#hoping to have this chapter done (for real this time) by Sunday (so long as nothing gets in my way!)

[oldfashionedmorphine]

just a tiny peek of chapter 16 of i’m a wreck (without you here) 👀

yeah the karaoke scenes are gonna be totally cringe, but then again, so are they ;)

tagging my fans: @across-thestars @boahey @magentamee @booksandpaperss @rebellius @greenfiend @sparks-olivarpente @total-serene560 @castelobyers @daydreams-in-the-moonlight @wheelersboy

[fangirl-dot-com]

Chapter 4 - They Call Me Kid

AN : So second person won the poll so I guess I will continue in this POV…I love seeing comments so keep at it. And don’t forget that I have a tag list, so just ask if you can be put on it! Enjoy! 

The blare of the alarm from your phone was not fun to wake up to. Arthur had told you many times to change it, but you never listened. If there was a nice tune that was supposed to wake you up, you never would. A sleepy groan escaped your lips as you stretched. You wanted to rub your eyes, but you knew better. Taking a shower was the first thing on your agenda. 

The shower was definitely smaller than the one you had back home, but it would have to do. The water pressure wasn’t great either. You just hoped that the water wouldn’t leave your hair feeling greasy all day. At least you could use the hair dryer. It didn’t take long for the water to warm up. Your muscles instantly relaxed under the stream of heat. 

You definitely fit into the category of “girls who love molten lava water temperature.” Cold showers, or just any cold water, were not your thing. Your trainer often had to force you to get into the ice bath. 

The water helped the sleepiness go away, but a red bull would really get the job done. Knowing the time crunch, you quickly washed and conditioned your hair, along with shaving and exfoliating. You needed to make a good impression on the first day. 

Drying your hair barely took anytime. Since you knew that the simulator would be a big part of today, you forwent the contacts and decided to use your glasses. 

The real driving started on Sunday. Which, you couldn’t help but be excited for. However, you knew how to use a sim, but not the physical car. 

The basics would only help you out so much. 

You shook your head, trying to get out of the oncoming detrimental mindset. You needed music. And there was only one song that you knew would help. 

“Hey Siri, play Life is a Highway by Rascal Flats.” 

The female AI voice responded, “Now playing, Life is a Highway by Rascal Flatts.” 

The familiar sound of the drums and eclectic guitar filled the small bathroom. Your head started to bob as you began your skin care routine. Your makeup didn’t take long since you had decided to go with your glasses. 

“I’LL BE THERE WHEN THE LIGHT COMES IN – JUST TELL ‘EM WE’RE SURVIVORS!” 

Your hands pretended to play an air guitar as you jumped on your bed. You flung your hair left and right at you went into the chorus. 

“LIFE IS A HIGHWAY, WELL I WANNA RIDE IT ALL NIGHT LONG!” 

You, however, were stopped once there was a knock on the door. You quickly turned the music off before clamoring down from the bed. You almost tripped on a loose shoe as you quickly opened the door. 

Standing there was Vito. He took in your appearance before smirking. He pushed passed you and walked further into the room. 

“Well ok then,” you muttered, “just let yourself in I guess.” You ran a hand through your hair, trying to tame the fly aways from your one person concert. 

“Heard you singing down the hallway.” Your mouth gaped. 

“No you did not.” Your shoulders brushed as you walked back into the bathroom. You heard him chuckle as he sat down on your stomped on bed. You quickly finished up. Grabbing your bag, you let Vito know that you were ready. He stood up and walked to the door, with you following behind him. 

You said a quick good morning to the desk workers before walking out the sliding doors. Outside, a nice SUV with tinted was waiting. 

“Front seat or back seat?” you asked. 

“Back.” 

Your hand reached for the back handle and popped the door open. The driver turned around a bit and gave you a smile as you slid on the nice leather. You greeted him before he turned around. The car started to move a bit as you put your seatbelt on. 

“What is on the agenda for today?” you ask Vito as he pulls out a fancy tablet. It looked very similar to the one that Christian had yesterday afternoon. 

“So you have a simulator run, then a suit fitting, and then you need to quickly decide on a helmet design. You could use your current one, but it’s Vegas,” Vito replies. 

“Viva Las Vegas,” you murmured the tune. “When do I need to send in a helmet design?” 

“Probably by the end of the day. They mentioned they needed it soon.” 

“Gotcha.” You quickly took out your phone to start looking over saved designs that you had. Scrolling through your ideas, a couple stood out to you. You reached over to show Vito a few pictures. “Do you think it’s too early for this one?” A bright red and yellow helmet was on display. 

Vito only laughed. “Quite possibly.” He took your phone and scrolled through the rest of the designs. “Your current helmet is white and silver. Do you want to continue or do you want to go with a darker shade?” 

You let out a hmmm. “Let’s keep it white,” you pulled your lip in between your teeth, “and can we add the sparkles?” You were basically a child when it came to glitter. 

“Sure kid.” Vito seemed to screenshot the design and send it to an unknown number. You were satisfied with what you picked. You just couldn’t wait to use the rest of them. You had one picked out for your first actual race, one for COTA, one for Halloween, one for…you got pulled out of your thoughts when the car stopped. 

The building, once again, was very impressive. You could get used to the view. At this point, you never wanted anything to be different. You heard the unbuckling of Vito’s seatbelt and followed suit. You both used the back entrance once again to get into the building. You guessed that RB was very particular about what news they wanted to get out and what news they wanted to keep secret. 

Passing the posters, you felt better about the future. You would be up there, if it was the last thing you did. This time, you followed Vito down a different hallway than the first time. Through a door at the end of the hallway, the two of you entered a giant room with multiple sims. Your heart started to race. You couldn’t decipher if it was from anxiety or excitement. 

Vito continued to walk forward with you hot on his heals. You didn’t want to get too far from him, but your eyes caught the new DMG-1. Even Dams didn’t have this grand of machinery. You had strayed just enough from Vito to be “alone,” but you were still close. Your eyes raced over the sim. Excitement started to buzz in your veins. Your hands itched to touch the wheel. It was all impressive. You didn’t expect anything less from the all-time dominant team. 

“You like it?” A voice interrupted your thoughts. 

You turned your head and your eyes met a pair of brown ones. A woman, taller than you, in an official RB polo stood with one of those tablets. 

You could only nod your head, eyes glistening like a kid in a candy store. This is basically your candy.  

“It-it’s amazing,” you stuttered, suddenly feeling shy. 

The woman let out a small laugh before putting a hand out between the two of you. You grasped the hand firmly as she shook yours. 

“Michelle Williams, your Race Engineer. I’m here to see how you do on the sim.” She gave you a nice smile. 

“Nice to meet you Miss Williams,” you shyly said. This time, her laugh was a little louder as she waved her hands. 

“None of that, people often call me Mitch, and I want you to do as well. You have anything you want me to call you by?” 

Your head cocked. With eyes shifting quickly to Vito, you answered, “They call me kid. I don’t know why, but Vito started calling me that during F2 and it kinda just stuck.” Your shoulders shrugged. You knew exactly why he called you that. You had just turned 17 days before your first F2 debut. You were a kid. Thus, the nickname still stuck. 

She nodded. “Alright kid. You want to show me what you can do?” 

Your eyes widened. “Right now?” 

“Yep. Don’t worry about the others. They’re here for other things. It’s just going to be me and you. A test run for the real thing if you will.” Her smile was comforting. 

You took a deep breath and took a step towards the simulator. You carefully climbed into the machine with the help of Mitch. Once you had gotten situated, you pulled the straps down and buckled in. Mitch handed you a headset and explained that she would have one as well on the outside to get you used to her talking. 

She started up the sim from the outside. You were now in your element. 

From your headset, Mitch talked, “Ok kid. We’re going to do a couple of laps in Vegas to get you used to the layout. How does that sound?” 

You replied, “Sounds good Mitch. Just so you know, I have a borderline photographic memory, so I think I can have it memorized by the first lap” There was a reason for your dominance on the F2 tracks. Tiny details that people might forget after a lap were always noticed by you. Because of your communication with the team, you were able to overcome things that sent drivers into the barriers. 

“Sounds good. Ok, starting the first lap, stand by.” 

You inhaled and exhaled before pressing on the pedals. It was definitely harder than an F2 car, but you could manage. Taking things slowly, you took your time to get the layout of the track and how it felt. You were able to communicate a few things with Mitch as you leisurely drove around. After about 7-10 laps of just driver, Mitch told you to line the car up with the animated P1 spot. 

What you didn’t know, was that the rest of the crew, including Christian had gathered around to see how you did. Vito stood with bated breath. He knew you could do it. 

From you headset came, “This is ‘for real’ now kid. Let’s set an official lap time for the simulator.” 

“Yes ma’am.” You wanted to mock salute, but you needed to focus. You shifted down in your seat to make yourself smaller. 

Once the animated lights changed green, your pretend tires spun as the car accelerated at an amazing speed. You weren’t expecting it but you accepted it with open arms. This is what you were meant to do. 

You eyes stayed laser focused on the track as you went around the first corner. This track definitely had a lot of straights, and you knew that the track was going to be colder than normal. You commanded the car with excellence. You hadn’t even realized that you had already gone around the track. 

Christian leaned over to Vito, “Where’d you find this kid?” 

Vito could only smile and shrug his shoulders. 

You were pulled out of your mindset when Mitch spoke in the headset, “And that is an excellent time of 1 minute and 32 point 799 seconds. Well done kid.” You could practically hear her smile, which made you smile in return. 

“Do I need to go another time?” you asked as you taxied the “car” around the circuit. 

“That’s all for today. I think you need to go with your manager for the suit fitting.” 

“Thanks Mitch.” 

“No problem kid.” 

You parked the pretend car and looked up at the time and smiled. A click caught your attention as a photographer had his camera to his face. He sheepishly smiled as he brought the camera down. 

“Could you send me that?” you asked him as you unbuckled the seatbelts. He nodded and walked away. As you climbed down out of the sim, you finally noticed the crowd. You averted your eyes as you walked over to Vito and Christian. 

“Nice to see you again Mr. Horner,” you said as Vito passed you a water bottle, which you chugged gratefully. 

“Mega job there kid,” he paused, “I can call you that right?” You never would have thought that the great Christian Horner would be hesitant about things like that. 

You let out a little laugh, “Yes sir. Seems like it sticks with me wherever I end up.” You poked Vito in the side. The three of you talked for a bit. Things about the upcoming schedule were discussed before you had a question. 

“Am I meeting Max and Checo at Vegas, or will I meet them before?” 

Christian brought his hand to his chin. “I think we’re going to fly you down on Tuesday and we can all go out to eat.”

“Does, um, Max know yet?” You really didn’t want him to meet you for the first time and just then find out that you were going to be his teammate. Your worries must have shown on your face as Christian put his hand on your shoulder. 

“He already knows. He knows what it’s like, being young and all.” 

“And he doesn’t care that I’m…” you trailed off, leaving the words unspoken. 

Christian gave you a sympathetic look. “Kid, he’s eager to meet you. The guy likes a challenge and I think he’s ready for a new dynamic.” 

You let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding. 

“Ok, thank you.” 

“No problem kid. I think though that you are needed in room 3A for a suit fitting.” He pointed in the direction of the room. 

You thanked him and walked over to the door, with a new found confidence you didn’t know you had. 

Opening the door, you were met with another man and a woman. 

“Hey kid. You ready for your fitting?” the woman asked. 

“I was born ready.” 

Tag List : @awekbachira @lightdragonrayne @leilanixx @angsthology @digitalizeduniqueness @topguncultleader @landosgirlxoxo @gods-menace @itsjustkhaos @alwaysboredsworld

[builtbybrokenbells]

Spitfire | ii

Jake falls for an enigmatic girl at the bar, but she gets away before he could get her number. Although a bit heartbroken, he continues on with life anyhow. He discovers a local coffee shop that adorns fantastic reviews, but doesn’t realize it’s the ‘spitfire’s’ long time favourite. He thinks that maybe fate is at play after all.

Read part one here

Read part three here

Pairing: jake kiszka x f!reader

Word Count: 8k

Warnings: swearing, mentions of a physical fight, mentions of cheating and bad past relationships, deep convo that’s slightly sad, mentions of drinking, fluff, getting to know each other esque cuteness. I think that’s it, nothing too heavy!

hi! im really liking writing this so far, sorry it took me a little while to get this chapter out. im recovering from quite the sickness atm. i think this is turning into quite a slowburn little story. im so down bad for domesticity and romance, also just absolutely feral for Jake in general. hope you enjoy, and as always don’t mind any grammar mistakes and please be kind!! 🫶🏻

~

The small coffee shop was crowded, busy with hungover university go-ers and old couples on their weekly outings. Late morning on a Sunday was the worst time to go to a cafe, but they were the best cure for a hangover. Jake had scoured the internet for the best rated store that was within walking distance. Now, he stood in line, absentmindedly staring at the menu. He was still caught up in the memories of the night prior, unable to stop thinking about the girl he’d met at the bar. Once his brothers got him back to the hotel, he’d found it almost impossible to sleep. He’d stared at his phone all night, searching your first name on every social media he owned. Turns out, there were a lot of girls with the same name as you. That, or you didn’t have a very large internet presence. He was left empty-handed and dejected, wondering if he’d ever see you again.

When you’d returned home, little to his knowledge, you’d done the same. It wasn’t very hard to find him, though. All it took was a little search of nearby concerts to find the name of his band, and from there it was easy as pie. You had his account open on your Instagram all day, staring at it with your finger hovering over the follow button. You wished you could just get over yourself and follow him. For all you knew, he wouldn’t even notice the notification. Still, you were on the fence about him. Sure, he was attractive, seemed nice enough, and wasn’t disrespectful, but the possibility of him turning out to be an asshole was still very real. The possibility of him turning out to be a distraction was even larger.

So, you kept his page open in the background on your phone while you threw a sweater on. You then shoved your phone in your pocket, ignoring the incessant nagging in the back of your mind. You were certain you could forget about him within a few days. You convinced yourself that you were only so fixated on him because it was new and exciting. The novelty would wear off soon enough.

You slipped on some shoes, throwing your hair back in a bun and walked out the front door of your house. When you got outside, you took a look at your hand, which was bruised from the night before. You smiled at the memory, knowing that your ex had gotten what he deserved. The ache in your knuckles was tolerable if it meant he’d finally leave you alone. You set off down the street, barely looking at the people who walked past you. When you turned the corner, a strip of local owned business came into sight. It was bustling, much busier than usual for a regular Sunday. You smiled to yourself, passing by a record store you’d frequented. The owner was sitting in the window by the register. You gave a small knock on the glass, catching his attention. Once he’d recognized you, he gave a wave.

You mouthed that you’d see him later, making a point to remember to stop before you went home. He gave a thumbs up before you disappeared from the window. You continued on your walk with your main objective never leaving your mind. Eventually, you reached the front of a familiar building, peering inside and seeing it was very crowded. As you reached for the handle of the door to your favourite cafe, your phone started to ring. You pulled it out of your pocket, seeing one of your brother’s names pop up on your screen. You put the phone to your ear after accepting the call. “What?”

“Oh, yeah, nice to hear your voice, too.” The sarcasm was laced in his words. You chuckled.

“No really, what’s up?” You stepped inside the building, immediately filling the phone with background chatter.

“Where are you, the middle of a fucking madhouse?”

“Coffee shop.” You responded, getting into line.

“Recovering from last night?” He questioned with a knowing tone.

“How do you know about last night, Sam?” You pulled your wallet out of your pocket, checking to make sure you’d picked up the right one before you left.

“Little birdie told me,” he sing-songed. You were certain Eve had already texted him and told him. She was nothing short of hopelessly in love with him, and he with her. They’d clicked instantly when they met. If not for the distance between where they lived, you were sure they’d be married with six kids already. She’d never admit it, but you knew how often they talked. If anything, you thought it was sweet. “What did I tell you about getting into fist fights with grown men?”

“Oh, shut up.” You rolled your eyes. “He deserved it.”

“Yeah no doubt about that, but that doesn’t mean you should pick fights with notoriously aggressive people. A man, at that.” Your phone vibrated against your head. You pulled it back to see he was FaceTiming you. You grabbed your headphones from your pocket, slipping one in your ear and accepting the video. When it connected, his face was uncomfortably close to the camera.

“Are you trying to say men are stronger than women?” You raised an eyebrow.

“No, I’m saying he’s twice your size and is crazy enough to kill you.” He pulled his phone back, letting you get the full view of his face.

“Is that Alex?” You asked, noticing a figure sitting on his couch behind him, hopefully changing the topic for good. He moved so you could see the sofa. “Brother!” You exclaimed. He turned his head to look at the camera. He immediately waved, a smile crossing his face.

“So you’re excited to see him, but not me?” Sam feigned a look of hurt, sitting next to your eldest brother.

“Yeah, pretty much.” You laughed. “He’s my favourite.”

“You’re my favourite too, squirt!” Alex was clearly high, Xbox controller in his hand and a bowl of cereal on his lap in front of him.

“Thanks, guys.” Sam scoffed, setting his phone up on the coffee table, already tired of holding it up.

“Are you guys stoned at eight in the morning?” You asked, barely being able to control your giggles.

“It’s the weekend, baby. Time doesn’t exist.” Alex stated, giving a lazy smile. “When are you coming home?”

“You guys could always come visit me!” You exclaimed, checking to see how far the line had progressed. The two muttered an agreement, but didn’t give a straight answer. You knew they would; at least twice a year all of your brothers flew out to stay for a while, but it was hard to coordinate. Five schedules aligning was not easy in the adult world. “I’ve got four exams and three essays to do in the next two weeks. After that, I’ll come home to visit for a little while.” You assured him. As much as they got on your nerves growing up, they were, without a doubt, your best friends in the whole world.

“If she doesn’t get herself killed.” Sam interjected.

“Yeah, I heard about that, Squirt.” Alex said, now putting his focus fully on you. “I know we taught you how to fight, but you can’t put yourself in danger. You seem to be getting into fights every time you go out.” There it was; the concerned older brother act.

“Yeah, whatever. I was perfectly fine. He’s a little bitch, anyway. Hopefully he takes the hint this time.” You stepped forward, realizing you were next in line. “Listen, I’ll call you guys later. I’ve got to order.” You told them. A look of sadness crossed their faces. You felt guilty, knowing you had been neglecting them lately. “I love you both. I promise I’ll call tonight before bed.”

“Okay, I’ll hold you to it.” Alex pointed at the camera, a stern look on his face. You chuckled. “We love you too.”

“Try not to punch the barista if they get your order wrong.” Sam snickered.

“Fuck you, Sam.” You couldn’t help but smile while you said it. “You’re still my least favourite.” This time, your voice caught the attention of someone ahead of you that was waiting for their order. He looked over, catching sight of you smiling down at your phone. He was shocked, blinking hard and wondering if he was just imagining you standing in line. When his eyes refocused and you were still there, his heart sped.

“Love you!” Sam exclaimed just as you ended the call. You shoved your phone back in your pocket, taking out your earbud.

“Who’s Sam?” A low voice sounded from in front of you. You looked up, eyes wide at the sudden interaction. A smirk was adorned on a set of lips that you hadn’t been able to get out of your head all morning.

“Jake?” You whispered, not believing you’d ran into him.

“We meet again, witchy woman.” His smile was wide, teeth showing and eyes crinkled.

“You really must be following me, rockstar.” You couldn’t bite back the grin that was growing.

“I was here first, so I think, if anything, you’re the one following me.” He teased.

“If that’s what you’d like to believe, I’ll let it slide.” You both gave a small chuckle. Silence ensued only for a second before he spoke again.

“Seems like fate really wants us to get to know each other.” You took in the sight of him, light wash jeans and plain grey t-shirt, sunglasses low on his nose. Somehow, he was still just as attractive as he was the night prior, proving the liquor wasn’t skewing your opinion. “So, is this Sam some competition for me?” He asked. You let out a little laugh, shaking your head.

“He’s my younger brother. No need to worry, rockstar.” He cocked his head to the side, a noise of humour falling from him.

“I’ve got a younger brother named Sam, too.” His eyes scanned your face, making you a bit nervous. You definitely weren’t wearing your best attire, but he still seemed to look at you like you were the prettiest girl he’d ever seen.

“Small world, huh?” You breathed.

“Very,” the conversation was interrupted by the cashier calling you over. Jake turned, looking at the worker and stepping out of your way. He followed you to the counter, though, not wanting you to leave his sight.

“Uh, can I get my usual coffee and a blueberry muffin, please?” You asked her. She rang it in, not having to ask for any clarification. You’d frequented the cafe so often that they usually knew what time of day you’d be there.

“Anything else, y/n?” She asked. You shook your head, holding up your debit card.

“I’ll get it.” Jake whispered, gently nudging you out of the way.

“No, you don’t have to.” You shot him down.

“I insist,” he pulled his card out, tapping it before you had the chance. You shook your head, knowing he was never going to let you pay. You pulled out a five dollar bill from the back of your phone case, setting it down on the counter. The two of you walked to the waiting area silently, not sure where to go from there. You only waited a second before Jake’s order was up on the counter. He grabbed it, not making any move to leave.

“Any plans for the day?” You looked at him through the corner of your eye.

“I think I have a pretty clear schedule.” He smiled. “What about you?”

“I think I could fit you in.” You whispered, turning your head towards him. “I owe you a memorable time in Baltimore, if I remember correctly.”

“Hm, yeah,” he pretended to ponder, his thumb and forefinger taking to his chin. “I think I do recall something about that.” You couldn’t help but laugh at him. “What do you have in mind, miss engineer?” You watched him for a moment, slightly amazed that he’d remembered what you told him the night before.

“I’m sure we can figure something out.” A worker placed your order on the counter, giving you a wave. You returned it, feeling slightly guilty that you couldn’t remember his name. “Thanks! I’ll see you guys tomorrow.” You said, grabbing your cup and the little bag that adorned your breakfast. You gave Jake a look, nodding your head towards the door. The two of you hurried out, returning to the crowded sidewalk. “There’s a little park on the next street over. It’s usually pretty quiet there, if you wanted to eat in peace.” You told him. He gave a nod, instantly okay with anything you suggested if it meant he got to spend time with you.

You grabbed his hand, weaving around a corner into a small alleyway that lead to the next street. You only had to walk for a minute before the gates to the recreation area were in view. There was a small playground for the children with a few slides and swing sets, but it was mostly patches of small flower gardens and filled with benches and picnic tables. You made your way towards a secluded table that was shaded by a tree, never once letting go of the boys hand. You sat down, motioning for him to take a seat across from you. The first few moments were filled with silence, neither of you sure of what to say. Eventually, he spoke up.

“I thought I’d never see you again,” he chuckled, looking up at you and taking his sunglasses off.

“That makes two of us.” You said, taking your muffin out and unwrapping it. “Thanks for breakfast, by the way.”

“It was my pleasure.” He assured you.

“I think you forgot to mention that your band was pretty popular, rockstar.” You picked at the top of the muffin, taking small bits off at a time. “You’re telling me I’ve got to compete with almost a million other girls?”

“So you looked me up?” He smirked. You rolled your eyes. “Don’t worry, I tried to find you too.” He admitted, eyes falling on his coffee cup. “Turns out there’s a lot of people with the same first name as you.”

“Well, my parents weren’t too original with names, seeing as we have brothers with the same one.” You joked. “Was that him at the bar with you, last night?”

“Yeah, all of my brothers were there. Sam is the taller one with long hair. Josh is the one with the half-assed mullet.” He chuckled.

“Are you and Josh twins? I thought you looked alike.”

“Yeah, we are. And Danny, he’s our best friend. He’s not actually related to us, but he’s our brother, too.” He explained. You gave a slow nod.

“Curly hair?”

“Yeah,” he replied “and that’s the band.”

“Interesting. So your mom gave birth to a set of musical prodigies?” He let out another laugh, this one louder and more relaxed. You were certain you could listen to it all day.

“I guess you could say that.” He paused, taking a sip of his drink. “What about you? Do you just have the one?” You could have cackled at the thought, not being able to imagine a world with only one brother.

“Four,” he nearly choked on his beverage.

“Wow, okay.” He cleared his throat. “So I’ll have an army after me if I fuck this up.” You smiled, shaking your head.

“They’re all bark, no bite. I throw a better punch than all of them put together.” You assured him. He knew you weren’t lying, recalling the ones you’d thrown the night before. “Alex is the oldest, he’s permanently stoned. Then Will, who hates to admit he’s related to us,” you joked “Austin is the middle child, and he’ll never let us forget it. I’m next, the only girl so ultimately the favourite, and then Sammy, the baby, and the most annoying person I’ve ever met in my whole life.”

“I think that’s a brother thing.” He confided, agreeing with you.

“So it’s just you and your two brothers? Well, and the rent-a-kid?” He let out another belly-laugh, making it hard for you to hold back a smile.

“No, we have a sister, too. Her name’s Veronica.”

“So technically we have the same type of family. A fuck ton of brothers and one lonely girl in the mess of testosterone.” You said, swallowing down another bit of muffin.

“Seems so,” he picked at the sandwich he’d bought for himself. “Now I know why you can fight like that.” Your cheeks tinged pink at the memory.

“Only when it’s deserved.” You corrected.

“Yeah, seemed like that guy did deserve it.”

“You have no idea.” He didn’t respond right away, but his eyes lingered over you. There was so much he wanted to ask; so much he was itching to know, but he had no clue where to begin, or if you even wanted that.

“I’d like to know, if you’re ever willing.” He finally said. You watched him for a moment, not giving him any reaction.

“Do you really, though?” You asked, curiosity getting the best of you.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, do you really want to hear the stories, or do you just want to fuck and move on?” You studied his face, waiting to see a hint of a lie in his answer.

“I want to know.” He said, just as serious as you were. “I really like you, y/n.” You chuckled, leaning back and looking away from him now.

“Yeah, they all say that.” You dismissed him.

“I’m serious,”

“You don’t even know me, Jake.”

“Then let me.” His stern tone brought your attention back to him. “You had me head over heels just by existing last night. Then, you leave without my number and we just happen to run into each other again? You have to feel something, too. I can’t be making this up.” You took a long sip from your latte, avoiding the statement for as long as you could.

“I do, too.” You eventually sighed. “But that doesn’t matter. I said I was done with relationships. Even if we try to start something, you’re leaving. I’m never going to see you again.”

“You think I’d leave and never see you again?” He wasn’t condescending when he asked, but more inquisitive. You gave a shrug.

“You travel the world for a living. You meet new girls every day, ones throwing themselves at you non-stop. I can’t compete with that. I’m stuck here for at least two more years. You’re going to forget about me as soon as you step foot on that plane.” Your fingers played with the sleeve on the cardboard cup, scared to look up at his face.

“I’m interested in you. I knew from the minute I saw you at the bar last night, I wanted to know you. You’ve got nobody to compete with, because you’re the only person I’m looking at.” He chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief. “There is no possibility of me ever forgetting about you, even if this doesn’t go anywhere.” He caught your eyes. You held his gaze for a moment. The sincerity he held in them was something you’d never seen before.

“Okay,” you straightened up, leaning closer to him. “I will give you my phone number. If, after you leave, of course,” you paused “you’re still thinking about me, use it.” A grin started to blossom on his lips. “But you better mean it, rockstar. There’s no back and forth, or changing your mind every other day: if you want it, you can have it, but I do not fuck around and I do not give second chances.”

“Thank god, because I don’t think I could leave here without it.” You both shared a giggle, feeling the tension dissipate. “You don’t have to worry about having to give me a second chance. I’m not stupid enough to do something that would risk losing you.” A small smile broke out on your face, comfortable with the agreement.

“Okay, rockstar. I’ll hold you to it, then.” You said, reaching across the table. His hand found yours immediately, thumb running over the smooth skin. Your fingers danced together, becoming familiar with the feeling of holding each other. You noticed the callouses on his fingertips, prominent on his otherwise soft hand. “Give me your phone.” Without question, he used his free hand to pull it from his pocket. He placed it in front of you after unlocking it. You picked it up, going straight to his contacts and adding your number. You clicked the icon for the camera, holding the phone up and taking a quick picture of your smiling face. You left the nickname blank, letting him make that decision on his own.

He took it back, studying it for a moment before typing something in. After a second, your own phone chimed, signifying a new message coming through. You looked at it, unable to hold back a laugh. He had texted a simple ‘hi’ with a smiley face. You sent one back, setting his contact name as ‘Rockstar’. “Thinking of me already?” You teased.

“Had to make sure you gave me your real number.” He put his phone back in his pocket, wanting to keep his full attention on you.

“Don’t trust me?”

“Just don’t want you to get away again.” He breathed. The uncertainty about him was slowly disappearing the longer you were around him. Silence ensued again, his hand still intertwined with yours. The coffee in your cup was quickly coming to an end, and you were eager to show him around the town, now.

“Come on,” you stood, finishing the last of your drink and tossing your garbage in a nearby trash can.

“Where are we going?” He asked, standing, too.

“You’ll see.” You reached for his hand again. He accepted after slipping his glasses back on. You started at a slow pace, in no rush to get anywhere. You led him back to the street the coffee shop was on, passing by a few friendly faces from campus. You stopped in front of the record store, excited to show him what was inside. You prompted him to enter first, following behind him.

He took in the sight; the walls lined with posters and music memorabilia. There were rows of records, sorted by genre and in alphabetical order. He looked at you, giving you a small smile. You waited, wanting to see where he went first. He cautiously approached the rock section, eyes lingering over the surplus of vinyls with a childlike glimmer in them. You looked through bins yourself, but occasionally looked over at him to see what caught his attention. After a moment, he pulled one out. You focused in his direction, trying to see which one he’d grabbed.

“Hendrix?” You asked, recognizing the cover. He nodded, turning it so you could see it too. “That one’s my favourite, I bought it a couple months ago.” You smiled.

“‘Electric Ladyland’ is your favourite?” He asked, now turning his attention fully on you.

“Yeah. Voodoo Child and Crosstown Traffic are my favourite songs from him. ‘Are You Experienced’ was a good album, and it’s almost everyone’s favourite. I have that one too, but that one was my favourite.” You explained. He gave a slow nod, appreciating your opinion. Just as he was about to respond, the calling of your name caught you off guard. You turned, seeing the owner of the store sitting at the register.

“I got your order in, darlin’.” Your expression lit up, immediately leaving Jake to join him at the front of the store. You took a seat on one of the stools he had by the counter. “Was wondering when you were coming back, I was going to give you a call.” He picked up a box from below the counter, setting it in front of you. Jake had joined you now, standing behind you.

“I meant to swing by sooner, just got busy.” You explained. He waved you off, not too worried about it.

“I know you’re busy with all of your schoolwork. You’re here now, that’s what matters.” He assured you. You leaned forward, opening the flaps of the cardboard. You grabbed the records from inside, placing them in front of you. “Some good picks in there.” He complimented.

“Thanks, Dave.” You smiled. Jake watched over your shoulder as you sorted through them. Janis Joplin, The Doors, and a Santana album.

“I had trouble finding the ‘Abraxas’ album.” He admitted. “That’s why it took so long to get it.”

“I’m just glad you found it; I’ve been looking for it for years.” You said, looking up at him. “Thank you so much.”

“No trouble, kid. Let me know if you want anything else.” You nodded, appreciative that he was so kind. “So, who’s this poor boy you’ve got with you today?” He had a smirk on his face, looking behind you at Jake.

“Oh! This is Jake, I met him last night. He’s just in town visiting, so I thought I’d show him some of the best spots.” You were a bit embarrassed that you’d forgotten to introduce him. Jake stepped forward, holding his hand out for the owner to shake.

“Nice to meet you,” he smiled.

“You, too. I’m Dave, I own the place.” The older gentleman responded. “You like music, son?”

“Yeah, I do. Same type of stuff she likes.” He informed him. You rolled your eyes, cutting in.

“He’s a musician,” you added. “I haven’t heard him play, but his band is pretty popular from what I’ve seen.”

“Is that so?” Dave was pleasantly surprised. “I was in a band back in my day, didn’t get very far though.” He chuckled. “What’s it called?”

“Oh, uh, Greta Van Fleet.” He answered, seeming a bit shy from being put on the spot. Dave stood, looking past him for a moment before walking towards the mounds of records. He looked through a bin for a moment before stopping and pulling one out. He flashed the cover towards you both. “Yeah, that’s us!” Jake let out a small laugh, shocked at the sight.

“I did a big order a couple weeks ago, when I was browsing I saw the name pop up, thought I’d bring some in. I haven’t got a chance to listen to one yet, though.”

“That’s super cool,” Jake said, his cheeks slightly pink. You grinned at the interaction, knowing he was amazed that his record was here. Dave brought it over, handing it to you so you could get a look. You grabbed it, inspecting it for a moment. “That was our first EP.” He explained. You flipped it around, looking at the songs on the back.

“I think I have some more over there, too.” Dave said, sitting back down in his computer chair. You got up and walked over to where the older man had been moments before. You sifted through and stopped, pulling two more out.

“‘Anthem of the Peaceful Army’, and… ‘The Battle at Garden’s Gate’?” You asked.

“Yeah, those are ours, too.” He walked over to meet you, his hand falling on your lower back and looking over your shoulder.

“What’s your best album, rockstar?” You turned your head to look up at him. He wasn’t very much taller than you, more or less the perfect height.

“I don’t think I could pick a favourite.” He chuckled. “That one’s our newest one, the one we’re doing the tour for, now.” He pointed at the black album with gold detail. “But the other ones all paved the way for us to get here.”

“Spoken like a true musician.” You giggled, taking them back to the counter with you. “I guess I’ll have to check them all out, then.” He broke off, still browsing through all of the options.

“You’re buying all of them?” He asked, not believing what he’d heard.

“Well, if I’m gonna be your biggest fan, I’m going to have to commit to it, aren’t I?” He smiled to himself at your words. “I do expect an autograph, though.”

“I think I can do that.” He called back as you gathered all of your purchases. Dave rang them in on his register, grabbing a bag for you when he finished. You pulled out your card, completing the transaction without a word. Dave bagged the records, handing you a receipt. Jake appeared behind you again, now placing something of his own on the counter. You looked down, recognizing the cover immediately. He’d picked up the self-titled Eagles album, which contained the song he’d pegged as your nickname. When he caught you looking, he gave a smirk. “Maybe I can get your autograph, too.” He joked.

“You guys are all set.” Dave said, handing Jake his receipt. “Nice to meet you, Jake.” He said with a smile.

“Nice to meet you, too, sir.” Jake replied. Dave chuckled at the formality.

“Be careful with her, now. She’s a wild one.” It was your turn to laugh, opening the door for your company.

“Don’t scare the man away, Dave!” You teased.

“You know I’m joking. He seems like he can handle ya.” He gave a chuckle. “See you later, y/n.”

“Bye!” You called out as you stepped outside. Jake gently let the door fall closed behind him, making sure it didn’t slam. You looked at him over your shoulder as you continued to walk up the street, admiring the way the sun casted over his face.

You didn’t know him yet, but every part of you wanted to. From what you’d seen of him already, he was different than any boy who’d pursued you before. He was careful, collected and quiet, but he looked at you like a person, rather than just someone to fuck. Even if you never saw him again, the memory of knowing him for a day was worth more than knowing someone lesser for a lifetime. He caught up to you, grabbing your hand before you could get too far away from him. He wasn’t sure where you were taking him, but he was happy to be with you. You walked in silence, bag of records swinging in time with your steps. You couldn’t help but think about how nice his hand felt in yours, wondering if fate really was at play for you to end up here.

You brought him to a large recreation centre, seeing bodies pooling around the doorway. You politely passed through, leading him inside. The usually empty main room buzzed with chatter, small booths and tables lining the perimeter with a few large strips through the middle. “Farmer’s market?” He asked, taking in the sight.

“Yeah, every Sunday they usually have one here. They’ve got lots of cool stuff. Hope you don’t mind.” You smiled.

“No! I think it’s nice,” he assured you. “I love stuff like this.”

“I usually check it out every week. Something small to get out of the house, plus they have produce and preserves, other farm fresh food, and lots of little knickknacks. I like getting to know the vendors, too.” You explained. He listened carefully, nodding along with your words.

“You seem to know everyone. The bartender, that bouncer, the guy from the record store…” he listed, trailing off at the end.

“I love people. I think they’re interesting.” You explained, walking forward to a small booth with homemade jams. “I think everybody’s story is worth telling, but nobody ever wants to listen, so I do. It’s made me some fantastic friendships, although some unlikely.” You chuckled, peering at the different flavours on the labels of the jars. “It’s also gotten me into some sticky situations, like the guy at the bar. I like to see the best in people, but unfortunately some people are just bad. Seems like we always figure that out after it’s too late.”

His eyes never left you, soaking in your explanation. “But, I wouldn’t change it, I guess. As much as that particular person sucked, I never would have known for sure if I never got to know him. Everybody deserves a chance, but rarely do they deserve a second. Hence why I told you that, earlier.”

“Is that why you decided to get to know me?” He asked, looking over your shoulder at a bottle you’d picked up.

“I’ll take this one, please.” You smiled at the lady selling.

“Five dollars, please.” She smiled. You fished some change from your wallet, handing it over to her.

“Thank you.” You smiled. “Hope business is well today.” The older woman smiled, letting you know it was, then wishing you a good day. You moved on, Jake following and still waiting for a response. “I suppose so,” you finally told him “after the last guy, I kind of swore off romance in general. When Mike told me you were asking about me, I wasn’t really interested, like at all.” You gave a humourless chuckle. “But you came over, and you were attractive, and I was drunk. Thought one drink wouldn’t hurt and it would end there. Then you started talking, and you were genuinely interested in what I had to say. I’m not used to that. When I talk to everyone, they love telling me about their life, because nobody’s ever really asked them, but a lot of them forget to do it back.”

“I don’t know how anyone would not want to hear all about you,” he mumbled. You shrugged it off.

“You’d be surprised. Some people go their whole lives without being asked about themselves, so when the time comes, they’re so happy about it that they forget how lonely it feels.” You explained. “And that’s fine. I like listening, way more than I’ve ever liked telling. I made it a point to get to know as many people as I could when I moved here. In three years, I could probably tell you more stories about the residents here than others who’ve known them their entire lives. But I suppose it does get a little isolating, knowing so much about everyone, but nobody really knowing me.” He was captivated in your story, really wanting to hear what you were telling him. He didn’t want to make you feel like others had. You walked to the next booth, looking at a row of handmade jewelry.

“When you wanted to know me, when you asked me all of those questions… it just made me feel a bit different, I think. I was really going to let you take me home. Then all of that other shit happened, and I was worried that you’d believe the stuff he was saying.” Jake was taken back, sad that you even considered he’d believe a bad word about you without knowing you. “You wouldn’t have been the first.” You sighed. “When I was running away, I regretted it before I even lost sight of you. I wanted to turn back, but I guess I was scared. I still am, but that’s a different story.” You picked up a beaded bracelet with a small charm hanging from it, inspecting it carefully.

“I think that would suit you very well, y/n.” You looked up, noticing the person on the other side of the table.

“Well hello, Linda.” You smiled. “I haven’t seen you here in a while.”

“Yeah, I took a little break, but had some free time and decided to come back.” She told you.

“How’s your daughter doing?” You asked.

“She’s good, getting eager for the fall. I made sure to let her know all of that stuff you told me about the school. And she even bought her prom dress, yesterday.”

“Exciting!” You exclaimed. “Did she end up going with the red one?” The woman nodded, a sad smile crossing her lips.

“I can’t believe she’s all grown up.” She sighed.

“Time flies, but she’s gonna do awesome. Cognitive Science is a super competitive program, so she’s already ahead of the game.” You promised. “And she has my number if she needs any help around campus.” You reminded.

“And we appreciate it, very much.” The woman assured you. “You graduate your bachelor this year, right?” You nodded, a grin breaking out on your face.

“It’s crazy, but yeah. It’s been a long few years, but I’m ready to move on to the next challenge.” You told her.

“Have the bracelet, dear. As a graduation present, and a thank you for all your help.”

“Oh, no, Linda. That’s okay, I know you work hard on these.”

“No, really! I’m more than happy to, you’re always such a pleasure to talk to. You’ve been so helpful with the university thing. I never went, I have no idea how to help her and you always have an answer.” She smiled. You returned it, feeling your heart swell with affection.

“Thank you, and I love helping you guys out. You’ve always been kind to me. Like I said, if she has any questions don’t be scared to give me a call.” You said.

“Of course, have a good rest of your day, dear.”

“You, too!” You returned the well wish before continuing on your journey. Jake could only laugh at the interaction.

“You really do know everyone.” He said, watching you slip the bracelet on.

“Like I said, I come here every weekend. She used to be here all of the time, I got to know her pretty well. Her daughter got accepted to Hopkins in the fall, so I’ve been helping them transition into it.”

“That’s really nice of you.” He said. His attention was caught by a stand overflowing with freshly cut flowers. He noticed that you’d already found your focus on a produce booth, looking over the fruits and vegetables. He managed to break away from you without you knowing, sneaking across the walkway to look over the bouquets.

His eyes landed on a bunch of wildflowers, finding that it seemed to suit you better than any of the different coloured roses. He asked the vendor if he could take that one, pulling out his wallet and checking if you’d noticed he was gone. The lady asked if he wanted a card for it, to which he gave a nod. “Uh, can I borrow a pen?” He asked, a bit sheepishly as he handed the money over the counter. She gave him his change and a pen. He used the small open space on the counter to scribble a note on the card.

Lucky to be the one to know you, witchy woman

- your rockstar x

He handed it back, thanking her and quickly turning back to you. He noticed you were just finishing up buying a basket of food, relieved that you hadn’t caught him in the act. As you were putting your wallet back in your pocket, you finally turned to notice Jake wasn’t beside you anymore. You turned slightly, looking behind you to try and locate him. He was standing with a childish grin, holding the flowers to his chest when you caught sight of him. You couldn’t help but giggle, feeling a redness creep to your cheeks.

“For me?” You asked as he stepped towards you.

“No, I bought them for Josh, actually. Just because he’s such a great brother.” He joked, causing a laugh to fall from your lips.

“I don’t know him, but I’m sure he’d appreciate it.” You continued on with the humour. He extended his arm, holding them out for you. You took the bouquet, inspecting the beauty of it. Your eyes fell over the card, feeling butterflies in your stomach as you read the words. “You know, I don’t think I’ve ever gotten flowers before.” He gave you an incredulous look. You shrugged at his response.

“I’m glad I could be the first,” he chose not to say what he wanted to about your past relationships, trying to keep the interaction as light as possible.

“Thank you, Jake.” You leaned in and placed a kiss on his cheek, lingering there for a moment. He smiled to himself, looking down at you with a hint of a blush. You rearranged your items, placing the flowers into the basket with your produce. He stopped you, taking it from your hand completely.

“I’ll hold it for you. I’ve only got one bag.” He assured you, making sure the flowers were secure before you continued walking.

“And to finish what I was saying earlier,” you said as you turned the corner to the next aisle of tables. “It sucked leaving you there last night. I really wanted to turn around, or to tell you to come with me, but I got in my own head. Same with this morning. I could have followed your Instagram and shot you a message, but I’m still scared, I think. My love life has never been too kind to me, and I grouped you in with the rest of them. I don’t think that was fair.” You explained.

“I get why, though. When we get hurt enough, we tend to forget that good people still exist. It’s normal, and I don’t hold that against you.” You looked up at him, studying him for a moment.

“What about you, rockstar?” He met your eyes, cocking his eyebrow up as if to ask ‘what’. “You seem to be very understanding about it, so I can only assume it’s happened to you, too.” He didn’t answer right away, formulating the best way to respond.

“Playing music has always been my dream, you know.” He started. You gave a nod, clinging on to his story, wanting to know him as bad as he wanted to know you. “And I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I get to spend every day with my brothers, making awesome music that makes people feel something.” You found yourself smiling softly, feeling the passion for his work just by the tone of his voice. “But it gets lonely. Personal lives and fame don’t really… mix. I have friends, yeah, but not a lot of good ones. It’s hard, you know, always being gone. People don’t try to keep in contact, or they think that I don’t miss them because I’m so busy travelling the world.” He paused, looking down at you for a second. “And a lot of people don’t want to know me, for me. They like the fame, or the superficiality, because they feel like they only need to know me on a surface level and never have to put in too much effort.”

Your heart ached at his words, realizing that you may have misjudged him in the beginning. No doubt he was lonely on the road, never having any constants. And you had no doubt that loads of people wanted to know him for the fame, or perks, or the novelty of knowing a musician. You felt a little guilty, knowing that you assumed he’d forget about you once he’d left town; he was a person, too. He seemed genuine, and you felt he was quite similar to yourself. He seemed to want to know people fully, and beneath his nonchalant exterior, it appeared like he loved to love people. In the short time you’d known him, he’d been more caring and attentive with you than anyone you’d met before.

“I had a couple girlfriends over the years, but it was hard for them. I get why, but it still sucked. I, uh, leaned pretty fast that loyalty isn’t a priority when your boyfriend is gone all of the time.” He let out a small, humourless laugh. Your eyes softened as they scanned the tabletops for new trinkets. You looked up at him, now turning to face him fully. He caught your gaze, jaw hard set and no real emotion peeking through. “S’okay, though. That stuff happens. I would never, but I think they thought I was doing the same thing.”

“I don’t think that makes it okay,” You whispered. “I’m sorry that happened.”

“I’m sorry for the ones before me, too.” You gave a small shake of your head.

“You don’t have to apologize for them.”

“You don’t, either.” He said, giving a small, reassuring smile.

“You know, I think that maybe we were supposed to run into each other this morning.” You thought aloud. “I think I like you, Jake the rockstar.” He let out a laugh.

“And I know I like you, y/n the engineer.”

“I really started to like you when I realized you remembered everything I told you about myself.” You confessed. “You cared enough to remember.” You whispered, more to yourself than him.

“Of course I do, miss bio-engineer who’s finishing her degree early, from Washington state, who knows everyone because she finds people interesting, with a great music taste and a smile that can take anyone’s breath away, who also has four brothers.” He rattled off, taking a deep breath in when he finished. Both of you fell into a fit of laughter. “And who can throw a punch that will knock a grown man off his feet.” He added.

“I am amazed.” You bowed your head to him. He let out a chuckle, beginning to walk again and guiding you along with him.

The two of you continued on around the market, finally leaving with bag fulls of items. When you went back outside, the streets had cleared slightly. Most people were getting back home to have dinner with their families. As you stood on the sidewalk, you began to realize this was the time the two of you were likely to part ways, but the thought of it made your stomach churn. Jake sat down on a bench outside of the building, placing his items beside him. You joined him on his other side, not willing to break the silence if it meant you had to say goodbye. His hand found your thigh, resting a few inches above your knee. You placed yours on top of his, your thumb running over his below yours.

“I had a good day with you.” You finally said, being unable to satiate the need to talk to him.

“Me too.” He whispered.

“I don’t want to go.”

“Me either.” Silence hung thick in the air again. His fingers squeezed your leg gently, assuring you that the quiet was anything but awkward. You watched the clouds in the sky, the sun feeling nice on your face.

“When do you leave, rockstar?” You finally asked the dreaded question.

“Tomorrow night.” He breathed.

“Come home with me, tonight.” You weren’t really thinking about what you were saying. It was mostly from the heart. The repercussions were large if the night went poorly, but you were so smitten with him that they didn’t matter to you any more.

“Are you sure?” He asked, more of a formality than anything. He was wishing you would ask all day long. You gave a nod. “You can come to the hotel with me, if you’d rather.” He offered.

“I don’t care where we go, I just want to be with you.” You admitted. “But I do have to take my stuff home, and my roommates are probably worried about me, so I should check in with them.”

“I want to be with you, too. Let’s get your stuff home, then. Maybe I’ll get a house tour out of it. We’ll just go from there, like we’ve been doing all day.” He grinned. The two of you stood, rearranging your bags so they were the most comfortable way to carry, and you led him back to your house without another word or a care in the world.

[cialovesklopp]

𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑 ➺ k.mbappé

𝒔𝒖𝒎𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒚 — in which a couple strengths their bond by meeting each other’s parents and recreating a grey’s anatomy scene

𝒑𝒂𝒊𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 — kylian mbappé x amara imani (oc)

𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕 — 9.4k

𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 — lover [taylor swift]

𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒓’𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒆 — sooo, i’m back from vacation and fully motivated again though I have to admit that this chapter is shit compared to my others so i’m very sorry for that, hope you enjoy though

— also thank you to my bestie @lorarri for keeping me going and feeding me with ideas, vacation did some things to my brain

𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕 — @aechii @locedes @lorarri @charlesleclercistheloveofmylife @chxyz-ctrl

masterlist

𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐌

km7dailyupdates

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km7dailyupdates kylian mbappé in mykonos recently with his new mystery girl and friends

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username soo jealous, she looks gorgeous

username i swear to god i need to go to mykonos too and bag me some hot footballer

username fr, like they’re always there

username that must be the girl he soft launched in his story

username can’t believe kylian is off the market, hope it’s just a simple fling

username but the fact he bagged black girl instead of those typical blonde insta barbies >>>

username i kind of liked him better with his old girlfriend

𝐓𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄

one word. happiness. it was the only thing amara had felt (and still felt) those past days. sure, she was a bit tired and drained but nothing could erase that feeling of just deep, easy happiness that she felt rush through her body. and god had it been long that she had felt like this.

of course, it was easy to imagine the culprit behind her feelings. who else if not him? he was the reason for all her smiles, laughs and giggles. just the thought of him was enough to make her lips curve upwards. kylian mbappé was truly something else and yet she wouldn’t exchange him for anything in the world. they just fit perfectly for each other.

kylian tried to make every moment special for her. that had also been his main motivation behind their sudden trip to greece. the french striker had just surprised them (amara and his friends) with a flight to mykonos that he had paid himself. he hadn’t given any reason, just that he wanted to spend some time with them. and of course they had all accepted.

the real cause for this surprising trip though, he had kept for himself. he didn’t want anyone to know that the real reason for this trip was his and amara’s one year anniversary coming up. and it wasn’t one year of dating, it was one year of having known each other. and every second they spent together counted for him that much that he couldn’t let this mark go without celebrating. he just had to make that moment special though.

she had smiled at him when he had explained it to her, kissed him and attacked with hugs. no one had ever done that for her, made her feel so special that even simple things like that deserved to be memorized. every day kylian had a new way of making her discover love and all it’s good sides. he had transformed greece into a magical place — their place. but of course, all good things had to come to an end and here they were, back in paris, thrown back into their own realities. amara busy again with her album and all the pr that followed with it while kylian had to focus on his season, that he hoped was slowly coming to an end.

but she was happy. that was all that mattered.

she turned off her phone, smiling as she cuddled further into his chest, heat radiating through his body and warming up hers. the couple sat on the couch, arms thrown around each other as they bathed in the soft sunlight that shone through the apartment, enjoying their sunday afternoon. after all it wasn’t very often that they got to be together on a weekend with kylian’s busy schedules and matches.

amara absentmindedly played with the strings of his sweatshirt, listening as kylian told her some funny thing about his friends while her mind wandered back to their recently shared vacation. laughter and happiness filled the air, along with peace, creating a somewhat comfy and safe vibe around the apartment. it displayed perfectly the way they had grown yet only the walls of their apartment would be able to tell their story perfectly.

as she started to draw circles on his hand, her thoughts suddenly shifted to a certain topic she had tried to avoid for the last few days. more specifically, she had tried to find a good way to approach it but came up empty every time. her parents.

it was normal for them to want to meet kylian. anyone would want to meet the muse who had inspired someone to write so beautifully about a feeling. it was rare to have someone talk about love the way she did, so natural and carefree. she hadn’t tried to analyse the feeling, she had just felt it and wrote about it. and now her parents wanted to meet the person who was behind all this.

she paused for a moment, struggling to express the situation to kylian. of course, it meant a lot to her if he accepted but at the same time she didn’t want to rush him. he had been patient with her so she would understand if it was too quick for him or if he preferred to wait a bit more before doing the whole parents thing.

they weren’t even that curious. her mother knew that there was a new man in her daughter's life. it had been no surprise to her and amara had even admitted it when she had last seen her mother. her father though was a whole other story. they were close, closer than she was with her mother and somehow she wanted her dad to meet the other man in her life next to him. the only other man he’d ever have to meet because she couldn’t see herself with someone else in the future.

deciding to just blurt it out, she looked deep into kylian’s brown eyes, fingers still intertwined and took a deep breath before she spoke, “ky, my parents want to meet you. i told my mom about you and my dad, he just… he wants to get to know the guy who inspired me to write such a beautiful masterpiece.���

his eyebrows furrowed slightly, surprised expression on his face as he listened to her. he understood her hesitation, after all meeting the parents was a big and significant step in relationships but at the same time he was okay with that. somehow it didn’t seem like a big deal to him even though he should have been freaking out. “that’s a big deal i guess. do they know about a man or do they know about me?”

she chuckled at his question. “my mother knows about a certain man lifting my spirits and giving me enough motivation and inspiration to write a whole new album. she was the one to push me when i was insecure about us,” amara explained. “my dad only knows you because of the album i released. also i want them to meet you because you’re important to me. you’re not just anyone anymore, you’re kylian my boyfriend and you belong to me.”

“et toi tu te moquais de moi quand j’avais dit que nous on était pour l’éternité.” kylian jested amusingly. — and you were making fun of me when I said we were for eternity

“i wasn’t making fun of you,” the singer exclaimed. “i was just surprised. but if it cheers you up, i can’t imagine my future beside anyone else too.” she replied calmly. “anyway, will you accept? if it’s not too early for you? you don’t have to, we can always do this at another time and besides my parents will understand if—“

“bébé, tu peux te calmer,” kylian stopped her rambling, pressing a soft peck on her forehead. “i would love to meet your parents. after all, i’ve got to meet the parents of the girl who's going to take my name someday.” — baby, you can calm down

butterflies erupted in her stomach as her mind realized what the last sentence meant and she thanked the god profoundly again that she wasn’t able to blush — both knowing that he was serious. kylian mbappe had met a lot of girls, had been a womanizer for a part of his life and yet he would throw it all away for her. even if it was to just listen to her laugh for one more time again. there was just something so mesmerizing about it.

it was like a melody for him. whenever she laughed, he could swear angels were singing instead. maybe it was because of her voice that sounded so angelic that her laughing resembled so much to angels singing. either way, kylian would probably give up the world if it meant he could listen to it for the last seconds of his life. at least then, he would die a happy man.

“am i now?” she smirked, a smug smile on her lips.

“bien sûr. amara mbappé, ça l’air bien, tu ne trouve pas?” he replied, his face mimicking the exact same smile she was wearing. — of course, amara mbappé sounds nice, don’t you think

her lips let out a soft giggle as she stole a quick kiss from him — not that he minded though, he could kiss her for the rest of his life.

“avant de faire de grand plan comme ça, faut d’abord même rencontrer les parents de la fille, mbappé.” she reminded him jokingly. “donc pense d’abord à ça.” — before making big plans like that, you have to firstly meet the parents of the girl

— so start by doing that

he grinned. “right but how hard can that be?”

laughing, she shrugged. “i don’t know. but better start preparing to answer some questions, just in case you want to hold for my hand later.”

“well, i could always bring a powerpoint presentation in case i’m not convincing enough. you think a few slides about my life goals and plans with you will be enough?” he asked sarcastically.

she rolled her eyes at her boyfriend — it was still so weird for her to say this — but couldn’t hide her smile even though she was a bit annoyed at him. “only if you include all the videos of you missing a penalty or goals by miles.”

“i swear to god, i’m gonna report you for bullying. my heart is fragile.” he complained dramatically making amara laugh even harder that her stomach started to hurt after a while.

“but your ego is solid so that should do.” she retorted funnily.

“anything else i should include in that powerpoint?”

she shrugged dismissively. “if you’re so keen on impressing them with charts and pages about yourself, go ahead.”

he smirked at her. “i could also impress them with a song, now that i think about it, i should definitely do that. after all they’re the parents of the most talented singer.”

a horrid expression flashed over amara’s face. “please refrain from doing so. i just bought new glasses and i don’t need them broken just because you thought you could hit a note.”

“now you’re exaggerating. my voice is beautiful.”

“in comparison to a frog maybe.” she sassed back, quickly escaping as she saw kylian about to tickle her again. “just stick to telling them that you run after a ball for ninety minutes straight. that should do the trick.”

“think they’ll be impressed if i tell them that i’m being paid millions for sitting on a bench sometimes?”

she waved her hand, “now you’re on to something.”

a mischievous smile appeared on his lips. “and if that fails, i’ll just woo them with my magic tricks. it worked for you.”

wrapping her hands around his torso, she placed her head onto his shoulder, nearly hiding it in there while a huge grin graced her face. her face was bright, lit up with a radiant smile just because of the man next to her and all the affection her heart held for him. “i won the lottery with you, didn’t i?”

“well, you won’t find me twice on the market, that’s all i’m saying,” he replied in a teasing tone.

she shook her head, looking at him incredulously yet she reached up to kiss him passionately. “je t’aime ky. i hope you know that.” — i love you

“don’t worry, i know. je t’aime aussi.” — i love you

“oh and by the way, don’t forget i wrote a song about having sex with you. just as heads up.”

“do you think your mother will love the tulips i got her?” kylian yelled through amara’s apartment, nervously pacing around. his heart was racing, beating at such a quick pace that doctors would probably start to worry. usually, that kind of nervousness would give him confidence, the kind he needed whenever he was about to play in important games such as champions league ones. but this time it was different. instead of feeding his ego, his nervousness was making him sweat and anxious. the kind that could be fatal.

but who could blame him for being nervous? he was about to me the parents of the love of his life — of course his nerves would get the best of him. he wanted them to like him, better yet, he needed them to like him (i mean, how else would he one day ask for her hand?) and he was aware of how much it meant to amara. all he needed to do was impress them.

he had spent hours picking out his outfit and yet his fingers couldn’t help and fumble with the buttons, betraying all efforts to stay calm. he looked down at the bouquet of white lilies and soft red tulips, that stood casually on the small white table, practically teasing him for his nervousness. “i think we should still have enough time for me to run down and get new ones just in case.”

all the way from the kitchen, amara chuckled as she listened to kylian’s questions, his nervousness practically written on his face. a small smile crept up her face as she stirred the sauce, imagining just how nervous he must be. it was a new way for her to view kylian, who usually presented himself so confidently in front of her. it almost felt like a new part of himself if she didn’t know him that good already.

she left the kitchen, after turning off the stove and opening a window and walked into the living room, her heart nearly melting when she saw the state of her boyfriend. his fingers were tapping rhythmically against his jeans as he sat down, a simple sign that the nervousness was eating him up from the inside. seeing her presence though, he glanced over at her, seeking for comfort and some comfortable familiarity. “my shirt is not too formal is it? i could always change it, i even brought two back ups.” he rambled, his voice insecure and uncertain which was a big change from the norm.

instead of answering, amara just made her way over to him and reached over gently, grabbing his hands. “heyy,” she began softly, putting his hands on her waist as she wrapped hers around his neck, staring deep into his eyes. she loved being in that position with him, it often felt as if she was able to look further than just his eyes, she could see his soul and every of his emotion displayed in his eyes. “i promise you there’s nothing to be worried about. it’s a simple dinner and then everything will go back to the way it was.”

“and what if they think i’m like evan? i know i would think that if my daughter was treated that shitty.” he argued.

she planted a soft kiss on his lips that seemed to diffuse some of his tenseness that she could feel all around his body. “believe me, anyone who listened to my album knows you’re the exact opposite of that old scumbag. you made me believe in love again and i’m certain my parents will know that too if they listened.”

a surge of gratitude overcame him, thankful for amara’s calming words. they had had a soothing effect on him, not erasing all the nervousness but at least easing it. he wasn’t as nervous anymore as he was two seconds ago. and he was definitely ready to take the next step with her. better have it behind him than having to drag it out.

“je t’aime,” kylian whispered against her lips, smiling into the kiss. “and i’ll try my best so that they will love me.”

“if you’re anything like your usual self than they can’t help but love you, believe me.” she muttered against his lips. “and if that doesn’t help, then a good powerpoint presentation should definitely do the trick.”

be laughed loudly and rolled his eyes at her reference to when she had told him. he grabbed her face again, leaning in to kiss her passionately but their moment of intimacy was cut off as the doorbell rang, shattering the perfect balance of calmness in her apartment.

she reluctantly pulled away from him, trying to savor the scent of him and offered him a tender smile that spoke volumes. “it’s show time now,” she whispered in an exciting and empathetic tone. she intertwined her hand with kylian’s as they walked towards the door, hoping that the gesture would transcend some last feeling of support for him.

and it did. even though the hallway seemed endless today, tension thick in the air, her touch and smile calmed him down. gave him reassurance. maybe her parents wouldn’t like him but she would always love him.

sending him one last comforting glance, she reached for the door handle and opened the door, revealing her parents standing in front of it. her mother was the first to enter the apartment, immediately hugging her daughter.

“ada,” she exclaimed, greeting her, not even giving amara a chance to reply. “it’s been so long that i’ve seen you.”

amara smiled, rolling her eyes at her mother’s dramatic antics. “maman, on a téléphoné hier.” — mum, we talked yesterday on the phone

“still not the same,” she replied, waving dismissively. her eyes then fell on kylian, who was looking down nervously, awkwardly shuffling with his feet. “and you must be that handsome man my daughter wrote an album about?”

kylian straightened his position and held out his hand. “i’m kylian, mrs. imani. it’s lovely to meet you.”

“actually it’s mrs éwandé but there’s no need to be so formal. call me taraji,” she replied and threw the french international striker off-guard by pulling him in a hug. amara smiled at the image and turned towards her father.

she was immediately by his arms, burying her face into his neck. “tu m’as manqué,” she murmured under her breath, loud enough for the two of them to hear. — i missed you

“i missed my football partner too,” he replied softly, grinning. “don’t take it bad but your mother is definitely not the best person to watch football with.”

watching football together was their tradition, their bonding time. it went way back to when they were still in cameroon, where electricity was not a given and it had held on till now, where amara used to come over every weekend just to watch the premier league with her father. occasionally they would also watch formula one but that became rare when amara started dating evan and he began to distance her from her parents. now everything would go back to how it was.

her lips turned upwards, chuckling. “je sais. elle ne s’intéresse vraiment pas. mais j’ai quelqu’un qui s’intéresse sûrement…,” she trailed off, detaching herself from her father’s embrace and motioning with her eyes for kylian to come over. — i know, it doesn’t really interest her, but I have someone who’s for sure interested

“this is kylian, my boyfriend. the one you wanted to meet so badly.” she introduced the international french striker, smiling at him brightly.

“donc c’est toi qui a inspiré ma fille à écrire ce magnifique album?” he asked in an intimidating voice and kylian tried his best to hold his composure and stay calm. — so… you’re the man who inspired her to write that magnificent album

swallowing the lump down in his throat, he nodded and amara’s father turned towards his daughter again. “you did not mention that your boyfriend was kylian mbappé.”

amara shrugged. “i didn’t want you to already have an image or judge. i wanted to keep a neutral image.”

he let out a small huff, shaking kylian’s hand firmly. amara then suggested for them to move into the living room as amara had prepared dinner but her father held up his hand.

“avancer sans nous. on va vous rejoindre tout de suite.” andré declined politely. “got a few words i want to exchange with this young man.”

kylian felt his heart falling, his eyes begging for amara to not leave him, to contest her father that they could do this another time but even her hands were tied. she send him an apologetic smile as her mother dragged her into the kitchen, already rambling her ears full. amdré motioned for kylian to follow him into a more private space, which in amara’s apartment was her music room — the room where they had made music together.

“soo… you and my daughter,” he stated, kylian not really sure whether it was a simple statement or a rhetorical question made to insecure kylian and question all his life choices. “how long has this been going?”

“we have known each other for nearly a year now but we have only been dating for about three months now,” answered the star french player.

an eyebrow rose, skepticism clear in his expression. “and yet she was able to write an entire album for you?” he inquired. “i can count on my hands how many songs she wrote for that evan and most of them were not positive whereas now she is declaring all her love for you.”

somehow he understood the distrust that laced in her father’s words. the hidden uncertainty. because if his daughter had gone through all that shit because of one man, he would have seen red too and probably lock his daughter in a castle where no man would ever be able to approach her. it was just that kind of overprotectiveness.

“what are your intentions with her?” he questioned firmly. “amara means the world to us and hell will probably freeze before i let her into hands like those of that evan prat again. so i need to amd sure she’s with someone who won’t hold her down this time and won’t be intimidated by her rising career.”

“i love her. i truly do. that’s probably the most certain thing in my life,” he replied, contemplating how he could make it clear that he did not plan on ever losing amara. “she is worth more than any trophy i could ever win, they will never measure up to her, and her smile is probably enough to lift my day and brighten it. she is this ray of sunshine and even when it rains she still manages to shine bright. and i promised myself to do anything so that shine never fades out.”

to say that andré was shocked was probably exaggerated but the man was still stunned by kylian’s confession which he concealed with a neutral expression. hearing another man talk like that about his daughter, the way he used to talk about his wife — it gave a sort of safety. amara had once told him she wished to meet a man that would be half the person he was and andré could now confirm that she had. she had met someone who was half as good as he was, if not more. kylian held another kind of love in his eyes as he spoke about her, the mesmerizing one that people often longed for. that created unwanted jealousy because it was so rare today.

“you know, i had a feeling when she started dating evan,” he admitted after a short silence. “she was shining, happy but he didn’t look at her in a way that pleased me. she was a trophy for him but not a person. an accessoire that he got to carry around with him and jealous the people around him. but he forgot that for the trophy to shine, someone had to clean it constantly. and with time he tarnished her more and more. and i assume you know how amara is, always so stubborn.” at that kylian had to chuckle, knowing just how true that statement was. he may be stubborn on the field but amara took stubbornness to a whole new level. “wouldn’t leave him, not when he had thousands of talks with him. when she came after every cheating scandal but wouldn’t allow us to interfere in her relationship.”

“but you actually see her. the look on your face whenever you just think about her is enough. it shows that you’re here for the real deal and not for her highest moments. i didn’t know about you when that album was released and yet when i listened to it, i thought to myself: ‘damn, my daughter is in love again’. which angered me at first because i did not know who it was and i feared we had met another evan again. and then i listened further and i understood how much you loved her. amara painted a very beautiful picture of your love story. and i approve of that.”

words were stuck in his throat as kylian listened to amara’s father. he felt both humbled and touched by the elder man’s words but most importantly, he felt accepted. her father had confided him his thoughts, given him something new that he could add to the picture of amara and evan and also sort of given him his blessing. he felt empathy with the man’s concerns and thoughts, not offended when the tone was skeptic sometimes. after all, at the end of the day he was amara’s father and wanted the world for her.

“she tried to give me an out,” kylian blurted out randomly. “there was a very bad article that caused many sponsors and fans to turn their backs on her and it destroyed her, she tried to give me an out and i refused. she was at her lowest point and was ready to give up. but i stayed.” he recounted, thoughts trailing back to that day. “i did not say this to prove that i am right for your daughter sir, but instead i just want you to know that i care. whether she is at her lowest or highest.”

nearing him, andré reached over and clapped kylian softly on the shoulder. “i know now that she is in safe hands with you. gives me one person less to error about,” he responded before laughing again. “who am i kidding? i’ll always worry about her.”

they both chuckled, all the tension having disappeared. now kylian felt relaxed as he talked with her dad.

“how do you two manage with your relationship? football and music are not two very compatible branches.”

“we know that but we give our best to make it work. for now it’s easy because amara relocated to paris and i play there which gives us lots of time to spend with each other but of course that will not last and we’ll have to see how we will be moving forward than. but for now we just enjoy the closeness.” kylian answered truthfully.

“that’s good to hear. fait sort qu'elle reste heureuse. elle le mérite.” — make sure she’s happy, she deserves it

as the serious topics were discussed, the atmosphere began to lighten even though all the tension had already left. a twinkle in his eye, that fell in with amara’s twinkle that she often held in her eyes, andré playfully asked the french striker, “so son, just a small question,” he began in a teasing tone. “pourquoi tu ne veux pas joindre liverpool? je t’aurais supporté depuis le début.” — why didn’t you join liverpool? would have made it so much easier to support you.

shaking his head in amusement, he laughed as the two men made their way back to the living room where the table had already been set and it seemed as if the two women sitting had been waiting for them to start eating.

instantly at the sight of her boyfriend, a relieved expression showed up on her face and a soft smile made its way on her lips when she saw him laugh with her dad. she didn’t bother asking what amused the two men so much, instead she only motioned for him to sit down next to him, intertwining their hands again.

“so… in the end you didn’t need your powerpoint presentation, did you?” amara teased him lightly, nudging his shoulder slightly.

“i wasn’t really nervous. just didn’t want to disappoint anyone. in fact, the nervousness was just part of the act. i couldn’t be all confident, that would have seemed too suspicious.”

she arched an eyebrow. “not nervous, my ass. you practically shit yourself before they arrived.”

“did not.”

“did too.”

he rolled his eyes. “well anyway, now i’ve mastered it and your dad loves me. in the end i figured out all i had to do was make him think i was thinking of joining liverpool next year.”

“that’s just cruel. raising an old man’s hopes just to crush them.” amara scolded him playfully, giggling quietly.

the french international striker faked a shocked expression. “i’m telling you said that. you’ll definitely not be his favorite after that anymore.”

“you wouldn’t.”

“bros before hoes, bébé.” he smiled smugly at her as she watched him shockingly. “that’s the code.”

“i’m going to dump you.” she muttered lowly, making sure her parents couldn’t hear her while kylian starts to laugh and even amara herself couldn’t stop the grin that was spreading on her face.

during the dinner, the two continued their usual playful banters, not even realizing that they had an audience. andré and taraji were amazed by the way the conversation between their daughter and kylian flowed so effortlessly. and it marveled them how lively she was.

during her relationship with evan, they had to painfully watch as their daughter became a shell of herself, her star dampening and the twinkle in her eyes gone. her smiles stopped to reach her eyes and conversation felt forced with her. amara had built up a wall and was adamant on not letting anyone past it, not even her own parents. but watching her now. joke with kylian, there was a change in their daughter — one taraji had immediately noticed when she had visited her daughter — the walls had been destroyed and she was living again for life.

knowing smiles appeared on andré and taraji’s faces as kylian and amara cleared off the table, their sarcastic exchanges loud enough to be heard from the living room. there was no doubt that kylian loved her. just the way he had watched her, as if she was the most important person in her life, the sun of his universe — he had proven that he was good for amara and as it seemed, she was good for him.

it also made specifically taraji happy that her daughter had found herself a man like that, one that reminded her of her own husband and knew her value. evan saw her as his side chick, the kind of women he paraded around and got praised for. in kylian’s eyes though, amara was an angel, a gift sent from heaven and he knew not to take her for granted so he worshiped every day that they were able to spend together. all that was clear by just looking at the way he looked at amara. pure love.

“she has truly found someone for her, didn’t she,” taraji muttered under her breath, yet loud enough for andré to hear.

“she did. and she’s happy.” andré agreed, smiling softly at his eldest daughter as she and kylian joined them again in the living room.

the rest of the evening passed by smoothly. her father and kylian had started to talk about sports, specifically football and the premier league with amara occasionally leaving a few comments while she had also engaged in a gossiping conversation with her mother. it was a tradition for them to always update the other on any family drama that had happened and it was the one thing that bonded amara and her mother when they spent time together.

amara smiled when she watched her boyfriend and her mother in a deep conversation about growing up, happy to see that her mother had already integrated kylian as a member of the family and started to open up to him all sorts of topics. she was reassured that she would never have to choose again between family and love as she had to do with evan.

time passed quickly as they talked, not even noticing how the sky that had had a certain kind of dark blue was now pitch black. amara had enjoyed the time with her parents so much she hadn’t even noticed that three hours had passed. it had just felt nice to see her parents again after such a long time — especially her dad —and she had wanted to enjoy every last second of it before hugs became digital again as they were so often not in the same city.

andré and taraji had also noticed that it had gotten very late and prefered to go back now before they would be unable to find a parking space. both hugged amara and kylian again, which took the latter by surprise, and pressed a kiss on amara’s temple before leaving. amara waved at them from the window till she lost sight of their car and joined kylian on the couch.

“this went well. they adore you.” amara commented, fatigue also started to rush through her body.

“who wouldn’t?” kylian replied cheekily as amara rolled her eyes in annoyance. “i mean with this face?” he pointed at his face, smirking.

“you’re right. i forgot. everyone has a weakness for turtles.” she joked, mimicking kylian’s face expression.

“my face does not look like a turtle. take that back,” he exclaimed shockingly though all amara did was hide her laugh behind her hand.

“fine let me rephrase. a very handsome turtle.” she clarified, followed by a shriek when kylian began to tickle her on the side. tears formed in her eyes from the intensity while her laughter sounded through the entire apartment. after a few minutes of torturing her to death with his hands, kylian finally let go of amara and pulled her close so he could wrap his hands around her waist and cuddle.

pressing a soft peck on her lips, he whispered, “je t’aime,” followed by a passionate kiss. — i love you

“je t’aime aussi.” — i love you too

𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐌

𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐚.𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐢

liked by liyah_clark, k.mbappé and 25.847.023 others

amara.imani first performance after such a long pause, i loved hearing you cheer for me and sing along to my new songs, thanks for having me @jimmyfallon

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𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄

she was missing him; terribly. after having spent so much time with him, inhaling his scent so often, amara was coping horribly with him gone even though her mind knew it wasn’t their fault for their lack of time. they both had had a busy week with people expecting them and wanting things from them. had been busy with training and match preparations for his next champions league games whereas amara was forced to fly to the states for an appearance on the jimmy fallon show to promote her album — that was already successful and breaking records. the couple found themselves yearning for a moment of just them, where they could hold each other close and spread soft touches all over their bodies.

she missed his smile and he missed making her laugh. she longed to let her hands trail all over his body again and have deep, intimate cuddling sessions with him where they talked about everything. sure, they had spent hours on the phone to each other but it just wasn’t the same — his scent and happy aura wasn’t transportable over the phone and he couldn’t let his fingers brush though her coily hair that she decided to let open — it was all just missing.

but the longing would end today. it was the weekend — surprisingly one where kylian wasn’t needed on the field — and amara had decided to come over and surprise him as she had good news. news that had her practically dancing of excitement as she waited in the elevator to arrive.

a bright smile on her face and a heart full of anticipation, she arrived at kylian’s luxurious apartment, her heart dancing with excitement, even waving funnily to herself on the mirror of the elevator. the album’s success was incredible to her and she couldn’t wait to share the good news with kylian which is also why she had a bottle of champagne in her bag.

she was practically jumping as she rang the bell, waiting excitedly for kylian to open it as she had forgotten the spare key he had given her at home. her fingers tapped nervously against her thigh as she wondered why kylian was taking so long— usually it’s him that always complains when i’m not at the door immediately, she thought to herself yet the smile on her face hadn’t vanished.

her prayers were heard though as kylian finally opened the door, shock and surprise painted on his face, and he smiled brightly at her. amara, not able to contain her happiness and want any longer, instantly wrapped her hands around his neck and pulled him into a passionate kiss. she tried to savor the scent of him, his warmth that was able to heat her entire body, putting every of her emotion into the kiss — the wanting, longing and separation as well as joy. but something felt different as they kissed.

she felt eyes on her and an unusual feeling, making her slowly break the kiss. needless to say, surprise was an understatement for what amara felt when she saw several pairs of eyes on her and kylian — his family was there, gathered in the living room and had just watched an unknown person kiss their son. some of their faces held shocking expressions, other were amused.

“oh mon dieu,” amara exclaimed, thanking god again that her skin was too dark to detect a blush on her cheeks. she hid her face in her palms, embarrassed at what had just happened. “i am so sorry.” — oh my god

“i am so sorry i didn’t warn you. i didn’t expect you,” he chuckled as he excused himself, but was still grinning.

kylian’s mother was the first to speak, coming out of their stunned state. she smiled warmly at amara. “you must be his girlfriend. he talks so much about you but never gave a picture to the name. i’m kylian’s mother, fayza.”

“amara,” the singer replied uneasy, shaking the elder woman’s hand. “i am so sorry for interrupting this family event. i’m about to go anyway, i just wanted to tell kylian some news.”

“nonsense, stay.” fayza interjected, waving dismissively. “we’ve been begging kylian to meet you but he just preferred to keep you to himself.”

amara’s initial embarrassment slowly transformed into a mixture of gratitude and surprise as she was welcomed into the gathering. she was about to introduce herself to kylian’s father when she was interrupted.

“wait a minute, amara as in amara imani, the singer?” a woman, who seemed around her age asked, a small hint of excitement detectable in her voice.

she blinked in surprise and nodded. “yes, that’s me,” she replied nervously. “oh my god, i’m so sorry for not introducing me completely.”

“attend… donc toutes les chansons sur mon amour sont inspirées par lui?” a teenage boy asked her, pointing skeptically at kylian. amara nodded nervously again. “t’as fait fort grand frère.” he looked at amara again. “moi, c’est ethan. unfortunately the younger brother to this dickhead.” — wait… so all these songs on Mon amour are inspired by him?

— you did good, big bro, i’m ethan

“moi, c’est alice et j’adore tes chansons,” kylian’s cousin exclaimed. “mon amour est mon album préféré. je suis une grande fan.” — i’m alice and I love your songs

— mon amour is my favorite album, I’m a big fan

“merci beaucoup, ca me tient à cœur.” she replied softly, genuinely happy that she was accepted so quickly. — thank you so much, it warms my hearth

as the introductions continued, she felt a small tug on her jeans and looked down to find a small toddler pulling on her jeans to get her attention. she kneeled down to be at level with the small toddler, smiling brightly at him.

“and who might you be?” she grinned at the child before picking it up. she had always had a small spot for children. “i’m amara.”

kylian leaned in and whispered quietly in her ear, “that’s isayah. my nephew. his sister is asleep and he’s usually the more awake one.”

amara nodded, turning her attention back to the child again. she was grinning at the small boy she was carrying on her hip while continuing the introductions and getting to know the whole family. she couldn't help but be amazed at how easily they all seemed to fit together, as if she had been a part of their lives for years.

she introduced herself to his father, who had at first seemed wary about her but once they had started talking and kylian had slyly added that amara had grown up in cameroon before moving to europe, the ice was broken and wilfried immediately gained interest in her. it was clear that they loved her and even kylian’s nephew did not want to let go of her as she tried to put him down after a while. they had all taken a liking to her.

sitting at dinner was comfortable for her, she felt welcomed and all nervousness or insecurities had vanished as they laughed over several topics. it was even easier for them to talk when they found out that amara was a big football fan — even though it pained them when she told them she was a red — and soon, the conversation took a turn towards sports and some predictions for the ongoing season.

“eh amara,” ethan called her and she turned her head to face him. “didn’t you say, you had some news for kylian?”

her face brightened even more as she nodded excitedly. she looked at kylian, all eyes on them as she told him the news. “i got off the phone with grace and she told me that the grammy nominations just came in,” amara explained happily. “i’m nominated for eight categories.” she squealed, her eyes practically sparkling.

“wait what — that’s amazing. you did it. félicitations bébé,” he congratulated her happily, pulling his girlfriend into a hug. one by one, every person at the table congratulated her, sending her their best wishes as they all shared her happiness. — congratulations baby

“oh, i also wanted to ask you, if you didn’t mind, whether you would like to accompany me to it. only if you don’t have a match of course.” she suggested.

“what do i gain from this?”

“accompanying your girlfriend to an important event and seeing her happy?”

“not good enough,” he replied jokingly after contemplating about his options.

“you’ll meet beyoncé,” amara suggested in a light tone, grinning.

“i’ll think about it.”

ethan threw a small piece of bread at his brother, watching his antics. “amara you can just take me. i promise you i’m a hundred times better than him.”

“it’s an event for adults and not midgets like you,” kylian immediately shot back.

“who’re you calling a midget? you’re just jealous i’m taller than you.”

“but i’m still the favorite.”

“in your dreams.”

“kylian, ethan, arrêtez moi ça maintenant,” fayza scolded them, making the rest of the people laugh. they had already finished dinner and fayza had already stood up, beginning to clear up the table so dessert could be brought. “amara, could you please help me clear the table for dessert?”

she nodded, standing up and started to collect the dirty plates on a pile to bring them back to the kitchen. maybe she should have been more nervous being alone in the kitchen with kylian’s mother but the woman was so kind that amara couldn’t even work up any nerves.

she sent kylian thumbs up as she recognized the worried look in his eyes — one she had also had when he had spoken privately with her father — and went back to the kitchen with fayza, both carrying loads of dishes. they began to work like a chain, with amara washing the dishes while fayza dried them and put them back where they belonged while the sweet aroma of apple cake filled the air.

as she started to wash her hands, finished with the dirty plates, kylian’s mother turned to amara, warmth and kindness in her expression. “you know amara,” she began softly, “i’m not going to lie. when kylian first told me about you, i was a bit apprehensive. his last relationship was not exactly easy on him and she broke his heart horribly when he found out she just after his money. he went back to his party life again and stopped caring about anything to numb the pain.”

amara felt a quick sting as she listened to fayza, her heart breaking for kylian. she had always wondered how that man had managed to stay single if he was the way he acted around amara but now it made sense why.

“and still he didn’t give up. he became more realistic, yes, but he didn’t lose the joy in love. the good of love outweighed the bad so he put himself out there again. he didn’t give up.” the elder woman chuckled. “he carries the same attitude for life as he does in football. never giving up.”

amara felt touched as fayza talked about her son’s last relationship. it made her realize how similar kylian and she were but she also admired him — he had been ready to put himself out there again while she had hid, had given up on love because of so many bad experiences. he was truly enchanting. “he’s always been a fighter. on and off the pitch. that’s just my son.”

she paused for a moment, her gaze softening as she stared straight at amara. “and then he met you,” she said genuinely with a fond smile. “the change was recognizable immediately. he told me of a drunk woman he had met on a night out with friends and that somehow you had hit it off even though she was probably too drunk to even remember what had happened that night. that he had helped her by letting her sleep at his and that you had talked the next day and exchanged numbers. he just lit up differently. as if all his previous goals that he had set up for himself were suddenly unimportant. a new purpose.”

“you’re good for him. you bring out the best in him and make him a new person. a better version of himself. you truly see him. you are what’s worth not giving up, he could’ve given up a long time ago when he had gotten his heart shattered but instead he put himself out there and you are the prove that he was right by doing that. he has finally found the happiness he deserves, and i couldn't be happier for the two of you."

amara laughed, smiling brightly as she looked at the ceiling to stop the tears that were threatening to roll down her cheeks. a surge of emotion rushed through her, as she let fayza’s words sink in. it had been the first time she had met someone’s parents and they had praised her like that. had recognized the change and impact she made on someone’s life.

“vous deux, vous êtes faites l’un pour l’autre.” — you two, you are made for each other

“how are you so sure we are going to last forever?” she wondered out loud, wiping away her tears.

fayza smirked, grabbing the apple pie. “my dear, i do not live behind the moon. i listened to the album. it’s beautiful.”

they walked out of the kitchen, amara carrying the clean plates while fayza carried the apple pie. they placed everything down on the table and amara sat down next to kylian again, intertwining their hands.

“tout va bien?” he asked her worriedly and she nodded swiftly. — is everything okay

“tout est parfait.” amara stated lowly, the fond smile not leaving her lips. she put her head down on kylian’s shoulder. “i just love you and your family.” — everything’s perfect

he grinned, pressing a soft kiss on her temple and turned back to his conversation with his brother and father about some new rules in football. but his eyes never truly left her.

throughout the evening, amara enjoyed herself in the joyous atmosphere and cherished the new found connections she had made that evening. she was glad, she got along with everyone and nothing felt awkward anymore. she joked with ethan as the two played fifa, pouting whenever he had let her win as she wanted to win on her own but realized quickly she was horrible at the game. she had had long conversations with alice and fayza about some gossip in hollywood and had occasionally joined men when they talked about football politics, gaining lots of new knowledge. needless to say, she enjoyed the night. the surprise that had shocked her so much and made her so anxious had turned out as gift and she was glad as she felt her and kylian’s bond growing and becoming even more special. they had both taken big steps by meeting each other's parents — even though the last one was not planned — intensifying their trust in each other. this was everything she had ever wanted.

“your mother told me about your ex,” amara mumbled quietly, as she and kylian laid calmly on her bed, her eyes facing the ceiling.

after fayza had told her about kylian’s painful break up, amara had spent the entire night researching kylian’s ex-girlfriend and stalking her on social media. and comparing herself to her even though it wasn’t needed.

she had read every article of their sudden break up, her heart aching as she read the way kylian was betrayed. she wanted him to know that she would never do that to him and that she truly cherished him for who he was.

“i want you to know that i am in no way pitying you or anything like that and i am sure you have already closed that chapter. i just feel the need to tell you that you are everything to me and i would never dream of hurting you,” she explained, sitting up.

he hummed. “i know you do. i never doubted.” he replied calmly. “and you don’t have to tell me everything you talk about my mother. i trust you.”

“i know. i just didn’t want to hide anything from you. and i wanted to make sure that we are both on the same page in this relationship.”

“you should write that down,” he joked, sitting up too. “maybe one day we’ll use that as our vows. would save me some work,” he suggested, an amusing glint sparkling up in his eyes. his sarcastic reply gave amara an idea though as she stood up, rummaging through her writing things till she found her block of colorful post-it cards and ripped off a blue one. she sticked it to the bed wall and handed kylian a pen.

“qu’est-ce que tu veux que je fasse avec ça?” he asked her, confused at what he was supposed to do with the pen in his hand. — what do you want me to do with that?

“we…,” she pointed at the two of them, “are going to write down our promises and values that matter to us in this relationship. we’re making it official.”

confusion grew in his eyes. “what do you mean? you want to write these things down on this small paper?” he inquired further.

“yes, that’s exactly what we’re gonna do,” amara beamed, smiling brightly.

“where did you get that idea from now? you do know i was joking right?”

“i know you were. but i watched grey’s anatomy and meredith and derek did this.” amara explained, a huge smile still plastered on her face.

kylian shrugged, not caring anymore what they were doing. the smile on amara’s face was enough to make him do everything she wanted. “fine, let’s make it official.”

he took the pen, a thoughtful expression on his face as he scribbled down a few phrases. he handed the blue little paper sheet back to amara, who read it aloud, "we promise to always talk everything out, never leave the other on read even when we hate each other, always be there for each other, confide into each other, be each other’s best friend. we promise to never stand in the way of each other’s career.”

nodding in approval, she grinned. “sounds promising. i’m gonna hold you to this mbappé.” she took the pen from her boyfriend and scribbled down a few sentences too before handing it to him.

he glanced at the words and smiled. “we value our love, friendship, comfort, trust and bond. sums up everything perfectly.”

kylian took out his phone, snapping a quick picture of the blue post-it. “now we’re never going to forget those promises.”

she put the pen back to where she had taken it from, her eyes traveling around the room before they landed on her guitar, standing in the corner of her room. leaping to her feet, she grabbed it and brought it back with her to the bed.

her fingers strayed to her guitar, gently touching it as she ran her hand over the strings. “since we’re already talking about promises. i did promise you something, didn’t i?”

his eyes lit up as he watched her tune her guitar and he leaned slightly forward. “you did… oh my god, are you going to serenade me with a song from the album?”

with a smug smile, amara started to play the first chords of ‘lover’, a song that had been purely inspired by kylian. her voice was soft and angelic as she sang, enchanting. in another life, she could have been a siren, attracting men with her mesmerizing voice.

he hung to every word on her lip, watching with rapt attention while his eyes shined as he listened to her heartfelt and deep words.

not able to hold a cheeky reply, he chuckled as she sang the line ‘and you’ll save all your dirtiest jokes for me,’ and replied, “who else should i tell them?”

he also couldn’t pass up on a good reply when amara sang the lines, ‘can we always be this close,’ answering to that, "i already told you, nous deux, c'est pour l'éternité." — we two, we are for forever

as she played the last tunes, the song finally finishing, a laugh flash rolled over amara as she thought about all the replies kylian gave her as she had sung, tears streaming down her face. her laugh was so infectious that soon kylian had started to laugh too, knowing just how cheeky he had sounded during her song. he wrapped his arm around her, careful not to damage the guitar on the bed as the two laughed. they knew that their promises and love would endure; would last. everyone around them was convinced that they were made for each other. and just like amara sang so often in her new album, she believed it too.

[frostyyyroyalmilktea]

Nevermore Student!Tyler x Thorpe!Reader pt 3

pt 1   pt 4  ao3         

This is smaller than previous chapters but it's finals week so I most likely won't be able to update this week. Have this little treat while I struggle with my master's

(ಥ﹏ಥ)

***

Monday morning starts as most Monday mornings do. Way too early. It might’ve not been so awful if you haven’t spent most of the night lying awake, overanalyzing every little thing you said and did last night. But what else could you do? Last night was the most surreal experience of your life, and now you’re kind of afraid it was all just a very vivid dream. But you know it wasn’t. Deep down you feel the tug of this odd new bond. You want to see Tyler. Make sure he’s okay. He looked so worried and unsure yesterday, you wanted to do something—anything—to snap him out of that state. Thinking under pressure is not your strongest suit, let’s be honest. You just hope he wasn’t weirded out by your affections.

So there you are: groggy, anxious, and desperate to wrap yourself in a blanket burrito and wallow in your woes. Ugh, that’s how you usually imagine Xavier’s pastime.

Bianca is one of them morning people—you can’t relate—so by the time you drag your miserable form out of bed, she’s already dressed and almost done with her makeup.

You take a shower, blow dry your hair, and steam your uniform. All under thirty minutes time—because you’re a virtuoso of the fine art of being late without actually being late.

Nevermore allows minimal alterations to the uniforms as long as they don’t contradict the overall sense of integrity. Most people don’t bother, preferring to simply accessorize, but that’s no fun so you had the blazer tailored to button asymmetrically. You pair it with a white silk blouse and wide-leg velvet pants. It’s not exactly in compliance with uniform regulations, but you doubt someone will actually notice and you want to look cute. You opt for classical black Derbys to complete the look and as a jest, decide to take the bag that Xavier gave you as a gift a few Christmases ago. It’s a sizable Jigglypuff plushie bag with a long strap. Surprisingly, it can fit quite a lot. So you pack a blank notebook, a few pens and highlighters, and head out for the day.

The dining hall is in utter chaos. You thought it was busy yesterday morning, but it seems that at least a third of the residents must’ve slept in on Sunday because right now it’s completely topsy-turvy.

The buffet area resembles a warzone and you can’t even see the cereal because of all the people crowding the stand. You skip it altogether and decide that a strong cup of green tea will have to get you through until lunch. You’ll have to wake up earlier from now on to be able to grab breakfast before the rush starts. Fuuuck.

You’re anxiously approaching the far corner table because the possibility that after he had time to sleep on it Tyler decided that you are in fact a grade-A weirdo seems all too real to your sleep-deprived brain. So yeah, you aren’t 100% sure he won’t file for a restriction order, but you try to be optimistic.

You plop your ass on the chair near Tyler’s and announce with way more confidence than you feel: “Good morning sunshine.”

You’ve already started this weird game so you refuse to quit now.

Tyler looks up and his tense frown is immediately replaced by a beaming smile.

Your heart does a cartwheel.

“Morning,” he says. He clearly got there earlier than the avalanche of teenagers went down on the buffet, because he has a delicious-looking plate of scramble in front of him and a steaming cup of coffee. Not something you personally would go for this early in the morning, but you’re jealous nonetheless. “The Fruit Loops were long gone by the time I got here, but I managed to grab you a Snickers,” he says shyly, extending you the candy bar. It's a bit mangled but otherwise intact. “You don’t seem like an English breakfast kind of gal to me,” he adds.

This is literally the cutest shit ever, you think, while your face is doing things of the blushing and grinning variety that you have absolutely no control of.

“You’re literally an angel,” you inform him with all seriousness. “I saw the carnage that was going on out there and decided to grab some tea and get the hell out while I still had all my limbs about me. Like, I’m a lover, not a fighter. Especially not this early in the morning.”

Tyler laughs, “Some guy was actually ready to throw hands with me for the Snickers until he saw that I was… well, me. He looked like was about to piss his pants in fear.”

Tyler says it in good humor but it kind of cuts you unpleasantly, that people are afraid of him like that. All you see when you look at him is warmth and kindness. How do people miss it?

You notice a familiar head of curls stumbling through the dining hall, looking like he might get trampled any second now.

“Gimme a sec,” you say to Tyler and head out to retrieve the little lost pumpkin.

“Eugene, my dude, how are you this fine morning?” You grab his upper arm to steady him after someone bumps into him once again. “Do you have a place to sit?”

“Not really,” he says timidly.  “I don’t do well in crowded spaces.”

“Yeah, me either, buddy. Me and my friend Tyler,” you gesture in his vague direction, “sit in the corner there. Care to join us?”

Eugene eyes the table behind you apprehensively, but then, as if he decided something for himself, straightens up and says, “Sure. Thank you, y/n.”

“No probs.”

You lead him to the table and introduce each of them. “Eugene – Tyler, Tyler – Eugene.”

Tyler looks tense. “Hey,” he waves weakly, without looking Eugene in the eyes. His shoulders are hunched like he’s trying to curl in on himself.

“Hi,” Eugene gives him a small smile.

You’re not sure what’s the story here so you ask carefully, “Do you guys know each other?”

“I almost killed him last semester,” Tyler says gravely.

You look at Eugene, but he seems pretty determined when he says, “Yeah, but he didn’t.”

You sit down and Eugene takes the seat next to you, facing Tyler. “I read your letter,” he says. “Thank you for writing it and, you know, fighting Thornhill's command to kill me.”

What the fuck?

Tyler looks up at him, “I still landed you in hospital for over a month.”

“It’s still worth a lot that you tried, Tyler.”

Granted you’ve only talked to the guy twice, but you would’ve never expected to see Eugene so serious and confident.

“So,” Eugene extends his hand. “Fresh start?”

Tyler looks shell-shocked.

“Yeah, fresh start,” he takes the proffered hand. “Thank you.”

Eugene is back to normal—at least what you perceive as his normal—in a jiff, while Tyler seems to be lost in his thoughts so you decide to give him some time and turn your attention to Eugene.

“So I gave some thought to your proposal,” you start.

Eugene lights up with excitement.

“And I came to the conclusion that bees still irrevocably frighten me.”

Eugene’s face falls.

“Buuut, my sweet little pumpkin, fret not, I would still like to join.”

Eugene beams and Tyler, who emerged from his thoughts to join the conversation, looks between you two in amusement as you start explaining to Eugene that you want to make an Etsy store where he can sell the honey and donate the profits to the Bee-related charity of his choice.

“Of course, we’ll have to run it by Weems because there’s money involved in the matter, but I reckon as long as we donate it, she’ll be cool with it.”

“Do you think people will actually want to buy it?” Eugene asks hesitantly.

“We’ll make them want to buy it, my sweet summer child,” you assure him. “We’ll make a Tiktok account—I was thinking something like ‘Eugene’s Bees’, it has a nice ring to it—and we’ll make educational videos with, like, fun twists to them. The orders will start rolling in no time.”

“You’re like really into this,” Tyler remarks softly.

He smiles with one of those smiles that reaches his eyes and you completely lose your train of thought.

“Well, yeah, once I’m into something,” or someone, you don’t add, “it’s near impossible to throw me off.”

“Hm,” is all he replies, smiling mysteriously.

Eugene has to take off earlier to check on bees before class, so it’s just you and Tyler once again.

“You’re so ardent about this whole thing,” Tyler says. “It’s cool seeing you in your element, talking social media strategy. Very… attractive.”

You choke on a bit of Snickers you so unwisely bit off just a second ago.

“I’m very,” you cough out, “passionate about many things.”

Tyler smirks.

Oh God, did you just unwittingly make an innuendo? Shit, you didn’t even mean it like that!

You take a sip of tea as a measure to prevent words from leaving your mouth. You clearly need a moment to reestablish brain-to-mouth connection.

“Listen, I was thinking…” Tyler starts.

And doesn’t continue.

A pause stretches out.

In the end, your curiosity outweighs the fear of saying something dumb.

“Yeah?” You prompt.

“We should exchange phone numbers,” he says hastily, and you have a feeling he was going to say something else but changed his mind at the last moment.

“Oh. Yeah, sure,” you pull out your phone.

“Is that a flip phone?” Tyler asks, sounding almost in awe.

“It’s Galaxy flip,” you smile, showing him the folding screen. “My dad did a commercial for Samsung a few months ago and they gave him a few of these. They’re not very practical, but they are super cute and you can wear charms on them,” you jiggle the little Hello Kitty charm to draw his eyes to it. “I also like to put different stickers on the case and-”

Tyler catches the charm in his fingers to take a closer look. His hand brushes yours and you freeze mid-sentence, not able to remember how to take a breath.

You’re not usually that awkward around boys. You’ve met Timothee Chalamet once, for crying out loud! And you were very chill about it and told him he was great in Dune. Why is it that around Tyler you turn into a bumbling mess who talks—and what’s more worrying acts—before forming a cohesive thought?

“Y/n?” Tyler looks at you expectantly, extending his hand.

“Right!” You pass him the phone, almost dropping it in the process.

He punches in the numbers but leaves the field ‘contact name’ empty. You stare at it dumbly while he takes out his phone.

You type in Ty and after a moment's deliberation add a heart emoji. It’s just cute, it doesn’t have to mean anything, you tell yourself like a lying liar who lies.

Tyler hands you his phone. It’s a beat-up iPhone 7. The screen is cracked so badly, you can hardly see anything on the lower part. You’re afraid it might give up on its clearly long-suffering existence if you as much as breathe at it wrong.

Tyler senses your apprehension and says, “Those late-night strolls in the woods did not work out all that great for it.”

He sounds embarrassed and you don’t know if it's because the strolls in the woods are a thing in the first place, or is it because he can’t afford a new phone. Either way, you feel like shit for drawing attention to it.

You put in your number, leaving the ‘contact name’ field empty as well. “There you go.”

“Right,” he says, “yeah, umm, good. I gotta go now, but I’ll see you around, yeah?”

“Of course,” you smile sunnily.

Why is he so nervous all of a sudden?

He gets up, grabs his backpack, and then leans in and kisses you on the cheek.

“Have a great first day, y/n,” he says and then promptly blasts out of the dining hall at a speed that you’re sure is not entirely human.

You hear Bianca's rambunctious laughter and turn to look at their table. You see her double down from laughing so hard, eyes on your brother who’s currently gripping a butter knife like he wants to commit manslaughter with it.

You’re probably gonna laugh your ass off about it too. But not right now. Right now you just sit there with the most ridiculous grin on your face thinking oh how the turn tables.

***

Author’s note: the turn tables thing is from The Office

Btw, on ao3 every chapter is named after a song so if you’d like to hear what I listen to when I write, come check it out!

[eleni-cherie]

a thief's end ✨ || bts • myg - chapter 0.1

"so eager to be in a headlock again?"

"only if it's by you."

he thought he was done with the criminal life and ready for some peace and quiet. but his plans collapsed in the form of a strange girl who was in trouble.

© 2023 | eleni_cherie

»»»

masterlist: here

— genre: thief au, gangster comedy, adventure, romcom, humour, angst, fluff, sexual tensiON, slowburn, mutual pining, strangers to lovers s2l

ALTERNATIVE UNIVERSE. CHARACTERS NOT NECESSARILY LIKE THE REAL PERSONS. ALSO VERY UNREALISTIC PLOT LOL - JUST PRETEND READING A MANGA/COMIC OR WATCHING A FILM, REALLY.

SUGGESTIVE THEMES. MENTIONS OF VIOLENCE & BLOOD (BUT NOTHING TOO GRAPHIC, IT'S STILL A COMEDY!)

»»»

Yoongi let the wiskey swey lightly in his hand before he drank the last bit from the glass. His brown eyes glanced up then, wandering around the half-empty bar. It wasn't much of a surprise. It was Sunday after all, most people having to go to work early the next day.

He didn't feel tired, nor did he feel like leaving yet. The night seemed young still. And yet, without company it felt quite lonely and dragged out.

He wasn't mad at his friends for ditching him, Jimin going on a spontaneous trip with Arabella - although Yoongi assumed it wasn't just a vacation but the two rather had an object they were interested in stealing again - and Taehyung leaving earlier to pick up Cassandra from her late shift at the hospital.

Legit reasons, and besides Yoongi wasn't the type to be petty or upset about things like this. The two had other commitments and priorities than he did. And now that he was back in the city, they'd spend enough time together anyway.

Still, it felt rather uncomfortable to sit there on his own.

With a sigh, he heaved his hand to order a last drink when something caught his attention then. 

He hadn't noticed first as there were tons of people roaming around the streets still, it was a crowdy area with lots of bars and restaurants after all. So one person more or less passing by the open windows didn't stand out. Only when someone whistled after her and she turned around with a "Cut it, I'm not a dog!" earning a "Wohoo, I like it when they're hard to get" from the guy, Yoongi perked up out of curiosity. Catching a glimpse of the woman who swang around and continued walking down the street.

First, he hadn't noticed anything about her besides that she seemed to be quite attractive. However, as he sat there for a moment a deep frown slowly set on his features, his brain processing something familiar on her. He couldn't really pinpoint what exactly it was, but something about her he recognised.

It took him a few seconds. And then he knew.

The voice. And those eyes.

Obviously he couldn't be entirely certain, but she reminded him of the strange girl he had helped escaping a week ago.

To be honest, he hadn't thought much about her those past days. Everything was quite hectic and he was still getting adjusted to the city life again. However, as he was reminded of her now, he couldn't help but wonder what had happened to that young woman. If she was alright or if those men who had been after her had caught her after all. He hoped not. Now beginning getting worried for the stranger.

Was the woman who had just walked by her? It made him wonder after all.

Contemplating, he nibbled his bottom lip when noticing one of the guys who had called for her, standing up. Laughing at his friend and muttering something incohensive before walking out. And Yoongi's eyes shot open, having a bad feeling in his guts.

He instantly pushed himself off the bar stool and quickly left a few bills on the counter. Heading outside towards the street and passing by the man with quick steps. Making his way left, where she had disappeared to.

It hadn't been too hard to find her among the other passerby. She was the only one with long hair and a short black dress, holding a bottle of soju along with her purse. Earning more than just a few stares. And since she wasn't the tallest either, despite her tall shoes, it hadn't been to hard for him to catch up.

She was only a few steps away, when he stopped in his tracks unsure of his next move. It might not have been her after all, making him look like a fool or worse.

Unsure, he licked over his lips, watching her getting further away. What if it was her though? Wouldn't it be nice to know that she made it?

He took a deep breath. "I see they didn't get you after all!"

He simply hoped he hadn't just embarrassed himself in front of a stranger. And if it was a stranger after all, he could at least pretend having meant someone else as there were enough people around to use as a cover-up.

The woman paused at his words, turning around in a swift move with confusion written all over her face. "You.." Her brows furrowed, seemingly finding him familiar looking as well. Taking a closer sight of him in his black and white patterned shirt. Messy waves swaying on each side of his face as he smiled lightly at her. And her features softened eventually. "My getaway driver!"

His tense shoulders relaxed. 

It was her and he wasn't a creep after all. 

"Yeah, hey," he awkwardly waved.

She walked up to him with a grin and he internally gulped. It was indeed her and yet, she looked nothing like the first time they had met. Nothing alike the brief memory he had of her.

Back then her appearance was rather simple. A baggy t-shirt, shorts and sneakers with no make-up and distress written all over her pixie-like face.

While now, she was the complete opposite. Showing off confidence with her eyeliner-framed eyes and that tight mini-dress. The way her dark almond eyes held his gaze feeling quite bewitching.

"So they didn't get you?" he smirked as he looked down at her. Even with her high heels there was a slight distance between their hights. 

The corner of her red-painted lips tucked into a smirk as well and she straightened herself proudly. "Nope. So far at least."

"I'm glad."

Tilting her head, she gave him an intrigued smile. "Don't tell me you were worried for me."

He shrugged, looking away. An irrational feeling of shyness overcoming him all of a sudden. "Maybe just a little."

She laughed under her breath. Feeling her cheeks blushing lightly.

"Anyway," he cleared his throat then, looking around briefly before his eyes met hers again, "Isn't it kinda dangerous for you to walk around alone here? What if those guys show up?"

"I know, I know," she dragged a sigh, folding her arms in front of her chest. Her fingers tightening around the bottle of peach soju. "I swear I didn't leave my new place in a week. But my friend who lives here, found out I'm in town and would've felt offended if I didn't go to her birthday party.. And since I couldn't tell her the truth and didn't have any other excuse either.. I had no choice but to go outside. I'm heading home now though.."

Yoongi hummed, peeking over his shoulder to make sure the guy from the bar wasn't anywhere near either, then looked back at her. "Yeah, do that.. I'd offer to bring you home, but that might appear intrusive so.." He grinned and took a few steps back, beginning walking back to the bar. "Get home safely."

"W-wait!"

He turned around, not having expected her to call for him. Seeing her standing there with an uncertain glance in her eyes as they looked down. Her hand scratching her bare arm, feeling a light chilliness picking up in the warm night.

"Would you actually walk me home? Y-you don't have to. It's not far.. but you know, just in case these guys do show up after all." She let out a nervous laugh, trying to cover the fact the only reason she was walking, wasn't because she was actually fearless or brave, it was because she was an idiot. She didn't have any money left and her phone battery had died, so taking a cab or checking for any public transportation options wasn't possible either.

Truth was, she was terrified from the moment she'd left the club. Her eyes scanning everything and everyone close by, flinching at any unknown noises.

Yoongi blinked. "Y-yeah, of course," he shrugged and walked up to her again. "Where to?"

"T-this way," she said, motioning with her chin to the street behind her.

Both beginning walking in silence then. Neither one knowing what to say. It was a weird situation after all. Besides, she wasn't even entirely sure if asking him to walk her home was that much better than walking alone. Sure, he had willingly helped her back then, no questions asked. And it was quite nice that he had apparently worried for her, and yet she couldn't be sure he was that much better than the people who were after her.

"I just noticed, I don't even know your name," Yoongi spoke up then after awhile. Seeing her eyes widening at the realisation she didn't know his either. "Soyeon. My name's Soyeon."

He smiled. "I'm Yoongi."

And somehow the air shifted between them and she smiled as well. "Thanks for your help, Yoongi."

"I-" He paused. Looking away. "You're welcome. It's nothing."

Pursing her lips, she peeked at him walking beside her with a respectful distance. Hands shoved in his pockets. She really couldn't tell what exactly it was about him that gave her both, gentle along with fierce vibes. Although knowing his name didn't change the fact he was a mere stranger to her, her gut feeling didn't send her any warning signs. More the opposite, she felt at ease with his presence. More than she'd be if she walked home alone right now.

A police car suddenly rushed past them and Soyeon noticed him slightly flinching. Only relaxing when seeing it park in front of a small police station between two buildings further down. Two officers getting out and heading inside, probably returning from patrolling.

While passing by, Yoongi instinctively switched sides with her. As if he didn't want the officers to catch a glimpse of him.

And she wondered if there was a reason for him to react this way.

Shaking her head, she looked away again and they turned around a corner. The smell of food filling the air as they past by a small restaurant.

"May I ask.." Yoongi said then, glancing briefly at her. Thinking that perhaps now was a good time to ask the obvious. "Who are these guys and why are they after you anyway?"

Pursing her lips, she shrugged. And for the first time this night she intentionally avoided eye-contact with him. Staring down at the pavement. "Not exactly sure who they are, but.. I got something they want, I guess.."

He nodded. Even if the voice in his mind was dissatisfied with her vague answer, he could understand that she didn't want to elaborate further. They still barely knew each other after all.

"May I ask you something now?"

He perked up, gesturing for her to continue.

"Why were you so nervous when passing by the police station? And why do you own a katana?"

"How do you know about my katana?"

"I saw it in the car. You know, when we met."

"Ah, right."

"So?"

"I come from a family of swordsmen."

"Oh, that's pretty dope." She frowned then. "And that's why you're afraid of cops?"

It was his turn now to shrug and give a vague answer. Preferring not to scare her off by revealing his past of him and his friends having been worldwide wanted thieves, chased by interpol. "I'm not afraid of them. I just feel uneasy around them. Like many do. That's all."

She hummed. His answer sounded reasonable. And still, she sensed there was more to it. However, she hadn't shared details either so it was only fair he didn't spill his whole life story and secrets to an almost-stranger.

The half-empty bottle of peach soju that she hadn't drank, swayed in her hand while they walked for a bit longer. Occasionally peeking at each other.

"My new place is right around the corner," she explained as they walked in that quieter part of the city. And as they turned around the corner, she bumped into his suddenly outstreched arm, stopping her from going any further. He pushed her back then, startling her. "Wh-"

He held his index finger on his lips, shushing her with a warning stare. Pressing both of them against the wall.

He peeked his head out around the corner again, watching two men climb down the stairs of an apartment building and heading to a car parked in front of it. 

"She must've fled again," he heard one of them say.

"Fck-" one of the others inside the car exclaimed, seemingly upset as he hit the steering wheel, "Fine, you two go back. We'll stay just in case she returns."

"Seems like your friends found you," he whispered with a stern look, seeing her frown.

She cautiously bent forward, taking a glance at what he meant. A quiet gasp leaving her lips then and she retreated quickly, her back colliding with his toned chest. If she hadn't been so distracted by the obvious danger right now, she might've put more thought into it.

"H-how did they find this place? I rented it with a fake-name," she whisper-shouted in confusion, almost starting panicking if it wasn't for his strong grip on her shoulder snapping her out of it.

"Hey, calm down," he whispered with a gentle look on his features. One hand lightly grabbing her chin so she'd look him in the eyes. 

"First of all," he said then, and he took another glance at the parked car. It was indeed only the two men in there left now. He internally groaned, regretting not having his sword with him. Not having expected to need it tonight. He still had his pocket-knife though for a worst-case scenario - which was obviously the case right now.

His eyes scanned the area, realising the street was on a light hill and a plan instantly formed in his mind. "I got a plan. I know it'll be hard since we're practically still strangers but you need to trust me, okay?"

She hesitated first but eventually nodded her head. Too flustered to speak by his hand on her jaw.

"Good," he sighed and let go of her. "We gotta seperate those two idiots first. Meaning I got to lure one out with some noise and knock him off. Then I'll take care of the other."

"And what do I do?"

"That bottle of soju.."

She nodded and looked down at the green glass bottle in her hand, holding it up. "And what do I do with that?"

"Nothing," he grinned, snatching it from her hand. "I'll make their car crash at the streetlamp and need the soju to make them smell of alcohol."

She blinked at him puzzled. "Okay.. and I..?"

"You'll call the cops anonymously and tell them there was a mild car accident with possible injuries."

"So.. so you'll do the dirty work and I'll just get the cops here?" He nodded at her upset expression. "Yoongi, I can't possibly let you do the dirty work for me. Let's just get the cops together and tell them there are some creeps and.. and-"

"And? If we just get the cops they'll ask you questions about these men and why they'd be after you. Questions you most likely don't want to answer. And even if they got here, they'd just talk to them as just sitting in the car isn't something illegal." The more she listened to his reasoning the more it curdled her stomach. A lump forming in her throat as he continued. "And then those guys will definitely know you're close by. And as soon as the cops leave, they'll look around for you. So our best chance is to knock them off and get rid of them for at least tonight."

This was definitely not how she'd expected her night to play out. Whether she liked it or not, she had to agree with his logic though. Buying her some time would be good. "Okay, so should I wait till you're done or.."

"Remember the playground we passed by? Go back there and call them," he said, pointing to the direction they had come from, "You'll need around five minutes to get there and they'll need another five to arrive. I'll already be done by then."

"You- what? You sure?" She stared at him dumbfounded, making him chuckle lightly.

"I am, don't worry."

Soyeon slightly pouted at this, folding her arms in front of her chest as goosebumps appeared on her skin from both, the night breeze and the situation. "Okay, but my phone battery died so I need yours."

He pulled out his phone handing it to her and she put it into her purse. Suddenly feeling something wrapping around her shoulders. She looked up, seeing he had slid off the short-sleeved button up shirt he was wearing, putting it over her shoulders instead. Leaving him only in his white t-shirt. And she let him.

She could feel her breathing picking up, pulse ringing in her ears, heart beating against her ripcage as her eyes followed his fingers' every move when he began buttoning it.

"A-and you're sure that's enough time for you?"

He gave her an reassuring smile, avoiding her gaze while finishing the last button. "Don't worry. Ten minutes are enough for me."

"Alright, I'm going then," she said, straightening herself. She didn't leave, however, without giving him a peck on the cheek. Causing his eyes to go round and he stared down at her bewilderedly, only to find her smirk at him.

It was quite endearing to her, his way of caring and willingly helping her out. Yoongi was quite an enigma to her. A handsome one on top.

"Good luck with your masterplan."

And with that he watched her turn around and walk back up the street, towards the playground. His eyes dwelling on her smaller becoming silhouette and the way her hips moved under his shirt. He shook his head quickly, having to focus after all.

Looking around then, he spotted some empty cans a few metres away. He picked it up and aimed exactly at the car's back window, hitting it with a loud thud before going behind the wall again. It had clearly stirred the occupants' attention as he heard a car door opening. He then proceeded to throw another can onto the street in front of him. The noise loud enough for the men to get curious but not loud enough to wake anyone in the neighbourhood.

"Go check out what that was," the one behind the steering wheel commanded the other. 

With a grin, Yoongi got his knife out. And as soon as the guy turned around the corner, Yoongi pressed his hand on his mouth and nose and in a swift move, cut his blazer in two, pulling both ends to the front. Immobilizing him before he could even realise what was happening. Finishing by a hard hit on the man's head with the back of his knife.

"One down, one left," Yoongi mumbled, wiping the sweat from his forehead. He looked over the corner. Seeing the other man getting impatient, calling out for his partner.

Laughing out dryly, he tightened the grip around his knife and stepped out. Walking with steady steps towards the driver's window.

"Hey," he grinned down at the man then who was just arching a puzzled brow at him.

"And who are y-" Before he could even complete his question, Yoongi had pulled his arm from behind the car door, pulling it harshly towards himself. Causing the gun in the man's hand to drop down at the concrete. Then he opened the door while pulling at the man's arm even more, making him wince in pain as he hit his head at the metallic frame. Sinking unconsciously into his seat.

Yoongi exhaled deeply, looking around to make sure he had made as minimal noise as possible. And indeed, no one seemed to have heard him. He bent down then, heaving the man's gun from the ground. Smirking when taking a closer look on it. The serial number was scratched off. "Police ain't gonna like that." And he tossed it inside the car as well.

He quickly made his way to the other unconscious guy then who he had left laying on the pavement, carrying him back to the car and placing him next to his partner in the passenger seat. He then took the soju bottle he had put aside, spilling the remaining content onto their clothes and into each of their mouths, making them swollow it. Just enough so they'd smell of alcohol and would lead police to conclusions. At last, he switched gears and released the handbreak. Starting pushing the vehicle by taking advantage of the slope.

And indeed, the car soon started rolling on its own and after a few metres, Yoongi let go. Watching it gain speed and roll towards the streetlamp, crashing against it just like planned. Not hard enough to seriously hurt the unconscious men, but hard enough to damage the front of the car. And have police file a detention.

This time, however, the noise was loud enough to stir some attention from sleeping neighbours. Lights in some apartments getting switched on. So he quickly headed back to the side-street in the shadow of the night, before anyone came outside to check. 

The sirens of a police car echoed in the distance then and he exhaled. His timing was on point as always, good thing his skills hadn't become rusty in the past months. 

The sirens became loudef, so he took cover in the dark entrance of a building, waiting for the car to pass by and disappearing into the other street. He was about to step out then, when he heard hasty steps on the pavement coming closer.

And he watched someone pass by, not taking any notice of him. Still wearing his shirt that was way too big for her. Looking even smaller and cuter than she already did.

"Looking for someone?" he asked with a knowing look as he stepped out of his hide-out to approach her. Seeing her stop in her tracks, lips tucking into a smirk. "I assume your little plan worked." She nodded at the direction of all the noise coming from further down the street.

He shrugged non-chalantly. "Always does."

"Kinda sad I missed it.. would've liked to see how you did that," she admitted with a giggle.

Even her giggles were charming, he thought. Laughing under his breath then. "Oh, you're into that?"

"Maybe."

They held each other's gaze and Yoongi felt his blood rushing through his veins. His pulse faster than before. It hadn't done so while taking care of those men. But it did now when looking into her dark feline eyes.

"So, uhm did they ask any questions?" he awkwardly coughed then, changing topics.

"Not really. Only if I saw how it happened. Which I didn't, so that wasn't a lie." 

They walked back to her street, ignoring the scene further down. Pretending as if they didn't know what had happened. Bystanders that had left their beds to check out what was going on and the police officers asking everyone to stay back, covering most of it. 

"It was good I approached you. If I hadn't, they might've caught you after all," he quietly mused then to which she heaved a sad sigh.

"Yeah.."

They climbed up the few steps to her entrance. Her irises travelled back to the car and the police officers in the distance. "Maybe the safest would be to just leave town again.."

"Understandable, although quite a pity."

"Oh, and why so?" She arched a brow a him, challenging him with a smile which he reciprocated.

"Because I'd actually like to see you again."

For a moment they remained sileng and just stood there in front of the door. Silently smiling at each other, giving her the chance to study his features, and lips, before her eyes found his again. More questions rising about the handsome man with the sweet smile in front of her.

"I still got your phone," she quietly said then and pulled it out of her purse. Asking him to unlock it for her and he did so with furrowed brows. She took it from his palm then, typing in something before handing it back to him with a coy smile on her lips.

Their fingers brushing, adding another spark to the already gleaming fervour which he knew to mask, being trained in staying calm in any situation with all the years of sword fighting and thievery.

It was harder doing so, when someone as beautiful and mysterious as her looked at him like that though. 

"I texted myself. You got my number now. And I got yours."

He nodded. His brown eyes never leaving hers. "I'll make good for the peach soju next time."

She couldn't help but bite her bottom lip. "Shouldn't I be the one buying you drinks though? You helped me twice already."

He only laughed dryly, shaking his head. "No need, really."

A hot ache spead in her chest as she watched him take a step back then. Slowly climbing down the stairs and reaching the pavement. Eyes never leaving hers. "If anything happens.. call me."

She nodded. Holding herself back from falling into the urge of doing something rash and reckless now. Like kissing him. Or asking him to stay.

"Goodnight, Yoongi."

"Goodnight, Soyeon."

»»»

next chapter: 0.2 here

Don't forget to like, reblog & leave feedback!♡ It motivates me to keep writing :)

[rhoorl]

Week in Review | Oct. 15

Hello and happy Sunday! Hope you had a good week. I had a weird one. It wasn’t bad by any means, but just kinda meh. Had some life stuff come up earlier in the week which kind of lingered. Needless to say, I was very much looking forward to the day off my husband and I had to celebrate our anniversary together. We ended the week on a high note, so I’m carrying those vibes into the week ahead.

Speaking of our day off, we took a behind-the-scenes tour of The Last of Us house at Halloween Horror Nights at Universal (Orlando, sadly not the park Pedro was at earlier this month 😞). We were complete nerds the whole time we were in the house. No one else on our tour seemed to be as interested in the house and the details as we were, but we asked a ton of questions and had fun.

Thank you to those who popped in with asks this week, those always make me smile. I had a lot of fun with some sweatpants content, Mule Falls Halloween, and TF vehicle choices.

Anyway, here we go with the rest of the post…

Fics I read this week:

I didn’t read as much as I wanted to this week. There’s a ton on my TBR and it just keeps piling up (I can’t emphasize enough how good of a “problem” that is. This fandom and it’s creativity floors me. There’s just so much good stuff out there).

Frankie Morales

@avastrasposts (writer of my fave The Pilot and His Girl) put out a couple of great drabbles this week that I enjoyed so much: Frankie to the Rescue and Swimming Lessons with Catfish 

Delta Palms Tropical Resort by @linzels-blog - Had another chapter this week and it was Frankie in all of his pilot competence glory. Loving what’s going on in this fic.

I Like the Way You by @undercoverpena - Frankie and his friend enter into a “friends with benefits” type of situation and I’ll be damned if it’s not going to turn into something more. I love the way Jo writes, so I am all here for the journey she’s going to take us on.

@frenchiereading posted a little extra piece from her Mr. and Miss Universe. If you haven’t read the Shared Breaths series, I highly recommend it. Her latest drabble is a cute, fluffy piece with so much dad Frankie!

Ring Toss by @morallyinept…Jett. I was already sweating when I saw donuts thanks to @secretelephanttattoo and her Marcus, but ugh now Frankie?! This was so so good. Bravo!

Javier Peña

Paranoid Heat by @goodwithcheese - Javi is just … so Javi in this and I love it. There’s some great flirty banter back and forth and I also am self-inserting myself as one of the barnyard cats who follow Javi around. Meow! Also shoutout to Megan who celebrated a couple of milestones this week on here!

Marcus Pike

Salty & Sweet by @secretelephanttattoo - It’s El’s Marcus, so I was already in before I even read the first sentence. I don’t want to spoil too much of this one, but I have to say it’s the most unique story structure I’ve read in a long time.

Dieter Bravo 

Destiny & Deliverance by @mysterious-moonstruck-musings Misty….sigh. This latest chapter was something. While the themes can be heavy, they’re always done so well and this just always feels so real. I could go on and on about this.

Tip Your Server by @nothoughtsjustmeds Dieter loses his Oscar. It is such a cute story with an established relationship.

October Prompts

Posts from the week:

My girl @trulybetty keeps hitting it out of the park with her Autumnal Offerings series. I read one of her entries and think, “This is my favorite one so far” and then the next day comes and she one-ups herself. I am a little biased with one of them this week, though. Cornfields with Sequins!Joel was so good and I’m not biased absolutely at all 😉 When Betty popped into my DMs with a series of random questions for me to answer I had no idea how it would all come to life and I am obsessed.

The Catfish Ph.D. program (helmed by esteemed professor @legendary-pink-dot) is in full swing, but it’s not too late to join in the fun. I don’t quite know exactly how to pull this off, but I think it would be fun to try and get a group watch party set up to watch Triple Frontier … you know … for research. I know a lot of us are spread out across the world (which is so cool!), so finding a time to suit everyone may not be super realistic, but I’m just putting that out into the universe.

Feral corner:

I’m just going to leave this little post about Frankie’s clothes here for you… it brought forth so many thots.

Things I watched:

I didn’t really watch a lot this week. I did manage to go to the movies to see Dumb Money. I didn’t realize the theater was going to be overrun by Swifties - no shade, I just literally didn’t know that her movie came out this week and was shocked by the crowds. 

Things I'm excited for:

Anyways, Dumb Money is about the GameStop short squeeze that happened in 2021 led by a man who had a YouTube channel and a popular Reddit account. Now, friends, I’ll confess something here. The only reason I made a point to see this was because my boo Sebastian Stan is in this movie. Now, is he in this for like a total of 10 minutes? Sure, but those were a great 10 minutes to see him on screen. Aside from that, it was actually an interesting story and I enjoyed it!

Mr. Rhoorl and I are heading back to…you guessed it…Halloween Horror Nights again tonight! We only have a couple of weekends left, so we’re trying to take advantage of our passes. Other than that, we don’t really have anything else planned for the week since all of our big October celebrations have passed.

Fic updates:

Quiet on the fic front this week. My mood early on in the week coupled with some writer’s block didn’t help things. But, later in the week, I had a bit of a burst of creativity. I’ve made decent progress on the next chapters of Working Title and Delta Landscaping. I’m hoping to get both of those out early on in the week. I am also going to be doing a part two for Turbulence soon…if you know, you know. 😉

Anyways, thanks as always for reading, interacting, and just being here! My inbox is always open 🙂

xoxo

Jess

Working Title (Dieter, series, ongoing) | AO3 

Delta Landscaping (Triple Frontier, series, ongoing) | AO3

Turbulence (Frankie, one-shot) | AO3

[bakedbakermom]

Stained

Chapter 1: Sanguine.

Read on Ao3; tagging @today-in-fic @ao3feed-msr

But first, a word from the author. I first wrote this fic when I was about 14, circa late 2000. It was very much a product of its time, both of who I was/how I wrote then, and where the respective shows were in their runs. I found it recently in an archive I will NOT share, and was stunned to find that it actually did have some good bones--and, as is to be expected, plenty of cringe, but I try to look on my past self with indulgence and sympathy in that regard; we are, all of us, unfortunately fourteen at some point. There were even a few beautiful lines in there that I lifted entirely. I don't think I've ever gone 20+ years between a first and second draft, but here we are, in 2023, and I am back on my XF/BTVS brainrot for a second pass (and third, and fourth, as editing commands me). This fic takes place in late season 7 of the X-Files, post-Hollywood AD; and season 5 of Buffy, post-Intervention. Do those seasons line up at all? Nope. But let's be real, neither show was all that great at keeping consistent timelines. Besides, time is an illusion and canon is a sandbox; if we're not going to play, what's the point? As for how a crossover like this works when there are references to one work within the other work? Short answer: Don't worry about it. Long answer: I have lost my mind and you can see my spiral into madness here (contains a few minor spoilers/background info for this fic)

Fic is COMPLETE and will be updated Sundays and Wednesdays.

Scully unlocked the door to room 217 of the Sunnydale Motor Inn and slipped inside, hoping the brief spill of buttery sunlight wouldn’t disturb the occupant. The soft snick of the door plunged her into sudden darkness, but her eyes adjusted quickly; she was getting used to the dark. Inside, little light pierced the drawn curtains, and what did filter through was stained a deep crimson, as if a haze of blood hung in the air.

She eased herself down onto the edge of the rumpled bed that filled half the room and prodded the lump of blankets she assumed was her partner. The lump moaned and shifted, and from the opposite end, Mulder’s tousled head appeared. A shock pierced through her when she saw how pale he had become, how dark the circles were under his eyes; she tried not to think about how he had been sleeping upside down, like a bat. He would only tease her for the comparison. “How are you feeling?” she asked softly, hoping she sounded calmer than she felt.

He groaned, his voice barely more than a croak. “Half dead.”

She lifted one auburn brow and tried to smile. “Oh good, only half.”

Mulder sat up stiffly, his bones creaking and popping like the hinges of a haunted house. The sheets fell away from his bare chest, now a sickly white instead of his usual golden tan. He shoved a pillow behind his back to prop himself up, as if the effort of sitting was too much for his withering body. His eyes narrowed into tiny slits and he winced. “Isn’t it a little bright in here?”

“Mulder, I can barely see you.”

“Oh. Right.”

Something shameful flickered in his eyes and she reached out to take his hand; his skin was dry and frighteningly cold, the bones beneath it not quite right. She pushed the fear down with a thick swallow. “Don’t worry about it. The sun will be down in an hour or so.”

They relied so much on touch to communicate these days. A subtle brush of fingers to say I am here. The pressure of his hand on the small of her back, We’ll be alright. A tear thumbed away from a cheek, Your pain is mine too. A kiss pressed tenderly to a forehead, We’re not done yet.

Touching him was different now. Strained. Stained. Death lived in his skin; it was a void she had to force herself across with every caress, because each time she touched him, she was reminded of what lived inside him. 

What it had tried, gleefully, to do.

Her memories of that night in the graveyard were murky at best, flashes of blood and terror glimpsed only through a dense fog like a stormy night at a drive-in, and it was a relief to her that she was spared the worst details. Her body was healing, and though she knew that repressing emotional trauma was an unhealthy coping mechanism, it was the only thing allowing her to function. The reckoning was coming for her, sure as the sun outside was edging toward the horizon; when the darkness came, it would swallow her whole, just as it was trying, now, to swallow her partner.

The darkness was inside him, a part of him, and she could not touch one without wanting to recoil from the other. She hated the relief that filled her as she released his hand to reach into the paper bag she had brought inside with her. “I got you something to eat.”

His eyes lit up as they landed on the small styrofoam container, the kind usually filled with soup or pasta salad to-go, with the name of a local butcher on the side: Sunnydale Fine Meats. Its logo was a cartoon pig holding up a link of sausage speared on a fork, the little speech bubble near his mouth proclaiming it both local and delicious. Scully found the image horribly macabre. “Beef or pork?” Mulder asked, taking it eagerly from her hands and giving it an appraising sniff.

“Lamb,” she said, and when he wrinkled his nose, “Sorry. It was all they had left.”

“Don’t worry about it, Scully. I imagine it’s a popular take-out spot in this town.” He squeezed her shoulder gently, and she fought not to pull away from the chill of his touch. “Thank you. For all of this.”

He stood slowly, accompanied by another symphony of popping joints. He tightened the drawstring on his sweatpants—when had he gotten so thin?—and carried the container to the microwave in the room’s tiny kitchenette. Her stomach lurched as she realized he was heating the contents. Ninety-eight point six.

Mulder glanced up and saw her staring, then looked quickly away. “Tip from Spike,” he muttered. “Says it’s easier to… get it down… this way. That I’ll get used to it faster if it’s warm.”

“Is it really that bad, compared to..?”

A shudder passed through his body, but not of revulsion. She shouldn’t have reminded him about that, but he answered anyway. “It’s like day-old coffee versus a chocolate shake. With whipped cream. And extra cherries.” His voice dripped with a hunger bordering on lust. “I can handle it, but I’d rather have… well.”

Compassion and pity warred with a visceral disgust and the sudden roiling in her gut pushed her to feet. She couldn’t watch this.

“I’ll let you eat,” she said, too fast, nearly lunging for the door. Stupid, she yelled at herself the moment she realized what she was doing. Don’t give him anything to chase. Not when he’s hungry.

His hand clenched painfully tight around her wrist before she even heard him move, and her heart started to hammer beneath her sternum. She knew he could hear it, watched his pupils dilate as the sound reached him, and his gaze fell on the pulse fluttering in her throat.

The dark centers of his eyes grew inhumanly huge, nearly eclipsing the warm golden green, and his tongue flicked out to lick his lower lip.

Scully stood very, very still.

Her blue eyes were cold and hard as she met his stare. Do not flinch.

“Mulder,” she said carefully, threading steel into her voice. “Let me go.”

He held on, breathing harder than he had any need to, nostrils flaring as he took in the coppery scent of her fear, fingers constricting so tightly she felt the fine bones of her wrist grinding together and the tingling static of the circulation failing in her fingertips. She would have a new bracelet of bruises tomorrow. A sound between a moan and a growl bubbled up from his throat.

Scully’s free hand began to inch toward the chain around her neck when suddenly the microwave beeped from across the room, breaking the tension like a splash of cold water. He stepped quickly away and turned his back to her, shoulders hunched and shaking.

“God, Scully, I am so sorry.”

If her hand trembled as she laid it on his back, they both ignored it. “I know, Mulder. It’s okay. I know.”

“No, you don’t,” he said gently, his voice choked and breaking. “And I’m glad you don’t.”

She forced herself to move closer, to cross the death-black void that had bloomed between them; the fear she felt was a small price to pay to erase the pain written so clearly across his face. She wrapped her arms around his abdomen and laid her cheek against the icy expanse of his back. He flinched as the tiny gold cross on her necklace made contact with his skin; she pulled away just enough to tuck it into her shirt, then squeezed him even tighter. “You’re so warm,” he murmured, placing one hand over hers where it rested against his stomach. “It’s so nice to feel warm again.”

Her throat constricted painfully as she fought away the tears threatening to spill from her eyes, and it was a long while before she trusted herself to speak. Her voice came out small, empty of anything but helpless fear. “What are we going to do?”

He sighed and rolled his gaze heavenward. There were water spots on the ceiling. “Shoot me?”

“Yeah, a lot of good that would do.”

Mulder huffed out a barbed little laugh and turned within the circle of her arms. His hands came up to cup her face, and the defeat in his eyes nearly broke her heart. A single tear slid down his ashen cheek, glinting red in the fading light. Red as blood.

“I’m scared, Scully,” he whispered. His thumbs brushed tenderly over her cheekbone for a moment before he folded around her, his face buried against her neck and his arms painfully tight around her. “I’m so scared.”

She held him as he wept, stroking his hair and whispering soothing words neither of them would remember later. It was not really her words he needed, merely her touch, the comfort of knowing she cared enough to brush up against the monster inside him if it meant that the man could feel the touch of her body, small and warm against him. His tears soaked into the collar of her t-shirt until it stuck to her skin.

No, not tears. Saliva. He licked the place where her neck met her collarbone and moaned. His hands came up to thread his fingers through her hair. He pressed himself tightly against her, and she felt him growing hard against her hip. Her gut clenched, and not just from fear.

“Mul—”

His name died on her lips as something sharp pierced her skin, a sudden warmth spilling down her shoulder. She struggled in his grip, a fly in a web, and he bit down harder.

Scully had an unfortunate amount of practice stuffing down her gibbering panic, translating the adrenaline that threatened to paralyze her into action instead; she summoned every drop of strength she could manage, twisting at the hip, and used the strength of her legs and torso to shove him back. Her hand immediately flew up to press against the wound on her neck as she stared at him, blood trickling between her fingers and her mouth open in shock and fear.

A monster stared back at her from the place where his face should have been, thickly ridged brows and serrated teeth dripping with crimson and eyes gleaming the fevered yellow of a jungle cat. It wore her blood like warpaint, like a sacrificial mask. A growl rumbled forth from what had been Mulder’s throat and its hands clenched and unclenched at its sides as it prepared to strike again. It dropped into a crouch, shoulders hunched, muscles rippling unnaturally beneath the surface of its skin. Its features twisted into something like joy.

Scully wondered if she could free the gun at her hip before it reached her; a bullet might not drop the thing, but she could slow it down.

Even vampires feel pain.

A sudden shudder passed through the creature and a high wail of grief tore from its throat. Slowly, the face softened, melted, Mulder’s familiar features coming back to the fore, dazed and afraid. He touched a finger to his chin and revulsion crossed his face as he realized he was streaked with her blood; the stain of it was shockingly dark against his skin. He turned away, shame-faced, but not before she saw him lick his lips clean.

“Get away from me,” he growled as she started to reach for him. She snatched her hand back as if burned, as if he would bite it. He collapsed onto the bed, his head buried in his hands. “I can’t—I don’t want to hurt you again.”

“I’m all right, Mulder,” she said, though her knees threatened to buckle beneath her. “You didn’t hit anything important. I’m fine.”

But her hands shook as she grabbed a handful of tissues from the box on the nightstand and pressed them to her neck; they soaked through more quickly than she had expected, red blooming across the flimsy paper like roses on snow. She dropped them and grabbed another bunch, ignoring the way his eyes followed the sodden ones to the floor. She forced herself to take a step forward, then another, and then to sit beside him on the bed. Her free hand found his shoulder, and though they both flinched at her touch, neither moved away.

“I could have hurt you, Scully. I could have—” He gulped, wiping the back of his hand across his mouth. “I could have killed you.”

Her hand on his shoulder tightened and she forced him to turn towards her, not with the strength of her hand—pitiful compared to the strength he now possessed—but with the tenderness of her touch. She cupped his chin and waited for his eyes to meet hers; she held his gaze, blue staring unwavering into green. “You didn’t, Mulder. And you won’t.” She took a deep breath. “You’re just hungry, that’s all.”

“Yeah,” he said, nodding shakily. “Speaking of which.” He pushed himself to his feet and crossed to the microwave, fishing out the container and pulling back the lid. His face twisted and fell as a rancid, metallic smell wafted through the room.

“No good?” she asked, nose wrinkling.

“It’s gone all lumpy.”

“Coagulation,” she explained, the medical doctor inside her rising to the surface. “Clotting factors catalyze plasma proteins into sticky threads, forming gel-like clumps that slow blood loss from a wound.”

“Charming. It looks like tapioca pudding that’s been left out for a few centuries.”

Her stomach turned at that mental image. “I don’t know much about your new… dietary requirements… but I’m pretty sure you shouldn’t eat that.”

He sighed, closing the lid and dropping the whole container into the wastebasket beside the mini fridge. “It’s okay, Scully. I can wait.”

“No,” she said matter-of-factly. “You can’t. Mulder, you’re barely standing. You won’t be able to hold yourself back much longer, and you won’t be any help with research tonight.” She laughed, though there was no joy in it. “You can’t even make it through a single stakeout shift without a sack of junk food, and that was before you took on a ravenous, demonic parasite.”

Her voice grew hollow and detached as she realized what she needed to do. “If you snap and… hurt someone… you’ll never forgive yourself.” And I’ll never forgive either of us. She drew her pocket knife from the front of her jeans and turned it over and over in her palm, hoping she’d cleaned it recently, hoping it wouldn’t hurt too much. “No, Mulder, you have to eat.”

“What are you—?! No—!”

But she had already flipped open the blade and pressed it into the creamy flesh of her forearm, below the bend of her elbow. She pushed a little harder, letting a thick bead of blood well up before slashing firmly downward, opening herself to him with a small whimper of pain. Thick rivulets of red, glimmering like jewels, trickled down her pale skin, pooling in the trembling cup of her hand.

Mulder managed to hold her gaze for a brief moment, his face a silent plea for forgiveness—for what he had become, for the hunger he was powerless to fight, for what he was about to do to her. She smiled her benediction as tears fell from her eyes. “Just don’t take it all.”

As the scent of her blood reached him, the demon’s form bubbled up to the surface—and its face was full of nothing but pleasure. It lunged forward and closed its mouth over the wound, its teeth piercing deep as it suckled ravenously, its tongue probing obscenely beneath her flesh. Its hand closed around her bruised wrist almost tenderly, like an apology, pinning her in place; small sounds of satisfaction came from its throat as it gulped her down. It moved off the bed and knelt before her, its free hand spreading her thighs and gripping her firmly as it settled between them.

Deep inside her heart, in a place she rarely thought of and never shared, she felt a tremulous thrill at the need this monster had for her. She knew all the legends, the place vampires occupied in folklore as seducers and devils. She could rattle off theories about devouring blood being a puritanical metaphor for sex: the penetration of the fang as it corrupts innocent flesh, the blood spilling from the bite the way some women bleed during their first intercourse.

Hell, she’d seen that Anne Rice movie more times than she would ever dare to admit.

But no dusty book of folktales or moody Hollywood film could have prepared her for the desire that flooded in to fill the space her blood left behind as it flowed into Mulder’s mouth. Her heart pounded, her breathing grew rapid and shallow, and maybe she could blame that on the blood loss—but not the way she throbbed between her legs as he tongued her open wound.

Pity it took this for Mulder to finally put his mouth on her.

Through the ecstasy of her pain, she felt him pull away. Her head was swimming, and she drew several deep, steadying breaths, feeling out the weakness in her body before deciding she was mostly all right. Not much worse than the annual Red Cross drive at the bureau. She debated asking Mulder for a cookie; but his refusal to meet her eyes, even as the face of the demon faded away, killed the joke before it passed her lips.

“That’s enough, Scully.” He looked around for a moment, as if puzzled to find himself kneeling between her legs, and dropped his eyes as he moved away. “Um. Thank you.”

“Are you sure? I’m a little dizzy, but you can have more if you need it.”

A small amount of color had returned to his cheeks, but the circles beneath his eyes were still dark as bruises. Even as he shook his head and stepped away from her, his eyes lingered on the still-oozing cut, on the thin trickle sliding down her arm and dripping off the tips of her fingers. It landed on the dingy carpet with a patter like raindrops.

She moved quickly into the bathroom and shut the door; she didn’t want to see him licking the floor.

The face that met her in the mirror above the sink was even paler than usual, her freckles like dark constellations spread across the expanse of her skin and circles under her eyes nearly the same purple as Mulder’s. She would have to return to her room and apply more makeup, and find something to cover the mark on her neck, which she was relieved to see was smaller than she had imagined. She shuddered as she moistened a washcloth and wiped away the crust of dried blood that had formed around the punctures, remembering the heat of his mouth, the way her body had coiled with pleasure even through the haze of pain—and the way his body had responded to the hot pulse of her blood in his mouth. Maybe it was a good thing Mulder couldn’t see his reflection anymore; she found herself unable to meet her own eyes, and she had only been the vessel. How must he have felt, drinking of her very life?

In the medicine cabinet, she found a small bottle of hydrogen peroxide and used it to clean the wounds on her neck and arm. Rummaging under the sink produced only a box of moldy bandages, too small to cover the slash she had made. It was deeper than she had first thought, blood still seeping sluggishly down her arm, and she made a mental note to be more careful next time.

And she knew, eventually, there would be a next time.

They had said the pull of human blood was strongest in newly-turned vampires, and she had witnessed firsthand how he struggled to consume animal blood. If it was a choice between feeding him herself or allowing him to grow hungry enough to snap and prey on a helpless stranger, she would choose to open her veins every time. At least she had a gun and a cross and her FBI combat training to fall back on.

She grabbed a thin towel from the pile beside the shower and ripped it into strips to clean and bind her cut.

As she worked, she found herself slipping with relief into the cool, clinical detachment of science and medicine, pondering the physical reality of what her partner had become, because the mystical side was beyond her realm of expertise. If she sent a sample of his saliva to the lab, would she discover the presence of anticoagulants, painkillers, aphrodisiacs—chemicals to make the victim more compliant and allow a vampire to feed more deeply? And, she thought with a blush, explain my reaction to his bite? Could his pale skin contain some kind of photo-reactive substance that burst into flames upon contact with sunlight? She had seen vampires bleed; what moved that blood through their bodies, when they had no detectable pulse? What sort of electrical activity would she find in his brain, how did he keep from rotting if his cells were no longer alive, and what was the mechanism of the change that came over him when the demon came out to feed?

By the time she had tended her wounds to her satisfaction, Scully had a long list of questions; even without the answers, she felt more secure in her skin than she had in days. Yes, something horrible had happened to her partner. Yes, she was adrift in a sea of paranormal mystery that she didn’t fully understand. But this was not the first time she had found herself faced with a daunting new reality; she had survived all that had come before, and she would survive this too. She was a medical doctor, a trained FBI agent, and a veteran of more than seven years worth of hauntings, monster hunts, and demons—both personal and literal.

She would face this. For Mulder and for herself. She would find answers, maybe even a cure, if not in the science she held so sacred than in the dusty tomes of mysticism and myth. She took comfort in reminding herself that they were not alone in this quest, that Mulder had somehow stumbled across a band of unlikely allies in this coastal town whose sunny days only belied nights filled with terror and death—allies who had spent years battling the stuff of nightmares and usually won. Even now they waited in town for Mulder and Scully to join them.

She stepped back into Mulder’s room to find that night had fallen completely, filling the room with an inky darkness. The lights were off—he didn’t need them to see in the dark anymore—but she found him by scent and touch just the same and laid a hand on his shoulder.

“You’d better get dressed, Mulder. It’s time to go see the Slayer.”

[melodygatesauthor]

Weekly Update - 05/18/2023

Hey all! I think I'm going to start doing weekly updates since I have a lot going on and a lot of fics in the works! I want you to know what I'm currently working on (WIPs) and I'll also toss some life updates in here as well. I'm also going to mention requests I have in the pipeline and when I'm expecting to complete them. Maybe your request is in there! (It probably is)

Going forward the updates will be on Sunday, I'm just doing this now because I have ADHD and it's on my mind today lol.

Since I've been really following the winds of inspiration lately, I want to keep doing that so I'm just putting this here so you know where the winds are blowing lmao.

I'll also mention if I think my current longfic is going to be delayed or anything here as well.

Gonna cut it up into sections to keep it consistent and easy:

Long/Chaptered Fic Updates

Currently I'm working on A Bit Dodgy, as many of you know. There will NOT be an update this Monday (05/22/2023). Though I will be working on it this week for @welcometostayingawake to edit and I'll have it to post by 05/29/2023 (that's the goal). If it's going to be pushed back again, I'll let you all know the Sunday before (05/28/2023).

Mini-series Update

Worth the Risk Part 3 should be out this week. That's the goal anyway. I have a good chunk of it done but there's still a lot to do. <- Still hoping to have this out this week but we will see (05/22/2023)

Uploading The Fractured Moon Part 2 (either tonight or tomorrow yay) Continuing to chip away at The Fractured Moon Part 3

There's a top secret fic series coming out HOPEFULLY this weekend, but it may be next weekend instead depending on how quickly I can get it finished. I'm losing my mind over it. (It's a 3 parter and all 3 parts are coming out at the same time teehee) <- Editing that today 05/22/2023. Hope to be done with it by tonight!

In June there's a writing challenge for Pride that @flightlessangelwings is putting on and I'm working on my fic for that so I'll be announcing more for that fic once I have the details better outlined!

Fool Me Twice should be getting a part 2 soon. I'm hoping I'll feel inspired to at least start it this week but maybe not. <- Taking this off the list for this week. Focusing on ABD and requests (05/22/2023).

Still considering doing 2 other parts for The OJ Problem but honestly, it's not that exciting to me rn. Since it's more of a Valentine's Day fic I might consider just doing those next year. <- Taking this off the list for this week. Focusing on ABD and requests (05/22/2023) will probably just put this on for next year for valentine's day.

Requests

I still have a sizeable amount of requests. REQUESTS ARE STILL CLOSED CURRENTLY. If your request is in blue, that means I'm going to try to work on it this week (05/21-05/27). If it's in pink, I'm going to try to work on it a different week. It's taking me a while to get into the headspace for some of them so thank you for your patience. Green means it's done I'm just working on editing now. They are posted in no real order, just working on them as I feel inspired to.

Blue Jones X f!Reader requested by @saraicus

There are 2 prompts in particular that I liked from the list you sent so I'll be doing them. - His eyeliner running down as he’s banging you against his desk - You’re a new patient and he just grows overprotective towards you. Doesn’t want you to meet other men and keeps you in solitary confinement for his jealousy sake.

Moon Boys X f!Reader by @ravenz-hope

Gamer reader and the boys getting angsty over her being too obsessed with the game (most relatable thing ever) <- Haven't had the time to set up the post but this will be coming out very soon. Need to finish editing as well (05/22/2023)

Moon Boys X f!Reader by @simpforbritgents

Asking for something like Feeling Flustered where the moon boys are doing guided phone sex.

Moon Boys X f!Reader by @mercuryrosesixx

Moon Boys w/ a f!Reader w/ nipple piercings. <- Started working on headcanons (05/22/2023).

Marc Spector X f!Reader by @blueflowerhat

Marc shower sex based on AI prompt.

Steven Grant X f!Reader by Anon -

Steven and Reader are both virgins. Marc is guiding/coaching Steven.

Doctor Marc Spector X Patient Reader by @burnincrown

Role Reversal (sort of) of Not a Doctor - Marc is the doc, reader is the patient and he takes advantage - Dark Fic

Nathan Bateman X f!Reader by @campingwiththecharmings

This is the prompt that hit me like a Nathan-shaped mac truck! -> “if you don’t like my teasing why are you moaning”

Nathan Bateman X f!Reader by Anon

Cam girl reader x Nathan - Nathan turns to a cam girl, he's been kinda stalking her. (Excited hehe)

That's it for right now. I'm a busy lady as usual but I like having a few different projects going at once! More coming soon! Thanks for always being so awesome and supportive. Love you all!

[ummick]

Mick's Diary: Bringing Performance to the Track

Hi everyone. Welcome to another chapter of my diary! Plenty has happened since we last spoke. The season is now in full swing, and a lot has been going on. I've done the first test in the W14 which was great. Completing the Pirelli tyre test in Barcelona and getting back in the car was a good feeling, and very special. For me, it was a big step up driving the W14. I know the team are working hard to create a winning car and I have no doubt that they will. I've seen this in the past couple of weeks, how determined the team is and how everyone's got their heads down, focused and how responsive they are to issues and feedback. There have been loads of things that I've learned from the team so far and I really appreciate that. Things that I can take forward in my career.

It's been a very busy, but good, period in the simulator too. I'm aware that the simulator is never going to be a 100 percent replication of real life. You have certain factors that play a role driving the real car that you just don't have in the simulator. In the sim, it's all about having as close correlation as possible with reality. That's what we are working for, and I feel like we are taking the actions necessary to bring the simulator as close as possible to the real thing. Spain was a tough day and long night in the simulator on the Friday, so it was nice to see the comments afterwards from Toto and the drivers. What's also important is crediting the people behind the scenes in the simulator and the whole team in Brackley and Brixworth who work day and night to push the development forward.

I've definitely been on a learning curve since joining the team, but now I've settled in more and have a deeper understanding of the car itself. As I have driven the W14 too, I have a reference so can really judge the changes that the drivers make on track and relate to those feelings that I had driving it. It's a different kind of learning now. The simulator work can be quite tough mentally. You are driving in front of a computer, so the screen makes your eyes tired. Whenever I'm away from it, I try to reduce the screen time, not sit glued to my phone or computer.

Most recently I was at the Goodwood Festival of Speed with the Team. It was my first time there and I really enjoyed seeing so many fans. It was a shame the weather meant we couldn't run on Saturday, but Sunday was super special. I got to drive the 2021 car, the W12. It was amazing how much grip the car had and the speed it could carry through the corners, so it makes sense how Lewis and Valtteri were able to win races and fight for championships in it.

Driving the 2011 W02, the car that my dad drove for the Team, was particularly special and I had a lot of emotions driving it. I even did some donuts in it. I want to say a big thank you to everyone in the Team for creating the opportunity and making it possible. There's been lots going on, as you can probably tell! So when I'm not working, I've been enjoyed being out in nature and having some proper time off. I feel like I've found a good balance so far. I've been just as busy as I have been in previous years and I wouldn't have thought that prior to the start of the year. That's been a good thing, keeping me sharp and hopefully that'll prepare me for when I am back in a car.

I just wanted to finish this entry by thanking you, the fans, for all your support. I hope everyone is doing well and looking out for each other. Hopefully these diary entries give a good insight into what I'm up to. I'll be checking in with you later in the year so until then, take care.

[staceymcgillicuddy]

Sunday Summary

Kinkmeme 2 is so not getting finished today. Womp womp, I was so optimistic, but Eddie's dick is just not cooperating (Chrissy said, with a wink). Also, it's very fun writing a BDSM scene without the strictures of safe words and modern day sensibilities because these ding-dongs do not have access to that, so they are flying by the seats of their respective pants!

Anyway, I enjoyed reporting out on progress last week, so here it is again (I am very prolific currently, likely because I have a lot of deadlines, which makes me frantic):

🚛 to get my soul known again - 4,691

The closer I get to finishing this bad boy, the less I want to write it, because then it'll be done and I'll be so, so sad! However, I rewrote parts of Chapter 25 this week, and finished the first draft of Chapter 32. Current count is 37 chapters total, but 37 is an epilogue.

🍑 Kinkmeme 1 - 2,823

Done with draft one! Haven't looked at it since. Hoping to post it neeeeext week, I think?

🍆 Kinkmeme 2 - 6,612

This one has been my main focus for the week, and I think there's still another 1-2k left in it. It's all Eddie POV, and he spends seventy-eight percent of it thinking about his penis, so that's been fun.

👩‍❤️‍👨➕ Kinkmeme 3 - 813

The least developed, so I'll need to devote some serious time to it in the coming weeks. I have the general outline in my head, but sometimes when I write sex, things go in a direction I can't anticipate.

Grand Total: 14,939

You guys, I have for real not been this productive in YEARS. What has Hellcheer + smut done to my brain? Not complaining, but holy shit, that's averaging 2,134 words a day! I am aware I can't keep this up (the last time I tried to be too write-y for too long, I ended up in burnout and couldn't do more than 200 words a day for years), but boy is it fun to feel this inspired and motivated.

What's that you say? I have to edit these before I can post them? That's a tomorrow problem!

Annnnnd breakfast time. Also, my askbox is always open for questions about anything I'm writing, pervy headcanons, regular headcanons, or writing stuff. Someone said in an anon ask that I seem intimidating, and I don't mean to be! Please bother me--I crave constant human interaction and I worry I'm being annoying (I am) so I never want to start conversations.

[crmsnmth]

September Sky Chapter One, Part 6

I smiled to myself. I didn't know the bar at all, but I also knew all but jack shit about Walker's Point. Hell, I was still learning things about my own neighborhood. It didn't really matter though. I'd get to hang out with my friend. It'd been about two months since the last time we hung out physically. And it'd be kind of cool to see Alana again too. We use to hang on the edges of the same circles in high school, and I had a massive crush on her for a really long time. But I wasn't a very smart teenager, and resorted to the childish way of telling a girl you liked them. I mocked her relentlessly. I was in the first grade again, pulling the hair of the girl I liked.

ME: Yeah, I should be to get a Saturday night off. I never do, so it shouldn't be a problem. I'll probably have to go in Sunday to do the numbers and stuff but fuck it. It'll be worth it. It'll be a good time. I haven't seen Alana in fucking years.

It was Tuesday, and I always had Tuesday's off. My schedule was pretty routine, and it rarely changed in any way. I really could go in pretty much whenever I wanted, and just because I dressed and thought in that punk rebellion feeling, didn't mean that I didn't take huge pride in my job. I had worked my way up from a dishwasher back in Oconomowoc. And now I was the kitchen manager and lead line in Milwaukee. I liked the work. And the workplace is where I've made the few friends I have in Milwaukee. I couldn't make real friends on the campus because nothing forces me to talk another human being. Work does. Plus, the money was ok. I didn't worry about much. My bills were paid and if I really wanted something, I got it. I was comfortable.

It was 3:35. Time to make my way back across the bridge and up to the campus. I left, and about fifteen minutes later I was sitting on a table in the campus cafeteria. I won't lie, I hurried here. I could have slowly walked and still would have had time, but for once, I wanted to be somewhere. I had my headphones and was listening to Green Day's Kerplunk! album. I sat there, mumbling along to '2000 Light Years Away" and letting my eyes scan the cafeteria. I didn't really expect her to show. So I hoped for the best, and prepared for the worst.

It was running on 4:30 when I decided she had done the sensible thing. It sucked, quite a lot actually, and I was bummed about it. I couldn't really be upset with her though. It was the smarter choice. I sighed heavily, and stood up. Only for my iPod to fall to the floor, yanking my headphones off and under the table. I bent down to pick them up and head back home.

"So, are you always dropping something?" A perfect voice asked from behind me. I grabbed my stuff and jerked back up.

"What can I say? You can find some pretty rad stuff on the floor," I shot back. I was only half joking. My mouth moves faster than my brain a lot of the time, and because of it, I can come off as a horrible insufferable sarcastic smart-ass.

"I bet," she laughed. I could listen to that laugh forever.

"So coffee or?" I asked. Dammit, gain control of your words, stupid.

"Would mind something a little stronger? It's been a rough day, and I could use a drink." She looked at me with her bright shining eyes. It was only then I noticed the tired look. The dead and waiting look of a college student. A college student who actually cares about school.

"No, that's cool. Whatever you want to do. Where did you want to go?" I asked. I knew a few bars around Riverwest. I may not like people, but I do like music, and there's a lot of live music in the bars of Riverwest. And I liked a drink, like anyone else. Maybe a little more. It knocked out the anxiety. I preferred to smoke weed though. No hangover. And it makes me eat. Another thing I just never really do.

[muchamusedaboutnothing]

Heart of a Hunter Act VII - Ch. 18

Heart of a Hunter Act VII - Ch. 18

Characters: Dean x doctor!Reader, Sam Winchester

This story is Act 7 of a saga.

New to the story? Get caught up on the Heart of a Hunter Saga here.

All your favorite Winchesters are alive, in spite of the curse that nearly took them from you. After coming so close to losing the only family you have left in this world, you’re taking matters into your own hands. There’s a witch to hunt.

Series Warnings:

Character injuries/sickness - Take note that no one is excluded from this.

Canon-typical violence and language.

Lots of whump.

Lots of caring for hurt characters.

Smut (18 Only. NSFW. You were warned.)

Angst.

Fluff.

Medical talk. Is that even a warning

Image Credit: bing image search, google image search, @blueredeye2 , @gaywitchtwins ,

Wordcount: 2236

Author's Note: Happy New Year's Day everyone! We made it through another year together. I love you all more than I can tell you. There's only one more chapter to go in Act VII - we'll see you again next Sunday. :)

Chapter  18

"Do we have everything?" you thought out loud as you glanced in the diaper bag a second time.

"I think so," Dean assured you, bouncing Jonah lightly in his arms. "As long as we leave in the next fifteen minutes we'll make it to his appointment on time."

You nodded as Sam and Addie descended the stairs from the garage area after having taken Addie's things out.

"It feels weird to be leaving," Addie said as they approached.

"I'm going to miss you," you told her, putting your arms around her to hug her close.

She hugged you back. "I'll miss you, too."

"Thanks again for everything you've done. I can't say it enough."

She pulled back to look at you. "You don't have to say it at all. I'm happy I could come and help."

She turned her focus on Jonah then, reaching out to take him from Dean.

"Hey there, cutie pie," she said, snuggling him. "I'm going to miss you, too. Don't you get too big before I see you again, kay?" She kissed the top of Jonah's head affectionately and handed him over to you.

"Thanks Addie," Dean said as he pulled her in for a hug. "We couldn't have done it without you." Addie patted his back and Dean slowly released her. "Take care of yourself and give Jim and Cheryl our love. We'll plan a trip down to visit real soon."

"I'll hold you to it," she said with a grin.

"Have a safe flight," you added as she waved and headed for the stairs again.

"See you in a bit," you told Sam.

He nodded and gave you a little wave before following Addie to the garage to give her a ride to the airport.

"Ready?" Dean asked as he slung the diaper bag over one shoulder and picked up the carseat.

"Let's go."

Sam and Addie had already pulled out of the garage when you walked inside. Dean clicked the carseat into place in the back of the Impala and you gently set Jonah inside, doing up the safety straps.

You gave Jonah his pacifier, seeing his eyes begin to droop. He hadn't had his mid-morning nap yet, and you were hoping he'd sleep on the way.

Jonah napped the entire trip until the moment Dean cut the engine in the parking lot of the pediatrician's office. To your relief, he woke up rested and happy. The three of you made your way inside and Dean checked in at the front desk while you carried Jonah into the restroom to take advantage of the changing table for a fresh diaper.

It was twenty minutes after you joined Dean in the waiting room before they called Jonah's name and took you back. You helped the medical assistant weigh him in the hallway on the scale, and then she took you all to an exam room to wait.

Dean held Jonah, walking around the room and talking to him about the posters on the walls.

The wait for Dr. Weston was surprisingly short as he showed up only ten minutes later, smiling warmly as he shook your hands in greeting. Then he turned his attention to Jonah.

“Hey Jonah, how are you doing, buddy?” he said as he reached out for him. Dean handed Jonah over and Dr. Weston gently laid him on the exam table. "Handsome as ever, I see…. How long is he sleeping at night?" he asked.

"He goes as long as five or six hours most nights," you said, looking to Dean for confirmation as he'd spent more time at home with Jonah lately than you had.

"That sounds about right," Dean agreed. "He's more alert for longer periods during the day now, too. I think it's just cuz he wants to hang out with his old man." Dean winked at you and you smiled at the pride that was so obvious in his expression.

Dr. Weston measured Jonah's height and the circumference of his head while you chatted, noting it all down in the chart on the tablet he'd brought into the room with him. "How much is he eating?”

"He's drinking 28-30 ounces of formula a day right now," Dean said.

"That's perfect," Dr. Weston said. "How are his bowel movements?"

"Still gross," Dean answered. You smacked him lightly on the arm, smiling. Dean feigned innocence. "What?"

"The iron fortified formula we have him on right now seems to be working well," you answered. "He stays pretty regular."

"Good,” Dr. Weston said as he checked Jonah's eyes and watched him track his finger back and forth. “Stick with the formula. That’s all he needs for now.” Next, he unbuttoned Jonah’s onesie and slipped it off of him, eyes growing wide at the sight of the temporary tattoo Dean had apparently felt the need to put on Jonah's chest when he'd dressed him that morning.

"It, uh, it comes off," Dean said in explanation. "It's my band's logo. I have one to match, but mines, well ... real."

Dr. Weston smiled and began a quick but thorough head-to-toe examination of Jonah. "What kind of band?" he asked as he checked Jonah's pulses.

You glanced at Dean, also curious as to his answer.

Dean stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jeans. "We do mostly covers. Some Skynyrd, a little Segar. On occasion, we'll throw in some Zeppelin."

Dr. Weston looked over his shoulder at Dean. "Is that so?"

Dean gave a casual little shrug.

"I only recently added Zeppelin's fourth record to my vinyl collection," Dr. Weston said with a hint of pride as he checked Jonah’s hip range of motion.

"It’s not a vinyl collection without that one'," Dean said with a smile.

"Do you have any shows coming up that I could catch?" Dr. Weston asked.

"Well, uh, not right now…." Dean scratched his head. "The newest little honorary member of the band here has sort of taken all my free time."

Dr. Weston chuckled as if he'd only just realized that would be the case. "Good answer, Dad," he said as he slid his stethoscope from around his neck and put it on to auscultate Jonah's heart.

Dean gave you a reassuring wink and you smiled at him.

"You're just healthy and happy as can be," Dr. Weston said to Jonah as he returned his stethoscope to his neck. "He's developing right on track," he added for you and Dean as he put Jonah's onesie back on with practiced ease. "I still suspect he's going to be tall…." He snapped the little buttons at the bottom together.

"No surprise there," you said with a smile.

Dr. Weston gently placed Jonah in your arms. "These are for you." He handed Dean printouts with the percentiles charted on them. "Do either of you have any questions or concerns for me?"

"When can he drive?" Dean said, deadpan.

Dr. Weston chuckled and said, "It'll be here before you know it."

"I'm in no hurry for him to get that big," you said as you bounced Jonah gently and kissed his cheek. "He'll get bigger than me soon enough as it is."

A smile tugged at the corner of Dean's mouth as he watched you snuggling Jonah.

"You guys are doing great with him," the doctor added. "Keep it up."

Dean shook Dr. Weston's hand and you both thanked him and headed to the front desk to schedule Jonah's next follow up.

When you got back to the bunker, Dean offered to give Jonah a bottle and then rummage something up for lunch for the rest of you. You found Sam intently sorting things in the supply room. He was in such deep thought he didn’t notice you approaching. You only watched from the doorway for a moment before recognizing Sam’s version of what you often referred to as ‘stress cleaning.’

You cleared your throat, causing him to startle and look up.

“Oh, hey. How was Jonah’s appointment?”

You leaned against the doorframe, folding your arms casually. “It was great. He got a clean bill of health. Right on track.”

Sam smiled softly. “That’s good to hear.”

“Addie make her flight okay?”

“Yeah.” He set a bottle in a drawer and closed it, straightening to his full height. “She, uh, she should be landing in Florida in a couple of hours.” You didn’t miss the way his face fell as he spoke. There was no doubt in your mind Sam and Addie’s goodbye had been a hard one.

“Hey,” you said. “Come on.” You gestured with a jerk of your chin behind you, indicating Sam should follow.

“Where we going?” he asked as he set the clipboard down he’d been holding.

“Outside for some air. Take a little walk with me?”

The two of you left the bunker and fell into step next to each other on the side of the road. The air was crisp and there was a hint of impending rain in the scent. Clouds in the distance likely meant you were only a few hours shy of a decent thunderstorm, but the temperature was perfect for a little stroll.

"It's okay, you can say it," Sam said after a moment, glancing over and down at you as you walked.

"Say what?"

Sam smiled and shook his head softly. "I know you're worried about me … and I appreciate it. I'll be okay. Really."

You shrugged. "I have no doubt about that, Brawny," you assured him. "In the meantime though, you don't have to pretend that saying goodbye to Addie doesn't suck, especially considering this is the most time you've ever had together in one stretch." He nodded in silence. "You know, she worries, too."

Sam kicked a rock as you walked. "She said that?"

"With her big ole heart eyes, yeah."

Sam couldn't help but smile at that. "I worry about her," he said. "I worry that some great guy - some normal guy with a 401K and a Benz is going to want to be with her."

"Sam, Addie likes you. A lot."

"That's what worries me." He stopped walking and you turned to face him. "What if she misses out on something real because she's got some grand notion of what I do, or who I am. You know better than anybody that this isn't some heroic fantasy we're living-"

"Addie knows enough," you stated. "She survived demonic possession, and she knows we almost lost Jonah to that witch. Almost lost you and Dean, too…. Give her some credit. She's not seeing you or this life through rose-colored glasses."

Sam looked out at the field nearby as he considered your words. "That's not all," he said, his voice softer. "She's deep in her career already, and she's great at it. I don't want her to feel pressure to change that or give up what she loves doing to be with me," he added. "I get the sense she's already feeling torn."

You wanted to tell him that it was up to Addie, just like it had been your decision to leave your career in medicine to hunt with him and Dean. But there were layers of pain in his hazel eyes that stopped the words in your throat.

"We agreed it’s best to keep things between us casual. That way we can keep in touch and still get together whenever we can manage, but I made her promise me that she'll date other guys, and that she'll tell me if something gets serious because I want that for her."

"That must have been really difficult," you said, reaching out to squeeze his hand.

Sam let out a little humorless laugh. "Yeah, well, I imagine it will pale in comparison to how I'll feel when she actually meets Mr. Right."

"Are you sure this is what you want?" you said after a moment. "To be Mr. Right Now?"

He shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. "It's not about what I want. This … this is about what she needs. What she deserves." Sam took a breath deep enough to fill his lungs completely before letting out a heavy sigh. "I'm going to miss her like crazy. Hell, I miss her already, but more than anything I just want her to be happy. I want what's best for her ... even if it breaks my heart."

His words were selfless and painfully insightful, which also summarized Sam in a nutshell. You stepped forward and wrapped your arms around him, feeling him duck down so your arms could circle his neck. “You’re a good man, Sam,” you said. He hugged you back fiercely but didn’t say a word. “I can’t imagine not having you in my life. I hope you know we all look up to you, and not just because you’re a freaking sasquatch.” Sam’s mouth twitched into a smile. “I love you,” you told him.

“Love you, too, Spider Monkey,” he said, kissing the top of your head.

“Your brother’s making lunch,” you said as you released him. “It’s probably something greasy. You up for it?”

Sam let out a soft laugh. “Yeah. I think so.”

He wrapped an arm around your shoulders and you headed back to the bunker together, but Sam seemed to have a renewed pep in his step that you hoped meant he at least felt a little unburdened after your talk.

Act VII Masterlist.

You can find the Masterlist for the Heart of a Hunter Saga here.

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[doctor-john-smith]

Hello there! I wanted to wish you the best holiday season! 🎄❄️

Merry Christmas! I hope you're having a lovely holiday. I apologise for my absence, the last few weeks have been hectic. I loved 'The Giggle', the bi-generation was a thing of beauty and Ncuti knocked it out of the park in that episode. I already love his Doctor, 'The Church on Ruby Road' was a wonderful first story for the Doctor and Ruby and I can't wait for May and the continuation of this fantastic new era! What a time to be a Doctor Who fan! 🎅🎄

* * *

The brand new Doctor beamed the most infectious smile towards Ruby Sunday as he leaned calmly against the bright white Tardis console, his arms folded, his legs crossed. Ruby couldn't help but smile back, mesmerised by the impossible man that stood before her, in his equally impossible time machine.

So many things had happened within such a short space of time. Scary things. When I say scary, I mean time travelling, baby eating, coincidence-obsessed goblins. That kind of scary. It's definitely the last thing you want at Christmas.

On the other hand, though, she had met The Doctor. Throughout this incredible, mayhem fueled chapter in her life, he had always been there for her, guiding her by the hand and protecting her like a guardian angel, even at times she hadn't realised. This day had made absolutely no sense whatsoever and yet.. somehow, at the same time, it made perfect sense. There was a paradox of thoughts competing inside her head as she stared into his warm, comforting eyes, which sparkled like the stars in the night sky.

Ruby had no idea what was going to happen next now she had made the daring leap of a decision to travel with The Doctor into territories of time and space both known and unknown. All she did know, at that exact moment, was that she wouldn't have it any other way.

Two foundlings, two new friends bound and brought together by the universe, navigating the vast reaches of reality like an endless ocean.

Ruby cleared her throat. "Doctor Who, exactly? I mean, do you have a name or is it just 'The Doctor'?"

"Just the Doctor," he responded, his eyes still fixed on hers. "I mean, I used to have a name before I took the title of The Doctor, but, it's really long and complicated. Only children and cats can pronounce it. Besides, I've more than earned this title. I've put a lot of work into your universe, hun."

Ruby mused The Doctor's response. "You've put a lot of work into the universe..of course you have.. I mean, everything you've done, rescuing Lulabella and me, defeating a flying pirate ship full of goblins.. it was literally like something out of a fantasy movie. To top it all off, you even have a time machine! I'm still trying to decide if this is a dream or not.."

The Doctor moved away from the console, towards Ruby, resting his hands firmly, reassuringly, on her shoulders. He emitted a chuckle, the grin refusing to vacate his lips. "It's completely real, Ruby. Everything you've experienced, all those extraordinary moments, are what I deal with on a day-to-day basis. You're about to witness all the possibilities this universe has to offer, by stepping through those doors. Take, for example, what happened to me and a good friend of mine, Nomad, after we made out escape from an old enemy of mine, The Cybermen.."

@musesreunite

[waynes-multiverse]

Multiverse News: Week 2

Greetings, fellow travelers! It’s your favorite hot mess speaking! 🖖

I already knew chances of me doing this weekly were slim, but I’ll be giving these Sunday updates as much as I can! Work was a little crazy the past two weeks, I already miss my vacation days, and my hopes of having an easier next week got crushed on Friday. Naturally, I didn’t have a lot of time to write and read the last two weeks, but I’ll share all the series I’m currently reading and the few WIPs I’ve worked since the last update 😊

I’ve also reached 800 followers (even after blocking a million porn bots 🤣), so THANK YOU so much for stumbling onto this blog and indulging in my little stories. I love and appreciate all of you more than you can ever imagine 😭🖤🖤🖤

I initially wanted to celebrate by opening requests, so I can thank you properly by writing some storylines you want, but since work is crazy and I’m behind on literally everything, I don’t think it’s a good idea for now. Hopefully, things will clear up soon and we can do something fun to celebrate this milestone together 🥳🥂

Currently reading 🤓

A Supernatural Journey by @eevvvaa​ Dean Winchester x OFC, Sam Winchester x OFC Author’s summary: After an unplanned event in their road trip, Emily and Eva crossed paths with two brothers. One thing leading to another, the two best friends found themselves in what seems to be a supernatural journey…

Green is My Favorite Color by @dean-winchester-is-a-warrior​ Dean Winchester x OFC Author’s summary: Dean has been her hero from childhood, can she ever get him to be more?

Limelight by @talesmaniac89​ CEO!Dean Winchester x Journalist!Reader Author’s summary: The workaholic and media shy CEO of Winchester Inc, Dean Winchester, is forced to try online dating by his friends. What will happen when he swipes right on (Y/N), who is working on a series on online dating for her magazine?

Nightingale by @trektraveler​ Jensen Ackles x Reader Author’s summary: Jensen Ackles seemed to have it all. A hit television series fifteen years running, a budding music career and a stunning wife. To the casual observer, his life was perfect. But it was a façade. No more real than the supernatural world created on a soundstage. That day on the lake had started with uncertainty, but when he pulled you from the water everything became clear. The truth was, he’d been the one drowning.

That Simple by @avanatural​ Beau Arlen x Reader Author’s summary: Beau goes to Y/N, a new friend of his, for some dating advice. Is the charming new sheriff gonna get the date that he’s hoping for?

Mind Games by @avanatural​ Soldier Boy x Reader Author’s Summary: Set in 1984. It’s that time of the year – the supes are having the time of their lives at the Herogasm festival. Soldier Boy seems to have taken a special interest in Y/N, a fellow superhero.

Finished reading 💚

A Rose for the Snake by @all-alone-he-turns-to-stone​ Dean Winchester x Reader Author’s summary: Since he discovered the club, Dean’s been going at least once a week. Being a dom is something nice, it makes him feel powerful and in control. But is it really what he likes? Or is it the domme assigned to teach him the basics that tells him what to do?

Surrender Part 1 & Part 2 by @b3autyfuldisast3r​ Jensen Ackles x Reader Author’s summary: Reader is a PA on the set of Big Sky and falls in love with Jensen - who is married. Will she give in to her feelings and destroy a relationship or hide them and risk destroying herself?

Stoking the Flame by @dean-winchester-is-a-warrior​ Beau Arlen x Jenny Hoyt Author’s summary: Jenny and Beau have been ignoring the spark between them for a long time. How much longer can they continue?

GO CHECK OUT ALL THESE AMAZING STORIES AND AUTHORS IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY! 🖤

Series Updates:

DBM: Currently reworking chapter 2. It was too funny and casual. Dean needs to be more broken and devastated. I’m going for that full heartbreak here. Tears, sobs – you shouldn’t be able to function when I’m done with this chapter. You’re welcome.

PH: Finished part 19 and realized it’s the longest of the series yet. Currently, it’s at 5.8k. I already tried to think of scenes to cut and while there are some I could live without plotwise, they’re hilarious and I don’t want to erase those laughs. So, should I split it into two parts instead or can we live with this? Let me know! I’m also halfway through part 20. It’s intense and pretty much follows an episode of the show, which I always found important, so I didn’t want to change too much about it, not even the dialogue. I hope I’m doing it justice in the end ☺️

⚠️ PS: In case you missed it, Part 11 posted yesterday and Parts 12-16 follow this week! Get ready! It’s a pretty wild batch! 🤪

Upcoming One-Shots:

Labyrinth: Started writing it this week for a request (the Wendigo hunt). Currently 1.7k words in. The beginning is a bit creepy because Wendigos were always the monsters that freaked me out the most (because they remind me of the horror movie The Descent and that one always scares me to death.) But Dean’s close to saving her and then there’s all the fluff you could possibly get 🥰

Mercilessly: Giving it the finishing touches. Was initially planning to post it on Dean’s bday, but my work schedule won’t allow me to finish it in time. My muse is also in a fluff mood apparently and not up for evil scheming. I’m as surprised as you are, guys...

[dietraumerei]

Weekly Writing and Reading Update

Hello, the start of the Long Dark is upon me, which means I just want to sleep and read and then sleep some more in my dark little apartment. I'm not unhappy, just...restful. Which is great, but also I need to go grocery shopping and just, ew. Work was also exhausting this past week, so I am hoping the coming week is better, and I will feel like getting up and about a bit next weekend. (Also I'm getting a tattoo done next Sunday, so that'll be cool to look forward to!)

All of which is to say that in all ways but physical I am a small piece of moss on the forest floor, and I'm not mad about it.

Writing

Honestly I did nothing this week. It feels like overkill to say I burned out, but I simply...did not want to write, so I didn't. My mojo is starting to creep back, but it was awfully nice to just read the New Yorker of a morning.

That said, I finally posted the first chapter of Yet Another New AU, and I'm really pleased with this ranging story. I think I'll post updates once a week or two; I want to take my time writing this, and it's been nice feeling like I have time to proofread and rewrite as I go; I already had to start over once because I accidentally made Dily unlikeable, lol.

Anyway, here it is:

Beginnings

Reading

I finished When the Angels Left the Old Country after @lesbrarian recommended it and it might be my favorite book I've read this year? Top five, certainly -- it's tense and beautiful and funny and full of love and very Jewish, and it just filled me with joy to read, even the sad parts. The comparisons to Good Omens are unavoidable, but really I find it a very different story in a lot of ways, although certainly with connections. I adored it, and it's one of those books I can't wait to re-read. Also every time I think about the angel too much I want to cry, but in a good way.

I also -- finally, after many breaks -- finished The Path the Power, the first volume of Caro's LBJ biography. Oh my god, this book. THIS BOOK. The next time I do this I'm going to update every week on what I learned that week because there is just so much in this tome. I want to visit the Pedernales, but not in summer. The description of grass-growing was riveting. The descriptions of the lives of the farmwives before electrification was riveting (and horrific). The play-by-play for elections in the forties literally kept me up past my bedtime. And I have not even touched on Pappy O'Daniel (a real person!! who was apparently toned down CONSIDERABLY for O Brother Where Art Thou) or Lady Bird or how Caro more than once makes sure to mention that Johnson had a dumptruck ass.

Anyway, Lyndon was a vote-buying absolute fucking weirdo from birth and his mother was just as weird and his father was fascinating and I'm a little in love with Sam Rayburn. Do not let either the Old White Man History or the fact that this book is a fucking doorstop stop you, this is a masterpiece and I see why it won a Pulitzer. (whoops, looks like it was another volume that won the Pulitzer) I cannot wait to read the other volumes, which I estimate will take me about a year per book, but worth it!