any chance of bringing back what you had with Jamie was gone.

A/N: and that's that! i hope this teases the interlude nicely cause i'm sick of being so vague about that night since that's up next and trust me, it gets worse in that one... anyway i hope you all enjoyed this one!

TAGLIST: @moonflowersandsparkles @faith-alons26 @rexorangecouny @aiyaiy @thegirlthatwantedtowrite @giggling-sewer-ginger @katdahlali @higherthanheroes @guccilongboard @alipap3 @rockchickrebel @ellietartt @shineforever19 @skewedcherries @jamirtarttdodo @meg-ro @deepdarkvelvet @scaramou @rae4725 @oxxolovemelikeyoudooxxo (couldn't tag you for some reason?)

[ac3may]

“ the wag diaries ”

How You Met

~ Millie Bright ~

~~~~~~~~~~

• for the first time since you were sixteen you were single

• and you had anticipated it'd stay that way for at least a year

• but when millie bright walked into your life all the hesitancy in the world couldn't stop the inevitable

• growing up in a single father household in Kingston you had been raised a Chelsea fan

• no matter how much your toxic Brummie boyfriend turned baby daddy turned husband turned ex tried to switch you Villa

• having gone through a recent divorce and sexual awakening you were trying to navigate your new life as a single mum of three

• with inherited new funds and incoming child support your first instinct was to do something spontaneous

• something you never could have before

• with your youngest barely able to hold his head up

• your eldest daughter a football fanatic nonstop talking about the upcoming world cup

• and your middle girl obsessed with all wildlife, and a particular new interest in sea turtles, the answer seemed obvious to you

• hopping online you had one goal and within an afternoon had secured flights to spend the entire summer in australia

• for your family being in australia and not watching the Women’s World Cup would have been a travesty

• so you secured tickets to the first England group game and the final

• within a week of arrival you were all sat in matching jerseys, front row, awaiting the England vs Haiti kick-off

• flags and signs waving in the air ecstatically it was no surprise your littles were noticed

• by the cameras

• but also by the team themselves

• Georgia directed her celebrations first to her family and friends, but secondly to the two young blondes going crazy goalside (aka your daughters)

• after the match all the lionesses made their way around the pitch, spending extra time in the fan section where the four of you collected a number of signatures

• the absolute adoration on the captains face as she caught your eye for the first time was unmissable to her best friend

• Rachel joining her side immediately to distracted and entertain the kids beside you

• having gone through a somewhat recent breakup herself Millie had found herself a bit of a player in recent months

• so when her charm isn't so quick to work with you she falters

• somehow your total oblivion is even more adorably endearing to the older blonde

• it’s not intentional of course, you simply hadn't had enough experience flirting to recognise it

• especially from an International footballer!

• you agree to spend her recovery day with her, knowing just how many irreplaceable memories it'd create for your kids (and maybe you a little too)

• spending the day behind the scenes at australia zoo with the lionesses was more than you could have dreamed

• football for Kolby, animals for Ayla, and twenty-three football players all dotting attention on Lex

• other than exchanging numbers at the end of the day nothing romantic happens that day

• but Millie was unable to ignore her obvious attraction to you

• texts between you becoming increasingly common and tickets to all matches being offered

• it took longer than either would've liked but eventually Millie found a free hour and a teammate willing to babysit

• a sunrise beach walk with coffee in hand was too romantic for even you to ignore the signs of

• somehow you became groupies, discovering the country while following the team to every game

• falling for Millie came surprisingly easily

• watching the way she bonded with your children was heart melting

• and just a glance in your direction had you pinching yourself

• how was this your real life after the shit deal you'd been dealt so far?!

• she felt the same way though, not believing someone like you had walked into her life and xoukd be interested in her

• semi-final celebrations were moments of dreams

• neither of you being found too far away from the other at the after party

• ending the night on the beach, both a little tipsy, laid watching the stars, you finally share your first kiss

• the labels of your relationship not coming at quite as happy a moment

• england had just come second in the world cup and you couldn't be prouder, especially after coming to know the girls personally

• but with captaincy resting on her shoulders Millie couldn’t help but be disappointed in herself, despite her pride team in the as a whole

• finding a quite moment to pull the older girl away from the post-match madness and media you held her as she finally allow the mask to drop

• as you held her crying in your arms you still found her the most beautiful person you'd ever met, you knew you had to make her yours

~~~~~~~~~~

And here it is! The first blurb of the Wag diaries!!

Let me know what y’all think! Is it something you think you’ll be interested in??

[joeshiestyslover]

save a horse (ride a quarterback)

pairing: joe burrow x southern!reader

summary: joe goes back to texas to meet your family and ends up learning about a very important rule

warnings: language, suggestive content, joe smoking a cigar because yes, it deserves a warning

a/n: y/n’s backstory is pretty much based off my life bc i’m from texas and i have an uncle james that smokes cigars 💀

when you first met joe, you were very weary of him. you grew up in texas and the football players there, especially the quarterbacks, all thought they were hot shit. but joe was the total opposite, so you immediately took a liking to him.

in high school, you were a trainer for your football team, so in college at lsu, you decided to do the same thing. that’s how you met joe. one day after practice, joe came to see you about an ice pack for his wrist. while you were grabbing one from the freezer he asked you on a date. you were skeptical, why would the star of the football team be talking to me of all people? you think.

joe somehow noticed your skepticism, and said, “don’t worry y/n, i’m not one of those dumbasses on the team. i don’t sleep around and that’s certainly not my intention.” you ended up agreeing to the date, and you’re glad you did.

you two have been together for about five months now, and you’re ready for him to meet your family. your entire family lives in texas, and they all know about joe and are dying to meet him.

after considering it for a few days, you finally decide to bring up meeting your family to joe. you’re both sitting on your couch when you decide it’s time to talk to him about it. “hey joe?” you ask him. “yeah babe?” “how would you feel about meeting my family this weekend? my uncle james is having a barbecue and they really want to meet you. so what do you say?” you ask, a little scared for his answer. “are you kidding? i would love to meet your family! i thought you would never ask.” he tells you excitedly. you were a little shocked with how happy he was.

“okay so i was thinking catching a flight on friday because the barbecue is saturday. is that cool with you?” you ask him. “yeah totally. i’ll book tickets right now.” he says whipping out his phone. “make sure you put down dfw airport because that’s the closest one to my uncle’s house.” you remind him. joe looks up at you and nods before going back to his phone.

on friday, ja’marr offered to give you both a ride to the airport, so you and joe loaded your luggage into his car and got in. as ja’marr and joe were singing along to whatever song was playing, you were texting your mom, who was overly enthusiastic about joe’s arrival. her constantly making sure that he’s coming and will be on time. you reassure your mother that everything will go according to plan.

ja’marr pulls up to the airport and you all get out of the car to get your bags out. you and joe thank ja’marr as he gives joe “good luck” before getting back into his car and driving off.

you and joe walk into the airport and check your bags then go through security. while sitting at your boarding gate, you notice joe’s leg shaking up and down. you put your hand on his thigh to stop it and you ask him “is everything okay honey?” “yeah.” he tells you. “i’m just a little nervous. i mean, what if they don’t like me or don’t think i’m good enough for you because i’m just a football player and you’re so fucking smart and guaranteed a good job and-” “joe” you cut him off. “everyone is going to love you okay? trust me, it’s all they’ve been talking to me about since i first told them about you. and even if they don’t like you that doesn’t matter to me because i like you. and my feelings towards you are much more important than theirs right?” you reassure joe. “yeah i guess. it’s just that i’ve never really met a girlfriend’s family before, so i don’t know what to do or what to say. and doesn’t your uncle own a gun?” he asks you still a little bit worried. “he does, but he’s not going to use it on you joe. he might whip it out to scare you-” “WHAT” he all but yells in the airport. “BUT i promise he won’t use it okay?” “okay yeah.” he says much more relaxed than he was earlier.

soon after, you and joe board the plane and the flight ends up being very smooth with very little turbulence. one of the things you loved about your home state, there was never much turbulence when landing. you and joe order an uber to take you to the hotel you’re staying at after you both grab your bags from baggage claim.

once you both check in you immediately go up to your room and lie down on the bed, exhausted from the plane ride. you and joe end up taking a nap for a few hours until it was time for dinner. you ordered takeout from a five guys, which joe has never had before, much to your surprise. “you’ve never had five guys?” you ask him shocked. “nope.” “we are getting five guys right now.” you grab your phone and click on the uber eats app to place your order.

once the food got to your room, you and joe immediately sat down at the little dinner table in your room. while you’re eating your fries, you hear “oh my god this is so fucking good.” “i told you joe. nobody makes better burgers or fries.” you tell him. “you’re so right babe. i’m never doubting you again.” you laugh at him. “just eat your food so we can go to bed.”

the day of the barbecue, you start to understand joe’s nervousness. your family’s opinion of him means everything to you. what if they don’t like him? what if they think you should break up with him? you try to convince yourself that that’s ridiculous. of course they’ll love him. everyone does.

once it’s time to go, you and joe head downstairs to meet your cousin, savannah, so she could take you to your uncle’s house. once you see her, you greet her with a hug. “i missed you so much.” she tells you. “i missed you too. let me introduce you to joe.” you say to her. “joe this is my cousin, savannah. savannah, this is my boyfriend, joe.” “it’s really nice to meet you, i’ve heard a lot about you.” joe tells your cousin. “likewise, joe.” she responds. “you ready to go?” she turns to you. “yeah let’s go.” you say to her.

once you pull up to your uncle’s house, you’re holding joe’s hand tightly in yours. you turn to him, “you ready joe?” “as ready as i’ll ever be baby.” he tells you with a newfound confidence.

you both get out of the car and walk into the house. there’s nobody inside, so everyone’s probably outside by the pool and grill. you open the back door and walk out. the first person to notice you is your other cousin, jamison. “hey y/n/n!” he walks over to you and gives you a bear hug. everyone else walks over to you and they also give you a bear hug.

“everyone” you get their attention. “this is joe, joe this is my family.” everyone turns to joe and they look at him for a second. you start to become worried, and you can tell joe is too. then all of a sudden, they walk over to him and greet him. the men in your family including all your uncles and your father give him a firm handshake while introducing themselves, while your aunts and your mom give him a huge hug.

you suddenly don’t know why you were worried. of course they would all love joe, i mean who the hell wouldn’t?

“oh joe!” your uncle james exclaims. “i almost forgot, i have a little gift for you to welcome you to the family!” “welcome me to the family sir?” joe asks confused. “well you’re family now joe. you’re the first boyfriend of y/n/n’s we’ve had the pleasure of meeting.” your uncle james tells your boyfriend and you feel yourself start to turn red. your uncle walks back inside to grab whatever it is he has for joe as he turns to you. “so, i’m the first boyfriend they’ve met huh?” he asks with a smirk. “yes but don’t let it go to your head joseph lee. i just never had many boyfriends in high school.” you tell him as you walk over to the mini fridge outside to grab a beer. you offer joe one and he accepts. you grab a bottle opener and just as you got joe’s bottle open, your uncle walks back outside… holding a cowboy hat?

“everyone in the family owns their own cowboy hat, even y/n, so i thought it’s only fair that you get one too.” your uncle says as he hands joe the hat. “go ahead try it on.” your aunt says to him. joe puts it on and you swear you could combust right then and there. you never imagined joe wearing a cowboy hat before, but now you couldn’t get it out of your head.

“i’m about to fire up the grill to make some wings, but i heard that you smoke cigars, so you wanna sit down with me and have one later?” your uncle james asks. “yeah sure that sounds great sir.” joe tells him. “don’t call me sir, just james. i don’t need to feel older than i already am.” joe laughs a bit and nods at your uncle.

“well i think this is going very well.” you tell your boyfriend happily. “yeah me too.” he smiles at you. “so… the hat?” you ask. “i actually really like it. think i might wear more often.” “yes please.” you tell him. “oh? so i take it you like the hat then?” he asks you cockily. “you could say that.” you smirk back at him. you walk away to go chat with your aunts as joe goes to talk to your uncle by the grill.

after everyone eats james’ delicious wings, your uncle walks inside to grab his cigar box and a lighter. he sits down on the couch by the pool and gives joe a cigar. james lights joe’s cigar first, then his own. you suddenly smell that familiar smell and look over to your uncle and your boyfriend. you see joe with a cigar hanging out of his mouth while he listens to your uncle talk about something you can’t quite make out. you can’t take it anymore. you can handle the cowboy hat, but the cowboy hat and cigar combo? you’re done for.

you walk over to the both of them. “what are you guys talking about?” you ask. “oh nothing” your uncle says. “just guy stuff.” joe adds. “oh well, joe and i are actually gonna head out, i’m exhausted and we have an early flight to catch tomorrow.” you say with false regret. “oh well, i’ll see you during summer, hopefully you too joe.” james says as he stands up. you give him a hug as joe gives him a handshake. you and joe wish everyone goodbye and walk out of your house to wait for your uber.

suddenly, you gave into your temptation and kissed joe in the sidewalk. he pulls away, “what was that for? not that i’m complaining of anything.” “oh nothing.” you tell him as you pluck the hat off his head and put it on yours. “why’d you do that honey?” he asks cluelessly. “oh i forgot you’re from ohio.” you tell him through your laughing. “well there’s this rule around here called ‘save a horse, ride a cowboy’ you ever heard that before?” joe shakes his head. “well the rule says you take the hat, then you ride the cowboy.” you tell him with a smirk.

it suddenly clicks in joe’s head and you see his eyes turn dark. “oh really?” he asks. “then we can’t break the rules can we baby?” “no we can’t joey.” you tell him while slowly creeping your hand to cup the back of his neck so you can pull his lips to meet yours. it only lasts a couple seconds because you notice that your uber has pulled up beside the two of you. joe grabs your hand and swiftly pulls you into the car with him.

you were in for quite a night.

[ash-says]

I think your page speaks volumes about the way you’ve perceived and endured life and I’m sorry you haven’t had the time or opportunity to soak up the good things that are all around you, I hope you develop skills that allow your success to be built off of things that are good and pure and not cheap manipulation tactics and lies

Devil may care: A guide on being unbothered.

Okay, and??

Sweetheart, I really appreciate your unwanted sympathies and illusionary sensitivity directed towards me. In our culture when someone is being sweet, kind and helpful (even if fake) we make sure that we pay them back with something valuable. Here's a small guide curated for you that will help you in being self secure so you won't feel threatened by other people's success and opinions.

1) Have a life:

Nothing screams idle to me more than this. Like you have time to be offended by someone's post and comments which you might just scroll by and ignore?? On top of that going above and beyond to let that person know. Okay, Sushma. Now log off and do the pending coursework.

2) Build genuine confidence:

Ladies, fake it till you make it can only go this far. You have to work on your underlying issues and address them. If you don't you are susceptible to triggering even by a mere stranger. Confident people don't need to go above and beyond to prove other people. They embody it.

3) Self awareness:

It's tiring to explain this. Just Google it at this point. This word is thrown like a football everywhere. You know it. Do the homework.

4) Practice self compassion and boundaries:

Negative feedback is part and parcel of life. Accept it, analyse and if it applies adopt or otherwise ignore. Boundaries are important to understand the difference between constructive criticism and disrespect.

If disrespected don't be afraid to put a bitch in place. Until then shut your mouth and concentrate on your goals.

5) Opinions are subjective:

Everyone has their own life experiences and opinions are formed based on those. Your Roman Empire might be different from your friends but does it mean it's invalid? No. Develop empathy and open-mindedness. Not everyone has the same views. It's okay.

6) Develop a thick skin:

You can't survive in this world if you are triggered by the tiniest of things. You have to be comfortable in being painted both as a hero and as a villain. Don't let others opinion get to your head. Owe to yourself that I will stand in my truth thou glory or disgrace.

7) Reflect a rbf stance:

When someone tries to belittle you, try to put you down, talk shit about you. Your body language should be cold and reserved with a rbf that screams intimidation but all you are going to say is Okay, and??

8) Master Sarcasm:

I have said this before and I will say it again. Revenge is a dish best served cold. Sarcasm is the ice in it. Ladies learn sarcasm. It's the one way ticket to put people in their place in a humorous way.

9) Be classy. Be polite. BE UNTOUCHABLE.

Who do you think will be named as the crazy one? The one who is screaming and belittling someone or the one who is still being polite but discreetly showing the person where they belong. Never resort to screaming and shouting. That's dumb. Second never go out of your way to prove how you are relevant. Take it or leave it mentality.

10) Seek professional help:

Even after all of this you are not able to practice being unbothered. I think a therapist is the best solution for you.

P.S. :Ladies, this is what I mean when I say leverage the fuck out of your connections and opportunities. This is how you turn a negative into a positive.

Plus I am petty enough to not let this disrespect slide but thought it would be a good content idea for my posts, isn't it??

That's all for today's show on ash-says. Stay tuned for more illegal tricks and explosive opinions.