#i may have another 10k to go but we’ll see where the road takes me

[atlabeth]

i actually think this is the most fun i’ve had writing in a long time idk what it is about this au but it’s such a joy

[storiesforallfandoms]

nothing left ~ 10k;z nation

word count: 2229

request?: no

description: he accompanies her back to her childhood home to find nothing left besides the memories of times before the zombies, and they decide to leave some new memories there

pairing: 10k x female!reader

warnings: swearing, smut

masterlist

(Y/N) kept a straight face as they drove past the sig with her hometown’s name displayed in bold, black letters against the stark white background. It was the first time she had been there since she and her parents had escaped during the initial Z outbreak. Since then, she had lost everything, but managed to find a new family within the small group that took her in.

They came to a stop at an empty parking lot of an abandoned supermarket. Everyone got out, weapons in tow.

“This place is a ghost town,” Doc commented.

“Almost everyone vacated when the infection started,” (Y/N) explained. “I don’t even think there would be any Zs here. It’s probably only been ransacked lately.”

“It’s the only town for miles, it’s our best bet for resources,” Warren said. “We search the place where we can and see what we can find.” She turned to (Y/N) to add, “Do you want to go home? Just to see the place if nothing else?”

(Y/N) was dying to get home, but she didn’t want anyone on the team to see her as weak or fragile. Although she knew they wouldn’t think any different of her if she did show some weakness, in this day and age, your biggest threat was to be perceived as weak to anyone.

Before she could respond, 10k spoke up. “I think you should. It’ll give you a break from everything, and you can be closer to your parents for even just a moment.”

(Y/N) had a hard time saying no to 10k, especially when parents were involved. She knew he wanted nothing more than to be close to his own father again, but, like (Y/N), 10k hadn’t been home in nearly a year. He didn’t even know if his own home was still standing. If she turned down this opportunity that she knew 10k wanted so bad in front of him, she’d never forgive herself.

“It would be nice,” she admitted.

“You go then honey,” Warren said, her voice soft and kind. “10k, you go with her for protection. Meet us back here before sundown. We’ll wait a little while, but not too long.”

The two youngest members left in the opposite direction of the group. (Y/N) led 10k down the still familiar roads. They weren’t too far from the house and, before she knew it, (Y/N) was stood in front of her childhood home. Her eyes widened at the sight of it.

All the windows were smashed and the door was practically ripped off of the hinges. They entered with weapons raised in case of a Z attack. (Y/N)’s heart broke to see the place ransacked and destroyed. Every picture her parents had hung were smashed to pieces. Only one remained partially in tact, one of (Y/N) and her parents when she was barley a year old. They were on their first vacation as a family to visit someone in another state. The picture was of the three of them on the beach together. Baby (Y/N) was in her mother’s arms, taken by the sand in her tiny hands while her parents were smiling brightly at the camera.

10k looked over her shoulder as her eyes began to water. “You look a lot like your mom.”

“I got that a lot,” she said. “We were basically twins. Dad said I got lucky with mom’s genes.”

She held the picture close to her chest as she moved up the stairs to where the bedrooms and main bathroom was. Whoever had broken in must’ve found what they wanted on the first floor because the bedrooms were relatively untouched. Every poster and picture (Y/N) had on her walls were still there. Her old laptop was even still there, although she doubted that it worked anymore.

“It’s weird,” she said. “It feels like I’ve been gone for years, but this room looks exactly the way I left it, like not a day has past.”

“Anything here you want to take with you?” 10k asked.

(Y/N) shook her head. “I took most of the important stuff when we left first. There’s nothing but memories here now.”

She was so lost in her own thoughts - memories of when things were good - that she didn’t hear 10k leave the room to walk into the bathroom until he spoke again. “The water still runs.”

She walked into the bathroom to find clean water running from the tap. She put a hand under the water, feeling it go from freezing cold to comfortably warm in seconds.

“The power and stuff must still be running,” she said. “Good news for us. I haven’t showered in ages.”

“You think it’s safe?” 10k asked, but (Y/N) was already placing her weapons on the bathroom counter and shedding herself of her top layers.

“I’m willing to take one for the team if it means I’ll be clean when I die,” she joked. “You can watch the door and make sure no Zs or no more looters come in. I’ll leave my gun close enough that I can use it if need be.”

10k nodded. Before he could get the chance to turn back on, (Y/N) grabbed the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head. For a split second, 10k saw the black bra she was wearing. It was old and worn, probably one of the only ones she had left. Due to this, it was basically falling apart, so when he got a brief glance of the bra, he also got a glance of one of her breasts.

10k’s eyes widened as he quickly turned his back so that (Y/N) didn’t know. He stood in the doorway, listening over the sound of the shower running for any indication of someone, or something, breaking into the house.

The warm water running over (Y/N) caused her to let out a moan of relief. It had been so long since she had properly bathed. The warm water of the familiar shower felt like heaven to her.

Outside the shower, 10k was shuffling awkwardly. He and (Y/N) had been close since they had first met, but they had only ever viewed each other as friends and Z fighting colleagues. He didn’t understand why he was starting to have this feeling about her. Maybe it was just boy hormones and the fact that she was a naked girl just a few feet away from him. But it felt like more than that. Maybe it had always been more than that but he was just afraid to admit it.

Before he could stop himself, 10k silently placed his gun next to hers on the toilet cover. He began to shed himself of his own clothes, working quickly and quietly as to not disturb her. (Y/N) had her head back with the water running over her hair and body when 10k pulled the curtain back and stepped in. She opened her eyes to look at him, shocked by his sudden appearance. She looked him up and down for a moment, her face giving away nothing.

“Gotta save water,” 10k said, trying to lighten the mood.

A smile broke out across (Y/N)’s face as a small giggle came from her lips. “Come here, 10k.”

She put a hand on the back of his neck at the same time that his hands found her waist. Their lips collided and it felt like the most right thing in the terrible, fucked up world around them. 10k’s lips moved against (Y/N)’s perfectly, as if they were supposed to be there, to be kissing her so deeply. His hands wandered over her dripping body, touching every inch of her soft skin with his calloused hands.

(Y/N) let out a sudden squeal as 10k lifted her effortlessly, wrapping her legs around his waist. She was shocked at his strength. Sure, he wasn’t as scrawny and wimpy as he may have looked, but he certainly wasn’t the strongest person in the world. He’s just full of surprises, (Y/N) noted as his lips connected with hers again.

His hard boner was against her aching core, teasing her ever so slightly with every gently brush against her. She whimpered against his lips when she felt him brush against her opening, trying to ground her hips against his to feel her inside of him. Knowing that she wanted this as much as he did made him even more turned on. He was almost afraid that he wouldn’t be able to make this moment last long enough.

He helped to guide her down onto his hard length, causing (Y/N) to gasp as he filled her entirely.

“Am I hurting you?” he asked her, suddenly realizing that he had no idea what (Y/N)’s sexual past was like.

“No,” she responded, her voice breathless and airy. “I just haven’t had sex in a very long time. I forgot how good it felt.”

10k smiled at her and pressed his lips against hers again. He pressed her back against the nearest wall and slowly began to thrust himself into her. (Y/N)’s back arched against the wall, trying to get as close to 10k as she possibly could.

He was slow and gentle, which drove (Y/N) even more wild. She held on around his neck as if her life depended on it, moaning and gasping against his lips with every thrust he pushed into her. She could barley even think straight, her mind focusing only on the pleasure that 10k was providing her.

“Is this alright?” he asked, his voice soft.

(Y/N) couldn’t help but smile. Sweet 10k, always thinking of the comfort of others, even when he was in the middle of the most intense shower sex (Y/N) had ever had.

“It’s more than alright,” she responded. “God, it feels so fucking good.”

10k had heard (Y/N) swearing many times, but hearing the expletive word slip from her breathless voice in that moment drove him wild. He rested his head against her shoulder, groaning as he pushed his hips against hers again, filling her completely.

“You feel so good,” he told her. “You’re so soft and warm, fuck.”

“Who would’ve thought that sweet 10k had a dirty side?” (Y/N) giggled.

“You must not know me well enough, then.”

“Maybe I don’t.”

Her thought was cut short as 10k pulled almost completely out of her then filled her again. Her mind was clouded with lust as she tried to rock her hips against his, begging for the release she wanted.

Noticing her desperation, 10k wrapped one arm around her lower back and slipped his free hand between them. (Y/N) gasped as his fingers connected with her swollen nerves and began to rub circles in them. She could feel a familiar pressure building inside of her. She clung to 10k’s shoulders, curses falling from her mouth in between moans of pleasure. Her legs began to shake as she felt herself hitting her climax. She threw her head back and called 10k’s name - his real name - in pleasure.

Feeling her walls contracting around him caused 10k to feel his own climax approaching. He held on to her hips as his thrusts became a little faster. Before he knew it, his eyes were nearly rolling back into his head as he felt himself filling her with his warm cum. The feeling of the warmth inside of her was enough to almost turn (Y/N) on again.

They stayed tangled together for a moment, completely forgetting about the running water cascading down onto them. It wasn’t until the warm water started to turn cold that they realized it was probably time for the two of them to get out.

Luckily for them, whoever looted the house also didn’t think to take any of the towels in the upstairs linen closet, so they had a way to dry themselves off. Before she started pulling her clothes on, 10k wrapped his arms around (Y/N) again and kissed her exposed shoulders and neck before placing one last sweet kiss against her lips.

“We should tell the others about the running water,” he said as he pulled his clothes back on. “If this place is relatively Z-less, we could probably get away with staying here for a while.”

“We’ve stayed in worst looking places,” (Y/N) agreed. “I’m sure everyone else is dying to clean themselves, too. There’s enough room for everyone to sleep with all the bedrooms and the couch downstairs.”

The reminder of the wreckage when they first entered caused a melancholy mood to wash over (Y/N) again. Noticing this, 10k brought her into his arms and held her tightly.

“I’m sorry about your house,” he said. “I’m sorry someone did this to you, that they took all the memories of this place.”

(Y/N) shook her head. “They didn’t take the memories. No one could ever take that from this place. Besides, I’d like to make some new memories here...with you.”

10k smiled and kissed the top of her head. “I think we’ve already started with that.”

(Y/N) giggled and pulled away from him. “Let’s go find everyone to tell them before they leave us abandoned.”

[imnotwolverine]

Written in Egyptian Cotton

Henry Cavill x OC (Naomi) one-shot

Disclaimer: NSFW, sexual tension w/ someone outside of relationship, emotional blackmailing, break-up, smut

Word count: 9.982

Author’s note: It took a while, but here’s a fic I’ve written on request of darling @cherrybloomn​ (thank you for all your wonderful ideas, patience and help! ❤️). It may have changed quite a bit from your original idea, going from pure smut to something with nearly 10k of backstory - WOOPS - but here goes.

PS. I just got back from work ..and..eh..WHAT?! I got like 200 notifications, which is like 10x what I’m used to getting in such a time frame. So, whatever’s going on; thank you sweet readers, it’s such a joy to see you enjoying my work in such great numbers, and what a great way to start my weekend! YAY!!  🎉

--

Written in Egyptian cotton

‘Well you could have just told me. Yeuss Henry..’ The pretty brunette rolled her eyes and turned away from him, her face pouting as she scooted back, further expanding the already significant distance between the two.

‘But..I did! I…’ He sighed, realising she was no longer listening, her arms crossed in front of her ample bosom as she looked out of the window of the jeep, the vehicle bouncing left and right as it drove over the uneven desert road.

The blond woman in the shotgun seat, Naomi, bit her lip, the petty fight behind her reminding her just what a ..joy..it was to not have a partner of her own. And this definitely wasn’t the first petty fight between her two clients, the two near endlessly bickering over the past week. They were far from the calm, loving couples she was used to giving tours, being a personal traveling guide for the well-to-do.

‘I hate this.’ The brunette softly muttered under her breath, the air in the jeep now so tense that it would only be a matter of time before the ticking time bomb that she, Victoria, was, would completely explode.

The other day she had in fact almost jumped out of the car after a full hour of nagging that she didn’t want to go. And now? Now she was picking a fight over the fact that Henry hadn’t told her explicitly that we wouldn’t be back before dinner, since..well..the name kind of implied as much; we were going to do a “Night Tour”.

The darling brunette had not packed any extra clothes, which is, no matter what you are going to do in the desert, ab-so-lute-ly ridiculous. People got stuck here all the time and nature didn’t care about your pouting face and stomping feet. Carefully looking over her shoulder Naomi caught a glimpse of Henry’s eyes as he bit his tongue again, the large man quietly clenching his fists before his blue eyes quickly looked away, avoiding Naomi’s knowing gaze.

It was going to be a long, long, long afternoon..and probably even longer night.

Shivering in the cold night air as she had given some of her spare clothes to Victoria, Naomi called a silent prayer as she heard the wind in her back carry the all familiar nagging voice of one very unhappy client.

Would this ever end?

‘My feet hurt. Can we go back?..HENRY? Hello? Earth to Henry?…I’m tired.’ The small company just trudged on through the sandy dunes, some pocket lights shining the way to a small beduin village where a local would tell about life in the desert and explain how the stars were used to travel in the vast expanse of this sandy landscape.

It was a pretty night. The wind laying low and the stars sparkling bright like a million tiny freckles on a black velvet canvas. Almost perfect. Almost, the peace and quiet of millions of sand grains not being able to muffle the never-ending wails that escaped Victoria’s lips, no matter what her lover Henry tried - the shame and annoyance clear on his clean shaven, handsome face.

‘Vic..- URGH - Victoria. Please. Just…’ Henry’s voice came out strained and choppy. ‘Stop.’

‘Oh YOU WANT ME TO STOP. Well here.’ She stopped her dragging feet at once, soon falling even further behind. Henry halted as well, shining his light at her, her face turned up in an angry scowl. ‘..I stopped.’ She growled.

‘Vic..baby come on. I promise once we get back I’ll make it up. We’ll..’ He hesitated. ‘We’ll..just..reschedule our plans. Look for a..a..swimming pool..and..hammam. Get you pampered, hmm? Just a few more hours, okay babe?’

‘FUCK. YOU.’ She near-screamed over the listening landscape, the small gathering of other tourists that had arrived for the tour now also halting to hear and see what was amiss with these two.

Naomi quickly paced back to check on her bickering clients, her heels sinking away in the heavy sand before she halted next to Henry, his voice just biting back a quiet; ‘I wish we’d at least do tha..’ - ‘Hey. You okay?’ Naomi looked Henry up and down, his face long and exasperated. He looked positively DONE with his darling girlfriend.

‘Yea..it’s..we just..’ He looked at Victoria and wetted his lips. ‘..Just a..just a moment, okay?’ He offered Naomi a pleading look and took a shaky breath before quickly moving down the dune hill to talk some sense into Victoria.

They truly were an interesting pair. Victoria playing Henry like a fiddle. A sweet caress, a little flirt, followed with an on-slaught of ..well..emotional blackmailing?

Naomi watched Henry disappear in the half-light, her blond hair flailing in the gentle night air as was lit up by the dozen pocket lights that shone behind her back, the rest of the group now also watching the scene unfold.

The scene where Victoria broke with him, Henry.

AGAIN.

Yea..this was emotional blackmailing.

‘Hey.’ - ‘Hey…’ Henry hesitantly stepped into the corner of the hotel bar, Naomi sprawled onto a low sofa as she was typing away on her laptop, the hour late and her hand keeping a cocktail right within arm’s reach. ‘Can I eh..’ He bit his lip. ‘..join? I mean. I don’t want to..’ - ‘Oh yes, of course! Please!’ Naomi hastily sat up and pushed aside the scattering of paper that had gathered around her as she worked through the plans she was making for her next trip.

‘I really don’t want to disturb you. Please…I..’ - ‘Henry.’ Naomi looked up at him with a stern but friendly look. ‘Sit down.’

He sighed and smiled hesitantly, the falling out with Victoria clearly having scarred his confidence a little, his large feet carefully stepping into the small nook to take a seat on the dark blue sofa. With a sigh escaping he let himself sink into the comfortable pillows, his whole being obviously very exhausted with all that had come to pass.

‘See. The couch doesn’t bite.’ Naomi winked, hoping it would lighten the mood ever so slightly as she moved to place all her stuff on the seat next to her.

‘Well that makes one thing that doesn’t bite me in the butt.’ He snickered, his voice echoing the tiredness of his body after a long day of attending to the every need of Victoria - who had thankfully retired to the hotel room by now.

‘Yea..’ Naomi said softly, her voice trailing away in the incense heavy air, the temperature inside the hotel lounge so very comfortable after a few long hours of hiking through the cold desert dunes. She had fallen into a bit of a rosy state, her pale cheeks slightly flustered, a fluster that got even worse when Henry finally laid a good eye on her.

He had that effect on her.

Always had.

‘So..’ Naomi quickly swallowed, reaching for her drink in hope it would cool her down somewhat. ’..that was an eventful night, hmm?’

‘You can say that.’ Henry sighed, sinking even further down in the pillows so he could rest his head on the backrest. It didn’t look like he was going to share his thoughts with her, and Naomi couldn’t blame him.

‘Hey..shall I get you a drink? Looks like you can use a drink.’

‘Oh no..please. I can..’ He tried to get up from his comfortable position but Naomi gently coaxed him back in the pillows. ‘I’ve gotcha, no worries.’ She said, using her fingertips to push him back down. A gesture that made their eyes interlock for another brief moment, both their mouths falling open ever so slightly as Naomi’s nimble fingers felt through the soft fabric of his shirt, noting Henry’s rapid beating heart, his pupils blown out wide.

Naomi hastily pulled back her hand and smiled. ‘Sorry.’

Darn it Naomi! He literally broke up with his girlfriend two hot seconds ago!

Besides..HE’S YOUR CLIENT.

’No..no..please..It’s okay.’ Henry muttered, pushing himself up from the pillows all the same, his eyes looking for hers but she already evaded his gaze again. A mere look of those ocean blues did things to her that she should not even think about. She shouldn’t make the same mistakes she made earlier.

He’s a client. And a very good, returning client at that. Behave yourself!

‘Yea..okay..drinks.’ Naomi pushed herself off the couch and with long strides she carried herself to the bar, out of his sight, one heated night in the city of Rome springing back up in her mind.

Ugh..Rome..

‘Can I ..can I at least have a pillow and a blanket?’ Henry tried, standing in the corner of his and Victoria’s hotel room. ‘Pffft! You run so hot in the night..like you fucking NEED it.’  

‘VICTORIA dammit! I’m trying to just…ARGH..’ - ‘WHAT?! HUH? Make amends?! Oh look at me being all goooood, your superhero ready to serve your every need. I am Henry, I am too good to keep my girlfriend involved when we plan OUR SHARED FUCKING HOLIDAY.’ Victoria fumed as she pricked her long, prettily manicured nail in his chest. ‘Or is that not how it went, hmm? HMMM?’ She moved to spin around on her heel, but Henry caught her arm before she could reach the bed, his hand gripping awkwardly around the silky smooth fabric of her black bathrobe.

Black like the poison in her words.

‘Vic..I’m sorry..really..’ He sounded at loss for words, his every attempt to make things better between them, only causing more damage. His voice got close to breaking as Victoria’s words echoed in his ear.

‘Don’t Vic me.’ She growled, fiercely pulling her arm from his grip and reached for a little blanket and a pillow. ‘Here. You sleep on the fucking couch.’ And with that she threw the items at him before pointing at the couch that was situated behind a curtain in the corner of the room.

Henry blinked and held his breath, the fabric of the little blanket coarse beneath his finger tips.

Another uncomfortable night on a couch, it was.

‘Wow, look at that!’ Henry’s eyes glittered as the boat coasted over the smooth water of the Nile, a number of land workers digging through the wet soil on the river bed to create water trenches for their crops. ‘Cool right.’ Naomi stepped in besides him, joining him as he watched the men work. ‘They’ve been doing it like that for thousands of years. In fact the Egyptians became one of the first cultures to develop such large scale agriculture. And actually.. if you look to the..’ - ‘Hi!’ Victoria peaked in between the two of them, her face all smiles as she squeezed herself through, trying to get a glimpse of what Henry and Naomi were looking at.

‘Whatcha talking about, hmm?’ She smiled at Henry, who blinked at her like she had just slapped him right in the face.

‘Eh..the..the..fieldworkers.’ He quickly gathered himself, stepping aside to make room for her, ever the gentleman. ‘You see those men there?’ He pointed at the bronzed figures in the distance, toiling in the harsh midday sun.

‘Mhm, what about them? Hey, by the way, they have cocktails on board, did you know that?’

And just like that the conversation was diverted back to the many luxuries that Henry didn’t care much about, but Victoria? Oh Victoria most definitely did.

It had played out like this on a near daily basis. Like the bipolar sexbomb Victoria was, she was either a sweet, happy and bubbly spirit, or a projectile of red clawed nails and vicious words whose sole purpose was to hurt whomever got near.

Which, usually was Henry.

As Victoria pulled on Henry’s arm to attract his attention, he looked past the brunette to meet the worried gaze of Naomi. He knew what she thought. All in just one simple look.

Oh...If only his life could be so simple as to understand his lovers with just one look.

If only everything in life was so simple, so gentle, as the caress of her fingers over the cotton sheets of her bed.

Trailing her finger pads over the notoriously soft Egyptian cotton, Naomi looked up at the ceiling of her hotel room. Usually she had a near endless pool of energy to tap from. Traveling, in the end, was her life’s dream. Now, however, she was simply exhausted. Truly, truly exhausted.

Naomi just hoped that beneath the childish nagging and materialistic bullshit that seemed to make up 99% of Victoria’s being, there was somewhere deep underneath that 1% that made her a good match for Henry. Because honestly, she couldn’t see it. She couldn’t see what made the two a good fit.

Happy, cheerful Henry seemed honestly depressed. She had known him for years and never had she seen the large man shrink so small and unsure. And Victoria? She seemed truly restless, her gaze and attention falling a bit too often on other men. Rich men. As if she was setting up a back-up plan.

Poor Hen..

*knock knock*

Naomi blinked and turned her head slightly. Had she just imagined that? The room was near quiet, some muted sounds outside the third floor window of a few people walking through the nightly streets of Caïro. Hmm, strange. Maybe it was just her mind playing tricks on her. She looked back up at the ceiling, her fingers trailing back over the soft cotton.

Maybe she could help him. Maybe she could..

*knock knock*

Alright. There was definitely something, or someone, there. Sitting up and slipping into a bathrobe to look at least a little bit presentable, her bare feet padded over to the door as she searched for a light switch, hands flicking open the lock to see who was there.

Henry, his lips curling in a tentative smile as he carefully let out a little breath.

‘H-heyy..Henry.’ Naomi blinked, then looked into the hallway left and right, almost as if half expecting a vicious Victoria to come chasing him down the long hallway. But, there was nobody else there.

‘Hi. Eh..mind if I eh..’ He gestured over her shoulder and she gulped a quick agreement, stepping back to let him inside.

Did something happen?

‘Yea..sure, sure. Come in. Don’t want to wake the neighbors haha.’ - ‘Yea..the neighbors.’ Henry swallowed, his eyes flying around her small, but comfortable hotel room. On one side of her king sized bed a scattering of maps and tourist info, obviously moved aside so she could go to sleep in the other half, sheets already tousled.

‘You know what...I..It can wait til morning. I didn’t know you went to bed.’

‘Oh no, please, please. I couldn’t sleep AT ALL, actually. Tired yes. Sleep no.’ Naomi shrugged.

‘Hmm.’ Henry’s brows furrowed as he looked back at Naomi, seeing she indeed looked quite tired. So unlike her, the steady force of happy, bubbly excitement in his life right now.

‘I hope it’s not about..Victoria..I really am so sorry about-’ - ‘It’s fine. Truly. I mean, you can’t really help it now, can you? Sometimes things are easy, sometimes they’re...not?’ She smiled at him and quickly moved past, hand accidentally brushing against his as she reached to fold back the sheets, a quick attempt to make the room look somewhat more presentable.

‘So. Anything I can assist you with?’ She turned back around, the energy in the room suddenly very tense.

Oh..they should never be alone. She just knew it. Everytime they were alone, things were bound to happen.

It was past 11 o’clock and Henry, her very hot-hot-hot client, was standing here in her small hotel room. Why?

‘I guess I just..eh..’ He looked around the room again. ‘..wanted to apologise. I mean you had to..’ He gestured at the paperwork on her bed. ‘..change your plans. And I really, truly appreciate all your hard work and how you are dealing with this situation with me and Victoria.’

‘Eh..but of course. I mean, that’s what you hired me for.’ Naomi shrugged it off, barely noticing the restless shuffle of Henry’s feet. ‘It’s not just that though, is it?’ She gave him a discerning look and he slowly shook his head. ‘You know what. This is really silly on my part. It’s late and we both should catch some sleep. Great plans for tomorrow, right?!’

And before Naomi could even blink he had left again.

Was it just her, or was Henry acting increasingly weird now things were crash-and-burning with Victoria?

--

A day off. It was almost strange to have a day off when you were going on a holiday, but right now Naomi was more than a little glad that they had planned this day for everyone to go about their business alone. And, from the looks of it, that was just what everyone was doing. Naomi had given Victoria some tips on local spas that she could visit and Henry had simply vanished into thin air.  

Which was fine. Naomi wasn’t sure if she could handle being alone with him again. Not after that night he had visited her hotel room. And most definitely not now, after she had some hot and bothering dreams in which she explicitly thought of what COULD have happened, had he stayed.

All scenarios including very..VERY unprofessional actions on her part.

Naomi was feeling tense and all she really needed right now, was a nice..relaxing..stretch session.

With her room being simply too small to even sit on the ground properly, she had opted for the hotel’s gym, the midday hour meaning practically all tourists were out in the pool or on excursions. There was nobody else, which made it just a little less awkward to roll around in some shorts and a tank top as she followed along with a Youtube video she would always resort to whenever things in her life got stressful.

Deep relaxing breaths escaped her slightly parted lips as she sat there in a cobra position, head tipped back, eyes closed, arms pushing up her upper body as her legs lay stretched out behind her. Just..breathe in..and..breathe out. Breathe in ..and..

*scchwwupp*

The door of the gym quietly slid open.

Okay, just, don’t pay attention to it. You’re here for you, Naomi. Just..breathe in..breathe out...breathe in..

Not managing to calm her curiosity completely, she peaked through the ceiling height mirror to check who it was. And well, have you there, it was of course a gleaming, beaming, slightly sweaty Henry.

‘Hi.’ He breathed, smiling, getting back his breath after what probably had been a run out in the scorching hot Egyptian sun.

‘Hi.’ Naomi swallowed, quickly reverting her attention back to the video before her and acting like there was nothing awkward about sitting there in clothes that really left nothing to his imagination. And oh how absolutely wonderful it was that she was right in front of that darn floor-to-ceiling mirror, the reflection making sure that he could not only admire her back..but also her front.

UGH..the gods had a sense of humour, didn’t they?

Swallowing back those thoughts she sat back on her buttocks to follow the instruction along, the stretch continuing with a focus on the legs, her hands reaching out to touch her toes, back straight. And ..breathe in...breathe out..breathe in…

She could swear he was watching her, but it was probably rude to check.

And breathe in..breathe..Fine, a little peak then.

Making sure she was not too obvious she quickly eyed Henry, his attention averted to adding weights to a bar.

He looked good. His broad chest sporting a grey shirt that sat snug on his pecs, his shorts begging for mercy as they stretched over his generous booty and thighs, long legs covered in a fine sheen of sweat and hair.

Oh, he was truly a thing of magnificence wasn’t he?

[ Florence, Italy, a few years back. ]

‘And here, the one and only..David by the great artist Michelangelo!’ Naomi pointed at the humongous statue as it rose high above both their heads, Henry’s eyes admiring the smooth stone that bulged with perfectly hewn muscles and sharp facial features much like his own.

Though, not entirely like him, his eyes dragging down to the crotch area before raising a careful eyebrow.

‘Aherm..yes. Times were quite different then,’ Naomi chuckled. ‘..with the Greek also having pretty clear opinions on ideal genitalia sizes and shapes. Smaller, back then, was considered to fit the ideal Greek man, since it fit with the profile of being rational, intellectual and authoritative, whereas bigger penises were related to lust and foolishness. And that was very much opposite of what Greeks wished to exude.’

Henry frowned and slowly shook his head. ‘Why not both?’ To which Naomi broke out in a loud chuckle, making Henry snicker in turn. ‘Sure..why not..both?’ She winked.

--

Why not both?

Well. Not much later that week she had learned what Henry had meant with that little joke. And what he packed away beneath those tight gym shorts she was staring at right now, the fabric straining around his muscles as he bent over to start a timer.

Oh he surely would have made Michelangelo’s David blush - both by those ridiculous gym shorts and what was beneath.

Henry was a man of intellect, authority ..and ..well..he sure as hell was packing.

Swallowing back those thoughts too, Naomi finished her stretching sessions with red hot cheeks - her mind trying to blame it on the barely working airconditioning, but she knew better as she returned her gaze to the mirror, finding his eyes there.

Of course he was looking back at her now she was a blushing mess.

With feral eyes, face in deep grunting focus, he pushed the heavy weighted bar high above his head. The weights at either end probably as heavy as she was, her eyes staring in quiet admiration, the air so very tense again that she just had to hold her breath as she watched him lower down the weight.

Turning around, wishing to bid him a good day and leave, she simply couldn’t. Their eyes interlocking and his face turning into a teasing grin, he furrowed his brow and pushed up the weight again, muscles flexing, hair tumbling over his sweaty face.

Ugh, that beautiful chiseled face.

No matter how focused and snarling he looked at her, she couldn’t help but feel all kinds of hot and bothered, completely ensnared in his gaze. And so she just stood there, watching, phone and gym bag in hand, ready to leave but doing none of the sort.

*cla-clang*

With a slightly awkward slip Henry pushed the weighted bar back in its holder, Naomi finally awaking from her stare as a little smirk appeared on her lips.

‘Don’t hurt yourself, cowboy.’ She mused, finding back her teasing confidence.

Henry snickered and shook his head, looking away for a split second to make sure the weight wasn’t causing damage, before realising she was now really making her way towards the door.

‘Unless of course you want me to.’ He teased back, slightly out of breath, making Naomi offer him one more raised eyebrow over her shoulder before she quickly disappeared.

D-did he mean something by that? Or was this just Henry being unaware of the tease he was being?

[ Rome, Italy, a few years back ]

Blond, bouncy and confident, Naomi waved her hands in the air as she explained in great detail how the city of Rome had been rebuilt numerous times over the past few thousand years. “And look here!” She’d say with that grand smile on her lips, attracting Henry’s attention like nothing else could, his eyes barely managing to tear away from her whenever she wished him to look at a grubble of old decaying rock.

It was the first holiday in years without a lover by his side and, though he was fine with being alone, he couldn’t help but wish for having someone there to share his trips with. And thus he had hired her again. Naomi. He had hired for a trip a year prior, which had been with his brothers, wives, nephews and nieces.

So very different was this trip to Italy, being just the two of them, her hands now halting mid-air as she struck a near comical pose, copying the stance of a statue of a grand fountain they were walking past. Henry chuckled loudly, cheeks dimpling and eyes twinkling.

She was cute.

‘Do you dance?’ He asked, near teasingly.

Oh gods..he couldn’t help but tease her endlessly. It was a perfect way to get the rather professionally dressed and well-learned blond woman before him to loosen up and strike a pose like she did just now. Winking at him, a chuckle on her lips, she nodded towards a bridge in the far distance. ‘Only one way to find out, cowboy!’ She teased back, walking ahead and making Henry chase her through the tourist horde.

He enjoyed the chase.

Looking back over her shoulder she offered him a kitten-like, though also quite taunting, little smirk. ‘..tonight, maybe?’ She smiled.

Henry’s heart flipped out of his chest, his ears almost unbelieving of the very subtle flirt that had just escaped her lips.

It had taken him a full year to get the blondine for him alone. And then some weeks before she would as much as offer him a wink or tease back. But this? THIS?! OOPH, this was more than he could have wished for. He may not be much of a dancer, but her offer? He just couldn’t refuse.

--

‘OH GODS.’ Naomi shot up from the bed, the crinkled Egyptian cotton sheets falling down her naked curves, her eyes staring in slight shock at a sleepily blinking Henry. ‘W-what?’ He yawned, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes as he watched the blondine rush out of his bed, her hands quickly grabbing for her clothes.

Only after her underwear was back in place, did she turn back towards him, eyes big like those of a deer in the headlights. ‘I’m SO..SO sorry. Dammit..ugh..let’s ..forget this ever happened, okay?’ She said, looking at him with intent as she pulled on her jeans with kicking feet. Jeans that he had so deliciously rolled down her legs only a few hours prior.  

Realising what was happening a tad too late, Henry’s sleep muddled brain could only produce a confused ‘Okay..sure..’ As he watched her leave his hotel room.  

Had it all been but a dream?

As a dream is a wish your heart makes

‘UGH..and these don’t fit either!’ Victoria growled, her tone of voice so very unladylike, so very unlike what she presented to the world with her well coiffed hair, elegant white palazzo trousers and silky light blue blouse. It just proved that no matter how pretty a person was from the outside, it could never truly hide what was inside.

Near throwing the “pretty curly shoes” back at the poor vendor, she looked up at Naomi, her mouth curled down in a dissatisfied pout.

Naomi tried; ‘It’s eh..actually rather normal to wear slightly too small shoes here - in fact it’s the reason why you fold the back of the shoe flat beneath the soles of your feet.’

It was obvious that this wasn’t the desired answer.  

With one angry snarl of Victoria, Naomi’s words were quick to die on the tip of her tongue, her lips curling in an apologetic smile at the salesman, the man quickly shrugging before he turned to look for some different shoes that would appease the queen of drama.

‘Pff..it’s not like you know shit about fashion.’ Victoria muttered begrudgingly, looking away from Naomi in annoyance. It was then Naomi decided it was best to just flee the scene, her feet shuffling backwards until she bumped into one large chest.

Henry’s chest.

‘Woops..sorry.’ Naomi swallowed, quickly stepping aside and creating some socially appropriate distance between the two of them - quite a challenge as the little shop was packed from top to bottom with those “cute little curly shoes”, the racks squeezed so tight together that you could barely walk through the small isles, Henry and his wide chest having to actually side-shuffle to move through.

‘No..no problem.’ Henry muttered, quickly eyeing what Victoria was up to over Naomi’s shoulder. And thankfully, she had now occupied herself with her smartphone as she waited for the sales vendor to get back with a new batch of shoes. Naomi followed his gaze and quietly whispered; “Well, looks like prince charming found himself a Cinderella of sorts.’

‘Ha.-ha.’ He said unamused, then rolled his eyes at her, lips curling in a smile. Naomi chuckled.

Then Henry used the moment to study Naomi, her blond hair half-hidden behind a royal blue head wrap - it looked pretty on her. Subdued, but pretty, her face without make-up and her outfit a simple unwashed linen shirt and ankle length skirt. Like..

‘Cinderella? Hmm..I think there’s only one Cinderella here..and Victoria..is definitely not the one.” He smiled, making Naomi blush ever so becomingly as she quickly turned to meticulously study a stand with leather bags.

Pfft..what the hell was he talking about. She was hardly a princess, right?  

Looking back at him through the corner of her eyes she saw him still looking at her, an appreciative smile ghosting his lips.

Right?!

[ Carcassonne, France, a year ago ]

‘WOA..did you hear that?’ Naomi looked nervously over her shoulder, the single street lantern behind them casting long, ominous shadows over the cobble-stoned alleyway. Almost without noticing herself she stepped closer to Henry, the large bear of a man right in step as they walked back to the hotel after a rather late dinner in the medieval old town centre.

Narrow alleyways, uneven cobble-stoned roads, cute little squares. The old fortified city had made for a nice sightseeing trip as they drove with Henry and his team down for a week-long team excursion in the Pyrenees mountains. The rest of the group had taken a cab, but with there being no place left, Henry had been quick to just wave them off, offering to walk to the hotel together as Naomi knew the way and “he would keep her safe”.

Something she had thought quite ridiculous, wishing to call another cab, but Henry had been adamant.

What he didn’t know was that she was in fact just really quite afraid of the dark, and so, with every passing cat or gust of wind, she’d hold her breath, stepping closer to Henry in hope he would in fact protect her if the need arose.

And Henry? Oh, he loved every minute of it.

‘Don’t worry.’ Henry smiled, reaching out his hand and folding it around hers.

Amicably, but spark-inducing anyways. Naomi chewed on her lip as she felt the warmth of his palm ooze into her skin, the simple touch calming her nerves like nothing quite could.

‘I’ll gladly be your knight in shining armour!’ He beamed, winking at her, to which the last of her nerves finally faltered, making way for a tinkling little laugh. ‘Oh...OH!’ Naomi exclaimed, then flailed her free hand extremely dramatically before her face, acting all tender and maidenlike, ready to swoon right in his arms. ‘OH it’s so SO dark! And scary! And..’ They both break out laughing, Henry squeezing her hand and pulling her closer to his chest.

And she let him.

Henry couldn’t be happier, the little moment being just what he had hoped for. Not only having the time alone with Naomi, but also seeing her burst out of her neatly built up walls. Ever the professional, it was hard to get her to join in such banter like they had right now. And he liked every second of it, his feet trying to slow their pace just so it would last a little while longer.

It was unfortunately also the only moment that holiday during which she allowed him to come anywhere near that close to her, further tempering any hope he held to finally grasp her attention.

Did she not feel what he felt? Did she not ..enjoy..being around him, like he enjoyed being around her?

Hmmm...France. It seemed so long ago.

The reality of Henry’s life was quite different now as they once more walked through a dark alleyway. Though this time with Victoria next to him.

No hands being held, though conversation warm and surprisingly pleasant between him and Victoria - she seemed to be in a good mood. Perhaps, just maybe, he was simply comparing her too much to others. To Naomi. Victoria was Victoria. He had to give her a chance.

After a little evening stroll they had arrived at a cute restaurant where they’d be having dinner, Naomi having walked ahead to explain in the best of her capabilities that they wished to get a table out of view - so fans wouldn’t disturb Henry during dinner.

Feeling eager to recapture that memory of France, which he had kept so close to his heart, he reached out a hand to Victoria, her face pulling into one of near agony as she quickly swatted it away.

‘It’s too freaking hot Hen.’ She said with exasperation - as if he was stupid for even thinking about touching her - her eyes moving back to Naomi as she and the waiter seemed to come to an agreement, a simple “come-hither” wave of Naomi’s hand gesturing them to join her.

Well. So much for hoping things were okay now. Was it..urgh..was it bad to wish that Victoria would take a cab home, so he and Naomi could..walk back to the hotel again?

--

It was a good question to ask why in the hell’s name he had stayed with her. Victoria. Every time he decided to give it another shot, appreciate the little moments that were good, he was disappointed even more.

Sitting now, alone, on the edge of the hotel bed, it was probably the reason why he didn’t feel any disappointment. Her clothes gone and the hotel room void of anything other than the furniture and the never-ending heat that lingered between these walls, Henry couldn’t help but feel a slight relief. Slowly he let his eyes wander across the room, for the first time truly appreciating what was there.

It was large and with oriental luxury in abundance, a prettily mosaic tiled bath sunken in the middle of the room, heavy dark blue drapes hung around it and candles at the ready might the need for something romantic arise.

Not that such a thing had happened with Victoria. Not in quite a few weeks..or actually months by this point.  

It was always either too hot, too humid, or she had a headache, was tired or just got her period. Excuses, excuses, Henry realised, as he saw her eyes glimpse a touch too often at other men. Rich men. Her laugh and banter directed at those men whenever she could - thinking he didn’t see.

And now she was gone. She had broken up with him, again, though from the definity of her actually leaving, this was probably truly foregood.

Henry could only guess where she was now. With the creepy old Italian, with whom she had been flirting for over a week now? Or perhaps that sjeik that had been a bit too obvious in his curiosity for her as they made a visit to his estate?

Henry felt bad. Bad for how all this had come to play out, as well as that he simply couldn’t bring himself to care for Victoria at this point. He had made sure there was a cab waiting for her, he had apologised for whatever tiny little misstep he might have taken, in hope to salvage the situation, though knowing full well that neither one of them truly wanted that. Not Victoria, but also not he.

He just didn’t like goodbyes. And Victoria had used his tenderness, abused his tenderness, to the extent that he wasn’t even sure if relationships were a good idea for him anyways. He had wasted most of his life on women that may have stolen his heart, but made him insane in the process. Either they wanted his fame, his money..pfft..even just the sex. But never truly, just..him.

*BZZT BZZZT*

Naomi: “Henry! Are you okay? I received the notification that Victoria has just checked out of the hotel. If you need some time, don’t feel pressured to answer. I just want to know you are safe and taken care of. If you need anything, I’m a call away. Naomi.”

Well, alright, at least there was at least someone looking out for him.

He sighed, a smile brushing across his lips as he reached out for his phone that lay forlorn next to him.

Naomi.

Where some hotels had nice, proper running air conditioning, this cooling system seemed to run on the coil of the earth, the walls near sweating with the humidity that hung in the air like a thick, heavy blanket. Naomi wiped her forehead as she continued to fold her clothes, neatly packing her suitcase so they could leave next thing in the morning - that was, if Henry would be ready to.

Just a few hours ago she had walked past the reception desk to inquire at what hour they could check out, only to hear that one of the guests had already done so. Victoria Koberlach. Left without a trace, without a message or goodbye.

And honestly, that wasn’t so much of a surprise. Victoria hadn’t really come across as a person who cared about the well-being of others. Especially if there wasn’t something there for her to gain. She was the most charming woman from a far, but once you got close you could see the fine lines between her brows from the many times the furrowed them, angry pouting and stomping her foot to get her way.

The princess had left the building.

Sighing quietly, she zipped open the inner pocket of her suitcase, wishing to slip in her toiletry bag when something seemed to obstruct it. Something small. With hesitant fingers she reached inside, only to find an old trinket there. And not just any trinket.

That darn fucking ring.

In the low light of the few lights that lit her room, the hour getting quite late, the golden band with the heart shaped cut diamond shone like one of the treasures from Ali Baba. Pretty, but deceiving. Not only was it absolutely not her style - too big and too loud -, it also carried with it the memories of her ex-husband.    

Just like Victoria, he had been a handsome, charming man from a distance. And Naomi had fallen hard for him. So hard that her sweet 22-year-old ass had barely noticed when his caring, authoritative figure was not galant and kind, but overbearing and manipulative.

Before she knew it she barely dared to open her mouth to express her thoughts and feelings, his head already shaking as he laughed it off. ‘Oh you women.’ Which he’d then follow up with a tap to her ass or a squeeze of her cheek. He would be the one to tell what they’d be eating at a restaurant. He’d be the one telling her she looked tired and perhaps should let down her hair so it looked better with that dress he bought her. He would tell her she just needed some sleep, when she was feeling emotional or insecure.

Not in the five years they had been together, had he once truly asked her how she truly felt. Never did he ask about what was going on in her mind. She thought this was what love was. Someone who took care of you to the point you didn’t have to think or feel anymore. You just had to ..get pregnant, be a mom, raise that family and be the good, sweet wife. Before she knew it that gaudy ring was on her finger and she made herself believe that this was happiness.

But it wasn’t. It was a prison. And as they were shopping for a bigger house and she stood there in those rooms that were ready for their off-spring, she decided that she just couldn’t do it. She went on a trip with a friend to clear her thoughts, only to find that not only did she no longer wish to be with that overbearing, manipulative husband of hers.

She wanted to truly be free.

And here she was. A private travel guide, following her life long dream or travelling for her job. Setting out her own path.

Love, had to be side-tracked. It only caused her pain.

Men, in fact. Needed to be side-tracked. Because not ever did she want to sink down in that hell hole again. Not ever again would she let herself make the same stupid mistakes.

*BZZ BZZ*

Henry is calling.

‘Hey’ She answered, quickly letting the ring slip back in its initial hiding spot.

‘Hi..eh..I saw your message.’

‘Hey..yea..do you need anything? Can I..?’

‘Eh..could you maybe come over? To my room?’

A soft shuffling of feet and zippers being zipped told Naomi that Henry was indeed in the room, her head peeking around the door that had been intentionally left unlocked and cracked open. What she saw was probably one of the prettiest sights she had yet to lay her eyes upon.

The room was mutely lit, small speckles of light dancing over the ceiling, large drapes hiding most of the room from sight, Henry on the right near a large bed, folding his clothes just like she had done moments earlier. Engrossed with his task, he hadn’t noticed her presence just yet. He looked..okay..she guessed. Not distressed, panicked, angry or sad. Just..normal.

Closing the door behind her, stepping further into the room, the soft click of the heavy lock finally made him look up, big blue eyes meeting hers.

So...now what? She wasn’t sure what to say or do.

What do you do after someone just left you? What do you want, need? What did..Henry..need? She wasn’t sure, his eyes surprisingly calm, his lips curling up in a warm smile. ‘Hi.’ He greeted, standing back up and turning towards her.

Was this just him acting like nothing was amiss, whilst his whole world was in fact crumbling? After all, he was an actor..

‘Are you..are you okay?’ Naomi asked carefully, quickly looking around her now she got a better impression of the room, her eyes almost inadvertently looking for any items Victoria may have left behind. Any sign of that she may return. But there was nothing of the sort.

She really was gone.

Henry smiled again and shook his head. ‘It’s..hmm..I think this had to happen for a very, very long time. It’s..good. Yes. Good.’

‘Okay then. So..’ Naomi quirked her head, trying to see if he was lying or hiding the truth, but not finding even a flicker of doubt in his gentle eyes. Clearing her throat she looked back into the room, her feet stepping just a meter ahead, taking in what was hiding behind those curious heavy blue drapes. A bath. Ha..of course. A bathtub in the middle of the room. Why not.

Her lips curled up in a half amused smile as she felt Henry’s presence come nearer, his eyes following her gaze.

‘Nice bath, for sure. Though the couches aren’t great. I’ve..unfortunately.. spent plenty of hours there.’ Henry grinned, pointing at a little sitting nook in the far back, making Naomi grimace at the thought that Victoria had probably made him sleep on the freaking couch.

‘She really was a treasure, wasn’t she?’ Naomi said, looking back at him and finding an amused smile on his lips, making her feel less concerned for him. He looked truly relieved. Their eyes met, bodies now far closer together, a mere meter or so left in between them. He swallowed and squared his shoulders, the already humid air feeling even more tense all of a sudden.

‘Are.. you okay, though?’ He asked, quite unexpectedly, his eyes not missing the slightly reddened eyes that Naomi sported.

‘Me? Yea...I eh..’ She frowned and suddenly felt the need to turn away from him, turn away before he’d come bursting right through the meticulously built walls around her heart. Gosh that darn ring. She should have gotten rid of it the moment she had gotten rid of her ex-husband. Sniffling her nose she quickly turned on her heel, deciding to act as if she was to inspect the bed now.

Henry frowned and followed Naomi with his gaze, seeing her shoulders stiffen as she moved towards the bed, her hand flicking over her cheek as if to wipe off some sweat - though obviously it wasn’t sweat that was leaking from her eye.

‘Is this the moment where you’re going to tell me that it’s common in Caïro for local rain showers to make their apparition indoors?’ He asked, trying to somewhat lighten the mood. Naomi laughed and turned back around, watching him with watery eyes.

Just like that her walls crumbled like they had never even existed.

‘W-w...noo. Henry. Oh come on.” She sniffled, quickly brushing away her tears. ‘It’s…’ She shrugged. ‘UGH..it’s just so fucking stupid. I was thinking about this ex of mine. And..pff..you know what, it doesn’t matter. Victoria just left and now your travel guide is in tears in your room? Ha..quite a show, aren’t we women?’

She turned back to face the bed and took a calming breath, eyes roaming over the soft Egyptian cotton sheets - she really should bring some of those sheets home -, before halting on the sight of Henry’s open suitcase. Without meaning to, her eyes fell down on a pack of condoms. Unused condoms. The box still wrapped in its original plastic wrap.  

Well. At least they both didn’t get laid this holiday.

‘From the looks of it we men don’t fair much better..’ Henry said carefully, watching Naomi’s shoulders slowly release their tension as she looked over his bed..over his suitcase..over..oh..dammit..the condoms! He forgot to hide those condoms.

Naomi didn’t really seemed to be fazed by it. ‘I’m sorry I left you like that..’ Naomi said gently, looking back at him, her eyes suddenly holding a certain fierceness. ‘That wasn’t..’ She took another deep breath. ‘That’s wasn’t right of me to do. You didn’t deserve that..’ She blinked, feeling the scorching heat of this arabian night suddenly catching up with her.

‘R..rome you mean?’ He stepped a little closer, eyes flicking for the slightest second to her lips, the air thickening with every excited beat of their fluttering hearts.

‘Yea.’

Did time just come to a halt?

‘Ugh this is silly. Do you want to talk about it?’ She asked, knowing full well that neither of them truly wanted to talk. The tension in the air was sparking so delightfully - just like it had that night - that it didn’t take an evil genius to decipher what was going on here. What was going on between them.

‘I mean if you want to.’ He tried.

‘Me? Ha..’ She breathed, blinking slowly as her body almost automatically pulled towards him, her tears long dried, the sweat beading on her heated body but an afterthought. Tonight it wasn’t too hot, too humid and nobody suffered from headaches, or periods or tiredness.

Tonight had been postponed for years now. And in this slight slip of time, where both their guards were down and nobody else was there to disturb, it felt almost natural to smile at one another, to step closer, to forget for just a moment that this was very..very..

Unprofessional.

Naomi stiffened again as Henry traced a careful finger over the back of her hand, wishing to grasp it but noticing the near immediate flinch that rushed through her body.

‘Oh this is very unprofessional of me. I’m so..so..sorr-’ - ‘Ninny.’ Henry stopped her rambling.

She blinked. ‘What did you just ..call me?’

‘Ninny.’ He smiled. A nickname. Her nickname. She blinked again, her body stepping back, needing to sit down for a moment, her legs hitting the edge of the bed as she slumped down on those ridiculously nice, soft sheets.

DARN this. What the hell was going on with her. Him?! THEM?!

‘Ninny..huh..you’re going to call me by my nickname now, hmm?’ - ‘May I not?’ He said carefully, a smile tugging at his lips. She looked up, her initial shock making place for a slightly amused grin.

‘Pff haha..oh gods Henry. Of course you may. You’re one of my best clie…-’ Her words died on her tongue once more as he moved to sit down besides her as well, his presence causing that electricity to spark in every cell of her body. And truly, Naomi was not a shy person at all. She haggled with corrupt police officers, she could tell aggressive street salesmen to piss off without a blink of the eye, and she sure as hell wasn’t going to back down from anyone who dared to speak up against her.

Not after she left her husband. She took care of herself now.

And yet...Here she was, flustered and giddy, her heart beating loudly in her chest and her whole body so aware of how close he was to her, how good he smelled.

‘Hi.’ She smiled. ‘Hi.’ Henry chuckled, turning his body slightly towards her, knees touching hers. ‘I can call you Naomi too, if you like that better.’ He said, averting his eyes from her curious gaze, his ocean blues looking back out into the room.

‘You called me Ninny on that night in Rome.’

‘I did.’

‘So I guess you’ve forgiven me for that bit of my unprofessional behavior?’ She looked back at Henry, having collected herself again. It was in the end so very comfortable talking to Henry, being with Henry. He didn’t seem to be bothered one bit by the memory of what had happened between them then.

He didn’t seem bothered at all by what was happening between them..now.

‘I think I was actually the one who made the first move there..’ Henry shrugged, teasingly looking back at her.

‘Ho..oh no you didn’t.’ She chuckled, rolling her eyes at him. ‘If I remember correctly you wished to order room service at like 2AM at night. And it took so long that I practically stole that phone from your hand...and THEN we..’

He kissed her.

The dance they had avoided for so long now was danced once more. Him, her, a flurry of arms and legs tangling into one another, the first move quickly followed by a cascade of new ones. Caressing finger tips, giddy laughter, tentative pecks on the lips, hands growing bolder, roaming, claiming, until every piece of clothing only seemed to have become an obstruction.

Shakily breathing Naomi started to tug on the white shirt Henry was wearing - for once not a blue shirt, huh? -, his lips curling in an enbolding smile, hands reaching down to help her strip him down to his bare chested glory.

‘Ha..’ She breathed, a hand immediately reaching down for his pecs, abs. He was bigger now. Bigger than the last time.

‘I can shave it if you want.’ He grinned, feeling her finger tips move through his patch of chest hair.

‘What?! No..no. absolutely no freaking way. It’s..’ She started to slowly nod her head. ‘..nice.’

He chuckled, eyes interlocking with hers as his fingertips in turn moved to her shirt, the cotton slightly sticking to her heated skin.

Not that he cared.

His eyes got more greedy, eating up every inch of skin as he pulled up the material, her breath choking in her tight chest as she reached up her arms so he could remove the obstructing piece of fabric altogether.

With tender fingers he traced the valley between her breasts, her dark blue bra thankfully semi-sexy - it wasn’t laundry day.

‘Want me to shave?’ She teased back, making him chuckle even louder.

‘No..no. Absolutely no…’ He leaned in closer, smiling against her lips. ‘..freaking..way.’ He claimed her mouth again, eager tongue begging for entrance as his hand became bolder, moving over the hills of her bosom, soft flesh hidden beneath a lacy harness.

‘Take it off.’ Naomi breathed, feeling equally annoyed with the thing, her throat sighing in great relief when Henry didn’t need to be told twice, his other hand eagerly reaching back and unclasping it with a flick of his fingers. Practised fingers.

‘I fucking missed Rome.’ Henry muttered, dipping his head down to sniff a long stripe up her swan-like neck.

‘Did you now?’

‘Why else did you think I hired you?’ He smirked, pulling back ever so slightly.

‘And bring the girlfriend just in case?’

FUCK..she should NOT have said that. Naomi gasped quietly, biting her lip as Henry raised an eyebrow.

‘Ouch.’ He chuckled.

‘Oh gods..I should not have said that.’ Naomi uttered.

‘Ninny. Please. You are more than allowed to make such a comment. I mean. Yes. I brought along a woman I already knew, full well, would not be in my life for much longer. Like all those women before her.’ He sighed, his smile becoming slightly more watery.

He had been hurt a lot of times.

‘I’m just terrible at choosing a woman who is right for me.’

Naomi sighed and shook her head, a smile playing at the corners of her lips. ‘And I AM the right woman for you, hmm?’ She chuckled.

‘Oh well..I guess I have to admit that I did in fact have a little crush on you. And…’ He raised his shoulders slightly.

‘What?’

‘The stretching session didn’t help. Much.’

‘Ah! You! Cheeky monkey!’

‘Hahaha..more like a cheeky bear, right?’ He winked, using the moment to push Naomi’s back flat on the bed, his body moving on top of hers, arms and legs caging her beneath him.

‘I did call you Bear, huh?’

‘Yea..’

‘Ninny and the Bear.’

‘Quite romantic..’ Henry smiled, his fangs shining in the low light as he looked down upon Naomi, her blond locks fanned prettily around her head. ‘..oh I could actually light some candles..talking romantic.’ He sat up slightly, but was immediately pulled back, head now dipping down as Naomi eagerly tugged on his curly locks.

‘Henry. Another time, okay? Please..just…’ She bit her lip.

‘What’s that?’ He teased.

‘You know what.’

‘Do I now?’

‘UGH.’ She rolled her eyes and tried to pull him down. Unsuccessfully so, because he was too strong, his pecs flexing ever so slightly as he tightened his arms to stay on all fours above her. ‘..just fuck me already. Leave the romance for later..please?’

Henry lifted a teasing eyebrow, but was not going to decline such an invitation, his lips quick to press back down on hers.

In mere seconds the hot arabian night brought with it a new memory that was written in the soft embrace of egyptian cotton. Bodies colliding, dancing, writhing, those condoms finally unpacked, as was their emotional baggage after evading feelings and needs at either end of their finger tips for so long.

‘Henry, stop stalling.’ Naomi growled, feeling his eyes on her as she lay face first, ass up on the bed.

‘Are you in a hurry, milady?’ He purred, slowly crawling on top of her, his weight pressing her down further in the mattress, in the silky soft sheets. ‘Mmpfff..no..it’s just..a few years of waiting..you know.’

‘Ah..’ He breathed with a chuckle, playfully nibbling on the shell of her ear. ‘I’m sorry to keep you waiting then.’

And with that said, he finally, finally claimed what was his, their mingled moans echoing off the sweating walls, the lights dancing along with their body song as he pressed on, in.

‘Oh bear.’ Naomi growned, her aching walls finally soothed.

It may have been years of waiting, but every second had been worth the way he stretched her out, the way he fit perfectly to her body, their hands entangling and hips writhing. Rolling sharply the crescendo of his hip thrusts reminded her just why she had called him bear.

Because where her ex-husband would have been a lazy, selfish prick. Henry? Henry was a big, burly carebear, perfectly balancing between a tender lover and ruthless beast, strong beyond compare. And as he crashed into her hips, filling her ache, burning her skin with that itchy patch of hair - which he definitely shouldn’t shave -, she was happy.

--

‘What are you smiling at, huh?’ Henry stopped his hip thrusts for a moment, looking down in Naomi’s broadly smiling face, the soft London morning light trickling in, caressing the feather light cotton sheets beneath her blond locks.

‘Mmm..nothing. Just thinking about how much I love these sheets.’ She teased, making him quirk an eyebrow, hip jerking in her to punish her for her little tease, her lips “o”-ing with a little gasp. ‘The sheets? Really?’

‘Uh-huh.’ She snickered, feeling him dip down and bite down on the tender skin of her neck, tickling her with his slightly out-grown week old beard. She chuckled, arms and legs wrapping around him, pulling him closer to her so she could whisper in his ear.

‘Six-hundred thread count, extra long fibres, and the more you use them..the ..HAHAHAH..no..the better..HENRY STOP..HAHAHAH. The better they feel.’

‘Mrrrwpfff.’ Henry growled biting down on her laughing lips, his teeth catching her bottom lip before soothing it with his tongue, their mouths entangling in a sensual slow dance, their hips quite naturally following in a slow, erotic rut.

‘Very good sheets.’ Naomi whispered, causing Henry to gasp in unbelief, his chest thundering with an even louder growl, his lips attacking her every reachable patch of skin, marking her, his cock making sure she’d feel him even long after this little morning session was over.

Naomi gasped and swooned beneath her bear’s administrations, her lips parted and her brow slightly sweaty. Just like that night. And many nights after that night. And mornings? Mornings too. And afternoons? Oh, you get the jest..

She smiled, fingers tangling through Henry’s curls as his lips hesitated, hovering above hers, his deep blue eyes searching hers.

‘Then again..’ She sighed, smiling. ‘..the sheets just can’t compare..to you.’ Her little confession made him smile, honestly, his life now calm and easy-going, their love a tale that was told with luxurious kisses, wrapped in the silkiest of Egyptian, 600-thread count cotton sheets.

--

General Tagsquad: @harrysthiccthighss​ @tumblnewby @magdelen69​ @thereisa8ella​ @mary-ann84​ @darkbooksarwin​ @summersong69 @madbaddic7ed @luclittlepond​ @maroonmolly​

[soldouthaz]

Hey love! Can you give us a quick summary of all the fics you’re currently working on and also of those you kind of have ideas to write about in the future but haven’t started yet? I’m so interested in your writing 💕

ahh of course!!! I'll put it all below the cut in case anyone wants to be surprised :) thank you so much for your interest! I hope you’re doing well! 

okay, so aside from a couple that I'm keeping secret for now, these are all the ones that I'm currently working on! (I'll put my other ideas that I haven’t started yet near the bottom of the post! 

1. single dad fic 

this one and the next one will most likely be out sometime in the beginning of 2021 since I’ve already got a bit of them written! this one is abo too, which is also still kind of new to me! L moves in next door to H who has a daughter, and quickly becomes caught up in their lives, getting attached to both H and the little girl. there are a few twists and turns along the way though because I can’t help but write in some angst, and I’m excited to write these characters! I don’t think I've ever written a kid fic before, so this one is full of new concepts for me! 

2. look after you iii 

this one has been a long time coming, but I'm hoping to get it out sometime before march 2021 if all goes well! it’s the final addition to my look after you series, and I feel like it wraps everything up really nicely. it also shows a more serious and domestic side to those characters than any other part of that ‘verse, and touches on some important aspects of my own life like adoption and a few other things yet to be revealed. I always say that this series began as an excuse to practice writing smut, but it’s turned into so much more to me :) 

3. science & faith

I've mentioned this one a few times before as well! it’s STEM major L who has dedicated his career to proving that love doesn’t actually exist. H is a philosophy major that challenges him from the beginning, and through several interviews they become unexpected friends. cue major character development and wayyyyyy too much psych/philosphy conjecture because it’s my guilty pleasure. some of my favorite fics are the ones where they’re both insanely intelligent and debate a lot, so I've tried to mirror some of that in this! 

4. sitcom au 

okay, this is the first of several long fics that I want to write this coming year! this one is an idea that I've been obsessed with for nearly two years now, and I'm finally getting around to writing some of it! it’s loosely based around Friends, but very different I'd say. the entire gang are on a new-age sitcom and the fic explores their lives both on and off screen. it’s enemies to lovers (sort of) and has a bit of side ziam because it’s my guilty pleasure, and I feel like it’s one of the most real, raw, emotional pieces I've ever written. I am so so so so excited about this one, and I feel like people will really be able to relate to many aspects of it!!! 

5. love & monsters 

this au is loosely based around the movie that came out earlier this year (Love & Monsters) in which the world ends, but not entirely. I'm changing quite a few details about it though! the vibe here is very dystopian, everyone lives in bunkers, and there are giant, radioactive insects as a result of the world ‘ending’ (lots of world building which will be explained in detail in the fic!). this one features bunker leader H and traveler L, and it’s another one that is unlike anything I've ever written before! I have so many ideas for this one, and I've always wanted to try my hand at a dystopian type world! 

6. speakeasy au 

this one was inspired by the lovely, talented @loubellies !!!!!!! her fic was phenomenal, and it immediately inspired me to want to write a fic that took place in a similar ‘verse! mine will take some slightly different turns and hopefully won’t be too similar! as the rough title suggests, it’s based around a speakeasy and it’s also a historical au (I am going to try my best to make everything historically accurate, but I made a B- in history in school so - we’ll see!) so far it’s got lots of prohibition-era type themes, suspender-wearing H, and one of the most interesting L’s I've ever written, I think. oh, and LOTS of alcohol! I'm excited to try to write some crime/action more in depth! 

7. married in vegas au 

for this one I wanted to go back to my roots for another road trip fic! it’s strangers to lovers to enemies and then back to lovers (sorry for the slight spoiler, but you know I'm incapable of writing anything other than a happy ending) and features H&L both flawed and at some difficult parts of their lives, and they both find themselves in vegas hoping for a distraction. on the trip back to their old lives they both are forced to confront some things and improve themselves, and maybe also learn to love again while they’re at it. I adore road trip au’s and character development, so this is another one I'm really excited about! 

8. abo royalty au 

the last I'll share of my current wips for now is one that I've had in my idea list for a while, but randomly wrote a few thousands on over the past few weeks! it’s a historical royalty au that’s abo, featuring royal H. I don’t want to give away too much of L’s storyline just yet, but his character is one of my favorites in this one for sure! also, may or may not be written with my lovely friend @falsegoodnight .... let me know? ;) 

that’s about it for now! I have nearly 30 wips but I only counted the ones that have significant word counts here, and I'll put some below with the ideas! 

and then here are some in my list that have 10k or less that I want to write in the future (feel free to send me ideas or things you’d like to see in them, or to ask me for more info if you’re curious!): 

- ziam au 

- sterek au 

- fashion designer!L 

- rival CEO’s (this one has over 10k but it’s been abandoned for a bit! I need to get back into it!) 

-superpowers au 

- ghost writer!L / popstar!H au 

- *possibly* a triplet fic (nothing weird! strictly X/L | X/L | X/L) 

- witch!L 

- more vampy drabbles 

- a pride and prejudice au where L is mary

- phone sex operator!H but the hotline is for aftercare

- H is engaged to someone else (although ris @falsegoodnight knocked this trope OUT OF THE PARK and I don’t think I could ever do it justice after reading hers!) 

- some modern day fairytales 

- I'd like to do some more uni au’s as well! 

- a loosely inspired reversed Grease au where L is preppy and pretends he doesn’t know H when they get back to school, and H is from the ‘wrong side of the tracks’ and falls head over heels for L 

alrighty, I think that’s about it! these are most of my plans for the next two years or so, with the exception of some drabbles/pwp’s/some other works that I'm keeping private for now! if you see anything you’d like more info on or make any suggestions for, please don’t hesitate to reach out or send me an ask! 

and thank you again for asking me this, I've really been uninspired recently and I feel like I'm kind of dragging, but getting to talk a little bit about them has made me very happy tonight! thank you so much again for your interest, and I hope you have a lovely rest of your day/night! <3 

[jiaraweek]

✶ JIARA JULY 2020 MASTERLIST ✶

hello everyone! this is the masterlist for all fics posted during the week of jiara july. we’ll be periodically updating it each day with any fics posted under the tag ‘jiara july’ on tumblr or ao3, but please let us know if we miss anything/you want your fic to be added! thank you in advance to all the talented writers who are participating, we can’t wait to read what you’ve come up with!

DAY 1 - July 26th, 2020

PRECANON DAY

i'm so high at the moment, i'm so caught up in this (we're just young, dumb and broke but we still got love to give) by @hvitstark / RoseOf Winterfell on ao3

A totally plausible but not entirely probable speculation of Kie’s kook year and JJ’s part in it.

oneshot | 8K | angst | read it here

here to stay by @interstellarbeams

JJ has a small circle of trust, the Pogues, until Kiara breaks her way in.

oneshot | 2.3K | angst/hurt/comfort | read it here

pretty hot for a pogue by @hmsjiara / someoneyouloved on ao3

jj and rafe have a history, and kiara carrera just happens to be at the center of it.

oneshot | 6.7K | angst/hurt/comfort | read it here

nothin' lasts forever (we both know hearts can change) by @maybankiara

in which jj decides to take his chances with kiara the summer before they go to different high schools, which possibly ruins their friendship (and by an extension, the pogues’).

oneshot | 5.3K | angst | read it here

another day by capulets on ao3

a look at jj and kiara’s relationship from the very beginning.

oneshot | 2.6K | angst | read it here

new message by @routledges

glimpses into the pogues' group chat as kiara heads off to kook academy, and the messages exchanged between jj and kiara as her struggles don't go unnoticed.

oneshot | 1.8K | light angst/fluff | read it here

you drew stars around my scars by @coconutroseowl

after a hard betrayal from her best friend, kiara becomes intrigued with the code of friendship a certain group of boys have after jj helps her feel better. 

oneshot | 2.2K | hurt/comfort | read it here

What if... (Secrets are dug in the best friends' back yard?) by TiggerUsername on ao3

What if JJ and Kiara have been keeping a massive secret from the Pogues? What if JJ and Kiara were a lot closer than anyone had expected during Kiara's Kook year?

oneshot | 7.5K | romance/angst | read it here

✦ ✧ ✦

DAY 2 - July 27th, 2020

ACTIVIY DAY

fingertips puttin' on a show, got me now and I can't say no (i already know that there ain't no stoppin’ your plans and those slow hands) by @hvitstark / RoseOfWinterfell on ao3

JJ and Kie spend the morning with their kids... And trying to make a new one.

oneshot | 2.8K | romance/fluff | read it here

sea salt and grime (can’t believe that you’re mine) by @hmsjiara / someoneyouloved on ao3

jj and kiara fix up a bike together, and jj realizes they may have more in common than he thought.

oneshot | 5.5K | fluff/light angst | read it here

What if... (Baking is for lovers)? by TiggerUsername on ao3

A baking class for idiots inevitably escalates because of the hopeless couple that is JJ and Kiara.

oneshot | 3.3K | romance/fluff | read it here

invisible string by @alphinias

She weaved him bracelets as surely as they weaved memories together.

oneshot | 4.1K | fluff | read it here

i'll be there 'til the stars don't shine by @maybankiara

in which the pogues throw a kegger, and jj keeps getting distracted by the feelings he might have for one of his closest friends.

oneshot | 3.9K | angst/romance | read it here

just as i reach out to touch you (i remind myself you were meant to fly) by @interstellarbeams

JJ’s childhood memory of chasing fireflies has been tainted by his mother’s disappearance, but his friends help remind him what it’s like to be a kid again.

oneshot | 3.7k | fluff/hurt/comfort | read it here

that’s the thing about illicit affairs by @coconutroseowl

a day’s surfing with her best friend sparks unknown and unwanted feelings in kiara.

oneshot | 2.6K | angst | read it here

kiss the girl by capulets on ao3

some traditions are meant to be broken. apparently, the sanctity of movie night isn’t one of them.

oneshot | 1.5K | fluff | read it here

sunday’s by jiaras on ao3

Sundays were for JJ and Kiara. Since they became official three years ago, it was a known fact — ''I can’t, it’s Sunday'' or ''oh, maybe next week? Just not tomorrow, it’s Sunday'' had been more than overused by them both, until everyone seemed to catch on and stop asking all together.

oneshot | 4.8K | fluff/smut | read it here

✦ ✧ ✦

DAY 3 - July 28th, 2020

AU DAY

two worlds collided (and they could never tear us apart) by @rcsales

Kiara is tired of fancy parties at Sarah’s house; tired of rich self-centered people who only talk about how much money they're making. When she bumps into one of the waiters, her night gets a little more fun, whether she wants to admit it or not.

multichapter | 3.6K | romance/fluff | read it here

i see the sunrise getting high, i wish i was next to you by @hvitstark / RoseOfWinterfell on ao3

jiara band AU

oneshot | 5.2K | fluff/angst | read it here

i had a few (got drunk on you) by @interstellarbeams

Kiara is a student at bartender school and JJ is helping her practice (when he isn’t hindering her by drinking all the liquor).

oneshot | 7.6K | romance/fluff | read it here

no judgement zone by @noellesthings

jiara mythical AU

oneshot | 2K | angst | read it here

What if... (A beating heart is just a ticking timer)? by TiggerUsername on ao3

Everyone in Outer Banks has a soulmate. On their wrist is a ticking timer that is counting down to the second where the person meets their soulmate. The Universe makes sure that the two soulmates don't miss each other.

oneshot | 12.4K | angst/romance | read it here

this dream isn’t feeling sweet by @rae-of-fricking-sunshine

the scorpio race au

multichapter | 10.7K | read it here

monkshood and wolfsbane by @alphinias

JJ and Kiara go through seven years of Hogwarts together. They don't really like each other, until they do.

multichapter | 8.5K | romance/angst/fluff | read it here

war of hearts by capulets on ao3

kiara falls in love with jj. over and over and over again. the reincarnation au literally nobody asked for.

multichapter | 6.6K | romance/angst | read it here

let's get together (before we get much older) by jiaras on ao3

jiara college AU

oneshot | 7.5K | romance/fluff/smut | read it here

cause all’s fair in love and war by @hmsjiara / someoneyouloved on ao3

the percy jackson AU where jj and kiara really, really hate each other... until they don’t.

multichapter | 9.5K | romance/angst | read it here

this world seems beautiful when i'm with you by @maddieandherships

JJ, Pope and John B were alone in this world-a world crawling with dead people that would kill anything that had a heartbeat. It wasn't until they stumble upon a small community of survivors is where they finally feel they have a purpose, to survive.

multichapter | 5.9K | romance/angst | read it here

i have come to save the day by @maybankiara

in which jj is a postman and kiara is his favourite receptionist (alternatively, 4 times kiara didn't know jj's name and the one time she did).

oneshot | 5K | fluff | read it here

✦ ✧ ✦

DAY 4 - July 29th, 2020

DESTINATION DAY

better date than never by @alphinias

Kiara is sick of her mom badgering her about the single groomsmen at her cousin's wedding, so obviously, taking JJ as her date is the perfect solution. It won't be complicated. Not at all.

oneshot | 22.6K | romance/angst | read it here

you're the only friend I need (sharing beds like little kids) by jiaras on ao3

in which JJ and Kiara take their three kids on a road trip to the lake house.

oneshot | 3.6K | fluff | read it here

tell me when you’re falling (can you hear me calling?) by capulets on ao3

being in love with your best friend makes vacationing pretty inconvenient. luckily for kiara, said best friend will never suspect a thing.

oneshot | 3.3K | fluff/romance | read it here

and if my wishes came true (it would’ve been you) by @hmsjiara / someoneyouloved on ao3

the one where jj and kiara go on a road trip together and do a miserable job of pretending they’re not two idiots in love

oneshot | 7K | angst/fluff/smut | read it here

i don’t want to miss a thing by @maybankiara

in which jj drives kiara off to college, and he's not completely okay with that.

oneshot | 2.2K | fluff/light angst | read it here

✦ ✧ ✦

DAY 5 - July 30th, 2020

5 + 1 DAY

bare necessities by @rae-of-fricking-sunshine

the five times they were unintentionally undressed, and the one time they weren't

oneshot | 10.6K | fluff | read it here

I can’t believe that it’s finally me and you and you and me, just us (and our friends) by @hvitstark / RoseOfWinterfell on ao3

4 times John B and Pope interupt JJ and Kiara's alone time. And the 1 time they get to be alone.

oneshot | 11.6K | fluff/smut | read it here

if we were meant to be, we would've been by now by @alphinias

five times JJ was jealous, and one time he didn't have to be

oneshot | 12K | angst/romance | read it here

every piece of you by @interstellarbeams

Five places that Kie hadn’t expected to be intimate when kissed and one place she does.

oneshot | 13.2K | fluff/romance | read it here

it wasn’t special til i met you by capulets on ao3

the four times kiara lets jj braid her hair and the one time she doesn’t.

oneshot | 3.2K | fluff/light angst | read it here

friends are something that we were (before me sleeping in your shirt) by jiaras on ao3

the five times JJ and Kiara pretended to be a couple, and the one time they were

oneshot | 10K | romance/smut | read it here

What if... (slow and steady wins the race)? by TiggerUsername on ao3

the four times that JJ and Kiara are nearly caught and the one time where secrets become too much.

oneshot | 11K | romance/smut | read it here

i don’t wanna be your friend (i wanna kiss your lips) by @hmsjiara / someoneyouloved on ao3

the five times kiara thinks about kissing jj, and the one time she finally does it.

oneshot | 12.4K | angst/romance | read it here

✦ ✧ ✦

DAY 6 - July 31st, 2020

FIRSTS DAY

i lost myself between your legs (oh the habits of my heart, i can't say no) by @hvitstark / RoseOfWinterfell on ao3

Kie ask JJ to be her first. Because she trusts him. No other reason. JJ agrees. Because he's a good friend. No other reason.

oneshot | 10.8K | romance/smut | read it here

you and i (on the fly) by capulets on ao3

jj takes kie out on his bike for the first time and realizes just how fucked he is.

oneshot | 2.9K | fluff | read it here

august slipped away (into a moment in time) by jiaras on ao3

Kiara is going off to college soon, and JJ is staying in Outer Banks.

They decide to practice being away from each other for a day, for the first time ever.

oneshot | 6K | comfort/angst | read it here

What if... (It's only three words, eight letters)? by TiggerUsername on ao3

JJ has had a lot of firsts in his life. But none of them compare to Kiara. They are eighteen when Kiara tells JJ to man up and make a move. Together they realise that firsts can be repeated. There is one first however that changes everything. Because neither of them have heard those three words, eight letter before.

oneshot | 7.3K | angst/hurt/comfort | read it here

✦ ✧ ✦

DAY 7 - August 1st, 2020

FREE/GENRE DAY

Aetea (still searching for a reason, why is it so hard to find one) by @anxietyismyspiritanimal / yawning_inF on ao3

All hell breaks loose when JJ returns 'home' for the first time after John B's disappearance.. Luckily for him, Kiara would have never let him go in the mouth of the wolf alone.

multichapter | 1.7K | angst | read it here

[10k-moreliketheloml]

Blend!10k x Reader || Protect ||

~ i hope this is cute! i'm only on episode 3 but i know about the blends and stuff to an extent. this won't be accurate, but i just really need some fluff rn, sorry! i'll edit it once i'm farther in the show! ~

Warnings: None

Word Count: 1,432 (one of the longest one-shots I've ever written)

"10k, you and [name] go deeper into the woods and gather stuff for a fire, we'll get stuff unpacked here." Warren commanded and I looked to 10k, who was nodding slowly, bringing a smile to my face. After he broke free from Murphy's control, it had been a long road to him talking to others again, and being comfortable with everything.

The most surprising thing was how he was always comfortable with me. He followed me around like a little chick, and I had been the first one he spoke to, and let touch him. Of course Doc had been a close second, but it warmed my heart to know he felt safe enough around me.

"How are you feeling today, Tommy?" I asked sweetly, my hand in his as we made our way deeper into the trees. He was alert, but spared me a soft glance. I knew from before he went through the transformation that he liked when I called him by his given name, and I also knew not to say it in front of the others.

"Okay. Head hurts." He murmured back. I frowned a bit. So he was on a bad day. Those happened too often, where he hurt a lot more than usual from fighting Murphy in his mind so much.

"When we get back to camp, I'll have Doc get you some asprins. Is that okay?" He nodded and squeezed my hand a slight bit. Ever since he had come back he had been much gentler with not only me, but everyone, and we knew it was cause he was scared he'd hurt us.

Suddenly the unmistakable sound of a Z broke through our conversation, and with a drop of my stomach I realized i had left my pistol at camp. I only had my hunter's knife, and I wasn't good at close combat yet. I huddled closer to 10 as the monster shuffled into view.

"T-Tommy, I don't have my gun." I told him, fear evident in my voice. He shuffled me behind him and took on a protective stance, no weapon in his hand either, though I could see his slingshot. He must've been out of bolts.

"Stay behind me. Just breathe." He said, trying to soothe me as it came closer, growling and reaching. In a flash 10k had dropped to a crouch, body tense and his own teeth bared. I gasped in both awe and confusion as the Z stopped, hissing at the boy in front of me. Tommy didn't back down, snapping and snarling as if communicating with it.

The Z took a few more steps forward and without any hesitation 10k leaped, grabbing it's head and slamming it to the ground, not stopping until the brain was destroyed. He stood, wiping his hands on his shirt before turning and coming back to me. He looked scared, guilty.

"I'm sorry, I had to...I tried to get it to leave but it wouldn't and I...I couldn't let it...you would've been hurt." He rambled, and I realized he was scared I'd be mad. That I'd hate him. Reacting quickly I pulled him into me, arms wrapping around his torso as I shook my head.

"Don't apologise, I know. Thank you, thank you so much. You saved me, I was so scared." I confessed and he wrapped his arms around me as well, face nuzzling into my shoulder.

"I had to," He said again. "I won't ever let you get hurt, not ever." I smiled and pulled away to cup his face.

"I know, that helps me stay calm. I have all the faith in the world that you'll protect me." He tried for a grin but it was bitter.

"When I was talking to the Z I could only feel disgust. I'm a monster, just as bad as they are. What if one day...Murphy gets control again and makes me...hurt you for revenge? [name], I'm so scared I'll put you in danger. I fight him so hard to keep you safe, but what if it's not enough one day?" I felt heat rush to my eyes as tears gathered. The boy in front of me looked so broken, his eyes were dull and his soul was in tatters. The man I loved was suffering so much and I didn't know how to help.

"Oh Tommy, I'm so sorry!" I almost wailed, my tears spilling over. "I want to help you, how can I help you?" I was sobbing, clutching onto him as if my life depended on it, and to me it did. He was my life, the reason I was able to make it this far with hope in my heart for a better life. I couldn't let him go through this alone.

"What are you talking about?" His voice was soft, sweet and full of fondness. "You already help so much. You're the reason I can fight him as much as I do." I looked up at him, wondering how I could help if I barely did anything.

"But..." He cut me off with a real smile this time.

"You being with me and loving me, makes me keep fighting. I know if you're with me I can stop his control all together. I love you." I felt my heart swell and I jumped on him, hugging him tightly and crying once more, but out of happiness.

"I love you too, you nut! I love you so much!" I laughed, tilting my head to kiss him. He was frozen in surprise for a moment before kissing back, one hand going to my thigh to support me, while his other came to cup my head right above my neck, keeping us connected. I pulled away with a giggle and dropped down to begin looking for wood.

"C'mon, we better get some wood or Warren will skin us alive." Tommy chuckled and I felt light.

°•°•°

10k's POV

It only took us a few minutes to fill our arms with wood we could use, and we made our way back to the others, [name] in front of me in case another Z made an appearance. I was still shaken at what had happened, scared [name] would decide to leave even though I knew she wouldn't.

As we broke through the tree line, Addy walked up to take [name]'s stack, taking it to Roberta as [name] sat with Doc, most likely asking for asprin for me, making me smile. She was too amazing for her own good.

"You okay, Kid?" Doc asked, coming up to me with a few pills and some water. I nodded, taking both things from him, but he gasped, noticing the dry blood still on my hands.

"There was a Z, [name] didn't have her gun and I didn't take my rifle. It was a stupid mistake, but I took care of it. I tried getting the Z to leave, but it kept coming so I mercied it. If I hadn't something could've happened to [name]." I explained. "She was so scared." Doc smiled a bit.

"I understand. But, what do you mean you tried to get it to leave?" I sighed.

"I can communicate with them to an extent. Like Murphy but not as strong. It didn't work this time, but I'm going to work on it. I have to make sure I have different ways to protect everyone, especially her." He chuckled.

"You're always full of surprises, Kid." He left me after that and I made my way to [name]'s side, taking the medicine on my way. Sitting next to her, I handed her the rest of the water.

"Here, drink some." She smiled at me and took it, sipping it and sighing at the coolness.

"Thanks 10k. And not just for the water." I slid an arm around her shoulders to pull her to me.

"Don't mention it." The smaller girl giggled and nestled into my side, head on my shoulder. I looked at her and saw her fighting to stay awake. I placed a kiss on her forehead. "Sleep, you need it." I murmured, and before long she was out.

I told Warren I'd take first watch, and as everyone slept I looked at the stars, wondering how I was so lucky as to have a family, as ragtag as they may have been, and how [name] was still by my side, even knowing how dangerous I was. I smiled, feeling at peace for once since the events with Murphy.

"Thank you." I whispered, the sound so quiet it was carried off with the wind.

---

i loved writing this, oml! it's not accurate at all, but i hope it's still okay!! feel free to request!

[atruththatyoudeny]

281018 - Happy 1D Fanworks Appreciation Day! Today I want to dedicate my 1D fanworks appreciation post to the “Larry Abroad Fic Challenge” over @larryabroad. I just love all the different ideas and the way all these amazing authors filled their prompts with so much imagination. Thank you all for taking part in this challenge and giving us so many fantastic fics! So, give them a read and show them some love!

POMPEII | A Dangerous Night (To Fall In Love) by FallingLikeThis / @suddenclarityharry || [AO3] || [tumblr post] ✘ historical | mythology | angst | prophetic visions | 7k Harry has visions and sees the destruction of Pompeii before it happens. Now, how does he tell his best friend what's to come?

CHRISTIANIA, Denmark | From Christiania with love by sweariwouldnt / @sweariwouldnt || [AO3] || [tumblr post] ✘ friends to enemies to friends to lovers | drugs | police training | violence | 18k It's Louis' first field training day as a future police officer. It doesn't quite go to his plan. Or, maybe, it goes exactly to some bigger plan.

MADURODAM, The Netherlands | All The Small Things by GMTYUniverse / @goodmorningtoyouuniverse || [AO3] || [tumblr post] ✘ airplane meeting | fluff | mentions of grief | 18k The one where Louis & Harry meet and go on a shared adventure to miniature Netherlands due to a faulty plane, Louis' restlessness, Harry's excitedness and a healthy dose of fate & infatuation at first sight.

NEW YORK CITY, USA | You've Been Taking Up My Mind by styleandsin / @styleandsin || [AO3] || [tumblr post] ✘ music festival | strangers to lovers | famous/not famous | 10k Harry's always been a fan of Louis Tomlinson, and when he gets a artist pass for a music festival (thanks to his best friend's new popstar boyfriend) he doesn't expect to actually meet Louis.

BOSTON, USA | When it feels so good, but it's bad for you by notasawrap / @notasawrap || [AO3] || [tumblr post] ✘ famous/not famous | meet-cute | light angst | past abuse | |36k "I'm gonna..." he mumbles, moving away to look Harry in the eye. The green-eyed man's mouth is half open, his pupils are blown and his cheeks are furiously red. The light shining on his face leaves Louis out of breath at the way he looks. "Beautiful." Harry smiles contentedly, leaning down to press his forehead against Louis' "May l—?" He tries to ask, but Louis interrupts him with a gasp, his head moving up and down in affirmation. He wants it, God, he wants it so much that his fingers ache from how long it took him to get it. Harry giggles, beginning to press kisses along Louis' jaw, pressing his open mouth on his skin, so slow that Louis just wants to turn around and get it on his own; his lips against Harry's. "Just... please," Louis begs, bouncing on his tiptoes, his voice dying at the end of the sentence. He swallows when Harry's tongue licks the corner of his mouth and the next second, their lips collide. Louis' eyes closed and his hand tightens on Harry's neck, an appreciative hum coming out from his throat.

GIRAFFE MANOR, Kenya | When I Run Out of Road by QuickedWeen / @becomeawendybird || [AO3] || [tumblr post] ✘ historical | 1930s | travel | friends to lovers | fluff | light angst | 24k It's 1932 when Harry Styles sets off on an adventure to the African continent and the most popular new travel destination: Nairobi. He has reservations at the best club in town and plans to stay for a few weeks. What he doesn't expect is to meet and get to know a wonderful family along the way. The Deakins are sponsors of the Royal Ballet, traveling with the company to see them perform in Nairobi for the first time. They take Harry under their wing, treat him like part of their family, and change his life in ways he never imagined.

NEWFOUNDLAND, Canada | Take It To The Limit by taggiecb / @taggiecb || [AO3] || [tumblr post] ✘ fluff | tragedy | minor character death | original character death(s) | angst | grief/mourning | break up | post-break up | emotional hurt/comfort | 35k Louis Tomlinson enjoys the simple life. He has his house, his family, and his friends all in the tiny town of Petty Harbour, Newfoundland. When he isn’t spending the winters plowing out the residents and keeping Liam and Niall company at Payne’s pub, he’s out on the open water doing the one thing that he loves the most, fishing. Harry Styles is a traveler. He lands in the tiny town to try to find himself. What he finds instead is a beautiful blue eyed man who seems to have everything figured out. But even a brick house can be damaged by a storm if it’s big enough. Can Louis’ perfect life and their relationship survive the tumult that’s coming?

ANTARCTIC RESEARCH STATION | When the Sun Won't Let You Sleep by allwaswell16 / @allwaswell16 || [AO3] || [tumblr post] ✘ enemies to lovers | light angst | mentions of grief | 30k Four years ago, Louis Tomlinson left the UK to live on an Antarctic research station for reasons best left in the past. He’s carved out a life for himself on the ice and has dedicated himself to his research, his friends, and especially the Halley VI research station. He’s less than thrilled when he learns that Harry Styles, a glaciologist from another base who once broke his heart, will be coming to Halley, and he’s definitely unprepared for the upheaval Harry brings with him. 

MELBOURNE | I Left My Heart In Melbourne by EmmyLouWho || [AO3] ✘ online dating | fluff | 8k Or: only Harry Styles could manage to fall in love using a dating app... without actually using the dating app.

SEA OF STARS, Maldives | No better place than right by your side by velvetnoodle / @velvetnoodle || [AO3] || [tumblr post] ✘ stangers to lovers | fluff | humor | meet-cute | 5k Louis' in the maldives for a friends destination wedding when he meets harry at the reception. they agree to a no-strings-attached hook up: no last names, no phone numbers, no personal info, and no promises. only, the universe has other ideas. aka the one where harry just won't leave louis alone (but he really doesn't mind)

LOS ANGELES, USA | Promise Not to Fall by dimpled_halo / @dimpled-halo || [AO3] || [tumblr post] ✘ canon divergence | friends with benefits | friends to lovers | 1D Hiatus | fluff | pining | long-distance relationship | 38k When One Direction goes on hiatus, Harry and Louis reconnect, becoming the friends they once were during their days in the X Factor. It doesn’t take long for their friendship to evolve into friends with benefits, unable to resist the physical attraction between them. Things get complicated when feelings get in the way.

THE WIZARDING WORLD OF HARRY POTTER, Orlando, USA | You've Got This Spell On Me by lovelarry10 / @chloehl10 || [AO3] || [tumblr post] ✘ Harry Potter setting | getting together | long-distance relationship | 29k Louis has been living in Florida for 3 years now, and loves his job working at Universal Orlando Resort, particularly in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. He's on a countdown to finally head home to Doncaster, but the arrival of a curly-haired boy from Holmes Chapel throws Louis' last few weeks in the Sunshine State into complete disarray...

MARRAKESH, Morrocco | Subtle Trouble and The Universal Waves of Love by enigma_scars / @kawaii-yakuza || [AO3] ✘ 15k Harry is a sad and pathetic human who lives on his father's word's. Said father is a rich asshole with no heart and only morals that favour him. Louis is a travel agent whose life was saved from a huge debt because said Harry is a lawyer who works at Louis' friend's firm and said lawyer doesn't like to lose his cases. They meet again almost 4 years later in the middle of Marrakesh. But you just can't be gay in the middle of an Islamic nation. However, confessions are made; emotions are formed and then it's time to leave. Tragic time-line skip. Both realize that what they did was pretty stupid. Harry quits his job to go find Louis. Louis and Harry live together happily ever after. Plus a side of nostalgic other lifetime flashbacks that neither of them knew they lived together. Basically the gay soulmate AU+Marrakesh tourism™.

SCHÖNBRUNN PALACE, Austria |  In you, I see the dreams that I have always longed for by littleshoran / @grumpykitin || [AO3] ✘ royalty | fluff | 5k When Louis' parents find him a suitable wife to rule the country with, he has no idea how to let them know that he would rather not. Everything clears up a bit once the handsome brother comes into the picture.

FORT MYERS, USA | The Finding Sea by angelichl / @angelichl || [AO3] ✘ friends to lovers | pining | light angst | 17k They met at the ocean, in a way. It makes sense for them to fall in love at the ocean too. Harry is in love with his best friend. They go on vacation together.

KLEINFELD’S BRIDAL, NYC,USA | We'll Paint the Town by kotabear24 / @kotabear-24 || [AO3] ✘ Say Yes To The Dress Fusion | famous/ not famous | 4k In which Louis can't flirt, Lottie does all the work, Harry just wants to get her in a damn dress, and Niall is an aggressive affirmer. It ends well for everyone.

CHICAGO, USA | Bright Lights, Windy City by harrygotthebee / @harrygotthebee || [AO3] ✘ strangers to lovers | 8k The one where Harry makes an ass out of himself in front of the cute tour guide and decides to take a chance that could alter his future.

[lonelypond]

Santa Cutie and The Christmas Cookie Queen, Ch. 6

Love Live, NicoMaki, 10K, 6/6

North Pole (Nishikino) Invasion

Nico had a plan. Well, two plans. One was the well scripted plan to razzle dazzle the execs watching her audition, the other, well, the ingredients for the other were safely stashed in her dad’s military duffle, underneath layers of clothes, her makeup kit and a few essential tools. The target of that plan was sitting in the driver’s seat of Umi’s sedan, merrily humming Christmas tunes as she vroomed along 20 miles an hour over the speed limit. Between them, Kotori and Nico had managed to distract Umi for the length of the trip. So they were making good time, had a solid script and there had been no incidents of road trip grumpy. So far, so good. Nico glanced at Kotori who was showing Umi pics from Honoko’s date prep. Kotori nodded and flashed the ok sign.

Maki half turned her head and smiled, “We’re almost there. It’s not really an exit, there’s an access road we use.”

Nico frowned, “So no toll? That’s legal?”

Maki shrugged. Of course, Nico asked questions, Nico was a reporter. Rin had texted that Eli had found out about the reporter thing and that was adding to her freakout, which was making extra problems for Nozomi. Rin was worried.

“Nico.” Maki hesitated, “Could I ask you a favor?”

“Sure, if Nico can help you, I will.” Nico was curious, Maki’s mood having gone from festive to furtive.

“Don’t ask too many questions.” Immediately, Maki regretted her phrasing. It made it sound like she had something to hide, which she kind of did, but only because of Eli and tradition, not because Maki didn’t trust Nico. Maki stumbled out another attempt, “I mean, can we just focus on your video. It’s a really busy time and…”

Nico sounded a little subdued, “Nico appreciates your using your family resources to help.”

“I want to help,” Maki and the car leapt forward, “It’s not that I don’t tr...it’s just…” Maki frowned, “Eli.”

“Who is Eli?” Nico asked.

Head Elf was not a title Maki could offer her current listeners so she went with the best analogy she could think of “Eli’s North Pole Nishikino’s Chief Operating Officer. She’s very involved in day to day operations, especially this time of year.”

Nico’s laugh brayed, “You’re sneaking Nico in…”

Maki coughed and yes, the car might have swerved slightly, so now Maki could feel Umi paying close attention as well, “Not exactly…”

Nico poked Maki on the arm, “Will you or will you not get in trouble if you get caught showing Nico around the place.”

Maki didn’t want to take her hand off the wheel, partly because she couldn’t decide whether to rub the spot where Nico poked her or fidget with her hair.

Umi leaned as far forward as her seatbelt allowed, “Is this true, Maki? Is helping Nico breaking any rules?”

Maki floored the gas and Umi paled, “It’s my company, I can do what I want, Eli is NOT the boss of me.”

Nico swallowed back a snigger at Maki’s borderline adult disclaimer.

Maki expelled a loud breath. “Please let me deal with that.” Lavender eyes flashed briefly at Nico, “It’s not a problem, Nico, really. Trust me.”

Nico’s answer was instant, “Of course, Nico trusts you.”

 Having said that she trusted Maki, Nico could think of nothing else to compare the ongoing discussion to than a heist film. They had pulled off onto the access road, made a couple of quick turns on a suddenly foggy road and parked outside a cosy chic diner. The staff just waved at Maki as she made her way into a horseshoe shaped booth in the back, where two women were sitting. One was almost as tiny as Nico, ginger haired, and as busy as a hummingbird’s wings. The other was taller, sedate, with long, dark, purple tinted hair and a knowing smirk.

“MAKI!” the slim ginger rushed Maki, hugging her so hard Nico heard all the redhead’s breath whoosh out.

“Rin.” Maki’s voice hit a whine of complaint even as she tolerated Rin hugging her. Then Rin dodged around Maki, who whirled suspiciously as Rin approached Nico, hand out.

“Hi, Nico! I’m Rin, Maki’s best friend. Nozomi showed me your catching on fire video.” The dark haired woman waved at Nico.

Maki grabbed Rin’s collar and threw her back toward the booth, “Ignore them.” Maki slid into the booth, “Where’s Hanayo?”

“She’s meeting us in a half an hour.” Rin said, checking her phone. “She didn’t want to leave the reindeer waiting. They get restless.”

Maki nodded, as the confusion of the three visitors increased. Nico slid in next to Maki, Umi and Kotori across the table, next to Nozomi. Rin bounced happily in the middle.

“We’d better order lunch.” Maki handed menus around, “Once we get inside, faster is better.”

  Nico wandered through the trees, glad she’d listened to Maki and dressed for outdoor travel. Cocoa’s snow sneakers fit well enough. The air wasn’t that cold, but there was an extra wintry chill and sparkle to it, Nico almost felt like she was walking on the set of a Modern Holiday Classic™. Bells tinkling in the distance, then nearing as hooves could be heard clomping through the snow only added to the effect. Maki was talking to Rin, hands drawing plans in the air. She paused to wink at Nico once. A sleigh drawn by two antlered reindeer appeared, a small, smiling woman at the reins, fair hair covered by a flap eared knitted cap.

“Kayo-chin!” Rin ran up to the driver, pushing herself up on the sleigh and kissing her cheek. Rin then came forward to pet the reindeer. “Hi, Hyuna, Hi, Hyeri” Then she pointed at the crowd behind Maki. ”This is Nico and Umi and Kotori, Kayo-chin.” Rin announced.

Hanayo waved, one hand still on the reins. Maki realized they’d be jammed in the sleigh, but it should work. “We’ll load up here, and then head to the Studio’s loading entrance.”

“I’ll run back and open the back doors.” Rin sprinted off with a wave.

The driver twisted around to yell, “Be careful, Rin!” but Rin was already out of sight.

Maki waved Nico forward, “Nico, this is Hanayo, Rin’s fiancee and one of my oldest friends. She takes care of the reindeer herd.”

“Nice to meet you.” Nico smiled.

Hanayo acknowledged the response with a quick nod, but she was already thinking about other matters, “If you just hand Nico in, Maki, I think we can fit everyone.”

“Yeah, and Nozomi should have had enough of a headstart.” Maki stepped closer to Nico, hands reaching out, “May I?”

Nico murmured agreement as Maki’s hands settled on her waist and boosted Nico high enough that she could climb into the sleigh. Hanayo clucked at the reindeer, encouraging and steadying them. Umi stepped forward with Kotori, first handing the luggage to Nico, then following Maki’s motions, then jumping in to sit next to Kotori. Maki slid in next to Hanayo and the driver gave the reindeer the go ahead. Nico enjoyed the ride, trees seemed to bounce past them, sunlight sparkling through snow and ice crystals, bells in the air, music in the distance...she watched as Maki leaned forward, relaxed, a huge grin on her face as the sleigh continued deeper into the woods. From every angle, her pose read “Home.” Nico had never seen the redhead so calm. Maybe it was the trees. Or the cool. She remembered @SantaChan’s anti air conditioned cool rants in July and August. Maybe being in the mountains kept things cooler year round...made sense. Nico made a mental note to ask Maki on the drive back to Tudor.

 Nozomi considered, biting her lip and staring at her reflection in the mirror. The wrap dress clung attractively in all the right places, but if Eli was already in a bad mood, Nozomi dialing up the flirty would only freeze the atmosphere between them. But the NorthPole Nishikino branded cardigan, though warm, made Nozomi feel frumpy. She shook herself, this was for Maki. Plus, Eli always smiled when she saw Nozomi sporting the company logo. Frumpy feel goods for Nozomi’s maybe more than friend, while Maki did a HUGE favor for hers. That would have to do. Red wasn’t Nozomi’s best color either, not even top 3, but this was for a good cause. Nozomi put her arms in the cardigan, buttoned the middle button and prepared to brave Eli’s office with her crisis.

Now, Nozomi cared too much about her job and the people she worked with to CREATE a crisis, however, she had developed a habit of postponing resolving a crisis that involved paperwork in case Eli needed a break from people management. Yesterday, handily, the payroll system had glitched, not acknowledging shift differentials and completely losing track of overtime hours, which at this time of year would not only mess with pay, but have a serious impact on bonuses. So real, not manufactured crisis, and while Nozomi was better at fixing face to face problems, no one could keep up with Eli when she trained those laser blues on an administrative problem. This one was knotty enough that it should give Maki and Rin the time they needed to get Nico in and out, if Nico was any good at her job, and everything Nozomi had found out indicated she was.

Nozomi gave herself one last check in the mirror, reluctantly leaving the mistletoe pin out of the ensemble. Eli was starting to get a twitch whenever she saw anything green and Nozomi was starting to regret that particular directive.

 The sleigh pulled up in back of a huge building as Rin was sliding a wall open. Maki jumped down, grabbing Nico’s duffle and box of tools and dumping them into Rin’s arms. Then she offered a hand to Nico, who let Maki assist her in stepping down. Kotori and Umi followed.

Hanayo turned the sleigh in a careful circle around everyone. “I have to settle Hyuna and Hyeri, Maki, then I can help.”

“That’s fine, Hanayo.” Maki waved.

“See you soon, Kayo-chin.” Rin shouted over her shoulder as she bowed under the weight. Maki grabbed Nico’s duffle and bounded into the studio. Nico, Umi and Kotori stopped at the entrance, awed by the size and the tech neatly arranged around a pristine kitchen, decorated for Christmas with miniature tinsel tossed trees and snowmen.

“I hope you were planning on a Christmas theme; it’s kinda all we do around here.” Maki waved an arm, “Welcome to North Pole Nishikino. Let me know what you need.”

”But hurry.” Rin muttered, Maki shoved her, shushing, as she watched Nico wander onto the expansive set, eyes wide.

“Nico thought you were going to be impressed with our studio. Silly Nico.” Nico glanced at Umi, who was torn between sadness at Honoka missing this opportunity and relief that she wouldn’t have to monitor Honoka’s behavior with equipment this expensive.

Maki paused as she carried Nico’s duffle to the island, to whisper in Nico’s ear, “I was impressed with you.”

Nico almost blushed, but immediately started to bustle before she could get off track. “Rin, can you take Kotori somewhere I can change so she can lay out my outfit and makeup.”

Rin took Kotori and the duffle bag off, Kotori shepherding carefully the garment bag that held Nico’s change of clothes.

“Nico will set up here. Did Rin get the ingredients I needed?” Nico began to unpack her kitchen box.

“Yeah, she said everything’s in the cabinets under the island, unless it’s refrigerated.” Maki pointed.

“Thanks, Maki. Can you show Umi the control booth while Nico sets up. And who’s going to run the cameras?”

Umi suddenly tensed, “Kotori can, I guess. Two cameras would be great though, if there’s a hand held.” Umi looked to Maki who nodded. ‘Closeups would be helpful.”

“We can position a camera to focus solely on the cooking, if that helps. And RIn and Hanayo can run cameras. W....they made a lot of goofy videos as kids.”

“They…?” Nico asked.

Maki kicked her boot, “Um...”

Nico laughed, “Thanks, Maki. This is amazing. I need a half an hour for prep, Umi, then I’ll get changed and we can get started.”

Umi nodded approval, “That sounds like a good plan. Maki can help me familiarize myself with the equipment while you get ready.”

“Maki is the best host.” Nico blew a kiss at Maki, missing the raging blush when she ducked under the counter to start pulling out ingredients.

 “Eli.” Nozomi let herself stagger a little, eyes wide, breath rapid. Eli patted the shoulder of the elf she was in conversation with and turned her attention to the interruption.

“Did something happen? Are you okay?” Eli smiled, hand reaching toward Nozomi’s back. Eli actually seemed in a fairly good mood. Nozomi hesitated, but only briefly. Maki was no good at improvising. Nozomi would have to see this through.

“Payroll.” Nozomi kept her voice even and efficient. “The system’s screwed up. It’s not reflecting shift differentials and two weeks worth of overtime has disappeared. If we can’t find a way to restore the information, we’ll have to go through the schedule and time cards and walk Aditha in IT through what we need.”

“Don’t worry, Nozomi, this happened last month. Once we figure out who’s affected, it’s an easy fix. I had Aditha code a workaround if it ever happened again.” Eli hugged Nozomi with one arm. Nozomi started to wonder why Eli was taking this so well.

“Ummm...Eli.” Nozomi leaned her head on Eli’s shoulder, “you seem in a good mood…”

Eli grinned, “Maki decided to come back.”

Nozomi stopped, choosing her words carefully, “You saw her?”

Eli shook her head, eyes glittering, ease in her walk, “No, but now that she’s back, we can get over all this motorcycle-reporter-overspending nonsense and lock in on a successful Christmas Eve.”

“Eli.” Nozomi’s voice rang in the hall.

“Yes?”

“How do you know Maki’s back?”

“After the accident, I activated the Santa Tracker.” Eli stated. “It can track anyone who’s using the NPP app. Maki’s been mostly testing the Santa Sack™. I look forward to hearing her evaluation.”

“Eli, you can’t do that.” Nozomi found herself shouting, hands in front of her, trying not to shake Eli. “She’s not a lost 2 year old.”

“What if she had another accident? We’d be glad to know where she was then.” Eli shrugged off Nozomi’s ire.

“Did you inform her that you took this action?” Nozomi was calmer, not less angry, but quieter anger.

Another shrug, “Let’s go fix your problem, Nozomi. Then maybe we can sit down to dinner?”

“Oh, Eli. My problem is nothing compared to the one you have.” Nozomi turned away, “You’ll have to do the payroll fix on your own. I have an errand to run.”

 Maki printed out a copy of the script Nico and Umi had worked so hard on during the ride here. As she read through it, Maki could see Nico winking and smiling. She half spun her seat and started playing something on her mini midi keyboard. She followed the music scrolling across the screen, watching the time as she listened through the headphones loose around her ears. One quick replay, a click at 15.7 seconds, a change in chords and she handed the headphones to Umi. “Think Nico will like this? I recorded an intro.”

Umi listened, one hand cupped around an earpad, eyes closed. A finger roll indicated Maki should repeat the loop. Then Umi opened her eyes, “That’s perfect. Nico will love it.” Umi handed the headphones back. “Thank you, Maki.”

Maki grunted and went back to her keyboard, “Do you want one piece for transitions or multiple?”

Umi remembered courting Kotori, searching all over Baltimore for a specific fabric that Kotori needed to complete an outfit, patiently running errands during the long nights Kotori spent working on her first costume design job for a short film, driving 10 minutes out of her way to bring Kotori her favorite coffee and pastry the week before filming. Practical romance. Being helpful while distracting yourself from the sensations being near the woman you wanted engendered.

“I think one, but we should ask Nico.”

Maki nodded, glancing to where Nico was explaining to Rin how she wanted the shots to look. Nico hands flew over the countertop as she demonstrated. Maki thought it was probably a relief that Rin did everything nearly as fast as Nico. Anyone else might have been lost. But both Umi and Kotori seemed to exist in a lower gear and they kept up. Maki wouldn’t want Nico to slow down at all for her, Nico’s vibrancy promised adventures Maki wanted to share.

Umi had a different thought, “Nico, remember, slow down a bit for the audience. They won’t be able to follow along at full speed.”

“Thanks, Umi.”

Nico hadn’t changed yet. Maki was getting restless, curious about what Nico would wear, if her lips would have a blizzard of snow or be dusted with gold. Underneath the restlessness was concern about Eli finding out about this and lecturing Maki about misuse of corporate resources IN FRONT of Nico. Maki cringed in advance embarrassment at that image, hitting a wrong note and drawing Umi’s attention.

Nico shouted, “Don’t let anyone touch anything. I’m going to go get dressed.”

Umi flashed a thumbs up. Maki put her headphones on, knocking out three quick, merry pieces while thinking about what Nico and peppermint and biting into crispy Snickerdoodles would sound like. A woodwind, with a quick piano chord and a snappy snare for the crunchy flavor. Or maybe cinnamon was more of a sax?

 Nico was a blur around the set, doing a dry run before she worked with the actual ingredients. Maki took out her phone and snapped a quick picture from where she was sitting behind her laptop tweaking tempos based on Nico’s pace, which was at least three times as fast as Maki could do anything without the added boost of an engine. She considered posting it on TWIG, which reminded her she’d never gotten a reply from @StormCookie. A check showed no response still and no new posts from @StormCookie. Maki saved the Nico photo and snapped a quick shot of the music on her laptop captioned with “Setting a Christmas mood for a surprise project.” Usually, @StormCookie responded within a day, but it was her business blog so maybe she was taking the weekend off. Maybe she was talking to her cute girl again. Maki smiled and leaned forward, chin propped on her hands as Nico did a twirl, singing a chorus of “Jingle Bells.” Just being in the same room with Nico was enough to get a buzz, Maki thought. Nico had enough energy to fill even this space. Maki wondered if she’d ever attempted to break into a bigger market than Tudor. It might have been hard for Nico to leave her family. Cocoa and Cotaro had told Maki how Nico had taken care of them even when she was attending to college.

“Hey, Maki!” Nico called out and Maki jumped back from her meandering train of thought to see the dark haired beauty waving to her, “Play that intro bit again, Nico wants to work on a dance.”

Maki nodded and swept the cursor to that part of the music. Nico’s foot tapped along, head nodding to the beat.

Suddenly Nico was heading toward Maki, arms out, “Maki’s amazing. This’ll help prove Nico is the consummate professional. I can’t thank you enough.” Nico’s lips were a deep red with small flecks of silver and Maki was breathless, heart rate thrumming like a mambo beat, watching them come closer. Then Nico was hugging her, another kiss on the cheek, but Nico’s lips lingered as she whispered, “I can’t thank you enough, Maki.”

When Nico pulled back, Maki’s hands were clasped in her lap so she didn’t rub her cheek or twist her hair. The redhead had a slight blush and was looking past her laptop, “Hey, Nico?”

“What is it?” Nico leaned into Maki, enjoyed the proximity, resisting the temptation to play with Maki’s hair and almost paying attention to the music.

“If you get the job, where would you go?” Maki tapped a few keys but as far as Nico could tell, it was just random motion.

“Oh, the network HQ is located in Brooklyn, but Nico would only have to fly in for meetings. The pitch is for Nico to produce things remotely at first...we’d find someplace in Tudor to rent, you don’t have to worry about that. Nico wouldn’t be needing to bother you again.” Nico glanced around, “This place is amazing though. What do you film here?”

Maki shifted and Nico let her hand drop to her side as Maki moved swiveled her stool, amethyst eyes not as bright as they’d been, “Safety videos, news updates, we have a half hour morning and midnight show that covers local and corporate stories.”

“That sounds fun.”

“Nozomi says it’s good for morale. She interviews people, takes lots of video footage. She and Rin go to toy conventions and things like that.”

“That’s one of the things Nico likes best about the job, interacting with people, getting them to tell Nico their stories.” Nico’s eyes gleamed as she tapped out a rhythm on Maki’s shoulders, “When Nico has her own show, so many people will clamor to spend some one on one time with the number one interviewer on the air.”

Maki tensed, half closing her laptop and standing abruptly, “I’d better check on Umi.”

“She’ll be fine.” Nico was puzzled by the disruption in the friendly mood she’d been building, “She’s still riding the relief at not having to herd Honoka through all this expensive equipment.”

Maki chuckled, her momentary begrudging of Nico’s popularity dissipated, “It’s been Rin proofed, Honoka would have been fine.”

Nico shook her head, “You weren’t there when she took out the power for 58% of the lower Susquehanna Valley while trying to get in the air video at a hot air balloon event. We had a private ambulance on call for awhile after that. Umi still almost screams if she sees a kid with a balloon.”

“Ha.” Maki flicked Nico’s shoulder, “That’s nothing to the Christmas Eve Rin let the reindeer loose and all of our European deliveries ended up 6 hours behind schedule...everyone was wrangling reindeer and no one could find Rin and Hanayo nearly split in two with worry. Papa said...” Maki froze when she saw the off look in Nico’s eye, curiosity wrestling with suspicion….”um” Maki flailed, physically and verbally, suddenly seeing Eli’s icy glare if Nico started asking questions about Christmas “....we were like 5 and I didn’t really understand what was going on...or what day it was…or...”

“What’s up?” Rin bumped Maki’s side. “I’m ready. Umi’s REALLY cool and Kotori says we should add a darker green to the delivery uniform. Where’s Kayo-chin?”

Nico turned, watching Rin closely as she spoke, “Maki was just telling me about letting all the reindeer out and the delivery delays…”

Maki was behind Nico making frantic “no” signals, crossing her forearms, frowning, and willing understanding into Rin. A puzzled Rin shrugged, “Yeah, no biggy, things are really crazy around here every year before S...:”

Maki practically bowled Rin over with Nico when she pushed the smaller woman toward the set, “Let’s get started. We promised Nozomi we’d be fast.”

“Yeah, we did.” Rin ran back to her camera.

“All right.” Nico frowned, which Maki couldn’t look away from, “Nico is not here to ask questions, Nico is here to catapult to the next level, with the kind assistance of the wonderful Maki.” Nico blew a kiss to Maki, who didn’t notice as she was too focused on whispering to Rin.

“Just forget I mentioned the reindeer thing. We don’t want Nico finding out too much.” Maki felt her heart drop as she said that. Why couldn’t she share everything with Nico? Nico was at least a friend....Maki glanced at Nico, who was making sure the placement of everything was exactly where they’d put spike tape, maybe more when this craziness was over and Maki had a minute to talk to her. But for now it was best to stay focused on helping Nico get her video segment done for tomorrow, and figure out anything else later. Maki shoved her hands deep in her pockets, standing a little apart from Rin, trying to get lost enough in Nico’s smile and snappy patter to forget the urge to pull Nico aside, outside, away from everyone, deep in the pine trees, and just…her imagination stopped there, with Nico brushing a kiss on her cheek, one hand on her forearm. Wait, why did it have to stop there. Wait, Nico was calling her name, why, how long had she zoned out for?

“Maki?” Nico had paused. “Did you hear me?”

“Sorry, what do you need?”

“Can you play the intro for Nico.”

“Sure.” Maki rushed back to her laptop, made sure the speakers were connected and started the music.

Nico held up a hand, “Let Nico countdown from 5. Please.”

“Yeah, Maki. Do your job.” Rin stuck out her tongue.

“Sorry.” Maki hung her head, reminding herself of important things: Take a deep breath. Do things in the right order. Listen to Nico. Don’t get distracted. If Rin starts sniggering, ignore her.

Nico glanced up to where Umi was sitting behind a bank of consoles, “I think the local talent is good to go, Umi. Are you ready?”

Umi’s voice came over the sound system. “We’re good to go whenever you are, Nico. Kotori’s got the sound levels all set. We’ll adjust if anything spikes.”

“All right. Let’s get started.” Nico shook herself, then looked straight into the fixed camera. “5, 4, 3, 2, 1....”

Maki hit play. Nico twirled and came out of it right as the music faded. “Want to impress a girl? Polish your cookie making game? Nothing like ginger spice to put a little snap in your dating life.” Nico stopped. “Hey, Umi, could we drop in a gif of Ginger Spice there or would that be too much?”

Umi sounded like a stormy goddess, hailing hesitation from above. “I don’t think we have the time to find and edit in gifs, Nico.” Some static, then a break in the clouds, “I could do a pop up video type of thing pretty quickly, just to give the idea of what we might do with a longer deadline.”

“Good idea.” Nico hummed, “I’ll take it from the top.” There she was flying three times faster than everyone as she returned to her starting place. “Ready, Maki?”

“Ready.”

“5, 4, 3, 2, 1.”

Maki had almost forgotten to swipe back to the start, but Nico’s countdown gave her enough time to recover from that near blooper. Maki would be glad to go back to working on something linear after this. Nico’s back and forth, switching near instantly from onstage charisma to off stage competence was making Maki dizzy.

After a few more false starts, they were finally in a flow. Nico had the wet ingredients mixed and was about to measure out the flour when two doors flew open simultaneously, the sliding door clanging in the back of the studio and the double door whooshing open in the front. Rin had obviously forgotten to tell Umi where the “LIVE” switch that activated the red warning lights was. A gust of wind blew in with Hanayo and suddenly Nico was blustering and covered in very fine white flour. Hanayo screamed, Maki’s mouth fell open and Rin nearly fell to the floor laughing. Nico was in a bright red dress with a bold white stripe that suddenly became a snow covered clothingscape. Then there was a bellow. Eli’s voice. Damn.

“What the hell is going on here, Rin? Maki? Who authorized this?” Eli’s rush to the scene had also caught her in the flour shower, but she brushed it off her white suit jacket. Her voice drilled through the surprised incoherencies of Umi and Nico.

“Hi, Eli.” Maki waved.

“Maki.” Eli was nose to nose with Maki, the minuscule height advantage somehow magnified by her rising indignation.

Nico was suddenly in between them, “Maki’s helping me.”

Eli looked down her nose at Nico, but somehow, it wasn’t nearly as effective as Eli intended it to be, “You shouldn’t even be here, Yazawa.”

How do you know…” Nico spun to face Maki, “Did you tell her about me on your date? I saw you downtown…”

“DATE!?!?!??!?!?!?!!!!” Maki and Eli tried to outshout each other; Rin actually did fall onto the floor and started rolling back and forth, laughing hysterically until she bumped Maki, who kicked her to the side, there was a chair being shoved back into the wall sound over the speaker, followed by a “What’s going on? Kotori, stop recording,” and Hanayo stood blinking apologetically in the middle of the open wall.

Maki stuttered, not even sure where to start, totally ignoring Eli to focus on a Nico, who in a less serious mood would be looking like a ridiculous and adorable sugar dusted cookie but right now, seemed actually to be mainlining manic murderous snow person, red eyes dangerously lit. “N...Nico...I...I wasn’t...no one is...nobody’s...Eli…”

“No,” Rin was practically choking, “you don’t mean nobody, Maki, you mean No...zomi.”

“Well, hello everybody.” Nozomi’s voice trilled from the door, “I see Eli beat me here.”

Eli’s turn to spin, confronting a Nozomi who’d ditched the company cardigan, “You knew about this?”

“Of course I did, Eli. People trust me.” Nozomi smirked at Maki and shook her head at Rin. Hanayo crouched next to Rin, who was now on her back, staring at the ceiling, still vibrating with laughter.

“People trust me.” Eli countered.

“People trust you to do your job, Eli, not consider their feelings.” Nozomi sighed, petting Eli on the arm, “Because you don’t. You don’t even consider your feelings.”

“My feelings are” Eli pulled back, sounding choked up, “that no one cares about the things I work so hard to protect.”

“Elichi is cheating.” Nozomi blew out a thin stream of air, too aware of how Eli’s eyes were pleading for support.

Maki wasn’t that polite, bulldozing into their moment. “I care. I just know I can trust Nico.”

Nico was about to say something, but Maki’s raw honesty derailed her as she watched the redhead march right up to the glam blonde she WASN’T dating, fists clenched. Nico decided to just wait and see what happened next. Rin sat up, helped by Hanayo, and Umi appeared suddenly, moving to join Nico.

Eli closed her eyes, then turned, looking past Maki to Nico, who was somehow, dusted with a fine coat of flour, a stern Umi standing by, managing to still pull off a professional demeanor. “She signs a NDA.” Eli’s hands waved wildly. “If any of this ends up anywhere, we sue.”

Maki shifted so she was blocking Nico from Eli’s glare, “No, what happens is you go back to your job and I finish helping Nico.”

Umi glanced at Nico, who was taking a moment to rub her cheek and see how much flour she could scrape off. Umi couldn’t tell if Nico had made any difference. There would definitely need to be a reshoot.

Nozomi had stepped forward, next to Eli, hand reaching out to her, “Eli?”

Maki and Eli had blocked out anything but their intensifying staring battle. When Maki’s arms swung back, Nico decided she did not need to be in the middle of a battle for corporate dominance. Nico had an important audition to ace on a very short deadline and a very long list of things she’d rather see Maki doing.

Time to solve this. Nico strode forward, white dust a fog as she moved. “This is ridiculous. Eli, right?” Nico’s tone demanded a response from Eli, who nodded curtly. Now that Nico had the problem's attention, she could settle this and could get back to work. “I don’t need to sign a NDA. I wouldn’t without consulting my lawyer at length. We’ll be done in a couple of hours and then you never need to see Nico again.” Maki grunted. Nico rolled her eyes but the redhead couldn’t see it. This wasn’t about Maki right now, this was about getting this disturbed, tyrannical distraction out of Nico’s space, even if it was only borrowed space.

“Elichi, why don’t we go deal with the payroll glitch and then later, you can tell Maki exactly how you knew she was back.” Nozomi hummed, quirking an eyebrow at Maki, who was suddenly very attentive as Eli squirmed at the threat underlying Nozomi’s cheery chirps.

“What do you mean? Didn’t someone just see me?” Maki asked.

Eli mumbled something as Nozomi slipped an arm through hers, dragging the fading Head Elf away from the agitated Nishikino heir. Nico blew out a relieved breath, causing flour to fly up and tickle Maki into nearly sneezing. Rin had almost recovered her feet, thanks to Hanayo, but the room was silent as worried lavender eyes searched Nico’s for a clue to her mood. Nico clapped her arms together, flour flying everywhere, Maki coughing in confusion.

“Guess it’s time for Nico to fix this.” Nico announced, crimson eyes as frisky as her tone.

Umi, knowing her friend very well, realized Nico must have had some kind of inspiration, “Do you need to change, Nico? Perhaps there’s a laundr…”

Nico chuckled, “Nope. Nico is a genius. We can still do this. No changes necessary. Are you ready, Rin?”

Rin nodded. Hanayo had been attempting to apologize since Rin got to her feet, but that had turned into a series of background squeaks as conversations escalated around her.

Maki fell back, watching as Nico and Umi had a quick discussion, Nico’s hands leaving flour trails everywhere as she pointed out various items on the set and toggled her fingers back and forth between two of the cameras. Umi started out frowning, but as Nico continued, her eyes brightened and she began making her own suggestions. There was a brief lull, Nico searching the cabinets for something, Umi considering camera options and Maki spoke up.

“Nico?”

“Hmmmm.” Nico was tapping her fingers down the counter, considering.

“Can I help?” Maki had retreated back to her laptop, fidgeting with tabs.

“Just keep looking cute and playing your awesome loops for Nico.”

Rin giggled; Maki gave Rin the side eye.

“Kotori can you get set to record?” Umi asked, glancing back toward the console booth.

Kotori’s voice lilted over the speakers, “Of course, Umi.”

“Get ready for Nico to razzle dazzle.” Nico turned her back on everyone, head dropped, hands to the side, clutching something in her right hand. Umi subtly shifted the closest camera, nodding at Rin.

“Everything’s live, Nico. It’s all yours.” Kotori’s voice squeaked with excitement. Hanayo, her eyes on Nico, had drifted behind Maki.

“Okay, Maki, give me an intro in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…”

Maki hit play, tension bringing her forward, curious about what Nico would do next. The tiny, sable haired spitfire spun with a smile bright enough, even through the flour obscuring her features, to make it seem like the lights in the room had just dimmed. Then with a quick swipe of her towel, she cleaned off her face, pale skin reddish, sprinkles of white still marring lipstick and snowy mascara.

“Hello, fellow lovers of the cute girl, Nico Ni is here to help you with that holiday date. Completely screwed up your kitchen like Nico did? Well, good news, now you’ve got a funny story for your hot date. But we don’t want her to think we’re a slob, right? So Nico will teach you 5 easy cleaning tips to get your kitchen in shape while you wait for the takeout to be delivered.”

Nico paused, pulling out a cleaning sponge and her smartphone, “Nico suggests ordering pizza, but not such a good pizza that she pays no attention to you. And make sure you know if she’s a wine, beer, soda or water drinker. Nico suggests sparkling water, with a splash of lime to start.” Nico put the phone down. “But before we get to that, if you don’t have any kind of cleaning product, make sure you keep baking soda around.” Nico produced a yellow box, poured chunky white powder on the sponge and then wet it, “It’ll also help deodorize, which is important.”

Nico proceeded to give a master class in cleaning a kitchen in 3 minutes, 45 seconds flat, which left 1 minute, 15 seconds to hop up on the counter, pour herself out some sparkling water, cut a twist of lime for it and sing 30 seconds of “How Little We Know,” kicking her feet back and forth and looking casual and relaxed and perfect in her probably ruined dress.

“How little we know How much to discover What chemical forces flow From lover to lover

How little we understand - what touches off that tingle That sudden explosion when two tingles intermingle Who cares to define what chemistry this is?”

Nico raised her glass, “Know more with Nico.”

Hanayo burst into spontaneous applause; Rin whistled. Umi relaxed for the first time all day. Maki, after the initial startle of Hanayo going off like a cheerleading bomb behind her, kept staring as Nico kept sparkling. It wasn’t just lighting, it was charm, charisma, attraction, explosive...Maki’s brain looped Nico’s vocals...tingles...the song continued in her head, a much more personal performance, Nico leaning in, a piano instead of her laptop, not candlelight, too easy to knock off, but maybe moonlight, ‘who cares with your lips on mine, how ignorant bliss is. So long as you kiss me and the world around me...”

Shatters. “Maki?” Nico’s voice broke into the excitement rising around Maki and the musician jumped guiltily. Nico appeared bemused, not annoyed, and she slid next to Maki’s laptop, still giving off puffs of flour, offering Maki the other crystal glass. Maki took it, her hand trembling slightly, and sipped slowly, not meeting Nico’s eyes. “Did you like Nico’s brilliant improvisation?”

Maki nodded, swallowed, then put the glass down, willing Rin to just shut up in advance, but Hanayo was a very thoughtful friend and Maki could see her whispering to Rin, leading her to the back of the studio. Umi had headed back to the booth, “S...suits you much better than the news.”

“Exactly.” Nico gleamed, Maki could feel it. “Nico’s been saying that for years. Maybe someone will finally listen.”

Maki drummed up enough bravery to look directly at Nico, “I’m sure they will.”

“I have something to tell you.” Nico stood, taking Maki’s hand and pulling her back toward the dressing room. Maki’s stomach flipped.

 “Okay.”

“I may have to borrow your shower again.” Nico sat Maki on the couch, grabbed a pile of clothes and disappeared into the bathroom, pausing for a quick ruffle of Maki’s hair. Maki couldn’t just sit. A brief look in the mirror. Nico had left some of her hair standing straight up, which looked ridiculous so Maki quickly smoothed it out, then started fidgeting with how the neck of her gray merino sweater fell, twisting around when it suddenly felt scratchy against the back of her neck. Nico shuffled back into the room, oversized sweater and jeans back on, fuzzy red and white candy cane striped socks sliding across the floor to where she’d left her duffle.

Rather than just stand and wait for Nico to say or do something, Maki picked up the conversation. “If you need to use my shower, there’s guest townhouses.”

“Oh, Maki doesn’t want Nico to see where she lives? Need a ‘Know More With Nico’ with 5 easy steps to cleaning your living room to impress a cute girl.”

Once again, somehow it was so easy for Nico to charm when saying something outrageous like that, which Maki would stumble over, even if she were describing someone else, someone Nico.

“No.” Maki couldn’t help it, the embarrassment made her sound sullen.

“Roommate? Don’t tell me you live with El…” Nico snorted as Maki got increasingly red.

“No. My parents.” Maki watched Nico carefully but there was no recoil, “I travel so much, I never really needed a place of my own.”

“Right. Maki’s off somewhere new every six months or so…” Now Nico’s voice was the one full of minor notes.

Maki rushed into the gathering doldrums, “Only because I want to…”

Nico didn’t believe in lingering in down moods and she’d found what she wanted. One beaten up green Thermos, one box carefully wrapped in candy cane colored paper and a bright red ribbon. She put them down in front of the mirror, arranged as artfully as two objects could be and snapped a quick pic, typing and swiping even more rapidly. Maki picked up the Thermos. Looked familiar, but she couldn’t place it.

“It goes with the present.” Nico nudged, obviously pleased with herself. “And check your notifications.”

Why would Nico know her phone was vibrating in her pocket? Had she sent a text? Maki pulled out her phone, TWIG notification, @StormCookie had sent her a message.

Maki opened the app. @StormCookie’s had sent her Nico’s pic with the caption: So, @SantaChan, Step 5 in StormCookie’s Easy Steps To Romance and Sexcess™ is tell the Cute Girl you like her. For real impact, give her something she loves. Check in the box, SantaClueless.”

Maki stared at Nico for a long moment, thoughts racing, if Nico was @StormCookie, she’d been having all those late night conversations with Nico, wanting room service to deliver Nico to her room...which had happened when...when had Nico known, Maki’s knees shook, a nervous tremor, and Nico was right there, hands on her waist, guiding Maki to the chair, then dropping the gift into her lap, “C’mon, Red and Ravishing,” Maki’s head snapped around as Nico’s voice smoothly rolled out mischief coated compliments, “don’t make Nico wait.”

“When did you…” Maki’s hands reached for the box, but her brain was still desperately working out the clues and stumbling over the memory of the awful, sandy cookie taste in her mouth after she’d snuck cookies on Nico’s set. Maybe Rin was right and she should just buy a cookie factory. But Storm...Nico knew so much about cooking…and Nico had found her a piano...and ever since Maki’d met her, she couldn’t stop seeing Nico’s face, features lovely and lively and curious, whenever she closed her own eyes.

“When I saw the Santa hat bunny in your bathroom.” Nico admitted, pouring milk out of the thermos.

“But those cookies…”

“What cookies?” Nico was starting to recognize some of Maki’s moods and this one was confusion. Which was infecting Nico.

Maki frowned at the memory. “On the set. When I visited the station. They were terrible.”

“You really are only interested in food.” Nico snorted, grabbing the box back and ripping off the now wasted A-list level wrapping paper job.

“Please don’t talk to Rin again. Ever.” Maki suddenly had a window open into a view of endless, future teasing.

Nico’s hand was under Maki’s nose and there was a darkly sweet smell, a gingery invitation.“Open up.”

Maki’s mouth opened automatically, the aroma a driving temptation.

Nico shoved something in, “Chew.”

Maki bit down and shards of crystal ginger heat crackled between her teeth as she savored the molasses filling her mouth, crispiness melting into mouthwateringly soft caramel sweetness with just a kick of cloves. Lavender eyes wide, Maki chewed slowly, tastebuds relishing every zesty crumb.

“Nico didn’t bake those cookies you had. Nico told you not to eat them. Jill the PA baked them. Nico is paid for her on camera work, not her cooking. Nico is the best AND cutest cook you will ever meet. Jill is a poisoner in training. Never eat anything Jill hands you.”

Maki grabbed the cookies back and took Nico’s hand, her voice, matter of fact; glowing eyes full of awe, “Marry me, Nico.”

“How about dating first?” Nico’s fingers caressed Maki’s cheek, crimson eyes finally able to unabashedly glory in every gorgeous detail. Maki’s eyes never left Nico’s, even as the redhead popped another cookie in her mouth, chewing with thoughtful consideration. Then with a nod, she put the cookies aside, her hand on Nico’s waist, “Nope. These are too good. Has to be marriage.”

“KISS THE COOKIE GIRL!” Rin’s shout announced her boisterous fall through the not completely closed door she’d been eavesdropping behind, Hanayo following.

Maki grinned, flicking a finger in her best friend’s direction, “That too.” Suddenly Nico was in Maki’s lap and her lips were on Nico’s, a gentle touch, warm spices tingling as much as Maki’s tongue did, licking the scattered crumbs mashed between their mouths, pushing forward, lips opening, Nico trying to control a swirl of sensations as her hands slid through Maki’s hair and she angled for the next kiss.

“We’ll see you later, Maki.” Hanayo could barely be heard over the sound of her dragging a protesting Rin out of the room and solidly closing the door.

“Your friends are silly.” Nico whispered.

“Your lips are delicious.” Maki nipped forward.

“I think those are the crumbs from yours.” Nico bopped Maki’s nose with hers, “You may have a problem.”

Maki shrugged, taking the time for a lingering caress of Nico’s ear. “Rin says cookiesexuals don’t exist. She looked it up.”

Nico had to force back a giggle. Here was Maki, glorious lavender eyes full of fresh wonder and yet, the word “cookiesexual” had just come out of the most sensuously luscious red lips Nico had ever seen. She wanted to know every crack of them. Nico raised a finger and slowly traced their center, watching Maki’s eyes as something primal poured quickly into their artless depths, “Less talking.”

Maki pouted, but Nico’s mouth followed her finger and Maki suddenly had trouble remembering her own name, let alone...and when Nico heard the whisper of a moan vibrate under her searching mouth, she knew conversation was over and those lush, dream building lips were hers.

 CHRISTMAS EVE, VARIOUS LOCATIONS

Nozomi, in blue polar bear pajama pants, a white North Pole Nishikino t-shirt and fuzzy tanuki slippers, came sprinting down the central hall. Eli’s call had sounded urgent. Everything had been wrapped and packed, everyone was out on their runs, what could have possibly happened? Eli stood outside the door of her office, pacing nervously, dressed in a short blue and white dress Nozomi had never seen before.

“What happened, Eli? What’s wrong.” Nozomi grabbed Eli by the arms, pulling her close, “Did something happen to Maki again?”

Eli coughed, her smile embarrassed, “You’re going to have to write me up, Nozomi.”

“Why? What happened?”Anxiety wasn’t helping Nozomi catch her breath, nor was the way Eli’s eyes were lingering on the logo on her t-shirt. “Eli!”

“I violated protocol.” Eli admitted, with a slight blush.

“Are you tracking Maki again. This is ridiculous.” Nozomi was usually mild of temper, but the non PG-13 romance she’d been watching had just hit its first climax and instead of being warm with a bowl full of popcorn, here she was panting in a hall with an Eli on overdose levels of attractive and annoying.

“I hacked your Christmas list.”

“I didn’t write one.” Nozomi started to pull out her hair. Eli was infrequently infuriating but when she was...

Eli took her hand, interrupting a growl. “I hacked Santa’s Christmas master list and looked you up.” The door to Eli’s office opened and Nozomi glanced inside. Eli’s desk and multiple screens had disappeared, replaced by a small table, lace tablecloth, two chairs, candles, instrumental music and an array of what smelled like Nozomi’s favorite dishes, “Merry Christmas, Nozomi. I’m sorry for adding to your workload.”

Nozomi stepped back, agitated. “I’m not dressed. I’m in the middle of a movie. You…” Nozomi looked Eli up and down, no matter how hard Eli worked, she never skipped her morning ballet exercises and the dress was floofy and form fitting enough that Eli could have stepped right into performing as the Sugar Plum Fairy, “look amazing.”

Eli still had Nozomi’s hand and yanked her forward, pointing up to a small clump of green with white berries, “I also finally complied with your mistletoe directive. Shouldn’t you encourage that kind of behavior?” Eli’s eyes were so soft and so kind with an iceberg of lovely under the sharp blue tip. “You look beautiful, Nozomi, you always do. I’m going to pay more attention.”

What the hell, Nozomi thought, if she’d fallen asleep in front of her screen, she might as well enjoy this flight of her imagination’s fancy. But when Eli’s lips brushed hers, they were cold enough to be real and warm enough that Nozomi almost cried, “Elichi.”

“I love the way you say my name.” Eli whispered, stealing another kiss with a smile.

Nozomi followed Eli’s graceful curves into the room now full of her favorite things. Merry Christmas indeed, she thought.

Tsubasa, dressed in a borrowed Washington Spirit hoodie and her take out the garbage jeans, wondered again why she was clambering up a precariously balanced 20 foot ladder. Then Honoka turned back to check she was keeping up, her incandescent grin replacing the sun, and Tsubasa doubled her speed, damn the wind cutting through her gloves. Honoka hopped onto the roof, then offered a hand to pull Tsubasa up.

“Why are we here again, Honoka?” Tsubasa possibly should have taken the bring a jacket advice Umi had given her when they’d split off into their separate evenings after a joint Christmas Eve dinner.

“Yukiho always gave me grief about Santa not visiting cause I was on the naughty list when we were kids, so I thought a good scare to get even would be just the ticket.” Honoka stomped playfully across the roof at a speed that made Tsubasa calculate slopes and rates of fall, and then she had a vision involving the precarious ladder before Honoka called out again. “Do I sound like a reindeer?” Honoka jumped, soundly thumping the roof and falling into the chimney with a belly laugh, “ho hO HO!”

Practical was down on the ground in a parka, Tsubasa realized, and what had climbed up here on the roof with a ladder that was going to fall and crush Practical in another three jumps, was joy and excitement. Honoka threw her knitted hat up in the air, opened her mouth to catch a snowflake Tsubasa could barely spot, bounced 10 feet forward on all fours and rolled over to point at the sky, “See all those stars?”

“No.”

“Why not?” Honoka sounded worried.

“Because I’m looking at you.” Tsubasa knelt, ignoring the cold, so very easy to do as the brightness of Honoka Kosaka eclipsed everything else about this night.

 Umi was nervous and kept twisting the ring in her pocket, afraid a gap would suddenly open and the ring would fall down her pants, into her shoe, dig into her foot and she’d draw up her knee, knocking Kotori sideways into the tree, starting a fire on the throw rug.

“Umi, is everything all right?” Kotori’s head was resting on Umi’s shoulder as they sat, illuminated by twinkling lights, music playing quietly in the background.

Claude Thornhill’s "Snowfall" started its beautiful, rolling melody and Umi knew it was now or never. She’d been ashamed catching the ring on Nico’s finger this past week and knowing that for ten years now, since they started dating in high school, Kotori had not had the acknowledgement of the seriousness of Umi’s feelings that she deserved. Now or never, Umi told herself, and stood, offering a hand to Kotori, “May I have this dance.”

Kotori stood, her slender, strong hand fitting Umi’s perfectly as they started to move together. Her hair brushed Umi’s cheek as she whispered. “I love this song.”

“I know.” Umi brought them closer together. If she didn’t have to meet Kotori’s eyes, she could get through this. “I know so many things about you, Kotori Minami, and I always find something new to love, every day.” Umi paused. Kotori seemed to have stopped breathing, but the music continued and so did Umi. “That’s what I want to do. Every day. Find out something new to love about you. I love you, Kotori. M...marry me.”

“Umi.” Kotori stopped, hand tilting up Umi’s chin, golden eyes the only light in the world for Umi. Kissing Kotori had always been an out of body experience for Umi, daring her to be a braver person than she’d ever thought she could, but this kiss, this wasn’t a call to bravery, this was Kotori’s gentle stamp, approving and accepting every one of Umi’s hesitations, every day of doubt, every hidden fear. One whispered word embraced and purified them all. “Yes.”

Umi soared.

 “Hey, Kayo-chin, you forgot your dinner.” Rin ran into the stable, carrying a large sack. Hanayo was preparing blankets for the next round of reindeer to return. “Did Maki get back from Australia yet?”

“Yeah, she took Hyeri to Tudor.” Hanayo smiled, glad the young reindeer would get some flight experience. She was too skittish to work in a team.

“You do such a good job, Kayo-chin.” Rin hugged her fiancée.

“Thanks, Rin.”

Rin released Hanayo, spreading a blanket in the back of the stable, taking two bentos out of the sack, “Sit down for a minute, I brought your favorite curry. And rice.” Rin held up one of the bentos, “You must be tired and hungry.”

Hanayo nodded, adding one last blanket to the stack and then joining Rin, who pulled her close, keeping her in a loose hug as Hanayo opened the bento full of rice with a smile, “Thanks, Rin.”

“Anything for my Kayochin.”

Hanayo took a bite of rice, then laid her head on Rin’s shoulder, “I'm glad you're here. Tomorrow, we stay cozy in bed all day, right?”

Rin chuckled, thinking she might need a quick run on the indoor track to tire herself out while Hanayo finished her chores. “Only for you. I love you, Kayochin.”

“I love you too, Rin.” Hanayo muttered around a mouthful of rice and curry.

 Nico had fallen asleep on her mother’s couch, afghan pulled over her cutest pajamas, white gold ring with 60 diamonds formed into a snowflake sparkling on her left hand. A newly baked batch of molasses crisps waited on a plain white plate, with a tall glass of milk next to it. The milk was holding down a note that said “Don’t forget to kiss the cook ; P Love, Nico.”

There was a shimmer next to the haphazardly decorated Christmas tree, mostly handmade ornaments, and Maki appeared, Santa Hat™ askew on her head, arms full of presents. She stashed them under the tree, happy at the thought of Nico’s siblings waking up to even more holiday cheer. Then, ever so quietly, she moved to the small table set up for her and took the top cookie off the pile.

“I knew you’d go for the cookies first. Nico is shattered.” Maki finished her treat before sliding in next to her fiancée, as Nico continued her complaint, “I almost made oatmeal cookies for your Papa, but I couldn’t bear the look of disappointment on your face.”

“I left Jill a book on food photography. Maybe she’ll switch hobbies.” Maki leaned back, stretching, one arm falling behind Nico in that tried and true teenage maneuver. Cliches were surprisingly fun to indulge in. “Nico is marrying into a family of reverse burglars.” Nico yawned and let her head fall back into Maki’s bicep, inhaling, “You smell like a musky pine tree.”

Maki turned to kiss Nico on the cheek, “It’s not so bad is it?”

“It’s you, so it’s perfect.” Nico flipped, meeting Maki’s lips with an exaggerated smack, “You’re really staying in town for a few days?”

Maki nodded, “Yeah, after Christmas everybody collapses until New Year’s. This week’s been crazy, but we all survived, even Eli. I think Rin might have run off a few pounds trying to get people not to exhaust themselves.”

“She doesn’t have anything to spare.” Nico wrapped the throw around her shoulders, lost in the luminous lavender that was now her favorite color, as long as she didn’t have to wear it.

“I know. You’ll have to make me some cookies to take back for her.” Maki’s eyes twinkled.

“Now, that, SantaSelfish, is a blatant attempt to get more than the allotment of cookies due you as Nico’s fiancée.”

Maki pulled Nico in for a long kiss, “Can you blame me?”

“No, actually Nico is quite flattered, but you can’t steal Rin’s cookies. What’s your least favorite kind?”

“Not made by Nico.” Another kiss, then Maki murmuring into Nico’s hair. “Love you. I missed you. How was your week?”

“Nico is flying to New York next Thursday for a meeting.”

“Good. Want to borrow a reindeer?” Maki was purring her way around Nico’s ear.

“Not even Nico’s stylist could fix the frizz from you flying me back to Tudor last Monday.” Nico chided.

Maki’s grin was adorable and impish, as she played with the loose ends of Nico’s hair, “You looked great. Let me mess it up some more.”

“Oooh, Mama, Maki’s here!” Cocoa dashed into the room as Maki jumped back and Nico collapsed giggling, “Can we open our presents now?”

“It’s 3 o’clock in the morning,” Maki looked at Nico in a panic as Cocoa nearly vaulted over the couch.

“Come here you.” Nico pulled her sister over the back of the couch and crushed two of her favorite people into the biggest hug she could, “Merry Christmas, Maki. Welcome to the Yazawas.”

Rin was wrong. Maki had trusted cookies and cookies had led her to Nico. This Christmas Eve had just the right flavor. From now on, Maki was going to enjoy every second and every peppermint candy cane spiced, knock the Santa Hat™ off her head kiss from Nico she could.

In between bites of the best cookies ever ; )

A/N: If you've read this far, I adore you and I hope you enjoyed this.

[croissantbae]

Best of the Decade

This has been the most nonchalant 12/31 of my life.  Jimmy, Jason and I finished Bridesmaids (Jimmy fell asleep) and when it was over Jason asked “... should we go somewhere? should we do something” and I had no idea what he was talking about.  It took me a second to realize it was NYE.  Instead, I asked if we could each take some time to reflect on the decade.  Peloton (my lord and savior) has been having “Best of the Decade” rides and a lot of the instructors have been talking about how much they’ve grown over the decade and it’s inspired me to reflect not just on this year but everything since 2010.  I thought about one major event per year in the past decade:

2010:  Got Into and Started Law School

2011:  Spent My First Summer in New York (Getting Paid$$$$)

2012:  Moved to San Francisco (from Berkeley)

2013:  Graduated From Law School.  Moved to New York

2014:  Jason and I Officially Got Together

2015:  Jason and I Got Engaged and I Moved Back to LA

2016:  Jason and I Fought A Lot [this isn’t a major event but its all I can remember from this year]

2017:  Jason and I Got Married

2018:  Got Pregnant

2019:  Naya Was Born

Looking at the trajectory of the above, my life shifts from focusing on school/career, to relationship, to baby (which is a natural progression for many people’s lives I think).  I can’t believe that I’ve been in the legal world for a decade now.  I never wanted to be a lawyer and here I am 10 years later still in it. I made a $50 bet with one of my coworkers that I would never make partner  and somehow, by a loophole, I lost the bet. A lot of people talk about how 2020 is going to be their year (”gonna see clear in 2020″) but I hope 2020 is going to be my worst year.  I say that because I am planning on throwing myself into my work so I can get my bonus.  Then I want out.  I’ve said this literally every year since my second year and I could see myself getting stuck (the mostly likely candidate for keeping me in is getting enticed by another maternity leave) but my true and genuine hope is that after one horrendous year I will be free.  Free to enter into a boring, mediocre job that pays just ok (acc to big law’s standards).  Watching Marvelous Mrs. Maisel I feel small smokes of desire stoking in me, hoping to enjoy my job, to love what I do (and to look marvelous doing it) but I don’t want to go down that road. My last decade was spent languishing over my career - just really grappling with it. I’m over it now. I want this next decade to be about more than that.  As noted above, my life transitions into Naya. In this next decade of life I will be turning 40 (assuming I get to live that long).  I don’t want to keep wasting so much of my brain space on my job.  [Note: I really admire Christine Paik for taking the brave step to quit big law and taking this time to figure out her next steps but as she’s noted this year is for a “character change”, not just career. I just wanted to note this because I don’t want to imply that I don’t think it’s important to figure out what job or career one may want to have but (1) it was such a source of stress for me that I can’t and don’t want to do it anymore and (2) I think a whole character change is so much of a better way to think about it. Career is only one aspect of who we are. It’s not always about what we do.]

I used to care a lot about experiencing new things.  Everything had to be new.  If I went to a restaurant, I only ordered something I hadn’t tried before.  I didn’t even like going to the same restaurant.  I didn’t like re-watching movies, or shows.  To me, if it wasn’t new it seemed like a waste of time (I could not understand people who watched re-runs of Friends... ie. Hera).  There was so much to see and experience.  But over time, I realized there really is nothing new under the sun (perhaps a plague of globalization).  The jig was up.  But parenthood has brought back true newness in my life.  In pregnancy, everything was new. I have one million videos of Naya kicking in my stomach because it was so fascinating.  I pored over articles and posts about child rearing and a whole new world of information was exposed to me. Giving birth was one hell of a new experience.  Breastfeeding was new.  Bathing a child was new.  You get the picture.  I got to experience new things in taking care of her but I also got to see the world in a new way (again) by looking at things from her perspective.  The other day, we went to the doctor’s office and when Naya was getting weighed, instead of laying her down on the scale, I sat her upright and she teetered a little bit, struggling to balance.  I could see the fear in her eyes.  She cried out, alarmed, unsure of what her body was doing.  And I got to feel, through her expression, what it feels like to acknowledge being alone, sitting on your own, for the first time (she’s sat up on her own before, but this appeared to be the first time she knew what she was doing).  Another day Jason was using a power drill to put a curtain up and when I took her closer to see what her dad was doing she screamed at the noise.  She seemed scared by it but also like she was yelling at it to stop.  She has no idea what the noise is from, she just knows that its loud and scary.  She has to learn everything about everything from scratch and witnessing that has been a wonderfully new experience for me.  Naya’s name actually means “new” in Hebrew. She is our firstborn and through her there will only be firsts - first time experiencing terrible twos, first time raising a teenager, first time sending a kid to college, etc.  And that’s how I want the decade to go.  But this first year, 2020, is going to be a horrible one.  It’s not a great way to kick off a decade but it’s worth it, because of what I hope will come afterward.  

This maternity leave has truly been the best vacation of my life.  I don’t know if its amnesia but I don’t think I’ve felt this good about a break EVER.  I think that’s the benefit of big law.  It makes you feel so down sometimes that the good times feel EXTREMELY good in comparison.  I love living with my mom.  A few weeks ago I was upstairs  on my computer and Jason was away in San Diego. I thought my mom had long fallen asleep but she came out and started cooking, eating leftovers while it was still heating on the stove.  She got hungry and needed a snack so I joined her and we just stood there, next to the stove, talking while eating bomb ass leftover Korean food.  I’ve loved seeing her laugh hysterically at the tiny little things Naya does. She calls Naya beautiful and princess and it always surprises me because my mom is just not a tender person like that.  She usually calls babies ugly.  I’m so happy that my brother is back from New York.  I’ve always had this image of my relationship with Jimmy.  That we were so close but in reality we’ve drifted since I’ve been in LA and he was in NY.  I mean we’re siblings so we’ll always be close but now we can be a real family again in our adult lives.  I always remember something my cousin posted about her college friends.  She said that they had become “update friends” where you talk to each other just to update each other on the latest happenings but that she missed living together, doing nothing together, and just existing together.  That’s what I look forward to with my brother.  Not having to update each other on anything but just being around each other, raising our kids together, etc.  

Now, on to Jason (I have to say nice things about him because he’s going to read this post.  Jk.  But he is going to read it).  Other than Naya, marrying Jason has been the best thing to happen to me (and I mean it) from the past decade.  I’ve said this before but he’s a better person than I realized when we were friends and when we were dating.  I can’t believe how lucky I am that it worked out that way. There are so many losers out there, both in hiding and in the open, but I found a guy that was hiding how great he was!  He just took his good heart and wrapped it up in a soft lanky body with an awkward personality (jk Jason you’re not awkward anymore).  He’s been such an amazing dad and partner. I’m curious to see how he’ll change in the next decade -- will he bald (its not just me turning 40...)?  will he get fat?  will he become a director at Kaiser?  how will he father our kids once they can talk and they actually have personalities?  will he do social work? One thing I do hope, however, is that he’ll always be a romantic and we’ll always be happily married.  We’re still kind of newlyweds.  We’ve only been married for 2.75 years so we’re still young in our marriage but I want us to continue to have our pillow talks, to explore farmers markets and restaurants and new places together (with or without kids).  I hope we can retire like we’re always dreaming of.  I hope we can build a garden and cook using the fresh veggies and herbs we grow from it.  I hope we make it to the end together... somehow with neither of us having to die before the other.  

And now onwards to the future.  Resolutions!  I don’t have many this year.  I pretty much failed all my resolutions from last year (walk 10k steps a day, finish a first draft of my book, finish my children’s book -- all failed).  But here are the few I’d like to attempt this year:

1.  Peloton:  Ride 2-3x a week.  Jess King and Cody Rigsby both talked about how they made a change in their lives by deciding to say “yes” to new opps.  I want to have a bit of that mentality this upcoming year given the fact that I’ll be making a transition shortly afterwards.  Good to keep my heart open to new opps (even if its not the one that I think I want).  I know this is going to sound like I’ve seriously drunk the Kool-Aid but at this point I don’t even ride the Peloton to lose weight.  It’s because I physically and mentally feel better after riding. Also I (apparently) get life lessons too! I just got my century shirt (HEHE).  

2.  Writing:  write at least 10 minutes a day.  That way I will have written 1 hour a week. I’m sure I’ll fail on some days but “shoot for the moon and at least you’ll land amongst the stars” (Jason thought the saying was the opposite  (shoot for the stars...) because stars are farther away than the moon).  

3.  Money:  Save 60% (collectively).  I dream of buying a gorgeous 3,000 sq foot home either in Glendale or Los Feliz but realistically we can’t make that happen right now and I want to squirrel away as much money as we can while we can. For Naya’s future, for our future.  I need to stop buying stupid useless stuff from Amazon (and I hate myself every time I do because I know Bezos/Amazon is so evil).  My mom is so excessive, it really is a problem -- we’re constantly throwing away food because its gone to waste.  I don’t want to be like that.  I don’t want Naya to think its okay to be so excessive either. 

4.  Church: I would like to try going to church again.  My goal is to check out a few churches. We don’t have to commit to any, I just want to see a few. It’s been so long since I’ve been to a service I don’t know what it’s like anymore. 

[emilyplaysotome]

Away and Back

After seeing @hotcocosharing‘s story prompted by @hifftn‘s story challenge I wanted to participate and this is what I came up with! I did this for fun which means it was a quick write with no revisions and probably a ton of errors...hope you enjoy it.

Like most nights without him, I’d reverted back to my “gross self” as I liked to call it - wearing stained sweatpants that had been diligently broken in after a decade of hardcore lounging. My hair was tied back, my makeup was off, and I was wearing the free glasses I’d gotten a few years back thanks to a promotion at Costco. 

It was fair to say that the nicest part of my outfit was an oversized t-shirt of his that I’d swiped from his apartment, but it did little to help my slovenly appearance. 

I’d taken the shirt home after the first night we spent together, insisting that I’d return it after washing it when in actuality I’d hoped to keep a memento. At the time I’d been uncertain as to whether or not we’d ever see each other again but as we continued to go out and it soon became obvious that I wasn’t simply a one night stand, the shirt quickly lost its souvenir status.

Instead, it served as a reminder of the man I loved during the long stretches we were apart - something that was a common occurrence for us.

On nights like tonight when he wasn’t around, I relished my solitude while simultaneously surrounding myself with the person I missed.

With my laptop open, I watched tv as I allowed myself to go down rabbit hole after rabbit hole to a soundtrack of variety shows and comedy programs. 

The cheap beer I drank on nights like tonight always made me gassy, and unconcerned with appearances I embraced it, belching loudly and allowing the noise to reverberate off the walls in my small, one bedroom apartment.

I think it’s fair to say that most girls would whine about the fact that their boyfriend spent most days on the road, but to be honest, I really liked what we had. 

Our relationship had provided me with the freedom to indulge my true self - a girl who enjoyed fried food, farting, and belching without worry that those around her would judge her. On nights like this I could be totally disgusting, and thanks to his schedule, he would have no idea.

We’d met through my work, and upon first glance he thought of me what everyone did. I knew that I came across competent, charming, and professional which was more than I could say for the others on my team.

Yes, I wanted a picture as did they, but the difference was that it was my job to photograph him and his friends. 

That day the stylist, beauticians, and even my assistant had taken turns swooning as they meekly asked for fan photos, all the while batting their eyelashes as they fantasized about something more. When the guys had asked me if I wanted one too I’d shaken my head and noted that I didn’t take fan photos on a job, and proceeded to ask them to disrobe so I could capture what it was we’d all been tasked with getting. 

Photographing five chiseled men wearing nothing but underwear and the occasional over-shirt probably seems like a dream to most, but I promise it’s nothing but a pain. 

The studio is always too cold, the talent is always uncomfortable, and on top of all that nothing is more awkward than having to objectify a group of people as you attempt to give your direction in the hopes of capturing that one, perfect salacious photo that will move magazines and further your career.

Over time I’ve learned that substituting words like “handsome” for “sexy” or “hot” allows for a more professional dialogue, and I remembered snapping away that day, saying things like, “That’s great. Three more oh-so-handsome photos and we’ll be done.”

After the shoot he’d come over to thank me for the day, like everyone always did, and I was polite in return. 

He asked if I had an Instagram account and I told him that I had a professional one in order to showcase my work. To that, he immediately took out his phone and followed me, telling me to tag him in the BTS photo his manager asked me to post and I agreed, figuring our exchange was purely business.

When I shared it out an hour later, he immediately “liked it” and as a result my modest following of 10k jumped to 100k practically overnight. 

I figured like most of the people I photographed I’d never speak him again, but as the months went on he’d message me over the app in response to my stories, or another shoot I’d done. I was always taken aback to see a message from someone like him, but never did I think he had any ulterior motives until the day that he messaged me in response to a BTS Instagram Story of my shoot with a popular young idol:

Kyohei Rikudoh - Beautiful! Can’t wait to see the final shot.

Me - Haha yeah it was a fun shoot.

I expected that to be it, but that night he sent more.

Kyohei Rikudoh - More fun than mine?

Me - Never ;)

I didn’t think twice about sending a playful answer seeing as how the pop idol world was full of social landmines that I’d learned were best laughed off. 

I figured he was like any other pop star and craved reassurance, certain my non-response would be enough to put our conversation to bed, however he persisted.

Kyohei Rikudoh - If you think I’m fun on set, you should see me on a date...want to go out sometime?

He had to be joking, or even worse, one of those pop stars who used women for fun after working with them. Seeing as how I had no desire to be added to his roster, I laughed his message off once more.

Me - Ha. Very funny Mr. Pop star. Night.

Kyohei Rikudoh - I’m not kidding. Have dinner with me...please?

Me - Not trying to be in a tabloid and I’m more of a relationship girl...so thanks for the invitation but I’d rather not waste either of our time.

Kyohei Rikudoh - It’s not a waste if I’m with you...and there won’t be a scandal. I like you.

I’d initially rolled my eyes at the response, not believing him for a second and chose to ignore the message. I went to sleep and awoke the next morning to several new messages from him in which he made a strong case for joining him for dinner.

Ultimately I relented, joining him for dinner, then sex, and much to my surprise we’ve been together ever since.

He’d be returning in a few days, and I’d shed my “gross” self for the one better suited for a pop star’s girlfriend. 

Upon reuniting I figured we’d do what we always did - catching up in each others arms after having sex, followed by a few days of living together, until he once again disappeared from my life for weeks, giving me the opportunity to revert into the person I’d never let anyone see but relished being.

The beer was making me sleepy, and I let out an unbecoming belch as I settled into the couch, too lazy to attempt to make it to my bed. 

My television continued to drone on in the background and with my week free of photoshoots I had no need to worry. If I overslept, I overslept. I didn’t need to be anywhere this week and it was a great feeling.

With no obligations, I snuggled into the nest I’d created on my couch - surrounded by empty beer bottles, takeout, blankets, and pillows. 

It was something you’d expect from a frat boy, not a professional woman but it was so comfortable...so freeing...so...

“Hana?”

Hearing his voice made me feel as if I’d been doused with a bucket of ice water, and I quickly shot up only to verify that my boyfriend had indeed returned and had caught...me being me.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, trying to hide my panic.

He’d seen it all (other than the burping and farting thank god), and he looked at me both surprised and amused, cocking his head to the side as he crossed his arms and shot me a teasing grin.

“They say there’s no place like home and I’d have to agree...”

“You’re such a cheeky bastard,” I said, throwing a pillow in an attempt to distract him from how mortified I was. “You know this isn’t your home, right?”

“Might as well be...you gave me a key and all.”

“With the understanding that you’d give me a heads up before coming over...”

“I wanted to surprise you.”

“Oh, believe me, I’m surprised.”

“Same.”

He laughed again and I threw another pillow at him.

“So this is what you do when I’m away,” he said, nimbly dodging it as he quickly pinned me down on the coach. “I had all these ideas that you went out, met guys...but really...”

“See! This is exactly why I never wanted to date a pop star in the first place! You wouldn’t understand...”

“Oh no...I totally understand,” he said before giving me a kiss. “May I join you?”

I could feel my face flush from being in such close proximity to the man I loved, and nodded, relieved that my appearance hadn’t scared him off. 

Flashing me another naughty smirk, he left my side and headed to my bathroom where I watched as he removed his jewelry and hopped in the shower, returning to my living room wearing nothing other than his boxers. 

It was that that I realized for the first time my perfect pop star boyfriend was without his usual embellishments and I realized that even when we hung out at home, just as I’d done, he’d always made the effort to style his hair and maintain a certain appearance in my presence.

This version of Kyohei Rikudoh was free of his usual pop prince aura, and there was something almost boy-next-door about him as he approached me with wet hair, two open beer bottles, and a playful grin.

“Cheers.”

“Cheers.”

I took a sip, and much to my surprise, for the first time since meeting, we didn’t reunite with sex. In that moment it struck me that drinking cheap beer from the convenience store as we looked our worst, somehow managed to feel more intimate than anything we’d done to date and I felt myself relax next to him.

For a few minutes we enjoyed a comfortable silence before he reached over and grabbed the remote, flipping aimlessly through channels before finally settling on a soccer match that had been played earlier in the day. 

He put his arm around me, and pulled me close before taking another swig and finding myself the happiest I’d ever been in a relationship, I snuggled close to him.

“Hey Kyohei?”

“Yeah?”

“Welcome home.”

He looked at me with a smirk, and then, belched in response. 

I laughed, and for the first time wondered if I’d found my perfect man.

I hope you enjoyed my little take on your challenge. I keep saying I need to focus on my IRL projects (which I do!) but I couldn’t help but take a stab at this.

As always, if you found this story and liked it...I hope you’ll consider sharing it and if you’re feeling really generous I hope you’ll consider buying me a coffee!

Thanks for reading!

[toomanysinks]

Transportation Weekly: Tesla astroturfs, Softbank flexes, BMW and Daimler hookup, What is a Jelbi?

Welcome back to Transportation Weekly; I’m your host Kirsten Korosec, senior transportation reporter at TechCrunch. This is the third edition of our tome, I mean newsletter, and this week let’s settle in for a mind meld on why logistics is the new Hansel, a curious Tesla subsidiary, and discover a new mobility species called the Jelbi.

Never heard of TechCrunch’s Transportation Weekly? Catch up here and here. As I’ve written before, consider this a soft launch. Follow me on Twitter @kirstenkorosec to ensure you see it each week. (An email subscription is coming).

Brrruummmmm.

ONM …

There are OEMs in the automotive world. And here, (wait for it) there are ONMs — original news manufacturers. (Cymbal clash!) This is where investigative reporting, enterprise pieces and analysis on transportation lives.

This week, Mark Harris is back with a story about Tesla. This focuses on the company’s energy business, or more specifically, the opaqueness around its lobbying efforts in the energy sector. Follow him on Twitter @meharris.

Inside Tesla’s solar energy astroturfing

Yes, this is a transportation newsletter. We get it. But Tesla has long pushed itself as a sustainable energy company that covers the entire ecosystem — solar power, energy storage, and electric vehicles. We’ll continue to look through the dozens of Tesla subsidiaries, most of them related to solar, to see what else pops up.

In other Tesla news, ARK Invest has CEO Elon Musk on a podcast; Tesla files its 10K, Consumer Reports pulls its recommendation for the Model 3 and data firm JATO Dynamics declares that the Tesla Model 3 was the best-selling electric car in the world in 2018.

Dig In

This week, I wanted to highlight a recent conversation with May Mobility co-founder and COO Alisyn Malek. 

May Mobility, an autonomous shuttle company, announced last week a $22 million funding round. This week, the company started testing its third AV shuttle service; this time, it’s in Rhode Island.

May Mobility’s AV shuttle will travel a 5-mile route, its longest to date, along the Woonasquatucket River corridor with 12 stops, from Olneyville to Providence Station. The “Little Roady Shuttle,” as it’s being called, can carry up to five passengers and an attendant. The vehicles began testing this week on low-volume roads as the initial phase of a pilot project scheduled to launch this spring.

Malek said a curious thing to me when we last spoke. In the midst of explaining the differences in complexity between its route in Detroit and Rhode Island, she referred to May Mobility as a transportation service provider.

That’s not unusual, this is an AV shuttle company after all. Except that unlike so many AV startups, May Mobility seems to put the transportation service part ahead of, or at least on equal footing, with its AV efforts.

Malek spent so much time explaining the logistics piece of managing the service, I had to jump in and say “I realize the AV component is important for May Mobility, but it seems almost incidental in the problem you’re trying to solve.”

Malek responded. “Yeah.”

She elaborated. “It’s going to take 10 to 15 years for an AV to cover a whole urban area,” she added. “When you think about the validation and the reliability  that needs to have been done and demonstrated before you pull that safety driver, well that’s a really big cross section of things you need to validate and verify.”

Malek also told me that May Mobility will continue to expand into new markets and double down on places it’s already operating, which includes Columbus, Ohio and Detroit.

A little bird …

We hear a lot. But we’re not selfish. Let’s share.

Thanks for all the tips everyone. I’ll be vetting these over the next few weeks or so.

We’ve heard from a couple of sources that top engineers are fleeing one of the larger self-driving car startups. Poaching between AV startups is common. We’re looking into whether something else is at play.

Also … not a tip, but something worth tracking, and perhaps a tidbit that not everyone noticed.

Under the Flexport-Softbank deal, Softbank’s Michael Ronen will join Flexport’s board and director Ed Shrager comes on as a board observer. Here’s the interesting part: CEO Ryan Petersen will retain majority control of the company, as Forbes reports. That’s notable considering investors are giving up so much control to founders, even while drowning them in capital.

Got a tip or overheard something in the world of transportation? Email me or send a direct message to @kirstenkorosec.

Deal of the week

Another day, another Softbank Vision Fund deal.

This time, Softbank led a $1 billion funding round in Flexport, a San Francisco-based full-service air and ocean freight forwarder.  

Logistics” they’re so hot right now. If Amazon is the Derek Zoolander of logistics, perhaps Softbank is Hansel. Just go with it.

Softbank put $2.25 billion into self-driving car startup GM Cruise last year. It is also backing ride-hailing companies Didi and Uber, peer-to-peer car-sharing company Getaround, Alibaba Local Services, DoorDash, Full Truck Alliance, Grofers, autonomous delivery robot startup Nuro and ParkJockey.

I reached out to Softbank dealmaker Michael Ronen and asked what’s the big idea? His response:

Transportation and logistics are massive markets that are being disrupted by technology. Ride-sharing companies have used mobile computing and AI to create a whole new market for moving people and goods. We see additional opportunities in long-haul trucking, warehouse management, robotics inside and outside warehouses, last-mile logistics (including parking), and other areas.

We believe the opportunities to modernize these pieces of the value chain are very significant and still largely untapped. Similar to the shift in TV and media consumption to on-demand and on-the-move, consumers are more and more expecting to get what they want, when they want it, where they want it – with little to zero delivery costs. Amazon has created a massive ecosystem to enable such an experience. The rest of the world is playing catch up. We believe the companies we’ve backed are making significant strides to enable such experiences, and that there’s still a lot of opportunity ahead both in the U.S. and abroad.

So it looks like it’s shaping up to be “all the transportation and logistics companies backed by Softbank” versus Amazon.

Other deals that got our attention this week:

Zoba raises $3 million to help mobility companies predict demand

Clutter confirms Softbank-led $200M investment for its on-demand storage service

Flipkart founder Sachin Basal invests $92M in Ola

Moijo, the connected car SaaS platform provider, raised $40 million a Series B round that included included a strategic investment from Assurant as well as Bosch and T-Mobile.

On-demand logistics startup Lalamove raises $300M for Asia growth

Snapshot

If this image leaves you scratching your head, you’re not alone.

BMW and Daimler, which had agreed last year to merge their urban mobility services into a single holding company, announced Friday plans to unify these services and sink $1.1 billion into the effort. Also this week: Daimler moves its big date platform to the cloud.

TechCrunch’s Romain Dillet chimes in on what this all means. In short: a hot mess.

Daimler and BMW know how to make cars, but they really don’t know how to brand mobility services. Last year, they both agreed to merge their mobility services under one roof with each company owning a 50 percent stake.

But after many acquisitions and poor branding decisions, it became a confusing mess. You know how they could have cleaned up their mess? By choosing descriptive names and leaving the past behind. Instead, they’re creating five joint ventures with names that look like some services that already exist, but not quite. They’re also investing $1.1 billion in those services.

The best way to avoid a headache is by looking at this chart. Each line represents a joint venture. ChargeNow is now Charge Now, free-floating rental services DriveNow and Car2Go are now Share Now (yes, Drive Now wasn’t good enough), all the parking services are now unified under Park Now (that one was easy), all the ride-hailing services are regrouped under Free Now, and ReachNow and moovel are becoming Reach Now (even though ReachNow is a ride-hailing service but I give up).

It gets a lot more confusing when you realize that some services will merge while others won’t. mytaxi announced that it would become Free Now, but Chauffeur-Privé just changed its name to Kapten for instance. Goodbye now.

— Romain Dillet

Tiny but mighty micromobility

Scooters have received mixed responses in cities. But data from cities’ respective pilot programs generally show that people like them more than they hate them.

A survey from the city and county of Denver, Colo. found that 32 percent of respondents (bike riders, scooter riders and non-riders) “love” scooters in the city, with 26 percent saying they don’t like them, but may like them if some changes are made.

Meanwhile, over in Los Angeles, the city’s Department of Transportation received applications from 11 dockless mobility companies to operate in the city. Collectively, those 11 companies sought permission to operate 37.7K dockless bikes and scooters.

For the operators selected, LADOT requires them to conform to its Mobility Data Specification, which entails the collection of data pertaining to vehicle type, trip duration, trip cost, trip parking verification and more.

LADOT started accepting permit applications in January and required companies to submit by February 15. LADOT says it expects to make a decision next month pertaining to which companies can participate in the one-year pilot.

Notable reads

One item this week. Trucks. (One side note, I was going to include Apple’s ADS report issued to NHTSA. And then I read it. Not much there except a tiny insight in what they require for their safety drivers. But in case you’re interested, read it here.

A recent report from McKinsey called Route 2030 – The Fast Track to the Future of Commercial Industry report, got our attention. It charts out the rise of e-commerce and shortage of truck drivers as well as the emerging trend of autonomous trucks.

New opportunities are driven by three major trends: alternative powertrains, autonomous vehicles, and connectivity. These could add another $3 billion to the profit pool by 2030.

Total global OEM profits to increase by $5.6 billion to about $18.3 billion by 2030, resulting in a slight industry profitability increase from 6.6 percent in 2017 to 6.7 percent in 2030.

Other quotable notables:

Wired’s take on self-driving car jargon; The Information’s organizational chart on GM Cruise; and Lytx, which provides fleet management services like video telematics and vehicle tracking for fleets, crunched data that identifies the top 10 roads for cell phone use in the U.S.

Testing and deployments

Deployments don’t always mean AVs. This week, Berlin’s public transit authority, BVG introduced Jelbi.

What is a Jelbi? It’s is a mobility app (powered by technology from Trafi and branded under BVG) that is designed to cover all the ways people travel, including by public train and bus, bike share, car-sharing, scooters and ride-hailing.

These one-stop mobility apps are a bit like rainbows. We can see them and they’re beautiful, but they don’t last. That’s not to say they’re not valuable. THEY ARE. Seamless travel for everyone from Point A to Point B is the goal.

But some struggle to get every mode, or every competitor within a particular mode, onto one app. Sometimes the app just isn’t so great. Or it’s great and no ones knows about it.

In the case of Jelbi, it looks like it’s off to a good start. People tell me that BVG and Trafi want to get 25 providers onto the app. So far, they have about 15, including Cambio, Emmy, Lime, Jump, Mobileeee, Miles, Mobike, and Taxi Berlin to name a few. Will the new combined and confusing Daimler-BMW joint venture add its Berlin-based services to the app? We’ll watch for it.

Other interesting stuff:

Citymapper announces subscription service for multiple transportation methods

On our radar

The Geneva Auto Show is coming up and there will be no shortage of electric vehicle concepts. Volkswagen, Peugeot, Kia are teasing them. But there’s one reveal preceding Geneva that TechCrunch is particularly interested in and that’s Polestar.

I met Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath in August during Monterey Car Week. I meet lots of passionate CEOs and co-founders. And Ingenlath didn’t disappoint. As we chatted over dinner I was struck by his design background and his ideology. Ingenlath is a car designer by trade and he had some interesting ideas about what people want and what works.

On Feb. 27, Polestar is going to live stream an unveiling of the Polestar 2, the first fully-electric car from the Volvo Group and the world debut of Google’s new in-car HMI system. Just set your alarm (for U.S. and Canada folks) and head to their website. The reveal starts at 4 am PT.

Thanks for reading. There might be content you like or something you hate. Feel free to reach out to me at kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com to share those thoughts, opinions or tips. 

Nos vemos la próxima vez.

source https://techcrunch.com/2019/02/24/transportation-weekly-tesla-astroturfs-softbank-flexes-bmw-and-daimler-hookup-what-is-a-jelbi/

[fmservers]

Transportation Weekly: Tesla astroturfs, Softbank flexes, BMW and Daimler hookup, What is a Jelbi?

Welcome back to Transportation Weekly; I’m your host Kirsten Korosec, senior transportation reporter at TechCrunch. This is the third edition of our tome, I mean newsletter, and this week let’s settle in for a mind meld on why logistics is the new Hansel, a curious Tesla subsidiary, and discover a new mobility species called the Jelbi.

Never heard of TechCrunch’s Transportation Weekly? Catch up here and here. As I’ve written before, consider this a soft launch. Follow me on Twitter @kirstenkorosec to ensure you see it each week. (An email subscription is coming).

Brrruummmmm.

ONM …

There are OEMs in the automotive world. And here, (wait for it) there are ONMs — original news manufacturers. (Cymbal clash!) This is where investigative reporting, enterprise pieces and analysis on transportation lives.

This week, Mark Harris is back with a story about Tesla. This focuses on the company’s energy business, or more specifically, the opaqueness around its lobbying efforts in the energy sector. Follow him on Twitter @meharris.

Inside Tesla’s solar energy astroturfing

Yes, this is a transportation newsletter. We get it. But Tesla has long pushed itself as a sustainable energy company that covers the entire ecosystem — solar power, energy storage, and electric vehicles. We’ll continue to look through the dozens of Tesla subsidiaries, most of them related to solar, to see what else pops up.

In other Tesla news, ARK Invest has CEO Elon Musk on a podcast; Tesla files its 10K, Consumer Reports pulls its recommendation for the Model 3 and data firm JATO Dynamics declares that the Tesla Model 3 was the best-selling electric car in the world in 2018.

Dig In

This week, I wanted to highlight a recent conversation with May Mobility co-founder and COO Alisyn Malek. 

May Mobility, an autonomous shuttle company, announced last week a $22 million funding round. This week, the company started testing its third AV shuttle service; this time, it’s in Rhode Island.

May Mobility’s AV shuttle will travel a 5-mile route, its longest to date, along the Woonasquatucket River corridor with 12 stops, from Olneyville to Providence Station. The “Little Roady Shuttle,” as it’s being called, can carry up to five passengers and an attendant. The vehicles began testing this week on low-volume roads as the initial phase of a pilot project scheduled to launch this spring.

Malek said a curious thing to me when we last spoke. In the midst of explaining the differences in complexity between its route in Detroit and Rhode Island, she referred to May Mobility as a transportation service provider.

That’s not unusual, this is an AV shuttle company after all. Except that unlike so many AV startups, May Mobility seems to put the transportation service part ahead of, or at least on equal footing, with its AV efforts.

Malek spent so much time explaining the logistics piece of managing the service, I had to jump in and say “I realize the AV component is important for May Mobility, but it seems almost incidental in the problem you’re trying to solve.”

Malek responded. “Yeah.”

She elaborated. “It’s going to take 10 to 15 years for an AV to cover a whole urban area,” she added. “When you think about the validation and the reliability  that needs to have been done and demonstrated before you pull that safety driver, well that’s a really big cross section of things you need to validate and verify.”

Malek also told me that May Mobility will continue to expand into new markets and double down on places it’s already operating, which includes Columbus, Ohio and Detroit.

A little bird …

We hear a lot. But we’re not selfish. Let’s share.

Thanks for all the tips everyone. I’ll be vetting these over the next few weeks or so.

We’ve heard from a couple of sources that top engineers are fleeing one of the larger self-driving car startups. Poaching between AV startups is common. We’re looking into whether something else is at play.

Also … not a tip, but something worth tracking, and perhaps a tidbit that not everyone noticed.

Under the Flexport-Softbank deal, Softbank’s Michael Ronen will join Flexport’s board and director Ed Shrager comes on as a board observer. Here’s the interesting part: CEO Ryan Petersen will retain majority control of the company, as Forbes reports. That’s notable considering investors are giving up so much control to founders, even while drowning them in capital.

Got a tip or overheard something in the world of transportation? Email me or send a direct message to @kirstenkorosec.

Deal of the week

Another day, another Softbank Vision Fund deal.

This time, Softbank led a $1 billion funding round in Flexport, a San Francisco-based full-service air and ocean freight forwarder.  

Logistics” they’re so hot right now. If Amazon is the Derek Zoolander of logistics, perhaps Softbank is Hansel. Just go with it.

Softbank put $2.25 billion into self-driving car startup GM Cruise last year. It is also backing ride-hailing companies Didi and Uber, peer-to-peer car-sharing company Getaround, Alibaba Local Services, DoorDash, Full Truck Alliance, Grofers, autonomous delivery robot startup Nuro and ParkJockey.

I reached out to Softbank dealmaker Michael Ronen and asked what’s the big idea? His response:

Transportation and logistics are massive markets that are being disrupted by technology. Ride-sharing companies have used mobile computing and AI to create a whole new market for moving people and goods. We see additional opportunities in long-haul trucking, warehouse management, robotics inside and outside warehouses, last-mile logistics (including parking), and other areas.

We believe the opportunities to modernize these pieces of the value chain are very significant and still largely untapped. Similar to the shift in TV and media consumption to on-demand and on-the-move, consumers are more and more expecting to get what they want, when they want it, where they want it – with little to zero delivery costs. Amazon has created a massive ecosystem to enable such an experience. The rest of the world is playing catch up. We believe the companies we’ve backed are making significant strides to enable such experiences, and that there’s still a lot of opportunity ahead both in the U.S. and abroad.

So it looks like it’s shaping up to be “all the transportation and logistics companies backed by Softbank” versus Amazon.

Other deals that got our attention this week:

Zoba raises $3 million to help mobility companies predict demand

Clutter confirms Softbank-led $200M investment for its on-demand storage service

Flipkart founder Sachin Basal invests $92M in Ola

Moijo, the connected car SaaS platform provider, raised $40 million a Series B round that included included a strategic investment from Assurant as well as Bosch and T-Mobile.

On-demand logistics startup Lalamove raises $300M for Asia growth

Snapshot

If this image leaves you scratching your head, you’re not alone.

BMW and Daimler, which had agreed last year to merge their urban mobility services into a single holding company, announced Friday plans to unify these services and sink $1.1 billion into the effort. Also this week: Daimler moves its big date platform to the cloud.

TechCrunch’s Romain Dillet chimes in on what this all means. In short: a hot mess.

Daimler and BMW know how to make cars, but they really don’t know how to brand mobility services. Last year, they both agreed to merge their mobility services under one roof with each company owning a 50 percent stake.

But after many acquisitions and poor branding decisions, it became a confusing mess. You know how they could have cleaned up their mess? By choosing descriptive names and leaving the past behind. Instead, they’re creating five joint ventures with names that look like some services that already exist, but not quite. They’re also investing $1.1 billion in those services.

The best way to avoid a headache is by looking at this chart. Each line represents a joint venture. ChargeNow is now Charge Now, free-floating rental services DriveNow and Car2Go are now Share Now (yes, Drive Now wasn’t good enough), all the parking services are now unified under Park Now (that one was easy), all the ride-hailing services are regrouped under Free Now, and ReachNow and moovel are becoming Reach Now (even though ReachNow is a ride-hailing service but I give up).

It gets a lot more confusing when you realize that some services will merge while others won’t. mytaxi announced that it would become Free Now, but Chauffeur-Privé just changed its name to Kapten for instance. Goodbye now.

— Romain Dillet

Tiny but mighty micromobility

Scooters have received mixed responses in cities. But data from cities’ respective pilot programs generally show that people like them more than they hate them.

A survey from the city and county of Denver, Colo. found that 32 percent of respondents (bike riders, scooter riders and non-riders) “love” scooters in the city, with 26 percent saying they don’t like them, but may like them if some changes are made.

Meanwhile, over in Los Angeles, the city’s Department of Transportation received applications from 11 dockless mobility companies to operate in the city. Collectively, those 11 companies sought permission to operate 37.7K dockless bikes and scooters.

For the operators selected, LADOT requires them to conform to its Mobility Data Specification, which entails the collection of data pertaining to vehicle type, trip duration, trip cost, trip parking verification and more.

LADOT started accepting permit applications in January and required companies to submit by February 15. LADOT says it expects to make a decision next month pertaining to which companies can participate in the one-year pilot.

Notable reads

One item this week. Trucks. (One side note, I was going to include Apple’s ADS report issued to NHTSA. And then I read it. Not much there except a tiny insight in what they require for their safety drivers. But in case you’re interested, read it here.

A recent report from McKinsey called Route 2030 – The Fast Track to the Future of Commercial Industry report, got our attention. It charts out the rise of e-commerce and shortage of truck drivers as well as the emerging trend of autonomous trucks.

New opportunities are driven by three major trends: alternative powertrains, autonomous vehicles, and connectivity. These could add another $3 billion to the profit pool by 2030.

Total global OEM profits to increase by $5.6 billion to about $18.3 billion by 2030, resulting in a slight industry profitability increase from 6.6 percent in 2017 to 6.7 percent in 2030.

Other quotable notables:

Wired’s take on self-driving car jargon; The Information’s organizational chart on GM Cruise; and Lytx, which provides fleet management services like video telematics and vehicle tracking for fleets, crunched data that identifies the top 10 roads for cell phone use in the U.S.

Testing and deployments

Deployments don’t always mean AVs. This week, Berlin’s public transit authority, BVG introduced Jelbi.

What is a Jelbi? It’s is a mobility app (powered by technology from Trafi and branded under BVG) that is designed to cover all the ways people travel, including by public train and bus, bike share, car-sharing, scooters and ride-hailing.

These one-stop mobility apps are a bit like rainbows. We can see them and they’re beautiful, but they don’t last. That’s not to say they’re not valuable. THEY ARE. Seamless travel for everyone from Point A to Point B is the goal.

But some struggle to get every mode, or every competitor within a particular mode, onto one app. Sometimes the app just isn’t so great. Or it’s great and no ones knows about it.

In the case of Jelbi, it looks like it’s off to a good start. People tell me that BVG and Trafi want to get 25 providers onto the app. So far, they have about 15, including Cambio, Emmy, Lime, Jump, Mobileeee, Miles, Mobike, and Taxi Berlin to name a few. Will the new combined and confusing Daimler-BMW joint venture add its Berlin-based services to the app? We’ll watch for it.

Other interesting stuff:

Citymapper announces subscription service for multiple transportation methods

On our radar

The Geneva Auto Show is coming up and there will be no shortage of electric vehicle concepts. Volkswagen, Peugeot, Kia are teasing them. But there’s one reveal preceding Geneva that TechCrunch is particularly interested in and that’s Polestar.

I met Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath in August during Monterey Car Week. I meet lots of passionate CEOs and co-founders. And Ingenlath didn’t disappoint. As we chatted over dinner I was struck by his design background and his ideology. Ingenlath is a car designer by trade and he had some interesting ideas about what people want and what works.

On Feb. 27, Polestar is going to live stream an unveiling of the Polestar 2, the first fully-electric car from the Volvo Group and the world debut of Google’s new in-car HMI system. Just set your alarm (for U.S. and Canada folks) and head to their website. The reveal starts at 4 am PT.

Thanks for reading. There might be content you like or something you hate. Feel free to reach out to me at kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com to share those thoughts, opinions or tips. 

Nos vemos la próxima vez.

Via Kirsten Korosec https://techcrunch.com

[whatupwiththelists]

List Christmas Letter 2018

Dearest Family & Friends,

I’m going to cut right to the chase. YES. I managed to hold down a job at the same place for more than a year. I’m still with Kijiji. Feel free to keep reading if you wish, but honestly that little nugget of information is by far the highlight of the letter. Like... by far.  

I’m not sure I agree with your decision to continue reading, but I will respect it. Here we go…

I should also note that some of you may not have received a letter last year. We decided to try something new to determine our mailing list. We took all of the names of our closest friends and family (all of you) and then we simply didn’t write a letter. In hindsight, the fact that you may not have received a letter probably has less to do with the mailing list and more to do with our lack of writing it. Hmmm. We may need to reflect on this more. On the plus side, the fact that you’re reading this, is an indication that a letter was in fact written for 2018. Further to being written, it must have also been shared with you in some way. Magical!

So what’s new with us? 2 years of awesomeness!!! That’s what!

We’re still happy and healthy. Physically that is. Mentally we’re a mess, but if you’re on this mailing list you know us well enough that this info won’t surprise you.

Lucy is still at TELUS. For another few days at least. She moved from the Koodo team in 2017 to become a superstar at TELUS. There she created a very successful design system and was flown to Vancouver these past couple of summers to be on a panel with brands like Google, Twitter  and Shopify to talk about their success. Speaking of Shopify, she’s starting to work there in January. She did such a great job creating TELUS’ design system, that Shopify asked her to help them with their new marketing design system. It’s a great opportunity, but in truth, she’s moving so that she’s working closer to me (literally 300m away). There is also the added perk of catered breakfasts AND lunches. Guess who’s visiting her at work twice a day, every day?? (it’s me).

She was also in Vancouver for a half marathon last summer. She amazes me. With almost no training she wasn’t far off her best time. Running a half marathon cold at 41 years old (note that awesome rhyme)… an interesting choice but she completed it, and after an afternoon nap she was as good as new. I joined her in Vancouver as well to celebrate our anniversary. We had a blast exploring Stanley Park, The Capilano Suspension Bridge, Grouse Mountain (yes, we did the Grind), and Whistler/Blackcomb. We really had a great time. Where were the kids you ask? All we know is that they weren’t with us and we’ll leave it at that.

For me, seeing Lucy run the half marathon last year,  inspired me to get into running this year. I decided that I wanted to run a fast 10k (under 40 minutes). I was excited to finish a MEC 10k in 39:17 and 2 weeks later I ran a 19:11 5k which was also a personal best. Sorry if these numbers mean nothing to you, but for runners, our numbers define us :) In 2019 I’ve set some bigger goals. I’ll be running 2 full marathons (one in Ottawa in May and the other in Toronto in October) and I’m going to try and finish one in less than 3 hours. It’s a lofty goal that I’ve been considering for literally 15 years. Age isn’t on my side, but wisdom and a healthy dose of enthusiasm is. Lucy thinks I’m obsessed. Guess there could be worse obsessions...

As mentioned, I’m still with Kijiji. If you use Kijiji and like some of the things that have happened over the past few years, it was probably me. If not, well, best not to talk about it. For those of you in the UK, I know a few of the Gumtree Product Managers so if you’re upset about anything please let me know. I’d love to give them a hard time. I also need to state that I’m just a little bit famous at eBay Classifieds. The CEO of eBay visited the Kijiji office and I gave him a demo of our new homepage. Well, one thing led to another and before I knew it an article was written, I was quoted as it being a career highlight on the eBay internal blog even though I wasn’t even interviewed, and a picture of me pointing at my screen turned into a bit of a phenomenon. Branded Jerememe, “Jeremy Pointing” is now my claim to fame.

Our side gig (Me in a Nutshell) we launched 2 years ago is now fully on life support. We have seen slow and steady growth. The problem, is that it’s really, really slow. For those of you who can't remember what its was about from our christmas letter 2 years ago.. you're essentially looking at it. Our family page was built using the product. Me in a Nutshell (meinanutshell.com) is still kicking and we’re hopeful that at some point somebody famous will create a page to give us the kick start we need. Wishful thinking, but unfortunately at this point, wishful thinking is our best marketing plan ;)

I’m going to talk about kids now so feel free to skip to the end...

Sophie turned 6 this summer but she’s still super cute despite her old age. She dresses herself every day and, holy smoke, she’s creative. Some of her outfits are really quite amazing. Who knew you could have that many patterns & colours at the same time?

She was in gymnastics last year with Cadence, but both girls have decided to take a pause and focus on ice skating. They’re in lessons every Saturday and all the kids love it… well at least for now. Stay tuned.

She also learned to ride her bike this summer and is a superstar on 2 wheels. My job as a father is officially done now that all 3 kids can ride a bike. I may come back part time to help the kids with their running form, but at this point Lucy has been advised not to expect any significant help from me moving forward. Mic drop.

Cadence is still very much into drawing, painting, and anything crafty. Especially slime! Sigh. She’s addicted to making slime.  We have no shortage of slime supplies and little containers with slime scattered throughout the house. Green slime, blue slime, we have every slime you could possibly imagine. Seriously, if you need slime please call me. If you can get it out of the carpet/clothes/hair/teeth, it’s all yours.

My personal favourite “Cadence craft” has turned into a bit of a tradition. Every holiday she will lead the family to create window art. It started off as some quick sketches, then focused on Taylor Swift, but since halloween, the quality of the art has become quite impressive. Thanksgiving followed and we now have a wonderful xmas scene on our front window.

For those of you who caught that Taylor Swift reference above, yeah… she’s obsessed. Lucy took the girls to a concert this past summer and since then Taylor is practically a member of our family. Without her knowing of course... Which makes it a little creepy, but whatever. I’m not sure if it’s Taylor inspired, but Cadence has also taken to Black. She loves all colours, as long as it’s black. Every now and then you’ll see her wearing a colour accent, but for the most part, she’s black, on black, on black… on black (with pet hair covering 90% of her wardrobe).

Jayden is 12! Almost a teen :( He continues to do better in school but this year we’re back to a teacher that doesn’t have as much patience with him. He’s a great kid but fitting him into the school system is still a challenge. That said, he’s making great progress and we believe if we can get him through highschool without the system breaking him, he’ll be successful. He’s a super smart kid.

He’s also a curious fellow. He’s often found taking his Nerf guns apart to see how they work. Our Christmas project last year was to convert his battery powered guns from 6V to 8.4V. More power! Yay YouTube! This year he was a NERF superpower and feared by his friends [evil laugh]. He also builds some pretty impressive guns with lego. Normally I don’t like to talk about his interest in guns, but his lego creations are really quite amazing. With removable magazines, a safety switch, and chambering mechanism, it’s quite the piece of engineering.

He also got really good on his scooter. He wasn’t enjoying karate, so we decided to let him focus on his scooter. It was a good decision. He’s learned so much over the past 2 years. Seeing him is really quite impressive. He’s learned several tricks including a tail whip, 180, 360 and many more. He’s not into it as much anymore, but I loved that he found something so motivating. Now he’s focused on parkour. With this new focus, he’s getting more into running with dad and weights to help him jump around easier. He, and the girls, have also found a love for skating. Jayden, has found yet another medium to jump around and do tricks. He has great technique and has been progressing very well. Seeing all of the teachers drool over the potential to have a gifted MALE who’s interested in figure skating is really quite funny. I wouldn’t be surprised if all 3 kids continue on with skating as one of their sporty passions. They’re all having a wonderful time.

Most exciting with Jayden is that he continues to play the piano. He’s been focused on a few core songs this year and we’re excited to see his progress. We recently bought him a synthesizer and are excited to see him get his music into Garage Band and eventually upload his creations to SoundCloud. He’s composed his own music using other peoples sound clips, but now he has the ability to create music entirely by himself. He’s good. Like, really good. I can’t wait to start listening to his songs.

This year we celebrated Sophie’s 6th birthday in Barcelona. Our first family trip over an ocean. It was also a nice celebration of our 15 year wedding anniversary. We had a blast. Starting in Barcelona, we spent a few days enjoying the city and seeing the sights. From there we rented a Jag SUV and headed up the coast toward France. On our 7 day road trip we saw some amazing places and had a wonderful time. It’s truly a spectacular part of the world and we are already trying to figure out how to get back. I think Lucy plans to retire there with, or without me :(

We also have a new addition to the family! Arctica joined our family earlier this year in May and she’s been wonderful for us. Were not exactly sure how she got here… and one day we had a dog.  We had a weekend of panic thinking what have we done? but we are truly happy we kept her. The kids love her to death and Lucy & I find ourselves more active and excited to get out and walk. She’s really a sweetheart and SOOOOOOO fast. My goodness when she wants to run she can move. She’s also a very good guard dog. If you’ve visited our house… you know. Sorry, she’s just really protective. It’s the shepherd in her.

Our neighborhood is still fantastic. We’ve seen some great neighbours leave, but we’ve also had some amazing people join. We continue the annual Easter egg hunt on our lawn, Canada celebrations, birthday parties, post Santa Claus parade after party and a whole ton more of neighborhood gatherings. We love every minute with them. Each year we are so thankful to have found such a great community. Our neighbors are known to bring us goodies, watch our kids, shovel our driveway and generally just put up with us. We are so thankful to have these wonderful people surrounding us.

Life is still hectic and crazy for Lucy and I but we still manage to find some time to do the things we love to do. We hope you have a joyful start to 2019!

Wishing you health and happiness for 2019

xox

The Lists

[minimotives]

7 weeks to go!

We had a lot on our to-do list and we didn’t do a lot of them… Still, we got some done.

On Friday we had no (water) plumbing. Today we have all of the supply plumbing done.

I fixed the bunks to extend easier (I had messed it up in the past, finally fixed it)

Changed up the location of the tail lights.  They were horizontal but we wanted them vertical.

Built some storage nooks in the couch and kid’s bunks.

Worked on our dining table… still not a great solution there yet…

We moved it out into the sunshine to test the plumbing. It was SUPER easy and weighted well. I’m happy about that!

Our Budget:

I’ve updated our budget sheet.  We are at $3,307.95  total.  We have about $500 more to spend.  Including the insulation primarily and the vinyl decal for the driver side (picture included below).  Our original financial goal was $1.500 but it was to be a renovation, not a complete rebuild.  I feel like we are doing pretty good for being a total rebuild.  I will be happy to come in under $5,000.

It’s funny, as I watch some of these other rebuilds ad see the prices it makes me think that flipping vintage trailers could be a fun gig.  Some are in pretty good shape but there seems to be a lot of folks in want of a vintage trailer and people like them to be cool…. I like to make custom cool things!  By the looks of it we could probably sell this trailer for more than 10k… probably closer to 20k… which seems good.  I’m not sure we would be making much on our time really but if we did a second one it’s sure to go lots faster… ;-)  It’s just a passing idea.

The route:

We’re getting into the planning now of our route (year+ long road trip). It’s tricky to find a route with places that 1) have Wi-Fi (so we can work) 2) allow kids 3) allow a dog. We’re doing the broad strokes right now, applying a rough timeline.  We will have weekly meetings to reassess and keep ‘on track’ as much as we want to.  This is what we have for our first leg so far:

Google Maps is great for collaborating, importing in a bunch of overlays that we can turn on and off.  James has Krav Maga places on a layer so he can keep taking his classes when we’re near a location that has them.  We’ll probably have a zoos & aquarium layer, kid friendly campsites, etc.  Our second leg would be something like this:

Emotionally:

This is a BIG adventure for such a dinkie little Aloha!

The kids:

The kids are getting excited.  I think Hazel even understands to an extent what we are in for.  Miles will do ok, he is at a tricky stage and we will absolutely have to keep a close eye on him… he’s a rebel and he likes to run and hide.  Both traits aren’t great for being in new places.  He may just get a leash, as much as I hate to be that mom… I would hate more for something to happen to the little worm!

The dog:

Denver actually likes the trailer!  I have been worried about him but as it comes together I think he will be just fine!  Oddly, maybe, we are starting to get a fair bit of criticism for taking him along. Some people think that is unfair.  I think he will love it, there is a lot of adventure to be had for a dog in the world!  I think it would be a whole lot more unfair to give him to someone else while we go on the trip… he’s a member of our family and is far more important than this trip.  If he doesn’t do well we won’t force him through anything, we will postpone our trip.  Seriously, he’s family, we aren’t leaving him.  I can’t understand the critical views that think it’s better to leave him behind than take him with.

The parents:

James and I are running through the emotions.  This is big and daunting!  The impending chaos is ‘getting real’.  It’s slightly scary.  In reality, it’s out of our comfort zone.  But it’s still where we want to be.  I feel like we are both resorting to our comfort zones and trying to plan the fears away.  That’s the thing, there is so much we CAN’T plan… and even if we did… it wouldn’t matter.  Things are going to happen.  The best thing we can do is try to become comfortable with the unknown.  So we’re trying that.  It is much easier said than done though… Turns out ;-).

I made some storage shelving for each of the bunks, this is the top bunk.

the panel folds open to make a drawing table

It slides up to be whatever height it needs to be, we are debating between 3″ foam or a childs mattress (5″)

before

after

the bottom bunk

Same

before

after

There are two plumbing inlets, one for a hose connection and another for when we are ‘off grid’, we can pump from a bucket.

The electrical is also in.

plumbing fitting around the fridge stuff

in process plumbing

First hookup… I can’t trailer well yet so…

we opted to move by hand while it’s still easy. This was to test the plumbing

It was actually pretty easy!

Sometimes it looks little and other it looks huge!

He likes playing with the tools ;)

and especially the tractor

pressure testing the plumbing. the first try failed

Dad and hazel worked it out though…

One of my new favorite pictures, a boy and his dog!

the table is still not worked out… its wobbly…

Painted the stuff

cut the millwork tops to size. Once we get out glitter potty this will be our potty (there will be a curtain for privacy)

our washing machine (a wonder wash)

the finished plumbing

couch storage areas, we can slide our laptops and some books in on either side

and it will help keep the back cushion in place

reoriented tail lights

water heater, plumbed

short beds

extended beds

and we’re getting a big vinyl map for the driver side, we can map out our route.

Travel Trailer Update 7 weeks to go! We had a lot on our to-do list and we didn't do a lot of them...