#i think she had makeup on. your shed has a mirror? your parents let you grab your makeup on the way out?

[fingertipsmp3]

I think the weirdest lie I’ve been told by a pathological liar was when this friend I had in secondary school told us all she got kicked out of her house and was living in like a random shed and didn’t have access to a bathroom or electricity, and everyone was somehow believing her, and I was just looking at her like.. your hair is straightened, teeth brushed, you washed your face and you smell of soap

[thecameronchronicles]

Nobody Has To Know

TW: fem!Reader x Madelyn. Smut. Language. Cheating. 

Summary:  Madelyn makes a move on you after a fith with Drew.

WORD COUNT: 1500

REQUESTED:

Drew dating reader who is also his love interest in the obx and Madelyn has a crush on her and one day they kind of argue on set but it’s not that big of a deal but Madelyn convinced reader to cheat on drew with her ? 

*HEY I WASN'T SURE IF YOU MEANT THAT DREW AND READER GOT INTO A FIGHT OR HER AND MADELYN, AND SO I KINDA DECIDED ON MY OWN. HOPE YOU STILL LIKE IT! 

Nobody Has To Know 

You were always one to harbor a curious mind as well as pushing limits and boundaries. It was one of the many things he loved about you, and it was also what landed you the role to play Rafe's onscreen love interest, and yet, it was also a means for your arguments. Jokes taken too far or moments in which your maturity would be tweaked to fit the role of peer pressure or some pointless dare. The most recent having been showing up to work a bit too hungover from the night before. Usually a professional, you had allowed Chase and Austin to convince you of one too many shots as Carlacia and Madison had taken you to the dance floor to garner the attention of everyone. 

Including her. 

Especially her. 

The memory of the way your body moved and the dress followed each and every sway has set her teeth to sink into her bottom lip at the thought of joining you. But you were friends. Not to mention dating a shared friend, someone she considered to be family. But the crush she had developed on you over the last few months of filming was enough to be noticed by people like Jonathan and Madison as they consoled her when she was affected by your presence. But she would always remain a friend first. 

At least she planned to... 

"I'm not doing this right now..." Drew said with a sigh.. "I hope last night was worth it...Let me go cover your ass for Jonas...Just try to go...sober up somewhere..." He spoke to you, more disappointed as he left you in the makeup trailer as you waited for your designated artist. But upon doing so, you were left with guilt. Drew was a perfect boyfriend for so many reasons. But where he knew the limitations of his excesses, you had a tendency to go overboard. You were a wild spirit reined by his more conservative lifestyle. Sure, he could party and be the life of the party for any instance, but when embarrassed, he could become almost parental. 

"You alright?" Madelyn asked as the door closed behind her, her mouth cocked to the side as she analyzed you. Shades covering your tired eyes, despite the fact you were in a dimly lit trailer whose mirror light was kept off for the time being, hair set in a messy bun from having overslept, and the groan that left your throat having left your lips in such a way that prompted the understanding of you enduring the consequences from the night before. 

"I'm sure whatever he said..." 

You sniffle, having begun to cry since he left. 

"What did he say?" Her demeanor changed, now immediately upset at Drew for making you shed tears.

"I just feel like I always let him down...He is so sweet and he looks out for me...but I always feel like I'm a step beneath him or something. Like he has to babysit me..." 

"You have a right to live your life though...I mean, do you think about not being with him?" She asked, forcing her excitement to shallow behind her concern. 

"Sometimes...Oh my God..I'm too hungover, Drew is so good..." 

"Is he what you want though? I mean you can love someone and they still might not fulfill you. I mean I could eat salad all day, its good for you and everything, but I'm always gonna want something sweet..." Her eyes flashed to you in a way you hadn't noticed. Her usual sultry eyes, a statement of hers along with those full lips pulled in a natural pout when content, had darkened with lust. This was the closest she had come to confessing how she felt for you. But now she was closer to acting on it then just stating it. 

"Do you ever think about anyone else?" 

The truth was, you thought about everyone. You found everyone attractive. Their personalities meant more than the genetics making up their gender. It was a problem as it caused for many flirtations to be misinterpreted. But it was simply how you were. Curious. Adventurous. Anything but judgemental. Which was why Drew's words were so painful as they probably shouldn't have been. Maybe because a part of him was right. 

"Sometimes..." You confessed. 

"Ever think about me?" Her fingers traced yours on the table as you caught her eyes in the reflection. She always made you the kind of nervous you get before the drop of a Rollercoaster. Maybe because she was effortless and talented, not to mention caring and sweet. And even if looks were something that was a mere addition, you couldn't help but notice how gorgeous she was. 

"I think about you..." Her words threw you off. You have only ever seen her spend her time with other guys. Nit that she was an option anyhow as Drew was your boyfriend. Her friend. YOUR boyfriend. But as she moved closer, her perfume, her voice, and her overall aesthetic had wrapped you around her completely. 

"Way more than I should..." Her fingers played with your hair until her fingers fell to your neck. Her touch was immediate fire against your chilled skin, the rush if what was forbidden having sent hour eyes to a close to bask. 

"What-what do you think about?" 

"I don't know I should tell you...I don't want you to look at me differently...for our friendship to change..." 

"I...I wanna know." You turned to face her as she lowered to you, on her knees, as her hands ran slowly up your thighs, teasing beneath your skirt. 

"They are the kind of thoughts that make me...wet..." Her eyes flashed up to you as she watched your reaction. "Do you have the same?" 

You slowly nodded, her face illuminating. "But Drew..." 

"We aren't doing anything wrong...we're just talking..." 

"Maddy..." 

"There's nothing wrong with talking, right?" You watched her bite her bottom lip as you shook your head. 

"So I usually think of your lips...they always seem so soft..." She reached to them, your eyes fighting to remain open as you were tempted to take them into a suck. 

"And you have the prettiest breasts I've ever seen...I just want to feel how soft and warm they are...make your nipples all hard with my teeth..." 

"Oh my God..." 

"And your thighs...the things I want to do between your thighs...I could make you feel as good...better than him because I know exactly what would make you feel good-" Her thumbs were at your clothed clit, her words having distracted you enough to make this motion, as you gasped. 

"Madelyn-" 

"I want to know how sweet you are." She dipped her finger into your panties, before taking you to her lips. 

"We can't..." You looked to the door of the trailer as she moved to the lock, twisting it closed, before returning to you. 

"I know we should, but I'm so wet for you...my panties are soaked through..." She pulled you to your feet as you would feel her, "See? I'm throbbing for you...I'd come so fast for you...but I'd take my time with you..." She ghosted your lips as you slowly nodded. 

"Yeah?" 

"Oh my God.." He moaned as you began to rub against her, basking on how she sounded because of you. 

"Oh my God!" She spoke again, this time with a smile. 

"Madelyn..." 

"Please don't stop. Oh my God..." Her hand came to your breast as she slid beneath the fabric before you heard the door of the trailer tried from the outside. 

"Please." She wrapped her hand tighter around your wrist while her second hand drove between your own legs. 

"I don't want to hurt him-" You breathed quickly as she used her hand to your face, leading you to her lips. 

"Nobody has to know...this will stay...just...between...us..." She pulled apart between the kiss, a thumb to your clit motioning for you to copy. 

"How wet you are...how good I'm making you feel...how you're gonna make me come...all of it will stay between us..." As you tried to rationalize the reality of this, you found the rush of an orgasm silencing you. 

"Fuck-" She spoke almost silently, a word you'd heard her say a million times, but never like this. Never this breathless or beautiful. Nit because of you. It was enough to prompt your own release as it came to the surface. 

"I wanted to take my time touching you...pulling those sweet moans from you...But at least I know how good you feel clenching around my fingers baby..." She sucked you off of her fingers as another knock came to the door. 

"Madelyn..." 

"Don't worry. I won't tell anyone else how sweet you are. Our little secret." She gave one final kiss before leaving you to fathom what you'd just done. 

Taglist: @hopebaker @iovdrew @penny4yourthoughts @magnificantmermaid @pickingviolets @lovedetlost @trikigirl271 @maybankslover @slut4starkey @slvtherinseeker @obxiskewl @obxxrxfes @bluesongbird @slut-era @ailee-celeste @rafesbae @camilynn @bethoconnor

[misschanadlerbong]

Chapter 13 Pt.1 - Perfect

Summary: Just senior prom.

Warnings: none.

Genre: Fluff with some angst towards the end.

Word Count: 2.9k

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Finally, the day of prom came, and you were all set to get ready and dance your ass off tonight. Jessica was also at your place because you needed her to help with makeup, hair, and stuff you had no idea about. Both the boys were going to pick you up from your place.

Jessica asked in confirmation “Dress?”

“Check!”

“Hair accessories?”

“Check!”

And…did you put a straightener to heat?”

“Oh, Jess do you realize that you are going through this checklist for the fifth time? It is all good even if we leave something out that we are not, so what’s the big deal? Isn’t today all about having fun just chill babe?”

“Y/N this is our last school dance it has to be perfect.” she declared.

You could never win against Jessica in a matter like this, so you just rolled your eyes and followed everything that Jessica told you about. You both went to a full regime of skin care and then she did your makeup and hair.

The theme of the senior prom was ‘Masquerade Ball’ and you picked up a perfect corset dress. It was a sequin dress the corset was black with a tint of golden to it and the skirt was golden with a tint of black at the very bottom of it with embroidered flower patterns. It also had a ribbon that went around your waist and tied into a bow on your back.

You had a last look in the mirror before going into the living room where your parents were waiting to see you. You looked at yourself and, you had to admit, you looked like a goddamn princess and the glow added to your face thinking about Clay made you look even better.

You heard the doorbell, “Honey your dates are here.” your mom shouted from the living room.

You and Jessica walked into the living room and seeing you both your mother exclaimed “Oh sweet Jesus! Don’t you two look beautiful?”

Your father was too startled to say anything, he was shocked at the sight in front of him. He always saw you like his little girl who needed her father’s help in everything but now he saw a well-raised beautiful young woman. Seeing you, your father shed a tear as he was overwhelmed, he tried his best to hide but could not.

You walked up to your dad and said “Aw Dad!” and gave him a warm hug.

Your eyes met Clay. He was wearing a tuxedo and was looking smoking hot. You walk over toward Clay and said, “Who knew my Nerd could pull off a tuxedo?” Clay simply grinned. He was staring deep into your eyes it seemed like he wanted to say something but was not letting it out “What?” you asked.

“You look…” he sighed “Seraphic!” he finally said.

Justin sauntered to Jessica, gave her a sweet kiss, and said: “Hello, gorgeous!” He then turned towards you and said “And Y/N you, you look terrific. I have never seen you like this before.”

Your lips curved into a smile and said, “Thanks Justin, you look great too.”

“Um Y/N I got something for you,” said Clay offering a corsage. You stretched your hand and allowed Clay to put a corsage on your wrist.

“Oh my god, Orchid? This is beautiful! I got something for you too Jensen. Mom, can you pass that?” you asked your mom to pass a boutonniere you especially got for Clay. You pinned the boutonniere to his jacket.”

“Shall we princess?” asked Clay with courtesy. But your father stopped you both.

“So, Clay Jensen, right?” your father questioned.

“Yes, sir.”

“Bring her back till 11, okay?” he demanded.

“Yes, sir,” Clay said like an obedient boyfriend.

You all walked out of the house stopping on the porch you asked Clay “So where is our ride? I mean I asked you out, the least you could do is get us a Limo. Right, Jess?”

Jessica nodded in agreement and raised her eyebrow at Justin in question.

“Okay, I deserve that. Justin and Jessica are going with Charlie and Alex in an actual Limo. I have a different plan for us.” Said Clay.

“Oh really? What is it?” You jumped with excitement.

“I know what you love more than a Limo, this!” said Clay pointing his index finger towards Tony’s Mustang.

“Oh, my fucking god! Tony’s Mustang? How did you convince him?” you asked in disbelief.

“Well, seems like he’d do anything for his best friend he knows how important you are to me and how much you love this car, so he agreed.” Clay offered his hand and asked, “Shall we madame?”

You held his hand and replied, “Oui, monsieur.”

You all arrived at the venue decided by your school. It was a big ballroom with a dancing space near the DJ and there were many round tables arranged for the seating. The room was decorated with every shade of white flowers. Exquisite chandeliers hung above the ceiling giving the room a royal aesthetic.

You and the gang took some drinks and hit the dance floor. You danced to many songs. Tony did the job just right as a DJ, you tried so hard to convince him to join the prom with everybody but being a DJ was his escape from socializing and dancing.

You and Jessica danced your ass off to the song ‘Best Friend’ by Doja Cat and Saweetie and decided to take some rest. Clay was just standing in one corner smiling at you as you danced. You walked up to him and urged “Oh come on Clay, we are at our Prom, we are supposed to Dance you know. Haven’t you read about proms in the library?”

“Ha-ha very funny. I can’t dance. Plus, it is such a pleasure seeing you dancing.”

You pouted at his response and to make it up to you he pecked your lips and offered you a drink.

You both were standing in one corner and talking and observing others. Your eyes fell on Charlie and Alex dancing to a slow song. They both were wearing tuxedos with matching boutonnieres pinned to their jackets and held each other while moving swiftly to the beats of the song. Then you saw Jessica and Justin dancing just beside them, it felt like love was in the air.

As you both were enjoying watching and talking a tall dark-haired boy approached you both.

“Hey Y/N, you look amazing and you too Clay you look fine in that tux,” he said.

“Hi, Zach. Thanks! You don’t look so bad yourself either.” you smiled.

“Um, Clay…I was wondering if I can borrow your date for a dance?”

You looked at Clay and said, “I don’t know Zach, I am pretty tired.”

“Come on Y/N it’s just one dance I am asking for, please?” Zach insisted.

Clay seemed like he had no problem with you two dancing together, “No, Y/N if you want to, then please. I will be right here watching you.” said Clay.

You nodded and proceeded towards the dance floor with Zach. Song ‘The Way, I Loved You’ by Taylor Swift started playing in the background and you both found your rhythm to dance. You held one of Zach’s hands and his other hand rested on your waist. Zach swirled you around a few times and you both were back to facing each other.

“Y/N I’d like to say something,” asked Zach.

“Yeah?”

“See I know we got off on the wrong foot. But I miss my time with you. I regret saying whatever I said. The thing was that I was too scared to put my game in jeopardy. But I didn’t realize that you were equally as important…” you cut him off “But Zach…”

“No, please listen to me. Breaking up with you was a huge mistake, will you ever be able to forgive me? I know you are with Clay now so the least I could ask for is forgiveness” he asked with innocence in his eyes.

“Of course, Zach, I already forgave you a long time ago. To be honest, I am grateful to you, if you never broke up with me, I would have never realized that I had feelings for Clay, and now hearing all those words from you made me realize exactly how I feel about him. So, thank you.”

While you both were dancing Justin and Jessica approached Clay and Justin asked “Dude, what is she doing with Zach?”

“Zach wanted to dance with Y/N so they’re dancing.”

“And you let her?” asked Justin sounding annoyed.

“Yeah, and she does not need my permission I am her boyfriend, not her master or anything and additionally they are just dancing what is wrong with that? It’s prom after all” replied Clay.

“Clay, you don’t let your serious girlfriend dance with her ex with whom the things were still complicated…”

“Oh yeah, Clay sure they are dancing, and look at them so adorable right? Whereas it should be you looking into her eyes the way Zach is. But I am sure this dance will not stir Y/N’s feelings back towards Zach.” Jessica said sarcastically.

Clay started to feel insecure and decided to make a move. He walked up to you as you expected him to. The only thing that could provoke Clay was jealousy and Jess played that card just right.

As soon as he held your hand to dance Tony changed the slow song to some rock music “Seriously Tony?!” you yelled in frustration.

“Hey, it’s okay, we can just jump around like these crazy people here, right?”

A grin took over your pout and Clay and you jumped around the dance floor feeling yourself and being lost in the music.

You and Clay found a seat for yourself to take a break and helped yourself with some food.

“Y/N? Can I talk to you?” a familiar voice came from behind you.

Before you could say anything, Clay howled “What the hell Bryce?”

“Hey man, I just wanna talk to her, just chill, okay?”

You turned towards Bryce and gave his request a thought. You decided to hear him out, whatever he wanted to say. You stood up but Clay pulled you back. You assured him by saying “It is okay Clay. I’ll be fine. What can he possibly do in a room full of people? I will be back, okay?”

Clay nodded in apprehension, and you followed Bryce to a corner of the room. You crossed your arms around your chest and asked, “What is it, Bryce?”

“Look Y/N I wanted to thank you for not taking any serious steps against me. I could have lost my scholarship and my chance to go to school and I want to apologize for whatever I did, I am sorry.”

“Bryce, everybody deserves to go to college, and you do too. No matter how you are everybody deserves a chance, so I gave it to you, and it is not a big deal.”

“Yeah, and I am grateful for that. I didn’t realize what I was doing. I was insecure and acted like a dick…” you cut him off and said in agreement “Well that is true.”

Before Bryce could say something, he was cut off by Clay “Everything okay babe?”

“Yeah, he was just saying something. Everything is fine.”

“Clay let me talk to her, please?” requested Bryce, and Clay started walking away with a frown but this time you pulled his hand and said “No Bryce Clay is not going anywhere. He is my boyfriend whatever you wanna say, you can say in front of him” Clay’s eyes gleamed hearing those words.

Clay stood by your side holding your hand “Y/N I was just saying that I am sorry. For everything.”

“Okay.” You replied.

“Okay? You are not gonna forgive me?” he asked.

“Well, you asked me to hear you out, so I did. I gave you a second chance Bryce, but I cannot forgive you, not just yet. I would like you to live with that guilt, if any.”

Bryce took a step towards you, but he was blocked by Clay in the way. Clay stood between the two of you facing Bryce and his hand stopped Bryce from moving further. Half of your body hid behind Clay.

“You heard her, now just leave her alone.” You never saw Clay so protective, and you loved the way he demanded Bryce leave.

You both went back to where the whole gang was and got to know that they soon are going to announce the Prom King and Queen.

“Who’d, you think it’s gonna be?” you asked Jessica with curiosity.

“Who knows? It is always up to the football team” she said pointing toward Zach and the other guys on the football team.

They called Jessica to announce the Prom King and Queen as she was the class president. Jessica walked right into the middle of the room and took the envelope where the names were mentioned.

She read and every soul in the room was looking at her with suspicion, she built up the suspense and finally said “I can never be happier to announce these two names as Prom King and Queen. Are you all ready to know?”

“Yes!” Everybody yelled in excitement.

“Y/N and Clay what the hell are you doing there? Come here because the Prom Queen is Y/N Y/L/N, and the Prom King is Clay Jensen. Come and collect your tiaras.”

Clay and you saw each other in disbelief as the unexpected had happened. You thought that Charlie and Alex were going to be prom kings but here you were receiving the title of Prom Queen. Jessica put the crown over Clay’s head, and you bowed to let Jessica put the tiara. When Jessica did her part, you looked at the audience and made eye contact with Zach as he raised his glass to you both. “Thank you” you mouthed to him.

“This one’s for two of the most important people in my life” announced Tony while playing ‘Perfect’ by Ed Sheeran.

He knew how much you loved the song, and he played the song at the right moment.

“May I have this dance?” Clay’s question caught your attention and your eyes started shining.

Clay offered his hand, and you instantly took his hand. Clay kissed the back of your hand like a gentleman. You bowed and then held each other in a dancing position.

Clay’s hand slid down to your waist holding you close, and your hands rested on his shoulders. Gazing into each other’s eyes you both started dancing while your legs moved in perfect sync you teased Clay “Who knew this nerd could dance?”

“Well as you say, I am full of surprises.”

You felt ecstatic and calm dancing with Clay like you had nothing to worry about. The lyrics ‘I found a girl, beautiful and sweet. Oh, I never knew you were the someone waiting for me…’ echoed in the background.

You looked at Clay and said, “Clay Jensen, I think I am in love with you.”

“Did you just use both my names in a single sentence?” he teased.

“Come on Clay, you’re ruining the moment.”

Clay chuckled and replied, “Sorry, I know I am in love with you Y/N Y/L/N.”

“And I am in love with you Clay Jensen.”

 ‘I don’t deserve this…’

‘You look perfect tonight…’

Clay swirled you around and your body collided as he held you tight like he was never letting you go.

“Kiss, Kiss, Kiss” the crowd started shouting in unison.

You looked at Clay and said, “Seems like it’s time for some PDA Jensen.”

Clay smiled and crashed his lips onto yours, the kiss was desperate yet gentle. After you both had your moment, the crowd joined the dance floor, and you danced in Clay’s arms for the rest of the night.

---

Clay abided by your father’s rule of getting you back to your place by eleven. As you both were not party people at all you decided to ditch the after-party. You both sat down on the couch in your bedroom and helped yourself to some hot chocolate.

The first thing you did after reaching your home was to get out of that dress and realize how good it feels to finally be able to breathe again. You lay your head on Clay’s chest and he put his arm around you as you both sipped your hot chocolate.

“Clay?” you called him out.

“Yeah?”

“I got a mail today, I got into Princeton.”

Clay removed his hand from your shoulder and sat up straight.

“Wow, that’s… great. But you are not going right?” asked Clay in apprehension.

“Clay… Princeton has been my dream college since I was a little kid. Of course, I want to go.”

“You’ll go all the way across the country? What about…us? We all know long distance never works” said Clay standing up.

You tried to convince him “Clay come on, it’s my college we are talking about.”

“So, all that ‘I love you shit was fake huh? You were playing with me this whole time, right?!” He sounded furious.

He started walking out of the room in a rage, but you tried to stop him “Clay please stay. Talk to me.”

Clay shed a tear and whimpered “I am too tired to fight right now Y/N. I should probably leave.”

He left and slammed your bedroom door. Tears started running down your eyes. You were asking questions yourself; did you just ruin a perfect relationship? Did you just hurt the most wonderful boy you have ever met? The hurt caused was not intentional, but you still felt guilty, you ruined your perfect night with the boy you love. Maybe Clay was right, maybe you were graduating single from high school.

Shower your love by liking and commenting on the post. Refrain from copying, plagiarism, or posting on any other platform.

THANK YOU!!!

P.S.: I also upload on Wattpad @immafreakingmoonstone, feel free to check out my account :)

[haleyboook]

oscar issac dating headcannons?

Oscar Isaac dating headcanons-

Asked you out privately while the two of you were running lines together

Endless amounts of nicknames for one another

He enjoys leaving doodles and smiley faces and messages on the mirror or door in the shower

Likes to sit on the bed and have a conversation with you when you're either in the shower/bath or doing your makeup

He loves to spin and dance with you in the kitchen

He sings show tunes and any song that rotates through his head at any minute

Awkward silences are always filled with him around

He is very supportive of your career and will go to all your premieres and acting gigs

Loves to hide in your dressing room or trailer while you’re shooting scenes

You find Pedro and Oscar asleep on the couches in there all the time

He enjoys his usual coffee order but when you order something new and don't like it he'll switch with you immediately

Likes to keep your relationship private but close friends love to hang around the two of you

Talks of the future created a bit of tension between you two when you told him you have your doubts about marriage so early in the relationship. But he agreed to take it slow and at your pace as long as they stay together

When angry he goes on and on in Spanish, sometimes his voice gets too loud and you have to tell him to slow down

Yells at the tv too often

Loves to see kids in costumes, he nearly asks them to take pictures with him rather the other way around

Likes to tease that you're in love with his "boyfriend" Pedro

Pedro is always third wheeling

Your family adores him, for the most part. Immediate family at least

Your mom loves him and he always claims he’s not flirting with your mom but he obviously is

His love language is physical touch, and verbal words

Loves to call you beautiful names in Spanish

Always takes the garbage out and lectures you on the difference between recycle and trash because you always mix them up

Makes you talk to his mother on speaker phone when she calls him

Temporarily joined a bowling team with your dad until he had to quit due to filming

Went through a bread making phase and would slice you the first piece always

He’s a big family man so you met his brother early in the relationship

Wants a big family, brags about how cute your kids would be

Likes to shower with you and claims it’s better for the environment that way

He has more hair and shower products then you

Uses your hairbrush

Insists on smelling every candle he ever walks by and then proceeds to make you smell them

Buys every magazine that has your face on it

Reads your movie reviews before you and attempts to keep bad reviews away from you

You love his beard and you two make it an event to shave it off. Tears are shed, words are exchanged, and comforting kisses are provided

He will challenge every guest in our home to a wii sports competition if the events getting boring

Will share drinks with you

Let’s you pick off his food

He smiles every time you wear his shirts around the house

Saw a video online of a husband washing his wife’s hair and immediately sent you it saying that he does that for you in your joint showers

Will wash your hair for you

He’s down to watch any movie or show 99% of the time

Not really into the Super Bowl but will happily pretend around your family at the Super Bowl party

Holds your hand in public around paparazzi or around town

When he finds a song he likes he adds it to your shared playlist

Buys take out for you when he’s out of town

You two are considered the fans “parents”

That’s all I can think of! Ahhh that was pretty good I’d say.

Thanks for the request!

[bokutoslittlebird]

Sorrow [pt. 2 of Regrets]

Alpha!Ushijima x Beta!f!reader

Warnings: this is angst and nothing else, mentions of reader’s death, miscarriage, Japanese funeral, introduction of [Y/N]’s family (no names), Ushijima’s bitch of a mother

The week after your suicide was the worst.

The day after is when Ushijima was informed by your distressed father, asking if he had heard the news. With his now-wife in the kitchen, making him breakfast, he listened to your father hold back his cries as he broke the news. Your funeral would be held soon, but family matters came first, so the wake would be held in the next two days. When his wife asked him what was the matter, he told her nothing. It was no longer his business. He left you hurt and broken, but this was not his place anymore. The invitation he received would not be used.

The next day was when he decided he would be attending your wake. A phone call from Tendō had him changing his decision, his sad voice asking if Ushijima can give the condolences he could not. Of course Ushijima would decide to go after that, giving your family a hefty amount of money and telling them it was his and Tendō’s condolence money. A trip to Japan suddenly was hard for Tendō, so hopefully your family would understand.

His wife seemed displeased at this event he’d be going to, but she said no more. He knew what she thought. She thought he wasn’t over you. Looking at her across the dinner table, he couldn’t find himself to blame her. The off-the-shoulder dress she adorned showed off her flawless skin — not a single bruise, hickey, or bond along it. After all, his mother was never bonded to his father, why would he force himself to bond to her?

But he bonded you.

He wonders if deep down inside, he did want to be with you. It would’ve never worked out, he tells himself when that thought flickers in his mind. A small candle he quickly snuffs out as soon as it’s lit, not wanting the flame to burn to bright nor too hot.

The day had finally arrived. Other Shiratorizawa alumni and peers of yours attended. A wake was held at your family’s house, to which he was also there. It was hard to ignore, but he felt out of place while people had their heads in their hands and continued to sob until tears stopped flowing. He felt sad, he shed a few tears, but not as much. Some friends of yours would look at him, glaring before looking back towards the altar.

Upon the altar, surrounded by flowers, especially your favorite, sat a picture of you. It looked like you — smiling joyfully as you held up a peace sign. In the back was the rest of the Shiratorizawa’s VBC. The picture was from last year, when he was still attending the school. You were only a second year, but you were the best manager for the team, even if they lost to Karasuno. A smile was plastered on your face, placed so freely and easily as if it was meant to never leave. Thinking back to when you left his house, you weren’t smiling.

That didn’t sit right with him.

When it was his time to be given a gift from the family members, your mother stopped him. “I’m glad you came. I’m sure she’s glad you came, too,” she said through her tears, a forced smile on her face. Ushijima wipes the tears away, before taking the gifts from her hands.

“I hope so, but I doubt it. Satori also gives his condolences. I know he’d be here if he wasn’t so far away,” he says, bowing. She thanks him and he leaves, but a friend of yours stops him before he can go too far.

“It’s your fault, you know. She wouldn’t be dead if you hadn’t left her,” they sneered, glaring at him despite the tears in their eyes and wavering lips. He sighs, but doesn’t dispute their claim. It isn’t his place to tell them where the blame lies. The blame lies in someone, whether that be him, them, your parents, society, or even you — it’s not up to him to tell them any different.

By the time Ushijima has made it to his car, his phone buzzes. From the hospital his wife goes to for checkups, he notes. Taking the call, he listens to the receptionist on the other end of the call.

“I’m sorry to inform you this way, sir, but your wife has suffered from a miscarriage,” she says. Ushijima feels his heartbeat increase as he feels his chest tighten. He won’t lie to himself and say he loves his wife — an arrangement forced by his mother with no room for love to bloom. However, the news of her miscarriage is news he didn’t expect or want to hear.

“Where...” he gulps, trying to stabilize his breathing. “Where is she?”

“She’s at the hospital. She won’t be able to leave for the next day or so, depending if she feels better and nothing is wrong with her. We’ll keep her overnight to check.”

“Thank you. I’ll come to get her tomorrow, then,” he ends the call there. He doesn’t question how she got there, if he should go, or if he should just sit in his car and watch people leave your wake. Sitting in his car doing exactly that, he decides going home to take in everything would be best.

Your funeral begins the next day at noon, Ushijima in attendance. With nobody at home, he feels as if this is a funeral for you and his miscarried child. He witnesses your family pay a hefty amount of money to give you a more elaborate name, most likely from the condolence money he offered to them. He thinks it’s fitting, given he didn’t do much when you were alive; in death, you’d benefit from his existence.

When the priest finishes the ceremony, the guests are able to see you upon your casket bed. Your mother weeps at the coffin, holding your favorite flowers to her chest while your father cries silently, rubbing his wife’s back. It’s a pitiful scene, but it does well to have tears springing into everyone’s eyes. Ushijima doesn’t have your favorite flowers, but rather a purple hyacinths and asphodel bouquet to place beside you. His place of choice? Above your heart, next to the bond he created. Despite the makeup and the kimono, he knows it’s there. He can sense it.

His sorrow comes from the lack of a beat behind the bond.

Once the funeral has come to a close, with your coffin being taken to the crematorium and your family moving to go follow, everyone is dismissed. However, your friend from before stops him before he can retreat to his car. “May I help you?”

“I saw the flowers you placed around her head. You do have a heart, apparently,” they scoffed, before moving to get off his car. A quick glance shows they didn’t damage it. “You shouldn’t have even been here. I wish she had never even met you and I regret telling her about the volleyball manager position.”

Ushijima doesn’t say a word back, but he does bow respectfully. They leave without looking back, letting him peacefully get into his car. He takes a couple of minutes to himself, knowing he has to go retrieve his wife from her hospital stay.

The drive home from the hospital was brutal. Silence hung in the air, Ushijima still dressed from when he attended your funeral. His wife sat in the passenger seat, yet had her eyes trained on the window and didn’t glance at him even once. He didn’t tell her he’d be going to your funeral as well, which might be why she’s upset, but he didn’t push an issue.

Arriving at home, she finally opened her mouth. “Your mother will be picking me up soon. She said she’ll take care of me while I properly recover.”

Once more, Ushijima says nothing. She scoffs, leaving the car to get her things. He doesn’t hurry, instead dragging his feet as he enters the house. It’s big and spacious, easy to feel alone in. When a knock resounds through the front room, Ushijima answers it to see his mother, the constant frown on her face as she looks up at him.

“I’ve come to get Mai.” Quick and to the point, as usual. She enters when he allows it, with his wife coming into the room shortly after. With barely any acknowledgement to his presence, his mother guides his wife out, rubbing her shoulder as she sniffles and spills some tears.

A click behind the door shutting really lets the silence settle. Ushijima trudges up to his bedroom, loosening his tie and shedding his jacket along the way. He changes into some more comfortable clothes, sitting on his edge of the bed while scrolling through the text messages Tendō has sent him throughout the day. Nothing of importance, but some of them do make him smile as it lights up the darkness life has forced upon him.

One of the messages is an old picture, one of Tendō and you throwing up a peace sign while smiling widely. Your eyes are shut while you grin, absolutely full of joy. With nobody around to witness his confession, nor the tears plinking against his phone screen, he doesn’t feel the need to snuff out the candle again. He doesn’t shove his feelings deep inside.

“I’m sorry, [Y/N]. I shouldn’t have let you go and I should have been honest. I truly do love you. I regret not standing up to my mother. I regret not having the strength to confront my mistake. But most of all,” he wipes a few tears, zooming in on your smiling face, a sorrowful smile on his face to mirror yours.

“I regret letting you leave that day.”

Author’s Note: This is the direct sequel to Regrets ; the flowers mentioned (purple hyacinths and asphodels) both represent a similar meaning — regret and “I’m sorry”, which I thought was fitting to the original work, as well as the other piece I’m working on. However, purple hyacinths also express the bearer’s sorrow and asks for forgiveness, which is where the title comes from for this piece.

[bts-hyperfixation]

Why Not Then? 18+

Here it is in all it s 4327 words.... This one kind of got away from me.

angst/fluff/smut 

I hope you like it!

Warnings: unprotected sex

pic found here

Tonight’s the night. At least that’s what you were telling yourself. Senior prom. It’s now or never. Tonight is the night you are going to tell Jungkook how you really feel about him. He has to feel the same way, you are inseparable. There is no doubt in your mind that the only obstacle in the way is fear, not wanting to ruin the friendship you had worked so hard to build. The doorbell sounds through your house and you take a deep breath. For the hundredth time that day you look in the mirror. Curls frame your face, makeup done to perfection, and the seafoam A-line dress you had chosen made you feel like a queen. Your mother calls you downstairs, you can hear your father making polite conversation with your date as they wait for you. Another reason you are so sure Jungkook feels the same, he is your date. He could’ve had any other girl in school, but he asked you.

The moment you descend from the top of the stairs is like a movie. His goofy little bunny smile lights up his face when he sees you. You try as elegantly as possible to parade down the stairs, using one hand to lift the hemline of your dress, as the other glides along the bannister. You take your time. Eyeing him up as you go, the tuxedo was such a stark difference to his usual gym shorts. He was stunning. His short dark hair quaffed and gelled. Everything was going to go as planned tonight. You could just feel it.

“You look beautiful as ever” he laughs taking your hand and spinning you. You can’t help giggling.

“Not too bad yourself.” You pull on the lapels of his jacket. He bats you away a straightens himself back up just as the flash goes off on your mother’s camera. She arranges the two of you in to ten different poses before letting you leave. Jungkook had driven his beat-up convertible to pick you up. To anyone else that car would be an eyesore, but he loved it, and so did you. So many nights spent just talking and looking up at the stars, cuddled up under an old picnic blanket. To you it was a pumpkin carriage.

He opens your door for you and helps to fold your skirt so it wouldn’t rip in the limited space. He runs to the other side and jumps over the door and into his seat. Your parents wave you off as you pull away. It’s a short drive to the school. 10 minutes at most. He parks like a pro, doing that thing that guys do when they reverse into a space. The twisting just so you can see more of their neck and watch how their arms flex around the back of your headrest. You start to climb out of the seat when suddenly he is in front of you, hand extended to help you. It’s hard not to laugh at how hard he is trying to be a proper gentleman tonight.

“Come on Y/N-ah, the night of our dreams awaits.” He quotes the prom theme. The unbelievably cringy and cliched ‘night of our dreams’. Walking through the doors, it was still blatantly obvious you were in the school gym, but the prom committee at least tried their best. Tacky streamers in blues and silvers, star themed props, a solar system themed photo booth. Its clear they had to use some of the previous year’s decorations, but you couldn’t bring yourself to care. The butterflies were building in your stomach. Anxious and excited about where your confession could take you.

All of your other friends are already here, dancing to the catchy pop music blaring over the sound system. The path to them is crowded with other sweating high-schoolers, so Jungkook decides just the two of you should go and take photos. He pulls you towards the photo booths, lining up with the other groups and couples waiting their turns. It hasn’t escaped your notice that he is still holding on to your hand. Tight.

“Don’t you want to go dance with the others?” you gesture towards those in the middle of the floor, laughing as one of the boys loses his balance mimicking a slut drop.

“No, I want to take some stupid pictures with my best friend and date for the evening.” He winks at you, a move that should come off as light -hearted and cringy. Instead it feels like he has shot you in the heart. The response you come back with shocks you.

“Just because you’re in love with me.” You accompany the remark by sticking your tongue out at him. He grabs your chin and makes you look him directly in the eyes. Your heart beats double time. It looks like he is going to kiss you. Before his face gets close enough to yours, he ruins it.

“You wish Y/N.” he laughs it off, but you see it as your chance. Now or never, tonight’s the night…

“Actually…” and then it’s your turn for pictures. You don’t get a chance to get the rest of the sentence out. Whether he heard or not you don’t know but now he is excitedly rummaging around a box of props. He pulls out a silver feather boa and oversized-blue sunglasses for you, finding a matching set for himself. It’s a strip of four photos. One smile, one where he jabs you in the ribs, one with silly faces, and one where you kiss him… only on the cheek. Not enough to throw yourself in the deep end, just enough to gauge his reaction.

His ears turn bright red and he stammers about going to find the others as you exit the booth. It has to be a good sign if you make him flustered, right? The next hour is spent ruining all the work that had gone into this evening. Hair stuck to sweaty foreheads, makeup creasing around the eyes, lipstick wiped on the backs of hands. When the live band comes onto play, you and your friends head outside for air. It’s nice feeling the wind, a slight chill in the late hour. Most of your friends can’t hack it for too long, choosing to return to the dance floor in time for the party tracks to come on. Eventually it leaves just you and him. You hear the opening chords of the cha cha slide start up inside and decide now is a good a time as ever, more than eager to avoid the choreographed dance portion of the evening.

“Can I talk to you?” you reach for his hand. He turns to look at you properly and sees the serious look on your face, his brows furrowing to match.

“What’s wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Nothing’s wrong, just come with me.” He lets you drag him away from the gym. You head toward the school greenhouse, no one is going to come looking for you there.

“This is weirdly private Y/N, are you sure everything is okay?” he feels your forehead as if he is worried you have suddenly fallen ill.

“I’ve been trying to tell you this for the longest time and I can’t not anymore, it’s time.” He opens his mouth to speak again, the confusion evident in his eyes. You raise a finger to his lip to stop him. “I’m in love with you.” The words escape more like vomit than a statement. It feels so freeing to get the words out. You can’t help the grin that spreads across your face. Finally admitting how you feel is an amazing feeling. Until you take in the way he is looking at you. You might as well have grown a second head. Your about to speak again when he turns on his heel and makes a run for it.

He walks briskly away from the concealed shed and back inside of the school. You don’t know if you should laugh or cry. Of all the responses you thought you’d get; abandonment was not one of them. It takes you a moment to snap out of the shock he had left you in. you follow the trail he took back into the main hall. Spotting him even through the crowd, people parted as he passed them. He beelines straight through the gym and though the doors into the main corridors. When you make it into the hallway, he is at the other end about to disappear around a corner.

“Stop running away from me!” you yell a little too loud, other lingering students stop and stare at you on their ways back from the bathroom. Unfortunately, you can’t bring yourself to care. Jungkook faulters for a moment before continuing. “Jeon Jungkook! I said stop.” You kick off your heels and run in the direction he disappeared. You nearly run full force into his chest as you turn the corner not expecting him to be there.

“Why?” his voice is small and harsh, not the usual bubbly tone he always has for you.

“Why what?” your more than a little annoyed that you had to chase him only for him to ask you a question.

“Why do you love me?” it’s not the question you thought he’d ask. Why now? How long? What’s your ring size? Those were the questions you had been prepared for. Not why do you love him. you thought that was obvious. “Seriously, why do you think your in love with me?” that stung ‘think’ he doesn’t believe you. Thinks its some silly girly crush you have.

“I love you because you’re you. You’re my best friend, you make me happy when no one else does, my heart hurts when I don’t see you for more than a day.” You reach for his hands, trying your best to convey your sincerity. He flinches in response. Pulls way back out of your reach.

“I don’t feel the same way.” Now it really does feel like someone has stabbed you. Run you straight through with a sword. Your stomach twists so hard you might throw up. This wasn’t an option. In all the ways you had imagine your prom night going, this hadn’t crossed your mind. You taste the tears at the corners of your lips before you realise your crying. “You can’t just spring something like this on someone Y/N! we were having such a great night, why did you have to do this.” He is not only rejecting you, he is blaming you for having feelings. It’s all too much.

“I’m sorry.” Your voice is barely above a whisper. The lump in your throat makes it hard for you to speak at all. “I just thought…”

“You thought wrong.” His response is so fast, cutting off every chance you might’ve had to put a band aid over the situation. Maybe held it together until the night was over. Now there is no chance of that.

“I’m sorry.” You try again but he just rolls his eyes. Instead of making you sadder, this reaction makes you angry. How dare he. How dare he just dismiss you like you never meant anything to him. Like you weren’t even a friend.

“I should take you home.” He gestures towards a nearby exit. He doesn’t reach for your hand to guide you like he would’ve any other point in the night. You shake you head and walk back in the direction you came, picking up your shoes as you passed them. You walked straight out of the front gates and all the way home. That was the last conversation you’d have with Jungkook for a long time.

Graduation came and went. He tried to talk to you a few times in person, but you just walked away. Still seething at the way he reacted.  He texted you constantly, left voicemails until you blocked his number. Your other friends never found out exactly what happened. They pieced bits together from what the two of you were able to talk about but never the full picture. When he started coming to your house to apologise you decided it was time to move on and headed to college early.

You were in town for a wedding. One of your high school friends had managed to meet the love of their life while away at college and asked you to come. It was a nice excuse to visit your parents. You didn’t come home as often as you would’ve liked. The town felt a little haunted after you finished school, so you tried hard to avoid it. Especially at times like this.

You were standing in your childhood bedroom, dressed to the nines once more. This time knowing that Jungkook was not going to be waiting for you at the bottom of the stairs. But he might be at the wedding. Getting over the boy you had never really been with was more of a challenge than you could’ve ever imagined. It took you almost the entire first year away to truly get some peace on the situation. You even started to understand his point of view. He was just an 18-year-old boy trying to enjoy one of the last nights he’d get with his friends. The you had gone and dumped a whole load of new information on him. It wasn’t fair of you, just as much as it wasn’t fair of him. Truthfully, a little part of you would always wonder what if. What if he had felt the same way, would people be coming home for your wedding instead? Or would it have fizzled out long distance?

You are pulled out of your thoughts by your phone signalling the arrival of your uber. Taking a deep breath, you grabbed you clutch and headed out, eerily reminiscent of that night.

Five years later.

The wedding is at a fancy hotel on the other side of town. You are escorted by the ushers into the main room. you quickly scan the area for him. You don’t even know if he is coming but you don’t want to be caught off guard. Coming up empty you thank the groom’s men and find a seat in the back of the bride’s section where you can survey the room.

It feels ridiculous being so on guard around the person that used to mean the world to you. Your eyes meet as soon as he walks through the door. He seems genuinely surprised to see you there. He tries a weak smile and lifts his hand to wave in your direction, but you put your head down, choosing to focus on the intricacies of the program instead. 4 hymns and a sermon. For a nonchurch wedding it sure seemed religious. You roll your eyes and settle in for a long one. You watch out of the corner of your eye as he skulks away. Sitting a few rows in front of you. You allow yourself the luxury of looking at him now that he can’t look back. His hair is a lot longer now. The suit he has chosen definitely fits a lot better than his prom tux. His shoulders are nicely outlined, strong and broad. It’s a nice visual.

The wedding seems to happen around you. Old friends come over to catch up. Vows are exchanged everyone is shuffled into a banquet hall. All the while you are watching Jungkook out of the corner of your eye. Seeing him go through the motions just as you are. Three tables away. Clearly your friend has been smart enough to think that through when creating two singles tables in her seating plan.

The night wore on. Speeches were made, drinks were spilt. More than one groom’s man ripped his trousers on the dance floor. You were getting some air in the gardens when he found you.

“You look beautiful as ever.” His voice is soft, but it still makes you jump, not expecting him to approach you at all.

“Thanks.” You move to brush passed him, eager to put some space between you. Very Much not wanting to exchange awkward pleasantries with the man that, after today, you were sure still owned your heart. He steps back into your path, and makes you meet his eyes. It hurts all over again. Every feeling you had that night rushes back, every bit of progress you’d made since then erased in a matter of seconds.

“Can we talk? Please?” he sounds almost as desperate to talk to you as you are to leave.

“Talk about what Jungkook? It’s been years, just let it lie.”

“Exactly it’s been years and I know how I feel about you now, know how I felt about you then… please just let me explain myself.” He pleads with you. You stand firm, half of you longing to hear him out, the other half wanting to run the way he had.

“Why should I let you talk now? You didn’t let me talk then.” You can hear the venom dripping in your tone but can’t bring yourself to adjust your voice.

“I was a kid back then Y/N, and I was scared I was going to lose you” he chuckles darkly “I guess I did that anyway.” He grabs for your hand, this time you get to pull away from him. None of this is fair, where was this person when you needed him five years ago? He sighs at your reaction. “Look I was terrified okay? I didn’t know how I felt about you. I just knew everything was changing and I didn’t want us to change. But I know who I am and what I want now, and that’s you.” He closes the distance you had put between you in one stride. His mouth heavy on yours trying to prove a point.

You can’t bring yourself to pull away this time. Instead melting into his embrace. Letting yourself indulge in the boy that was all you ever wanted.

“Why now? Why not then?” you ask when he finally pulls away.

“Because you wouldn’t speak to me until now. I wanted to tell you the day after, but you wouldn’t talk to me. And you were right to do so. I was such an asshole to you about it. Let me make it up to you.” He peppers your face with kisses.

“I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have cut you off like that. I was scared too.” He holds you tight cradling you into his chest. You stand there for a while. Taking in everything about him that you’d missed. The smell of fresh cotton, the warmth he always radiated. All of it.

“I have a room upstairs if you want to go. Maybe we could watch a movie?” you pull away to look straight up at him. he must have realised what it sounded like then because his mouth formed an o and his eyes widened. “Wait no, I really did mean a movie.” He tries to backtrack.

“What if you didn’t mean a movie?” as soon as your meaning sinks in, he is sprinting away. This time with you in tow, struggling to keep up. Eventually he decides you are slowing him down. He lifts you bridal style into the nearest elevator. He refuses to put you down, even though you are forced into a standstill. As soon as the door dings, he is through them. Balancing you and opening the door isn’t even a challenge as he bursts through into the luxurious hotel room. He throws you unceremoniously on to the bed before discarding his jacket on the floor. You watch, propped up on your elbows, as he loosens his tie and kicks off his shoes before helping you with yours. He runs his hand up the back of your calf, rolling down the stockings you’d worn in an effort to avoid tights.

His hair falls into his eyes as he meets your gaze, and you can’t take the teasing anymore. Grabbing him by the collar, you pull him on top of you. Your lips finding his, unwilling to let go until your lungs hurt. He has one arm by your head, supporting some of his weight while the other trails down your waist. He drags his fingertips along your thigh as he moves your hemline. With your skirt out of the way his hand moves in between you bodies finding its way to your clothed pussy.

“I’ve wanted to taste you for so long… can I?” he kisses down your neck as he asks, leaving you barely able to respond. You just about manage to squeak out your approval. He wastes no time, biting into the soft flesh of your thighs as he wraps his hands around your panties. They are disposed of quickly, likely ruined by the slick you can feel pooling between your legs. He licks along your slit, barely delving between your folds. The tip of his tongue flicking at your clit briefly before he goes back and starts the motion again. Each time he gets close to your clit he brushes it slightly, so you shiver with anticipation, but he waits until you are practically panting to go any further. His right hand joins his talented tongue. Two fingers slipping inside of you. The slight stretch burns so good. His mouth moves up, biting gingerly at the sensitive nub he had been teasing for so long. Your thighs clamp involuntarily around his head. He wraps his free arm around your leg, driving you apart to give him better access. His tongue comes back into play drawing little shapes on your clit as he sucks down. He curls his fingers in just the right way to have you coming undone underneath him. Biting your lips to keep yourself quiet. He swats at your thigh until your teeth let go, forcing your moans out into the open. When you stop writhing, he lets your leg go and wipes his face with the back of his hand.

Sitting back on his feet he won’t stop looking at you weird. Its an expression you can’t ever remember him making before, and that worries you.

“What? Why are you looking at me? Were the noises too weird? I tried to keep them in…” he pulls you up to him by the wrists and kisses you before answering.

“I love you… please shut up. Your moans are the sexiest thing I think I have ever heard. Now I just really want to get you out of the rest of your clothes. He reaches around to unzip your dress, fumbling for a moment until you take pity and take it off yourself. His shirt is already unbuttoned by the time the fabric is over your head. You help him to push the sleeves off his arms, taking great pleasure in rubbing your hands across his toned arms. You marvel at the amount of muscle he has gained for a moment before he drags you back to him, falling onto his back so you straddle him.

You make quick work of the clothing on his lower half. Perhaps a little too keen to see what you were working with. He does not disappoint. His cock is above average in length, immediately evident as it slaps against his stomach when released from it’s confines. You shuffle back for a moment to admire the full image. His hair falls haphazardly around his head, lips swollen from the kisses. Perfectly chiselled abs leading into an arrow to what you can only describe as the motherlode. Everything about this moment was worth the wait. But you refused to wait any longer. You stroke your hand softly along his shaft, pumping a few times before moving to sit yourself on top. You sink down slowly at first, having to take extra precaution to not hurt yourself. His eyes pinch shut and his nose crinkles as a little whimper escapes his mouth. You slap his chest.

“If I’m not allowed to stay quiet, neither are you.” He nods enthusiastically and opens one eye just as you reach the base of his dick.

“Fuck.” His voice low and breathy. Sounds more like he just ran a marathon than had a girl sit on him. As you feel more comfortable, you start to wriggle your hips, not thrusting away, just enough friction to tease him like he did you. You don’t get away with it for quite as long though. His hands are on your hips and you are powerless to stop him as he makes you bounce, meeting each thrust with one of his own. Soon it’s not enough for him. Too worked up to relinquish any control. He flips you quickly, now on your knees. He barely gives you time to orientate yourself before driving into you from behind. Fast, sloppy thrusts used to reach his own end. He snakes one arm underneath you. Skilled fingers finding your clit, playing with you until you tighten around him. making it difficult for him to keep going.

Soon he spills over, cumming deep inside of you. Holding onto you with all he has. Instead of pulling out, he falls over with you in his arms. Cuddling into the back of you as he comes down. You wiggle experimentally on his softening cock, earning you a growl. You giggle at his oversensitivity and try to get free as painlessly as possible.

“Don’t go” he is whiny when he is tired, it’s so endearing. He makes a grabby hand at you as you clamber of the side of the bed

“I’m only going to the bathroom; I’ll be right back.” You kiss him on the cheek as you round the bed.

“Good because I never want to be without you, ever again.” he admits as you walk into the bathroom.

February request - open

Masterlist

[destiniesfic]

i hate everybody (but maybe i don’t) 1/3

This is my @jurdannet​ & @jurdannetrevels​​ Secret Snusband gift for @sevenfreckles-for-sevenloves​​! You tapped into a story I’d been wanting to write for ages, so you get three parts and three POVs (Vivi, Cardan, and Jude). Happy Holidays, I hope you like it. ♥ Thanks to @xdarkofthemoon​ for betaing!

This fic is rated E. Content warnings this chapter for excessive alcohol consumption, references to alcoholism, and (prescribed) antidepressant use.

Read on AO3 or read below:

Bars in Barcelona are not especially different from bars in the US. It’s a discovery Vivi has made over the course of her study abroad tenure: everything is different on the outside, but on the inside, not so much. She does like the outsides, though. She likes the tidy streets, the way the buildings don’t rise to blot out the sun as they have a habit of doing in American downtowns. She likes the cozy sameness of the facades, broken by the whimsical surprise of the odd Gaudí contribution. Like a lot of the European cities she’s visited there seems to be some unifying design principle, some common understanding. At home it’s anyone’s guess what the next office building or apartment complex might look like, a mishmash of styles as the cities clamor to reinvent themselves, modernist or postmodernist or deconstructionist or whatever.

Heather could name them all, if Heather were here.

But Heather isn’t here. Tonight, Vivi is out on the town with her two younger half-sisters, Jude and Taryn. Her twin baby sisters, although they hate it when she calls them that. The twins’ spring breaks overlapped by happy accident, so their adoptive dad, Vivi’s biological father, had sent them off on an all-expenses-paid Barcelona trip for a mini family reunion.

Taryn had been thrilled to go out. “I’m so excited that we can drink here,” she’d exclaimed, as she touched up her makeup in the AirBnB’s living room mirror. It’s a two-bed, two-bath apartment with an updated kitchen and certainly beats the dorms. Vivi was forced to give a silent, resentful thanks, Dad, but not out loud.

“You drink at home,” Jude reminded her from the bathroom, where she was trying to wrangle her hair into some style Taryn had sent her from Pinterest. “We have fake IDs.”

“It’s not the same,” Taryn had huffed, applying another coat of mascara. Vivi got that. It had not been the same when they came to Europe before, either, because they had been with Madoc, Oriana, and little Oak. Somehow parents at the table makes the glass of wine with dinner much less daring.

Jude had eventually settled on a high ponytail, and off they went.

Now they’re out at a bar not far from the AirBnB, with each of the twins perched on stools and Vivi leaning against the bar between them. Maybe it’s because she hasn’t seen them for so long except over FaceTime, but Vivi is shocked to notice that her little sisters aren’t kids anymore. They haven’t been little for a while, not since they overtook Vivi in height when they were twelve, but it’s one thing to not be little and another to be an adult. Taryn, who’s been yearning for adulthood since her tweens, finally looks more at home in the role. And Vivi doesn’t know how Taryn got Jude into that dark purple halter dress, which dips low in the front and lower in the back, but the way she wears that and her lipstick is a stark reminder that Vivi’s sisters are in fact nineteen, and no longer chubby, soft-faced children. It’s weird, and Vivi doesn’t like it.

Vivi gets hit on sometimes—with her undercut and piercings, mostly by “alternative” men and curious women—but the novelty of good-looking twins means Jude and Taryn shouldn’t need to pay for their own drinks. And they wouldn’t, except anytime a guy gets too close to Jude or Taryn, Jude adopts a laser-eyed glare and says, “No,” which is thankfully the same in both languages. Otherwise she might start speaking with fists.

“I don’t know why you won’t let us get free drinks,” Taryn pouts.

“The drinks are on Madoc,” Jude points out, nodding to the credit card Vivi puts back in her pocket. “They’re basically free.”

Taryn mutters, “It’s the principle of the thing.”

“You guys are such sisters,” Vivi says, taking a swig of beer.

“What does that mean?” they demand in unison.

Vivi grins and closes her eyes, shaking her head. For a second she just stands there, between the twins, and lets everything wash over her: the sibling bickering, the pungent smell of beer and whatever syrup is in Jude’s cocktail, and the music. Music is a strange experience in bars here. First there’s a Spanish song Vivi’s never heard, and then there’s Halsey, crooning over a Chainsmokers beat, and then back to Spanish with perennial favorite “Despacito.” It’s total whiplash. Vivi loves it.

It’s only because she’s listening so hard that she hears Taryn give a tiny gasp.

Vivi opens her eyes. Jude has gone very, very still. Her shoulders, which had been hunched up around her ears as she leaned over the bar, roll down her back, and the muscles there tense. Vivi is not sure Jude is remembering to breathe. She and Taryn are both staring at some fixed point across the bar, so Vivi looks too.

“Oh, hell,” she says.

On the other side of the bar—of the small space they are all crammed into—are four familiar figures. Three boys, one girl. Vivi has to blink to place them, because it seems absurd that four kids they went to high school with would show up in Spain while they, the Duarte sisters, are also in Spain, and also because they weren’t in Vivi’s grade. She knows them, though. Everyone knows Cardan Greenbriar and his trio of hot, mean friends, but Vivi knows them particularly well because of how her sisters have tangled with them over the years.

Taryn whispers, “What are they doing here?”

“I can go ask,” Vivi sighs. That group of kids has no quarrel with her. She and Cardan were friendly back in the day, meaning “ten years ago when Vivi would go hang out with Cardan’s older sister.”

“No,” Jude says, voice firm. Without taking her eyes off the interlopers, she picks up her cocktail and downs the rest of it.

Vivi doesn’t know exactly what happened, but Jude shed her fight-or-flight response sometime in high school. Now, she only has a fight response. Maybe Vivi took her flight response, because it was Vivi who was the terror until she turned eighteen, when she got the hell out of dodge. Taryn has always been in the middle, trying to keep the peace.

“We can go somewhere else,” Taryn suggests.

“No,” Jude repeats, setting her glass down on the bar a little too hard. “I’m not going to let those jerks keep me from having a good time.”

“Which I respect, and more power to you, but also, like, there are plenty of bars in Barcelona,” Vivi points out.

Jude glares. “I’m fine.” And then she holds up one finger in the bartender’s direction.

“You know those are really alcoholic, right?” Taryn says. Worry begins to seep into her voice like melting snow through cracks in a sidewalk.

“I know my limits.”

Vivi and Taryn exchange a wary glance. Jude might know her limits, but she has no problem blowing past them. Jude may not think Vivi remembers the tae kwon do tournament she sat through when Jude was eleven and Vivi was thirteen, but oh, Vivi does. Vivi remembers how her sister volunteered to spar until she had tired herself out to the point where she could no longer stand. Vivi also remembers Jude driving to school on a single hour of sleep after staying up to finish an extra credit essay in a class where she already had an A. Jude somehow didn’t crash her car, but she had been unbearable the entire day. Jude is a danger to herself and very occasionally a menace to society.

But Jude is also an adult and it’s not Vivi’s business.

“Suit yourself,” Vivi says, with a shrug. “It’s dear old Dad’s money.”

A few minutes later, Jude is nursing her second cocktail, and Vivi and Taryn are trying to carry on a conversation as though everything is fine. Any normal person would be well loosened up by now, but Jude retains that unnatural stillness like a dog who’s noticed a squirrel on the other side of a yard. Or, more accurately, maybe like a deer who’s spotted a human hunter approaching over the ridge.

Jude is no defenseless herbivore, but Vivi knows half a lifetime of being bullied has made her feel like a target.

“Hey,” Vivi says, jostling Jude with her elbow.

“What?”

“Tell me about your freshman year misadventures. Taryn won’t open up.”

Jude snorts. “What misadventures?”

“You have to have a few,” Vivi says. “I didn’t raise my sisters to be boring.”

“You didn’t raise us at all,” Jude mutters at her cocktail.

Vivi has never seen her sister anywhere near drunk before and is not sure she likes her like this. “What about boys?” she asks, gently elbowing Jude again. Then she raises her eyebrows. “Girls?”

“No. Nobody.” Jude finishes her second drink and, glaring across the bar, apparently makes the decision to switch to shots. “Vivi, is vodka still ‘vodka’ in Spanish?”

“I’m not answering that.” Vivi sighs. “What about you, Taryn? Anybody?”

“Huh? Um, no.” Taryn had been looking at their erstwhile schoolmates too. One of the boys, the redhead, is looking back. Locke. Vivi exhales. Bad news. There’s history there, the kind of history that shouldn’t repeat.

“Reeeeally?” she asks. “Nobody? Not one boy?”

Taryn blinks back to herself. “Vivi, I go to school for fashion design. They’re all gay.”

“Well, that can be fun.” Vivi gestures at herself. God, she wishes her sisters had brought Heather along. The hot lady bartender with the gorgeous tattoo sleeve keeps trying to catch her eye, and Vivi and Heather had established a “what happens in Barcelona stays in Barcelona” policy before she left, but Vivi doesn’t want a hot lady bartender. She wants her girlfriend.

“Yeah, they’re cool.” Taryn glances back across the bar. Now the blue-haired girl—Nicasia, Vivi recalls—is looking back, along with Locke. Not good.

Since Jude is negotiating for a shot of vodka with hot lady bartender in competent enough Spanish, Vivi lowers her voice and asks Taryn, “Are you feeling especially homesick?”

“We’ve kept in touch.” Taryn doesn’t meet her eyes.

Vivi would hold more of a grudge if someone had tried to sleep with her and her sister, but that’s very much not her circus or her monkeys. She asks, “Did you know he’d be here?”

Taryn shakes her head. “He said they were doing a European tour for spring break, but, like, it’s a big continent.”

“Good news,” says Jude, holding up a shot glass. “It’s vodka in both languages. Cheers.”

“You are going to be sick,” Taryn says.

Jude gives her a sarcastic shrug and then downs the shot. She coughs a little, which somewhat ruins the impression she’s trying to make, but swallows it all down.

“Jude,” Vivi says, beginning to worry, “we really can just leave.”

But Jude is looking at her old high school nemeses again. Cardan had been a particular thorn in her side, or he in hers; Vivi never made sense of that conflict, of who had started what. What she does know is that they’ve definitely been spotted now. The blond boy—Vivi doesn’t quite remember his name—seems to make a move to walk over to them, but Cardan reaches out and grabs his arm, shaking his head. Valentine? Valentino? looks sour, but doesn’t approach. Jude stares them both down.

“I have to use the bathroom,” Taryn announces. “El baño.” Taryn had taken French in high school.

“But—” Vivi begins.

Taryn has already vanished into the crowd. Vivi puts her elbows on the bar and cradles her head in her hands. “This is all going great.”

“Not how you pictured our night out on the town?” asks Jude, who has obtained another shot of vodka from God knows where.

“Yeah, not really.”

“Well, I can fix it.” Jude drinks her second shot and does not cough this time. “I’m going to go talk to them.”

Vivi picks up her head. “That’s a terrible idea.”

“So what?”

“Dad’s going to hold me responsible if anything happens to you.”

Jude fixes a level stare on her. “Dad never holds you responsible for anything,” she says. She slips a little when she gets up off her stool. Vivi wonders if she’s really thinking about fighting someone in those heels.

“You’re mean drunk,” Vivi tells her, trying to grab her arm. “Don’t go.”

“I’m mean sober, but nobody notices,” says Jude, which doesn’t make any sense. She shakes Vivi off. “Besides, I have a few things I want to say.”

And for the second time that night, Vivi watches as one of her sisters pushes her way into the crowd of people, unsure if she should follow or not. Maybe it’ll be good for Jude, in the end, to get some of this out of her system.

The guys across the room are watching Jude approach. Cardan especially. The blond guy is sneering, but Cardan watches Jude with the same strange stillness with which she’d watched him. Like he’s holding his breath until she gets there. Unlike Jude, he doesn’t seem that drunk at all, which Vivi notices because, well, it’s a rare day that Cardan Greenbriar isn’t drunk.

But he is too busy watching her and not his blond friend, who decides that he’s going to intercept Jude before she can even reach Cardan. He pushes over to her first and bars her way, and although Vivi is too far away to hear what’s said between them, she notices the squaring of Jude’s shoulders and the widening of the blond guy’s sneer. Because she is watching closely, she sees that Valerian is the one who shoves Jude first.

Valerian. That’s his name.

It clicks right before Jude punches him in the face.

The bar erupts. Cardan springs to his feet and tries to pull his friend away from Jude. A couple of nearby patrons try to save Jude from herself—Vivi could have told them it was a fool’s errand—by holding her back, not knowing Jude has sharp elbows. Valerian struggles hard and manages to break away from Cardan, only to find himself being grabbed by more pairs of hands. There is shouting in Spanish. Even the hot lady bartender is drawn away, trying to signal her coworkers.

The most Vivi-like thing to do would be to leave Jude to it and keep her nose clean. But Vivi remembers asking Madoc on the day of that fateful tae kwon do tournament, while they revived Jude with sips of Gatorade, why Madoc hadn’t stopped Jude when it became clear she was flagging. “Your sister needs to learn for herself when to stop fighting,” he’d said. “If I make those calls for her, she never will.”

Vivi has a lot of qualms with Madoc’s parenting style, and Taryn is nowhere to be found.

“Oh, hell,” Vivi says again, and she dives into the knot of drunk brawlers to pull her sister from the fray.

---

“I can’t believe you got us kicked out,” Vivi says.

Jude, drunk, hapless Jude, is sitting on the curb with her head between her knees, presumably trying not to barf. There’s still enough anger left in her to flip Vivi off.

“Unbelievable.” Vivi folds her arms and looks left, then right. It seems like a good quarter of the bar spilled out onto the sidewalk with them, a crowd of people chattering about what just happened. Forget kicked out, Jude’s lucky she wasn’t arrested. “Do you see Taryn anywhere?”

“What do you think?”

Vivi pinches the bridge of her nose. Taryn will be fine. She has the AirBnB address and a phone she can use on WiFi. Besides, as far as Vivi knows, she ran off with Locke. Vivi hasn’t seen the two of them come out of the bar yet, and she would not be surprised. She knows a bad decision when she sees one.

“You keep sitting down,” Vivi tells Jude. “I’m going to figure out a ride home.”

“Your face should keep sitting down,” Jude mumbles spitefully.

“Hey, guys? Vivi?”

Vivi cringes as soon as she hears the voice, because she knows the voice, and because in this situation the owner of that voice will only make things worse. Vivi doesn’t have any personal grudge against Cardan Greenbriar—they’ve even sometimes been friends—except for how her sister feels about him. Taryn’s always said he was kind of a dick, but Taryn doesn’t hate him like Jude does. Nobody hates anybody the way Jude hates Cardan. Vivi wonders if Jude has something to prove.

Sure enough, Jude’s head swivels at the sound of his voice like the kid’s head turning around in The Exorcist. “You,” she snarls, and then stumbles to her feet.

“Jude,” Vivi says, trying to catch her sister’s dress to pull her back, but Jude is already out of reach. With another sigh, Vivi stands too.

“What are you doing here?” Jude demands of Cardan, openly hostile. It would be funny, because Jude is a full head shorter than him, if Jude was anybody else’s sister. “We were all having a great time until you showed up.”

“It’s anybody’s city,” Cardan says, but he doesn’t seem to be mocking her. He holds up his hands to show her they are empty.

“Go the fuck home!” Jude yells, and shoves him, sending him back a couple of steps.

Vivi shouts, “Woah!”

“It’s okay,” Cardan tells Vivi over Jude’s head. “She’s not hurting me. Let her get it out.”

With a little cry, Jude pushes him again, and this time he only stumbles back a half-step, but he keeps his hands up and his stance somewhat grounded. The next time Jude shoves him he doesn’t budge at all, and Jude lets out a grunt of frustration, fisting her hands in his jacket.

And then she bursts into tears.

“Oh,” says Vivi, but Cardan doesn’t seem that surprised. She wonders if he’s used to people behaving badly while drunk or just being drunk himself.

“You’re so a-awful,” Jude says between sobs. “Everything’s awful all the time.”

“I know, Jude,” Cardan replies. He gently pries the jacket out of her fists so he can remove it and drape it over her bare shoulders. Jude grabs onto his shirt instead.

“Why do you hate me so much?” she asks, with a small hiccup.

“I don’t,” Cardan replies. His hand rubs circles between his shoulder blades. “But I hope you’re too drunk to remember that.” He looks up at Vivi, and Vivi feels a brief flash of embarrassment, like she’s intruded on something intimate, before she remembers that they’re in public and, also, she has no shame. “Were you going to get a taxi? I can keep an eye on her while you do. I don’t think she should walk back.”

“Oh.” Vivi blinks. “Yeah. I’ve got it. Where’s your ‘friend?’”

“Sent him packing. He’s back at the hotel, or he should be.”

“Well… good.”

But Cardan isn’t listening. He’s already looking down at Jude again.

It turns out Vivi has, carelessly, let her phone die. She isn’t anal about things like that. Taryn’s the one who keeps a charger in her purse at all times, but Taryn has vanished, and Jude’s phone only works on WiFi outside of the States.

So they hail one of Barcelona's bumblebee-like taxis the old-fashioned way, and Vivi is the one who climbs into the passenger’s seat and tells the driver where to go in Spanish that’s fluent, if definitely not Spain-Spanish. It is deeply ironic that Vivi, the only sister without a drop of Duarte blood in her veins, is the one who speaks Spanish the best. But Jude and Taryn were only seven when their parents died. Vivi had been nine. Two years makes a big difference with these things, especially because memories are shaping and re-shaping themselves in the minds of children that young. As far as the twins’ brains are concerned, they only had their parents for a short time.

Vivi remembers more. She remembers sitting on the counter in the old kitchen, legs swinging, as her dad cooked on Fridays—the special day, the end of the week day—and pointing at things in the kitchen so Justin could tell her their names in Spanish and she could echo them back. Cebolla, onion. Queso, cheese, of course. Cuchara, spoon. The words had a favor of their own, different from the English words she learned in kindergarten. She remembers the smell of toasting coriander seeds, the bright songs her dad would hum, the vibrant melodies bursting from the CD player Vivi leaned her elbow on. When she got far enough along in school, she threw herself into Spanish, hoping the words would pave a road that would lead her back to the man who shaped her.

Sometimes Jude gets in a sulk about their awful twist of fate, or Taryn gets weepy, and Vivi just wants to yell Justin Duarte was my dad, too! She feels like her throat is raw from screaming it her entire adolescence. It was easier in the end to just move away for college.

She ended up in Spain because Madoc and Oriana weren’t keen on her going to Mexico. Oh, sure, they’d been before on vacation no problemo, but as soon as Vivi wanted to go alone it was game over. No matter how much Vivi told them it was very racist of them and a total double standard. Apparently Oriana didn’t want her getting kidnapped. Vivi, who has in fact seen the movie Taken, knows she can get kidnapped in Europe just as easily, thanks very much. That had not been a persuasive argument with Madoc.

So here she is, in Barcelona, where familiar words can have entirely different flavors, and that’s even before getting to Catalan, which she can now speak a little but not well. Most of the time, she’ll be honest, she does love it here. At this moment she’s not feeling charitable toward anything.

Cardan helps load Jude into the backseat of the taxi. The driver, looking in the rearview mirror, asks, “¿Su novio?”

“¿Qué?” Vivi asks reflexively. She cranes her head around to see Cardan sliding in next to Jude, his arm around her shoulder. She switches to English. “What the hell, dude?”

“She won’t let go,” Cardan says simply. It’s true; Jude is clinging to him like a very weepy barnacle, her shoulders still shaking.

“Alright, well.” Vivi turns back around. It’s good to have the extra pair of hands. She wishes again that Heather was here. “You’re the official Jude wrangler now.”

“Copy that. I just—” He sighs, and in the rearview, Vivi sees him rub his face with his free hand. “It’s my fault.”

“Sure is.” The taxi begins to pull away from the curb, and Vivi checks her anger. She amends, “Actually, no, it’s not your fault that my sister’s a lightweight and an angry drunk. But from what I hear, the years of prior psychological damage are totally your fault. So, credit where credit is due.”

Cardan nods. Jude sniffles forlornly. Vivi is intrigued by how gentle he’s being with her, how tolerant. His shirt looks like a regular cotton tee, but knowing him it probably costs about the same as a single night in their very nice AirBnB. He doesn’t seem to mind that Jude’s getting snot and tears all over it.

“Hate you,” Jude mutters, pressing her face into his shoulder. “Hate this.”

“I know.” He pushes a lock of hair that’s escaped from her ponytail. “What are you on?”

“Huh?” There’s a pause. Vivi is watching the road now, but she can imagine Jude’s confused blinking. “I don’t… drugs.”

“Meds.”

“Oh, um, fuck.” Another pause. “Zoloft. I switched this year.”

“You’re not supposed to drink on that stuff,” Cardan says, but it almost sounds like he’s teasing. “It messes you up. I thought you were supposed to be the smart one.”

Jude sniffs. “It’s not like I’m operating heavy machinery,” she says, slurring slightly.

Cardan chuckles. “I did the Zoloft thing, too. I’m not on it anymore, though.”

“‘Cause you couldn’t drink?”

“Like anything would stop me.” He pauses, and Vivi looks into the rearview mirror to find him biting his lower lip in an exaggerated way, so drunk Jude is sure to get the joke. “No, there were... personal reasons.”

Jude is utterly nonplussed. “What?”

“Ah, you know…” He leans over and whispers something to her. Her eyes widen, and then she lets out a small, nervous chuckle. “Oh.”

“Yeah, I was like ‘If I can’t have sex, won’t that just make me more depressed?’”

To Vivi’s great surprise, Jude giggles. A totally surreal sound. She hasn’t giggled like that in years, if ever.

“There we go,” says Cardan, weirdly indulgent. “No more crying. Or, well—oh, okay,” he adds, as Jude turns her head and begins quietly sobbing into the sleeve of his shirt. “I guess some more crying.”

“You seem very sober,” Vivi remarks.

“Yeah, I’m trying it on. Just club soda for me tonight.” He leans over to rest his head on top of Jude’s. “It, cómo se dice, sucks.”

“Like your accent.”

“So I’ve heard.”

Vivi is beginning to get vaguely suspicious. She says, “But you are handling this well. Just used to dealing with a lot of drunks?”

“Huh? Oh.” Cardan’s dark eyes flick up to meet Vivi’s in the mirror. “This isn’t the first time. Jude got wasted at prom, after the stuff with Locke and Taryn came to light. Completely trashed.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“You were finishing up sophomore year, right? In like, Massachusetts? And it’s not like she would have told you. If she’s lucky, she doesn’t remember it. I loaded her into the Uber that took her home.”

Vivi’s stomach twists, but she channels the newfound sister guilt into suspicion and narrows her eyes. “Decent of you.”

“Yeah, I was trying that out, too. Got puked on for the trouble.” Cardan leans his head back against the headrest now. Jude’s sobs have quieted down. “But I still remember the Four Phases of Drunk Jude Duarte.”

“I’m glad somebody does,” Vivi admits. “What are they?”

“Angry, weepy, horny, sick.”

She snorts. “Basically Snow White’s shittiest dwarves.”

“Basically,” Cardan agrees. “But you’re not in danger of her getting sick yet, because we haven’t hit—ah. Um. Well.” He clears his throat. “Never mind.”

Vivi looks up into the mirror again to see Cardan plucking Jude’s hand off of him and returning it to her. “Did we just hit horny?”

“We just hit horny,” he says, his voice strained. Jude has her face buried in his neck again, but this time for entirely different reasons. The hand he had returned to Jude is already sliding back down his shirt. “Okay, hands above the waist. No, above—”

“Oh my God.” Vivi covers her mouth to stifle her laughter.

“Great. Very helpful, Vivienne,” Cardan says, grabbing Jude’s wrist and holding it still. It speaks to their relationship as nearly family friends that he can use her full name without invoking her wrath. “Your sister is outright molesting me and you can’t even tell her to knock it off?”

He doesn’t sound totally panicked, though. “I think you might want my sister to molest you,” Vivi guesses, turning around in her seat to look at him. Somehow, Jude has managed to thoroughly drape herself across him, but Cardan is showing admirable and frankly uncharacteristic self-restraint by keeping her from doing anything that can’t be undone. “Just a little.”

“When she’s sober. Jude, don’t bite my ear. Jude—”

Vivi snickers. The rest of the short ride passes like that, with Cardan deflecting Jude’s advances and Vivi deflecting the taxi driver’s questions about what exactly is happening back there and whether Jude is going to be sick all over his floor mats. They are lucky enough to not hit “sick” until Jude is out of the car and walking up the five stairs to the door of the apartment building. With Cardan’s warning in mind, Vivi is able to jump back in time.

Cardan, who is nearer to Jude, is not so lucky. She leans against the railing and doubles over it, but his shoes and the bottoms of his jeans are still caught in the splash zone. “Okay, great,” he says, gathering her back up. He does not sound entirely tolerant now, but he also doesn’t sound as angry as Vivi might expect. “That’s over. Feel any better?”

“No,” Jude mutters.

“You might in the morning.” He moves them both so Vivi can pass and open the door. “Man, is this really only the second time this has ever happened to you? I have to say, I’m jealous. Not of you in this moment, of course. Just in general.”

“We can’t all be charming teenage alcoholics,” Vivi says, propping the door open so Cardan can help her through.

“You hear that, Jude?” Cardan asks. “Your sister thinks I’m charming.”

“Uh-huh,” says Jude.

“Don’t let it go to your head,” Vivi warns. “She’s almost out. Let’s get her upstairs.”

Jude doesn’t make it into the bedroom she and Taryn are sharing. They put her to bed on the couch, on her side, with Cardan’s jacket draped over her. There’s no laundry machine in the AirBnB, but Vivi finds some detergent in the cabinet and they fill the bathroom sink with lukewarm water so Cardan can wash his jeans. Vivi is not sure the right time for the conversation she should have is now, when Cardan is standing in his boxer briefs and Jude is passed out in the next room, but on the bright side, there probably isn’t a worse time.

“You know, I didn’t think we had this level of friendship,” Cardan remarks, dunking his jeans in the sudsy water. “Dealing with your sister must really be a bonding experience. You always liked Rhyia best.”

“Well, Rhyia’s cool.” Vivi folds her arms and leans in the doorway. She kicked off her boots when they got in the door, so Cardan now looks even taller, although certainly not very intimidating in his underwear. “Calvin Klein. Nice. You always struck me as more of a boxers guy, I have to say.”

“Sometimes. These jeans are pretty tight, though.” He looks over at her. “Do you need something?”

She shakes her head. “Oh, nothing. I just can’t believe you’re trying to fuck my sister.”

“I’m not trying to fuck your sister,” Cardan says, massaging his jeans in the sink in such a way that Vivi is forced to wonder whether he’s ever done his own laundry. “She’s wasted. And she hates me.”

Vivi frowns deeply.

Cardan asks, “What?”

“Nothing.”

“Vivienne Leigh—”

“Don’t you pull out my full name for this. You’re playing some game here and I will figure out what it—oh.”

“What now?”

Vivi squints at him. “Are you in love with my sister?”

Cardan lets out an exhausted sigh. “Taryn isn’t really my type.”

They both know they aren’t talking about Taryn. “What the fuck. How long?”

“Like a year. Or maybe my whole life. I’m not sure.”

“Does she know?”

“I really hope not.” Cardan grimaces at his reflection in the mirror, and then looks past himself to see where Jude sleeps on the couch. “She’d never let me live it down.”

“Okay, well…” Vivi pauses. This is more older sibling responsibility than she signed up for. “What are your… intentions?”

“I don’t have any.” Vivi purses her lips, and he adds, “I really don’t. I wasn’t expecting to see her tonight. I kind of thought I’d never see her again after we graduated.” He pauses and looks down at the sink. “I think, someday, I’d like to be a person she likes. That she’s capable of liking.”

“That’s it?”

“That’s it.”

“Huh.” He has it really, really bad. Vivi can’t imagine what Jude said or did to make him feel that way about her. Maybe it was her total lack of regard for him? “Is this why you bullied her for years?”

“I hope not!” Cardan exclaims, in a way that suggests this thought has occurred to him before, and moreover, that it actually bothers him. “I don’t know! I don’t want to be that fucking cliché, Vivi.”

“We’re all cliché in our own special ways,” Vivi says, glancing back at Jude. A vague plot is beginning to take shape in her brain. Jude is the plotter, Taryn the planner—there is a difference—and Vivi the pantser, normally. But there is something here that she thinks she can exploit. “Seeing as you have no pants, you should probably stay over. I don’t think any of our clothes will fit you.”

“Seriously?”

“Seriously. You can have one of the twin beds.” After a beat, she adds, “I’m not telling you which one is Jude’s.”

“Darn,” Cardan deadpans. “Now I don’t know which one to jerk off in.”

Vivi pulls a face. “That’s the idea.” And then, because Cardan is hopeless, she reaches forward and yanks the plug from the drain. “Rinse off your jeans in clean water. Otherwise they’ll dry all stiff and soapy.”

“Thank you for the advice, oh wise one.”

She rolls her eyes and leaves him to it. After checking on Jude, whose coloring and breathing are both normal, she heads back to her room and looks at her phone. Nothing from Taryn, even though it’s later than Vivi thought, but Vivi isn’t worried. Taryn’s kind of like a cat in that, somehow, she always manages to land on her feet. Vivi fires off a quick text to her, then stares at the glowing screen, thinking about the way Cardan had rested his head on top of Jude’s in the back of the taxi.

She texts Heather: sisters are a lot of work

And:

i wish you were here

It’s much earlier in New England. When the three dots pop up to indicate that Heather is typing a reply, Vivi smiles.

[donica95]

A gods wife

Fatgum god of war X Fem!reader

Rating: Explicit/smut

A/N this is a sever collab with the Citrus dome sever for the god AU I hope you can enjoy!!

For the rest of the god AU can be found here @lemonlordleah-shinzawa-kitten

You were the only daughter of the Sun family, centuries ago your family was entrusted to protect the shrine of the god of war and loyalty. 

It was early morning when you were getting ready for the day, till your mother walked in the room with a soft smile on her face. “Morning my daughter” she spoke softly then she kneels behind you to brush your hair “Today is a special day” she spoke once again while putting up your hair.

“How so mother? What makes this day special?” your curiosity gets the better of you, “Well, you are now 25 now and I should tell you, before you were born the god of war came down and spoke to your father and I that when I gave birth to you. He promised that when you turned 25 he will take you as his bride” your mother's voice had a hint of sadness when she spoke.

Nothing in the world has prepared you for the news of you being wed to the god of war himself, yes, your family are protectors of his shrine but you couldn’t help to think why did he want to marry you. 

The last thing you wanted was a loveless marriage but you were curious about what your soon-to-be husband would be like, would he be an old man with a long beard with a short- temper since he is the god of war. 

Shaking out of your thoughts your mother put the finishing touches on your hair, looking in the mirror at what you saw, then you gasped as you hardly recognised yourself with a little bit of makeup.

Your mother standing behind you and commented “You are now a beautiful bride” a single tear was dropped from her eye, looking back at your mother you took a deep breath in and out then spoke “If this is my destiny then so be it” you smiled.

Later in the day

You were nervous as you walked to the shrine where your parents were standing, finally you stopped at the shrine with your head held high, but all of a sudden there was a blinding light and the ground was shaking and in the distance the sound of hooves galloping like thunder.

A large war-horse and man was seen as the light dimmed, you were not expecting a young and handsome looking man with long blond hair and beautiful yellow eyes, you were speechless as you saw him ride up to you with his arm stretched out. 

For some odd reason your body moved by itself as you extend your hand to him, he grabbed you and gently lifted you up onto the saddle to sit in front of him, with one last look at your parents "goodbye for now" your voice spoke with sadness then your so called husband nudged of his horse forward with his heel, making the horse canter away from your parents and that same blinding light shines till you saw what was on the other side. 

The heavenly palace was a sight to behold you knew it was real but you have never thought you’d see it for yourself, the horse comes to a stop and your husband gets down first then turns around and to your surprise he lifts you off the horse and carries you princess style to your new home.

Sneaking a glance at your husband as he carries you to the manor you notice how gradually he is getting bigger from being skinny in the mortal world. You both entered the room where there was a big bed with a silk blanket, without thinking you spoke “oh wow” in amazement as you were carried into the room, finally he set you down onto your feet then your husband finally spoke “I’m glad that you like it my beloved” his voice was deep but soothing which caused you to blush.

“W..what should i call you?” you asked bashfully, there was a moment of silence between you two then he broke the silence “You can call me Hubby if you liked” he said with a bright smile on his face. But there was something that was bugging you, so you asked  “Why did you choose me as your bride? I’m only a mere mortal.” he was surprised at the question so he decided to answer honesty “What if i told you, it was fate that you were to be my wife” he says wholeheartedly.

He leans down to your eye level and in a deep tone of voice he spoke "and I plan on making you mine" his smile dipped into a sly smirk, heat rushed to your core and you were positive your face was bright red. 

In that moment he gently pushed you back onto the bed then he asks "may I?" You were nervous but you nodded giving him permission to touch you, he gently kissed your lips then to your jawline, his hand slipped into your clothing and he started to play with your breast, teasing your perked nipple which caused you to moan. 

You were embarrassed so you quickly hid your face with your hands but your husband was quicker, with his other hand he catches your hands to stop then he whispered into your ear "Don't hide, I want to see your cute face when I make you feel good."you nodded again then he released your hands and went back to work on your body.

His lips trailed down your neck, finally he stops to remove your clothing your body shivered in the cool air, gently you stopped him and pushed him back and spoke "it's no fair to you to do all the work" you glanced at him, your face was bright red and slowly you reached out to help undress him so both of you were naked.

Then you shed the last piece of clothing from his body, you were surprised at his cock was already hard and you gently held his length, you used your thumb to rub the head of his cock in which caused him to grunt, a little bit of precum was visible as you continued to rub. 

Deciding to use your mouth you swirled your tongue against his tip. He groaned and bucked his hips, pushing your head forward and you started to suck, bit by bit you took him in your mouth the strain on your jaw started to hurt because of how large he was and tears started to form. 

Moaning he tangled his hands in your hair as you sucked him off, letting out soft moans when your tongue started playing with the tip. He could tell that he was getting close to his release and so he pulled out and exclaims “darlin’ i can't take it anymore, i need you.” he leans you against the bed and uses his hand to rom down to your core and he feels how wet you already are.

So he started rubbing your clit with his thumb as his index and middle finger slipped inside your dripping heat and you moaned as his thick fingers scissors your core. “That's right darlin’ let it out” he says as he pumped in and out of you.

Without thinking you pulled his face to yours and kissed him fiercely, pulling away to lean in close to his ear, “I want you Hubby.” He groaned and moved to where his cock is at the entrance of your core, slowly he pushed in making you moan out his name like a prayer, looking down you saw that he was only halfway in and yet you feel filled. 

Finally bottoming out at the size of his length he pulls back and snaps back in like a whip, which makes you cry in pleasure, your nails ran up his back to his shoulders, he groaned as he felt you clench around him, rolling your eyes as the pleasure overtakes you then he increases the pace.

Harder and more rougher his hand reached between your bodies and started rubbing your clit making you throw your head back and moan his name “Hubby hubby i’m close” your walls closing around his length with one final thrust the both of you came, He let out a low moan and you were gasping for air as you were coming down from your high.

Rolling off of you he laid beside you and there was a few moments of silence then you broke the silence “Thank you hubby” you turned your body to face him and moved to give him a kiss which he quickly obliges, he ran his hand long your hair at you drive off to sleep “you welcome my darlin’” he says in a quiet tone, “I love you” he smiles then you mumble in your sleep to say “love… you...too..hubby.”

And a huge thanks to @lady-bakuhoe for helping me out while writing this

[mcwriting]

The Marriage Project (6)

Heyyy guys! Sorry this has taken so long to get out. Even though I have a lot of chapters written, I’m in the process of overhauling some later chapters and I’m trying to make sure I don’t conflict anything in these earlier chaps. Also I’ve been sooooo busy :(

Also: if you haven’t seen my recent kim possible au, definitely check it out!

Story Masterlist

Word Count: 2307

Warnings: none that I can think of this chapter

% Approximately the 2nd week of October %

Monday you continued to shut down and deflect dumb rumors about you and Tom. The rumors had exploded over the weekend since some had noticed the way Tom pointed you out before his game and walked with you after.

But it was all innocent, right?

In home ec, you started a sewing project of making a pajama set. 

As always, Mrs. Flynn had tied it into the marriage project, requiring that couples sewed each others’ garments and made the fabrics compliment each other. If everything turned out right, the couples would have to wear them during their final presentations.

You laid on the floor over the fabric you’d chosen as Tom marked your hem length for the pants, the main part of the pattern already cut out.

“This Friday is your last home volleyball game, right?” Tom questioned as he rubbed chalk on the fabric.

“Yeah, I know. Crazy, right? It’s been half of my school life longer than I’ve known you. Just like that, it’ll be pretty much over.”

“Have any big plans for your senior night, then?”

You sat up and got off the fabric so Tom could cut it.

“Well, I’m probably gonna do my hair and makeup since they’ll take pictures before the game, and then after we win I’m going out to dinner with my family. My extended fam is coming to town. If they weren’t gonna be here I’d drive over to the football game.”

You laid out the fabric for Tom’s pants and waited for him to lay on it, preparing to do the same as him.

The football game was against the other public school in your town, which was essentially your biggest rival, and this year it was at their field.

“You won’t get to see me win, princess? That’s just sad. I’ll be at your game for at least the beginning. I just have to be over there an hour and a half before kickoff, but it’s not till 7:30. My mom wants to shoot pics so you’ll probably see her.”

Tom laid down.

“Oh yeah? Based on the football pictures I’ve seen, I’m excited for her volleyball shots. By the way, how did the pictures she took this weekend turn out? I haven’t had real pictures like that taken of me since I was probably 3.”

You leaned forward to mark the fabric, but first had to move Tom’s leg to the right position.

“Haven’t seen them. She never shows me pictures until she’s done editing. I also can’t relate to the other thing. She’s had a camera pointed at all of us since the day we were born. I get it, though, it is her career.”

Tom got up and you both went to sit by the sewing machine you’d set up, pinning the fabric cutouts into individual pant leg tubes.

“Tell her I’ll be her subject matter any time, champ. I actually had a lot of fun doing it.”

“WIll do. And you’re really gonna stick with champ?” he asked.

“I don’t know. Kinda rolls off the tongue.”

By the end of class you’d both finished and tried on the pants, and you were surprised at how well Tom had done on yours.

Wednesday, you made the shirts, which, since they were custom made, fit just about perfectly, too. As per usual, you got an A.

%

Friday morning, you dreaded and looked forward to the afternoon. Like, yeah, you were excited to be recognized for your years of hard work, but you didn’t want it to be over either. 

You looked in the mirror, butterflies in your stomach. 

Since it was chilly, you wore some ripped skinny jeans and a dressy long sleeved top with pink flowers. Your hair was straightened and glittery makeup adorned your face. 

You were interested to see how people would react to the more traditionally “girly” side of you at school.

Even your parents were surprised to see you all dressed up as you said your goodbyes and headed out the door.

In the halls, people pointed and stared, but it wasn’t accusatory like the prior week. Instead, people complimented the look and congratulated you on the upcoming evening.

You walked into calculus, flicking your hair over your shoulder as you sat down next to Tom.

“Wow. Finally decided to go for it, huh?”

“Yeah, well. I thought about our conversation a couple weeks ago and decided to dress for myself. It’s been pretty well received so far.”

“Princess, I’m pretty sure people are gonna like you no matter what you’re wearing.”

You smiled and rolled your eyes, preparing to reply when you were cut off by the bell and the start of announcements.

As your game got closer throughout the day, the pit in your stomach grew deeper. You spent the entire free period talking to coach in her classroom to get your mind off the upcoming game.

“Y/n, I know you’re nervous, but this is going to be the best night of your entire volleyball career. I know you and know that you’re gonna crush it. That whole team looks up to you and Anna. I haven’t seen a pair of such magnetic personalities leading my team in years. I’m proud to call myself your coach.”

You gave a watery smile.

“Thank you, coach. I’ve loved having you mentor me these last four years. I promise I won’t just forget about you after tonight.”

“Well you better not. We still have regionals and state the next two weeks,” she joked. “Now bring it in, kid. I don’t want anyone seeing me be a softie.”

You quickly hugged. Once separating, she took on a serious face.

“Now go run along, eat a snack or whatever it is you do before games,” she said seriously, before cracking one more smile and tossing you a wink.

%

You stood outside the gym nervously, flanked by your parents. 

They were about to walk you out and present you for the final time. 

Anna was walking through the gym now with her parents and siblings as people cheered in the stands, and there were nervous flutters in your stomach.

Finally, someone waved you along. You stepped into the large gym and saw the massive crowd cheering and clapping. All of your friends and family were in the stands.

You also noticed Tom in the crowd. He wasn’t overtly clapping and yelling like everyone else, but he did put up a thumb and shoot you a wink when you made eye contact.

As the announcer listed off things from the senior night sheet you had filled out, you found yourself holding back tears, thinking about all the memories you had of the sport.

A few slipped out and you quickly wiped them away so Nikki could come take a couple pictures of your family.

After the announcer finished up, your parents went to join your extended family in the stands as you warmed up on your home court one last time.

After winning the first two sets, you sat on the bench, ready to win one last one as you noticed Tom slip out the gym, giving one final wave.

You quickly pushed his absence out of your mind however, when you got behind the back line and put an ace down on the first serve.

%

Sam opened his front door for you the next day.

Of course, you had won the night before, shed a few tears, and enjoyed the time with your family, who you’d said bye to before going to the Hollands’.

“Hey, y/n. Good game last night. You and Anna crushed it.”

“Thanks, Sam. Julia was amazing, too. Without her, we’d never have good passes to set and hit.”

Sam agreed and talked to you for a little bit when you thought of something.

“Oh, hey. Where’s your mom? I wanted to talk to her.”

“Um, I think she’s in her office. Let’s go check.”

He led you to a part of the house you’d never been, and sure enough, Nikki was sat in front of a large desktop computer, a picture of you jump serving on the screen.

“That’s an incredible shot!”

She startled a bit and turned her chair to face you.

“Oh! Y/n, you scared me. Come on in! I was just going through the pictures I took at yours and Tom’s games last night. While you’re here, let me show you the ones I took last Saturday.”

She minimized the tab she was working on and pulled up a file, the first picture being a black and white shot of you looking down at a notebook, writing.

“Woah. That’s beautiful,” you breathed, looking at every little detail.

“Thank you, that means a lot. You can scroll through them all, if you like. I’m going to go find Tom, I think I heard him and Harry arguing not too long ago.”

You chuckled as she left, looking at each photo. Some she kept in color and others were in black and white. You stopped on the picture of you and Tom laughing at each other.

Your faces were lit up in genuine happiness, and you felt a pang in your chest as you burned the photo into your memory. You quickly changed it when you heard footsteps approaching.

“Hey, sorry. Harry was being an ass. You like the pictures?”

“Yeah, they’re incredible. I’d love to have some of them.” you said, scrolling through the last few.

“I’ll ask her to put some of those on the flashdrive she’s making you. She was planning on just putting all the pictures from last week to tomorrow on one if you’re good with it.”

“Oh, yeah. No rush. Ready to go upstairs?”

“Yeah, sure,” he replied as you picked up your backpack from the floor and followed him. He continued. “So I hear you guys won last night. Way to end on the best note possible.”

“Yeah, it was a bittersweet night. What about you? I never heard anything about the game.”

“Oh, we won. Not much to it, but it was a tough game.”

Tom closed the door behind him and immediately went to his desk. He pulled out a piece of chocolate and tossed it to you as you sat down.

You worked together for a while, then decided to take a break, just sprawled across the floor on your backs a couple feet apart.

You glanced over at Tom, who was messing around with his necklace.

“Can I ask you something?” you said quietly.

“Hmm?”

“What’s with your necklace? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you take it off.”

Tom was quiet for a few minutes, rolling his plastic ring in his fingers.

“My grandad, my dad’s dad, gave it to me a few years ago before he passed. It’s just a saint’s symbol for protection. It was basically his way of saying he’d always be there for me. He was one of the best people in my life, and I wear it to remember him. It also helps me stay grounded sometimes, when I’m anxious or sad.”

You listened intently and looked at Tom for a while, who was just staring straight at the ceiling. There were tons of questions racing through your head, but you narrowed them down to one.

“Why did you put your, uh, ‘wedding’ ring on there, then? I don’t feel like I deserve to be next to him.”

Tom smiled and let out a breath through his nose, then looked right at you.

“Well I definitely wasn’t going to wear it on my finger. At first, I did it just to piss you off, because I could tell that you didn’t like it. But… I don’t know, I just… kept it as a reminder of everything we’ve been through. We still call each other enemies but honestly, I’ve started to consider you one of my closest friends.”

You scanned his face, grinning slightly. Over the past week and a half his bruises had pretty much faded, a little bit of yellow lingering around his cheek and his lip pink with new skin. 

You noticed his hand close by and laid yours on top of it, stroking your thumb over the tops of his fingers.

“Yeah… yeah,” was all you could manage to whisper out loud. 

After a few moments, Tom flipped his hand, pressing your palms together and curling his fingers around yours. All you could manage to do was stare at each other in silence, unsure of what to think or how to act. 

You were startled out of it when there was a knock at the door. Your hands quickly pulled away from each others’ as the door creaked open and you sat up. It was Nikki.

“Sorry to bug you two, but I was just gonna come ask what time would be good for you tomorrow, y/n? We need enough time to get there and take the sports pictures during the day but I think golden hour would be perfect if you wanted to bring another outfit and take regular pictures.”

“Okay, yeah. Whatever time you think. I’m free all day.”

“Well I was thinking we leave here by two so we get there at three and have plenty of time before it gets fully dark around eight. My parents would love to have you for dinner, too.”

“Sounds good with me. I’ll make sure to pack a dress or something to change into.”

“Alright, well I’ll let you get back to it, just wanted to ask before I forgot again.”

Once she shut the door, you let out a breath you didn’t know you’d been holding. You looked to Tom, who seemed just as uncomfortable about everything as you were.

“Okay then, let’s finish up,” you suggested, waking your computer back up.

%

A/N: once again, so sorry it has taken this long to upload ch 6! I’m so excited for y’all to see ch 7 tho like I literally love it. Anyways, I really want to get on a more consistent upload schedule but I also want this story to be the best it can be and school is making that so hard rn

Don’t forget to check out my new work and hopefully I’ll have another one-shot out soon, too!

Send a message or ask if you’d like to be added to my permanent or series tag lists so I can verify you’ve been added!

Story Tag List: @jackiehollanderr, @one-big-fangirl, @l0lmk, @primadonnasdream, @bookworm06, @thenoddingbunny-blog, @agentnataliahofferson, @spider-babe, @stxfxniexreads 

[theydontknowaboutusimagines]

This Christmas - A Harry Styles Series (Part 12)

Two life long friends. Secretly in love. Home for the holidays. Will they risk everything by telling the other how they feel? Or will they spend another year loving from afar?

Read these first    

Prologue   Part 1    Part 2   Part 3    Part 4   Part 5  Part 6 Part 7   Part 8   Part 9   Part 10    Part 11 

Waking up the next morning alone in your childhood bedroom was a little disappointing. It was a strange feeling not waking up with the warmth of Harry by your side. The fact that it had only been a couple of days meant you were in for a rude awakening once you went back to your flat in London. Speaking of which, neither you or Harry has brought up what would happen next, but it looks like you’ll have your trip to discuss it.

After washing your face and brushing your teeth, the realization it was Christmas morning and the aroma of your mother’s traditional Christmas morning breakfast taking over the house quickly brought your spirits up. Once you were done, you went straight downstairs, still wearing your Christmas pajamas, and your mouth watered at the sight of food on the table.

“Happy Christmas!” you smiled, hugging your mother.

“Happy Christmas, honey,” she smiled. “Everything is almost done.”

“Awesome, need any help?” You asked.

“Want to grab plates and then get your father?” She asked.

“Sure thing,” you smiled.

You went over to the cabinet taking out enough plates for everyone and placing them on the table. You decided on going ahead and getting everyone drinks as well before going in search of your father, who was in his office getting the present for your mother. It was something he always did. He had to wait to put it out last minute because if she knew he had purchased something for her, she would make him take it back.

“I really think she’s going to like this one this year,” he smiled, holding the box in his hands.

“You say that every year and while she does usually like them, she still complains,” you laughed.

“True, but she only stays mad at me for a couple of hours and then she lets herself enjoy the gift,” he shrugged.

“Traditions, right?” You smiled.

“Gotta love ‘em,” he said.

After stuffing your face with all Christmas breakfast, it was time to open up presents. You all took turns opening your gifts. Thank yous, gasps, laughs, and a few tears were shed with each opened present. At the end of it all, there was nothing but wrapping paper and empty bags and boxes scattered around.

“How is that we have grown children and there’s still a mess on our floor on Christmas morning?” Your mother laughed.

“Because everyone’s a kid at Christmas,” you smiled.

Next up on the family traditions was watching another Christmas movie before getting ready to head over to Anne’s. This time you picked How the Grinch Stole Christmas. You helped your mother clean up the mess while you watched the movie and spent the rest of it cuddled up on the couch, drinking yet another cup of hot chocolate.

When the movie was over, you went up to your room to get ready. You always wanted to look nice on Christmas, spending extra time on your hair and makeup and wearing a nice outfit. However, this Christmas you wanted to look extra special. Luckily, you packed a new deep shade of green dress that fit you perfectly. It wasn’t too tight, but it still flattered your figure, which you loved.

You paired it with red heels and a deep, red lip. To add in a little extra festiveness,  you put on your Christmas tree earrings. They were definitely a little much, but you loved them. When you met your parents downstairs, they both smiled at you.

“What?” You blushed.

“You look absolutely beautiful,” he smiled.

“Thank you,” you smiled.

“Okay, ready to go to the in-laws?” Your mother smirked.

“What?” You laughed.

“Well, now that you and Harry are dating, we’re all officially family, right?” She smirked.

“We’re only dating, Mum, not getting married,” you laughed.

“Not yet,” she winked.

You shook your head with a laugh before following them out the door.

**

Harry woke up yet again to a pillow being thrown in his face.

“Go away, Gem!” He mumbled, throwing a pillow towards the direction of his sister.

“Harry Edward Styles it is Christmas morning and it’s time for you to get your ass up,” Anne scolded.

“Mum?” He snapped up, instantly regretting the sudden movement.

“Yep. You have five minutes to be downstairs,” she smirked.

“Sorry!” He called out after her.

Harry groaned laying back in bed trying to wake himself up. He had gotten back only three hours before and he was slightly regretting his decision on sneaking out of the house. But who was he kidding, it was well worth it. Any time spent with you was worth more than lack of sleep.

Finally sliding off the bed, he goes into the bathroom to brush his teeth and wipe his face. Looking into the mirror, he noticed a few remnants from the previous nights. Your lipstick stained his lips and various places across his chest and neck. He smirked, remembering the details of each one as he took a washcloth to try and get the red smear off. He would have loved to keep them there for the time being, but he didn’t need to advertise his whereabouts only a few hours ago.

When he made it to the living room, piles of presents were separated based on the three of them. This was always their thing. All the presents under the tree would be piled together based on who they were for and then they would each take turns opening a present. It would have been easier to just let one person go and open all their presents, but it made the magic of opening presents last a little longer.

“Happy Christmas,” Gemma smiled, hugging him.

“Happy Christmas, Gem,” he smiled, hugging her back.

“MY babies!” Anne smiled, wrapping her arms around both of them and pressing kisses to their cheeks.

And that was something she has done every single year and probably will continue to do when both of her children are well into their fifties.

“I can’t believe it’s Christmas,” Gemma said, sitting down on the floor next to her pile of presents.

“I know. The fact that another year’s over, too,” Anne said.

“Okay, John Lennon,” Harry joked.

“Smart ass!” Anne laughed, throwing a pillow at him.

“For fuck’s sake, I’m taking all the pillows in this bloody house and hiding them forever,” He laughed.

“Hey, we don’t get to do this very often, so we have to make it a good one,” Gemma shrugged.

“And what’s that? Bug the piss out of me?” He asked.

“Exactly,” she smirked.

He rolled his eyes, getting himself some coffee, before sitting back down near his own pile of presents. He enjoyed getting presents, but he enjoyed giving them the most. He loved being able to buy his family things they wouldn’t be able to purchase for themselves. He was happy he was in a position to help his mother and sister whenever they needed it. Of course, being who they are, they didn’t need it quite so much, but it was there when they did.

After presents that included multiple gag gifts causing them to laugh uncontrollably, they all sat around eating breakfast and talking about different Christmas memories. Next, everyone went up to their rooms to get ready for everyone to come over. Of course he was the first one back downstairs, so he started getting things ready to cook while he waited for his Gemma and his mother to get back down.

Anne came down first and the two of them got going on the cooking. Harry’s job was to slice and dice everything, while Anne did the rest of it.

“So,” Anne said. “Are you and Y/N official?”

“Um… yeah, we are,” he smiled.

“And you’re happy?” She asked.

“The happiest I’ve been in a long time,” he smiled.

“I know,” she smiled. “I can tell.”

“I don’t even know why I’m asking this because I’m pretty sure I already know the answer, but are you happy about this?” He asked, throwing chopped veggies in a bowl.

“Honey, all I’ve ever wanted for you is to be happy and to live a life that you want,” she said. “I’ve always thought you and Y/N would be each other’s person, but I knew I couldn’t be the one to tell you that. You two had to figure it out on your own and sometimes the only way to find your way to who you’re meant to be with… you have to be with other people.”

“So, you’re saying it was probably  a good thing for me and Y/N to just now get together?” He asked.

“I do,” she nodded. “Think about it Harry, when all of this… when you were in One Direction you were still so young and traveling around the world the majority of the time. You weren’t ready to have a serious girlfriend and had you and Y/N tried back then, it really could have fucked up any chance you two might have had. And then what? You two would have missed out on a life together.”

“Wow, I guess I didn’t think of it like that,” he said.

“Which is why I’m happy you two are trying not to focus on the past,” she said. “I know it’s easier said than done, but everything has its way of working out. It may not be when we want it, but it’ll come when we’re ready for it.”

Harry smiled, wrapping his arms around her, “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” she smiled. “And next time you want to sneak out and in the house in the middle of the night, please just use the front door like a normal person.”

“Uh… you know about that?” He winced.

“You’re needy son, I’m surprised it took you that long to sneak over to Y/N’s place,” she joked.

“I really don’t understand why everyone keeps saying that like it’s a bad thing!” He laughed.

**

When you arrived at Anne's house, you suddenly felt a little nervous. You weren’t sure why, but wondered if it was because this would be the first public outing for you and Harry. And it wasn’t even public, just close friends and family. You hated to know what it would feel like when you actually did accompany him in public, which is something else you would have to discuss.

Before your father could even knock, Harry had opened the door with a huge smile on his face.

“Happy Christmas!” He cheered.

“Oh boy, someone’s already had a few glasses of wine,” your mother jokes.

“I’ve not!” Harry laughed.

“Well we’re bloody in for it when you do,” she laughed, kissing his cheek. “But Happy Christmas to you, too.”

You giggled when Harry looked at you, “I don’t know if I should be offended or not,” he said.

“If you have to ask, you already have your answer,” you said.

He smiled, slipping his arm around your waist, “You look beautiful…. And those earrings… are lovely.”

“Smooth,” you laughed. “This is my Christmas earrings. I’ve worn them every year for like four years.”

“That doesn’t exactly shock me,” he said.

“I might have to get you a pair,” you smirked. “We could match.”

“I’d love to, but sadly I don’t have any piercings,” he sighed, dramatically.

“Oh, we can change that with a sewing needle and a trip to the bathroom,” you said. “It’s not stopped you before.”

“You heard about that?” He winced.

“Of course, I heard about it. You act like I’ve been living under a rock for the past six years,” you rolled your eyes.

“Sorry, sorry,” he put his hands up in defense.

“Anyway, how was Christmas this morning with your family?” you asked.

“Entertaining,” he laughed, handing you a drink. “Yours?”

“Traditional,” you joked. “And also very entertaining.”

“Maybe one day we’ll have our own entertaining tradition filled Christmas morning,” he winked.

“Can’t wait,” you smiled.

**

The rest of the day is filled with games, food, laughter, and drinks. You were having the best time and it felt even more special having Harry at your side. Eventually, Anne brought out Christmas Home videos and you all laughed at the memories. But there was one you had forgotten all about. It was of you and Harry probably about five or six. You two were cuddled up together, holding hands, and watching a Christmas movie.

“Who is your best friend in the whole world?” Anne smiled, pointing the camera at Harry.

“Y/N!” He smiled.

“And Y/N who is your best friend in the whole world?” She asked.

“Harry!” You smiled.

Both of you wrapped your arms around each other in a great big hug.

“That’s when I knew,” Anne smiled.

“Knew what?” Harry asked.

“That one day she would be officially a part of this family,” she smiled. “And on that day, I would give her this.”

Anne held out a wrapped box, the one Harry was supposed to have given you the other night. You looked at her confused before ripping off the paper and opening it up. Inside was a stocking with your name on it. The same exact stocking and font that match Anne, Gemma and Harry’s stocking hanging on the mantle.

“You always wanted one,” she smiled. “And now you have it.”

You smiled, tears forming in your eyes, as you wrapped her up in a big hug. “Thank you,” you whispered. “I love it.”

“You’re welcome, sweetheart,” she smiled.

**

As the night died down a bit, you and Harry headed outside to the backyard.

“Christmas day is such a bittersweet feeling,” you sighed.

“How come?” He asked.

“Because once it’s here… it’s over and soon after the magic of Christmas… the feeling of Christmas is gone until next year,” you sighed.

“Well, at least we’ll have each other,” he smiled. “And we’ll know it may have been the magic of Christmas that brought us together.”

“Okay, how many Hallmark movies have you been watching?” You laughed.

“It’s true,” he laughed.

“Yeah, it is,” you smiled, wrapping your arms around him. “Whatever the reason, I’m glad we’re finally here, together.”

“Me too,” he smiled, holding you close.

And to make the moment even more romantic, it started to snow.

“Oh wait! I forgot, one more present,” he said.

“Harry, seriously, I’ve had enough,” you giggled.

“I think you’ll like it,” he said, handing you a box.

Inside the box was mistletoe, causing you to laugh.

“What’s more romantic than this… kissing under the mistletoe while it’s snowing on Christmas Night,” he smiled. “Merry Christmas, baby.”

“Merry Christmas,” you replied with a smile before pressing your lips against his.

And that is how This Christmas quickly became your favorite.

**

THE END! I hope you all enjoyed this series and look out for the companion series coming soon! :)

[heyyyharry]

Last Chapter: For The Rest Of My Life

(from the My Girl Series: Stay Mine)

…in which they live happily ever after.

Word count: 5.9k

AU: actor!harry, older!harry, younger!y/n (4-year age gap).

Wattpad link (Thea as Y/N)

This is it, guys. This is the last chapter. Thank you for following my beloved characters on this long journey. I never would have written three books without your support! :)

Love, Allie.

P/S: The first preview of TCTM2 - The Winter and the Crown (and first chapter on Patreon) is this Friday! I’ll postpone the new series until after TCTM2 so it’ll be updated weekly instead of biweekly :)

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“And they lived happily ever after. The end.”

“No!”

Celine shot her head up. Y/N could see her friend’s shocked expression in the mirror. “Excuse you. That was a great speech!”

Y/N apologised to her makeup artist, spun her chair around and told her maid-of-honour, “I love you, babe, but your speech was an hour-long. While you were reading, Allison has managed to finish yours, Amala’s, Alice’s, and my makeup. So it needs to be shorter.”

Celine stared at her paper as she blew out her cheeks. “But this is the complete story of how you and Harry got together.”

“Well,” Alice, who sat in the corner, finally spoke. “You might want to skip the whole love triangle drama last year.” She paused, gazing upward. “And the year before that. My God, Y/N!” Alice whipped her head to Y/N, her mouth wide open. “You got three men chasing after you in two years, became a best-selling author, and now you’re getting married after having been engaged for only a month to your super hot, super rich, super famous boyfriend! Talk about being ambitious!”

“Three months, actually,” Amala interjected. She was sitting beside Y/N, looking at her phone. “When she broke the news, Cece and I thought they were rushing the wedding because she was pregnant. As it turned out, they were just too in love to wait.”

“What the fuck? Your life is perfect!” Alice exclaimed.

Y/N shook her head. “No, it’s not. When he proposed there wasn’t even a ring!” And turned to Allison. “Can’t you believe my ex-boyfriend forgot the ring when he proposed?”

“You need to stop calling your fiancé ‘ex-boyfriend’,” Celine said.

“I don’t care. I want three hot men to fight for me,” Alice said.

“Don’t envy me. I’ve only dated three men in my life,” Y/N said then turned back to the mirror, “and today is my wedding day, so can we not make this about them?”

“Of course, baby,” Celine chuckled as she rose from her seat and came to give Y/N a kiss on top of her head. “I’ll make my speech shorter, but we'll keep the part where you read the story about Harry in front of the whole class and you and I became friends.”

“Sure.”

“And also any other part that I was in.”

“Fine.” Y/N snorted, rolling her eyes.

Celine gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze then bent over to press her cheek against Y/N’s, their eyes locked in the mirror as they shared a smile. “Now, let’s get you into that dress, baby.”

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“Rings? Where’re the rings?! WHERE–Oh, they’re on the desk.”

“Niall!” Harry and Isaac shouted at the same time.

Niall stared at them. “What?!”

Harry gave his tie a hard tug. To Isaac, he said, “I’m seriously considering making you the best man.”

“Hey, that’s not fair!” Niall objected as he shoved the ring boxes into his pocket. “You,” he jabbed at Isaac with his finger, “are my understudy today. So don’t even think about trying to sabotage me to take my place.”

“The stage’s all yours.” Isaac spread his arms. “To be honest, it’d be really weird if her ex-boyfriend was the best man at her wedding.”

Harry cast him a pointed look. “Can you not make me want to uninvite you right here right now?”

“You can’t. I would be your sister’s plus one anyway.”

“Damn it,” Harry murmured, looking back at the full-length mirror.

This was nerve-racking and kind of strange. Never had he thought one day he’d be standing in his childhood bedroom with Niall and Isaac let alone getting ready for his own wedding here. When imagining his wedding, he’d thought of something in the range of Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra’s wedding and the royal wedding for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. And yet, here he was, in his hometown with a guest list of under fifty people. And he had never been happier in his entire life.

“Can you check if the rings are in the boxes?” he told Niall and sighed in relief when Niall confirmed that the rings were safe. “Can’t be too careful. The day I proposed to her, I left the ring in my hotel room in New York. It was really embarrassing.”

“Y/N doesn’t care about this stuff,” Isaac said.

“I know,” Harry replied, feeling a grin taking over his face.

Suddenly, Niall burst out a laugh. He looked up from his phone, grinning goofily. “Harold, Alice just texted me a photo of your girl, would you want to see it? It’s really funny.”

“Is she in the wedding dress?” Harry asked.

“Yeah.”

“Then no. It’d be bad luck.” Then he cast Niall a look over his shoulder. “Yes, I’m superstitious. Judge me.”

Isaac’s brows knitted as he considered Niall with a tentative look on his face. “What’s going on between you and Alice?”

Niall’s smile suddenly vanished, and Harry realised he couldn’t recall the last time he’d seen Niall so nervous. The lad was rubbing the nape of his neck as he cleared his throat and was unable to make eye contact with either of them. “We’re not...ready to make it public yet,” he finally admitted. Harry and Isaac looked at each other, smiling with their mouths wide open. “My fans will tear her down just as they did to my other relationships. And after what happened to you and Y/N, I think we’re gonna lay low for a while.”

“I’m glad Bambi and I went through hell to set an example for you,” Harry said amusedly.

Niall’s mouth curled. “I’ll make sure to thank you in my speech.”

“Hold on!” Isaac interjected. “I thought I’d get to have a speech.”

“I’m the best man, though,” Niall retorted.

“That’s the point. You’re already the best man.”

“Niall’s right.” Harry gave Isaac an apologetic look. “But hey, you dated my wife and you’re dating my sister. Our friendship is on thin ice, so don’t jinx it.”

Isaac rolled his eyes, and a smirk peaked at the corner of his lips.

Without warning, Niall wrapped an arm around each of them and aggressively tugged them into a hug. Both Isaac and Harry scolded him for having wrinkled their best suits, yet neither tried to break out of Niall’s tight embrace.

“I’m so glad we’re back together,” Niall said. “The three of us, without all the weird tension between you two.”

Isaac opened his mouth to say something but was forestalled by Niall’s ringtone.

“I’ll be right back,” Niall said as he released them and pulled out his phone. “Yeah, that’s the firework guy.”

Harry and Isaac yelled at the same time.

“The what guy?”

“What the fuck?!”

“Niall, this is supposed to be a secret wedding,” Harry said in frustration. “I don't want the whole town to know that we're getting married in our backyard!”

“You should have said that before I called my firework guy!” To the person on the phone, Niall said, “Cancel! Cancel! No, do not light it up!” Then he dashed out of the room, almost slamming into the door.

Once his heavy footsteps had faded down the stairs, Harry and Isaac exchanged looks and broke into laughter.

���You know what?” Harry said, catching his breath and wiping a single tear from the corner of his eyes. “Just in case he gets himself blown up before the ceremony, you probably should prepare the best man speech.”

“I’m on it.” Isaac grinned, and to Harry’s surprise, he pulled Harry into a hug. Not just their usual one-arm-and-a-pat-on-the-back kind of hug. A real one, with both arms and a firm grip that said everything Harry needed to know. “I’m really happy for you and proud of you, H.”

Harry found himself beaming as he hugged his best friend in return. “And I’m really happy to have you here.”

They embraced for a second or two before Isaac broke off and straightened Harry’s jacket. “I’ll see you downstairs,” he said. “Now I have to go save Niall from getting blown up in your backyard.”

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When Y/N was little, she had wanted her mum to be the one to walk her down the aisle. Between her parents, she had always loved her mum more, simply because her mum had been there for her for most of her childhood. Y/N’s mum had been her first best friend, her advisor, the person who had known all of her secrets. But if Y/N’s mum were still alive, she would be glad to let her husband walk Y/N down the aisle.

Y/N’s dad burst into tears when he stood by the front door and watched her descend the stairs. It was the first time he’d seen her in her wedding dress. She’d had it altered so it’d look more casual than what a wedding dress should look like. The long sleeves had been removed and the skirt shortened. It was quite plain, perfect for a backyard wedding, and yet her dad was looking at her like she was the Queen of England. Perhaps in his eyes, she was. And as he wiped away his tears with the sleeve of his jacket, she felt her tears start flowing too.  

Her dad rarely cried. At least not in front of her. She remembered how much she’d loathed him for not shedding a tear at her mother’s funeral. It wasn’t until years later that she’d found out that he had cried, just not in front of everyone. He’d slept with a photo of her mum every day for many months after the accident, and cried himself to sleep every night, for the woman who had fallen out of love with him.

Y/N supposed her dad used to think tears represented vulnerability and if she’d seen him at his most vulnerable, she wouldn’t have trusted him to be her protector. He’d tried to be strong in front of her. But Dad, this is you being strong for me, she thought when she wrapped her arms around his neck and held him tight. He could have left when he’d found out her mum hadn’t been faithful. He could have given up on Y/N when she’d tried to push him away. But he’d stayed. Because brave people never gave up on the ones they loved. And she believed he loved her most of all.

“I’m sorry. Don’t cry. You’ll ruin your makeup,” her dad said, holding her face. “You’ll get two black lines on your pretty face like in the movies.”

“My makeup is waterproof,” she told him, laughing and sniffling at the same time.

“Why don’t actresses in movies use that stuff?” he asked, looking genuinely confused.

“You’re such a dork.” Y/N snorted and wiped his cheeks with her thumbs.

Her dad’s forehead creased. As he took in the sight of her, his eyes lingered on her short white dress. Recognition suddenly dawned on his face. “Is this—”

“Yes. It was Mum’s,” she said, fanning out her skirt. “I made some alterations. Do you love it?”

Her dad brought a hand to his mouth and was speechless for a long moment. She wasn’t sure if he was looking for the right words to say, or he was too emotional to speak.

“You look just like her,” he whispered as he held her arms, leaned in and kissed her forehead. “I’m sorry she wasn’t here to walk you down the aisle.”

“Don’t be,” Y/N said, fixing her dad’s collar. “I’m already the happiest to have you give me away.”

“Give you away,” he echoed, and even though his expression remained unchanged, she could catch a sign of sadness and regret. Then, the corners of his mouth raised in an attempt to lift up the mood. “Are you sure you want to do this? It’s not too late to cancel the wedding.”

Eyes wide, Y/N chortled. “Dad!”

“I’m just saying.” Her dad gave a half-shrug. “I want you to know that your old man always supports your decisions, no questions asked.”

“Thank you,” she murmured and kissed him on the cheek. “But I’d still like to marry Harry.”

“Ahhh. You know you’re getting old when your child starts being kind to you.”

Y/N scrunched up her nose at the remark which stung her heart a little. Still, she decided to be light-hearted. “Funny. Harry told me it was me who was getting old when I started being kind to him and you.”

Her dad raised both eyebrows. “You know what? Forget what I said. Do not cancel the wedding. I love that kid.”

Y/N rolled her eyes and gave him a playful nudge.

Suddenly, Celine emerged from the kitchen holding a bouquet and shoved it into Y/N’s arms. “Your flowers, babe. Good luck!” It was hilarious how she looked even more nervous than Y/N was, and Celine had been a bride before.

She kissed Y/N on the cheek, patted Y/N’s dad on the shoulder and then left as fast as she’d arrived.

Y/N’s dad offered his arm to her as the corners of his eyes crinkled with joy. “Shall we?”

She nodded, chin held high, and settled her fingers into the crook of his arm.

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The last time Harry had been to a wedding in Holmes Chapel, he’d returned to London with a broken heart. It was the day he’d thought he’d lost his girl forever, that he’d been too late and missed the only chance to make it right. And now here he was, back at the same place, but this time, he was the groom and his childhood best friend was the bride.

He and Y/N had decided to get married right where the old tree used to be. The new one hadn’t grown big enough to cover them in its shade, but Harry liked the symbolism of it – there was never really an ending, just another beginning.

He stood at the end of the aisle as the guests settled down, waiting for the bride to make her big entrance. His palms were sweating so hard he could feel it soaking through his jacket which he’d been clutching the whole time. In his entire acting career, he had never felt self-conscious standing in front of a crowd, and yet, standing here in front of the people he knew and loved, he could barely move a muscle.

The music started, and Harry straightened like a soldier. He met his sister’s eyes in the front row, and she mouthed at him, ‘You look stupid.’ His mum, who was sitting beside Gemma, shot her a pointed look before mouthing at Harry, ‘You look handsome.’

He gave his family a tight smile as he laced his fingers together in front of his crotch, like a nice little boy waiting for the photographer to take the photo. He supposed he did look stupid. He felt stupid. However, the fear didn’t last for too long, because as soon as the gate to Y/N’s backyard opened and she appeared with Bradford, Harry felt as if there were fireworks exploding inside his chest. Time stopped. And the rest of the world disappeared.

She was wearing her mother’s dress. He knew that because she’d told him when he’d offered to find her a famous wedding dress designer. She must have made some alterations to it, and as excited as he’d been to see her wear it for the first time, it didn’t shock him as he’d thought it would.

When he looked at her, in that white chiffon dress with her hair in a high bun and that big smile on her face, he could see the little girl in a tutu, and he was the little boy who waited by the car with her parents after her first ballet class, because she’d insisted that he came with them to pick her up that day. Then Harry saw the little girl with daisies in her pigtails; she’d made him play house with her and they’d had a fake wedding. That little girl, now older, was a princess for a school play; she’d practised in front of him so many times that he remembered all the lines and mumbled along as he watched her from the third row with her parents. Then she was at a school dance; they hadn’t been talking but he’d watched her in silence just to make sure her date didn’t cross the line. Then there was the girl at the Oscars; messy hair, messy makeup, out of breath, still the most beautiful girl in the room. The girl in his bed, the first face he saw in the morning, no makeup on. The girl with tears running down her face as she said yes on that windy roof. The girl who was drunk in the streetlight, red-faced, smeared mascara as he told her he loved her for the first time. The girl at the entrance of his treehouse; older and taller every time she returned. The girl telling him she’d given up on him for good. The girl telling him she’d love him forever.

He loved every single one of those girls. Y/N was a million girls in one; all were his. And he loved every version of her there had ever been, and every version there would ever be.

His eyes prickled with tears as she reached for his hand, and the first thing she said to him as the music stopped was, “Are you crying?”

“No, there’s something in my eyes,” he said, smiling at her. “Are you?”

“Yes, I am.” She nodded, staring heavenward and blinking back the tears as she tried not to laugh and cry at the same time. Harry almost leaned in and kissed her right then but then he remembered he would have to wait for the priest to say, ‘You may kiss the bride’. He’d meant it when he’d said he was superstitious. He didn’t want to bring bad luck to their wedding. Niall was already an exception.

As the backyard fell to silence and the priest said something Harry did not hear, he couldn’t stop beaming down at his bride and mouthed “I love you” as if she hadn’t got tired of those words already. She mouthed them back, as if he hadn’t got tired of them. Well, at this point he didn’t think it was possible to ever get tired of hearing or saying them.

“Psst, Harry!” Niall’s voice pulled him back to reality. He blinked fast. Everyone was staring at him. “Your vows!” Niall said.

“Right, right. Just a sec.” Holding up a finger, Harry frantically searched in his jacket for the speech he’d prepared last week. His cheeks heated as he pulled out a crumpled piece of paper and flashed his teeth at Y/N, who was staring patiently at him.

He held up a fist at his mouth and cleared his throat. “Forgive me if my vows are generic and badly-written.”

Laughter crackled from the guests, and Harry decided to focus all of his attention on his Bambi. It’d feel less weird if he was saying this to her instead of trying to impress their families, although the way her father looked at him was really intimidating.

He blew out his cheeks, shook his head and began, “I...wanted...to write something cheesy...something like ‘I always knew we’d end up together’ or ‘I fell in love with you the moment I first laid eyes on you’. But that wasn’t how it happened. Because when we first met, you were only nine, and you cried a lot so I didn’t really like you.”

Someone, probably Y/N’s stepmum, awwwed out loud. Y/N tilted her head, scowling at him, and he shot her an apologetic grin before he continued.

“It wasn’t love at first sight, or second, or third. But I think that’s the best part of our relationship. There wasn’t an exact moment where we fell in love. Our love grew as we did. It was always within ourselves even though I realised it a bit late and I let you down. Despite all that we’ve been through, you’ve always been by my side, and you’re the only person who loves me unconditionally.” His eyes searched his mum and Gemma. “Alongside my mum and sister.”

The guests cracked up as Gemma, with her arms crossed, mouthed, ‘I don’t love you,’ at Harry. Ignoring her, Harry turned back to Y/N. “You make me a better person–” And wiped his eyes. “You can call me a crybaby later.”

“I will,” she said as her fingers found his.

He squeezed her hand. “I cannot promise that–that I’ll be perfect, because everyone who knows us knows that we are far from perfect. But I vow to always try to be the best version of myself and love you for as long as I live. I’ll be your best friend, always listen to you, take care of you, always make you proud, and whatever obstacles are thrown in your way, I’ll face them with you.”

This time when a sob broke from someone’s lips, it was Y/N’s old boss, Eddie.

Y/N placed a hand on her heart as her bottom lip quivered. Tears shone in her eyes but she wasn’t crying like a baby like him. She released a nervous laugh, glancing at their families and friends. “I’m embarrassed. My vows probably suck compared to yours.”

“No way,” he murmured, not sure if she heard him.

She sucked in a breath, held her smile, and began. “Harry, I’ve never told you this, but when I was nine, I told Celine that I wanted to marry you when I grew up. I asked her to keep a secret because my mum had said that if you told too many people about your dreams, they would never come true.

“At nine years old, my biggest dream, beside being a writer, was to marry the boy next door. And I can now tell everyone about that dream, because after today, we’re gonna go home together and the boy I’ve loved since I was nine years old, is gonna be my husband.” She took a step forward, pressing his hand to her heart. “I vow to be by your side through sickness and health, through your bests and your worsts. I vow to never lie to you, never give up on you. Thank you for making me a better person. I’ll love you for the rest of my life.”

“That was so much better than mine,” Harry whispered, smiling so big his cheeks began to ache.

They exchanged rings, and then Harry’s heart started thundering as the priest looked at him. “Harry, do you take Y/N–”

“I do,” he said without taking his eyes off Y/N, who was beaming like the sun. “Yes, a million times.”

“Y/N–”

“I do.”

Harry believed he’d heard the priest sigh, yet he hadn’t paid attention to know for sure. Then came the words he’d been waiting to hear. “I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

His arms could not catch her fast enough since hers had wrapped around his neck as she locked her lips to his. He pulled her against him, tipped her head back and kissed her like he had the first time at that same spot. This time, in the cheering of their family and friends.

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The wedding reception was also held in Harry’s backyard. By the time Niall and Celine had finished their long speeches, everyone had been starving. After the meal and a few drinks, Harry had forgotten what Niall had said about him in that speech, still, he was grateful for Niall. He hoped the firework guy was having a good time being their uninvited wedding guest.

Their first dance was to the song Hearts Don’t Break Around Here by Ed Sheeran. Harry had picked the song and Y/N had joked about him listening to sappy music, but she’d cried when he sang the words into her ear as they danced with her cheek pressed against his chest and his chin on top of her head.

That every night I'll kiss you you'll say in my ear

Oh we're in love aren't we?

Hands in your hair, fingers and thumbs baby

Maybe it was the adrenaline, maybe it was the alcohol, maybe it was her, but he was so upset when the song ended and he had to let her go so she could dance with her dad. His disappointment didn’t last for long because his mum was also a fun dance partner. After two dances, Isaac and Harry’s two cousins stole him away to do some shots. As the drink burnt his throat, he heard someone speaking into the microphone. They didn’t have a band or a stage so Harry didn’t even know they had a microphone. From the looks on Isaac’s and his cousins’ faces, he knew they had no idea what was happening, either.

“Hi guys, I’m Niall.”

“Oh my God,” said Harry’s cousin as he clasped Harry’s shoulder. “What is he doing? Is he drunk?”

“I’ll get him.”

“Stay exactly where you are, blondie!” Niall stabbed a finger at Isaac and all eyes shot at the poor lad. Isaac raised his hands and stepped back. It was then that Harry realised the firework guy wasn’t the only uninvited guest. Niall had brought his whole band. “I’m not drunk,” Niall said, nodding at his guitarist. “I have a little present for my two best friends.”

Harry caught his wife’s eyes from a distance, and she mouthed at him, ‘Do you know about this?’

‘No,’ he mouthed back.

“I wrote a song, inspired by their relationship. If you haven’t read Y/N’s book, I’m an important part of their love story.”

Isaac arched an eyebrow as he took a sip from his glass of champagne. Harry saw Y/N smiling with her mouth open, clinging onto Celine’s arm. She hated surprises so Harry was very relieved that she didn’t seem angry at Niall.

“The song is called ‘Black and White’,” Niall said as he put on his guitar. “I just thought black and white would be like the black suit and white dress and it would become a bit of a wedding song. I was getting a bit nostalgic with it and the song is basically about first love, when you're a teenager and you're like, ‘That's it, me and you are getting married.’ It's got a very happy feel to it, like a stomping driving tune. I think it might be my favourite on my next album.”

“He’s really using my wedding to promote his album,” Harry said, sounding more surprised than he actually was.

“Classic Niall,” Isaac chuckled, shaking his head.

Niall signalled for his band, and someone dimmed the lights in the yard as the song began with a guitar intro.

That first night we were standing at your door

Fumbling for your keys, then I kissed you

Ask me if I want to come inside

'Cause we didn't want to end the night

Then you took my hand, and I followed you

Isaac and Gemma were the first couple to step forward, and the others soon followed, gathering in front of the ‘stage’ and rocking to Niall’s song. Harry met his wife halfway in the crowd, and before he could say a word, she took his hand and pulled him into her.

Yeah, I see us in black and white

Crystal clear on a starlit night

In all your gorgeous colours

I promise that I'll love you for the rest of my life

See you standing in your dress

Swear in front of all our friends

There'll never be another

I promise that I'll love you for the rest of my life

“He didn’t have secret cameras installed around here, did he?” Y/N shouted over the music as Harry spun her around and drew her back in.

“Why?” he asked, laughing.

She cupped his face, bringing their foreheads together. “To film a music video. Because I would shave his head. Or Alice’s head. Which one do you think would hurt him more?”

Harry’s jaw dropped as he hugged her waist. “Just as I thought I could not love you any more.”

I want the world to witness

When we finally say I do

It's the way you love

I gotta give it back to you

I can't promise picket fences

Or sunny afternoons

But, at night when I close my eyes

I see us in black and white

Crystal clear on a starlit night...

“Are you happy?” he asked, his eyes closed.

“Yes,” she said. “Never been happier. I love you.”

“I love you, too. So, so much,” he mumbled into her hair. Suddenly, they were swaying on their own, just them two, under a starry sky.

I see us in black and white

Crystal clear on a starlit night

In all your gorgeous colours

I promise that I'll love you for the rest of my life

See you standing in your dress

Swear in front of all our friends

There'll never be another

I promise that I'll love you for the rest of my life

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.

(Three years later)

“Daaaaaad!”

Y/N burst into her father’s reading room and found him sitting in his swivel chair with a book in his lap. Outside, the sun was setting. Dust was drifting and dancing in the soft warm light filtering through the stained window. Bradford closed his book as he spun around and narrowed his eyes at her. “What happened?”

“I think I lost her,” she said, still out of breath.

Her dad jumped to his feet. His expression went from confused to shocked to horrified in one second. “How did you lose a child?!”

“I don’t know. I was writing and then she–Hey, Marcy!”

Y/N’s stepmother, who was standing in the doorway between the bedroom and the reading room, cast her husband a tentative look before raising an eyebrow at her stepdaughter. “What are you doing here? Harry and Minnie were looking for you.”

“Oh!” Y/N started though she’d tried her best not to look so relieved. “S-She’s with Harry?”

“Yeah. I saw them down by the lake behind the school.”

“Great. See ya!”

The door swung shut, and Marcy looked to her husband. “She lost Minnie again, didn’t she?”

“Yup,” Bradford sighed. “I’m worried.”

“Don’t be,” Marcy smiled as she rubbed his arm. “I’m sure she’ll be a great mother.”

.

.

.

Bambi dropped her bike as soon as she found Harry by the lake, tossing rocks into the water to impress the two-year-old sitting on the tire swing. He’d hung that swing for Minnie at the beginning of last summer and promised that when the tree in his backyard was big enough, he’d build a treehouse for her.

Dry leaves crunched beneath Y/N’s boots as she made her way toward them. When Harry saw her, his smile glowed as bright as the sun behind him.

“There she is,” he said and picked up Minnie. “Say hello to your irresponsible big sister.”

“Shut up,” Y/N snorted.

“Shut up!” Minnie told her, happily. Minnie was still learning to talk so she would repeat everything.

Harry, with a smug look on his face, tugged slightly at Minnie’s little pigtail. “You’re on my team, aren’t you, Min?”

“You’re setting a bad example for her,” Y/N said, smirking at the inseparable two.

“I didn’t lose her.”

“I was writing. I got distracted.”

“Excuses, excuses.” Harry clicked his tongue, shaking his head. To Minnie, he said, “Now, Minnie, would you be so kind as to tell your sister who’s my favourite girl?”

Y/N rolled her eyes, but then her half-sister surprised her by throwing her tiny arms in the air and said, “Bambi!”

Harry chuckled and kissed Minnie’s chubby cheek.

“Did you teach her that to impress me?” Y/N asked.

“Yeah.” As Harry leaned in to kiss Y/N on the mouth, Minnie covered her eyes with both hands and said, “Yuck!”

Y/N’s heart fluttered as she watched the two of them. She had waited for the special moment to break the news, but seeing her husband and Minnie together, she knew she must say it now.

“Don’t get too attached to this one,” she told him while stroking Minnie’s pink cheek. “Our baby might get jealous.”

Harry snorted. Y/N pressed her lips together.

His face dulled. “Are you serious?”

“Yes.”

Harry’s mouth opened so wide Minnie must have thought he was playing. She burst out laughing, hugging her stomach. Her bright high-pitched laughter made Y/N laugh, too. Then all three of them were just laughing together, not knowing why, and yet they couldn’t stop.

When they finally did (and were on the verge of tears), Harry rubbed a palm over his face, his forehead creased though his grin never faltered.

“Wow. I can’t believe it.” He turned to Minnie. “Min, I’m a dad now, and you’re an aunt. You’re only two years old and you’re an aunt! Such big responsibilities for both of us, don’t you think?”

Minnie didn’t understand what he was talking about, but she could see the elation on his face so she started clapping like a baby seal. Y/N snorted, shaking her head. “Now I have to share your love with another girl.”

“How do you know it’s a girl?”

“My maternal instinct said so.” She shrugged. “Or maybe I want it to be a girl so I can teach her the things my mum taught me.”

Harry broke into a smile as he brushed Y/N’s hair out of her face. “Girl or boy. You know you’ll always be my number one.”

She took his hand and kissed it. “And you are mine.”

This time, Harry had to cover Minnie’s eyes as he went in for an open-mouthed kiss. His lips were cold against hers yet her face burnt as they broke apart.

Suddenly, his phone rang.

“Oh shit.”

“Oh shit,” Minnie repeated happily.

Y/N smacked Harry on the arm and the kid once again shook with laughter. “Look what you did!”

“Sorry!” Harry pointed a finger at Minnie’s little nose and said in a baby voice, “Do not copy Harry. That’s a bad bad word.”

“Harry!” Minnie said and pressed her lips to his cheek. Y/N was so confused when Harry told her Jeff was calling then turned off his phone and shoved it back into his pocket.

“Work can wait,” he said before she could ask. “Now I belong to you and Minnie.” Then he touched Y/N’s belly. “And also little Harry or little Bambi.”

Smiling, she told him, “You’ve only known that you’re a dad for like two seconds and you’re already acting like one.”

“What can I say? I can take on any role.”

He put Minnie back on the swing and wrapped his arms around Y/N, drawing her close. She hugged his waist and buried her face into his chest, listening to the sound of his heart beating in sync with her own.

THE END.

[andimack-crack]

A christ-mack story: Andi Mack

read part one here

Part 2: Memories and Menorahs

[Word count: 1631]

T.J's POV

I was stressing out ripping through my cupboard I had never been to a Hanukkah celebration before I've only ever been to Cyrus's Bar and his Grandmother's Shiva. Those were easy enough go dress for but I wasn't sure what outfit said 'I'm here for Hanukkah but I'm also here to help your gay son come out to you' luckily I called for some back up.

"I'm here the dating expert is here" Jonah said bursting into my room

"Pipe down Jonah we all know how your relationships ended" Marty said trailing behind.

"Well if I have such bad relationships how come I easily get back into them?" He said smirking

"Guys big picture I need help"

"Okay, okay let me dig into your closet  Marty get the make up kit" Jonah said going inside my mess

"Th-the what?" I said nervously

"Hey Jo do we need the razor for his hair?" Marty said from the hallway

"Um yeah" Jonah said his voice suddenly a little high pitch.

"What no not the hair!" I said frantically they both started laughing coming to stand next to me.

"You big idiot we're joking" Marty said patting my back

"Dude you're over thinking this Cyrus likes you because you're you and it seems cliche but if you be yourself in front of his parents you'll do fine" Jonah said smiling encouragingly

"Thank you Jonah"

"Yeah man your a great person we all know that now the Goodmans have met you before anyways you just need to have confidence Cyrus is probably just as nervous" Marty reassured

"But I can still pick a decent outfit because you know don't wanna look you don't care" Jonah said digging into my closest

******

Bex's POV

I had been avoiding talking about Gabriel changing the subject whenever Bowie tried bringing him up I'm thankful he never spoke about it in front of Andi even though she knew more than he did. I just wasn't ready to re-live those memories again. But Bowie wasn't having any of it he kept pressing on and on now I couldn't avoid it since Andi had gone out with Buffy.

"Bex please just tell me who he is" he pressed

"W-who" I pretended play dumb

"Gabriel"

Whenever I was with Gabriel, my self-esteem always took a hit. He would jokingly criticise what I wore or the way I did my hair and makeup, saying things like, ‘Were you still asleep when you got dressed this morning?’ and ‘Your eye shadow and lipstick colours make you look super-old – maybe you need some makeup lessons’. Looking back now, I can say that his comments were hurtful and unnecessary, but at the time I just passed them off as him trying to be funny. Whenever he made such belittling jokes, I would force a smile but on the inside I’d be crying.

"He's nobody don't worry" I said to Bowie smiling but also freaking out on the inside. How did he even find my number? What could he possibly want to tell me?

"You're sure he's nobody? you seem on edge by the mention of his name" he said putting a hand on my arm

"I'm sure h-he supplied me with new chairs for cloud ten last week"

"Oh well alright then I'm gonna make some lunch hungry?"

"Always" I threw a small smile which felt more like a grimace but I saw his phone number still on there I quickly wrote it down and deleted the message.

Occasionally, however, Gabriel would compliment me or say something supportive – in those moments, I would reassure myself that our relationship was okay and that I ought to stay with him. At the time, I couldn’t see that that was just his way of controlling me and to keep me hooked so that I wouldn’t leave him.

I shuddered thinking of all those memories. I had a lot other important things to think about. Something really big in particular I didn't have a lot of time to worry about Gabriel.

But I should at least hear what he has to say.

Cyrus's POV

"I-I'm gay but this doesn't change a thing I'm still me"

I had given the same speech to myself in front of the mirror for the past half hour I still didn't feel as if I could go out there and do it. I hardly believed in the words I was saying. A tear slid down my cheek I wiped it away I had to compose myself. I read somewhere that it's difficult coming out to the ones you love because you've known them forever you don't want things to change. That's probably why it hurt so much. I washed and dried my face straightening the kippah on my head taking a deep breath. I jumped when there was a knock on the bathroom door.

"Cyrus your friend T.J's here" I heard my mom say from the outside

"Okay" I opened the door and went downstairs T.J was talking to my aunt Ruthie

Oh no.

"So T.J are you Jewish?" She had a scary look in her eye

"No I'm just here for Cyrus" he smiled coolly

"Oh are there any girls in school that are interested in him or do you know of any he could go out with?" T.J looked a little confused so I went in to save him

"Hey aunt Ruthie chag sameach" (happy holiday)

"Oh Hanukkah sameach dear" (happy hanukkah)

She left me and T.J alone and no one could see us from the halls so I went in for a quick hug and he smiled kissing my forehead

"Sorry about her she's very well..." I trailed off looking for the right words

"I get it my relatives are like that too" he took my hand making light circles on the back.

"Are you okay?" He asked concerned

"Y-yeah I'm just really nervous since most of my family is here" he squeezed my hand

"You'll be alright I promise" I smiled at him gratefully. We entered the living room my mom putting up a picture of Bubbe Rose I realised it's my first Hanukkah without her.

We all stood around the Menorah as all eight candles were lit as it was the final day my family's rabbi recited a prayer that everybody followed along with T.J attempted but without much success since it was in hebrew but it was sweet he tried. I subtly wrapped a pinky around his we did the same linking them together without drawing too much attention.

"Cyrus" Rabbi Hurwitz suddenly spoke making my pinky move away from T.J's "I'm going to lead a prayer for your Bubbe Rose would you like to join?"

I wanted to but I wasn't sure I'd be able to get through it I've been missing her so much recently.

"N-no thank you sorry" he nodded understanding I wasn't ready he said the prayer I hung my head low fighting the tears in my eyes. Once it was over I was about to go help my mom in the kitchen but T.J quickly put a hand on my shoulder.

"Are you okay underdog?" He said softly I just shrugged

"I will be as soon as this is over with" I said reassuring him.

I brought the food to the table and set it down pointing out to T.J what food is good and what isn't good this year I made sure gefilte fish wasn't on the menu nobody likes it any ways.

"Cyrus um... I was just speaking with Rabbi Hurwitz and I just wanted to let you know that it's okay" my dad reassured

"I don't understand" I said confused

"It's just he said he saw you... hold hands with T.J over here" oh shit.

"What" my mom interrupted coming over "Cyrus honey are you gay?"

"Well I-i" I stuttered

"Gay what is that?" My aunt Ruthie  intruded. That's the last thing I needed

"I can shed some light on this" T.J began with my other family members beginning to listen "Yeah um me and Cyrus we... we are dating"

"Yes T.J is my boyfriend" I said smiling proudly taking his hand "we're both gay... I'm gay" I breathed out

"You... You're both boys" my aunt Ruthie objected

"Yeah good catch but gay means you're a boy that's only romantically attracted to boys that's way I haven't had any girlfriends since Iris I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was scared" T.J squeezed my hand tightly.

"Plus after Bubbe...p-passed away I felt so guilty for not telling her when I knew I could of" my breath got caught in my throat.

"Honey don't worry she knew" my eyes went wide at what my mom said

"How?"

"When me and Norman last spoke to her she told us to never disrespect you just because you're different from us she said we should treat you the same as we always have I didn't understand at the time but now I do"

I was in shock I have no idea how she could of known but at least she did know.

"T.J we are glad it's you Cyrus has found" my dad said putting a hand on T.J's shoulder he smiled thankfully.

"Well I guess I'm happy for you Cyrus he seems like a very nice boy and if Rose was okay with it then so am I" Aunt Ruthie squeezed my face

"Well then all that's left to do is... eat I mean now I feel the need to celebrate" I smiled my family sat down at the table me and T.J had been holding hands the whole time.

And I wasn't planning on ever letting go.

[frywen-babbles]

Sounds of Silence pt1

A/N: Modern AU with Mitsunari! This is loosely tied to Everything comes with a price, set over a year after it. Unlike before, there won’t be a set release schedule bc this fic isn’t completely finished yet. (I just need some validation and motivation oTL). A big thank you to @dear-mrs-otome for telling me this idea doesn’t completely suck <3

Also spoilers for Mitsunari’s route!

When he opened the door all he could do was stare.

Behind it stood a young woman. And not just any young woman but the one he had seen at the library countless times reading books to kids in sign language. The woman he secretly always hoped he’d see when he went to the library, whose smile he couldn’t stop thinking about.

***

At first, Mitsunari was annoyed by the voices coming somewhere out of sight. Libraries were supposed to be where you could study in peace, he had no idea what could cause such a ruckus.

The sound of laughter guided him to the children’s section of the library, but what he saw wasn’t what he expected.

A young woman was standing in front of a group of kids, a book open in front of her, animatedly reading the book in sign language. The kids were excited, laughing and giggling at the what he assumed were the exciting parts of the story.

Mitsunari felt enamoured, his annoyance long forgotten. He didn’t even realise he had stared until the story was over and all the kids were circling her, trying to talk to her all at once. Her smile brightened her face and she looked so natural and happy amongst the kids Mitsunari felt almost jealous.

Just then, she caught him staring. He felt his face heat up and he turned around sharply, stomping back to the table he had reserved for himself. He planted his face firmly on the book open in front of him.

Gods, that was embarrassing. Who goes around staring random women, when they were supposed to study. Ughh…

*****

He saw her walk towards the children's section from the corner of his eye and somehow his head turned to look after her. She stopped to wait for a boy in his teens to bounce all excited to her a book in his hands. They shared a greeting but Mitsunari couldn't follow the signs they spoke with. It didn't stop him from staring after them when they continued on their way towards the room where he had seen her read to the kids.  

"Hey, are you even listening to me?"

Mitsunari turned to look at Sakon who looked at him a wide smile on his face.

"Or are you too busy staring after women to tutor me?"

"If you have time to lazy around and comment on everything I do, you must be ready for a quiz about all the important battles post-Honno-ji?"

"Ack! No! Don't you have any mercy, we just went through them 30 minutes ago?"

"Then what are you doing fooling around, you incorrigible dimwit. Get back to studying."

"I'm sure no one would have made me work this hard in the Sengoku period..." Sakon mumbled with a sigh.

"What was that?"

"I'm studying!"

When he was finally free of Sakon, he made his way to the children's section. But it was quiet, the children long gone. He was just about to turn around when he noticed a schedule on the wall. She would be back in an hour.

He could wait for that long.

Wait, maybe he shouldn't? Would that be weird? But he really did want to see her read again.  

He didn't see her until he got up to get some coffee from a vending machine. She was sitting on the sofas next to it with the same boy as before, lost in an animated discussion he could only guess the topic off.

A part of him wanted to loiter so he could watch them talk, but the reasonable part of his brain forced him to return to his table.

As soon as he saw her followed by the silver-haired boy he stuffed his things to his bag and stood up to follow her. A group of excited kids were already waiting for her but he stayed behind until everyone had sat down. Then he stepped behind the parents by the door, his eyes following the movements of her hands taking in every sign.

Unlike before, this time when she was finished she kept glancing at the clock and hurried away as soon as possible, almost colliding with him. The silver-haired boy tried to stop her but after some hurried signs let her go. The look on the boys face looked a bit like a lost puppy and for some reason seeing her hurry away like that made Mitsunari feel a bit same.

He was brushing his teeth in the evening when he felt the buzz of his phone in his pocket.

[23:12:45] <<bookshy>> do u evr feel like ur stuck in ur life? [23:12:52] <<bookshy>> like u shld hve accomplishd so much mor in ur life tn u hve?

He stared at the screen for a while before he typed a reply. He didn't know who bookshy was, not really. They had been talking with each other for years, but always with nicknames, always through messages in the internet. It felt more comfortable that way somehow. Knowing there was always a person willing to listen to you without judging.

[23:13:05] <<ManjuDreamer>> Are you feeling like that right now? [23:13:07] <<bookshy>> ya [23:13:11] <<bookshy>> i dunno wht ill do w/ my life [23:13:19] <<bookshy>> i thght id do so mch more u know? [23:13:22] <<bookshy>> and now i jst feel liek im stuck nd see no way out [23:13:23] <<bookshy>> is ths my life now? [23:14:50] <<bookshy>> evry1 says i shld b happy w/ wht i hve [23:14:59] <<bookshy>> i hve so much im feeling ungrateful whn i feel like ths [24:15:46] <<ManjuDreamer>> You still have plenty of time to accomplish your dreams. It's not for others to decide when you can be happy. [23:16:02] <<bookshy>> guess ur rite

He heard a knock on the bathroom door and quickly finished brushing his teeth. When he opened the door Hideyoshi was standing behind it already in his pyjamas.

"I thought you'd never come out," he commented with a yawn and pushed past him to the bathroom.

"Good night," Mitsunari wished to the closed door before he retreated back to his room.

[23:18:30] <<bookshy>> how was ur day [23:18:49] <<bookshy>> i saw the prettiest person today like hot damn [23:19:13] <<ManjuDreamer>> I saw an interesting person today too, I wish I get to see them again. Other than that, it was mostly my student being an idiot, so nothing new. [23:19:53] <<ManjuDreamer>> I tried to do some research on a paper I'm writing, but it didn't progress much. I was just about to go to bed so I have energy to study more tomorrow. [23:19:56] <<bookshy>> srry to keep u up [23:19:57] <<bookshy>> night! [23:20:10] <<ManjuDreamer>> Night.

***

Mitsunari tossed the wig from his head frustrated, running his hand over his face. He glanced at the mirror of the bathroom, at the perfectly drawn eyeliner, the perfect shade of blush, the perfectly applied foundation. The perfect set of lies, painted on his face.

[13:33:14] <<ManjuDreamer>> I went to see my mother.

He hesitated a bit before he sent the message. It didn't take long for his phone to bling with a reply.

[13:34:29] <<bookshy>> how did it go? [13:34:48] <<ManjuDreamer>> As well as you would expect. [13:34:51] <<bookshy>> u wanna t alk about it?

His fingers ghosted over the screen of his phone before he put it down and looked at the mirror again. He reached for the makeup removal wipes from his bag and scrubbed furiously at his skin until the last remains of the makeup were gone.

[13:36:18] <<ManjuDreamer>> She's there but I feel like I'm losing her. [13:37:01] <<ManjuDreamer>> Every time I visit she seems further and further away. [13:37:15]<<ManjuDreamer>> Sometimes I wonder if the mother I used to know is there at all.

He started to type his next message, but stopped, gripping his phone tight in his hand.

[13:38:34] <<ManjuDreamer>> She's my mother, but it's so hard. [13:38:42] <<ManjuDreamer>> I don't know what to do.

He glanced at the mirror to make sure his eyes weren't red before he pulled his shirt over his head and replaced it with one from his bag.

[13:38:47] <<bookshy>> ur doing plenty already [13:38:49] <<bookshy>> u dont have to push urself so hard [13:38:50] <<bookshy>> im sure shed understand [13:38:59] <<ManjuDreamer>> But I'm all she has. [13:39:02] <<bookshy>> i know [13:39:06] <<bookshy>> but u hhave 2 thnk abt urself frst [13:39:15] <<bookshy>> if u feel its too much u can keep a brek. ur not prfect. u dnt have 2 b [13:39:50] <<bookshy>> im alws hr 2 tlk if u need me [13:40:20] <<ManjuDreamer>> Thank you. It means a lot.

He put his phone on the side of the sink and wiggled out of his skirt. He really should buy a new one next time he got paid for tutoring. The zipper didn't work properly anymore and the hem was starting to fray. He kicked the flats from his feet and looked at the kneehigh socks on his feet. They wouldn't be visible under his pants anyway so he let them be and took his pants and shoes from his bag before showing the skirt and shirt in their place. He considered showing the wig in after them but realised making the wig presentable after that would be too much of a hassle. So he gently combed the wig with his fingers to sort out biggest tangles and folded it neatly in a mesh bag. Flats into a plastic bag, then into the bag.

Like countless times before.

He got dressed and made one final glance at the mirror before he put the bag on his shoulder and stepped out of the bathroom.

"Oh, Mitsunari! Here to see your mother?" a nurse greeted him when he tried to slip past the nurses' office without being noticed. What a nosy bunch of quidnuncs insistent of mothering him.

“Yes. I was just leaving.” He replied with a stiff bow.

“Come and have some tea with us! How did the test go you told me last time?” Another nurse poked her head from the office. Mitsunari resisted the urge to roll his eyes and offered another bow.

“I believe it went well. I still haven’t received the results.”

Half an hour later he was still stuck at the nurses' office surrounded by what felt like a flock of mother hens, all determined to squeeze every bit of information out of him they could. He was just getting up from his chair when a voice behind him froze him on the spot.

"Did my darling Saki leave already? She was just here... Such a dutiful daughter, coming to see her mother so often..."

His knuckles turned white as he squeezed the edge of the table, his head down. He wanted to turn around. He wanted to see his mother as himself. He wanted... needed to see if she'd recognise him this time.

"We saw her leave a while ago, Mrs Ishida. She's such a nice girl."

He heard a nurse walk his mother away and the sighs of relief from the remaining nurses.

"Are you alright, Mitsunari? You know we'll listen to you if you need to talk. Or we can help you find someone-"

"I need to go now. Goodbye," Mitsunari interrupted the nurse who had put her hand on his shoulder to calm him. He got up in such haste his chair fell to the floor with a rattle, but he just offered a quick bow before he fled the office.

He didn't stop until he arrived at the bus stop. There he sank on the bench, burying his face on his hands.

He took the bus to the library, staring idly out of the window.

[14:36:09] <<bookshy>> did u make it home [14:36:35] <<ManjuDreamer>> No. I'm heading to the library. The nurses got me again. [14:36:37] <<bookshy>> lol how did u mnage 2 escpe [18:36:56] <<ManjuDreamer>> Mother came to the office. [14:37:09] <<bookshy>> oh no [14:37:10] <<bookshy>> im so sorry [14:37:21] <<bookshy>> how r u feeling rn? [14:38:29] <<ManjuDreamer>> I don't know. I'll try to find some reading to distract myself with.

At the library, he searched for materials for his upcoming paper but when he sat down and tried to read, the words didn't make any sense.

When he had read the same page several times over and still remembered absolutely nothing he was interrupted from his reading by a book shoved on top of the one he was just reading.

"Can't you see I'm-!" the sharp words died on his lips when he saw the same woman who had read to the kids in front of him. She tapped on the note on top of the book and he looked down to read it.

'This is the book I was reading. You seemed interested'

She handed him a second book, a note on top of it too.

'I'll read this next'

When she shifted her weight from one foot to another clearly uncomfortable, he realised he was staring. He offered her a curt nod as a thank you and she bowed at him a small relieved smile on her lips. She seemed to hesitate before she signed something but he had to shake his head.

There was a slight shift on her smile, on her posture, and she took a step back.

'I'm sorry' she mouthed and offered him a bow before she all but fled, leaving him to sit alone, feeling like an idiot.

[16:19:20] <<ManjuDreamer>> I think I just made a complete fool out of myself. [16:29:59] <<bookshy>> lol rly? [16:30:00] <<bookshy>> wht did u do? [16:30:02] <<bookshy>> i thght fool wasnt in ur dicktionary [16:31:18] <<ManjuDreamer>> And for that terrible joke, I tell you nothing. [16:31:47] <<bookshy>> noooo hw wll i evr know how embarassng u can be if u don tell me? [16:32:32] <<ManjuDreamer>> You'll survive.

***

"She's not here today."

Mitsunari was startled from his thoughts by a familiar voice behind him. He turned around, vaguely aware of the frown his irritation had brought on his face.

"Who?" he asked as if he didn't know exactly who was the 'she' in question.

"I got this for you, I'm sure it holds some useful information." Mr Otani handed him a flyer for the children's activities in the local libraries. Mitsunari stared at the flyer blankly before he looked at Mr Otani, letting his irritation show.

"And what am I supposed to do with this?"

Mr Otani just smiled and pushed a book towards him as well.

"I'm sure you'll find this useful as well. Come find me if you need anything else."

Before he had time to protest Mr Otani left him with a wave, a wide smile on his face. He considered running or yelling after him, but changed his mind when he looked at the book in his hand.

'Sign language for beginners'

He tucked the children's program leaflet securely at the back of his calendar and checked the book out.

Something about the sign language intrigued him. She looked so graceful when signing. And so comfortable and she seemed genuinely love reading to the children.

At first, he thought he’d look up a few signs. Just in case some of the children needed help in the library. Just so he could talk to her. No, he meant the kids. So he could talk to the kids. But few turned into a few hundred. A few thousand. He was so lost.

***

[queerchoicesblog]

Memories of Rome (BB, Kamilah x MC; Kamilah x Artemisia)

I’m a bit late but I got this request from a sweet Nonny for a Kamilah x MC fanfic for the Prompt “Holidays/Vacation” of the Choices March Challenge hosted by @mariamulroney ...and here it is!

A trip to Rome (predictably) turns into a journey to the past for Kamilah, as Rome was the city of her long lost true love, the Italian painter Artemisia. While she’s waiting for Amy to get ready for a visit to a special place, the Vampire Queen goes down on a memory lane. The fanfic is both Kamilah x MC & Kamilah x Artemisia so...hope you like it, lovelies! 😘

Prompt: Holidays/Vacation 

Word Count: 1530

Perma tag: @brightpinkpeppercorn @psychopathdreamer21 @abunchofbadchoices @bbaba-yagaa @silverhawkenzie @begging-for-kamilah @melodyofgraves @bhavf @snowwritings

Kamilah Tag: @zoe6111 + I’m adding @kinda-iconic since BB and the Kamilah’s (romantic) past headcanon (but feel free to ignore this if you’re not interested beanie!)

____________________

So, in the end, here she was. Back in the place she made an oath to forget and never go back again. The thought hit Kamilah as she leaned on the trails of the balcony of the Roman hotel suite she booked for her and Amy. She was waiting for her girlfriend to “add the finishing touches to her makeup”...or so she said half an hour earlier. The girl took that trip very seriously: she had never been to Europe before and she jumped into Kamilah’s arms when the vampire invited her to join her on a trip to Rome.

Rome...Kamilah’s mind was filled with memories of that city. The city of her long lost Italian love there. Probably her only true love. Artemisa was born there in a family of merchants. They never truly understood Art and how a girl, whose primary concern was supposed to find a suitable husband, could be interested in painting. “We already have Messer Da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raffaello for that! It’s a man job” her parents used to say her. When she was a bit tipsy after a couple of glasses of wine, the beautiful misunderstood artist would prove herself in her best imitation of her parents: “Painting is for men, sewing is for women: how hard that could be to understand, Artemisia?”. Her Italian lover was quite hilarious in those performances, but Kamilah’s heart tightened back then at the thought of the amount of pain those words had certainly caused to her beautiful girl. To help her she became her patron and exclusive model: it was a joy seeing the artist, brows furrowed in concentration, draw lines on a blank canvas and create masterpieces the world was now oblivious of. A loose strand of red hair falling on her shoulder, the smirk Artemisia would flash her before turning back to the canvas when she was modeling for her...it was all in her mind. They spent most of the time in Florence or “the Olympus of the Arts” as the artists called it. But when  Artemisia caught tuberculosis she begged Kamilah to let her see Rome once more: “come with me, I don’t wish to part from you so soon but I...I really need to see Rome one more time before...well, before it’s too late I guess”. Kamilah did everything in her power to grant her desperate, dying flower her wish...and that’s where The Wolf of Venice found them. Rome was a place of grief for the vampire. 

But that was then and this is now, she thought. It was a log time ago. Rome had changed a lot since the Reinassence days and so did Kamilah. She didn’t age but her heart had been torn apart several times since then, even though she took great pains to conceal it. Nobody loves and most importantly respects a crying queen: she always shed her tears where no one could see her at her lowest and only showed others the raging majestic “Vampire Queen” figure oozing confidence and power. Yet she still cherished every long-lost lover in the hidden depths of her heart and Artemisia always had a special place nestled for her. She was Kamilah’s greatest love and the vampire found herself wondering what the ill-fated painter would have thought of Amy.

She shook her head and looked over her shoulder: the young woman was trying another dress on, pouting to her own reflection in the mirror. Kamilah smiled to herself: Artemisia would have probably liked Amy. She would have observed that she reminded of a pale moon surrounded by the darkness of raven curls and brightened by two sapphire eyes shining like gems. Artemisia loved poetry and metaphors and used to say that you could tell a lot about a person from their visage and that eyes were mirrors of the soul. “Very well, then, what does mine say?” she asked her once when she first met her. Kamilah only meant to tease her but the artist took it very seriously and stared at the vampire’s face very carefully. Then she gave her verdict: “I hope you don’t get my words as an offense, fair lady, but your visage has the beauty of the wolf”. Kamilah chuckled back then: “Is that a bad thing?”. Artemisia turned to her once more: “Oh no, wolves are beautiful creatures, dangerous and mysterious. back then: “Is that a bad thing?”. Artemisia turned to her once more: “Oh no, wolves are beautiful creatures, dangerous and mysterious. Wild and refined, rascals and royals at the same time, if you wish. However...” she stopped to consider her next words. “However?” Kamilah encouraged her. The painter gave her a weak smile: “However, even though they live in a pack, they can be very lonely too. Alas, lady Kamilah, you have the eyes of a lone wolf and it makes me a little sad and concerned for you: lone wolves are probably the strongest of all, but are they happy? That I cannot tell...”.

Before that memory could make her eyes well with tears, Kamilah tried to imagine Artemisia being amused by Adrien’s assistant. She would have been rather curious and probably envious of the modern young woman wearing shorts where she could have been blamed for letting someone catch a glimpse of her ankle. She would have laughed tenderly at the girl who kept asking Kamilah if they could get another slice of pizza or gelato. “You know that this is what kids ask for, right?” Kamilah teased her and Amy would hook her arm around her waist and comment: “Well, Kam, what can I say? When in Rome do as the Roman..kids do”. It was so endearing that Amy saved on her phone a whole stack of pictures from her favorite tv serial A Courtesan Of Rome and spent days searching for the historical location of most of the scenes. She walked around the streets holding her precious list in her hands and asking directions to locals if Kamilah didn’ t know the way. The poor thing was so upset to learn that the building that hosted the famous scholae of Lena was destroyed by a fire during the Middle Ages and that Cassius’ villa was under renovation and therefore closed at the moment. She found consolation in visiting the Colosseum and the Old Market street; after that, she insisted to take a photo in the Forum of Caesar: she posed among the ruins proudly showing off her “Honor to the Catauni” ACOR t-shirt. That made Kamilah smiled to herself, half amused yet proud of “her little enemy of Rome”. Amy was ecstatic about the trip and wandered around like a happy little puppy: one night she even started dancing in the street humming an old Italo-American song On An Evening In Roma. She reached for the vampire's hand: “C’mon, dance with me Kam! We’re in Rome!”. Her little firefly was a sight to see. “Amy do you realize that literally no one dances in the street in Rome? It’s a movie thing!” Kamilah chuckled but after seeing the cute pout on Amy’s face she laughed and joined her on an impromptu dance.

“Kam?”

Kamilah snapped out of her train of thoughts and saw Amy in a floral dress standing next to her. She was stroking her back gently and smiled apologetically at her when she turned towards her.

“Sorry for keeping you waiting. I’m ready to go, if you are!”

Kamilah pressed a kiss on her forehead.

“Of course, habibti. Let’s grab our jackets, I can’t wait to show you this place tonight”

“You mentioned it’s quite special, I’m so excited!”

Kamilah helped Amy with her jacket and they walked down into the Roman night. Kamilah found out that the old tavern that Artemisia loved was still there. Amy never asked anything about her past and Kamilah was grateful for it; when Kamilah was driving them to the airport she only told her that if she wanted to spend some time on her own over there, it was okay. “Or I could come with you if you want to...visit someone. But I don’t want to impose” she added, blushing furiously and stumbling on her own words.

Kamilah didn’t want Amy to think that she took her on a memory lane trip: Amy wasn’t jealous of Artemisia but that wouldn’t have been fair to her little firefly. Artemisa was gone, Amy was there, happily staring at the old tavern. 

“Oh my god! That’s the place? It seems so-” Amy tried to find the right word but Kamilah interrupted her, placing an arm around her shoulders.

“Surprisingly, they still cook some traditional plates I ate when I was here” she whispered conspiratorially into her ear.

The young woman looked at her in awe.

“For real?”

“Yes, wanna try them, habibti? I cannot assure this tavern would be exactly as it was during the Reinassence but it’s the closest I could get. And I’d love to share it with you.”

Kamilah placed a soft kiss on the top of Amy’s head before leading her to one of the reserved tables. It was time for new memories of Rome, new memories with Amy.

[theangriestpea]

Mercy Killing

A/N: Reminder that this story is somewhat AU and does not follow the story line of the show. There's not a lot of Sweets in this chapter and I apologize but we need some mounting tension. It's a slow burn, remember?

Purpura serpenta roughly translates to “Purple Snake”, Purpura for purple and serpens for snake. Serpens is masculine so I altered it to “serpenta” (from the genitive sperentis) to make it feminine since Lav is a girl. It’s been a hot minute since I’ve taken Latin so if I’m wrong, feel free to correct me.

Anyway that's the title of the collection of all things Lav x Sweet Pea. I have Sunday off but I work eight hours tomorrow. I have a few plot points figured out with this new character coming in. Sorry my roll has seemed to have slowed. I've burned myself out a little. Cross posted to AO3

Chapter Six: Familiar Faces

It went on for two weeks. Mostly it was Fangs or Toni or Cheryl in her bed but a few times it was Sweet Pea and he held her the closest. Those nights Lav slept the best. Her dreams weren’t as vivid. She’d wake with a start sometimes but be instantly calmed by that now familiar scent. Woodsy with tiny notes of citrus fruit.

During the first week that school back, Lavender was excused. Cheryl brought her work and notes that she needed. She begrudgingly did her homework, mostly because she was lonely and didn’t know what else to do in her spare time while her friends were at Riverdale High.

Lav hadn’t looked at her reflection since before the incident. She had avoided it at all costs. Now she was staring at it, unable to look away as she added more concealer onto her bruises. She no longer needed the gauze pads and her external stitches had been removed. No amount of makeup could cover the four scabs set across her cheek.

The darkest spots of her bruising still showed through in a strange purple undertone. The swelling had gone down but hadn’t disappeared completely so even with most of the bruising hidden, you could tell something was off with her face. The longer she looked in the mirror, the more self-conscious she became. Her breathing became labored as panic invaded her chest. Underneath her shirt, her ribs ached at the sharp shallow breaths she was taking.

“Lavender,” Fangs called out to her from the front door. “Let’s go! We’re going to be late!”

She finally broke eye contact with herself and grabbed her book bag. She walked out of her bathroom and to the front door. Fangs was beaming at her as if nothing was wrong. As if it wasn’t too early in the morning to be out of bed. Why was he such a charmer?

“Want me to carry your books?” He asked, looking almost hopeful.

Lav quickly shot him down, “its fine. Maybe if my ribs start acting up more you can. We only have one class together, you can’t follow me all around school.”

He sighed at her logic, “Alright, just get in the truck so we can go before all the good parking spots are gone.”

She got into the passenger’s side and when they arrived at the school, she noticed Sweet Pea leaning against his bike as he smoked a morning cigarette. Their eyes connected for a brief moment before he quickly looked away as if he hadn’t noticed her.

“Can I just skip?” Lavender asked, not liking the sinking feeling in her bruised gut. “I don’t need to come back today.”

Fangs didn’t know exactly what was up with her. He figured she was just being self-conscious about her appearance. “You look great, Lavie. No one is going to say anything with us around. No Serpent left behind, remember?” He asked, his voice hopeful.

“Right.” She muttered. “And in unity there is strength…” Lav wasn’t feeling any unity right about now so she sure as hell wasn’t feeling any strength.

“Atta girl, let’s go.” Fangs said as he hopped out of the truck. He came around and got the door for her. She thanked him and held the straps of her book bag tightly.

Throughout the school day, Lav could feel eyes on her. She could hear the whispers floating around her. Students sharing rumors of what had happened to her in tones they thought she couldn’t heard.

But Lav had great hearing.

And every word tore at her. Every syllable like a bat to her already broken ribs. More than once she found herself locked up in a bathroom stall, crying softly at just how hard this was.

She had decided to skip her last class, not wanting anything more to do with this school or the people in it. After fixing her makeup she stepped out of the bathroom and headed for the door.

“Hey, Serpent Slut,” Reggie called out, stepping in front of her to cut off her exit. Her bruised eyes narrowed at the smirk on his face, a few other bulldogs behind him looking equally as cocky. “Maybe you can clarify something for me and my boys.”

Lav clutched the book she had in her arms close to her chest, her heart beat fast and loud in her ears. Reggie had never been her biggest fan. He always had some comment to make, usually something along the lines of her and Fogarty fucking. This was all because she shot him down when he made a pass at her during freshman year. After the scandal with Chuck came out, she was happy that she had dodged that bullet. She wasn’t a Serpent yet then. She still lived on the Northside. Both her parents were still alive…

A lot had changed about her but nothing had changed about Reggie.

“Rumor has it you stepped out on Fogarty to go suck off some Ghoulie.” His smirk seemed to widen as a horrified look crossed her face. He mistook it for meaning that she was guilty. “And some other Serpents found out and jumped you. Surprised they didn’t kick your loose ass out. You really think all that makeup is hiding anything?”

Tears clung to her lower eyelids. Lav normally didn’t cry in front of people, choosing to shed tears in solace. She normally didn’t show weakness to anyone outside of her close circle of friends. However recent events had made her so damn emotional, so sensitive, so touchy…plus the comments she had heard all day circling around her in the halls and in the classrooms. The looks her teachers would give her.

The other jocks were laughing at the look on her face, Reggie had the ultimate look of triumph for bringing her to tears. Now if only they would fall. He opened his mouth for the finishing blow, but stopped abruptly when a very tall Serpent loomed behind her.

He placed a heavy hand on Lav’s shoulder, guiding her back gently to create space between the football captain and herself. She allowed herself to take a few steps backwards to accommodate him as he moved in front of her. “What’s wrong, Mantle? Can’t pick on someone your own size?” He seethed, exuding a protective kind of anger that made Lav’s heart flutter.

In the time he spent blatantly ignoring her, she had convinced herself that he didn’t care about her. That those soft moments he showed her were only to pacify Fangs’ and FP’s requests to watch out for her. Perhaps that’s what he was doing now but it felt different.

“What, she fucking you too Sweet Pea? Damn, she really gets around. Surprise you want her after she had her way with some Ghoul-“ Sweet Pea didn’t give Reggie a chance to finish before punching him square in the jaw.

The shorter boy stumbled backwards. He was about to spring a counter attack with the help of his teammates when Principal Weatherbee intervened. “Both of you, my office, now.” He demanded in a tone that left no room for question. Sweet Pea looked utterly proud of himself as Reggie rubbed his bruising face. He straightened out his letterman’s jacket before following the principal to his office.

Sweets glanced over his shoulder, giving Lav a once over to make sure she was okay. Their eyes connected just like they had this morning. And once again Sweet Pea turned away, this time to make it way towards the principal’s office.

With the cost clear, Lav started to make her way towards the door again. Her insides a flurry of emotions. Hurt over what Reggie had said, relief for Sweets stepping in the help her, and a twinge of lust from him punching the football star. She shook her head, not liking the way that last one felt.

One head of fading pink and one bright red head of hair came into her line of vision as her path was blocked once more. “The gym is that way.” Toni said flatly, pointing in the opposite direction in which Lav was headed.

“I’m excused from gym.” Lav said a little too quickly. Her eyes were still inflamed from crying as she bit her lip nervously.

Cheryl put a hand on her hip as she shifted her weight, “you still have to actually attend, Purpura Serpenta.” She said back without a beat, using the overly complicated nickname she used for Lav whenever she was scolding her. It roughly translated into purple snake in Latin.

Lavender let out a low groan of annoyance as both girls forced her to turn around and walk to class. “Now,” Toni said as she walked to Lav’s left, “why were you crying?”

She hesitated, her steps faltering to the point where Cheryl grabbed her arm gently to tug her along. “Everyone is talking shit.” She mumbled, not wanting to go into specifics. “Sweet Pea had to punch Reggie…” She left it at that.

“How are things with Sweets?” Toni asked with a small, victorious smile. “Fangs told me he caught you two very close in bed the other morning.”

Her cheeks flushed pink. “He’s been ignoring me.” Lav admitted to them. “He won’t look at me. He won’t talk to me. He gives me the cold shoulder. The only time he pays me any attention is when I ask him to come to bed, which is only when you three can’t be there.” There was a hurt look in her eyes. Nights with Pea had been such good ones that she didn’t understand his coldness to her during the day. In front of their friends he was a complete different person it seemed.

She had the notion that he was ashamed of her. Ashamed of the time they did spend together. Sometimes it made her feel more used than from what the Ghoulies did to her. As if she was just a means to an end for him. A little physical contact to carry him over being lays. Her brain screamed at her, telling her she was nothing and worthless and ugly underneath all the makeup.

Tears didn’t come to this time. Instead a quiet rage built up inside them. Fury for what had happened to her and for how her fellow students were treating her. How he was treating her.

“Sweets is just not used to actually having someone to hold all night.” Toni insisted. “Usually he makes his booty calls leave before morning. He’s been extra moody lately for some reason too. He probably just have stuff going on that we don’t know about. I know FP has been extra hard on him and Fangs recently. Telling them how they need to be taking care of you because it’s their job. I know him and Sweet Pea got into it. I could hear the yelling but couldn’t make out what they were saying.”

They arrived at the locker rooms to change into their gym clothes. Lav wondered what SP had been yelling at their leader about. It wasn’t like him to catch an attitude with the Serpent King. Maybe he was just sick of her and was trying to get out of being her personal body guard. Though she certainly felt safer with the two boys around, it wasn’t totally necessary. She had healed enough that she could fight back and she never went anywhere alone. Really it was overkill for them to still be spending the night with her. Not that she didn’t appreciate it.

Lav undressed slowly. She still couldn’t move her torso a whole lot without getting shocks of pain riveting through her. Taking her shirt off was especially hard. Toni and Cheryl were done way before her and the warning bell sounded for them to go out. Her fingers ran over the scab on the stomach, feeling ever tiny ridge in the healing mar. Her skin was now a sickly yellow color with large blotches of faded purple. “Come on, let’s get you dressed.” Toni said softly as she helped Lav pull her shirt on and get into a pair of sweat pants. She had opted not to wear shorts due to the bruising still on the majority of her legs. Though the shorts would cover the deep gashes, they wouldn’t cover the handprints and sporadic dark yellow spots littered across her light skin.

Eventually she dragged herself to the gymnasium. The students were lazily sitting on the bleachers, waiting for the roll to be called. A few gave her a look over, making her shift uncomfortably.

A pair of bright blues eyes caught her gaze. It was a boy she’d never seen before. He wore his dark brown hair short and had sharp features. His cheekbones looked like they could cut glass. His eyes roved over her before a pleased smile crossed his lips. There was something distinctly familiar about his eyes, as if she had seen them somewhere before. She couldn’t place where, but she knew him.

Cheryl saw the brief interaction and nudged Lav forward, as if telling her to go sit next to him. She hesitantly obliged, her hormones getting the best of her. “Class, meet James Colt. A new transfer.” The coach drawled as he looked over his class list. “Everyone give him the warm welcome Riverdale is known for.”

The Serpents that transferred from Southside High all snorted in response. None of them had been given a warm welcome. Hell, even after Lav donned the Serpent leather she’d been given the cold shoulder and she went to Riverdale the entire time. “Rhodes, you’re doing laps today. Everyone else, we’ll be continuing our Soccer segment of the semester.” He continued, “Start stretching and we’ll begin our warmups.”

*~~~~~~~~~~~*

During the entire class, Lav couldn’t keep her eyes of James. He so expertly worked the soccer ball between his feet, making goals through even the more experienced goalies. Their eyes would catch and she’d see that bright smile. It was a little unnerving how familiar he felt. How she still couldn’t place him. The class ended with James walking up to Lav, running a hand through his sweat soaked hair. She had to admit that it was a good look for him.

“So I’m new around here.” He started, his voice confident from the minimal interactions they’d held so far, “and I’ve been looking for someone to show me around.”

She looked at him as if he had two heads. There was no doubt he had heard the things people were saying about her. Certainly he could see the bruises that her makeup couldn’t hide. Distrust curled in her stomach as she continued to stare, wondering what his end game was. “I can’t.” She finally said, her voice concealing the uneasy butterflies she had from someone giving her positive attention. It didn’t make any sense to her.

He was the same height as Fangs which made him considerably shorter than Sweet Pea. Lav cursed herself for thinking of him.

“Why not?” He prodded, obviously not going to leave without an answer despite the dismissal bell ringing loudly. His head cocked to the side cutely, blue eyes blinking as he looked at her.

She felt her face flush. “It’s complicated.” She muttered. How could she explain that she had two equally buff body guards waiting to take her home? “But…” She added, biting her lip. She grabbed his hand and took out a pen, scrawling her number onto the back of it. “I’ll tell you all you need to know about Riverdale.”

There was a glimmer of something in his eyes, a second of mischief that Lav didn’t actually catch. She was too busy staring at his soft lips. “Looking forward to it.” He said as a smirk tugged on the right half of his mouth. Lav noticed she was still holding his hand and quickly dropped it. “Don’t leave me hanging.” He added before turning to leave.

All she could do was watch his retreating back as he headed to the showers.

*~~~~~~~~~~~*

Lavender let out another tiny giggle as she stared at her phone. She and James had been texting back and forth for a couple hours now, flirting heavily as she told him all the juicy details about Riverdale. The murders, the drugs, the gangs. Everything. He had moved here from Greendale and while he had heard some of it, he didn’t know the nuances that she did.

Fangs snatched her phone from her, his curiosity finally getting the better of him. “Who keeps making you laugh like that?” He asked, flipping through the messages. Lav let him, not caring if he saw. He was one of her best friends after all.

“This new guy in my gym class.” She said with a smile. She noticed Sweet Pea stiffen on his place on her couch. Lav dismissed it as him not liking her newfound giddiness. He seemed to prefer her to be miserable and moping.

Fangs was smiling, “oh, he’s smooth.” He said, eyes sweeping over the texts quickly. The sound of a hissing snake signaled that she got a new message. “Looks like you’ve got a date, baby girl.” He said as he handed the phone back to her.

Lav looked at the message. James had asked her to take him to this Chock’lit Shoppe she had gone on about. She looked at Fangs, “can I?” Her voice was small and needy.

“No.” Sweet Pea quickly said in a harsh tone. It was the first thing he had said to her in days. “It’s too dangerous. You don’t even know this kid. Is he another Northsider?” Inside he was raging that she had seemed to fall so quickly to this new kid. He’d never seen her actively flirt with anyone before. Not anyone other than him that night at the Wyrm.

Her face fell, eyes darkening in a pained sadness that pulled on Fangs’ heartstrings. “We can go with her.” He suggested, “Sit a few booths away?”

Lavender grinned at him, throwing her arms around his neck in the tightest hug she could manage without hurting herself, “Thank you, Fangs.” As she hugged him, she sent daggers in Sweet Pea’s direction with her eyes. He only returned the favor.

[williamshakespaw]

A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing Part 1

A short story that sheds a little more light onto Joseph’s backstory.

Part two [x]

Joseph knelt on the floor of the home he shared with his parents. He gripped the wolf bite wound on his arm he received a few days ago while hunting alone on Mount Rainier and grimaced in pain. Despite his mother’s best efforts the wound began to fester. Joseph’s father refused to call a doctor for his son or let his wife treat him while he was around. I dealt with pneumonia and body lice in the trench with no no treatment. The boy will either fight or die. He brutally reminded his family on a daily basis.

Joseph sat there shivering and dripping with sweat while Mr. Carver angrily paced around the room. That was the respect his father demanded ever since returning from the Great War. ‘Yes sir. Yes Mr. Carver.’ was about the only two things Joseph could say without a stutter. He had spent hours upon hours perfecting those two phrases as to not anger his father with his speech impediment. The stutter that Joseph was born with was of more concern to his father than his son’s current sickness. Speaking made his father angry and keeping silent made his father even angrier. There was no gaining ground with Sergeant Carver leading the squad.

“God blessed me with my only child who is an idiot.” His father said his voice seething with rage. Joseph didn’t bother looking up at his father and saying anything in response. In fact, it had been a few months since he had spoke at all. Joseph could hear the sounds of his mother working in the kitchen preparing dinner above his father’s yelling. She knew better not to intervene when Mr. Carver was disciplining his troops or else she’d be disciplined too. The bruises dotting her white skin bloomed like flowers. Flowers that were getting harder and harder to hide with makeup.

“Are you listening, boy?” Mr. Carver demanded and kicked Joseph hard in the ribs. He crumpled over on the floor in the added pain to his already sick body. It had been 3 days since Joseph returned from hunting and the fever had made his so thirsty. The water his mother had snuck into his room at night did little to nothing to quench whatever Joseph was craving. He could feel his heartbeat getting slower and slower with each passing day but somehow Joseph was still alive. Despite his desperate prayers to just let him die.

The fever came with another type of heat. A deep, low burning fire that had been growing these past few days. It was a sense of animalistic rage that was brewing inside of Joseph’s head. As his thirst increased so did this feeling of losing control. Though Joseph was still not sure what it was that he was trying to keep contained. “You’re weak! Do you think the Germans care if you have a fever? If I had taken a moment to rest we would be worshiping the Kaiser right now!” Mr. Carver continued to yell and the next kick that connected with Joseph made a resounding ‘crack’ ring through the small living room.

Joseph yelled in pain as his mother ran out from the kitchen and looked with a sense of horror at the scene. “John! Stop! He’s your son for Christ sake!” She yelled back at her husband and attempted to get between the two. Mr. Carver’s face twisted into even more of a scowl at the use of his his actual first name. “How dare you disrespect me like that in my own home, woman.” He lifted his hand and slapped Joseph’s mother hard across the face. She fell to the ground next to her son and, despite the pain, attempted to shield Joseph from the ever growing rage of Sergeant Carver.   

The feeling of his mother’s soft delicate hands over his shoulders and the sounds of her softly crying stirred that fire growing inside of Joseph. “D-Don’t….” He muttered through the new burning pain that was slowly consuming his body. “Oh? The imbecile finally has something to say?” Mr. Carver taunted as he watched Joseph shakily get up onto his feet. “Don’t touch her…” He said and looked at his father dead in the eyes.

Mr. Carver moved to hit Joseph once more but he caught his father’s wrist before his hand made contact with his face. His father’s eyes shot open in a mix of surprise and spite at his son’s insubordination. “Do you really think you ca-” Mr. Carver began to say but his words were cut short as he screamed out in pain. His bones began to be crushed under his son’s intense grip and he looked at Joseph with fear in his eyes. For the first time since Mr. Carver returned from Europe, Joseph felt in control. Finally the Sergeant found an adversary he couldn’t beat.

A low animalistic growl emanated from Joseph’s throat as his back began to bristle. The sound of his bones breaking and realigning themselves into something more monstrous pierced the silence in the Carver’s home. Joseph’s human shape began to twist and transform into a nightmarish form that even the veteran Mr. Carver had never seen the likes of. The embers inside of Joseph were now an uncontrollable blaze as his sense of self began to shift. He finally understood what his father had been trying to beat into him all of these years. There is no such thing as fight or flight. Only fight.

Mr. Carver looked down at his wife who was staring at their son with the same sense of fear. She didn’t move to protect her husband from the monster that Joseph had turned into. Perhaps her prayers were finally answered. However, instead of an angel coming to save her it was her own son possessed by a demon of vengeance.

The sound of Mr. Carvers piercing screams did nothing but fuel the fire inside of Joseph. He grabbed his father’s other arm and effortlessly ripped it from his torso. The sight of the blood sprayed across the pastel wallpaper and furniture caused Joseph’s jowls to salivate. Was this what he was so thirsty for this entire time? The fire inside of him continued to rage and he bit his converted canine mouth deep into Mr. Carvers neck. The euphoric feeling washing over Joseph was something he had never experienced before. A burning bliss that began to clear the supernatural fog inside of his mind.

Joseph drank and drank and drank until there was nothing left. He dropped his father’s mutilated corpse on the now red stained carpet and turned to look at his new form in the full length mirror in the corner of the room. Joseph expected to see a horrendous creature staring back at him but instead there was simply nothing. Nothing but the reflection of his mother’s blood speckled face staring at her son with wide terrified eyes.

Joseph turned his elongated limbs awkwardly to face his mother. You have to leave. Leave and never come back. A voice that was not his own resonated through his head. Joseph got on all fours and slowly approached his mother who was frozen in fear at what just transpired in her home. He reached out a clawed hand to hers and gently held it for a moment before backing away from the scared woman.

“J-Joseph?” His mother said her voice cracking in terror and confusion. Joseph stood there for a moment and tilted his wolf like head as he listened to his mother’s voice. “Joseph…” He echoed his voice now a low monstrous growl. “I love...you.” Joseph managed to say and his mouth peeled back into a toothy dog like grin.

His mother responded with a laugh. Almost as if this entire situation was a practical joke. A bad dream she would wake up from. But Joseph knew this wasn’t a dream. The wolf in the woods, the fire inside of him, the blood. It was all real. A low whine escaped his throat when he realized this would be the last time he would see his mother. As a monster not as her son.

Joseph turned from the grisly scene and squeezed his massive form through the backdoor of their rural home. The feeding had begun to take effect and Joseph could feel his bones breaking down and setting themselves into place once again. After a few minutes of stumbling into the woods that surrounded their property Joseph had returned to his human form with one addition. A long furry tail now protruded from his ripped clothes.

The moon was beginning to dip in the sky as he found a cave to hide himself in. Joseph began to walk deeper and deeper into the cave with his new tail curled between his legs. The lack of light was no longer a problem for his newly evolved senses. If Joseph stayed here perhaps he wouldn’t need to hurt anyone. Maybe he could simply live the rest of whatever life he had now alone. No one would ever need to hear him talk again.