#i need lil stars to pop up every time i clear away a plate or wipe down a counter

[snuffes]

ive been so brave about doing dishes for like an hour and there’s still so much left and my fingers are all pruney and now it’s 8 pm and almost too late to make soup

[harry-styles-sunflower]

Meeting You In The Hallway Part 2

a/n: HII lovely people! I hope you are all doing well today! This is part 2 of Meeting you in the Hallway. A lot happens in this chapter, y/n and H gonna get real close. 

What it is: You move into the apartment across the hall from Harry and you begin a friendship which you both want more from but can’t communicate that want.

Word Count: 5.7k

Warning: fluff, some cursing, sexual tensionnn, & lil bit of smut.

Pls reblog if you like it 😊 I literally have so much homework to do now because I wrote this instead LOL. 

~~~

You woke up at 4:00 pm. 2 hours before your shift started. You had only one more week on the night shift. Then you’d have a regular schedule. You took one hour to get ready. You basically just showered, did your hair, and put some mascara on. You put your scrubs on and compression socks that had little sunflowers on them. They were your favorites. Around 6:00 you poured yourself a bowl of cereal and packed your dinner Tupperware in your bag. You made it the night before so you could have it ready for today. As you were eating your cereal you heard 3 slow knocks on your door. You got up and checked the peephole just in case. Low and behold it was Harry. You opened the door and were greeted by a very cheesy smile.

��Hi” you looked at him a little confused.

“Hi. I’m really sorry to bother you but um.. Do you have an egg?”

“An egg?”

“Yeah. Just the one” he said with a small smile on his lips.

You shook your head playfully. “Come inside”

You walked further into your apartment towards your kitchen.

Harry watched you as you walked away. He watched as your scrubs hugged your ass and hips. How your scrub top was tighter around your waist. He noticed your sunflower socks and smiled a little.

You reached inside your fridge and grabbed 2 eggs. “Here, just in case one breaks on the way back over”

“Are you calling me clumsy y/n?” He smirked at you.

“No, just think it’s better to be safe than sorry” you shrugged.

“Are you a nurse?”

“Yeah. I’m leaving in a few minutes” you told him.

“Leaving? It’s like 6:15 at night”

“Yeah. Night shift.”

“Oh” he said a little sad you had to go soon.

“Yeah. I’m going to day shift soon though. Thank God” you sighed.

“Don’t like night shift?”

“I don’t like being awake when people are asleep and being asleep when people are awake. It sucks”

He nodded his head in understanding.

“Well, I’m making cookies. Hence the eggs. Do you want some? I can drop them off tomorrow.” He offered.

You smiled and nodded. It was sweet how he thought of you.

“Okay. Well I’m gonna let you go then. Thanks for the eggsss” he said as he playfully put an emphasis on the S at the end.

“No problem,” you laughed. “Hey I’m actually leaving right now anyway. We can walk out together” you grabbed your bag and washed your cereal bowl. He watched you the whole time, noticing how you your scrub top lifted a little bit when you reached for your reusable Starbucks cup to fill with water.

“Okay I’m all done” you breathed out and looked at him. You caught him staring for a small second before he got up quickly and waited for you to walk out. You put your crocs on before you opened your door and you heard a small laugh behind you.

“What?”

“Nothing it’s just the little cartoons on your shoes are adorable” he smiled so that you could see his dimples in your small hallway.

“They’re called jibbitz and I just got them for the kids. Child friendly you know?” You explained. You both looked down staring at your feet. Your right foot was filled with the faces of all the Disney princess’ and your left foot was filled with all the superheroes you could fit. You could hear his low chuckle and you two both looked up at the same time. At this point your faces were just a few inches apart. You could’ve sworn you heard him suck in a breath. You turned around and unlocked your door and took a deep breath of the hallway air. Harry followed you out and you locked your door and tucked your keys in your pockets.

“Have a good night.. at work”

“Thanks. Have fun baking”

“Thanks”

You never look at him for too long. Scared you’ll be caught staring the same way you caught him. But just before you left you noticed he’s always wearing long sleeves. At least that you’ve seen.

“Try not to overheat. Baking can get pretty warm” you said pointing to his long sleeves.

“Oh yeah. I always keep the temp in my place at like 60°. I get cold so I just put a long sleeve shirt on.”

“Why not just put the temperature up?”

“What’s the fun and coziness in that?” He smiled down at you.

You laughed and shook your head, “Right. Well goodnight harry”

“Goodnight y/n”

~~~

7 am rolls around faster than you thought. You say bye to your friends from work and grab your bag before leaving. You walk home because the sidewalks aren't as busy as they will be in an hour. Exhausted, you say hi to Pat and go inside. You catch your curly headed neighbor with his hair up in a small pony and a tank top with shorts. For the first time you see how many tattoos he has. You pop up next to him as you both now wait for the elevator. 

"You're up early"

"Oh hey. How was work?" he looks down at you.

"it was… exhausting" you decide to not tell him the sad gory details of your night. Your patient threw up on you because of their chemo treatment and you needed to change your scrubs at the very beginning of your shift. "Were you walking?"

"Running. Jogging. Helps me clear my mind" he says as he waits for you to go in the elevator first.

You walk in and when you turn around you can see he has even more tattoos on his legs. You find them kind of hot. Wanting to know more and see more. He stands next to you as you wait for the elevator to land on the 17th floor.

"Do you work again tonight?"

"Yeah. Why?" you looked up at him. He was staring straight ahead.

"Nothing. Was just gonna invite you to my gig." he looks down at you and there seems to be disappointment in his eyes.

"Oh sorry. Maybe another night." you say quietly. "What do you do? Poetry? Sing? Can't be comedy." you say with a small smirk.

"Actually, I'm a very funny person y/n," he faces you. "But I-" he pauses as someone walks in.

Soon we land on the 17th floor and our elevator conversation seems to have ended by the time we make it to our doors.

"So… do you just go to sleep now?" he asked as he opened his door.

"Yeah basically. I mean I shower and eat something before I fall asleep." you answer as you open your door and turn around.

"Oh okay. I was gonna make breakfast, if you wanted some."

"Depends. What's on the menu?" you kicked your shoes off and leaned on your doorframe.

He watched you and said, "Today? I'm thinking…waffles?"

"Mmm, I'll be over in 30." just as you were about to shut your door he said, "No um I'll come and bring them over. With the cookies."

"Okay"

He left and you both closed your doors. It was nice to have a new friend. A friend that looked like a Greek god but still, a friend.

You walked into your bedroom and dug through the last few boxes you had left. You grab a clean towel and clean pajamas as you walk into your bathroom. You set the water to be warm because it was already way too hot today. You thought back to Harry. He seemed to love cooking and baking. You've only known him a few days but you already felt friendly enough. You remembered his tattoos. You wanted to ask if there was a story behind his heart tattoo.  

Pouring some peach scented shampoo onto your hands, you began rubbing your hair and massaging it in. You remember how large his hands looked when he grabbed the two eggs yesterday. They looked miniature in his hands. Your thoughts began to escape you as you relaxed under the warm water and you wondered what it felt like to have his hands on your body. Remembering he was probably waiting on you to eat, you shook your thoughts out of your head and shut the water off.

"Its just a stupid crush" you mumbled to yourself as you put your pjs on.

~~~

As Harry was mixing the batter for waffles he began to think about you. He wanted to know more about your night and why you looked so exhausted. He wanted to hear you talk for hours. He couldn't explain for the life of him why he wanted to be around you every chance he got. He rushed to make at least 5 waffles for you. He cut up some strawberries and packed some berries. He packed everything in some Tupperware and grabbed the chocolate drizzle and whipped cream. Before he left his place he grabbed his phone and thought of how to subtly get your number.

He knocked on your door three times and you opened pretty quickly. 

"Hey" you smiled at him. 

He noticed how you had no more makeup on your eyes and you looked even more beautiful. "H-hey" he cleared his throat. 

You noticed all the Tupperware in his hands and you grabbed a few as he walked in. "You're eating some of these waffles right? Five is too much for me." 

"Oh yeah sure." He put all the bowls down. 

"You weren't planning on watching me eat were you?" you said as you got two cups from your cupboard. He looked at your silk button up and matching shorts. They were a light pink. Your skin looked so soft. 

"No." Yes. "I was just making yours first so you could go to sleep faster. You said you were exhausted"

"Oh, well thanks. I appreciate that." you tried to hide your blush so you looked down at your plate. "Do you like to cook?" you couldn't help but ask.

"Yeah actually. It's just a hobby. I like to mix new things and try them out."

You watched his hands, noticing the chipped nail polish on them for the first time.

"Well, if you had a restaurant," you say as you take a bite of the waffle with whipped cream and strawberry, "I'd give you 5 stars." You smile cheeks full.

He gave you a dimply smile before mumbling a "thank you" and looking down. You planned on only eating two waffles but they were so good you guys split the fifth one.

"You never told me what you do at your gigs" you mentioned before stuffing your mouth again.

"Oh um I sing. Play some guitar too" he said as he focused on cutting his waffle.

"That’s so cool, is that what you do for a living?" you looked up at him.

With a throaty chuckle he shook his head no. "My job is a secret" he said right before taking a sip of his orange juice.

"Oh okay," you nodded, "So you can know what I do, but I can't know what you do. Mysterious man."

"Exactly!" he laughed.

You just shook your head and picked up your plate and cup and brought it to the dishwasher. Eventually Harry brought his too. Eating just the leftover strawberries now, you gave yourself time to stare at him a little. He was preoccupied with something on his phone. You noticed a small earring in his ear. You could tell he had more tattoos that covered his chest. A little bit of stubble had grown on him since the first time you met. You also noticed how he rushed to make you breakfast that he hadn’t showered after his run. When he finished with whatever he was preoccupied with a yawn escaped you.

"Well, I'm glad you liked breakfast. I hope you enjoy the cookies. Get some rest yeah?" he got up from his seat at your small table and walked over to where you were standing. You were leaning against doorway that led to your small hallway.

"Yeah thank you, again" You were eye level with the swallows on his chest that were peeking out from under his shirt.

 "No problem. Have a good night tonight." he looked anywhere but you as he said.

"Yeah you too, good luck!"

 "Thanks" he left and closed your door behind him.

Biting your lip you walked off to your bedroom to dream about the curly headed man across the hall.

As the door shut behind Harry, he silently cursed to himself. He had forgotten to get your number.

~~~

One Month Later

 You’ve been on the day shift a few weeks now. You had settled into a new routine. Wake up at 5:00 am, be out of your house by 6:00, meet Harry in the hallway before he went for his jog and he'd give you a smoothie before you left for work, be at work for report by 7, work until 7:00 pm. Get home around 7:30, shower, eat dinner with Harry, then sleep to do it all over again if you had to work the next day.

 Your friendship with Harry had progressed. You two basically took care of one another. He'd feed you every day and you'd do his laundry as a way to repay him. You’d say you two got to a level of comfortability around each other but you still oddly enough had never been to his place, knew what he did for a living, or been to one of his gigs. He'd say he didn’t have any performances coming up but some nights he would leave after dinner a little earlier than usual. You knew all the stories behind his tattoos. One day when you were doing laundry he asked you to toss in the shirt he was wearing and when he took it off you saw the tattoos you had been missing. That day he gave you the rundown on all of them.

 You could tell he was getting more comfortable around you because he didn’t seem so nervous to say the wrong thing anymore and every time he saw you, sweaty or not he'd give you a hug and a kiss on the cheek. He explained its what they did in France when two people were friends. When I mentioned he wasn’t even French he waved me off.

 You were currently on your couch on your day off waiting for Harry to come back from the kitchen with your popcorn and white wine. You had gotten him into watching The Vampire Diaries and as much as he would criticize the show, some scenes just grasped all his attention.

 "Har?" you called for him. Your new nickname for him that he said he didn’t mind.

 "I'm coming I'm coming" he said as he walked in with two wine glasses between his fingers, a wine bottle in one hand, and the popcorn in his other.

 "You know, you kind of look like Stefan. Similar noses, same um cupid's bow" you said pointing to yours. "You guys both also do the same thing with your eyebrows when you're serious.

 "You’ve been looking at my cupid's bow?" he grinned at you while pouring you a glass.

 "Oh don't start" you rolled your eyes taking a sip.

 You began watching season 2 episode 9. You knew what was going to happen but Harry had no clue. He absolutely loved Damon and thought Stefan was pathetic. You somewhat disagreed with him but still allowed him his opinion. It slowly got to the scene where Damon confesses his love for Elena. You mouth every single word and even a tear slips out when Damon's falls but you wipe it quickly.  You watched Harry as he watched the screen, his mouth slightly opened.

 "Okay but why in the bloody hell would he compel her to forget! Ugh this show frustrates me" He sighed laying back against in the couch.

 "He couldn’t be selfish… have you ever wanted to say something to someone but you knew it would be selfish if you did?" you looked over at him.

 Suddenly his facial features hardened and he swallowed before answering, "yes, actually. I guess I do understand Damon."

 "Well, yeah" you played the next episode and drank your wine. You felt your eyes get heavy the more you drank it.

 Next thing you knew you felt something hard against your cheek and puffs of air on your forehead. You were moving. You opened your eyes slowly and realized Harry was carrying you into your room. You closed your eyes again and you let him place you on your soft mattress and you felt him tuck you in under the blanket. Your eyes fluttered open slowly and you looked up at him. He gave you a small smile and moved your hair out of your face.

 "Go to back to sleep, love" He bent down and gave you a kiss on the cheek. "I'll lock up"

 You gave him a slow nod and drifted back to sleep. As Harry closed your door behind him, he mumbled to himself, "I can't be selfish".

 ~~~

One Week Later

 You were currently getting ready for the day. Your body was used to waking up early for work so it was around 7 am. You wanted to catch Harry on his way back from his run. You were able to hear the elevator ding from your apartment because it was still so quiet on your floor. You ran to your door and opened it just enough to see if it was Harry. Once you were able to see his bright pink sneakers you hid just a little more so that right when he was about to open his door you jumped out and yelled “HI”.

 He jumped and turned around, “Fuck me y/n” he placed his hand over his heart and breathed heavily.

 You giggled and leaned against your door frame. “Is that really what you want?” You grinned up at him.

 He shook his head at you with a small smile. “I was just trying to open my door in peace”

 “So, do that. Open it.” You pushed on. You wanted to know why you still were never invited over.

 Harry sighed and played with his keys. “I have something to tell you”

 “I knew it, your hiding like a huge sex doll in there or something right?”

 “You know,” he approached you and put his hand over your head leaning on your doorframe too, “you can be a little annoying sometimes”.

 “That’s rude,” he smelled like sweat and musk mixed, “but I know. Okay what’s up?”

 He looked away from you as he spoke. “Alright, first off. My apartments always a mess and it’s not what you think. You know me as some guy who comes to your place and cooks and I run… but you don’t know this big part of my life.”

 “To be fair you haven’t let me,” You look up at him. His body is inches away from yours and you want to touch him in some way to make him more comfortable but you don’t know how.  

 “I know. It’s not like you’re judgmental I just don’t want you to see me differently.” 

 “Har, as long as you’re not some creepy dude that watches some weird shit, like illegal shit, I really don’t care. You’re my friend, I’ll support you in whatever.” You poked him where his butterfly lay under his shirt.

 “If you say so,” he turned around and opened his apartment, “come in” he opened the door open for you.

 You walked in and it was a short hallway like yours. When you walked in you could see the mess he was talking about but it wasn’t horrible. Papers on the floor in his living room but his kitchen was spotless. He spent the rest of the morning making breakfast for you two while you just watched. You told him about your last few patients and how one was officially cancer free. He always loved hearing you talk about them, especially the success stories. He was there for you for the unsuccessful ones but you both didn't like to talk about them too much.

~~~

It was now 5 pm, you could see the door that led to his room. You weren’t going to push it and ask to see though. You saw a few bedazzled jackets on his couch. You ran your fingers over one.

 “I have a gig tonight.”

 “You do?!” You jumped excitedly, “Har, I don’t see why you were so nervous.” You look around. “I don’t see a sex doll”

 “So annoying.” he walked into his room. You followed but stopped at the doorway. “Come in y/n”

 You walked in slowly and looked around. A few more papers crumpled up on the floor.

 “The outfits I wear are a little…” he looked into his closet. Your eyes followed his and you could see why he was nervous. There were skirts, bedazzled coats, pants, and all of different colors.

 “You little shit.. You had a closet like this and didn’t share?” You pushed him out of the way and began looking at all the clothes individually.

 Harry smiled behind you, happy with your reaction. He looked at the way your eyes lit up over feeling certain fabrics. “Do you uh, wanna help me pick an outfit for tonight?”

 You turned around quickly and looked up at him. “Yes,” You tried to contain your excitement. “Go shower, I’ll put some outfits together.”

 He turned on his heel and listened to you. You began setting outfits on his bed. You settled on setting down 4 outfits. One was a black dress shirt and white pants that flared outward. The second was a pink suit that had roses on its jacket on each side. The third was a red suit with black embroidered roses on it. The last one was a pink dress shirt with white high waisted pants and pink overalls. The last outfit was your favorite but you weren’t t going to mention it.

 You heard the shower cut off so you sat on his bed.

 He came out in just a towel wrapped around his waist. You focused on the detailing of the embroidered black roses on his red suit jacket. Or at least tried to focus on that.

 "Um I picked four options, I hope you like them." He came and sat next to you on the bed, his towel opening a bit between his legs.

 "I think I want to be comfortable tonight," he ran his fingers over all four options, "Might go with the black shirt and white pants."

"Okay cool," you were trying your best to look anywhere but at him.

 "I have a box at the bottom of my closet, a bunch of jewelry in there, could you pick some rings out? I'm just gonna keep my small earrings tonight and I don't really want a necklace. It'll be too hot"

 "I'm like your stylist"

 "Yeh, who knows, maybe if I make it big you will be" he sends a wink your way.

 "Don't think I'd have the heart to leave my patients." You grab the box. As you open it you look inside and see a bunch of rings and pearls. "Hey are your nails done?"

 "Eh a little chipped"

 "We'll fix that" you grab his H and S rings and set them next to you. Having your back towards him you could hear him putting his clothes on. "You know I have a gel kit, could help with the chipping problem."

"Oh really? Could you do them for me?"

"Yeah of course." you take out his rose ring and settle them down next to his initial rings. "Are you done?"

"Yeah I'm not putting the shirt on till later though, too hot."

You nodded, turned around, and grabbed his hand. You opened his hand up and dropped his rings inside.

"Thanks, grab me one more."

Confused, you looked inside the box and looked for one you liked. You decided on one that looked like it had a red gem. "Here" you gave it to him.

"Thanks, here take this one and wear it," he gave you back his S ring.

"Why?"

"So people know you're my other half"

You felt butterflies in your stomach but you suppressed them. He just saw you as friend, nothing more. You mumbled a thanks and slid it on your finger.

"Lets go back to my place, so I can do your nails. I know you like color but I was thinking white? Match your pants but it'll stand out against your black shirt"

"Yeah okay im alright with that."

You went back to your place and you got yourselves settled into your kitchen with the UV machine on. He concentrated on you as you painted the foundation clear polish on his nails.

"Har, is your job still a secret?"

"Eh, I guess I know you wont be a loud mouth about it anymore,"

You looked up and he was grinning, teasing you. You rolled your eyes and went back to painting his nails.

"I'm a writer. Author of a few books. Poetry."

"Liar, I've never heard of you." Although it did make sense with all of the paper crumbled over his floor.

"Pseudonym, love"

"Really?" You placed his soft hand under the light.

"Mhm. No one knows it. I like it that way. No one knows what I'm thinking sometimes."

"Not even your mother?"

"Not even her. She's read my work but only the ones I want her to read."

"Interesting" you say as you place his other hand under the light.

He nods and continues watching you. Soon you finish up and he stares at them amazed. "Wait so I don’t have to wait for them to dry?"

"Nope, I'm gonna get changed. It's almost 7"

"Okay" he stays staring back at his nails.

You played with his ring while looking back at your closet. Should I wear black too? Or white? Maybe we shouldn't match. But why not? You settled on black and white striped pants with a red bralette and some red heels. His gig was at a sit-down bar anyway. When you came back out and ready to go, he looked you up and down and you could see him clench his fist at his sides.

"Nice pants," he swallowed hard.

"Thanks, let's go?"

"Yeah okay"

You grabbed a taxi and shared it to his gig. It was a little more downtown. By the time you got there with traffic it was almost 9. he started around 9:15. You settled on one of the stools at the bar and he went backstage. He said he needed to rush and tune the guitar they had for him so you just wished him luck and grabbed yourself a drink.

People cheered for him when they saw him come on stage. Must not be his first time here you assumed.

"Good evening everyone! Tonight will consist of a few covers and maybe an original. I'll see if you guys deserve it" he winked at the crowd.

You swiveled your chair around as you heard the familiar chords of 'Girl Crush' began. You'd never heard Harry sing and once he started you didn’t want him to stop. He had the voice of an angel. He hit high notes so effortlessly sometimes and other times you could see the veins in his neck bulging. The next song he played was 'Space Cowboy' which he did so well. You cheered extra loud each time.

"Alright alright, I'm going to play an original now. I wrote this one just a week ago or so. I hope you like it.

Meet me in the hallway

Meet me in the hallway

I just left your bedroom

Give me some morphine

Is there any more to do?

 You swiveled on your seat to the beat. His voice was getting a little raspier now. Like he needed water.

I walked the streets all day

Running with the thieves

'Cause you left me in the hallway

Give me some more

Just take the pain away

You started to think about what the song was about. Was Harry secretly hooking up with someone? The song finished and you ordered a shot of tequila. You needed alcohol to distract you from asking him what the song was about and the pit in your stomach. "It wasn't about you y/n," you said to yourself. He's never been inside your roo- well for like one second when he brought you to bed but that was nothing. It's still not about you. Harry's set was over and you were over the night too. You’d put on a fake smile for Harry. You saw him approach the bar, more buttons from his shirt undone.

"So, how'd you like it?"

"It was so good! Congrats!" you put your arm around his neck and brought him in for a hug. You kissed his cheek as you both pulled away.

"Thanks. I'm happy you liked it."

"Mhm" you nodded, finishing your drink. "Why don't we go somewhere and celebrate?"

"You're not tired?"

Feeling a bit angry with the thoughts of Harry hooking up with someone and not telling you about it, you shook your head and paid the bartender.

"Nope. I'm full of energy right now."

You both decided on a club that was near your building. It was so that when you guys got tired you didn't have a log way home. You both decided to take a round of shots to celebrate properly. Before you know it harry has his hands on your waist to keep you steady and you find any excuse to touch him.

"I have to pee!" you yell in his ear.

He felt his ear on fire after your lips had brushed against it. Your nose was red from all the shots and your lips were a little more pink from all the lime. For his peace of mind he walked you to the bathroom and watched you go in. You did your business quickly and walked back out to him.

"Hey do you wanna grab some fresh air?" He asked as you approached him.

 You looped your fingers around two of his belt loops and looked up at him and shook your head. "Im good" 

His eyes looked darker than usual and he stared at your lips.

"y/n, what are you doing?"

"Nothing," you moved closer to him as a few girls tried get to the bathroom, you could hear him grunt as you pressed yourself against his lower half. "I just moved out of the way for them"

He kept his eyes on your lips as you licked them. It made him ache watching you. He wanted to kiss you so badly, but not when you couldn't remember it the next day. 

"Har, what was that song about?" you looked down. With furrowed brows he lifted his hand to your cheek softly and made you look up at him.  

"What do you think it was about?" He wanted to run his thumb over your lips. He had felt them so many other times on his cheek but each of those times it happened too quick.

"I don't know, I don’t even know if I care about what it's about. I wanna know who its about" you leaned into his palm.

People came back out of the bathroom and the rush of people going back and forth made you feel dizzy. That's the thing about tequila, you could drink and drink it but all the effects hit you all at once. Harry's grip tightened around your waist.

"C'mon lets go home." He walked you through the bar and got you outside. The fresh air overwhelming you, even made you nauseous. You tried your best to walk straight home. In your head you were able to hold yourself up. You didn’t need Harry's help. But in reality, he was holding you up and laughing lowly to himself watching you wobble. He was only tipsy, never really been a lightweight. Once he was able to get you to your apartment, he helped you take your shoes off and tuck you in, once again. You were snoring instantly. He looked at you for few minutes and kissed you on your forehead before leaving to his own place. Exhausted, he undressed himself, completely nude, and went to bed.

~~~

"Fuck Har," you moaned as you pulled his hair from in between his legs. He groaned and only dug his tongue deeper into you. "I'm close"

You felt his cold rings digging into you around your thighs. Right as you felt your release coming on, a loud honking of the horn woke you up outside your window.

"Oh for gods sake." you smacked yourself on the forehead then instantly regretted it feeling your headache.

~~~

"Fuck y/n, I'm gonna cum" Harry grunted as he bucked his hips up hitting the back of your throat. You moaned and reached up to cup his balls. "Fuck I'm cu-"

A loud honking noise woke him up and he looked around him confused. He was sweating. He looked under his covers and remembered he was wearing absolutely nothing. His breathing was heavy as he got up to use the bathroom. He hopped into a cold shower before starting his day.

Harry: You up?

Y/n: Sadly. Wtf happened last night?

Harry: We drank too much. Can I come over for breakfast? I’ve run out of food.

Y/n: Yeah, door’s open. Pls don’t be loud.

A few mins later he walked in and opened your fridge. He saw you on the couch sitting down with your head back. He saw watermelon and decided to put some cubes in a bowl for himself. He sat next to you on the couch and you both said hi lowly. You had a banana in your lap and began eating it. Harry looked over at you in the exact moment you put it in your mouth. Looking away he stuffed his mouth with watermelon. You could hear the slurping sounds that sounded a lot like… you know.

"Do you have to slurp when you eat that?" you rolled your eyes.

"Do you have to take such big bites of the banana? It's not like I'm going to steal it." He said rolling his eyes.

Today's going to be such a long day…

Part 3 is now up!

[thadelightfulone]

Can We Talk? - Pt. 2

I wanted to get something out since I had a surge of writing energy for my birthday. So, I decided to write a Part 2 to What’s A Valentine. So, if you have not read that yet, go catch up. 

Summary: Dani and Erik have a Non-Valentine’s Day night out. And the aftermath of the confrontation in the lobby.

Danielle and Erik are sitting at their table at a quaint little restaurant that was not crowded due to the holiday. Plates in various stages of completion and a bottle of red wine on the table. It is quiet at the table as the soft music plays around them. Just a comfortable silence between the two, not like when they were younger and always had something to say. This was different, and neither party knew where to start.

Dani is hyper-focused on her glass, watching the wine swirl around so as not to make eye contact with the man in front of her. Her thoughts were swirling around like the wine, but they are too much and overwhelming. She does not even know if she is still in a relationship anymore. Something she was very sure of about two hours ago. And Erik. What could she say about that? Him popping up tonight of all nights and calling her out. She should have punched him. It’s not like she could drop him anymore looking like he does, she would barely move him. She shakes her head, smiling with her face down.

Erik has been watching Dani intently since she put her fork down. She was quiet the whole ride over and staring at her phone, waiting for something from Shaun. He scoffs at the thought of him. The argument he witnessed between the two of them held so much more than her utter dislike for Valentine’s day and his adoration for it. But he is clearly in no position to comment on the state of her relationship after watching her relive her heartbreak at his own hands.

He looks down at his tumbler of whiskey before looking up to see a small smile cross her face. She had a beautiful smile. And he has always had deep feelings for her; but he knew what he wanted to do with his life and because Erik did not know how things would turn out, he did not want to drag her down that road with him.

“Why did you leave?”

“I’m sorry,” Their words overlapping one another. Erik waves to her to proceed.

Dani put her wine down and looked over to him, “Why are you sorry?”

Tracing the rim of his glass, “That I did not handle things better when we were younger.” He watches her as she closes her eyes, clearing her vision of the tears that are right below the surface. “And then when I just left. I thought it would be easier if I didn’t tell you. I had no idea the effect that it would have on you, and for that, I am truly sorry, Danielle.” He reaches over to grab her hand, and she lets him. “I would never hurt you on purpose; you have to know that D.”

Sniffling, “It took me years to figure out, but I know you wouldn’t E. Hell, it’s the reason you actually send me flowers, even though they are not in the typical fashion.” They both share a short laugh as Dani looks down at her hand in his.

“When have you ever known me to do things like they are supposed to be done or whatever?” She dabs at her eyes with her napkin shaking her head, “Exactly.” Signaling for the check, he asks, “Are you ready for your ice cream and horror movies now?”

She perks up at that and gathers her clutch, “Of course, but we need to stop for the ice cream.” Erik signs the check, and they both get up to leave.

—

They walk into the grocery store with a plan. On the way over, they decided to make some sundaes. Erik is holding the basket as they make their way to the down the candy aisle. Danielle skips in front of him, snatching up bags of her fave chocolates. “Snickers, Reese’s Cups, 3 Musketeers, Hershey Kisses,”

Erik snatches the basket away, “Ewww, D. 3 Musketeers and Kisses. Girl, what happened to your taste buds?”

“Shut up, and those are the caramel kisses. You act like what doesn’t get used won’t get eaten on its own.” Pouting, she pulls the basket towards her and drops the bags in.

“You never heard of Milky Ways?”

“I like the fluffy nougat in Musketeers, why are you trying to rain on my parade? You know what, grab your own damn candy then.” She prances away. “I’m heading for toppings; you can get the ice cream.”

Before she makes it to the end of the aisle, Erik pulls her back into him. “My bad,” she crosses her arms and looks away from him. “Can you get some peanut M&Ms for me, please?” He nuzzles her neck, “Pretty please with a cherry on top.”

She slaps his arm away from her and walks back down the aisle, mumbling, “I can’t stand you.”

“You love me.” She flips him the bird as she returns with Milky Ways and Peanut M&Ms for him.

On their way to the toppings, they discuss movie choices. “So, I was thinking classic horror movies like the 1974 version of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Scream, and the 1984 version of Nightmare on Elm Street.”

“Whatever you want, I’m game.”

She shoves him. “Come on. You don’t have one pick that you want to add?”

“Dani girl, it’s your night. We are doing what you want.” He reaches over for the 3-pack of sundae topping sauces with Chocolate, Caramel, and Strawberry and throws it in the basket. She stands right in front of the aisle, blocking him. “Seriously?” He scoots her along, and she pops right back into position. Sighing, “Fine. Devil’s Rejects.” He moves her again and grabs some chopped nuts and cherries.

“As in Rob Zombie’s Devil’s Rejects?” Dani pushes her glasses up on her face staring at him like she has never met him before.

He straightens up to look at her, “Yeah. His movies are pretty good. I even enjoyed Strangeland by Dee Snider. Those rock guys are can be very creative.”

“And not just because Robert Englund was in it?”

Erik laughs, “First of all, he wasn’t starring in it like he was in 2001 Maniacs. But it is nice to see the OGs of horror flicks get lil cameos in stuff like that.”

Linking her arm with his, “Mr. Stevens, let me find out you know a lil something about non-mainstream horror.” Erik chuckles as Dani pulls him towards the ice cream freezers.

“There’s a lot you don’t know Ms. George.” He moves to stand behind her with his chin on top of her head, “Pick your poison.”

“You know what I like.” She walks over to the whipped cream and grabs two cans. “It hasn’t changed.”

Erik stands still thinking as she walks back over to him. Moving forward, “You got room for two tubs, or should I get these small boxes?”

“Both gallons will fit,” she tries to keep the smile off her face watching as her best friend grabs for the Neapolitan and Cookies & Cream tubs.

“I can’t believe you still mix this shit together.”

“Aye, I would not have learned this combo if someone didn’t take all the damn vanilla out of the Neapolitan all the time. How do you separate the three greats from each other like that?“ He hands the tubs to her, and they make their way to the register.

He shrugs, “I like vanilla.” He puts all the items up on the conveyor belt. “Anything else you want before we go?” Thinking about it, Dani suddenly takes off.

“Did you find everything ok, Sir?” The young man behind the register asks while ringing up the ice cream.

“Yeah, she just went to grab her chips. We good.” Dani pulls up with 2 bottles of red wine, some Sour Cream & Cheddar Ruffles, Jalapeño Kettle Chips and Flaming Hot Cheetos in a delicate balancing act. Erik grabs the Ruffles from her mouth and the wine, taking a look at the bottle. “Apothic Red Inferno – aged in a whiskey barrel. Is this the closest you will get to drinking whiskey?”

“Yup,” she puts the other bags down, “Hey Charlie, how are you?”

"I’m good, Ms. Danielle. Stocking up so soon, you were in here like two nights ago.” Erik laughs as her face falls. Charlie looks embarrassed, “Sorry.”

“Yes & No, I have an out-of-town guest who likes to eat and drink folks out of home.” She punches Erik hard in the shoulder, only for her hand to recoil in pain.

He leans over and whispers in her ear, “You knew better than to hit me.” She sticks her tongue out at him and reaches into her clutch to pay when Erik bumps her aside and hands his card to Charlie. He grabs her hand and rubs her knuckles while waiting for the receipt.

Dani yanks her hand away and starts to grab a few bags from the end. “Thanks, Charlie.”

Erik collects the rest of the bags and follows her outside. “Thanks.”

The ride back to Dani’s place is silent as the sounds of some Quiet Storm station play in the background. Erik peeks over at her while at a red light. She is definitely in much better spirits after what happened earlier. He is happy that he can be the one to make her smile and laugh again. He wants to be able to enjoy every moment with her and eventually make up for the asshole he was back when he was a teenager.

Erik parks his car under her building and pops the trunk. Dani grabs the flowers from the backseat and walks to the back to take a few bags. Erik grabs a small black bag along with the rest of their goodies.

“Ummm, excuse you. Who said you are spending the night?”

“You aren’t the only one who gets to be comfy while we chill.” He closes the door. “Lead the way, D.”

"Uh huh, yeah ok. Come on; this elevator bypasses the lobby.” They walk past the parking structure entrance to the elevator bank. On the elevator, she hits the button for her floor, “We never finalized our movie watch list.”

“Ladies choice.” He notices the look on her face. “Fine, you pick first and then I will go. Deal?”

The elevator bell dings at her floor and they both exit. Erik follows as she leads the way to her door at the end of the hallway. He takes the bags she had so that she can open the door. Dani turns on some lights and walks into the kitchen. Erik walks in and sets all the bags on the counter. She puts the ice cream into her freezer.

“You can have the bathroom to change. I’ll be back.”

Inside her room, Dani takes a deep breath. This night has turned out better than she could have imagined. It’s just her and her best friend who happens to also be her first love having a great evening. She knows they need to talk about what he saw happen earlier and everything but how. Being with him likes this reminds her of what they could have been, and now just like that she is confused about her feelings. Looking in the mirror after changing into some yoga pants and a crop top with her workout bra, she shakes her head at her runaway train of thoughts. “Enjoy the rest of your ‘Not a Valentine’s’ date night with Erik, Dani girl. There is no need to overthink anything right now.” She takes some deep calming breaths before walking out to the living room.

She finds Erik already changed in a pair of sweatpants and a black tank top showing off his muscular shoulders and lots of keloid scars. She remembers him telling her about his family in Wakanda and his failed attempt at a takeover before becoming a Regional Director to the Outreach Centers on the West Coast. She just never saw the scarring he did to himself, and it only adds more to this man standing in her kitchen lining up the sundae bar.

“Take a picture; it’ll last longer. But this ice cream won’t.” Erik smirks as he caught Dani staring him down.

“You lucky, I am too ready for this sundae party.” Dani walks over bumping Erik as he hands her a big bowl, sliding the ice cream over to her.

Dani’s first sundae contains a little bit of everything they bought except the Milky Ways. Erik snatched up the entire bag and kept them by his side, giving her one or two when he felt like it. They made it through the original Nightmare on Elm Street and a bottle of wine. Now, they were settling down with their second sundae or some chips and candy in Erik’s case and onto his pick, Boo.

“Why do people enjoy tempting fate by going into haunted and abandoned hospitals?” Dani asks through a mouthful of ice cream.

“Hell if I know, but you see how her man’s boy is doing the most trying to scare this chick. If anyone makes it out alive, it better be her.” Erik responds while crunching on some chips.

They both started in different positions in the living room. Erik on the floor under her coffee table while Dani was on the love seat curled into the corner. Then they both were on the floor at the coffee table before Erik stretched his shoulders and Dani moved up behind him to give him a massage as he sat between her legs. As his movie played and they finished eating, he returned the favor by sitting on the couch with her legs on his lap and mindlessly kneading them.

After a quick bathroom break, wine re-up and short clean-up of the kitchen, they are back in the living room watching Dani’s second pick of the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Dani is curled into Erik’s side with her favorite fleece blanket over her. Erik has his arm wrapped around her, playing with her curls as she tries to keep her eyes open. He stretches out along the couch pulling her along with him and pulls the blanket up over the both of them. He falls asleep to the sound of her soft snores.

—

The sound of a phone buzzing along the coffee table wakes Erik up from his sleep. He looks to see Dani’s phone screen showing a picture of Shaun. Erik groans and stretches out a bit careful of Danielle who is laying in front of him. Pulling her back, he takes the moment to enjoy the feel of her in his arms and watches her as she sleeps. The buzzing of the phone starts up again and Dani squirms in his arms.

“Morning Sunshine.” He looks down on her as she blinks herself awake.

“Hey. Did we really fall asleep out here?” She quickly moves to an upright position, leaving the comfortable warmth of his arms.

“Yeah, you didn’t make it past the family meeting in Texas Chainsaw Massacre.” He sits up and grabs the blanket before it falls. “I think someone has been trying to reach you. I’ll give you some space.”

Dani looks over to her phone still ringing on the coffee table. She looks over at Erik and grabs the phone, mouthing “Thanks,” before answering. “Hey Shaun, what’s up?”

Erik takes his bag back into the bathroom, washing his face, brushing his teeth, and throwing on his hoodie. He grabs his phone and reschedules his flight back to Oakland for a week later. Erik knows he needs to have a serious sit down with Danielle before he returns home. So, this will buy him some time, and he can continue to work out of the LA office.  

“Danielle, we need to talk. When can I see you next?” Shaun gets straight to the point.

“I am free for lunch tomorrow if that works for you.” Dani looks over at the blue screen of her TV and grabs the remote to turn it off.

“Yeah, I can do that. The usual spot close to your office around 12:30pm?”

“Sounds good. I will see you there.”

“Ok, see you then. Bye Dani.” Shaun hangs up as Dani looks at the phone. No ‘I love you’ or his customary nickname goodbye.

She nods her head, “I guess I will find out where we stand tomorrow.” She locks her phone and sets it down as soon as she hears the bathroom door open. Erik walks back into the living room with his keys in hand. “Leaving so soon?”

“Yeah, I should probably head out. I have a few meetings this afternoon.” Dani walks over to him and wraps her arms around his waist in a big hug. He hugs her back and leans over kissing her forehead. “I had fun last night.”

Muffled into his chest, “Me, too E. It was like when we were younger.” She pulls away and looks up at him. “Will I see you before you leave?”

“Yeah, we can still do lunch or something. I will be in town for another week.” They walk to her front door, and she opens it for him.

“Ok, I will text you when I am free.” She leans against the door frame.

“See you Dani girl.” Erik walks out and looks back at her smiling.

Dani waves at him. “Bye E.”

— The Next Day —

Dani arrives at the restaurant early only to see Shaun already seated at a table. Inhaling deeply, she walks back to him.

Shaun stands up and pulls out her chair. “Hi Dani.” He gives her a quick peck on the lips.

“Hey.” Dani sits down as Shaun makes his way to his chair. The waiter comes by to take their drink order. “I’ll have an iced tea, please.

“Just water for me, thanks.” The waiter leaves, and Shaun looks at Danielle. “So, where should we start?”

“With you. How was last night?” Another server drops by with their drinks. Dani starts to stir the straw in her tea.

“It was great! Mom enjoyed her birthday party as usual and the anniversary celebration went off without a hitch. Well, except that my parents wanted to know why you weren’t there.”

“What did you tell them?”

Shaun takes a sip of his water before responding, “I told them that something came up and you decided to stay in for the night. They hope you are feeling better now.”

Dani nearly choked on her tea, “Yeah, I’m good. You can pass that on.” Shaun waves away the waiter who wanted to come back and take their orders.

“Alright, enough. Tell me how you really feel Shaun.” She takes a nice healthy gulp of her tea before putting her hands in front of her on the table.

“Fine. I am really upset that I had to find out that you do not like Valentine’s Day that way.” He looks around as his voice rose a bit. “Four years Danielle. That’s how long we have been together, and you couldn’t tell me this before?”

“I know, I just…” she sniffs. “I don’t like to talk about it or the why.”

“And that’s another thing. You never got over him.” Dani opens her mouth to speak. “No, please let me get this out before I lose my nerve.” He takes a drink of water, setting it back down, he reaches for her hands. “Danielle, I love you with everything in me. But what happened the other night, I can’t get over that. You couldn’t even look at me when you said that you were happy with me. You were a wreck recounting the story of how he broke your heart. And yet, you were standing there with his flowers in your hand. Were you pissed? Sure, but not enough to throw them at him. Yeah, you cussed and fussed a little bit but did you turn him away? No.”

Dani blinks back her tears. This is it. This is the end of her relationship. She was happy with Shaun, but lately, something felt off, and she could never put her finger on it. Then Erik popped up, and she felt like the 15-year-old laying her heart out to her best friend only for him to crack it and then leave her to heal without really talking it out. Why does Shaun have to make sense now?

“Shaun, I – “

“You don’t need to explain anything to me, Dani. As much as I want to be the man to make you happy and spend the rest of my life with you. I can’t stand by and wait for the day you realize that you never stopped loving him and leave me.” Shaun stands up and pulls Dani into a hug. Cradling her neck, he continues, “I wish you the best Danielle, in life and love. I hope you find what you deserve. I just don’t think it’s with me.“ He pulls back and kisses both of her hands before walking away.

Dani sits back down at the table. The waiter returns, and she orders a Jamison & Ginger Ale. Then leans back and reflects on what Shaun said. Her phone starts ringing as she sees Erik’s number pop up on the screen. She silences it and closes her eyes as her tears slowly fall to the table.

— 2 Days Later —

Danielle is at work trying to listen to her coworker, Rosio, tell her the latest story about her son’s new addiction. He is the sweetest thing, but Dani, just could not keep herself in the present or to act like she cares. It has been two days since Shaun broke things off with her and she has been actively dodging Erik’s calls and texts, too.

Rosio walks over to Dani, “Girl, you have been mopey lately. Drinks after work and I’m not taking no for an answer.” She picks her up, “Now, come on. We’re gonna be late for this meeting.”

It is the end of the workday, and Rosio stands by the corner of Dani’s desk. “Alright, so where are we going?”

"The Mexican spot by my place.” Dani grabs her bag, and they walk to the front closing the office.

“Sure, I’ll follow you.” Rosio heads towards her car, and they pull off.

Over tequila shots, strawberry margaritas and enchiladas, Dani spills to Rosio everything that happened over the last week.  

“Dani, I can’t believe you have been holding this in for so long. V-Day was last week, and you took your normal day off afterward, so I didn’t think anything of it.”

“Yeah, well, my relationship did go bust that day in typical Danielle fashion.” Taking another shot, “Only I can manage to have relationships end on the ‘so-called’ day of love.”

“Oh, shut up. It wasn’t all that bad if you hung out with Erik all night.” Rosio takes a sip of her margarita, “He did kind of give you the best Valentine’s Day date ever. Dinner, ice cream and horror movies. It’s like he knows you. Oh wait, he does.”

Shoving Rosio, Dani laughs for the first time in two days. “Thank you. I really did need this tonight.”

“Good, because I hate seeing you all sad and depressed like someone killed your puppy.”

“Really, Rosio? That is such a horrible analogy.“ Dani snickers as she sips her drink.

“Well, you didn’t have to look at you the last few days, so yeah.” Grabbing a few chips, “So, have you talked to your bestie since that night?”

Dani looks down and away, “No, I keep sending him to voicemail or not reading his texts. We were supposed to get together for lunch before he leaves, but I just can’t do it.”

“And why not? That’s your friend.”

"I don’t know what to say or how to act. Shaun was right; I still do care about him a lot and probably never stopped.”

“So, you can tell him that again or forever hold your peace, but I thought you were still going to be his friend regardless.”

Slurping up the rest of her drink, Dani looks at Rosio. “I don’t know if I can anymore.”

“Then he deserves to hear you say that before you end your friendship or whatever. You owe him that much.” Rosio bats away Dani’s hand as she reaches for the check. “I invited you; this is on me.”

Danielle and Rosio part ways outside of the restaurant, “Now, do yourself a favor and call that man back. You two need to talk.”

“I am not ready to have another talk.” Rosio shakes her head as she walks off.

Dani drives back to her place and parks. She looks at the 20-some odd unread texts messages from Erik on her phone. Rosio is right. He is about to head back to Oakland soon and this needs to happen in person.

Arriving at her apartment, she completes her nighttime routine and grabs her phone to finally give him a call. As she settles onto her bed, her doorbell rings. She looks at the time, “Who would be dropping by my place after 10pm?” Walking to the front door, she takes a look at the security screen to the right. “Erik?” She opens the doors, and there he is in his work suit, no tie and a tub of Neapolitan ice cream in hand.

“Ready to talk?”

A/N: There will be a third part to end this mini series. I just tagged the people who asked about a Part 2. 

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@maddiestundentwritergaines @youreadthatright @sarcastic-sunshines @alexundefined @kissmyafropuff @chaneajoyyy @fonville-designs

[artificialqueens]

Objects in the rear view mirror are closer than they appear (Craquameron) - Saiphl - Chapter 2

Hello again guys, thanks for reading and supporting this little project, it’s amazing getting all that response from you.

Still, I’d like to know your opinion on making this story better for all of you.

Dire and cruel, in spite of my mind, my heart longs. - Chapter Two

Brianna’s PoV

Love is not real

Love is a hoax

It’s just a dream

So, this is it. One day you’re sure as hell that you turned the pages and that you’re ready to move forward. One day your heart doesn’t ache anymore and the numbness leaves you with a craving to live. One day you feel like you can start over and keep on with your life. One day you have to come back home and face all your story and you find it doesn’t hurt anymore, and you’re sure that life can’t be other than great.

Then, days like today come to bite your ass and remind you that as much as much effort as you put into growing, you find the reflection in the mirror saying that you’ve aged, but never stopped being the same child you once were. I can barely breathe, I don’t realize that until the wet tongue of Lester goes over my cheek for the fifth time. I release the puppy and he saunters to my dad yapping. I slide to the floor with my back to the front door, the cool of the wood helping me to control myself until I start sobbing.

When you forget

What you cannot forgive

The terms are so much easier to

Come to with

Being honest, it was kind of easy to snap out of that messy story with half a country between Aquaria and me. I won’t deny the first months were hell on earth, my broken heart was killing me and I found shelter in the kitchen. Most of my skills as a chef, comes from a place of pure sorrow, from those times when I was feeling lonely and missing her smile. I remember dreaming of her and waking up to a sore throat and swollen eyes, and I also remember trying to wipe her memories from my skin with the first girl I could hook up with.

And then, finally came the happiest coincidence I could ever find. Many people says that going back to your ex is never the wisest choice but, what happens when your ex became an ex because her parents managed to take her far, far away from you?

My college in San Diego sent us to compete to a gastronomic fair in LA. As usual, I was one of their safest bets to win. To be fair, most of the visitors were other gastronomy schools and students from local colleges with some time to spare. I was serving the hundredth plate of my seafood chowder, when a familiar voice called my attention. When I turned my head, there she was, taller than I remembered, all tanned and her auburn hair falling beautifully by the side of her face. She was laughing and I couldn’t help myself from smiling. My sweet, odd and kind Kameron was there, smiling even wider as she locked gazes with me.

I have been searching my soul

I’ve seen the brightest star

I’ve seen the blackest hole

I’m abruptly brought back from my memories by the warm embrace of my father, who’s glasses slid to the tip of his nose, his forehead wrinkled with worry “Brianna… baby, are you ok my love?”

I’m not sure how do I look, but what’s a fact, is that my eyes must be popped and red, as every time I cry. He lifts me effortlessly. Even though he has always been slender, he is undoubtedly a strong man. Once I’m on my feet, he throws his long arm around my shoulders and lead me to the living room, with Lester following closely, swinging his tail proudly: he has done a good job.

Dad puts me in the couch and wraps me in a soft blanket. Shane Cracker is one of a kind, always distracted with his world and his music, but never too busy to help his son with his science project, or to take care of any of his three daughters. He is also a loving husband, who actually deserves Heaven by being my mom’s life companion.

“Now lil’ cookie, you’re tellin’ yer ol’ father wha’s happ’ning?” Dad says while he sits by my side and wraps me in his arms. I don’t really know where to start. All I have right now is a need to scream and cry, to bury my face on a pillow and forget the world around me. Once again, I can’t. Dad is looking at me. He seems concerned and I shiver.

“The thing is… I may or may have not found Aquaria barefoot in the middle of the street”. He frowns. If there’s one person who saw me falling apart that evening, that’s my father, the one who ate ice cream with me every day until I found a way to smile again. “I thought it was a sick prank of my head, but she was there and she said she’s sorry”. I’m sobbing again, dad tightens his embrace and kisses my forehead.

I hear him sigh and then she releases me, in order to look me straight in the eye. “You know lil’ cookie there’s moments in life when vanilla fudge ice cream is the best medicine, and there’s times when you need a lil’ less ice cream and a lil’ more cryin’, and there’s times when what you need is to clear your head ‘fore making decisions, so now’s your call to find out wha’s this time for” He said with this heavy Brooklyn accent of his, and yes, also in one breathe. He stares at the ceiling for a moment, and I can see the tiredness of the years hanging on him, the ever joyful and talkative Shane Cracker.

And when that love comes crawling back to me to say

I’ve been away

Now please let me stay with the

No way!

Never again will I do this

Never again will I care

He leans to kiss my forehead once more and leaves for the kitchen, Lester following his track. I tighten the wrap of the blanket on my shoulders and I hear a full concert of opening and closing drawers and doors. Dad comes back holding two glasses in one hand and a bottle of wine on the other. “For the days you need to clear your head, there’s always wine to help”. He pours two glasses of wine and hands me one “to Aquaria and her mess”. I clink my glass to his, and we drink until we drown the bottle.

Later, Dad and Lester are snoring on the living room couch, the TV working as background noise. By that time I’m wearing pajamas and I put my robe to go outside. The whole neighborhood is silent now. Just a few houses down the street have any light on and I sit in the steps of the front door, sighing deeply. Playing with my lighter I wait, maybe the clarity of mind I’m looking for wasn’t in the wine I drank with dad but at least, makes me feel less overwhelmed.

Before I even realize, I’m smoking and that’s not exactly why I came to get some air. The white smoke floats away from me and I follow it with my eyes, just to find Aquaria’s window. We’ve spent a lot of time sitting on that window, first as girls, playing with a tea set and our dollies; then as pre teens, talking, wondering what was going to happen once we were older and finally as young women, making plans for the future, talking about the dreams we were chasing, making out, and spending whole nights cuddling, looking at the stars. It’s hard for me to recall what happened in the time after our break up. She was leaving the following week and I was really frustrated, because I was already missing her.

The thing I most clearly remember, is watching her leave in her high heeled boots through the airport gate, I came too late and didn’t even have the chance to say goodbye.

Nebraska was the one who saw me through the glass doors of the airport, but no one paid attention to the little girl trying to pull her older sister’s arm. I remember losing track of her blond hair on the sea of people, and I remember dad hugging me so tight, that I thought he could see how shattered I was and did a huge effort to keep me together.

I shake my head in a poor effort to blow those memories away, I know they’re a part of me, but I’m not up to relive all that pain. Lighting a second cigarette, I finally understand what kind of day is this; it’s one of those days when you need to scream, to cry, to eat ice cream until you feel sick. It’s a day to let out what’s left of your sorrow and then, get on your feet again. And for the first time in so many years, I learn that as much as I will always love Aquaria Needles, it isn’t worth to be exposed to that kind of pain again. Not in this life, not in the following.

It’s just a dream

I’ve had so many nights alone

Love is not here

Love is somewhere else

It’s somewhere far

[mysmeshc]

i really like the way you write your hcs ahh!! could you do one where the RFA get jealous over MC with another RFA member or a stranger? thank you so much!!

oh yeyeyeye mysme hc is back bbyYoosung:-Yoosungs jealousy can manifest itself in many ways- sometimes he gets sad, insecure, and whiny- but other times- oh l o r d other times- he gets pissed- like WHO in their right MIND would hit on you while he’s right there??- You and Yoosung has been walking around outside that afternoon bc you felt he needed a break from his studies. - Which he did NOT protest. - but what he DID protest was this random guy comin up to u as if you had a sign around your neck saying “Please flirt with me i’m single”.- “Excuse me Miss do you know the way to the nearest coffee shop?” - okay maybe it was innocent after all, just a guy asking directions-- “-and maybe after you show me I could buy you a cup?”- oh NO U DID N O T- “Well I can’t-“- No bby Yoosung’s got this. - Taking the hand that was currently intertwined with yours he pulled it up, nearly whacking the other guy in the face. - “Unless you plan on buying me one I. Don’t. Think. So.”- You were shooketh- Glancing up at the guy you shrugged and smiled. “I mean he’s right...”- He just huffed and walked away, shoving his hands into his pocket. - You smiled at your protective bf. - “Awe babe, you were so tough back there” you cooed, only earning a red face in response. Zen- ALL MEN ARE WOLVES, MC!!! W O L V E S- This guy gets jealous over everything. - I mean, e v e r y t h i n g. - “Excuse me ma’am, might I take your coat?”- “HEY BUDDY BACK OFF!”- “. . . Zen that’s his job.”- Most is the time Zen was good at keeping his cool. - Being an actor or what not. - But there was one man who, regardless of what he’s doing, will push his buttons. - Our beloved Mr. Trust Fund Kid- So when Zen found out you were going over to his place a l o n e to discuss the party he interjected immediately. - “Nope. No way MC. I’m not gonna sit here and watch that- that- ... corrupted guy corrupt you!!” - You gave your boy a “ur stupid and ya i still love u but wtf”- “Zen, first off, your insults are awful, and Second off, it’s Jumin. Unless I’m covered in fur and meowing when I get there he won’t be interested in me in the slightest-“- “ACHOO!! Don’t underestimate him, MC! He’s a Man!!! They only want one thing-“- “Fine. Come with me then. But be warned that I will make sure Elizabeth is on my lap at all times...”- “DEAL!”- “Ah, hello MC-. . . and company-“- “AAAACHOO! Hey Trust fu- fuhuhuhuuAACHOO!”- Jumin looked unimpressed but not shocked by any means. - “Ah, Zen, here to make sure I don’t steal MC for myself?” - “Shut the fuck up you Entitled Asshole...” Zen rubbed his nose before walking in. - The meeting went well, other than the every 2 minute interruption of Zen’s sneezing.- Jumin bid you off and you two returned home where Zen finally gained the ability to breathe through his nostrils again. - “See, MC? Wolves. All of them. Good thing I was there though!” Zen called as he walked off to the shower. - You loved him, but next time you go over to Jumin’s you’re just gonna lie about it...Jaehee- It is difficult to get Jaehee jealous bc she is so. oblivious. - literally everything you do goes straight over her head. - She’s incredibly book smart, but when it comes to romance, she’s a lil clueless. - That is until you two go out to dinner and a random guy starts hitting on the both of you because he thought the two of you were out as “just friends”.- “Hey ladies, you both are looking lovely tonight. Could I buy you a drink please?”- “No thank you.” Jaehee was quick to respond, but the guy didn’t get the hint. - “Okay, I get it, what about you, sweetheart?” - oh Jaehee was Salty. - “Can’t you see we’re on a date?!” Jaehee stood out of her chair, causing you to gasp and the man’s eyes to go wide. - “Like. . . Oh god. I’m so sorry. Please, enjoy the rest of your evening.” The man ran off with his tail tucked between his legs. - “Jaehee. . . I-I. . . Wow.”- You were shocked and amazed by your beautiful girlfriend. - “Now, how about I buy you a drink?”- omfg. Jumin- Despite Jumin’s confidence, he gets jealous relatively easily. - And how he handles it definitely depends on the person. - He knows to ignore Zen’s attempts at flirting because of his reputation and career. - Zen isn’t actually into MC. - The stranger at dinner, though, is a completely different story. - You two were at a nice restaurant, enjoying each other’s company, when Jumin excused himself to go use the restroom. - As soon as Jumin was out of eyesight, the waiter brought you a glass of wine. - Before you could protest, seeing as you hadn’t ordered it, the waiter explained it was from the older gentleman at the bar, pointing to wear a man with a nice tuxedo and cigar, unlit, resided. - You gave a thankful wave, which he misconstrued as an invitation to talk. - “Sorry if I’m intruding, sweetheart, but I couldn’t help but notice how beautiful you are, and me, being set in my old-ways, thought it only appropriate to buy you a drink.” He smiled, going to light his cigar. - “Oh, well, that’s very kind sir, and I do appreciate it, but I don’t think you’re allowed to smoke inside...” You cringed as he took a rather large inhale before blowing it above your head. -“Don’t worry, darling, I can do whatever I want in my restaurant.” He took it out of his mouth to tap off some of the excess ash onto a plate used for bread. - You began to cough, the smell making you gag slightly. - “So, whatdya say we get out of here and I show you the town, eh? I’ll buy you anything that precious lil’ heart of yours desires...” He reached for your hand, grabbing it and placing a gentle kiss on the knuckles. - “I very much appreciate the invite but my date will be back very soon and he won’t be happy to see you in his seat...” You warned, looking around to see where the hell your boyfriend had disappeared to-- “Sorry I made you wait MC, I ran into-“ Jumin had been messing with his cuff link but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the look of uncomfort on your face as you motioned towards the man sitting across from you. - Straightening his tie, he cleared his throat to get the man’s attention. - The intruder swiveled in his seat, “Can I help you-“- oh fuck- is that?- “M-Mr. Han? What a pleasure it is to meet you! Oh I’ve heard so much about you and- Oh gosh, how rude of me, Jumin, please meet my lovely plus-one! Isn’t she cute in that dress of hers? Can’t wait ‘till I give her the tour of my mansion if you know what I’m saying!” The man motioned to you and you froze. - You saw Jumin’s eyes go red as his eyebrow twitched and you knew you had to intervene soon before Jumin loses his cool. - “Jumin, wait-“- “Excuse me, young lady, but that is Mr. Han to you! I apologize, Mr. Han, you know how women can be.” he laughed as if Jumin were part of this inside joke. - “May I speak to you, in private?” Jumin smiled, grabbing the man’s shoulder just a bit too tight. The man smiled like a giddy 5 year old. “Of course, Mr. Han! Be right back darling, the men must talk now.” He pretended to be cool as he walked by. You looked up at Jumin and you saw him mouth ‘wait in the car’ as the two walked off. - After sitting there for 45 minutes and filling in Driver Kim on everything that has happened, he chuckled knowingly as Jumin stepped in. - “... So? What happened? Did you call him out? Get free dinner?” You immediately question your boyfriend as he wrapped his arm around you. - “Don’t worry, dear, I took care of everything.” Jumin wrapped his arm around you and asked Driver Kim to take you both home. - The next day you saw in the news “Owner of local 5-Star Restaurant, Mr. Wae, Arrested on charges of sexual assault, meanwhile, C&R Int. has bought the building and places it under new management.”- You’re eye twitched. - “. . . juMIN HAN I SWEAR TO GOD-“707- Your boyfriend was in a grumpy mood because he ran out of PHD Pepper and he refused to drink anything else. - “Seven can you please just drink some water??”- “No can do, MC. My body is a temple and I only fill it with the purest of ingredients...”- “.... sEVEN-“- So, in order to make sure he didn’t DIE, you took him to a local fast food restaurant that you called ahead and made sure they had both HBC and PHD. - “Seven will you please just come inside with me?” He parked the car and looked over at you, groaning. - “But MC~ I drove ALL the way here!!!” He whined abd you gave up. - “Fine, I’ll be right back out, but don’t blame me if I get you Diet PHD instead of regular.” You smirked.- “You wouldn’t....”- “You’re right... I wouldn’t without also getting you BAKED HBC!!” You laughed maniacally, Seven holding back tears. - “You monster...”- Needless to say, he went inside with you, but got you two a table while you ordered. - “Hi may I please have 2 orders of the Number 5, both large, and can I substitute all the fries for HBC?” you asked the guy working the counter. - He chuckled lightly and nodded, entering in your order. - “Are you the lady that called in earlier?” He asked, making you blush in embarrassment. - “Oh, ya, uh, I guess I just really like them?” You lied, knowing Seven would get salty if you brought him into this. - “Ah, I think it’s cute. Besides, I like a girl who can eat.” He winked. - Seven’s ears perked up at this, your awkward laugh making him chuckle. - “Ah, thank you, but I-“- “Your total is 13.48” He cut you off, and you reached into your pocket and handed him a $20. - “Actually, for you it’s free.” The guy smiled. - “Oh no, I couldn’t possibly-“- “Babe! You’re turning down free food?” Seven had popped up behind you, wrapping his arms around you.- “S-Seven, not now... I’m ordering food.” You laughed, knowing the exact reason your boyfriend all the sudden got affectionate. - “I-I... uh... here.” He shoved the bags of food forward, you grabbing the drink cups and filling them up with soda. - “Thank you! And by the way, you’re not really my girlfriends type, but you are mine.” Seven winked and handed the man his number. - You came back and noticed the guy blushing, and you groaned, dragging him out of the store. - “I swear to god were you being gay again??”- “As HELL lololol”

[buckyismyaesthetic]

Punk (Chap. 4)

Summary: You’re head over heels for your best friend Bucky and hate the nickname he gave you as it doesn’t exactly scream romance.

Word count: 1878 

Warnings: Cursing, low-self esteem, chubby!reader x bucky, idk….

A/N:  Sorry for the long wait.  I needed some time.  I’ve got the next few chapters just about ready to go…and I’m gonna try and make them hurt ;) yay angst!

After Natasha successfully slammed you to the mat for the sixteenth time in a row you finally cried ‘uncle’ and ended the hour long workout/torture session.  You’d come here to kickbox and beat the holy hell out of a bag but a certain spider had other ideas.

“I deserve this,” you groaned.  Your chest heaved as your lungs strained for breath. The amorphous blob of a sweatshirt you insisted on wearing while exercising was soaked with sweat and made you feel as if you were slowly cooking in one of Hell’s saunas.  “This is why I hate exercising.”  Nat extended a hand to pull you to your feet but you shook your head dramatically on the mat.  “No, just leave me here to die.  I quit.  You go out and fight the good fight.  I’ll save my skills and start a nice, quiet dart league or somethin’.”  Natasha rolled her eyes and kicked your leg. “No, seriously.  I retire my knives to you.  My guns, throwing stars, all of it.  Take care of Ferd for me.  Tell him his mummy loved him,” you wailed with a huge fake sob.

Nat chuckled as she sipped from her water bottle. You did this every time she beat you; abandoned your position on the team, gave away your possessions, forced someone to take care of Ferdinand after you were gone.  Granted, hand-to-hand wasn’t really your strong suit. You were a sniper…of sorts.  A deadshot.  A bulls-eye artist.  Basically, you always hit your target….except when it came to love…

Speaking of love… “Aw, come on. You can’t die on me, Punk.” Bucky’s throaty chuckle caught you off guard and you scrambled to your feet, blowing out your cheeks at the nickname. Punk  Uuuunnnngggghhh.  He was leaning against the door to the training room, shirt soaked with sweat and clinging to his torso.  The ripples and panes of muscle became more defined with each breath.  God, he was so rude!  Who did he think he was?!  Just walking around looking like that?! Ugh.  He was all sweaty and slightly out of breath, but his eyes were bright and he looked like he was fucking glowing.  Who looks like that after they run twenty miles in an hour?!

You, on the other hand, looked like a boiled potato. After an hour of having your ass introduced to the floor on loop, your face was bright red, you had underboob sweat stains, the deodorant you had obsessively applied earlier had failed about forty-five minutes ago, and sweat was running down from your hair in long rivulets.   Why were you so gross?  Nat wasn’t sweating like a pig and she had been working out just as hard as you. You sighed inwardly.  Everything you did just seemed to fall somewhere on the ‘disgusting spectrum’.  Usually leaning towards ‘ugh’ or ‘blegh’ but right now you were done right ‘oh dear lord’.

“Hey, B,” you mumbled quickly, trying to fix your rats nest of a ponytail and wiping the sweat from your brow.

“Hey.  Glad ta see you’re still alive,” he chuckled at you, giving you a flash of those pearly whites.  “Just stopped in ta let ya know that the food’ll be here in thirty.  Best get cleaned up.”  And with that he waved and walked out of the gym.

“Let’s save water and shower together,” you whined at his retreating form.

Nat barked in laughter.  “Oh my god, you should’ve said that!”

“Aaaahhhh-bsolutely not.”

“Oh come on!  That would be the perfect way to flirt with him.”

“No, that would be the perfect way to watch me spontaneously combust.”

“How about we try flirting tonight?” the red head suggested.

“Don’t you have a boyfriend?” you teased.

“Yeah, how do you think I got ‘im?” She quirked an eyebrow up at you.

Touché.

“Get off the fucking counter!”  Tony hollered.  He was trying to unpack the Chinese food bags but a certain fat, black cat was sticking his nose in containers of Chow Mein, knocking packages of duck sauce onto the floor, and yowling obnoxiously at the billionaire. “One of these days, cat, I’m gonna—”

“Tony, if you lay one finger on Ferdinand I will carve you up like a Thanksgiving turkey.”  You strolled into the kitchen wearing your typical post-shower attire: wet hair in a messy bun, flannel pajama bottoms, and a New York Rangers hockey t-shirt.  Ferdinand purred loudly at you and you cradled him like a baby in your arms. “Did that mean old man yell at my precious little baby?” you cooed.  “My poor lil pumpkin.”

“Just keep him away from me,” Tony muttered, glaring at the cat in your arms.  “And off the counters!”

You gave him a dramatic salute.  Bucky came up from behind you and pulled Ferd from your arms. “Hey, buddy.”  The cat began to purr like a speed boat as the super soldier held him.  “You causin’ trouble?”  He walked over to the dining room table and cradled Ferd in his lap as he began to spoon boneless ribs onto a plate.

“B, don’t give him any food!” you scolded, knowing full well what he was about to do.  “He’s too fat.”

“Y/N! You’re gonna give him low self-esteem!” Bucky cried dramatically and you couldn’t hide your smile.  “Poor Ferdinand,” Bucky cooed, slipping the cat a piece of pork.  “Your mama is always fat-shaming you. Doesn’t she know that looks don’t matter?!  Tsk Tsk. Well, I love ya for who ya are, buddy.”  He gave the cat a loud smooch and sat him on the floor to go beg for scraps from the other team members.

“Buck,” you whined, seeing Ferd lick the pork from his lips.

Bucky merely sent you a toothy grin.  “Come on, Punk.  He was hungry!  Come eat.”

With an inward cringe at the nickname you grabbed a bowl for you soup and looked around the table.  Nat and Clint had appropriated some portion of the other’s chair as they ate.  Wanda was pouring drinks and passing them down.  Steve and Tony were calling out orders and handing out steaming cartons of noodles to their owners.  Sam managed to steal the open seat next to Bucky, much to your dismay, and you were forced to sit between Thor and Vision, far away from your favourite super soldier, at the opposite end of the table.

Conversation buzzed around you, but you didn’t really feel up to participating.  This happened sometimes, lately more often than not.  Something just seemed to happen to you when it came to….eating.   Now, you loved food.  It was kind of obvious actually.  Half the time you planned your next meal while eating the current one. But lately, and you weren’t sure exactly when it started, every time you ate something, even something you really liked, like pizza or ice cream or spaghetti, you felt….guilty?….bad?…ashamed?

With every bite you felt like you were somehow doing something wrong, something forbidden.  An obsessive need to count calories occasionally seized your mind. Half the time it felt like you spent more time reading nutrition labels than actual books!  And those feelings were only amplified when you were forced into eating around the others.  You felt like some sort of zoo creature around them.  Oh look, meal time at the hippo pond!

You popped half a dumpling into your mouth. Ferdinand rubbed up against your leg under the table, hoping that food would fall from the sky.  Absently, you began to push your noodles around the plate, losing your appetite as the others munched away happily on crab rangoons and sesame chicken.  Angry, self-loathing thoughts bubbled to the surface in your mind.  Were the others looking at you while you ate?  Judging you for the food you put in your mouth?  Look at Y/N, shovelling it in like garbage truck.  Were they as disgusted be you as you were?  Did they think of you as fat slob with no self-control? Because that’s how you felt.  Because even when you tried to be good and not eat so much, eventually hunger pangs tore through you and you just had to eat.  And you didn’t always want salad or veggies.  Sometimes you wanted cookies or peanut butter or candy.  It was just so hard to—

“Y/N, are you going to eat that?”  Thor interrupted your inner turmoil and pointed to the untouched egg roll on your plate.  You shook your head and he grabbed it with a muffled ‘thanks!’ and shoved the entire roll in mouth.

You looked up and locked eyes with Sam.  He mouthed, ‘you good?’ and you nodded putting a false smile on your face, not wanting to explain your loss of appetite.

“Who’s ready for desert?”  Steve asked a few minutes later and was met with smatterings of approval.  You helped Vision clear the plates, hoping to slip out of the kitchen and ditch desert without being noticed.  Your self-control could not resist apple pie.  It was your kryptonite.

“That’s the last of them,” Vision said turning off the sink and grabbing a set of desert plates and a cake knife.  He gave you a small smile and walked back to the dining room as you dried the last of the bowls.  You were just about ready to make a break for it when you turned around just as Bucky strolled into the kitchen.  His dark hair was still slightly wet from his shower earlier causing his short curls to glisten in the light. God, he’s so fucking perfect.  You licked your lips and quickly turned to put the last dish on the rack.

“Told ya there’d be pie,” he whispered as he grabbed the vanilla ice cream from the freezer, letting the cold air sweep over you. You shivered.  Please let him think it’s just from the cold.  “Come on, Punk.”  Merhhh.  “I know you can’t resist,” he teased with a twinkle in his eye that you couldn’t quite decipher.  Great, he’s gonna lead the pig to the slop trough.

You sighed, torn as to what to do.  If you rejected the pie he’d ask you who you were and what had you done with Y/N.  If you ate the pie he’d see you eat the pie.  He’d see you shovelling in spoonfuls of warm, mushy apple and crispy crust mixed in with sweet vanilla ice cream all the while sporting a blissed-out look on your face.

But either way, he knows you’re fat.  The evidence was right in front of him, staring him in the face.  Might as well eat the pie, hate yourself, and avoid any awkward questions.  Bucky didn’t need to hear you whine about how grotesque you were.  He didn’t want to hear about that.  Nobody wanted to hear about it.  It was your own stupid, gluttonous fault that you were this way.  Nobody felt sorry for you.  With a sniffled sob, you trudged back towards the others.

When you at back down at the table, Bucky gave you an enormous grin and handed you a plate with the biggest slice of pie and three scoops of ice cream, more than any of the others, and it took all you’re strength not to burst into tears.    The biggest slob had gotten the biggest slice.

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