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tirednotflirting · 4 years

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french press on the kitchen counter - a.i.

i recognize the severity of all that is going on in the world and i encourage all of you to please stay home and away from the humans you don’t already interact with on a day to day basis. my late night wine-tipsy fluff should not in any way encourage you to seek out additional company during these quarantined times.

I wrote most of this on sunday/monday and actually posted for about five min mon night and then ash put out that video and we were all concerned and i felt eh about putting out content then but now that we have a video of him dancing with a puppy in his lap i feel better so-

tagging @aspiringwildfire bc i actually started this before falling asleep after we talked fic and yelled about the guys for a bit the other night. thnx for the late night writing party <3

stay healthy and happy. xx

wc: ~ 1.4k

as she let her eyes blink open from sleep, she found herself asking a silent question that had become a standard to most mornings: was that the sound of rain pattering against the wall of windows in the living room or drum sticks against a practice pad once again left on the coffee table?

she closed her eyes and focused on the noise. while it mostly sounded like the white noise of a spring rain, there was something distinctly rhythmic behind it that led her to believe it might be a rare morning when she got both. she sat up slowly against her pillows in the room darkened by black out curtains, the ones she had begged ashton to buy for the guest room since she had been finding herself often falling asleep at the drummer’s house after parties and nights out since they had met some several months earlier.

their friendship had been an easy one. a friend of a friend had invited her to a house party just a few weeks after she had moved to the city, insisting this was the best crew in la to spend time with. upon meeting the hazel-eyed host of the party, the two of them found miles of common ground and spent the whole night chatting about her new master’s program and their shared adoration for the city she had recently moved from. she was added to all of the group texts before the night was over and as the weeks went on, she often found herself on ashton’s living room floor, leaning against the couch with a beer in hand, teaching her favorite party games to this glittery, talented crew of artists that had adopted her into their circle.

given the near ever-present place they had in each other’s lives during the first few months of 2020, it wasn’t all that surprising to her when she received a call from ashton inviting her to quarantine in his home rather than all on her own after hearing that her on-campus studies were to be put on hold for the rest of the semester. they spent enough time around one another that it made sense and the thought of spending at least the next month or so alone in her studio apartment did sound pretty lonely. so she sent him a confirmation text, packed up a bag, and soon found herself sitting shotgun in frankie cruising down the interstate to her new-ish best friend’s quiet home.

that was 8 days ago. since then they had been working their way through dozens of movies and books, taking turns on who cooked and who queued up music on Spotify while sipping on topo chico (sometimes spiked with tito’s and lime). there were nightly facetimes with the band, the two of them squeezing together into the frame to see what everyone else had been up to during the days stuck inside. when he got antsy, she would leave whatever book she was annotating for class to help him rig up a camera to record another drum cover. it was a fine way of living, she supposed, with all of the pain going on in the world beyond his four walls.

she was reflecting on the state of the world (and reminding herself to do her daily news check on her New York Times app) as she padded out to the living room to check if her ears had proved her right today. she turned the corner to find ashton beating away at a dark red practice pad as he faced away from her and towards the windows that were being beat with raindrops by the angry storm clouds above their sunshine city. so she was right.

she didn’t want to scare the man yielding the fast moving sticks so she moved around the far end of the long couch to take a seat beside him. when his eyes landed on her as she rounded the back of the black sofa, noting to himself how small and homey she looked in a tshirt of his she must have stolen to sleep in, he finished the lick he was on and moved the pad from where it had rested on his lap to the coffee table in front of them.

a lazy grin stretched across his scruffy face as he watched her pick up the coffee mug he had filled for her only about ten minutes earlier. after 8 days in the same house, they were starting to learn each other’s routines. setting down his sticks, he lifted the French press he had brought out from the kitchen to top off his own mug before bringing it to his lips and lifted his other arm to allow her to rest comfortably against his chest.

“hope i didn’t wake you, love,” he mumbled, his first words out loud of the day coming out groggier than he anticipated.

he felt her hum against his chest after she took another sip of the hot, pleasantly bitter brew. “nah, my body could feel the rain and knew it was time to see the world.”

“not much to see beyond my backyard, unfortunately,” he replied, his head falling to rest against the top of her own.

he felt her smile against his chest through the fabric of the old, worn tshirt he had thrown on after rising that morning. “ah, well,” she mused, “who needs anything beyond that anyway.”

they both remained quiet for a few moments, not quite sure where to go from there. his calloused fingers drew shapes against the skin on her arm that his fingers could reach as he sipped from his mug. she sat up some and his arm fell from around her shoulders to her waist as she tossed her sock clad feet over his lap. “tell me about paris today?”

this had become another regular activity in their days shacked up together. she would think of a big, beautiful city she had always dreamed of traveling to and, after remembering that he had gone on a few world tours and had probably been to most of them, she would get him to tune into his nostalgic side to tell her stories of his travels with his brothers.

he squeezed her hip before moving to stand. he grabbed the French press and both of their (now cool and nearly empty) mugs. “paris will need more coffee,” he nodded his head toward the kitchen. “come on.”

in the kitchen she jumped up onto the island and let her legs swing back and forth as she watched him refill the kettle and exchange the old coffee grounds for new as he started his stories. he told her about andy convincing all of them to take cheesy pictures with roses in front of the eiffel tower in the night time and about what he tried at the different bakeries and cafes he had discovered in their few trips there. he recalled on a fashion show they had all attended at one point and smiled with his eyes as he spoke fondly of their first trip to the louvre.

she wiped tears of laughter from her eyes after he finished the story of how they all tricked luke into eating snails during their first trip to the city of love as he stepped between her legs to hand her a fresh mug of coffee. neither thought anything of it as he stayed at that spot and gently set his own mug beside her bare thigh on the counter to wrap his arms lazily around her waist. the counter has leveled the playing field on their height difference so after taking a big sip from the mug, she mirrored his actions except letting her arms lay across his shoulders. “once this is all over and done with, we should take a trip,” she hummed, her fingers playing with the soft hair at the back of his neck.

“to paris?” he teased.

she pouted at him, her eyes rolling some. “no, silly, just somewhere.”

“why do you wanna go somewhere with me?” he was fishing, he knew that. but as he allowed himself to wrap his arms more fully around his still somewhat new friend’s waist, he couldn’t help but wonder if all of this time together had her feeling the same way that he did.

she looked into his hazel eyes with a content look to her own. “you tell the best stories,” she responded easily. “best people to go through life with are ones that know how to tell you a good story.”

and as a smile spread slowly across the drummer’s face, he couldn’t help but look forward to all the stories he would get to write with her.

#ashton irwin #ashton irwin one shot #ashton irwin fic #ashton irwin fanfic #ashton irwin blurb #ashton irwin blurbs #5sos #5sos fic #5sos fanfic #5sos blurb #5 seconds of summer #will i ever learn how to use tags for their intended purpose?#also sorry i suck at titles i swear it'll get better one day

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blazingtheway · 3 years

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Through the Looking Glass – Storyline 8 – Together - Part Eight

Continuing on from...

↬ Leah Clearwater ↫ I rolled my eyes when I caught Call winking at #Camila as she walked past him, the older lady giggled holding her free hand to her chest, and I could see the red in her ears and up her neck. “Such a kiss arse.” I muttered. Then I froze looking back over to him. If he heard her talk about him being handsome. Then he heard me saying—… “The Spirits! That’s going to bite me on the arse!” I turned away from him before he made it to the bar. I got to work serving those who’d made their way into the bar next, the regulars were always easy to please. Know their drink, give them a hard time ( when it came to me at least ). The guys were always kind and charming towards our customers, me not so much. And finally, make sure the music was playing in the background. All these things were easy to achieve. ‘Hey Lee, how’s it going?’ I looked up to find a couple of the girls the pups were dating leaning on the bar all dressed up to their nines. “Yeah, not bad girls.” Pointing to their dresses I smirked. “You didn’t have to go to such trouble for me you know.” I joked finishing off serving a couple of the guys before going to stand in front of the girls. They both giggled and flipped their hair off their shoulders at the same time. They were young and a little foolish, but they were kind at heart which had a lot to be said in this day and age. “So, what will it be tonight?” I asked them and then I smirked. This was going to be the kick start I needed. “Hey why don’t you be the first paying customers to try the new special on the menu tonight? I know you girls like yourself some sexy drinks for your insta stories!” That was all it took, the giggles and the hand clapping with the hair flipping started. ‘Oh, Lee YES! I need something fun to start my stories with tonight..’ One of them half screamed out, making the others around her turn to look to see what was happening. I would have groaned at their reaction, but this time it was working for me. I winked at them and pointed to the sign. “Don’t forget to tag the bar and hashtag the name into it. Let’s see if we can get it trending in the local stories tonight.” I had no interest at all in hash tags, trending or Insta stories. But #Tony had mentioned how a following on the socials would help with the open mic and music night. I got to work on making two #MermaidSpunk’s for the girls as they were getting excited with the colours. The blue was really something else in this mix I’d created. ‘What’s with the stage Lee?’ one of the girls asked me as I filled their glasses with crushed ice. “We are going to start up an open mic night as of Monday next week. So spread the word, Call is taking care of the sign ups if you are interested in five minutes up there.” I glanced over to the far side of the bar where he was sitting with #Tony, talking away with the others around them. His word started to play in my mind from Seattle for some reason. ‘𝙄𝙨 𝙞𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙖 𝙨𝙞𝙣 𝙞𝙛 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚?’ Out of all the things he’ said to me that night why was it this that came to me now? ‘Could it be because as you see him stepping onto his path, that maybe it is time for you to let go of some of what you are carrying too?’ My wolf was sat up and watching Call with me. I reminded her how some sins were never something a person could walk away from and turned my attention back to the task at hand. “Here you go ladies, two #MermaidSpunk’s just as you ordered, that’s $20.00.” The girls didn’t question the price, and both paid up but didn’t move away from the bar. Instead, they started going at the drink with their phones and posing with the drinks in hand. Walking up to where the board was placed behind the bar, I picked up the chalk and made two lines. Turning to face the gobsmacked #Tony, #Mac who was smiling from ear to ear and then I leant on the bar. “That is two down Call, and we’ve only been open ten minutes.” ↬ Embry Call ↫ I lifted the bottle to my lips as I slipped into a stool by the bar and

muttered. "Hey, I just made her evening." knowing that Leah would hear. The woman smiled and gave a little giggle, I couldn't see anything wrong with putting a little of that out into the world. I smirked when the realization dawned that I had heard her call me her friend. I reached up and tugged on my ear lobe just to drive in the point I had overheard. I recognized the girls she was serving, from the pups memories. In an instant, I knew I was screwed. They were all eyeing the specials board now. “Fuck!” I muttered as Leah made her first two sales. #Tony turned back to me when #Mac was serving someone else and started catching me up on what I had missed with the band and his Mom. He was telling me that business was going well. I knew that hobbies were the first thing to go to the wayside and most of their business came from casual players. #Tony was telling that that was why they got in on the hire business; while I had one ear on Leah still... just because of the bet; I wanted to know if she was pulling too far ahead. "Oh shit!" I interrupted #Tony when she handed the girls their drinks. They were ‘𝒪𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝒾𝓃𝑔over the 𝓅𝓇𝑒𝓉𝓉𝓎colours and started to take pictures before they even tasted it. #Tony laughed and leaned in. 'You can sing, right? At least in tune if not... well?' He whispered… like that would stop Leah hearing. I gave him a look that more than told him '𝒩𝑜' and the tiniest shake on my head. I couldn't give Leah the satisfaction of hearing me actually say it out loud. She made the marks on the board and swanned over to us like the cat that got the cream... and she kinda had. #Mac was giving me the, ‘𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙬𝙚𝙙’ look like Leah said; 'That is two down Call, and we’ve only been open ten minutes.' "We'll see.” I smirked and put on my cockiest smile, leaning my elbow on the bar, and started talking loudly (not obnoxiously so) to #Tony and #Mac. A group of ladies were close by, slightly older than the ones she had just served, but not by much. "You know what I miss?" I said to the guys and they looked at me like I was losing my mind. "The types of girls you used to be able to sit in bars with... have a beer and a real conversation. Women are so worried about perceptions these days; only drinking wine and things that come in fancy glasses. Like they think it’s less attractive to sit in a bar with a bottle of beer in their hand... when really it’s the sexiest thing ever to most guys." #Mac walked away before I even finished, making me laugh and #Tony stared at the can in his, just shook his head and said. 'Nope! Not getting in the middle of this.' I chuckled; it was the smartest thing he'd said all evening. ↬ Leah Clearwater ↫ The way he had tugged on his ear lobe before, the whisper on the air that only #Seth and I could make out. Which in turn had Seth chuckling as he moved around the bar, and me rolling my eyes. He knew, it was best to stay a few steps away when a challenge was dropped. And the Kid wasn’t wrong. #Tony’s whisper had rang in my ears as if he were talking with me. I smirked as I shifted to serve a few townies with their drinks trying not to laugh now. '𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵? 𝘈𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘧 𝘯𝘰𝘵... 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭?' “This is going to be good.” I moved back to stand before them. The girls were still getting a little too excited with the drinks, making #Seth pull his phone out of his back pocket. He laughed looking at the screen. ‘#HWH and #Mermaidspunk is blowing up!’ I raised my eyebrow at the comment Call was making, Still leaning on the bar as he made sure that others, especially a group of women queuing up to be served would hear him. “Such a wise arse Call, it won’t save you.” I curled my bottom lip into my teeth pushing back off the bar to move. Winking at #Tony. Who was learning fast. “Wise move Ton. It’s a safe bet to take a few steps back too.” I teased, raising my own voice a little the same way as Call had, for normal ears it would be fine to hear over the sounds of the bar picking up. “See,

I’d have to disagree with you there.” Crossing my arms over my chest my eyes on him the whole time, knowing full well that all other eyes were on me now. “Women don’t come to bars these days caring about what you men think about their drinks choices. They earn their own money, then spend it the way 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 want to. If that is on beer.. Great.. If that is on a sexy ten dollar cocktail.. Great. It’s their choice. Only an easy to lead woman would want to pay attention to a comment like that one Call.” Pressing my lips together I stepped back to serve. “Who is next?” I called out. Three of the women watching Call stepped up to the bar. ‘We will take three #MermaidSpunk and five beers.’ I groaned. Three wasn’t bad, but Call had managed to win over five of them. Five! The Spirits! If it wasn’t for his smile and that way his eyes pulled the women in. I would have won that bet now! fifteen minutes into opening and I would have been done. “I should class that as Cheating.” I told him as I walked past to grab a few more glasses. ↬ Embry Call ↫ My teeth pressed into the flesh of my bottom lip when I heard her say “𝒯𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝒾𝓈 𝑔𝑜𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝑜 𝒷𝑒 𝑔𝑜𝑜𝒹.” Music was my thing, I was pretty sure with enough practise I could master almost any instrument, but the piano and the guitar satisfied the musician in me. Unlike #Tony who always wanted to try something new. But a voice… that was something you were born with or not. And I was not. Granted there were occasions after #Quil imprinted on Bear that I had sung to her when she spent the night at our place but, only when she was sick or fussy; and only because #Quil was even worse than me. I chuckled inwardly at the thought. The toddler had not been impressed. I heard #Seth mentions the trending hashtags. Fucking Instagram! This place would be flooded with the cocktail crowd in an hour. I kept my eyes glued on Leah’s as she retaliated against my comments; I knew it threw her off her game. It was clear she believed every word she was saying… of course she did! I mean they were true. There was nothing hotter than a woman that broke the mould and carved her own path, not giving a shit about what other’s thought. My comments were purely self-serving for the sake of the bet. But where the hell were they? Other than Leah… there wasn’t a single one in the room. Even the three girls in the group that ordered the cocktail… were they doing it to prove they didn’t give a shit what the hot guy at the bar thought, or was it really what they’d wanted all along? And five girls…. All five happened to prefer beer? Unlikely. “Hey! Just expressing an honest opinion.” I smirked. I’m sure it was someone’s honest opinion… not mine, but someone’s. She still got three more for the board though, and the night was extremely young. My confidence was waning, and I knew I couldn’t pull that line out again without incurring the wrath of my Beta. ↬ Leah Clearwater ↫ My eyes moved back to Call and the way he bit down on his lips was telling. He had a few tells, that lip biting thing used to annoy the crap out of me. Especially when he added his cocky grin to it, a bat of his eyes and the girls were lining up. ‘You know a little too much about his lip biting, wouldn’t you say?’ My wolf teased but she was watching him too. I told her to hush up, it was the job of a Beta to know the ins and outs of their pack and all those around them. Call and his lip bites. Each one had a different story to tell. Seth and the way he pushed his hands into his pockets as well as the redness in his neck. Paul had that scoff, the one he didn’t even know he let out when he was trying to hide something. Collin couldn’t hide the fact that his ears would go red… They all had something that let me in to say, ‘𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚’𝙨 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮.’ “Sure, somebody’s opinion. I know whose it is not.” Pointing at him, I smirked getting back to work. My gaze was pulled by the group of girls with the beers making their way around the bar. They came to stand around #Tony and Call, when

the smiles and the hair flipping started, I shook my head and stepped away. “They have their hands full.” I muttered before calling out “Who’s next?” Walking down the bar towards a couple stood waiting. ‘Hey Lee?’ #Mac came to stand next to me waiting for me to be done with the IPA. “Hmm?” is all I said to give him the go ahead. ‘So, you know how to sing right? I mean you got a good start, but Call has a way with the ladies.’ We both turned our heads and glanced cross to the group of girls getting friendly with the two guys. “You know I don’t plan on losing Mac, so it doesn’t matter if I can sing or not.” But at the same time there was a change coming to my plan of action in my head. Setting the drinks down on the bar for the customers I’d been serving. My eyes moved to the door. I knew who was about to walk in. I’d heard them pulling up outside, their scent was in the air. ‘Hey Mac. Leah!’ The chorus of voices rang from the door as a group of pups came barrelling in. ‘What we got to do to get some service?’ “I don’t know, try paying for it maybe?” I mused moving on to serve the next waiting person. ‘Don’t be like that Lee, you know I got them.’ My lips curled up into a grin hearing the voice I was waiting for. ‘Uley, did you miss the turning to your house, or did your wife get sick of you, and kick you out?’ He laughed a full-hearted laugh coming to lean on the side where I was serving. ‘Jeez woman, at least try to keep my secret for me.’ #Mac had a round of beers opened and on the bar for them all. ‘See, Mac is always ready with great service with that killer smile of his.’ #Sam and the pups thanked #Mac. “Service with a smile? The Spirits Mac! What did I tell you about that crap! We don’t want this lot coming back thinking they are welcome.” I teased. ‘Wow, there’s a stage! What’s going on?’ Without waiting for a reply, the Pups were gone. Rushing over to speak to #Seth and the others about the new addition. ‘What’s that about?’ #Sam asked pointing to the board with #Mermaidspunk written over it. “Let’s just say it’s a challenge by the Wisearse.” He’s eyes moved around the bar and came to a stop at Call. ‘Ahh… and the challenger has an audience too I see.’ Pushing off the side he gave me a nod of his head and went to join the others. ↬ Embry Call ↫ She was doing that thing where she read our minds... Even when we weren't phased, she knew what we were thinking. I was good at reading people, but... Leah was practically psychic sometimes. I contained a slight smirk as the girls came to a pause nearby, despite the fact there were empty tables, and they were all in heels. It was too easy to be tempting. I picked up my bottle and took another swig. I heard #Mac asking Leah what #Tony had just asked me, and I smiled. Her reply was determined, and I saw the cogs start to turn in her head again. More and more lately I was starting to realise, her eyes gave away so much more than she wanted them too… but it seemed like nobody else had noticed it yet. Something in her was changing, was she becoming less guarded? Or was I becoming more observant? #Tony set the empty can down on the bar and let out a breath. 'I better get going, if I'm going to get back in time to help Mom close up.' He stood up and waved to everyone behind the bar. I got up too, to say goodbye, giving #Sam a nod as he came in. "We'll see you Monday night, right?" I asked with a grin. 'Of course.' #Tony beamed. "I never miss an opportunity to get on stage, you know that.' I laughed and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "I'll make sure to sign you up with a good slot. See you around, man." #Tony headed out to his truck. The pups were teasing Leah at the bar and she was giving as good as they gave. I walked up to the group and patted two of the kids on the back. "What have I told you guys about tipping?" I laughed. "If you want preferential treatment you need to pay for it!" Without any more acknowledgement than a few scoffs and eye rolls, they were off and examining the stage. I leaned up against

the bar next to #Sam, hearing him mention my audience. The women that had been buzzing around earlier were glancing over, seemingly debating how obvious it would be to follow me across the bar. Eventually settling on taking the booth closest to where I stood. A few of their eyes drifted to the pups now too and it reminded me that they weren’t exactly kids anymore. But they were always going to be pups to us. "Still feeling confident, Clearwater." I teased once #Sam left to supervise the young ones in their fascination. I pointed the rim of my bottle to the board and then brought it to my lips. Flawlessly feigning unshakable confidence, myself. ↬ Leah Clearwater ↫ My gaze followed #Tony as he moved to leave, giving him a nod of my head, I made a mental note to call him tomorrow to thank him for all his help. I saw Call walking him out and heard #Tony saying he would be back for the Open mic night, which I had to admit to myself I was now looking forward too. He’s voice was so good, and the live element to the music had pulled me in deeper than I had expected it too. ‘There is magic in music Leah, you know this.’ My wolf told me. And I reminded her that I was taken off guard. The next time I’d not be so lost as I now knew what to anticipate. ‘Sure, it’s all about your anticipation now.’ She rolled her eyes at me. “Oh please, all of your arses put together couldn’t afford the tip needed to get that kind of service from me.” Snapping my teeth, I jerked forward. Even with the bar between us the pups took a couple of steps back away. Making me smirk as I pushed my fingers through my hair and moved on to the next customer. Voices coming in from the outside, took my attention to a group of lads walking into the bar. They weren’t from here, as I looked to see who it was, I managed to recognise two of the guys in the group. “Townies.” I whispered knowing full well that #Seth would hear me. He lifted his head and glanced over towards the door before turning to look back at me. I whispered again to him. “Card them, so they know we are watching them.” He nodded his head, setting the tray down on the table and weave his way around the bar which had slowly started to fill. ‘Lee?’ #Mac called out; he’d seen them coming in too. “Yeah, I see them. It’s all good.” Giving him a sharp nod towards #Seth who was now talking to the group. But then my eyes followed the glance of a few of the boys in the group over to the girls in the booth trying to gab Call and the pup’s attention. They had clearly managed to catch sight of #Sam’s wedding ring, not that, it would stop some of the women from trying. But #Sam exuded a vibe that told women 𝙠𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜and they did. Call’s smug voice pulled me back and I honed into the conversation. ‘Bry, you know better than to tease this HotHead. She will chew you up and spit you out, without even blinking once.’ #Sam was now leaning on the bar too, his bottle of beer to his lips. “He should know, he is speaking from experience. His wife does it to him on the daily.’ I teased right back. #Sam hit his hand over his heart and laughed. Moving as I saw the young man from before coming back, he’d left his girlfriend at the table. Holding my index finger up to Call to say 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙢𝙚 𝙖 𝙨𝙚𝙘’. As I moved down the bar, my gaze flickered back to #Seth as he took his time checking each ID, to the protest of the townies. Each face, body type from their height to their eye colour was registering with me and my wolf. “Same again?” I asked as he lent in on the bar. He smiled shocked I knew what he had before. “Hey, you know you should try the special cocktail on the menu. It’s only here for one night and the ladies are enjoying it.” I jabbed my thumb over to the young girls as well as the group of girls who were all taking photos and drinking theirs. ‘Those look stunning, yes please, let’s go with that.’ Giving him a wink, I poured his drink first and then went to make him a #Mermaidspunk. Making a point to stop before Call and #Sam as I filled the glass up with

ice. “Call remind me. What number is this one now?” Waggling my brows at him before returning to my customer.

��Embry Call ↫ I shook my head at the pups as they stepped away. When would they learn? You needed to stand your ground and take your lumps with Leah. It’s not like our lumps didn’t heal fast, I smirked and kept my eyes on the woman. She was combing her fingers through her hair again. How had I never realised she did it that often? I heard the voices approaching when Leah’s reaction, I could tell right away she recognised something that meant potential trouble; if it had just meant trouble, she would do a lot more than have #Seth card them. I’d seen her refuse people entry before they even made it to the bar, she was always the protector… and she wanted this place to be somewhere people felt safe and relaxed, even if that meant turning away paying troublemakers. But it was also what kept people coming back. I couldn’t help but pull myself up from being propped on my elbows at the bar to my full height. I saw #Sam have the same reaction, he stood just a couple inches over me. His Alpha senses never failing, I may not have been in his pack anymore, but I still had huge respect for the man. Even on high alert he flawlessly blended the Alpha with the man, teasing me about goading Leah. I laughed hard at her mention of #Emily. That woman was the sweetest and most loving ball-buster you would ever meet. But a ball-buster all the same. “C’mon Leah… You know any Quileute man that really knows the legends isn’t afraid of a strong woman.” Then I turned to #Sam and winked. “I can handle it.” I smirked at him. “Besides… She can’t kick me out tonight. I need to be here to make sure the #Hothead plays fair.” I pointed to the board again. There were too many marks up there for my liking, but I didn’t let it show. ‘You gonna tell me the details?’ #Sam’s expression told me that he already knew I wouldn’t. “All will become clear in time, my friend.” I patted his shoulder and drained the last mouthful from my bottle. Leah was moving to serve someone, and I heard her sell another one. I dropped my face… smiling and shaking my head… muttering “Fuck!” #Sam just laughed. ‘I have no idea what you two are up to… but I have a feeling it’s gonna be entertaining.’ He patted me between the shoulder blades. ‘How many until you lose?’ He had clearly deciphered that part of the bet. ‘’Ten.’ #Seth answered for me and went to put the sixth mark on the board for his big sister.

↬ Leah Clearwater ↫ Shaking my head listening to the three of them. ‘Sam, all you need to know is that you need a babysitter for Monday. You and Emily will want to be here.’ #Seth was laughing and teasing Call now. I let out a short laugh as I worked. ‘By the Spirits, did Leah Clearwater just laugh?’ #Sam was now teasing me? I rolled my eyes at him. “I laugh.” I scoffed, and #Mac shook his head muttering something about it was good to see me with my hair down. Which earnt him a back hand over the side of his head. ‘Employee Abuse. You all saw it!’ He knocked on the bar towards the wolves. ‘She can abuse me anytime.’ I heard the mummer coming from somebody in the group of lads. #Sam’s hand tightened around his glass bottle, but he let go seeing my eyes on him telling him to chill out. Clearing his throat. ‘I saw nothing. Is Leah even here?’ He joked with #Mac. “See, that gets your arse another beer.” Smirking I pulled two more, setting them before both Sam and Call. I glanced past the crowd building at the bar, to the lads. Making sure I knew where they were at all times. We were a bar with a good reputation, one that the boys and I had worked hard to earn. People knew coming here to the #HWH would mean; 1. 𝙎𝙖𝙛𝙚 𝙚𝙣𝙫𝙞𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝘽. 𝘾𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝙛𝙪𝙣 3. 𝙂𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙀𝙮𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙮 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙪𝙥𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙧𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙪𝙩. 𝘿. 𝙉𝙤 𝘽𝙪𝙡𝙡𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙗𝙚 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚. Basic rules for all to follow it didn’t matter if you were male or female. Out of the side of my eyes, I saw the way both Call and #Sam changed their posture. Both moved in synchronisation, moving from the chilled lazy half lay on the bar, to peacocks flaunting their feathers. Or at least that was the image I was sure the women in the bar who all turned to watch them would be seeing. The men. Then I saw taking a step back if they were standing. Or slide their chairs away a few inches if they were seated. It was a reaction we all got. All the wolves were good at hiding in plain sight, and then showing themselves without needing to say a word with a blink of an eye. My wolf sat up with them, my body did not need to change its posture as I was always on guard. ‘Solidarity without needing to ask for it.’ My wolf said proud as the two of us glanced around and found that the pups had noted the change and they two had stilled and straightened up where they stood. “Easy” the word was a whisper, but those who needed to hear it did and continued their conversations. I knew how to watch without really watching. To anybody stood before me, I was dealing with business to hand. But within myself my wolf and I were watching it all as it unfolded. There were a group of guys checking out the stage, a couple of big groups chatting away and drinking around the tables beside the windows. Both the pool tables busy with people playing, drinking, and talking. The couples who came in to relax before the madness started to stand and were on their way out now. ‘Thanks guys!’ they waved, and we nodded back. The townies, we knew. They came for the drinks and then there were the townies who came in for more. Be it for the Quileute girls, or the Quileute guys. You could tell by the way their eyes worked the crowds when they arrived. And it was clear what they were here for. But it was the ones who had a way to set the hairs on the back of my neck on edge who always got my personal attention. And the group #Seth had carded was one of them tonight as they walked up to the bar, and instead of going for service to #Mac who was clear, they waited with their eyes pinned on me. “The Spirits.” I muttered, but at the same time I was smirking making them wait. “Wait just a minute, are you trying to say that I would cheat? Have you met me before? Leah Clearwater does not need to cheat to come out on top!” The muttering coming from the group waiting ‘She can go on top of me any time.’ Making me crack my neck from one side and then to the other. The sound of the chalk pen breaking in half made me roll

my eyes. The kid needed to chill. Leaning to the side of the bar, my finger outstretched to the 5-foot 11-inch short arse, with bleached highlighted tips. “You couldn’t handle me if I were on top. Thank your lucky stars you have nothing I want. Now shut your mouth and wait for your turn.” My attention on the customers I finished up with. “Seth, we need more vodka, these cocktails are flying out the door.” I told him turning to glance over my shoulder. His jaw was tight, which made no sense to me. He wasn’t one to react in such a way. ‘They are all on a path of evolution Leah, maybe the kid is stepping up to become a protector just like his sister?’ She asked. Making me think, and then push that thought to the side. I would need to dig into that deeper at another time. “Now, what do you idiots want to drink tonight?” My eyebrow raised as I crossed my arms over my chest. Bleached tips stepped up with a grin on his face. ‘Why don’t you surprise us? You seem to be a woman who knows her stuff.’ My lips turned up into a grin. I glanced over to Call, as I spoke. “So, let me get this right. The five of you... want me to pick your drink for you? All Five of you?”

↬ Embry Call ↫ “It seems to be happening more and more lately Sam.” I grinned at him when he teased Leah about laughing, it was true... I mean she laughed, of course. She laughed at the pups when they did or said something idiotic… actually that went for all of us. But there was a different side of her showing now. I chuckled at #Mac again, knowing only too well that she’s never hit him hard enough for it to hurt… maybe a slight sting when he’d earned it. All I did when I heard the idiot townie and his comment; was contain the twitch in my jaw. This was something I’d had to learn to expect… especially with the young or more sensitive girls at the club. I lifted the bottle to my lips to cover it, knowing to well that to Leah this was only a drop in the ocean of the things she’d dealt with… and not just in this bar. Leah was all about the subtle monitoring of a potential situation but, #Sam and I were more about making it known. 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐡, 𝐰𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟. Was it intimidating? Yes. Was it meant to be? Hell yes! “Just reminding them where they are.” I muttered into the rim of the bottle in my hand, looking at #Sam as if I was talking to him, keeping my face neutral. “When did Leah Clearwater start talking about herself in the third person?” I teased, leaning on the bar and locking in her gaze again. “Remind you of anyone you know?” I burst out laughing… thinking of Joe Fucking Walker. The next comment from a customer at the bar made me clench my hand around the bottle I was holding. I knew I was a womaniser and a game player… but this was just crass. When I was interested in a woman; she had my full attention and respect for the small handful of hours that we would spend together… but this wasn't flirting; it was just a tiny little man trying to be disrespectful because he was clearly not getting any tonight. There was something strangely familiar about the words she had for the fool. But Leah and I certainly never had a conversation anything like that before… I mean, yeah, I’d been caught checking her out once or twice… but I was still part human and Leah was… Well. But I’d never said anything like that to her. Then the idiot decided to let Leah choose their drinks I dropped my head into my hands, this would send her over the edge, and I’d be making I singing debut on Monday.

TBC...

#LeahClearwater #Leah #HotHeadSheWolf #SpiritsHotHead #EmbryCall #Embry #BADBOYEMBRYCALL #Twilight #TwilightRP #TwiRP #AUStories

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yourkeeperoftherunners · 7 years

Text

You Sound so Good on Radio (RapMon AU)

Plot: AU You’re a DJ at your university’s student-run radio club and were called in to do a sample show last minute for a tour group of potential students. You caught his attention and he knew that he couldn’t go anywhere else. Especially if it meant he could share the airwaves with you at some point.

Rating: PG-13 (Language, implied cheating)

Characters: University Student!Kim Namjoon/Rap Monster x female Reader, University Student/Radio Club President!Kris (EXO-M), University Student/Fellow DJ!Johnny (NCT-127), and mentions of Seokjin and Yoongi (BTS)

Notes: This is an AU setting – all characters, background content, and storyline are fictional! This was an idea I’ve had kicking around in my head inspired by the writer’s personal experience of working in student-run radio shows at school. (It sat on the back burner until I realized it would be a good fit for music lover and brainy student Kim Namjoon.) Y/S/N stands for “your screen name”, Y/E/N is “your ex’s name”, and Y/DJ/N is “your DJ name.”

Happy Birthday Namjoon!

“Can I ask you to do a last minute show?”

“Uhhh maybe,” you drawled as you pressed your phone to your ear, “when?”

He sucked in a sharp breath and forced a smile as he revealed that he needed you to get over to the student radio booth in 40 minutes. Your eyes widened and you changed direction.

“Damn you Kris,” you hissed as you dug around in your bag, briefly checking that you had the essentials. “You’re lucky my next class was canceled – what’s this all about?”

“Potential students tour,” Kris explained. “Sorry Y/N – they threw this on me last minute too. Admissions wanted to show off the student radio program and they wanted a show playing live when the tour came through. I sort of panicked and didn’t know who to ask.”

“You owe me,” you warned him as you made a beeline for the studio, unlocking the door with your ID card. “Are there any rules Admissions set?”

“No profanity because it’s a daytime show, don’t run over into the next scheduled show’s slot…” Kris trailed off, biting his lip. “Um maybe pick some happy tunes or something? I don’t know – just make it seem cool to join radio, okay?”

“I’ll try. Wonder why they care all of sudden,” you droned as you pulled out your laptop and began pulling songs into a playlist.

“How do you take your coffee?” he asked.

“Make it the largest size available and you’re a godsend,” you said before hanging up. You plugged in the cords from the dashboard and began adding in bumpers that would play in between every 3 songs to promote the studio radio station. Complaints aside, radio was a welcome escape for you whenever you wanted a break from the stress of college. Anyone could apply to have a radio program, as long as they showed up for their time slot, followed the radio airwave rules, and attended the radio meetings that took place every other week.

“You’re listening to a special broadcast of Nocturnal Beats, coming to you live and in stereo from the radio station,” you announced into the microphone. “You just heard music from Halsey, a beautiful cover of Adele’s “Hello” by Alice Olivia, and “Skool Luv” by BTS. Speaking of school love, why not show your support for our talented lacrosse team at this Saturday’s game? Game starts at 7 PM, tickets are $7 at the gate…” You tore a glance at the bulletin board nearby to make sure you were covering all of the announcements posted during your talking break. From the corner of your left eye, you spotted a large group of families coming into the building, led by a student tour guide. Satisfied that you covered everything posted, you wrapped up your talking segment as you teased the next few songs coming up in the hour.

“Over here is the student radio booth – all of the programs broadcast are put on by students for students,” the guide said as she gestured to the booth. “Parents and friends are welcome to download the app or live stream it from your computer or WI-fi enabled devices to listen in as well. We have programs running 7 days a week from 7 AM to midnight, ranging from music, talk shows, and we’ve even had a few radio dramas played during the airwaves.”

You avoided the crowd’s gaze as you slotted in a bumper that announced that they were tuned into the student radio site, before blending it out to the next song – a mellow R&B tune from BIGBANG called “Blue”. You pulled the headphones off and switched the mic to off before checking the volume controls and scrolling through the radio instant chat function to answer messages.

js_giraffe: U cheating on me for daytime?

You resisted the urge to roll your eyes as you typed back to Johnny, AKA your friend who hosted a late night rant/talk show on Wednesdays. Occasionally you put in a guest appearance if he needed someone to banter with on the topics of choice for the shows – most people found your dynamic with him hilarious, especially if he tried to switch accents while you called him out for being a loser.

Y/S/N: ha try Kris needed someone to show off for the tour groups.

js_giraffe: O.o The model DJ…

js_giraffe: I’m not worthy! I’m not worthy!

Y/S/N: STFU

Y/S/N: It’s a one-time deal – get over your damn self!

“Now if you follow me, I’ll show you the mailroom,” the tour guide announced as she gestured to a hallway. Most of the families began to follow her to the next room while one young man lingered behind, tilting his head as he watched you switch between answering Johnny’s IMs and queuing more music for the remaining 15 minutes. He glanced over his shoulder at the group and quickly made up his mind to walk over to the glass separating you from him, tapping lightly on it.

You jerked your head up from looking at your laptop screen and held up a finger as you got up, making your way over to the entrance to the booth.

“Hi, may I help you?” you asked as you stuck your head out.

“Oh um ye-yeah!” the young man said. “How is the radio program here? Do you like it?” he asked with a faint accent.

“It’s a lot of fun,” you said slowly with a smile. “I really like it – this is my second year doing it. I started last spring and I’ve been doing it ever since. You can focus on any topic/style of show you want for the most part.” You frowned when you noticed the tour group was long gone.

“Oh I think you um-”

“I’ll find them – no worries,” he replied. He asked you more questions about the studio equipment, scheduling, requirements, etc. before you realized you were at the final 2 minutes of your program.

“Hang on, I need to close out the hour,” you apologized before running back into the station. You slipped the headphones on and turned the mic on, fading out the last song that was playing. “Looks like it’s last call gang – thanks for tuning into this special edition. I’ll catch you at my usual slot Friday night from 10-11 PM. Until then.” You turned off the mic and carefully unplugged your laptop, turning on instrumentals recorded in the station’s dashboard’s memory to fill the void while you packed up. Once you secured your bag on your shoulder, you headed to the door and frowned when you saw the young man was gone.

“So are you crossing this school off your list Joonie?” Yoongi asked his friend over the phone. “I mean, it’s kind of far and you don’t know a lot of English –“

“Actually I think I’m going to apply,” Namjoon replied with a grin as he leaned against the wall. “Campus is nice, professors seem decent, and I like their student life.”

“Wae?! But you can’t leave meeeeeeee!!!” the other male whined. “You’ll be too far away!”

“I think you can survive without me,” Namjoon chuckled as he ran a hand through his hair. “Besides, we can always call or Skype. Plus I’ll be home for the holidays.”

“But you have to apply first,” Seokjin interrupted, taking the phone from Yoongi. “There’s no guarantee this school will take you. Make sure you have back-ups in case.”

Namjoon snorted as he changed his phone to his other ear. He reassured Seokjin that he’d apply to a few local schools back home, just to be safe before hanging up and heading back to the area where the tour started. It was clear in his mind – he was getting in here no matter what.

“Welcome back,” Johnny greeted you as you took a seat in the auditorium beside him.

“Right back at you,” you replied, dropping your bag on the ground. “How was your summer?”

He shrugged and muttered that he split his time between Chicago and South Korea, thanks to his parents’ divorce. You listened as he described the tension during each stay, as both single parents had expressed their true feelings about one another to Johnny.

“Sorry Johnny,” you said with a sympathetic smile, “hey so, are you doing late night again?”

Johnny nodded and you confirmed that you were in again for another late night slot, as it was your favorite time to broadcast. You weren’t forced to be as strict with the profanity during timeslots closer to midnight and it was a fun way to get hyped for the weekend. Because this would be your third year of radio, you’d get first dibs on timeslots. A few days prior to the start of the new semester, you had gotten an e-mail from Kris asking if you wanted your old timeslot back, which you replied you did.

“All right guys! Can I have your attention please?” Kris called out, trying to regain control of the large group of students chattering away. He waited a few minutes before speaking again.

“Welcome to University Radio Club,” he began, “if you’re here because you’re taking radio as an elective or just because you want to, you’re in the right place. We meet every other week here at 9 PM – attendance is mandatory for those taking this as an elective. If you are brand new to radio, we’ll start taking sign ups for timeslots via e-mail. Please send us your top three choices and we’ll let you know if any are available. Past DJs will get first choice. Any questions so far?”

“The D-bag’s not doing radio anymore, right?” Johnny whispered as he leaned closer to you.

You shrugged, trying to seem indifferent. The “D-bag” in question was your ex, who cheated on you for two sorority chicks during a Greek life party. You swore he purposely chose the timeslot after you so he could saunter in and ruin your good mood with his presence, as his show was after yours for 3 semesters.

“I’ll deal with it like usual,” you muttered as you watched Kris start discussing the history of radio to the students taking this for credit.

“Welcome back to your place for top hits, fresh sounds, and jams to get you in the mood for your weekend – this is Nocturnal Beats!” you said into the mic with a smile. “Hope everyone stayed cool this summer. The bell may have rung but the fun’s never ending – I’ve got some new sounds to share from EXO and Twenty One Pilots so keep it here for this hour.”

Once you switched off the microphone, your phone buzzed with a text from Kris.

Galaxy

I’ll buy you a drink this weekend if you can do a last minute training for the rookie coming in after you.

Sent 10:07 PM

You

Fine.

Sent 10:08 PM

Hang on – rookie? Not Y/E/N?

Sent 10:08 PM

Galaxy

Nah he never answered my e-mail about radio this semester. This guy’s a first year – asked specifically for this slot.

Sent 10:09 PM

Tall, blonde hair in an undercut, name’s Namjoon Kim. He’s doing a rap show.

Sent 10:10 PM

You frowned as you re-read the texts and typed back a simple OK to Kris. Well, you could breathe easy – no asshole ex to deal with this semester. But you were surprised this kid got a prime spot – most first timers weren’t so lucky and would get an afternoon slot or an early morning time. Albeit his radio show content was probably better suited for nighttime versus editing out every curse word and innuendo possible. You’d meet him soon enough.

You shuttled a few IMs to Johnny and tore your gaze away from your laptop to see a tall Asian guy approaching the station, eerily fitting the description Kris texted you. He was busy typing something on his phone as he approached the radio station, walking into the door with a thud.

You blinked as you scrambled to your feet, eyes wide as he staggered back a few steps, wincing and cursing in Korean as he touched his forehead. Without wasting more time, you queued up a few more songs and a bumper before opening the door and checking on him.

“Hey you okay?”

“Huh? Oh yeah, yeah I’m fine,” he said as he pushed his dark framed glasses up on his nose. He shot you a sheepish smile and put his phone away in his pocket.

You studied him thoughtfully, examining his features. He looked awfully familiar…

“Hey so Y/N right? I don’t know you if you remember me, well I had dark hair last time we met, but um…” he trailed off, a shy smile on his face.

“Hang on, were you the guy who got left behind by the tour group to ask me questions about the radio station?” you recalled as you stepped out of the doorway. “Last semester in mid-March, right?”

He nodded as his smile spread across his face, resulting in the cutest dimples on his cheeks. You blinked as you silently compared the previous image you had of him in your mind to the guy standing before you now. He was cute then but with the blonde color and new haircut, he looked hot. It also sounded like his English had improved and the lingering trace of his accent was barely noticeable. Summer sure was kind to him…

“Wow I didn’t know you got in – congrats!” you replied as you nudged the door open wider, letting him into the station waiting room. “Welcome to university! I can’t believe you decided to take up radio too.”

Namjoon stepped through the doorway and watched as you closed the door to the station. “Well, it’s a funny story,” he began as he shoved his hands into his pockets. “A really chill DJ was doing a special show during my tour visit and she had a really hot voice. I was kind of a loser just staring at her and asking her dumb questions about radio, but she was so patient and really nice. So I felt encouraged to apply – I mean, I liked the classes and the professors too, but hearing this DJ was like the icing on the cake. I wanted to come here and do radio too. Maybe run into her again.”

You ducked your head and smiled, crossing your arms over your chest. “You found me Namjoon,” you replied.

He squared his shoulders and allowed a slightly cocky smile to cross his lips. “Rap Monster. No DJ, just Rap Monster around here.”

You contemplated his moniker and nodded in approval.

“It suits you,” you said. “Well you’ll go live for your first show in 10 minutes – think you’re ready?”

He removed his glasses from his nose and swapped them for a pair of dark wayfarers, pushing them up on his nose.

“Bring it on Y/DJ/N.”

#Kim Namjoon #Happy Birthday Namjoon #Rap Monster #Rap Monster imagine #Kim Namjoon imagine #BTS Rap Monster #BTS AU #BTS imagine #KNJ #yourkeeperoftherunners original #number 2118

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