#honestly farah would look really good with short hair

[evebestt]

I LOVE Eve's new hair and I think the style really suits her 😍 ... but like, as soon as I saw how short it was, I immediately felt like there was a fic-idea in this change of hair. Seeing how immaculate Farah's hair always looks, I'm sure she puts a lot of effort and love in her haircare and style and she probably prides herself on it, or like values it as one of her favourite features (I mean, who wouldn't with hair like that). So what if she had to/ someone made her cut it off, or, for even more angst, someone just cut it off against her will? I imagine she'd feel completely insecure afterwards and maybe would even try to hide it, and it would take a good deal of reassurance to make her feel better about it and let her know she still looks breathtakingly beautiful, even with shorter hair ❤️

Hi hon! Thank you for the prompt!! I love Eve’s new short hair too, but I have to admit I do miss her long hair, styled like Farah’s (some of the most gorgeous hair I’ve seen). So I was very intrigued to think about how she would react to it being cut.

Is this incredibly vague as to why there’s a battle? Yeah absolutely. Do I care? No I wanted to get to the good hurt/comfort part 😂 I hope you all enjoy

Read here on AO3 or below. As always, send me an ask or a message to submit a prompt.

Mild warning for descriptions of violence in the beginning.

The Shooting Stars

The battle raged around you, Alfean Specialists and fairies spread across the lawn, trying to force the opposing forces back into the forest from which they came. But it seemed as though everywhere you looked there was another skirmish, another fight, and you were beginning to lose hope as to how the small Alfean forces were going to drive back so many.

You held out your hand as a tall, muscular man ran towards you, willing the earth to swallow his feet before he reached you. Slowed by your magic, you slashed him with your dagger, and when he fell you turned to meet the next opponent.

It was another man, more burly to the other one’s muscular, but still he moved nimbly for his size. You summoned earth again, but he managed to step through it as though it were nothing, leaving you stunned as you stepped back away from his reach. You summoned water and let it mix with the earth to form a pit of mud, the man sinking in up to his chest, and pulling the water away until the earth hardened again, you left him to his fate.

Panting, you turned not to find another opponent, but Farah standing across the lawn, hand outstretched as she threw power out at her opponent, but too late to do anything about the man who grabbed her from behind, one hand gripping her ponytail and the other wrapped around her waist. You tried to run, legs lurching forward, but then you saw the glint of a dagger in her hand only a second before she plunged it into the man’s thigh. He grunted, his knee buckling slightly, but he regained his balance quickly, seeming to just tighten his hold on Farah.

They’re so strong, you thought in dismay, terror seizing your body as you watched Farah struggle. How are we going to win if a dagger to the thigh can’t even loosen their grip?

You lurched forward again, trying to move quick even as your legs were unsteady – you had to get to Farah, had to try, had to save her – but then the man reached for his hip and pulled out a dagger from a hidden sheath, his hand still twisted in her hair. There was a scream, and only belatedly did you realize it was your own, watching powerless as he palmed the hilt.

Then there was the glint of a second dagger – Farah’s this time, but instead of reaching back to stab the man, she blocked his arm before he could slice her throat. They struggled, the man trying to force her arm down with sheer brute strength. She resisted, but you could see her arm quivering, and you knew she wouldn’t be able to hold him for long.

She twisted her arm, so quick that you almost missed it, and then with one quick move, she forced her arm back and drew the blade through her own hair.

The man stumbled back as he lost his grip, and before he could charge forward again Farah had turned and plunged the dagger into his chest.

He stumbled back again, his mouth open in pain and surprise for a long moment, before his knees buckled and he fell to the ground dead, his hand still gripping the long, blonde lock of Farah’s hair.

~~~~~~~~~

It felt like a miracle when Alfea finally fell silent – the enemy driven away and the campus and the students safe.

And then came the aftermath.

Medics rushed, treating everything from shock to serious wounds (though you felt it another miracle that the medics assured you no one would die). A unit from the Solarian army came in helping to secure the boundaries of the school – and then the questioning came. Captains, generals, bureaucrats, all asking the same questions over and over, well into the early morning as you and the other faculty of Alfea did your best to explain to them just what had happened that night.

But after every question had been answered and re-answered, after the infirmary had been emptied except for the few who needed to stay overnight, and after the quiet fell over the grounds again, you finally got to go home.

You found Farah in the main hall of Alfea, , her back straight and stiff as she stared out at the battle-scarred grounds. You touched her arm, and she turned to look at you, blinking as though coming out of a vision, before she slowly nodded at you, and then together you slowly stumbled back to your quarters, the glow of pre-dawn giving you just enough light to make your way.

You moved straight to the bedroom you shared, shedding shoes and jackets along the way, not bothering to put them away. In the room you flopped down on the bed, groaning as you sat for what felt like the first time in days.

“Gods,” you murmured, not knowing what else there was to say. “It’s been a long night.”

Farah was quiet, and confused, you looked over to see her still standing stock still in the doorframe, staring into the vanity’s mirror on the opposite wall.

“Farah?” you asked slowly, suddenly worried she’d been more hurt in the battle than she let on.

“I…” she trailed off, and then reached up with a trembling hand, touching the ends of her hair that fell around her neck. “In all the chaos, I forgot…”

She trailed off again. And then when her lip trembled, you felt your heart crack.

Standing, you padded over to her, guiding her to the vanity and coaxing her to sit. You let out a soft murmur, and gentle enough as though not to startle her, you ran your hand through her hair, scratching her scalp to try and comfort.

Her eyes filled with tears, and she shook her head before they could fall, letting out a wry laugh.

“It’s just silly, isn’t it? Crying over hair.” She ran her hand through it again, and her lower lip trembled again when it stopped so short. “It will grow back, and what’s more important is that everyone is alive and well.”

But there was such sadness in her eyes, a grief you could see she was desperately trying to hide and push away, so much that it made your heart clench. You ran your fingers along her scalp again, your other hand coming to squeeze her shoulder gently, trying to soothe. “It will grow back, yes, but you’re allowed to mourn, too. Just because this is fixable doesn’t mean you can’t be upset.”

She nodded, eyes still filled with tears, and your heart clenched again. She’d never said it aloud, but you knew how much pride she took in her hair — the time she spent caring for it, morning and evening, the elegant styles she put it in every day that were almost as central to her as her personality. She’d had long hair for as long as you could remember — as long as she could remember, she told you, and you couldn’t imagine how exposed she must feel without the armor her carefully composed appearance provided.

But then again, there was no reason her short hair couldn’t become a part of that appearance.

“Can I try something?” you blurted, Farah looking at you curiously in the mirror, blinking away the tears.

She nodded, and reaching for her brush, you slowly worked it through her hair, removing the remaining pins. Then picking up the bottle of mousse, you squeezed a bit onto your palm and worked it through, then carefully parted it to one side. It took a few tries to get it to stay, but finally it did, and it had the volume you’d hoped it would. Then you gathered the hair at her neck up into a sweep and pinned it with an elegant comb she had on the vanity, pulling out a few curls to frame her face.

“It’s not perfect,” you said as you toyed with her hair, pushing it to lay a bit more neatly. “We’d probably have to trim it to give it a little better shape, but what do you think?”

You couldn’t read her expression for a long moment, but then she met your eyes in the mirror, and a small smile slowly spread across her mouth. “I… feel more like myself than I have since this dreadful day started.”

You let out the breath you didn’t know you’d been holding, relief coursing through you now that Farah’s eyes didn’t hold such grief.

She turned in her chair to face you, bringing her hand up to cup your cheek. “I had been through many battles before I met you. But how I survived the aftermath without you, I do not know.”

You smiled, then turned your head to kiss her palm. “You survived because you’re strong, and determined to continue on despite it all.” You leaned down to press a kiss to the top of her head then, linking your arms around her neck as you straightened. “But you don’t have to do it alone anymore.”

“No,” she agreed, leaning in to rest her head on your chest. “Thank the gods I don’t.”

It was a long time before you could let go of her, the solid, warm feel of her a comfort to the visions of her grabbed by that man still flashing through your mind. But eventually the adrenaline of the night began to wear off, leaving you nearly shaking with exhaustion, and you had to step back, pulling her towards the bed.

“Come on.”

She followed you, and uncaring of your dirty clothing or the mousse in her hair, you both collapsed, sighing as you finally lay vertical.

“You know,” you murmured, almost too tired to know what you were saying, “you’re quite rakish with the short hair.”

She snorted, a noise you rarely heard from her until she was over exhausted. “The rakish Headmistress?”

You hummed, eyes closed and half asleep already. “To me. But I’m allowed to think that.”

She chuckled and snuggled closer to you, her nose bumping yours as she settled in. "Thank you."

You opened your eyes a little, seeing the gratitude in hers, and you smiled, reaching up and brushing back a lock of her hair. "If there's anyone who looks good with long and short hair, it's you. You'll always be one of the most gorgeous women I've ever seen."

She smiled sweetly, a light blush on her cheeks, and with that in mind you finally drifted off, the worries of what tomorrow would bring far away from the warmth of your bed and Farah besides you.

[inkedwarrior]

Blue Ocean - Chapter Two

AN: Chapter two is here, it got quite long, but I hope you enjoy it!

Pairing: Saul Silva x reader

You’re standing there, staring at him. His smile reaches his eyes, lifting one eyebrow. Shaking your head, you clear your throat and takes his hand. The spark that goes through your body when your hands wrap around each other has both of you taking a step back. You look down at your joined hands and up towards his face again. The smile has been wiped off his face and his brows are furrowed, looking deep in thought.

”Eh, well, I’m sorry for staring, it’s just that you caught me off guard,” you let go of his hand and immediately a chill forms in your gut. His face says it all, he’s also feeling whatever this is. You both stand there awkwardly, waiting for the other to say something. Now it’s him that seems at a loss for words.

”Y/N, hey, there you are! I’ve been looking for you,” Farah interrupts the moment and you turn around to see her and the rest of her friends standing behind you. A blonde boy you haven’t seen before is with them and you guess that it is Andreas, seeing as Saul is standing in front of you.

”Oh, great, you’ve met Saul,” she comes up to your side and nudges you in the side. Sauls eyes is quickly moving between you and Farah and you can see the cogs turning in his head. You roll your shoulders and look down at the ground again. By now, the rest of the group has joined you, forming a half circle in the corner of the room.

”So, um wait, you’re Y/N? Farah's sister?”, Saul directs his question at Farah and she smiles widely and wraps her arm around your shoulders. ”Yes Saul, this is my sister. My little sister, let that be a reminder to you both,” she says, looking both Saul and Andreas in the eyes. Saul smiles again but this time, it doesn’t reach his eyes like it did before. Andreas straightens up from the wall he’s leaning against and crosses his arms over his broad chest.

”What’s that suppose too mean?”, he says and levels Farah with glare. Ben sighs and pushes Andreas back slightly, as if preventing him from saying something else.

”What she means is that you flirt with just about anyone and everything, and I think that she would like it if you didn’t flirt with her sister,” Rose laughs and shares a smile with Luna who rolls her eyes at the scene in front of her. You, on the other hand, can feel the blush creeping up your cheeks and you shrug Farah’s arm of off you. She barely notices seeing as she’s busy giving Andreas a lecture on manners. He protests Ben’s and Farah’s words, Rose and Luna quickly agreeing with your sister. Andreas scowls at them and mutters something under his breath.

But you only have eyes for Saul. He’s looking at you again and you suddenly want to feel whatever it was that you felt when you touched his hand for the first time. The look in his eyes tells you the same thing but once again, Farah interrupts you.

”Alright, now that this discussion is over, how about we get something to drink?”, Saul is quick to break eye contact, moving to stand between Andreas and Ben. A wise choice seeing as the boys are moments away from starting a slap fight. You notice that Rose and Luna has left the group, already heading towards the refreshment table on the other side of the room. Farah turns to you and repeats her question and you nod, unable to say anything. Directing a punch towards Andreas arm, she pulls you past the boys and you trail after, silently. You turn around once more, looking in Sauls direction but he’s still busy shoving the other two boys.

”What was that over there?”, Rose’s question startles you out of your thoughts. You smile at her and cock you head. ”What do you mean?”, you curiously asks. Luna lets out a short laugh and your sister do the same.

”What she means, what we all mean, is what did we interrupt?”, Luna gives you a vague gesture towards the other side of the room. You feel the blush returning to your cheeks and you curse your inability to control your emotions at the moment. Farah crosses her arms over her chest, looking at you with something you can’t exactly pinpoint.

”You didn’t interrupt anything, I just happened to collide with him and he saved me from cracking my head open on the stone floor,” you answer a little too quickly. Too bad your sister knows you better than anyone. She snorts and you hunch up your shoulders.

”That was the worst lie you’ve ever told me Y/N. Alright, I might buy that that’s what happened but both yours and Sauls feelings were all over the place when we got there,” she looks at you, giving you the same look that your mother often used when she wanted to wring the truth out of either of you when you were younger. You sigh, knowing that you can’t lie to your own sister. The only problem is that you didn’t really know what happened, and that’s what you tell the three girls currently cornering you.

”I don’t know. We shook hands, and the moment our hands touched, there was this spark. I’ve never experienced it before. And when I let go of his hand, I felt a chill in my gut,” you’re looking at the ground, not meeting their eyes. However, you quickly look up when Rose chokes on her drink and Luna draws in a deep breath. You look at your sister for an explanation, taking in her appearance. Her arms has dropped to her sides and she gaping at you. The uncomfortable feeling from before returns and you shuffle your feet, waiting for them to say anything.

”Did you just say spark? Like, electricity going trough you when you touched Saul?”, Rose is the first to break out of whatever trance they’re in and grabs your upper arm. You swallow and take a deep breath, not understanding the urgency in her words.

”Yes. At first, I thought it might be my magic, seeing as I’m an air fairy, but it has never happened before and I’ve got good control. I mean, I can toss around some electricity but not like that,” you don’t understand anything, but you answer Rose as honestly as possible. Luna rubs her temple and turns towards your sister.

”You haven’t talked to her about this?”, she gives Farah a look that says more than the words she just uttered. Luna’s question brings her out of her stupor.

”Of course not, I didn’t think it would be necessary seeing as it’s something not many people know about nowadays,” she is suddenly angry and you’re getting more and more confused by the second. You grow more uncomfortable, not used to seeing her angry. Rose notices and takes your hand.

”Girls, maybe we should go somewhere quiet, and talk about this? Here is hardly the place,” she gently shoves you in the directions of the dorms, trusting that Farah and Luna will follow. You walk along quietly, thoughts spinning and a chill growing colder and colder with every step. Farah picks up on your emotions and despite the burst of anger displayed minutes earlier, she grabs your hand and squeezes it tight. You managed to squeeze back, noticing that you’re heading towards their suite, and not your own. Opening the door, Luna gestures for you to step inside. Farah steers you towards the common area and Rose slips into what seems to be a small kitchen. Boiling water can soon be heard and you assume she’s making tea.

”Alright, what the hell is happening? Why do you all act like I’ve done something wrong?”, your voice shakes just a little bit but you managed to keep the tears a bay. You and Farah rarely got angry with each other, too close connected to fight with one another. Seeing her react that way and what seemed to be directed at whatever situation you’ve caused, shakes you and there’s nothing you’d rather do than run back to your own room. But she keeps a firm grip on your hand, and Luna lounges by the couch situated before the door. Trying to leave would be useless.

”Hey, calm down. I’m sorry I reacted the way I did, it’s just that I didn’t expect to have to deal with this, it's all kind of new for us too,” Farah smooths your hair out and rubs your back while Luna rolls her eyes. You feel yourself calming down and you fall back against the couch, exhaling deeply. The other side of you dips, Rose settling down to your right.

”Here, drink this, it’s chamomile tea,” she hands you a steaming cup and you blow on the surface gently before taking a sip.

”So, who would like the honour? I think it should be you Farah but Rose probably knows more about it,” Luna is eyeing your sister again and Farah sighs. Sitting up straight, she turns slightly so she can look you in the eyes. She opens her mouth to start speaking, but closes it quickly again. She takes a deep breath and cracks her knuckles.

”God, mother would have been so much better than this. The first thing you need to know Y/N, is that you’ve done nothing wrong, alright?”, you nod and gestures for her to continue. ”From what I’ve read, this happens rarely nowadays and there isn’t much to read about it. But centuries ago, when our magic was different from the one we wield today, there was something the books refer to as soul bonds,” your brow furrows and you open your mouth to question her, but she holds up a hand, silencing you.

”Let me explain first, then you can ask your questions. Now, there isn’t much written on the subject, at least not in the library books but from what I’ve gathered, soul bonds is something akin to having a soulmate,” you choke on your tea and Rose pats your back. You stare at your sister, not really understanding what this has to do with you. Sensing your panic, Farah sends a calming wave of warmth, making you relax once again.

”It’s said that when two people meet and their hands first touch, a spark feeling like electricity runs through your body,” you continue to stare into empty space, remembering the feeling when you touched Sauls hand. Like electricity.

”Are you seriously telling me that that is what just happened? That he, Saul, is my soulmate?”, you stand up suddenly, your empty tea cup falling to the floor. Farah is quick to stand too, grabbing you arms to keep you from running away.

”Calm down Y/N, it’s not a bad thing. It’s odd, seeing as it hasn’t been a recorded case for centuries but not bad. Breathe sweetheart, breathe,” you gasp for air, feeling your lungs constrict and your heart beating faster. Black spots dances across your vision and you can hear all three girls trying to calm you down but they’re too far away. The last thing you see is the door bursting open and tall dark haired silhouette shoving his way past the wood. The person reaches out for you but your legs give out and you’re out cold before he makes it past the threshold.

Tagging: @silvafox @it-was-all-a-beautiful-dream @neemonroe

[screensirenfic]

Black Leather - Chapter 8

I’d had to wait an additional twenty minutes at Steve’s house, because despite his near fanatical dedication to Farah Faucett; his hair had continued to fall flat.

Lucky for him, Nancy was there, otherwise I would’ve broken down the damn bathroom door and shaved the birds nest off myself.

Eventually; he’d managed to get his hair to a reasonable level of poofiness, and we’d gotten to Tina’s just an hour after the start time on the flyer; fashionably late without it being too busy to make an entrance.  

Sitting in the backseat of Steve’s thankfully spacious BMW gave me front row seats to the newfound awkwardness between Hawkins most beloved royal couple.

Despite Steve’s insistence that everything was fine between the pair and that Nancy was just still upset about Barb; I couldn’t help but feel there was a bigger void between them than that. One that was gradually getting bigger by the day, judging by the near complete lack of conversation for the entire car ride over.

He wouldn’t even let me talk to her for him; insisting he could handle it himself, but Steve really didn’t know girls like I did.

There was something big on Nancy’s mind; something that parties and corny jokes alone wasn’t gonna fix.

“That is a lot of carnage...” Steve remarked, drawing my eyes from the world’s slowest relationship train wreck, to the much more literal train wreck outside my window.

The word “carnage” was putting it lightly.

The party had already spilled out onto the street; bodies in varying stages on unconsciousness littering the front lawn like the vast amount of beer cans and bottles surrounding them. Those that were conscious were reveling in a variety of vices, from cigarettes to cheap booze to near all out sex on the AstroTurf. High school partying at its finest.

“Half the school must be here!” Remarked Nancy; eyes wide at the near renaissance painting of absolute debauchery outside.

“You got that right...” Agreed Steve as he slowed his car to park; and if Hawkins High’s keg king said that it was a rager, then she must be right.

Steve eventually found a space just outside Tina’s house; surprising considering the sheer amount of people present, however I guess most people considered a night in Hawkins PD’s cells too steep a price to pay for one night of drinking and dancing.

We got out of the car, and already the music hit our ears at full blast; someone’s parents were gonna get a lot of noise complaints in the morning.  

“We Don’t Have To Take Our Clothes Off” was the song of choice, but clearly the song’s message fell on deaf ears, as most of the boys were down to shorts and skins, and the girls in even less.

Steve led the way through the highway to hell, ringing the doorbell to Tina’s, which chimed out in an almost comedic rendition of “Messiah” considering the situation.

Moments later, the door swung open to a smiling Tina, dressed in a skimpy leotard and fishnets, in what must’ve been a cat costume considering the black velvet ears in her perm.

“Steve! Nancy! Love the costumes!” She exclaimed with such enthusiasm; it must’ve been partially forced.

“Risky Business; right?” She asked, taking note on the pair’s cute matching black and white combo.

“And Lola! You’re..?” Her ever expanding smile faltered as she struggled to work out what exactly a tartan miniskirt and a Bon Jovi tank top had to do with Halloween.

“A vampire.” I replied with a fake smile, showing off the plastic fangs glued to my canines. She wasn’t the only one who could feign enthusiasm.

“Well; you all look so great...” She spieled; that plastic smile returning even quicker than it fell.

“Why don’t you come on in and get a drink...” She beckoned us in as she led us further into her temporary den of teenage rebellion.

Costume party could be used very loosely to describe what Tina’s Halloween party was.

People wore costumes alright; ones that made them look sexier, less restrained, more depraved. Anything from a pair of sunglasses, to an oversized bedsheet counted here; and trust me, someone had tried them all. My outfit honestly looked like a nun’s in comparison to some of the other girls.

Since when did lingerie count as a Halloween costume?

“Looks like a good party.” Steve remarked, though I wondered if it was only for our host’s sake.

“Yeah. If you like cheap liquor and herpes...” I muttered, earning myself a chuckle from him; so we were on the same page.

I glanced around the room, unable to believe people had managed to get this fucked up in an hour. There had to be some pregaming, or a high amount of class C drugs involved; definitely drugs, judging by the smoke in the air.

I was definitely gonna have to do the laundry before dad got home.

My eyes glanced over to the living room where some jock was spread out on the coffee table, whilst a line of cheerleaders did body shots off his chest.

I was definitely gonna need a drink to get through tonight.

“I’m gonna go grab a drink...” I told Steve, not waiting for a response as I slipped through the crowd towards the kitchen and what would hopefully be semi drinkable booze.

—————————————————

The liquor was shitty; the punch wasn’t much better, but still better to suffer the taste and be drunk, than suffer the company sober.

God knew there was nothing worse than being the only sober one in a crowd of drunks.

Steve had long abandoned me for his princess, in yet another attempt to drown an underlying uneasiness with cheap alcohol and fake happiness. Jonathan was a no show, but there was no surprises there, and I was kinda wishing I’d done the same, even if it’d cost me my left ear to Steve’s nagging.

The only consolation was that Billy Hargrove hadn’t spoken to me once. It was quite possible he hadn’t even noticed me; he was so sucked into the superficial cloud of party popularity that seemed to circle him like a storm.

Every girl in their fake leather biker boots and discount rack leather jackets was hanging off him, in a poor attempt to act as my replacement; as if being the resident basket case was as simple as smudging on a bit of eyeliner and smoking more Camels than usual.

I don’t think Billy was convinced; his mind so preoccupied with stealing Steve’s crown that he didn’t have time to think about getting laid.

No doubt when he came back down to earth; I’d be the first person he’d have in mind to help with that little problem.

But for now; my night looked relatively sleaze free. No one had tried to hit on me since Billy had taken an interest; probably valued their molars too much for that.

It’s strange to think that despite my total disdain for Billy and the clear message that I’d rather eat my own fingernails than date him; people still acted like he had some sort of “reservation” over me, as if I was unofficially “his girl”.

Right now, the man in question was challenging the royal reign of keg king; a position previously held by Steve, before Nancy had him saddled and bridled.

Even I had to admit; Billy Hargrove made quite the Lancelot to Steve’s Arthur. Billy had Steve in term of upper body strength; his keg stand lasting twice as long as Steve’s had, without any of the signature unsteadiness.

The keg court already loved him, counting down with unrivalled enthusiasm and chanting Billy’s name as if he’d just won a championship belt.

He’d even managed to steal Steve’s right hand man; Tommy H naturally taking his place behind the new alpha male, reminding me of a snappy hyena at his heels.

Billy’s keg stand finished on a impressive count of forty two; him touching ground soon after and spraying the crowd with lukewarm beer.

“That’s how you do it; Hawkins! That’s how you do it!” He yelled triumphantly, in that moment seeming more of a celebrity than the cocky asshole with a Camaro.

Even I had to admit that Billy seemed different tonight.

Maybe it was the punch talking, or the overall excitement of the crowd as they practically worshipped him like a god, but he just seemed larger than life.

He’d styled his hair different; his curls actually holding shape, rather than just falling into a dirty blonde mess. He also followed the crowd in terms of forgoing a shirt; just a leather jacket draped over his impressively built torso.

I could see why the other girls went crazy over him. Everything about him screamed dominance and raw testosterone.

Now Billy was walking my direction and I was running low on punch and confidence.

Yes; originally I’d planned to play the role of tease tonight, and drive Billy crazy with what he could see, but couldn’t touch. But he was forty two seconds of beer down and pumped up on the adoration of half the school, so I was having second thoughts.

Sober Billy was fun to tease, if not a little over persistent; drunk Billy was an unfamiliar entity that could turn out to be downright dangerous.

So I made my exit, slipping back into the crowd and relative anonymity.

—————————————

The kitchen looked like it had become the first fatality of what was sure to be a deadly night of binge drinking and bad decisions.

The tile floor now closely resembled a a swimming pool, complete with indeterminate objects that I had no intention of inspecting swimming on the surface.

The kitchen counters looked like the world’s largest game of beer pong, cups of various colours and fullness on every available inch of clear space. I didn’t even want to know what was in some of them; the smell of them strong enough to hit you from across the room.

I’d managed to find Steve and Nancy again earlier, though it was clear Nancy was well in her cups, and Steve was trying desperately to stop her from becoming any deeper.

I’d managed to convince her into trying something that didn’t have enough of an alcohol content to sedate a horse, but it seemed Tina had stockpiled just as many mixers as booze; though the former seemed vastly less popular.

I made my way back through the thick of the crowd, wanting to make sure I got Nancy something that’d actually stay down, rather than end up painted across the front of her sweater. I could already see the top of Steve’s hair, rising high above the crowd like a homing beacon; at least it wasn’t completely useless.

“Hey Nance; do you want soda or...” I began, threading through the crowd towards them, when I suddenly realised they weren’t alone.

I felt like I’d walked on set in the middle of one of those Wild West movies my dad liked to watch;  the sheriff facing off against the stranger in black.

Billy stood nearly chest to chest with Steve, looking as if he was moments away from flooring him, but at the sound of my voice his focus shifted; his demeanour no less predatory.

“Lola...” He purred, with a smirk that made me feel like he was undressing me with words alone. Up close I could see the evidence of his keg stand running down his tanned chest; slick trails threading between his taught abs.

Still; I kept stony, not trusting Billy in the slightest.

“Hargrove.” I spat; arms crossed over my chest in a way hoped said back off, but may have came across as nervous.

His smirk spread across his face; eyes falling to trail over my body, stopping at all the strategic points along the way.

”Like the costume...” He commented, wetting his lips as if I was desert on a platter. “Just like I imagined.”

I could already figure out exactly what he’d imagined, and I’m pretty sure it didn’t include clothes.

“Thanks.” I forced a smile faker than Tina’s attitude; dry and bitter just like half the booze on offer at this shithole of a party.

Still; Steve wasn’t gonna just stand around whilst Billy stared at me as if I was something from his private Playboy collection; the usurped king was instead experiencing a serious case of white knight syndrome.

“Hey; why don’t you back the hell off...” Steve warned, stepping forwards between me and Billy, so Billy could no longer blatantly leer at me.

It didn’t put his successor off in the slightest; Billy stepping past Steve as if he was an inanimate object to continue to proposition me.

“Why don’t you come and have a dance with me?” He asked with one of those smiles that made Tina turn into a shivering puddle of hormones.

“I’ll pass.” I replied with another dry smile, then turned to make a swift exit before he could come up with another bullshit reason to waste my time and my patience.

“Come on; sweetheart...” He purred, and I felt his hand lock around my wrist; not painfully so, but just firm enough to tell me that I’d leave when he let me, and not a moment sooner.

I gave him a dark look, because really? He was gonna try this with me?

But before I could give him the verbal lashing of a lifetime; Steve beat me to it, ripping Billy’s hand from my wrist with more force than I thought was possible for the doe eyed brunette.

“Dude; she said no!” Steve said, and despite his gentle chastisement; his face and tone told him that he wasn’t messing around.

But neither was Billy. He turned to Steve; his former aggression returning as quickly as it left.

“I’m sorry; I wasn’t aware you were her boyfriend...” Spat Billy; already ready to open an entire new can of worms and with it, let out a whole lot of alcohol infused testosterone.

Steve wasn’t gonna take it; though sometimes I really wish he would.

I really didn’t need saving; I’m goddamn Lola Hopper. Boys like Billy Hargrove should shit themselves when I approached.

But Steve; always the hero, came at him with all the verbal reasoning that Billy had no patience for.

“Just because she’s not my girlfriend; doesn’t mean I’m gonna let you drag her around like-“

But Billy truly didn’t have the patience or the mental capacity. He was half a keg in and looking for a fight.

Steve never got to finish his argument; Billy slamming him hard against the wall like some freshman, and not the previous reigning keg king.

“Excuse me?” Billy growled; his voice low and threatening, and really doing more for me than his sleazy flirting, but I had more important things to worry about than how Billy’s temper was a turn on!

My best friend was about to become an interestingly shaped stain on Tina’s parents’ wallpaper.

“Who the fuck do you think you are, Harrington?” Billy’s voice dropped another octave; his body inches away from Steve’s and although he didn’t touch him,

I knew he was seconds away from knocking the noble idiot unconscious.

Even then, Steve couldn’t take a hint. Always honourable; he was prepared to go down fighting, but I wasn’t ready to see him become a martyr.

“Billy; I’ve changed my mind...” I quickly thought on my feet, slipping between the two of them in the vain hope that the possibility of physical contact on the table was enough to shake Billy out of his rage.

“I think I want that dance...” I forced a pretty smile, grabbing his wrist softly in the hope he might unclench his fists in favour of touching me again.

It wasn’t working. Billy was far too worked up; it was if I was invisible. So I moved a bit closer; letting my body brush up against his as I slipped my hand down to grab his.

“Come on; Billy. He’s not worth it...” I whispered; my voice just husky enough to hold a little promise.

“But I might be...” I gave him an impish smile; all raw sexuality and desire, one that I’d of previously thrown up at the prospect of exchanging with Billy Hargrove.

To my great relief; he relaxed, his shoulders lowering and his jaw unclenching. His hand wrapped around my own, squeezing with just a little bit of pressure; a reluctant retreat on the condition that I upheld my end of the bargain.

I took him by the hand and pulled him away from Steve, heading towards the dance floor and hopefully putting as much distance between the two alphas as possible.

But even now; Steve wouldn’t relent, stepping forward ready to defend my honour.

“Lola; you don’t have to...” He petitioned, as if I wasn’t doing this to protect him.

“It’s fine, Steve.” I reassured him, making the words more forceful than necessary in case his dumb overprotective brain continued to reject self preservation.

But of course; my pushy prospective dance partner couldn’t keep his mouth shut.

“Yeah, Steve; it’s fine.” He mimicked; his smirk so full of venom, I’m surprised it didn’t melt his pretty face off.

At last, Steve relented, letting me lead my volatile pretty boy onto the dance floor without blood on his knuckles.

————————————

Surprisingly; Billy was actually a semi decent dance partner. He kept rhythm well enough and gave me enough room that I didn’t feel he was trying to hump me in front of the whole school.

We were two songs down; “Dancing With Myself” pumping through the overdriven sound system, and I hadn’t once accidentally-on-purpose tried to step on Billy’s toes.

If I was to be painfully honest, and believe me; admitting this was painful, I was actually enjoying dancing with Billy.

When he wasn’t so heavily focused on appearing the bad boy, he was actually pretty cool. He smiled more often; a genuine warm smile that was nothing like that sleazy grin he used on me all the time. He was actually cute.

“Are you feeling alright?” He asked after spinning me under his arm for the third time tonight; and I’m not sure if it was the dizziness or the alcohol, but I was actually beginning to feel giddy.

“Yeah; why?” I replied with a smile; my gaze getting lost in those bright baby blues that were staring at me with something other than lust.

“It’s just; it’s been half an hour and you haven’t threatened to shiv me with a beer bottle...” He joked; yeah, actually joked, with a wide smile on his face.

And God! His face just lit up when he was being genuinely funny and not an ass; and for a split second I was hit with the almost uncontrollable urge to kiss him.

Almost uncontrollable. I reigned it in at the last minute; not trusting my tipsy brain to have that much control, at least not when it came to Billy Hargrove.

I bit my lip instead; feeling an honest to God blush spread across my cheeks.

“Shut up once in a while and it might happen more often...” I retorted, lowering my voice just enough that he could tell his joke hit right.

He just smiled, and my pulse just skipped another beat as he swept me into another spin; happy just to keep his body close to mine for the remainder of the night.

[samsideup]

🌹 THE ROSE 🌹 SPECIAL EVENT IN KL

The whole of last week I’ve been trying to sit my ass down to write this but I couldn’t.. & then life caught up & idk when I’d end up posting this, or who will read this, but I’ll try to put down the (broken) memories of my experience into words!

Prelude:

I took the longest time considering if I should buy the special event tickets (I finally bought it nearing the closing date). While I was so afraid it’ll be sold out, I was skeptical about spending another large sum of money on top of buying the VVIP tickets. If I had known that special event was going to happen- I’d probably have bought balcony tickets for the concert so I’ll get to hang with the boys up close (during special event) and also see them perform as 4 (I couldn’t really see jeff throughout the concert, but that’s a story for another time).

Event day:

I was confused as ever. No staff was stationed outside to direct anyone or anything the entire time, until 1:30pm when they were supposed to meet us. By then the queue for concert tagging was already growing (which explains my confusion). They called our names and lined us up accordingly (to the sequence that we bought our tickets in I assume). Then we were given our concert tags ahead of the actual issue time - so we were supposed to be given priority in entering the venue during the concert, after the top 10 tastemakers (but I still couldn’t snatch the front row- yet another story for another time). Soon enough, we were brought into the concert venue. For some reason, all of us who bought the special event tickets were not screaming all over. I think the staff thought it was odd cos she was like “okay yay!!!” in attempt to hype us up, to which we responded with low “yays”. I was honestly just too nervous at that point to react to her (I’m sorry!)

Special event:

It took place at the balcony area of the concert hall, so we had a prelude to the view that the balcony broses would have during the concert. We were lined up along the balcony, in front of a long table where the boys were to sit at. After we were given instructions, we just waited around for the boys. I made friends with broses who were behind me in the queue (s/o to my dear Farah & Nadiah who were incredibly warm!) and the three of us were just- we just don’t know how to feel at that point.

So I was just looking around and that was when I saw Hajoon backstage through a little opening in the curtain. I flipped and started tapping Farah “look look that’s hajoon right?!” the rest of the broses in line were unable to see it from their end- so i was just helplessly trying to wave to get his attention. I failed. Yes. Because at that exact moment he turned around to leave the backstage and come up to us. Saw a sneak peak of woosung’s back too tho!

I think it was when they actually appeared that I completely started freaking out internally. I was tryna look chill on the outside. But it really wasn’t working. Farah, Nadiah and I started asking each other “wait ok so what are you gonna say to them?!” since we were the last 3 in line, we literally asked each other this question a million times. None of us knew what to say. It was all blank. While queuing we also overheard their korean staff (speaking in korean) to make the line move faster (whaaaaaat) cos they were bored? I hope we were hearing things- but I doubt that.

So the boys sat down according to this order- dojoon, jaehyeong, woosung, hajoon. Dojoon was an absolute ball of sunshine, he was so loud and cheery. It was so contagious. Jaehyeong was WAY too smiley, I have nothing but heart eyes for him, seriously. Woosung looked so good. I just- he just looked so chill and cool. I- my heart- Then hajoon. He’s the absolute sweetest, just sitting there being a sweetheart ugh massive sigh.

I was so nervous I simply couldn’t remember my entire experience with them, but here are some of the highlights with each of them:

Dojoon

You seriously cannot help but feel comfortable around him. He’s just so cheerful and you’d feel obliged to match his energy- completely no complains though aghhh! He signed on the right of my scrapbook, where he was supposed to. Then he saw the post-it note that I had stuck at the left side of the book, written “hello my name is qian” in cursive. He was like “oh can I write there?” *points to the left of the notebook” and I said “sure please do!” he wrote “hello my name is dojoon” in cursive and I was like “wow your handwriting is nicer than mine!” He deadass said “of course!”. I was thrown off but ended up replying “you’re good at everything” to which he literally beamed at me *cues awwww in sunglasses*

Jaehyeong

I thought people were exaggerating when they said they that jeff was so good looking that they lost their shit. You seriously won’t know how that feels until you SEE HIM IRL. I was so so so mesmerised by his looks I couldn’t even remember what I said to him. He kept smiling and laughing prettily the entire time. I asked if he was tired from tour and he said “oh, no no no” in his cute little way (you’d know) and I told him his English really improved. He laughed and said thank you. So I had post-it bunnies sticking out of the notebook (& I chose them because I secretly felt like each of the bunnies signified each member). idk why the fuck- but I was so comfortable around him that I told him that that tall bunny was him. I feel stupid, yes, I’m well aware, thanks. Of all the things in the world I could have said- I said “this bunny is you” dear lord please help me.

Woosung

My entire universe. He was so laid back (but tbh it may even have come off as cold hmm). I told him I was from Singapore & I think that picked his interest- because he immediately said “oh cool! I really want to visit Singapore” and he repeated it multiple times on his own accord (so I’m convinced he really wants to!) i had to cut his excitement in order to talk abt something else lol so I talked to him a little more and when I was about to be asked to leave I deadass looked at him in the eyes and said “Sammy” he looked at me, and I pointed to him and whispered “smoke less ok” I only caught his laughed before I had to move on......

Hajoon

The last of the 4. I swear this is absolutely his era- his blond hair looks nothing short of amazing up close. I honestly can’t remember what we talked about because half the time I just rlly wanted to squish his cheeks (altho mine was way chubbier than his- so wHO AM I TO SQUISH HIS). But at the end I also asked him if he was tired from the tour. His eyes shot up from signing my book and VERY SMILEY & CHEERFULLY SAID “Oh... No! I’m not tired! Because of you guys”. & that, my friends, was instant K.O. Hajoon 1, Qian 0. Mmhmm

After signing, we went back to join the line to take our photos together with the boys. It happened so damn quickly- LITERALLY “with a blink, shot shot” and it was over....

To sum up this experience:

it was extremely short- but absolutely worth it meeting the boys up close. It was my first experience and I told myself it will be my only. But after meeting them for myself- my stand has wavered..

My takeaway:

Go to special event PREPARED. Memorise what you want to tell the boys, rehearse what you want to do. Be more prepared than you have ever been for any formal presentations that you’ve gone through in your life. Because eventually when you get there you’d be completely star struck (I speak for all of us) and you’d freeze and forget it all. You’d be lucky if you remember to breathe - honestly.

[farahwinters059]

Practice Challenge 2: Across the Country

Heya! Sorry this is late. Thanks, @torylivingston  and @ahmaraquill for the great RP! Sorry for any mistakes! Word Count: 1,783

Farah’s POV: I was almost done with this dress. Just a couple more stitches. I was in my room with really loud music on. Just as I was about to put the cloth back into the machine, Haru practically jumped onto my shoulders. I got a little startled and paused my music, removing the earbuds. “Oh well hello, Haruka. What do you want?” I turned and saw him turn a little red. “Well, I need to go to the post office, wanna tag along?” “Sure, why not. Why are you going?” “Oh nothing, just need to drop something off.”

Haru’s POV: Hahaha, I can’t wait to see what happens!

Farah’s POV: We get to the post office and there are tons of girls. What is this? We get to the end of the line and Haru hands the person behind the desk a paper. “And I'm guessing your name is Farah Winters?” she said behind the desk “Indeed I am.” I turn to Haru and he has a gin on his face. “Come this way please.” I follow as asked to. It's not like I needed a passport picture. Why was I taking a picture? I smile and she takes a picture. “All right, thank you and good luck,” she said with an (obvious) fake smile. “Thank you?”

Once we are out of the office I ask Haru what I have been wanting to ask. “What was that for? Why did they need my picture?” “Oh just for your entry for the selection.” “Ok, cool,” then it hits me, “WAIT YOU DID WHAT?” “You entered the selection. That's all.” “You sly little piece shit.” “I know you still love me.” “THAT'S THE PROBLEM!” “I still love you.” I rolled my eyes; “I know bro. I know.”

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

Haru and I’s family stores were having a big sale. It was crazy. Our two shops connected via a big door. They reminded me of barn doors. Haru and I were running the shops for the night. We were closing late because it was a Friday. The report was on in the background. I didn’t pay attention. I was too worried about all the people here.

Ellen DeGreat started calling out names one by one. I couldn’t give a fuck. Haru entered me without my consent. I took a sip of water. I was thirsty from all this walking around “From Waverly, Farah Winters!” I spit out my water; “WHAT!” Everyone was looking at me. “FARAH,” Haru called out from his shop, “I CALLED IT! YOU’RE A SELECTED! AREN'T YOU GLAD?” “I COULDN”T GIVE AN EF HARU!”

“What is going on down there?” My dad asked from the staircase. Haru answered; “Farah is a selected, that's all.” “Oh alright.” I gave Haru a good glare. People kept looking. “Sorry for the disruption everyone,” I said loud enough so anyone in both shops could hear. People, luckily, went back to shopping. 

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

A couple days before Farah was going to leave

“Ah, nooo,” Haru said from his desk. We were chilling our shops. No one was here and the ‘wall’ was open. Haru an I both had our feet on our desks, both to our parent's disapproval. “What?” Then I noticed he has 2 magazines open; The Gossipel and Illeá Now. “Prince Ben was spotted making out with a girl who isn’t a selected at a bar!” “Hm.” “You aren’t worried? Aren’t you leaving in a couple days?” “Yes I'm leaving in a couple days, but I couldn’t care less. There are probably some girls in the selection that are heartbroken.” “True, true.” ------------- Today was the day; my sendoff. I would be leaving Waverly for who knows how long for a selection I didn’t want to be in. All I was excited about was the food. And maybe meeting people. A couple days ago people from the palace came to measure me and gave me my send-off clothes. It would most likely be the last time I wear pants for a long time. It was a simple outfit. It was only black. The only pop of color was the flower and the pin they gave me. The flower, a rose, was pinned to the corner of my top along with my pin. This said my name and my province.

I headed downstairs and started to brew some tea. The barn door was slid open and I made my way to Haru’s room. I was going to make sure he didn’t oversleep. I had been upstairs on his side of the ‘house’ many times. His parents were already awake and in the kitchen. He was nowhere in sight.

Once I got up to his room, he was fast asleep. I got out my phone from my pocket and opened up the music app. I opened it up to my alternative rock playlist and picked the most upbeat song that was on there. I chose Ill Sleep When I Am Dead by Set It Off. I plugged in my earbuds, then put it in his ears. He was a deep sleeper so he probably didn’t feel a thing. I put in at a reasonably loud volume. This meaning just about full volume. I skipped over to the loudest part of the song and hit play.

He shot straight up. “WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT FOR!” “Good morning to you too.” “LANGUAGE HARUKA!” Haru’s mom yelled from downstairs. “SORRY!”

“Why did you do that?” “My sendoff is at 10. It’s 9. I won’t see you for a while.” “True, but why the music.” “All I could think of.” “Alright. Well, I better get dressed before you hit me with a book.”

I laughed and walked out, shutting the door behind me.

--------------- The driver came right on time. I grabbed my suitcase from my room and said my goodbyes. I promised to call every day or else Haru would be spamming me with texts. Once I got to Central Park, the butterflies started to kick in. THere were so many people. I get that a selection doesn’t happen for a long time but still, it was weird. The thought I had fans was weird. I knew I had fans of my clothing, but myself, it was a weird thought. There was a stage where the mayor was waiting. He announced my name and I said things like “I hope to make Waverly proud.” It was quite short. From Waverly to the airport I was supposed to be was a long drive.

I looked up my travel time; 2 hours. I didn’t do much. I listened to music and did a painting of an ocean sunset on my computer. I had one of those computers that could flip back into a tablet. Somehow I managed to not mess up too much despite being in the car. Wasn’t my best, wasn’t the worst.

When I got to the airport I was the first one there. I took my luggage and sat in a chair till the next girl came in. I was sitting on my phone till Tory Livingston came in, her face red.  She thought she was late when she wasn’t. Tory had a bunch of bags as well as a lot of food. She was snacking on a bag of chips almost the entire time.

Next, Ahmara Quill came in, on the phone. She quickly hung up and we said our hellos. I thought she was talking to her ex-boyfriend but I later learned it was her best friend. We also learned that her best friend and Haru would get along quite well after I told the story of how I was entered without my consent.

We talked about many things including food and song choices. The palace staff helping us in the airport weren’t that nice too. We nicknamed her ‘Scary Lady’. When it was time to get on the plane, we had to walk through tons of people seeing us off. Tory and I were fine, but on the other hand, Ahmara was zoning out and still waving when we got in the terminal.

Ahmara wasn’t too sure of flying; in fact, it was her first flight. We helped her through it, and eventually, she got over it. For the duration of the flight, Tory taught us how to play poker. It was really fun actually. The plane ride wasn’t long at all talking to Tory and Ahmara. They were both really sweet.

Once we got there, we were stuck for a while. Lots of people wanted selfies or autographs. Once we got to the palace, I was just in shock. It was huge. As soon as we got into the palace we were bombarded with people who were going to get us ‘palace worthy’. They took my suitcase to my room and I was stuck in a chair for what felt like forever. There were people running around and lots of bright lights. They didn’t do much with me. They lightened my hair a tad bit, curled it, and pulled it into a ponytail. My nails were done with a dark purple color that had a little bit of glitter in it. My makeup was light too. I was glad they didn’t do much. I didn’t have much jewelry on too. Only little necklaces and earrings. When a rack of my dresses arrived I chose a blue one.

I got assigned my room; Abby Hall, room 21. When I got there I was greeted by my maids; Pyrite, the head maid, Zoisite, and Citrine. All crystal names which I found interesting. They all had necklaces of their crystal and looked similar. When I asked, they revealed they were all sisters. I also asked them to not call me ‘Miss Farah’ or ‘Lady Farah’ and just Farah.

They excused me for a couple minutes to settle in. I immediately went to the balcony, I got the view of the ocean. It was beautiful. I immediately texted Haru a picture of my view and gave him a call. He was probably worried sick. He even called me in the airport. I talked to him for a while then I had to change for dinner. I didn’t choose anything fancy. The food at dinner was amazing. It was definitely one of the highlights of the day.

When I got to my room, I unpacked immediately. I honestly had a bunch of art supplies. My computer, watercolor supplies, tons of chargers, and my travel guitar. It was tiny for being a guitar. Once I had unpacked and changed I sat on my computer for a while. After an hour I finally went to bed.

It had been quite a day.

[evebestt]

ummmm hii again! i was wondering if i could request farah x female reader? i don’t really have much of a prompt just was wondering if you could write something fluffy? i’m sorry if this doesn’t help and i can try to come up with something better if you need me to! i’m not doing too well right now… i’m struggle with my mental health and have some family stuff going on. all i really want is some farah cuddles! again i’m sorry this isn’t much to go off of! hope you have a great day/night! 💚💚 - pipsqueak

Hi honey! It’s okay that you didn’t have a specific prompt! I gave into my desires and went all out with the fluff (which honestly was good for me too, I needed some Farah cuddles too). You can always request more prompts from me, I’ll be happy to write them.

Here’s another Farah fic I read a lot when I’m feeling down, called Soothe. Since mine is a little short I wanted to link this one too 🖤 enjoy!

Read here on AO3 or below.

Lazy Morning

You slowly opened your eyes to the dim room, and then smiled. It was the beginning of a glorious, four day weekend at Alfea, where you and Farah had no plans, no responsibilities, no crises to advert — nothing but time to spend with each other.

You rolled over and checked your phone — nine in the morning, and you frowned, thinking it was quite dim for it to be that late in the morning. Only then did you realize it was raining, the sound of rain on the roof of the cottage and the occasional soft rolls of thunder only adding to the coziness of your bed.

Setting your phone down, you rolled back towards Farah, still asleep in the bed besides you. You stared at her, smiling to yourself — her face was soft and unlined, her breathing slow and even, her hair a wild halo behind her, and she was the most gorgeous thing you’d seen. Unable to help yourself, you scooted closer to her, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. She sighed in her sleep and wiggled closer, and you smiled, reaching out to put an arm over her waist. You pressed a kiss to her nose then, and she opened her eyes.

Regardless of being a soldier and then a teacher, Farah was not a morning person. Without an alarm she could sleep until noon, and before her first cup of tea it would take her a few moments to form a full sentence. This morning being no different, she stared blankly at you for a moment before a slow grin spread across her face, and she closed her eyes as she stretched like a cat.

“Good morning,” she murmured, voice low and husky, and you pressed another kiss to her forehead.

“Morning.”

Farah opened her eyes and looked around the room, brows furrowing. “What time is it?”

“Nine. It’s raining,” you explained, and Farah smiled again.

“I do love rainy mornings.”

Thunder rolled softly outside as if on cue, though it only served to remind you how warm your bed was — and how cold it would be outside of it.

“Do we have to do anything today?” you asked, yawning yourself now, and Farah wrapped her arms around you.

“Not if we don’t want to, darling.”

You snuggled close, laying your head against her shoulder. “Then let’s do that. Just sleep all day.”

Farah hummed, sounding like she was halfway there already, and you smiled, closing your eyes and following her into dreams.

You both woke a couple hours later, still warmly cocooned together, but the sound of Farah’s stomach had you getting up.

“I’ll start breakfast, you can have the bathroom first,” you said, pulling on a pair of sweats. “We both know what happens when you cook.”

She snorted and nudged her hip with yours as she passed, but she was smiling and you were too, and you were in love.

You’d set water to boil for tea and had just poured eggs into the pan when Farah came into the kitchen, hair loosely pulled back and face washed but still wearing the clothes she’d slept in. She came up next to you, using a gentle finger to tilt your chin towards her. “Now that I’ve brushed my teeth—“

She placed a kiss on your lips, soft and slow, but still you blindly set down the bowl in your hands to turn to her, wrapping your arms around her neck. Even when the kiss ended you stayed close, gently swaying together and matching breath for breath.

You reached out and grabbed a spatula only when you started to smell overcooked eggs, keeping one arm around Farah’s neck even as you stirred the eggs. “These were meant to be scrambled, but how do you feel about an omelette?”

You trusted Farah to make toast, most likely against your better judgement, but she managed, and minutes later you sat down to your meal, shoulders lightly brushing as you ate. You didn’t talk, but you shared small touches and sweet looks, saying ‘I love you’ over and over in your own language.

You moved to the couch when you were finished, Farah grabbing the large blanket and wrapping it around the both of you as she pulled you to cuddle against her side.

“What should we do while we do nothing all day?” she asked lightly, and you laughed, laying your head on her shoulder.

“Put on Netflix and just let it run?”

“Sounds perfect,” she agreed with a smile, reaching for the remote.

With the TV on, you both settled in, arms around each other as you watched. Farah had her hand on your knee, tracing gentle patterns, and you were blissed out on her shoulder, eyes half closed while you held her free hand, rubbing your thumb over her knuckles.

Not long into the second episode, Farah let out a large yawn and slowly shifted until her head was on your lap, letting out a contented sigh as she settled in. You smiled and buried your fingers in her hair, slowly scratching at her scalp until she nearly purred in your lap.

“I love you,” she murmured sleepily, and your smile widened, still playing with the soft strands as she drifted off.

“I love you, too.”