#katie x bill

[tvshowscouples]

If you love Bill&Katie (Bold and the Beautiful) and you want reblog or like,this is the link of my reblog couples :)

thank you!

[couragehopelovefaith]

My favorite ships part 2

Tike

Silrah

Rivusa

Skloom

Stellatrix

Fergus and Marsali

Claire x Jamie x John

Jocasta and Murtagh

Karppi and Nurmi

Klamille

Forwood

Aimily

Bill and Katie

Mary and Adam

Slexie

Malvie

Huma

Lizzie and Gordo

Carter and Rosie

Troy and Gabriella

Chad and Ryan

Dair

Tedbecca

Arwen x Aragorn

[lunar-years]

are there still beautiful things?

Part 10/?? of my favorite ships + taylor swift songs | Bill x Frank

[tomssexdoll]

ok here's my silly request: Bill and the reader are childhood best friends. Tom and the reader never really got along, they're kinda like enemies though there's still something between them (of course). One day they decide to go on a camping trip and Bill invites the reader. To y/n's surprise Bill brings his new girlfriend and shares a tent with her. So the reader has no other choice than to sleep in Tom's tent. The reader and Tom argue a lot, but in reality Tom isn't too annoyed by the reader's presence and he's had a crush on her for the longest time. Somehow they figure out they like each other and yeah, the rest is up to you ;)

OFC POOKS

Maybe you aren't so bad after all

PAIRINGS: Tom 2007 x Female reader CONTENT: ANGST + SMUT + FLUFF SYPNOSIS: Bill invites Y/N on a camping trip, little did she know he had a new girlfriend he was bringing over and she had no choice but to sleep in the same tent as Tom. A/N: guitar tom WARNINGS: dom!tom, sub!reader, p in v (missionary), kissing, fingering, arguing and yelling

My phone started to ring, Bills face was plastered on my screen and I smiled, instantly picking up.

"Hey Bill! What's up!"

"Me and Tom are going camping, do you want to come?"

"Oh of course! When are you going?"

"Next week, we'll pick you up"

"Sounds good, bye!" I smiled and hung up, getting on with what I was doing.

The days went by and the day of the camping trip was due, I heard Bills car beep outside, altering that he was here. I got all my bags and ran outside, shoving them in the backseat.

"This is Katie, my girlriend, she's coming with us" Bill smiled warmly, I smiled and reached out, hugging her "Hey! I'm y/n" she smiled and introduced herself. Tom just rolled his eyes and stayed on his phone, ignoring all of us.

I ignored Toms shitty mood and closed the car door, the car started and we started our journey to the camp site. It took us 2 hours to finally arrive, we put all our stuff down, setting up the tents and some chairs to all chill.

I realized that since Bill's new girlfriend was coming, I couldn't share a tent with Bill, meaning the only option I had left was Tom and I couldn't bare the though of spending a whole night with him.

Every year we went on the same camping trip, Bill let me sleep in his tent and we would sometimes cuddle because it got so cold. But now, what was I supposed to do if it got cold? I didn't want Toms dirty hands on me, who knows where they've been?

I sighed and accepted defeat, moving all my stuff into the spacious tent. I set up my sleeping bag, then I felt Tom bump into me, sending me flying to the floor. He started to burst out laughing, not even bothering to help me off the floor.

I grunted and got up, shoving him, "what the fuck Tom! Don't make it any worse then it has to be, I don't want to fucking sleep in here with you" he scoffed, "yeah, I feel the same sweetheart don't get your panties in a twist" I just rolled my eyes and stormed out.

After a long day of doing fun activities, hunting for food and fishing we got back to our spot, Tom started a fire for us to cook the food and I started to prepare the fish, putting them on a small metal rack, the meat slowly cooking.

"You're doing it wrong Y/N, let me help" Tom grabbed my arm, commenting on the way I was searing the fish, I grunted and tried to push him away, "fuck off I know what I'm doing, you've never cooked a day in your life what do you know?" he continued to struggle with me, tugging on my arm.

With one last firm tug he pushed the metal rack, flipping the fish onto the ash and ruining the food completely. "What the fuck? Look at what you've done! Now we have no food to eat!" I screamed at him, smacking his hand off me and standing up, storming off.

He quickly followed, "how is it my fault? You're so stubborn you can't let me do one thing, you're so controlling!" he yelled back, I gasped and turned around, "controlling? fucking controlling? maybe you're just an idiot and you can't accept it" my chest heaved up and down, eyes narrowing at him.

He rolled his eyes, "whatever, fuck you" he pushed past me, grabbing some of the meat we hunted and cooking it, wasting our collection for tomorrows dinner.

After we ate and spent some time together we headed to bed, I dreaded this moment all day, being stuck in a tent with the guy I hated the most.

I headed into the tent, seeing that Tom was already fast asleep. "Thank god.." I whispered to myself, slipping into my sleeping bag and slowly falling asleep.

Later in the night I woke up, the cold air seeping into the tent and making me shiver. "Fuck.." I muttered, trying to warm myself up but to no avail. "Come here.." I heard a voice call out, raspy and groggy. I realized it was Toms and furrowed my eyebrows, "what?" "don't act stupid, you're so fucking loud just come here, I'm cold too" holding a hand out.

As much as I disliked Tom, I will admit I need the warmth. "Im not moving, you can come here" I mumbled, "so stubborn..fine" he groaned, getting out of his sleeping back and slipping into mine and wrapping his arms around me.

I felt a sense of safety, like I was protected. I do admit, we are supposed to be enemies but..I do like him and have for quite a while.

My eyes squinted as Tom turned the lamp on, my eyes taking time to adjust to the light "Y/N.." he suddenly spoke up, catching my attention, I turned around and looked up at him, "yeah?" I smiled softly "you know I don't actually hate you right?" he sighed "I really like you, I've just been rejecting the feelings for a while but I can't" before he could say anything else I just smashed my lips into his, his hand snaked around the back of my head and held it softly, deepening the kiss.

"I've liked you for years Tom.." I muttered against his lips, "I need you so bad.." he grunted, shifting his position so that he was on top of me, eyes darkening with lust.

He pressed his erection against my leg, "please?" I nodded and felt him pull my pyjama pants off, slipping his hands into my panties and teasing my entrance with his fingers.

He slowly dipped 2 digits into my wetness, thrusting in and out and picking up his pace, "gotta make this pussy ready for me, mk?" he mumbled, I nodded in response and bit my lip, his fingers curling against my g spot perfectly.

"Oh fuck!" I whined, he quickly covered my mouth, "shhh!" I smirked and continued to moan in his hand, his fingers stretching me out and warming up my hole for what was about to come.

He retracted his fingers, I whined at the loss of contact, "baby..." I pouted, he looked back at me and grinned "be patient liebe" he slid his plaid pyjama pants down, pooling down at his knees.

His cock was straining against his boxers, BEGGING to be freed. It looked painful. I reached a hand out and palmed his cock, earning a low groan from him, his head rolling back, "fuck baby.."

He came back to his senses and held my hips, sliding my panties down and taking his cock out, I gasped at the length and gurth, it was a solid 7 inches, gurthy and veiny.

"Holy shit.." my breathing hitched, his hands coming down to my hips as he placed his tip at my entrance, "tell me if you want to stop ok?" kissing my neck sweetly, I nodded and held onto his toned arms.

He slowly pushed in, stretching me out more then he did with his fingers, a pain submerging throughout my body. "Ah!" I cried out, nails digging into his biceps. "I know baby, just a bit more" he reassured, pushing what was left of his cock in me.

After bottoming himself out he let me rest, kissing my neck and rubbing my clit in hopes to soothe me from the pain of his cock. Eventually he pulled out before slamming back in, creating a quick pace, his length thrusting in and out of me perfectly.

I felt his tip directly hit my g spot, ramming into it at such speed the pleasure came in shock waves. I grabbed his hand and put it over my mouth, muffling the very loud moans about to escape my mouth.

He grinned down at me, pounding his cock into me, every inch that came and went making me want to scream out in pleasure.

"Fuckk!" I mumbled against his hand, rolling my eyes back. "So good.." he grunted, one hand holding my hip tightly, making sure I didn't fling all over the place from his brutal thrusts.

He removed his hand from my mouth and I shoved my face in the crook of his neck, kissing and sucking, leaving dark purple marks all over his neck.

I didn't realize in the moment but the consequences in the morning would be severe. How could we even explain this to Bill? How would he wrap his head around us doing this?

"So so beautiful" he muttered, triggering a smile to form on my face, blush filling my cheeks. He chuckled at my flustered state, "you're adorable, always blushing over the smallest things" I retracted my head from his neck and attatched my lips to his, kissing him passionately as his memeber drilled into my sopping cunt.

I felt tension build in my tummy, a burning sensation forming in my core. I knew I was close to my release, pussy clenching around his cock as it built up higher, "oh fuck!" I whined, my legs shaking as I came all over his cock, moaning against his lips.

He grunted, the feeling of my cunt clamping down on his cock sent him into oblivion. He rolled his eyes back and moaned a little too loudy, shooting his seed deep into me.

"Oh my god..." he panted, collapsing onto my chest, we both were trying to catch our breathes. After a while he finally spoke up, "hey, I mean at least we're warm now, isn't that what we wanted?" I giggled and slapped his arm playfully, "whattt? You know I'm right" he winked and sat up, helping me put my clothes back on and his too, spooning me again.

His arms were so strong and rough yet so gentle and kind. "I'm glad we got this off our chests, I couldn't wait any longer to tell you and it just exploded like this" he sighed "i'm sorry if it looks like I was just using you..I can assure you I'm not, I do really like you" he whispered softly in my ear, his breath tickling my neck softly.

I wanted to believe he was lying, that this was all just for a quick fuck but the sincerity in his voice said otherwise, the way his arms were wrapped around me and how he was so loving when we fucked, the kisses he planted on my lips randomly.

"I know Tom..don't stress yourself out, I'm just a bit surprised you still like me after our little altercation today" I sighed "I'm sorry I get so controlling, I can't help it" I cowered, my cheeks heating up.

He spun me around and grabbed my chin for me to look at him, "don't be so harsh on yourself, you were right I am an idiot" he chuckled "I only did that so I could rile you up, I love seeing you pissed off" he winked, pecking my lips.

I giggled "fuck you Tom, cmon, let's go to sleep it's really late" I yawned softly and rested my head against his chest, slowly melting into his embrace. "Goodnight schatz.." he switched the lamp off, rubbing my back softly.

tags: @itsmealaiah @ballhair @estxkios @tomkaulitzloverr @itsangelll @ge-billsgf @bkaulitzlover @charliesgoodboy

[grimoireofhayley]

Of Friends and Horror

Stu Macher x Fem!Reader x Billy Loomis

Word Count: 1.6k

WARNINGS: Graphic content, Smut (MINORS DNI), Language, Talks of SA, Cheating, Obsessiveness, Gore, 18+ Content, Stalking, Possessiveness, Dirty talk, Religion talk, Suppressed Mental Health problems (I.e., reader has some issues that she isn't aware of)

Taglist: @ev3ningrain @nerdytif @fanfic-enjoyer123 @darkenwolfie @juda-the-simp  @colsons-baker @junnniiieee07  @ok-boke @ren-ni @katie-tibo @bruce-yamada @kenma-izhu @cookielovesbook-akie @elevenpurple @hyunlix-world @mavix @halleest

A/n: Oh-my-god, I am so sorry for the major delay! Trust me, I was in the middle of writing the chapter the same day I said I would post it, but being a mom is super-duper busy and they will always come first and I completely forgot to post the chapter, but here it is FINALLY.. My twins are now 3 so they’re acting like teenagers, but toddler form; super bossy, extremely demanding, always and I MEAN always keeping me on my feet. Plus, I had to re-write it as I didn’t like how the first attempt at chapter 14 sounded 😮‍💨 Anyways, I barely have time to write, but when I can, I hope you all enjoy it. I hope this chapter is up to your liking! More chapters are still on the way, A LOT MORE. Keep in mind, the Billy scene in previous chapters and this scene is my first time writing smut/smut related things… 😓😓😓 Lastly, Thank You ALL so much for getting me to 405 followers! I’m in disbelief 🫢💜

All Chapter Links 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻

OF&H Masterlist

Chapter 14

Gulping, you shakily took the phone off the counter, hanging it up and unplugged it from the wall, making sure no calls would come through anymore that night for her sake.

Looking over, you saw Sidney gripping at her brown hair, pulling it in every direction, her jaw clenched, yet, her teeth chattering; she wanted to scream, shout and cry, but couldn’t. Her pale features now a rouge from both exhaustion and terror. Her sanity seemed to slip away bit-by-bit each time Ghostface would call; preying on her, taunting her, humiliating her.

“What, what!?” Dewey came running from his room, waving a gun around in his white t-shirt and blue and white striped boxers.

Tatum tsk-ed at her brother’s tardiness, pushing passed him to follow Sidney.

You rubbed the nape of your neck, placing your other hand on Dewey’s shoulder, “Next time.. maybe be a little quicker.” You laughed, half-heartedly, trying to make light of the situation, seeing how confused Dewey seemed to be.

__

“(Y/n) (L/n) and Sidney Prescott who were both…”

Before the news reporter finished his sentence, Dewey shut the tv off, pulling a chair out from the kitchen table, sitting down.

“Billy was released.”

Your ears perked at the sound, relief washing over.

Sidney’s eyes lit up, but she still clearly had her doubts.

“His cellular bill was clean. He didn’t make those calls..” Dewey stated, grabbing a carton of milk before pouring some of it into his coffee. “We’re checkin’ every cellular account in the county.” Dewey finished, taking a long gulp of his un-sweetened drink before continuing. “(Y/n), Sidney..” He eyed both of you, “Any calls made to you two or Casey Becker are being cross-referenced, it’s going to take some time, but we’ll find him.”

Tatum nudged you and smiled at Sidney.

__

Dewey pulled into the school lot with ease, parallel parking at the curb.

He got out and opened the door for you and Sidney.

You smiled at him, thanking him quietly, and he tilted his hat at you as Sidney got out next.

However, your smile quickly faded, seeing a reporter running towards your side; most likely to ambush both you and Sidney about what happened.

“(Y/n) how does it feel to know the murderer is lusting after you and nearly butchering your friends? Do you know who the killer is, are you a part of his twisted game?” A red head asked, shoving a mic at you, accusing you of being his partner-in-crime.

You scoffed, irritated, but somehow calm, honoured that she knows the killer wants you.

“What about you, Sidney? How does it feel to be almost brutally killed?”

Sidney bit her lip, already wanting to cry.

Dewey stepped in front, shoving the reporter away.

“Hey, leave them alone!” He shouted, towering over the petite woman.

She stumbled back, but wasn’t giving up.

“People want to know. They have a right to know!”

You, Tatum and Sidney bolted, getting away from all the interrogations this woman was sure to have up her sleeves.

__

You were pressed against a locker; your mid back arched causing your torso to move forward; and your arms folded, pushing your breasts together, making them pop out.

“This is a mistake, I shouldn’t be here…” Sidney huffed, grabbing her books and slamming her locker door shut.

You sighed, plopping a sucker in your mouth; twirling the red treat around your tongue, pursing your lips tightly around it and without meaning to, your eyes landed on Stu who was already watching you.

You blushed and he smirked, liking how you looked with your mouth full.

“I want you to meet me right here after class, okay, Sid?” Tatum spoke and Sidney nodded.

“Hey, Stu, I haven’t seen Billy around… is he really pissed?”

Stu tore his gaze from you, looking at Sidney.

“Oh, you mean after you branded him the Candyman?”

You shoved Stu slightly, giving him a glare.

He winced, “No, his heart’s broken—“

Suddenly a scream was heard and the four of you looked into the direction it came from, spotting a student running down the hall dressed as Ghostface.

You blushed again, seeing the full cloaked figure and that ghostly-white mask again.

‘Fuck, that’s hot.’ You smirked slightly, turning your head to the side, trying to subtly check out the student who’s dressed up like the murderer, you let out a quiet “Mmph” squeezing your thighs together.

Unbeknownst to you, Stu heard your moan, and knew exactly what you were doing with your thighs. Luckily, the others did not, but he is so glad that he did. He can smell the hormones leaking off of you; they were practically oozing with want for the cloaked-killer.

He bit his lip, trying to contain his excitement.

“Why are they doing this?” Sidney spoke, watching the student run away.

Stu, glanced at you, “Are you kidding me? Look at this place, it’s like Christmas!” He laughed, a devious smirk prying at his lips as the comment was directed at you. You were his Christmas, knowing the woman he wants is full blown horny for him, for Ghostface.

Tatum huffed, hitting him with the lollipop you had given her prior, “Stupidity leak.”

“Hey!” Stu shrieked, immediately looking at his girlfriend, while the school bell blared, signalling the start of class and students were quick to get going.

Sidney ran down the hall, upset at Stu’s comment and Tatum ran after her. You sighed, looking down, picking up your bag in the process. You went to go wave ‘bye’ to Stu, but he vanished.

“Huh?” You mumbled out loud, seeing how he was gone and so was every other student that was there nearly two minutes ago. “That’s my cue…”

__

Tapping your fingers against your hip, you hummed to the tune of ‘Your Dead’ by Norma Tanega.

You stopped in front of the janitors closest to reach for your Walkman that was in your bag, wanting to blare the song in your ears, hoping that actually listening to the catchy tune would make it stop repeating itself inside your head.

Though, the universe had other plans…

You felt the door swing open, hitting you, knocking you out of the way, making you drop your only source of music.

Soon after, a hand covered your mouth and an arm wrapped around your waist, pulling you into the closet.

A scream hitched in your throat as the unknown figure flicked the light on, revealing who the culprit was…Stu.

“Stu, what the actual fuck was that for!?” You narrowed your eyes, clenching your fist, ready to punch him out of fear.

He laughed, but soon afterwards told you to be quiet, locking the door behind him as he stepped forward.

“Shh, I don’t want anyone to hear us.” He whisper-yelled, getting closer to you, placing both hands on either side of your arms.

He was a good two-to-three feet taller than you.

“I saw you, you know…” He bit his lip again, rolling the flesh with his teeth, gripping your arms tighter.

You looked up at him, confused, not sure what he meant, however, a part of you knew where this might be going.

“The way your face went red, how you rubbed your thighs together..” He taunted, poking your nose, “Let’s not forget that sweet-little moan you let out when you saw that student…” He leaned into the crease of your collarbone, nipping at the skin, the coolness of his lips penetrating your warmth.

Your face was hot with yearn, but also embarrassment. “The student who was dressed as the Woodsboro slasher…” He grinned, feeling you shiver at his touch.

“W-what—“ You began, trying to act like you didn’t know what he was talking about; ashamed that you were caught. You were quickly silenced by Stu pressing his lips against yours, his bulge pushing up against your side.

His fingers danced across your arms to the string of your grey tank top, ripping it from your body with force as the sound of the thin material shredding lingered in your ears. Fortunately for Stu, you didn’t have a bra on…

Your breasts jiggled from the impact, bouncing in place which caused a small guttural growl to emit from Stu’s throat.

Stu immediately grabbed your boob in his right hand, rubbing his thumb across the perky bud, while his other hand gripped at your bare side, his fingers digging into your ribs.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, staring at the finger prints you already had bruised into your skin. They almost lined up with his own marks, but his were slightly bigger. Stu only quirked a brow, continuing to fondle your breast, not wanting to ruin the moment by asking.

Stu trembled at the thought of someone else having you, but he was sure to find out who and kill him.

“M-mm..” You let out a breathy moan, making Stu lose track of his thoughts,“But T-Tatum—“ you stuttered, holding back another sound as he slid his hand into your shorts, rubbing your clit through the silk of your panties.

He hooked his finger under the band, pulling you even closer, his forehead pressing up against your own.

<— Previous Next —>

[divinelolita]

CUZ UR HOT

N UR COLD

YA YES

THEN UR NO

UR IN THEN UR OUT

UR UP THEN UR DOWNN

i hate katy perry

anywayyyyyy

AHEM

lemme get theeeee biskit. chickon.(gonna need that bill headcanons or full fic baby i do not carreeeee)

sooooo imagine bill usually is on the bottom right?(weird to imagine ik) and at one point he asks reader if he can try topping for once like jus to give it a try for the next time and i can imagine he’s a lil nervous abt it ykyk😔

not stuttering much or anything he’s jus like ‘ay can i do wat u do🥹🙏🏾’ and readers prolly like ‘ion gaf’ and bill is prolly so happy n shi and when it’s time to get freaky asl bill is a tinyyy bit nervous but he jus does what reader does to him for like touching n shi(feelin his hips and waist up, marking him, whispering praise when they whimper etc etc) and i can imagine it’s also reader first time on the bottom too so he’s all sensitive n shit bro😇

and when it’s time for bill to do the thrust thrust 3000😈😈😈 reader is moaning whining and whimpering ALL over the place and so is bill like this is different bill is adoring how he’s never heard these sounds n shi from his bf and like the way he’s reacting with his body bru and bill probably can’t fucking stop💀💀 like maybe 4 or 5 rounds in he’s like ‘wait no no no one more time i promise it’s the last time this time’ like he’s ADDICTED. and prolly by the end he prolly gonna top for a whileeeee

i wanna listen to kesha bro

anyways this long ASF I LOVE YOU HONEY🫶🏾🫶🏾🫶🏾

BILL KAULITZ X READER: TOPPING

contains nsfw themes; don't like don't read.

・He's fantasized about..topping you before.

・Really- he can’t stop thinking about it. He often finds himself daydreaming about all the different things he would do, the things he would say..

・He's tried to ask you before about the thought, but he'd get nervous and brush it off.

・Eventually he found the courage to ask you, gulping audibly as you sat infront of him with an almost concerned look.

"So uhm...so about uhm..I was wondering if I could...you know..top sometime? Just to try it out and.. "

・He trails off, sheepishly looking at you. He watches your eyebrow quirk up slightly and he exhales slowly, he's scared for what you'll say and how you'll react and-

"I don't care."

・When the time comes he feels a bit nervous and slightly worried but just decides to go with what his mind tells him to do..which is almost everything you'd do to him.

・He'd be gentle at first, kissing down your jawline as his hands trail down to grab your waist, listening to the breathy moans you make as you lean your head back into the pillow.

・His hands would lightly grab your legs as he peppered kisses all over your inner thighs, savouring the whimpers you'd let out.

・He'd whisper sweet nothings while slowly pushing in (ew) , shushing you lightly as you hissed in pain, eyes squeezed shut as tears threatened to overflow.

・He'd stay put, waiting for you to adjust to the new sensation. He gently nibbled your neck and wiped your tears with the back of his thumb.

・Whatever headspace he's in, there's no backing out now.

・As soon as you say he can move, he moves in and out, going at a steady pace that has you whimpering, desperately clinging to the bedsheets and occasionally scratching his back.

・Listening to your noises you make, he feels so zealous.

・He's never heard you make these kinds of noises before; the fact HE can make YOU sound like this??? He's over the moon.

"See? You're doing so well, so good.."

・Can't help but let out a few soft groans and moans as he continues, you just feel so good.

・He doesn't wanna stop, he wants to take advantage of this situation.

"Wait..just one more yeah? Last time I promise.."

"..you said that two rounds ago."

・Two rounds turns into three, three turns into four, four turns into five....

・You've never felt so sore yet complete in your life.

"Can I stay on top for now?"

"...sure. Why not?"

・He's actually so happy like wtf 😭

[pensat-i-fet]

A home, not a house (Joško Gvardiol x Reader)

**I got this request a while ago and last night I finally came up with this idea and wrote it. I really like how it turned out so hopefully you all enjoy it too ❤️**

Word count: 2309

Masterlist

Wattpad

Football players had to move to different countries during their careers. Especially if their home league wasn't the strongest and their talent was too good for it. So one would expect them to become experts at it…but it wasn't always the case.

For Josko, moving to a different country to play for a different league wasn't a new feeling. He had already left Croatia to go to Germany. So now moving to England to play for City should have been very easy for him. And yet…

Josko met you soon after moving to Manchester. You had just moved into your own apartment with one of your friends from uni and wanted to celebrate. The plan was to go have dinner at a fancy place that you'd regret going to once you saw the bill and then go party. You'd regret the drinks for other reasons.

And it was there, at the fancy restaurant, that you met Josko. A few of his new teammates took him there to welcome him to the city and their table happened to be next to yours. But football had never been your thing so the only footballers you would have recognised were the ones doing adverts on TV that caught your attention. Not the ones on that table.

“We got a table full of hotties next to ours”, said Silvia, your roommate.

“Do we?”, asked Katie, turning to look at them and not caring about being caught.

You, on the other hand, blushed when you saw two of the boys noticed your friend. And so you refused to look at them.

But soon you needed to use the bathroom and on your way there, you bumped into Josko.

“I'm sorry”, you apologised and he smiled at you.

“Ladies first”, he said, motioning for you to walk in front of him.

When you were already inside the bathroom, you laughed. You were blushing again. This shyness of yours was ridiculous but every time you talked to someone you didn't know, your face went all red. And if you talked to a cute guy like the one you saw outside the bathroom…

“We meet again”, you heard when you got out of the bathroom and you saw it was the same guy standing there.

“Did you wait for me to get out or something?”, you joked but he surprised you with his answer.

“Yes. Sorry if it's too direct but I just thought you were really pretty and…”.

“Oh. Thank you”.

Now your face couldn't possibly get any redder. But the drink you had gave you a little confidence boost.

“Why were you waiting then? Just to tell me I'm pretty?”

“I was wondering if I could get your number”.

“Do you want to go to a club later instead?”, you suggested. It could be a good way to get to know him while you had your friends around.

“I have to work early in the morning. I can't”.

“Of course. I'll go with my friends then”.

“About the number…”, he insisted, but looked insecure after you refused him once.

“I don't give my number to strangers, sorry. You could be a serial killer for all I know”.

Josko burst out laughing when he heard you say that. And he confirmed you had no idea who he was.

“Fair. And probably smart”.

“Yeah…I'll go back with my friends to eat our overpriced food”.

“I'll go back to mine. It was nice talking to you even if you discovered my serial killer persona. It's the beard, right?”

Now it was you who laughed and you felt the urge to actually break your rules and give him your number. But you were interrupted by your friends calling you back to the table.

“I gotta go. Maybe I'll see you around. Not here though. I can barely afford eating here once”.

That gave Josko an idea and when your friends asked for the bill, they were told it had already been paid for.

“What?”, asked Silvia. “It must be a mistake”.

“No mistake and the gentleman left a note for…”, the waitress looked at the note again, “the pretty girl who didn’t want to give me her number”.

Your jaw dropped but you extended your arm to get the note, making all of your friends look at you.

“You don't give your number to potential serial killers but I'm not as careful so here it's mine just in case you want me to take you to eat somewhere else. I can pay for the fancy places for you if you want to. But I promised it's not with the money I get from killing people. I spend that on other things.

Josko”.

You were grinning reading his note. Josko. You could tell he wasn't English but couldn't place his accent. And now you had a name and a phone number.

“You flirted with one of the footballers from the other table? I didn't know you had it in you”, laughed your friend Joanna.

“Footballers?”

“Right. You're clueless when it comes to knowing famous people. Yeah. Those were Man City players”.

Even if the word footballer scared you a bit, aware of their reputation, your interaction with Josko made you pick up your phone to send him a text. And that was how you two stayed in contact for a few days before meeting again. It wasn't much later that you started to date.

Your dates had been mostly cute outdoor plans but you felt it was finally time to go to each other's places too. And what you saw at Josko’s surprised you.

“When did you move here?”

“Umm…two months ago? Almost”.

“Right. When are you planning on decorating the place? You barely have furniture”.

“It's not something I care much about. And I don't know where to buy things apart from IKEA. You got IKEA here too, right?”

“Yes”, you chuckled. “But we're not going there. We're going to make this house look like it's one from those renovation shows”.

“It's fine. Really…”.

“Josko”, you started, giving him a look. “You don't even have a sofa”.

“I…”.

“Like how do you expect to invite people over when the house looks like this? Silvia and I had to work our magic to make the apartment look half decent but you have unlimited money. This has to change and I'll help you change this house into a home”.

“You like decorating places?”, he asked, smiling at how eager you were to help him with this project.

“I do. Especially when I'm spending someone else's money and not mine”.

“And here I was expecting you to ask me for a Chanel bag and not money to buy paint for the walls”, he laughed.

“We'll save the bag for my birthday. Now let's get to work”.

The next few hours were spent checking what the house needed. And it needed a lot of things. But it still was a Sunday afternoon and you also wanted some cute time with your boyfriend. So you decided to leave the shopping for Monday.

“Ummm…where are we supposed to just watch a movie and cuddle? See how much you need a sofa?”

“I watch TV in bed”, he said, shrugging and you smirked at him.

“It's that why you refuse to buy a sofa? To take girls straight to bed?”

“You discovered my masterplan!”

On Monday, you were impatient about leaving work to go meet your boyfriend to go buy all the stuff his house needed. First, you picked up some paint. The walls looked fine but the colour picked for his bedroom was a bit…depressing.

“A room needs light! It needs a bright colour that you see when you first wake up in the morning and makes you want to leave the bed and conquer the world. Or win a match in your case”.

Josko laughed, also noticing the people staring at the dramatic way you spoke about paint.

“And that is achieved with…blue?”, he asked, looking at the blue colour in front of him.

“Too dark. How about this light green? It goes well with the furniture you got in the room already”.

“It's cute”, admitted Josko, trying to imagine how it'd look. “But I don't think it'd look good with the bed clothes so…”.

“Oh honey”, you said, patting his cheek softly. “We're buying stuff for your bed too. What you have now is too old looking even for my grandma”.

Two hours later, his car was full of bags filled with all the stuff you'd use for the renovations.

“Ok then”, you told him, clapping to get his attention. “Now it's time for the big one. The sofa”.

“I like taking naps on the sofa so it has to be big enough for that”.

“Noted”, you said, checking an imaginary list.

And it proved to be the funniest part of the shopping trip too.

“What are you doing?”, you asked, chuckling when you saw Josko touching the first sofa.

“Checking it's comfortable”.

“By gently touching it? Sit on it!”

“I can't. Why if they kick us out?”

It was so cute how worried he looked but you only laughed again.

“See the price tags? They know you'll spend a lot of money. You can sit on the sofa to see if it's comfy”.

“Ok…”, he said and sat down on it trying to be careful.

You sat down on the spot next to his and bounced a little to check it wasn't one of those sofas that breaks people's backs.

“Someone is coming to tell us off”, told you Josko, getting up from the sofa quickly.

But the sales assistant wasn't there to tell you off…but to help you.

“Do you need any help?”

“We do”, you said, standing up and leading the negotiations. “We need a big sofa. It's a big living room you see? And a big man”, you added, pointing at your boyfriend. “He's an athlete too so…we don't want his muscles to be hurt by a bad sofa”.

“Of course. Follow me”.

“Follow him”, you told Josko, taking his hand so you could walk together.

The sales assistant walked you to the area where the biggest sofas were and you felt like you were in heaven. Those were too big for your small apartment. Or any apartment you could afford.

“This one is our most popular”.

“We can sit down on it to try it out, right?”, you asked.

“Of course”, said the assistant and you turned to wink at Josko.

He just shook his head and sat down as well.

“It's really comfy”, he said.

“Lay down”, you ordered, standing up so he had the room to do that.

“What?”

Josko was looking at the sales assistant, not you. “It's ok, sir. We want you to be sure of the purchase”.

So, even if he felt a bit uncomfortable, he laid down on the sofa and felt the urge to just close his eyes and nap. It was so comfy…and running around all day shopping with you was more exhausting than playing a full match.

“It's incredibly comfortable”, he said and you smiled.

“So…this one?”

“This one”, he nodded.

The sofa was going to be delivered to his house two days later, which worked well for you. It'd take that long to get the rest of the house sorted and getting the sofa would be the cherry on top.

“Have you ever painted walls?”, you asked him when you were done getting his room ready to be painted.

“I don't think so…”.

“No worries. My dad is a painter and taught me how to do it. I used to go to work with him in the summer sometimes. And he gave me a little brush to help”.

Josko smiled imagining a little you doing that. And kept being fascinated by how many things you were good at.

“No no no. Like this”, you told him, grabbing his hand that held the brush and showing him the right motions to spread the paint properly.

“Thank you”, he said, leaning down to kiss your cheek.

“Do you like the colour? It'll look a little darker when it fully dries”.

“It looks amazing. I didn't know it could make such a difference but it looks like a different room”.

“I knew”, you told him with a cheeky smile on your face.

There wasn't much left of the walls to paint when you heard the doorbell.

“Go see who it is. I'll finish this”, you told Josko and he made his way downstairs.

“It's the sofa!”, he called and you finished painting the wall before running downstairs to see the sofa.

There were a few workers there placing the sofa where Josko wanted it to be and you smiled seeing how good it looked in the living room.

“I'm done”, you told your boyfriend.

“Thank you. Do you want to go take a shower while they finish this? And then we can see if it's as comfortable as in the shop”.

“Sounds good”.

You kissed him quickly and went back upstairs to shower and put on some comfortable clothes. You were a bit exhausted after the last few days. But so happy about the work done.

“It looks so good”.

Josko looked up to where you were standing and smiled at you. “It does. Thank you for making my house look like a home. I'm just useless at this”.

“Happy to help”.

Now it was his turn to go shower and you decided to test the new sofa while you waited for him. But you really were exhausted.

So when he was done showering and went back downstairs to be with you, he noticed you were sleeping already. He laid down next to you to be your big spoon and closed his eyes to take a much needed nap as well.

[sundrop-writes]

Kisses Like Fire Whiskey

Fred Weasley x Fem!Gryffindor!Reader

Summary:

When you come back from a long healing apprenticeship in France, you and Fred catch up over drinks, reminiscing about your days as mischievous rebels. In the drunken haze, some important things are realized.

Fred Weasley x Fem!Gryffindor!Reader. Best Friends to Lovers. Fluff (with a slight bit of Angst). Set post Deathly Hallows and during Goblet of Fire.

Word Count: 7,500

Harry Potter Masterlist | AO3 Link

Full list of warnings and author's notes below the cut.

Warnings: this is bookended with scenes that take place after the war, but obviously this is a Fred Lives AU; part of this takes place after main storyline of Deathly Hallows and part of it takes place in a flashback during Goblet of Fire (when Fred and the reader are in their sixth year); the reader and Fred are the same age; while part of this takes places post Deathly Hallows, there isn't mentions of the war; it's never mentioned exactly how long the reader was away, but the reader and Fred are both in their early 20s in the bookended parts; drinking and drunkenness are major plot points in this fic, as well as underage drinking; underage characters being in a bar/pub; Fred and the reader both drink, but there are mentions of Fred seeming more sober than the reader/handling his alcohol better; they are drunk to the point of lowering their inhibitions, but not to the point of passing out or forgetting things; mentions of George x Katie Bell as a background ship; mentions of splinching/the dangers of Apparating while drunk (does not actually happen in the fic, everyone is fine); mentions of vomiting due to over consumption of alcohol (doesn't happen to any of the main characters of this fic, it's a very small background element); passing mention of a cursed object that makes people spit up their own blood; creepy men approach the reader (and Fred defends her) - minor sexual harassment from older men toward the reader; this does use Y/N (I started out as a Quizilla girly, I will live and die by Y/N); this is mostly just mutual pining and fluff with a love confession at the end. So please enjoy!!

A/N: when I read the original request, I was inspired to take it a lot further, and after writing The Patron Saint of Liars and Fakes, I have realized that I really loving writing simplistic fics that are mutual pining that turns into a love confession. It's so much fun.

...

“So then - so then - Bill says: ‘where’s Percy?’, and Mum looks around the table and realises Perce is even there.” George chuckled brightly, topping off the telling of another one of their chaotic childhood stories. 

“‘Course, Mum blamed it on us.” Fred said, rolling his eyes. 

“As if she was wrong!” You argued, reaching out and smacking him on the shoulder playfully. 

Your words were louder to your own ears than you had intended to say them, slurring slightly on your lips. Perhaps you had more to drink than you had realised, but you were simply having fun catching up with your dearest, oldest friends. So you couldn’t bring yourself to truly care or view it as a problem. 

You were simply overjoyed to see Fred and George again. 

You were visiting England for the first time in years, and naturally, the Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes shop had been your first stop. You had grown up with the twins - since your first year at Hogwarts together, they had been two of your closest friends. Ever since you had been sorted into Gryffindor with them, the three of you had been thick as thieves. Right from the moment you had suggested to them that they actually unscrew a toilet seat lid and send it to their little sister Ginny in the post when they had initially just been joking about doing so. Ginny had found it highly amusing - their mother, not so much. 

But when you met Molly for the first time in person, you were always on her good side. You were very good at playing the ‘perfect angel’ in front of authority figures (unlike the twins). So you could very easily bat your eyelashes and say a few sweet things, as well as being on your best behaviour on the surface, before sneaking around with the twins at night and helping them with their pranks - not that anyone else ever suspected you of doing so. 

You were the perfect accomplice for them. Someone who was labelled as a goody-two-shoes who was down for mischief at any time. 

You had been slightly heartbroken when you found out that they were planning to quit their Seventh Year partyway through in order to start their joke shop. You knew that it had always been a dream of theirs, and it was your dream to see them succeed in it. But a large part of you had been hoping to graduate with your best friends by your side. They had offered for you to come with them, of course. They told you that you could have a very fulfilling career at the shop. But you had other plans for yourself. 

So you watched them ride off on their brooms, cheering and hollering for them alongside everyone else. And after your graduation, you had come to visit the shop in its full glory, seeing its whimsical beauty with your own eyes before you left England. As much as you hated that your lives had taken such different paths, you admired them deeply for succeeding. 

Since then, you had been in France. You had taken on a prestigious healing apprenticeship in order to become a high level Healer. It was something you had always dreamed of doing - helping people through the skilled art of healing. 

Perhaps, in some ways, it was a career choice inspired partially by your two best friends - seeing them blow themselves up or get horrible boils testing their own products, you wanted to be able to soothe the side effects faster. And you knew that there were plenty more children out there like them. Children who would fall from trees pretending to be a dragon or lose their teeth trying to eat a deck of Exploding Snap, children who needed gentle understanding from a Healer rather than scolding. 

You had recently finished up your apprenticeship, and you were hoping to get a job at St. Mungo’s to be closer to the people you always viewed as family. But even just stepping foot back in the twins’ shop felt like home. You had been greeted with tight hugs and so much chatter between them about missing you that you could barely decipher the words between two voices. They had invited you up to the flat above the shop for a drink - so now, hours later, you were quite tipsy and feeling the best that you had in years. 

“You know boys, I haven’t - I haven’t been this tossed off my tits in quite a while!” You announced loudly, pausing between words to let out a small hiccup, signifying just how drunk you were. 

You weren’t at the level of drunk where things were unpleasant - not where the room was spinning and you were on the verge of passing out, battling with nausea. But your normal sense of proprietary had definitely been tossed out the window, you felt fuzzy around the edges, and everything felt delightfully warm. Especially considering you had been drinking Fire Whiskey. 

You hadn’t had a drink all throughout your apprenticeship, as much as the other young people working with you encouraged you to ‘take a load off’ every once and a while. Your work was something that you took very seriously (especially when Fred and George weren’t around to tempt you with pranks and daily mischief). So this was the first time in a long time that you had actually taken the time to relax, and the alcohol was hitting you a lot harder than even you realised. 

The boys chuckled at your words, George turning bright red from how hard he was laughing. Perhaps the booze was hitting him pretty hard too. While Fred’s eyes were dancing with that brightness they always had when he was having fun, he didn’t seem quite as sloppy. You hadn’t been paying attention, but he likely didn’t have as much to drink, and had simply been enjoying your company the entire time. 

“You know, I really missed you, Fred and George.” You said, pure sincerity dripping through your tone, your affection amplified in your chest by your drunkenness. You couldn’t hold yourself back - your emotions bubbling to the surface without your consent. “And I really, really missed you, Fred.” 

You turned to him, putting a warm hand on his shoulder, your touch practically burning up through the sleeve of his silken shirt (you were surprised by how nicely the twins dressed now that they were established bussinessmen). You hated that you couldn’t hold back the need to emphasise the fact that you had missed Fred just a bit more. But he had been on your mind a lot more than his brother had, as scarily similar as they were. 

Even if you had barely admitted it to yourself, throughout all your years at Hogwarts, you had a romantic inclination towards Fred. 

It was never something you had acted on, for fear of ruining the amazing friendship that the two of you had. But as your visit to England grew closer and closer, you found yourself losing focus on your work and thinking about him more and more. You wondered if he had found someone - you wondered if his good looks, his charm, his humour had landed him a wife in the time that you had been gone. It wouldn’t have surprised you if, during the time you had been gone, he had married or even had kids.

Obviously he had a wonderful career nailed down, so a family would have been the natural next step for him.  

Those thoughts made you approach the shop’s door with equal parts dread and excitement. You eagerly wanted to see him again but didn’t want to see that there was a ring on his finger. You had been all too happy to find out during your long, winding ‘catch up’ conversation that, in fact, he was still single. George had brought up that fact more than once, actually, nagging on his brother’s lonely status like it was the most recent funny joke he could prod at. 

When you heard him talk about it, there was that insecurity still bubbling beneath the surface - the thought that you had missed your chance, or that Fred had never been interested in you romantically at all. It was something that couldn’t even be knocked away by booze, and that was gnawing at you now that storytime was winding down. 

Fred and George exchanged a look - one of those silent conversations that could only be had through micro-expressions because of their closeness as twins. It was something that had always deeply irritated you during your days at Hogwarts, desperately trying to decipher if it meant ‘close to expulsion’ trouble or simply ‘skipping a class’ trouble.

“Well, would you look at the time,” George said, loudly and rather cartoonishly as he looked at his watch. It was something that you likely would have found suspect if you weren’t feeling hazy and drunk. “I told Katie I would pop over to hers sometime this weekend, so I should get going,” 

Something that had come as a brilliant surprise to you: finding out that George was now engaged to Katie Bell. 

Not only were you shocked to know that George seemed more than eager to ‘settle down’ and get married, but you were entirely curious about how they came to be as a couple. Especially considering that, as far as you knew, she had always seemed to find the twins’ pranks more annoying than anything else. 

But you supposed that annoyance and attraction were two twigs on the same branch, the tree just needed to be shaken a little for something romantic to happen. The two of them hadn’t officially moved in together yet, as much as George talked about her with those sweet, rose-coloured lenses, and seemed to want to spend all his time around her. The twins still lived in the flat above the shop, two twin beds in the bedroom, as they always had in their room at the Burrow. But from the way Fred remarked on it, and from what you had seen glancing into their bedroom when you had gotten up to use the toilet, George was over at Katie’s far more than he was at their flat. 

You couldn’t help but to find it sweet. George was in love. 

It made you happy for him, knowing that he had found someone good for him. But thinking about it caused a pang in your chest as you wondered if Fred was lonely. You knew that loneliness certainly wasn’t a feeling that he was used to. If it was you or George, or one of his many other brothers, he always had someone at his side to keep him company. 

You could only imagine what those nights were like - when the shop closed up and George popped off to his soon to be wife’s place, leaving Fred to nothing but the quiet. (You knew that Weasleys were never good with quiet - part of the reason that the twins were the way that they were.) 

George peeled himself off the floor, where the three of you had been sitting around the coffee table in the lounge. Like a gangly baby deer, he began stumbling about due to his own drunkenness before he gained a proper footing and finally managed to stand up straight. You let out a snorting laugh at the sight and Fred - very clearly the most sober of the three of you - rushed out of his seat to grab George by the shoulders, making sure that his brother was alright. 

“You sure that you’re okay to Apparate, Georgie?” Fred asked.

That kindness, that caring - it was something people often overlooked when they saw Fred Weasley. But it was one of the things that had drawn you to him the most. He was such a sweet person, and he cared about the people in his life with such a ferocity that it made your soul ache just to know that you were one of them. 

“I’ll be fine, Freddie.” George replied. 

Fred picked up George’s coat and began helping him into it, and you barely paid attention to the hushed conversation that the two of them had as you picked up the large (now rather light) bottle of Fire Whiskey and poured yourself another drink. 

You caught something online the lines of ‘just go for it, for Merlin’s sake’ - very strained and annoyed, but you honestly had no clue what they were talking about. As you took a sip of your drink - you truly didn’t care. 

Fred heaved out a sigh and then George disappeared with a crack. You craned your neck to look at the spot where he had been, just wanting to make sure that there was no blood or unsightly pieces of George left behind. There weren’t any - he had done fine.

“Havin’ another one, are we?” Fred remarked, walking around the coffee table to collapse onto the plush couch behind your back. 

You chugged the rest of the Fire Whiskey from your glass all in one go, growling slightly as it burned sharply down your throat before you put the glass down once again. 

“I’m celebrating!” You cheered loudly - again, much louder than you intended it to be. “I missed my best friends so much. It’s so - so good to be home.” 

“But apparently you missed me just a bit more?” Fred chuckled, referring to your comment from before. 

You moved to get up on the couch with him, and found your legs unsteady beneath you. Fred saw what you were doing and put a hand on your upper arm, hauling you back to sit on the cushions beside him. You moaned quietly at the warmth of his large hand on your bare skin, exposed by the camisole you were wearing. At one point, you had been wearing a nice cardigan, but you had stripped out of it as the alcohol drove your body temperature up.

You leaned back into the couch, and cuddled up against him. His body was soft and muscled at the same time, and he felt so nice against you. With your inhibitions lowered, you could see no fault in snuggling tightly into his side and laying your head on his chest. You wanted to simply enjoy the physical affection from a person you had missed so dearly. 

You didn’t see the pure warring on Fred’s face as you did this - the confliction and yearning and hurt flashing over his features. He had missed you too, but he knew that you had missed him as a friend, just as a good friend, and not as the ‘one that got away’ that he had been thinking about every damn day since. But he could be cool about this, he told himself. He wouldn’t let his stupid feelings get in the way. 

After a moment of pushing those pesky feelings back down, he finally relaxed into your touches and wrapped an arm around you, lazily brushing his fingers across the bare skin of your arm on the other side. You sighed happily at the feeling. From this close, he could smell the feminine floral waft of your perfume in combination with the hot cinnamon of the Fire Whiskey. And though it only made him yearn more, it was heaven. 

He was all too happy to have you this close rather than you being so far away in France. He was happy to have you home. 

“Do you want to stay the night?” He asked. “George’s bed will be empty, of course.” 

He added on that second part quickly - he wanted you to feel comfortable, didn’t want to put any pressure on you to keep up this closeness, even if you seemed cuddly and affectionate because of your drunken state. 

Originally, you had been planning to get a room at The Leaky Cauldron, but the twins’ shop had been your very first stop, and they had torn your suitcase out of your hands to bring it upstairs for you, so it was currently sitting off to the side of the lounge with your coat draped over it. And you never did get that room. Now, you realised it was laughable to think that you’d be staying anywhere but with friends, especially with the Molly Weasley hospitality baked right into them. You had to assume that even if George wasn’t at Katie’s, he would have slept on the couch so that you could take his bed anyway. 

“Freddie, you know, I don’t think I’m going to get very far.” You said. “You - you got me pretty d-drunk.” 

Fred smiled to himself. “Ah, I see. Once again, it is all my fault.” 

It was something you did at large during your days at Hogwarts. You blamed him for yourself being late to class, you getting detentions, the few times you had ended up on Molly’s bad side. When in reality, you had always been a cheerful, willing participant in their chaos, you had always ‘blamed’ him for dragging you into it. But it only made him tempt you into more trouble. 

“It is,” You sighed, turning your head to give him a wide grin. “You always g-get me into trouble.” 

Fred let out a quiet laugh at this, and you laid your head on this chest once again. The two of you mulled in the comfortable silence for a few moments before you thought of something. 

“You know, this-s reminds me, of - of the first time you got me drunk.” You told him with a laugh. 

“Oh, god, back in sixth year?” He posed, returning to the memory himself. “That was epic. I still don’t know if I’d call it an epic disaster, or epic fun.” 

“Bit of both.” You mumbled quietly. “Always is with you.” 

Sitting there, curled up next to the lovely warmth of him, you remembered the night so fondly. 

… 

Leave it to Fred Weasley to pull you out of bed at half past two in the morning with no solid explanation as to why, aside from ‘we have plans’. 

When you asked him why he couldn’t conduct those plans with George, as he usually did, he simply smirked and said that George had plans of his own. Which deeply worried you - but you tried your best to ignore it. You knew from experience that Fred wasn’t a walking troublemaker all the time. 

In fact, the events of just a short week ago had proven that to you. He had invited you to the Yule Ball (as friends, of course) and the entire evening had been absolutely pleasant. No pranks - no water balloons, no coloured dye, no buckets of feathers, no charmed objects, no floods. It had been nothing but a delightful night of dancing and chatting with your friends. 

Even now, as Fred pulled you into the mouth of a very small passageway that you had never seen before (one that caused you to slump over in order to walk through it), you pulled your scarf tighter around yourself and tried your hardest not to worry about what he might be up to. At the very least, if he was planning something large and disruptive, you would know about it, so that you wouldn’t be on the receiving end.

He had told you that these ‘plans’ involved going outdoors, so you had bundled up well, because there was still quite a few feet of snow outside and it was chilly, seeing as it was so late at night. But you hadn’t expected it to be so damn cold, walking in a random mystery tunnel underneath the school. Again, you had no clue where he was taking you or where the thing even led - you were simply glad when it became tall enough for you to straighten your back up. 

“Where are we going, Fred?” You demanded harshly. 

“You’ll see.” Fred told you, throwing a wicked grin over his shoulder at you as he continued to lead you forward through the darkness - the light of his wand being the only thing leading the way in the musty old tunnel. 

“Nothing good ever happens when you say those words.” You replied, heaving a deep sigh. 

“Well, perhaps, you could keep your mind open this time.” He said brightly. “Loosen up. Be open to all the possibilities that the universe has to offer you,” 

You rolled your eyes at this. He was trying to direct your attention away from whatever scheme he had planned, that much was immediately clear to you. 

“Is this an escape tunnel out of the country because you finally did something bad enough for your mother to kill you?” You joked. “Let me guess, you’re meeting George in Germany? What was it that finally pushed her over the edge? Did she find out that you two took bets at the World Cup? Did she find out about the-?” 

Your words were abruptly cut off when Fred tapped his wand on the wall in front of him. It was a seemingly a dead end wall made of stone, keeping the two of you trapped at the end of the tunnel. But when he whispered some incantation under his breath, the stone began to grind loudly and it parted ways - letting in a gust of cold air from the outside, revealing the way out. 

Fred stepped forward and you continued to follow him. As the stone grinded closed behind the two of you (now disguised as nothing more than a large, natural boulder) you gaped with shock as you saw a cluster of lights just down the hill and you quickly realised what it was. 

“Hogsmeade.” You declared quietly, entirely shocked that you had walked through a dirty tunnel and ended up here. 

Somehow, without getting caught - without setting off any charms that should supposedly be in place to keep the students on the school’s grounds. 

Fred nodded proudly, grinning at you.

“How-?” You gaped. 

“I have my ways, don’t I?” Fred said, his chest visibly puffing out with pride. 

You decided not to question it. Especially because you fully understood it now - Fred was bored, he knew a way out of the school, and he simply wanted to have fun in Hogsmeade instead of laying in bed that night. 

Fred took a hold of your hand as the two of you walked into town, and you took a quiet joy in observing Hogsmeade at night. Quite a few of the shops were closed, due to it being so late, which did make you wonder why Fred had even bothered to bring you there. 

But he soon answered your question when he brought you to The Three Broomsticks - which was lit up, bustling and lively at this time. You knew that the front door was enchanted to alert the owner of underage wizards trying to pass through at certain times. Before you could even wonder what Fred’s plan was for that one - he led you around to the back, and he caught the back door out of someone’s hand as they ran outside and began puking in a snowbank, obviously unable to handle their liquor. 

The two of you slipped in the back door completely undetected, seeing as it didn’t have those same enchantments to alert the owner of your presence. You began tingling with the glee that you always wore whenever Fred pulled you along to perform some mischief. You felt so joyous when you paired up to share wicked secrets with him. Fred had a talent for getting away with things (and other times, he so fabulously didn’t) - but he got away with a lot more than anybody ever realised, right under their noses. You felt clever just being around him most of the time.

With all the confidence in the world, still holding your hand, Fred pushed past some other rowdy patrons and waltzed right up to the bar. He tossed down a few Sickles (bet money that he and George had won from the World Cup, you could guarantee) and you couldn’t help but to grin at him as so confidently placed an order. 

“Two Fire Whiskeys, please.” He announced, never once skipping a beat or faltering as any other underage person in a bar would. 

It was strange to say, but Fred wore playful deception so well. You knew that you were staring at him with intense attraction written all over your face as you admired his antics. You simply hoped that he wouldn’t catch the love dopey look on your face and call you out on it. 

“Coming right up, love-” Madam Rosmerta began to comply with his request without issue, but she took pause when she looked up from drying a glass with a rag long enough to truly look at the two of you. 

That was the moment you thought it was over, for sure. You thought that she would send an angry owl up to Hogwarts, and the two of you would be done for. You began to imagine what kind of sick and twisted punishment McGonagall would have in store for the two of you - scrubbing cauldrons for weeks, trimming all the grass on the Quidditch pitch with scissors. 

But somehow, Fred was a lot more clever than that. He wasn’t going to give up and simply let himself be caught. 

“Aren’t you two a little… young to be in here?” She posed, glancing between the two of you and then looking back toward the front door, as though she was expecting the enchantments to suddenly begin wailing to alert her to a couple of underage wizards in the pub. Even though the two of you had successfully made it all the way over to the bar without that happening. 

“Young?” Fred scoffed, putting on his very best tone of fake offence. “Honestly, woman, why would a couple of kids be in a pub at three in the morning?” 

Rosmerta raised a brow at him, making it clear that she didn’t buy this - at least not yet. 

Your stomach curled with nerves, and you tried your hardest not to show it on your face. You knew that this would either end in a spectacular punishment, or Fred would pull off one of his greatest hoaxes yet. 

“Perhaps you might recognize us from when we were Hogwarts students,” Fred shrugged, trying his best to sound casual. “But we graduated year before last. And we just got off a very long shift with the Department of Cursed Objects, and we would simply like a drink.” 

“Yeah, that last one was a doozy.” Your tongue moved before you gave it permission, and you found yourself leaning on the bar as you added onto Fred’s lie. “We had to hunt down this set of silver teaware that poisoned anyone who drank out of it. They were spitting up blood, and rotting from the inside out, choking on their own-” 

“My apologies.” Rosmerta said, giving a curt smile. Clearly, she was increasingly uncomfortable with the graphic nature of your made-up story, and simply wanted you and Fred out of her way. “You must be right. The students from the school all start to blend together after the years. How ‘bout that drink then?” 

She turned to grab a pair of non-cursed glasses, and when you glanced over at Fred, he was grinning widely at you. 

“Good one.” He whispered into your ear, and you couldn’t help the shiver that went through you at the feeling of his hot breath on your neck. If asked, you would say that it was caused by the chill of someone opening the door, and not caused by your unbearable attraction to him. 

When the drinks were placed on the bar in front of you, Rosmerta scurried off to attend to someone else. You picked up the glass that was half filled with the amber liquid, feeling intense victory and satisfaction flowing through you. In a predictable pattern, you and Fred gently clinked your glasses together. 

But rather than making a congratulatory toast in celebration of getting away with the lies, you grinned widely at him as you said this: 

“You’re a menace to society, Fred Weasley.” 

“You love it.” He replied easily, giving you a cheeky wink as he tossed back the liquid in one clean gulp. He winced slightly and sucked in a breath sharply through his teeth. But it was clearly not his first time drinking, and you had to guess that Bill was the one responsible for that. 

Wanting to match him, you did the same - you tipped the glass back, letting all of the liquid slide past your lips and down your throat in one go. It burnt sharply in a way that you absolutely weren’t expecting, and you began coughing and sputtering, giving away your amateur nature in one glance. It was lucky that Rosmerta wasn’t looking. Fred rubbed your back soothingly, though he did take a moment to laugh at you. 

“Burns, doesn’t it?” He chuckled. 

“You c-could’ve warned me.” 

… 

A short while later, the burn of the alcohol was certainly no longer a concern for you. You supposed that was part of the point - if booze made you drunk and detached from yourself, they didn’t have to make it taste good. Because after a while, you just didn’t taste it. 

You and Fred were three rounds deep, and even though he was matching you drink for drink, he was far more composed than you were. He hardly seemed drunk at all, other than the cute way he giggled at your jokes. Perhaps it was because of his height, or his Quidditch playing muscles, but he was handling his alcohol surprisingly well. 

You, on the other hand - you were properly sloshed. 

You had shed most of your winter clothing and spread the pieces haphazardly around the table that Fred had sat the two of you at. And you were currently trying to balance one of the empty shot glasses on your forehead - just to prove that you could, while Fred watched on in amusement. 

Of course, he was partially amused by your drunken antics, and partially watching your cleavage threaten to burst out of your tight, V neck tee shirt as you arched your back furiously, trying to keep the glass balanced there. Since you had shed off your jacket and thick jumper, this was what you were left in, along with your tight jeans and boots - and Fred found that he couldn’t keep his eyes off you. 

“See! Told you I could do it!” You cheered, proud of yourself as you finally reached up and took the glass down, and then moved back to sit in your chair in front of Fred. 

He couldn’t help but to smile at you. Honestly, he would never doubt you in anything you set your mind to. If you said that you could walk up walls or make Snape dance a jig, he would simply wait to watch it happen. 

As he watched your proud smile and the way that the slightly drunken confidence caused you to sit up a bit taller, seeing the light from the fireplace gently kiss your skin - he was reminded of why he had brought you here in the first place. He let the alcohol in his own system give him courage (something that had been built into the plan) and he reached across the table, grabbing your hand gently with both of his. 

The suddenly serious look that befell Fred’s face surprised you. That sense of surprise only grew when he took hold of your hand. He had more than captured your attention as he began to speak. 

“Y/N, there’s something I really need to tell you.” Fred announced, his voice taking on a very rare serious quality. 

It was something you had only heard from him when he talked about the possible ways to fund his joke shop or when you had fallen off a broom playing Quidditch at the Burrow and he had been worried about you being hurt. You nodded, stunned into silence, wondering if this meant bad news coming, eager for him to continue. 

“Y/N, darling, you truly are the most amazing thing in my life.” He said, giving a small smile. Hearing this made your stomach tingle - it made the clasp of his hands around yours feel warmer. “You are so utterly brilliant. And you’re funny, and you’re the only girl I know who actually laughs at the stupid pranks I pull. I absolutely love spending time with you. I genuinely can’t imagine my life without you. So much so, that-” 

“Hello, sweet thing.” 

Fred’s words were disrupted by a deep voice, someone behind you who grumbled out these words and then let out a low whistle. 

It took you a moment to realise that it was even directed at you. But when Fred’s face switched from that sweet smile to a harsh glare - a look that was rare for him, you followed his intense gaze over your shoulder to see what he was looking at. 

It was a group of three men, much older than you, greasy-haired, wearing dark cloaks - staring at you like a pack of coyotes would stare at a hunk of fresh meat. Their gaze immediately made you feel naked, and though you were blazen hot, between the Fire Whiskey coursing through your system and the heat of the fireplace licking at you nearby, you had the urge to grab your jumper and pull it on over your head simply so that they would stop looking. 

“Now what is a pretty thing like you doing in this dirty old pub?” One of the men asked, his voice feeling filthy in your ears and causing your spine to curl with disgust and something that you would hesitate to admit was fear. “Surely you must be lost, sweet thing. Need someone to show you the way home, then?” 

You quickly jumped out of your chair and moved around the table to Fred’s side, where he had risen and easily swept you into his side with an arm around your shoulders. In a moment, you felt safer under his protective touch as he continued to glare at the men. 

“Bugger off, then!” Fred ordered sharply. 

“Oh, ‘bugger off’,” One of the others mocked Fred’s words in a whiny tone - clearly they didn’t take him seriously because he was obviously younger, even if he was quite tall for his age. 

“What are you, her little boyfriend?” Another one of them joked. 

“Yes, as a matter of fact, I am.” Fred stated confidently, tossing in the obvious lie. “And I can tell you that brushing your teeth is one of the first requirements to getting a woman of this calibre,” 

You resisted the urge to laugh at how his statement made their faces immediately meek and embarrassed. 

“Well, if she wants a real man, that’s up to her to decide.” The man said gruffly. “Innit, princess?” 

When he tossed out the nickname, you felt bile curl in your stomach, and it took you only a second to move when Fred uttered his next words to you. 

“Grab your coat. We’re leaving.” 

You scrambled around the table to get your jumper, mittens, hat, scarf, and your coat. As you were reaching across to one of the chairs to grab the last item, one of the men actually had the audacity to grab your wrist, stopping you from pulling back with the item in hand. 

“If the girl wants to stay and have fun, that’s her choice.” He grumbled. 

You wanted to tout that no, your idea of fun wasn’t hanging around men like this, but your voice was shrunken down into your throat with fear. 

His grip around you was stiff and painful, and you immediately looked to Fred - whose jaw was set with a seething anger that you had only seen in him once before (when Malfoy had dared to insult Ginny right in front of him). He reached one hand into his pocket and leaned on the table with the other hand. 

The man still didn’t let go of you, and you wondered if Fred’s hand was sitting on his wand in his pocket. 

“Listen, bud, I don’t speak troll, so I’ll say this very slowly for you,” Fred announced, his voice dark with anger. “Let. Her. Go.” 

The man immediately became outraged at being called a troll, and he moved his hand off your wrist, curling it into a hefty fist that he moved to swing at Fred’s head. 

Fred ducked out of the way seamlessly, and you pulled your coat into the pile of clothes at your chest as Fred’s hand came out of his pocket with a lump of something black that looked almost like ordinary coal. He tossed it down to the floor and it exploded into a cloud of pure, thick darkness. Before you could truly comprehend what was going on, Fred’s comforting arm was around your shoulders, guiding you back out the back door of the pub. 

You were thankful to be surrounded by cool air, the anxiety unwinding around you as Fred guided you away from the scene. 

“Freddie, that was amazing!” You gasped, more than happy to praise him for saving you from those creeps. 

You trudged along through the snow, incredibly chilly now that the wind kissed your bare arms and you held your jumper and your jacket rather than wearing them. But you were distracted from that feeling as you stared at the pub. You heard muffled coughs and voices loudly complaining, and as you circled around to the front, you saw the dark smoke overtaking any light that was inside, so much so that it began to pour out from the chimney and leak out of the cracks around the front door. 

“What was that?” You had to ask, looking on in pure curiosity of the concoction that he had released into the pub. 

“...new product George and I have been working on,” Fred admitted, his voice quivering with nerves slightly as he heard the coughs and sputters from inside. “Should probably adjust the size of the pellets, though. That was a bit… much.” 

“Everything about you is ‘much’, Fred.” You said, still feeling that beautiful drunken warmth. It morphed into pure admiration toward him that you could hardly hold back. “That’s what makes you great.” 

Fred chuckled at this. 

He helped you get dressed back in your warm clothes, and the two of you walked back to the castle through that secret tunnel once again. He never quite built up the courage to get back to that topic he had so badly wanted to discuss - the entire reason he had taken you to Hogsmeade in the first place. But he basked in the simple joys of the night as the two of you talked in the Gryffindor common room and eventually, you fell asleep cuddled up to his chest while lounging on a couch in front of the fire. 

… 

Now, all these years later, curled up on the couch with him much like you had been that night - you finally realised what he had been trying to say. 

“Oh my god.” You gasped quietly, opening your eyes and sitting stark upright. 

Fred was surprised by this, seeing as he thought that you were starting to fall asleep on his chest. He had been sitting there quietly, mentally debating if he should levitate you to bed or risk the neck cramps of sleeping upright on the couch himself. 

“What?” He asked quietly, feeling entirely clueless. 

“Oh. My. God!” You screamed, jumping off the couch and pointing an accusatory finger at him. 

“What? What?!” He asked, the word growing in volume and sense of alarm in his mouth the longer you went without telling him what was wrong. 

“That day - that day-” You were struggling to gather your thoughts into words, a drunken slur still slightly evident on your tongue. Though the anxiety and panic that had suddenly set in had woken up quite a few of your senses.

“What? What day?” Fred parroted back, even more confused. 

“That day.” You repeated, pressing emphasis on the word. “That time, back in sixth year, when we snuck out to Hogsmeade.” 

A look of dawning came across Fred’s features, and he became more sullen than you had ever seen him. It was something that punched you sharply in the chest as the realisation hit you even harder now. 

You had been so stupid. How could you not have known it back then? 

“You… you were gonna confess your feelings to me.” You said quietly, almost afraid to speak the words aloud. 

Perhaps he could have saved himself some pain if he lied, but he saw no good sense in denying it. 

“Yes.” He said quietly, unshed tears scraping the inside of his throat. 

“What-?” Now it was your turn to gape with confusion. “Was that the only time? Why then?” 

“That certainly was not the only bloody time.” Fred chuckled, the laughter sounding heavy and dark in his throat rather than joyous and light as it usually did coming from him. “I tried about a million other times before then - at the Quidditch World Cup, before we ran into your cousins who just so desperately needed your attention. On the train that year, before Katie burst in and stole you away to chat on about what a great summer you had. I thought perhaps you’d get the bloody point when I asked you to be my date to the Yule Ball.” 

It felt as though an icy shard was shoved right through your heart. 

You had been so stupid. 

“I - I thought you asked me to go as friends.” You told him, entirely honest about your viewpoint. 

“Well that just makes me feel like the biggest arse in existence.” Fred shrugged. 

“Why didn’t you just tell me?” You barked out, feeling an intense frustration rush over you. 

You felt indignant, annoyed. You felt like something had been stolen from you - information, time that you should have spent with Fred as your boyfriend rather than the time you had spent simply wishing he was. 

Fred scoffed at this, clearly hurt. 

“Well, Y/N, at a certain point, I lost my balls!” He shouted back. That was a harsh thing to imagine - Fred Weasley losing the courage to take a risk. “I thought that after all the damn interruptions, the universe just didn’t want you to know that I’m hopeless bleedin’ in love with you.” 

Your throat clenched up when he said it in the present tense - said like he still had those feelings for you. You wanted so badly to say it back, but your voice was caught in your throat for a harsh moment. It caused a pitiable silence over the room that made him rush to continue.

“Honestly, I thought - I thought it might be different after you left.” 

He said quietly, his voice breaking around the words slightly. 

“I thought that not seeing you every day… that I might be able to forget how I felt. But it only got worse. I thought about you every single day, and I missed you so badly. And now that you’re standing here in front of me - now, you’re not just some girl I fancied in school, now… you have turned into this magnificent woman that I love. And it would be my biggest regret if you didn’t know that.” 

Fred confessed, his words so passionate that it caused tingles down your spine, and goosebumps across your arms. 

“But you’re probably so drunk that you won’t remember this in the morning, and there’s probably some French arsehole named Pierre waiting for you-” 

“There’s no one else.” You quickly blurted out, suddenly finding your voice. 

Your body finally caught up to your mind, bursting with the urge for him to know this. 

“It’s always been you, Fred Weasley.” You announced, your words slicing through the air like a diamond cutting through glass. 

His eyes lit up and this, and he stared at you with the slightest bit of hope dancing across his features as he waited, holding his breath for you to possibly confirm the thing he had been dreaming about for years. 

“And I certainly won’t forget this. No booze or potion - nothing could make me forget you saying the words I have always wanted to hear.” 

You reached out and took a tight grip on the front of his shirt, pulling him toward you with force - you slammed your lips into his, finally doing the thing you had been dreaming of since you were a teenager. He let out a moan as you kissed him with as much intense passion as he had put into his words. Right as his tongue snaked toward your lips, you pulled back for a breath, and simply for good measure: 

“I love you, Fred.” You breathed out. 

“Oh, thank Merlin.”

[trulybetty]

323 Mulefall Crt. Chapter One | Monday

Pairing: no outbreak!Joel x OFC Word Count: 3,048 Warnings: mentions of alcohol, food, minor mentions of a previous relationship, a brief suggestion of possible cheating, Cousin Joel™️ comes with his own warnings, as does David! Chapter Summary: Cousin Joel has officially arrived on Mulefall Crt. and happenstance has Katie running into both him and Will. AO3: Linked

A/N: it's finally here! Or should I say he's finally here? 😏 This has been in the works for such a long time in collaboration with @rhoorl that it feels surreal to be posting it! We hope you enjoy this as much as Jess and I enjoyed creating these characters! Thank you Jess for allowing me to come play in your sandbox and being such an amazing friend! 💕

x. master list | x. delta landscaping

There wasn’t a drawer in Katie's office that wasn’t open and rifled through. If anyone was to walk in at that moment, they’d think she’d been broken into. However, as she wiped her sweaty brow and tried to catch her breath, it was evident that it was Katie who was responsible.

She checked her watch on her wrist, “Fuck,” she muttered as she noticed the time, she had less than an hour to find the missing USB drive, get back to the office, give Miranda the rundown of the presentation and, oh, squeeze in a drive through visit for a very much needed obnoxious coffee to get through all of the above.

She shoved papers back into drawers, her eyes scanning over the desk one more time. Had she checked her car? Yes, it was the first place she’d looked after it was missing from her office desk. Did she check the kitchen, the place where everything usually ended up getting left to be sorted later? Yes, she’d broken a knob on one of the drawers she’d have to repair later. After the shake-down she’d given the usual spaces she dove back into the mess of her office, tossing aside pens, staplers, and old receipts, cursing herself for not being more organized.

Gritting her teeth, she moved onto the file cabinet that sat under her desk. Each and every drawer yielded nothing but old invoices, her passport which she’d actually been looking for the previous week, and the phone bill she still needed to pay. With a grunt, she sat back in her office chair, idly swinging side to side, trying to remember where she saw it last.

With a heavy sigh of frustration escaping, her eyes wandered towards the large window that framed the view of her front lawn; it had been the main reason for choosing that room as the location of her home office. It was where she mostly worked from, only dropping into the office on occasion. Today was a big presentation for her team, and she was the one leading it and had painstakingly created the deck. Foolishly though, she’d saved it to a USB drive rather than the cloud. Fooling herself into thinking she’d upload it when she was done, which wasn’t the case.

Chewing her lip absentmindedly, she caught sight of Will’s iconic red Jeep pulling up across the street. Despite her current predicament, a small smile tugged at her lips. Will and Benny Miller’s arrival on Mulefall Court all those months back had been a welcome one. If anything, the two brothers and their friends often provided a welcome distraction from the routine of work-from-home life.

Usually, it was Benny with Will, but today it was someone else. Climbing out of the passenger seat was the elusive ‘Cousin Joel’, a character of great interest in the neighbourhood group chat as of late, especially when news of his impending arrival for Benny’s fight later that week was announced.

Curiosity piqued, she leaned forward in her chair, angling to get a better look over her monitor setup at Joel. With his broad shoulders on display, swathed in green plaid unbuttoned to reveal a white t-shirt, he had a rugged charm about him. Sunglasses perched on his nose, he closed the Jeep’s door as he took in the neighbourhood.

However, as if sensing her gaze, Joel suddenly turned, his eyes, though hidden behind his sunglasses, seemed to look directly at her. Despite logic telling her there was no way he could likely see her, panic set in. She dropped to the floor in a frantic attempt to hide, her heartbeat furiously in her chest, and only part of that was due to the idea of being caught. The absurdity of the situation was not lost on her, a grown woman ducking from view over harmless curiosity.

Trying to get her bearings, her attention was taken by the buildup of dust under the desk, cursing the RoboVac for not reaching the far corners. Just as she was backing up to climb up from under her desk, her fingers brushed against something familiar. The USB drive! There, hiding in plain sight, she let out a laugh at the silver lining of her comical dive under the desk bringing her to the reason for running out of the office half an hour ago.

Relief washed over her but was quickly replaced by a sharp pang of pain as she bumped her head on the underside of the desk in her haste to stand up. Rubbing at her head, she made sure she was clear of the desk before she stood to avoid hitting her head again. Standing, she brushed down the front of her pencil skirt from the dust from under her desk. The last thing she needed was to turn up back at the office in a state before the departments' directors.

Running to the kitchen, she grabbed her phone, then made a path back to the front door, picking up the various items she’d strewn upon arriving home. Knitted duster, check, purse, check, car keys, check, and then finally, her heels she’d kicked off as soon as she was over the threshold. Trying to hold her balance, she slipped on the pumps and cursed her panic in leaving the office and forgoing the flats she usually wore for driving.

The mid-day sun was high, casting long shadows over her driveway as she navigated what was becoming the too-familiar obstacle course of loose and warped planks of her porch. Each step was a calculated risk, the heels of her shoes threatening to catch in the gaps. She reminded herself to finally arrange to get it fixed, a mental note she’d made countless times before after Will’s discovery that the whole thing was barely holding on and was likely on the cusp of collapse. A problem for future Katie, right now she needed to get back to the office with the USB.

Checking her tote’s contents, ensuring the USB drive had not moved since she last checked on it only five seconds previously, her focus was interrupted by a voice from across the way, “Hey, Katie!”

It was Will.

He was jogging across the street, a figure trailing behind him looking both ways across the street as they followed. As they approached and as she caught up with what was happening, her heart skipped a beat or two. ‘Cousin Joel’, the man whose all but brief mentions in the neighbourhood had launched a thousand theories and gossip threads in the group chat. He was even more ruggedly handsome up close than the view out of her window and through any of the photos she’d caught sight of at Will’s and the one FaceTime chat she’d briefly been a part of.

He had a casual confidence that was magnetic, and as she tore her attention back to Will, missing the appreciative once-over Joel gave her legs as she was too busy trying to find her voice, suddenly at a loss for words.

“Hey, Will,” she responded, trying to sound composed.

Will, oblivious to her internal struggle over Joel’s presence, gave her a wide smile, “Katie, I wanted you to meet Joel. He’s in town for an overdue vacation and just in time for our Benny’s fight this weekend!” He patted his cousin on the back, and it was evident without knowing, in just how he spoke about his cousin, that Will held him in great regard.

Joel extended his hand, his sunglasses now pushed to the top of his head, his deep brown eyes alight as his smile turned into a friendly smirk as if he was fully aware of the thoughts in her head, “It’s great to finally meet you, Katie,” he shot a look at his cousin, “I’ve heard a lot about you from Will.”

She took his hand, the warmth and firmness of his grip almost made her knees buckle. “So you’re the infamous Cousin Joel we’ve been hearing so much about?” she replied, hoping her voice sounded steadier than she felt.

Joel's smile widened at Katie's question, a spark of amusement flickering in his eyes. “Infamous, huh? I hope Will's been keeping it positive,” he joked, his voice deep and slightly tinged with a flirtatious undertone that wasn’t missed by Will as he raised a humoured eyebrow at Joel’s antics.

Before Katie could open her mouth to try and muster something that might have resembled a coherent sentence the boisterous voice of Benny Miller rang out through the street, “J MONEEEEYYY!! You made it!”

Benny charged across the road and with a running start leapt at Joel, who managed to catch him mid-air without so much as a stumble. Benny’s infectious energy was palpable, even without the wide grin spread across his face.

Suddenly, the air was filled with booming laughter

“Bean,” Joel rumbled, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he returned the hug with equal enthusiasm. “It's good to see you.”

Benny pulled back after a moment and grinned at Katie, “So you got to meet the man, the myth, the legend himself!” he said as he patted Joel’s shoulders, showing him off as if he were

a grand prize. Joel rolled his eyes but the smile never left his face.

“Indeed,” Katie responded, somewhat overwhelmed by the hive of activity that had descended upon her driveway, she was pretty sure several members of the group chat were twitching their blinds at Benny’s rowdy entrance, “but, J Money? Did I hear that right?”

Joel laughed as he shook his head, “It’s a nickname,” Benny swung his arm around Joel’s shoulder in pride, “It’s a long story,” Joel continued flashing Katie another smile that instantly made her stomach flip-flop once more.

Before the conversation could continue, Katie’s phone buzzed in her hands, bringing her back to reality, a reality where she needed to be back in the office doing a presentation in less than forty-five minutes.

“Sorry,” she held up her phone in a way of an apology.

She thought she caught a glint of disappointment across Joel’s face, but she quickly shook it off as just her imagination in the chaos of Benny’s arrival.

“Work?” Will asked, giving her a sympathetic look.

“Yeah,” she mumbled as her eyes skimmed over the message on the screen of her phone before she looked back at Will and Joel. “Unfortunately,” she said, forcing a smile onto her face despite the sinking feeling in her stomach at the weight of its importance rearing its head again. “Big presentation.”

Will nodded sympathetically, but still had a wide smile on his face conveying that he had the utmost confidence she was going to ace it. He had heard her talk about it for weeks, been an ear as she vented, and he knew she was well-prepared despite her fears, “No rest for the wicked.” he quipped with a wink.

“Yeah,” Katie murmured distractedly as she began to dig in her tote for her car keys, cursing how she could misplace them just steps from her front door. One last deep dive of her tote she finally fished them out from the bottom of the bag.

Before she could say anything, Will placed a reassuring hand on Katie’s arm as Benny regaled Joel about his training regime, “You got this Kat.”

She gave him a forced smile, “Thank you,” her phone buzzed again and she sighed, “Okay, I really have to go now.”

It was a quick round of goodbyes, but Katie couldn’t help but feel like she’d gotten lost in Joel’s gaze as he gave her a wide smile telling her it was nice meeting her. But before he could say any more, Benny was dragging him away talking loudly about the preparations for his fight Friday night and asking if Joel would come by the gym for his training session with Frankie. It was impossible not to notice the admiration Benny had for his older cousin from the pep in his step combined with his excitement and infectious enthusiasm that Joel seemed to share.

Reaching her car, Katie allowed herself one last glance back, catching the boys walking up the driveway of Will and Benny’s place. Benny animatedly talking with his hands flying in sparring moves, Will laughing with his head thrown back at something Benny had just said but what caught her breath was Joel watching her with a small smile on his face as he nodded his chin at her in a means of goodbye and a look in his eyes she just couldn’t quite figure out.

“Oh lord,” she muttered to herself feeling her cheeks flush with heat, “you’re a grown woman Katie.” With a deep breath, she opened the car door and took a deep breath as she got herself situated and dialled Miranda as she checked her mirrors and reversed down the driveway.

“Hey, Miranda, I’m on my way back to the office… yeah I’ve got it. We need coffee, what can I get you?”

Katie stretched out her legs across her sectional sofa, sinking into the corner and enjoying the plush cushions nesting her in. Despite the day’s presentation going off without a hitch, the day had been a long one. With a glass of white wine in one hand and a bag of chips in her lap, she settled in hoping to switch her mind off with some trashy TV.

She wasn’t far in on some reality home design show when her phone started to ping persistently. Dropping the bag of chips she picked up her phone from beside her and saw that the group chat was flying back and forth, the notifications already in the double digits.

She squinted at the screen, annoyed she’d left her glasses in the kitchen, as she scrolled through the chat. It mostly consisted of David asking about any and all sightings of ‘Cousin Joel’ and a picture of Joel. One that Katie zoomed in on with a pinch of her fingertips, squinting even further to make sense of the already blurry picture, that looked like it was taken from David and Ty’s house.

Katie: David, did you take this from your bathroom window?! David: 👀 no comment Ty: I stopped him before he got the binoculars out Melissa: has anyone actually seen ‘Cousin Joel’ in the flesh?! Olivia: I saw Ms. Katie with the boys and Joel this morning 😏 David: Katie baby, I need ALL the details!!!

Katie laughed at the enthusiasm of the chat, which turned into a giggle when she saw David’s last message.

Katie: Sorry to disappoint but I’ve got nothing juicy for you. Ran into the boys this morning, that’s all. David: so you’re telling me that sexy man was there and nothing came out of it?! David: Have I not taught you anything?! Olivia: give her a break Dave 😂 Ty: Olivia’s right. Let Katie live! David: give a man something Katie! Ty: Please Katie, he’ll be clawing at the walls for the rest of the night 🤦🏻‍♂️ Olivia: and maybe for the rest of us too… just saying 👀

Katie laughed again as she took a sip of her wine finishing the glass.

Katie: Okay, okay… He was hot, his pictures Melissa dug up do not do him justice David: 💀💀💀🪦 Melissa: Is David okay @Ty? Ty: I think he might be talking in tongues, I’m about to put a Stanley straw under his tongue so he doesn’t choke on it Olivia: This might be first time David has been rendered speechless

The group chat slowing down and some throwing out good night wishes, swiping out of the app and with a loss of interest in the HGTV show of the moment against her better judgement Katie opened Instagram and began to mindlessly scroll through her feed. It was a mix of family and friends’ updates, a few work colleagues and the occasional celebrity. She double-tapped a picture of one of her brothers posing with his dog and was about to swipe away from the app when a picture caught her eye, freezing her mid-motion.

It was Seb. Seb with his arm wrapped around her, Petra. His ex… No, not his ex anymore. The caption underneath read “She said YES! 💍”. There was a flood of congratulations and heart emojis in the comments section which Katie had expanded against her better judgement. She hadn’t realized she still following him since he rarely used social media.

A flood of emotions washed over her—surprise, a twinge of pain, and an odd sense of finality even if their divorce was almost a year out. She remembered their conversations at the start of their relationship, the way he’d always had that far-off look when he ‘joked’ about “the one that got away.” — then as their relationship progressed and things started to plateau and go south Katie tried to convince herself that she could be enough, that their love could be stronger than his past. But in the end, despite three years of marriage, she was just a placeholder until he found his way back to Petra.

Letting out the breath she didn’t know she was holding, she tried to shake off the feelings of inadequacy that threatened to resurface. The engagement announcement was a stark reminder of why she’d packed up her life in Chicago to move to Florida, to a house she bought sight unseen for a fresh start.

Before she could be tempted to go back through his profile page Katie quickly hit the unfollow button, a final act in moving forward.

Switching back to the group chat, she skimmed through the talk of Benny’s fight coming up that Friday. David asking if cigarette pants were appropriate attire and Olivia asking how late these things ran so she could arrange a babysitter.

Throwing her phone back onto the sofa Katie took a deep breath in a moment of reflection. The day had been a long one and filled with the ups and downs of the morning's events without news on Seb. Standing up she turned off the TV and walked back to the kitchen to refill her wine and on the way back she grabbed her glasses and her book she’d started over the weekend, hoping she’d find some distraction in its pages.

[loveroftoomanyfandoms]

Sweet on You, Chapter 4

Pairing: Matt Murdock x F!Reader

Story Summary: HERE

Warnings/Tags: Sugar Daddy!Matt Murdock, Idiots to Lovers, No Age Gap, Alternating PoV, No Use of Y/N, Fake dating (sort of)

Word Count: ~2500

A/N: Thank you to everyone who has liked and reblogged/commented thus far! Enjoy Matt and Reader's first official "not"-date!

As always, if you'd like to be tagged, please let me know!

Tag List (struck-through blogs could not be tagged): @danzer8705 @capylore @shouldbestudying41 @atemydadforbreakfast @peachy-flxwr @sleepysleepymom @fishinsuits @milkbummm @lazyxsquirrel @beezusvreeland @caughtthefever @bohemianrhapsody86 @yarrystyleeza @indestructeible @pepperthebi-spy

Divider by the always amazing @theradioactivespidergwen!

You were quiet as you and Matt headed towards the restaurant he had chosen for dinner, your mind still processing the contract as you walked. 

To be honest, you hadn't expected the terms of the agreement to be quite so fair and even, and you definitely hadn't expected the increase in the amount of money Matt would be giving you per month. 

Just from the little bit of time you had spent with him you could tell that he was honest, fair, and kind, and you couldn't help but wonder if maybe the reason Matt was paying you more was because you had told him about having joined S&S in order to help your mother with her medical bills, rather than his given reason of simply feeling that your time was worth more than the amount you had originally agreed upon due to what was being requested of you. 

You mentally shook your head. No matter the reason, you were touched by Matt's fairness and generosity and were feeling better about having accepted his offer.

Matt slowed as the two of you approached Okinawa, a Japanese steakhouse where you sometimes picked up lunch for the partners. “We're here.”

He held the door open for you. “Ladies first.”

“Thank you.” You stepped inside.

“Good evening,” the seating hostess said. 

“Hi,” Matt replied. “We have a reservation for 6 o’clock under ‘Murdock’.”

The hostess tapped at the tablet in front of her. “Yes, of course. Right this way.”

She led the two of you to a quiet table in the corner. “Here you go. Your server will be right with you.”

You took your coat off and draped it across the back of your chair, pleasantly surprised when Matt pulled your chair out for you. “Thank you.”

Matt took his own coat off and folded his cane, putting it in his jacket pocket before sitting across from you. “You're welcome.”

You cleared your throat. “So, how was your day today? Do any interesting lawyer stuff?"

Matt chuckled. “Depends on what you'd consider ‘interesting’. I mostly did paperwork -- briefings, evidence review, stuff like that, although I did meet with a few clients. What about you? How was your day?”

You shrugged. You weren't going to complain about your job, especially since this was your and Matt's first dinner together. “It was busy, but fine. Made the day go by faster.”

Matt nodded. “That's good at least.”

“Yeah.”

Your conversation paused as your server stepped up to your table. “Good evening, and welcome to Okinawa. My name is Katie and I'll be taking care of you tonight. Can I get you started with something to drink?”

Matt said your name. “Would you like to go first?”

“Oh.” You quickly glanced at the wine list that was on the table. “Um, yes, I’d like a glass of rosé, if you don't mind.”

Katie nodded. “Of course, ma'am. And for you, sir?”

Matt turned his face towards her. “Can I get a Sapporo, please?”

“Yes, sir. I'll get those drinks for you right away.”

You flipped open your menu as Katie left to go get your and Matt's drinks, inwardly gawking at the prices of the entreés. Maybe I can make do with a side salad for dinner. Or soup. Or a single piece of sashimi.

Matt seemed to be able to sense your panic, because he smiled gently at you. “Order whatever you’d like. It's on me, remember?” 

You took a breath and nodded. “Right, okay.”

Katie returned with your drinks. “Alright, would you like any sushi or appetizers to get started?”

You shook your head. You would've loved to try some sushi and there were a few appetizers on the menu that looked interesting, but even though Matt had said to order whatever you wanted you didn't want to push it. “No thank you.”

Matt tilted his head curiously. “You sure?”

You glanced down at the table. Matt's focus was piercing, as if he could sense that you weren’t being truthful. “I'm sure.”

“Okay then. I'm good as well.”

Katie clicked her pen. “Do you need a few more minutes to look over the menu?”

Matt shook his head. “I'm ready if you are.”

You nodded. “Yeah, sure.”

Katie turned to you. “What can I get for you, ma'am?”

“Can I get…” You quickly scanned the menu and named something that sounded good but didn't cost an arm and a leg.

“Absolutely.” Katie wrote down your order before turning towards Matt. “And for you, sir?”

“I'd like the tuna steak, cooked medium.” Matt picked up his menu and handed it to Katie. “Thank you.”

Katie picked up your menu as well. “I'll get those right out for you.”

“So do you come here often?” you asked as Katie went to put in your orders.

Matt shook his head. “Not very. I mostly do takeout from the more casual places near my apartment, but since this is near the office my partners and I sometimes grab lunch from here, or we'll order in dinner if we're working late. What about you? Have you ever been here?”

You took a sip of your wine before answering. “I've picked up sushi from here for my boss and his colleagues, but I've never actually eaten here myself.”

Matt nodded. “The sushi's actually really good here. Maybe we can come back for lunch one day soon, sit at the sushi bar or a hibachi table.”

You glanced over at the hibachi tables as one of the chefs lit an onion volcano on fire to the delight of the people sitting there. “That would be nice.” If I get a proper lunch break ever again.

“I did think about booking us seats at a hibachi table for tonight, but then figured that something quieter and more intimate would be more appropriate for our first dinner together.” Matt waved a hand around the otherwise-quiet restaurant. “You know, in case we needed to discuss private matters regarding our arrangement.”

You nodded. In all honesty, you were glad Matt hadn't booked a hibachi table -- considering how much he was paying you just for your presence and how expensive the regular menu items were, you couldn't justify making him pay for a full hibachi dinner. “Right, of course.”

Matt took another sip of his beer. “Oh, I meant to ask you, how was lunch with your mom yesterday?”

You smiled. “It was nice. She and I made stir-fried noodles with homemade spring rolls.”

“Oh, that sounds great.”

You nodded. “It was. Mom and I both decided it was a keeper.”

“Do the two of you cook together a lot?”

“We used to before Mom got sick, but since she's been feeling better I think we might start up again.” You took another sip of your wine. “What about you, do you like to cook?”

Matt shook his head. “I don't really have time with my busy schedule. I'm either working or… well, working.”

You huffed out a light laugh. “No wonder you don't have time to date.”

Matt chuckled. “That's why I'm lucky that my best friends are also my business partners. I at least get to spend time with them, even if it's at work.”

Your conversation paused once again as Katie brought your dinners. After she had made sure that the two of you didn't need anything and left once again, you continued. “So how did you and your partners meet?”

Matt nodded. “Foggy and I were paired up as roommates our first year of college and quickly became friends, then once we graduated with our law degrees we decided to open our own firm together. Karen, our other partner, was actually our office assistant when Foggy and I first started the firm but eventually she earned her law degree and joined us as a partner.”

“Oh wow, that's so cool. No wonder the three of you are so close.” 

Matt cut into his fish. “We've gone through a lot of tough times together but we made it out in the end.”

You took a bite of your own dinner. “Mmm. Oh, wow.”

Matt smiled at you. “Good?”

You nodded. “Yeah, it's excellent.”

“Good.”

The two of you ate in comfortable silence, Katie only interrupting once mid-meal in order to check on you.

Once you were both finished, Katie came up once again. “Can I interest you in any dessert tonight?”

You hesitated. You definitely felt like you could go for something sweet but you already felt like dinner was costing Matt enough. “I'm --”

“--Actually, yeah,” Matt said before you could wind up saying ‘I’m good, thanks’ . “Can we see the dessert menu, please?”

“Certainly,” Katie replied. “I'll be right back.”

She quickly went to grab a menu, then handed it to Matt. “Here you go. I'll be back in just a few minutes.”

Matt handed the menu to you as she left once again. “Is there anything that strikes your fancy?”

You glanced over it. “Actually, I think I could go for some ice cream.” Besides the fact that it was the cheapest dessert on the menu, after the day you'd had (with the past couple of hours excluded) you definitely needed ice cream, a hot shower, and some sleep -- in that order.

Matt nodded. “You know, actually, that sounds great. What flavors do they have?”

You looked down at the menu. “Vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, green tea, and red bean.”

“Okay.”

Katie came back. “Decided on anything?”

“Actually, yes.” Matt gave her his ice cream order. 

You smiled. That was the flavor you had wanted as well. “Make that two, please.”

Katie picked up the menu. “Okay, I'll be right back with that.”

“By the way,” you said as she left to go put in your dessert order. “I’ve had a really nice time tonight. You’re easy to talk to.”

“Yeah, same,” Matt replied. “On both counts.”

Katie soon returned with your ice cream and so you and Matt lapsed into comfortable silence once again.

After the two of you had finished and Matt had taken care of the bill, you both stood and put your coats back on.

Matt walked around the table, one hand trailing along the top in order to guide him.

He stopped beside you and unfolded his cane. “Ready to head out?”

You nodded. “Mmhmm. I'm ready.”

“Um, I might need you to guide me outside if that's okay.”

“Yeah, of course.”

Matt gently took your elbow and you guided him back towards the front of the restaurant, stopping briefly to thank both Katie and the seating hostess before exiting the building.

Once you were back outside, Matt let go of your elbow. “Thanks. I've got it from here.”

You nodded. “No problem. I'm happy to help guide you whenever you need me to -- consider it part of the service.”

Matt chuckled. “Noted.”

“Are you heading home?”

Matt shook his head and pointed back towards the direction you had come. “I have a few more things I need to wrap up before I call it a night, so I'm heading back to the office.”

“Oh, okay. I'm actually headed in the opposite direction, so yeah, just let me know when you want to get together again and I'll…see you then?”

Matt nodded. “Oh, about that. I was actually thinking Thursday evening, if that works for you.”

You mentally ran through your schedule. You didn't think any of the partners had a late meeting that you'd need to stick around for that day, so… “Yeah, that should work.”

“Great. I'll text you on Wednesday to confirm.” Matt paused. “I’m thinking we could try to keep on a regular dinner schedule of Monday and Thursday just for simplicity’s sake, but I'll let you know as soon as possible if I ever need to reschedule because of work or anything.”

“That sounds good.”

“And I'll give you as much of a notice as possible on any other potential non-work-related outings, which’ll all likely be on the weekends given both of our work schedules.”

You nodded. Besides your weekly visits with your mom your weekends were usually pretty open otherwise. “Okay. So I'll see you on Thursday then?” 

“Yeah. See you Thursday.” 

“Goodnight, Matt.”

“Goodnight.”

You turned and headed towards your apartment. 

You couldn't deny that Matt was attractive, and on top of that he was also sweet and attentive. Hanging out with him definitely isn't going to be a chore.

Matt headed back towards Nelson, Murdock, & Page until you were sufficiently far enough away to where he wouldn't catch up with you, then he doubled back to head home to his apartment. While he had wanted to do the gentlemanly thing and offer to walk you home, he hadn't wanted you to feel pressured to say yes, so instead he told you that he was heading back to the office.

Even though you had said that Matt was easy to talk to, he felt like you had been holding back from him. There had been times during your dinner together when you hadn't been entirely truthful -- the first time being when Matt had asked you how your day had been.

You had said that it had been fine, but the slight tension in your shoulders and the stress in your voice had told Matt otherwise. Either it had been busier than you had let on or something had happened at work to upset you, but either way you clearly hadn't wanted to talk about it.

The second time was when you had been looking at the menu. Matt had purposely chosen Okinawa because not only was it close to the office, but also because the two of you were celebrating the official start of your arrangement.

(And okay, maybe deep down Matt wanted to impress you just a tiny bit.)

He knew the place wasn't cheap -- he, Foggy, and Karen had only started eating there after Nelson, Murdock, and Page had retained enough high-profile clients for them to each earn comfortable livings while still being able to do the pro bono work they were passionate about -- and even then they only ate there on special occasions.

But despite Matt's reassurance that you order whatever you wanted, you had still declined ordering any sushi or appetizers even though you had spent several minutes reading over them, and -- if Matt’s memory served him correctly -- had ordered one of the cheapest entreés on the menu that wasn't a tasting plate.

(Not that there was anything wrong with what you did or didn't order -- Matt just had the feeling that you were uncomfortable with spending more of his money than what you thought you could or should.)

Luckily you had enjoyed your meal and had at least been willing to order the ice cream you had wanted for dessert -- even though it had been at Matt's prompting. I should probably take her somewhere less opulent on Thursday so she feels more comfortable.

He shook his head. He’d worry about that later -- he was going out on patrol once he showered and changed and needed to get into his Daredevil mindset. No distractions. That's the whole point of this arrangement.

[saintmeghanmarkle]

📋 𝐌𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐌𝐌 𝐯𝐢𝐚 𝐀𝐑𝐎, 𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐞𝐬 𝐏𝐨𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝟒𝟎𝐱𝟒𝟎 📋

📌 ARO jam recipients (as of May 27th, 2024)

Tracy Robbins (designer, wife of Paramount Pictures CEO Brian Robbins) *

Delfina Balquier (Argentine socialite, wife of Nacho Figueras) * and Nacho Figueras (professional polo player) *

Kelly Mckee Zajfen (friend, Alliance of Moms founder) *

Mindy Kaling (actress and comedian) *

Tracee Ellis Ross (actress, daughter of Diana Ross)

Abigail Spencer (friend, Suits co-star) *

Chrissy Teigen (television personality, wife of John Legend)

Kris Jenner ('Momager') *

Garcelle Beauvais (actress, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills) *

Heather Dorak (friend, yoga instructor) *

📌 Archetypes podcast guests

Serena Williams 🏆

Mariah Carey 👑

Mindy Kaling (actress and comedian) *

Margaret Cho (comedian and actress)

Lisa Ling (journalist and tv personality)

Deepika Padukone (Indian actress)

Jenny Slate (actress and comedian)

Constance Wu (actress)

Paris Hilton (entrepreneur, socialite, activist)

Iliza Shlesinger (comedian and actress)

Issa Rae (actress and writer)

Ziwe (comedian and writer)

Sophie Grégoire Trudeau (former wife of Canadian PM Trudeau)

Pamela Adlon (actress)

Sam Jay (comedian and writer)

Mellody Hobson (President and co-CEO of $14.9B Ariel Investments, Chairwoman of Starbucks Corporation, wife of George Lucas)

Victoria Jackson (entrepreneur, wife of Bill Guthy: founder of Guthy-Renker, leading direct marketing company)

Jameela Jamil (actress, television host)

Shohreh Aghdashloo (Iranian and American actress)

Michaela Jaé Rodriguez (actress and singer)

Candace Bushnell (Sex and The City writer)

Trevor Noah (South African comedian)

Andy Cohen (talk show host)

Judd Apatow (director, producer, screenwriter)

source

📌 40x40 participants

Adele 🌟

Amanda Gorman (poet and activist)

Amanda Nguyen (activist)

Ayesha Curry (actress, cooking television personality)

Ciara (singer and actress)

Deepak Chopra (author and alternative medicine advocate)

Dr. Nadine Burke Harris (former Surgeon General of California)

Elaine Welteroth (former Editor-in-Chief of Teen Vogue)

Dr. Ibram X Kendi (professor and anti-racism activist)

Fernando Garcia (creative director of Oscar de la Renta)

Gabrielle Union (actress)

Gloria Steinem (feminist journalist and social-political activist)

Hillary Clinton (politician, wife of former US President Bill Clinton)

Katie Couric (journalist) *

Kerry Washington (actress)

Chef José Andrés (founder of World Central Kitchen)

Melissa McCarthy (actress)

Princess Eugenie (member of British Royal Family)

Priyanka Chopra (actress)

Sarah Paulson (actress)

Sofia Carson (actress)

Sophie Grégoire Trudeau (former wife of Canadian PM)

Stella McCartney (fashion designer, daughter of Paul McCartney)

Dr. Theresa "Tessy" Ojo - CBE, FRSA (Diana Award CEO)

Tracee Ellis Ross (actress, daughter of Diana Ross)

Unconfirmed - Edward Enninful (former Editor-in-Chief of British Vogue)

Unconfirmed - Daniel Martin (makeup artist) *

An official list of all "40x40" participants was never disclosed

source 1 // source 2 // source 3

📌 Notes:

Names with an asterisk (*) indicate that they follow ARO on Instagram

Notably missing from these lists: Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos and wife Nicole Avant, Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez, Beyoncé, Tina Knowles, Tyler Perry, Oprah Winfrey, Gayle King, Kevin Costner, Ellen DeGeneres, Portia Rossi *, Brooke Shields, John Travolta, Kelly Rowland, Holly Robinson Peete, Misan Harriman *, Michael Bublé

Wedding guests missing from these lists: Jessica Mulroney, George and Amal Clooney, David and Victoria Beckham, Idris Elba and Sabria Dhowre, James Blunt and Sofia Wellesley, Janina Gavankar, Elton John and David Furnish, James Corden and Julia Carey, Patrick J. Adams and the rest of the cast of Suits, Joss Stone, Tom Hardy and Charlotte Riley, Carey Mulligan and Marcus Mumford [Source]

Sunshine Sachs must've called in a LOT of favors to get so many famous names on board the Archetypes Podcast and the 40x40 project. Vanity projects that went... nowhere.

Without Sunshine Sachs, IMO it's highly unlikely that M will ever be able to reach the same level of celebrity access on her own.

If there are any names missing from these lists, please comment below 👇

Post link

author: SeptièmeSens

submitted: May 27, 2024 at 06:44PM via SaintMeghanMarkle on Reddit

disclaimer: all views + opinions expressed by the author of this post, as well as any comments and reblogs, are solely the author's own; they do not necessarily reflect the views of the administrator of this Tumblr blog. For entertainment only.

[rimunagenius]

Wish You Were Gay

ღ Pairing: Josette Maskin x AFAB!Straight!reader

ღ Word Count: 2k Words

ღ Warnings: RPF!! angst, hardcore pining (jojo obv), internalized homophobia, unrequited love, crippling jealousy, both preferred pronouns are used for Josette in this fic!

ღ a/n: This is based off Billie Eilish’s song ‘wish you were gay’ and I feel like i actually became a fucken poet with this. I’m sorry for the amount of therapy bills imma have to pay after this really sad fic…but also i feel like this is the perfect pining and unrequited love trope song that billie wrote imo.

ღ

ღ "Baby, I don't feel so good", six words you never understood

"I'll never let you go", five words you'll never say

Jo had this reacurring dream that you'd be here. In her bed. With her. Happy.

Everytime, you'd look to her and smile. Your one dimple on your left cheek more prominent as you layed on her chest. She'd stroke your hair, a matching smile plastered on their soft pink lips.

Josette would then say how they wished they could stay like this forever. You and her. Together. Finally happy. You'd smile, cheeks warming a soft pink, before your arms wrapped tighter around her waist, legs tangling together creating a perfectly entangled mess.

"Don't worry, baby. I'll never let you go."

That's usually where the dream ends. Waking up to cold sheets, no you by her side. Poorly dimmed room setting the precedent that her life feels just a little more empty without that part of you in it.

ღ I laugh along like nothing's wrong, four days has never felt so long

If three's a crowd and two was us, one slipped away

"Bye, you'd guys would make a cute little old lesbian couple!" Katie laughed as she watched you and Jo bickering over something so tiny. Naomi nodding their head in agreement, a small chuckle escaping their lips.

You laughed, a weird feeling settling in your stomach. You'd never even looked at Jo that way. So why would others think the opposite of you? You had a boyfriend.

Jo had noticed the look you gave her. Your joking and feigned annoyance over the small tussle, now shutting down the unserious side of you. It was because Katie had made a lesbian joke when you were straight, right?

Could you never think of her in such a way that when a joke is made, you get uncomfortable? Jo didn't want to over analyze so they laughed, albeit it was dry and short. A small pang in her chest, she wiped the tip of her nose, taking a deep breath and started to scroll on her phone.

She only had a day and a couple hours left to endure of this painful 4-day getaway friends trip. They just wanted it to be over.

ღ I just wanna make you feel okay

But all you do is look the other way

"Hey, what’s wrong? Are you okay, baby?" Baby. She knew she should stop calling you that. That's something she's only ever heard him call you. Nicknames like that weren't reserverad for someone like her in your life.

"I'm okay, I could just really use a hug right now." You sighed, tears starting to well up in your eyes as you wrapped your arms around her neck, her arms finding place on your waist.

"What do you need? Let me make you feel better, yeah?" Josette pulled away from you, her arms going from either side of your upper arms, to lifting your chin so you could see her. So she could look you in your pained eyes once, to see that she never wanted them to look that way again.

"Hey, you called me?" Jo recognized his voice anywhere. Your boyfriend. Of course. She should have known he'd be the first one you called. They should have known that whatever was bothering you, whoever made you cry, what ever you were struggling with, the burden was yours to carry and his to help.

How naive of Jo to think that maybe this once, you'd actually want her. Need her, to help you.

ღ I can't tell you how much I wish I didn't wanna stay

I just kinda wish you were gay

The more Jo had thought about yours and hers relationship, the more she thought about just up and leaving. She hates to admit that she spent a good amount of time every now and then wondering what her life would be like without you in it.

She knew what she felt was real, she knew you wouldn't ever give her a shot. The friendship was great. Blissful. But what could she possibly stay for if whenever she was around you, the crippling feeling of longing and yearning to feel you and know you completely; all of you, was something so impossible?

The way she felt...the way she wanted you to love her. It was so strong that she prayed that you'd soon realize that maybe he wasn't the right man for you and what you needed was her. A woman.

She wished you were gay. She wished it was her you longed to be with. To feel their skin. To know them so deeply and romantically that whatever you did, you did it because you loved them. Not him.

It was wrong. It was wrong that she wished your healthy relationship that made you happy, would crash and burn like her mind, heart and soul, whenever you walked into a room. How she prayed for impending doom on two happy people so she could be the one to make you happy. It was selfish. It was wrong.

You weren't gay, but god, she wished you were.

ღ Is there a reason we're not through?

Is there a 12-step just for you?

Our conversation's all in blue

11 "heys"

Ten fingers tearin' out my hair

Nine times, you never made it there

I ate alone at seven, you were six minutes away

Josette knew the only thing holding this friendship together was her. She didn't have to stay, have to be here. She didn't need to make herself feel this way.

You had him. You spent most of your time with him, most of your guys' plans cancelled or postponed because he needed something.

As a silent lover, she watched as you made time for him. Showed up for him. Yeah, you showed up for Jo too, but never with as much love and passion as you had for him. You did actually, but just not the kind that Josette wanted. You chose him. She just wished you chose her instead.

This was no different. You had plans to meet up for lunch. This nice cafe, in the middle of both your residing areas and it was all going to happen at 2. Soon, the first five minute of waiting turned into 15. Then to 30. Multiple messages sent to you waiting for an ETA.

You responded in seconds with a short response of a emergency on his side of the family. Jo sighed, the dull and aching feeling rising in her chest again.

They had to stop thinking swooping you away from him was going to change the fact that you weren't into girls. Jo had known you caught on.

Maybe this was her punishment: All the forced proximity and trying to change something already set in stone, was rejection by the one person she sought acception from. This was you pushing her away. God how could she be so stupid.

Jo was never going to change your mind, maybe this was the only way you could tell her without breaking her heart. Letting her eat alone...be alone.

ღ How am I supposed to make you feel okay

When all you do is walk the other way?

I can't tell you how much I wish I didn't wanna stay

I just kinda wish you were gay

When you started having problems with him, Jo heard about it. To Jo, it seemed that she was only here for you when he wasn’t. That wasn’t even true. It’s just the way her mind chose to see it, to be able to cope with the rejection she took in an absolute way.

She shouldn’t have let these feelings get in the way. She was setting herself up.

Josette couldn’t fathom loving anyone else with her whole being. It’d take a nuclear act of god to get her to stop her life from circling around you. The purgatory that was loving you when you couldn’t love her the way she wanted you to, was something she’d take over anyone else. The constant suffering was worth it.

You always ran to him for your romantic needs. But Jo’s heart had always ran back to you. She knew you knew. You just know she could never act on it without you setting up a block. So you did it all the time when you were around her.

Maybe in another universe or lifetime, she’d get to have you and experience different parts of you the way he did.

ღ To spare my pride

To give your lack of interest, an explanation

Don't say I'm not your type

Just say that I'm not your preferred sexual orientation

You may have looked at your boyfriend with heart eyes and the most romantic, endearment and adoration and with Josette, you looked at her the same.

Platonically binded by both your caring souls, like mindedness, and mutual interests. She was your soulmate in bestfriend form. You had certainly thought that if you had liked girls, or if Jo had been a boy, you’d love to love her in more ways than one.

But she wasn’t. Something about you two, together in this lifetime, was something that felt wrong. She was always meant to be your bestfriend. Nothing more. Josette had understood that.

She understood that it’s something you had grown up to understand was something that wasn’t socially accepted, atleast by your family. So she understood why you couldn’t pursue something romantic together.

She felt that maybe you did love her, maybe even felt the attraction, but she just wasn’t a man. The idea was unsettling to swallow at first—but it appeased her brain to know that it could happen…if the circumstances were different.

ღ I'm so selfish

But you make me feel helpless, yeah

And I can't stand another day

Stand another day

The longing was weighing down. The burden of carrying such a strong but passionate love for someone who couldn’t physically return it was starting to fuck with Jo.

She knew it was selfish to pray that you’d change your mind about your sexual orientation. To pray that you have always been that way but wanted to hide it. She prayed for any possibility that’d allow you to love her how she wished you did.

But she knew it’d never work. No matter what she said or did, nothing was going to change your mind.

She knew that; they couldn’t stand this anymore. It was becoming too much for her. The attachment and attraction blossomed more than she could’ve imagined. She needed to stop. Needed to forget you. Needed someone else.

But she couldn’t do that to you. Her body and soul couldn’t allow it. She couldn’t stand to breathe the same air as you if you weren’t breathing it together. How could she form a new connection and love someone so deeply when every part of her had already belonged to you.

Together. Together. Together. It’s all she’s ever wanted.

ღ I just wanna make you feel okay

But all you do is look the other way, hmm

I can't tell you how much I wish I didn't wanna stay

I just kinda wish you were gay

I just kinda wish you were gay

I just kinda wish you were gay

It was on her face, in her eyes, everytime they looked at you. You couldn’t bare seeing Jo in it so deeply and you couldn’t return it. You never wanted someone to break Jo’s heart.

It just never occurred to you that you were the one doing it. Everytime they looked at you, they always thought the same thing.

“I just wish you were gay”

Repeated like a never ending song in her brain. Everytime she was with you, she wanted to confess the feelings that she’s been carrying ever since you guys met. It was overwhelming and heartbreaking but a privilege.

Jo would rather you break her heart a little more everyday than anyone at all. She’d settle for the possibility of her possibly being able to change your mind about girls than forget the way you made every inch of her feel.

To feel love in the most absolute way. It was a privilege to love someone like you. So it was either she had to repeat the mantra in her mind and just go on about their day, pretending everything was fine, or not have you at all. She’d choose the first one everytime.

Cause she knew…in another life, you two would have it all. You be running to her. For anything. Whether it was for comfort or romantic endeavors. She’d be the one you’d choose.

You two would be together.

[tswhiisftteedr]

☆ WIPs List ☆

ཐི♡⃟ཋྀ = NSFW ᬊ = SFW ིྀ𖤜໋᳝݊ = Crack 𓈒ིུ𖤛 = Fluff ♬⃝ = Angst

Just a list of my works in progress.

Order;

Almost done → Not Started

ཐི♡⃟ཋྀ 𓈒ིུ𖤛 Don’t worry, I’m right here with you. - Husk x Fem!Reader 𓈒ིུ𖤛 ཐི♡⃟ཋྀ (done)

ᬊGay Panic - Adam x Winner!Male!Reader (suggestive) ᬊ

ཐི♡⃟ཋྀ No Escape. - Yandere!Vox x Gn!Reader ཐི♡⃟ཋྀ

ཐི♡⃟ཋྀ 𓈒ིུ𖤛 First Night - Zestial x FTM!Reader 𓈒ིུ𖤛 ཐི♡⃟ཋྀ

ᬊ Old Mens - Vox x Gn!Reader x Alastor ᬊ

ཐི♡⃟ཋྀ ིྀ𖤜໋᳝݊ 𓈒ིུ𖤛Cherri’s Room - Cherri Bomb x Fem!Reader 𓈒ིུ𖤛 ིྀ𖤜໋᳝݊ ཐི♡⃟ཋྀ

ᬊ Bad Bitches - Velvette x Assassin!Sinner!Fem!Reader ᬊ

ཐི♡⃟ཋྀ I’m not just a bitch. I’m a bitch with a backstory! - Possessive!Katie Killjoy x Fem!Reader ཐི♡⃟ཋྀ

ཐི♡⃟ཋྀ 𓈒ིུ𖤛 Love At First Sight - Lucifer Morningstar x Fem!Reader 𓈒ིུ𖤛 ཐི♡⃟ཋྀ

ཐི♡⃟ཋྀ Well, Um— Hello there..? - Sir Pentious x Fem!Reader ཐི♡⃟ཋྀ

ᬊ 𓈒ིུ𖤛 Support Angel - Lute x Winner!Fem!Reader 𓈒ིུ𖤛ᬊ

ཐི♡⃟ཋྀ Mask Off - Adam x Gn!Reader ཐི♡⃟ཋྀ

ཐི♡⃟ཋྀ Envy - Adam x Fem!Reader ཐི♡⃟ཋྀ

ཐི♡⃟ཋྀ Pure Angelic Power - Yandere!Adam x Winner!Gn!Reader ཐི♡⃟ཋྀ

ཐི♡⃟ཋྀ Jealousy, Jealousy~ - Adam x Winner!Gn!Reader ཐི♡⃟ཋྀ

ᬊ ིྀ𖤜໋᳝݊ Pickup Lines - Adam x Winner!Fem!Reader ིྀ𖤜໋᳝݊ ᬊ

ᬊ 𓈒ིུ𖤛 Break Time - Adam x Secretary Angel!Male!Reader 𓈒ིུ𖤛ᬊ

ཐི♡⃟ཋྀ Fuck Buddies - Adam x Sinner!Gn!Reader ཐི♡⃟ཋྀ

ཐི♡⃟ཋྀ Punishment By The Devines - Adam x Sin’s Child!Gn!Reader ཐི♡⃟ཋྀ

ᬊ 𓈒ིུ𖤛 Humanity's Father - Adoptive Dad!Adam x Adopted Daughter!Winner!Reader (Platonic) 𓈒ིུ𖤛ᬊ

ᬊ Trip to Hell - Adam x Young Angel!Gn!Reader x Lute (Platonic) ᬊ

ᬊThe Dream-Demon - The Vees, Valentino & Vox, Valentino, Vox, Velvette, Alastor, Lute x Bill Cipher like!Fem!Reader ᬊ

ᬊ First-Man-Saviour - Lucifer Morningstar, Lute, Adam, Charlie, Vaggie, Niffty x Angel!Gn!Reader (reacting to reader saving Adam during the extermination. Adam and Lute have both platonic and romantic reactions, while the others are purely platonic) ᬊ

ᬊ Shrimpy~ - Floyd Leech x Yuu!Gn!Reader ᬊ

ཐི♡⃟ཋྀ Pharos’s - Overblot!Jamil x Yuu!Gn!Reader ཐི♡⃟ཋྀ

ཐི♡⃟ཋྀ Snake’s Tongue - Split Tongue!Jamil x Pierced Tongue!Yuu!Gn!Reader ཐི♡⃟ཋྀ

ཐི♡⃟ཋྀ Mating Season - In Heat!Lilia Vanrouge x Yuu!Fem!Reader ཐི♡⃟ཋྀ

Navigation. Rules. Commissions.

(Request Are Paused - Commissions Are Still Open)

[softspeirs]

Then and There, Wind in Your Hair (Bill “Hoosier” Smith x OC)

Pairing: Bill “Hoosier” Smith x Female OC (could be read as an un-named OC or a reader insert) Summary: After their meeting in Melbourne, Hoosier writes a few letters, dreams a few dreams, and finds her again after coming home. A/N: I know what you’re thinking - “Katie, aren’t you neck deep in your Masters of the Air hyper fixation?!” and the answer is yes, but I just had to write a companion piece to Clouds Overhead. You don’t have to read that one first, but some elements might make more sense if you do. Disclaimer: I don’t own The Pacific. Please don’t repost, translate, or use this fic for AI without my permission.

And we both laid entwined, stared at the night Clouds overhead, but that was all right ‘Cause then and there with the wind in your hair Heaven was jealous to merely look fair against you

He can’t remember how many days it’s been since he was in Melbourne.

Sometimes, when he closes his eyes, he’s able to block out the rapid pounding of his heart and the distant ack-ack of machine gun fire and remember the sound of the waves on the beach, the feeling of her hair tickling his jaw.

There’s a part of him that’s worried he’s going to forget her face, though he’s not sure how that’s possible. 

He’s worried about a lot of things. Worried is standard operating procedure these days. 

They haven’t been able to get mail out in weeks, the shelling too intense for anything even resembling a CP or a supply depot to be set up, even behind the lines. The lines change rapidly in the Pacific, and he’s not sure he’s brave enough to try to find it even if he did have a letter to send to her.

He’s surprised when they’re finally taken off the line, and there’s mail waiting for him.

Bill, it starts, and he smiles, because she’s the first person in a long time that almost outright refuses to call him Hoosier.

Bill, 

I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to see you off. The War Department has us all running around like chickens with our heads cut off getting ready for our next deployment.

I’m not sure where we’ll be going yet, and I probably wouldn’t be able to tell you if I did. I just hope wherever it is, it’s not as hot as it was in the Philippines when I was there. 

Mostly, I hope this whole thing is over soon. I know it’s naïve of me. I signed up to go to war, and I don’t regret it, but I’m tired. I know you are too.

I hope wherever you are, you’re safe. 

Thinking of you.

x

She signs it off with a metaphorical kiss, and he feels his heart kick into overdrive. He knows it’s dangerous, but he’s starting to dream about someday, and he can’t stop himself. 

Surprisingly, the other guys don’t rag on him about it. They ask him a few questions, but they’re all so distracted about whatever’s coming next, there’s no thought about razzing anyone who’s finding a little slice of joy in anything outside of this hell hole. 

He writes her back when he finally has a minute to think. 

It’s been a long week, I think. He tells her. 

I don’t really know how long it’s been since we were in Melbourne, but I think about it almost every day. 

He wonders if he’s showing his hand too much, but he can’t help himself.

I hope you’re safe. I hope you’re far from the lines, wherever they are, and that things aren’t too bad. We were pulled off the line for a few days here, but I don’t think it’s going to last long. 

“Hoosier.” Leckie says, voice hesitant like he hates to be the one to break him out of his letter writing. “We’re moving out.” 

Bill sighs. Of course. Not a moment’s reprieve.

I think about you often. He scratches, hesitating only a moment. And I hope that’s okay with you, because it’s just about the only thing getting me out of the trench in the morning. 

I hope you’re safe. I’m going to do my best to try to stay safe too. 

Yours, 

Bill

. 

He writes to her nearly every day. He knows she’ll probably get a few of the letters all at once since the mail is so backed up, but he has nowhere else to put his thoughts, and it’s sending him half insane.

Most of his notes to her are mundane, stories about his guys and only a little bit about the mess going on in his brain. If she were here in person, he’s sure she’d look him dead in the eyes and demand he tell her what he’s thinking, but he tries to shield her from it, at least a little bit.

Her letters are the same, stories about the friends she’s making and at the bottom of one, a piece he rips off and shoves in his trunk - her address back home in Chicago. 

Just in case something unexpected happens, I expect you to call on me, Private Smith. I’ll wait for you. There’s no one else.

It brands him like a tattoo right above his heart, on his breastbone where no one but him can see. 

I’ll wait for you. 

It’s the last thought he has right before it all goes to hell.

.

When he wakes up in a hospital a week later, he’s half out of his mind with exhaustion and morphine. Still, his first thought is of her. 

He asks about her, and the nurse frowns at him. “No one here with that name, sugar. Sorry.” 

Did he dream her? 

Did his brain invent her just as a survival tactic to make it out alive?

When he sleeps, he does dream of her. He dreams of them. He dreams of that cookie cutter life with the white picket fence, and her smile. He pictures tangerine sunsets and a backyard barbecue. He pictures a little girl with her eyes and his smile. 

When he wakes, he wishes he could fall back asleep.

He doesn’t get any mail, and he doesn’t have the time or the energy to write any letters himself. He’s hauled day after day into an empty room for rehabilitation, where a nice Lieutenant named Lanie listens to him curse a blue streak as he tries to put weight on his leg. 

“Lanie, I’m beggin’ you to just write down that you saw me walk.” 

She frowns. “No can do, Private. Besides, what good is that going to do you? Don’t want to get your dancing shoes on again someday?”

He snorts. “Who’s going to teach me how not to have two left feet?” 

She shrugs. “I’ll do it. Or how about that girl you keep asking after? I bet she’d be a willing participant.” 

He levels her with a hard gaze. “Lanie, if you know something...” 

“Honest, Hoosier. I don’t know.” She leans in a little closer. “The hospital unit is still on the island and they’re socked in. I haven’t been able to get in touch with my friend there to ask her. You know how it can be.” 

He sighs. “I know. Thanks for trying.” 

“Now do me a favor, will you? Take a few steps so I can get rid of you and go eat some lunch.” 

That night when he can’t sleep, he limps his way down to the mess. There’s a few other guys there, but he finds a table alone. Under dim light, he pens out another letter that he hopes makes it to her.

I’m in the hospital, he writes, his hand shaking a little bit from lack of use. 

I have no idea if you’ll ever get this. I hope you do. I don’t want you to wonder.

What you told me in the last letter I got from you has kept me going. And it goes without saying (hopefully) that I’ll wait for you too.

Another nurse here, Lieutenant Elaine Meadows (don’t call her that, though, she’ll rip your head off. We call her Lanie) said she’ll keep her eyes and ears open for you if you ever make it here, or if one of your letters ever shows up here for me.

At the bottom is my home address in Indiana. Sorry to say, but I think I’ve got a ticket home. 

If you find yourself stateside soon, and God, I really hope you do, please let me know. 

I owe you a date.

Twelve weeks go by. He goes home. And between the agony of his leg and the mess inside his mind, Bill’s morale plummets. 

He’s thrown back into the absolutely insane situation of having to find a job, but he can’t even fathom trying to work for someone so soon after fighting for his life. He has no idea how any of it makes sense anymore.

He almost sleeps through V-E Day, but manages to drag himself out of his bedroom and have a drink with his dad on V-J Day. They’re both quiet, out on the front porch of the house, listening to the revelry from the neighbors.

“You should get out of town for a few days.” His dad says, out of nowhere.

He frowns. “Pop?” He leans forward, wincing as he straightens his leg. “What do you mean?” 

“You need-- you need to get your mind busy again. Take a break from all this, get your mind right, and decide what’s next.” He gives Bill a wry grin. “Besides, where’s that girl of yours, anyway?” 

Bill feels himself pale. “I don’t--”

“Oh, don’t bother. You’re not a very good liar.” 

Bill chuckles. “Guess not.” His hands tap out a rhythm on his knees, his body and mind unable to be still for too long these days. “Chicago.” He says finally. “She’ll be in Chicago.” 

His dad nods. “Interesting.”

.

He still hasn’t heard from her by the time he makes up his mind to just go for it. He’s been seeing in the paper article after article about men and women coming home from overseas, and he just hopes that she’s one of them.

He really doesn’t know what he’s going to do if he shows up on her mother’s doorstep and she’s not there.

The train feels like it’s going slow as molasses. He sits among men and women in uniform, and he feels out of place. He fidgets. He eavesdrops on conversations about the war and about friends they used to know and what happened to them.

His palms start to itch. 

When he arrives at Union Station, he only second guesses himself for a few moments before he seeks a taxi. The ride to the suburbs is nice, and he enjoys watching the trees change color the farther they get from the city. It seems to drag on and yet be over in a flash. He pays the driver, and gets out in front of a large house on a beautiful tree-lined street.

Bill’s hands are sweating. He hears chatter inside the large house, the windows open to let in the autumn breeze, and one voice in particular makes him stop in his tracks and shut his eyes briefly, trying to gather himself.

He knocks, takes a few steps back.

A screen door opens and shuts.

“Oh my god.”

He finally looks up.

.

They sit together on the back porch of her parent’s house, mugs of steaming coffee in their hands, her free hand tucked into his. Her eyes are closed, but the small smile on her lips proves she’s still awake.

He never thought he’d be here. He never thought he’d get this.

“Bill?” 

“Hmm.” 

“I’m--” she sits up, takes her hand out of his. He’s surprised to see her eyes filling with tears, and his heart kicks into overdrive. 

“What?” 

She smiles again. “Sorry. I’m okay, I just-- I can’t really believe we’re here.” She sniffs. “And I’m so sorry that I couldn’t be there for you when you needed me most.” She glances down at his long legs that are stretched out, crossed at the ankles. 

He’s shaking his head before she can even finish her sentence. He straightens, turning sideways to face her. “You were there for me.” He reaches for her face, brushing a wayward lock of hair behind her ear. “Whether you realized it or not, you were.” 

“You didn’t even get a single one of my letters the whole time you were in the hospital--” 

Ever since she opened the front door and ran into his arms, he’s felt more at ease than he ever did in Indiana. Despite his mother’s best efforts, he felt unsettled, and this was the final piece he was missing. Even if he had showed up and she apologized and told him it was just a fling, just a wartime romance never destined to go anywhere, at least he would have known.

But this -- this has the potential to heal him in ways he didn’t know he needed.

“Listen to me,” he says, voice soft but firm. “The thought of you kept me going. It kept me alive, as far as I’m concerned.” 

Her face is a picture. Those doe eyes, a little drier now, looking up at him like he’s hung the moon for her. Doesn’t she know that he thinks that about her, too? He realizes with startling clarity that it’s very possible she has no clue. 

“I’m in this,” he gestures between them, “If you are. You owe me a dance, after all.” 

She grins, laughs. “I thought you had two left feet.”

He shrugs. “Well, maybe now I’ve got an excuse to be bad at it.” 

“I’m in this too. All in.” She whispers. Their faces are so close she could tilt her head only a fraction and close the gap between them.

They linger there, in that so-close-but-not-close-enough state of almost euphoria so long that Bill starts to wonder if he didn’t die on that godforsaken airfield, and this is all something his mind has made up. 

But then she finally kisses him, and it’s just as sweet as the first time, and it sends all his senses kicking into overdrive, and it just confirms it: he’s home.

.

A/N: If you’re craving more of their post-war reunion, a few of those lines are directly from this fic, which has a little more of that scene included.

[urfriendlylocalidiot]

Since my prom is tonight :p

Also to make it less weird, the members are all like 16-18

blackpink x reader (high school au?)

Prom w/ Blackpink as your Date

Jisoo

Prom with Jisoo would be regal. You guys would definitely look and be the prince/ss and princess of the night. In the pictures you guys are even wearing crowns, at the insistence of one of your friends, since you guys literally look like royalty. You guys would definitely have pictures taken at a majestic place, and there would definitely be a limo, nothing but the best for you two.

Dinner would probably be at some fancy French restaurant nearby. There’s a little bickering over the bill, but you relent and let her pay. But don’t worry, you guys definitely buy ramen to eat after the whole event.

When you guys arrive at the venue, to say you turn heads is an understatement. Everyone’s eyes are on you. You both just look so magnificent, it takes breaths away. The pictures at prom though, are even better, in your opinion, goofier than the ones you took earlier. At the first slow song, Jisoo pulls you onto the dance floor. You guys are on the dance floor for the rest of the night. Until inevitably you guys leave to go to a chill party at one of your mutual’s house and eat the ramen that you bought earlier. It is the best night of both of your lives.

Jennie

Prom with Jennie would be relaxing somehow. You guys would probably wait and do an outfit reveal. And wow, are you glad you did, she looks amazing and so powerful. Little do you know, she thinks you look stunning, like she has to fight to keep her mouth closed because of how beautiful you look. Let’s just say the pictures came out amazing and the shock on your faces in the beginning is real.

Dinner would be one of your favorite restaurants. Probably the one from your first date, depending on how long you guys have been together. You guys would probably feed each other. The conversation would definitely be a look back at how far you guys have gone, and future plans career-wise.

You guys would probably drive there in a Cadillac, loaned to you from one of your parents. Not too much, but classy nonetheless. When you guys get to the venue, you guys go straight to the photo booth to take all the goofy photos and of course stolen kiss pictures that you can. You guys would end up getting separated, having to mingle with basically everyone. However, when your favorite songs come on, you meet up again on the dance floor. She will definitely dance with you on any and all the songs you want to.

Rosé

Prom with Rosé would be lyrical, like it came right out of a song. You guys would probably end up going in a group with some other couples in a limo. However, you guys are definitely the best dressed. The pictures are good, you guys manage to get some good ones, despite the place being in a random field.

Dinner would be at a nice restaurant, the conversation flows easily. The food is mid in your opinion, but that may have just been what you ordered. Rosé seems to really enjoy it. Inevitably someone in the group spills their drink and everyone gets involved in cleaning it up. You all have a good laugh about it later.

When you guys get to the venue, it’s nice. You guys take pictures in the photo booth and have a good time with everyone else. Of course you two dance to all the songs, and for all the slow songs, she would pull you close and sing the lyrics softly into your ear. You’d steal a few kisses while you two danced too.

After you guys get dropped off at your place though, the night is far from over for you two. You guys get into your convertible and drive to the nearest big city and 24 hour karaoke spot, belting all your favorite songs on the way, specifically, ‘Teenage Dream’ by Katy Perry. You end up retaking pictures on the roof of the car garage you park at, that overlooks the city’s twinkling lights. At the karaoke bar (and eventually hotel room that you guys end up staying at), you can’t help but think to yourself that this is what you really wanted, a nice night with your one and only. Rosé would definitely end up writing a song in the hotel room about this night after you fall asleep.

Lisa

Prom with Lisa would be chaotic but in the best way possible. You guys definitely get ready together. And will definitely end up looking drop-dead gorgeous anyways. In the pictures, you guys are intertwined in all of them, she just can’t keep her hands off of you. There are definitely more than a few pictures of you guys kissing… each other’s cheeks of course.

Dinner would wind up being at a local diner, since you guys both forgot to make a reservation, which was fine with you guys. The food was good and the company was even better. Lisa would definitely end up driving that night, a rented Rolls-Royce is the vehicle for the night. You guys roll down the windows and shout/sing the lyrics to every chorus that comes on.

When you get to the venue, let’s just say you better have good stamina. You guys are dancing to every single song of the night. At some point in the night, somebody tries to start a dance battle with Lisa, which she obviously wins. As your reward you give her a kiss and pull her away to the photo booth to take some pictures. As the night winds down, Lisa would drive you guys to a local hotel, and let’s just say you lose a little more than your clothes that night.

[splendidreads]

Open Your Heart, Part 1

Mob!Bucky Barnes x Female OC

Word Count: 3,299

This first chapter is so long omg.

This first chapter has no warnings. Future chapters will include the following; Cursing, mentions of abuse, violence, weapons, smut, angst, fluff.. I will add more as needed!

Kind of a summary? Idk. I’m still thinking.

‘Arranged marriages are never easy. This one is no exception. Both sides will have to relearn their ways, and learn to trust each other. Bucky has all the love to give, but Katherine doesn’t know how to accept real love. She’s never been loved by anyone other than her best friend. Will she learn to open her heart, to New Yorks most notorious Mob Boss? Or is she too scared, that he’s just like everyone else?’

A/N; This is my FIRST Bucky story. As well as my first AU story. If this first part does well, I’ll keep on going. I’m incredibly beyond nervous about this. Constructive criticism welcome, but please be nice. Please re-post and comment :)

I do NOT give permission for my work to be copied and posted on here or any other site, even if you give me credit. PLEASE just reblog if you want to share my story!!

Will happily start a tag list if anyone is interested!

✨Part 2 here✨

“Yeah, it’s getting pretty chilly out.”

Katherine tossed her keys onto her dresser as she held the phone between her ear and shoulder, flipping through the stack of mail in her hands.

“Perfect night for a book and hot chocolate.”

Katherine chuckled softly, “Sage, do you ever really need an excuse to do that?”

She could hear laughter on the other side of the phone, “Not really. But it’s the aesthetic!”

She rolled her eyes at her friend, humming softly as she sorted a few bills, until her eyes landed on an envelope that stood out. It was a deep, blood red color with a silver wax seal on it. Her name was written on it, so she didn’t hesitate to open it.

“Anything interesting?”

She hummed in response, “Possibly..”

Her fingers gently tugged the paper out from the envelope, her curiosity spiking. She unfolded the paper, and her eyes soon began to go over the words.

“Oh my god,” she gasped softly, a bit breathless, “Its him.. It’s a letter from HIM!”

As soon as she got the words out, her phone began chiming in her ear, signaling that Sage was converting the call to a video call. Katherine answered it, and propped the phone up on her dresser.

“Well, what did he say?” Sage looked at her curiously, “Its about the wedding, right?”

Katherine looked at the letter, and let out a soft breath.

“It says..”

“My Dearest Katherine,

I know that we’ve both been waiting for this moment, at least.. I know that I have. I wanted to give you the space you deserve, and to not rush you. If you’re ready for me, I’m here, and I’d like for you to come stay with me. I’ll take care of anything you need, or want, to make this transition easier and more comfortable. Just let me know when you’re ready.

Sincerely yours,

James Buchanan Barnes

My number: xxx-xxx-xxxx”

Both girls were silent for a moment. Katherine’s thoughts were overwhelmed by excitement, the moment she’d been waiting for was finally here.. While Sages thoughts were quite the opposite.

“The mob boss Bucky Barnes?!” Sage exclaimed, finally processing the words from the letter. “YOU'RE MARRYING A MOB BOSS?”

“Seems so..” Katherine grabbed the phone, and immediately put the number in, sending him a text.

“I don’t know Katie, this is.. Are you sure? You’ve heard all of the stories..”

Katherine rolled her eyes, “I can’t break the deal. It’s not mine to negotiate anyways..” she let out a soft sigh, “I know. I remember them, we’ve all heard the stories..”

Sage let out a long breath, worry written all over her face, “Well.. When do you think you want to go? I’m sure he’d understand if you wanted more time.”

Katherine bit the inside of her cheek, having already received a few text messages from him, “In a few hours.”

Sages face fell, “What?”

“He’s sending a driver over at 3,” She began moving around her room, and began the process of packing, “It’s not like I have much to pack anyways.”

“You already texted him? Katherine-“

Katherine shook her head, cutting her off, “You know how long I’ve been waiting for this. Yes, it’s.. Interesting.. Who he turned out to be.. But this is still my only chance to get out… A chance to be happy.”

As much as Sage wanted to argue, disagree, and try to talk her out of it.. She knew that she was right.

“If he can make you happy..” Sage let out a soft sigh, before a smile spread on her lips, “Make sure to tell me everything! I want to know what he’s like, what his house is like! I’ve heard it’s a huge mansion..”

As Sage began to go on and on about all the different rumors they’ve all heard about him, Katherine’s mind was occupied with other thoughts.

I hope I don’t disappoint him.

If I just keep my head down, and listen, I’m sure it’ll be fine.

I wonder if he’ll like me..

Will we be happy together?

“I bet the arm thing isn’t real. You know how mobs like to spread stories to scare people.”

Sage's last words made Katherine chuckle, “I suppose I’ll be finding out which rumors are true or not, hmm?”

“Yeah, you’ll have to let me know if his eyes are really that blue.” Sage let out a soft dreamy sigh, “I wonder what he really looks like. It seems to depend on who you ask.”

Katherine hummed softly, imagining the man as she packed, “Yeah, if they’re on his good side, or his bad side.”

Both girls chuckled a bit, continuing to talk about all the different possibilities that might happen. Katherine continued packing as they spoke, finding that she really didn’t have much to pack. She didn’t have many clothes, most of it being her work uniforms. A couple pairs of jeans, a few t-shirts (All of which had something to do with music), a single long sleeved shirt, and her oversized nightshirts. She only had three pairs of shoes; A pair of purple converse sneakers (which were on her feet), her black combat boots, and her work shoes. Thankfully, she still had her black dress and heels from when Sage forced her to get them. She could still hear Sages words from that day, ‘This dress would look killer on you, your curves will pop, and drive any man crazy!’ She had only tried the dress on once, never having an occasion to wear it. So, including the heels, she actually had four pairs of shoes.

Great.

A loud knock on the front door made both girls fall silent, but Sage was quick to realize.

“It’s three..”

Katherine sucked in a breath, nodding her head, “Okay… Okay. I’ll talk to you later, I promise!”

Sage sighed, nodding her head, “You’d better.. I’ll send a search party! Don’t forget your art bag!”

The call ended after the both girls said ‘I love you’, and Katherine made a beeline to the front door, bags in hand. She opened it to find a man, a bit older than her, with a nice suit on.

He offered a small smile, “Miss Connors?”

She nodded her head, “Yes sir.” Returning the smile, before realizing..

Dad.

She let out a soft sigh, “I have to do something really quick, then I’m ready.”

The man nodded his head, and reached for her bags, “I’ll take these, and meet you at the car.”

She turned on her heel, walking through the house. Her father was passed out in his recliner in the living room, a beer threatening to fall from his hand and onto the floor. Shaking her head at the sight, she decided to just leave him a note, instead of waking him.

‘Mr. Barnes finally reached out.

I accepted.

That’s where I’ll be when you wake up.’

She placed the note in front of the television, before walking back through the house. Grabbing her leather jacket, and her ‘art’ bag as Sage called it, she went out the front door. The man at the car gave her another smile, opening the back door for her. As she stepped in, she took one last look at the house, before nodding to herself and letting the man close the door.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The car ride was silent for the most part, the man asking her a few times if she was alright or if she needed anything. New York City seemed to disappear behind them as they went, the drive lasting about 20 minutes. Katherine’s eyes widened as the car rolled to a stop.. He really did have a mansion.

“Alright Miss. Connors.” The man got out of the car, as her eyes observed the large home. It was old, Victorian era old. Equal parts elegant, beautiful, and creepy. The driver, whom she had learned to be Joe, opened her door for her, offering a warm smile. She got out, and was greeted by a crisp breeze. She was glad to have her leather jacket on.

“Thanks for the ride.” She said to him, a small grin on her lips as she grabbed her bags.

“Anytime, ma’am. Mr. Barnes is my favorite client.”

She gave him a small nod before turning to walk towards the house. As she walked up the front steps,, the nerves finally began to break through. She took in a deep breath as she raised her fisted hand to knock, but the door opened in front of her, startling her.

“You must be Katherine!” An older woman, probably in her late 50s or so, gave her a wide grin.

“Yes ma’am, that’s me.” She returned the grin, trying to conceal her nerves.

“Come in, come in…” The woman motioned her inside, and as she stepped in, she closed the door. “I’m Annette, one of Mr. Barnes housekeepers.”

Katherine’s eyes wandered around the entryway, “It’s nice to meet you.”

Annette stood there, silent for a moment. As if she were allowing Katherine to study the home. “Mr. Barnes is currently in a meeting, so I’ll show you to your room!”

Katherine gave her a small smile, nodding her head to the woman. She followed along behind her, looking around as they went. It was pretty modern inside, compared to the old style of the outside. The first room was huge; a long fireplace along the far wall. It seemed to have been set up to hold guests, maybe for meetings or get-togethers. There were staircases on either side of the room, and they started the descent up the left side. Once at the top, she realized that both sides met on the same floor. There didn’t seem to be much personal touch in the home; No family photos in sight.

“Here we are, the last door on the left. The room on the right is an office area that he never uses, the other door on the left is another entrance into your bathroom. I usually keep it locked.”

Katherine blinked a few times, before hesitantly opening the door to the bedroom.. her eyes widened once again, seeing how large it was. It was almost like a suite at a hotel; having a lounge area with a couch, recliner and television. A wall separated that space from an area with a ginormous bed. It must’ve been a California king, she’d never seen a bed so large. As she walked around, Annette came in as well, opening the curtains.

“This door here is your closet,” she said as she turned the knob, revealing a walk in closet. “And over here is your bathroom.”

Katherine was shocked, her eyes trying to take in the massive space, “A-And this room… Is mine?”

Annette let out a soft chuckle, “Yes dear.”

Confusion then came across Katherine’s face, realizing that she and her future husband had separate rooms. Annette must’ve noticed this, because she offered a kind smile.

“Mr. Barnes is a good man, Katherine. He wanted you to have your own space, he didn’t want to pressure you into anything until you were ready.”

Katherine nodded slowly, setting her bags down on the foot of the bed- Her bed. She gave Annette a big grin, when the initial shock had finally subsided. She let out a giggle, doing a twirl as she took one long look at the room. Annette chuckled softly, watching the woman.

“It was overwhelming to me too, back in the day. I’d never seen such spacious rooms.” She shrugged her shoulders.

Katherine let out a long sigh, a smile tugging at her lips, “This is.. It is a lot. This room is half the size of my house!”

Both women chuckled for a moment, until there was a knock at the door. Katherine’s eyes moved to look at who it was, somehow knowing that it wasn’t him. A tall man leaned in the doorway, golden blonde hair that went just past his ears, and a neat beard on his face.

“Mr. Rogers.” Annette nodded her head toward him, giving him a small smile.

“Annette,” he returned the smile, then his eyes landed on Katherine, “So you’re the one who’s marrying my best friend.”

Katherine’s nerves slowly creeped their way back into her mind, nodding her head silently. She wasn’t sure what to say, her eyes flickering between the man and Annette.

He walked towards her, extending a hand, “I’m Steve.” He gave her a warm grin, and it helped settle her silly nerves.

“It’s nice to meet you,” she said, taking his hand and shaking it.

“I hope you’re finding everything to your liking. Buck sent me to extend his apologies, his meetings running later than expected.” Steve let out a soft sigh as their hands fell, “He wanted to greet you when you arrived.”

Katherine nodded her head, running a hand through her long brown hair, “It’s alright, I understand.” She shrugged, though secretly she was quite anxious and excited to finally set her eyes on him.

Steve’s eyes wandered around the room, before settling on her bags, “Are there more bags downstairs? I can go get them if you’d like.”

Katherine was slightly embarrassed, “Oh, uhm.. No.. That’s all I’ve got.”

Silent words seemed to be exchanged, Steve understanding the expression on her face. Katherine didn’t want to have to explain to anyone that she was dirt poor and didn’t have many possessions. Steve didn’t seem to want to press the issue.

“Well, I’ve got to get back to work. I’ll see you around dear! Steve will take good care of you.” Annette gave them both a smile, before leaving the room.

Katherine let out a breath, before making a clicking sound with her tongue, “Welp,” she moved to start unpacking her bags, “I s’pose I’ll start unpacking while I wait.” She shrugged her shoulders, before letting out a soft chuckle. Her phone was going off in her pocket, and she knew who it was. She pulled the device out, to see text messages from Sage.

‘Everything good?’

‘Are you there yet??’

‘KATIE’

‘…Has he swooped you off your feet yet?’

‘DETAILS WOMAN!’

Katherine laughed, reading the messages. Steve quirked an eyebrow curiously, wondering what was going on. She looked over to him as she texted Sage back.

‘I haven’t met him yet! Just settling into my room. I’ll video call you before bed!’

“Oh, it’s just my best friend chomping at the bit. Sage is a very protective friend, and if I don’t answer, I’m sure she’d manage to find out where I am.”

Steve let out a soft chuckle, nodding his head, “Oh, I understand that.”

Katherine hummed softly, “I’m sure she’d like to see where I’m living now.. Do you think he’d be alright if she came over some time?” She looked at Steve, wondering what he thought. But Steve’s eyes were now on his own phone.

“You can ask him yourself,” he said, sliding the device back into his pocket, “He’s out of his meeting, and would like for me to escort you to his office.”

Katherine nodded her head slowly, “Uhm, then lead the way.”

Steve gave her a smile, before doing just that. He led her down the hallway, and back down the staircase. Her fingers began fumbling with the hem of her shirt, ‘The Andrews Sisters’ logo quite faded on the front of the old clothing. As she followed him through the house, her anxiety came creeping back into her mind. Thoughts of her mysterious suitor flooded her brain, wondering what their first interaction might be like. She was lost in her thoughts as Steve led her into a room, her eyes wandering around as she observed the new area. There were bookcases covering the walls, hundreds of books filling them. She smiled, looking at all the old covers. She could’ve sworn she had spotted an old copy of ‘Great Tales and Poems of Edgar Allen Poe’.

“Katherine?”

Her eyes snapped to where she had heard her name, and the nerves turned into butterflies in the pit of her stomach. Standing before her, leaning against a large wooden desk, was a man. Probably the most attractive man she’d ever laid eyes on. He had dark hair, a quiff of dark locks settled at the top. His eyes were an icy Blue, staring into her hazel brown orbs. He had quite the jawline, a short beard covering it. His arms were crossed against his chest, one of which seemed to reflect the light from the ceiling..

“H-Hi.” Was all she managed to squeak out, her eyes transfixed on him.

“It’s nice to finally meet you,” he took a few long strides across the room, extending his flesh hand to her, “Bucky.” He flashed a toothy smile, and she felt her heart flutter.

It was him.

She took his hand, hoping he didn’t notice that hers was shaking. He gently clasped both of his hands around her much smaller one, the metal of his fingers sending a chill up her arm.

“You have a really lovely home.” She mentally scolded herself, knowing those weren’t her first choice of words.

He let out a hearty chuckle, holding onto her hand gently, “Thank you. It’s yours now, too, you know.”

She nodded her head, realizing how much closer he was to her now. She could see his dark eyelashes flutter as he watched her. She slowly retracted her hand, suddenly feeling quite self conscious. She wrapped her arms around her middle, wanting to hide herself from his piercing eyes. He seemed to notice her hesitance, taking a step back from her. They were both silent for a moment, Steve watching the awkward interaction. Her eyes began to wander again, fixating on all the books in the room.

“Do you like to read?” He asked, giving her a small smile.

Katherine’s eyes glanced towards him, getting captured by his icy orbs once more, “I do.” She returned the sweet smile.

“You’re more than welcome to any of them. I have more in the basement library.” He hummed softly, “Please feel free to explore. What’s mine, is now yours.”

She gave him a slow nod, the smile still spread across her lips, as she began to walk around the room. She walked up to one of the large bookcases, her fingers lifting to gently brush across the spines of a few books. She hummed softly, her eyes scanning over the different books. Bucky silently followed her, watching as she admired them. He glanced at Steve, who gave him a reassuring smile.

“I’m happy to collect more, if you think of any we should add to the collection.” He said to her, trying to ease her nerves. He didn’t want her to feel uncomfortable, regardless of the odd situation.

“Duly noted.” She turned towards him, a slight blush crawling onto her cheeks as she realized.. While she was studying the books, he was studying her.

“Uh, are you hungry?” He gave her a side grin, “Steve and I usually go to this pizza place out on 6th, every Thursday.”

Katherine let out a soft laugh, “Pizza sounds great.”

Bucky clapped his hands together, “Then it’s settled. Steve, can you pull the car around?”

Steve nodded his head, “Yep.”

Katherine smiled to Bucky, “What are your favorite toppings? I’m a meat lover myself.”

Bucky’s lips spread wide on his face, “Me too. With the garlic sauce on the crust.”

Katherine’s nerves were slowly fading, “Extra cheese?”

Bucky chuckled, motioning for them to leave the room, “Doll, I have a feeling this’ll be much easier than either of us realized.”

“As long as you don’t put anchovies on anything, I think we’ll be set.”

They both began to laugh, all the nerves and awkwardness fading behind them.