#some weeks will obviously be worse for a new release than others like holidays and such

[idekwtf-is-happening]

Seeing people on Twitter trying to hate on Taylor swift is so funny like, she’s living in their heads rent free as they scramble for reasons to hate her

[the-fiction-witch]

The Other Harmon P11 - P15

TV SHOW: THE QUEENS GAMBIT COUPLE: BENNY WATTS X READER RATING: SMUT

Part 11 : Choke

I smiled as at last, I was off the horrid plane. I never liked flying even with mother and Beth but alone it was worse, at least on the way home Benny will be with me. I walked through the busy airport with my suitcase and my bag in my new pretty dress looking at all these things here and there

"Honeydew!" I heard Benny smile as he saw me as he stood with his one beaten up bag he obviously wanted a hug but I kept my distance "what? I haven't seen you in months and a wave is all I get?" he complained

"Sorry it's just been a rough flight"

"You wanna go to the hotel and have a nap?'

"Yeah" I nodded

"Me too, I'm more jet-lagged then you are" he laughs holding my hand to lead me out the airport

"Yeah well your use to it"

"True" he shrugs as we got outside and got a cab to our hotel Benny went and sorted the room as it was all in his name and I stood looking at the board of all the people here I was already scared "relax you'll beat them. All of them"

"What if I choke?"

"Then... we get a nice long holiday," he says

"Why? I might choke first game you'll still go on to the finals at least"

"No I won't," he says

"What are you talking about?"

"You choke, I resign. I'm not playing without you honeydew"

"No Benny you can't-"

"It's my decision I'm not leaving you all alone far from home, if you lose I'll lose then we can just go have a holiday" he explained "come on, 285 that's us," he says so I got my things following him off to our room and eventually we found it and we both had heart attacks as there was one king-sized bed in the middle of the room. "Shit. They said we'd have two" he sighed

"It's okay" I smiled

"What?"

"It's fine, we can make do, better than changing around again' I sighed putting my bags on the bed as I did I noticed something the door shutting and locking as I unpacked

"Now we're in our room? Can I have a hug now?" He complained

"Yes' I giggled Giving him a tight hug and he cuddled me too

"I missed you" he muttered

"I missed you Benny" I smiled moving away for a moment but still in his arms I could tell he wanted to kiss me everything about his face read it so obviously "Benny... it's really obvious what your next move is"

"Is it? Am I getting that predictable honeydew?"

"Maybe you are Benny," I smiled leaning in a little too try to hint to him I wanted him to but he gently pushed me back and went to sort his own things out looking nervous "Benny are you okay?"

"Ohh yeah sorry jet lag," he says

Part 12: Benny Are You Okay?

Our actual trip part of Austin was amazing getting to see all these lovely places and then coming back to our room playing chess in bed and all of it Benny never left me alone for a moment making sure I was safe and happy. Sleeping has been complicated. Benny insisted on sleeping on the floor even if I often told him he could share the bed with me.

I sat on the bed trying to sleep but I couldn't, running over patterns and plays Benny had taught me in my head but I couldn't sleep I wanted to do more so I almost jumped off the side of the bed Looking down to the little bed Benny set up on the floor but it was empty I didn't hear him get up. I moved my hand to the blankets and they were Still warm he couldn't have gone far but everything was locked up as it was when we went to bed but then I heard it strange I had neglected my hearing until now it was a strange noise coming from the small bathroom I jumped out of bed and knocked on the door

"Benny are you okay?" I asked

"What! No yes! I uhh I'm fine!" He yelled back

"Are you sure Benny? Are you sure you're not sick?"

"No, I'm fine"

"Uhh okay" I answered sitting on the bed a little worried about him but that noise sounded so familiar to me. And then it hit me my own twisted deviant imagination of what the noise would be if me and Benny where to-.oooh... I went back to the door and knocked much louder "Benny open this door or I will"

"What no no no!" He says quickly so I sighed turning the doorknob and as I suspected he leant against the sink in his underwear and a small shirt his hard dripping cock in his hand clearly seconds from release he hid himself away as quickly as he could but I had seen everything.

Part 13: I can’t - 

We sat in the bed quietly still trying to process what happened. He seemed scared of me which was kinda cute.

"So..."

"So, this hotel room sure is quiet isn't it"

"Benny, what were you doing in the bathroom?"

"I choose not to answer that question,"

"Benny" I warn

"You saw... you know exactly what I was doing"

"I did, why were you doing it?"

"I'm a guy, we've been here a week and a half, I kinda didn't have a choice. And I couldn't exactly do it on the floor"

"You could have just said I would have gone to the bar or something" I smiled

"You're too sweet Honeydew,"

"What exactly is the reason you were doing it... the real reason"

"Y/n it's hard to explain..."

"Then explain it to me"

"The first time I met you, you were just a little girl, but the more time I spent away the more you grew up and every time I saw your... I wanted to more and more"

"Wanted what?" I asked

"To... kiss you, and touch you, and do so many other very, very, bad things. Things to you" he says looking right at me his hands looking desperate, he looked like he wanted anything in the world "but I can't!"

"Why not?" I asked and he froze

"What- what do you mean?"

"I mean it's not like I've pulled away or anything, I kinda thought you knew I wanted you to kiss me"

"Don't say that..." he says "I can't, I can't kiss you, I can't touch you I can't do anything"

"Why not?"

"Because... when I look at you, you're a beautiful, attractive woman who I admit I have rather strong feelings for but if I go to-" he began playing with my hair but going to grab my breasts his hand's inches from my nightie "to touch you're-  or kiss you... I don't see that beautiful woman anymore"

"What do you see?"

"I see you. The way I first met you as a stupid little girl giggling And smiling at me and then... I can't," he says moving his hands away

"Benny, why do you hang around with me, really?"

"You calm me down" he shrugs slightly blushing "y/n, my head works a hundred miles faster than everyone else, I can't turn my head off I can't stop thinking all I ever do is chess, it's my job, my hobby, what I do to relax it's everything. And I alienate people because I can't turn my head off know one likes being around me for any length of time. But... when I'm with you, you slow me down"

"Isn't that bad?"

"No, not at all, you slow my head down to a speed I can actually think of, you make me relaxed and calm just even being around you I start to feel... better." He says

"Ohh Benny, that's so sweet" I smiled hugging him tightly he didn't move a second before he relaxed and hugged me tightly to "now to bed we have practice in the morning," I told him he nodded going to get off the bed and sleep back on the floor but I held his arm so he couldn't move away

"Y/n... what are you doing?"

"Stay with me," I smiled "please Benny"

"Okay" he nods nervously I kinda liked seeing him this way the only time I had ever seen him nervous or scared of anything, I went sitting against the headboard and he slowly climbed into the other side sitting against the headboard "so... we're really doing this"

"Yep" I smiled

"I'm getting that wave again"

"Of what?"

"Of having to force my head to remember you when you were little"

"Benny, why do you have to think about when I was little if you're close to me?"

"It stops me from thinking about anything else"

"Like what?"

"Like... everything I wanna do to you"

"Like?" I giggled "what about right now? Sat here in this bed, what are you trying not to think about"

"Y/n-"

"Take little me out of your head what do you think" I laughed

"That... the bed is comfy, that you look pretty, that your nightie is uhh is cute"

"Why would you be trying not to think that?"

"And that... I wanna kiss you, and hold you close to me, and touch you, and... do other things to you"

"What other things?"

"I can't- I can't say them in the presence of a nice lady"

"You can think about them in the bathroom though?" I smirked

"I couldn't help it! I've been trying hard, I knew if I could just get through this trip with you I'd be fine. If I can sit here with you and not give in then I won't ever do it again"

"Aww Benny," I smiled holding his hand "come on let's get some sleep" I smiled. He nodded, turning the light off and laying down rather nervously in the bed. I smiled, turning my own lamp out and laying down as I was in the bed before. But I must have been wiggling and moving for an hour unable to sleep I turned over facing Benny as he laid fast asleep I smiled and moved closer nuzzling my head into his neck moving his arm around me soon enough in his sleepy state his other arm moved around me to pulling me almost tight against him I smiled quickly falling asleep.

Part 14: Hi beth

I woke up rather suddenly to a loud banging, I was so confused about what was going on. I sat up a little Benny's arms still around me falling loose where he was still somehow fast asleep. I got up out the bed, slipped my dressing gown on and looked through the peephole to see Beth standing there.

"Benny! Benny wake up!" I complained shoving him

"Hu? What? Ohh what's that racket?" He complained

"That's beth on the other side of the door"

"Shit!" He says quickly getting out of bed and getting some clothes jumping into the bathroom and locking the door I tried my dressing gown up and heard the water running so I opened the door

"Hi Beth, what are you doing here?" I asked

"Last minute decided to come and... keep an eye on the tournament"

"Are you playing?"

"No, they were full. But it's still good to look at the competition" she says coming in and wandering around the hotel room fiddling with things "where is he?"

"Where's who?" I asked

"Benny" she chuckled

"Oohh uhh in the shower" I blushed

"Umm" she nodded, seeming like she didn't believe me look a lot at the bed "I thought he promised twin beds?"

"There was a mix-up-"

"How convenient for him"

"Well he was such a gentleman, he made little bed up on the floor and let me have the whole bed" I smiled

"Did he, how very kind of him. So who slept on this side of the bed y/n?" She Asks

"I did"

"I've shared a room with you since you were born. I know you barely move in your sleep and this... is clearly two people"

I didn't answer I knew she could read my face like a book and just as she was going to speak again the door opened revealing a dressed Benny

"Oohh uhh hi Beth"

"Benny watts you dam cowboy bastard, you tell me and you tell me the truth, what the hell have you done to my sister"

"I haven't done anything I swear"

"Fine, I'll see you later' she says to me before leaving the room.

Part 15: Tonight

Somehow I still don't know, I was doing well it was so strange when beating these people I had seen beth take on until at the end of the first day I won all my matches

"I told you" Benny smirked as he finished with his own

"You did"

"What did you do to that poor kid? That guy you played before lunch?"

"I don't know, he didn't seem happy to be beaten by a girl"

"Maybe he was too distracted by your beauty"

"Maybe he was a bad chess player" I smiled

"Well those two aren't mutually exclusive"

"True, what did you wanna do tonight?"

"I didn't want, haven't really thought about it"

"Then think about it"

"Okay... maybe go down to the bar?"

"No, I don't wanna drink we have games tomorrow"

"We could go out to dinner?"

"I'm not that hungry"

"We could always... go up to our room, get cosy in bed, maybe see if there's a film on, and order room service?" He suggested putting his arm around me "and then have a little practice and then an early night" he suggested

"I'd like that" I smiled

"Alright come on then," he says taking my hand and we went up to our room, I got into my nightie and into bed with Benny as he too had got down to his sleeping clothes, and had ordered our dinner sitting it on the bed while we flicked thought channels till we found some movie it was a horror but it was kinda funny.

Our room was completely dark but that black and white flashing from the tv screen in the corner, I heard him yawn and as he did I noticed his arm moving from where it had been peacefully in the covers to now be wrapped around me.

[vanaera]

The Heart Holiday | Act 2 (2/2) | myg

Synopsis: Valentine’s Day is declared as an official holiday. However, private companies’ standards dictate it’s only for the people who are currently in a relationship. Unluckily for Y/N, she doesn’t have this year’s PRS’ (Proof of Relationship Status) “in a relationship” box ticked – the only ticket out she can have to enjoy one paid week of holiday leave away from her hellish job. And more unfortunately for Y/N, everyone around her is oh so conveniently currently committed in a relationship. Except for one person: Min Yoongi, Y/N’s biggest critic in every pitch meeting, the picky guy who always picks on her, and the most annoying jerk of the century. Desperate for that holiday leave, Y/N strikes Yoongi up with an offer: Fake date each other two weeks before February 14, just enough time for the Department of Relationship Management (DRM) to consider processing their PRSs. After Valentine’s Day, they will go back to their own ways and never speak about whatever that may happen during the plan. Good, plain, and simple. That is until, Yoongi uncharacteristically oh so enthusiastically agrees to Y/N’s offer, leaving her thinking that she may have bitten something too much more than she can chew.

Characters: Yoongi x Female Reader AU/ Trope: Office AU (Creatives Staff!myg x PA!reader), enemies to lovers, fake dating Genre: fluff, angst, comedy (the triple t(h)reat) Wordcount: 24.5k Warnings: None (PG-15 Rating). There’s a mention of drunken sex but it’s just one sentence. There’s also less cursing now.

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DAY 4 – January 29; Wednesday

               If yesterday had Yoongi weirdly avoiding her like she’s got a highly contagious virus, today’s Yoongi is a hell of a nutcase. This is even far from an understatement. Ever since Y/N set foot in the office, Yoongi is already on her face. “You got my message last night, sweetheart?” He winks as he walks by her side towards the Creatives’ office. When Y/N plops down on her seat, Yoongi’s eyes are already set dead onto her. He’s not sending her his usual ‘I will end you and you know I can’ look. He’s cupping his face and stares at her with wide, big eyes, lips pulled into a small smile. He even goes as far as to wink at her and send her a fucking finger heart. As if it’s not enough, he has spammed her phone with weird shit.

               Mean Yoongi >:( : Good morning, pretty girl.  (8:19 A.M.)

               Mean Yoongi >:( : Did I call you pretty? Oops, I mean little girl AHAHAHHAHAH (9:11 A.M.)

               Mean Yoongi >:( : Don’t ignore me now. I know you’re staring at me 😉 (9:31 A.M.)

               Mean Yoongi >:( : Who wouldn’t when I’m so handsome? (9:32 A.M.)

               Mean Yoongi >:( : You don’t have to tell me. I already know 😉😉😉 (9:35 A.M.)

               Mean Yoongi >:( : Y/Niiiiiiieeeeeeeee (10:16 A.M.)

               It seems like a virus has gotten into Yoongi’s head and tampered with his brain.

               Y/N’s thoughts halt when Dana passes by her cubicle at 11 A.M. She retrieves the folder she gave her yesterday and glosses over the paper where Y/N typed her final picks. “Endmatter, Extreme Cut, Malachite Adventure? And you want to make a hybrid out of them?” Dana glances up at her.

               Y/N nervously clasps her hands together, “Well, I know these templates are usually used for feature articles. So I thought, why not make them appropriate for profile pages, too? No one di-dictated them to be just for features, right? Endmatter has a wonderful layout for pictures. Extreme Cut is good for setting focus on the text blocks. Malachite Adventure has a space-efficient layout for sequencing. If we can combine these three, we could provide something new,” Y/N bites her lip. “Nancy likes new and clean for generic pages like the profiles. So…I guess, why not combine these three templates known for having a clean-cut design?”

               Dana stares at her. Y/N gnaws on her lips. The blonde breaks into a grin. “My, you do research well.”

               Y/N shyly looks down onto the notebook on her desk. She doesn’t do much work other than gathering reports anyway. It’s only logical she spent five hours learning about templates yesterday than not doing anything. She mutters, “I just really put my all when I’m given a job.” 

                “And you did,” Dana smiles, “I think this is even brilliant. I’ll make sure to tweak these three to what you suggested.”

                “Y-you will?” Y/N’s eyes grow big. She could feel her heart hammering loud in her ears.

                “Yeah, why not?” Dana shrugs, “This is new so I’m excited, myself, to try this. And because you know what Nancy likes from all the time you spent with her probably overhearing her roast us all to hell and back, I can at least be assured she won’t be too disappointed with this as our previous submission.”

                “Yeah,” Y/N smiles. Heat spreads onto her ears and warmth settles on her chest. The feeling feels too foreign and surreal but she guesses it’s probably just because It’s been a while since she’s been praised for doing a good job. 

               “Guess you and Yoongi made up, huh?”

               The spreading warmth freezes cold. Y/N looks up at Dana in surprise. 

                “I saw you two earlier being chummy with each other. It even looked like you two have fucking heart eyes,” Dana smiles expectantly.

                “N-no, we’re—” Y/N cuts herself. Right, we’re supposed to be a couple. We should have already started convincing everyone we’re dating each other the moment we agreed on the deal. Y/N gulps, “Umm, uh, yeah?”

               Dana giggles, “You don’t have to be so nervous, you know? I know you two have a thing. For a long time now.” Y/N’s brows meet together. Dana doesn’t dwell on it, gathering the folder back onto her arms, “Thank you for this again, Y/N. See ya later.”

               Dana leaves for the break room and Y/N’s left staring at her back. Her stupor is broken when Yoongi enters her field of vision again, hands occupied with papers.  When he passes by her cubicle, he makes sure to flash her another mischievous wink.

               Y/N groans and slumps her head onto her desk.

                “He’s got my number now, Mina, and to make matters worse, he’s being a winking machine ever since this day started!”

               Mina nods. However, Y/N could tell something is up. Her bestfriend’s eyes are switching from her face and onto her radio and her hands were shaking in her clasp. It’s as if she’s restaining herself. 

               Y/N pauses. She pulls her seat closer to her friend, “Did something happen, Mina?”

               Biting her lips, Mina pins her with a look, “Y/N, promise me you won’t be too surprised.”

               “Why?” Y/N’s eyes grow bigger, “So something really happened? Tell me, Mina.”

                No,” Mina shakes her head. She closes her eyes, “Just promise me you won’t overreact.”

               Y/N’s lips twitch. “Okay.”

               Mina sighs. She turns to her computer and scrolls through her Facebook account. “So yesterday, I’ve been talking with our high school batchmates. They were planning a reunion next month. A big one. They said they’re trying to get ahold of the whole batch. And something caught my eye.” Mina zooms a post on the screen.

               It was a post of Suho Lee, the former Student Council President of their batch in National East Science High School. He took a picture of him and his former members of the council, announcing they’re indeed planning a huge reunion since it’s been a while they’ve seen each other. The post has over a thousand likes by now because Suho made sure to tag almost everyone in the batch. Of course, he’s Suho. Suho knows everybody. Y/N could even see Mina’s name among the tags. But what made her jaw drop is one aberrant name she never expected to be there.

               Min Yoongi.

               Y/N turns to Mina, eyes blown wide, “Mina, what the hell is this?”

               Mina nods, “I’m also shocked, Y/N. I didn’t know he studied in the same high school as us. He’s even our fucking batchmate. I didn’t know—wait, Y/N, where are you going?!”

               Y/N exits the Accounting Department and scrolls through her own Facebook account. She walks in fast strides and heads to where she only knows Min Yoongi will be during lunch: the break room. When she swings open the door, she’s right in her speculation.

               Y/N walks toward the man who’s washing his utensils in the sink.

               “Min.”

               Yoongi pauses and looks to his side, “Oh, sweetheart, you’re here.”

                “Don’t call me sweetheart,” Y/N spits. She flashes her phone to Yoongi. “What’s the meaning of this?”

               Yoongi squints. “It’s a reunion announcement.”

                “Obviously,” Y/N rolls her eyes, “I know how to read, Min. And because of that, I know you’ve been tagged here. So, tell me, why is your name here?”

               Yoongi places his washed utensils in the dishrack. “Obviously, I’ll be tagged because I studied at NES High,” He looks at Y/N, leaning his hips against the counter, “Why are you making such a big deal out of a reunion announcement?”

                “Because I studied here too!”

                It’s time for Yoongi to have his eyes bulge out, “Y-you did?”

                “Of course, I did! This is where Mina and I first met!”

                “But I thought you two were just college buddies?”

                “We are! But we belong in the same friend circle in high school first before we got closer in college—this is not the point,” Y/N exasperates, “Why did you not tell me you studied in the same high school?!”

               Yoongi opens his mouth but Y/N cuts him short, “Oh, I know. This is probably the reason why you’re tormenting me ever since you got into Travel Loca.”

               “What?”

               Y/N crosses her arms. “You’re out here to take your revenge on me.”

               The furrows on Yoongi’s forehead deepen.

               “Hello?” Y/N deadpans, waving her hands as if it can shake up Yoongi’s memory, “You’re probably one of the names I removed on some group work we had because you’re a freeloader. No wonder you’re so lazy and such a slack-off when you used to co-P.A. with me.” Y/N holds her head high, “And now, you’re here to take revenge.”

               Yoongi releases a half-scoff, half-laugh, “What?”

               Y/N frustratedly blows a sigh, “In case you did not know, I’m well-known in the batch for removing names of freeloaders in group works. I haven’t kept track of how many names I’ve already removed because they’re that many. And now, you’re here taking your revenge. You don’t have to be petty, Yoongi, you know? If you had unresolved feelings—which I think you don’t have any right to have in the first place because it’s your fault for being lazy and you dug out your own grave—you could have just talked with me like a goddamn adult instead of doing all the shit you did—”

               Yoongi’s guffaw cuts you short.

               Y/N scowls, “Why are you laughing, Yoongi? This is not funny.”

               “Oh, it is!” Yoongi lets out, in-between breaths, “This is hilarious! Revenge? What will I avenge against you when I don’t even know you studied in the same high school?”

               Y/N stops. “Y-you don’t know me? But I’m the valedictorian of our batch!”

              “Not everyone cares to know that, you know?”

               Y/N’s scowl deepens, “Just because you didn’t get any awards in your whole life doesn’t mean you get to demean and undervalue other’s people achievements.”

               “I’m not undervaluing it,” Yoongi takes a step closer to her, “I’m just saying no one spends too much time remembering their batch’s valedictorian. I don’t even remember the summa cum laude of my own batch in college.” Yoongi takes a step closer to Y/N, trapping her back on the counter. He leans forward, closing the space between their faces so small only a hair’s breadth separates their noses from brushing against each other. Y/N lets out an inaudible gasp. Yoongi smirks, “What makes you so different, sweetheart?”

               Y/N places her hands on his shoulders, “Don’t get too proud of yourself, Yoongi.” But before she can push him away, the door swings loudly against the wall and a woman exclaims.

               “Oh my God, I’m so sorry for interrupting!”

               Ms. Teddy. Y/N’s mouth falls open. She weakly hits Yoongi’s chest to back away and pay respect to their temporary boss but Yoongi only holds her fists and gives her a sickening, sweet smile. He turns around to face Ms. Teddy, but not enough to let out Y/N from her position. Yoongi smiles at the general supervisor, “Oh don’t worry Ms. Teddy, you’re not interrupting anything.”

              “Are you sure?” the 45-year-old woman asks. Her wary tone doesn’t match the small blush forming on her cheeks though.

              “I’m sure,” Yoongi replies, facing Y/N, “I’m just trying to ask my sweetheart for a date.” Yoongi turns back to Ms. Teddy, smiling, “Nothing biggie. She just said ‘yes.’”

               Y/N gapes “What—"

               “Oh!” Ms. Teddy perks up, “You two are so sweet! I didn’t know you’re actually a couple! I mean, who would have known? You two always fight with each other. But I guess the movies are right. ‘The more you hate, the more you love.’”

               Y/N tries not to cringe too hard.

               Ms. Teddy chuckles, “What Y/N said before must be true then. Calling you a ‘mean, inconsiderate, self-absorbed jerk’ must be her own unique term of endearment—”

               Y/N raises her brows. How did Ms. Teddy know? Only Steven knows about the mug-chipping incident—” 

                “—I mean, I even used to call my ex-boyfriend ‘stupid asshole,’” Ms. Teddy chuckles. She suddenly releases a frustrated sigh, “God, I still hate him so much.”

               Y/N doesn’t know how to react to that. And so seems Yoongi.

               “Anyway, don’t mind me,” Ms. Teddy waves, a sweet smile plastered on her face again. She walks towards the ref to retrieve a green Tupperware. “I’m just here to grab my cheesecake.” The way her eyes refuse to tear away from the “couple” seems to say otherwise.

              “O-okay,” Y/N says as she looks at Yoongi. It’s a good thing Yoongi is blocking her body from Ms. Teddy. ‘What do we do?’ she mouths at the man.

               Yoongi thinks for a millisecond, then mouths at her, ‘Just follow my lead.’

               Before Y/N can mouth ‘okay,’ Yoongi has closed the gap between them and pressed a quick peck on her forehead. He smiles at her, tucking a stray strand behind her ear, “All right, I’ll see you later then, sweetheart.”

               “A-alright,” Y/N stutters. Yoongi steps away and she quickly makes her way to the door.

               Y/N only notices her hands were tingling when she reaches her P.A. station. And that searing warmth has settled itself on her chest. She plops down on her seat and lets out a tired breath. When she glances at her small mirror, she realizes her face is as red as a strawberry.

               What the hell just happened there?

               Y/N doesn’t get much time to think about it because her phone vibrates next to her leg.

               Mean Yoongi >:( : Let’s meet at The Café Bistro after work. Let’s talk about everything. (1:11 P.M.)

               Y/N doesn’t see much of Yoongi for the rest of the day. He’s probably holed up in the meeting room again just like yesterday. The Creatives were much in a rush since yesterday, probably after receiving the work Yoongi has disseminated. Everyone is hunched over their computers. Some have buried their heads in previous issues and design brochures. While a few were chattering about what design is better for their chosen template than the other.

               And there is one who’s on Y/N’s tail.

               “Oh, Myungsoo, I didn’t see you there,” Y/N glances up from the pile of papers on her desk. 

               Myungsoo doesn’t return the greetings. He leans over her desk and picks one paper to inspect it. “Why do you have this?”

               “Umm,” Y/N looks around the papers strewn around, refusing to look at the frowning man, “Ms. Park gave them to me. She wanted to, uh, have me check them and give some inputs about it.” A smile plays on Y/N’s lips. Dana Lee must have told Yoona about her recent arrangement that’s why Yoona came to her after lunch to ask for advice and critique on what she and her concept team have prepared. It’s quite overwhelming as Ms. Park is one of the respected team leaders in the Creatives. 

              “Ms. Yoona gave you this?” Myungsoo scoffs. Y/N’s smile immediately falls. “Why would she give you this? You don’t know anything about the work we do. You’re just Nancy’s P.A.”

               Y/N internally sighs. Myungsoo has always been wary of her ever since she got in the Creatives but she never knew he will be this hostile. Still, she doesn’t want to cause any unnecessary tension so Y/N tries to placate him. She pulls a polite smile on her face, “That’s why Ms. Yoona came to me. She said since I’m with Nancy for almost 24/7, I must probably know a thing or two about what she likes to see.”

              “But do you?” Myungsoo raises an eyebrow.

              Y/N looks down on the papers, “Y-yeah. Somehow.”

               Myungsoo sighs and drops the paper back onto the pile. “Anyway, I’m here to tell you I’m rejecting your letter of permission to get access to our cover page drafts.”

               Y/N’s head shoots up, “W-what? But Yoongi—”

                “I know what Mr. Min told us this week,” Myungsoo informs. “Yes, we’re tasked to walk you through the activities of our department. However, there are still protocols in our authoritative freedom and I, as a team leader, cannot just give you the drafts of our cover page. We still need more time to work on it and I cannot embarrass myself in front of Ms. Nancy about a work that has not fully taken shape yet.”

                “But didn’t you hear what Yoongi said?” Y/N reasons, “I’m here to help you and I need to give updates to Nancy about everything at every end of the week. Especially now when the department is in full motion.” Y/N cannot give Nancy nothing especially now that Nancy has just emailed her that their issue’s deadline has been moved to February 17. It’s just around the corner. In fact, it’s only a matter of weeks!

                “Well that’s your problem,” Myungsoo retorts, “I’m not the P.A. What I can only give you for your update reports are our initial proposed ideas.”

               But they’re not enough. Y/N closes her eyes, “Look, Myungsoo. I understand that you may be feeling I’m intruding on a space I’m not supposed to. But remember, we’re working together for one company, not for ourselves.” Myungsoo looks like he’s about to bite back but Y/N cuts him to it, “I understand you may feel wary about submitting your concepts for the cover page when they’re still raw. Especially to someone like me who may not completely understand the value you place in your work. However, I cannot just give Nancy undeveloped ideas. So, how about we make a compromise? I’m not gonna push you to walk me through your cover page processing. Or argue more about your raw concepts you’re drafting as of now. But, can you give me at least the plans you made for the undeveloped ideas you’ve chosen your working concept from? So I can still, in a way, report to Nancy the plan your team is trying to execute?”

               Myungsoo stares daggers into her before he mutters a clipped, “Fine. Expect to receive them by the end of the week.”

                “But I have to report them at the end of the week—”

               “End of the week or nothing at all?” Myungsoo sneers, “I can’t rush my artists to finish their concept-making just to take the load off your own job.”

               But I’m not demanding you to make my job easier, can’t you just cooperate like an adult?!—Y/N closes her eyes and sighs, “Okay, understood, Mr. Kim.”      Fighting with him won’t help anything in the pressure the department is facing.

               Myungsoo turns around and wordlessly walks away. YN releases a tired sigh as she goes back onto Yoona’s papers. 

               Hours pass with Y/N finishing her inputs in a document file. Mina has popped by to tell her she’s leaving early to go on a date with Mark. She said she’d probably be home late so they’ll have to continue their conversation earlier tomorrow. However, that was two hours ago and now, it’s already five and almost everyone in the staff has already left the office. She only gets to realize this when a shadow peers over her cubicle.

               “Hey, work’s already over now.”

               Y/N looks up and sees Yoongi smiling at her. His hair was messy as always, probably from pushing them back and carding through them throughout the day. His tie is askew and his button-down is folded messily to his forearms. And his smile felt so gentle. She doesn’t know why but she lets out a relieved sigh.

                “Let’s go to the Café Bistro now, yeah?”

                “Okay,” Y/N smiles back.

               “So…you’re the most hated person in your class for removing names of slackers off group works?”

               Y/N rolls her eyes, “Didn’t you hear what I told you earlier?”

               “Of course, I heard,” Yoongi chortles, scooping a spoonful of his rice bowl, “I just didn’t expect you’ll go for info-dumping in two minutes straight. You really do love to ramble a lot, no?”

               Y/N looks away and stuffs her mouth with a spoonful of her own rice bowl. When she swallows down, she pins Yoongi with a glare, “You can say shit all about how I talk but just so you know, that skill got me so far to where I used to be. I wouldn’t graduate cum laude if I didn’t ace all my speech classes.”

               “I’m not shitting on it. I’m admiring it.” Y/N freezes in her seat to look at the man. Yoongi chuckles. “I’m serious. You don’t have to be constantly on your guard around me, you know? Aren’t we already friends?”

                “F-friends?” Y/N scoffs, “Where the hell did you get that?”

               Yoongi tilts his head, “But I already got your number.”

                “You forced your way to get my number.”

                “I did not force you. You willingly told me your number in a game of 20 Questions.”

               “You covertly formatted your questions to get me to spill my number. I did not willingly tell you my number. You coerced me.”

               “I didn’t. I got your number fair and square,” Yoongi waves his phone.

               “But that doesn’t—”

               “And you already put a name on my number in your contacts,” Yoongi grins, “You even have an emoji next to it.”

                “How did you know?”

                “You opened your phone earlier on the train. And in case you don’t know, the train isn’t one of the most spacious places in the world. We’re practically side by side, look” Yoongi points to the damp patch on his shoulder, “You slept on my shoulder and even got drool on it.” Y/N looks away and stuffs her mouth with another spoon. Yoongi continues, “And with you leaving your phone open for the world to see your messaging app, it doesn’t take two years to see that someone has named you with some obnoxious contact name.” Yoongi opens his phone, “It’s okay though because I also named you this,” he flashes the phone to Y/N.

                >:( Evil Peachy Pie Y/N >:(

               Y/N squints at him. “Fine, a name for a name.”

               “See? That’s why we’re now friends.”

               Y/N scoffs, “How come?”

               “Because you got me a nickname. And I got you one, sweetheart,” Yoongi winks.

               Y/N’s jaw drops, “What the—you know what, go do you and go off to whatever your delusion is feeding you.”

               “Yay! Y/N and I are friends!”

               Y/N gawks at him. Yoongi shrugs with a smile and digs into his food.        

               Chatters fill the bistro. Y/N thinks it’s absurd to combine “café” and “bistro” for the name of an establishment. “It’s as if it can’t choose what type of business it really wants,” she argued earlier to Yoongi on the train. But now that she’s inside, she finally understands why. The interior design of the restaurant is covered in warm orange. The walls and the floor were in mahogany wood. The tables and chairs were metal black with curvilinear gildings, making them look like they’re supposed to be garden furniture in the first place. The plates and bowls were faux wood as well, save for the metal utensils and their glasses that came as mason jars.  And the overhead lights are gorgeous. The faux candles hung up in circular mini chandeliers above the wooden ceiling give off the aesthetic of a gothic palace. Meanwhile, the bar on the center of the shop was of high-quality polished wood. A lot of people are dining like them on the tables but there are also numerous patrons who were in stools, holding different kinds of liquors in their glasses. There’s a free space in front of the bar where Y/N could see couples slow-dancing to the live jazz band playing in the corner. And with the separate menu for alcoholic drinks the waiter had given them earlier, Y/N could finally see why this cafe is also a bistro.

                “So, whose names did you slash off from your group works?”

               Y/N whips her head back to Yoongi, “Why are you so insistent about this?”

               Yoongi pushes his empty bowl to the side. “You said everyone knows you for that. I’m just curious about the slackers who free-rode on you back then. I might even know them since I studied in the same school.” He leans back and places his arms behind his head, “You could totally help me avoid some leeches in life.”

                “First of all,” Y/N points her spoon at him, “You’re the first leech you should know. You slacked off when you were my co-P.A. You slept, you didn’t take calls. You even served me raw for Nancy to roast.”

                “I’m sorry.”

               Y/N’s brows shoot up. “W-what?”

               Yoongi leans forward and clasps his hands together. He looks at the woman in the eye, “I’m sorry about that, Y/N. Sincerely. I admit I was too much of an asshole back then. I tried to justify it by thinking you’re annoying so you deserve some annoyance in life, too. But in the end, I know I’m still wrong. You being annoying or not, what I did was still wrong. I’m sorry.”

               Y/N’s jaw drops as she leans slowly back in her seat. Did Yoongi just apologize to her? Again? And for three consecutive times tonight? What is up with him?

                “You don’t have to forgive me, you know? Nor am I telling you these just to get the guilt off my back. I’m sincerely sorry. I want to apologize to you.”

                “W-what are you suddenly on about?” Y/N tries to laugh but the sound is weird in her ears. “You got so serious, I thought I’m suddenly talking with a stranger.” Y/N tries out a chuckle again. It sounds more convincing to her this time. She waves her hand dismissively, “Anyway, I didn’t actually answer your question. You’re talking about high school so here it goes.” She looks up at the ceiling, “Well, I’ve got Johnny Lee, Byun Baekhyun, Park Mirae, Lee Jieun, Mark Peters” Y/N cups her jaw, “What’s more? Oh! How could I forget—Jennie Kim, Im Nayeon, Daewon Lee—”

                “Wait, Daewon Lee?” Yoongi sits up, “You mean Daewon the quarterback? And Jennie Kim and Im Nayeon, the cheerleaders?”

                “Why?” Y/N leans forward, “You know them personally?”

                “God, yes,” Yoongi laughs, “They’re awful.”

                “Tell me about it,” Y/N’s eyes sparkle in interest.

                “Well,” Yoongi starts, “we had this class project where we have to recreate a scene from a well-known play or movie. Our class was assigned to do Hairspray. And Jennie Kim was our class president so of course, she was horrible. She re-proved this fact when she decided to go dictator and exercise penalties on anyone who would be late for the rehearsals. She freaking imposed that we have to pay $2 for every minute we were late. All is fine if she didn’t assign her own home as the practice place and there’s a lot in the class who lives a good two miles away. And it didn’t help almost everyone just agreed with it because no one decided to contest it in fear of turning the majority against them. It was horrible. All the late fees were put in our class fund. It accumulated to about $100 at the end of the day and that’s very unfitting when NES High is a fucking public school. 

                “$100?” Y/N gawks.

                “Yeah.  Moreover, it’s unfair, because we all know at the end of the school year, the class fund will be divided among each student. With the late fees being implemented, it looks like people who are Jennie and those who live near her will benefit for free from these late fees. Luckily, someone was brave enough to stand up and talked it out with them. And of course, with Jennie being Jennie, she flipped out so the whistleblower eventually had to go to the headteacher of the event to settle the issue. I’m kinda ashamed about this incident. I’m one of the many who just went with the majority because,” Yoongi frustratedly cards through his hair, “I was a bit of a pushover back then.”

               Y/N gapes, “Y-you? A pushover? Oh my god, you’re like the stereotypical nerd in movies who does a 180 to seek revenge!”

               Yoongi squints at her, “Will you stop with the revenge plot you’ve been pushing since this morning?”

                “Okay,” Y/N says but her face looks otherwise with her trying hard to hold in her chuckles.

               Yoongi breaks into a chuckle as well, “God, you look ridiculous.”

                “So are you,” Y/N laughs. When the snickers die down, she waves at Yoongi, “Go on with the story.”

                “Okay,” Yoongi breathes out, “So that was the first strike for this dumb shit squad. The second was worse for it affected the whole batch. It was when the school coordinators tasked each class with a specific dance genre to perform. And Jennie, being the unnecessarily extra bitch that she was, decided to fuck up the arrangement by forcing another class to exchange their assigned piece with ours. Of course, this sparked chaos because when other classes have heard about this, they wanted to exchange, too. And soon, everyone was arguing how they want to exchange or keep their assigned pieces. It’s so messy that the teachers had to hold a batch-wide meeting with all the class officers to settle things out. Luckily, there was someone who stood up and outright pointed out it was Jennie who started it all because she did not ask for the other classes’ consent in the first place—” 

                “Wait, are you talking about me?” Y/N cuts him, eyes wide. “I’m the one who first called out Jennie in the meeting!” Y/N exclaims, “I can’t hold myself back that day because I’m so sick of everyone just willingly and silently enduring her bullshits! All of this wouldn’t happen in the first place if she wasn’t such a shitty, entitled person. I even remember Jennie staring daggers at me as if doing so can reverse what happened when the teacher told her off in front of the whole batch.” Y/N’s brows meet together, “How did you know about this though? Even if it was supposed to be a batch-wide meeting, not everyone was present. The teachers didn’t make the meeting compulsory especially for the students who feel uncomfortable going against another student.”

                “Everyone kind of knows. News about Jennie being roasted by the teacher after a student doused her with the realest true as fuck accusation is enough of a big deal to go around the school.” Yoongi tilts his head, “I just didn’t catch wind it was you.” 

                “Yeah, but,” Y/N self-consciously rubs her nape, “I just did what I felt was right. I don’t like it when people just stay silent when wrongdoings are deliberately happening in their faces.”

                “You’re right,” Yoongi smiles, “and because of that, I’m thinking I’m starting to admire you.” Y/N immediately freezes the heat on her chest back again. She feels it starting to spread up onto her face.

               Yoongi, either unaware of her reaction or plainly indifferent about it, just smirks and continues. “Now, that I finished my story with these terrible fucks, it’s your turn. What did they do that you striked these three names off?”

               Y/N lets a small smile grow on her lips as she crosses her arms. “It was Daewon who I striked first. As early as 7th grade, mind that. We were groupmates for our Bio experimental case study and he didn’t do a SINGLE thing. Very first year in high school and he’s already letting everyone know he’s a shitty groupmate. So end result? A slashed-off name and an immature ‘pity me’ cryfest in front of the professor.”

                “Who’s the professor, if you don’t mind me asking?”

               Y/N grins, “Mr. Ascott.”

                “Oh shit, Mr. Ascott?!” Yoongi chokes a laugh, “Oh my god, and he dared to cry and ask for pity! Of all people, to the prof who detests freeloading the most?!”

                “Yeah,” Y/N snickers, “That’s why it’s so hilarious! Imagine the what-the-fuck face Mr. Ascott has when this spoiled boy tried to cry his way out of his mistake. He looked like he’s about to blast harder than Mauna Kea!”

               Yoongi laughs, waving a hand over. “Who’s next?”

               Y/N blows out a sigh to die down her giggles, “The next one was Nayeon. 11th grade. We’re a pair this time and we’re tasked to make a research about the communication systems of a business. Whenever I tell her we need to meet up, write the paper, or even talk online for the planning at least, Nayeon kept on coming up with ridiculous excuses like how she’s come down with a fever because she ate a lot of rice or she can’t walk because of a motherfucking aching toenail. She even stood me up in the café I told her to go to, to finally get things done. Talking normally with her is impossible. So yeah, I passed the research with just my name on it.” 

               Y/N tilts her head, “And last but not the least, Jennie Kim. 12th grade. We had to make a lab report for Chemistry as a group. She said she’s sorry she won’t be able to contribute anything because she needs to be home soon as her mother is deeply sick in the hospital. We understood and told her it’s okay. Only for us to see in her Snapchat later she’s partying hard in a bar,” Y/N rolls her eyes, “But what irritates me most were ironically, not these.”

              “Did something more happen?”

              “Yes! These three didn’t see any of these as their faults! They saw it as me just being a bitch and picking on them! And because they have such loud mouths, news about me as a ‘name-remover bossy bitch’ traveled fast. Every first day in class per year, a lot of students are already looking at me funny. Throughout the school year, they go as far as ignoring and avoiding me.” YN crosses her arms and directs her eyes onto her empty bowl. “But I’m alright. I don’t care shit about what others have to say about me when I know I’m in the right. I don’t need lots of friends in the first place anyway.”

               “But it must have been hard to be alone.”

               Y/N’s head shoots up, “What do you mean?”

                “To be hated by almost everyone in the class,” Yoongi pulls a sad smile. “It must have been painful in a way. To be treated as an outcast when you didn’t even do anything wrong.”

               “I-I wouldn’t call myself an outcast during that time, you know?” Y/N picks up her glass to drink, looking away.

               “Well, if you say so. I just thought it would have been…difficult to be alone most of the time. To feel as if everyone hates you. Personally, I don’t care when people talk shit about me. But this feeling that everyone just…doesn’t want to be with you hits me quite hard. I don’t know if you’ve felt this. I just know I will feel like this if I was in your position.”

               Y/N, with eyes still trained away from Yoongi, just hums, “…Yeah.” 

               An awkward silence was starting to settle again until Yoongi breaks it with a sigh, “From all of this, I’m realizing our high school didn’t do a great job in giving us a wonderful experience.”

               Y/N turns back to him. She pours water in her glass and mutters, “You’re right. High school is shit.” She leans back in her chair, glass in her hand as she looks at him. “Do you have more bitter stories to tell?”

               Yoongi fiddles with his fingers. “Well, there’s one. I mean, there’s a lot because high school wasn’t that kind to people like me back then. But this one really stuck with me. I’ve been…friends with a lot of toxic people throughout high school. At first, I didn’t notice it. How they lowkey downgrade me whenever we hangout. How they always make me the butt of their jokes. How they always leave me out in any of their fun plans for getaways. I even tried justifying their actions, telling myself it’s probably I’m not yet too cool for them. That I still need to fit more with them. And when I finally realized the wrongness in this during one summer, I cut them all out in my life. Only to end up in another friend circle that turned out to be also toxic. Though it’s less toxic than my first one, it’s still toxic. They made me feel bad for doing my best in school, calling me such a conformist to the education system as if it’s so wrong. They made me feel horrible for just studying and preparing too much for quizzes and exams, telling me I’m just investing a lot of time on something I wouldn’t even use when I work. And for the second time, I justified my ‘friends.’ I thought maybe they’re right. I have to listen to them because maybe they’ll leave me and I will have no one else who’d be willing to be friends with me. I only got the wake-up call when my grades all fell down and I had to repeat 10th grade.”

               Y/N’s eyes grow large, “B-but, you said it was because of Thesis Writing?”

                “Yeah. Thesis Writing was the one that maimed me bad. But what led me to fail it so terribly was because of these second group of friends…Rina, Johnson, and Fei—

               Y/N immediately holds up her hands, “Wait, I-I-you don’t have to tell me their names if you don’t want to, Yoongi. You—I don’t know, maybe the memories come back and trigger you—I-I’m not that eager to know their names, you know? I just want to listen to you.”

               Yoongi chuckles and Y/N’s eyes only grow more. “I’m telling you their names because I already got over it, Y/N,” Yoongi informs. “I already feel comfortable telling this to you, sweetheart. Though I have to admit I’m loving what you said a little too much.”

               Y/N frowns, “Wh-why do you have to say stupid shit like this? Can’t you just continue your story?”

                “I have to say these because you’re being cute.” Y/N only frowns more. Yoongi chuckles, “Okay, okay, I’ll go back to my story.” He heaves out a sigh, “So, these Rina, Johnson, and Fei—well, they made me feel the efforts I put into studying will be pointless. That the dreams I have will be unattainable anyway because the world will never let them come true for people like me—not rich, not talented, not smart enough. And because of this mentality discouraging me whenever I try too hard, coupled with the messed-up confidence I had because of my first friendship circle, I turned out to be a…horrible speaker. But I think I shouldn’t blame them for this. I also have faults in this because after all, this is my life. Maybe I’m too easily swayed, easily discouraged, and too dependent on other’s company back then.”

                “You’re right on that,” Y/N says, “but I think the people who have affected you to be what you were back then are rightfully justified to be blamed for. Or even deserve the greater blame. We’re teenagers and we do stupid things. And during our teenage years where we feel so confused about just everything, what mattered the most was the feeling of belongingness. The feeling of belonging to someone or something. This feeling gives us a way to identify ourselves and our purpose. Erik Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development even say so. Yeah, we also have faults in ourselves that are worth blaming for and working on, but people are social beings. And most of the time, we become who we are because of other’s words, actions, and influence,” Y/N pulls her lips in an attempt to send him a comforting smile, “You don’t have to beat up yourself too much.”

                “Whoa,” Yoongi gapes, “Just…wow.” He shakes his head, “I don’t even know what to say…And this is weird because I always know what to say,” Yoongi chuckles and Y/N follows suit. “I mean,” Yoongi tongues his cheek, “How did you come up with these?”

               “Because I also experienced having friends like you had.”

               You did?” It’s Yoongi’s turn to gawk at her.

               “Yeah,” Y/N purses her lips. “It was in high school too. Even if I was lucky I skipped 8th and 9th grade, I wasn’t immune to toxic people. The friends I had in my first year, honestly…scar me until now. They downed me too many times, too, telling me I’m not that good, or I’m too intimidating for people would like to be with. They even called me annoying,” Y/N cackles. But her laugh soon dies down when she looks at Yoongi’s unamused look. “U-um,” She ducks her head down and fiddles with the seams of her blazer, “That’s not really funny, I’m sorry.”

                “They’re not,” Yoongi deadpans, “Especially when it’s deprecating the person you should first and foremost care: You.”

               Y/N’s head shoots up.

               Yoongi lets a small smile grace over his face. “Go on with your story.”

               “U-uh, yeah,” Y/N opts to play with her fingers this time, “So yeah, I ended up…downing myself, too. Berating and insulting myself even worse than those toxic people did. I even discouraged myself from even trying. I stopped myself before I even get to start at something that induces passion within me—dance, art, singing, whatever. I halt myself first before anyone can. Other’s words against me hurt me more than my own words. The only silver lining I had was when I got to 10th grade and met Mina,” Y/N grins. “Even if I still get reminded of the scars I got from my ex-friends, I’m grateful I also learned what’s it really like to have a friend for the first time.” Y/N turns to Yoongi, “What about you? Did you find at least…one friend before high school ended?”

                “More than one actually,” Yoongi smiles. “I met three in 11th grade. Namjoon, Taehyung, and Jimin. Even if Namjoon graduated earlier, we three eventually met each other again in college. God, ever since I befriended those three, I never knew again what it’s like to be a loner. I know it’s kinda late that I get to enjoy high school but I had the most fun I could ever have in those last two years. Though college is still god-tier. That’s when I was really the happiest” Yoongi chuckles. He leans back in his chair and sighs, “Even if the majority of the memories our high school gave us were shit, I think it still tried its best to give everyone a memorable experience.” Yoongi smiles, “What’s a memorable experience you could thank the school for?”

               Y/N opens her mouth but Yoongi quickly cuts her short, “And no, don’t say it’s meeting real friends. Other than that, any memorable experiences you had?”

               Y/N looks to her right, brows scrunched, “Hmm…it had to be…Oh! The science expo held in our gym in our last year!”

                “The expo?  The one they held as our ‘field trip’—in our very last year of high school at that—because they ‘lack’ funds for an actual one?”

                “Yeah,” Y/N smiles wide, “I actually enjoyed it a lot. There’s a large model of the Megalodon jaws wide open that you have to step into to enter the expo. Its teeth are so big and gosh, I love sharks. I love the documentaries about them. And oh, there’s also a bus that’s remodeled to have lab tables instead of seats. We get to look at microscopes magnifying different microorganisms and micro-things. It’s like a running test in chem but fun! And my favorite one had to be the astronomy tent-dome. I call it that because it’s a humongous black sheet of a tent that’s shaped to look like a dome. We had to crawl inside to get in. It reminded me of how I loved to play pillow forts in my room when I was a kid. And then inside, there’s someone there who actually works at NASA that plays the videos of constellations on the dome above us. And he’s amazing because he knows all the stars in the Milky Way! He even broke the myth concerning your birth month and Zodiac sign. The constellations of your Zodiac sign don’t usually appear during your ‘zodiac month’!”

               “They don’t?”

               “Yeah! I’m an Aries and yet the constellation most apparent in the sky during my month is Libra instead. I’ve never seen the Aries constellation before on my birthday. It’s always Libra. Okay, don’t look at me like I’m a hoe for Astrology—I’m not. I just fell in love with Astronomy after that expo and I ended up memorizing a lot of constellations and trying to point them out in the sky and—

               “I’m not looking at you like you’re a ‘hoe for Astrology,’” Yoongi quotes, chuckling. “I’m looking at you because honestly, I’m amazed by you. Really. I never enjoyed that expo, because honestly, I like learning the actual stuff in real-time. But to have you spouting such mindblowing trivia and how you just talk so animatedly about it makes me want to time travel to that day and re-experience it. Really, you amaze me.

               Y/N coughs into her hand, an attempt to out-volume the thrumming tinnitus she feels between her lungs. She pulls a tight smile and looks up at Yoongi, “What about you? What memorable experience did you have to thank high school for?”

               “The prom,” Yoongi grins. “It’s my first time to be in such a glamorous setting that I instantly thought it would be my last time I could ever experience such pizzaz. Everyone looked so regal. There are ball gowns, luxurious suits, glittering decors, and lush carpeting I could spend years standing on just because it feels so pillowy soft beneath my feet. The venue had gothic pillars and renaissance paintings and rose-gold gilded chandeliers that hang above, looking like it hooked all the stars in the galaxy beneath its dangling diamonds. The food was great, too. I honestly couldn’t believe a public high school could afford this—well, there’s actually a lot of upper-middle-class families who pitched in some money but I only found out about this two weeks after the prom. Although we had a grad ball, it still couldn’t top 10th-grade prom. Sure, there’s a lot of people mingling and I’m too much of an introvert to enjoy socializing. But when I just sat and watch the party go, the picture in front of me looked so similar to the Yule Ball shown in the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire movie and it’s just so fascinating. And—wait, why are you looking like that?”

                “N-nothing,” Y/N shakes her head. She also hopes to shake away the utter wonder that must be obvious in her face. Mina always said she shows excitement so easily on her face.

               And too bad Yoongi pushes her buttons so well that he could easily read her. “What ‘nothing’? You look so amazed as if you’ve never been to a prom—wait, you’ve never been to prom, haven’t you?” 

              There’s no point to lie otherwise. Y/N looks down at her lap and admits, “You’re right. I’ve never been to prom. Or even the grad ball.”

              “Why?”

              “Because I find them a waste of money. Hundreds of money for a dress you’ll never wear again and spend a couple more for the admission when you’re just gonna sit at the table for the whole time. The grad ball was an inconvenience because it’s set on the day before my birthday and of course, my birthday is worth celebrating more than the grad ball.” Yoongi chuckles at that and a small smile forms on Y/N’s lips. However, it quickly dissolves into a straight line as she continues, “And I didn’t go to prom because it’s stupid. The admission fee you have to pay is honestly over-priced. Of course, all of the payment won’t go to the rented place because the school is still gonna get a percentage from it. Then everyone is just gonna dance around and get wasted and you’ll just have to seat throughout the whole meltdown because you’re responsible and aside from that,” Y/N heaves out a huge sigh, “there’s a high probability you’ll bump into a horrible boy.”

              “Oh!” Yoongi claps loudly, “A boy problem—!”

               “I’m not gonna tell you his name,” Y/N points a finger at him. “It’s all in the past and, I’m just,” Y/N sighs, “well, over it.”

               “What did he do?” Yoongi asks, tone soft, a lot less bombastic as his previous exclamation. “What did he do to—I don’t know, give up prom to avoid him?” He sits up straight and holds up his hands, “If you don’t mind me asking and if you feel okay to answer it, of course. If not, it’s also totally okay, and—” 

               “He gave me false hope,” Y/N deadpans, swirling the water in her glass. “I thought there’s something developing between us because he does an awful lot of sweet things for me like letting me lay my head on his shoulder whenever I need to catch on some sleep in our school service. He even helps me carry my things and walk me to class. Only for me to find out he actually likes another girl in our school service. I felt used. Like a ploy to get the girl he likes to be jealous of us.” Y/N sets her jaw on her palm. “And so, I didn’t go to prom. Because I know that girl will reject him when he asked for her first dance ‘cus she already got a mutual thing going on with her classmate. And I don’t want to be a second choice, a back-up plan someone will opt for when their first choice didn’t work out. I’m not going to be a reserve part for something someone built with a different part in mind.” Y/N takes a sip on her glass. She places it back on the table, “I still feel aggravation for him so I don’t want to hear his name again. But I’m over him now, so you don’t have to look at me like that.”

               “L-like what?” Yoongi asks, pulling on the collar of his gray button-down.

               “Like you’re angry for me. We’re not yet close to be feeling this way.”

               “But we’re friends.”

               “You’re the only one who decided on that label.”

               “We are friends.”

               “Whatever satisfies you of your delusions—”

               “And because we’re friends, I could tell you wished you experienced prom.”

               “W-what?” Y/N’s jaw drops.

               Yoongi smiles at her, “You don’t have to hide it Y/N. I know you.” He stands up from his seat and offers a hand to her, “Now, let’s go.”

               “Where are we going?” Y/N asks, still seated.

               “We’ll dance.” Yoongi’s smile widens. “The Café Bistro has a wonderful live band playing and as you can see, there’s also a lot of people dancing to the lovely songs they’re playing…This is the closest setting we can have to a prom.”

               Y/N gulps down a nervous breath as she looks up at Yoongi’s eyes. She takes his hand.

               Yoongi leads her to the center of the slow-dancing throng of people. The live band plays in front of them, a group of wonderful men and women wearing elegant black gowns and suits, playing classical instruments to the music of popular love songs. Everything looks pleasant even if nothing about this set-up is grand. The couples are just in casual clothes but watching them have fun slow-dancing to the music feels like they’re actually in a ball. And the faux candles that hung above the Café Bistro doesn’t look like chandeliers in a Gothic palace anymore. They’re bright and glittering as if the café fished all the stars from the night sky to hang onto their own makeshift sky. Yoongi’s right. This indeed looks like a prom.

               “Hmm, am I right now?”

               Y/N turns to him and playfully pokes his shoulder, “Shut up.” A second no longer need to pass by when a huge smile makes its way onto Y/N’s face.

               Y/N and Yoongi had their hands interlocked as they move to the rhythm. Yoongi initially proposed to have their hands and feet positioned for waltz only for Y/N to bump her head on his shoulder to get him to shut up. Yoongi only ends up cackling obnoxiously. 

              Stepping side to side, arms swaying by their sides, they look like two adult penguins waddling towards each other. When Y/N pointed this out, Yoongi bursts into another set of cackles.

               However, when the song changes and A Thousand Years by Christina Perri starts to play, Yoongi’s chuckles instantly die down and a mindboggling statement escapes from his lips.

               “Put your hands around my neck.”

               “What? Are you fucking crazy?”

               “Hey, the song is romantic.”

              “So?” Y/N raises a brow, “What does it logically have to do with putting my arms around your neck? And also, this song is one hell of a cliché. A love song bulldozered and abused over and over again in every debut, wedding, and prom—”

              “It’s played over and over again because a lot of people relate to it. Who wouldn’t? It talks about love.”

              “Well, I wouldn’t.”

              Yoongi sighs, “Look, all the couples here are slow dancing to this song and since we’re already posing as one, might as well copy them.”

              “Well, I don’t wanna.”

              “If you’re thinking this will be a revolutionary moment between us, I’m already informing you it won’t be. It’s just slow dancing,” Yoongi shrugs, “We did this in prom. It’s not that special, to be honest. I’m tryna offer you the prom experience, remember?”

              Y/N focuses her eyes on the seams of her blazer, a petty frown on her face. “I’m positively sure we’ll look stupid if we slow dance so I’d rather not. In case you don’t know, I hate embarrassing myself.”

               “Hey, you don’t get to sound so sure with your prediction when you haven’t tried it out yet. I’m just asking you if you would feel okay to slow dance with me. But if not, I will totally understand—” 

               Y/N loops her arms around Yoongi’s neck. “There,” she hisses, “Satisfied?”

              “Very,” Yoongi grins, looping his arms around her frame, gently placing his hands on the back of her waist.

              “Now shut up,” Y/N turns her face away from him. She could feel Yoongi so close. She could feel the breath he lets out comb past her hair. She could feel the warmth from his neck seemingly transfer onto her hands. His chest is just an inch apart from hers for him to discover the rapid beating reverberating there ever since this day started. Y/N closes her eyes and sighs. She doesn’t understand why she’s feeling this way. She chucks it down to the theory that it’s just been a long day. She’s astounded to learn Yoongi was her high school batchmate, then Myungsoo turned up and made her frustrated, and now she’s practically having fun because Yoongi offered an entire 180 from her previous emotional state. 

              But maybe it’s also because it’s been so long since Y/N received physical intimacy. It’s been ages she felt a warmth from another person’s touch. She couldn’t even remember being so enthralled just because someone platonically wanted to dance with her. But then, it could just be her desire to get over these ten dates required by DRM speaking for her body. The sooner the better they say and as of now, she’s nailing down their third date document.

              Y/N knows this must be the answer when the night deepens and the band plays the last song for the night. After receiving a pale pink envelope from the sweet manager, the night dwindles fast to where she is now: walking home, side by side with Yoongi. She thought there was a reason Yoongi picked a date site that would require them to take a train first. She just didn’t expect she will get the answer to this when Yoongi offered to walk her home. ‘It just a ten-minute walk from here,’ Yoongi insisted. And right now, it looks like he’s right because it’s only a matter of time until they reach the entrance of the Village Estates.

               “So, we’re here now,” Yoongi says, sliding his hands into his coat pockets. 

               “Yeah,” Y/N smiles back. Then she perks up, suddenly remembering something, “By the way, how come did you know about Café Bistro?”

               Yoongi leans toward her, face leveling hers. “We work for a travel magazine, Y/N. Of course, we should know about this stuff. Our Writing Department even did a feature about it.” Y/N’s brows shoot up. Yoongi leans back, putting space between them again, “I’ve been wondering ever since we got in as to why you looked so amazed at the Bistro as if it’s your first time seeing something like that. And now I know why. It is indeed your first time. You’ve never been to a lot of tourist spots before, much less even those near you.”

               “No. I’ve been to a lot, actually,” Y/N lies through her mouth.

               “I don’t think so,” Yoongi quips. Y/N frowns. Yoongi’s smile widens, “Don’t worry, sweetheart, I’ll take you to places you’ve never been before.”

               His gaze on her was not teasing, nor was it mischievous. And Y/N decides she doesn’t like it when she can’t tell the look in his eyes. She takes a step back and clears her throat. “Goodnight, Yoongi,” she bids, and then she starts for the entrance.

               Just when the peace of the night is about to settle on her, Yoongi, of course, decides to break it one last time.

               “I had fun tonight, girlfriend! Or should I say girl-friend?”

               Y/N continues with her steps, raising a middle finger in his direction. Yoongi laughs and that’s the last sound Y/N hears for the night as she enters her empty flat. 

              A text from Mina says she’s going home in an hour. After preparing her bestfriend a midnight snack just in case she’s still hungry, Y/N turns on the lights on their hallway and resigns herself in her room. Picking the date document from her bag and the other two on her counter, Y/N plops onto her bed, holding up the pale pink envelopes above her face. It’s been a while since she had fun collecting these pretty envelopes. When she first encountered these date documents five years ago, she thought they were silly. But as she twirls them under the light of her room, she thinks they’re actually genius. After all, attention and quality time spent together are good measures to see if a couple is really dating.

              “We just need seven more,” Y/N whispers, closing her eyes. As the starless night grows darker outside her window, the coffee-stained scent of today’s pale pink envelope lulls Y/N to sleep with a smile on her face.

DAY 5 — January 30; Thursday

               Y/N is at her wit’s end. It’s already 12 in the noon and nothing terrible has happened yet. It’s Thursday. Thursdays are supposed to already have it bad for her the moment the day starts. But Y/N woke up feeling nice from a good night’s sleep. It was early so she had a fun breakfast with her bestfriend where they spent an extra half-hour talking about each other’s dates. Though it sounded more like Mina’s the only one who went to an actual date because Y/N spent the majority of her turn to speak ranting about Yoongi’s smugness and whatnot. The train wasn’t crowded when she commuted to work. She and Mina even managed to get seats at seven. And in the office, nothing unwanted has happened yet. Well, of course, there’s Yoongi who still won’t stop sending her weird texts and occasional winks.  Everything is okay and normal as usual until—

               “Hey, Y/N, wanna have lunch with us?”

               Y/N turns in her swivel chair and there standing by the Accounting’s glass door were three people. Dana Lee, Jeff Anderson, and Ahn Seojoon.

               Dana continues, smiling at her, “If you didn’t have lunch yet, of course.”

               Y/N whirls to face Mina before turning around back to Dana, forehead furrowed, “I’m sorry, Dana, Mina and I already have—” 

               “No, Y/N hasn’t lunched yet!”

               Y/N whips her head to her bestfriend. Mina smiles at her, “Y/N, you should go ahead.”

              Y/N sighs, “But Mina, you would be alone today. We always eat lunch together. And aren’t you supposed to tell me more of what happened in the show you’re watching?”

              Mina claps her friend’s shoulder, “Y/N, it’s alright. We see each other in and outside the office every day. We can just talk later when you get home. Or tomorrow if you end up having another date tonight with Yoongi. After all, you told me before you want to have more friends in the office. Well, here is the chance!”

              “What chance are you talking about? And when the hell did I say I want more friends—”

              “Dana,” Mina hollers, “Y/N said she’ll go!” 

              This chance, however, was not what Y/N expected it to be. Because now, Y/N finds herself in some Mexican restaurant with three pairs of curious eyes focused on her and an unexpected guest sitting beside her.

               Y/N crosses her arms. “You didn’t tell me Yoongi would be here.”                “Well, surprise?” Jeff shrugs.

               “We figured since you and Mr. Min are…really close, why not invite him?” Seojoon explains. 

              “So,” Dana twirls her straw around her smoothie, “what’s the thing between you and Yoongi?”

               Y/N perks up in her seat. Jeff gawks at Dana. “Why did you have to be so straightforward about it?”

               “So we can finally get the answers we’ve all been waiting for,” Dana says matter-of-factly. “For one year these two are like oil and water. And then this week they’ve become chummy-chummy. I always knew there’s something going on between you two but I can never point it out. And now that you two decided to come out in the open, I guess I can also finally get my answers.” She turns back to Y/N, “So, what are you two really?”

               “Yoongi’s my, um, special friend—” 

               “Y/N’s my girlfriend—”

               Dana’s brows twitch. Yoongi quickly reaches over to pinch Y/N’s cheeks, “Oh sweetheart, you don’t need to feel so shy anymore. We’re no longer special friends so start feeling comfy to call yourself my girlfriend.”

               Seojoon coughs into his hand. Dana and Jeff slowly nod. Jeff leans forward, “So…how did you two meet?”

              “In high school. We’re kinda friends—” 

              “In the office. It’s love at first sight—” 

               Y/N eyes Yoongi. Yoongi grins. Y/N looks back at Jeff, but not without pinching Yoongi’s leg to stop him from spouting any more bullshit. Y/N smiles, “Yoongi and I met back in high school. We were batchmates.”

               “Oh, high school sweethearts!” Seojoon claps, grinning.

               “Not necessarily,” Y/N says, “We just kinda knew each other back then. And then we met each other again in Travel Loca.”

               “I see,” Dana holds her chin, as if in thought, “You two sure looked like you’ve known each other for so long…You know each other so well that you get to hit each other’s flaws so accurately whenever you bicker. Right?” Dana looks at Y/N.

               “Right,” Y/N grins. She unconsciously gulps down a nervous chuckle. “I-it wouldn’t make sense if we insult each other so well when we don’t know each other for a long time right? More even, fall in love?”

               From the corner of her eye, Y/N could see Yoongi’s head tilt, lips pursed together. It’s his face when he’s about to voice disagreement. She pinches his leg again to get him back to his senses.

               “Ye-yeah,” Yoongi stutters, “You must know a person for a long time before you can insult them well. Or love them.”

               Dana and Jeff nod their heads slowly, looking convinced. Except for Seojoon. The intern shakes his head, “I think not. You don’t need to know a person for a long time to fall in love. Or to even insult them. Hate or love—it just happens.”

               “Yeah,” Jeff agrees. “I think this felt more right. It doesn’t really require you long to hate another person for some unexplainable reason. Or fall in love with them.”

               “How did you know about this?” Y/N asks, clicking her tongue.

               Jeff looks unbothered by the questioning look on Y/N’s face. He leans back in his seat with a smile, “Because that’s how my girlfriend and I got together. We only knew each other for three weeks and it didn’t take me a day longer to know I’m whipped for her. In those three weeks, we even spent the first week really hating each other bad,” Jeff chuckles, “We used to scream at each other for hours across the windows of our apartments.”

               The furrows in Y/N’s forehead deepen, “B-but, how did you love her when you just hated her a week ago?”

               “Because love and hate have a lot of similarities,” Jeff says. “I think there’s a fine line between such differing emotions. People say it’s an end-to-end spectrum but I think that spectrum may not be as long as people make it out to be. I think they’re just two ends that sit opposite to each other. Anyone can cross from one to another and vice versa so easily. Kinda explains why you can love someone while also hating them a bit. And why you can hate or love something for so long and not consider changing your stance. Even if love is just a bridge away, its whole argument opposes the argument of hate. That’s why it feels the spectrum of love is a very long road to take—a wall too high to reach, making it hard for transitioning from one end to another. But, I don’t know,” Jeff shrugs, grinning. “Life is complex. Sometimes love and hate…just happens.”

               Seojoon and Dana nod slowly. However, Y/N feels otherwise. ‘Easy and hard to cross’? ‘It just happens’? What kind of nonsense is this—Y/N opens her mouth to argue—If not for Yoongi clasping a hand around her shoulders and urging her to stand up from her seat, “I’ll think we’ll order more tacos for us. My treat. We’ll be real quick.”

               Yoongi drags Y/N to the line forming in front of the cashier. When they’re a couple of steps away from the group, Y/N shrugs his arms away from her shoulders. She glares at him, “What do you think are you doing?”

               Yoongi tongues his cheek, “I should be the one asking you that! What do you think are you doing there? Trying to argue with my friends about something so trivial like Jeff’s perception of love? It’s his views, let him be!”

               Y/N crosses her arms, “Jeff is spouting nonsense. I just felt the need to correct him.”

               “How would you know Jeff is spouting nonsense? You’re not the one who fell in love with his neighbor he used to scream at across his flat.”

               Y/N looks down at her shoes, “Okay…I’m sorry. I know, I know, I’m being a bitch again.”

               Yoongi gapes at her, “W-wait, are you apologizing? You? The great Y/N L/N?”

               Y/N whips her head to him, pinning him with a glare, “Why? You think I’m incapable of apologizing?”

               “Nope,” Yoongi quips, smiling, “I’m just thinking how fast you grew. It was just two days ago you’re struggling so hard to apologize. Now, you just easily admitted to your mistake. I’m proud of you.”

               Y/N’s jaw goes slack. “Are you saying I’m an unapologetic bastard to everyone before?”

               “To me actually,” Yoongi corrects. “But that was back then. You’re quite…more okay now.”

               Y/N gawks at him in disbelief. But before she could utter another counter-statement, Yoongi’s already in front of the cashier, ordering for another platter of tacos. When they got back to their seats, the past conversation seems to have already dissipated. Yoongi starts the conversation this time about what they used to do in high school and college and soon enough, their table is erupting with giggles and high-pitched ‘Oh no you didn’t!” Y/N learned Jeff used to study in an art school. Seojoon used to join competitive pep squad rallies in college. And, Dana chose Travel Loca from a lot of tempting job offers because like Y/N, Dana likes Nancy’s vision for travel journalism as a travel-enthusiast like herself. Likewise, the three were enthusiastic in knowing Y/N—how she managed to skip two years of high school, her one-sided love for music because she cannot, for the life of her, play even a single instrument, and how she has so many random facts about the flower language, color theories, cooking techniques—hell even some trivia about the praying mantis—all because of reading a lot of books. Yoongi even chipped in of how great she can turn scenarios in a completely different one just because of her creative way of seeing things, to which Y/N blushes. The memory of their fast food drive-in date oddly makes her insides queasy.

              It’s been a while since Y/N felt she belonged to a group that values her skills and preferences. Moreover, to have Yoongi be so generous in hyping her up whenever it’s her turn to speak makes her feel a blanket of warmth is surrounding her. A warmth much heart-fluttering than the one provided by his arm embracing her shoulder and his occasional hand-holding. When she first felt his pinky reaching for hers, Y/N’s first instinct was to move away. But the tingling heat creeping onto her cheeks oddly makes her not want to let go. Moreso when Yoongi finally envelops her whole hand with his larger one.

               Y/N doesn’t know how long they last like that but when Yoongi moves to disentangle himself from her, Y/N feels the warmth in her chest fade too fast than she liked. She turns to him curious, before her eyes glance at the wall clock of the restaurant in the corner. It’s already one forty-five. She didn’t know the time has passed so fast. Yoongi gets up from his seat, “You can go ahead outside. I’ll just get something from the cashier.”

               Y/N looks at him with a questioning gaze. Nevertheless, she turns back to her seat and wordlessly follows Dana, Jeff, and Seojoon as they exit the restaurant. Once outside, Dana suddenly turns toward her.

               “You and Mr. Min look like you’re still newbies in dating.”

               Y/N’s eyes widen, “U-uh, how did you say so?”

               “Because you two look like you’re still tiptoeing around each other whenever one initiates some skinship,” Dana shrugs. “Don’t worry. It’s always like that at the start of a relationship.”

               “Yeah. You two might want to start transferring the intensity in your eyes to some physical touchy-touching,” Seojoon suggests, only to get playfully hit on the head by Jeff. Seojoon rubs the sore spot, “What? I’m just saying the truth! It’s normal to crave physical intimacy. Touching and being near someone you love is an inherent need!”

               “Yeah, but they’re just starting, Seojoon,” Jeff reiterates. He turns to Y/N, “Why don’t you try going to a bar?”

               “A bar?” Y/N asks, eyes wide.

               “Yeah, a bar. There’s a nice one along 11th Avenue. Neo-Cloud 9. Great place and drinks, cheap price. Oh, and amazing music. Their DJs don’t play the typical LSD-inducing club music. You two need to loosen up, you know? It’s not good to always hole yourselves at work. And also,” a Cheshire smile grows on Jeff’s lips, “Yoongi loves to drink alcohol after a long day. He just seems like the bar-type of a guy.”

               Before Y/N can ask what he means, the door of the restaurant swings open. Yoongi grins at them, “Let’s get going now.” The three nod and walk ahead, Jeff and Seojoon laughing about something again with Dana playfully hitting them to tell them to shut up. 

              Yoongi walks ahead of Y/N to turn around and walk backward on the pavement, facing the girl. Y/N raises a brow at him. 

              Yoongi grins and pulls out a pale pink envelope before falling back into step with her. “I thought of asking for a date document since we’re quite being handsy in there. Good thing the cashier saw it, too. Even said we’re cute for being shy in holding each other’s hands.” Yoongi wiggles his brows, smirking. “Didn’t know we’re being cute, sweetheart.”  

              “…Yeah,” Y/N looks away, lips pursed.

               “Are you sure you want to date here?”

               The street is bustling alive. Neon signs hang from all walls and awnings. Street arts bask in matte or glow-in-the-dark spray paint. The smell of alcohol, cigarette stench, and the delicious smell of sizzling plates compound together and yet it isn’t acrid to the nose; it’s oddly alluring. All the stars in the sky seem to have fallen down on the streets because all sorts of lights try to illuminate every inch of the pavement. It’s 11th Avenue. The place with different people from all sorts of places. Foreigners and locals piling in different corners. There are people who look newly-legal, celebrating their privilege in reaching 21. And there are some dressed over-the-top, ready to spend the whole night getting wasted. Bands of friends also jump into the mix, hoping to have fun clubbing and drinking and maybe meeting someone new. And there are also people who look like they’ve just gotten off from work. Like them.

               Y/N turns to Yoongi, unbuckling her seat belt. “Yeah, I’m sure.”

               The interior of Neo-Cloud 9 is far from its name. Y/N expected to have all sorts of pleasure-in-bottles lined up like the perfect temptation, a pit filled with heavenly decors and people, a place you wouldn’t want to get out of. But what she only gets is a classic bar and club, walls painted in grey softened by the bright moving lights. A marble-black bar stands in the right corner containing all sorts of imaginable liquor. The floor is carpeted in starry black, and the seats and booths are covered in lush-looking leather. There are people in dressy suits seated comfy in their faux silver tables in one corner, and there are some moving to the beat on the dance floor. But the bar doesn’t look wild or something that could scream fantastical luxury, much less ‘Cloud 9.’ Jeff must be right. This looks like a good place with good drinks, all for a cheap price. 

               It doesn’t take long for Y/N to find themselves seated in a booth, a footed pilsner of mojito in front of her a shot glass and a bottle of tequila in front of Yoongi. 

               Y/N takes small sips of her drink. Yoongi downs a shot. He picks up the lime on the plate and chews on it. When he’s finished a piece of his chaser, he looks at Y/N. “Why did you want to go here?”

               “Well…I’ve never been to a bar before.”

               “You’ve never been to a bar?” Yoongi gawks, placing his glass down on the table. “Like, ever?”

               “Nope.” Y/N places her glass on the table and looks at Yoongi, “And I’ve never drunk any alcohol before.”

               “This is your first time?”

               “Yup. My parents told me not to drink while I’m studying. And coincidentally, I’ve never liked the concept of drinking so…good for them. I’ve never liked parties and places like this.”

               “Then why did we go here?”

               “Because Jeff told me you like to drink.”

               “I do like drinking,” Yoongi nods, “but I wouldn’t insist to go here if you never liked places like this.”

               “Yeah, I don’t like places like this. But it doesn’t hurt to get at least experience from it, right?” Y/N raises her brows and sips on her glass.

               Silence fills the space between them. Y/N orders another glass of mojito. And another. Yoongi warns her she might get drunk too fast. /N disagrees and the stable tone in her voice supports her argument. Meanwhile, Yoongi had already tried raising a conversation topic about five times now. “Another person to rant about in high school?” “Any memories of childhood?” “What got you into loving writing?”—hell, he even tried to pick a fight by bringing up Y/N’s predicament under Nancy, but all of them ended in conversational dead-ends. Either Y/N answers in replies designed for the finality of a conversation, or she switches the topic to a trivial one, such as what he thinks of Kylie Jenner’s plastic surgeries. What only seems to pass through were shallow one-worded answer questions.

               “Uno or Monopoly?”

               “Uno.”

               It’s even fortunate if Yoongi could get Y/N to expand her answer.

               “Would you rather be a…book or a car?”

               “What does that even mean?” Y/N cackles.

               “Just answer!”

               “Okay, a book!”

               But it’s fine for him. It’s better than having nothing.

               “Okay, do you dislike…being sweaty?”

               “Nope. You?”

               “Also no,” Yoongi chuckles. He crosses his arms on the table, “Do you like to play crane games in arcades?”

               “Hmm, yes…But only if someone will win it for me. I suck at it. And it’s a waste of money, too,” Y/N bites on a chip. “What about you? Do you like playing it?”

               “Not if I’m alone. If I had somebody with me, I sure like it. I love feeling somebody getting thrilled with me.”

              Y/N looks down at her glass. She traces its rim with a finger, “We’ve already got four date documents.”

               “Yeah,” Yoongi brings up his glass to his mouth. “But why are you suddenly bringing it up?”

              “Just clarifying what we’re here for.”

              Yoongi’s hand stills.

              Y/N sighs, “We have to keep our eyes on the goal, okay? After all, we’re just doing this stuff to get approved for the PRS-change.” Y/N focuses her eyes on her hands, “We’re doing okay with the date documents. But we need to worry about the accounts of our relationship witnesses. I’ve only got Mina and of course, Ms. Teddy. But that’s only two. We need eight more—”

              “We only need five more,” Yoongi places down his glass on the table, “We’ve already got Dana, Jeff, and Seojoon roped in, too. Actually, four more, because Ms. Yoona already believes we’re into each other the day I re-introduced you. We already have six.”

              “How are you sure about that?”

              “Didn’t Ms. Yoona bid you good luck with me?”

              Y/N’s jaw falls slack. “H-how did you know that? I-I thought you only heard Jeff and Seojoon that night?”

              “I was already standing near the door. Of course, I heard everything. That’s why I know you’re denying we’re into each other. Put us up to fail,” Yoongi meets her eyes, “Again.”

              Y/N stares at him.

              “We’ve already got Dana, Seojoon, and Jeff for sure. Dana was asking me earlier about the intimacy in the break room yesterday. Seojoon and Jeff eat up any gossip Dana feeds them. Plus, those three are my friends. So if we’ll need to be desperate, I can put up an act and request them to write for us.”  Yoongi looks away and downs a shot, “But I think what we did in the restaurant was already enough. I don’t know what other act could be more convincing than that.” 

              Y/N hums. After that, silence again. It doesn’t last long though, not until her 5th order of mojito is placed on their table. But instead of uttering a word, Y/N makes a move to snatch the shot glass of tequila in front of Yoongi. 

              “What are you doing?” Yoongi raises a brow, placing his glass farther away from her reach.

              Y/N only continues to make grabby hands at him. “I’ve only been drinking cocktails this whole night. Wanna taste some hard liquor, too, y’know?”

              “Y/N,” Yoongi sighs, “You’re gonna get drunk. Your house is far from here.”

              “So?” Y/N tilts her head. “You borrowed Steven’s car tonight. You’re gonna drive me home anyway. Drunk or not.”

              “Yeah, but you told me earlier Mina is gonna sleep over at Mark’s. And I cannot carry you up to your apartment—should you get drunk— because if you’re wasted, you cannot confirm to your security you actually know me if I were to help you get in your flat. And that  won’t ever happen because not in a million years will I carry your fat ass in any possible chance—” 

              “Yaddah, yaddah, blah, blah, blah,” Y/N leans forward on the table. “You always have something to say, no, Yoongi?”

              Yoongi clicks his tongue. “As if you’re not also like that.”

              “You don’t need to worry,” Y/N waves off. “Surprisingly, I’m not yet drunk. See?”

              Yoongi gulps. It’s hard to argue otherwise if Y/N knows she indeed looks and sounds very sober.

              “So,” Y/N reaches for his shot glass again, “why can’t you just let me have a taste of tequila? It’s my first time after all. I just wanna experience what I’ve missed on during high school and college.”

              That’s all it takes for Yoongi to sigh and finally relent. Soon enough, Y/N is almost bouncing on her seat as she triumphantly places the tequila-filled shot glass in front of her. With a grin, Y/N picks a lime on the saucer and hovers it above her drink and—

               Yoongi catches her elbow. “That’s not how you do it.” He scoots across the booth to sit next to her. He gets the lime from her hands, “You don’t drop the lime in your drink like you’re trying to make lime water. You dip your hand in salt first and suck it.” He pushes the plate of salt towards her. 

              Y/N looks at him funny. Yoongi rolls his eyes. “You said this is your first time drinking. I’m just trying to teach you how it’s supposed to go so it would taste better. Look,” Yoongi points to her shot glass, “the tequila is distilled so it has a high percentage of alcohol. It’s a hard liquor and will definitely make a different burn in your throat than your mojitos. The salt is gonna lessen that burn. Now, just dip a finger in the salt and suck it.”

              Y/N gives him one more suspicious look but follows nevertheless. 

              “Now, take a shot of your tequila.”

              Y/N smiles, placing the rim of the glass on her lips. She closes her eyes and tilts her head back, downing the drink in one go. When she looks back at Yoongi, indeed, a different burn is lining down her throat. It felt like someone lit a match inside her esophagus and let the flame lick the muscles and nerves of her neck. 

              Before Y/N could let her jaw drop and ask Yoongi what the fuck did she just take in, Yoongi places the slice of lime next to her lips. “Bite on the lime.” She looks at him. Yoongi’s shoulder is brushing next to hers. He’s leaning close to her, face hovering hers. Just an inch more and her nose will graze the tip of his nose. He’s also got his hand close on her face. She could feel his thumb almost brush her lips as he holds the lime in front of her. And his eyes—Y/N tears her gaze from him. She snatches the lime from his hand and bites on it.

               Yoongi pulls away, chuckling, “See? It tasted much better now. The sourness of lime balances and enhances the flavor of tequila.”

               Y/N only nods.

               They spend the rest of the night with Yoongi teaching her different terms in drinking, and her trying out sips of the drinks Yoongi orders for himself. It was all okay. Y/N’s having fun, learning and enjoying the drinks. It’s a wonder she’s still sober considering it’s her first time drinking and she’s already got a couple of drinks down her system. Her eyes are still steady, her posture stable. Heck, her voice even sounds as if it a minute has only passed since they entered Neo-Cloud 9. 

               “C’mon, Yoongi, let’s dance.”

               Yoongi should have not been over-confident in his perceptions. The moment Y/N steps out from her side, she stumbles toward him, almost completely faceplanting on his chest.

               “Y/N,” Yoongi pushes her up, “You’re drunk. Fuck, I told you you’re gonna get drunk. I think we should head home now—” 

               “No! Wanna dance, Min Yoongi!” Y/N suddenly stands upright, almost tripping on her shoes. She grins, “Let’s just do one song and after that Imma go home. Please, Yoongi?”

               “Y/N—”

               “Please, Yoongiiiii?” Y/N clasps her hands together, “Pleassseee?” 

               “Y/N—”

               “Just one song! Or else I would call you mean Yoongi from now on,” she crosses her arms, “Just one is all I’m asking. Wanna experience that party feel for the very first time. We don’t even have to do a rave dance. We can just slow dance if you like!”

               This is the reason why Yoongi finds himself dancing something akin to waltz to a song about partying as if it’s 2012. It’s not that bad, though. Not when he’s not alone dancing un-synced to the song with Y/N almost completely hanging on his limbs like a sloth. Some occasional seconds, she even gets the audacity to place her head on his chest. Yoongi cannot help but pull a small smile on his lips.

               The lights above the dance floor are in the colors of sunset and dawn and they move and merge like cells undergoing mitosis. It feels simultaneously alienating and comforting and Y/N isn’t really sure if she likes it or not. She just feels warm all over. Warm in her toes. Warm in her belly. Warm in her throat. Warm in her hands. Warm in her chest. Just…warm. Too comfortingly warm and she doesn’t know if it’s all just thanks to the alcohol. 

               “Hey, Y/N, the song is about to end now.”

               “Just one more,” Y/N mutters. She places her head against his shoulder.

               Yoongi hums. The song finally changes. A few beats in and Y/N stops in her tracks.  It’s The Louvre by Lorde.

              But lover, you’re the one to blame, all that you’re doing

              Can you hear the violence?

              Megaphone to my chest.

               Y/N looks up. Yoongi’s face is above her, almost hovering hers. The warm sunset-colored lights pass over his features, highlighting the seeming stylishness of his unkempt hair, the small existent ridges on his plump cheeks, and the soft-looking curve of his lips that’s more often than not pulled to the side to tease her. But tonight, he’s just smiling, and his lips look so soft under the pink light. His hand covering hers felt so big and yet unnervingly un-foreign. It’s only calming. His eyes are soft, gentle, dare she say warm even. 

              And for one second, it didn’t seem the calming warmth she was feeling was because of the alcohol. Because the warmth she feels is akin to the soothing radiance of early mornings. Warm like the heat between hand-held mugs shared over a small table with knees bumping next to each other. Warm like the tepid comfort a thick blanket provides to counter the thunderstorm incessantly knocking on the window panes. Warm like the lukewarm water of a hot tub one prepares after coming home from a long day at work. It’s hot, but not too hot to immediately withdraw a finger from.

              It wasn’t the alcohol anymore because the warmth she feels comes from Yoongi. She knows for sure because when her hand withdraws from his skin, the calming warmth that has surrounded her immediately dissipates. 

              The realization dawns on her and suddenly, Y/N feels her throat is being laced up close. A choked out sob, and Y/N is hunching over, form minimizing on the floor as she tries to wheeze out a sharp breath.

              “Y/N! What’s wrong? Are you okay?!” Yoongi panics. He holds her close to him, arms looping around her figure to keep her upright next to him. But Y/N shakily pushes him away.

              Arms-width away from him, hands clutching tightly on his shoulders, Y/N looks up at him. “Yoongi, you have to stop being like this.”

              “L-like what? Holding you to not let you fall over?”

              “No,” Y/N shakes her head. “You have to stop trying to get so close to me.”

              Yoongi stops. 

              Y/N lets out a staggered breath. “Just, please don’t, Yoongi.”

              “Y/N—”

              A tear slips from her eyes. “I can’t fall one more time, Yoongi. I’ve had enough already. I can’t…I can’t take another one. So please…don’t cross anymore of the space I put between us. Or even let me do the same. You can insult me whatever you want, just,” Y/N lets out a broken sigh, “don’t do this to me. Please.”

              No words are exchanged after that. Y/N lets herself in the car. Yoongi follows suit. The night goes on devoid of any sound save for the revving of the engine. When they pull out from the colorful streets of 11th Avenue, the distant pink lights of Neo-Cloud 9 become Y/N’s last memory as she slumps her head against the car window. Soon enough, the world goes black. Her breaths finally even out.

DAY 6 – January 31; Friday

               When Y/N peels her eyes open, a rounded moon-looking light fixture set on a powder blue ceiling is the first thing she sees. The second thing that enters her vision is the white bedside table on her left. She’s never seen these things before. Y/N sits up in a jolt. White wooden cabinets, a metal gray desk, black office swivel chair, light grey faux wooden tiles—these are definitely not in her room. She instantly looks down on her body. A white and blue striped pajama. Panic starts to rise in her stomach.  Where the fuck am I—

               The door bursts open and a head of a male she’s never seen before pops up. He smiles at her. “Oh, you’re finally awake. You can take a shower now. Yoongi’s just finished showering. Your clothes are already on the hangers in the bathroom. Mom’s got them washed and pressed already.” The man walks away only to come back as if he’s forgotten something. “Oh yeah, we’re also having breakfast so…come join us when you’re done?” The furrows on Y/N’s forehead deepen. The man beams, “O-oh, and I’m Yoongi’s brother, Jeongguk.”

               Yoongi? Jeongguk? Why is Yoongi’s brother inviting her for breakfast when she hasn’t even heard of him before—Y/N freezes. The answer finally dawns upon her and Y/N could only internally pull all the hair off her head. Oh my god, what the hell am I doing in Yoongi’s home?!

               Twenty minutes later and Y/N finds herself in a circular table with the very question in her head the first thing uttered out when she sits on her chair.

              “So Y/N,” Yoongi’s father smiles at her, “How did you end up here?”

               “Um—”

               “Dad, I thought already told you yesterday?” Yoongi interrupts. Y/N looks at the man across her. He looks like he didn’t dry himself well. The ends of his hair are still wet. There’s also a damp spot on the chest area of the white crew-neck shirt he’s wearing under his navy blazer. Y/N gulps. She should not let her eyes linger on that damp spot for too long.

               “Yeah, son, I know,” Yoongi’s father chuckles as he slices into his scrambled eggs. He turns to Y/N. “I’m just messing with you, dear.”

               “Y-yeah. I totally understand, Mr. Min,” Y/N tries to chuckle.

               “Oh, don’t call me that. Just call me ‘dad.’ We’re gonna get close anyway.”

               Yoongi’s eyes bulge out. “What the hell—Dad!”

               Mr. Min laughs. “I’m just joking! Call me Yoonhyuk.”

               Y/N smiles politely, “Okay…Yoonhyuk.”

               “My, Yoongi,” Yoongi’s mother claps a hand on her son’s shoulder, “You seem really tense. You’re reverting back into your old high school self.”

               “Mom!”

               “Excuse my son,” Yoongi’s mother smiles at Y/N. “He used to be really tense and timid all over. Habits do really die hard. Anyway, just call me Ji-an, too. Oh, and I’m the one who changed your clothes last night so no need to worry. I just thought letting you sleep in your work clothes may be too uncomfortable. You looked like you really needed a good rest last night.”

               “It’s alright. Thank you so much, Ms. Mi—Ji-an,” Y/N smiles. Ms. Min returns a bigger charming smile. Y/N figures Yoongi’s smile must have taken after his mother’s.

               Breakfast continues on as if it was just another breakfast in the Min family. Having Yoongi’s past already brought up, Mr. Min continues on with a story of an awkward fourteen-year-old Yoongi sweating over just practicing how to give their plate of chow mien to their neighbor. Jeongguk even pitched in of how his older brother was such a wimp way back when they were kids. He said it was a wonder how Yoongi always manages to win every game when he’s always the one running like a ‘waddling duck.’ Until a year later they found out it was all thanks to the cheats Yoongi has collected. Everyone erupts into laughter. Even Yoongi who’s sulking the whole time finally breaks into cackles. 

              Y/N can’t remember the last time she had breakfast this lively. Well, she and Mina do share fun breakfasts too. But with the two of them rarely having enough time to cook meals in the morning, table breakfasts are reserved for special days. Their breakfasts usually come through sandwiches they munch on quickly at a small, cheap café near the office. Now, she’s having breakfast with people she’s never met before, and yet, a comfortable warmth settles over her, making her feel las if she’s meeting people she had long been friends with.  The feeling is strange, but Y/N decides she’s more than welcome to entertain it.

              The breakfast ends sooner than Y/N would like to admit and it isn’t by long she bids her goodbyes to the Min family after she finishes helping Ms. Min clean up. She expresses her gratitude once more to Mr. and Mrs. Min before following Yoongi to the car.

              When they pull away from the driveway, Yoongi finally says his first words of the day to her. “I’m sorry you may have been shocked this morning. I drove you to your apartment but I wasn’t able to get you into your flat because you don’t have your keys. The security stationed doesn’t know alternative access and the admin’s office was long closed. So, I have no other option but to drive you home with me. Well, you were actually the one who insisted to drive you to my home, so yeah, here we are.” 

              “I…insisted to go to your home?”

              Yoongi looks at her, “You don’t remember?”

“Yah, Y/N, stop messing with my hair,” Yoongi huffs as he tries to balance the girl latched onto his back while rummaging through her bag for her keys.

“I’m not messing it up. I’m styling it!” Y/N grabs two handfuls of hair. Yoongi nearly topples onto the floor from the hard tug on his scalp. Y/N only squeals, “See? You look like Garu now! Not Pucca. You only smile when you’re smug!”

“Y/N, stop messing with me,” Yoongi grits, hands frantically turning all the items in the woman’s bag over and over again. “Fuck, there’s no keys. Y/N, where the hell did you put your keys?”

“I don’t knoooow.”

Y/N starts to slip on his back. Before he could hoist her up though, the girl locks her elbows around his neck, knocking the wind out of his windpipe. Yoongi didn’t know what getting strangled really feels like until now. Y/N giggles, “Oh, I know now! I slipped it in in my pouch! The one with my ballpens. I think I must have left it in the office because I’m not yet done with my report when we went off…”

Yoongi drags a hand over his face, “Fuck. What the hell will I do with you now?”

Y/N props her head on his shoulder and grins, “Take me home to your home?”

               Yoongi gapes at Y/N. “You seriously don’t remember?”

               Y/N slowly shakes her head, “I don’t.”

Yoongi plops Y/N back onto the passenger’s seat before he sits himself back into the driver’s seat. The moment Yoongi drives away from the 27th street, Y/N decides it’s a brilliant idea to latch herself onto the man’s arm.

“Y/N, what the hell are you doing?” Yoongi tries to gently pull his arm away from her. Y/N only keeps her grip on him and decides to put her head on his shoulder. Yoongi sighs in defeat.

“I’m being happy!” Y/N grins, “You and I are gonna have a sleepover!”

“This is not a sleepover,” Yoongi gives her a pointed look, “You’re drunk and I’m just being a Good Samaritan letting you stay over in my house because your poor ass got nowhere to go.”

“Doesn’t matter. It’s still a sleepover because we’ll sleep in your room.”

“I am NOT letting you sleep in my room. You’re gonna sleep on the couch.”

Y/N’s eyes grow wide, “No! We’re gonna sleep in your room! Friends sleep in one room during sleepovers.”

“So now, you’re finally admitting we’re friends?” Yoongi smirks. He doesn’t know why he’s letting this pointless conversation go on when the person he’s speaking to is just running on autopilot. But when Y/N looks at him in complete focus and opens her mouth, Yoongi can’t help but anticipate for what she has to say.

“Why?” Y/N tilts her head, “Aren’t we already friends? Weren’t you the one who kept bugging me about it?”

Yoongi looks away and keeps his eyes ahead, “Well…yeah.”

“Then why won’t you let me sleep in your room?”

Yoongi clicks his tongue, “Just because.”

“Is it because you hate me?”

“No, it’s not because of that.”

“Then, is it because I annoyed you today?”

“Well, you did annoy me. A lot.” Yoongi sighs, “Okay, a bit. A teeny, tiny bit. But, it’s also not because of that.”

“Then what is it?” Y/N whines.

Yoongi doesn’t answer.

“Is it because I’m supposed to actually rat on any mistake of your team to Nancy?”

Still silence.

“Then…is it because I’m ugly?”

Yoongi whips his head toward her, “What?”

Y/N looks down at her lap, “People say no one wants to be with me because no one likes my face. They say it’s too intimidating. That I’m too intimidating and no one wants to be with someone like that.” Y/N glances at the side mirror, “Didn’t help that everyone practically hates me because of how firm I stand with my values. High school was enough proof of that.”

“Well, it’s not everyone. You got Mina—”

“Of course, I got Mina. She’s always by my side. So, she’s out of the question.”

“I’m not yet done,” Yoongi chuckles, “You do love getting ahead of everybody, no?”

Y/N pouts and faces straight ahead, crossing her arms.

“As I was saying, you got Mina and me.”

It’s Y/N’s turn to snap back towards him, eyes wide. “What do you mean?”

“You said before I’m not just anybody,” Yoongi shrugs. “Might as well live up to that.”

The quiet air settles over again. Only the sounds of the city zooming past them and Y/N’s occasional snores fill the gaps of silence. But it doesn’t last long as they finally reached 12th street, West Drive—Yoongi’s home—because Y/N wakes up again and starts blabbering if she could tie up his hair Garu-style. Yoongi thinks the utter shock in his mother’s face when she opened the door for him and the utterly inebriated girl on his back is something he will never forget. And probably Y/N’s face, too, which brightened up when Yoongi told her she can have his room.

“Are you serious?” Y/N squeals, already on her knees on his mattress, ready to jump around. She looks like a five-year-old and it doesn’t help that his striped blue and white pajamas make her look, dare he say, cute.

“Yes, I am,” Yoongi replies. He closes the door for a second to see his mother in the hallway.

Ji-an places Y/N’s clothes on their hamper before addressing him. “Been a while since you brought a friend over.”

“Yeah,” Yoongi nervously smiles as he rubs his nape. “Sorry this was unannounced, mom. I drove her to her place but she forgot her keys at work and her flatmate’s also gone for the night. I don’t know what to do so I just brought her here.”

“Hey, it’s okay. I don’t mind,” Ji-an smiles. “I was just surprised. I didn’t know Thursday nights are now a drinking night.”

“Mom!” Yoongi playfully claps his mother’s shoulder. Ji-an only laughs. When her chuckles die down, she fondly looks at her son, “I was just curious what made you drink out on a Thursday night. I thought friend’s night-outs are for Fridays.”

“Today was just a special case. Y/N wanted to try drinking for the first time. She dragged me to teach her what she’s missed out on college and high school.” Yoongi looks at his closed door, a warm smile forming on his face. “I didn’t know someone at 25 has not yet been to a bar before.” 

“Then, I’m glad you’ve accompanied her.”

Yoongi looks at his mother, brows furrowed, “What do you mean?”

“It’s also been a while since I’ve seen you smile like that,” Ji-an pulls her lips into a knowing smile. “You smile a lot with us. But it’s been ages since I saw that smile again. It makes me happy it’s back.”

“What…smile, mom?”

“Oh, you know it already,” Ji-an pats his shoulder. “By the way, where are you gonna sleep?”

“I’ll make camp in the living room. I have your fluffy pillows and blanket with me…Thanks, mom.” Yoongi gives her an appreciative smile. 

“Okay then,” Ji-an returns his smile, “Goodnight, son.” Yoongi kisses her cheek goodnight and then she resigns back into their room. 

Yoongi plops himself on the floor beside his bed. Y/N rolls over to poke at his shoulder, “What took you so long outside? I thought this is a sleepover. Also, what are you doing with that?” she points to the binder the man is holding.

Yoongi continues flipping through the pages. It’s an album of his days back in high school. He always pulls it out whenever he gets the sudden urge to feel nostalgic. Most often than not, the fuzzy feeling after drinking gives that urge. Yoongi mutters, “I’m looking through it so you’ll get bored of messing with me and finally sleep.”

“You know, Yoongi…if I didn’t hate you, I would love to kiss you.”

Yoongi freezes in his position, “W-what?”

But it seems the alcohol took its final toll on Y/N when she rolls over to her side and bids him with a yawn, “Goodnight, Yoongi.”

Yoongi makes sure he hears her snore before he returns, “…Goodnight, too, sweetheart.”

               “You really don’t remember anything?”

               “No…?”

               Yoongi focuses back on the road. “What’s your last memory yesterday?”

               “Well, we took shots. Then after that, we danced, and—nothing. Well, you drove me here and let me sleepover so yeah,” Y/N looks down on her interlocked hands. “Thank you for that, Yoongi.”

               “You’re welcome. But do you really not remember anything? As in, anything at all?”

               “I told you I do not, okay?” Y/N throws up her hands, “How many times do I have to tell you that?!”

               Yoongi glances at her, “Not even what you said while we’re dancing at the bar?”

               “No,” Y/N sighs. “Look, I don’t remember anything from the night before, save for what I already told you. What did I even say while we’re dancing at the bar?”

               “Nothing,” Yoongi looks back at the road. “You just said you wanna stuff your nose full with mojito because you love it so much.”

               Y/N massages her temple, “Okay, that’s embarrassing. But dismissible. It’s just a stupid statement. Did something else happen?”

               “Something,” Yoongi scoffs, “Oh hell yeah, something definitely happened.”

               Y/N’s brows shot up and she screeches, “Did something happen between us?!” Yoongi almost drives the car out of their lane.

               “Jesus Christ, Y/N, do you plan on busting my ears off?” Yoongi holds a hand over his ears. “And for God’s sake, how did you even come up to that? What do you think of me? Someone who takes advantage of a drunk woman?!”

              “I didn’t say that! Okay,” Y/N reels back and sighs, “I’m sorry I implied it and for possibly offending you. I just thought maybe you got drunk, too, yesterday and we got handsy-handsy on each other. Maybe. The movies show it’s possible. And they already run a good enough forecast system for drunken mistakes.”

              “Are you seriously using movies now as a reliable reference?”

              Y/N looks away. “It wouldn’t hurt, okay. Movies reflect real life.”

              “Look, Y/N,” Yoongi looks at her with a serious face, “nothing sexual happened between us. If something actually happened between us, I wouldn’t be here in the first place. I’d probably be at a church tryna convince the priest if I could take a bath using their holy water.” 

               Y/N scowls at him, “You say that as if I’m the most horrible person in the world. Well, if you’d been a different person, you’d know I’m not so bad.”

               “Are you implying you want to have sex with me?”

               “Oh my god—NO! How the fuck did you even think about such abomination?!” 

              Yoongi wiggles his brows at her. Y/N resists the urge to slap his face. They’re currently driving. She cannot risk her life no matter how much she wants to end the man beside her.

              “But seriously speaking,” Yoongi rounds a street, “something else did happen.”

              “What is it?”

              “You actually insisted to go to my house because you wanna have a sleepover. You reasoned it’s because we’re friends.” Yoongi glances at her, “And you told me you wanted to kiss me.”

              Y/N’s jaw falls wide open, “Oh my god, your imagination cannot be any weirder than it already is, huh? ‘Friends’? ‘Kiss you’? Never in a million years would I want that!” Y/N scoffs, “Even if I’m drunk, I know I wouldn’t say that! Your delusions are getting worse, Yoongi.”

              “Say all that you want. Still doesn’t negate what transpired yesterday,” Yoongi sing-songs.

              “Look,” Y/N shifts in her seat to turn to Yoongi, “I’m grateful you had me in your home and welcomed me so warmly. And I know I’m enjoying a lot of favors right now. But one more wouldn’t hurt, okay?” Y/N sighs and closes her eyes, “Can we just forget whatever happened yesterday?”

              “Nope.”

              “What do you mean ‘nope’?!”

              “Nope, as in, we cannot forget what we know happened. It’s impossible, biologically and realistically speaking. Our brains are not designed with an undo button. Unless we already have early onset of Alzheimer’s. Though I think I wouldn’t worry about that because I’m young and happy. You’re the one who should actually worry because you look old and that’s because you didn’t enjoy life—”

              “Okay, I get you! It’s impossible to forget! But can we just never speak about what happened yesterday?!” 

              Yoongi shrugs, “Depends.”

              Y/N’s brows scrunch together, “What do you mean ‘depends’?”

              “If it would be non-advantageous for me, sure, I won’t speak about it. But right now, it’s definitely advantageous for me because I can use it as blackmail material to finally convince you you wanted to be friends, and that in fact, we are indeed already friends.”

              “Min Yoongi—!”

              A ringtone bursts loud in the car. It’s a Japanese song. And it sounds very much like an opening OST for a shounen action anime.

              “Are you fricking serious—”

              “Ssh!”  Y/N holds up an index to Yoongi’s lips. She breaks into a smile, “Oh hello, Ms. Nancy. I-I mean,” Y/N glances at her watch and does quick math, “good afternoon!” Fuck time differences.

               The person on the other end of the line doesn’t sound too pleased with the greeting though. “Where the hell are you now, Y/N?”

               “Oh, I’m at,” Y/N looks outside of the window in search of the nearest post with a street name, “uh, 1st Avenue. We’re just a couple of blocks from Rockfort now.”

               “Don’t come into the office today. I have a list of errands for you to do instead.”

               “O-okay—”

               “They’re a lot so I’m gonna e-mail them to you now. When you receive it, I hope you start on it ASAP.”

               “Of course, ma’am,” Y/N smiles. A beep at the other end serves as her reply. A ‘ding’ soon sounds in her phone and Y/N immediately checks on her notifications.

               Ms. Nancy Kim (7:45 A.M.)

Go to my house on 27th Avenue. I left some legal papers I need by 8:20 and I want you to scan them and email them to me. Use my personal computer. 

Head to the VanTae Main Office by 8:45 A.M. They’re hosting a meeting with the businesses they’ve partnered with for an interactive fashion event they’re hosting. I forgot to inform them beforehand that I’ve gone abroad but I’ve already e-mailed the CEO today that our spokesperson, Mr. Junhyung Choi, will stand for me. Help out Mr. Choi with whatever he needs, especially his presentation. 

Go to RTW Advertising’s Headquarters by 11 A.M with Mr. Choi. They need to discuss something about their future project with us. I’m gonna send you the references you’ll need to help Mr. Choi—

               Y/N immediately tucks her phone into her pocket. She’ll just read the rest on the train. She turns to the man beside her, “Yoongi park on the sidewalk.”

                “Why? But we’re going to the office—”

               “Just go to the nearest parking spot and drop me off.” Y/N smiles, “Please?”

               Yoongi sighs but nevertheless, he follows her directions and pulls up the car in front of a bicycle stand.

               Y/N gathers her bag, “Sorry this is a rush. I’m not going to the office. I need to catch the 8 A.M. train.” Y/N turns to her side to tug free her seatbelt but it won’t budge. She hears a sigh and then suddenly, there’s a hand hovering above hers, pulling more of the seatbelt from her shoulder to lessen the tension of the belt on the lock. When Y/N looks up, Yoongi’s face is so near hers that one simple movement could let her nose brush the side of his cheek. She could practically feel Yoongi’s breath sweep over her lips as he releases a sigh.

               Then Yoongi looks straight into her eyes. “Is it Nancy?”

               The lock clicks and it releases the belt. Y/N presses herself still into the corner of the car. She doesn’t know she’s holding her breath as she nods, “Y-yeah.”

               Yoongi leans back in his seat. “You sure you want to take the train? I can drive you to where you need to go. I can just hit up Ms. Yoona and tell her to take my place for the day.”

               “N-no. This is my work. I don’t want to bother you. I’ve got a list of things to do and it will keep you away from what you really needed to do.” Y/N pushes the handle and opens the door to let herself hop out. “Thanks for offering though.”

               Yoongi tilts his head and smiles. “Date you later, then?”

               Y/N’s brows meet together.

               Yoongi shrugs, “Well, we’ll see each other later and hopefully date y’know? We still need a few date documents to get. For the Heart Holiday. So yeah, date you later?”

               “Okay…date you later, too.” Y/N smiles back and then she closes the door. When she turns around, she tries to convince herself the heat on her cheeks was because of the pollution outside. Not because of Yoongi’s warm smile as she sent him off.

               Y/N wishes she’s never said anything too early.

               The future is a concept that can hardly be determined no matter how open and flexible the patterns people have made to make sense of it. Y/N knows this and yet she still chooses to defy it. It‘s human nature anyway to try and figure out life and see how long you could last with a blueprint belief. If it turns out to be wrong, improve the belief or let it go and find a better one. But this is always easier said than done. It’s an inherent quality of dealing with things and concepts no one has complete control over. And Y/N has completely no control even on her unfortunate scenarios she has pre-determined in her head.

              All of her Thursdays have been cursed ever since her first goddamn story proposal was foiled by Min Yoongi one year ago. And suddenly, yesterday was spot-free of any unfortunate events Y/N was sober enough to fully experience. And by some unexpected discrepancy in a long-established, working pattern, everything that has to go wrong in Thursday, happened today—Friday.

               When Y/N entered the train station, a mechanical error occurred on the 8 A.M. train that caused a thirty-minute delay before a working cart could come and accommodate commuters. This fucked up Y/N’s schedule big time because she had to sprint to Nancy’s house and speed-scan the legal documents she needed in just five minutes to reach the 8:20 deadline. Of course, it didn’t work according to her plan because computers do their thing when you needed something to be rushed, they pick that exact time to not cooperate with you. Nevertheless, Y/N manages to finish the task. But all the tinge of achievement written on her face from accomplishing something was immediately slashed off when she realizes she sent the documents five minutes past the deadline. Nancy made sure she knew this when she rings her to berate her of her noncompliance with set deadlines.

               Y/N thought she could make up for her mistake by doing her best in her presentation with Mr. Choi at VanTae. But that, too, proves to be a long shot to make because before she could even try, life shuts her down. Nancy forgot to inform her VanTae was expecting themed cohesive presentations from their partners. It is with great shame she sat behind the podium where Mr. Choi is standing, flipping through each slide that was obviously embarrassingly sub-par to the other business partners in the room. And, Mr. Choi didn’t let go of the opportunity to befall the blame of today’s unimpressive performance completely on Y/N. Who wouldn’t when she’s the one in charge of making the entire presentation?

               But that wasn’t the end of it. At RTW, Mr. Choi just asked for Y/N to bring him and the manager cups of coffee. She doesn’t have to stand by his side anymore. But the heavens seem to hate her because when she enters the conference room and nears the manager, the secretary who’s placing the folders suddenly turned, bumping into Y/N. It would have been okay if the coffee spilled all over on her shirt. But No. Y/N trips on her foot and the hot, newly brewed coffee had to spill on the shirt of RTW’s manager. 

              When Nancy caught wind of what happened through Mr. Choi, she immediately slashed off Y/N’s tasks that actually involved Travel Loca and reduced it to personal, trivial errands. It’s easy and fool-proof. They’re just errands like bring Nancy’s daughter’s hardcopy of her paper to her school and write up an apology for Nancy for the parties and events she got invited to but will be unable to attend. And by some undecipherable stretch of bad luck, doing these tasks, too, has also proven to be hard. Either the transportation system will delay her for half an hour, an electronic gadget will malfunction on her, or a person in the other end of the line will find something offending in her words and turn it all against her. Y/N barely made it on time to submit the hardcopy to the school. She wasn’t able to finish encoding Nancy’s personal expenses in the tax declaration software. And two of Nancy’s friends were not satisfied with her apologies and even insulted her. When Y/N calls for the nth time about finishing a task that ended not-so-well in her favor, she knows Nancy has already busted her patience of the day for her because she just sighs and started to give her cold one-worded replies.

              And before Y/N knew it, it’s already seven. Long past working hours. Y/N’s eyes widen. Yoongi. She pulls up her phone and types a message.

              Y/N : Hey, I think I’m gonna do a raincheck on our uh date. Sorry for the late notice. I just finished my job and I don’t think I have any energy left. (7:05 P.M.)

             Mean Yoongi >:( : Why? What happened? (7:06 P.M.)

             Mean Yoongi >:( : If you don’t mind me asking, I mean? (7:06 P.M.)

             Y/N : Nothing happened. Just tired (7:06 P.M.)

             Mean Yoongi >:( : Okay, that’s fine. Take a rest. Health is always the priority (7:07 P.M.)

             Y/N : Okay. Thank you :) (7:07 P.M.)

             Mean Yoongi >:( : Date you tomorrow then? (7:07 P.M.)

             Y/N purses her lips and shrugs. 

             Y/N : Sure. Date you tomorrow (7:07 P.M.) 

             Mean Yoongi >:( : Sweet. Goodnight, sweetheart  😉 (7:07 P.M.)

             A small smile traces its way on Y/N’s face. 

             Y/N : Goodnight, too, Yoongi (7:07 P.M.)  

             However, Y/N shouldn’t have thought about finally having a good night too early. Because the cherry on top of her day is yet to happen. 

            Y/N heads to Rockfort to retrieve her keys and finally end the day. It’s already nine in the evening and she just wants to go home, plop down on her bed, and maybe cry. Out of shame or anger or both, she isn’t sure. Probably anger to Mr. Choi and a bit to Nancy because they didn’t have to belittle her in front of her face the way they did. And most probably anger to herself because she wouldn’t receive such backlash from her superiors if she didn’t fuck up. The rational part of her believes Mr. Choi and Nancy didn’t have time to consider her feelings because they were doing damage control. But still, Y/N can’t help but feel she’s been ruthlessly disregarded. She tried her best but she knows she can’t force anyone to notice it. No one really cares much about the progress. Outcomes are what only matter. It is always the end that determines whether something is worth all the effort or it was all just for naught. 

              When Y/N starts on the steps on the complex, her phone rings. 

              It’s Nancy. Y/N takes a deep breath and closes her eyes. “He-hello?”

              “Y/N, what’s the progress of the Creatives for this week?”

              “O-oh, um—”

              “You forgot to send it to me earlier this day when I clearly told you before I went overseas to make sure you keep me up-to-date by the evening. Does it look like it’s still evening, now? It’s already midnight here.” Nancy sighs, “I’m the boss and yet I have to call my employee to ask her to simply do her job. Do you see how wrong that sounds?”

              “I-I’m sorry, Ms. Nancy—”

              “Stop with the apologies. I’ve had enough of that this day. Just tell me what I’m asking from you.”

              “O-okay,” Y/N rushes to the nearest bench. It’s the one sitting under the central mango tree and Y/N hopes if it could give her at least an ounce of luck just like it always does. With hands trembling, Y/N manages to get all the pages of her report from her bag in one piece.  She flips through the papers, “U-um, well, Steven and Yoongi came up with a unique design for our feature articles. It’s inspired by the DRM’s goals and the Heart Holiday because Valentines’ week is just around the corner. A-and then the concept team is collaborating well with our artists in doing the overall theme of our issue. I could send you an email later of the samples they’ve given me—” 

              “Okay, but do you have any updates on our cover page?”

              “The-the cover page?”

              “Yes, the cover page. Did you not hear what I said?”

              Y/N feels her throat dry up. The cover page. Kim Myungsoo. Y/N has reminded him of it yesterday and he said he’s going to see if he can email it by Friday. It’s already Friday and she still hasn’t received any email. She even texted Yoongi earlier while she’s at RTW’s meeting to personally check on Myungsoo and his team. What she only received is a dejected sigh from Yoongi as he told her the team leader has taken a leave and the team members are unable to give them the proposal she needs. Y/N remembers how flawed the bureaucratic system of Travel Loca is as Yoongi informs her company rules dictate access to the reports and documents are only granted by team leaders to ensure their legibility. And since Nancy didn’t give out a statement to override this rule today, Yoongi, himself, cannot do anything. Y/N now remembers why she actually dreaded this call to come.

              “U-um, yes, Ma’am, I heard what you said. But, the thing is, uh,” Y/N taps her foot, “I wasn’t…able to make a report because Myungsoo has taken a leave and he wasn’t able to send their report of progress to me. I-I’m sorry.”

              Silence greets her. For a second, Y/N thinks the line went dead.  She realizes it was wrong to speak beforehand because, after a beat, she feels her heart drop into her stomach.

              “You never run out of excuses, do you?”

              “W-what?”

              Nancy laughs. “Oh my god, I thought I wouldn’t be any more disappointed in you today. Guess I was wrong because you have a knack for breaking my expectations, Y/N. And right now, I’m not disappointed. I’m upset.”

              “Nancy, I’m sorry—”

              “All I’ve asked from you was to give me updates on the Creatives team. And yeah, you did but you left out the most important element we really need from them—the cover page. Give me a creatives team from a magazine company that doesn’t put the central focus on the fucking cover page? Of course, you’ll get none!”

              Y/N bites her lip.

               “What are you even doing this week in the office, then, Y/N?”

               Silence.

               “Answer me, Y/N.”

               Y/N bites back a sniffle. “I-I check on each team a-and I also helped with choosing the layouts and templates they use and—”

               “Why the hell are you helping them with that? You don’t know their work. What made you think you could actually help?” Nancy scoffs, “So instead of actually doing your job, you’ve been busying yourself with pointless things.”

               Y/N could only look down on her feet.

               “You know what, Y/N. When I hired you, I thought you were different. I thought you’re someone who could shine and finally get promoted to the team you wanted to be in. Because you know I’m picky with my P.A’s. Only those who I think have the potential to deserve a promotion into a nice position in my company, or at least deserve to get my recommendation that could get them access to many reputable magazines or news companies, get hired to be my P.A.’s. And when I met you, I thought you were like that. Strong, determined, intelligent, and hard-working. But now, you’re far from that, Y/N. You’ve become so far from what I’ve known you to be. You’ve become sloppy. You’ve become someone that makes excuses instead of really working. And you didn’t improve, Y/N. Not one bit. Because your work these days is far behind from what I expect from a well-educated person. And now, you’re making me think I made a mistake I even hired you.”

               Y/N presses a hand over her mouth. It’s only then she realizes a tear has already slipped from her eyes.

                Nancy sighs, “Thank you for…whatever you did today. I just hope you’ll make up for your mistakes when I come back. I don’t want to further regret I’ve taken you to my company. Goodbye.”

               The line goes dead. The hand that holds up her phone limply falls by her side. Her legs are shaking and so are her fingers. It’s cold but it doesn’t compare to the block of frigidness that has dropped on her chest when Nancy…said those words to her. Sure, Nancy’s always been a bit harsh and strict. She’s scolded Y/N for all the times she’s failed in her job before but they were all necessary reminders that have molded her to become more professional at work. She even told her once how proud she was of how Y/N grew in her company. But tonight, her words are far from that. Nancy was brutal and Y/N could only blame herself.

              Whenever Y/N makes a mistake, she always tries to look at them objectively and never let them get to her. She’s always been able to do this all throughout high school and until she’s started working. Until tonight, because Nancy’s words are vicious and they’re too heavy to shake off. People say wondering about the ‘what if’s’ is absurd as mulling over what may have happened won’t bring anything to anyone but torment. They are reminders of a now-unattainable future and dwelling on them won’t change anything. But right now, Y/N cannot help but wonder what if she’s sent the legal papers on time? What if she made a noteworthy presentation at the meeting? What if she didn’t spill coffee on the manager? What if she’s been more aggressive in convincing Myungsoo to give her the proposal? Would anything change then?

                Y/N raises a hand to wipe off the wetness that has trailed on her cheek. It immediately turns futile because the moment she presses a hand over her eyes, she lets out a sob and tear after tear slips through her fingers. Her mother has told her she’s always had shallow tears. Y/N has worked so long to prove her wrong. That she’s not weak. That she’s not easy to fall over when someone comes too close to knock her down. That she’s strong, that she could get by on her own and she could be someone no one could even attempt to hurt. But now, she’s reduced to this: a crying mess of a girl sitting on some bench for everyone to see. She doesn’t know what to do anymore and—

               “Hey, what are you still doing here?”

               Y/N looks up. Tears only seem to accumulate more on her eyes when she sees it’s—

               “Wait, why are you crying?”

               “Yoongi.” Y/N breaks into a sob and before another second passes, Yoongi’s already by her side, looping his arms around her shaking frame, her face pressed close to his chest. He cards his fingers through her hair as he coos at her, but that only seems to spur more sobs to fall from her lips.

               “I’m so-sorry I’m crying like this—”

               “Let it out.” Yoongi hugs her closer to him, “Just let it out. It’s okay.”

               That’s all it took for Y/N to let everything out. She cries against Yoongi’s chest, hands clutching tightly on his coat. Sobs rock upon her frame but Yoongi only holds her tight, swaying a bit as if to lull her from the suffocating toll of her cries. He doesn’t ask anything. He just stays by her side, whispering by her ear, “it’s alright,” “I’m here,” and “You’re not alone.” For the first time that day, all thoughts of ‘what ifs’ halt in her head.

               The night outside is getting colder by each second. Y/N could make out fogged up spots on the car window. When her finger meets the glass, she doesn’t jolt from the cold. The heater of the car is on. She draws a star. She thinks she’s lucky. She remembers she is when her eyes glance at the back, upon the paper bag containing empty, reusable take-out containers.

               “So…what happened today?”

               Y/N turns back to the front. Yoongi’s arms are firm on the wheel. He spares her a glance before focusing his eyes back on the road, “Of course, if you feel…more okay now to answer it.”

               Y/N bites her lip. It’s been an hour ago since they silently sat on the bench. And a half-hour after that, she and Yoongi shared dinner over something as trivial as listing the most annoying movies they’ve ever watched. And now, a couple of minutes have already passed in the car with them back in complete silence. Yoongi hasn’t said anything about what happened by the mango tree until now and so did Y/N. But she knows it’s an elephant weighing too big in the car not to address it. 

               Y/N sighs. “W-well, Nancy has given me a lot of errands to do. And…everything just didn’t go according to plan and I guess, it was just…the last straw for me.”

              “I see,” Yoongi hums, glancing at her before directing his eyes back on the road.

              Y/N wrings her hands together. She closes her eyes. “Okay, I got…scolded today by Nancy because I messed up with the things she asked me to do. Of course, she has every right to—”

              “What did she say to you?”

              Y/N looks up at him then she quickly returns her gaze on her hands. “N-nothing. She just…expressed her disappointment about me especially when she learned I cannot give her any updates about the cover page.”

              “So you got lashed out on for Myungsoo’s uncooperating ass?”

              Y/N whips her head to him, “No, I-I didn’t get lashed out—”

              “Y/N, stop lying to me.” Yoongi looks at her. “I know Nancy. I’ve been her P.A., too. And when she’s upset, she lashes out. And when she does, she goes way all over the line.” He looks back onto the street. “Why are you even trying to defend her when she obviously stepped over the line again? This is what I don’t like about—” Yoongi stops and sighs, “What are you going to do about Myungsoo?”

              “I’ll…e-mail him tomorrow and convince him to send the proposal to me.”

              “So you’re not even going to reprimand him for letting you unjustly receive backlash because of him?

              “N-no,” Y/N looks at him, brows scrunched. “I don’t want to make unnecessary enemies here and let my temper get the better of me—”

              “So you just don’t stand up against them? What does that make me, then? I’m your free estate for that pent-up anger?”

              Silence.

              Yoongi sighs, “Fuck, I’m sorry. That’s out of the line.”

              “It’s okay…I’m sorry, too. I’ve also been unfair to you.”

              “I’m just—I’m so frustrated why you can’t stand up for yourself around these people just like you do to me. You can’t always let them have their way, Y/N. Superior or not.”

              Y/N remains unmoving in her seat. Yoongi looks at her slumped figure in the seat and he decides to drop the subject. Silence takes hold of their car again. Yoongi tries to elevate the mood by talking about how he’s already on the 30th episode of Naruto. He said he didn’t expect he’ll find it to be that great “since the popular animes are usually overrated.” He even chipped in how he can’t find Sakura annoying even if a lot of fans hated her. Y/N didn’t say anything but a small smile starts to form on her lips. It’s more than enough for Yoongi to thank the heavens he didn’t totally ruin the night.

              When they round the 20th street, Y/N finally decides to speak.

              “S-sorry I wasn’t able to say thank you for earlier so—thank you, Yoongi. For the dinner and for the…thing you did on the bench.”

              “It’s okay,” Yoongi pulls a small smile. “It’s what friends do.”

               Y/N’s eyes shoot up to him and Yoongi only lets his smile grow. It’s that smile. That same smile he gave her when he’s offering to watch Naruto for her to watch Slam Dunk. That same smile he flashed her when he told her to put her arms around his neck as he let her experience her first dance she never had. That same smile that sent warmth spreading all over her chest and tingles running down to her toes.  Just like right now. Y/N swallows the nervousness building in her throat. 

              She turns around in her seat and takes it everything in herself to make her voice sound as beaming as it can be. “Hey, how about we go to that fast food and get one date document before the night ends? It looks so nice and I-I feel bad we didn’t do anything today and—”

               “No. I’m driving you to your home.”

               Y/N gapes at the man. “B-but you said we’ll date later—”

               “We could always get a date document any other time. You’re tired. You need to rest.”

               “But—”

               “Y/N, you should stop turning your back to things you should actually be facing,” Yoongi looks at her. “Right now, you should let yourself rest.”

               The rest of the ride was silent. As Y/N fiddles with the cuffs of her button-down, she cannot help but mull over what Nancy has said earlier. Should she give up her plan for the Heart Holiday to make up for her mistakes today? Of course, when Nancy hears about her absence at work when she goes back to the office, she’ll definitely be disappointed. She could even fire her. Y/N cannot bear to have that. She’s invested two years of her life in Travel Loca. She knows she’s having a hard time living in her current place—doing something she doesn’t love in the field she’s desired for how many years. But she will rather have it than start all over again, most likely work somewhere more comfortable but far from the thing she loves—writing.  It’s already hard to start on your desired field. Of course, it would be more heart-wrenching if you had to start from scratch again. 

               Y/N knows it’s sensible and rational to drop her plan now. She knows she’s leaning to this answer by the time Yoongi pulls in front of her apartment. But when she looks at him and bids him goodbye, his eyes crinkling as he tells her to “drink something warm” and “sleep well, sweetheart,” Y/N cannot figure out why the thought of giving up their ruse felt so…wrong.

DAY 7 – February 1; Saturday

               Y/N is awakened by the eye-burning late morning light streaming through her curtains. Her sleep never exceeds the eight-hour mark. It’s a wonder that for the first time, today she did. Y/N thinks it’s probably because Mina spoiled her with homemade post-dinner yesterday after flopping next to her on the couch and telling her everything that happened that day. Her bestfriend has lined up all her favorite comfort foods and even stayed up late watching movies with her, successfully distracting her from replaying whatever Nancy has said.  

              However, it could also be probably because she slept with her coat draped over her shoulders. Y/N doesn’t know why but her coat smelled so good last night and she just has to keep it beside her for the whole night. She only learns the answer to this when she wakes up to Yoongi’s scent filling her senses first thing in the morning. But even with this knowledge, Y/N can’t find it in herself to regret she ever did that. She hates to admit there’s something about that man that makes her feel safe even if he also makes her run constantly on her toes.

               Mina’s out to visit her parents and said she will be back for dinner. Y/N’s seated cross-legged on the couch, chomping on the brunch her bestfriend prepared while she watches Slam Dunk. It’s been two hours since she clicked on her USB containing the downloaded episodes of the anime and yet it feels only fifteen minutes have passed. She doesn’t want to say it aloud, but clearly, Yoongi has some good taste. She wouldn’t mind getting more recommendations from him.

               Just right then, her phone rings. Without tearing her eyes from the TV, she wipes on the screen and holds the phone next to her ear. Whoever decided it was a good time to interrupt her just when Sakuragi gets a moment with Haruko is as good as dead meat. She grits over the phone, “What do you want?”

               “What the—So early in the morning and you’re already so grumpy.”

               Y/N stops. She pulls her phone away from her face.

               Mean Yoongi >:( 

               Y/N sighs and rolls her eyes. However, she cannot resist the smile that immediately grows on her face. “It’s not ‘early in the morning’ anymore, mister. It’s already eleven. Now, what do you want?”

               “‘What do I want?’ Do I seriously type the opportunistic guy who only calls just because he wants something?” Yoongi scoffs but the sound of it tells Y/N the man was doing his weird laughing face again. 

               Y/N chuckles. Yoongi immediately follows suit. “But seriously,” Y/N manages in between giggles, “Why did you call?”

               “Just checkin’ up on you. How are you? Do you feel…better, now?”

               Y/N hums. She purses her lips, “A bit better now. So far, this day has been good to me. How ‘bout you?”

               “I’m good,” Yoongi quips, “Better actually. I cooked my family some breakfast and now I’m just chillin’ in my room. What are you doing?”

               “…watching Slam Dunk.”

               “No way!”

               Y/N could hear the clatter of things in the speaker. Yoongi must have sat up and knocked things over. What a clumsy idiot. She chuckles, “Oh yes way, Min. Now, you won’t be able to fight me on this because I’m in the 10th episode now.  How about you? How’s the other end of the deal doing over there?”

               “Just you wait, woman, I’m gonna watch Naruto now.” There’s a faint click in the speaker and then—

               “Please enter your disk.”

               “Oh my god, Yoongi, you bought a fucking CD of Naruto?!”

               “Why? This is me showing my respect for art by not ripping it off—wait, do you not buy CDs?”

               “…No.”

              “Do you not have Netflix?”

               “Do you have Netflix?” Y/N counters, “That’s rich coming from you considering you still buy Blu-ray Discs. We’re just both broke, struggling adults here who can’t afford additional bills to pay. No need to pull up your chair so high, mister.”

               “Answer my question, Y/N. Do you not have Netflix?”

              Y/N sighs, “No.”

              “Oh my god, I can’t believe I’m dating a pirate!”

               Y/N could feel her cheeks start to burn, “What the—! I’m not a pirate! I’m just—being practical, yeah! In case you don’t know, things stay free on the Internet for a reason and that is to accommodate broke people like me.”

        ��      “Still doesn’t negate that you, mate, are in fact committing piracy.”

               “Hey, I’m not the one who created the pirated versions of Slam Dunk! I’m just downloading torrents. I’m just utilizing available means practically laid in front of me!”

               Laughter resounds on the other end of the line. It sounds weird—like a grandpa wheezing in front of an electric fan. But it also sounds endearingly cute. It doesn’t make sense why it even sounds cute. It’s not even cute! Y/N unknowingly smiles. One thing’s for sure. She wants to hear more of Yoongi’s laugh.

               “Jesus Christ, woman, I’m just messing with you!” Yoongi cackles. “You think I don’t watch pirated things, too? Most of the movies I claimed I’ve already watched are all thanks to torrent. I’m too broke to go to cinemas!”

               “But if you entertain pirated stuff,” Y/N shifts in her seat, “why did you even buy a CD of Naruto?”

               “I buy CDs only when I think they are worth it.”

               “You…already think Naruto is worth it?”

               “Yeah. You like it. So, it’s worth it. You said it’s great, so I trust you.”

               Y/N gulps. It’s weird. Her chest feels so warm and so do her cheeks. She’s just talking with someone over the phone.

               “You still there?”

               “Y-yeah,” Y/N fixes her clothes. Why the hell is she even fixing herself? It’s not as if Yoongi can see her.

               “Okay. I thought of something.”

               “Yeah?”

               “How ‘bout we watch our respective animes together through Discord Music Party so we can hear each other’s reactions live?”

               Y/N tilts her head, “How will I be able to watch properly then if I’m calling you at the same time?”

               “You can turn down my volume from time to time there, duh. It’s 2020 now, sweetheart.”

               Y/N flushes. “O-okay, we can do that. But I still don’t get why we have to check our reactions live.”

               “Did you ever feel you want so badly to gush out your annoyance or excitement about something you’re watching to someone? Because I do. And I want you to be on the other line to hear me lash and gush on something because you made me enter this battlefield. This is 500+ episodes, woman.”

               “Well, that’s not my fault. Who in the first place proposed this anime-watching exchange? You.”

               “Touche,” Yoongi chuckles. “Yeah, it’s me. I told you I’d watch Naruto just to get you to watch Slam Dunk for my sake. But actually, I’m just curious why you love that anime so much. So here’s me learning the heck out of it.”

               Naruto’s Season 1 opening OST starts to play in the background.

               Y/N clucks her tongue, “I thought we’d go to Discord first before we do our live reactions?”

               “Just give me five more minutes. I don’t want to end our call yet.”

               Five minutes easily turn into twenty and it takes one more of Yoongi’s ‘Just five more minutes’ to annoy Y/N and yell at him he’s wasting his mobile load. It takes Y/N three minutes to download the app, and after ten minutes of fumbling around it, they hear each other’s voices again and continue where they left off. 

               “Oh, you’re here again, captain!”

               “Shut up, Yoongi.”

               “How’s the loot?”

               Y/N sends an angry emoji in the chat. Yoongi’s laughter immediately booms through the speakers.

               The rest of the day just goes like this. Episode upon episode pass. There are occasional quick calls for a bathroom break. Of course, another argument happens, especially when Yoongi suddenly declared at episode 77 he ships Sakura with Naruto which Y/N cannot accept because “canon is canon for a reason.” Meanwhile, Yoongi was initially pleased to learn Y/N ships Haruko with Sakuragi and not with “Awful Kaede.” But that immediately changes when he learns Y/N only ships the two because she ships Kaede with herself.

              “I love me an ambitious, dream-driven man.”

              “You’re the one who’s getting too ambitious, missy.”

                Sometimes, inquiries of “You wanna pause and rant about Kaede?” or “What are you eating?” come across. But most of the time, what transpires in between are laughs, expressions like “that’s so cool,” and “whoa, I didn’t expect that,” and promises to keep watching together whenever they’re free. Y/N never knew watching a show could be this fun. Of course, it’s already fun watching an amazing show with great characters and conflicts. But watching together with another person, even if they’re not necessarily the same show, definitely amps up the experience.  Y/N doesn’t want to admit it but Yoongi’s right. Having someone by your side, even virtually, to gush or lash out with on something definitely feels good.

              Everything just felt so right and enjoyable that Y/N didn’t even notice the whole day passed with just her and Yoongi accompanying each other watching shows. Time has passed too quickly and now it’s five forty-five. Mina has already come home and she definitely sends Y/N a questioning look when she sees her chuckling on her phone. Y/N only flashes her a grin and mouths ‘just a bit more.’ Meanwhile, Yoongi has yet again started his “just five more minutes” hoax. Though that unexpectedly gets ended soon when Y/N hears Jeongguk’s voice pops up and asks Yoongi to come out and start preparing dinner. But just before Y/N could say goodbye and tell him one last time to “go hurry up and cook,” Yoongi interrupts her.

              “You know, this is my kinda type of a date.”

              “Thi-this is a date?”

              “Yeah. You’re spending time with me. I’m spending time with you. And we’re having a good time. So yeah, this is a date.”

              Y/N tries not to focus too much on what he said. “But how is this your type of a date? I thought you like bar dates?”

              Yoongi guffaws. “Where the hell did you get that?”  

              “Jeff. He said you’re a bar-type guy.”

              “Oooohhhh. So that’s why you suddenly wanted to have a date at Neo-Cloud 9 that day.”

              Y/N shyly looks down at her hands.

              “As much as I love alcohol, I don’t actually prefer drinking them in bars. They’re too noisy. Messy. And there’s a lot of people bumping into you.”

              “Then why did you agree to go to Neo-Cloud 9 when you also don’t like bars?”

              “Because you’re with me. You said it was your first time going in one, too, and I figured why not help you enjoy the experience.” Yoongi chuckles, “It’s not like I didn’t have fun with you anyway. In fact, I had so much fun. Especially at the part where you said you wanted to kiss me.”

              “Oh my god, Min.”

              “Don’t deny it anymore, sweetheart, I’ll—”

              Y/N ends the call though. But that seems pointless when her chat pops up with another message from the man.

              Min Yoongi  >;) (5:50 P.M.)

              “—make sure you’d remember it ‘til the die you die. I’ll live for as long as I can just to remind you of that.”

              Y/N (5:51 P.M.)

              “Sure. Whatever, Min.”

              Y/N closes her phone with a chuckle. When she turns around to finally gather her used utensils, she’s greeted by Mina’s curious stare.

              “You seem to be having fun with Yoongi these days.”

              Y/N opens her mouth but Mina immediately interrupts her, “Oh don’t you deny it. I’ve seen you smiling a lot these days. Even when you still rant about him, I could see you’re actually having fun.” 

              Y/N raises her hands, “Okay, I admit, I’m actually having fun. But I think it has to do with us agreeing to compromise for this 14-day deal. Not because of…him.”

              “But isn’t that good, though?” Mina asks, “This deal didn’t turn out as disastrous as I expected it to be. At least you’re trying to make the best out of it instead of busting each other’s heads off. Plus, a week has already passed. You only have seven days more. Everything will soon go back to normal.” Mina smiles, “Just a little more and you’ll soon get that benefit, Y/N.”

              Mina excuses herself and heads to the kitchen to start dinner. As Y/N plops back down on the sofa, she realizes she’s got her answer. It’s just seven more days. Just seven more days to fully enjoy this deal. After that, it will all go back to the way it used to and she’ll have her work all to herself again.  It wouldn’t hurt much if she chooses to turn down work for the first time and indulge in the last days of this ruse, right? The deal is bound to end soon anyway. It’s useless backing out now. She just has to make the best out of it.

              But why can’t Y/N find it in herself to be fully happy about this? 

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A/N| Hi hons! First of all, happy birthday to @wii-wii! I hope this post is not too late. I hope you had a wonderful day/night and may you always stay well and safe 💕

Thank you, hons, for waiting for the 2nd part of Act 2! Unfortunately, I don’t know when I’ll upload Act 3 as I’ll be prioritizing my fic first for @btswritingcafe​’s Map of The Soul Workshop. And after that, I’m going to write a short story I’ll have to submit for my university’s journal. After then will I be able to go back to my schedule for THH. Don’t worry though, I already prepared a detailed outline for the rest of the Acts of THH so I think I wouldn’t take too long fumbling what scenes to write. Anyway, if you wish to get updated when Act 3 finally drops, just PM me or send me an ask and I’ll add you to the taglist!

Update: Comment down below instead if you want to get added to the taglist! I think it will help me to track all of you hons once I post the update!

All Rights Reserved 2020 © Vanaera. Reposts, modifications, and translations of content are not allowed.

[imagine-that-100]

Holiday | Part 5 |

Description of Part 1: Alex Turner x Reader (Female) | You’ve been friends with Alex Turner and the other boys from Arctic Monkeys since you were 13. You never for a second thought that Alex would release a song about you though. From late night phone calls and almost constant texting and teasing, you’ve managed to stay close with him over the years. When a pact is established and a holiday is arranged, life seems to be treating you very well. But a month in LA will either make or break you.

Word Count: 15.7K

A/N: Okay so it was a bit more than the hour I promised you before Anon (I’m sorry I wrote a lil bit more). I’m excited that this is coming out now because the next part is where things get real fun. Taglists are always open. Thank you for reading x

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| MASTERLIST IN BIO |

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The next morning, Alex comes into your room to wake you up, which he was scared to do. He knows how temperamental you get when your woken up, so he was definitely anxious about doing it, but felt that he needed to.

You weren’t very impressed to be woken up, but you could have woken up by worse people. And once Alex has got you conscious, he explains his actions apologetically.

“Hey, sorry to wake you up but Miles just phoned and said that we’ve been called into the studio” Alex told you as he sat down on the side of your bed.  

You rub your eyes and nod up at him, “It’s okay, don’t worry”

“Well, I was wondering whether you wanted to come? You don’t have to though; you can stay here if you want to” Alex gives you the option, but you can tell he was sort of excited to ask you.

“No, I’d love to come” You said sitting up a bit more enthusiastically. Now you knew you could hear some new music; you definitely didn’t mind being awake.  

But then you second guessed yourself like you always do,” But won’t I just get in the way? You know I don’t want to interrupt your music”

You knew about his plans for a second Puppets album a few months before you came because you accidentally rang him when he was in a meeting about it. When he called you back later, he told you the news and you’d been ecstatic.

But you did make sure that he wasn’t due to be recording when you came over. The last thing you wanted was for you to be in the way and Alex feeling like he had to babysit you all the time.  

Alex shook his head at you, “You wouldn’t be in the way and I want you there so…”

“Well I’ll come if you’re sure that it’s not a problem” You smile.

Alex smiles at that and asks, “Yeah?”

He was so cute. It was like he could never believe you were actually agreeing with him.

You nod your head, “Yeah definitely” You smile noticing he’s already dressed and ready to go.

He’s in blue jeans and a thin distressed white top that looked incredibly soft. It almost looked like it could tear open any minute.

You had to stop yourself from thinking about that though and you asked him, “When do we need to go?”

Alex pulls his phone out of his pocket and checks the time that you see to be 8:45.

Alex purses his lips before saying, “To avoid traffic maybe leave here about quarter past nine?”

He says it more like a question, but you just smile and agree, “Yeah that’s sweet”

Alex runs a hand through his unkept fresh out of bed hair before he apologises, “I’m sorry. I did say that I wasn’t doing any work whilst you were over here, but people obviously don’t fucking listen to me”

You smile at that before shuffling closer to him to give him a hug and you close your tired eyes once your arms are around his back.

“Don’t worry it’s fine. I’m looking forward to hearing some new stuff” You say as your cheek brushes on the really soft material of his top.

You feel Alex chuckle at that before he hugs you slightly tighter, “I hope you like it. It’s a little different to what you usually hear from me”

“I’ve got no doubt I’ll enjoy it if you’re a part of it Al” You say as you continue to enjoy the warmth he provides you.

You feel Alex rub his hand up and down your back and you smile when he softly says, “You really like my music, don’t you?”

You laugh at that and nod, “Yeah, I don’t listen to much else in comparison to the amount I listen to you”

“You better stream the fuck out of this album when it comes out then” Alex tells you, trying not to laugh because he knew for a fact, he didn’t need to tell you.

“You know full well I will have it on repeat for at least a month when it comes out” You say releasing him from your hug. You sit back against your pillows and let your eyes adjust to the light.  

You smile at each other for a few seconds before you yawn and cover up your mouth. “Sorry again about waking you up” Alex starts but you wave him off.

It really wasn’t a problem you were always tired. Him waking you up had nothing to do with it.

“I best get dressed then” You say before rubbing your eyes again as Alex stands up and starts walking toward the bedroom door.

Alex turns around hearing you say that though, “Oh yeah dress warmer than you have been doing. The air-con in the studio can get a bit chilly”

“So, I can wear some jeans and not be sweating?” You ask him a little too excited.

Alex smiles at you. “Yeah you’ll be fine. Honestly bring a jacket” He tells you. 


“Oh my god yes” You chuckle before practically jumping out of bed and Alex chuckles at your excitement.

“You do know there is air-con in the house, right? You can wear your jeans here too” He tells you as he leans against the doorframe.

“But I like going outside here” You almost pout say as you pull a pair of jeans out of the wardrobe that you’d been dying to wear.

Alex laughs before pushing himself off the doorframe. He smiles before turning away saying, “I’ll see you downstairs”

After routing through your wardrobe, you find a top that you think will make a relatively cute outfit but at the same time will keep you warm.

You end up in ripped black skinny jeans and your old Hard Rock Cafe top. You also put on your black and red checked shirt to use as a sort of jacket to keep you warm.

You run down the stairs at 9:05 in your black and white Vans and see Alex sat on the sofa eating some toast. You’re aware your running slightly behind his schedule considering he wanted to leave in 10 minutes, so you just go straight into the kitchen and pour yourself some cereal.

You sit and eat it your cereal next to Alex and watch the TV until you’ve finished.

You offer to take Alex’s plate back into the kitchen and ask once more, “Are you sure you want me to come?”

Alex smiles and nods, “Yeah I want you there”

“I just don’t want to be in the way” You say honestly.

You didn’t like it when you thought people didn’t want you in a specific place. You most of the time felt out of place when you went for Sunday dinner at your parents most weeks so you just wanted to make sure you weren’t going to be a bother.

Alex shakes his head at you, “You’re never in the way”

You smile, “As long as you’re sure” and before you know it, you’re on the way to the studio.

Alex decides to take the Range Rover and you have a nice drive into through the city. It took you maybe half an hour to get there and signed in and everything.

Alex took you through to their own studio and as it turned out, you were the first to arrive. Not even Miles was there yet and it then only just occurred to you that you could have picked Miles up on the way.

But with the free time you had whilst waiting, Alex logged into the computers and brought everything up that was needed. You watched in awe. You hadn’t seen a mixing desk this big in your entire life.

Alex brought you out of your awe though and asked, “You wanna listen to what we have before everyone else shows up?”

You nod at him with a smile and shuffle your chair closer to his. You watch as he grabs two pairs of headphones, plugs them in and hands you one.

“Are you gunna make me cry?” You ask him as you place the headphones on.

Alex chuckles, “I hope not”

He pulls up a song on the screen and you start listening in complete adoration.

Each song was amazing, and you loved the whole vibe that you could tell this album was going to have. You could easily imagine yourself listening to it on repeat. And you already knew Y/B/F would love it just as much as the first.

“So, when’s it gunna be out? I want more already” You ask Alex as you both take your headphones off.

Alex laughs at that, “It’s took us two months to get these ten sorted, and we have until next year anyway. But the max deadline for changes is end of January. But it’s still a secret, so don’t be posting any photos you take today”

You hold your hands up as if you’ve been caught, “I promise I won’t post anything unless you look really good in it Al” You grin at him, so he knows you’re joking.

“Nothing. The only time I’ll ever tell you that you can’t post something is when it is to do with secret new music” He points a finger at you as if to warn you.

You chuckle, “Alright”

“So, you like what your hearing so far?” Alex asked you.

You grin at him, “I love it”

“Really?” Alex asked furrowing his eyebrows at you pretending to try and figure you out.

You laugh and say “Yeah I really really love it. I’m gunna have Miracle Aligner stuck in my head for weeks”

“Well you could have worse songs stuck in your head” Alex bigs himself up.

But it was obviously your role as his best friend to bring his ego down.

“I know yeah, like any of the songs by that shitty band Arctic Monkeys… Whoever writes them needs to find a new job” You play with him biting your tongue to hold your laughter back.

At that Alex shakes his head at you before he kicks your chair and you roll away from him.

“You’re a fucking bitch” Alex tells you laughing, and you start to laugh too.

You shuffle yourself back towards him and he turns away from you, quite obviously playing with you but it was all fun and games.

“Alex” You whine.

He shakes his head still looking away from you, “Nah fuck off”

You scoff at his fake behaviour before you pick yourself up out of your seat and walk around so he’s once again facing you. You sit yourself down on his lap so your sat across him with your legs hanging over the side of the arm rest.

“You know I love your music” You tell him as your arm goes around his neck to keep yourself from slipping off his lap.

Alex hums and raises his eyebrows as if he didn’t believe you. You obviously knew he was joking but you carried on anyway.

“You know full well you write some of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard” You tell him, and he finally looks at you again.

“Which songs?” Alex asks as if he wants to validate your beliefs.

You hum in thought, “There’s so many”

“Give me a few” He says as he puts his hand around your waist to keep you on his lap. He could feel you slipping.

You ponder for a moment, “Only One Who Knows is gorgeous and makes me cry all the time. Secret door is amazing too, I love that song… She’s Thunderstorms, Reckless Serenade, Number One Party Anthem… and dare I say Knee Socks”

“Fuck off, you had to ruin it” Alex laugh, and you laughed to.

“I just love your music Al” You laugh leaning your head down on his shoulder as he slowly started spinning the chair in a circle.

He was actually a child that had been allowed to sit in the comfy spinny chair in school.

“You could even go as far as to say that I’m a slut for your music” You play with a grin on your lips.

You both were laughing when Miles walked in and soon enough Alex span you around to face Miles who looked surprised to see you both in the position you were sat in.

“Miles Kaneeee” You half sang, with a smile on your face as he walked in the room smiling at you.

He looked between you and Alex as he sat down on the chair you were previously sat in and said, “You two look cosy”

“I said his music was shit so I had to give him a hug to make him feel better” You said picking your head up off Alex’ shoulder

Miles chuckled at that, “Better not be my stuff you’re slagging off Y/N/N”

“Never Miles, just said the monkeys were shit but he knows I’m lying… I wouldn’t have a tattoo if you were shit at writing music would I?” You say to Alex, giving you more evidence to back up your argument.

You even showing him your wrist again. Alex rolls his eyes at you and Miles laughs at your interaction.

“So, what song do you wanna do today Kane?” Alex asks him, blanking you and he tries to hold back a smile. Especially when he hears you scoff and sees in his peripherals that your shaking your head at him.

“Whatever we can get out Al… I know you don’t wanna be here right now, so I’m thinking if we just get two more sorted over today… and maybe sometime next week, then we don’t have to be here in reality for another two months because were over schedule” Miles says and Alex nods.

“Sure, let’s just get whatever done so we can go home… I’m fucking annoyed that they called us in. It’s not like I’ve ran late on an album deadline before I don’t know why he thinks I’m going to start now” Alex has a little rant.

“Maybe he thinks you’re busy” Miles says as he nods towards you and you furrow your eyebrows at that.

“And why would he think that?” Alex asked him, but you’re not sure if he picked up on Miles’ tone.

Was he seriously starting something when he’d literally just walked in?

“Oh I wonder” He snorts sarcastically bringing up the stuff that looks to be what you would create a new song on.

Alex sighs, “Yeah I am wondering” sounding a bit deflated.

He clearly wasn’t picking up on Miles’ tone. But you definitely were.

“Maybe because of the things she posts of you” Miles said in a rather annoyed tone.

You were starting to get annoyed now. You were tired and didn’t like to be harassed by people when it came to your old friends.

You got enough shit online about leaving Alex alone the past 10 years. You definitely didn’t need it from Miles.

You think Alex has started picking up on Miles’ vibe when he defends you.

“What a few pictures a day the past week, if that?” Alex said and you started to feel increasingly bad for even being in the room with them.

You were just trying to make some fun memories with one of your closest friends. Why did it have to be a massive deal if he was famous.

He was still a person. He was still your friend. One of the best.

“Well it’s not my fault if it looks like she’s distracting you with what she posts” Miles says in a really derogatory tone as he almost angrily clicks buttons on the computer.

After that you’d had enough.

“She has a fucking name for a start, and she can see and hear you. You absolute prick” You say obviously annoyed.

“Y/-“ Alex starts but you stop him.

“No Alex” You interrupt, sending Alex a serious look before you turn back to the person who’d annoyed you.

“Sorry if it’s an inconvenience to you that I’m over Miles, but I’ve not seen my best friends in almost a year. Some of us don’t have the luxury to live in a fucking mansion a few houses down from them or afford a flight to see them whenever they fucking feel like it” You say before getting up from Alex’s lap and heading to the door.

You pulled it open without looking back and headed back towards where you came in. You remembered there was a seating area and you think there was a cafe.

“Y/N” You hear Alex call after you, but you just carry on walking like a stroppy teenager.

You needed to cool off.

You couldn’t believe Miles, of all people, was being nasty. It wasn’t even that deep, but it hurt to think that Miles didn’t want you here because you were disrupting their work.

You’d been in the recording studio a few times back when the Monkeys recorded Whatever People Say I Am. You literally just sat and watched in the corner, just appreciating them and watching them be their creative selves.

You never got involved or disrupted them.

You told Alex that you didn’t want to interrupt anything to do with his and Miles’ music before you’d even booked your flight here. He’d promised you that you wouldn’t be interrupting anything which was obviously a lie at this point.

But surely that just meant that Alex wanted to see you as much as you wanted to see him.

You go and sit in the cafe area which you passed on your way through to the studio. It was quite cosy and once you’ve took a seat you just try and calm down.

You were frustrated at the whole situation. You felt like you should leave to give them their creative space but at the same time you knew Alex didn’t want you to go. So, you couldn’t even just ring Matt, get him to pick you up and leave.

After a few minutes, you decided to get yourself a coffee and just try and chill out. You needed to stop thinking about it.

You got yourself a Cappuccino which looked amazing. You got the large one as well, so it came in a massive mug which did actually help improve your mood slightly.

It was the little (or big) things in life.

Once you got that, you took your seat again and looked out of the window and started people watching. It was a fun game to play trying to figure out what everyone was up to in their own little worlds.

After five minutes of doing that you felt much better. But then someone had to come and ruin it.

“I’m sorry” You hear Miles say from behind you.

You take another sip of your coffee completely blanking him like a child. But you were annoyed at him and didn’t want a rant or an argument, especially in public. Silence was probably best.

He sighs and walks around to the empty seat opposite you and sits down. Now he’d insulted you and blocked your view, all within the space of 20 minutes. He was doing well.

Miles can tell you’re ignoring him when you look in a different direction out of a different window. He decides to try again, “I’m really sorry Y/N”

You look into his eyes as you take a long sip of your coffee. You half smile to yourself when he looks away from you obviously feeling awkward.

Once you swallow your mouthful of coffee, you decide to tell him what you’re thinking.

You hold your mug in your hands as you say, “I don’t appreciate to be made to feel like I’ve done something incredibly wrong when all I’ve done is post pictures with my friends that I haven’t seen in a long time”

Miles meets your gaze as he says, “I know I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said what I said, and I know I’ve pissed you both off because of it”

He then looks down and continues, “I’ve just had a bad morning which doesn’t excuse it, but I’m sorry for snapping”

“What happened this morning?” You questioned not really caring but you wanted at least a little explanation.

Miles sighed and looked back up at you before starting, “The girl I was sort of seeing decided to call it a day the night we went out…”

Shit. You didn’t expect that.

He continued, “And we had another argument this morning”

An “Oh” left your lips before you could stop yourself.

Miles pressed his lips together into a sad smile and said, “Yeah, so I’m sorry I’ve just had a really shitty morning”

You nod, now understanding. “Well thanks for apologising” You smile.

Miles half smiled back at you before saying, “Are you coming back in?”

“I’ll come once I’ve finished my coffee” You smile at him.

“Okay… I’m sorry again” He says as he gets up.

He adds on a lighter note, “If you want a snack after that, the chocolate chip cookies here are really good”

You smile as he leaves and finish your coffee in peace. You felt bad for him, you could empathise with him at lot. You would be in a mood for days.

After another 5 minutes you’ve finished your coffee and get back up to go into the studio. However, once you’ve put your mug on the side of the counter, so the waitress didn’t have to clear up your mess, you noticed the cookies that Miles was talking about. And they looked good.

You decided to be a nice friend and you got to the back of the queue to get Miles one. You wanted to cheer him up in what way you could, and it would also be an olive branch of sorts to make peace.

You were waiting in the line for about a minute before you felt arms go around your waist. You jumped not knowing who it was until you turned your head to see Alex grinning behind you.

You smiled at him and released a sigh of relief. “You shit me up then” You told him before you look down to his arms that have encapsulated you in a hug.

You smile seeing his Sheffield tattoo hugging your stomach.

“Sorry” Alex chuckles down your ear.

“You alright?” Alex asks you.

You nod, “Yeah… I’m sorry for walking out I could just feel myself getting angry”

“It’s alright, he didn’t have to say that. Shitty morning or not” Alex says, confirming that Miles must have told him what was going on too.

“I know” You say releasing a sigh.

“I just don’t wanna interrupt your music Al” You tell him as you watch the lady behind the counter make someone’s coffee.  

“You’re not interrupting me. If anything, you’ll make the whole thing faster so I can get us both home” Alex tells you.

You smile and chuckle at that. Once he had his mind set on being with certain people somewhere, he clearly didn’t like plans being changed.

“I’m sorry for snapping at you” You say feeling bad about it.

You shouldn’t have done that when he did nothing wrong and was just trying to calm you down.

“It’s alright” Alex says before releasing you from his grip as the line moves forward.

“Least I know who will wear the trousers in the relationship” Alex says moving with you in the line.

You giggle at that and look to Alex who’s already smiling at you. He waits with you in the queue when you tell him that you’re waiting to grab a cookie for Miles.

In fact, you’re certain that’s the only reason he waited because he kept on hinting that he wanted one. When you eventually got served you asked for two and Alex got all excited.

You teased him for a second telling him it was for you and not for him and his face fell. You managed to keep a straight face as you paid for your goods and picked up the bag of two cookies before you pulled Alex away from the counter.

You got one out of the bag and teasingly took a bite of it and he called you nasty. You couldn’t keep your face straight then, you burst out giggling.

“I’m only joking” You say before handing the cookie over to him.

Alex’s face immediately lit up upon you passing him the cookie. He ended up splitting it with you as you made your way back towards the studio and it was all gone before you even got back to the room.

When you got back in you noticed that other people had filled the large room and you smiled at them all when you went in. Miles was sat facing the computer still though and he hadn’t seen you return.

You quickly go over to him and give him a one-armed hug from behind. “Hope you’re okay” You tell him.

You bring the bag over his shoulder with your other hand and put the cookie in his lap. “And if that doesn’t make you feel better then I’ll shag you later” You say before you kiss him on the side of his head.

Miles laughs at that before smiling at you and you can see he’s saying a ‘thank you’ for the cookie.

After you hugged Miles, Alex introduced you to the rest of the band that you hadn’t met before. You said you hellos and talked to them for a bit before you all went about your own conversations.

The girls who were the string section of the band seemed lovely and you could hear on the tracks you’d heard how talented they were. You obviously knew how talented Zach was on guitar because he was in Mini Mansions.

You hadn’t met Loren before, but he seemed lovely and you said your Hello to their producer who you knew was James Ford.

After all the pleasantries were exchanged, Alex was being his needy self again and you found him trying to get your attention again. So of course, when he pulled you in for a hug you returned it.

You gave Alex a hug and he said in your ear, “So you’re gunna shag Miles to make him feel better?”

“I think the cookie did the trick. I think I’m safe” You smile at him when you pull away from the hug.

You don’t stray too far though because he still has his hands on your hips keeping you close.

“Ah right, I’m just wondering if you offered Miles a shag to make him feel better, what would you offer me?” Alex asks you with raised eyebrows.

“Ooo Al, that would be telling” You grin at him. His hands still on your hips keeping you close.

Alex grins at you and just as he’s about to say something back Miles asks the room, “So which one today guys?”

Both yours and Alex’s hold breaks, and you just stand next to each other and look towards the men and women who are about to create some amazing music.

“I recon Everything You’ve Come To Expect” Alex says and after a brief discussion everyone seems to be in agreement about the song choice.

The truth was you were excited to see how they went about recording songs these days. You couldn’t wait to watch the whole process intently.

Before long Alex and Miles went into the recording studio that was set up with an expensive keyboard and a microphone on one side and a lone microphone on the other side of the room.

You watch intently as the boys go into the room and you aren’t surprised when Alex sits at the keyboard and Miles sits at the lone microphone. From your view you can see the keyboard from the side so you can see what chords Alex is playing.

You giggle watching them mess about before they actually decide to do their work. Alex starts off at the keyboard and you watch his hands as you listen to the lyrics intently like you always did with any new song.

You don’t know why but it made you emotional. The song sounded like someone had been misleading or cheating on someone and you could really relate to that.

But the fact that it was more than likely about someone who’s mislead or cheated on Alex brought another emotion into it too. You never wanted any of your friends to go through that.

You wiped away a stray tear that rolled down your face as the song progressed. How were your friends so bloody good a creating music that made you emotional?

Whether it was a happy or sad song, they got you crying every time.

When they finished everyone waited for the room to go silent before the rest of the band and you gave a little cheer. You watched Miles and Alex smile at each other before you made eye contact with them through the glass that divided you.

Miles gives you a smile before standing up to come back through presumably to have a listen. Alex grins at you and takes his time getting up to come back in.

“Sounded good mate” James Ford, the producer, told Miles as he walked back in and his smile got bigger.

They started playing the recording as Alex came back into the room and he stood just behind you as you listened. You turned to smile at him as you both listened, and he smiled back at you and came and stood by your side.

You could feel your eyes getting watery again as you listened to the lyrics over the quiet chatter of the others in the room. Alex must have noticed because he bumped your shoulder which caused you to smile at him.

“You good?” He asked you quietly and you nodded.

You listened for a second more before asking, “Did you write the lyrics?”

Alex nodded at you and you released a breath. You turn to give him a hug which he returns, rubbing your back a little.

“If that’s about someone, can you please tell me who so I can go give her a talking to?” You ask into his ear as you hug him.

You feel him chuckle against you before saying, “You might kill her”

“I will kill her. Hurting you and making me cry” You say chuckling a little bit.

Alex pulls away to see that your eyes are once again watery, and he pouts at you. “Don’t be upset. I’m okay”

“Well stop writing good songs about your emotions then I might be able to get a grip of my own” You chuckle and Alex smiles at you before hugging you again.

You enjoy the feeling of the embrace as you listen to the rest of the song and you enjoy the feeling of him rubbing his warm hands up and down your back. You think you just enjoyed his company and his touch more than you really should.

You release each other with a smile before the song ends and you tell him, “I really love the song”

“No surprise there then. I had a part in making it” He smirks.

You fake glare at him, knowing he knew you too well. You enjoyed all music he created.

“Don’t be getting cocky” You warn him and you both laugh before he’s called upon to make lots of decisions about the song and what more should be done to it.

You learnt a lot that day and it was one of the most interesting things you’d seen in a while. You felt so privileged to be witnessing it all.

It was one of your favourite days in LA by far and when you and Alex got home that night you went outside to chill in his garden, and you had a lovely evening. The best part though, was when you and Alex were walking past the pool though and he pushed you in fully clothed.

Thankfully you’d literally just put your phone on charge in the lounge or you would have murdered him. You couldn’t do without your phone.

You were that shocked by what he did that you glared at him as he laughed at you from the side of the pool as you tread water to keep yourself afloat. You climbed your way out and ended up chasing him around his house as he ran away from you.

He ended up running away from you, up the stairs, up into his room and thought escaping onto the balcony would help him. It turned out to be his defeat because once out there you hugged him so tightly in your extremely wet clothes.

He was fuming that he’d been caught as you wrapped your arms around his neck so he couldn’t escape you. You even went as far as to briefly warning him that you were going to jump and when you did you wrapped your legs around him in hopes to transfer the dampness onto his clothes.

His hands grabbed the underneath of your thighs to keep you up right and he grumbled when the water started seeping through into his clothes.

“Maybe don’t push me into your pool next time if you don’t want to be chased after” You tell him as you also mess up his hair.

Alex chuckled at that and after a minute you released him from your grasp. You giggled to yourself when you fully separated and his whole front and the tops of his jeans were visibly damp.

After that you took a shower in his ensuite as the shower was just magical in there. It wasn’t weird because you’d asked if you could use it after breakfast your first morning in LA because you wanted to see if it was as amazing as he said it was.

It turned out to be the best shower you’d ever had so from then on that was the shower you’d been using. You even woke Alex up the other morning to ask him if it was okay to use his shower again which he thankfully agreed you could do.

And you would be doing for the remainder of your trip. It was just too good not too. You just kept the singing in the shower down and hoped he couldn’t hear you murdering his own songs.

~*~*~*~

The next day started off very relaxed compared to the previous one. You got yourself up and you used Alex’s shower again before you descended downstairs. It was a boiling hot day and you didn’t even bother to get dressed knowing that you were more than likely going to be in the pool for most of the day.

You walked down the stairs in your red bikini and your black sarong wrapped around your bottom half whilst you made yourself some breakfast. You noted that Alex was already outside with the doors open and you could faintly hear him swimming.

You also had your gold sunglasses on that were mirrored ones. When you had them on, you felt like you were in Love Island because they there the shape one of the girls in the show wore.

You quickly made yourself some toast and once buttered, you took it outside with you to eat by the edge of the pool. The sun was scorching so you were thankful that Alex had already wet the surface you sat down on, so you didn’t burn your arse as you sat on the side.

You watched Alex complete his length of the pool before and smiled noting he had his sunglasses on in there. You didn’t blame him today though because the sun was blinding just shimmering on the water so you wouldn’t bully him for it today.

“Morning” Alex waved from across the pool.

You smile and give him a wave back with your free hand whilst you continue to eat your toast. You watch as he swims towards you as you finish off your breakfast.

“You okay?” He asks you as he stands in the water just in front of your feet.

“Yeah I’m good. I can’t believe how hot it is today” You say as you wipe away the crumbs that fell on your lap.  

“I know. I literally came down opened the doors, felt how hot it was and went back up and put my trunks on” Alex tells you.

You reach down into the water and cup some of it so you can wet your thighs. They felt like they were burning, yet you’d already put your suncream on.

“I can’t wait to get in” You say before repeating your actions.

The cooler water brought relief to your boiling skin. You were so thankful he had a house with his own pool.

“Get in now?” Alex says with furrowed eyebrows as if he doesn’t realise that people aren’t meant to swim just after you eat.

You furrow your eyebrows at him though. It was obvious to you. “I’ve just eaten”

“It’s a myth” Alex tells you. “I literally had breakfast earlier then dived in”

“You’re an idiot” You tell him with a hint of a smile on your lips.

“I promise you it’s not real. And if it was, it was made up for kids up that do backflips into the pool. You’ll be fine” Alex tells you before he offers to help you drop into the pool.

“If I throw up, I’m not cleaning it out of your pool” You tell him with a grin as you undo your sarong.

“Come on” Alex tells you raising his arms up to you.

You lean down to him in the water and once your hands have found his shoulders you start to slowly slip into the pool. Alex’s hands on your hips lowering you in too so you don’t splash yourself upon entry.

The water sloshes around you as your feet touch the ground and you let out a sigh of relief as the liquid cools you down immediately. “Oh my god that’s so much better” You say before releasing your hold on him.

“I know. I couldn’t not go in today. It’s too fucking warm” Alex tells you as you both start to move further down the pool so the water gets deeper.

“Literally scorching” You agree before you take off your golden sunglasses for a second.

“Can you hold them for a sec please?” You ask Alex and he takes them off you and holds them above the surface of the water.

“Thank you” You smile before you take a deep breath and go under the water.

Your full body felt the relief of the cool water when you did that. You sank a bit before you pushed yourself back up above the surface and took a breath. You wiped your eyes ensuring no chlorine went in them and then reopened them to see Alex grinning at you.

You go to grab hold of the glasses again as you say, “Thank you”

However, you should have known that your fucking annoying best friend wouldn’t give them to you straight away. As you went to grab them, he moved his hand further away.

You give him a look as if to say, ‘are you actually a child’ and Alex lets out his cute little laugh. He sees your eyebrows raise though and he soon quietens.

You go to reach for them again and you weren’t surprised this time when he moved a step back again.

“Don’t be a dick” You tell him as you move closer once again.

This time you launch yourself at him and grab onto his toned bicep in hopes to make his raised arm drop down. You pulled on his arm as he laughed at your failing attempts.

You then look down at his face though and don’t know why you were struggling to get your cheap sunglasses back when a perfectly good pair sat on his face. Sunglasses were sunglasses and you could definitely see the look of surprise on Alex’s face when you snatched his and started swimming away from him.  

“That was nasty” Alex calls after you as you put his aviators on.

You chuckle before looking back towards him saying, “Gold’s more your colour anyway”

You obviously couldn’t keep the smile off your face as you said that. The smile turned into a grin when you watched him put the glasses on.

“Very rockstar” You tell him, and he raises his eyebrows at you whilst a smirk appears on his lips.

You both spent quite a bit of time in and out of the pool that morning because of the scorching heat that the LA sun provided. You eventually traded glasses with him when he handed you yours back and you proceeded to throw his in the pool and he jumped in to fetch them like a dog with a ball.

They really were his prized possessions. It was quite funny.

After half an hour of the both of you lounging on either side of the pool you have a thought. You’d been in LA a week and you’d not seen the beach yet and you hoped that could change.

“Al” You called from your lounger.

Alex was just on his phone on the other side of the pool and he looked up at you with raised eyebrows. You elected for opposing sun loungers because you were both nervous of the other stealing sunglasses again and you didn’t trust him not to throw yours in because you did it to him.

He answers you with a, “Yeah?”

“Can we go to the beach one day please?” You asked him whilst shading your eyes with your hand. Even with the sunglasses on, it was so bright out today.  

“We can go now if you want?” Alex tells you as he sits up properly.

“Don’t you need to go anywhere?” You ask thinking he might have to go back to the studio at some point today to finish off the song.

Alex got up and made his way around to you and said “No I’m all yours. I told James I’m not going back for at least another week so I’m all yours until then. You know I hate people Y/N so any excuse to fuck them off to be with people I actually like”

“You really are in the wrong career” You chuckle as he makes his way over to you.

“Tell me about it” Alex laughs.

“So which beach do you wanna go?” He asks as he comes and stands next to you.

“What are my options?” You asked like you’d know any difference.

Alex listed you some of them and you literally had no clue which one was meant to be better.

“Which one do you usually go?” You ask hoping he had a preference.

Alex shrugs, “I don’t know… I’ve been to Carbon Beach a few times but it’s just celebrities and I don’t wanna be nice to anyone pretentious”

“Okay then well Malibu sounds good if you wanna go there?” You shrug squinting at him because the sun was so bright.

“Yeah sounds good. Wanna go in a few?” Alex asks.

You nod enthusiastically. “Yeah sure just let me get changed and I’ll be right with you” You smile at him before you grab your book and stand up.

“Why do you need to get changed? You’re just gunna get there and take it all off again” Alex asked, and he made a good point.

“Well I’ll go and grab some clothes for the way home then and a towel. Can finally get some use out of my beach bag” You smile at him.

“Meet you in the car?” Alex asks you as you both head inside.

You grin, “Which one?”

“Which one do you want?” Alex chuckles as he closes the French doors.

“I want the roof down” You say.

You always craved the feeling of the wind rapidly blowing through your hair whilst you were in a car when it was sunny outside. The feeling must be even better when you’re headed to the beach, especially in LA.

“Audi it is” He smiled at you before he hurry’s you off upstairs to get your stuff together.

And not 5 minutes later Alex is pulling out of his gated community and you’re on your way.

You listened to the radio on the way and you sang along as you took in the views around you. Alex pointed a few things out to you on the way that interested you and you had a really nice time with him being your personal driver.

“You’re a good tour guide” You pointed out to him as he finished telling you about some crazy fan, he’d seen on the road you were driving down.

“You’re an awful customer. Your hair keeps flicking me” Alex joked as he drove.

“I’m sorry I can’t help it. It’s your car” You say not even attempting to move your hair to try and stop it bugging him.

You were in your element and not even the guy you fancied would bring you out of it.

“You wanted the roof down” Alex make a good point.

“I’ve never experiences a proper expensive convertible Alex. I’m not passing up the opportunity” You joked and looked over your sunglasses at him.

“You’re still a twelve-year-old. Swear down” Alex laughs as he shakes his head at you.

“It’s not every week I get driven to the beach in a fancy car Al. This is an exciting tour around LA for me” You smile, and you can see the sea in the distance.

“I could give you a proper tour afterward if you want? Can’t promise I’ll be any good, but I know a few places” He offers and your definitely not passing up that chance. It was something that had been on your bucket list for years.

“I’ll hold you to that. I’ve always wanted a road trip round LA” You told him honestly.

Alex smiled “Consider it done”

The beach was quite busy when you arrived, but that was to be expected. It was July and the weather was amazing.

Alex just about managed to find a parking space and he told you to get out, so he’d have more room to park the car. You laughed and did what you were told, and once parked Alex put the roof back up on the gorgeous white car and you headed down to the beach.

You walked beside Alex as you discussed where to leave your stuff before you headed down to the sea. Despite having the roof down in the car, you were boiling and felt the need to cool off already.

You ended up putting your stuff down near a nice-looking family who had a little Bluetooth speaker going. The tunes were quite good.

As you arrived near them you could hear See You Again by Charlie Puth playing, and you asked to Alex, “Wanna go here? Then we can listen to their music when we come back?”

“Good idea. Better have a good playlist though” Alex smiled as he put the stuff on the ground.

You followed his lead and put your down stuff down before you took off your black T-shirt dress that you just chucked on over your dry enough bikini. You watched as Alex pulled off his white top and you quickly glance at his body again.

He was fucking ripped and you wanted to groan like you were just seeing a picture of him on your Instagram. He looked really good in his grey swimming trunks. He was a freaking Adonis and his hair looked amazing too.

It was fluffy from drying in the sun earlier and you were glad that he didn’t put the gel back in it to come out.

“Race to the sea?” Alex challenged you with a smiled, throwing his sunglasses down on the towel where you’d just discarded yours.

“I’d say yeah but if I ran in this my tits would fall out and I don’t fancy getting arrested” You smile at him gesturing to your red strapped bikini.

Alex laughed at that before you both started to walk down. “You’re boring” Alex said as you walked over the warm sand.

“And you think I’m the twelve-year-old” You joked, nudging his shoulder as you walked down.

You hadn’t felt sand between your toes for such a long time. You really felt like you were on holiday now. You couldn’t believe that this could just be the norm for Alex.  

The water was a lot warmer than you’d expected it to be. On the rare occasion that you ever went to the seaside back home you were used to freezing cold murky water.

This was a lot nicer than that to say the least. The water was relatively clear, and you didn’t find yourself immediately wanting to run back out because of how cold it was.

You don’t know when it was silently decided between you, but this first swim seemed to be the both of you swimming out the furthest you felt comfortable with. You both chatted as you swam out and you made it out pretty far.

When you looked back the people on the beach could barely be distinguished from. They all just looked like tiny people in a picture of the beautiful scenery.

You both decided that you should probably turn back around as you didn’t want to run out of energy before you got back.

However about half way back, you were growing tired and you just wanted to be able to stand up and have a break for a minute.

“Can you stand up yet?” You asked Alex.

Alex then stops swimming for a minute to see if he can touch the ground again yet.

“Yeah, can you?” He asks when his head doesn’t disappear under the surface.  

You attempt to do the same as you’re not a lot smaller than him. But as you do so, half your face disappears under the water. Some salt water made its way into your mouth and you pulled a face at it.

You start treading water again immediately and say, “No I’m struggling”

Alex laughed at that before saying “Come here and I’ll help you”

You swim towards Alex, but the waves must push him further back from you. As when you think you’re getting closer, he seems to always be the same distance away.

“Alex are you moving away?” You asked him, getting annoyed because you don’t seem to be getting anywhere.

Alex then laughed and you knew he’d been playing you. You groaned and splashed water at him saying, “Stop being a dick, I might drown”



“You’re not gunna drown just come and get me” Alex laugh at your extreme thoughts.

After another minute, you finally reached him and at that point you were tired and nearly out of breath.

“You’re a dick” You told him, as you through your arms around his neck so he couldn’t escape you for a bit.

“You love me” Alex laughed hugging you to him in the water.

He could tell that you needed a rest as the waves weren’t doing you any good as you struggled to keep your head above the surface when they came. And who was he to deprive you of that break, when he certainly didn’t mind you clinging to him.

“I’ll love you if I can wrap my arms around your neck and you can swim me to the beach” You say with a grin.

“Not what I thought you were gunna say when you mentioned arms around my neck” Alex tells you as he spins around in your grasp so your now on his back.

You laughed at that. “That’s not really on my mind when I’m trying not to drown”

Alex laughs and thankfully he got you to a level where your feet could touch the ground again which would always be good news. When you reached the point where you didn’t need to swim to get back and you could stand up again, you made a beeline for your towels.

Alex, however, told you that he was going to take a few more minutes in the sea by himself which you understood. It was beautiful. If you weren’t knackered from that swim you would have probably stuck around a little longer too.

“Don’t get lost in that head of yours” You tell him before you leave him to his thoughts.

You’d noticed on multiple occasions over the years that Alex would just stare into space. Usually someone brought him out of his little trace but if not, you don’t know how long he’d be in his dazes for.

When you got back to your towels you were pleased to hear that the music was still playing from the family just next to you and all your stuff was still there. You sat down and you found that due to the hot sun your body dried off relatively quickly.

After a few minutes of sitting on the ground enjoying your view, you watched as Alex made his way out of the sea heading towards you. You’d be lying if you said that you didn’t appreciate the way his body glistened in the sunlight as he walked back over.

He was fucking stunning and you were half sure that he knew it. Jesus, with a body like that and his hair and his jawline to go with it you wished you were 30 already so you could just marry the man and he’d be yours.

After about 20 minutes of you being lay down and half chatting to each other, half relaxing, you felt a damp object being pressed on your stomach. You opened your eyes to see Alex lay at a right angle to you and his head was now lay on the lower half of your stomach.

“You okay?” You ask him.

“Yeah” Alex sighed to himself. “I just wanted a pillow” He smiled looking round at you.

“So you wanted a pillow so now I’ve gotta have your head as a tan line on my stomach?” You tease even though you didn’t care.

“Y/N you tanned that much last week that I don’t think it’s physically possible for you to get any darker now” Alex said, and he was probably right.

You’d gone a lovely colour and it was a tan you hoped you could keep for a while.

You knew his game though and you called him out on it. “You just don’t want me to tell you to get off”

“You’re not wrong” Alex tells you with a grin. You chuckle at his honestly and let him stay there.

He wasn’t doing you any harm and you weren’t going to be getting your stomach out back home anyway. It was nearly always raining, and you very very very rarely wore a crop top in the summer.

You both lay in that position for a good 5 minutes just listening to the family’s music. They had quite a range of stuff which was good, you really enjoyed relaxing and listening along.

You would have probably fell asleep in the next few minutes but the next song that came on stopped you. You smirked as you heard R U Mine start playing through the family’s speaker and you opened your eyes to see a faint smile on Alex’s lips too.

You brought your hand up and let it drag through his messy wet hair as you said, “They’ve got very good music taste”

Alex chuckled and agreed with you, “They really do”

You kept playing with his hair for a long while. You think you kept messing with it until you fell asleep and only when Alex picked his head up off your stomach and looked down at you, you woke up.

Once fully awake again Alex invited you back out for another swim. You definitely said yes because you were fucking boiling from the sun.

Alex helped you get up and you both made you way back down to the water.

“You’re a comfy pillow” Alex yawns as you walk.

“So are you” You smiled back, thinking back to the other day when you fell asleep on him.

You both then spend a good half an hour in the sea. You have a bit of a swim and you also mess about and chat a lot. You just found that the time really flew by when you were together. You couldn’t believe you were almost a week into your holiday.

You again got out of the water first and headed back to the towels. You wanted to make sure no one had stolen your bag with the both of your clothes, phones and Alex’s car keys in it.

This time you lay the opposite way on your towel. You were on your front and you had your head towards the sea so you would once again see Alex come out.

When he did, instead of laying on his towel that was next to you he picked the towel up and laid it you just in front of you, just leaving a patch of sand between you. He’d be blocking your view of the sea, but you definitely didn’t mind.

Once he’d done that, he lay himself down in front of you and you smiled at him. He smiled back at you and you decided to play a game on the smooth sand that was between you.

You brushed it side to side to smooth it out before drawing 4 lines on the surface.

“Noughts and crosses?” You suggest you Alex and smiled nodding.

You go first as draw a circle in the centre square. Alex then goes and draws a cross in the corner.

You play for a while; you giggle when you win the first time and you carry on giggling each time you win. After losing five times in a row Alex just has to ask you “How do you keep winning?”

“Years of Jedi training” You joke as you smooth out the sand again and draw the lines out.

“I’m being serious though. Each time you end up having two ways of winning. How are you doing that?” Alex said as you both started playing again.

“You mean like that?” You nodded down to the sand as you drew in another nought.

“You’re a wizard” Alex smiles at you and you could see his eyes peaking over his sunglasses and you laughed at his humour.

After a few more goes, Alex seemed to understand how you were doing it and he scorned you for going first every time, so he didn’t have that advantage. When he got his first win, he was very pleased with himself which made you laugh.

After a while of both of you not winning for about 10 rounds, you both give up. You grab your phone out of your bag whilst Alex carry’s on messing about with the sand.

The next time you look up at him, you notice he’s found a stone and he’s using it to carefully trace a spiral into the sand. You put your phone down on your towel and watch as he finishes the enticing piece of art.

“That looks really good” You tell him honestly.

“Yeah?” He questions.

“Yeah” You smile and watch as he folds his arms back on the ground.

You pick your phone up and swipe to put it on camera. You take it from ground level, and you make sure Alex is in it too. He clocks on quickly to what you’re doing and he looks over his sunglasses as you with an unimpressed face that you knew was fake.

You take a few pictures and smile at them as you look back through them. God, how did he look so sexy when he was faking anger towards you?

You took a portrait one too very quickly and giggled when Alex smile was peeking through his fake cold exterior.

“That’s a new lock screen that Alex” You said as you started changing it.

He just looked so good. You wanted an excuse to see it all the time.

“Pass me my phone?” Alex asks you and you reach around to retrieve it from your beach bag.

“Why? Do you want me as yours?” You joke as you pass him his phone.

He grins at you. “You read my mind. Smile” He instructs as he’s about to point his phone at you.

You quickly stop him, “Wait a second”

Alex did as he was told whilst you pushed yourself up with your so your chest was no longer on the ground. You ran a hand through your hair to make sure it wasn’t awfully parted, and you rested yourself back down on your elbows, so you were still lay down but sort of sat up.

The last thing you wanted was a double chin on his photo.

You looked at him and smiled, “Go on then” and Alex happily took a few pictures. He did the same took a few landscape, and then one or two portrait.

You watched the back of Alex’s phone as he tapped on it before telling him, “If I have a double chin you’re taking more”

Alex let out a laugh at that before shaking his head. “No, you look great” He tells you.

You held back the little ‘Awh’ noise you wanted to make when he said that but then ask, “Can I see?”

Alex nodded to you before locking his phone and passing it to you. You took it and pressed down on the button and were greeted with a picture of yourself that you surprisingly liked.

You were smiling happily at Alex, your eyes just peaking over the top of your sunglasses and your hair looked messily damp, but it looked good. And your chest…

It looked fucking amazing if you did say so yourself. Your breasts looked great and really big in the picture and your red bikini really did look fantastic.

“Woah” You said. “My boobs look great in this”

Alex chuckled at that as you passed him his phone back. You looked down at your chest and from your angle they just looked alright, so you had to ask, “Do they actually look that good in real life?”

“You really want me to answer that?” Alex grinned at you.

“Yeah” You smile up at him with an amused expression.

You’d asked him plenty of questions like this before. If not the same one, and he was never one to lie to you. Probably why you valued his opinion a lot.

Your eyes connected with Alex’s over both of your sunglasses before you watched his gaze flick back down to your boobs and he took his sweet time studying them.

“I would say take a picture it’ll last longer, but we’ve already done that” You chuckle.

Alex laughed properly at that before he calmed himself enough to tell you, “They look very nice Y/N”

“Just nice?” You ask. You were hoping for a bit more than just nice.

Alex smirked at you asking that and he looked at you over his glasses as he said, “What do you want me to say?”

“I don’t know” You chuckled just wanting to tease him.  

Alex smiled and then let out a little laugh before pushing his sunglasses back up as he said “They look like a real handful”

You let out a proper giggle at that. You could tell he really wanted to get that joke into the conversation which made it funnier.

“They are” You giggle, sitting up and taking your boobs in your hands.

You move your hands around a bit to try and cup them in a different way to see if you can actually fit your hands around them.

Your hands were about an inch too small for you to be able to cup them properly. Alex was watching your actions and he quickly became very thankful that he was lay down on his front.

You shrugged your shoulders before returning back to your previous position of you facing Alex as you said, “They are a definitely more than a handful for me”

“You’ve got small hands” Alex tells you.

You scoff, “I can reach an octave on the piano, they aren’t that small… Well, they might be compared to yours”

Alex put his hand out to you and you silently chuckled as you matched up the bottom of your hand to his before you lined your fingers up with his. His hands were really soft from both the sea and messing with the sand for the past half hour and you smiled when you saw that your fingertips stopped about half an inch before his.

“Looks like they’d be a handful for you too Turner” You grin

“Do you want me to test out that theory?” Alex smirks, before lacing his fingers with yours. His Death Ramps ring cooling your hot skin.

You giggle and say, “Sure, just at home though, because there’s kids present. Gotta keep it PG 13”

“I think copping a quick feel is PG 13” Alex tells you as he pulls you left hand towards him and he starts tracing your tattoo on your wrist once more.

“Well as much as I would enjoy it Al, copping a feel isn’t PDA approved in my book. Sorry” You smile as you watch him shake his head at your tattoo once more.

“It’s alright… I can wait an hour out two” Alex jokes and you giggled again.

You spent a few hours on the beach just chilling and also messing about. At one point he asked you to put suncream on his back because he thought it was about to burn and when you slapped it on his back he jumped, from both the cold substance and the harshness of the contact.

He then got you back when you both later went in the sea and started splashing you like you were kids in a paddling pool having a water fight. You messed about in the sea for a long while, both always laughing and having a great time.

You felt like you were teenagers again, having the best time with no care in the world. And once you were set to go home again Alex took the long way back and gave you a tour around LA.

He took you to all the places you mentioned and shows you the sights. You go out for a bit of a walk in the city and you had a really nice time both window shopping and seeing everything that the city had to offer.

As you both weaved between the mass of people around, you on the streets you were getting annoyed at slow people in front of you. You sighed and grabbed Alex’s hand and pulled the both of you around the slow people in front of you.

You loosened your grip on his hand expecting him to let go of it but to your surprise his grip never faltered. So, you both happily walked around LA, hand in hand, until you got back to the car.

You didn’t stay out for more than a few hours though because you were both hungry and in desperate need for a shower.

On your way home Matt texts and says that he’ll be round in an hour with no other context than that, but you reply to him saying:

Sweet, see you soon x

When you get home again Alex says as you walk through the door, “Imma go for a shower”

“Aw I wanted a shower” You pout as you move towards the kitchen.

“You can use the one in your bathroom” Alex laughs.

You shake your head, “It’s okay I’ll just wait. I highly doubt I’ll ever find a shower better than that one of yours”

“You could just save yourself the time and join me?” Alex grins as he leans against the large archway that separates the kitchen from the lounge.

You laugh at him as you walk to the fridge to grab a can of Pepsi Max. Alex pushes the idea again by saying, “Would save water too”

“Tempting but Matt’s coming soon, and I doubt we’d be done by then” You say as you turn towards him with a smirk.  

“Well you’re not wrong there” Alex raises his eyebrows at you, and you feel yourself get flustered.

“Go and have a shower” You tell him, “Then you can cook my tea. It’s your day remember”

“You know where to find me if you need me” Alex teases as he turns around and leaves you too it for a little while. God he was something else.

After 10 minutes Alex comes downstairs again fully dressed. This time he wears some black jeans and a loose black top, but his hairs styled somewhat from it being damp.

You look at him and shake your head. The temperature was still far too high for jeans.

“You’re making me feel hot” You tell him as he takes his seat on the settee next to you.

Alex smiles at you and says, “Could have made you a lot hotter if you’d of come in the shower with me”

“Mind’s in the gutter Turner” You shake your head.

“What can I say… the red bikini’s doing it for me” Alex smirks.

“Good thing I brought two then isn’t it?” You flirt back before you stand up and head upstairs.

“You wanna come back down in the other one for me?” Alex calls after you up the stairs.

“Make my dinner Alex” You shout back down, and you hear him laugh.

About half an hour later your back downstairs with your laptop in hand and Alex has just sat back down next to you. He informs you that he’s started making Spaghetti Bolognese which you’re rather excited about.

You then open up your laptop and finish checking your emails from work, relieved to see everything is still in working order. Alex then starts asking you things about your job which you didn’t mind about at all.

You told him all that he wanted to know, and he ended up getting you to show him some designs that you’d worked on in the past. So, you ended up being fully invested in you showing off your work to Alex that you didn’t even hear Matt come in.

“Hey lovebirds” You heard Matt call behind you.

You furrow your eyebrows at him as he comes in and both you and Alex send him a look of confusion as to why he addressed you like that.

“What?” You asked.

“I just said hello” Matt says as he takes a seat on the opposite sofa.

“No, you idiot. The lovebirds bit… Where’s that came from?” You ask.

Matt grins and says, “Oh you’ve not seen it yet?”

“Seen what?” You question.

“Google Alex Turner” He tells you as he turns the TV on with the remote.

“It’s happened again hasn’t it?” You asked Matt as you opened a new tab and typed in Alex’s name into google.

It pops up with:

Alex Turner’s Ongoing Romance With Y/N Y/L/N

“Oh brilliant” Alex says.

“I’m gunna piss myself laughing at this again. The last one was so funny” You smile as you sit back and start reading through the article.

Whilst Turner has changed his look over the years from the boyish hair styles to the long Beatles look to the hot greasers look, Alex never seems to fail at having a beautiful woman on his arm. The first two being Alexa Chung, presenter and model, and Arielle Vandenberg, model and Vine star but his new lady leads a more down to earth life.

It then begins to go into the very few details they know about you. They obviously didn’t do their research because you swear if they did, they would come across your Linked In profile and find that you were an Art Director. But in the article, they were basically just trying to say that you weren’t famous like Alexa and Arielle.

Most of what the article then went into was just background information on you and Alex and all the times you’d been photographed together in the past.

The new information did make you want to laugh though. The article wrote:

Turner was spotted today with Y/L/N at Malibu beach. The pair have been rumoured to be in an on and off relationship that’s spanned the last 9 years since Y/L/N first joined Arctic Monkeys back on their first UK and US tour. Whilst neither parties have ever commented about their relationship status, it seems from today’s encounter that things between the couple may have heated up since the last time they were spotted together in early 2014.

The Arctic Monkeys’ fans seem to love the idea of the couple being together and maybe from today’s activities, the couple have given them hope once more. However, Turner is known for his privacy so it’s unlikely that we will know more until they are spotted again.

As you read, you saw a photo of you both in the sea with your arms wrapped around Alex neck. It was from the second time in the sea when you were both splashing about and he wouldn’t stop getting you, so you clung to him to get him to stop.

You also see a picture in the article that definitely didn’t come from any paparazzi. There was a picture of you and Alex walking down the busy streets of LA together hand in hand and you sighed.

It was a cute picture but the writing underneath it just made you wish a fan hadn’t taken the picture. The article was just twisting the situation entirely.  

The couple were also spotted a few hours later roaming around LA hand in hand. The twitter user didn’t divulge any information on the pair, but the image does make the possibility of a rekindled relationship between Turner and Y/L/N look promising.

All you could say was that you were thankful you were half cut out of the picture because whoever had taken it had obviously been a fan of Alex’s.

There were more pictures of you messing about in the sea laughing together too and there’s more of you both walking back to your towels on the beach. It’s scary to think you hadn’t even seen anyone taking pictures of you. It made you feel a bit weird about the times you’d left your stuff in your bag when you both went out.

“Wow who knew me trying not to get splashed would be proof of a relationship” You say as you scroll back up and look at the pictures again.

“That’s the first stage of a relationship Y/N, how did you not know?” Matt asks you sarcastically and you laugh.

You reread the whole thing again and you just decide to not let it get to you, even though it was a bit annoying. You never hid any part of your life and your social media proved that, so you didn’t understand why you were being speculated about.

“Well at least my tits look good in all the pictures” You say as you save the pictures onto your computer.

“Never noticed Y/N/N” Matt said and when you looked up at him you could see him trying not to laugh.

You smirk up at him, “Whatever Matthew, I know you were looking”

“Bre said that” Matt chuckles

You laughed, “Did she really?”

Matt nodded and grinned at you. “Not getting jealous I hope?” You ask him.

“No don’t worry she was complimenting them as well. That’s how it came up” Matt tells you and you can’t help but giggle.

“Love it” You laughed before putting your laptop on the floor and standing up.  

You sigh again and get your phone out of your back pocket before saying, “Alex I’m posting a picture of you on Instagram”

“Oh god, which one?” Alex says looking up at you.

“Just the one from the beach” You tell him as you bring the picture of him up that you liked the best.

He looked so cute, yet he looked like he could take you there and then in the picture. You loved it, so you were quite happy he didn’t mind you putting it up.

You didn’t bother with a filter as the light had already been caught in a really pretty way. And because you were in a funny yet marginally pissed off mood with the tabloids again, you posted the photo with the caption.

Boyfriend apparently.

You through your phone down onto the sofa just having enough of it as you pick your laptop up off the floor. You start pacing as you looked back through the article that was actually quite funny.

You shook your head as you read back through it and let out a sigh once you’d finished it again.

“Are you okay?” Alex asked you, taking up your attention again.  

You looked to him and smiled, “Yeah I’m fine. Just funny ain’t it?”

“You can be pissed off at it. They shouldn’t be assuming things” Alex tells you.

“It’s honestly fine. They could be saying a lot worse” You say as you close it, putting it down on the sofa that Matts sat on.

“That’s true” Matt agrees looking at you.

“Yeah, they could have said I was in a relationship with Miles” You joke and scrunch your face up.

Both Matt and Alex laughed at that and you got up and started pacing the room.

They both already knew you were about to start venting your feelings. You always did the same thing when you were trying to get your point across to someone.

“It’s just a little annoying because I’m literally an open book online. I post things about myself and my opinions that people don’t even want to know. So even if we were going out, why would I even contemplate hiding it?” You sigh.

You turn to Alex fully and say “It’s not like you’re pig ugly and I’d be ashamed to be seen with you”

He smiles at you and he seems like he’s about to say something, but Matt gets in there first.

“Yeah to be fair if any reporter or whatever actually bothered to find your account they would see how much shit you chat and just realise that if it was real you’d probably post it before even Alex knew you were a thing” He laughs.

You and Alex laughed at that. Matt knew you so well.

You nod, “I agree. It just baffles me. Like yeah, fair enough, you guys don’t have a great deal of social media but if you’re writing a fucking article about me as well, at the very least they could look me up first”

Your rant continues with you saying, “Like fucking hell, come on Alex let’s go for a shag because we may as well now you’re officially my boyfriend again”

“I mean it’s a cross I’ll bare” Alex looks at you with a grin.

You chuckle and grin back before carrying on, “Honestly it stresses me out. I feel a twitter rant coming on” You rub your temples as you sit down on the arm of the sofa that Matt was on.

“Do it” Alex tells you but then your all interrupted.

Your phone started to ring, and the song was Crying Lightning, so you knew it was Y/B/F calling. Alex picks up your phone goes to hand it to you, but you just tell him to answer it.

Alex did so and immediately put it on speaker for you. You were about to say hello, but Y/B/F got in there with her opening statement first.

“Are you fucking Alex Turner and haven’t told me? Like are you actually sucking his dick and haven’t told me anything about it? You actual slag” She said and you knew she was joking about the slag bit.

However, your jaw was on the ground as soon as she started speaking. You looked to Alex holding your phone and you couldn’t even formulate a sorry or a joke to say.

“Hello to you too” You say in disbelief.

Y/B/F scoffs, “Don’t hello me, you snake. Are you shagging Alex Turner and haven’t told me or not?”

“Jesus. Do you not think that you are the first person I would tell if I actually did considering you’re fucking obsessed with him” You try and defend yourself.  

“I’m obsessed with him? Okay, okay…” She says knowing full well that you were the obsession. Least she didn’t call you out on it.

She continues on, “Well, tell me why I’m reading things and seeing fucking adorable pictures of the two of you and you’re not sucking his dick? Because maybe you should be doing considering you’re in an ‘on and off relationship’” She starts giggling. Her joking annoyed persona failing miserably.

“Yeah Y/N, maybe you should. Get on your knees” Alex says, nodding towards the ground in front of him and you laugh.

“Wow peer pressure” You chuckle as you stand up to take your phone off him.

“But later Al, when Matt’s gone home” You wink at him with a smile.

Matt laughs at this as you return yourself to the arm of his sofa and wait for Y/B/F to start talking again.

“Honestly these pictures are the cutest thing ever. Please marry him” She coos over the phone. You can tell she’s got them up again and she’s looking at them.

“I don’t think one cute picture validates marriage Y/B/F” You tell her. Although you wish it did.

“But I really wanna be a maid of honour” She groans in a strop.

You smile at that thought, “You will be my maid of honour one day. I just need to meet my boyfriend first”

“Fuck that” She tells you “You met him in high school. You’re marrying Alex… Aw no, but if you marry him, you’ll have to change your song so you can’t”

“That’s true” You smile at her whirlwind of her speaking her mind.

“Which song? And why do you need to change it?” Alex asks you.

You chuckle at that before you look to your boys and say, “I’ve said for years that I was always going to ask you guys to perform Baby I’m Yours for the first dance at my wedding”

“Ah yeah. Can’t really have that song if you’ll be dancing with him” Matt said, and you thought to yourself ‘unfortunately not’.

“You could get Miles to sing it though” Y/B/F purposes.

“Can you stop planning mine and Alex’s wedding please” You laugh and look to Alex who’s already chuckling.

“Sorry it’s already planned out in my head. These pictures are fucking adorable” She tells you and you can just envision her sat in her spot on your settee at home scrolling though the article.

“Did I send you the other pictures of us from the night out the other day?” You ask her as you start routing through your camera roll.

“Oh my god no. Why do you think it’s okay to deprive me of that content? How dare you take more than one picture and not send me them all” She asks, and she sounds cute offended.

“Sorry hun I was on the pull. You weren’t the first thing on my mind” You say as you press send on the pictures.

“I’ve just sent them” You tell her, and you send them all to Alex too, knowing that he’d more than likely want the pictures of him and Miles.  

She gasps down the phone, “Oh my god. You look like a rocker couple”

You laugh at that and then look to Alex. He’s also chuckling away but then Y/B/F carried on saying, “You look like you would fuck each other so good”

You almost choke on your words and you start talking high pitched as you say, “You’re on speaker” Your embarrassment was evident as you looked away from Alex as soon as she said it.

“Well I’m just telling the truth. I would fuck the two of you so hard” She groans down the phone.

“Please stop” You plead, your cheeks getting hotter and you’re not being able to look at either of the boys in the room. Your head just hangs in shame as you look at the blank phone in your lap.

“How would that even work?” Matt asks and you head whips up and you shake your head.

“Do not encourage this” You tell him sternly.

You look to Alex though and he’s just grinning at you. You can’t hold his gaze for more than a few seconds, you have to look away.

“Believe me Matt, it would work” Y/B/F assures him through the phone and you sigh unlocking your phone again.

“Right shut up and look at this instead” You say before sending her the picture of Alex and Miles together.

“Holy fuck. Nah you can fuck right off Y/N, I wanna be in that sandwich instead” She says and you laugh.

Matt shakes his head and asks, “What’s she on about now?”

“Al and Miles the other night” You say bringing the picture up again and she

“Don’t you fucking dare tweet that picture out” Alex tells you making you look to him again and you can see he’s not joking.

“I wasn’t going to” You smile assuring him that the new album was safe with you. You wouldn’t even tell Y/B/F.

Y/B/F then has the bright idea to yell down the phone, “She might not, but I might”

“No Y/B/F you actually can’t” You say seriously almost panicking that she might have already posted it somewhere.

“Why not? It’s fucking adorable” She asks. You agree with her that it is adorable but you can’t have the pictures of them going out from your account.

You plead with her, “Just please don’t post it anywhere”

“Why not? What am I missing? Why is them being together such a big deal? They are best friends” She rambles obviously digging for information.

“Just don’t because they will never let me take their picture again. Privacy is important to them… And for the record I think Matt’s his best friend” You say trying to steer the subject away.

“Matt’s his best friend my arse. You don’t sing together like that if yo-“ She starts but then she goes silent.

“They fucking sing together... Am I getting a last shadow puppets two?” Y/B/F clocks on and you want to die.

Your eyes widen in immediate panic and you look to Alex needing help. He looks like he’s just been let down and you feel awful.

Matt leans over and grabs your phone off you to try and distract her as Alex stands up grabs your hand and leads you into the kitchen so you can’t be overheard from her on the phone.

“I swear I didn’t say anything. I promise you. I told you I wouldn’t, and I swear to god I’ve told her nothing you’ve told me” You ramble quietly as you enter the kitchen feeling extremely bad. You had that feeling like you were about to be told that you didn’t have a friend anymore and that scared the shit out of you.

“Y/N/N stop panicking” Alex tells you shaking his head. You looked petrified and you didn’t need to be at all.

“It’s okay” He smiles assuring you everything is fine.

“It’s not though is it, because she’s just fucking guessed it and it’s my fault” You say extremely fast and you can feel yourself panicking.

“Y/N” Alex says putting his hands on your shoulders. “Breathe” He smiles before tucking a stray strand of hair behind you ear.

“Is she the same friend who found out about Suck it And See and AM?” Alex asked you once you completely his order.

“Yeah” You nod.

You remembered those old conversations well. You’d already pre-warned Alex several times before you left your bedroom that he shouldn’t bring up any album information whilst you went out and got a drink from the kitchen. You couldn’t make a cup of tea easily and still chat to him whilst you did it, so you had to put him on speaker.

He’d obviously forgotten this, and he spilt the beans about the Suck It And See’s release date. And near the end of 2012 he’d done the exact same thing whilst you were on speaker phone in your car with her when he mentioned how AM was coming together nicely.

“She’s the same Y/B/F?” He double checked and you nodded.

“Then it doesn’t matter. I’ll tell her myself” Alex tells you.

You shake your head immediately, “Al no it’s fine, I’ll just make something up later and throw her off it”

“I can’t expect you to keep that big of a secret for the next year, can I? That’s not fair to you. I know you could easily do it like you’ve done for everything else, but it’s not fair” He tells you

“Alex” You start to protest but he silences you.

“Do you trust her?” He asks you.

You quickly tells him, “It doesn’t matter if I trust her it’s your m-“

But you’re interrupted.

“Do you trust her?” Alex asks you again.

“With my life” You tell him. “But that doesn’t mean you should tell her anything”

“I trust you… And if you trust her, that’s good enough for me” Alex tells you. “And she’s kept secrets before, so you can obviously keep her in line” Alex grins and you chuckle.

Alex walks back into the lounge and he silently asks for the phone from Matt by holding his hand out. You follow him in, and you can hear Y/B/F still waffling away about whatever Matt had occupied her mind with.

Alex takes the phone off speaker though and puts it too his ear. “Hey Y/B/F”

“Yeah hey, so that picture…” Alex starts off and then you watch as he looks towards the TV listening to whatever Y/B/F is asking.  

“Well because it could stir up some interest and we don’t want any of that quite yet” Alex tells her truthfully.

Alex smiles at what she’s saying and replies, “If I said that you were would you refrain from posting it for me?”

“Well you are” Alex grins and looks towards you. “Very serious. You can ask your best friend about it. She’s heard some songs”

“You’re very welcome” Alex chuckles after a while, looking around the room whilst Y/B/F speaks.

“Right. I see” Alex then starts grinning at you and you get nervous.

You raise your eyebrows at him questioningly. He shakes his head at you laughing as he silently tells you not to worry.

“Well I’ll be sure to tell her that later” He smiles, and you decide that you don’t like only hearing one side of a conversation.

Soon enough they are saying bye to each other on the phone and Alex passed you your phone back.

“What was she saying?” You asked worriedly.

Alex chuckled at that before putting a hand over his mouth to stop himself. “Nothing, don’t worry about it”

Even when Matt left after you’d both eaten you asked him again. But Alex Turner treated information like it was nuclear codes. Under lock and key all the time and you’d probably never get to hear them.

You ended up texting Y/B/F asking what was said because you knew there was no way Alex would be telling you.

And you wanted to die of embarrassment when her text came through.

You got flustered knowing that was what she promised him, no matter how much you may have wanted to do it. You couldn’t believe your best friend had promised it him.

I said that as a thank you I’d make you give him the best blowjob of his life and that you weren’t allowed to be nasty to him and make him wait when you did xx

So Y/N…

Instead of getting on your dancing shoes

Get on your knees, you sexy little swine xxx

~*~*~*~

The following days were really fun for you. You and Alex thankfully were no different around each other and you both joked around with each other a lot and the flirting was definitely still there.

Because of the whole article thing you both played on the relationship joke a lot. Which was quite nice for you to say the least.

It started off the day after when you just knew Alex wasn’t expecting the joke from last night to carry on. But you did and he was pleasantly surprised by it

“So boyfriend, what are you cooking me for tea?” You ask him nonchalantly, as you scroll past a food post on Instagram.

“Boyfriend ey?” Alex asks you.

You look around at him and note that he’s got a cute grin on his face and you smile to match it.

You shrug and tell him, “I mean that’s what you are apparently so imma embrace it”

“Okay then” Alex laughed as he got himself up off the settee.

“Why are you laughing? I read it online so it’s obviously true” You smile as you watch his movements as he circles around the sofa.

Alex grinned at that playfully replied, “So what would you like me to make for you, girlfriend?”

“Something spicy” You fire back with a touch of flirtiness to it as you look back towards the TV.

“I can whip you up something spicy upstairs if you want?” Alex says as he walks around the sofa you in and traps you in a loving headlock.

You let out a little amused him at that.

“Are actual whips involved? Because I’m down for that” You tease back trying to look around at him.

Alex lowly chuckles down your ear which makes you smirk. “Oh, next year’s gunna be good” He meets your eyes and grins as he lets you go.

“What do you mean next year? We’ve been doing this the past nine Al” You joke with him as he walks into the kitchen and you hear him laugh.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Taglist: @the-girl-before​ @murderousginger​ @minigranger​ @turnertable​ @bastillewolf​ @slothgiirl​ @billskarsgard-is-gorgeous​ @watashi-no-namae-wo-yonde​ @fookingsummertime​ @coolpunkrockgirl @marvel-avengers01​ @peakymoon1985​ @toolateformcrtooearlytoleaveemo​ @gretavanbobatea​ @chocolatecig​ @iamnotjesha​ @rachaeljayne15​ @edgythought​ @when-the-darkness-comes​ @angelicnobody​ @marveious​ @stelle-ms @woodhousesemma​ @boysinskirts​ @ilove1dandmagconn @musicmania100​ @he4rtbre4khotel​ @innocte​ @tomsbeck​ @whoknowswhatimeant​ @tony-starks-ego​ @bettyschwallocksyee​ @tobarmaidswhodontcount​ @elektranxtchiios​ @alexsvacuumcleaner​

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Other parts can be found in Masterlist in bio

[crimsonbluemoon]

71 minicat because i have no control over my need for steamy minicat content

Okay, last drabble! Thank you all for sending them in, and for those who didn’t make the timeframe, be on the lookout for next month when I re-open my requests. Probably will be closer to mid-may as I do plan to release the new story the first week of the month. 

This story is part two to this drabble, so read that one first!

Pairing: Minicat Number: 71 Prompt: “Don’t blame it on the alcohol, you tasted like you wanted me.”

Tyler had been patient, had been a fucking saint for the past week ‘giving Mini time’ as his asshole of a friend Brain suggested. Christmas was dull without being able to see Craig, and no contact from him during the lull between holidays sucked worse than getting mono before prom. He tried to suck it up, to pretend that he was doing fine, but it was really hard when everything was pissing him off. Brock kept trying to talk about ‘feelings’, Panda ribbed him for being an oblivious idiot, and Nogla...well he was Nogla. Everything sucked and even the four shots of tequila at Lui’s New Year’s Eve party wasn’t cutting it. 

Because Mini was there, was twenty feet away from him, and they might as well have been in different countries. 

The pain that had reflected in his friend’s eyes when he’d confessed his feelings had honestly stunned Tyler. He had no idea that Mini of all people saw him like that. It wasn’t that Craig never flirted with him; it was because he flirted with everyone with a pulse. Even now, laughing and slinging his arm around Vanoss’s shoulder to kiss his cheek, Craig was charming the whole room. That was just who Mini was. How was Tyler supposed to pick up the signs that Anthony said were clear as day? Sure, Craig always asked to drive to events with him, and holding hands was kinda common between the two. But Mini was just a tactile person, and Tyler-

He just liked to see Mini smile. Like he was doing now, though it pissed him off that none of the grins were aimed toward him. Craig was acting like Tyler wasn’t even there, not looking at him and making sure there were at least ten people between them at all times. As the hours and alcohol passed, the proximity shrank a bit, and yet again Tyler had to bid his time. By the time it was close to midnight, only Delirious and Nogla were between the two. 

And Tyler knew it was time to make his move. 

“You.” Nogla was a wimp and Delirious was scared of his own shadow half the time, which made it easy to push through them and snag Mini by the arm. He felt the muscles tense under his touch, but his irritation and liquid courage were too high for him to really care. “We’re going to talk.” 

“I really need to-” Tyler didn’t listen for the excuse when he pulled them away, weaving around the crowd in Lui’s living room to get to the patio outside. The air was crisp, and he checked the thickness of Mini’s sweatshirt before he closed the door behind them and leaned on it. Craig looked uncomfortable instantly, his hands twitching by his sides before shoving quickly into his pockets. “Look, I’m too drunk for this right now.”

“You’ve had two drinks and a shot, you’re fine,” Tyler snapped out, pulling back his irritation when seeing Mini flinch in response. “I just need some answers.” 

“I don’t know what else I can tell you,” Mini whispered, looking defeated in his stance.  

“Was it the truth?” Tyler watched Mini’s eyes round in shock, though a fire blazed with anger quickly took over his gaze. 

“Are you kidding me? Why would I-who makes up something like that? What am I, Nogla?” 

“Why do you always bring up Nogla?” 

“Because he normally fits well when I’m comparing stupid things! Why do you have a problem with Nogla? This is just like at the party-”

“When you claimed you liked me, but you said you’d kiss him?” Tyler asked, instantly regretting his lack of impulse control when Mini stopped talking. Too far to go back, Tyler pressed forward with his grumble. “If you liked me, you would have kissed me that night.”

“That’s what you’re stuck on? That I poured my heart out to you, made a fool of myself to you, ruined everything between us for you, but said that I’d kiss Nogla?!” Tyler’s scowl twitched at Mini’s questions, but he didn’t respond. No answer seemed to be the wrong answer, and Craig stared at him in disbelief before blowing out a puff of hot breath. “Fine!”

“Fine what-” Tyler’s shoulders hit into the firm surface he leaned against when Craig shoved them, a firm weight pressed against his chest. 

Before he could blink, Mini’s mouth was on him, kissing him hard enough to knock his head against the door. He could taste the mint of the drink Luke had made for Craig on his tongue when Craig deepened the kiss. His eyes stayed open for a moment, taking in the flush of Mini’s cheeks and the bittersweet emotion he could feel overlapping their connection. Then Tyler was closing his eyes, sliding his hands over the back of Mini’s arms and pull him closer and respond. He felt the moment Craig picked up on the change, mouth trying to pull away as if burned. But Tyler growled in warning, refusing the let the exchange end until he put his own feelings into the mix. His teeth snagged Mini’s lip between them, dragging him back into the kiss before soothing the bruised skin with his tongue. The arms he held trembled as Craig gasped, his open mouth allowing Tyler to slip in and claim it as his own. The cold from before was gone, his body boiling from the battle of their lips and the pressure of Mini’s body against his own. He was pinned between it and the door; yet he felt like the one keeping Craig captive when he finally pulled back from the kiss, feeling Mini nearly fall into him. Heavy breathing joined the music from the party inside, the two staying silent for a minute. Tyler felt Craig tense against him, trying to pull away despite the firm grip Tyler still had on the back of his arms. 

“Oh fuck.” Mini press his hand to his mouth, panic and pain rushing through his feature even as he laughed. “Wow, I really am drunk. So drunk. Very very drunk as a skunk-”

“Don’t you dare blame it on the alcohol,” Tyler growled out, making sure he made his point clear by pulling Mini back into him. He was pleased when Craig didn’t fight the touch, even as the confusion peppered his face. “You tasted like you wanted me.”  

“Of course I do, idiot. I like you, I already said I liked you.” Craig looked annoyed that he had to confess it again, but Tyler would take that over sad any day. “But that doesn’t mean I get to throw myself at you when you didn’t even say you-”

“What did I tell you at the last party?” Tyler interrupted, knowing he wouldn’t get an answer when Craig glanced away from him. “I said I don’t just go around kissing everyone. If I didn’t want to be here with you, then I wouldn’t have searched you out and dragged you out here to talk.”

“Well obviously you wanted to fix things. You thought I was mad at you.”

“Marcel’s been pissed at me for a month before and I didn’t give a shit!” Tyler replied, and both knew it was true. Tyler said what he wanted to say and rarely worried about how it made others feel unless he truly had crossed a line. Sighing and leaning his head back against the door, Tyler stared up at the cloudy sky above and continued. “But this past week’s been fucking miserable, and all I’ve wanted to do was talk to you.”

“We didn’t really do a lot of talking here, either.” Mini’s stupid joke made Tyler grin and groan at the same time, though he enjoyed the feeling of Craig’s head hesitantly leaning against his shoulder. Mini felt tired in his arms; Tyler could pick up on the fatigue without words. How much sleep did he also lose over this? How many times had his mind dragged him into negative spaces and vicious thoughts? Hating that he’d let this linger for a week, Tyler pulled his attention back down to Mini, letting go of one of his arms. Slowly, he slipped his thumb under Craig’s glasses, tracing the black markings of exhaustion laying under his eye. 

“If you hadn’t run off that night, we could have avoided all of this.” 

“Yeah, probably,” Craig admitted with a sigh, eyes not opening despite Tyler’s soft touch. “But put yourself in my shoes; if you were going to lose your best friend because you liked him, would you have been buying front row seats to that shitshow?”

“I might have tried to show him what he’d be walking away from if he didn’t get his head out of his ass and really look at me,” Tyler muttered, hating that the words were pretty close to what Brian had said to him the following day. His thumb found its way down Craig’s cheek, brushing the edge of the lips that quirked into a pained smile. 

“I don’t want to lose you, but...I don’t think I can really pretend I’m okay with seeing you with other people. Which is dumb, I know-”

“Shut up, Mini. I just got a buzz off the alcohol in your mouth from kissing you so hard; you think I’m interested in anyone else?” His palm moved to his jaw when Mini pulled his head up in confusion, making Tyler scoff. “You really must be drunk if I have to spell this shit out for you. I was pissed at the party because I had to kiss everyone but you. And I didn’t really realized that’s what I fucking wanted until you were high tailing out of the parking lot like Vin Diesel. Put it together, idiot.” 

“Wait, you like me, too? You’re not just like, really shitfaced or something?” 

“You’ve seen me drunk, am I the cuddly type?” 

“No, you’re the ‘fight frat boys when naked cause they called my friends slurs’ type.” 

“Half-naked. And see if I ever defend your shitty honor again.” He was never going to live that down, no matter how many times he swore off scorpion bowls. Craig’s smile, for the first time all night, bloomed with actual happiness at Tyler’s blush. It was as annoying as it was relieving, and Tyler didn’t pull away despite the slight pinch to his cheek. 

“I guess you’re not drunk since you’re still fully clothed. Shame.” Mini’s laugh made Tyler roll his eyes, but he didn’t pull away from the soft kiss pressed to his lips and words murmured against them afterwards. “So we’re really doing this?” 

“For some reason,” Tyler said, ignoring the skip of his heart when Mini jumped onto him. Quickly his arms grabbed under Craig’s thighs, securing him from taking them both down before he yelled. “What the fuck-”

“I’m really happy, Tyler.” Mini’s words against his ear stopped his snark, forcing Tyler to sigh and lean back against the door. He didn’t speak, letting himself stay warm in Mini’s arms. 

He was never going to tell Brian that patience paid off, but mentally, he was really happy he listened to the asshole.

[imagines-for-the-fangirls-soul]

It’s Just a Bunch of Hocus Pocus - Peter Parker

Pairing: Peter Parker x Reader Word Count: 1,932 Synopsis: Happy Halloween! After hearing about the legend of the Sanderson Sisters in class, the reader convinces Peter to go out to the house where the movie was filmed to see what kind of spooky things they can find.

“Please! It’s just a fairytale. The Sanderson Sisters are not real.”

“Not real like Spider-Man isn’t real?” you asked.

“Spider-Man is real,” he said, smirking at you, “He’s just anonymous.”

“Maybe the Sanderson Sisters are, too,” you said, walking away from him. Before you could let go of his hand, Peter held on twice as tight and spun you back towards him. 

“Have a good class,” he said.

“You too.” You kissed him softly before walking away to your classroom. 

Halloween had to be Peter’s least favorite holiday. Before he became Spider-Man, it was one of his absolute favorites. He waited all year to dress up as his favorite superheroes and eat a ton of candy with Ned until he was sick. But now that he dressed up on a regular basis, he didn’t care for the holiday as much. And in New York, Halloween just meant that every clown was out to cause some mayhem. 

You had been asking him all week to do something spooky-fun to celebrate, but everything you suggested, he shot down. As you sat through your chemistry lecture, your mind drifted through possible ideas that you hadn’t yet suggested to Peter. 

“Y/N, wasn’t that story about the Sanderson sisters crazy?” Betty whispered. “I can’t believe anyone actually believes that story.”

“Hey, it could be real,” you said, giving her a smile. She laughed and shook her head.

“You sound like one of those die-hard fans, the ones who sneak up to the old house where the movies were filmed every Halloween to see if the legends are really true.”

“Wait, the house is still standing?” you asked, a little too loudly. Your professor shot you a look and you quickly turned back to your notes.

“Yes,” Betty said after the professor had averted her eyes. “It’s out of the city.”

“Hmm,” you said, quickly scribbling down Sanderson House on your notes. 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

“Pete!” you called, squeezing his arm as you came up behind him.

“Hey,” he said with a smile, “Ready to go?”

“Yes.”

“Did you figure out the perfect Halloween plan for us yet?” he asked, taking your hand in his. 

“Yes, but we’ll have to do some driving to get there.”

“Okay,” Peter said, somewhat reluctantly. “Where are we going?”

“The Sanderson Sister house.” Peter stopped dead in his tracks and looked at you deadpanned. 

“You have got to be kidding me,” he said.

“I’m not! Come on, it’ll be just like a field trip. We’re just going to check out a historical sight, and maybe get a little spooked along the way.”

“And raise the spirits of the Sanderson Sisters while we’re at it?” he asked.

“Maybe! Come on, it’ll be fun. I’ll drive?” you offered with a sweet smile. Peter glared at you, but your stare was as iron-clad. You wouldn’t back down about this that easily. 

“Fine,” he said with a groan. “But we’re stopping for candy on the way.”

“I’m good with that,” you said, pulling him in to give him a kiss on the cheek. 

An hour later, you and Peter were crawling into Aunt May’s Volkswagon Beetle, stocked with three different bags of candy. You queued up your spooky playlist on Spotify and looked over at Peter.

“I still think we should have dressed up.”

“I’m not going as Spider-Man for Halloween!” Peter exclaimed, exasperated. 

“Come on, everyone is going as Spider-Man. Besides, yours definitely would have been the best.”

“I’ll keep that in mind for next year,” he said, smirking slightly. “What were you even going to go as?”

“Princess Leia.”

“Obviously.” 

You snorted as you turned up the music so that Monster Mash was blasting through the tiny car. The Sanderson House was an hour and a half away, which meant that you had lots of time to fill with spooky music and stories. 

“Do you think we’ll see them?” you asked, once you were twenty minutes away. You had finally gotten off the highway and were now traveling down winding side roads, lit only by a porch light every couple of miles. 

“Who?”

“The Sanderson Sisters!”

“Y/N, they are not real.”

“If you tell me that one more time, I’m going to leave you at the spooky old house by yourself.” Peter sighed and looked over at you sweetly.

“Okay, you’re right, I’m being kind of a tool. But realistically, the witches have been dead for hundreds of years. We are probably not going to see them.”

“Probably,” you said with a grin, taking a bite of twizzler. “At least we’re out of the city, though.”

“True, and I’m with you.” He leaned across the divider and kissed your cheek sweetly.

“You can be as charming as you want to be, we’re still going to this house.”

In another ten minutes, you were at the rickety old sign that identified the Sanderson House. Even if the sign weren’t there, you were pretty positive you would have been able to spot the house among the others. Unlike the others, this one was cloaked in darkness and had no modern features. 

Up a winding driveway, you could barely spot the house from the road, but there was an eery air that hung over the place. There was a fence blocking you from entering the house. Peter gave you a somewhat worried look as you turned the car off and got out.

“Y/N, we’re very clearly not supposed to be here.” 

“Oh come on,” you said, pushing lightly on the fence which swung open with ease. “If they didn’t want us here, they would make it much harder to get in.”

“I don’t think that’s true.”

“What are you gonna do, web me up?” you asked. Peter couldn’t help but smile at you as he reluctantly crawled back into the car with you. As you both sat down, you turned the engine key. Your car chugged weakly for a few moments. Eventually, it didn’t even turn over.

“Well,” you said, frowning at Peter.

“We should go back.”

“The car’s not starting.”

“Then we’ll wait for a tow,” Peter said, pulling his phone out of his pocket. You started to climb out of the car but Peter grabbed your wrist. “Where are you going?”

“Well, as long as we’re here, we might as well go in.”

“That sounds like a worse idea than driving all the way out here.” Peter rolled his eyes as you shook free of his grasp and climbed out of the car. He was determined to prove his point and stick it out in the car, but as he saw you walking alone up the dark driveway, he hung up the phone and ran after you.

“Oh, look who it is,” you said, glancing over at him as you turned on the flashlight on your phone.

“I thought maybe I should be here to protect you.”

“From what? Spiders?” you asked as you stepped onto the creaky porch. Cobwebs covered the railing and the entry door. One of the windows was smashed open, and as you peered inside, you could see the remains of the old home. 

“Alright, so we saw it. Can we go?” Peter asked nervously.

“No, I want to go inside. I want to see the book!”

“Y/N, you’re being ridiculous.”

“Hush and help me get this door open,” you said, jimmying the handle. Peter rolled his eyes and quickly shot out a web. He ripped the door open with one quick motion and watched it smack into the already shattered window. A few more pieces of glass fell around your feet.

“Great, thanks,” you said, giving his shoulder a squeeze as you walked into the house. “Oh my god.”

“What? What? What is it?” Peter asked, walking into the room nervously. 

“Nothing,” you said, smiling at him, “It’s just exactly as I pictured it. It’s so decrepit.” 

“Why are you enjoying this?” Peter asked under his breath, looking around himself carefully. 

“Oh my god, Peter!”

“What!” he yelled, running to your side.

“It’s the candle.”

“The what?”

“The black flame candle. You know, the one that can summon the witches back when lit.”

“Come on,” Peter said with a laugh, “You know that’s just part of the fairytale.”

“Okay,” you said, reaching into your back pocket and retrieving a lighter, “So light it.”

“What?”

“Light the candle,” you challenged.

“I’m not gonna light that stupid thing.”

“Why? Scared?” you asked, raising your eyebrow. 

“No.”

“So do it.”

“Fine,” Peter said, taking the lighter from your hand. You watched him carefully as he raised the lighter with a shaky hand to the antique candle. With a flick of his thumb, the match lit up and soon, the candle did, too. You and Peter stared at each other, waiting for something to happen. 

“See, it’s not so scary he-”

The front door slammed shut, and the gust of wind extinguished the candle. You and Peter both let out a scream as you scrambled towards each other. He wrapped you in his strong arms, shielding you from whatever was going to come through that door. 

After about five minutes of holding each other and praying that your death would be quick, you pulled apart. You turned your flashlight back on and looked around the room. Nothing had changed. The dark room was just as sad as it was before and completely devoid of witches.

“So, let’s go home?” Peter asked, taking one step towards the door.

“Yes, absolutely,” you said, quickly taking his hand and running out the door. The two of you ran in step together towards the car, not sparing a look back at the spooky house. 

You got back into the car and turned the key. By some trick of fate, the car started up. Without a second glance back at the house, you drove off, Peter’s hand in yours the entire time. 

It wasn’t until you got back onto the highway that you let out a sigh and released Peter’s hand.

“No more spooky Halloween plans,” you said.

“I’m good with that.”

“Want to go home and snuggle and watch a movie?”

“Yes,” he said, taking your hand back in his. 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

“Got any more Reese’s?” you asked, leaning over Peter’s body to look through his bag of candy.

“Hey, keep to your own bag.”

“Come on, we split the bags, but I’m pretty sure you got more Reese’s than me!” Peter struggled to pull the bag of candy from you and had practically wrestled it out of your hand when your TV shouted, “A virgin lit the candle!” You and Peter both looked at each other and fell back onto the bed in a fit of laughter.

“I think I like this Halloween much better,” you said, cuddling into his arms.

“Me too.” He leaned down and kissed you just as the Sanderson Sisters burst into the house you had been in not two hours ago.

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Furlough

Series Summary: After the events of Civil War, Steve and his team are stuck in their compound. Following a mission, you disagree with your stalwart leader but he does not take kindly to your defiance.

Sequel to Insubordination, Pulling Rank, and Misconduct

Chapter Description: Steve makes an announcement but it isn’t good news for everyone.

Warnings: dub/non-con and explicit sex. Obviously 18+ (like this whole blog) 

Note: We’ve got some more spicy scary Steve over here and he’s even got his own POV in this one. So let’s buckle in and enjoy the ride.

Thanks for reading. Feel free to send an ask, reblog, or reply of your thoughts:)

Despite your attempts to appease him, Steve’s open hostility towards you remained. You started to suspect that it was the other side of the coin. He didn’t just want to humiliate you behind closed doors, he relished doing so in front of others. The team was supportive but had given up actively opposing him. The last had almost resulted in a physical altercation between Sam and Steve and another backhanded remark about what was owed to the fearsome Captain. You couldn’t handle it if someone else was hurt because of his loathing for you, so you told them to stop. It wasn’t worth the effort. You could handle his passive aggression; they didn’t know what else you had already dealt with.

The four of you were sat in the briefing room around the long table. Steve had called the meeting and yet he was the last one there. You were about to fall asleep in your chair. It had been a late night. A rough one. After another two weeks of his nightly incursions, you were exhausted. He had only grown crueler. Even as you submitted to his every wish, fled from his ever glare and sharp word, you seemed only to feed his anger. He sought you out; he was with you all the time, even if physically absent. His presence could not be escaped.

The door opened violently and Steve’s footsteps woke you at once. He walked along the length of the table until he stood at the head. His blue eyes flicked to you subtly. Beneath his beard, his lips twitched before his usual scowl set in stone. He glanced around the group and sighed. “Nice to see you all on time...for once.” He put his hands on his hips.

The table shared silent looks of resent. You were all tired of his malicious remarks. He acted as if you were entirely useless. Well, being suspended from duty, you were, but the rest went out and put themselves in danger for the man. The least he could say was thank you.

“What’s with the attitude?” He huffed, “I have good news. Something to wipe the insolence from your faces.” You waited for him to continue. He always did enjoy the sound of his own voice. His prolonged battle speeches and valiant orders. “I was speaking with King T’Challa, the very man who’s provided us this compound, and he has invited the team to Wakanda for the holidays.” He smiled proudly, “Christmas isn’t really part of their culture but he understands that it is a special time of year for us.”

“Oh?” Nat seemed stunned. You all were, truly. It had been a while since there had been an happy news in the compound. You looked to Wanda who was smiling.

“Well, most of us should be going,” He said as he paced around the table. He stopped behind your chair and gripped the back just above your head. “Those of us who have earned a vacation.”

“Steve,” Nat hissed, “You can’t be serious.”

“I can’t deny the three of you have worked hard in the field,” He leaned on your chair so it shifted, “But I mean...a whole month of suspension. That’s like a vacation in itself.”

“You can’t leave her here alone,” Sam piped up, “If you do, I’m not going.”

“Me either,” Wanda crossed her arms. “As it is, Y/N should already we back in the field. We could use her out there.”

Steve rolled his eyes and jolted your chair as he released it. “Fine,” He said sternly, “She can come but she’s not my problem. She’s yours.” You stared at the table as he walked away. “We leave in two days. Six hundred hours sharp. You’re late, we don’t wait.” He paused; tense silence was the only response. “You’re free. Go on.”

You stood with the rest but were stopped by your name. Steve was watching you. You suspected he had barely looked away from you. “Stay. We’ll discuss your suspension.” The others glanced at you and you shrugged at them. A weight settled in your chest. You didn’t like being alone with him. Nat gave a small smile as she followed Wanda and Sam out the door. They didn’t know; couldn’t know. If they did, they wouldn’t be able to change it.

The door closed and you sat back down. “You didn’t think I was really going to leave you here, did you?” He taunted. Of course, you didn’t. He wasn’t going to let you be. It had all been for show. A little game for him. He could never pass up a chance to have you at his mercy. You looked up as him darkly. “Now, now, don’t look at me like that, soldier. You should be thanking me...on your knees.”

You inhaled and tried to wipe the sneer from your face. “Captain, are we going to talk about my suspension or not?”

He chuckled. “Sure, we’ll talk about it. You’ve got one month left.” You bit your cheek, holding back a retort. “I really don’t like the way you’re looking at me right now.” He closed in on you and grabbed your chin roughly. “Don’t worry. We can still have our little exercises in Wakanda.” You didn’t say anything. You just wanted him to let you go.

He removed his hand and stepped away, turning his back to you. “Maybe, if you’re good, I’ll consider ending your suspension once we return. If not, I might just make it indefinite.” He paused and spun back to you, “That’s it. Go. I’m done with you for now.”

You stood. He raised his brows in challenge and you backed away. You left him as he was; victorious. In the hallway, you felt as if you could breathe again. You turned the corner and almost leapt into the wall as you were frightened by another. 

Wanda was leaned against the wall; waiting for you. “So, did he lift your suspension?”

“Not exactly,” You answered. Her eyes seemed to look past you; inside you. “He said he might but I doubt it….whatever, it is what it is.” You shrugged, trying not to show your discomfort. “At least I get to go to Wakanda.”

“His friend is there,” She said pointedly, “Perhaps it will cheer him.”

“Yes, Bucky. Maybe it will.” You tried to smile.

“He is cruel to you,” She narrowed her eyes, “Very cruel.”

“He’s angry at the world,” You said evenly, “Nothing we can do about that. He’ll get over it one day.”

“He shouldn’t treat you like he does,” She asserted and you glanced over her shoulder down the hall. “You shouldn’t let him hurt you.”

“It’s just words,” You lied, looking back to her numbly. “I’ve had worse said to me.”

She stared at you. Measuring you with her crystal eyes. “You’re strong,” She said, “But you’re not alone. Remember that.”

“Thanks, Wanda,” You swallowed. You didn’t want to talk anymore. Couldn’t talk about it anyway. You couldn’t drag anyone else into this. “I guess we should figure out what we’re supposed to bring to Wakanda.”

“Suppose we should,” She accepted your sudden detour warily, “I’ll help you pack. Maybe Nat will join us. She’s always the best at it.”

***

You were the last to board the jet. Steve had opted to drive the Wakandan vessel and you were happy for it as it allowed you to hide in the back. Sam was the first to doze off as Nat and Wanda talked sleepily beside each other. You were too anxious to relax. Steve’s task didn’t keep him from peeking over his shoulder; catching your eye more than once. He would smirk and turn back. You wondered how much he could truly get away with in Wakanda. Maybe there would be a lock on the door; but was there any strong enough to stop him?

You shifted in your seat as the hours went by. You wished you had been left behind. Memories of the previous night flashed in your head. Steve had been as rough as ever; if not rougher. He had almost suffocated you as he pressed your head into a pillow. You could hear his ruts now, the pain in your hips, his flesh slapping against yours. You were tender still. Bruises greeted you that morning along your thighs and hips. Tender as you ran your hands across them.

When at last the jet landed, you hesitated to rise. You waited for Sam to wake up and Wanda and Nat to tease him as the ramp lowered. The three of them disembarked together and you made to follow them, your suitcase heavy as you rolled it beside you. A pinch on your ass made you jump as Steve came up beside you. You eyed him venomously. You didn’t want anyone else to see him pulling shit like that. Worse than them knowing what he was doing was them thinking you were fucking him for your place on the team.

He shrugged and winked. You turned and did your best to walk at a distance from him. He quickly went to the front of the group and led them from the jet pad into the palace below. You looked around, tearing away your worries to admire the marvels around you. Wakanda was beautiful. You could see why it was a long-kept secret. If it wasn’t for your company, you’d want to stay forever.

The interior was even more astounding. The African decor was breathtaking; the bold colours, hand-woven patterns, and finely-crafted ornaments. You could see there was history in every inch of the palace; every bit of it had meaning. It was a statement to freedom; to resilience. 

You were greeted in a sparkling hall by the king, T’Challa, his sister, Shuri, his mother, Ramonda, and their ever-present protector, Okoye. A shadow appeared from the corner as Steve led the entourage and shook hands with T’Challa. Bucky smiled as his oldest friend and you couldn’t help the bile it spiked in your throat. Was he worth all this?

Yet how could you begrudge him Steve’s actions? You knew Bucky; he was nice enough and he been a dependable ally in combat. You couldn’t fault anything he had done. He hadn’t asked Steve to make a stand for him. He hadn’t enlisted you, Sam, Natasha, and Wanda to fight his battle. No, that had been the Captain himself. He was the one in charge as he liked to remind everyone of constantly.

After some overly formal and awkward hellos, you were ready to be excused. You might be able to get away with a nap while Steve was distracted with Bucky. At least get settled in. Your heart dropped however as Bucky neared and you saw Steve talking with T’Challa instead. You needed to get away before he remembered you. You couldn’t very well ignore Bucky to ask Shuri where you could go pass out.

“Hey,” You greeted him and he clapped your shoulder, “So, how’s the countryside?”

“Relaxing,” He smiled, “Lonely, sometimes.”

“Oh, yeah,” Sam ducked into the conversation, “I heard you had a bunch of goats to keep you company. You must fit right in.”

“Eh,” Bucky sneered, “Shut up.”

“You two,” You grumbled, “I swear. This time I’ll let you guys fight. I’m not getting in between this again.”

“Buck,” Steve’s voice kept you from laughing at the pair. He stepped up beside you. You could feel the heat of his body as his arm almost touched yours. “T’Challa says you’ve been working on some stuff in the lab.”

“More like testing,” Bucky explained, “You wouldn’t believe this place, it’s amazing.”

“Yeah, well, I hope we’re not intruding,” Steve kidded, “Believe it or not, it get pretty boring at the compound.”

“I figured this bunch would be getting into all sorts of trouble,” Bucky gestured to you and Sam; Nat and Wanda were just behind you chatting with Okoye.

“Mmm, sometimes,” You didn’t miss the subtle glance Steve sent your way as he answered, “Nothing too bad though.”

“Um,” You leaned back on your heel and looked over your shoulder, “I actually have to go tell Nat something. Totally slipped my mind earlier. Excuse me.”

You scurried away before the tension could become any more intolerable. You couldn’t take Steve standing so close and acting so...nice. He wasn’t nice. He was terrible. You skirted over to Nat and edged your way into their little group. 

“Hey,” You nudged her, “Do you know where we’re staying? I’m exhausted.”

“You should’ve napped on the jet,” She reproached softly, “And I’ll find out. Just be patient.”

“Fine” You sighed and pursed your lips.

You could wait as long as Steve wasn’t hovering over you. You looked over your shoulder at him and he seemed to sense it. He met your eye and the corner of his mouth twitched. You quickly turned back to the others and found another pair of eyes watching you. Wanda squinted but said nothing, drawing her attention back to Okoye. You clasped your hands together nervously. You couldn’t have her poking around. For her own good as much as yours.

***

Steve felt a stir in his pants as he watched Y/N drag her bag behind her. T’Challa was rambling as Bucky approached the lone woman who seemed all to eager to go unnoticed. Along with his arousal was an unexpected flash of anger. He didn’t like her being around other men; not with him near. In the compound it was easy enough, her and Sam were like siblings but something about the way his old friend looked at her had set him off. Her and Bucky had always gotten along. He had forgot about that.

He excused himself from T’Challa as Ramonda approached and walked over to the small group, shouldering in next to her. “Buck,” He greeted. He could feel her next to him. She flinched as he butted into the conversation, “T’Challa says you’ve been working on some stuff in the lab.”

“More like testing,” Bucky offered; it was good to see his old friend happy again. “You wouldn’t believe this place, it’s amazing.”

“Yeah, well, I hope we’re not intruding,” Steve kidded. He focused on keeping his voice light. “Believe it or not, it gets pretty boring at the compound.”

“I figured this bunch would be getting into all sorts of trouble,” Bucky waved toward Y/N and Sam. The chatter of the others in the room buzzed behind them.

“Mmm, sometimes,” Steve couldn’t help but peek over at her. He was starting to get hard just thinking of their last meeting. “Nothing too bad though.”

“Um,” Y/N glanced over her shoulder as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other, “I actually have to go tell Nat something. Totally slipped my mind earlier. Excuse me.”

Steve watched as she detached herself from the group without pause. She was making a point of not looking at him and it made him bristle. It made him want her. Need her. He turned back to Sam and Bucky as they started arguing about some gadget or another. He could still feel her resistance. Even after all these weeks, she had yet to break entirely.

Her resilience had been what he had first seen in her but now it was growing entirely irritating. She still had those moments of defiance; alone or otherwise. Her eyes burned him when he was on top of her and it fed his own fire. He would only work her harder; bending her body, scalding her flesh with his resent. And with that reserved for others. She was silent these days and yet her face told a story in itself. An unsaid rant towards him. How he had changed... He was still the same man. Still her Captain and she best remember it.

As his erection pressed against the front of his pants he cleared his throat. It was gonna be obvious soon. He sensed movement behind him and glanced over his shoulder. As he met Y/N’s stare, his lips twitched and she quickly looked away. He turned back and crossed his hands in front of him, fingers wrapped around his wrist as he tried to hide his rising excitement. The whole flight he had been thinking of using her. Of commanding her onto her knees.

He was drawn from his descending fantasies when the women behind him dispersed. Shuri began to lead them to the door and Steve hurriedly excused himself. “Hey, I think they’re going to settle rooms,” He nudged Sam, “I’m kinda spent from the flight.” He looked to Bucky, “You don’t mind if we catch up later?”

“No, I get it,” Bucky smiled and ran a hand over his thick hair. “I was just playing around with a new rifle anyway. You guys kinda interrupted, you know?”

“Sure, Buck,” Steve chuckled and playfully shoved his friend’s shoulder, “Later.”

Sam followed Steve as they caught up to the rest, rolling their suitcase behind them. Y/N turned her head slightly, sighting him in her peripherals but did not looked further. Shuri chattered on as she led them through the airy hallways. She stopped suddenly and waved to a breadth of doors along the next. “This will be your wing. There are enough rooms for all of you.” She smiled, “I trust you can figure it out from here.”

“Thanks,” Steve nodded as the princess sidled past him before he turned to his team. He pushed ahead of them and looked at the doors. “Sam,” He pointed to the closest, “Wanda,” The next, “Nat,” He could see Y/N fidgeting as he assigned rooms, “Y/N,” He pointed over his left shoulder, “And I’ll take the last one.” It was directly across from hers. That fact made her jaw clench.

“Jesus, Cap, we’re not children,” Sam muttered.

“Could’ve fooled me,” Steve retorted and spun around.

He marched to his door and opened it, shoving his bag inside. He could hear the others as they followed suit and he turned to watch. Nat and Wanda were almost to eager to be away and their doors shut almost as one. Sam dipped into his room with a yawn, but Y/N remained where she was, her eyes glued to her door. Steve grinned and left his door ajar as he approached her.

“You can share mine,” He smirked as he touched her upper arm and she winced. She drew away from him and grabbed her suitcase. She said nothing as she sidestepped him and finally headed for her room. Steve caught the back of her bag and wrenched it from her grasp, almost bending the metal handle. “I’ll help you with this.”

He lifted it easily, his hand on her shoulder as he guided her down the hall. She tried to shrug him off but he merely dug his fingers deeper. They stopped before her door and she opened it reluctantly. He tossed her bag inside as if it weighed nothing and snapped the door shut swiftly before she could enter. He caught the back of her shirt and tugged her towards his own room.

“It’s a vacation, Y/N,” She tried to dig in her heels as he growled in her ear. She reached back to claw at his fingers and he let go only to grab her by her ponytail instead. “We might as well enjoy our time away.” He forced her through his door as she hissed at the pain in her scalp. He released her gruffly as he shoved her ahead of him and kicked shut the door.

She turned to watch him enter, her shoulders tense as she crossed her arms. He could see the dread as it filled her, mixed with a palour of disappointment. She had thought she could get away from him. That wasn’t how it worked. Steve looked around at the room; it was nice. A tribal tapestry above the king-sized bed; he’d make good use of that. The trappings were finely arranged and he was as impressed as he had been with the rest of the kingdom.

Y/N moved away from him as he paced around and pulled open the curtains and let in the Wakandan sunlight. Every step he took past her or around her, she edged away. He was so hard. He dipped his head through the door on the other side of the bed. The bathroom was immaculate; a large tub drew the eye; more than big enough for two. He reached down to rub his throbbing bulge as he pictured her naked and wet before him. He would have her bent over the marble soon enough.

“How about a bath?” He turned back to the room and found her creeping towards the door. He stormed towards her before she could complete her path. “You think I won’t drag you back here,” He slipped his fingers beneath the belt of her jeans and dragged her close to him. “Now, be a good soldier and get undressed.” He urged her towards the bathroom and released her roughly ahead of him. “I gave you an order, soldier.”

“Yes, Captain,” He grinned as his cock began to ache at the words.

He was close behind her as she entered the bathroom. He tore his tee over his head and began to work on his belt buckle. He blindly undressed himself as he watched her do the same. His eyes went to her hips and ass as she bent to untangle her panties. “Well, get the water going,” He commanded as he stared her down.

Her eyes flicked down to his cock and he wiggled his hips just slightly. She looked away quickly and crossed to the tub. She bent to turn the faucets; a perfect view of her ass and just a hint of her pussy. He didn’t know if he could wait. He was tempted to go over and fuck her then and there. 

She stood as the water began to flow and he was moving towards her in an instant. She braced for him but he passed her by with a chuckle. He stepped into the tub and lowered himself with hands on the marble walls. He sighed as he reclined against the back and ran his hand from his chest to cock; lingering there. 

“Get in,” He ordered and she raised no argument but a shaky exhale. “Turn around,” He directed her until her ass faced him, “Down.”

She obeyed and his large hands were at her waist. He helped her lay over him, his front to her back. He shifted her so that her ass was just above his cock. His tip cloyingly prodded at her folds. His hands explored her body, kneaded her chest and hips, traced the vee of of her pelvis, cupped her ass as she rested weightless over him. He could feel her holding in her moans; her body taut against his fingers.

“Turn the water off,” He said as the tub filled. She gave another ‘yes, Captain’ and sat forward to do as he bid. As she started to lower herself again, he took her by the hips and guided her body to his. He reached down and positioned his sore cock. It was tortuously painful now. He need her warmth around him.He entered her easily; the heat of her walls and the water melded around his length. He groaned as she gave a small squeak. He bent his arms to restrain hers, his hands at the back of her neck. 

“Ugh,” He grunted as he thrust into her, “You’re so tight.” He loved the way she felt around him; so snug, so soft. “You like your Captain’s cock, soldier? You like it when I stretch that little pussy of yours?” 

He could feel her shock as he body stiffened at his words but she only moaned as he pushed himself further. He kept his pelvis flush to her, longing to go deeper though he was at his limit. She took him well.He pulled out and she shuddered. He slammed back into her, the water rippled around them, and she squeaked. He loved that noise. 

“Tell your Captain how much you like his cock. Tell me you love my cock.”

She closed her eyes, her head falling to the side. “I love your cock, Captain,” Her voice was wispy. She was fighting it. Fighting both him and herself.

He carried his motion, his thrusts growing closer together as his cock pulsed against her walls. He needed the release. The water splashed around them as he hammered into her and let go of her arms to pull her legs up around her chest. It opened her more to him and he could feel himself bottoming out in her. Her hands went flat against the sides of the tub and she tried to measure her breaths but they soon grew chaotic.

“You gonna cum for your Captain?” He hummed and she whimpered. “Did I say you could cum yet?”

“N-no,” She gritted her teeth against his merciless pounding. “No, C-c-c-captain.”

“Your Captain wants you to cum,” He growled, “Cum for me, soldier.”

He held her legs as she tried to straighten them, her muscles strained and suddenly released as she orgasmed. Her pussy clenched his cock over and over as the strangled cry rose from her. He didn’t stop. Couldn’t stop as he felt himself nearing his own climax. Before he could, she was orgasming a second time and it forced him to follow as her pussy milked him. He filled her with a deep snarl, his hot ribbons snaking around his cock as he rode out his peak.

He stilled her body atop his and she twitched around his cock. He didn’t remove himself as he basked in the afterglow. His breath rasped out as he brought his hands up to free her hair from her sagging ponytail. He brushed his fingers through it, “You like it when your Captain cums in you?” She shook her head and sniffled. She wiped her eyes as she hid her face from him. “What was that, soldier?” His hand paused on her head.

“No, Captain,” Her voice cracked, “I’m not...I’m not...protected.” His hand fell from her hair and she sat up swiftly. Her warmth left his cock as she climbed off of him. He could see his cum floating in the water as it leaked from her. “I have no birth control.” Her eyes stared at the white strings in the tub.

Steve’s cock twitched at her admission. Even after such a violent release, he was ready for more and her words made him hard again. The thought of her possibly being pregnant didn’t bother him as much as he thought. In fact, it incensed him. He sat up in the tub and grabbed her wrists, drawing her back to him. 

“You think I give a fuck?” He sneered, “If your Captain gives you his cum, soldier, you say ‘thank you, can I have some more?’”

He lifted her by her hips and slipped into her, her hands beat against his muscled stomach. He brought himself to his limit and kept her there. He savoured the feel of her around him. He took her head between his hands and forced her to look at him. Her eyes were panicked; fearful. He had broke her at last. 

“Do you want more, soldier?”

Her lips pressed together and her eyes swum for a second before she swallowed back her despair. “Yes, Captain,” She said weakly and he felt her pussy pulse. He could’ve cum at that very instant.

+

tags: @meaganottiz02 @patzammit @thepettyavenger @biasedtitties @thosecikinnn @glitterypinkkitty @thoughtlesstales @selinbaskaya @lattaex @vitamingrant @lilithhellfire @bbyspiiice @ironlady1993 @blackpantherimagines @kweenkxtrina @heavenlyblyss @letsagomario @shikin83 @collette04 @breezy1415 @alexakeyloveloki @beautiful-and-strange @phoenix21love @momc95 @buckycaptspideypool @justballoonfishthings @ms-munchkin @whosmarisaaarw @kxllyxnnx @calspixie  @imdiegohargreeves @satinprincessxo @amethyst-the-thot @docharleythegeekqueen @iiqueer-vibesii @carol-damn-vers @l0rd-disick @jilldsumner @hufflebucky @lanabanana-86 @nerdypinupcrystal @notyourtypicalrose  @pink1031 @agent-spidey @wassupbitchesssss @lucifersnipnips @thirstyforsomeyandere @xxm3xxj @roses-and-absinthe @stuckybarton @ruff-m3rc @secretlyactivated @xxm3xxj  @asleep-amid-the-flowers

[sides-of-demigods]

Character Profiles

ROMAN PRINCE (16)

Son of Apollo, god of...let's just say the arts, archery, and medicine.

Apollo? God of music? Theatre? The arts? And just all around extraness?

Yeah he's the son of Apollo.

Roman is skilled with anything involving missile projectiles, from archery to basketball, and is a natural musician and actor.

He can actually charm people with his singing voice and, if he is focused enough and has the energy, can almost cast spells with songs. For instance, when he used it in the forest incident to lead him and Virgil out of the woods.

For weaponry, Roman is the only one with a magic weapon. Most often it's a double bladed sword, but it can be separated into two swords, used as a spear, or melded into one single sword.

Also, for some reason no one can explain, it's actually made of Imperial Gold instead of Celestial Bronze, but there's red detailing in the hilt and designs on the blades.

Of course he also has a bow, he's the son of Apollo, but his sword is his signature weapon.

His smile is like sunshine and he has ALL OF THE FRECKLES

He has Auburn hair and is the second shortest of the main four, much to his annoyance, though he's still tall at 5’10 (177 cm)

His eyes are green and he's the pretty boy of camp, giving all of the Aphrodite kids a run for their money.

Roman has been going to Camp Half-Blood for 10 years, ever since he was six.

Roman knew since he was brought to Camp Half-Blood for the first time for the summer by his mom when he was six, because he was immediately claimed by Apollo.

His mom told him early on that he was a demigod but it wasn't until the golden sun with it's arrows for rays that he knew exactly who he was.

But knowing he was a demigod he became obsessed with the magic and fantasy of Greek mythology, and as a kid who had already heard so many fairy tales, he had...strong opinions on the gods.

And their children.

And that included his brother.

He's getting better, especially since the forest incident, which resulted in him befriending and pining after Virgil.

Him and Patton fangirl over Disney and dashing heroes and stuff such as that.

Him and Logan it's all sass battles and such and they act like they hate each other but literally the entire camp knows that's die for each other in a heartbeat. You boys aren't fooling anybody.

LOGAN BRADFORD (17)

Son of Athena, goddess of wisdom

He's??? So smart??? Like there's Athena Cabin smart, and then there's Logan smart. The dude is on a whole nother level.

When it comes to weapons Logan uses twin landsknecht daggers, as they are weapons that require you to be precise and calculating. They aren't really anything special, with navy blue hilts and Celestial Bronze blades, but that's perfect for him.

Logan has black hair and blue eyes, and is the second tallest of the main four, at just over six feet. (182 cm)

Logan was the second most recent to arrive to Camp, arriving at 12 and having been at Camp for four years.

Logan took, surprise surprise, a much more logical standpoint on things than Roman.

He was from a long line of legacies. No one, even his father, knew he was a true son of Athena not just her legacy

So you can imagine his surprise when he got to camp and was properly claimed.

He adapted to this new development rather quickly and got on with his life, electing to, with the support of his family, to stay at camp year round and visit his family once in a while, usually for holidays and such.

It was actually so that his friend and totally not crush Patton wouldn't be lonely most of the year.

As a legacy, Logan dove into Greek Mythology similar to Roman, but rather than focus on the story elements Logan memorized as many stories, weapons, and monsters as he could.

He's like a walking Mythapedia.

The counselor of Aphrodite, Valerie Torres-Rosario, once set him up with Patton as a sort of joke (but everyone at camp low-key shipped them) and Logan was so astonished.

How can anyone be so happy? And pretty? Wait pretty? Wait, shit, 404 error, Logan.exe has shut down.

Nowadays…

Well can you say POWER COUPLE?

Battle couple, leader couple, just all around the most badass couple at camp that literally everyone loves.

Random fact: Logan has a southern drawl that he often dials down, worried it'll cause people to not take him seriously. But sometimes he let's it out with Patton, and yes it makes the poor boy melt.

PATTON HAILEY (16)

Son of Hebe, goddess of youth

Patton is kind of the definition of “looks like a cinnamon roll, and is a cinnamon roll” but when it comes to his abilities he's probably the most powerful of the bunch.

He can manipulate age, sucking the youth out of people and monsters with only a touch. He can almost always control it, but he usually wears gloves anyway. No one actually knew the extent of this until Capture the Flag one day.

Logan ran afoul of an orthrus (a two headed dog the size of a pony) and Patton without even thinking ripped off his gloves, holding on until the monster aged into dust.

He tends to not his powers much after that, so he instead studied with the Apollo cabin to be a healer and learned to use a slingshot and crossbow.

Also while not having a magic weapon persay, Patton does have a magic pouch with Celestial Bronze spheres for his slingshot that can hold way more than it seems. It's not bottomless but it can hold way more than you'd think.

Patton, poor baby, is the shortest of the group at 5’8”. (172 cm)

Patton and his brother were the second to arrive, Patton being 10 when he arrived at Camp, therefore being at Camp 6 years.

Patton also stays year round with his younger brother Dennis but that's because of a less happy reason.

See Hebe is a beautiful woman who Mr. Hailey fell in love with, but only for her beauty and they only had a one night stand. So he was not happy when a baby showed up at his door.

He got even worse when it happened again (although with a different goddess).

One day Patton took Dee and just left. Thankfully they were quickly found by a satyrs, Talyn, who escorted them to camp.

They stayed in the Hermes cabin for quite a while, Dee even longer than Patton, before being claimed.

Patton fit in quite quickly with his cabin mates. The children of Hebe are “highly sociable, take pride in community service and happiness of others, enjoy parties and feasts, tend to maintain a youthful appearance throughout their lives, are known to be fast healers, and are very good at planning social activities and parties.

That sure sounds like Patton to me.

Obviously is the dad of the entire camp.

Him and Logan, though Logan won't admit it, totally are mom and dad of CHB.

Random fact: Patton is next in line for counselor of the Hebe cabin.

VIRGIL CAMDEN (16)

Son of Phobos, god of fear

He can instill fear in people, as well as make them see their worst fears. He can look at someone and know what their afraid at that moment and their worst fears. He can also sort of sense fear of all kinds, from nervousness to anxiety to terror.

Virgil has a sword made of stygian iron, with a hilt of onyx inlaid with amethysts.

Also, he's the only one who had the sense to have a freaking shield. He doesn't always use it, but it's usually at least on his back if he's going into combat. He also has a small hand crossbow, but he doesn't always bring that with him.

Virge has brown hair, dyed purple, and actually tends to not wear much eye shadow, since the sweat from training can make it run.

He also straightens his hair but has Hobbit hair that only the other three have seen because he's kinda self-conscious about it, and each time was an accident. (Aww that might the a cute fic idea. “3 times Virgil accidentally showed his curly hair and one time it was on purpose”. Might write that if y'all want, idk.)

Moving on from his hair, he's got brown eyes, and while he doesn't wear a lot of eyeshadow (think the much less intense eyeshadow from his first few appearances) he still tends to wear white foundation and such. Idk anything about makeup.

Virgil is actually the tallest at 6’3” (190 cm) but is often so slouched he seems to be as tall as Logan if not shorter.

Virgil arrived at camp at 13, the last to arrive, and he has been at Camp 3 years.

Virgil and his parents didn't even know he was a demigod, not until a satyr named Joan showed up at his doorstep on his 13th birthday.

So he shows up to camp for the summers although when everything at home becomes too much he is known to stay at camp for a week or two.

His family situation is okay, but it's pretty tense and that just overwhelms him sometimes.

Him and Roman didn't get along at first, Roman convinced he was the son of an “evil” god. Then the forest incident happened and Virgil released maybe Roman wasn't the stuck up brat he seemed to be. They became friends and now Virgil is slowly falling in love. Curse those damn freckles.

Him and Logan get along pretty well and tend to hang out when everyone at camp is being a little too much. When they just need some practicality.

Patton is his best friend ever, they're totally bffs.

They're like the most wholesome friendship ever and honestly, even before Roman became Virgil's friend, people were starting to question if Virgil was really that bad, because if he was how could he befriend someone as precious as Patton?

Random fact: He somehow always manages to wear black and purple? He somehow even managed to get a hold of a black Camp Half-Blood t-shirt, something no one can explain considering they we're all supposedly bright orange.

DENNIS HAILEY (14)

Son of Apate, goddess of fraud, deceit, trickery, and lies.

Children of Apate aren't known as being powerful in a flashy way. They can't raise the dead, or summon hurricanes, or call lightning from the sky. Their powers are incredibly subtle.

Obviously they can lie their way out of almost any situation, they can blend into crowds easily, they can sense weakness, motivation, and lies. They can twist people's words around.

But just as some children have Aphrodite have charmspeak and some children of Hephaestus can control fire, certain children of Apate have another ability I'm calling Mimicry.

They can take on the form of another person to a level somewhere between an illusion and shapeshifting (meaning they can get stuff wrong), and mimic some speech patterns, quirks, and mannerisms. But not memories.

Dennis uses a rapier. The handle is black, but the area around the handle is gold (if you look up a rapier you'll know what I mean). The blade itself is the usual celestial bronze. That's his signature weapon but he's also good with various knives and daggers, including throwing knives.

He has black hair like Logan, but his eyes are grey, and he has a nasty scar on the side of his face from when him and Patton were fighting a monster before Talyn found them.

He's even shorter than Patton, but he's also not done growing yet, so cut him some slack.

Okay now the good stuff. You already read the gist of his back story with Patton, but once Patton got claimed their stories kind of separated.

See after Patton got claimed Dennis was still stuck in the Hermes cabin for a while. But while Patton was getting to know his other siblings, Dee was kinda left behind.

He took care of the rest of the distance when he was claimed by Apate.

It's a mostly one sided hate, because despite what Dennis has done, Patton just can't bring himself to hate his brother. And, no matter what he tells people Dennis really just misses his big brother but feels betrayed and can't risk that.

So instead he befriended a son of Eris, a boy also scorned by his brother (more on him soon). Although honestly, it's more like Dennis is the one keeping the older boy even semi under control.

Other than that, Dennis is still the manipulative, lying, GOOD INTENTIONED snek we all know and love.

He still causes chaos, but he's kind of true Neutral.

He's like this because that's how he came to believe was necessary for survival.

He was a child of the god of lies.

They wanted a snake?

He'd give them a snake.

But Patton won't give up on Dee. So maybe, just maybe, Dennis won't give up on himself either

Random fact: The one night (after Dennis was out of the infirmary for his injury) while the Hailey boys were still in the Hermes cabin, Patton and Dennis managed to sneak into the kitchen and Patton made chocolate chip cookies. Much to his annoyance, even to this day Dennis's ambrosia and nectar tend to taste like those cookies.

REMUS DUX (16)

Son of Eris, goddess of strife and discord

Remus is stronger in chaotic times, can create a golden apple that can cause people to fight over it, and cause fights between weaker-willed people.

His most powerful ability is a Strife Storm which causes things within it to break, change, or warp.

Remus uses a mace. Plot twist, right? He uses a sword more often than his signature weapon though.

The Mace is black with green designs on the handle. The head is celestial bronze, but Remus painted it black.

By the way, the following actually happened:

Thomas: What do you have?

Remus running wildly: A MACE!

Thomas: NO!

Roman: Oh my gods, why does he have a mace.

Remus has Auburn hair like Roman, but has black eyes and dyed lime green streaks into it.

He and Roman are the exact same height, and this annoys the shit out of both of them.

So now the family stuff. It seems complicated but it's really not, I swear.

So remember Roman's mom? So she met Apollo and had Roman.

But on the exact same day as Roman, Remus appeared on the doorstep of Mr. Dux. He knew it was his child, based on the note from Eris. So yes, the two have the exact same birthday.

But THEN, like not even a year later, Ms. Prince and Mr. Dux met and soon, they got married.

Roman and Remus got along like real brothers, and were the best of friends. Until, they were six years old.

You may remember that six years old was the first summer the boys arrived at Camp Half-Blood.

Roman was claimed practically as soon as they crossed the border. Remus was claimed in a few weeks, but during those weeks something...something happened to him.

He began to...change.

He began to become more chaotic, cruel, just plain old mean.

Roman was trying so hard to excuse this. Maybe his brother just missed their parents? Maybe if he spent more time with Remus than his cabin mates?

But then Remus was claimed, and Roman finally snapped, turning his back on his brother for good.

This was the last straw for Remus too.

The two finally decided, subconsciously and unanimously, that despite their parents love for both of them, despite their marriage, despite their childhood, they were no longer brothers.

Both boys cried that night.

But now Remus channels his energy into destruction, pranks, and honestly horrible things.

Dennis is quite honestly the only thing keeping him from actually killing someone.

That orthux that attacked Logan? That was Remus.

The forest incident? Remus.

Random fact: Remus loves bananas, and of his favorite things to do is eat a banana and leave it on the floor of the dining pavilion right before the dinner rush and watch an unsuspecting demigod slip and fall.

THOMAS SANDERS (20)

Son of Iris, goddess of the rainbow

Okay I know what you're thinking, but I SWEAR this isn't a gay joke. Honestly it started that way but I did actual research and I decided to actually keep it.

Okay so children of Iris have good communication skills, are often nice and good at making friends, are creative, have good color coordination, and are good with animals. Sounding familiar yet? YUP IT SOUNDS LIKE THOMAS FUCKING SANDERS.

Sorry I'm just so excited this worked out so perfectly.

Anyway onto the next part: powers.

Thomathy over here has the power to generate and manipulate light and color, he can change the color of things with just a touch (people suspect he's behind Virgil's black Camp t-shirts), he can see the whole spectrum of light (thankfully he can turn this on and off), and because he's special, he can summon rainbow wings that he can use to fly.

Thomas uses a bow and arrow. There isn't much special about them. It's a recurve bow that's a magenta color, the feathers on his arrows are all different colors, the arrowheads are celestial bronze but there are celestial bronze bits on the ends of his bow just in case a monster decides to get up close and personal.

He has a short sword as well, but he prefers to use the bow.

Thomas looks the same as our Thomas: brown hair, brown eyes, 5’10” (177 cm), etc.

Thomas honestly has a pretty good family life, and actually has been known to bring campers home with him for a week or so if needed? His family is welcome at camp, people call Mama Sanders “mom” even more often than they do Logan, it's pretty amazing.

As for demigod stuff, well Thomas was on watch for a while.

He was special for a child of Iris already (the wings ain't normal), but his best friend and his protector (Joan obviously) could tell he had potential to be a leader and a role model for all the kids at camp.

So at twelve, Thomas arrived at Camp Half Blood for his first day at camp.

He wasn't the best when it came to the physical attributes. He could fight, otherwise he'd be dead by now, but he wasn't exactly gifted at it.

Yet somehow he was counselor of the Iris cabin by the time he was 15?

He is just great at making friends. Even the Ares cabin likes him! He can actually talk them down!

No one understands it!

Literally the only one he can't control is Remus.

Soon, Dionysus was able to somehow cut a deal that got him out of camp director. That title went to Chiron and Thomas, at age 18, became the activities counselor, taking over Chiron's now vacant spot.

Literally the entire camp cheered when this happened.

There wasn't a single unhappy camper in sight.

Random Fact: Thomas's eyes actually change color sometimes, like a holographic image. They're usually brown, but campers swear they've seen them multiple other colors, even colors that shouldn't be possible like red and purple.

Tag List: @coconut-cluster @stop-it-anxiety @wizzo-the-motherfucking-wizard @planetkookie @winterrs-child @thgjclw @dragonsaphirareads @jessadamsdraws @landofsaltandshade @just--potato @that-one-sunfish-with-a-wig-on @withspaces @demoncrownqueen

[aire101]

Ashes Chapter 1 (MCU/HP)

Lily Evans attends the Stark Expo during the Autumn break of her 7th year, and ends up finding–and bringing home– more than scientific passion.

Tony Stark just wanted to escape his security detail for a few hours, but a beautiful red head with a sharp mind and fiery soul derailed his plans for the week–and maybe longer. But secrets burn scars in the soul, and they both live in worlds far apart. Can they find a way to rise above or will it all turn to ash in the end?

October 20th 1991

Lily Evans strolled through the Stark Expo, her eyes gleaming with each innovation and display. No matter how much she loved magic, science remained her passion.  Even after she had accepted her place at Hogwarts, she could not bring herself to completely forsake her muggle education. So during the school year she participated in a distance learning program and over the holidays she and her family would take trips to museums, science expos, and academic conferences that allowed her to expand and keep up with current developments. This year her parents had decided to splurge on an especially big trip during the autumn mid-term break-- a trip overseas to New York, where the Stark Expo was currently running through the rest of the year.  Scientists, mathematicians and engineers from across the globe came to exhibit their latest innovations and inventions. It felt like an endless amount of information to take in, and she only had a week to see it all before she headed back home and back to Hogwarts for the rest of her 7th and final year.

As she read a board detailing the release of the internet to the general population, she realized she had never felt more frustrated with the level of alienation that came with living amongst wizards. The world was moving forward at breathtaking speed, and the wizards were being left in the dust.  For every magical innovation released, there were a dozen or more made in science.  It wouldn't be long before wizards were surpassed completely.

And at that point, all the Secrecy Acts in the world would mean nothing.

She sighed and shook her head. There was no point dwelling on the bullheadedness of wizards. They would simply have to face that storm when it hit.

"I know, I think giving the general populace web access is a bad idea too. Bet there's porn on there within a month."

Lily couldn't help the snort that escaped her as she turned to see who had spoken. It was a handsome boy about her age, with dark tousled hair and deep brown eyes.  She smirked as she said, "Well, you'll just have to look it up and tell me if it is then. If it's not too hard for you, that is."

He stared at her in shock for a moment before a wide and devious smile spread across his face. For a moment, Lily wondered if James Potter didn't have an  American cousin...

Merlin she hoped not.

"That was a most delightfully lewd pun! Thank god I finally found someone here with as terrible a sense of humor as myself!" the boy said, as he stuck out a hand. "Miss...?"

"Lily Evans," she said as she shook his hand.

"Beautiful name for a beautiful lady," he said with a winning smile. "You can call me Tony."

Lily felt her face warming in a blush and turned back to the exhibit. "So Tony, what do you really think about the release of the internet on the general masses?"

"Truthfully? It's been a long time coming, and I think the world will be better for it. Just imagine a scientific breakthrough happening on the other side of the globe and reading about it within an hour of the development. But people tend to ruin even the best things in life, so it's only a matter of time before human toxicity bleeds into it. Seriously, it's intended to connect the world and increase the spread of global knowledge, but I bet you my inheritance it will eventually devolve into an international porn hub and pictures of people's cats."

"I can't tell if you're a pessimist or a realist," said Lily with a shake of her head.

"Just depends on if I'm right," shrugged Tony. "And since I'm always right, I'm going with realist."

"Not arrogant at all, are you?" asked Lily sarcastically.

"Not arrogant, just immodest," said Tony.

"Humility is a virtue, you know," said Lily.

"Good thing I'm not very virtuous," said Tony. "It disagrees with my aesthetics."

Lily couldn't help it, she laughed loudly and shook her head.

Tony just stood and watched her with a small smile.

"Would you care to join me, Mr. Immodest Aesthetics? This is my first day at the expo and I only have a week to see it all," said Lily.

"Lucky for you, I know every square inch of this expo and can make sure you see all the parts worth seeing. So let's get started," said Tony with a clap of his hands, before he reached out and grabbed her hand and started running.

When Tony said he knew every inch of the expo, he had apparently meant it as they had hit the ground running (literally) that morning, and didn't stop. He took her from display to demo, the two of them discussing and debating all the way. Occasionally he would suddenly jump track and insist there was something she just had to see, before he would grab her hand and run, just like he had that morning. Tony was wild and brilliant like a solar storm, with the gravitational pull of a black hole. His mind ran at a speed she had never experienced from anyone before, and the sheer charisma of his personality pulled everyone they spoke to in and compelled them to engage, whether it was in emboldened discourse or aggravation.

They spent the rest of the morning and the afternoon like that before they finally decided food was necessary. A quick stop at a midway stall outside the main expo building and they were ready to go again, New York style hot dogs in hand.

That's when security finally caught up to them.

"Shit," Tony muttered as they were surrounded by large, burly men in suites.

"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to come with me," one of the men said, staring at Tony.

Lily's eyes widened. Who had she been hanging out with all day?!

"No, if you haven't gotten the hint every time I've ditched you today, here's your sign- I don't need a damn escort!" yelled Tony.

Ah... so that's why they would suddenly start running throughout the day.

"That's not your call to make. Now your father requests-"

"Do I look like I give a shit what he requests?!"

"HE REQUESTS your presence at the main stage for the evening's closeout ceremony. I am to make sure you arrive there within the next half hour by any means necessary. Mr. Stark, it's been a long day, please don't make this any more difficult than it has to be. Take up your issues with your father himself," the man said, almost pleading at the end even as he sounded resigned to his fate of chasing and fighting the boy in front of him.

Meanwhile, Lily's brain had short circuited on one word.

Mr. Stark. Mr Anthony Stark- boy genius, recently graduated from MIT at the age of 17, heir to Stark Industries.

No wonder he knew the whole damn expo by memory.

Tony sighed dramatically, running a hand through his constantly wayward hair. He turned to Lily and gave her a sheepish look that she was sure was meant to be a grin, but looked more like a grimace.

"Sorry I didn't tell you earlier, but for what it's worth I really had a great time with you today," he said.

"So did I," Lily said. "Thank you for taking the time to show me around. You were the best tour guide a girl could ask for, Mr. Immodest Aesthetics."

Tony smiled brightly. "See you around, Lily."

And with that he was gone.

Lily sighed and checked her watch. It was 4:30 pm, and she had arranged to meet her family at the drop off point at the front of the expo at 6:00. Just enough time to get there at her leisure, so long as she didn't get distracted and stop anywhere too long.

As she walked her thoughts turned back to Tony. He obviously thought she would be mad that he hadn't been completely truthful about his identity. And maybe she should be, but she couldn't actually bring herself to be.  The look on his face as it was revealed was just too sad. And while she couldn't say she completely understood why, she could hazard a few guesses.

She wondered how many times Tony's heart had been broken by would-be friends using him for their own prestige for him to have that look in his eyes.

The next hour and a half seemed to crawl by as she made her way through the expo to the front. And while she wandered and looked, her mind continually turned back to wild brunette hair and expressive brown eyes.

'I wonder if I will see him again?'

# "Did you miss me?"

It was around noon the next day, and the familiar voice made her jump as it came from right behind her while she was reading a log journal at an expo booth.

"Bloody hell, Tony! Don't do that!" she growled at him.

"I would say I'm sorry, but I'm really not," he said with a grin.

Lily rolled her eyes, "Well, at least you're honest."

"Yes I am, so you must believe me when I say that yesterday was the most fun I've had in quite some time," said Tony.

Lily smiled, "Same. So does that mean you would like to pick up where we left off?"

"I was actually about to ask if you would be interested in heading out to get a bite to eat, followed by a guided tour- provided by yours truly- of the New York branch of Stark Laboratories," said Tony.

Lily's eyes widened. She had promised her parents not to leave the expo, but the offer of an inside look at Stark Labs was too much to pass up.

"Are you sure, Tony? I wouldn't want you to get in any more trouble, especially after yesterday," Lily said.

Tony waved off her concern, "It's not a problem. We do tours regularly anyway.  And I promise, there's a lot worse trouble that I could be up to than showing you around. Pretty sure my security detail will be thrilled that I want to head back to headquarters.  So lunch, then back to HQ?"

"Sure, though I should probably find a phone first so I can leave a message at the hotel for my parents," said Lily.

"No problem, the limo has a phone," said Tony as he started walking towards the exit.

"Of course it does," sighed Lily as she shook her head.

"How much have you seen of New York?" asked Tony.

"Not much. I've basically spent all my time at the expo so far," said Lily.

"So no preference on restaurant? Anything you can't or won't eat?"

"No allergies, and I'm pretty adventurous so I'll let you choose," said Lily.

"Does that sense of adventure extend to things beyond food?" asked Tony with a mischievous look in his eyes.

"Well, I'm here hanging out with you, aren't I?" Lily said with a flat expression, but a gentle turn of the lips belied her amusement at his innuendo.

"Touché," said Tony as they arrived next to a black limo. He beat his guards to the door by breath and opened it, gesturing for her to enter. "Ladies first!"

"And they say chivalry is dead," said Lily.

"Oh it is. I'm just courting favor," said Tony. "Is it working?"

Lily smiled as she ducked into the limo, "Guess we'll see later."

"You know, I would have been just fine with a pizza parlor, right?" said Lily as she looked around the decadent room. Noon light filtered through etched glass windows and lit candles set a decidedly romantic ambiance.

When they had arrived at the obviously upscale restaurant, Lily had been concerned as usually such places had a required dress code, which she obviously had not planned for today. Tony had just smiled and walked past the front entrance to a side one that had led to a private dining area.  He had to have called and reserved the location before he had even found and asked her to lunch at the expo. She could only roll her eyes at the presumption.

"Hey, I hardly ever do the whole 'date' thing, let me have the opportunity show off properly," said Tony as he pulled out a chair for her.

"I have a hard time believing you can't get a date," said Lily with a raised brow.

"I didn't say I can't get one, I just said I don't do them," said Tony as he sat.

"I'm assuming for the same reasons that you didn't tell me your surname yesterday," said Lily.

"And you would be correct. It doesn't help that I've always been significantly ahead in school, so I've not really had much opportunity to hang around many people within a dateable age range. Anyone willing to date my fourteen year old self after I graduated high school was suspect at best, for a variety of reasons.  And dating in my own age range is... tedious," said Tony.

Lily frowned, "I can see how it would be. You graduated from secondary school at fourteen and just graduated MIT at seventeen. There must have always been about a three to four year age gap between you and your classmates at best. Never mind the performance gap between yourself and most of our age group.  Guess that's the curse of genius."

"How about you? Is there a special someone across the pond I have to worry about hunting me down? Unless you also have a 'curse of genius?'" asked Tony.

"No, I'm no genius. I have been told I'm quite bright, and I've been top of my year at school for as long as I can remember. But being 'bright' isn't quite enough to chase the hounds away.  That being said, no there is no one you need to worry about back home. No matter how much he may wish otherwise," said Lily.

"Oh, that was specific."

"Indeed. Just a boy with an overly inflated ego with just enough talent to get bored, make mischief and still make top marks," Lily said.

"Hey, he sounds like my kind of people," Tony said with a grin.

"Actually, when you and I first met my first thought was to wonder if he had an American cousin," said Lily with a laugh. "In all honesty he isn't a bad sort.  He's a pretty decent person overall, but is an immature prat most of the time.  If he ever decides to grow out of that he might actually make a good man of himself someday."

"Enough about the competition. Tell me more about you.  You mentioned being top of your year. Where do you attend?" asked Tony.

"My school is... a very unique place. I've been attending there since the age of eleven. It's a very old, traditional boarding school located in a remote area of northern Scotland, in an honest to god thousand year old castle," smiled Lily.

"No kidding? Wow, how do you guys get electricity to power stuff in a structure like that?" asked Tony.

"That's probably the biggest downside to the whole thing. There is none," said Lily.

Tony blinked and stared, "What?"

Lily laughed outright, "'What?' That's all?  Did I break you?  This is the first I've seen you at a loss for words."

"I'm still trying to comprehend what you just said... how does your school run their tech?"

"There is no tech. It does however have a most impressive library. And eventually you get used to candle and lamp lighting," said Lily, thoroughly enjoying the gobsmacked expression on Tony's face.

Eventually his shock changed to laughter, "Oh wow, you actually got me. For a second there I actually bought it.  Medieval Scottish castles..."

"I'm not joking," said Lily, looking him square in the eye.

Tony caught his breath for a moment while looking into her emerald eyes. But after a moment he swallowed nervously and grinned.

"What's this technological purgatory called? Just so I know to never go there?" asked Tony as he lifted his glass to take a drink.

"Hogwarts," said Lily.

Lily had to fight to keep a straight face as Tony accidentally snorted water up his nose.

"Ok, now you're shitting me."

"Honestly, I wish I was. I love my school, but the founders must have been barmy," said Lily with a shake of her head.

Just then the wait staff returned to the room, bringing in the first course. Tony had just ordered the chef's tasting menu for the both of them.

"How about you, Tony? What are your plans now that you've graduated?" asked Lily.

"Well, there's not really any choice, is there? My old man is the founder of a corporate empire.  And he's not exactly young. I'm about to start graduate school--was originally supposed to start at Oxford this term actually, until dad decided I needed to get better acquainted with how things were run around SI. I've already dipped into the R&D pool, and I'm supposed to start shadowing around corporate. Before too long I'll have to take over the business," said Tony while he pushed some of the food around his plate.

"I guess that's true enough. Though I like to think we all still have choices, even if sometimes it doesn't seem like it- a choice on what to do, how to do it, when to do it... We can't always control what life hands us, but we can control our own choices on what to do with it," said Lily.

"Hey now, keep your deep thinking and existential logic on that side of the table. It might contaminate me," said Tony with a grin.

"Sorry, things have been a little... tense across the pond. It starts to make you think about what the right thing to do is," said Lily.

"Yeah, I've heard some rumors about a terrorist over there, right? Nothing official mind you, " said Tony with a worried look at her.

"Yeah, it's all really hush-hush. But there's definitely a shady faction gaining power back home. You won't hear anything until it's too late, but if things don't change for the better we might end up in a civil war," said Lily.

"Is it really that bad? I would think the news would be all over something like that," said Tony.

"I really shouldn't be saying anything at all. Most of this is pretty confidential.  It mostly involves certain... underground groups. In all likelihood, most of the world won't even know when the war starts.  There won't be any public battles on the world stage, no news coverage. You'll only know the war has started by the body count and the list of missing persons," said Lily.

"Then how do you know about it?" asked Tony.

"Let's just say I myself have some pretty big choices to make once I graduate," said Lily. "Or as my esteemed headmaster would say, 'we must all choose between what is easy and what is right.'"

"I mean, personally I prefer to do what's smart but maybe that's just me," said Tony.

"I would prefer to do the same as well. Unfortunately, war tends to take that option off the table," said Lily.

"So... what? You're talking about enlisting?" asked Tony.

"Something like that."

"You wouldn't be on the front lines though, right? No offense, but you're not exactly the most physically intimidating person," said Tony.

Lily grinned, "You'd be surprised what an angry red head can accomplish when we set our mind to a task."

The waiter came back and took their barely touched first course and replaced it with an equally unappetizing second course.

They both sat, staring down at their plates with frowns in contemplative silence.

"You know, I think there's a pizza joint a block down-"

"You're a man after my own heart."

The Stark Industry labs were everything Lily imagined and more. The company primarily dealt with weapons development, but included in that was a number of different scientific fields-- energy, chemistry, physics and a dozen others, all with their own projects separate from the defense contracts. And Tony showed her around all of it, explaining each in minute detail with the excitement of a kid in a candy store.  The breadth of his knowledge floored Lily.  It was hard to believe they were the same age; for all her brilliance, she could not hold a candle to his intense genius.

To be fair, she doubted many in the world could.

"...and that is current state of the biochemistry project department. Though I was poking around in my dad's files last night and I think there's a secret project he's been working on for a while that he might be close to completing soon. If he does it might be disclosed sometime around the end of the expo this year," said Tony.

"You hacked your father, Tony?" asked Lily in shock.

"Shhh! Not so loud... and not hacked per se--more like opportunistically investigated his recent activities without his permission or knowledge," said Tony with a wave of his hand.

"Why don't you just ask him?" asked Lily.

"My father and I haven't gotten along in... ever really," said Tony. "Mostly we just try to stay out of each other's way these days.  So long as I keep my head down for the most part and get shit done he leaves me alone. He tried to pull the 'involved dad' bit after I started college, but after doing his best to ignore my existence for the first 13 years of my life, he was a bit too late to the party for that."

"That's... really sad, honestly," said Lily.

"Yeah well, who needs to be a dad when you have butlers and nannies to do it for you, right?" said Tony with a tight lipped smile. "To be fair, Jarvis-- the butler-- is pretty awesome."

"What is your father like?" asked Lily.

"Cold, methodical and brilliant. He's a business cutthroat as much as he is an inventor, if not more so," said Tony. "He didn't rise up from nothing to the leading weapons developer in the world by making friends. Everyone is either a project, an asset or a liability.  And you don't want to be a liability."

Silence hung over them as they walked towards the elevators. It was getting later into the evening now, and Lily would need to check in soon with her parents.

"How about you? What is your family like?" asked Tony.

"They're wonderful. My father is management at a local industrial factory back home in Cokeworth. My mother has been a homemaker for years now, but before that she was a secretary at the same factory. That's how they met.  They are both hard workers and loving, supportive parents. I'm lucky to have them," said Lily.

Tony smiled wistfully as he pushed the down elevator call button, "I'm glad you do. Any siblings you have to share them with?"

Lily's smile fell a bit as she thought of her sister.

"Uh oh... I take it that's a yes," said Tony as they stepped into the elevator.

"I have an older sister, Petunia. We used to be close when we were little, but haven't gotten along for many years now."

"How could someone not get along with you?" asked Tony incredulously. "You have the most agreeable personality of anyone I've ever known."

"It begun a little before I started at my school. Petunia wanted to attend there as well after I got my acceptance letter, but admission is very restricted, and is by invitation only. My parents were very proud of my admission.  But after Petunia found out she couldn't attend as well, our relationship soured," said Lily with a sigh.

"No offense, but your sister sounds like an idiot. You must have been the one to get all the good genes," said Tony.

Lily glared at Tony. "Watch your words. We may not get along well, but make no mistake--she is my sister, and I love her dearly. You do not know her, nor do you understand our circumstances, so you would do well to hold your tongue," Lily said as she exited the elevator.

Tony stood still and wide eyed as if he had just been slapped, and had to lunge out the elevator door to keep it from closing on him.

"Wait! Wait!  I'm sorry! Ok, I'm sorry.  I was way out of line," said Tony as he ran and cut off her path to the door. "Please don't leave."

Lily stood in the atrium and gave him another glare before she rolled her eyes, "Apology accepted. Now stop giving me those sad puppy eyes."

"I will... if you agree to go to dinner with me," said Tony, innocently batting his eyelashes for good measure.

"That is so not fair, Tony! Stop!" Lily laughed.

"Is that a yes?"

"I don't know... I'm supposed to meet up with my family in the evenings," said Lily.

"Do you guys already have plans? If not we could all go to dinner together," said Tony, putting his hands in his pockets. His tone was lighthearted, but there was a tension in his form that belied his nonchalance.

"I don't know, it depends..." said Lily.

"On what?"

"On whether you are the one choosing the restaurant. That lunch earlier was awful," said Lily with a smirk.

This time it was Tony's turn to roll his eyes, but as he looked back at her his expression was noticeably more relaxed.

"Fine, you guys can choose the spot.  But if I already know it's trash I reserve the right to veto," said Tony.

"That is acceptable. Now I need to find a phone to call my parents and see what they had planned for this evening," said Lily.

"Just ask the front desk to use the phone there. They saw you come in with me, so they shouldn't give you any trouble," said Tony.

"Alright, I'll be right back," said Lily with a soft smile before turning to walk across the atrium.

# Tony had no idea what he was doing.

He was by no means a blushing virgin, and the last couple years had given him plenty of experience in wooing women, but the last 32 hours had been something completely different. When he had first approached Lily he had been ready for the usual either disparaging remarks or obsequious flattery.  What he had found instead was sincerity, humor and depth.

He wasn't sure what it said about him or his life that he was more prepared to deal with a manipulative gold digger than he was a genuinely kind and clever human being.

He had to assume that was why he currently found himself heading to dinner to meet the parents of a girl he had known for less than two days.

'I need a drink... What the hell was I thinking?' Tony asked himself again as the driver pulled up to Francisco's Restaurant.

"You look like you're going to meet death, rather than my parents," said Lily with a mischievous smile that made her eyes narrow in amusement.

For what felt like the hundredth time just that day, Tony felt his breath almost catch as his stomach fluttered.

Right, that's what he was thinking. Someday he would learn to put a leash on that tongue of his...

While Tony was busy lying to himself, Lily opened her door and stepped out to head inside. Tony ran his hand through his hair nervously, which only served to increase its chaotic mess, before finally moving to join her in front of the restaurant. Seeing as this dinner had been his own idea, it would be pretty cowardly to beg off now.  Tony Stark was many things, but a coward was not one of them.

"I'm not sure why you're so anxious. My parents seemed pretty excited to meet you. And my sister is enough of a sycophant that I doubt you will have any trouble from her--"

"Wait, your sister is here too?" asked Tony. As nervous as he was, he had figured that dinner with Lily's parents would be a mostly pleasant affair. But if things were as bad as he suspected between Lily and Petunia, dinner with her sister was a completely different matter; and Tony had doubts about his ability to censor himself that long.

"Yes, and I expect you to play nice," said Lily before opening to door and going inside.

"I will if she does," muttered Tony petulantly as he followed.

The smell of rice, garlic and saffron wafted through the entire building, leaving Tony moaning lightly in appreciation. His mother didn't cook often, but when she did this was the smell that always clung to the air for hours afterwards.  If the food was anyway comparative to her cooking, Tony would have to add Francisco's to his list of restaurants to stop at when he was in New York.

A few short words with a host, and they were being lead to the back of the restaurant, where in a secluded corner sat Lily's family.

As they approached, Lily's father stood to greet his daughter with a smile and a hug. Tony's first thought was that the man was quite a bit older than he would have expected. His brown hair was streaked liberally with gray and white, and laugh lines were etched deeply into his smiling face.  By Tony's estimation, the man was likely pushing towards 60. Still not as old as his own father though.  But where Howard had gone into fatherhood begrudgingly late in life, this man seemed to have embraced it.

The man finally turned towards Tony and offered him a polite smile and handshake.

"William Evans.... And you must be Tony. Thank you for keeping an eye on my youngest. I imagine you didn't originally plan to spend the last couple days playing tour guide, but I would be lying if I didn't say that it does this old man's heart good to know his princess isn't gallivanting around New York completely alone."

"Oh Daddy, it's not that bad. I've hardly even left the expo," said Lily as she took a seat next to who Tony assumed must be her sister, despite the fact that the two looked nothing alike. Where Lily's face was soft and slightly rounded with open expressions, Petunia's was long, harsh lines and pinched looks.  Where Lily was fire, Petunia was ice.

It was perhaps unkind, but the simple truth was that Petunia's homeliness was accentuated sharply by Lily's loveliness.

"Petunia Evans, it's a pleasure to meet you, Anthony," said Petunia.

As Lily predicted, Petunia had plastered on a simpering smile as she offered her hand, palm down.

Tony blinked for a moment. Surely she didn't actually expect him to...

Before he had to decide whether to stomach a chivalrous hand kiss to the harpy's claw or risk Lily's ire for laughing in her sister's face, somebody stepped between them.

Midnight black hair tumbled down her back, and familiar bright green almond eyes stared right into his soul from a round face that Tony felt looked far younger and more innocent than this creature before him really was. She was quite petite, and was physically less than intimidating.

But the look in her eyes as she smiled at him left him cold. Her eyes roved over him in inspection.

She held out her hand to him, palm down.

"Rose Evans, it's wonderful to finally meet you Anthony Stark."

He took her hand and carefully brought it towards his lips without quite touching, and never let his eyes leave hers.

"The pleasure is mine, Ma'am," said Tony quietly.

For a second that felt like an hour, they held each other's gaze. Finally Rose gave a slight grin and a nod to him before she turned away with a whispered, "You'll do."

Tony raised an eyebrow in askance, but Rose merely turned to her husband who pulled out her chair for her before sitting himself.

He took that as his cue to seat himself in the last open seat at the round table, situated between Lily and Rose.

A quick perusal of the menu had Tony settling on the roast lamb, and after the table had ordered they all settled into a semi-awkward silence.

William smiled at Tony, "Lily mentioned you had already graduated from university. That's quite the achievement for your age.  Where did you attend?"

"I graduated from MIT this past spring, with a focus on electrical engineering and physics," said Tony.

"Planning to follow in your father's footsteps then?"

"Ideally I suppose I hope to surpass them," said Tony with a cocky grin.

William laughed, "Indeed! Well, I wish I could say I look forward to seeing it, but given the nature of your father's company, I admit it's a bit of a terrifying thought."

Tony had to fight back a wince at that.

"Don't be rude, father," said Petunia, "It is good and respectable work, and obviously pays well."

She shot a smile to Tony as if to say she had his back, but all it did was tighten that uncomfortable knot he pretended didn't exist in his stomach at the thought of their weapon contracts. If he had his way he would scrap the whole damn thing.  Weapon developers were a dime a dozen.  Any idiot could make something explode.  No, the future lay in energy production, information management and processing, and the systems they would build to do it.

Artificial intelligence.

"No offense taken, though I'll be honest, so long as people continue to try and beat each other into submission, the weapons industry will continue to grow and turn profit; with or without Stark Industries," said Tony.

"And it's only one part of what the company does. Tony showed me dozens of different projects today with civilian and medical applications," said Lily.

"Not that you have any need for such technology, Lily," said Petunia with just the barest hint of disdain.

Lily gave the barest flinch, and had he not been looking at her he would have missed it. She glanced at him before turning back to her sister giving her a pointed glare with her lips pursed into a thin line, clearly holding back a biting retort.

Unfortunately, Tony didn't have that good of a censor.

"Neither do you apparently. I don't recall you having been at the expo at all yet. A bit above your grade point average?" said Tony.

Petunia looked gobsmacked.

"Tony!" hissed Lily as she smacked his arm.

Tony sighed and he closed his eyes before he spoke in a droning voice, "My apologies for my rude behaviour. It was uncalled for and immature."

"Have to give that speech often I take it? I can't say I approve of your rude words to my daughter, but given she was out of line as well, we will let it pass," said William with the air of someone used to dealing with such squabbles.

Then he turned to Lily and shook his head. "I swear Lily, you and your catty, sharp-tongued boys. This one is nearly as bad as Severus," he said with a laugh.

"Severus?" asked Tony.

"A childhood friend of Lily's who attends the same school as she does. We used to live in the same neighborhood, but we moved across town a few years ago. Hardly see the boy now," said Rose as she sipped from a glass of red wine.

"Oh, is this Mr. Inflated Ego?" Tony asked Lily.

"No, that's someone completely different. Mr. Inflated Ego has the potential to become something more. Severus... I'm afraid Severus is a lost cause," said Lily.

The look on her face as she said it was heartbreaking.

"I never did understand what you saw in that lout, Lily. He was wretched from the start, so I'm not sure what you expected. Bad blood, that one," said Petunia, her nose wrinkled in distaste.  She shot Tony a withering look, "At least this one is well bred, if still ill mannered."

Oh hell no!

"Excuse me?!" growled Tony. "What the f--!"

"ENOUGH Petunia," William raised his voice over the table. "You speak of Tony and Severus' ill manners, but here you are being churlish and snobby. As far as Severus is concerned, never forget-- 'There, but for the grace of God, go I.'"

"Really father? God's Grace?  Such hypocrisy! How about 'Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live--"

"Hold your foul tongue child," hissed a cold voice. It took a moment for Tony to place it as Rose.

'What the hell was the harpy even going on about?' wondered Tony. He turned to Lily and felt his heart lurch.

Lily sat beside him pale and listless, eyes glazed over and studiously avoiding his eyes.

He reached over under the table and grabbed Lily's hand, holding it with firm reassurance. She didn't look at him, but he felt her hand close around his like a lifeline.

He didn't understand what was going on. He didn't understand what had drained all the life from Lily's eyes. And he couldn't fathom why his fiery Lily continued to take her sister's ridiculous venom...

But he would be damned if he was expected to sit here and watch it quietly.

Play nice his ass!

"Listen to me you maleficent hag, Lil' may love you and be willing to let the terrible things you're saying slide, but I'm not. Your tiny, jealous mind is too much for me to suffer," growled Tony.

"Jealous?!" scoffed Petunia. "You don't know what you're talking about--"

"I admit some of this conversation perplexes me, obviously there's some family secret that I'm not privy to that affects the dynamics. But your body language screams of repressed aggression and your words of a deep seated inferiority complex," said Tony.

"You don't know anything about me!"

"I know you fancy yourself a lady of high standing by the manner of your greeting, and that your family's humble beginnings must chaffe you viciously by your critical remarks about blood and breeding. Accordingly, you've no doubt already begun to line up 'appropriate' suitors of well funded stock with which to settle down into a stable and unremarkable life of procreation and home keeping. Unfortunately, your homely appearance, average intelligence, and mean personality has not given you much with which to barter upwards socially, so you feel the glass ceiling above you with equal parts contempt and frustration. To add insult to injury, your younger half sister-- a situation that has left its own chip on your shoulder-- possesses all that necessary to advance herself in whatever manner she would choose, whether it be to marry up into nobility or to blaze a path into a career of her choosing. And it burns you to know that her name will be lifted from the tongues of such exceptional people you will never have the pleasure of knowing.

You're right Petunia, I don't know just anything about you, I know everything about you that I need to know."

# "For the hundredth time Lily-- I am sorry!"

Tony was chasing Lily down the sidewalk, nearing Central Park. Part of him distantly wondered why he even bothered.

But a quiet yet stubborn voice at his center knew why. And so here he was.

The table was a silent battlefield after his scathing roast of Petunia Evans. Tony only had a moment to reflect that perhaps he should have reigned in the tongue lashing a bit before William was on his feet shouting god knew what in Tony's face. But before he could think of an appropriate way to respond Lily moved between them.

"You would side with him against your own sister?! Your own blood?!"

"No, but I refuse to let you abuse him like this when he was coming to my defense! You always turn a blind eye to Petunia's hateful words!"

"Sticks and stones may break my bones but words--"

"CAN LEAVE WOUNDS THAT MAY NEVER HEAL!"

After that explosion, Lily had shot off out of the restaurant. Tony had only taken a moment to throw a couple hundred dollar bills at the waiter before he was out the door after her.

"Just tell me what I can do, what I can say--"

"Do you even know what you're apologizing for?!" Lily yelled as she finally spun around to face him, tears streaming down her beautiful face.

It was unfair how beautiful she was, even while crying.

"I don't know?! For castigating your sister? Pissing off Daddy?  Being an insensitive prick with a mouth that won't quit? Not minding my own damn business?  Pick one!  Why are you laughing?"

It was the most confusing thing. Lily was still crying, but now she was bent over double, laughing her ass off.

Most likely at his expense.

But whatever, even if there were still tears, there was a smile back on her face.

And suddenly Tony realized he would give anything-- anything-- to see it stay there.

Shit...

"Thank you," said Lily.

"Uh... could you run that by me again?" asked Tony, perplexed.

"You heard me."

"Ok, then clarify for what I'm being thanked," said Tony with an eye roll.

"Just... for being you," said Lily.

"Oh. Well, there's a first for everything I guess. Usually me being me ends with lawyers and calls to my parents," said Tony.

"Not this time. This time it ends with my thanks..."

Lily stepped forward, close enough that Tony could feel her breath. She leaned in, and he could feel the soft touch of her lips press against his cheek. As she lingered, his arms moved to embrace her.

She pulled back only enough for her bottle green eyes to meet his own.

Then she leaned in again, and this time their lips met, tentatively at first, then deeper just a moment later.

It was electric and it was gentle; it was passionate and it was calming.  It was precious, like holding a star in his hands... 

It was everything he wanted and like nothing he had ever had before.

And it was over all too quickly.

As Lily pulled away, Tony's hand moved to cup her face and keep her close, unwilling to completely give up what he had only just found.

"Tony... what is this?" asked Lily hesitantly.

"I don't know. But I don't plan to let it go," said Tony.

"We barely know each other..."

"Then we'll go on more dates. At better restaurants."

"I still have a year of school left in Scotland..."

"My family has a private jet."

"There are no airports nor phones anywhere near the school. Even our postal service is... not standard."

"Seriously? Are you sure you aren't going to school in a pocket dimension?" Tony asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It does feel like it sometimes," sighed Lily.

"Do you... I mean, if you aren't interested--"

He was cut off as her lips found his again.

"Did that seem uninterested to you?" said Lily when she pulled away again.

"Then stop blowing holes in my ship," said Tony.

"I feel like that's a reference, but I can't place it..."

"What I mean is, if you want to, I'm willing to find a way," said Tony. "But I need you to look for solutions, not problems."

"You make it sound so simple," said Lily.

"Why complicate it?" asked Tony.

"Because it is complicated," said Lily.

"It doesn't have to be," said Tony.

Lily sighed, "You don't understand..."

"Then help me to understand."

"That's the problem! I can't. It's illegal! I could do jail time if I did," said Lily.

"What in the hell are you mixed up in? Does it have to do with that civil unrest you mentioned?" asked Tony.

"Yes and no... they are related, but it would be a problem whether there was a war or not. It just makes it that much more dangerous," said Lily.

"Do you need a way out?"

Lily looked up at him and searched his face. She moved to speak before she halted and pursed her lips. After a moment she seemed to settle on a response.

"That is certainly one of my choices. One many others have already made.  It would be the easy choice. The smart choice..."

"But not what's right," finished Tony.

"When you have the power to help others, but you don't because of fear, it makes you complicit," said Lily.

"No, it makes you human," said Tony.

"Then perhaps we should aim to be a bit more than that. Instead of superhuman strength, we should try for superhuman heart and will," said Lily.

"That sounds great, but expecting people to be more than what they are... don't you think that's a bit unfair as well?" asked Tony.

"Perhaps..."

The lull in conversation stretched on, and Tony began to inspect their surroundings. It was long since dark, and they stood on the outskirts of Central Park.  They should probably head somewhere else soon...

"How did you know Petunia was my half-sister?"

"What? Oh, it was a bit of a deduction. Petunia's bone structure  and features only somewhat reflects her paternity and does not reflect your mother at all. Your father has brown hair and blue eyes, your mother has black with green eyes- Petunia is blonde with brown eyes. The likelihood of both of those traits coming through are relatively low if she were their daughter. Also, your father said 'my daughter' when referring to Petunia, not our daughter. And while the difference in age between you and Petunia is not large, Rose is already significantly younger than your father, and likely had you very young. If she were Petunia's mother as well, that would have pushed their relationship from the realm of 'serious age gap' into 'illegal.' Therefore I assumed Petunia a child from a previous marriage, and his marriage to Rose a matter of convenience and a need for a caregiver."

"You know what they say about assuming things?" asked Lily.

"I already know I'm an ass. But was I wrong?"

Lily sighed as she shook her head. "No, you're not wrong."

"So what is Petunia's problem? I get that there's stuff you apparently can't talk about, but it's obvious that something about your relationship disturbs her. With the way she seems to try and emulate Rose I would think it might have to do with you and your mother's relationship versus her own."

"You are perceptive beyond reason," laughed Lily. "How do you do it?"

"It's all in the details, my dear Watson."

"And what do the details tell you about me?" asked Lily fondly.

Tony let his eyes travel freely over Lily's form, until her cheeks began to show a dusting of pink.Then he took a step forward, drawing her into a light embrace.

"The dilation of your pupils and the flush of your cheeks at my proximity tell me you're intensely attracted to me..."

"Well done, Sherlock," said Lily with a roll of the eyes. "You've cracked the case."

"Your description of your school tells me that your exceptional grasp of modern sciences and technology didn't come from their halls, so you must be concurrently enrolled in a proper education program in addition to whatever 'specialized education' this Hogwarts must offer. This tells me that you are a brilliant, driven and stubborn woman, considering the hassle it must be to manage a concurrent enrollment out in the middle of nowhere with limited access to communication," said Tony.

Lily nodded, "I am in fact, concurrently enrolled."

"And the nature of your school itself is extremely telling. Remote--exclusive acceptance done by a manner not related to income, test aptitude, or generational acceptance--limited outside contact--confidential and specialized education.

Between that and Petunia's fit earlier... I gather you're something a little 'more' than the average human."

She did her best to quell her tells, but Lily couldn't quite stop the slight widening of her eyes, the sudden contraction of her pupils, or the subtle tightening around her mouth.

Like he said, he's always right.

Tony lifted his hand to cup her face, and gently stroked his thumb over the tight lines of her mouth. "Don't worry, I'm not going to ask. When you're ready though, I'll listen. Just wish there was something else I could do since powers or not, apparently that world of yours isn't safe right now."

"'Powers' only do so much good when the other side has them as well," said Lily. "I need you to promise you won't say anything about this to anyone. For your own sake."

"Alright, I promise. But if the shit hits the fan over there, I don't care what sort of abilities these people have, I'll come to get you," said Tony.

Lily didn't answer, but gave him a tremulous smile.

"Well, well, well... what have we here?"

<<<<>>>>

AN: Hey ya’ll decided to go ahead and throw this out into the wilderness.  I’ve been working on this story for a while, it will ultimately have a sequel, seeing as this work was originally started as a prologue to another story, it got out of hand and became its own thing.  Basically I wanted to write a story where Harry was Tony’s son, but didn’t have Lily cheating on James to make it happen. So... here we are. Thanks for reading. <3

[purplesurveys]

781

Another quarantine survey for y’alls.

How are you coping? I enjoyed the lockdown in its first few weeks because back then it really felt like a nice break from how hectic January and February were. By now it just feels like it has overstayed its welcome and my anxiety is back to growing by the day, except this time it’s worse because I can’t actually go anywhere or do anything to get rid of it temporarily. Tl;dr I’m doing less and less well. How have things changed for you? School, mostly. The situation in the Philippines isn’t conducive to online learning, so we’ve had to cancel schooling altogether because it was the most humane option to make sure no student gets left behind. Some schools opted to mass-promote (read: pass) all their students, while the schools that selfishly chose to continue holding online classes face online backlash everyday. 

On that note, my graduation ceremony is indefinitely postponed and Andrew and I have had to give up a lot of the usual procedures for thesis, like doing fieldwork or having a required number of respondents for our questionnaire. What are three positives to being Isolated or in Quarantine? I get to stay with Kimi all day, my dad cooks amazing food for us daily, and I have so much free time on my hands which I use to watch videos or movies. What are three negatives? I haven’t seen my friends in months, being ordered to stay at home still feels different than voluntarily staying at home, and I have so much free time on my hands which leaves me to overthink and be paranoid.

Have you taken on a new hobby? Not really. I wanted to get into cooking/baking, but my dad always wants to be in control of his kitchen so I’ve barely had any chance to help out. Have you kicked any bad habits? Drinking coffee everyday. I stopped when I noticed I was getting a headache every night, which was my original schedule for making a cup. Have you watched a lot more television or movies? I’ve watched more YouTube but I generally find it hard to start on new shows or movies so no, not really. I’ve always preferred rewatching my favorites. I did revisit Descendants of the Sun starting the other night though; I hadn’t gone back to it since December but I’m glad I did now because it’s such a good show(!!!!!) Have you been separated from someone you love? Tons of people that I love, from orgmates to close friends to best friends to my girlfriend. Discovered any new bands? Nah, I’ve stuck to my faves. With Hayley hyping up her first album for the last five months and finally releasing it a week ago, my eyes and ears were only on her lol Have you shopped more online? Nope, no money these days ha. Have you cooked more? I’ve tried helping my dad more like I mentioned but ugh, he’s so possessive in the kitchen. Have you baked more? Same thing. Have you learned to knit or sew? Nope. Did you end up in Isolation or Quarantine? Just quarantine. I never showed any symptoms and neither did my family, so we’ve all bee in quarantine from the very beginning. Did the stores all close? Save for groceries, they were all closed in the first few days/weeks. But through April, more and more businesses (mostly restaurants) started to come back and offer delivery or pickup services. 

In the Philippines where the government has been hugely incompetent, they lifted the lockdown for nearly the entire country yesterday despite the number of cases not showing any signs of slowing down and DESPITE NO MASS TESTING BEING PUT IN PLACE SINCE MARCH. That means this whole quarantine has been fucking useless. And now that people have been crowding highways and malls again, a second wave is just waiting around the corner.

What kind of restrictions did your government put into place? It’s different per province but in my case, we had a ban on liquors, mass gatherings, and non-essential travel; an 8 PM-5 AM curfew; and checkpoints everywhere. For a brief time, homeowners in our village couldn’t even jog outside but I think they’ve loosened up on that rule now. Has this affected any travel, events or plans for you? Hasn’t it, for all of us? An year-end college party that my orgmates and I usually go to was obviously cancelled; I still don’t know what’s happening to our graduation; and plans to volunteer for an animal welfare NGO have been cut off. I was also supposed to go to Thailand and Vietnam this year, but I’ve had to forget about those plans. What is the first thing you will do when you get the chance? Drive up to Gabie, for sure. With all the crazy in the world, we forget how much we take for granted. Is there anything you feel you had taken for granted? Time with my loved ones. I’ve definitely thought about the times I declined on Angela’s offers to go out, or flaked on my blockmates, or opted to skip out on dinner with my orgmates so I could go home. Let's finish off with some nicer things! What is your favourite thing about life? I dunno if I’ve found a favorite thing about it yet. I find it pretty unfair for the most part. What is your favourite thing about nature? How peaceful it can be. Nature has always served me well when I’m in distress, and I will never forget the time I was in Sagada, and I had just gotten out of a breakup and was still reeling over my lolo’s death, and when I reached the top of a hill, I allowed myself to cry while in front of this view.

Favourite place in the world? Sagada, Baguio, and Palawan. Favourite animal? Dogs, if you don’t know me well enough already. Favourite Colour? I personally like pastel pink, and ~aesthetically~ I like black or white. Favourite Foods? My favorite food ever is burgers, but I also like sushi, chicken wings, and steak. Favourite Holiday destination? We don’t have an established destination. My family likes going to new places every time we have the chance to travel. Have you been on a cruise ship? Yes. Have you flown to a travel destination? Sure, several. Have you ever been on a bus or train to a holiday destination? I don’t remember anymore but we probably were. Ever been on a helicopter? I have not. Ever been in a submarine? Smaller chance of that happening cause there’s little opportunity for it, but it sounds like an awesome experience. Thoughts on Theme Parks? I will go there for the theme park food, but I’m fine with not going on any rides. Thoughts on Carnivals? Like a fair? They’re great fun, and I prefer them more than theme parks because they’re more lowkey. I also just go for the food hahahaha I don’t go on rides. Thoughts on Island Life? I’m technically living one because I live in a giant group of islands... but I wouldn’t want to live my whole life in just an island per se. I like being in the city, and I like living in a noisy environment where everyone and everything is busy. Ever taken a ferry to a destination? Eh, not really. We’ve taken smaller boats to get to certain island provinces, but not a ferry. What is the best thing about travelling? Learning new things, seeing new sights, meeting new people, getting to know new cultures.

Who would you like to travel with next time you go on a trip? I’d love to travel with Gabie. I’ve never done it with her before. Randoms.. Favourite television series on Stan? I’ve never heard of that. Favourite television series on Netflix? I don’t watch any shows produced by Netflix. My current favorite show to watch there is Descendants of the Sun, but my other favorites are there too, like Friends, Breaking Bad, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. What movie are you keen to see? Right now, none of the upcoming ones, or at least the upcoming ones that were meant to be released by the summer. None of them seem appealing to me. Do you study or work or both? I study, but I’m so fucking close to the finish line. If you could have any career, what would it be? I’d love to be in PR. I’d still be in media which is my strong suit, but none of the journalism bullshit I’ve grown sick of in the last four years. Do you play Animal Crossing on Nintendo Switch? No, I’ve never really been a fan of the series so I’ve never felt the need to get the game. I’m happy with Mario Kart 8 haha. What gaming console do you like best? Either the Wii or PS2 as I had a lot of memories with them. Speaking of gaming, name your top 5 games? Pass. Have you ever been to a convention like Comic Con? Nope. Life gets tough, how do you cope? I take a nap, I go to a café somewhere for a few hours to be alone, I take a survey, or I drown myself in work to keep me preoccupied. Do you like housework? If I’m not forced to do it. Are you afraid of the dark? If the dark was meant to be scary, like if I was in a haunted house or if I’m in the woods in the middle of nowhere at midnight. Otherwise it doesn’t bother me. Do you have pets? Yeah, I have the best dog.

[hecohansen31]

Just Ride (Chapter 2).

(JIm Mason+Reader, MOTO GP AU).

A/N: Hello there, lovelies!

I just wanted to thank you, first of all, for all the love for this fic, I am glad you loved it, almost as much as I loved writing it and I hope this second chapter won’t disappoint you (also it is a bit far away from the MOTO GP world… sorry guys, I just needed to let that fluff go!).

Second of all, I am not going to disappear, but it might take me some time for me to upload the third chapter (yeah there is going to be a third chapter, with smut!) because I have been feeling straight up destroyed and I pulled all-nighters to write this chapter (I don’t regret it, but guys… I AM TIRED!) and i neglected both reading (which calms me down, mostly because I am anxious for an exam) and my own original writing (I am almost finished with my book, so I need to focus on that). Sorry!

I am not going to drop out of here (i am pretty addicted), but I will try to post two fic I just need to read and correct (about Outpost! Michael *wink face*).

As always: ANY FEEDBACK IS WELCOME (Also just “you suck, this suck, stop writing”) just let me know what you think, I love you!

And after all this talk: ENJOY!

(Also the photo of Jim kissing is honestly so cute… and I want a kiss from Jimmy right now! 🙈😉)

SUMMARY: Suddendly you are not only his mechanic, but apparently feelings are also involved and although he keeps on seeing you as a friend, you might want something more…

WORDS: 3 K.

WARNING: Drug Talking (there is no drug consumption or abuse, but there is talking about it, so just wanted to put this all out), just fluffy thoughts and some mentions about what happened in “The Tribes of Palos Verdes”, mentions of sex and mommy kink (but no actual smut, be ready for it in the next chapter). Just fluff!

She checked out her appearance in the mirror of the elevator, meanwhile her girlfriends chatted, giggling about the party they were going to attend, a party hosted by Jim in his New York loft, paid with the first and last win of the season, because although he had started learning the ways of the bike, the other riders were now extremely careful with him, not letting, what had happened on the first race, again.

And although Jimmy was a true champ in learning from his mistakes (he still was too reckless for her) he had only managed another podium in the three latest races, and one time he had fallen from the bike (which got her a little heart attack) (for the moto, obviously…).

And although everybody was proud of him, he seemed unhappy of the place he kept on being and going back to, even going as far as avoiding the press that time he had fallen down, letting her handle the questions.

“He is in a bad period, just trying his best to fit in with the other riders, who are clearly trying him out and he is having a difficult time not seeing them as just rivals” she had tried to justify him, before moving back to his destroyed bike, finding Jim, already there, still in his race suit.

“You can take off for the rest of the day” she had given him the permission, but he had shaken his head and instead he had asked for an iron tire and instructions on how to fix the moto, and himself.

And slowly in those weeks, they spent together, she had learned a bit about him, so she couldn’t help but participate to his latest party, although they weren’t her place; she had brought a few girlfriends with her; some even had crushes on Jim so she hoped that a good flirt might help him settle down the uneasiness he felt, lately.

Although it pained it a bit to see her tall and beautiful friends talk about Jim as a piece of meat.

He was an annoying biker, but he was a beautiful person, much more than a piece of meat (although she knew he was a good piece of meat, having seen him without the race suit dozen of times, walking in his trailer to talk with him or call him out for try-outs).

-Don’t overwhelm him, girls- she just suggested, before moving out of the elevator, with a last check on the dress she had chosen; she never wore them, again the “they are too feminine for you” warning sounding angrily in her head, but the previous days she had seen the dress and her friends had insisted that she tried it on, since it matched perfectly her physique and she found them to be correct, feeling the sexiest thing ever in the bodycon and lacey dress.

She, outside of the shop, and in a very crowded room, found herself to be at unease.

She still felt the sexiest, a little self-conscious about how much skin she was showing, and how she was presenting herself to everyone.

She knew it was silly, but, also, she spent all of her life in training clothes or mechanic gear, which covered each piece of skin she might show, and it all made her feel protected.

Russel walked in when he caught her on threshold of the door, meanwhile her girlfriends scattered everywhere, looking for either a partner or a drink or both.

-Hello, there, boss! – he smirked at her, hugging her, meanwhile he moved his full plastic glass to the nearest shelf -… didn’t know you were coming-.

-I honestly wanted to see how Jimmy was holding everything up- she couldn’t lie to Russel, mostly when working on the same bike or bikers together -… did you see him? -.

-Sadly, just for a swift minute at the start of the party, then I lost him- he shook his head, a sad smile on his face, which prompted her to bite down worriedly her bottom lip.

She just patted him on the shoulder, before moving away, smiling at the people she recognized and at those she didn’t, getting a swift arm grab by Jack, the manager, who dived in for a quick kiss on her cheek, before complimenting her outfit, shouting over the sudden loud music.

-Have you seen Jim? – she just asked him, without reciprocating the kiss and the compliments, just smiling tightly at him, in search of answers, meanwhile his mouth opened in a radiant smirk; he was clearly happy that she didn’t think about killing Jim and make it seem like an accident.

-He went in his room, he needed to change after he got beer spilled on him, second door on the left- he instructed her, before sending her off, as soon as a blonde woman moved in front of her with another red plastic glass for him, sending her an harsh glare, as if she was worried she might take Jake away from her.

She actually almost got lost in the massive loft, ended up opening the wrong door, surprising two very “busy” people and then she finally managed to get the one with a huge warning sign with the writing “Don’t walk in without knocking, I might be playing play-station”.

And knock she did, not getting any answer.

So, she opened the door, finding it unlocked, not even hearing any noise and Jim wasn’t there, which meant either he wasn’t there or he was …

A little noise prompted her to discover a little bathroom inside the room, and there she found Jim…

With a little bag of something white in his hand, his pinky dipped in it, but she moved fast enough to catch him by surprise and avoid him going on with his project.

Quickly she stole the little bag straight from his hand and using the surprise effect to obtain no resistance from him, and also perfectly hitting the toilette seat and flushing the little bag down before Jim could reach it, and when he kneeled on the toilette and just watched as the bag ended up in the sewers.

It happened all so fast, that meanwhile she tried to keep her breathe up, regaining it with careful and measured breathes, Jim pinned her to the wall and whereas she was far stronger than people gave her credit, his grip was not giving out after she tried to push against it, which scared her a bit more than she would admit.

-You do realize that you flushed a lot of money down the toilette? – he tried to sound threatening but something in his was just not convincing, his tone cracking up badly and she wondered if she hadn’t been a little too late, if he had already assumed other drugs.

-And you do realize that you were just flushing your entire future, with the consumption of that dose? – she retorted back, gaining back control and pushing her chest against his.

His weak grip broke and she was the one who backed him up on the opposite part of the bathroom, and now it was her who had the upper hand, pining him, with a leg between his and her hands grasping his -What were you thinking? -.

She didn’t want to sound disappointed, knowing perfectly it wouldn’t help.

Jim hadn’t opened up with her about the real reason between his drug consumption, but he spent a lot of time talking about his twin Medina, even showing her the pictures he took on his surfing holidays with his twin, being as proud as not so many people.

But when those things happened, he somehow disappeared in himself as if something about Palos Verdes disturbed him, bringing back sad memories.

“Why didn’t you become a surfer?” she had asked, after getting in great details the reason why he wanted, right in that moment, to be out of a circuit and on a Cali beach, surfing.

“I wanted to get away” he had mumbled, looking down at the iron tire in his hands “Why did you become a mechanic?”.

-They help with dealing with all the anxiety I get from races… I don’t know if you have realized it or not, but I suck- and he looked at his shoes, which made her to release a hand and make him raise his face to meet her eyes.

-You don’t suck, you are just inexperienced- she explained calmly, moving her hand to his hair, caressing it, before flicking an ear, hearing a distinctive “ouch” -… and you are learning swiftly, I am impressed by the fact that you manage to only fall once-.

He just looked at her unimpressed, moving to exit her grip, but she stopped him.

-You don’t need them, Jimmy- she chanted, again her hand moving to his hair, this time pulling lightly to get his head to raise and their eyes to meet -… if they found out you started again you would have to quit and this would be worse than you falling down each race, because if you fall down you get back and better, but with drugs…-

-…I fall and I stay down- he completed for her, releasing a long breath, before moving his hands down in surrender, with hers on them, and moving to slump on her, which got her to almost fall, at the sudden weight, letting out an annoyed “umph” -… my therapist used to say that all the time-.

-I am the therapist of your bike so that actually makes sense- she adjusted the weight, moving an hand to the wall to keep herself stable -… now can we go out and enjoy the party, without me worrying of you finding some coke to snort? - .

He giggled at her, as if he hadn’t given her a heart attack a few minutes before and she honestly loved when he was like that, and she loved it all even more when he brought her in a hug.

-It wasn’t coke, but ok, I will stay away from drugs, but I don’t want to go back to the party, momma- he seemed as a petulant child, mumbling on her shoulder and she rolled her eyes, but went back to caressing his head.

-I brought very cute friends for you- she attempted, but he wasn’t clearly interested, just pushing himself outside of the bath and to the bed, where slumped down, before inviting her to do the same, in her expensive and sexy dress, retrieving two play-station controllers.

-… let’s see how you handle being on the virtual circuit-.

She honestly knew that once you cut out one addiction, another took the place of the original one.

And whereas Jim had been voracious of something that numbed his senses, he now seemed interested into feeling everything.

And she heard each moment of “everything” before opening the trailer, where he stayed, and caught him with a different girl each time, annoyedly shouting at them to get it over quickly because he was needed for try-outs.

“The boy just needs a way to release stress” had commented Russel, after he had seen the glare, she had sent Jim’s way as he accompanied a girl out of the trailer, quickly dismissing her.

“I go to the gym to release the tension” she had replied, instead, meanwhile she settled her look on the race.

“Well that is some kind of gym…” which got him a slap on his shoulder, before the girl moved to test the circuit and analyze the proper tire to use for that day.

So, she tried he best to ignore it, but to be there for him.

Slowly he was learning and she had been extremely surprised when he had managed to do a good job with a broken tire, on his own, for which she had been so surprised that he had managed to sneak around her and kiss her cheeks, happy he had been again on the podium, for that race.

This time when she called him to tell him that he only had an hour before the race he found him alone, in his plastic chair, with his hoodie over his head, shielding his eyes, completely motionless In the his sat position, which got her worried, thinking of the worst but he immediately raised his head when he heard her at the door, almost as a puppy who just recognized his master coming home for him.

(And sometimes she found herself comparing him to a big Labrador puppy, mostly whenever he hug-attacked her after a race, drenched in sweet and smoking of gasoline, which, at first, prompted a disgusted protest from her, but swiftly she just cuddled just closer to his chest, holding him as he held her).

-Hello, there- he mumbled, showing how reactive he was, clearly sensing her presence and worry -Is it already time for the race to start? -.

Although Jim didn’t usually take notice of the time, he wasn’t that lost, which prompted her to understand he wasn’t clearly in a good mood.

-You still have an hour, but I thought to call you, in case you had… company- she mumbled, trying to make it appear a teasing tone, smiling sarcastically at him, before she shot a look at the little bath in the trailer -… I hope no one will come out of the bathroom, because that would be awkward-.

He just smiled tiredly at her, and she moved closer to him, kneeling behind him, which finally got a raise from him.

-Jimmy, what is troubling you? – and she gripped his face so they could be at eye level, in order for her to understand if she could do something for him, holding a hand, rubbing circles into it, because it might calm him.

She called him Jimmy only when she was worried or to tease him and most of the time it happened in her mind, not out loud at him so he looked shocked at her, before moving his eyes down to their joined hands.

-You must seriously think I am more trouble than what I am worth- he mumbled, and she griped his hand tighter.

-Jimmy, if I thought it like that, I would have seriously unscrewed some nails on your first day- this got him a bewildered expressions as if to say “YOU WOULDN’T DARE” -… you are just a bit more frail, and that isn’t a flaw, not when it makes you so nice to everyone, the team loves you, the others bikers love you, when you don’t make them fall…- “and I might have developed a slight crush on you, but not only it would be highly unprofessional, because I am your mechanic, but also I am also not your type…”.

-… you know what would help? Telling me how cool I am! – he replied, getting in the mood, although he still hid what made him feel bad, and if she didn’t confront it now, it might bite him in the ass when he was riding, which was worse.

-You got the wrong person, Jim, you should have gotten one of those pretty model … I mean I am prettier…-

-You are- he commented, immediately after, which got her to almost stagger backward, worried about what she might have heard, but she managed to keep her balance -… you are beautiful-.

-I am covered in grease half of the time- she couldn’t believe that Jim found her beautiful, she didn’t think she was ugly or anything else, she thought herself to be pretty, but the ordinary “I don’t care to appear feminine” pretty, which didn’t interest Jim, but she was wrong, apparently.

-It brings out your natural glow- he replied, smirking meanwhile she bushed and fumed like a crazy lady, before collecting herself, and looking at him.

-Don’t try to change the subject- although she straight up was doing the same -… what was bothering you? And how can I help you? -.

-You know it’s nice you think you can fix me as a bike of yours- he muttered, his eyes shooting to the ground, his tone bitter, which made her truly sad for whatever the hell was going in his mind right now, and she passed an hand between his hair, gripping them tightly, this time he wouldn’t escape her probing eyes.

-I am pretty aware that you are not a bike to fix those things are easier…- and she moved closer to him, enough for their forehead to meet -… you are very much alive, and this makes it all much better-.

And before he could ask her to specify she kissed him, throwing out of the door every thought she had about how improper she was being and the imminent rejection, she just wanted Jimmy to feel her and feel that she could be a human, before a mechanic and that she cared for him.

She didn’t let the kiss last too long, worried it wasn’t going to be reciprocated ad that she overstepped her boundaries, but if she hadn’t used the surprised effect Jim might have closed in himself again and is she wanted him to be open with her, she had to be firstly open with him.

And he saw it.

And he leaned again towards her, towards her lips, clearly in search of another kiss, which was negated by a quick duck to the left of the girl, a little freeing giggle free from her lips.

Did Jim feel the same thing for her?

-… no no, no more kisses till you tell me what is wrong- she mumbled, right in front of his lips, teasing him, which prompted a pout from the other.

-I need something better than kisses for that and he eyed her body, explicitly, which prompted a glare from her and a slap on his thigh -… ouch! You are stronger than I thought! -.

-That’s what happens when you work with bikes and annoying riders, now tell me and I might go out with you, and if everything will be ok, I will even let you hold my hand again-.

-Can I sneak my hand in your jeans pockets like in that Netflix movie you made me see, “To all the assholes I have loved before”? – he smirked, clearly a bit gaining back his confidence, although blushing like she had been a few moments before.

-After you tell me what bothered you, I will even let you grope a little my ass, because I have seen you staring at it, meanwhile I pick things around…- actually it had been Russell catching him, and elbowing him meanwhile cackling, just to refer everything to (Y/N), saying:

“That’s why you shouldn’t be afraid of all those pretty blonde models; he has eyes only for you…” and he had smirked “…. your backside”.

This made him blush, and to prompt him with further bribing of her body, she moved onto his lap, sitting so they could face each other, keeping her balance wrapping her hands behind his neck.

-You realize that with that kiss, I made a jump into something I wasn’t expecting, but I did it because I trust you, and I am not asking for you to trust me…-.

-I do- he mumbled, which was surprising after she had straight up threatened at least five times to get his bike not working in the middle of the race -… it’s just that it is a thing I am scared will make you run away-.

He moved his hand on her back to help her keep the position, caressing lightly, much more to his comfort than hers.

-… Jimmy, it isn’t going to happen, ok… I like you a little bit too much and I have seen you throw a tantrum after you fell down the first time… I get that there are hard times and you are allowed to have them, but if I can help, I am here, with a tire iron to beat whoever hurt you-.

Although she said she was joking, she seriously would fight for that boy so so badly.

He looked at her for a bit, as if searching confirmation, but he saw only iron sweetness, and after he got a deep breath he spoke up:

-My mother called me…-

When they got out of the trailer, five minutes before the race started, she was wearing her sunglasses, meanwhile her jacket was raised on her neck and she promptly moved next to Russell, meanwhile checking the preparations of the bike.

Swiftly Jimmy jumped on it, shooting her a smile before wearing the helmet, getting a playful smack on it by the manager.

Russel smiled at her, meanwhile she settled down next to him, in her place, looking out at the still-clean race, getting ready in the same moment Jim exited the stables.

-Nice hickey- Russel commented, smirking cheekily.

-It’s a mosquito bite- she replied, swiftly, without moving her eyes from Jimmy’s bike.

-Oh, of course- whistled Russel, who knew perfectly what was going on -… I am glad you ended up together, I have actually won fifty dollars from Robert-.

She was glad she had won a date with the prettiest of the bikers.

As always I really hope that you liked it and will be here waiting for more (I hope it won’t take too much time! Also keep your eyes out for maybe another thing about my favorite sufer boy!) (Also in the previous piece there were actually real bikers’ name, just as a personal easter egg!).

Also I am tagging a few people who actually showed some love to this fic, hoping it won’t bother them! (if you want to be tagged, in the next piece, just let me know!).

@sojournmichael @duranie100theunionofthesnake @desertsunflower00

Any feedback is welcome: you loved it? You hated it? You have some suggestions?

I am all ears! 

[theliberaltony]

via Politics – FiveThirtyEight

Welcome to Pollapalooza, our weekly polling roundup. Hope you didn’t miss us too much over the holiday weekend.

Poll(s) of the fortnight

You’ve probably heard that the first Democratic primary debate was bad for former Vice President Joe Biden’s polling numbers and good for Sen. Kamala Harris’s and Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s. But what about Sen. Bernie Sanders, who’s long been second to Biden in the polls? Well, his standing appears to be slipping — and his runner-up status is now in real danger.

For example, a CNN/SSRS poll conducted in the days after the debate gave Sanders 14 percent of the vote, which was down 4 points from late May, when CNN/SSRS last polled the primary. And a Quinnipiac poll from after the debate gave Sanders 13 percent of the vote; earlier in June, the pollster had him sitting at 19 percent.

Granted, not every poll showed Sanders losing ground. According to Reuters/Ipsos, Sanders enjoyed the support of 15 percent of Americans a few weeks before the debate and 16 percent right after it. And the poll we partnered with Morning Consult on to track debate reaction in almost real time found Sanders’s support virtually unchanged from before to after the debate. But RealClearPolitics’s overall polling average does suggest that Sanders did indeed lose a couple of points from the debate.

And his standing might be even more endangered because Warren and Harris improved so much that they are now in a rough three-way tie with Sanders for second place. That’s a problem for Sanders because there are now two newly competitive rivals whom he needs to vanquish to win the nomination. Your baseball team may be only a few games out of first place, but if four other teams are too, it hurts your odds of finishing first; not only must you perform well, but you also need multiple other teams ahead of you to stumble.

More importantly, Sanders is arguably in a worse position than Warren and Harris are, despite their nearly tied horse-race polling. And that’s because someone with near-universal name recognition like Sanders needs to be polling higher to have a good shot at winning the nomination (or at least that’s what our research on historical early primary polls has found). On the other hand, lower-name recognition candidates like Warren and Harris arguably have more room to grow than Sanders does, as there is still a pool of potential supporters out there who haven’t heard of them. And unlike Sanders, Warren and Harris both outperformed their polling average in the first half of 2019 when you adjust for name recognition.

Another potential pitfall for Sanders is that he has so far limited himself with a campaign strategy that doesn’t appear designed to expand beyond his base. But to win the nomination, he’ll need to win over some new fans — especially if he keeps losing old ones. Ardent progressives have more options (most obviously Warren) to choose from than they did in 2016, and Sanders may have underestimated how much of his 2016 support was simply a protest vote against Hillary Clinton. An Emerson College poll out this week found he was getting only 25 percent of the vote among those who said they supported him in 2016.

So yes, Sanders is going through a rough patch — but he could still recover. With eight months until the first ballots are cast, there is plenty of time for him to change campaign strategies. He certainly has the money — a reported $30 million cash on hand, plus the proven ability to fundraise even more — to go on the offensive again. Then again, so do his rivals — Warren reportedly raised even more money than Sanders in the second quarter. Sanders might want to act quickly to turn his campaign around, as his margin for error is rapidly shrinking.

Other polling bites

In an ABC News/Washington Post poll released this week, support for Roe v. Wade (the 1973 Supreme Court decision that established a woman’s legal right to an abortion) has tied its all-time high in their polling — 60 percent of Americans. Notably, Democrats (specifically, 71 percent of them) were more likely than Republicans (57 percent) to say abortion would be an important issue in their 2020 vote for president, yet another sign that Republicans may have lost their advantage in this arena.

In the first poll we’ve seen of the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Colorado (one of the Democrats’ best pick-up opportunities), former state House Speaker Andrew Romanoff took 23 percent, Secretary of State Jena Griswold (who isn’t running — yet) took 15 percent and former state Sen. Mike Johnston took 12 percent. The poll was conducted by Keating Research and Onsight Public Affairs but paid for at least in part by supporters of Griswold.

A new study from Pew Research found that 64 percent of U.S. military veterans do not think the Iraq War was worth fighting. In addition, 58 percent think the war in Afghanistan was not worth fighting, and 55 percent say the same about U.S. involvement in Syria. The numbers are almost identical among the general public.

YouGov researched the walk-up songs of 23 presidential candidates (the music that plays when they take the stage at rallies) and asked respondents to pick their three favorites. President Trump’s “God Bless the USA” took first place with 28 percent of the vote; Rep. Tulsi Gabbard’s “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” took second with 18 percent, closely followed by Sanders’s “Power to the People” (16 percent).

Also according to YouGov, 28 percent of Americans said it is “very likely” the government is hiding information from the public about UFOs. Another 26 percent said it was “somewhat likely.” Now I’m just thinking about what the aliens’ walk-up music would be.

A new Nanos poll, released Tuesday, found that 35 percent of Canadians plan to vote for embattled Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party in October’s parliamentary elections; 30 percent plan to vote for the Conservative Party, 18 percent for the National Democratic Party and 9 percent for the Green Party. Then, on Wednesday, Mainstreet Research also released a poll putting Liberals at 35 percent and Conservatives at 33 percent (the NDP and Green Party took 10 percent each). The polls were a surprise because Conservatives have long been leading in the polling average, although that advantage has narrowed in recent weeks.

Trump approval

According to FiveThirtyEight’s presidential approval tracker, 42.5 percent of Americans approve of the job Trump is doing as president, while 52.4 percent disapprove (a net approval rating of -9.9 points). At this time last week, 42.3 percent approved and 52.5 percent disapproved (for a net approval rating of -10.2 points). One month ago, Trump had an approval rating of 42.0 percent and a disapproval rating of 53.0 percent, for a net approval rating of -11.0 points.

Generic ballot

In our average of polls of the generic congressional ballot, Democrats currently lead by 6.4 percentage points (46.3 percent to 39.9 percent). A week ago, Democrats led Republicans by 6.1 points (46.2 percent to 40.1 percent). At this time last month, voters preferred Democrats by 5.8 points (45.9 percent to 40.1 percent).

Check out all the polls we’ve been collecting ahead of the 2020 elections.

[all-the-love-harold]

The Daily Anna - Chapter 8

I struggled a little to get this one on paper but it’s here and I’m actually quite proud of it. Once again, it wouldn’t have happened without @lovesmelikebrandnewstarlight to talk me through things and work out where things are going. Without giving anything away, things are going to start getting emotional from this point on wards, so prepare yourselves. 

Let me know what you’re thinking so far 

Master Post 

23 shows, 38 days, countless kisses and memories that Anna could hold onto for the rest of her life. The tour was over and Anna was about to fly back to London, back to her normal life, as if the last few weeks hadn’t changed everything. Nothing could be the same now, not for her or her blog. It was strange to think that it was only a few months ago that she was sitting at her desk, with her head in her hands trying her best to get her essay written, only to decide to drop out a few hours later. That seemed like a lifetime ago, Ronnie was speaking to her back then, her blog was simply a hobby and Harry was Harry Styles the popstar, not Harry Styles her boyfriend.

“How do you do it H?” Anna asked Harry in the back of the car on the way to LAX.

“Do what?” he said

“Go back to your normal life after all this?”

He turned his head and looked out the window at the passing trees that lined the streets.

“This is my normal” he sighed “For the better part of the last 8 years I’ve been on the road, all of this is normal to me, my life is here in LA just as much as it is in London, I almost hate that I’m leaving so soon.”

“That’s kinda what I mean, how do you go back to London and just live after all this?”

“It’s weird at first, but I’ll have you to keep me busy, plus I have an album to write so instead of playing these songs to thousands everyday, I’ll be in the studio writing new ones”

“Obviously all about me” she giggled

“How could they not be” he smiled, wrapping his arm around her and bringing her into his chest “you’re incredible An, changed my life”

Anna’s heart fluttered, she wanted nothing more than to say those three little words, but she wasn’t sure that he was ready to hear it.

“I think I’m the one whose life has been changed” she opted out, this wasn’t the time, she wasn’t sure there would ever be a perfect time to say it, but this was an ending, and those words were meant for a beginning.

He kissed her on the forehead “Both of us”

In the background of their conversation the car pulled up and the driver switched it off.

“LAX” he said bringing them back to reality.

Anna looked out the window at the hundreds of people going about their day, going on holiday, or on business trips, going home or going away and she gulped at how many of them would know who Harry is. She was still hesitant about being seen with him, especially in public places like airports, it wasn’t that she was embarrassed or anything, it was just that she hated people staring at her and she hated even more the articles that would no doubt be out by the time they arrive in London. “Anna Elliot uses Harry Styles to get more followers”

“You know what this reminds me of?” Harry said, pulling Anna back into the conversation

“What’s that?”

“Our first date” he smiled “but this time we’re both getting out of the car”

And so they did. Harry jumped out first and loaded their bags onto a trolley and took Anna’s hand in his.

Airports made Anna nervous, this was only the second time she’d ever been on an international flight, the first on the way over here, but there were some perks to being Harry Styles and one of them was skipping the queues. They went straight through security, and onto the first class lounge, where they were brought two glasses of champagne and some fresh fruit to munch on while they waited to board.

“Thank you Harry” Anna said when there was a lul in the conversation.

“What for love?” he asked curiously

“Inviting me on tour with you, I know I’ve told you that I’m glad I came, but I don’t know if I’ve thanked you for everything”

“You don’t need to thank me An, I should be thanking you, for dropping everything for a month and a half to spend some more time with me”

“It’s going to be weird not waking up next to you everyday”

“We can have sleepovers” he smiled.

“Flight 237 to London is now boarding” a voice came over the loudspeaker alerting them to their impending flight.

“That’s us” Harry said, standing up and picking up their bags. “You going to finish that?” he pointed to Anna’s almost full glass of champagne

“No” she shook her head “still feeling a bit funny” Those stomach aches had only gotten worse over the last few weeks of the tour, to the point where they no longer went away, they weren’t always crippling, but they were there, lingering, reminding Anna something wasn’t right. She’d promised Harry that as soon as they got home she’d make an appointment with her G.P, just to make sure everything was ok.

He gave her a concerned look, but still reached down and grabbed the glass, downing the whole thing in one go and shrugging when he put it down.

“I’m still a nervous flyer” he admitted “and if you don’t make that appointment the minute we get home, I’ll be doing it for you”

“I promised I’d do it Styles” she smiled and started walking towards their gate.

 The flight wasn’t packed by any stretch of the imagination, in fact, Anna and Harry were the only one’s in first class and Anna was glad to have their privacy. Home was so close and it wasn’t until now that Anna realised how much she’d missed it.

 The seatbelt light flashed red and the flight attendant gave the safety demonstration to which both Anna and Harry paid very close attention and once it was over and the plane was happily soaring through the sky, Anna took out her laptop and started typing. Her holiday was over now but that wasn’t official until there was a blog post about it.

 The End of an Era

 Ok, I admit the title of this post sounds a little dramatic but hear me out. On April 7th 2017, Harry released his first solo single which now holds a lot of meaning for a lot of people, myself included and yesterday, on July 14th 2018, he performed the final show of the world tour for that album.  

 Now, for those of you that have been around so nice before H and I started dating you’ll know that I was fan, and I, like many of you, remember listening to “Sign of the Times” for the first time and thinking that this song was going to make a difference to my life in some small way.

 Flash forward to a year later and I was at Harry’s London show and that song that should have only made a small difference to my life had suddenly made a huge difference.

 These last few months have been a whirlwind but I wouldn’t change any of it for the world. I’m writing this post as I sit on the plane on my way back to London and I’m filled with all sorts of feelings about it all being over. On the one hand, I’m happy to be going home and seeing my friends and family again but on the other, I’ve had the time of my life on tour and I’ll be missing everyone that I’ve met along the way. No matter what happens with Harry and I, I will forever be grateful for all of the fun that I’ve had on this tour for all of the memories I’ve made and all of the chances I’ve had to meet you guys. Every night at every show I watched thousands of people sing along to Harry’s lyrics and some nights, some people would see me singing along and come and join me and those are some of the happiest memories that I have.

 Harry and I would arrive at each venue around 5pm every night, and when we got there, all 83 members of the crew would have everything all set up and ready for soundcheck. I know Harry thanked them every night, but their work was truly tireless and I’m pretty sure most of them only slept a few hours a night, so I thought I’d take this opportunity to thank them as well, because without them the tour wouldn’t have happened and I wouldn’t have had all the fun that I did.

 Before I go, I have a story to tell, for Clare Uchima, who told me to write about Ping Pong, back before you all knew about me and Harry and I decided not to incase you put it all together, which I’m sure many of you did anyway.  I have never been one known for her sporting abilities, but backstage on this tour, there was a ping pong tournament. Now, Harry ended up winning and you can decide for yourselves whether it was rigged or not, but that’s not the point of this story. The tournament was organised by yours truly and it gave me the chance to get to know everyone on the crew. It all came to an end at Madison Square Garden, and everyone gathered around to watch the final match and that’s how I’d characterise the tour, supportive, friendly and above all kind. Treat People with Kindness was more than a slogan on a t-shirt, it was everything that mattered on the Harry Styles world tour and it’s a big part of why Harry and I are an item.

 As for an update on my plans for this blog now that I’ll be home, I’ll go back to posting daily again, and there’s lots of new content to come your way too.

 I’m off to have a nanna nap now, thanks for sticking by me through this wonderful journey, I can’t wait for our next adventures.

 Anna. x

 Anna’s Mum had promised to meet them at the airport and she was excited, but Harry was nervous. This would be their first meeting, and it would be at heathrow airport. He knew they wouldn’t be there long and that most of their conversation would happen in the car and back at Anna’s flat but that initial introduction would in front of onlookers, something he should be comfortable with by now and if this didn’t mean so much to him, it would be different, but he needed to make a good impression.

“You alright H?” Anna asked, watching Harry fidget in his seat just before they were about to land.

“I just realised that I’m meeting your mum as soon as we get off this plane”

“She’s a lovely woman” Anna yawned

“I don’t doubt that” he smiled “she raised you”

“That she did” Anna rested her head on his shoulder “so her name is Debbie, but let her introduce herself first, she hates when people know her name without her telling them first”

“That seems fair” he said, running his fingers through her hair

“And don’t be too intense with the eye contact, she hates that”

“Like mother, like daughter” he sighed “anything else?”

“Not really, we’re essentially the same person, so if you won me over you’ll be able to win her over pretty easily”

“I can’t kiss her though” he giggled. The plane was landing and they were trying to keep themselves distracted but as the wheels hit the runway, less than smoothly, they both flinched.

“I hate planes” Harry sighed

“You really should consider a less international career then” she laughed.

Now that the plane was safely on the ground, Harry was feeling more nervous than ever. He may be able to get on stage in front of thousands of people every night with ease, but meeting Anna’s mother was absolutely terrifying. Especially when he was tired and dry from the flight.

Being in first class they were the first to leave the plane and once again, because he was Harry Styles and he spent a lot of time at heathrow airport, they were fast tracked straight to customs and onto baggage claim. Their bags rolled in and both picked them up.

“No no no” Harry said, taking Anna’s bag from her “Can’t have your mum thinking I’m not a gentleman”

“You’ll make her think you’re a mad man if you’re trying to wheel two suitcases behind you, it’s on wheels, I’ll manage”

“Fine” he sighed “You feeling alright?”

“I’m feeling like I want to go home” she snapped playfully “and please don’t say anything to mum about me not being well this whole time, it’ll will just worry her”

“It worries me” he admitted, putting his arm over her shoulder “come on Elliot, let’s get you home”

“Mum’s at the arrivals gate” she rested her head against his shoulder as they walked and ignored everyone that stared at them along the way. It was reasonably quiet for an airport this big and they didn’t have to weave their way through hundreds of people to get to Anna’s mum.

As soon as Debbie was in sight, Anna pulled away from Harry and left her bag with him  so that she could hug her mum.

“It’s been so long my love, I’ve missed you” Debbie said into Anna’s shoulder without breaking the hug “How was it? What’s he like?”

“He’s amazing, but you already know that, I told you over the phone just about everyday”

“Well I have to see it to believe it” she laughed wiping a tear from her eyes with an old handkerchief that Anna had gotten her for mother's day when she was about 5. Harry waltzed over to them with all the bags and held his hand out to introduce himself.

“It’s lovely to meet you Mrs. Elliot, I’m Harry”

Anna cringed at the formal introduction, knowing that her mum would hate it, but what else was he supposed to call her if Anna had already told him not to call her Debbie.

She covered his hand with both of hers and smiled up at him “The pleasure is all mine Harry but please, call me Debbie”

He smiled and flashed his dimples at her but he didn’t know what to say next, like all of his charisma had been left on that plane.

“Well Debbie, your daughter has changed my life, so I should thank you”

“You two didn’t elope did you?” she laughed nervously, half convinced that they had

“No Mum” Anna shook her head

“We weren’t even in vegas” Harry said proudly.

“Good because if my daughter is going to marry a pop star I want to be at that wedding”

“Ok mum, let’s not to get too ahead of ourselves here” Anna tried to steer the conversation away from marriage, she didn’t want to freak Harry out, it had only been three weeks of officially dating after all and there were three little words that were yet to be said. “

“Alright then kids” Debbie broke the silence “you’ve been on the go for months, let’s get you home”

 ***

 Since being home Anna had been busier than ever, between setting up brand deals and revamping her blog so that it was easier to navigate and maintaining her daily posting schedule, she barely had time to breathe. But today she’d promised that she would put it all down and spend the day with Ronnie. Things with them had gone back to normal since she landed back on british soil which Anna was thankful for, she had her best friend back, but they hadn’t spoken about it. About why when she said she was going away with Harry, he started ignoring her, why he didn’t say goodbye at the airport, or why, for the last 6 weeks he hadn’t even bothered to send her a text to check in.  

 It was such a nice day out that instead of spending the day locked up in Anna’s flat they decided to go to peggy’s, get a coffee sit outside and catch up on everything they’d missed. So Anna threw on a sundress, put her hair up in a messy bun, slipped on her favourite sandals and made sure she had a cardigan in her bag incase it got cold later. She would usually ride her bike to Peggy’s but she wasn’t feeling up to it today and she certainly wasn't dressed for it, so instead she opted to take it slow and walk there at her own pace. The building was beautiful in summer, covered in lovely pink flowers, with tiny garden tables sitting out the front, where Anna saw Ronnie sitting, talking to the waitress who she was sure he had a crush on.

“Hiya stranger” she said as she approached the table and the waitress smiled at her and walked away. Ronnie stood and opened his arms, bringing her in for a hug.

“It’s good to have you home” he sighed, breaking the hug and sitting back down again.

“Have you ordered?” she asked, sitting down and draping her handbag over the chair

“Yeah, Bella knows our order” he said

“Bella?!” Anna said, raising her eyebrows

“No” he said bluntly, “You know I don’t date”

She rolled her eyes “You should”

“Oh yeah” he laughed “now you’re happy and in love you think everyone else should be too”

“I just think you should put yourself out there more, you’re 24, live a little”

“Says the girl who flew halfway across the world with a stranger just so she could get to know him better, that’s living a little too much don’t you think?”

“It worked out though didn’t it?” she wasn’t going to give him the chance to tread on her relationship with Harry when in reality he didn’t know anything about it.

Bella, the waitress, walked out the door towards their table, carrying a tray with their drinks on it wide smile plastered on her face as soon she made made eye contact with Ronnie. She put the drinks down in front of them, without saying anything and brushed her hand over Ronnie’s shoulder as she walked away. Anna looked at him curiously and he just shrugged his shoulders, blowing her off before she could ask about it again.  

“So when do I get to meet him then?”

“When you decide that you don’t hate me for making it work” Anna said bitterly, refusing to make eye contact with him. She looked down at the steaming coffee that was sitting in front of her, and the ill feeling that was now a constant suddenly got worse at the thought of drinking it.

“I don’t hate you Anna, I could never hate you”

“Then why are you so bitter?” she said, still looking down

“You never tried to make it work with me” he said softly

It always came back to this. To that night that they promised each other they wouldn’t speak about again. It was years ago, they’d only just moved to London, they didn’t know anyone else in the city and they were drunk. It never meant anything to Anna, but it did to Ronnie and it came up everytime Anna started dating someone new, and even more so when it ended.

“We’ve been through this Ron, we’re friends, I couldn’t live without you, but friendship is where it ends”

“I know” he shook his head “I’m sorry, I know I’m not supposed to bring it up”

“It was four years ago Ron, this is why you need to get out there”

“Let’s just pretend I never said anything yeah?” he sighed and took a sip from his drink. “How was the tour?”

“I had the time of my life” she smiled “You remember the london shows and how happy everyone in that room was?”

Ronnie nodded

“Well it was like that every night, and Harry is incredible, everything about it was amazing” Anna could talk about for hours if she wanted to, but she knew that Ronnie didn’t want to hear it

“Was New York as good as you’d hoped?”

“That was when we got found out, so no, but it had nothing to do with the city”

“I don’t know why you went out in Central Park if you wanted to keep it quiet”

“It was Harry’s idea” she said “Hang on, how do you know about that, I never told you”

“It was all over the news” he said casually, “I kept up, even if we weren’t talking”

“Thanks”

Anna’s phone that was sitting on the table in front of her buzzed and drew her away from the conversation.

“Styles 🕺 Did you make that appointment yet?”

“Is that the knight in shining armor?” Ronnie chuckled

“Yeah” she grinned “He’s just checking in.”

[harrisonstories]

RTE Radio 2 Ireland - BP Fallon interview with George Harrison (18 Oct. 1987)

Photo by: Brian Roylance, Genesis Publications

This is an interview I’ve edited and uploaded to youtube because it’s quite long, and it was in two parts, so I’ve combined them together. You’ll notice at about 14:52 there’s a slight jump in the conversation which is where the second part begins. 

I really love this interview. It’s one of - if not my favourite interview he ever did. I strongly suggest you give it a listen. Similarly to the Swedish Fan Club Tape, George is extremely calm and open, and Irish DJ BP Fallon asks refreshing questions. BP Fallon has himself had an interesting life, and at one point worked at Apple for Derek Taylor (You can also see him miming the bass in the Instant Karma Top of the Pops video). I’m guessing this related to why George felt relaxed. I hope you enjoy it.

Below I’ve included the written version of this interview by BP Fallon for The Sunday Tribune. It has some information not available in the audio (not sure if it simply wasn’t recorded, or if there’s another version which includes the full conversation):

"Sometimes it feels like another world, another life, some previous incarnation," George Harrison says. "I view it a bit through a haze but, y'know, people don't ever stop talking about it so it's hard to got too much distance between myself and The Beatles." 

George Harrison doesn't mind that, not anymore. "I used to," he admits. "I used to not like it at all. I wanted to be free of it. Now I've learned to live with it. And also, don't forget, there was a period when The Beatles split up and there were all kind of court cases and bad vibes and stuff and that left a bad taste in the mouth for a while but after the years it's all cleared up, everybody's friends again." 

He's sitting in a little office in the house owned by his company Handmade Films, just off Cadogan Square in Knightsbridge in London, a few streets behind Harrods. Fourty-four-years old this man is, he has a bit of a beard and his shortish hair is swept back and there are new lines on his face. He drinks coffee and smokes ciggies and when you sit talking to the geezer you can't help but feel warmth for him. 

As one of John, Paul, George And Ringo, The Fab Four, as a member of the most popular, the most inventive, the most influential rock group of all time, he has gone through one of the strangest trips ever. They were Gods once, The Beatles. And sitting here now, George Harrison comes across as a normal bloke.

He was born in Liverpool, the fourth child of Harold and Louse Harrison. George's father was a bus driver - before that, he had been a ship's steward on the White Star Line for ten years and from one of his travels in America had returned with an old wind-up gramophone and records by bluesman and yodeller Jimmie Rodgers and country singer Hank Williams. Young George was smitten. He listened to skiffle, people like Lonnie Donegan and songs about the Rock Island Line. And then he heard Elvis Presley singing Hearbreak Hotel. "It came out of somebody's radio," George Harrison says, gazing out the window at the autumn light fading behind the trees, "and it lodged itself in the back of my head. It's been there ever since." 

At the age of 13, for £3, he bought his first guitar. Two years later, Paul McCartney introduced George to his friend John Lennon (George - "this snotty-nosed kid" as Lennon recalled). George joined John and Paul in their skiffle group The Quarreymen. In 1962, when George was 19, John, Paul, George and their new drummer Ringo Starr made their first record together. It was a fresh-sounding bluesey pop record called Love Me Do and they now called themselves The Beatles.

They changed the world, these four Scouse moptops making new noises and singing about wanting to hold your hand and about walruses and about revolution and all you need is love. 

And for eight years The Beatles were bigger than Jesus.

For a while, The Beatles - at very least by example - endorsed smoking dope and taking LSD. John, Paul and George were each busted at least once for breaking the cannabis laws. "A lot of the stuff that happened..." - and then George brings himself up to the present tense - that happens, it's just like when Prohibition was on. If they make a big deal about stuff it becomes bigger than it actually is. In moderation... you have to have moderation in everything. The worst drug of all is alcohol... it actually kills more people then heroin." He says he was fortunate as a kid to see a film about the trumpet player Chet Baker, about Baker's heroin addiction, "and that and maybe something else made me aware that this thing was just too much. 

"Of course, the other things, the psychedelic drugs, are much different because they don't put your body in a stupour, they sort of..." and now he's laughing... "they sort of catapult you out into the universe. It's a totally different perspective." Then his voice is serious again. "These things obviously can be very dangerous too. I'd hate to have some right now because I don't think I could handle it. It just gives you too many things to think about all at once."

Love and peace went out the bathroom window when The Beatles split in 1970, with Paul McCartney publicly announcing he had left. George says he realised The Beatles weren't shaking a couple of years before that. "Everyone was just getting all uptight with each other. The new wives were coming in and, y'know, living under the piano and there was no privacy anymore for us as far as the group was concerned in what was normally the only privacy we ever had, the four of us when we got into a studio. And we'd just grown away from each other. One time or another every one of us left that group before we finally stopped." 

George left during the making of what would be Let It Be. Ringo left another time "and went on holiday, and John was always wanting to leave and Paul too. You know, it was too much pressure and we'd been through those years. It was just too much.”

He emphasises that the remaining three Beatles are good pals, now. "Paul and I went through a shaky period but we're okay, now. All the old aggravations have passed a long time ago. There's no reason not to be friends."

By 1971 George Harrison was the most successful solo Beatle, with his triple album All Things Must Pass and the enormous hit My Sweet Lord. Four years later his single Ding Dong Ding Dong - a record even worse than McCartney's Mary Had A Little Lamb - was the first release by a solo Beatle to fail to enter the charts. Several years later a court ordered him to pay £260,000 damages for plagiarising the Chiffons' song he's So Fine with My Sweet Lord. That Harrison had modeled My Sweet Lord on another song, the gospel Oh Happy Day by the Edwin Hawkins Singers, was bad enough. That he had to pay the money to his former manager Allen Klein - "a looney who didn't take care of business" George describes him now- because Klein had scooped up the publishing of He's So Fine... that rubbed salt into the wound. 

His career and also his marriage to his first wife Patti Boyd were in pieces. Patti had gone to live with George's close pal Eric Clapton, who had written Layla about his best friend's wife. George started drinking heavily, contracting a serious liver complaint that his friends feared might be the end of him. 

George's chum Eric Idle had found it impossible to raise the necessary finance to make the Monty Python film Life Of Brian, so George chipped in with half the required money, £2,250,000. It turned out to be one of the best investments George had ever made, reaping a profit of more than £30,000,000. Since then, Harrison and his film company Handmade Films have scored with another Monty Python film The Meaning Of Life - banned in Ireland - and delivered films like Time Bandits and Mona Lisa as well as Shanghai Express, a disaster for its stars Sean Penn and Madonna and its producer Harrison. But what the heck. George isn't short of a few shekels.

In 1978, George married Olivia Trinidad Arias, a 27-year-old who had been born in Mexico and had been working as a secretary in A&M Records in Los Angeles. George's health had been desperate. He was fading away. Olivia contacted the Chinese acupuncturist Dr. Zion Yu and within weeks of treatment George had regained his energy and his spirit. 

They have a nine-year-old son named Dhani - the Indian for wealthy - and the other day he asked his father to make him up a cassette of Chuck Berry songs. After George appeared at the Prince's Trust concert in London five months ago with Ringo, Eric Clapton and Elton John, Dhani came backstage. George had sung his own Beatle compositions While My Guitar Gently Weeps and Here Comes The Sun. "I asked him 'What did you think?' and he said 'Uh, you were alright Dad, but why didn't you do Chuck Berry songs like Roll Over Beethoven and Johnny Be Good and Rock'n'Roll Music?'" 

He has a new LP out any day now, his first in five years. It's called Cloud Nine. "Have you heard the album?" he asks solicitously. "No? I'll see if someone's got a copy." George Harrison wanders off, and returns with a young woman who says "It's a bootleg I taped from the CD." George flips the cassette into the music system and spins it through, looking for a specific track. "I think you might like this one," he says in his dry Liverpudlian drawl, settling himself into another chair as he watches for reactions. 

Ringo's drums with cellos straight from Lennon's I Am The Walrus lead into George singing with fondness for former Beatle times. It's a track that could fit on a Beatle record and it's called When We Was Fab. "Fab... but it's all over now baby blue" George sings, and at the end there's sitar sounds like George cosmicing out on Sgt. Pepper. It's... well, fab.

When John Lennon was murdered in 1980, George Harrison didn't suddenly lock himself away from the world in his Gothic mansion. Near the riverside town of Henley-On-Thames, this bizarre 70-roomed palace called Friar Park was remodeled a century ago by the eccentric Sir Frankie Crisp and is set in 33 acres of parkland with three lakes with secret stepping stones so one can appear to walk on water, underground caves linked by a river and a reproduction of the Alps that includes a perfect 100 foot high replica of the Matterhorn. George was already in hiding.

"I was already trying to hold onto some sort of privacy. I think everyone needs to have a bit of space, y'know. I mean, if you were just being mobbed and on the TV and that all your life you just turn into a loony, and long before John got shot I was already just digging in the garden, planting trees and just trying not to go on television, just having a bit of peace. 

"But what it did, it affected me probably like anyone who loved John and who grew up with him and his music. And it was a very sad thing and, um, it didn't make me feel..." Harrison's voice trails off, and for a moment his eyes look away and he's lost in private thoughts. He looks back. " It made me wonder about ever gettin' into situations where there's fans, although at the time you can't blame fans for that. There's one loony in every crowd, I suppose. But I go on living normally. I don't panic unnecessarily."

There was talk that for Live Aid Paul, George, Ringo and Julian Lennon might let it Beatle together, but George dismisses any idea of reunions. "I don't think we'll play together. The Beatles certainly can't play again and I think it's best left as it is, y'know." 

Long before Live Aid, George Harrison's Concerts For Bangladesh raised £45,000,000 for the starving. He didn't appear at Live Aid but says if he'd known more about it "maybe I would have done it but they did alright without me." George talks at length about the planet, his concerns about destruction. Last year he participated in an anti-nuclear rally in Trafalgar Square, and he's a member of the ecological organisation Greenpeace. "I love those people because they go out and actually do it. I mean, if it wasn't me that's the kind of thing I'd like to be, out there on a ship getting harpooned by Russians and Japanese."

At the turn of the Seventies, George became a benefactor to the Hare Krishna movement. He not only made records with them and talked about them publicly but also forked out a quarter of a million pounds to buy them a 15-room Elizabethan mansion with 17 acres of land. 

Since then, George's friend His Divine Grace Guru Bhaktivechanta Swami, the leader and founder of the International Society For Krishna Consciousness, who was 77 when they met, has died. George feels that some of the remaining Krishnas have at times abused his patronage, and he cites letters from people who wrote saying that they were hassled at airports by devotees using Harrison's name. 

Nevertheless, he still subscribes to "the Swami's ancient Vedic way of having God consciousness. The technique of chanting, just like the monks and Christians, they do it too really but it's just using beads and chanting these ancient mantras... they do have great affect. I wouldn't knock them at all. I am always a bit dubious about organisations and since the swami died it does seem to be chaotic, with all kinds of guys thinking they're the gurus. To me, it's not important to be a guru, it's more important just to be, to learn humility." And George still chants. "I've still got my bag of beads and they're really groovy now, all polished up."

Is he a happy chap? "Yeah, I'm okay. Sometimes I get depressed. It's a constant battle, isn't it? You have to consciously make an effort to be happy and considering everything, I've come along quite nicely. There's always room for improvement but, um, I have a laugh and I feel quite good about things." He believes in reincarnation. "The only reason we're actually in these bodies is to learn and develop love of God and liberate our souls from this round and round, the Memphis Blues." He reckons he'll come back again. "Well," he says laughing, "by the look of things I'll probably have to... but I'd like to give it a pass one of these incarnations!"

And, George Harrison, what would you like to be remembered for? 

He pauses. "I don't know... I don't know." And then he smiles and looks you directly in the eyes and you see the face of a man still searching, still looking to extend his gentle vision for all time. He'd like to be remembered, he finally says, "just as somebody who's not bad, not that bad”... 

"That'll do, yeah."

Fair play to you, George.

[formeandmyfics]

MORE THAN A GIRLFRIEND

JUGENEA SNIPPET

All because of goddamn cookies

Palm Springs 1950

A 1945 Cadillac pulled up in front of a small rental beach cottage. Putting on her gloves, Kay Thompson got out of the passenger side door and headed up to the porch.

When she opened the door, she heard screaming and shouting from both Gene and Judy from the hallway. Kay dropped her arms and sighed. This wasn’t the first time she witnessed one of their “amazing little fights” as she called them. Kay was the only friend of theirs, other than Judy’s stylist Dottie, who know about their on-again-off-again love affair dating back to 1942. So, she had seen quite a few tiffs, but lately it seemed to get worse.

The couple had just finished filming Summer Stock and were given a week off before they had to return back to the studio for post-production. Kay’s boyfriend owned a yacht down in Palm Springs so she suggested they all take a small holiday. With the boat and private cottage, they could enjoy being incognito. Plus, there weren’t too many rubbernecker’s around there that time of the year.

The first few days were nice, they all enjoyed themselves, but then some tension started between Judy and Gene and the fighting - and about the silliest things. Kay knew, of course, the tension and fighting were just and outward expression of their inner frustrations. The couple were so in-love, so serious about one another, but given the circumstances neither were giving into one another. They were both unhappy in their marriages, but Judy wasn’t willing to give up her security with Vincent until Gene moved out of his family’s house. And, vice versa, Gene wasn’t willing to screw up his daughter’s ‘mom and dad’ stability until he knew Judy was leaving Vince for good.

When Kay turned the corner, she saw Gene in the middle of the hall. His face was beat red as he yelled into the open bedroom door, his hands out like he was strangling thin air. She couldn’t see Judy, but she sure as hell heard her.

“Fine!” Gene shouted, “Screw you!”

Judy’s explosive, vexed voice responded, “Fuck you!”

Then a hair brush came flying out of the room almost hitting him in the head, hitting the wall beside him. Gene looked at it and back up, “You’re so fucking lucky that didn’t hit me, doll.”

The door slammed in his face and he turned to Kay.

“Shall I assume you two aren’t coming to dinner with us?”

Gene thought a moment, “No, I’ll go.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah. I need to get the hell out of here for a little bit. Give me a few minutes.”

“What about Dorothy in there?”

“You mean WICKED BITCH OF THE WEST?!” He purposely shouted towards the door.

Kay’s mouth opened in an ‘o’ but smiling amused. She never heard Gene use words like that towards Judy.

“She’ll be fine. We need some space. I’ll come with.”

“Alright. I’ll be in the car.”

Kay’s boyfriend of a year Michael Stratton, was a musical producer over at Fox, and was patiently waiting I the car as Kay came back.

“I walked into World War 3 in there.”

“They’re arguing again?”

“She threw a hair brush at him.”

“Oh, I’d say that’s more than arguing.”

“Yep.”

“Are you they still coming?”

“Gene is.”

“What were they fighting about this time?”

“Who knows.”

“Why don’t they just get divorces? Then they can fight all they want peacefully together and without sneaking around.”

“Honey, if it were they easy, they would’ve been married years ago.”

Just then Gene came out and got in the back seat slamming the door beside him.

“Might as well pick a casual spot, Kaybaybay. Judy wouldn’t let me in the room to change for dinner.”

Kay started removing her fancy dinner gloves, “That’s fine by me, darling.”

Michael turned around in his seat to look at Gene, “What were you fighting about?”

Gene sighed, “You wouldn’t believe me if I told ya.”

It was dark in Judy and Gene’s cottage bedroom as the phone started ringing. Judy whimpered sleepy and rolled over grabbing the receiver.

“Hello?”

She sat up a bit looking at the time, 1:15 a.m. and she noticed Gene wasn’t next to her yet.

“Kay? What’s going on? Is Gene still with you?” Judy listened and gasped, “Oh my God, I’m on my way.”

Outside Palm Springs West Medical Center, a cab screeched up in front of the ER entrance where Judy quickly got out and ran inside.

Kay was reading a magazine in the waiting room where only an elderly couple sat and a few nurses going around the desk. Judy ran in- totally dishevelled and worried as hell. Kay stood up calm and Judy ran to her grabbing her arms.

“Where is he?”

“He’s in a room back there with a doctor.”

“How bad is it?” Judy fervently asked, tears in her eyes.

“He’s fine, darling, I promise. He got a little drunk and he walked out in front of a car and hit his head. He has a slight concussion, at least that’s what I heard the paramedic say.

“Is he awake? Is he ok?”

“Last I knew, he was awake. He sprained his wrist, too. Other than that, these people won’t tell me shit. I’m not family.”

Judy clenched her jaw before heading over to the nurses desk matter-of-factly.

“Hello?”

“Hi, may I help y--” looking up, the desk nurse realized who was standing over her and her voice faltered.

“Hi, yes, I would like to speak to Gene Kelly’s doctor, please.”

The young night nurse forced a smile through her nerves and picked up the phone. Meanwhile, Judy walked back over to Kay.

“Why the hell did he walk out into the street?”

“I told ya, he was stoned.”

“He’s such an idiot.”

“He mumbled something about cookies when he was laying on the street.”

Judy nearly gasped and giggled.

“What?” Kay asked.

“I tried making him homemade cookies earlier but they were too gooey and I burnt them as well. I was mad at myself. I told him I can’t do anything, can’t even make goddamn cookies and he said that’s why we’re not married and we got into this huge fight.”

Kay lowered her voice, “For fuck’s sake, Judy, that’s what the fight was about? Goddamn cookies?”

“What he said hurt me.”

“He was obviously joking, baby.”

Just then a man walked in holding a soaked bloody towel over his face and an unhappy wife holding his arm Kay leaned into Judy and both women grimaced.

”I wonder if cookies were involved?”

Judy rolled her eyes and spotted a doctor motioning to her and she hurried over.

“Are you Gene Kelly’s doctor?”

“I am. How can I help you?”

“I would like to know the condition of Mr. Kelly.”

“He’s stable.”

When the doctor didn’t relay any more info, she shook her head, “That’s it?”

“I’m afraid I cannot release anymore information as you’re not immediate family or next of kin.”

“I understand completely. Can I see him?”

The doctor sighed apologetically, “Unfortunately, same rules apply. Only immediate family members are allowed to visit after visiting hours.”

Judy started to get irritated, “Do you know who you’re speaking to, Doctor?”

“Yes, I do.”

“I’ve known that man for years. His estranged wife probably wouldn’t give him a kidney if he needed one at this point. His daughter is just a child and his family lives in New Jersey. I am the only thing he has here at the moment. He’ll want to see me, I assure you.”

“Miss Garland, I understand your predicament but it’s hospital compliance that…”

Judy raised her voice through tears and desperation, “I am Gene Kelly’s girlfriend god dammit, and I want to see him NOW!”

Kay looked around at the four patrons and few nurses whom looked Judy’s way. Thankfully it was the middle of the night and not crowded with people who could easily spread news quick.

“Just for a few minutes,” The doctor willfully said.

Gene had his eyes closed when he heard familiar footsteps enter his room and his medicated loopy face smiled.

“Hi, Sweetheart.”

Judy sighed relieved before heading over to the chair at the side of the bed.

“You are a nut. What were you thinking?”

“I didn’t know a car would be there.”

“Are you in pain?”

“Nope,” he happily replied pointing to the needle in his hand.

She smiled and ran her finger over the bandage on his temple. Then she looked down at his bandaged left wrist.

“Just a sprain?”

“Yeah. Good thing it’s my left hand. No one wants to fuck up their sex hand.”

Judy giggled, “Doesn’t matter, buddy. You ain’t gettin’ much from me for a while after this stunt.”

“I can still…” he did an up and down motion with his hand and Judy quickly pushed his hand away blushing.

“I think they need to lower your Morphine levels, darling.”

“How’d you get in here? I asked for you but they told me you weren’t permitted.”

“I’m Judy Garland. I get my way,” She half-heartedly joked.

He nodded agreeing seriously, “Ain’t that the truth.”

“Speaking of ‘fucking up’…I may have as well.”

He smiled, “What? Other than your cookies?”

Judy nodded, “Other than my cookies. I, uh, I kind of told everyone out there in the heat of the moment that I was your girlfriend.”

“Girlfriend? Sounds strange. I think of you more than that. Sounds like we’re in High school goin’ steady.”

“It does, doesn’t it?”

He nodded and closed his eyes as if going to sleep but Judy placed her warm hand on his cheek to which he opened his eyes again, “Nonetheless, Gene, our relationship might not be a secret anymore after this.”

“Betsy knows…Vince knows….now the world will know.”

“Are you saying that from the meds or your heart?”

“A little bit of both,” he mumbled.

“If something does come out, what do you want to do?”

“How many people heard?”

“I don’t know. Maybe half a dozen.”

“6 people - at 2 a.m.- in a hospital…maybe nothing’ll come out of it.”

“But if it does?” she asked timidly.

“Then we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. I’m sorry for what I said earlier. I didn’t know you’d take it to heart.”

Judy smiled, “I know now you were joking. It’s just a sore spot with me is all.”

“And I love your cookies, by the way.”

She laughed and kissed his hand, “Even if they’re burnt and gooey?”

“Even if they’re burnt and gooey. You made them for me. It’s the thought that count and I love you for it. Now give me a kiss.”

A kiss she did…and a phone call she got the next morning.

That call was from Mr. Mayer’s secretary requesting her and Gene Kelly’s presence at their earliest convenience, regarding the front headline on the Entertainment newspaper slapped on L.B.’s desk: JUDY GARLAND TO HOSPITAL DOCTOR “I’M GENE KELLY’S GIRLFRIEND!”

-NMP-

[storyunrelated]

Black and Blue - Second chunk

Does anyone even enjoy this shit? I have no idea and it wouldn't really change my behaviour whatever the answer was. I do just wonder sometimes.

Anyway, more nonsense.

-

Ben did not see Ruth again for a few days after that, because Ruth had shit to do.

Ben also had shit to do, but it was different shit. Shit that kept him mainly in the hunting lodge. Dad had seen his efforts fighting Ruth and had decided that they were pisspoor. Specifically, he needed to be faster. What worked in sparring against dad had not worked against Ruth even without the moon on her, so would just be a waste of everyone’s time if it came to that.

So. Faster.

Reflex training was exhausting and dad kept Ben at it day after day after day. By the time Friday rolled around Ben was a haunted, gaunt shadow of the boy he had once been. Or, alternatively, he was knackered.

“Speed is good, son!” Dad had said while Ben had been laid out in a puddle of his own sweat. “But awareness is better! Can be fastest man but if there is no awareness then all speed is wasted! Will miss! The aware man who is slow can see danger coming! The aware man who is fast can see it coming and can act! You must be both!”

There had been a lot of that sort of talk, in between bouts of intense physical exertion. Wisdom was always ready to be doled out whenever dad was around. Whether it had helped or not Ben did not know. Certainly, by the time the weekend was looming he felt slower if anything, but that could have been the exhaustion.

Friday at least offered some slim sliver of respite. Friday was the day that he got to see Ruth again. Dad let him leave training early for the express purpose of doing exactly that! Seemed to think it would be good for him, for whatever reason.

Following a quick shower and a quick change of clothes - Ben felt a sudden and mysterious urge to look presentable, but couldn’t put his finger on why - he strode off at pace for Flyton’s school, where Ruth would soon be leaving.

The school in Flyton was a robust, serious looking building built to serve a robust, serious, (but small) community. It had facilities for the littler kids and the bigger kids. Ruth was towards the tail-end of the bigger kids, both literally and figuratively. This was her last year. After this, she’d have to actually start doing something with her life.

What a terrifying thought.

Ben waited beneath a tree to avoid the sun and did his best not to look like he was loitering. Technically, he was waiting. Which was like loitering but legitimate and for good reasons. He put his hands in his pockets, and then took them out. Having your hands in your pockets was something someone loitering would do. Surely? He wasn’t sure.

So engaged in this worrying train of thought was Ben that he completely failed to notice the students boiling forth from the school and especially failed to notice Ruth slouching her way out, towering over everyone even without standing up straight. He also didn’t see the way her face lit up when she spotted him.

“Hey! It’s you!” She practically shouted, sprinting over and catching him entirely off-guard, wrapping him in a hug while he had his hands midway out of his pockets after he’d had another go of having them in there only to decide against it again. He squeaked.

“Don’t tell dad I reacted so slow,” he wheezed as Ruth crushed the life out of him.

“I’ll tell him you crept up on me. What are you doing here?” She asked. The hug had not yet broken, though it had softened enough to let Ben clumsily return it. He did not get hugged often and had only a vague idea of what was expected. He did alright.

“Thought I’d come see you,” he said, before realising that at no point in his plan had he considered that Ruth might actually want to see him show up with no warning. “Assuming you - you know - you’re okay with that. I can go if-”

Ruth cut him off by lifting him up off the ground for a final squeeze.

“Shush. I like surprises,” she said before setting him back down again and releasing him. Ben wheezed.

“You’re good at those. I think,” he said, assuming that a proper hug was one you felt for minutes afterwards. Ruth grinned. Always a welcome and slightly alarming sight. The pointy bits that filled her grin seemed longer today.

Neither of them seemed to be able to come up with  natural follow-up to this, and they were silent for a moment. A breeze rolled past. Then a group of giggling schoolchildren went past, doing a very poor job of pretending not to look at them.

Ruth cleared her throat.

“Wanna go for a walk?” She suggested.

“Sure.”

And so they did.

Having been the one to suggest it Ruth was the one to lead the way, though she didn’t have a particular plan in mind. Just wandering and getting away from anyone who might not-so-covertly point and giggle at the too-tail girl with the tail and the too-hench boy who looked like he didn’t belong in his own skin. Ben followed.

“So why don’t I ever see you where you’re meant to be?” Ruth asked after maybe a minute or so.

This baffled Ben, who was also busy batting a bee away from his face. A fly he might have caught and killed - he could do it on good days, dad had tested him on it - but a bee he respected and so instead tried to usher on its way.

Only once that was done did he consider what Ruth had asked and realise that he didn’t understand the question.

“Uh, what?” He asked and Ruth shook her head at him, smirking, points of her fangs just visible. This Ben noticed.

“School. I see you there like once or twice out of ever but the rest of time you’re not there, so what gives?” She asked.

“Oh that. I want to go, but most of the time dad pulls me out. For training and stuff, you know. Like all of this week he did that. That’s basically full-time now, actually.”

Basically it was. It had happened the previous week, too.

“Are you allowed to do that? Because I want to do that,” Ruth said. Ben managed a smile and a shrug. When he’d been younger he’d felt like that, but having gone through it he’d rather changed his mind.

Punching things, drinking mystical brews to make the bruises go down and learning how to fight monsters sounded pretty neat on paper but in practise was exhausting and surprisingly monotonous.

Also painful. Dad did not pull his punches. He said doing so wouldn’t make for a good learning experience. Would teach the wrong lesson, apparently.

“Ah, no, not really supposed to do it, no. But they kind of just let dad get away with it because, you know, hunter and all that. Just as long as I’m kept more-or-less up to date with my peers and mum handles that so that’s fine. Yeah,” Ben said, scratching the back of his head.

“I ain’t seen much of your mum lately,” Ruth said.

This was so out of left field that Ben was momentarily caught off-guard. Ruth seemed to have that effect on him generally, he was discovering. He recovered though.

“She’s off, somewhere. Business, with the new job. Just me and dad for now, next couple of weeks,” he said.

Ruth let out a whistle. For her weeks seemed a very long time. Seemed that way for Ben, too.

“That’s some business,” she said.

“I’m glad, really. Honestly. She works hard, deserves to be taken seriously. Whipping everyone into shape the world over, now.”

Mum worked for the overarching business that owned the local spas and air-bottling plants and such that constituted most of the economy in Flyton. It was her job to make sure everyone was doing their job the best they could.

She was off being a head-honcho at one of their many other locations in some other part of the world. One doing not as well, presumably, though not for much longer now she’d arrived!

Ben had a very rudimentary grasp of what her job actually involved. It was only realising this while talking to Ruth that kept him from going on. He did not want to look that stupid in front of Ruth.

Eventually, without either of them really intending it, their winding path took them to the edge of town, where it could go no further. Through sheer random happenstance it was quite a scenic spot on the edge of town (there were several that were not so picturesque) with a nice tree and a nice bench underneath the nice tree for sitting on and looking out at the nice view.

They sat on it.

Far off in the distance, over the trees and towards the hills, the sun started to starting its long, slow dip towards the horizon. Had some way to go though. Everything was lit up. The sky could not have been more blue.

“I suppose there are worse places,” Ben said.

“As long as you keep an eye out for the drop,” Ruth added, kicking a stone off the edge and watching it tumble. They would not hear it land though they could well-imagine the little splash. The big hole in the ground beneath Flyton was, as usual, full of water, though not as full as it could have been. The weather had been hot, after all.

“But apart from that it’s nice. You ever been anywhere else?” Ben asked.

He asked her this knowing she would not ask him back, because it was known that the Donbar’s - of which Ben was the latest - had been in Flyton for a long, long time. Something of a local fixture. Like the pub, and about as violent.

Which is to say, violent in carefully measured moderation.

“Yeah, but not so long I remember. Just as a little kid, you know? Then we moved here,” Ruth said, gesturing out towards the world in general.

“Ah. For some reason I thought you’d seen more of the world than I have.”

“Well I’ve been on holiday, obviously. You’ve been on holiday, right?”

Ben shook his head.

“Never left Flyton. Not since I was born here,” he said and Ruth sputtered in disbelief, turning to look at him as though he’d just dropped out of the sky. Being from Flyton, that was a genuine risk, though usually for anyone who happened to be below. Which wasn’t really anyone. So not a risk at all.

“You were born here?! Is there even a hospital here? Is there one and I’ve just never seen it?”

Kind of hard to hide a maternity wing. Ben shook his head again.

“Nope. Born at home.”

Absorbing this information Ruth sat back, hands in her lap.

“Yeesh. That’s, uh, old-fashioned?” She ventured. Probably the most diplomatic way of putting it. Lacking options, Ben shrugged. It covered a multitude of sins, shrugging. Something of a crutch.

“It wasn’t the plan. So where’d you go on holiday?”

Ruth welcomed this shift in topic and Ben welcomed any opportunity not to have to talk about himself and to get to listen to Ruth talk instead. That she was going to be talking about the world beyond Flyton was just a bonus.

“Bunch of places. One I remember is - uh - Cornwall was nice. Little beach holiday! Weather was super-good, too. Sunniest week I can remember. Made sandcastles. Hell, no, scratch that - I made sand fortresses. Proper defences. Planned out! I took it seriously!”

Without really having noticed starting, Ben found himself smiling.

“So that would have been recently, then?”

“Oh yeah, definitely not when I was a little kid or anything. Definitely only like five minutes ago. What kid does that? That’s a big-girl game, is that,” Ruth said. She was also smiling and chose that moment to scooch a little closer. There was enough space on the bench, but apparently this wasn’t a concern.

“...any other holidays?” Ben asked, hoping that his naked curiosity wasn’t showing.

Ruth regaled him with her tales from mysterious foreign lands. Which is to say, she told him about the handful of holidays she’d been on with her parents to perfectly ordinary, usually sunny places. To anyone who had not been trapped in their hometown their whole life they would have been unremarkable, pedestrian stories with nothing new in them. To Ben they were like a cool drink of water on a hot day.

It helped the way Ruth told them, of course. But that went without saying. Ben was of the opinion - rapidly formed and quickly consolidating - that he could happily listen to Ruth talk about anything.

“Still,” Ruth said, wrapping up the last anecdote. “Always glad to come back here afterwards. Wouldn’t want to live anywhere else, honestly.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because you’re here,” she said, quickly adding: “The Donbar’s, I mean. You’re not the only ones who do hunting the way you do, but Flyton’s small and it was close to where mum and dad used to live. And everyone knows each other. It’s cosy, friendly. That’s good for people like me. Most other places - most bigger places - have one of those companies now. The ones that like to shoot people like me on sight. AG or whatever.”

Ben grimaced. Dad had told him about those people, and AG especially. There were, apparently, similar companies that specialised in sorcerers, but Ben hadn’t heard as much about them. No-one had, weirdly, so Dad poured most of his scorn onto the werewolf ones and their callous, mercenary modus operandi.

No connection to the local community, no sense of who it was they were killing or who they were meant to be protecting, only in it for the money. Just a bunch of strangers set to patrol the streets whenever the moon was full and given permission and legal dispensation to shoot anything that moved. Savages. Thugs. Murderers, etcetera.

Dad wasn’t a fan and so neither was Ben.

“I don’t like those guys,” he said, with a vehemence that Ruth silently appreciated.

“Someone must. I’ve never met them, but someone must. Doubt they’re being given all this money by accident. Probably the same sorts of people like them who think me and my lot should all be put into one big town somewhere. Like that’s not a stupid fucking idea,” Ruth sneered.

This was indeed an idea some people had supported and some people still did. It had a beautiful kind of simplicity to it. People make problem? Take problem people and put in town. Put wall around town and lock doors in wall. Problem solved!

There were several reasons this plan had been and was routinely ignored. For one, it was disgusting. For another, it was economically non-viable and unfeasible. Additionally it had been demonstrated in numerous models to be completely useless.

Werewolves were not stupid, something people often forgot or chose to ignore, and when the moon was on them they very quickly turned this lack of stupidity onto the problem of getting out. And got out. Which kind of rendered the whole a little pointless.

Mostly though it was because it had the same basis in reality as the plan a five year old might make. Technically possible in a broad way, but wildly impractical and thoroughly inefficient due to a strident unwillingness to understand the issues involved.

“These people have no idea,” Ben said through gritted teeth.

“Guess they figure the next best thing is gunning us down.”

“Someone always thinks that’s the solution. To everything. Just kill the right people,” Ben practically spat. Dad had strong feelings on this sort of thing and they had rubbed off on him, but he’d also arrived at his own conclusions and found them to be remarkably similar.

Killing people: bad. To be avoided where possible. Not what you should jump to first, even if it is easier and simpler. Easier and simpler does not always mean better. Easier and simpler now can often mean difficult and complicated further down the line, and if your first solution to difficult and complicated is more killing then you’re just setting up a neverending cascade of misery and failure.

Or so Ben had come to understand, at least.

Ruth nodded, getting into things. It was nice to be able to vent to someone. Her dad typically avoided the topic and her mum was much the same. Her friends tended to just nod and agree with whatever she said for fear of offending her. Ben at least was on her side. By definition, in fact. It was going to be his job to keep her alive. Beaten to a pulp, yes, but alive.

“Easy to support killing people if you never have to do it. Or see it. Or do anything other than say you’re for it. Some of us might end up actually killing people when we don’t want to. People we might prefer alive. That kind of thing puts it in perspective, I think,” she said.

“I hope you don’t end up killing me,” Ben said, without seriousness and more importantly without thinking about it for long enough. His brain hadn’t been much involved in the process but his mouth had meant it in a jaunty, lighthearted ‘I suppose we’ll be working together’ sort of a way.

That was not how it was received.

Instantly every cheerful bit about Ruth disappeared. Her smile vanished. Her shoulders slumped. The swishing of her tail - which had been poking out the gap in the back of the bench and slapping against Ben on each swing - stopped abruptly. She sagged.

“Why’d you have to say that?”

That she was hurt was obvious. That it was Ben’s fault was also obvious. The horrible stabbing in his gut could wait though, at least until he did his best to make up for it.

Unfortunately he had no idea how to do this.

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking,” he said, uselessly. Ruth leapt to her feet and took three steps away from the bench, looking out and beyond and towards the horizon.

“No, no you weren’t. But that’s okay. No, no really it’s fine. Everyone does that, everyone has a brainfart every once in a while. And now you’ve had yours. So you won’t have one again. Hmm?”

It was a question, but it was one of those questions where they were giving you the answer at the same time without saying so and if you failed to notice this well, then that wasn’t their fault.

Ben got it.

“Totally,” he said, nodding furiously.

“Good. Glad to hear it. And now we’ll never talk about this again.”

Ruth stomped off further but then did such an abrupt about-face that Ben - who had been getting up from the bench as well in a bit of a daze - fell back again with a bump out of sheer surprise.

“Wha-” he managed before she cut him off.

“Actually, no, I’m going to tell you one thing, alright? One thing. And I’m not repeating it so listen. We have a room in our house. The moon room. It’s reinforced and it’s got a big heavy door and when the moon is set to be full dad goes in there in the morning with mum and he gets chained up and he gets locked in. And he stays there all day and all night. The day is fine because he’s still dad, but when the sun goes down and the moon comes out he isn’t anymore. And then it’s bad. And that room is meant to be soundproofed. But the guys who put it in did a shitty job. And we can hear him sometimes.”

Even just remembering this was enough to make Ruth shudder, interrupting her flow. Only for a moment though.

“We turn the TV up but sometimes not in time. I’ve heard the things he said. I know it wasn’t him saying them but I still heard them. And pretty soon that’s going to start to happen to me, too. One month I’ll be fine and the next month I’m going to be someone else on that day. I’m going to have to be in a room like that. And one day I might get out somehow. Break the chains, jimmy the lock, figure out a way. And then I’ll be out.”

She took a step forward, and Ben found himself wishing he wasn’t sitting down. Some primal part of his brain wanted to take him by the scruff of the neck and shove him away from the obvious, dangerous predator. That’d need training out of him, he realised. Another thing for dad to work on.

Ruth wasn’t finished.

“But it won’t be me, it’ll be something else wearing me and doing things I don’t want to do. But I’ll have to live with them once the thing wearing me is done. I’ll live with whatever I did and whoever got in my way. Do you understand that?”

By the time she was asking this they were nose-to-nose, Ruth having grabbed him and hauled him to his feet. Ben went crosseyed. He’d somehow forgotten quite how tall Ruth actually was compared to him.

“Uh…” he said, only to flinch and stop as Ruth’s hand whipped up, finger wagging under his nostrils.

“I am going to need you - if it happens and I get out - I am going to need you to promise me right now that you will break me the fuck in half to keep me from hurting anyone, okay? It’s your job, and I need you to promise that you’ll do it.”

This was another of those situations where there was only one answer if you knew what was good for you. Ben knew what was good for him. More importantly, he meant it, too.

“I will gladly break you the fuck in half. Friendly-like,” he said. Then he blinked. “Never thought I’d be saying that to anyone, I have to admit.”

Ben then found himself enclosed in another hug that squashed all the air out of his body. He wriggled in alarm but found no immediate means of escape. He was well-hugged once more. No mean feat. Ben was a lot of boy to hug. He figured this might be something he should get used to if he was going to keep seeing Ruth. Which he sort of hoped he would.

“I feel special,” Ruth said, squeezing him until he squeaked and then adding, somewhat more quietly: “It’s okay to hug back. You did good last time.”

He did his best, still unclear on what the etiquette was but emboldened by her praise. Brief as it had been. It helped that he liked hugs. This he had only recently learned, and wholly from Ruth. His family had never been big on physical contact unless it was punching, and even then only in a strictly professional capacity. Turned out he’d missed them and hadn’t even known.

Ruth was also warm. This he also learned.

Eventually the hug broke, for it could not last forever. Ben could probably have stood for it to have lasted a bit longer, but this was how things were.

Ruth checked her watch, amazing Ben by actually owning a watch. Who owned a watch these days? Evidently she found the time to her distaste, as he didn’t look happy.

“Ah shit, mum and dad’ll probably be wondering where I am by now.”

She then checked her phone and clucked her tongue.

“Yup, yup. Messages. Missed call. That’s great. I should head back.”

Ruth said this, but did not make any moves to follow through on it.

“So I’ll see you again next Friday or sooner or…?”

“My dad and your dad will probably have you coming to help me out or something so, uh, sooner I guess?” Ben suggested. He hoped sooner. A week to wait seemed a long time. And after all, wasn’t the whole point that Ruth was meant to be helping him out anyway? He distinctly remembered that bit!

So apparently did Ruth.

“Yeah. Yeah you’re right. They’ll probably have something planned. Might even see you tomorrow! Who knows!”

“Maybe!” Ben said.

This left them both feeling much about things. Everything, really. The world in general. The world as a whole.

Ruth took another moment of bobbing on her heels, swishing her tail and looking like she was deciding on whether she should do something or not before she straightened up and gave Ben a wave.

“Right. Well. Tomorrow! Maybe,” she said.

“Tomorrow maybe,” he said.

And with that Ruth finally left, turning around and heading back the way she’d come. Ben watched her go, because he needed to head in the opposite direction and had no pressing need to go yet. His dad ran a much less tight ship, at least once the training was done.

Once she was out of sight though he started on his way.

As he wandered back home, Ben thought to himself. About Flyton. About punching things. About Ruth. About what Ruth had said.

For possibly the first time, Ben grasped how serious all this actually was.

People’s lives were genuinely at stake. Ruth’s life was at stake. The lives of anyone around her, when the moon was up. It was up to the stoutness of the locks in the houses of the local werewolves and - if they failed - it was going to be up to him to dad. If he failed and people died? That would be his fault. That would be on him.

Ben had to be better. He knew he could be better.

He wondered if anyone else had to resolve to be better at beating people up for their own good. Probably not. He felt his situation was probably a unique one. At least in Flyton. Some other hunter somewhere might have been experiencing the same sort of dissonance that said punching people was bad but that sometimes they needed you to do it, but that would be about it.

For most people it wasn’t something they would have to deal with.

By the time he’d got back to the lodge his thoughts had advanced to wondering what dinner might be, and he only barely noticed how quiet and still the place was once he’d got in and closed the door.

The back of his neck tickled and automatically Ben ducked. Mere shavings of a second later something whizzed through the air where his head had been and thumped into the door behind him.

Dad emerged from seemingly out of nowhere, clapping and beaming.

“Aha! Good son, good! Very good! See? Awareness! You are improving!”