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theravencawsatmidnight · 3 years

Text

Pink Chains

Pt 8. Ending

Kyotani owns a grunge /punk apparel shop after leaving the Sendai Frogs after a incident with the Black Jackals. He designs his own clothes and hires Oikawa & Iwaizumi as his employees. Everything goes smoothly for awhile, till you walk in; pink dress, big smile , and bubbly personality. His whole life stops in that moment.

Nsfw. Virgin reader. Vanilla

Tags. @galagcica @haikyuu-but-low-iq @kozushiki @mocha-babes @kayisweird @lunebabie @zopzoop @derpeedoo

You were sitting on Kyos lap facing him holding his cheeks kissing him all over his face. Kyo had his hands on your rear trying his best not to tug at your panties and just kiss you . He was still thinking about what happened earlier , and you could tell. His kissing was getting sloppy .

You pulled away to sit on his fingers and lap giving him a shy pouty look. “Kyo…”

“Im sorry sweetie.. its just.”

You kissed him on the lips. “Just nothing. Wanna feel good… wanna feel good with Kyo..”

He sighed kissing you back giving you the ‘ok’. You could feel his fingers along your slit travelign up and down lightly in slow strokes. He chuckled at the little whimpers you made no matter how hard you tried to hide them from him.

“Can i have my hand back sweetie?”

“No..”

He smiled, kissing you again and again while his fingers worked on getting you wet for him. You leaned into him sighing lightly at the feeling, holding his sleeve, kissing it and rubbing against his fingers whining every time they slipped over your clit. Kyo kissed at your neck pulling you closer to him.

“Sweetie.. Lift up for a second”

You held him tight moving up so he could help you out of your panties and sit you on his lap again. You just had his old jersey on now but he quickly got rid of that too, tossing it with the other garments.

“K-kyo.”

“My pretty girl” he pulled you to him, slipping another hand under you again to slip a finger in you just to be stopped short. “Sweetie? Are you a virgin?”

“Yes i uhm..i still want to , just be gentle please..”

Kyotani did not know how to process this for a minute, every girl who threw themselves at him was always some slut. He's never been asked to take it slow before. “Okay sweetie, if at any point you wanna stop, tell me.” he kissed you and slipped another finger in you. The rings hit your flesh creating goosebumps.

You squeezed him tight getting used to the new feeling, eventually he got you to slowly grind against his fingers and helped you reach your first orgasm helping you through it. You pawed at his lap watching his erection get bigger each time.

“ i think.. Im ready”

“Your sure?” he asked , removing his fingers from you to see your juices dripping off of them. He bit his lip and before he could say anything you were taking his erection out and rubbing it.

“Swee!!..-”

You leaned into him giving him big eyes. “Im sure Kyo..”

He kissed you as he gripped your rear lifting you up. “Okay sweetie. Tell me if you want to stop okay?”

“I will Kyo..”

Kyotnai had nails dug into his sleeves while he lowered you down on him. He was hurting you , he stopped a couple times to ask if you were okay and you always nodded between shaking breaths assuring him you were fine and to keep going. It took him a few minutes to sit you back down on his lap. You cried when he broke through. Biting his shoulder drawing blood. He held your body close coaching you through it just like he did for the tattoo. It helped.. It really really helped.

It started out with you on his lap and ended with you on his bed and Kyo on top of you finishing on your stomach. He squeezed you panting hard trying not to put his weight on you too much. You giggled kissing his head and he laughed too. He never wanted to leave you, not ever.

Kyo helped you clean up and asked if he could get you anything to help make you more comfortable. You jokingly asked for a stuffed animal expecting him to not have one but he did in fact have one. A old wolf plush and a Sendai Frogs plush he pulled outta his closet. Kyotani helped you get dressed in his boxers and one of his shirts before putting you to bed. He kissed your head watching you drift off.

“Night sweetie”

“Night kyo..”

Kyotani left to get dressed and to throw your clothes in the wash. He sat on the dryer just listening to the washer for a minute. So much has happened over a few days for him. Multiple times he thought he was going to lose you , he still had no idea how you stayed with him. He was grateful to have you, grateful Yahaba made up with him, grateful his business was working and was hopeful for the future. He returned to you soon after the clothes finished to place them next to the bed, he got in behind you wrapping his arms around you trying to fall asleep. He was not looking forward to the morning,

You woke up first because of your alarm and the sound of excited dogs. Your body was sore but you did not mind too much. Kyo squeezed you in his sleep and you giggled kissing his arm all over.

“Kyooo…gotta get up..”

“Skip sweetie..” he nuzzled his face into your neck sighing heavy

“I gotta.. Draw my entry for the Gallery though, and what will i do if i skip?”

“Hang out at my job with me of course. “ he teased nipping your neck.

You sighed turning over and kissed his chest.

“What gallery?”

“My school is participating in this gallery at the local art building in town. My teacher asked if i would join in, im hoping.. I get picked up.”

“Picked up?” he asked you, moving your hair from your face.

“I want to graduate with a job already lined up, im hoping someone will like my designs enough to want to partner with me to sell them on clothes.” you nuzzled into his chest. “But im nervous too cuz.. Business people just see money”

“Where is this gallery again Sweetie?”

“Up the street from Mattsuns shop” you rubbed your eyes and Kyo got a grin on his face.

“Can i come?”

“Of course!” you hugged him tight and he kissed your head.

“Dress code?”

“I think so but.. I dont think its mandatory”

Ho ho ho…

Your phone buzzed again and you whined loud. “Kyoooo let em up…”

He just laid down on top of you . “five more minutes”

You played with the dogs for a bit petting each one and giving them kisses on the nose, you even shared your breakfast with them when Iwaizumi was not looking. Kyo had washed your clothes but you wanted to wear his, the pants were too long so you made them into shorts and picked out a random band tee you tied under your chest and found your shoes in the living room. God you were so cute in hi clothes what the fuck.

He couldn't stay long though. Kyotani was greeted with several texts and calls from Yahaba ordering him to get to his place immediately. He gave you a kiss and promised he would be at the show for you and left. Iwaizumi brought you to school and he left for work to see Oikawa had opened with no problems.

Kyotani made it too Yahabas house to be greeted by him in the door, arms folded and foot tapping. Kyotani rolled his eyes, noticing the extra car parked out front. Bokuto was already here. He walked into the house past Yahaba to see Bokuoto sitting at the table trying not to look at Kyotani. He sat down across from him and Yahaba met in the middle between them.

“So explain… what happened.” he said, rubbing the irritation in his face.

“Well., i was out getting somethings and i saw Mad Dog, and i just i dont know. Got upset, all i could think about what the Tourney and the accident.” Bokuto rubbed his eyes and ran hid hands through his hair. “I hit him first Yahaba”

“And you?” Yahaba looked over to Kyo.

“I hit him back” he took in a deep breath sitting back in the chair to rub his sleeve.

Yahaba rubbed between his eyes. “At least no one saw it…”

“y/n was with me”

“.....what?”

“Its true…” Bokuto added

“SO YOU JUST FOUGHT IN FRONT OF HER!”

“I almost punched her Yahab jesus christ, i still feel awful about it”

“She stayed with you?”

“Yes, she did, i dont know how but can we please fix this . i need to go to work and catch y/n’s art show”

“Is she okay Kyotani”

“She is now.” he looked away rubbIng his head. “I fucking hate myself.”

“Kyotani…” Bokuto said. “Im sorry, i let my emotions get the better of me and i should have more control than that. Akaashi gave me one hell of a lecture when i got home. I don't want to fight again.”

“I dont either”

Yahaba was still hung up on you putting yourself between these two and coming out without a scratch. Fuck you really were special.

“So can we agree to move on.” he finally asked them.

“Yes”

“Mhm”

“Good. shake hands and get out of my house.”

The two got up shaking hands and they both felt a wave of relief wash over them. Finally.

Back at the college everyone was eyeing your outfit but you did not give one fuck. Yuki and Kii paid you no mind and you spent most of the day in the art room with a towel of crumbled up sketches in a trash bag neck to you. Why was this so hard? You signed in to your arm looking at the empty canvas, lightly tracing over your red panda tattoo.

“Mmm……”You traced some more getting an idea. It was different, new, and stood out. Two opposites.

At The Dog House Kyotani had finally gotten there to see Oikawa running the front and Iwaizumi putting clothes out. He told them everything was fine now and about the gallery show you were in. both men were excited to go and Kyo even texted Mattsun about it.

“Are you gonna wear a suit for once ?” Kawa asked Kyo

“Uhm no, no im not.”

“Why not!!!”

“Because i want to stand out when i tell y/n i want her to partner with me at the shop”

Iwaizumi and Oikawa both got very big smiles and Kyo rolled his eyes, he couldn't help but smile too . he was so ready for tonight, to see your face and your reaction. He was going to tell you he loved you too.

It was time for the Gallery and you were already inside setting up your space. You had to change clothes and put on a black dress with boots. Kyotanis clothes neatly tucked away in your bag. You were so happy with the finished sketch you loved it so much, you hoped Kyo did too , you also hoped someone would want to buy it ..

People were starting to come in and you quickly set everything up when your teacher came over.

“y/n, its going to be lovely, this is such a fancy high established place i have no doubt someone will want to pick you up”

“Thank you.. Heh.. i hope soo….”

Things were going good. People loved your piece and you got compliments on it, not many people understood its meaning or how you came to the conclusion to draw these two things together but you loved it. No one made offers though, unfortunately. You just wanted to see Kyo .. where was he?

“You look ridiculous Kawa” Mattsun said.

“The invite said SUITS!” he yelled at them as he parked his car.

“It also said not mandatory” Iwaizumi said getting out with his friends

Kyo got out stretching giving all these fancy people a smirk as they passed, hands on their chest gasping at the sight of him and his friends.

Everyone had regular clothes on, Oikawa was in a suit.

Kyotani was in ripped jeans, black boots and his shops shirt.

Oikawa was in a fancy black suit.

Mattsun was in skater clothes showing off his many tattoos

Iwaizumi was in jeans and a punk rock shirt.

“Ready ?” he asked his friends as he cracked his knuckles.

Everyone said yes and Kyotani could not wait to get inside this fancy place.

You were sitting by your art staring at all the people, everyone had stopped coming over to ask about it. No one was interested. You wanted to leave but you were required to stay till the night was done. You sighed checking your phone when you heard a very loud gasp.

“Oh my god…”

“You must have the wrong place…”

“This place is not for you lot”

“Ouch, im just here to see my girlfriend”

You got the biggest smile jumping out of your seat. “Kyoooo!!!”

People looked back and you waved. Kyotani pushed his way through and Oikawa apologized awkwardly to everyone as him and his friends past through. Kyo picked you up hugging you tight kissing your chest and setting you back down.

“Hows my happy girl”

“Super good now!” you squeezed him and said hello to everyone.

Mattsun checked on his tattoo on you and Iwai and Kawa said hello.

“Sweetie anybody pick you up yet?”

“No.. i .. i dont think people like it”

“Where is it ?”

You took his hand taking him and his friends back over to your space. His heart thumped when he saw it. Holy fuck. It was a very large drawing of a wolf and a happy red panda. The wolf was standing and looking straight on and the red panda was between its front legs with its front paws up looking very happy.

You leaned on Kyo hugging his sleeve waiting for him to say something. Mattsun knew instantly you were inspired by his style, he even saw his name next to yours for credits/ inspiration. Oikawa was speechless for once in his life and Iwaizumi was watching his friend with a big smile. Good for you Mad Dog.

“Sweetie…. “

“Do you like it ? its … it us heh.”

“I fuckin love it”

“Really?!”

“Sweetie” he picked you up again and kissed your lips not caring who was staring. “ i love you y/n. I want you to partner with me in my shop. I want to spend my life with you.”

“KYO!!!” you wiggled in his grip till he put you down. You whined grabbing his face to kiss him all over. “ i love you too!! Yes yes!!!”

“And ill buy this art y/n” Mattsun told you.

You looked over and he smiled taking out his checkbook. “Thank you for putting my name on it, im touched.”

Everything was working out for you, nothing could be better.

The years went on, you agreed to move in with Kyo after you finished up school and used Mattsuns money to start up your designs with Kyo in his shop. He put your name on the brand making it yours as well. You made cute hoodies with ears and dresses along with cute animal bags. Kyotani still made his punk clothes and he still had his friends working with him. Mattsun had your art up in his shop and Bokuto visited regularly to ask how you were and so did Yahaba. Everything was perfect. Well. almost perfect.

Kyo was at his register going over inventory. It was after hours and no one was there but him and you. You skipped over sitting on the register giggling.

“Im almost done sweetie”

“It will only take a second!!!!”

He sighed looking up to see you holding a sketch book with three tiny garments on them, two looked to be boys clothes and the last one a girl.

“So you wanna sell kids clothes?” he asked, taking the book and standing up looking it over.

“Well … i was hoping we could use them for our kids”

“Sweetie we dont ha-........................................” he dropped the sketchbook looking at you,

You giggled, rubbing your stomach. “We do now!!!!”

Stick around for the sequel!!!

Thank you for enjoying this story with me ❤️ i love this fic the very most it has a special place in my heart. Thank you for reading .

#PinkChains #kyotani x reader #kyotani 💕

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whaleofatjme1920 · 3 years

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Hello El!!

I bring my exchange info for an matchup. If say creepypasta/marblehornets matchup for this.

So my name is Shay, I go by Whiskey because it's a preference in liquor on my end. I go by they/them pronouns, AFAB and I'm bi and omniromantic, I do have an mild preference for men or masc aligned people. I'm a Libra sun, Virgo moon and Aquarius rising. I'm also introvert (INFJ-A) and I'm constantly sleeply. I do have C-PSTD, Bipolar II and GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder).

I'm Caucasian/White and I stand at 5'9. I have celtic and Danish heritage, My family where vikings. I'm really tall and legs double the size of my torso, as in my thighs are as big as my torso in length, same with my calves. I call myself spider legs because of that. I have this natural like wolf cut going on that is this dark green with my roots be my natural dark chocolate brown hair. My eyes are hazel with gold flecks that shift in color which I found out is normal for people with hazel eyes. I paint my nails black a lot because I find the color pleasing. My build wise is like a rectangle like shape with broad shoulders. I'm pretty strong and I'm proud of my strength. I'm currently starting to get into shape and lose weight so I have fit shape but not like over for. Just the right amount of fat over my muscles. I have a lot of stretch marks,, mostly around my waist and my biceps. I call them my stripes or lighting marks. I have plans to get snake bite piercings and wear like the ring ones in them. I'm getting an tattoo soon that is like this and then I want a burning match tattoo on my color bone. My ears are piercing and I like wearing fake gauges, spirals and then the ratings that have the dangly stuff and cuffs with them. I also wear like those stereotypical hot topic chokers. I wear a lot of long sleeves and skinny jeans, I do like ripped skinny jeans. I also love flannels and black boots like doc martins or converse.

I think you can assume by the statement of me liking whiskey I am the rebellious sort which is true. I have drank a bit and tried weed, I don't do it anymore tho.I have been told if people don't know me and see me from afar I'm intimidating to approach. Even being spooky and intimidating, I promise I'm just a big softie. I usually assume the mom friend of the group with my friends. I always worry about them and make sure they take care of themselves. Sometimes I do it so much I forget to take care of myself. I'm really gentle and compassionate, along with being extremely empathetic. I can be stubborn and bit judgemental at times, mostly working off first impressions myself when getting to know each other. I have an hard time being insertive and putting my foot down with my boundaries, scared to lose people even if the hurt me. I'm an introvert through and through, liking to watch from the back and observe the way things go on around me. I do my best to be an optimist because I can't see the point in see everything wrong in this world, it helps me to see the good. I love going on adventures with my close friends and love being a chaotic bastard with them. My dnd alignment is chaotic neutral and I'm Hufflepuff. I do live by the saying do no harm but take no shit. But I won't hesitate to fight someone for the right causes.

I do always constantly look like I am going to funeral of some sort because I own nothing but black. The color makes me feel really comfortable but it's not my favorite color. My favorite color is green but I like sage green, forest green, mossy green, etc. The earthy greens are my favorites. I have a love for the forest and woodlands, finding a sense of home in the woods. I do love archery and something I'm definitely going to be picking up along with playing the drums. I also smoke herbal cigarettes as well as alternative to smoking.

You know that I often get called a cryptid and at this point, I am just one. Cryptidcore, Midwest Gothic, and Pacific Northwest Gothic are my favorite aesthetics. I have a huge love for cryptozoology (the study of cryptids), parapsychology (the psychic phenomena and other paranormal claims), original creepypasta stories and to be honest anything like spooky and creepy. I want to be a mortician and I'm attending school for that. I also really love the dark, especially if I have some good music blasting through my earbuds. I am a sucker for long road trips and seeing things, filling the adventure heart I have. My favorite animals are coyotes and I also like horses. I like to write a lot as well. My favorite cryptids are The Beast of Bray Road, Not Deer, Jersey Devil and Jacklopes.

Thank you so much and I'm so glad I got a chance to reach out to you. It all started with me wanting to send memes to you and being a little 🌲 anon.

Also here is what the tattoo I'm am getting done looks like ↓↓↓

Your matchup is... Jeff!

Sorry this took me a hot minute, I've been out all day! But here's my part of the exchange :}

In general:

Alright, I read this over and just immediately thought about Jeff, mostly because of your personality!! I have so many things I want to get into and want to say though. SO, let's get right into that.

Things he likes about you:

Physically speaking, as that is how I always start, Jeff really, really loves your height and your legs make him fuzzy on the inside. He just loves it SO MUCH. Your hair is gorgeous, and he's never going to stop wanting to run his fingers through it. Whatever color it's dyed as becomes his new favorite, and he loves seeing your natural hair poke through as well. Your eyes are so gorgeous in his opinion and he finds himself getting lost in them. He thinks your nails being painted black is nice because honestly, he's prone to painting his nails black as well. He finds your body so great!! Wants to hold you and loves feeling new muscles when they get built up. Regardless, he just physically adores you. Your stretch marks are also something he adores as well, and he will fondly call them your tiger stripes and admire them in their entirety. He would love your piercings and the tattoo you want to get. Also really, really loves your choice in jewelry. Chokers are hot in his opinion lmfao. Ripped skinny jeans, flannels, black boots, converse!! just everything about your style works so well with him. And your personality!! That slight rebellious edge am slightly intimidating nature??? PLEASE

General cute stuff:

I feel like the two of you are going to spend some evenings in painting nails. Jeff is slightly touch starved and will absolutely run his hands over your body and just adore everything about you. I can also see Jeff working out with you as well!! He will be your number one supporter regardless of what you're going to be doing. He finds it so sweet that you take care of other people. Jeff also understands you being an introvert, because he's kind of the same way. He would absolutely would hang back with you and just exist. He likes observing as well. However, he also can be a bit of a chaotic guy and will go on adventures with you! Scary places, nature, wherever you want, Jeff will go with you. He'll also read up on fun little places and then go with you. He will absolutely get you green things just because he knows that you like that color. Jeff will also take you on walks in the woods, and he'll also let you wear his clothing!! Jeff actually smokes weed semi-regularly, so while you smoke herbal cigarettes, he's going to be lighting up alongside you as long as you're comfortable. He'd probably like the herbal cigarettes as well. Jeff would love to hear about your love of cryptozoology! He's met so many beings in his life that fit that that he'd just go buck wild being able to tell you about his stories and experiences as well. Parapsychology is also something he'd love to listen from you. He finds you going into the mortician business so incredible, and that you like the dark. Your music?? Please share that with him!!

You two as a couple:

Jeff knows that you are intimidating but so, so sweet. He finds you so admirable and honestly, he needs that kind of caring, loving influence in his life. He finds you being the mom friend of your group super fun and while he's not a dad friend, definitely loves saying things to remind all of your shared 'kids' to listen to you. He wants you to take care of yourself!! He wants you to be kind to yourself!! You being stubborn is something he understands because honestly he can be stubborn. Judgmental? He gets it but honestly might challenge the notion from time to time. He will remind you about boundaries and how important it is to set them. Time to time, he may step in just to help you out. He will also remind you to be assertive, mostly because he would hate to see anyone take advantage of you. Jeff will read up on C-PTSD, Bipolar II, and your anxiety simply so he can be more prepared to help you in any way he can. He deals with some things himself, but he doesn't always know how to handle others. So, he would definitely read up for you and end up becoming your rock when you need it. Honestly, just let him take care of you in his own way. Rough around the edges?? Absolutely. But he's so soft for you. He will help you in any way he can, whether it be weathering the bad days and loving the good ones. Let him adore you.

Closing Thoughts/Other Things:

Hi love bug, or as I will often fondly refer to you as, Dr. Cryptid! I was so happy to read all of this about you. Thank you so so much for sending this in and once again doing mine! I loved reading all about it, and I love talking with you. Thank you so much for that lil pine tree emoji and memes. Also, please take care of yourself!! There's only one of you in the universe and it's so important to love and cherish yourself. It's always okay to say no or know when to bail. Never take care of so many people that you leave all your energy with them and none for yourself. I look forward to our future convos and just friendship in general. As always, let me know what you think and I hope you enjoyed!

#jeff the killer #jeff the killer headcanon #creepypasta #creepypasta matchup #matchup #jeff the killer x reader

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writingtoforgetreality · 4 years

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I‘ll make you believe in yourself again (Derek Hale x Reader)

Summary: Your parents pressure you into having good grades, not caring about you or your friends. They simply want you to be successful. One night, after a pack meeting, things escalate between you & your parents & the first person you thought about running to was him., [Teen Wolf-Masterlist]

Words: 2,719

Warnings: verbal abusive parents, angst, fluff, sadness, soft Derek (Is this a warning? It is now.), cursing but that‘s bc it‘s me

If you like my work & wanna support me: a coffee would be highly appreciated ❤

To say school had been stressful lately would be an understatement. You had essays to write, tests to study for & homework to finish. Teachers were always content with you though since you were one of the only students who payed attention, studied hard & always gave 100%. Spending time with your friends was rare but ever since you had been involved with the pack, you had been quite busy with helping them. You were human but a smart one at that. The pack simply was not complete without you.

Seems peachy, am I right? So thinks everyone. You just did not spill your problems to your friends, thinking they had better things to take care of. Matter of fact, every time you were with the pack was like an escape from your reality. You were finally able to accomplish stuff that was appreciated by everybody. This is why, whenever you told your parents you would be studying with Scott & Stiles, you were actually at a pack meeting, school completely forgotten.

Here is the thing: your parents. Even though they were hardly ever at home, they managed to create a living hell for you. The pressure they put on you was almost unbearable yet you wanted to make them feel proud. To make them feel like their child was not a complete fuck-up. Your mom & dad often were on business trips, you did not even know what they were doing on such trips & you did not want to ask either. All you knew is that, when your parents were at home, they always found a reason to scream at you & call you names. They wanted their kid to be the most successful of everyone. They wanted their kid to write straight A‘s. For a long time you had managed to do exactly this. Then the pack came along & you started to focus more on their tasks. It was more important, you helped saving lives. Of course your parents did not know this & you never meant on telling them.

Friday. Your favorite day of the week. You got up, went to the bathroom, picked out a nice outfit & packed your stuff to head to school. Your parents would not come back until Sunday so you could hang out with your friends the entire weekend. Your third period was chemistry. You had the class with Scott & Stiles, your best friends. When you found out about Scott being a werewolf, you were not scared, as someone would think. You were amazed & wanted to find out more about it. He was the one who introduced you to Derek. The oh so emotionless Derek Hale. You thought he hated you at first. He gave you the impression that he was fed up with you, reminding you of your own parents. You became more quiet every time he was around. Yet it did not stop you from having a crush on him. Derek actually enjoyed your company but of course he tried to push his emotions down. He would not get close to someone again. Still, he noticed when you grew more distant, he always had an eye on you but would not let you know.

Anyway, chemistry. Last time you wrote a test but you had not studied as much. Chemistry was one of your favorite subjects so you had never studied that much. You still managed to get a C which made you proud. You knew your parents would not be back today so you planned on not telling them about your grade.

As your last period was over, you went to your locker, meeting up with Scott, Stiles, Isaac, Lydia & Allison. You would all meet at Derek‘s Loft in three hours so you got home, put your test on the kitchen table, meaning to put it away later, & made your way up to your room. Opening your drawer, you searched for comfy clothes & put them on. You decided on a big red jersey shirt & grey sweatpants. Pack meetings at Friday‘s always meant a movie night afterwards, your favorite.

You made your way to Derek, not caring to take your bike, you liked walking & the way to his loft was not that long. Arriving in front of his door, you wanted to knock but before you had the chance to do so, the door flung open, revealing a sternly looking Derek. He could sense you were here already & was a bit too eager to see you. You smiled shyly at him, focusing your eyes down at your feet. Derek shot you a smirk back but he knew you did not see it.

"Hi there.“ he said with his intimidating, deep voice that sent shivers down your spine.

„H- Hi, Derek.“ you replied, your voice shaking, making you cringe.

Derek stepped aside, motioning for you to come in. Surprisingly, you were the first one to arrive. Usually this did not happen, you were not as comfortable when you were alone with him so you always made sure that at least someone else was there already. You did not check the time though, way too excited for tonight.

"Can I bring you anything? (Y/N)?“ Derek asked, noticing you were not really paying attention.

"Um...actually, I‘m fine for now, thanks.“ you started blushing. The things this man could do to you.

"The others should be here soon. Make yourself as comfortable as possible, I know you don‘t like me that much. I don’t know if I scare you or anything but at least try to calm down a bit. I know your heart is beating faster than usual.“ Derek stated.

"Why would you think I‘m scared of you?“ you were taken aback by his statement. You thought he was the one who despised you.

"It‘s quite obvious, (Y/N)...You hardly ever talk to me, avoid my gaze & your heart doesn’t sound healthy at all when you’re around, like...ever.“ Derek said, his words somehow seeming hurt. Something you were not used to from him.

"I‘m sorry, I jus-" you actually were about to tell him why you behaved that way around him but before you had the chance to do so the door flung open, the others entering the loft. You shot a last look at Derek, eyes desperate to let him know & he knew something was up but now would not be the time.

You were all gathered around Derek‘s table, sheets spread across it. This was harder than you all thought it would be. After hours of what seemed like useless research you decided to wrap it up for today, settling up the movie night. Derek made popcorn & Stiles set up the movie. He chose Star Wars, of course he did. You were sitting at the end of the couch, this being your favorite place in Derek‘s loft. Before you could react, Derek places himself right next to you, offering you popcorn. You happily took some, starting to eat it. You could feel your heart picking up its pace & you knew Derek could feel it too. Anyway, you tried to ignore it & focused on the screen in front of you.

As the movie went on, you grew more & more tired. Your head leaning on Derek‘s shoulder. You did not really notice but he stirred, this being completely new to him. After a few minutes, he relaxed a bit more, draping his arm across your body. You snuggled closer into him, enjoying the closeness you two shared.

By the time the movie was over, you fell asleep on Derek‘s shoulder. The others already bid their goodbyes, silently making their way out of the loft, trying not to wake you. Then it was just you & him, alone. The moonlight let your face lit up in such a beautiful way. He admired your sleeping form, feeling happy you finally found your peace even though he was next to you. Your heartbeat was steady & peaceful. As much as he hated it, he had to wake you. You have to go back home, get some more sleep & meet up with the pack tomorrow.

"(Y/N)? Hey, (Y/N), wake up.“ Derek whispered.

You groaned, not wanting to leave your comfortable position.

"Come on, you have to head back home, we have to work some more tomorrow.“ Derek said lovely. Oh how much you admired this side of him. You felt safe within his arms, something you have not felt in a long, long time.

"What time is it?“ you opened your (Y/E) eyes & looked at him through your lashes. He could have kissed you right then & there but it would not have been the right time. He will get the chance someday...hopefully.

"11 pm, it‘s time you go to your bed.“ Derek answered, not wanting to let you go but knowing he had to. You started to get up, stretched & searched for your jacket. This was when you realized that you did not wear a jacket, just your jersey shirt. Derek already knew this so he handed you one of his jackets to throw over.

"Thanks.“

"No problem. Do you want me to bring you home?“ Derek asked concerned.

"Nah, I‘ll be fine, it‘s not far. Thanks though.“ you moved to his door. "See you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, see you.“ Derek watched you leave. He then smiled to himself. So you were not scared of him. Maybe you all were just too oblivious to realize. Maybe everything will turn out to be fine in the end.

Standing at your front door, you searched for your keys. When you found them, you opened the door, stepping inside. You were surprised when you saw a light inside. You could have sworn you had switched off the lights before leaving. Maybe you had forgot one. Stepping into your leaving room you let out a short scream. Your mom & dad were sitting on the couch, looking quite angry. Why were they back already? It was not Sunday?

"Oh so you did decide to show up?“ your dad mocked.

"I think we made it clear that you are not allowed to go out except when you‘re studying. By the way...what is THIS?!“ your mother raised her voice at the end. You flinched away, knowing what was about to happen. Your mom held your chemistry test in front of your face, a look of pure anger & disappointment on her face.

"I- I can explain. It was a surpr-"

"CUT IT!“ your dad chimed in. Again you flinched away, trying to step back until your back hit a wall. This will not end well.

"You really don’t get it, do you?“ your mom asked. "We want you to be better but all you do is fuck things up. You‘re such a useless little bitch. You know what? Whenever someone asks me if I have kids I tell them no because I would be ashamed to talk about your pathetic ass.“ with each word her voice became louder & louder. Tears were streaming down your face. You did not understand why your parents treated you that way but you started to believe their words.

"I wish I wouldn’t be your father. You‘re the worst kid one can have. I HATE YOU, WE HATE YOU!!“ your father screamed. By now you were seriously scared they were about to hit you. They never really laid a hand on you but they had never been this angry before.

"I‘m sorry, I‘ll try to be bett-"

"Leave.“ your dad said dangerously low.

"W- What?“ you could not believe what you just heard. They wanted to kick you out. Yeah, they were verbally abusive but they were your parents. Your parents who were supposed to love you.

"LEAVE YOU STUPID BITCH."

This was all it took for you to turn around & sprint out of your, well not anymore, house. You did not even care to take your belongings. To be honest, you had nothing that really kept you there in the first place. You should have been glad, you were finally free. Free of your parents. That did not stop your from crying.

Without knowing where your feet dragged you, you only stopped running when you saw a big familiar building. Your tears blurred your vision but you knew exactly where you were. Derek‘s loft. You contemplated if you really should head in. Why would Derek want to deal with you anyway? Your parents were right, you were a fuck up, useless, pathetic. But where else could you possibly go? It was only then when you realized that it had been raining. Your clothes were drenched & you started shaking because of the cold.

You did not care. You were standing in front of his door, deciding to finally knock. You knocked for about three times, slowly losing hope. Derek was probably asleep. Maybe it was better that way. When you started turning around you heard the door squeaking.

"(Y/N)? What are you doing here? Are you okay?“ Derek asked, concerning features crossing his face.

"I- I‘m-" you could not finish because your voice started to break. Derek took you in for a hug immediately. You held onto him like your life depended on it & cried into his chest.

"I‘ve got you, sweetie. I‘m here.“, (Y/N).“ Derek soothed you. Somehow his words made you cry even more but not in a bad way. You were so glad he was the one you were going to. How you ended up on his couch? You did not know. Eventually your tears stopped & you calmed down, exhausted by everything that had happened to you that night.

"I‘m sorry, Derek. I just...I didn’t know where to go.“

"Do you wanna tell me what happened?“

"Okay..." you breathed. "My parents, they have been obsessed with my grades for as long as I can remember. It all started out with them being disappointed but it got worse. They started calling me names, screaming at me whenever I didn’t get an A. Derek, they made my life a living hell. When I got back home, they were waiting for me, my chemistry test in my mom‘s hands. They started screaming, they scared me & then all of a sudden they told me to leave.“

Derek needed a few seconds to let your words sink in. Before he could speak up, you continued.

"I started to believe their words. Them calling me pathetic, useless...a disappointment. So when we first met & you acted quite cold towards me I thought you‘d think the same as my parents. I didn’t wanna bother you, that‘s why I kept quiet whenever you were around. Truth is, I‘ve been scared, Derek. I am so so scared.“ you confessed.

"Shhh, I‘m here. If I had known I would‘ve said something way sooner. I simply thought you hated me but as a matter of fact, I always had an eye on you & saw you slowly disappearing. (Y/N), you‘re not alone. You don’t need to be scared. You‘re safe with me.“ he pressed a kiss on your forehead.

"I don’t know what to do...I have nowhere to go. I have nothing, Derek."

"You have me, sweetheart. I‘m right here. You‘ll be staying with me, okay? We‘re gonna get through this together. I‘ll make you believe in yourself again, I promise." he said sincerely.

"The thing is...I can’t be saved. How will you make me believe in myself again?"

"Well, for starters, I believe in you.“ Derek looked into your (Y/E) eyes.

"Why though?" you asked?

Derek slowly leaned in, searching for any rejection. When he saw you did not move, he put his soft lips onto your own, moving in sync. When Derek could not make you believe with his words, he would try to make you believe with his actions. You scooted closer to him if that was possible at this point. After your kiss, you stayed close together, simply enjoying each other’s company.

"And I thought you hated me." you whispered.

"And I thought YOU hated me.“ Derek chuckled. Maybe he was right. Maybe everything was meant to turn out like this. For now, you felt safer than ever, in the arms of Derek. Derek, who would try everything to keep you happy. Forever.

Published 02/29/2020 by Cathy

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sickslickman · 4 years

Text

Welcome to the Table States

Been thinking of doing this for a while, just a cast list for Welcome to the Table by main, major recurring, minor recurring, and guest spots. Let me know if I missed anyone. Also I don’t know sports teams worth a damn, so if I don’t name the state’s jerseys as they should be, that’s why.

Main cast:

(These are characters that premiered in the first episode and appear in most if not all of the episodes. Note: unless otherwise mentioned, all characters in this series are portrayed by Ben Brainard)

DC: The District of Columbia. Runs the meetings. Acts as the leader, but occasionally the shady side of politics comes out of him. Trying desperately to keep his sanity amid the virus, BLM, and everyday American life. His appearance goes from wearing a polo shirt to a suit and tie. Appears in every episode.

Call: “I’m about to do something drastic!”

Florida: The Sunshine State. The Mr. Hyde to DC’s Dr. Jekyll, he is all for absolute chaos and fun over order and following guidelines, and basically comes to the meetings solely to ruin DC’s day. Knows how to call every state because everyone eventually moves to Florida. His appearance is usually a tank top, shorts and a bucket hat. Believes that the coronavirus is a hurricane (or a tropical storm, it varies from day to day). Appears in every episode.

Call: “Duval!”

Texas: The Lone Star State. Usually represents everything the conservative side stands for (guns, politics, religion, women’s rights, big government, you get the drill). His appearance is a red button down shirt and a black cowboy hat. Appears in most episodes.

Call: Sing lines from “Who Put All My Ex's in Texas” by Willie Nelson

California: The Golden State. Usually represents everything the progressive liberal side stands for (abortion, anti-police, anti-fascism, anti-confederacy, BLM, you get it). His appearance is hipster based with beanie and thick-framed glasses. Appears in most episodes.

Call: “Hey Human Torch!” (Unknown if that’s official call or if it just worked because of the wildfires currently ongoing in California)

New York: The Empire State. Tends to be gruff, abrasive and sometimes hostile with his arms almost always folded. Politically is sort of the middle ground between Texas and California; mostly would rather be doing anything else. His appearance used to be a winter coat and hat but has since switched to a Giants jersey. Appears in most episodes.

Call: Unknown at this time, but does react when someone claims their pizza is better.

Major Recurring:

(These are states that make frequent appearances and/or have a strong presence)

Louisiana: The Pelican State. Florida’s best friend and main partner in crime. Very laid back. Only character that speaks with a Cajun accent. His appearance was initially a bucket hat and suspenders with no shirt, but has gradually shifted to wearing LSU gear. Loves daiquiris and gators. Appears in most episodes. His premiere episode is the most watched episode of the series.

Call: “Who dat? Who dat?”

(Note: At this point he has appeared in as many episodes as the main cast, considering bumping him up to main.)

Georgia: The Peach State. Always acts like he just got out of bed, and is almost never seen without a mug of coffee. His appearance has gradually shifted from pajamas to Panthers gear. About as chaotic as Florida, but more out of being dim-witted than out of desire for chaos. Appears in many episodes.

Call: Unknown at this time

West Virginia: The Mountain State: The only state to appear in the pilot episode that is not a main character. Appears very infrequently. His appearances usually involve following coronavirus guidelines and his usage of the word “f***.” Initially dressed in Amish clothing, he has since changed to a Mountaineers football shirt and hat.

Call: Unknown at this time

Washington: The Evergreen State. As the American spread of the coronavirus originated in Seattle, he is almost always coughing but passes it off as “allergies.” Usually wears a dark short-sleeved button down and hipster glasses with ear buds. Appears in several episodes.

Call: Unknown at this time

Massachusetts: The Bay State. Appears frequently and loudly. Has a love-mostly-hate relationship with New York. Tends to be a very abrasive and loud voice of reason. His appearance has gone from a Celtics jersey to a Bruins one.

Call: “Is that Matt Damon and Ben Affleck?”

Utah: The Beehive State. His appearance is a dress shirt and tie and he usually carries a Bible. He is a Mormon and very religious. Has an antagonistic relationship with Florida, who constantly belittles him and inquires about his multiple wives (which Utah does not do anymore). Appears semi-frequently.

Call: “I wish someone were here to tell me about my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!”

Kentucky: The Bluegrass State. Usually wears a dress sweater and carries a picture of Governor Andy Beshear with him everywhere. Tends to be a voice of reason and one of the least problematic states at the table, which is surprising given who his senator is. Appears semi-frequently.

Call: Pronounce “Louisville”

The Carolinas: Both make frequent and strong appearances, and both have a rough relationship with Florida. Both wear T-shirts reflecting their states.

South Carolina: The Palmetto State. Likes to remind Florida of the Jameis Winston crab legs incident. Gets annoyed if you say his barbeque is trash. Loves college football and is always talking about Clemson.

Call: “Carolina BBQ is trash!”

North Carolina: The Tar Heel State. Although he has only appeared in the series fairly recently, he has already become a recurring character. Loves barbecues and basketball. Tends to get hit with a lot of natural disasters.

Call: “It’s bo time!”

Colorado: The Centennial State. Wears a blue T-shirt and a ski hat with goggles. Is usually high all the time and constantly talks about weed. Appears semi-frequently.

Call: Howl like a wolf

Alaska: The Last Frontier. Has only appeared a couple of times but has made a strong impression. Wears an “Alaskan grown” shirt and winter hat. Speaks in a slow but patient voice. Likes to be left alone. Has a friendly rivalry with Texas on account of size. Is a little weird but friendly enough.

Call: None. He is always there. Like Batman.

Minor Recurring:

(These are for characters that are more like supporting characters. Note that although several of these states have had episodes focusing on them, their overall presence is less than that of the major recurring)

Indiana: The Hoosier State. Has only appeared twice. Has trouble coming to terms with Mike Pence’s alleged homosexuality. Not much else notable about him.

Call: Sing the Indiana Jones theme (Although he would prefer “Hoo hoo!”)

Pennsylvania: The Keystone State. Appears semi-frequently but is mostly a slightly less abrasive New York or Massachusetts. Wears an Eagles jersey in most appearances. Constantly asking for a drink. Constantly asking people to choose between Wawa or Sheetz.

Call: “We are!”

Wisconsin: The Badger State. Wears a giant foam Swiss cheese hat on his head. Is perpetually drunk. Argues in favor of the rights of the people (although not always in the best ways). Hates Illinois and especially the Bears.

Call: “Anyone need anything from Quik Trip?”

Illinois: The Prairie State. Mostly just known for Chicago and not much else. Wears a Cubs jersey and hat. Seems rather old fashioned and does not like alcoholics. Everyone in his state seems to hate each other. Hates Wisconsin and has arguments with New York in regards to who makes better pizza.

Call: Unknown, but seems to react to someone insulting the Bears.

Ohio: The Buckeye State. Loves skyline chili and wine at two o’clock. Begins just about every sentence with “ope.” Used to dress like a rapper wannabe, but now dressed in Ohio State gear. Hates Michigan and given the chance would kill him himself.

Call: “O-H!”

Michigan: The Great Lake State. Wears a Lions jersey and hat and brings a bottle of Vernors with him everywhere. Hates Ohio and wants to beat Ohio State at football.

Call: “Liberate Michigan!”

New Mexico: The Land of Enchantment. Appears very infrequently. Speaks Spanish on top of English. Is intelligent to a degree but will throw down if necessary. Mostly talks about cultural things. Wears a blue hoodie-looking sweater.

Call: Unknown, but responds when someone claims to have better green chili.

Mississippi: The Show Me State. Claims to be the “Harvard of the South.” Carries a water bottle with him wherever he goes. Gets into arguments with California over Confederate momentos.

Call: Unknown at this time

Alabama: The Cotton State. Mostly appears in the weekly recap videos. Represents the philosophies of the Deep South. Not much else known about him.

Call: Unknown at this time

Arizona: The Grand Canyon State. Appears mostly as a semi-frequent character in the weekly recap videos. Not much else is known about him.

Call: Unknown at this time

Missouri: The Show Me State. Appears semi-frequently in the weekly recap videos. Not much is known about him other than he likes barbeque and has a feud with Kansas over Kansas City.

Call: Unknown at this time

Oklahoma: The Sooner State. Appears mostly in the weekly recap videos but has made other appearances too. Tends to be rather sarcastic and blunt, but is prone to overreaction at times. Hates Texas.

Call: Unknown at this time

Tennessee: The Volunteer State. Appears mostly in the weekly recap videos. Tends to be high-pitched and melodramatic.

Call: Unknown at this time

Oregon: The Beaver State. Appears mostly in the weekly recap videos. Was very active during the BLM protests and was vocal against the use of police brutality and unmarked abductions.

Call: Unknown at this time

Minnesota: The North Star State. Appears mostly in the weekly recap videos. Was very active during the BLM protests and in support of defunding police and reallocating resources. Tends to be a voice of reason.

Call: Unknown at this time

Connecticut: The Constitution State. Has only appeared a few times in the weekly recap videos. Tries to avoid dealing with Florida as much as he can.

Call: Unknown at this time

Maryland: The Free State. Wore a T-shirt in early appearances but is now decked out in crab gear in recent ones. As abrasive as a northern state, but with as much pride as a southern one. Early episodes had a running gag of Maryland’s issues regarding coronavirus tests.

Call: “Anyone have any Old Bay?”

The Dakotas: Appear infrequently. Only have about thirty-six people among both of them.

North Dakota: Has only appeared a couple of times. Not much is known about him.

South Dakota: Has appeared more often than his brother, but usually only talks about the Sturgis Bike Rally. Also is trying to fight meth.

Call: “Who’s the better Dakota again?” (will call both of them)

Iowa: The Corn State. One of the biggest running gags in the series is that no one seems to know where he is or how to get in touch with him. Tends to come and go from meetings whenever he sees fit.

Call: Unknown at this time

Background characters:

(Characters that only appear once or have no real significance to the series)

Nevada: The Silver State. Has only appeared once. Dresses like a Vegas dancer.

Rhode Island: The Ocean State. Has only appeared once to discuss his name change.

New Jersey: The Garden State. Has only appeared once. Doesn’t like it when New York keeps visiting him.

Wyoming: The Equality State. Has only appeared once when Florida insulted his name.

Nebraska: The Cornhusker State. Has appeared a couple of times but has had no real significance.

Kansas: The Sunflower State. Has only appeared a couple of times. Tends to feud with Missouri over Kansas City.

Idaho: The Gem State. Has only appeared once(?).

Arkansas: The Natural State. His only real appearance was in the poker episode when everyone told him he couldn’t play on account of he never shuts anything down and can’t weigh in with anything.

Delaware: The First State. Has only appeared twice. Like the state itself, nothing of significance has yet been noted.

Virginia: The Old Dominion. Has only appeared a couple of times, and his only notable role was in the mask debate.

States that still have not made an appearance:

Montana

Vermont

Maine

New Hampshire

Hawaii (Note that Brainard has stated he wishes to find a Hawaiian native actor to play this character.)

Other characters in this series:

CDC: The Center of Disease Control. Originally played by Ben Brainard, the role has since been taken over by comedian Drew Lynch. An overworked, underappreciated man who tries to get the states to adhere to coronavirus regulations. He has a bad stutter and has not slept in weeks. He may be being kept alive purely on coffee and good intentions.

International DC: Played by Elana Rose. Has only appeared once. DC’s sister and the international relations part of the federal government. She’s not very good at her job and tends to act very “mean girl.”

Mother Nature: Played by Liz, aka “lozclaws”. The goddess of earthling weather. Has an on-again off-again relationship with Florida.

Claire: Also played by Liz. Mother Nature’s...roommate? Mother? Not entirely sure. Tries to be a voice of reason to a pair with very little reason between the two of them.

The National Guard: The national army. Has only appeared twice, once to bodyguard Maryland, the other to discuss the BLM protests.

The 3rd Amendment: The third amendment to the Constitution of the United States. Only appeared once. It was very confusing.

Virginia: Kentucky’s sign-language interpreter. Only appeared once. Was deeply offended by Florida (as we all are).

Greg the Sound Guy: The guy who handles the audio and holds the mic boom for the show. Only appeared twice. Probably doesn’t get paid enough.

#Ben Brainard #Welcome to the Table #a wikia of sorts #TikTok

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onceuponastory · 4 years

Text

Coming Back Home Chapter Two: I Am A Heart

“I am a heart that’s hard to pin, You are an arrow sticking in” - hey ocean!: i am a heart

Read Chapter One: Hometown here!

Plot: Six years ago, Y/N left her hometown and all its bad memories behind, and never looked back. But now, she’s come back to be the maid of honour in her sister’s wedding. Returning ‘home’ means she has to confront her past, the last thing she wants to do. When she meets the handsome best man Nick, she feels more comfortable…until her sister asks her to show Nick around town…a town that Y/N fell out of love with a long time ago.

Can Y/N fall back in love with the town she left behind, and maybe find love of her own along the way? Important: This story is based on a prompt by @orphicodysseywrites. It’s a mix of prompts one and two from this post, so full credit for this idea goes to them! Warnings: There’s a few mentions of death in this chapter. If you’re sensitive to it and don’t want to read this chapter because of it, I totally understand <3 A/N: This is a very long chapter, almost 2,500 words long, so I hope you all enjoy it, lmao. As always, this chapter has been checked for errors, but if you see any pls do let me know. I’m going to be inactive this coming week, because I’m taking a little staycation to a place with very limited wifi, so if you send me a message/request, it might take me a while to respond. But I will respond ASAP! I will also be trying to work on chapter three/other stuff whilst I’m away, but I REALLY need this break, so pls don’t get mad if I don’t write anything.

Again, special thanks goes to my best friend Jo, aka @thesundrop, who made this banner, and helped so much with planning this fic. Some of you may know her as @staticscreenwriting, where she writes Billy fics. Check them out, they’re amazing!

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Nick or his character! I just used Nick bc he’s the only character of Dacre’s that fits this prompt. Again, aside from Nick being in this, this fic has NOTHING to do with The Broken Hearts Gallery. But you should all go see the movie if you can, because it’s adorable!

Adjusting my hair and outfit in the mirror for what felt like the hundredth time, I sigh. “You look fine, stop adjusting your outfit...” I tell myself. “Nick’s not going to care how you look....right?” God, I’m a mess. Putting on yet more lipgloss, Jane’s voice echoes in my mind.

“Both of you look so much like your mother. Especially you Y/N.” She was right, I did. Not that I had many memories of how my mother looked when she was still alive, but hours spent leafing through stacks of photo albums with my Nana and Katie when we were younger had made me more familiar with her and how she looked. She was gorgeous. I wish we had more time with her. If we had, our lives would be very different...and I would never have come to this town in the first place. Suddenly, I feel stinging sensation at my eyes. Aaaaand I’m crying. Great. Just what I fucking needed. A knock sounds at my door.

“Y/N? Are you alright? You’ve been up here a while.” Nick’s voice sounds through the door. No, THIS is just what I fucking needed. Shit. Now he’s going to think I’m a total emotional weirdo who doesn’t want to spend time with him. Not that that was a TOTAL lie, I did want to spend time with him....just anywhere but here. Oh, he’s going to hate me. “If you’re not feeling well or something’s come up, we could do this another time?” Nick continues, and I sigh again. He’s so sweet. I can’t let him down. Quickly trying to stop the tears from falling, I open the door, and Nick smiles. “Hi. You look great.” I immediately blush.

“Thanks...Oh! So do you!” I gasp, trying not to seem awkward.

“Thank you.” Nick chuckles. He looks at me closer, and his eyebrows furrow together. “Are you okay? Have you been crying?” He asks.

“Uh, no! It’s just...allergies.” I lie. “The dust in this house is terrible. So...shall we head out?” I ask, and Nick nods. The two of us walk downstairs.

“Byeeee you two! Have fun!” Katie’s voice calls from the living room. Oh, I’m sure I will.

“So, what do you wanna do?” Nick asks as the two of us leave the house.

“I don’t mind. I mean, we could go to the park, or for a coffee....or just, a walk in the woods?” I suggest. “Actually, maybe not the woods. There may be an axe murderer, or the big bad wolf or something.” I immediately cringe as soon as the words leave my mouth, and Nick laughs. Oh god, he’s laughing at me and how cringy I am.

“I mean, I didn’t personally think of that, but that’s a valid concern. I think we should take the park then.” He says, and I nod. “This way?” He points towards the town, and I nod. He sets off, leaving me standing there.

Well, that went better than expected. Oh right, I better go catch up with him.

“So, how long did you two live here?” Nick asks as we both walk closer into town.

“Um, about...sixteen years.” I work out the maths in my head. “We moved here when I was four, and Katie was two. We both left to go to college.”

“Oh! I thought this was where you guys were born.”

“Nooo, we just call it our hometown cause we’ve lived here from such a young age. At this point, it feels like our hometown. We’re actually from New York City, and we both moved back there for college. I live there full time now. Katie’s in New Jersey.” I explain.

“Oh, what a coincidence! I live in New York too.” Nick smiles. “Small world, right?” I nod. “So, if you don’t mind me asking, why did your parents pick here to move? This place is nice and all, but it’s a lot different than New York.” He asks. A memory flashes through my mind.

“What the hell do you expect me to do? I can’t look after them! This shithole is the best option, and you know it.” I shudder, hoping Nick doesn’t notice.

“Um....just personal circumstances really. Our Dad wanted a change of pace and scenery for us. He thought the city was too busy for us to grow up in.” Nick nods, and I breathe a sigh of relief. Another crisis averted. I look up at the sky and see the leaves on the trees. Some were bright orange, whilst others were red. I sigh happily. “You gotta hand it to my sister, she picked one of the most beautiful times of year to get married.”

“Yeah, beautiful.” Nick mumbles, and I look back over at him to see him looking at me.

“What?” His eyes go wide.

“Nothing! Just agreeing with you!” He gasps, before continuing to walk. Okay, that was weird. I shrug it off and follow him down the street. After a while, we reach the park and begin to walk around together. The two of us are silent as we take in the scenery around us. The leaves crunch under our feet. I was right, this time of year really was beautiful. The cold wind blows, and I shiver. “Want my jacket?” Nick asks.

“No thanks, I’m okay.” I smile. But come on, giving a girl his jacket? That’s so cliché...and so damn cute.

“Want to go on the swings? That might warm you up a bit.” He suggests. Another memory enters my mind.

“When’s he coming back?” I ask, tugging on her skirt. “I miss him.

“...Soon, sweetheart. He’ll be back soon. Why don’t you go and play on the swings and I’ll come over and give you a push in a minute?” She suggests, and I nod vigorously.

“Okay! See you in a minute!” I call, running towards the swings.

“Yeah, sure. Let’s go on the swings.”

~~~

A few hours later, Nick and I were in the local coffee shop, chatting about everything from our interests to our time at college. “So when do you want to practise our big dance number?” Nick asks, taking a sip of his coffee. I sigh.

“Oh right, I forgot we’re meant to plan that at some point.” Nick chuckles. “So, what song do you want to pick?” Nick shrugs.

“It’s up to you, I’m okay with whatever.” I raise an eyebrow.

“Really? I don’t think Katie would be happy if we picked something like Baby Got Back to dance to.” Nick bursts out laughing.

“You’re right. But it would be funny. Any suggestions?” I shake my head.

“I mean there’s so many...maybe something slow? Or something more upbeat?”

“Well we have some time, so why don’t we each make a list and pick one?” He offers. I nod. “You know, I had a really nice time today...” Nick begins. I smile.

“Me too.” And I actually meant it. Despite how much I was dreading this, it went better than I expected. My phone rings, and I take it out of my bag. “Hey, Katie...Yes, I know...Okay, I’ll be back soon. Bye.” I hang up.

“Everything alright?” Nick asks.

“Sorry, turns out I’m urgently needed for some maid of honour duties, so I gotta go. Are you okay here, or do you wanna walk back to the house with me?” Nick waves me off.

“No, don’t worry, you go on. I need to take care of something in town anyways. See you later.”

“Bye, Nick.” I leave the coffee shop, and start the walk back to the house, almost feeling a spring was in my step. For the first time since being back here, I was happy. I was comfortable. And it was all thanks to Nick. I soon reach Nana’s house and walk inside. “Helloooo!” I call.

“Well, someone sounds happy.” Katie’s voice sounds from the living room. She comes out to greet me. “Oh. My. God. Look at the smile on your face!” She gasps.

“I had a great time with Nick today.” I explain.

“I can see that. Guess my big sister has the hots for the best man, huh?” She teases. My eyes widen.

“No, I don’t!” My cheeks flush.

“Mhm sure. Deny it all you want, I can tell. Anyway, come on you, we need to make the centrepieces.” I wasn’t in love with Nick. I may love spending time with him, but I absolutely was NOT in love with him.

~~~

That Night

"We are here today to honour the life of Rose L/N.” The priest begins. “She was a light in the lives of many, especially her two granddaughters, Y/N and Katie, who she is survived by. For most of their lives, she was also their guardian.”

“He’s not here.” Katie whispers in my ear. I discretely roll my eyes.

“Of course he isn’t. He stopped caring a long time ago.” I reply. I find her hand beside mine and give it a squeeze. “We have to be strong together now, like she said. It’s just us now.”

My eyes open, and I look around the room for a moment to get my bearings. I’m still in my childhood bedroom. It was just a dream. A dream featuring our past. A past I had tried to run from. Of course, it found a way to find me again. It has a funny way of doing that. My eyes drift over to the bedside table, displaying a picture of Katie and I with our Nana from many years ago. I smile softly and run my fingers over the image. “I miss you, Nana. I wish you were still here. To guide me...to guide us.” Laying back on my pillows, I sigh and hold the picture close. “Maybe if you were still here, I wouldn’t be such a mess.”

~~~

One Week Later - Fifteen Days Until the Wedding

“I’m just saying, Cinderella continues to be the best live-action Disney adaptation. It’s faithful to the story, the costumes are great, and it’s just so cute!” I exclaim, trying to stifle a yawn in the process. I was still having nightmares and barely sleeping. Thankfully, I was managing to hide it well, and nobody suspected anything. If they did, I could just lie and say I was up late working on bachelorette party plans and lost track of time. Nick laughs. “What?”

“I love that this is what you’re passionate about.” He grins.

“Well, I’m absolutely right.” I tell him, and he nods.

“Oh, absolutely.” I had a feeling that he had no idea what I was talking about, which was usually the case. But he agreed with me anyway, which I appreciated. Despite all my nightmares and bad memories, spending almost every day with Nick was helping me feel happier, and far more comfortable. It also took my mind off of my nightmares from the previous night. Nick was lovely, and I actually felt upset whenever we had to go back to the house. The fact he was gorgeous helped too, of course. Before I can say anything else, I suddenly spot the town’s bakery and walk over to the window.

“Look at all these cakes.” I smile. “Oh my god, those cupcakes still look delicious.” I state, staring through the window at them. “My Nana used to bring Katie and me here every Friday after school, and we’d each get a cupcake. I always chose the birthday cake ones, cause it felt like we had a birthday celebration every week.” I smile fondly. “It’s one of my favourite memories of her.”

“Do you want one?” Nick asks, causing me to look over at him. “Seriously, do you want one?” He repeats, taking out his wallet. “They do look amazing. And after all, today is Friday. Can’t waste traditions.” He smiles, and his smile almost makes my heart do backflips.

“Seriously?” I ask.

“Seriously.” Nick opens the door of the bakery. I hear the wind-chimes over the door sound as we both walk in, just like they did all those years ago. The smell of baking is everywhere, filling me with a sense of comfort.

“Oh god, I remember this smell. It’s so...familiar.” I whisper to myself, closing my eyes. In that moment, I feel like I’m a little kid spending time with my Nana again. But when I open my eyes, I’m back to my real life, and the nostalgia is gone.

“I’m coming, just give me a few minutes!” Someone calls from through the back of the bakery.

“Opal?” I ask. Opal was the owner of the bakery...at least when I still lived in Saint Chase. Like Jane, she was friendly and welcoming, and every customer was her friend. She always used to sneak Katie and I samples of her new loaves of bread and cakes before we went to school in the mornings. If we liked them, they stayed. She always called us her honorary business partners. Of course, now I know she probably said that to every kid who wandered in, but it made kid me feel great.

“That’s my name, don’t wear- oh!” She gasps, immediately retreating back through the door she came from. Nick and I give each other a confused look. Rose returns a few moments later, carrying a small cake.“Katie! You look so different from the last time I saw you. Congratulations on your upcoming wedding!” She grasps my hand and shakes it vigorously, then does the same to Nick’s hand. “Want to see a preview of the cake? This is in no way finished, but it’s just a small sample of the real thing.”

“Oh no, I-”

“We’re not-” Nick and I begin, but Opal ignores us.

"You two are going to just love it.”

“Opal! I’m not Katie!” I insist. She gasps, and her eyes go wide. “Katie is my sister. This is Nick. He’s the best man.”

“Oh my goodness, I am so sorry.” Her face goes red. Nick and I reassure her that it’s okay. “Anyway, what can I get you?” Nick and I order our cupcakes, and she rings them up for us. Nick opens his wallet to pay for them, but Opal shakes her head. “No, please, these are on me. Count it as an apology...Seriously. I’m so sorry about the mixup.”

“Well, thank you!″ Nick smiles, taking the cakes and walking towards the door.

“Y/N...” Opal beckons me in closer, and I lean in. “I just have to say, you two are adorable together. I’m still sorry for my mistake, but honestly, you two look like a great couple.”

“We’re not-”

“Everything okay?” Nick asks.

“Oh! Yeah. Opal just wanted to ask me when we’re picking up the wedding cake.” I lie, giving Opal a pointed look. She nods vigorously. “Come on, let’s go. Bye Opal.” I say quickly, walking towards the door. She waves goodbye to us as we leave the store. Once we’re outside, Nick passes over my cake, taking a bite of his.

“Oh. My. God.” He moans happily. “That’s incredible.”

“Right?” I agree, taking a bite of mine. “It’s just as good as I remember.” Nick starts laughing at me again, and my eyes widen. “What? Did I say something weird?”

“You have icing on your face.” He responds. Of course I do. I’m a walking cliché, honestly. “Actually, you know what? I don’t care. This cake is that good.” I take another bite. “And besides, so do you.”

~~~

Later That Day

“That one looks like a dog.”

“A dog? No way. It looks like a hamster.”

“How the fuck does it look like a hamster?” Nick frowns.

“How the fuck does it look like a dog?” I respond, raising my eyebrow. Nick laughs. The two of us had finished eating our cupcakes (and wiped our faces), and were back in the park, drinking coffee and trying to see if we could tell what shape the clouds were.

“Guess we gotta agree to disagree.” I smile. “Even though I’m totally right.”

“Of course you are.” He says sarcastically, and I gasp in mock annoyance. But I don’t detect any malice from his comment...well, I hoped he wasn’t actually annoyed with me or anything, but he didn’t seem to be. Like I said before, I felt comfortable with Nick. Even though we had met a week ago, it felt like the two of us could joke with each other to our hearts content, neither meaning anything bad by it. It was weird how close we were, despite not knowing each other for that long. “Uh, Nick?” I ask, looking up again.

“Mhm?”

“Do those ones look like rain clouds, or is that just me?”

“I think you’re right, it’s-” The heavens open before he can even finish his sentence. “Oh god, okay, come on, I saw a bike shed or something over there, we can hide out there until it stops.” Nick tells me, quickly taking his jacket off and throwing it at me.

“What’s this for?!” I ask.

“What do you think it’s for?! It’s to hold over our heads!” Nick shouts. “Now come on, let’s go.” He holds out his hand, and I take it. He pulls me up. “Ready to run?” He asks. I nod. The two of us begin running through the park, holding Nick’s jacket over our heads with one hand each. We laugh as we run, trying to avoid slipping on the damp leaves or falling over. We soon reach the shelter, and Nick and I jump under it. The shelter is small, so our bodies are pressed up close against each other. I’m aware of the scent of his cologne again. Nick’s body is warm against mine as he wraps the jacket around my shoulders.

“You don’t have to give me your jacket.” I protest, but he insists.

“Don’t be silly. What would your sister say if I made her maid of honour catch a cold?” He asks.

“The same thing she’d say if the best man caught a cold.” I reply, trying to take the jacket off. Nick reaches out, gently placing his hands on my arms, stopping me. It feels like electricity runs up my arms as he touches them.

“Y/N, don’t worry about it. Honestly.” The two of us stand there, Nick still holding onto my arms. But it feels good. It feels...right. Nick keeps looking at me.

“Do I still have some icing on my lips?” I ask. Nick shakes his head.

“God, you’re so beautiful.” He mumbles loud enough for me to hear. Whether I was supposed to hear it or not, I wasn’t sure. Nick leans closer to me, and my brain immediately goes:

“He’s going to kiss me. Oh my god, he’s going to kiss me. Do I even want him to kiss me?” And I realise that...I think I do want him to kiss me. Nick’s head moves closer to mine, and my head rises up to meet his. But just as our lips are about to touch, my phone rings, causing us to break apart. Dammit. I take my phone out, seeing Katie’s name flash on the screen. She always has the best timing. “Hey Katie. What’s up? ...Yeah it’s raining really badly. Yeah, a lift back would be great. We’re at the park. Okay, see you soon. Love you too. Bye.” Hanging up, I sigh. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Nick responds. However, despite him saying that, it still felt like the air around us had changed. It wasn’t like we could go back to where we left off either, because everything felt awkward now.

Shit.

~~~

That Night

“Be good for your Daddy, okay Y/N?” She bends down and presses a kiss to my forehead. I nod. “I know I can trust you to help him look after your sister, right?”

“Of course, Mommy!” She grins, and pulls me in for a tight squeeze.

“There’s my smart girl. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” I nod again.

“Have fun, Mommy!” I call, as she walks out of the door. And then, she was gone. The image changes into something else. “Daddy? Where’s Mommy? Why are you crying?” He blinks rapidly and bends down to my eye level.

“Mommy’s had to go, sweetie.” He explains.

“But...but where? She was meant to take me to kindergarten!” He looks away from me.

“I’m sorry. Your mommy’s an angel...she’s not coming back.”

Gasping, I sit up in bed again, looking around the room. My heart is racing. “It’s just a bad dream...Just a bad dream...” I tell myself, trying desperately to calm myself down. Getting out of bed, I cross over to the window, trying to ignore my shaking hands, and peek out at the night sky. Rows and rows of trees disappear into the darkness. “It’s not real. She died almost twenty years ago. It’s just a bad dream.” Clenching my fists, I furiously wipe at my eyes. "Dammit!” I curse.

I hadn’t had nightmares about the death of our mother in at least fifteen years. I thought I was finally getting better. Of course, life had other ideas. “I knew I should never have fucking come back here.” I hiss. That’s why still had bad dreams, because I was back here. I should’ve said no and ran when I had the choice. No, no, that’s stupid. Of course I couldn’t have said no. I could never let Katie down. God knows life let us down enough times already. No, I need to stop blaming the town for my problems. It’s my fault. I thought I was ready and healed, but obviously, I’m not. God, I need a drink.

Trying to be as quiet as possible, I leave my room and tiptoe downstairs to the kitchen, using my phone torch as a light source. Once I reach the kitchen and flash my light into the room, I almost jump out of my skin when I see a figure sitting at the kitchen table.

“Hey, I- Y/N?” Nick blinks his eyes, clearly startled by the bright light of my phone.

“Jesus Christ Nick! I thought you were a fucking murderer!” I gasp. He frowns.

“A murderer...who sits at the kitchen table? Anyway, why are you up so late? It’s like 2am!” I switch the light on.

“I could ask you the same thing. Why are you here scaring the life out of me at 2am?” He holds up some paper.

“Best man’s speech. I had a stroke of genius and decided to write some of it.”

“In the middle of the night? In the darkness? And people say I’m weird.” Nick chuckles. I cross over to the cupboards and get out some mugs to make tea. “Want some tea?” I ask, and he nods.

“Anyway, you didn’t answer my question. What brings you here at this hour?”

“Oh I just love hanging out with men in kitchens at 2am, didn’t Katie tell you?” I tease, filling the kettle and putting it on to boil. Nick laughs. I can’t tell him the truth. Then he would think I was weird. “But seriously. Couldn’t sleep.” I mean, that wasn’t a total lie. Nick didn’t have to know the truth. “How’s the speech going?”

“Ehhh?” Nick responds. I turn back to him and raise an eyebrow. “Not well.”

“I can tell.” The kettle finishes boiling, and I pour the water into the mugs. “But I’m here now, so you have an extra person to help you.”

~~~

One Hour Later

“Y/N...Y/N?” I hear someone whispering. Is someone....nudging me? I look up. Why was my head on the table? I notice that Nick has scooted closer to me. Is he the one nudging me?

“Mmm, Nick...whashappenin?” I mumble.

“You fell asleep.” He explains. I shoot up in my seat and rub my eyes.

“What?!” I gasp. “Why didn’t you wake me up?! I was meant to be helping you with your speech!”

“It’s alright, don’t worry.” Nick reassures me. “You looked really tired, so I thought I’d let you sleep. You sure you’re okay?” He asks. Before I can say anything in response, I yawn. “Guess that answers my question. I think you should go to bed.” I shake my head.

“Nope. I’m not....” I cut myself off with another yawn. Nick gives me a look. “...Okay, maybe I’m a little bit tired.” I admit.

“Mhm. Come on, let’s get you to bed.” He helps me up. I protest, but he continues to do so. “Y/N, trust me. You need some sleep. You’ll thank me later.” I realise he’s probably right. So, I let him lead me upstairs and into my bedroom, his hand resting on the small of my back. “So uh....can you take care of yourself from here?” He asks. I chuckle softly and nod.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine. Thanks Nick.” I smile. “Goodnight.”

“Night Y/N.”

~~~

The Next Morning - Thirteen Days Until the Wedding

“You invited Great Aunt Hilda? Seriously? All she’s going to do is talk about her cats.”

“That’s why she’s sitting with you. At least you’ll have something in common.” Katie jokes. I jokingly punch her in the arm. “Hey!” She laughs. The two of us were spending the day arranging seating charts and finalising the seating plan. So far, it was all going well, and we managed to make it fun. “Oh, god.” Katie wrinkles her nose. “I forgot both Uncle Chris and Aunt Pamela said yes, AND they’re bringing plus ones. That’s gonna be rough.”

“I’m sure it’ll be okay. Didn’t they get divorced like three years ago?” I ask.

“Yeah, but I don’t think Aunt Pam’s gonna be a fan of his plus one....” She raises her eyebrows suggestively.

“Oh right, he dumped her for his secretary, the one with the big boobs, didn’t he? Are they still together?”

“Yuuuup. She’s the plus one.”

“Better sit those two as far away from each other as possible then...” I mumble, trying to arrange the tables on my side of the chart as best as I can. Studying the rest of the little figures representing people, I frown, seeing one I haven’t seen before. One I definitely did not expect to see. I pick it up, and my eyes go wide. “Uh, Katie?”

“Mhm?”

“...Why does our Dad have a seating place?”

#dacre montgomery #dacre x reader #dacre montgomery fanfic #dacre montgomery fic #nick x reader #coming back home fic

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stonecoldjerseyfox · 4 years

Text

Jersey on my mind (part 13)

DISCLAIMER: this part contains graphic descriptions of violence, “Walking Dead-style”.

The white smoke seeps through Milas nose, further up toward the ceiling where it dispels in the breeze that seeps through the open window. And yet, the room is stuffy.

The warm, moist climate is unfamiliar to her. At least New Jersey reminded her somewhat of the Russian climate. Not that it got cold to the point where the water pipes froze and caused the entire housing complex to resemble an igloo, but at least there was a change of seasons. Autumn, winter, spring, summer. Despite spending nine years in the states, Mila can find herself missing the Russian climate and all its extreme shifts. The summers were dry and hot, the winters cold and dark. She was hardened by the harsh climate, able to cope with most weather conditions, well, at least she thought she was.

But this heat, which almost feels sticky (and it's not even summer) is very unpleasant.

Mila takes a new flare on the cigarette. She lies on the unmade bed next to Juri and is in the process of smoking her fifth cigarette for the day and feels grouchy.

At breakfast Mila had stormed off, after once again being refused to accompany the others to the quarry for a rehearsal of the ‘grand plan’. She tried to convince them that she felt much better. She was able to walk and stand. It was trickier to sit down and bend her upper body without wearing, but that wasn’t the point.

“Gimme’ some morphine and I’ll be fine.” she said. “It's just a briefing.”

She had fallen into a rather rancorous debate with Daryl before Rick intervened and firmly declared that she would not go with them.

“You stay here. Denise will check on you. Carol and Maggie will also stay-”

Mila yelled at them, then stormed off upstairs and slammed the bedroom door behind her, causing Juri to wake up. Mila rushed over to the bed. “I’m sorry, malysh.” She cooed to the newly awakened boy, rubbing his eyes and collecting his soft toys around him. “Good morning.” she kissed him on the forehead. “Carol made you breakfast downstairs, okay?”

Juri bursted into a sunny smile and Mila kissed him on the forehead once again. While Juri climbed out of bed and rushed downstairs to eat breakfast, Mila took a shower.

She looks angrily at her bandaged stomach.

“I hate you.” she hisses to the bandage.

She hasn’t even bothered to dress properly after the angry shower. For once, she started with the jeans, which is the biggest problem in her attire. As a result, she gave up as soon as they were on her body and the button was buttoned. She laid down on the bed again, in jeans, bra and hat and started smoking, while Juri lay next to her, browsing through the mixtapes Mila constantly carried with her in her backpack. They have been lying there for a while now, listening to everything from Springsteen (their favorite), Grateful Dead and all sorts of country artists, on Juri’s walkman. Willie Nelson, Cash, Alan Jackson, The Highwaymen…

“And we're gonna ride, we're gonna ride. Ride like the one-eyed jack of diamonds, With the devil close behind...” Mila sings with as much feeling she possibly can, without dropping the cigarette.

When she comes to think about it, smoking is hella’ disgusting. Good thing she rarely smokes then. She prefers vodka. From time to time her eyes wander to the backpack on the floor, where there are five bottles of Tovaritch, Russian standard and Stolichnaya, crying out for her attention, to the point where Mila starts to think she hears them talking to her.

She hasn't taken as much as a sip of booze since before they were brought to Alexandria, even though she brought five bottles back with her from the liquor store the other day. But due to the fact that she has been falling asleep at the same time as Juri every evening, she hasn’t had those moments on her own where she drinks herself into apathy before falling asleep. Which should be a good thing, but so far it’s been almost intolerable. She’s constantly irritated (which was directed at Daryl and Rick earlier), has a headache, is dreaming nightmares and feels thirsty all the goddamn’ time. And it’s not for water.

“I'm gonna chase the sky forever, with the woman and the stallion and the wind...”

Mila’s restless, doesn’t like to be left out. She wonders how things are going at the quarry. It would have been nice to let off steam a bit on a bunch of rotten walkers. Then she might not have believed that the vodka bottles talked to her.

The walkman clicks. The tape is over. Juri climbs down from the bed, to pick a new cassette tape from the backpack. But something outside the window catches his attention. Mila hears it too, just doesn’t bother. The boy rushes to the window, where the curtains dance in the breeze, stand on his tippy toes and peeks out.

Mila peers against the window. These are not the usual sounds; no nice greetings as people pass on the street, no birds chirping.

“What is it?” Mila says. “What's going on?”

The boy tears his eyes from the window and starts gesticulating with his hands towards her and mimes; ‘Trouble’. He points to the window.

“Really?” Mila looks at Juri in disbelief from underneath the hat. Juri nods and raises his index fingers in front of him, places them with their fingertips against each other and then pulls them apart. ‘Enemy’. Mila rises on her elbows in the bed. This can’t be good. ”How many are there?” she whimpers. “Show me the fingers.”

Juri lifts all ten fingers, which can mean both ten and more. Mila swears and climbs out of bed. Her head spins a bit when she stumbles over to the window and opens it fully to look out. The scene that meets her eyes causes her heart to speed up, as if she had received an adrenaline injection right into the beating muscle. Scruffy figures are running around in the streets, armed with machetes and knives, attacking the residents. Mila’s eyes are drawn to a male, with the letter “W” carved in his forehead. Her brain comes to life in the matter of seconds, as if it has been on standby mode for several days.

“Son of a-” she sputters. “Give me the gun!”

Juri hurries over to her AK74, takes it and hurries back to the window. Mila grabs the rifle, gives it a quick check to see that it is loaded. Without hesitating, she lifts it out of the window, finds a target, a male whose full attention is directed at Aaron and a woman from the Alexandria community.

On the next exhale, Mila pulls the trigger. The bullet cuts through the air and the man collapses on the asphalt, with a bleeding bullet hole in his neck. Before Mila is able to search for new targets, and before Aaron can call out to her, a loud bang is heard in the other street, which causes her to lower the rifle. Mila turns around and starts searching for her shoes on the floor.

“Juri-” she says, as calm as she can, at the same time as she sees the boots. “I want you to put on your headphones, and stay here. Lock the door, and don’t let anyone in.”

Juri nods obediently, jumps the bed and puts the headphones over his ears, while Mila presses her feet into the boots. Juri presses the on-button on the walkman with his index finger and gives her a thumb up. He’s such a good boy. Mila kisses him on the hair before she opens the door to the bedroom. There’s no time to put on a shirt. She runs out of the room, dressed in jeans, boots, hat and a bra, hurries downstairs and tears the front door open. Aaron runs past on the road, there’s bodies lying on the ground, she hears screaming and yelling. It is as if a light switch turned on in her brain. Her vision is sharper, every muscle, every reflex in her body seems to react faster. Above all, a feeling of indifference. She’s more angry than scared. Her heart pounds with adrenaline.

A familiar, deep voice speaks to her inside her head, makes Milas skin crawl; “What ties us together, Mila, besides blood, is that you are just as crazy as I am. Deep down, we’re the same. Embrace it.” Well, if she’s ever to embrace it... it might as well be now. Crazy mode; on.

With a burning sensation of stark mad anger throughout her body, that scares her as much as it tickles her senses, Mila steps out onto the street. At the same time, a young man, dressed in dark, dirty clothes, comes running rounds the corner of the street, with an axe in his hand. The letter “W” glows red in his forehead. A Wolf. His frantic eyes catch sight of her. Without hesitation, Mila rushes towards him. She’s not particularly strong or bulky, but she's a damn good shot, and she can use a gun for more than shooting things.

She grabs the barrel of her trustworthy AK74 with both hands and wields it with all her power against the youngster. An unpleasant creaking sound is heard when the oiled wooden stock crushes his jaw. The man falls to the ground with a thud. All the anger Mila built up against the Wolves since their first encounter in the woods, combined with not drinking a drop of alcohol for several days and being denied to follow the other to that goddamn’, motherf-kin’ quarry for a goddamn’ briefing…

Mila feeds stroke upon stroke with the rifle stock against him, kicking and cursing, until he doesn't move.

#daryl fanfiction #daryl x oc #daryl dixon #Jersey on my mind #Daryl Dixon Fanfic #The Walking Dead fanficition #The walking dead fanfic #fanfiction #twd fanfiction #fanfic #twd fanfic #the walking dead fandom

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everythingoesnk · 5 years

Text

Once in Rockfield Farm (4/5)

summary; in this house we stan brian the hero

word count; 4 638

warnings; mary austin.

part 1

part 2

part 3

********

“Brian, can you get your fucking clogs out of the way?” Roger groaned, kicking them with the tip of his shoe.

“What’s gotten into you?” John complained, tired of his babyish behaviour.

“Don’t bother trying, Deaky” Brian said, sending Roger a look.

He wasn’t paying attention to them, perfectly displaying the lack of interest in carrying a conversation.

About you, you spent a lot of time with your friends lately, celebrating the successful end of the semester. All your hard work was rewarded, and you were finally clean and done with University.

There hadn’t been more opportunities to talk with you privately, and Roger wished you’d notice his efforts for things to go back to normal. It annoyed him that you always had something to do and wouldn’t find time to invest in him.

He fucked up everything saying he’d follow your suggestion to find another chick. It was childish and a mistake. He didn’t mean it and didn’t do it. He wanted to apologize and kept trying to do his bit, but you were closed off.

Excuses and excuses kept coming out of your mouth to avoid being alone with him.

Anxiety. That’s what you felt when recalling yours and Mary’s conversation.

Just the thought of Roger’s real intentions being the ones she addressed made you want to puke. You didn’t hate him or disliked him overnight, but you wouldn’t risk getting hurt.

Also, you’d been contemplating moving to America. Rockfield Farm’d become a vacation home rather than your residence.

Indifferent to your intentions to stay away from him, last Wednesday, Roger tried again.

He bought two tickets to attend a Romeo and Juliet play. He didn’t give two shits about Shakespeare or the performance, he just happened to hear you talk to John about how much you wanted to go. Turned out a guy called Gideon asked you first earlier that week to accompany him to that same bloody play. He could remember sympathy written on your face when he revealed you the plan.

Roger played it cool the best he could when you politely declined, justifying yourself saying you’d already agreed to go with Gideon.

“Maybe next time” he took a step back, staring down at his hands.

When you left the room he didn’t hesitate to tear the tickets into pieces.

“But I’m curious” John insisted.

“He’s angry because (Y/N)’s having a date tonight” Freddie half smiled.

Roger’s expression hardened. Freddie’s grin was no longer there.

“Oh, Rog” he pouted.

“What’s going on, Fred?” Brian asked in an undertone, leaning closer to Freddie.

John joined the little circle after looking briefly at Roger, who was peering through the window and susurrating something under his breath.

“Our sweet child is lovesick. Tonight was supposed to be his date with (Y/N), but she rejected him”

“She didn’t reject me” Roger claimed through gritted teeth. “Gideon happened to be faster”

Pronouncing this stranger’s name burned his tongue.

“It doesn’t mean it’s a date” Brian guessed. “I wouldn’t lose sleep over it, Roger”

He shook his head.

"She chose him over me, I'll get over it," he thought saying it out loud would make the statement sound easier.

“(Y/N) adores you, Rog. It’s not that deep, trust me” Freddie assured.

“What have I missed?” John asked.

“Something happened in the pub we don’t know about” Brian commented.

The image of Mary dragging you to the bathroom by the wrist sparked his curiosity. He was the only one apart from Roger who saw it, and he didn’t mention it to anyone.

Roger stopped listening somewhere around Freddie's words concerning drama and paid exclusive attention to what was happening outside.

An unfamiliar car that could only belong to Gideon pulled over in front of the house. He saw you climb out with him and head to the door.

“Hey, baby!” you hugged Sherlock after walking in and taking your coat off. “How’s my favourite boy doin’? Oh my God yes, I love you too my baby prince”

Sherlock barked happily a few times.

Hearing his paws against the floor, quickly running to announce your arrival to Her Majesty, made you smile from ear to ear.

“Sherlock ignored you totally”

“It’s fine. Can we go to your bedroom?”

“Okay”

The four of them heard the conversation.

Roger froze, and the others wanted the Grim Reaper to take them in time to escape the awkwardness.

Leaning with your shoulder against the living room door frame, you took off your heels.

“Hey guys," you greeted, undoing your ponytail and shaking out your hair.

“Hi, (Y/N)” John and Brian responded in unison.

“How’d it go?” Freddie asked straight forward.

Roger chewed his bottom lip, incapable to keep his eyes off you. The way the fabric of your jeans hugged you was distracting, but as soon as Freddie made sure to try and collect information, his eyes and ears snapped upwards to hear every single word of what was going on around him.

“Horrible” you announced. “The play exquisite, amen to that, but we had a large family with children behind us that wouldn’t shut up”

It wasn’t after your rambling that you saw Roger standing in one corner. His jersey was so tight you could appreciate a tiny hint of his belly button.

You stared at each other for a bit: you sent him a mini smile that he didn’t respond to. On the contrary, his lips pressed together.

He was jealous.

So fucking jealous.

He felt like one big wolf caged, ready to storm out as soon as someone were to release him.

You got your eyes back on Freddie, colour mounting in your cheeks at the excruciating gaze Roger put you to test.

“This is Gideon, guys. Old friend of mine” you said, patting his shoulder.

Brian was the only one to say hi this time. John and Freddie simply nodded with a smile, Freddie pouring wine into a glass.

Sprawled across the sofa now, Roger looked imperturbable. He kept on twirling a drumstick and stealing quick looks at Gideon: he had his head shaved off, he was bony and very quiet around new people.

At 6:45 a.m. the next day, Roger woke up due to a bad dream of his drumkit being set on fire by accident because of Freddie.

Patting Sherlock’s head along the way, Roger’s steps took him to the kitchen to get some water.

Eyebrows furrowed as the light was switched on already, he couldn’t believe his eyes when Gideon turned it off and almost bumped into him in the hallway.

“Oh. Sorry, lad”

Had he spent the night here?! With you?! Roger didn’t speak for a few seconds.

“What are you doing here?”

“I stayed over for the night. I’m leaving in the morning… don’t worry” Gideon said, perfectly aware that the drummer didn’t appreciate his presence.

God, Roger was so obvious.

Gideon left to go back to sleep and Roger considered crashing his head into the wall.

Shoulders deflating and hands on his face, he understood it was time to give up on you. You pushed him to no other option.

An enormous impulse to stab a knife through Roger’s chest was dangerously growing inside you for the fiftieth time in the last half an hour. It sent your brain reeling how dumb he could be on purpose.

Jumping onto your bed, you reached for a magazine and started to flip through the pages, not really reading any of it. It was for the best, you needed to distract yourself or you’d indeed end up doing something stupid.

His ‘rocker’ habits started to get up your nose. You lost count of the number of times you told him not to bring home any of his bootlicker groupies.

You were already doing them a huge favour, but that's abusing your trust on large-scale.

There was a soft knock on the door.

Just like everyone could recognize someone’s footsteps after living together for some time, you could also tell who was behind such gentle noise.

“Come on in, Bri, come and fucking help me count to ten. Suddenly I don’t know anymore” you tossed the magazine away. It landed on top of the mountain of clothes scattered on the floor.

Lying now on your belly with your face against the pillow, you sensed the bed sank a bit when he took a seat next to you.

“You know,” he spoke, “it will only make things worse if you let him get to you like that”

“Oh, that’s rich” you snapped. “He’s been pushing my buttons for weeks now. I’m human, of course I’m gonna end up exploding”

Brief pause of you chewing your gum and Brian rubbing his thumbs against each other.

“I haven’t exploded yet, though” you reconsidered. “He better stop testing me”

“You’re just proving my point” Brian laughed.

You turned your head in his direction and shot him a look.

Brian patted your back with encouragement.

“How about I take the evening off and we go for a bike ride? Would that cheer you up?”

“Yes!” you cried, getting up.

A little getaway sounded marvellous.

Besides the fact that spending time with Brian was one of your favourite things to do ever since you met him, it was a beautiful day outside. Too beautiful to waste it indoors. The sky was entirely blue, not a single cloud spoiling the bright rays of sunshine from shining.

“The boys won’t mind?” you asked.

“We’ve been locked in the studio for days, not a single break. Freddie’s working hard in a new piece on the piano, John surely needs some time off too, and Roger’s keeping himself entertained. They won’t even notice I’m gone” Brian explained.

“Maybe John wants to join us” you added, looking for a most comfortable pair of boots.

“I don’t know, I’ll go ask him”

After lacing up your shoes you reunited with Brian downstairs and smiled widely when you saw John standing next to him, although disappointment overtook your face when Brian pouted at you. John wasn’t tagging along?

“Deaky?”

“Freddie asked me first to go shopping with him, sorry” he welcomed you in his arms when you opened yours to embrace him. “Everyone wants to hang out with me and I can’t please everybody at once” he winked at you.

“Brian told me he was gonna lock himself up with the piano the whole day, huh?”

Brian’s mouth curved into an apologetic smile, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

“I deserve to treat myself too, my dear” Freddie sang, going down the stairs with his characteristic grace and a triumphant smug look.

The four of you started discussing your plans for the rest of the day.

They were going to the mall, seeing as Freddie wanted to renew his wardrobe. John was okay with the idea of rating outfits, but everything was a good excuse to go out and relax the mind a little, overwhelmed by having worked so many weeks non-stop. The album was almost done, and Rheid already mentioned to them something about touring Japan after the launch.

Perhaps they could find something interesting to wear on stage.

Bri and you preferred to get on the bikes and ride aimlessly instead, seeking some peace.

They headed to the van and Brian excused himself saying he needed to go to the bathroom.

You were gently tossing your hair in front of the round mirror hung on the main hall waiting for him, trying to tame the baby hairs that were all over the place.

You heard the clacking of heels approaching, and within seconds a stunning blonde doll was behind you.

Staring at each other in the glass, she bit her inside cheek, her gaze making it clear that she was mentally criticizing your appearance.

She felt special? She wasn’t, you wanted to tell her. The fourth one in a week maybe?

“Can I help you?” you began with one eyebrow raised.

“I was just leaving”

She took one step forward and wiped off the smeared lipstick around her lips.

“Roger’s asleep” she informed, chin up as she cleaned herself.

“Good to know”

She held her purse in between her arm and hip and gave you a half smile.

“Nice house” she smiled and clucked her tongue.

You didn’t respond and waited for her to get out of your sight.

When she closed the door, you let out a grunt.

“Roger Taylor, you’re a fucking pain in the ass” you condemned with your eyes shut, and flinched at the unexpected contact of a big hand on your shoulder, opening them.

Brian.

"I grabbed a few snacks and two bottles of water," he said contently, turning over himself a little for you to actually see his stuffed backpack.

You chuckled. What would you do without this precious soul?

“We’ll be gone for less than two hours, Bri”

“Just in case”

You stroked his chin fondly, getting a beautiful smile from him in return, and both walked out without worrying about leaving a note for Roger in case he woke up and saw the house empty.

Much to your amazement, you finished the supplies Brian had brought with him. Stopping at one of the bars in the nearest port before returning to Rockfield Farm was his idea.

People were enjoying the soft breeze of the first moments of the night before it was too cold to be outside.

"(Y/N)?" Brian asked softly.

You took the beer to your lips.

Brian sighed.

“What happened between you and Roger? I know he can be a little bitch sometimes, but you guys were together all the time and now—“

"It was a misunderstanding"

“Misunderstanding? What was a misunderstanding?”

Brian looked startled. Nothing was clicking.

Out of the blue, Mary’s intrusion to yours and Roger’s heated moment in the club seemed to be gaining weight for him.

“That day in the pub,” he started, and you turned your head away holding your breath, “what happened?”

"Nothing," you said, picking at your nails absentmindedly.

That wasn't enough for Brian.

"Look at me"

You did.

“Are you lying?”

“What would that get me?" you answered with a question, avoiding saying a resounding ‘no’.

"I don't know," he responded, resting his elbows on the table and framing his hands on either side of his face.

A personality trait of yours and many people, you hoped, was that you didn’t enjoy lying to the people you loved, and since you were aware that what you said wasn’t true to an extent you didn’t want to deny it again to try to convince him.

Everyone saw you and Roger flirting, but what happened between you and Mary was yours and Mary’s business. And possibly, just possibly, Roger’s.

“He’s been acting weird since…,” he looked up to the sky, mentally counting, “since that day you brought Gabriel home”

Putting your head in your hands for the slightest second, you wished Brian’d shut up and talk about anything but this. You didn’t even tell him he fucked up the boy’s name.

You folded your arms dropping back on the seat and chose to not open your mouth.

“You know it’s because he thinks you fucked him, right?” Brian sentenced.

He didn’t want you to think he was blaming you or insinuating anything. You were free to do the heck you wanted to do. He was just pointing out the obvious.

“I do”

Brian didn’t say anything.

“I do, and… But what if I did? It’s my life. I don’t owe Roger anything” you answered, spreading your arms.

He remained silent and just kept on listening to the words erupting out of your mouth.

“It’s not like we were dating. Why’s he so butthurt? I’m not stupid. I know he’s bringing those girls just to provoke me”

“Did you?”

“Did I what?”

“Fuck Gabriel?”

“Fuck no. We’ve known each other since we were four, and we happen to meet up every now and then. He’s moving to Dublin soon with his sister. It’s a tradition that he stays over when he pays me a visit. It’s not like there was a single room available, y’know” you hinted, and Brian quickly nodded. Yep, because of them. “That’s what we did, Brian. Talk and fall asleep. And Roger instead of asking keeps fucking Barbie after Barbie. Fuck him, really”

“Sure”

“Sure what?” you snapped, irritation clear in your voice.

Brian succeeded in hiding a smirk.

“Screw him. He deserves it”

You looked at him as if he were fooling you. You really didn’t know where the conversation was going anymore.

“Screw him for living his life like you’re doing”

Ouch.

You blushed violently.

“That’s…”

"You're jealous, (Y/N). It's alright, love. Roger's being a jerk. What I find strange," he said back with a worried face, the tone in his voice making it clear that he knew you knew what he was referring to but were refusing to tell him, "is that in the beginning it was you giving him the cold shoulder. He came to me, you know, asking if I had the tiniest clue of what was going on”

Jesus, if Brian’s goal was to make you feel like trash, he was doing the job quite good.

“It’s totally fine if you don’t want to tell me,” Brian spoke, lowering his head and glancing at your fingers grasping the beer bottle tight, “but things are the way they are because you’re being stubborn and dishonest with each other”

“Bri, you’ve got to stop” Mary laughed timidly, hella uneasy due to Brian’s cold gaze upon her.

Brian, John and Mary were chilling downstairs waiting for you. Freddie and Roger were in the studio instead, having a laugh and playing around. They were all looking their best just for you. It was the 19th, your long awaited graduation day. It felt dreamlike to you, but it was finally here.

Nothing and no one would ruin it.

“Are you proud of yourself?” Brian questioned in a tranquil tone.

“What?” she put her brows together.

John, sitting with one leg over the other, lowered the newspaper and stared at them over the rim of the page.

“Don’t be silly, Mary. Whatever you said to (Y/N) that day in the pub, you messed everything up”

Mary was surprised that Brian came at her like that. They never argued, never. But she could tell the subject mattered to him.

Shifting on her feet, she hesitated where to start.

“Seeing as you care so much about (Y/N), like I do," she reiterated, "you should know that I made her a favour"

“Who are you to interfere, Mary?”

“C’mon, you know Roger better than I do and know that he doesn’t take commitment seriously“

“I asked you one thing. Who are you to interfere?”

Mary’s face went blank. She looked at John, but he quickly hid behind the newspaper only to peek at her again as soon as her eyes met the ground.

“For Christ’s sake, Mary! Who are you to interfere!” Brian shouted, pushing for an answer.

She clenched her fists.

“What’s happening here?” Freddie’s voice interrupted.

Both turned their heads at him, surprised that he was back so soon.

“Nothing” she hurried to say, and sent Brian a pleading look.

"Nothing?" Brian asked sarcastically, his voice raising a bunch of octaves.

Freddie and Roger stepped further into the room.

When Roger’s eyes connected with Brian’s, he knew something important concerning him was the main topic.

His eyes wandered between him and Mary.

Brian gestured her to speak.

She'd never felt this way before, since a mighty character was one of her many strengths. A woman with little hesitations. Roles changed, though. She couldn't even dare to give Freddie a fast glance, afraid that he'd hate her for this. She truly cared about you a lot, and clearly wasn't fond of Roger. She thought she was doing the right thing.

You and Freddie were the ones who mattered to her the most in the world, and losing you both because of this drama would destroy her.

Roger, fed up of so much suspense, proceed to move closer to Mary. He stared right into her eyes.

“What have you done?” he asked with an alarming and shocking put together voice, to which Mary consequently felt goosebumps run through her spine.

It was now or never.

“I encouraged her to stay away from you. I assumed you just wanted to…” she made a vague gesture with her hand, “and I didn’t want her heart to be broken because of you”

“Mary!!” Freddie gasped.

Temperature in his body building up, and face as red as the blood boiling in his veins, Roger’s hands went to rub the back of his neck where one vein was perilously showing.

John took a long sip of his drink, not really prepared for shit to go down now.

“You… you…” Roger didn’t know how to put into words everything that he wanted to say.

Mary’s lower lip started trembling. Freddie didn’t like one bit seeing her so vulnerable, but he couldn’t force himself to feel sorry for her when he didn’t.

“Christ, are you going to cry now? You’re fucking sick in the head” Roger sassed, exasperated.

The colour drained out of Mary's face yet again due to the embarrassment he was putting her through.

“Fuck you. You don’t know anything about me or my feelings” Roger cursed.

“They sure aren’t that strong when you’ve been fucking women here, in her bloody home!” Mary lectured, hoping to win some confidence in her speech.

“I DIDN’T FUCK THEM! I brought them only to end up kicking them out every time because I couldn’t!” Roger snapped, tightening his expression. “I like her too much!”

The room fell silent.

Roger stared at his mates with arms slightly raised at the quietness. His gaze paced between all of them, who couldn’t articulate a single sound even if they tried. He then turned to Mary and snapped a finger at her with threatening eyes.

“Now I’m gonna go upstairs and explain everything to (Y/N), and you better don’t interrupt us, got it? You already did enough”

"Rog, I think she does get it," Freddie said coming at Mary's rescue, worried that he might spit at her.

“Let her speak, she has a mouth, right? A fucking stupid dirty mouth that should’ve been kept closed”

“Talk to me with respect, you asshole!” Mary screamed angrily.

“You didn’t earn it!!!!” he growled.

John cleared his throat loud and clear in an attempt to make them shut up in time.

“Guys?”

Five heads snapped at the bottom of the stairs, where you were.

Barefoot but dressed in the pastel blue dress Roger gifted you what seemed like an eternity ago. Your hair wasn't done yet, up in a bun so it wouldn't get in your way when doing the makeup.

Tugging at her earring, Mary’s face dropped, embarrassed.

As soon as Roger’s eyes landed on you, his legs turned to jelly.

He didn’t think twice: in a hurry he grabbed you by the arm, basically dragging you out of there, until you were both locked up in your bedroom, and murmured an apology when slamming the door by accident.

Seeing as his lighter didn't want to cooperate plus the agonising need to smoke, Roger began to hiss barbarities under his breath.

“What’s the matter? We have to leave in twenty minutes” you said, sitting down.

“No, get up”

“What? I don’t want to, I have to—“

“Please, get up. I can’t speak to you if we’re uneven”

You did as told, crossing your arms over your chest.

“Fine. I’m standing up now”

Anchoring your attention discreetly on his body language, you came to realize that whatever was holding him back was causing him so much trouble.

He drew nearer to you, but regretted it and stepped away. You straightened and gave a very short laugh, impatient.

“Roger”

“Do you still regret what happened in the pub?”

“What does this have to do with… anything, now?” you blurted out with difficulty, hot in the face.

It was the first time you were talking about it when sober.

Roger jerked his head towards you, staring intensely.

“Does it matter?” you breathed, saddened, learning that he wanted a much more elaborated response you didn’t have.

“Of course it fucking—“ Roger stopped there and decided to start again. “Of course it matters”

Because you didn’t know where he was going, you didn’t speak. Roger continued.

“I don’t expect you to care, but I’ve got a few things I want to clear up”

He looked so desperate you found no choice.

“I’m listening”

“Honestly, I… God, you’re so smart but so stupid at the same time”

You blushed. Dude… what the?

“I… I care so much about you, and you don’t even seem to notice shit”

He paused and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Those girls I invited over I didn't do anything with"

“Woah, not even a blowjob? Hard to believe so. The last one fucking came to me with a… triumphant smile, and swollen lips, and… Ugh”

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

“Maybe I made out with one. But that’s it, we only kissed. I was drunk, I can’t even remember her face. Believe me. One of them even punched me for dumping her before she could even unzip her dress”

You laughed at that but quickly covered your mouth. You were supposed to be serious about this, you couldn’t just laugh like that!

Roger shook his head but smiled a little.

“(Y/N),” he called, back to the relevant stuff. “Mary told me everything. Now I get it when you thought that staying away from me was the best option. My reputation doesn’t help, I know”

His eyes were incredibly soft.

There was an intense wish to deny it, to convince yourself that you weren’t thrilled about him opening up to you. Who could you fool? That’s everything you ever wanted from him. But you couldn’t allow yourself to give in. There was no way that this would have a happy ending.

He sighed deeply.

“I miss you. Talk to me again, I can’t bear it anymore. Next time I’ll be nicer to Gideon, I promise. But if he hurts you I won’t hesitate to kill him” a tormenting sentiment devoured him whole as he confessed.

You shook your head.

“There’s nothing between Gideon and I. A boy and a girl can be friends, Roger”

“But you slept together and I thought—“ he replied with flushed cheeks.

“We. Did. Nothing” you reassured him.

Shame drawn on his face, he nodded and you clapped your hands upfront.

“My turn”

Roger cocked his head in your direction questioningly.

“I’m moving to New York by the end of the season, approximately”

He first looked at you unblinkingly and then stared off into space.

“You can't," he said after a while pursing his lips, breath hitching in his throat.

"What do you mean ‘I can't'?" you asked suppressing a shy chuckle, your heart suddenly pounding vigorously in your chest.

“You can’t leave like that”

“Well… I’ve got nothing to look forward here”

Mouth set in a hard line, a new idea better than the one he had of buying you the dress held on to his conflicted mind. The light at the end of the tunnel didn't seem so far away now. He just hoped it all would work out as he wanted it too.

He checked his watch.

“If you don’t hurry up you’ll be late”

His attitude was confusing you. You slowly nodded.

“Are you alright, Roger? Your mood swings are scaring me”

“I am”

Your heart shook furiously at his following declaration.

“You look absolutely ravishing, love. Money well spent”

********

tagging; @sweetdaisys @multifics @incorrcctqueen @namelesslosers @benders-diamond-earring @mercurycrowley @ixchel-9275

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rosecolouredash · 5 years

Text

Star-crossed (Finale); Hockey!Calum

Pairing: Hockey!Calum x Fem!OC

Summary: It was just luck that their stars crossed...and finally aligned.

Warnings: FLUFF.

Notes: ...and this series (finally) comes to an end. Thank you again for your support throughout my long writing hiatus/lack of writing, in general. Slowly but surely getting back into the swing of things ♥️

Her twin was hiding something from her.

That much was clear as Blake aimlessly roamed the dog park with her curious pup, Rococo, in tow. The Weaver twins decided to stay in the neighbouring town an extra couple of weeks—their family they were staying with, ecstatic at the decision. That particular morning, the Grizzlies’ captain was beginning to get stir crazy since being knocked out of the hockey tournament.

James watched his sister as he ate his breakfast at the kitchen table. As she snuggled with their large fluffy dog on the couch, he was quick in his decision—and hopefully he wouldn’t regret it. Checking the time on the wall clock, he recommended she adventure with Rococo and visit a dog park that their cousin had apparently mentioned. Blake thought it was a good idea and went upstairs to change into warmer clothes since the mornings in town were quite cool.

It just so happened that she wasn’t the only one to do so that morning.

And that the dog park was actually, not once, mentioned by their cousin.

—

Calum received a joyous bark from Duke.

As he stood from his crouched position from scratching behind his pup’s belly, he surveyed the area. In preparation to the championship game, the Timberwolves’ defenseman quadrupled his daily runs—reserving two as brisk walks with Duke. He let out a breath in nervous habit—the air becoming visible in a cloud of smoke from his pouty lips.

Although training was important, he had another reason for being at the dog park today.

—

“Look, now that we’re out of the tournament, there’s no real reason for us to stay.”

Calum’s brows creased at the Grizzlies’ center forward. There was no denying that he wasn’t right and now he questioned his being there—outside the locker room of a rival team. A rival team who’s captain he wanted to ask out on a date. A captain whose twin brother delivered the harsh reality of their situation.

Was it a lost cause from the start?

James looked on at the frown that now appeared on the Wolf’s face. He hoped he wouldn’t regret this.

“Unless you give her one.”

—

Although her blonde hair was mostly tucked into a knit grey hat—he recognized her from a mile away, her tall frame also covered by a black puffer jacket. The large fluffy dog walking next to her was another dead giveaway—remembering the pictures Blake shared of her dog, the fateful night they met.

He approached her, Duke happily walking at his side. His little pup let out a yap as they neared the girl while her own dog let out a friendly bark back at the possible new friends.

As the dogs circled and sniffed one another, ultimately bound by their leashes, their owners were but at a standstill.

Blake was the first to speak, since Calum paused to admire the rosiness of her cheeks due to the cold.

“Hi.” She greeted, simply.

“Hi,” he started back, the end of it going up in octave as he let out a chuckle.

She giggled back as he adjusted his own knit cap on his head and then got straight to the point. “Why do I feel like us meeting here wasn’t pure coincidence?”

—

“What are you trying to say?”

James laughed at his competitor’s confused expression. It must have seemed strange and it was. To Calum, the male Weaver had given him nothing but snark since their first interaction on the ice and now? He had made a complete turnaround.

The Bear let out a sigh. “Hockey—the Grizzlies. They mean everything to Blake.”

Calum nodded his head in agreement. The passion he witnessed on the ice from her was all the proof he needed to back that statement.

“She played her best game out there and as much as I hate to admit it—” James paused, choosing his words carefully. He already had to swallow his pride and do what was best for his sister as her twin brother and not as her teammate on the ice.

“—it was probably because of you.”

—

“M’not sure if I told you, you’d believe me.”

Blake hummed in response as they continued their route. Staying in one place for too long made them shiver to the bone and so they decided to walk the winding paths that went through the dog park.

She wasn’t going to pry further but her intuition told her to corner her twin brother later.

They made their way around the park almost twice, laughing when they neared a trail they had already been through—four boot prints and eight paw prints—some thrice as large as the others, marked in the lightly snow covered path.

At one point, as they reached a fenced in portion of the dog park, they let Duke and Rococo off leash. As they frolicked around in the snow, nipping at each other in play, the two owners went to sit at a wooden bench.

“So, how’s training for the championship going?” Calum was surprised at her nonchalant expression. She faced the dogs as she asked and then awed when Rococo booped Duke’s little nose with her large snout. Catching the interaction himself, the boy smiled and responded. “Really well. The team’s working hard.”

There was a comfortable silence when Calum went to speak again. “Hey, I’m sor—”

“If an apology is about to come out of your mouth, you can keep it.”

Blake fully faced Calum now. She grinned, in reassurance. “The better team won that day...unfortunately.”

The edges of Calum’s eyes crinkled at her hearty laugh, to confirm she was joking, or so he hoped as he appreciated the backhanded compliment.

“You’re good—really good. I feel sort of guilty.” He admitted as her laugh quieted down.

“Well don’t be.” Before Blake could say more, a rumble from her stomach interrupted her. Almost embarrassingly, she replied. “Though I may know a way you could make up for it.”

Standing from the bench, Calum offered her a hand just as he did back on the ice. This time, she gladly accepted with no interruption. Whilst being pulled to stand, the dark-haired boy nodded his head towards a particular direction.

“There’s a café over there and they’re dog friendly...we could grab something to eat?”

Heat rushed to Calum’s cheeks as a sweet smile graced Blake’s thin lips and with her hand, still in his, she gave a light squeeze.

“I’d like that.”

—

With the amount of games Calum had played throughout the years, it was easy to be selective of what he heard in the arena—some of them, of course, being his coach and his teammates—his brothers on the ice. Sometimes he allowed the cheers of the crowd to filter through his ears—their vocal encouragement motivating him.

This time, as he skated into position at the championship game, a couple of new voices joined the hometown crowd.

He already pinpointed her spot, in the stands, during warm up—seeing her wave while wearing one of his many practice jerseys, the royal blue of it complimenting her blonde hair nicely. In contrast, her twin brother stood next to her—adorned in his red Grizzlies jersey, in solidarity.

Though they were seemingly on good terms, as of late, he was a proud Bear through and through.

Calum responded her thumbs up with a wink as the referee let out a whistle to signal the final game of the tournament, one he planned on winning.

Tagged: @irwinkitten @calpops @rosecoloredash @gorgeouslygrace @rainingcalum @cashton-dolan @lockthisheartinchains @lovableah

#ro writes #hockey!5sos #hockey 5sos #hockey!calum #hockey calum #hockey!calumhood #hockey calum hood #hockey!au #hockey au #calum hood #calum hood imagine #calum hood oneshot #calum hood fanfic #5sos #5 seconds of summer #5sos imagine #5sos one shot #5sos fanfic

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justas-confused-asthenextperson · 4 years

Text

50 Song Lyric Prompts

“What do I gotta do to make you all mine? And what do I gotta say to make it all smiles?” - selfish, Jeremy Zucker

“Even though we bot know we’re liars. And start each other’s fires. We just know that we’ll be alright.” - Close to Me, Ellie Goulding, Diplo & Swae Lee

“I can’t go anywhere, I can’t do anything. No, I can’t close my eyes without you in my dreams.” - I See you, Luke Bryan

“The way you shining like a crystal, makes me forget the pain.” - No Limits, Zayde Wolf

“I’ve battled hard with the face in the mirror. Every scar makes me dig down deeper.” - The Fear, The Score

“I’m sorry that I did this, the blood is on my hands.” - If I Killed Someone for You, Alec Benjamin

“Some days I lie wide awake til the sun hits my face.” - King of the Clouds, Panic! At the Disco

“And now you’re standing at the altar. You look so beautiful in white.” - You Want My Sister, 1 Hour Band

“Got me fallin’ man it hurts yea it hurts so bad. All in and it's worth everything I have.” - Flirt, Neffex

“I hate it when dudes try to chase me. But I love it when you try to save me.” - 1950, King Princess

“‘Cause there’s a lot of things that I never said. Now you’re with somebody else in a different bed.” - All Love, Fletcher

“ We’ll be up like the sun in a New Jersey sky. Up like the wheels on a Hummer fly.” - Up, Cole Swindell

“What if I lean in? And the stars line up, and it’s our last first kiss. What if one of these days, baby I go and change your name?” - What Ifs, Kane Brown, Lauren Alaina

“Bite that tattoo on your shoulder. Pull the sheets right off the corner.” - Closer, The Chainsmokers, Halsey

“Turn me on, turn me off, then you turn me back on by the weekend. Then you won’t say the words that I want but you flirt when you’re drinking.” - Written in the Sand, Old Dominion

“Goodbye to all my friends at home. Goodbye to people I’ve trusted.” - Jet Airliner, Steve Miller Band

“I cannot give you everything. You know I wish I could.” - Young Dumb & Broke, Khalid

“I’m gon’ make you feel that loving, getting weak all in the knees. Kiss your body from the tip top all the way down to your feet.” - Ride, Chase Rice, Macy Maloy

“Say I shouldn’t be here, but I can’t give up his touch.” - Him, Sam Smith

“You know that I want you. And you know that I need you.” Bad Romance, Lady Gaga

“There’s been a couple times that I fell in love. But a couple times just ain’t enough.” - Smiling When I Die, Sasha Sloan

“Put you right back on your feet. Just so you could take advantage of me.” - Without Me, Halsey

“I love to hold you close tonight and always. I love to wake up next to you.” - Pillowtalk, Zayn

“Nobody knows you better than me. Better than the lace you wear.” - King of Shadow, Kat Cunning

“I wish that I could say I'm proud. I'm sorry that I let you down” - Let You Down - NF

“Do you think of me, of what we used to be? Is it better now that I’m not around?” - Don’t Wanna Know, Maroon 5, Kendrick Lamar

“Here we go again in that same story. Follow the routine until we say, “I’m sorry”.” - I Don’t Like You, Grace VanderWaal

“Boy, you should know whatcha falling for. Baby do you dare to do this?” - Dark Horse, Katy Perry

“But girls love girls and boys. And love is not a choice.” - Girls/Girls/Boys, Panic! At the Disco

“Yeah, layin’ next to you every night. Sounds like a damn good life.” - I’ll Name the Dogs, Blake Shelton

“Girl, I’m gonna make you miss me. Make you wish that you were sleepin’ in my shirt.” - Make You Miss Me, Sam Hunt

“Put your head on my chest. Let me help you forget.” - Break on Me, Keith Urban

“I don’t mean to be so uptight, but my heart’s been hurt a couple times.” - Meant to Be, Bebe Rexha, Flordia Georgia Line

“‘Cause once a upon a time, you were my everything. It’s clear to see that time hasn’t changed a thing.” - Never Forget You, Zara Larsson

“If we’re going down together, better take another hit. We won’t be here forever, so let’s make the best of it.” - Gotta Be a Reason, Alec Benjamin

“I’ve never needed you like I do right now. I’ve never hated you like I do right now.” - Make Me (Cry), Noah Cyrus, Labrinth

“He’s so tall and handsome as hell. He’s so bad but he does it so well.” - Wildest Dreams, Taylor Swift

“And I told my heart it was just a summerthing. But you made me fall in the winter.” - SummerThing!, Afrojack, Mike Taylor

“You got a perfect one so put it on me. Swear it won’t take you long.” - Talking Body, Tove Lo

“You wanna fall in love, but don’t wanna feel the pain.” - Alive, Neffex

“And she’ll always get the best of me. The worst is yet to come.” - Can’t Feel My Face, The Weekend

“Would you still love me the same? If I showed you my flaws. If I couldn’t be strong.” - Locked Away, R. City, Adam Levine

“’Cause I was gonna be your forever. You were gonna be my wife.” - Greatest Love Story, Lanco

“I take a deep breath every time I pass your door. I know you’re there but I can’t see you anymore.” - I Need Your Love, Calvin Harris, Ellie Goulding

“And last night, you were in my room. And now my bedsheets smell like you.” - Shape of You, Ed Sheeran

“I’m all alone but you’re blowing up my phone. Tellin’ me you miss me and that you’re home.” - I’m Comin’ Over, Chris Young

“It’s too late, and baby, I’m done with comin’ undone. I’m so sick of lovin’ you.” - One Too Many, Fletcher

“He’s out his head. I’m out my mind. We got that love. The crazy kind.” - Him & I, G-Easy & Halsey

“But will you trust me when I say that I’ll make it up to you.” - I’m So Sorry, Imagine Dragons

“Close the blinds, let’s pretend that the time has changed.” - My House, Flo Rida

#song prompt #song prompts #prompts #song lyrics

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littlemix-styleblog · 5 years

Photo

Requested Little Mix Outfit Inspired For BlackPink Concert

Jade

New Look Blue Camo Pocket Utility Jeans: £27.99. So if your a avid follower of Little Mix, You would know Jade has a fetish for a certain pair of orange trousers. She`s worn them from Disneyland to Tanzania, to rehearsals to the Kids Choice Awards and you know what? I think she really likes them. They may be out of some peoples comfort zone or a bit too garish but when you want to make a statement you reach for these. Camo pants have taken off these last couple of years, Not because we all want to join the army but because they have become a fashion staple, Becoming trendy and modern. They have that edgy, Dynamic edge and you can wear them casually or for a assault course. Ideal for festivals so they are versatile and ideal for a Blackpink concert too..You can get them in a variety of colours too from Purple, Green and Grey.

Doc Martens: £130. In this post we have a variety of shoes to choose from, From chunky trainers to the heavier trainers to these boots. No question about it Jade loves her DMs. Together with this look you could combat the world. You don`t have too wear DMs, you can put some white/black trainers with this look too!.

PrettyLittleThing BLACK CREPE SPAGHETTI STRAP BANDEAU CROP TOP: £6. This bralet is all part of the layering process, Jade hasn`t really been seen wearing a bralet too many times...But looks can be deceiving because just seen what we would do with this top.

I Saw It First Black D Ring Slogan Tape Belt: £6. Now for those really into their fashion, you would know these belts have really taken off. Many dupes of the OFF WHITE yellow belt have been made and copied and you would find these everywhere. You can find them all in different colours and styles and patterns. These are a great belt for that added grunge effect, It gives a extra spark for your outfit. You can also buy this belt in yellow.

SkinnyDip HEARTBREAKER NECKLACE: £4. Not many of you are aware but Jade is known for her quirkyness, Which I personally love about her. So to fill any blank bits or for that extra bit of extraness we have added a necklace, You can get a variety of quirky necklaces from Skinnydip to choose from, from different quotes to phrases etc.

Bershka metallic cross body bag: £11.50. So initially I wanted a cool rockstar, edgy shoulder bag, We found one but it was out of stock and that was the only one I could find. We picked this one up because it`s quirky and it`s rainbow and we all know Jade loves rainbows. I can understand how you might think it`s for five year olds but it would liven up your outfit. But if you didn`t like that we understand, We also managed to pick up another bag with the Burberry pattern and again this could pass off as designer and is ideal for keeping the essentials safe. You can see it here

Black Crop T-shirt: Now we added this one because it`s a great way to layer. If you take a look back at the Summer Hits Tour last year, Jade wore a black cropped t-shirt just like this one with a bikini top underwear. This was the idea I was going for and it`s a perfect example of layering. Simply add the black bralet underneath (Or a different coloured one) and your good to go. Of course you don`t have to buy one, I couldn`t find any cropped t-shirts as small as this on the market so the easiest way to get one would be to buy a plain black t-shirt and cut it, Of course the ragged edges would make it look even more edgy.

Jesy

Look No.1

Topshop Bleach Flap Rip Mom Jeans: £42. Jesy has been really into the denim thing lately. She seems to love baggy boyfriend/Mom jeans and wears them down casually or dressed up. If you have a look back through her Instagram you will see she has worn mom jeans a lot on nights out or casually. You don`t have to go to a concert looking all glammed up to have a good time.

PrettyLittleThing WHITE JERSEY SQUARE NECK BRALET: £8. What`s also been happening lately is that Jesy has been really into wearing padded bra, Actual padded bras you wear under your shirt. Now I couldn`t choose a bra because not everyone feels comfortable wearing one let alone wearing one under your t-shirt. So we went further and went for something longer..a Bralet!. Jesy likes to keep to her top half simple..She likes to show her toned stomach and arms. You could do too, When your dancing around you don`t want to feel sticky or hot. I know a bralet may not seem like everyones cup of tea either so you can swap this with a t-shirt and the outfit would still look good.

PrettyLittleThing CLOVER BLACK STRAP HEELED SANDALS: £20. This outfit would be a mixture of grunge and classy with these heels. Can feel like a sophiscated young lady whilst wearing black heels and mom jeans. All the rage at the moment.

H&M Narrow belt: £6.99. It`s your choice if you wanted to add a belt or not, or let the jeans free like Perrie does. Or if you don`t want your pants falling down (Or you hate pulling them up every 2 seconds) then a belt for you. Belts with gold hoops have become popular recently, A lot of brands and shops have taken inspiration from Gucci`s classic belt and incorporated it in their own...For much cheaper.

ASOS DESIGN large square polysatin headscarf/neckscarf in monogram: £14. What a absolute corker this is, The scarf is a much cheaper dupe of the one Jesy owns. Not only that but it more or less has the same logo as Fendi so you could pass this off as designer. Of course you don`t have to wear this is as headscarf, You can use it as a scarf, or you can hang it around your handbag and even that would look designer (Most designers do this), Or maybe a wrist scarf? Or a neck scarf? The list is endless.

Look No.2

Sacred Hawk t-shirt dress with wolf motif: £32. I did come up with two outfits for Jesy, One is trendy and one is similar to what she has been wearing lately. But I chose this t-shirt dress because she seems to be a fan of these, She doesn`t like plain ones she has to like ones with graphic prints..Which I must admit was hard to find unless they are designer. Now you will see where I am going with this if you continue reading but it is part of a new fashion trend that is happening recently and it`s all to do with layering. I have noticed layering has become really popular lately, You might think layering is too do with keeping warm and putting another t-shirt on but oh no. Layering is experimenting and letting your creativeness run free, It`s apart of creating a dynamic yet unique look.

PrettyLittleThing NEON PINK HIGH NECK JERSEY LONG SLEEVE BODYSUIT: So we decided to include this bodysuit because 1. It`s neon and neon is at the height of it`s game at the moment and 2. It`s all to do with the layering effect. As I mentioned above layering has become popular recently with people doing different layering styles. Underneath a black t-shirt dress you can wear a bodysuit with a turtleneck (So people know your layering), So we chose this pink bodysuit. From a plain outfit to a really funky and dynamic one we have just shifted this outfit from first gear to second gear with one really simple piece. You can also get it in green here

ASOS DESIGN ribbed ankle socks: £3. If we take it back to last month, Do we remember when Jesy uploaded a photo with the green beanie? She wore a oversized t-shirt dress didn`t she? Along with boots. Well banish the boots and add some socks because girl this look is going places, This is my favourite look out of the lot. It`s so youthful, fun, fresh, unique, creative. Girl if I was going with you I would wear this look. If pinks not your thing, Then why not try some green socks? We picked these ones up from ASOS.

Nike Air Force 1 Trainers White: £54.99. How could you go wrong with the classics?

Perrie

Boohoo Petite High Rise Mom Jeans: £15. This outfit may look familiar to you, Yes I did recreate Perrie`s outfit she wore to the 1975 concert recently. She wore a pair of mom jeans. Mom jeans are for people who like to feel comfortable without the feeling of something sticking to your legs or for the people who don`t like how their legs feel in skin tight jeans. Now mom jeans arent to everyones taste..They can be awkward, Make your legs look weird and everything but you can experiment, People like different things. What to also note is that Perrie didn`t wear a belt with her outfit on that day...She went for the grunge, laidback undone look which is also becoming a trend now.

Topshop Smooth Thick Hoop Earrings: £8. Perrie has been sporting some gold hoops a lot lately so it would be wrong not to add any. Thick gold hoops are on trend at the moment.

PrettyLittleThing WHITE CHUNKY CLEATED SOLE TRAINERS: £25

Monki checked cap in beige: £10. Perrie seems to love a good hat and to make this outfit stand out, you could add a hat. If you don`t like the way your hair looks or if it looks greasy...Wear a hat. We picked up this hat from ASOS, With the Burberry pattern beaming people would think is designer and expensive. So why not look expensive for much cheaper? Perrie has been seen wearing Buberry items, But us mere mortals arent that rich so we have to settle for dupes and what better dupe then this one.

MissGuided black funnel neck long sleeve bodysuit: $15. Ah, the classic black bodysuit. These go with everything and anything. Wear these casually or glammed up..Can`t find a top that goes with that skirt? A bodysuit is the answer to your prayers.

Leigh

I Saw It First Black Slinky Zip Front Long Sleeve Unitard: £10. As of late last year when Little Mix was on the performance circuit, I noticed Leigh had been wearing a lot of skin tight clothing such as cycling shorts, bodysuits...Basically she was dressing like a cyclist. Now I`m not saying you should go and dress like one, Because let`s be honest it`s not the best fashion look and not everyone can pull it off. So we circled around that and ended up with this black unitard from I Saw It First. You will be able to dance freely, Not get so hot and you won`t have any trouble finding the fly. Slinky unitards arent just for the ballerinas, they are for the festival and concert goers. These fit in with the very grunge, 80s trend happening at the moment. If you look around you will be able to find a unitard that is fully covered everywhere without any cut outs.

Claudia Canova mermaid sequin bum bag: £20. When you go to a concert, You can`t just go without any cash or a phone or a emergency backup of a lipgloss. Would you take a bag? Maybe but we need something more convenient that won`t get in the way of our dancing. Bum bags arent just for festivals, Celebrities have been seen wearing these casually. They along with many of the items in this list have become a fashion staple these last couple of years and not only that but it`s convenient and will save you a nagging from your mum. However, WIth bum bags you can either have the fun, quirky bag or you can have the casual, sophiscated glammed up one whichever one takes your fancy it will go with your outfit. So I picked up this glam one from River Island.

Topshop PETITE Hacked Off Cropped Denim Jacket: £42. Leigh loves a denim jacket and so do we. Incase you are worried you may get cold or you want to hide your arms then a jacket is the perfect accessory.

Glamorous Chunky Mono Trainers: £34.99. Chunky trainers has become popular as of late. Personally I think you can get the ugly chunky trainer or you can get the cute chunky trainer, You can go big or you can go small. Taken I think from Yeezys these have spiralled into a trend, It`s all apart of the 80s trend.

This post does contain affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through these links I earn a tiny commission to keep the blog running. It does not cost you any extra.

#Little Mix #Glamourous #ASOS #PrettyLittleThing #Boohoo #MissGuided #Office Shoes #Nike #River Island #Topshop #I Saw It First #H&M #SkinnyDip #New Look #Inspired

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kokkoro · 6 years

Text

Violet Blue (8/15)

summary: General wolf rules for life: Eat. Rest. Rove in between. Render loyalty. Love the children. Cavil in moonlight. Tune your ears. Attend to the bones. Make love. Howl often. Clarissa Pinkola Estes

being moms is hard, being werewolf moms in the suburbs is even harder. (read here on ao3)

May.

The first of may is warm and the park is busy because of it, just barely hitting that seventies range and after a month of fifties and those barely sixties you revel in that short sleeve weather. The wind tugs, a bit cold when the sun dips behind the clouds as it begins its descent in the west, but it's nothing if not refreshing against the heat of your skin.

Clarke likes it too. If the way you catch her watching you is any indication. On the sidelines, keeping tabs on Lily and Madi as they play off to the side of the bleachers in the grass. It’s the last practice before the kids’ first game on saturday, and despite perhaps your teams’ tendency to get distracted, you think you might be ready. Or ready as you’ll ever be.

You pack up with the last few rays of sun, handing out the supplied team jerseys to your group of tiny players. Half of them wear it like dresses, but are excited at the concept, and you’ve grown to like each of them in your own way. Charlie still likes her flowers and Katie lacks the skill but more than makes up for it in enthusiasm. There’s even another ‘aiden’ but he’s so far from your own son that you have a little trouble calling him by name.

By the time all the uniforms are distributed (Danny proudly displaying her lucky number 7) and the last few parents make their way back to the parking lot, not much remains. There’s stragglers, runners after work taking advantage of the last few moments of nice weather, and couples strolling the paths that bisect the park, lingering by the pond and the ducks. They keep to themselves and so do you.

Clarke meets you out by the diamond, leaning into you and kissing the curve of your jaw, sneaking a hand under the loose fabric of your henley. She brushes her thumb over your hip and you can feel the cold press of her ring against your warm skin.

You lean to the side to kiss her cheek, keeping your eyes ahead as Danny does a lap around plates in her new shirt. With no one else in the near vicinity, the other four are quick to join and you and Clarke stand on the sidelines and regard the game of tag unfolding out before you with barely restrained amusement.

Madi trips somewhere between homebase and the pitcher’s mound, nearly face first into the dirt with a thump, hands splayed to catch herself instead of latching onto Danny’s shirt as she intended. Your immediate instinct is to check on her, but you don’t even make it half a foot before Clarke reels you back in.

“She’s fine,” Clarke says, and you watch as your youngest shakes herself off before bracing her hands firmly on the ground, planting her feet flat, and then hauls herself up like nothing happened. She’s back in the fray not seconds later. “See?”

That doesn’t completely get rid of the bits of worry still present in your gut. “Yesterday she hit her head on the kitchen table and she cried for twenty minutes.”

“That’s a gross over exaggeration,” Clarke says, pinching the skin at your hip and you turn to look at her, eyebrow quirked and practically asking for trouble. She moves to stand in front of you, drapes her arms over your shoulders and you sigh when she leans in to touch her nose to yours. “It was five tops.”

It’s soft and quick, which is good, you guess in the long run, because you feel your phone vibrate in your back pocket and you have to let her go to answer it. You see Anya’s name, but before you pick up the call you dip to press a kiss to Clarke’s cheek.

“Am I interrupting something?” comes Anya’s voice as you turn away, looking out towards the parking lot. Clarke smirks at you before focusing her attention towards the kids.

“Yes,” you say, monotone. The wind picks up, tugging at your hair, and you run your hand through it, pulling it over your shoulder and out of your face.

“We need your help,” she says, and there’s something in Anya’s voice you don’t like.

“Around four thirty yesterday, a couple stumbled across three bodies in an alley near Cadbury.” Anya tells you the next morning as she plops down a manila file down onto your desk. You glance up at her, holding her stare for a brief second before reaching out to open the file.

What you see first is a picture of a man, close cropped hair, beard, and then the evidence photos of the scene paperclipped together with a typed-up report. You skim it as Anya continues her debrief.

“Two women and a man. Multiple puncture wounds, dumped by the looks of it. So far they appear unrelated, but identification will take some time. Our culprit here made sure any identifying aspects were removed.”

“Is that what you need me for?” you begin. “Identification?”

‘We--” and Anya stops. Starts again, “I have reason to believe it’s a rogue.”

You look up at that. “A rogue?”

“Recent most likely.” She points to one of the photos, documentation of the bodies and the injuries sustained. “Most of the inflicted wounds are from a knife or sharp object, but here,” and she points, “and here… The only possible explanation is teeth and no human can do that.”

“Are they working alone?”

“As of right now, it’s unclear.”

You exhale, pinching the bridge of your nose, and you gather your thoughts together before they escape you. You can only hope you’re ready for what follows.

“Please be careful, Lexa, that’s all I’m asking.”

You purse your lips, tugging off your undershirt shirt and folding it neatly. You place it over the button up folded across your desk chair, followed by your bra, and then scrounge about for a t-shirt in the top right drawer of your dresser. It’s an old Uni tee, one that Clarke wears more often than you do now, but that’s part of the comfort. Threadbare and soft, it drapes loosely, and you pull your hair free, shaking it out.

“When am I not?” you ask, turning to face Clarke with this sly little smile, hoping to dissuade the tension. She stands behind you, already ready for bed, arms crossed and her hip cocked, but she doesn’t rise to take the bait.

Clarke shakes her head, uncrossing her arms as she takes those few steps forward into your space. She reaches out for your hair, cards her fingers gently through the strands and braids, untangling knots as she goes. She clicks her tongue when you try to kiss her, leaning back just out of your reach, focused, and your resign yourself to the attention. You study the crease in her brow and the tension she holds in her jaw and think this is one of the many reasons why you love her.

“I will be,” you say softly. “I promise. But I won’t stand idly by if there’s something I can do to help. Neither would you.”

Clarke’s hands still, and you watch her inhale slowly and hold it for a beat too long before it all escapes in a rush. She knows you’re right, there are just certain times where she hates to admit it. Her lips purse, hands now fiddling with the bent collar of your t-shirt.

When you lean in to kiss her this time she lets you.

The place Anya drags you too first is some corner store at the edge of the city. She grabs a coffee for herself and an iced one for you, but it spends more time in the cupholder of the cruiser than it does in your hand as the streets steadily become abundant and busier. Morning rush has past, and while the roads are still lively it's easily traversed. You make it to your destination around ten o’clock

The scene is still sectioned off, the abandoned apartment of the alleged suspect, and there’s only one other man you recognize. You don’t know his name, but Anya addresses him as you bypass them into the space, ducking under the caution tape. You hear them discuss updates from the forensic team about the dump where they found the bodies, and it’s nothing more than what you told them yesterday.

In your opinion, everything reeks, but it's part of the job. There’s trash in the sink and the table is covered with dishes caked in leftover food probably a week old. Clothes litter the floor, ripped up newspapers, and when you finally make it into the living room you don’t need your heightened sense of smell or even your sight to know that’s blood stained into the carpet. Your nose does tell you other things, however.

It’s a mix, and when Anya wanders over to you after finishing up with her subordinate, you glance at her to make sure you have her attention before speaking. “It’s not alone,” you say, soft enough where your tone doesn’t draw extra attention. You gesture to the blood. “Or at least it wasn’t.”

Anya quirks a brow, but you see her mouth settle into a grin. “We’d save so much time and money if you’d just come back full time, you realize that right?”

“I’m a family woman, you know that.” The smile doesn’t fade, and before Anya has the chance to tease you about how bad Clarke and the kids have you wrapped around their fingers (like you’d have it any other way) you cut her off. “This was supposed to be my month with the kids.”

Anya’s face falls, but you see it for only a fraction of a second. You know in spite of her insistent teasing, Anya recognizes and acknowledges the entire world comes in second to your family.

Though that doesn’t mean you don’t enjoy your job. There’s a certain satisfaction only it can bring.

“Well,” Anya says, “The sooner we’re done the better.”

On friday you go in late. You wake up with Clarke and the kids, though it's more along the lines of rousing disorientated the second Clarke leaves the circle of your arms, pulling away from your grasp. You groan halfheartedly, your nose no longer buried among the mess of her hair and you miss the scent immediately.

There’s the quiet part of your morning where you make breakfast hip to hip in the kitchen with Clarke. After you get ready and join her downstairs with your shirt untucked and half-buttoned. Clarke scrambles the eggs and you mix up the batter for pancakes and she fixes you up in the lull between.

Aden is the first into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes and bumping into his chair before climbing up into it. He’s just following his nose, you’re sure, eyes still half closed, sleep clinging stubbornly to him.

It’s another ten or so before you hear the noises stir upstairs. You pile the pancakes onto a plate, depositing it onto the table as you pass, ruffling Aden’s hair. Halfway upstairs you hear the bathroom door squeak open and Jack greets you with a yawn. He grins this toothy smile when he notices you--giggles as you lumber closer to kiss his cheek and forehead.

His footsteps patter away as he makes his way downstairs. You nudge open Lily and Madi’s bedroom door and Lily picks her head up at the sound, looking for you. Her hair’s a rats nest, sticking this way and that, but the cuteness outweighs the inevitable herculean task of combing it out later.

By nine, all of you are situated around the table. You finish up your cup of coffee, going over notes on your phone while Clarke finishes eating he last of her pancakes drenched in syrup. She’s in the hall with you when you go to leave, the kids’ chatter quiet from the kitchen. She pulls you in by the hips, kisses you soundly there in the space all by yourselves and it leaves you dazed.

It’s certainly one of the better mornings this week.

You take saturday off thanks to the big game and Anya doesn’t say a word about it. Danny is a jittery mess in the backseat of the car for the duration of the drive, and you have to stop yourself from checking the rearview mirror every few seconds just so you can see her in her seat with her hat and her shirt tucked into her cute white baseball pants and her glove already permanently attached to her hand.

She’s out of her seat the second you unbuckle her, though, making a beeline for the field and your not quick enough to snag her. She doesn’t respond when you call her, and your’re lucky you’re early and the parking lot isn’t busy yet. You dart off to catch her just as Clarke looks up from her task of unbuckling the rest of the kids from their booster seats.

You close the distance quickly, grabbing a fistful of Danny’s jersey, and then escort her back to the car while reiterating proper parking lot behavior. You know she’s just excited, but you tell her that’s no excuse not to be careful. Danny has at least the decency to look guilty.

The rest of the team shows up thirty or so minutes later. Luke is last and decidedly alone. He smiles at you, waves to Clarke and the kids, and Charlie rushes to join the circle that’s already formed by home plate. When the other team arrives as well, you can’t help the slight prideful puff of your chest as you regard your group of toddlers lined up and ready near the benches.

You’re not one to brag, but you’re pretty sure you have the best team in the league. Or at the very least in the downtown area.

You also know that winning isn’t everything, especially not at this age. It’s about laughter and participation in whatever form--about encouragement and having fun. Danny excels in it, and while there aren’t many, any pop-up that’s within twenty feet is an easy catch. By the fifth inning, bits of her hair escape from the cap, tickling her cheek, her jersey practically untucked as she darts back and forth out in the field no matter if she gets the ball or not. The others avoid her and Jack watches with a mix of confusion and curiosity. It doesn’t stop her from trying.

“You have to give the other kids a chance to catch the ball, Danny,” you tell her when she comes in at the end of the inning, crouching down in front of her. She doesn’t really listen, glancing longingly back over her shoulder as the other team takes the outfield.

“I can catch it really good though, momma,” she says when she turns around again and you can’t help but smile a bit because it's true.

“Just because you can make it to home plate from the outfield doesn’t mean you should.”

She pouts, pursing her lips and scrunching her brows. You ruffle her hair, kiss her cheek, and the giggles that bubble forth are music to your ears.

You hop down from the backseat of the cruiser and try to ignore the wide eyed double-takes from the pedestrians walking by as you shake out the kinks in your muscles. The backseat always seems cramped in this form, no matter how you decide to sit.

The only thing that saves you from prolonged staring is the bandana tied around your neck, signifying the ‘k-9’ unit of south county police department. You hate the thing, but it’s better than a collar and leash. And at least you don’t have to worry anymore about the rookies shooting you by accident. You stick close to Anya’s side anyway, a buffer to the enquiring eyes as you go about your job.

There’s a lot of smells to sift through, especially one that’s nearly six days old, but you’re the best at what you do for a reason. The station had received a tip concerning a couple of shady individuals not far from the recent site and it’s a simple thing to match two and two together.

“Find anything?” Anya asks as you trot by and you give a whole shake your head with a huff. You continue your search near the mouth of the alley, nose to the ground.

It takes a moment or two, but you manage to pick up a scent not entirely human and you take one more lap around the area just to be sure there wasn’t something you missed. You’re relieved to find there isn’t.

The scent appears to lead down park avenue, and from what you know from experience is essentially a straight shot to a stretch of woods that spreads out west. But with the smell as faint as it is, the likelihood of following it to the source is closer to zero, especially with the scent of rain close on the horizon.

You take off in the direction anyway, practically hearing Anya’s eye roll, but the muffled, exasperated ‘wolves,’ comes in loud and clear. You pick up the pace just for her.

The house is dark when you get home from a late night at the station and you’re frustration only amplifies when you somehow managed to stub your pinky toe on the first stair. To your credit, none of the swears are above a whisper, clutching at your foot until the pain subsides, but it leaves you in a bitter mood as you climb the steps up to the second floor and then down the hall to your room.

Clarke is already in bed, bundled up in an excess of blankets despite the oncoming heat of May. The window is open, the breeze a breath of fresh air, and you only bother with your pants and socks and jacket, tossing them aside, before crawling into bed with her. She rolls over at the disturbance, facing towards you, but she doesn’t open her eyes.

You tangle your legs with hers, scooting closer until your foreheads touch and Clarke hums low in her throat. You kiss the tip of her nose, her lips, the apple of her cheek and you’re not surprised by how fast the bitterness subsides.

“Lexa... Lexa,” Clarke mumbles under her breath, face scrunching. “Lexa, I’m trying to sleep.”

So you stop, exhaling softly in the darkness and letting the tension ease its way through your system. Of all the dead-ends and setbacks and failures.

Clarke finds your arm, pulls lazily it over her hip. “You stopped,” she says, voice barely above of whisper, but she seems more awake now, closing the distance between you until not much remains.

“You told me to.”

Her hand finds the fabric of your blouse and holds fast. “I changed my mind.”

You duck your head, pressing your lips to her temple, and the last thing you see before you close your eyes is the small, satisfied curl to Clarke’s lips.

You get to the field just after six and you park right next to a very familiar suv. You make your way out to the diamond, but you can hear the laughter from the parking lot. You can’t help but feel a bit too dressed up for this, and though your blazer is folded over your arm, your badge is still clipped to your belt. The rest of parents over by the bleachers are a group of jeans and t-shirts and yoga pants, and they look at you somewhat curiously. Clarke herself is in joggers and one of your light sweaters, but the subtle lift of her brow when she spots you is a sure sign she enjoys what she sees.

“Welcome,” she says, looking down at you from her seat at the edge of the bleachers. When you’re within reach she dips low for a kiss you’re happy to give. “Glad you could make it, coach.”

“Did I miss much?” you ask, handing her your blazer so you can roll up your sleeves.

“They just started.” You hear a solid thwack as a bat collides with a ball and sends it sailing and you turn to watch Jack giddily run the bases in a victory lap, Luke (and Charlie by his heels) making sure he runs the bases the right direction this time. “They’re practicing their swings.”

“Thank you for bringing the equipment.”

Clarke shrugs, smiles. “Pleasure’s all mine.” She props her elbow on her knee, rests her chin in the palm of her hand. “Another kiss would be nice, though.”

“Clarke--”

“When will we see you?”

You turn away, leaning against the doorframe and away from the breakroom. The sound of Anya as she goes about fiddling with the company coffee machine builds behind you. You’re not sure how much a cup of coffee will do you this late but you’ll take what you can get.

“Probably not until sometime tomorrow afternoon. We have a good lead and if everything goes as planned… it’ll be over.”

“You promise?”

“I promise.”

She inhales quietly and the exhale follows shortly afterward. “Okay.”

10.

You remember in bits in pieces. That sudden sharp sting of pain when the knife slips deep into your side during the scuffle. The funny thing is that it disappears almost instantly--the pain--and you continue the chase as if nothing happened. Clarke says you have a one-track mind sometimes and you know you do. You’re not here to take your time, you’re here to get work done, to make the world a better place for your family, your children. You just weren’t expecting it. Rogue’s are impulsive and rash and in that way predictable, quick to use their teeth, so when it hits you, it does so all at once.

You remember the ground. The sudden rush of it when you stumble, limbs tangled. The way your nose and the side of your face scrapes the ground. You remember the moment you took to breathe, so fleeting in a sense, how the shift back happens unconsciously, the earth warm and rough against your cheek.

And you remember Clarke. First just the white of her fur a blur from far away. The cold touch of her nose, the insistent scared whines. But then... soft hands and her worried face.

You blink. “Clarke.”

“Don’t,” she says, voice high and trembling even as she gently cups your cheeks in her hands, swipes her thumbs over the smudges and scrapes. Her hair is windswept and golden in the early morning rays and there’s nothing you want more than to dig your fingers deep into the softness there.

“I can’t--” She fusses, talking mostly to herself as she moves her hand from your cheek to your side and holds it there. Somewhere off in the distance you hear shouts, anya’s voice among others... “--on my goddamn birthday Lexa, you absolute piece of--”

“Clarke.” And she looks up, brows pinched in concern and dirt on her chin. “I’m fine.”

She tries not to laugh and it comes out watery and strained and you can tell she’ll be mad about this for awhile.

It probably serves you right.

You wake up later in a small hospital room. Sparse with white walls and curtains. The breeze comes in through the open windows and it’s a breath of fresh air you greedily inhale until the pain in your side flares violently. You groan, attempting to shift to alleviate some of the discomfort only to stop immediately the second Clarke pushes her way into the room.

You don’t say anything, figuring it safer to wait. Clarke catches you watching though, holds your stare as she plops down into the chair next to your bed. She scoots closer though. “I’m mad at you right now.”

“I know.”

“I told you to be careful.”

You exhale, somewhat painstakingly, and lean back against the pillow, breathing as deep as your side will allow. You’re intimately aware of the way your skin stretches and pulls and the itch of the stitches. Clarke holds out her hand for you and you don’t hesitate to take it.

“Anya called me,” Clarke says and you can tell by the sound of her voice that she doesn’t like the memory. “Told me they had lost you somewhere out near Levy Park chasing some rogue, that you might have been wounded and--” She rubs her other hand across her forehead, pushes back her hair with a shaky inhale. You still see the dirt smudged on the underside of her chin. “I was scared I wouldn’t be able to find you.”

“You did.” You squeeze her hand, clearing your throat. “You always do.”

She smiles this small thing, hangs her head and her shoulders droop.

“The kids?”

“Gustus. Though Mrs. Jefferson was kind enough to watch them until he was able to get there.” She exhales, wipes the palm of her hand across her eyes. “Remind me to get her something nice as a thank you.”

You watch her, tired but unwilling to close your eyes, and her grip goes tight on your hand for a second, releases. You pull it close, pressing a kiss to her knuckles, and she leans over to rest her head lightly on your shoulder.

Gustus greets you later that day when you finally make it home. He has this big smile and at the sound of the door and your voices, the kids come hurtling from around the corner of the kitchen. Gustus manages to block most of them from launching themselves at you, but Madi is small and able to squeeze past and jump at you. You catch her, like always, and there’s nothing you can do about the pain but grin and bear it.

“Hello to you too.” You kiss her cheek and she giggles. Clarke is quick to pull her away though, settling the unruly toddler on her hip instead.

“Still alive I see,” Gustus says, grinning.

“It’s just a scratch.”

Gustus glances at Clarke, who rolls her eyes and moves past, shooing the kids back into the kitchen. There’s some of Gustus’ trademark venison stew in a pot on the stove, the rich smell a welcome change from the staleness of the hospital, although it leaves you a little queasy. Gustus stays for dinner, his large frame an anomaly at your kitchen table but you’re grateful for the stability his presence brings.

The kids can’t convince him to stay for dessert, no matter how hard Jack pleas, but he tells you not to hesitate to call should the need arise.

They don’t know, or at least don’t understand the severity of the circumstances. You’re not sure what Clarke told them this morning, but you catch Aden watching you almost worried like after dinner while Gustus says his goodbyes. His little hands fidget with the hem of his shirt, wrings and tugs, and it’s like you can see the swirl of his thoughts behind his eyes. You pull him aside in the hallway, crouching down to be eye to eye, smiling softly.

“Y-you’re o-okay right, momma?” he asks, and he seems to be fighting back the urge to cry. He insistently wipes the back of his hands across his eyes and it's the moment he realizes he can’t keep up with the tears that he breaks down.

It’s not loud, but it’s kind of unnerving even for you. He has trouble controlling his breathing and he stutters and shakes and you pull him into the circle of your arms. He holds you tight, presses his face into the t-shirt Clarke had brought to the hospital for you to change into and stays there.

“I’m okay. I promise,” you say, ignoring the sting in your side and bumping your heads together. “Sometimes I just work too hard.”

Out of the corner of your eye you catch Clarke just around the corner. She holds your stare, eyes tired, but she smiles a tiny bit and it’s like being able to breathe.

You inhale through your teeth at the sharp stab of pain as Clarke helps you out of your shirt later that night, you seated at the edge of your bed with Clarke knelt between your knees. Her fingers are gentle, skating along the edges of the gauze and the still tender skin, but you can’t help the wince when she presses a little too hard and she looks up at the sound of the bitten back whimper that escapes you.

She toys with the edge of the bandage, the part of her that is very much Abby’s daughter evident in the gesture, but she stops herself and rests her hands on your hips.

“Happy birthday,” you say softly. She glances up at you, just for a second, and smiles something small and quiet and you think you see tears her eyes, but you can’t be sure.

She takes a deep breath and gives a small shake of her head. “How are you?”

“Sore,” you reply and it’s meant in all seriousness. You watch as she stands and pulls off her own shirt, steps out of her pants. She leaves the clothes in a pile on the floor, urging you back and under the covers, before turning off the bedside lamp and joining you in bed.

Clarke’s attentive and far too gentle that it drives you a little insane. You’re not dying, but you know saying that outloud would make things worse. Clarke feels things deeply, and if you’re being honest with yourself, if you had found Clarke in a state similar to your own this morning you’d be much more of a mess than her.

“I’m sorry,” you say and Clarke sighs. You feel her breath, the warmth of her cheek where she presses it to your back and listens. The touch of her skin against yours makes you calm.

“You don’t have to apologize, Lexa.”

You know it's the same for her, too.

11.

“Lexa, if I see you with even one foot out of bed i’m going to murder you myself.”

You feel a bit out of it to be honest, left to wonder what exactly was in those painkillers Abby managed to secure for you. Though a little doped up, you still know better than to test Clarke when she takes that tone with you.

“With love?” You relax again, leaning back until you feel the comforting give of your pillow.

“Yes, with love. Now please just... relax. Today. For me.”

Your eyes follow her as she moves about your room, making things easy for you. You’re not incapacitated. You can move and walk around with minor stress on your injury if you take your time. In fact, if you’re not fully healed by Monday, you’d be surprised. But you realize the sentiment.

“I hate lying in bed,” you say, and Clarke chuckles as she returns to your beside.

“Well, if you were more careful maybe you wouldn’t be in this predicament.” She kisses you softly and then pulls away. “I’m going to check on the kids. Stay put.”

You doze off not too long later, resigned to your recooperation, stretched out over your bed. There’s a breeze from outside that drifts pleasantly into your space, keeps you cool and comfortable and you drift in and out of consciousness for the better part of what feels like hours. it's a welcome change of pace then when you rouse to huffs and quiet giggles as your children clamber up onto the bed. Danny launches herself, scrambles up and over the side, while Aden and Lily take the softer approach.

“They wanted to see you,” Clarke says from the door. You turn your head to look at her before returning your attention to the kids.

“You smell like peanut butter,” you tell Jack who snuggles up on your left, rubbing his face against your shirt. Clarke has to help Madi up onto the bed, who tugs at your sheets but lacks the strength and dexterity to pull herself up. The moment you see her face, chubby cheeks and the remnants of her sandwich, your lips split into a wide smile.

Clarke joins after a moment, squeezing in between the kids so she can situate herself carefully on your injured side. She sighs when her head finds your shoulder, tugging up Madi who bumbles over your legs trying to find a spot to curl up and nap like the rest of her siblings.

On that calm friday afternoon you all find a little bit of peace.

12.

“How are you feeling?”

“Clarke.”

“Answer the question please.”

“I’m--” and she shoots you this look and you shut your mouth. You think through you’re response before continuing. “--doing better.”

You place the last of the snacks in the cooler for the game, some juice boxes and chopped fruit and bottles of water. When you turn back Clarke’s still waiting. “You can handle it?”

“I appreciate your concern, love...” You reach out for her, snaking a hand around her waist to pull her close. “But I’m more than capable of handling of group of human children, Clarke, injured or not.”

“Uh huh,” she says with this little smirk, running her hand over your side and you try your best to mask the wince. “I’ve seen you on the sidelines, coach,” Clarke mutters and you kiss her before she has the chance to say anything else.

13.

“Mom...? Dad? What’re you doing here?” You hear Clarke say as your make your way downstairs, cinching the buckle of your belt. You make it to the bottom just as Clarke sets down Madi onto the floor and your youngest is off the second her feet touch hardwood, making a beeline for Abby’s arms.

“Lexa told us you needed a babysitter,” Abby says, scooping up her granddaughter in one swoop and planting kisses over red cheeks.

“But we don’t--”

“Grampy!” Jack yells, giggling like mad as he hurtles past Clarke and into his grandfather’s waiting arms.

Jake laughs, catching Jack under the arms and swinging upward, Jack’s screams a mixture of elation and excitement. Jake places him back down gently, but just one liftoff isn’t enough to satisfy and your son pesters for more.

“I’m pretty sure you need one,” Jake says above the noise, giving you a wink once you’ve made it downstairs, and it takes a moment but Clarke’s head swivels and her eyes lock with yours.

Your smile is this soft tilt of your lips as you watch the bob in Clarke’s throat as she swallows, her eyes lingering on your mouth, stumbling down the exposed line of your neck to the dip of your loose blouse and where it’s tucked into snug black jeans. You know it’s the pair Clarke loves if only because of the way her eyes get stuck on your hips, the way her cheeks flush this pretty pink.

Abby and Jake round up the kids for a trip to Friendly’s for milkshakes and fries and maybe some real food, followed by a movie night over at the grandparents.

“What’s all this for?” Clarke asks as she gets ready, slipping on this cute jean jacket over a floral print sundress that flares gently over her waist.

“I love you.”

“I know you do,” Clarke says, looking up at you and your chest feels tight. “I love you, too.”

She trials her hands down your sides, gentle, fingers twisting into the space between your belt and the loops of your jeans and tugs. You let out this breathy little hum when your stomachs touch and the only thing that keeps you from kissing her senseless right here and now is that you have all night.

And you’re looking to make the most of it.

You take her to this nice restaurant you pass everyday for work. It’s rustic, brick walls and candles and tall champagne glasses--different kinds of spoons that you and Clarke pretend to know when and how to use. The food is good, but you don’t remember much of it once it’s gone.

The two of you take a walk along the strip afterward, hip to hip and stealing kisses in the darkness between the street lamps. You buy her a drink at a pub down the road that you take turns sipping while sitting as close as you can get without have to share a seat. Your knees knock together and you lean in until your foreheads touch so you can talk to her over the sound of the band.

You take an uber back home, stumble up the steps of the porch like teenagers. Clarke presses up behind you, kissing the slope of your shoulder while you attempt to unlock the front door with impatient hands. She kicks it closed behind her once you’re both inside, stripping herself of her jacket and it crumples to the floor. You turn and cup her cheeks in your hands and kiss her like you wanted to hours ago. You smile through most of it and Clarke laughs into your mouth, giving your butt a brief squeeze.

“Are you going to take me to bed or…?” Clarke says against your mouth and your lips tilt up into a grin.

She pushes you back towards the stairs and you dip to reach for her thighs, lifting them up and around your waist. You kick off your shoes and her arms wrap around your neck and you nearly trip walking up the steps when she nips at the line of your jaw, dull and only the hint of teeth but a promise nonetheless. She laughs.

You stumble into your room, setting Clarke on her feet so you can tug at the hem of her dress, bunching the fabric in your hands near her waist and Clarke gets the memo and raises her arms. Your fingertips trail along her ribs, up and up until you’ve tugged the dress over and off.

She kicks off her flats and you back her up till the back of her knees hit the bed and she falls back among the sheets, dragging you with her. You catch yourself before the collapse, hands on either side of her head, and you chase her skin and the sound of her laughter. When your lips find the underside of her chin, she tilts her head back and sighs. It takes a moment for her to come back, but the second she does her fingers clumsily reach to undo the buttons of your shirt one by one until it hangs open and she can curl her arm around your waist, tugging you soundly against her. The gasp you let out at the pain is involuntary.

“Clarke,” you exhale, your voice dissolving into a soft growl as her left hand moves from your side to your ass, fingers dipping into the back pocket of your jeans.

“Sorry,” she says, apologetic but amused, and you get stuck on the curl of her lips as she stares up at you. “You were saying?”

You pull away, sitting back, and Clarke smiles and your stomach does flips. It’s the way your mouth goes just a bit slack and Clarke laughs and your chest fills with warmth and you dip blindly for her lips.

Clarke pushes you over easily, her hands this gentle pressure on your shoulders until she’s sure you won’t move. She undoes the button of your jeans and you lift your hips without being told, allowing her to slip them off. You can see her clearly above you even in the darkness, hair in disarray, but her eyes are open and full of love.

“Have I told you that I love this shirt on you?” she says and you let out this soft whine, grabbing her hips as she fiddles distractedly with your open blouse.

Clarke knows you like the back of her hand and it doesn’t take much to get you to fall apart. With the kids, time is precious, but she grabs your hand in hers Her breath is warm, her face tucked into your neck and you savor the sensation of your stomach and hers pressed together as your breathing steadies. Every so often she presses her lips to your neck and you shiver, your hands flexing at her sides and when the world comes back you use your hips, angling just so until she loses her control and tips.

Though you’re willing to bet it’s more like she lets you, still a little high on the feeling of you. You take the time to reacquaint yourself her skin, your lips and the softness of her belly and the swell of her breasts. You make love to her slowly, until she’s trembling and flushed and the only sounds you hear are breathy sighs and gasps of your name.

And then you go again.

29.

The moon tugs at the corners of your mind as the sun sets and it’s something inherent in your bones and all the muscle and sinew. It’s a part of you just like everything else. A little wild, maybe, but still you.

You don’t know anything else, after all. You were born like this, like your kids, and your parents taught you what they knew before they weren’t. That you were a powerful thing, that you had stars in your blood and the strength to move mountains. But also to not always follow your nose and that home was where you made it.

It’s not like the movies. You feel a pull, a tug somewhere deep in your gut and you know not to fight it. Not tonight. You let it consume and it's vaguely like being submerged and holding your breath.

There’s pain, though brief and dull with time, and impulses when you resurface, but experience is all it takes to control it. It happens too fast for the pups to fear it, and in the moon’s silver light it’s more of a blessing to be all parts of themselves. They yip and howl, safe enough away from the suburban life you’ve built for them, you and Clarke a comfortable distance behind.

She bumps into you, footsteps soft among the leaves and branches, and you nip at her neck. Barely teeth, but she pushes against you again, playful, and you nudge her back before darting off deeper into the woods.

#clexa #clarke griffin #lexa #werewolf au #this could have gone on but like we'll stop here

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evansandblack · 7 years

Text

Little Monster Ch. 1 - Nolan Holloway

Being Liam Dunbar’s twin sister was never easy, but it got even harder for Lauren when he became a werewolf and she was still human. When war breaks out in Beacon Hills Lauren finds herself hanging in the balance, trying to protect not only the pack, but the enemy too.

(Inspired by an imagine prompt from the lovely @froygutierreez. And a special thank you to @handprints-on-my-s0ul for listening to me scream about this fic for the past month.)

Warnings: Language.

Words: Just short of 6k.

It was barely autumn, but it had started to get uncomfortably cold at night and the metal bleachers at the lacrosse field were even colder. Despite the temperature, I was bound and determined to watch practice. It was one of the last practices of preseason and Scott's last day as assistant coach. I was sitting on the bleachers by myself, my brother's lacrosse hoodie pulled tight around my body as an extra layer of protection from the cold. Liam, however, was not in sight. The rest of the team had already started running drills, but my brother was not with them.

A text from Mason confirmed that he was still moping in the locker room. I told him to get Liam out there quickly because from where I was seated, it looked like Finstock was already on the brink of an aneurysm.

I cringed when I saw my friend Nolan get slammed for the second time already by Diaz but clapped supportively. "It's okay, Nolan! You've got this!"

He offered me a small wave when he got up and I smiled at him.

Coach Finstock yelled at him a second later. "Holloway! Grab a new stick and get in goal!"

Nolan hated playing goalie, it was something he'd admitted to me junior year while we were talking in our history class.

He took his spot in goal and the team started playing again. Liam was still not out there and Diaz was taking over the field. He was better than he'd been the year before and I was actually impressed.

I heard Finstock make a comment about making Diaz captain if Liam didn't show up soon so I quickly texted Mason to tell him.

Diaz was making his way down the field with the ball, rapidly approaching the net where Nolan stood nervously. He took the shot and a second before the ball could make it into the net, Liam appeared out of nowhere. He did an admittedly impressive flip before catching the ball and taking off towards the opposite end of the field.

I hopped up and clapped excitedly. "Way to go, Li!"

Things were looking good until Diaz started coming towards Liam, diving low and flipping him over his back. Liam landed hard on the ground and I cringed. When he didn't get up right away Scott blew his whistle and ran towards him.

I knew something must have been wrong, so I abandoned my seat and ran onto the field, weaving between the players who were standing there looking at Liam. I knelt next to him and Scott to see that Liam's eyes were glowing gold and he was growling lowly.

"Li, are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?" I asked, putting one hand on top of the heavy pads on his shoulders.

He shook his head, but I could still hear growls rumbling through his chest.

"Hey, look at me." I said, grabbing the face mask of his helmet and forcing him to face me. "You need to calm down. Take a deep breath."

He followed my instructions and I watched his eyes flicker back to their normal shade of blue, the same color or my own eyes.

Scott stood up suddenly, pulling the two of us to our feet as well.

I noticed everyone staring at something and I looked over to see a wolf standing on the field, barely fifteen feet away from all of us. There was still-wet blood on the side of its neck and it growled, baring its teeth.

Liam immediately pushed me behind him and I found myself nervously gripping the back of his jersey.

"Everyone back." Scott said cautiously.

Most of the team followed his instructions and took a few slow steps backwards. But Nolan was standing still, seeming unable to move. His eyes were trained intensely on the wolf.

"Nolan…" Scott said but he still didn't respond.

I walked towards him, brushing off Liam's hand when he tried to stop me. My fingertips brushed the skin of Nolan's forearm. "Hey, Nolan, it's okay. Just back up a little bit, okay? Just come towards me."

His feet moved hesitantly, and he almost stumbled back towards me.

I held onto his arm, my fingers gently stroking the skin there to keep him calm.

Scott took a small step forward and I knew what he was doing. No one could see it but he flashed his eyes; a second later the wolf turned around and walked back into the woods.

I moved towards my twin brother. "Liam, what's going on? Was that a wolf? Or a wolf?"

He shook his head. "I don't know."

"We need to go find out." Scott said, looking at Liam before turning his attention to me. "You need to stay here."

I folded my arms across my chest. "Absolutely not. The two of you aren't running off into the dark woods after a potentially murderous werewolf by yourselves."

"Lauren, please. Just stay here and make sure everyone leaves just in case it comes back." Scott pleaded.

I sighed but gave in. "Fine. Text me and let me know what you find out. And please, please be careful."

"We always are." Liam said before following Scott off the field and into the woods where the wolf had disappeared just seconds before.

Due to the appearance of a wild and potentially dangerous animal, Finstock had called practice to an end early and the boys were all making their way back towards the school and into the locker room.

I grabbed my bag from where I'd left it on the bleachers and followed them into the warm building and leaned against the wall across from the locker room door and waited to make sure everyone left.

Within 20 minutes, most of the guys were gone. Even Finstock had already left for the night but by my count, there was still one person lingering inside the locker room.

I waited 10 more minutes before deciding to investigate. I pushed the door open a few inches and made sure to announce my presence. "Hello?"

There was no response, but I knew someone still had to be in there.

"Hello?" I tried again, walking into the room and shutting the door behind me.

No one spoke but I heard a quiet sniffle come from the opposite side of the room. I walked around a few sets of lockers and saw Nolan sitting against the wall near the showers. He was already changed back into his normal clothes, but he was sitting on the floor with knees pulled close to his chest and his head in his hands.

"Nolan?" I asked, and his head snapped up. There were tear tracks on his cheeks.

"Lauren?"

I dropped my bag and rushed over, kneeling beside him. "Hey, what's going on? Why are you upset?"

He shook his head and wiped a hand over his face. "Nothing. I'm fine."

I sighed. "It's okay, you can tell me."

He just shook his head again.

I reached out to rest my hand on his shoulder. "Was it the wolf? I know you were in the library last year when… Everything happened."

"Lauren, really, you don't have to worry about me." He said.

"Of course I do."

"Why?" He asked almost coldly.

My eyebrows furrowed for a second before relaxing. "Because you're my friend."

His expression softened. "Sorry. I'm just a little freaked out."

I nodded. "It's okay. I understand."

He wiped his hand across his face again, the remaining tears disappearing.

"I know what might make you feel better." I said.

His blue eyes met mine. "Yeah?"

I nodded. "Let's go to that diner downtown and get something to eat. Carbs will help take the edge off, I promise."

He smiled widely. "That sounds great."

I returned the smile and stood up, offering him a hand and helping pull him to his feet. "I swear, they've got the best hot chocolate in Beacon Hills. Come on, I'll drive."

Nolan grabbed his bag from the floor and followed me out of the locker room and towards the parking lot.

"You seem really calm." He noted. "Considering what just happened."

I looked up at him, a small smile on my lips. "Yeah, there's not a lot that scares me anymore."

"Not even a wolf?" He asked.

I wanted to laugh but I didn't. "I mean, it's scary, I guess. But no one got hurt so there's no reason to freak out, right?"

We had made it to my car, which seemed to look more and more beat up every single time I saw it. Nolan had stopped a few feet back, looking conflicted.

"What's wrong?" I asked, taking a step towards him.

He shook his head and smiled. "Nothing. I'm sure you're right. It's just an isolated incident, no big deal."

I could tell the smile was fake by the way his upper lip had twitched but I pretended to go along with it. "See, everything's fine."

We got into the car and I jammed the key into the ignition and turned it. The engine sputtered but didn't turn over. I groaned before letting go, running a hand through my hair which was a mess from being outside in the wind. "Just give her a minute. She has a hard time sometimes… Most of the time."

Nolan chuckled quietly.

"God, it's like the Jeep all over again." I muttered, not thinking he would hear me.

"Did you have a Jeep before?" He asked.

I shook my head and laughed a little. "No, not me. Stiles did, though. It didn't even run on gas, I don't think. It ran on hopes and dreams. Not to mention that it's held together by several rolls of industrial strength duct tape."

He smiled as I turned the key again. This time, the engine turned over and roared to life.

"So, you excited for senior year?" I asked, putting the car in drive and pulling out of the parking lot.

"More nervous than excited." He admitted. "But I guess I'm excited to just be done with high school."

"Tell me about it. I just want to get the hell out of Beacon Hills, get all of my undergrad work done, and take the MCAT." I said.

I noticed a small look of surprise on his face. "MCAT? You want to go to med school?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I want to be a surgeon like my dad. I know it's going to take a while but that's fine. I love learning, I just can't deal with all of the drama here."

There was a lot more to it than I could admit to Nolan, but I certainly wasn't lying to him. However, telling him that "drama" meant supernatural creatures trying to kill me and my friends was not an option.

"I don't blame you for wanting to leave." He said, fiddling with a loose string on his sleeve. "Beacon Hills is kind of crazy."

I knew that the beast showing up at the lacrosse game the year before was still bothering him, and with good reason. Nolan, like a lot of other students, had taken shelter in the library when the beast appeared. Physically, he was unharmed; but I knew there had been some psychological damage done. He'd always been anxious, I noticed it the moment I met him, but things had only seemed to get worse after the incident.

My fingers gripped the steering wheel tightly as I felt the almost overwhelming desire to tell him everything, to give him answers as to what the hell had actually happened to him. But I knew how dangerous it could be if he knew about everything. I knew what kind of target that could paint on his back and I didn't want that. I didn't want him to feel even half as scared as I did all the time.

"Lauren?"

I blinked once and looked over at him. "Sorry, what?"

"The light is green." He said.

I looked back to the traffic light in front of me, no longer glowing red. I nodded and pressed my foot to the gas. "Sorry, I was just thinking about something."

"About what?" He asked.

"Just school stuff." The lie rolled off my tongue with ease. I didn't even think, my mouth just moved of its own accord. "My schedule for this year is pretty packed. Between AP classes and extracurriculars, I'm not going to have a lot of free time."

"Are you still going to be coming to games and practices?" His tone was hopeful. "It's kind of nice having you there. At least I know I've got one person cheering for me."

I smiled. "Yeah, of course. I haven't missed one yet, have I?"

"I know that I don't always play and I'm probably not even going to make first line but it's just… It's nice knowing that you're there."

I looked away from the road to glance over at him. "Come on, you can totally make first line this year."

He arched an eyebrow at me. "Really? I got my ass handed to me tonight."

"So you need a little work. Listen, you're too nice. That's your biggest problem. Being nice is great until you're out on the field. Just take whatever anger you have and put it to good use. I know you have the skills because I've seen you run drills. It's not until the scrimmage when you get messed up."

"I don't have that much anger." He said.

I rolled my eyes jokingly. "You've got to be kidding me. You're a teenage boy, Nolan. Aren't all teenage boy supposed to be seething with rage?"

"No, I don't think that's healthy."

I laughed. "As a person who is often seething with rage, I feel attacked."

"You?" He questioned. "Seething with rage? What are you even talking about? I know you complain a lot but I've never seen you get angry about anything."

"Because you're not an asshole and you've never given me anything to be that angry about. But believe me, deep down, I am full of hellfire."

"Is it because you're short? It's usually the short girls who are the angriest." He teased.

I smacked his arm. "Oh my god, never mind. You are an asshole. And I will have you know that I am 5'3 and I know for a fact that I am four inches taller than Lainey Harris."

"Lainey Harris is 13 years old. She's only a sophomore because she skipped like three grades. So, is that all you've got? Being taller than a 13 year old? You're 17." Nolan laughed.

I pulled into the parking lot of the diner and found a spot between two minivans. "Are we going to go drink hot chocolate or are you going to further make fun of my stature?"

He laughed as we got out of the car.

I followed him inside. There weren't many people so we took an empty booth by the front window.

A waitress appeared to greet us and ask what we wanted to drink.

"Two hot chocolates." I said immediately.

She disappeared a moment later and Nolan smiled at me from across the table. "Thanks for this, by the way."

"It's no problem. You seemed pretty shaken up and I figure this is the least I could do."

He nodded. "Yeah, that was kind of intense earlier."

"Especially after what happened before." I blurted out.

His eyes widened, and I realized I'd made a mistake.

"Shit, I'm sorry. That was really not cool for me to bring that up. I already brought it up earlier and now this." I ran a hand through my hair. "Really, I'm sorry."

He shook his head. "No, don't apologize. It's okay, really. I just… I'm surprised. Most people don't bring it up because they're worried that I'm going to break down or something. It's actually nice for someone to not treat me like I'm weak."

"You're not weak at all, Nolan. Not by a long shot. I mean, obviously it's something worth being upset over but you seem to be doing okay, all things considered."

"I just don't know how you do it." He said, picking up a sugar packet from the basket at the end of the table and fiddling with it.

"Do what?"

The corner of his mouth turned up in the hint of a smirk. "Everything. All of this. You were there that night. You saw that thing too. You… You looked it in the face and you didn't run away like everyone else did. You stared right at it. And you walk around every single day like it's fine, like nothing ever even happened. It's like you don't even realize you could've died."

His words hit me hard and I leaned against the back of my seat, folding my hands in my lap. I wasn't sure what I was supposed to say.

"And you know just as well as I do that it wasn't just a wolf. It wasn't just some animal attack." He said, resting his elbows on the edge of the table and leaning in my direction.

My eyes went wide and I was happy he wasn't looking at me in that moment. He knew it wasn't an animal and he was suspicious, maybe even of me. And that was a problem.

"I don't know what I saw that night, Nolan. It had to be some animal… Some crazy, mutated bear or something. It wasn't human. What else could it be?" I said.

Nolan looked back at me, his blue eyes scanning my face.

I could tell there was something on his mind, something he desperately wanted to say.

But he didn't.

The waitress strolled back up to our table, setting down two mugs of hot chocolate before wandering off again.

I picked mine up, curling my fingers around the warm mug. I could see steam wafting from the top so I knew it was too hot to drink but the heat made my hands feel better.

"Are you sure it was just an animal?" He asked.

I looked up from my mug to meet his eyes. I wanted to tell him the truth, he deserved to know. But I just nodded my head. "Yeah, Nolan. I promise. What I saw was an animal."

He leaned back, his own hands wrapping around his mug. "I'm sure you're right."

I don't think he noticed the way his voice trembled when he said that. He didn't believe me, at least not entirely. And he didn't know that I knew that.

I took a sip of my hot chocolate, ignoring the way it burned my mouth. "It's okay to be scared, Nolan. Just don't let it control your life."

He nodded, his blue eyes focused on his drink, as if he were expecting a mug full of chocolate to answer all of his questions.

"What is it?" I asked and his head snapped up, almost surprised by my question.

"N-Nothing. Tomorrow's the first day of senior year. I guess I'm just nervous."

He was lying. And he still didn't know that I knew it.

"That's not the only thing you're anxious about. Tell me."

He shook his head and reached into his pocket, pulling out $10 and dropping it on the table. "Really, I'm fine. I just… I need to get home."

"Okay, I'll give you a ride." I said, standing up at the same time he did.

He shook his head. "Don't worry about it. I'll uh… I'll see you tomorrow."

Nolan all but ran out the door and flopped back down in my seat. I reached for my hot chocolate but realized my appetite had vanished.

I walked outside, pulling my jacket tighter around me and looking for Nolan. He was getting into the car with Gabe, another guy from the lacrosse team, one of the only people I ever saw Nolan spend time with, and someone I'd talked to a few times at parties.

When I got into my car, I realized Nolan had left his bag. I grabbed my phone and sent him a text about it before driving home.

When I got inside, the house was quiet. Mom was already in bed and dad had another late shift at the hospital. I walked upstairs to see if Liam was in his room but there was no sign of him.

I knew he was with Scott so I tried not to worry. But after what happened with Nolan, I was feeling a bit shaken. Something was off, not just with him but in general.

Ignoring the feeling, I changed into pajamas before crawling into bed.

Liam never woke me up so I didn't know when he'd finally gotten home but when I walked downstairs, he was sitting at the kitchen table with a bowl of cereal.

"So what happened last night?" I asked, opening the fridge to look for food.

"We found bodies." He said casually.

"Human?" I asked.

"Wolves."

I nodded. "Werewolves or just wolves?"

"Not sure yet." He stood up to put his bowl in the sink and I closed the fridge.

"You ready for today? Did you pick your classes?" I asked, leaning against the counter.

He nodded. "Did you?"

"I picked mine weeks ago. You're the one who saves everything for the last minute."

"Have you heard anything about the new guidance counselor?" He asked.

I shook my head. "Not much. I know there have been some kids meeting with her throughout the summer."

"About what?"

I folded my arms across my chest. "The Beast. They were all in the library when it happened. I found out because of Nolan. I guess he sees her like once a week."

"I didn't know he was even there." Liam admitted.

I nodded. "It really scared him, Li. And I'm worried; Not just about Nolan, about everything. What if people are suspicious? I'm pretty sure everyone there is smart enough to know it wasn't an animal."

"Just calm down. We've been dealing with this long enough, we know how to handle it." He said.

I took a deep breath. "You're right. We have other bullshit to deal with today. So I'm going to go get dressed and we're going to senior registration and we're going to be normal high school students for once."

Liam offered me a smile. "That's the spirit, sort of."

I rolled my eyes and gave him a light shove. "Very funny. Get dressed, I want to leave in twenty."

My phone chimed as I made my way back to my bedroom and I checked it, expecting to see that Nolan had finally texted me back but it was just my dad, wishing me good luck for the first day of senior year.

I placed my phone on my desk while I got dressed and was just pulling my sweater over my head when there was a knock on my door.

"Come in!"

The door opened and Liam stepped inside, leaning against the wall. "Ready?"

I nodded. "I think so."

He tossed me my adidas backpack that was laying on the floor by the door and I slung it over my shoulder before following him downstairs.

I drove that morning and since Nolan's bag was still in my car, I'd had to field a bunch of questions about it from Liam.

"Listen, we went to get food. It's not like I went on a date with him. He's my friend, Liam." I said, glancing away from the road to shoot him a look.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked.

I rolled my eyes. "I wasn't aware that I had to tell you everything I do, Li. Last time I checked, you're my brother, not my dad."

"I still need to know where you are. What if something happens to you? How can I find you if I don't know where you went?" He asked.

My hands gripped the steering wheel tightly. "Okay, I get it. I understand. But what you have to understand is that I am capable of taking care of myself. You can't just baby me all the time."

"I know that. I know you can take care of yourself. But what you have to understand is that there are things out there that you can't protect yourself from. What am I supposed to do if something happens to you? What's the pack supposed to do?"

"You say that like I'm some crucial member of the pack. I'm hardly a True Alpha. I'm not even a werewolf. I can't predict death, I'm not strong, I don't… I don't even have a bat!" I almost laughed.

I pulled into the school parking lot, found an empty space, and put the car in park.

"Lauren, stop. Just because you can't…"

I cut him off. "Can we do this later? Please?"

Liam groaned and thumped his head against the back of the seat. "Fine."

I turned the car off and grabbed my backpack and Nolan's bag before getting out of the car.

"I'm sorry, Li. I'm just stressing out right now so if we could handle this later that would be great. I just want to meet with the guidance counselor and get it over with." I said, running a hand through my hair.

He nodded. "Yeah, I'm sorry too. I just worry about you a lot."

"I know." I said, staring at the ground as we made our way towards the building. "I know you're just looking out for me."

When we got inside, most of the seniors were already lined up in front of the guidance counselor's office.

"I'm not just going to stand around so I'm going to find Nolan to give his bag back and I'll meet up with you after, okay?" I said.

Liam gave me a wave as I took off the down the hallway.

Nolan was standing in front of his locker, typing a text on his phone.

"Good to see it still works." I said.

"What?" He asked.

"Your phone. It's good to see it still works. Thanks for texting me back."

I dropped his bag at his feet before turning on my heel and walking back in the direction I'd come from.

When I found Liam again, Mason and Corey had joined him in line and they were all talking about what classes they'd selected on the registration sheets.

"What's wrong?" Liam asked as soon as I walked up.

"Nothing. Why?"

"You smell terrible." He said.

I glared at him. "Excuse me?"

He shrugged. "Chemosignals. You smell like you're pissed off. And it's not a good smell."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm fine. Mostly just annoyed. Don't worry about it."

I leaned against a random locker as we waited for the line to move forward.

It took what felt like hours but the line slowly dwindled down. Liam, Corey, and Mason too their turns before I did.

It wasn't until they'd all gone until when I realized Nolan had gotten into line right behind me.

"Hey, Ren?" He asked timidly.

I turned to face him. "Yeah?"

"I'm sorry I didn't text you. And I'm sorry I ditched you last night. It's just… I've been really anxious lately and I've been acting like a jerk because of it."

I stretched onto my toes and wrapped my arms around his neck. "It's okay, Nolan. I can't stay mad at you, anyway."

His arms wrapped around my waist and gave me a light squeeze. "I'm still sorry."

I pulled away but smiled up at him. "I know. But you're my friend. So, I guess, if you're feeling like this and you need to take it out on someone, you can take it out on me. I can handle it."

The door opened and I heard a voice call out for the next person to come in.

"That's me." I said. "See you later, okay?"

I walked into the office, closed the door behind me, and took a seat.

"Lauren Dunbar?"

I nodded. "Yes."

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Miss Monroe and I'll be your new guidance counselor." She smiled at me.

I smiled back. "Nice to meet you."

I reached into my backpack to pull out my registration sheet.

"So, Miss Dunbar, what are your plans after graduation? What colleges are you looking at?" She asked as I laid my paper on her desk.

"Harvard Med, Johns Hopkins, and Stanford Med are my top three picks. Beyond that, Duke, UCSF, and Yale." I explained.

"Aiming high, I see."

"Not too high though, right?" I asked.

She laughed lightly. "With your grades, I doubt anything would be too high. I do have one concern though."

I shifted in my chair, feeling my heart rate pick up. "What would that be?"

"Your attendance." She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her desk. "Your record shows that you missed 49 days last year."

I looked down at my lap. "I know my attendance has been bad the past couple of years but I plan on doing a lot better this year."

"Do you mind if I ask the reason your attendance record got so bad so quickly?" She asked.

I almost laughed. "I was really stressed and it caused me to get sick a lot. I, uh, I did therapy for a while though and now it's not as bad."

Miss Monroe nodded once. "I'm happy to hear that. Now, about your test scores; I see that you've already taken the ACT."

"Yeah, I did it in the spring." I said.

"Is there a reason you decided to take the ACT instead of the SAT?" She asked.

"I planned on taking both, actually. I figured it would just provide another score for schools to take a look at whenever I apply." I explained.

She smiled. "And have you started any SAT prep yet?"

"I took a practice exam over the summer. I got a 2290. I've already checked each school's SAT, ACT, and GPA requirements online. My scores are high enough for all six of the schools I'm considering. Not to mention, I have all of my extracurriculars."

She picked up my registration sheet and looked over the classes I'd selected. "AP bio, AP anatomy, AP chem, trig, English, Latin, and gym. Perfect choices, Miss Dunbar. What branch of medicine are looking to go into?"

"Surgery and emergency medicine." I explained. "I was thinking maybe working in a trauma unit or something."

Monroe laid my paper back down on the desk. "Well, it appears you've got everything planned out. You barely seem to need my help."

I laughed. "I don't usually need much help with anything anymore. I've had to deal with a lot these past couple of years."

"Like what?"

I shook my head. "Nothing I'm big on talking about. It's just a lot of drama."

"I know what it's like living here in Beacon Hills. We've all been through a lot, things that aren't easily explained." She said.

I realized then that the tone of her voice, the pitch, hadn't changed once in the entire time I'd been in her office. And that was unusual. But the meaning behind her words had my head spinning. She knew things. "What do you mean?"

"You were in the library last year, weren't you? You saw it, the animal attack."

I nodded. "Yeah. I saw the animal."

"What do you think it was?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. It was dark. I thought it was a bear or something."

"Are you sure about that?" She asked.

I noticed her eyes narrow slightly and I squared my shoulders. "It's not my job to know what kind of animal it was. It was just my job to get out of there, and that's what I did."

Monroe's smile barely looked fake. "I don't mean to make you feel uncomfortable, Miss Dunbar. Thank you for coming in. You can take your registration sheet to the front office to turn in and they'll have your schedule made soon."

I stood up and grabbed the paper from her desk before walking out.

Nolan stepped inside and shut the door as I made my way down the hall to where Liam, Corey, and Mason were all standing.

"I don't trust her." I said immediately.

Liam's eyebrows raised. "You just met her?"

"Yeah, I know. And she was already asking me about what happened in the library last year. She knows it wasn't an animal attack so she starts asking me what I think it was. I can't tell if she's smart or a complete idiot. Either way, I don't like her. Didn't she ask you guys anything weird?"

Liam shook his head. "No, not really."

"Yeah, actually. She was talking about how things have happened that don't come with easy explanation and that anything we talk about in her office is confidential. I really don't think she was just talking about my schedule." Mason said.

"She made you kind of uncomfortable, didn't she? Not enough that you immediately want to run in the other direction but just enough that you don't want to be in a closed room with her?" I asked.

Mason laughed but nodded. "Yeah, a lot like that. She definitely knows more than she should."

The sounds of footsteps drawing closer to where we were standing brought the conversation to a close. I turned to see Gabe walking towards us, his eyes focused on me.

"Hey, can I talk to you for a second?" He asked. "Privately."

Liam shot me a look but I just shook my head before turning back to Gabe. "Yeah, of course."

I followed Gabe to the opposite end of the hallway where he leaned against the wall. "What did you and Nolan talk about last night before I picked him up?"

"I'm fine, how are you?" I snapped. "And why are mine and Nolan's conversations any of your business?"

"He was upset after he left you at the diner. I want to make sure that's not going to happen again. He's not just your friend, he's mine too."

I rolled my eyes and folded my arms across my chest. "I was talking about the library. I didn't mean to upset him. If anything, I was trying to help."

"By upsetting him?"

"I tried telling him that he doesn't have to let fear control his life. I was trying to tell him that it was just some freak animal attack and he doesn't have to be terrified that's it going to happen again. He was upset to begin with, okay? After what happened at lacrosse practice, he was really freaked out. I told him we should go get some hot chocolate to help him relax. I thought talking about it might make him feel a little bit better." I explained.

Gabe rolled his eyes and looked away before his eyes flickered back to mine. "Well, clearly you fucked up."

"Yeah, clearly I did. But at least I fucking tried, Gabe. At least my idea of helping him cope is something healthy. You just try dragging him along to parties that he's uncomfortable going to. That's not the kind of person he is. He's not as social as you and I are. Shit, just take him to a movie or something; a comedy, he hates horror films."

He shook his head, glaring down at me. "Do you think you're special just because you know that about him?"

I shrugged. "Not really. But I suppose you think you're special, running around like you have some monopoly over being his friend."

"You should watch your attitude." He warned.

I laughed and began to walk away before I called over my shoulder to him.

"Threaten me again and I'll beat you to death with your own lacrosse stick."

#teen wolf #nolan holloway #liam dunbar #scott mccall #teen wolf imagine #teen wolf fic #nolan holloway imagine #nolan holloway fic #teen wolf fanfiction

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junker-town · 4 years

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‘Tiger King’s’ Carole Baskin is the villain a sports-free world needs right now

Carole Baskin is the Patriots.

Let’s get something out of the way: There is nobody, and I mean nobody who you should root for in Tiger King. It’s a collection of terrible people, doing horrible things, in a microcosm which somehow existed under our noses in the 21st century and not an antiquated history book.

Villains are unique in their ability to exist without a hero. A hero needs a grand force to fight against, but a villain — they can simply act in a way that we find reprehensible. Sure, it’s nice to root for the good guy, but we all have an inherent ability to use our experience and morality to identify a villain. Carole Baskin is that villain, one we desperately needed at a time when sports couldn’t supply us with one.

Tiger King was one long, multi-episode schadenfreude session. If you pulled for anything, it was the destruction of every person featured in the documentary, or perhaps the hope of an asteroid slamming into a hopeless planet that allowed people like this to grow and fester. However, inside of the show itself existed a taxonomy of reprehensible people, many of whom were willing to admit at least some of their faults.

Then there’s Baskin. Perfect Baskin, greeting her “cool cats and kittens” from an office chair or a bicycle or anywhere else she has access to a webcam. Soft-spoken Baskin, draped in bedazzled animal print, adoring her milquetoast husband and their disturbing wedding photos.

It wasn’t long before Tiger King’s sub-narrative came through. The person we presumed was going to be the victim was a wolf in tiger’s clothing.

Baskin proved to be such a good villain because she’s a woman who, at first glance, appeared to be a paragon of virtue standing up for the plight of abused and maltreated tigers, but who, in the end, was not all that different from those she claimed as enemies. It was Batman’s Harvey Dent who said, “You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain,” and by that standard, Baskin is immortal.

That’s what makes a great villain in sports. It’s not enough to just be the bad guy. It’s not about cheap shots or low-blows. Those are quickly forgotten. It’s about portraying yourself publicly as a person who deserves to win, all the while sharpening your knife and looking for the next victim to stab in the back when the lights are down.

Baskin is the New England Patriots. And that’s why she’s universally reviled.

Throughout Tiger King, it feels like she’s untouchable. Every single break goes her way. By fronting a non-profit she can legally run a cult-like compound of volunteers who do her bidding while worshiping the ground she walks on.

The rules of society and law don’t seem to apply to Baskin, and that’s before we even get into the (unsupported) speculation that she might have fed her late husband to her tigers and allegedly organized a scheme to ensure she was the sole heiress to his fortune.

Being a truly great villain isn’t just about committing crimes, but getting away with them and making people pull their hair out at the grand unfairness of it all.

That’s why everyone outside of New England hates the Patriots. Not because, as their fans assume, we hate ‘em ‘cause we ain’t ‘em, but because of the pervasive, inescapable feeling that they can’t be knocked off their throne. There’s a general acceptance that the Patriots can do anything and everything to subvert rules and common decency, scampering away with slaps on the wrist when their improprieties are too brazen to be ignored, all while finding a way to consistently improve in a league where consistency is impossible to achieve.

What do the Patriots’ minutemen-adorned jerseys and Baskin’s leopard print leggings have in common? Both serve as the impenetrable armor allowing them to live and rule with relative ease,

It helps, of course, that Tiger King paints its bizarre tale as one of underdog vs. conqueror, despite both main characters being inherently vile. If there were a Super Bowl of tiger-fronted cults, every year would be Baskin vs. Joe Exotic. A game nobody wants to watch, but a game from which no one can look away.

We need that villain right now. We need it so desperately. We need it more than we ever wanted to admit, and especially now. After all, it’s easier — and healthier — to hate a football team or a weird tiger-cult leader from a documentary than direct our frustration toward people we actually know.

The phenomenon of Tiger King isn’t one of story alone, but of time. It arrived when we all had nothing better to do but watch. It connected us during a time of isolation. It did what sports always do: Give us an escape, if only for a moment, with clearly drawn battle lines separating Team Carole and Team Joe. In some ways, we all have Baskin to thank for distracting us so we could unite against a common enemy.

So, until sports are back and we can move on with our lives, stay tough you cool cats and kittens. Protect yourselves, make smart choices, and don’t make any plans to go to Costa Rica.

I’d hate to see you slathered in sardine oil and tossed in a meat grinder.

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miracleonicefanfiction · 7 years

Text

#24 Rob McClanahan ft. #10 Mark Johnson & #9 Neal Broten

“Mark Johnson’s hell of a guy. Never thought I would say that.”

“What about Neal Broten?”

“He is a Mouse.” “A mouse? Would you mind explaining why?”

“Because he squeaks like a mouse. And it can get on your nerves. But you take him to McDonald’s, god help his health, and he is as happy as a mouse with a piece of cheese.”

~December 24th 1980, Lake Placid, New York, USA~

Rob sits down with the rest of the team for a Christmas dinner. It may not be what he is used to, spending holiday time with his family and fiancé, eating… eating good food in their company, but as he looks around the table, he sees twenty-one remaining players on the team, his second family away from home. Missing in their company is Mark Wells, who is recovering his injured ankle, but the team hopes he will be able to make a full recovery and rejoin them…at least until someone gets cut again.

“Earth to Mac. What is wrong with you?” Ralph Cox waves his hand in front of Mac’s nose, shaking the brunette awake.

“Nothing. I was just thinking…” “Hope that didn’t hurt you too much,” Mouse quips from the other side of the table and grins as Rob glares daggers at him: “Careful with your words, Mouse.”

“Come on, Ricky, you know how it usually ends for you when things get too rough. If you don’t remember, ask your teeth,” Suter chuckles and ignores Mac’s glare. Magic next to Rob puts hand on his linemate’s shoulder: “Mac, ignore them. They are pranking you.”

“Thanks, Magic… at least someone normal ‘round here.”

“Now you are insulting us, Ricky,” Steve Christoff teases his old high school rival. Mac sighs in response – not that he doesn’t like them, they are a great bunch of people to hang out with and to share the ice with, but sometimes, he misses the normality of his every day life in Minnesota, the teammates he has known for ages, his family, who has been supporting him through thick and thin, his fiancé who he was intending to spend Christmas with. He even misses the lake behind his home, where he grew up. That frozen water he learnt to skate on, holding on to a chair to keep his balance.

“Seriously, what is wrong with you?”

“Nothing.”

He glances over at Magic, who smiles at him, letting him know he understands his struggle. Despite being formal rivals, two brunettes get along better than anyone would expect. Could be some personality traits they share, but they both know it’s something more than that. And mutual understanding is just one of the reasons why they are jokingly called “a power couple”.

“Then stop being such a sour wolf,” Riff sighs.

I will give you a sour wolf, Rob keeps his thoughts to himself. He finishes his dinner quietly. Staying true to his polite nature, he doesn’t leave the table right away and waits for the toast, adding a little something himself. Then, he finally excuses himself and heads towards the room he shares with Magic Johnson. It doesn’t take long for his partner in crime to join him, sitting on his bed: “Is it about Debbie?” “Not just her. Everyone back home. It was a tradition for me to come home for Christmas and spend some time with them.”

“I miss my family too, Robbie. But you know what makes it a bit easier for me?”

Brunette looks up at him and sits on the his bed, leaning his back against the wall: “What?” “The thought of them seeing me in Lake Placid. Being with them after the victories and, as much as I hope that won’t happen, after defeats.” “Have I ever told you Debbie never liked hockey, actually? And she didn’t know who I was. Which was one of the reasons I fell for her. And because of her brain, she is the smartest girl I have ever met.”

Mark laughs: “About a thousand times, but it’s fine. I understand.”

“Thanks, Magic. You are the only sane person here.” “Careful, you don’t want the others to hear you.”

“Yeah, I don’t want that. I wanna get married after the Olympics, move in with Debbie…”

“She agreed to move with you wherever you go?”

“She did. And her parents gave me their permission to marry her. But we are a bit worried what the life there will bring.” Magic sits down next to his friend: “I know you will find the way to make everything work.” “You think?” “I know, Rob. It’s obvious how much you love her.”

Magic man’s Minnesotan friend blushes slightly: “Is it really that obvious?” “Yeah. It is. But I think that’s how it should be.”

“Thanks, Magic. You are a helluva guy, even though you are a Badger.” “Don’t get too cocky with your championship rings, Robbie.”

First game in the year of 1980 takes the team to Indiana, where they face the Indianapolis team. Mere three days after the New Year’s celebration takes tool on almost everyone on the team, including Rob McClanahan, Mark Johnson and also Neal Broten, or as Rob calls him, Mouse. Nineteen-year-old sat down next to Rob when they left Minnesota and has been seating next to him ever since. Somewhere on the road, they both fell asleep and Neal’s head landed on Rob’s shoulder. Unfortunately for Robbie, a slight tiny trace of dried saliva ended on his team jacket. And he wakes up before Neal, realizing that.

“MOUSE!”

His yelp wakes up Neal, who first screws his eyes and then looks at his teammate still half asleep: “Yeees?” “What is your DNA doing on my jacket?” “What DNA? Are you still drunk?” younger Gopher sounds honestly surprised.

“I am not drunk, I just want to know what is your saliva doing on my jacket.”

Neal looks at what Rob is pointing at, then lifts his eyes to Rob again: “You really had to wake me up for this?”

When Rob says nothing, Neal sighs tiredly: “I am sorry for not controlling my body while sleeping. It won’t happen again.”

Rob smiles a bit and ruffles his young friend’s hair, knowing how much he hates when his hair is getting messed up by anyone. Neal groans in annoyance and tries to swat Rob’s hand away: “Can you stop it?”

“Lemme think…no. You drooled on my sweater and you still squeak, so you deserve this.” “I do not!” “You squeaked again,” Rob sighs, ruffling Neal’s brown hair even more, which causes a brunette to furrow his eyebrows in annoyance.

On the ice, some Indianapolis’ players soon become annoyed with Magic’s waltzing on the ice and making their defense look like amateurs. And with Rob and Silk on the same line, Herb really put his magical line on the ice. But Neal’s game is stellar as well, the second youngest guy on the team playing the game of his life. And that is too much for a few of Indianapolis Checkers’ players as twenty-one-year-old Dave Cameron targets Magic. He checks him high and hard, aiming for his throat. Rob doesn’t hesitate a second, even though he is not much of a fighter, but the guy was targeting his best friend on the team, a guy he never thought he would get so well along. Rob pulls Cameron’s jersey: “What is your problem?”

“Who the hell are you?” Rob shoves him, feeling the anger flow through his veins: “Rob McClanahan and Mark’s teammate.” “Should that tell me anything. You are a no one. A no one. And this fancy jersey is just a cover. To hide untalented son of a bitch.”

“Hate to ruin your fantasy, but I have more talent than you will ever have.”

“Anyone could take your pathetic spot. And this Johnson guy…he had it coming.”

His words finally tip Rob off and he finally drops his gloves, something he hasn’t done in a while. He gets into a fight with another player. Even though he hasn’t fought in ages, he puts Cameron on the ice and the two angered players are finally separated. A tiny bit of blood is seeping from the corner of Rob’s lip and his right eye is surrounded by dark purple bruise. But it doesn’t matter to him. Even sitting five minutes for getting into a fight is the price he is willing to pay for standing up for his teammate and his friend.

After the game, Jack O’Callahan steps to him and chuckles: “I never thought I would see you fight.” “Because I didn’t fight you in Colorado, it doesn’t mean I don’t fight.”

“For someone, who has almost zero experiences, that was a good fight. Not great, but acceptable.” “It wasn’t about the fight. That prick targeted Magic…” “The point is, Candyass, that I am maybe proud of you for finally growing a pair.”

Blue-eyed dirty-blonde approvingly pats Rob’s shoulder and walks back to his stall. Rob realizes he never thought he would get a pat of an approval from a guy, whom he hid his wallet from when they met for the first time in the locker room. He actually tucked his wallet into his shoe to hide it from a dangerous-looking hockey player from Charlestown.

Next to approach him is Magic: “Mac, you didn’t have to get into a fight for me.” “He targeted you. For no reason.” “I appreciate it, but what you did was…” “A thank you would be enough.” “Thank you, I really appreciate what you did for me, but…” “You are my teammate and my best friend here. You would do the same thing for me, right?” With a small smile, Magic answers: “I would. Thanks, Robbie. Especially since neither you or I are fighters. So this means even more to me.”

~August 1980, Rob’s wedding~

“Are you nervous?” Mark Johnson asks his former linemate and a good friend from the Olympic Team, Robbie McClanahan. It’s a hot August morning and it’s the day for Rob and his soon-to-be-wife, Deborah.

“Why would I be? It’s just a wedding…” tall brunette looks at his friend, who has just gotten married a few months ago. But he can’t fool him, they have been teammates for eight long months and soon after meeting, became also good friends. And not to mention, their friend from the U, young and excited Neal Broten, who has known Rob for a bit longer.

“Mac, you are super nervous. Can you believe Debbie even went out with you?”

“What are you trying to say, Brots?” Rob’s brown eyes now focus on cherubic-faced center from Roseau, Minnesota, who only grins: “Nothing at all, nothing at all.”

“Don’t mind him, he is still just a child. Wedding is probably still out of question.”

“That’s what you think,” Neal mumbles, but says nothing more when the two of his friends turn to him.

“Neal, did you say you are planning to get married….” “Yeah. But, tonight’s about you and Debbie.”

“Just tell me one thing: any ideas how are you going to propose? I started thinking about it a year before I proposed.”

“I know for sure I won’t go down on one knee.”

“But…” “I think I am just going to buy her a ring. And tell her I believe we should get married.”

Two older men look at twenty-year-old, their expressions nothing but masks of disbelief.

“So you won’t even ask her?” “Of course I will. But first I have to talk to her father.” Magic pats Neal’s shoulder: “I did that before I proposed to Leslie, it makes a good impression.” “Sorry, Magic, but I won’t ask her for her hand. Well, I will, but first I have to tell him I am not marrying his daughter before we move in together.”

“Are you…are you serious? And is Susie willing to cope with your, pardon my language, bullshit?”

The debate is interrupted as Rob’s mom enters the room: “I still can’t believe my little boy is getting married. And with such a wonderful lady like Deborah is.”

She ruffles her son’s brown hair, making him groan in annoyance. She knows how much he dislikes having his hair messed up, yet she still does it. Just to annoy him, like everyone else.

“Mother, you know I don’t like this.” “I know, but your father and I are so proud of you. Such a remarkable young man, don’t you agree?” she looks at Magic and Neal, who are now both trying to hide grins.

“Robbie is a great guy and a teammate,” Magic nods and pats now blushing Rob’s shoulder.

“And he looks amazing in a tux,” Neal continues, trying to keep straight face.

“Mom, can you leave us alone? Please?” Rob looks at his mom with pleading eyes. She knows how much he doesn’t like being exposed like that, but she still likes to embarrass him like that time to time. Now she looks at him and kisses his flushed cheeks before leaving the room: “I will see you at the wedding, Robbie. Remember, your dad and I are so proud of you.”

As soon as the door close behind her back, Rob looks at his friends, who barely keep straight faces.

“Don’t you dare to say a word…”

“W-We weren’t planning to,” Neal mutters, trying hard not to burst out laughing.

“Magic, can you lock him in the bathroom, please?”

“Oh, come on, Rob, we are just trying to ease up the tensions a bit.” “What tensions? I am not tense…” Magic takes a glass from Mac’s hands and looks at him: “You’ve had enough of those. And yes, you are tense. Relax a bit, you have been with Debbie for so long.”

“I am not tense.” “You are. Rob, trust me, getting married might be a big step, but it’s worth it. Believe me, I couldn’t be happier with Leslie.” “Because you have been dating since high school. I don’t want to make a mistake, I want this day to be perfect.” Neal realizes it’s not the time for jokes, that his friend needs his support now more than ever: “And it will be, Robbie. You and Debbie are meant to be. Don’t worry, everything will be perfect.”

Rob sighs and fights the urge to ruffle his hair once again: “I really hope so. I just hope Debbie will like the ceremony.” “Stop worrying already. Believe me, once you see her in her wedding dress as she walks down the aisle, you know you have made a right choice.” Unexpectedly both Magic and Mouse hug Rob, who returns them a hug without hesitation.

“Thank you so much. It means a lot to me to have you here.”

“No problem, Rob. You are our friend and Debbie is a great girl.”

Rob looks at both of his friends again. The Olympics were truly a great experience.

#moifanfiction #submission #sloveniahockeywriter #p: mac #p: magic #p: mouse #Hockey Fanfiction

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