#i've been waiting FOUR YEARS for that o moment........ go d

[lingeringscars]

i’m honestly still recovering from the e / o scene but i would just like to say b.echo rights. i called it when e.cho was like “it took you three years to forgive me” in 5x01 that they pretty much started dating right then. also bellamy saying that loyalty is echo’s biggest weakness i CALLED this too Thank You. 

[giowritess]

dangerous games [javier peña]

masterlist. | javier peña

p a i r i n g | javier peña x female!reader

p l o t | being the ambassador’s daughter, flirting with agent peña has always been harmless and fun. but suddenly, it’s not so harmless anymore.

w o r d - c o u n t | 4,939

w a r n i n g s | NSFW, age gap (twenty years or something, but consensual), unprotected sex (wrap it before you tap it kids), dom!sub vibes, swearing, alcohol, choking, language, bit of degradation, cry kink? etc. you’ve been warned.

a u t h o r ’ s n o t e | ITS FINALLY HERE!!!! guys i'm so sorry this took so long, adult life doesn't give a shit if you're dying to write pedro pascal smut lol anyway, i had a lot of fun writing this and it's by far the longest thing i've ever written. i'm *also* thinking about a sequel if you'd be interested. let me know. this was beta'd by @amysteryspot also known as the love of my life. enjoy!

p l a y l i s t | click here

You used to hate days like these. Hot, sticky and windless. But somehow, after moving to Colombia, you were slowly starting to enjoy them.

Any girl your age would never trade the US for Colombia. You did have a choice: your dad wasn’t going to force you to come along, but you saw it as an adventure, so here you were. With your father being the American ambassador, your chances for adventure were cut out, and it didn’t take you long to figure it out. He allowed you some freedom—you had your own apartment, but there were bodyguards with you twenty-four hours, seven days a week.

Somehow, after being disappointed and pissed your first few weeks there, you managed to start enjoying Colombia more than you expected. Life was entirely different than you were used to, so that turned out to be an adventure in itself.

You managed to continue your studies, so that basically took all your time. When you weren’t in class, you were either at home or visiting the Embassy, where you liked to spend your free time. Like now. You were trying to get your father to eat healthier, so you often brought him lunch, especially since he never left his office. Married to the job, he always said.

It was only 1 p.m., but one of your professors had already managed to ruin your entire day after saying your Spanish sucked because “girls are naturally dumb”. So, you were hoping seeing your dad would make your day a bit less awful.

And it did. But it definitely wasn’t because of your dad.

His door was closed when you got there, so you knocked softly and waited until he said to come in.

“I hope you haven’t eaten yet, ‘cause I made you a very special lunch,” you said as you opened the door.

Two heads looked at you, but you hadn’t yet paid attention to the other person in the room.

“Darling!” Your father replied, getting up and hugging you. “I was just about to.”

You dropped the small bowl on his desk and finally turned.

“Agent Peña, let me introduce you to my daughter.”

Your mouth stood agape for a moment while you stared at those eyes, suddenly feeling over conscious about yourself and feeling as a tiny sheep being watched by a wolf. Somehow, you managed to shake his hand and blurt out a “pleasure to meet you”. You didn’t know how, though, because your body simply glitched while staring at the most handsome man you’d ever seen, and you tried your best not to look too dumbfounded.

“Pleasure’s all mine.”

With his deep voice full of a sexy accent, you snapped back to reality, your eyes never leaving his. Sometimes wandering to his lips, but always coming back to his eyes.

You thought this was the first time you met Javier Peña, but you were wrong. Later that same night, while you were laying on your back and staring at the ceiling, you suddenly realized you’d seen his face before, and it was far from the Embassy.

The memory was still clear as day. It was on one of the rare occasions your father authorized you to go out, so you went to a local bar not far from your apartment. Of course, your bodyguards disguised themselves and you had to be home by eleven—those were your father’s terms. You knew it was for your own safety, but it still was a hell of a bummer. Especially when you had just noticed the handsome stranger sitting alone in the back, a pair of yellow aviators hanging from the open buttons of his shirt while he sipped his beer, fatigue creeping over his beautiful features.

You had seen beautiful men, yeah; but he was on a whole new level of beauty that you couldn’t even try to describe. You caught his eyes once, then twice. That was when he sent you a drink and, for the next week, you couldn’t stop wondering what could have happened if you didn’t have to leave in such a Cinderella style, just a lot less glamorous.

Things were quite different now. You knew his name and who he was. After that, you started visiting the Embassy more frequently—the official reason? To see your father, of course, but you knew deep down it was because of Javi. There was no use denying the obvious: you had a huge crush on him. A man who was twenty years your senior and who worked for your father, but you couldn't care less. Besides, it was entirely one-sided: Javier would never look at you like that. Now that he knew who you were, you were probably nothing less than a silly girl to him.

However, you started to notice the way he looked at you. How his eyes took a moment longer than needed on your cleavage, or how his pupils swelled whenever you wore tight skirts. How nervous he seemed when you were just a bit too close to him.

Then, what started as a harmless crush took a twist and became full-on flirting—sometimes teasing too. Well, you knew it wasn't going anywhere. How could it? Only in your dreams, or late at night when you would touch yourself at the thought of him, and all the unholy things he could do to you. But it was still fun to flirt with him, tease him, rile him up with your short skirts, red lips and tight shirts. Swaying your hips when you knew he would be looking, slowly sucking a lollipop while staring at him. Of course, never in front of your father—in front of your father, you were still his baby girl.

There was one day, however, that was quite… different. It was a quiet day in the office, with only a few agents working. Javi was one of them.

"You just missed him," he said when he saw you leaning on his door, still focused on the paper he was writing.

"Actually, I'm here for you," you said, making his eyes shoot up to you. "Are you busy?"

He threw his hands behind his head, a glint of curiosity in his chocolate eyes.

"Never for you, princesa," he replied with his traditional smirk, and you tried to seem unaffected.

"Great," you said, proceeding to sit on his desk, your skirt hiking up involuntarily. "I'm doing a research for school and I'd like to interview you. It's about how Pablo Escobar affects different people's lives."

You knew his eyes were darting to the red lace of your bra, visible under your white shirt.

"Okay," he replied.

You got off of his desk and threw yourself on the comfortable brown leather couch in front of it, fishing the notepad and pencil from your bag. Usually, you were never this alone with him, and that made you a little bit ner­vous, but you did your best to shake off the feeling and go back to your usual sassy, teasing self.

The first questions were basic—name, birthdate, occupation, how Pablo Escobar had affected his life and why. You scribbled his replies on the paper, making the pencil and the ceiling fan the only sounds in the room. It could easily be one of the hottest days ever, and the fan wasn't being too effective, sweat making your hair stick to your forehead. You could feel his eyes following every move you made, as you put the pencil between your red lips to tie your hair in a bun and then opened one more button of your shirt. You caught his eyes for a moment—there was something thick in the air, and it wasn't just the hot weather.

"On a scale from one to ten, how stressed would you say you feel?"

"Easy. Ten," Javier replied blatantly.

Without looking at him, you crossed your legs so you could put the notepad on top of them to make it easier to write. But you knew this would make your skirt hike up and from this position he could, probably—most certainly—, see your matching panties.

You saw the exact moment he noticed, because he shifted in his seat and stared blankly for a moment before clearing his throat.

The expression on your face never changed, as if you hadn't done absolutely anything.

"And what do you do to deal with the stress?" you asked, naturally, and placed the pencil between your lips again.

"Alcohol. Cigarettes," he replied. "Sex."

Your eyes met at his last word, the pencil still hanging in your half-opened mouth. One second passed, then another, and your eyes never left each other's, the atmosphere between you getting heavier by the second, only the ticking clock on the wall and the ceiling fan being heard. And only God knows what could have happened if the telephone hadn't rang. Probably something you both would regret.

"Agent Peña," he answered the phone, but his eyes were still on yours. "Yep. Will be there in a second," he said before han­ging it up and clearing his throat. "Do you need anything else?"

You did. To be thrown against the wall and fucked hard by him, to be left without being able to walk the next day, but you kept those thoughts to yourself.

"Nope," you replied, "I'll let you know if I need anything else."

He nodded. The tension between you was becoming unbearable, you both could feel it. So he grabbed his gun and jacket and left, leaving you with a strange feeling deep down your gut.

After that, it suddenly seemed as if he was doing his best to avoid you. Every time you saw each other, he quickly disappeared, making you feel confused and disappointed. That was when you realized you were too invested in this, whatever "this" was. What you did know was that this wasn't just harmless flirting anymore, and you were going to get yourself hurt soon even without meaning to. So you tried your best to push Javi to the back of your mind, tried your best not to think about him.

Whenever you went to the Embassy, either to bring food to your father or just to spend time with him, you forced yourself not to look at him, forced yourself not to look for him. You even tried dating and going out with people your age. But pushing him away from your mind was a lot harder than you expected, and you felt so stupid for being so affected by nothing more than a stupid crush. It was even harder to stop thinking about him when guys your age were terribly bad at sex, and the only way you could come was when you thought about him. Needless to say, you were tired of giving yourself orgasms.

Surprise wasn’t the right word when he showed up at your door on a rainy night, the same aviators hanging from his shirt.

“Agent Peña,” you said. Javi was long forgotten in your vocabulary.

"Hola, princesa."

"How can I help you?" you asked, trying to act naturally.

He chuckled.

"Yeah, I suppose your dad didn't tell ya. I'm your babysitter for the night," he replied, and you stared at him in confusion. “Can I come in?”

You gave him room to enter, closing the door behind him.

“Care to elaborate?” You asked, raising your eyebrows at him.

He sighed.

“I can’t say much. There’s something big going on and your father needed me here,” he replied, seeming more irritated as the words left his lips.

“If it’s big, why aren’t you there?” You asked, certain this was why he seemed so pissed.

You crossed your arms over your chest and his eyes followed your moviment, and it was only then that you realized you were wearing nothing more than your black satin robe tied around your waist and panties.

How appropriate. Ironic would be a better word.

You cleared your throat and his eyes went back to yours.

“Because I fucked things up, so I have to be your fucking babysitter.”

You laughed right in his face. The look in his eyes was almost threatening, but you didn’t back away.

“So this is your punishment, isn’t it?” You asked, almost in a mocking tone. “Well. Okay. Feel at home, I guess.”

Definitely appropriate. Hell yes, you were pissed at him, and the fact that he had to spend time with you considering how hard he was avoiding you lately because of a mistake he made was like opening a Christmas present you didn’t expect to get.

You could see he was absolutely fuming, but you ignored him. You went back to doing what you were doing when he knocked, reading a book and taking notes. The soft sounds from the radio and the pouring rain outside became the only sounds between you two, and you watched through the corner of your eyes while he took his jacket off and rolled up his sleeves before settling himself on your couch, stretching his arms.

You could hear his breathing, and from time to time you caught him staring at you. Well, only because you were staring at him too. When he wasn’t looking, you couldn’t help but get lost in the rise and fall of his chest, the open buttons of his shirt showing a trail of dark hair.

Every time you caught his eyes, you suddenly felt as if you couldn’t breathe. It almost seemed as if all oxygen had been sucked out of the apartment, and the only thing that there was left was Javier Peña. But something in the way he was shifting in his seat made it seem you weren’t the only one feeling this way.

He cleared his throat.

“Anything to drink?”

“Beer?”

Javier nodded.

As you got up and made your way to the kitchen, a new song started playing on the radio, and you chuckled when you recognized it. It was the same song that played that night, when he bought you a drink, and you couldn’t help but speak.

“You bought me a drink that night.”

He took a deep breath before replying.

“Before I knew you were my boss’ daughter.”

You stood in front of him and reached out the beer.

“And would that really make a difference?” You asked, staring deep down into his eyes.

A moment went by in silence, and then another, and you stood there still holding the beer.

When he finally spoke, looking in your eyes, there was a different, deeper tone in his hoarse voice.

“It’s a dangerous game, the one you’ve been playing.”

“But I’m not the only player, am I?”

You watched in silence as he took the beer from your hand and placed it on the floor. His eyes never left yours as his hands slowly cupped each of your thighs, bringing you closer until you finally fell into his lap.

His eyes never left yours. Taking all the time he could, Javier’s hands started to roam up your body. Going up your knees, your thighs, your waist. As he started to dive beneath your robe, you realized you were holding your breath, still not quite believing this was actually happening. Slowly, he finally untied your robe and dragged it down one arm after the other, until it fell to the floor.

As he stripped you, he also stripped you of all your mischievousness, all your courage, making you feel so small and bare under his piercing stare. His eyes finally left yours, wandering and admiring your body, lust and desire glistening in his stare. Suddenly, you didn’t feel so brave and bossy anymore, as you always used to be around him.

“God, you’re so fucking perfect,” he muttered, hands traveling your sides and spending some good time on your breasts.

You couldn’t help the breathy moan that left your lips as his hands kneaded on your hot flesh. But there was something bothering you, something that wasn’t right. You had gotten to know Javi, so you knew he was holding himself back. Holding himself from using all his strength, from being his real self.

“Javi,” you said, making him look up at you. “I’m not gonna break.”

You saw the moment he acknowledged what you meant when his pupils dilated.

He did surprise you when he grabbed a fistful of your hair and pulled you down to finally kiss you. Finally, after so long, after wanting and lusting over each other until it almost hurt. The kiss wasn’t sweet. It was harsh, hot and wild, but so passionate. So much different than you’d expected it to be, so much better.

You moaned as he tugged at your hair, the sharp string of pain being more arousing than you expected. You couldn’t even control your body anymore, he could bend and break you at his will and you would gladly comply, even say “thank you”. That was the effect he had on you, the effect no one else ever had.

Javi placed open-mouthed kisses on your neck, sucking and biting sometimes. You realized you had a weak spot when you curled your toes as he sucked the fragile skin. You rolled your hips on his lap, feeling the hard ridge of his cock, strained against his jeans. The grunt that came out of his lips only made you roll your hips again and again, feeling a bit… powerful knowing you were causing that.

You were quickly knocked out of the feeling as his hands harshly wrapped around your throat, making you come to a halt on your movements as your oxygen supply started to decrease. You looked at him with doe eyes as his thumb found your bottom lip and you made quick work to suck it in your mouth, lapping and swirling your tongue around it.

“Fuck,” he grunted as he watched you, imagining if it was his cock in between your lips, feeling your hot, wet tongue envolving it.

The way he reacted only made you suck harder, and you knew it was getting more difficult for him to control himself. You could feel your panties sticking to your slit, flooded by your desire for him. And he’d barely touched you.

His rough hands left your neck to grab your thighs, sinking his fingers to the hot flesh. He got up from the couch and you wrapped your hands around his neck for support while his mouth found yours again. It was barely a kiss at all—it was a clash of tongue and teeth, both anxious to get more of each other—more to kiss, more to touch, more to explore.

“Bedroom,” he muttered in between kisses from your mouth to your neck.

“Left,” you replied, tugging at his hair and scrapping your nails against his neck.

In quick steps, you both were in your bedroom, only illuminated by the thin light that came from the lampposts below. The rain was still falling heavily outside.

If this was any other circumstance, you’d be terribly worried about your bedroom and what it looked like. Right now, you couldn’t care less.

Javier stole your breath as he dropped you onto the soft mattress and hovered above you for a moment, eyes linked with yours. Even when a lightning threw light to the entire room, his eyes remained on yours, almost as if entranced by a spell. And he wasn’t the only one. By a long moment you stood there, admiring each of his features, mesmerized. There, in that place, you couldn’t help but feel like a prey standing in front of its predator, about to be devoured. A chill went through your entire body as you thought of all the things he could and would do to you.

You were the one who finally broke the spell as you pulled him down by his neck for a kiss, letting your hands finally wander down his body. Now, you finally had some freedom to touch him, but you weren’t in control. He was, and you found yourself enjoying that far more than you should.

His mouth tasted like whisky and cigarettes, and that was so him. His mustache tickled and scraped your skin, but it was such a poetic contrast. As his tongue explored your mouth, you wondered what his mustache would feel in other places of your body.

You suddenly went numb when he grabbed you by your hair again, tugging at your skull making shivers go straight to your core. He took his sweet time at your neck, grazing his teeth against the skin, dragging his mustache through your pulse point.

Then, his mouth started to descend to your collarbone, doing the same path over and over. Kissing, sucking, biting, grazing... One hand still holding you by the hair, the other traveling up and down your thigh. Next, his lips attacked your breasts, earning a throaty moan from you.

“Javi…” you whispered, tugging at his shirt, his jeans.

The feeling of being practically bare in front of him, only one piece of clothing on your body, while he was still fully dressed was arousing, to say the least. It made you feel small, vulnerable, but it also made you feel his. Entirely at his mercy to play, bend and fiddle as he pleased.

He chuckled when he saw you writhing beneath him, pressing your thighs together in search of a release to the growing feeling in the pit of your stomach. But he wasn’t having any of that, pushing one of his knees in between your legs to keep them open.

“Impatient, princesa?” he mocked as his mouth went further down your body, this time kissing your stomach. “Well, I am going to torture you. Just like you’ve been torturing me with your little games, those red lips and those short skirts.”

Javier spoke slowly, each bit of his sentence after a certain amount of kisses. Well, his plan was working, no doubt. It was indeed torture the way his lips felt against your skin, the way it only made you want him even more. You never thought it was possible to want someone so much until you met him.

Unconsciously, you held your breath when his lips finally got to the band of your panties, anxious for his next move.

“I bet you’re already wet for me,” he muttered against your skin, his breath and the thick accent in his voice making you shiver with anticipation, “aren’t you, baby girl?”

All you could do was moan in return, his voice, his words and the pet name making you even wetter, if that was possible. Fuck, yes, you were. There was no way of denying it. You watched with lustful eyes as he expertly pulled your panties down your legs with his teeth, sending it flying somewhere across the room, and then spreading your legs open for him.

He didn’t even leave you any time to think before attacking your cunt mercilessly with his mouth. You gasped and arched your back off the bed with the shock, air leaving your lungs and your eyes closing shut as his tongue swirled your small bundle of nerves. You hadn’t even come yet, but you were already sensitive just from his teasing alone. The feeling of his mustache was new. The way it prickled your sensitive skin only added to your desire.

“Javi, fuck,” you muttered, grabing the sheets with all your strength.

Somehow, you could feel the grin in his lips.

Holding your thighs with his hands, you liked the painful way his fingers dug into your flesh. They dug in harder as his tongue started to speed up its actions, and all that left your lips were a chant of “fuck, fuck, fuck” and also “Javi, Javi, Javi” as the coil inside you finally snapped and you exploded into a world of bliss. But even after that, his skillful mouth never stopped its ministrations, working you throughout your orgasm.

“Javi, please,” you whined, using whatever strength you had to escape from his grip. Of course, it was pointless. His grip on you was like steel.

God, it felt so good, but at the same time it was too much, too high, a burning sensation taking over your entire body, making you feel as if you were being melted from the inside out and then put together all over again.

“Please what, princesa?” he said, steadily holding you in place as you squirmed under him. “Can’t take it anymore, can you?”

You could feel the mocking in his voice, palpable like flesh.

“Please,” you whimpered again, but you didn’t know exactly what you were asking for.

Or maybe you did.

“Tell me what you need, baby girl,” he commanded you, in a deep voice and an authoritative tone that could’ve made you come alone all over again.

“Your cock.”

Javier chuckled and finally let go of your abused cunt, the marks of his fingers on your thighs definitely bound to be purple the next few days. But you didn’t care. It’d be a small reminder that this wasn’t just a dream. A hot, steamy and wild dream.

You watched him through your half-open lids, mesmerized by the sight of that man, his lips and mustache slick with your juices, small beads of sweat prickling on his skin. Goosebumps crawled under your skin as you saw him lick his lips while staring into your eyes, and your arousal only grew more, if that was possible. You could never not be aroused by this man.

Propping yourself on your elbows, you watched as he made a show of taking his clothes off, piece by piece. Unbuckling his belt, pushing it out of the loopholes. Pushing his shirt out of his jeans and taking an eternity to unbutton it. You felt your mouth water as the shirt finally fell off his arms, your eyes focused on his hairy chest. Your attention quickly darted when his jeans finally fell to the floor and all you could focus on was his cock, standing proudly against his abdomen, so perfectly sculpted. Definitely bigger than you’d expected.

You met him halfway as he kneeled in the bed, wrapping your hands around his neck and kissing him hard, tasting yourself on his tongue. Diving your hand down, he growled and cursed as you enveloped his cock in your hand, bobbing it up and down, the pre-cum making it a lot easier. Untangling himself from you, he pushed you so your back met the bed and towered over you.

“Eyes on me, baby girl,” he commanded and you complied.

All air left your lungs when he finally entered you, aided by the pool between your legs, sheathing himself in your hot, tight walls to the hilt. The stretching burned, but it was so good. He didn’t give you much time to adjust, setting a relentless, almost cruel pace.

“Fu… fuck,” you muttered.

You couldn’t think. You couldn’t form a cohesive sentence, because Javier Peña and his cock had short-circuited your brain and the only words you knew were “fuck” and “Javi”. Your moans and cries of his name were the song of angels to him.

“God, look at you,” he growled, one of his hands finding its way to your throat. “You look so fucking good strecthed out by my cock.”

His fingers made their way to your mouth, forcing you to suck on them as his other hand grabbed your right thigh to wrap it around his waist.

“Fuck,” he grunted.

Your moans were muffled by his fingers. The sensations inside you were too much, they were starting to become unbearable, and you couldn’t help the small tears that left your eyes as he fucked you hard.

“Oh, is that too much, princesa?” he mocked, but made no efforts to slow down or ease up on you. “That’s how you wanted, wasn’t it? For me to fuck you hard and rough.”

“Yes, yes, yes,” you replied as his fingers left your mouth to rest on your neck, but not pressing. “Choke me, Javi.”

You didn’t imagine the effect those words would have on him, his eyes becoming darker. He complied with your wish and started to put pressure on your skin, and as he started to choke you harder and cut your air supply, the more heightened every sensation became.

“Come for me, baby girl.”

His command was exactly what you didn’t know you needed, and you came with a shout of his name. Your second orgasm of the night washed over you like waves, one after the other, seeming endless as white pleasure and bliss installed themselves on you, making you feel on cloud nine. As if you were high on a drug called Javier Peña.

Only a moment later he came inside you with a grunt, painting your walls with his cum. His hands softly left your neck and he fell to the mattress next to you, both panting, your chests heaving in search of all the air you’d lost. As your breathing slowed down and the orgasm cloud started to dissipate, you finally managed to pay attention to the rain, still strong and relentless outside.

“Javi?” You called, your voice almost shy.

“Yeah?”

“Don’t leave yet.”

“I won’t,” he replied and snuggled you in closer.

And that was how you fell asleep, with the rain outside and Javi’s breathing next to you, resting your head on his chest. You didn’t know what the future had in store for you two, but right now this was more than enough.

t a g l i s t | @wickedfrsgrl

[natigail]

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious | 25.03.2021

Phil: This is it. I need to get this one right [to keep up in the spelling bee challenge].

Dan: This one comes from Corrine.

Audio submission: Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

*Dan's cackling laughter*

Phil *worried*: Oh my god.

Dan *laughing*: Oh! They fucking did it. The mad lad did it.

Phil: I think I know how to spell this because I think it is how it sounds. So I'm really going to try, okay? Okay. Oh god.

Dan: I will say now.

Phil: Yeah?

Dan: It is how it sounds. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

Phil: Oh my god, this is- my whole life has been leading up to this moment. I'm so tense.

Dan: I will wear whatever the fuck you want, if you spell this. I will say, even if we'd be even [if Phil got this right], this is an All or Nothing right now, Phil.

Phil: Okay.

*exploding sounds from Dan*

Dan: Okay, this is All or Nothing. This-

Phil: Okay.

Dan: I just peaked in life two minutes ago and now it's YOUR moment. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

Phil: Okay. Right, I'm going to start... I'm going to break it up into bits. S. U. P. E. R. C. A. L. I. F. R. A. G. I. L. I. S. T. I. C. Oh my god, wait. E. X. P. I. A. L. I... D. O. Docious. Docious. C. I. O. U. S.

Dan *alien sound screaming*: OH MY GOD.

Phil *nervous*: Did I do it?

*Dan continues to inhumanely cackle*

Phil *disbelief*: No!

Dan *high pitched*: Oh my god!

Phil: I just broke it into little bits. Docious. Oh my god. I didn't know what docious was, I was fully, like, making it up with docious.

Dan: I'm running around the room right now. I can't freaking... okay.

Phil: You should be hopping around the room, frog boy.

Dan: Ugh, I don't even give a shit. I'll wear a frog. I'll get on all fours, I'll wear a bucket hat and I'll fucking ribbit.

Phil: Good.

Dan: I don't care.

Phil: Oh, I can't believe that.

Dan: Holy fucking shit, I'm going to put on some crocs. And I am not even going to complain.

Phil: Ah... that's the best thing I've ever done. I am shooketh. I am shaken to the core.

Dan: I am actually shaking.

Phil: Yeah. I am. I'm s-shaking. Well, that was the Spelling Bee. Thanks for the words, guys.

Dan: Was it worth the years of your student loans? *laughter*

Phil: Ehm... no. *giggling*

Dan: God.

Phil: It was not worth that. But! I enjoyed that. I always find those Spelling Bee shows on TV really addicting to watch and I understand it. I understand why now I've lived it and like, yes, that is a fun game.

Dan: I am having heart palpitations. I've never been this scared in my entire life. I need to lie down now.

[moonshineholland]

Never Let Me Go / T.H. x reader

R E Q U E S T: Hi! Saw that you’re taking requests and i was thinking maybe i could get some imagine? One where tom took his stress out on his girlfriend causing them to have this huge fight the night before they have to spend time with both of their families and of course, the whole family knows something’s wrong because both of them are not in the mood and the two mothers of both sides decides to talk to them separately and then making them make up? Thank youuuu in advance! Hope you can see this! 🥰

A/N: It’s been so long since I've actually sat down to right something so I hope this is half decent! Shoutout to @cumholland​ for reading through this and helping me out💖

W A R N I N G S: Kinda angsty, I guess you could interpret the ending as being a little suggestive *wiggles eyebrows*😂

W O R D • C O U N T: 2.8k

The silence in the car was killing you and you were 99.9% sure it was killing Tom too. The atmosphere was tense, even as you pretended to be busy counting the trees, but neither of you were planning on being the first to apologise, you’d gone all morning hardly uttering a word to each other and you weren’t about to give in and be nice to him, especially with the way he had treated you this morning. 

You’d both woken up when Tom’s alarm went off at 7:30. Usually, he’d wrap his arms around you and rest his chin on your shoulder, yet today there wasn’t even a “good morning darling” which, of course, stung. Tom rolled out of bed and you just pulled the covers up further, staring at the wardrobe as he got ready, you thought about turning over whilst he was picking his clothes out but then you realised just how petty that would be so you averted your gaze, the wall suddenly becoming much more interesting. 

“We’re leaving in an hour.” And with that, Tom had left the room, shutting the bedroom door behind him. You could feel the tears prickling your waterline, the first thing he’d said to you in over twelve hours and it couldn’t have sounded more bitter, like he didn’t want to go, especially not with you. You sighed, throwing back the covers and trudging into the bathroom, coming to stand in front of the mirror, staring at your reflection. Normally you'd be stood with a smile on your face, having just shared some loving moments with him before forcing yourselves to get up, you’d brush your teeth in a comfortable silence, sneaking side-eye glances at him that he would always, always catch, wiggling his eyes brows at you before turning to rest his back against the counter. This morning you brushed your teeth alone, sadness hanging in the air. 

You made the bed, picking up the stray cushions that were strewn across the floor, they’d usually get stacked neatly to one side before the two of you got into bed but not last night, last night you’d thrown them angrily, not caring where they landed just so long as you could curl up in bed and fall asleep before Tom came up. The sun was shining when you opened the curtains, a pleasant change from the gloom of yesterday, it gave you hope that you would still have a good weekend at the beach house, with both of your families, regardless of whether you and Tom were on speaking terms or not. 

Sifting through your side of the wardrobe you decided on your favourite red sundress, decorated with tiny daisies and frills underneath the bust, one of Tom’s favourite dresses, not that you were dressing for his pleasure. You grabbed your denim jacket from the back of the door and your small suitcase, taking one final glance at the picture of the two of you that sat on the desk, it was taken on a double date, you’d scooped some whipped cream from your milkshake onto the tip of his nose, his mouth hanging open and feigning shock, whilst you were caught mid laugh, you never laughed as hard as you did when you were with him.

You made your way downstairs, lingering on the middle steps. You still had twenty minutes left, did you really want to sit in an uncomfortable silence with your boyfriend? But you definitely needed a drink so you continued your decent, breezing right past Tom, who was watching the football highlights and into the kitchen. Coffee brewed, you sat at the kitchen table scrolling through instagram, pretty much losing track of time as you came to the end of your drink. You hadn’t had any breakfast and you knew that if you rushed to make something it would only piss Tom off even more, so you picked up a banana, you’d eat it in the car.

“You’re not eating that in my car.” He’d noticed the banana in your hand straight away, almost as if he was waiting to find something to start an argument about. You didn't even know whether to respond, at first you thought he was joking but when he walked out of the house, not even offering to take your bags, you knew you wouldn’t even be getting the chance to retaliate. That was enough to turn your sombre mood into that of a sour one and without even thinking twice you threw the banana through the kitchen door, straight at the unsuspecting washing machine.

And now here you were, driving to Cornwall, hungry and slightly angry, hangry. Tom had never really cared too much about you eating in his car just so long as you were careful and, considering you weren’t a child anymore, you generally did a really good job of keeping your food in your mouth and not anywhere else. Yes, Tom had gotten his car cleaned a couple of days ago but that had never meant you couldn’t eat a measly banana in there, he was doing it just to spite you and you hated it. When did the two of you ever get like this? Yeah you’d ‘bicker’ here and there but it never lasted more than ten minutes and always ended in an apology. 

About an hour into the trip you’d popped your headphones on. The quietness of the car was getting to be too much, so you’d decided that listening to some of your favourite songs would put you in a better mood, hopefully. It certainly helped to pass the time because before you knew it you’d pulled up to the row of beach houses and before you even had time to register that you were here, Tom was out of the car and already making his way inside with his bags, having tossed the car keys onto your lap, he obviously didn’t feel like waiting for you to struggle stuffing your headphones into your backpack. Your head fell back against the headrest, eyes closing so as to stop those pesky tears yet again, thinking about the time the two of you spent here last year. 

Last year was your first time at the beach houses, having only been with Tom for four months, he’d invited you so that he could spend his time off with both you and his family, it had been the most amazing three days. You spent the evenings cuddled up next time him on an outdoor daybed, drinking wine and combing your fingers through his hair, having known just how jam-packed his schedule had been, it was nice to see him relax, enjoying the company of his family and even though he knew he’d be back to work soon he never dwelled on those thoughts. On your last evening in Cornwall you'd stayed awake until everyone else had gone to bed, staring up at the stars and finishing off the last of your rosé, he’d buried his face in your hair and whispered, “I love you.” 

You sighed, grabbing your bag from the footwell and opening the car door, you thought about getting your bags from the boot, but ultimately decided that you really couldn’t be bothered, all you wanted was to go and lie down, the bags could wait until later. With the car locked you made your way inside, your mum quick to pull you into a hug, seeing her face provided you with a sense of relief and you let out a sigh, feeling as though a weight had been lifted off of your shoulders. It was Nikki’s idea to have your family come down to Cornwall this year, she knew how much you were missing everyone since moving in with Tom, it was such a sweet gesture that you had cried when she told you she’d arranged everything with your mum. 

“What’s wrong?” your mum was sure to keep her voice down, making sure only you heard as she still held you in her arms.

“Nothing.” You mumbled.

“Come on, a mother can always tell when there’s something wrong with her child.” She wasn’t letting up but you really didn't have the energy to talk about it.

“Why don’t you ask him.” 

“Trouble in paradise?” She pulled away slightly but still kept one arm around your shoulder, both of you watching on as your dad was busy chatting with Tom and Dom.

“I guess you could say that.” You sighed, a deep sigh that came from the bottom of your lungs. You wanted to be stood with Tom, resting your head on his shoulder. You wished it was like last year, full of love, excitement and lust. Looks like the honeymoon period is over, huh?

Nikki’s voice cut through everyone's chatting as she stood with the keys to the houses, explaining who would be staying where along the row of beach houses. Harry, Sam and Paddy had their own place, next to them Nikki and Dom and your parents had decided to share a house and yours and Tom’s house was just a little walk away. No-one had really noticed that anything was wrong with either of you until Nikki had handed Tom the key to your place, watching as you approached him without a word, without even a smile and took the key out of his hands. You picked up his bags and headed for the front door, as much as you loved spending time with his family and as much as you missed yours, it was all a bit overwhelming and kind of painful, the majority of the people in the room were related to Tom, you really just needed to get out of there and catch your breath.

“Where are you going?” Tom’s voice followed you outside, closing the wooden door behind him as he stepped onto the path. 

“To our place.” There was more you wanted to say but kept it to yourself, you didn’t want to add more fuel to the fire. 

“Do you want me to come with you?” You did want him to, deep down but you couldn’t let him think everything had blown over just because you were in your little paradise. 

“No,” you weren’t looking at him, your eyes were focused on the beach, the soft waves that lapped against the shore, but you could practically see the frown on his face. It made you feel bad instantly. “I’m gonna go for a lie down, so there wouldn’t be much conversation anyway.” You looked back at him over your shoulder, forcing a half smile onto your face before heading to the house.  

•••

Tom had been trying to distract himself since you’d left, fiddling with his phone in his hands whilst he tried his best to pay attention to his brothers’ conversation about their game of golf last week, something he’d usually be very interested in but all he could think about is whether he should text you, make sure you’re ok. He looked up at the sunset, thinking back to last year when the two of you had no worries. You’d sit outside for hours and hours laughing and chatting and then he’d watch your face light up in awe at the pretty colours that spread across the sky, lifting your phone to capture a picture.

“Tom?” His mothers’ voice eventually caught his attention as she peered her head through the sliding glass doors, “can I borrow you for a second?” He stood up, sliding his phone into the pocket of his dark wash jeans, grabbing his beer from the table as he made his way inside, following his mum into the living room. He sat across from his mum and yours and he was pretty sure he knew where this was going. 

“What’s going on?” 

He sighed, sinking down further into his chair and pinching the bridge of his nose. “I-, I’ve been a dick,” he said with an even bigger sigh. “We had an argument last night, it’s my fault, I’d had a really shitty day at work and I took it out on her, which I know is no excuse and I don’t know, we were pretty horrible to each other.”

“And have you apologised?”

He shook his head, looking down, almost as if he was ashamed. His mum had always told him that no matter what, he should never go to bed on a argument and last night he did. Not only did he feel like he’d let you down but his mum as well and yours. “I guess I was just being too stubborn,” he scoffed, taking a swig of his beer, his eyes diverting to the kitchen.

“Tom,” your mum started, “if there’s anything I can tell you about her, it’s that she loves you more than anything, she never bloody shuts up about you!” that made him smile as he looked down, a compliment that filled his heart with warmth. “She’s told me a million times that all she ever wants is for you to hold her and never let go, she’s never said that about anyone,” your mum had tears in her eyes, “so please don’t let go, especially over something so trivial.” 

She was right, in the grand scheme of things it was trivial, sure both of you might’ve said some mean things but Tom knew it was definitely in the heat of the moment, he’d come in and taken his stress out on you, which wound you up, it was only fair you’d be angry but he missed you. Not talking to you all day or holding your hand or kissing you had really taken it’s toll on him, he felt ten times more stressed than he did yesterday. 

“Thank you,” he said quietly, to both mums, he truly appreciated their intervention. He had worried about whether he’d let his stubbornness take over, he’d wondered just how long it’d go on for, would he be sleeping next to you tonight? Or on the couch?

He pulled out his phone, he wanted you to come over here, spend time with everyone but he knew what he had to do first. He started typing out the message:

Please come over, we need to talk, miss you xx

•••

You’d been sitting at the kitchen table doing absolutely nothing but drinking a cup of tea when Tom’s text flashed up on your phone and you’d be lying if you said that you didn't smile at it. It was finally going to be over, you hoped. Surely you couldn’t argue anymore, right? You finished off the rest of your cup before slipping on your shoes and rummaging through Tom’s bag that you’d discarded on the couch earlier, pulling his pale blue hoodie out and shoving it on.

When you entered the house you were met with complete silence, you assumed everyone was in the garden but when you entered the kitchen you saw him sat there with his head in his hands. At the sound of your footsteps and your hand on his back he bolted up. “H-hey.” His voice was soft, you could tell he’d been crying. You let your hand trail from his back, down his arm and to his hand, letting him pull you gently into his lap, wrapping your arm around his neck as you perched. He looked up at you, his eyes red and puppy-like. “I’m so sorry darlin,” his voice broke slightly as he pulled at the strings of his hoodie, the smallest of smiles making it’s way onto his face as he noticed you were wearing his Suspicious Antwerp hoodie. 

“No I'm sorry, I should’ve just understood that you’d had a hard day and let it go.” You apologised.

“But how were you to know? I shouldn’t have had such an attitude on me,” he brushed some hair out of your face and kissed your cheek delicately “I love you and I don’t ever want to let go of you.” He mumbled, looking intently into your eyes. “Well, we’ve missed the sunset, so how about, we take this bottle of wine,” he leant forward and picked it up off the table, it was your favourite, “and have a bath? And I'll make it up to you, let you know just how sorry I really am.” His lips were pressed delicately against the skin under your ear, the hand that wasn’t holding the bottle of wine was rubbing soft circles on your skin under his hoodie.

“I love you more than you’ll ever know, please never let me go.”

[nordic-language-love]

WAIT I THINK I UNDERSTAND HOW NORSK VERBS WORK: They work similarly to english verbs with a verb for past tense (like i ran) present tense (i am RUNNING) and future tense (i am gonna run). Please tell me I'm somewhere close I've been looking at this verb table for a month and i think it just now clicked.

That’s pretty close - let’s break it down and take a closer look.

Note: this is going to be a quick overview, so I won’t go into detail about every single rule or exception. I’m also going to focus on bokmål rather than nynorsk.

Here’s a verb table for a nice regular verb, taken from UiB dictionary: å spise (to eat)

Because Norwegian verbs don’t conjugate according to person, we only ever have to worry about the tense and mood. Here we have the infinitive / present / preteritum (past tense) / present perfect / imperative. The v2 indicates that it’s a type 2 verb, which we’ll come back to in a moment.

The Infinitive

The infinitive is the ‘to’ form of the verb (‘to eat’). It is unconjugated, meaning it doesn’t pertain to any particular tense or mood. It’s used in largely the same way it’s used in English, with verbs such as å kunne (can), å ville (want), å burde (should) and å må (have to):

Jeg kan spise epler - I can eat apples

Jeg vil spise epler - I want to/will eat apples

Jeg bør spise epler - I should eat apples

Jeg må spise epler - I have to eat apples

Just like English, Norwegian doesn’t have a “future tense” form of a verb, and so it uses the infinitive along with the verbs å skulle (shall) and å ville (will/want), and the phrase kommer til å (going to)

Jeg skal spise epler - I shall eat apples

Jeg kommer til å spise epler - I’m going to eat apples

Note that the ‘å’ is omitted when we use modal verbs such as these!

The infinitive is also used when we use verbs such as å like (to like), å hate (to hate) and å elske (to love):

Jeg liker å spise epler - I like eating apples

Jeg hater å spise epler - I hate eating apples

Jeg elsker å spise epler - I love eating apples

You notice here that the ‘å’ is not omitted in this case.

The Present

To form the present tense we need to find the stem of the verb. The stem is the shortest form of a verb, and is formed by taking the infinitive and removing the å and the final -e. We then form the present by adding -er:

å spise –> remove å and -e –> spis

Add -er: spiser

Some verbs don’t end in an -e. Usually in this case, we just add -r:

å bo –> bo –> bor

å ha –> ha –> har

There are also verbs that are just plain irregular. They’re usually quite common, so you’ll come across them a lot and you’ll end up learning them quite quickly

å være –> vær –> er // å vite –> vit –> vet

While there are two present tenses in English, there is only one in Norwegian :

Jeg spiser epler - I eat apples / I am eating apples

(Technically there are ways to emphasise something is happening right now, but I’m not gonna go into that here)

The Preteritum / Past Tense

This is where our verb types become important. There are four categories of regular verbs in Norwegian, which generally follow these rules:

Category 1 verbs: the stem ends in more than one consonant (eg å snakke –> snakk, å elske –> elsk)

Category 2 verbs: the stem ends in a single consonant (å like –> lik, å bruke –> bruk)

Category 3 verbs: the stem ends in a single -g or -v, or the diphthongs -ei or -øy (å lage –> lag, å leve –> lev, å leie –> lei, å tøye –> tøy)

Category 4 verbs: the stem ends in a stressed vowel (å bo –> bo, å tro –> tro, å snu –> snu)

Some verbs fall into multiple categories, or don’t fall into the category you’d expect for one reason or another, or are just completely irregular. But these rules will get you by for the most part! You can always check the dictionary I linked earlier if you’re stuck :)

They are conjugated thusly:

Category 1 verbs: add -et OR -a to the stem

å snakke –> snakk –> snakket/snakka

å elske –> elsk –> elsket/elska

It doesn’t matter which form you use, although the -et form is more common/accepted/proper (certainly in written bokmål)

Category 2 verbs: add -te to the stem

å spise –> spis –> spiste

å like –> lik –> likte

å lese –> les –> leste

Category 3 verbs: add -de to the stem

å lage –> lag –> lagde

å leve –> lev –> levde

å leie –> lei –> leide

å tøye –> tøy –> tøyde

Category 4 verbs: add -dde to the stem

å bo –> bo –> bodde

å tro –> tro –> trodde

å snu –> snu –> snudde

As you noted, the past tense is used in pretty much exactly the same way it’s use in English:

Jeg spiste epler - I ate apples / I was eating apples

Elsket du ham? - Did you love him?

Hun likte filmen - She liked the film

De leide en leilighet - They rented an apartment

Vi bodde i Kristiansand i fem år - We lived in Kristiansand for five years

Again, the Norwegian past tense covers both the simple past (I did) and the continuous past (I was doing).

The Present Perfect

The present perfect tense is formed of two parts: the present tense of the verb å ha (to have) - har - and the past participle of the verb, which is formed like this:

Category 1 verbs: exactly the same as the preteritum - add -et OR -a to the stem

å snakke –> snakk –> snakket/snakka

å elske –> elsk –> elsket/elska

Category 2 verbs: add -t to the stem:

å spise –> spis –> spist

å like –> lik –> likt

å lese –> les –> lest

Category 3 verbs: add -d to the stem

å lage –> lag –> lagd

å leve –> lev –> levd

å leie –> lei –> leid

å tøye –> tøy –> tøyd

Category 4 verbs: add -dd to the stem

å bo –> bo –> bodd

å tro –> tro –> trodd

å snu –> snu –> snudd

Again, it’s used in almost exactly the same way the present perfect is used in English, and again, it covers both the simple and continuous tenses (to have done / to have been doing):

Jeg har spist epler - I have eaten apples / I have been eating apples

Har du snakket med ham? - Have you spoken to him?

Han har lest den boka før - He has read that book before

Vi har leid denne leiligheten i ti måneder - We have rented this apartment for ten months

De har aldri bodd i Stavanger - They have never lived in Stavanger

The Imperative

The imperative is a grammatical mood used to give commands and instructions and make requests. Most of the time, it is exactly the same as the stem:

Spis epler om du vil leve lenge - Eat apples if you want to live long

Vær så snill - Please (”Be so kind”)

Tro på meg - Believe me

Ta til høyre - Turn right (“Take to the right”)

I hope all this is helpful! I know it’s a bit long (and it still doesn’t cover everything!) - if you have any questions please do let me know, I’m always happy to help :)

Also if anyone spots any mistakes, please let me know!

[helloalycia]

fake dating [one] // brie larson

summary: your mum decides to visit you after so long, causing you to seek approval in ways that are... unorthodox.

warning/s: none.

author's note: this turned into like a 6 part-ish mini fic lol so prepare yourselves! (if y'all don't like, I won't post the rest lol)

two | three | four | five | six | seven | masterlist 

     "Mum! What are you– why– huh?"

    "Lovely to see you too, dear," my mum said, inviting herself into my flat. "It's been a while."

    I blinked several times, shutting the door behind her. "It has... how did you even know where I lived?"

    She took off her expensive-looking coat and I watched as her eyes scanned the room, searching for a place to hang it. She decided on hanging it on her arm, holding it to her chest, as if there was nowhere good enough for it.

    "It wasn't very difficult," she said, a judgemental expression on her face, eyeballing my flat. "No help from you, might I add. You've never invited me over."

    "I didn't think you'd want to come," I admitted, leading her to the kitchen.

    I motioned for her to take a seat on the stool as I put the kettle on, knowing she'd want a cup of tea.

    "You never asked, so how would you know?" she countered, resting her hands on the countertop hesitantly. "Besides, I didn't come here to make you feel bad–"

    "Oh, that was just a plus..."

    "–I came to invite you to my wedding," she finished, making me stop my actions for a moment. My back was to her, so I couldn't see her face, but I was taken aback myself and tried not to show it.

    "You're marrying Isaac?" I asked, finally turning around, my face expressionless.

    "I am," she said, a small smile on her lips. "He proposed a few days ago."

    I nodded and my mouth formed an 'O' shape. I wasn't sure why I was feeling weird about this whole thing. It's not like I didn't like Isaac – he was a lovely man who cared about my mother. In fact, he was the only person who could set her down from her high horse and make her seem more human-like. It was just so random, I guess.

    "I thought it would be fitting, seeing as you're my only child, for you to be my maid of honour," she said, meeting my eyes.

    I heard the kettle whistle and accepted the distraction, deciding to fill our mugs with water. I was adding the milk when she cleared her throat.

    "It's rude not to respond, Y/N," she said, making me roll my eyes. Same old mum.

    "Congratulations," I answered, turning around and setting a cup of tea before her. "When's the wedding?"

    "Next week," she said, making me raise my eyebrows with surprise. "Being wealthy has its perks. We've already planned most things. It's in Hawaii. A week long. I'm hoping you can make it?"

    My jaw dropped. "Hawaii?!"

    My mum rolled her eyes. "Yes, dear. I've already got everything sorted out. Including your tickets. Will you come?"

    "I guess that wouldn't be so bad, but you said tickets as in more than one. Who are you expecting me to bring?"

    "I know you don't tell me much on our weekly phone calls, but I'm assuming you're with someone," she said, sure of herself.

    "Well, actually I'm–"

    "Bring them with you," she said sternly. "I don't want you to show up–"

    "Alone and embarrass all of your rich upper-class friends?" I finished, holding my mug and smiling knowingly at my mum.

    "Don't put words into my mouth, Y/N," she said, narrowing her gaze before wrapping her hands around her own mug. "I just want everyone to know you're doing well. Even if it means bringing that blonde-headed girl with you."

    I furrowed my eyebrows. "What– Who are you talking about? What girl?"

    She pointed a finger over her shoulder. "The framed photo? Of you and that blonde? She's your girlfriend, right?"

    I almost choked on my tea. "You mean Brie? She's not–"

    "I'll try not to be too offended by the fact that you hid this from me," she interrupted, once again not listening to a word I was saying. "It's very like you to not tell me anything important happening in your life–"

    "Mum! That's completely–"

    "–but I'm happy for you, Y/N. And I'm excited to meet her. I know I'll probably only be introduced at the actual wedding but–"

    "Mum, she's not–!"

    "–I'd appreciate it if you arranged a meeting before then," she finished.

    I sighed through gritted teeth. This was one of the reasons she was so infuriating to me. She never listened to a word I said, instead choosing to listen to what she wanted. This was one of the reasons I distanced myself from her.

     “You know, it's good that you're with someone," she added as an afterthought. "I wasn't sure you would be, considering..."

    "Considering what exactly?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

    "Well, you've not exactly achieved a lot, have you?" she said knowingly.

    "I'm a school councillor and I help teenagers get through difficult times," I said proudly. "I think I've achieved quite a bit if it means making someone's day easier. It's a rewarding career."

    She stifled a smile. "If you say so, Y/N... look, I know I don't say it much, but I'm proud of you. Technically I haven't seen you both together, but to know that you're in a relationship is a good thing. I'm excited to meet this 'Brie' woman."

    I paused, finding it odd to see her staring at me with a sense of pride. She suddenly chose to express her feelings when she thought I was in a relationship? I hated that I felt like that little girl I once was, trying her very hardest to make her mum proud. Because now I felt the need to do it again, even though I knew I didn't need to.

    "Darling, I'm home!" Brie's familiar voice called through the flat, followed by the sound of the front door shutting and her laughter.

    "I wasn't aware that you shared flat with her," my mum noted, smiling over the rim of her cup before taking a sip.

    I facepalmed at the sound of Brie's footsteps nearing us. It was a bit between us – pretending we were a married couple because we'd been living together for two years now. Right now though, I could see how my mum thought otherwise...

    "Y/N, I have the funniest– oh! I'm sorry, I wasn't aware we had company," Brie said upon entering the kitchen. A friendly smile was on her lips as she dropped her bag by the counter and stood by my side, opposite my mum.

    "Brie, this is my... mum," I mumbled, gripping my mug. "Mum, this is Brie..."

    Brie gave my mum her perfectly angelic smile and outstretched her hand over the counter.

    "Lovely to finally meet you, Brie," my mum said, and it was the first time I'd seen her smile without it being because of something business-related or Isaac. She shook Brie's hand, saying, "Y/N here never mentioned your existence, but it's a pleasure."

    Brie chuckled, looping her arm through mine and pulling me close. "I'm not surprised. It took me a while to dig basic facts out of this one when we first met. It's a pleasure to meet you, too, though, Miss Y/L/N. Y/N's actually mentioned you a few times, so it's nice to put a face to a name."

    My mum seemed surprised at this, as she shot me a look. She looked back to Brie, smiling.

    "Please, call me Y/M/N, Brie."

    I looked between the two, the agitation I was feeling towards my mum slowly disappearing as I saw her looking genuinely happy and, dare I say it... proud? Was this finally a way to make her actually see me?

    "...Y/N will share the details with you but you must attend our wedding next week."

    Brie raised her eyebrows. "Wow, really? I mean, we've only just met and–"

    "You're important to Y/N, so you're now important to me," my mum cut her off, before standing up. I won't accept anything other than a yes." She was adamant, though her tone was lighthearted.

    Brie laughed. "Okay, I guess that's a yes. Especially if it means I get to see this one in a dress." She nudged me playfully, making me smile a little.

    "Tickets are already taken care of," my mum said, reaching into her coat pocket before setting two sets of tickets on the counter. Brie looked to me with surprise. I didn't know what to say at this point. "I must get going now, but thank you for the tea, Y/N," my mum said, finishing her last sip before standing up. She looked to me with a genuine smile and sense of pride, making me feel lighter. Was I actually impressing her? Just because I had a (what she thought to be) girlfriend?

    "Er, yeah, no problem, mum," I said, letting go of Brie and leading my mum to the door.

    "It was a pleasure to meet you, too, Brie," my mum added as I opened the door.

    "Congratulations on your engagement, Y/M/N," Brie said, smiling. "Thank you again, for inviting us."

    My mum returned the smile, making me do a double take. She was actually happy. She stopped at the doorway, looking between us both, before nodding at me.

    "You're a lovely couple," she complimented, and it was probably the third time in my life she'd paid me a compliment. "I can't wait for my friends to see you both."

    Brie chuckled. "What? Wait, d'you think–"

    "Thanks, mum," I interrupted Brie, instead intertwining our fingers for my mum to see. I looked to Brie, giving her a look. "D'you want to say thank you, darling?"

    Brie seemed to understand, though I could sense her confusion. Nonetheless, she plastered a smile on her face and pulled me close, looking to my mum.

    "Thank you, Y/M/N," she said, flashing my mum her signature Brie smile, though her cheeks were now a little pink. "And thank you for stopping by."

    My mum pulled us both in for a brief hug, making me freeze up with shock. She wasn't the touchiest of people, so this was definitely a rarity.

    "I think we should meet up before the wedding," she said when she pulled away. "How would you girls like to come to dinner at mine? Tomorrow night? Y/N, you know the address."

    I was taken aback at her invite. She was thinking about me. Wanting to know me. What alternate universe was I on?

    "Sure thing, mum, we'll be there," I said to her. Was I that desperate for an ounce of my mum's attention that I'd lie to her? I guess so.

    "Yeah, we'll see you then," Brie added, smiling, though I saw her spare me a confused glance.

    "Perfect. I'll see you then." My mum gave me one last look over before turning to leave.

    I closed the door behind her before releasing a breath, feeling the tension in my chest unknot. Same effect, as always.

    "Care to share what just happened, sweetie?" Brie said in a teasing high-pitched voice, raising our intertwined hands.

    "My mum happened," I groaned, going to the couch to flop onto it face-first.

    "Y/N, why does your mum think we're dating? It now makes sense why she would suddenly invite me to Hawaii when I just met her, but yeah, I'm a little lost still."

    I heard Brie's voice get closer and I assumed she was sat on the chair beside me.

    "Because she likes to think she has the perfect daughter when she doesn't," I said, my voice slightly muffled.

    "Y/N..."

    I sighed before sitting up, meeting Brie's concerned gaze. "I'm sorry... she just came out of nowhere. She's never even been here. She's getting married and wants me to be the maid of honour so she can impress all of her rich snobby friends. And she thinks we're dating because she saw a photo of us and didn't listen to me when I tried to tell her we weren't."

    "Well, you might want to tell her otherwise because she thinks we're going to her wedding..."

    I smiled awkwardly. "Maybe because we are...?"

    Brie raised her eyebrows. "Y/N?"

    "Oh, come on," I said, trying to sound convincing, "it won't be bad! She already thinks we're together and I've never seen her look so proud of me before. Did you know that was the first hug she's given me in three years?"

    Brie widened her eyes. "Really?"

    I nodded. "She and I aren't very close... she cares too much about what other people think of her. Of me. I left as soon as I could afford to and have been fine ever since. We talk every now and then, but nothing meaningful... she's my mum, though, and I guess I want her to be proud of me. This is the first time she's been remotely interested in my life. She invited me to dinner tomorrow! She's never done that!"

    "Y/N, that sucks and I'm really sorry," Brie started, a frown on her lips, "but this is crazy. We can't just be girlfriends to impress her. You can't lie to her." She avoided my eyes, her cheeks growing pink, making me wonder why she was suddenly so embarrassed.

    "Oh, I can," I said, nodding my head. "Look, it won't be long. Just her engagement party and the wedding and it's done. Plus it's in Hawaii, so it'll be like a holiday! I just want her to be proud of me. It won't be hard, I mean, we're already close and how many times have people thought we're a couple?"

    She quirked an eyebrow. "Never?"

    "The mail man!" I pointed out, a little unconvincingly. "Remember? He thought we were girlfriends."

    "He was also sent to prison for perving on the neighbours," she added, studying me curiously.

    I waved my hand dismissively. "Prison, shmison. Look, I'll love you forever if you do this one thing for me."

    "Oh, so you don't love me forever now?" she asked teasingly, a smile tugging at her lips.

    "You know I do," I said, returning the smile. "Come on. What could go wrong?"

    She pursed her lips, watching me. I smiled hopefully, moving closer to her and resting my hands on hers. She sighed, rolling her eyes, as if to distract from her now red cheeks.

    "Fine, I'll do it," she gave in, making me grin and jump on her, pulling her in for a hug.

    "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I said, kissing her face several times.

    She laughed, shoving me off her. "You're welcome, idiot. Now. I need the rundown on your mother. She's a... unique character."

    I nodded, a grin on my lips. "You got it.