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GERVONTA DAVIS VS. RYAN GARCIA FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES AND PHOTOS

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Published: April 21, 2023

“I touch that jaw and I’m telling you, you’re going to sleep. I’ll probably break your jaw.” – Davis

“Everything is coming to a halt for you on Saturday night. You’re gonna learn the hard way.” - Garcia

Unbeaten Rivals Gervonta “Tank” Davis and “King” Ryan Garcia Preview Long-Awaited Showdown Headlining SHOWTIME PPV® Production This Saturday, April 22, from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in an Event Presented by Premier Boxing Champions

LAS VEGAS – Undefeated rivals and boxing superstars Gervonta “Tank” Davis and “King” Ryan Garcia went face-to-face for the first time during fight week at Thursday’s final press conference before they meet this Saturday, April 22, in a SHOWTIME PPV production from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

 The press conference also featured fighters competing on the pay-per-view undercard, including WBA Super Middleweight Champion David Morrell Jr. and Olympic® Bronze Medalist Yamaguchi Falcao, who meet in the co-main event, super middleweight sluggers Gabriel Rosado and Bektemir Melikuziev, who battle in a 10-round rematch, and hard-hitting 19-year-old middleweight Elijah Garcia and Mexico’s Kevin Salgado, who duel in the pay-per-view telecast opener at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

 The event is promoted by GTD Promotions, TGB Promotions, and Golden Boy Promotions.

 Here is what the press conference participants had to say Thursday from KÀ Theatre at MGM Grand:

 GERVONTA DAVIS

 “All he talks about is that one punch. I only need one too. I touch that jaw, and I’m telling you, you’re going to sleep. I’ll probably break your jaw.

 “We’re here. Enough with the talking. I’m ready to get down and dirty. I’m from Baltimore City, and you’ll see how we turn it come Saturday. See y’all then.

 “He’s gonna feel me for sure. I am what I say I am. I’m that guy. I didn’t get all the way here for no reason. I put the work in, and I got those guys out of there. He’s gonna see it come Saturday night for sure.

 “Don’t forget I’m the most accurate puncher out there. Make sure you’ve been practicing putting your hands up.

 “He’s getting his ass whooped. It’s gonna be an exciting fight. I’m excited to be here. I don’t know about him, but I’m coming with some stuff for sure.  

 “He doesn’t have the fundamentals at all. If Joe Goossen is that great of a trainer, he’s gotta fix his fundamentals. All he’s got is that weak hook. That’s all he’s relying on.

 “He’s delusional if he thinks he’s knocking me out. That’s it.”

 RYAN GARCIA

 “Everything is catching up to you. Everything is coming to a halt for you on Saturday night. You’re gonna learn the hard way.

 “What an honor to be here. This is a dream come true. I’m seeing my face on the big screens at MGM and this is what I’ve dreamed of since I was a little boy. I’m very happy and excited.

 “I don’t have much to say, really, I’m just staying focused and preparing. I know there’s a big task at hand, but I’m gonna come out victorious.

 “He’s gonna find out exactly why I’m here. You don’t get to this position without having something special. Anybody can see that. We’ll just have to wait and see when I’m in there. He’ll see it when I’m in there.

 “This man has never punished anyone in his life. He’s always losing in these fights. Get that out of your mind. You’re gonna get punished. You got the lowest punch output in boxing.

 “This is the biggest moment in sports right now. It means a lot. The magnitude of this fight is huge. Everything is already on the line. I’m just ready to go as deep as I have to. This moment is everything to me. I’ve envisioned this for years, and it’s finally here.

 “I just need one shot. That left hook. I feel like I’m gonna break his jaw with that hook. I just see him lying on the floor.

 “I’m ready to do what I do. I’m gonna end him, I promise that. It’s over.”

 DAVID MORRELL JR.

 “This is so exciting. I’m thrilled about the opportunity, and I want to thank my whole team. This means a lot to me.

 “I want a big name in my next fight, so this is the perfect fight and the perfect stage for me to prepare to face the best in the division.

 “100% I’m trying to send a message to David Benavidez. I want him to know that I’m ready. I’ve told everyone that I’m ready for all the best fighters at 168 pounds.

 “He’s got his opinion, but it’s not as easy as he says. The amateurs are different than the pros. Look at my last fight, everyone was talking about me losing, but I go in there and get knockouts.

 “I’m really thankful for my support from all the Cuban fans out there. I’m ready to knock Falcao out for all of you. He’s going down in five or six rounds.

 “I’m ready for what’s in front of me. I have everything I need. I’m focused and I feel great.”

 YAMAGUCHI FALCAO

 “I’m all about taking on the best and biggest challenges. I love this sport, and I believe in myself. I know exactly what I want to do on Saturday night.

 “People should know that I’m an Olympic medalist, that I’m very talented, and that I’m here to make history and shock the world.

 “I want to leave my imprint on the world right here in Las Vegas and let everyone know that I’ve arrived.

 “I stand by my words that I’m gonna knock him out. I love Cuban boxing, but Saturday is gonna be my night. I’m a problem.”

 GABRIEL ROSADO

 “The rematch made sense being that I was already in camp getting ready for a big fight. This opportunity presented itself, and I thought it made sense on this huge card.

 “I took it personally that he thinks the knockout in our first fight was a fluke. I just want to prove him wrong.

 “It’s going to be the same outcome this time. We’re going in there locked in. I had a great training camp, and I feel amazing.

 “The fans know that they’re gonna get my best. I’m a Philadelphia warrior. It’s not just about winning, it’s about how I win. It’s hard to top that first knockout, but I’m coming to give a great performance and I can’t wait.

 “It’s been a long road for me, but I’m enjoying it and I’m having fun. You gotta have fun doing this. I just want to keep proving that I’m improving as a fighter and that I’m worthy of this stage. Come Saturday night, we’re gonna shine again.”

 BEKTEMIR MELIKUZIEV

 “I’m very thankful to be on this stage with this big opportunity on a card like this. This is the fight I’ve wanted and the fight I’ve been asking for.

 “This is boxing. A mistake was made, and a lesson was learned in our first fight. There won’t be any mistake made by me this time.

 “I’m happy to have this opportunity. I have a great fighter in front of me. I can promise you that no matter how long this fight goes, it’s gonna be exciting and action-packed.

 “He can think whatever he wants. I have no problem with it. I can just promise that it’s gonna be a great fight and be action-packed.

 “Whatever happened in the first fight already happened, I’m going to do my talking inside of the ring.”

 ELIJAH GARCIA

 “The fans are going to see an explosive fight. Salgado is a great opponent, but I’m gonna push the pace, and someone is gonna get knocked out. It’s gonna be fought on the inside, and we’ll see what happens.

 “Phoenix has always had good boxers and great talent, and we’re just starting to take the big fights and become champions. I just want to become the next big name from there.

 “My goal is to be a champion when I’m 21 years old. If it comes sooner, then I’m ready. Right now, I’m just taking it one fight at a time and building myself. I want to be mandatory by the end of the year.

 “Now I feel like I wanna knock him out. I expect to put him out before six and put on a great show for the fans.”

 KEVIN SALGADO

 “He can say whatever he wants up here right now. The only one that’s getting knocked out on Saturday is Elijah Garcia.

 “I don’t care how young he is or how ambitious he is, I’m going to go in that ring, get the victory, and be on my way.

 “One thing is to talk outside the ring; he seems to like to do that. I’m going to talk inside the ring, and everyone will see what I’m capable of.

 CALVIN FORD, Davis’ Trainer

 “Here we go again with another one. I don’t do too much talking. We do it in the ring. Be prepared Saturday night because it’s on. In the words of my coaching partner Kenny Ellis, we’re going to put some knuckles on somebody.

 “Ryan says he’s the king, but this is vicious right here. I ain’t never seen a king hold his kingdom down when you have a vicious crew come through. We are coming through. We are vicious. We aren’t just boxing. We’re doing this. Come Saturday night, be prepared. Stop playin’ with my youngin’.

 “I don’t train for knockouts. I train for punishment. I want you to feel it. I’m sending the message to everyone, through you. You will see.”  

 JOE GOOSSEN, Garcia’s Trainer

 “I’m not going to have a war of words with anybody because the real war is going to be Saturday night between two great fighters. This is one of the most exceptional matches put together in a long time. The interest in this fight has been unbelievable.

 “Ryan Garcia is one of the most uniquely talented fighters I’ve ever been involved with in a half of a century. People know me, and I don’t mess around.

 “I’ve never seen anybody train as hard, or focus as much as Ryan has. He has a deep faith. He has a deep faith in himself as well. I just can’t say enough great things about him. He’s going to bring something very special to the ring Saturday, I can guarantee that.”

 TOM BROWN, President of TGB Promotions

 “It’s happening, folks. Make no mistake about it; this is a super fight. It’s one of the biggest that can be made in boxing and the best fight of 2023.

 “It’s not often in today’s game that we see two young fighters, both undefeated, both in their prime, step into the ring together.

 “We always hear about styles make fights and in this case, it’s never been more true. This fight will be an instant classic and an all-out war. This is going to be like Marvin Hagler vs. Thomas Hearns, and in ‘Tank’ Davis, we have Hagler.”

 LEONARD ELLERBE, Boxing Promoter

 “The talk is done; it’s go time this Saturday. The biggest fight in boxing.

 “We believe in Tank 1000%. So when it comes to what Oscar says, he has no room to talk about anything. We carry ourself like the A-side because that’s what we are.

 “It’s going to be Tank Davis by KO, like I’ve been saying, and it might be early.”

 OSCAR DE LA HOYA, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions

 “I truly believe that the winner of this fight will be the new king of the sport. As someone who spent most of his early life in the ring, I know firsthand what it takes to compete at the highest level. This is the highest level. I look at Ryan, and I know he’s ready. I look at Ryan’s team, and they know he’s ready.

 “When I look at ‘Tank’s’ team’s action throughout the whole promotion, I am left to wonder, ‘Do they really think this guy is ready?’ Catchweights and rehydration clauses. Late afternoon weigh ins. All these small petty requirements point to a team looking to protect their fighter, and why would they protect their fighter, unless they don’t think he’s ready for this moment? I really believe that ‘Tank’s’ team is worried he’s going to lose. When you’re a young fighter, nothing feels worse than your team not believing in you.”

 STEPHEN ESPINOZA, President, SHOWTIME Sports

 “We’re thrilled to bring you this fight in collaboration with DAZN PPV and we’re proud to once again be delivering the strongest schedule in the sport.

“SHOWTIME has delivered 14 marquee events in just the first six months of the year, and this is our ninth live boxing event in the last 11 weeks. It’s one of the hottest runs in the history of SHOWTIME BOXING®.

 “This Saturday, we have one of the hottest fights of the year. Two fighters with different personalities, different fan bases, and very different styles in the ring. This is a battle of the two most popular fighters in the U.S. Both are huge draws. Both are coming off very impressive performances; ‘Tank’ Davis winning by TKO over Hector Luis Garcia, and Ryan Garcia last fought in July against former title holder Javier Fortuna.

 “’ Tank’ is a five-time champion in three different weight classes. He has sold out venues in Los Angeles, Atlanta, Baltimore, Brooklyn, and Washington, D.C. Three of his last six wins have been one-punch KOs and 18 of his last 19 opponents have been stopped. The combined record of his last 13 opponents is 138 wins and 12 losses.

 “Ryan Garcia probably has the fastest hands in boxing. Everyone talks about Ryan’s social media following, but that’s not really the important thing. Just because he has a big social media following doesn’t mean he’s not one of the most talented boxers in the sport because he clearly is, and everyone talks about his speed. But that’s not the only thing. Ryan Garcia has knockouts in six of his last seven fights, including over Fortuna this past July.”

(Featured Photo: Esther Lin/Showtime)

[smolfangirl]

Lost Then Found

Chapter 6: Love me or leave me

Chapter 1 / Chapter 2 / Chapter 3 / Chapter 4 / Chapter 5

So, this is it, the end. The final chapter of LTF. I spent a lof of time on it, making sure it is perfect and something I am incredibly proud of and in the way it somehow ended up being 6.3k words long. (Whoops.) I want to thank @sky-girls for being always there for me and for helping me more times than I could possibly remember. This chapter is for you, muffin! (Also I hope you will still talk to me after the ending)

“Solo espero no sea tarde para seguir al corazón.”

“Simón, hurry up, I need to talk to you!”

Luna banged against the door. Her knuckles were turning white, but she didn’t care. Open, open, open, please, I need you. She repeated it like a mantra, whispered those words to herself until the fire in her lungs slowly burned out. The mantra kept her from crying. From shattering and losing it. She had been too close to the edge for more than two hours now. Since Matteo left her alone on the rink, a million thoughts raced through her head. Open questions. Explanations for what had happened right there. Scenarios of a future she didn’t want. So many feelings as well. Too many. It was a mess, she was a mess. In no way could she bear this on her own any longer. Open, please.

Finally, her best friend showed up behind the door. He wore his favorite beanie on his hair and a grin on his lips: “Luna, hey! What a surprise!”

“Are you alone?” To her own surprise, her voice sounded much stronger than she felt. “Yeah”, Simón answered, “Pedro’s out with Delfi and Nico went to town. Hopefully to get a new haircut.” He got suspicious when Luna didn’t even raise an eyebrow at his joke. “Are you alright?”

She shook her head. Her feet lead her to the couch where she fell face down into the cushions. Simón watched her speechless. “I think I screwed up”, she bawled after a minute of silence.

Now he remembered. “Oh, yeah. That. Well, figuring from how loud you argued, I kinda assumed that.” Immediately, he caught all of her attention. “Wait, what? You mean you… you heard it?” A grin slipped on his face. He knew it shouldn’t amuse him, so he tried to hold it back: “I think the whole Jam&Roller heard it. I mean, you really gave him a lecture there. We were pretty surprised you could turn into a volcano.”

Luna groaned and pressed her face deeper into the pillow. “It’s not funny!” She didn’t feel like a volcano. If anything, she was both the lava and the people buried underneath. “Hey, I’m sorry. But seriously, what made you go off like that? Though I’m not saying he didn’t deserve it.”

“I don’t know”, Luna sighed. “I don’t know anything except that I need your help. Simón, please, I’m not joking, I wasn’t this confused about the whole Sol thing and it’s not right, I… I wish I could understand but I don’t know what to do next or even how to ever look at him again.” Patting her shoulder, her best friend cowered in front of her. “Okay, I will help you, but you should relax a bit first. Take a deep breath. Yes, and another one.”

It worked.

Well, until Matteo’s face appeared in front of her and reminded her of the hurt written all over his face. His lost smile. The missing spark in his eyes. His words. I did miss you. I still do. And I will. Her chest tightened all over again.  

“Eh, what do you mean?”, Simón continued, “You don’t know how to look at him again? What did he do?” Luna lifted her head. Seeing the tears in her eyes, he gasped. “What did I miss? What did you do?” A small sob escaped her mouth. “I, I might have been wrong all the time and there’s a chance he didn’t deserve me yelling at him?”

“Wait, what?” He struggled to process this new information. After all, it was Matteo’s fault that Luna had been a shadow of herself over the last twelve months. He had noticed how she tried to cover up, to act as if everything was perfectly fine. Normal. But the light in her eyes undeniably used to shine brighter. Luna had every right to lash out at Balsano. So why did she regret it now? Why didn’t it relieve but hurt her more? He couldn’t imagine.

The shrilling sound of the bell interrupted them. First, Simón ignored it. After it rang for a second and a painful long third time he got up. Luna felt grateful for the time to think of an explanation. One that went beyond “He said he cared for me and I’m still mad but I also want to run into his arms”. She didn’t find one. But by the time she looked up again, she found Ámbar. Next to Simón, with his arm casually wrapped around her shoulder. She imagined Matteo holding her close like that. No, let it go. “Hi Lunita!”

“Hey, what are…”

“Why were you late today?”

It took Luna a second to recall Ámbar didn’t mean to be harsh. Anymore. “I was working on my biology assignment and somehow I had forgotten there was training today.” The blonde snorted. “Why am I not surprised this happened?” However, the smirk on her mouth gave her away. “Anyway, it’s not that important. What I’m more interested in, did you and Matteo at least talk when he picked you up? Or was that just screaming too?” Luna’s eyes widened, alarmed. It hadn’t been a joke. Everyone knew. She was so screwed.

Simón squeezed his girlfriend’s shoulder. “Come on, angel, lighten up. What’s this, an interrogation?” Ámbar rolled her eyes. “No, it’s not. But I just wanted to help and it’s unbelievable they apparently didn’t even take that chance when it would have been just perfect. It’s getting too pathetic to watch.” Another eye roll when Simón and Luna simultaneously gave her a confused look. “What are you talking about?”, Luna inquired.

“Lunita, please. Why else do you think it was Matteo who picked you up? I could have just called Tino and tell him to drive you. But no, instead I was trying to be helpful for once.” On a rational level, Luna understood Ámbar meant well. How could she know all hope was lost for Matteo and her? Still: “But why? Why would that help? In which way?”

“Luna’s right”, Simón argued. “And it’s not on us, if they wanted to talk, they would have already. And when Luna doesn’t want to, you shouldn’t put her into a situation like that.”

His girlfriend groaned. “Seriously, I don’t get it. You are both unhappy. Miserable, even. What’s the point? Do you think we don’t see it? Why do you both keep pretending otherwise? Even Tamara figured it out!” She sighed: “All I’m saying is, you should talk to him. Talk, not scream. Let him explain. He’s not a bad guy. But okay, in the end, you do you, I won’t interfere again. You two are too complicated anyway.”

“Can we please not talk about him? Or today in general?”, Luna stammered. She sat up, rubbing her neck. This wasn’t going the way she wanted to. Needed it to. She had come here to pour her heart out and get back on her feet, not to start another fight.

Technically, she still wanted to talk about Matteo, about the storm inside her. And if she should give him another chance. If he could be trusted with her heart. But Ámbar’s words hit every open wound and it hurt too much. Luna wasn’t ready to hear this truth yet, to believe it. So, she preferred to push it aside.

Before the silence settled in the room, Simón jumped in: “Well, then why don’t we forget that and watch a movie?” Luna nodded, while Ámbar agreed with her eyebrow still raised.

Soon, Simón and Ámbar snuggled on the couch while the opening scene began. Luna tried to not allow the jealousy creep into her veins. Her friends were happy, so she should be too, right? And if not, at least she should be able to focus on the movie.

Yet, her mind played a film of its own. Memories flooded her head. Some tasted bitter, like the one on the rink when he laughed at her. Maybe about her. Or when he switched teams again to avoid trouble with Ámbar.

Most of them felt like a bubble bath in happiness, however. His hugs. Every time he offered his help right when she needed it the most. Discovering the wings under her feet when he taught her a new step or lift. The butterflies in her stomach that woke up with his smile. Him, constantly making sure she was okay and happy.

Why did it had to end? They could have made it. That’s what she believed anyway until he exchanged her for the Italian sun and her sky missed the stars she used to see around him.

And now he suddenly talked about missing her, about wanting to give her the explanation she so desperately craved. She remembered Ámbar’s words. They were miserable, yes, or she definitely was. Matteo looked the part. Luna gave in and imagined what could happen if she got a reason. An apology, even. If there was a meaning behind her pain, what would change? Everything? Nothing?

These questions kept her mind busy. She left the apartment without knowing as much as the title of the film they had seen.

She needed to learn to move on.

The realization hit her late at night, after she crawled under her blanket and hugged her pillow tight. This crying and being mad and avoiding him had to come to an end. The searching and hoping for a way to turn things around too. She deserved closure, she deserved peace. If she got through the whole drama of being Sol Benson, then she could move on from a boy who made no sense. Right? And what did she had to lose by now anyway? How much worse could it get?

Maybe Ámbar had a point and letting Matteo explain was the right thing to do. Maybe she should give him that chance. Not for him. But for herself. Pushing her blanket away, Luna grabbed her phone. At last, she knew what to do.

Can we talk tomorrow? It’s important, she typed. She read through it, but decided to leave the details for the morning. Her fingers were only shaking slightly when she hit send.

Luna found him sitting in one of the chairs. Throughout the whole school day she had been unable to focus on the classes, fidgeting even more than usual and reliving the fight with Matteo. Hopefully, this would be over soon.

“Hey, thank you so much for taking the time!”

“Come on, you know I always have enough time for my best friend!”, Simón laughed. His eyes scanned her, which she noticed, of course. But she had nothing to hide anymore. Her smile was real, just like the determination she found behind the lump of nervousness in her throat.

“So, what’s this super important thing you need to talk about? Is it about the competition?”

“Well, no, actually it’s not. It’s about Matteo”, she began. Simón frowned. “So, I thought a lot about what Ámbar said yesterday. She knows him for so long, right? If she says I should talk to him, maybe it’s really time I do. I think I want to too.”

Her best friend shrugged, then chuckled. It sounded nervous, not quite convinced. “Then why don’t you just do it? The Luna I know can do everything she wants.” His smile turned softer and for a moment, Luna truly believed she could make it right this time.

Then she sighed. “I don’t know how to talk to him when he will avoid me even more than before.”

“Can I ask you a question?” Simón fidgeted with the menu card. Confused, she nodded. “I’ve been thinking about yesterday too, about what you told him. Luna, why didn’t you tell me how you felt? We’re best friends, you can always come talk to me if that’s what you need.”

“I’m sorry, Simón. It’s not that I didn’t want to, but, well, I couldn’t. I didn’t plan to say all of this, I didn’t even know that this was inside me. And at some point after he left, I just didn’t want you to worry and there was this whole Sol thing, and what could you have done anyway?”

There was still a frown on his face. “Look, I was just as surprised as you yesterday, but I’m glad I let it out. I had to. But what I really need now, from you, is your help to talk to him. Will you? Help me, I mean?”

Now he eased up. “Yeah. Everything that makes you happy, you know that.”

“Thank you!”

The next day, Luna felt more nervous than ever to go to the Jam&Roller. Her phone in her hands, she walked as fast as her feet carried her. (She felt it in her legs, how her muscles urged her to slow down and moaned because she ignored it) Two more streets, and her breath run short. Simón hadn’t texted her yet, and if he wasn’t texting her, it meant he was busy and talking to Matteo. Hopefully.

Only one more intersection and she’d know. But of course, the red light stopped her and while Luna caught her breath, she considered running over the street. This traffic light usually took ages to jump to green, she didn’t have that time. And there wasn’t any car around. Should she do it?

Luckily, she didn’t need to decide. Within seconds after the green light had mercy and signaled her to run, she stepped into the bar, her heart pounding loud and wild.

Simón wasn’t behind the counter, which looked promising to her as she didn’t see Matteo either. She dropped off her bag, and walked straight to the rink. Nothing but a small taste of doubt in her mouth now. Maybe they were at the lockers?

Again, no hint of the two. Only Pedro who greeted her cheerfully as usual. The worry reached her stomach and she felt unable to return Pedro’s smile. “Have you seen Simón? It’s super important”, she asked him, the words stumbling out of her mouth. “Well, fifteen minutes ago I saw him talking to Matteo by the stage. Have you checked the wardrobe?”

Fifteen minutes ago, they hadn’t planned it like this. Luna prayed she wasn’t too late. “No, I haven’t, thank you!”, she yelled over her shoulder.

Indeed, she found Simón sitting in the wardrobe, lost in thought, strumming his guitar. “Simón! Why are you here? Where’s Matteo?” Startled, her best friend looked up. “Luna, I didn’t expect you so soon!”

“What? The whole plan was about me being here and seriously, where is Matteo? Don’t tell me he already left, please!”

Simón put his guitar aside. By the expression in his eyes, he planned something and Luna wondered if she wanted to know.

“He did. I tried, you need to believe me, but he was so eager to leave, I couldn’t stop him.” She groaned. “However, don’t worry, it won’t happen again”, he added without making her feel better.  “Of course it won’t, because he will keep running from me forever.”

“You give up too fast, Luna. He won’t be able to run from you. Well, not if I tell him I need him to switch shifts with Nico because of a totally made-up emergency. And the best part: he can’t say no since Tamara left me in charge while she’s away. So, give it two days and you’ll get your shot.” He leaned back with a smirk, looking pleased with himself. Luna took a sharp breath. Trying to get to talk to him today had already rubbed her the wrong way, but this? This was a whole new level, one she shouldn’t feel so comfortable stepping on.

“Do you think this is a good idea?”

“Totally, you’ll see, and who knows, in a week you won’t be thinking about him anymore.” The thought of forgetting Matteo failed to reassure her. But this wouldn’t stop her. Not this time, not when Simón had a point and gave her the one chance she needed to move on. Right?

In the end, it was her heart who betrayed her. Dancing in her chest, over these two days it started to whisper that Matteo missed her, for real, and that it wasn’t a dream but a fact. It fully dived into the memories, the craving and pining as if Luna had nothing to lose.

It reminded her of his birthday present as well. Specifically, of the part no one knew about. Not Simón, not Nina, not even her parents. Get it out, it whispered, you hid it long enough. Just take another look. And the memories weren’t alone: all the feelings she had very much tried to bury forever accompanied them.

Luna hated it. This wasn’t fair, at all. Being a teenager shouldn’t be this hard. Love neither.

Time didn’t pass. No matter how hard Luna kept track of it and stared at whatever clock was around, the two days stretched into an eternity. And eternity gave her a lot of possibilities to overthink. Was she ready for the truth and for moving on? Did she have to be ready? (She didn’t feel the part.)

Her friends weren’t any help either. Just mentioning Matteo’s name caused them to interrogate her until she felt like the main suspect in a major crime case until she considered hiding in the bathroom.

Then, she woke up to a text of Simón, “Today!”, and time passed way too quickly during classes. Before Luna settled on a final plan for this conversation, she found herself in front of the Jam&Roller. Okay, she told herself, reaching for the door handle, you can do this. Just wing it. It’ll be fine.

She discovered Simón behind the bar. “Luna, there you are!”, he grinned at her, “Are you ready? Matteo is on the rink, so you can go straight ahead.”

“Thank you”, Luna said and forced a smile, “I’m just gonna put my skates on first.” And something Matteo hopefully saw as a sign she didn’t want to hurt him. But there was no need to rub that in Simón’s face when he’d only be hurt that she kept this a secret from him too. “Then don’t stand around, go, go, go! Good luck!”

Indeed, Luna needed that luck.

Seeing Matteo was enough to cause her chest to tighten until she forgot how to breathe. The last time they’d seen each other popped up in her head like one of these ads on Youtube that you couldn’t skip. Though, if she was being honest with herself, he didn’t look as miserable anymore. Only an unfathomable smile was on his face, nothing that laid bare how he felt. Or maybe it was showing in the details, in things escaping her mind because she had forgotten how to read him.

The second he noticed her, his movements changed. The smile, no matter how real, faded. Matteo slowed down, then turned away from her to watch the other skaters more intensely than was believable. Sighing, she decided she needed more drastic measures to get his attention.

This situation called for solely one thing.

Slowly, Luna once skated around the rink. She waited for his gaze to get stuck on her. A second round, taking up speed. Now. She spun around, well aware she wouldn’t make it if she shifted her weight to her right foot.

The fall came quickly. Matteo however didn’t. He remained on his spot, staring and probably waiting for her to get up. She felt her cheeks heating up. Not that she had a real plan, but things obviously weren’t going well.

Nevertheless, she sent a smile in his direction. Visibly exhaling, he skated over. “Why did I know you’d show up today?” Her eyebrows twitched and she hesitated to answer. “What do you want?”, Matteo went on, “There’s no training for the competition, you know that.”

That’s it, she thought, there had to be a way to bring back the old Matteo, or at least a Matteo she knew how to talk to. One that reminded her of the person she used to be, too. “No comment because I fell? I believe that’s a first.” She got a snort instead of the smirk she aimed for. “Look, I have to work, so if you don’t mind…”

“No, wait!” Luna reached out her hand. “Please.” With every passing second, her heart beat faster. What if she came too late, if he believed every single word her anger had directed at him? If she never got to tell him that right now, she missed their old selves more than she wanted to stay mad. That she wanted to hug him, wanted him to call her chica delivery, to wink at her and convince her to dance with him.

Lastly, Matteo grabbed her hand. His radiated warmth and offered support bittersweet in its familiarity. She focused on that while he pulled her up. Looking in his eyes seemed impossible.

“You only mentioned the card”, he commented to her surprise. Following his gaze, her eyes fixed her laces. More specifically, the silver moon and the strawberry dangling from them next to each other. “What?”

“You never brought them up. Or had them on before. Why now?” At his stinging tone, her voice broke into nothing more than a whisper. “I wanted to talk to you.” Matteo nodded slowly, as if he weighed his every word. “I see”, he began when a girl interrupted them. “Sorry, but you’re the supervisor, right? Could you help me with something, please?”

Immediately, his mouth curled up for this girl, a regular. “Yeah, of course.” Over his shoulder he said to Luna: “You’ll excuse me for a minute.”

Undecided, she stayed on her place frozen like a statue. Did his words mean he’d come back? Or would he go back to ignoring her? Luna had no idea. Her whole world felt shaky and unsteady, all because she couldn’t tell whether he put on a mask for her or for the girl he was helping. How did he continue to be her fixpoint? Her rock.

She watched him. Right now, he explained how to keep the balance while skating on one foot. He made a good teacher, patiently showing and encouraging the girl until it worked. No cheekiness, just kind support, she saw that much from the distance. It shouldn’t surprise her that much, she had seen him like this before, only that it felt like a lifetime ago and it had always been aimed at her.

Now, the same friendliness didn’t last for her. “So, Luna, I have a question for you.”

Had she seriously hoped for anything else except his razor-sharp tone? “If you wanted to talk to me, what did your dear Simón had to do with it? Did you think I wouldn’t notice how he obviously tried to keep me from leaving, just around the time school finishes? Why else would he suddenly be nice to me and ask for my help with a song I couldn’t possibly care less about? And only two days after you yelled at me, possibly loud enough for everyone to hear it? I bet he still laughs about it and thinks I deserve it.”

Yeah, in no way would she tell him they all really knew about their fight. Rather, she went for: “This is not about Simón, Matteo. Please.”

“No, it’s not. But you know, if you wanted to talk to me again, you could have texted me. Ask me, not let beanie boy do all the work because it’s easier for you.” With every word out of his mouth, she shrunk in size. By all means, he was right. “Matteo, I’m sorry, I…”

“Don’t. Whatever it was you wanted to say, spit it out already. What do you want? What do you want to happen, what are you trying to achieve with”, he gestured to her skates and the ground, “All this?”

There wasn’t enough air in here to fill her lungs, especially not when the storm in his eyes took her breath away.

“I wanted a reason”, she stammered. “You said you cared but I still don’t understand why you simply disappeared from my life. Look, all I wanted was to move on and later remember this without having to wonder what happened.”

“Wanted?”, Matteo asked, an eyebrow raised before his expressions softened up slightly. Luna stared back, astounded at the power of a small word. “I… I mean… I still care about you. I tried not to. But I really, really do.” At this, suddenly his eyes lit up like a firework in the night sky. He coughed and looked away, trying to conceal it. Still, she recognized this trace of hope, because it spread in her too and gave her a fuzzy sensation in her guts.

“So, why did you never stay in touch?”

They sat on the bleachers while Matteo focused on the rink. Not that Luna would ever admit it, but she took the chance to study his face. He was the most beautiful thing she had ever laid her eyes on. Most likely forever. It struck her that whatever was about to come, she most likely didn’t expect it. And just maybe, she didn’t have to lose him. Maybe this wasn’t their end or the last time she could get lost in his perfection.

“This might take a while.”

Luna reached out for his arm, but held herself back before he noticed. She cleared her throat. “I have time.”

Matteo closed his eyes. Forgotten was the rink, his shift. All that mattered was Luna, to find the right words that kept his hopes for a second chance alive. “The day after we arrived in Italy, uh, my dad told me we probably wouldn’t come back for the school year. Well, I know I should have expected it, but I didn’t want to hear any of it. That’s when we had our first fight, over there I mean. I just refused to give up the hope to see you again, you know?”

His voice trembled, the words blurred and it was hard to understand everything. “I never wanted our kiss to be the end of something. So, I didn’t want him to mention this until their bosses made their final decision. And then… then they told me we’d stay. That I would finish school there, and likely study too, or go to Oxford. Those were my options. It was right after the first Open, you know, the one Tamara streamed. I, I missed you. I missed you so much. I wanted to see you, hear your voice but there you didn’t perform while my parents basically told me I’d never get to go back and should let this fantasy go.”

Luna remembered the Open, how she regretted not performing when she learned about the one person who had streamed it from Italy. It truly had been him, of course, and of course he didn’t get to see the one time she sang for him.

“My first impulse was to call you. I had to tell you, but no matter how long I sat in front of my phone and opened your contact, I couldn’t do it. I knew it would be the right thing to do and yet, I… my head always found a reason not to do it. It was stupid, I realized that now, the most stupid thing I’ve ever done.”

Matteo paused. Let out a sigh. So much weight seemed to escape his body with it, Luna wondered how he had managed to walk upright before. “And then?”, she asked in a husky voice. “Did you just… decide that not talking to me at all was better? But then why did you send me something for my birthday then? That makes no sense to me. Wait, look, I want to get it, but right now, I feel there are more question marks in my head than before.”

Something about her words shattered him back into pieces. She saw it without understanding why tears sparkled in his eyes or why his whole body was made up of misery.

“I didn’t decide anything. My dad did. He’s, eh, let’s say, quite controlling. He told me I was acting out of my mind, and I was, of course I was. I felt so lost without you, but when he learned about you, he tried to reign me back in. Like I was a dog who didn’t listen and just needed some more training to behave.” A snort, one heartbeat of silence. Another one. “Actually, it’s not like I didn’t expect it. Although usually he was distant, more of a teacher than a father. But this time, he suddenly cared. Or at least compared to like all my life. And… since I honestly believed I’d never see you again but instead could have a decent relationship with my parents, finally, I…”, another break. “This sounds even shittier when I say it out loud.”

His fingers moved restlessly around, through his hair, along the seam of his shirt, rubbing his neck. Never stopping. “I’m sorry, Luna, I made so many mistakes, you have every right to be mad…”, she stopped him. “I want this to be over.”

He stared at her with eyes wide opened. Even though silence settled between them, Luna swore she heard his heart break.

“No, no, not like that!”, she hurried to add. Before her brain stopped her, her hand searched for his. Equally surprised as she was, Matteo held in a breath. Confusion was written all over his face. Luna tried to say something, anything, however touching him burned out every single thought in her head.

It took her some moments to find her voice. “What I’m trying to say is, I want us to be able to talk normally again. Like before. I don’t care if what you have to tell me sounds shitty. I said I wanted to understand, and I won’t run away. I promise. And I don’t want to stay mad at you. Anymore.”

“What?”

In another situation, she would have laughed at his shocked face. Now, she let her thumb draw lazy circles on his skin. “I’m done being mad at you”, she repeated. A smile as bright as a thousand stars broke free on his lips. It blinded her, consumed everything else around them like a black hole. She wanted to see this smile every day of her life.

“You know, you’re always in my head, everywhere I am”, he confessed, more radiant than the sun itself. “Everything that you said before sounded as if my only goal during the last year was to make you suffer and I know it’s hard to believe it but I never wanted to hurt you. I believed I was doing what was best for you, to allow you to move on. It took me weeks to buy these pendants. Every time I passed this shop window, I thought about getting them for you. But I also hoped you had forgotten me by then, because it meant you didn’t suffer like me. That’s why I always walked past them in the end.”

Focusing on his words got harder when he pulled his hand away. She hated how she ached to feel more of him, whether by holding his hand or being in his arms and doing all the things she definitely needed to stop thinking about. “And then my parents left town for a few days and I found myself in front of the shop again. I figured it was now or never, that you could still get them in time without my dad ever knowing I lied when I told him I had forgotten you completely. So, I bought them. I let them change them so you could wear them on your laces and went straight to the post office, wrote the card there and sent it off. But the next day, I already realized it was contradicting and wrong and I knew I’d never have the courage to ask Gastón how you reacted.”

“He couldn’t have answered that question anyway. I never told anyone about them”, Luna stated. “In fact, until yesterday, I kept them in my drawer right at the back so I didn’t have to see them.”

“Why?”, he inquired, biting his tongue. She shifted on her seat, unconsciously ending up closer to him. Her fingers fidgeted with her bracelets in order to keep her from reaching out to find his hand. “It hurt too much, thinking about you. And I didn’t want everyone else to worry about me again, especially when they just started to believe I was better.”

Matteo shook his head. “Luna, you can’t always think of everyone else first. Sometimes, what you want and need is more important.”

“Would you say the same thing if I told you you weren’t what I wanted?” His gaze laid down on her, firm and calm. It brought back the feeling she could read his every thought and emotion in his eyes. Hope spread out in her, racing through every cell and making her dizzy. “I would say your happiness is the most important thing. And I know I got in the way of it too often already, so… one word from you and I’ll leave you alone.”

That was it, that was the last strike it took to tear down the wall around her heart. Immediately, this hope forged a fire that turned every last bit of anger and resentment into ashes. “And let’s say, I wouldn’t want you to go. Why should I trust you now? How do I know you’re not leaving again because your dad makes you?” Matteo took her hand, studying their intertwined fingers before he answered. “After the last training, I talked to my parents. I figured I lost you for good, but I also realized they needed to know the truth. So, I told them I still only wanted to be with you and that it was wrong to pretend otherwise and that I didn’t care what they say.”

“How did that go?”, she blurted out. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t imagine talking to her parents like that. Or them to act like Matteo’s parents, for that matter. “Well, my dad got mad. Very mad, actually. It was nothing compared to when I decided to study physics and astronomy instead of sticking to his plans for me.” With the hand he wasn’t holding on to, she gently patted his arm.

“Why are you looking at me like that, chica delivery?”

Was it possible to have a heart attack because of a nickname?

“Are you and your dad okay now?” Matteo shrugged. “He’ll get over it at some point. But really, in the end, I don’t care anymore if they accept or even like my choice. That’s not what matters.” He smiled at her, all soft and warm and full of love. The chica delivery from a minute ago couldn’t hold up against it. If she hadn’t been sitting, who knew where her shaking knees would have taken her. “I love you, Luna. And I will stay.”

Maybe she should think this through. Tell him she needed some time to process everything, to decide on what was best for her.

But truth be told, her heart already chose him without a doubt. She knew living without him was possible, she had managed to get by like this. However, talking to him demonstrated that it wasn’t what she aimed for, a life without his smiles. His touch, his support. His love.

“Luna?”, Matteo pulled her back to reality, where she had left him waiting for an answer, “Will you give me a second chance?” She looked up. Hope glimmered in his eyes, along with an undeniable fear. Never had he been this vulnerable around her, perhaps around anyone.

“I mean I haven’t completely forgiven you”, she admitted. In response, his hand loosened its grip on hers. “I haven’t because it will take some time, but… I want to try this. Us. I, I like you very much too.”

Time stopped.

Suddenly, he embraced her waist and she sat right next to him, wrapped up in his arms. The world started spinning, faster than ever before. Luna closed her eyes. Like adding the last puzzle piece, her life felt complete again.

His lips found her forehead, murmuring “Thank you” before he gently pressed them on her skin. It took all her self-control to not kiss him right here, right now in front of the other skaters.

Somehow, they ended up in the wardrobe. The reason escaped her mind before the door closed behind them. Did he needed to get something out of here? All Luna remembered was walking hand in hand with him and that the smile on her face grew wider with every minute.

“Wait, was there any reason we’re here now?”, she asked. Matteo grinned, the signature chico fresa look, and turned around so he faced her. One hand reached out for her hair, brushed it back, then rested on her cheek. His other hand supported her waist, pulled her closer. Not close enough. She wrapped her arms around his neck. “Is it too early to ask if I can kiss you?”

“I don’t know, chico fresa, is it?”

It wasn’t. Of course. How could it be too early when all Luna had done for a year was to dream of these lips, this boy and being with him?

Matteo kissed her. Or she kissed him. It didn’t matter. Her mind turned quiet, but she heard her heart sing, even shouting in her chest. She had forgotten kissing Matteo meant a hurricane in her veins, meant being burned alive but enjoying every second of it. His thumb caressed her cheek and it drove her crazy, how he sent one wave of electricity after another through her body.

When they broke apart, Luna didn’t need to open her eyes to see him beaming with happiness. His voice sounded warm and just rough enough to make her knees tremble: “I think now I’m really home again.”

Thank you.

[kpop-zone]

Twice reaction to their wife throwing her wedding ring

A/N: Blame my favorite writer on here for the angsty ending of one of the reactions. She just had to post the most heartbreaking scenario ever, so I wasn’t in the mood for fluff anymore :D

Nayeon

As soon as Jeongyeon showed her the phone, Nayeon knew that she had messed up. It was all over the news.

‘Twice’s Nayeon and GOT7’s Mark dating’

You had been insecure from the start. Nayeon was known for her visuals and surely many people wanted to date her. There had already been dating rumors about her and another idol in the beginning of your relationship and it needed a lot of convincing till you believed her instead of the newspapers.

But this time it was different. This time, it truly seemed like, she had been cheating. Some fans had taken pictures of her and Mark backstage. She was leaning against a wall and Mark was leaning into her while resting his hand next to her head. Of course, no one had published the pictures that were taken only a second later, when Nayeon vehemently pushed him away and told him that she was married.

Nayeon needed to talk to you. Gladly her members were willing to back her up, so she rushed out of the practice room, while she heard the other members excuse her with a lie. She had never been home faster in her life, but apparently, she hadn’t been fast enough. When she entered the apartment, she almost stumbled over a suitcase.

“Jagi?”

She yelled panicked before rushing into the bedroom where you were just packing a second suitcase.

Quickly Nayeon made her way over to you and grabbed your arms.

“Let go off me, Nayeon!”

You exclaimed angrily, but she tightened her grasp without hurting you, of course.

“No, listen to me. I won’t let some fans destroy this relationship.”

Nayeon stated firmly and you stopped trying to rip away your arms.

“If you want to leave me because you can’t stand dating an idol anymore that’s fine. But I don’t want you to leave me because you think I have cheated. Because I haven’t. And I never would.”

She continued and a few tears rolled down your cheeks.

“Then where are those pictures coming from?”

You sobbed, causing Nayeon to instinctively step closer to you, but you hastily stumbled backwards to get out of her reach.

“You are always doing that! Playing with fire and flirting with other idols.”

Your voice cracked and suddenly you reached for your wedding ring and threw it in Nayeon’s direction.

She was taken aback for a second, but then she gained her composure back again. Quickly she took a step forward and grabbed your head to gently push it against her body. You fought back at first, but then you gave in to her embrace and let Nayeon stroke the side of your head.

“Mark was flirting with me; I won’t deny that. But I immediately pushed him away. I swear that I don’t want anybody else but you. No one can compare to you.”

She explained and you started to calm down in her arms.

As soon as your sobs ceased, Nayeon crouched down to pick up your wedding ring. She looked at your hand and felt a twinge in her heart when she saw your unadorned finger. Quickly she grabbed your hand and put the ring on its foreseen place again.

You were hers.

Jeongyeon

Jeongyeon leaned her head against the front door. She had had a hell of a day. First, her company tortured the members with an inhuman practice, then they had an unpleasant encounter with a sasaeng at a press event and later the staff had told her that she had to go through another diet.

But she couldn’t let you know all of this.

You had to go through enough just because she was your wife. She couldn’t make your life even harder by putting all her worries on your plate too. Therefore, Jeongyeon took a deep breath before putting on a smile and entering the apartment. You were standing in the kitchen and preparing dinner. As soon as you saw your wife, your face lit up and Jeongyeon immediately walked over to you to kiss you.

Although she had only seen you this morning, she had missed you and there was nothing better than coming home to you. But today she noticed that you had a weird look on your face.

“Are you ok?”

She asked concerned, but you nodded your head quickly.

“Yeah, of course! Dinner’s almost ready. You can sit at the counter and tell me about your day till the meat is done.”

You smiled and Jeongyeon kept looking at you suspiciously but then she followed your suggestion.

“Well my day has been great. Practice has been fun, and the fans were super cute...”

Jeongyeon lied but was suddenly interrupted when you slammed your hand on the counter.

She looked at you in shock, but you kept your back turned to her.

“Jagi?”

She asked confused, causing you to finally turn around.

Your face was stern and Jeongyeon could see the anger in your eyes.

“Really? What else do I have to do to finally get you to talk?”

You questioned and she looked at you perplexed.

“I’ve seen the videos. You were attacked by a sasaeng today. What else are you not telling me?”

Jeongyeon quickly avoided your gaze, because she didn’t know what to tell you.

“It’s not like that...”

She stammered, but you only laughed cynically in response.

“It’s not like what? So you are telling me everything?”

Because Jeongyeon didn’t want to lie to you again, she didn’t answer your question, but you only got angrier in response.

You continued to blame her for keeping secrets and Jeongyeon just submitted to your accusations, staying quiet throughout the whole time. You had a right to be angry. However, she hadn’t expected that her silence made everything worse.

“Don’t you have anything to say in your defense?”

You asked eventually, but Jeongyeon couldn’t form any coherent sentences.

Frustrated, you shook your head before suddenly reaching for your wedding ring and pulling it of your finger.

“If you don’t want to be in this relationship anymore, you could have just said so.”

You gritted through your teeth before throwing the ring in her direction.

The sound of the metal hitting the counter finally pulled Jeongyeon out of her trance. Instantly she leaped to her feet and sprinted to you, because you were just about to leave the apartment.

“I’m sorry.”

She blurted out and you looked at her annoyed.

“I want to talk to you, but I don’t want to burden you. You already have to endure so much because I’m an idol, I don’t want to make it even worse by worrying you.”

Jeongyeon finally admitted and you stopped in your motions.

“Jeongyeon that’s the point of being married. To share everything. Your happy moments and your sad ones.”

You responded and she gulped.

Of course, you were right, but it was just so hard. It was killing her that she couldn’t spend more time with you; that you couldn’t show yourself in public like any other person on this planet. And then she was supposed to make your life even harder by telling you all her sorrows?

But if that was what you wanted; she would give in to your wishes.

“I’m sorry. I can change. I will tell you everything from now on.”

She promised and you looked at her contemplatively.

“Please, come back inside. Let’s have dinner.”

You sighed, but gladly brushed past her and walked back into the kitchen, where you tried to save the food that was half-burnt by now. Suddenly tears sprung into Jeongyeon’s eyes and she needed to inhale deeply to not break down. She couldn’t believe how close she had been to losing you.

Sheepishly she followed you into the kitchen after she had composed herself again. You were just setting the table and Jeongyeon wordlessly sat down. She didn’t know whether you were still mad at her and needed some space. Nervously, she glanced at you from the side until you eventually sighed.

“Do you want to tell me about your day again?”

You asked and your voice was a lot softer this time.

Apparently, you had been able to sense Jeongyeon’s discomfort. She nodded eagerly and when she saw you putting on your wedding ring again that was laying on the counter, a wide smile spread on her face.

Momo

You were standing in the kitchen, humming along to a song and preparing an afternoon snack for your family that was supposed to come home any minute now. But suddenly your phone rang, so you put down the food to pick it up.

“Mom can you come and get us? Mommy has forgotten us again.”

Your daughter whined into the speaker and you clenched your phone angrily.

“Of course, baby. I’ll be there in no time and we can grab some ice cream on the way back home. How does that sound?”

You offered apologetically and your children cheered on the other end of the line.

Your smiley demeanor crumbled though as soon as you hung up the phone. You were tired of the unreliability of your wife. This was the fourth time in two weeks that she had forgotten to pick up the kids or to be there for a school performance. Momo had never had a lot of time, but lately it had worsened, and you started to feel like a single parent.

“Might as well be one.”

You mumbled to yourself as you left the house to pick up your kids.

After you had gotten the promised ice cream, you brought them to a friend’s house. They didn’t need to witness what was about to happen once your wife got home.

Your decision manifested itself in the next two hours that you spent alone at home, because Momo took her time to finally join you. But then you could hear the front door open and the familiar voice of your wife.

“I’m home! Where are my princesses?”

She yelled into the house as usual, but this time, her daughters didn’t run to the entrance to greet her.

Therefore, your confused wife eventually entered the living room where you were already waiting for her.

“Hey, babe. Are the kids sleeping at a friend’s house?”

Momo asked while walking over to you to greet you properly.

But before she could peck your lips, you extended your arm to block her. Even more confused she looked at you questioningly and you gestured her to sit down.

“We need to talk.”

You said sternly, causing Momo to sit down immediately like a little kid that was awaiting to be scolded.

“I’m tired.”

You huffed while massaging your temples, because you could feel a headache forming.

“Didn’t you sleep well?”

Momo responded and normally you probably would have found her naivety cute, but today you were even more annoyed.

“No, I’m tired of this marriage. I’m tired of being the only one that puts any effort in it and I’m tired of always being alone.”

Your voice became shakier with every word as tears started to pool in your eyes.

You weren’t sure if you really wanted to leave Momo. After all you loved her. But you wanted her to fight for you; show you that she didn’t want to lose you. But she just kept sitting in front of you without saying a single word. Impatiently you waited if she had anything to say about your statement, but it seemed like she wasn’t even listening. Frustrated you leaped to your feet and grabbed the ring on your finger.

“I can’t believe this Momo. Do you even care?”

You yelled in her face before throwing your wedding ring at her and storming into the bedroom.

Angrily you paced up and down the room. When you realized what you had just done, your tears streamed down your face and you tried muffling your sobs with your hand.

It was over.

The realization only sunk in slowly and with every minute, your heart ached more. You were about to slump to the ground in pain when you could suddenly hear a knock on the door.

“Y/N?”

The broken voice of your wife called out and you started to cry even more.

Slowly the door opened, and the tear-stained face of your wife appeared.

“Please don’t leave me.”

She whispered almost inaudible.

When you saw all the pain in her eyes, you sat down on the bed and buried your face in your hands, because you couldn’t stand to look at her any longer. Suddenly you felt the bed dip and arms wrap around your body.

“Please. I’m sorry. I’ll be better.”

Momo begged before burying her head in the crook of your neck.

Instinctively you wrapped your arms around her body and let the two of you cry in each other’s shoulders. After a while, Momo pulled away and slowly grabbed your hand. Shakily she put on your wedding ring again before kissing your finger.

“Please don’t leave me.”

As you looked into the puffy eyes of your wife, you knew that you could never hurt her like that. Therefore, you slowly shook your head, causing Momo to sigh in relief and crash her body into yours.

Sana

The afternoon was supposed to be a chance to catch up with your wife, because you hadn’t had that much time together lately. But right now, you regretted your decision.

The two of you had taken a stroll in a park and when you spotted an ice cream stand, Sana had whined so long until you agreed to buy her one. While you walked up to the stand, your wife sat down on a bench and waited for you. But just when you were about to order the ice cream, a colleague had run into you.

He happily greeted you with a hug and you instantly started to chat about your day, because both of you got along well. Suddenly, however, Sana had snatched your hand and had pulled you away.

“We need to leave.”

She had mumbled and perplexed you had let her take the lead.

But as soon as you were out of earshot of your colleague, you had stopped abruptly.

“What’s wrong?”

You asked, checking if your wife was hurt or something which would explain her sudden behavior.

But Sana only glared at you and slowly realization hit you.

“Wait were you jealous?”

You chuckled, not knowing whether you should be amused or offended by your wife’s behavior.

“Who’s that? And why were you flirting with him?”

Sana asked agitated, causing you to be taking aback by the anger in her voice.

“I wasn’t flirting.”

You defended yourself but Sana only scoffed.

“I’m not blind, Y/N. Is that what you do when I’m on tour too?”

By now several people were already staring at the two of you, because Sana’s high-pitched voice was audible in the whole park. Sheepishly you looked around before grabbing your wife’s hand and pulling her to the car.

“Not here. Except you want the whole world to know about our fight.”

You gritted through your teeth and Sana followed you without grumbling.

The car ride was made in silence, but as soon as you had entered the apartment, your consideration had reached its limit.

“Can you tell me what your problem is?”

You snapped at her and Sana immediately crossed her arms protectively.

“I just think it’s unbelievable how you flirt with someone else while I am around. I wonder what happens when you’re alone.”

She said coldly and you stared at her in disbelief.

“What is wrong with you? Can’t I talk with people now? I’m not your property!”

You responded, but Sana didn’t step down.

“No, but you’re my wife!”

You couldn’t believe her right now; you had never given her a reason to treat you like that.

“If being your wife means that I can’t even talk with other people, then I don’t want to be your wife any longer!”

You yelled as you slipped the ringer off your finger and threw it at Sana.

With wide eyes your wife watched the ring bounce off her chest before staring at you.

“Y/N...”

She gasped in shock. Her expression had changed from one second to another.

You couldn’t see any anger in her eyes anymore, instead pure panic had brought tears into her eyes.

But your anger hadn’t vanished yet. Instead you scoffed and turned on your heel to storm off, but Sana quickly grabbed your wrist.

“Wait! I’m sorry. Don’t go. You’re right, I’m wrong.”

She stuttered but you just laughed emotionlessly.

“Oh am I now? Forget it Sana, I’m sick of your jealousy.”

You spat out before trying to rip yourself free.

But your wife was stronger than she looked. Her fingers were tightly wrapped around your arm and you couldn’t manage to get space between the two of you before you were tackled into an embrace.

Her body shook vehemently against yours and you realized that she had completely lost her composure. She was mumbling apologies over and over again until you couldn’t hold back anymore and lightly stroked her hair.

“Sana... stop crying. It’s ok.”

Desperately you tried calming her because you were worried that she might get a panic attack.

You kept whispering loving words into her ear without making promises that you weren’t planning to keep. Eventually your wife’s sobs died down after you had sat down while letting her rest in your lap and you sighed in relief.

“Please don’t leave me.”

Sana stuttered as she held out your wedding ring with shaky hands. You looked at it contemplatively.

Was your marriage worth enduring your wife’s jealousy?

Jihyo

After you had hung up the call with your mother, your phone slipped out of your hand and you covered your mouth in shock. She had just told you not your grandmother had died and although she had been old, you had not expected to receive this message. Tears immediately started to fill your eyes and you wished that your wife was already home to comfort you, but she was still at work. Nevertheless, you decided to text her.

When are you coming home? I miss you

You asked, because you didn’t want to stress her or be too clingy. Like expected, however, you didn’t receive an answer right away. Jihyo never had her phone with her during practice. Therefore, you rolled up on your bed and hugged your own body for comfort. Only after almost two hours, a text message from Jihyo finally popped up on your phone screen.

I’m sorry, my love. Don’t wait up on me today. I need to help Chaeyoung with something.

When you read your wife’s message, new tears streamed down your face. You really didn’t want to be alone right now. But what other choice did you have. Therefore, you kept lying on the bed, trying to force yourself to sleep, because being awake only hurt.

After drifting in and out of sleep for a while, you could eventually hear Jihyo entering your apartment. Soon she walked into the room and slipped under the covers next to you. Like usual, she wanted to hug you from behind, but today you weren’t in the mood for cuddles. At least not now; after she had left you alone the whole day. You knew that your reaction was irrational. Jihyo couldn’t have known that you needed her. Nevertheless, it wasn’t the first time that you had wanted her by your side, but instead she was still out there, helping her members like always. Therefore, you removed her arm again as soon as it wrapped around your body.

“What’s wrong?”

Jihyo’s concerned voice immediately sounded from behind you.

“Nothing.”

You mumbled in response, but your hoarse voice gave away that you were lying.

Without hesitation, Jihyo turned on the light on your nightstand and gently pushed down your shoulder to be able to look at you.

“Have you been crying?”

You could see in her eyes that she was on high alert now.

Quickly you averted your gaze, but Jihyo had already seen right through you and pulled you into her arms.

“Hey, you can talk to me, jagi. What’s bothering you?”

Her soft voice was supposed to calm you, but you pushed her away and got off the bed.

Jihyo looked at you with wide eyes and you huffed in frustration.

“Your concern comes a little late now. I needed you earlier, but of course you were busy comforting others instead of your own wife.”

You spat out, causing your wife to be at a loss for words.

Therefore, you took your chance and kept venting your anger. Jihyo silently endured your accusations before you eventually took off your wedding ring and threw it at your wife, blinded by your rage.

As soon as the ring landed in front of her, you regretted your action. The hurt in Jihyo’s eyes was the most painful thing you had ever seen and when she looked at you with tears streaming down her cheeks, your heart broke.

“I’m sorry. I know that I haven’t been a good wife.”

She sobbed, causing you to instantly crash your body into hers.

Your anger had left your body and you wrapped your arms around Jihyo.

“You’re not a bad wife, jagi. You’re the best I could have ever asked for. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean what I was saying.”

You tried to apologize to make your wife stop crying.

Jihyo buried her head in your body and kept mumbling apologies until her tears died down.

When she pulled away, her gaze immediately fell to your ring that was still laying in front of her. Therefore, you quickly took it and slipped it back on your finger before pressing a kiss on Jihyo’s forehead.

“I’m sorry.”

The two of you definitely had a few things to resolve, but you went too far this time and you promised yourself to never hurt your wife like that again.

Mina

When you saw the news of another idol going public with their relationship, you quickly turned off your phone and buried your face in your hands. Deep down you understood why Mina couldn’t go public with her relationship with you. But nevertheless, you wished that she would. The two of you were married for three years now and you still had to hide and couldn’t even step out of the house together. It was exhausting and your sympathy from the beginning had slowly turned into frustration.

Therefore, you were even more irritated after reading the news. Sulkily you continued to work until you could finally call it a day. Although you weren’t too sure if you really wanted to go home. Mina would be waiting for you and you didn’t know whether you had calmed down by now. To squander more time, you drove to the grocery store although you didn’t need anything, but after a while you really had to return to Mina, because you knew how quickly she got worried.

As soon as you entered the apartment, you heard the concerned voice of your wife.

“Y/N?”

She called and you felt your bad conscious nagging on you.

“Yeah, I’m home! I needed to pick up some groceries at the store.”

You excused your late arrival but when Mina appeared in the entrance, you could see that she wasn’t satisfied with your response.

“But I only went there yesterday.”

She answered confused while looking at you suspiciously.

“Well I remembered that I needed something else.”

You quickly responded before brushing past her to bring the groceries to the kitchen.

Mina followed you close behind, and you felt that she was still overthinking this situation. For her own sake you wished that she wouldn’t have.

“Are you mad at me?”

She asked hesitantly and you slumped your shoulders in defeat. There was no point in hiding it.

“A little but it’s not your fault.”

You responded honestly, causing Mina to look at you with her head tilted in confusion.

It was really easy to make her insecure and you really didn’t intent to, but you didn’t want to lie to her either.

“Just leave it Mina.”

You said a little annoyed, causing your wife to jump in surprise.

But then she sat up straighter and crossed her arms.

“No I want you to talk to me.”

Mina demanded and you rolled your eyes.

You didn’t want to fight, but if you said what was bothering you, it was bound to happen.

“But I don’t want to talk.”

You huffed and wanted to flee the scene, but Mina quickly grabbed your wrist and held you back.

“Stop being so immature!”

She scolded you, making your bottled-up anger come to a boil.

“I’m immature? You can’t even speak up for yourself and go public with our relationship!”

You suddenly blurted out but regretted your words as soon as they had left your lips.

Mina narrowed her eyes at you, and you knew that you had struck a chord.

“So that’s what this is all about? I can’t believe you, Y/N. Do you really want me to give up my career so badly?”

She had a point, but your stubbornness forbade you to let her have the last word.

“Of course, you don’t understand me. Sometimes I think, you are glad that you aren’t allowed to go public!”

You spat out and Mina stared at you in disbelief.

“Wow Y/N. In moments like this I wonder if this is all worth the stress.”

Her words knocked the air out of your lungs and made tears spring to your eyes. You didn’t know what to respond, so you grabbed the ring on your finger and threw it in Mina’s direction.

“Fine, if you think like that, you can have that one back.”

Abruptly you turned around to storm off to your shared bedroom, but in the split second before you ran away, you could see the sheer panic in Mina’s eyes. Nevertheless, you kept going your way and slammed the door loudly, before throwing yourself on the bed and crying your eyes out. Shortly after, you could hear the front door opening and closing again, causing even more tears to stream down your cheeks. You couldn’t believe that she would just leave you like that.

Eventually you cried yourself to sleep. You only woke up a few hours later when it was already the middle of the night. When you opened your eyes, you could see that your lamp on your nightstand was on. Next to it were flowers, some snacks and a glass of water. Mina must have bought those things after leaving earlier.

When you turned around though, your wife wasn’t laying next to you like usual. Feeling fear creeping its way into your head, you quickly got up and made your way to the living room to search for Mina. The room was dark, but you could make out your wife’s figure on the couch. When you turned on the light, you could see that her face was tear stained. Her gaze met yours and a broken whimper escaped her lips.

“I’m sorry.”

She choked out before starting to sob loudly.

Quickly you rushed to her and crouched down in front of her to be able to embrace her tightly.

“No, I’m sorry. My accusations were ridiculous. I’m so sorry Mina for making you cry.”

You responded, but Mina kept apologizing, nevertheless.

Eventually her tears died down and you pulled back to look her into the eyes.

“Can we please forget that tonight ever happened? I would never want to live without you.”

She pleaded and you nodded instantly.

“Of course. I love you.”

You answered and Mina pulled you in for a kiss.

After she pulled away, she held out her fist and when she opened it, you could see your wedding ring laying on her palm. Your heart ached when you thought about ever having to live without Mina, therefore, you quickly grabbed it and put it on your finger. A wide smile spread in your wife’s face and she pressed another kiss on your lips before wrapping her arms around your body.

Dahyun

“Hi, this is the mailbox of Dahyun...”

Angrily you hung up the call when the familiar message greeted you. Dahyun was supposed to be here 30 minutes ago and your patience had finally run out. You had cut her a lot of slack, because of her career, but enough was enough. She couldn’t even honor you with her presence on your birthday?

Disappointed you made your way to the living room where your friends and family was waiting.

“Dahyun says ‘Hi’ to all of you, but unfortunately she has been held up in the company.”

You apologized the absence of your wife with a fake smile, although you could see in the faces of everybody that they could see your disappointment.

You didn’t really feel like celebrating right now, nevertheless, you didn’t want to be a bad host. Therefore, you put on a mask and pretended like you weren’t heartbroken because of Dahyun’s carelessness. The next hours dragged on like gum, but because your bad mood was unconcealable, everyone left rather early and you were left alone in your apartment. Finally, you could let your tears run freely, so you curled up on the couch and sobbed into your hands. Not only because your wife had obviously forgotten about your birthday but also because you knew what you had to do once she came home.

Like on cue, the front door opened, and you could hear Dahyun enter the apartment. Quickly you got to your feet and wiped away your tears. Your wife entered the living room and immediately scanned the room. There was a big ‘Happy Birthday’ sign hanging across the room and her gaze immediately fell on you, while her eyes widened almost comically.

“Jagi...”

She breathed in disbelief and a new set of tears stained your face.

“Save it.”

You choked out, before storming into the bedroom, where you put out a suitcase on the bed and started to throw random clothes in it.

“No, no, no. What are you doing?”

Dahyun asked panicked while throwing herself in front of the suitcase and unpacking it again.

“I’m tired of only playing a secondary role in your life Dahyun!”

You yelled frustrated before continuing to pack your clothes, but Dahyun stepped in front of you, blocking your way to the suitcase.

“You’re not only a secondary role in my life. I love you. And I’m sorry that I messed up, but it’s never going to happen again, I promise.”

Her voice cracked in the end, but you were too angry to accept any apology.

Therefore, you ripped your arms out of her grasp and stepped back. Dahyun was looking at you with pure fear in her eyes, but it was just too late now. You shook your head while grabbing the ring on your finger and pulling it off.

“You’ve had enough chances to change. It’s over, Dahyun.”

You responded cold as ice before throwing your wedding ring at your wife.

Dahyun motionlessly let the metal band bounce off her chest as she kept staring at you with wide eyes. Her skin was even paler than usual, and you hesitated a second before grabbing your stuff to leave, because you were really concerned about her. But then you decided to go through with your decision and made your way to the front door. Right when you wanted to grab the doorknob, however, arms wrapped around your body and prevented you from taking another step.

Dahyun’s trembling body pressed itself against yours from behind and she sobbed into your back.

“Please don’t leave me. I need you, Y/N. I can’t live without you.”

She pleaded, but you tried to wiggle your way out of her grasp.

“Let go of me, Dahyun! Your words mean nothing without any actions.”

You demanded but your wife’s embrace only tightened around your waist.

“I’m going to terminate my contract. I’ll call my company right now.”

She suddenly said with determination in her voice, but you only huffed tiredly in response.

“I’m serious, Y/N. I need to proof to you that you are the leading role in my life.”

Dahyun’s arms loosened around your body and you turned around to be able to look at her. Her cheeks were still tear stained, but her eyes were suddenly serious and determined.

Slowly she held her hand out, waiting for you to take it. Fear flickered in her eyes again and uncertainty tore your heart in two. Should you stay or should you go?

Chaeyoung

Chaeyoung knew that her behavior was wrong. But she couldn’t help it. She hated conflicts. So whenever the two of you were remotely close to fighting, she found a way to avoid it. Therefore, a lot of unresolved conflicts had been piling up over time and now it seemed like your frustration had finally reached its limit.

The two of you had had dinner with your parents and Chaeyoung had said something stupidyou’re your father ended up being upset. You wanted to talk with her about it in the car on the way back home, but like always she had blocked your attempts. Normally, the event wouldn’t have been big enough to start a fight, but an unlucky combination of factors had led to you now standing in front of her, desperately trying to get some kind of reaction out of her.

But instead of defending herself, Chaeyoung just sat in front of you and let you yell at her. If she couldn’t avoid a fight, she would just let it blow over. You, however, couldn’t take her passiveness any longer and suddenly reached to your ring finger. Chaeyoung looked at you with wide eyes, trying to stop you, but it was too late. You slipped the ringer off your finger and threw it at her.

“Seriously Chaeyoung, I don’t even know where to start! There’s so much wrong with us.”

You yelled before grabbing your purse and keys and leaving the house.

Speechless, Chaeyoung stood behind you and watched you disappear through the front door. As it slammed shut, she jumped in surprise and tears sprung to her eyes. Why couldn’t she have said something to stop you? Or really anything at all.

Disappointed in herself and heartbroken, Chaeyoung slumped down on the couch and let her tears stream freely. Loud sobs left her mouth, causing her to roll up in a ball to stop her body from trembling.

Throughout the whole night, she kept laying there without closing her eyes for a second, in hopes that you would return eventually. The sun had long risen, however, till you finally walked through the door again. Chaeyoung immediately leaped to her feet and into your arms.

“I’m so sorry, Y/N. I swear I’ll talk to you from now on. Just don’t go.”

She sobbed into your shoulder while you tried to push her away.

“It’s too late now. There are so many unspoken things between us already.”

You responded and tried to shake her off to be able to walk further into the house.

But Chaeyoung only held on to you tighter and closed her eyes in hopes that all of this was just a bad dream.

“No. We can do it. We can talk all day. Please. If you think, we’re not worth saving after today, it’s ok. You can leave. But please give us a last chance.”

She begged you while still pressing her body against yours, too afraid that you might disappear if she let go.

“Fine, we can talk and I’ll decide afterwards, if I’ll stay.”

You sighed, causing Chaeyoung to sob in relief.

Slowly she let go of you, ready to grab you again though if you decided to run away. Together you sat down on the couch while Chaeyoung sat as close as possible next to you in need of feeling the comfort of your body.

“Do you want me to start?”

She asked insecurely, knowing that this afternoon would decide the fate of her happiness.

Tzuyu

You looked at your wife on the screen and chuckled to yourself, because this situation was so tragic that it was almost funny again. You were watching a video of her that Twice had posted on their channel and it was the first time in a while that you saw your wife for 10 minutes straight.

The last months, while Twice was on tour, you either just received a short text message from her, indicating that she was still alive, or she managed to squeeze in a 1-minute phone call to talk with you. You knew it wasn’t her fault and that she was trying, but it hurt, nevertheless.

Softly you stroked over her face on the phone screen, being reminded of how much you missed her. You had thought that you were able to live a life apart from your wife, but now you weren’t so sure anymore. It was killing you to go to bed alone every night and wake up the next morning facing nothing but air.

You locked your phone, thinking that maybe it was time to end the torture for both of you. Neither of you were able to ignore the pain of the other and every day you knew that Tzuyu’s bad conscious grew.

This weekend your wife would come home for a quick stopover before continuing their tour in South Asia. It would be hard for both of you, but you decided that it was best if you freed her of at least one burden.

It was already late evening when Tzuyu finally came home. The moment she saw you standing in the entrance, she let all of her bags fall to the floor and crashed into your body. You pressed her tightly against you, savoring the last seconds that you would be allowed to hold her like this. When Tzuyu pulled back, she wanted to kiss you, but immediately realized your pained expression.

“What’s wrong jagi?”

She asked concerned and you pulled her into the house to be able to talk with her about your decision.

After you had sat down, Tzuyu looked at you expectantly, ready to give you everything you needed in order to see you smile again. Little did she know that you were about to break both of your hearts.

“I can’t do this anymore.”

You almost whispered, but Tzuyu had heard you, causing her face to fall.

“W-what do you mean?”

She stuttered perplexed although you were sure that she knew what you were referring to.

“This.”

You pointed between the two of you while avoiding your wife’s gaze.

“Why? Is it because we didn’t talk that much lately? I can change that, Y/N. I-I can ask the managers for more breaks. I can come home between concerts. I can...”

Tzuyu’s voice cracked as tears rolled down her cheeks and you laid your hand on her knee to stop her rambling.

“It’s ok Tzuyu. This is not your fault. But I don’t want to burden you even more. Being an idol is your dream. And maybe we could have worked if we had met later. But now your happiness is more important, and I know you’re not happy if you have to constantly worry about not being a good wife.”

You tried to calm her, but slowly your own feelings made it impossible to talk without your voice cracking.

“No, Y/N. Please don’t do this.”

Tzuyu sobbed and it was hard for you to see her this way.

Normally she was the calm and collected one in your relationship. But for once you needed to be the reasonable one. Even if you hated it. You hated that JYP didn’t give your wife enough breaks to build a life outside of work; that they drained her to the point that having a private life was a burden.

Anger started bubbling inside of you, although it was not directed towards your wife, but towards the circumstances that led you to your decision.

Nevertheless, this breakup was inevitable. Therefore, you leaped to your feet and ripped your wedding ring off your finger. Frustrated you threw it at Tzuyu, because you wished that the two of you could have ended up differently.

“I’m sorry.”

You apologized before turning on your heel to rush out of the house.

Tzuyu kept sitting on the couch while staring at the ring that was laying in her palm. Engraved were her name and your wedding day. Tears dripped on her hand as she remembered how happy the two of you had been. She had promised you to always be by your side. To be your sunshine even on your saddest day. But now she had ended up being the one to break your heart. A violent sob rippled through Tzuyu’s body, knowing that she hadn’t been enough for you. She hoped that you would find someone that gave you all their time and treated you like you deserved to.

She hoped that you would find someone better than herself.

[cas-lost-grace]

Prompt: I have been working three jobs to afford this ring and yeah I know it put a strain on our relationship that I wasn’t around much but, um, surprise, do you want to get married? What? NO? You’re dumping me? But…but…fuck everything - hey, random person over there, you want to get married? Yes? Really? Okay, let’s do this, I’m ready to drive to Vegas right now if you are.

Dean’s heart is in overdrive and his lungs are burning. He hates running. Sammy might actually be right about Dean needing to cut back on the burgers.

Dean takes a few deep breaths, swipes the sweat off his forehead and taps his pocket to make sure the little box is still there before he enters the restaurant.

"Hi, um, I have a... look there she is," he tells the hostess, pointing at Cassie who’s just getting up from her table. He weaves his way between the tables, apologizing to everyone he accidentally knocks into. Why are fancy places like this always so cramped? People spend so much money here, don’t they deserve some personal space?

"Hey, honey! I’m so sorry I’m late," he blurts out, grabs Cassie’s shoulders and presses a kiss to her cheek.

"Twenty minutes, Dean. I told you this was important and you are twenty minutes late."

"Yeah, I know, but I-" he takes a deep breath to calm himself, "I also have something important to tell you. Let’s just sit and have a nice dinner first. Please, Cassie, I’m sorry."

She heaves a heavy sigh but sits down.

Dean orders wine and watches as Cassie downs the first glass in one go. She’s really upset, but he hopes she’ll forgive him once she learns the reason for his delay.

"So, how’s the article about foster care going?" he asks. She loves talking about her job, so it will surely improve her mood.

If looks could kill, he would fall dead immediately. "That article was published a week ago," she says through clenched teeth.

"Oh. I... I’m sorry, Cassie. You know I’ve been working a lot lately-"

"Yes, I know," she cuts him off bitterly.

The waiter saves Dean by bringing the starters and rambling on about the ingredients.

The portions are ridiculously small for how much they cost, but the food is delicious and the wine is strong. By the time they reach dessert, Cassie has melted a little bit.

"I think we should get to the serious part," Cassie says, eyes fixed on her empty plate, she’s spreading the remnants of chocolate creme with a fork.

"Yeah, we should," Dean says. His heart is picking up pace again. "Please, let me start, I’ve been preparing for this for a long time."

She lifts her eyes and frowns suspiciously, but she nods.

"Please, close your eyes, babe."

She hesitates but obeys. Dean’s hands are shaking as he reaches for the box in his pocket.

"You can look," he says softly when he’s kneeling in front of her, holding the open box with both his hands like he saw it in movies so many times. He can feel many pairs of eyes on him, but he doesn’t care. All that matters is Cassie and her expression when she sees the ring.

Her eyes widen, her lips part, all color drains from her face.

"Dean," she breathes out.

"Cassie, will you marry me?"

She stares at him for a moment, it looks like she’s not breathing. Then she looks around at all the people awaiting her answer so they can clap and cheer. Her cheeks turn red.

"Dean, please, close the box and get back to your seat."

Dean knows that tone. She uses it with hysterical people that demand she writes about their problems or takes their side in an article.

He frowns.

"Do you want to marry me?" he asks again feeling a lump forming in his throat.

"Babe, let’s talk first. Please, don’t make a scene."

"Don’t make a scene? That’s what you care about?" Dean raises his voice as a wave of anger surges through him. "This was all about making a scene because I know you like big gestures!"

She huffs out an exasperated sound. "That’s not even... fuck, Dean, sit down and listen to me for one damn minute!"

She’s actually being pretty scary, so Dean grumpily obeys. He sees the other guests averting their eyes and pretending nothing happened.

"I’m listening," he growls.

Cassie takes a deep breath. "Dean, I’m really sorry I ruined this moment for you, but if I knew-" she shakes her head, "look, it really surprised me. We were barely spending any time together lately."

"Yeah, because I was saving up for this crazy expensive ring!"

Her face actually contorts with pity and Dean regrets yelling.

"Babe, I know it’s been hard for these past weeks, but I really did it for you."

"I would have appreciated it much more if you were with me."

"I’m sorry, babe." He reaches over the table to hold her hand but she withdraws it.

"Yeah, me too, Dean. I’m sorry, I-" another steadying breath, "I’m not going to marry you. I actually planned to break up with you tonight."

"What?" There’s something wrong with the world because Dean suddenly feels like he’s spinning and somebody has sucked the air out of the room. Maybe it’s just a nightmare. He’s been so nervous about the proposal that it would make sense if he dreamed of something as horrible as this. There’s no chance this could be true. Cassie would never...

"Dean?" she snaps her fingers in front of his face. "Dean, are you okay?"

Dean blinks at her and shakes his head slowly.

"No, I’m not fucking okay. I proposed to you and you are ditching me instead. How could I possibly be okay?"

"Dean, I’m sorry, but I’m sure you’ll move on soon."

"Is there anybody else?" Dean asks with a spark of hope. If it’s about another man, he can just beat him and it will be solved.

"No," Cassie says, biting her lip. "It’s about you."

"I told you I wasn’t present because I was busy working. That’s over now. I’ll be with you. I swear I will learn all your articles by heart."

She shakes her head. "No, Dean, that won’t work. You see, the worst part about you not being there with me was that I realized I don’t really need you."

That hurts.

"I know it’s harsh. But let’s be realistic. This relationship didn’t have a future."

"Well, I thought different," Dean says through his teeth and clenches the ring box in his hand.

Cassie tilts her head and looks at him the way one looks at an injured animal.

"Did you, really? Be honest with yourself, Dean. Did you actually wanted to marry me because you loved me that much or because you know your dad wanted you to find a nice girl and settle down with her?"

Dean gapes at her, speechless.

She smiles bitterly. "You see? That’s what I thought."

"That’s not-"

She doesn’t let him finish, he wouldn´t know what to say anyway.

"I’m done, Dean. I already packed my stuff so if you give me a little headstart, I’ll be gone when you arrive at the apartment.”

______________________

"I’m done with women!" Dean tells the bartender. His words slur together, thanks to all the whiskey he has drunk. "You can never tell where you stand with a woman. One day you think you’re the love of her life and the next day you learn you’re nothing to her. Nothing!" He swings his hand angrily in front of him and knocks over his glass. Fortunately, it’s empty.

The bartender grabs it but doesn’t refill it. Dean’s too submerged in his speech to notice.

"That’s why I’m here," he gestures wildly to imply the half-empty gay bar. "I’m gonna pick myself a man," he announces with a drunken grin. "I like men, you know? Always have. I somehow always pictured myself ending up with a girl, but that’s out of the question now." The bartender hums and pushes a glass of water in front of him. Dean takes a sip and makes a face. "This is shit," he mumbles before looking around.

There’s a man sitting at the far end of the bar. He has thick dark hair and a nice profile. He looks like he didn’t have a great day either.

"Hey, you!" Dean calls and points at him. "You, trenchcoat! I’m talking to you."

The man finally looks at him, gives him a once-over before his full lips curl up into an amused smile.

"Come here. I’m buying you a drink. Fuck, I’m buying you a whole bottle. I already spend a fortune for this stupid ring, so what does one bottle of fine whiskey means, right?"

The man moves to sit next to him and orders himself a glass.

"I’m sorry, you got rejected," he says and damn, his voice does strange things to Dean’s insides.

"Nah, that’s alright. Serves me right for being stupid."

"I don’t think you’re stupid." He says it like he means it and looks Dean deep in the eyes. The color of the guy’s eyes steals Dean’s breath.

"What’s your name?" he asks.

"Castiel."

Dean bursts into laughter. The guy looks at him like he’s some peculiar new species.

"Cas," he says, "that’s perfect. Yeah, that’s perfect. Cas, may I see your left hand?"

The guy raises his hand and Dean grabs it. Big palm, but slender fingers, yeah, this could work.

Dean opens the box with his free hand and pulls out the ring. He looks at the inscription of little letters D+C and chuckles again. He planned to have the ring fitted after giving it to Cassie, so it’s quite big now.

He still has to push a little to slip it on Castiel’s finger, but he manages.

"What-what are you doing?" the guy asks softly, staring at his own hand.

"Do you want to get married, Cas?"

Blue eyes meet his, stealing his breath away just like the first time. "I don’t even know your name."

"I’m Dean. 33. Mechanic. No relatives but a younger brother who lives in California. I’m a catch. We can drive to Vegas right now!" he says, a little too excited.

Castiel takes a moment to answer.

"Alright, Dean, let’s drive to Vegas."

"Awesome!" Dean jumps off the barstool and throws some money on the countertop. "I need to pee first, meet me at the door." He leaves as Cas talks with the bartender who’s watching Dean’s departure with concern.

________

"I should drive," Cas says when they reach Dean’s car.

"No, no, no. No way. You see this beauty? She’s the best thing I have. I don’t let anybody drive her."

"I’m going to be your husband. I think you should let me drive your car."

It’s a valid argument, but Dean doesn’t like it. He folds his arms across his chest and pouts.

"Besides you’re too drunk to drive, Dean."

Dean sighs and gives Cas the keys. He slumps grumpily in the passenger seat.

Castiel looks hot while driving, though, so Dean takes that as a consolation prize.

"Have you ever been to Vegas?" he asks because he wants to hear that amazing voice again.

"Yes, once, on a business trip. But I didn’t really have the opportunity to enjoy what the city can offer."

"Oh, we will enjoy everything, Cas. What do you think about getting wed by Elvis?"

"I’m not a huge fan of Elvis."

"Oh come on! How can you not like Elvis? Wise men say only fools rush in. But I can't help falling in love with you... Come on, Cas!"

Castiel laughs. The sound is deep and rich. Dean likes it very much.

"Oh, wait, where are you driving to?" Dean asks suddenly aware of his surroundings.

"To my place," Castiel says without hesitation, "I need to change, I’m not getting married in my work clothes."

Dean looks at him. A boring trenchcoat and a crumpled suit.

"Yeah, sure, it should be the best day of your life. If you wanna change, you should change!"

Cas nods with a soft smile playing on his lips. They are full and pink and a little chapped.

__________

 Castiel has a nice little house in the suburbs.

"Dean, follow me, please," he says in the hall and leads Dean through the house. They stop in the bedroom. It’s warm-colored and cozy.

"What are you doing?" Dean asks when Castiel turns to him and pushes his jacket off his shoulders. "Oh, premarital sex, yeah, I’m up for that." Dean hiccups as he shrugs his sleeves off his hands and lets the jacket fall on the floor. Castiel pushes him towards the bed and Dean topples inelegantly on top of the covers. "Uh. Yeah, it would be stupid to marry someone if you don’t know whether you are-" he unbuttons his pants and pushes them down his hips, "-compatible in bed, right? Oh god, these sheets are so soft," he mumbles as Castiel takes his shoes off and gets rid of the pants. Dean pushes himself up on the bed and buries his face in a fluffy pillow.

"I hope you’re a top-" he mutters into the pillow. There’s a blanket being thrown over him but he barely notices it. His body suddenly feels very heavy. "I mean, I could fuck you but I-" he yaws "-I really like it up my ass."

It’s silent and dark and Dean lets it overcome him.

________

 Waking up is disorienting. He’s in an unfamiliar bed in an unfamiliar bedroom. His head is killing him. Grunting, he kicks the blanket off and sees he’s wearing his shirt and boxers. At least he hasn’t done anything he would have to regret. He treads lightly as he opens the bedroom door and walks into the living room. There’s a lump on the couch. A mop of dark hair peeking from under a blanket.

"Oh shit," Dean breathes as the events of last night start coming back to him in flashes. He has to brace himself against the wall because his knees feel weak.

Castiel stirs and opens his blue eyes. "Hello, Dean," he says, voice huskier than Dean remembers.

"Hi, Cas."

Castiel’s smile is small but sweet. "I didn’t expect you to remember my name. How are you feeling?" He sits up and folds the blanket neatly. He looks even better in a gray t-shirt and black boxer briefs than he did in his coat.

"Um. My head feels like it’s going to explode every minute," Dean admits. He´s trying not to stare at Cas´ muscular thighs while the man walks towards him.

"Let’s get you some water and Advil and I’ll make some breakfast."

"Wait," Dean stops him by grabbing his shoulder. The muscles under his palm feel incredibly firm. "I want to thank you. You saved me from doing something very stupid."

"You had a rough day. I was worried somebody would take advantage of you."

When he imagines what could have happened to him if he addressed somebody else than Castiel, it gives him goosebumps.

"Thank you."

"It’s nothing," Cas says and pats Dean’s hand that is still resting on his shoulder. The wedding ring on his finger glistens in the morning sun.

"What do you say to pancakes and bacon?"

Dean grins. "I say hell yeah."

_________

They have a nice breakfast. Castiel is a decent cook and a very nice company. Dean learns the basics about him. What does he do for a living, where he grew up and how he spends his free time.

"Thank you once again, Cas," Dean says in the doorway when it’s time for him to leave.

"Goodbye, Dean. I hope that... that things get better for you soon."

"Yeah," Dean sighs. It hurts every time his mind as much as brushes the thought of Cassie. He’s not looking forward to seeing his empty apartment. "Goodbye."

"Oh wait!" Cas stops him. Dean almost forgot about the ring still sitting snuggly on Cas’ finger. Castiel tugs at it but it won’t move past his knuckle.

"Fuck, I’m sorry, I’ll get some soap and-"

Dean wraps his hand around Castiel’s. Cas looks at him with surprise in his beautiful eyes.

"You know what? I owe you a meal at least. Let’s meet tonight. I’ll pick you up at six. You can give me the ring then."

Cas nods hesitantly. "Alright. At six."

_______

 When Dean picks him up, Castiel is still wearing the ring. He doesn’t give it back that night, too busy kissing Dean. He doesn’t give it back on their second date either because things get heated fast. He doesn´t give it back the morning after, nor the next morning or any other morning they wake up in the same bed.

________

Castiel blinks sleepily at Dean as Dean plays with his hand. "It’s been a year," Dean says, running the pad of his thumb over the stone of the ring. A year since they met. Six months since Dean moved in with Cas.

"Hmm." Cas turns to his side and nuzzles at Dean’s neck. "Maybe we should get married. It’s too late to give it back now."

With his heart beating hard, Dean wraps his arms around his boyfriend and squeezes him tight. "Yeah, we should."

"But not in Vegas. I want a proper wedding."

Dean laughs. "Of course. I can’t wait for you to turn into a bridezilla."

Cas pinches his side which makes Dean squeal and laugh. Castiel waits patiently for him to calm down before he kisses him breathless.

[wexhappyxfew]

SHANNON!! HELLO MY FRIEND ☺️☺️ hope you're having a lovely day!! Okay you know I absolutely your character Death, so whatever you want to talk about with him :)

KRYSTAAAA hello my friend! I hope you are having a great day yourself! You sent this yesterday but I wanted to take my time with this as discuss one of my *FAVORITE* things about Death in this post - appearance and reasons WHY he appears this way. I know we don’t see actual images, but I try to work with the description in Landslide to give Death, in my personified way, an appearance - because in my mind he has an appearance, quite similarly to a man - LET ME STOP MYSELF WE’LL GET INTO IT BELOW HAHA!!! AW THANKS!! :,) I’m so glad you enjoy it truly, that means so much and I’ve worked to really develop Him and His character all together along with His role with Natia because it is one of the most important connections Natia holds with someone in Landslide - even though they can’t ever speak - AGH I LOVE IT!! Let’s get into it!

SO -- we are going to work with 4 general images that I’ve always envisioned Death as and I’ll really talk about WHY I have Him as such because there are reasons why these pictures are the way they are and why I decided on these pictures for Him!

Let’s solidify two things first!

(1) When I created Death in general, I wanted to make Him a male, just because I saw Death as male in my mind and for the dynamic of the story it would work best. But for a spin-off from Landslide (there may be a few!) I’ve thought about digging into another aspect which is - in this sort of fic, Death is seen in the way the seer wishes to see Death, which I think is pretty cool! There’s a reason though Natia sees Death as male....ahem...Agent Mortem I’m looking at you.

(2) The two important things to touch on with the Death I’ve created - cloaks and wings - cloaks (+hood) have been broguht up a various amount of times already for Death n the 26 chapters of posted Landslide chapters and content BUT we have yet to discuss wings. I can’t jump TOO into that yet exactly, but that is the second most important aspect of Death I’ve crafted together! Keep that in mind!

OKAY...now that we have all of that put together, let’s jump into it - 4 pictures, 4 ideas - WE LOVE TO SEE IT!! There may also be a cut somewhere below - idk where, but it’ll be there! Enjoy! 

AND AS A SIDE NOTE - THESE IMAGES ARE FROM PINTEREST SO NONE OF THESE IMAGES ARE ACTUALLY MINE OR CREATED BY ME!!! 

FIRST IMAGE: This is probably the best, accurate description and image of Death in my eyes at least - I’m sure the readers have envisioned Him differently (just imagine He has a cloak on and it’s covering His head LOL!) - but in many ways this is my portrayal of how I envision Death. Almost looking as if he is a regular man - dark tousled hair, a grey coat, dark boots - the works! But he’s quite sad, this wandering person, aimlessly moving about and he’s quite grief-filled. And so, that’s a reason I particularly love this photo because we get the head focused downward to convey this portrayal of grief and how consuming it is. I really wasn’t out to make Death this emotionless person who just takes and takes - I wanted in my portrayal to show how much pain he holds - and how he is protecting Natia with all His might from someone like Himself because He can’t bare to do His duty that He has for eternity on Natia. 

AND THE WINGS!! Okay, wings - we get more into the wings at the end of part 3 and extremely expanded in part 4 - but wings are extremely important. They are in fact black and feathered - I begin to reference him at the end of Part 3 as if he were a ‘Father of Ravens’ in a sense because of what a raven represents and for Death’s character I feel that is very true to his character specifically His role He takes in with Natia. You might even see him int he form of ravens as we come particularly out of Bastogne and the weather gets warmer - it will be very prominent. 

I would say this is my absolute favorite - if you ever need a reference - this is image is 100% what I would have crafted for Death if he were portrayed in a picture! 

SECOND IMAGE: Here is an absolute FAVORITE!!! (1) We know Natia sees Death essentially as male (for various reasons regarding Agent Mortem who literally is Agent Death or Agent of Death if we want - but that’s for another ask!) and so this I would say is a very good representation of the wings + ravens + eyes + profile of Death. The narrow-eye expression of his facial features if very prominent - Natia does much of the same - and let’s just say Death has picked that up as well. He sees the world really in blacks, whites and greys - similar to how Natia views the world because of Agent Mortem ( a morally grey character) and so I really took all of that and worked with it in this way! Natia, Death and Mortem are the mains in my mind and so they all see the world in grey - but who will break from that? They’re all connected with one another in many ways - who will break that?

But yes, in this picture, I go off the fact that in Landslide, Death will take the form of a raven as his best chance to get closer to Natia, to even try and interact with her and that is very prominent at the end of Part 3 and all of Part 4 and even some postwar! 

THIRD IMAGE: OKAY - so here is where we get into more of the ‘cloaked figure’ that encompasses Death and this image of his cloaked figure. The cloak hides quite a lot of things and one of those things are his wings - which don’t really make an appearance until the end of Part 3 for various reasons! Which I can’t say just yet :) But it also hides his face - his expressions - why might you ask does he want to particularly hide that? 

Let’s reference the most recent chapter update - Chapter 26, entitled Weapons Don’t Weep. (1) Natia is in fact a weapon, not only crafted by War, who makes his somewhat annual appearance, but also my Agent Mortem - who’s to say Death might’ve also crafted her? (2) Death and Natia have a unique connection - they can’t communicate through words, they can’t really communicate through much if you think about it - just feelings, emotions, thoughts. SO - this just adds onto evidence of how Death actually can control her a bit. The chaos that ensued at the end of Chapter 26 was a precursor to that - he can control her chaos, she can’t control his. The closing of his eyes - he uses a cloak to hide that he is abusing his power of control on her - and letting chaos warp her. NOW THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING - A MERE PRECURSOR AS STATED. We’ll get into it much later on and why, but the cloak covers wings + facial expressions for good reasoning.

AND THE HORSE YOU MAY ASK? Well...I did call Natia a dark horse right? The definition of a dark horse is “a candidate or competitor about whom little is known but who unexpectedly wins or succeeds.” Not only is Natia a lone wolf BUT she is very much a dark horse - you don’t know much but she manages to win her battles - she may not win the war, but she will wage a battle and win what she must to survive, that’s the name of the game currently. Plenty of times in discussion - it’s like Death and Natia at a game of poker, in a black room (as described by a friend!!) and that’s very real almost every chapter that is written and published - a tension continually building, awaiting to see what will happen next, and just a constant build off of that over and over again. She takes on the persona of a dark horse more often than not - she’s underestimated, never entirely trusted, yet she survives?! People start to take that into consideration, especially in Bastogne - BUT THAT IS FOR ANOTHER TIME!!!! :D

FOURTH IMAGE: OKAY NOW -- this is sort of the expected image - Death with his cloak, a cane, dark gloves, shadowed face that you can’t see. This is the image I imagine when I am writing and Death is sort of watching Natia from afar - purposely I place him in those scenarios for various reasons depending on what is happening in that time during the story. And this is the image he sort of takes on. I don’t have many notes particularly for this image, only simply the fact that this is what masks what is portrayed in the first image - it covers the wings, the facial expressions, the man that is evidently underneath and simply that a man - yet a being forever wandering aimlessly, doing his duty given for all of eternity. But I really think this is what most will remember the Death I chose to personify him by! :D

OKAY SO THIS WAS SERIOUSLY JUST SO FUN OMG!!! This is the first time I’ve used pictures to really dig into what I’m getting at with characters - especially handling a character to the capacity in which Death withholds - there’s a lot to unpack with Him! But I truly hope you enjoyed this - I’m always happy to do more of these for any of my characters - especially even War, or Natia, or Agent Mortem - I might even just do it for fun who knows - OF COURSE WHEN I HAVE TIME HAHA!!! But I really enjoyed this so thank you for indulging and enabling Krysta!!! This was super fun to give my in-depth take on someone like Death and how I decided to craft and personify him! 

[aelia-likes-monsters]

Office Orcs: An Interlude

The folks supporting me on Patreon got this one about 2 weeks early. (As of 2021, my Patreon is closed.) 

I’ve been working on the main Office Orcs storyline for a while, but this doesn’t quite fit, and I wasn’t quite willing to kill this darling, so I turned it into its own short piece. It doesn’t fit anywhere specific, so you don’t need to be at any particular point, though at the time of writing I have published up through Part Four, and it probably will make the most sense if you are also to at least that point. 

Characters: Male Orc (Alexander), Female Reader Content: NSFW, Grapefruit Rated Story, Light Bondage, Light D/s play, teasing, exhibitionism, denied orgasm, delayed orgasm, unprofessional office relationships Word Count: ~2,200

The panties with the remote control vibrator in them are your idea. 

Alexander’s eyes gleam when you show them to him, and he is eager to try them right away. Not at home, of course; in the privacy of either of your bedrooms, you can use a regular vibrator just fine.  In fact, you have several times in the last few days alone. Thinking about the ways he’s teased you and brought you to screaming climaxes makes you squirm and flush. 

“I want you to wear them to the office tomorrow,” he says. 

“I…” You think about it, and then consult your schedule. There’s nothing big, it’s just another day. No major presentations or anything to make this particularly high-risk. “I’m in.” 

He grins, and you can’t resist kissing him. Your lips press against his, and then your tongue is in his mouth, and his arms are crushing you to his chest as he devours you. He nips at your neck, and peels your blouse away, leaving love-bites on your shoulder. You’ll be able to hide them at work, but you’ll both know they’re there, and it thrills you.

“You’re such a dirty girl. I love it. I love you.” He murmurs as he peels the lacy cup of your bra down. His tongue flicks out, teases your nipple, and you arch against him, wanting so much more. And he delivers. Oh boy does he deliver. 

He rolls you under him and murmurs dirty promises in your ear about all the delicious things he’s going to do to you tomorrow. He fucks you hard, leaves you achingly satisfied, and then he tenderly cleans you up and pulls you into his arms. 

In the morning you dress somewhat conservatively. A turtleneck hides the hickeys that went a bit high on your neck, and the a-line skirt you’ve chosen flatters, but isn’t one of your sexiest pieces. Alexander still looks at you like he wants to rip your clothes off right there. 

“Don’t forget your special panties,” he says, with a wicked smile that gives you butterflies. 

You lift up your skirt and show him that you’re already wearing them, along with thigh-high stockings that you know he loves. A growl rumbles from his chest; you dance out of his reach before he can grab you and throw you back into bed. There’s no time for a morning quickie. 

It’s during the car ride to the office that he turns them on. At first it’s just a low vibration, barely enough to stimulate you in normal circumstances, but the fact that you’re fully dressed, and out in public adds a layer of danger to this. 

“Alexander,” you groan. 

He glances at you out of the corner of his eye, and you see him smirk at you. He ratchets it up a little higher. 

“Your goal is to go as long as possible without cumming,” he says. “The longer you go, the better your reward tonight.” 

“What happens if I go all day?” You ask. 

“You get to pick your reward.” He says. “If you need to stop at any time, say or text your safeword, or if we have company, tug your earlobe. I’ll get the message and kill it.” 

“Got it.” You say, already trying to think of what you might want as a reward if you rise to this challenge. Would you want a chance to tie Alexander up? Would you want a luxurious night in his bathtub with him waiting on you hand and foot? The options are endless and your mind is rushing away with the possibilities. 

“Dearest,” he says, interrupting your thoughts. “Could you go pick up our coffees?” 

The smile he gives you is far too innocent. You glance from his face to the doors of the coffee shop. Clearly the challenge is about to begin. 

“Of course, love.” You say, your smile equally innocent, as though you don’t suspect a thing. 

You make it about ten feet before he starts ratcheting up the intensity. Every few steps it increases a little, from a buzz you can almost tune out to something that’s genuinely distracting. Normally, he orders the coffee via app before you leave the house, but when you glance at the pick-up station, they’re notably absent. 

Your phone pings. 

>> Forgot to order coffee. Would you mind?

He’s not subtle, but you know this is all part of the game, so you text back a quick affirmation and walk to the register. As you try to place the order, he increases the intensity again. You have to fight to keep your voice calm and even, but you succeed (barely.)

As you wait for them to make your drinks, he dials it back a bit, down to a low buzz that you can almost tune out again, but your nerves are on edge, waiting for the next change. You’re soaking through your panties already, just from a few minutes of this game. You don’t know how you’re going to get through a full day. 

When the barista calls your name, you jerk forward to grab the drinks, and Alexander ratchets up the intensity again, by quite a bit this time. You stifle a gasp and manage to grab the coffees without incident. You focus on walking calmly and evenly back out to the car, though you don’t quite know how you’re managing it. 

When you settle into the seat beside him, the coffee only just barely in the cupholders without spilling, he leans over, cups the back of your head, and claims your mouth in a hungry kiss. 

“I know I said you needed to make it all day, but fuck that was hot,” he murmurs, his tusks brushing your cheek as he whispers into your ear. His voice is rough, and you can see the erection straining his pants. He laughs when he sees where you’re looking. “I’m not sure I’m going to last.” 

“What do I get if you don’t?” You ask, your eyes flickering to his, giving him a challenge of your own. 

“Oh you wicked woman,” he grumbles, his lips still quirking into a smile. “If you make it all day, or if I don’t, you pick your prize. If I don’t and you make it all day… well, we’ll figure something out.” 

“Deal.” You say. 

He kisses you again. You feel the panties start to vibrate, and you moan into his mouth. The game is on. 

Throughout the morning, Alexander tries to catch you by surprise at inopportune moments. You’ll be talking to someone, and you’ll feel the panties turn on. You have to fight the urge to jump with surprise each time, and then you have to suppress your growing arousal, which is harder as the day goes on. You are closer and closer to slipping, and you’re not sure that teasing him is having any effect. 

You have used every trick in your arsenal; giving him a very risky peep show from your desk, texting him pictures of the view under your skirt, where you wear only those skimpy vibrating panties and his favorite thigh-highs. Sending him naughty texts about what you’ll do to him when you get home. You need him to break before you do, and he’s got you riding so close to the edge that you’re not sure you’ll make it. 

At lunch, he grabs his jacket and practically storms out. 

“What’s eating Alexander?” the receptionist asks, when you head out to grab another coffee. “He looked cranky.” 

You bite back a smile. 

“I couldn’t say. He’s been locked up in his office all day. Maybe he’s got a big project that’s stressing him a bit more than usual?” You’re careful not to say anything negative. 

She nods, and goes back to what she’s doing, and you quickly escape, because while you were standing there, the panties turned on and moved to a fairly high speed. Your phone chimes with a text.

>> Forget the bet. Meet me around the corner. Room 202.

 You bite back a grin and glance at your watch. Discreetly as you can, you head to the hotel. It’s an upscale place where clients sometimes stay, so there’s a risk of running into someone you know here, but it’s also not out of the ordinary for you to be here. The staff don’t bat an eye at you heading for the elevator; the cafe on the roof is a popular destination for people from your office. 

The elevator is blessedly empty, as is the second floor hallway. The closer you get to the hotel door, the more your pussy throbs. You’re nearly dying in anticipation of what awaits you. 

You knock on the door quietly. The vibration of your panties increases, and after a moment, Alexander lets you in. 

“I can’t wait.” he admits as soon as the door is closed behind you. “I need to fuck you.” 

“Do you?” You ask, looking up at him, a small smile teasing your lips despite yourself. You want it so badly, but pretending you don’t is part of the game. “I don’t know why you’d be in such a state in the middle of the day.” 

He laughs. 

“Get that impertinent ass on the bed. I want you out of that skirt and top.” He says. 

Your pussy throbs at the demanding tone in his voice. You do as he says, draping your clothes over the desk chair so they don’t wrinkle. You keep your heels and stockings on and kneel on the bed in the position you know he wants you in, knees slightly spread, hands on your thighs. He comes up behind you, runs his hands over your body. 

“Damn you’re pretty.” He says. “But you’re such a brat.”

He lightly swats your ass, then slides his fingers through your folds, finds you dripping wet, and plunges his fingers into you abruptly. You let out a groan of satisfaction as something finally fills you. 

“Did you need that, too?” He purrs, his fingers pumping in and out of you a few times. “Did you think about my cock filling you up?” 

“Yes, sir.” You murmur. He turns up the panties again, and they have to be near their maximum right now. You’re fighting back a climax. “May I cum, sir?” 

“Not yet.” He says. “Be a good girl and wait.” 

He pulls his fingers out of you, and you hear him undo his pants. Focusing on the sound of his clothing is the only thing keeping you from coming right now. You try to keep your breathing steady, try to stay on this side. You want to do what he asks, because you love the praise, and because the challenge is fun. But damn is it hard right now. 

Your clit is overstimulated in the best way, and his big hands are manipulating your body, shifting you so you’re face-down-ass-up like he wants. 

“You ready, baby?” He asks. “Hang on until I say.” 

“Yeah.” You say. “Yes, sir.” 

He lines up and fills you in one move, and your body stretches to take the familiar width of his cock, but it’s still so much. You whine, and he chuckles. 

“Gods you feel good.” He runs his big hand along your back, and then begins pumping into you at top speed, fucking you hard and fast. The vibrator panties are still going top speed at your clit, and you’re flying high right now, right at the edge of the climax you’re fighting, something that promises to be amazing as soon as you’re allowed.  “I’m close, baby. Just hang on.” 

You try, but you feel the fluttering and clenching beginning and you know you’re about to lose control when he says the word you need. 

“Okay.” He says, and he slams hard into you. You feel him let go, and you know from the sound of his groan that he’s orgasming. So you let go, and you let the climax you’ve been fighting roll over you. It’s so good, so much, and you’re so ready for it that you feel like you’re floating when you come back down. 

There’s a few quiet moments where you’re just drifting. You’re safe and warm and totally content, cradled in Alexander’s arms. He’s kissing you softly and telling you that he’s so proud of you, and you cling to that like a lifeline as you try to reconnect with reality. 

He feeds you, and cleans you both up, and the two of you complete your ritual of fixing up each other’s appearances so your arrival back at work is unremarkable. He gives you a pair of regular panties with a wink, and shoves the vibrator panties in his pocket. 

“You did so good. I am almost afraid of what you’ll pick as your reward.” He says. 

“Don’t worry babe. It’ll be fun.” You tell him. 

And then, with a final kiss, and a careful coordination of exit times, the two of you head back to work. 

___________

You can find all my writing on my Masterlist. Love what I do? Tip me with a Ko-Fi. I also truly appreciate reblogs, likes, and comments. They keep me going. ♥

>> Divider credit: Vecteezy

[sabine-leo]

Adaptation

Author: @sabine-leo

Pairing: Tom Hiddleston / ofc (You) special guest Benedict Cumberbatch 

Wordcount: 4980 

Warnings: none. Maybe just watch out for cavity ;) 

Summary: Your first novel became a bestseller and will be adapted to the big screen. Slightly out of your comfort zone you try to do your best as a 27 year old writer who is not accustomed to being the centre of attention. 

Note: This was a whish from @anchored-in-high-tide for her win in my 1k follower raffle! I do hope I did your idea justice !! Thank you for your trust!!! 

Feeling totally out of your comfort zone you stepped into the room anyway. Your book and a notepad tightly held against your chest in which your heart hammered slightly out of beat you took a seat and tried to calm yourself down with a deep breath. This was not your natural place to be. You liked closed rooms, not that you were claustrophobic but you preferred them with less…people. If someone had told you about a good year and a half ago how your life would change in just a month time and at the age of 27 you would have laughed and asked which meds they´d taken… But here you were, in a room full of important people whom had bought the rights to your FIRST published book that had become a phenomenon in weeks.  Gladly you´d had the wits to demand to be included in every decision and get a veto on everything regarding the storyline and possible changes. It was not easy to negotiate with them but in the end, they really did want to adept your book for the big screen and said yes to your proposal. You got to work on the script with some very talented writers and actually had a lot of fun doing that. NOW the part started where you were a lot more uncomfortable or better put nervous about.

“Let´s put faces to the characters you envisioned, shall we?”

The casting director said and smiled at you. 

Here we go… you thought and took a last calming breath.  

 In your head it was easy to envision the needed characters but in real life, not so much. You had seen some great actors for different roles and you knew that with cosmetics and wigs there could be done a lot to make sure they fit the bill but you wanted it to feel right. There was just one last role to cast and it was the most significant one to you. The actors you had seen so far did a good job but the spark was missing; The feeling of them getting the essence of the character and being able to add depth to it and not just perfectly saying the words in the script.

The door opened again as you were doodling something onto your notepad

“Hello…” a deep voice resonated through the room.

“…My name is Tom and I would like to audition for the role of Matthew. “

 You looked up and…did a double take. A soft chuckle came your way and he smilingly corrected the placement of his glasses. The casting director got her wits back together faster than you and asked.

“Mr. Hiddleston, we are honoured to meet you but you want WHAT?”

Tom grinned and repeated himself. “I want to audition for the role of Matthew.”

Looking around you were the only one who still was starstruck. The other faces were just looking flabbergasted at TOM HIDDLESTON who wanted to AUDITION.

“Frankly put, I think we are not able to meet your normal payroll…” The director said with a little blush on his face. Tom smiled and pointed to an empty chair. “May I?” He asked politely and sat down as he saw a silent nod coming from you.

 “I know this is an independent film and a smaller studio but that should not be the problem. I am deeply in love with this book and especially how Matthew is portrait. I´d love to take him on and if I may be frank as well. I´d be willing to co-produce and work some of my contacts to get us what we need to do justice to the book.” Tom looked at you and smiled. God, you wanted to hide behind your notepad as you felt a blush coming up. He met all the things you wanted for Matthew. He was tall, handsome and his eyes could say what words often could not. This man in front of you was able to tell a story with his body language and eyes alone.

NO. WORDS. NEEDED!

You loved the movies he had made so far and had seen him on stage too. Besides his -no doubt- very good looks he had a sharp mind and was well read and eloquent. A deadly combination if you were concerned.

 Tom took another breath. “I know you probably have to discuss my second proposal first. But please, let me at least audition and show you what I have prepared.” His charming smile hit you again. Jesus, one could think you were a writer that put all her words on paper and was not able to form a single coherent sentence out loud.

 Get a grip!  You ordered yourself and cleared your throat.

“I… I´m sorry. Hi, my name is (Y/N)…”

Tom stood to take your outstretched hand.

“I know who you are (Y/N)…you are the Author to this delightful book.”

The both of you shook hands and Tom looked at you as you tried to get your mouth to form more words while your brain was sending out misleading impulses. For one it sent out shock that HE KNEW YOU. Then it sent out a tingle up your arm because of you and him shaking hands. You were pretty sure your brain went haywire inside your skull screaming THAT`S TOM HIDDLESTON!!!

You really needed to get a grip NOW! Telling yourself that he might run any second if you would continue to look dumbfounded at him and somebody else had to play Matthew did the trick.

“Please, it would be my pleasure to hear you speak Matthew´s words.”  

Well, that went rather well after the clusterfuck inside your head.

 Tom smiled and nodded. He stepped away from the chair and closed his eyes for a second. You could see his shoulders slumping, his posture getting more sunk in and less easy going. He started to pace the room in slow and not forceful small steps, ruffling his hair and looking out a non-existent window. His eyes watered as he gulped and began to talk.

Hearing his voice break and sound so vulnerable alone made you choke up yourself.

“How long do I have to continue to walk the earth? For how much longer will I be my broken, incomplete self? I was promised that the part of my soul I gave up would come back to me…” He sat down and rested his head in his hands. “I am tired of feeling half empty, of needing to try to fill this…void inside my chest.” Abruptly he stood up and the chair fell over. You saw his face changing from sad to angry in a split-second. “I`M DONE YOU HEAR ME!” He yelled, then repeated the same sentence in a low, menacing voice. “I am done….you hear me!”

 It was not only you who sat there, staring at Tom as he changed back from Matthew to himself and smiled a little nervous. He picked up the chair and sat down again, awaiting a response. It surprisingly was you that found her voice again first.  “Wow, I mean…” You cleared your throat. “…why did you choose THIS scene out of all you could have prepared?” Tom smiled and wet his lips while pushing up his glasses another time. “I picked that scene in particular because It…to me…shows the emotional uproar of Matthew and his feelings in a very short amount of time. He is lonely and sad but also very angry to the core of his being. In this scene he lets it all out in the safeness of a room bereft of people before walking out and playing a role in his own life that he wants everybody to see.”

 His words resonated so deeply inside you that you wanted to hug him for getting the essence of who Matthew really was and saying it out loud! But all you got out was “Thank you!”

Tom smiled at you and inclined his head. “No, thank you for writing such an intriguing story.”

The casting director laughed still a little awestruck. There were glances thrown at each other with smiles and enthusiastic nods. “Well, I guess that settles it then. There will be nobody that can top what we have seen just now. I think I do speak for everybody at this table when I say. Welcome on board Mr. Hiddleston!” Toms eyes lit up. “Just Tom, please!”

He seemed genuinely happy to be able to give life to this character.

“As producer of this film…” Josh stood up and held out his hand “…I´d say I would be dumb not to let you co-produce. So, buckle up you are in for a ride!”   Tom grinned and shook hands with Josh.

“Let´s meet tomorrow to go over everything you have scheduled so far and get into details.” Tom suggested and they exchanged numbers. You stood, ready to get out of this room and breathe some fresh air after a long day.

 “(Y/N)…” Tom said and stopped you with his hand reaching out to touch your arm. You looked into his soft blue eyes and smiled. “…If you´d be willing to let me pick your brain about Matthew over dinner- I´d love to treat you to it. I do have one or two questions…” Your stomach gave a little rumble and you and Tom started to laugh.  “I take that as a yes…”

He opened the door and bowed a little. “After you!”

God damn, that charming smile again. Well, you´d just need to think of it as a work meeting like the ones you had had before with the script writers.

 An hour later Tom and you sat in a little restaurant he had recommended, not far from the West-End Theatres you loved so dearly. Central London was still busy but inside this restaurant and engulfed in a lively discussion about the characters in your book you were oblivious to it. After overcoming your first shocked state at seeing him you found him very easy to talk to. It was no hardship to keep the conversation flowing, even as it drifted away from Matthew and got a little more personal. Tom asked what had inspired you to write the book, what gave you the idea.

“If I say it came to me in a dream, I would sound so stereotypical…” You laughed and took a sip of your sparkling water. Tom chuckled and shrugged.

“If I order tea after dinner, I am stereotypical too. I don´t think it´s necessarily a bad thing.”  

 The food was amazing and tasted very good. Tom smiled as he saw you close your eyes at the first taste. “Walking into that room I thought I lost you for a second!” He grinned teasingly.

“Well, have you seen yourself walking into that room? I am a little bookaholic who is not accustomed to meet actors whose work I adored for a long time now.” Tom grinned at your words and took another bite of his meal to hide his own blush after your compliment.

“Plus…” you said “…I am rather out of my comfort zone doing all this.”

Tom tilted his head. “What exactly is your comfort zone then?”

Thinking about it for a moment you answered him.

“My desk where I wrote half of the book you are now co-producing…or that one tree in Regents Park where I wrote the other half…” you laughed.  Tom leaned back in his chair.

“Did you sit in the tree while writing or leaned against it? I am just asking because I frequently run through this park and need to know if I need to be aware of you threatening to drop onto me when I don´t do your character justice or if you just stick out your leg and let me trip.” A snorted out laugh escaped you and you clutched your hand over your mouth afterwards. Tom laughed as well and all the tension you might have felt somewhere inside depleted in favour of enjoying a dinner with him, talking about what made him and you tick.

  Later, as you lay in bed you couldn´t help but wonder if this day really had happened. Gasping out a laugh you closed your eyes and shook your head. “Some day” you said to yourself before drifting off into your colourful dreamworld.

 The next weeks you were busy starting to write your new novel and only kept track of some things in pre-production that needed your attention. It wasn´t until 4 weeks after the casting that you met Tom again as you walked into the first round table meeting to discuss the first week of filming. Starting in 3 days’ time, there were still some things to discuss and you needed to go over some monologue / dialog changes Tom had requested. Tom stood from his chair and pulled back the one next to him. “(Y/N), so good to see you again.” You smiled and dropped your bag onto the table before Tom pulled you in for a friendly hug. Near your ear he said

“I found myself running a lot more through Regents Park lately…but sadly I haven´t been able to find your tree!” Grinning he pulled back and looked into your eyes.

“I might need a map or a big red X on the spot please.” You laughed and sat down with a little blush but before you could answer the door opened and it was like history repeating itself. There you were, doing a double take, staring at a tall and handsome men who smiled at you. Tom leaned in a little. “Am I losing you again?” a deep chuckle before he stood and hugged the man who just had walked in. “Ben, meet (Y/N).” Benedict Cumberbatch held out his hand and grinned as he saw your still stunned face. “Hi (Y/N), I´m Ben. My friend Tom here told me you needed a narrator for some parts of the movie. I loved the book!” You shook hands with Benedict and Tom laughed.

“You loved the book after I practically forced you to read it.”

Ben huffed. “Doesn´t mean I don´t love it!” Ben looked at you. “And to be honest, he really was resilient. I was reading 4 scripts at the time and had no desire to read a book in between. Tom read some parts to me while we were on a press tour together and I was intrigued.” Ben took the seat to your other side and smiled. “So, here I am!”

 Yeah, there he was….and there YOU were, sitting in the middle of Tom Hiddleston and Benedict Cumberbatch watching them bicker with each other like one would watch a tennis game. You probably had whiplash by the end of the day.

 3 hours later you had not only a dooming whiplash lurking for you around the corner but also a skin that felt to tight for all the feelings 2 of the most beautiful voices on earth made you feel by speaking out words you had written. You blew out a breath and stood.

“Can we catch a short break, please?!” Not awaiting an answer, you walked out into the little garden and took a deep breath. Leaning against a tree you closed your eyes and tried to calm your senses.

Not ready for the “Everything alright (Y/N)?” That hit your system like a wildfire and made goose bumps rise on your arms. The soft touch to your hand shot another jolt through it. Opening your eyes to look into purest blue with a hint of concern in them you mustered a nod.

“Just needed some fresh air….” Tom raised a brow and looked inquiringly at you. “Try again!” He said. Closing your eyes and sliding down the tree trunk you sat in the grass.

“I was not prepared to hear my words coming out of your mouth like that!”

 Tom looked confused but sat down next to you with less space you were equipped to handle just now. “Did I get the words wrong?” He asked and continued to look at you. You instantly shook your head. “No! NO! You got them right! Very, very right. It hit me right here!” You put your hand above your heart and looked into his eyes. Tom began to smile. Slowly he took hold of your hand and guided it onto his chest.  “Your book hit me right here too, so it is my duty to get the words out in a way that makes you feel them like I felt reading them!” His warm hand captured your hand between his and his chest. You felt his heart beating in a steady rhythm that was soothing and thrilling at the same time. His eyes held yours in a soft but deep gaze before you had to look away, fixing your stare onto your touching hands. Tom smiled to himself and put a wayward strand of hair behind your ear with his fingertips. “Should I mess up for the last pages?” He asked with a little laugh in his voice.

 Your gaze shot up and you narrowed your eyes. “Are you trying to mock me?” Tom grinned and held up both his hands which made your hand slide down his chest a little before you retreated it.

“Actually, I have something else on my mind entirely…”

Now it was you looking inquiringly at him but Tom only grinned and stood up, holding out his hands to help you to your feet. “Let´s get back inside…” You took his hands and Tom tugged a little to hard. By the way he grinned it was very much deliberately done as he grabbed you with one arm to steady you after you hit his chest with yours. “Oops…”

You had no control over your reaction to it, you just acted and pinched his side. “Ooops!” You said too and walked back inside for another hour of sensual voice torture! Tom stared after you and grinned. Yes, there was chemistry between the both of you. Very much so! He had not only imagined it after the dinner the both of you had shared some weeks ago.

 The rest of the meeting went by with him trying to rill you up with his voice and seemingly accidentally touching your hand, back, leg whenever he got the chance and you throwing him glares and pinching his leg under the table. Ben was trying his best not to grin when he made you lean more towards Tom by grabbing Toms bottle of water. “Sorry. Mines empty!”

Damn them!

 In the evening of this day your phone signalled a message.

 Tom: Good evening Darling! Just a warning: Voice message incoming. Tom

 You: How did you get my number?

 Tom: Darling, I am the co-producer *wink*

 The next incoming message was the voice message. You hit play and a soft, warm and very sexy voice read a passage of monologue from Matthew where he had written a letter to the missing part of his soul. God, his voice was heavenly. Bolder because of the physical distance between him and you you wrote.

 You: Are you trying to torture me?

 Tom: Absolutely not! I just wanted your input on how to express that part of the script!

 You could not help but visualize his smug grin while he typed that answer. Writing back, you to smiled.

 You: Was alright…

 Tom: Just alright?! One moment…

 4 minutes later another voice message came in. Same text spoken with a little more desperateness in the right spots.

 Tom: That better?

 You: a little…

 Tom: Are you trying to torture me?!

 You: Absolutely not!  I just wanted to give you input on how to express that part of the script!

 Another voice message came in.

 “Darling, I think you are paying me back for this afternoon.” His voice got a little deeper.

“I like your feistiness. For now, sleep well…” When you thought his voice could not get any sexier, he said “…be prepared for a one on one training tomorrow! Meet me in Regents Park, Queen Mary´s Rose Garden at 10am…” He had the audacity to chuckle low at the end of his message.

God, you were falling head first into the deep end!!

 The next morning you found yourself marvel at the beautiful flowers inside the garden when 2 big hands came around your back to enclose over your eyes.

“Hello Darling!” He said near your ear and you felt his heat radiating from his chest onto your back. Toms hands came to rest on your shoulders and softly turned you into a hug.

“Hey Tom!” You said and smiled up to him with a soft blush reddening your cheeks. Tom only slowly let go of you and took a deep breath.

“You gave me a sleepless night!”

He said with what should have been a stern look but ended in a grin.

“Serves you right for the stunts you pulled on me yesterday!” Tom laughed and shrugged innocently. “I do not know what you are talking about!”

“Well, then I too don´t know what you are implying!” You started to walk before adding.

“You needed private teaching for Matthews letters to the lost part of his soul?”

 Tom watched you and said under his breath “I need private teaching in a lot of things where you are concerned!”  before saying loud enough for you to hear. “Yes…I do hope you have cleared your schedule for today!” Smiling you walked the gardens and Tom and you eased into a conversation about Matthew and his letters for starters. Somewhere in between Tom had softly taken your hand into his while walking deeper into the vibrant flowers to find a hidden bench that was in the heart of the garden. You could not recall how long the both of you sat on that bench, but it was a while. Your conversation all about work, but your body language was talking about something else entirely. Tom flung one of his long legs behind you, resting it on the bench to tug you in between and against his chest. “Ok?” He asked softly and stroked down one arm to let it come to rest against your belly. You nodded and slowly got comfortable in his arms while he continued the conversation as if nothing personal was happening just now. After a while Tom took a deeper breath and asked.

“Will you be on set for the whole leg of filming?”

You turned your head slightly to be able to look at him.

“I don´t know yet, why?”

Tom smiled a little and said. “I do like your company…” A soft laugh escaped you before you answered. “Well, they way we are sitting on this bench does not allow me to differ with your statement!” Tom chuckled and winked playfully before tugging you even closer against his chest.

 The next 3 weeks passed in much the same manner. Tom, whenever he was between filming scenes, found you wherever you where on set (mostly not far from him because it was wonderful to watch him act) to talk to you and share some physical contact. It differed between hugs, closeness in general and holding hands while walking to a different set. The two of you growing close and getting to know each other better and better. The way he brought Matthew to live was phenomenal. He carried the scenes with such ease and deep knowing of the character that you only could watch in awe. Never did he struggle to give the emotional depth needed, he literally poured his heart into this film as you had poured your heart into the book.

 The last day of filming started pretty early as you needed to be in a particular street in London. This was the last big scene. The scene where Matthew found the missing part of his soul, the one he had given up a lifetime ago. The frame was set to see Tom walking towards the camera with an intense gaze, the closer he came the more you could see that he was watching something with tears in his eyes, with a sense of understanding that THIS had kept on drawing him closer and closer. His stare made place for a slow spreading smile that lit up his whole face before he stepped out of the shot and towards the part of his soul.

 Tom watched the material shot so far and was in a deep discussion with the director as you entered the tent that was set up to watch the screens. “I don´t think that this is the ending this film needs. The book gives away what he has been searching for the whole time…” Tom said and the director considered his words carefully. “I thought it would be better to leave it open for interpretation, but I do get what you are saying. Let´s do an alternate version with your ideas!”

Tom nodded and grinned as he saw you coming closer. “There you are. I need your help!”

He grabbed your hand and tugged you to the make-up section and sat you down in a chair.

“I need you to act as my counterpart. The part I walk towards to.”

You stared at him with wide open eyes. “I can´t act! I am a writer!”

Tom smiled. “Just concentrate on me, look into my eyes the whole time. You know the characters better than anyone. You can do it!”

 Before you could say anything else you got prepped and pampered. Half an hour later Tom walked with you onto set. “See this red X? That´s your comfort zone!” He grinned as you shot him a dirty look. “Just stay there and think about her and Matthew finally finding each other again.”

Tom walked back to his spot and concentrated for a moment before nodding to the director. This scene was shot from to sides. Toms and yours. Tom walked towards you with wonder and emotion in his gaze. You could feel your own throat close up as you thought about the characters that you knew so well, how they finally got to be together again. Matthew gave up a part of his soul to keep her alive, his soulmate, only to lose all knowledge of her until their paths crossed again and he would FEEL deep inside himself that she was it!

 Tom stood now directly before you. A tear dropped out of his eyes but the smile he gave you was the brightest you have ever seen on a human. A shaking hand touched your cheek while you stared up into his eyes. The breath he took in was trembling. He closed his eyes and rested his forehead against yours while your arms came around his waist. Tom opened his eyes and smiled before his head tilted to the side and slowly closed the distance to find your lips with his. The director yelled cut.

Tom took in a sharp breath and looked into your eyes intensely.  

“That was brilliant, the both of you did great!” The director said but Tom held up his hand and said

“Give us a moment please!” His eyes never let go of yours. Your hands fisted in his shirt as your whole body tingled because of his gaze, his touch, his nearness.

“Darling, I need to do this again…as me, as Tom!” He breathed and dipped his head again.

 Your lips met and the same tingling sensation now started where your lips met and shot like a lightning strike through your system.  Toms hand waved itself through your hair to the back of your head. He pressed you closer and your lips parted in a soft gasp. He took it as an invitation and let his tongue slip in to play with yours in a soft tangle of wet strokes and playful teases before he gaspingly broke loose. “I have wanted to do that for weeks!” he rasped and grinned. You started to chuckle and rested your head against his chest to hide your blush. But yeah, you felt the same!!

 Weeks later you nervously walked the red carpet at the premier of the movie. Ben had accompanied you for a little part of it as well as the director. Some meters ahead you saw Tom giving an interview. He looked so good in his suit. Your attention on him before a reporter started to bombard you with questions. “It must be wonderful to see your vision come to life on screen! How do you feel? Is this film doing justice to your book?”

Smiling because you finally knew an answer to a question you laughed.

“I am very happy with the result, the director and the producers as well as the whole cast did an amazing job staying true to the book and adapting it without much loss of its essence.”

Tom joined you and gave you a bright smile as you praised the work.

“Let me tell you, without (Y/N) being involved in writing the script we probably would have done a lot worse.” You laughed out loud but rolled your eyes. “He´s to damn modest!”

The interviewer grinned and shot another question at you.

“You have a tip for any aspiring writer out there?”

Thinking for a moment you said.

“Never give up…and put your heart into your work! I poured my heart into this book”

Tom grinned and said while turning you into his arms.

“And I was the one who picked it up!”

Before everybody, every camera, every person who was watching you he tilted you back and gave you a kiss that left no question about who you were to him!

Whispering against your lips he grinned.

“I intend to keep it. Not only Matthew got his happy end…I did too!”

   Tags: @archy3001  @itscalledfandomsweetielookitup @faeriedelalune-blog  @amazinggraces-world  @tanishahka @coniumalces @emomemelordess @devilbat @drakesfiance @confessionsofastrugglingteen  @inlovewithfreyamikaelson @heart-shaped-hell @theoneanna  @marikochi @xxxeatyourh3artoutxxx @awkwardfangirl2014 @rainbowsinthestorm  @anchored-in-high-tide @mylovelycrazyworld

[goldenhemmings]

Opening Day - A Stealing Second Extra | Baseball!Shawn

We’re gonna pretend like the Blue Jays didn’t lose their opening game last night.

Yeah, yeah, I know I promised this yesterday on the actual Opening Day but I got distracted because I’m the worst ever with timing. BUT it’s still Opening Weekend so we’re gonna pretend like it’s all good. This takes place about nine or so months after where they were at the end of the final (fifth) part of the series, and it’s about 1.6k words. It can also be read as a standalone piece if you haven’t read the series, but if you’d like to read it, it’s linked in my masterlist. Enjoy, and I’d so love to hear your feedback!!

Opening Day was one of the most exciting days of the year; every baseball aficionado could agree on that. What you hadn’t known, however, was how stressful the day was for those working on the inside to make it happen. The Blue Jays would be playing their first of 162 games in just over an hour, and you hadn’t had a long enough break the entire day to take the time to even acknowledge your excitement.

The team had had a more than successful Spring Training, and you (along with every other Jays fan) were extremely hopeful for the upcoming season. Your current worry, however, was that you’d miss the start of it.

You’d been running around the stadium and the offices like crazy trying to finish your bottomless pit of a to-do list, but every time you thought you were getting close to the end, your boss had more for you to do. You’d been working nonstop since eight that morning, and the closer time crept to 7 p.m. the more anxious you became that you’d miss some of the game.

You clutched the blue folder you were carrying tighter against your chest as you raced through the mass of thousands of jersey-donning fans, needing to get back to your office away from the sea of blue and white. You’d managed to get down to one last task, and it felt like you were walking through a minefield as you waited for your phone to inevitably go off again with yet another thing for you to do. Your goal in going back to your office had been to find Cassidy, hoping she’d be at her desk, but in a stroke of good fortune you spotted her from the corner of your eye leaning against the wall of one of the Rogers Centre’s many team shops, surveying the crowd; you hadn’t even had to leave the actual stadium to find her.

“Cassidy!” you called, wide-eyed as you beckoned her over. She jogged to where you stood, her face immediately showing that she recognized how uncharacteristically flustered you were.

“What’s up?” she asked, the words casual but said carefully.

You wordlessly thrust the blue folder out towards her, and she looked down at it quizzically. “What’s this?”

You sighed, not realizing you were out of breath until you tried to talk. “I promised Shawn I’d meet him before the game like always, but Curt keeps giving me a million things to do and I’m running out of time before Shawn has to be in the dugout. I am begging you, Cass, to please just take this up to Thomas Andrews from the Toronto Star. He’s writing the front-page story about Opening Day and it’s a list of quotes I gathered from the players that he’s been cleared to publish. He should be finishing up interviews in the announcer’s booth.”

She laughed as though you’d just asked her to do something as trivial as tie your shoe. “Sure. I’ve been bored out of my mind for the past hour, anyway. Wouldn’t wanna be the one to break the famous pregame tradition.” She wagged her eyebrows at you, and despite the tension you felt in your chest you managed to laugh.

“You’re amazing,” you breathed out, pulling her into a hug. “Thank you. I will do you as many favors as you need once I get back.”

“Don’t sweat it,” she replied, opening the folder to begin sifting through the compilation of quotes curiously. “I’ll meet you back here so we can watch the game?”

“Of course. I won’t be too long, I promise.”

“Take your time, Y/N,” she teased, and you playfully rolled your eyes as you turned over your shoulder to make your way towards your and Shawn’s usual meeting spot.

Your feet ached from being up and running around all day, but the pain was easy to ignore now that you’d finally found time, however short, to take a break and see Shawn. You pulled open the door of your little meeting spot outside of the team locker room, unable to help the smile that crossed your face as Shawn’s head snapped up to look at you.

“There you are, honey,” he exclaimed, pulling you into a tight hug. You held onto him a little longer than was necessary, inhaling his scent and taking the time to let some of the stress you’d been carrying around all day dissipate.

You finally pulled away to meet his eyes, and you could clearly see how excited they were despite the shadow the brim of his cap cast over them. “I was worried I wasn’t gonna have time to get down here and see you,” you admitted, smoothing out the jersey that covered his shoulders.

He sighed. “I was worried you weren’t coming, too. Has work been crazy today?”

“You have no idea. But I’m here now!” you chirped, pressing a chaste kiss to the underside of his jaw as he laughed. “And you’re less nervous than I thought you’d be.”

“You thought I’d be nervous?” he queried, a glint in his familiar brown eyes as they searched yours.

“Course I did, Rookie. It’s Opening Day.” Shawn laughed at this, and you quirked an eyebrow.

“What’s so funny?”

“You called me Rookie.”

You furrowed your eyebrows, cocking your head to the side as you looked up at him with a curious smile. “And that’s suddenly funny now after the thousands of other times I’ve called you that?”

“You’re forgetting something very important,” he grinned, cheekily, as he leaned in to place a quick kiss to your nose. You looked at him expectantly, feeling the smile growing on your face in anticipation before he made a dramatic show of rolling his eyes and continued. “I’m not a rookie anymore.”

You threw your head back and laughed, and you could hear Shawn join in. “You’re right. Your second season starts in a few minutes.”

“Exactly. So you’ve gotta find a new nickname.”

You gasped, feigning offense. “You don’t like Rookie anymore?”

“C’mon, honey, we just talked about this,” he teased, but you refused to break the act.

“But you’ll always be my rookie,” you pouted, and Shawn’s face scrunched up in reaction.

“Ew,” he joked. “So sappy today.”

You finally cracked a smile at this. “I’m just messing with you,” you giggled. “Kind of. I’ll call you Rookie for as long as I want.”

“We’ll see,” Shawn replied, narrowing his eyes at you playfully as you laughed in response. “But I should actually probably get going,” he continued, sighing as he reached up to remove his hat so that he could run a hand through his hair. “Coach is gonna kill me for not being up there already.”

“Okay,” you nodded, smiling as you gave his arms a reassuring squeeze. As much as you wanted him to stay a little longer, you knew you couldn’t say it—if you did, he’d undoubtedly stay with you until the very last second before the game started, even if it meant getting chewed out by his coach. He’d do anything just to have time with you, especially now that the both of you were going to be ridiculously busy again with the start of the season.

“Are you staying here for the game or watching it at home?” Shawn questioned, unmoving even though he needed to be out the door.

You kissed him hurriedly before nudging him towards the exit. “Watching it here with Cass.”

“Can’t wait to get rid of me, eh?” he razzed, and you giggled as you followed him out.

“I want to see you play opening day, not ride the bench because you pissed Montoyo off by being late.”

“Nah,” Shawn smirked, his feet planted firmly on the ground despite your playful attempts to push him in the direction of the locker room. “The lineup’s already been released, he can’t change it.”

You groaned, eliciting a musical laugh from Shawn. “You’re impossible.”

“Fine, fine, I’m going. For real this time.” He grinned, holding his hands up as if to say I surrender and backing away from you slowly. You quirked your head to the side as you admiringly took in his frame, happier than you’d like to admit to finally be seeing Shawn back in his regular-season uniform.

“Should I wait for you here or at home after the game?” you asked, reaching to pull your phone out from the pocket of your jeans and silently praying that there wasn’t anything else Curt had asked you to do last-minute.

“Here,” Shawn said, without hesitation. “I’ll meet you by my car in the team lot.”

“Perfect,” you smiled, and he animatedly blew you a kiss before turning to walk towards the locker room, the sound from his metal cleats echoing off of the flooring. “Hit a home run for me, Rookie,” you called after him, and you could hear him laugh.

“Still not a rookie, but I’ll do my best!” he shouted back, and with that you turned around and hurried off back down the hallway towards the stadium, smiling to yourself as you anxiously awaited the rapidly-approaching arrival of a new Blue Jays season that was sure to outdo the last.

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9 Solid Evidences Attending Football Cleats Is Good For Your Career Development | Football Cleats

This adventure is featured in the Abatement 2019 copy of the HPU Magazine. Discover beneath how HPU’s Congdon Academy of Health Sciences conducts award-winning assay with big name brands.

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nike vapor football cleats sale | Up to 9% Discounts - football cleats | football cleats “We begin the best block architecture tends to alter based on the position an amateur plays,” says Ford. “A amateur that is about a lineman favors one appearance of shoe, while a quarterback or active aback prefers a lighter shoe.”Tommy Hockenjos, a first-year concrete assay student, alternate in Ford’s assay for two years through the Summer Undergraduate Assay Fellowship program, which pairs acceptance with adroitness over the summer to conduct accelerated research.“I was complex in a assorted allotment of the study,” says Hockenjos. “The aboriginal year, I did a lot of the biomechanics block assay on the turf. The additional year, I was accomplishing anatomy compositions with DXA scans, so I was attractive at cartilage mineral density, beef accumulation and anatomy fat.”Hockenjos presented his allegation at the American College of Sports Medicine anniversary affair area industry leaders from beyond the apple gather.“This is why I came to HPU,” says Hockenjos. “Presenting my assay at an all-embracing appointment has been incredible.”

adidas Men's adizero 9 | football cleats Through their basic absoluteness assay program, Drs. Lisa Zukowski and Renee Hamel appetite to advice the aged break added adaptable and abstain falling.“We apperceive that cognitive, acoustic and concrete changes with accustomed crumbling are associated with an added accident of falling. However, acceptable abatement blockage programs for the aged are primarily focused on aloof the concrete aspects of walking and antithesis to anticipate falls,” says Hamel.That’s area the Basic Absoluteness and Clinical Gait Assay Lab comes in. Assay participants use their basic absoluteness treadmill to simulate activities these individuals may appointment in circadian life, such as walking about obstacles or talking while walking. Wireless eye-tracking glasses additionally acquiesce these advisers to almanac what participants are visually accessory to while they accomplish a task.“Research has apparent that exercise training in earlier adults can advance both advancement and cognition,” says Zukowski. “We accept that the beheld alternation basic of basic absoluteness exercise training acclimated in our abstraction could activate the genitalia of the academician that we await on during walking in accustomed life. This could aftereffect in alike greater improvements in cautiously accustomed out circadian activities while walking.”

Men's Football Cleats & Shoes. Nike | football cleats Andrea Douden, a second-year concrete assay student, is acceptable Zukowski and Hamel with the research. And she’s additionally demography her affection of allowance bodies with acoustic altitude to the community.Every Friday afternoon, aboriginal and second-year concrete assay acceptance amusement patients that are referred to HPU’s Pro Bono Concrete Assay Dispensary in a chargeless “neuro clinic” led by Hamel.One of those patients is Felix Bautista from Salisbury, North Carolina. He was referred to the dispensary from his doctor afterwards adversity a cogent achievement two years ago, which affected him to use a wheelchair. Today, he’s alpha to airing and lose the charge for his wheels.“Look at me — I’m able to airing and drive bigger because of anybody here,” says Bautista about HPU adroitness and acceptance in the lab. “These acceptance are like brothers and sisters to me, and Dr. Hamel has been awesome. It’s been a blessing, and  God put me actuality for a reason.”

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Hunger Games Prequel Novel Reveals its Title and Cover

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The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Suzanne Collins's Hunger Games prequel novel, arrives in May 2020.

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The Hunger Games is readying its return to the pop culture panorama in the form of a prequel novel, which will see author Suzanne Collins revisit the dystopian society of Panem, except at a time well before Katniss Everdeen even existed, much less ignited the titular contest as the Girl on Fire.

Collins’s franchise follow-up will manifest as a prequel novel. The long-awaited continuation of the literary franchise was first teased back in June, in which its May 2020 release date was revealed along with the title placeholder, “Untitled Panem Novel.” – Well, said Panem novel is no longer untitled, with Scholastic officially unveiling the books cover, bearing the title, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes!

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Story

The new novel will be set on Panem (post-apocalyptic North America) 64 years before the events of Collins's 100 million-selling trilogy – 2008’s The Hunger Games, 2009’s Catching Fire and 2010’s Mockingjay – which, of course, were the basis for Lionsgate’s box-office-breaking film adaptations starring Jennifer Lawrence – released successively in 2012, 2013, with the final story split into two films, released in 2014 and 2015. While those novels depicted the exploits of Katniss Everdeen, who became a symbol of hope for a starving populace once kept docile by the annual games – eventually leading to a successful revolution – the prequel will chronicle a failed early populace revolt known as “the Dark Days.” As Collins explains in a statement of the direction of the prequel:

“With this book, I wanted to explore the state of nature, who we are, and what we perceive is required for our survival. The reconstruction period 10 years after the war, commonly referred to as the Dark Days — as the country of Panem struggles back to its feet — provides fertile ground for characters to grapple with these questions and thereby define their views of humanity.”

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Cover

The official cover for The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes has been unveiled!

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Release Date

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is set to arrive on May 19, 2020.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Details

Publisher Scholastic (who are undoubtedly sporting a collective grin with dollar signs in their eyes,) chimed in on the June announcement of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, with Scholastic Trade Publishing President Ellie Berger lauding:

“Suzanne Collins is a master at combining brilliant storytelling, superb world building, breathtaking suspense, and social commentary. We are absolutely thrilled — as both readers and publishers — to introduce the devoted fans of the series and a new audience to an entirely new perspective on this modern classic.”

Also likely sporting a collective grin with dollar signs in their eyes is studio Lionsgate, which – after vice chairman Michael Burns previously toyed around with prequel plans – wasted no time at all telegraphing its movie adaptation intentions. While no official agreements were confirmed, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group chairman Joe Drake now says in a statement to AP:

“As the proud home of the Hunger Games movies, we can hardly wait for Suzanne’s next book to be published. We’ve been communicating with her during the writing process and we look forward to continuing to work closely with her on the movie.”

The Hunger Games original trilogy was inspired by what Collins saw as a disturbing pop culture intersection between the ubiquity of reality television, and what was on the news – specifically, at the time, footage of the invasion of Iraq. Thus, a dystopian dynamic was envisioned, in which those elements became the bread and circuses utilized by a totalitarian government to distract a starving populace. With the first book chronicling the events of the 74th Hunger Games – the annual event in which lottery-drawn teens compete in a live-broadcasted outdoor arena deathmatch – the prequel’s 64-year-back time setting will showcase a time when the Games were only around for a decade, with a first-generation populace who have yet to accept said contest as the norm. Indeed, as Collins further explains:

“We have so much programming coming at us all the time. Is it too much? Are we becoming desensitized to the entire experience?" She adds, "Dystopian stories are places where you can play out the scenarios in your head — your anxieties — and see what might come of them. And, hopefully, as a young person, with the possibilities of the future waiting for you, you’re thinking about how to head these things off.”

We will certainly keep you updated on The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (and its inevitable movie prospects) as the news arrives!

Read and download the Den of Geek NYCC 2019 Special Edition Magazine right here!

Joseph Baxter is a contributor for Den of Geek and Syfy Wire. You can find his work here. Follow him on Twitter @josbaxter.

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Joseph Baxter

Oct 4, 2019

Hunger Games

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[nayladoodles]

Hamilton Angst Promt #1 (from my other account)

👻= Death

TRIGGER WARNING: SUICIDE, USE OF TERM CREOLE BASTARD also mentions of non consensual sex, SELF HARM and SELF HATRED.

IF THESE THINGS TRIGGER YOU PLEASE AVOID THIS.

Non Canon version of the Reynolds Affair where Hamilton is actually a loyal husband and refuses the affair but maria won't listen. When he runs out of money a fake pamphlet is published with a forged signature. Everyone detests Alexander and he becomes depressed.

All Characters belong to Lin Manuel Miranda except Madilton (ship name but hey), Cattivo and Simon. (who are all senators).

     Alexander's POV:

My hand shook as I hastily scrawled my speech for the debate later this afternoon; I don't wish to have all of the angry eyes boring into my back again but alas I am required to attend. As the hours passed I had managed to push the negative thoughts to the back of my mind praying to god that those dark thoughts would not plague me again until after the debate. Once my speech was written I returned to my previous task of preparing the original pamphlet about the Reynolds Affair. I refused her, I did NOT consent to it yet....everyone blindly believes I willingly cheated on Eliza. A man can only take so much hatred before he cracks and I have long since buckled beneath the anger and hatred. My children yelled they'd rather be without me, my wife won't let me explain and my friends are unresponsive. I just want the truth to be told so I can finally escape this personal hell of mine. As I finished fixing the last few smeared letters my office door swung open, "Hamilton." I felt the temperature drop slightly and saw Senator Madilton and his two fellow senators blocking the doorway,"If it is not a dire issue please leave me to my work." I said carefully hiding the pamphlet beneath mt speech. "Hamilton all you do is work." Senator Simon said. "You should rest." I narrowed my eyes, "Don't act like you suddenly care." I spat angrily trying to force the burning tears to hold their position behind my eyes. "Such harsh words." Cattivo purrs. "Leave me be!" I said getting upset not in the mood to deal with their scorn.

  "You think that the truth will save you Hamilton? You think you can escape what is already published?" Madilton said coming closer. "I cannot undo what YOU have done no, but I can tell America what REALLY happened... the parts of that affair that you left out." I spat back tears starting to escape down my cheeks. "Look at you crying over nothing! What did Washington see in you?"

I gripped my sleeves my own insecurities rising to the surface once again. "Your wife doesn't want you and neither does your family or your friends. face it you're alone." I trembled shutting my eyes tightly as tears dripped off of my chin. 6 months of endless emotional torture, of endless glares and angry whispers as I walk the streets. "Just leave me be please." I said brokenly. "What authority do you have to make a such a request?" Cattivo jeered. "This is my office." I replied. "You don't sound so certain of that." Simon leered. "Regardless you need to join us for the debate. Do dry your tears Hamilton, you look pitiful." Madilton and the other two left me there to scramble for my speech and follow them to the Congress floor.

"Why is Hamilton here?" "That creole bastard has no place in this room after what he has done." "No one needs his loud opinions anyhow." Washington called order, "Hamilton you first." I read my speech pausing and stuttering as the senators whispered angrily among themselves. I finished my speech and waited for a response, "Jefferson, Madison if you please." Washington said and I sat listening to them both not bothering to correct them as my own dark thought consumed me. The debate faded into the background and their words sounded far away; I truly am alone. I felt tears burn in my eyes as the horrid memories of the past 6 months came to haunt me. Eliza burning all of the love letters that took me hours to write and send, my son and daughter screaming that I'm not their father anymore, being slapped by Angelica…

"What no witty response Hamilton?" Jefferson said.I slowly came back to the present and looked away from him not saying a word.

"Y'all managed to break him?" Jefferson said. "Own up to your infidelity and stop crying about it Hamilton." Simon spat. "Yes and while you're at it leave your position!" Another senator shouted. "We don't need you or your financial systems." I curled into myself tears burning in the corners of my eyes. "That is enough!" Washington spat, "We do NOT bring personal matters onto the Congress floor." I trembled clenching the armrests of my chair tightly my knuckles going white. "Now. Does anyone have anything to say in regards to either side of the argument?" Washington asked. "Hamilton is wrong." Madilton called. "Why so?" Washington pressed. "He can never be correct." Washington sighed rubbing his temples. "If none of you have anything backed by logic about why my secretary is wrong be silent." "But sir-" Madilton said. "Silence." Washington said coldly. I tried to recompose myself but all I could hear was the jeering of the senators. "Hamilton?" Jefferson said. "Son?" Washington's voice echoed slightly. "D-don't call me son..." I replied my head throbbing as tears began to once again slide down my cheeks. "Alexander!" Burr shouted as I gripped the chair tighter. I faintly heard Washington call recess not realizing two hours had passed. I stood mumbling excuse me ignoring the concerned calls of my fellow politicians and father figure. I cannot take another day of this...

I briskly walked to my office pushing the papers off my desk grasping the pamphlet after signing it properly. I walked to the publisher and handed him the money I'd saved saying, "Run it for tomorrow please." He nods and I smile for the first time in months. I go back to the white house sitting in my office pulling out the broken quill I'd hidden earlier in the week. I unbuttoned my cuffs sliding my sleeves up staring at the scars. "What does Washington see in me..?" I whispered pressing the sharp edge of the quill shaft against my arm and slicing the skin watching blood rush to the surface of the cut. I scratched my arms more, "I am useless, loudmouth bother...not worthy of this position...I don’t deserve my wife....or family..." I stopped after five lines were cut on each arm and grabbed the black rag I had to clean myself up not bothering with lunch. Trembling I wrapped my arms and returned to the floor for the remaining hour of the meeting.

Burr caught my shoulder as I walked in, "Alexander?" His tone held barely restrained worry. "I'm fine Aaron." I lied sitting back down. The session ended earlier than usual on account of myself and Jefferson agreeing for a change. As soon as we were dismissed I excused myself wanting to prepare for tomorrow. I went to my office pulling the farewell letters to my friends and father figure. I had already mailed John's and that for my friends in France making sure it would reach them with haste and Burr's awaits him at the front desk of the hotel he was staying in during the summit. I left the letters for Jefferson, Madison and Washington on the desks in their offices. I walked back to my own office going to my bookshelf and pulling a hollowed encyclopedia from 1700. I pulled out the money I'd stashed away from Madeline and Michael to help them return home to their mother and father on Nevis. The money was tied away with a knot only the native island people could untie and the rope is much too thick to cut. I smiled satisfied with my farewell and flagged down a carriage to take me home as I refuse to give the scathing senators the satisfaction.

I arrive home long after my family has gone to bed and quietly slip upstairs to Philip's room. I smile at my son whispering that he'll blow everyone away someday before kissing his forehead watching him smile. I visited Angie next brushing her shirt from her face and kissing her forehead whispering that she will always be my precious flower princess. I tiptoe to Angelica's room and sit beside her, "I know you won't forgive me but know that I respect you so much for sacrificing your happiness for Eliza." I smiled and kissed her cheek gently slipping to my bedroom last. I saw Eliza asleep her eyes red telling me she's been crying. I gently stroke her cheek careful not to wake her up and whisper, "I don't deserve you Eliza...I..I never felt that I earned your heart. Please take good care of yourself and the children. I wish I would have listened to your pleas Betsy. I love you." I pressed a chaste kiss to her lips before slipping back to my study. I pulled the rope necklace from the closet standing on my chair to string it over the exposed eve and trying it off. I climbed down carefully picking up the farewell letters for my wife, sister-in-law and children before climbing back onto my chair pulling to rope around my neck. High ceilings...I never thought I'd be so grateful for them. I paused my feet at the edge of the chair. I laughed softly, "Why am I hesitating..?"

I closed my eyes and breathed deeply feeling tears spring to my eyes as memories came flooding back: The bar where I met my friends on my first night in New York, humiliating Seabury and making the Brit cry while my friends cheered, pulling a prank on Burr while drunk and regretting it later, the accidental kiss that Laurens and I shared during the winter in Valley Forge due to me slipping on ice, becoming Washington's right hand man, meeting Eliza at the ball in 1780...god we were both helpless, writing her letters and asking Peggy for advice also Laf and Hercules laughing at my flustered nature, marrying Eliza and then discovering she is pregnant, winning the war and meeting Philip, becoming Secretary of Treasury, Angie being born, Madison, Jefferson, Burr and I becoming a political quartet that shares lunch at a tiny diner...finding out what Jefferson does in Monticello...that was a fun trip...the engagement of my two best friends... their wedding will be grand I'm sure.

 I open my eyes tears running down my cheeks and see that it is getting light out wondering how long I was reminiscing. As the sun peeks over the horizon I smile the good memories warming my broken heart. I think of the good times for a short while longer my smile widening. I take a deep breath and quiet fills my mind for the first time in years. I hear the birds singing and whisper of the breeze outside. I take one last breath reveling in the serenity and then I let myself fall watching the world slowly fade away the letters still clenched in my fist.

Third Person:

Philip woke up when the sun filtered into his bedroom through the gap in the curtains; he swore he heard his father last night but his daddy is in DC for the summit why would he come home? The 10 year old slipped out of bed walking to check on his sister who was also awake. "I had a dream about daddy..." Angie yawned. "me too" Pip said. "Maybe daddy came home?" Angie said hopefully. "I miss him" Pip hugs his sister because he misses their daddy too. "Let's check his study you know how mama feels about them sharing a bed." Angie nods and they run to the study pushing the door open.

Angelica is woken with a start when a loud scream echoes from the study where her brother in law usually hides refusing to come out unless the house is asleep. She jumps out of bed hurrying down the hall tying her robe. She walks in looking at her niece and nephew, "What is all the fuss-" The words die when she looks up following the children's horrified gazes. her brother in law hangs from the ceiling his neck broken at an odd angle a serene smile on his face and tears drying on his cheeks. "Oh dear God..." She pulls the children to her feeling them shaking and crying into her robe. She then notices the letters poking from his fist carefully pulling them out. She tears open the one addressed to her feeling tears sliding down her cheeks as she reads it

My dearest Angelica,

I cannot apologize enough not that it will repair the damage done but I want you to know this: I respect you so much for being a strong woman willing to sacrifice her happiness for her sister's. Thank you for introducing me to Eliza all those years ago. Thank you for trying to reason with this stubborn fool and I deeply regret that our last months together were spent in pain. I hope that someday you will forgive me for being a fool and putting my work first. I always hated living off of others even though one summer would have done me no damage. I will always admire you Angelica, never forget your promise to make Jefferson include women in American rights. Stay strong and keep fighting. take care of Betsy and the kids for me.

with love and regret

A.Hamilton

She wept bitterly for never seeing how much pain he was in. She handed the letters addressed to Pip and Angie to them before shooing them back to their rooms. Using the chair she pulled him down from the noose and threw the wretched rope necklace across the room; she sat beside him her tears falling onto his cooling flesh. "Y-You are forgiven." She walked out and sank against the wall her body shaking with sobs. Eliza finds her this way when she wakes up. "Angelica what ails you so early in the morning?" Eliza looks at her trembling sister concerned. "Oh B-Betsy...." Angelica sobs. "What is it?" Eliza asks so Angelica leads her inside the study watching her eyes go wide. "N-No he can’t b-be..." Angelica nods another sob escaping her as she shakily points to the knotted rope. "Alexander...my poor Alexander..." Eliza sinks to her knees beside her dead husband tears falling onto his face. "He left this for you..." Angelica hands her the golden sealed envelope from the desk. They open it and what they find causes fresh tears to rush down their cheeks. Alexander left a copy of the original pamphlet, money for Pip to further his education and the sweetest letter of apology and farewell Eliza ever read. She grasped his cold hands, " Y-you are always forgiven d-darling..." She wept resting her head on his chest realizing he had come to say goodbye last night, the kiss was not a dream.

In France Hercules was in tears when Lafayette and his grandmother returned from the bakery. "Hercules what ails you mon chou?" he handed the letter to his fiance words escaping his grasp. Laf's eyes widened, "N-non?" Hercules nods showing him the money that had been enclosed for their wedding. "God why!? He h-had so much to live f-for..." Laf sank to his knees sobbing Hercules joining him on the floor holding him as they wept.

In South Carolina John had just returned for the evening when a letter was pressed into his palm by his sister who was crying. he saw the seal wondering why she was so upset. "J-John that's a death s-seal... it means the sender is going to commit suicide. M-my friend sent me a similar letter last year." "Death seal?!" John tore open the letter a small sum of money falling onto his lap along with a locket. he stared at the items for a moment before unfolding the letter with shaking hands.

  My dearest Laurens,

I wish the best in your adventure to recruit your regiment. I know you will do well and prove the worth of we people of color. I wish I could have kissed you farewell one last time like that once in Valley Forge. I enjoyed it too much and that feeling still lingers as I write this. I wish you a happy wedding with Martha Manning. She truly is perfect for you. I wish you good life and prosperity. I wish i had the courage to give you this locket sooner...and the money is for your men. The bells and whistles we jokingly discussed months ago. I bid thee adieu dearest.

With love and flourish

A. Hamilton

Laurens wept as he opened the heart shaped locket finding a small music box inside that played his favorite tune. It was engraved ' To my dearest John'

"He'll be here he's j-just..." Jefferson's voice cracked. "He's gone Thomas. I know Alexander would not do this if he were not serious." Burr said tears sliding down his cheeks. "J-Jesus Christ..." Madison sunk onto the couch trembling Thomas sinking down beside him as the trio wept.

Washington re-read the letter from Alexander several times until tears blocked his vision, "Why...son…? There was so m-much more you could have done for this country…"

The next day the original pamphlet appeared on every doorstep across America along with the news that the Secretary of Treasury had committed suicide early the previous morning. The nation was silent as the people realized that the poor man never deserved the harsh treatment. The Reynolds were arrested and jailed for life and the senators had oddly vanished. Madeline and Michael wept the hardest realizing they could finally go home but it felt hollow because the man who gave them the chance was not here to be thanked. The nation mourned the loss of Alexander Hamilton. The one man that proved beyond the shadow of doubt that even orphan immigrants can make a difference.

[zanytimetravelenthusiast-blog]

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[hamiltrash2097-blog]

👻 Alexander Hamilton

TRIGGER WARNING: SUICIDE, USE OF TERM CREOLE BASTARD also mentions of non consensual sex, SELF HARM and SELF HATRED.

IF THESE THINGS TRIGGER YOU PLEASE AVOID THIS POST.

Non Canon version of the Reynolds Affair where Hamilton is actually a loyal husband and refuses the affair but maria won’t listen. When he runs out of money a fake pamphlet is published with a forged signature. Everyone detests Alexander and he becomes depressed.

All Characters belong to Lin Manuel Miranda except Madilton (ship name but hey), Cattivo and Simon. (who are all senators).

Alexander’s POV

My hand shook as I hastily scrawled my speech for the debate later this afternoon; I don’t wish to have all of  the angry eyes boring into my back again but alas I am required to attend. As the hours passed I had managed to push the negative thoughts to the back of my mind praying to god that those dark thoughts would not plague me again until after the debate. Once my speech was written I returned to my previous task of preparing the original pamphlet about the Reynolds Affair. I refused her, I did NOT consent to it yet….everyone blindly believes I willingly cheated on Eliza. A man can only take so much hatred before he cracks and I have long since buckled beneath the anger and hatred. My children yelled they’d rather be without me, my wife won’t let me explain and my friends are unresponsive.  I just want the truth to be told so I can finally escape this personal hell of mine. As I finished fixing the last few smeared letters my office door swung open, “Hamilton.” I felt the temperature drop slightly and saw Senator Madilton and his two fellow senators blocking the doorway,”If it is not a dire issue please leave me to my work.” I said carefully hiding the pamphlet beneath mt speech. “Hamilton all you do is work.” Senator Simon said. “You should rest.” I narrowed my eyes, “Don’t act like you suddenly care.” I spat angrily trying to force the burning tears to hold their position behind my eyes. “Such harsh words.” Cattivo purrs. “Leave me be!” I said getting upset not in the mood to deal with their scorn.

“You think that the truth will save you Hamilton? You think you can escape what is already published?” Madilton said coming closer. “I cannot undo what YOU have done no, but I can tell America what REALLY happened… the parts of that affair that you left out.” I spat back tears starting to escape down my cheeks. “Look at you crying over nothing! What did Washington see in you?” I gripped my sleeves my own insecurities rising to the surface once again. “Your wife doesn’t want you and neither does your family or your friends. face it you’re alone.” I trembled shutting my eyes tightly as tears dripped off of my chin. 6 months of endless emotional torture, of endless glares and angry whispers as I walk the streets. “Just leave me be please.” I said brokenly. “What authority do you have to make a such a request?” Cattivo jeered. “This is my office.” I replied. “You don’t sound so certain of that.” Simon leered. “Regardless you need to join us for the debate. Do dry your tears Hamilton, you look pitiful.” Madilton and the other two left me there to scramble for my speech and follow them to the Congress floor.

“Why is Hamilton here?” “That creole bastard has no place in this room after what he has done.” “No one needs his loud opinions anyhow.” Washington called order, “Hamilton you first.” I read my speech pausing and stuttering as the senators whispered angrily among themselves. I finished my speech and waited for a response, “Jefferson, Madison if you please.” Washington said and I sat listening to them both not bothering to correct them as my own dark thoughts consumed me. The debate faded into the background and their words sounded far away; I truly am alone. I felt  tears burn in my eyes  as the horrid memories of the past 6 months came to haunt me. Eliza burning all of the love letters that took me hours to write and send, my son and daughter screaming that I’m not their father anymore, being slapped by Angelica… “What no witty response Hamilton?” Jefferson said.I slowly came back to the present and looked away from him not saying a word. 

“Y’all managed to break him?” Jefferson said. “Own up to your infidelity and stop crying about it Hamilton.” Simon spat. “Yes and while you’re at it leave your position!” Another senator shouted. “We don’t need you or your financial systems.” I curled into myself tears burning in the corners of my eyes. “That is enough!” Washington spat, “We do NOT bring personal matters into this Congress room.” I trembled clenching the arm rests of my chair tightly my knuckles going white. “Now. Does anyone have anything to say in regards to either side of the argument?” Washington asked. “Hamilton is wrong.” Madilton called. “Why so?” Washington pressed. “He can never be correct.” Washington sighed rubbing his temples. “If none of you have anything backed by logic about why my secretary is wrong be silent.” “But sir-” Madilton said. “Silence.” Washington said coldly. I tried to recompose myself but all I could hear was the jeering of the senators. “Hamilton?” Jefferson said. “Son?” Washington’s voice echoed slightly. “D-don’t call me son…” I replied my head throbbing as tears began to once again slide down my cheeks. “Alexander!” Burr shouted as I gripped the chair tighter. I faintly heard Washington call recess not realizing two hours had passed. I stood mumbling excuse me ignoring the concerned calls of my fellow politicians  and father figure.  I mentally cannot take another day of this! 

I briskly walked to my office  pushing the papers off my desk grasping the pamphlet after signing it properly. I walked to the publisher and handed him the money I’d saved saying, “Run it for tomorrow please.” He nods and I smile for the first time in months. I go back to the white house sitting in my office pulling out the broken quill I’d hidden earlier in the week. I unbuttoned my cuffs sliding my sleeves up staring at the scars. “What does Washington see in me..?” I whispered pressing the sharp edge of the quill shaft against my arm and slicing the skin watching blood rush to the surface of the cut. I scratched my arms more, “I am useless, loudmouth bother…not worthy of this position…I don't deserve my wife….or family…” I stopped after five lines were cut on each arm and grabbed the black rag I had to clean myself up not bothering with lunch. Trembling I wrapped my arms and returned to the floor for the remaining hour of the meeting. 

Burr caught my shoulder as I walked in, “Alexander?” His tone held barely restrained worry. “I’m fine Aaron.” I lied sitting back down. The session ended earlier than usual on account of myself and Jefferson agreeing for a change. As soon as we were dismissed I excused myself wanting to prepare for tomorrow. I went to my office pulling the farewell letters to my friends and father figure. I had already mailed John’s and that for my friends in France making sure it would reach them with haste and Burr’s awaits him at the front desk of the hotel he was staying in during the summit. I left the letters for Jefferson, Madison and Washington on the desks in their offices. I walked back to my own office going to my bookshelf and pulling a hollowed encyclopedia from 1700. I pulled out the money I’d stashed away from Madeline and Micheal to help them return home to their mother and father on Nevis. The money was tied away with a knot only the native island people could untie and the rope is much to thick to cut. I smiled satisfied with my farewell and flagged down a carriage to take me home as I refuse to give the scathing senators the satisfaction. 

I arrive home long after my family has gone to bed and quietly slip upstairs to Philip’s room. I smile at my son whispering that he’ll blow everyone away someday before kissing his forehead watching him smile. I visited Angie next brushing her shirt from her face and kissing her forehead whispering that she will always be my precious flower princess. I tiptoe to Angelica’s room and sit beside her, “I know you won’t forgive me but know that I respect you so much for sacrificing your happiness for Eliza.” I smiled and kissed her cheek gently slipping to my bedroom last. I saw Eliza asleep her eyes red telling me she’s been crying. I gently stroke her cheek careful not to wake her up and whisper, “I don’t deserve you Eliza…I..I never felt that I earned your heart. Please take good care of yourself and the children. I wish I would have listened to your pleas Betsy. I love you.” I pressed a chaste kiss to her lips before slipping back to my study. I pulled the rope necklace from the closet standing on my chair to  string it over the exposed eve and trying it off. I climbed down carefully picking up the farewell letters for my wife, sister-in-law and children before climbing back onto my chair pulling to rope around my neck. High ceilings…I never thought I’d be so grateful for them. I paused my feet at the edge of the chair. I laughed softly, “Why am I hesitating..?” 

I closed my eyes and breathed deeply feeling tears spring to my eyes as memories came flooding back: The bar where I met my friends on my first night in New York, humiliating Seabury and making the Brit cry while my friends cheered, pulling a prank on Burr while drunk and regretting it later, the accidental kiss that Laurens and I shared during the winter in Valley Forge due to me slipping on ice, becoming Washington’s right hand man, meeting Eliza at the ball in 1780…god  we were both helpless, writing her letters and asking Peggy for advice also Laf and Hercules laughing at my flustered nature, marrying Eliza and then discovering she is pregnant, winning the war and meeting Philip, becoming Secretary of Treasury, Angie being born, Jefferson, Madison,Burr and I becoming a political quartet that shares lunch at a tiny diner…finding out what Jefferson does in Monticello…that was a fun trip…the engagement of my two best friends… their wedding will be grand I’m sure. 

I open my eyes tears running down my cheeks and see that it is getting light out  wondering how long I was reminiscing.  As the sun peaks over the horizon I smile the good memories warming my broken heart. I think of the good times for a short while longer my smile widening. I take a deep breath and quiet fills my mind for the first time in years. I hear the birds singing and whisper of the breeze outside. I take one last breath reveling in the serenity and then I let myself fall  watching the world slowly fade away the letters still clenched in my fist. 

Third Person: 

Philip woke up when the sun filtered into his bedroom through the gap in the curtains; he swore he heard his father last night but his daddy is in DC for the summit why would he come home? The 10 year old slipped out of bed walking to check on his sister who was also awake. “I had a dream about daddy…” Angie yawned. “Me too” Pip said. “Maybe daddy came home?” Angie said hopefully. “I miss him” Pip hugs his sister because he misses their daddy too. “Let’s check his study you know how mama feels about them sharing a bed.” Angie nods and they run to the study pushing the door open.

Angelica is woken  with a start when a loud scream echoes from the study where her brother in law usually hides refusing to come out unless the house is asleep. She jumps out of bed hurrying down the hall tying her robe. She walks in looking at her niece and nephew, “What is all the fuss-” The words die when she looks up following the children’s horrified gazes.  Her brother in law  hangs from the ceiling his neck broken at an odd angle a serene smile on his face and tears drying on his cheeks. “Oh dear G-GOD…” She pulls the children to her feeling them shaking and crying into her robe. She then notices the letters poking from his fist carefully pulling them out. She tears open the one addressed to her feeling tears sliding down her cheeks as she reads it

My dearest Angelica,

I cannot apologize enough not that it will repair the damage done but I want you to know this: I respect you so much for being a strong woman willing to sacrifice her happiness for her sister’s. Thank you for introducing me to Eliza all those years ago. Thank you for trying to reason with this stubborn fool and I deeply regret that our last months together were spent in pain. I hope that someday you will forgive me for being a fool and putting my work first. I always hated living off of others even though one summer would have done me no damage. I will always admire you Angelica, never forget your promise to make Jefferson include women in American rights. Stay strong and keep fighting. take care of Betsy and the kids for me. 

with love and regret A.Hamilton

She wept bitterly for never seeing how much pain he was in. She handed the letters addressed to Pip and Angie to them before shooing them back to their rooms. Using the chair she pulled him down from the noose and threw the wretched rope  necklace across the room; she sat beside him her tears falling onto his cooling flesh. “Y-You are forgiven.”  She walked out and sank against the wall her body shaking with sobs. Eliza finds her this way when she wakes up. “Angelica what ails you so early in the morning?” Eliza looks at her trembling sister concerned. “Oh B-Betsy….” Angelica sobs. “What is it?” Eliza asks so Angelica leads her inside the study watching her eyes go wide. “N-No he isn’t!” Angelica nods another sob escaping her as she shakily points to the knotted rope. “OH my GOD!” Eliza sinks to her knees beside her dead husband tears falling onto his face. “Here” Angelica hands her the golden sealed envelope fro the desk. They open it and what they find causes fresh tears to rush down their cheeks. Alexander left a copy of the original pamphlet, money for Pip to further his education and the sweetest letter of apology and farewell Eliza ever read. She grasped his cold hands, “ Alexander!” She wept resting her head on his chest realizing he had come to say goodbye last night, the kiss was not a dream.  

In France Hercules was in tears when Lafayette and his grandmother returned from the bakery. “Hercules what ails you mon chou?” he handed the letter to his fiance words escaping his grasp. Laf’s eyes widened, “N-non” Hercules nods showing him the money that had been enclosed for their wedding. “God why!” Laf sank to his knees sobbing Hercules joining him as they cried together.

In South Carolina John had just returned for the evening when a letter was pressed into his palm by his sister who was crying. he saw the seal  wondering why she was so upset. “J-John that’s a death s-seal. It means the sender is going to commit suicide. M-my friend sent me a similar letter last year.” “D-death seal?” John tore open the letter a small sum of money falling onto his lap along with a locket. he stared at them before unfolding the letter with shaking hands. 

My dearest Laurens,

I wish the best in your adventure to recruit your regiment. I know you will do well and prove the worth of we people of color. I wish I could have kissed you farewell one last time like that once in Valley Forge. I enjoyed it too much and that feeling still lingers as I write this. I wish you a happy wedding with Martha Manning. She truly is perfect for you. I wish you good life and prosperity. I wish i had the courage to give you this locket sooner…and the money is for your men. The bells and whistles we jokingly discussed months ago.  I bid thee adieu dearest.

With love and flourish A. Hamilton

Laurens wept as he opened the  heart shaped locket finding a small music box inside that played his favorite tune. It was engraved ‘ To my dearest John’ 

“He’ll be here he’s j-just…” Jefferson’s voice cracked. “He’s gone Thomas. I know Alexander would not do this if he were not serious.” Burr said tears sliding down his cheeks. “J-Jesus Christ…” Madison sunk onto the couch trembling Thomas falling beside him as the trio wept. 

Washington re-read the letter from Alexander several times until tears blocked his vision, “Why…son…you…you had so much left you could have done…” 

The next day the original pamphlet appeared on every doorstep across America along with the news that the Secretary of Treasury had committed suicide early the previous morning. The nation was silent as the people realized that the poor man never deserved the harsh treatment. The Reynolds were arrested and jailed for life and the senators had oddly vanished. Madeline and Micheal wept the hardest realizing they could finally go home but it felt hollow because the man who gave them the chance was not here to be thanked. The nation mourned the loss of Alexander Hamilton. The one man that  proved beyond the shadow of doubt that even orphan immigrants can make a difference.

[fitnesshealthyoga-blog]

New Post has been published on https://fitnesshealthyoga.com/33-winter-going-out-tops-you-can-snag-on-sale-now/

33 Winter Going-Out Tops You Can Snag on Sale Now

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Going out in the winter is always something of a struggle—mostly because the sartorial expectations the bar has for you are in direct competition with the sartorial expectations the weather has for you. It might be freezing out, but it’s probably hot as hell inside that crowded AF bar, club or party you’re planning to check out. The answer: winter going-out tops—specifically, winter going-out tops that are currently on sale.

Listen, I know it got warmer this weekend—and I know that adorable little groundhog predicted an early spring. But the truth is, we’re only hurting ourselves by expecting winter to make an Irish exit. Spring won’t officially strike until March 20, and as a expect-the-worst-be-pleasantly-surprised-by-the-best kinda gal, I’m forecasting more low temperatures and potential snowstorms in our future.

There’s a silver lining to this approach, of course: The retail cycle works entirely in your favor. Stores are already swapping their winter collections for spring options, leaving cold weather-friendly pieces on sale—while there’s still time to wear them. In other words, your winter going-out woes have been thoroughly addressed; your favorite retailers are loaded with winter going-out tops you can score at deep discounts—and then wear this weekend, next weekend and all the other frigid weekends that undoubtedly await us.

Half of me wants to say sorry—the other half is tempted to say you’re welcome. Just know your future self will love you for winter sale shopping, because it means she has something to wear that’s as bar-appropriate as it is winter-appropriate. Even better: She’ll have extra money to spend on drinks, because you didn’t have to break the bank to stock up on these necessities.

Wanna Snake Party Bodysuit, $16 $40 at Nasty Gal

This on-trend bodysuit could totally take you from the office to the bar.

Missguided Plunge-Cut Velvet and Mesh Bodysuit, $15 $30 at ASOS

Because nothing’s sexier than a red velvet bodysuit—especially one with a massive keyhole cut-out.

River Island Glitter Plisse Blouse, $19 $48 at ASOS

Form-fitting isn’t the only way to do winter going-out clothes.

Long-Sleeve Top with Tie-Front Detail, $8.50 $29 at ASOS

A cold weather-friendly going-out top you could wear well into spring.

Warehouse Roll-Neck Top, $27.50 $46 at ASOS

Pair this with anything for instant weather-friendly, statement-making style.

River Island Gathered Wrap-Front Blouse, $39.50 $57 at ASOS

A no-fail silhouette in a no-fail color—an absolute winter win.

Sweet Memories Turtleneck, $29.95 $40 at Free People

Sheer turtlenecks could be your winter going-out bread and butter—if you’ll let them.

Metallic Twist Asymmetric Top, $35 $58 at Topshop

Metallic crop tops are the underrated piece your winter wardrobe has been looking for.

Plus Sequin Shell Top, $21 $54 at Boohoo

So hot it requires no justification.

Snakebite Love Blouse, $16 $32 at Nasty Gal

There are so many ways you could style this one—and all of them are delightful.

How Cowl Can You Be Velvet Bodysuit, $14 $40 at Nasty Gal

The more velvet bodysuits we can get our hands on, the better. (Especially when the deals are this sweet.)

Deep in Thought Printed Bodysuit, $18 $50 at Nasty Gal

In case you were wondering, dressing like a scarf is definitely still trendy.

b.Young Leopard Print High-Neck Top, $35 $49 at ASOS

Desaturated animal prints are such a winter going-out mood.

Presley Striped Metallic Long-Sleeve Top, $24.99 $44 at Urban Outfitters

Stop sleeping on the transparent going-out top—she’s here to keep you looking hot (and feeling appropriately warm).

Missguided Plus Wrap Bodysuit, $14.50 $29 at ASOS

A must-have in any going-out wardrobe, regardless of season.

Plunge Open-Back Long-Sleeve Top, $18 $40 at ASOS

Long-sleeve crop tops are a recipe for winter going-out success.

Bree Velvet Plunging Long-Sleeve Top, $19.99 $39 at Urban Outfitters

The deep deals on velvet are never-ending.

I See How It Is Mesh Bodysuit, $14 $30 at Nasty Gal

Another transparent top to add to your versatile, going-out repertoire.

The Shining Metallic Bodysuit, $18 $50 at Nasty Gal

Exceptionally ’80s—and we like it that way.

May Morning Sweater, $69.95 $108 at Free People

A lower-key option, because realistically, you’re not always going to the club.

Show and Tell Top, $59.95 $78 at Free People

So pretty you’ll be looking for excuses to wear it everywhere.

Flowers in the Window Floral Top, $24 $60 at Nasty Gal

Another top that can take you from work to happy hour—and wherever you head after.

Body with Caging Detail, $13 $26 at ASOS

An abject necessity in any wardrobe.

PrettyLittleThing Striped Flute-Sleeve Crop Top, $14 $24 at ASOS

This flute-sleeve crop is begging to be styled as creatively as possible.

Floral Jacquard Cold-Shoulder Blouse, $17 $44 at Boohoo

An incredible—and surprisingly underrated—silhouette. Your future self will surely thank you for shopping this must-have while it’s on sale.

Lovers + Friends Night Bloom Top, $67 $138 at Revolve

OK, you might get cold. But just like, a little cold.

Plus Kimono-Sleeve Sequin Wrap Top, $19 $48 at Boohoo

Because nothing says winter like sequin-covered everything.

I Like Me Better Long-Sleeve Top, $21.98 $27.99 at Fashion Nova

This top will get you through any season. A sartorial dream come true.

Dark Paradise Glitter Bodysuit, $14 $36 at Nasty Gal

It’s a glitter bodysuit—need I say more?

Warehouse x Ashish Sequin Funnel Neck Top, $31 $78 at ASOS

Iridescent sequins are always a good decision.

Y.A.S. High-Neck Lack Detail Top, $21 $35 at ASOS

Again, short-sleeve options aren’t off the table entirely.

Velvet by Graham & Spencer Meri Top, $44 $73 at Revolve

Need this endlessly versatile piece today, tomorrow and forever.

Get Out Plush Velvet Bodysuit, $14 $40 at Nasty Gal

Nothing says winter luxe like a one-sleeved velvet bodysuit.

  Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale. 

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The blockchain/crypto week in quotes

The blockchain/crypto week in quotes

“We had this first wave of massive hype around ICOs in 2017, early 2018, and then a little bit of a pullback. And now in 2019, it feels like people are focused on building… I think the market is going to be quiet for a little bit, while people focus on actually creating things. It feels like a little bit of a Mesopotamia, ‘cradle of civilisation’ moment, where everyone has the ingredients they need, needs to focus in and start to build out those empires, and create what the future is going to look like, and that’s what this year is going to be about.” CoinList CEO Andy Bromberg

“In a single hour of trading yesterday (30th January), XRP managed to erase an entire week’s worth of losses. A jump of 10% seems to have buoyed the entire crypto market and sentiment is once again optimistic. Ripple was in the news yesterday as CEO Brad Garlinghouse and CEO of SWIFT Gottfried Leibbrandt appeared onstage together at the Paris Fintech Forum. The SWIFT CEO announced a partnership with payments provider R3, which Ripple also does business with.

Crypto investors have joined the dots and, rather than rivalry between the two companies, are seeing the development of a larger network, which includes all the major players in the industry and represents the next step in cryptoasset technology. We’ll have to watch and wait to be sure, but this potential collaboration seems to have further buoyed market sentiment.” Mati Greenspan, Senior Market Analyst, eToro

“There are basically three key pillars to providing banking in developing markets. Nobody in Haiti says, “My problem is that I’m unbanked.” Most people in Haiti don’t know what the eff that word means. You go to Mexico, you go to the Philippines, you go to Indonesia—nobody says, “Oh, my God, if only I wasn’t unbanked.” Nobody cares about that, except maybe people with great intentions at NGOs.

What people care about is, “Can I get credit in a pinch? Can I send or receive money at reasonably low cost? And can I invest? If I’m saving my family’s money, even if it’s only $50 a month, can I invest that money, or do I have to leave it under the mattress? And can I invest it in something other than my country’s failing currency?” In Venezuela or Argentina, if you’re older than 40 you’ve probably seen this rodeo 10 times: currencies failing and getting propped up, or failing and starting over. So all three of those models are relevant in developing markets.

Now, this is where crypto starts to get interesting. For two reasons. One is Bitcoin’s ability to serve as hard money. But, and this is a big one, it’s only going to become useful for the average consumer in the short term—the next five years—if you can take that hard money and use it to collateralise other asset classes. Because the average consumer does not have the mental capacity right now to understand what a cryptocurrency means. It would be like explaining TCP/IP to your grandmother so that she can watch Netflix. It’s not going to happen. But if you can collateralise real-world assets using crypto, [without] introducing new third-party custodians, you’re onto something really interesting. Because now you can represent fiat currencies, stocks, bonds, commodities in a way that doesn’t require you to become a bank. That’s interesting. You’ve got a combination of hard money and regulatory arbitrage to solve real consumer problems. That’s what I think it’s going to take to break into developing markets.” Abra CEO Bill Barhydt

Some salty comments here. No one is forcing you to buy any coin. We simply provide a method for people who do. I have a feeling most of the salty comments come from people who wants to buy the coin badly. We will see. https://t.co/VottD2IlrH

— CZ Binance (@cz_binance) January 30, 2019

“I do think that Bitcoin pulled a little bit of demand away from gold last year, in 2017. Interestingly, we just polled 4,000 Bitcoin investors and their number one investment for 2019 is actually gold. So gold lost to Bitcoin and now it’s going the other way.” Jan Van Eck, CEO, Van Eck Associates

Maximalism: The idea that decentralization is extremely important but only one blockchain and only one form of money is acceptable

— Erik Voorhees (@ErikVoorhees) January 28, 2019

“It’s definitely not a case of if, but when crypto ETFs will begin to emerge. As crypto assets gain legitimacy as an asset class of their own, it is imperative that businesses that make money by providing access to different asset classes will cater to crypto assets as well.

For this to happen, two main things are required. Firstly, it’s crucial that the valuation of crypto assets moves from the current, purely speculative approach to a focus on the fundamentals. As well as this, the support of regulatory bodies that recognise crypto/digital assets as a legitimate asset class that they do not deem to be too risky will be essential to getting ETFs approved. 

It should be noted that some exchange-traded products do exist at present, for example the Swiss listed ETP. Given the regulatory landscape, it is likely that the ETFs will be available in jurisdictions outside of the USA first. If one has to predict a possible date for a USA listed crypto ETF, 2019 seems too optimistic.” Vaibhav Kadikar, Founder and CEO, CloseCross 

I mean, I been calling this P&D shitshow for like 9 months now. It’s a joke. Glad people are finally wising up to it. Will it be the next Bitconneeeeeeeect? Who knows… But I sure as hell wouldn’t recommend anybody goes anywhere near it! https://t.co/jtfbWDwTxn

— Josiah [Not interested in Bank-Coins] Spackman (@dgb_chilling) January 30, 2019

“Blockchain isn’t going to reinvent the global payment system, but it will provide marginal improvements. The most meaningful impact will probably be three to five years away and mostly on trade finance.” JPMorgan’s Chair of Global Research, Joyce Chang

It’s a sad day when Tether is in the number 4 spot… pic.twitter.com/MbVds9Igle

— Ran NeuNer (@cryptomanran) January 29, 2019

“As we motor on into 2019, we have already seen the first piece of communication from the FCA in the form of a consultation paper from their Crypto Asset Task Force, issued last week. This document looks to set out the FCA’s proposed guidance on the existing regulatory perimeter and how crypto assets fall within that.  For those who expected this communication to be ground-breaking and definitive, we are a long way from that as we await the final findings in Summer 2019 which is when we expect to see some firm guidance that we can all work to, so in the meantime we will have to make do with the snippets that they choose to publish to the market.

From a GlobalBlock standpoint it is great to see a combined and concerted effort from the government, HMRC and UK regulator to bring some clarity to the market, and we look forward not only to the protections and clear tax implications that it brings to investors, but also the overarching structure and framework presented.  This should really assist in bringing the next level of investment from wider sectors to assist in the next phase of market evolution and adoption across both retail and institutions.

From a retail perspective, we cannot emphasise enough the importance of consumer protection in the guidance in line with existing financial services regulations.  Despite a significant fall in crypto prices over the last 12 months, we are still experiencing solid interest from the retail part of the market, which we feel will only grow once the confidence is there that protection is available.

The institutional key to success is simple with four main drivers to future growth, the first two being education and security and the second two, and most pertinent being regulation and compliance. Essentially, the compliance environment in crypto, whilst hailed for its anonymity, makes it very difficult to verify identity and risk profiles to be compliant with KYC/AML rules, so any progression here will be welcomed.  From a regulatory perspective, the current landscape is nascent and so even if other countries’ governments and financial authorities are being a little slower to react, having some insight and guidance in the UK can only be a good thing, especially given how highly regarded the FCA is.” David Thomas, Director and Co-Founder, GlobalBlock

8 FOR 8 in #Wyoming! The stock certificate token bill just passed the House 57-1, so all 8 bills are thru originating chamber & ready to cross to other chamber next week. Still a ways to go before they become law but we have nice momentum! Thx @JaredSOlsen! @lex_node @ConsenSys pic.twitter.com/b5iPp1hp2S

— Caitlin Long

(@CaitlinLong_) February 1, 2019

Source link http://bit.ly/2WMKESe

[hermanwatts]

Science Fiction and Fantasy New Releases: 15 August, 2020

Whether in a Celtic Otherworld or the ashes of a future Earth, magic worlds swarming with elementals or the cold vastness of space, this week’s new releases are filled with valiant deeds and desperate acts.

Duty, Honor, Planet – Rick Partlow

We thought we were alone…

We’re going to wish we were.

Jason McKay and Shannon Stark, two young Republic Space Fleet Intelligence officers, are given the leadership of a new special ops unit. The mission? Guard the spoiled daughter of an important senator on a tour of the colonies.

Neither of them thought the mission would be anything more than babysitting…until the aliens invaded the colony.

Implacable, relentless, merciless, the armored creatures slaughter everyone who gets in their way. The team is forced to go on the run with the people they’re supposed to protect.

But survival will be the least of their challenges. Because it’s not as simple as an alien invasion, and the truth may be even stranger than they can imagine.

Jason and Shannon are forced to weigh the lives of the people they lead–and the ones they love–against their duty, honor, and planet.

A Fire Reborn (The Elemental Warrior #3) – D. K. Holmberg

The threat Tolan has long feared has been defeated, but a new danger emerged, one that poses a threat to both shapers and the elementals.

For the first time since mastering his connection to the elements, Tolan fears an elemental. He’s long advocated the elementals were misunderstood, and tried convincing others within Terndahl to free them from the bond, but the appearance of Light has proven his mistake.

Chasing the threat leads Tolan to take a dangerous journey, one that challenges all that he’s learned of spirit and brings him back to the lands beyond the waste where he discovers a secret hidden from the rest of the world for centuries.

What he uncovers is more deadly than anything he’s ever known, and one his unique connection to the elements might not be enough to stop. It will take more than a master of spirit to survive; it will take a true element warrior.

Fulcrum of Light (Catalyst #2) – C. J. Aaron

Freedom has come at a price.

Stranded on the coast of an uncharted land, Ryl will be tested as the world outside the Palisades proves darker than within.

With little to no direction save the cryptic information from a mysterious stranger, Ryl must rely on his new-found skills and place his trust in his new companion. Together they forge onward into the barren wastes of the Outlands. As the sickness approaches, their time and hope fades.

Surrounded by uncertainty, will they discover there is more to fear than just the unknown?

Ryl survived The Stocks. Will he survive the Outlands? His search for the secrets of the power that flows through his veins continues.

Will he find the answers before his time runs out?

Gale Force (Four Horsemen: The Guild Wars #7) – Chris Kennedy and Mark Wandrey

In the aftermath of Peepo’s war against humanity, the Mercenary Guild is still in chaos. On Earth, the moratorium on mercenary contracts is disrupting Jim Cartwright’s efforts to stand up the new Terran Federation. Making matters worse, Jim has received intelligence that someone is squatting on asteroids in our Solar System…and Sansar Enkh is pretty sure they don’t have Earth’s best interests in mind. Fearing the aliens have plans for another invasion—or worse—Jim takes his ship, Bucephalus, and sets off to investigate.

While the mercenary guild is in recess, Nigel Shirazi has an opportunity to make some credits, and when he leaves to pursue an illicit contract, Alexis Cromwell decides to follow up on some information she’s received on the mysterious Weapons Conglomerate. Nigel wouldn’t approve of her running off, especially eight months pregnant, but Alexis has never been one to listen to instructions—or orders for that matter. She gathers a squadron of Hussars and heads off on her quest.

Events in the galaxy are happening at a frantic pace as the guilds battle each other in the shadows…and sometimes in the open. The Four Horsemen are once again at the center of it all, and as the guilds squabble, the Dusman aren’t sitting on the sidelines. They have their own plans, and humanity is only part of them.

The Guild Wars aren’t over; they’ve only just begun.

The Great Die Slow – Harry Piper

A lost knight stumbles upon an ancient horror… A desperate lord makes a deal with an unholy, hungry power… A young girl driven half-mad by grief pursues an impossible quarry…

Set in a Dark Age Celtic landscape shrouded in myth and legend, these dark, often tragic, tales tell stories of ordinary men and women confronted by evil both human and inhuman.

Whether priest, knight, farmgirl or sellsword, they will all be forced to take up arms and fight against forces that will test their strength and their sanity to the limit, in stories that will chill you, excite you and perhaps even break your heart…

Stories included: The Man In Chains Manawyddan the Heartless and the Unquiet Mere The Penitent Cadell’s Fate The Burden Sir Gareth and the Thing That Hid The Great Die Slow

Into the Stars (Rise of the Republic #1) – James Rosone

The stars are within mankind’s reach…

…But what awaits in the void may end humanity…

Mars and the Moon have been colonized, piracy runs rampant in the asteroid belts, and a thriving society grows in the depths of space. Humanity prepares to embark upon its greatest journey—the colonization of Alpha Centauri.

Then everything changes…

A deep space reconnaissance probe discovers a new Earth-like planet twelve light-years from Earth’s sun. The probe also finds something unusual, something…unnerving. A new mission is created, a space fleet is formed, and humanity embarks on unraveling the greatest mystery of all—the origins of life itself.

Can the factions of Earth remain united, or will old rivalries and animosities destroy the fragile peace in the face of this terrifying existential threat?

Will exploration prove to be a fatal mistake?

Legacy of Vale (The Circuit Saga #2) – Rhett C. Bruno

War threatens to destroy the Circuit once more…

After arriving on Ceres Prime, ADIM, is hesitant to help the Ceresians. Their hatred for his creator will never wane, and he starts to understand the danger all of Cassius’ many rivals pose. How can he keep him safe?

When Sage Volus finds herself a captive of Cassius Vale, she begins to struggle with her role in the coming war, and what exactly it means to be an executor. The removal of her cybernetic implant reveals emotions she thought she’d buried too deep to be found. She must make a decision on who she truly wants to serve.

After breaking free of the solar-ark Amerigo and certain death, Talon Rayne finds himself in unusual company. His quests to hold his daughter again will bring him to places he never thought he’d go―into the very arms of his people’s most hated foe.

As the battle grows ever closer, threatening the all-out war that could annihilate millions, these four must determine what part they intend to play, who they will align themselves with, and what it means to be human in a solar system where that means less and less.

Shadows of Ivory (The Godforged Chronicles #1) – Bryce O’Connor and T. L. Greylock

I burned cities and drowned mountains. I pulled stars from the night sky and scorched the world with their flames. I am the Fisher King, and the grave does not bind me.

An academic with a taste for adventure, Eska de Caraval has means and influence, wit and charm… and a knack for acquiring artifacts that may not be hers to claim.

But when Eska comes into possession of a strange disc of rune-carved bronze, she finds herself abruptly hunted by all manner of adversaries: an assassin in the shadows, a monster in the deep, a bitter rival burning with vengeance.

From sword and fang and flame Eska must defend herself, struggling all the while to unravel the mysteries of a dangerous artifact. An artifact so powerful, a dead tyrant will rise again to wield it.

We Are Earthlings (Soldiers of Earthrise #6) – Daniel Arenson

The final battle is here.

The fate of humanity will be sealed.

We’ve been fighting this war for so long. On one side—an empire spanning the stars. On the other side—a single rogue planet.

We’ve shed so much blood. We’ve buried so many sons.

Yet we are all Earthlings. We hate with the same fire. We love with the same flame. We die in the same darkness. We sing the same great song of humanity.

For years, Jon and Maria fought on opposite sides. For years, the war has kept them apart. Now Jon and Maria must meet again. Now they can bring peace . . .

Or everything we’ve fought for will burn.

Science Fiction and Fantasy New Releases: 15 August, 2020 published first on https://sixchexus.weebly.com/