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toomuchracket · 5 months

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all i want for christmas (birthday party!matty x reader fluff)

back from the dead (a depressive episode) with a fluffy pre-dating fic that's honestly longer than it needs to be. whatever. it's christmas. this fic is also part of christmas75/twelve days of christmas, organised and curated by my lovely friend @abiiors. hope you all enjoy <3

wednesday, 3:34am

as soon as the “email sent” pop-up appears, you feebly close your laptop and lay your head on the desk, ready to finally give in to the sleep that's been edging ever closer to your eyelids for the past hour. but before you get the chance, your phone buzzes with an incoming notification, the vibrations rattling through the wood of the desk and into your skull.

swearing, your voice scratchy with underuse, you open one eye and tilt the screen towards you - the name it bears above the unread text makes you shoot back up to a sitting position, and knocks all traces of grumpiness and tiredness from your brain and body.

matty.

pointedly ignoring the butterflies in your stomach when you see he's opened his message with hi, darling, you continue reading: hope you're alright, and that the new book isn't kicking your arse too much. saw a group of kids in barnes & noble raving about your last one earlier. would've joined them if i wasn't in a hurry, to be honest. fucking brilliant. anyway, i know it's late, but i had to text you before i forgot. can you give me a call when you get this, darling? flying home early tomorrow so i'll be up from about… 8am your time? i've got a favour to ask you. nothing crazy, though, and nothing urgent. but yeah, just phone me when you can. thanks, darling. miss you, talk to you soon. bye! X

just as you're reeling from the three darlings and the kiss and the miss you, another text from your best friend comes in, accompanied by a photo: also look at who you were next to on this display. i got so excited. my three favourites!

you laugh out loud, a combination of shock at the fact your collection is between slouching towards bethlehem and consider the lobster and adoration at matty's beaming face next to it all. fuck, he's cute.

so cute. enough for you to forget that it’s 3 o'clock in the morning, and happily pick up your phone and dial his number - you've spent so much time poring over your message threads that you know it off by heart - as if it was mid-afternoon. you kick your legs back and forth as the call connects, smiling to yourself at the thought of hearing his voice for the first time in over a month.

luckily, you don't have long to wait; your heart flutters as he picks up on the second ring, voice thick in the way it only goes when he's smoking. “you know, you didn't have to call me right away, darling. thought you'd have been asleep. but hiya!”

“hi, matty,” you smile. “and come on, it's deadline week, of course my sleep schedule is fucked. questioning why i'm not asleep, christ, thought you knew me better than that.”

he takes your teasing in good faith. “i do, darling, i do know you,” matty's voice is soft, his tone as tender as you've ever heard it. it's driving you batshit insane. “but you know me. i just want to make sure you're not stressing yourself out about your work too much. rather have my best friend's wellbeing intact than another book, even though your writing is my favourite. speaking of, that display! i'm recreating it at home. genuinely. s'amazing.”

you can feel your cheeks burning. “i can't even comprehend that display right now, m'too tired. but i’ll text you my thoughts once they make sense. and i'm alright, matty, honest. please don't worry about me, lovely.”

“that'll never happen, and you know it.”

“god, you're obstinate. but thanks. i appreciate the care.”

“even when you're insulting me, you're so eloquent. you've got a gift,” matty laughs down the phone. “how's deadline week going, anyway?”

“it's done. just sent the final draft away for edits. s'why i'm still up, actually.”

“really? congrats, darling!” the genuine happiness in his tone makes your heart hurt. “god, i wish i was home now, so we could go out and celebrate.”

“me too. but we'll see each other this weekend for early christmas dinner, yeah?”

“that's what i wanted to talk to you about, actually. you know those roast potatoes you made last year?”

“you mean the ones you and alexa fought over the last spoonful of?” you laugh, remembering the two of them racing to the tiny kitchen in your flat to try and nab them.

“m'still fucking fuming that she got them. bitch,” matty grumbles, then giggles. “nah, she's like my sister, i love her. but yeah, those potatoes. can i have the recipe for them, please?”

you suck air in through your teeth. “well… no. that’s a family secret, lovely. m'sorry.”

“oh,” matty sounds so genuinely deflated that you could cry - you seldom see him upset, but the thought of his pretty face all sad makes you feel incredibly guilty. “that's alright, darling, i understand. my nana was the same with her soup recipes. you'd have to marry me if you wanted them.”

you hum out a laugh, brain suddenly scrambled at the thought of walking down the aisle towards him. god. get a grip!

scrunching your eyes closed and blinking them open again - a tried and tested way to stop yourself going off on tangents - an idea pops into your head, so obvious that you’re not sure why you haven't suggested it already. “well, in lieu of us getting hitched within the next week,” you smile, enjoying the way matty laughs softly at the other end of the line. “i could come over early to yours and make the potatoes for you, if you'd like?”

“i quite like the sound of the first option, to be honest…”

what the fuck?! you have to clap a hand over your mouth to stop a gasp. or a scream. perhaps even a moan.

“...but i'm more than happy with the second one. thank you, darling,” matty's smile is as audible as his relief. “you're a lifesaver and a legend. come over whenever on sunday, yeah? wake me up if you have to. actually, no, i'll pick you up. s'the least i could do to thank you. and it means we get to spend even more time together.”

“that sounds nice,” you all but sigh into your phone. “i'm excited to see everyone.”

mostly you, though.

“as am i, darling,” matty yawns. it's the cutest sound you've ever heard. for fuck's sake. “m'not bored talking to you, honest, just tired. this is actually the most fun i've had in weeks, this phone call.”

you want to assume he's lying out of politeness, but something in your brain tells you he's being sincere; it's not like you can say anything to dispute him, either, given it's also the most fun you've had in weeks. “matty, you’re in new york. at christmas time.”

“yeah, alone! s'boring. macaulay culkin made it seem a lot more fun when i was a kid,” matty snorts. “plus, i saw you the last time i was here. any trip you're not on is just automatically a bad one.”

christ, what is with him today? “flatterer,” you smirk, before grimacing and continuing to talk. “but i assume you've not been… totally alone, the whole time? i don't like the thought of that being the case.”

you hope to god he's too tired to pick up on your actual meaning; the sight of him with another girl isn’t unfamiliar to you, but that isn’t to say you don't mind it. quite the opposite, in fact.

thank christ, he misses it. “no, i’ve been good. slept by myself every night,” he laughs.

you giggle, relieved. “really? wow.”

“why are you surprised at that?”

“you're you, matty.”

“yeah, well, i'm going through a metamorphosis-”

“kafkaesque of you.”

“knew that one was coming as soon as i said it,” matty sighs. “but in all seriousness, in the past couple of months, i've just… fully realised what i want in life, you know? and it's not what i used to want, or get up to.”

interesting. “well, that's good. m'happy for you, lovely.”

“yeah, thanks. and what about you, miss? you, um, bringing anyone to christmas dinner?”

you snort. “obvs not.”

matty hums. “why'd you say it like that?”

“like what?”

“like,” he pauses, trying to find the words. you can just picture the shape of his eyebrows as he does. “derisively. as if it's a silly question.”

“because it is a silly question, matty.”

“is it?”

“yeah,” you giggle. “i wouldn't even have time for a one night stand, let alone a relationship. not that there's anyone particularly interested, right now, anyway.”

“oh, there is,” comes the reply. “there really is.”

“if you say so.”

“believe me, darling, people want you. they're down bad. totally in love with you.”

“oh, you are so high right now, aren't you?”

“i mean, yeah. but i'm right!”

“uh huh,” you smirk. “i think you need your bed, matty.”

“pot, kettle.”

“alright, point taken,” you peel yourself off your chair, joints cracking slightly worryingly as you stand and pad across the flat to your room. “i'm going there now.”

matty sighs happily. “good. but send me a selfie as proof. accountability and all.”

it's an innocent enough ask, and not a totally unprecedented one - in the times where your self-neglect was at its worst, you would send matty and your other friends selfies so they could make sure you were alright - but the concept of sending matty a late-night pic from your bed does something quite odd to your brain and stomach.

still, you’ll oblige. but will he?

matty giggles when you ask him as much. “yeah, i'll send you one in return. i'm all about reciprocation, me.”

the words leave your mouth before you can stop them. “good to know.”

he laughs, that stupid hyena cackle of his that might be your favourite sound in the world. “christ, i've missed you.”

“it's reciprocated,” you smile, switching your phone between hands as you get into bed and hissing quietly at how cold the sheets are. “alright, i'm in my bed. and you should be too.”

“you're right, i should be,” matty says. his voice is lower than you've ever heard it, the rasp of his cigarettes prominent; despite yourself, it goes straight between your legs. “soon, though, darling. promise.”

“good,” your voice comes out breathier than expected, a setting you haven't used in some time. “i think we both need it.”

“yeah, i think we do, too,” matty yawns again, following it up with a sigh. “right. i'm going to hang up now, darling. i really don't want to, but i feel like if i don't then one of us is gonna fall asleep before we can exchange pics. and i can't be having that, honestly. miss looking at you.”

you giggle, rolling onto your stomach and kicking your legs back and forth. jesus christ, what is this man doing to you? “don't get too excited, i look like shit.”

well, you've looked worse lately - you at least showered and clipped your hair up and put on a clean outfit today. but still, far less glamorous than matty's used to.

or not - “i've literally held your hair back while you yoshed in a plant pot, darling, i think you're alright.”

“and on that note, let's wrap it up,” you laugh, rolling back to lie down. “what time should i be ready for on sunday?”

“oh, um… half twelve? that should be enough time to get everything sorted.”

“half twelve it is,” you yawn. “ok. bedtime. have a safe flight, lovely. talk soon?”

“‘course. don't forget that selfie, by the way. eagerly awaiting it.”

“et toi. lots of love, see you soon.”

“back at you, darling. goodnight.”

the call ends. you close your eyes and, for the briefest of moments, let yourself dwell on the fact your best friend - who, let's be honest, you have a bit of a crush on - shamelessly flirted with you to the point of bordering on phone sex, and let yourself believe that maybe, just maybe, there's a chance he might feel the same way you do.

but it's matty. sweet, cheeky, affectionate matty, who'd find a way to flirt with a brick wall if he was bored enough. because that's what he is, really - bored, high, alone on a phone call with a girl late at night. it's just a natural thing for him to do in those circumstances. you're not special, you were just… there.

that notion stings more than you expected. but you persevere, opening your camera and fixing your glasses. he's your best friend, after all, and he asked you to do this to make sure you were alright. nothing more than that.

still, as you close your eyes and smile, you hold the phone with both hands so your boobs push ever so slightly more together. just in case. then you caption the pic as requested, and hit send.

matty’s reply buzzes in a few seconds later, eliciting a shocked giggle from your lips: fucking love it when you wear your glasses. a follow-up appears in another few seconds: if that's you looking like shit… you're defo the sexiest bit of shit i've ever seen.

fuck him for getting you flustered like this. honestly, fuck him.

and, oh, when he sends a selfie in return, shirtless in low light, hair in its natural state, one hand behind his head… don't you want to do just that?

you bite your lip as you compose your response: my condolences to the single girls in nyc who are missing out on you looking like that tonight.

matty: i know, poor them lol. but their loss is one specific single girl in london’s gain, though, yeah?

you: fuck yeah

matty: you crack me up

matty: miss you sm

matty: anyway, sweet dreams. see you in them, i hope

matty: but see you irl on sunday lol xx

you: miss you too, lovely. goodnight xx

***

sunday, 12:56pm

a mass of black fur rams into your legs as soon as you step through matty's front door. you laugh, dropping your bags and crouching to pet an over-excited mayhem, while matty grumbles behind you. “at least let her get in the house, mayhem, christ!”

“don't listen to him,” you coo at the dog, nuzzling into you quite adorably. “i'm just as happy to see you as you are to see me, baby. got a present for you and everything.”

“you did not buy the dog a christmas present,” matty groans, gently pulling the coat from your shoulders.

“of course i did. got you one as well.”

“thought we agreed we weren't doing presents this year?”

“well, i'm a dirty liar,” you brush down your dress and turn to face matty, smiling. “that, and i saw something when i was in glasgow that i couldn't resist getting you.”

matty's eyes widen near-imperceptibly as he takes in the dark red fabric clinging to you like a second skin, raking up and down your body almost too quickly for you to clock.

almost. you bite back a smirk. got him!

much to your chagrin, though, he recovers quickly and turns the tables. “well, it's difficult to keep control when you see something… attractive,” he murmurs, gaze lifting to meet yours. “i like that dress, darling, you look gorgeous. and,” his tone and face brighten. “i actually got you a gift, too.”

the revelation is just as shocking as the way he looked at you is. “you did?”

“we're both dirty liars, it seems,” matty grins. he nods towards the kitchen. “make yourself comfortable in there, darling, and i'll go and get it. only be two minutes, promise, and then i'll help you find whatever you need, yeah?”

“you've not done a mad rearranging of your kitchen cupboards since the last time we all came over for dinner, have you?”

“nah.”

you wave nonchalantly. “then i'm good, i know where everything i need is.”

matty smiles down at you - there's an expression in his eyes that you can't quite name - and gently nudges you down the hall. his hand is light against your back, but it sends shockwaves through your nervous system regardless. “alright. give me a shout if you need anything, though, please.”

“i will, lovely,” you smile back just as sweetly. “want me to put some christmas music on? get into the festive spirit and all?”

“anything but band aid.”

you laugh, and matty joins in. “i was thinking more sinatra, anyway.”

“perfect.”

and that's exactly how he'd describe the scene in the kitchen he walks into thirty minutes later. the room is warm, made cosy by the oven that's been slow-cooking turkey for a little while now, soundtracked by frank crooning out have yourself a merry little christmas. mayhem snoozes in his bed by the massive window, which shows snow dusting over the garden like icing sugar on a cake, and then there's you. still keeping an eye on the potatoes bubbling on the hob, you sway gently to the music as you pour dried spices and seasonings into a bowl, your face as content as matty feels.

it breaks into a big smile when you see him in the doorway, white dress shirt hugging his chest quite deliciously. “oh! you got changed. i like it.”

“had to keep up with you, didn't i?” matty smiles, wandering into the room and laying a gift bag on the counter. he peers into the pan of potatoes. “thank you for doing this, by the way, darling. means a lot.”

he opens his arms, and you slot into them before they wrap around you tightly, resting your chin on matty's shoulder and smiling. “no one else i'd do it for.”

matty hums happily. “god, i've missed you. you're always a total peach to me. makes me feel good.”

“a peach? you've spent too much time stateside, matty,” you giggle, pulling away just enough to look at him. “thank god you're home for a bit. but thank you, lovely, i'll take the compliment.”

“for once, you'll take one,” matty teases. his face turns slightly more solemn. “yeah, m'glad to be home. it's a shame you won't be at any of the UK shows, though. i always like them more when you're there.”

“well, when hollywood calls, you have to answer,” you shrug, then smirk. “you just want me at the shows so i'll praise your narrative structuring again, don't you?”

matty's eyes close in bliss. “don’t tease, you literally barrelling towards me backstage screaming about midpoints and how proud of me you were is genuinely the best thing that's ever happened to me.”

“oh, shush,” you roll your eyes, suddenly shy.

“i'm serious! it'd be like joan telling you she thought one of your sentences had perfect structure. a writing compliment from you is a gift, darling.”

“well… thank you. and speaking of gifts,” you - with great reluctance - pull away from matty, bending down to grab a wrapped box from your bag. “here. joyeux noël.”

your best friend takes the present from you, murmuring a “thank you” and smiling at the tag addressed to him. he holds it to his ear and shakes the box, eyebrows raising at the slight rattle.

sighing, you roll your eyes. “just open it, matty.”

his face lights up. “alright.”

after carefully peeling the tag from the box and placing it in his pocket, matty tears through the paper and lifts the lid off. he squints at the sides of the smaller plastic boxes inside, before realisation hits and his jaw drops. “this is…”

“cassette recordings of ten blue nile gigs throughout the eighties and nineties, in their entirety,” you finish, smiling. “thought you'd like them.”

“like them? darling, this is- i don't even know what to say, other than thank you,” matty looks at you, awed, and pulls you into another tight hug. “how the fuck did you manage to get them?”

“the guy in one of the record shops i went into in glasgow was selling them. they're his recordings,” you say, half into matty’s neck. “and he'd digitised them, so he didn't need the tapes anymore, and he wanted them to go to someone who'd genuinely use them. remembered you saying you'd bought a tape deck, and i know how much you love that band, so… i kinda had to buy them.”

matty turns his head and presses a kiss onto your temple; while you bite the inside of your cheek to keep from screaming in delight, he speaks again. “you really are one of the best people i know. christ, i'm so overwhelmed by how perfect that present is. i need a drink,” he pulls away and heads to the fridge. “d’you fancy some champagne, darling, before i give you your gift? you might need it, actually.”

“that's not ominous at all,” you quip, then nod. “pour me a glass while i sort the potatoes and get them in the oven, please.”

matty nods, pulling out a bottle of perrier and grabbing glasses to take over to the table, while you drain and pat-dry the potatoes. he hums along to the background music while he fiddles around with the foil covering the champagne cork; you smile, eyes flicking up periodically to look at his cutely confused face, then back down to the food you're currently buttering and seasoning. it's incredibly domestic, a cosy little christmas dinner tableau, so much so that it hurts your heart to think that life isn't always like this for you and matty. and mayhem, obvs, curled up so adorably in his bed that you have to resist awwwwing every time you look at him.

still, it's hard to be melancholy when matty's irritation at the bottle foil is so amusing. you giggle at his grumbling, turning around to look at him scowl once the potatoes are safely in the oven. “need a hand?”

“no thanks, darling, i'm- ok, yeah, please,” matty sighs, leaning back in his chair and stretching. you pretend not to notice the way his shirt rides up and exposes his hip tattoo. “can't find the tab on the foil.”

“hmm, let me see,” you wander to the table and sit beside matty, moving your chair closer to him. well, to the bottle. “ah - that's because there isn't one.”

“well that's fucking stupid. how are you meant to open it?”

you smile, swiping your index nail across the foil; it slices clean through, and you're able to peel the covering off the cork. “like that. these aren't just for aesthetic purposes, you know.”

“that was actually quite hot. let me see them?” matty gently takes your hand in both of his own, admiring the abstract line pattern on your fingernails, tenderly rubbing his thumbs over the gel. “yeah, definitely hot. let me open the champagne from here though, darling, yeah? can't risk these pretty nails being damaged.”

you bite the inside of your cheek again; this time, to stop from giggling flirtily. “have at it, lovely.”

“i like it when you call me that,” matty smiles, grabbing the neck of the bottle in one hand and the cork in the other, and slowly twisting. “makes me feel good.”

“well, you are lovely,” you smile back. “and opening that champagne quite effectively, i must say.”

“learnt from the best,” matty winks. “you're right, though, it's a lot less messy. although i don't mind that, sometimes. s'fun.”

“yeah, me too,” you smirk, glad to be sitting down and not having to worry about your legs caving in at matty and his words. “kinda fun getting it all over your hand, isn't it?”

matty's eyes widen again, and the cork breaks free with a loud pop; before either of you can cringe at or make light of it, though, mayhem jolts awake with a yelp at the sound, and quickly runs over to sit at your feet.

you coo at him, reaching down to scratch his sweet head and reassure him (and berate his dad). “aww, mayhem. you scared the baby, matty! look at him, he's terrified! s'ok, sweetheart, i'll keep you safe. come on, you can have your christmas present to cheer you up.”

matty rolls his eyes, but he can't keep the smile from his face as he watches his dog eagerly follow you to your bag. “you know, mayhem, you're such a sap, honestly.”

“oi, don't talk about my friend like that,” you frown, face lighting up as you find what you're looking for in your bag. “aha! here you go, mayhem. merry christmas.”

the dog takes the guitar-shaped dog toy with relish, plodding back over to his bed and playing with it contentedly. matty leans to the side to look at mayhem's gift, bursting into laughter when he sees it. “fucking brilliant. that'll be his new favourite, by the way. but you're his favourite, so it checks out, i s'pose.”

“really?”

“oh, he loves you. he never gets so excited to see anyone else,” matty nods, pouring champagne and sliding a glass to you. “bet he'd enjoy seeing more of you. as would i, actually - i really like spending time with you, darling.”

you nod, touched. “so do i,” you raise a glass. “to seeing more of each other next year.”

matty clinks his glass off yours, repeating your words with a soft smile. you take a sip of your respective drinks, humming in satisfaction as the champagne hits your lips. you nod again as you swallow. “christ, that's good.”

“agreed. and now that we've had a drink,” matty puts his glass down, then leans back in his chair and reaches to grab your gift from the counter. he presents it to you with a grin. “merry christmas, darling. save the box til last, yeah?”

“ok. thank you,” you smile sheepishly, opening the bag and pulling out its contents: a notebook, with a pen tucked into the front cover, a book, and a thin, a4-size box. laying them on the table, you inspect each facet of the present in turn, starting with the notebook. “a parker pen? matty, this is beautiful.”

“that one's also kinda a congratulations gift for getting your manuscript in. there's a little message on the inside, too,” comes his reply.

you flick your gaze up to find him blushing, and it makes you smile even wider. carefully, you lift open the black cover, and find matty's familiar scrawl on the inside: to my favourite writer… this is for the next one. lots of love, matty ♡. a little giggle leaves your lips, and you reach for your friend's hand to squeeze it. “you really are the loveliest, you know.”

“shhh, it's nothing,” matty softly rubs the back of your hand with his thumb. “the next bits are the good ones, really. m'excited to see you react to them.”

“better not keep you waiting, then,” you smile, reaching for the book; you let out a little cry of excitement when you read the title. “on beauty! i haven't read this since i was at uni, my god. thanks, matty, i can't believe you remembered me saying that! oh, this is amazing.”

“open it.”

your head shoots up. “what? why?”

matty smiles. “just do it, please.”

“alright,” you do as requested. when you see what’s on the title page, your jaw drops. “matthew…”

“oh, shit, the full name. am i in trouble?” matty quips, smirking as he takes another sip of champagne.

“no, no, just… you got zadie fucking smith to sign a book for me? with a personal message?” you all but sob, lip quivering, completely overcome. “she's telling me she loves my work? what the fuck?”

“well, she's got good taste.”

“matty,” you wail. “this is the best gift i've ever been given.”

matty giggles. “no it isn't.”

“i'm telling you, it really is.”

“nah,” matty gently tugs the book from your hands and replaces it with the box. “this might be, though. but you need to stop crying before you open it, though, darling. can i just…?”

tenderly, so tenderly, matty takes your face in his hands and uses his thumbs to carefully wipe the tears pooling on your lower lashline. at his touch alone, your breathing starts to regulate; the same can't be said for your heart or brain, which both go haywire at the intimacy of his actions, something not helped by him whispering reassuringly to you. “there you are, darling. you're alright.”

it's not a question, but you nod anyway. “thank you.”

“anytime,” matty lets go of your face and sits back; you miss him as soon as he lets go. “right. now you can open it.”

with a smile, you lift the lid from the box - it falters, though, as soon as you take in the words on the paper in front of you. “these are outlines.”

“yeah, they are. look closer, darling.”

you squint at the paper, a choked noise escaping your lips. “feel free… fuck off. zadie gave you her essay notes?!”

“she did. and told me to give them to you.”

“how?”

“well,” matty grins, shuffling in his seat. “i went to see her and nick while i was in new york, and i asked her to sign the book while i was there. when she found out it was for you… she insisted you have those. printed more off for me and everything. she thinks you're the shit, darling.”

“you're sure she didn't say i was shit?” you hiccup, sliding the box onto the table before your tears hit the paper and picking up your glass for a long drink.

“positive. she only had lovely things to say about you,” matty takes your glass and refills it, beaming at you. “so, yeah. bit of a weird present, i know, but i knew you'd appreciate it.”

you laugh through your tears, wiping your eyes and shuffling your chair next to matty's to hug him. “i really do. and i appreciate you even more. thank you, lovely, you're too good to me.”

“nah, you deserve the best, darling,” matty’s hand comes up to rest on the back of your hair, stroking it gently.

you wallow in the tender moment for a second, before pulling back to smile at him. “m'sorry for crying, christ.”

he shakes his head. “don't worry about it, s'cute. and you still look fit when you cry, so…”

“shut up,” you laugh, shoving his shoulder.

“really, you look perfect,” matty smiles, eyes soft. “m'glad you came over early today. not just because it means we get the good potatoes, but because we get to do this, have a bit of peace before everyone gets here. s'nice. really nice.”

you nod. “it is. thanks for having me. and for the gift.”

he kisses your hand. “anytime. thank you for my gift. and just for being you, i s'pose.”

“it's like you want me to keep crying.”

“well, like i said, you look fit,” matty grins. “but nah, i'll stop. let's have a nice time and get rid of this champagne before everyone else gets here, yeah?”

“sounds like a plan.”

so that's what you do - sit at matty's kitchen table, drinking champagne and watching mayhem playing with his new toy, talking and laughing with your best friend. outside, the snow falls faster and faster, blanketing the garden in pristine white, but it's falling nowhere near as quickly as you are for matty. when the front door goes, you’re actually welcome for the excuse to leave the table, the kitchen, the intense care in those beautiful eyes that threatens to shatter your sanity and perspective.

it's your newly engaged friends, laden with more champagne and christmas crackers. once you've exchanged pleasantries, your friend sends her fiancé into the kitchen with the bags so she can interrogate you. “now why are you here so early? you're a little bit unsteady on your feet… oh my god, did you and matty fuck?”

“no! christ! and keep your fucking voice down,” you hiss, looking back down the hall to make sure the coast is clear. “i came over early to help with dinner. and we opened champagne. that's it.”

her eyes narrow. “but you want to fuck him, don't you?”

you open your mouth to answer, but pause for a split-second too long; she cuts back in again. “oh, you do! well, you should.”

“i don't just want to fuck him, babe,” you sigh, leaning against the cold concrete wall. your brain is screaming at you to shut up, but you can't. “i… like him. in a more-than-platonic way. like in a deep way.”

“so… tell him that.”

you blanch. “today?”

“yes! it's christmas. we've all seen love actually - it's the perfect time!” she quietly claps, beaming. “and you won't see him again until my birthday dinner, so if the revelation goes tits up… you've got two months to get over it.”

“really filling me with confidence here.”

“sorry,” she kisses your cheek. “i just like the thought of the two of you being happy, that's all.”

“i know, it's just-”

“darling?” matty wanders down the hall to you, pulling your friend into a welcoming hug, then turning to face you. “sorry to interrupt, but your timer is going off.”

“oh, thanks, lovely,” you smile at him. “be in in a minute, yeah?”

“alright. looking forward to it,” with a wink, he's gone again.

your friend smiles at him, then turns to you. “he is looking forward to you returning to the same room as him. how interesting!”

“yeah, because it means we all get the roast potatoes i made. that's it.”

“oh, you made those again? amazing,” she nods appreciatively, then looks at you and tilts her head. “he could still just be looking forward to being in close proximity to you again, though. wonder if there's any mistletoe around.”

“shut up, please, i am literally begging.”

she laughs, tucking you under her arm and walking to the kitchen. “alright, i'll leave it be tonight. but i'm just saying - i think you have to seriously consider that matty might want you under his christmas tree this month just as much as you want him under yours.”

“and i think you have to seriously consider that you might be delusional.”

“well, we'll soon find out, i'm sure.”

#mads muses #mads does writing #into the birthday partyverse #christmas75 #matty healy fanfiction #matty healy fanfic #matty healy fic #matty healy fluff #matty healy x reader #matty x reader

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b4mpyre-k1zz3s · 6 months

Note

What if Bam and fem reader made a sex tape like the shitty one he made with Jenn. Maybe it would be a little better in quality lol, “but babe, it’s art”

Kinky Dealbreakers

Y/N and Bam make a home movie ;)

Bam Margera X Fem!Reader

1.1k Words

Warnings: Very suggestive content, accidental voyeurism, mention of sex toys, crude language

An: Thank you for this request!! Apologies for taking a bit of a break but I’m back and better than ever! XD I have yet to stumble upon actual footage of these sex tapes, but from what I’ve heard about them online I hope to keep it that way! Anyways, please keep sending in requests!

Neither you nor Bam were really paying attention to the tv as the two of you laid on the couch together, the only light in the room coming from the screen cascading over you. Laying against his warm chest, you lazily traced the dark, swirling ink of the heartagram tattoo on his lower stomach, humming softly to yourself. He watched you through half lidded eyes, running a hand through your hair affectionately. Bam suddenly broke the hour’s long silence, startling you a little, “Hey, Y/N.” You jumped, but after you caught your breath, you could pick up on a hint of mischief in his voice as your boyfriend continued, “I’ve been thinkin’ about somethin…” Consider your curiosity piqued, “What?” Glancing up at him, you saw a little glimmer in his eye as he turned to get a little close to you, his voice almost a whisper. “Wanna make a sex tape?”

And boy, were you paying attention now. Of course, you weren’t surprised- Bam had made a handful of pornos before so it was only a matter of time he asked you to do one. Honestly, you’d be all gung-ho to hop in front of the camera with him if it wasn’t for one thing- all of them were god awful. He could sense your apprehension and, reading your mind, he reached a hand down, speaking softly as he held your cheek and reassured you, “C’mon…you’re way prettier than those other chicks. Besides, nobody but us is gonna see it.” Your eyes met his cautiously, “Really? None of your idiot friends?” Bam chuckled, “Of course.” His hand returned to your hair, gently massaging your scalp, “Don’t worry, babe. This is gonna be a work of art.”

“But,” You stipulated, “I have some rules.” Your boyfriend shrugged, apparently very pleased at himself from the grin plastered on his face. He did a ‘lay it on me’ gesture with one hand, “Alright, lemme hear ‘em.” After thinking for a moment, you held up a finger and began, “One: You can’t slap my ass.” As the words fell from your lips, a grin spread across your face as your boyfriend groaned, his head falling to one side as he nodded. You were very pleased at how much power you held over him, “Two- and I cannot stress this enough- this is gonna be seen by nobody but us, understand? I don't want us screwing to end up as a DVD extra.”

He nodded, “Okay, okay- got it. Listen, I've already got everything all planned out, so there’s nothing for you to worry about.” You felt his hand stroking your back, his palm feeling so warm on your skin. Bam leaned closer to you, so near that you could feel the warmth of his breath on your ear as he spoke into your ear, his words slow and filled with intention, “Nothin’ too fancy- just you and me on the bed…little touching, little making out…some nipple clamps-“ You stopped him there, “Okay, third thing! No kinky shit like- like nipple clamps!”

Of course, after all the fun is over, that just leaves the work in the editing room, which was, more often than not, very tedious. For example, the two of you had spent the past twenty arguing over what song would be in the background. Predictably, Bam wanted to go with a H.I.M song, which you shut down because A, all his other pornos had H.I.M songs in the background and B, your idea was leagues better. “Come on, Bam!” You pleaded, holding out the Rammstein CD to him, “Rein Raus is perfect for this! I mean- are you even listening to me?” He groaned in response, still hunched over his computer. Fingers clicking away, the blue tinted screen glowed against his pale skin as he replied, not even turning to look at you, “C’mon. It’s not that deep, babe.”

“Yeah?” You scoffed, “Well you’re not the one showin’ off their tits, Mr. Blur-My-Dick!” He was caught off guard, his fingers stilling on the keyboard as his eyes went wide. After a bit, he sighed and held his hand out, “You got me there…” You giggled to yourself, handing him the disc. Curriously, you peered at the screen as he worked “Almost done?” Bam nodded as he slipped the disc into one of the many computer apparatuses that littered his desk. It was a wonder he knew what anything was amongst the winding tangle of wires and ports. There were two gray computers that each weighed at least forty pounds a piece, not to mention the thick, silver tv monster on one table he usually used to review footage. This was what you were staring at when you caught something out of the corner of your eye. Squinting in the low light, you didn’t believe what you thought you saw in the window. “What the fuck…?”

Bam looked over your shoulder, his eyes going wide, “Fucking Dico!” Before you knew it, his silver flip phone was already opened and turned to speaker. Luckily, the man on the other line picked up fast, “Oh, hey dude.” Bam barely gave him time to get those words out, leaning back in his chair, “Dude, what the fuck! I’m- im making this video,” He looked over at you as he phrased it carefully, “an’im watching the thing back, and you’re in the fuckin’ background!” Dico chuckled and you could practically see that dorky grin on his face through the phone, “Oh, you mean Saturday?” Yep, he knew. Your boyfriend’s eyes shot back to the monitor, his brow furrowing, “Yes, Saturday! What the hell were you doing?!” He glared down at the phone as if was really in the same room with him as he listened to the explanation, “Well, you weren’t picking up your phone, so I came over- but you weren’t opening the door either, so I went to check the window!” Shaking his head, Bam sighed, exasperated, “Fine..how long were you there for?” Dico seemed unbothered, shrugging, “Only a couple minutes.”

After a long silence from you, you felt compelled to speak, leaning closer to Bam’s phone, “Yeah, I can see you were there for a couple minutes! Your ugly fuckin’ mug’s right there!” A laugh echoed through the tinny speakers of the flip phone. You were about to tell him how not funny this was. Dico spoke first, trying to fix the situation in a very Dico way, “C,mon, it’s fine! Don’t worry about it! Hell, if you really want, you two could always just shoot another one!”

#jackass #bam margera #brandon dicamillo #jackass fanfiction #jackass fanfic #jackass x reader #bam margera x reader

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thebigsl33p · 2 years

Text

Treat Me Right, I'm Still A Good Man's Daughter

Long haired Dream looks like Noel Fielding.

A/N: So...my dad let me read The Sandman comics when I was way too young. He had his copy from when they were first released and he gave them to me when I was like...nine. So we've been sitting here, watching this show, and all our nerd dreams are coming true. And when I tell you that the frame by frame, panel by panel, shots make our day, I'm not even kidding.

part two!! part two will be under editing bcs i just re read it and it's horseshit but it's there if you want it.

Before he disappeared, eons ago now, Morpheus, Dream of The Endless, had a friend.

She was beautiful, smart, funny. She completely contrasted Morpheus, and while the Mortals called her Aiode, Song of the Three Muses (Melete, Aiode, and Mneme. Practise, Song, Memory), She much preferred to go by Y/N around friends and people she trusted.

And Morpheus was pleased to be one of those people.

They made a great duo in their time, Dream and Song. They were inseparable and while it looked like Y/N was following around Morpheus, he was just as happy to have her by his side.

Even Death was a little shocked at the pair.

But, as Death was a constant reminder of, all good things have to come to an end.

Eventually...the mortals stopped believing in Gods like Y/N. Whereas Morpheus didn't need to be believed in to exist, Y/N did, and so did her sisters.

And slowly...ever so slowly she began to fade away.

She spent her last moments by Morpheus' side, giggling away on the steps of the Pantheon. They both knew what was coming, they could see her going translucent, her fingers slowly fading, her shoulders hunching and her eyes sinking.

Once their laughter was finished, and she wasn't much left she turned to Dream, "I love you, y'know."

"I love you too." He whispered, hardly audible.

And then...she was gone. And for the first time Morpheus felt grief. True, unashamed, unyielding grief.

He felt as if his neck and heart had been torn out and he'd never know how to replace them.

***

Centuries had passed and there wasn't a day he didn't think about her. The way she would never stop humming or singing, how she swayed to imaginary music constantly or how she would raise her eyebrows at him before falling into his side.

Dreams had come and gone, faced trials and tribulations, let his kingdom fall and re-built it from nothing in the time that she was gone. And still, he thought about Y/N non-stop.

And it was a warm summer evening when Matthew came squawking into his throne room, landing on the top of the chair and began to fidget. He was in the middle of a conversation with Lucienne and sighed before asking what was wrong.

Matthew let out a cry, "There's a woman...she just randomly appeared on the beaches of The Dreaming. She asked to see you, but she wouldn't stop walking so I don't know where she is at the moment."

"What did she look like?" He asked, not feeling all too interested.

"She had E/C eyes...uh...h/c hair which probably isn't much use to you, but she wouldn't stop humming or singing." Matthew began to furrow at his feathers before he was slightly jumped by Morpheus' abrupt standing up.

"I have to go. Matthew, find me that girl. I'm going to check the Beaches." His cloak appeared out of nowhere and he whipped it around his shoulders before he disappeared into grains of sand.

It took him mere seconds before he appeared on the beaches of The Dreaming. His eyes frantically searched for someone, a person from long ago...or traces of her. Footsteps, whispers of song on the wind.

And then eventually, he found her.

She was sitting atop of one of the dunes, her hair blowing in the wind, a smile on her face and her fingers in the sand. He could hear her singing a song from long ago.

A love song.

#the sandman X reader #morpheus X reader #the sandman greek gods #the sandman netflix #Lord morpheus #lord morpheus X reader #Dream of the endless X reader #dream X reader #Dream X you #morpheus #sandman #the sandman

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irislikeswriting · 1 year

Text

Finally, an imagine. I am working through all the requests, slowly but surely, as well as a few other ideas of my own.

This was a request by @alannnina for a halstead!sister who is in an abuse warning.

This is a heavy one and there’s a few big TWs. So tw for graphic scenes of psychical and verbal abuse. Mentions/hints of rape and sexual assault to minors, as well as a description of what rape is. Lots of misogyny towards women and misogynistic language is used.

I do have ideas for a part two if people enjoy this. It’s also not fully edited so any mistake please point them out! And without further ado, enjoy!!

"You're late."

You jumped at the sudden intrusion of the silence, knowing it was just Jay, and so let the door slam shut, not bothering to close it quietly anymore.

"I know," You were uncomfortable, you always were when Jay took the authority role, way more so than with Will, "Sorry."

Jay would use his police voice on you, some sort of an attempt to psych you out, or to scare you. You didn't know which was more important to him but you did know it wouldn't necessarily stop you from doing whatever you'd done again. Not know that you knew why he'd use that voice. And, it was Jay, you brother, who you were never scared of because you knew him. You trusted him.

"Jesus, Y/N, where were you? I was worried," Jay dropped the bad-cop act and instead let his voice show emotion, "I tell you a time and you've gotta be back by then."

"I know," You shrugged, "Time just got away from me, I guess."

"Time just got away from you? You're sixteen. That's not an excuse."

"Sorry." You shrugged again, what else were you meant to do?

It was just something that happened to every teenager, a bit of healthy rebellion or just having fun. God knows that Jay must've done that, even if you weren't privy to that stuff.

Jay searched your face, just standing there slightly illuminated by the moonlight coming through the window. Jay hadn't shut the blinds in the living room, he never did.

It was a few more beats until Jay spoke again, "Go to bed. We can talk about it more in the morning. And I mean go to bed, no sitting on your phone or whatever you think I don't know that you do."

You couldn't help but smirk a bit at that one, because you did know that Jay knew, you were way too confident in his detective abilities to assume anything else. But he never told you off.

“You want me to turn the light on?" Jay asked, his hand reaching up the light switch.

“No!" You said, a bit too quickly and a bit too loudly and Jay furrowed his eyebrows at you, "No. It's fine. I'm used to the dark."

Jay knew something was up, of course he would now, how could he not? He wasn't going to let it go, and it was going to become harder and Jack was going to become meaner and it was all more things that you'd have to deal with when you were already dealing with enough-

Suddenly the light was blinding your eyes, and causing a headache to begin to pulse in your head.

"Jay, no. I said no!" You tried to turn away from Jay before he could see your face, even if it was pointless because he'd see it anyway, he wouldn't let it go now.

"Y/N," Jay's voice suddenly sounded very, very old, "What happened?"

"You're not angry?" Was the first thing you could think to say. You'd spent so long being angry at recently.

“It was Jack." Jay said, not a shake in his voice.

“No," You shook her head, suddenly feeling a very deep need to explain it all before it could get out of hand, "I mean, yes, it was but Jay you don't understand. It's not what it seems like."

“What does it seem like?"

“Abuse." It was the first time you had said that word out loud.

“If it's not then why did you say that?"

You felt hopeless, you felt that returning feeling rising up from your stomach, numbing your body, "It's what it looks like, I guess. But that's not the case, I swear."

“Will needs to look at your face," It wasn't phrased like a question, but Jay was still watching you, and you knew he was waiting for permission.

“Okay but can we- can you not tell him anything. I don't want him to get the wrong idea or anything."

Jay just looked at you.

—————————

"So, I've heard you're having a bit of a tough time recently. You want to talk about it?"

You were sat opposite Dr Charles, it'd been a week since you'd come home to Jay waiting in the dark for her. You hadn't been able to see Jack during that week and so you'd refused to go to school. You'd see him there, is what you said. Really, you just didn't want to go. You hated it and you'd hate it even more with a massive bruise on you face.

Jay had relented almost immediately, and you had your way. You had your phone and you could just leave the apartment during the day. Jack would skip, and then you could explain this all to him and he would understand and it'd all be fine. Some big misunderstanding.

That hadn't happened. Instead, Jay took your phone and when you got it back you couldn't find Jack's contact, nor could you add anyone new to message. Not just on your texts, on anything. And to be honest, you were shocked. You didn't think Jay knew about any of these apps, or at least not enough that he'd know to do all this.

But it was whatever, it was fine. You could still go and meet Jack during the day.

Except Jay had other plans for that. So you went and sat in the break room at the precinct and did work online. You couldn't even leave the room because of all the stuff the team were doing outside. However, true to his word, Jay hadn't told anyone about it. The team were confused, sure, but no one looked at you any differently. Even if they were trying to hide it.

Will, however, had known almost immediately. You had told him he had it wrong, and he didn't argue. Just fixed your face and told you to get some rest. No doubt so he could sit and talk to Jay about you.

"Y/N?" Dr Charles said again, "You with me?"

“Sorry," You said, you didn't want or need to be here but you liked Dr Charles and so you would play along, "Just got a lot on my mind."

“I bet," Dr Charles smiled lightly, "So, Will didn't tell me too much. You want to fill me in?"

“Sure," You sat forward slightly, putting your hands under your thighs, "It's not a big deal or anything, though. Just so you know."

“That's fine," Dr Charles smiled again, "Just take you time."

“Uuuh," You shrugged slightly, "They think my boyfriend, Jack, is abusing me."

“But he's not?"

“No," You shook your head, "It's not abuse. I'd know."

"And, if you don't mind me asking, how would you be able to tell if it was abuse?"

“I'd be scared. Of Jack."

“You aren't scared?"

You shook your head, "I'm not scared of Jack. I'm scared of the way he acts when his brother is around."

“Is that not the same thing?" Dr Charles asked.

“No." You said, because it wasn't and you knew that even if Dr Charles didn't.

“Alright," Dr Charles smiled, "I want to talk about Jack and his brother some more, is that okay?"

“Do I have a choice?" You asked.

“Yes. Of course," Dr Charles said, "If you don't want to we can have a game of chess, how about that? I already talked with your brothers and I'll see you every week but it will all be at your pace, Y/N."

“Okay," You knew Jay or Will would probably be pissed but Dr Charles was the psychiatrist, not them, "Let's have that game of chess."

————————

The team had been gone for a while and you were bored. You'd been left with school work to complete, Geography, and you had finished hours ago.

Normally, you'd wander downstairs, maybe say hi to Trudy. But today something felt wrong, deep in your stomach you could just feel that something bad had happened.

Your fears were confirmed when everyone arrived back and Jay had that look on your face and he was trying not to look at you but he still was. And so he was talking about you.

He came towards the door of the break room and you almost wanted to ignore him, pretend you were annoyed with him so he'd go away and wouldn't tell you whatever bad news he had.

“Y/N, I need to talk to you." Jay shut the door behind him, so it was just the two of them.

“What?" You asked, ready to try and delay things, "Now? I'm, like, busy."

“You need to sit down," Jay pulled another chair out, opposite yours and so you listened to him and sat.

“It's about Jack. Y/N, I need you to listen to me."

You nodded, sick of hearing about Jack but the tone of Jay's voice almost made you feel sick.

“He has a younger sister, right? Sarah."

You nodded, "Yeah. She's 11 I think. I went to her last birthday."

Jay nodded but you knew he wasn't fully listening, "Jack, he hurt Sarah. She's in the hospital."

“Hurt? What do you mean he... hurt her? Like he hit her or?"

“He did something much worse, Y/N. I can't tell you the details but he hurt her."

“It was because of those videos, right?" You couldn't stop the words from spilling out because if you had just told someone then maybe Sarah wouldn't be hurt.

You had known the videos were bad news but you'd just say and watched them and nodded and agreed to what Jack said to appease him.

Maybe he hasn't abused you. But he'd hurt Sarah and he had hurt you. Even if that wasn't him. It wasn't the Jack before his brother showed him videos. It wasn't the Jack that you knew Jack was.

But it had been Jack who had hit and punched and strangled and apparently really hurt his sister.

“Videos?" Jay frowned, leaning in closer to you, "What videos."

“Um. He used to show me these videos that his brother shared to him," You said slowly, not looking at Jay, "They were of these men and they were saying stuff about how your girlfriends should behave. How women should behave. I just, I thought that, that..." You trailed off because you didn't know what you thought. You didn't fucking know.

Jay paused for a second before talking, obviously realising this was progressing to something that may need to be recorded, “Y/N, Kim is going to join us." Jay said and you nodded. That was fine. Kim was fine.

Jay gestured through the window on the door and Kim came in, smiling at you and pulling a chair up. Jay spoke to her in a low voice and she nodded

“Y/N, can you tell me what the men in these videos said?" Kim asked, "You can stop if you feel uncomfortable."

You bit the inside of your lip, "I guess. For Sarah."

“Y/N, you don't have to do anything you don't want to. But it would help."

You nodded, "I know, so I'll tell you."

You didn't know where to begin because the videos were all so long and the men in them all had their own ideas and opinions but you just said what you remembered. Starting slowly and it all came tumbling out afterwards.

“They said your girlfriend should do what you want. If she didn't, you should punish her. Like, hit her or slap her. If she misbehaved too often then you should get her to count the bruises. Tell you what they were for. If you want to kiss, she should kiss. If you want to.. have sex, then she owes it to you. You shouldn't let her speak out of turn, or be rude to you. You shouldn't let her mock you in public and she should just let you show her off."

Jay had written most of it down, but you could see where his handwriting had gone weird, or messy. Presumably because of the things you were saying.

“That's really helpful, Y/N. If it's okay could you tell us about an instance of where Jack hurt you?" Kim asked, smiling at you.

You shrugged, "I guess."

Kim nodded for you to go ahead and so you did, but not before taking a deep breath.

“We went to a party. One of those massive house parties you see in the films. I was 15 so it was like, 6 months ago I guess..."

“I didn't know these actually existed!" Y/N clung on to Jack's hand, looking around the room.

There were people everywhere, they were even holding those little red cups that the teens do in the movies. Fuck yeah. You were one of those teens now.

You and Jack both grabbed your own red cups, filled with some nondescript alcohol that burned your throat when you drank it.

After saying hello to your friends, Jack led you over to a group of boys on the sofa. You recognised a few of them, being Jack's older brother and his friends.

They whistled lowly when they saw you, one going as far to wolf whistle. It made you feel uncomfortable and you went to look at Jack to let him now but he wasn't looking at you. Instead he was beaming over to the group of boys. Looking like he was showing off a trophy.

And so you didn't say anything, letting Jack pull you down on to his lap. You tried to move off, to have your own space but he held on to you tightly and tilted your face over to his.

“Gimme a kiss, baby." He said, tapping his cheek.

You did as he asked but it was weird. He'd never called you baby and he'd never asked you to do that and he had never acted like this with you in front of his brother.

After giving him a kiss he pulled you back down, kissing you. His hands made their way to your dress straps, pulling them down and there was whoops on the background and what the fuck was Jack doing?

You pushed him off of you, "Jack," You hissed, "What are you doing?"

“He, like, shoved me off his lap then and his brother said something to him. But I was trying to pull my dress back down and fix it so I didn't really hear. But then Jack dragged me away and I let him because I wanted to get away from all those boys. They scared me."

“I just didn't want to sit on your lap and make out in front of all those people, Jack. They're older than us, it just freaked me out!" You stepped away from him when he shut the door to the room he had dragged you in.

“So my brother and his friends freak you out?" Jack's eyes were little slits and you would be lying if you said you weren't a little bit scared. But you were mostly annoyed, very annoyed.

“That isn't what I said and you know it." You shook your head, "I'm going to go find Katie or someone, I'll see you later. There's no point us hiding down here fighting."

Jack grabbed onto you wrist and you turned around, your eyes already rolling, "Jack, c'mon."

Suddenly your back was smacking against the wall and you couldn't even cry out because you were so fucking shocked. You didn't know what had happened.

“Jack?" You was staring, wide eyed and his name was the only thing you could get out because what the fuck? And your hands were shaking and your voice was, too. And you felt a bit sick.

Jack pressed his forearm against your throat, cutting off your air supply slightly, "When I want to make out, we make out."

“Jack?" You said again, it was all you could say and you instantly wished you hadn't when Jack pressed his arm harder and okay, now you couldn't actually breathe. At all.

“I could knock you out, right here. I'm in charge, bitch."

You didn't know what to do and your entire body was pulsing with fear because you were so fucking scared. You'd never been so fucking scared before in your life and all you could think was that you were scared.

“Do you understand. Y/N!" Jack barked your name at the end and you opened your mouth to speak but you couldn't because he was pressing against your throat too hard.

Jack laughed then, and let his arm come away from your throat a bit, "Stupid bitch."

“Yes," You gasped out, "Yes, Jack."

Jack smiled then and stepped away, "Good girl, Y/N. I'm sorry I had to do that but you embarrassed me, y'know. My brother and his friends, they'll laugh at me if you don't listen to me. They barely believe I have a girlfriend, it hurts."

You held your throat, trying to ignore the pain in it and the ache in your chest from the lack of air and listened to what Jack was saying to take your mind off it.

“Please don't tell anyone. I was just scared. I act out when I'm scared and I'm sorry....."

"... I won't do it again. I promise. I'm sorry." Y/N recited the words Jack had told her that night, still avoiding looking at Kim or Jay.

“I knew then I wasn't going to tell anyone."

“Why, Y/N?" Jay said from beside you.

You stiffened slightly, "Because he was right, his brother was a dick to him. And it was easier. I loved him. I really did, and I didn't want to lose him."

“How often do you think these events took place?" Kim asked, still not looking at you any differently.

“It wasn't like... regular or anything, it was just here and there."

“Could you tell us a few more of the instances? What he did and what happened before and after?" Kim asked gently.

“Yeah, I guess," You didn't know where to start, what would be most helpful to Sarah's case, "Uh, the night I got back late. We... I just told him I had to go, because it was late. But I'd told him I'd ask Jay if I could stay round, even though I knew he was going to say no. Jack got mad that I couldn't, I guess. I said I had to go and started to leave but Jack followed me downstairs and we argued for a bit. Then his brother, Aidan, was stood in the kitchen right next to us. He was laughing, or smirking, I think. And then Jack got angry. I mean, so angry."

“Why do you love to make me into an idiot, huh? What the fuck is wrong with you?" Jack was in your face and you wanted to get away from him but there was no room.

“Jack, I don't- I don't do that. I just, Jay he'll be angry I can't stay." You spoke as quick as you could, needing to get the words out.

“Wow. I wouldn't let my girl speak to me like that, Jack. Mine would be apologising." Aidan called from the back of the room.

You closed your eyes, wanting to get out of this situation.

“He's right. You love to make me look like a fool, why are you denying it?"

“I'm not-"

The slap came so quickly you ended up hitting the wall behind you harshly, biting your lip to stop yourself from crying out.

“You are, you bitch." Jack hissed, spit hitting your face.

“I'm sorry," You forced out, "I'm sorry I don't think you're stupid. I love you, Jack. I'm sorry. You're right, I do."

“I am right," Jack nodded, "You should be grovelling."

Aidan started towards the two of you, talking as he came, "She admitted it. So she needs to be punished, little brother."

“I'm sorry." You said again.

“How many bruises does she have this week?" You heard Aidan say to Jack.

“I don't know," Jack turned to you, "How many bruises do you have, bitch?"

The number was burned into your memory, it always was, "Seven. I have seven. I'm sorry. I swear, I'm so sorry."

Neither boy listened to your apologies, "It's eight now, I guess." Aidan shrugged and then clapped his little brother on the should, "You're the boss." He said before smirking at you and walking away.

You shrunk away from Jack, "I'm sorry, I won't do it again."

He rubbed a hand over his face, "I don't want to do this, Y/N! But I have to. You have to be better, okay? You understand that?"

You nodded, "I understand." You sniffed, preparing for the hits to come.

Jay looked like he was ready to leave, whether to cry or to kill Jack, you didn't know. But he was on the edge of his seat, his eyes small and his leg moving. He never jogged his leg unless he was seriously upset.

Kim was hiding her true feelings, you had no doubt, "That's really helpful. And I'm sorry that happened."

You shrugged, not replying.

“I need to ask you a quick question, okay Y/N," Kim said, and you nodded, half knowing what Kim was doing to say anyway, "Did he ever force you to have sexual intercourse against your will?"

“No," You shook you head, "We did, uh have sex but it wasn't rape. He didn't, like hit me to make me." Y/N almost blanched at the word rape and the fact that Jay was sat right next to you as you were saying all this.

Kim leant forward, ever so slightly, "Did he ever pressure you into having sex, and I don't mean did he hit you. I mean did he tell you you owed it to him, because you were his girlfriend? Or did he just keep saying he wanted you to make him feel good? Maybe you refused at first but eventually agreed because Jack seemed like he really wanted you to?"

You clenched your jaw, "That's not rape, okay? It wasn't rape it was just a girlfriend helping out her boyfriend. And I don't want to," You turned to Jay, "Can we stop? I'm finished I don't want to do this anymore?"

Kim stood up before Jay replied, "I'll leave you two here. You did great, Y/N. It will really help Sarah."

Kim left and you and Jay sat in silence for a few seconds, and you knew he was going to say something but you had to first.

“I don't want to talk about it right now, Jay, okay? You can send me back to Dr Charles and I'll took to him tomorrow but right now I just- I just want to ask you something and then I want to go home. I don't want to think about this anymore today." The tears were coming to your face and you wiped them away angrily, "Why did Jack do it? To Sarah? To... me?"

“We can't know for sure yet, Y/N but those videos you described? It sounds like they radicalised him." Jay answered, focusing on your question and for that you were grateful.

“He's just a kid. How can a kid do all this?"

Jay took your hand suddenly, squeezing it tight, “What he did wasn't okay, Y/N and we will get to the bottom of it. But you don't need to worry about him anymore."

“But there's going to be a trial, right? For Sarah. Maybe for me. This is going to be hanging over my head for years until it's done. And I just want for Jack to be gone. I don't want this to have happened to me, Jay."

Jay pulled you into a hug and you clung on to him, the sobs coming so suddenly you could barely breathe.

“You don't think these things, do you? That the men said?" You had to ask him, you had to know.

“What those men said is wrong. It's not true. I will never, ever expect anything from you or from Hailey. Or from any other women. I will never look down on you. I will never punish you, or Hailey. I swear to you, Y/N."

You believed him, you'd always believed that. But you had to ask because you had to be sure. You had to know that there were men like your brothers out there, among all the bad.

You'd have to face Jack and a trial. You'd have to tell people what he'd done and what you hadn't done. You didn't have a choice.

But you did have two brothers who loved you and who didn't blame you. Not only did you have them, you had people they worked with who were basically a family. Who would all fight to support you.

Nothing was okay right now, but with the love from the people surrounding you, you believed it could be.

#halstead sister imagine #halstead sister imagines #halstead sister #halstead!sister #halstead reader #Jay halstead imagine #will halstead imagine #one Chicago imagine #Chicago PD imagine #Y/N imagine

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rvlsdlcrx · 11 months

Text

PRAYERS 【＃001.】－HLS.

ATSV x Child！Reader

ㅤㅤ(Some comedy to warm yall up in the next😋)

【＃000.】＜－Chapter one

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ【TW!! Usage of vulgar/foul language, acts of violence, choking and cringe yet realistic events. Please proceed with tender caution for young audiences, thank you.】

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

Reminders; This will have parts so be patient, it'll be worth it I promise you<33 enjoooyy

English IS my first language, but I've spent majority of my life speaking my native language, so pardon my punctuation, grammar, spelling and error.

Reader is 12 years old so don't even think about it.

Constant editing btw😭

Btw please checkout my playlist I made for the reader and some ocs that'll be shown in the near future

PLYSLST!!! (I'm not good at making playlist sorry😭)

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ✧. ┊ 𝚁𝙸𝚅𝙾𝙻𝚄𝚂 𝙳𝙴 𝙻𝙰 𝙲𝚁𝙾𝙸𝚇

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤWRITTEN BY ©𝙍𝙑𝙇𝙎𝘿𝙇𝘾𝙍𝙓

【＃001.】－HLS.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ𝙍𝙑𝙇𝙎𝘿𝙇𝘾𝙍𝙓。

－The heavy gravity that pulled you somewhere unknown made you confused, maybe even somewhere beyond confusion. You hated the way how you're experiencing this, you were raised in a fucking laboratory for God's sake, a laboratory where everything horrible to you was explained, and the idea of confusion scares you.

You realise you've been on your head for too long, you have to curse the philosophical, existential crisis coping mechanism that constantly makes you airheaded. You looked at your surroundings to see a white void filled with… holes? You looked under your feet and noticed you were floating in 0 gravity. Your mind immediately jumps to conclusions.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"I'm in space!?" You yelled, and surely, your voice didn't echo inside the void. As far as you know－or you know you did, a void where 0 gravity exists, possibilities there will be no oxygen. Uh oh…

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"Feeling breathless?" A tone asked you, appearing from a black hole beside you. You questioned… Why, where, what, when and how are you present in this space. And looking at the questioning figure beside you, yeah… He didn't have a face.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"Creepy." You said nonchalantly to the 'person' who was popping out of the hole. When you've stated your opinion to him, he took this as an offence as he gasped then placed his hand on his chest.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"Excuse me!? It wasn't my fault I turned out like this!" He yelled with him floating－yeah… floating－right in front of you, getting out of that black hole where he was previously. The sight of it? You found it rather disturbing, he was a completely white man. Like literally white, no face or ears, he was naked but his parts which were kept private weren't weren't there? You looked at him suspiciously and observed him, which he found more offending as he spoke to break the awkward silence.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"Hey- Kid? Checking people out is rude." The white… man..? Yeah no, let's not call him a man just because he's similar to one. So it's safe to say that he's an individual. He was there snapping his fingers at you to get your attention, you ABSOLUTELY know that you're looking at him with visible judgement. But who is he to say you're checking him out? You almost laughed at his accusations as you spoke.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"Checking you out? Please, I'm not even interested in… an abomination such as you." Did you have regrets saying that? No, did you have shame? Not at all either. Your cocky attitude may or may not mare him pissed off as he's on his way towards you, you suddenly felt that black hole appear behind you as he looked－is possible－immediately grabb ed your neck. His grip was tight but something made you feel like you're suffocating.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"You're just like him…" His tone definitely reeked frustration and realization. Hearing upon his statement made you confused, which again made you hate it so you groaned in frustration. Heck, you absolutely don't have a mind what was going on, and your annoyed confusion leads you to deadly curiosity. You raised your brow at him while you asked with that deadly curiosity that lingered your mindless brain.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"What the heck do you even mean－"

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"You know exactly what I mean." You were cut off by him with an intimidating voice, and you were sure without a single doubt. It definitely sounds like him. Shivers travelled down your spine frantically, and this worried you a lot. You're unable to stare at him, but he was able to look at you despite not having eyes to see. But you know that he's looking at you.

Your eyelids widened at that realization, your senses reacted in such a way that made you feel a piercing pain on your head. You hissed at sudden pain and the highly sensitive reaction your senses told you. You were immediately pushed into the black hole with that guy's fingers wrapping around your throat, you grabbed his wrist as you furrowed your gaze at him. It was a hard glare of growing hatred.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"Who are you anyways!?" And his response was a chuckle. A chuckle of growing confidence. This attitude somewhat made you disgusted at him with his cockiness.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"I am the Spot." He introduced, you could've sworn the name he called himself was already a circus itself－if not a circus then an industry of a god damn joke.

With his dumb introduction, your back immediately met the hard concrete ground－surprisingly-! It didn't hurt, you sighed with vivid relief. But now… You found yourself in an unfamiliar place, it was dimly lit with the only source of light being a deep purple ambience. You grunted and so did he. You stood up and facing him with furrowed eyes, he looked at you as he made some holes appear behind him and some surrounding you. You clicked your tongue in response as you said.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"Portals, huh?" A hand was placed on your hip as you asked with a little smirk, Spot then charged at you while he answered in agreement. His attack was too easy to read as you jumped above him and landed with your back facing his. In a blink of an eye, you webbed him to grab him by the back of his neck as you whispered.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"You better get me home… Spot." You commanded. This made Spot laugh at you, and sure as hell this made you annoyed as your father. The pressure and embarrassment you felt randomly when he did this to you made you return the choke with a deadly grip. You furrowed your brows as you repeated.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"I said… Take me back home, Spot." Again you said, and the only response to you was sending you to another hole and appearing in an apartment. Your grip was still with him, but what you did was to send a kick on his throat and slide yourself backwards to distance yourself from this abomination.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"Oh no… I won't do that." Spot answered with him getting up from your attack, running up to you again with a slow pace. Looking at him trying to run and show an intimidating visual by laughing, you just know－what he's doing is highly embarrassing. He was running towards you like a coward, you couldn't help but slap your palm to your face and rub it downwards until grabbing your lips and groaned with embarrassment and annoyance for this grown ass adult.

Honestly－"What the fuck." Is your response, just when he's so close to you. He slipped to his own own hole－or portal, whatever the fuck you even call it－as he screamed with a cut off.

You only looked at where he fell and stood there awkwardly, trying to collect what happened this day. Confused as you were, you shifted your position to look at the apartment you're in. You then let out a confused yet doomed－

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"Fucking-"

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤEND OF CHAPTER.

－✧..:*☆ 「TAG SECTION!!」

For my bb: @otaku-degenarate <3333 here u go(*˘︶˘*).。.:*♡

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convexicalcrow · 2 months

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after an awful bout of writer's block regarding part three of the lost prince au, tonight i finally started writing something. took long enough to work out where the second half needed to go and what needed addressing, esp since i hit them with the grief stick in the interludes lol. so obvs dealing with that is clearly the main focus.

i've rejected a lot of potential plot points but i think i now finally have a plot that's going to work for where they are and what they need to deal with to get that good character growth. plus i get to do moar pixandrian lore worldbuilding wooo.

extremely sketchy 'i wrote this in 18 mins and haven't even edited it' exerpt below the cut if you're interested. still needs a ton of work, but having it started is really helping me visualise where to go next.

It had been too long since they'd arrived in Djesdjes, or so Cub thought. He was almost getting to like the place. He had settled into the rhythm of the temple now that he'd recovered, and was enjoying simply being able to serve and do nothing else. Just give his life over to the gods and perform the rites as he'd been taught. In between, he'd done whatever work needed doing, and when he was free, spent time with Scar down by the lakeside, or wandering through the markets, just enjoying being somewhat normal and in the company of people who spoke his language.

He was down by the lake again. He knew very well that he had to keep going, but his heart wasn't really in it. Not right now, anyway. That Wag festival had really messed him up. It had let out all that grief, and he hadn't really known what to do with it, save for spending too many late nights talking it out with Scar and Ma'akhi. Had it really helped? Not really. He'd still lost everything. Nothing would change that.

Sure, he had a new horse, and new tack, and he'd been able to replace his palette and get more papyrus, but it wasn't the same. Not yet, it wasn't. This new palette was a different shape. It didn't have Djehuty's name on it. It had four colours, not two. The reed pens were made from slightly thicker reed than he was used to. All small and insignificant things, to be fair, but they weren't his. And he wasn't quite in the right headspace to accept it yet. So, maybe, when night fell, he took his horse, left a note for Scar, and rode back to the place he'd left behind. He needed to see the Vigil and see the Copper King once more.

Was it more dangerous riding at night? Oh, sure. Though at least the moon was almost full, so there was just about enough light to see as he followed the road back to the Copper King's mountain. Was this a stupid thing to do? Cub wasn't sure. Didn't really care, either. Just knew he needed to go back there. He needed to see the Vigil. He arrived just after dawn, riding up to the gates just as the shifts were switching over.

"I seek entrance to the Copper King's mines!" Cub called.

"Who asks to be admitted?" one of the guards replied.

"The wanderer known as Cub. I have met the Copper King before. He invited me to return if I needed it. I have come from Djesdjes," Cub said.

"Oh, yes, I remember you! Please, do come in," another guard said. "I'm glad better weather brought you to us this time."

"Indeed, indeed. All praise to Ra for the good weather," Cub said, backing up his horse a little as the gates were opened. His horse startled a little at the drumming that followed, but he managed to calm her down and rode through the gates with the previous shift following along behind him.

One fo the guards caught up to him. "Do you need an escort to show you around? I'm assuming you'll head for the stables?"

"Yes, yes, I'll leave my horse there if that's okay. And do let him know I've arrived. I don't know how long I'll stay, though," Cub said.

"Oh, he'll know from the drumming, don't worry. We use them to communicate because we can hear them all over the city here. Come, I'll show you the stables," the guard said.

"Cub? Come on, we're late for morning rite!"

Scar said as he poked his head into Cub's sleeping quarters. He saw nothing save for a rolled up piece of papyrus on his bed.

"Oh, that rapscallion! I hope he hasn't run off somewhere! I'll never find him now!" Scar said, picking up the papyrus. He unrolled it and read the note Cub had left. "'Gone to see the Copper King. Sorry. Needed to get out of Djesdjes. Back in a few days.' Well, this is unacceptable! How dare he go on an adventure without me! Jellie, come on, we're going to see this Copper King as well!"

Scar found Ma'akhi about to start the procession to the temple. He would miss being in the temple, but he had a feeling Cub would need him.

"Ma'akhi, where does this Copper King live? Cub's gone to see him, but I don't know where he lives!" Scar said.

"Oh! Go out the west gate and follow the trade route. That should get you there in a day or so. It's a large mountain with gates on each side surrounded by wheat fields. It's very hard to miss. I take it you'll be staying with him until you return?" Ma'akhi said.

"Yes, of course! I think he just needed to get out of town for a bit, you know? I can tell he's going through a lot right now. Hopefully we'll be back sooner rather than later," Scar said.

"Good luck, and be kind to each other, yeah? May Netjer travel with you," Ma'akhi said.

"Thank you! Send my regards to Djehuty!" Scar said.

Cub left his horse in the stables under the care of the horse master, and took up the guard's offer to take him to the Vigil. Cub still wasn't sure why he felt so drawn to it, but he wasn't about to complain. He'd forgotten how...

It's not that the Vigil was a dark place, necessarily. It was in a large, brightly lit cave that opened to the sky, surrounded by houses carved into the rock. It had space. The running water from the fountain in the middle was soothing and cool, taking away from the heat that was starting to come in from the outside. But there were candles everywhere, in so many different colours, sizes, and shapes.

"I wondered if I might find you here," the Copper King said, coming to stand beside him.

"I dunno, something just- I felt like I needed to be here," Cub said.

The Copper King laughed. "The ancestors will do that sometimes, yes."

"I've been dreaming. Bad dreams. Akhu dreams. Like-..." Cub sighed.

"I take it that Wag festival really stirred up a few things, hey? I've heard it can do that," the Copper King said.

Cub nodded. "Do you know how hard it is to grieve when you can't say their names? I don't even know what I'll do if I get back to the Two Lands. What's really left for me there?"

"I guess that's a question you can only really answer once you go there. I have heard stories of rebuilding, though, from other traders. Khemenu became a sanctuary. You may want to go there first. It might do you good to stay there a while and get your bearings before you think about going elsewhere. The Governor there is a kind man. I know, because we've only recently reopened our trade routes back to the Two Lands. We're planning to go again in a month. If you're still around by then, maybe you can join us when we pass through Djesdjes. We'd love to have your company," the Copper King said.

"Yeah, maybe. I dunno. I know Scar wants to leave soon. I kinda do, but also, I still feel like I need to stay in Djesdjes for a while. Mentally, I still need to recover. But I find it impossible to explain that to him. He doesn't understand," Cub said.

"Well, he won't if you never try to explain it. But I do know what you mean. From what little you've told me about your life, I can't imagine trying to readapt to any kind of normal life after that. Take your time. I might not know much about healing, but what I do know is that you'll do yourself more harm if you go before you're ready. Do you need some time alone with the Vigil?" the Copper King said.

"Yeah, maybe. It's not that I can't talk to my akhu in Djesdjes, but you know-"

"You like the anonymity of being here more, I get it. Stay as long as you like. I'll be around if you need me," the Copper King said.

#hermitcraft #empires smp #hermitfic #fanfic #convex #cubfan135 #gtwscar #pixlriffs #the copper king #ma'akhi #wips #unedited drafts #that final scene isn't even finished #but fuck it we ball #750words.com coming in clutch again #and getting me to write stuff again bweee #the lost prince au

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omies-odd-writing-spot · 3 months

Text

BFDG prompt 1

[Okay I really liked this, it was a prompt from my doom discord server. it came out really well so I'm editing a bit more and posting it here! not perfect but hope you like it]

“Please, anyone, if you can hear me, if you're out there…” The woman spoke into the small microphone. She closed her eyes tight to the sounds outside of the room the woman was stuck in, the screams had only partly stopped.

At least the human screams.

“Is anyone left?” She asked, defeated but still having to try as she curled up. “The Arc base is overrun, I dont… don’t know if there’s anyone else alive.”

All her and their data was backed up off site, something should be saved. Hopefully to be found once the demons pulled back.

“Is anyone else alive?” The woman asked quietly, paused as there was a deep vibration and screaming from the demons outside the room she was in. “Please…don't come.”

She did not want to die, but did not want more to as well. It reflected in Elena’s voice as she curled up tight for a minute while hearing the slightly muffled, not really human-adjacent scream before hearing the hell altered and full demonic creatures getting excited and running around her hiding spot. She wanted to ask for help, but knew it was hopeless so a soft whimper slipped out as she tried to shut the communication systems off.

“Help me…” the wisped words slipped out as it shut off.

There was an increase of activity on the other side of the walls. Did the demons find another survivor? Elena could only tuck herself farther under the table and curl up, trying to calm down her heart. Though knowing it was only a matter of time before something broke into the office room she was in. Everything was ringing and time fuzzed, just as the woman realized there was an eerie quiet as her breathing got under control again. There was a creaking at the main, double set of doors before a stressed sound of metal was heard. Elena could only cover her head and try to hold her breath as she could only hear the pulse of her blood. Fighting the panic as the office was broken into.

It took a long minute to realize she was not homed onto, and torn apart. A strange sound finally broke through, a low rumbling that was steady, but also…tapping. Elena looked up through her shielding her arms. There was a mass of….metal?

It took almost too long to recognize that it was someone kneeling down beside the big table. The size scale was so off that it took a few moments to realize it was a form kneeling down. A massive hand was tapping the ground in a pattern, and that low rumble was… becoming softer? As if to draw her attention to him.

Olive, black and tan armor, almost alien like metal over massive limbs. Intricate but also solid to hold up against the groves of fangs and claw marks. Part of the armor on the closer left leg was…healing itself?

The massive form, a practical giant in comparison, started to shift. The rumble paused and Elena could hear and see a deep breath. Then the rumble started again, low and thunder deep, almost a vibration in the air as the big creature put both hands on the ground, lowering themselves down until a helmet the woman had only seen in security feeds was peering under at her.

All at once, she recognized who was staring at her.

How could she not? She spent the last several years studying this being from a distance.

But knowing a lion was massive and seeing one up close were two very different things.

The Slayer was watching her very much like a predator. Glowing green eyes were focused on the small human- gods his thigh seemed bigger than her whole self-!

“...help?” The word slipped out of Elena before she even realized that she said something.

The large head tilted to one side, clearly hearing the whispered words. Then shifted as the rumble almost seemed to pick up. He was moving, sliding his left arm under the table, moving it to tilt as his shoulder slid under. The blade in his forearm was retracted, but the massive hand had Elena reflexively flinching away from the Slayer, even though she knew he was more… belevent, or neutral towards humans. And then the tilt of the table had what was on top sliding off to clatter and crash. Elena yelped and jerked away from the sound-

And into the large hand suddenly behind her.

Her neck slid between his fore and middle fingers before the massive hand closed around Elena’s whole upper chest. Arms pinned, she could suddenly smell the metallic scent of blood, realizing the black was… it was demonic blood that had been…burned? Death char clung to the Slayer as he pulled her out of her tentative safely and into the open.

The table rocked and crashed back down once he pulled the woman free and sat up, still kneeling and all but dwarfing the human. His other hand came up, catching her legs that weakly tried to kick in protest and chuckled.

He chuckled at Elena.

The giant was amused at her attempts to get free? At her fear? Was the Slayer not as belevent as she thought? The woman whimpered, unable to help it as she was, for the lack of a better term, examined. She was tilted and shifted, the other massive hand holding her knees together and-

And then the impossible grip loosened?

She was being moved, the grip on her legs released. There was a scramble from Elena as she was lifted and pressed to the Slayer's right shoulder. Once her feet were braced the giant's left hand then loosened and let her drop onto the shoulder. His head was tilted to watch her as his right arm came up, giving the human another spot to brace against.

He purred at her, once finding that Elena was holding onto his armor and collar ridge herself. Standing up with a slight hunch, grabbing the rifle-like weapon in his left hand. The big head tilted to watch as he checked the energy weapon over.

Elena made an interesting sound, confused but clinging tight to this only source of safety as she was carried not unlike a toddler. Once realizing what was around them as the Slayer walked, she pressed her head to the thick neck beside her, hiding from the torn remains of those that did not get to the evacuation ship.

There was a low sound that vibrated from the Slayer and through Elena. Like feeling the earth itself shifted and pulsed through her bones.

Reassurance. Protective.

The Slayer rumbled the Primordial words out, he had already cleared most all the demons and possessed. Taken and freed the trapped soles. He just had to get this human to the safety of his portal. It should open up by the mentioned backup servers. Things he needed to get anyways for Vega, and his Elite Guard should have that all secured by now

His steps were steady and long, in a ground eating pace as he left the hell created slaughter. Then his own slaughter of the demons. All the while giving a low rumble to reassure the only survivor he found.

#doom fanfiction #doom slayer #doomguy #BFDG story #story prompt #doom au #doom prompt #?#BFDG Elena Richards #Elena Richards #omie's writing #doom g/t #Big Fucking Doom Guy #Big Fucking Demi God

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sunshine-on-marz · 2 years

Note

hey toad! I've been reading some of ur fics and i like them very very much!!! :D ur an amazing writer, keep up the nice job! :))

So, i wanted to request something if thats okay hehe! please if you're not comfy with this ur free to delete it!!

So, you see, i have,,, let's call them battle scars, all over my arms and they make me feel kinda sad and remind me of bad times,, and i wanted to request a fluff/comfort fic w (platonic of course) philza, & benchtrio (ofc tubbo's one is platonic!) if thats ok :)

thank you so much! again, if u don't feel comfy writing about this topic, ur can delete this ask! :) -<3

TW: SELF HARM (scars)

I’ll do them separately and make Ranboo and Tommy’s romantic 🫶

Also, it will get better and I hope you feel better my love

Phil-

“Hey Dad?” You knock on this stream room door. “Come in” he says back and you walk in. “Dad, I uhm,,, my scars” you sigh at the last part and he whips around in his chair “new ones?” He basically jumps out of his chair. “No, no. I just don’t like them.” His eyes soften and he grabs your hands. “Hey now mate, do you know how fuckin proud of you I am?” You look down and he pulls you into a hug. “I know I just- they- they make me feel weak” he hugs you a bit tighter “well I think they make you look strong” the two of you stay like that for a while. No matter what happens you would always have Phil

Tubbo-

You had texted Tubbo about how you where feeling so he went over to your house. You opened the door and he pulled you into a hug “Hey y/n, I’m so proud of you, you’re the strongest person I’ve ever met” you teared up and he guided you away from the door. For a while he wiped you tears and calmed you down he helped you find an outfit that covered all your scars and took you to go get milkshakes.

Ranboo-

You and Ran hadn’t been together for long but you’d been friends for years, so they knew the face you where making meant trouble. “Hey n/n, what’s wrong?” That question was all it took to make you start crying “I just- my scars- they- I hate them- I wish they were gone” he walked up to you and wiped your tears. “Oh baby, I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry that you feel like this, but you’re gorgeous and so damn perfect.” You hugged him a bit tighter and he lifted you up, rocking you side to side in his arms until you calmed down, then he gave you a hoodie and played animal crossing with you for a while.

Tommy-

You had been scrolling tiktok when you saw an edit that zoomed in/ exaggerated your scars, with a sad and disturbing sound, then another, and at the third edit you where bawling. Tommy basically threw himself into the room when he heard it “y/n?! Hey hey, what happened?” He sat down next to you and scoped you into his arms. You showed him the edits and he turned off your phone. “I- I just- why’d I do it? They’re so stupid and make-make me look so stupid” he kissed your head and whispered in your ear “y/n, my love, you are the most amazing, smart, beautiful, funny, perfect, strong person I’ve ever met, no amount of scars will change that. My god, I can’t believe I don’t tell you that more.” You shook you head and cuddled into him more. “T-Tom no, you didn’t do anything” he shushed you gently and kissed your temple. “Hey, can I kiss your scars doll?” You where taken aback but nodded your head. Tommy spent the next few minutes kissing each and every one of your scars until your tears where replaced with the laughter he loved so much. “I love you baby” “love you to Toms”

——————

WOOOOOO I got carried away with Tom and Phil but I love them so suck my dick/pos but I’m rlly happy with how this turned out

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tomhardyspinkyfinger · 2 years

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The Good Girl and the Gangster: 7

Summary: The wedding will still take place, or will it?

A/N: HA! I WIN YOU STUPID CHAPTER! I WROTE YOU!!! I did it everyone. I wrote the chapter. I also think it'll probably be the last chapter in the series! If y'all want a more close ended finish, I might write an epilogue if y'all want. I didn't really edit it but I will in the next day or so! I really hope you guys enjoy. As always please reblog and give me feedback! I live for feedback

TW: language, violence, death, gore, blood, grief, angsty angsty

Tags: @woofgocows @buttercup32sstuff @rikki-b-lake @severewobblerlightdragon @siriuslyblackonbacknback

Masterlist Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

"Mother, my monthly is late."

My mothers hands slowly left my face and she let out a sigh.

"I didn't mean for this, I-"

"Enough. I will talk with Jacobs mother and move up the wedding. You will consummate and the baby will belong to a young, happy, married couple." My mother explained.

I went silent.

What?

"What? I don't understand mother, is this not enough? I know it is shameful, but I refuse to lie to Alfie and Jacob-"

"Stop. Just listen. Your father made me swear to keep this away from you." Her hand grabbed mine and she looked at me, tears forming. In almost all my years, I hardly ever saw my mother cry. She was a woman who always kept up appearances, even with her children.

"After.. we lost your brothers, your father struggled as we all did. He fell into the bottle, we kept it from you. You were still so young and focusing on school, when he was at temple he was drinking. We worked together with the church to get him to stop and it worked. A few months ago he went into the shed for the first time since Caleb died a found a letter. Caleb had written us his goodbyes. Your father began drinking again.."

I was now in tears, Caleb spent his time in the shed sculpting. When he came home from the war he never got a chance to sculpt again before he died.

"Your father fell in with bad people, he gambled, but the horse races was where we encountered an issue. Your father is a smart man, too smart when he drinks. He stole from the Peaky Blinders. They want their money back and we don't have enough alone. Even selling the property wouldn't cover it. Your marriage with Jacob and his families business is enough to help us. They agreed to help us if the marriage goes on. I'm sorry we didn't tell you." My mother concluded, both of us in tears.

"My loves? The party is awaiting the bride to be!" My fathers voice called from the other side of the door as his fist gently rasped against the wood.

"We will be down momentarily darling, just a bit of women's troubles." My mother covered, straightening her voice from the tears and wiping her face with her free hand.

"Alright, I'll keep entertaining with Jacob and his family." My father agreed before we heard his footsteps going down the stairs.

"But, what about Alfie? He has worked with the Peaky Blinders, he can help!" I protested.

"We tried to get his help already, he agreed to work with the Italians and take down the Blinders to help us, but.. it just isn't working. Alfie tried to stop the Blinders, but now the both them and the Italians are weary of him, which is why.. I told him to stay away." My mother confessed. I jumped off the bed and stood in front of her in shock.

"What? How long have you known? Has he been lying to me?" I snapped.

"No no, your father and I had him come to temple that day you met, we conversed briefly about your safety and the money we owe. We asked him to keep an eye on you in case the blinders got involved. I didn't know any of this would happen until I found your drawings." I was in shock at my mothers confessions. Everyone in my life had been lying to me for god knows how long.

I stared at my mother briefly before pushing back my tears and shedding my pajamas, getting dressed for the party as quick as I could. My mother waited patiently, both of us quiet and pulling ourselves together.

We both entered the party together, my tears dry but my eyes puffy, my mother completely unphased. I suffered through my own engagement party, Jacob gripping my waist and making my stomach turn and twist more than it already has been.

After everyone had left the miserable event, Jacob and I sat in the den while our parents conversed in the study.

"Art is a beautiful hobby, don't get me wrong! I just don't feel that it is a career, I will encourage our children to be creative, but they will be raised as real workers." Jacob drowned on and on, the mention of children causing bile to rise in my throat. I pushed it down with my water and nodded along until our parents emmersed.

"The wedding will be next Friday. We were able to organize the food and locations to our liking." My mother spoke, announcing herself in the room. I forced a smile and nodded, too tired and betrayed to fight anymore. We said our goodbyes, and got around to Jacob. Our parents gave us a bit of privacy at the door to say goodbye.

"Until our wedding, my love. I'm quite looking forward to the night." He spoke, kissing the corner of my mouth. I pushed back vomit for the unknownth time tonight and smiled without grimacing this time.

"Me as well, Jacob." I forced out, bidding him goodnight and shutting the door before locking it.

The following week was torture, my mother told me I was better off not going to the doctors and that I needed to just relax for my big day. I stayed bottled up in my room for the week, only leaving to eat and use the restroom. My father was worried, but my mother dismissed it as nerves. She didn't want him knowing I knew.

Too quickly for my liking, the wedding day had arrived. I felt sick to my stomach from the moment I woke up to the drive to the temple. I hadn’t eaten all day and I was green in the face with anxiety.

"You look so beautiful. I am sorry things happened this way. I love you for being so brave." My mother spoke, holding my arms from behind as we both looked in the mirror, my eyes began to tear as I looked at my wedding gown. It was beautiful and simple, something I always envisioned myself in, but everything was wrong. I nodded to my mother and she did the finishing touches to my makeup before my mother ushered me to the entrance where my father was waiting.

He kissed my cheeks and laced our arms.

"You look gorgeous, my baby." He complimented. I thanked him quietly and the doors to the temple opened, the music playing as my father began to walk us down the aisle, practically dragging me with him. I forced a smile as I avoided eye contact with the guests who had stood and turned to watch me, their joyful gazes making me sick.

At the end of the aisle, Jacob thanked my father and grabbed my hand, leading me to the alter where the Rabbi stood. As the Rabbi began speaking, I found my eyes traveling out into the small audience, hoping to see him, hoping he would be my knight in shining armor. Before too long, the Rabbi was initiating the exchange of the rings. For the first time since I had gotten to the alter, Jacob released his tight grip on my fingers to place my wedding band on. I did the same with him, my fingers shaking.

The Rabbi announced our betrothal and Jacob placed both hands on my cheeks, pulling me in and kissing me, his tongue entering my mouth. I submit to the kiss and leaned backwards, my hands awkwardly grabbing at his blazer lapels. I pulled away with much difficulty and Jacob ushered us down the aisle and to the doors, our guests clapping and cheering.

We arrived at the ceremony and sat at our designated table in the front of the room, in front of all our guests. We spent the first two hours mingling with guests as they drank, me avoiding alcohol.

Before the food was set to be placed at the tables, Jacob announced a speech. We stood in the middle of the ballroom floor, our guests seated at tables around us.

"I have been waiting for this marriage and am overjoyed to finally call this woman my wife!" He raised his sixth or seventh glass of whiskey to the audience who cheered. He kissed me vulgarly again before pulling away and continuing his speech, his arm wrapped tightly around my waist.

"I love this woman! She will be the one I come home to every single night, she will tend to our home and provide me with love and beautiful children." He announced. I started to waver back and forth, seeing stars from being so overwhelmed.

"I know neither of us can wait for our first night together, I'm sure our first child can't be far away!" He shouted, the audience laughing and clapping. I tried to focus on just one spot in the room to keep myself conscious. That spot happened to be the doors, that had swung open and let in Alfie, sweating and disheveled.

Black surrounded my vision very quickly, and I was in a heap on the ballroom floor.

I awoke to a voice and a soft hand stroking my face. I rubbed my eyes gently and saw my mother. I looked around the room, empty besides us, and began breathing heavily. I was on a small futon in the back room of the ceremony hall. The room was quaint, a few windows illuminating the room in the moonlight.

"We sent everyone home sweetheart, you just are a bit overwhelmed-"

"Mother, what happened? Something is wrong. Call the doctor please, my baby, mother." I rushed out, frantic and beginning to cry. The door opened suddenly.

"The baby?" Jacobs voice rang out. Jacob had been on the other side of the door, accompanied by my father and Alfie, all three mean having different faces of shock.

"Jacob." I sighed out, sitting up slowly.

"Are you pregnant?" He questioned. It was quiet in the room, my mother looking down and The three men now entering the room. I looked at Alfie briefly, Jacob noticing. "Is it his?"

"Jacob listen-"

"No! Your fucking parents trapped me with a whore! I was already helping your alcoholic disgrace of a father, and now this? You dirty little fucking-" Jacob was cut off by Alfie slamming him against the closest wall, his pistol being pushed into the skin of Jacob's throat so forcefully that he was gagging.

"The fuck did you call her? Say it again mate. Go on. Go ahead, call her a fucking whore again." Alfie instructed, cocking the gun. I stood from the futon and gently placed my hand on Alfie's arm.

"Alfie, let him go." I whispered, tears forming from the mess of a wedding. I never wanted Jacob to get hurt, nor my parents or Alfie.

Alfie hesitantly released Jacob, who slid to the floor holding his throat. He quickly scrambled to his feet and rushed out of the room.

"You're pregnant?" My fathers voice spoke, cracking a bit. I turned and saw him with tears in his eyes. I took a breath and glanced at Alfie, who was not looking at me, I had yet to find out why he even showed up.

"I believe so father. I haven't been-"

"I am so disappointed in you." My father spoke, a single tear rolling down his face. I sniffled, more tears falling as I scoffed.

"You're disappointed in me? That's fucking rich! This entire sham of a wedding was to save your ass! I fell in love with an incredible man and I would be more than honored to mother his children. You will not be in their lives if you even try to put a sliver of blame onto me!" I was screaming, getting closer to my father and sticking my finger in his face. He continued to cry, looking down at me wordlessly.

"You're right. I-I'm so ashamed-" My father began.

He was cut off by the deafening sound of gun shots. I felt a large body yank me to the carpeted ground. Alfie had covered my body with his own, his arms covering my head. The shots continuing to ring throughout the room, glass shattering all around us. My mother was screaming as I kept silent, gripping my aching stomach.

It felt like ages, but the room was eventually silent besides my mothers weeping.

"Don't move." Alfie instructed, hoisting himself off of me gently. He scanned the windows with his pistol as I watched, still in shock. I turned to see my mother curled up next to the couch, unharmed but in distress. When I looked to my father my stomach dropped.

"F-father?" I called out. No response. I crawled towards him and gasped, sobbing at the sight. My father lay with a gushing bullet hole in his neck, his eyes closed as he laid lifeless. I could hardly see with the low lighting and my tears flowing, but I gathered up the bottom of my dress and attempted to hold it to his neck to stop the bleeding.

I heard my mother screech and scramble next to me, gripping my fathers motionless arm.

"Darling? William? Please my love, open your eyes." My mother pleaded, sobs wracking her body. I continued applying pressure, my hands and dress now soaked in blood.

"Alfie! Call someone please, get help!" I yelled, looking back to see Alfie looking sorrowful. I looked back down at fathers body and saw two more shots in his chest, one in his heart. I let out another sob and fell backwards, my hands clutching my chest.

"Why did you stop? I-Is help here?" My mother questioned, looking at me and then Alfie. I shook my head and she clenched her eyes shut, laying her head on my fathers stomach.

Alfie stayed with us until an ambulance and the police showed up. The removed my fathers body and had a second ambulance take my mother and I to the hospital.

The nurses cleaned and changed me, giving me a white bed in an all white room. I laid motionless, thinking about the events of the night when the doctor came in.

"Hello my dear, how are we feeling?" He questioned, looking at the clipboard in his hands, then to my tear stricken face.

"My baby. Is my baby okay?" I questioned. He laid me on my back and began to perform a few tests. I closed my eyes and cried silently, still in shock and grief.

"There is no baby, it seems." The doctor spoke. I opened my eyes and looked at him, confusion lacing my features.

"I don't understand? My monthly never came after I-"

"I can assure you, you are not pregnant. Sometimes in stress induced situations, a woman's cycle can be thrown off course. Nothing to worry, just a bit of rest and a better sleep schedule before you can start trying again." The doctor smiled, patting my shoulder and leaving me alone with my thoughts.

I tried to stop the tears, but they had been flowing since the wedding. The door opened and shut after about an hour, but I was facing away, hoping whoever it was would just leave.

"Y/N?" Alfie's voice called out into the silence. I didn't respond.

"You ain't gotta talk to me. Please tell me if the babe is alright?" He spoke.

"There isn't a baby, Alfie. Doctor said I was never pregnant. Leave me alone." I bit out, still facing away. I felt the bed creak as he sat at the end, rubbing my leg above the blanket. I pulled away from him and finally faced him, guilt etching his features.

"You knew. You knew it was going to happen didn't you? That's why you showed up to the wedding?" I questioned.

"The blinders found out about me an' the wops. I was too late. M'sorry dove." Alife confessed.

"You lied to me about everything. About my parents, Jacob, the wedding. For what? That I still don't understand." I spoke, throat coarse from crying and yelling. He didn't say anything.

"You're done here now. My fathers debt was collected and you failed to help him. All you did was fuck up my life, Alfie. Go home. Or don't, just get away from me." I bit out, laying back down on the pillow and closing my eyes, tears pooling once again. I waited until I heard him leave, the sound of the door shutting triggering full body sobs.

After a day in the hospital, my mother and I were back in our home. It was quiet and cold, missing my fathers presence. My mother was kept in the hospital for shock, and they released her to me once I was cleared, but she was yet to recover. I held her arm in mine and lead her to bed, tucking her in. She was just a shell, silent and pale.

"I'm going to make us some lunch, just shout if you need me." I spoke, brushing her hair out of her face. She ignored me and I sighed.

After a few months of me caring for my mother, she had improved greatly. She could care for herself now, but had only left the house twice, once to witness my annulment to Jacob and once more for fathers funeral. She was quiet, thin, and cried often, but she was talking and smiling more frequently. I hadn't seen Alfie since I told him to leave me be, and it has been hard. I spent all my time caring for mother and the house to distract myself, but he always found his way back to the front of my mind.

I left my mother in the garden reading a novel with Biscuit on her lap to go to the shops and get our groceries. Biscuit had been a great comfort to her, she always claimed to hate him until now, he kept fathers side of the bed warm.

I walked into town and began shopping at the markets, gathering some meat and eggs. A bouncing head of red hair caught my attention.

"Elise?" I questioned. She stopped and turned, her jaw dropping.

"Y/N! Darling!" She exclaimed, wrapping her arms around me. I hadn't seen her since the first night I met her at her party Alfie took me to. She pulled away and examined me.

"How have you been then?" She questioned. I smiled.

"I've been better." I confessed. She nodded and brought me over to a bench, sitting us both down, the now breezy autumn air surrounding us.

"No need to beat around the bush. I know everything, and I'm sorry. for your father, Alfie, everything." She spoke, holding my hands in hers, the basket of goods placed between us.

"It's alright Elise, really. I've started to heal." I smiled, pushing back tears and the mention of my father.

"Darling, I didn't know what Alfie did, but I do know he needs you about as much as you need him." She spoke, sympathy lacing her beautiful features.

"He doesn't need me, Elise. He betrayed me." I spoke, looking down. She released my hand and tilted my chin to have me face her.

"He thought he was protecting you. Doesn't make it right, but it makes it understandable, and more importantly, forgivable." She spoke. I sighed and looked away.

"He's bad, love. Goes to work, locks himself in his office, then straight to his house. I've checked in, he isn't eating or sleeping. You know how he can be. You don't have to forgive him or take him back, but please talk to him. For me." Elise pleaded. I nodded and we went our separate ways.

A week later, after heavy internal debating, I found myself on Alfie's doorstep. I knocked hesitantly. I got no response for a while, until the door swung open and revealed Alfie. He looked tired, his skin scratchy and untreated. He seemed shocked to see me.

"Can I come in?" I questioned. He moved to the side and let me in, shutting the door after me. I entered the den, greeting Cyril who laid in front of the roaring fire place. He lazily rolled over for me to pat his belly, and I did so with a smile. I sat on the couch, placing my coat down on the arm of the couch. He was staring at me, waiting for me to speak. I moved closer to him and placed my hands on his cheeks, his coarse beard tickling my fingers. He closed his eyes and let out a breath.

"I'm sorry, Alfie." I muttered, pressing my lips to his. He wrapped his arms around me instantly, pulling me onto his lap. He deepened the kiss, his big hands spread across my back. He pulled away and brushed my hair out of my face, looking deep into my eyes.

"What're you sorry for?" He questioned. I smiled and smoothed his hair back with my fingers, then smoothing out his worry lines on his forehead. Ingraining every inch of his face into memory.

"I was mad. I didn't mean what I said. I thought you had moved on but when I ran into Elise she told me you were struggling. I spent the last week thinking of ways to apologize. Do you forgive me?" I questioned.

"Nah, gonna hate you for the rest of time treacle." He spoke, smirking. I rolled my eyes.

"What do I have to do to get you to forgive me?" I questioned, stroking his face.

"Marry me?"

#alfie #tom hardy #tom hardy x reader #reader insert #tom hardy x you #fic #fluff #alfie solomons #peaky blinders alfie #alfie x reader #alfie solomons fanfiction #peaky blinders fanfic #angst

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shiorinotshiori · 2 years

Text

You can't stop me now, not like you did before (Eddie Munson x F!Reader)

You discovered the reason why Eddie broke up with you.

And you also find out that he still comes to basketball games, just to watch you cheer.

Part 1: You looked so good in green OG Ending: Finally Home

Warnings: Swearing, very slight violence, mentions of blood, Jason ugh

Notes: ' ' means it is the characters' inside thoughts

IDK HOW TO EDIT ON MY PHONE BUT I FORGOT TO SAY THAT ELLIOT'S AN OC BTW!! Hwbshsh

Word count: 3.3k

Request: "If there is a part two I will give anything to see y/n corner eddie and lay out that she still loves him and wants to be with him. Then when he starts the “you deserve better” she gets all “stop trying to make choices for me! I can make my own choices and my choice is YOU!” And then there is crying and probably making out under the bleachers" a/n: I did some changes hope thats ok! n sorry if this isn't what u expect ahghahd but yeah i didn't know if an 'under' exists in Hawkins High's bleachers so i changed the scene to hallways

I don't give permission to repost or translate my work please have mercy

It’s been months for both Eddie and you, but even so, the long haired ‘freak’ never seem to leave your mind. He’s been there since the day you met him, and even after the break-up, he was still there. It’s like Eddie’s been living in your head, rent-free; he made it his little home when he first gave you his shirt. You never understood Eddie’s change of mind regarding your relationship- yes, you knew his insecurities crept once in a while, but it never got to the point that he thought about breaking up with you. Before, it was never an option for Eddie. If there was a solution to his thoughts, it was always to fix his path but never leave you- at least that was until the ‘party’ thing; which you never knew about.

You spent days thinking about what had happened, that can’t be the only reason why you separated and left the most precious thing you had. For almost two years, you were attached to each other- as if one couldn’t live without the other. So why?

Little did you know you were about to find out soon.

The popular crowd arranged another get-together-event, just for the sake of partying and drinking and getting drunk- a.k.a, the usual. You needed something to distract yourself from the man who wouldn’t leave your mind so… you went, thinking that for a moment, you’d be able to forget and blur the painful memory of your last talk with Eddie. Ever since the separation, you never got the chance to talk with him again. Not when he kept avoiding you like the plague. At least that’s what you thought.

You and the other cheerleaders, along with the jocks, were hanging out in Andy’s house. You guys were upstairs, sat in a circle- just exchanging remarks to others’ story. You were not relating to any conversation that was going around in your circle, you stood up from where you were sitting. “Hey, I’m gonna go get drinks. Anyone want some?” you offered, hoping to get a very short time alone in the kitchen. “Ah, can I get a beer?” Jason raised his hand to get your attention, making sure you get him what he’s asking for. You only nodded back because it seems like he’s the only one who wanted to drink more.

You silently walked down the stairs, immediately making your way towards the refrigerator. Grabbing two more drinks, you went and rested yourself by the counter. You were slowly breathing in and out, getting that much needed air you were craving for while seated with people you don’t even like. Except for maybe Chrissy and Elliot. You just stood there, thinking being alone would help you but, as the silence continues- you just find your mind wondering back to a certain person. ‘Wish I was with Eddie instead’ you thought. God knows how much you miss silent times with Eddie. Believe it or not, Eddie can shut his mouth sometimes. He isn’t exactly as loud as he is whenever he’s with the Hellfire. There were times he enjoyed just laying on his bed, with his arms wrapped around you, staring at the trailer’s dirty ceiling.

As much as you dreaded to return to people who you only pretend to like, you had no other choice- you wanted a distraction and this was just it. Again, you silently walked up the stairs, hearing them laugh. You thought they were just laughing at each other’s stories again but, you stopped halfway when you heard a name. A name that never left you to find peace. “-Eddie.”

You knew that maybe it was just the usual ‘bring other’s down so we can feel better about ourselves’ thing that popular people tend to do. But no, you didn’t expect to find answers that explains the sudden break-up between you and Eddie. “Right! Like, I thought after our little talk with the freak, he’s still gonna swallow up his pride and stay with (Y/N). But, I guess we got it thru his head that they don’t belong together.” You heard a girl say.

“Wait- wait, so can you actually describe what happened? You talked? With the freak?” It was Andy’s turn to question, evident to his tone that he was frowning. Quickly followed by Jason, answering instead “Nah, we just went and explained that maybe… (Y/N) deserved better, ya know? Not that we actually care but, we can’t have OUR kind having connections, romantic or friendly, connections with the outcasts. It will ruin us! And I believe, we did (Y/N) a favor. She was once a lost soul, and we just saved her ass from being sacrificed to the devil.” There’s that joke, that running joke about Eddie being Satan’s disciple. If only they knew that Eddie’s better than all of them, not that they will ever admit that- but at least some people knew. You knew.

After hearing them laugh at your ex, it made you sick in the stomach. How could you ever thought that maybe you’d get along with them one day? Once again, you were so wrong about the people in Hawkins. Some people just don’t deserve a second chance.

It felt like ages before you realized what was happening- THEY were the reason why Eddie broke up with you. You were angry, no, you were furious. You could go up to them now, maybe even slap Jason’s smug face off, but you couldn’t. Deep inside you knew that wouldn’t be ideal, at least not for now. Your last game to cheer on, is in two days. You couldn’t find it in yourself to ruin (almost) everyone’s favorite event in Hawkins High, because if you confront them now- it’s for sure that hell will break loose. You were not that selfish, unlike those people. So, you decided to play pretend again, pretend you actually tolerate their kind. Then after the game, you’ll tell them to go fuck themselves. That was your plan.

You waited for another minute to pass before fully going upstairs, greeting them with one of your fake smiles. “Hi! Sorry I took so long to get our drinks, Jason. It’s just that uh… my mom called. She said she wanted me back like uh… right now. Says she needs me for something. So uh, sorry I have to go home early.” You almost threw the canned beer at Jason’s face, but you managed to refrain yourself from doing so. ‘Not today (Y/N), the day will come’ you promised yourself. You’d make him pay one of these days.

“You need a ri-“ before Elliot finished his sentence, you were down and running towards the door. You were still upset and didn’t want anyone near you, not even the most tolerable person in the basketball team.

You spent the remaining days, before the game, thinking on how you’d approach Eddie. Now that you knew, you want- NEED to talk to him. You were not gonna let this go so easy, not like the first time you thought Eddie’s deciding for himself. He was just provoked by some asshole who thinks he runs the whole school. You couldn’t let Eddie go, not again. Not after what you heard. You hoped that there was still a chance. You think that maybe you can convince Eddie that you don’t want anyone but him.

It’s finally game day. You never thought the day would come that you’d be wearing contacts. These past few days, with what you learned- plus your eye sight demanding for a better vision; gave you massive headaches. So, your mom convinced you to try and give contacts a second chance, hoping it would lessen your headaches too.

It’s game day, also your final cheer in Hawkins. You gave it your all, cheering and dancing your heart out. Of course, you didn’t know but, as usual- Eddie sat in the darkest corner. He couldn’t miss your last performance, he couldn’t miss the last time he’d be able to see you like this.

You were still standing near the bleachers after your routine, trying to get used to the contacts by looking far ahead of you. And that’s when you locked eyes with someone. That someone being the one and only Eddie Munson. What he didn’t expect, was to lock eyes with you. ‘Fuck! Is she staring at me? No, no, couldn’t be’ Eddie thought, he was confident you wouldn’t be able to see him. With his eyes still wide, he tried to look elsewhere, slightly scratching the back of his neck, pretending he didn’t just catch your gaze.

You felt a familiar lump in your throat, the same lump that kept hunting you for months of trying not to cry- about the guy who’s now acting oblivious in front of you. “Eddie…?” you whispered only to yourself, still not believing that he came to watch you again. Call yourself assuming but, you knew Eddie never had a reason to go to a basketball game before you. You were frozen at the spot, your eyes following the man’s retreating figure. Wait… retreating figure? You then realized that Eddie’s making his way down the bleachers, trying to desperately get away from you, again. Sitting at the last column made it easier for Eddie to go down and straight out the doors leading to the hallway.

You quickly ran towards the same door that Eddie wen thru. There was no time to waste, this was your chance, maybe the only chance you’d get to talk to Eddie again. You reached the hallway and saw Eddie’s back turned to you, he was resting an arm against one of the lockers. Eddie’s heart was racing so fast, not from the way he quickly ran to avoid you but, from the fact that you just saw him. ‘She saw me holy fuc-‘ his thoughts soon interrupted by you, calling his name. “Jesus Christ!” His arm that was resting- separated from the locker when his whole body literally jumped, spooked when you spoke. That’s another thing he didn’t expect, he didn’t expect you to follow him. So, hearing you almost scared him to death; aside from the fact that he got surprised by your voice, it was none other than YOUR voice.

He had no other choice but to face you- he had been wishing to see your face up close again but, not this way. Not when he didn’t know what to tell you now that you’re near him. Eddie never thought he’d talk to you, maybe if he did knew, he would’ve at least practiced some lines in front of the mirror.

“HI! No wait- I didn’t mean for that to come off so… aggressive…” he trailed off. ‘Yeah man, way to go Eddie’ he silently cursed. It’s been months okay, he didn’t know how to act around you anymore. You slowly came closer, swallowing before asking “Why… why were you at the game?” you just needed an answer before fully committing into telling him you now knew why he broke your relationship off.

“I uh… like basketball?” Eddie had never been a good liar, he was also aware of that. So, before you could reply and comment on his obvious lie- he just said the first thing that came into mind “You sure your boyfriend wouldn’t mind you talking to me?” now that shocked you, where the hell did Eddie got that idea?

“Wha- Boyfriend?! Eddie what are you talking about?”

“Oh, you know, the guy you hugged last game?” He scoffed, remembering the bitter sight he saw last time he went to watch you.

“Last game? Who did I hug last gam- You mean Elliot?! Wait! LAST GAME? You were also there?” At this point, you were flabbergasted. Eddie might have accidentally admitted that he’s been watching the recent games and it gave you the little tiniest bit of hope.

“Oh wow! Also an E- didn’t know you had a type (Y/N).” Eddie cocked his head to the side, saying it with pure sarcasm while smiling- a smile that’s not an indication of happiness. You did NOT expect that this will be your first conversation after months and it irritated you. “Eddie, me and Elly are not-“

“AND a nickname too! That sounds just like my name! This is great, so fantastic, sweetheart!” Eddie’s jealousy turned into frustration, an obvious one, as he raised both of his arms, bent in a way you’d think he was shrugging but that’s just Eddie letting out his frustration with his dramatic expressions. “Will you please stop cutting me off?! You didn’t give me a chance to talk last time! Now, I’m the one who’s gonna talk and you better listen to me Edward!” You’ve had enough of Eddie’s attitude, now it’s your turn to corner him against the lockers and tell him everything.

“Me and that guy you’re jealous of- are nothing BUT friends. I hugged him because he’s the only guy I felt comfortable with after you left me and avoided me as if I had some type of- some type of disease! I couldn’t even go near the Hellfire club! You avoided me like you hate me so much but then watch me in what? In every god fucking game there is after we broke up! I don’t understand what you want me to do Eddie. You’ve left me confused!” This felt familiar, but now the roles were reversed. You were now the one leaving Eddie speechless. Your eyes were hurting and your vision’s all blurry. Tears in your eyes made the contacts burn but you didn’t care. You were pouring your heart out to Eddie.

“Why? Why didn’t you just tell me that Jason and his stupid- his stupid friends told you something that made you decide for the both of us?” You were trying to choke out the words but, it was getting harder for you to talk. Beyond your tears, you saw Eddie looked down in shame for a moment, his fingers fiddling with his rings- a nervous mannerism of Eddie that you learned when you were dating.

He finally looked up to you, his own eyes filling with tears. “Because they were right (Y/N)! You deserve be-“

“Enough with the I deserve better bullshit Eddie! That’s not your decision to make, that was supposed to be MY choice and you took-“ You started accusingly pointing your index finger on Eddie’s chest “-you took that away the moment you broke up with me. You know damn well that my choice is always gonna be you. It’s always gonna be you Eddie. You can’t stop me now, not like you did before. Because I still love you, and I know you still love me too unless you miraculously started liking basketball that’s why you-“

And the moment you and Eddie were waiting for, happened. To feel each other’s lips again. Your hand that was tapping against Eddie’s chest was stopped by his own hand. He was holding yours to his chest, near his heart, as if to let you know that you were still the beat of it. Eddie’s eyes were closed but yours were surprised. His free arm snaked around your waist to pull you closer, tightening it each second, afraid to ever let you go again.

His tongue licked your lower lip, asking permission to enter. That’s when you closed your eyes and brought him closer- if that was even still possible. While your tongue moved with Eddie’s- he gently pressed your back against the lockers, his kiss was getting a bit aggressive; making up for the months he wasted moping around instead of doing this with you. Finally, both of you were out of breath.

Eddie rested his forehead against yours, last time he did, it did not end well- but this time? It was a new beginning as he said “ ‘Course I still love you sweetheart. What can I say? It was my mistake for letting you go. I- I never should’ve listened to those assholes, now I just wasted time that was supposed to be ours. Sorry, princess. Let me make it up to you?” Other people would assume that Eddie could never be defined as ‘soft’ and ‘gentle’- but this was your Eddie. He’s handling you like a fragile object against him as he hugged both of his arms around, resting his chin on top of your head.

With your faced pressed on his chest, you managed to mumble out “You already did, Eddie. Now, promise me we’ll leave together? For real this time?” You felt the vibration of his “MmHmm.”

He moved to gently lift your chin with his finger, one of his cold rings brushing on you, as he looked down to meet your eyes. “You think that- after that hot make out sesh in the middle of the hallway… I’m letting you go?” He chuckled “Yeah, no can do, sweetheart. I, guarantee you, that you’re now stuck- again- with Eddie the Banished!” There he goes again with his dramatic monologues, you thought but- it only made you smile as you look up to him, admiring him while posing like a total nerd- fist closed, arm extended up in the air with the other arm wrapped around you.

You were about to lean in and kiss him again when the doors to your right burst open, loud victorious screams were heard before it stopped, ‘Oh righhhht, the game’ which both you and Eddie totally forgot- now you’ve got the rest of the cheerleaders and the basketball team staring at the both of you; in a very promising position.

“(Y/N)? What the fuck? Is this freak bothering you again?” Jason stepped forward, ready to show his friends that he’s gonna be the ‘hero’ of the day again. “Actually no, I don’t think my boyfriend, will ever bother me. What ya’ think Eddie?”

“No, no, I don’t think I do bother you, sweetheart. Considering that we just finished MAKING OUT in the HALLWAY” Eddie made sure to emphasize the words ‘making out’ and ‘hallway’ which made you laugh. And, the look of your former teammates was priceless. It’s just the usual disgusted looks but, it was better than their fake smiles and greetings.

“You’re throwing your life away (Y/N), You’re really gonna go back to this los-“ a girl started but immediately gasped when you held your middle finger up to her. “Yes, and I, quit. I mean, it was the last game but yeah. Go fuck yourselves!” You held a sweet but sarcastic smile. Your hand making its way towards Eddie’s, to intertwine them.

As you walk away from the crowd, “You fre-!” You and Eddie heard Jason started, so you turn around, ready to deal with another drama scene when you saw Jason had his fist up in the air, ready to swing at Eddie- when someone punched Jason hard. On the face. His nose bleeding. Oh shit it’s bleeding. “That’s what you get for being an asshole, you had it coming mate. Not sorry.” You looked at Elliot, who punched Jason by the way. You mouthed a silent ‘thank you’ to him. Elliot nodded to both Eddie and you- before walking to the opposite direction. Also leaving the toxic people behind.

You were able to breathe again, finally that’s over. “Hey… sorry for the accusation earlier. I was just, y’know, kind of jealous? But he’s cool, he’s cool.” Eddie shyly admitted, you smiled at your boyfriend, taking his fidgeting hands. “S’kay, at least I got you back now.” You continued to walk down the hallway with Eddie, hands still together.

Eddie then asked you a question he’s been meaning to ask since you two made up. “So, princess… since we’re uhm, together again…”

“What is it, Eddie?”

“Can the fair maiden, join me, in today’s Hellfire campaign?” Eddie smiled as he heard you squeal from excitement. He sure missed his favorite player and you with your one and only dungeon master.

You were so glad to have him back, now stronger than ever. Eddie will never make the same mistake again, not when you showed him everyday that you needed him as much as he needed you.

You never deserved better, because Eddie Munson was the best.

_________________________________________

Here's your request! @stormcellarwitch hope you liked it <3

#eddie munson #eddie munson x reader #reader x eddie munson #eddie munson fanfiction #eddie munson fanfic #eddie munson fics #eddie munson fic #eddie munson x y/n #eddie munson imagine #eddie munson st #eddie munson stranger things #stranger things #stranger things x reader #eddie x reader #eddie munson x you #eddie munson x female reader #eddie munson fluff

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krinsbez · 3 months

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Random DC Thought

Apologies for getting culturewar, but I have a question that's been bothering me for some time. Longterm readers of my blog may have noticed that, as a Jewish person, I don't understand (and am frequently angry at) the idea that Superman, a character who was married in a Church, celebrates Christmas and Easter, named his adopted son Christopher, frequently swears by a sun god, and spent decades having his favorite food being canically be cheeseburgers, should be presented as being Jewish, despite having never in his entire history being depicted as having any sort of cultural, much less religious, connection to Judaism or Jewishness, and has routinely been depicted as otherwise, as per above list, which is far from exhaustive.

Meanwhile, when I express the idea that the Joker, who has been queer-coded for longer than most comic book fans have been alive, has been known to dress in drag, routinely acts in a flirtatious way towards Batman, has been repeatedly shown to be entirely uninterested in the sexual advances of one of the sexiest women in comics, and on one occasion while attempting to torture Lex Luthor (long story) lost his cool when Lex asked if it bothered him that Batman likes Catwoman better, ought to be presented as queer, I am told the very idea is idiotic and insulting to comic book fans and LGBTQ people.

Explain this to me please

EDIT:

I am not LGBTQ, and so of course, I have no right or standing to say how LGBTQ people should feel about things, of course.

Also, the closest thing to an explanation I ever got are because the Joker is a terrible person and because Harley is queer, and I don't see how either of those are relevant?

#Random Thoughts

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edenwolfie · 9 months

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For the writer ask - 13, 17, 27, 28, 36!

Hallo and thank you for the ask! I'll stick to my fanfics for answering these :)

13. What is a subject matter that is incredibly difficult for you write about? What is easy? I always always struggle with sex scenes, they tend to not take too long, but are then followed by the most god awful amount of editing to try and make it at least vaguely sexy. Local aroace tries their best lol. Otherwise I don't think I struggle quite as much as that with much else?

27. Who is the most stressful character you’ve ever written? Why? I think it was probably Madam Yu from my MDZS fic series Just Say Yes. Every scene she was in was a trial for me to get my head around because the series was very much a 'fix-it everything you can' kinda deal, but I also didn't want to drastically change anyone's character, so she was a difficult line to walk. Mostly I avoided this by keeping her out of scenes when I could lol. I remember one or two people wanting a chapter from her POV and just, I would have died of frustration and the fic would have never been finished lol.

27. Who is the most delightful character you’ve ever written? Why? I have to be honest, writing Xie Lian for Compass has probably been my fave. I feel like I just get him (whether this is true or non lol) and can just go when writing him.

36. They say to Write What You Know. Setting aside for a moment the fact that this is terrible advice…what do you Know? So much random shit; working in a medical setting, working in a school setting, working in a retail/food service setting, illustration (traditional & digital), animation (2D & 3D), sports (springboard diving, soccer, skiing), music (esp. cello, bass guitar, singing, with group orchestra, choir, bands etc), D&D and board games, and cooking/baking. Probably some other stuff I'm forgetting, but oh well! I think only the music, art, and retail/food service topics have wormed their way into my writing thus far, I'm not much for a modern setting, so a lot of that doesn't tend to apply lol.

[from weird questions for writers ask meme]

17. Talk to me about the minutiae of your current WIP. Tell me about the lore, the history, the detail, the things that won’t make it in the text. Well, let's go with Compass cause it's still in my brain, and the extras are still WIPs. So here's some random brain faff (under the cut):

- Hua Cheng scared the shit out of Xu Hao when he came back to town and cornered him like 'who the fuck is the new guy? name? age? occupation? appearance? birthday? tax file number? etc' and Xu Hao is just like, that's just Wujin he's just our lil guy now. i don't know shit. please blink. - Hua Cheng basically spent the month he was gone out of Ghost City after Zhongyuan having the worlds longest panic attack and sculpting the most frantic bunch of statues he could to prove to himself he still remembered how Xie Lian looked. This also stopped him destroying anything because he was Not Allowed to break them. Is why he got himself out of the city, because otherwise a few blocks were gonna go bye bye. - Dianshui remembers in very awful detail how she died but she will not ever fucking share that with anyone. - I already shared this with a commenter but re: the wine Xie Lian gives to Hua Cheng in Ch 4 (the one where he had worked for the winemaker for a while), there's so many bottles in the cellar because the winemaker is now a ghost now and still making the wine so Hua Cheng likes to buy them as the winemaker spoke kindly of Xie Lian. - The section where Xie Lian makes the drinks for Chunchun's ex was called "Evil Ratatouille" in my WIP doc for absolutely no good reason.

#ask meme #ask #tarantasina #edenwolfie writes

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soot-and-salt · 4 days

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I would like to ask about 4. and 17., please! 🤗

Aw hell yeah, let's go

4. a story idea you haven't written yet

Where Hazbin is concerned, hoo boy, have I got some things percolating, my friend. I'm definitely going to do SOMETHING for kink week in June, probably a grab bag of prompts (praise kink for sure), and I'm definitely thinking it'll be radiostatic. I also have a few ideas for the gothic radioapple series (one fic with a drunken confession Lucifer doesn't remember and another that I'm rotating again in my head about Lucifer's depression and how that affects his relationship with Alastor).

I want to return back to humor too, there's been too much maudlin stuff lately, so a VERY funny fic featuring Alastor and Valentino forced to work together is on the horizon. I'm 1k words into it. It's gonna happen, I swear. They're idiots, your honor. I don't know why I love writing Val, he's terrible, but his voice is so much fun.

It's funny, I used to write almost exclusively AUs in another fandom, and I loved doing it, but I can't think of a single one for Hazbin. Being in Hell, being demons and having that background is so essential to the characters. I'm in awe of the authors who can write human Alastor AUs. Wish that were me. Skill issue on my part.

17. talk about your writing and editing process

Okay, so, here's the thing. Are you ready for my shameful secret?

I write directly into the AO3 text box. I leave WIPs as drafts.

Yes, it is the most INSANE WAY POSSIBLE to write. I am incredibly sorry about it.

Listen. I've written professionally before, for actual human currency, both fiction and nonfiction. Writing in Google docs gives me so much anxiety now because of it. It's such a dumb problem to have and I want to try to get over it and write in Google docs like a normal person again. But writing IN AO3 is weirdly more freeing? I sort of stop myself from some of my old perfectionist habits and I can be more loose with what I'm doing. Seeing that site is like a signal to my brain that it's just for fun and I can do whatever the hell I want. I don't know how to explain it.

My day job is a stressful mess so I usually only get to write on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and weekends. I don't like to listen to music as I write, or at least not music with lyrics. Lyrics are important to me though, my very long work commute (over an hour each way) provides me with ample time to daydream to music and sometimes I'll hear a lyric and boom an entire fic is suddenly in my head.

Editing is something I currently actually do for human currency as a side hustle so when I edit my own work I'm just trying to focus on spelling/grammar and flow. I'll read out loud what I wrote at least once so I can make sure it has a proper cadence, especially dialogue. If they're characters with accents or a certain way of speaking I'll try to verbally mirror that to make sure they sound in character. So please, by all means, imagine me at like 10pm putting on my very best trans-Atlantic to make sure my Alastor sounds okay.

My main writing issue is I have both crippling anxiety and un-medicated ADHD so any words I get down are often a struggle and some writing nights are spent staring at a wall while I fall apart inside. My best writing nights are ones where I've spent the entire day drinking caffeine (like eight or nine cups of black tea so strong you could stand a spoon up in it) and my brain achieves like 45% of what a normal brain can do. So, you know, things are really going well for me. This is a very normal way to live.

So, uh, yeah, in conclusion, please read my fanfiction, I swear to god I'm pretty good at it. And ask me more questions so I can give you more horrifying answers.

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thepaintedlady00 · 1 year

Text

Nightshade

Chapter 2: Jack & Ozzy's

Chapter 1 | Chapter 3

This chapter has been the bane of my existence all day. Last night I finished all my editing and add-ons and this morning I woke up and it was all gone. I spent two hours trying to troubleshoot and save what I'd written and nothing worked. So I spent all day today re-editing and rewriting scenes. So if a few sections have mistakes or feel a bit off I apologize! But, as always, enjoy and please if you enjoy this chapter show it me lots of love! 😅😂

TW: language, some flirty tension, some drinking & smoking, minor mentions of drugs, I don't know shit about fancy wine or food 💁‍♀️, lots of new characters and little peeks into Lena's past (which we will be diving into the next few chapters), cliffhanger (yes, they're back bitches 😈)

"Bullshit!" Santos hollered beside me.

I held a wet hand up with a fit of laughter. "Swear to God!"

He shook his head, moving the bin of freshly washed dishes onto the drying rack as the other cooks joined in on the laughter. "Ain't no way a prim and proper girl like you did something like that!"

As I dried my hands I turned to the now-clean kitchen and smiled widely. "A prim and proper? Absolutely not!"

Isaac stuffed the last bite of his leftovers into his mouth and nodded. "It's true, Lena is a menace to society."

"You were there?"

"Oh yeah," he laughed, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "When she climbed onto the table I thought I'd seen it all, then-" he replicated the sound of tearing and laughed, "Off went the shirt and she started belting the worst rendition of Santa Baby I've ever heard! Best Christmas ever!"

I whacked his arm off and playfully shoved him. "Oh, like you weren't climbing on top of tables and singing Bon Jovi like a dumbass ten minutes after me!"

Isaac huffed, stumbling back into the counter with an exaggerated groan. "How could you Lena?! You know insults about my karaoke are my one weakness!"

Scott rolled his eyes, quietly laughing. "Keep it up, maybe he'll finally die and we can all have some peace."

"Ah-ha!" Isaac cheered, bouncing back up. "Hope, the source of my power!"

I clicked my tongue and shook my head at Scott. "Rookie move, Chef."

“How long have you two known each other?” Santos asked after his laughter had died down.

My friend took his bandana off his head, waving the sweaty fabric in my face. “Years.”

“Too long,” I groaned, shoving his hand away.

“Come on, there has to be an interesting story there,” one of the other cooks demanded.

I smirked at Isaac and wiggled my eyebrows. “You wanna tell em or should I?”

“I’ll tell them. No one needs to hear your exaggerated tall tales.” He shrugged his shoulders and continued, “Her older brother and I are well acquainted.”

Scott scoffed and pointed to me. “Your version.”

Isaac protested, but everyone else shushed him and settled around me to listen. “So, there I was minding my own business watching tv on MY couch eating some shitty cereal or something when all of a sudden the front door gets slammed open and my brother practically drags this disheveled man into my apartment. I was shocked and slightly mortified, seeing my brother getting hot and heavy with some guy wasn’t exactly what I was expecting to see.”

“It was not that bad!” Isaac insisted.

“How long before they noticed you?” Santos asked with a wide grin.

“Oh once the shirts came off I was pretty quick to announce myself.” I laughed, bumping Isaacs's shoulder. “We bonded the following morning over a very awkward breakfast.”

He smirked at the memory. "You are very good at holding awkward conversations."

Howard entered the kitchen and looked around, his expression always masked with a polite curve of his lips but judgmental eyes. He looked at each of us, raising one brow and smiling just a little bit more. "Good service everyone."

It was an unspoken ritual of the night's end, Howard coming in and scanning the kitchen, one that never ceased making Scott's eye twitch. Having spent a month, among two among the kitchen crew It was abundantly clear that Scott felt stifled here and I couldn't exactly blame him. Howard ran a tight ship, ever the loyal and good quartermaster keeping things afloat for the absent captain and she ran an even tighter ship.

Scott was good for the place. He was modern and creative, a butterfly freshly freed of its cocoon only to be caught in a web. The web is old, beautiful, and luxurious but one storm away from being destroyed, and the two spiders that share it never seem to fully be on the same page. The first spider, older and wise, only weaves from old threads insisting that it is the best way to create something of worth. The second spider listens for a while but notices the storm clouds and how the web gets easily caught in the wind so he mixes new silks in with the old trying to keep the web tethered. All the other insects caught in the web remain unaware of the spiders and the storm, but the butterfly sees it all and dreams of what it would be like to fly.

Part of me sympathized with him, after all, I'd been the butterfly once. That was different though. I'd been born into the web, had known the web all my life, and had to destroy the wings to tear myself free. As I looked at Scott I only hoped he wouldn't have to make such a sacrifice. A butterfly without wings was just another insect.

"Let's drink!" Scott said with a deep sigh as he and the majority of the cooks headed out the doors to the lobby.

I looked at Santos as he finished up the remaining dishes. "Need a hand?"

"No," he shook his head with a beaming smile. "There's only a few left. You go ahead, I’ll be right there."

"What's your drink? I'll make it for you when you finish."

He hummed for a minute, thinking intently about his answer. "Surprise me."

I smirked. “You like sweets or savories better?”

“Savories.”

“I’ve got the perfect drink for you to try then.”

The bar was crowded with bodies, everyone telling Nicky and Jake what they wanted to drink, some, Sasha, even reaching over to grab an entire bottle for himself. Howard walked around the lobby, quietly inspecting the tables and listening to his rowdy “changelings” as he liked to call us. Simone sat at one of the closer tables, swirling a glass of wine and looking around with the judgmental stare I’d grown used to in my time here. When her eyes settled on me, she offered up a smile, one that never reached her cold eyes. I returned the polite gesture, but never stopped to give her an opening. I’d be civil, and polite, but I knew her type… knew exactly what her goal was when it came to fresh faces and unpredictable people. In her mind, there could only be one of us.

I slid past Nicky, tapping his shoulder as I passed to grab a glass beside him. “Nick, we got shit for a Michelada?”

The older man slid his newly made drink over the bar to Will and pushed up his glasses, looking around for a minute before he nodded to the far end of the bar. “All the spices you need should be back there, bottom drawer. I’ll grab the beer and tomato juice for ya.”

“Thanks,” I replied turning to follow his directions.

Jake stood in the middle of the space, shaking a drink with hints of an amused smirk on his lips as he looked over at me and said, “Sorry, I need room when I’m shaking.”

What an idiot. I smiled, gently grabbing his shoulder and brushing my body along his back to slide past him. “That’s alright, I don’t mind getting up close and personal.”

“Obviously not,” he hummed as his eyes followed my movements.

Both of us were used to the playful back and forths by now. After the night I schooled him behind the bar he’d been persistent in flirting with me, not that I minded. It was fun and innocent enough given the fact I knew Jake had no notions of grandeur or misconceptions about what was happening between us. I truly hadn’t spent a lot of time with him, but from the small moments, we did share I knew my beginning assessment of him had been pretty close. He was extremely guarded and hid his emotions behind a charming cloud of disinterest and humor, but it was obvious he paid attention to those around him. He was a classic case of a man shit load of unresolved trauma and behavioral issues, your classic bad boy type.

Bad boys didn’t really surprise me anymore. After spending literal years around them at the bar and the slightly different variations of them in culinary school it was all basically the same now. So, I let Jake stare at my boobs and ogle my ass. I flirted back at him, something I hadn’t initially planned on doing, but turned out to be kind of fun. My sex life wasn’t nonexistent, I had a few flings here and there with people I knew and trusted enough not to make the night awkward after, but all that had slowed down after Peter’s diagnosis. At first, it was because I was so busy trying to help take care of him, but now it was… I wanted something real. I wanted to be loved. Jake most likely couldn’t offer me that, but the fun back and forths filled the gaps enough to make me at least feel better for a bit.

When I turned, supplies in hand Jake turned around to face me as I once again slid past him. Ever cocky and smug as he raised his brow at my ability to initiate the intimate closeness that the others he’d pursued likely blushed at or hesitated with in confidence. I set the supplies down and thanked Nicky for getting the rest of it set up for me before jumping into making Santos’ cocktail. He finished up just as I’d begun adding the final touches and stood in front of me with a smile. “Looks delicious.” He complimented in Spanish.

“A delicious drink for a delicious dish boy,” I teased setting it in front of him. “Enjoy Santos.”

“Thank you, Lena.”

I stayed behind the bar that night, helping out with drinks and cleaning up after every one as the night dragged on and they all began to prepare for a long night of partying at Home Bar. Howard and Simone left together, something I’d learned was a regular occurrence, and shortly after they left I too began subtly gathering my things. When someone inevitably made some kind of commotion I quietly slipped through the kitchen and out the back door, as I did often, only this time I didn't get away with it. An arm wrapped around my shoulder and Sasha huffed. "It's so very rude of you to sneak out every night like a little thief, Tiger Bitch."

"Sasha," I whined. "I'm just trying to go home."

"So am I," he said, tugging me slightly. "Home Bar!"

I planted my feet. "Absolutely not! I don't need a hangover."

He frowned. "Oh please! I want to see the Tiger loosen up for once!"

"Sorry to disappoint, but I've got places to be."

His eyebrows wiggled. "A secret boyfriend? No! A child!"

I shook my head and kept walking. "No to both."

Sasha practically collapsed as he threw his head back and groaned. "Tiger Bitch enough with your mysteries!"

Looking back at the puppy-eyed Russian I sighed. "Fine. You can come with me, but this stays between you and me. Got it?"

He locked his lips and threw away the invisible key. "I will tell no one!"

"Come on then, we can't keep him waiting."

"I knew it was a man!"

"Just shut up and walk!"

Jake watched the door for a few minutes after Lena quietly slipped out. She rarely stayed later than Simone and Howard, something his coworkers were absolutely annoyed with. He too was a bit annoyed. After a month of flirting and trying to get this new girl locked in and he had absolutely nothing to show for it. Lena Harrow was still just as much of an enigma as the first day she walked in. The cooks raved every night about how funny and talented she was. The dishwashers gushed over her sticking around to help lighten the dish load with no expectations of payment or thanks. Sasha, Will, Ari, and Heather enjoyed the new girl's bite. Hell, even Scott liked her.

No one, not even Tess, had been this popular at 22West. Jake shook his head, an instinctual attempt to try and refocus himself as the thoughts of Tess still stung. She wasn’t someone too important to him, not like Simone was, but her betrayal still hurt. He moved past it quickly, refusing to cling to that ugly ball of unresolved shit that had slowly been building mass inside his chest, and returned his thoughts to Lena.

They all gossiped as they always did but no one had anything real to add. Even Simone was at a loss, something that unsettled her far more than she let him see. Howard seemed to be the only one that could enlighten him on this frustrating woman, but he would never stoop so low. Jake huffed, turning his head to pour himself another drink just as the last cook exited the kitchen. He stared at Isaac for a moment. He knew her and maybe he'd be willing to share a few details in exchange for a bit of Jake's charm.

"Hey, Isaac," Jake called offering up a drink.

The man smiled, accepting it with a nod. "Thanks."

"So, you and the redhead?" Jake said with a suggestive smirk. "How long has that been a thing?"

Isaac made a face. "Lena and I aren't a couple. She's like a sister."

He nodded. "Sorry I just see you two together a lot, figured it was cause you were an item."

"It's alright," Isaac assured him. "An honest mistake."

"So, she's single then?"

This time Isaac laughed and shook his head. "Lena isn't gonna fuck you, Jake."

He scoffed. "Taken then?"

"Look, I won't pretend like you're not her type." He gestured to Jake, "Dark-haired, damaged bad boy is definitely her thing. But Lena doesn't have the time or interest in adding a very complicated fling or potentially rocky short relationship to her life. She's got enough on her plate as is."

Jake shrugged. "Maybe a fling is exactly what she needs."

Isaac shook his head. "Well, you’re not getting anything outta me. These lips are sealed, my friend.”

It was odd to him, the unwavering loyalty to whatever secrets Lena had entrusted Isaac with. Jake knew little about the cook personally, but from what he’d observed and gained in passing or from Simone the man was hardly a good person. He had his own shortcomings and demons, but no matter what anyone offered him he refused to give up anything that the girl hadn’t shared herself. There was more to her than met the eyes, this much he knew, but at this point, Jake was truly damn curious to learn just how deep this well went.

"Not that I don't trust you, little red-headed girl, but what the hell are we doing in a hospital?" Sasha hissed in a hushed whisper. "This isn't some sort of fucked up organ theft thing is it?"

I looked at him with scrunched eyes. "Ew, no!"

"Thank god," he sighed. "I would not have been ready for that!"

Rolling my eyes I waved to Lisa and the other nurses. “How’s today been?”

“Another good day,” she said with a wide smile. “If he keeps this up he might just get to go home.”

A sigh of relief slid past my lips as I smiled even wider. “Thank fuck. I love you guys but it’s really inconvenient having to schmooze the nurses for all-night passes.”

They all laughed and waved me off. “Shut up and get in there.”

Sasha watched me closely as we entered Peter's room, probably still a bit convinced I’d brought him here to steal his organs or something fucked up like that. I knocked on the wall and leaned around the corner a bit. “You up?”

Peter looked over at me looking surprisingly well. “I gotta wait for you, so obviously.”

“I brought someone with me. Is that okay?”

His eyes lit up as he sat up straighter in the bed. “A boy?!”

“Not like that, pervert!” Pulling Sasha into the room I gestured to Peter. “Sasha, this is Peter. My brother.” The man’s eyes went slightly wider with understanding as he took in the surrounding medical room. I gestured to Sasha and smiled at Peter. “Pete, this is Sasha. My work friend.”

Peter held his hand out and Sasha shook it with a slightly nervous look on his face. “It’s nice to meet you, Sasha. Thanks for putting up with her.”

Sasha snorted. “She’s quite a handful.”

There was a minute of silence between us, one that made Sasha's slight discomfort obvious. Peter relaxed back into his bed and gave my friend a reassuring look. “Don’t worry, I’m not contagious.”

“That’s good,” he replied, matching Peter's sarcasm. “I’d hate to have to wear that hideous hat.”

“I made him that hat!” I protested with an offended groan.

“It’s shit, so obviously you made it,” Sasha teased.

I laughed at him, slapping his arm. “So abusive! You should be nicer to me!”

Peter laughed from his bed, leaning over and pulling the slightly faded box out from the bag off to the side. “So, Sasha, do you like scrabble?”

“No.” He pulled up a chair and sat down beside the bed. “Let’s play it.”

“You in?” Peter asked me. He looked happy, glad that I’d followed his advice and opened up to at least one person from work. “Or you gonna chicken out again?”

I scoffed and hopped up on the bed, settling in across from him. “You’re going down, baldy.”

“Baldy?!” He hollered. “That’s insensitive.”

“I’m insensitive,” I answered.

“She is a real cunt,” Sasha agreed from the side, setting up his things.

Peter laughed, the sight of him so happy made me smile a bit wider. “As her older brother, I have to agree.”

I shook my head. “I expected better of you, Peter. Now I’m gonna have to kick your ass at Scrabble.”

Peter, Sasha, and I played a few rounds before chaos consumed the room. I was laughing on the bed, clutching my stomach as the muscles grew tense. Peter sat, smugly victorious yet again, with his arms behind his head while Sasha stood from his chair and pulled at the covers around my brother shouting in Russian a bit before insistently stating, “You cheat little sick boy!”

Peter only smiled wider. “I hardly think that’s necessary against two of the weakest opponents I've ever played Scrabble against.”

“I know a cheater when I see one! Where are you hiding them?”

“God I can’t breathe!” I giggled, nearly falling off the bed in a fit of laughter.

Peter shrugged his shoulders and looked at me. “You’ve got terrible taste in friends.”

I nodded, giving Sasha a loving look. “I know, at least he’s cute though.”

“Exotic too.”

“You two are monsters,” Sasha said flopping back into his chair and pointing at each of us. “Monsters and cheaters!”

“Oh don’t pretend you weren’t stuffing your jacket full of letters too, Russian boy!” Peter said, reaching over to tug on his sleeves. Letter tiles spilled, clacking to the floor. “We’re all cheaters here.”

I huffed and tossed my hair over my shoulder. “Speak for yourselves. I’d never stoop so low.”

“Shut the fuck up!” They both hollered.

After politely getting kicked out for disturbing the peace Sasha and I walked side by side down the dimly lit streets. He lit a cigarette and happily smoked as we moved. The night had gone better than I expected, though I should have known Sasha would be relaxed about things. He was dramatic, of course, but when it mattered he had your back. “So, did that answer your question?”

“One of them,” he answered with a smile. “Don’t worry, you’re still very mysterious.”

“Oh good, I’d hate to lose my fun appeal.”

“Why keep it a secret?” He asked blowing out a puff of smoke.

“I don’t want their pity.” I sighed. “Everyone that knows about Pete is close… like family. Every time I’ve told anyone outside of that they give me this look. Like I’m some poor child that they feel the need to protect. I don’t need that, especially not at work.”

Sasha nodded. “I understand. Like I said, your secrets are safe with me Tiger Bitch.”

I smiled and shoved him lightly. “Thanks, Russian Boy.”

He groaned. “You’re not calling me that.”

Sasha didn’t tell anyone of our night, not even when they pried and pleaded for the details of my mysterious life. He gave everyone a different answer each time they asked, steadily getting more ridiculous with it until people just stopped asking. It was this that ultimately led me to settle within the group. I interacted with everyone freely, staying around most nights to at least share after-shift drinks with them. They weren’t my closest friends, but maybe one day they would be.

When I arrived at work two weeks later Howard was waiting for me. “Good morning Howard.”

“Good morning Lena,” he answered stiffly. “Forgive me for springing this on you last minute, but I need you to work the front tonight.”

“You need another server?” I asked. “Planning on having a bad night?”

He sighed. “I’m not sure yet. We’re somehow overbooked, which never bodes well.”

“It’s a good thing you’ve got an extra pair of hands then. Don’t worry, Howard I’ll do my best to keep things from going to shit.”

Back in the locker room I put my cook's jacket back in my locker and straightened up the striped shirt underneath. I wasn’t a stranger to playing the field, as Howard called it during my interview, but I didn’t look forward to the night of service ahead of me. I knew exactly how to speak, stand and serve, knew the ins and outs of the position, but that wasn’t the issue… what was went a lot deeper than a few plates and fancy words. I took a deep breath and looked at myself in the mirror, tightening my ponytail slightly as I desperately tried to keep from dwelling on the past. You’re here for the future, none of that shit matters now. I told myself as I turned away from the mirror and headed downstairs.

Scott looked about as displeased about the sudden change as I did. He regarded my outfit with a shake of his head. “Bullshit that Howard’s just gonna pull you from the line last minute.”

“Yeah, sorry Chef,” I offered up standing and waiting for him to finish plating. “But that was kind of the position I got hired on for.”

“Still,” he huffed, not bothering to finish his train of thought. “These go to table 5.”

“Have a good service Chef,” I said as I easily loaded my arms up with the plates and moved out the kitchen door and toward the table.

It wasn’t complicated, but damn did the fake smiles and overly polite tones of voice really just fucking suck. When I approached my twentieth table of the night, my cheeks were sore and I was getting fed up with pretending to care about these rich idiots' food preferences. Table 14 was full of three people, all Asian and all looked unimpressed. I set the menus in front of them and smiled. “Sorry about the wait, we’re a bit overbooked tonight.”

The man furthest from me bowed his head a bit before he opened up his menu. “It is fine.”

“Is there a particular bottle of wine that you’re interested in drinking tonight? Warre’s 2000 Port Vintage has been especially popular tonight.”

He made a face but nodded. “That will suffice.”

I made a mental note of it and turned to go get the wine when he stopped me. “I believed we are ready to order as well.”

“Oh, okay what can I get started for you?”

The two closest to me ordered the same dish, but the older man hummed in thought. “What would you recommend?”

“The chicken wellington with a side of braised vegetables and garlic roasted potatoes is, in my opinion, truly exceptional.”

“That will suffice, thank you.” As he bowed his head and lifted the menu up toward me his pin caught the light, and my eyes nearly widened at the sight of the rainbow koi fish pinned to his tie. The memory burned bright in my mind as I accepted the menu with a smile and politely excused myself.

I sat at the bar, swinging my legs back and forth as I colored in the crude Koi drawing. The man sitting beside me leaned over and chuckled. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a rainbow Koi fish before.”

With a slight frown, I leaned closer to him and held my hand in front of my mouth to keep the bartender from hearing. “They’re not real.”

The old man gasped softly. “What? This is truly upsetting news.”

“I know,” I replied, admiring the bright colors of my drawing. “I cried for a whole day when my mommy told me.”

“Well,” he tapped the drawing. “At least you’ll always have this one.”

Smiling up at the old man my eyes glued to the brightly colored Koi pin he wore. “You have one too!”

With a chuckle, he touched the small trinket. “I suppose I do. Though it’s hardly as colorful as yours.”

I hummed softly. “Yeah, but it’s still pretty.”

“You seem familiar,” the man admitted.

“I wait here a lot,” I explained as I finished the final touches. “My mommy is very busy.”

He nodded with an understanding smile. “Yes, that may very well be why. Or perhaps you and I knew one another in another life.”

My brows furrowed as I looked up at him. “There’s more than one?”

“Some people think so,” he explained. “It’s believed that we live and die to begin anew based on our deeds in past lives.”

“Maybe we were fish in our past life,” I giggled.

“I think I would make quite a good fish.”

The bartender bowed his head to us and looked at me with a smile. “Your mother’s ready for you, Ms. Harrow.”

Hopping off my seat I held the drawing out to the older man. “You keep it.”

“Are you sure?” He asked. “It’s a lovely piece.”

I nodded. “I can make more.”

That had been my first run-in with the businessman and restaurant connoisseur Mr. Hiragana. He and I spoke often after that when I’d wait at the same bar for my mother. In the short years, I spoke with him, he told me everything he loved about food and wine, told me about how he planned to build a beautiful restaurant and share his family's recipes with the whole of Japan. I drew him pictures of koi fish while we sat and he took every last one of them.

“Howard,” I said softly, discarding my menus on the counter and joining him where he stood off to the side with Simone. She watched me closely, but I ignored her cold glare and continue speaking. “The man at table 14 is Katashi Hiragana. He’s a very prestigious Japanese entrepreneur. Dozens of restaurants and other businesses, food blogs, the works.”

Howard and Simone both looked over at the table before he waved over to the hostess. She brought him the scheduling book and he leafed through the pages for a moment. “I don’t see his name here.”

“You won’t. He uses a false name when he goes to new restaurants in the states. He’s known for being a picky eater, so he goes to the highly-rated restaurants in the area he’s in and tries them anonymously. If he doesn’t like the food or the service he never comes back, sometimes he leaves a bad review, but if he does like the food he makes the restaurant one of his routine visits when he visits.”

Howard looked at the table again, thoughtful and cunning. “What do you suggest then?”

I straightened up. “I want to give him wine from our Japanese selection, with compliments. The bottle I have in mind isn’t too expensive, but it’s one I think he’d enjoy. I also have a few ideas for Scott on how to make the meal more suited to his tastes.”

“How do you know what his tastes are?” Simone questioned, bitter doubt dripping in her voice. “How do you know any of this?”

All I offered her was a glance her way before looking back at Howard, who nodded to me with a smile. “Go ahead and make the changes. Providing the best experience for our guests is the priority.”

“Thank you.”

I hurried past them and into the kitchen. “Scott, I need something a bit off menu.”

The chef's eyes lit up as everything stopped. “Off menu? You serious?”

“Not off off menu, but definitely different from what we usually do.”

He tossed a rag over his shoulder and moved toward me. “I can fuck with that.”

“Good.” I grabbed a pen and notepad, jotting down the subtle changes that I knew would make this meal stand out, and looked up at him. “Think you can do it?”

His eyes scanned the paper and he smiled. “Hell yeah.”

As Scott shouted at the kitchen staff to fire the order up I went downstairs and leafed through the wine shelves until I found the dark bottle of 2000 Sainte Neige Muscat Bailey A. I squeezed it happily and returned upstairs, moving through the crowded and bustling lobby until I reached the table with a smile. I bowed and said, in Japanese, “Forgive me for the wait, Mr. Hiragana.”

The man seemed to be surprised by my swift change in language, as well as the knowledge that I knew who he was. Calmly, he responded. “You know me?”

“I know of you,” I corrected. “It is an honor to have you dine with us tonight.” Holding the bottle out for him to see I smiled. “A bottle of 2000 Sainte Neige Muscat Bailey A. Compliments of the staff.”

He smiled fondly at it, nodding to the glasses. "A fine vintage."

Pouring the rich liquid I offered him a kind smile. "The region is beautiful, truly one of the staples of your homeland."

"Have you been before?"

"Yes."

"Is that where you learned Japanese?" He asked in English as he swirled his glass, sniffing with a gleeful delight plain on his face. "You sound as though you were born speaking it."

I laughed, shaking my head and thanking him for his generous compliment. "I learned the language young. My family traveled a lot. Japan was one of our more frequent locations, one I loved. The hotels were always beautiful and the landscape even more so, but it was the people I met that made it worthwhile."

Mr. Hiragana took a sip of the wine and nodded happily, urging the others at his table to drink theirs as well. He looked up at me and narrowed his eyes. "You look familiar."

"Perhaps we've met in another lifetime," I offered up with a fond smile.

"Perhaps one not too long ago." He answered, recognition shining in his eyes.

I bowed again. "I'll go check on your food."

He returned the gesture. "Thank you."

Nicky waved me down quickly before I passed the bar. “Hey, I never do this, but my daughter's recital is tonight. Would you mind sticking around to help close everything up after drinks?”

“Absolutely,” I replied.

“You’re a lifesaver kid.”

“Don’t sweat it, Nicky,” I assured him as I moved back into the kitchen quickly. “Table 14 ready yet?”

Scott concentrated on a plate of food, adding the final garnishes to the dish. “Got it right here.”

I smiled down at the gorgeous plates of food and gathered them up into my arms. “Absolute art, Chef.”

“Fuck yeah it is.”

The plates tapped against the table lightly as I set each dish down in front of the people at the table. I stepped back and bowed deeply. “It has been an honor to host you this evening. Please, enjoy your meals.”

That night service flew by quickly, and despite the disadvantage, we all had from being overbooked every server came out well-tipped and happy. All of us clamored into the locker room and stripped ourselves of the confines of our uniforms. Sasha groaned as he tore his shoes off. “I never want to see that many people ever again in my life!”

“Agreed,” Heather huffed fluffing her hair and shaking her head. “That was absolutely ridiculous!”

“At least we came out with a shitload of tips,” Ari sighed, rolling her neck.

They all dressed quickly and hurried downstairs. “Let’s get fucking wasted!” Sasha yelled in the stairwell.

I rolled my eyes and continued to slowly reapply my regular attire. My arm got caught in my sleeve and a fair-skinned hand settled against my shoulder stopping me from the rough movements I had been making trying to fix it. Simone smiled at me. “May I?”

“Sure,” I said, cautiously.

Her eyes latched onto the long scar that marred the skin of my shoulder and part of me wanted to flinch… to hide from her scrutinizing and cold stare. She straightened out the fabric, loosening the twist or knot that had kept me from pushing my arm through. “There you go.”

“Thanks.” I slid my arm through and turned away from her, loose hair falling out of my loose ponytail as I leaned over to grab my jacket.

Her fingers gathered the loose hair, startling me with the soft and unexpected touch. “Let me.” She pulled the band from my hair and silently rebound it, securing the loose hairs back into place. “You did well today,” Simone said softly, her fingers tugging my ponytail tighter, an action that sent a quick jolt of pain and panic through my scalp and chest.

I moved away from her, breathing out a quiet, “Thank you.”

Still, she didn’t look pleased as her stiff-lipped smile made her eyes only look colder. “I still don’t know how you did it, but I hear Table 14 raved about their experience.”

“That’s good.”

“Yes,” she said. “The guests come first, after all.”

That same chill of anticipation that I felt on my second day rushed up my spine as she watched me. “Was there something you needed, Simone?”

"I found this in your hire file," Simone said, holding the photo. It was a simple thing, taken ages ago of Howard and I standing side by side smiling. I had a stupid apron on that said "future chef" and was covered in flour.

"That's a good picture of me," I said sarcastically. "We should frame it."

Simone simply smiled. "I just found it interesting to learn you knew Howard so closely."

Humming, I looked back up at her. "Oh, I see. You're trying to imply I slept with Howard to be here."

"You aren't exactly denying it."

"I don't have to." I shrugged. "If you want to believe that I did it, that's your right. I'm not going to break my back trying to convince you otherwise."

She blinked and that bright smile curved downward slightly. "I’m just concerned for you. People around here like to talk."

"And?"

“I wouldn’t want them to think less of you if they somehow found this."

"That’s very kind of you, but I don't care what anyone else thinks." I met her cold gaze with a smile. "Is there anything else you need to discuss with me?"

"No."

I passed her. "Thank you for the conversation."

Howard stood in the now-empty kitchen, thanking Santos for his work before he turned and offered me a kind smile. "You did exceptional as a server tonight. Mr. Hiragana has already confirmed his next visit and requested you see to his table personally."

"A high honor."

"One you deserve." He pointed to the photo. "What's this?"

Laughing I held it out to him. "Just the best picture ever."

He joined me in laughing. "Yes, not one of either of our finest fashion moments."

"That suit?" I joked. "Howard, what were you thinking?!"

With a quirked brow, he pointed to me. "The apron?"

"Touche,” I admitted as I moved past him toward the lobby.

"Not sneaking out tonight?"

Of course, Howard knew my habits. I simply shrugged. "I offered to give Nicky a break tonight."

"I'm sure he's grateful. Goodnight, Lena."

"Have a safe walk home, Howard."

22West had begun to feel more comfortable, something I hadn't expected when I asked for the job. Though I guess I had the people to thank for it. From behind the bar I watched them joke and laugh and let the struggles of the night wash away. It was a beautiful thing, watching life return to their eyes a little bit each minute. I laughed alongside everyone as I made them drinks and joined them in conversations. I was part of the group and it felt nice, even if there were some people I wouldn’t get along very well with.

Jake had been especially flirty, passing me ingredients and glasses with long lingering touches and whispered compliments. Though it felt nice, that feeling of desire and want when the crowd eventually thinned out and he and I remained to clean up the last of the glassware I felt the need to clearly state my intentions or lack thereof. “The flirting has been fun and all, but I feel the need to make sure you know that this isn’t going to happen.”

He looked at me with an amused smile. “What?”

“This,” I waved a hand between the two of us. “You can flirt with me all you want, but that’s as far as you’re gonna get.”

“You think so?”

“I know so.” I set the newly polished glass aside and confidently held his gaze.

Jake shrugged, doing the same. “Could be fun.”

“Oh, I don’t doubt it. You clearly know what you’re doing and I clearly know what I am, but I’ve done this song and dance before. A lot.”

His laugh was warm and light as he took a step towards me, cocky and clearly interested in pushing to see how set I was on the position. “A lot?”

I smirked. “Of course, the only way to know what you’re doing regarding sex is to practice.”

“We could swap stories,” he offered up. “Maybe practice some new moves.”

“Cute,” I said brushing past him to get another glass to polish. “Look, it’s nothing personal Jake. I’ve just been you before. So focused on anything to distract me from the shit I was dealing with that I forgot how it felt to… actually care.” I looked back at him. The humor had faded from his face and his eyes watched me, narrowed and set in hurt and frustration. “I don’t need to be distracted anymore.”

After a vulnerable moment of silence, he scoffed and pushed himself off the bar, walking until he stood right in front of me, crowding my space in an attempt to make me feel small. “You don’t know shit about me.”

I shrugged. “Maybe I don’t, but maybe I do and that scares you.”

“Didn’t expect you to be so full of yourself.”

“No?” I smiled. “I figured it was obvious. Guess I’ll have to dial it up.”

Though he didn’t show it outwardly, I could tell my calm phased him. He’d likely done this move before and gotten the big doe eyes and the timid step back, but he wouldn’t get that from me. Jake was the one to withdraw first, nodding me dismissively toward the door. “Go home.”

I set the glass I’d just finished on the shelf. “Don’t want help finishing up?”

“Nope.”

“Suit yourself.” I turned on my heel, grabbed my things, and tapped the bar. “Have a safe walk home.”

The sunlight warmed my cheeks as I stood looking up through the trees with a smile on my face. God, it felt good to have a day off, especially on a day like today. Sunny and warm and completely free to do whatever I wanted with. Anyone that knew me would already know exactly what my plans were for a day like this, my unpredictable days of adventure and poor decisions likely long behind me, but I didn’t care. I practically skipped down the steps and through the green door of the bar. “Good morning boys!”

The three large security men turned toward me with wide smiles as I deposited the bag of fresh pastries into their hands and watched them all fight over who got to pick first. “Hey, Lena!”

“The big man in yet?”

“In the office!” One of them groaned as they wrestled the others for the bag.

“Thank you!” I drew in a deep breath of the smoke-scented space. Jack and Ozzy’s was an old establishment, rich with history and all kinds of funky smells and sights. It was the place I’d learned to bartend, the place I first performed in front of a crowd, and the place threw my first drink in someone's face. I’d thrown up in every booth and bathroom stall, made friends at the bar, and cried the narrow hallways. It was a part of home for me, every scuff and torn seat.

The house lights were always dim, casting the large space of empty chairs and tables and booths in a haze of pale light. The bar was on the right, with the office tucked behind it and the stage, where the band that always played here was prepping their equipment, was on the opposite side. I tapped dads initials on the corner of the bar as I slid past and into the office where Ozzy sat with a phone in one hand and a cigar in the other. His shoulder-length silver hair contrasted against the black leather he wore. Leathery skin was now marred with dots and scuffs that matched the bar he lived and breathed so naturally.

His pale blue eyes lit up as he saw me enter and he held up a finger to let me know he was almost finished with his call. I set his bag of donuts on the desk next to him and started leafing through the week's shipment inventory list. When he finally hung up the phone I spoke, “You ordered more Whiskey? I thought we were drowning in that shit.”

“Eh, one of the new kids knocked a whole case over the other day.” His voice was light, definitely not what you’d expect him to sound like by looking at him. “It wasn’t too bad. We had enough to finish the week out, but I made sure to get more.”

“The good stuff too,” I observed as I reached over and stole a donut. “How’d the alternate band auditions go?”

“Horrible,” he groaned and moved the bag out of my reach. “Maybe it’s just me, but every one of these new gigs sounded like garbage.”

I laughed and sat down in the empty office chair beside him. “I doubt it’s you. The great Ozzy never misses real talent.”

He nodded. “Well, either way, we didn’t find anyone to fill in on Saturday nights.”

“Relax,” I soothed. “You always find the perfect fit right when you need them.”

“Here’s hoping.” Ozzy looked at me for a second and tilted his head. “Wait, isn’t today you’re day off?”

“Yep.”

“What the hell are you doing here then?” He questioned, snatching up the papers from my hands. “Shouldn’t you be out there living it up in the big city?”

I rolled my eyes. “I’ve lived it up quite a lot Oz. Besides, I like helping out around here. It’s fun.”

He shook his head. “Fun? Kids these days are hopeless.”

“Shut up old geezer and let me help.”

“Well, if you’re gonna insist,” he said with a chuckle. “You can help train the new guy.”

“Ugh!”

“How's that for fun.”

I swiveled my chair, an idea suddenly filling my mind. “How about instead I find you a musician?”

Ozzy looked up at me over his papers. “Think you know someone?”

“I might.”

“Bring em in tonight, we can have a trial run in between sets.”

Standing I offered him a salute and a bright smile, “On it old man.”

I rushed up the road toward the restaurant. Ari was going to love me after tonight. Slipping in through the back door I said quick hellos to all the cooks and hurried out toward the long dining table where everyone had gathered for Family Meal. Sasha had his arm curled around Heather and the two of them laughed and joked beside Ari and Will as they ate their food. Will saw me first, giving me a confused look. “Isn’t it your day off?”

“Yeah,” I said sitting down beside him and leaning over to get Ari’s attention. “Hey, how would your band feel about playing tonight?”

“Are you joking?” She asked practically jumping up out of her seat. “When? Where?”

“A place down the road like four blocks. Jack and Ozzy’s. They had their backup band fall out and need a new one. Audition’s tonight if you want it.”

Ari smiled widely and reached over to grab my hands. “Absolutely! You’re the fucking best!”

I pulled her off to the side and gave her the details. “Here’s the address, and time. Ozzy’s great, you’ll love him.”

“Is this a secret audition or can I invite people?” She asked looking at the piece of paper in her hand.

“You can invite anyone you want,” I replied. “Just don’t be late. Ozzy hates it.”

“You got it, boss!” She joked before squeezing my hand. “Thanks, Lena.”

“I’ll see you there!”

Jake didn’t usually let people get under his skin, well, at least not so openly, but from the start of the day to the bitter end of it he was in a foul mood and it seemed the whole crew knew why. Nicky slid him a drink and spared him a sympathetic, if not slightly amused, look. “Told you she’d rip you up.”

“She didn’t do shit,” he insisted.

“Sure.” His partner said quietly.

Ari rushed out of the kitchen with her usual group in toe. Jake leaned over and sighed, “What can I get ya?”

“Nothing tonight sweet Jakey,” Sasha said pulling his jacket on. “We’re going to Ari’s show!”

“Ari has a show?” He asked looking over at the clearly nervous girl. “Since when?”

“Since our lovely Tiger Bitch got one set up for her!” Heather said happily. “You’re welcome to come.”

Ari scoffed and glared at him. “Not like you will, you ditch every one of my shows.”

Jake smiled and made his way around the bar. “I’ll come.”

She tilted her head to the side. “What?”

Sasha squeezed her shoulder. “Oh, he’s only coming to try and get back into the Tiger's pants.”

They, of course, made fun of him, it was something they often did with everyone. Jake didn’t care much, they were easy enough to ignore as they piled into cabs and rode down to the older part of the city. As soon as they pulled up to the brightly lit bar they met up with each other and Ari’s band members at the entrance and approached the bouncer. “We should be on the list.”

“Name?”

“Ari.”

He nodded and counted heads. “They all with you?”

“Yeah.”

Stepping aside he let them pass through the green door and into the packed bar. The band was just finishing up their last set when they split away from Ari and found a booth near the bar. Jake liked the place, the lights, and the atmosphere, there were even a few attractive women. But, he really didn’t notice them much, not when his eyes shifted to the dancing crowd or more specifically the arm with a tiger tattoo illuminated by the lights. He shifted in his seat to get a better view of her familiar red hair and newfound exposed skin.

Lena was dancing with two other women, wearing a simple black top adorned with lace at the top and a short leather skirt that made her legs impossible to miss. She moved along with the beat, free and fun just like he’d imagined she would be outside of work. Her head snapped to the side where a larger man waved her over and pointed toward the bar. Without argument, she pulled her hair up and hopped behind the bar leaning over to take someone's order and flashing more of her cleavage. Jake was mesmerized by her. The way she moved as she made drinks behind the bar, the way her hair lit up in the lights, the way her green eyes shinned. Fucking hell she was something else.

It felt good to let loose after a long few weeks of nothing but work and hospital stays, but as I served the last drink and rejoined Prue and Quinn on the dancefloor I felt fucking amazing. Quinn, a gorgeous blonde-haired woman with blue eyes and a resting bitch face that could kill a man smiled at me. “Back from your second job already?”

Prue, a curly-haired tanned skinned knockout of a woman turned and smiled too. She brought her hands up so I could see them and signed an equally sarcastic reply, “Holy shit, and I thought we’d have to drag you out from behind the bar!”

“You’re both so funny,” I said and signed.

A heavy hand settled on my shoulder and Sasha's familiar Russian accent graced my ears. “Tiger Bitch!” He looked down the length of me and gasped. “Is this how hot you always are when you aren’t being a sneaky cunt?!

I rolled my eyes. “I’m especially hot when I’m being a sneaky cunt.”

“Work was so boring without your snarky ass there.”

“Aww, poor Sasha, having to survive one day bored.” I teased pulling him into my side and turning back to my friends. “This is Sasha. He’s a work friend.”

Quinn waved, “He seems like a real diva.”

“I am.” Sasha admitted with a devilish smile.

“This is Quinn, she’s also a diva. And this is Prue,” I signed a quick explanation to her. “She’s deaf, but she can read lips so behave.”

“It’s nice to finally meet Lee’s famous work friends!” Prue exclaimed, her arms wrapping around Sasha in an instant.

I laughed at Sasha's face of absolute horror. “She’s a hugger.”

He peeled her off of him and fixed his clothes. “Alright, well tell her to hug someone else.”

“Were you and Heather the only ones that came?”

“Jakey’s here as well. Will said he’d try to stop by and the kitchen was all nos aside from Scott.” Sasha pointed to the back booth. “They’re all over there, securing our seats until our dear Ari takes the stage.”

I followed his finger and locked eyes with Jake, who smirked and raised his glass to me. On any other occasion, I’d not feel anything about his presence here, but as Quinn and Prue looked over my shoulder I mentally cursed him for coming. “Is that him?”

Sasha turned with wide eyes and an open mouth “Has our little Lena been talking about Jakey outside of work?”

“No -”

“Don’t fucking lie!” Quinn scolded with an evil laugh. She looked back over at the booth and nodded. “He is absolutely your type by the way. Like my god, the hair, the beanie, the jacket.”

“And of course the broody attitude and shit personality.” Prue wiggled her eyebrows. “When are you planning on climbing into his lap? You know just so we can give you enough privacy and whatnot.”

“Yes! Climb into his lap! I would love to see the two of you make sweet, filthy love!” Sasha giggled.

I groaned. “I’m not climbing into anyone's lap!”

Quinn grabbed Prue’s hand and started off toward their table. “Let’s go say hi at least. We don’t wanna be rude to your work friends.”

I flipped her off. “Bitch.”

The only reason I followed them to the booth was to make sure they didn’t embarrass me with the loads of information they had gained from our years of friendship. Prue talked a lot of shit, but ultimately she’d keep the more embarrassing stories to herself. Quinn was the wildcard. She’d talk until you forced her to stop, and even then she’d find a way to keep going. I introduced them to the group and let them get settled. “What do you guys want to drink?”

“You working here?” Heather questioned.

I shrugged. “I help out sometimes when they get busy.”

“And they just let you behind the bar?” Jake pressed with a knowing look.

“My dad owned part of this place. It’s where I learned to bartend so yeah, they let me behind the bar.”

He nodded, very clearly pleased with the tidbit of information. “I’ll just take a beer.”

“Just get us all beers, and two more for Scott and Will, they should be here soon,” Heather said keeping her eyes on the door.

Jake stood and smirked at me. “I’ll help out.”

“You don’t have to.”

He just waved me off. Behind him Prue made a crude sign, essentially telling me to bone him. Rolling my eyes at her I turned my back to lead Jake toward the bar and flipped her off. I tapped my dads carving again and slid behind the bar digging for the drinks and instructing the new guy on where to find a knife. Jake looked around. “This is a nice place.”

“Yeah, been around for fucking ever.” I agreed setting things in front of him.

“Lena,” Ozzy called from the office doorway as he moved out with a paper. “Did you add that gin to our shipment?”

I turned and looked over the list, pointing to the gin. “Yeah, you wanted the Nords right?”

He nodded. “Perfect!” Ozzy looked up at Jake and then down at me with raised brow. “Sorry, did I interrupt something?”

“God not you too.”

“I’m just helping her with the drinks.”

Ozzy stepped closer toward Jake, extending a hand. “I’m Ozzy. You must be that Jake.”

Fuck. I slapped a hand over my face as Jake’s smugness became palpable in the air around him. “I am indeed that Jake.”

“The girls have been talking bout you nonstop,” Ozzy added.

Jake looked over at me, hardly able to contain his laughter. “Have they?”

I patted Ozzy’s arms. “Move big fella, I gotta get out from behind here so I can go shove my head through a wall.”

Ozzy slid back to let me pass. “What? Was I not supposed to say anything?”

“Goodnight Oz,” I grumbled grabbing as many of the bottles as I could manage before turning and leaving the rest for Jake. I set them down on the table and glared at Prue and Quinn. “You two are so fucking dead.”

They both laughed when Jake came into view. “Oz is the worst with discretion.”

“You’re no better!”

“There’s an easy fix to this,” Quinn signed. “Fuck. Him.”

Prue giggled. “Fuck him! You know you want to.”

I looked away from them as Scott and Will arrived. Prue waved her hand in my face trying to get my attention. Without turning I signed, “I’m ignoring you.”

Her hand returned with a middle finger in my face as Jake just leaned back and smirked. “So, you mentioned me to your friends?”

“I talked about you twice,” I admitted. “And before you ask, no it wasn’t to gush about how badly I wanted you. I just told them you flirted with me and I flirted back. And that you'd make a decent friend if you weren't so grumpy. That’s it.”

Quinn made a noise. “I mean that wasn’t it…”

I reached over and put a hand over her mouth. “Ignore her.”

He nodded. “Whatever you say.”

God he’s going to be unbearable now. Heather came back to the table. “Ari’s on, come on!”

All of us headed to the dance floor, where Ari took the stage and began preforming. She was good, just the right amouth of loud and talented, Ozzy would definitely be telling her to come back as a regular. We danced together, everyone but Jake who’d taken up a spot at the bar, clearly too good to dance with his coworkers. After a few songs, I looked up, expecting to see his flirty eyes watching me, as they had been almost all night, but instead, I saw an empty stool.

“Where’d Jake go?” I asked scanning the bar again.

Sasha gestured toward the back door. “He went for a smoke.”

“Out that door?” I pressed.

“I think so.”

“Fuck,” I cursed as I wove through the crowd toward the door.

Hurrying up the steep steps I opened the door to the chilled night air just in time to catch Dom, my old drug dealer and the resident dealer for the block, shoving Jake. God damn it. “Come on pretty boy, take a swing.”

“Leave him be, Dom.” I walked up the stairs shaking my head and stepped beside Jake.

Dom smiled at me and tilted his head. “Why should I?”

“Because I asked so nicely,” I said, batting my eyes.

Jake scoffed. “If he wants a fight I’ll -”

Dom took a step forward just as I stepped between the two men and met Dom’s gaze. “He’s an idiot, but not one that needs an ass-kicking from you.”

“He seems to want one.”

“He’s weird like that,” I said leaning back into Jake’s chest to keep him from moving. “Come on D. Just walk away. I’d hate to have to bust up that pretty face.”

He laughed, and his boys followed. “Never change Leanin Lena.”

“You too,” I replied watching as they made their way out of the alley, and back toward the bikes that were parked along the exit.

Jake let out an angry breath. “I had that handled.”

I nodded, turning to look at him. “If a beating was the goal then yeah you did.”

“I could’ve taken that guy.”

“Dom? Absolutely. The forty bikers he’s got attached to his hip, I don’t think so.” Jake looked away from me, still angry. I shook my head. “Come on tough guy. If you’re looking for a place to smoke you gotta go over an alley.”

I hopped up the stairs opposite the bar that led to the old boxing place next door and looked over at him. For a minute I didn’t think he’d follow, but he did. I bumped the sticky door open with my hip and stepped inside the small back room as Jake followed behind me. The air in here always smelt like copper and leather, most likely from the beatings that some of the people took while they were in the ring. The sound of chains creaking and bags taking heavy hits echoed as I led us toward the main space where three well-built men covered in sweat grunted and groaned as they practiced their hits and swings.

The Ring was older than me by a lot, a place that held a lot of my family's history. The walls were plain with spots of old paint and peeling wallpaper, but they were one of my favorite parts of the place because they were filled with old posters and pictures, and mementos of those trained and boxed here. It felt like being in one giant time capsule. Off to the left of the door Jake and I walked out of was the giant padded ring, and there in the center were two of the training boxers facing off. The coach stood on the sidelines, directing each of their movements and walking them through the basics, not unlike what my dad had done for me.

“Lena?” the Irish voice questioned from the front of the building.

“Hey Patrick,” I called out, moving around the small tables and lockers toward him.

“Come to give these boys a real challenge?” He laughed loudly, enveloping me in a hug the second I was close enough for him to grab. Patrick was the new owner of this place and a friend. He and I grew up together and he’d been there for me through a lot of my darker years.

His copper hair tickled my nose as he set me down. “Not tonight. I’m just showing him,” I pointed a thumb back at Jake. “To the smoking alley.”

“He run into Dom?”

“Oh yeah.”

“Mans been in a shit mood this week,” Patrick observed returning to cleaning the floor. “Watch your back out there, Lena.”

“Thanks for the tip!” I continued walking toward the locker room, giving one of the boys practicing on a punching bag a pat on the way. “Keep your wraps tight, Jer.”

He cursed and moved back to rewrap the loosening fabric. “Thanks, Lena!”

Hanging above the locker room door was the brightly painted name Jack “The Hammer” Harrow with his old gloves hanging below. I lifted my hand and ran it over the smooth leather of them as I passed through the doorway and looked back to make sure Jake was still behind me. He looked up at the gloves and paused for a moment before I tugged on his sleeve. “This way, tough guy.”

We were met immediately with steam and the bare asses of one of the groups that always came late to practice. I moved through the misty room unphased, joking around with a few of the guys I knew as I passed them until we finally reached the back door. Swinging it open with an exaggerated flare I grinned, waving a hand toward the dingy couch and chairs that adorned the closed-off back alley. “Ta-da. I believe this will suit your smoking needs.”

He looked around for a bit, picking up a few magazines left over by whoever used it last, and nodded. “Wow.”

“It’s pretty fancy, I know.” He sat in one of the chairs, pulled the pack of cigarettes out of his pocket, and lit one. The smoke billowed out of his mouth as he looked at me with a curious gaze. “Well, you seem comfortable so I’m gonna head out now.”

“You grew up around here?” He asked before I could even turn to leave.

I shook my head. “My dad and my brother did. I moved in with them when I was sixteen.”

“Why?” He asked.

All he got in return was silence and a short stare as I turned to leave. “Try not to piss off any more drug dealers.”

I heard his heavy footsteps following after me before his lean figure settled in next to me. Jake quickly regained his breath and continued smoking as he looked over at me. “Least I could do is walk you home.”

“Oh, how generous of you.”

“What can I say, I’m a real stand-up guy.”

“I’m not gonna play twenty questions with you.”

He shrugged. “Alright, how bout ten?”

“No.”

“Five?”

“No.”

“Three?”

“Jake,” I laughed. “We aren’t friends.”

He nodded. “Maybe not, but you did say I would make a good one.”

I cocked my head to the side and gave him a look. “You want to be friends with me?”

“Yeah,” he answered. “That so unbelievable?”

“Considering you’ve been trying to get me out of my clothes since we met, kinda.”

Jake smirked. “I never said I’d stop trying to get you out of your clothes, I just said we could be friends.”

“Ahh,” I looked forward at the bright lights and crowds of people. “Okay. You get two questions.”

“This mean we’re friends?”

“This means I’ll consider it.”

“Fair enough.” He took a long drag of his cigarette breathing it out before he spoke again, “Alright, first question. What the fuck is Leanin Lena?”

I laughed. “It’s a boxing title. I got mine after my first official match, for leaning, obviously.”

He nodded along. “You box?”

“Is that your second question?”

“Oh, so you’re gonna be a bitch about it?”

“Of course I am,” I said with a smug smirk.

Jake shook his head and laughed. “Fine, second question. You don’t smoke, do drugs or drink nearly enough, or fuck around so what do you do for fun?”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “You don’t really need any of that to have fun, you know that right?”

He shrugged. “That’s how I’ve always had fun.”

“Even when you were younger?”

For a minute he looked a little sad, but it was over too quickly to tell as he recovered with a smile. “Yeah, pretty much.”

“That’s sad.” I knew the type of pain that came with being robbed a childhood, and it seemed Jake did too. Lucky for me I had my dad and Ozzy and Peter and all my friends to help give me somewhat of that normalcy. I reached out and tapped his arm before jumping away from him with a laugh. “You’re it.”

“I’m it?”

“Yeah, you know tag the game?”

He quirked his brows. “You’re trying to play tag with me? That’s a bit childish isn’t it?”

“Some of the best ways to have fun are,” I replied with a nod. “You gonna play or do I win already?”

Jake took a while to consider his options for a minute before he took a long step toward me, clearly expecting me to let him reach out and tag me. I moved out of the way and smiled even wider. He took an even greater step toward me, but I moved again. “Seriously?”

I scoffed. “Did you think I was just gonna stand around and let you tag me?”

“Come on, I’m not gonna chase you around like some schoolboy.”

“Then I guess you’ll be it forever.”

When Jake burst into a full sprint forward I turned on my heel and started running down the mostly empty sidewalk. The two of us laughed as we wove through people and around cars until Jake finally caught up with me. His arms wrapped around my middle and he lifted me up off my feet as he slowed to a stop, huffing from the exercise. “You’re it.”

Once he set me down I turned and grinned at him. “That answer your question?”

“You’re insane.”

“It was fun though, wasn’t it?”

For the first time since I’d met him, Jake’s smile seemed happy, the gleam in his eyes even more so. “Maybe a little.”

Nodding toward the building we were a few steps away from I said, “This is me.”

“Alright. So, do I pass your weird little consideration test?”

I nodded. “I guess.”

“So friends?”

“Ah-ah, you gotta ask me properly.”

He groaned, shaking his head and looking around. “Lena, will you be my friend?”

“Hmm…” I pretended to think about it as I walked up my stairs. I turned at the top and nodded. “Yeah, I’ll be your friend Jake.” He turned and started walking back down the sidewalk, grumbling about how weird I was. “Hey!” I hollered, making him turn around to look up at me. "Night, Jerk."

He shook his head but smiled anyway. "Night Lana."

The next morning was absolute chaos. I walked through the back door, dodging as people ran around to get the trash taken out and the shelves organized. “Holy fuck.” I mumbled moving toward Scott. “What the hell is going on?”

He looked just as stressed as the others as he looked over the produce. “The owner decided to make a surprise visit.”

“Fuck.” My heart beat quicker in my chest as I looked out the kitchen windows to find Maddie and Howard moving toward the kitchen. “Fuck, fuck, fuck!” I practically sprinted over to the table and set my hands on top of it loudly, gathering the attention of the back room, where everyone even the servers and bartenders seemed to be hiding out. “You’re all about to find out something about me. If you save your questions and comments til the shift ends I’ll buy all of you drinks.”

Everyone mumbled some form of agreement before the doors swung open and a chill ran up my spine. “So, the prodigal student has returned after all.”

I turned and offered her a smile, taking in the slight changes to her face and the new length of her hair as she beamed at me. “Looks that way, doesn’t it.”

She opened her arms up. "Get in here and give your aunt a hug."

#Nightshade #sweetbitter jake x oc #jake x lena #jake smut #jake sweetbitter #sweetbitter jake #sweetbitter simone #sweetbitter smut #sweetbitter #sweetbitter sasha #sweet bitter #sweetbitter howard #sweetbitter ari #sweetbitter heather #sweetbitter Scott #sweetbitter original characters

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