#i saw you reply before i went to work this meeting and spent the first hour of my shift formulating a response

[paigemathews]

@plutoconjunctascendant replied to your post “I still standby that a lot of people’s responses...”:

wait elaborate please ik the charmed sons theory which is just like. 😷 but like i really haven't dug at all into the old fandom

​Okay, so like. General disclaimer in that basically all of this is my own perspective from Fanfiction Net, and that most of this was me 2013-2016 and basically reading all the next gen or Chris fic on the site so I have no actual authority, just my own conviction. Also, like usual, there will be no coherency to this.

But yeah, like. Focusing on Mel and the next gen specifically, obviously, everything was very Wyatt and Chris-centered. I’m going to assume that the charmed sons theory is the one that Wyatt and Chris are Piper’s only kids and that the little girl in the flashforward was “a cousin or a neighbor’s kid” which. Over a decade and a half afterwards, I’m still sitting here like “they didn’t explicitly name her as Piper’s kid bc they made the mistake of assuming that y’all could pick up context clearly” like c’mon. (Also it was kind of weird with how people responded to Henry Jr, with one author being like weirdly insistent that Chris and Wyatt were the only biological sons to the extent that she said that Henry Jr being adopted was an answer to that dilemma. (She did in fact use dilemma, but misspelled it.))

More specifically though, people got annoyed when Melinda would be in fics! For context, I was thinking about this because I was going through my old FFN profile to delete/update/move some stuff around and read some old reviews on older fics. 

One of them was posted in February 2015 and someone outright said that they stopped reading when they saw that Mel was in the story. She wasn’t even really in the story, tbh, I just mentioned her in my author’s note when I was mentioning my names for the other next gen kids bc I don’t use the comic names and giving a rough timeline for ages bc it jumped through the timeline a lot. This was a 7k story and they literally scrolled to the bottom just to be upset Mel was mentioned.

Another was actually a oneshot collection posted in January 2016, focusing on weird conversations and shit that happened in Chris and Wyatt’s apartment at night. (It was super niche, I don’t know my thought process behind it or how I pulled eight chapters out of that.) On the first chapter, someone made sure to tell me that they were happy that it was just Wyatt and Chris, without a sister. (We had an entire mini-argument on whether Mel canonically existed bc 2016!me was. an Interesting Time.)

Even in fics where Mel does exist, it was almost always written so that she wasn’t a major player, usually by having her be dramatically younger than the boys.  (If she was around, she did not get to have a role in the narrative about her brothers, forget her own story. There were very few people who apparently saw the story potential in this girl.) Frankly, a lot of people did it with the other next gen girls, too. They were rarely a big presence in the story or in Wyatt and Chris’s lives. In fics about stuff like the unchanged future, they died relatively soon and weren’t really addressed. In changed future fics or outright spin-offs, they were largely skipped over as “being too young” with the idea that Chris and Wyatt were in college and the cousins were in high school. 

Of course, this pretty much entirely ignores that a) you can be an adult and still have relationships with your younger siblings/cousins b) that Mel didn’t have an extremely noticeable age gap from her brothers in the flashforward and c) Phoebe’s premonition had her daughter be in the same age range as Chris and Wyatt. Just everything possible to minimize the next gen girls. (Of course, these fics also never had Chris or Wyatt have platonic female friends either, just love interests that were always women.)

This is already very long, and I don’t know if you wanted elaboration on Bianca as well so like. I would gleefully leap at the chance to talk about how absolutely misogynistic Bianca’s treatment is, but I managed to basically spend nearly 700 words to say “Mel gets ignored” so. 

[wineauntie]

CEILINGS — luke hughes x childhood bestfriend!reader

summary: being childhood best friends with luke hughes starts to become a problem when you realise you can’t fathom a future without him.

notes: this took me so long to write but I love it, and maybe I’ll write a part two?? also take a shot every time I make direct reference to the titular song atp 🙏

warnings: borderline nsfw content, MDNI, fem!reader, reader has not-so-great parents, panic attacks, alcohol, swearing, nicknames such as: pretty girl and baby, swearing, questionable moments on both of your behalf, boys being jerks. Use of names Brock and Julia (if they’re your names change it!). The name Brock being slandered, these two are lowkey toxic, cheating.

word count: 8.5k+

On a Friday night at eighteen years old, you should've been out with friends causing chaos; at least that's what all the books and videos on Tiktok had suggested, yet you'd been lying on your bed for hours, just staring at the ceiling ahead of you, your hands interlaced on your stomach. You only shifted slightly when you'd received the text. There was only one person whose notifications hadn't been muted, so as soon as the twinkling sound chimed, your hand darted to your phone.

"Back porch, five minutes, we're going for a drive :)"

You'd let yourself smile as you sat up from the bed and replied to him with a thumbs up.

You had been best friends with Luke Hughes since birth. It's an odd thing to say, you admit, but it was the truth. Your mom and Ellen had been college roommates and when they both fell pregnant, your mom with her first child and Ellen with her third, they like to claim that they knew the two of their children would be best friends.

You saw the Hughes family as often as your family could. Your families would meet up for major holidays, video call on birthdays, and send and receive cards for any occasion. And despite the physical distance often created throughout your childhood, you and the Hughes brothers were close.

So when your parents took permanent residence across the street from the Hughes family a few years ago, you were delighted.

Your parents worked hard to provide for the family, and due to their long hours, you often spent your teen years within the Hughes household. From the moment you moved you and Luke had hit it off right away, it was as if an unspoken bond formed like a secret handshake between two souls destined to intertwine. Luke, with his mischievous grin and infectious enthusiasm, became your steadfast ally in navigating the rollercoaster of youth.

As the years unfolded, so did the subtle shifts in your dynamic. The innocent playdates evolved into late-night conversations, and the familiar comfort between the two of you began to carry a hint of something more profound. Unbeknownst to you, the heart that once beat solely for friendship found a new rhythm in Luke's company, an unspoken sentiment growing like a quiet bloom in the garden of their shared memories.

You brushed off all the signs of anything other than friendship. He was your best friend. You couldn't allow yourself to feel that way about him. At eighteen, the two of you had thrived as friends and everybody knew that where you went Luke would follow and vice versa.

You slipped on your shoes and made your way downstairs. Your parents were working, leaving you with the house to yourself, a fact Luke knew all too well. As you approached your back porch you saw Luke standing outside, a pair of keys dangling in his hand. As you slid open the door, you shot him a quizzical look.

"How on earth did your mom let you take her car?!" You questioned, shutting the door tightly behind you.

"Don't sound so surprised," he rolled his eyes, as the two of you made your way back towards the road where Ellen's car was parked.

"But I am surprised…Luke, you're not a great driver," you deadpan, your arms crossing as he opened the passenger door for you to hop in. You shoot him a look before climbing in carefully.

"You crash into one mailbox, one time and all of a sudden it's 'you're a bad driver, Luke.'" He scoffed to himself as he closed your door before getting in on his side.

"Except it wasn't just one mailbox, it was five and you took them out one after the other," You argued with a raised brow and a knowing smile, your eyes tracking him as he put the key in the ignition.

"Whatever, do you want milkshakes or not?" He asked, tilting his head towards you. Your protests died behind your closed mouth. "Hm…That's what I thought."

"Whatever," You mimicked, turning up the radio as he drove. "I'm on aux though."

"Fine!" Luke scowled,

"Fine!"

—

You and Luke had pulled into the public park and exited the car with your milkshakes in hand as you two made your way towards the benches, ignoring the brewing dark clouds overhead.

These benches were a sacred space to you two. Every debrief, every apology, every important conversation tended to happen on them. You two didn't exactly know when they became sacred but they were now and the two of you cherished the open space.

"How are things with your parents," Luke started as he sipped on his shake, whilst you situated yourself cross-legged on the bench.

"They're…good," you trailed off, giving him a pointed look as you drank. "Still fighting, still avoiding coming home until they have to. I don't really pay attention to it anymore."

"Fuck, y/n," he sighed, shaking his head. "Why don't you just come stay with us for a while? Y'know Mom and Dad love having you over."

"I know," you nod, your head falling to your chest. "I just…it's better if I'm home, Lu."

Luke frowned but made no attempt to push his idea any further upon noticing your discomfort. The quiet settled over the two of you as you both sipped at your drinks. You knew all too well that Luke had more to say about the matter but, you also knew he wouldn't continue once you'd shut him down.

"Besides, they don't argue much when I'm around," you added, causing Luke to roll his eyes at your false nonchalance.

The rain began to fall in delicate droplets, a soft pitter-patter on the leaves above as the once clear sky morphed into a canvas of ominous grey. You and Luke exchanged knowing glances as the first raindrops kissed the ground.

Abandoning your sacred benches, you and Luke started a brisk walk towards the car, milkshakes almost forgotten in the face of the unrelenting downpour. The once serene park transformed into a dance floor for raindrops, and you could feel the wetness creeping into your shoes.

The droplets turned into a gentle drizzle, gradually evolving into a torrential downpour. You paused in your tracks, letting the rain engulf you as it soaked you to your skin. Your head raised towards the sky with a small, childish grin, feeling your hair stick to your face and neck.

"Y/N, c'mon," Luke called out as he faltered, just steps ahead of you. He found himself doubling back and latching his on yours as he urged you to move. You lowered your head back to normality and snapped back into reality as you resumed running towards the car.

The moment you reached the vehicle, you swung open the door and hopped inside, the interior providing solace from the relentless rain. Droplets clung to your clothes, and as you settled into the driver's seat, Luke glanced over, a mix of worry and amusement in his eyes.

"Looks like we picked the wrong day for milkshakes," he remarked with a half-smile, wiping rainwater from his face.

You chuckled with a hint of resignation in your voice. "Typical us, right? Managing to find ourselves out in the middle of a storm despite the perfect weather earlier." Luke huffed out a laugh, his hands smoothing back his hair. You moved in your seat wincing as the dampness sloshed in your shoes. "Urgh, My shoes are full of water!" Your face screwed up as you whined.

The car's interior provided a cocoon of warmth, starkly contrasting the cold rain outside. Luke fumbled for the keys, and the engine roared to life, drowning out the sounds of the raindrops on the roof. Silence enveloped you both, the rhythmic beating of rain against the car forming a backdrop to the unspoken words hanging in the air.

As the car pulled away from the park, you stole a glance at Luke. His profile, illuminated by the soft glow of the dashboard lights, revealed the familiar contours of a friend who had weathered many storms with you. His eyebrows were furrowed and his lips were carefully pursed. The question about your parents lingered, unsaid but not forgotten.

"You know, Y/N," Luke finally spoke, taking a deep breath and breaking the silence. He kept his eyes on the road. "I know I said it before but, our house is always open to you and maybe you don't want to and that's fine. But I don't want you to be lonely in that house. Alone is fine, lonely…not so much."

Your gaze met the side of his face, gratitude and a touch of sadness reflecting in your eyes. "I know that, Lu. More than you know." Your quiet voice replied, you moved your pinky towards his and looped it through. "I promise I'll come over if it gets bad."

Luke nodded and let his pinky squeeze yours momentarily before you let go as a pained understanding remained etched on his features. The car continued its journey through the rain-soaked streets, the cityscape blurred by water-streaked windows. Unspoken sentiments lingered, intertwined with the melody of raindrops and the hum of the engine.

As you parked the car by your home, the rain showed no sign of relenting. Your eyes wandered out of the car window towards the house when you spotted both of your parent's respective cars in the driveway. At the sight, you found yourself tensing, Luke's eyes examining your stiffened figure.

You exhaled shakily, trying to mentally prepare for the arguing as you and Luke exchanged a silent acknowledgement, a shared understanding that some storms couldn't be avoided. With a sigh, you braced yourself for the inevitable.

"I'll walk you to the back porch," Luke decided, his eyes unmoving from your crestfallen face. Your eyes glanced towards him and with a silent nod, the two of you exited the car and into the rain.

Luke grabbed your arm as you both ran towards the back of the house, trying your best to avoid slipping. As you rounded the house, the boy pulled you beneath the shelter of the porch, his hands around your waist as he moved you towards the back door.

"It's always like this!"

"Why do you always make a big deal out of nothing!"

Your tense body froze in your steps as Luke crashed into your back. The loud and harsh arguing voices of your parents faded away as you shook nervously. The world around you faded, and even Luke disappeared from your view, the only thing you were able to process was the rising swell of panic.

Luke sensed the sudden shift in the atmosphere as your body tensed, your breaths becoming shallow. Panic, like an uninvited guest, seized your senses, and the echoes of your parents' heated voices blended with the drumming rain, forming a dissonant symphony in your ears.

He gently steered you towards the car, concern etched across his face. The raindrops blurred with your welling tears as you fumbled to find solace in the familiar cocoon of the car. Luke slid into the driver's seat, his hands gripping the wheel with a reassuring firmness.

The confined space intensified the swirling chaos within you, the reality of your parents' constant battles tearing through the fragile facade you maintained. The world outside blurred, and Luke's voice reached you like a distant echo.

"Hey, look at me," he murmured, his gaze locking onto yours. "Deep breaths, Y/N, okay?"

His words appeared as a lifeline, a desperate attempt to anchor you amidst the storm raging within. You nodded, albeit shakily, and followed his guidance, inhaling the air that hung heavy with the scent of rain and exhaling the suffocating grip of anxiety.

As Luke continued to coach you through each breath, his voice a steady rhythm in the chaos, he sensed the need for a stronger anchor. Tentatively, he reached out, his hand finding yours, fingers intertwining in a silent promise of support. The warmth of his touch cut through the icy tendrils of panic, grounding you in the reality of the moment.

The rain painted a rhythmic tableau on the car roof, a lullaby attempting to soothe your frayed nerves. Luke's presence, a constant in the turbulence, became a lifeline, a connection to something stable amid the chaos.

But even the most steadfast anchors can falter in the face of relentless storms. Your panic intensified, a tempest of emotions threatening to engulf you. Luke, watching with his own panic brewing. He'd never seen you in this state. Sensing the urgency, he wracked his brain for any idea or thought to try to calm you down. He ran a stressed hand through his curls before he turned towards you.

"Please, don't hate me," He begged with a mumble as he leaned closer to you, pressing a gentle kiss to your trembling lips.

The world paused.

In that stolen moment, the rain outside seemed to quieten completely. The unexpected touch of his lips against yours sent a shockwave through the tempest within you. His hand lifted to cup your cheek whilst your heart raced, just this time not in panic. Time seemed to stand still as the kiss unfolded, a moment suspended between the echoes of arguments and the rhythm of raindrops. Luke's kiss, an uncharted territory in your shared history, left a lingering warmth amidst the storm.

When he pulled away, uncertainty clouded both your gazes. The rain continued its symphony on the car roof, a backdrop to the unspoken revelation that had just transpired. The world outside the car, soaked and chaotic, mirrored the complex emotions swirling within.

"Luke…," your voice faltered, words caught in the whirlwind of conflicting feelings.

"Y/N, I…," he began, his expression a mix of regret and longing.

The revelation hung between you like a suspended note in the silence, a chord struck amid chaos. The car, once a sanctuary, now felt like an arena where unspoken truths echoed louder than the rain outside.

"I didn't know what to do," Luke finally spoke, breaking the tension. His gaze held an intensity, a vulnerability laid bare in the confined space. "I'm sorry…But seeing you like this, I couldn't stand by and watch you suffer."

His words resonated with the implicit sentiments that had lingered between you, the undercurrents of something more profound than friendship.

"You kissed me," you whispered, the realization settling in.

"I did," Luke admitted, his eyes blinking carefully as he searched yours for any sign of lingering panic.

You took a deep breath, the weight of unspoken feelings lifting, replaced by a newfound clarity.

"Luke, I don't…I'm just," you finally stammered, you're head was swimming into the depths of the unknown. You're fingers brushed against your lips as the moment replayed through your head. It had felt like a movie as if one of the countless romcoms you'd watched on repeat decided to possess your life.

"Yeah, no, forget it, you don't have to say anything…I'll walk you to the porch again," Luke rushed as he offered, his hand finding yours as a silent reassurance. Disappointment flooded your stomach as your eyebrows creased. The rain had transformed from a tumultuous force to a gentle drizzle, once more, as you stepped out of the car.

As you approached the back porch, Luke's once mischievous grin, and infectious enthusiasm, now carried the weight of what had just happened.

The porch creaked beneath the two of you, the voices from inside your house now dimmed. You silently moved towards the back door as you pushed open the door. You turned to face your best friend, where Luke's eyes met yours. You felt your gut twist as your gaze lingered on him, your eyes pleading for anything to be said.

"Thank you," you muttered, your eyes welling up as you stepped inside, leaving the rain-soaked porch and Luke behind.

-

You and Luke hadn't spoken of the kiss since that moment. In fact, it took three weeks for the two of you to stop avoiding each other and to fall back into step with your usual banter, yet there was an extra weight on the conversation, straining it for the both of you.

Luke Hughes had known you for approximately eighteen years, four months, and three days…and for approximately fourteen years, five months and two days, he knew he'd been in love with you.

The kiss you'd shared in the car two months ago had sparked every nerve in his body, and he'd found himself swept up by the tide and deposited on the remote island of not knowing what the hell to do. Especially since you'd never said anything else about the kiss after it's happened. The two of you had just moved on as if nothing had happened, and Luke hated it…even more so when you'd found yourself in a relationship of sorts with a boy on the football team.

The football team!

And to make matters worse, his name was Brock!

Brock! As if his parents had sneezed whilst writing out his birth certificate.

Luke had to watch with pain as you'd sit with his arm around you, laugh with, flirt with, and kiss him instead of doing all those things with Luke.

So, when you'd called him crying, asking if he could come get you from a house party, he was already out the door and in the driver's seat of his mom's car.

You were sitting on the curb of the pavement, your hands cradling your chin as you cried. Your phone has died as soon as you'd texted Luke your location. A cold breeze swept over your bare legs and arms, despite the fact they were huddled to your chest.

Your teary eyes watched as the familiar car pulled up in front of you. You wanted to sob in relief as Luke hopped out and practically ran towards you. You allowed him to wrap you in a hug, the warm embrace causing you to cry harder.

"Jesus Christ, y/n/n," Luke cursed as he pulled away. "Where's your coat? It's freezing out here!" He pulled away and yanked off his jacket before carefully laying it over your shoulders. "What happened?"

"Can we please go?" Your broken voice destroyed all of Luke's frustration. He nodded stiffly and helped you stand before he escorted you into the passenger seat, helping buckle you up as you sunk into the familiar comfort of the car. He shut your door gently and crossed back over into the driver's side.

"Y/N, if someone did something–" Luke started angrily as he shut his door firmly, his hands turning the key in the ignition.

"Brock's been cheating on me," you cut him off, your tears still falling. Luke looked towards you in shock, his mouth slightly agape.

"That bastard," Luke swore, unbuckling his seat belt as he began to move as if to storm down the street to the house party.

"Please, can you just bring me home?" You sniffled tearfully, "I just want to go…" Luke paused, nodded stiffly and restarted the car once more.

The car rolled smoothly through the quiet streets as you sat in a cocoon of Luke's jacket, warming up from the chilly night air. The silence between you spoke volumes, echoing the unspoken feelings and unresolved tension

Your head was splayed against your forehead as you leaned against the car door. Your head was a mess, the night taking its horrible toll. The engine hummed softly, a backdrop to the heavy air thick inside the car.

It didn't take long for Luke to finally turn to you, his expression a mix of concern and frustration which immediately softened upon seeing your tear-streaked face. "Y/N, don't cry. You deserve better and you know it." His eyebrows furrowed as you looked away.

"I know, Lu, but it's not that simple." You sighed, wiping away lingering tears.

"Yes, it is." His jaw clenched, and he spoke with an intensity that betrayed his emotions. "You deserve someone who treats you right, not someone who leaves you on the side of the road crying."

The truth hung in the air, but you hesitated to acknowledge it fully. "Luke, can we just…talk normally?" You begged.

"Yeah, of course, y/n/n." His voice quieted, as he nodded. His fingers tapped nervously against the steering wheel.

"Apparently…He's been cheating on me since the start of our relationship," you whispered, daring to glance towards Luke, whose fists tightened on the wheel. "I only found out because I wouldn't sleep with him tonight…he said something along the lines of; "This is why I find it elsewhere"…" You let out a dry laugh, your tears rolling down your cheeks.

"He said he'd been sleeping with girls every time I wouldn't 'put out'." Your teeth sunk into your lip as you tried to suppress the sobs that threatened to tip over.

"I've never…" you paused, wondering if this conversation would cross the line from a causal friendship conversation into TMI. "I just wanted to be sure that I really liked him before I…" You trailed off, waving your hand as you looked towards the window again. "But that moment never came, I never felt like I wanted to…hell, I've only known him a month!"

Luke was quiet as he indicated down the street both you and he lived on. His jaw was clenched in fury, his mouth pursed to try to keep the frustrations from pouring out.

"I'm going to kill him," Luke finally uttered as calmly as possible. "He's a dick, y/n/n…"

"Yeah…" you mumbled, your eyes moving towards Luke's shadowed figure. "I won't stop you, he is a dick…I just thought that he really liked me.'

Even if you didn't wholly like him.

Your throat tightened at the afterthought while Luke pulled up outside his house. You'd looked away shamefully at your thought because, truth be told, you liked the idea that Brock could like you. You just thought that with time, you could like him too. That your heart could be swayed away from loving your best friend. Your face screwed up at the idea as you let out a shaky exhale.

Your eyes darted across the street to where your empty house was, sadness overwhelming you as you peered out. Things with your parents had gotten worse lately, and now they wouldn't speak to each other, and you got caught in the silent crossfire.

"Come on," Luke swung your door open. You were so caught up in your misery that you hadn't even realised he'd left the car. "You can stay the night in mine… Mom and Dad are gone to visit friends out of state."

You didn't bother to argue. You knew at this stage it would be pointless. You also knew that you didn't want to return home to the weight of your house's silence. You walked side by side with Luke up the driveway, your hands curled around his jacket over your shoulders, ensuring that it wouldn't slip.

The front door creaked open, and you both stepped into the dimly lit hallway. The familiar scent of your home enveloped you, offering a strange comfort amidst the chaos of emotions. You stood awkwardly, something you've never done inside the house. Luke examined your face before he quietly led you to his room, a familiar space that held the echoes of so many memories. The dim glow of his bedside lamp cast shadows on the walls as he led you to sit on the bed.

"I'll let you change into something more comfortable," Luke offered, gesturing towards a drawer with spare clothes. You nodded in appreciation, feeling a wave of exhaustion and vulnerability.

Luke was a giver. You'd known this even when you were little. He would give out kindness and laughter so easily, so freely…at least to you he would. You wanted to cry again at how caring he was being in this moment. You'd felt so selfish calling him earlier to come and get you but he'd been the only one to jump into your mind when you'd stumbled out of the house.

"These will probably fit," he stated, holding out a t-shirt and sweatpants toward you. You looked up at him, his soft brown, pleading eyes. You gulped as you stood once more and moved to the bathroom to change.

As you changed, the reality of the night's events sank in. The weight of betrayal, the unravelling of a relationship, and the unexpected solace found in Luke's presence all converged within you. When you emerged from the bathroom in Luke's oversized t-shirt and sweatpants, he was sitting against the headboard of his bed, a concerned expression etched on his face.

He patted the space beside him, and you sank onto the bed, the mattress providing a soft embrace. You couldn't even begin to count the number of times the two of you had fallen asleep on this bed together after watching movies or talking all night, so sitting with Luke was no unusual feat. The silence hung between you, laden with unspoken words and shared understanding. His eyes traced the contours of your face, his concern deepening.

"Y/N, I'm sorry for tonight. You didn't deserve that," Luke spoke softly, his sincerity resonating in the hushed room.

"Thanks, Lu," you whispered, your voice wavering. "I just wished he didn't affect me like this…we were only casual. He said he didn't like to label things."

He shifted closer, his arm instinctively wrapping around your shoulders, offering a silent reassurance. The warmth of his presence acted as a balm, soothing the raw edges of your emotions. A small, grateful smile played on your lips as you leaned into his comforting embrace.

"You know, I've always hated that guy," Luke suddenly confessed, a half-smile tugging at his lips. "But seeing you like this just makes me want to punch him even more."

Despite the heaviness of the situation, a soft laugh escaped your lips.

Oh, that laugh…Luke thought he'd never hear a sound more beautiful than that laugh. His eyebrows slightly scrunched together as he grinned lazily at you.

"I mean, who names their kid Brock? It's like setting him up for a lifetime of being a jerk."

You chuckled, the weight of the evening momentarily lifted by Luke's playful banter as you looked up at him. He was still talking animatedly, his rage settling so as not to take his anger for Brock out on you in any way. You watched with gentle eyes as he spoke, your bottom lip between your teeth as your thoughts drifted.

"What's wrong?!" Luke suddenly questioned, his eyes wide as if he'd somehow upset you.

"I thought you mightn't come get me…" you admitted carefully.

"I'll always come for you, you know that, right?" Luke stated seriously, his breath tickling your cheek.

Your heart skipped a beat as you nodded. "I know, Luke… I just thought that…" you found yourself guiltily trailing off.

The room fell into silence, the only sound being the rhythmic breathing and the distant hum of the night outside. Your eyes met Luke's, and in that moment, an unspoken understanding passed between you. It was as if the weight of unacknowledged feelings lingered in the air. The room seemed to hold its breath, waiting for something to happen.

"Luke," you started, your voice soft, "we haven't been the same since that kiss…I've noticed it, and I know you've noticed it. I was scared you wouldn't come because it would be too awkward."

Luke's eyes widened slightly, and you could see a mixture of surprise and anticipation in them. The air in Luke's room thickened with tension, and for a moment, the world outside ceased to exist.

"I've noticed it," Luke shamefully admitted, his voice barely above a whisper, as if afraid to break the delicate balance that had settled between you.

"It meant something to you, didn't it?" you ventured, your gaze searching his eyes for confirmation. "That kiss?"

Luke hesitated, the vulnerability in his eyes mirroring your own. "Yeah, it did," he finally answered, his voice laced with honesty.

The admission hung in the air, and a charged energy filled the room. Time seemed to slow down as the unspoken tension between you finally surfaced. Luke's hand found yours, fingers intertwining, and a warmth spread through both of you.

"I don't know why I chose that moment, y/n/n, I mean, I shouldn't have," Luke confessed, his eyes never leaving yours. "But that kiss… it was everything."

Your heart raced as you let out a small gasp. You felt as if the world was playing a cruel joke. This couldn't be real…this wasn't allowed to be real. You'd been suppressing your feelings for so long, all for what? For him to kiss you and admit that it meant something- meant everything? This was a sick and cruel game sent from the universe, and you no longer wanted to play it.

"Everything?" You repeated nervously, your eyes falling carefully to his chest.

"Everything," Luke's velvety voice confirmed as you raised your fingers to trail along his jawline. He sucked in a shallow breath, as you pushed yourself up closer to him, your nose almost touching his.

Before he could speak again, you closed the distance between you, your lips meeting his in a gentle, yet passionate kiss. It felt like a culmination of years of unspoken emotions, a release of feelings that had been bottled up for far too long. Your thumb stroked his cheekbones as you leaned further into the kiss.

The kiss unfolded like a carefully choreographed ballet. Your fingers creeping towards the curls at the nape of his neck, whilst his hands found solace in the small of your back. It was a dance of exploration, a nuanced ballet of tactile discovery that resonated with the silent poetry of longing and fulfilment.

Your breaths synchronized, creating a rhythm that echoed the heartbeat of your connection. He tasted like a blend of strawberries and nostalgia, while you savoured the warmth of his embrace, a comforting refuge from the chaos of the world.

Your kiss grew more desperate as his fingers gripped your waist, your fingers lightly tugging his hair. In a swift move, Luke had pulled you on top of him, so that you straddled his lower body, your lips unmoving from his. You felt the vibration of his groan rumble through you as you shifted on his lap, pushing to get as close to him as possible.

You felt Luke's hands pull you towards him, provoking you to let a small gasp slip as you rolled your hips against him. Another groan ripped through Luke as he pulled away. He shifted, attempting to hide what was happening, but he couldn't fool you, you'd felt him grow harder against your thigh. His forehead leaned towards yours as you both caught your breath. Your hand lingered in his hair, your eyes fluttering shut.

"Y/N…we shouldn't do this, not tonight," Luke spoke, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he nudged your nose with his.

"I want you, Lu," you murmured with shut eyes. "I want it to be with you."

"Open your eyes, pretty girl," Luke softly ordered, to which you immediately obliged, a fluttering sensation erupting in your stomach. "I need you to tell me that you are okay right now. That you want this one hundred percent, I won't go any further until you are."

"Luke, I trust you more than you could ever know," you state, your voice steady and clear. "I want this to happen with you."

Luke felt himself fill with pride at her words as he nodded. He leaned forward to capture your lips once more. You melted into the embrace whilst his fingers moved under his T-shirt on your body and traced circles along your warm skin. You careened into his touch as he moved away from your mouth and let his lips kiss down your neck.

"I'm going to take this off now, okay?" He murmured against your ear as he tugged on your T-shirt. You nodded but felt him pull back, his fingers tapping under your chin so you'd look at him. "Words are important here, y/n/n… I want to make sure you're comfortable at every step."

"You can take it off," you say breathily, as his fingers slid along the hem.

"Good," Luke hummed and cautiously lifted the shirt over your head. He let out a small breath of air upon revealing your bare torso. You'd taken off your bra when you'd gotten changed earlier, and now you were more than thankful for that. "Fuck, pretty girl," he cursed with a small smile which caused you to bashfully bow your head.

Luke moved your chin once more, so you could lock eyes with him, his golden brown searching your gaze for any hesitance. "If at any stage you want to stop, you say it, y/n," he whispered, tucking a strand of hair out of your face. "You won't hurt my feelings, and I won't be mad. I mean it…you say stop, and everything stops, no matter what."

You flushed at his punctuated words, your chin bobbing before you remembered what he'd said previously.

"Alright," you agreed whilst your hands curled around his shoulders. "I promise."

With a satisfied nod, Luke's hands were back on your waist as he manoeuvred you, so your back hit the soft mattress, with him hovering over you. Your fingers clutched at the collar of his jumper as you pulled him down towards you, frantically moving your lips to his. Your head fell back against the pillow as Luke resumed his kisses down your neck. Your fingers tugged through the soft curls on the back of his head as you writhed beneath his touch.

"Luke," you gasped out, your lip trembling in desire as he moved towards your chest, his fingers sliding beneath the waistband of the sweatpants you wore.

"You are driving me crazy," he groaned out, his eyes flickering up towards you. You looked down at him with half-lidded eyes as he pressed delicate kisses down your sternum and stomach, stopping just above your pants. "Please, can I take these off, pretty girl?" His voice sounded desperate as if you were depriving him of the only oxygen left on the planet.

"Yes…please," you stammered whilst he chuckled lowly and placed his lips momentarily on your hip before he pulled the sweatpants down, his eyes unmoving from yours. You felt a series of goosebumps spread across your body as he gently removed the article of clothing from your legs and flung the pants across the room.

"Luke," you whined as his fingers crept up your thigh almost teasingly. "Need more…need you, please!"

You felt the soft whisper of breath against your leg as Luke moved to sit up on his knees and yanked his jumper and T-shirt off in one fell swoop. Your jaw fell open at the sight, your fingers reaching out to brush his bare skin. You'd seen him in this state before, multiple times in fact, but this time was different, it was as if the light had shifted, no longer basking him in the shadows but allowing the light to shine solely on him.

"Oh, y/n/n," he sighed with a lazy grin as he looked down at your almost naked form. You squirmed beneath his wandering gaze, your hands moving to cover yourself. He tutted and took both of your hands in his and placed them on his shoulders, his eyes continuing to drink you in.

With the way he was looking at you, you would've thought someone had shown him the moon for the first time, pointing out its effervescent glow and the white, comforting light that washed over the world's darkness dousing it with hope.

You watched with bated breath as he pressed kisses down one of your arms right down to your shoulder, where he nestled his head in the base of your neck.

"I don't know how I lasted this long without you like this." He murmured against your hot skin, his fingers traipsing up your leg to hold your knee to his side. Your breath caught in your throat at the movement, your blown pupils following him at every move he made. "I'm going to ask one last time, pretty girl, are you sure about this?"

You gently lifted Luke's head so that you were face to face with him, your breaths mixing as he waited for your reply.

"Surer than I've ever been about anything," you say definitively, watching as he ran his tongue over his bottom lip. Luke grinned as he pressed himself against you, the only thing truly separating them being the scraps of fabric on their lower halves.

The room was charged with anticipation as Luke's lips found yours once more, the shared understanding and unspoken emotions weaving a delicate tapestry between you. At that moment, as your bodies intertwined, you both surrendered to the magnetic pull that had lingered since that unforgettable kiss in the car.

You sunk into the warmth of Luke's embrace offered solace amidst the chaos of emotions, creating a sanctuary where unspoken feelings found their voice and where your bodies intertwined and breaths synchronized, a newfound understanding emerging.

The unspoken tension that had lingered for months finally surfaced, and with heartfelt admissions, the connection deepened. The night became a canvas painted with shared vulnerability and the beauty of acknowledging long-suppressed desires.

-

You glanced at the clock on Luke's bedside table as it blinked the red, vibrant numbers of three forty-three am. Your bare body lay buried under the weight of the bed sheets and Luke's forearm around your stomach. The ache had settled between your legs, leaving your nakedness and his, as well as the mottled purple at the base of your neck as the only evidence of your night together. His body was pressed into your back, the steady thrumming of his heart lulling you. His other arm was stretched out, lying beneath your head as you fiddled with his fingers.

This was quite possibly the loveliest thing you'd experienced.

It was the perfect comfort from the chaos of your life. He was the perfect comfort. You shifted carefully, turning over as Luke let out a soft groan, pulling your body closer to his. Your lips tugged upwards as his arms engulfed you as if you were his favourite childhood teddy bear. You leaned your head to his chest, relishing the familiar warmth that it offered.

He was so cute, you'd thought, staying as still as possible as his head had moved to lay just above yours. Even in his sleep, Luke seemed to want to protect and cradle you from any and all harm. You wanted to scream from the rooftops just how much this boy meant to you, just how much you cherished him, but if that meant disturbing the serenity that has blossomed in the aftermath, you would be willing to wait.

You curled into him, your legs intertwining with his as your breaths steadied, and you allowed the calmness of sleep to wash over you.

–

You'd felt the bed shift beneath your exhausted body as the boy beside you stretched out his limbs with a silent yawn. The soft glow of morning seeped through the curtains, casting a warm hue on the tangled sheets and two intertwined bodies. Your eyes fluttered open, hazel orbs meeting yours, as his usual, familiar smile graced his lips. Luke's sleepy eyes met yours, a lazy smile gracing his lips. The remnants of the night's passion lingered in the air, a shared secret between you two.

"Morning," he mumbled, his voice a low, soothing rumble that echoed the tranquillity of the moment. You couldn't help but return the smile, fingers tracing absent patterns on his chest.

"Morning," you whispered back, savouring the quiet intimacy of the dawn. The world outside seemed distant, irrelevant compared to the cocoon you'd created in that bed. Luke's fingertips danced lightly along your back, sending shivers down your spine.

Neither of you rushed to break the spell. Instead, you let the morning unfold in a slow ballad of shared glances and gentle touches. The room held a hushed reverence as if it knew that something sacred had transpired under its roof. You smiled and stole a glance at the clock again, realizing that the world beyond the four walls of the room was stirring awake. The hushed whispers of the morning and its distant sounds seeped in, reminding you that life, with all its complexities, awaited just outside the window.

Eventually, the need for words emerged. Luke's fingers found their way into your hair, his touch a silent reassurance. "Last night…" he began, his gaze searching yours for understanding. You nodded, a silent acknowledgement of the unspoken connection that had formed.

"Was incredible," you confessed, your voice a mere whisper. Luke's eyes sparkled, reflecting the mutual sentiment. There was a certain vulnerability in the air, a fragility that made the connection between you two feel both precious and precarious.

"But how are you feeling?" Luke asked as he leaned in pressing a lingering kiss beside your temple. You felt electrified at the action, a surge of emotions flooded through you—gratitude, contentment, and a twinge of excitement for what lay ahead.

"Luke, I'm fine…" you grinned, your eyebrows scrunched as you looked up at him. "More than fine…in need of a shower, but other than that, great." He let out a light laugh, his arm tightening around your shoulder as you made no attempt to move.

The weight of the morning sun intensified, casting a spotlight on the vulnerability of your exposed selves. The soft glow highlighted the curves and edges, all of the imperfections that made your shared space even more beautiful. You marvelled at how the sunlight painted Luke's features, turning him into a masterpiece of warmth and affection.

As the day beckoned, you realized the outside world would soon encroach upon your found haven. Responsibilities, obligations, and the relentless march of time would demand attention. But for now, in the soft embrace of the morning, you were suspended in a delicate equilibrium.

Luke pressed another tender kiss to your forehead, a silent promise of continuity in a world that thrived on change. You closed your eyes, savouring the sensation of his lips against your skin. The world outside faded away, leaving only the rhythmic beating of your heart and the shared breaths that anchored you to the present.

And then it was over.

The morning bliss passed by far too quickly for your liking and before you knew it, you were dressed in Luke's clothes and heading back towards your house. Luke stayed at your side, his arm around your shoulders as he escorted you across the road. You relished his lingering touches and his softened eyes as the two of you approached the empty house.

"So…" you spoke, standing in the open doorway, looking up towards the boy. Your hands fiddled beneath the cuffs of his oversized jumper that you adorned.

"I like you, y/n," he blurted out as he scratched his head nervously. "I like you a lot, and if you don't feel the same, that's fine. But I'd like to know–"

You stepped out of your house and pulled Luke down with a small smile. Without another word, you crashed his lips to yours, his hands clasping your waist as the two of you moulded together. His hands locked around your waist, holding you as close as possible, your hands twirling around his curls– the curls you loved.

And as you reluctantly parted from him, a trail of electricity lingered, your fingers lifting to your lips giddily. His head remained bowed down towards you, his brown eyes, the eyes you cherished, scanning yours with a lazy smile.

"I like you too,"

- The two of you were keeping your blooming relationship on the lowkey. It wasn't that you were ashamed of it, or that you two weren't ready for that step but because you didn't think you could face the reactions of your families.

The Hughes would be delighted, of course. Ellen always teased that the two of you would end up together. The only people who wouldn't be as delighted would be your parents. Hell, you weren't sure if they'd be mad because you had a boyfriend or because their own love was falling apart.

And so, you and Luke had kept it between the two of you…at least around your respective families.

And it honestly hadn't been too difficult to do so.

You two continued to act as you had when you were only friends… just with a few more lingering touches and devouring kisses. You were certain a few of your friends had picked up on the difference but if they had, they didn't say anything and you were determined to stay in that state.

And a week later, you and Luke were in his mom's car again. Ellen and Jim had flown up to Vancouver to visit Quinn and watch him play, leaving Luke with an empty house, one in which you had been staying over in almost every night, tucked into the comfort of his arms.

Luke's hand was placed on your thigh as he drove, his thumb smoothing figures of eight over the expanse. You hummed along to the song echoing over the radio, your fingers scrolling through messages upon messages from your parents and friends. Luke squeezed your leg slightly as the car pulled up towards a remote house, currently filled to the brim with high school seniors.

It was one of the final parties of the year, a farewell hurrah for your last year of high school.

"You okay, pretty girl?" Luke asked, his head tilted towards you as he smoothed his hand up and down your thigh.

"Mhm…" you hummed with a smile across your face. "Just thinking."

"That's never good," Luke joked, causing you to lean forward and hit his chest in false rage.

"Yeah, yeah," you rolled your eyes playfully, unbuckling your seat belt but as you went to grab the door, Luke hissed in offence and practically sprinted around the car to pull open your door for you. You snickered as you jumped out of the car. Luke slung his arm around your shoulders, pulling you towards his chest as the two of you walked towards the party.

The music filtered out into the night air as Luke and you walked straight into the house, instantly becoming engulfed by the smell of alcohol and sweat as people bristled around the home. Your hand laced with Luke's as the two of you manoeuvred through the crowd. The two of you spilt into the kitchen, with Luke grabbing you a drink and passing it back to you. He had agreed to drive the two of you home, meaning you were able to have a few drinks.

For the majority of the night, the two of them had remained in each other's grasp as you talked to friends and danced to the outrageously loud music. You'd been ripping away the drinks, a soft buzz filling your veins just enough to heighten your giddiness without distorting your reality.

Many people shot you and Luke questioning looks when he held you close to his chest or when he pressed lingering kisses along your neck and cheek. The two of you were wrapped up in your own little bubble, enjoying the last bit of freedom before the end-of-year exams.

"Gotta go to the bathroom," you yelled over the music as you broke away from Luke's hold.

"Want me to come with you?" He replied, his fingers traipsing down your arms.

"I'm alright," you grinned, kissing his neck gently before walking towards where you believed the bathroom was. You passed through the kitchen before you felt yourself being pulled back.

You turned around only to turn ashen as Brock's tight grip on your wrist pulled you closer to his body. You stiffened immediately, his face hovering just in front of yours as you tried to carefully pull away.

"Let go, Brock," you ordered as calmly as possible. His narrowed eyes scanned your face, his grip unwavering.

"You're screwing Hughes?!" He spat, the faint waft of beer on his breath flooded your senses. "You wouldn't let me fuck you but you're screwing him?"

"We're broken up…you cheated on me," your voice was trembling but your straight face remained as such. "Let me go."

"Bet you were screwing him when we were together too," he sneered, yanking you again. He was so close now that his nose brushed yours as you tried to pull away. "Bet you screwed everyone but me, but I'm not complaining…you have all kinds of diseases, don't you?"

You jerked away from Brock with teary eyes, your bruising wrist now free of his grip. Your heart was beating so fast that you couldn't even begin to say anything before you ran towards the bathroom, cutting past the complaining queue and locking the door.

Tears fell freely as your shaky hands rushed to brush away your tears. You couldn't focus on anything else at the moment, bar your growing want to be in Luke's arms and within the comfort of his gaze. You took a few shaky breaths in before you rushed out of the bathroom, ignoring the dirty looks and comments people in the queue threw at you.

As you navigated your way towards the living room, you kept your head down, your tear-stained cheeks flushed as you pushed passed people so determined to make it to Luke. You knew he'd soothe you, he'd hold you close and patch up your cracked soul.

"Y/N!" A girl, you recognised to be Julia, who was in your homeroom popped in front of your vision blocking your view of the living room. You stumbled back and met her panicked gaze as a fake smile plastered across her face. You knew it was fake, hell you were practically the queen of fake smiles.

"Oh…hi," you mustered, "if you'll excuse me…" As you tried to move around her, only to find your way blocked again.

"You really don't want to go in there," she almost begged. You could hear the pity in her voice, as her hands tried to prevent you from entering the room. You pushed her away in confusion, as she winced and moved from the entry of the living room.

"What the hell is your problem-"

Your words died in your throat as your eyes landed on the scene ahead of you.

Luke Hughes, your best friend, your safe haven, the boy you liked(...loved!), was tongue-deep in another girl's throat as people whistled and watched them around the living room.

His hands were on her cheeks as they often were on yours. His eyes shut as the girl careened at his touch. You felt your heart promptly drop to your stomach as you remained frozen in your place, your body vibrating in hurt.

He didn't even look up once.

It all crumbled down as you felt your stomach churn and you couldn't tell if it was from the alcohol or the betrayal. You clutched a hand to your throat as you burst through the crowd stumbling out of the house, dry-retching as you made it outside. Julia followed you outside, her hand caressing your back as you heaved.

Sobs tore through your body at the chaos that the night had unfolded. It was as if none of it was real. His words, his loving touches, his kisses, his embrace all of it was fake!

You'd trusted him and it was like the version of him you knew didn't exist!

You cried as Julia murmured to you, her hand running over your hair as she sat you down on the curbside outside of the house. You welcomed her comfort and despite not knowing her all that well, you found yourself spilling every last thought to her.

You sobbed as you confessed your love for him, how he was your first, how he said he liked you, how you'd grown up with him, how this would kill the only solace you had in life. And she listened. She listened and held you, as the party continued inside.

It was over— your perfect, dream of a romcom-esque love had come to an end, and you never even saw it coming.

[mythmakinvgxz]

stars / esteban kukuriczka

summary: esteban has been interested in you for some time, he finally finds the perfect opportunity to make the first step. tw: none, just pure fluff. words count: 2.4k

"and, cut!" said bayona. with that, the shooting for "la sociedad de la nieve" were officially over. the movie we had been working on for the past 5 months had just come to an end, and with it all the afternoons spent with the boys rehearsing the scenes, laughing and reading the book. it was a strange feeling and as bayona said this, before cheering, everyone looked at him in silence, realizing that with that word a piece of their lives was going away. but soon after that matias, fran and agustin ran towards jota who was already laughing and took him in their arms, throwing him in the air and catching him, while all the other cast members had gathered around them, singing and laughing. i was leaning against the nearest wall, watching them smiling, when someone next to me said "that was great, huh?" i turned suddenly, surprised, and saw that at my side was esteban, the calmest of them, and perhaps the only one with whom i hadn't become so close. i looked up to meet his gaze and with a nostalgic smile i said "that was amazing" as i stroked my arm. the boys were now carrying jota on their shoulders all around the room. i looked in their direction and laughed at the sight. we stayed like that for some time, glancing awkwardly at each other every once in a while but then always looking towards the boys.

"hey" said esteban suddenly, bringing me back to reality "did agustin told you that there's a party tonight?" "uhm, no?" i turned to face him and looked at him curiously, looking for explanations. agustin was my best friend and always told me everything, we never went to a party without each other. maybe he had forgotten to tell me, because of the filming he had always had a lot to do. i waited a while before i got an aswer from esteban. "yeah, we organized something small at mine to celebrate, since the filming's over." he said while stroking the back of his neck nervously. i looked at him waiting for him to go on, and then he spoke again. "do you want to come?" a little smile formed on his lips as he said this. "yeah, sure i'll be there." i said with a big smile and his eyes began to shimmer as i spoke. "i'll see you later then" i told him smiling as i started walking towards the exit. we didn't even realize that everyone had left, leaving us alone in that big room. i waved to him one last time, just as i walked out the door, before closing it behind me. as i got out i reached agustin, who was leaning on his car chatting with matias. “you didn’t tell me there was a party tonight?” i scolded him, hitting him on his shoulder. we were inseparable since we were kids and we always told each other everything. matias started to laugh as agustin pretended to have hurt himself. “sorry, i completely forgot about it.” he said “who told you anyway?” he asked with an interrogative tone. “esteban just told me.” i answered looking at my shoes, while my cheeks got red. "uuuuh" said matias laughing with agustin. "finally." he replied, rolling his eyes. I decided to ignore what had just happened, i was tired of his childish ways. "okay, so i'll see you tonight?" i asked them both, while desperately searching for my car keys in my pockets. "see you tonight." they both responded in chorus, smiling mischievously.

i rang the bell and bit my nails while i waited. i had never been to esteban's house. we have never spoken much to each other despite having practically spent 5 months together. i've always admired him from afar and i've noticed that he doesn't talk much, he keeps to himself, but he has developed wonderful relationships with all the cast members. and, during the endless evenings in which they played their parts over and over again, i found myself unconsciously looking at him, his perfect nose, his mouth and his eyes that lit up every time he got into character.

after a while enzo opened the door "y/n! thank god you're here." i took off my jacket while getting inside "why do you say that? has agustin already started drinking?" i asked him laughing. "unfortunately yes" he replied, ironically rubbing his hand on his face, as if to say 'I can't stand being around him anymore' in fact as soon as i turned i saw agustin who was laughing with fran. seeing this, a small laugh escaped my lips.

i placed my jacket on a chair and approached them, taking a drink from the table. fran was telling agustin about some things that happened behind the scenes and he was laughing out loud. as soon as they saw me they immediately became serious, greeting me warmly. "hi y/n! how are you?" fran asked me, hugging me and smiling at me. "everything's fine. happy filming is over!" i said happily and putting my arm around agustin's shoulders in a friendly way. "have you already started drinking? it's only 10." i whispered in his ear. "oh, stop it!" he said taking my drink from my hand and drinking it. "hey!" i said trying to reach for it but agustin had already drunk it all. "i can't be around you when you act like this. you're insufferable, you know that?" i asked him angrily. he looked at me with a lost gaze and i understood he was already gone. i sighed. that was going to be a long night.

"and then he slipped on the ice and fell on his face!" matias bursted out laughing as blas spoke. they were telling me about that time they were filming on the mountains one of the most important scenes and agustin well, fell in the middle of filming. we were all laughing except for him. "do you want me to tell her about that time you forgot your line, your most important line, in the middle of the scene?" he threatened him. "hey" enzo put a hand on his chest "that happened to everybody, like that time when you-" "okay guys, that's enough" blas interjected, to separate the two of them. i was still laughing while my gaze went all around the room. i noticed that someone from our group was missing. esteban.

he was sitting on the sofa, looking at us, at me. i realized that from the moment i arrived, from the moment i entered his house, i hadn't even greeted him. silently, while the others were still arguing, i walked away to join esteban. sitting on the sofa with a glass in his hand, his eyes were fixed on mine until i sat down next to him. i smiled sweetly at him "forgive me if i didn't say hello before, but there was a little problem with agustin." my gaze went from his face to the scene that was unfolding in front of us: agustin was taking everyone's glasses to drink them. esteban laughed softly and his eyes closed in the sweetest way, his freckles shining in the darkness of the room.

"there's no problem, of course." he turned to me, smiling. we looked at each other for a few moments, without saying anything. i could no longer hear the screams and laughter of the boys, but only the beating of my heart thundering in my ears.

“y/n?” "sorry what?" i must have been dazed because i woke up hearing esteban's voice. “i just asked you if you wanted to come out on the balcony with me to smoke a cigarette” he repeated to me in the sweetest tone I had ever heard. esteban was the kindest and most helpful person i knew, he was always considerate towards everyone and it was difficult not to love him. and, oh god, he was handsome: everything about him was perfect: his face, his hands, his arms.

the balcony wasn't particularly spacious, it was just enough for two people. when he closed the glass door behind us all the noises and music coming from the room were muffled. i smiled at that thought, it was as if the whole world went silent, and we were in our little bubble. but then i realized that it was cold, very cold. my dress certainly wasn't made to keep me warm so i found myself shaking like a leaf. i leaned on the balcony railing seeking relief but instead only made the situation worse, feeling the cold iron on my exposed back. esteban had noticed me at that moment and, when he finished rolling his cigarette and put the pack of tobacco back in his pocket, he asked me "do you want to go back inside?" with a cigarette in his mouth. he was more handsome than ever, carefree hair, cheeks and nose red from the cold and bright eyes.

“no don't worry” i told him smiling “i just have to get used to it” he nodded, looking at me then at the ground. he leaned on the railing next to me, lighting his cigarette and releasing the smoke in little clouds from his mouth. i felt nervous: i didn't know what to say and i was freezing to death. “maybe you want my jacket?” he asked me suddenly, turning to look down at me. he smiled and as I nodded he gave it to me. i put it on and immediately breathed a sigh of relief. “oh my god, thank you so much.” he just gave me his jacket. that was completely normal, no need to act strange. right?

“so,” he said, leaning on the railing, taking a drag on his cigarette, “what are you going to do now that filming is over?” he released the smoke and turned to me. “i think i'll go back to studying, i have a degree to get” i laughed but immediately stopped as soon as i realized that my life from that moment on would never be the same again. i had to go back to my old boring routine. “and you?" i asked him curiously “will you continue acting?” i knew that esteban had always been an actor, and a very talented one, but maybe he had other plans for his future?

“i'll go back to acting in the theater” he replied, smiling at me “i'm very happy to have taken part in this movie, but the theater is my life” every time i heard him talk to others about the theater i saw how excited he was and how his eyes shone. it was nice to see him get excited about what he loved, he had the purest soul. “that’s nice! maybe i’ll come and see how you’re doing sometimes.” i said grinning and smiling at the same time. “i would be very happy if you did” he told me in a flirty tone, getting closer to my face. but laughed it off beacuse i was too embarrassed even just to look in his eyes.

the conversation went on without problems, we talked about this and that, laughing and joking. but after a while we realized that we had been out for almost two hours. “maybe we should go back” i told him, shrugging my shoulders and looking inside: enzo had just put “vivo” by gustavo cerati, one of my favorite songs, on the stereo, and i wanted to go inside with esteban to sing it. “yeah here, i'll finish this cigarette in a minute.” he replied, turning his back on me.

perhaps because of the alcohol or perhaps because all of a sudden i felt particularly brave, i let my body adhere perfectly to his, resting my chin on his shoulder and closing my eyes. everything was perfect: that night, the background music, the stars, him. i felt him relax at my touch and take the last drag of his cigarette before putting it out. he moved from his position and so did i from mine. we found ourselves facing each other and looking into each other's eyes for what seemed like hours, but then he put one hand on my cheek and the other on my waist. i slightly jumped at that contact, but it didn't bother me: it was what i had been waiting for since the first moment my eyes met his.

“can i tell you something?” he asked me in a whisper, his gaze not leaving mine. “yes please.” i answered immediately, eager to know what he wanted to tell me. some time passed before he spoke again, until he finally said “ "i just really enjoy spending time with you and you really have become someone very special to me and-" my eyes lit up the moment he started talking, in that very moment i was admiring him in all his beauty. “oh fuck it” he said exasperated, as he couldn't find the words to finish his speech. so the hand that was resting on my waist reached my cheek, caressing it, and his lips rested softly on mine.

it was a sweet kiss, his lips were cautious on mine, and i could feel him smiling. he broke away from the kiss and ran his thumb over my lips, smiling at me. i knew i was blushing unexpectedly but i felt reassured when i saw a bit of embarrassment on his face too. “as much as i would love to stay here with you all evening, we really have to go back now.” i told him, looking up and chuckling softly. “yes, maybe you’re right.” he replied, letting me go. when we returned, agustin approached us, more drunk than ever, who immediately hugged esteban. “kuku! where were you? we were looking for you! why are you blushing?” he asked, looking serious and inspecting his face. “i'm not blushing, it's just very hot.” esteban replied embarrassed, looking away. luckily i was behind him and agustin didn't see me laugh.

”kuku, it's literally snowing as we speak” i looked outside and yes, it was snowing. in that moment i started laughing, the situation was just too crazy, while agustin looked at me with an interrogative gaze, he wasn't understanding what was happening. as soon as i finished laughing i said “sorry, i'm going to get a glass of water.” as soon as i turned i headed towards the kitchen, winking at esteban. the last thing i could hear was agustin talking to him “you have to tell us everything, everything!”

[yelena-bellova]

Heartfirst: A Ted Lasso Story - Chapter Three

Chapter Three: Meet the Greyhounds

Plot: On the first day of season training, the Greyhounds welcome the newest member of AFC Richmond and Y/n gets a crash course in Ted Lasso’s unconventional coaching methods.

Word Count: 5.4k

Warnings: language, use of f!reader (16+)

A/N: Here we are again, now with the Greyhounds entering the story…👀

As always, let me know if you’d like to be tagged, though I’m still only tagging 16+. Enjoy!!

————

Contrary to the whirlwind of her hiring, Y/n’s first week at AFC Richmond was nothing but calm waters.

The first few days had been spent mostly in meetings with Higgins, learning the basic operations of parts of the club she’d be involved in. She bounced back to the KJPR offices every few days for a meeting with Keeley. Already, there was a rhythm developing to her days.

Y/n took the weekend to set up her office, driving over a few boxes of books, wall hangings and office supplies to Nelson Road Stadium. Season training started on Monday and Y/n knew it was her last chance to get settled before the work truly started.

On Sunday evening, she stayed late organizing her desk the way she liked. When she was finally done, taking a final satisfactory look at the space, she collected her coat and locked up for the night. She was on her way out when she noticed up the stairwell, there were still lights on.

Thinking only her and the night cleaning crew were still around, Y/n shuffled up the steps. The closer she got, the better she could make out the light was coming from Rebecca’s office. Not only that, she could hear mumbled curses.

Y/n rapped her knuckles twice against her boss’s door, poking her head in just enough to show who it was.

“Oh,” Rebecca breathed, sat behind her desk, “Come in.”

Y/n took a cautious step through the doorway, giving a little wave, “I saw the light and didn’t know who was still here.”

“Well, I shouldn’t be here,” Rebecca replied, trying to put on a smile for Y/n, “Not till tomorrow anyway.”

Nodding, Y/n shifted her coat in her arms.

“You’re here awfully late as well,” Rebecca changed the subject.

“Oh,” Y/n answered, “Finally took the time to unpack everything. Figured it was a good idea before tomorrow.”

“Good,” Rebecca replied.

It went without saying that there was something wrong. Rebecca had no reason to be there.

“Is everything…” Y/n shifted in her spot a little. She was skirting one of the professional lines she valued. “Alright?”

The moment the question hit the air, Rebecca’s facade cracked. The edges of her smile drooped ever so slightly and whatever faux cheeriness had been masking her eyes faded.

“Do you read many tabloids, Y/n?” Rebecca asked.

“Not actively, but,” Y/n answered, her eyes darting between the floor, the lamp, anywhere other than directly at Rebecca until absolutely necessary, “I see things.”

Rebecca knew, without asking, what headlines she was referring to.

“My ex-husband recently purchased West Ham United,” the woman began to explain, “He poached one of our coaches from last season and…” Rebecca shook her head from the ridiculousness of it all, “There was just a headline that…”

Y/n waited for her boss to find the words, knowing they probably wouldn’t come. Nor did they need to.

Rebecca inhaled, “I suppose I shouldn’t let it get to me but…”

“Hey,” Y/n held up a hand, “There’s no judgement here.”

Rebecca gave a genuine smile, thankful for the understanding. “Well, we both need to get home and get some rest,” she said as she rose from her desk.

“We do,” Y/n was thankful the subject was shifting from personal matters, “Goodnight, Ms. Welton.”

“Oh, please don’t tell me you’re going to call me that the entire season,” Rebecca sighed, half-laughing at the formality, “Rebecca.”

It shouldn’t have mattered, but Y/n felt most comfortable with her barriers in place. However, going up against Rebecca was a fight she knew she’d lose.

“Alright,” Y/n conceded, the only time she planned on doing so, “Goodnight, Rebecca.”

“Goodnight, Y/n,” Rebecca said in return.

That night, once she returned home and settled in bed with a cup of tea, Y/n did research on the enemy. Rupert Mannion, Rebecca’s ex-husband, had indeed purchased West Ham United at the end of last season. He’d gone one step further and hired Richmond’s old coach, Nathan Shelley. There was much speculation as to why the former kitman had left and why he’d chosen specifically to work for Rebecca’s ex. Several tabloids had framed the upcoming season as a battleground not only for the Greyhounds and Hammers, but the ex-spouses as well.

Y/n shut her laptop and rubbed at her eyes. She could uphold all the professional boundaries she liked, but that didn’t mean she hadn’t become a part of a deeply personal fight.

—————————

Come Monday morning, the parking lot at Nelson Road was packed.

Season training had begun.

Y/n had gotten in early, having stopped by Keeley’s office to pick some papers up, and had yet to cross paths with any of the Greyhounds or coaches. She wasn’t trying to avoid meeting them, but she also wasn’t actively seeking out the opportunity. There was safety in the isolation of her office with the only intruder being Higgins every once in a while.

It was around 10 when the first knock at the door came.

Y/n looked up from her desk to see Sam Obisanya standing in her doorway.

“Ms. Y/l/n?”

“Yes,” Y/n answered with a small smile.

“Ah,” Sam took one step inside the office, “I just wanted to stop by and introduce myself. Sam-“

“Obisanya,” Y/n finished for him, rising from her desk to come and shake his hand, “I may not be a football fanatic, but I know your work.”

Sam laughed humbly, Y/n didn’t think there was such a thing until then.

“You’re very kind,” Sam let go of her hand, “I heard you were hired over our break and I wanted to be one of the first to say ‘welcome.’”

“That’s very kind of you, Mr. Obisanya,” Y/n replied, feeling genuinely touched.

“Please,” he smiled, “Call me Sam.”

“Sam,” Y/n nodded, she was 0 for 2…

“Are you finding everything okay?” Sam asked.

Y/n glanced at the space around them, “Everything I need so far, yes.”

“Ah, good,” Sam grinned, “Well, if you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask. It’s a lot to get used to.”

“Well, I’ll agree with you there,” Y/n chuckled, “But really, Sam, thank you. I genuinely look forward to getting to see you play this season.”

“Ah,” Sam’s hand briefly touched his chest, “Thank you. I hope you have a wonderful day.”

“You as well,” Y/n replied as the midfielder headed back through her office door. Her Youtube observations had been correct; Sam Obisanya was as genuine off the pitch as he was on it.

A few moments after settling back at her desk, a second knock came.

“Hola, Ms. Y/n!”

Dani Rojas.

“Hi,” Y/n greeted, a little surprised, “You must be Mr. Rojas.”

“Dani, please,” the player grinned, “I wanted to come and officially welcome you to Richmond.”

Y/n rose from her desk and crossed the room once again. “That’s very kind of you, D- oh!”

Dani had pulled her in for a hug and had practically lifted her off the ground. In any other case, Y/n would have slingshotted them both into the HR office, but she could tell his intentions were 100% pure.

“I hope you will be very happy working here with us,” Dani said, finally releasing Y/n from his arms, “It is like one big family.”

Y/n chuckled awkwardly, trying to hide her dismay at the thought from someone who was the human embodiment of joy.

“I’m sure I’ll be quite content,” she replied politely, “And I look forward to seeing you play, Dani.”

“Oh, thank you,” Dani said, his grin hadn’t dropped half an inch since he’d arrived, “I look forward to getting to work with you.”

“You too, Dani,” Y/n nodded, “I hope you have a great day.”

“You as well,” Dani wished cheerily before exiting Y/n’s office.

Y/n stayed in the middle of the room a moment longer, trying to process the interaction. She was half sure that within the next thirty seconds, another Greyhound would come through her door.

She wasn’t wrong.

Five minutes after Dani, Colin Hughes and team captain Isaac Mcadoo showed up. While their greetings were less personal than Sam’s and they let Y/n stay on the ground, unlike Dani, they took their time to welcome her. Two minutes after them, Thierry Zoreaux swung by. Just as he was leaving, Jan Maas took his place. In and out, the Richmond players seemed to form a never ending stream of well wishes.

As Will, the team’s kitman, was on his way out from his introduction, Y/n decided answers were worth seeking.

“Can I ask,” she tapped her pen against her desk, “How did you guys even know I was here?”

“Oh, Coach Lasso told us,” Will answered plainly, “He wanted us each to stop by and introduce ourselves. See if you needed anything, officially welcome you to Richmond.”

Y/n nodded, it all made sense now.

“Got it,” she politely smiled, “Well, thank you, Will. I definitely feel welcomed.

With a polite farewell, Will left Y/n on her own once more. She felt like locking the door just to ensure she could actually get some work done. She was pleased to know that the team she worked for wasn’t comprised of inconsiderate pricks, but their kindness had been more than overwhelming.

“Alright, Ted Lasso,” she mumbled to the empty room, “Message received.”

Itwas an hour later, after five more stop-bys by various Greyhounds, that Y/n escaped her office. She headed to the cafe to grab a tea before her morning meeting with Rebecca and Higgins. She made it in and out without any more ambushes, and headed on her way to Rebecca’s office.

Just as her eye caught on one of the placards on the hallway wall, a door swung open at Y/n’s side. She froze as the emerging body nearly bumped into hers.

“Whoa,” the culprit said as they too stopped in their tracks.

Y/n awkwardly laughed as she held her tea in the air, trying to prevent a mess.

“Sorry, that was on me,” the man apologized as the door swung back into place.

“No, no,” Y/n exhaled, “It’s on me for not paying attention.”

The man breathed out a laugh as Y/n brought her arm back into her side.

“And nothing’s on anyone so,” Y/n gestured to her tea, “Could’ve been worse.”

Finally looking up at the man in front of her, Y/n recognized him instantly.

“You’re Jamie Tartt.”

Jamie pursed his lips and pointed a finger at Y/n, “And you’re the new girl? Keeley’s new hire?”

Y/n didn’t love the sound of her position being explained so casually. “Miss Jones hired me to do some work for Richmond, yes. Y/n Y/l/n.”

“Ah,” Jamie nodded, attempting not to laugh at the formality, “Coach wanted us all to come by and introduce ourselves.”

“Well, you saved yourself a trip,” Y/n replied, somewhere between a polite and genuine smile.

Jamie chuckled, his hands awkwardly clasped in front of him. “Well, good to put a face to the name.”

Y/n nodded a little, “Same to you.”

“Right, well,” Jamie bent at the knees and flashed Y/n a smile, “See you ‘round, I guess.”

“See you around,” Y/n returned.

Without another word, Jamie and Y/n walked off down opposite ends of the hallway.

As she climbed the stairs up to Rebecca’s office, Y/n made a note that the Jamie Tartt she’d (quite literally) run into was, indeed, far different than the ill reputation he’d built for himself. He seemed perfectly pleasant, a little blunt, but polite nonetheless. It didn’t seem like the Greyhounds didn’t have any bad eggs.

Switching back to work mode, Y/n knocked on Rebecca’s semi-open door.

“Ah, come in, Y/n,” Rebecca quickly greeted.

Y/n walked in and saw that Higgins and Ted were already standing across from Rebecca’s desk.

“Hey, it’s the newest Greyhound,” Ted said cheerily.

“So sorry I’m late,” Y/n apologized, setting her purse and tea down on the coffee table. She was happy to bypass Ted’s greeting with nothing more than a polite smile.

“Oh, no it’s fine,” Rebecca waved her concern off before turning back to the matter at hand, “As I was saying, everyone alive has picked Richmond to finish in 20th place this season.”

Y/n came to stand between Higgins and Ted.

“Except for the The Daily Mirror,” Higgins interjected, “Which has us finishing ‘twentyelf.’ An adorable but devastating typo.”

Ted hummed, “Okay. Well, you know what? I predict all their predictions ain’t gonna come true. So it looks like we got ourselves a prediction Mexican standoff,” Ted turned to Y/n and Higgins, “Or as they call them in Mexico, a prediction standoff.”

Y/n wondered if the man had an off button.

“Well, the worst part is they’ve picked Rupert to finish in the top four,” Rebecca said with a heavy sigh.

“Rupert’s gonna play this year?” Ted asked in all seriousness.

“What?” Rebecca replied, “No.”

“You’re referring to West Ham United,” Y/n spoke up, trying to move the conversation along, “Correct?”

“Precisely,” Rebecca said, “Everyone thinks he’s better than us.”

“They,” Ted corrected his boss, “Everyone thinks they are better than us.”

Rebecca nodded a little too fast to be considered normal, “Yes, that’s what I said. They. So, what’s the plan? How are we going to beat him?”

Once again, Ted caught the error that Y/n knew was no error at all. “Them.”

“Exactly,” Rebecca replied.

“Oh, boy,” Ted said lowly.

“You know, this might be a good time for us to update our roster,” Higgins spoke up, “Put some more firepower in the team.”

Rebecca pointed towards Higgins, “That is an great idea, Leslie.”

“I agree,” Y/n threw in her support, thankful the conversation was moving back towards work, “Plenty of opportunity to make a big fuss over it, get people excited, pack the stands a little more.”

“Let’s put some feelers out, shall we?” Rebecca continued, glancing over to her manager, “Ted?”

“Well, I know Roy and Coach Beard are workin’ on some new tactics,” he answered, “And, you know, the fellas we already got are gelling real nice. I think we’re gonna do just fine this season.”

If Y/n could have measured the indignity on Rebecca’s face, she couldn’t have.

“Ted, this team doing ‘just fine’ is a far cry from you telling me we’re going to win the whole fucking thing.”

Y/n’s eyebrows raised just as Higgins exclaimed, “Whoa!”

“Did I really say that?” Ted asked, just as shocked.

“Yes, you did,” Rebecca’s voice raised an octave as she pointed towards her couch, “Over there after the Man City loss. Just before you blasted half a liter of Pellegrino in my face.”

The memory finally rang Ted’s bell, “Oh, right.”

“Wait, what happened?” Higgins confusedly asked.

Y/n nearly raised her pen to ask questions but decided against it.

“That,” Rebecca pointed towards Ted, “Is the Ted Lasso I want coaching my team this season. The one who’s willing to fight. Understood?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Ted nodded, “You watch, from now on, I’ll be floating like a butterfly and stinging like a bee. Except I won’t die immediately after using my stinger. I plan to float and sting for the entirety of the whole season.”

“Excellent,” Rebecca’s expression finally shifted and she looked to Y/n, “I apologize if we’ve thrown you into the deep end of our problems.”

Y/n held up a hand to signal there were no issues, but she was a little confused as to what the purpose of the meeting had been.

“I have a very important lunch meeting with one Miss Keeley Jones,” Rebecca continued as she collected her purse and came out from around her desk, “For some much needed girl talk.”

“Hey, tell her we said howdy and…” Ted wished before looking to Higgins.

“Yo,” Higgins added in a deep voice.

Rebecca looked to Y/n last.

“Tell her I’ll be in tomorrow,” Y/n added, still holding onto her binder.

“Okay,” Rebecca left out the door, off to the KJPR offices.

Y/n sighed as Ted and Higgins began to converse over the later’s out of character greeting.

“Hey, Y/n,” Ted tapped her on the arm, “You settling in alright?”

“Yes,” Y/n nodded, adjusting the waist of her skirt, “Very excited to get started.”

“Well, don’t be afraid to stop by if you need anything,” Ted smiled, missing the slight edge to Y/n’s words, “Or if you just wanna chat. Roy and Beard’d love to meet you.”

Y/n gave one more cordial nod before crossing the room to retrieve her belongings. “I’m sure we’ll cross paths at some point,” she replied, desperate to escape, “But I really do have a few things that need to get done. I’ll see you both later.”

With a trail of goodbyes from Ted and Higgins, Y/n vacated the office as quickly as she could without being too obvious. Not only did she feel it was a waste of a meeting to simply discuss the team’s standings, but no work had really been accomplished. She did, however, learn a great deal more about Rebecca’s mindset for the season than she’d set out to know.

When she returned to her office, Y/n shut the door and locked it. No more interruptions, no more distractions, she could do what she was here to do…her job. If the only way she could do that was by literally shutting Richmond out, so be it.

—————————

Much later in the day, Y/n took her second scheduled leave back up to Rebecca’s office. There was a West Ham press conference being held and Rebecca had requested her presence for the viewing. Something about PR strategies, but Y/n suspected she was partially valued as another essential piece in the takedown of Rupert Mannion.

She arrived just as Higgins was coming to stand behind Rebecca’s desk with her.

“Has it started?” Y/n asked as she crossed the room.

“Just about to,” Rebecca breathed, steel in her voice already.

“Are you sure you want to watch this?” Higgins made a point of asking.

“No, I don’t want to, Leslie,” Rebecca replied, as she loaded the stream link, “But it’s part of my job. I need to be ready to comment if Rupert were to say something snide about me or the team.”

Y/n came to stand on the other side of Rebecca, “I agree. Preparation isn’t always fun, but necessary.”

Rebecca blindly gestured to Y/n as she clicked away on her screen, she only looked up to glance out her window. “Where are they, by the way? Shouldn’t they be training now?”

Y/n peeked out the glass, she hadn’t noticed that the team was completely absent from the pitch. Odd for the first proper day of training.

“Oh,” Y/n said, coming to stand a little closer as the laptop screen changed, “It’s loading.”

Rebecca scooted her chair closer as the feed went live and a West Ham United backdrop became visible. Striding in from off camera came Rupert Mannion, calm, collected and charming.

“Ladies and gentlemen of the press, welcome,” he announced, “Lovely to see you all, and thank you for selecting our humble little football club to do so well this season.”

As the press let out chuckles, Rebecca reached into her desk drawer and pulled out a small pink box. Y/n watched as her boss pulled it open and angrily shoved a bite of a thick biscuit in her mouth.

“Twat,” Rebecca mumbled through a half-full mouth.

“The person you are here to see,” Rupert continued in a grandiose tone, “The Wonder Kid himself, our new manager, Nathan Shelley.”

Rebecca’s ex extended a hand towards his right and seconds later, Nathan and him exchanged places in the center of the room.

“Thank you,” Nathan smiled once he was seated, “Very nice to be here. I’m pretty sure I said ‘wunderkind.’”

Silence from the press.

“This is the same Nathan Shelley who was the kitman here,” Y/n said, half-asking, “Became assistant coach and then stole over to West Ham?”

“Yes,” Higgins answered as Rebecca was chewing, “Rather a hasty and heated exit.”

Y/n hummed in reply, nothing about the man struck her as particularly hasty or heated. The tabloids had painted a much different picture of the man. As Nathan stuttered over his answers, Y/n sensed nothing but a rather awkward humility.

She was proven terribly wrong over the next two minutes.

Nathan’s answers came quicker and were delivered with more confidence. At some point, they became biting. The sudden character shift felt like a reverse of Jamie Tartt’s, from the little Y/n had observed of both.

“Coach Shelley, regarding your old team, AFC Richmond,” one of the reporters began, “Any idea why everyone is expecting them to finish 20th this season?”

Y/n shifted in place as they awaited Nathan’s answer. Something about the smile that pulled at his cheeks just before he spoke unsettled her.

“Probably because there’s no 21st.”

If there was tension in the room before, it had just intensified tenfold.

“Meow,” Higgins commented.

Y/n turned to her co-worker, “Hasty and heated, you said?”

Before they could hear the next question, the Twitter alert on Y/n’s phone sounded from her jacket pocket. She’d set up alerts for the club, each Greyhound and the coaches. Pulling out her phone, the keyword ‘AFC Richmond’ was the first one she saw.

Her eyes widened, “Oh, no.”

Higgins tugged out his phone half a second later.

“What is it?” Rebecca asked.

Y/n and Higgins looked to one another, Higgins braving it and showing Rebecca his phone. Displayed on both their screens was a picture of the Greyhounds, led by Ted Lasso, climbing down a manhole into a sewer.

A PR nightmare.

Y/n distractedly looked up at Rebecca’s computer screen, still scrolling the tag. Someone had asked Nathan a question regarding the photo.

“Yeah, well, it makes sense,” Nathan answered, “They probably have to train in a sewer because their coach is so shitty.”

The press both gasped and laughed, each reporter’s eyes lighting up at the headline possibilities.

Rebecca slammed her laptop shut, fuming.

“Oh, boy,” Higgins broke the silence.

“Coach Lasso needs to address this,” Y/n spoke up, going into strategy mode, “Immediately. This is being turned into memes as we speak.”

Rebecca took a deep breath, pressing her hands together and to her lips in an effort to retain calm. “I will be speaking to him the second they are back,” she answered, before looking up to Y/n, “Come up with some potential response for the press conference.”

“Absolutely,” Y/n nodded, already out from behind Rebecca’s desk, “It’s best if the players don’t say anything either. Don’t give Coach Shelley any more ammunition.”

The day had officially turned and while Y/n had prayed for actual work to do, she hadn’t wanted it like this. Was this the gig? Digging Ted Lasso out of whatever absurd headlines his actions created? Combatting bitter ex-coaches?

Come 2:15, fifteen minutes before Ted’s press conference was scheduled to begin, Y/n gathered the notes she’d made and headed downstairs. She waited outside the press room until Ted came out of his office.

“Coach Lasso,” Y/n called, coming to walk alongside him, “The press are all ready for you but I think it’s important to address the matter of the picture trending on social media. The best strategy is not to stay on it too long, but don’t laugh it off. I wrote down a few responses that might be of use.”

By the time she’d finished, they were stood outside the press room once more.

“I appreciate it, Y/n,” Ted thanked her, “But I think I’m gonna Buffalo Wild this one.”

“You’re gonna-“ Y/n began to question the sentence before connecting her dots, biting down on her lip, “Wing it?”

“Exactly, Tom Clancy,” Ted smiled easily before heading in through the side door and leaving Y/n in the hallway.

With no one else around, Y/n took the opportunity to take a deep breath, throw her head back in frustration and scrunch up her face. Things were about to go from bad to worse.

After collecting herself, she rounded the corner of the hall and entered the press room through the back door. Rebecca was already waiting at the rear of the room.

“Did he take the suggestions?” Rebecca whispered as Ted began to speak.

Y/n inhaled deeply, “He did not.”

Side by side, the two women tried to contain their emotions and project confidence towards whatever was about to be said.

Though his ability lay in questionable standing, Y/n was surprised at how well Ted handled himself. The reporters and him had a rapport that Y/n shouldn’t have been shocked by. For all the comical flaws he possessed, Ted Lasso was likable. It wasn’t many coaches who would compliment a reporter on her new choice of hair color before she asked her question.

“Coach, how are you feeling about the unanimous opinion that Richmond will be relegated at the end of the season?”

“Yeah, that’s true, isn’t it?” Ted replied, “Expectations for us are as low as a rattlesnake’s belly button, huh?”

A few chuckles and smiles from the press.

“But, hey, we got 38 chances to prove all them folks wrong though, right?” Ted continued, “Yeah. And my hopes are as high as a giraffe’s top hat. Next question. And if it’s ‘why is a giraffe wearing a top hat?’ Don’t ask me, man. Go ask a giraffe.”

Y/n felt like she was regaining the ability to breathe as the midwestern wit was accepted. Ted chose his next interrogator, Marcus Adeybo, who was clearly known but in a new position judging by the ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ of the press room.

“Do you have any response to comments made earlier today by your former assistant coach, Nathan Shelley?” Marcus asked.

Y/n tightened her hold on her notebook, Rebecca pursed her lips. They waited with bated breath as Ted thought over his next words with great care.

“Uh, yes, I do. Yeah,” Ted began, pausing with a small smile before continuing, “I thought it was hilarious.”

Through her peripherals, Y/n could see Rebecca was less than pleased. She was thrown herself, but decided to wait for Ted’s full answer before reacting in full.

“I mean, he came and got us, didn’t he? No doubt about that,” Ted laughed, “Hey, but that’s Nate the Great for you, you know? He’s the same way on the pitch. He’ll find the tiniest weakness in a team and just wanna attack that, you know? I mean, he’s a junkyard dog, man. And smart. They’re real lucky to have him over there at West Ham. I wish him the best of luck.”

For all her schooling and experience, Y/n found herself watching Ted in pleasant surprise as he pulled out a strategy she never would have thought of.

“I guess I am a little surprised that’s all he could come up with,” Ted kept going, shrugging slightly, “Especially against me. You know, not one joke about me being a dumb American? Come on, man. It’s sittin’ there. I mean, I’m so dumb…”

Ted’s grin hung open as he waited for a reply to a joke that clearly only served on one continent.

“Y’all are supposed to say ‘how dumb are you?’” Ted helped them out. One reporter raised their hand, “Gary?”

“Why?”

“I-I mean, it’s just classic joke structure,” Ted answered, “Give it a shot. I mean, I’m so dumb…” he nodded towards another reporter, “Lloyd?”

“How dumb are you?”

“Okay, well,” Ted raised his voice loud enough for the room to hear, “I’m so dumb, that the first time I heard y’all talkin’ about Yorkshire pudding, I thought it was a fancy word y’all had for dog poop.”

A few laughs came quietly.

“I mean, I’m so dumb,” Ted continued, waiting for the next line. A slightly confused chorus of questioning his intellect followed.

“Yeah, okay, well, whenever I text someone over here about money, I still spell pounds L-B-S.”

Y/n allowed herself to smile, realizing that there had been no point in giving Ted any suggestions. He was far better on his own.

“Look, man, I’m not a great coach,” Ted shrugged, “Probably ain’t. You know, I’ve been doing this sport now for three years, and I still get a chuckle every time someone talks about a handball violation.”

Shaking her head as it happened, Rebecca nudged Y/n with her elbow and held up her phone. There was a text from Keeley.

Way to let Ted be Ted!

Quickly, Y/n pulled out her own phone and opened up Twitter. Sure enough, there were tweets pouring in under Ted’s name, filled with nothing but praise and ‘LOLs.’

“Yeah, and not one crack about my appearance?” Ted continued, “About this mustache? I look like Ned Flanders is doing cosplay as Ned Flanders.”

Finally, the whole press room was laughing. Even Rebecca had found her smile once again, reserved as it may be for the unconventional approach.

“When I talk it sounds like Dr. Phil hasn’t gone through puberty yet.”

Y/n covered her mouth as she snorted.

“Yeah, I’m more corny than Kevin Costner’s outfield,” Ted waited for the joke to land, with no such reward, “Oh, I lost you on that one. Yeah. Field of Dreams? No?” Ted glanced to the back of the room and spotted Y/n who gave him a slight nod, signaling she understood it. “I guess y’all don’t really like baseball over here, so why would you like movies about it?”

Ted briefly bent down to check his phone, giving Y/n and Rebecca the chance to glance at one another. Rebecca sighed and Y/n shrugged with one hand, the wheels were entirely off and there was no point in trying to reattach them.

“Well, hey, how ‘bout this one?” Ted went on with a new strength, it seemed, “Regarding my panic attacks, I’ve had more psychotic episodes than Twin Peaks.”

The room filled with laughter again, including Ted’s.

“I mean, I’m so crazy…”

This time, both Rebecca and Y/n joined the reporters in asking just how crazy Ted Lasso was.

“There we go,” Ted said approvingly before continuing another round of self-depreciation.

As Y/n watched the room, and Twitter, sing Ted’s praises and reject Nathan Shelley, she made a mental note. No more notes on speaking to the press. Ted was aiming to kill with kindness, and she wasn’t planning to stand in his way.

Names and press conferences, the only things she planned to bend on.

—————————

By the end of the day, Ted was trending heavily and by association, so were the Greyhounds. The manhole picture had been thoroughly memed and it would take a week or two for the image to get lost in the Twitter-verse. Regardless of how good Ted was with the press, Y/n suspected there’d be several more sewer-type messes to clean up.

The sun was just setting as Y/n headed out to the parking lot. A few stray players had stayed late and were trailing out, most of whom she’d already met.

As Y/n searched through her bag for her keys, she heard a familiar voice wishing a teammate a good night. Jamie Tartt.

Y/n glanced up as the striker walked towards the car parked two spaces apart from hers.

“So tell me,” she called across the lot, “Do you guys save the sewer visits for special occasions or am I going to have to get used to doing this kind of damage control daily?”

Jamie chuckled, slinging his bag over his shoulder, “Uh, yeah, that was a new one.”

“Uh-huh,” Y/n’s smile was barely perceptible.

“Coach was tryin’ to teach us a lesson,” Jamie explained, standing at the boot of his car, “See, everyone’s got us finishin’ dead last, but we’re supposed to let that shit flow,” Jamie made a sweeping gesture with his hand, “Like the canals in the sewers.”

Y/n’s tongue poked her cheek as she tried to understand the teaching moment.

“I know it sounds bizarre,” Jamie admitted, most of Ted’s methods sounded insane outside the Greyhound’s locker room, “But he had a point.”

“Uh-huh,” Y/n replied, before grabbing her keys, “Well, whether the shit was literal or metaphorical, you guys just made my job a hell of a lot more interesting.”

“Hey, you didn’t have to fuckin’ go down there,” Jamie’s voice jumped an octave.

The two shared a laugh before moving to unlock each of their cars.

“I’ll see ya,” Jamie said with a smile.

“See ya,” Y/n replied, sliding into the driver’s seat.

Once she shut the door, she let her head hit the headrest. The day had felt like one big preview of how the season would go, and if it continued that way, Y/n was in for much more than she’d bargained for…

——

Heartfirst Taglist: @lalla-04p @optimisticsandwichgladiator @makingmunson94 @taytaylala12 @storysimp @sokkigarden @lightninginab0ttle @poohkie90 @alipap3 @verra-nerevarine @shineforever19 @spaceagechimera @burnafter-reading @qardasngan @cyberpvnk-enthusiast @sogoodtoheritsvicious @buckybarnex

[yelenasdiary]

21 Questions || Attention to Detail

Pairing: FBI! Wanda Maximoff x Mafia Boss! Reader

Summary: Agent Maximoff has always been great at her job and reading people. After solving a rather difficult case with co-worker, Agent Romanoff, Wanda took a vacation to Greece, where she met Y/n, who was also taking a vacation from work. A little fun never hurt anybody, right?

Adult & Dark Themes | Smut | 18 + ONLY! | She/They pronouns | Language Warning | Mentions of Drinking | 4.7K | 

Top! Wanda, Bottom! Reader, Mommy Kink, Reader has a penis, protected sex, oral (both receiving), slight degradation.

Notes: Flashbacks and/or memories are italic & have “~” before and after.

AC: Just want to give a H U G E thank you to @daddynattt for helping me with this chapter, you can all thank her for Wanda giving you mind blowing (literally) head. 

21 Questions Masterlist

"Sorry about that" you smiled as you entered the meeting room and took a seat at the end of the table. You tried to keep your eyes from staring a little too long at the agent you thought was a high school teacher. "A-are you sure it's him?" you asked, looking at agent Romanoff. The red head nodded while she took in your body language, "we understand you were young when he went missing but we'd like to ask you a few questions. Anything you can remember about him can help the investigation" she explained. 

"Investigation?" you frowned, "he was murdered?" 

"Yes, we're sorry. We are still determining cause of death but from the skeletal remains, it was very clear he was murdered" Natasha replied in a soft but caring tone. 

"I'm sorry, skeletal? I haven't seen my father since I was 14, not a single word and now you're telling me he's dead and he's a skeleton" 

"We understand this is a difficult time right now and we're sorry that we don't have a lot of news to tell you. Once we know more, you will be the first to know" Wanda inserted herself. You looked at her for a brief moment and nodded, "well, if there anything I can to help. What can I tell you?" you asked, now looking between the two women. 

"We will try to make this as easy as possible" Natasha replied as she took out her note pad. You felt the burning of Wanda's stare, it was clear to you that she hadn't told her co-worker that she knew you. "Do you remember the last time you saw your father?" Natasha asked, her pen ready to dot down any words that would leave your lips. 

You took a deep breath in as you thought back to the last time you saw your father, not a pleasant memory but it was all that came to mind. "Uhm, I had just gotten home from school and he was arguing with somebody over the phone. I remember going straight to the kitchen to grab a snack. We had a personal chef at the time so I spent some time in kitchen waiting" you explained, your eyes dropped to the glass of water in front of you that Kate had kindly left. 

"Do you know who he was on the phone too or what the argument was about?" Wanda asked, leaning forward slightly. 

"It was always about money. He never really seemed to have time for me, or my mother for that matter. So I guess, growing up I learnt to ignore the arguing that came from his office but I always knew it was about money or business. I don't know if he was talking this person, but he said the name Arthur very aggressively before he hung up" 

"That's great, names are good. Uh, I'm sorry to bring this up but your mother, she passed away in a very short time before your father went missing. How was he dealing with that?" Agent Romanoff questioned as she finished writing a sentence on her note pad. Wanda noticed the way you slowly looked up at Natasha, slightly chewing on your bottom lip from the inside and how you shifted slightly in your seat. 

"I don't know" you replied, looking directly at Natasha. "He never showed any sort of grief from what I can remember" you added. Wanda saw how uncomfortable you seemed on the topic of your mother; you reached for your glass of water and took a sip as agent Romanoff took more notes on your answer. "Before your father went missing, he had some issues with Senator Benjamin Arthur and again, we understand you were young at the time but if there is anything you can remember about anybody hanging around the house or maybe you were approached by a stranger? Anything can help a lot" Natasha asked as she looked up at you. 

Your eyes looked between the agents once more before you shook your head, "I'm sorry, I don't remember anything. My father's business was exactly that, his business. I went to school, I came home, I did my homework and if he was having a good day, we'd go get pancakes or ice cream before dinner. He barely ever treated me like his child and when he did" you paused and let your eyes drop to a spot on the table in front of you. Silence filled the room for a moment as you gathered your thoughts, both agents trained to watch your body language and anything that might seem a little odd to them. "When he did, it was one of the best days I'd have in a while" you finally spoke, slowly looking up at the two women. 

"Thank you for your time, Y/n. We'll let you have some space but please, if there is anything that comes to mind about your father that may be helpful, here are our cards. Call us anytime" Natasha replied with a soft but warm smile as she handed you her card with her details on it, Wanda slid hers across to you before both agents stood them their seats. "I'll be sure to let you know, thank you for coming up. I'm sorry if I wasn't much help" you replied as you also stood from your seat, "Kate will escort you out" you added giving them a light smile before sending Kate a slight nod through the glass window.

You watched as the agents were led to the elevator before you made your way back to your office where Kate shortly ended, closing the door behind her. "Everything okay?" she asked, seeing the troubling look on your face as you downed a mouthful of whisky, almost slamming your glass on your desk. 

"They found him" you looked up at your best friend. 

"Are you sure?" Kate walked up to the two leather seats in front of your desk, making herself comfortable as you began to pour you both a glass, sliding it to her, nodding. "They're investigating" you muttered before downing your drink once more. 

"Shit" Kate gasps before she sips her drink, "are you okay?" she asked. 

"Can you lock up this evening? There's something I need to do, I need to talk to Pa, I need to tell him" You replied. Kate shook her head, "of course, anything you need I'm here"

With Kate's word, you gathered your things and gave her a hug before leaving. You dreaded telling your grandfather that his only son was finally found after 13 years, although you always suspected he knew that your father was either dead or never returning. As for you, you weren't sure how to feel. Part of you felt relief, closure even but another part of you felt anger, sadness. 

----

Wanda and Natasha returned to their office, both debriefing the crime scene and the notes Natasha took from your answers. New evidence and test results had come back in their absence, fingerprints from the set of keys belonged to the Senator, Benjamin Arthur and forensics were able to find the rest of your father's skull. 

Before going to pay to the now retired Senator, Benjamin, Natasha and Wanda spent most of the afternoon looking over the crime scene photos, evidence and taking a fresh, closer look at the old evidence and case file. 

"We have to question Sergei's father, Pavel. He was the last one to see Sergei alive" Natasha breaks the deep silence between the two. Wanda ran her fingers through her hair as she looked up at her co-worker and nodded. Her mind unable to shake you as she tried to process the shook of seeing you. "Yeah, I agree. Tomorrow we'll go see Benjamin" she replied, closing the case file in front of her. 

--Later That Evening—

Music from your playlist played softly in the background as you checked the roast dinner you were making, tossing the vegetables to ensure they were cooking all the way through. A soft knock at your door made you pause the current song, and placing the roast back in the oven, wiping your hands on your apron before answering the door. 

"Agent Maximoff, this is a surprise" you greeted the woman. 

"We need to talk" she replied, sternly. 

"You're just in time, dinner isn't too far off" you open your door wider for the agent to enter your home. She walked in slowly, the smell of your dinner welcoming her better than you had. "Can I get you a drink?" you asked, walking ahead of her and returning back to the kitchen. 

"I'm not here as friend" Wanda replied, watching you tidy up the island in front of you. "We have to talk about Gr-"

"No" you looked up at her and shook your head, "We'll talk about it over dinner. You owe me that much" you added, not breaking eye contact. A moment of silence was shared between the two of you before Wanda gave you a light nod, "okay. Dinner that is all"

"Just dinner" you turned on your heels, grabbing a clean glass from the cupboard, "A drink?" you asked. 

"Water will be fine, thank you" Wanda's eyes traveled around your kitchen, allowing herself to take in the way your home looked. If the situation were different, she would've complemented your taste in art and the beautiful red oak kitchen island that was littered with the mess of your cooking. She watched as you handed her a glass of water before returning your attention to the vegetables that were on the stove. 

"You can take your coat off if you'd like" you spoke, feeling her eyes watching you. 

"I'm fine" Wanda replied before taking a mouthful of water. You grabbed two plates and some cutlery before turning around to face the agent, you smiled softly. "Another ten minutes and it should be ready, I'll just set the table. Do you want a tour?" you asked. 

Wanda shook her head lightly, "I just came here to talk. The quicker we can do that, the quicker we can move forward"

"What is there to move forward from, tell me" You walked by her, placing the plates on the table. Wanda followed behind you, "you know exactly what I'm talking about" she replied as you pulled a chair out for her. 

"You'll have to refresh my mind, I just had some terrible news today, so things aren't exactly great" 

"So, it was terrible" Wanda raised a brow, pulling out the other chair and taking a seat.

"My father was found, dead and confirmed to have been murdered. I'm not exactly cheerful about it" 

"You had me fooled" Wanda looked up at you, her eyes followed you as you returned to the kitchen, turning off the oven and stove. "My father wasn't the best man so forgive me for not being overly hysterical about it" you looked across the room to her, "besides, your off duty, right? Let's not talk about my father. Would you like gravy?" you added. The woman nodded, brushing your comment off. 

Silence once again filled the room as you dished up the roaster dinner, kindly placing the food in the center of the table for you both to help yourselves before taking a seat across from Wanda. "It looks lovely, thank you" Wanda broke the silence, she was never raised to have bad table manners and not that she wanted to truly let you know but she hadn't eaten all day and the smell of the feed you made only made her more hungry, grateful that you forced her to stay for dinner. 

"You have a fancy role for a high school teacher" 

"How was I supposed to know that I'd come and see you? You were just a stranger in a bar that" she stopped herself some saying anything more.

"That what? Had sex with?" You finished her sentence, her eyes dropped to the plate of food in front of her, tossing a carrot back and forth with her fork. "I didn't mean it like that" she replied, "my co-worker, agent Romanoff, she can't know. Nobody can. I know we slept together before all of this, but they won't see it like that. I should've told my boss the moment I saw you that I shouldn't be working your father's case." 

"Then why didn't you?" you asked. Wanda slowly looked back up at you, unable to answer. "You think it about, don't you? That night, you and I" you lent back in your chair while Wanda sat in silence, "tell me it plays on your mind" you added. 

"I should go. I'm sorry" Wanda stood from her seat, you quickly did the same and followed the woman to the front door. "Don't go" you gently grabbed her arm, "it's okay" you added when she looked at you once more. She shook her head, "it's unprofessional" she replied softly. 

You couldn't help yourself, brushing a lock of her long brown hair gently behind her ear, "I think about it too" you said in an almost whisper, wanting nothing more than to feel your lips on her skin again. "We can't" she stepped back, her back up against your front door. You stepped closer to her, gently placing your hands on her hips, your eyes flickering to her plump lips. "I can't get you off my mind, the things we did, the way you were" you paused, leaning slightly forward until your lips connected with the naked skin of her neck. Without control, Wanda lifted her head up, giving you more access, letting out a soft moan as you kissed up to her jaw.

"Please, I need you" you whispered, kissing her cheek before pausing your movements to look at her lips, "nobody has to know, I promise" you added. Her lips never looked more kissable then right now, running her tongue over them as she brought her hands up to your face, cupping you gently. "Nobody" she repeated, you nodded, "not a soul" you assured her before crashing your lips onto hers. 

Wanda kissed you back with hunger, filling your mouth with her tongue while you lifted her up, allowing her to wrap her legs around your waist, never breaking the deep kiss as you carried her to your bedroom. 

"You're so sweet darling" Wanda smiled against your lips as you laid her gently on your bed before she flipped the two of you over, straddling your waist while looking down at you. "Do you always think you're in control?" she asked, chewing at her bottom lip. Her hands running down your clothed chest, smirking at you before she ripped your shirt open. You shook your head, "use your words, tell me. Do you always think you're in control?" she asked you once more as she began to unbutton her shirt, one by one. 

"No" you replied, watching the way her hands moved quickly from button to button. "Yes, what?" she frowned before pulling her work shirt off and throwing it to the floor then unclasping her bra. "No, mommy" you smirked when she looked at you once more. When she looked into your eyes, she completely forgot how unprofessional and wrong this was, but the memories of how she had you eating out of the palm of her hand in Greece were enough to keep the guilt from flushing in. 

Wanda smiled softly as she crawled off you and completely removed her pants along with her panties, throwing them both on top of her shirt before crawling back on top of you, undoing the belt from your waist. "Hands out" she looked up at you with a light smirk. She didn't need to ask twice; you placed your hands out in front of you ready for Wanda to use your belt to tie your wrists together. "Keep them above your head, can you do that for mommy?" she asked, placing your wrists above your head as you nodded, "yes mommy, just want to be your good girl" you replied while she hoovered above you. 

"Oh, baby, you're such a good girl for me" she kissed your lips softly, "mommy is going to use this pretty mouth of yours and you're going to keep those hands still, no touching. Do you understand?" She leant back, straddling your waist once more, waiting for your answer. 

"Just wanna please you mommy, I'll be good" you replied, completely breaking for her. Not even assumed to show this woman who you barely knew, a whole side of you that nobody else ever saw. 

"That's a good girl" Wanda smiled before moving up your body, her legs resting on either side of your face giving you the perfect view of her glistening pussy. Her warm scent made you crave her even more than before, you watched as she lowered herself on your lips, letting out a moan as you began to twirl your tongue around her clit. "That's right baby, show mommy how good you want to be for her, let mommy cum all over your tongue" her words were muffled as you continued to eat her out. 

Every now and then dipping your tongue into her hole just to hear her moan, to feel her grip on your hair tighten. "Mm, baby, you're going to make mommy cum, keep going!" she moaned before she began to ride your face, her free hand toying with her hardened nipples while her other hand stayed running through your hair for support. With every moan, Wanda moved faster, grinding against your tongue, pinching her nipples harder, gripping your hair tighter as her moans got louder. "F-fuck baby, I'm cumming!" she moaned once more before letting her orgasm take its cause. 

That didn't stop you, you continued to lap at her wet folds until she removed herself from your lips. "Somebody was hungry" she smirked before kissing your cum covered lips, cleaning herself off of them before biting your bottom lip. "Mommy, please, m' so hard" you looked at her. Your cock begging to be released from your boxers as your bulge had grown bigger by the second. 

"Awh, baby, is this all for me?" Wanda bit her bottom lip as she sat beside you, running her hand up your leg and brushing over your bulge. You nodded with need, "only you get me this hard" you admitted as you heard her unzip your flyer. "Since you were so good for mommy, how about I give you a little treat, mm? Mommy will make it all better" Wanda replied before helping herself to remove your pants and pulling your boxers down passed your knees, letting your cock spring free. 

You kept your hands above your head and watched as Wanda grabbed your length with one hand, a soft moan left your lips at her touch. She teasingly stroked you while looking up at you, your eyes closed as you grew harder at her touch. "Do you want mommy to suck you off? Wanna feel my mouth wrapped around your cock?" You couldn't stop the needy whimper from tumbling out of your mouth, nodding your head yes as you opened your eyes to see her making her way onto her knees in front of you. "Please mommy! I want your mouth" Wanda smirks at the neediness of your tone, she's got you right where she wants you. 

"Shh, mommy will take care of you, stay still and look pretty while I make you feel good" 

Your body instantly jerks as you feel her mouth wrap itself around your tip, your pre-cum causing Wanda to moan around you making you let out a moan as well. The feel of her warm mouth feels like heaven, it feels like nothing you have ever felt before, and you're scared that you may not last too long. 

"Fuck.. your mouth feels so good" she takes her time, teasing you as she softly sucks on your tip while looking up at you with hungry eyes. "Mommy please.." She smiles around you and slowly takes you deeper, moving her mouth lower while maintaining eye contact with you, your eyes rolling to the back of your head. 

"Oh God.. I'm not sure how much longer I can last" You are surprised at how well she can take you, you are not small by any means. Being 9 inches long and pretty girthy, you're shocked as she takes you deeper and deeper, desperate and needy moans coming out of your mouth as she takes all of you, her nose hitting your abdomen. The sounds of her gagging around your cock sends chills up your spine, and you're about to cum down her throat. 

"Fuck! Mommy.. I-I'm gonna cum" you feel her hands sliding up and down your bare thighs, encouraging you to let go into her mouth as she stays there with your cock shoved down her throat. You grab onto her head with tied together hands, moaning loudly as you keep her head in place as you release into her mouth, spurts of cum shooting down her throat. She rides out your orgasm, greedily swallowing everything you give her, the taste of your cum causing her to moan.

"Just as sweet as last time" Wanda looked up at you before crawling on top, straddling your waist, "and a little more than I remember, have you been having trouble baby?" she asks, giving you a moment to gather yourself. You nodded softly with embarrassment causing her to chuckle, "it's not funny" you groaned. 

"Since we last, you know" you paused for a moment as Wanda brushed your baby hairs from your face, "go on darling, tell me." She whispered, sending another shiver down your spine. "I haven't been able to stop thinking about you, and it causes problems" you look at her, "problems only you can fix"

"Well, let's stop the chit chat and fix all those problems you've been having" Wanda smirked before pressing her lips against yours. A faint taste of your cum made you moan softly, remembering just moments ago how well the agent took you. Her hands reached to unbuckle your belt from your wrists, "protection?" she asked. You nodded and waited for your wrists to become free before opening your bedside drawer to grab a condom. 

Without hesitation, Wanda grabbed the wrapper from you and ripped it open with her teeth. She ran her tongue over her bottom lip while keeping eye contact with you as she so effortlessly rolled the condom onto your dick. "Why'd you lie?" you asked, out of curiosity, Wanda shook her head and hushed you with a hungry kiss, biting your bottom lip as she pulled away. 

Her lips kept you distracted while her hands worked on guiding you inside her, she moaned as you stretched her out, kissing you once more as she allowed her body to sink onto you until you bottomed out inside her. "I think about you" she whispered against your lips as you moaned softly at the slight moments over her hips. "I knew it" you smirked before you placed your hands on her hips, Wanda moaned once more as she sped up her actions, riding you just like she did in Greece. 

"F-fuck I've craved this!" she moaned, throwing her head back while her hands landed on top of yours, forcing you to make her ride you harder. "Go on baby, show me how you need it" she spoke, "just this once" she added. 

You felt like you were above the clouds, buried deep inside her like you'd been craving since you left her hotel room that afternoon. With a bit of force, you helped her grind harder against you, her moans made you believe you were going something good until she chuckled. "You're weak baby" she removed your hands, "I'll do it myself" she added before she began to bounce up and down on your length, you gasped at the way her pussy clenched around you, making it almost impossible to keep yourself from cumming too soon. 

"M-mommy, slow down! I'm not going to last" you moaned, your fists gripping the bedsheets until your knuckles went white. "Cum for me baby, I'm not done with yet! Cum with me!" Wanda moaned before you felt her pussy milk you for every last drop the condom caught. In the heat of the moment, you didn't care about anything but making sure her pleasure was dragged out, sitting up, you wrapped your arms around her and began to thrust your hips into her while your lips connected with her neck.

"Oh f-fuck!" she moaned, her nails scratching at your back, "keep going baby, don't you dare fucking stop!" she added while digging her nails into you harder. 

----

"You asked me why I lied" Wanda spoke softly as she pulled apart the small bread roll on her plate. You almost too distracted by her wearing one of your oversized tees as the two of you finally got around to the roast dinner you made hours ago. "Would you have still spoken to me that night if I told you I worked for the FBI?" she added, looking at you with her big green eyes that you now were able to really admire.

"Yes" you replied in a soft tone and a light nod. 

"You're lying, again" Wanda's eyes dropped to the roasted pork between the two of you. "Would you have spoken to me if I said that I noticed you days before I came up to you at the bar?" you asked her, your eyes not moving an inch as she slowly looked up at you. "I had a drink at the bar every night, came in two days before and had dinner. I remember the way your eyes looked in the shitty lighting, almost like they were the brightest thing in the room. I wanted to talk to you right then and there, but you looked so peaceful with your book, I didn't want to interrupt you. But when you came in that night and sat at the bar by yourself, I wasn't going to let another moment slide. So, yes, I would've still spoke to you if you had of been honest" you explained. 

A moment of silence was shared between you both, it was awkward or anything as such but you could tell Wanda was trying to keep her guard up and not allow herself to peel a layer of herself back for you. 

"Did you know green diamonds exist?" you asked, breaking the silence. Wanda shook her head, "aren't they like altered to look green?" she questions causing you to chuckle. "No, they are do exist and they are so rare that less than ten get sold a year. I've only ever seen 1. I thought it was the most beautiful thing I'd ever see and I don't want to sound cheesy but that diamond doesn't come near as close to you" 

Wanda smiled ever so softly that quickly dropped after a moment, "if things were different, I'd be different, but I can't, I'm sorry. You're really, really sweet and we've had fun, but we really can't do this" you could hear the disappointment in her voice even though she tried her best to hide it. "I need to know that you can act like we're never met. When we find out who killed your father, you'll never see me again, do you understand?" 

You couldn't help but sigh, "never met you, never slept with you. Got it" your eyes dropped slightly. Wanda stood up from her seat, "I get changed and go, t-thank you for –"

"It's fine. Take your time" you replied before watching her wander back to your bedroom. While Wanda changed into her original clothes, you tidied the kitchen and dining room. "We'll be touch. We spoke to your grandfather today, again, I'm sorry" Wanda's voice entered the kitchen as you turned to face her, giving her a nod, letting the room fill with silence again as Wanda let herself out. 

Once your front door closed, you reached for your phone, texting Kate. 

"We need to talk. Come over, now."

Taglist: @maria-403 | @arlana-likes-to-write | @randomnessbecausewhynot | @33-mrvl | @kaiidth-wandika | @wandanatss | @gaywalkersworld | @s1ut4nat | @natasha10273 | @deadlynightshade418 | @clintsbigtoe | @justyourwritter69 | @masterofpuppets-10 | @sunsol-22 | @druggedduck | @ohboiiitsbritneeeeey | @likefirenrain | @aloneodi | @bibliophilicbi | @imflemme | @teenybean | 

[flowerandblood]

Glass Cuts Deepest (11)

[ professor! • Aemond x student! • female ]

[ warnings: oral sex, fingering, smut, kissing, fluff, angst, trauma, mention of rape, indecent student-teacher relationship ]

[ description: A female painting student is finally able to choose the specialisation she has dreamt of - stained glass. She wants to become a student of the best specialist in this field, but he, for some reason, refuses to accept female students into his workshop. She finds out that he once slapped a female student of one of the other professors. Nevertheless, she makes an attempt to find out what happened then and to convince him to teach her. Slow burn, sexual tension, dark, agressive Aemond, great childhood traumas. ]

* English is not my first language. Please, do not repost. Enjoy! *

Previous and next chapters: Masterlist

_____

She slept the whole way back to their town in the back seat of the car, exhausted after the all-night vigil and what had happened. Despite how frightening it had been and how much she had suffered seeing him like this, she had regained hope in the morning, seeing him cuddled up to her, sleeping peacefully at last.

He trusted her.

He sought refuge in her when he was most vulnerable.

They decided to exchange phone numbers to keep in touch, and the first day she spent back in her dormitory seemed strange to her. Sitting in her room in the evening, preparing for the exam in Renaissance art history that awaited her in a few days, she had the feeling that he was about to knock on her door.

However, nothing of that sort happened.

Neither of them wrote to each other that night, apparently afraid to impose on each other, recognising that they both needed to sort it all out in their heads.

She kept waking up and curling up in her bed, so in the morning she gave in, deciding that she would go to the workshop earlier and try to study there, hoping to meet him inside. She went into the bathroom to change before going in, then started down the corridor towards their classrooms and was surprised to find that the lights were already on in them.

When she looked inside she met his puzzled, horrified gaze − he was just leaning over a sheet of glass from which he was cutting out parts for his own project. They stared at each other for a moment in awkward silence, she felt like her heart was about to burst out of her chest.

She couldn't stop thinking about how good he looked in his black, tight t-shirt tucked into his trousers, accentuating his athletic figure perfectly.

She thought with tenderness that they were dressed alike.

"Good morning." She said softly, recognising that she should speak up, and felt her chest heat when she saw that his lips twitched in a smile, his gaze softening. He grunted quietly, scratching his cheek with his thumb, pretending he felt nothing at the sight of her.

"Good morning." He replied lowly, watching as she moved to the last table, where she always worked.

"− you don't have to − you know −" He said casually, clearly feeling bad about the fact that all this time he had been wordlessly forcing her to always stay back. Only now did she see that he was working at his table positioned so that he could see her.

"We were supposed to behave as we did before." She reminded him calmly, looking at him warmly from afar, slipping her backpack off and placing it on one of the wooden stools standing next to her. "Is it clear yet what new task our workshop will be handling?"

He nodded, trying not to look at her, but he was clearly at a loss with himself, glancing at her from time to time, his lips tightening.

"− yes − yes, you as students will be helping me with another big project, you'll do the side quarters and backgrounds. When everyone gathers, I will show you my design and divide up everyone's tasks." He said calmly, glancing at her again with some kind of desire and distress. She let the air out through her nose and held out her hand to him.

Their class was only starting in an hour.

"Come now, while no one else is here." She said softly, and he immediately moved towards her, as if he was just waiting for those words.

Without even touching her hand, he grasped her cheeks and pressed himself to her mouth, kissing her greedily, longingly and tenderly, teasing her lips with his, brushing the tip of his tongue against hers.

She slid her hand into his hair and heard him murmur softly as she drew him closer to her, reciprocating his kiss with devotion, delighting in the softness and moistness of his mouth, the taste of his saliva on her tongue, his hands roaming over her cheeks, her neck, her back, as if he wanted to touch her everywhere, to enjoy this momentary closeness.

They kissed like mad, like lovers who met in seclusion for a few minutes once in a couple of days, just to taste their closeness, hiding from the whole world. She sighed into his mouth as he pulled away from her and pressed her forehead to his, clamping his hand on her back, forcing her to cling to his body, to feel what was happening in his trousers.

He was completely hard.

"I've been suffering like this since the moment you walked into this room." He exhaled, rubbing his hips against her, his lips brushing hers teasingly, barely touching her fleshy structure. She shuddered all over at his words, feeling the delightful squeeze between her thighs, moisture running down her skin.

"I'm sorry, Professor." She whispered softly, innocently, running her lower lip over his mouth, and he bit her lightly, drawing a quiet moan of surprise from her.

"− I can't − come to my place tonight − I need you by my side −" He muttered in a voice trembling with arousal, she felt his manhood throbbing hard, the tip of his nose trailing along her cheek.

"− I have to study for an exam −" She mumbled out, combing her fingers through his hair, feeling her head spin from his scent, from the movement of his hips rubbing against her.

He kissed her cheek, leaving a wet, warm trail on her skin.

"− when we're done, I'll let you learn − I promise −" He whispered and she felt herself shudder at his words, his tongue invading between her lips again, as if he couldn't stand it, as if the very thought of her lying beside him at night made him lose his temper.

When we're done, I'll let you learn.

God.

How was she supposed to stand up to him.

"− okay −" Was all she was able to get out of herself between their loud, quick, impatient kisses, his arms holding her in a tight embrace. He finally pulled away from her, breathing hard, trailing his fingers along the skin of her neck.

"I'll pick you up." He muttered, but she shook her head.

"No, I'll order an Uber or a taxi." She said calmly, placing her hands on his chest and saw him furrow his brow. "Someone might see us. Like right now."

He swallowed loudly and nodded, reminding himself of the promise he'd made to her.

He had promised her that he would protect her.

He let her go and grunted, standing with his hands folded in front of him as if he wanted to cover up what was going on in his trousers. He looked away, licking his lips with his tongue on which he could certainly still taste her saliva and her flesh.

"I'll write you my address in a message. Okay?" He asked matter-of-factly, trying to get back to his role, and she smiled and nodded.

She wanted this.

She wanted to be there for him.

He went back to his work, and she sat on a stool at her table, sinking into her art history notes, trying to concentrate, hearing the swish and clink of glass being cut and broken in the background.

She smiled as one by one her colleagues began to come inside, Ned and Royce approached her curiously, wanting to draw out of her what the final result of their work looked like. They stood behind her as she opened the photo on her phone for them and zoomed in on the details so they could see the whole thing.

"Wow. Amazing. Will you send me that photo? I want to show it off to my mum." Ned grinned and she nodded, proud of how it all looked recognising that they all had done a great job.

She talked to them for a while longer, trying not to laugh seeing how her professor was trying not to glance in their direction with the last of his strong will − she could see that his lips were tightened, that he was jealous, that he was angry that he himself could not come up to her and talk to her so lightly when he wanted nothing else now.

When everyone had gathered, he ordered a meeting in the room with the big table where they had sat during their first classes, which was a kind of meeting room. The professor and Cregan always sat at the top of the table, having a erasable whiteboard next to them on which they wrote things down − their professor now did exactly the same, taking a dry erase marker and starting to write, speaking at the same time.

"The next project we will be tackling will be stained glass windows consisting of five large panels, where the middle one is the largest of all. The client has requested, given that it is a church named after St Michael the Archangel, that all the quatrefoils depict a huge Last Judgement with a representation of Michael the Archangel at the very centre, referring to Hans Memling's painterly depiction.

However, as you know, Memling's work is a triptych, and we have five windows. So I decided that we would simply expand the whole scene, in addition to people entering hell and heaven by introducing figures of saints and famous people considered condemned. It's going to be a very complicated, big project and I assume we'll be working on it for this, and all of next semester. Perhaps longer." He said, writing everything down on the board, and she took notes, knowing exactly the painting he was talking about, imagining with excitement how wonderful it will have to look when they are done.

"There will be plenty of work to do, as well as figures to make, so it will be a chance for everyone to test themselves in this type of painting, including the second year. In the next class, we will gather in the studio and together with Cregan show what painting techniques we use to create faces and bodies and how to avoid basic mistakes. This lecture will be compulsory for second year students only, if a third or fourth year feels like coming, they can do so too." He said in a calm, low voice, scratching his forehead thoughtfully as to whether he had said everything he wanted to talk about, then glanced at her and stammered, completely losing his thread.

"− yes − well, I think that's it, if I remember anything I'll let you know. The project is already prepared by me at 1:1 scale, you just need to cut it up, Cregan will distribute to you the tasks and figures you will work on. We are both available to you if you have any questions." He muttered, embarrassed that he wasn't able to concentrate around her, but she felt nothing but admiration towards him, seeing how committed he was, how much of his time and effort he was putting into making them good specialists and artists, to really educate them.

She thought with sadness that he really was a good teacher.

That if it wasn't for the trauma that was destroying him from the inside, he would have been adored by everyone.

She spent the whole day with the others cutting out and numbering stencils for the glass − Cregan had assigned her as many as four small celestial figures and part of a background, which pleased her a lot, because she felt that she wanted to try more already, to paint more complicated things.

She noted with satisfaction that she and her colleagues had tasks of similar difficulty and felt relieved that what she thought was working.

He didn't single her out or make anything easier for her.

She worked exactly as others did.

When she finished her work she packed up, hurried along with her colleagues to other classes and threw everyone only a quick goodbye, meeting his gaze on the way, smiling involuntarily at him and leaving.

She thought hopefully that this could work.

That if they focused on their job and left the tenderness for the time when they were just alone with each other, then maybe no one would ever know about it.

As soon as she left she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket and saw that she had received a message from him. She typed him in as Adam, so that no one looking over her shoulder would catch on to who she was texting.

She smiled under her breath as she looked at her phone, Ned poked her with his elbow, looking at her amused.

"A date?" He asked provocatively, and she giggled, pushing him away from her with a hooked, collegiate gesture.

"None of your business."

When she returned to her dorm room she immediately ran to take a shower, changed her clothes and packed all the things she needed in her backpack.

She figured that since she wasn't coming to his class she could dress normally, so she put on her light cream dress, white high socks and trainers and quickly found some free Uber on her app. She felt the vibrations again, and after a while she saw his message in her notifications.

She smiled, walking out in front of the building, all warm with emotion, writing him off quickly.

After a while her driver pulled up, she greeted him politely and they set off. He lived fifteen minutes away from her dorm, so it wasn't a long journey. She approached the right entrance staircase and dialled the correct number with a trembling hand.

A moment later, she heard the sound of confirmation and the vibration of the door lock indicating that she could get inside. She literally ran up to his floor and knocked quietly, standing outside his door excitedly.

She heard footsteps and the sound of the lock being turned, then a moment later the door opened and she saw her professor, at once pale and excited, looking at her as if she were some kind of ghost.

He invited her in by simply stepping back and allowing her to enter, closing the door behind her, not saying a word to her. She bent down to untie her trainers and pulled them off, clutching her backpack in her hands, looking at him questioningly, not knowing what to do with herself.

She saw that he was looking at her dress with big eyes and realised that, apart from the evenings during which she was only in her pyjamas, he hadn't seen her in the clothes she usually wore every day. She blinked, frightened that perhaps that woman was wearing dresses, that perhaps it reminded him of something from that event.

"If there's something wrong, I'll change. I took my things." She said quickly, concernedly pointing to her backpack. He furrowed his eyebrows, lifting his gaze to her, looking at her as if he didn't understand her question.

"What? No, no. Come in. Are you hungry? I'm just heating up dinner." He said, scratching his temple with his finger, stepping around her, not even looking at her.

She followed him inside, heading down the corridor to a sizable living room with a kitchenette on the right, the room's windows overlooking a nice panoramic view of the city. She saw that he had the oven on and was just baking duck legs in some sort of sauce.

She felt a burbling in her stomach; she hadn't eaten anything since the morning, and had only popped into her room for a moment. She put her backpack next to his couch, not knowing what to do with it.

"Yeah, I'd love to." She said softly, following him into the kitchen, folding her arms in front of her, embarrassed, looking around, feeling her heart pounding hard.

His flat was full of old furniture and antiques, and she noticed three bookcases standing between the windows filled to the brim with books she was going to look at later. She heard the clatter of plates and saw that he had placed them on the kitchen counter, which also had the function of a two-sided table and bar.

He scratched his chin with his thumb as if he didn't know if he should ask the question.

"Would you like wine with dinner? Or orange juice?" He asked, and she swallowed loudly, recognising that alcohol could only harm her now and tangle her tongue. She sat down opposite him in a high chair, adjusting her dress.

"I'll have a juice, please." She said warmly, smiling, and he nodded, tense, pulling a carton of orange juice from the cupboard.

She wondered if he had ever invited a woman here.

Had he invited anyone here.

She was invading his space at his request but he clearly didn't know how he felt about it himself.

She decided to broach the subject that seemed safest to her and thought it would loosen him up.

"I'm looking forward to the workshop tomorrow. I really want to finally be able to paint figures, I've been waiting for it a lot." She said sincerely, looking at his reaction. He glanced at her curiously and hummed under his breath, pouring her juice into a glass.

"Well, it can be frustrating at first and the results can be unsatisfactory, but it's a matter of practice and using the tools properly." He said calmly, looking at her again, and she nodded.

He lowered his gaze, looking away from her again, acknowledging that the meat was ready. When he opened the oven hot steam flew out of it, so she walked over to help him.

They put food on each other's plates and started to eat in silence.

She tried not to smile or laugh seeing how tense he was, how much he was going through this knowing that he didn't find it funny, but she couldn't help thinking that they really were acting like embarrassed teenagers.

"Where am I going to sleep?" She asked suddenly between one bite and the other, and he almost choked, looking at her in shock, tightening his lips, thinking hard about what he should answer.

"…it's up to you. I can sleep on the couch." He said cautiously after a moment's thought, as if he was afraid to say what he'd been thinking about all along, and what was surely in both of their minds.

"What if I don't want you to sleep on the couch?" She asked quietly, putting down her fork − he reached involuntarily for his wine glass to take a loud sip from it, trying to give himself more time to react.

He didn't answer but just stared at her and it was the most intense gaze she had ever seen in her life. He was biting his lower lip, breathing anxiously, as if he realised that they were both pretending to play a game of politeness by feigning a simple casual meeting.

She thought for sure he had contrived that afterwards they would act like they were watching something or talking about anything, and by complete coincidence his mouth would suddenly be on hers and his hand in her underwear, and then he would accidentally bring her to fulfilment without listening to what the characters in the show he had turned on were saying.

She saw it in the look in his eyes and decided to take pity on him.

Over him and over herself.

"Will you show me your bedroom?" She asked softly, lightly, as if asking him to show her his living room or office, nothing obliging. His pupil dilated and he took a deep breath, his hand outstretched on the tabletop clenched into a fist.

"Are you sure you want this?" He asked lowly, looking at her all the time − she felt a powerful shudder and pulsation between her thighs at his question, dark, ambiguous, final.

She nodded, and he swallowed loudly, glancing at the whole of her silhouette which he could see over the table before he hummed and stood up, waiting for her to follow him.

She moved with him through the corridor to one of the closed rooms. He stepped inside and switched on a lamp − the warm light illuminated a large double bed with dark, fresh linen, a night table and a huge black wardrobe with a mirror in one of the sliding doors, standing on the opposite side against the wall.

She swallowed quietly, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye, meeting his gaze. He stood a few steps away from her, watching her every move.

He watched her as, with a quiet, unhurried step, she approached his bed and lay down on his bedding, smelling the pleasant scent of washing powder. She lay on her stomach, not looking at him, cuddling her cheek into one of his pillows, looking at the lamp standing on the small table beside him.

She heard him move and came closer, felt the mattress bend soundlessly under his weight. She shuddered and drew in a loud breath as she felt him lift the material of her dress, exposing her buttocks. She squeezed her eyes shut and sighed quietly as his large hand carefully touched one of them, tracing his fingers over her warm skin.

She felt him move further away after a moment, placing his hands on either side of her head, one of them gently taking her hair, and after a moment his warm lips were on her neck, placing a soft, wet kiss on her skin.

She clasped her hands together on the bedclothes when she felt one of his hands slip under her stomach, then he pressed her with his body from above so that she could not move − she felt his hard manhood hidden in his trousers impatiently pulsate as he felt her naked buttocks beneath him.

Involuntarily her breathing quickened, the space between her thighs clenched desperately as his fingers slid lower under her belly, pulling up the material of her dress, finally finding what he wanted under her underwear.

He shushed her when she moaned softly, his fingers with sure, steady movements spreading her wetness around her puffy clit, barely teasing it, his lips rising to her cheek, his breathing shuddering and uneven.

"− have you been this wet since you came in here? − or maybe since this morning? −" He hummed, trailing his lips over her soft skin − she involuntarily rubbed her buttocks against his manhood, licking her lips.

"− it's your fault, Professor −" She mumbled out with difficulty, feeling arousal and a shudder at the use of his academic title in such a situation, in such a context. She heard him groan in surprise, his length rubbing against her buttocks, impatient and swollen.

"− mine? − because I take care of my student's needs like any good Professor in my position? −" He asked tauntingly, enveloping her ear with his warm breath, his words resounding like a murmur.

She squeezed her eyes shut, hearing with shame that what he was saying was making his movements of his fingers accompanied by an increasingly loud click of her moisture, involuntarily she began to quietly moan and pant, clasping her hands on his pillow.

They both sighed quietly as she opened her legs slightly, making it easier for his fingers to move wider, the tips of his fingers digging into her sensitive, slick folds.

"− I need this − please −" She mumbled out, moaning along with him, his hips moving with her, pressing his manhood between her buttocks − she could feel how hard he was, that his control over what was happening had completely relaxed him.

"− I know −" He breathed out and she gasped in surprise, feeling a powerful shiver of pleasure as the tip of his finger slid between her fleshy, throbbing walls.

"− shhh −" He hushed her, not letting her move even though she needed it so badly, needed to feel him deeper, harder.

"− please − ah − please − please −" She mewled, no longer able to form any meaningful sentences, feeling like she was going mad with arousal, her core throbbing all over in painful tension and anticipation.

"− please, what? − don't be disrespectful, title me properly −" He grunted warningly, biting her skin lightly, his finger barely teasing her entrance, sliding in and out, massaging her around her clit again, driving her insane.

"− please, Professor − please, I've been waiting for this all day −" She confessed with shame, and he chuckled at her words, finally sliding his finger all the way inside her hot core, panting along with her. She cried out loudly, pressing her face against the pillow, feeling that she was on the verge of orgasm.

"− soaking wet for her Professor − fuck − you're a very dedicated student, aren't you? −" He whispered into her ear, with a quick, sure movement sliding his finger in and out of her, the loud click of her sticky moisture accompanied his every move, he deliberately pressed the top wall above her entrance, searching for her hidden spot.

"− yes − God − yes, yes, please! −" She cried out when he finally found what he was looking for − he groaned loudly when he felt her come all over his hand after squeezing this spot a few times, panting all over, squeezing him from all sides, her moisture beginning to run down over his fingers.

"− fuck − what a little mess you are −" He purred, kissing her cheek tenderly, fucking her with his fingers through her peak, ignoring her moans from overstimulation.

"− don't move − okay? −" He asked, panting loudly, himself on the brink of orgasm, and she nodded, seeing or hearing very little, stunned by the pleasure her fulfilment gave her.

She heard him rise up on his knees, unbuttoning his trousers, jerking himself off with quick, sure strokes, moaning helplessly. She swallowed loudly, ashamed of what she was thinking about, what she wanted.

She wanted to give him the opportunity to break through, to experience her closeness.

"Can I kiss you there?" She asked quietly, in a trembling uncertain voice, and heard him freeze suddenly, breathing unevenly, not believing what he was hearing.

"What?"

"You could lie on your back and massage yourself, and I would kiss you there. I wouldn't touch you with my hands, just my lips and tongue. I've never done that before, so it would be our first time." She whispered, not daring to look at him, fiddling with the fabric of the pillow on which her head just lay.

She heard him swallow loudly, shocked.

"− I − God − I don't know − I wouldn't want to hurt you − force you to do things like that, humiliate you −" He muttered obviously horrified by this vision, and she shook her head quickly feeling her heart pounding hard.

"− I want to try it − I'll tell you if it feels uncomfortable and you can do exactly the same − you don't feel bad when I kiss you, just when I touch you with my hands − I thought maybe this is our way to your fulfilment together −" She explained and a long silence full of tension answered her.

"−… will you tell me if there is something wrong? −" He asked in a trembling voice and she nodded quickly.

He swallowed loudly and laid down on his back beside her, looking at her terrified, his trousers unbuttoned but he hid his manhood in his boxers, ashamed. He stared at her frozen, seeing her rise slowly and shift on her knees, laying on her stomach between his thighs, not even touching him.

She lifted her feet, wiggling her calves in a light gesture of anticipation, resting on her elbows, looking at him with warm, understanding eyes.

"So?" She asked softly, seeing that he was terrified because of many things at once − she watched him carefully and saw no sign of a panic attack so far.

He licked his lips in a nervous gesture, looking at her helplessly, wanting this and fearing another disappointment.

"If it goes wrong − what do I say?" He asked in a weak, trembling voice, breathing unevenly. She looked at him with understanding, knowing that she would have to be very careful and very slow with any movements or gestures.

"− say slower if you feel it's right but things are happening too fast, or faster if it's too slow. If you feel bad say stop and I'll pull away immediately −" She said what she thought made the most sense, wanting him to still have a total sense of control.

"− and if I − you know −" He muttered, and she pressed her lips together at the thought that he was afraid he'd cum inside her mouth.

"− well − Eve was the first to taste the forbidden fruit, wasn't she? −" She asked softly and he swallowed loudly, looking down at her with big eyes − she saw his manhood pulsed hard under the black material of his boxers. She lifted her gaze to him, seeing that he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

"− touch yourself as you always do and just say if what I'm going to do makes you uncomfortable − remember this is time for you and your pleasure −" She assured him with warmth in her voice, something in her words calmed him because he let out a loud breath.

He tilted his head back, closing his eyes, his trembling hand went under the material of his boxers, pushing them back a little, squeezing firmly on what was under them.

She pressed her lips together seeing that God did not skimp on his size, his length pulsed all over, swollen and hard − she could see veins showing through from under his skin, the tip of it pink and sticky from his own moisture.

She heard him sigh as he began to stroke himself, clearly like her waiting all day to relieve himself. He groaned and gasped as she leaned towards him and merely brushed his long manhood with her lips.

She lifted her gaze to his face and saw that he was looking at her aroused and surprised, not stopping to massage himself, apparently amazed that it was pleasant after all.

Encouraged by the lack of expression of discomfort or pain on his face, she leaned in again, this time adding the tip of her tongue to her lips and ran it upwards, teasing him − he smelled fresh and soapy, she thought he had showered before she came.

"− fuck −" He muttered, tilting his head back, panting heavily, jerking himself with increasing speed.

She kissed him more and more confidently, wanting to prepare him for what she was about to do, rising higher and higher until she reached the very tip of him.

As she parted her mouth and slid the fat head of his cock between her lips, teasing him with the tip of her tongue, she heard him gasp loudly, an involuntary movement of her hips sliding it deeper into her throat.

"− oh, God − please −" He mumbled out with increasingly ragged, loud breaths, his free hand went to her hair, holding her close. She felt her walls clench around nothing from his reaction, her heart pounding like mad.

He was enjoying this.

Encouraged by his reactions and the fact that she herself felt no discomfort, she slipped it deep into her mouth and began to suck his cock with a loud click of her saliva as, at the same time, his hand massaged it with quick, sure movements at the base.

"− faster − ah, fuck, squeeze me here −" He exhaled, gripping her hand in his, clenching it with his fingers where her mouth couldn't reach. She began to stroke him, squeezing him with firm, light movements − he sobbed loudly, pulsing hard in her mouth, the thrusts of his hips pushing his cock deep into her throat, making her gag.

"− forgive me − fuck, 'm gonna cum −" He mumbled out with difficulty and groaned loudly in relief. She felt something salty, viscous and sticky spill into her mouth and swallowed it with difficulty, breathing loudly through her nose as she felt his manhood pulsing hard and quivering between her lips, delicate and hypersensitive.

"− fuck − fuck, baby − oh my God −" He panted quietly, lying with his head tilted back, his lips parted, his eyes closed in blissful relief from pleasure.

His hand let go of hers so she immediately took it from his manhood and slid him out of her mouth, not wanting to overdo it, knowing that what had happened was groundbreaking for both of them.

He opened his eyes lazily, looking down at her at last, licking his lips dried from exertion.

"− you are indeed my revelation −" He whispered and smiled shyly, boyishly, happy.

It had worked.

He grasped the material of her dress with his hand and drew her to him, embracing her on with his arms − she snuggled into his chest, placing her hands where he let her.

"Are you okay?" He whispered and she nodded quickly, snuggling closer to him, listening to the rapid beat of his heart as he played with her hair between his fingers, stroking her head.

"− move in with me −" He whispered, and she froze, not believing he had said it.

They had been together, if she could even call it that, for three days, and he was propositioning her to move in with him.

"− I know it's too soon, I know, but − yesterday when I was lying here without you − I don't know − I'm not sure I'll ever be able to sleep peacefully without you by my side again − I have one room that is my gym, but it could be yours −" He spoke quickly, clearly embarrassed by his own proposal, afraid of what she would respond to it.

She swallowed loudly, thinking strenuously.

"− I think I wouldn't want to give up my room for now − however, if you want, I can keep some of my things at your place and come to you for the night −" She said warmly, glancing at his reaction. He pressed his lips together and nodded, disappointed and ashamed at his desperation.

"− I'm yours −" She whispered, kissing his jaw softly, and he hummed under his breath, stroking her head and back tenderly.

"− so − will you come tomorrow too? −" He asked uncertainly, and she smiled under her breath.

"Yes."

_____

Aemond Taglist:

(bold means I couldn't tag you)

@its-actually-minicika @notnormalthings-blog @nikstrange @zenka69 @bellaisasleep @k-y-r-a-1 @g-cf2020 @melsunshine @opheliaas-stuff @chainsawsangel @iiamthehybrid @tinykryptonitewerewolf @namoreno @malfoytargaryen @qyburnsghost @aemondsdelight @persephonerinyes @fan-goddess

[ihatepeanutss]

cause when you know, you know

everyone had realized that steve was hopelessly in love with you and you with him, you were simply the two fools in love in not realizing it

warnings: fem reader! steve’s love language is acts of service, fluff, inspire on lana song’s margaret bcs when you know you know ♡ reader being steve’s girl

the first person to notice was eleven, according to his words he had never seen steve so attentive to someone, not since nancy.

they had organized a small meeting to be able to watch movies on the great harrington television, nancy had attended and jonathan too, practically all were there.

“steve will come in a moment” robin entered the room with a bowl of pop corn and cans of coca cola, his gaze went to you and pointed to the kitchen with his head “ask that if you want iced or unfrozen coca cola, ice apart-“

“uhm, it doesn’t matter” you answered from your place, the individual sofa that steve had made Eddie give you as soon as you get home after work, with a book on your lap you watched Robin nod

robin walked to the kitchen and saw the small bowls full of sweets, steve was not someone sweet, he liked peanuts, pringles and pretzels, clearly this was not for him but he knew your favorite sweets.

m&m, only the yellow and green ones, sugary gummies that only sold in family video and some licorice cut in half, sweets that the children would not pay attention to if steve had made two different types of popcorn.

robin took out two more cans and noticed a fourth, fifth and sixth can of a different color... sugar-free coke, it was silver and different from the regular one

“something else?” the redhead raised her eyebrows towards her best friend and he denied

“no, i just wanted you to take that and take it” steve extended the potatoes and some pretzels “the beers are outside, max has his sandwiches and-“ steve interrupted himself before taking out the can of coke zero, a glass and in another ice to put them on the wooden tray next to the candies.

eleven was an observer, she liked to look, read people, analyze and then judge alone or with someone, lately she was max, the freckled redhead who was recovering from her last most recent injury, her broken wrist thanks to skateboarding.

“steve spends a lot of time in the kitchen whenever we come here” Max murmured taking a handful of popcorn, it was his conversation with him, soft and safe.

“steve wants to impress y/n” eleven replied without looking up at the magazine he had on his lap and heard Max laugh softly “he was serious, max”

max looked up and watched you carefully, you were reading one of your favorite books while you bit your fingers, steve had picked you up at work. the book store that they had opened a few months ago and you had taken care of being there since its inauguration.

max watched steve come out of the kitchen with the tray and with robin behind with more food, the tray full of sweets, different sweets that she would not eat in her life, maybe dustin if they gave her money but in her life they would touch a licorice, a coke zero. ice but with ice in a glass.

“you don’t eat licorice, dustin hates the m&m, dobin hates the reese and no one eats those,” eleven murmured as he let out a sigh before laughing.

they heard you thank steve and max let out a loud sigh to look at lucas “why aren’t you like that?”

robin watched eddie and eddie watched robin before letting out a laugh at the same time while still seeing steve eating from his pretzel while he was looking at a magazine you had brought for him.

robin was really the first to realize it, but nancy and jonathan were officially the second to notice it.

you work was not so far from the newspaper from where she worked together with jonathan, it was close to the center but far from where you lived and where you spent the most time, steve’s house and the byers.

you had a car but you used your bike mostly in your morning and afternoon shifts but Steve hated you to use your white bike at night, especially when he knew your shortcuts to get there, the forest or the road.

“isn’t that steve?” jonathan pointed to steve’s car parked and completely turned off, in front of your work. “well, his car”

nancy nodded as she began to walk with jonathan, Will and Eleven towards the book store, with the “CLOSED” sign on the glass and the lights on she could see you on the floor with books around while steve moved some boxes

“what is he doing?” will questioned before he felt steps next to him

“helping her with the inventory” robin responded looking at them with bags in his hands, food to take away “and y/n she has to do the inventory at least twice a week and steve comes to help her”

“i didn’t even make the inventory in family video or at dinner” nancy spoke raising her eyebrow and Robin nodded

“i know, steve hates doing the inventory but y/n? she loves it” robin replied looking at the four curious people waiting for more answers “....while she makes the inventory she makes three rows, the ones she wants to buy, the ones she will read between shifts and the ones that steve and i may like”

“steve’s reads?” jonathan joked and robin laugh

“no, he doesn’t but for her she does” the redhead laughed as she began to walk towards the door “see you on friday, guys”

when she disappeared from their views, eleven looked at nancy and will a jonathan, they had talked about it, but it was a very on the table to joke.

“i can’t believe it...steve is in love,” jonathan murmured, “he’s in love with a girl who seems to easily reject him if she want it ”

“i know” eleven murmured raising her shoulders and nancy laughed

eddie was the one who made dustin notice it, it wasn’t really much work

“why are we going to steve’s house at this time? we should be on our way to the record store, eddie” dustim complained as he let out a really frustrated sigh

“i have to take my toolbox to Harrington, he called me before leaving and he has saved my ass many times” eddie replied looking at the road “i wonder why i needed it”

“fix something, genius” dustin spoke in an obvious tone before receiving a blow to the back of his neck “ouch”

when he arrived at the Harrington house, Eddie left and Dustin’s curiosity followed him until he ended up in his yard, your white bicycle was lying on the floor while steve rebuilt his light brown artificial straw basket.

“there you are” eddie took his toolbox and put it on the floor looking at the bicycle on the floor “what happened here?”

“i’m fixing y/n’s bike, she mentioned that it had no maintenance and i’m checking it” steve responded calmly by repairing the bicycle

“and...why don’t you take her to the store? eddie pue-“ dustin was going to continue but his gaze landed on you, sitting on the glass patio table under the umbrella with a flower dress, glasses, a coke with ice and reading a book “hey y/n!”

“hello dustin!” you smiled raising your gaze “hello eddie” showing your teeth you smiled again and steve looked at the boys finishing the basket he had made

“thank you for the eddie tools; I owe you one” steve smiled slightly before looking at the tires of the bicycle “I will stop by the store to inflate the tires, will it be wayne ?”

“the old man lives in that place since we opened it” eddie joked before hitting dustin “we’re leaving, enjoy your evening, guys”

“that was-“ dustin began to talk and Eddie nodded.

“every two or three weeks” eddie raised his shoulders as if nothing “yes, it’s not the bicycle, he carries the y/n car and makes us crash it four or five times”

“but y/n doesn’t have a driver’s license” dustin spoke by opening the passenger seat “ah- ouuh I understand”

“how could you notice that about steve?” eddie questioned by turning on the car

“steve cares about everyone, even you,” dustin simply replied, “seeing him do this is normal”

“uhm as if i had ever brought you a source exclusively of sweets on movie night” eddie annoyed dustin

max, lucas, joyce and hopper were the next, four to realize.

“does anyone know when steve will arrive? i need him to show us the way to be able to go quietly in joyce’s car with the children” hopper approached jonathan and he gently denied

joyce told every human being that she would go, max, lucas, dustin, will, mike érica, and eleven check, robin, nancy, jonathan and eddie check, y/n and steve, no check.

“two of all of them here are missing, and one of them owns the place,” joyce reported as she watched everyone deny

“y/n works today” max spoke while eating his chips “afternoon shift”

as if it were magic, steve’s car was parked on the sidewalk of the hoppers as he went out and opened the back seat and you left the co-driver’s seat to open the trunk.

“i’m sorry for the late, i couldn’t close the door and steve had to help” you apologized by taking the suitcases of max, érica, dustin and lucas to put them away to approach joyce and give her a hug.

“steve went to work for you?” hopper question and you nodded

“i didn’t take my bike, it was going to take up a lot of space in the trunk and no suitcase was going to fit,” you replied receiving the drink that steve extended to you, “are we going?”

both joyce and hopper always had a small space for steve, who had given his body, strength and sacrifice in addition to sweat and blood for those children without control. this was new news for joyce, who kept in touch with steve weekly

“don’t say anything, we know,” jonathan responded by looking at you getting into the car with the help of steve, closing the co-pilot’s door before getting in the car and asking the boys something.

max and lucas were the ones who noticed the tension, steve was the one who guided the road, three stops to go to the bathroom and in all of them he went to the store to buy you something, anything but he came out with a bag and if he remembered something for them too, a stop at a hamburger restaurant and he was the one who asked for your order and paid.

small actions that showed great feelings was what max in the middle of the road while you were sleeping and steve had turned down the music.

you used to be very reserved in the group, you joined thanks to your closeness with dustin but you never knew what happened until max was the one who called you to go to the byers’ house because they needed help with a problem.

the problem was steve harrington beaten by billy, from there you started to frequent and now you were the center of the universe for steve.

it didn’t matter who wanted to go out with steve, him was watching you.

the moon wanted the attention of the sun but the sun was very focused on the earth.

♡.

who spilled the drop of the vessel was érica, she was the youngest of the group but the most daring, fast and intelligent, she had the ability to put things in their place and make people uncomfortable if she wanted to.

like now, great barbecue, excellent attention, you hated the sun and although steve convinced you to go out you decided to stay close to joyce and hopper while you read a book and talked with joyce and from time to time with robin when you put a blocker on his face.

eddie took the hot dog that steve asked him for and érica watched him, he watched you while you were talking to joyce but steve was focusing on you.

“when will you tell her that you’re dying for her?” erica spoke making even nancy stop doing what she was doing from where she was not far from the pool, steve under her sunglasses and observed érica “what?”

“what about what? what are you talking about, girl? i’m not in love with y/n” steve bit his hot dog “we’re just friends”

“you do things for her” érica rubbed her in the face

“i do things for everyone” steve defended himself foolishly

“can you fix my bike?” dustin looked at steve and he denied

“of course not, take her to eddie’s store, he can see her,” steve replied rolling his eyes and everyone looked at him... he fixed and checked your bike biblically every two weeks “oh come on, i’ll do more things for everyone”

“we worked two years in family video and a summer in scoops today, you never made the inventory,” robin pointed out, judging him

“you’ve never removed the nuts from my deliveries and I’m allergic to them” dustin did the same

“or you’ve never almost run out of a place when we call you and ask for a pull to any side” lucas continued

“since i met you, the only time you told me a candy was by mistake,” eleven said.

“here the important thing is that steve reads for that girl” jonathan murmured still surprised at what he hear

“do you want to hear something more cheesy?” robin looked defiantly at steve and then at Jonathan when the seat “he bought her the row of books that she made that night from the inventory”

steve let out a sigh and looked at everyone giving them good points about the fact that he was in love with you and went crazy about your existence, they were right but he was afraid of a very internal one that he didn’t want to admit.

“well, i like her,” steve acknowledged, “but not because i like her, i taake care of her, she is practically alone here and-“ steve was going to continue but eddie interrupted him

“shhhh- hey and/n what’s going on?” eddie looked at your heels, because you liked those beach heels and they were beautiful and pink, also a gift from steve

“joyce and i will go for something and i need the keys, sir” you went to steve and he nodded getting up from the floor starting to walk with you towards his jacket “all right?

“yes, so-....uhm, can we talk later? when everyone is in their rooms” the chestnut asked as he handed out the keys to you and you nodded

“when will you tell him that you are in love with him?” joyce questioned you as soon as they left the house and got in the car “hey, don’t look at me like that”

your relationship with the people who were your family was not satisfactory enough for you and joyce was the closest thing to a maternal figure.

“i’m not in love with steve” you murmured looking at steve’s car, every night shift steve went to your work in pajamas, red checkered pants or his gray divers and a black t-shirt to pick you up and leave you at home safe and sound, he didn’t care that your bike dirtyed its trunk upholstery “….well maybe”

“honey , you can lie to me or try, i, joyce maldonado i can assure you that you have to do it now” joyce spoke while driving “i met hopps when i was approximately twelve years old, in high school I fell in love with him and when i rejected him for my children’s father we didn’t meet again until after 20 years old” she expressed vaguely

“if your point was to encourage me, you’re not neuron successful”

“my point is... don’t stay where i stay, maybe my destiny was to have my two wonderful children but hopper was the one who was closer to them than his own father, i never gave myself the opportunity to look at him with other eyes of ‘it’s just a friend’s just a friend’t takes you at two in the morning because of cravings or because of your contractions he takes you to the hospital” Joyce river softly “when you know, you know, honey”

“steve is the only person i have here” you acknowledged “recognizing that i like it is uhm. betray what i told myself when i met him and saved me from that crack when the mall happened. i couldn’t afford to be alone again”

“and i know that now i have eddie and robin but no one like steve, steve- steve is very sweet to me, even when we were at school, everyone was too kind to me even when i was only with Jonathan” you continued and joyce nodded

“just remember it, honey, when you know you know”

when you know, you know.

steve kept his word when he said he wanted to talk to you when no one was around.

the country house belonged to his parents but he had obtained permission to take it for a few days and the yard was his favorite place in the house, later there was a small wooden kazeebo and that’s where you were waiting for him, biting your lips and nails from anxiety.

“hey, i’m sorry for make you wait” steve smiled showing the moderately large paper bag “i had to go for this without anyone seeing it”

you nodded nervously, you felt that you were going to pee in your pants and that you would have to sink into the bathtub in the bathroom in your room, because steve gave you his room in the house.

“steve, we have to talk well- i, i have to talk” you moved your gaze towards steve before playing with your hands “joyce is right”

“hopper is right,” steve murmured back.

“to let my feelings eat me is a good idea for my mental and emotional health, the last thing I want is to lose you because you are my best friend and probably the only one i can count on because Eddie never answers calls and- god verbal vomiting, i’m sorry, steve harrington i like you”

you expected a ‘i only see you as friends’ ‘but you are a little sister to me’ never expecting for

“i feel exactly the same for you,” steve replied, looking at you open your eyes in surprise, making him laugh, “all right?”

“pffff of course....no” you laughed nervously while you let out a laugh again “now what do you do?”

“i haven’t been in a relationship since I was seventeen” steve responded by raising his shoulders getting closer to you and wrapping your arm around your shoulder attracting you towards the “but i brought this”

“did you bring my dignity?” normally those were your jokes and he was very aware of them but he denied

“i bringed sweets and something for you, i would usually have given it to you in front of robin or the boys but there is something they can’t see” steve murmured as you let out a laugh and took the paper bag

in addition to sweets there was a small detail in a pink invitation, valentine’s day was approaching and you were thinking of sleeping all day but steve’s plans were different.

“Dinner for two. 19 PM. formal clothes”

you laugh before kissing steve’s cheek and taking a pack of reese and taking a bite.

“i hated the plans you told me you would do on valentine’s day and if this didn’t happen i planned to force you to leave the house” steve commented taking the reede pedrizo that you gave him “do you accept?”

“i accept to be your valentine’s day, harrington,” you answered by getting closer to him, steve took your legs by placing them on his lap and your body on his arm.

“how?” steve asked softly, “what did you talk to joyce?”

steve also talked to hopper, in fact he was forced by him while you weren’t with joyce and the boys had already had fun bothering him

“rather know you who talked to hopps” you murmured softly and he raised his shoulders

“about knowing when you know it perfectly and you don’t want to admit it” steve murmured about your syen and leaving a soft kiss to hug you again.

[artzee-bee]

Forever my love | Adrien Agreste x reader

Fandom: Miraculous Ladybug

Requested by @oyasumimosura

Summary: friends to strangers to lovers with a no-so-happy ending

Genre: some fluff, angst

Warnings: canon typical violence (maybe tuned up a notch tho), death

A/N: my google doc for this piece is 10 pages long and it’s went through at least 4 alternate endings before getting here. I got this request months ago and have been working on it since, whenever I can. I hope this is alright because it’s been a journey...

~~~

There was no ‘first memory’ with you. Not one that would come to Adrien’s mind anyways. It felt like you had simply always been in his life. The only thing he remembered was you and your mother, entering the Agreste mansion as if it was your own, almost every Sunday. His mom would welcome both of you with wide arms and offer you tea, and biscuits, which you would snuck to Adrien’s room. Your favorite have always been the ones with strawberry jam filling.

And then you’d play for hours! Building fortresses out of chairs and pillows, racing toy cars around the room, saving plush animals from the imminent danger of Adrien’s rocketship and so on. Not a single moment spent with you felt boring! Your presence was addictive, the joy, the excitement you brought with yourself every time was something Adrien couldn’t understand at the time but now, as an adult looking back, he could easily recognise it as love.

But the world has its own way of never quite letting you be happy enough. The memory of your last playdate, as well as the day his parents told him you were moving away, were very hazy and unclear. For years he refused to revisit them, the sorrow too great for his young, immature self to know how to handle. Now, there was only one sentence he could remember you saying, clear as day. One promise that gave him more hope than he could put in words. “We’ll keep in touch”.

You exchanged letters the whole time you were away!! Of course, they could never be a substitute for the time spent together but Adrien learned to appreciate them deeply. He took his time responding to each of them and always nervously awaited your response. Years went on like that! Every summer you’d promise to visit and every time Adrien would have the displeasure of having to read, in your flawless and delicate handwriting, that your parents canceled the trip for whatever reason.

Eventually, he decided it was best to move on. In the time you had been gone many things changed: he grew up, got big in the fashion industry, started school, became the new black cat miraculous holder, made friends! His life became overwhelmingly busy and the precious memories you made together faded away without notice. He found joy in other things and in his new friends! Your letters no longer brought the excitement they once did and consequently, he always postponed replying until eventually, it all stopped.

Much to Adrien’s shock, almost exactly a year after losing contact, he saw you! He had been transformed at the time, having just finished defeating an akuma when he saw you exiting a coffee shop down the street. He couldn’t believe his eyes and had it not been for the alarming beeping of his miraculous, he probably would have stayed petrified on top of that roof much longer. Once detransformed, he tried to go looking for you but to no avail.

It wasn’t until a week later that he finally got to talk to you again. Natalie reached out to your family and arranged for you two to meet. That Friday afternoon, you had lunch at a pizza place that you didn’t recognise. He looked the same. Same innocent glimmer in his eyes and ecstatic voice. It almost weirded you out how much it seemed this boy never changed. But of course, you weren’t right. Many things have changed.

Adrien tried his best to be open and friendly. To him, it felt like no time had passed at all, but you were so quiet and shy. A subtle frown was visible on your face from the moment you arrived and you barely looked him in the eyes. The air around you felt thick with discomfort, which was extremely frustrating to Adrien. He wanted to ask what’s wrong but found it so difficult to speak his mind until, eventually, you opened up yourself.

“Why did you stop writing?” your voice didn’t betray any feeling of anger or sadness and yet, Adrien was instantly washed over with guilt

“I’m sorry. I wanted to but…”

“Was I not worth it?”

“What?” Adrien couldn’t believe the words coming out of your mouth, but you were just as still and cold as before

“Because, you see, when we were kids you were one of the most important people in my life. You were my best friend and I honestly thought we would never ever be apart! No one could ever break us up! And I put everything I had into not losing that, convinced that you’d do the same for me! Because your friendship was worth more to me than any number of kilometers between us!” your words fell out quickly and stung him “Was I not worth fighting for, Adrien?”

He didn’t know what to say! He wanted to tell you he was just stupid and made a grave mistake. That you were more than worth it, but the words were stuck in his throat.

You didn’t speak after that. Adrien was heartbroken but figured you were already so mad at him, it would only make it worse if he kept pestering you on.

Eventually, one night, after patrol, he saw you! It was already way after dark and you were just strolling down the street all alone. A sense of anxiety overtook him and he knew he couldn’t go home just yet

“Good evening pretty lady!” he greeted you, full of glee. “The streets can get pretty nasty this late at night, y’know? Hope you don’t mind if this street cat walks alongside you for a while.”

“Hello Chat Noir!” your voice was so smooth and warm “ I’d really love that. I was actually quite uncomfortable walking alone.” “Well then, fear not!The bravest and strongest hero in all of Paris is right here at your service! Did I also mention the most charming?” you giggled to his silliness

Adrien was ecstatic to get to talk to you again, like old times. He finally felt like he got his friend back! He didn’t even realize how big of a hole your absence had left in his life. After that night, he would accompany you everyday on your evening walks and, soon enough, you began hanging out at your house. Oftentimes he would knock on your bedroom window shortly after you got home from school and more often than not, he would spend hours at your place. You did almost everything together from playing video games to watching movies, cooking, gossiping. He would tell you all the fun stories he had with Ladybug from their patrols and would blush a little when you began laughing uncontrollably. It was just too cute.

With all this joy, still there was an ounce of pain at the idea that you didn’t know who you were really talking to. Almost every time you called him Chat, his heart would sting a little. He liked being Chat Noir. He loved it even. With you however, it just felt like one big lie he could do nothing about. He wanted you to look at him and see the boy from all those years ago. To look at him and call him by his name. To rejoice in old memories, instead of him having to pretend he hears the story for the first time. Adrien couldn’t help but feel like he was betraying you by simply being here, knowing how mad you were with his civilian self. When those thoughts got to him, he felt more alone than ever, but you almost always picked up on it

“What’s wrong?” you would ask and the sweetness of your voice ran like ice down his body. You would not be this kind if you knew

“Absolutely nothing, I am doing wonderful” he’d say through gritted teeth

“Sit down and talk to me!”

“I can’t. It’s personal” which you knew really meant “It would put my identity in danger”

So you would shut up. You’d make tea or let him have the last cookie as a sign of solidarity. To let him know you still cared. Sometimes he would ask you for hugs, which you would indulge him in. You’d wrap your arms around his shoulders and hug him tight to your chest, trying to convey all the love and care you had for him in that one gesture. Almost always, the hero would melt into your embrace as if he’d never been held before. His head would rest on your shoulder and his blonde locks tickled your neck and cheek.

Confessing to you was the biggest risk he ever took, which meant a lot considering his occupation. It happened after yet another game of cards lost by Chat. It had been what felt like his 15th loss of the night and in a futile attempt to protect his remaining dignity, he slipped

“You’re only winning cause I love you too much to let you lose!” the cocky attitude dropped instantly as he processed his choice of words. You were just looking at him, a little quizzingly, unsure if you heard him right.

“Do you mean that?”

“I do”

The brightest smile overtook your features instantly “Good. I love you too!”

It was difficult for a long time. The secret identity issue became even greater with the new level of intimacy that was expected with the start of a romantic relationship. On top of that, Adrien was pretty clueless. You were his first girlfriend, the first girl he ever fell in love with, the pressure was high. He wanted to be the best boyfriend there was! He brought you many gifts, big and small. He spent as much time with you as he could, he always told you just how much you actually meant to him. The blush on your cheeks and the witty comebacks made him melt through his seat every time and with every happy memory he made with you came the unmistakable pain of never really being completely honest with you. On one of your sleepovers, the feelings were overwhelming Chat more than he thought was possible

“What’s going on Chat?”

“Nothing darling. Just tired”

“Come on, you know you can’t fool me! You’ve been quiet all night, it’s really unlike you”

Adrien’s mind went empty when you sat on the floor in front of him, lightly running your fingers over his leather clad ones. The trust and love in your eyes was so mesmerizing. No one had ever looked at him like that and for a split second he imagined your reaction if you knew who he was. He wondered if you’d kick him out. Break up with him here and now and never want anything to do with him ever again. He imagined the anger in your voice, the betrayal. And then, he considered, briefly, a different option. A scenario in which you’d hug him tight and kiss the top of his head, and there’d be no more lies. No more secrets, no more of these impossible feelings that were tormenting him. That smile, that bliss, engulfed his mind and he felt powerless in the face of hope.

“I’m sorry” he said weakly

“For what?” and before he could think for another second, talk himself out or consider the consequences of his actions, he did the only thing he felt was logical

“Plagg, claws in”

When the green light vanished and Adrien found himself back in his normal clothes, he didn’t muster to look at your face

“Chat, what are you doing?” finally, he glanced up, only to find you curled up on the ground, with your hands over your eyes. You hadn’t seen him

“It’s ok.”

“You detransformed?”

“Yes…”

“Chat you can’t do that.”

“I want you to see me” he tried to sound confident, but it came out almost as a plea.

“What about Ladybug?”

“I’ll deal with her later. It’s ok. I swear”

“Chat…”

“Please”

Adriean reached out to pull your hands away from your face, but your eyes were still closed

“Chat?”

“Yes?”

“Before I look, I want you to know that I love you regardless of who you are. If you’re doing this because you think I can’t love you fully without knowing your identity, if you’re doing this for me, please know that this won’t change anything. I want you to be comfortable with this, ok?” Adrien blushed, feeling tears well up in his eyes

“I want to do this” he kissed your knuckles “if that’s ok with you”

Slowly, you opened your eyes and Adrien felt his heart beating out of his chest. Your face went soft and your eyes welled up with tears and you looked at eachother. You couldn’t muster a word and neither could he. He took this as you being disappointed and let go of your hand, only for you to grab it once more, much harder than before. Finally, tears came rolling down your cheeks, as you whispered a simple “I love you”

That night, neither of you could stop crying. The liberation of all secrets and all lies felt divine and finally, Adrien felt like he was 100% safe for the first time in his life.

Many things changed after that. Adrien got a serious scolding from Ladybug, since he couldn’t lie to her about what he’s done. She wasn’t as mad as he expected her to be, so in the end it was all worth it when you began showing up to the Agreste mansion to hang out. It was hard for Adrien to find time to spend with her during the day but Natalie was always so understanding of their relationship and tried her best to squeeze in an hour or two here and there for you! Now, Adrien could hold your hand and take you to his photoshoots. You facetimed more often and it finally felt like you got the relationship you were always meant to have.

~~~

Paris looked beautiful from the top of the Eiffel tower. Chat took you here many times before. It felt so romantic being up there with your best friend, the boy of your dreams! You felt so powerful looking down at all the lights and cars passing by and at the same time so protected by his tight grip around your waist. Nothing could hurt you if he was there, with or without the costume! But the arms holding you now were much slimmer and much less concerned with your safety. You knew you shouldn’t look down from the edge you were standing on but it was so hard not to. Lila was manic next to you, laughing and shouting about her imminent victory, taunting the two superheroes that were struggling to catch up.The tiny robots Lila could control with her powers had kept Ladybug and Chat Noir busy for just enough time to allow the akumatized girl to take you with her, away from the scene and up here.

“Be careful with what you do next Ladybug, otherwise the girl gets it!” the taunting manner in which she spoke felt hardly like Lila. You never found her to be a particularly pleasant person to be around but the malice with which she spoke now was so unusual!

She kicked your shin, making one of your legs drop off the edge. Had it not been for her holding onto your forearm, you would have dropped. You could see Ladybug and Chat approaching but they were so far away and it felt like they were moving so slowly. A cry ripped through your chest as you hung there, your life in the hands of this girl you couldn’t even recognise anymore.You were trying to pull yourself back on the ledge with your other foot before she kicked that one too, swinging you in the air by your arm.

“Oh oh, but you’re so far away little Bug? Whatever are you gonna do if my hand …slips?” she let go with a chuckle.

Chat couldn’t see anything around him anymore, all he saw was your helpless body falling from the sky! He screamed your name but he was still so far! Ladybug threw her yoyo, trying to form a net below you, but the speed at which you were falling was much greater than anybody expected. You fell right through the net, breaking it to pieces and hit the ground with a hard thud. Chat screamed, Ladybug was speechless, all the while Lila was laughing on her way down!

“Chat, get her! I’ll handle Lila!”

That’s all it took. Chat was looking down at your unconscious form before he knew it. You were so bloody and so limp in his arms.

“Don’t!” you whispered when he tried to pick you up

“It’s not safe for you here, I need to hide you away!” he almost screamed, too relieved to see you alive to be able to control himself

“It’s over Chat!”

“Don’t talk like that! You will be ok! I will make you ok!”

“I’m tired…”

“No, don’t do it! Focus on me, focus on my voice! Can you see me?”

“You have to protect the people…”

“You are the only one I have to protect! I’m sorry I wasn’t there to catch you, I’m sorry! Please! Please let me protect you!” tears were streaming down his face and he found himself thinking that he would sell his soul to switch places with you

“Chat, I love you” you said through your own tears

“Don’t say goodbye!”

“I’m not”

“I love you Y/N! I love you so much, please don’t leave me alone! I can still save you!” he laid his head on your chest, not believing his own words

“I’ll always love you Adrian!” you whispered in his ear, kissing his temple with the last of your powers

~~~

“You need to hurry up, Adrian needs to be at a press conference across town in one hour and we’re already behind schedule because of you!”

“Nathalie, stop that! Everyone is doing their best here.”

“This photoshoot was supposed to be over already!”

“Maybe you should go have some water while you wait, yeah?” Adrien was trying to be nice but he felt really bad about the way Nathalie was speaking to the makeup artist. He knew they were very busy and Nath was under a great deal of stress but still, he felt it wasn’t fair to the girls working hard to get him ready.

“I’m sorry about that! She’s a lovely person, it’s just the last couple of days have been really hard for her”

“Oh, it’s alright, sir. Trust me I’ve seen much worse before” the young girl replied “Plus, I would imagine that making the switch to become a full time model would bring on a lot more responsibilities on her side.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” Adrien chuckled. “If you would have told me last year, when I was still in school, that my schedule would be even more packed as a graduate, I would have probably given up modeling then and there. Now I just deal with it.”

Adrien observed himself in the mirror, thinking back to his high school days. He tried to remember what he looked like, although that was very difficult. He knew his hair was much longer now, reaching just below his chin. He thought his face was a bit slimmer and many people told him he put on a healthy amount of muscle in the last couple of months, but  he was still himself, just 20.

“If you don’t mind sir, we need the first couple of buttons of your shirt undone for the next set. I will add a little contour to the collarbones and then we’re done”

Said and done, with the first few buttons open he looked even more manly than before.

“Um, I think we should take the necklace off if you don’t mind…”

Eyes shot down to his chest, where a tiny silver ring on a chain hung, barely glistening in the lights around.

“Yes, that’s alright” he said, although he never liked taking it off. There was always a worry in the back of his hand about misplacing it or something and the thought was simply unbearable, but he understood.

“That’s a very beautiful piece of jewelry”

“Thank you!” he looked down at the ring twirling it between his fingers. It was so simple, he wasn’t used to receiving compliments on it, even from the select few that got to see it. A simple golden band with a round diamond in the middle. It was so small for him, he could never get it more than halfway down his ring finger. “It belonged to somebody I cared a lot about.” He remembered how hard he worked to get your ring size, all those years ago. It was difficult to do it behind your back, since you had always been so good at reading his body language, you always knew when he was up to something. He remembered all those nights spent on the internet, looking for the perfect ring for you! He knew it needed to be simple but sometimes it was so hard to talk himself out of buying one of the big and glamorous ones. He just wanted to spoil you rotten and if he didn’t take the chance to do that when he was buying your engagement ring, then when would he? Finally, after weeks, he finally found this one and fell in love. It was perfect for you and you were gonna love it. The day it arrived was one of the most exciting times he experienced in the last decade, he could still feel his heart pumping now, at the memory.

“They can’t wear it anymore so I just keep it!” in fact, you had never even gotten the chance to try it on, but those details don’t need to be shared. Still, thinking about the incident, taking place only 2 weeks after he got the ring, hurts him to no end. He was planning the perfect engagement, a grand romantic gesture to make all your dreams come true but now he felt sorrow and regret, wishing he would have simply ran to your door the same day that package was delivered to ask you. At least then you would have known, you would have had the chance to say yes.

“I’m sure they were an incredible person” Adrien only nodded to that “Well, you’re all done, you can head to the set now”

“Thank you, I’ll just drop this off to Nathalie and go”

The pain of not having you around would never go away, Adian had accepted that as a fact! You would always be there for any anniversary or birthday, achievement or simply on lazy days when his mind would wonder. Nothing made the sting of not being able to hold your hand go away but at least the ring, your ring, would comfort him in those moments.

[forays-into-fiction]

I Want You So Bad I Can’t Breathe

You met Eddie when you first moved to Hawkins, Indiana it was an especially difficult time for you and Eddie was the one to stand by you, becoming fast friends. But then he was moving on to middle school and leaving you behind only to forget about you. You admire him from afar until Hellfire Club where you finally reconnect.

 Request fill for @harringtonfan4​ hope you like it, sorry if I went too hard on the negative self-image/insecurity stuff 😅

Minors DNI

Contains: Dom!Eddie/Sub!Reader, Slight Perv!Eddie Virgin!Reader, PlusSize!Reader, Insecure!Eddie, Insecure!Reader, Loss of Virginity, Angst, Major Internalised Fatphobia/Fatphobia, Bullying, Daddy Kink, Spitting, Dirty Talk, Fingering, Praise Kink, Innocence/Virginity Kink, Unprotected Sex, Drug Use (Weed)

Fat. It was a word you’d heard more than half your life by now at eighteen. The first time someone called you fat you were seven, she was supposed to be your friend… your best friend, but her snide little, ‘Why are you so fat? It’s so gross!’ stuck with you.

 Looking back now you know you weren’t fat… you know it every time you look back, but you can never see it in the moment. And you weren’t fat you were just an average sized little girl with chubby little cheeks.

No matter how far back it’s always been ‘oh I used to think I was so fat back then, what I would give to go back to that size. But now, now I really am fat’

 Over the years this mindset had really impacted your life, you used to be more outgoing, you used to love to sing and dance, you used to live without constantly thinking about how everyone else saw you. Because no one wants to see the fat girl having fun, enjoying life right… better to hide away.

You had tried to lose weight, so many times… and you did, but every time you’d lose weight as soon as you’d hit a plateau your weight would sit there for a bit before slowly creeping back up and up and up. At least until you weighed even more than when you’d started.

 It wasn’t just your friend that had made comments about your weight, she was the first but she certainly wasn’t the last. You’d also had a bully around the same time, she had consistently tormented you every day. 

Day after day she’d drag you away from your friends, pulling you into a secluded corner to harass you verbally, physically, mentally… until one day you finally told someone. 

Your mum went off on that other girl, threatened her so badly every time you saw her since then she’d cross the road to avoid you… but the damage had been done.

You didn’t have to deal with the aftermath for too long, shortly after your parents had decided to move to Hawkins, Indiana to be closer to your grandparents. 

Your little brother was almost four now and they were going to need help taking care of the two of you, both of them working long hours and odd shifts just to get by. Also needed a bigger house to accommodate the needs of your growing family.

You were eight when you first met him, he was ten both of you still in elementary school. You were new in town, that in itself already made you an oddity to say the least. 

Some kids had been picking on you, calling you names, pushing you around, you were on the verge of tears when he stepped in. He’d scared them off pretty easily, being both older and taller, buzzed head giving him a ‘tougher’ look.

 Once they had left, he turned to you, placing a hand on your shoulder looking into your eyes like you were the only thing that mattered in the world, “Hey, don’t pay attention to shitheads like that, ok? I’m Eddie.”

“Y/n…” You reply shakily.

“Y/n,” He repeats, “that is a very pretty name. Nice to meet you y/n.”

“N-nice to meet you t-too.”

“Wanna have lunch with me?”

“Yeah…”

 You’d spent the rest of that school year by his side he’d introduced you to this game he played, Dungeons and Dragons. He’d jokingly criticised your taste in music, telling you he’d show you some real music. 

You pout and protest that just because he doesn’t like your music doesn’t mean it’s not real music, but begrudgingly you listen to his stuff and find you actually like it… not that you’d admit it to him, you’d never give him the satisfaction.

 If you were honest with yourself, you’d been smitten with him since that day, but you buried those thoughts and feelings deep down, tried to ignore it.

But then all too quickly he’s moving on to middle school, the two of you promise to stay in touch but you don’t. You don’t want to push it either, he’s probably moved on to something better… someone better.

 In his absence you became closer with one Nancy Wheeler. Your brother and hers were in the same playgroup and your families had become closer as a whole. Both you and her were the same age, you’d bonded over the little things and she was a good friend to you.

It’s not until another two years later that you see him again, you’re starting middle school and he’s in his final year there. His hair is a bit longer now, no longer completely buzzed, still cropped short but growing out. 

You admire him from afar, he wouldn’t remember you… why would he remember you? You couldn’t risk embarrassing yourself by approaching him now.

 Your brother and his friends have discovered Dungeons and Dragons, the game has changed a bit since you first played but you sit in with them for a few sessions, Nancy also joins on occasion. 

You DM until Will asks to take over one session, then they all take turns at being DM, each running their own campaign with your guidance. As Nancy starts to lose interest in the game, you feel you should stick with her rather than intrude on your brother’s group.

 And time slips by the year is over, he’s moving on to high school, leaving you behind once more.

By the time you see him again you’re both in high school, his hair is longer still, becoming a bushy mane around his head, he’s really embracing the ‘metal’ look from what you can see and it suits him you think.  

 You hear he’s started a D&D group here at the school, Hellfire Club it was called. You were tempted to join, you had really missed him all these years, you doubt he would have even spared you a second thought… who would? Why would he care about that fat, little weird kid who followed him around for a year?

 You ask Nancy what she thinks, “I kinda know the guy that runs it, we were friends for a little while. It was before you and I really started hanging out properly, but I don’t think he remembers me. What do you think, should I join? Would you join with me?”

 “I think if you want to join you should, and it seems like you do… but I don’t know about joining myself, I kind of outgrew that phase. I’m thinking of signing up for the school paper though.”

“Oh, yeah that’s great you definitely should!”

“So, what about you? You going to join that club?”

“Ummm… yeah, maybe… I do want to, but I’m a little nervous.”

“I thought you said the guy that runs it is a friend, just talk to him.”

“Yeah, but we haven’t talked in years, I’m sure he doesn’t remember me.”

“It’ll be fine if you are worried about talking to him directly, I’m sure they’d have some sort of sign-up sheet, just go put your name down.” She shrugs.

“Yeah. Yeah, ok that doesn’t sound too bad.”

And they do have a sign-up sheet, it’s hung just outside the drama room, but you can’t see a pen anywhere. You rummage around in your bag for your pencil case, but then he appears beside you and you jump. 

He holds a pen out towards you with one hand, the other on which he’d drawn a silly, little face comes up and he makes it ‘talk’ with a funny voice, “Need a pen?”

“Ahhh… yeah, thanks…?” You take the offered pen awkwardly.

His silly face hand drops, internally he’s facepalming, ‘why the fuck did you do that?’ he thinks pressing on despite this, “Eddie. My name is Eddie.”

You shift self-consciously avoiding looking him in the eye, “Yeah, I uhh… I remember you, Eddie. You probably don’t remember me-”

A broad grin spreads across his face, “Are you kidding, of course I remember you, princess. Sorry if I scared you earlier, by the way. So, you’re signing up for Hellfire, huh?”

You shrug, “Yeah, if you’ll have me, I guess.”

“It’ll be just like the good old days. You still been playing?”

“Umm… not so much lately, but you remember my little brother?”

He nods, you continue, “He and his friends are really into it now. When they first started I DM’ed for them, at least until they got the hang of it.”

“Awww, princess DM’ing… I woulda loved to see that.”

“I mean you still could… if I’m joining Hellfire…”

“Oh, no… no I am the Dungeon Master there, princess no one else. And I run a brutal campaign… you better prepare yourself. I’m not about to go easy on you, just cause it’s you.”

“We’ll see about that won’t we Munson, I can take brutal, you know.”

He just about chokes on his words at that, but manages to contain himself… barely, “Uhh huh sure you can, princess.”

The next couple of years after that the two of you reconnect, it was like you’d never been apart, but again he’s coming up on his final year, about to leave you behind yet again. And then… he doesn’t, he doesn’t graduate, he fails his senior year. 

You’re torn on the one hand it means you get another year with him, another year before he disappears again. On the other hand, you hated seeing him fail, you knew how shitty high school was for him, constantly being mocked and teased. You hadn’t had it any better either, but having him there helped and now you’d have him for another year.

 But now, now you’re eighteen, he’s twenty and he’s failed again. So, you get to share all your classes with him, you feel guilty about how happy you are to still have him with you. 

Your little brother and his friends are just starting high school and Eddie takes them under his wing, inviting them to join you at your table. You would have done so yourself, but he’d beaten you to it and it reminded you of the day you met him, the way he stood up for you, the way he still stood up for you.

 Your feelings have resurfaced… or maybe they’d always been there, just bubbling away in the hidden recesses of your mind. You hated yourself for it, it wasn’t for you to have a crush… nothing could possibly come of it, you’d seen the way he’d looked at other girls, prettier girls, skinnier girls… he’d never want you, why bother? And every day you dig yourself deeper into this hole, torturing yourself.

He’s driving you to school one day when you find yourself humming along to one of the songs on his radio and he is very quick to call you out on it. “Hey, I thought you didn’t like my, quote ‘shitty metal’?”

You give him a shove, “Fuck off, you know I don’t.”

“Oh, yeah then why are you fucking humming Metallica hmmm?” He grins smugly.

“I dunno, I guess it grows on you… like a wart… or a skin lesion… or you.”

“Hey, you take that back!”

You giggle, “Never.”

“Oh, really is that how it is?” He glances over at you briefly, taking one hand from the steering wheel he begins poking at you “Take. It. Back.”

You squirm away from his prodding fingers, but then instead of getting your arm or your shoulder he misses and makes contact with the swell of your belly and you freeze.

He knows he’s done something wrong, when he glances over again, the way your giggles die on your lips, the way you won’t look at him.

“What’s wrong princess?” He asks seriously.

“Nothing. Nothing, just drive.” Your voice sounds almost empty, but he doesn’t push any further.

Nancy knows, even if you won’t admit it at first, but she knows about your not so little crush. When you finally do admit it, she encourages you to do something about it, but you can’t… you couldn’t, could you? What if it ruined everything between the two of you… after all why would he ever look at you like that…

 It does no good to dwell on these thoughts, but they come up, every time you’re in his van, every time he looks at you with that glint in his eye, every time you’re sat in his bedroom… on his bed, smoking and laughing and forgetting who you are for just a split second. It gives you hope, but then it all comes crashing down around you.

 When he shows you how to roll your first joint, you can’t take your eyes off of him. You don’t hear a word he’s saying, it washes over you without comprehension. He sits facing you from the foot of your bed, you sit cross-legged facing him, leaning in slightly. 

You watch his nimble fingers working away, the way his tongue darts out to wet the paper, his eyes never leaving yours, making sure you pay attention. It makes you feel hot all over, squirming as he’s twisting off the end giving you a little grin, proudly showing it off, “… and that is how it’s done.”

“Uhh cool, thanks.” You move to pluck it from his fingertips but he snatches it away.

“Ah, ah, ah don’t you know the rules… roller’s rights?”

You look at him in confusion, he explains, “The roller always takes the first hit.”

“Oh, ok.” You mumble and settle back down into the pillows. He lights up the end then takes a few puffs before passing it over to you, you take a deep drag and choke almost immediately. He laughs before smacking you on the back, before rubbing in soothing circles “Hey, take it easy… just breathe.”

He reaches across you to the water sitting on your bedside table, “Here take a sip, it’ll help.”

You take a few sips of water and steady your breathing before he continues, his hand still on your back, “When you take a hit it’s just a few little breaths in, slowly, lightly. Don’t try to take too much at once, it’s not the same as smoking a cigarette, ok?”

“Yep, uhh huh.” You croak out.  

“And hold the smoke in your mouth first, then breathe in from here…” he rubs a hand over his belly, up high by his diaphragm.

“You wanna try again?”

You nod humming in response and he nods back for you to go ahead.

You follow his advice and it goes better, you try again and it’s even easier.

“Alright, now pass it back.” He holds out a hand and you hand it over to him.

“There, now give it a few minutes before you try again, it’s your first time don’t wanna go too hard, too fast.” He takes another puff.

You giggle, teasing, “But what if I want hard and fast?”

And then he’s choking, spluttering, coughing up smoke.

“Jesus H Christ… princess you can’t say shit like that, someone might take it the wrong way one day.” He gasps out.

You roll your eyes, “Eddie, come on no one is thinking of me like that, get real.”

He hesitates a moment, “What if… what if I told you I thought of you like that?”

“Haha, very funny…” you reply sarcastically, but he’s not laughing, “… wait a minute you’re serious?”

“Yeah, you got no fucking idea…”

“Are you sure that isn’t just the weed talking, I mean I heard it can make people-”

He cuts you off with a fierce kiss, pushing his lips to yours forcefully, nipping at your bottom lip gently, the joint burning down steadily in his limp grip. When he breaks away, he looks at you with lust clouded eyes, “Oh, I’m real fucking sure, princess. I have been crushing on you since God only knows when.”

You look up at him through your lashes, bashfully, “Ummm I’ve been crushing on you pretty much since the day we met.” You confess.

“Shit… can I fucking kiss you again?” He breathes out.

“Yeah… umm, maybe just get rid of that first.” You nod down to his fingers.

“Oh, right… yeah.” He mumbles reaching for his black metal lunchbox, snubbing out the joint on the lid and tossing it inside.

He looks back over at you, leaning in slowly, you don’t know why, but you’re blurting out, “imavirgin…” the words meld together in your embarrassment.

“What was that? Didn’t quite get that...”

You take a deep steadying breath, making sure to enunciate clearly this time, you repeat, “I’m a virgin.”

He lets out a guttural groan, “Fuck, princess is that true? No one… no one’s ever touched you before?”

“Umm no never… never been kissed before either…” You admit shyly.

“That’s quite a few firsts tonight, isn’t it? Do you wanna tackle a few more?”

You nod, pouting at him, “Please Eddie, kiss me again?”

“How could I refuse?”

He swoops in capturing your lips between his own once more, you feel his tongue probing for entrance you let out a needy whine and it’s slipping in alongside your own. 

You tangle your hands into his hair you gasp as he lifts you into his lap, you pull away, “Wh-what’re you doing, don’t I’m heavy…”

“Oh no, you are just perfect, you sit right there, right on top of my cock.” He emphasises this with a roll of his hips and the hard bulge of his dick grinds into your heated core. You whine again at the sensation, feeling a wetness pool between your thighs.

He pulls you back in for another kiss, sloppier than the previous and you grind back against him with a moan.

“Did you mean it?” He gasps into your mouth.

“Huh?”

“When you said you want it ‘hard and fast’… or was that just a joke?”

“I dunno… it wasn’t entirely a joke…”

“You think you can handle it hard and fast, do you think you’ll still like me after, if I’m rough?” He growls.

“Please Eddie, I want you. I want you so bad I can’t breathe.” You gasp.

“Ok, but we’re gonna start off slow alright? Then we can ramp it up to hard and fast.” He chuckles darkly.

As he resumes kissing you his hands move to lift your shirt and you pull away suddenly.

“You ok, sweetheart? You change your mind?” Concern laces his voice.

“No… no it’s not that… just, could we maybe turn the lights off…?”

It’s like a switch flips in his head, “Oh no, no sweetheart I wanna see all of you… every gorgeous bit. The things I would do to you…”

He groans his hands dropping to your plump legs that straddle his own, squeezing them softly, urging you to move against him more firmly, “Wanna bury my face between these thighs… so fucking gorgeous… wanna do so much with ‘em, bite ‘em, suck em, kiss ‘em… push your legs together and fuck them.”

He drops one hand to cup your ass, kneading the soft flesh, he growls, “Oh and if you let me take you from behind, I could watch your ass jiggle as I pound into you, maybe slap it a bit if you’d let me… would you like that princess? Want me to slap that fucking glorious ass of yours? You have no idea how many times I’ve been distracted by just that… thinking about bending you over and just taking you…” You’re panting desperately at his touch, barely done anything and he’s already got you absolutely wrecked.

 He moves his hand up to your chest, groping your breasts he lets out a guttural moan as you whine pitifully, “And these tits, don’t even get me started on those… absolutely perfect… shove my face into them too, suck on your nipples, pinch ‘em ‘til you fucking scream… oh god, I’d love it if you held your tits together… let me fuck em ‘til I cum all over your pretty face, watch it drip down your chin…” his filthy mouth has you soaking your panties, grinding down into him.

You barely register that he’s popped the button on your jeans sliding them down slowly until he flips you over onto your back and you gasp, you never knew he was so strong, the way he was manhandling you like it was nothing. 

He kneels between your legs, towering over you, you yelp as he grabs your jeans roughly pulling them the rest of the way down before you can protest. 

You unconsciously tug the hem of your shirt lower to cover yourself and he swats your hands away, “Ah, ah sweetheart none of that I wanna see you… how about this, if I take off my shirt you let me take off yours?”

You bite you lip as you consider it, God do you wanna see him… bare chest, tattoos all on display… you nod nervously, mumbling “O-ok… b-but you first…?”

He concedes, “Ok, sweetheart me first.”

He hooks a hand into the collar of his shirt pulls it off and tosses it across the room blindly, your eyes rake over him, practically salivating at the sight, lingering on the sparse trail of hair peeking out over his belt. He’s smirking down at you as you pout up at him, “Pants too?”

“What about them?” He teases.

“Wan’ you to take yours off too… ‘s only fair…”

He grins devilishly, eyes glinting, “How about you take them off for me, princess?”

You sit up and place a shaky hand over his belt buckle, your fingers just grazing the hair of his happy trail. You undo the belt clumsily and unzip his jeans before rolling them down his thighs slowly. His baggy blue and white chequered boxers do little to hide his erection as it tents the fabric there. 

Before you can do anything else he’s pushing you back into the pillows behind you, “Now, I seem to remember that the deal was… tit for tat, or rather tats for tits you may say…” he chuckles.

You giggle and resist the urge to fight him when his hands drop to toy with the hem of your shirt, he leans in easing your shirt up, trailing kisses over your belly, your chest, until he pulls your shirt over your head and tosses that aside too, diving back in to kiss you eagerly on the lips. He pulls away leaving you breathless, humming in appreciation, “Beautiful…”

“Eddie stoop…” You whine swatting at him.

“Never, I meant what I said and I’m gonna suck on those tits ‘til you’re begging me for more… there’s uhh… something I want you to do for me though…”

“What’s that?” You mumble curiously.

“Don’t call me Eddie. Do you think you could… call me ‘daddy’ while we…”

You gasp, “Fuck… yeah I can do that for you… daddy.”

“Yeah, just like that, sweetheart.” He moans encouragingly before ducking his head to the crook of your neck biting, kissing, mouthing on it as his hands wrap around you. Calloused, ringed fingers brush against your back as he fiddles with the clasp of your bra, he gets it loose and slips it off down your arms. 

He trails kisses down your chest until he reaches a nipple, sucking it into his mouth, laving over it with his tongue. His hands join his mouth, pushing your tits closer together, pinching and rolling the other nipple between his fingers. Your breath hitches at his ministrations and you let out a shaky moan.

“So, fucking responsive… love that I’m the only one who gets to do this to you…” He growls against your skin. He takes the hand closest to his mouth and caresses your mound, before dipping his fingers under the waistband. He runs his fingertips through your slick, teasing your entrance before dragging the up to circle your clit.

“All of this is just for me…” He murmurs, pulling away from you chest briefly.

“Yes, just you… no one else.” You gasp in response.

“God fucking damn, that’s right. I’m the only one that gets to touch you like this, isn’t that right?”

You mumble in assent, “Mhmmm that’s right… daddy, only you.”

“Fuck, princess gonna make me bust a nut and we haven’t even started yet.”

Your legs quiver on either side of him as he plunges two fingers into you crooking them against your soft, spongy walls. You can hear his rings clink together and feel them bump against your entrance, the sound met with a wet squelch as your cunt takes all he has to offer. 

His thumb moves to press against your clit in clumsy circles, you grab onto his shoulders tightly, there’s a tension mounting, coiling deep in your belly.

“That’s it princess, you gonna cum for daddy? Cum on my fingers for me.”

Something in you snaps and the tension is released all at once, your walls flutter on his fingertips, your release gushing all over them as you moan breathily.

He grins at you proudly as you gasp for breath, “So, another first for you… what’s that now, first joint, first kiss, first orgasm from my fingers… what’s next my tongue or my cock.

“Jesus fucking Christ Eddie…” he gives you a disapproving look and you try again, “please… please, daddy.”

“Please what, sweetheart… use your words.”

“Please… fuck me…” You whine.

“How do you want it?” He asks firmly, “Tongue. Or cock?”

“Wan’ your cock, wan’ you to fuck me hard, show me I’m yours…” You whimper in response, weakly reaching for his boxers.

“You on any kind of birth control, sweetheart?” He asks in earnest.

“Mhhmm… yep I am.”

“Good… that’s good… now you’re sure about this, right?”

“Yes, never wanted anything more in my life… please…”

He ducks down and presses a kiss to your thigh before tugging your panties down your legs. He looks up at you with a little grin, panties hanging off his finger, “Mind if I keep these?”

“You can have whatever you want so long as you make me cum again daddy…”

He groans in response eyes squeezing shut briefly, and he palms at his cock. He drapes your panties over his lunchbox before sliding down his boxers to join his jeans. His thick, weepy length bobs up between his legs, precum bubbling up at the flushed tip. You gasp at the sight, “You’re so… big… can I touch it first?”

“Gonna gimme an ego sweetheart…” he mumbles as he reaches out for your hand guiding it onto his stiff length.

His precum slicks the motions of your hand, he controls the pace, running your hand along his length the way he likes. You devote all your attention to his cock while he watches you appreciatively.

When you swipe your thumb over the head on the upstroke, he growls lowly, “That’s enough now, princess. This time you’re gonna soak my cock with that tight little cunt of yours.” He looks into your eyes, his own dark with lust.

He pulls his jeans and boxers all the way off dropping them over the edge of the bed.

He pushes you back down into the pillows with a hand on your shoulder before moving to sweep your hair out of your face. He grabs your hand, slick and sticky from rubbing his flushed cock and holds it in front of your face, “Look you got your hand all messy. Lick it clean princess.” He orders.

He pushes your own hand to your mouth and you swipe your tongue over your palm before wrapping your lips around your fingers with a low moan. “Such a good girl for daddy.” He hums, you can taste him on your skin you whine as you imagine what it would be like to suck on his fat cock. 

He smirks down at you while he grips his shaft at the base, rubbing the head through your glistening folds. Then another image springs to mind, one he’d painted for you, of him fucking your breasts, losing himself completely and cumming all over your face… how high would it splatter, would it get in your mouth, would it taste like this.

He pulls your hand away from your mouth leaning in for a kiss as he forces his tip inside your dribbling entrance. He swallows up all your little whines and gasps as he drops a hand between you to rub at your swollen clit. He sinks into you further and further until he’s buried deeper than you ever thought possible.

“Gonna give it to you hard and fast real soon princess, but we gotta get you a little warmed up for me first…”

He rolls his hips thrusting shallowly as you adjust to the sensation.

“Please… hmmm… fuck, faster please daddy. Feels so… mhnnn… feels so good” You pant out, hips rising to meet his.

“With pleasure sweetheart.” His hands move to grip your hips bruisingly tight. As he increases the pace, you feel his balls slapping against your ass, the room is filled with all sorts of obscene, wet sounds. 

You twist your hand into his curls, gazing up at his rosy face, sweat dripping from his brow, eyes blown wide with lust. When you give a little tug on his hair, he lets out a deep, rumbling moan.

He hooks his arms beneath your legs pulling them up over his shoulders sinking into you deeper with this new angle, “You like being filled up, sweetheart? Feel so good when daddy’s deep in you? You gonna let me cum buried inside you?”

“Please… god yes, want it so bad daddy, want you to fill me up with your cum.”

He brings a hand up to your chin, thumb sliding over it ‘til it rests on your bottom lip as you whimper beneath him, he eases his thumb between your lips and you suck on it mindlessly.

“You’re gonna take everything I give you right?”

You nod, mumbling around his thumb in agreement.

“Then open.” He forces your jaw down with his thumb, you look up at him a little confused.

Suddenly he spits in your mouth, ramming his cock into you at the same time, you whimper.

“Now swallow.” He demands and you do so, your saliva mixing with his as it slides down your throat and your walls flex around him of their own accord.

“Oh, you liked that did you?”

“Y-yes daddy.”

“Oh, you’re such a good girl for me. You do like it hard, don’t you? Gonna fuck you so hard you can’t walk.”

“Please… fuck, please gonna cum again.”

“Then cum for me. Squeeze on my dick, lemme feel it. Cum for daddy.”

You wail, chanting “Daddy, daddy, daddy… fuck ‘m cumming.” Your back arches, head thrown back gasping as you clamp down around him, your release running over his cock in rivulets and he continues to pound into you, fucking you through your orgasm. 

You fall back limply still spasming around him when he reaches his peak, he growls, “Yeah that’s it princess, you’re gonna take all my fucking cum… take everything daddy gives you.”

He empties his heavy balls deep inside you with a deep, strung-out groan, you can feel his warm seed flood your cunt, drenching your already slick channel.

He collapses on top of you, sweaty bodies pressed together and he tries to nuzzle in even closer.

“God, that was good sweetheart.” He pants in your ear.

“Yeah.” You mumble in agreement running a hand over his back tracing random patterns.

He sighs and you feel his breath against your cheek while his cock softens slowly slipping out of you. You can feel your combined fluids leaking out of your entrance slipping down between your ass to pool on your bed. 

Eddie rolls off of you wandering off naked, when he returns, he’s cleaned himself off, approaching you carrying a warm, damp cloth, he runs it over your body soothingly, between your legs cleaning you off. 

He stoops down untangling his boxers from his jeans slipping them on as he moves to your wardrobe rifling around til he finds some pyjamas. He helps you into them gently and wraps the covers around you and turns out the lights before slotting himself in behind you. He presses a kiss to your shoulder and wraps his arms around you with a sigh.

You melt into his embrace and he wishes you sweet dreams, you return the sentiment. The pair of you doze off smiling contentedly in your post-orgasm bliss.

Eddie wakes in very early hours of the morning, still happy and content, girl of his dreams wrapped up in his arms. His thoughts turn sour as he lays there, the demons in his head tormenting him…

Jesus Christ what have you done, that was her first time you fucking pig… you told her to call you ‘daddy’ what is wrong with you… fucking freak… shit that’s what everyone’s gonna think the freak and the fatty, both of you together that’ll send them all into a frenzy and her oh, she’ll never hear the end of it, do you really think she deserves that… do you think you deserve to be happy…

And he’s slipping out from under the covers shrouded in his shame, careful not to rouse you he dresses and collects his belongings. He pauses briefly before pocketing your panties, one last little souvenir. Sick pervert. He shakes his head as if to clear his thoughts before taking off into the early dawn.

You wake up a few hours later, sore, mumbling his name, hands searching for his warmth only to come up with nothing. Eyes snapping open you look around in confusion, you find that all of his belongings are gone all evidence that he was even here gone. 

He’d be back, for sure he’d be back. Why would he leave…? But he doesn’t come back, doesn’t answer any of your calls. This continues for the rest of the weekend, you convince yourself it’ll be different when you get to school.

Monday rolls around, your stomach twists into knots, did he regret it, wake up next to you with a sudden clarity, no longer horny or high and realise he didn’t actually want someone who looked like you. Or maybe he was just worried what other people would think if he dated someone like you… good enough to fuck, but not good enough to keep around. 

You can’t believe that you’d let yourself believe that it could be something more for even a second. Tears sting your eyes and you swipe them away angrily, you huff sulking off into the bathroom, don’t be so fucking dumb, of course he wouldn’t want you just deal with it. You splash cold water over your face and take a few deep breaths to steady yourself.

 You end up late for homeroom, only just entering the room as the teacher calls your name. Eddie isn’t sitting in his usual seat, instead he’s sat beside Gareth chatting away about something to do with the band and their show tomorrow night.

He doesn’t look at you as you pass him, you slink off to the last available seats, it’s fine, it’s fine… more tears threaten to slip out but you bite them back.

He avoids you for the rest of the day, you don’t even see him at lunch, but then you pass him on your way out of the cafeteria, you call out to him, “Hey, Eddie there you are I’ve been looking for you all day.”

But he walks right passed you, blank-faced, staring straight passed you. It’s like a knife to your heart, your frozen can’t move, can’t speak, the tears you’ve been fighting all day spill out. Someone bumps into your shoulder and of course it has to be them, “Watch it fatass.” 

And there’s giggles as they walk on you can hear them saying to one another, “She was fucking crying did you see her, what a fucking loser… not even the freak wants to be seen with her now.”

That’s the final straw, you don’t even bother collecting your stuff from your locker you just… leave. You walk all the way home blindly, the tears stoped at some point leaving your eyes puffy and stinging, your nails dig into your palms leaving little half-moon impressions.

You let yourself in trudging to your room, stripping off your clothes and pulling on anything that’s nearby before crawling into bed burying yourself beneath the covers.

Your mum wakes you when she gets home, you brush her off telling her you’re not feeling well, trying to pass it off as really bad period cramps. You tell her you might not go in to school tomorrow, she offers to bring you something to eat and a hot water bottle you nod mutely, you don’t really feel like talking much.

 You spend the next few days like that in a haze, numb to the world but acutely aware of the stabbing pain in your chest and the sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach. By the fourth day Nancy stops by to check on you, it’s not like you to miss so many days of school, let alone walk out in the middle of the day.

She enters your room tentatively calling out to you, she sits on the edge of your bed as you groan from your cocoon of blankets.

“You wanna tell me what happened?”

You give a little grunt, she brushes your greasy hair behind your ear gently, “Want a hug?” She offers.

“No, ‘m all gross.” You mumble pulling your self to sit up at the very least, but then the tears flow anew, that’s exactly why he doesn’t want you… fat, ugly, gross, loser… every insult ever hurled at you streams through your brain.

Nancy wraps her arms around you despite your attempts to push her away.

“You know I can’t help if I don’t know what’s wrong. Your mum said you haven’t been eating properly, won’t come out of your room, i haven’t seen you like this since… well in a really long time.”

You breathe in shakily trying to stem the flow of tears, “I’m a fucking idiot that’s what’s wrong.”

“Hey, hey that’s not true, tell me what actually happened.”

You shake your head pushing away from her, “Can’t.”

“Tough ‘cause I’m not leaving ‘til you do.” She folds her arms over her chest giving you a determined look.

“Well, be prepared to stay a while then.”

“Don’t be stubborn.” She chides.

“You don’t be stubborn.”

“I’m just trying to help.”

“Fine, Ugh fine…”

“Go on I’m listening.”

“He doesn’t want me, doesn’t want anything to do with me now.” You can’t bring yourself to look at her while you speak.

“Who’re you talking about?”

“Eddie.”

“That’s not possible, that guy looks at you like you hung the moon. What happened? Did you tell him how you feel or…”

“No… well yes, but… ok, so he came over Friday night. You know how my parents went away?” She nods as you continue, “So, I asked him what it was like to smoke weed, like we always smoke together when we’re at his place, but never that and he was showing me how to roll a joint and god he looked so hot and I made some dumb joke about wanting it ‘hard and fast’ and he kissed me and told me he had a crush on me and I told him as well… and one thing kinda led to another and we ended up having sex and…” you trail off uncertain of how much detail is too much detail.

“None of that sounds bad so far, where did you get the idea that he doesn’t want you if he’s already slept with you.”

“When I woke up in the morning… after… he was gone, he didn’t answer any of my calls the whole weekend but I thought I’d give him the benefit of the doubt… I dunno, whatever. Anyway then at school on Monday he acted like I didn’t even exist, walked right passed me and they had to see it, had to comment on it.”

You hazard a glance at her and you can practically see the steam billowing out from her ears, “I’m sorry he what?!”

“I just I don’t wanna talk about it anymore, the year’s almost over and just like before he’ll be disappearing from my life again… this time just a little sooner than planned.”

“I’m gonna talk to him.” She says firmly.

“What? No! Nance don’t… please don’t… promise me you won’t.”

“I…” she falters at the look in your eye, “Alright, fine I won’t.”

You shoot her a stern look, “Really, I promise I won’t.” She insist.

“I mean it don’t.” You finish firmly.

“Ok… have you eaten today? What did you have?”

“I did, I had tea and crackers.”

“Is that it? All day that’s all you had?”

“Yeah, it’s fine, it’s not like I’m doing anything today other than wallowing in bed and it’s not as if I’ll starve to death.”

“You know starving yourself is just as bad as overeating, neither of which is going to help you right now. Come on get out of bed go have a shower, I’ll make you something to eat and we can watch a movie… we haven’t had a girl’s night in a while you know.”

 You give in to her pestering and it does help to take your mind off things for a bit. She makes you promise that she’ll see you up and about next week.

Nancy doesn’t break her promise at first, not exactly but she does go straight to Steve right after your little ‘girl’s night’.

“You want me to what?”

She rolls her eyes, “Oh, relax it’s not that big a deal just talk to the guy.”

“Why me? If it’s not such a big deal you talk to him.”

“I told you I promised y/n I wouldn’t so I’m not.”

“Still don’t get why it has to be me.” He grumbles.

“What are you scared of him or something?” She teases.

“No! It’s just weird you want me to talk to him about his sex life, c’mon that’s weird.”

“Hey, y/n is your friend too and she’s really hurting right now, just talk to the guy.”

“Why couldn’t it be one of those Hellfire guys instead?”

“Well, I don’t really know them, I know you… but I guess we could talk to them too. Maybe they could help, we can ask Mike where to find them.”

 That’s how they find themselves grouped together with a couple of the guys from Hellfire Club, on Eddie Munson’s front porch. Nancy knocks on the front door and Eddie tumbles out to greet them “Wheeler? Harrington? The fuck are you two doing here?”

He spots Gareth and Jeff just behind them, “Emerson… what the fuck is going on?”

Nancy pokes him in the chest angrily, “Inside. Now, Munson.”

He holds up his hands in surrender stumbling backwards inside the trailer.

When everyone is inside, he tries again, “Right, so is anyone gonna fill me in here? What the fuck is going on?”

The boys let her go off on her tirade, her promise to you forgotten amidst her anger, “Don’t play dumb Munson, we’re here about what happened with y/n.”

“Shit… yeah I know I took things too far but tell her it’s ok, I’ll stay away from now on.”

“That is exactly the problem, why are you staying away?”

“Just imagine what people would say about us, the freak and the fatty…”

Gareth speaks up taken aback, “What the fuck man since when do you call her that?”

Eddie sighs “I don’t, it’s just what people would say and she doesn’t deserve that, she doesn’t need people judging her and they would if we were together. Why would anyone want to be seen with the freak nah she doesn’t need that.”

“Since when has that stopped her before, she’s with you all the time?” Jeff counters.

“Yeah, but that’s different it’ll be so much worse for her if we’re dating, this is for her own good, she’d be better off without me all together.” He protests with a tone of finality.

“Shouldn’t you let her decide that for herself? You don’t think you’re hurting her right now… acting like this. Imagine what she’s feeling, what she’s thinking. She’s alone in her room, hasn’t left for days, hasn’t been eating, torturing herself over why you’d do this.” Nancy attempts to reason with him.

Reality comes crashing down around him as he realises what he’s done, “Oh fuck I’m… shit I’m a fucking asshole. I let my own fucking insecurities get to me I didn’t stop to think how she’d feel, how she’d see it… fuck, fuck, fuck.” He paces back and forth tugging on his curls anxiously. His head snaps up, locking on to Nancy, “What do I do… what can I do?”

Steve speaks up for the first time, side-eyeing Nancy as he does so, “You fucking apologise man, take her flowers, beg for her forgiveness… whatever it takes.”

“Right… right.” He mutters to himself before his head pops up again, “You guys uh wanna like leave, or…?”

“Yeah, we’ll go.” Steve replies leading the way out of the trailer.

Nancy lets the other two go first before turning back to Eddie, “You fix this Munson… and I was never here, ok?”

He rubs the back of his neck awkwardly, “Uhh… yeah ok.”

He stands beneath your bedroom window tossing rocks at it til one connects. You peek your head out at the noise and see him standing there, arms laden with flowers and candy. You don’t quite trust yourself to speak first so you stare down at him expectantly.

He finally breaks the silence, “Can I come in? We gotta talk.”

Your despair solidifies into bitter anger, “Oh, now you wanna talk… fuck off.”

“Please… please just hear me out.” He calls back desperately.

“Why the fuck should I? I gave you so many chances, why now?”

“I’m a fucking idiot, I know that and I’m sorry I’m so so sorry. Please just let me in, let me explain and then I’ll go if you want, I promise.”

“Alright, fine. You better make it quick though… you know the way in. Come up.” You slip back into your room slamming the window shut.

He takes the stairs in leaps and bounds when he gets inside, hesitating outside your bedroom before steeling himself and opening the door.

The second he steps inside it’s like all moisture is wicked away from his mouth he stands there for a moment in silence. You prompt him to begin, “Well? You gonna actually speak or-”

He blurts out, “I love you…”

You roll your eyes, scoffing, “Yeah, sure you fucking do… not falling for that one again.”

He persists, “I’m really, really, really sorry, you have no idea. I uh got these for you.” He thrusts out the flowers and a box of candy in your direction.

You eye them sceptically, snarling, “And what some flowers and chocolates are gonna make me just fall right into bed with you again… ‘daddy’?”

“I never should have… I took things way too far for your first time I am so fucking sorry. I really do love you though.” He says in earnest.

Your voice cracks, “Why did you leave? Why do you always fucking leave me?”

“Because I was a dumb fucking piece of shit too wrapped up in my own insecurities… thinking I don’t deserve you, don’t deserve happiness… worried about what people would think of you if you were dating me, the things they’d say…thought you’d be better off without me.”

“It’s not on you to make decisions like that for me, you ass. The things people would say about me because I’m dating you… fuck that’d just fly right over my head ‘cause I’d be with you. And that shit about you not deserving happiness is just that, absolute shit… of course you deserve happiness. And by doing this you deprived both of us of a chance at happiness.”

“Is… is it too late… can I… can we try again?” He stutters out hopefully.

Your resolve slips, “You really hurt me Munson…”

His face falls, “I know, I’m so sorry… and I will spend the rest of my fucking life making it up to you if… if you’d let me?”

“It… it wasn’t too far you know, umm I actually really liked it… all of it.”

His eyes search your own desperately, “Does that mean…?”

“Yes Eddie, it means we can try again.”

His face lights up and he drops the flowers and the candy onto your bed, he moves towards you but stops suddenly, “Can… can I kiss you?”

You give a small nod and he dives in kissing you slowly, deeply, with purpose. He pulls away and asks breathily, “Can I stay the night?”

“Don’t push your luck.” You warn.

He gasps, “No! Not… not like that… I mean not that I wouldn’t want that, but… I mean, just let me sleep here, that’s it just sleep, cuddle a bit. Then in the morning I’ll show you how it should have gone the first time, like this past week never happened.”

“O-ok, yeah we can do that.”

“Thank you.” He hums pulling you against him, nuzzling into your neck.

And true to his word that is all you do that night, falling asleep wrapped up in one another, peacefully. He wakes you in the morning with a sweet kiss, he says he’d offer to make you breakfast but the best he could do is cereal so he takes you out to the diner instead.

When you tell Nancy what happened she doesn’t seem too surprised, “Good I’m glad the two of you worked that out, I’m happy for you really… but if he ever does anything like that again you tell me straight away. I’ll sort him right out.”

You shoot her a suspicious look, “Nance, did you talk to him?”

“What? No! No, I promised I wouldn’t… it was Steve and a couple of your Hellfire friends I swear.”

“Uh huh and how did they know about it?” You probe.

She folds easily, “Alright fine I talked to him, I’m sorry but-”

“No, it’s fine. Actually, I’m glad you did, thank you.”

“No problem… so, now can we talk about it… what’s he like in the bedroom?”

You gasp mock scandalised, “Nancy Wheeler, how dare you…” you can’t maintain it for long and burst into giggles, “He is gooood I’ll say that much, very generous in every sense of the word.”

She raises a brow, “You mean…” and indicates size with her hands.

You nod “Oh, boy do I, and he knows what to do with it.”

She chuckles at your response, you ask about her, “How’re you and Jonathan?”

“Good, we’re good…”

The two of you chat long into the night, you’re glad of a friend like her, glad she stepped in when she did else who knows how things could’ve gone.

[timetoletmyimaginationfly]

Our Love Story

Nanami Kento x Reader

Chapter 2: Sushi, Movie, and a Kiss

Chapter 1: Coffee and Baked Goods

(Song Inspiration: Love Her by The Jonas Brothers)

It was your winter break. You sighed in content as you landed on your bed after your final. Your friends wanted to celebrate, but you passed on the offer. You’ve picked up extra shifts at the hospital prior to your exam. All you wanted to do was relax. Sleep. But before you fell into a slumber, your cell phone rang. You wanted to ignore it, silencing the ringtone. But when you saw the caller I.D., your eyes widened.

“Nanami-san,” you said, a yawn suddenly escaping your lips.

“Did I call at a bad time?” he asked.

He ended up calling you the day after the two of you met. You happily met him that next day at 8am in your favorite cafe. You didn’t have class until 1pm that day. The topic started off with Nanami asking what you were studying for and you went off with that. He listened, asking questions every now and then. And you love how engaged he was. And by the time you had to leave, Nanami gave you a ride to school. It’s been a month and a half since then. The two of you message or call each other when you can. And you counted a total of 10 meet ups with him to eat.

“You didn’t,” you answered. “I just got home. I finished my final. I’m finally on my winter break.”

“Are you busy right now?” he asked.

“No.” Nanami frowned, feeling guilty for disturbing you. “I’m free all day, Nanami-san. Did you want to do something?”

“I…” Nanami paused.

He wanted to just check up on you. And you sounded exhausted that he felt conflicted to spend time with you. He didn’t know what to consider you as. You remained formal with him so he did the same. You flooded his mind since the day you two met. You were very persistent in paying him back even though it wasn’t a big deal to him. He planned to just meet up with you that one day. But he found himself calling you that evening and the day after and the day after again.

“I just wanted to check up on you,” he said softly. You hummed in response. “It’s been almost a week.”

“You’ve been busy,” you said.

“I’m sorry about that.”

“Don’t be! I’ve been busy also.”

“How did you do on your final?” he asked curiously. He mentally slapped himself. It was the main reason why he called you in the first place.

“I won’t know until I see the results,” you answered sadly. He could imagine your pouty look. “Every time I think I do well, I fail. If I do bad, I fail.”

“I’m sure you did great,” he said. “I know you just got that passing grade.” You smiled.

“I better,” you said. It was quiet between the two of you, but you liked his company even if it’s just on the phone.

“Let me treat you out to dinner. What are you craving?”

“Sushi please. I want take out though. Come over and watch a movie with me.”

You were surprised yourself that you immediately invited him over. Just like him, you didn’t know what to consider him as. You felt too formal to be friends even though the two of you spent time together like one. But calling and texting each other’s well being on a daily basis felt like you two were more than just friends.

“Send me your address. And I’ll send you a menu,” he said. You smiled.

“Okay. I’m going to leave my door unlocked. If I’m asleep, wake me up! Don’t feel bad for doing so.” Nanami was silent, hesitating a bit.

“You shouldn’t leave the door unlocked,” he said. “We can find another day to—“

“I’ll stay awake and the door will be locked. Please come over.” The two of you blushed. You yourself felt too persistent but you really wanted to spend time with him.

“Okay,” he replied softly. You sighed in relief quietly and Nanami mentally chuckled as he heard you. “I might be a bit late.”

“I know. You told me there are times you leave work late. On second thought, maybe you’re right. If you get out late—“

“I’ll be there okay? I have about an hour left. Take a power nap after you tell me what you want me to order. I’ll be there. I promise.”

“O-Okay, Nanami-san.”

You took a quick shower after the call. You went through the menu and messaged him back three sushi rolls and a dessert. You wore your favorite crewneck, shorts, and socks. You brushed your hair and lied down on the couch, immediately falling into a deep sleep.

You couldn’t help but have that gut feeling to wake up. You tried to fight against your sleep, but it felt too good to wake up from. But the sounds of footsteps and a noise right next to you made you alert. You sat up immediately, but held your head up from the sudden dizziness you felt.

“You’re awake.” You recognized the deep voice but your vision remained blurry for a few seconds. You finally saw the tall blonde kneeling in front of you, watching you carefully. “I went to the front desk. They let me in.”

“I-I-“ You were trying to formulate words in your brain, but your brain was still too foggy to think about anything. Nanami softly chuckled as he wrapped the blanket around you.

“You don’t mind if I grab plates and utensils in your kitchen?” he asked. You shook your head. Nanami softly thanked you and stood up.

You wrapped the blanket around your shoulders and watched him look from cabinet to cabinet. You reached for your phone that was on the table. You checked the time and your eyes widened.

“Did you wait long?” you asked.

“Fifteen minutes,” he answered nonchalantly. You blushed.

“I’m so sorry,” you said, eyes lowered to the ground. “I guess I forgot to set my alarm.”

“It’s okay.” Nanami returned with two small plates and two water bottles. “Pick a movie.”

“R-Right.” Nanami set the table, pulling out the containers out of the bag. You began to feel self-conscious. You wondered if he cared about the movie you picked or if he would judge you for liking something he doesn’t. You doubted it but couldn’t help but let to your thoughts consume you.

“You wanted to watch the new rom-com right? You should put it on.”

“That’s okay with you?” Nanami nodded.

“It’s all about you tonight.” You couldn’t help but blush. You patted the empty seat next to you. You pulled the table closer to the couch so the two of you can easily reach over for the food.

It wasn’t long until you devoured your dinner. You didn’t realize that you were even starving until you took your first bite. You recalled Nanami telling you to slow down but you were too engrossed with the movie to commit to slowing down, taking the chance to possibly choke on your food.

Nanami loosened his tie and rolled his sleeves halfway up his arm. He unbuttoned the first couple of buttons of his shirt before he sat back on the couch, making himself more comfortable. You wrapped the blanket around your body to stay warm. You giggled at the cute and romantic scenes that happened. And you couldn’t help but make small comments when something unexpected happened. Nanami would smile, enjoying your inputs on the movie.

“They’re so cute, Kento,” you said. Nanami used his hand to slightly cover his big smile. Your eyes widened and you looked at him with guilty eyes. “I-I mean, Nanami-kun. No! Nanami-san.” He couldn’t help but laugh.

“Kento-kun sounds better,” he said.

“Kento-kun it is then.” A large yawn escaped your lips. The movie just ended and you couldn’t help but rub your tired eyes.

“I’ll clean up.” You stood up and grabbed the plates.

“You are my guest, Kento-kun. You stay put.” You quickly stacked the small amount of plates from the table and headed to the kitchen. Nanami stood up, walking around the room. He would stop at pictures, smiling to see your life. There were pictures of you with your family and friends.

“Didn’t know you played sports,” he said when he found a picture of you in high school with a medal.

“High school track team,” you said. “I was an amazing sprinter.”

“What made you stop?”

“Knee injury. I had to get surgery. I stopped when I graduated.” He was surprised at the new information. He looked over at you.

“You don’t look like a sprinter.” You blushed at his comment.

“Well, I haven’t really worked out as much,” you forced yourself to say. “Besides, I’ve been a busy bee.”

“I’m sorry if I offended you. I didn’t mean to.” He continued to look and found you with, what he assumed, your father. You turned to look at him and caught him looking at the picture. You smiled, eyes back to the dishes.

“The picture you’re looking at is when I just got into college. My ex took that photo. I just started college,” you said.

“What about your mother?” he asked curiously.

“She lives in America with her new husband. I’m not close to her. We just text each other holiday greetings.” Nanami nodded.

“Will I meet your dad?” he asked. It grew more silent, sounds of the rushing water of the sink just running. He was about to call your name again, but you finally answered him.

“Yeah, you’ll meet him.” He walked inside the kitchen and you just finished washing the dishes.

“I should head out soon. I have work in the morning.”

“Okay then. Will I get to see you more while I’m on break?” you asked curiously.

“Only if you want me to.” You followed him to the door as he put on his shoes.

“Of course I do! I would love to see you everyday if I could.” You slightly flinched. You did not plan to say that to him out loud. But Nanami was happy to hear it. He walked up to you, holding your chin gently so you would look at him.

“I would love that too,” he said softly. You wondered if he could hear how loud your heart was beating. When Nanami leaned in and gave you a soft kiss on the lips, you swore you almost forgot to breathe and you felt your knees buckle. You held onto his arms as you kissed him back. “I’ll call you tomorrow, alright?”

“Y-Y-Yeah,” you stuttered, still processing the kiss you shared with him. “Call me. Text me. Come over if you have to.”

“Sweet dreams, sweetheart.”

“G-Goodnight.”

Nanami gently closed the door. You couldn’t help but touch your lips. You could still feel the warmth of his lips on yours. In the end, you couldn’t help but let out a loud ‘yes’ as you headed to bed.

Nanami heard. He smiled widely as he left the floor.

[band--psycho]

Young!Remus Lupin x Reader - Never Stop Being You

For @loving-and-dreaming (and for anyone else who has ever felt like this) ; I hope this fic helps I saw it a while ago whilst I was reading Remus fics!

I hope you all enjoy this! 💛

“Y/n, I was thinking we could go to the library after potion classroom study?” Remus said, lifting his head up from the book he’d been enthralled in most of the morning. 

“Yeah; that sounds good, hon-Remus,” Y/n replied with barely even a smile before she left the Gryffindor Common room altogether. 

Remus’ eyes narrowed in both confusion and concern; a look that his fellow Marauders also mirrored. 

Y/n loved the library, that’s where she spent eighty percent of her time when she wasn’t in classes and sure studying wasn’t her favorite thing to do but it was odd to see her so indifferent by what he said. 

She also rarely called anyone by their first name unless it was her first time meeting them; or had told her to call them by their name. But Remus had never done that; in fact he found it adorable that she called him honey; it made his heart feel all warm and fuzzy. 

So hearing his actual name fall from her lips was like a punch in the gut. 

She hadn’t called him by his full name since they met each other; in their first year, they were now in their seventh….

“Did I just hear that correctly?” He asked; rubbing the back of his neck nervously; his mind trying to work out if maybe he had misheard her. 

“Moony, what did you do?” Sirius questioned; his eyebrows raised as he looked at his friend; Sirius, much like Remus had rarely seen Y/n call anyone by their first name, the only time he’d experienced it was when she was really mad at him for pulling a prank on her, that went terribly wrong and ruined one of her favorite books. 

Hence why Sirius assumed that Remus and Y/n had had a falling out. 

However, Lily soon corrected that assumption, “He hasn’t done anything,” 

“She’s been like that for a few days,” Marlene continued with a sigh, as she twiddled her quill in between her fingers, “It’s like she’s stopping herself from saying the nicknames she’s called us for years…”

Remus hadn’t been around as much the last few days because of the full moon, he’d spent most of his time in the hospital wing and in his dorm room; today was the first real day he’d felt strong enough to go back to classes. 

Something had happened to Y/n…and he couldn’t help the ache of guilt in his chest at the thought of something happening to her and him not being there. 

But he was here now; and he was going to find out what had happened to make her act unlike herself.

~~~~~

Throughout the rest of the day, Remus kept an eye on Y/n…and although it was exactly like Marlene had said, she was calling everyone by their first name, avoiding all the nicknames she used to call people; there was also something else going on. 

She was quiet; unusually so. 

She barely cracked a smile at Sirius’ joke in Charms class; and Remus knew  that that was a joke she would’ve normally laughed at. 

It was like a Dementor had come along and sucked all of the happiness out of her. 

In fact he was fully  prepared for her not to show up to their study session today; but a small wave of relief washed over him when he saw her making her way over to him. 

“Hey,” Remus greeted softly as she sat down; there were a million questions racing around in his head, but he thought it was best to let her get comfortable before he started asking her questions. 

After an hour of studying; it was not Remus who broke the silence they were in, it was Y/n.

“What’s wrong? She asked; her eyes not once dithering from the book she was reading.

“Shit,” Remus mumbled under his breath; as he looked up at Y/n. He’d been hoping that she was so engrossed in her charms book to notice his worried glances; clearly, he was wrong. 

“I could ask you the same question?” He countered gently; closing the book he’d been trying and failing to read. 

“I’m fine,” she stated bluntly; trying to ignore the concern in Remus’ eyes as he looked at her.

“I’m just saying…if there’s something wrong…you can talk to me, Y/n/n y’know that right?”  he smiled reassuringly.  

He knew she was lying when she said she was fine; but he also respected that maybe she didn’t want to talk about what was wrong right now and as much as he wanted her to tell him what was wrong so he could help her, he also wasn’t going to push her. 

“Why does everyone think there’s something wrong with me?” Y/n snapped; silencing the minimal chitter in the background as she gathered her belongings and quickly left the library. 

He swore he saw her wipe a few tears from her cheek before she left; and that just made his heart ache even more as his mind fought with itself for a few moments; trying to decide what the best thing to do was, if he went after her he was worried that she would feel like she didn’t have any space; but alternatively he also hated the thought of her being alone whilst she was upset. 

He couldn’t leave her. 

So he rushed after her, trying to think of where she could be.

He tried all the usual places he thought he’d find her; and then all of the less likely places; and he couldn’t find James who had the map, so that ruled that out as an option of trying to find her. 

It was a complete and utter coincidence that he bumped into her quite literally while he was walking towards the Quidditch pitch where James and Sirius were. 

“Y/n/n-” his words stopped in his throat when he saw just how puffy and red her eyes were. 

“C’mere,” he whispered, pulling her into his arms; a gesture which she didn’t fight against; instead, she simply melted into the warmth and comfort of his arms, as he rubbed her back soothingly. 

“I’m sorry,” She sniffled, pulling herself away from him slightly so that she could wipe her tears away. 

“You don’t need to be sorry,” he cooed; continue to rub small circles into her back; while his other hand rose to her face, caressing her cheek.

“Am I too much?” She asked, the question catching Remus completely off guard. 

“Am I too nice; too bubbly, just…too much, I know people don’t always like nicknames…and I can be a bit too loud sometimes; that’s not something I’m not used to hearing but I didn’t think it annoyed people, is it annoying?” 

The words were falling from her lips faster than Remus’ mind could keep up with; but after a few seconds the words had processed.

“It’s not annoying, not at all,” he said, tilting her head up slightly so that their eyes met, “Why don’t you start from the beginning?” 

So she did. 

She explained what had happened a few nights ago; that a handful of students had said that she was too friendly and nice to everyone; that she was too bubbly and should learn to not talk as much, and the nicknames she called people, like honey were just weird. 

And that was all because she offered to help them with an assignment.

“I was…I was just trying to help,” she continued; picking the skin around her thumb anxiously.

“I know and there is nothing wrong with that,” Remus stated, taking her hands in his, “you don’t have to shrink who you are just because other people can’t appreciate how brilliant you are,” 

“I’m not brilliant,” she mumbled, her thumbs rubbing along the side of my knuckle.

“Yes, you are,” he argued; though his tone remained soft, as his thumb traced over her bottom lip.

 “You are the finest, loveliest, tenderest and most beautiful person I have known and even that is an understatement,” he breathed, unknowingly closing the small distance between them; until their lips were almost touching. 

He glanced down at her lips, before meeting her eyes, silently asking her if this was okay. 

She didn’t say anything; she simply closed the distance between them herself. 

The initial shock of her lips on his made him stumble back a little; thankfully it was not enough to break the kiss; he wished his lips could heal her hurt, he wished he could kiss the pain away and show her just how amazing she was in his eyes. 

“You are amazing,” he breathed in between kisses before placing one last kiss on her forehead, before pulling her back into his arms, “and I will always remind you of that.”

Tagging

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[parkert01]

Happier - Spencer Reid

You and Spencer had been together for three years, you had recently celebrated your anniversary, finally able to celebrate on the actual date rather than a couple of days after. When you started dating Spencer, you had accepted that his work life was crazy, you knew that he could be called away at any time during the night or day, you liked him enough to bypass this. 

When he left a couple days later, you assumed he was called into work, you didn't think anything of it until he came back a couple days later, grabbing your hand, dragging you to the sofa and dropping the most unexpected bombshell on you. 

"I'm sorry. I think we should break up. I've met someone else"

You let out a choked sob, tears falling freely down your face. "Who is it? How long?"  you whispered as your voice cracked. He avoided eye contact with you as he replied "Her name is Maeve, its been happening for a couple of months".  You didn't say anything for a couple of moments before saying "You fell out of love with me months ago? You are a coward, I truly hope your happy. I am going to leave, I will get my sister to pick up tomorrow". He didn't reply only nodding when you put grabbed you back and walked out the door. You did send your sister round the next day to collect the things you had left at Spencer's apartment, she was mad when you told her what had happened, she ended up shouting at Spencer, as she passed him, his spare key, she told him that he would never get anyone better than you and that she hopes he miserable. 

Months went by and you finally agreed to go out to a bar with your sister, you had spent long enough crying, you needed to get back out there. Although you thought Spencer was the one, you were clearly mistaken with how quickly he threw you away for a women he had only known for a short period of time. Your sister took your arm in hers and walked towards the doors, as you walked in, found some seats while she went and ordered the drinks, when she eventually came back, you started to feel like your old self again, laughing at funny memories.

The night went on and you felt someone staring at you, you ignored it at first but curiosity got the best of you and when you looked, you locked eyes with Spencer with his colleagues, you sent him a polite smile and diverted your eyes back to your drink. Your sister sensed this sudden change in mood and looked where you had previously looked, her face soon fell when she realised that he was there. "Do you want to leave?"  You shook your head no, "It's been months, I want to have a good time and not to think about him". Your sister nodded and went to the bar to get more drinks. Spencer took this chance to come and speak to you. You only realised he was there, when he slipped into to your sisters previous seat, you looked up, when you realised it was him, you frowned.

"Hi Y/N"

"Hi Spencer"

"Look I just want to apologise, how I went by things wasn't okay"

"Don't apologise when you don't actually mean it. That makes it redundant. You aren't sorry, you just feel guilty. I truly hope she makes you happy and that you treat her better than you did me, I hope you truly love her"

"Y/N-"

You cut him off "Spencer, I think you should leave, go back to your friends". He gives you a sad look "Y/N, please"

"She said leave Spencer, so leave her alone"  your sister cut him off, he accepted defeat, nodded and went back to his friends where you saw them send him looks of pity while tapping his back and shoulder. She placed the drink in front of you and said "let's finish these and get back home". You agreed and quickly downed your drink before you started crying. She rubbed your shoulder as you whispered "I wish I was enough for him. I wish he loved me. I wished he picked me. I want him to be happy but I don't want him to be happier. Does that make me selfish?"

She shook her head, "No, your not selfish, your just in love with him. You are enough and one day you will meet someone who worships you. You are always enough". You chuckled as you walked to the doors, before going through them, you looked back at Spencer, sent him a smile and nodded your head towards them, he smiled at you and nodded back at you. Nothing was exchanged verbally but that little notion expressed everything you needed to say. 

You knew it would hurt now but in the long run you would be better, you knew that you would be okay. You would fall in love again. You never thought you wouldn't be with Spencer but now you had to forge a path in life without him by your side which was petrifying. You realised some people are only meant to be in your life for a season and that is okay

[evstostuff]

At Least I Don't Have To Do Cardio

Pairing: Reader x Danny Ric

Warnings: 18+, choking, language, hair pulling, unprotected sex, public sex, thigh riding, slightly dominant Danny and reader, dirty talk, slight tattoo obsession.

Word count: Roughly 2,000

A/N: So this is my first smutty bit of writing. Please leave feedback, make it constructive! Welcome to my head and my obsession with Dany Ric's tattoos :)

“Come on you can do it Y/N, just one more.” 

A large hand swiped across your arse cheek, supposedly an effort to encourage you to push through the pain of the barbell squats Danny was making you do. The sharp sensation from the slap went straight through to your core causing you to bite your lip. You got through the last one and put the barbell back on the rack so Danny could do his set. 

“I’m proud of you baby, you’re getting stronger.” 

His eyes racking over your body as you removed your oversized t-shirt. Those gorgeous brown eyes were full with lust, making every inch of your body shiver with excitement.

Both of you continued with your workout. Danny focused on his legs and you deciding a run was the best way to clear your mind of the dirty thoughts.

You and Danny had been friends for years before your relationship. Obviously, you took a bit of a backseat once he got into formula one. However, you supported him no matter what, constantly texting him good luck and watching on tv when you were unable to go to races. Unfortunately, towards the end of his 2018 season at Red Bull, things got hectic. Work got in the way and his busy schedule meant you barely saw each other. You’d text occasionally, checking up on each other but usually the replies were short and sweet, not leading to too much of a conversation. 

It wasn’t until a year later during the summer break that you two bumped into each other whilst holidaying in Ibiza. You were relieved that he was still the same Danny you had grown up with. After a quick catch up, you both agreed to meet later that night at one of the clubs with all of your friends. Nothing had changed between the pair of you, no awkward moments or anger due to the lack of communication over the last year. You couldn’t help but notice how well the Renault move had paid off for him, there was an aura of content you had never seen in Danny and it was really working for him. 

As the night went on and the lusting stares continued. The sexual tension between the pair of you was so intense, you both ended up rekindling under the bed sheets in his hotel room.

From then on, you both spent every moment you possibly could with each other whether it was exploring different cities in the countries Danny was racing in, or spending endless hours in the hotel room showing each other how much you both had truly missed being around each other.

Fixated on Danny, you looked at him in the mirror. Scanning his body, sweat dripped from his forehead causing the chocolate curls of his uncut hair to stick to his skin as he continued to push himself. 

Your eyes locked onto the colourful tattoos peaking out from underneath his gym shorts. They complimented his thighs so well. There was just something about them that made you drool. 

Your mind wandered to a couple of nights ago, Daniel had just come back from Canada. With jet lag involved, you were just happy to have Daniel back in your bed. None of that mattered though, he just wanted to show you how much he had really missed you. Part of that night you spent clawing at his thighs and those amazing tattoos as you rode yourself and him to the third or fourth orgasm. You had lost count as his hands fondling your breasts, occasionally rubbing either nipple between his finger sending you crazy.

“What are you thinking about babe?” Danny’s Aussie accent echoed around the empty gym snapping you out of your daydream.

“None of your business Danny.” You smirked at the sweaty man as you hoped off the treadmill and walked past him to your gym bag. 

Daniel came up behind you. “I think you should tell me y/n.” 

His hand wrapped in your ponytail, tugging your head back gently giving him access to your neck. His lips kissed every single inch of your skin available to him, nipping at the sensitive areas that never failed to make you moan.Your breathing grew heavy as his teeth gently grazed against the skin on your neck. 

Growing impatient, Danny tugged a bit harsher, clearly wanting an answer. 

“I was thinking about the other night, about how good you felt inside me whilst I rode you” Your words caused a blush to creep up your cheeks. 

“Oh baby, you really do look phenomenal when riding me. Such a moaning mess all for me.” Your words clearly had an effect as he pressed his growing hard on against your ass. 

“Daniel, we can’t, not here.” You gasped as he slipped his hand out of your hair and situated itself round your neck. 

Your eyes locked with Daniels in the mirror, his eyes darkening as he wanted nothing more but to be inside you. 

Luckily, your apartment building’s gym wasn’t very popular and was always empty in the mornings. 

Danny sat down on the bench in front of you, legs spread. “Sit.” Danny gently patted his thigh. 

You looked at him slightly confused. 

“You’re gonna ride my thigh like you did my cock the other night.” Danny pulled you down on top of his thigh.

He let you get comfortable as his fingers gently massaged your hips. The growing ache of your core begged for some attention causing you to gently roll your hips forward on Danny's thigh.

Danny's fingers tightened on your hips guiding you at a much quicker pace than you were prepared for. You couldn’t help it, the friction was just where you needed it. A small string of moans slipped out as Danny’s eyes were stuck watching you slowly build up further towards your orgasm. 

“How does that feel baby?”  

In all honesty it felt amazing but still nothing compared to the real pleasure you knew Danny could give you by having his way with you.

“Y/N, answer me.” Danny grabbed your hips, holding you still. 

A groan left your lips.

You knew exactly what he was doing. He wanted you to beg and that wasn’t happening. 

You slowly moved you hand down Danny’s chest, making your way down to his shorts that were now extremely tight, revealing how hard he really was. A sigh left Danny’s lips as you traced your fingertips over the outline of his cock. 

“It felt amazing baby” you whispered in his ear as you dragged your core over his thigh again.

“Do you want to be inside me Danny?” 

“Fuck baby, I want you so badly, let me have you here?” He pleaded. 

Danny’s eye, full of lust racked down your body as his hands brushed down your curves. You couldn’t resist Danny much longer. You connected your lips with him. The kiss was desperate and was sending waves of pleasure down to your core. 

Danny lifted you up. “Bend over and hold on to the bench.”

You did as you were told. Waiting in anticipation, you could feel the wetness gathering within your shorts. You were throbbing for Daniel to be inside you.

Danny’s hand slowly caressed the curve of your arse. You were getting impatient and Danny could see the frustration building on your face in the mirror.

Within seconds your gym shorts were round your ankles. Danny pushed your thong to the side and slipped his finger through your wetness. You gasped at the sudden contact. A small chuckle left Danny’s lips as he removed his finger and brought it to his lips. You watched him as he sucked your juices off of his finger. 

“Oh baby, you taste so good. All ready for me to fuck you.” Danny’s shorts had been pushed down along with his boxers to reveal his extremely hard cock. 

He situated himself at your entrance. Slowly, he ran the tip through your folds. Both of you moaned. Danny’s cock twitched at how wet you were for him.

“Please Danny.” You moaned.

Danny couldn’t wait any longer, seeing you bent over and begging for his cock made him feral. He wanted to fuck you into oblivion, screaming his name letting everyone in the apartment block know how good he made you feel as you’d cum round his cock. 

Lining up to your entrance, Danny secured his grip on your hips. Pushing into you, he didn’t give you any time to adjust. He was on a mission. Danny's thrusts were fast, jolting your whole body forward with the sheer force he was applying. Within seconds you were a panting mess, head bowed, bottom lip between your teeth, leaving fingernail imprints on the headrest of the bench. 

With every thrust he was hitting every sweet spot inside you. Danny released the grip of one of his hands and moved it to your ponytail, pulling your head up to be able to watch your reaction. The sharp tug on your hair made you gasp, your eyes opening to lock with Danny’s in the mirror. You both kept your eyes fixed on each others as you both quickly became moaning messes at the feeling of one another. Danny’s thrusts were getting slightly slower indicating he was trying delay his orgasm. You were close, the feeling building within you, ready to take over and blow your mind. 

“I wanna watch you cum Y/N.”

Danny let go of your ponytail and moved his hand down to your front to the top of your thong. 

“Don’t you dare put your head down, you keep your eyes on me.” Danny was stern and you knew he would punish you if didn’t do as you were told. 

His fingers found your clit, adding an extra amount of pleasure to what you were already feeling as he slowly circled the bundle of nerves. The pressure inside you was building, you knew you wouldn’t be able to hold it much longer. With the new added pleasure from Danny’s fingers surging through you. Becoming weak at the knees from the intense pressure building up within, you gripped the bench harder hoping it would bring you a bit of extra stability. Danny could feel how close you were, you were tighten around his cock which was really putting his restraint to the test.

“Cum for Y/N” he cooed at you.

His wish was your command, as the words left his mouth you felt your soul leave you body as you screamed.

“Fuck. Danny.”

With you tightening around Danny, he found his release with your name being repeated like a chant to the gods. You watched Danny come undone in the mirror, head thrown back as his grip tighten on your hip whilst he emptied himself into you. The image alone shot extra waves of pleasure causing you to grip around Danny, his hips bucking into you further causing you both to groan. 

The gym filled with the sounds of you both panting, coming down from your highs. Slowly Danny pulled out from you and grabbed his gym towel to help clean you up. You sighed at the contact of the towel, still sensitive from your orgasm. 

“Come on baby, let’s get back upstairs. How does a bubble bath sound?” Danny pulled your shorts back up and helped you stand up straight.

You nodded your head. A small smile forming as you looked at your boyfriend, truly appreciating how lucky you were. Danny picked up your bag, handed it to you and wrapped his arm around you, pulling you closer to him.

“At least I don’t have to do cardio now.” Danny chuckled as you both walked upstairs.

[veeluvss]

✮⋆˙ first time family

day 2 of my 12 days of christmas !!

jj and the boys x reader !!

1443 words

it’s your first christmas with jj and her boys after her divorce.

“Mummy wake up !!” Michael cheered, jumping onto your bed and shaking JJ awake. Well, trying to. JJ could sleep through a storm, particularly after a late night at work. You, however, were woken up by the slightest creak.

“Hey kid,” you laughed, rolling over.

“Mummy won’t wake up,” he groaned. You smiled and grabbed him gently. You pulled him into your arms, accepting the cuddles he didn’t fight for once.

“Mummy’s tired. Cuddle with me for a while, we can watch her sleep.”

“That’s weird,” he laughed but stayed lying there, in your arms. You had rare cuddles with Michael but even rarer cuddles with Henry. Michael was only seven and a lot more open to newer people but Henry was more closed off. He’d been processing his parents divorce as well as a new parent and school - it was a lot and you had to be patient. You loved the boys as if they were your own but to them, you were still new. With JJ’s work schedule and the boys being at school or their dads, you didn’t see them much but now you’d moved in and you saw them regularly. JJ had been leaving them with you on your own more too which you appreciated - you wanted to get to know them - but it was even more nerve-wracking.

Having come into a family dynamic which had already been established, and even recently cracked - was really difficult and you’d been dragging yourself to make sure you did what was best for the boys. Nights were spent crying to yourself about not being good enough. Yet JJ made it better. The way she looked at you with so much love, the way she’d curl into you and thank you every day for being the best you could be. For loving her.

Around twenty minutes later, you noticed Michael had fallen back asleep in your arms and you smiled, feeling accomplished. Just as you went to close your eyes, you saw JJ peak at you through hers. You smiled and hid your head in the back of Michael’s blonde hair.

“You got him back to sleep,” she whispered.

“I was just lying here holding him.”

“He likes it.You’re doing so amazing,” she leaned over and kissed your cheek before sneaking out of the bed, being careful not to disturb her sleeping son in your arms. You smiled at the simple praise, maybe you weren’t doing so bad.

“You don’t make eggs the same as dad,” Michael said as he dug into his breakfast. You paused as your heart sank. You weren’t sure what to reply.

“Is that a good thing?” JJ asked, resting a gentle hand on your back, offering her support.

“Not good, not bad,” Michael shrugged, taking a mouthful of eggs.

“They’re still good, just not the same,” Henry backed up his brother.

“Okay well that’s good,” you nodded, almost trying to convince yourself it was okay.

“We’re going christmas shopping today boys,” JJ said, taking her own seat at the table. You went and sat in your own.

“Who for?”

“For each other and other family. You can buy your dad gifts.”

“Do we have to buy gifts for Y/N?” Michael asked and you sniggered.

“No, I don’t expect any gifts. Save your money for your mum and dad.”

Henry nodded, agreeing.

The four of you entered the department store and JJ turned to you all.

“I’m going to find presents for the team, you’re welcome to come with me or y/n Michael. Henry you can go around the store alone but you can’t leave it!” JJ said, proud of her little action plan.

“I’m going to get presents for your mum,” you smiled and Henry looked up at you, you could see he wanted to join.

“I want something for Dad!” Michael announced, grabbing JJ’s hand.

“Cool, we’ll go this way. Meet back here in half an hour!”

You and Henry watched JJ and Michael walk away from you, hand in hand and you turned to her eldest.

“You coming with me to get her present?” He nodded and smiled a little so you headed off towards the jewelry section.

“What are you getting her?” He asked, keeping up beside you.

“She wanted this jewelry set, I just need to check they have it in stock.”

He nodded and then cleared his throat, “do you think you can help me pick something for her?”

You didn’t want to act all giddy and happy that he’d asked you for help so you remained calm, turning to him with a little nod.

“What are you thinking of getting her?”

“I’m not sure, that’s my problem. It’s her first christmas without dad buying her a massive, extravagant gift and I know she has you and things but as the man in her life now, I want to treat her like the Queen she is-” Henry explained and you smiled wide.

“She deserves that, hundred percent,” you agreed. “And coming from you is even better.”

“I just don’t know what will do it.” You got to the store and he looked longingly in the window.

“I know you want her to have this big, extravagant present like Will used to get her but she doesn’t expect that. She just wants you to be happy, Henry. It’s been a tough year.”

“I know, I am happy. She’s happy and you’re really good for her - I just want to show her that I love her too.”

“She knows you love her.”

“I want to get her something anyway.”

“I get that. Come on, let’s go look inside.”

The jewelry shop was bright and the gleaming pieces reflected off the pristine glass around the store.

“There’s so much to chose from,” he said.

“Well you can cut it in half by choosing gold or silver and your mum’s silver girl.”

“How do you know that?”

“She just is, trust me.”

“Okay so I want silver.” You saw the set she’d had her heart set on as he said it and you melted. You could picture in it now, with the bracelet and the necklace and the earrings. You knew she’d look breathtaking. Even more breathtaking than she already is.

“Oh wow-” Henry said, coming to your side. “You’re getting her that? It’s perfect.” You thought for a moment as you processed his question. The way his body turned to it and his eyes lit up. His hand instinctively went to his wallet and you smiled, stepping closer to him. You put a hand on his shoulder and leaned in.

“You should get it for her.”

“What?” He looked at you, a happy gleam in his eye.

“Yeah. You said yourself it’s perfect. She’s been wanting it. She’ll love it even more from you.”

“Are you sure? What are you going to get her?”

“Oh I can worry about that. You get it her. Can you afford it or do you need me to put towards?”

“I can afford it,” he smiled. You nodded and watched as he called someone over to enquire.

Walking out the shop, you were chuffed. Henry walked prouder next to you, having found her the perfect present and you were so happy with yourself because you had helped him.

“Hey y/n,” he said as you waited by the entrance for JJ and Michael. “Thank you for helping me.”

You looked at him and he had genuine love in his eyes.

“You’re welcome, Henry. I can always help you with anything. Just ask.”

Michael ran up to you both and JJ’s hand slid in yours.

“Hey love,” you smiled turning to her. She leaned in for a small kiss and the boys groaned making you laugh and kiss JJ more. You felt at peace with them, finally at peace.

Christmas day came around quicker than any of you expected. The boys sat on the floor and you and JJ sat on the sofa’s.

“Mum this is for you,” Henry said, handing her a neatly wrapped box.

“For me? Henry you didn’t have to.”

“I did. Open it.” He moved to sit beside her on the sofa and you smiled at him, encouragingly. JJ took the paper off and gasped at the brand before opening the box. Her face lit up as she noticed the set she’d wanted for so long.

“Henry.” She said, her eyes filling with tears, “This is too much.”

“I can’t take it back,” he said and smiled shyly.

“Thank you my boy. I love you,” she said and opened her arms for a hug. Henry hugged her back and you watched on, proud.

“I love you mum.”

[miller-n-morgan]

And I Feel Fine (.ii)

Joel Miller x Jackson!Reader

18+, mdni

Summary: A new journey lies ahead, and on the very first night you become sure of something that will completely change the trajectory of your entire future.

Warnings: leaving most of the warnings the same because they apply. mentions of death, violence, gore, blood, mentions of sex abuse and trafficking. Mentions of teenage pregnancy. Mention of drugs and substances. Again, literally has ✨️the works.✨️

Word Count: 7k (i'm going absolutely wild)

Now we're cookin'.... enjoy this slice of my brain that I spent entirely too long on. And also know that the first part of the Arthur Morgan series will probably drop this week.

“I ain’t shittin’ you.” You were fine to leave it at that, but he sure as hell wasn’t. For a guy that hated long conversations, he seemed to like poking around in your business.  “And what makes you think that?”  You honestly didn’t want to tell him. He’s not Tommy, he might make fun of you, might store away the information later on and use it against you. You have no idea, actually. You don’t know him. 

Your contact had gotten you to an apartment. It was worn down, just as every other place in the QZ seemed to be, but it was better taken care of. The people living here must have been attentive about the appearance of their home. A good enough family to leave your baby with. 

She stopped you in the hallway, knocking three times on the old wood door, hearing a lively voice from the otherside before it opened. The woman standing there was lovely, about thirty or so, a half smile on her face when she saw you both had arrived. This plan had been in the works for some time now. 

“Hello, I’m Maxine Williams,” she greeted, reaching for your hand to shake. You did your best to match her kind and infectious energy, giving her a smile in return. She is after all going to be doing you the favor of a lifetime. 

“It’s nice to meet you,” you replied, keeping your head low between your shoulders, though you felt comfortable in her presence. 

She leaned into your contact, turning her head, but you heard the whisper “She’s so young…” 

“S’why she needs help.” 

You understood that this didn’t look right. You should not be pregnant at your tender age, should not have been put in this position. You’ve seen more horrific things than any person ever should, and it all started when you were eight… outbreak day. 

“Of course… come in, both of you.”

The pleasantries went on for a while, exchanging information of where you came from, why you were in this area, what you did before being in Boston. She mentioned her husband, her two sons and their love for older things, wishing for the world the way it was. It was all just small talk, leading up to the actual conversation topic: the baby she was about to take off your hands. 

“You’ll stay with us until the birth, if that’s okay,” she offered, but it sounded more like a demand. It wasn’t a harsh or cruel one. Even if you slept on the rickety couch you were lounging upon now, it would be better than camping in the woods, sleeping on the hard ground like you’d been doing only a month ago. 

“I’ll do whatever you want me to.”

Your contact was happy to see both ends so receptive. She’d never seen a deal containing human life go down this smoothly. Probably because this was a bit more sensitive of an exchange. 

“Good… that’s good. I’ve heard you’re interested in a closed adoption?” 

You glanced down at your stomach, feeling the weight of it, crushing inwards on the rest of your body. Having this baby and giving it away will relieve the weight both physically and metaphorically. They’ll be in good hands, better than your own could ever be. 

“I think it’s probably best. I used to have siblings, but I never really took care of them… I’m not sure I could do this,” You shook your head. You saw her younger son peeking his head out of the bedroom door in the corner, backing away as soon as you caught him. Even in an apocalypse, a child can be happy… just not with you. “I want to give them their best chance.”

“I understand…  and we’re going to do our best to make sure they have a normal childhood,” she responded, leaning forward and placing a comforting hand on your knee. 

“Thank you…”

You had sat down on one of the containment units, feeling as though the adrenaline rush from the ambush was beginning to wear off. Tommy found Maria not far away from where you were sitting, and began to ask his special favor. It was crazy, he knew it, you knew it… but it had to be done. This girl was somehow important, to the fireflies and to all of mankind, and you were starting to wonder why. Joel hadn’t said a word, sitting across from you and awaiting the news that would surely come from his brother’s discussion with his wife. 

“So, you’ve been traveling with Ellie?” 

He looked up at you from his boot laces, his eyes were heavy, and he didn’t seem in the mood to talk. He was grumpy in nature, but you could tell there was more underneath the tough exterior.

“I have.” And no further explanation was given. 

You didn’t think it was best to keep trying your luck, keep on asking him questions. He wasn’t the talking type and you figured you’d be wasting your time… but speak of the devil, Ellie came up to him just as the conversation between Tommy and Maria was getting heated. 

“What’s that all about?” She nodded in their direction. She looked scared, like a deer caught in headlights, just not as frozen. Wide eyed and unable to look away from the scene. “Does that have anything to do with me?” 

She was smart, she’d pick up on the words they were saying - more like yelling - to each other. The context clues were there, Joel would have to be an idiot to think she’d just let him off the hook. 

“We’ll talk about it later…” he grumbled, his annoyance already at a high from your unimportant questions and the fighting in the background. 

“Did he tell you where the lab is?” She asked, her eyebrows furrowing as she got even closer to hear them. 

The lab? Is that where the fireflies would be? You vaguely remember the days you spent with the resistance group, but you don’t remember anything about a lab…

“We’ll talk about it later,” he repeated himself, almost as a warning. 

She turned to Tommy and Maria, then back to Joel, her face one of distrust and sadness. She knew, she could tell. Joel was trying to get rid of her. 

You wanted to say something, to jump in and tell her that she didn’t need to be scared, didn’t need to be worried about where she was going. That you would go with her and it would be okay… but that wouldn’t help a damn thing. Even if you turn out to be her biological mother, you are most definitely not her mom, and cannot console her as one.

“Later… right,” she trailed, backing away from Joel and off to another sectional of the checkpoint. 

Joel looked back to you, your eyes already on him. 

He sighed, at first not saying a word… but when he made a full rotation of his eyeline and you were still staring holes into him, he had to speak up. 

“If you’re lookin’ to judge me, then just-.” 

“I’m not.” 

Your interruption cut him off, and he didn’t really know what else to say. He nodded, not looking away from you, but rather trying to figure out what it is you needed from him. Your stare was not discomforting but it felt demanding. It wanted something.

“How long have you known her?” You finally spit out, tucking a leg under your elbow as you sat back. You knew you’d gotten his attention, now. 

“Few months, now. I’m supposed to take her to the fireflies as a favor to someone.” 

“What do the fireflies want with a fourteen year old kid?” 

He sighed, raising his shoulders in a shrug like he didn’t know. He must’ve been lying, right? You’d gotten pretty good at reading people, but for some reason you couldn’t tell with him. Maybe you just didn’t know him well enough… 

“M’not really sure. All I knew in the beginning was that I could get paid pretty well, so I took her.”

You nodded. He didn’t seem like the person that did things for the sake of them, Tommy had told you stories about him, the things he used to do. If it was for his survival, he’d do it… but just for the sake of getting paid? When barely anything left had real monetary value? It sounded like bullshit. 

“She seems to trust you an awful lot,” you gestured between him and the empty space she’d left. 

There was another beat of silence, to which he didn’t use for reply. Instead he sat, his back curled over and his shoulders sunken inwards. He was tired, he was worn. He needed to rest, but this life wouldn’t let him.

“She knows you’re handing her off…”

“I reckon she does, yeah.” 

And right over your shoulder you heard the climax of Tommy and Maria’s argument. She held a pointed finger in his face, before he finally insisted on Joel’s plan. She couldn’t move him. He was going to do this whether she liked it or not… which is something you haven’t seen out of Tommy for years. Joel must mean a hell of a lot to him, to up and leave Maria on a dangerous errand like this. 

You stay seated when Maria walks over to Joel, and then when Joel stands up to talk to Tommy. You stay seated and think… I can keep Tommy safe. I’ve got nothing to lose, and everything to gain from learning about this girl. I can bring him home to Maria, even if it means my life. 

But you immediately stand when you hear Tommy’s rapid speech. “That girl of yours. she took one of our horses and rode off,” and then he glanced at you with an eyeroll. “She took provoker…”

You huffed a sigh, following the men over to the front of the sectional, the open trail up ahead. Maria was mad at Tommy, so obviously she wouldn’t be accompanying them… and that left you. Casper didn’t like men. 

“Damnit, which way?” Joel asked, his steps were heavy on the muddy ground. 

“I just saw her riding out of here!” Terry yelled, loosening the reins on two more horses he’d brought over for assistance. 

“Alright, get back inside, help the others clean the place up,” Tommy told the man, nodding for you to mount the back of his horse after he’d climbed up himself. You chanced a look at Joel, riding across from you both. His face was mixed with anger and determination, and it reminded you of what Tommy looked like after hours of hunting. They were the epitome of brothers, though you’d never met the other half before. 

You all followed the tracks, leading every which way it seemed. Some of the tracks were fresh, and some were older, but it was hard to tell when the grounds here were moist all the time, never really drying up and creating lasting prints on the dirt. 

After a while of riding, and running into some raiders - who were easily fended off - you saw your horse standing in front of an old farmhouse, the reins tied to a pole holding up the roof of the porch. You jumped from Tommy’s mare and ran up to Casper, petting his mane and making sure he was alright. There didn’t seem to be a scratch on him. 

You watched Joel enter the house, waiting back with Tommy. Even though Joel was the one she ran away from, you couldn’t imagine she’d be thrilled to see you or Tommy instead. Joel had a good reason to do what he did. He didn’t feel strong enough or fast enough for this job anymore. He didn’t feel like he could keep her safe. You unfortunately understood that feeling a little too well, and if you were correct on your suspicions, it would have been with the exact same kid. 

Tommy unstrapped his gun from his back, holding it steady and watching the surroundings whilst he leaned against the porch beam you were standing by. He was trying to gage whether or not your horse was calm enough for him to approach you closer, knowing what would happen if he wasn’t. 

“I think you’re right, you know…” He trailed, his voice quiet on the off chance of an open window. 

“You do?” 

You turned to him, you didn’t exactly have to think twice about what he meant. 

“Yeah,” he nodded, a chuckle falling from his lips. “It makes sense… the timing n’ everything. She looks a hell of a lot like you… and she’s caused about as much trouble today as the first time I met you.”

“Causing trouble is genetic?” You laughed, your eyes watering a bit at the implications he made. She might be yours. Your daughter, who you didn’t think you’d see again. 

“Hell, it might be. Your kinda trouble, anyway… stealin’ horses and shit.”

The nod of your head was slow, the thought of this all sinking in. It made perfect sense and yet coming to terms with the facts of ‘it is’ instead of ‘it could be’ makes you feel light headed.

You didn’t know if he was being serious or if he was just trying to make you feel better, but the look on his face told you the former. He wouldn’t just lie to you, he knew you could read him. 

“I keep turning it over in my head, tryin’ to think of ways I could prove it to myself… I think just seein’ her was enough for me. I’m remembering things I thought I forgot about a long time ago.”

Now it was his turn to nod, but your moment was caught short when you heard a branch snap around the corner. You instinctively pulled your gun from your pants, holding it out in the direction the snap came from. Tommy raised his rifle, doing the same and gesturing for you to go inside. You both made it in the doorway before the threat made itself known. Two guys, coming around the corner. They hadn’t realized you were watching them yet, but they did a quick scan, making sure there wasn’t any immediate danger. 

“Get upstairs,” he said in a whisper, but you snapped your head to face him. 

“No way, the odds are even if I stay,” you argued, but he wasn’t exactly in the mood for a fight right now. It was too risky to have you both down here. 

“Go tell Joel to get his ass down here, you stay up with the kid.” 

“Like hell I’m going up there. Your brother scares me,” you say in a half joking mumble, keeping watch on the two strangers that were now surrounding your horse. They were about to get kicked in the ass if they didn’t step away. 

Tommy realizes that them being distracted gives a good amount of time to leave without cover. 

“Alright, but you first,” he shrugged a shoulder towards the staircase, and with one last glance to your horse, you left your corner by the window. 

You quickly ran up the stairs, ducking a head in a few rooms before finding the one Joel and Ellie were in. 

“Get it together, we’re not alone,” Tommy said as soon as you got inside the door.

“I got two walking in,” Joel leaned towards the sliding window to get some eyes on the situation. 

“There’s more inside already…”

 You backed against the door, Tommy against the dresser on the opposite side. Joel stepped over in front of you, and Ellie behind Tommy. You didn’t realize until now, but taking a glance at Ellie, she looked even worse than when she left. Her face was sullen and her head was dropped. She didn’t seem to be snapping into reality, even with the weight of the situation. 

You stayed by her throughout the house, when Tommy and Joel started shooting, you stood in front of her, covering them from back behind. It was weird, these maternal feelings that had never sparked within you before, only now arising for this specific human that had no clue who you were. 

Once outside, it seemed strange. The dynamic between the four of you was so incredibly awkward. Everyone was thinking on a different topic, and the silence could echo on for miles. You nodded for Ellie to mount the back of your horse, since she didn’t seem comfortable to ride with Joel for the time being. She climbed up behind you and for a second you smiled, because this is your daughter, you know it… but soon after, your mind quickly succumbed to the general silence.

The nature and scenery surrounding you seemed to be duller than before, the pretty autumnal colors becoming ugly in the sense that you didn’t appreciate them right now. You loved the beginning of fall, but the feelings spread among you are tense and terrible, worse than raking up the fallen leaves before winter. 

The feeling never leaves, it stays until you all reach the edge of the town. 

-

“I’m not hungry,” you swore, shoving the extra plate of food away from your placemat.

Manxine’s husband was hungry, and you’d noticed him and his wife being decent enough to give you some of their food the past few days. It wasn’t necessary, because you weren’t working, and you weren’t barely helping them. They were helping you, and you couldn’t be more grateful. Taking extra food that wasn’t just lying around felt like stealing. You’d never been a stranger to it before, but these people were far too kind, too gentle. They made you feel like maybe the world wasn’t completely at its end. It still turned, and people were still good, despite everything. 

“Yes you are, and you should be,” Maxine pushed the plate back in front of you. Her goal had been to ‘put a little meat on your bones’ as long as you were under her roof. 

“I’m fine, I promise.”

“Promise or no promise, you need to eat more. You’re still too thin to try and survive childbirth, ya hear?” She put the old fork back into your open hand, and you sighed. It was sometimes hard to eat more than you normally did, on the account of your body not being used to it. If you ate more than usual would it make you sick? If you threw up the extra rations they were spotting you, you’d feel terrible, but she kept insisting. 

You opened your mouth to take a bite, swallowing it down and feeling the slight discomfort start to settle. Already you’d been eating a lot more than before the QZ, and you didn’t realize how slowly your appetite would have to grow. 

After a few more bites you had to drop the fork to your plate, feeling too full already to keep on. You felt terrible, refusing extra portions that were meant to keep you healthy. Whether or not it was caused by the pregnancy hormones, or just your own emotional breakdown, you weren’t sure… but you started tearing up while sitting at the table. 

“I’m sorry,” you shook your head, covering your mouth and sitting back while the tears rolled down. 

“Don’t you apologize, sweetheart,” Maxine uttered softly, her presence at your side immediately. 

To her, none of this effort was wasted, or overdone. She and her husband, though some of the better off people in the QZ by job merritt, couldn’t seem to have another baby. It wasn’t for the lack of trying, or stress that they couldn’t afford it. It was simply the fact that after six years from their last child, they couldn’t conceive another. This baby, your baby, was going to be a gift to them. They were happy to take any necessary steps into getting you to childbirth. 

“I just can’t eat anymore,” you tried to justify your emotions, but now it only looked like an overreaction. People are dying without food, and here you are, crying about there being too much. 

“It’s alright. Leftovers don’t go to waste in this house,” she spoke, a bit of a chuckle in her tone, which alleviated some of the pressure you felt. 

“Okay,” you nodded, letting her take your plate to the other room, likely where her husband had retired to. 

The campfire was crackling, the smoke filling the hazy navy color of the dark sky. Trees had covered it mostly, but there were a few stars peaking here and there. You’d just finished a can of chicken soup, tossing it on the pile that had been started by the others. It was crazy, how you suddenly remembered so much, just by eating food out of a can again. Days on the run, with the fireflies, being a raider even… it all came back. 

It had only been a few hours or so since leaving Jackson, but after the fiasco of today, the three of you had gotten extremely tired a lot earlier than you should have. 

The three of you meaning: Yourself, Joel and Ellie. 

After the silence of the horse ride back to the commune, something had changed. Joel realized not only what Ellie meant to him, but what he means to Ellie. He’d decided Tommy was no longer required, and that he could fare the journey on his own. Of course, you immediately volunteered an extra pair of hands and a quick gun as assistance. To your surprise, it was Ellie who was your greatest advocate. Her, and the fact that you remembered the lab’s location, could probably get her there on your own if you had to. 

The mirror building… you don’t remember it being a lab, but as soon as Tommy said the words it jogged your memory.

Now you were here, sitting with your back against a log, and staring holes into the shoulder of a fourteen year old girl. 

“Whatch’u lookin’ at?” Joel asked, his arms crossed over his chest as he lazily reclined against a tree. 

You only looked away for a second, too fixated on what was just barely peeking over the collar of Ellie’s shirt and jacket. It had fallen down a bit when she laid down to sleep.

“Nothin’,” you shrugged it off. He was a man of few words, surely he’d drop it on account of having to speak more if he didn’t… but God help him, he’s like a damn cat, his curiosity could kill him. 

“You’re very focused on nothin’,” he teased. There was something off about you with Ellie, he’d taken notice of it. He didn’t know what it was about but it didn’t seem like a danger.

You rolled your eyes over to him, but could tell by his glance back that he wouldn’t quit. He’d already volunteered to take the first watch, and he had nothing else better to do. 

“It’s a long story, you’d get bored.”

But again, he had nothing better to do. 

“Try me,” he raised his shoulders in a shrug of his own. He seemed much more docile of a creature in this setting. The early hours of night, so quiet, and dimly lit. His voice was gentle and his features were soft. He was relaxed.

You took a deep inhale, trying to brace yourself for whatever came of this. He was a fresh face, someone new to explain an old wound to. The scar had finally healed and you were about to dig a blade back through and rip it open… but you suppose you’d sharpened the knife by coming along in the first place. 

“I think Ellie’s my daughter,” you breathed out, not checking for a reaction until he’d been silent too long. His eyes were narrow, and he tilted his head, looking between you two. She was fast asleep by now, but he had a picture of her in his head, comparing it to you. 

“You’re shittin’ me, right?” 

You blew out another long breath, shaking your head and rolling your eyes. He doesn’t get it. He doesn’t know this feeling you have or the fact that you’ve never felt it before. He doesn’t understand that you’d come to peace with the fact that you’d never see her again, and then she appeared like a ghost from your past. You thought she was your past self at first, taunting you, making fun of who you were now. 

“I ain’t shittin’ you.”

You were fine to leave it at that, but he sure as hell wasn’t. For a guy that hated long conversations, he seemed to like poking around in your business. 

“And what makes you think that?” 

You honestly didn’t want to tell him. He’s not Tommy, he might make fun of you, might store away the information later on and use it against you. You have no idea, actually. You don’t know him. 

You let your eyes flick up to the stars, hoping by some miracle they will fall from the heavens in the form of angels to give you a message, that message being: shut the fuck up and don’t spill your guts to a man you met this morning. 

“When I was thirteen, I was by myself. I fell into a weird group of people that could probably be considered a cult. There was this one guy that treated me better than the others…” you trailed off, not sure if you’re ready to rehash all of this. But it’s been a long time since you talked about it. You need to get it off your chest if you’re to somehow make a relationship with the product of your past. “He was in his twenties, so a lot younger than most people in the group. Pretty sure I was the youngest. I didn’t realize he was using me.”

Joel was tense, but not because he was uncomfortable… he was genuinely invested. Wanted to know this story and how it connected with Ellie. His Ellie.

“We left the group, and I found out I was pregnant a few months later. I’d barely had my cycle a fucking year… wasn’t even sure what it meant when I didn’t get it. Anyways,” you had to stifle a laugh, because just looking back… what the actual hell? You kept blinking to make sure no tears escaped in front of this man. You weren’t there yet with him. “I think he just lost all interest in me after that. He didn’t really speak to me unless it was necessary, and wouldn't look at me. Stuff like that.”

But that wasn’t the worst part, and Joel knew you were working your way up to it. 

“Before I was pregnant I used to sneak into places most people couldn’t. I was real skinny like that. Was able to smuggle stuff in and out of different QZs across the country. We peddled rare narcotics for the most part… but I had to stop when I, you know…” you made a round hand motion around your stomach, hoping he got the jist. “I didn’t fit in the smaller spaces.”

“What kind of narcotics?” Joel finally asked a question, and it wasn’t really the one you were hoping for… but you understood he’d probably fallen into the same scheme over the years. 

“Vicodin, mostly. Up in Princeton there was this one apartment… we’d searched it top to bottom because of how many secret hiding places there were. Vicodin everywhere. Whoever lived there was either severely addicted or preparing for the worst.”

“Maybe both.”

Yeah, probably. Damn shame he never got to use them.

“We used it as a trading token most of the time. It was actually what got us into Boston,” you waved off your tangent eventually, getting back to the story and where Ellie came in. “Pretty much gave the rest of our stash to a contact we had there… she got us a family we could hand the baby off to.” 

And now he got it. You’d been knocked up by a predator, and said predator wanted you to give up the baby so he could go about using you some more. He’d seen and done some cruel things in a post apocalyptic world, but he would never stoop that low, and grimaced at anyone who possibly could.

“I had her when I was fourteen. Lookin’ at her today was like looking in a mirror,” you rambled on, still not quite to your point. “She’s the right age, from the right location… and that birthmark on her shoulder…”

He hadn’t even noticed it all this time. Months with the kid, and he thought nothing of it. But to you, it was clarification. It was the confirming piece of evidence that pulled it all together. You’d barely taken your eyes off of it since you saw it. You wanted to make sure you weren’t seeing things. Wanted to make sure it was the right shape and placement, just so you could be sure. 

He nodded, seemingly coming to this conclusion now, too. It didn’t take him any more convincing. It was clear by now that your hunch was not just a hunch. 

“Her dad, he still… around?” 

You shook your head with a light hearted laugh. 

“No,” and you could have left it with that simple answer… but that was never much your style. “I shot him in the head.”

His low whistle cut the air, and you almost felt proud. You’d killed the one thing in life that ever hurt you directly. 

“He deserved worse.” 

“Yeah, he did.”

And then it was quiet for a minute, all the words the two of you had spoken up until now were rotating over and around in your heads to make sense of them, until he spoke up again. 

“I’m sorry,” he nearly whispered. 

“S’okay. Not your fault…” you shook it off. It’s in the past, it’s done. 

“Not yours either,” he replied, raising a brow to you. “M’just, sorry you went through that.”

He was soft, he was gentle. You supposed he was like Tommy. He didn’t judge you or make you feel inferior because of your tragic mishappenings. He just listened, and felt sympathy.

“I don’t mind it so much now… I got her back.”

And both your gazes shifted to the sleeping teenager, her breaths steady with the humming of the night around you. She has no clue, and for now you’ll have to keep it that way. 

Yeah, you think… I got her back.

-

It only took two weeks. Riding, eating, sleeping, and talking, rinse and repeat. There was the odd occasion of dealing with infected, but they were never in large groups, and cleared out easily. 

You remembered exactly where to go when you entered the city limits, guiding them towards the college campus you once lived in as a firefly. It was almost ten years ago, but you remember it pretty well. It’s where you met Tommy. Not in the lab, obviously. You’d both been put on security detail one morning, having never met beforehand. He proceeded to ‘teach you’ how to shoot a rifle properly, only to find you could hit a perfect bullseye on your first shot. Probably because your dad was a man who loved his guns, and you’d been shooting one since you were a kid before the outbreak. He laughed about it, and you two were friends ever since. 

“Are you getting any of this?” Ellie asked you, pulling you from your thoughts as you rode alongside them. 

For the last hour, Joel was attempting - and failing - to explain the rules of football to the young Miss Ellie. And she didn’t understand one lick of it, not that you blame her. You’d been to actual football games in your youth, but you couldn’t get it even then. 

“Nope, I was always more of a baseball fan…” you trailed, and smiled at the thought. Baseball was fun, you remember it well. It was your biggest obsession right before ballet, and right after fingerpainting. 

“Oh really, now?” Joel cut in, his surprise evident in his raised eyebrow and tilted gaze in your direction. 

“Yep. You’re looking at the MVP of the Acorn’s jr. little league team.” 

Ellie laughed. She didn’t know a thing about baseball either. She’d seen some old collectors cards though here and there. Apparently they used to be valuable. They were only knick knacks to anyone who saw them now. 

“What position did you play?” 

“Shortstop… or second base, technically. No shortstop in jr. little league,” you admitted. Your dad always called you shortstop, so that’s what you tell people now. Anyone who asks, at least. You can count on one hand the number of people who have. 

“Seein’ you around infected… I bet you swung like hell,” he chuckled. Ellie was still confused about the rules of the last sport, much less how to play this one… but she listened intently because Joel was interested, so she was interested too.

“I always got on base, didn’t always stay there, but always got on. Plus, I was the only kid who never picked their nose at the plate, so… Obviously I earned my title.”

“That must’ve been an amazing accomplishment. How old were you?” 

From what he understood, you’d been eight on outbreak day. You couldn’t have been too much younger to have started a sport, right?

“Probably six or seven at the time. I did ballet after, had kind of a short attention span when it came to after school activities,” you explained, a smile on your cheeks when you spoke about the things you used to love doing. You probably would still like doing some of them, had they been an option in Jackson.

“I know about ballet!” Ellie jumped in, nearly scaring Joel off the horse. “That’s the dancers that used to wear those weird shoes and shit.”

“Pointe shoes?” You chuckled, more at Joel trying to compose himself than Ellie’s funny recollection of footwear. 

“Yeah, those. They looked like torture devices in some of the paintings I saw… did you ever wear any?” 

“No, I would have had to train for about five more years to have gotten to that point. That was the dream at the time, to be a pointe ballerina. Of course, the end of the world happened…”

Joel turned to you from his forwards facing stare, a sadness in his eyes before he looked back onto the road ahead of him. Was that… pity? You were slowly learning to read him, his little mannerisms and tells that made him like everyone else, yet just a tad different, in a way that only he could be. 

“Maybe after all this is over you can teach me some steps,” she suggested, but you scoffed. 

“Maybe,” you shook your head at how funny the thought sounded in your head. You’d only danced for what? Ten months at most? And as an eight year old? “I think you’ll probably be too busy with Joel’s guitar lessons.”

She laughed it off, shaking her head and leaning it back onto Joel’s shoulder in front of her. The three of you kept along until reaching the building you remembered, but instantly it was a disappointment. The fireflies weren’t here, and likely hadn’t been for over a year. 

“This isn’t right. There should be a checkpoint set up and a security blockade surrounding the place,” you mentioned, getting off your horse and running up to the door in the front. You peeked inside, and there was no sign of life anywhere. 

“You’re kidding,” Ellie grumbled. 

Joel dismounted the horse and followed after you, looking around and trying to find any signs that they might have been here at all. 

“You sure this is the right place?” 

“Positive. I remember this building, I met Tommy right over there,” you pointed down the sidewalk, where a half torn down barricade of cement was still sitting, but just barely. You walked to the corner of the crumbling stairs and grabbed a piece of old broken up brick, chucking it through the front door in order to unlock it.

Joel chuckled for a moment at your frustration, watching the scene play out. 

“Baseball… right,” he teased, leading the way inside with you and Ellie in tow. 

-

Maxine’s boys were at Fedra school. Her husband was at work in a different sector. Maxine herself was trading ration cards for supplies. It was the first time she’d left the apartment since you’d been there, and of all days, of all mornings for it to happen… your water broke.

You were alone, and scared. You weren’t allowed to leave the apartment for fear of the neighbor’s suspicion. Maxine’s family would be torn apart by Fedra if anyone found out what was going on, so no matter how terrified you were, you couldn’t risk going outside for help.

“Not now,” you cried, the tension in the pit of your stomach slowly turning to pain when your first contraction started. “Please, kid, I’m begging.”

You suck down against the wall of the living room, trying to find a sitting position that doesn't kill you from the pain. You wished more than anything you had some of those pain pills left over from the exchange, but they would probably only hurt you right now. 

“Please, don’t,” you tried to even your breathing, the tears crawling down your cheeks at a fastening rate. “I can’t do this…” 

The walls were closing in, you weren’t prepared for this. It didn’t seem to be the right time, either… but it was happening, and there was absolutely nothing you could do to stop it. The baby was coming, and if you wanted to live to see another day, you were going to have to get your head straight, and push it out of you. 

You didn’t know how long you’d have, but from the time your water broke to the last contraction, things were moving relatively quickly. You were still on the ground against the wall, biting down on the sleeve of your shirt to try and not make noise. 

You hoped and prayed that you would not deliver this baby on your own, but it looked like that was your only option right now. They had all left around an hour ago, they would be gone all day. 

“I don’t know what to do, kid… help me out here,” you cried out again, but the baby didn’t exactly listen. You felt more weight bearing down on your lower half by the minute, and all you could do was panic.

It had happened so fast, the attack. Too fast, nothing you guys could have prepared for. It was all within minutes, and the ringing in your ears following your last gunshot seemed to put everything in slow motion. The way Ellie was yelling but you couldn’t hear it, the man that was coming up from behind you, and the one that was wrestling with Joel near the edge of the rail. 

Too fast, the man on your rear grabbed at you and pulled backwards, keeping you from being able to stop Joel’s attacker… You got trapped in a headlock, a gun to your temple, and another man was about to get Ellie. Joel and his attacker broke through the railing, tumbling over the edge and falling into God knows what. You sunk deadweight in the man’s arms, letting Ellie shoot him with her raised gun before you shot the man coming for her. 

She ran to the edge first, freezing as she looked down. You followed and peered over, unsure what you would see. 

“Shit,” you lowered yourself to a sitting position before scooting off the edge and dropping down to where he was. Your voice was in a panic “Joel?” 

He was alive, but fatally injured if you didn’t get him out of here right now. 

“I’m gonna need you to pull,” he managed to get out through gritted teeth. His face was scrunched in pain, and you knew better than anyone how hard it was to stay quiet when you’re hurting that bad. 

“You could bleed out,” you shook your head, kneeling down and flinging off your backpack. Digging through, you only have the most basic of supplies… nothing substantial enough to stop mass amounts of blood, or, worst case scenario, a deadly infection. 

“Just pull, damnit,” he grunted, offering his hand. 

By now Ellie had come down, watching in fear as the only figure of importance in her life was nearly on his deathbed. It couldn’t be exaggerated because it really was that bad. He could drop down at any moment and never get back up, but he kept pushing on. 

You did as he asked, hoisting him to a stand, letting him lean on you for support. Ellie went on ahead, leading the way as she cleared the place with her own gun. You had to assist here and there, unwilling to let Ellie get shot on account of holding Joel up on his feet. 

It was practically a miracle that any of you made it outside. Your horse had already taken care of a raider, it seemed, the man lying unconscious on the ground behind him. He likely got to close, touched him, even. Ellie shot the last obstacle standing between you and an escape, and once he was cleared, you mounted your horses, helping Joel onto his, first. 

You rode in front of them, looking for a place to take shelter. Looking for an empty house, or gas station even. Anything would work, as long as it was safer than here. You rode for miles down the road, unsure if there were people in the area. You’d finally reached a neighborhood of substantial size, with no signs of life or proof of human activity. 

But before you could even find a safe shelter…

“Joel? Joel!” 

And you quickly turned around. Joel fell off the horse, out like a light.

-

Tags: @orcasoul

[justmeinadaze]

Take It Out On Me Part 10 (Steddie X Plus Size Reader)

Warning w/ some notes: Dom Steddie/Sub reader and all that implies (I regret nothing!), No smut but lots of angst, Eddie opens up more to Y/N and talks about his childhood abuse, Steve and his dad get into a fight but only the aftermath is mentioned, he tells them what happened so he does talk about his dad being a dick and saying some not so nice things about our reader and her body, Steve does get a bit combative with Eddie and Reader verbally...I think that's it.

Word Count: 3343

You walked into school with a smile stretched across your face. In a couple more months you would be able to graduate from school and go to college. You and Masie got into the same university just outside of Hawkins which you were extremely excited about but felt a little guilty because the guys were struggling to get in anywhere. 

Steve had tried Tech, the local community college, and even your university but was rejected by all three. Eddie, honestly, had no interest in school but to appease his uncle applied to the community college and like his friend was also rejected. 

Your relationship with them was still going strong and you fell for them harder every single day you spent with them. It always amused you that the first time you met them, you just wanted them to leave you alone but now it killed you when you were away from them for more than a day. Eddie told Steve you had mentioned moving in after graduation and he was all for it. 

Neither of you were sure on the logistics of how your dynamic would work in a lived-in setting. You knew you belonged to them and loved when they we in charge but after doing some research with Steve at the library outside of Hawkins, you weren’t sure how far you wanted that control to go. In a book you guys found, some subs said they liked their dominates picking and approving their clothing or dictating what they ate or did fully embracing the dynamic 24/7.

When you went over what you found with Eddie, he saw the trepidation in your face. 

“Sweetheart, we don’t have to do all of these. I’m sure every home is different. I mean as long as the three of us are comfortable, right?”

“Yeah, remember, honey. This is new to us to.”

“What’s got you all smiley?”, Masie grins as she meets you at your locker. 

“I’m just happy. We’re about to graduate!”

“Slow down, tiger. We still have some time.”

You carry your grin into your first period until you noticed only Eddie was there. 

“Where’s Steve?”

“I’m not sure to be honest. He called me last night and we were talking about something before his line suddenly disconnected. I was going to ask him about it but…”, he gestures to the empty seat. “Hey, wait!” He follows you as you promptly turn around and leave the classroom. “Where are you going?”

“What if something happened to him? I need to know he’s okay.”

###############

“Steve! Open up!”, you shouted as you banged on his door. 

“Here, babe. Hold this steady for me.” Eddie pulled one of the outside chairs towards the Harrington fence and you held it down as he climbed along the back of it flipping over the barrier. He grunts as he hits the ground, dusting himself off before opening the gate so you can follow him in. 

The two of you walked hand in hand as you looked around but as you reach the back door you both freeze. Through the sliding glass you can tell the living room is a mess. Papers were thrown everywhere and you could barely make out clothes near the stairs with some broken glass.

“Stay here, Y/N.”, Eddie commanded as he opened the door and slid inside, growling in his throat when you trailed after him. “I said stay outside.”

“No. He helped me. I’m not waiting around.”

The metalhead aggressively sighed as he pointed his finger in your face. “We will talk about this later.”

“Understood.”, you replied in defiance. 

Upon further inspection, the clothes on the floor were all Steve’s and the glass was from figurines you saw in his dad’s office. You bent down to look at one of the papers on the floor, noticing it was one of those same type of letters you had seen on his father’s desk during his party. After picking up a few more and showing them to Eddie, you realized they were all either letters for Steve to sign or his report cards. 

Your brain started to piece together a small story of what happened and without saying a word you bolted up the stairs, your protector aggressively calling after you. Steve was leaning against his bed on the floor with his sleeping head against the mattress, a half full glass of liquor in his hand. 

You knelt beside him, shaking his shoulder till he opened his eyes as his head lazily turned in your direction. 

“Hey, baby! What are doing here? Shouldn’t you and your big brain be at school?”

He still smelled incredibly strong like alcohol and you winced as he chuckled. 

“We…we were worried about you, Daddy.”

Eddie came down to his level, forcibly turning him to look his way. “Steve, when is your dad coming back?”

“Uhhhhh…I’m not sure. My mom made him leave to cool off last night and they both haven’t come back yet so…”, he shrugged as we took a swig from his glass. 

“Ok, baby, I’m going to grab some of his clothes and things. Sit with him, ok?”

You nod as Steve raises his glass towards Eddie. “Good luck finding any that match! They’re all…on the floor…downstairs.”, he slurs. 

“Honey, give me this, ok?” You reach forward trying to take the glass from his hand but he roughly jerks it away. 

“No! You don’t tell me what to do! I’m…I’m Daddy here.”, he giggles as he sighs. “At least I can be good at something.”

“You are a great Daddy, Steve and a wonderful boyfriend.”

He laughed but you noticed his eyes get glassy. “He, my dad, um…” The boy leans forward, displaying the sunglasses you bought him in New York, now smashed and missing a lens. “…broke the gift you got me. I’m sorry, sweetheart.”

Falling into your chest, you run your fingers through his hair as he sobs. “Sir!”, you shout for him, hoping he’s gotten everything so you three can leave. “It’s ok, Daddy. Everything’s ok.”

“I’m here! His stuff is in my van. Go open the doors in the back and we’ll be right there.” He glared at you as you hesitated, not wanted to detach from Steve’s side. “Do what I say, God damn it!” He tosses you his keys and you quickly run down the stairs and out the front door. 

################

Eddie carried Steve into the trailer and he immediately knocked out as soon as his head hit the pillow. As you started to climb in next to him, the metalhead grabbed your arm, shutting his bedroom door, and shoving your back against it. 

“Since when did we stop listening, Y/N? You’re lucky this situation wasn’t worse.”, he seethed. 

“How is it not worse?! Look at him!”

He covered your mouth with his hand as he angrily continued to scold you. “There could have been someone in the house that could have hurt you, a burglar or hell even his fucking dad!” 

Eddie saw the care you had for them pass through your eyes causing him to exhale as he released you from his hold. “I understand you were worried, princess. I wasn’t going to make you wait outside the whole time. I figured it may be something with his father but I just needed to make sure everything was safe.”

You wrapped your arms around his neck as you hold him to you. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, baby. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I just…I know you said your dad… was aggressive with you…”

He softly smiled as kissed your forehead. “Go lay with him. I’m gonna have a cigarette real quick and then I’ll join you.”

*****

Steve grumbled awake a few hours later, grabbing his head as he looked around trying to figure out where he was.

“There’s some pain med and water on the table there.”, Eddie whispered as he pointed that way, closing the book he had been reading and placed it on the floor. 

“Thanks, man. How did I get here?”

“When you weren’t at school, Y/N insisted we come check on you. We found you drunk on the floor in your room. Your house is trashed.”

“Hm. Yeah.”

“What happened, Steve?”

His eyes flick down towards your sleeping frame before looking at his friend again. “Nothing, Ed. It’s fine.”

“Is it? You told Y/N your dad broke the glasses she got you. Your clothes were thrown all over the downstairs floor and we found papers all about you spread around the living room.”

Steve’s look became dark as he narrowed his brown orbs in his direction. “Seems like baby girl isn’t the only one who’s nosey.” He stomped out of the room, heading for the refrigerator before Eddie cuts him off.

“Nope. No more alcohol for you until you tell me what happened.”

“You don’t control me, Edward.”

“Well, Steven, this is my house and I control who gets to eat or drink from my fridge.”

“What’s going on?” Both sets of eyes turn towards you as you stand in the entryway of the kitchen. “Daddy, are you alright? How are you feeling?”

“At least she fucking cares about me.”

“And I don’t? I’ve known you since elementary school. We became friends freshman year. We are in a shared relationship TOGETHER. I fucking care. Which is why you’ll have to fucking move me if you want another beer.”

Steve squared his shoulders as both men stared each down. You weren’t sure what to do but you knew you hated this. Closing your eyes, you took a deep breath, preparing for what would come next. 

“Steve, what did your dad do? Why was he so angry?”

Without breaking eye contact with Eddie, he responded to you. “You two need to stay out of my fucking business. I can handle this, alright?!”

“No one is saying you can’t. We just want to help.”

He turns on you then, stalking slowly towards you. “And what makes you think I need or even want your help!? Just because you got into university doesn’t make you smarter or better than me, little girl!”

Eddie steps forward to come between you two but you hold up your palm to stop him. 

“Is that what this was about? Did he get mad at you because you didn’t get into school?”

I don’t like feeling out of control…

His words echoed in your brain as you watch him visibly shake. 

“Daddy…”, you whispered, careful not to touch him as his eyes squeezed shut. “Baby, you are still a good man and a good son even though you didn’t get into a school. I’m still so proud of you and everything you do. I don’t care if you have a degree, make a ton of money, or any of that superficial stuff. I love you…both of you…for you.”

Your hand slowly reached up to touch his cheek and he promptly yanked you into his arms. 

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to—”

“It’s ok, dude.” Eddie came around and patted his shoulder. As he started to back away, your arm reached out to grab his shirt and bring him closer. “Jesus!”

After a while you leaned back, lifting up on your toes to kiss his lips. 

“Are you hungry?”

###############

Eddie sat on the counter, swinging his feet as he watched you move around his kitchen. 

“You are magic, woman. How did you make a meal out of the leftover crap we have in here?”

“You see it as crap!”, you giggle. “Your uncle seems to be a chef of some kind with everything here.”

“Hm. I’m not surprised. Munson get togethers were always catered by the eldest Munson brother.” He grinned as he eyed you up and down; watching your face as you focused on the pan in front of you. “I always liked coming here and getting out of our house for a while. I mean the problem in the house came with us but…”

You glance as him as his focus shifts to the floor. 

“One time, we came here right after a stint my dad did for stealing someone’s car. Wayne didn’t want to celebrate him for being released from jail a second time so he said it was a gathering for my birthday which wasn’t for another couple of months.” He smiles as he looks at you. “That night my dad gave me a black eye because my uncle offered to take me again so he could focus on getting his life together. He thought I had asked Wayne to move in so my father accused me of thinking I was ‘too good’ for this family.”

“Eddie, I’m so sorry.”

He softly smiled as his fingers trailed up your arm. “I’ve never told anyone that before.”

“You can tell me anything. I’m always here for you, Sir.”

He laughs as he tugs you between his legs and wraps you up in a hug. “You know what else I’ve never told anyone?”

“Hm?”

“I love you.” When you leaned back, his thumb ran along your bottom lip before moving to your cheek. “I do. I know this started weird and the whole relationship is weird but I don’t know…it just makes sense.”

You nod, not able to respond verbally as you feel the tears press against your eyes making him chuckle. “Hey now. Focus on what your doing, cry baby. Don’t burn the trailer down.”

You finished making their meal right as Steve got out of the shower, running a towel through his damp hair. 

“Fuck me. It smells good out here.” He sits on the edge of the bed as you offer him a plate, Eddie already hoovering food into his mouth behind him. As he eats you continue to comfort him anyway you can, running your hands along his back his chest, kissing his shoulder, or playing with his hair.

After they finish, you take both their plates and head towards the sink as you listen to them talk. 

“Did she eat?”

“Yeah, man, while you were asleep. I had to practically force her.”, Eddie laughs. “She was really worried.”

Steve releases a heavy breath as you come back in and sit next to them. “My dad found my applications I had thrown in the trash. I heard him shouting and my line disconnected so I went downstairs… he just went off. Said I had made promises I failed to keep, flashing my shitty report cards and how I would never measure up to the Harrington name.”

“He asked me what I planned to do with my life since I didn’t seem to put any effort into school. I told him I didn’t know. All I knew was I would go wherever you went.” His eyes shifted up to meet yours. “If you had gotten into a university or something outside of Indiana, I would have followed you, Y/N. I love you to.”

Steve kisses your forehead as Eddie playfully slaps your thigh. “Cry baby.”

“How did your clothes end up on the floor?” The boy’s leg started to jump as his body tensed. You could tell he was afraid to answer your question. Not fear of his father or how you’ll react but of hurting you. “Daddy, it’s ok. You can tell me anything.”

“He, uh, said that dating you is worse than me not getting into college. You’re… shit… honey, I can’t…”

You glanced at Eddie whose eyes were lost in an angry void as his jaw tightened. “Daddy, baby, look at me. You can tell me. I’ll still love you. I know you don’t feel like he does. I know you think I’m beautiful and fascinating.”, you smile at him comfortingly. 

“He said… your family is poor, trash, and you’re disgusting. I wouldn’t be able to bring you to family events because…people take pictures…” You exhaled as you leaned on his shoulder while Eddie lit a cigarette. “I got angry with him and told him to fuck off. That you, me, and Eddie were going to move in together after the year ends. He went into my room and threw everything downstairs telling me I should just leave now. That’s when my mother got involved. After they left, I got drunk.”

“Steve, you’re more than welcome to stay with me.”

“Naw, Munson. He’ll…he’ll cool off. It’s just a couple more months.” His eyes met your sad ones. “Tell me what you’re thinking, baby, please.”

“I…I don’t want to be the cause of your pain. I don’t want you to lose your family because of me.”

His demeanor quickly changed from his eyes down to the way he was sitting as he straightened up. “I lost my family way before I ever met you. You think my life was all sunshine rainbows before you came along?”

“Steve, I don’t want you to struggle these next two months…”

“So what are you saying, hm?! That we’ll just break up till summer? Oh, or maybe you and Eddie can fuck around till we graduate!”

“Daddy! Stop! Stop…” You wrapped your arms around his shoulders trying to calm him down. “That’s not what I’m saying. I just—”

“She doesn’t want what happened last night to happen again. She feels like this was her fault and not because your dad is a dick.”, Eddie explained. “There’s that ‘I’m a burden’ damage again.”

Steve’s eyes closed as he sighed. “I’m sorry, Y/N. My brain is all over the place. I’m not angry with you or anything.”

“I know, baby.”

“Harrington, is your dad the type of guy to go looking for you?”

“Not really. Why?”

“Um, I’m just thinking…you told him you were dating princess here. If you don’t come home tonight…”

“Shit. No. I mean I think we’re ok.”

“We can find out…” They both turn to look at you. “I have to call my parents and tell them I’m staying with Masie. If your dad called them…”

You reach for Eddie’s phone and dial the number.

“Hello?”

“Hey, mom. I just want to call to see—”

“If you can stay with Masie tonight? Of course. Your father wants to ask you something first.”

“Oh, okay.”

“I got a call from school today that said you left earlier. Is that right?”

“No, dad. They must be mistaken. I was there all day and then left with Maze. I’m at her house right now.”

“Ah. I see. Can I talk to her? It seems that Harrington boy wasn’t at school either and his mom is trying to find him. Maybe Masie would know where he is.”

“Why would Masie know that? They aren’t even fri—”

“Put her on the phone, Y/N.” You panic as your eyes shift between theirs. “You’re not at her house, are you?”

“No…”

“You’re with him right now?”

“Yes…”

“I want you both here in 30 minutes. Any longer and I call the chief. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes.”

As soon as the phone disconnects, you cry. When you finally calm down, you’re able to relay what your father had said. 

“Well shit. I guess we’re doing this.” Steve rose to his feet, searching for his shoes. “I was hoping we could wait till you were moving out and in with us but…”

“Sir, what are you doing?”, you ask as you see Eddie throw on his jacket. 

“Probably should stick with our names for the time being, sweetheart. I imagine we’re about to give your parents a big enough heart attack, God forbid you accidently call Stevie ‘Daddy’ in front of them as well.”

“Eddie… you can’t come.”

He pauses, turning to grip your jaw with his fingers. “Now that isn’t something we are going to do. You don’t tell us what we can’t do. I’m not letting you and Harrington face this alone. You’re mine to.”

You press up on your toes to reach his lips and he wraps his arm around you. 

“Everything’s going to be okay, honey. Remember, you’re safe with us.”

###########

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