#so yes it makes us scared of her because we are always worried we’re going to say the wrong thing in a given moment!!!!

[clarisse0o]

Camp Wiegman-Part 75

Lucy Bronze x Ona Batlle

Alternative Universe: Military School

Words: 5K

Masterlist

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Saturday, March 26th; 10:00 AM - Lucy and Ona’s Apartment.

"Come on, call her. You’re not going to stare at that phone all day, we’ve got other things to do," teased Lucy, who had just come out of the bathroom.

I groan to show my displeasure, but eventually, I dial my mom’s number. It was time to handle it, and I couldn't keep putting it off. The ringing tone echoed... for a long time... When it stopped, I was ready to speak, my mouth open, but I got her voicemail instead. My heart relaxed at this. I don't know why, but I felt relieved. I immediately hung up.

"I got her voicemail."

Lucy laughed. She definitely noticed my reaction.

"Well, better luck next time. Go get ready, or we’ll be late."

"You’re the one who spent forever in the bathroom."

"Oh, so now it’s my fault, huh?" she laughed as I was already heading down the hallway. "Remind me, who didn’t want to get out of bed?" she shouted so I could hear her.

"At eight-thirty, I had every reason to stay in bed!" I yelled back from the bathroom.

I could hear her laughing as I started putting on my makeup. It was the last thing I had to do. Lucy had wanted to take a shower, so I couldn’t access my things earlier because I wanted to give her some privacy. She needs to understand that weekends are sacred too. Not all of us are motivated to go jogging in the morning. I’ll never understand her on that. We’re supposed to grab brunch with our friends before heading to the gym. It’ll be good to all be together again. Aitana and Beth are supposed to join us later in the day, according to Lucy. I was finishing my makeup with mascara when my phone rang. I groaned seeing my mom’s face on the screen. Lucy came over at that moment, already making fun of me.

"Answer it, or I will."

"Definitely not."

I rolled my eyes, picking up my phone from beside the sink. She’s been pushing me to do this since yesterday, and I have to admit, she’s right. Otherwise, I’d never do it. I answered the call and held the phone to my ear with my shoulder while finishing my second eye.

"Hello?"

"Ona! Did you try to call me? Is everything okay?"

"Hey. Yeah, yeah, everything’s fine. Am I disturbing you?"

"I just got out of surgery. I operated early this morning. Well, more like last night. I’m about to grab some coffee. Are you sure everything’s okay? You rarely call me."

I smiled despite myself. I’ve always admired my mom for her work, even though it cost her a lot in terms of family life. It takes a lot of mental strength and confidence to perform surgeries. She’s a general surgeon. When Mapi needed surgery, she wasn’t the one to handle the case, but I know she made sure to be involved in every procedure for my sake.

"I’m fine, really. I just wanted to call to apologize, that’s all."

"Apologize?" she whispered. "For what?"

"For my behavior last time," I said plainly. "We left without me getting a chance to talk to you again. So yeah, I’m sorry. My reaction wasn’t directed at you."

"Oh... You don’t need to apologize, Ona. I completely understand."

I smiled like an idiot. She really thinks Mapi didn’t tell me how worried she was. From what I’ve heard, she was scared to death, yet here she is acting like nothing happened.

"No, it’s important. I need you to know my anger wasn’t directed at you," I said, smiling at my girlfriend, who finally turned around when she saw everything was fine.

"Alright... well, thank you for calling."

"I also wanted to let you know that we’ll definitely be attending your wedding, in case that wasn’t clear."

"Really?"

"Of course. We wouldn’t miss it."

"Will Lucy be coming?"

"Yes, that’s who I meant by ‘we.’ I hope that’s not a problem?" I teased.

"Oh no, no. We’d be delighted and honored!"

"Great... So, when is it again?"

"June 18th. I... Ona?"

"Yes?"

"I know it’s not the kind of thing you ask over the phone, and I’d understand if you say no, but... I’d like you to be my maid of honor, if you agree. You don’t have to answer right away, it’s just that—"

"Mom," I interrupted. "Calm down. I..."

I took a deep breath. This was hard for me, but I was doing it to keep my promise to my dad. He wanted me to be there when it happened.

"I accept. No problem."

"Really...?"

The surprise in her voice was obvious. A small smile formed on my lips.

"Yeah, it seems so," I teased.

"You know, if you’re feeling obligated or anything..."

"Stop. I accept, that’s it. Don’t make me change my mind."

"It really means a lot to me, Ona, truly."

"I figured."

"I’ll make sure to pay for your dresses, for both you and Lucy. We’ll pick them out together, so they’ll match."

"Whoa, slow down," I laughed. "We’ve got time."

"Can you come during your vacation? You know you’re always welcome at home, even though you’ve chosen to live with her in Manchester."

"I know, but we won’t be around this vacation. We’re visiting Grandpa and Lucy’s parents in Portugal."

"Really?" she asked, surprised. "She’s from Lisbon too? You’re meeting her parents?"

"She’s from Porto. We’re doing one week with Grandpa, then one week with her family. I still need to call him to see if he can host us."

"Oh, knowing him, he won’t say no. He’ll be thrilled to meet Lucy."

"Yeah, I’m not worried about that."

"Don’t be afraid to meet Lucy’s parents either. I’m sure it’ll go well."

"We’ll see," I sighed. "I should hang up, we’re supposed to meet for brunch," I said as Lucy reappeared, tapping her wrist.

"Oh really?With who?"

"We’re meeting our friends at eleven."

"Oh, well, I won’t keep you then. Have a great day, and let me know when you’re coming back to Barcelona."

"No problem, I’ll talk to Lucy, and we’ll keep in touch. Have a good day."

One last goodbye, and I hung up. Lucy immediately came over as I was putting away my makeup.

"Talk to me about what?"

I laughed, shaking my head. She looked so innocent, but I was sure she had listened to the whole conversation.

- Going back to Barcelona.

- Again? she groaned. That’s all we ever do!

- Oh, don’t complain. We’ve only been there twice together. And I think I just agreed to be her maid of honor. I don’t know what came over me.

Lucy laughed and wrapped her arms around me from behind, kissing the top of my head.

- Well, I’m proud of you. I assume everything went well?

- Yeah... she acted like everything was fine, as if nothing had happened. That’s a first.

- Well, that’s good, then. And why do we have to go back to Barcelona?

- She wants us to choose our dresses with her... and be matching.

- Wonderful, she teased.

- Hey, I said, turning towards her. Don’t make fun of me! I wouldn’t mind matching with you.

- That’s not the problem. It’s that I’ll have to endure another shopping session with the mother-daughter duo.

- Well, I have to meet your parents for the first time in a few weeks, I laughed in return. We all have our challenges, babe.

- That’s true, she replied, giving me a playful smack as I walked out.

I’d learned my lesson from last time, so I didn’t react to her playful gesture. We’d moved past that, and she didn’t catch me off guard this time.

- Did you remember to bring your design ideas?

I froze mid-step and turned back around.

- What would I do without you… I mumbled, making Lucy laugh.

I headed back to our bedroom to grab them. She wanted me to bring my ideas since she hadn’t had a chance to look at them this morning. After grabbing them, I got dressed to go out, and we left to meet our friends downtown. We’d noticed that the little Italian restaurant next to the gym offered brunch, so it didn’t take us long to decide to try it out today. The renovations were coming along great. We had time to finish up the locker room prep before the furniture arrived next week. Someone was coming to check if the plumbing was usable as it was. If so, Lucy said it would leave us with a little extra budget, though she wasn’t too hopeful. The place was pretty old and had been heavily used. When we arrived, I wasn’t surprised to see we were the first ones there. Lucy’s an early riser and hates being late. I’ve been on the receiving end of that before, and once was enough for me.

- So, when’s the wedding? You didn’t tell me the date.

- Oh, right. Uh, June eighteenth, I think.

- You *think*? she teased.

- It’s definitely the eighteenth. Are you done now?

She laughed as I playfully hit her shoulder. Looks like she’s in a teasing mood today.

- Oh, relax, I’m kidding. Maybe we can go after your exams, yeah? We’ll be on vacation, so we might as well enjoy it. It’ll take your mind off waiting for your results.

- Really? But what if I have interviews? And what about the gym?

- We’ll make sure you have a school and a gallery lined up before you leave Camp Wiegman.

- Easier said than done...

- Are you done complaining yet? I heard from behind. We can hear you from the other end of the restaurant.

- Oh, shut up! I snapped playfully at my best friend.

- Hey, cutie pie.

I smiled as I stood up to hug her. I’d missed her. It’s about time she moved here so we could properly catch up.

- Wow, it’s been a while since I’ve heard that nickname.

- No kidding!

I greeted Ingrid as well. Mapi sat beside me at the head of the table, and Ingrid across from me after greeting my girlfriend too. Mapi and I exchanged goofy smiles. Looks like I wasn’t the only one who missed this connection.

- So, Miss "I’m stressed about my exam," how’s it going?

- I’m fine, I chuckled. Are you mocking me?

- Oh no, she laughed. It’s just funny. You weren’t like this in high school, and I never imagined you’d turn into this.

- Well, people change, what can I say, I responded with a genuine smile.

- What’s new since I’ve been gone?

- Not much.

- Really? she raised an eyebrow.

- Yeah, honestly, nothing major, I said, glancing at Lucy. Everything’s going well. I’m looking for a gallery, we’re working on the gym, and I’m studying for my exam... that’s about it.

- So, what’s the update on that interview you had? The big gallery, she probed.

- Fields hasn’t changed their mind. I don’t think I’ll accept, but for now, I haven’t heard back from the other galleries, so it’s tricky...

- Stop worrying.

- I’m a month away from taking my exam and I’m without a school. I have every reason to worry, I replied.

Lucy rolled her eyes. It’s been a bit tense between us regarding this. She takes it so lightly that I wonder if she’s hiding something from me again. Luckily, Alexia and Jenni arrived at that moment. We greeted them and ordered right after they settled in. We didn’t want to drag things out since we had a lot to do today.

Saturday, March 26th; 1:00 PM - Gym

It was just Ale, Mapi, and me in the break room, finishing up stripping the wallpaper. There was one wall left, and the goal was to have it ready for painting tomorrow. Our girlfriends were in the locker room since the others hadn’t shown up yet. The plumber finally arrived, and Lucy wanted to be there for the assessment. I didn’t mind. It was nice to hang out with my friends. The atmosphere was great, even while working.

- So, notice anything? Ale asked Mapi with a mischievous grin.

- Notice what?

I gave Alexia a wide-eyed look as she smiled slyly. She knew Mapi wasn’t up to date on the progress of my relationship with Lucy. I turned bright red as Ale motioned towards me with her head. Mapi, who was between us, stared at me.

- Well? What don’t I know yet?

Alexia burst out laughing. I didn’t find it funny. There’s no need to make a big deal out of every milestone in my relationship.

- Your best friend became a grown-up last weekend.

Mapi gasped and smacked my arm hard.

- Ouch! I exclaimed, rubbing my arm.

- And you didn’t even tell me!? When? How? You better tell me everything to make up for it!

Alexia was laughing hysterically. I couldn’t help but follow suit, despite myself. This was exactly why I didn’t want her to know. She always has to give me the third degree.

- You couldn’t help yourself, could you? I scolded Ale.

- Nope, I had to share! It was too memorable and funny to keep to myself. You should’ve seen her, covered in hickeys and grinning ear to ear the next morning, she told Mapi.

They both started laughing. Okay, maybe I was on a high at the time. Hearing how she described me now made me feel really embarrassed.

- So, how did it happen?

- It just... did.

"It just did"? Do you think that’s a satisfying answer for me?

Stop. Seriously, it wasn’t planned at all. It just happened, that’s all. And it was good. She was really great with me. That's it. You won’t get more details.  

I stuck my tongue out at her when she groaned.

"I can’t believe you hid this from me again!"

"Hid what?" Lucy asked, just walking into the room.  

Oh no, that’s all I needed. We all know how she reacts to Mapi in these situations.

"Oh, nothing. You just need to know how your girlfriend is so mute and stubborn," Mapi pouted.

"Hmm… I think she’s improving. At least with me."  

I smiled as Lucy wrapped her arms around me from behind, rocking me gently. I leaned into her embrace.

"Can you come with me? I need your help," she whispered in my ear.

"Really? Well, sure, if you want."  

She let go, and I took her hand to follow her. It was the perfect time to be honest. Maybe Mapi would forget about this whole thing… though I’m probably being too hopeful. Before we left, my girlfriend added:

"By the way, we’re thinking of going out to a bar tonight with the others. So, if you're not up for a night at The United, now's your chance to have a girls’ night."

Her suggestion surprised me, but of course, my best friend jumped at it.

"Oh, that’s a great idea!" Mapi exclaimed. "What do you think? Since I’m already here."

"Yeah, why not," Ale agreed.

"We’ll talk about it when I get back, to figure out whose place we’ll go to," I said.

The girls agreed before I left with Lucy. She led me to the main room.

"So, what about the guy? Did he give you a rundown of what’s working and what’s not?"

"Yeah. We could keep the plumbing, but he can’t guarantee it’ll last another three years, so instead of taking the risk and redoing everything later, we’re just going to replace it now."

"Ouch... That’s a shame."

Lucy shrugged and gave me a small smile.

"It’s fine. We anticipated this. He’ll give us a quote to see how much it’ll cost since we’re not doing it ourselves."

"That makes sense. Painting and demolishing is one thing, but this is more complicated."

"Exactly."

We reached the main room, where I noticed the guys had arrived, along with a woman I didn’t recognize. I slowed down when I saw that she was holding my sketches, the ones I had given to Lucy earlier in the day. She was tall, about Lucy’s height, with a normal build and heels. She was charismatic, with long, silky black hair and lightly made-up blue eyes. Lucy smiled at me, seeing my hesitation.

"Don’t be shy. Come on," she said, pulling me forward.

"What’s this about now?"

"Oh, here she is," Beth said when he saw me. "Hey Ona."

"Hey..."  

I went around, greeting everyone, including the woman holding my drawings. I quickly returned to Lucy, who had opened her arms, letting me snuggle into her.

"Let me introduce you to Grace," Beth said. "She has an art degree, but she mainly works as a street artist. She’s the one who did the decoration at my paintball place."

"Wow," I said, remembering the place. "Well, congratulations. You’re really talented. I loved what I saw."

"What she means is, she was completely blown away by it," my girlfriend embellished.

Grace laughed, shaking the papers in her hand.

"Thank you, I’m flattered. I could say the same about you. You’re very talented."

"Thank you," I replied, blushing.

I smiled shyly, sinking further into Lucy’s arms. I don’t handle compliments about my work well since I’m not used to people looking at it. Lucy smiled at me, kissing my temple.

"I imagine you’re not here for no reason?"

"No, indeed," Grace smiled. "Beth and I recently reconnected, and he’s been talking about you and how hard you’ve been searching for a gallery. It just so happens that I recently opened one myself to start working more seriously after all these years."

I listened carefully. No… Don’t tell me...? I glanced at Lucy, who was grinning mischievously. I couldn’t believe it! She surprised me again.

"It turns out I was supposed to collaborate with a friend who backed out at the last minute. The gallery’s already open, but I’m not keen on hiring someone when I’ve just launched it."

"You mean…"

"I’d like you to come work with me. As an apprentice, of course. You’d cost me less, and based on what I have in my hands, you’re talented. Our styles are very different, but I think we could complement each other. Plus, with your management degree, you’d be a great help to me."

"Oh, I’m not sure you should rely too much on that degree..."

She laughed heartily. I guess I’ve said enough times that management isn’t my strong suit.

"Well, what I mean is that your résumé is interesting to me. So, if you're up for it, we could do a trial at my gallery to see if you like it. Of course, the condition is that you need to get your diploma first… Although, to be honest, I’d take you anyway, but your girlfriend here doesn’t seem too fond of that idea, from what she just told me."

I smiled broadly. I playfully hit Lucy’s chest, pushing her away slightly. She laughed.

"You hid everything from me again! You’re unbelievable!"

"Hey, I didn’t know," she defended herself. "Beth just told me this morning that she was bringing someone for you today."

"Is that true?" I asked her.

"Yeah," Beth replied, amused.

"I hesitated a lot," Grace admitted. "I hope you’re ready to work because there’s no shortage of it."

"I’m not afraid of that."

"Good, then there won’t be any problem," she said. "Lucy told me you’re going on vacation soon, but if you’re up for it, you could visit the gallery one weekend and do a trial run, like a day or two, to see if it works for both of us."

"Yeah, we’ll arrange that," Lucy agreed. "Maybe we could exchange contact info to stay in touch?"

"Sure," Grace said with a smile. "I’ll handle the arrangements with your school. I’ve got some former professors who might be able to help you secure a spot."

"Thank you so much. I really don’t know what to say."

"Oh, don’t thank me. You’ll be just as helpful to me, so I’m happy to help in return. I hope this will turn into something good for both of us. Who knows, maybe if the sales go well, I’ll be glad to keep you on afterward."

I was thrilled and incredibly relieved. A huge weight was starting to lift off my shoulders. We exchanged contact information and promised to keep in touch. She left shortly after, and I kissed Lucy deeply without hesitation. I really hoped this would work out.

"Oh my God. I can’t believe it’s real. Thank you so much, Beth."

"No problem," she replied. "I’m glad I could help. It wasn’t even planned. We just happened to reconnect, and I mentioned you. She immediately showed interest. From what I just saw, it looks like she likes you too."

"Same here. She’s really cool. Nothing like Fields, for example."

"Oh, definitely," Lucy agreed. "So, are you good now? Can you relax?"

I stuck my tongue out at her in response. She laughed heartily. Unlike me, she had never doubted, and honestly, it felt good. Even when I couldn’t believe in myself, she was always there to remind me that anything was possible. And today, I had proof. I’d found a gallery. This was going to be the new driving force in my life. In our life. I no longer had to consider Fields’ offer, and I was so happy. I could finally turn it down with no regrets.

"I love you."

"I love you too. Now, should we get back to work?"

"Yep."

"Come with me. Let’s go over your sketches and see what we can come up with."

I smiled, following her to the back rooms. I couldn’t wait to start this project. Even though they were just small images without much cohesion yet, I was sure Lucy’s imagination would help bring them to life. And so, our day continued.

[wavesoutbeingtossed]

.

[alisonwritesimagines]

Unexpected ~Batfam Imagine~

Summary: You find out something unexpected which makes you worry. Luckily, your family is there on your side to protect you.

Author’s Note: Batmom deserves the world.

y/m/n = your mother's name

BatFamily Masterlist

Reader’s Pronouns: She/Her

Warnings: unexpected pregnancy, mentions of baby loss

Do not repost this anywhere!

You stared at the positive pregnancy test in front of you with a frown. You should be happy that you’re having a baby. You should be over the moon since this is what you have always wanted with Bruce. But after the last time, you felt scared now.

“Ummi? Are you okay? You’ve been in there for a while,” you heard Damien call out. You wiped the tears away before opening the door.

“Hey sweetie. I’m alright. What’s wrong?” You asked him.

“You were crying,” Damien pointed out.

“It’s nothing Damien. You hungry?” You asked as you rushed the two of you out of your bedroom.

Damien knew something was wrong but didn’t want to push it with you. He could always push his siblings and his father’s limits but he knew not to push yours. So he summoned a sibling meeting when you were gone with Alfred one time.

“What is it this time?” Jason asked annoyed.

“Ummi is upset and I’m not sure what it is,” Damien told them.

“Did something happen with her and Bruce?” Dick asked him.

“No. She was in the bathroom for a long time though. She came out with some tears on her face,” Damien explained.

“Why was she in the bathroom for a while?” Tim asked.

“Do you think she’s pregnant again?” Cassandra asked.

“Wouldn’t she be happy about it?” Jason pointed out confused.

“Dude. Remember what happened last time she was pregnant?” Duke reminded him.

“Oh. Right,” Jason said sadly.

“What should we do?” Stephanie asked.

“We should let her and Bruce talk first before they come to us. We don’t want to jinx anything and mom probably feels scared and worried about being pregnant again,” Cassandra told them. The rest of the kids nodded in agreement.

When Bruce came back home, he found you curled up in bed wide awake.

“You okay honey?” Bruce asked as he walked over to you.

“I don’t know,” you tell him.

“What’s wrong?” Bruce asked as he sat next to you. You sat up before wrapping your arms around him.

“I’m pregnant,” you said softly. Bruce hugged you back quickly as he pulled you onto your lap.

“Why aren’t you happy?” Bruce asked you.

“Because of what happened last time. What if we lose this one too?” You asked him as you began to tear up.

“Hey now. It’s going to be okay. If it makes you feel better, we’ll set up extra security and do better to keep the villains in Arkham,” Bruce told you.

“I don’t know Bruce. I’m so scared. I don’t want to lose this one too,” you tell him.

“Me neither. But we have each other. And I promise I’ll do anything to keep you and our baby safe.”

Bruce kissed your head before holding you tighter in his arms. He kissed your head once more before lifting your chin up so you could see him. Bruce kissed you gently on the lips before lying down on the bed, pulling you down with him.

“We’re going to be okay,” Bruce assured to you.

You stayed in bed the next day, not wanting to get out. Alfred brought you your breakfast while Bruce and the kids talked downstairs at the table.

“Why isn’t mom with us?” Tim asked.

“Your mom is having some issues right now and needs some time to herself,” Bruce explained.

“What did you do?” Jason asked him.

“I didn’t do anything bad. She just needs a moment to herself without any more worry.”

By dinner time, you were with your family at the dinner table. You sat on your seat as you took in a deep breath.

“I’m pregnant,” you announced out of the blue. Everyone looked at you in shock other than Bruce and Alfred.

“You are?!” Stephanie asked.

“Yes.”

“Which means we need to keep the villains away as long as possible,” Bruce told the kids. The kids agreed.

“Don’t worry mom. We’ll protect you even more this time,” Tim tells you.

“Thank you. But I think I want to be away from Gotham until I have the baby. I want to be somewhere safe and I can’t be safe here,” you explain.

“Bruce, are you okay with this?” Jason asked his adoptive father.

“I support whatever your mother thinks is best for her. Even if it means being away from Gotham.”

“Where would you stay mom?”

“Maybe back to my hometown. It’s much safer than here and it would be nice to be back with some friends and family I had back there,” you explain to them.

“And we can always visit your mother when we can or when she misses us,” Bruce tells the kids.

“So are you going to miss her giving birth?”

“No. I will be with your mother two months before the due date.”

“Is this what you want mom?”

“Yes.”

“Can we stay with you once in a while? For protection?”

“Of course. I’d love the company while I’m away.”

——

It had been nine months since you found out about your pregnancy. Bruce had been by your side for the last two months as he promised. And now, the kids and Alfred were walking up to your room where you had just given birth.

“You ready to lose the bet?” Dick asked Jason as they walked into the hospital.

“I’m not gonna lose,” Jason insisted.

“Uh huh. Sure.”

The moment the Wayne Family walked in, they found you holding your newborn baby in your arms while Bruce was sitting right next to you.

“Hey guys! Come in,” you say softly. Everyone walked into the room more to see the baby.

“How are you feeling Ummi?” Damien asked as he stood next to you.

“Feeling okay now. Everyone, meet the newest Wayne member of the family. Martha Y/m/n Wayne,” you introduced.

“We named her after our mothers,” Bruce tells everyone.

“Pay up,” Jason told Dick who frowned as he gave Jason twenty dollars.

“I have a sister?” Damien asked in shock.

“Yup.”

“I was hoping for a brother but she can still be a good fighter,” Damien said as he stared at his younger sister.

“Alfred, would you like to be the first to hold her?” Bruce asked him.

“I’d be honored to,” Alfred smiled. You handed Martha to Alfred as he held her in his arms.

While everyone took turns holding Martha, you took a quick nap, still feeling exhausted from giving birth. When you woke up, you saw Bruce holding Martha in his arms. He was having skin to skin contact with her as she slept.

“Where is everyone?” You asked.

“Went to grab some food for now.”

“Oh okay.”

“I’m proud of you honey,” Bruce tells you.

“We finally have a baby in the family,” you say with a sigh.

“We finally have a baby. Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For giving me a second chance and for a family.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

[cherryrikis]

ONE LESS LONELY GIRL - 002 ! inconveniently convenient

PAIRING idols riki x fem reader

SYNOPSIS fans always point out the chemistry between you and riki, and it only continues to grow after you become mc’s together on music bank. but as your feelings rise, so does the tension. and people begin to notice, so you try not to let riki know how you feel. but unbeknownst to you, he feels entirely the same way.

authors note im trying to update as often as i can bc i start school in 2 days😭

previous <> masterlist <> next

with the manager’s permission, you and minji left the dorm to walk together to the local convenience store.

“look, they have an enhypen lucky draw event here.” she pointed out as you both walked past it by the entrance.

“can we get one on the way out?” your eyes lit up at the mention of it, while you followed minji down the produce aisle. “sure, why not.”

the two of you picked out a few snacks and some drinks for the dorm until you began making your way to the cash register to check out. “would you like to buy a bag today for 500 won?” the clerk asked with a cheerful tone. “yes please.”

“your total is 35,500 won. also- i don’t mean to intrude. but i am a big fan. you guys did so good performing at music bank today!” she encouraged.

“aw, thank you so much!” minji smiled with a wave, paying for the groceries before following you to the lucky draw machine.

you each pressed the button once, flipping the photocards over so you couldn’t see who you got. on the count of three, you both turned it over, revealing your pulls. you had gotten sunghoon, and minji had pulled riki.

“oh, it’s your boyfriend. here, keep it.” she teased with a smirk. but as soon as minji slightly looked at the person behind you, her face fell.

“wow. he’s pretty handsome.” a voice from behind you called out.

you were mortified. as soon as you turned around, you were met with none other than-

“-riki! poor yn. you’re scaring her!” jungwon frowned, lightly slapping riki’s arm with the back of his hand. “sorry about that.” he apologized on the younger boy’s behalf.

“no worries. i’m sorry. you really caught me off guard.” you smiled.

“suddenly i feel underdressed.” minji joked as she gestured to jungwon, who still hadn’t changed out the stage outfit he wore on music bank.

“oh, not at all. if anything, i’m overdressed.” he waved. “normally i’d change as soon as we get home, but practice ran late. and this one here was hogging the shower as soon as he was first inside the dorm.” jungwon nudged riki’s stomach.

while they became immersed in their own conversations, riki moved closer to you, wanting to engage with you as well.

“hey, good job today at mubank. nice to know you find me.. charming.” he winked.

“gosh. if i hear someone say music bank one more time, i might just die. it was awful.” you groaned.

“i thought it was pretty cute.” he shrugged.

“what are you guys doing here anyway?” you asked, changing the topic. “it’s pretty late.”

“oh. jungwon got the penalty to buy everyone food, since he was last to the dorms. but i came because he never knows where to find the japanese snacks. good thing i didn’t stay home though.” riki gestured to you who currently held his photocard in your card.

“sorry about today. i was really nervous..” you looked down, scratching the back of your neck.

he tilted his head in confusion, before using his hand to tilt your chin up. “yeah, no kidding. you were practically shaking the whole interview.” riki pouted.

you groaned as you suddenly felt shy yet again, beginning to bring your hand up to cover your face once more. only riki had held your wrist, bringing your arm down.

“stop avoiding me. it’s okay. we’re all like that at first.” he comforted.

and suddenly, you felt better.

“hey, we’re gonna go now.” jungwon informed. “let’s walk back together? i mean, we live in the same building anyway.”

surely, you were bound to be recognized. but you couldn’t bring yourself to care in the moment. you laughed freely as riki joked with you, walking shoulder to shoulder together as minji and jungwon were a bit more ahead.

“you know, i was pretty nervous too. at the interview. to think that i got to be next to you, let alone have the yoon yn stare at me whenever i spoke? dream come true.” he clutched his chest, faking a fainting motion.

“you’re just saying that to make me feel better.” you rolled your eyes playfully.

“no, really. i’m dead serious. why do you think i kept making eye contact with you?”

and suddenly the world stopped spinning once more. you smiled as you felt riki’s arm wrap around your upper half, securing you as you walked towards the entrance of the building together.

you screamed into the pillow yet again, but this time, not out of embarrassment or fear.

“what’s going on?” hanni asked, coming out the bathroom with a sheet mask on.

she took a seat next to you and hyein on her bed, while minji, danielle, and haerin stayed on danielle’s bed.

“when we went to the store, we ran into jungwon and riki. they were talking to each other the entire time. jungwon and i saw them literally making heart eyes.” minji’s lips curled into a smirk, as she took a spoonful from her pudding cup.

“no kidding.. check this out!” hyein called out, gesturing for everyone to gather around her as she held out her phone.

TAGLIST (italics = couldnt be tagged) @hannicorpse @luvvhaerin @itzningning @en-verse @ren2jay @choppedballoondetective @heartheejake @imanalien143 @istglevi-gotmesimping @yndairy @eleanorheartschishiya @lonelylandofan @gweoriz @jaemified @onlyhyunjin @softpia @frecklesbrownies @riksaes @wensurr @rikifordmiami @brideslit @ant-onie @yumilovesloona @aeminju @hoonics @catecita @clampclover @rei4sunoo @addictedtohobi @rikidaze @baekxo07 @xotyla @melancholy-z @rikisgeef @jung1w0n @tocupid @onlyseung @i03jae

[mikkomacko]

i’m loving the him and i series so much!! and i keep thinking about her first finding out about the devils and what the reaction would be (obviously happy in the end ik) would love maybe a blurb of that or just your thoughts on it :)

“When are you going to tell me what you actually do?”

He’s caught off guard by the question, you can tell by the way he looks up from the sink, his eyes like a deer in headlights when they meet yours through the bathroom mirror.

“What do you mean?” He mumbles around his toothbrush, foam dripping down his fingers.

You shrug, leaning against the doorway. “I know you own The Rock, but there’s no way a bar owner lives like this.” You motion to the elegant bathroom, the mirror with different lighting settings, the claw foot bathtub, the double shower. No one in Jersey just lives like this.

He spits into the sink, wiping at his mouth with the back of his hand. “It’s uh, it’s a popular bar.”

The excuse is lame. You know it, he knows it. Maybe you should be concerned, cautious about him. But you spent a couple months with him now and he’s given you no reason to ever be worried or anxious. Not when you’re with him and not toward him.

“Just…” you hesitate, watching him rinse off his toothbrush and place it in the holder. He won’t meet your eyes, instead busying himself with cleaning up the marble counter. “You don’t do anything illegal right? Like you’re not a drug dealer?”

That makes him stop, immediately turning to look at you with those doe eyes of his. Your heart jumps into your throat, mouth going dry.

“You sell drugs?!”

“No, no, no!” Nico rushes out, waving his hands. “I don’t sell drugs. I don’t take drugs. Do you take drugs?”

Scoffing, you shake your head. “No I don’t do drugs! Do you think I’d be put-off by a potential drug dealer if I did drugs?”

Nico shrugs, raking his hands through his hair. You watch the movement of his arm, the way his chest shifts against the tight wife-beater he’s wearing. A hint of the chain he always has on pokes through, the outline reminding you of the ones you see on all his friends.

“My friends said you’re in a gang,” you tell him.

“What do you think?”

You stand up straight, tilting your head to the side as you examine him. “They’re wrong,” you say matter-of-fact. “A gang leader doesn’t just own a business. They like push drugs on Coney Island and hang out with teenagers.

“You guys are like…like a family.”

Nico bites at his lip, smiling a bit at that. “Do you trust me?”

“Yeah.”

He nods towards his bedroom, and you move to sit on the edge of his bed. Nico follows, sighing heavily as he sinks to kneel in front of you.

“We are a family,” he tells you, taking your hands in his. “Me and Timo and the boys. We’re a family, just in a different way.”

Confused, you shake your head. “I don’t get it.”

Nervous, he licks his lips and lets out a breathy laugh. “We’re a family like in a God Father way, a”

“A mafia?!” You cut-off. “Like Italian mafia?”

“No, no, it’s like the mob. Different than the mafia and not Italian at all. Most of us are Swiss, Jesper you know is Swedish. And locals. American, Canadian, yeah.”

You’re quiet for a moment, head spinning with thoughts. It makes sense, the bar and the money and his apartment. The coded talk between him and his friends, the way they call him boss-

“Wait, you’re the boss?” You ask, “You’re in charge of them all.”

Sheepishly he nods, like he’s worried you’re gonna tell him they impolite or act up. But he’s proud, you can tell by the glimmer in his dark eyes. It’s like that cocky twinkle he usually has but softer, more personal.

“Should I be scared of you?” You whisper, afraid he’ll say yes, that he’ll give you a reason to run.

“Never,” Nico assures instantly. “You never have to be scared of me or the boys. You’re, you mean too much to me. If anything, Jersey should be scared of you.”

“What, why?”

He clears his throat, looking down at your hands as he squeezes them. “Because if anyone so much as said your name in the wrong way, they’ll be dealing with us.”

It sends shivers down your spine, warms your chest. He sounds so certain, so confident in the abilities of himself and the boys. Flattered, you lightly giggle and pry a hand out of his to stroke through his hair.

You find the gold chain on his neck, rest your palm over his chest. “Devils?” You ask, “is that why you all wear the horns?”

Proud and impressed, he nods. “Smart girl,” he murmurs sweetly. “Technically the Devils, but the others call us the Devs.”

“There’s more of you?”

He nods, placing his hand over yours. “Yeah a few. Biggest concerns are our closest guys in New York.”

You’re confused again, not really understanding how this works with different gangs - mob’s around. It makes your head hurt, a sharp pain right behind your left eye.

“I - I think I need to think about this Nico,” you murmur “not tonight. It’s too much tonight. I just needed to know that you’re not a drug dealer.”

He kisses your knuckles, rising to his feet as he nods. “Yeah yeah, whatever you want to know I’ll tell you.”

“Ok.”

“You still staying the night or should I drive you home?”

Scoffing, you shove at him and then flop back into the plush mattress. “Obviously I’m staying. Nothing beats this bed.”

Standing over you, he chuckles. You press your foot into his hip and he wraps those thick fingers around your ankle.

“You’re welcome to leave though.” You tease.

Releasing you, he jumps onto the bed next to you. Snuggling into his pillow, he smiles contently. “I don’t think so little miss, this bed is all mine.”

You crawl up to the pillows, laying on your side to face him. “Well that half is,” You quip back, smiling innocently “boss.”

[raya-hunter01]

Not My Sister's Keeper Pt. 9

Roman X OC(Kara)

Jey Uso X OC (Tia)

Rating: 18+

Warning: Smut; sex, fluff, couple arguing, Jealousy, infidelity, pregnancy

Roamn’s wife recently left medical school and returned home to save her marriage. Upon her return, she finds out things are not what they seem. Her sister is pregnant by her best friend Jey Uso, who is also Roman’s cousin, and her husband is acting suspicious.

What happens when a conversation overhead on a baby monitor blows her world apart?

Boston Municipal Courthouse

Janice’s POV

“Mama, I’m ok,” Roman said as I sat there in disbelief as they took Tia out of the courtroom. “Son something ain’t right…..Why did they sentence her today? Why she got a short sentence, weren’t we all watching the same video because she needs to be up under the jail.”

“The Judge said it was because of the plea deal, her clean record and just wanting this over for everyone,” he said looking at Kara who seemed to be struggling with the verdict and I don’t blame her.

“Son something in the milk ain’t clean…..Regardless of the verdict he should have rescheduled a date for sentencing. That would have given him time to give a more suitable sentence for crime because that wasn’t it,” I said as Roman hugged me.

“Ma, can we just leave, I’m ready to get outta Boston,” he said as I sighed giving him a hug seeing Jey heading over.

“Aye, you ok auntie?” he asked as Roman moved and I gave him a hug. “Yes, baby I am, just can’t believe what happened in here today.”

“Neither can but we’re all bout to go leave and get some rest. We’re flying out tomorrow but planning to hit up the 16 East Bar and Grill in Pensacola on Sunday before we head back out on the road,” Jey said smiling at me.

“You’re inviting us?” Roman asked in shock as Jey sighed. “I’m still mad as hell at you, but I can’t help but be thankful you were there with Kara. You risked your life to save her and Trin…That what family do.”

“I love them both…I always will, it ain’t nothing to thank me for.”

“Well, the option is open, we’ll probably get there about 7. Trin reserved the patio, so we ain’t gotta worry about people,” Jey said as I smiled.

Hey, I will take those baby steps in the healing process. I know we will come back together in some shape or form.

“Well, we will meet ya’ll there Sunday,” Roman said as I tried to contain my excitement, praying this was a positive step in the right direction for us.

----

Kara’s House

Kara’s POV

I’m glad we did come back to the house alone and just chilled out. I don’t know how I would have reacted hanging out with my mom, I needed time to decompress. 

“Girl, I love this back yard,” Trin gushed as I smiled wrapping myself up in my blanket.

“Thanks, when I saw the firepit I fell in love,” I said as she nodded roasting her marshmallows.

“I may have to talk Jimmy into getting us one. You know marshmallows are my weakness.” “That’s why I keep them stocked up ma’am,” I said as she smiled brightly at me.

“I know you had a lot of work to make up, did you finish?” Trin asked as I smiled. “I’m finally caught up, it wasn’t easy, but I have two A’s and two high B’s” I said truly proud of how I overcame and turned everything around.

“Yes! You know when you graduate I’mma act a fool…You know this right?” she said making me laugh as I looked at Jey flipping the meat on the grill as Jimmy was telling him some animated story. I loved their relationship so much.

“Have you told Jey?” Trin asked as I smiled at her. “Told him what?”

“Uh, that you love him, duh,” she said as I blushed. “I’ll have you know I told him the night I woke up from surgery.”

“That’s great…So are ya’ll together or what is we doing?”

“I’m scared Trin,” I said honestly as she nodded in understanding. “Do you want to be with Jey?” she asked as I nodded. “Yea, I really do.”

“Then be with him Kara, what’s the problem?.…That man loves and adores you,” she said gently pushing my shoulder.

 “I can see the blogs now having a fucking field day. Imagine their us at family gatherings. Chile, did you hear Kara is here with Joshua like she wasn’t married to Roman.”  I mocked as Trin shrugged her shoulders.

“Girl, fuck them bloggers and keyboard trolls, they don't know you and it ain't they fuckin' business. Plus, you knew Jey before Roman anyway."

"Ok, but like I said, what about the family gatherings. You know they always have parties and cookouts," I said as Trin smiled.

"Fuck their opinions too, but I don’t think it will be a problem, everyone loves you, especially mom and pops. They hate what Roman did and I think you’re overthinking it.”

“So much is going on, I just don’t want to hurt him Trin,” I whispered as she reached over and put her hand on my knee.

“It’s your time to be happy Kara and damn what people think. Life is too short, and you got a second chance at life.”

“I know I got a second chance, but I’m scared of screwing this up,” I said finally voicing my fears.

“Live your life Kara, tomorrow ain’t promised to none of us. You don’t owe anybody anything, ain’t no debts around here,” Trin said as I gave her a hug.

“I know and I love you, girly.  Ugh, I’m so tired of crying,” I sniffed failing to stop my tears.

“I love you too, sis, it’s time for the happy tears now because you deserve it.”

“You really think so?” I asked barely above a whisper as she rubbed my back. “I know so, everything you’ve ever wanted for yourself in this life about to happen and I can’t wait to see witness it.”

“Ya’ll aright over there?” Jimmy asked as Jey turned to look back at us.

“Yea, just two sisters having our daily talk,” I said as Trin laughed.

“Ya’ll know how we get, let us have our moment,” she said as Jimmy shook his head. “Man, what we gon’ do with them two?” Jimmy asked as Jey chuckled handing him a pan so he could take some of the steaks off the grill.

“Love ‘em and let them do their thang,” he chuckled. “Yea, what he said!” Trin yelled as I laughed.

Trin was right it’s my time to put myself first and live my life. Anything or anybody that disrupts my peace from this point forward gotta go, because it’s a new beginning for me, for us all.

-----

Pensacola, FL

A Few Days Later

Janice’s POV

We been home a couple days, and it was my day to pick up Logan. I can’t place it, but I knew something wasn’t right. “Lord, uncover whatever it is because we’ve all been through enough,” I said aloud feeling nauseous pulling into Rebecca and Bill’s driveway.

Knocking on the door and getting no answer, I called and once again no answer. I saw Rebecca’s car and had talked to her ten minutes ago. I was getting irritated now.

“How the hell you gon’ tell me to come over to get Logan and not pick up the phone or answer the door.” I mutter looking under the rug for their spare key.

Opening the door, I looked around and there was no sign of Rebecca in the foyer or living room. I could hear Logan babbling on the baby monitor in the living room, so I knew she was ok.

 “Rebecca!” I called out, no answer. “This how these damn horror movie start, I hope this fool is ok,” I mutter heading towards the kitchen.

“I can’t thank you enough Terry,” I heard Rebecca say as I stopped in my tracks.

Who the hell is Terry?

“Rebecca, this is the last time I’m taking your call. I did this favor for you and Tia, but I don’t want to be tied to the drama. I got too much to lose,” I heard the familiar voice say as she laid the phone on the table.

“Thank you for helping her, she really is anxious to make it right with her sister when she gets out,” Rebecca said grabbing Logan’s formula putting it in her baby bag.

The damn judge….She was the reason for that shit show the other day.

“That’s good and all but I put in a no contact order in the paperwork for a reason. I truly feel she meant what she did and her actions alone warranted life in prison, but I helped you for old time sakes,” he said sounding seemingly disappointed with himself.

“I---We appreciate this so much, she’s going to stay out of trouble when she gets out and we won’t bother you again.”

I was physically ill, this was sick.

“I don’t know what hold your daughter has over you…But if this goes bad, it’s on your head. It would be in her best interest to just leave Kara be,” he said as she shook her head.

“I will handle Kara; she will come around and see Tia was just going through a lot and didn’t mean to hurt her. I just know by the time it’s time for Tia to get out, they will have reconnected, and Kara will be calling you to cancel that no contact order.”

This woman has lost it, like needs to sit on someone’s couch…ASAP. Hearing enough, I quietly retraced my steps finally finding my way back in the entrance of the house pretending I had just arrived.

“Rebecca, I’m here to get Logan!” I said a little louder as I heard her scrambling round the kitchen.

“She’s upstairs, I’ll get her,” she yelled as I shook my head.

I can’t believe she sold out her own daughter to protect the other one that tried to kill her. She and Tia are really one in the same she just masks her dirt.

It seemed like it took forever, but finally she brought Logan downstairs.

“Oh, baby girl I missed you,” I whispered as she placed a dozing Logan in my arms. “I put her formula in the bag, and she’s already had a bottle. She should be asleep before you get back home,” Rebecca said as I smiled at my little light.

That’s what she was to us, no matter how she was conceived, our little light.

“You can pick her up at Roman’s on Thursday. I’ll leave you to your nana break and see you tomorrow at dinner,” I said grabbing Logan’s diaper bag quickly wanting to get the hell outta dodge.

“Ok, we’ll see you then and enjoy her,” she said giving Logan a kiss on the forehead.

“Oh, we will,” I said making my way out of the house, thankful she didn’t follow me out. After strapping logan in her car seat I rushed to get back in the car to call Trin but got no answer, then I remembered she had a signing to do today.

“Hey sweetie, I forgot you had a signing, and I know ya’ll gotta help out Josh tonight. I’ll just see you tomorrow at dinner. You and Jonathon be safe, love ya’ll.”

I guess I’m on my own with this one, but I know one thing, Kara will know about the shady shit her mama did and I’mma make Rebecca tells her if it’s the last thing I do.

-----

Pensacola, FL

Jey’s House

Kayla’s POV

Getting out of the shower I felt refreshed as I dried off. Looking at myself in the mirror I felt different.. Today was amazing, we had our balcony picnic date. It was simple, beautiful, and was everything.  Pizza, wine, and some of my favorite snacks had been on the menu.

The ocean serving as our backdrop and music as the waves crashed upon the shore due to a storm heading our way. We even went on a walk on the beach and watched the sunset before we got rained out. Hence the shower I just took.

I still hadn’t told Jey how I felt but today just solidified it even more. I was deeply in love with this man.

“You ok in there Kara?” Jey asked knocking on the door as I smiled.

“Yea, I’m good I’ll be out in a second,” I said dressing my wound. Thank God it’s finally healing and not hurting as much.  Slipping on one of Jey’s shirts, I cut off the lights as I headed back into the bedroom, frowning when I didn’t see him.

“Jey-”

“I’m out here on the balcony, wait I’mma come get you,” he said as I smiled at the thought of going back out there.

“What have you done now?” I asked as he smiled clad only in a pair of shorts. “This is part two of your balcony picnic date, Ma,” he whispered offering me his hand as I anxiously took it.

“Aww it’s so pretty….Wait where did all this come from?” I gasped as he led me back out on the balcony. “Told you I wasn’t done yet, do you like it?”

“I love it but how did you do it? We been out here all day and I know I ain’t seen no bed out here earlier.” I said as he laughed.

“A couple of lil birdies did it when we went for a walk on the beach. This is your new study area for when you come to visit.” he said as I blushed looking at the bed on the balcony surrounded by pillows and the beautiful string lights above it.

“I can’t believe you did all this,” I said as he smiled, laying down beckoning me to him with his finger.

“Come on down here, Ma, I owe you a movie.” Not needing to be told twice, I climbed in bed and got comfortable in his arms.

“You know, I’ve always loved staying here.  I could fall asleep out here just listening to the ocean, and now you done put a bed out here. You know it’s a wrap right, I may never leave,” I sighed, welcoming his lips as he placed a gentle kiss on the hollow of my neck. as I wrapped my arms around his shoulders pulling him closer.

“Maybe that was my plan, kidnap you, and never let you leave,” he said as I relaxed wanting to feel more of him as his hands caressed my bare thighs.

“You can’t kidnap the willing,” I moaned, his fingers feeling so good but I winced slightly as Jey looked at me with worry.

“Are you ok?” He asked as I nodded not wanting him to stop. “Kara, let me can get up, I’on  wanna hurt you,” he said trying to sit up as I grabbed his Cuban link holding him in place.

“I’m fine, don’t you dare move,” I said as he smiled, rolling over on his back wrapping me up in his arms.

“Ok, this is a good compromise too,” I moaned getting comfortable as the pain in my chest subsided. “I know it is, stubborn ass,” Jey chuckled, reaching up to turn off the lights and starting the movie projector.

“What are we watching?” I asked, as he gently pulled one of my legs across his lap before covering us up with a blanket.

“You’ll see,” he whispered stealing a kiss as I squealed hearing the opening credits to Dirty Dancing as he laughed.

“The stuff I do for you, woman.”

“I love this movie!”

“I know, I remembered how excited you was at the hospital that night it came on. Then you got mad and almost made me switch the channel.”

“Hey, I was ready for the love scene, and they cut it… Just plain blasphemous, but I took one for the team because one simply doesn’t change the channel when Patrick Swayze is blessing your TV screen.” I said as he raised his eyebrow at me.

“I’ll try to keep that in mind,” he joked as we settled in to watch the movie under the stars.

See Jey knew my love languages and I loved that. He knew what mattered, it wasn’t diamonds and pearls, or even money. It was spending quality time, it was physical touch, and creating memories with the ones you love. Jey’s love languages were a mixture of my mine. He loved to please and do for those he loved.

 He made sure every day to tell and show you how much you mean to him, and he only wanted the same in return and rightfully so.

“I’m glad you had fun and loved everything,” he said pulling me closer.

“I really did, and I hope you know I don’t just be hugged up with just anybody now,” I said as he looked down at me with a smile, catching on to what I was saying.

“Well, I don’t just do balcony picnics dates for just anybody either.” His lips close to mine as my heart pounded loudly against my chest.

“I have to warn you, I only do things like this with my man,” I whispered, as our lips finally meeting in a short, deep passionate kiss.

“And I only do things like this with my lady.” he moaned as our lips found each other once again as our kisses becoming more passionate by the second.

“For us,” Jey moaned against my lips as I whimpered against him.

“For us.”

“You sure?” He rasped pulling back slightly, watching me closely through low hooded eyes.

“I’m sure…I’ve never been sure of anything in my life,” I said as Jey caressed my face.

 “Forever my lady,” he whispered as his lips descended upon mine as I felt like I was flying. We were finally here at last and it felt so good. Breaking our kiss to catch our breaths.

“Ma, we can wait…I-I don’t want to hurt you,” Jey moaned, his beautiful brown eyes growing darker as I moved his hand slowly down to the hem of my shirt.

“You won’t, I trust you,” I gasped as his resolve crumbling taking me in a searing kiss, only releasing me from his grasp to remove my shirt.

“Your so beautiful, he whispered in awe as I blushed under his powerful serenading gaze.

Like a moth to a flame, I craved his touch and trembled with anticipation as he towered over me. The pain in my chest a distant memory, laying on my back as Jey took his time exploring my body.

His powerful hands grasping mine, bringing them to his chest as I felt his heart racing.

“I want you to feel what you do to me,” he said licking his lips as I groaned, biting my lower lip as he thrusted my hips against his dick that was straining against his shorts begging for release.

His hands controlling every sensual buck of my hips against his dick as it continued to grow longer and harder.

“Mmm, I feel it,” I gasped, his lips capturing mine in an earth-shattering kiss as my hands anxiously helped him remove his shorts.

“Not yet aulelei,” he moaned grabbing my hands gently pining them to the bed. His kisses moved to my neck, my heart racing as he caressed my breasts, being careful of my bandage.

“Are you sure?” he asked again.

“Yes, please,” I pleaded entangling my fingers in his hair as he gently suckled at my breasts taking his time with each one giving them equal attention holding my gaze as I fought back a moan.

“Mm, you sensitive huh,” he whispered with a smirk as I blushed. His lips lovingly kissing and nibbling down my body, teasingly as I fought to get ahold of myself but I was gone…

“Jey, don’t stop,” I gasped, my body trembling in anticipation of what was next to come.

 His eyes darkening as kissed the top of my mound gazing up at me with low eyes licking his lips as he descended lower. “I don’t plan too,” he whispered as I purred in appreciation.

Jey’s POV

Damn, I’m drunk…Drunk in love her intoxicating sent as I kissed the plush beautiful lips between her thighs, as Kara’s legs began to quiver.

“P- Please, Jey,” Kara as I groaned as I felt my dick get even harder.

"Fuck, all this for me aulelei? Tell me?” I moaned as her eyes met mine.

“Yes! Mmm, you know it is,” Kara gasped as I flattened my tongue and gently licked her slit, unable to stop the moan that rasped from my lips as the first drop of her sweet nectar coated my tongue.

“Mmm, I knew you’d taste like honey…. You done fucked around and created a monster, Ma,” I moaned, snatching her hips to my mouth as I swirled my tongue against her clit, commencing to drown in her.

“Jey, shit!” Kara gasped down at me in shock as I smirked.  The beautiful catch in her throat as I pleased her had me on demon time. I needed more…Much more and only she could give me what I wanted.

 “I- Mmm-” Kara moaned, trying to push my head away as I Ignored her plea intertwining our hands together, moving my tongue faster against her wet hot center.

“Stop runnin’, cause’ you deserve dis nut…..You understand me?”

Kara nodded, unable to speak. “Tell me you understand aulelei ?”

“I-I understand,” Kara whimpered as I moaned “Ain’t no stoppin’ Kara….Ain’t no stoppin’ till you nut in my mouth like a good girl,” I breathed against her pussy before going back to the task at hand.

“Fuck!..Oouu Josh, shit!” She moaned, her trembling legs over my shoulder as she sat up slightly panting in disbelief.

“Yea, you wit a real one now, moan my name baby. Damn, you makin’ my dick even harder just thinkin’ bout you nuttin’ in my mouth,” I confessed, knowing my words were encouraging her to get what she wanted…What we both needed.

“Mmm, I need it so bad,” Kara moaned moving her hips against my tongue. “Mmhm, so do I baby…. Dat’s it, you doin’ so good”

“Joshjoshjosh Mmhm!”

“Mmhm, get what’s yours. Fuck, you look so sexy chasin’ yo’ nut,” I moaned as she bit her lower lip, gripping the back of my head riding my face.

 “Babe! Kara exclaimed as she exploded in my mouth. Her beautiful face and the swivel of her hips as she rode out her orgasm were a thing of beauty.

I couldn’t get enough of her as I greedily drank her essence with a hearty moan as she writhed on the bed trying to catch her breath.  

Yea, I did dat…Fuck, I wanna keep her this way forever.

Crawling up her body, her flush face welcomed me as she grasped my Cuban link kissing me with urgency as I groaned nipping at her bottom lip.

“Mmm, you taste yourself?….You taste good, don’t you?” I groaned as Kara whimpered against my lips. Her trembling hand, reaching down between us grabbing my dick placing the tip at her entrance as I moaned trying to control myself.

“Mmm, tell me what you need,” I moaned, Kara pulling me closing whispering three words that made ignited an even deeper fire within me. “You inside me,” she gasped breathlessly as I  gave in, her tight warmth surrounding me, welcoming me home.

“Shit, Kara,” I groaned trying to take my time knowing she was still hurt, but she was making it hard. I wanted to sink inside her and get lost.  

“It’s ok,” she moaned, pulling me closer. A collective gasp of undeniable pleasure from us both filled the air as I filled her to the hilt.  

Kara’s POV

The sweat gathered at his brow as he’s trying to maintain his composure slowly beginning to thrust inside me as I craved more. “Mmm, faster.”

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Jey moaned as I nodded not particularly caring, he felt so good, and I wanted him closer but I knew him.

“Your not,” I gasped as he gripped my hips gently once again surging forward as we both groaned at the sensation.

“I’mma take my time….Make love to you,” Jey whispered burying his head in the hollow of my neck, tilting his weight on his elbows, thrusting at a new angle that rendered me whimpering mess as he showered my neck with kisses.

“Damn, found my first spot,” he groaned as I began meeting his thrusts, feeling the pressure building with each caress, every lick and thrust we got lost in each other.

Something was different, this wasn’t sex like it was all those months ago on Roman’s bus.  This was different, we were making love and it felt so good.

With each swivel of his hips, he went deeper and deeper, our lips meeting in a familiar dance as our tongues sensually stroked each other.

The smell of rain and the sounds of the waves crashing against the shore made the moment even more special.

Each second, body to body, skin to skin we climbed higher and higher together as Jey carefully rolled onto his back, shifting me onto my side, trying to take some pressure off of my chest but never stopping his gently thrusts.

A strangled moan escaped my lips at the new position as Jey wrapped one arm around my chest, the other placing one of my leg over his as I trembled in his arms.

“It’s just us…. Stop being shy, ma,” he rasped against my ear thrusting at a steadier pace.

“Mmm, you feel so good. I need it so bad, Josh!” I cried as he growled nipping at my neck as tears sprang to my eyes from the immense pleasure.

“I know baby, me too, I need you to cum for me…You gon’ give me what I want, ain’t you?”

“Yes! I’m close, don’t stop,” my desperate cries silenced as he grasped my throat bringing my mouth to his in a scorching kiss, as I writhed in need against him.  His other hand to toying with my clit.

“You gon’ cum for me, like a good girl?” Jey asked already knowing the answer, his thrusts and breathing more uneven as I pulsed around him.

“Mmm,Yes.”

“Louder, Ma.”

“Yes! I’mma cum like a good girl, I promise,” I cried unashamed. He was dickin’ my ass down and it felt so damn good.

“Yea…Let it go, Ma. Damn, you so feel good,” he murmured against my lips.

“Josh! Fuck!” I cried coming undone in his arms. “Mmm, fuck yea look at you cummin’ just for me,” Jey praised pulling out, rubbing his dick against my clit.  “Mmm, put it back in,” I begged truly drunk on him at this point, and I wanted all he had to give.

Jey’s POV

“Uh huh, I know baby, dat pussy quivering. You need some more of dis dick don’t you?” I groaned turned on as fuck as Kara reached down, moving my hand, grasping my dick rubbing against her clit before sliding the tip back inside her.

“Take what you want, I’m yours.”

 “I want more,” Kara purred guiding my dick back inside her as we both gasped as we became one again….

“Fuck, yea…Put dat dick back in for daddy and get you another nut I moaned as we moved against each other in sync.

 “I- I want you to cum now.” Kara whimpered against me as I felt a her tight pussy swallowing my dick like a champ. Fuck, I wasn’t gon’ last too much longer.

 “Hold on, we both gon’ get this next nut together,” I groaned on a mission thrusting harder. “Josh- Wh-”

“Just breathe, ma…Let it take over, I promise its gon’ feel so good,” I whispered nibbling on her ear as I felt her relax. “Baby….Baby…Mm, Josh,” Kara gasped.

“Yea..I’m right here Kara, I got you.”

“What are you doing to me?” Kara groaned trying to hide her face but I refused to let her. Grabbing her chin, making her look at me.

“I’ll tell you what I’m doin’…..I’m makin’ love to the woman I love,” I declared, continuing to get lost inside her.

“I love you,” Kara moaned as our lips met in a sloppy kiss as she took my hand and placed it on her clit, and guiding my hand in a figure eight motion as she began steadily throwing her ass back on my dick to match my deep hard thrust.

“Shit! I love you more. …Now be my good girl, and cum for me…Fuck you doin’ so good, ma,” I moaned.

“Jey! Mmm, fuck!” Kara screamed as I felt her pulsing around my dick.

“Uh huh, I know it baby, I feel it.”

“Cum with me.”

 “Can I cum inside you?” I groaned thrusting harder praying she would say yes. “Yes, I want you too Josh,” she whimpered as her head fell back against my shoulder in shock as she fell over the cliff of extasy, taking me with her as I groaned in triumph holding her trembling body against mine as I came and stilled inside her.

The sounds of the rain hitting the roof, along with our heavy breathing filled the night air. Neither one of us said anything for a few minutes, too stunned to speak.

 “Damn, that was insane,” I whispered, finally somewhat regaining my composure as Kara rolled onto her back still trying to catch her breath.

“Best balcony picnic date ever,” Kara said with a relaxed smile as I gently kissed her lips.

“No regrets,” I whispered as Kara caressed my beard. “No regrets.”

------

Roman's House

Janice's POV

"Mama, I can't believe he posted this," Roman said as I leaned over his shoulder to look at his phone.

"Aww that was nice Joshua did that for Kara," I said as Roman rolled his eyes.

Mama-"

"What it's very sweet."

"What about the blanket hanging off the bed mama? He's being messy, in so many words sayin' he slept with Kara," Roman said as I frowned at him.

"Roman they could have been cuddling watching movies for all we know, but in the end, it isn't your business what Kara does."

"I know, but can people give me time to deal with what I lost? I lost my wife and now she's with my cousin." Roman said slightly raising his voice.

"Roman, Kara isn't going to put her life on hold to make you feel better. I had something to tell you, but I see you aren't in the right frame of mind to hear it right now." I said choosing to not pass on the new information I found out at Rebecca's today. He'll find out tomorrow like everyone else.

"No I'm not in a good head space, but I will be when I get some air," Roman said as I got up and stood by the kitchen door.

"No you ain't because you're going to end up at Josh's and I'm not letting you do that to Kara or yourself," I said putting my foot down.

"I just need some air, mama, please move," Roman pleaded as I refused to move.

"The last time you went out to get some air you ended up in Boston and could have got yourself killed, so no I ain't moving."I cried. Roman was at his breaking point, but he needed to get all this shit out. He was holding too much in.

"What do you want from me?!" Roman yelled as I pulled him into my arms giving him a much needed hug as his arms tightened around me.

"I want you to let it go, baby...Let that guilt go and free yourself, it's almost been a year." I said trying to get through to him.

"I lost her and I can't fix it," Roman said his voice breaking as rubbed his back. "Some things aren't meant to be fixed Roman...We just own up to our mistakes and take it one day at a time," I said as he pulled away wiping his tears.

"I know I gotta let her go, mama. My mind tells me that every day but my heart ain't caught up yet," Roman said sitting back down and looking at his phone.

"It will...Just give yourself time," I said as we heard Logan cry over the baby monitor.

"I got her, you went the last time," Roman said going to check on Logan leaving his phone on the table.

Picking it up I looked at Josh's post and smiled.

"Gon' head Joshua," I muttered truly happy that Kara was moving on and being loved how she deserved to be.

The thought of tomorrow suddenly crept back into my mind. I hated to disrupt the dinner tomorrow but I couldn't let this betrayal stay hidden.

Kara needed to know there was more than one enemy she needed protection from. I just never in my wildest dreams thought it would be her own mother.

Tomorrow Rebecca is coming clean or i'mma do it myself.

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justarheaslut

[mymoodwriting]

Because You're Mine

Female!Reader x Werewolf!SKZ

Genre: A/B/O

Warning: Anxiety, Betrayal, Drugs, Sedatives, Manipulation, Restraints, Pheromones, Alpha Omega dynamics, Electrocution

Words: 4.4K

Chapter Six

(Prev//Next) (@starillusion13 @salfetkablog @youngunknownwitch @loveforred @hydroyaksha @meowmeeps @azazel-nyx @luvyev @stellasays45)

Prompt: With omegas completely removed from society, they needed their own communities and institutions to grow. All your life you had lived and gone to school alongside your fellow omegas, and orphaned alphas. You had managed to keep yourself together, but now at the university level, keeping your secret had grown impossible. You had to face your fears and make friends with an alpha eventually, and now was the time.

“I cannot believe you!”

Somehow you managed the strength to express your anger, but you could only hold yourself together for a moment. Once you made your point you ran off back to your room. You tried to shut the door behind you, but Felix and Jisung had been quick to follow you, clearly worried but also upset over what had happened. You let them in and then locked the door. You were still freaking out and needed some space to breathe. So you went into the bathroom and turned on the shower head, sitting under it.

“Y/n, everything’s going to be okay.” Felix assured. “We’re okay.”

Both boys were at your side, Felix taking your hand to hold. The tears on your face were mixing with the water, and you were doing your best not to hyperventilate. If your heart beat got out of control the alphas would surely come knocking, and knowing them, they’d knock the door down if necessary.

“What if they’re onto us? What if they know-”

“They don’t know anything.” Jisung stated. “You know other alphas were always meant to come to the dorm to help you get used to multiple scents. It’s just bad timing.”

“Or on purpose. I feel like something bad is gonna happen…”

“Nothing bad is gonna happen. Look, we just need to change the plan a bit but this doesn’t ruin anything for us.”

“I… I don’t know how much longer I can do this… they know something is off but won’t push it but… I… I’m scared…”

“It’s gonna be okay, you know you have us.” Felix reminded. “Besides, this actually works in our favor.”

“It does?”

“Yeah. With the new alphas here, we can suggest a movie night as a bonding experience, and how could any of them refuse? We’ll have them all in one place and knock them out together. This actually solves a problem for us, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah… I guess it does…”

“See, everything’s fine. We just need more gummies.”

“Right…”

Felix’s words really helped to calm you down, taking away the feeling of hopelessness. This was just a minor setback, and nothing more. Although when you heard knocking at your door you got tense.

“Y/n, please open the door.” Chan said from the otherside. “We need to talk.”

You shook your head. “I don’t want to…”

Jisung got up and went to relay the message, but Chan was insistent on talking. There was probably no getting out of it, and at least it would be three to one, so you got out of the tub, Felix wrapping you in a towel and helping you dry off. Jisung opened the door and let Chan in.

“I- why are you wet?”

“I’m fine… what… what is it… you…”

“Look, I’m sorry. I know you’re upset about the other alphas coming in but you’ve been making good progress, and we can’t lose that momentum. You’ve been distant lately and it’s really starting to worry us, all of us, especially me.” Chan sighed. “I need to know what’s going on.”

“…”

“Y/n, please.”

“…”

“Fine. Felix, Jisung, what’s the problem.”

You looked up at Chan with wide eyes. Jisung and Felix glanced at each other nervously. The tension in the air quickly shifted and they weren’t sure what to do.

“Uh…”

“One of you better start talking.”

“She’s just overwhelmed and anxious.” Jisung blurted out. “She needs time to gather herself and relax. That’s all.”

“Is it?”

“Yes.” Felix added. “We all know her situation here. She’s been doing well but a slight step back isn’t a bad thing.”

“Alright, but I want you to properly introduce yourself to the others. Please.”

“… sure…”

“Be out in five. Thank you.”

Chan left and Jisung locked the door again. Your legs gave out and Felix caught you, helping you sit down on the bed. You took a few deep breaths, calming yourself down.

“That wasn’t so bad.” Felix said. “We’re good.”

“Yeah…”

“Let’s get you into dry clothes and then say hi to the others.” Jisung suggested. “We’ll be done real quick.”

“Yeah… yeah… I… can you two sleep with me tonight?”

“Of course.”

You quickly changed into dry clothes and the three of you went out to the living room to greet the new roommates. Of course Jisung and Felix were a bit familiar with them, so this was more about you.

“Uh… hi… my name’s y/n… it’s nice to meet you all… sorry… about earlier… I look forward to getting to know you all… in time…”

“Same here. I’m Changbin, by the way.”

“I know… your friends told me about you before…”

“That’s cool.”

“I… uh… I’ll excuse myself now.”

Thankfully you wouldn’t really be seeing the others for the rest of the evening as they’d be unpacking and settling in. You returned to your room, working on homework. Jisung and Felix eventually joined you, the three of you having a little study session. The two knocked out and you stayed up a while longer to finish some things, ultimately passing out at your desk. You randomly woke up in the middle of the night, groggy and disoriented. You hadn’t woken up the other two, and remained quiet so as not to disturb them. 

It was early in the morning, but not quite time to get up. Your stomach was growling, already wanting breakfast, but that wouldn’t be a good idea. Instead you thought maybe a little snack would quiet your hunger until later. You carefully snuck out of your room, making your way down the hall. As you reached the kitchen you suddenly froze, hearing voices. It didn’t take long to realize the alphas were all gathered for some snacking of their own. You would have quickly retreated, but you wound up overhearing their conversation, realizing they were talking about you.

“Was it really a good idea to bring us in already?” Jeongin questioned. “Y/n didn’t seem too happy about our presence.”

“I know, but this is a necessary precaution.” Chan stated. “She’s been worrying me like crazy as of late, and she’s developing her abilities. If things go south I need to make sure we can handle it and take care of her.”

For a moment you felt bad about being so difficult. The new alphas had nothing to do with your distrust, but then you remembered the recording you had. Maybe it was just those three, but you couldn’t take a chance. Your plan was still to leave, and that’s all you wanted to do right now. You quietly returned to your room, crawling into bed and trying to get some sleep before classes. 

♥♥♥♥♥

You only really managed to doze off, not actually sleeping for the night. At least now you could get up and leave. You were careful as you got your things, not wanting to wake up the others. You managed to sneak out of your room, quietly making your way down the hall and towards the door.

“Morning.”

You froze, slowly glancing over to see Seungmin in the kitchen, coffee mug in hand. He gave you a warm smile, and you shyly returned it.

“I didn’t know you were a morning person.”

“A bit.”

“You want breakfast? Classes don’t start for another hour anyway.”

“Uh… sure…”

You didn’t want to be mean since he hadn’t really done anything, besides, you were kind of hungry. Seungmin made you some eggs and toasted some bread for you, happy to see you eating. He kept himself a few feet away from you, being very respectful of your space.

“Shall I walk you to class? I still have time before my own.”

“That’s not necessary.”

“It’s no bother. I was about to head out myself.”

“Okay then…”

You couldn’t really deny his request, so the two of you headed to campus together. Seungmin maintained a polite distance, but even then he was comfortable to be around. He asked about you, and it wasn’t really that hard to be honest with him. He was a good listener, and seemed like a really nice person. When you reached your classroom he wished you well and was then on his way. Despite how rough things had been last night, he certainly helped put you at ease. After your class you weren’t really that surprised to find someone waiting for you.

“Let me carry your things.”

Changbin took your bag and books, happily walking off towards your next class. Of course the boys knew your schedule, and Hyunjin probably suggested stopping by. The new ones would want to get close to you, and this was one way to do it. You had no choice but to follow Changbin, trying not to make things awkward.

“How are your classes?” Changbin asked. “If you ever need help with anything just ask.”

“Thanks…”

“I hope we didn’t upset you too much yesterday. It was a bit sudden for us too, but I hope we’ll all get along.”

“Me too… you’re really big…”

“Right? I like to work out a lot. I can carry you if you want.”

“No, no, my legs work just fine.”

“My offer still stands if you ever need it.”

“Sure…”

Changbin was very friendly, you wouldn’t think that would be the case if you noticed him from afar. His smile was genuine, and he seemed like someone fun to be around. You were glad you weren’t as nervous around the new alphas as the others. A part of you wanted to believe they weren’t like the others, that they weren’t nefarious underneath all the smiles. Still, you couldn’t take any chances. When you returned to the dorm the smell of bread caught your attention, leading you into the kitchen. There you found Felix and Jeongin baking.

“Hey, you want some? They’re still hot, but should cool soon.”

“Did you guys make them?”

“Yup.” Jeongin said. “Felix is really good.”

You didn’t trust food from the alphas, but if Felix had been helping, and it was with Jeongin, you trusted it to be safe. You happily waited for the pastries to cool, and they were amazing. You had a few more as you studied in the living room, Jisung and Felix joining you, and the other alphas giving you space. It was nice not to hide. From there things kind of fell into a routine. Felix or Jeongin always packed you some snacks for the morning. Seungmin would walk you to class in the morning, and after a while Chan joined in as well. It was a bit nerve wracking, but you managed, and eventually it wasn’t so bad. Changbin and Hyunjin wound up escorting you to different classes throughout the day, sometimes together, sometimes apart. Minho and Jisung would come around too, keeping you company in the dorm and on campus, and always together. Being alone with an alpha would not be a good idea and they knew that.

Even though not much changed, you were certainly feeling more exhausted. It was barely a little over a week since the new alphas arrived, and if you weren’t in a good state of health you wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon. You were still taking your meds on a daily basis, and getting enough sleep, yet you felt kind of off. You figured it was the anxiety of what you had planned. Execution day was right around the corner afterall, you just had to keep yourself together until then. At least it was easy to distract yourself with school work. Since you always got up early to get to class, you were usually the first one there and spent some time alone.

You had your snacks for the whole day, usually having one in the morning, and then the rest throughout the day. You were feeling a bit hungry so you munched on more than one, putting it away once others began to show up. Perhaps you really weren’t sleeping enough, and were having a hard time staying awake in class. You were dozing off, trying to stay awake, but your exhaustion eventually won out. You wound up asleep in class, resting your head on your books. No one dared to wake you, after all omega classes weren’t that serious. So when the class ended you were left to sleep. Even the next class wouldn’t have bothered you, but there was someone waiting for you, and once the rest of the class was gone they entered.

“Awe, she looks so cute.”

Changbin came over to your side, softly petting your head. He tried to softly coax you to wake up, but you were unresponsive.

“Is she okay?”

Before Changbin tried to wake you again Hyunjin stopped him. Your heartbeat was steady, so nothing was wrong. He checked your things and grabbed your snack bag.

“She must have been hungry this morning.”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

“Nothing. Let’s get her back to the dorm. She must be very tired.”

Changbin picked you up in his arms, carrying you bridal style. Hyunjin grabbed your things and followed behind him. You were sleeping peacefully, no nightmares, which was always good. Although there was concern, and Changbin asked about it when they got to the dorm. The others were in class, so it was just them for now.

“Are you sure y/n’s gonna be okay? If she’s not getting enough sleep then-”

“She’s fine. It’s just she’s been having anxiety, and Chan wanted to help, but you know how she’s been lately. So he asked Jeongin to put a little something in her snacks. Although if she takes too much at once it would mix with her meds and act like a strong sedative. She’s gonna be out for a while, but she’ll be fine.”

“Ah, that makes sense. She was so anxious when we met, but she’s been more docile as of late.”

“Just doing our job. I’ll have to tell Chan and have him lower the dosage so this doesn’t happen again.”

♥♥♥♥♥

It was strange to regain consciousness while in motion. Things were still blurry, but the voices were familiar. You heard bits and pieces, but you were perking up when you heard your name mentioned. You felt something soft beneath you, somewhat able to make out your room. You groaned and rolled over in bed. Even though your mind was fuzzy you were starting to register the words that were spoken.

“Chan wanted to help… put a little something in her snacks… mix with her meds … she’ll be fine… she’s been more docile… just doing our job…”

The rush of adrenaline jolted you awake. You sat up in bed, startling the two others. Your breathing was uneven, and you were staring at them like a deer in headlights.

“Oh, you’re awake.” Hyunjin noted. “How are you feeling?”

“…what… what have you been giving me…?”

“What are you talking about? We-”

“Don’t lie to me! I… I…”

“Did you have a bad dream? Just relax, we’re here.”

“… you’re liars… you’re all liars!”

When the two took a step towards you it forced you to move back, ultimately falling off the bed. They quickly rushed over to your side, wanting to make sure you were okay, but the second you felt hands on you the panic spiked. You began screaming and kicking, trying to get them away from you.

“Get out! Don’t touch me!”

“Y/n, you need to calm down.” Hyunjin said. “We can help.”

“No! Get away from me!”

“It’s okay, it’s okay, we’re not gonna hurt you.”

“Liars!”

You were cornered and at a disadvantage, but that didn’t stop you from fighting back. Although two against one is hardly fair. Somehow you managed to slip out of their grasp, but only for a moment. Changbin quickly trapped you in a back hug, keeping your arms pinned down to your sides. You tried jumping and kicking your legs, but Hyunjin grabbed a blanket to wrap your legs up, not wanting you to hurt yourself. Now that you were restrained they could do what was necessary. You soon caught a whiff of a sweet scent, feeling a bit dizzy.

“That’s it, deep breaths for me.” Hyunjin encouraged. “Just relax, it’s gonna be okay.”

“… stop…”

Once you had lost your strength you were moved to the bed, Changbin at your side in case you tried something. You knew what was happening, the alphas using their pheromones to calm you. It was unfair, but you were helpless to resist. Your head was foggy, and even though you didn’t like this scenario, you were too out of it to do anything, not even feel fear. A few tears slid down your cheek. Even if this was different you couldn’t help but think back to that day, tied up and helpless.

“What is going on!?”

When Chan got to the dorm he immediately caught your scent, along with Hyunjin and Changbin. He knew it was odd for the three of you to be back so soon, and so he went off to find you. He came to your room, intrigued by the scene before him. You were resting in Changbin’s lap, wrapped up in a blanket, which was fine, but it was the smell. Your room was filled with the two alpha’s pheromones, practically turning this into a drug den for you.

“We just needed to-”

“Get out!”

Chan came over to you, pulling you from Changbin’s lap, taking your head in his hands. Your eyes were glassy, and you couldn’t even recognize him.

“What were you thinking!? We’re not properly trained on using our pheromones! It’s all theory now, you don’t know what you could do to her!”

“She was freaking out.” Changbin explained. “What if she ran off or something? It’s our job to take care of omegas, that’s why we’re here, isn’t it?”

“This isn’t how to do it! We’re still learning ourselves, not to mention you did this in her room! This was supposed to be her safe space away from all of us, and you completely ruined it! Get out! Go get Felix and Jisung, now!”

The two headed out in a hurry, Chan getting you out of your blankets and taking you to the bathroom. He started a warm bath, getting you out of your clothes, but leaving you in your undergarments. The water wasn’t so high, so he could leave you for a moment while he stripped your bed and put the sheets in the washer. A while later when Jisung and Felix returned to the dorm Chan explained what had happened, and told them to look after you, and help clean up your room. They didn’t ask for details and just did as they were told.

Felix went over your room, having got some cleaning supplies. Jisung on the other hand checked in with you. He saw how out of it you were. When he reached out you moved away, clearly not in any state to recognize him or his scent. It was frightening, but Jisung knew, he hoped you’d be alright. He helped you wash up, wanting to clean all the scents off you. Felix got you new bedsheets, rolling around in them too so they didn’t smell too clean. He helped Jisung get you out of the bathtub and into some dry clothes. They noticed the tears on your face, but weren’t sure if they could say anything.

“… jisung…”

“Hey, hey, I’m right here, how are you feeling?”

“I thought they were nice…”

“Y/n, this isn’t-”

“I can’t trust them… any of them… I can’t do this anymore…”

“Y/n-”

“All the alphas are liars!” You cried. “They say they know best, or they think they do but this… what did they do to me? Why…”

“It’s okay, you’re okay y/n.” Felix said. “They didn’t hurt you or anything, they were just worried and did something they weren’t supposed to.”

“I have to get out of here… I can’t… I can’t…”

“I know. I think we can do it this Friday, what do you say?”

“Yes… I want to leave.”

“We’ll do so together.”

You got into bed, breathing in the smell of clean sheets, smelling a bit of Felix too. Neither of the boys left, staying with you throughout the night, and come morning. You weren’t going to be leaving your room anytime soon, and they knew that. The others brought food, wanting to check on you, but you didn’t want visitors. Of course if you actually wanted to run away you needed to face them first. Everything was set, so you just needed to put things in motion. The fact that this was the end was what gave you strength. Chan always came by in the morning to check on you, but you’d never talk to him. Until now.

“Chan…”

“Hey, how are you? It’s been a while since I heard your voice.”

Your strength could only go so far, so you were talking to Chan from the other side of the door. You knew he and the others hung around outside your room, listening. Just hearing your voice, your steady heartbeat, it was enough for them to know you were alright. Changbin and Hyunjin had given an apology, but you didn’t respond to it.

“I… uh… I wanted to apologize.”

“Huh? You have nothing to be sorry for. The others-”

“No, I do. I understand… I… you guys say it all the time… that you’re looking out for me… I might have taken things the wrong way… I’m sorry… I’ve ruined all my progress, haven’t I?”

“I wouldn’t say that. You can still talk to me, and you haven’t been having nightmares, right?”

“Not really… Jisung and Felix are good company…”

“I’m glad. They’re good boys.”

“I don’t… I don’t want to mess… this… up… I don’t want to be scared forever…”

“We’ll take things slow, like always, step by step.”

“You think… maybe we could do something… like a movie night…?”

“Movie night?”

“Yeah… like get everyone together… so I can at least get used to your scents again…”

“Are you sure? That might be a lot.”

“I want to at least try.”

“Okay, we can do that.”

“Does Friday night sound good?”

“Yeah, I’ll let the others know.”

“Thanks.”

♥♥♥♥♥

This was such a terrible idea, to have all the alphas around at once, but after this you’d be free, and that gave you strength. Even though the alphas were happy to see you they kept a distance and didn’t make much conversation. Felix had picked out a movie for the night, and you helped get the popcorn and snacks. It would be best for you to hand out the gummies, surely they’d eat them if it came from you. The alphas sat around, leaving you on the couch sandwiched between Jisung and Felix. The movie was a long one, and you cautiously watched the others, seeing them doze off little by little.

Once it seemed everyone was asleep Jisung and Felix checked. They moved cautiously, leaning over the others and snapping their fingers by their ears. There was no reaction at all, so they were definitely asleep. With that confirmed you three went to get your things. You had packed some food and other necessities the day before, so now it was time to leave. You didn’t look back, not wanting, not having, anything to linger on. Fortunately for you that night you had moonlight to guide you. After exiting the door you stayed out of sight and made it into the surrounding woods, the trees hiding you in the darkness.

There was something special about the air, it felt so fresh, and calming. Even though you had no idea how far into the woods you had to go to find some form of civilization, you were just glad to be outside and away from a place you no longer called home. The quiet was nice as well, but you still made some conversation with the others. You talked about your future, and the things you wanted to do. The possibilities were truly limitless now. There was nothing to hold you back. Eventually you were fortunate enough to find a source of water, a stream. You could follow it as it would surely lead to a place where other people were, and the water could hide your scent.

Neither of you really knew how long you had been walking for, but you were starting to feel a bit dizzy. Perhaps the adrenaline of this escape was finally wearing off. It wasn’t a bad idea to rest, so you all settled down by the stream. The sound of the water was quite calming, making it easy to zone out and just think of what awaited you. Although that dizzy feeling persisted, both Jisung and Felix realizing as well. You knew what they were gonna say, but you weren’t gonna go back. If you got sick out here so be it, but you couldn’t go back. You let them know before they even said anything.

“Let’s just keep moving. We still have our meds anyway, so I’ll be fine.”

“I don’t think you will.”

Your head snapped over to the source, immediately your heart sank, a chill traveling along your body. The red eyes of an alpha stared back at you. For a moment you were frozen in time, standing in disbelief, and then you broke out into a run. You weren’t thinking about anything besides escaping, even though you completely left Felix and Jisung behind. With each step reality began to seep back in. Your heart was racing, pounding in your ears, your vision moving between clarity and blurriness. You thought you were moving fast, good footwork to keep you from falling, but getting tackled to the ground was your downfall.

“No! Let go! Let go!”

Your hands were pinned behind your back, keeping you down even as you squirmed and screamed. You noticed someone standing in front of you, and then squatting down. The hand on your head made you freeze up, and you slowly looked up to see Chan. There was a disappointed look on his face, yet he was eerily calm.

“You’re in a lot of trouble for this.”

Perhaps you could plead your case, say something, anything, to get out of this, but nothing left your mouth besides a scream. You felt a rush of electricity from the back of your neck, cutting your world to black. Whatever awaited you when you woke, it surely wasn’t going to be good.

[togrowoldinv]

A Ring

Natasha Romanoff x Reader

When Natasha is nervous about getting married, you reassure her that what you have is forever

Note: Soft Nat is back again. This one borders on comfort. Enjoy it!

Natasha Romanoff Masterlist 1, Natasha Romanoff Masterlist 2, Main Masterlist

The wedding is in two weeks. These months leading up to your wedding have been an absolute whirlwind.

Between making sure the decorations are all ordered and the bridesmaids’ dresses have been picked up, you have been completely swamped with the final details of the big day.

And Natasha has been helpful while at the same time being slightly distant. You’re not really sure why, but she has been quieter than usual.

When you get home from work now, trudging through the door with a handful of nameplates for the wedding, Natasha is on the couch typing away on her laptop.

“Hey baby,” you say, kissing her head as you make your way to drop your things on the kitchen counter.

When she doesn’t respond, you walk around to her side of the couch and stand in front of her.

“Hey,” you say again.

“Hi,” is all she offers, still typing on her laptop.

The frustration that’s been boiling up due to her seeming lack of interest in you lately finally becomes too much and you find yourself pushing her laptop closed.

“Y/n, why did you-“

“Do you not want to get married?” You ask her point blank. She blinks and slowly puts the laptop next to her on the couch.

“Of course I want to get married,” Nat replies.

“Natasha, please it’s fine you don’t have to lie.”

You try to walk away, but she reaches for your hand. She’s too quick for you to get away. You stand face to face now and you can see the worry that’s etched into her features.

“Baby, why do you think I don’t want to get married?”

“You’ve just- you don’t seem interested in this,” you explain.

“Well, I’m not exactly a wedding planner,” she says.

You shake your head. “And that’s fine, Natasha. But why haven’t you even picked out your ring? Or maybe written your vows? You don’t even have to wear a ring, but for the ceremony maybe you could get one?”

Natasha’s cheeks turn pink with nerves at your words. She looks down at her feet.

“I’m scared,” she admits.

“Of marrying me?”

“Of fucking things up with you,” Nat says. “I can’t pick a ring because I need it to be perfect.”

Her hands shake as she takes your left one in hers. She runs her hand over your engagement ring, the one she picked out for you and gave you on a warm spring day.

“Natasha.”

“I know. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but your love for me is and I just want to honor that.”

“Oh, my love.” You bring your hand to her cheek and make her look you in the eyes. “I love you so much. There’s no perfect ring or perfect love, but I promise you that you will never ever fuck things up with me.”

“But what if I do? I haven’t ever done this before.” She hasn’t ever sounded this insecure to you before. You realize how much you needed to have this conversation with her.

“Well, that makes two of us,” you say, and she finally smiles a little. “We’re in this together, baby. It’s you and me.”

“Will you help me pick out a ring?” She asks. “One I can wear every day for the rest of my life?”

“Absolutely yes. Promise me as my wife that you know you can always ask me for help. No matter what.”

“I promise, detka,” Natasha says. “And I have been writing my vows, by the way. They’re going to make you cry.”

She chuckles and you pinch her cheek softly. A smirk stays on her lips.

“We’re getting married in two weeks,” you remind her, but you’re also just thinking out loud.

“We are,” she says. “How about we go celebrate?”

Natasha kisses your lips and pulls you toward your bedroom. Everything feels better again, and you can’t wait to marry the love of your life.

[veala2]

“ᴅʀᴜɴᴋ ꜱʜᴇɴᴀɴɪɢᴀɴꜱ.”

✸ shanks n’ buggy ✸

SYNOPSIS - Being in a relationship with 2 pirate emperors is great, but one aspect that comes with a pirates life is a pirates thirst… no, not that kind, you dog!

CW - gn!reader, obviously there’s some intoxication on both sides, reader is explicitly said to be puking, Buggy is doing some dumb shit, shenanigans ensue.

A/N - I’m back from the dead (work), ready to deliver and slowly (painfully) write my next fic (Christmas themed?)

Probably the first to get black out drunk between the two of you.

He’s been a pirate for most of his life, and drinking was a pleasure he so stereotypically enjoys!

So, when you see his flushed face and goofy smile, you couldn’t help but indulge in his silliness. Letting him play with your hair or kiss you all over your face.

But… when the roles are reversed, he’s 100% on you to make sure nothing happens.

It’s not that he thinks you’ll do something crazy while drunk, no no. Rather, it’s what others would do that scares him.

Pirate bars are filled with crude men swinging their swords around, starting rowdy bar fights which leads to terrified bar owners and civilians to evacuate.

Yes he can take care of you with a simple look- his strong conquers haki coming in play- but he’d rather keep the chance of you safe as high as possible.

“Baby… baby, I’m fine, let me gooo…”

You whines fall on deaf ears, as Shanks adjusts you in his arms once again to make sure your head wouldn’t strain. He chuckles as he makes his way down the wooden steps out of Makino’s Bar, the pounding sound of laughter and drunk men filling his ears.

“I’ll let you go once we’re at the port. There’s no way I’m gonna let you throw up on me again.” He laughs, making you clip your tongue and rub your eyes.

“I didn’t even throw up on you!” You retorted. Which brought another chuckle out of him.

He can remember that scene like it was five minutes ago. Well, maybe because it was five minutes ago. He might be a little drunk himself.

Brushing off the warnings of having too many shots, you took your 21st and started to feel nauseous. Before he could drag you away before you hurled up yesterday’s breakfast. Which happened before he could even get out a word. Leaving him disgusted, but even more worried.

“Sweetheart, trust me, I’m not taking that risk again.” He says, planting an endearing kiss swiftly on the top of your forehead, pulling away at the smell of vomit, Making his nose scrunch up.

Shanks sat you down on the pier of Foosha Village. Rubbing soothing circles on your back, letting you take your course. The night sky shined when it hit the slow waves of the sea, a sky littered with stars. A calm, serene night he loved. Especially with you cuddling into his side.

“Are you feeling better, baby?” He asked, a decimal over a whisper. You nod, groaning into his shoulder.

“Good. Let’s get you home and clean up. And maybe apologise to Makino tomorrow morning if she catches us. Other than that, we can always outrun her fury.”

You let out a weak giggle, despite you still feeling not so great. He holds you in a tight grip, sighing happily and looking up to the sky. Allowing himself to indulge in the beauty of the night sky and the beauty that sits right next to him.

“Remind me to bring a bucket next time.” He jokes, landing him a swift punch to the arm and a goofy smile on his face.

Drinking with him has two outcomes:

Either you’re having good times! A couple of laughs, maybe making some great memories that overlap with some of the more confusing ones of drinking with him.

Or… You’re doing the most batshit crazy thing you’ve ever done in your life.

WITH HIM JUST STANDING THERE.

HELLO!?

When I tell you drunk Buggy can take over the world if he so pleases, I mean it

That man has no inhabitions, no thoughts, just a pure drive to do whatever the FUCK he wants for the next 24 hours.

You wonder how such a cowardly clown can become so brave by just a couple of shots.

And honestly, you can be the same way too. It’s not hard to get caught up in all the excitement and thrill of doing shots with a pirate group and almost ending up with a broken limb.

But MAN-

It’s a really mind boggling thing… Like, you could write a psychology paper on it.

“BUGGY, DON'T YOU DARE MOVE!”

“Huh!?”

Your shouts echo the inside of his towering circus top. There your boyfriend was, drunk off his mind due to some of the finest whiskey found in the Grandline (which he happily took), and placing his left leg inside the brightly human- cannonball. He looks back at you, confused but then displaying a goofy smile.

“Aw, c’mon, baby! It’ll be so much fun, just keep watching!”

The older pirate doesn’t stop himself from doing what he wants, and fully places himself inside the cannon, wriggling around as to get comfy. One of his lackies cackles as he reaches for a match, striking it upwards and starting the fire. Your heart only beats louder and faster at the sight of the small flame.

Of course it didn’t occur to you, that the moment that Buggy the Clown asked you to be his partner, you would have to be his temporary mother when he was shit faced on most Tuesday nights.

But, it’s not too hard to keep him in place most of the time. All he wants are some private cuddling, maybe some kisses and words of affirmation. And don’t worry, when the roles are reversed he’ll do anything to help you, too.

Unfortunately today, he decides to act like a crazed toddler.

Too bad he isn’t, it would be easier to wrangle him up.

“Buggy, baby, love of my life,” You start, slowly inching closer towards the red- faced man as he stared at you with lidded eyes and curiosity. “I really need you to step out of that cannon before you blow to infinity and beyond.”

Then there was silence.

And then there was laughter. A drunken one, slurred and almost high.

“I’ll be fine, I’m Buggy the genius- fuckin’- jester! hit it!”

It was too late, the match lit the tiny rope at the end, as it quickly rises towards where the gunpowder lies.

You plug your ears and close your eyes, not wanting to even look or hear the maniac jester shoot up into the circus top’s top, rip past the fabric and blast off again.

Oh yes… again.

[helplesslypurple77]

Day 12-Atsushi/Reader with Accidental Voyeurism and Breeding Kink

Notes: Atsushi my baby. I love him so much he’s so pretty. Also love breeding kinks so yay

“Are you sure this is the right place?” You say, eying the rundown inn dubiously. Atsushi nods, double checking the small piece of paper he holds in his hands. “Yes, this is the place.” He says. The smell of petrichor fills the air, the grass still wet after the rain. It's evening, and mist has started to creep it way over the treetops, obscuring all but the trunks. It's a thick fog, blanketing the world in a pretty mist. It makes everything feel smaller, warmer, more intimate. Probably because you can't see past the small ring of trees surrounding the inn. A lantern hanging by the door casts a ring of golden light on the grass, and an owl hoots in the distance. It's almost like you’ve entered a different world, a mysterious world full of mist and darkness. 

The clouds above you threaten more rain, and you grip Atsushi’s arm, almost afraid of the place. It always feels spookier during October. “Let's just go. I'm honestly too tired to even care.” You say, gripping Atsushi’s arm tighter. You don't notice the blush that crawls across his face as you move towards the Inn, dragging your small bags behind you. 

The lobby is lit in lowlight, more lanterns bathing the place in an orange yellow light. The corners are in shadow, and you can almost see shadow men in the corner, waiting to ambush you in your sleep. You shudder, clutching Atsushi’s arm close to your body as the two of you make your way towards the lady behind the front desk.

She’s very pretty, with her hair done up in a classical style, wearing a traditional kimono. She smiles at the two of you, looking very much like a proud mother. 

“Do you two lovebirds have a room?” She says. You blush, and drop Atsushi’s arm like it's personally offended you. “Yes, do you have any?” Atsushi says, placing the bags on the wooden floor. “And we’re not together like that.” Are you projecting or did he almost sound disappointed? You're probably projecting. 

“Sure sweetheart.” The front desk lady says, winking. “Aren't you guys lucky, you guys got our last room! We’re fully booked today.” She fished behind the desk, pulling out a key attached to a large wooden ring. “You guys are on the second floor, in room 8B. Breakfast is at eight thirty tomorrow, if you’d like to join us.” She says, smiling all the while. “And, try not to be too loud, if you know what I mean.” She throws the two of you one more wink, as you escape, your faces painted with matching blushes. 

The room is actually pretty big, with an attached bathroom, but the thing that your eyes catch immediately is the one(singular) queen bed sitting in the middle of it. You pause in the doorway, cheeks flushing again, as your eyes frantically scan the room for any other beds. But no, there isn't even a couch. Atsushi chokes beside you, and you scurry into the room, allowing him inside. The door closes behind you with a slam. His face probably rivals yours for color, and the two of you stand at the edge of the room, blushing and awkward for a good few minutes, before Atsushi rushes to speak.

“Don't worry, we can just get another room.” He says, placing your bags on the floor next to the bed. You shake your head. “They're fully booked, remember? The front desk lady told us.” You say, frantically trying to get control of your blush. 

“I can sleep on the floor then.” Atsushi says, shooting you a sweet smile. You almost melt at his kindness, but you shake your head. “No, I couldn't do that to you. And besides imscaredtosleepalone…” You whisper the last part, and as if to prove your point, the shadows in the corners dance wickedly, almost laughing at you. Atsushi frowns. “What was that? I didn't hear that last part.” You flush, embarrassed as you raise your voice. “I'm scared to sleep alone, ok? This place is spooky.” You say, blushing again, this time out of embarrassment. Blessedly, Atsushi doesn't laugh at you. He just nods, a pretty flush still painted across his face. 

In a hurry to change the subject, you flop into an armchair, sinking deep into the comforting cushions. “The mission went well huh.” You say, letting the exhaustion seep out of your bones. Atsushi nods, opening his small overnight bag. “Yes, thankfully.” He says, pulling out a phone charger. “I’m just thankful we were able to defeat him.” 

You laugh. “We? Atsushi, don't be modest, you did most of the work.” The boy protests, but you laugh again. The mission had been deceptively simple on the surface, just an investigation. A young woman had requested someone to keep tabs on her boyfriend to see if he was cheating on her. Turns out he wasn't cheating on her, but he was running a drug smuggling ring, and was an ability user. You were much more investigative than combat focused, so you had done what you could but Atsushi had been the real star. You shift, rubbing your thighs together. Watching him fight was always so, for lack of a better word, sexy. He was usually  such a sweet polite boy, and while you loved him like that, you also loved watching him fight. His eyes would get all feral, and the way he would stare down enemies always made your pus—

You cut your dirty thoughts short as you feel your panties getting wet. You need to control your thoughts because Atsushi might be able to smell your arousal with that powerful animal nose of his. You stand hurriedly, reaching for your pajamas and other bath supplies. “Gonna take a shower first, that good Atsushi?” You say, hoping to god that he can't smell your arousal. He looks up from his place on the bed, fiddling with his phone and gives you a thumbs up. You disappear with a sigh of relief into the bathroom.

The steamy water feels wonderful, washing away both your arousal and the dirt of the day. You run soap over your body, washing each nook and cranny carefully. Your thoughts drift away as your shampoo your hair. It had been a long day. First the long train ride away from civilization, and then a pretty shady taxi ride out into the woods, and then shadowing the target for nearly three hours, and then finally the big fight. It had been a pretty hard fight, in your humble opinion, but Atsushi had very quickly taken out all of the henchmen, before moving to the main event. 

He hadn't even needed to fully transform, just his legs and arms to block the enemies attacks. The target, John’s ability allowed him to turn paper into projectiles as sharp as a knife. And he was combat experienced as well, to anybody else a hard foe. But Atsushi handled him easily. You still remembered how his eyes had narrowed, his pretty pupils turning cat eyed, a feral light turning them irresistible. He moved so fast and nimble, his feet barely touching the ground as he leaped in large bounds towards John, fast strikes aimed at his arms, meaning to incapacitate, never kill. 

But the worst, or best part had been when John had aimed a projectile at you, sitting on the sidelines. The first instant you were watching a hardened paper airplane fly at you, fearing for your safety and then the next you were pressed to the floor by Atsushi, his body covering the length of yours.

And honestly, you know you should have been scared but the first image that ran though your brain was thoughts of this position, but with Atsushi’s dick pummeling your pussy, railing you into the ground. He would pant in your ear, calling your name, hallowed with pants and grunts, and you would moan him in return, right there on the battlefield, John be damned. It was such a dirty thought, so unexpected that it shocked you, and even as Atsushi flew back in John’s direction, a feral light in his eyes, you stayed on the ground for a hot second, truly taking in that barrage of dirty images. 

You had already known you had a crush on Atsushi, ever since his sweet smiles and kindness had started to make your heart pound erratically in your chest. But you had never truly realized just how unhinged your thoughts could get, not until today however. 

You snap back out of your fantasies, still in the shower, but with a telling wetness between your legs. You sigh, sliping your hands between your legs. 

✦✧✦✧✦✧✦

The vending machine down the hall didn't have his favorite drink. Now, this really wasn't a problem, but the only things the vending machine had was water, and mini bottles of Vodka. Both of those options were mildly concerning, to say the least, and Atsushi didn't even know if that was legal. With a sigh, Atsushi just punched in two waters and walked back to the room with his treasures. 

You're still in the shower when he opens the door, and Atsushi takes this opportunity to change into his pj’s and work on the mission brief. It's boring work however, and Atsushi feels his mind drifting back to the mission this afternoon. You always did especially well with intel missions, and this one was no exception. You had been the one to locate the target, you had been the one to initiate most of the sneaking, and you had been the one who had found the hideout in the first place. Atsushi had just been essentially muscle. And he wasn't complaining, however sappy it might sound, he was just happy to tag along with you, and have more of an opportunity to simply be in your presence. Happy to let his embarrassing little crush marinate and slowly grow bigger and bigger, the longer he spends around you. 

He takes a sip of water, filling in the details as much as he can, because Kunikida prefers it that way and he’s just going to have to redo it if he doesn't do it now. He thinks back on earlier, when they had first arrived at the inn and you had been clutching at his arm. He was sure his face had been bright red, but you hadn't noticed, much too scared of the surroundings to pay attention to his beating heart and red face. And then, when the Inn keeper had called the two of you a couple, Atsushi’s heart soared. The after insinuation had made him flush again though. But whatever, he was happy just to be in your aura. 

✦✧✦✧✦✧✦

You're deep in your arousal, two fingers stuffed deep in your cunt, full on moaning when your elbow hits the shampoo bottle, sending it to the floor with a clatter. You barely notice, to busy with the lust clouding your mind, the nasty fantasy staring Atsushi making you fuck yourself desperately, trying to get off quickly before you have to go to sleep in your shared bed. 

You're so deep in your lust, eyes closed, that you don't notice how loud the clatter really is, and that your jumpy temporary roommate outside will most definitely assume the worst. And you're so, so close. Your orgasm is hanging just above your head, and you're desperately reaching for it when the door slams open and a very worried Atsushi comes to a dramatic stop right in front of you. It's then that you open your hazy eyes, and see a very shocked Atsushi right in front of you.

And it's right then, that your orgasm hits you like a truck, and all you can do is let it rock you, trying to bite your moans in as he stares at you in shock. And then the orgasm recedes and leaves you, lust fogged and confused, staring up at him. 

“Huh? A-atsushi?” You say. Leaping to attention, Atsushi scrambles backwards, face firetruck red. 

“Um, i-im so sorry, I heard a clatter and I thought you were hurt. And i-uh-i'll just go, I'm sorry.” He says, tripping backwards and somehow making it out the door without any major injuries. “I'm so, so sorry.” he says one last time, before slamming the door behind him. 

✦✧✦✧✦✧✦

Atsushi sits on the edge of the bed, fingers drumming patterns in his thighs, dick hard in his pants, and all he can see is the image, seared into his eyelids, of you, your face as you orgasmed. He sees it every time he closes his eyes. It's all he can see, along with flashes of your naked body, your breathless voice saying his name, right after you came. 

He’s going to hell, he’s going to rot in hell. His formerly innocent, fluffy little crush has changed, now he can't think straight, his heart is pounding, and half of his blood is going south. His dick is hard, and involuntarily he snakes a hand down, just putting a little pressure on it. That's ok, right? He can't out right jerk off, especially with you right in the other room, he can do this much right? 

It still feels gross though, but Atsushi can't stop himself as he moves his hand along his length, still trapped in his pants. You're so pretty, your curves perfect, the image of your perky boobs seared into his frontal lobe. You’d been fucking yourself with your fingers, and Atsushi can still remember the moment you’d cum, the exspression that had come across your face, your eyes as they made contact with his own.

Atsushi’s started panting, hand pressing down a little harder on his length as he imagined you. He can picture it, you beneath him, writhing against him, the heat of your walls. And then you’d cry his name, maybe like you had when you’d called his name in the shower, just before he’d stumbled out of there—

Atsushi’s keen tiger ears catch the absence of the shower, and he hurriedly scrambles backwards, his hand flying off his dick like i’d burned him, and frantically trying his best to compose himself as you exit the bathroom, dressed in a darling little pajama set. You avoid his eyes, your cheeks pink as you take a sip of water. Atsushi begs his dick to calm down, before it emberasses him any further. 

✦✧✦✧✦✧✦

The silence has never felt so loud. Atsushi had desperately avoided your eyes when you came out of the shower after that embarrassing debacle, and you'd avoided addressing the situation, and so the two of you had gone to bed in that very awkward silence.

You’re almost asleep when you hear the rustling of sheets. Every few minutes or so, one of you turns, rustling the sheets in the deathly silent room. You speak first. 

“I'm really sorry about earlier, Atsushi.” You say, grateful he at least can't see your embarrassment in the dark bedroom. You can hear him shaking his head in the darkness. You press on.

“I probably accidently traumatized you huh.” 

The boy hurries to deny, panic clear in his voice. “No, it's not that at all.” He says. His rather enthusiastic denial makes your ego grow a bit, but then he presses on. “It's just not everyday you see your crush naked, i was surprised.” The dead silence that falls after his sentence concludes isn't quite as bad as the earlier one, but it's still loud. You count to about four, and then you speak.

“Atsushi, you have a crush on me?” You say into the darkness. It takes Atsushi about three seconds before he realizes what he says and begins to sputter out a convoluted denial. “No, that—i…” He stops for a moment, pausing before letting out a defeated little, “Yes, I'm sorry.” He sounds so sure, so absolutely positive that you could never like him back, that it breaks your heart. You sigh, feeling for him in the dark. Some rustling sounds, and then the lamp on the side table switches on with a click and you're suddenly staring at those sunset colored eyes, so wide and vulnerable. 

“I like you too, Atsushi.” You say, coming in contact with his shoulder, and he jumps, leaning into your touch.

“I know, im sor—wait what?” He says, pulling away from your hand, the shock clear in his voice. You smile to yourself in the dark, elation singing through your veins. “Yes, I like you Atsushi, I like you a lot.” You can't help but rub it in a little, and suddenly you’re being pulled forward by Atsushi’s hand, and his warm body is enveloping you in a hug. 

“Really?” He murmurs in your ear, his voice sounding so fragile, so breakable yet so hopeful you almost cry. 

“Really.” you reply, a whisper in his ear. You pretend not to notice how he clutches you tighter, his heart pounding loudly in his chest. 

He pulls away slightly, just enough to stroke your cheek, his hand trembling against it. “Can I kiss you?” He asks, ever the gentleman. You smile, moving closer. “Yes.” You say, and then his lips are on you. 

Atsushi kisses softly, almost as if he expects you to reject him, shove him away and leave him cold and in bed alone. You could cry at his tenderness, at how his hands smooth over your side, carefully steering clear of any more sensitive areas. You love how he treats you like a princess, love how as he gets more confident, his kisses turn deeper, his hands more searching. And you especially love it when he rolls on top of you, how he almost whimpers when your fingers tangle in his hair, tugging ever so slightly. 

His kisses slowly turn deeper, searching, begging for something more. And you’re happy to oblige, arching up into his body above you, teasing his tongue with yours. He kisses like he loves you, and you love it, you love him. 

“Atsushi.” You pant into his mouth. He murmurs a yes, reluctant to stop kissing you. “Want you to fuck me.” You kiss onto his lips, barely taking breaks to breathe. The effect is immediate. He shudders against you, something twitching against your thigh. You chuckle against his lips. “You want to?” You ask, your voice teasing. He breaks away from you, nodding hurriedly. “Yes, god yes.” He kisses into the skin of your neck, his eagerness just turning you on. You feel eager yourself, and your hands move from his hair to his back, pulling him closer to you as he laves kisses on your neck. His lips lock, sucking hickeys into your skin, his tongue coming out to sooth the marks, pressing a kiss to each. 

His hands stop at the hem of your sleep shirt, as he murmurs against your neck. “Can I take this off?” You nod, and his hands work your sleep top off your head, eyes catching on your boobs. You chuckle as he dives back down, tongue taking one in his mouth. You moan a little as his tongue teases it, hips bucking up. His hand kneads your other breast, teasing you. You grip his shoulders in your hands, moaning in his ear. “Take your shirt off.” You say, a pant really, in his ear.  He obliges you almost shyly.

He’s surprisingly toned, with the beginnings of abs beginning to show on his stomach. Your eyes catch on the scars on his stomach, burn scars. Your heart clenches, and you open your mouth to question him but he dives back down, his fingers working their way into your sleep shorts while he kisses the breath from your lips, and it's clear he doesn't want to talk about it. Oh well, one for another day.

His kisses are more desperate now, passionate and hot, and as he pulls away he just pants into your mouth, his finger hovering by your hole. 

“Can i?” He asks, and its sweet that he wants this much express consent, but your also really fucking horny, and you want him to fuck the living daylights out of you. So you grip his hair in your fists, and really stare in his eyes when you speak to him. “I love you Atsushi, you can do whatever you want with me.” You say. He shivers, eyes clouding with lust that you’re not sure was from the ‘i love you’ or the other part, but you don't find yourself caring as he slips a finger into your hole. You clench down around the intrusion, your grip moving from his hair to his shoulders. 

“You're really wet.” He says, sliping another finger inside you. It's more of a basic observation, and not dirty talk but it still makes you clench around his fingers, moaning his name into his ear. He moves them in and out slowly, curving them up every now and then and you start to seriously wonder how much experience he’s actually had. You had assumed little to none, and either you're very wrong, or he’s just good at adapting. You’ve seen him train, and you would guess the latter, but you make a mental note to ask him later. 

He’s watching you closely, watching carefully for any signs of pain but you're in heaven. Every few thrusts he curves his fingers into your walls, searching for something, until finally he finds it and you arch up, gripping his shoulders tightly. “God, fuck.” You moan, probably a bit too loudly. “Good?” Atsushi asks by your ear, either seeking validation or teasing you and you truly don't care because god it was. “God yes, ‘m gonna cum.” You're slightly embarrassed, but also not because your boyfriend is looking at you like he doesn't believe you. 

“Really? Because Dazai said that sometimes women lie to make their boyfriends feel better, and if you aren't, tell me so I can do better.” He says. He looks adorably earnest, and you make a mental note to ask what the hell Dazai’s been teaching him. 

“Really Atsushi, seriously, swear on my life or whatever.” Your voice sounds desperate and embarrassing, and honestly you don't know if you could fake that if your life depended on it, but it's not like he knows that. “Now faster ‘sushi.” he obliges, looking adorably reassured. 

Atsushi shifts, adjusting the angle and then his thumb is rubbing circles onto your clit. That pushes you over the edge, and you come with a cry. “Oh god Atsushi, ‘m cuming!” His fingers fuck you through it, eyes never leaving you as your back arches until you collapse back onto the bed with a sigh. He rolls off you with a sigh, and you sit up in confusion. “Atsushi, where are you going? We're not done.” You say. You can still see a very prominent and obvious bulge beneath the blankets. He sits back up, eyeing you bashfully. “Well, I didn't want to assume and pressure you into anything—” You love him, you really do, but you want his dick inside of you. 

In one move you shove him down onto the comforter, and crawl above him. He gulps, his Adam's apple bobbing, and you lick it, kicking your shorts and panties the rest of the way off. He gulps again as you pull his pants down just enough to get his dick out. He’s bigger than you thought he would be, and thick. You stroke him a few times, your mouth watering. Maybe it's because he’s still thin from years of partial starvation, but he almost looks unproportional. It's almost pretty though, pale as his skin and flushed pink at the tip with blood. You position it by your drooling pussy. 

“Condom?” he chokes out. A valiant effort, sure, but you are getting this dick inside you tonight one way or another. And, you have a small hunch that you want to test. “No condom baby, sorry.” You coo. “But besides, don't you want to put a baby into me?” his dick twitches in your hand and his cheeks flush a charming red. You smirk. A hunch had been biggling at the back of your mind, that maybe, just maybe he might have a bit of a breeding kink. Part animal blah blah blah. And yes, it sounded a little crazy but you were right.

“Are you sure?” Atsushi says, eyes locked on your pussy as you run his dick along your slit. You can clearly see he really wants to fuck you, and the fact that he makes sure to double check, makes your heart clench in your chest. You leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. “Yes, I really want you, Atsushi. I’m clean, you?” You ask, checking to be sure. He nods, and with that ascend you start sliding down his dick.

It takes a hot minute to sink all the way down, even after all that penetration but when you finally sink down all the way, panting as he grips your hips, you feel so full. It's been a long time, and Atsushi fills you up so good, your panting already as you begin to move, thighs straining as you set a pace. Atsushi ‘s eyes follow you, mesmerized as you bounce. His eyes are so full of admiration and you feel so powerful, so sexy, but your thighs are burning and you can feel an orgasm teasing you just around the corner. You sink down, panting. 

“Baby, ‘want you to take control.” You pant. “Want you to fuck a baby into me.” It's like a switch is flipped. He sits up, and you tumble down onto your back, his dick still lodged inside of you. Lifting your legs over his thighs, he grabs your waist as he begins to move. The pace he sets is slower, but every thrust hits you so deep you hear the bed frame squeaking a little. His hands on your waist anchor you as you throw your head back, moans tearing their way out of your throat with each thrust. 

You can already feel an orgasm building, and by the way his thrusts get more unsteady, you can tell he’s nearing the end as well. “Gonna fuck pretty babies into you.” He grunts, almost moaning the words really. “Gonna be pretty like you.” The almost out of character words make you clench around him, and he moans, leaning close to you.

Your sharing breaths now, panted breaths into each other's mouths as you kiss sloppily, your orgasms impending. You moan out a warning as he hits your g-spot, and then you tumble from the cliff with a scream of his name. He rutts you right through your orgasm, even as you feel his dick twitch inside you, hot liquid shooting inside you. It prolongs your orgasm and even as he twitches with overstimulation, he fucks you through it, as you coo praises into his ear. “I love you, Atsushi baby.” You pant exhaustedly into his ear as you come down. He nods against you. “I love you too, Name.”

Endnotes: the ending is rushed because i had to go to sleep or i would have been even more sleep deprived lol

[builtbybrokenbells]

Gold Dust Woman | xii

With exhaustion catching up and her willpower running low, y/n finally seems to make some progress in her quest to find peace.

Read part eleven here

Pairing: Jake Kiszka x f!reader, Sam Kiszka x f!reader, Danny Wagner x OC

Word Count: 12.5k

Warnings: angst, long emotional talks, swearing, crying, sickness (throwing up), feelings of guilt/regret, love triangle, mentions of pregnancy/pregnancy scares, mentions of unprotected sex, swearing, sorry if i miss any!

hi everyone, getting close to the end now. buckle in for the rest of the ride ���🏻 thanks for the love and for sticking with me this long. as always, enjoy, be kind, and don’t mind any grammar mistakes! (Lightly edited so please forgive me)

“We are late.” Aaron said, ushering you through the doors of the airport. “Like, late late. We’ll be lucky if we’re there in time for soundcheck.” He was stressing, you could hear the panic in his voice even if he was trying his best to keep calm. You checked your watch, not finding the energy within yourself to match his concern. “Drop off your bags and get to the gate; we don’t have any time to spare.”

“Yes, sir.” You chuckled in attempt to ease the tension. He shot you a pointed glare, one that was not menacing but rather cemented his seriousness. “Got it,” you nodded, biting back a smile. As much as Aaron wanted to be a hard-ass, you always had a difficult time viewing him as a manager rather than a friend. Of course, he was fantastic at his job, but being around him so much had shifted the dynamic between you. In the beginning, it felt like walking on eggshells, like if you messed up, you would be sent home with nothing but the clothes on your back. Now, after drinking with him so often and getting to know him so well, you considered him just as close as your own band members or the brothers in the band you were touring with. Once you adapted to the tour life, you realized that everyone along with you was just the same as family, mostly because they were the only thing you had while on the road all of the time.

You all dropped your bags off at the appropriate place, grouping together as you moved through security. Your original flight was postponed due to poor weather, and until Aaron had a time and a plan that was set in stone, he was nearly inconsolable. You all had went to breakfast, hoping to pass the time until your rescheduled flight was boarding, but the whole time he seemed so sick with worry that he couldn’t eat. In truth, you were not that far behind schedule and you would definitely make it to the venue with plenty of time to spare. Of course, you could not explain that to him without calling him on his dramatic tendencies. In his eyes, if you weren’t six hours early, you were worse than late.

Even if it was annoying by times, it was a good trait for a manager to have. He always took any possible delays into consideration, and he was the reason that you all knew where you were going and when you had to be there. Without him, the tour would not have made it past the first city, but you were worried he might put himself into cardiac arrest from the sheer amount of stress he was holding on to. As you sat down to wait for the plane to board, you finished the last of your energy drink and tossed the can into a nearby trash can. You checked your watch again, already counting down the minutes until you were on the plane. As much as your enjoyed touring and playing music, flying was still something you couldn’t seem to get used to.

“You okay? You seem a little pale.” Danny asked from the seat beside you. You turned to look at him, confused at the question.

“Yeah, I think so.” You laughed. “Tired, I guess. Not thrilled about flying, but I’m okay.” He gave a slow nod, continuing his stare in hopes that you would keep talking. You raised an eyebrow, unsure of where his concern was coming from.

“The other night still bothering you?” He lowered his voice, making sure that you were the only one who could hear him. The words hit you like a ton of bricks, startling you from the sound alone. You had yet to speak of the incident that went down at the venue, and you weren’t keen on starting. Your eyes flickered to Jake who was standing next to his twin and lost in chatter. In the blinding airport light, the bruise on his cheek was as clear as day. You were sickened at the sight, noticing that it had finally began to yellow and fade. The cut on his lip was barely noticeable, now, but it was prominent enough for you to shudder at the sight. Perhaps it was not the sight that bothered you so much, but the memory of how he attained the injury.

You then looked to Sam, who was laughing alongside your own bassist. His nose was fine, but his undereye was still purple and angry looking. The smile on his face contradicted his injury, but you could tell that his eyes were not shining as bright as they used to. They both lost a piece of themselves to the flying fists that night at the venue, even if they were electing to stay silent about it. You knew this because it was the same piece of you that had disappeared, the one in which cockiness and self-assurance made home. All of you had lost your confidence and were succumbing to the fear of loss. You had not spoken a word to them, and they hadn’t tried, either. You were officially stuck in stalemate, fearful of digging an even deeper hole than the one you were already stuck in.

“I’m fine,” you assured him, leaning back in your seat. You weren’t, and in reality, you weren’t even anywhere close to okay. The lie was bold, and you both knew the truth, but you were not willing to admit to it. Your stomach was sick just thinking of the memory, and it was only growing worse as you continued to talk. “I knew the consequences, right? Now it’s time to live with them.” You shrugged.

“Doesn’t mean you have to suffer.” He placed a hand on your knee, giving it a small squeeze of reassurance. “You didn’t eat much this morning.”

“What are you, my mother?” You laughed.

“Someone’s gotta take care of you.” He chuckled.

“Many try, most fail.” You joked. “Just wasn’t hungry, I guess. The eggs looked disgusting.”

“I thought they were pretty good.” He shrugged.

“Maybe I’m just picky.” You smiled, sticking your hands in the pocket of your sweater. You looked to the ground, scared to meet his eye. Every time you looked at him, you seemed to profess every pressing thought that you had been trying to keep hidden. Something about Danny was so comforting, and his company compelled you to confide in him. It wasn’t the most terrible thing, but while in an airport two feet away from the main subjects of the story, it did not seem like the best place to air out your thoughts. In addition, you had no idea where to begin. You felt responsible for the fight that had occurred between the two, and no amount of reassurances would change your mind.

Of course, you knew that the brothers had an extensive history of fighting, and that they were victims to their own routine, but it did not mean that you viewed yourself as innocent. You were angry at them for many things, but you would be the lesser person if you tried to paint yourself as an angel. Your own reckless actions and decisions had just as much impact on the situation as their cockiness. Even if the devil is persuading you to sin, it does not make it okay to follow in his footsteps, and the footsteps you were following brought you down a much more sinister path than the devil ever intended. You would be lying if you said that you were avoiding them solely because you hadn’t made a decision yet, because there was a larger part of you that felt you couldn’t face them after driving them to such violence.

Danny stood, understanding that you weren’t willing to talk yet. He would allow you to mope for another day or two, then he would pry it from you. It was just the way your friendship worked, and as much as you may have protested against it through the years, it was comforting to know someone cared so much about you. Immediately, he found himself gravitating towards Dylan, who was only just making her way towards the group. You closed your eyes, resting your head on the back of the uncomfortable plastic chair. You were tapping your foot against the ground in hopes to pass the time faster, but delay was all you knew when it came to flying. It seemed like every flight had you sitting around for some reason or another, and despite knowing that, Aaron still needed you at the airport hours before the departure time. He was like a stressed out father preparing for vacation, and although it was comical, it was also a pain in the ass.

You could feel someone’s gaze settled on you as you sat with your eyes closed, but you weren’t sure who the perpetrator was this time. It was a fifty-fifty guess, and you had never been very good at gambling. You hoped that maybe if you pretended not to notice, they would catch the hint and move on. It had become routine for you three to share longing gazes, to find courage to open your mouth, but never enough to speak the words. It was normal for you to spend nights wishing the other would approach, invested in nothing but the thought of being lovers once more.

You felt stuck, just the same as you did all the way back in the beginning, even before Jake sealed your fate that night. It was the same aching loneliness and empty longing that you felt while pining after Sam, alone in your room or even when surrounded by a crowd. The air was constantly full of tension, one that could not be broken by another nor could it be contained. It was full of hope, although feeble, and grandly misplaced. Worst of all, it was full of desperation. It was so thick that it seemed as though you doused yourself in a cologne of it every morning, shameless in your need for them. But, somehow, when it came to embarrassment that you thought you should feel for your barefaced desire, somehow you felt none. It was comforting to know that this time, it was not a one-way street, and the two boys were just as stuck as you were. You knew you should not be rejoicing at the thought of their sorrow, and in a way, you weren’t. It was not happiness that they were hurting, just solace in the fact that you were not suffering alone, albeit silently. The thought of waking up seemed less gruesome, mostly because you knew you were not the only person struggling with getting out of bed.

Drowning seems less terrifying when there’s someone there to hold your hand, but reality hadn’t seemed to set in that you were all slowly sinking to your deaths, using each other to climb above surface while ultimately pushing the others down.

It was not until a body presented itself beside you that you were broken from your own mind, but when you opened your eyes to investigate, somehow your harrowing thoughts seemed more pleasant than the awkward interaction you were facing. Sam was beside you, taking post in the chair that Danny once claimed as his own, nervously looking between you and his hands in his lap. “Hi, Sammy.” You breathed, straightening yourself up. The sound of his name on your tongue was equivalent to striking gold after digging in dirt for months. Although, the three of you never had very good perception of poison versus prosperity, and prosperity was often greatly lacking. Your gaze fell to the dark bruise still lingering under his eye, and you had the sudden temptation to reach out and touch him, to take every inch of hurt away and bear it as if it were your own.

No, you did not want to carry it like it was yours; you wanted to make it your own, just so he wouldn’t have to suffer any longer.

“I’m sorry, y/n.” He started, still afraid to meet your eye. “I should have said it long before now, but I’m sorry for everything.”

“Sam, I-“

“No,” he shook his head “just let me, please?” You watched, nervous over his frantic need to voice his apologies.

“Okay,” you agreed, trying to relax back into the seat. Comfortability did not come easy when his aura was so powerful.

“I can’t sit here and wait, anymore. I can’t sit here and watch you walk away without even trying. I don’t know if you’re going to walk away, but I have to imagine that you are, because then I know what to say to try and make you stay.” His voice was incredibly soft, like he was giving you the key to his heart and begging you not to drop it. The conversation was personal, private, and as much as he wanted to scream his love for you, he needed to treat it as such. The performance that him and his brother had put on in front of everyone was weighing heavy on him, like the greatest sin he’d ever committed. He wished that instead of feeding into his anger towards Jake, he would have stopped and considered your feelings, first. He did not regret what transpired between Jake and himself, but he did regret being the reason for the look of terror on your face. “I’m okay with space, and I’m okay with waiting forever if I have to, because for you, it’s worth it. Everything is worth it when it comes to you. I just can’t sit and wonder if you really know how much you mean to me, because I care so much that it would be a shame for you to ever second-guess it.”

“I love you.” He whispered, finally finding the courage to look up at your face. “I made a lot of mistakes, y/n. I will spend the rest of my life making up for them, even if you don’t pick me, but it does not, not even for one second, take away from how much I love you. I am so sorry for what we put you through, from the very beginning, right up until the minute that this is over. And I am so incredibly sorry for what you saw at the venue that night.” You watched his eyes, lost in the genuine adoration he was showcasing for you. “You didn’t deserve any of it. You don’t deserve anything less than wonderful, and I’ve been giving you everything except that. You can doubt whatever you want to, be mad at me for the rest of your life, or whatever you want to do, but I just need you to know that I love you, and that I am sorry.”

“I love you, Sam.” You whispered, grimacing as the words came out. As true as they were, it was hard to speak them aloud. You loved him with every ounce of your soul, and loving someone so deeply was painful just as much as it was joyous. That was a harsh reality you had come to know in your efforts to love the brothers. “I’m sorry, too. I didn’t want this for us.”

“I know, y/n.” He said, channelling enough courage to reach out and take your hand. The contact nearly exploded your heart; his skin on yours electrified you like a thousand strikes of lightning. It was almost too much to handle, sometimes, because your body was still on fire even long after he parted ways. “You tried to warn me.” A small smirk upturned on his lips.

“I did, but you never listen.” You found a smile blossoming on your lips, too. It was the first genuine one that had surfaced in a long time. “Boys are so stupid.”

“I’m stupid,” he corrected “but I’m glad I am, because you’ve always been worth the fight.” Your eyes softened at his words. You weren’t sure if he was sweet talking you in hopes of swaying your decision, or if he was being genuine. When you looked at his face, soaking in all of the details, it was difficult to believe he was being anything but truthful. “No matter which way this goes, I’m grateful for the time I spent with you.”

“Me too, Sam.” You mumbled, feeling the overwhelming urge to kiss him. Every time he was in your company, you couldn’t seem to shake the feeling of wanting more. Being beside him almost wasn’t enough; you needed to feel him on you, for him to hold you and for you to hold him. You needed Sam in every way that you could possibly have him, and even though you had spent so much time avoiding him, that desire never seemed to flee you.

“Okay, guys. Let’s go.” Aaron said, his eyes fixated on the now open gate to board the flight. You broke away from Sam’s gaze, looking around to notice that everyone was now standing and making their way towards the plane. Your eyes landed on Jake, who was all but rushing to leave. His stare was fixated on you with pain engraved in his features. He was afraid that if he walked away, he would ultimately let you fall into Sam’s arms without a fight. He caught your eyes, silently pleading with you to wait for him, but it was almost unbearable to look at him for too long. When Aaron guided Jake along with him, you looked away in hopes of sparing yourself from any more heartbreak. If you had to keep watching the sad expression on his face, you were afraid you would not be able to find enough courage to get on the plane, too.

“Whatever you decide, y/n.” Sam said, pulling your attention back to him. “I’ll support it. I want you to be happy, but I can’t let you go without letting you know how much you mean to me.”

“I know, Sam.” You breathed. “I hope you know that you mean the same to me.” A smile crossed his lips at the sound of your confession. He didn’t need an answer, just reassurance that you were still thinking of him. It was blasphemous that he ever thought you would forget him, because he seemed to take up every single empty space in your brain. Forgetting about the brothers was out of the question, even if you so badly wished you could. “I don’t know what I’m doing, or even where I’m going most of the time, but I know how much I love you.”

“I’d like to kiss you, if that’s okay.” He said, completely lost in you. You were both so close to the end, and you knew that if you could just open your heart a little bit more, you could be happy with Sam. He could give you what you needed, and you knew he had the ability love you forever, but it was like you were stuck in a glass house. Through the crystal clear walls, you could see the life you were desperate to live with him, but you could not step through the barrier to get to the other side. It was torture, watching your life play out perfectly yet being unable to take it for your own. “I promise I’ll give you as much time as you need, but I just can’t leave without it.”

You leaned forward, uncaring of his reasoning behind his need to kiss you. You wanted it, and you were willing to give it to him without any persuasion or hesitation. You snaked your arm around his neck, uncomfortably bent over the arm of the chair, and pressed your lips to his. The awkward position and public display did not bother you, because the minute you were kissing him, the world felt okay again. All of the things that had been haunting you seemed to disappear in an instant, soothed by the feeling of being with him again. His hand cupped your cheek, drawing you closer while you both wished you could stay there forever.

When you parted, you were nearly crushed under the weight of your grief. Knowing that you had to walk away and leave him behind was devastating, and knowing that the situation would only worsen from there was even more terrifying. Before facing the hard decisions, he pulled you in for another. Tears were threatening to spill down your cheeks before he even broke the kiss. “We should go before Aaron realizes we’re not on the plane.” You whispered, strained by your unwillingness to end the moment.

“Right,” he muttered, lips still ghosting over your own. “Don’t think I can risk getting in trouble again.” He spoke the truth, but it did not seem like he cared. He was more than happy to get in trouble if it meant he could spend another moment alone with you.

“Mhm,” you hummed “wouldn’t want them to replace you with another bassist.”

“You really think they could replace me?” He teased. You could practically feel him smiling with how close his face was to yours.

“No,” and it was the truth. Sam was irreplaceable, and you knew that long before he ever made a home in your heart. He was one of a kind, beautiful and talented and funny all the same. He made mistakes, and in no way was he perfect, but his imperfections made him all the more remarkable. You were head over heels for Sam Kiszka, and you had to wonder why the world could not have been more kind. In another universe, you would be free to love him with no guilt, and free to live happily with him with no fear or regret. You wished you could be in that beautiful world, but for now, you had to learn how to navigate the cruel one you were stuck in. “You are worth your weight in gold, Sammy.”

“And you are, too, Gold Dust Woman.” He said. “I mean, it’s in the name, is it not?” You chuckled, letting your thumb drift over his cheek. As sweet as his statement was, the name was not right coming from him. Instead of dwelling on the thought, you kissed him once more. It was short, but it was sweet, and it was exactly what you needed to find the energy to get on the flight.

“Let’s go,” you whispered, standing up despite every molecule of your body begging you to stay seated beside him. He gave a slight nod, standing to join you.

“However long it takes, whoever you choose… I’ll still love you the same, and I’ll be happy as long as you are.” He assured you. “And if you don’t pick me, I’ll respect your decision, but I’ll always be hoping you’ll change your mind.” His honesty was gut wrenching, but you could not chastise him for speaking his truth. As much as it hurt to hear, he knew that this was one of his last opportunities to win your heart for good.

“Even if… even if things don’t work out, you’ll always have a piece of my heart, Sammy.” You mumbled as you walked towards the gate. Without waiting for a response, you boarded the plane. You could not bear to look back and see his face again, even if you wanted it more than anything else in the world. He was close behind you, but respected that the conversation had come to an end. He had gotten what he needed to keep going, and now fate was truly in your hands.

You walked down the aisle, locating your seat easily; there was an empty spot next to Dylan calling your name, and her eyes were watching with curiosity. Aaron turned look at you as you passed by, upset at your late arrival. You brushed his gaze off and continued on to your seat. You settled in with no hesitation, thankful to be in the company of someone who could speak some sense into you. You were too worked up to even care that you had an aisle seat, and too guilty about your interaction to look anyone in the eye. To top off the emotional distress, Jake was in the seat directly across the aisle from you, and he had no shame in his unwavering stare.

“What was that?” Dylan asked with blatant disregard for privacy. Her voice was clear, loud enough to be heard from neighbouring seats, and she had not one care about it. You snapped your head up to look at her, eyes warning her to lower her voice.

“I don’t know!” You whispered, distress radiating from you. “I just… he came over, and he started saying sweet things, and he was looking at me all sad, and I cracked, I guess!”

“Okay,” she said, placing a hand atop of yours. “Calm down, it’s okay. You are okay.”

“I’m not okay, Dylan.” You shook your head. “I liked it so much that I didn’t want to leave. I miss him so much that it hurts to even think about it.”

“Okay,” she nodded, repeating her earlier statement. “That’s okay. You love him; that’s not a crime.”

“It is when I feel the same way about his brother, who happens to be staring at me as we speak.” She let out a chuckle, moving slightly to see for herself.

“He’s not staring anymore.” She tried to ease your worry, but you were still vibrating with anxiety. No words she could speak would ease your panic. “Did it feel any different than before?”

“I mean… yeah, I guess. Every time I look at Sam, I just feel like I could fall in love with him forever and never worry about anything else. I’ve been in love with Sam for years, and it always seems so easy with him. Even then, when I knew I shouldn’t… loving him was so easy.” She raised an eyebrow, begging you to listen to yourself for a moment.

“Isn’t that enough of an answer for you?”

“No,” you shook your head “well, I mean, I guess… I just, I feel the same way when I look at Jake. It’s been harder to open up to him, to let him in and let him stay, but god when I do, it’s the most fantastic thing I’ve ever felt.” She gave a sad smile, listening intently as you spoke. “It’s never easy with Jake, but it’s so rewarding that the struggle doesn’t even seem to matter.”

“Yeah, you guys get along like a house on fire.” She chuckled. You nodded as you gave a tight lipped smile. The more you spoke, the more sick you felt. As comforting as it was to spend a moment alone with Sam, the guilt that was plaguing you was insufferable. “What’s wrong? You look pale.”

“Just feel sick,” you said, taking a deep breath. “Stress, probably.” You said, feeling your face start to burn. You closed your eyes, hoping that the churning in your stomach would settle. After a moment, your head began to spin, and you were more than certain the feeling was not going to pass pleasantly.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Dylan asked, sitting up in her seat as she prepared to help if needed. You managed a shake of your head before springing to your feet. You bit down on the inside of your lip to distract yourself as you moved towards the bathroom. You made it just in time, thankful that it was vacant so you could suffer without interruption.

You leaned over the toilet and lost what little breakfast you had choked down earlier that morning. You sat on the floor for a moment, taking breaths to calm yourself as you wiped a layer of sweat from your forehead. Once you were certain the nausea had settled, you stood and washed your hands and then splashed your face. When you returned to your seat, the sickness was so much better that you could have forgotten you threw up in the first place. You sat back down, heaving a sigh as Dylan watched you with worry. “Do you have gum? Or gravol?” You asked.

“Both, I think.” She said, looking through her backpack by her feet. After a moment, she gave you the requested items along with a bottle of water she had in her lap. “You okay?”

“This should help.” You murmured, taking the anti-nauseant with some water. You popped a piece of gum in your mouth and handed everything back to her. “Think I’m alright, just better to be safe.”

“Have you been drinking?” She asked. You knew she had reason to be concerned, but the accusation struck a nerve in you.

“No,” you replied, tone short and clear. It was the truth, and since the incident between Jake and Sam, you had steered clear of any alcohol. You thought it best to make your decision sober, and you knew you would never come to a decision to begin with if you continued drinking like you had been.

“Okay,” she trusted you, opting to believe the answer.

“Maybe just ate something bad,” you shrugged, leaning back in your seat. “Doesn’t matter, I feel alright now. I’m gonna try and get some rest before we land.” You explained, closing your eyes before she could say another word.

“Okay, I’ll be here if you need anything.” She said, relaxing into her own seat. You popped your headphones in your ears and listened to the sound of music instead of your racing thoughts. After a few songs, the drowsiness from the medication began to take over, and you were knocked out before the plane even left the ground.

When you woke, it was to Dylan shaking your arm. Groggily, you cracked your eyes open and looked over to inquire about the disturbance. When you caught sight of the window, you noticed that you were on the ground. “Did I sleep through the whole flight?”

“Yeah, I should knock you out every time we fly. Was awfully peaceful.” She teased. You sat up, rubbing your eyes to aid in your wakefulness.

“Oh, shut up.” You grumbled, taking in a long breath. The bodies in the seats around you had begun to stand, ready for the departure from the plane. Dylan and Riley waited for you to come around before standing themselves. You rose to your feet, grabbing your carry on before filing out behind the rest of the passengers. The airport was busy, loud and filled with frantic people who had also been delayed due to the weather. Aaron intercepted the group of you, taking the front and stopping you all for a moment to hand out instructions.

You were barely listening, more or less just content going along with the flow. In truth, your mind was far too occupied with your interaction with Sam to worry about anything else. You were thinking of the heavenly things that came along with his company, the solace in his touch and the happiness that filled your heart from the sight of his face alone. Sam was always so charming, and he’d stolen your heart the minute you laid eyes on him. He never needed to try; you had fallen in love with him easier than you fell asleep at night. Through jokes and shared smiles, and the occasional touch that lingered for a moment too long, Sam had his claws so deep in you that it was no longer painful. You thought you might even miss the pain if it were to disappear.

The choice was obvious, and you knew that after your history with Sam stemming back to the very beginning, your heart had always wanted him. He hurt you, and that was obvious, but you hurt him, too. You would not truly love him if you could not forgive him for his mistakes, especially if you expected him to forgive you for your own. Loving Sam was the most simple of things, and you did it without even realizing it. You did it before he ever expected or asked for it, and that was always a heavy thought in your mind. He had the ability to make you love him by simply existing.

At the same time, every thought that pointed you in his direction fled with pain in its wake. Pain for the version of you who hurt so much over him while you believed he lacked interest, pain for the version of you who had fallen so deeply in love with Jake, and pain for Jake himself. Just when you believed you could love Sam entirely and fall into his arms, you could not ignore the same pressing feeling that arose each time. If you were meant for Sam, why had it been written in the stars to fall for Jake before you could be with him? And if you chose Sam, was it because of your fear of struggle, or because he was the right person for you? All of the questions seemed to forever float in your brain, and an answer had not yet surfaced in the mess of inquiries.

You had grown so much that you could not choke down the idea of loving solely because of logic. Before facing the daunting challenge of truly falling in love, logic and emotion existed together as one, and you could not make a decision of emotion without any logical reasoning. You loved rules and thrived from routine. You calculated your entire life down to the very last gram of your existence, and so far, it had worked perfectly for you. Numbers made sense, facts and statistics and books spoke volumes in comparison to the feeble needs of your heart, but you could no longer rely on logic. Yes, when compared on paper, each decision had pros and cons, and one certainly outweighed the other, but love can not be explained with a formula, nor could you measure emotion with a scale.

You needed to pick which boy made your heart feel at home, the one who made the world appear brighter, and the one who made you feel most like yourself. You were choosing the person who suited your needs, one who could reignite your fire when it burned out. You needed someone who would talk you down when you were too high, and pick you up when you stumbled to the ground. Logic could not explain who would emotionally fulfill you; only emotion could do that, and despite your hatred for relying on your heart, it was the only thing that could lead the way.

Unfortunately for you, you had never led a decision with your heart, nor did you have any idea how to let it take charge. You struggle resulted from your dependence on fact, and your tendency to shun your emotions. You needed to learn how to put your rules aside and accept them for how your heart saw them. Logic had no place in this battle of love, and you refused to cower to your own destructive tendencies. If you continued to think of it the way you had previously, you would think so much that you would eventually convince yourself to run. Running was no longer an option, and neither was leaving them behind. You had grown too much to succumb to your usual fears, and to prove to yourself that you had grown as much as you believed you had, you needed to face the problem head on.

That left you one option, and it was the very thing you had been avoiding for weeks; you needed to speak with Jake, and it was a conversation that was long overdue. To know, you had to open your heart once more in the same way you had opened it to Sam earlier that day. No walls, no defence, nothing. You knew you had to, but knowing you should and actually doing it are two very different things. This time, you had to push yourself forward. There was no more room for fear, because all of the waiting was doing nothing other than furthering your suffering. Even so, you decided you did not have to jump on the idea as soon as it arose, and you would allow yourself some time to sit with it before approaching him.

The ride to the venue was mostly silent as you were all attempting to conserve what little energy you had left. Flying the same day as you performed always sucked, but you had to deal with it every so often. Aaron tried his best to make the travelling as comfortable for you all as he possibly could, but every now and again things were out of his control. Thankfully, there was always people assigned to checking in to the hotels and bringing your bags to your rooms, so there was one less exhausting task to worry about. You tried not to think of the incident on the airplane, mostly because occasionally, your stomach would continue churn with unease. You wanted to chalk the sickness up to eating something bad, but nobody else seemed sick. You knew, to the core, the illness was likely stemming from the stress you had been constantly feeling for the past few weeks.

When you arrived, you all bustled inside as if you were minutes away from showtime. In reality, you were there hours earlier than expected, and Aaron had been stressing for no real reason. “Give us an hour to get your instruments set up.” Aaron said, already walking past you to rush to the stage.

“Take your time,” you assured him, laughing at his frantic attitude. You looked around, eyeing the names on the doors of the dressing rooms to locate your own. Yours was stuck in the middle of everyone else’s, but it did not bother you too much. When you opened the door and saw the luxury of the inside, the placement was the least of your worries. There were couches, a mini fridge that you knew was stocked with plenty of beverages, and a private bathroom connected to the main room. When you walked in further, you noticed that there was even a shower inside. You sat your bag on the couch and collapsed beside it, exhausted despite your slumber on the flight.

You closed your eyes, relaxing into the cushions in hopes of catching a few more minutes of sleep before the busy night ahead. Just as you thought you might be comfortable enough to drift off, a knock sounded on your door. You cracked one eye open, expecting Dylan or Danny (or both, which seemed to be happening much more often than not) to be standing before you. Instead, your heart sped at the stony expression that Jake was holding on his face. You straightened in your seat, opening both eyes to let him know you were alert. He didn’t speak, clearly waiting for an invitation, but you were far too anxious to grant him permission to enter.

Silence had become such a common occurrence between you two that words almost seemed foreign. It was easier to hold back than it was to give in, and that’s what made loving Jake so difficult. You did not know what to say to him, or if he even wanted to hear it. The only thing you did know was that there was no words that could ease the pain the pair of you were holding in your hearts. You did notice he looked tired, similar to yourself. He was closer to you than he had been in days, and despite your refrain, you could practically feel his hands on you already. The only thing holding you back from loving him was your own fears, and as the seconds dwindled down, they were growing more distant.

His posture was rigid, like he had lost all of the comfortability he used to feel with you. It hurt you to see him present himself as a stranger, especially after opening your hearts to each other in such a profound way, but you understood why he was doing it, mostly because you felt the same. The air was different since your separation, and not in any pleasant manner. The world was colder, dimmer, and less exciting. Jake had barely done as much as look in your direction since the altercation between him and his brother, likely due to his regret for taking things too far. You knew you had to push your boundaries, to take the step and speak to him, but doing was much different than knowing, and you were terrified of confrontation.

“Can I come in?” He finally asked, tone quiet as if he were scared of bothering you.

“Of course you can, Jake.” Speaking somehow seemed less terrifying once he initiated it, but it was still far from easy. “Close the door.” You added, nodding to the only thing separating you from seclusion with him. He did as you asked, stepping inside and gently closing the door behind him. Once he did, he stood near the exit as if he forgot your permissive statement entirely. “You can come sit, if you want.”

“Okay,” he said, approaching you on the couch. You had never seen him so timid; sure, Jake had been very emotional around you. You had seen anger, sweetness, hurt, and even a flash of sadness every now and again, but never once had you seen him so reserved and shy. He took a seat beside you, leaving a generous amount of space between your bodies. “I just wanted to apologize,”

“For what?”

“For being an asshole.” He jumped straight to the point, finding no need to dance around the subject. “I never should have said that stuff in front of everyone. You didn’t deserve that.”

“It happened,” you shrugged. “I’m not innocent, either.” You both fell into a silence, neither knowing how to continue from there. You had no idea why it was so difficult to open yourself to him, and no idea why after so long, it was still the hardest thing to do with him. You both sat, avoiding looking to each other while you hoped the other would speak first. You were stuck in a terrible limbo, and you didn’t know if you would ever be able to break it.

“It’s been a while since we talked. I guess I just wanted to know how you were doing.” His tone was flat, no emotion bleeding through. You could tell the formality was not what he wanted from the conversation, but he was unsure of how to approach you.

“Tell me the truth,” you said, glancing over at him from the corner of your eye.

“What?” He questioned, his demeanour shifting. “That is the truth.”

“Christ Jake, give it up.” You turned to face him. “Put your ego down for a second; it’s okay to be honest, it’s okay to be sad, and it’s okay to feel things.” You caught his eye, holding his stare. “It’s okay to be weak around me, because god knows I am when I’m around you.” His eyes flickered nervously between your face and the floor, feeling cornered into a confession. Jake did not enjoy when the power was not in his hands, but he had been learning to get used to it, because it never was when he was around you.

“Fine,” he grumbled. “I saw you and Sam at the airport.”

“I know.”

“It sucked, y/n.” He finally said, feeling the weight of his words begin to fill the air in the room. “It fucking sucks, because you said that you needed space. It’s fine if you do, I don’t mind, but I think it’s unfair for you to ignore me and talk to him. It seems like the only space you need is from me, so if you’ve made up your mind, I need to know.”

“You think I’d do that to you?” You asked, hurt evident in your rebuttal. When he caught sight of the pain in your eye, he had to look away just to keep his composure.

“No,” he shook his head, voice quiet once more. “I don’t.”

“Then why would you say it?” You questioned, but before he had time to answer, the walls of defence you held came down with a booming sound. You had promised not to walk into this confrontation with defence, and you had done exactly what you swore not to do. “Why are we fighting, Jake?”

“I… I don’t know.”

“It seems like it’s all we know how to do.” You mumbled. “We’ve always got our guard up, even when we’re happy. I don’t know how to let you in, and you don’t know, either.”

“We know how to do more than fight,” he corrected, looking back to meet your face. “We just won’t let ourselves do it.”

“I’m so scared of breaking my own heart that it paralyses me, and I’m so scared of breaking yours that it kills me.” You admitted.

“I am, too.” He muttered. “I don’t want to hurt you, Gold Dust Woman. All I ever wanted to do was love you, but I’m not very good at it.” The sadness in his face was gutting, and you believed that you would never be able to love him enough to take that away.

“You need to give yourself credit where credit is due, Jacob.” You whispered, holding his gaze. “You told me that intimacy isn’t easy, and you were right. Just because it’s been hard doesn’t mean it hasn’t been worth it.” A glimmer of hope flashed in his eyes, making him believe that there truly was a part of you that still felt the same for him as he did for you. In that moment, you felt like your whole world came crashing down around you. The sickness returned, and your heart was erratic in your chest. You had been so caught up in your own inability to face your emotions that you had failed to understand how badly Jake was struggling with the same things. He was not one to give his heart away freely, nor one to give someone else any power over him. He was elusive, quiet and meticulous about almost everything in his life. Jake may have thrown you off course by making you fall in love with him, but you had uprooted his entire life. He was facing parts of himself that he never had before, and he was terrified of the possibility of losing you after so much time spent growing comfortable with you.

“It’s not, and I think when I said that, I was trying to convince myself of that, too.” He let out a low chuckle, thinking back to the simple memory. “I wanted to do it all right for you, y/n, but I feel like I’ve been doing everything wrong.”

“You don’t have to be apologetic for the way things happened. You did what you thought was best at the time, and so did everyone we. We all contributed to this, and we’ll all see the same consequences no matter how it turns out.” You reached over, slipping your hand in his. He was shocked at the sudden touch, but welcomed it immediately. “I still feel the same way about you, Jake. Just because things aren’t the same as they were last month, doesn’t mean that I’m any different than who I was a month ago. As much as I wish I was sometimes, I’m not.”

“I guess was the jealous one, this time.” A small smile was pulling at his lips.

“That’s what happens when you love someone.” You felt a smile growing to match his own.

“I do love you, Gold Dust Woman.” Neither of you could hide the elation in your features, finally content to be alone with each other again.

“And I love you, Jake.” The confession which once seemed to cause so much fear within you slipped out easier than ever before. “I don’t know what I’m going to do, yet, but you’ll be the first to know when the time comes.” He nodded, understanding better now that he was hearing the words. No matter what the situation or who the person in question was, common sense is not enough when you’ve spent weeks stuck in your own head. Rationality was a stranger to all of you, and insanity was growing closer every day.

“I respect it,” he said “thank you for being honest.”

“Lying to you has never been an option for me.” You let out a small laugh.

“‘Cause you suck at it.” He joined in, genuine happiness radiating from him. You nodded, another laugh finding you as you gave him a silent agreement. “It’s okay if you need more time, but can I have ten minutes? Just to help me get through it.”

“Nine and a half, but you have to buy me a drink the next time we go to the bar.” You joked. The smile never left his face as he replied without hesitation.

“I’ll buy you drinks for the rest of your life if it makes you happy.” Although the moment was humorous, the truth behind his words was evident.

“Ten minutes,” you agreed, nodding your head. You knew that it was not the best idea, but you needed it just as badly as he did. He checked his watch, noting the time before he made any moves.

“Come here,” he said, a new surge of energy washing over him. Before you could comprehend his words, he had reached over and snaked his arm around you. With little struggle, he pulled you into his lap. You settled in with ease, as if you were always meant to be there. “Ten minutes.” He said, pondering the statement as if it was opening his mind to endless possibilities. “We can do a lot in ten minutes.”

“Watch it,” you warned, immediately recognizing the mischief in his eye.

“I know, I’m kidding.” He assured you, resting his hands on your hips. The touch was fantastic, leaving your skin tingling from the feeling alone. “I’m perfectly fine staying like this.” You didn’t need to say it, but he knew you felt just the same. Now that you were so close to him, you could see the extend of the damage left on his face by his brothers hands. Cautiously, you reached up, running your thumb over the bruise still lingering on his jaw. His eyes fluttered closed, knowing why you felt the need to touch him, yet too enthralled in the feeling to care about it.

“It’s my fault,” you whispered, tracing gently over the damaged skin. His eyes opened, looking up at you with a heavy lidded gaze.

“No,” he shook his head gently. “Don’t say that.”

“It is, though. I should never have let things go this far. If I could just make up my mind, maybe we wouldn’t be here.”

“Exactly; we might not be here, and I can’t think of a worse idea.” He turned his head to the side, pressing a soft kiss to your finger. “I’d take a million punches if it meant I could have one second with you, like this.”

“You shouldn’t be so willing to take a hit for anyone, Jake. Especially not me.” You flattened your hand against his face, cupping his cheek in your palm. You let your thumb drift over the soft skin, savouring the feeling of him while you still could.

“Especially not you?” He questioned, unbelieving of your words. “Gold Dust Woman, you are worth so much more than you think. This world is only right when you’re in it, and I swear that sometimes when I look at the sky at night, those stars shine just for you.” He said, lifting his hand to brush the hair from your face. “I don’t regret anything, and I would do it all over again just to get the chance to be with you, even if you don’t pick me. Being hurt by you is a privilege, and it’s much better than not knowing you at all.”

“I don’t want to hurt you, Jake.” You whispered. “I didn’t want to hurt anyone.”

“I know,” he said, leaning forward and resting his forehead on your own. “You don’t have to worry about hurting anyone, y/n. We knew the risks, and we know that you’re worth it, no matter how it ends. I know that I can’t make you choose me, and if you don’t want to, that’s okay. But, I’m in this until the end, and I really hope you do.”

“I wish I could give you an answer, Jake.” You felt horrible for not knowing, and even worse that you were allowing him such intimacy while both of you were aware that you might not end up together.

“I can wait,” he promised. “I’d wait forever for you, if I had to.” He leaned forward, letting his lips ghost over your own. “I love you, Gold Dust Woman.” You did not have the willpower to shy away from the advance. You wanted him so badly that all other rationale no longer existed.

“I love you, Jake.” You closed the gap between you, pulling him into a kiss that showcased all of the emotion you had been holding back. It was passionate and desperate, yet sweet all at once. It was not picturesque or anything like the movies, but it was perfect for you and Jake. Your relationship had been far from ideal, but you could not argue the fact of enjoyment, because every minute you were lucky enough to spend with him was worth the pain.

Before you two were ready to part, another knock sounded on the door of your dressing room. At first, you ignored the sound. You were too caught up in Jake to care about anyone else. When the knock sounded a second time, louder and more imminent, you broke the kiss with a scowl on your face. He chuckled at your expression, head still spinning from the feeling of your lips on his. It didn’t matter to him that he had to go, because he was leaving with a far better attitude than when he arrived. Much like his brother, he just needed to know you still cared, and hearing you say ‘I love you’ was more than enough to brighten his spirits.

“I think my ten minutes are up, anyway.” He said, eyes glancing at the clock hanging on the wall.

“I don’t care about the ten stupid minutes,” you breathed, desperate for him to stay. “I was never going to kick you out in the first place.” He knew it, and so did you, but he opted not to point out the obvious.

“It wouldn’t be fair for me to stay, now would it?” He chuckled. “As much as I’d like to, it’s probably time for soundcheck. I wouldn’t want to stress Aaron out any more. I’m scared he might have a heart attack.” A third knock struck a nerve in you, now genuinely angry at whoever was standing on the other side of the door. “It’s okay, Gold Dust Woman. I’ll be here whenever you need me.” You nodded, knowing that his departure was for the best, even if the thought of being without him again was sickening. He helped you to your feet, waiting for you to lead the way to the door, but you refused to budge. After a second, you pulled him into a hug, laying your head on his chest as you held him tightly to you. He rested one hand on the back of your head and let the other fall on your lower back. Hugging was not something the two of you did very often, but in light of what could happen, you wanted to cherish any intimacy with him as humanly possible. He leaned down and placed a kiss to the top of your head before you stepped away.

“You’re going to do fantastic tonight, sweetheart.” He said, strained from his unwillingness to let go. “I’ll be on the sidelines cheering the loudest, like always.”

“Thanks for stopping by, Jake. I can’t wait to see you play.”

“I’ll be playing for you,” he reminded, giving you a smile. You didn’t say it, but you hoped that he knew you always played for him, too. Without any other words, you both walked towards the door. The knocking had ceased, and you assumed that the person had likely taken the hint. When you turned the knob to allow Jake to leave, you nearly jumped out of your skin in shock at the sight of a body standing in the way. You felt your cheeks redden, embarrassed over being caught with both brothers after swearing to keep your distance. Jake cleared his throat, muttering a small excuse as to why he needed to leave before slipping into the hallway and out of sight.

“You’re a busy lady, today.” Dylan smirked, forgoing any greeting and walking into your room without invitation.

“Did you come over just to patronize me?” You asked, swinging the door shut behind her. Even if you did not verbally grant her permission to come inside, she knew she was always welcome.

“No, I actually came over for a reason, this time, not just to bother you.”

“That’s a surprise.” You muttered, turning to face her. She was holding a bag in her hand that looked to be from a nearby convenience store. Once she knew she had your attention, she pulled a box from the bag and tossed it on the table beside the couch. You looked down at the item, wondering what she thought was so imminent. When your eyes settled on the pink packaging, your head tilted to the side in confusion. “For me, or you?”

“You.” She said, sitting on the couch and crossing her legs.

“Why?” You asked, not trying to be rude but completely missing her point. She rolled her eyes but didn’t chastise you for your ignorance.

“You threw up today.” She replied as if it was obvious. “I’ve only ever seen you do that when you’re drunk, and I’ve known you since you moved to Nashville. You don’t seem very sick,” A prickle of fear ran through you, but you didn’t want to let anxiety get the best of you. You listened while she spoke while trying to calm yourself at the same time. “And I want to believe you when you say that you’re not drinking, so this is my second best guess.”

“It’s probably just stress, Dylan.” You brushed her off despite knowing that she had a very good point. “Or bad food; we’ve been eating takeout for weeks.” You were doing anything to find an excuse, because the alternatives seemed much better than the idea she was presenting.

“Nobody else is sick, babe.” She reminded, nodding towards the pregnancy test. “Is there a chance you could be?” You looked from her to the box, unable to give her a verbal answer. Your silence spoke louder than any words, and you both knew that it was in your best interest to comply with her request. “Better safe than sorry.”

“Okay.” You breathed, taking a step forward to grab the test.

“I can come in with you, if you want.” She offered.

“Okay.” You reiterated your previous statement, now too choked with fear to speak anything other than single word answers. Silently, she followed you into the bathroom, taking a seat on the counter to give you a shred of privacy while you did your business. When you finished, you capped the test and set it face down on the counter by the sink. You washed your hands and backed up against the wall, slowly sliding down into a sitting position. You pulled your knees to your chest and rested your chin on your legs, staring down at the floor while your stomach churned with unease.

“Talk to me.” Dylan offered, noticing your state of panic, even if you were being silent about it. She knew you so well that she could tell your mood even from another room.

“I’m just nervous, I guess. You’re right, and what you said makes sense, but I can not be pregnant right now.” You chuckled, but the scene was far from funny. “I take birth control; I thought I’d be fine. Guess I should have been more careful.”

“Do you…” she trailed off, unsure if she wanted to ask you the pressing question. “If it’s positive, do you know who’s it is?” You kept your eyes on the floor, counting back the days in your head. The more you thought, the more panicked you felt. You had been so caught up in your feelings about the brothers that you had failed to notice that your own body was screaming for attention. You were late for your period, and approximately two weeks prior would have been the same time as your first professions of love to the boys. With no comfort at all, you had to recall the nights you spent with them, reckless and careless in your endeavours. Although, the entire time you had spent with them had been careless and reckless; this instance just happened to be more catastrophic.

“No,” you shook your head. “Could be either of them.” You said, running a hand through your hair.

“If it’s positive,” she reinforced her words, making sure you knew that this was all hypothetical and it could be a false alarm. “Who would you rather do this with?”

“That’s a loaded question.” You scoffed, unable to even begin decoding the answer.

“It doesn’t have to be, y/n.” She said, shaking her head at your constant need to second guess yourself. “You have to stop looking at everything the same way. When you think of this: the rest of your life, all of the challenges and the obstacles, but all of the memories and the happiness, too; who can you picture beside you, helping you through it all? Don’t dwell on it, just the first one that pops in your head. The longer you sit with it, the harder it gets. You can weigh the pros and cons for the rest of your life and neither will come out on top. I’m not asking you to choose between them, I just need you to tell me who comes to mind before anything or anyone else.” She explained, just as frustrated as you were. She hated seeing you suffering, but she knew that without a push, you would never draw a conclusion on your own.

“So, I’m going to ask you again. When you picture the rest of your life, who is the first person that you think of?” You looked up, tears brimming your eyes as you watched her. The word stayed stuck in your throat as you tried to force it back down, but this time you could not seem to fight it. The answer was there; it was the same one you knew existed all along, and it was begging to be told. You may have been too cowardly to submit to it, but it had been staring you in the face since the very beginning.

“Sam.” You uttered, knowing deep in your heart that you meant it. She had tricked you into choosing, making you believe that her inquiry was not one of finality, but it was. Relief flooded both of your faces as soon as the name left your lips, and you felt a ton of weight lift from your shoulders. “It’s always been Sam, Dylan. Even before Jake came into the picture. I’ve been in love with him since the day I met him, and I think I’ll be in love with him for the rest of my life.”

“There you go,” she whispered, a smile creeping onto her lips.

“I love Jake, and I know that losing him is going to be devastating, but it’s always been so easy with Sam. Jake and I care a lot about each other, but we have no idea how to deal with that. We’re hot headed, and we fight, and we’ve been trying to figure out how to love someone all while being in love at the same time. It’s complicated, and it’s painful more that it’s pleasurable. I know that a life with him could be great, fantastic even, but it could also be catastrophic.”

“I know you care about him, y/n. You don’t have to try and convince me.”

“I know… maybe I’m trying to convince myself.” You sighed. “I’ve spent this entire time worried that if I picked Sam, I would be doing it because it’s the easy way out. I don’t think it is, Dylan. You can’t just love someone for so long and then let them go. There’s so much history, and so much simplicity. It’s easy existing with Sam, it’s comfortable, and it’s enjoyable. I don’t think picking him is the easy way out; it feels right. After all this time, and all of this hurt… I just feel like he’s the one who I could spend my life with. It would be a great life, never too complicated, and happy.” You said the word again, almost like you couldn’t believe you might actually have a shot at happiness. The pain had been so extensive for so long that happiness had forever seemed just slightly out of reach, and you were ready to take it for you own. The power was back in your hands, coursing through you and giving you strength that you no longer believed you had. “I loved him before I even knew I was capable of love, and that has to speak for itself. I love Jake, I really do, but I can’t help but think if I choose him, I’m setting myself up for heartbreak again.”

“I’m proud of you.” She said, not uttering a disagreement or approval. She needed you to be sure of yourself, for you to pick the right person for you, and it felt like you had. Finally, after months of back and forth, the exhaustion was beginning to wear off. “Let’s see what that says.”

“Yeah,” you nodded, slowly climbing to your feet. You took a deep breath in, the first in a while where you felt like nothing was weighing you down. You reached out to the counter and flipped the flimsy plastic stick around. You let your eyes settle on the window that would ultimately seal your fate, hand shaking as you raised it closer to your face. You studied it for what felt like an eternity, then eventually flashed it in her direction. She did the same, looking between you and the test, waiting for you to speak it aloud. You turned it towards your face once more, just to be certain that you read it right. You let out a long exhale, closing your eyes as you spoke it aloud. “It’s negative.”

“It is.” She agreed.

“So all of the panic was for nothing?” You chuckled, tossing the test back on the counter. It clattered against the surface, sending a pathetic thud through the air.

“Not for nothing, y/n. I’d say it was well worth our time.” You looked at yourself in the mirror, carefully inspecting your reflection. The woman who was staring back at you was changed, far from the one who used to look at you. This one was tired, but she was strong, and she was not different in the bad ways that you predicted she would be. She was capable and brave, facing up to challenges she never thought she could handle. She was tending to old wounds, ones that had not healed even years after the damage was done. She knew how to love, and she knew how to care, and she knew how to open herself up to a world that she previously would have shunned. “Now you know.”

“Now I know.” You looked over at her, smiling despite the lingering ache in your heart. You knew that Sam was what your heart wanted, and you had no intentions of doubling back on your word, but it did not mean that you were excited to break the news to Jake. Living without him was a thought that sickened you, but leading him on even further was even worse. You had done enough damage, and now it was time to pick up the pieces of what you had shattered during your journey of learning to love. “Tomorrow, though, because we have a show to put on.”

“The show must go on.” She raised her hands in surrender as a laugh fell from her lips. “The world is in your hands, Gold Dust Woman. You do whatever you think is best.”

She was correct in saying that you held the world in your hands, but you wished that you could put it down. Your arms were tired and your mind, too. You had been holding the weight for what seemed like forever, and you were scared that you could not put it down gently. When it fell, you took the risk of losing the small sense of relief you had finally granted yourself. Finally finding the answer was cathartic, yet you were still so afraid of relying on your own judgment. In the past, it had never led you to pleasant conclusions, and everything you had ever let go was left behind with claw marks in it. You were afraid that the damage created was already much to extensive to repair, but the show must go on, and if you were truly the Gold Dust Woman everyone said you were, you could always find the courage to take the stage and make it your own.

Please tell me, is it over now?

TAGLIST: @itsdannysworld @gretavansara @jaketlove @laneygvf @freefallthoughts @psychedelicsprinkles @idontwannabeherenow @joshysgirl @sanguinebats @objectsinspvce @klarxtr @sinarainbows @jakesmustache @gvfpal @hellowgoodbye @profitofthedune

[leveloneandup]

Extra Time: Two World Cup Champs Aren’t Scared of the Dutch

Holland day

So, two-time World Cup champion Christen Press, what scares you about the Netherlands, America’s second-round opponent at this 2023 World Cup? The U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT) will face the Orange Lionesses tonight at 9 p.m. E.T. in New Zealand's capital city of Wellington.

Press, who won titles in 2015 and 2019 as a forward for the U.S. but recently underwent a fourth surgery to repair the knee preventing her from playing in this World Cup, is mildly offended by this question. “As soon as you say, ‘What scares you,’ I took that as a player,” Press says. “And I’m like, ‘Nothing scares me.” Press, 34, laughs. “OK, go ahead, Tobin …"

As in Tobin Heath, who’s also on this call—and was also on the 2015 and 2019 USWNT World Cup teams (in addition to the 2011 one)—and has also won a pair of World Cup titles, in 2015 and 2019 with the USWNT. Like Press, Heath, 35, has been sidelined due to injury. So I called on the duo—who are among the founders of the lifestyle brand RE-INC, often finish each other’s sentences, and are co-hosting an excellent podcast and YouTube program during the World Cup called The RE-CAP Show—to break down the U.S.-Netherlands matchup.

Heath agrees with Press. She doesn’t find the Dutch all that frightening. “The Dutch are a good team,” says Heath. “They're not a great team in this tournament.” Heath concedes that the Dutch are the best team in the USWNT’s group, which also includes Vietnam—whom the U.S. defeated 3-0 on Friday in the World Cup opener—and Portugal. “Outside of us,” Press chimes in.

“Outside of us, yes,” says Heath.

Yes, U.S.-Netherlands is a rematch of the 2019 World Cup final. But Heath cautions against reading too much into that. “There were a ton of better teams we played in 2019,” says Heath. She and Press point to games against Spain in the Round of 16, France—in France—in the quarters, and England in the semis as much tougher tests. The U.S. won those games 2-1, but shut out the Netherlands, 2-0, in the title game. “We always say our final was one of the easier games for us,” says Heath.

What’s more, the Dutch—who beat Portugal 1-0 in their World Cup opener—are down a superstar. Vivianne Miedema, the country’s all-time leading goal scorer, is missing this World Cup due to an ACL tear. “We don’t have to significantly adjust what we’re doing in order to take care of an individual player,” says Heath. “I don’t think they can do much damage to us.”

The one Netherlands player Heath mentioned in our conversation as a threat to watch—striker Lineth Beerensteyn—is now unlikely to play, because of an ankle injury she suffered against Portugal. Heath notes that the Dutch have a solid aerial presence off set pieces. And the Orange Lionesses could exploit the tendency of U.S. outside defenders Crystal Dunn and Emily Fox to play “inverted” positions—meaning they sometimes serve more as midfielders, moving into more centralized spaces on the pitch, getting involved in short passes on the attack. That strategy can leave the U.S. defense susceptible to Dutch counterattacks out wide. “You are leaving a big area to exploit,” says Heath.

Still, the former USWNT players aren’t all that worried. If anything, this is a huge opportunity for the Americans to make a statement. Germany made its mark, with a 6-0 crushing of Morocco. Brazil cast itself a real threat, with its 4-0 opening game victory over Panama. Spain beat Zambia 5-0 on Tuesday. “There’s a few teams that are like, we’re here,” says Heath. “We didn’t have that game against Vietnam. We can have that game against the Netherlands, if we want. I don’t see there being any reason why we can’t.”

~~~

Parting thought

Since they’ve played in past tournaments, I asked Heath and Press what it’s like for players at the World Cup between games. The U.S. did travel from Auckland to Wellington in the five days between its matchups against Vietnam and the Netherlands. Still, that’s plenty of downtime.

Enough to make you go stir-crazy?

“It’s almost like surrealism,” says Press. “The days are a little gray and foggy. You almost can’t remember. You’re very careful with when you look at your phone and who you even connect with. Or how much you walk. Your whole life is bubble-wrapped. Every second of the day. And then you have to go out and do this incredibly physical and risky and hard and emotionally draining thing. And then you just are bubble-wrapped again.”

“We sit around and talk and try to get a little bit of relief. It's this incredibly difficult experience to explain. You're with the only people in the world that get it. And that creates a bond with every single player I've played with in a world championship that's unlike any other. Because there's this respect. There's this knowingness. You don't even have to say anything and you know what's going on with your teammates.”

“We eat too many meals. We’re really just trying to fuel, fuel, fuel. And we talk and we laugh and we make it to the next game.”

[massivedrickhead]

Bechloe Week Day 1: Reunion

Words: 1104

Notes: Well I tried to start Bechloe week with something flirty and fun but naturally I can't help myself and it ended up getting a bit deeper than that. I also think this is a bit of a stretch for a "reunion" prompt...

I'm probably going to be doing 3 of the prompts for this week, but maybe more if I can get time to write them

Read on AO3

-

“Bec?” Chloe said, wrapping on the door of Beca’s office, one hand absentmindedly rubbing against her stomach. “This is your 30-minute warning, okay? The Bellas are going to be here in an hour.”

“So shouldn’t I get a 60-minute warning?” Beca replied. “They’ll be late anyway.”

“They won’t be late, Aubrey is in charge,” Chloe said, pushing the door open and stepping into her wife’s office. “And you need a 30-minute warning because you’re not greeting our friends - who we haven’t seen in over a year - in your office sweatpants.”

Beca frowned and spun around in her chair. “You love my office sweatpants.”

Chloe cocked her head. “Is that something you imagined I said?”

“I guess I just assumed, since every time I wear them you always want to grab my butt.”

“I think that’s more about your butt than the sweatpants, babe,” Chloe said. “But whether I love the sweats or not, you still need to change.”

“Fine,” Beca said, taking Chloe’s hands and tugging her into her lap. “Well, I don’t need to do any more work, so what should we do with our extra 30 minutes?”

Chloe checked her watch. “It’s more like 27 minutes now.”

“27 minutes? That doesn’t really seem like enough time,” Beca said. 

“Well, we could have a little longer if we saved time by showering together,” Chloe said.

“Mrs Mitchell-Beale, I like the way you think.”

Chloe climbed off Beca’s lap and tugged her out of the chair.

“Make the most of this,” Chloe said, pulling her towards the bathroom. “Once the Bellas get here we have to behave for a full week.”

Beca groaned. “Remind me why we have that rule in place again? It seems cruel and unnecessary. It’s not like they don’t know we’re married. They were there. They even saw us kiss.”

“And they still haven’t forgiven us for that time Emily walked in on us in the laundry room,” Chloe said. “Poor girl nearly went blind.”

“In our defence, she didn’t knock first,” Beca replied.

“In her defence, who knocks on the door of a laundry room before they enter?”

“Okay,” Beca said, “fair point.”

They made short work of stripping out of their clothes and were soon stepping into the shower together. As it so often did, Beca’s hand found its way to Chloe’s stomach.

“You’re still sure you want to tell them?” Beca asked.

“Yes,” Chloe said. “When is the next time we will all be together again after this? I want to tell them in person.”

“I know,” Beca said. “I do too.”

“Then why does your face look like that?”

“Genetics?”

“Smart-ass,” Chloe said, rolling her eyes. She put a finger under Beca’s chin and tilted her head up so she would look at her, and not her bump. “Why do you look worried? This is good news.”

“It’s the best news,” Beca said. “It’s just… as soon as we tell them, it stops being our little secret. It… I can’t explain it.”

“You’re scared we’re jinxing it,” Chloe said. Beca’s eyes dropped to Chloe’s stomach again, and Chloe knew she was right. “This isn’t like last time.”

“I know that,” Beca said. “Logically, I know that.”

Chloe pressed a kiss on Beca’s cheek and then pulled her into her arms, and they stayed like that for a little while. The hot water cascaded on and around them, steam rising up to obscure the rest of their bathroom.

Feeling hidden away and protected, Beca spoke again. “Announcing him to our friends, celebrating him, it feels like we’re drawing attention to him. Like we’re asking for something bad to happen. The more excited I get to meet him, the more convinced I am that something is going to take him away.”

“Baby,” Chloe said, softly, holding Beca tighter. 

“I know I’m being stupid-”

“-You aren’t being stupid,” Chloe said, cutting her off. 

“I know it isn’t logical,” Beca said as if there’d been no interruption. “But then the more I try to convince myself that it isn’t going to happen, the more I feel like it will. If you tell yourself over and over again that everything’s fine, that everything will be fine, then the more likely it is that the universe will want to screw you over.”

Beca’s thoughts were spiralling now, she was working herself into a panic. She took a slightly shuddering breath and opened her mouth, as if to continue before something tapped her on the palm of her hand.

She froze. 

During their hug, her hand reached Chloe’s stomach again. One hand was pressed against Chloe’s back, the other resting protectively on the side of her stomach.

She had felt her son kick for the first time.

They hadn’t made it this far last time.

Beca let out a shocked laugh and tears sprang to her eyes before quickly joining the shower water spilling down her cheeks.

“He can hear you,” Chloe said, smiling as tears filled her eyes too. “He’s letting you know that he’s okay.”

Beca laughed again and bent down to press a kiss against Chloe’s stomach.

“Hi buddy,” Beca said. “I can’t wait to meet you.”

“We don’t have to tell the Bellas,” Chloe said. “I can wear my big sweaters.”

“In L.A. in July?” Beca said, straightening back up, an eyebrow raised.

“I’m always cold, they’ll believe it,” Chloe said. 

“We should tell them,” Beca said. “They’re our family.”

Chloe smiled. “Good, because they would never have believed the sweater thing.”

Beca laughed and kissed her wife again. “I’m sorry I dumped all that on you. I didn’t mean to, it just came out.”

“Don’t apologise,” Chloe said. “Have you talked to your therapist about it?”

“Yeah, we’re working on it,” Beca said. “I know it’s just my anxiety working overtime. My dumb brain doesn’t like it when I’m happy, apparently.”

“Not dumb,” Chloe corrected. “Just… misguided? It thinks it’s protecting you. It thinks it’s keeping you safe.”

“Po-tay-to, po-tah-to,” Beca said. “I’m sorry I ruined the mood. I was planning on doing my best sex moves and everything.”

“I suppose when everyone’s safe in bed tonight, we could try again,” Chloe said, with a hint of a smirk. “Our door does lock, after all.”

“Do you think you can be quiet enough for that?” Beca asked, grinning as she pulled Chloe in for a kiss.

Chloe pulled away. “We don’t have time right now. I don’t even know what time it is, we’ve been in here for-”

Ding-dong!

“Crap,” Chloe said.

“So greeting them soaking wet and naked is better than my work sweats, how exactly?”

[countrymusiclover]

40 - Newest Dutton Baby

Country Rancher

This is the final chapter ❤️ thank you for reading

Tags @whateverthecostner @rosie-posie08 @kayceduttonn @kcloveswrestling @the-morning-star-falls @kaymudd @hcwthewestwaswcn

I gasped seeing water coming from between her legs since she was wearing just a dress and some socks after her shorts were tighter. “Oh my god. I think the babies coming.”

Kayce and I frantically turned our head towards one another sharing the same terrified look that we weren’t expecting this yet. Her due date wasn’t supposed to be until the rest of the family got back in town. “Call the helicopter!”

Kayce carried his first born daughter in his arms while we had someone else flying the helicopter for us. Carter had grabbed the baby bag. With the rest of our kids piling into the truck. “I’ll follow behind ya’ll. You stay with our baby girl.” Kayce told me when I climbed into the helicopter shutting the door behind me.

“Mommy, I’m scared.” Bree winced reaching for my hand when we rose off the ground flying as fast as we possibly could.

Grasping her hand in mine I sniffled through tears, remembering what it was like when I had her around my early 20’s. I still felt like I was a kid back then but nowhere near as young as she is. “I’m here, B. I’m always here. It’s you and me against the world.”

She sucked in a breath closing her eyes. And she remained that way for the rest of the flight. Finally we landed on the hospital building. Some medics rushed outside, rolling her into an elevator. I never let go of her hand even when her doctor came into the room. “Ms. Dutton, you are almost ready to push. But we will check up on you in a few hours.”

“Thanks doc.” I told her simply before she left the room leaving us alone.

Bree croaked through tears when she had some more contractions in her lower back. “Mommy, what if I can’t do this?”

“Don’t worry, baby girl.” Brushing hair out of her face I blinked through tears. “You are the strongest person I know. Heck when you were five years old you fell off my horse for the first time. But you wanted to get back on the second it happened.”

The door opened where I saw Carter and the others coming in. Kayce shut the door gently behind him. “How’s she doing? I called my dad and told him what’s going on. Unfortunately he can’t be home until the end of this month. So it will be a few weeks before he sees the new grandkid.”

“The doctor said she’s almost ready to deliver. But it would a few hours before she’s fully given the green light.” I shrugged my shoulders at my husband.

Carter went to her other bedside taking her other hand that I wasn’t holding. “Bree, I’m here. Uh…whatever you need from me.”

“Thanks Carter.” My daughter mumbles squeezing his hand.

Tate was helping Dallas and Elsa playing some games on the iPad we had got recently. Kayce walks over to me removing his hat where I got to my feet since he clearly needed to say something privately. “Little B, we’ll be back in a few minutes.”

Bree just nodded where we stepped out into the hallway shuttling the door behind us as we went. Wrapping my arms around myself I sighed heavily. “So what’s going on, Kayc?”

“I just needed a minute. Cause when I look at her right now I…it makes me think back to when I left you and how scared you probably were.” He ran a hand down his face.

Holding my hands I shake my head not being able to handle him crying right now. “Kayce, please don’t cry right now. Okay we’ve gone past this. Was it hard, yes. But you are here now. And I know you’re scared for our girl. But you aren’t alone. We’re in this together.”

“I just….feel like such an ass. For abandoning you for years because I chose Monica first over you. When it’s always been you who holds my heart and no one else will ever be that for me.” He sniffs through tears until I tug him against my chest. He buried his face into my neck where I ran my fingers through his hair.

“Kayce, I’ve forgiven you. Now we have to be there for Bree.” Breaking the hug we went back into the hospital room and just waited for about two more hours before the doctor came back in and said we had the green light.

Bree had asked that me and Kayce be in the room while she delivered even though we knew she loved Carter. So he stayed outside with Tate and the twins. “Alright Ms. Dutton. I need you to start pushing for me.” The doctor instructed her while she clasped our hands in hers.

She bared her teeth down while she began pushing as hard as she could until she threw her head back needing to rest. “I can’t do this, daddy…” She began panicking with her chest heaving up and down.

“Hey, hey, Little B. You are as strong as your mama. If she could get through this, so can you.” Kayce kisses her forehead holding back tears hating to see his daughter in pain and he could really do anything about this.

She gulped, gripping our hands tighter than she already had. She screamed while she was pushing with everything she had left in her. After a few more long pushes she threw her head back in relief hearing a baby’s cry filling the room. “Ohhh…” Leaning forward I kissed her forehead, smiling through tears.

The doctor handed the crying infant over to a nurse. She wrapped the baby in a soft blanket before he delivered the news. “Congratulations Ms. Dutton, you have a beautiful baby boy.”

“Have you all picked out a name yet?” The nurse asked Carter and her.

Carter chuckled nervously. “Uh no we haven’t.”

The nurse nodded gently, handing their baby boy over to them. “He’s perfect.” Bree began crying while she held her baby closer to her chest crying through happy tears.

Covering my mouth with my freehand Kayce moved around the bed. He wrapped his arms around me crying through tears. “Looks like we’re grandparents now huh Kayce. I…I can’t believe it. We’ve got a grandson.”

“Our little girl is just as strong as you are, darling.” He kisses my forehead watching the doctor and nurses leave the hospital room giving us time alone together.

Carter shifts his gaze down to the infant in his girl's arms. “He’s so tiny…”

“Can we meet the new baby now?” Dallas burst into the room.

Tate came in with Elsa dragging him behind her. “Are you going to name it after grandpa or daddy?”

“Kiddos enough with the questions. Alright your sister has been through a lot tonight. Let’s let her get some rest now.” Kayce looks down at the rest of our kids who were being impatient.

Tate dropped his smile. “Awe come on, dad.”

“Tate, don’t push it.” I warned him with a glare.

Bree cleared her throat causing all of us to turn our attention to the teenage couple. “Mommy, I think I might actually have a name for this little guy. Because I have been reading some letters from 1923. And I found a name I rather liked.”

“Honey , you don’t have to rush into this. It took me a while before I found the perfect name for you.” I reassured her by squeezing Kayce’s hand in mine.

Bree shook her head glancing over at Carter. “It’s okay, mom. The name I want is Spencer. Spencer Kayce Dutton.”

“Are you two going to get married at some point?” Kayce asked his daughter, blinking through tears while a grin was plastered on his face at hearing his name being the boy's middle name.

Carter rubbed the back of his neck avoiding his gaze before Bree sent him a grin. “Uh no sir. But I ain’t going anywhere, Mr. Dutton.” I laid my head on Kayce’s shoulder where he tugged me closer to his embrace, happy that we were all okay.

Comments really appreciated ❤️

[thetargaryenbride]

Nail To The Coffin - S2 - Chapter 4

Warnings: brief mention of drugs

Pairing: Steve Harrington x f!Byers!Reader

Word Count: 6328

A.N: Ok! Sorry it took so long but we’re finally entering the actual interesting part of the plot of season 2! Hang on tight! Also, I’ve decided to humanize Billy a bit more because I really do believe he has the potential to become a good person if only there’s someone he can relate to and someone to show him kindness which is a foreign concept for him. As always, please do make me know if I’ve written certain characters OOC and if you think there is something that can be corrected within the story. Thank you for reading. Hope you like it! 🖤 🥀

Masterlist || Chapter 3 || Chapter 5

“Maybe we should check the backyard?” suggested Lucas and you nodded but suddenly Dustin halted.

“Dustin?” you heard your mother’s voice and you saw her after you rounded the corner after the boy.

“Mrs. Byers?”

“What’s going on? Where’s Will?” asked Joyce frantically before she saw you. “Y/N, honey, weren’t you supposed to pick him up?”

“That’s what I was doing, mom. I came here right after I finished my practice but I had no idea that AV was canceled because no one bothered to tell me,” you grit out the last part with a tight smile as you looked at Dustin and he shifted guiltily in his spot.

“Thank God I called the teacher’s office to check on things. Where-where is he?”

Before anyone could answer, Lucas – who none of you noticed had run off to check outside – rushed in, drawing your attention.

“The field!” he shouted urgently before running back out and you didn’t hesitate to follow.

You found your brother rooted in one place, frozen and unmoving despite Mike shaking him and trying to snap him out of the state he’d fallen in.

“I just found him like this!” exclaimed the boy worriedly as you rushed to your brother. “I think he’s having another episode!”

“Will? Will!” you shouted as you grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him lightly.

“Sweetie, wake up! It’s mom!” joined Joyce. “Will! Will, wake up!”

“C’mon, honey, listen to us. Wake up. Please!” you spoke frantically as you tapped his cheek.

It felt as if hours passed since you and your mom began shaking Will and tried waking him up while he stayed paralyzed with his pupils moving behind his eyelids but in fact it was barely а minute.

Then he snapped back into reality with a sharp gasp, eyes blowing wide open.

Everyone let out relieved sighs.

“Can you hear me, baby?” you asked as you squeezed his shoulders and he gulped, nodding slowly. “Are you alright? Does it hurt anywhere? Your head or?” he shook his head and you sighed as you brought him into a hug, your mother joining and placing a kiss on his head as the two of you sandwiched the poor boy between you.

“Let’s go home, hm?” she offered, sending you a shaky smile, and you nodded.

“Hey,” you paused on the top of the stairs and turned to look at Max. “I’m sorry you had to witness that. It was probably scary,” you gave her an apologetic look and her eyes widened as she shook her head and was quick to turn down your worries.

“No, it’s ok. You don’t need to apologize.”

“That’s good. Don’t let that scare you out of being friends with these guys,” you smiled and she nodded. “You are…Billy’s sister, right?” you asked and she fidgeted in her spot for a bit.

“Step-sister, yes.”

“Um, look,” you began as you placed a hand on her shoulder and guided her a few steps away from the boys, throwing a look over your shoulder to make sure they weren’t going to eavesdrop, “I don’t want to butt into your life or anything but…Billy seems like…kind of an asshole brother,” you pointed out and she snorted as if you haven’t told her anything new.

“Yeah, he can be like that. But don’t worry about him, ok? I can handle him,” she scrunched up her forehead and nodded confidently.

“I don’t doubt that. You seem like a pretty badass girl. But I felt compelled to tell you, just in case, that if you ever have an extra bad clash with your brother you can come to me.”

“Really?” she looked at you incredulously, having no idea why a stranger would be as kind as to go out of their way and offer her that.

But you didn’t have to know her to offer her your help and kindness. It was enough that you witnessed Billy’s behavior towards her and you took pity on the girl so you wanted to let her know she could rely on you and have an escape route if she needed to. 

“Yes, really. You have a place in my home if you want to get away from his prick ass sometimes,” you smiled encouragingly and she let out a lighthearted snort through her nose, returning the smile.

“Thank you.”  

“See you guys later,” you bid the kids goodbye after that and rushed down the stairs.

“Update us on his condition, ok?” called Mike after you and you turned to give him thumbs-up before following your mother to the parking lot.

“I can’t remember,” muttered Will and you looked at him over your shoulder while busying your hands with taking a mug and warming up some milk so you could make hot cocoa, otherwise they wouldn’t stop shaking.

“I need you to try,” pleaded your mother. You grabbed the cup and neared the table, placing it in front of Will. Comfort drinks or food always managed to make him feel better so you hoped it would be helpful now.

“I…I was on the field and…and then it…all just went blank, and… and then you were there,” he explained but you could tell he was lying and so did your mother.

“Will, I need you to tell me the truth.”

“I am,” he muttered as he grabbed the mug, his fingers drawing patterns on its surface before he took a sip. Joyce sighed before she stood up and disappeared into Will’s room.

“Hey,” you whispered as you took her place next to him and dragged the chair closer. “I know there’s more to it. Mom can feel it too. I’m sure she’s gonna believe you this time. You know that I believe you. We talked about it, didn’t we?” you gave him an understanding smile and he nodded.

Before any of you could say anything more, Joyce came back, holding two pieces of paper that she placed on the table in front of you. One was Will’s drawing and the other was something resembling it.

“This shape,” she said as she pointed at the second drawing. “I saw it on the video tape from Halloween night. It’s the same shape as…as your drawing,” she explained as she compared the two. “These episodes that you’re having, I think Dr. Owens is wrong. I think they’re real. But… I can’t help you if I don’t know what’s going on.”

“Mom is right. We can speculate all we want whether they are real or not and whether you have formed a connection to the Upside Down or not. Personally, I believe that’s the case,” you spoke and Joyce looked at you surprised and worried. “But we need you to talk so we can get a better understanding about this whole situation and try to, I don’t know, find a way to put a stop to this…ok? Don’t be afraid to speak your truth. Talk to us, please,” you squeezed his shoulder encouragingly as he looked at the table then back at you and Joyce, eyes glistening with unshed tears.

“That’s right. No more secrets, ok?” asked Joyce and he nodded slowly. “Did…did you see this again on the field?”

“Yes.”

“What was it?”

“I don’t know…It’s almost…more like a feeling,” he tried putting it into words, voice shaky.

“Like the one you had that night at the arcade?”

“Yes,” he whispered.

“What does it want?” you asked after a moment of silence.

“I don’t know…It came for me and…And I tried. I tried to make it go away,” he hiccupped as the tears finally slid down his cheeks and Joyce looked at you with worry in her eyes which you shared. “But it got me, mom.”

“What does that mean?”

“I felt it…everywhere,” he whimpered. “Everywhere…I…I still feel it. I just want this to be over,” he cried out and you and your mom leaned forwards and took him into your arms, hugging him tightly as he sobbed.

“It’s ok, honey. It’s ok,” whispered Joyce as she caressed his head and you felt hot rage bubble inside of you. You didn’t know what that thing was but it had marked your brother and he became its prey once again. How you wanted to get your hands on it and make it pay for everything he was putting Will through.

“Hey, look at me, sweetheart,” you pulled away to look at him and grasped each side of his face. “I will never, ever, let anything bad happen to you ever again. You hear me? We’re getting through this together and this shithead is going to pay,” you told him firmly and Joyce nodded.

“Whatever is going on in you, we’re gonna fix it. We will fix it! I promise!”

The rest of the day you spent working at the diner. It was the middle of the week so there weren’t that many people. It was only around the late afternoon hours when students began piling in which helped keep you distracted.

“On the house,” you smiled as you placed a milkshake and a plate of waffles with some chocolate syrup, banana pieces, cream, and rainbow sprinkles in front of Lorelei and she let out a surprised gasp.

“No, Y/N, I can’t not pay-“

“Nonsense. I promise it’s ok,” you waved off her worries and her guilty expression melted into one of gratitude as she took the straw between her fingers and sipped, letting out a content sigh.

“Thank you. That’s really sweet of you.”

“You’re welcome. But what about you, Chrissy? You sure you don’t want to spoil yourself a bit with something sweet?” you asked as you shifted to look at the other girl who had refused to order any food and was currently holding a glass of water.

“No, Y/N, thank you very much for the offer but I’m fine. There are just too many calories in the waffles and the milkshake and I really have to mind my figure,” she said with a smile but you managed to pick on the nervousness of her tone and the way she fidgeted in her seat.

“Oh, ok,” you let out a small uncertain smile, finding her behavior a bit odd but decided to drop it for now.

“Fancy seeing you here, Byers,” sounded a very familiar voice and you grumbled under your breath as you turned to see Billy strolling towards the counter with Tommy and a couple of other boys from the basketball team following behind. “Interesting how we keep running into each other.”

“Well, it’s a small town,” you lifted your brows as you grabbed a menu and placed it in front of him. “But if you ask me, I doubt you just ran into me by coincidence.”

“Is that so?” the corner of his lip twitched as he battled a smirk from forming and you gave him a downward smile. 

“I think…that you decided to hang out with your new buddies and you wondered where you should go to grab a bite and then Tommy the dick Hagan told you I worked here so...there you are,” you blurted out and he couldn’t contain a playful grin from spreading on his face as he let out a chuckle.

“Alright…I’m starting to get why you’re one of the smartest. Frankly, I’m impressed,” he gave a nod of approval and you smiled, shaking your head. “But what, are you going to kick me out ‘cause you’re tired of seeing my face?” he asked, tilting his head, and you sighed.

“Actually, no I won’t. You’re paying my salary,” you said offhandedly and he let out a laugh, almost sending you into a state of shock because you didn’t know he was capable of laughing genuinely instead of mockingly, and you shared a look with Chrissy and Lorelei who seemed to be thinking the same thing as you.

“You know what, Byers? I’m starting to really like you,” he drawled and you snorted.

“Please, don’t. I’d like to keep my sanity.”

“Hey, wait up,” called Billy after you and you turned to face him, waiting impatiently for him to catch up, his confident but leisurely stroll driving you on edge because you wanted to rush back home as fast as possible.

“What is it?”

“I wanted to give it back,” he said as he took your ribbon out of the pocket of his leather jacket and handed it to you, making you arch an eyebrow.

“I thought you were going to keep this as some kind of twisted token or something.”

“Only if you want me to,” he grinned mischievously, retracting his hand, and you quickly grabbed the fabric before he had the chance to put it back in his pocket. 

“Thanks…I guess.”

“I was curious about something,” he said as he fell into step with you when you resumed your walking.

“Really? What about?”

“What Hagan said that Halloween night. About your father,” he revealed and you halted in your steps, looking up at him with wide eyes. He detected the slight fear and unease swirling in their depths and let out a sigh, shaking his head. “Nah, forget it.”

“No,” you blurted out. “Uh…it’s ok. Just…it just took me off guard, is all,” you muttered and he looked at you for a while as if trying to decipher you.

“I just wanted to know if what he said was true. About him being an asshole.”

“Yeah…yeah he’s an asshole…so it’s a good thing he’s out of our lives,” you revealed, the grip you had on your bag tightening.

“I see…then what he said that night was a very fucking shitty dick move,” huffed the boy and you gulped, looking at him in surprise.

“It was but…I just don’t understand why you’d care.”

“Maybe I’m just feeling like doing some charity. So I’ll tell Hagan to get off your hair,” he shrugged and you frowned.

“I’m not a charity case. I can take care of myself just fine. Besides, as you kindly pointed out earlier today, I have more than enough knights in shining armor to look after me if I ever need it,” you quipped before turning your back on him and marching to your car, not giving him a chance to respond or follow you as you sped away.

Even through the sideway mirror, you could see his bizarre expression and it made you wonder why he decided to approach you and ask about your father and why he seemed a bit protective about this topic.

Meanwhile, Billy just stared at the rear of your car, his mind focused on the things he learned.

He hadn’t actually meant to talk to you about your father. He didn’t know what prompted him to talk about it and why his curiosity had won.

Today after basketball practice he had asked Tommy about it. It’s not like it was a secret. From what he learned, the whole town knew of Lonnie so it’s not like he was prying into your personal life. He had just wanted Tommy to explain why he said what he said and learn what everyone else seemed to already know. The boy told him about your father being a total jerk, a cheat, a drunkard, and a suspected junkie. He had also told him about you ending up at the hospital with a concussion and a beat-up face one day and that shortly after your parents had divorced. Billy wasn’t stupid. He managed to put two and two together.

And something inside of him had just cracked. He didn’t know what it was but it gnawed at him and made him want to confront you about it and hear it from your mouth.

Maybe it was the fact that he had just found someone who shared the same experience and fought the same battle as he did.

And that made him want to be less of an asshole to you.

You got home extra late once again and all you could think of was getting a shower, checking on Will, and grabbing a snack.  

You first went to see your brother, only to find him asleep in your mother’s arms. You smiled sadly. He must have been very afraid. Then you checked on Jonathan. He was also fast asleep.

You took a hot shower, hoping it would help you relax but it didn’t.

You made yourself warm and comfortable in your bed, hoping the tiring day you had would help you fall asleep but it didn’t.

You kept tossing and turning.

You got out of bed and began pacing, picking up something to read only to discard it because you kept getting distracted. You smoked as you mindlessly watched TV, leg bouncing, mind racing.

Before you knew it, you were reaching for the one thing that never failed at bringing you peaceful bliss – Ketamine.

Nearly a year ago

“Chief, you think you can spare me a minute?” asked one of the doctors the following day after your surgery, and Hopper, who had come to visit you and see if things have improved, nodded and followed the man. He had been just about to enter your room when he was called.

“What is it, doc?”

“Amongst the other examinations, we needed to do some blood tests and I felt compelled to inform you that we found traces of drugs in her bloodstream,” revealed the man, and Hopper furrowed his brows, his gut clenching nervously as his mind jumped to a few days ago when he had found you stumbling out of the forest and collapsing by his house.

“What kind of drugs?”

“Uh, it’s nothing too serious, it’s just Ketamine. It’s actually quite commonly used because it either gives you a euphoric state of mind or calms you down. It is a sedative drug, after all,” explained the man, and Hopper shut his eyes, hand going to pinch the bridge of his nose. “I wanted to speak to her mother but seeing the horrible state she was in I decided it would be best if you learned first.”

“No, you did well by telling me first. Don’t say a word to Joyce. I’ll handle that,” he said and the doctor nodded before walking away. 

.

A week later

“Hop?” you called out as you saw the man getting out of his vehicle and he turned around.

“Hey,” he greeted but you immediately picked on his not-so-happy mood. “Where have you been?”

“I took a walk in the forest. Wanted to enjoy some fresh air,” you smiled as you finally neared him and he looked at the arm resting in a sling before back at you. “But why are you here? Is there something wrong?”

“Not really, uh…I just wanted to talk to you about somethin’,” he said and unsettlement crept upon you all of the sudden.

“What about?”

“I’m gonna be straightforward, kid. The doctor told me about traces of Special K in your blood,” he blurted out and your eyes widened, your heartbeat increasing. “Just tell me the truth, ok? Did you take drugs?” he asked and you gulped, taking a deep breath before nodding.

“I did-“

“Jesus, kid,” he rubbed his face with one hand while the other rested on his hip and you hurries to explain yourself.

“I just panicked! I-I didn’t know what to do. I was stressed. Mom and Jonathan needed support so I had to be calm and stable.”

“And you decided that the best way to do that is by sedating your mind with drugs?” he snapped. “That’s bullshit, kid.”

“I didn’t know what else to do!”

There was a tense silence for a moment before Hopper turned around and walked towards the porch, plopping down on the sofa that you had always wanted to replace with a porch swing, and you hesitantly followed and joined him.

“Listen, kid…I…made the same mistakes,” he began uncertainly. “After my…after my daughter died, I fell in a black hole. Just like you, my mind wouldn’t leave me alone. Stress, insomnia, depression, overthinking, pain, regret, you name it, it swallowed me,” he spoke lowly and you gulped. “So I reached for that shit. Alcohol…drugs,” he huffed. “I thought they were helping…but they fucked things up even more. I realized that a bit late, though. I don’t want you to repeat my mistakes,” he finally looked at you and you filled with regret and guilt. It must have shown on your face because Hopper wrapped an arm around your shoulders.

“C’m here,” he muttered and brought you in for a side hug which you gladly returned. “Promise me…for your sake and for your family’s sake…that you won’t get involved with that crap. Put an end to it before it’s too late because it’s gonna become a weakness that might lead to a very bad downfall,” he said softly, concern lacing his voice, and you nodded against him.

“I promise.”

Alas, you weren’t exactly able to keep true to that promise.

While you hadn’t spiraled out of control and gotten into using heavy drugs, which was a good thing, you still smoked weed with Eddie and occasionally took the Special K. You didn’t consider yourself addicted because you were able to survive long periods of time without taking the drug, but you also couldn’t consider yourself as immune to it as you used to be before Will’s incident.

The next morning came faster than you thought. You had not slept a wink for the majority of the night until you had decided to take the drugs which had finally done the trick and you had managed to sleep for around three hours.

When you woke up, your mom was already in the kitchen, making breakfast. Jonathan was nowhere to be seen which was weird. Usually, it was him making breakfast. 

“Morning,” you greeted groggily as you squinted your eyes at the sunrays, currently still a bit sensitive to the light.

“Morning, sweetie,” greeted Joyce with a smile.

“How’s Will?”

“Still asleep but I reckon he should be waking soon. Hey, can you please finish this? I gotta call the police station,” she asked and you took her place by the stove.

“The police station?”

“I couldn’t get in touch with Hopper yesterday so I’ve been trying to do it today,” she explained and you nodded.

Yeah, you’d like for Hopper to help you out because you had no idea how to deal with all of this.

“Just tell him to call me the second he gets in. Please,” you could hear her talk to Flo and you shook your head, wondering what the reason was as to why your mother couldn’t reach Hopper. Worry began gnawing at you. What if the government had found out about Hopper hiding Eleven? What if they had gotten her and Hopper? You bit your lip as you thought about whether it’d be a good idea to drive to the cabin and check on them.

“Hey, how are you feeling, sleepyhead?” asked Joyce then and you realized that Will must have gotten up. “Any better? Same as last night? Still weird?”

“Yeah,” he sighed as he gave you a strained smile when he strolled into the kitchen and plopped down on a chair. You put the pan away and quickly washed and dried your hands before joining Joyce to stand in front of him.

You put a hand on his forehead and frowned. He wasn’t warm at all. You thought he might have a higher temperature but he seemed cold to the touch.

“Hey, mom,” you spoke lowly. “Can you, uh…get the thermometer?”

She left your side to go fetch the object and the moment she returned you put it in Will’s mouth and the three of you just waited for the results.

“Ok, let me see,” said Joyce after she finished counting the minutes and took the thermometer to check. You peeked over her shoulder and your brows furrowed.

“Is it a fever?” 

“No. Uh…it’s actually cold.”

“It’s thirty-five going thirty-four degrees,” you informed him and he blinked in confusion. “Do you feel cold, though?”

“No. Just a little out of it. Like I haven’t really woken up yet,” he answered and your mother gave him a look that he immediately picked up on. “You promised no doctor!”

“And I meant it. No doctor… You know what? I’m gonna run you a nice bath and it’ll warm you up and hopefully get you feeling better. How’s that sound? Okay,” she grinned at him before patting his hand and standing up, heading for the bathroom, and you uncrossed your arms, going to crouch in front of him.

“Hey, buddy. I know we promised no doctor but I had a lot of time to think last night and…” you licked your dry lips as you tried to word it the best way possible. “Maybe it would be for the better to speak to Dr. Owens after all. If we manage to convince him it’s not just flashes but something happening for real, maybe he can help us. Because if that thing is back and trying to hurt you, we’ll definitely need some backup. At the very least when it comes to manpower.”

“He’s not going to believe. And you promised,” he whined tiredly and you let out a sigh.

“Alright…alright…I won’t contact him. Let’s see what happens and if we can deal with this on our own. But if things start going bad, we’re reaching out for help. Does that sound like a plan?” you arched your brows and he hesitated for a moment before nodding. You smiled and ruffled his hair before standing up and going to the kitchen counter in order to transfer the food onto three plates so you could have breakfast.

“C’mon, dig in. You need all the proper nutrients to strengthen your body.”

You were happy to see him eating but at the same time, this gnawing worry couldn’t let you be at peace so you only ended up playing with your food before your mom interrupted you to call Will for his bath and he left the table to go get a towel.

You had put the empty plate in the sink and proceeded to call the kids over the walkie-talkie to inform them that Will was doing well so far but you wouldn’t be going to school because you feared things would get worse so you preferred staying at home and watching over Will just in case.

Meanwhile, your mother tried calling Hopper and then the police station once again, only to close the phone in frustration.

You were about to go grab your keys and go to Hopper’s cabin because the worry was getting unbearable at this point when Will came out of the bathroom, looking disturbed and sweaty as if he had a fever.

“Mom?”

“Yeah, sweetie, what is it?”

“It’s too hot.”

You furrowed your brows at this. You doubted your mother would’ve run a scalding hot bath and you followed the two into the bathroom only to see that Will had drained the tub.

“I…I can cool it down a little bit, baby, but we gotta get your body temp back up-“

“No,” he interrupted her, voice more deep and serious.

“What?”

“He likes it cold.”

“Don’t sweat it, Harrington. Today’s just not your day, man,” said Billy as he gladly let the shower wash off all filth and sweat, hands rubbing his face.

“Yeah, not your week,” added Tommy and Steve rolled his eyes. “You and the princess break up for one day and she’s already running off with that bitch’s brother. But judging by that dumb expression, you don’t know, do you? Jonathan and the princess skipped yesterday. Still haven’t shown. But that just must be a coincidence, right?” he laughed shrilly.

“Don’t talk like that about Y/N,” grumbled Steve after a moment of silence as he focused his gaze downwards, spurting some shampoo on his palm. He couldn’t really say anything about Nancy or try defending her because much to his chagrin, Tommy was right. And that really left him with a bitter feeling. But he could at least defend you.

“Why? You got another punch cooking for me? I still have to pay you back for the last one,” spat out the boy as he turned off the shower and aggressively grabbed a towel before leaving, making Billy chuckle.

“Don’t take it too hard, man,” he said as he grabbed his own towel. “A pretty boy like you has got nothing to worry about. Plenty of bitches in the sea and you already have one in your net, just waiting to be eaten,” he drawled as he leaned in closer and Steve snapped his neck to look at him, making the boy smirk mischievously.

“I don’t know what you’re talking ab-“

“Oh, c’mon, man, not you too,” shook his head Billy as he turned off Steve’s shower. “You know, Y/N said the same yesterday. You don’t know what I’m talking about? You can’t be that oblivious, can you?” he huffed.

Steve looked at him for a while, trying to gulp down his nervousness and not show any signs of the sudden timidness that had crept upon him, before turning on his shower and washing away the foam in his hair.

“Y/N and I are friends.”

“Then I have nothing to worry about, right?” Billy grinned naughtily, turning off the shower again, and Steve furrowed his eyebrows as he looked at the boy once more. “Trust me on one thing…a friendship between a man and a woman? Pretty much impossible. One always ends up falling for the other,” he ran his tongue over his lip as he kept grinning mischievously while wrapping the towel around his hips. “If I were you…I’d hurry up and claim the little fish…otherwise…someone else might steal it,” he leaned closer to Steve and whispered the last words challengingly in his ear before leaving the bathroom with a smug look, making Steve glare at his retreating form and aggressively turn on the shower, fighting the temptation to go land a punch on the boy’s face.

You were nursing a mug of hot chocolate, hoping it would warm you up and calm your nerves a bit, when you heard the comforting, familiar voice of Hopper, making you almost spill your drink as you bolted for the front door.

“Hello?” he called out.

You left the mug on the kitchen counter and pretty much crashed against the man, making him stumble a bit as he tried to catch and steady you.

“Hey, what’s wrong, kiddo? You good?” he asked as he tried to take a look at you but your head was buried in his chest, his heartbeat soothing you.

“We couldn’t reach you since yesterday afternoon. I thought…I thought something bad happened to you and El,” you whispered brokenly and he sighed in understanding as he rubbed your back and placed a hand on your head.

“It’s all good, kid. There’s nothing to worry about. I promise.”

You pulled away and moved so he could enter, grabbing your mug of chocolate.

“No, leave it open,” you told him when you saw he was about to close the door and he looked at you in confusion as you took a sip.

“Hopper?” Joyce came into the living area, cigarette in her mouth, and he nodded in greeting. “Where the hell have you been!?”

“I overslept…What the hell’s going on? It’s freezing,” he asked and she just waved him over, motioning for him to follow her and the three of you headed towards Will’s room.

“Hey! Knock, knock,” she rammed her knuckles against the wooden surface before pushing it open, revealing a shirtless Will sitting on the bed in front of a wide-open window. “We have a visitor.” 

.

“So this thing, this shadow thing… You told your mother and sister it likes it like this? It likes it cold?” asked Hopper as he held the drawing and Will nodded.

“Yeah.”

“How do you know that?”

“I just…know.”

“Does he talk to you?”

“No. It’s like…I don’t have to think. I just know things now. Things I never did before,” he muttered and you bit your lip. It’s like he was connected to this thing and received information from it without even wanting or thinking about it.

“And, uh…what else do you know?” inquired the man as he moved to sit in front of your brother and looked him in the eyes.

“It’s hard to explain…It’s like old memories in the back of my head, only…they’re not my memories… I mean…I don’t think they’re old memories at all. They’re…now-memories, happening all at once, now.”

“Can you describe these now memories?”

“I don’t know…It’s…It’s hard to explain.”

“I know it’s hard but can you just…Can you try describing it?” pressed Joyce gently. “For us?”

“It’s like…They’re growing and spreading…Killing,” he whimpered, tearing up.

“The memories?”

“I don’t know…I’m sorry,” he let out a sob and Joyce hugged him tightly.

“No, no, no. It’s okay, sweetie.” 

“Hold on, I think I got it,” you uncrossed one arm while the other placed the now empty mug on Will’s desk. “Whatever that thing is, it got into Will, right? It’s inside him. Like he said, everywhere. So they have formed some kind of like…connection. What if this connection allows Will to see what this thing is experiencing and seeing? That’s why he gets all those weird memories but in fact, they aren’t really memories but just glimpses from the point of view of that-that thing,” you shrugged your shoulder as you waved a hand and the three looked at you with wide eyes.

“I think…I think that’s the best way to put it,” sniffed Will. 

“That’s good, that’s…very good. We have some progress. But where is this thing...? How is it seeing? What is it doing? Growing, spreading…where?” asked Hopper and Will shook his head.

“Baby, look at me,” you sat next to Will and grasped his face. “You’re good at drawing…You don’t have to explain it with words… Do it with art.”

“This is…more of the same,” sighed Joyce as she sat on the couch next to Hopper, holding a couple of drawings in her hands, and you went to stand behind her, looking down to see what she was holding while you popped a spoonful of chocolate pudding in your mouth.

“No…there has to be something else to all that,” you commented and the two adults looked at you in confusion. You licked the spoon and put it in the cup before moving around the couch, leaving the cup on the coffee table and sitting on the armrest, grabbing a hold of drawings. “None of these are identical to each other. They are all… different. Sure, it’s the same concept but its structure is different. It’s like a puzzle,” you tried to explain how you saw things as you tried finding fitting images. You smiled when you noticed the lines of two drawings intertwining perfectly.

“There!”

Hopper and Joyce looked at you and then at the two pieces you had put together, finally noticing the way they fit, and smiled.

“Holy shit…you’re right,” drawled the man, and Joyce squeezed your arm as she gave you a proud look and not long after, the three of you were grabbing drawing after drawing, piecing them together all over the house while Will kept producing more and more.

You reached a point when your whole house was littered with taped paper that began resembling something.

“I mean…is it some sort of maze or a road?” asked Joyce as the three of you walked around, inspecting the puzzle you had just finished putting together. “I mean, it’s sort of forking and branching like…like lightning.”

“You think it’s that storm?”

“No, the storm he drew was completely different. He used red. And this is all blue and it has some weird dirt color,” brainstormed Joyce, and Hopper’s face fell in deep thought before realization hit him. “I mean…maybe its roots. ‘Cause remember, he was saying it was spreading and-”

“Killing,” he interrupted her and the two of you looked up to meet his eyes that were filled with urgency. “He said they were killing…Vines…” he finally revealed, rushing to take his hat and coat, “He’s drawing vines.”

“Hey, where are you going?” you ran after him, grabbing your jacket.

“I think I might have an idea where I can find this thing,” he drawled.

“Well, then I’m coming with you,” you informed him offhandedly and he sharply turned to look at you.

“No! You’re staying here.”

“Really? You want to have that argument again?” you glared and he returned it.

“We don’t know what’s actually out there, ok? This is not like last year’s undercover mission! We confronted a man. A man! This thing-“

“Yeah, exactly! We don’t know what this thing is and you want to go out there all alone!? No way,” you grit out. “I’m coming whether you like it or not.”

“What if you get in my way, huh? How am I supposed to investigate and protect you all at once?” his voice raised and you shut your mouth, fists clenching at your side. Hopper cringed inwardly. He didn’t mean it like that. He didn’t mean to say that you were a hindrance. He was just afraid that he wouldn’t be able to protect you if something came up.

“But what if I end up helping you? You never know what’s gonna happen and we can’t keep throwing what-ifs at each other!” you countered and now it was his turn to shut his mouth and look away in frustration before back at you, breathing angrily through his nose.

“Alright, fine…Fine!” he threw his hands in the air and began walking towards his car. You let out a triumphant huff and a smirk before following after him and climbing on the passenger seat.

[alwaysinstyle]

A Long-Overdue RANT Girlies Appreciation Post

Tonight feels like the perfect night to tell you how much I love you all, and I apologize in advance for the length of this post.

~ Nina ~

My precious Pastel Woods outfit hype-woman who’s always ready to Style Carry™️ me onto the battle field, deceive the enemies with her iconic mermaid hair extensions and then KICK SOME ASS for the both of us. Darling, if your Pinterest board is any indication, you have me absolutely figured out and it is both hilarious and iconic. You are for real my Kenny-coded friend’s evil twin and I know without a doubt that you two would go full GTA mode on the NPC bad drivers to bring me an iced coffee (from ANYWHERE but the Bad Vibes Café). Speaking of which, I hoping you’re treating yourself to an iced chai, because you deserve it, you gorgeous and talented REAL author who I adore. Thanks for climbing up on stilts to give me a kiss on the cheek whenever I’m feeling down. Your constant kind words mean so much to me and yes, you did make me cry actual tears when you called me your IRL Superhero. Your dear Wal-Mart Taylor Swift sends all the love in the world.

~ Teri ~

Scary Teri, my favorite Ten Ferrets Stacked in a Trench Coat, my fellow road rage gal who loves screaming in the car as much as I do. I can’t even tell you how much I appreciate you for biting the bullet and being the Cartman friend with whom I can make THE darkest jokes and tell THE darkest stories (and, of course, exchange graphic jump-scare surgery pics) without scaring you away. At the end of it all, you still tell me I’m vibrant and resilient, and that warms my heart more than I can express. Thank you for allaying my fears of becoming a Cynical Asshole (formal diagnosis as you all know). Thank you for making me feel strong when I feel weak. I look forward to many, many more unhinged conversations and overly analytic beta reads of your spectacular fics. I do, in fact, still expect to receive a package containing the buckets of tears I have harvested through Hourglass.

~ Riley ~

My dearest WARRIOR, sword-wielding protector Riley, co-sponsor of the Style Carry™️ who makes me spontaneously combust with everything she writes. We come together to form one joint Whump Deity as the Queen of Injury Fics and the Queen of Sickfics, and I love that everyone on ao3 GENUINELY lumps us together as one being. I don’t blame them since we really do be sharing one brain cell. It kicks ass being each other’s target audience because even with our most self-indulgent shit, mark my worms, the other WILL be absolutely blended. Whenever I’m feeling down, you’re ALWAYS locked and loaded with lizard pics and not to mention graphic illness and injury for my viewing pleasure. Your fics, bedtime stories and sneak peeks that are ALWAYS tacitly solicited bring me such an incredible amount of joy. I mean it. It was the sweet siren call of OJV that brought me to Tumblr in the first place. I am so glad to have come to the dark side and to have become a RANT girly, and I owe that all to you. You are the heart of RANT, dear. Without you we’re just ANT, and ants aren’t even that cool. Thank you so very much for being the ultimate hype gal, for being THE world’s best commenter, for reminding me to take care of Ye Olde Flesh Prison when I’m being terrible about it, and for worrying about me when I’m too stubborn to worry about myself. Your support means the world to me, my dude. Our chats and headcanon dumps have actually been the grounding force keeping me sane (ironically, since we’re so insane about Style). Keep kicking ass and avoiding creepy pizza men, okay? I love you so much and I love being NOT normal together.

@1moreoffkeyanthem @asteria7fics @boxwinebaddie

All three of you, and everyone else on this crazy website who makes me smile, THANK YOU.