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mysterious-moonstruck-musings · 4 months

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Closed Position: Week 3 (Cha Cha Part 2)

Closed Position Masterlist ||| Main Masterlist Dieter Bravo x OFC (Katarina)

Series Summary: Dieter Bravo, now sober, was looking to change his bad boy image after hitting rock bottom. His team hoped that having him join the nationally televised family friendly dance competition, Dancing with the Stars, would be a good first step, if they can keep him out of trouble.

Katarina Stamos expected her last season as a professional dancer on the show to go the same as it had for the past thirteen seasons. That all changed when she was partnered with the infamous Dieter Bravo.

Dieter and Katarina are reluctantly thrown into their partnership and must learn to work together to succeed in the competition. In the process they form a deeper connection beyond the dance floor that neither anticipated.

Chapter Word Count: 17.6k

👉 Warnings: Themes dealing with intimate partner violence, past alcohol abuse, and past drug abuse. There will be fluff, tears, spicy language, and smut. This will be a slow burn. Read at your own risk. Dieter Bravo comes with his own warnings.

👉 Chapter Warnings: Dieter being Dieter. Gratuitous use of the "f" word and talk about Dieter’s member. Cat and Plant dad Dieter cuteness. Brief mentions of intimate partner violence (more protective Dieter).

Chapter Quote: “I think I just became the bitch of a seven pound menace.”

Dieter’s POV

This week had been a fucking roller coaster. It started off with a bizarre production meeting with Stacia and Joe. I couldn’t believe they asked Kat and me to be flirty for the cameras, knowing she was engaged to someone else who is part of the cast. It was beyond inappropriate. Honestly, it pissed me off and I wasn’t OK with it. I didn’t like the position it would put her in.

They hadn’t been wrong about Kat standing out during the group performance. It was obvious to anyone who had eyes and I honestly felt proud of her. After the way Stacia had acted when I requested Kat as my partner, like she wasn’t that great of a dancer, it was almost like a big ‘fuck you’ to her. I loved every second of it and was feeling a little smug as they talked about putting Kat in the spotlight. It took everything in me not to rub it in.

The lunch with Kat that followed was an interesting experience. We really hadn’t got to spend a lot of time talking about things other than dancing up to this point. The lunch was a welcome break to have other conversations. I appreciated that she seemed interested in my hobbies. My plant hobby wasn’t something that I really got to discuss with people, so it was refreshing. I also got to learn about her plans for opening a dance studio after this season ends. I could tell she wasn’t looking forward to giving up competitions, but she seemed legitimately excited about her next steps. I was excited for her, and honestly, I couldn’t wait to see what she came up with. I knew whatever she did would be amazing.

During our first rehearsal for the Cha Cha, I found myself spiraling. Especially when we started putting the dance together. I knew the Latin dances had more of a flirty and sexual feel to them and I tried to mentally prepare myself for that ahead of time. However, I was not prepared for the way Kat was moving her hips, especially when she was doing it with her backside essentially rubbing up against my dick. When I told her I didn’t want to make an ass of myself, I was referring to the fact that it was taking everything in me to keep little bravo from standing at full attention and poking her from behind. I couldn’t focus and I couldn’t relax. It was literal torture. I was obviously going to have to figure out how to deal with that or we were going to have a problem going forward. I’m not even sure how I made it through rehearsals that day.

I was shocked when a text from Kat popped up on my phone later that evening. I was even more shocked when she said we were going to a Latin dance club. I tried to play it off with jokes, but internally I was falling apart. I spent the evening standing in my closet staring at my clothes. I had no fucking clue what to wear to a Latin dance club. I ended up texting my stylist around 10:30 PM, begging her to tell me what to wear. I was relieved when she said she would have a few things sent over the next day.

I had an appointment with my therapist very early the next morning. The first topic of the day was how things were going with Kat. I lied through my teeth, wanting to change the subject. I was not ready to unpack my feelings for Kat with Dr. Smith. Mostly because I was afraid of what she would have to say about it. I’m not sure Dr. Smith believed a word I said. She gave me a skeptical look when I changed the subject, but let me continue without coming back to that topic. I did notice her jotting down some notes though. I had a feeling it was going to come back to bite me later. I knew my feelings were wrong and that I shouldn’t be having them, but I couldn’t help it. I felt like it was out of my control at this point. I had tried so fucking hard to ignore it and I was still trying but failing. Some of it was physical, obviously, but the more time I spent with Kat the more I was drawn to her personality. I had never felt anything like this before and could not even begin to understand what it meant. I just wanted to pack it away and worry about it later.

I had a photo shoot with some fancy men’s fashion magazine after that. Honestly, I wasn’t even sure which one. It was the last thing I wanted to be doing, but I needed any job I could get. I still had to prove that I had my shit together and could show up and work without issue. It was also part of rehabilitating my image. The new and improved stylish Dieter Bravo. People in Hollywood talked, so it was important that I was present mentally and physically for this. I did my best to smile and be engaged with everyone, but it all felt forced. However, everyone seemed happy with the final product, so I took that as a win. At least it kept my mind distracted from what Kat and I were doing later.

When I got home, I found that my stylist had dropped off several items of clothing for our outing. I went with what looked the most comfortable. Luckily it was mostly light fabrics, so I wouldn’t burn up. I really only needed to change clothes since I had already showered, and my hair was styled from the shoot. That left me with an hour to do absolutely nothing except get myself worked up into a frenzy. The minutes were dragging on agonizingly slow, and my mind was already going to places that it shouldn’t be. I wondered what Kat would be wearing and if she was going to be moving the way she had been during rehearsals the day before. The thought of her rubbing up against me again was already making me hard.

I paced around my bedroom, begging my dick to calm the fuck down. Nothing was working. The only resolution I could come up with was to take care of it. I had been avoiding doing this because every time, my thoughts would wander to Kat. I didn’t want to think about her that way, worried that it would open up a door that I was frantically trying to hold closed.

I huffed out a quiet “fuck it” under my breath before quickly undressing and grabbing a t-shirt off the floor that I had slept in and crawled onto the bed. I found a bottle of lube in the nightstand drawer and went for it. I didn’t even try to keep the thoughts of Kat away this time - the way she would bite her lip and look at me through her lashes, the way it felt when she touched me while we were dancing, the way her hips moved. I imagined how she would look moving her hips like that on top of me and how fucking amazing she would feel wrapped around me. That was all it took to send me over the edge. I felt like a fucking teenager who was unable to control his load with how fast I came into my dirty t-shirt over the mental image of her writhing on top of me.

I laid there with my eyes closed for a few minutes, trying to come down from the high I was still riding, but the images and thoughts kept coming. I couldn’t stop them now. I wondered how she was when it came to sex. Would she prefer it to be slow and sensual or did she have a wild side? Something told me it was a little bit of both, and I was one hundred fucking percent on board with that. Within minutes, I was hard again. Jesus fucking Christ what is wrong with me? It had to be a new record because it never happened that quickly. Was it because I had been denying myself? Or was it because of Kat? Maybe both?

I looked at the clock, realizing I had to leave in 30 minutes. I sighed loudly, aware that this little problem wasn’t going away on its own. It was already almost painful. So, I went for round two and hoped that it got whatever the fuck this was out of my system.

Twenty minutes later I was a sweaty mess, standing in front of a fan trying to cool off after having one of the most intense orgasms I can recall having from masturbating. Then again, I had probably been too high in the past to remember the majority of them, so that didn’t say much. Once my heart rate calmed down, I moved to the bathroom and grabbed a towel to dry myself off some. I didn’t have time for a shower, so I threw on some more deodorant and cologne and hoped for the best. At least my hair still looked decent.

I somehow made it to the dance studio a few minutes early. I sat in the car waiting for Kat. I leaned my head back against the seat and closed my eyes, feeling strangely calm and focused. I hoped I could maintain this mood for the rest of the evening - the rest of the week even. I just needed time to desensitize myself to the intimacy and close proximity that we were being forced into this week. Once I did that, I would be able to handle anything. I had to.

I was startled from my thoughts by Kat opening the passenger side door. She laughed loudly over my reaction and it was the most beautiful sound. I could listen to her laugh all day. Then I took in what she was wearing, a simple knee length black dress that hugged her curves in all the right places. It was the sexiest thing I had ever seen, and she wasn’t even showing that much skin.

I appreciated that she thought to warn me about the bar during the drive to the club. Most people wouldn’t have considered that. I figured there would be alcohol and other substances floating around, but oddly enough, those things were not even on my radar. I wasn’t lying to her when I said it was a non-issue because I would be distracted. I just fibbed about what my distraction would be. My thoughts were only of her, and I knew they would be for the rest of the night.

The club was as expected, the same as any other. Kat wasted no time pulling me onto the dance floor. I was hesitant at first, worried about the possible involuntary reactions my dick might decide to have. Any hesitation I had dissipated when Kat grabbed my face and forced me to focus on her. There was something familiar about the way she was looking at me that I couldn’t place as she urged me to become one with her and the music - to relax and trust her. It drew me in, igniting that connection that we shared. The connection that I had been fighting so hard this week. After that, I was surprised to find that my worries ended up being a non-issue. I had to laugh to myself, realizing the only thing I had been needing to do was beat little Bravo into submission, for tonight at least.

The longer we danced, the more at ease I became. It felt like we were just two friends having a good time together. It seemed a little flirty, but that was the general atmosphere, and it came with this type of dancing. I knew that and tried not to dwell on it much. When Kat broke away and suggested a water break, I noticed she had an odd look on her face. I wanted to ask if something was wrong, but decided not to, figuring she was probably just tired. She had been going all day after all. She offered to go grab us some bottles of water. She didn’t have to say it, but I knew she was making an effort to keep me away from the bar, which I appreciated. The last thing I needed was to be photographed near one.

I was surprised when a few fans approached and asked for pictures while I waited for Kat to return. In the past, I had been kind of an asshole to fans, and I knew it. So, I tried to make it a good experience for them. They seemed just excited to see Kat when she joined us. They had actually been fun to talk to and it ended up being a humbling reminder that they were the reason I had the life that I did. It made me appreciate my choice to get sober even more.

Once Kat and I got back on the dance floor, I could feel something shifting between us. She had that familiar look on her face again and it was stirring something inside of me. After a few songs, it finally hit me. It was the same look she had in the video I had watched of her and Alec dancing. She never had it with any of her other partners from what I had seen.

This realization sent my mind spiraling. Now that I had picked up on it, I couldn’t stop looking at her eyes. There was fire blazing in them as she looked back at me, but there was something else there too. Conflict? Confusion? The intensity of it only seemed to increase the longer we went on. I could feel the air crackling between us so strongly that it was making me dizzy. I was almost afraid to think about it, but my gut told me that she was feeling something for me too.

When I playfully dipped her backward, I couldn’t help admiring her neck as her hair slid off it. For the first time, I dared to wonder what it would be like to kiss her there. As I pulled her upward, our eyes locked. I knew I should look away, but I couldn’t. She rested her forehead against mine as her hand gently caressed my cheek. I could feel her hot breath blowing over my lips as we lingered there. I really thought she was going to kiss me, until she suddenly turned to walk away. I didn’t want to let go, allowing my hands to trail down her body as she moved toward the edge of the dance floor. What the fuck just happened?

And just like that, the spell was broken. When she turned back toward me, she was smiling, but her eyes were guarded, and the fire was nearly extinguished. It wasn’t completely gone though, I could still see it simmering under whatever composure she thought she had gained. I gave her a big smile, relishing my new discovery.

I wasn’t surprised when she suggested we leave after that. The atmosphere of this place was chipping away at the thin wall that both of us had put up. If we stayed, that wall was going to crumble, fast.

I didn’t hesitate to take her hand as she led us out of the club. I was having sort of a “fuck it” moment and throwing caution to the wind when it came to touching her. I wasn’t even sure if I could stop myself at this point. We took a minute to take some selfies with fans on our way out. I kept at least one hand on her throughout that. The whole ride back to the studio I did manage to restrain myself since I had no reason to touch her while I was driving. I wanted more than anything to take her hand or rest mine on her thigh. I was dumbfounded by this sudden urge. It wasn’t one that I had before. I usually shied away from any type of physical touch unless I was having sex with someone. Even then, it wasn’t affectionate. It was for pleasure. Affection just wasn’t something I had had a lot of in my life and it wasn’t something I ever wanted. Until now.

When we got back to the studio and found Alec waiting outside, my stomach dropped. I had a really bad feeling about leaving Kat alone with him because he looked angry and a little inebriated. When she told me to go inside, I hesitated, but felt like I couldn’t just stand there. So, I went inside and got changed, realizing that I had left my sneakers in the car when I didn’t find them in my gym bag. At least I had a good excuse to go outside and make sure she was OK.

As I walked out the front entrance, my eyes immediately sought Kat out. My gaze found her just as Alec shoved her against the wall, causing her head to smack against the brick. I didn’t hesitate to go to her and shove him out of the way. I had never wanted to cause harm to someone so much in my life. It was taking everything in me not to crush his fucking face in with my bare hands, but Kat came first, and I needed to make sure she was unharmed. I’m sure my attentiveness to her only pissed Alec off further, but I didn’t care. I wasn’t going to bow down to his ego anymore.

I decided to try and diffuse the situation, for Kat’s sake, but that didn’t go as planned. I couldn’t say I was really surprised that Alec tried to hit me. I saw the look in his eyes and the way his hand balled up before he threw the punch. I was surprised by my reaction to it though. I’m pretty sure I closed my eyes as I flinched away from his fist, but somehow still managed to hit him pretty damn hard right in the nose. Hard enough that my hand was burning afterward. The satisfaction that I got from seeing his busted up face was well worth it.

When Alec called out for Kat to leave with him, I could feel every muscle in my body tense. There was no way I was letting her go. I couldn’t. I would hit him again before I let that happen. I was relieved when he didn’t try to fight it and left without further issue. As soon as he was safely out of our vicinity, I pulled Kat into a tight hug. I needed to check her over again - make sure she was really OK. Of course, she brushed away my concern in place of her own as she looked over my hand.

I realized she needed something else to focus on so that she didn’t fall apart. So, I let her take care of me. It didn’t stop me from looking her over again as she dug through the first aid kit. I could see her hands trembling as she rummaged around for supplies. Physically she seemed fine, but I knew her emotions were all over the place. I could tell she was in a fragile state, and it was breaking my heart. For the first time I noticed that this sweet and beautiful person was so fucking broken on the inside. She had done well to hide it, but the cracks were there, and I was finally seeing them. I wanted nothing more than to make her feel better and keep her safe. I wanted her to be mine and I wanted to take care of her the way she deserved.

I knew it was a bad idea to put my feelings out into the world right now, so I didn’t. I did, however, want her to know that I was here for her and that I was willing to help in any way she needed. It was all I could offer, but it seemed to be enough. For now. Even though I didn’t tell her how I felt about her, I did share what I thought about Alec. I could only hope she would consider my words and make the right choice for her own well being. I had already decided that I would be there for her through it, no matter what, I just hoped she would let me.

I spent all night tossing and turning, worried about whether Kat was safe. She had texted that she got home safely and was locked in, but that didn’t do anything to relieve my anxiety. I was up before my alarm went off the next morning, in a rush to get to the studio just so I could lay eyes on her. Then I realized me getting there sooner didn’t mean she would get there sooner. I grabbed my phone, found her name in my contacts, and typed out a quick text.

Me: Want me to pick you up some breakfast with your coffee? Muffin? Cheese Danish? Kit Kat? 😏 (smirk emoji).

It was my sneaky ass way of making sure she was OK without asking.

Kat: Again, I will never turn down food. Surprise me. No Kit Kats though. I’m banning them from the studio.

I chuckled. It seemed like she was back to her normal snarky self.

Me: ☹️☹️☹️ (three frowny face emojis)

Kat: OK. Fine. Just don’t let me SEE you eating them.

Kat: And Dieter…

Me: Yeah?

Kat: I’m OK. You could have just asked. Thank you though. 💜 (heart emoji)

Well, damn. She was onto me. Not that I minded. I kind of loved that she knew me well enough to know what I was up to.

Me: I didn’t want to be annoying about it. I’m happy you’re OK though. I was worried. Maybe I’ll actually get some sleep tonight…I’ll see you soon.

I hesitated before I hit send on that reply, but I wanted her to know how concerned I was and that I actually cared. At this point, I felt like I was mentally getting out a hammer and chisel, chipping away tiny pieces of wall between us. I wasn’t going to be able to keep all this in forever. Hell, before it’s over, I may end up busting through, Kool-Aid man style.

Once I gathered everything I needed for the day, I headed to the coffee shop, getting there in record time. I got Kat’s usual coffee order and added a blueberry scone. I was antsy, wanting to get the studio as soon as possible. I still needed to see her, to be sure. I knew the tightness in my chest wasn’t going to go away until I did.

I arrived at the studio twenty minutes early. I was surprised when I spotted Kat’s car in its usual spot. The space beside it was open, so I pulled in. Knowing it would be easier for me to keep an eye on things as we left later. My arms were full causing me to struggle to get inside the main entrance, but I managed without dropping anything. Kat laughed at my exasperated face once she noticed me trying to open the heavy studio doors. She ran over to help, giving me a warm smile as she took the drinks and food from my hands.

Kat sat everything down on a few chairs at the back of the room. I followed behind, eyeing her. I was relieved to see that she did seem to be OK, that was until she reached up to tie her hair back. After she finished, the wide neck of her top slid off of her shoulder, revealing bruises. I could feel my jaw tightening as I reached out to touch them.

Kat’s brow furrowed at my expression before looking down to where my fingertips softly grazed her discolored skin. She sighed, taking my hand in hers as she peered up at me, “I told you, I’m fine. I didn’t even notice it.”

I shook my head, feeling the rage simmering, then pulled her into a tight hug. “Please tell me you’re done with him,” I said into the top of her hair.

She hugged me around the waist, burying her face in my chest for a moment before she pulled back, inhaling a deep breath, “I had a ton of messages and missed calls from him when I got home last night. All full of apologies…he knows he fucked up.”

I tensed, not liking how this sounded.

“I texted him back…not ending things, but I did ask for space. I have a lot to think about and I can’t do that with him talking at me.”

I was hopeful that she would see what an asshole he was. She had to. She couldn’t continue like this.

“How are you feeling about things this morning?” I asked.

She gave me an apprehensive look.

“You know what, it’s not my business. I shouldn’t be asking.” I said before she could respond, suddenly feeling like I was prying. I didn’t want to do that. I moved to turn away from her, but then I felt her hand on my arm, “No, really…it’s OK. I don’t have anyone to talk to about it. Nobody knows about that side of him.”

She sighed, sat down, then ran her hands down her face. “Honestly, I’m just kind of numb. I really don’t feel anything. I should at least be angry, right? Is that bad?”

I sat down beside her. She reached for my injured hand and started rubbing her fingers over the knuckles with a lost look in her eyes. I watched her for a moment before I responded.

“Honestly, I think maybe you feel that way because you're avoiding dealing with it. Compartmentalizing it maybe? But I get the feeling it’s reaching a point where you can’t do that anymore.”

She pursed her lips and nodded. “I think maybe you might be right.”

Her eyes met mine with a sad smile on her lips, “The film crew will be here soon. I should try to cover this up. I don’t wanna give them gossip on a silver platter.”

She turned and reached for her gym bag, pulling out a smaller pouch full of makeup. I watched as she dabbed green, yellow, and purple color correctors on my knuckles then covered it with concealer, finishing with a setting spray. The discoloration and bruising were hardly noticeable now.

“Hopefully that will last long enough to get us through filming today. I’ll try to be careful and not rub it off while we’re dancing,” she said. Now turning her attention to the noticeable bruise on her shoulder. She started working to cover that as well, but struggled, not really able to see what she was doing. I reached out my hand, “Here, let me do that for you.” She sighed, but relented and handed me the color corrector palette she was holding.

I could feel her eyes on my face as I worked. My cheeks heated under her gaze as my heart pounded away in my chest. The static was crackling between us again, causing a few more chips to fall away from the wall between us. The moment felt incredibly intimate, and it only made me crave more. Once I was finished, she quietly thanked me and packed everything away out of sight.

We sat enjoying our coffee and breakfast as the camera crew started filing in with their equipment. A couple of the crew members got us mic'd up and started the interview right away while everything else was set up. Of course, they had questions about the sightings of us at the Latin club. I shouldn’t have been surprised, but I was. Luckily, Kat handled those questions perfectly. I know I would have stumbled my way through them in a way that probably would have raised some eyebrows.

Overall, we were more relaxed during filming this week - actually laughing and having fun as we rehearsed. We had a moment where Kat accidentally kicked me in the shin while transitioning to a lift. I turned on the dramatics for it, whining and rubbing at the spot as if it had hurt badly. It really hadn’t, but I did enjoy getting her worked up over it. Once she realized I was messing with her, she lightly smacked my shoulder and called me a jerk before breaking into laughter. The crew got a good chuckle out of it, quickly catching onto my antics before Kat did. We pretty much had the routine down by the end of the day, which put us a little ahead of schedule. That took a lot of stress off us for the week, which I think helped with the playfulness between us.

The day was over before we knew it. Kat seemed to be in better spirits as she got into her car, smiling at me over the roof of it as she waved. Once she was safely on her way, I pulled out of the parking lot to head to the pet store…again. I had gone through several different brands of cat food over the last week. The Little Dude wasn’t having any of it. He only wanted Tuna. I found myself in the cat food aisle, staring at a wall of packages. They all looked the same to me. I sighed, feeling overwhelmed by the options and not knowing anything about cats. I finally settled on some meaty looking wet food and hoped for the best.

As soon as I got home, I found Little Dude waiting outside the sliding glass door in the kitchen. He was on a schedule now and wasn’t going to let me forget about it. I opened the door, allowing him to come sashaying into the kitchen to sit next to the island. Waiting and watching as I scooped some of the new canned food out onto a plate and presented it to him. He stood and tentatively sniffed the chunks, then took a few nibbles but decided against it. He sat back down and looked up at me, whipping his tail around.

“Still a no, huh?” I said to him. He meowed loudly back at me. I sighed heavily, “You know, considering you were on the streets not long ago, you’ve gotten awfully picky. I feel taken advantage of here…”

He meowed again. I rolled my eyes as I moved toward the pantry for another pouch of tuna. I tried mixing some of the juice in with the food and gave it back to him. He still wouldn’t touch it. So, I added a few chunks of tuna as a topping. He ate the tuna and left the rest of it, before plopping himself down on his haunches and staring at me for more.

I chuckled to myself, “I think I just became the bitch of a seven pound menace. Fine, Dude. You win. Here’s your damn tuna. We need to get this figured out though. I’m sure you're not getting all your nutrients from that.”

He meowed up at me happily as I added more tuna to the plate. Once he had his fill, he walked over and jumped up on the couch making himself at home. I scoffed, “Dude, come on. You smell like something out of Pet Semetary.” He had the audacity to start wallowing around on his back. I rolled my eyes as I made my way to the linen closet, pulling out a spare blanket. After moving back to the couch, I opened up the blanket and fluffed it out next to him. He wasted no time settling in, purring and making biscuits with his paws. I gave him some scratches behind the ears as he dozed off. It was clear to me now, this cat was obviously trying to move in. With a heavy sigh, I realized that I needed to get some cat stuff for the house if this was going to be a thing, but I wasn’t even sure where to start with that. It was just another thing to worry about, but I sort of didn’t mind. He was definitely growing on me, making the house feel less empty and me less alone.

Friday rehearsals went by in a blur. I arrived a few minutes early, finding Kat in the studio, ready to go. She seemed in good spirits as we joked through our morning coffee. Her twinkling laugh continued as we went through our stretch routine. I moaned and groaned through the torture while she bent my body to its limits, and I loved every fucking minute of it. I noticed that our new found comfort with each other had her leaning into me more. Her touches were more casual and relaxed. I couldn’t get enough of the feeling of her warmth against me or the brilliant smile on her face as she laughed at my ridiculousness. The hint of sadness that I noticed hidden in her eyes the last couple of days was nowhere in sight.

Once we moved into the routine, the air between us felt like it was crackling again. Heated glances and small smiles passed between us as we made it through the entirety of the dance several times without error. We were so in tune with each other now, dancing in silence as one. Moving effortlessly through the steps without any thought or hesitation from either of us. The world fell away at that moment. We could have been in the midst of a war zone, and I wouldn’t have noticed. All I saw was her. There was no question about it now, I definitely had feelings for her that were more than just physical attraction. I couldn’t keep denying it to myself.

Of course, Alec was technically still in the picture. Kat made a point to say that she hadn’t ended things with him. She had only asked for space. I was still determined not to put her in any type of compromising position. I had too much respect for her to do that, my own feelings be damned. I really needed to watch myself.

After a few hours, we finally took a break. I lay sprawled out on the floor, staring up at her as she drank from her water bottle. I could see the sweat running down her neck, disappearing in the hidden space between her breasts. I had to force my eyes upward to her face before little Bravo decided to wake up against my wishes.

When she finished, she turned to me, catching me staring. I didn’t even bother to look away. She gave me a shy smile as she sat down on the floor next to me.

“So, what are you up to this evening? More plant daddy responsibilities?”

I snorted, “Plant daddy? That’s one I haven’t heard before.”

Kat snickered before taking another sip of water.

“No, actually I need to go to the pet store…hey, do you know anything about cats?”

Her brow furrowed, “Is this some kind of weird joke that I’m about to walk into?”

I chuckled, “No, I’m serious. I’m talking about the feline kind. I’ve had this stray show up at my house and he won’t fucking leave. Somehow that’s turned into him becoming a roommate. I’m having issues finding food he’ll eat though. I also don’t know what sort of cat stuff I need if I bring him inside like he seems to want to do.”

She chuckled, a mischievous glint in her eye as she said, “So, you’re a cat daddy now, too?”

I shrugged with a smirk, “Yeah, I guess I’m trying to be.”

She had a look on her face that I couldn’t decipher before breaking into a smile.

“Yeah, I had cats growing up. They can be finicky and dramatic when it comes to food.”

I nodded, “Yeah, I’ve picked up on that...What should I do? Can you give me a list of stuff I need to get? I’ve never had a pet, so I have no idea where to start.”

Her face softened, “You’re going to the pet store after you leave here?”

I nodded, curious what her tone meant. She paused before answering, seeming somewhat hesitant at first, “I could go with you if you want?”

I felt one side of my lips tug upward, “That would be amazing, actually.”

Kat was true to her word. Once we finished rehearsal, she followed me to the pet store. Parking in the space next to mine and smiling as she exited her car. As she walked toward me, I realized it made me feel strangely giddy to be doing something like this with her.

She hooked her arm with mine as we walked toward the entrance. I could feel warmth spreading in my chest at her casual touches. I had to fight the smile tugging at my lips.

“So, what is your fur child actually eating?” She asked.

I grimaced, “Well, up until like a week or so ago, I assume whatever he could catch and kill. Honestly, he smells like something out of that Pet Semetary movie…which reminds me…have you ever given a cat a bath?”

It was her turn to grimace, “Are you insane? Cats usually don’t like water. There are professionals that will do that for you, ya know?”

I shook my head, “This kid is not used to people. I fear he wouldn’t be able to handle a grooming salon. At least not yet…”

She sighed, giving me a serious wide-eyed stare, “Fine, I’ll help you give the cat a bath…but if I die…I’m haunting your ass.”

I belly laughed at her response as we entered the store, which seemed to draw some eyes toward us. I dropped my head and moved toward the first aisle as Kat got a shopping cart.

“A cart, huh? How much of my money are you about to spend?”

She chuckled, “Hey, I’m just making recommendations. You do what you will with them.”

She pointed things out as we moved down the aisles, some of it just for fun, some of it was needed. I ended up splurging on a couple of robotic litter boxes and cat cave beds, bathing supplies, toys, a ridiculously massive cat tree, and a collar all before getting to the food. She was relentless with her teasing about my need to buy the most expensive thing on the shelf. I loved it when she teased me like this. It caused her eyes to light up in a way that made my heart race.

Once we got to the food aisle, she again asked what the cat was currently eating.

“The only thing I’ve been successful with so far is Tuna. I’ve gotten several different kinds of cat food, and he just turns his nose up to them.”

She stood staring down the aisle with too many options, scrunching up her nose before speaking again. “OK, so he likes fishy stuff. Have you tried dry food or wet food?”

She is too fucking adorable when she makes that face. My brows arched at her, “Both.”

Her lips set into a line, “Did you try salmon flavored?”

I scoffed, “I’m pretty sure I tried every flavor they have. They were all a no.”

Her brow furrowed as she looked up and down the aisle, thinking. Her eyes finally settled on a freezer at the far end, “Maybe he would prefer something a little fresher since he’s a hunter?”

My eyes widened, “I hope you don’t mean like…live rats or something. I’m not doing that.”

She snorted, “Noooo. Ugh, no. I would never suggest that. I meant raw food.”

My eyes widened, “Ohhh. I hadn’t thought of that. Maybe…I’m willing to give it a try.”

We made our way down to the freezer and she picked out a raw salmon food. It was small scoopable frozen nuggets full of organic ingredients. It honestly sounded better than the other stuff I had bought. At least I could pronounce everything on the label. I felt confident this might do the trick. It figures I would end up with a cat that had a taste for the fancy stuff.

As we walked down the last couple of aisles, I circled back to the bath conversation, “Sooo, were you serious about helping give the Little Dude a bath?”

She nodded with a smirk, “Yes, I meant every word I said.”

I chuckled, “You wanna come over tomorrow evening for that? I can get everything set up for him tonight. I’ll let him formally move in after he’s bathed.”

She made an annoyed face, “Tomorrow is spray tan day.”

I puffed air out through my cheeks. “I could get some of those long dish washing gloves, then we won’t get wet…and maybe protect us from being clawed to death too.”

She snorted, “That sounds like a plan.”

“I’ll make dinner. I have a feeling I’ll owe you by the time this is over...”

One of her brows ticked upward, “I know I said I would never say no to food, but…you’re gonna cook?”

I placed my hand on my chest, feigning offense. “Excuse me? I happen to be a very good cook. It’s another new hobby I’ve picked up since rehab. My stuff is better than any five star restaurant.”

The sound of her twinkling laugh filled my ears. “Riiiight. I’ll believe it when I see it,” she said between laughs.

I rolled my eyes and gave her a playful smile, “Fine. Be prepared to stick your foot in your mouth.”

Kat chuckled as we approached the checkout counter. We were surprised when the young lady behind the counter nervously asked if she could take a picture with us. We of course agreed and snapped a quick group selfie with the girl. We made small talk with her as she rang up my items. I explained how I had a new visitor show up and Kat was kind enough to show me what all I needed to buy, suddenly worried the girl might get the wrong idea about why we were there together. I had a feeling this would show up on social media at some point.

Kat helped me load everything into the back of my car before giving me a small smile and asking to let her know how the new food goes over with the Little Dude. I thanked her again with a cheesy grin before we both got into our vehicles and headed to our respective homes.

It was a little after 9PM and I was deep into cat tree assembly when I received a text from Kat asking how dinner went. I pursed my lips as my fingers hovered over the keypad. Instead of typing out a message, I hit the video call button. I almost thought she was going to send me to voicemail, but she finally answered, her eyes wide as they jumped around the screen. It looked like she was lying in bed in a dimly lit room. Her hair fell around her face in damp waves, like maybe she had just showered. She looked beautiful. It took me a few seconds too long to find my voice.

“Hey, sorry, are you in bed?” I finally managed to sputter out.

She smiled, “I’m in bed, but not sleeping. Just watching trashy TV and doom scrolling. How did the new food go?”

I smiled at the screen, “Amazing. He devoured it…didn’t even hesitate.”

She smiled back at me, “Good. Happy to hear it. What is he up to now?”

I huffed out a laugh, “Laying at the end of the sectional, silently judging me over my struggles to put this damn cat tree together. I swear you have to be a fucking engineer to figure it out.”

I turned on the front camera of my phone to show her the cat, stretched out on his stinky blanket at the end of the couch as he gave me that judgy stare. She laughed loudly.

“Oooh he’s pretty! He does look very judgy right now though.”

I switched the camera back to me, “This is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen. Why are there so many parts?”

“Hey, you’re the one that had to get the biggest one they had in the store. Deal with the consequences. I told you that you should’ve just asked for the floor model that was already put together.”

“Ummm, no. I wasn’t about to buy something that’s had a million grubby little hands on it and who knows what else. Dude only gets the best…brand new out of the box.”

She rolled her eyes at me, “Did you try looking at the instructions? I know that’s hard for guys to do.”

I scoffed and rattled the paper in front of the camera, “Umm…excuse me? I have been looking at the instructions and they’re garbage. Do you SEE this? It’s literally really bad drawings with no words. I can’t tell the pieces apart. It’s bullshit.”

She let out a loud laugh at my dramatics, covering her mouth with her hand to try and hold it back. I loved seeing her like this. A small part of me wondered what it would be like to lay in bed with her, laughing at trashy TV shows while we were wrapped up in each other under the covers. I shook my head slightly to clear that thought.

“Is this your way of asking me to help you, without actually asking…out of fear of further judgment?”

I furrowed my brows and snorted, “I’m not afraid to ask. Judge me, I don’t care. I have no shame…but if you’re offering…”

“Send me a picture of the instructions. I’ll hold your hand through it.”

I rolled my eyes, “Oh yeah, thanks. You had to go and say it like that.”

I did send her the instructions and we spent the next hour and a half on facetime putting the cat tree together. She had my full attention every time she would pull up the drawings to look at them. Her face would scrunch up in the most adorable way as she tried to figure out the next steps. The only thing that could have made the day more perfect is if she had been here with me in person.

Once the tree was put together, we said goodnight. I noticed Kat lingered on the call for a moment before finally ending it. It caused my stomach to flip. I wished I knew what she was thinking. Is she feeling this too? Or am I just being delusional?

After getting Dude settled in the garage for the evening, I finally crawled into bed. I laid there thinking about what I should cook for dinner. I didn’t want to do anything too over the top, but I did want to impress her. Then I moved on to picturing her in my house, in my space. Us in my space together. It was almost overwhelming. Realizing how badly I wanted that almost scared me.

Sunday rehearsals flew by. We did the last of our fine tuning to the routine, running through it several times with the music track. We nailed it each time. The flirty aspect of the dance seemed to come to us easily now. There was no longer any lingering awkwardness between us. We were both comfortable and trusting of each other and having fun.

We ended up leaving rehearsals a little early to get over to Television City Studios for the cast spray tanning session. We were hoping to get finished quicker by getting there before everyone else. I also felt like Kat was trying to avoid Alec too, which gave me a surge of excitement. It gave me hope that she was possibly thinking about ending things with him for good.

After heading to our respective dressing rooms to get changed into our robes, we found each other again outside the large room used for the spray tan setup. To our surprise they were able to get us in quickly. Kat went in first, then they called me in several minutes later. After I was finished, I wandered back to my dressing room and changed into my gym shorts. I took a minute to dig around in my duffel bag for a t-shirt that I didn’t care for in case the spray tan rubbed off on it. There was no sense in ruining all of my shirts for this shit.

There was a quiet knock on the door, I moved to unlock and open it, assuming it was Kat. She stood there, eyes racking over me with a smirk on her face. I gave her a quick smile as I turned my attention back to my bag, “I’m almost ready…just trying to find a shirt that I don’t care to mess up.”

She came in and leaned against the countertop of the vanity, “No problem, take your time.” She sounded amused. I glanced up at her, she had her arms crossed over her chest as she watched me with one brow raised. “Is something funny?” I asked.

“Every time I come in here, you're half naked.”

I found the shirt I was looking for and pulled it out, standing to my full height to face her, “If that’s the case, why do you keep coming in here then?”

Her face reddened, “Touché. You got me there.”

I laughed, “Yeah, see how that works? I mean…it’s a dressing room. There’s bound to be various stages of undress happening. Don’t act so shocked. At least I have pants on this time.”

She rolled her eyes before looking away. I moved to put my shirt on, purposely taking my time to pull it down over my head. Just as I yanked it down over my face, I caught her eyes shifting away from me. She was definitely checking me out. I could see it in the flush of her cheeks. Well, that's interesting. Maybe she was feeling the spark between us just as much as I am. It doesn’t matter, Bravo. She’s technically still taken.

I turned to pile all of my junk back into my bag, pretending I hadn’t noticed her staring. She finally broke the silence, “So, what are you making me for dinner? I need to start preparing myself now if I’m to survive it.”

I scoffed, “Come on. Give me some credit. You should know by now that I excel in all my extracurricular activities.”

Her eyes widened briefly, a small smirk playing on her lips, “I won’t believe it until I have firsthand experience as proof.”

Are we still talking about cooking? I felt like this conversation had a double meaning. I gave her a cocky grin, “Then prepare yourself for the most…pleasurable…food experience of your life.”

She snorted out a laugh as she moved toward the door, “Right. We’ll see.” I grabbed my bag and followed behind her. Within minutes, I was in my car, driving toward my house with Kat following behind me. I tried not to think of what the evening held, but I knew I needed to behave myself. I had to keep reminding myself that I couldn’t cross any lines with her, no matter how badly I now realized I wanted to.

A short time later, I was keying into my front door with Kat standing close behind me, taking in her surroundings. I was suddenly nervous for her to see my home. It made me feel naked in a different kind of way that I wasn’t prepared for. She would be seeing pieces of me that no one outside of my very small inner circle had. I would be opening myself up to her in a very raw and unfiltered way and I worried she wouldn’t like what she found.

We were both quiet as she entered the living room. There was a small smile playing on her lips as she slowly walked around the space, running her hands over things as she went. Stopping to look at books and little knick-knacks I had sitting around from my travels. My stomach quickly rose to my throat when she focused on the paintings hanging on the walls. There were several duotone abstract pieces I had painted throughout my early days of recovery - visual representations of where I was emotionally at the time I painted them. I had hung them to remind myself of my progress. She spent a lot more time looking at these than anything else, raising her hand to touch the one closest to her.

“These are amazing,” she said quietly, almost to herself.

I could hear my heart pounding in my ears as I watched her fingers drop down to the rounded DB initials in the bottom right corner. Her eyes suddenly widening as realization set in. She turned to me, her face now lit up in a way I had never seen. Her eyes were sparkling with wonder as she peered up at me. “Dieter…d-did you paint these?”

I nodded shyly. I couldn’t speak, afraid that my emotions would reveal themselves to her. It meant more to me than I expected that she liked them. Now realizing that her opinion was the only one that ever really mattered to me.

She smiled, “Well…I guess you do seem to excel in your extracurriculars. I can’t wait to see what else you have up your sleeve.”

I smirked at her, swiping my thumb across my lip before speaking. “Hmm, well…I’ll have your mouth watering within the hour. You wanna help me get started?”

One of her brows twitched upward, “I’d be happy to.”

I led her to the kitchen and began pulling ingredients out of the refrigerator and pantry. She stood nearby, taking everything in.

“I’m actually a little jealous of your kitchen. This is nice and so are all your gadgets.”

I chuckled, “I do spend a lot of time in here. A fancy kitchen was one of my requirements when I moved.”

She nodded, then pointed at the speaker on the counter. “Do you usually play music while you cook?”

“Yeah, you wanna turn something on?”

“Sure, it’s almost too quiet in here. I like a little background noise.”

I pulled my phone out of my pocket and opened up the music streaming app - hitting play on whatever playlist was already queued up. A soulful blues song started emitting from the speaker. Kat smiled and nodded in approval. I went back to pulling out the rest of the ingredients, piling everything that needed chopping near the cutting board on the island then grabbed two knives from the drawer.

“Can you handle chopping the veggies? It’ll make this go a lot faster.”

She nodded, then took one of the knives and got to work chopping the mushrooms that I sat in front of her. We worked side-by-side in silence for a few minutes. My mind wandered to thoughts of how domesticated this felt. I liked it…too much.

My attention was suddenly drawn back to Kat as her hips started moving to the rhythm of the music. Fuck, that’s distracting. I placed my hand on the small of her back, causing her to pause and look up at me, “You’re gonna chop a finger off moving around like that.”

The side of her lip tugged upward as she peered at me through her lashes, “Don’t worry…I’m a pro at my extracurriculars too. I can do a lotta things with my hands while my hips are moving.”

I sucked in a sharp breath at her words, my mind started running through all the possibilities behind them and none of it was wholesome. I finally managed to choke out a laugh, before going back to chopping the celery I had started on. Kat continued moving to the music beside me, humming along with the chorus. Fucking hell, I’m gonna chop my own finger off if I don’t watch it. The next song started playing. I was too distracted by Kat’s rolling hips and my thoughts that I didn’t realize what it was until the chorus hit.

Fuck me like you mean it / Make me believe it / Walk the wire, it's alright / Love me like you need it / 'Cause I can feel it / Take it higher, show me why

The knife in my hand clattered down onto the cutting board, I was slightly mortified.

Kat’s movements paused, “Well, I didn’t see that coming…that's a little dirty...” She snickered.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize what song this was…. I’ll change it.”

Kat placed her hand on my forearm as I turned to grab my phone, “No, I actually kind of like his sound. Leave it.”

Her hip movements continued as I switched to chopping the carrots and her the tomatoes. I wasn’t sure how much more of this I could take. I stood there willing my dick not to get hard. Luckily, I got through the carrots quickly, and took the opportunity to turn my back to her. Moving on to peel and cut an onion under the cold water from the faucet. Which is probably just as well, because another song by the same artist came on that was sending my mind straight to the gutter. It felt like a playlist straight from my debauched thoughts.

Hypnotic lover taking over my mind / Your spell is binding, makes it so hard to fight / She twists her hips and keeps it coming all night / I can't control myself, that girl is so fine

Thankfully we finished with all the vegetable cutting soon after that. I moved on to preparing the pork and getting the frying pan and oil up to temperature. I was happy to have something that required my focus. Kat appeared, leaning against the counter next to the stove, watching me intently.

“So, are you ever gonna tell me what you’re cooking?”

I smirked, “Pork cacciatore.”

She gave me a deadpan stare, “You do know I’m a vegetarian, right?”

I was briefly hit with a streak of panic, before I realized she was messing with me. She had eaten a steak burrito in front of me, twice. I let out a dramatic sigh then smiled, “I guess I’ll be eating alone then. Oh well, more for me.”

She laughed as she playfully smacked my shoulder. I moved in front of her, placing my hand on her hip to scoot her out of the way as I reached above her head to get into the cabinet that housed all the spices. I muttered a quiet “excuse me” as I glanced down at her eyes that were looking up at me through her lashes. She didn’t really move. Instead, she stayed pinned between me and the counter. I could hear the faint sound of her breath hitching at my proximity. I smirked, then turned my attention back to the cabinet, pulling out the dried rosemary, oregano, and basil before finally removing my hand from her hip and stepping back to the stove. I could feel her eyes on me the entire time.

As I started mixing in all the ingredients to simmer, she leaned down on her elbows and inhaled deeply, “Mmm…you were right. My mouth is watering. This smells amazing.”

I gave her a cocky smile, “I told you….and it tastes better than it smells. It’s like an orgasm for your taste buds.”

Shit. I probably shouldn’t have said that. My mouth got ahead of my brain. Her tinkling laugh filled my ears, “That’s a lot of confidence you’ve got in your cooking skills, Bravo.”

I shrugged, “I promised you a pleasurable experience. I’m just delivering on my word.”

Fucking hell, I’m being ridiculous and getting out of line. Reel it in, Bravo!

She didn’t seem phased by my comments, if anything it felt like she was enjoying the banter.

We soon sat down at the dinner table, which I couldn’t recall ever actually sitting at to eat. Kat proceeded to moan through several bites and gush about how delicious it was. I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face. It made me feel almost giddy that she enjoyed it. Our conversation flowed easily, as we talked about different things. Getting to know each other a little more and slowly chipping away at that imaginary wall that separated us.

“I’m just gonna start coming over here for dinner every night. My cooking can’t compete with this,” she finally said with a joking tone as she scooped that last bite off her plate.

I gave her a toothy grin, “I’ll cook for you anytime you want me to.”

She laughed, “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

I laughed it off, but she had no idea how fucking serious I was. I would cook for her every night of forever if she’d let me.

After several minutes of Kat fussing over helping with the dishes, I finally convinced her to let it be. I had a housekeeper that would take care of it in the morning, so it really wasn’t that big of a deal. We decided to take our chances by giving the Little Dude a bath after that. I led her out to the garage which was still a mess with boxes, but Dude didn’t seem to mind it. He had turned it into his own personal playground.

I had set up everything we would need for a bath next to the utility sink so we could get right to it. Kat grabbed one of the towels and laid it out on the counter and got the brushes ready, saying we should brush out all the mats first. As she was explaining the steps we should take, Little Dude decided to make his presence known. He came strutting out from somewhere in his box fort to meow out me. He then proceeded to rub up against Kat’s legs. She giggled at him, bending down to pick him up.

“Ooof, he is rank,” she said through a chuckle.

“I told you. I swear he rolled in something dead.”

She grimaced, moving him away from her body to sit him on the counter.

“He’s really pretty though. He seems young. Have you taken him to the vet yet?”

“Not yet. I’m working up to it. I didn’t wanna stress him out too much all at once…though…he seems strangely fine with everything. He’s the one that wants to move in,” I said - laughing quietly to myself over the absurdity of it.

Kat began to look him over, “He has some pretty bad mats under his arms, we may have to cut those. Do you have scissors? They aren’t too close to the skin, so I think I can cut them easily enough.”

“Uhh, yeah. I have a whole clipper kit with scissors. I’ll go get it.”

I ran to get the kit and was back within minutes to find Little Dude sprawled out on his back while Kat brushed at the hair on his stomach. He seemed to love the attention. I stood next to Kat, keeping him distracted with pets while she worked. She ended up cutting a lot of the mats out just to save time. After several minutes had passed, she turned to me, a concerned look on her face.

“What? Is something wrong?” I asked.

“I would say so. We have a major problem here.”

My stomach was suddenly in my throat. My mind now conjuring up the worst things, “What is it?”

She fought to hold back a laugh, “Dude is not a dude.”

My brow furrowed, “What do you mean?”

She snorted, “There is no twig and berries down there. Dude is a Dudette.”

“Seriously? You’re joking?”

“Nope. Did you even check?”

“Do you see how much hair she has? I was just guessing. I couldn’t tell. It makes sense why she wouldn’t leave though…chics do love me.”

Kat snorted again, “Staaap. You’re so ridiculous.”

I chuckled, “At least now I know why I was getting the judgy looks.”

“Well, now you need to give her a proper name. Something cute…that is not Dudette.”

“Yeah, I guess I’ll have to think about it. Damn.”

After a brief pause to laugh about our discovery. We continued. Luckily the cat’s top half wasn’t as bad, so Kat made quick work of it. Then we took a minute to prepare ourselves for the chaos of the bath. Strategizing on the best way to handle it if she freaked out. It turns out, we didn’t even need to do that. The cat apparently loved water, which blew our minds. She sat still, enjoying the massage we gave her as we worked the shampoo into her fur. She nearly fell asleep as I used the spray head to rinse her, occasionally pointing the stream in Kat’s direction just to be obnoxious. After reminding me that we had just gotten a spray tan, I stopped. She said I wouldn’t be able to endure her wrath if I made her streaky.

Once we got the Little Dudette clean and dry, I picked her up and brought her inside. I took a minute to show her where the litter boxes were, her beds, and her new cat tree. I sat her at the top of the cat tree, and she immediately began exploring it. Kat and I watched her for a few minutes, before Kat looked around the room.

“Hmmm…the plants could be an issue. I know some are poisonous to cats.”

My eyes widened. I hadn’t even thought about that. Damn I already suck at this cat dad stuff.

Kat pulled out her phone and found a list of toxic plants and let me look over it. I sucked air through my teeth, then moved to pick up the Aloe plant sitting on the end table, “Sorry Barb. Looks like you’re gonna be banished to the art studio.” I handed it to Kat, “Please hold Barb for a moment.”

She started laughing at me. I turned to grab the Cutleaf Philodendron that was sitting in the dining room. “You’re out too, Cutlet,” I said as I picked up the medium sized tropical plant.

“Follow me. We’ll put these away in another room.”

As we made our way through the house, I grabbed another Aloe plant that was sitting on a bookshelf. “Sorry, you’re out too, Spike.”

I could hear Kat snickering behind me as we ascended the stairs. Once we reached the door to my studio, I juggled the plants in my arms to turn the knob. I suddenly felt nervous for Kat to be in the space, but tried not to dwell on it as I pushed the door open with my foot. She followed me inside and set Barb down on the window sill next to Spike. I set Cutlet down on the desk. I’d have to find a spot for him later.

I could tell Kat wanted to explore the room, but she held back, shyly looking down at the ground instead. I was sure she could sense this was an extremely personal space for me and didn’t want to intrude.

“You can look around if you want.” I finally mustered up the courage to say. I trusted her enough to share this side of myself. Not many people got to see it.

Her eyes lit up with excitement, “Are you sure? I don’t wanna make you uncomfortable.”

I nodded and gave her a small smile. Standing back to watch as she walked around the room looking at the various paintings leaned against the walls. Her eyes roamed over every surface, pausing to spend extra time on the sketches spread out on the tables and desk.

I hadn’t spent any time in this room since rehearsals started. I hadn’t had the time, and when I did, I was too tired. However, I suddenly had that nagging need to. There were images swirling in my head that I needed to get out onto a canvas. I was shocked to find they were colorful shades of purple and blue with hints of magenta. There was no black in sight. I knew the cause of the shift, it was Kat. She was my new muse. Replacing the self-hatred and unhappiness with her light. I wanted to paint her dancing with the fire in her eyes. I wanted to sketch all of my favorite parts of her - her lips, her eyes, the curve of her hips.

Seeing her in my home and how easily she could fit into my life was making me want things I never thought I would. I wanted her to be part of everything. My other half. I wanted to share my existence with her. Then reality set in. She still belongs to someone else, Bravo. Stop thinking like this.

I shook my head to clear it as she looked my way with a smile. I tried to return it, but it didn’t reach my eyes. She walked toward me, “Dieter, all of this is amazing. I-I don’t have any words. You’re so talented.”

My brow furrowed, I was suddenly feeling emotional. I murmured a quiet “thanks” to her as she turned to look around the room one last time before turning back to me, “Would you paint something…for me? I would love to have one.”

I gave her a genuine smile now, “Of course. I think I already have an idea for something.”

Our gazes locked for a moment, something unsaid lingering between us, but it passed. I motioned toward the door, “Well, would you like a tour of the rest of the place? I have a feeling you might enjoy my other sanctuary.”

She gave me a quizzical look, “Lead the way. You have me intrigued now.”

I snickered as we walked into the hallway and closed the door behind us. I led Kat down the hall to the room where I did everything else - music, reading, writing. It really was my other sanctuary. It was a large open room with glass doors that opened to the balcony overlooking the ocean. The espresso colored hardwood was covered by a deep navy and maroon Persian area rug. Floor to ceiling shelves lined one cream colored wall, full of books and scripts. Two leather chairs sat in one corner with two acoustic guitars perched on stands between them. Several other guitars hung on the wall nearby. Another wall of shelves housed my record collection. The old record player stood next to it, connected to vintage floor speakers. An espresso colored wicker hanging chair with a white cushion hung from the ceiling in the corner near the record player. An extra large white furry beanbag sat nearby, with a few deep yellow throw pillows on it. There were plants everywhere - large potted ones sitting on the floor, vines hanging from the ceiling, small succulents scattered throughout the shelves. A small writing desk sat against the wall next to the balcony doors. The few open spaces on the wall were home to more of my paintings. The center of the room was completely open. Aside from my studio, it was my favorite place to be.

When I opened the door and motioned for Kat to enter, her face shifted. A hint of a smile ghosted her lips as her eyes rounded and sparkled. She stood in the center of the room turning in a slow circle, taking in the space.

“Dieter…you’re right. I love this. Everything about it is perfect.”

She walked over to one of the paintings, an abstract sunset of black, deep blue, red, and yellow. It was a more recent one, not as dark as the ones downstairs. Her fingers grazed over the DB scrawled in the bottom corner. One side of her lip turned upward once she realized it was another one of my paintings. She turned, moving back toward the center of the room and spun around with her arms out.

“This room is huge…big enough we could rehearse in here.”

My teeth sunk into my bottom lip, biting back a smile. I loved that the thought had crossed her mind. That she wanted to be in this space with me.

“We could. There’s a lot of open space. I left it like that so I could come in here and paint if I wanted. Depending on the time of day, the lighting can be better here than in the studio. Plus, I can open the doors and hear the ocean. It’s soothing.”

She nodded, a pensive look on her face as she continued looking around the room.

“I take it you probably didn’t expect all this, huh?”

She shook her head as her brows pinched together, “No, honestly. I’m not sure what I expected, but strangely enough, I’m not surprised. I know you're not shallow and emotionless like the tabloids often make you out to be.”

She was standing in front of me now, her eyes roaming my face. “I see you, Dieter. I know you feel things deeply…even if you don’t always admit to it. So, it doesn’t surprise me that this is how you spend your time. Us tortured souls have to get the feelings out somehow.”

I couldn’t breathe. The way she was looking at me literally took my breath away. I knew without a doubt that she meant what she said. She did understand me better than anyone ever had because we were the same in a lot of ways, but complete opposites in others. We balanced each other out and fit together in a way that filled in each other's gaps to make a whole. We were meant to find each other, I could feel it in my bones. If only she could see that and finally get rid of the disease in her life that was Alec.

Kat’s face turned almost wistful as she stared at me for a beat. Finally turning away and moving toward the leather chairs in the corner and sitting down. She turned, eyeing the acoustic guitars sitting next to her.

She pointed, “Are these for decoration or do you actually play?”

I shrugged, “I guess you can call it that…I had to learn for a role many years ago. It kind of stayed with me after that.”

She raised a brow in my direction as her hand slid around the neck of the nearest instrument, “Do you mind…” she asked, pausing for my response.

Curious where this was going, I shook my head. “No, I don’t. Have at it.”

The way she handled it told me this was something she was familiar with. I could hear the blood pumping in my ears from excitement at the thought that she might play something. I shuffled over to sit in the seat next to her and picked up the other instrument as her fingers slid over the strings, like she was getting a feel for it. I bit back the anxious feeling that was forming in my chest and started plucking at the strings on the guitar I had just picked up. Playing chords for the first song that came to mind.

Kat watched me for a moment. Her eyes narrowed at my hands, “I know this song…”

I smiled up at her as she hummed along for a few seconds, trying to place it. She surprised me when she started to sing along.

She's the place I go / When there's nowhere left to run to / She's the one I hold / When there's no one to hold on to

I was awed by her. Her voice was amazing - soulful, velvety, and pure. She was so fucking beautiful it hurt. The moment caused something to swell inside of me, making me emotional. I had to take a deep breath to fight it back as I watched her place her fingers on the frets and start strumming along with me. She continued singing the chorus. Without thinking, I joined in, which elicited a brilliant smile from her.

She's been with me late at night / When I was drowning in the dark / She heard my every word / When I was pouring out my heart / So I thank my lucky stars / For every crack, scratch, and scar on this guitar

Our voices harmonized together perfectly, causing goosebumps to break out across my body. I suddenly felt connected to her in a way that I hadn’t before. I picked up the next verse as she continued playing with me.

She's given me her best / When I am at my worst / When I can't find the pieces / Fingers scratching in the dirt / She offers no forgiveness / 'Cause she likes to make it hurt

Her eyes stayed on mine. I could see the fire blazing in them again. I couldn’t help smiling as the words passed through my lips. She returned it as she joined back in for the chorus. We finished the reminder of the song with a flourish, breaking into laughter when it was done.

Once the laughter settled, I finally asked, “Why didn’t you tell me you played? And can sing for that matter?”

She shrugged, “It’s not really something I do a lot of anymore…Not since my dad passed. He taught me to play when I was younger…before things got bad with him. We picked it up again after he was sober.”

A sad smile formed on her lips, “He had a few friends he would play with on the weekends…pickin' and grinnin' is what they called it. Just a bunch of friends and their families hanging out in someone's backyard, having fun. I learned a lot from them.”

I had a sudden urge to hug her, but then the sparkle from that damn engagement ring on her finger caught my attention for the first time that evening. It was a stark contrast against the black bout of the guitar, silently screaming a reminder that she was still with the asshole. It broke through the delusional thoughts that had started to swirl around in my head the last few minutes.

I cleared my throat, “Well, you’re really good. I didn’t see that coming.”

She gave me a genuine smile now, “You’re not so bad yourself. Still excelling in all areas apparently.”

I had the sudden need to be away from her. I was feeling overwhelmed by my conflicting feelings. I glanced down at my watch, “Hmm…it’s getting late. We should probably call it a night. I don’t wanna be your excuse for being tired tomorrow.” I let out a nervous laugh.

She looked at her watch, “Oh damn. Yeah, it is…and I still have a 30 minute drive home.”

An awkward tension settled in the air as I placed the guitars back on their stands. We walked in silence down the stairs. Kat took a minute to give the kitty some scratches before collecting her purse and phone to leave. I asked her to let me know when she made it home as she leaned in for a side hug.

“I will…and thanks for dinner. It was amazing.”

When she pulled away, her hand lingered at my waist. She smiled before finally turning to walk toward her car. I kept an eye on her until she was locked inside and backing out of the driveway. This was getting to be too fucking hard.

I sighed, walking through the house to turn everything off and lock up for the night. The cat followed behind me every step of the way. Once I got settled in the bed, I felt her jump onto the mattress. She tentatively walked over and climbed up on my chest, purring into my hand as I scratched behind her ears.

“Maybe you're meant to be the only woman in my life. I should probably accept that and move on.”

Her eyes drooped under my touch. A quiet meow squeaked out in response. “I guess I should give you a proper name now, because Dude is not gonna cut it.”

I thought for a minute. A plant name might be cute, right? “How about poppy? Ehh, no. That might raise some eyebrows given who your dad is. Let’s avoid drug references…”

I laughed to myself. It was so ridiculous that I had to think about stuff like that.

“Hmm, how about Rosie? Na…that’s too girly. You’re kind of a bad ass critter catcher.”

She meowed loudly, almost like she was agreeing with me. I chuckled. “I’ve got it. Zinnia. Zee for short. That’s cool, right?”

She was asleep now. She could have cared less. “Zee it is. Zee my little warrior queen.”

I got a text from Kat a few minutes later, letting me know she got home. I sent her a thumbs up emoji then set the phone on its docking station for the night. I somehow managed to drift off to sleep.

I was woken up about ten minutes before my alarm went off by Zee, making biscuits in the crook of my arm and purring. I couldn’t even be upset about it because it was too fucking cute. This cat was already making me melt and had me wrapped around her paw. I nuzzled my face into her fur, she smelled so much better. It was nice to finally have her properly clean so I could cuddle her without being grossed out. I don’t know why I fought against having her for so long. It felt nice to have another living being in the house with me.

I finally rolled out of bed and took a quick shower. It was show day, so I couldn’t be dicking around this morning. I threw on clean shorts and a t-shirt, then headed out. I stopped to get our usual cups of coffee before heading to Television City Studios. Kat and I were one of the first groups there, determined to get the rough run through out of the way.

Kat was already chatting with the band when I walked in and handed her coffee over. We went through the routine a few times to get the camera blocking out of the way and gave feedback on the music. The other couples had started to filter in by the time we were on our last run through. I could see Alec sitting, waiting for his and Lana’s turn. I hadn’t seen him since the incident, so I wasn’t sure what the damage was. His face was pretty bruised up around the nose and under the eyes. I had to hold back the satisfied smile that was tugging at my lips as we walked by him.

Kat did take a minute to add some makeup to my knuckles. They were still a little bruised. We didn’t want the cast to see it if we could help it. After she finished, we headed into hair and makeup to get slathered in more makeup and hair gel.

Kat and I were seated next to each other again. We chatted with each other while they worked on us. I told her what I decided to name the cat. She laughed at first but wasn’t at all surprised that it was the name of a plant. She finally relented, admitting that it was cute and giving her seal of approval.

About 30 minutes after sitting down in the makeup chair, Anika approached me. She had a shy, but flirty smile on her face as she leaned against the vanity in front of my seat and purred out a “good morning.”

I smiled at her awkwardly, unsure of what was happening. Anika glanced toward Kat, then turned so that her back was toward her.

“What are you doing after the show tonight?” she finally asked.

I shrugged, “I don’t know yet. I suppose it depends on how tired I am.”

She laughed like I had just told the most hilarious joke. I now realized what was happening. Fucking hell. Please don’t do it.

Her hand rested on my knee, “How about we go out for drinks after? Maybe we can hang out for a bit.” She gave a suggestive squeeze with her fingers as she spoke.

I could tell from my reflection that I had the deer in headlights look. My brain completely shut down. I was not interested in the least. “Umm, I dunno. I really need to get home…and feed my cat.”

“Oh, come on, just one drink. You can do that after.”

It was Kat who responded with an agitated tone, “You do realize he’s sober, right?”

Anika looked surprised, then laughed nervously. “Well in that case, you can just watch me drink. You don’t have to have anything with alcohol.”

I sat there with my mouth agape, not really sure how to respond to that. I couldn’t stop anyone from drinking around me, but damn. If she was trying to win me over, that was not the way to do it.

“Are you a fucking idiot? He’s sober. He doesn’t wanna be around alcohol.” Kat was having none of this from her.

Anika huffed, “I don’t think I asked you, Katarina. Mind your business. Shouldn’t you be worried about what your own man is up to?”

I realized the ladies that had been doing our hair and makeup had stepped back. Kat looked like she was about to come up out of her seat after this girl. I cleared my throat, “Ummm thanks for the offer, Anika…but I think I’ll pass. Maybe another time?” I said nervously.

She gave me a disappointed look before flipping Kat off and walking out of the room.

Kat puffed air out of her cheeks, “Ugh, I fucking hate that girl.”

The ladies who were working on us snickered before continuing with their task.

I glanced over at Kat, “Thank you for that. I wasn’t really sure how to handle it.”

“Well, you better figure it out, because I’m sure she’s not done asking. Unless you wanna go out with her, of course.” Her tone was very clipped, and I wasn’t sure why. It surprised me. Did I do something wrong?

Kat was quieter after that, seemingly lost in her thoughts. I wasn’t sure how to handle it. It was making me feel off. I was happy when hair and makeup had finished with me. I couldn’t get out of there fast enough. I made a beeline for my dressing room to get changed into my costume. I didn’t hear from Kat for a while, assuming they had dress rehearsals for the group performances.

While I waited, I texted my assistant and asked him to bring me some brunch to pass the time. It was a little early for lunch, but I was already starving. A few minutes after he dropped off the food, I got a text from Kat, asking where I was.

Me: In my dressing room. I have 🌯🌯🌯. (three burrito emojis)

It wasn’t even a full minute before there was a knock on the door.

“Come in.” I managed to garble out through a mouth full of steak goodness. Kat pushed the door open, standing there with a disapproving look and her hands on her hips.

“You're hiding away to eat burritos? Really?”

My ability to speak left me as soon as I laid eyes on her. The only response I could muster was to hold out the extra burrito I had gotten for her. She looked fucking amazing in her costume. The hem was asymmetrical, showing off her toned legs. The shorter side revealed her entire right thigh. The front was lower cut than I had expected, showing the curve of her breast. From the sketches, I knew the back was non-existent. There was only enough of the fringy fabric to cover her ass. They had left her chestnut hair half down this time. The front of it was pinned back leaving the soft curls cascading down around her bare shoulders. The red shade of the dress, if you could even call it that, looked amazing against her golden skin and made her red lips pop. All of the exposed flesh definitely had little Bravo’s attention. It took everything in me to refocus my thoughts and get him under control.

She raised a questioning brow at me, a smirk forming on her lips as she took the burrito, “You OK, Bravo?”

I nodded as I swallowed down the food I had been chewing even though I wasn’t ready, nearly getting choked in the process. I coughed uncontrollably for a moment, then reached for my drink. I ended up dropping burrito juices on the robe I had put on over my costume.

Kat laughed, “Good thing you put the robe on. I wouldn’t want to explain that mess to the costumers or producers.”

After taking a long drink through the straw, I managed to get myself together enough to respond, “No kidding. I have an extra one hanging over there if you wanna use it while you eat. I know these are messy.”

“Why yes, I think I will. Thank you.”

Whatever had been bothering her earlier seemed to have passed. She was back to her normal smiley self as we rushed through our meal. It helped me feel a little more at ease and out of my head. Once I was finished with my burrito, I pulled the robe off, checking to make sure I hadn’t gotten anything on the costume. I turned to ask Kat if she saw any evidence left behind. I didn’t miss how her eyes looked me up and down before focusing on my shirt.

I couldn’t help teasing her, “You see something you like, Kit Kat?”

She narrowed her eyes at me, “I was just getting a look at your costume. I hadn’t seen it on you yet.”

I stood back, pulled the blazer open, and did a little spin for her, “You like?”

“Oddly enough…yes. The 70’s vibe suits you. I can’t believe you have it buttoned all the way up though. I was beginning to think you had a button allergy.”

I gave her a cocky grin, “If you wanna see a little more skin, just ask honey. I guess I probably should show a little more, in solidarity with you.”

She rolled her eyes before taking her last bite. I turned to the mirror and undid the top few buttons. I could see her watching me in the reflection, shaking her head with a smirk on her face. A few minutes later, we headed toward the ballroom for our final dress rehearsal. As we stood on the outer perimeter of the dance floor, Alec and Lana came to stand behind us to wait their turn. Kat seemed to be ignoring them, which was surprising. I couldn’t help glancing over at Alec. My mouth seemed to have a mind of its own as I took in his appearance.

“It looks like hair and makeup did a knockout job on you today, Alec. Can’t even tell that your face is fucked up.”

Kat snorted next to me, covering her mouth with her hand to hold back the laugh. I was surprised to see that Lana also had a hint of a smile on her lips.

Alec sneered, “Don’t get too excited, Bravo. You didn’t hit me that hard…nothing is broken.”

I gave him a toothy smile, “Nothing but your pride, right?”

“Fuck you, Bravo.”

Kat turned to me, placing her hand on my chest, “That’s enough, you two. Shut up or I’ll throat punch both of you.”

I was still smiling when I muttered a quick “sorry” her way.

She gave me a playful wink that Alec couldn’t see before looping her arm with mine, forcing me to turn away from him. We were called to go through our routine soon after that. We nailed it the first time through. The lightning, music, and camera angles fell into place perfectly for us. We went through it two more times just to be sure.

I don’t really know what came over me, I assumed it was because Alec was glaring at me the entire time, but I made sure to turn the flirtiness of our routine up a few notches. Kat didn’t seem to mind, meeting me where I was. Not that it was all an act. The way the fringy dress accentuated her hip movements really did almost have me on my knees. The woman’s body moved in ways that my brain could not handle.

I have to admit, I was getting a small thrill out of knowing Alec was seeing how good Kat and I were together. I didn’t want to make things harder on her, but he really did need to be put in his place. He needed to know that Kat was desirable.

I could feel the static crackling in the air between me and Kat as we walked off the dance floor, hand in hand. She had that look in her eyes again while we waited for final feedback. We were given the all clear to head to our final fitting after that. Kat kept hold of my hand the entire time. Only dropping it as soon as we ran into Stacia and Joe in the hallway. We moved to walk around them, but Stacia stopped us. I noticed she looked both of us over before she spoke to Kat, “Care to share what happened to Alec’s face?”

Kat’s eyes widened slightly, “What did Alec say happened to his face?”

Stacia’s eyes narrowed, “He didn’t…just said he’s clumsy.”

I worked to keep my face neutral, but I really wanted to laugh at the absurdity of everything.

Kat gave her a tight lipped smile, “Well, I won’t argue with that. He is clumsy.”

“So, you’re not gonna spill the details?” Stacia prodded.

“I’m afraid I don’t know the details. He was fine the last time I saw him…so I can’t help you there.”

I could tell by the way Stacia was looking at Kat that she didn’t believe her. It was almost like they were having some sort of standoff now, eyes locked in an intense gaze. Stacia’s eyes finally shifted over to me, her head tilting slightly. “How about you, Dieter? Do you know what happened to his face?”

I shrugged, “What makes you think I would know anything? I hardly see the guy.”

Stacia studied my face for a moment, almost like she was trying to read if I was lying. Her lips eventually turned upward into a smirk, “Well, good luck you two. Your dress rehearsal looked perfect. You’ve really turned up the heat this week. I’m sure the viewers are gonna love it.”

Joe stood by smiling like the Cheshire Cat through this entire interaction. Only mumbling a quiet “Good luck” as they walked away. Kat and I gave each other wide-eyed looks as we turned to head toward the wardrobe department for our final fitting. Once the fitting was done, we stopped in for hair and makeup touch ups. Kat had to go change for the opening performance while I went to the staging area to wait.

Since I skipped out on watching the group dress rehearsals, this was my first time seeing it. I remembered Stacia saying that they were going to put more attention on Kat, but I didn’t realize how much. She was the performance. Everyone else might as well have been background dancers. She worked the room and the cameras like no other and had the audience going crazy. She was magnetic and I couldn’t take my eyes off of her.

I lost interest once she was off the dance floor, opting to scroll through social media on my phone instead. I went down a rabbit hole of hashtags for the show, curious what people were saying. Kat was indeed a hot topic, and it was mostly positive. They fucking loved her and that made me happier than it probably should have. I definitely felt like Stacia was getting a heavy dose of karma after insinuating that Kat wasn’t that good in the beginning.

I eventually came across a Dieter and Kat hashtag. I thought twice about clicking it but did so anyway. There were apparently a lot of shippers for us out there. It now made more sense why Stacia and Joe were pushing that narrative. I was honestly surprised at the support for it. Usually, my fans flipped the fuck out anytime I was linked to any sort of serious romantic partner, but they seemed ok with this. I saw Kat coming in my periphery, so I hit the hashtag ‘follow’ button then locked my phone just as she made it over to me.

We were buzzing with anticipation as we awaited our turn. Kat hooked up her earbuds to her phone, “You ready for some hype music?”

I nodded, “What’s it gonna be today? Eye of the Tiger?”

She chuckled, “Oh no. I only pull out the big guns when it’s serious.”

She handed me one bud and my ear was immediately filled with the familiar guitar riffs of Walk this Way by Aerosmith and Run DMC. “Yaaaaaas! I approve!” I said with a wide grin. She laughed, bobbing her head to the beat while my fingers played the chords on my air guitar. It was exactly what we needed to get hyped up.

Before we knew it, it was our turn. I was strangely calm as we stepped out onto the dance floor and took our places. Kat’s confidence and sparkling eyes seemed to keep me grounded in the moment as the spotlight dropped down on her. I stood off to the side in the darkness, waiting until it was time to join her. She opened with the flirty strut and hip shaking thing she does so effortlessly before I came into the light, playing the lovesick puppy matching her every move while she shimmed and gyrated around me. There were a couple of instances where there was no space between us as our bodies moved as one to the beat. Kat’s cheek rested against mine, our fronts pressed together, our bodies twisting downward before popping back up for me to dip her backwards. She pushed me away dramatically before we transitioned into a lock step sequence followed by cross over breaks and a chase with full turns. We ended with a flourish as I spun Kat around and dipped her backward again, this time pulling her leg upward into our ending pose.

When the lights dimmed, I pulled Kat upward and hugged her against me as she bounced up and down. Her arms wrapped around my neck as her cheek pressed firmly against mine. “I swear, that was fucking perfect. We killed it,” she said loud enough for me to hear it. I could feel her hot breath against my ear as she spoke. I couldn’t help burying my face in her neck for a brief moment. I inhaled her scent quickly, it was sweet like berries and a spring day. I didn’t want to let go, but I had to. The producers were finally getting what they wanted, our whole interaction since stepping foot on the dance floor was over the top flirty and sexy. More so than it had been during rehearsals as we continued matching each other’s energy, not holding anything back. If the connection between us continued to grow like this every week, it was only a matter of time before something happened between us. Having this much chemistry was unsustainable in its current form.

While I did my interview and waited for the scores, Kat stood hugging me around the middle with both arms. I wrapped one of mine around her and pulled her tightly into my side.

The judges didn’t really have any feedback for us. They mostly gushed about the sexiness of the performance and how in sync we were with each other. Noting that we probably had a stronger connection than any other couple on the show this season. My head was spinning from the adrenaline of it all before we even got our scores. My knees felt like they were going to give out as they started calling out the numbers. They gave us two 8’s and two 9’s. Kat and I were both in shock as we stood with our mouths agape. She had to give me a little shake to bring me back down to earth as the host asked how I was feeling about having the highest score of the night.

Afterwards, we walked back to the staging area with smiles on our faces. Several cast members congratulated us as we passed by. We found a spot in the back corner, away from the others. Kat pulled me in for another hug, “That is the highest score I have ever gotten. I think I’m in shock.”

I chuckled, “I know, I’m in shock. That was…wow. I have no words.”

“We should celebrate with a big greasy burger after this,” she said with a toothy grin.

I nodded, my hand still resting on Kat’s hip after she pulled away from the hug. Her hand sat on the back of my shoulder as she leaned into my side. We stayed like that while watching the next couple’s performance. The energy was still buzzing between us when we were interrupted by Alec. I noticed his eyes drop down to where my hand was on Kat, anger briefly flashed across his face, but he managed to compose himself.

“Kat, can we talk for a minute?” he finally asked.

Her lips set into a tight line before she finally nodded and pulled away from me. He’s not really gonna do this now, is he?

They moved further away into the back corner, but I could still hear him begging her for another chance. I rolled my eyes, trying not to listen, but I honestly couldn’t help it.

“Baby, please, I swear. I’m not gonna fuck up again. I’m really gonna try to do better. I went to an AA meeting yesterday. I haven’t drank at all since that night. I feel terrible and I realize I can’t keep acting like this. I’ll do whatever you want. I’m still going to anger management, I’ll do therapy too if that’s what you really want. Please, I’ll do anything.”

I chanced a glance in their direction, Kat looked like her resolve was breaking. Fucking asshole. He was saying all the right things and I bet he didn’t mean a word of it.

“Alec, I can’t keep doing this.”

“I know baby, I don’t blame you. Just one more chance, please.”

Kat sighed, “OK. This is the LAST time though. You fuck up again and I’m done. It’s on you. You hear me?”

I didn’t even hear Alec’s response. I felt like the air had been knocked out of me. I had gotten my hopes up - let my fantasies of her being mine run wild and infect my senses. I felt dizzy for a different reason now, realizing my breathing was turning shallow.

My attention was drawn back to Kat when I heard my name.

“You need to get over whatever your issue is with Dieter. He’s done nothing wrong and doesn’t deserve to be treated like this. I’m not gonna put up with it. I want you to apologize for trying to hit him. That was on you.”

I don’t want his fucking apology.

“I’ll do whatever you want, just let me come home with you tonight. Please? So, we can talk, and I can show you how sorry I am. Let me make it up to you.”

She puffed air through her cheeks before nodding, “Fine. Whatever.”

I felt sick. I needed to leave. It felt like the walls were closing in on me and everything was suddenly too loud. Sweat was beading at the nape of my neck and running down my back. I felt like I was gonna have a fucking panic attack.

I turned to leave, nearly bumping into Kat who was now holding Alec’s hand at her side. I just stared at them wide-eyed. I could see the concern on Kat’s face, but I didn’t care.

“Dieter man, listen…I’m sor…” Alec started to say.

“Save it. I don’t want your fucking apology.”

I glanced down at Kat, “Enjoy your evening. I’m not feeling well, I need to go.”

I could hear Kat calling after me as I left the staging area and moved toward my dressing room. I quickly changed out of my costume and stuffed it into the dry cleaning bag, sitting it outside my door for pickup. I closed the door behind me and locked it. I sat down in the chair, my head in my hands as I fought to control my breathing. The tears pooled in my eyes as I tried to reason through why I was reacting like this. It wasn’t normal. The hurt was too much.

I was startled from my thoughts by a loud knock on the door.

“Dieter, are you in there?” It was Kat. I didn’t answer her.

My phone buzzed with several incoming text messages. They were from her, but I didn’t bother to look at them. I couldn’t.

I exhaled slowly, running my hands down my face. What is my fucking problem? It was then that the realization finally hit me. I was in love with her. “Fuck.”

Next: Week 4 (Part 1)

A/N: Y'all ready to come at me with pitchforks? Don't worry, it won't last long. Alec is a class A fuck up. You know it's only a matter of time. So, there was a lot that went down in this chapter. Now that you've read Dieter's side, who do you think is down worse, Dieter or Kat? There was a lot of flirty banter in this chapter and I am here for it. Do we think Kat was intentionally flirting? What do we think about them singing together? I can confirm, this will not be the only time that happens... We got a small glimpse of plant dad and cat dad Dieter in this part. Are we swooning yet? How much did we love Dieter being a smart ass to Alec during dress rehearsals? I feel like we need more snarky Dieter. What about Dieter's revelation at the end? How do you think that is going to affect his interactions with Kat going forward? Now for some fun stuff... a big shout out to @readingiskeepingmegoing for introducing me to one of the music artist featured in this chapter. I. AM. OBSESSED. The three songs referenced in this chapter are linked below as well as their performance song. I have also included another fun Cha Cha video that I took inspo from.

youtube

CP Taglist: @secretelephanttattoo @titlee78 @maggiemayhemnj @legendary-pink-dot @morallyinept

@survivingandenduring @wannab-urs @harriedandharassed @hisandsnakes @misstokyo7love

@readingiskeepingmegoing @runningmom94 @sin-djarin @cakipy-blog @missladym1981

@guelyury @weho2kcmo @alokaerza @girlofchaos @trulybetty

@rhoorl @bitchwitch1981 @madnessofadaydreamer @darkheartgatita @jazzloveslatte

@timpletance @musings-of-a-rose @samiamproductions @myloveistoolittle @for-a-longlongtime

@copperhalfcent @auteurdelabre @drewharrisonwriter @burntheedges @stevie75

@bunniboo0015 @quicax3 jackie923 @sherala007 @pastelnap @pedrostories

@angelofsmalldeath-codeine @jessthebaker @rebel-held @gwendibleywrites @senorabond

👉 If your name is marked out, it wouldn’t let me tag you. ☹️

If you would like to be added to the tag list, let me know in the comments or shoot me a DM.

Credits: Support/MDNI Dividers: @cafekitsune Disco Divider: @deadbranch

#dieter bravo #dieter bravo fic #pedro pascal #pedro pascal characters #pedro pascal fanfic #dancing dieter #cat dad dieter #plant dad dieter #soft dieter #dieter bravo fluff #dieter bravo x ofc #closed position series #Spotify

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toomuchracket · 7 months

Text

lovers' quarrel (ross x girlband gf!reader angst)

day 5 of valentine's week. schedule clashes are getting to you. enjoy <3

you haven't spoken to your boyfriend in a week.

you're sleeping in the same bed as him, yeah, but ross is always asleep when you let yourself into his house at 11pm, body aching after a 12-hour day of dance rehearsals and video shoots and last-minute touch-ups to the instrumentals and harmonies and mixing on your band's new album. and you're always asleep when he leaves at 8am to drive to the studio to finish recording the new 75 LP (scheduled for release a month after yours), a kiss to your sleep-messy hair the only real bit of physical contact he gets to give you.

even your phone calls during studio breaks keep missing each other; you only hear your boyfriend's voice filtered through crackly phone lines, an obvious reminder that you're apart. in fact, the closest you've felt to ross in about eight days is when you use his body wash, in the freezing shower you take to soothe your screaming leg muscles before you get into bed with him.

you hate this. you miss him, so much.

ross misses you, too - he tells you at the end of every voicemail he leaves, paired with a “love you”, in such a defeated tone it brings tears to your eyes. you call him back, leave a similar message of your own, and go back into the rehearsal room and dance your heart out, as if it isn't breaking more with every passing second.

is this what life is always going to be like for the two of you, a loving relationship reduced to fleeting moments of getting to spend time with each other in between tours and shows and recording sessions and writing and promo? you're not sure how long you could take it, if it is.

but you love ross. so fucking much. surely you can do something to make it better for both of you.

the question is… what?

you're mulling over that on your lunch break, sat alone outside the studio complex with your tofu bowl and lucozade, thinking about how thursdays have always been the worst day of the week (double maths back in the day, and now the final full day of work left before you can actually maybe talk to your man for once), when the answer appears through the summer drizzle. well, actually, it's gabbriette who appears, dashing over to you from her (matty's) car and screeching as the rain hits her hair.

you laugh, standing and letting her barrel into your arms. “hi, wifey.”

“baby girl!” she kisses your nose. “you look gorgeous.”

“gabs, i've been dancing for three hours straight. i look like shit.”

“but hot shit. like, super sexy shit,” she grins. “how's everything going? do i get a sneak peek of the new video?”

you smirk. “depends. did matty send you down here to spy on us?”

gabbriette laughs. “he's too stressed to even think of suggesting anything that smart. no, actually, i'm just here to see how you're doing,” her beautiful face shifts into a more serious expression. “because when i asked your boyfriend how you were, literally thirty minutes ago, he very cryptically said he didn't know.”

“ah.”

“he did then explain that you guys hadn't broken up, but it scared me,” she squeezes your hand. “you okay? like, i know you're both so busy - george is literally pushing the guys to the limit in the studio right now - but…”

you sigh. “yeah, we’re just so busy that we keep missing each other, that's all - i get home when he's sleeping, he leaves before i wake up, and we're never free to call at the same time. like, i didn't even know that thing you just said about george, because we haven't talked for days,” you slide down the wall to sit, and gabbriette follows. you sniffle. “he sleeps right beside me, but i miss him like he's continents away. and i hate it, gabs, i really hate it.”

“oh, baby,” she puts her arm around you and kisses your head. “it'll get better soon, though, won't it? you finish here tomorrow afternoon, right?”

“yeah, but,” you wipe your eyes with the sleeve of your hoodie. “then the boys get to this manic stage i'm in now, then i have to do promo, and they have to do promo, and i just don't know when it'll end.”

“i know the feeling,” gabbriette sighs. “it's not easy, us being us, loving the people we do. but that's the way it is, i guess. we just gotta,” she half-heartedly punches the air. “push through it.”

“mmm,” you take a drink of your juice. “what i wouldn't give to just have dinner with him, you know? go somewhere nice for a night, and think about nothing but the two of us.”

your friend turns to face you. “so, why don't you? make a reservation for tomorrow night. surprise him when he gets home. clichè, but,” she winks. “i'm sure ross won't complain about coming home to you all dressed up and gorgeous. i know i wouldn't.”

you burst out laughing. “you're gonna lose your shit when we go inside and you get to see my album cover outfit, babe.”

“oh my god,” she presses her face into your shoulder, then sits up with a smile. “but seriously. i know you're exhausted, and so is he, but plan a date, have fun, make it a regular thing. you guys are perfect together; don’t let that slip away.”

“alright. thank you for the support,” you hug her. “i love you.”

“i love you, angel girl,” gabbriette pulls back and kisses your nose again, before standing and helping you up. “now, i am dying to see what you and the girls have been cooking up. shall we?”

you link your arm through hers. “let's go.”

***

when you hear the key in the lock, you brush down your dress a final time and hurry into the hallway. your heart skips at the sight of ross - clearly exhausted - stepping through the door; you can't keep the smile from your face, and one appears on his after he kicks his shoes off and turns towards you.

he exhales. “god, you're a sight for sore eyes. hi, love,” his arms open, and you run into them and allow yourself to be wrapped up in your boyfriend. “missed you this week.”

“missed you, too,” you nuzzle into his neck. “how are you, darling?”

“perfect, now that i've got you in my arms,” his smile is audible. “not letting you out of them for a second, by the way. need to catch up on holding my girl.”

you giggle. “what about dinner?”

“i can eat pizza with you on my lap on the sofa, can't i?”

oh. your heart feels slightly heavier than it did a second ago. “that's… what you want to do for dinner?”

you do your best to keep your voice light, but ross doesn't miss a trick. he pulls back, frowning slightly. “yeah. something calm, after us both being so busy this week,” he seems to notice your dress for the first time, brow furrowing even further when he takes in your polished appearance. “but that's not what you want, is it?”

“well, baby,” you let go of him, wringing your hands nervously. “i’ve, um, made a reservation at that place you like down the street. for tonight.”

ross pinches the bridge of his nose. “why would you do that, sweetheart?”

your jaw falls open. what? “oh, i just thought it might be nice to go out. save us doing the washing up,” the joke falls flat, but you clear your throat and continue. “and, you know, i’m home now, not coming in exhausted at midnight or whatever, for once, and i-”

“oh, okay,” ross laughs mirthlessly, and your blood runs cold. “just because you're not tired, i should forget my own tiredness and force myself to go out for an overpriced meal i don't even want to eat right now? just because?”

you don't think you've ever felt smaller in your life, and your voice shows it. “no, i just thought-”

“exactly. you just thought, about yourself, not me,” ross hangs up his jacket, shaking his head. “i mean, really, love? you of all people know what it's like, burning yourself out in the studio every day. is it really so surprising that i wanted to come home, to my own house, and just spend the night there?”

something inside you just snaps, and your next words shoot from your lips like bullets. “no, i fucking know the feeling, ross,” you glare at him when he turns to look at you, slight shock on his face at your sudden aggression. “66 hours i've worked, this week, across five days, and at the end of every single one of them i've wanted nothing more than to go straight home to my flat and collapse onto my bed. but d'you know what i've done instead?” you laugh, manic. “i've driven here and stayed with you, because i thought that even if we couldn't spend time together properly, at least we were with each other in some way. and you can't even be nice about the fact i wanted to do something special for us tonight. because, yeah, i was thinking about us when i did it.”

ross looks at you for a second, then shrugs. “well, i didn't ask you to do any of it.”

you nod, biting your trembling lip. “right,” you squeeze past him, picking up your handbag from the console table. tears prick at your eyes as you open the front door. “enjoy your fucking pizza, then.”

a sob escapes your lips as the door slams behind you, tears hitting off the steps as you hurry down them towards your car. with shaking hands, you rifle through your bag to find your keys, unlocking the door and climbing inside so you can cry in peace and figure out where to go. you half-expect ross to follow you, knock on the window, apologise… but nothing. the front door stays closed. even the blinds in the front room don’t move.

you're tempted to wait to see how long it would take him to come after you. but it's not a great look for you to be sitting outside his house in tears, and - to be honest - you don't really want to see him right now, anyway. you need to go somewhere. not your flat, because that's the first place he'd look for you - if he even decides to bother, that is. no. you need to go somewhere else, be with other people, people who love you. but not your bandmates, because that would be ross's next point of call.

and then, it hits you - gabbriette. you scroll through your contacts until you find her number, and hit call; what you don't expect, however, is for her boyfriend to answer. “hi, darling!”

“oh, hi, matty,” you sniffle. “did i dial you? i thought i'd called gabs.”

“no, you did, she just got me to answer because she’s making dinner,” he replies, his girlfriend audibly yelling in greeting in the background. “speaking of dinner… i thought you and ross were meant to be out right now? everything alright?”

you don't say anything in response, just burst into tears down the phone. matty sighs. “oh, fuck. come over, darling. i'll open the wine now.”

“thank you,” you say between sobs. “i'll see you in a bit.”

when you get to his house twenty minutes later, you reckon the two of them must have been standing at the door waiting for you; as soon as you ring the bell, it opens, and you're enveloped into a group hug so tight you can't tell who's who.

matty kisses your head when the hug ends. “just wanna say,” he begins, passing you a ridiculously large glass of red wine. “that while ross is my best friend, he will hear nothing of what's about to be said tonight. so… yeah. rip him to shreds.”

“oh, i intend to,” gabbriette squeezes your hand. “he came home to you looking like that and he didn't wanna go out with you? stupid boy.”

you wince. “gabs…”

“sorry, sorry. but i'm right,” she turns to matty. “don’t you think, baby?”

he nods. “he's an idiot,” something beeps in the kitchen, and gabbriette squeaks and runs towards it. matty puts an arm around you. “come on. we'll have a seat, and you can tell us everything.”

“okay.”

and you do just that, settled next to matty on the kitchen counter so gabs can hear and react while she cooks; you aren't quite sure you'd be able to make it through reliving the argument without the plates of focaccia she keeps laying on your lap, to be honest. anyway - both of them react quite accordingly to your story, dropped jaws and wide eyes and utterances of “he said that?” punctuating your words.

matty shakes his head when you finish talking, putting a hand on top of yours in a brotherly way. “i'm sorry, darling. he can be a moody bastard at times, i know, but that's… that's awful.”

“i get that he's tired and he didn't want to go out,” you sigh, taking a drink of your wine. “but he didn't need to make me feel like a stupid bitch for suggesting it,” you well up again. “and now i don't know where i am with him.”

“oh, baby,” gabbriette runs over to kiss your hair and hug you. “listen, you'll stay here tonight - we'll have a good time, talk shit, have some wine, and then we can figure your love life out tomorrow. cool?”

you look between the two of them, nervous. “i don't want to intrude…”

“oi, none of that,” matty squeezes your hand. “what kind of brother would i be if i didn't take of my little sister?”

“love you, mate,” you hug him, then turn to gabs. “both of you.”

“and we love you,” she kisses your cheek. “me more than him. seriously, i love you so much.”

matty laughs. “she’s right, actually,” he says to you. “came home raving about the sneak peek of the album she got yesterday,” he looks at you pointedly.

you roll your eyes. “fine, i'll tell you about it.”

“fuck yeah!”

you're still telling them all about the album and its processes when ross makes contact, almost two hours after you left his house. matty's phone rings, the contact photo (an old selfie of the two boys) visible to all three of you; the atmosphere changes from buzzy to sombre when you see it.

matty looks at you. “i don't have to answer it if you don't want me to.”

you look at the buzzing phone, the picture of your boyfriend on the screen filling you with a weird mix of emotion. “no, it's ok.”

“you sure?”

you nod. “if he asks where i am, you can tell him,” you murmur, looking at the floor. “i don't want him to worry.”

“right, darling,” matty takes your hand, and picks up his phone with the other. “alright, mate?”

gabbriette hugs you as ross speaks, inaudible to you; you're thankful for her support, because your stomach's in knots waiting for matty to reply. his eyes flick to yours, nervous. “yeah, she’s here,” he says, squeezing your hand. “she’s alright now, but… she really wasn't when she first arrived. surprised she managed to drive here, to be honest - that's how upset she was.”

you chew your bottom lip as ross says something else. matty quirks his eyebrows. “depends if your girlfriend wants to see you or not, mate.”

gabbriette squeezes you tighter. you shrug, and mouth “need to get it over with anyway”; matty grimaces, and relays the message to your boyfriend. “she's not opposed. but,” he shifts in his seat. “don't expect a warm welcome. that includes from me, too - it's none of my business, and i love you, but seeing my friend cry like that was fucking heartbreaking. i can't believe you could be so cruel.”

god, you love your friends.

you smile as matty wraps up the call. “yeah, i can imagine you feel awful about it; i'd be worried if you weren't. and yeah, i'll tell her, alright?” he gives you a thumbs up. “see you soon.”

“he's on his way?” you ask once the call ends.

“he went to yours. freaked out when you weren't there. so, he'll be here in five,” matty looks at you tentatively. “and i've to tell you he's extremely sorry and also that he loves you more than anything and finally that he’s a cunt for what he said.”

“i coulda fuckin told you that last bit,” gabbriette mutters. she smiles at you, though. “but the other bits are, you know, promising.”

“yeah,” you murmur. “shall we go and wait for him, then?”

she kisses your cheek. “if that's what you want, sure.”

true to his word, ross knocks the door five minutes later; you sit on the stairs in the hallway, gabs in front of you protectively (at her insistence), while matty answers. “hi.”

“alright?” ross's face isn’t properly visible from the angle you're at, but you can hear from the scratchiness of his voice that he's been crying. it hurts you to think about that. “can i come in?”

matty nods, stepping back to let him in. ross follows, an awkward dance, and immediately sees you. his face crumples. “hi, love.”

you wave. you're not sure if you can speak.

ross looks at gabs. “can i, um, talk to my girlfriend alone for a second?”

she turns to you. “you cool with that?”

you nod. she kisses your cheek and stands, staring ross down as she walks over to matty and they leave the room. once they've gone, ross flinches. “has she always been so scary?”

“you would be exactly the same way if she hurt matty,” your voice is hoarse, your crying just as obvious as your boyfriend's.

“yeah, s'pose,” ross takes a tentative few steps towards you, gesturing towards the stairs. “can i sit?”

“mhmm.”

“thanks,” he takes a seat on a step a few down from you, turning so he can talk to you properly. “i'm sorry, love, i really am. and i don't really have an excuse for being such a dickhead, other than tiredness, which isn't even an excuse because you've been more exhausted than i am and you still made the effort to do something nice for both of us,” he takes a shaky breath. “you look beautiful, by the way, even now; slightly off-topic, i know, but i just had to say it.”

“thanks,” you say quietly, picking at your cuticles. “thought you'd like this dress.”

“i love it,” ross smiles sadly. “i love you. and the fact that i hurt you… i feel fucking terrible about it,” his lip trembles. “i love you more than anything, or anyone, and i don't want to lose you. the thought of it fucking terrifies me, and,” he begins to cry, and your heart aches. “i worry that i'm not enough for you. i worry that i don't do enough for you, take you out enough. i worry that you'll get bored of me, bored of making all the effort, bored of sitting at home watching football or films, and one day you'll just leave me.”

what?

“oh, ross,” your heart shatters, and you scooch down to sit next to him and hug him.

“m'sorry, i know i'm the one in the wrong, but i have to be honest,” he cries into you. “when you said you wanted to go out instead of stay in, i freaked that i was boring you. and then when you brought up staying at mine instead of yours…”

“you thought it was me saying i was fed up.”

“yeah.”

“oh, baby,” you start to cry, too. “no. it was me just being pissed about you trying to say i didn't know the feeling of wanting to go home when you're tired. i didn't mean it in any other way, honest.”

“no, i know, my love. i was just scared.”

“why, though?” you look him in the eye. “you're the love of my life, ross. you're more than enough for me - everything i need, and more.”

he sniffles. “did you mean to quote beyoncé there, or…?”

“well, no, but it was apt,” you giggle, stroking his dimples when he smiles. “look, i was hurt by the way you reacted to me - an ‘oh, that's nice, love, but could we go out tomorrow night instead?’ wouldn't have gone amiss. but,” you kiss his nose. “i accept your apology, and i love you and our relationship very much, just as they are. just don't ever fucking treat me like that again, alright?”

“i promise you i won't, love,” ross kisses your nose in return. “i love you. and i'm sorry i was a grumpy shit about dinner, because i'm fucking starving now.”

you laugh, kissing his neck. “i reckon gabs has got us covered there. but if not,” you grin. “we can always get a pizza.”

“you're never letting me live that one down, are you?”

“not a fucking chance.”

#mads muses #mads does writing #valentine75 #girlband gf #ross macdonald fanfic #ross macdonald fanfiction #ross macdonald fic #ross macdonald angst #ross macdonald x reader #ross x reader

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didyoulookforme · 20 days

Note

What's stylist Matty like as a boyfriend?

hi anon, thank you so much for stopping by :)

ugh, thinking of him as a bf makes my heart swell lol

once they officially get together, he's absolutely 10000% head over heels for her and tries to spend every waking second by her side because a. he's totally smitten and in love (took him months to realize because he's a stubborn man), b. he wants to prove that he belongs to her exclusively, and c. he has never felt more at ease with anyone else.

however, even after they are an item, it takes him a while to confess his love for her as he's afraid of hurting her further in any way, shape or form. he does eventually get there, though.

apart from being his gf, he’s thankful to have her around on tour as it’s nice to have someone help take care of him with such a hectic lifestyle. he doesn’t want to admit it, but he really does enjoy bringing his guard down and being vulnerable with her.

on the bus, he will always have a brew with girlie in the morning before getting the day started, more often than not bringing it over to her bunk as she tends to wake up after him. he’ll sit at the foot of the bed, rubbing her leg through the blankets as both sip on their coffees and chat about work and what not.

they have a habit of sharing a couple of cigarettes before bed, him always placing it in her mouth and lighting it up. her sometimes shotgunning him because it makes him grin like an idiot and it’s hot af.

the background on his phone is a photo of girlie that he took during a rehearsal. she was just sitting on one of the large equipment cases singing along to his vocals. matty found that so damn endearing that he just took his phone out to capture the moment because she looked stunning in her short satin dress, mouthing along to words that he had written <333

and he can’t ever pose normally when she asks to take a photo of him:

matty never takes off the gold chain which he took from her about a month or so after working with him. drives him insane when she kisses or licks the metal on his neck.

he's definitely ruined many expensive clothes when trying to get her undressed (or by getting cum on them...)

he has a thing for licking the tip of her nose after they make out.

poor matty was a wreck the first time he ever invited her over to his place. because they were always on the road, it took a while for her to visit his space and when that day was close, he had to spend about two days making sure that everything was PRISTINE to the point where he kept delaying her coming over because he needed to get his shit together. over the months he’d made mental notes about her favourite flowers, preferred wine, dislike of old socks, love of fresh white sheets, etc etc. the small gestures didn’t go unnoticed by her, making him feel on top of the world.

matty will sing her praises whenever anyone brings up any of her work, whether it relates to him or any other celebrity. "that's MY girl." "yeah, i know, right? she's amazing." “did you see the shoot she did for vogue last month? WTF NO!?!? here, i have the photos saved on my phone, give me a sec… this one is my fave.”

he's more than content being a trophy bf at fashion events she has to attend, always reminding her of how proud he is :((( he'll stand back from the spotlight as she does interviews, holding her purse and coat. sometimes his hand on her lower back to subtly let others know that she's taken.

overall, he goes from being a fuckboy to eventually being the sweetest boyfriend ever :)

#gmam asks #give me a moment #stylist au

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charincharge · 4 months

Text

I Don't Want To Wait, seventy-three

rowaelin high school bff au masterlist

AN: Alright, folks, we're in the very final stretch. Second to last chapter here. The final chapter will post next week, and I will have a much sappier note for you all then about what the last four years of this fic have meant to me. But for now... here you go.

“Are you really not going to tell me?” Aelin whined, looking up from her practice exam. As he had for the last several hours, Dorian shook his head of dark curls and glared back. His usually warm blue eyes held a bit of chill to them, but that didn’t dissuade Aelin. If anything, it made her persist harder. “Pleaaaaseeee, Doriannnn,” she continued. “Pleaseeee?”

With a deep, frustrated sigh, he aggressively turned the page to the thick packet of paper on the table in front of him. “I’m really not,” he said, yet again.

“What if I guessed?” Aelin probed. “Would you give me a signal if I said the right name?”

He silently began scribbling his answer, back to studiously ignoring the blonde seated across from him. “You’re infuriating,” he mumbled to himself.

“What about a gender?” she asked. “Or pronouns?” she continued. “He? She? They? Zim? Zer? Zie?”

Dorian slammed his pencil down and frustratedly gripped the bridge of his nose, crinkling it, as if in dire pain.

“I’m not ready to talk about it,” he said. Aelin tried to counter, but he cut her off with a startling admission.

“I am possibly gearing up to invite… this… undisclosed gendered person… to prom—” Aelin gasped, causing Dorian to roll his eyes. “—so, I don’t want to talk about it, because I don’t want to talk myself out of doing it. If that’s alright with her majestyyyy.”

She couldn’t help but bite her lip and nod, seeing the nerves Dorian had been studiously pushing down bubble up and over in his explanation.

“Fine,” she conceded, causing him to sigh a breath of relief. But Aelin couldn’t resist getting in one more piece of information while he was still feeling like disclosing.

Aelin’s grin split across her face as she whispered, “It’s Chaol, isn’t it?”

“Oh my GOD,” Dorian exploded. “You said you were going to let it go! I swear, if I get a one on this AP exam because you wouldn’t shut up about this…”

“Fine, fine,” Aelin said, zipping her still-grinning lips shut.

But she hadn’t failed to notice the way the back of Dorian’s neck stiffened slightly at the C-word. She was even more curious now. She’d had a sneaking suspicion that whatever tension had arisen between the pair during spring break would come to a head, but she really wanted to know how that resulted in them in a bedroom at Lorcan’s together the previous night. And how did they end up like that before Dorian had asked him to prom??? All she knew was that as soon as Chaol said yes to his prom date — because he would, no doubt say yes — she’d be teasing Dory about it for the foreseeable future. Without letting her curious mind wander futher, she resumed her genome diagram, finally putting the topic to rest.

. . .

Aelin wasn’t sure she was going to make it through this week. While her friends were partaking in senior pranks, skips, and general tomfoolery, she was stuck inside the gymnasium for hours at a time, completing her many AP exams. The air was sticky with humidity, and it somehow at its worst during test time. Sun poured through the gym windows, heating the room and steaming every student attempting to complete their already-difficult tests. Even the industrial-sized fans placed in each corner of the room were barely enough to give them relief, simply pushing around the heated air in warm wafts. It was honestly miserable.

Not only that, but between the actual exams and the studying for those exams, she had hours upon hours of nightly dance rehearsals. The showcase would be that weekend, and it seemed like Petrah was running them into the ground, attempting to perfect each piece of choreography. And though Aelin loved to dance — she really did, and she was grateful that she’d reentered the world — but she couldn’t help but think this might be the worst hell week she’d ever had. It was hell in the truest sense of the word. She’d lost track of the days, each one blending together into one giant cloud of stress. T

She wouldn’t have been able to do it without Rowan (and Maeve, to be honest), who had prepared and delivered her a week worth of dinner and snacks. He’d shown up on Sunday night with three bags worth of takeout containers (all labeled) and organized them into the fridge while she took a practice AP Lit exam. Honestly, she wasn’t sure she would have been able to remember to feed herself if he hadn’t, and she was infitinely grateful for their forethought. Yeah, sure, her dad wouldn’t have let her starve, but the end of the school year was always the fire department’s busiest time of year — having to deal with some senior shenanigans. Earlier in the week he’d had to remove a canoe filled with flaming shit (yes, literal bags on fire!) from Orynth High’s field — so, he’d been a bit sparse around the house. Which, wasn’t exactly bad. Aelin was grateful for the silence when she needed to study, but she was an extrovert by nature and her lack of human contact was definitely taking its toll on her. She was fully exhausted, but she could really use a night of socializing or fraternizing with her boyfriend at the very least.

Alas, Rowan was also MIA. She knew he felt like garbage about how little he was seeing her, but he was beholden to an insane practice schedule with his lacrosse championship game approaching. The pair of them were nothing more than passing ships in the night, barely seeing each other for more than a small kiss good morning before parting ways for the day. She honestly couldn’t remember the last time she had a real conversation with him that wasn’t over text.

Fully exhausted, she shook a small container of Caesar dressing into the labeled salad Tupperware, forcing herself to nourish herself before collapsing into bed. She had merely one day left of this torturous week, and then she’d be able to take a deep breath. Maybe.

“You look kinda wrecked, babe,” Lorcan said, grabbing a beer from the back of the Galathynius’s fridge.

“Gee, thanks,” she laughed, elbowing him in the side.

“I’m serious. You need a vacay,” he said, his face uncharacteristically without any humor. “No, not need. Deserve,” he clarified. “What are your summer plans?”

Aelin didn’t have an answer.

She wracked her brain, thinking of all the time she’d spent thinking about the future and the upcoming months and realized that she’d completely skipped over this summer in her planning. Her future had always started in August when college terms began. She had forgotten to consider how she’d fill the three months of post-graduation time. She assumed based on whatever financial aid package she received that she’d need to take a job, but with her life still so thoroughly in limbo, a plan had never really solidified. Like the rest of her future, it was a hazy cloud. A blank slate. A chasm of nothingness.

“I… don’t know,” she finally replied.

“Well, do you mind if I make a suggestion?” Lorcan laughed.

She finished shaking her salad container and wordlessly followed him over to the couch where he’d already queued up the latest episode of Real Housewives. He patted the cushion next to him, and she collapsed with little hesitation, leaning into his thick shoulder for support. Lorcan was freshly showered and smelled strongly of Ivory soap. It’s how her dad usually smelled, too. It had taken her a while to get used to, but she realized it was the soap they had at the station. No matter what other shampoo they used, the soapy smell always pervaded her nostrils. It was strangely comforting.

“I think you need to chill the fuck out,” he continued, oblivious to her sentimentality. “I don’t know what that means, but… I think you’ve gotta do something that requires absolutely zero brain power. Maybe that’s lifeguarding or teaching dance to toddlers. Maybe it’s going on a cross-country road trip to try and find the best slice of chocolate cake. Maybe you want to take up a new hobby like gardening or join a karaoke league, I don’t fucking know. But you need to turn your brain off, babe. Let it take a three month breather. You’ll need it before going to college.”

“But I don’t even know if I’m going to college,” Aelin replied. She straightened up away from Lorcan and leaned over to grab a bite of her salad, trying to tune out her self-pity as she stuffed a wad of romaine lettuce into her mouth.

Lorcan simply laughed. “I’ll be the first to tell anyone who listens that college isn’t for everyone. It was never going to be my path, that’s for sure.” Aelin nodded, chewing thoughtfully as she listened. “But, you love to learn. I’ve never seen someone go through books for fun like you. Hell, I don’t think there’s a book in your room you haven’t read more than once. You love to debate and question your own beliefs and opinions, and that’s super cool. But also, it means you are pretty much bred for college life.” He paused and rubbed at his day clean-shaven chin, his eyes warming affectionately at her. “Everything is going to work out exactly the way it was meant to be.”

“That feels far too sentimental and optimistic coming from you,” Aelin eyed him skeptically.

“What can I say?” Lorcan said, stretching his arm across the back seat of their couch. “I’ve changed. Life is good.” His smile widened. “So, what’s the age makeup of your dance company like? Any of-age hotties you can intro me to after the show? Think Petrah would go for a younger daddy type or is she committed to a Rhoe-ish age gap?”

Aelin faux-gagged and pressed play on the TV, happy to ignore Lorcan’s button-pushing. But as the Housewives got into their usual drama, she found herself barely paying attention. Instead, she was imagining all the scenarios she could fill her summer with. And all of them involved being half-naked with Rowan. No matter what this fall brought, Lorcan was right; she needed a serious brain break.

. . .

Aelin breathed the deepest sigh of relief upon finishing her AP Lit exam. She had used the full allotted exam time, not finishing even a second early to go back and revise any of her words, filling the pages with her messy scrawl, analyzing theme after theme and character after character until she thought her hand was going to fall right off. She lifted the back of her shirt, which was drenched with sweat and tried to fan herself, but it was no use. She’d need a cold shower or maybe an ice bath ro reverse the heat stroke this stupid gymnasium had wreaked upon her body. And she couldn’t be more grateful to be finished with it.

Oh my god. She was finished. With exams. And classes. High school was nearly over.

“Congrats, graduate,” a familiar voice called out as Aelin the gym, causing her lips and toes to both curl. She was prepared to fall into his arms, but Rowan’s hands were outstretched, offering up a sprinkle-laden cupcake for her.

“We still have one more week,” she said as she bit into the cupcake. The sugar was exactly what she needed to perk back up after her insane week; she could feel it working its sugary magic with every chew.

But Rowan wasn’t deterred. He nuzzled his nose into her hair, inhaling her scent and leaning against her shoulder.

“Your exams are over, what else even is there to do?”

Aelin laughed. “Um, well, you have your game and I have my performance. Then I guess there’s just… prom and graduation,” she contined. “Oh, and the small factor of trying to get off Wendlyn’s waitlist.” She glared up at his roguish smile. “Nothing major.”

“I miss you,” he said quietly, and Aelin simply hummed her agreement in return. “Do you have rehearsal tonight?”

Aelin nodded as she took another bite of her cupcake. “Yeah,” she glanced at her phone. “But not for three hours.”

Rowan grinned. “Coach gave us the night off to rest before tomorrow.” His eyes darted around as he pulled her closer. “Wanna do something crazy?”

A pang of lust overtook Aelin as she realized how long it’d been since she’d been truly alone with Rowan. Over a week. She crossed her legs and pressed into him further as arousal coursed through her body.

“Absolutely,” she replied, causing his smile to widen even further and letting him pull her to the jeep with pretty much no hesitation. She was practically vibrating with an overload of hormones when Rowan missed the turn to their secret empty parking lot.

“Uhhh, Ro?” she asked, “You missed our turn.”

“No I didn’t,” he responded, brow furrowed in confusion. “I haven’t even told you what we’re going to do.”

Then it was Aelin’s turn for her brow to furrow. “Huh? I thought we were going to… you know.”

“OH!” Rowan’s cheeks reddened as he looked at his squirming girlfriend. “Uh, we can do that after, if there’s enough time.” He cleared his throat as he drove further down the main drag of Orynth.

“Well, if we’re not going to do that, then what the hell are we going to do?” Aelin asked, brimming with frustration.

His hands grasped the steering wheel tighter, his knuckles turning white with effort. He clearly wanted to surprise her. It wasn’t until they pulled into the City Hall parking lot that she finally put the pieces together.

“Wanna get a marriage license?” he asked.

He barely had time to gnaw at the skin of his lip with doubtful nerves before Aelin threw her arms around him and scampered out of the car. It was the first step to their forever. She’d forgotten they needed to make time for it with all that she’d been going through this week, but he hadn’t. And she was grateful.

Orynth’s City Hall was one of the oldest buildings in town, and entering it felt like being a part of history. Its ceilings were high and arched into a unique pattern of arches that crisscrossed overhead, and the green marble floors were tiled and grouted with gold, making each one stand out like a gilded diamond in the late afternoon sun. The marble shined so brilliantly that Aelin took care to walk especially quietly, assuming each step would echo loudly throughout the cavernous building, but her sneaker barely made a sound. In fact, the whole place seemed oddly hushed, as if it was holding its breath with anticipation. It contrasted heavily with Aelin’s racing heart, which thudding loudly in her chest as Rowan reached for her hand and pulled her toward the section of the room that was labeled “MARRIAGE OFFICE.”

The line to the marriage office was unshockingly non-existent on a Friday afternoon in their small town, and after showing their IDs and signing a piece of paper, Rowan and Aelin were quickly the proud owners of an official marriage license. It was over so quickly and unceremoniously that she wasn’t sure it really happened. But as she stared at the paper in her hands, she knew it was real. In five days, they could come back and get fully, a hundred percent married.

Before tucking herself into bed that night, she glanced at the white dress she’d placed in the back of her closet. She’d be able to wear it in five days.

But there was another dress she had to wear first.

. . .

“Everybody scootch together!” Maeve shouted, waving her camera in the air, trying to corral the couples in front of her. The humid weather was making the girls’ hair stick to their foreheads and curl where it wasn’t supposed to be curling, and all they wanted to do was hop into the limo they’d rented and make their way to prom, but Maeve insisted on a full out photo shoot. Apparently she’d gotten barely any photos of her prom night and she was making it all of their problems.

“Now one silly one!” she directed, causing everyone to groan. But her stern glare was enough to get them to all jump back into action and make their most ridiculous faces. Aelin stuck out her tongue and scrunched her eyes shut, causing Rowan to laugh beside her. He looked so incredibly handsome in his fully black suit. His green eyes popped and glinted in the golden rays of the setting sun, making him utterly irresistible. She wanted to fast forward to the end of the evening and peel him out of it, piece by piece, but that was hours away. If Rowan’s hands were any indication, he felt similarly. Her black dress had a low back with a twisting gold design up the back, subtly resembling a dragon, and he couldn’t stop touching her exposed skin. She shivered as his knuckle brushed against the low divot of her spine, and she looked up at him with absolutely no filter to her more lascivious thoughts.

“Keep it in your pants, babe,” Lorcan shouted from beside Maeve. She simply flicked him off.

“Classy,” Rhoe grumbled. “Keep that one for the grandkids.”

“Okay, now one sweet one. Look at your partner, tell them how good they look…… smile, Rowan!” she sang out, causing the lines of his frown to deepen further.

“Aunt Maeveee,” Rowan finally said with a long sigh. “We’re going to be late if we don’t leave soon.”

“Rowan Eugene Whitethorn,” Maeve chastised, “This is the only prom you and Aelin have attended together, and I will get at least as many photos as you took with Lyria two years ago, is that okay with you?”

Rowan’s jaw snapped shut at his aunt’s words, nodding in apology and hugging Aelin’s waist tighter at the mention of his last prom date.

“That was junior prom,” he grumbled. “It’s not even remotely the same thing,” he continued. “And she wasn’t even there. How does she know how many pictures we took?”

Aelin snorted loudly. “She tagged you in every single one on Facebook.” She laughed at Rowan’s raised eyebrow. “We allllll saw them,” she drawled, pursing her red lips at him. She laughed as he shook his head in disgust.

“So weird,” Rowan mumbled, mostly to himself.

“SMILE,” Maeve shouted, clearly annoyed that Rowan and Aelin were talking and not posing for her needs. They paused their convo to smile at each other with hearts in their eyes, and Aelin couldn’t resist lifting her heels even higher to press her lips to Rowan’s cheek.

“OH!” Maeve gasped. “Adorable. Let’s all do cheek kisses.”

“Can we not?” Dorian groaned from where his arms were wrapped around Chaol’s waist. Yes, that’s right, Aelin had been correct in her assumption that the pair of best friends had worked through whatever issues had plagued them and come out the other side. Aelin didn’t want to parade her rightness in Dorian’s face, but she had told him “I told you so” at least once of the best friends’ graduation from ~it’s complicated~ to prom dates. Prom dates who kissed each others’ cheeks. Chaol ignored Dorian’s complaining and laid his lips directly on his friend’s scruff, causing a soft rosy blush to appear on the tips of Dorian’s ears. Aelin thought back to two years ago when she had kissed Chaol in his car and couldn’t help but smile. All along the pair of them were meant to be with their own best friends. Who would have known?

Chaol’s midnight suit glimmered in the setting sun, making Dorian’s eyes shine even more blue, somehow. And though he protested initially, he leaned into his friend’s lips, looking at ease for the first time in weeks.

On Aelin’s other side, Elide and Manon were circling each other in bright swaths of color. Manon looked ferocious in a teal jumpsuit that was a few shades darker than her bright turquoise hair. Its neckline plunged between her cleavage, showing off her pale skin and a sleeve of fresh floral ink, winding around her biceps and forearm. It was the perfect compliment to Elide’s fairy light green tulle dress, which floated around them in glittering layers.

Behind them, Lysandra had surprised them all by showing up with her own date. The way they’d been during spring break, she’d half expected it to be Aedion, but she’d shown up with another sober friend from her AA group. A really nice guy named Harding. He’d apparently known Wesley, and instead of being a deterrent, it had strangely bonded Lys with him.

“Now kiss!” Maeve shouted, and Lysandra whipped her dark hair in Maeve’s direction and scowled.

“Some of us aren’t like that!” she said.

Rowan finally left the group and went over to Maeve and pushed her camera down. “I think you’ve got enough,” he said, and she nodded, letting them all disperse and make their way into the waiting limo.

Aelin had created a playlist and plugged it into the backseat. “Who’s ready to see some prom queens?” she asked, letting her friends cheer as Manon and Elide kissed each other thoroughly as the music blared overhead. For the first time in a long time, Aelin felt relaxed. She felt like … this was a seminal teen moment that she would remember for the rest of her life, and she was secretly glad that Maeve wanted to capture as much of it as she did. She knew that many years from now, she would go through the photos with the same warmth in her heart that was taking up space there right now.

. . .

As the hours passed, Aelin became even more grateful for Maeve’s forced documentation. Despite camera phones capturing video and photos galore, the night was passing by too quickly. And despite the pain that Aelin had felt in her years walking the halls of Orynth High and the question marks that awaited her on the other side, tonight was perfect.

The dance had a ridiculously cheesy theme that no one actually adhered to: Enchanted Forest. But the décor had completely transformed the stuffy gym that Aelin had hated so thoroughly the previously week. Twinkle lights twined through the lush greenery that lined the walls, and a glowing path of low mushrooms and lanterns lit the way to a photobooth that was covered in a romantic arch of branches. Overhead, they’d released a sea of green and gold balloons that covered the ceiling, but they floated around, transporting them all to a different world. It was silly, but it felt like magic. Aelin never wanted to leave this place.

Her fingers grasped Rowan’s neck tighter as a slow song came on, and she breathed his pine scent in deeply as he leaned down and pressed his forehead to hers. His lips ghosted hers, not fully kissing her, but not not kissing her either. Her entire body was alight with an amorous flame that hadn’t been quenched in days. His hand ran up her bare back, and it took all her restraint not to moan out loud. Instead, she sighed into his mouth.

“I love you,” she whispered, their breaths mingling at how close they were to each other.

“Gods, I love you,” he replied.

He kissed her then, deeply, soundly, not caring that camera flashes went off around them. He broke their kiss, panting slightly, and she couldn’t resist patting down the lapels of his suit and smoothing them beneath her palm. Reminding her that this was real. That he was hers.

“This is everything I’ve ever wanted,” he finally said, breaking her from her spell.

“Is it?” she asked, and though it was a leading question, she did actually want to know the answer.

As it had been mentioned earlier in the evening, Rowan had been to prom before, and he hadn’t really enjoyed it. In fact, he’d left pretty damn early. It hadn’t been a secret that Rowan didn’t enjoy school dances. Or school events. Or events of any kind, really. And she didn’t blame him for that. But she hadn’t expected him to love this night the way that she was loving it. Strangely, he sounded sincere, though.

A wry grin turned up half of his smile in a new roguish grin he’d been trying out that made him oh so appealing in ways that Aelin couldn’t even begin to articulate.

“Yeah, Ace,” he laughed softly. “It is.”

She knew she was fishing but she couldn’t help herself. “Why?” she asked, and though she thought he’d admonish her, his grin disappeared and his face turned as serious as ever as he gathered his thoughts.

“Because.” He cleared his throat and gave her an apologetic smile. “This was the way it should have always been,” he said. “When I came to prom with Lyria…” he drifted off and his eyes lost focus, as if remembering back to those days. They seemed so far away now. “I kept thinking how annoyed I was that I was there, and it wasn’t because I didn’t like school dances. Although… I don’t love those,” he chuckled lightly. “It’s because I wasn’t with you. Lyria barely cared that I was there. She just wanted me as a prop for her photos. And I was so mad at myself for not saying no, because the idea of going to prom with you had always been in the back of my head.” He kissed her cheek. “I wanted it to be you then because I’ve wanted it to be you forever. And yeah… it’s stupid, but… I’m glad I get to have this with you. Finally.”

Aelin’s throat tightened at his words, because she remembered how fucking miserable she’d been that night. She wouldn’t rub it in now. She wouldn’t tell him how she spent the night pained and alone on the rooftop, angsting about every moment that he’d spent with his arms wrapped around Lyria, but she was glad he’d felt it, too. Because it was always better when it was them.

She was seconds away from begging him to take her home and make her remember how good they were together when Principal Havillard tapped at his microphone.

“It’s that time of the evening, folks,” he said, clearing his throat and looking out into the crowd. “Voting for Prom King and Queen has been going on for the last four weeks, and as of yesterday, our panel of math teachers has finished calculating the results.” He paused again, looking slightly uncomfortable. “The results have been double and triple checked, and all that’s left to do is announce them…” The principal was noticeable uncomfortable as he reached for the envelope in his pocket, ripping it open and preparing to read the words that Aelin knew would be there. She and Dorian had calculated the polls multiple times. There was no way there was going to be any other result.

“Your Prom King and Queen are Manon Blackbeak and Elide Lochan,” he announced to an overwhelming, raucous applause.

Aelin and Rowan were among them, shouting at the top of their lungs as the spotlight found their friends on the dance floor and led them up to the stage, hand in hand. To principal Havillard’s credit, he did not react at all as he pulled the crowns from the teachers behind him, who held up plush red pillows donned with their headwear.

Manon pulled the thick gold crown onto her own head before placing the more delicate tiara onto Elide’s dark curls. The pair stared at each other, smiling widely, before Elide pulled Manon into a kiss. As the cheers echoed through the gym, Manon dipped Elide low, never breaking the kiss, though Aelin spotted the corners of a smile peeking through.

“PROM QUEENS!” one student shouted. “PROM QUEENS!” A chant rippled through the gym, reaching an apex as the pair finished their kiss and headed down to the dance floor for their first dance. It was supposed to be something slow and romantic, but Aelin already knew that Dorian had switched it out. He’d called in a favor with his friends in the drama department, and Aelin couldn’t help the wave of joy that washed over her as ABBA’s “Dancing Queen” began to play overhead.

She didn’t wait for Rowan’s approval before dragging him into the center of the dance floor with her friends, who were circling Manon and Elide and shouting the lyrics of the song at them. The pair buried their chins into each other’s shoulders, smiling harder than Aelin had ever seen them. Joy. Pure joy. That’s what this moment was. She could see Archer shrinking to the side of the gym out of the corner of her eye, but she barely gave the asshole a second of her thought before shimmying closer to her friends.

This moment was everything.

“Young and sweeeeeet,” Aelin shouted as loud as she could, twirling out into her group of her friends. “Only seventeeeen,” she said with an overexaggerated point to Elide and Manon, who were swaying and wrapped in each other’s arms.

“Dancing queen, feel the beat from the tambourine!” Dorian shouted as loud as he could, and Aelin laughed as Chaol disco’ed in a circle around him, pretending to play an air tambourine.

“OH YEAHHHHH!” Rowan interjected, causing Aelin’s brows to rise in surprise.

“What?” he shrugged. “Everyone knows the words to this one,” he said, and Aelin couldn’t help but release a loud peal of laughter.

In that moment, it didn’t matter that Aelin didn’t know she was going. Yes, they would all be headed their own ways soon, but it didn’t matter where they were all going. This moment was perfect. And they’d always have this. They’d look back on this moment as one of their best, with a nostalgic fondness that can’t ever really be recreated.

Aelin ushered them all closer until they were all huddled together with their arms around Manon and Elide. She barely noticed the nods of appreciation from the girlfriends, totally distracted by Rowan’s voice and the supportive arm at the crux of her back. They danced the night away, until it was way past when she thought they’d leave. Song after song, they stayed on the dance floor, letting their bodies sway and jump and twist and twirl. Exhilaration filled their circle, never dying down or even coming to a brief lull that would let them take off.

She’d anticipated there being a good moment of downtime for her and Rowan to make their escape, to peel off and go partake in the second half of the evening on Maeve’s rooftop. But even as the night wore on and the dance floor started to become more sparse, she felt herself unable to leave.

“You ready to go?” she finally asked Rowan, but he shook his head. “NO?!” she asked, bewildered.

“No,” he laughed. He grabbed her hand and her feet tumbled toward him as he pulled her against his chest. She looked up at his grinning face and felt a mirror image on her own. If someone had told her two years ago that she’d be in Rowan’s arms, dancing for hours at prom together, she probably would have burst into tears — because that person would surely have been mocking her. At that moment, Rowan’s hand squeezed her hip, pulling it against his in a brief gesture of comfort, as if to reassure her that yes, this was real. And she couldn’t imagine it being any other way.

It wasn’t until the music stopped and the lights abruptly turned on that Aelin even realized they were the last ones standing. She and her friends had effectively shut down prom, completely unaware of their classmates’ departure. Under the bright fluorescent light, the enchanted forest décor had lost a bit of its luster, simply looking like fake props and cheesy party décor.

“Gods, I’m starving,” Elide breathed as she wiped a stream of sweat from her brow.

“Me too,” Manon replied as she dug her teeth into Elide’s bare shoulder. The brunette squealed loudly as the bite turned to soft kisses.

“Burgers at Maeve’s?” Rowan suggested, and Aelin’s chest warmed as he was met with enthusiastic cheers. Clearly no one wanted this night to end. How could they? It was perfect.

As they tumbled out from the sticky gym into the cool night air, Aelin looked up into the star studded sky and took a deep breath. Next week… well, next week was graduation. In a few days, they’d all be going their separate ways. But for now, she couldn’t care about that. Instead, she followed Lysandra’s lead and kicked off her heels. Her toes thanked her as they stretched out, and she groaned in pleasure with their first step onto the high school’s turf, which was cold and damp beneath her feet. Shoes in one hand and Rowan in the other, she joined in the conversation of how shocked Archer looked to lose as prom king.

“I’m pretty sure he demanded a recount,” Chaol said with a low snort. “I heard your dad reassure him at least twice that the ballots had been counted accurately.”

Dorian cackled wickedly. “I also counted the ballots. And, uh, yeah. He lost. By a landslide.”

“TO A GIRL!” Manon shouted, tipping her crown to all of them and causing them to cheer raucously again.

Their voices echoed over the wide expanse of turf, and for a minute, Aelin let herself feel grounded and at peace. She was hyper focused on the way Chaol’s face lit up as Dorian hopped onto his back, on Lysandra’s easy grin as she skipped through the grass, on Manon’s proud puffed-out chest as she pushed a messy curl behind the side of Elide’s tiara, and on the steady swipe of Rowan’s thumb against her back. She’d breathe it in and exhale it out, and let this overwhelming sense of rightness soothe her. No, right now she wouldn’t think about what their next chapter would bring. She’d live in this moment for as long as she could.

#idwtw au #rowaelin #tog fanfic #throne of glass fanfic #throne of glass #rowan x aelin #rowaelin fanfic #charincharge writes

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themultifandomgal · 2 months

Text

From 2010- Second Half Of Tour

Part 42

2014

1st August- Toronto

The boys and I sit at a table eating breakfast excited to get back on tour

“What did Liam say when you spoke?” Louis asks before tackling a slice of toast

“I haven’t actually spoken to him yet” I sigh playing around with my scrambled eggs

“What?” Harry chokes on his orange juice, some of it coming out of his nose. Reaching for a napkin to wipe his face he continues “first he forgets a date then he doesn’t even ring you t’say sorry”

“People forget H” I shrug

“Yeah but you messaged him and rang him and he still hasn’t spoken to you”

“It’s fine”

“No it’s not bloody fine YN. He’s a dick” Harry points his fork at me “he’s not right f’you and you know it” he then eats the pineapple he’s had pointed at me with an angry expression. We sit in silence for a little longer before I speak up again

“I have been writing lyrics, well sentences, down in a notebook. Emma suggested it when I told her I was struggling to talk during therapy sessions”

“Really? Wow. Do you want them to be on our next album?” Louis asks. I shake my head no

“I don’t think I’m ever going to release them. They’re to personal, but writing down how I feel is helping. Even if one moment I’m sad the next I’m angry. Maybe one day I’ll show you”

“Whenever your ready, no pressure” Liam says next to me with a smile. He places his hand on my arm and gives it a little squeeze

“Have any of you ever thought about going solo?” Zayn asks

“No. Don’t think I could do this without you boys by my side” I reply

“I have. Not for a while though” Niall says

“I have. I’ll be honest this isn’t what I was expecting” Zayn tells us. I nod my head understanding

“I’ve thought about it but I’m not sure I’m cut up for that stuff going solo and everything” Liam tells us all

“H?” I look over at him as he’s been sat quietly

“Yeah I have definitely thought about my future and the bands future. I’d like to think if we did ever decide to take a break then we’d always have something to come back to one day”

“I’d….” I’m cut off by my phone ringing. I take it out of my pocket and see Liams name across the screen “it’s Liam, I’m gonna head up to my room”

“Want me to bring anything up for you?” Harry asks

“I’ll have some fruit please. Thank you” I leave the table and answer the phone “hi”

“I’m sorry I haven’t phoned you back, I’ve been busy. Why were you texting me about missing a date? We never planned anything”

“Yeah we did Liam. I got dressed up, did my hair and makeup. I was excited” I use my key card to enter my room

“YN are you ok? Because that didn’t happen. Your not coming down with something are you?” Liam asks sounding concerned

“I’m fine. We had a date and you forgot about it”

“Your acting crazy. We never planned one. I was only ringing you to let you know I’ll come to see you on the 11th. I have to go, speak to you later. Love you”

“Love you too” I reply and end the phone call.

20th August

25th September- New Orleans

“Eeeeek!” I squeal running off the stage to Emma who’s also running towards me. I wrap her up in a massive hug “I missed you”

“I missed you to. I’ve been seeing videos all over Twitter and I swear I even know the dance moves by this point” I laugh at emma knowing she probably does know the dance moves, but on top of that she will 100% dance tonight in the pit “YN this is my girlfriend Olivia” Emma introduces me to a very beautiful girl with long flowing blonde hair and bright blue eyes. I put my hand out for her to shake

“Hi I’m YN it’s nice to meet you”

“You too” she shakes my hand smiling

“YN!” I hear Harry say into the microphone in his hand

“I’m coming!” I shout back “you going to stay while we rehearse?” I ask

“If that’s ok with you all?”

“Of course it is Em. I’m just going to get my mic and my in-ears then you’ll get a sneak peak into tonight’s show” I give Emma one last hug before running back onto stage

“So Emma can come and see you, but your own boyfriend can’t?” Harry mutters

“H don’t start” I warn him

“When will you see that you deserve better than him. Fuck YN you deserve the whole world and that’s not Liam. I’m taking 5” with that I watch Harry storm off the stage. I look over to Louis who gives me a small smile

“Give him a few minutes”

5th October- Miami Gardens

“Break a leg up there Pumpkin” my dad hugs me

“Thanks dad” I hug him back but end up holding him for a while which makes him realise somethings wrong

“What’s going on Pumpkin? Is it Liam?” I nod my head without saying anything “what will be will be”

“I know, just hurts. He’s a good guy dad I love him, but I think he’s going to break up with me”

“If he does….” Before my dad can say anything the door opens and there’s stood Liam with tulips

“Sorry I didn’t know anyone else would be in here”

“No it’s ok. I think you two need some time to talk. I love you Pumpkin, your going to be amazing as usual” dad places a kiss on my forehead then leaves my dressing room

“I’m sorry I missed so many shows and I’m sorry about my snappy texts. I’ve just been really stressed out with press releases. These are for you, the start of me making it up to you” Liam hands me the flowers

“Thank you” I place them down on my makeup table

“Can I have a kiss and cuddle?”

“I thought we were on a break?” I raise an eyebrow at him

“That was me being an idiot”

“Fine you can have a kiss on the cheek” I walk over to him and place a kiss on his left cheek

“After tonight I’m making it up to you. You’ll be my girl again, love you”

“I love you too that’s why it hurts me no much when you act like how you did”

“I know I know, sorry”

“5 minutes YN” Paul says knocking my open door

“Ok thank you. I’ll speak to you later”

“I’ll be the loudest one in there tonight”

“You better”

#6th one direction member #one direction x reader #sixth one direction member #one direction #harry styles x y/n #harry styles x you #harry styles x oc #harry styles fanfic rec #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles imagine #harry styles #harry styles x reader

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microscotch · 2 years

Text

“I don’t really know what to think anymore. Maxxx is a great guy but he’s so possessive that I just had to make a point, you know?”

“He kinda doesn’t really want to get the message, though...”

-“How about a little exxxtra spice 🔥🔥🔥??”

- “AND TRUST ME, I FRICKIN’ CRUSHED IT THIS MORNING, RIGHT IN FRONT OF MAXXX’S EYES! I’D BE SURPRISED IF SHE’S STILL ABLE TO WA-.”

- “Dude, I SO don’t want to hear about your d-game.”

“I don’t trust either of them. One day Roz acts all morally superior just ‘cause I was close to crashing my UFO into this hoard of degenerates, and now he brags TO ME about stealing another guy’s girl. Or maybe going for April’s implant ass is his way of dealing with me turning down his hatefuck offer? Whatever complex this qualifies as.”

-”WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU DOING??”

-”Keeping my eyes on your fake ass, literally and figuratively.”

-”Excuse me??? First, there’s nothing fake about daily pilates with Misty Waters. Second, not into girls and third, DON’T STALK ME WHILE YOU’RE TAKING A DUMP.”

“Actually, I just wanted to piss her off.”

-“Drop that hairy piece of filth and be with me, April! We look so much hotter together, plus you can be the no name bimbo breaking my heart in all my music videos once my career really takes off!”

-”Oooo when you put it that way...”

“Maxxx really does know how to charm a girl. Who knows, maybe we truly are meant to be together after all. I mean, if he didn’t care about me, he’d just be looking for another girl as we speak.”

-“Damn April, I gotta give it to you, you really are outdoing everyone in this house!”

-”Embarrassingly low bar, let’s all be honest - I mean, Watcher, I just wasn’t sure about what I wanted. :( ”

-”Pfft, not hard when she’s living with both douchebags.”

-”Jealous much, desert queen Isabella?”

-”I just have class and don’t take every available opportunity because I’m cheap. All that talk about me having dated over 25 football players are just cruel lies!”

-”I haven’t heard anyone talk about it on here besides you-”

-“ALL. THAT. TALK.”

- Um, well, speaking of looking cheap, where’s Angie?”

“Look, the last day really SUCKED for me and I’m just trying to distract myself from the fact the guy of my dreams chose some bimbo who immediately cheated on him over me.”

“Angie is coming into the living room and all of the sudden starts tickling me. Just like the girls during my bartending days, you haven’t spoken a word to me before, neither when I pulled out a BuzzFeed article from 2017 featuring SimNation’s top 50 worst pick-up lines, or when I asked her for a mint to get the taste of vomit out of my mouth yesterday. Just now when you’re lonely and desperate - I suddenly exist!”

-”Get your claws away from me you freak!”

-”Did YOU OUT OF EVERYONE just call me a freak??? And who put that horrid music on, sounds like 8th graders during band rehearsal after discovering MySpace.”

-”You mean my mixtape I’m aggressively dancing to??”

-”WHAT? NO MAXXX, NEVER!!!! YOUR MUSIC CANNOT BE DESCRIBED IN WORDS!!”

-”Cabs are here!”

“I’m meeting up with this girl I ran into at the club yesterday. I just knew the moment I saw her she was something special... reminds me, should ask for her name again.”

“So everyone is having a good time, we’re dancing, it’s great. And suddenly, out of nowhere...she kisses me.”

-“Oh baby, I couldn’t be more turned on by you than right now, in your sweat stained maxis tracksuit.”

-”Let’s take this somewhere more private, shall we? ;)”

“Maxxx and I need to figure out where we’re at. If we really are ready for a relationship together.”

-“April, I love you, but honestly I think only I deserve you, so I’m ready for this relationship thing if that means I won’t be seeing you near these out of your league morons ever again. It’s unbearably insulting to my looks and charm seeing what the guys you decided are my actual competition look like.”

-“Your face looks just like the Sector 6 aliens I would sometimes see on vacation at Sector 8, so grotesquely deformed I always used to wonder how their organs were even remotely working... say, what do you do for a living?”

“Maybe it was the amount of bubbles clouding her judgment or something, but as much as I can’t stand the girl, this was honestly sad to watch.”

-”Performing human experimentation. But my wife and I are certainly not opposed to extending our selection of interesting subjects.”

-”I mean, yeah, it doesn’t have to be a two-men show but that’s one weird metaphor.”

-“It’s official, these clownshows are dating now. But they’re gonna break up so fucking fast, trust me.”

-“I hate them so much.”

“Angie is my only friend in this house, so obviously I had to let her know about everything I just saw. So pathetic.”

-“Maxxx, can I maybe talk to you for a sec?”

-”Angie, look, you’re a nice girl and will surely find someone, but Maxxx doesn’t want anything from you.”

-”NOT THE THIRD PERSON THING AGAIN, WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME??”

“It was going great, the girl and I relocated to the hot tub and then... suddenly I see everything flashing white! I just thought “Wow, must be the best woohoo I ever had.” ‘til I realize...”

“I almost died, would you think this chick even moved a muscle? She just sat there grinning, like she was enjoying it. So no idea if we’re dealing with an actual succubus or if she’s just got some crazy fetish.”

“And that’s not even the worst thing that happened.”

-“CRAP!”

-”Crap indeed.”

#belladonna shore #🍊

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because-its-eurovision · 2 years

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What are in your opinion the top 3 finnish esc performances?

Also who fo you think are the most attractive / hottest finnish contestants ever? I need this for science👀 (if you are comfortable answering)

What a lovely ask! 🖤 I picked three performances based on styling (clothes, hair, make-up, jewellery), choreography, staging and lightning choices, camera angles, vocal performance and charisma of the singers and back-up singers & musicians, and how well all of of those support the melody, lyrics and structure of the song. I suck at making definitive rankings so these are in chronological order 😄

1977: Monika Aspelund - Lapponia

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Lapponia tells the story of a beautiful witch maiden in Lapland and the man who falls in love with her, and Monika really acts out the lyrics to the camera with her expressions. The blue and white (Finnish flag colours my beloved) styling with Lapponia brand jewellery is very simple yet stylish in a Nordic way and fits the song well. Vocal performance of both Monika and the back-up singers is near perfect considering she was suffering from angina at the time and still managed to hit the high note. Choregraphy again is simple but works and compliments the epic chorus, and the end frame is possibly the greatest of Finland's Eurovision history. There's a reason why this is still my favorite entry of all time.

1990: Anneli Saaristo - La Dolce Vita

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Once again: simple yet effective. The song is a great combination of melancholic Finnish mindset with Spanish and Italian influences. The main melody flows effortlessly and her low, dark and full voice is perfect for that. Throwing in the acoustic guitar and some flamenco claps for Mediterranean flavor when she is singing about beautiful sweet life in the chorus. Staging is beautifully balanced with the guitar players on both sides of Anneli and she really pops with the red outfit and makeup, bringing out the passion of the song. And listen to the horns and violin sections of the live orchestra! The ending pose is the cherry on top. One of the most succesfull Finnish entries ever and deservedly so.

2021: Blind Channel - Dark Side

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Dispite some slight mishaps in the vocal performance, as a whole I love this performance to bits. The background screens with them hanging upside down in white clothes so the stage is not too dark. The combination of red and black. The contrast between Joel and Niko that was purposefully built by giving Niko the rapper look with darker hair and Joel the rocker look with blonder hair. The pyros right from the start and throughout the song. The choreography that looks natural and effortless despite being rehearsed hundreds of hours. The text JOIN in Joonas's guitar, when I first saw him lifting it in their second rehearsal clip I got chills. How they make Niko's and Joel's height difference work by putting Joel behind Niko to whisper like a demon. How dynamic and full of energy the entire performance is and how they are giving their ALL. Joonas & Olli walking to mid stage to join the HU HU HU choreography with Niko & Joel. Aleksi's hairflip. Joonas's hairstyle and clothes and the guitar spin. Him lifting the guitar for the slow part and how Olli looks at the camera. Kneeling Joel. JOIN on Niko's palm. How the energy builds up for the final chorus and them all making the huge jump together, perfectly timed with the pyros. The "headshot" move. Joonas & Olli just spinning and running from opposite directions across the stage during HU HU HU HU, twice. The final scream & pyro combination. 😭😭😭🖤🖤🖤 MY BOYS DID THAT

I'm glad you didn't ask for top-3 hottest contestants, because that would be impossible 😄 Some of those whose looks I've appreciated are Blind Channel (2021), The Rasmus (2022), Käärijä (2023), Sebastian Rejman (2019) and Jarkko Ahola (Teräsbetoni 2008). Boys of Softengine (2014) were adorable, as well as Paradise Oskar (2011) 🥰

#yeah we didn't really have any hot representatives before 2000's huh 💀#maybe Markku Aro #I loved answering this ask THANK YOU SO MUCH #sorry for a boring straight person answer #I do find Emppu very hot though #I'm straight not blind #eurovision #finland #asks

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bowtiesnmusicals · 1 year

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Here is my recap of the John. Stamos. episode of the podcast.

Kevin said wow wow wow. Jenna said wow wow wowzer is all she can say. Kevin said you are welcome in advance. He said because Jenna is the most universally liked person she is able to sometimes pull guests that the rest of us are grateful for.

Uncle Jesse himself John Stamos aka Dr. Carl.

Kevin said because Dr. Carl is rehearsing for a tour they might have a surprise guest that pops in to say hey and he will never recover. Jenna said it’s too much for one heart.

John said he misses Jenna and Kevin so much. He said he missed one of them more then the other. Kevin and Jenna said they missed him.

John said he is proud of Kevin. He is a proud friend. Kevin said that is so sweet. Jenna said true John form giving all the compliments.

John asked Kevin if he is in a relationship. Kevin told him that he actually met his first boyfriend during Glee.

John said he gave them one piece of advice when he started on the show, don’t fuck each other. Jenna and Kevin said it was too late.

Kevin said John was very good at corralling everyone. John would tell them stories about his experiences.

John started name dropping people that were his mentors like Jack Klugman, Gary Marshall, and Don Rickles. He said he was waiting as long as he could to have to pay it forward. He was like oh I am old and these guys are young. He said the start of his success was gradual and glee exploded.

He told Jenna he is proud of her too and congratulated her on the baby. Jenna congratulated John on his son as well. She said the last time she had seen him was before John’s son was born. She talked about John telling her about his wife Caitlin while Jenna was in Waitress. John said his wife did get to see Jenna while she was in waitress.

John asked if Jenna and Kevin had stayed good buddies this whole time. Kevin said yeah they were on facetime the night before until 10 or 11 pm. They are obsessed with each other. Jenna said it’s nice to work with your friends and be with your friends. Just work with the people you like and trust and be kind. Kevin said you’ve done that to John. John said yeah when they don’t die on me, Saget.

Jenna said she remembers texting him when Bob Saget died and there is nothing you can say. She said there is nothing to say but they knew and understood. It’s really hard.

John said if you can take anything away from Bob Saget it is just enjoy every moment because it goes by so fast. Tomorrow is never promised. Love who you love. Have children and get married. He never left anything on the table. He always said I love you, I miss you, I’m proud of you. I want to see you naked. He said they got dirty. Kevin said as they should. Jenna said Kevin and I dirty text all the time. Who doesn’t?

John said they weren’t working you guys to death quite yet in season 2. Kevin said no we were. He said he doesn’t know what happened between first season and second season the schedule got even crazier. He said you would have thought we would have gotten into a rhythm and figured out how to do this but we really didn’t yet. They added more songs every episode for season 2. Therefore there was more recording and more rehearsal which meant less time to do anything. He said John was there when it was cresting into time oblivion. He said John, consummate professional, just rolled with everything. John said it was frightening because right at that point Glee was becoming the biggest show in the world. He said he would rent dance studios and work all night to get his performances down for Glee. Kevin said its nice that it looked like because that’s not how it always felt. He said it was the inverse when Kristin Chenoweth came in because she got it after seeing it once and it took them three days to look like they even remotely got anything. He said he remembers John being so open about being nervous and wanting to run things again. Kevin said they were happy to run it as many times as he needed because they were just happy to hang out with John.

Kevin said John is so talented and so good at so many things. It was interesting for him to come in and differ to them about how do I keep up with you guys. Kevin said they were like you’ve got this already. You are so much better then the rest of us. John said no, no, no, I’m just older.

John is writing a book. John had a deal with Warner Brothers. Ryan had a deal with Warner Brothers after doing popular. Ryan told John he had an idea about a show where he was a hooker and it was like Charlie’s Angels. He said looking back he should have taken the offer. Then years later Ryan came to him with an offer to do Nip/Tuck and John said he should have done that show. Then after all this Glee came along. He said he met up with Ryan at Chateau Marmot. Ryan told him they were doing a Rocky Horror episode and play Frank-N-Furter. John said alright sign me up. He talked about how Ryan directed the first episode he was in, Britney/Brittany. Jenna and John both mentioned how Ryan would throw lines at them. Jenna said they only time they really ever went off script and tried things was when Ryan was directing.

John was also a doctor on The New Normal. He was also in Scream Queens. He said he remembers seeing Ryan in his office working on three shows and working on them all at once. Kevin said as the Ryan empire grow it was fascinating to watch him work. He said the didn’t quite grasp how big it was getting. They didn’t really know what was going on with the other shows. Jenna brought up how Ryan said he didn’t know to manage this empire and how they felt kind of like their dad had abandoned them when he went to work on other shows like American Horror Story.

Kevin asked what it was like to work with Jayma. He said how was it to work with Jayma and mess with Matt. John said he wasn’t sure if Matt was so happy when he joined Glee.

John asked if Jenna and Kevin wanted to come see the Beach Boys when they play at the Hollywood Bowl. Kevin and Jenna said absolutely yes. Jenna said everyday before Emma was born she played her God Only Knows. She wanted to see if she recognized it and it would calm her after she was born. Kevin said so sweet and its one of the greatest songs of all time. John said it’s a perfect song. It was the first dance at his first wedding. He said the lyrics are harsher then you realize. I may not always love you is the first lyric.

Back to Jayma and Matt. He said he remembers Ryan through him into a dance number. It was I’m A Slave 4 You when Heather as Brittany is practically grinding on John while he lays in that chair. He was like this is going to be a great job. He said you guys were so kind. Everyone was so sweet in the beginning. He said he couldn’t imagine what was going through their heads at that time. They had to be thinking all the time about what was next. Jenna said it was hard. They worked us to the bone and then on the weekends they had press. She said there was no break from each other or from the show. There was no breathing room to sit back and look back what they were doing. There was no reflection time. She said in many ways you were almost suffocated by it or at least that is how Jenna feels about it. Kevin said at the same time there job was to show up and work with people like John. He said it was very odd that people they looked up to wanted to be on a show that they were a part of even though the show was becoming big.

Jenna brought up when John invited them to screen the Britney/Brittany episode at Jeff Davis house with his castmates from Full House. Jenna was like John buried the lead and they showed up at Jeff Davis house and were like what’s going on. John said he thinks he was the closest to Kevin and Jenna.

John said Rocky Horror was the lure to get him on Glee. He said he remembers working with Lou, the head of wardrobe, and they made him a whole bustier. He said he remembers sitting with Ryan at Chateau Marmot and Ryan was like you know your whole stomach is going to be exposed. John said he pulled up his shirt and was like I have been working out, I look good right. Ryan was like don’t eat those fries. John said he did a fitting and took a bunch of pictures and what he heard is the network or studio saw and said you’ve got one straight guy on the show keep him out of women’s clothing. Then he was shifted over to doing Eddie. He asked what they knew. Kevin said he remembered John coming to them. He said John got how they worked because they all had to piece together intel from different departments. He said John would come to them and say this is what he heard. Jenna said she doesn’t think they ever got the real intel. John thinks he recorded Sweet Transvestite.

John bought his current place from Adam Anders. There is a recording studio in the house. He said Darren and Lea have recorded stuff there. John said he remembers going to record Hot Patootie and he was like this was too high. They were like no you will be fine. John sang and they were like okay thanks we got it. Kevin said they can make anything work. John said that is when he fell in love with autotune. Kevin said autotune ruins you. John said on Broadway he just puts enough vibrato on it he would eventually hit the note. Jenna said remind me which shows you have done. She said she saw him in Nine. He said he was terrible in that show. He said his parents told him if you want do something then just do it. He said when he was done with Full House he asked Jack Klugman what he should do and Jack told him to go the theatre. He got a call to replace Matthew Broderick in How to Succeed. He said he looks back at things thinking where did I get the balls to do that, what was I thinking? Kevin said how was that for you. That he struggles with that himself where people are always telling him to do theatre but its terrifying to him. Jenna said you’d be great. Kevin said it is so the opposite of what he is used to doing. John said luckily he was coming from sitcoms that had a live audience and had been playing with the Beach Boys since 1985. He said he never thought he would be on Broadway one day or that he is a singer. He said Cabaret was the best thing in his life at the time. He said he was able to let go fully. Then he went to Nine. John told a story about after getting the show and seeing it was huge and his driver telling him he felt bad for whoever was taking over after Antonio. Jenna said it is a hard show.

John said he was having a great time on Glee and then all of a sudden he was gone. Kevin said tale as old as time. Jenna said no that is what happens, storylines come and go. Jenna and Kevin said Ryan likes his people. Jenna talked about how Ryan was on the show and how he set the tone for the show. She said a lot of them have healed their relationships with him and their experience on the show after Naya died. Kevin said after Naya went missing Ryan started calling them. Kevin said they were so amped up with emotions that they just let it all out. He said Ryan was accepting to all that. Kevin said it was weird that it happened during that time. It felt good. They had conversations amongst themselves and with Ryan. Kevin and Jenna said the calls with Ryan were one on one. Jenna said she thinks a lot of them were waiting for him to open the door.

(They get things wrong time wise when talking about Cory.) They talked about when Cory passed away. They said he passed away between season 3 and 4. They were right with the start of the season being pushed back. John asked how Ryan was then. Kevin said that was a very complicated time. Jenna mentioned that Ryan had said on the podcast Ryan felt a lot of responsibility and didn’t know how to handle it. It was really hard for him. Jenna said she felt like the show died when Cory died. Kevin said it did. It was hard to go back to these places they shared with Cory especially since he had such a big personality. Kevin said that for lack of a better word it was traumatic to be constantly reminded of this person that was no longer there. Jenna said the memorial they had for Cory in auditorium and then they had to back to being there and being okay with it. It was really hard and weird. John mentioned that there was only a handful of people that knew what they went through on the show and it had to be hard to lose one of those people. Kevin said he thinks they are still so close because they had each other to lean on through thick and thin. Kevin asked if that is how John is with everyone with Full House. John asked if there were talks about Glee coming back and joked that this was the announcement.

John said the cast of Full House was abnormal. They were too close. It was a weird thing. Full House was successful but not the first year or two. It wasn’t like Glee which was a meteoric rise. John said him and Bob didn’t get along at all at the start. John came at from the angle of being an actor and wanting to make the scenes better and work on the emotion of the show. Bob just wanted to make dirty jokes and make the guy pulling the cable laugh. John said it was fun for awhile but it was also distracting and disruptive to everyone elses process. He said they didn’t really become close until after the show as done. He said Bob was very instrumental at keeping everyone together. He talked about Mary Kate and Ashley. He said they didn’t hate their childhood. He said he still talks to them. He said he thinks Glee was different. They were all unknown and then overnight became the biggest stars in the world.

John said lets talk about our trip to Disneyland. Jenna said John is Disney’s #1 fan. Kevin said you are the Disney adult. John said he wanted to shake before he met his wife but she is worse then him. Kevin said it is a match made in heaven. He said before he met his wife he was like he has to drop this Disney stuff because he wanted to be serious actor. He said he was out to dinner with some people and Ryan Gosling was there. Ryan was like you are big Disney guy and said I love it. He has mix tapes for each ride. John was like really. he was like it didn’t hurt Ryan’s career. Chris was supposed to go with them and then it rained. Jenna said it was so much fun. Kevin said it was so great cause it was a bit of a shit show in the weather department but that made it so ME memorable. Jenna said it was more quiet then normal because of the rain. Kevin wasn’t out publicly at the time. Kevin said he had a come to Jesus moment with his then boyfriend, Marco, he was like look you need to reign it in. We are now friends with Stamos and play it cool.

Mike Love from the Beach Boys showed up. John introduced him to Jenna and Kevin. John said how Mike does a joke every night. John tells him to dedicate Surfer Girls to all the girls in the audience and he says this song is dedicated to all the ladies from John. Everyone screams and John says a couple of guys too and Mike said a couple of guys too. Mike said since John did Glee he has been dedicating songs to guys. Jenna said I am a big fan. Kevin said it is an honor to meet you. He said Mike is a legend and you are more talented then rest of us all combined. Mike said he is the Mount Rushmore of rock. John said you should be and that he is one of the greatest. Mike talked about John being on General Hospital. John talked about his first show with the Beach Boys and how huge the crowed was that night.

John talked about how Mike is responsible for the most optimistic beautiful music. When they wrote it in the 60s it was powerful and even more so today. Kevin said there is a reason those songs are still gigantic today. People need them. Mike said a researcher in England said Good Vibrations came it at number one for making people feel good. Kevin said it was named appropriately. Jenna said she listens to his music on the regular. John mentioned Jenna saying she played God Only Knows everyday when pregnant with Emma. John mentioned how I may not always love you is not a good first line. Mike said I didn’t write that part. He said people use it in their weddings and are foretelling their divorce. John mentioned how it was his first dance at his first wedding. Kevin said he will be front row at the Hollywood Bowl with Mike’s name painted on his chest. Jenna and Kevin said so nice to meet you.

John talked about his memoir If You Would Have Told Me. He said his first concert was the Beach Boys and would not have believed you if you told him he would get to play with them one day. He said he looks back and says he is so grateful for everything. He brought up Jenna jumping on her trampoline everyday. Jenna says she does it so she can look as good at John at that age.

They moved on to talking about John’s book. He had offers to write a book a few times. He said he isn’t that interesting. He said after Bob died and his parents he decided to do it. He said he tried to find things that were relatable to other people. Jenna said she can’t wait to read the book. It comes out in October. Jenna said it must have been therapeutic and cathartic to write the book.

Jenna said congrats on your show. He gets to work with Jessalyn and Keala Settle.

John said lets zoom again the three of us sometime. He said he was nervous coming into Glee and Jenna and Kevin were so kind to him. He said they stayed in touch but more with Jenna and Kevin. He joked that he likes Jenna more because Kevin ignored him when he went gay. Jenna was laughing historically. Kevin said I knew I didn’t have a chance so never mind. John said he is proud of Kevin. He said he loves Jenna. Kevin said thank you so much. Jenna said have a great tour. Kevin said make sure everyone goes and pre-orders your book.

Jenna asked Kevin if he can believe they had a Beach Boy and John Stamos in one interview. Kevin said his face hurts from smiling. He got goosebumps and was sweating. Jenna said they were in the presence of greatness. Jenna said she is holding John to his word about going to the Beach Boys. Kevin said Austin and Jenna’s husband can watch Emma. He said they are going all three nights.

Kevin thanked John for being so open and honest. Jenna said he is just a good human. He is so famous like the mecca of famous but look at the kind, appreciative, and generous man that he is with his big big heart. Jenna reminded Kevin that John likes her more. Kevin said he has good taste and he understands. Kevin said to still be that nice after people come up to him everyday is truly a wonder to see and he can’t believe they get to call him a friend.

Well that is all until next time.

#and that's what you really missed #atwyrm #jenna ushkowitz #kevin mchale #john stamos #glee #podcast

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pinkcherryblossomangel · 2 years

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Away from home - chapter 4

Y/N is an actress, filming for her first lead role in the film adaptation of her favourite childhood book, produced by maximum effort.

She bonds with Ryan Reynolds over their share Love of the Korean pop band Stray Kids, and he has a surprise for her.

When she starts missing home and the darkness creeps upon her, her hotel neighbour comes to her rescue.

Trigger warnings- mentions of depression, self harm and anxiety

Stray kids fan fic

Mainly staring 3ratcha

But the other boys do make appearances it's just easy to keep to minimum of characters lol

Chan x oc

This is my first ever fan fiction so if it's shit soz.

He's gonna be here in like 20 minutes, so I'm cleaning up my room. Well shoving things into my wardrobe, but that's practically the same thing. I get dressed in some comfy clothes, and organise all my character work and script work on the table. I have a lot of thoughts about Tabby and her story. She's allowed me to tap into something more confident and almost powerful. I need to be more like her.

There's a knock at the door. He's five minutes early. I look through the peephole and there he is. Dressed all in black with his laptop and files. He looks so gorgeous. I hype myself up before opening the door. Don't fuck this up Y/N. You've got this!

"Hey!" I say it just a bit too loud, but he walks into my room ignoring that.

"Hey" He smiles. I lead him to the coffee table and sofa in my room. We sit down, our knees touching. That damned spark again.

"So ive had a read through the script and i think i understand most of the subtext theres a few places where id love your help!" He starts rifling through his copy of the script, hes marked places he thinks would be best paired with something unique. It looks like my script, all covered in highlighter and markings. I cant help but smile at how much he seems to be enjoying this job.

"Can i just ask why you took the job?". I ask, "not that youre not equipped for it, its just im sure you and the kids are always busy." He shifts in his seat to face me.

"I loved doing deadpool. And Ryan asked if we'd like to this film and we read the script and loved it. Unfortunately only the 3 of us could find the time to make it out here. Minho and seungmin have long-standing MCing jobs, I.Ns filming his acting debut," he leans in,"which you didn't hear from me. Hyunjin is creating a fashion line with versace, and Felix has gone back to Australia for a few months."

"Didn't you want to join him? Felix, I mean. Go back home and enjoy being with your family?" I ask

"A part of me did Yeah, but my sister Hannah's out here anyway and I've planned to see her a few times. She may even spend sometime on set with us if I can sort that out."

"Oh I'd love that!! Weirdly enough I actually found your guys music through Hannah's YouTube channel. People kept mentioning her brother so I checked out your music. Think Maniac may have been the first song I listened too." I admitted.

"I was gonna ask you about that actually. I heard you and Ryan bonded over your love of our music?"

"Yeah", I said shyly. "Kind of embarrassing, but yeah. During preproduction rehearsal for the dance scenes we'd blast your music for warm up. We actually almost used Thunderous for one of the dance routines!"

"You were really good before by the way. I forgot to say before. Me, Han and Changbin all thought you could give danceracha a run for their money." I blush. I don't know if this is him flirting but I bloody hope it is

"That's very sweet of you," for what feels like hours, but is merely seconds we hold eye contact. He then looks down at my lips and back to my eyes. I must be imagining that.

"You know what you want?" I break the gaze by pulling out the hotels room service menu.

The next few hours we spend talking about the script and characters. It feels like we've known each other for ages. He's so inspiring with his passion for his job, he's fueling the passion I have for my own. Everything we say in agreement, totally understanding the story in the same way. Dissecting the relationships and themes with such glee.

It's almost midnight by the time he leaves. I walk him to his door, a total of 4 steps from my own.

"Goodnight," i say, "I had a lot of fun!"

"Me too" He replies opening his door. "What time is your call time tomorrow?" He asks leaning against the door frame.

"Keith's picking me up at 9" I reply

"I'll message Sara to say I'm joining you, if that's cool with you?" He queries, running his hand through his slightly curly hair.

"I meet you out here at 8:50?"

"It's a date. Goodnight Y/N."

"Goodnight Christopher"

"I like that. You using my full name."

"I'll keep that in mind". We kind of just hang there in our respective door frames.

"Goodnight....I think that's the 3rd time I've said that." I laugh "ill see you in the morning" He nods and we close our doors.

I go to my bed and ring my mum to tell her about everything that's just happened. She answers but can't stay on the call for long, she's about to head off to work. I hate time differences.

#chan x reader #bang chris #christopher bang #bang chan #seo changbin #3racha scenarios #stray kids fanfic #stray kids

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lifewiththelulus · 10 months

Text

A few weeks after all that

Willow going up to Cirrus and asking if they can talk about something She's not upset, but something is making her a little nervous

Cirrus Looked down at her youngest Daughter "Is something wrong dear?"

She shook her head. "No but I um.. have a question." She blushed just thinking about it. She was playing with one of her leaves and rocking from foot to foot "How… How did you know you loved momma kin, l-like how did you know you wanted to um.." She whispered "Kiss her?"

My, her little blossom was growing up so fast, she thought while trying to hide an amused smile. "Well, I first realized I liked her when we were kids, I admired her from the sides for a bit until she came up and talked to me. Me realizing that I wanted to kiss her came a lot later in my life. It was when she invited me over to her place to hang out with our friends. I went into the kitchen to see if she needed help, and I saw her rolling out the dough while singing the song I was practicing during rehearsal. Hearing her lovely voice while she looked like she was having fun cooking… It reminded me of everything I loved about her in just those few seconds."

Willow's eyes sparkled as cirrus spoke with so much love. She had always loved it when she saw them together. They showed her what real love was, not whatever it was her mom and dad had..

"How did you know that.. she wanted to kiss you too?"

She looked away "And not just like, be friends?"

She giggled "Honestly I had no idea, I ended up kissing her first without really thinking… and I may have worked out well for us, but you should always ask someone before you kiss them and they should always ask you as well." she added in a rushed voice.

Willow covered her mouth. "I couldn't ask him- I -I mean who?" She panicked and her flowers snapped shut. Her face burned "Oh well I better go do my homework - thanks mom!" She grabbed a muffin off the kitchen table and stumbled out.

Kindlin has just walked in and looked at Cirrus with a raised eyebrow "What's going on?"

"I'm guessing puberty. I just hope I'm giving her the right advise."

Kindlin made a face then laughed. "Oh boy, that would explain some things. You know she talked my ear off about that cloud boy the other day? It's so obvious." Kindlin walked over to hug her from behind "That reminds me of when we were that age. Gosh I had the stupidest crush on the prettiest girl. " She kissed her wife's cheek "You're a wonderful mother, I'm sure it was the right thing."

"You too? Gee, I sure hope that girl you liked knew how lucky she was." She rubbed at the spot she kissed. "Thank you, sweetheart, you always know how to reassure me."

Kindlin's flames gave off waves of warm air as she hugged her wife. "I'm the lucky one. You've given me everything I could ask for." She kissed her jawline softly and rested her chin on Cirrus' shoulder. "My princess."

Cirrus started to float a little at the nickname. :3

#the world is a stage! 🌟#falls on her face 🛹#flower child 🍬

0 notes

weaselbrownie · 3 years

Note

i was wondering if u could do one where draco fingers the reader under a blanket but like with people around

dw if u dont wanna write this ;)

underneath | d.m

draco malfoy x fem!reader

summary : draco fingering you while there are people around

warning : NSFW! smut, swearing, praising, voyeurism (?), female receiving

word count : 2.6K

a/n : this was messy :(

MASTERLIST

It was the last night of winter break, tucked away in the screening room of the Malfoy Manor sat you, Draco, Pansy, Theo, and Blaise. It has always been a tradition to spend winter breaks at the Malfoy Manor. With Mr. Malfoy away, Mrs. Malfoy has always found it quiet to spend Christmas with her only son, and so she insisted that he brings his friends to stay over during the break.

"So no horror?" Pansy asked as she went through the DVD display,

"We're not watching a horror movie just for you to crawl into our beds at night," Blaise answered, walking around the room as he made red sparks from the tip of his wand, waiting for Pansy to pick a movie.

"Zip it Zabini it was one time" She huffed before turning back to search for other movies, blabbing about how Blaise is being an ass for not letting them watch a horror movie.

You, Draco, and Theo walked into the half-lit room, greeted by Blaise who jumped off the couch to snatch the snacks off of Theo and the blankets off Draco before walking back to the spot of the couch to wrap himself in a little blanket cocoon.

"Y/N! Look at this, can we wat–"

"No Pansy, we will not watch Poltergeist because once we're back at school you won't be able to crawl into Blase's bed and you'll end up crawling into mine" You crossed both your arms over your chest, your brows lifting like a mother scolding her child.

"Ugh, you're no fun" She rolled her eyes before going back to the stack of DVDs.

Theo left to help Pansy pick out a movie, leaving you and Draco by the big doorway. You felt his hand slithering up your back, taking hold of your waist to spin you around– facing him. You looked up to see his bright orbs staring down at you, the corner of his lips lifting into a small smile "So... back at school tomorrow huh?" He said pulling you closer until your chest met his,

"I guess..." You smiled at him, your hand coming up to glide over his covered bicep and to the back of his neck, locking them there to hold onto him. "...just a few more months and we're done with this" Your voice quietened, just above a whisper as your face neared his.

"I know pretty girl" Draco closed the space in between, letting his lips devour yours as he held on to you, gripping your hips to bring you closer to him. It was nothing new, your lips moving with his as if it was a rehearsed choreography, chasing one another in the dark room.

"Aight enough, we're watching a movie, not porn" A deep voice called out from behind. You let go of Draco and turned your head to see Theo crossing his arms in front of his chest, huffing as he smirked, tending his weight on one leg.

"Well if that is your idea of porn, that's pretty sad mate" A higher-pitched voice chimed into the conversation. Theo's smirk completely dropped as he swung to look at Pansy standing behind him, stifling her laugh as did the rest of the group.

You poked your tongue out to him, laughing as you made your way to sit on the couch with Blaise who was already munching on the snacks. "Alright, now can we watch the movie?" Blaise asked, opening another pack of chips to pass around the room.

Everyone nodded in response, moving around the room to find a comfortable space to sit. Theo and Pansy took the carpet as they always do, building pillow forts for themselves so they can slouch as they watch the movie. You got up from the couch to grab some blanket off the floor before walking back to your spot just to see Draco sitting there comfortably.

Leaning back onto the couch and stretching his arms out to the sides as he spreads his long legs. You didn't mean to stammer but your eyes widened at his sight, Draco fucking Malfoy looking so good without having to do quite literally anything.

He knew you were looking, licking his lips before giving you a sly smirk. "C'mon" he mouthed, patting the spot on between his legs for you to occupy. This happens regularly, you sitting on his lap or the spot in between, so there shouldn't be any reason why you should be nervous... right?

You slowly moved towards him, smiling under your bright red cheeks before sitting in front of him. Draco's arms wrapped around you almost instantaneously, the strong scent of peppermint and citrus dancing its way to the back of your head. The light in the room went out as the big screen lit up, playing the opening of the movie Pansy picked.

You shuffled in his arms as you adjusted yourself and the blanket on top of you, moving left and right trying to get rid of a specific discomfort right on your lower back. "Draco..." You whispered as you turned around in your spot– facing him. "...why are your pockets always full?" You crossed your arms in front of you, glancing to the side to make sure Blaise is paying attention to the movie.

"What?" Draco's brows furrowed as confusion took over him,

"Your pockets" You gestured down to the pockets of his grey sweats, your brows lifting, waiting for an answer. Draco looked at you as if you grew horns, biting his pink lips as he tries to understand what you are insinuating.

All of a sudden the corner of his lips lifted, forming a devilish smirk as his cold lengthy fingers traced your hips. "My pockets are empty, darling" He muttered, bending down to meet you face to face.

It was your turn to look confused, you weren't imagining it, you definitely felt something on your lower back earlier, "If it's empty, then what wa-" You cut yourself off mid-sentence, gasping as you felt the air in your lungs disappear, the realization washing over you.

Draco didn't move, his eyes gazing at your lips as your face began to heat up. You felt the warmth of his hands leaving your hips before feeling them again on the side of your face, cupping it slightly to pull you in for a brief kiss. You met his lips once again for a swift kiss before he pulled away, turning you to face the screen.

"Watch the movie, who knows... maybe something will happen that'll surprise you" His lips lingered on the shell of your ear as his arms returned to wrap over you. You still felt it, his hard-on poking you from behind but you brushed it off as he gave you a reassuring kiss on the side of your head and his fingers laced with yours under the blanket.

It was halfway through the movie when you felt his hand leaving yours, you didn't give it a second thought but it seems like his hand is sliding lower and lower until it came in contact directly in front of your heat– teasing you, knowing how much you crave for this right now.

It's wrong to do anything, your friends are in the room and not to mention next to you, but again you were covered with the blanket and it seems like they're focused on the movie. You seem to be in a battle with your thought, wanting to push Draco's hand away but you didn't have the stomachs to do so.

He picked up on this, bobbing his head to the side to see you staring off into the screen but not grasping anything that's thrown at you. "Can you be a good girl and keep quiet?" His breath hot, lingering on your ear as it sent goosebumps down your spine.

You slowly nodded, keeping your vision straight before you felt his warm hand slither past the band of your pants, resting them on your covered cunt. You kept quiet, not moving from your previous position as he continued his actions.

You felt him again, his middle and ring finger pressing into your clit as he drew slow circles through the material. "Seems like you're ready hm?" He murmured into your hair, feeling the wetness of your cunt through your underwear.

Your wet lips rolled in between your teeth, biting down on them to make sure nothing slips past, but he wasn't making it easy. By now he was rubbing rougher circles on you, pressing into your engorged clit as you tried to keep still.

His fingers continued their actions, moving to the base of your underwear to pull them aside, exposing your sopping cunt to him. "Stay still..." He whispered, his fingers leaving the piece of fabric to trace the outer lips of your cunt. "...I mean it" His fingers smeared the wetness around, making a mess inside your pants– more than it already was.

You slowly turned your head to the side, from another point of view Draco looks as if he was just cuddling you, wrapping you in his warm embrace as he enjoys a good movie. Whereas in reality, his fingers worked you, rubbing you in ways he knows you love.

"Watch the movie darling" He murmured, not breaking the eye contact he had with the big white screen in front of you. You turned your head back, leaning back onto him as you gripped his knee for support.

Draco used his middle finger to draw circles directly on your clit, the wetness of your arousal helping his finger glide easily. The warm and sharp feeling of pleasure started to build at the pit of your stomach, Draco drawing them out gently.

He continued his actions, rubbing until the grip you had on his knee tightens, signaling you were close. It was harder to keep your mouth shut, your chest slightly heaving up and down as you closed your eyes, getting ready for the pleasure to wash over you. It was right around the corner, your orgasm building stronger and stronger as Draco's fingers brushed fast circles on your clit, and before you know it,

"Y/N are you okay?" A voice pulled you out of the headspace you were in. Your eyes shot open and your head snapped to the source of the voice. Blaise sat next to you, his arms over his chest as he tilted his head to the side. His brows furrowed, trying to figure out whether you were alright or not.

Draco's fingers came to a halt as soon as he heard Blaise's voice, dropping the feeling of an orgasm that was about to hit. His head too turned to the source of the voice next to him. "You okay darling?" Draco asked dumbfoundedly, smirking as if he didn't just rub you in the same room as your friends.

Your mouth fell open, wanting to respond to a hundred different things at once yet none actually came out. "U-Um... yeah I–" You stuttered, your eyes wide open when you felt Draco's fingers leaving your clit to move down to your clenching hole. "...Fuck" You muttered to yourself when you felt him slipping his middle finger into you.

"You don't look so well" Blaise continued, reaching his hand out to place the back of his palm to your forehead. "You're a little warm Y/N, you sure you're ok?" His palm left your forehead to place itself on your cheeks.

You brushed it off, dodging his palm as you gave his hand a small smack. "I'm fine Zabini, don't worry about... i-it" Draco slipped another finger into you, driving it deep into your sopping cunt as you tried to hide the emotions on your face.

"Well, if you say so" Blaise shrugged, though he knows something is going on he quickly brushed it off, leaning back onto his end of the couch to shift his attention back to the movie.

You turned your head back as Blaise did, trying not to squirm as Draco drives his fingers into you, building your orgasm once again. You leaned back onto him as the both of you tried to move as little as possible.

"Good job angel" Draco whispered into your ear, his lips lacing with your cheeks as he gave your flushed face a small peck. His fingers started to drive into you faster, curling the ends of his digit to hit that spongey spot deep inside you at every thrust.

Your walls tightened around him, clenching unevenly as the tingling feeling returned to the pit of your stomach. "Dray..." You whispered to him, slurring out his name into a whine as it left your lips. The grip you have on his knee tightening, telling him you are close.

Draco's fingers slowed for a second, readjusting themselves as he rested the rough pad of his thumb on your clit, drawing circles as his other digits thrust inside you. Your breath started to become heavy again, his fingers working out a rhythm inside you.

"You wanna cum?" He asked, his lips lingering on the shell of your ear once again. You nodded slowly, not having the stomach to answer him– afraid to let out a moan for the entire room to hear.

You could barely hold it back, the euphoric feeling just behind his fingertips as he continued torturing you– making you wait for his instructions to cum. Your back arched slightly, lifting off his chest as you wriggled under his tender touch.

Tears started to gather at your waterline, immersing your sight as you tried holding back your upcoming high. Draco continued his actions, ramming his slender digits into you– making you feel all your emotions at once. "You wanna show me how me how you cum on my fingers angel?... go on" His soothing voice rung to the back of your head, permitting you to finally let go.

Your eyes fluttered close with his command, letting go of your high as the shiny gold stars danced on your vision, taking up the dark space. You wanted to moan out his name, show him how good he's been making you feel, but all you could do was bite your lips in silence, making sure to not let a single sound slip past your lips.

"There we go" His fingers slowed down, pulling you back to reality as you tried to catch your breath, your chest heaving up and down as he continued to run circles on your clit. "Good job angel" He continued, his whispers shooting butterflies through your body.

You leaned back onto Draco, letting him wrap his free arm around you as he stopped the movement on your sopping cunt, giving your clit a tap before placing your underwear back into place. You watched as his hand comes up from the blanket, moving slowly until he reached his mouth, letting his arousal-covered fingers slip past his lips– sucking them dry.

You watched him, wide eyes as he removed the blanket that covers the both of you, "Y/N isn't feeling too well, I'm gonna bring her up to bed" Draco announced to the group as he moved you in your spot, throwing your legs over his to pick you up bridal style.

"See, I knew it!" Blaise called out as Draco fumbles on the couch, readjusting the blanket to cover you again.

"Are you alright?" Pansy asked as she got up from her pillow fort in front of you, Theo following her movement as his face washed over in a confused manner. You hummed in response, your breath still slightly heavy as Draco got up from the couch, lifting you with his as if you weight nothing. The edge of Draco's lips lift up at Pansy's question, flashing his sly smirk to the confused and worried group,

"She'll be fine... I'll take care of her"

TAGLIST : @microwavedhampster @whenuwereyoung @o-rion-sta-r @willowmores @youreso-golden @mzmalice3 @desiredmalfoy @hyuckiesgf @yiamalfoy @acciodignity

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imthebadguyyy · 3 years

Text

A/N - based off of this sinful photograph

Suggested listening - Wildside by Normani and Kiss It Better by Rihanna

Wildside

Pairing - Lewis Hamilton x Reader (fem!littlemix!reader)

Fandom - F1

Summary - You've been on tour for a while, and you miss your loverboy. But when he surprises you on tour, its bound to get spicy.

Warnings - smut (not well written)

The snap of hips. The soft groans and moans. The sound of pants. The sound of Rihanna's 'Kiss It Better' blaring through the walls. The bed knocking against the wall as Lewis's hands squeezed your hips, the intensity of the thrust pushing the bed against the wall. The high pitched moan that left your mouth as you reached your high, eyes closing as stars exploded behind your eyelids, as your boyfriend came right after you, your walls clenching as he came. Even after reaching your high, you didn't want to open your eyes, far too consumed in the earth shattering pleasure that was coursing through your veins, until a soft hand reached to pull your chin up, soft brown eyes looking into your own, clouded with lust and euphoria.

Pulling your mouth into his in a heated kiss, Lewis moved his hand to rest on your bare stomach, squeezing your tummy softly as he deepened the kiss. Pulling away he let his head droop onto your bare chest. "That was.." he began, far too blissed out to think of an adjective. "Godly" you said, chest rising and falling rapidly, trying to come to terms with the intensity of your orgasm. Laughing he leaned back up to kiss your nose, before standing up and walking to the bathroom. You heard the tap running, and the sound of the dustbin opening and closing. You closed your eyes again, the aftershocks still coursing through your body.

Opening them again slowly, you saw Lewis walk towards you, towel in hand, and a lazy smile on his face. He gently cleaned your thighs, finishing with kisses on both of them. He reached up and wiped your torso, which was gleaming with a thin layer of sweat, before running the towel over your nose, cheeks, eyes and mouth. He dropped the towel in the clothes hamper near the bathroom door, pulling on his boxer shorts and and pulling out one of his t shirts from the cupboard. "What about the clothes on the floor" you piped up, finally beginning to wake up from your post pleasure state. "When did it get so messy?" He said, spotting 5 different clothing items in 5 different corners of the room. "When you decided to run your hand up my dress in a restraunt" you replied, throwing him a fake glare.

"You liked it" was his cocky reply, smirk spreading over his face as you flushed and ran a hand through your hair. "I did not" you lied, watching as he raised his eyebrows. "Oh really ? Thats not what you were saying 5 minutes ago- oh wait, you weren't saying anything at all. You were too busy moaning my name to say anything else-" "OKAY fine I loved it. Now shut up and bring your fine ass back for cuddles"

*-*-*

That was a month ago. Now you've been away for nearly one and half months, away with the girls on the LM5 tour. You loved touring, it was the best part of being a singer, getting to see the music you girls made together come to life on a stage in front of thousands and thousands of screaming fans. It was a thrill like no other. The only problem was that you were away from home. Distance was never an issue for the two of you, after all, he was a Formula 1 driver. It was very rare that he was home, except during the breaks and the gaps till race weekend, but ever since you two had started dating, he tried to be with you whenever you could. Sometimes, your shows would be in places where the races were too, and then he'd definitely turn up. But it was a difficult thing to do all the time, and some nights on tour were spent pulling all nighters as you talked to each other on the phone, till one of you eventually fell asleep.

But you knew when you started dating him, this wouldn't exactly be a regular relationship. The two of you were doing your dream jobs, and they were both extraordinary. And you were willing to put in the work you had to put in to make the relationship work, and you did. Yet here you were in Madrid, feeling heartbroken and desperately wanting your boyfriend by your side. It had been a rough couple of weeks, you were jet lagged and tired, and although this was the second leg of the tour, and you had had a break, it was tiring. It was hard going to bed every night alone, when all you wanted was to cuddle your boyfriend.

Little did you know, Lewis was feeling the same. In fact he had missed you so much, he had told Angela and his publicist to cancel all events for a week, while he flew out to Madrid to see you. He had missed you, he had missed you more than he could put into words. But he also wanted to surprise you. Pulling out his phone, he scrolled down to Leigh Anne's contact, and sent her a text.

Lewis, Leigh Anne

Hey. Is Y/N asleep ?

Hey! No, she's in an outfit fitting.

Okay that's good. I need your help with something.

Sure how can I help ?

I want to surprise her by coming to see you guys in Madrid.

Oh thats wonderful ! She's been a little down in the dumps. I think she misses you.

I miss her too.

Let me know when, and I'll send a car to pick you up.

I'll be there on Saturday. Landing at 3:15 and I should be at the hotel by 4:30. Then I can get ready and surprise her at the show.

Okay done. I'll send the car around 5:30,so you can rest for a bit. You should be here by 6. The show's at 6:15.

Thank you! Can't wait : )

I'm so happy youre coming to see her ! I'll let the girls know.

*-*-*

As soon as he had finished texting, Lewis decided to start packing, the prospect of seeing you again sending a buzz of happiness running along his veins. God, he had missed you a lot. He turned to Roscoe, the dog sitting by his feet, looking up at his dad with his head cocked to one side. "I'm going to go see Mumma, Roscoe" he explained, smiling as the doggo barked in response. He wouldn't be able to take him to Madrid, he'd have to leave him with a dog sitter, but he couldn't feel too bad about it, since he had had Roscoe with him even when you were gone. And besides, Roscoe enjoyed the dog creche. He couldn't wait for Saturday.

Later in the evening, he sat down with a glass of wine, while the ringtone of your FaceTime rang through the empty house. After a few more seconds of ringing, the call was picked up, your tired face coming into view. "Hi darling" he said, noticing the tiredness in your eyes, and how much you were struggling to keep them open. "Hi bubs. Did you finish eating?" You asked, rubbing your eyes. "No, I've ordered soup" (did anyone get the reference ;) "Oh okay" was the reply. "What about you? What time is it?" "Its 9:20 AM" you replied, gently rubbing your eyes again, forcing yourself to stay awake.

"9:20? Thats pretty late baby. Why are you still sleepy?" "We were recording till 4 AM, so Im functioning on like 5 hours sleep right now" "Oh damn. Go back to sleep then baby" "Can't, rehearsal" was you reply, making him furrow his eyebrows. "Okay I guess. But don't tire yourself out" "I won't" "I love you" he said, smiling at you. "I love you"

*-*-*-*

The Madrid show was always a fun one. The fans were loud and you loved it. They were one of the best crowds you girls ever played for, and the show had its own adrenaline and excitement. But it was difficult to give a 100% when you were tired, but you really tried, you did. During Power, you hit highnotes you didnt think you could, during Woman Like Me you danced like there was no tomorrow. During Wasabi, you brought your sass level up to a 1000. It was during Bounce Back that you caught sight of a very familiar face in the audience. Unable to actually grasp if you had actually seen Lewis, you turned to Jade, who was on your side, and looked back at the crowd and back to her, asking for confirmation.

The smirk she gave you was answer enough. After that, focusing on giving an excellent performance increased tenfold. Every swirl of your hips, every flip of your hair, every wink you threw at the audience, it was all five times sexier. In the crowd, your boyfriend was well aware of what you were doing, and it was fair to say that you were succeeding at it. He could feel an uncomfortable sensation around his pants region, as his cock twitched uncomfortably in his pants. He couldn't wait till the show was over, and you two could have a show of your own.

*-*-*

"That was amazing darling!" Lewis said, spotting the 5 of you in your dressing room. "Oh look its Mr. Loverboy!" Perrie said, cackling as you rolled your eyes at her, before running up to your lover and jumping into his arms. "Hiya Bub! I missed you!" "I missed you too love. That's why I surprised you. I couldn't stand another day without you at home" he said, wrapping his arms around your waist to keep you stable as you jumped into his arms. A chorus of "awws" echoed throughout the room, as the girls watched your cute little interaction. What wasn't cute however was the comment Lewis made in your ear, hiding his face in your ear so that the girls couldn't see. "I can't wait to get back to the hotel. I saw the performance you were putting on for me baby. You have no idea how hard I got, how uncomfortable I was standing in front of so many people when all I really wanted to do was fuck you"

You could feel your mouth become dry, and your heartbeat quicken, and you could feel the area between your thighs become wet. You tightened your grip around him, letting your crotch rub against his very softly. "I think it's time to go" you mumbled against his ear. "Okay girls, as lovely as it was to see you, I think it's time we go back to the hotel. I'm pretty worn out from travelling as well" "Yeah I'm pretty tired too" you replied, faking a large yawn. "Alright then, we'll see you guys tomorrow!" Leigh Anne said, leaning forward to give you a hug. After you finished hugging all the girls, the two of you made your way to the car, eagerly waiting to get back home.

The car ride home was tense. The tension was apparent in the air, reverberating through the air, choking you in a way you revelled in. The air was thick with tension, and it was suffocating you in the best way possible. It was almost too much to take. When the hotel came into sight, you practically leapt out of the car, and rushed to the door, an equally ruffled Lewis beside you. But he was not going to give in to you so easily. He enjoyed seeing you flustered. And he was not a person that gave someone what they wanted when they asked for it,no. He was going to have you desperate for it. Smirking to himself, he made his way to the reception, grabbing you by the waist as he went.

Throwing him a confused look you followed, slightly frustrated. "Hello sir, how can I help you?" the man at the reception asked, eyes going slightly wide as he recognized the two of you. "Hi! I just wanted to ask, till what time is your pool and spa open?" He asked, sliding his hand down to the back of your dress. "The pool closes at 10 pm sir, and the spa at 9 pm. We open the pool at 7 am and the spa at 11pm"he replied, struggling to maintain his professionalism as he spoke to one of the best drivers in Formula 1. "Alright thank you. And what time does breakfast start?" Lewis asked, hand pressing down on your ass, ever so discreetly. "Breakfast is from 6-10 am sir" "Thank you so much"

Next to him, you were fuming. Of course he was going to ask questions to which he already knew the answers to. A painful throb between your legs made you let out a small whimper, and the man at the reception looked at you with concern in his eyes. "Ma'am are you alright?" He asked, eyeing your stiff posture and tense state. "Yes, just tired, thank you" you replied, a little stiffly, but it was hard to concentrate when Lewis's promise of fucking you senseless kept replaying in your mind. "Alright then, good night" Lewis said, biting back a smirk at your flustered state. He knew getting you all riled up would lead to some seriously earth shattering sex, and he couldn't wait. But first, he definitely wanted to tease you, to push you over the edge, just a little more.

Your room was on the 16th floor, and as the two of you made your way into the elevator, he eyed you up and down, eyes lingering on the curve of your breasts. The minute the door shut, he pushed you against the wall, capturing your lips in a steamy kiss you'd be remembering the next day. His hands moved to your ass, squeezing hard, eliciting a moan from your lips. The moment your lips parted, he was pushing his tongue into yours, his other hand coming up to pull on your hair roughly, relishing in the gasp that left your lips. As suddenly as he started, he stopped, pulling back and standing almost nonchalantly against the wall.

Trying to wrap your head around what happened, you gripped the wall with your hand, feeling your legs grow weak to a point where you felt like you couldn't stand on your own. You could feel your wetness dripping, threatening to run down your thighs, as the throbbing became even more painfully exciting. You looked down at the floor, eyes closing as your frustration grew more and more by the second. Finally, with a little 'ding', the elevator stopped at the 16th floor. The moment the door opened you stepped out on wobbly legs, trying your best to walk properly. But of course, that wasn't going to happen. As you turned one long corridor, Lewis suddenly grabbed your waist, pushing you against the wall again, to reach down and suck on your neck. You let out a gasp, and tried to run your crotch against his, but the retaliated with a slap to your ass, smirking when a high pitched moan left your lips. Lifting you up against the wall, he mumbled against your ear "the key card" your clouded mind was unable to process the words, too consumed by slight relief you were getting. "Get the key card baby" he repeated. This time you noted it, reaching down to his pants pocket to pull out the key card. You couldn't resist running your hand over his cock, feeling how rock hard he was. The thought of him fucking you senseless returned, and you let out a groan.

Grabbing the card from your hand, he opened the door, propping you up against the door in your bedroom. His eyes were filled with a raw, animal desire, as he dropped the card on the floor and reached up to unzip your dress. He ripped the zipper down, your dress falling to the floor in a crumpled heap. He locked his eyes on your heaving chest, hand reaching up to grab your chin, pulling you in for a searing kiss. His hand slid up your torso, reaching behind to unhook the red lacy bra you were wearing, letting it drop to the floor as he took in the glorious sight in front of him. You waited, wanting him to just touch you, but he just stared, eyes looking into yours, clearly saying "beg for it"

You couldn't help the soft "please" that left your lips, too desperate for some sort of touch. "Please what?' Lewis said, tightening his grip on your waist. "Please" was all you could say again, nearly whimpering again at the rough look in his eyes. "Use your words baby. Now, please what?" "Please just touch me!" You finally gasped out, moaning loudly when he licked a stripe down your chest before taking your right tit into his mouth. His hand fondled the left one, running his thumb over your erect nipple, the rough pad of his thumb sending shockwaves of pleasure through your body. His mouth sucked on the skin of your tit, before moving down to bite down on your nipple. You gasped again, pain and pleasure coursing through your body as his tongue ran over your nipple over and over till it nearly felt raw. He switched his actions, moving his mouth to your left tit instead, letting his hand harshly fondle the other. He continued the same process of biting, licking and sucking, till he was satisfied with himself. "I fucking love this baby. Seeing you all wet and needy for me. So what do you want? My mouth? My fingers? My cock? Or does my baby want them all ?" He asked, watching as your pupils dilated and you let out a strangled moan.

You let your crotch rub against his thigh, gasping when the friction went straight to your core. "Look at you darling. I asked you what you what you wanted, and you picked my thighs? Well, I want to see you dripping. I want to see you cum on my fingers, my mouth, my thighs and especially on my cock. I'm going to make you cum over and over and over again till you can't even stand on your own fucking legs. I want your thighs to be shaking around my head. I want to see you moan and groan and scream my name so loud, by tomorrow everyone in this hotel will know my name, because you'll spend all night screaming it" you moaned again, his words going straight to your core."Please Lewis, God, just make me cum please!" The desperation of your cry was enough for him to carry you to the bed, dropping your body onto the soft mattress.

He pulled of shirt, unbuttoning every button so you could see him do it. He could see your eyes grow dark, as his compass tattoo came into sight. You had told him it was one of your favourites, and he had used it against you ever since you had told him that. Smirking at you, he climbed onto the bed, lying down between your legs. You pushed yourself up against the headboard, spreading your legs wide for him. His eyes grew dark, as your core came into his view, shimmering with your juices. A near animalistic growl left his mouth, the sound hitting your core. He moved so that he was situated right in front of your core. He let his eyes take in the sight of you in front of him, snapping back to reality when you let out a groan of frustration. Throwing you a devilishly reassuring smile, he inched neared and nearer, till his nose was nearly touching your clit. Then he just lay there. Not moving. You could feel your heartbeat hammering against your chest, chest heaving up and down, an alarming intense feeling growing in your tummy. Finally, when it became too much you let out a small scream of frustration "Oh for fucks sake Lewis please just fuck me!" Your outburst brought a smile to his face. "Oh I will. Just not yet" and with that, he ran a finger along your slit, before finally slipping it into you. You let out a moan, finally getting the friction you had been desperate for. His fingers circled your clit, thumb gently pressing down, before he removed it,only to slam it back down on your sensitive clit, earning a scream of pleasure from you.

He slipped a second finger into you, scissoring around your clit, as your desperate cries of "oh, oh baby! Fuck, fuck lewis-" were lost in the heat of the moment. He leaned his head down to your core, letting his tongue run along your slit too, before licking around it, collecting your wetness on his tongue, before letting it harshly circle your clit. You bucked up into his mouth, feeling his tongue wrap around your clit. He sucked the nub harshly, his fingers still moving in and out of you. "Oh God, Oh GOD, Lew-I- oh! Oh God!" Your broken moans were music to his ears as he sucked your clit into his mouth. You could feel a strange intensity growing in your stomach, feeling a lot stronger than your usual orgasm. The band in your tummy was threatening to snap, but you needed that something more to help it snap. That something more came when Lewis sucked your clit into his mouth, letting it rest in between his teeth, before flicking it with his tongue.

With a cry of "Oh fucking hell, Lew-" you camr gushing into his mouth, your juices coating his fingers and gushing onto his tongue, as he let you ride out your orgasm on his deadly skilled tongue. Well, he had got his wish. Your thighs were shaking around his head, as your body tried to come to terms with the intensity of the pleasure coursing through your body. Looking down, you saw him with his painfully hard cock, grinding down on the sheet, as he let out a moan at the relief the bedsheets gave him. Raising an eyebrow, you patted your thigh, signaling him to come over to you. "You loved on me so well bubs. But I can see how hard you are. Do you want to use me to get off?" You asked, watching the effect you had on him. All he could do was nod, as you sat up on your knees. "Stand up" you ordered, getting up from the bed as well.

You walked over to the wall, letting your body rest against it. Somewhat confused, Lewis followed you, standing in the space between your legs. "I tried to get off using your thighs didn't I? I think you'll enjoy it as much as I did. So use me. Use my thigh. Get off" looking at you in pure shock, your boyfriend moved forward, groaning when you pushed your leg against his throbbing cock. He relished in the friction, slowly beginning to move against your leg, moaning when he began to rub against your leg. He began to hump your leg faster, as the pleasure began to build up in his body, before you reached your hand down to cup his length in your hands, moaning when you realized your fingers didn't quite meet. You ran your fingers along his length. You pumped him, letting your thumb circle his sensitive tip, eliciting a soft whine from him. You circled faster, moving down to your knees, and letting your tongue run up his shaft very softly. Above you, Lewis slammed his hands against the wall, groaning when you took him into your mouth.

But a part of him still wanted to cum inside when he was fucking you (in a condom, because wrap it before you tap it) so he pulled you back up, smirking when you whined. "I know baby, but I just really wanna fuck you now. Back on the bed please, unless you want me to take you here against this wall" practically running, you clambered onto the bed. You watched as Lewis pulled out a condom, ripping the packet open before climbing back on top of you. He let his hand rest on your hip, eyes temporarily losing some of the animalistic need that had been present in them. Leaning down, he connected your lips together in a kiss, a searing, intense kiss that took your breath away. "Ready love?" He asked, looking into your eyes, looking to see if there was even a slight hint that you didn't want this. But you did.

With a sudden jolt, he thrust himself into you, groaning when your warm walls clamped down on him. His hips thrust into you, starting off slow, letting you adjust to his massive length. "My sweet baby,taking me so well. Does it feel good?" You couldn't even respond, mouth agape, as his the pace of his thrusts increased. "Answer me" he said, suddenly stopping. Almost crying out at the loss of pleasure, you looked at him with desperation. "Yes yes, fuck it feels so good, please don't stop!" "Thats all you had to say baby" he said, before pushing in again, slowly. Then, he pulled back out. Looking at him in confusion, you gasped when he slammed back into you, a high pitched moan of "Lewis!" leaving your lips. He moved so that he had a better hold of your hips, rocking the both of you back and forth, the intensity of his thrusts was so much that the bed knocked back against the wall. What he wasn't expecting was for you to take his left thumb up to your mouth, running your tongue over it before sucking on it.

Moaning, he started thrusting into you even harder, shifting so that he was directly hitting your g spot. "Oh, God ! Oh fuck, Baby that feels so good please keep going keep-oh!" The cry that left your lips was so loud, you were sure Perrie in the room next to yours had heard you. "Fuck baby, you take me so well" Lewis said, as he nearly hammered your g spot. He was so, so damn close to cumming, and when you leant up and bit a sensitive spot on his neck, he came, gushing into the guard between you two, but he wanted you to cum to, so he reached down to pinch and rub your clit, still riding out his orgasm in you, moaning when you came with a scream. He winced when your core spasmed on his sensitive cock, and he pulled out slowly, before collapsing next to you. Panting, you curled up to him, letting your hand rest on his compass tattoo. "Okay that was Godlike" you said, earning a tired laugh from your lover.

"Yeah it really was. I missed you" he said, allowing you to nuzzle into his neck, leaning down to press a kiss to your forehead. "I missed you too" you replied, kissing the tattoo. "I love you too" As you lay there together, still revelling in the moment, your phone buzzed. Reaching over to check it, you saw your groupchat with the girls flooding with messages.

-*-*-

Perrie 🧚🏻‍♀️ - Y/N, I'm filing a noise complaint. 🍆

Jade ✨ - Pez 😂 let them be. It's been a while for her.

Leigh 🦋- She really got some tonight huh? 😏

Perrie 🧚🏻‍♀️- LOL she did !! And it was obviously some goooood 'some' *wink wink*

Jade ✨- I could hear em too, and Im on the other end of the hall.

Leigh 🦋 - I know I did too! Must be some damn good sex. 😏

Perrie 🧚🏻‍♀️ - Go Y/N !!

Jade ✨ - Can't wait till she reads this.

Perrie 🧚🏻‍♀️ - Are they still going?!

Leigh 🦋 - No 😂 she's reading the messages. Y/N!! Yoohoo!

You - yes I'm here 🖕🏽

Jade ✨ - Did you have fun babe 😏

You - ..... yes

Perrie 🧚🏻‍♀️ - babe you can't really say no because we heard you

You- Im not saying I didn't have fun. But you guys need to calm down.

Leigh 🦋 - But its funnn

You - okay byeeee ❤

Perrie 🧚🏻‍♀️ - Going for a round 2 😏?

You - okay I said bye.

Leigh 🦋 - she is !!

Jade ✨ - Go babe !

You - I need to leave this group.

Perrie 🧚🏻‍♀️ - No we love you !! ❤

Leigh 🦋 - Yeah don't leave us ❤

Jade ✨- Don't leave meee ! ❤

You - Haha I'd never leave you girls ❤ now bye.

Jade ✨ - bye babe !

Perrie 🧚🏻‍♀️ - bye you sexy minx 😏

Leigh - bye hun 💙

*-*-*

Smiling to yourself, you put your phone away, to see Lewis looking at you with a raised eyebrow. "Who was it?" "Just the girls" you said, cuddling back up to him. "What did they say?" Giggling, you looked up to him and kissed his neck. "They said they're going to file a noise complaint. And they asked me if we were going for a round two" "Were we really that loud?" He asked, looking at you in surprise. "Yeah, even Leigh heard us and she's at the end of the hall!" "Damn" Lewis said laughing. "Well," he said, looking at you again, with a cheeky look in his eye, "they were right about one thing" "And what is that?" You asked, smiling at him mischievously. "We are going for a round two"

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

@maxverstappenx @grandestrategia (because you are worth it 🦋💙)

#lewis hamilton #formula 1 #f1 #sir lewis #lewis hamilton x reader #lewis hamilton x reader smut #lewis hamilton smut #lewis hamilton imagines #lewis hamilton imagine #f1 imagines #f1 imagine #f1 smut #f1 drivers x reader #f1 drivers imagines #f1 drivers smut #littlemix!reader #little mix 🙌🏼🦋#little mix

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imagineteamfreewill · 2 years

Text

Partnering With You

Title: Partnering With You

Pairing: Costumer!Sam x Ballerina!Reader

Word Count: 7.5k

Warnings: Fluff

Square Filled: Ballet AU

Summary: Y/N and Sam are the dream team of the Kansas City Ballet, but only one of them has dreams to take their partnership even farther.

A/N: This is a submission for the 2021-2022 SPN AU Bingo (@spnaubingo)! While this story is about ballet, it is entirely fictional and is not meant to be an accurate depiction of the ballet world. As always, thank you for reading and supporting me. I hope you enjoy! Dividers are by @firefly-graphics

Sam’s studio is one of your most favorite places in the entire world. It’s where you’d gotten the call from the ballet asking you to become part of their corps, and it was there you’d gotten the call to become a soloist. You and Sam have dreamed up some of your best costumes on the cozy gray couch near the windows. Some of those costumes have yet to come to fruition, but you enjoy watching him sketch, sew, and piece them together during your free time.

Today is your busiest day of the week, which leaves you with very little time to visit your childhood friend. Sam welcomes you with open arms whenever you’re able to come see him, and the smile he sends your way as he paces the length of the studio is a welcome sight. His phone is pressed between his ear and his shoulder in a position that looks entirely uncomfortable and you make a face before dumping your bag and roller on the floor beside the elevator doors. He’s got his sketchbook in hand and he’s scribbling notes and sketching long lines across the paper as he listens to whoever is on the other end of the call.

“Who’s on the phone?” you ask, mouthing the words the next time Sam looks your way. His eye roll is enough to tell you that it’s a higher-up at the company and you grin before digging out your lunch. Sam’s probably already eaten, so you plop down on the couch and open up the plastic container without offering to share.

Finally, Sam ends the call and sighs. He dumps the phone and his sketchbook on his desk and heads in your direction, giving you just enough warning to pull your feet out of the way before he collapses onto the opposite side of the couch from you.

“Long morning?” you ask in between bites.

He nods and pulls your feet back onto his lap. He doesn’t mind your shoes on his jeans, which you appreciate. Your other friends, the ones you spend much less time with, always insist you take your shoes off in their spaces. You oblige, but you’d much rather keep your feet hidden outside the comfort of your own home. The beauty of your feet is one of the prices you pay to keep doing what you love.

“Brenda wants all the costumes redone with sequins instead of beads,” he sighs, and you groan around another bite of food.

“Brenda! You’re killing us!”

Sam laughs at your dramatics, his hand resting on your calves, and you grin at him after swallowing. You tuck the fork back into the container and click it shut, then tuck it back into your lunchbag.

“I’ve got another class today, and then we’ve got a dress rehearsal,” you tell him.

His eyebrows shoot up. “Another one?”

“Another one,” you confirm. “Apparently some of the corps learned different choreo, though I’m not sure how. We think it’s because Rowena broke her contract and left midseason for Romania.”

“You think she taught them the wrong routines on purpose?” Sam asks.

You shrug and crack open the lid on your shake, sniffing it and scrunching your nose. The vegetable shakes weren’t something you’d opted for voluntarily, but your doctor had insisted on changing some things in your diet now that you’re working harder and trying for principal next season. Sam is drinking the shakes in solidarity, but you know he likes them more than you did.

“You wanna see my new designs?”

That’s enough to perk you up, and you quickly nod, sitting up against the back of the couch. Sam grins and gets up to grab his tablet from its charging dock. He takes a second to open the file he wants, then hands it over.

You take your time on each design, carefully looking them over as you sip your shake. Sam is a master at the details, which is why you had insisted that the company hire him shortly after you’d first joined. After seeing his work, they’d agreed with you wholeheartedly and hired him on the spot. Now they keep him so busy he doesn’t have time to do any other designs, not that he minds.

“These are beautiful,” you finally say, looking up at him.

Sam sits quietly, taking in every part of your expression before giving you a small, relieved smile. “You like them?”

You nod and hand back the tablet, smiling back. “I think they’re your best yet. Is that for next season?”

He shrugs and locks the tablet again, then reaches over to set it on the small table off to the side of the couch. If Sam hadn’t been so dead set on going into costume design, you would’ve nagged him harder to train with you. His height is a bit above average for the men in your company, but he moves gracefully and controls his body with more ease than some of the most advanced dancers in the corps. You attribute it to genetics in addition to the few years of ballet training you’d had together as kids, but Sam always brushes you off. If you didn’t know him as well as you do, you would assume that he’d kept dancing, but you know that he only works with a personal trainer a few times a week.

“I’ve just been toying around with ideas for different shows. They haven’t contacted me about next season yet.”

“Don’t they normally give you the schedule around this time?” you ask. You pull your legs up close, wrapping your arms around them and resting your chin on your knees. He shrugs again and you frown. “Sam, is everything okay?”

“Everything’s fine.” He smiles, but you can tell it's forced.

Before you can push the issue any further, the timer on your phone goes off and you unfold yourself from the couch.

“Sorry, I’ve gotta go. Are we still on for dinner this weekend?” you ask as you collect your lunchbag and head over to the pile of stuff you’d left by the elevator.

Sam stands as well, but he doesn’t move away from the couch as he watches you get ready to leave. “As long as your rehearsal doesn’t go late. I’ve got an early morning on Sunday.”

“You’re going home for your mom’s birthday after training, right?” When you glance over at him, he nods, and you smile. “Tell Mary I said Happy Birthday?”

“I’ll do that,” he says, and you straighten up with your belongings piled against your chest. “Be safe in class.”

“I always am!”

You jab the elevator button with the only finger you can wiggle without dropping everything, and the doors open right away. Sam is still watching you when you turn around inside to press the ground floor button. His smile has faded into melancholy as he pulls one hand from his pockets to wave goodbye. Your heart sinks with the elevator and you make a mental note to text Dean to check up on him this weekend, knowing that whatever’s going on is obviously something he can’t talk to you about. He already would have if he could, which worries you more than you’d like to admit. There are very few things Sam can’t tell you, and that thought hangs over you like a black cloud for the rest of the day.

You’re sitting on the floor of your apartment sewing up a new pair of shoes when someone knocks. Frowning, you look up at the door and squint. You hadn’t invited anyone over, nor had you ordered food, and you’re really not in the mood for someone trying to sell you something. You’d hung a “no soliciting” placard on the door last week. So far it hasn't done you any good.

Whoever it is knocks again and you sigh, climbing to your feet and crossing the living room. You peek through the peephole and your frown gets deeper when you see a rain-soaked Sam standing in the hallway..

“Oh my gosh, Sam!” You usher him inside, taking the two hanging garment bags from his hands and setting them aside before hurrying off to get him a set of towels. He’s soaked to the bone and dripping onto the carpet but you could care less.

He shivers as he peels off his jacket and trades it for the towels. “I should’ve called before I left, sorry.”

You shake your head and carry his coat to hang over the shower curtain rod in the bathroom. “It’s okay,” you call through the open doorway. “Why didn’t you take an Uber? It’s pouring outside!”

“I left my phone at the studio,” he shouts back, immediately lowering his voice when you step back into the main part of your apartment. “Sorry. I left my phone at the studio, but I didn’t have time to grab it in between my meeting and coming here. Are you busy?”

Gathering up your sewing supplies and the shoes, you shake your head again. You start tucking everything back where it belongs inside your bag.

“Not really, just prepping for the week. What was your meeting about? Did you show them those designs?”

“It wasn’t with the company,” Sam says, and you pause with a pointe shoe in each hand. “Do you still have some of my clothes here?”

Sam had lived with you for a few weeks earlier in the year when his building was getting fumigated, and you’re still finding things he left behind. You nod and gesture down the short hallway towards your room. He tugs off his socks before heading to search for dry clothes, the towels still in hand.

“So who was your meeting with?” you ask when he comes back a few minutes later. He’s found a pair of sweatpants but no shirt and you’re careful not to stare. Sam’s a beautiful man and you’d be stupid not to realize it, but he’s extremely conscious of his appearance after spending so many years working with male dancers.

You can sense Sam’s hesitation when he answers, “It was with someone from New York.”

Heart sinking, you zip up your bag and grab your water bottle from where you’d left it on the floor. You take a sip, leaning against the awkward pillar in your living room as you wait to see if he will elaborate.

Your building is an old house that's been converted into a few apartments, which means for some oddities. The pillar in the living room, the strange closet in the kitchen no wider than an ironing board, and the square green window at the top of your bathroom ceiling are the most notable.

Sam leans against the other side of the pillar, peering down at you. “What?”

“I didn’t say anything.” You take another sip of your water bottle.

“Yeah, but you’re thinking it.”

You shrug and he raises an eyebrow. “Fine,” you huff. “Why are you meeting with other people now, Sam, and in New York of all places? That’s so far away! Aren’t you happy designing for the company? Are they not giving you enough work?”

He searches your face for a moment, his expression unreadable. Finally, Sam asks, “Where did you put those bags I had?”

Looking around, you spot them draped haphazardly over the arm of your couch. You push off the pillar to grab them, setting your water bottle aside so you can hold one in each hand. The rainwater rolls down the slick outer covers of the bags and drips onto the carpet. The leather of the couch where they’d been laying is covered with droplets and a thin sheen of water.

Sam takes one of the hangers and lifts it to hang on the hook you’d put high up on the pillar for this exact purpose. He’d brought over enough costumes for you to need it. Carefully, he unzips the bag to reveal the bodice of a costume you’d never seen before.

“Sam, what’s—”

“Just wait,” he says, cutting you off as he takes the other bag from you. He lays this one out on the floor and unzips it, then pulls out the matching tutu. It’s a romantic style, with crystals that pack together at the waist and gradually scatter as you get farther down the skirt. The bodice has the same crystals gathered around the deep neckline.

“What is this for? Is this for me?”

You can’t bear to tear your eyes away from the silky fabric, but you manage to look between him and the hanging garment bag all the same. Sam’s watching you with a wide smile on his face.

“Do you like it?” he asks.

The fabric is the same color as the pointe shoes you’d been looking at weeks ago during your monthly off-season movie night. You’d never be able to wear them as part of the company, they had strict restrictions for your appearance on stage, but you’d marveled at them and bookmarked the page all the same. Sam had noted that the color would look good on you and that had been the end of the conversation.

“I love it, but why? Sam, there’s no show for this!”

He simply smiles and gathers up the tutu, standing. “Try it on.”

“Sam, I—”

“Try it on,” he repeats. The tutu is shoved into your arms and the bodice is suddenly there too, and he’s pushing you towards your bedroom before you can argue. Sam shuts the door behind you and you stand there, too flabbergasted to even begin to strip out of your day clothes.

In the living room, your warm-up playlist begins over your bluetooth speaker and you blink, jolted back into reality by the familiar music. Most likely Sam knew it would get your brain working again. You’d joked once that you had a Pavlovian response to the first song.

You look down at the costume in your arms and then very gently lay it on the bed. It’s one of Sam’s most beautiful creations, even if it is a bit understated compared to some of the others. The knowledge that it’s meant only for you and not for a show is enough to make it the best. Tears prick at your eyes and you quickly wipe them away before they can spill over onto your cheeks.

Sam is waiting for you when you come out of the bedroom. He’s perched on the arm of the sofa, tapping the cracked leather with one hand while the other fidgets with the case on your phone. He stands as soon as he sees you standing on the edge of the living room.

You fold your hands in front of you and give him a nervous smile. The costume fits like a glove; Sam always has your most updated measurements on hand, and you know he keeps careful track of the small fixes he has to make for different shows and costumes. As the years have passed, there are very few things he has to fix in your costumes just because he knows you and what you need so well. You try hard not to smooth your hands over the tutu or play with the beautiful embellishments as you wait for him to speak up.

“Does it look okay?” you finally ask. The music is still playing through your speaker, but it fades away in your mind as you meet Sam’s gaze.

“Do you like it?”

“I already told you I love it! Does it look okay on me?”

“You’re stunning, Y/N, but I always think that, no matter what you’re wearing.” He slips your phone in his pocket, his shoulders relaxing as he crosses your tiny apartment to take your hands in his. “I have one more surprise for you, but it won’t be ready until tomorrow, okay?”

You shake your head at him. “Sam, this is too much. What’s all this even for? I don’t— Are you okay? Did something happen with the company? Does this have to do with the meeting you had today?”

Though you know he won’t answer any of the questions, you ask them anyway. Sam simply squeezes your hands in response and pulls your phone back out of the pocket of the sweatpants. He taps a few times on the screen, typing something out before locking it again.

“There’s a pickup code in the notes on here, so you should be able to get your package tomorrow after class. It’s at the normal locker location where you get your stuff. Come over as soon as you’re ready to dance in this, okay?”

“Package? What? Sam, I don’t understand…”

He smiles and leans in, pressing a chaste kiss on your cheek. “I promise everything will make sense tomorrow, okay? Do you trust me?”

“I always trust you,” you reply. You lean into his kiss, your heart skipping a beat at the contact. Sam may have been your best friend, but you’d always wished for a little more than he’d allowed you to have.

He seems satisfied with your answer because he moves away, handing your phone to you before heading into the bathroom to get his clothes. They’ve only had a chance to drip dry a little.

“Wait, Sam, at least let me call you an Uber!”

He’s dressed in his wet clothes again when he comes back out, and you scramble to order him a car. Sam doesn’t wait, though, and you have to chase him down the steps of your apartment in the costume.

You grab onto his arm before he can walk out into the rain. “What is going on with you?” Before he can pull away, you reach up and take his face in your hands. “Did you get hit on the head or something? Do I need to call Dean? Or Mary?”

The smile on his face doesn’t falter as he places his hands over yours for a moment, then gently pulls them from his cheeks. “I’m fine, Y/N. I promise. I just… I have a surprise for you and I’m excited. That’s all, I swear.”

Sam’s voice is warm and his words are steady, but you only feel slightly reassured. It’s so unlike him to surprise you with such a grand gesture, especially for no reason at all. The costume is more than enough to make you feel treasured, but after he threw in the package and then told you to come to his studio, you don’t know what to think.

Your phone chimes in your hand and you look away. The Uber you’d ordered is only a minute away. Sam sees it on the screen as well and he steps away, holding your hands for a moment longer before heading to the door. You stand there in the costume, your bare feet sticking to the dirty apartment tile as he steps back out into the rain, still smiling.

The next day, you’re distracted for the entirety of your warm-up, class, and rehearsal. It doesn’t go unnoticed by the ballet master and the scolding you get after the first break dampens your mood. The other dancers notice you're distracted as well, and it takes your partner pulling you aside to make sure you’re feeling okay to snap you back into your professional persona.

You get through the rest of your day with little trouble from the other dancers. By the time you’re able to go pick up the package Sam had ordered for you, you’re exhausted. The lockers are closer to your apartment than to his studio, but you trudge through the damp, semi-crowded streets and tug open the door to the grocery store that houses them as your heart skips every other beat, speeding up with the promise of surprise.

After punching in the code, a locker in the bottom row pops open and you bend down to pull out the box. It’s nothing special and just has Sam’s name and the locker address on the top. There’s nothing to tell you where or who it’s from, so you pull out your phone and give him a call.

“Do I get to open this box now or do I have to wait until I’m at the studio?” you ask as soon as he answers.

Sam laughs and through the usual background noise of his workspace, you hear other voices, and you frown. He preferred to keep guests out of the studio while he was working. It would only take one hand to count the number of times other people had been there the same time as you.

“Wait till you get here. Please?”

The polite manners make you smile. Sam was a Kansas boy, born and raised, and his upbringing always found a way to shine through, even if he was being crafty.

“Fine,” you groan. “I’ll be there in twenty.”

“I’ll be waiting,” he replies, and you end the call as you’re walking out the door of the shop.

You make it to Sam’s studio in seventeen minutes. You’d had to stop at your place and pick up the two garment bags containing the bodice and the tutu he’d left with you last night. Sam is waiting outside for the building when you arrive, and you slow as you near the front door.

“Hey, how was class?” he asks, more casually than you would have liked.

Giving him a nervous, but excited, smile, you shrug. “Fine. The pas de deux is coming along. Is this part of the surprise?” You pointedly flick your eyes up and down his body. Now that you’re closer, you can see he’s wearing sweatpants and a black t-shirt, a drastic change from his usual work attire. Sam is a firm believer in dressing professionally, even if that just means nice jeans and even if he’s the only one at the studio that day.

“You trust me, right?” he asks in response.

You narrow your eyes at him. “Sam…”

“Let’s go inside.” He turns and opens the front door for you, gesturing for you to enter first. You comply and head to the elevator, then jab your thumb against the call button. Sam stops beside you and holds out his hand for the garment bags, but you shake your head.

The two of you ride the elevator up to the top floor, and when the doors slide open to reveal the studio, it’s bustling with activity. There are more people in the space than there are permanent staff at the company and you stall in the doorway, heart pumping in your chest. It takes Sam’s gentle hand on the small of your back to spur your forward.

“Sam…”

He smiles down at you and takes the garment bags in one hand, then leads you over to the couch. A plump woman with a kind smile pats the seat beside her.

“You must be Miss Y/L/N. We’ve heard a lot about you,” she says, and you give her a wavering, confused smile.

“I… can’t say I’ve heard a lot about you, unfortunately.” You cast a slightly pointed glance in Sam’s direction, but he’s busied himself with hanging the bags in the changing area of the studio. “You are?”

“My name is Eloise Vernon. I’m with the American Ballet Theatre.” She holds out her hands to shake and your stomach drops as you force a more confident, polite smile on your face.

Reaching out a hand, you shake hers and set the package on the couch. “It’s so nice to meet you. Please, forgive me for being so rude, I—”

“No apology necessary.” Eloise waves one hand dismissively. Her smile is knowing as she continues, “Mr. Winchester explained that our presence here would be a surprise to you. I expected a bit of confusion on your part, though maybe not this much.”

You glance over at Sam. He’s gathered with a group of men in the corner of the studio. The dance space there is normally used for dancers—mainly you, since you’re always Sam’s first guinea pig—to try out their costumes while moving. Now, however, there are women arranging various costumes on a rack nearby. A white photo backdrop has been set up along the edge of the dance floor. Another man, probably younger than Sam, is standing behind a camera. He peers into the lens and adjusts the position of the tripod, pointing it towards the backdrop.

“May I ask why you’re here?” you finally reply, looking back at Eloise.

“To see you, Miss Y/L/N.”

You blink at her, shocked. You’ve never reached out to the theatre, and the ABT is so prestigious that you have to be invited to audition for their company. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Like I said earlier, we’ve heard a lot about you. It was Mr. Winchester who initially pointed us in your direction, but since then we’ve seen videos and live performances. You’re an excellent dancer, and we decided it was time to connect face-to-face with you. These circumstances are a bit unusual, of course. We don’t normally recruit dancers with so much fanfare.” She gestures around the studio that’s teeming with energy despite the setting sun.

Sam’s suddenly at your side, a hand on your shoulder, and you look up at him from your spot on the couch. He reaches down with his free hand to move the box into your lap.

“Open it,” he urges.

Eloise rises and gives you another kind smile before moving off towards the other people that you can only assume are part of the ABT as well. You’re distracted by the ongoing commotion in the room, and after a second, Sam crouches down to block your view of them.

“Hey,” he says, and you blink to try and focus on him. “You okay?”

“It’s just… This is a lot, Sam. ABT? How did you get in contact with them? Why did you get in contact with them, and why are they here now? Is this an audition? I’m not prepared for an audition, and if I’d known, then I’d—”

“Y/N. Just open the box, will you?”

You inhale sharply, a bit irritated that Sam’s avoiding your questions, but he’s never steered you in the wrong direction. His calm reassurance is enough to soothe your nerves just a little bit. You trust him, and you love him, and you’d follow him anywhere. So, you open the box.

Inside is another box, and this time it’s a familiar sight. The brand of shoe you wear is emblazoned across the top and you swallow thickly.

“Sam, these are expensive!” you hiss, leaning to the side to peek at Eloise. She’s still talking with the others on the far side of the studio. “You didn’t have to buy me another pair of pointe shoes, the company helps pay for them.”

He smiles. “Open it.”

You glance at him and then obey, prying open the shoebox. The shoes inside are pointe shoes, but they’re not your usual. They’re the shoes you’d seen online, the ones that match the costume Sam has made for you, and you gasp. Instantly, you’re blinking away tears at the gesture.

“I—”

“I know that you haven’t prepped them, but they should be the exact kind you get, just a different color. You can get them ready in what, twenty minutes?” he asks, and you nod dumbly at him. “Change into the costume when you’re done, okay?”

You swallow thickly, staring at him with teary eyes for a long moment, and then you’re throwing your arms around Sam’s neck to pull him into a tight hug.

“Thank you,” you whisper into his ear. “I love them. I love you so much, Sam.”

He hugs you back. When the two of you separate, you sniffle and wipe at your eyes to try and compose yourself. The little bit of makeup you’d put on that morning won’t budge with a few tears, but you don’t want to be a mess in front of Eloise and the others. You still have no idea why they’re there, which means leaving them with a good impression of you is more important than most things.

It takes you exactly twenty minutes to prep the shoes. Just like Sam had said, the specifications were the exact same as the others you wear, which means that he either snuck a peek at the boxes and your receipts or he knew you better than you thought he did. Sure, you were best friends, but knowing shoe specs wasn’t even part of his job as the company costumer.

Eloise and Sam are standing at his design table, pouring over stacks of papers, sketchbooks, and his tablet. You slip into the changing area while they’re still busy, and by the time you’re dressed in the costume and finished tying up your shoes, they’re waiting for you on the edge of the dancefloor.

Sam smiles wide as soon as he sees you, and you shy away from his intent gaze.

“What do you want me to do now?” you ask, unsure if you should be asking him or Eloise.

“Do you know the Act II pas de deux from Swan Lake, Miss Y/L/N?” Eloise asks, and you nod. She gestures towards a small group that has gathered on the far side of the dancefloor, and a man only slightly older than you steps out. He’s dressed in a costume similar to yours and he smiles warmly.

“You want me to dance for you?” you ask, though the question feels like a stupid one as soon as you ask.

Eloise only smiles, and Sam grins beside her. “Yes. We realize that your shoes are new, but we’ve seen you perform before. This is more of a formality than anything. Do you need some time to warm up?”

Her words are spinning in your brain and your breath catches in your throat. You want to ask if she means what you think she does—that you’ll be invited to be a part of the ABT—but you can’t bear to ask the question in case you’re wrong.

Slowly, you shake your head and step onto the floor. The man introduces himself in a soft voice as soon as you’re close enough to hear and you take a deep breath, smiling and doing the same. Once the pleasantries are out of the way, you take your positions and silently try to calm the swell of anxiety. Your heart is beating much quicker than you would like and you take another deep breath. The music starts on your exhale and you begin.

It’s easy to lose yourself in the dance. The pas de deux is one you’ve danced many times before, mainly last season, and though it’s been awhile since you’ve partnered with someone new, the man makes it easy. Sam, Eloise, and the others fade from your view as you dance. Your nerves are no longer at the forefront of your mind and all you can focus on is what comes next. Finally, you realize that the music has ended, and you carefully move back to a neutral position.

Sam watches you with utter awe on his face, while Eloise is simply smiling. Your partner shakes your hand with a smile of his own and you watch from the center of the floor as he retreats to his spot along the edge.

“That was lovely, Miss Y/L/N, thank you,” Eloise says. You bow accordingly, and she gestures to the photo backdrop when you rise. “We’d like some photos of you in this costume, if that’s alright with you?”

You nod and let her guide you over. Sam trails behind and stands at the edge of the group as you’re asked to pose, leap, pirouette, and move in front of the camera. You’re sweating by the time the photographer says he’s satisfied, and you finally relax as Eloise stands with him and looks through the photos on a nearby laptop.

“You doing okay?” Sam’s snuck up behind you with a water bottle and you jump. He laughs as you take the bottle and drink half of it in one go.

“This is crazy,” you hiss at him, turning your back on Eloise and the photographer. You’re smiling, though, and you know that Sam can tell you’ve been enjoying yourself. “The pas de deux? A photoshoot? Is this really what I think it is, Sam?”

He smiles, shrugging a little. “The world needs to see you dance, Y/N. You’re good enough to go all the way to the top, if that’s what you want.”

“What if… that’s not what I want?”

You hesitate to ask knowing how hard Sam must have worked to get the people from ABT here and to keep it a secret from you, but it’s important. Years ago, you would have done anything for a spot in their company. Now you love your life. Yes, you’d still love to move to New York and dance for them, but it wouldn’t be the same, not without Sam.

“What?” His face falls and he glances back at Eloise, then takes your arm to guide you to the corner of the backdrop where there are no people within earshot. “Y/N, what are you talking about? You’re always watching their videos and talking about how fun it would be to dance with them! Is this seriously not what you want?”

You search his face, then set the bottle down on the floor. Taking Sam’s hands, you tell him, “Dancing with the American Ballet Theatre would be a dream come true, Sam, but it’s not the only dream I have. I love living here and dancing with the company. I love getting to spend my free time with you and wearing your costumes every season. I love our movie nights and our day trips to see your family. I don’t want to give up those things. I don’t… I don’t want to chase something that’s only been a pipedream for so long and give up a really good thing that I already have.”

Sam’s arms are suddenly around you, crushing the tutu against your legs as he holds you tight. You cough out a laugh in surprise but quickly wrap your arms around his waist and close your eyes. He kisses the top of your head and you breathe in deep, pulling away just enough to look up at him.

“They offered me a job, Y/N,” he says, his voice soft under all the noise in the studio. “If you go, I go.”

Tears flood your eyes for the second time that day and you have to take another deep breath to steady yourself. “What?”

He nods, smiling wide. “They offered me a position in their costume shop as a designer. I told them I’d take it if they were willing to consider you, and…”

You laugh and hug him hard again. “Sam, that’s amazing!”

Sam laughs and you have to pull away to wipe your nose on the back of your hand as it runs. Some of the tears have escaped down your cheeks and you wipe them away as Sam turns to dry his own tears.

“Is that why you’ve been acting so weird?” you ask, and he laughs, nodding in response.

“Well, that and—”

Eloise’s voice makes you step further away from Sam and look in her direction. “Miss Y/L/N, are you up for one more thing?” she asks.

You nod, smiling politely and trying to contain the excitement as Sam’s job offer before it bubbles over into unprofessionalism. “Yes, ma’am. Where would you like me?”

Gesturing to the couch where you’d first sat together, Eloise starts walking. You trail behind. She sits in her spot from before with her phone in hand, and you note the voice memo app open on the screen as you sit.

“We just have a few questions for you before we make a final decision. You are aware that this is considered an official interview for a spot in the American Ballet Theatre, correct?” she asks. You nod. “Good. And that is something you’d be interested in?”

You glance at Sam, who’s smiling as he glances in between a man in a suit and the tablet in his hands, then nod again. “Yes. I would be very interested in dancing with ABT.”

Eloise smiles. “Very well. I’m going to be recording this, but only a few people will be privy to the recording. Is that alright?”

After you give your consent, Eloise starts recording and begins to ask you questions. She has them memorized, and you think to yourself that she must have asked them dozens of times to know them all by heart, just as you know your dances. She asks about your training, your performances, and your qualifications. She asks about injuries and preferences, hobbies, and likes and dislikes. She asks you about things that don’t even seem relevant to a job with the company, though you know better. When you dance with a company as big as ABT, anything and everything can impact your spot and your job. It’s part of why you’ve been so hesitant to even consider pursuing New York. Sam’s confidence in you is the only thing getting you through those doubts as you answered Eloise’s unending questions.

Finally, she stops the recording with a smile. “I have to say that I’m very impressed with you, Miss Y/L/N.”

“Thank you,” you say, smiling with relief. The nerves have all gone now. Whatever happens will happen.

“I cannot speak for the others involved with the invitation process,” Eloise continues, “but I think it’s safe to say that you should expect an invitation soon. You’re clearly a very talented, diligent dancer, and I think that you would be a great asset to the ABT.”

Your heart swells. You smile even wider at her, then find Sam’s eyes across the room. His expression no doubt mirrors your own.

“Thank you, Ms. Vernon. That’s really great news.”

You and Eloise finish your conversation, and then her and her crew begin to clear out. It’s easiest for you and Sam to stay out of the way, so you sit together on the couch, watching as they pack up equipment and costumes that you never changed into. They pack into the elevator in groups, filling every square inch and otherwise disregarding the weight limit. If you hadn’t been so stunned, you’d probably warn them that the building was old and that some of them should wait. The photographer is the last one out, and he waves as he steps into the otherwise empty elevator with his gear.

You heave a heavy sigh as soon as the doors close. Sam looks over at you, smiling a little, and he leans back against the couch.

“You okay?” he asks, his fingers intertwined with yours.

“I think so,” you reply with a nod. “I’m still processing, I think.”

“An offer to dance with the ABT is a big deal.”

“A potential offer,” you correct.

Sam only shrugs. When you stand to change out of your shoes and costume, however, he doesn’t let go of your hand. You look down at him, raising an eyebrow.

“You gonna let me change so I can go home? I’m starving, you know. I’d rather not make any innocent bystanders on the street have to deal with hangry Y/N.”

“Will you dance again for me before you change?” he asks.

You nod without giving it a second thought. It’s common for Sam to watch and take notes while you dance in a new costume. You’ve already danced once today, but you didn’t remember him with his notebook, so you assume that he wants to make some notes on the fit and style.

“Is there something specific you want?”

He stands. “The pas de deux would be fine.”

Frowning, you turn your back on him and head to the dance floor, then start to stretch a little, knowing that your muscles would be aching soon if you didn’t. “I guess I can do parts of it, but that requires a partner, Sam. You know that, or did that rain last night wash away all your knowledge of ballet?” you tease.

“I could partner.”

“What?”

He starts to stretch beside you and you automatically track his movements without truly looking at him, noticing that he’s doing all the same stretches the male dancers in the company do. Sam doesn’t even bat an eye at the ones that would be challenging or painful for people who aren’t used to them.

Finally, you stop what you’re doing, stand, and put your hands on your hips. “Sam Winchester, you’ve been hiding something from me, haven’t you?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he replies, but he’s staring up at you from the floor with such a wide grin on his face that you can’t even try to believe him.

“What are you not telling me?” you huff. He doesn’t respond and you narrow your eyes as he twists and grabs one of the foam rollers from beside the mirrors to roll out his muscles. He’s too comfortable with the action for someone who doesn’t do it often, and it’s then that you realize he’s taken off his sweats to reveal a pair of black ballet tights and slippers. “Sam, have you been dancing?”

Sam laughs. “I told you I’d been training, why is this such a surprise?”

You blink, a bit taken aback. You’d thrown the idea out there thinking he’d shoot you down and say that he’d just gotten into yoga or something, not actually confirm your suspicions.

“This is insane. You realize that this is actually insane, right? First the costume, then the shoes and ABT, and now you tell me that you’ve been dancing and I never even noticed?” You scoff and rest your hands on top of your head, turning to look around the studio for cameras just in case you’re being punked by some of the other dancers in your company. Sure, you play tricks on each other, but never anything this involved.

He stands and touches your waist, just above the tutu and just enough to get your attention. You turn back to him, swallowing hard at the tender expression on his face.

“I missed dancing with you,” Sam explains. “And I… I was a little self-conscious about it at first. I didn’t want you to ask why I’d suddenly gotten back into dancing after all this time.”

“Why did you?” you ask.

“Isn’t it obvious?” When it’s clear that you still haven’t caught on to whatever he’s trying to say, Sam steps closer and continues, “It’s because of you, Y/N. You’re my best friend, and I love you, and dance is something that you love. I want to be able to dance with you, and even though I can’t even remotely match your skills, I want to be a good partner on and off the floor.”

You stare at him for a second, and then you’re smiling. “Really?”

He nods. Sam still seems uncertain despite your wide smile, and you look down to grip his hands in yours. You lead them to your waist, and then you push up onto your toes. Immediately, Sam is supporting you just like any good partner should.

“You’ve really been training just to dance with me?” you ask, meeting his eyes. It’s easier now that you’re up on pointe and he chuckles.

“I have.”

“For how long?”

“Since we moved here,” he admits. “I learned a bunch of partner dances, including the pas de deux, just in case it ever came up. I convinced Eloise to have you dance the Swan Lake one today.”

You snort. “You convinced an ABT staff member to have me dance that specific pas de deux just so you could flirt with me later?”

Sam’s face and neck flush pink and you can’t help but laugh. You wobble a little and you adjust your stance, but Sam continues to help you keep your balance in his arms like he’s been your partner for years. You suppose, in a way, he has been.

“I can’t believe you hid it this long from me.”

“You got really close to finding out a few times. I’ll have to tell you about them tomorrow.”

Slowly, you lower yourself back down to the floor. Sam keeps his hands on your waist. “Why not now?”

He smiles wide. “Because right now I want to dance with you, Y/N. I’ve waited a long time for this and I don’t think I can wait another day.”

It’s your turn to shy away from his gaze, but Sam squeezes your waist and then lets go, moving to where he should be for the beginning of the dance. You watch him move, then carefully shift to where you should be as well. You close your eyes, take a deep breath, and then when the music starts, you dance.

Thank you for reading! <3

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wh6res · 4 years

Text

three's a crowd | nomin

synopsis. picking favorites is impossible when you like neither of them.

warning. read at your own risk. abuse, bullying, poly relationship, yandere themes, manipulation, nonconsensual touching, noncon, degradation, smut threesome oop

disclaimer. i do not condone whatever tf i wrote in this nor does it reflect my beliefs or values or morals and such. it is all pure fiction and i also dont think jaemin or jeno would act like this in real life.

note. this was meant to be a new year's gift lmao i obviously got a lil carried away 👀 anyway a late happy new year to you all! we survived 2020, let's start living in 2021, yeah? lmao if covid lets us grr mwah!

the relationship you had with the two of them was a weird one, bordering on taboo, but it wasn't as if you willfully chose to be who they wanted you to be and it took jaemin's unwanted pining and jeno's intimidating demeanor for you to fall right into their arms.

it was a joint effort on their part, you couldn't've possibly stood a chance.

"this many?" the cashier asked. "are you sure?"

stepping back and studying the whole situation, you figured you only had your addiction to caffeine and procrastination to blame. it was a chain reaction you didn't even know will lead up to your inevitable doom.

if you hadn't been slacking off during your first semester of junior year college, you wouldn't be forced to overwork yourself trying to catch up to the looming deadlines, but to be able to 'work yourself to the bone' you need your boost of energy… and that was when you met one of them.

"uhm," you scratch the back of your head sheepishly as you eye the six glass bottles of iced coffee. sure, it looks bad and you kinda appreciate the look of concern the cashier throws your way but it was none of his business.

"yes. now could you, like, you know… hurry up? i'm in a little bit of a time crunch right now."

screw it. although you hardly snap like that with other people on a daily basis, it'll be a whole different conversation if you were under a significant amount of stress and today, unfortunately, is one of those days.

now can he just fucking stop asking questions and give you your six bottles of death drink to keep your fucking brain going so you can pass an eight-page essay tomorrow? thank you very much!

the guy snickered, the beeping sound of a barcode being read sounding a thousand times more annoying than it usually sounds as he keeps his hand busy by punching your items out.

you fail to notice how he studies you through the gaps of his lashes, finding you interesting rather than threatening as you stood before him with your messy hair and oversized hoodie.

"haven't seen you around university grounds 'till today," he tries striking another conversation with you. "you new? i'm jaemin."

this was your first mistake, you shouldn't have been so… downright rude when you met him. if you were granted the miracle of meeting him a 2nd time, you would've acted more nice, throwing yourself at his feet even to blend in with the rest of his fangirls you didn't even know about at the time. you would've done anything to make sure he never gives you a second glance, to never pique his interest.

jaemin is the pep squad captain. flying over colored blue mats and doing tumblings in the air with no ounce of fear. he was the best in his team, that much was evident when your friend dragged you into watching a pep rally practice. his landings were clean, balanced, and executed to the best he can at all times.

no wonder he was popular, his talent is outstanding and his looks are a bonus. his killer combo of a smile and wink after pulling off a tough flip is enough to send them squealing in their seats.

he spotted you that day and since then, he snuck the quickest glances at the bench during practices. recognizing you as the coffee girl he met during his convenience store shift. jaemin tries not to let his disappointment show too much when he doesn't see you, but of course, a pair of cold calculating eyes could see right through him.

"i saw that," his boyfriend said, hand darting forward to hold jaemin's gym bag for him. "you kept looking at the crowd. do you want to see her that much?"

"but she reminds me so much of you, jeno!" he retorts, pouting at the slight grumpy tone the other boy used. "i can't help it. she doesn't seem to give a fuck around me so she's quite interesting. maybe she can even be a great addition to our relationship!"

"well," jeno replies after a beat of silence, plastering a small smirk on his face before slinging an arm around jaemin's shoulder.

"convince me?"

you don't like jaemin's attention. not in the slightest. and it seems that was enough reason for the reign of terror his little fanclub has subjected you too.

it wasn't the petty elementary forms of bullying like pulling at your hair or calling you names. they pale in comparison to the other things they do to you—beating you up, messing with your homework, "accidentally" dumping their food trays on you.

and you weren't stupid.

you knew exactly who was behind it, knew how jaemin spectates the whole thing from afar so that he can swoop in at the end to play your knight in shining armor.

"oh, you poor thing. do you need help?"

the first time you accepted his "help" you ended up in a supply closet near the gym during your free period, cornered and weak as your cries for help drowns under the squeaking of shoes and the booming sounds of rubber balls hitting the floor.

if it weren't for jeno appearing out of thin air and prying the boy off of you, you would've been painted blue and red from the death grip he had on your wrist, neck, and waist.

you can still remember feeling the soreness of your scalp from when he pulled your hair too hard. remembered feeling his teeth gnawing at your lips as if he wanted to tear them off.

that time hadn't been the first time you saw jeno. you've shared a few classes with him and it strikes you how polar opposites they are with one another.

while jaemin likes to bask in his professor and classmates' recognition by confidently reciting his answers, jeno would rather keep to himself. liked sitting at the last row, near the window, so he'd be the first to go once the professor ends their lecture. while jaemin loved the attention of his fangirls, jeno preferred solitude. while jaemin is impulsive and wild, jeno liked to think things through.

it was within these reasons that you decided to do what you did. but your judgement of character has never been more wrong.

you approached jeno one day in the library, tried to make yourself appear as stoic and confident as possible. but your constant slouching and averting eyes was a dead giveaway.

you came to talk to him about what jaemin has been doing, hoping there's one person left in this entire school that isn't under the cheer captain's trance. the one reasonable person that has already saved you once and (hopefully) is willing enough to save you again. the only one that probably has a certain level of control over jaemin, if the supply closet incident is anything to go by.

but you've overestimated lee jeno.

"you should've just given jaemin what he wanted."

"but—but aren't you two lovers? isn't it bothering you?"

you try baiting him, only for an uncomfortable shiver to start crawling down your spine when he chuckled humorlessly, pushing his school materials to the side while pinning you with an unreadable stare.

how can a person make someone feel so small just by a gaze alone? it was nothing like you've felt with jaemin. this is way worse.

"the only thing that's bothering me is why you're not ours yet."

you feel cold fingers creeping their way under your shirt, going higher and higher until it brushes against your bra. and when your eyes meet, the look on his face was unmistakable—what are you going to do about it, huh?

you stood up in lightning speed, the chair you've been sitting on scraping loudly against the floor.

you've never ran out as fast as you did.

and jeno swears it'll be the last.

you tried everything in your power to ignore them for the next following weeks but it soon became useless when the two boys took it upon themselves to give you your space.

although judging by the pinpricks you feel on your back, and the constant weight of a stare you feel on your shoulders, you knew they weren't done with you yet. far from it. and for some reason, you just knew they wanted to lull you into a false sense of security first before striking again.

and while they continued to ogle at you from afar like a hawk circling its prey in a desert, you took it upon yourself to return the favor. not because you were the slightest bit interested in those creeps but maybe, just maybe, if you look hard enough you'll find a way out, a weakness.

but what you realized made your insides churn in great discomfort—although it may seem that jeno holds the reins in the relationship since his reserved nature fits the role, it's actually the other way around.

jaemin might appear too self-centered, too focused on himself to give a fuck about his surroundings but in actuality, he has quite a knack for reading people. even more so than jeno. and it was scary how he used it to his advantage, and paired up with his devoted fangirls? it was hell on earth.

you found it alarming how the two seem to magically appear wherever you are.

although you weren't in the least bit surprised. for some reason, you can't take your eyes away when jaemin's devotees flock around him (and jeno) in a circle.

it almost reminds you of a shoal of piranhas, waiting for their meal to drop into the water before ripping it to shreds with their teeth. only their "meal" isn't actual flesh but the carefully crafted words jaemin says that drive them into a sick frenzy.

one that has them doing everything in their power to satisfy him like the loyal dogs they are.

so this was how he got them to bully you?

"oh, that? don't worry! yangyang just ran into me during cheer rehearsal. no biggie. my cheek stung a little bit, though…" is what he said but really he's telling them "scruff him up a bit for me, why don't ya?"

"of course, i can't be the best all the time. haechan is just too good, maybe even better than me…" is what he said but really he's telling them "can you remind him where his place should be?"

all the while jeno did nothing to hold him back.

no matter how wrong jaemin is, how much of an asshole he is, jeno will stick by his side through and through. so as much as jaemin is a puppeteer that gets a kick for controlling people, jeno is as much at fault for looking the other way.

because in jeno's perspective, why the fuck would he do shit when he can just get off from the entertainment that comes with jaemin's sweet little mind games?

we lost :(

you had been busy sorting through paperwork for one of your professors in the faculty when your friend texted you the results of the intercollegiate cheer dance competition. a frown paints your face, heart feeling heavy at the bad news.

in all honesty, you still supported the pep squad—you just hated the captain and his boyfriend. they've been practicing non-stop for this and prior to the weeks of the competition, jeno looked a lot more tense and jaemin less smiley than usual. you swore you even saw the latter snap at one of his fangirls.

not to mention, they paid less attention to you, too, and it was the best three weeks of your life.

tension starts rising in your shoulders, fingers absentmindedly running through the edge of the papers you had been sorting until you became immersed with your thoughts.

jaemin must be in the worst mood yet.

and jeno too, probably. if anything, that guy gets triggered the most when something bad happens to jaemin or when he catches snippets of people talking shit about his oh so "perfect" boyfriend.

jeno is a lot scarier when jaemin is in one of his mood swings, you noticed. he steps up in the relationship to offer comfort to the other boy and for outsiders? it isn't a great experience to go through—being on the receiving end of jeno's ice cold stare is a position you don't want to find yourself in after that time in the library.

he is still as much a threat to your peaceful life like his lover.

you snap out of it when the blinding headlights of a vehicle seep through the closed blinds. you hear the gentle hum of an engine switching off as the headlights vanished as quick as they had appeared. that must be the cheer squad's bus.

as you look around the empty faculty room, something in your gut tells you to ditch file sorting duty for professor kim tonight and fucking get the hell out of campus grounds as quick as you can.

after haphazardly throwing the unsorted papers back into the cabinet, you groan aloud when the keys to the office drop out of your skirt’s pocket.

the indoor gym where the cheering squad practices is right across the hallway. you sure as hell don't want to bump into jaemin. or jeno, too, if he had decided to ride along the cheer squad's bus on the way home.

you kept looking for the keys underneath the cubicles, cursing aloud when you heard the telltale squeaks of shoes rubbing against linoleum. you almost hit your head against a table when you quickly got back up your feet, darting forward to shut the lights for the faculty room.

they can't know you're here. alone. and if it meant sitting in the dark for a few hours 'till they leave, meant going back home a little later than usual is what you have to do then so be it.

you try not to react so violently when the door you're leaning on jolts when someone from outside slams their back against it.

"it's not like we didn't do our best, right guys? i don't have regrets. it might sound fucking cheesy and although i'm sad myself, atleast we did what we can."

it's jaemin. his voice clear as day.

you try peaking, craning your neck up from your place on the floor. only to see the back of his head leaning against the glass section of the door. someone else joins in on the conversation, followed by coach park himself, and you slowly tune out whatever they're saying as you stealthily start scanning the faculty room.

you curse under your breath. is there no other exit other than this door? jesus christ! even classrooms in this university had two doors—

"what are you doing here?"

the switch flickers on, basking the once dark room with light. only when you hear an echo of your name being called, did you snap out of it and quickly picked yourself up from the floor.

"i said, what are you doing here?"

their coach asks, drilling the question as he looks at you skeptically with his arms crossed. you try not to look at the people behind him.

particularly, not at his cheer captain standing on his right.

particularly, not at jeno, who stands out like a sore thumb with his blue hair, a protective arm snaked around jaemin’s shoulders.

this isn't your lucky day, too, you guess.

"i was…" you cursed yourself for stuttering. "i was, uhm, i was file sorting for prof—professor kim, sir."

coach park looked like he didn't believe you as he narrowed his eyes in scrutiny. your nerves are going haywire and you can feel the sharp pins of their stare with how close they are.

you kept juggling your weight with the balls of your feet, hands fisting and unfisting behind your back. you want to leave. you have to leave.

"file sorting… in the dark?" he asked incredulously.

fuck this.

"uhm, you can ask professor kim himself tomorrow, coach. for now, uh, i'll be going now. i'm sorry you guys lost…"

originally, the exit is on the right side, at the end of the hallway. but no, you are not going to pass by those two while on your way out so you ducked behind a random student standing on the coach's left instead and practically ran away from the scene.

everyone had been too busy. too busy looking at your retreating form to even notice jaemin and jeno exchanging glances, too busy to notice the latter untangling himself from their captain to slip away unnoticed, his hurried steps filled with a burning purpose.

you didn't know why you ran, but you did. your shoes practically booming against the floor as you sped away through darkened hallways. you're sweating profusely, heart hammering in your chest. you can worry about professor kim tomorrow but right now you just had to—

"why are you in such a rush, pet?"

crashing into jeno felt like crashing into a wall. if it hadn't been for his arm quickly wrapping around your waist, then you would've landed on your butt before him.

with the small distance between the two of you, jeno could see as clear as day through your eyes.

jaemin was right.

it was addicting to stare into them.

especially when he can see every single one of your thoughts flying through your pretty little head. but hey, it wasn't their fault you were so easy to read.

jeno barely conceals the wicked smirk on his lips when your hands come up to his chest, trying to push him away but to no avail.

he can see your eyes shifting from shock, to confusion, until it finally settles on fear—to which it's slowly becoming a favorite emotion of his to see on your face.

"you know, jaemin is in a really shitty mood right now. and we were wondering, maybe you can cheer us up?"

no. this can't be happening.

"jeno, please." your dilated eyes and disheveled hair made his blood run south. "let me go. you don't want me. you don't need a third party in your relationship."

you yelp when he lets you go, literally shoving you against a wall—which you found out is actually a door, as it swings open as soon as your body crashes against it.

with jeno looming unforgivingly before you in his full height, the tears stung extra hard but you won't let them fall.

if he wanted to bask in the image of your weakness then it'll be something you'll deprive from him for as long as you can.

"i don't need a stupid bitch like you to tell me what i feel." he scoffs. "don't fucking kid yourself, you little whore—i don't want you. i'm not jaemin."

the echo of the classroom door shutting closed surged through you like a wake up call.

this is really happening.

you've always led a decent life, had done nothing too questionable and you've always thought maybe life will spare you if you lived quietly enough. but the feel of jeno's freezing hands crawling against your skin felt like life itself had spat at you in the eye and left you to rot in a ditch.

"i've always liked how you wore skirts," he comments. playing with the ruffled hem of the soft fabric as he purposely grazed his knuckles against your supple thighs. "gives me easy access, don't you agree?"

you scream when he flips your skirt up to reveal the innocent pink of your cotton panties. it was as if a switch had flipped inside of you and the will to fight started coursing through your veins.

"stop! jeno! i don't want this!"

his brows furrow, grunting as he struggles to push the waistline of your skirt up higher with how much you're thrashing underneath him. you buck your hips, tried curling in on yourself, anything to prolong what he wants to do to you.

with your legs trapped underneath his, you blindly reach forward, relying on your upper body instead to push and scratch whatever your palms and nails reached.

you continue screaming like a banshee until he shoved two fingers into your wet cavern.

"stop fighting me," he sounded strained, as if he's holding himself back. you feel him fisting the fabric of your skirt and you fear he's simply going to rip it apart.

you tried responding to him, only the sound had been muffled, gurgled by the flat of his fingers pushing down against your tongue mercilessly. when you reach forward to push him away, your hands land on the apple of his cheeks, nails digging through skin.

until it slips and—

you lie rigid when red scratch marks in the size of your fingernails slowly appear on jeno's skin, his head turned to the side as he paused. your actions slowly start sinking in to him as he shuts his eyes and bit his lip 'till it looked like it was about to bleed.

oh no.

"jeno—"

the slap he planted on your cheek left your ears ringing. all those hard earned muscles of his put to good use—if the tears hadn't fallen for the last few minutes, then it definitely started falling now.

the hit had been so strong, a few of your hair flew astray, the buzzing feeling of your skin tempting you to reach a hand up to soothe your abused cheek.

until jeno let out a low growl and your hand immediately drops limp against your body, afraid of whatever else he can do to you other than a slap.

"that's more like it," he whispers under his breath. you let out the tiniest of whimpers when his hand darts forward to fist your hair. "do you know what happens to bad girls? they fucking get busted up. do you understand me?"

his patience is nonexistent.

jeno slams your head against the floor when you don't answer because you thought his question had been rhetorical. it felt like your skull had been split in two as you wail in pain.

"are you fucking deaf—i asked you a fucking question!"

the hand that cups your jaw is painful as he squeezed your cheek with his blunt nails. your hand shoots up to wrap around his wrist, silently pleading for him to let up as you sobbed out loud. you started nodding as best as you can despite his firm grip on your face.

your reply was nothing short of pathetic. with lips forcefully pursed and the steady stream of your tears and snot rolling down your face, your response is gargled and hardly incoherent and jeno seemed to thoroughly enjoy your anguish if the condescending curl on his lips is anything to go by.

"look at you," he whispers, his face coming close to yours as he holds you down. there was something in the way jeno stared so intently that it made your skin crawl.

"i think you're prettiest when ruined like this."

with his nose touching yours, he felt too close, bordering on intimate as you felt his hand creep back up your thighs, trailing up with feather-like touches that made goosebumps appear on your skin.

you tried wiggling your legs underneath him but one sharp look from jeno is enough to make you stop.

the hand holding your face moves. coming down from gripping your face to encircling his hand around your neck.

"do you like it when i touch you? freaky bitch."

his hands trail further up, up, up until you felt him slotting a finger underneath your panties.

jeno didn't like how frozen you were underneath him as he pulls at the hem before letting go. the elastic snapping back against your skin.

the action evokes a strong feeling through the young male, promising to have you writhing and screaming and begging because by the end of all this, you'll be so needy and frustrated that you will have no choice but to give in to what your body wanted.

"jeno, didn't i tell you to play nice?"

someone stands by the door, the minimal light from the hallway creating a silhouette with his form but you knew who he was. that deep voice, with the same annoying flippant tone, is a dead giveaway.

you didn't know why you even hoped in the beginning. as if there'll be someone who can save you from these two.

you thought the flash of hurt in your eyes was quick to disappear but jeno noticed it quicker.

in a span of seconds, he pulled you up from your position from the ground and tugged you towards his lap. you haven't even gotten the time to settle on your new position when he already smashed his lips against yours.

it was messy. too much saliva. too much teeth. no tenderness to it at all.

the fabric of his jeans felt rough, not to mention the ice cold belt buckle made you severely uncomfortable as it seeps through the thin fabric of your skirt.

when you attempt to hover over his lap, jeno grunts as he snakes an arm around your waist, pulling you back down without your lips breaking away from each other. you didn't know why he let out a whine, but you understood the moment you fully sat down on his lap and you felt a tent on his jeans hitting your clothed entrance perfectly.

in a normal circumstance, you would've found everything hot and might've actually gotten off from it but not when it's him who’s doing this to you and you didn’t consent to any of this.

you start squirming again. palms lying flat against jeno's chest as you attempt to push him away and jaemin sees this as the opportune moment to slot himself behind you, caging you in between them.

“i want my turn,” he hisses and without an ounce of hesitation, jeno stops to do what he's told.

jaemin doesn't waste any second to grab your face, awkwardly craning your neck up to meet his lips in the same feverish kiss.

while jeno had been all teeth and aggression, practically forcing you to open your mouth and kiss him back, jaemin on the other hand is more soft, more romantic, you daresay. he seemed to like taking his sweet time by clutching your face, kissing you like he actually meant it.

he pulls away slightly, resting his forehead against yours as he murmurs something incoherent under his breath and then he's kissing you again.

you think you heard something along the lines of, "finally."

you've been too distracted by jaemin to notice jeno's nimble fingers quickly fumbling with the buttons of your blouse. it was only when you feel the sensation of his tongue laving against the swell of your breast did you turn away from jaemin, jerking backward in surprise.

"no—!"

your scream is cut off by a hand cupping your mouth. jaemin pulls your back towards his chest, molding your body against his as jeno licked and suckled all he wanted, thankful to have the other boy there to not worry about restraining you and keeping you quiet while he has his fun.

"ah, ah, ah," jaemin teases, going hard over the pleading and teary look you sent his way. it looked pathetic, he wasn't going to lie, but it doesn't mean he didn't love it. "just keep still and appreciate jeno's efforts to take care of you, alright baby?"

you don't like how he talked as if this was all a mutual thing, how he talked slowly like you were some toddler who didn't understand anything.

it's cruel how jaemin giggled and basked in your vulnerable state as he kept his eyes pinned on you while undoing the zipper of your skirt. your muffled cries of his name only serving to egg him on.

the way he stared was similar to jeno, too intently and intrusive, like he wants to burn your image of despair in the back of his head.

you whined involuntarily when jeno got bored of all the licking and thus decided to start biting and nipping at your chest instead. he was hypnotised by how responsive you were, how every little bite and nibble made you shudder.

it was a shame that jaemin had to cover your mouth. he didn't get to hear your pretty mewls but it wasn't as if he'd let the night end without hearing them loud and clear.

jaemin is fast in undressing you, feeling slightly betrayed by how quick your skirt and blouse fell under his hands.

you know what he wants, what he's going to do, and the tears fall harder when you can't dodge away from him. forced to endure and accept whatever they give you.

"you act like you don't like it but look how fucking wet you are," you bit your lip hard when jaemin starts circling the pads of his fingers against your clit, fascinated by how more juices streamed down your thighs.

"jeno, do you see this? fuck."

you can only blink in defeat, staring off to the side as you force down any noise bubbling up your throat, forcing yourself to think of anything else other than what's happening right now.

you try not to think about how they managed to tear all of your clothes off while they're left completely dressed. tried not to think about the fingers lazily drawing up and down your slit to collect your essence.

if they're doing this as a way to further humiliate you, it's working.

"slut," jeno mocked, a wicked curl on his lips when he wraps his fingers around your throat. the moment he dives down to claim your lips again is the same time jaemin pushes two fingers inside you.

"look at how wet you are because of me," jaemin whispers hot against your ear and you feel a sick churn in your stomach when you feel his smile against your skin.

he purposely drives his fingers in and out quicker, settjng a brutal pace, wanting you to hear the lewd squelching sounds. "hear that? do you hear that, darling? that's because of me—"

"don't go talking big now, jaem," jeno retorts, pulling away from your lips to start nibbling on the back of your ear. "i was here first. did you see how she fucking reacted when i sucked on her tits?"

you're quick to catch how jeno particularly loved degrading you. but how he talks about you as if you're literally not in front of him naked made you hit a new all-time low.

you felt… filthy.

his hands find purchase on your butt—only because jaemin has already claimed the front. for now.

you close your eyes tight when he painfully squeezes the flesh of your ass. you swear, his blunt nails will paint your skin black and blue.

"i'm the favorite!"

as someone who's part of a varsity team, you already knew a competitive nature runs through jaemin's veins. but never had you thought jeno would share the same sentiment. once again they prove that they're cut from the same cloth.

all of a sudden it wasn't all about claiming you as theirs anymore rather it was all about who can make you moan the loudest, who can make you cum the most, who can make you feel the dirtiest you can be.

you're absolutely terrified for the hours to come.

thankfully, they have yet to ask for your verbal opinion or validation. they let your body do all the talking—every repressed shudder and sharp gasp is enough.

but it's game over once they pop the million dollar question.

"who do you like best?"

you don't want to find out the consequences if you actually answered their question because you didn't know what could be worse.

jaemin's manipulation or jeno's aggression?

but it was all normal. trial and error is inevitable in order to build and mold you into the ideal lover for the both of them.

because adding someone new to the mix has never been easy—after all, three's a crowd.

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