#sorry this is long sighs you don't have to match length!!

[jilixthinker]

hii 👋🏻 i don't know if this has been written before but i saw it in a comment and wanted to read it for skz.... 👀

🎀you are asking to put a ribbon on his d🎀 aaaand the reactions and maybe the events that follow 🤭🤭

it could be changbin or 3racha or skz all separately, whatever you want 🩷

candy boy

=͟͟͞♡ changbin × fem!reader

=͟͟͞♡ ribbon challenge

word count: 1.2K

content warning: explicit sexual content, established relationship, sub!changbin, oral sex (m receiving)

a/c: this took forever and i am very sorry! but Binnie was so perfect for this and I just needed to give it a go. hope you’ll forgive me hun ❤️‍🩹

=͟͟͞♡ please consider reblogging if you like my works!

Changbin eyes are pleading, lashes long and pretty against his full cheeks and a tiny tear nestled on the corner of his eyes. He’s been watching you for several minutes now, as you diligently apply some makeup on his face. The blush you did choose for highlighting his features is of a pretty cool shade of pink, and it matches the lipstick that you carefully selected between the ones he picked earlier. It’s a little bit sticky on his lips, and it shines as if it was a layer of caramelized sugar. It surely gonna taste sweet.

“Baby…” he whispers, a small whine escaping from his parted mouth, “how long is it going to take?”

You finish brushing the blush on his cheekbones and pout at him. “Binnie, you promised that you were going to stay still.”

Changbin shifts from his position. He is sitting on a chair, in front of the wall mirror of your bathroom, and he is wearing nothing but a big fluffy sweater. Pink, of course. His plush thighs are parted and the shiny head of his small cock is peaking out from the soft bush of jet black hair just at the end of his happy trail. That is soft as well, you know that. He always use shampoo and conditioner on that as well, and you always spend an insane amount of time caressing and twirling your fingers around his curls. But not today. Today he has to wait.

“Yes, I know – but…” he continues, puffing some air out. The fabric of the sweater accentuates the softness of his chest, and you softly let your hand fall in between his clothed pecs, “it kinda hurts now.”

Your gaze ends up on the soft pudge of his tummy, barely covered by the only piece of clothing he is wearing and you pinch it between your thumb and index, making him shiver. “Does it?” you ask, fake sweetness on your tone. “That’s because you got all hard while I was making you pretty, baby. If it would have stayed soft, it wouldn’t hurt for sure”.

Changbin sighs and his cock twitches in between his legs. “I tried,” he insists, “but you keep touching me, it’s not my fault.”

That’s not completely untrue. You have been teasing him for the last 30 minutes. Your thighs purposely brushing against his bare skin and hands wandering on his chest and shoulders, lightly grazing at his nipples from above the fabric. He’s been waiting for you to finish his makeup, as you asked, but he got hard, that was almost inevitable.

But he was the one asking for this in the first place. You were peacefully testing some new products that you’ve been wanting to try for a long time, and he interrupted you by showing you a tiktok video of some guy doing something called “ribbon challenge”, demanding your attention and pleading you until you finally gave up.

And now there he is, flushed and aroused, pretty makeup applied on his round and soft face, and a small tight ribbon tied at the base of his chubby tiny cock.

The ribbon is pink – as his sweater and as his face – and the tie is constricting his length at the limits of decency. If he just had stayed soft, it wouldn’t hurt. But you did nothing to make him stay soft.

“And what do I have to do about it?” you ask. Your lips find their way to the soft spot behind his ear and you place a humid kiss there.

Changbin hiccups and a pleading whine leaves his lips once again. His cock is bobbed against the fat of his inner thigh and the curls above it curls are glistening with a few drops of white precum. The ribbon stands cutely just an inch below that, the pink color in contrast with the redness of his length. The tip leaks just a pearl of dense liquid from the slit and Changbin eyes run to yours.

“I’ve been good. Please. Please, I’ve been good. Am I not pretty?” he asks as his cock tries to gain some friction by closing his legs a little. Your own knee quickly stops the movement, slotting in between his sturdy thighs.

“You are so pretty, Binnie. The prettiest,” you concede, pressing another languid kiss on the corner of his sticky lips. “I was just teasing you. What do you want, baby? You want my lips?”

Changbin almost mewls at your question and he nods furiously, making you chuckle. “Yes, please. Please, your mouth. Need s’ much, Binnie needs it.”

His cockhead bumps again his belly as you shift from your position to kneel down on the floor. The slap on the skin is lewd and wet, and it draws a thin stripe of precum on his bellybutton. Changbin soft grunts are delicious and you always try to elongate this moment more than you can just to feel him becoming restless under your touch. But today you played with him enough, and you decide to give him what he’s asking for as you lower you face, filling your lungs with his strawberry scent and finally mouthing at his shaft before grabbing the base of his cock with two of your fingers.

Changbin hisses what sounds like a curse, and you cup his balls with your other hand, suckling just at the gummy tip and swirling your tongue around it. “Like this, baby? My sweet candy boy wants me to eat him up like this?” you breathe, giving another kitten lick on the underside of the puffy head.

Changbin gulps again. “Yes. Oh god, please, yes. Thank you, thank you.” he pants out, teeth biting the fat of his bottom lip.

You smile mischievously as you grip his length, slapping his cockhead against your tongue. You do it a few times until Changbin is a shivering mess above you, and a spurt of white liquid shoots out of him. You use your thumb to spread it on your lips, mimicking the way you applied the clear lipstick on him.

“Baby, ah– please,” he keens as you slap his cock on your wet muscle a few more times before his hips buck forward and you curl your fingers around the base of his length once again. He lets out a shuddering breath, and with a quick movement you sink your head down to engulf the entirety of him.

When you feel him twitching against the roof of your mouth, you detach from his cock with a pop, hand lazily cupping one of his balls and rolling it on your palm. “Binnie, baby,” you coo, “I want to have fun too.”

Changbin pants heavily and hisses a painful whine at the loss of your heath. His cute face is flushed with a thin layer of sweat and the lipgloss is imperceptibly smudged on the corner of his lips. “W-what do you mean?”

You smile, and you nose at his tummy, biting it softly. “I mean…” you puff as you start a slow rhythm of stroking his aching girth, “that it would be so nice if you could pop that little ribbon with this cute little cock of yours. What do you think about that, baby? Can you get hard enough?”

Changbin eyes are glassy and teary, but he nods nonetheless. “I can. Binnie can.” he mutters in between his teeth, cock already engorged and impossibly red under your lustful gaze. “Binnie can make it,” he assures you with devotion. “Can make it pop.”

©️ jilixthinker, 2024. please do not copy, translate, or republish my works anywhere.

[trippinsorrows]

with me + part eleven

authors note: hi! i'm super sorry for the cliffhanger! i just have this thing where i need sections to be cohesive, and this chapter is much heavier than the previous, so i didn't wanna boggle ya'll down with all that angst!

i've also been thinking about the length of this story. currently, in terms of story timeline, we're at the very end of december 23', and i have ideas for up to may 24'. well, beyond that, but i don't want things to get stale, so i can end it around that time or keep it going? just curious because i don't want it to play out so long that it bores anyone. if that makes sense. just lmk.

status: in progress // masterlist

warnings: angsttttt (parental neglect, abandonment, trauma) language, alcohol consumption, suggestive themes, some fluff

song inspo: with me by destiny’s child

words: 6.2k

taglist: @pixiedust4000 @southerngirl41 @yolobloggers @msbigredmachine @wanderingreigns

You knew as soon as he walked in that something was up.

In getting to know Joe, you’d also learned that he was, surprisingly, on the quiet side. He spoke with you, of course, but you learned he leaned more towards introverted than extroverted. It was kind of sweet and pretty surprising. But, you’d also learned there was a difference between him being his sometimes quiet self and when something was off, and something was definitely off.

“You gonna tell me what’s wrong, or do I have to fuck it out of you?” He rolls his eyes, not even showing any excitement at the idea of fucking you. Yeah, something was definitely wrong. “Seriously, what’s up?”

He shrugs, playing it off clearly. “Just tired. Back to back matches.” 

That's when you realize what it is. “You’re hurt, aren’t you?” He shakes his head, dismissively, and you cross your arms. “Take your shirt off.”

“What?”

“Take it off, or I’ll climb your big ass and take it off myself.” Joe blows out a breath. He has to know you’re dead serious. So, wordlessly, he lifts his shirt over his head and turns around. 

You gasp almost immediately. “What the actual fuck?” Your hand reaches to touch him, but you stop yourself, knowing that his skin must be sensitive to the touch. His back is inflamed, red welts spread in different areas with a nasty bruise that looks like a borderline hematoma and other various cuts. 

“Why didn’t you say anything sooner?” Shaking your head, you point to your room. “Go sit and wait for me on the bed.” He opens his mouth, and you lift a finger. “I don’t want to hear it. Get in there now.”

Surprisingly, he follows suit, and you start to move about, gathering the necessary supplies. Along the way, you experience a plethora of emotions but mostly bounce back and forth between irritation and concern. 

You’re irritated that he didn’t just come out and say that he was hurt. You’re also concerned because he’s obviously in pain, and that bothers you. He doesn’t have to be, he didn’t have to be if he just said something. 

Stubborn asshole. 

With everything needed and placed in a cloth bag, you walk into your room and stretch your hand out to him. “Take this.”

Joe looks down at your open palm with a single pink pill. “What the hell is it?”

“Coke,” you answer with a straight face. Rolling your eyes, you answer, “Benadryl. It’ll help with the inflammation of the welts.”

“It’ll also knock me out.”

“We’ll we’re obviously not fucking with your back all messed up, so what else are you going to do?”

“Who said we can’t fuck?”

You sigh. “Joe, if you don’t just take this goddamn pill. With your size, you probably should take two, but I’m trying to be nice by only giving you one, so accept my kindness and swallow this damn pill or I’ll shove it down your throat.” 

He sucks his teeth but also takes the pill from you followed by the water bottle tucked under your arm. “You’re a terrible nurse.”

“And you’re an awful patient. At least we’re both on the same page.” You wait for him to swallow it before taking the bottle from him. “Good, now lay on your stomach.”

He lifts his brow, asking, “why?”

“Oh my god, you’re as bad as my students.” Men when they’re sick or not feeling well are a special kind of torture you’re not sure why exactly you’re subjecting yourself to right now. “Just do it, please. I’m trying to help you here.”

He just looks at you, as if he has something else to say, probably so. But, he surprises you by staying silent and following your instructions. 

Pleased, you climb on top of him, sitting on his ass to avoid irritating his already sensitive skin. “Okay, now this may hurt a little bit at first—”

He makes a sound underneath you. “Can’t hurt anymore than it already does.”

“If you had said something sooner, I could have helped you before now,” you scold, dropping the bag on the bed beside ya’ll. Men and their tendency to downplay pain will never cease to amaze you. The minute you start getting hit with cramps, you pop an ibuprofen.

“It’s not that big a deal.”

“You’re in pain. That’s always a big deal.” Pulling out the ointment, you dab enough to your hand and start carefully massaging it into the welts. He hisses at your touch and you murmur an apology but don’t stop. It’s short term discomfort for long term benefits. 

“What is this?” He asks.

“Calamine lotion,” you answer, adding on. “I have hydrocortisone too, but my grandma always said calamine works just as well without getting into your bloodstream. Don’t know how true it is, but it always worked for me, so it’ll work for you.”

He chuckles. “She sounded fun.”

Instantly, a smile is on your face as you continue to treat him. “Always. Summers with her were always the highlight of my year.”

He doesn’t say anything after that, and you continue to work the lotion into his skin. Once pleased with the application, you move on to the next part. “Alright, I’m gonna apply some cold compresses. You’ll probably be out in another 20 minutes, so just leave em’ on, and I’ll come change em’ out while you’re sleeping.”

When he doesn’t push back, you pull the compresses out of your bag and strategically place them on different areas of his back to maximize the comfort. Once finished, you climb off of him and go to close up the blinds and curtains. “Alright, get some rest.” 

You’re at the doorway when he says your name. “Yeah?”

A slight delay before he says, genuinely, “thank you.” 

There’s something meaningful beyond just the obvious, and it brings a small smile to your face. Not that he can see that. So you settle on, “of course. You’re no good to me if you can’t fuck me.”

He laughs, loudly. “Shut up.”

Smile widening, you close the door.  ________

Joe finds you a couple hours later in the kitchen, but it’s the state of you that gives him a pause and brings a smile to his face.

You’re dancing around, clad in one of his shirts and short shorts that your ass swallows up. Brief glimpses of your side profile reveal that you’re singing too, just in a low enough voice, probably not to disturb you. 

He doesn’t know the specific song, but the voice is familiar enough for him to know it’s Taylor Swift. That definitely surprises him, though it shouldn’t. You have a weird ass taste in music to where he’s found you in the shower listening to some random rock song, other times, it was throwback R&B.

You were just so….different from anyone he’s ever known. 

It’s one of the many reasons he’s so enamored with you.

Drop everything now

Meet me in the pouring rain

Kiss me on the sidewalk

Take away the pain

'Cause I see sparks fly, whenever you smile

It’s when you turn around, mid bite on a cookie that you finally notice his presence, smiling. “Hey. You’re up.”

“I am.” He nods, walking over to you. He gestures around the kitchen. “What is all this?” 

You finish chewing and swallow before directing Alexa to pause the music. “Well, I finished my lesson planning and was bored, so I decided to bake. But then I got hungry for actual food, so I ordered takeout.”

“And the music?”

You shrug, taking another bite of your cookie. “I like the song. Don’t worry, it’s the only Taylor Swift song allowed in this African American household.”

He laughs and moves past you when you take the chance to assess his back, immediately noticing how the swelling and redness have decreased. “How you feeling?”

“Better,” he answers, moving to the cartons, seeing that you made sure to order his favorites as well. “Thanks again.”

Smirking, you climb on the island, locking your ankles together. “Not so terrible nurse after all then, huh?”

“Your bedside manners still suck.” 

“Shut up.” You watch him fix his food and when he gets ready to sit down on a bar stool, you hop off the counter, prompting, “come with me.”

“Where?”

“All these damn questions….” Grabbing a couple of cookies and placing them in a bowl, you find your sandals and slide them on your feet. “Just come on.”

“Let me at least put a shirt on.”

“Absolutely not. You need to let your skin breathe,” you lecture, taking him in, all of him. “Trust me, no one’s gonna see us, and even if they did, who the hell would complain about you being shirtless?”

Snatching the keys off the table, you open the door, allowing him to walk out first. You start to leave your door unlocked but decide against it. It’s an extremely safe town, but there’s always a first time for everything. 

Locking it, you motion for him to follow you up the two sets of steps until reaching the heavy door that you turn the knob left and then right in order to open it. Joe’s immediately hit with a nice breeze and diminishing sunlight as the evening sets in.

“Come on,” you usher him to follow you to your favorite spot, sitting down and patting down on the ground next to you.

Joe chuckles, following suit. “Seriously?”

You ignore him, pushing on his shoulder as he brings his plate in front of him to eat. “I like to come out here sometimes to just get away. Especially if I need to clear my head. My grandma used to always say the closer you are to Heaven, the clearer you can hear God’s voice.”

He just watches you, the way the wind blows at your curls, making them splash at your face. Everything about you has always been stunning to him, but in this moment where you sit so relaxed and unbothered, he’s never thought you looked more beautiful. 

“Plus, you obviously need to clear your head to bounce back from that ass whooping,” you snort, taking another bite of your cookie. One look at Joe’s scowl makes you giggle. “On one hand, it’s crazy to me you put your body through so much, but I also recognize your passion and dedication. So, I get it. I was an athlete too. Love of the game type shit.”

You can’t say that you would have ever continued to cheer if it left you the way Joe would come to you sometimes, but as someone who’s been in a similar situation, you understand it. And it’s so much more than just a job to him. It’s a legacy, in his bloodline. All he knows.

All he wants.

So, you support him.

You’ll always support him.

________

There’s the initial chaos that ensues in the minutes after your departure. Callie’s confusion. Joe’s confusion. Bianca’s utter confusion. And as Callie is right there, Joe can’t go immediately after you. He can’t and won’t leave her, so he does the best he can, offering apologies to Bianca and Co. before taking Callie and finding your mom who was catching up with an old friend in another part of the show.

He has some level of difficulty explaining what happened, other than the fact that you’d run off and he needed to find you. It’s really all of the information that he has to go off of, and when he’s finally able to get back to the apartment where he thinks you probably went. He's disappointed to find it empty. There’s brief moment of panic. 

Just where the hell would you go?

He pulls out his phone to check again if you’ll pick up, but it goes straight to voicemail. He then starts to call your mom to ask her if she had any idea where you would be when he thinks about what happened. You were upset, very much so. 

You needed to clear your head.

He knows exactly where you are.

On that same roof he sat on with you years prior is where Joe finds you, but what he doesn’t expect is the bottle of Hennessy that’s not only open but already halfway empty and sitting beside you. 

He doesn’t try to hide his presence and is unsurprised when you ask, “How’d you find me?” 

“Wasn’t that hard,” he answers. It wasn’t. He remembers almost everything you’ve ever told him about yourself, including how this spot has always been your place to escape.

Just what were you escaping from is what has him stumped.

“Sit down.” You pat the space beside you much harder than what’s necessary. He sighs and asks for a minute, pulling out the phone and stepping away to make a call.

Your mom answers on the third ring. “Did you find her?”

“Yeah,” Joe runs his hand over his face. “I got her, but….can you take Callie back to your place?”

“Why? What’s wrong?”

He looks over again at the bottle. “She’s drunk.”

“Drunk?” It sounds like she’s holding back a chuckle, like his words are humorous because everyone knows you don’t drink, and she says as such. “What do you mean she’s drunk? My child doesn’t even drink.”

“She did tonight” Joe’s eyes fall back over to you to see you still sitting, swaying slightly as if listening to music. There is no music. “And Callie doesn’t need to see her like this.” He especially knows you wouldn’t want her to see you like this. 

Your mom sighs, heavily, on the other end. “You’ll stay with her, right?”

“Of course.” That’s not even a question. “And once I get her settled, if Callie is still up—”

“Oh, she’ll be up. She can’t fall asleep unless she talks to you or her mama.” It feels like an inappropriate response, but there’s a small part of Joe that finds joy in this. He remembers when you mentioned to him before that Callie needed to see and/or speak to you before she could fall asleep, a sign of how closely bonded you two were. To be added to that category means everything to him. “Thank you, Joseph.”

He sees no need in being thanked but acknowledges your mom’s appreciation anyway. “Of course.” The call ends, and he brings his focus back to you. The first thing he does is take away the bottle of Henny.

You see this and instantly scowl. “You’re no fun.” 

He sits next to you, asking in a quiet voice, “what happened tonight, Y/N?” Joe is still utterly confused at all of this, your zero to one hundred change in demeanor. But, the fact that you resulted to drinking shows him just how heavy whatever it was has impacted you. “Talk to me.” 

You laugh, but there isn’t an ounce of humor. “God, where do I start?” Your eyes light up, as if realizing something. “Oooh. I know where.” You lean into his shoulder, whispering, “I’m the product of an affair.”

This piece of information definitely takes him by surprise.

He's noticed you've never talked about your father, and he's never asked. Obviously, it was a sensitive topic, that much he could garner. But now, he knows just why it was sensitive.

“I don't—I don't know exactly what happened between them. She’s never really talked about it, but I do remember when I was younger, maybe—maybe a couple years older than Callie, he was—he was at the house.” You swallow, and Joe can see the distance in your eyes, like you’re no longer sitting here beside him. But someplace else. “She told me to go to my room, but I snooped at the top of the steps. Don’t….don’t really remember everything that was said except that she was literally begging this man to have some type of relationship with me, and he refused.” You laugh suddenly, and it’s so out of place, doesn't make sense given the nature of the conversation. But it does if he factors in the liquor coursing through your system. “He called me a m–mistake.”

Joe's heart aches at your words. “Baby—”

“When I was sixteen years old, I worked at a clothing store in town, and I saved up my money for this necklace…it was gold, and I thought—I thought it was so pretty. It made me feel fancy.” You chuckle, not as humorous this time, head tilting. “And once I finally got the necklace, I drove—I drove an hour away because…because after all those years, I still….I wanted to meet my father. I wanted…I wanted him to be in my life.” 

“He’s uh—or was, I’m not sure anymore—captain of police in his town, so I went to the precinct to meet him, wearing that necklace that I worked months to save up for because…because I wanted to look nice. I remember walking into his office, and I was nervous, but—but I also figured there was no way he could reject me then. I—I was head cheerleader. A straight A student. I—I had just gotten a near perfect score on both my SAT and ACT. I was…I was a good kid, Joe.”

Your jaw fixes, and he can see you’re trying to hold back tears. It kills him to see you this upset. He’s never seen you this vulnerable. “And I—I told him all that. I told him I wanted to see if he wanted a relationship with me, and do you know what he told me?” You suddenly stand up, clearly intending to mimic this interaction. “A relationship? Why would I want a relationship with you? You’re not even supposed to exist.” 

You giggle, eyes watering. Joe frowns. He can’t even begin to fathom how someone can say something like that to their own flesh and blood.

“Oh, but that’s not even the best part.” You’re doing one hell of a job playing this all off as something that isn’t impacting you, no doubt thanks to the alcohol. But, he knows you well enough to know and even see where this is headed. “He—” you hiccup, covering your mouth to hide your giggles. “He said again that I was a mistake that he paid my mom to take care of and—” It’s starting to crack, the alcohol induced facade that all of this is fine, that you don’t care. Your voice starts to catch. “---that the money he gave her for an abortion was the biggest waste of money he ever spent.”

“Y/N—”

“Minutes later, his wife walked in and then—and then his daughter walked in, and I—I ran. I couldn’t….I couldn’t—we looked the same age, Joe. He had a daughter already, he–he didn’t need me. He didn't—he didn’t want me.” You sniffle, wiping at your eyes. “And that’s fine, I—I didn’t care. I—I blocked that out after that day. I’d—I’d forgotten about him.” A beat. “Until tonight.”

“Because—because for the first time since I was sixteen years old, I was in front of all of them again. My—my—father, his wife, my—-”

Joe starts putting the pieces together. “Bianca….”

“She’s my sister,” you answer for him, having a hard time keeping it all in at this point. “She’s the one he’s proud of. She’s the one whose kid he claims as his grandchild. She’s the one he acknowledges. I’m just—I’m just the mistake he wishes was never born.” 

Joe stands up, gradually moving toward you. 

“I did everything right. I stayed out of trouble. I went to school. I got my degree. I did—-” He’s in front of you, gently pulling you into him as you finally break. “I don’t understand why he didn’t want me. I’m his daughter.” you finally shatter, crying into his chest. “What’s wrong with me?”

“Hey, hey—” Joe brings his hands to your face, making you look at him. “There is nothing wrong with you. You are an amazing, intelligent, beautiful woman, and I can’t even begin to describe how amazing of a mother you are.” He wipes away your tears as you clutch onto his shirt. “He doesn’t deserve you, baby. He doesn’t deserve to be in your life. He never did, and he never will. Fuck him. You don’t need shit from him. I’ve got you, okay? Always.” You allow him to hold you, to comfort you, because it’s just what you need in this moment. You tried to find it in solitude, tried to find it at the bottom of a liquor bottle, but it was all in vain. You just needed him.

Joe holds you as long as you allow him, letting you cry it out until he's eventually able to guide you into returning to your apartment.

But outside the door is when you hesitate.

He notices this, immediately asking, “what’s wrong?”

Your eyes start watering again. “Callie…I—I don’t want her to—”

He shakes his head, kissing the top of your head. “I asked your mom to take her back to her place. I’ll go check on her after I get you straight.”

This seems to settle some of your anxiety, and he continues to guide you into your bedroom. He helps you out of your clothes and into a simple t-shirt that he recognizes as one of his own.

Joe moves all of your decorative pillows, placing them on the chair in the corner of your room as you pull back the blankets. He turns around to find you reaching for his hand, tugging him towards the bed. “Just—just until I fall asleep.”

He doesn’t object. Joe planned to stay with you until then anyway.

He undresses enough to climb into bed with you, and you waste no time burying yourself into his chest, feeling an instant sense of peace when he wraps his strong arms around you. You’ve always felt so safe and protected in his embrace, and in this moment, it’s everything you need. 

“I realized something tonight,” you mumble into his skin. Joe’s hand is under your shirt, hand moving soothing circles on the small of your back. “I—I didn’t keep Callie from you because of your wife. That was part of the reason, but it wasn’t the main reason.” You lift your head, throat feeling pressured as you allow yourself to finally admit, “the truth is that I was terrified you would reject her the way my dad rejected me, and I never wanted her to feel that way. And I know now that you would never do that to her, but I—I didn’t know then, and I was so wrong, and I’m so sorry. I—”

“Hey—” He cuts you off, hand going to palm your cheek. “Don’t do that. I understand why you did it now, I do. You were trying to protect her. I can’t be upset with you for that. I’m not.” He studies your face, your eyes, always so beautiful to him. “I don’t think I could ever be mad at you for too long.”

It’s not a lie. Joe’s always thought he’s known you like the back of his hand, learned you so well, but tonight has shown him that he didn’t know everything. He’ll never get back the time he missed out on with Callie, and maybe on some level there will always be a slither of resentment. But, it’s not enough for him to notice and most definitely not enough for him to actually feel.

He’s not quite sure how he could find it in him to hold your decision against you. It didn’t come from a place of selfishness or vindictiveness but love and protectiveness. You just wanted to keep her from experiencing the pain and trauma you’d endured. 

There was no faulting that. 

And you accept his grace, so understanding and considerate. You feel slightly undeserving but immensely grateful that he can extend such empathy. 

You’re quiet after that, eyes shut as you work to turn off your brain and decompress what’s inarguably been one of the most difficult days of your life. You’re almost in the early stages of sleep when his voice invades the quietness. 

“I love you.” Joe doesn’t feel any sort of movement at his confession, doesn’t feel you tense or relax. He’s not even sure if you’re still awake, but still, he continues. “I’ve always loved you, and I don’t even know how much of this you’ll remember tomorrow, but that doesn’t matter because I’ve always imagined telling you under much different circumstances anyway.”

“I want to be with you,” he continues. “I’ve always wanted to be with you, and I’m sorry for not putting you first. You deserved better than that. I should have gotten divorced long before I even met you. And that’s….something we eventually need to talk about. I owe you that much.”

He wants to say more, so much more, but he also knows now is not the time given he’s almost certain you’re asleep. Hence why he finally slips out of bed, knowing he needs to check on Callie.

He doesn’t leave without caressing your cheek and kissing your temple, relieved that you’re finally getting some rest following what was inexplicably an emotionally draining day. 

But you’re not asleep, and you did hear it.

You heard it all.

________

“Who are you?”

Joe walked into your moms house, not expecting anyone other than your mom and Callie. Only one of those individuals are present, and the other is a man he’s never in his life seen before but automatically doesn’t like. Just his aura seems off. 

Joe especially hates that this man is in the same house as his little girl.

Your mom seems taken back by this side of him and explains, “Joe, this is Amir. He’s, uhh, an old friend of Y/N. He saw her run off and wanted to check in on her.”

The day's events are definitely a contributing factor as Joe feels exhausted, both mentally and physically, but hearing that this is the infamous Amir instantly angers him. What the hell is he doing here?

“You bold as hell coming here.” is all Joe says, redirecting his attention to your mom. “Y/N tell you that she found out he and Mariah been sleeping with each other?”

What he wants to say is that they’ve been fucking, but he wants to remain respectful. Even if it is hard as hell.

Your mom is looking, mouth ajar, between Joe and Amir. “Wh–what is he talking about, Amir?”

“So you’re the one that’s been feeding those lies into her.” Deflection. It’s a typical bitch move. “You talking a lot of shit for someone who abandoned his own kid and just came back on the scene like ain't nothing happened.”

If not for the fact that you’ve already explained to Joe that you’d never told Amir what really happened between you and him because it was none of his business, Joe would have been livid. He would never abandon you. And definitely never Callie. Ever.

He’d have been with you every fucking step of the way the minute you found out you were pregnant if he’d been given the chance.

But all of that is no business of this asshole’s. 

“You can say or think whatever the hell you want about me. It doesn’t matter. You’re irrelevant, regardless, so the same way you walked your ass in here is the same way you can walk your ass right on out.”

“Apparently not to Y/N.” He’s smug, and it takes a tremendous amount of willpower for Joe to not lay this man out right then and there. He doesn’t know why you would ever settle for the likes of this prick. “Not with how many times she ended up in my bed.” 

Joe partially forgot your mom was even in the same vicinity until she gasps loudly, clearly disgusted, “my Lord. Please, this is my daughter you’re speaking about.”

With a low chuckle, Joe tries his best to remain respectful yet still abundantly clear. “And how many times has she reached out to you since I’ve been back?” His silence is all the answer Joe needs, not that he really needs one at all. Joe knows you have eyes and desire for him and him alone. He just needs to prove a point to this motherfucker. “I’m not asking you. I’m telling you to stay the fuck away from my girlfriend and especially my daughter, cause the next time it won’t be no conversation.”

And before Amir can say or even, stupidly, do anything, a new smaller voice enters the scene.

“Daddy!”

Joe is unsure if he’ll ever get over the joy that fills him at being called that. Callie is at the top of the steps but proceeds to rush down when she sees him, Joe leaning down and catching her, picking her up.

“Hey, sweetheart.” He kisses her cheek, noticing almost immediately how tired she looks. Understandable, as it’s almost 11 o’ clock, far past her bedtime. Uncomfortable with this Amari or whatever the fuck his name is being so close to Callie, Joe starts leading her back up the stairs.

With a frown, she asks the question he was expecting. “Where’s mommy?” 

“She’s back at the apartment sleeping.” Joe is unsure just how to explain tonight’s events to Callie, not really knowing how to help her understand what occurred, if at all possible. “I’ll take you to see her tomorrow morning as soon as she wakes up.”

Joe walks her into her room at your mom’s place and seats her on the bed, sitting next to her. “What’s wrong with her?”

Such a simple question in wording and massively difficult in every other area, especially when one considers Callie’s young age. 

“Mommy saw someone who was very mean to her when she was little, and it made her sad, so….she just wanted to be alone.” It’s the best, simplest answer that’s not a lie he can come up with on the spot.

Callie’s frown deepens. “I don’t want mommy to be sad.”

“Neither do I, baby,” he murmurs. “But, I talked with her, and she should start feeling better soon, okay?”

Her frown diminishes slightly, and Joe can tell she’s in thought. She then asks, “are you gonna go stay with mommy tonight?”

“I was, but I can stay with you, if you want me to.” Joe knows you’ll probably sleep throughout the night because of the alcohol and more importantly, if Callie needs him, he’s there. No questions asked.

You would do the same. 

She suddenly shakes her head. “Mommy stays with me when I’m sad, so someone’s gotta stay with her while she’s sad.” Her face grows sullen again as she asks with a yawn, “do you still have to leave tomorrow morning?”

“No, I leave tomorrow night instead.”

In the midst of all of tonight’s chaos, he’d managed to switch flights, picking an evening one instead. Joe let Hunter know there was a family emergency, and that he’d be back later than initially expected. Hunter was understanding, and while he was grateful for that, it didn’t really make a difference.

You and Callie come first. 

She’s obviously partially pleased with this information and moves her body against his, laying her head on his arm. “I’m sleepy….”

Reaching to caress her cheek with his finger, he directs, “get some rest, Callie. I’ll stay with you until you fall asleep.”

She doesn’t say anything, just closes her eyes. It doesn’t take long for sleep to overtake her, a mere matter of minutes really. He stays with her longer though, just to be sure, needing to know she’s okay.

He needs both of yall to be okay.

________

You wake up with an instant sense of unease and discomfort. Your head is throbbing, and your body feels heavy. Your chest feels pressured, like there’s some invisible weight on it.

But in a matter of seconds, it all comes rushing back to you. The fireworks. Bianca. Seeing your dad. Running. Drinking. 

"I love you."

Eyes shutting, you do your best to settle your brain because only one thing is at the front of your mind when you hear giggling coming from outside of your closed door.

Callie 

Just how in the hell did your brief mental breakdown affect your child? 

Pushing the blankets off, it’s then you notice the bottle of water and white pill sitting on your nightstand. Picking it up, you see it’s Advil.

“Joe…..” you whisper, realizing he must have left it here waiting for you once you woke up. Eyes watering at his thoughtfulness, you swallow it and head straight for the bathroom. You need to get cleaned up and get out there to see what kind of damage you’ve unintentionally inflicted on your child’s psyche.

You know how attached she is to you and don’t even allow yourself to think about how difficult it must have been to be so abruptly ripped away.

Especially when you’re the one who did the ripping.

The shower is kept to a minimum, and once your teeth are brushed and face clean, you don’t hesitate to step out of the room. Following the path of sound, in the kitchen is where you find Callie. With Joe. 

They’re sharing a quiet laugh, and you’re certain it’s quiet because he told her you needed your rest. Always looking out for you. 

However, it’s when Callie happens to glance your way that her eyes go big. 

“Mommy!”

She surprisingly climbs off the counter instead of outright jumping and runs over to you. You kneel down to meet her for her hug, so tight and welcoming. “Do you feel better?” 

“Oh baby, I’m always better when I get to see you.” Kissing her forehead, you add, gently, “mommy’s sorry for scaring you.” And it's true. You never meant to scare her or make her worry about you, and it's something you'll work as hard as necessary to make up to her.

But your sweet child surprises you with her authentic, mature reassurances. “It’s okay. Daddy said you were sad,” she explains and gasps. “I made you something to make you smile!”

Touched, you palm her cheek. She really is the light of your life. “I’d love to see it, baby.”

“Okay! I’ll be right back.” She rushes out of the kitchen, and you take the opportunity to talk to Joe. Wordlessly, you move over to hug him.

“Thank you.” There’s not enough thank yous to show him just how appreciative you are to have him in your life, to have him as Callie’s father. He took such control yesterday while you were busy drowning in your daddy issues. And now he’s still here when you’re almost certain that he was supposed to have flown out at the crack of dawn. “I’m really sorry about last night. That’s not—-I don’t get drunk. I would never leave Callie like that—“

“I don’t care about any of that,” he dismisses. You believe him, as he looks entirely uninterested in any explanation you want to provide him because he sees it as unnecessary. He takes the back of hand to feel your forehead. “How are you feeling? Did you take the Advil?”

Nodding, you try again, “seriously, Joe. You’ve changed your whole schedule around—“

“You needed me,” he answers. “There was nothing to think about.”

And the tears are brewing again, but for very different reasons. This man is everything you’ve always wanted and dreamed of, even better. And he loves you. He wants to be with you. Your daughter's father wants to establish a life with you, be a family. What logical reason do you have to continue to deny him? Deny yourself?

“Joe…..” Licking your lips, you place your hands on his chest. “I lo—”

“Here it is, mommy!”

Callie’s interruption is both perfect and imperfect timing. You want so badly to tell him that you love him too, that you also want to be with him. But maybe it’s not the best timing, maybe the setting should be different.

You want him to know you love him not just because of the aftershocks of vulnerability. That you’re in love with him and have been since you were 23 years old. 

Callie is at your legs, holding up a drawing she created of you surrounded by hearts. Her artwork has always been her favorite form of expression, and you’re so grateful for her pure, kind heart in this moment.

Holding it against your chest, you lean down to accept her hug. “Thank you so much, baby. I love it.” 

“Yay!” She rejoices and then looks up between the two of you. “Daddy and I made you breakfast!”  

Gasping, you ask, “really?” It’s only then you notice the kitchen, while cleaner than one would expect after preparing breakfast with a four-year-old, you see the counters that have food laid out on a variety of plates and tupperware. “Waffles?”

“Your favorite.” Joe reaches to kiss your temple, and lightly pats your hip. “Sit down, we’ll fix it for you.”

You open your mouth to protest when Callie takes your hand and guides you to the barstools and scampers back over to Joe who picks her up, holding her with one arm while the other fixes your breakfast for you. He allows her to point and dictate what goes on your plate and how it’s fixed.

And you sit there, allowing yourself to take in this moment. There’s so much you need to navigate and sort through. Bianca, your dad, Mariah, hell, even finally being honest with Joe about your feelings. But, all of that can wait. 

Because all that matters right now are the two people you love most in this world.

[wolvieswhiskeyclaws]

Could I have a John x fem reader where the reader reacts to John winning (but still beat tf up) in a bar fight?

Thanks bestie <3

Eyyy of COURSE you can bestie?! I have been practicing writing John, and I may not be the best, but I think I'm confident in my abilities. I think. But here, have a fun, flirty little brawl with your man~

"Trouble" ||

John Marston x f!Reader

Length: 2.1k

Rating: Mature: Mentions of blood, fighting, language

How John ended up in this situation was honestly beyond him, it was just an innocent outing with you and him running some errands for the ranch, and yet he was getting fist after fist pounded into his face. 

After a long day of working, you could tell he was going stir-crazy. His old life was all about freedom and running around, doing things to bring in money or just getting to do as he pleased, but now? He was on a ranch, pretending to be someone he wasn’t to get by, and his trigger finger was beginning to itch. But to make you happy, to keep your heads low, and to survive, John had to behave and live as his persona for the time being. 

“So, Jim,” you said with a smirk, “maybe we should stop at a saloon since it’s getting dark, we could eat a decent meal, maybe stay in a hotel for the night. I’m tired,” you sighed and leaned your head against the man’s shoulder. 

John matched your sigh and flicked the reigns on the horses as he pulled them to the right, heading into Valentine's territory, which he hadn’t expected to be back here so soon. “I mean, it is a long way back, we could use the rest. And I am starvin’, could use something that isn’t a stew for once.” 

You both pulled the wagon off and made sure the horses were comfortable, hitched to a nearby post, and then John helped you down to the ground and smiled wide with his arm wrapped around your waist. “Well, let’s get inside, maybe we can get a bath before bed, too,” he said softly with a smirk. He pulled you along and walked beside you, looking around the town that felt so different from when he was last here. 

As you both entered the saloon, you definitely could tell that the environment was more lively, but you both tried to keep your wits about you as you ordered some food and sat in the corner, away from the rowdy group of people. The food was delicious and the conversation you shared was pleasant, as usual, but John couldn't shake the feeling that eyes kept falling on you both. He'd look away from you as he stopped mid-sentence to see one of the men staring at the both of you, but he tried to pay no mind, you were taking his attention. 

The food was finished and you both were feeling content, the party of people in the saloon only grew larger in number and louder in volume, so you both figured it was time to head out to the hotel for the evening. John allowed you to walk out first so he could follow behind you, but you had barely gotten several steps toward the door when one of the men stepped in front of your path, blocking you from the exit.

“Hey there now, y'all ain't plannin’ on comin’ over to celebrate with us?” 

“Sorry, friend, but we have other plans to attend to,” John answered firmly. 

The man just scoffed, the reek of booze was strong on his breath, it was a wonder he was still standing. “Aww c'mon, my friend over there is gettin’ married, you could have one drink to congratulate him!”

“Sorry sir, but we don't even know you,” you said sharply, stepping back from him, and bumping into John. You felt a bit more at ease since he was here.

“And? You ain't heard of makin’ friends?” The man chuckled and grabbed your arm, pulling you along toward the table. He then decided to yank your arm and attempt to pull you over toward the table, but John stepped up and grabbed his wrist hard. 

“We ain't interested, sir. My woman and I are heading out for the evenin’, so maybe next time you should use your brain and not touch a lady when she says no.” 

John pushed the man away so you both had room to leave, but some of the drunk’s friends decided to get involved. 

John stepped up protectively, his spine stiffened as his hand hovered over the knife that was holstered, hidden beneath his jacket. “Sir, you got till the count of three to back off and leave us alone,” he warned. 

There had been a taller man who stood up from the table and interjected, pushing his friend gently off to the side. “Are you threatenin’ us?” He snapped. 

“I ‘spose I am,” John retorted, holding his ground as he pushed you further behind him to shield you. 

Another of the man's friends stepped up and tried to land a surprise swing on John, but he pushed you out of the way and took the hook to his shoulder. After that, John was brawling with several of the men who ganged up on you both. The one in the red shirt had tried to grab John to put him in a headlock so his friends could take their turns wailing on him, but your John was fast. He elbowed Red and kicked his leg in, causing the man to fall flat on his face.

That was one down—three more to go.

“I ain’t been in a bar fight in a long time,” John commented as he had both arms up, ready to block any attacks if needed, “but I’d rather continue my night with my lady if you gentlemen don’t mind.”

The three other men all ignored him and each one tried to punch him at different intervals to throw him off, but somehow, John managed to throw one man into the other and watched as the two tumbled straight into a table. The others who occupied the saloon were standing back and vacating the building. The bartender just sighed and walked off, not wanting to be part of yet another brawl. That left you, standing on the stairs away from the tussle. 

The gunslinger looked back and you, making sure you were out of harm's way, then he got back to it. The two men who collided with the table were too drunk to stand, and all they did was stumble over one another. There was one left standing, and he was a little larger than the others. 

“Look, I can just leave, no reason you gotta get involved,” John said nonchalantly, his stance easing up a little.

The man just glared down at him and he scoffed at the offer. “You ruined my engagement celebration, mister, I don’t take so kind to that.”

John just sighed and lifted his hands again, balling them into fists. “Alright then, have it your way,” he replied.

The man took a fast step forward and swung his fist straight at John’s jaw, and if it weren’t for the speed, maybe John would have dodged it, instead, he got nicked against his chin, which still caught him enough to cause some pain. That was all the distraction the man needed to step in and lunge at John, his larger body barreled into him and tackled him to the floor.

You let out a yelp, terrified that the man was going to have a one-up on John, and all you could do was watch in fear as your hands gripped the railing in fear. 

The gunslinger was pinned onto the floor as the man above him threw punch after punch, landing a blow on his cheek, and almost breaking his nose at one point. John held up his arms to block and tried his best to use the strength from his legs to somehow get him to slip off, and he managed to throw the man off of him for a split second. He scrambled to find some balance, then rolled off to the side as the man recovered. 

“Give up yet?” John asked with a smirk on his face as he licked the blood from his split lip, the bruises on his face forming fast.

The man just yelled out in frustration and then John had him in a blind frenzy, which made any man messy in a fight. John ducked from the swing and swung his right arm quickly, the blow landed in the side of the man’s temple, stunning him momentarily. Then it was over, John was finally standing over him and landing punch after punch in the man’s face until he fell unconscious. The gunslinger released the man’s collar, allowing his body to fall slack onto the wooden floor. 

He looked up at you, panting to catch his breath as he straightened his posture. The people who occupied the saloon had all either hidden somewhere or run off, and there were just the two of you left with the pile of unconscious men scattered about on the floor. You waited a moment before hesitantly walking down the stairs to run into his arms, thankful he was alright despite being a little black and blue. 

“As always you’re my hero,” you chuckled and reached up to touch his face, wiping away a smear of blood from his lip. 

“And as always, we’re both gettin’ into trouble,” he replied gruffly.

You just scoffed. “We?” 

“Well yeah, you’re my accomplice, partner in crime, ain’t you?” He asked as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Plus you’re the one always gettin’ the attention,” John teased as he slipped his arm through yours. He pulled you along and threw a couple of bills onto the countertop, then escorted you outside and across the muddly way, leading you straight to the hotel. 

You both walked inside, the environment a complete flip from the saloon, and you were more at ease now, and even more thankful when you saw the list of services. The gentleman behind the counter stopped sweeping the floor and greeted you both with a kind smile.

“Howdy, how can I help y’all this evenin’?” He looked between the both of you with concern but didn’t voice them. 

Your eyes looked over at John with a smile and then back at the desk man. “One bath and one room, please.”

The man smiled and got everything situated for you both, you thanked him and paid, then pulled John up the stairs to the bath. He followed obediently and cracked his neck as he ascended the stairs with you, groaning.

“Sleepin’ is gonna be a bitch, I just know it,” he complained.

“Well if you behaved for five minutes you wouldn’t have to worry about it, would you?” You scolded playfully as you looked over your shoulder at him. “He got some good hits in, but not gonna lie, Mister Marston, you looked really good kickin’ his ass.” You flashed him a cheeky smile and continued to lead him to the bath. “You go get cleaned up, I’ll get the room ready.” 

You almost walked away, leaving him in front of the bath door, but his hand grabbed your wrist, and then he pulled you back toward him, falling into him as his arms wrapped around you. “Yeah? You think I looked good, huh?” He asked flirtatiously, pulling you close so his face was mere inches from yours. “Then why do you think you can just leave me here alone?” “John Marston, are you implyin’ I’m gonna join you in your bath?” You gasped, faux shock crossed your features. 

All he could do was smile, the raised edges of the scars across his face made his face look extra handsome, and the dim lighting in the hall only made you admire his face even more. “Nah, I’m declarin’ that you are, unless you don’t wanna?” His hands cupped your cheeks, pulling you into the most tender kiss he could manage. 

When he pulled away, your eyes fluttered open and you just stared up at him with a lovestruck smile. “Well, when you put it that way…”

That was all the confirmation he needed, so he opened the door to the readied hot bath, pulling you in after him, and you couldn’t help but giggle as he closed the door behind you both. You sighed as he leaned your hands against his chest, just smiling up at him with that look.

“I know that look, what is it?” 

“Nothin’, you’re just trouble, John Marston,” you said softly, your hand cupped his cheek again, mindful of how gentle you had to be. “But I wouldn’t change it for the world, you know that, right?”

The man looked down at you and pulled you into another kiss, pulling away a moment later with that charming smile you were unable to resist, his hand reached up to brush your hair away from your face so he could see the light in those pretty eyes of yours. Just a minor setback to your shared evening, but John always had ways to make it up to you. 

[kookie-doughs]

Daddy Cupid

Modern!Various One Piece Men X Reader

-When your father grows weary of your single life, he takes it upon himself to play matchmaker. With him knowing the entire city, he embarks on a mission to find you the perfect match.

Chapter 2: Cupid's Arrow

As you approach the condo, the guard recognizes you and opens the door with a smile and a nod, familiar with your face.

Having a spare key, you simply let yourself in and crash onto the sofa.

"Y/N," a voice calls from behind you.

With your face planted on the couch, all you can manage is a muffled "Heyy."

The man groans, and hearing his footsteps walking away, you finally turn to face upright.

"Smokeyyyy..."

"What?" he replies from the bathroom, where he's brushing his teeth.

"I fell for Dad's tactics again..."

His head peeks out of the bathroom as he rinses his mouth. "Who is it this time?"

"Edward's son..." you sigh, realizing you've been roped into another matchmaking setup.

"Well, that can't be that bad," Smoker remarks optimistically.

"You say that, but all the dates Dad has set up for me so far are weirdos," you retort, listing off your previous experiences.

"They're not weirdos."

"King tried to rope me into his cult. Kuro is obsessed with cats, and his two cats are hideous. Pretty sure he also had a knife play kink. And Cracker plays with his food like he's 7."

"Marco isn't that bad from what I heard," Smoker offers.

"Who's Marco?" you inquire.

"Edward's son. He just moved here a few weeks ago. He's a doctor," Smoker explains.

"Ugh, you're supposed to talk shit about this, don't list off his good traits. Do you not want me to marry at 40?" you complain, frustrated with Smoker's positive outlook.

"You're hopeless. Come on, I'm on duty," Smoker insists, pulling you up.

"Can't I just stay hereeeee...." you whine.

"No," Smoker says firmly, pushing you out and closing the door behind you both.

You pout as Smoker escorts you out, and you protest, Smoker sighed. "If you want someone who'd shit on people, go visit Buggy or something."

"Fine, maybe I will!" you stomp away, and Smoker follows you silently.

Before you part ways, he ruffles your hair and says, "See ya later. Good luck on your date," with a smirk. Leaving you more upset.

As you mumble under your breath and scrunch your face in frustration, you become distracted and fail to pay attention to where you're walking.

"You're in the way!"

In a moment of carelessness, you accidentally get hit by a bike, causing you to stumble and fall to the ground. As you and the man on the bike fall, you quickly look up to see who it is. Your eyes meet his, and you both take a moment to assess the situation. You find yourself face to face with a tall and imposing figure. The man had a considerable stature, with a strong and well-built frame. He has black, curly hair cut to chin length that fans out at the tips, tanned skin, and an altogether lean, long build.

Your upsetness quickly takes over, and you glare at the man who bumped into you.

"This was a sidewalk, why are you even here!" you snap.

"Bikes are allowed on this sidewalk. Why weren't you paying attention?" he grumbles in response.

"You ruined my clothes!" you exclaim.

"You ruined my bike."

"No, I didn't!" you argue, pointing at the perfectly okay bike that was just on the ground.

"Fine, maybe my bike is fine, but you're still at fault," he concedes, getting up and dusting himself off before picking up his bike.

You hurriedly get up, not wanting him to divert from the issue at hand. However, you wince when a sudden pain shoots through your wrist as you try to push yourself up, causing you to clutch it in discomfort.

The man looks at your wrist and, despite his grumbling, takes your hand to examine it. You wince in pain and pull your hand away from him.

He then pulls out his wallet and hands you a paper. "Calling card. Get that checked, then call me. Sorry for the trouble," he mutters, seeming somewhat remorseful.

"Shouldn't you take me to somewhere I can get checked instead of telling me to go alone?" you glare at him, frustrated by his lack of assistance.

"I'm busy. Anyways, just call me," he says as he starts to leave, showing little interest in staying to help further.

You trudge to the closest hospital or clinic you can find, nursing your injured wrist. The nurse at the front desk helps you fill out the necessary paperwork, and you take a seat in the waiting area.

After a while, the doctor emerges from his room, the doctor was a tall, lean, muscular man with blond hair and a rather sleepy look on his face sporting some stubble around his chin. The doctor briefly speaks with an elderly lady, cautioning her to be careful, before turning his attention to the nurse and inquiring about the next patient to see.

The nurse calls for you, and you make your way to the doctor's room. The doctor, with a sweet smile, welcomes you inside.

"So, Ms. L/N, for a broken wrist?" he reads from your paperwork.

You nod and reply, "Y-Yeah, an asshole bumped into me..."

He chuckles sympathetically and looks at you as you cradle your injured wrist. "May I?"

"O-Oh, right," you say, realizing he needs to examine it. Slowly, you hand your hand over to him, and he gently takes it, carefully inspecting your wrist. He proceeds to move it and perform various examinations.

"Well, I'll just wrap it up and keep it on for two weeks. You can't let this get wet, and I'd suggest you remove it when you sleep," he advises, outlining the treatment plan for your broken wrist.

"Also, from your paperwork, it said you got hit by a bike. You might have bruises or something, would you want me to check those too?" the doctor inquires.

"Uh, sure..." you agree, realizing that it's probably a good idea to make sure you haven't sustained any other injuries from the accident.

The doctor carefully examined you, paying attention to any potential injuries beyond your broken wrist. After a thorough check, he pointed out, "Well, it seems you have an abrasion at the back of your thigh, and there's another one on your ankle."

You blinked in surprise, realizing you hadn't even noticed those injuries. "Oh, I didn't even notice."

The doctor chuckled at your response. "Perhaps its the adrenaline from the accident must have masked the pain. It happens more often than you'd think. I'll clean and dress these wounds for you, so they don't get infected."

After the doctor dressed your wounds and provided you with the necessary care, you paid for the medical services and expressed your gratitude before leaving the clinic.

With your wrist securely wrapped and your minor injuries tended to, you made your way to Buggy's place.

You knock on the door, and it's answered by a slim, well-endowed woman with dark-green eyes and long, wavy black hair. She greets you with a scowl, clearly not pleased with your presence.

"Who are you?" she scoffs, crossing her arms defensively.

"Don't worry, I'm not here for you," you reply dismissively, pushing past her to enter the room. She gasps at your audacity.

She quickly runs to the couch, where you spot a familiar redheaded figure watching TV. She jumps into his arms, and you roll your eyes at the dramatic display before knocking on Buggy's room, eager to get this meeting over with.

As you knock on Buggy's room, the redhead inside turns to see who's entered. His eyes light up with excitement when he sees you, and he quickly pushes away the woman who was in his arms.

"My love! Y/N~ You couldn't help but come for me, hmm~?" Shanks exclaims, trying to pull you closer.

"Is Bug home?" you ask, trying to keep the conversation on track.

"I am~ Do you still need him~?" Shanks sings, pulling you closer once more. Annoyed, you grab his ear, causing him to hiss in pain. "Ow owowowow!!!"

"Yes or no?" you demand.

"He's asleep!!!!" He finally answers, albeit reluctantly.

Pushing Shanks away, you roll your eyes and decide to call Buggy directly. You pick up your phone and dial his number, not wanting to deal with any more unnecessary drama in the room.

In the background, you can hear the woman and Shanks starting to argue, but you pay them no mind as you patiently wait for Buggy to answer your call.

Buggy picks up the phone after a few rings, and you quickly inform him of your presence.

"I'm outside, open your door," you instruct.

You hear some commotion and noises from inside the room, and then the door swings open. "H-Hi!" Buggy stammers.

Without wasting any time, you push him back into the room and close the door behind you, not wanting to deal with Shanks or the woman any longer.

"Bug, Smokey didn't comfort me," you complain, turning your attention to Buggy.

"Comfort you why?" Buggy asks, looking genuinely confused.

"Dad got me another date..." you sigh in exasperation.

"Again?? Didn't he promise not to?" Buggy questions, clearly surprised.

"I know, right?! He never keeps his promise! I told him I'm moving to mom's if he doesn't keep this promise."

Buggy raises an eyebrow. "Who's your date this time?" he inquires, curious about the latest candidate your father has selected.

"Smokey said his name is Marco. I don't know him, though..." you explain.

Buggy chuckles and says, "I bet he's an ass too."

"THANK YOU!!!" you exclaim, rolling your eyes. "Smokey said he's amazing," you mock, emphasizing the word 'amazing' with a sarcastic tone.

"Oh, I bet he also said how this one might be the right one!" Buggy adds, catching onto the pattern of your father's matchmaking attempts.

"EXACTLY OMG!!" you reply, the frustration evident in your voice. It seems both you and Buggy share a similar skepticism about these setups.

"Why not just ask your dad to help you with Hawkeye," Buggy suggests.

You flush and retort, "Shut up, you clown."

"It was just a suggestion. You want him anyway," He insists.

"He has kids," you remind him.

Buggy smirks and teases, "What a dilf, am I right?"

"You're the worst, omg! I have a date tomorrow, hellooooo!" you exclaim, exasperated by his antics.

Previous | Masterlist | Next

HI GUYS I'VE WRITTEN AND ALMOST FINISHED DOFFY'S STORY BCUZ UHM I KNOW I SAID THIS STORY WAS SUPPOSED TO BE OWNED BY MARCO BUT I FELL IN LOVE WITH DOFFY AGAIN

I'll be writing either Marco, Katakuri or Aokiji next I'll let you know who ill write

im letting you guys know in case you want changes and as ive said before characters thats been written are not receiving change of tropes

to clarify stuff too i wasnt going to make this a harem but perhaps some people got the wrong idea

these are separate stories sharing the universe where Y/N will go down the route of romance for this character sometimes they'll make references from the other stories if i can think of funny ones but yes

i hope you guys enjoy this story thanm you so much for all your supports!!

-kookiedoughs

Taglist?

@nykie-love-anime @gayer-than-the-gayest-gay @angstylittleb1tch @valen-yamyam16 @melodyidk @anicega @littlegreekgirl1 @rebeccawinters

[gooppoo]

ok but imagine subby whiny jake

i would love to imagine that. hc coming right up!

whining.

Requests Closed!!

mdni.

warnings: sub!Jake, you tied him up hehe, handjobs, teasing, edging, you're just a menace tbh

Jake had asked for this.

Typically you were the one being 'taken care of.' Which usually meant Jake had complete control over the situation

And that was nice, both of you were always left satisfied

But sometimes you have to switch it up a little bit, and Jake was the one to ask for that!

He asked you, "Can you tie me up? Wanna see how long I can go."

And you doubled checked with him, "Are you sure? Do you want to do a safe word?"

"I don't think it'll get that far. We're done when you're done."

It seemed that Jake didn't know you as well as he had thought.

You took the dominate roll very seriously, and very naturally, too

The entire time you had a vixen like look in your eye, an evil - but somehow still soothing - smirk on your lips

After Jake was secured, you let your pointer drag across his arm and around to his chest, up under his chin

"Not too late to back out."

He matched your smirk, "Who do you think I am?"

That was your signal to give him all you had

You found yourself perched on his lap, palms exploring his chest and abs, sometimes swirling a braid around your finger

You'd let your lips hover inches away from his and force him to close the gap, do most of the work, too

Then your lips were dusting against his neck, nipping and licking in places until you heard him begin to whine

His arms started tugging at his restraints, but you ignored him, continuing to leave a faint purple patch near his collar bone

Meanwhile, your nails teased the skin on his torso until they were on his thighs, edging awfully close to the growing tent beneath his loincloth

He sighed, "What're you doing?" Frustration creeping along his features.

You didn't answer, only flashed him a stern glance, then continued

Slowly, you shifted his garment to the side and revealed him

You took his heavy length into your hands and let your fingers wrap around his base, your chilly fingertips warming to his temperature

He hissed, quick to bite down on his lip to mask the sounds trying to escape

Again you glanced at him through your lashes, your eyes speaking more than whatever you had to say

Keeping this eye contact, you started stroking him languidly and watched his demeanor crumble

His brows furrowed when you chuckled at him

"Wh-what? Shit..."

You directed your focus at his tip, and kissed away anymore questions he had for you. There was a noticeable difference in his stiffness after your lips parted

Picking up the pace, you flicked your wrist faster and faster, watching his chest rise and fall and his pupils dilate

When his gasping became unmistakable whimpering, and his jaw began to clench, you slowed your hand

"W-wait wait wait-" he huffed "No no no!"

Jake knew exactly what you were doing

You pouted at him, "Oh...I'm sorry. Were you going to cum?"

"Yes!" He exasperated, his shoulders flexing as he wriggled against the ropes

You tsked him mockingly, "Should've came when you had the chance..."

And truthfully, you would've left it at that, but there was a look about his face that made you feel cruel leaving him as is

There was a genuine frown and grunt of frustration, perhaps even tears were forming?

"But...I guess I can give you another chance. You have to cum when I say so."

Jake nodded feverishly, choking out his words, "Yes! Yes...please."

So your hand found Jake's length again and smeared his pre-cum along his inches

Like before, you started slow, letting him enjoy the feel - this time he was more jumpy, more vocal

Sometimes he'd even buck his hips a little to fuck your palm, but you'd pin his hips into place and glare at him

When his groaning grew to a certain volume, you flicked your wrist faster

Jake swore and whined and grumbled, afraid of when his moment to paint his abdomen white would come

"Cum, Jake."

He didn't expect it so soon, and so it was a little difficult to produce his orgasm, but nonetheless he did

Spurts of creamy white splotched onto your fingers and against his abs

The feel of his dick twitching in your hand as you pumped his cum against him was nothing less than sinful

You made sure there wasn't anything else left

Jake slumped and fought to catch his breath, yelping when you'd even graze him

Lifting his gaze, you held his eyes as you cleaned your fingers of his dripping seed, taking your time to dip into the crevices of your hand and suck on your digits

This image was burned into Jake's mind

It also had blood rushing below his belly button, and you felt it against your thigh

You hummed, "You think you could handle more?"

Jake paused for a moment, unsure if his body could endure all the sensations it had just gone through

Yet, he reminded you, "We're done when you're done."

[kurogane2512]

Hellooo, can you do Chelsea x FEM chief(nsfw) From ptn?

GAH CHELSEA MY LOVE <33

I'm so sorry this is so late, the idea has been in my head for so long but I was procrastinating to write :(

18+ CONTENT MDNI

Game: Path to Nowhere

Characters: Chelsea x fem!Chief

Type: Smut and Fluff (kissing, fingering, a lot of foreplay, jealous Chelsea, Chelsea wearing her paid outfit, Chelsea is bottom for Chief change my mind)

A knock was heard on your office door, followed by Nightingale walking in carrying some papers with her.

"Chief, your mail for today."

Thanking her, you let her keep the stack on your desk then watched her walk out before you began going through the mail. There were the usual documents from FAC, 9th Agency and some other organisations followed by requests from Sinners. All of a sudden, you spotted a peculiar pink envelope, adorned with a familiar small gem on the leaflet as a seal. You carefully picked it up and examined it a bit before opening and taking out the similar looking letter, complete with pink paper and a pleasant fragrance infused in it.

You quickly recognized it was none other than Chelsea who sent it. The letter was a simple invitation to her mansion for a banquet she was holding at the end of this week. At first, you became slightly suspicious but kept those doubts aside. For some reason, you knew Chelsea had changed slightly.

"Now I remember, she had requested to be allowed to go home to look over some matters. I thought she had some work but this is what she's doing...?"

You sighed and pinched your temple as you rested back on your chair and pondered more, "I haven't talked with her properly for a while....I got so busy dealing with others that I barely visited her. I guess this is not a bad opportunity."

Accepting the invitation, you cleared your schedule and made preparations to go as stated. It was a Saturday evening when you reached her mansion, dressed up in a decent knee-length white dress which was the best clothes you could afford. Everything else was too expensive or too casual. You were greeted by a maid who guided you towards an empty room. You could sense by your shackles that Chelsea was in the mansion, probably in a nearby room.

"The Countess prepared these clothes for you. Please pick one as you like." the maid said with a bow, showing you walk-in wardrobe containing a plethora of all kinds of party dresses.

"Uh....do I have to?" you asked nervously, embarrassed by the gesture.

"The Countess would be pleased if you do. She selected everything herself."

You nodded with a sigh then walked around a bit and spotted a stylish suit piece, complete with a crimson shirt and black coat with black pants. While you weren't one to wear suits outside of work, you certainly preferred it over the extravagant and heavy dresses here. You put on the chosen suit with the maid's help, you were fixing yourself in the mirror when you saw Chelsea's figure walking in behind you.

"Did you know, Chief? Legend has it that if you keep chanting "Countess Chelsea, take me as your sugar baby" at a mirror in this mansion, no matter where I am, I'll immediately appear~"

She smirked as she stopped behind you, wrapping her arms around your waist and resting her head atop your shoulder.

"I wonder if that's what you were think right now~"

You eyed her in the mirror, "I won't deny I was thinking of you. However, I'm afraid not to that extent."

"Aww, you break my heart, Chief~"

You chuckled together as she let go and you turned around to face her, immediately taken aback looking at what she was wearing.

"You....You look beautiful, Chelsea." you complimented earnestly, genuinely at a loss of words for how attractive she looked in the ruby colored floor-length dress having a thigh-high slit covered by a black transparent net.

She smiled and leaned closer, caressing the lapel of your coat.

"You don't look bad yourself, Chief. Not to mention, we match~"

Her voice husked in your ear, causing you to shiver for a brief moment before she pulled away and turned around holding your hand and dragging you out to the main hall.

"Welcome to my estate, Chief! You are my rare and precious guest, just make yourself at home. It'll be so boring if you are too nervous~"

She declared, showing you the mansion. You quickly realized you were the only ones around except the servants, it was a banquet exclusive for you two.

"C-Chelsea, you—"

"Ssh~" she put her finger on your lips and suddenly came closer, wrapping her arms over your neck while yours settled on her waist, lightly holding her. Soon enough, soothing music began playing around you and both of you began to sway to the tune, tenderly gazing at each other.

"How have things been at the bureau, Chief?"

"O-Oh, quite well...."

"Hmm~ Still too much paperwork? You know, Chief, if you become my sugar baby then all of that will end~"

"Yes yes, I know~"

You chuckled then picked up the pace slightly as the music fastened, now holding each other in a proper dance position.

"And....how have the others been? That Quinn CEO who keeps inviting you to play chess, the psychologist who loves toying with you, and....who other was it that takes up all your time?~"

You squinted your eyes and felt a different vibe about her, she seemed strangely serious.

"....I look over everyone as required, it's my job."

She raised her eyebrow then turned around and pressed her body against yours, as if being trapped in your arms. She leaned back on your shoulder; your lips were ghosting each other's and you could hear her breathing.

"Everyone except....me."

"What? No. That's not—Mhm!~"

You suddenly gasped as she pushed back further, her hand looping around your head and pulling it closer for her to lean in and place her lips on your neck. It was a simple kiss at first but she quickly sunk her teeth and sucked in, leaving a red spot on your neck.

"You have time for everyone except me. That's how you ignored me this past week. Once my problem was resolved then I was a nobody to you, isn't that right?"

"No, you are wrong. You are still detained; your Mania isn't cured and we still have to look over your crimes. I—"

She didn't let you finish as she turned around and placed her lips on yours, kissing you gently. You were surprised but her bewitching scent and soft lips drew you in, wanting to taste them more. You moved your lips in rhythm with her, pulling her even closer. The music stopped long ago yet you didn't release the kiss, both of you engaged in a needy exchange.

At last, she pulled away, licking your lips like a kitten and gazing at you while she slid her hand down to hold your wrist.

"You are mine, Chief. My....property~"

You suddenly felt your wrists tighten and looked down to see handcuffs made of gems placed fastened on them. You looked at Chelsea in shock as she smirked and pulled on the chain of the handcuffs to drag you along. You decided to follow her pace for now, secretly looking forward to what was to come. You reached a room and she shoved you inside followed by pinning you on a wall, her hands trapping you in.

"Dear Chief, how does it feel to be the one shackled instead?~"

She hummed in your ear, her breath tickling the edge. She then glanced towards the right side where there was a window before she walked towards it and drew the curtains to a close, darkening the room slightly.

"It's going to be a long night, Chief. Wouldn't want anyone to catch a peep, would you?~ Unless....that turns you on~"

You didn't reply then she proceeded to take off her clothes, sliding her dress down as she was left in her underwear. You heart was pounding watching her tempting figure in front of you, her fair and smooth skin shining against the faint moonlight. She smirked as she felt your gaze on her before walking up to you again and caressing your chest.

"It's rude to keep a lady waiting, Chief.....Oh, my apologies. I forgot your hands are tied~"

She feigned innocence before grabbing your hands and pinning them above your head, a hiss leaving your mouth at the force. She smirked and leaned in to capture your lips while her hands fiddled with your pants, unbuttoning and pulling them down as you slide them away from your feet.

"Is this all because I neglected you, Chelsea?"

"So, you do agree you neglected me? How honest of you, Chief~"

You smirked then leaned near her ear, "You know, you didn't have to go to such lengths to get my attention...."

You paused and sneakily brought your hands forward slowly, "....You could have just told me you were jealous~"

"Haha~ I believe you are mis— Aaah~!"

She was interrupted with a moan as you quickly put your handcuffed arms around her, caging her with you before turning around and pinning her on the wall instead.

"How bold of you, Chief! Are you that eager to have me? Can I treat this as a love confession from you?~"

"Love confession? I thought you wanted me to be your sugar baby~"

"Oh my, would you prefer that?~ It's just titles, Chief. No need to be so mindful of them~"

You smirked then attached your lips to her neck, eliciting a pleasant sigh from her as you sucked. She leaned back and pushed your head further then you focused your shackles for a brief moment causing her to squeal, the heat enabled you to break away the handcuffs for you to slide your hands down to her leg and hold it up to your thigh.

"A-Ah! Chief! I didn't think you were so dominating in bed....Did someone give you practice? Was it the Quinn CEO? Or the psychologist? Or perhaps your own Adjutant?~"

"Let's just say I'm naturally gifted~"

You chuckled together as you rubbed your fingers over her folds, holding her up on the wall as her legs wrapped around you. She softly moaned in your ear and began rutting her hips forward, needy for you to go in.

"Hm, just like a cat...needy for attention when she desires..." you thought looking at her state then finally plunged your fingers inside her cunt.

She gasped and arched back further, holding on to you tighter. You rubbed and scissored your fingers in her wet, spongy walls, making her squirm and moan in your hold. She gripped her fingers in your hair and pulled you in for a sloppy kiss, tongues interlocking in desperation. You then moved down to lick her breasts, sucking on the hardened pink buds and lightly nibbling them.

"Haaahn~ C-Chief! Oh, Chief!~ More....Give me more! Show me....t-the beast inside you!~"

"You don't want to see that, Chelsea~"

"Oh, try me!~"

You chuckled then plunged your fingers deeper, taking her by surprise. She squealed more and leaned forward on your shoulder, thighs enclosing and trapping your arm in between. You held her waist and pushed her into the wall instead, licking strips down her neck as you thrusted your fingers deep inside her. Her walls tightened, gripping your fingers tightly, she was close.

You leaned close to her ear to whisper, "Hold me tight, this might....hurt a bit."

She was confused but did as told and wrapped her arms around your neck, you buried your face in the crook of her neck and she sneakily licked your ear, making you shiver. You then focused your shackles again very briefly as you thrusted into her deepest spot, her mind went blank as a wave of pleasure washed over her and she jumped forward from the force of the shackles.

A loud angelic moan echoed in the room as she came, messy juices dripping down her thighs and coating your hand. You brought your hand up and licked her slick clean, the sight making her flustered. She slumped in your arms in near defeat, making you chuckle.

"I told you~"

"Hehe~ Oh, Chief....if you think that was enough for me then you are gravely mistaken. Come on, the party is still going on~"

[wish-i-were-heather]

TOO SWEET ⤵ NASH HAWTHORNE X READER

ABOUT: 3129 words, no use of y/n

STORY: you meet back up with your childhood best friend, and he gets a bit out of hand.

WARNINGS: drunkess/alcohol? i guess that's it

TAGS: @littlemissmentallyunstable @gretag13 @lanterns-and-daydreams @whatsamongus @alwaysthefangirl @zuzanna-jadw1ga @emelia07 @f4iry-bell @low-caloriesmonsterultra @that-daughter-of-hephaestus @jimcarreyfann42 @maybxlle @xoxo-vee @elysianwayy77 @ravishinglyliving @- this is just everyone who wanted to be tagged for grayson cuz i wasn't sure, pls lmk if u do/don't wanna be tagged for other characters!!

inspired by a post by @jkriordanverse <33

A/N: SORRY THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO POST WHILE I WAS GONE BUT THE QUEUE DIDN'T WORK >:( anyway so like i said i saw that post about drunk nash singing hozier and i was like omg yes. this gets kinda long i could've split it into two but i didn't so here we are

You were no stranger to formal events. Your family wasn’t necessarily rich, but you were well off. Somewhat higher status. So it wasn’t unusual for you to be at events that required you to dress up a bit. Put on a dress, do a bit more makeup, put on your good earrings. 

But this one was different.

It was a big charity event run by one of the biggest family names in the country, but the dress code was less suit and tie, high heels and pearl necklaces. For some reason, they had decided to play into the fact that they were in Texas. A western themed event. And for some reason you decided to go, despite having no experience with that style.

You thought it would be simple enough. Find a cute but not too fancy dress and a simple pair of boots to match. The dress you were able to find in your closet- a white one that fell loosely to just about the length of your knees, square neck, and thin straps. Nothing too revealing nor too elegant. The event, unlike most, was about simplicity. 

It was the boots that you had trouble with. 

You’d never worn a pair of cowboy boots before. Silly, supposing you lived in Texas, but you had just never been part of the crowd that wore that regularly. Because you only planned on wearing them to the event, you just ordered a pair online because it didn’t matter too much to you.

Only when they arrived did you realize that they were a bit too big. Nothing crazy, it wasn’t like wearing five sizes too big, more like half. And that half a size still made a difference. 

You stepped out of your car in front of the venue. It was some sort of ranch that clearly hadn’t been used as a proper ranch in who knew how long. The large barn doors were open, revealing all the partygoers and tables and drinks and lights and everything inside. 

Sure enough, everyone was dressed similar to you. Not too formal. Nothing like you were used to wearing. You felt out of place, even though every other person there looked the same. 

With a sigh, you made your way to the entrance. You weren’t exactly sure what to expect there. The only reason you came was because it was a Hawthorne event. You knew that name; you’d known that name your whole life. Your family had been close with the Hawthornes. You grew up with the four boys. Well, mostly with Nash. You were closer to his age than Grayson, Xander, or Jameson. 

But as you grew older, you drifted apart. Adulting happened, you got busy, and eventually you lost contact with Nash. You still had his number in your phone- well, at least his old one from when you were fifteen. Odds were he probably had a new one, and you weren’t willing to text and find out.

So maybe some part of you deep down was hoping to find him again here. It was probably hopeless. Such a big event, so many people, the chances of finding Nash Hawthorne were quite low. 

Yet here you were. 

You kept walking, making your way through the entrance. You were just on time, not too early or too late, but there were already plenty of people walking around. You didn’t recognize any of them. 

There were sounds of glasses clinking, country music in the background, and countless voices conversing as the evening began to unfold. You walked through the crowd, awkwardly adjusting the strap of your dress.

There was nothing wrong with it, but you couldn’t help but feel self conscious, even when everyone was just as casual.

Suddenly, your foot caught on an uneven plank of wood, the oversized shoe not helping one bit. With a startled yelp, you tripped forward. Instinctively, your arms moved out to catch yourself. But there was no need, because before you could properly fall, strong arms caught you, helping you balance again. 

“Woah there,” a familiar voice chuckled. And as you looked up, you found yourself looking into the amused eyes of Nash Westbrook Hawthorne. 

Your eyes widened when you realized who had caught your fall, your face suddenly heating up for no particular reason. 

“Nash?” You breathed, hardly able to believe it. 

He laughed, his grin widening in return when he recognized you too. “Well I’ll be damned. It’s been a long time.”

“Yeah, no kidding.”

Nash took a step back once you were standing again. “You look great, by the way. I don’t think I’ve seen you in this type of dress in… well, ever. The boots too, they look like they suit you.” You could tell he was teasing.

“Am I that obvious?” You asked, tucking your hair behind your ear nervously. “They’re too big, but I figured what harm will it do, right? Oh,” you added. “And, thank you. You look… great, too.” 

Why were you being so awkward? It’s just Nash.

Just Nash.

He laughed again, a deep, warm sound that you remembered well. “Thanks, darlin’. Here, why don’t we go sit down? Catch up somewhere quieter.”

You agreed, and the two of you navigate your way through the crowd of people. He was guiding you subtly, his hand gently resting on the small of your back. As you walked, you couldn’t help but notice how at ease he seemed, like he belonged there.

Which made sense, it was his family’s event. And Nash of all the Hawthornes was the one who was most comfortable in those Western-themed situations. 

Most likely to win a rodeo. 

You and his brothers had voted him that when you were kids. 

Nash led you to a quieter spot in the back, as promised. There were some hay bales set up as makeshift seats. Sure, there were chairs that you could’ve snagged from an empty table, but where was the fun in that? 

“Have a seat,” he told you. “I’ll get us some drinks.” And before you could respond, Nash was off. You watched as he walked away, finding yourself glad that he was turned away so he couldn’t see you staring. 

His hair was about the same length and style from when you were younger- you supposed he found what he liked and stuck to it. But that didn’t matter because he was wearing a cowboy hat. Maybe it was for the occasion, but you knew him, and odds were he was wearing it because that was just what he liked. 

But, of course, it had still been almost ten years. He had most definitely grown. Taller, visibly stronger, and his voice had gotten deeper. 

You weren’t complaining. 

Nash returned, and you were snapped out of your thoughts. “So apparently there’s no alcohol. Avery’s decision, not mine. Hope you like iced tea.”

“Thanks.” You took the cup from him as he sat down beside you, but realized he’d only grabbed one. “Why didn’t you get one for yourself?”

Nash shrugged. “I’m not a fan of tea. Even without sugar or nothing, it’s a bit too sweet.”

“Oh,” you nodded. Then you thought about what he’d said earlier. “So, Avery…?”

“Oh, yeah, you don’t know her, do you? I mean, I’m gonna assume that you’ve seen everything on the news and such, but you’ve never met her.” 

You had definitely been paying attention to any news involving the Hawthornes ever since you stopped talking to him. Maybe paying a little more attention than you wanted to admit. “Is she nice? Good to Jameson?” “Oh yeah,” he nodded. “Very good to Jamie. They’re good for each other.” 

“Good, good.”

Why were you acting so weird?

Just Nash. 

You took a sip of the iced tea, the cold calming your nerves a bit. Nash leaned back on the hay bale, as if picking up on your nervousness and trying to make himself more open. 

“So,” he began. “How has life been? Last I heard you were looking at colleges out of state?” 

You nodded, suddenly feeling more comfortable when you knew what to say. “Yeah. I went up to Massachusetts.” “Really. Did you go to school there?”

“Yeah. Harvard? Have you heard of it?” You joked. “I don’t know, it’s not very well known.”

Nash laughed with you. “Harvard. You’re kidding.”

“What, you jealous?” Already back into your old ways, teasing him.

“No. That’s where Grayson’s going.”

Your eyes widened. “What? That’s crazy. On the off chance I run into him, I’ll tell him you say hi.”

Your conversation continued, wandering from how your lives have been to his thoughts on the whole inheritance drama when it first happened. Then somehow you started talking about the fact that they now had a dog named Tiramisu? 

Oh, Xander named it. 

That made more sense. 

But as the night progressed, you still found yourself being awkward. The conversation would come to a slow point and Nash would be the one to bring something up and start talking again, not you. Why was it suddenly so hard to talk to him? Sure, maybe you hadn’t spoken in years now, but he was so easy to talk to that it felt like no time at all.  

“You know,” he mentioned eventually. “I’ve missed this. Missed you, missed us. We should try to get together sometime, while you’re here.”

There was something about the way he said us.

“Yeah, that’d be fun. I’m here for the next week, so we could-”

“After the party?”

His offer caught you off guard. You wanted to spend time with Nash, of course, but you hadn’t expected him to want to get together so soon. You weren’t against it, though.

“Oh yeah, after this works.” You took a sip from the drink to try to look more natural; it looked even more forced. “Where do you want to go?”

Nash grinned. 

“Can you sing?”

A question like that was never good coming from a Hawthorne. 

~~

The rest of the event had gone by quickly. Avery had eventually gone up and said a few words, and afterwards Nash introduced you to her. She was nice, as you thought she’d be. 

You also said hello to Xander and Jameson again, which was fun. Grayson, of course, was still at Harvard. Xander made a pinky promise to you that he’d “make sure Gray finds you on campus or else.”

Then, you and Nash were off.

He’d only told you once you’d left where you were going: a karaoke bar. 

You were not a singer, by any means or definition of the word, but Nash reassured you that it was just the two of you for fun. Neither of you were expected to be professionals, so that gave you some bit of closure and got you a little more excited.

You were sure that there had to be some sort of karaoke room in the Hawthorne House, but that’s not where you went. Nash took the two of you to a karaoke bar. But when you arrived, there was an individual room reserved for you. 

Even if it was taking away from the social bar aspect of the karaoke bar, you appreciated not having to sing poorly in front of strangers.

“So,” Nash began once you were settled in. “Have you got any songs to start with?”

You shrugged. “Do you know any Disney?”

He fully gasped. “Do I know Disney? Do I know Disney? Is my last name Hawthorne? Hell yeah I know Disney!”

Nash hadn’t been lying. Together, you sang a song from practically every Disney movie that existed. And as you sang, you realized you didn’t care what you sounded like. He made it so easy for you to let your guard down and relax and just have fun. 

Nash, on the other hand, you quickly realized he had a voice. Deep and controlled, like he knew what he was doing. The only cracks in his voice were because the note was either too high, or just the result of him drinking.

It was a karaoke bar, after all.

Maybe he was secretly a professional country singer in his free time, it’d been so long since you last spoke to him that you had no idea. 

After finishing Love Is an Open Door from Frozen, you both finally paused to catch your breath after nonstop singing. 

“Y’know,” Nash said, taking a sip from the drink he’d ordered- this time with alcohol. “Hans may have been an ass, but he’s a damn good singer.”

You chuckled. “Says you. You are surprisingly good at this.”

“Surprisingly? Ouch,” he said playfully. 

“Seriously though,” you continued. You both took a seat on the couch. “Do you sing often or is that just… a natural talent?”

Nash shrugged humble. “I don’t know. I will sometimes for fun.”

“What do you usually sing?”

He took a final sip from his drink, setting it back down with a loud clunk. “Let me show you.”

~~

Hozier. 

That’s who Nash liked to sing. 

You didn’t know what you were expecting. Maybe some sort of country artist, simply because of how he liked to dress and talk. Not Hozier. But, of course, you weren't complaining. Because those songs seemed to match his voice perfectly. And he sounded beautiful.

Nash had spent a good fifteen minutes singing, taking a drink between each song. Which, obviously, as alcohol does, seemed to have an effect on him. His words grew sloppier, attempts at dancing growing more wobbly.

After a dramatic singing of To Be Alone that felt more like a serenade by the way he looked at you during the chorus, you would’ve thought he was done. He looked pretty tired and out of it from the drinks, too. 

But then the next song auto played- Too Sweet, one of Hozier’s newest songs.

Nash Hawthorne, half drunk and easily excitable, practically screamed.

“I love this song!” He cried, running over to where you were seated and pulling you up to stand with him. You laughed and let him take you.

“You know, Nash, I think I’ve really only ever heard this on the radio-”

He cut you off by beginning to sing when the lyrics appeared on screen. You grabbed the second microphone that you’d set aside and followed along as best you could. It was a bit hard for you to focus, though, as Nash stumbled next to you and tried his best to keep both his feet and his voice steady. Though he tried his best, he was failing miserably.

It was hilarious.

“I think I’ll take my whiskey neat,” he sang, or more accurately, shouted. “My coffee black and my bed at three. You’re too sweet for me!”

When the song ended, he finally let himself sit down. He picked up his drink and had another sip, and you then took it from him.

“Hey!” He pouted. “I’m drinkin’ that. You can drink your own drink, don’t drink my drink.” 

How many times could he say ‘drink’ in a sentence?

“What?” You laughed.

“I mean-” hiccup. “I mean don't drink my drink, it’s mine.”

“I’m not drinking it, Nash. I promise,” you said, talking slowly the same way you would to a little kid. “You’ve just had too much. And we took your car, I don’t want to have to drive it for you…”

But it was a little too late for that, wasn’t it?

You took the free water bottle that’d come with the room off the side table and handed it to him instead. “There, drink that.”

Nash took the water and without hesitation opened it and chugged it, successfully spilling water all over himself. You didn’t even bother to clean it up, because he didn’t even bother to care that he was now soaked. 

“Okay,” you said, more to yourself than him. “We should probably get going.”

“One more song?” Nash asked, failing to balance his hat on his head and deciding to throw it across the room when it didn’t stay on.

“Fine. One more song.” 

Imagine your reaction when you recognized the intro to Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy.

~~

“I’m not five.”

“You sure are acting like it,” you told him. “Sit still and buckle yourself up or I’ll do it for you.”

Nash muttered something under his breath about you not being the boss of him, but he eventually buckled himself up in the passenger seat of his own car, and you got in the front. Nash wasn’t quite completely drunk, but obviously enough to not be himself, because now he was acting like a pouty little kid. 

Yeah, it would probably be best if you drove.

As you pulled out of the parking lot, Nash began typing away on his phone. You didn’t know what he was doing until you heard music begin; he’d bluetooth connected his phone to the car speakers, and was now blasting Take Me to Church. 

He sang along, a sound you assumed usually sounded angelic, but now his voice cracked at pretty much every single note. Things only got better worse when he rolled down the window and sang into the dark of the night. 

You reached over and dialed the volume down, just a bit. When the song ended, you finally took your chance to speak.

“You really like his music, don’t you?”

Nash nodded. “Mhm. He sounds like me.”

You chuckled and let the car fall to silence as you drove him home. 

“I missed you,” Nash suddenly blurted. 

“I missed you too,” you admitted honestly. “You’re a good singer.”

“You’re a good driver.”

“I’m only driving because you got drunk off your ass,” you reminded him, keeping your eyes on the road.

“Thank you for not crashing the car,” he said genuinely, like it was the most serious thank he could give you. “And driving me home.”

You sighed. “You’re welcome, Nash. Try to get some rest when you get home, okay? I’m sure you’ll feel shitty in the morning.”

“I’m gonna start now,” he said, earning another laugh from you. Nash slumped in his seat, and brought his hat down to cover his eyes. “Goodnight, darlin’. Don’t let the… Hozier bite.”

That last statement was so absurd that you couldn’t tell if you were laughing, coughing, or dying in response. 

You caught your breath, though still laughing quietly to yourself at what he’d said. 

“Goodnight Nash.”

You thought back to the times when you were younger, and the two of you would stay up late past when you were supposed to be asleep. Most of the time, the lack of sleep got to you and you’d both say the stupidest things. 

Maybe he wasn’t so different all these years later after all.

the writing above belongs to me. please do not copy, modify, repost on other sites or claim as your own. © 2024 wish-i-were-heather

[neuroprincess]

August - Larissa Weems/Female Reader

Larissa Weems/Female Reader

Summary: Larissa has heard rumors that make her curious, anyway she can't help but be surprised when she meets August, the supposed copy of Principal Weems and coincidentally another shapeshifter.

Classification: Light angst (?)

Warnings: Maybe a almost sad talk about being a teenager, OC (original character)

Word count: +1800

Part One | Part Two | Part Three (soon)

Unrevised

Walking through the halls of Nevermore she hears rumors, small conversations between students as she passes and they believe she won't hear, part of these conversations is something about the next event at the academy or some bizarre gossip they made up spreading like flames, but now most of them are about a new student that was accepted in the new semester. Slowly she was gathering information, in short the girl apparently looks like her physically, hair so blonde it approaches white, pale skin, blue eyes, long eyelashes and tall, at least taller than most of the students. No additional information, no names or anything that makes her outstanding beyond appearance. Even so Larissa couldn't find her anywhere, for almost a week she was curious and unconsciously searched for someone who matched the characteristics, there weren't any kids but a boy who dyed the hair. At least until the fountain in the courtyard was filled with pink bubble soap and soon they pointed to a newbie, a brunette girl, with green eyes and tanned skin trying not to look nervous as if she was fighting for body expression not to give her away, which didn't work, startled eyes stared at the principal and she couldn't even deny when asked about.

"I don't think I've seen you here before." the woman says and sitting down in the chair while the teenager does the same in the armchair, eyes down avoiding eye contact "New student?"

"Yeah..." is all she says "Look, I swear I don't do it anymore, I just..."

"Hey, calm down! You weren't the first kid to mess up at Nevermore and won't be the last, believe me, I've faced worse pranks." she laughs and opens the laptop "So, you are?"

"August."

"Okay!" she focuses on the screen searching for the name, but finds nothing but a list of names that are similar or have as a middle name "I don't..." when she raises a gaze finds a totally different person sitting there and she gives a little jump of surprise.

It's the girl with white hair, all the characteristics described in flesh and blood. Her light hair is wavy and cut at shoulder length, the skin is pale and this highlights the big blue eyes, she is tall, evident by the bone structure and the big legs that try to cross each other awkwardly. And she understands why she has caused so many rumors, she is incredibly alike to the woman, they share the same nose, shape of lips, and their expressions are eerily similar, as when she frowns. As if Larissa is staring at a younger version of herself.

"I'm sorry, I'm used to introducing myself like this, you can find me by Lara August." she shrugs the shoulders and blushes, feeling guilty for making her waste her time in research.

"Shapeshifter?"

"Yeah, I guess, that's what they put on my record." the principal looks at her confused and the girl sighs "And what my mom says, she's a normie."

"Oh, I get it." Larissa types the girl's name and soon a record is being loaded, the internet doesn't help the process "You know, you can return to your normal form, I know being a shapeshifter can be cool, but I need you to be yourself."

"This is my normal form." the woman doesn't believe this and just shrugs shoulders at what appears to be some sort of rebellion or joke about her appearance "Principal Weems, am I really screwed? My mom works a lot and it's hard for her to get here. So if you could not involve her I would appreciate it."

"I'll have to let her know anyway, but I don't think her presence is necessary." the record continues to load and this frustrates her, it's not uncommon for the signal to drop interrupting her activities "Now tell me, why did you do that?"

"I... I don't know, maybe I was just trying to stand out... and make friends." the teen confesses and snorts, throwing herself against the armchair, her expression isn't angry or frustrated, it actually looks sad.

"You're a shapeshifter, you could easily stand out since they're not so common these days."

"That's not how it works, Principal Weems! Everyone has something to be outstanding at, whether it's grades, arts, fencing or other sports. My grades are average, I'm a disaster at sports and I already tried to join the yearbook club, but they turned me down." she blurts out and finally looks her in the eye "So I tried to be the funny one and danced in the first prank, something added to the list to be terrible at."

"You remind me of me as a teenager, it's a tough phase, no?! But you don't have to try so hard to get them to like you, if someone approaches you that's for who you are and what you represent to them. You know, being a shapeshifter is a big deal and it can confuse you, change shape, voice, personality. It's all confusing and you feel that you can be someone different, someone they love, but that's not you and it's important not to let yourself get lost. You are special and you stand out in your own way."

"I didn't want to be like that, I wanted to be someone better, cool and maybe normal, sorry to say that, but I feel so out of place here and out of here too." her eyes tear up, but Lara soon wipes it away before tears could fall "You don't have to hear or see this. What will be my punishment?"

"Well..." Larissa turns her eyes back to the laptop and the record finally seems to have loaded, her name written in graphical letters Lara August Leonore Y/L/N, she swallows dryly at the sight of the familiar surname and mentally tries to reassure herself that it's a common surname, then continues to read the record at a glance, the girl was born in late 2006 far from Jericho and as she runs her eyes over the names of parents she chokes on her own saliva "You said your mom is a normie right?"

"Yes, she worked in Jericho as a youth and moved away before she had me."

"Y/N?" Larissa read and reread the name on the record, but still can't assimilate what she had just read "Are you Y/N Y/L/N's daughter?"

"Yes, do you know her?"

"We're old friends." she says simply, trying not to sound shocked or uncomfortable "She used to work in a cafe in Jericho."

"I think she told me that...since you know her, can you brandish my punishment please?"

"We've barely met and you're already asking me for favors, Lara?!" she jokes and the two laugh exchanging amused glances "Your punishment would be lenient, but since you asked I'm going to have to order you to stay a week without shapeshifting. I'll keep an eye on you. Right?"

"Right! I'll try not to shapeshift, only in case of life and death. Girl Scout's word!" she raises the right hand and swears, happy that she was able to resolve this without having to involve or call her mom, she had never been in the presence of the principal so it was a nice surprise when she was pleasant and understanding.

"And you're going to get the pink paint off the edges of the fountain."

"Very fair. Thank you Principal Weems!" she stands up and extends her hand, waiting to be shaken, but Larissa doesn't get up in shock at the girl's height, when they said she was tall they meant really tall, measuring enough to reach her shoulder even while wearing heels.

"Yes, fair enough. You're free." the blonde finally reaches out and shakes her hand, feeling awkward about the whole interaction after finding out who her mom is. The girl makes mention of leaving the room as she picks up the backpack she left on the armchair "Lara, before you go, who is your father? Shifters are few in our community, maybe I know him."

"If you know him introduce us, I grew up without a parent other than my mom, I don't know who he is." the teenager laughs and turns to leave, but before she turns to the woman again "Please call me August, I prefer it. And I love your eyeliner"

"Thank you, August!" she says goodbye in a nod and waits for the girl to close the door before letting out a long heavy sigh "Y/N and a child? No way."

She says to herself and analyzes the whole situation, as much as this possibility hit her deep in the chest and made stomach flip in a strange way, Larissa still can't believe. Not in a thousand years. That girl is a copy of herself physically, while they were talking she realized that even the teeth and the wide smile are the same, the mannerisms are also similar, how the legs come together when they are not crossed, the way she blinks when relaxed and, mainly, how she feels about her abilities. Her teenage years were like that, trying to fit in, and she doesn't deny that she changed her form to please people sometimes, trying to be accepted in social groups until she realized that it was okay to be eccentric in her own way. Despite being similar to her in many ways the director realizes that she has some Y/N things, she saw this after learning of her link and immediately recognized what she found alike in her from the beginning, the sweet eyes. She remembers those same eyes staring at her fondly when they kissed after a hard day, with devotion when lying in bed, with animosity on late night encounters, with anger when she said she was still not over Morticia even after 10 years and with pain when she left carrying only a suitcase with her. That's what she thought until she met August. Because although the world is big there aren't many coincidences that would lead to the teenager being born eight months after she and Y/N broke off their engagement. Nor to her coincidentally being one of the only shifters in Nevermore. Much less to Lara August being a copy of her.

She puts face between her hands and looks at the record again, there beside it is the phone number of the girl's mom. Larissa wonders if she should call or not, after all, it has been more than 16 years since the last time they saw each other or talked, because both of them thought it was better to cut ties completely to avoid suffering more from the breakup. They changed phone numbers, no longer asked about each other to mutual friends and slowly disposed of the memory of their respective existences like a paper that burns in flames becoming ashes. She quickly dials the phone number, without thinking further and taking a breath of courage. Larissa isn't dumb, everything points to something and Y/N would have to explain herself. Explain how she has a teenage daughter she didn't know, how this happened and why she hid her for so many years.

[barely-coherent]

Can you write some sam x reader?

A/N: IM SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG, I COULDN'T REMEMBER IF IT WAS SET IN CHICAGO OR NOT. I played through all of Sam's routes again just to get his character down... Being an Erik simp is hard

-

You hear the front door slam as Sam gets home and you make your way to the foyer. As you watch him slump against the closed door, you sigh and walk towards him.

"Rough day?" You ask and he practically falls into your arms as you open them. He let's out the loudest groan you've heard from him and buries his face into your neck, mumbling about the hardest parts of his day which seemed to be all of it if the length of his rant was anything to go by. You interrupt him mid complaint and drag him to the nearest couch, desperate to stop supporting all his weight on your feet alone.

After a few cups of tea, he was spread across the couch with his head in your lap and your hand in his hair.

"And you had the gall to not visit me once!" He says, poking you in the chest.

You look at him, crossing your arm and raising your eyebrow. "Oh, I'm so sorry that I didn't have time to drive around the entirety of Chicago looking for you." Teasing him gently as you continue stroking his hair.

"You could've called my name." He points out and you stare at him, your hand pausing mid stroke.

"I'm not gonna make you disappear in front of your coworkers. Are you insane?" Your hand continues in gently massaging his scalp, sighing as he crosses his arms.

"You've could've texted me..." You shake your head with a fond smile and squish his cheeks together.

"I'm sorry, is 5 texts per work day not cutting it anymore? Should I bump it up to 6?" He swats your hands away as a flush comes to his cheeks. He stays silent and you take it as your cue to press a kiss to his heated cheek. As his face heats up further, you continue pressing kisses against his face until you're about to press one to his neck and he pushes your face back gently.

"Not the neck! You know the neck is off-limits!" He says, his cheeks heating further as you press kisses against the palm on your face.

"All I'm hearing is your neck is perfect for kissing~!" You tease, trying to get closer but he holds you away with ease.

He tugs his collar up, completely blocking his neck as he lets go of you. "Off limits to civilians." He grins as if he'd won and you pout, looking up at him with your hands clasped together and wide eyes.

"Please?" You beg and he looks away, trying to avoid your pleading gaze until he sighs.

"My neck... is sensitive. This night will end very differently if you go anywhere near it." It takes a few seconds before your face matches his in terms of color and you cover your mouth in shock before delving into a fit of laughter.

"That's why you don't want me by your neck? You don't want me to know your weak spot?" The laughter spills out and he shushes you, his face burning up.

"Shut up! Quiet! I'm going to our room, oh my god!" He walks out of the room, more embarrassed than angry as he hides his head under the pillow, trying to muffle your laughter that echos up the stairs.

[prince-rowan-of-the-forest]

Over The Rainbow (4/4) - Janus

<- Previous |

----

Notes:

Sorry this has taken me so long!! I lost motivation to work on this for a while, especially with so many other projects going on in the background :(.

I know that I origonally marked this as five chapters, but I honestly don't remember what I planned for the fifth chapter to be and have no ideas for it, so I've marked it as complete after this one - if I ever do write another chapter I'll add it, but right now it's complete as is.

----

“Hey fuckers listen up,” Remus yelled, banging open the door of Roman and his shared room, making just about everyone who had been in there jump. 

“What the fuck was that for?” Virgil hissed, rubbing the back of their head where they’d bumped it on the headboard of Roman’s bed.

“Language!” Patton chastised from his spot in Roman’s lap at the other end of the bed - he’d been braiding Roman’s hair idly. Logan just sighed from where he sat at the desk. 

“Whatever, there’s this huge party the Pride Society is putting on over the weekend and you guys are going,” Remus said, slamming a flyer down in front of Logan, who picked it up tentatively. 

“Why would we go?” Logan asked, raising an eyebrow, “I don’t believe any of us are really ‘party people’”

“It’s not just about the party, book-germ, it’s about gay shit! And you guys are like! The gayest shit around,” Remus rolled his eyes, “Not only are you all super gay, Virgil and Pat are non-binary and Roro is the most gender non-conforming bitchass hoe I’ve ever seen, so like, you guys should totally go to the pride party, besides, I’m going with a friend and I want you idiots to meet.”

“...oookay?” Roman said, frowning, “I don’t mind going to a cool pride party if you guys don't?”

“Oh sure!” Patton grinned, “It sounds like fun!”

“Here is the flyer, if you would all like to read it,” Logan said, leaning over to pass the piece of paper to Patton, “I’m not interested in drinking, but attending the party itself will not hurt anyone, though it is black tie, does everyone have suitable outfits?”

Virgil groaned dramatically, “Fine if the rest of you are all so interested in going, I guess I’ll tag along, I’ve… got something.”

“Translation for those who don’t speak introvert,  ‘I really want to go but didn’t want to be by myself so I’d love to go with you all’,” Remus crowed, giggling as Virgil shot him a dirty look from across the room, “Now I just gotta convince my friend to go with me! C’y’all at the party!”

With that, Remus ran from the room. Logan sighed.

“My goodness, what have we just signed ourselves up for?”

—

“How do I look, everyone?” Roman asked, twirling around in his sparkly red knee-length dress, sparkling similarly to his matching red stilettos. 

“Roman, those shoes do not look safe.” Logan sighed from where he stood near the door in a pristine navy blue button down shirt - adorned with a rainbow tie. 

“I’ll be fine,” Roman rolled his eyes, the puffy sleeves of the dress floating around his wrists as he gestured, “I’ve worn them plenty of times before - Oh! Patton! You look simply dashing!”

Patton giggled, ducking their head to hide their blush as they stepped out from behind the door wearing pale blue suspenders over a white blouse - the plaid blue skirt they had hesitantly chosen looked adorable on them. 

“Thanks Roman! I love your dress!” Patton gasped, “You look so pretty! You too Logan!”

Now it was Roman’s turn to blush, “Wny thank you!” 

“Have either of you heard from Virgil?” Logan asked, once they’d finished gushing over each other’s outfits, Roman couldn’t help but frown. 

Patton shook their head, “Oh- I actually haven’t, that’s… worrying.”

“Do you think they chickened out?” Roman asked.

“That’s not a nice way to phrase it,” Logan chastised gently, “But I do worry that they got anxious.”

Just as they started to thorise on what they could do to get Virgil to come, there was a knock on Roman’s door. Roman rushed to open it and then gasped as he stepped back to reveal Virgil at the door. Their white hair was done up and secured with a silver pin, they wore a dark purple suit jacket and dress pants with a white blouse underneath and they even carried a different cane than the one they normally had. Not to mention the makeup they wore was immaculate. 

“Oh darling, you look beautiful!” Roman said, rushing forward to kiss Virgil, who grinned as they used the red lipstick Roman had left on their lips to colour them - and just that moment Roman realised they’d not been wearing lipstick before, he gasped, “You! You fiend! Using my kisses like that!”

Virgil smirked at him and stepped past Roman into the room. Patton rushed forwards next and wrapped their arms around Virgil carefully, “You look lovely! We were starting to think you weren’t coming!”

“Sorry,” Virgil chuckled, looking a little bashful, “I was struggling to shrug off my roommate.”

“Well I daresay you look wonderful,” Logan said, patting Virgil’s shoulder, “Would this make us ready to head out?”

—-

The party wasn’t a big collage party like the ones hosted by students. It was hosted by the Pride Society, which meant it was hosted on campus with slightly less alcohol and deafening music involved. Which, honestly, might be a little better with their little group - with Logan and Virgil who got overwhelmed with loud noises and tight environments and Patton, who wasn’t a fan of drinking. It was more ‘chill’ - said Logan, pulling a flashcard out of his shirt pocket - and Roman was fine with that. 

The music was decent and they had a buffet and everyone here was either queer or an ally - many people had come along with their soulmates like their little group though they had ended up a little in the spotlight. A group of four soulmates was fairly rare, after all. 

“I wonder where Remus is?” Patton said as they guided their group towards an empty table near the buffet. 

“Who knows, honestly,” Roman rolls his eyes.

“I do not see him, it is likely he hasn’t arrived yet.” Logan pointed out.

“Maybe he’s having trouble with that friend?” Virgil suggested, leaning their cane up against the table before looking around at the others. 

“Oh yeah, maybe,” Roman said, looking around the room - they had gotten here just a short while after the start time - so the room hadn’t really filled up yet anyway, “He said he had to convince them, right?”

“Mhm - they’re likely not here yet, we should give it time,” Logan told them, “Meanwhile, shall we gather food from the buffet?”

“Oh sure, I’m kinda hungry,” Roman nodded, the others nodded.

“I’ll look after the table,” Virgil said, “Um - you know what kind of stuff I like, Ro, just grab me a plate.”

“I’ll stay here with Virge!” Patton smiled, clearing not wanting to leave their fourth soulmate alone, Logan nodded.

“In that case, Roman and I shall grab food for the both of you as well.” Logan said, leaning over to kiss Patton’s cheek before getting up and heading over to the buffet with Roman.

The two at the table were quickly joined by Remus, though Roman noted that his friend did not seem to be present. He paid that no mind, however, working on collecting plates of food for himself and Virgil. That was until he bumped into someone.  

“Oh - sorry, I-” Roman said, looking up to meet the person’s eyes only to stop short, “...yellow,” he whispered.

“Excuse me?” The person said, one of their eyes was a misty yellow, the other was green, which must have been cancelled out by Logan’s, they seemed to look him over, his expression unreadable, “You - Oh- oh wow.”

“You’re yellow,” Roman said. If his hands weren’t full with the plates he was holding, “The others will be so excited! Oh my goodness, come on-”

“Will you let me grab some food first,” The person said, raising an eyebrow - the smile on his face suggested a tease, though, Roman couldn’t help but blush.

“Right, of course - sorry, sorry - just got excited,” He chuckles awkwardly. 

“Your dress is gorgeous,” The person said, to make conversation.

Once more smiling, Roman looked them over, “So is yours, yellow is such a beautiful colour.”

“What’s your name?” he asked with interest in his tone. Roman had to tear his eyes away from the knee length yellow dress the person was wearing with a black turtleneck underneath - they looked beautiful. Their face was half taken up by a large birthmark and his blond hair was tied back elegantly under a hat tied with a yellow ribbon. 

“Oh- I- Uh- Roman,” he said, now he was definitely blushing, “It’s Roman, what about you?”

“My name is Janus,” He said with a smile and slight tilt of his head that made Roman feel just a little weak in the knees, “It’s lovely to meet you.”

“Lovely to- lovely to meet you too!” Roman practically squeaked, “Um - the others, uh, everyone else is over there,” 

He pointed to their table, where Logan had returned and joined the conversation, “With my brother.”

“Remus, I know,” Janus smiled, “He brought me here - said he had a surprise for me, I suppose that was you, hm?”

“I- I guess?” Roman said, every ounce of verbal ability leaving him in the face of such a tone. 

“Well then what a lovely surprise it was,” Janus hummed, “Here, let me help you with that.”

Janus took the drink Roman had poured for Virgil in their free hand and let him lead the way back to their table. He was glad they had grabbed one of the bigger ones in the room now. 

 “Heya Roman! Who’s this?” Patton asked, looking up when Roman returned to the table with Janus in tow, they seemed to have switched mid sentence from where they had been talking to Logan, leaving him looking confused.

“This is Janus, and uh- I’m pretty sure he’s our last soulmate,” Roman said, returning to his seat next to Virgil and letting Janus take the one at the head of the table next to him. 

Janus sat and looked around at everyone, earning a range of gasps and ‘oh’s from all three of them as their eyes met.

“See?” Remus said, grinning from the other end of the table, “Told you this party was worth going to.”

Yeah, Roman thought as he looked around the table - seeing Janus start up a conversation with Logan and Patton whilst Virgil watched with interest. He was glad they had come to this party. Roman was so happy to have all of his soulmates with him at last. 

That didn’t mean that Remus wasn’t going to get an earful from him for hiding this from them for however long he and Janus had been friends, though. 

For now, he really just wanted to enjoy this party and get to know his new soulmate. Maybe afterwards they could all go back to Logan’s dorm and cuddle, or hang out at his if they wanted to deal with Remus. Roman just wanted to spend time with them - all of them, now that he could finally see the full rainbow. 

He could finally finish the painting he had been working on this whole time. 

The painting of all five of them, dressed up in their colour, the painting that represented his soul and all of theirs, a painting for them all to share and be part of. The painting of Roman’s life. 

It would be perfect. 

---

Tags: @full-of-roman-angst-trash @your-local-random-dino @cutebisexualmess @glacierruler @roseianxiety @bella-bugatti-frogetti-baguetti @scalesfeathersnfur @oatmeal-stans-the-trash-rat @littlerat2 ( if anyone wants to be added, let me know!)

[misc-obeyme]

I absolutely sit on my hair all the time 😭 sometimes I'll lean forward to grab something and then get yanked back by my own hair

Tying it back just keeps it from falling into my eyes and obstructing my vision, but the rest of the ponytail will totally fall over my shoulder and smack me in the face. Braiding it helps keep it more uhh, contained? It tangles less that way, because man it's WILD. I miss my friend/coworker at my old location because she used to untangle it for me at the top since I couldn't always tell

I also have a bad habit of running my fingers through it when I'm nervous. Like when I'm with a big group of people I'm not close to, I'll pull it over my shoulder and just start rapidly doing that 💀 Or place my hands behind me back and mess with the ends. It's only frantic when I'm nervous, otherwise I'm chilling trying to genuinely detangle it bc it's kinda soothing, even if it's tedious

That'd be nice if the characters picked up on that. Like a random demon approaches me and at first they wanna be like "she can handle herself, maybe i shouldn't intervene - oh shit she's doing the hair thing, MY TIME TO SHINE".

But I'd also totally do that if Lucifer was scolding me or grilling me for info 😭 IT'S SUCH AN OBVIOUS TELL NOW THAT I THINK ABOUT IT NOO I'M DOOMED

okay but one funny thing, I've accidentally smacked my brothers in the face when redoing my ponytail. I don't mean to either but it's hilarious. Rip to whoever is near me when that happens

As long as Solomon doesn't change my hair length permanently, we're golden. Glitter hair sounds sick, as long as it doesn't transfer

ALSO MATCHING HAIR WITH 13 AAA I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT THAT, THAT'S SO CUTE 😭 FUCK IMAGINE TRADING SCRUNCHIES WITH HER, I DON'T WEAR THEM, BUT FOR HER I WOULD

I don't think I'll ever go back to short hair. Sometimes i get that intrusive thought about chopping it all off, but I like it too much now. Honestly, the silly reason I keep it so long is because it gives princess vibes/makes me feel like one. That's it, LOL.

I feel like Lucifer might chastise me after seeing everything I go through with it and then I meekly admit my reasoning to him and he just sighs. And then immediately sits me down to do my hair.

OKAY I NEED TO STOP RAMBLING AKWKFJ, I GOT A NEW BOOK TODAY, I'M RANK 120 AT THE TIME OF TYPING THIS, I'VE KEPT MY DRAWING STREAK, AND MY STORE OPENS FRIDAY SO PRAYING IT GOES WELL

- ✨ anon

If I may say so, I don't think your reason for keeping it long is silly at all! The only reason I've ever grown my hair out was for the way it made me feel pretty (minus the pandemic situation obvs lol). If keeping it long makes you feel like a princess, that's an excellent reason and you need nothing else. I think that's kinda the whole point of having your hair how you like it!

My reason for having short hair currently is definitely more related to my gender expression... i could get into it, but that's more info than is needed lol! But in the end, it still comes down to, I have it this way because I like the way it feels!

Anyway, I'm so sorry but your description of sitting on it made me laugh. And so did the part about accidentally smacking your brothers in the face with it.

I'm just imagining you doing the same to the brothers - some of them would be annoyed, but I think some of them would secretly like it. *cough* Mammon *cough* Like they'd say hey MC watch where you're flingin your hair! But in their mind their like yes please whack me with it again... sldfksdfjf I just find that so cute lol.

And OKAY I love the nervous tell though! I definitely think all the characters would pick up on it eventually, some faster than others perhaps. Like if Lucifer was scolding you and you started doing it, I think it'd make him feel bad. Like actually seeing you do that would make him realize he was stressing you out and he would probably just hug you instead. Lucifer is a big softie under all that strictness so I think that's how he would react.

I'm definitely imagining most of the brothers being like, oh the hair thing, time to step in! They would do that for sure!

I don't think any of Solomon's hair magic would be permanent lol and if you were like, do whatever you want but don't mess with the length, I think he'd do just as you asked~

Rank 120?? Like in the event??? I was like in the 250 range for a little bit until I got everything I wanted and stopped grinding as hard. I think I ended up like 2,000 something lol.

And yay drawing! I hope it's going well for you still!

[sun-aries]

Heat

This WIP has been sitting in my drafts forever and it’s still not finished but maybe some of you will get a kick out of it. Rated T for suggestive themes. Enjoy!

Heat. It embodied the room that blissful summer afternoon, where the sunbeams fired through the glass windows and cast the queen's study in an idyllic golden glow. Closing the curtains was little to no respite, for there was little light without the hearth burning, and so they opted to leave them open, sacrificing any chance of cold for the light needed to get through their planning.
With the wedding only weeks away, it was crucial for the young couple to go over the plans. Though there were more than a dozen staff working to ensure their wedding ceremony and reception were worthy of royalty, Zelda and Link needed to approve every little detail, from the greenery in the centerpieces to the inlays of dishware and the embroidery of the napery. Though Zelda was well-versed in such drab subjects, Link could hardly care, finding that the heat of the room matching with the utter boredom of the topics made it hard to focus.
Instead, he found himself looking at her. A bead of sweat formed at her hairline, trickling down her temple, heading for her jaw before her hand intercepted. It was swept away by her index finger, dressed in satin gloves, and he absently wondered how she wasn't boiling. She always wore what must've been pounds of cloth, dressed properly and sitting primly, but he hadn't ever thought about what a nuisance it would be on such a hot and heavy day. Not that he was one to talk particularly, dressed in layers beneath his simple tunic, but he reasoned that he was more immune since traversing under the desert's sun.
"Given the surplus of blue samples Chancellor Foster has given me, I'm inclined to believe he has a preference. It is the color of our crest, after all, but I personally admire the simplicity of the ivory," Zelda said, flipping through the square samples of satin. "What do you think?" Receiving no response, she turned to look at her fiancé. She found him staring at her, eyes dazed and lips parted just a little, and she knew he was lost in thought. Her lips twitched as she tried to suppress an amused smile and she shook her head. "Link."
He startled at the sternness of her voice. "Huh?"
"Have you listened to a word I've said?"
"Oh…yeah, something about blue, I think." The queen rose a brow. "I'm sorry. It's just hard to focus…It's so hot. Aren't you hot?"
She placed the samples on her lap and sighed. It was a bit bothersome, the heat, but she typically forged ahead. Hazarding a glance out the window behind them, she squinted at the blinding sunlight pouring in. "Yes, it is quite hot."
Resigned, she gathered her long hair and swept it over her shoulder, inadvertently revealing the stretch of bare skin from her jaw, to her elegant neck and shoulders up until her pauldrons. 
Link tensed, his fists clenching around the hem of his tunic. His eyes were hyper-focused on Zelda's neck, watching another bead of sweat travel down the length of it, down towards her collarbone. He ached to reach out, to sweep it away with his tongue.
It disappeared down the neckline of her dress and it was then that his eyes met hers again. Suddenly, he realized how intently Zelda watched him watching her, and though he was flustered by it, he was locked in on her gaze. He thought he would die if he didn't touch her right then.
"I don't suppose you'd mind if I..." She paused, reaching for the hem of her gloves.
His eyes followed the movement, widening upon realization. Then, shaking his head, he tried to say, "No," but his mouth had gotten dry and it came out embarrassingly hoarse.
There was a flicker of a smile on her lips, perhaps of trick of the light, before she started to peel the glove off. When they got bunched up at the elbow, he habitually reached out to help before he froze, fingers twitching, hot and flustered with the thought of taking her clothes off. It was a measly glove, for goddesses sake, but it made him blush anyways.

[south-of-heaven]

Heyy if you wanted could you do a Bayley x Dakota x reader

Reader has always been on her own in the ring, like keeping to herself and everything but for some reason Bayley and dakota are desperate for her to join damage ctrl they do everything, interfering with the readers matches,following reader around. They eventually get reader to break and join damage ctrl with them and shortly after they all catch feeling, dakota confessed to reader first and then Bayley finds them cuddled up or whatever, then Bayley confesses too.

(Sorry it’s so long😭)

Join us || Bayley x Reader x Dakota Kai

Summary: Bayley and Dakota have been pestering you to join Damage Ctrl for what feels like forever. Eventually, you give in and end up getting much more than anticipated.

A/N: I'm sorry if this sucks, like I said I don't know Dakota all that well but it's something at least.

You've always been a lone wolf in the WWE, preferring to keep to yourself and focus on your in-ring performances. However, recently, Bayley and Dakota Kai have taken a keen interest in you, going to great lengths to try and convince you to join Damage Ctrl.

At first, you resist their advances, not wanting to compromise your independence. But they're persistent, interfering in your matches and following you around, leaving you no escape from their charm and influence.

One evening, after a particularly gruesome match, you find yourself cornered by Bayley and Dakota backstage. They look at you with earnest eyes, their expressions a mix of determination and affection.

"Come on, join us," Bayley implores, her voice filled with sincerity. "We know you're incredible on your own, but together, we could take over this whole division."

Dakota nods in agreement, adding, "We've seen what you can do, and we want you by our side."

You sigh, feeling the pressure building up. You had always been adamant about standing on your own, but there's something about Bayley and Dakota that's hard to resist. They believe in you, and maybe, just maybe, you could find strength and camaraderie in their alliance.

Finally, you relent, giving in to their persuasions. "Fine," you say, "I'll join Damage Ctrl, but only if you promise not to try and change who I am."

Bayley and Dakota exchange triumphant smiles, pulling you into a tight hug. "Deal." Bayley says. "We wouldn't want you any other way." Dakota fills in.

From that moment on, you become a part of Damage Ctrl, and your performances in the ring become even more formidable as you work together as a united front. But as time goes on, you find yourself growing closer to Bayley and Dakota offstage as well.

One night, after a grueling training session, you and Dakota find yourselves sitting on the gym mats, catching your breath. She glances at you, her eyes softening with affection.

"You know," she says, "I've admired you for a long time. Your determination and skill are really inspiring."

You blush, grateful for her words. "Thank you, Dakota," you say, "I feel the same way about you."

She reaches out, gently taking your hand in hers. "You don't have to be alone anymore," she says, "We're here for you, I'm here for you and... I love you."

Before you can respond, you hear a soft clearing of the throat. You turn to see Bayley standing there, a small smile on her face.

"Am I interrupting something?" she teases playfully.

You and Dakota exchange a knowing look, and Dakota chuckles. "Actually, we were just having a heart-to-heart."

Bayley nods, seemingly unfazed. "That's good," she says, "Because I have something to confess too."

You look at her curiously, and she takes a step closer, her gaze locked with yours. "I've developed feelings for you," she admits, her voice steady but full of vulnerability. "I tried to fight it, but I can't deny it any longer."

Your heart skips a beat, and you feel a rush of emotions wash over you. This alliance with Bayley and Dakota has brought you closer than you ever imagined, and now, it seems like your connection has deepened even further.

"I feel the same way," you confess, your voice barely above a whisper.

Bayley's eyes light up with joy, and without a moment's hesitation, she leans in and presses her lips to yours. The world around you fades away, and all that matters is the love and affection you share.

In that moment, you realize that Damage Ctrl isn't just a powerful alliance in the ring – it's also a bond of love and friendship that has changed your life in the best possible way. With Bayley and Dakota by your side, you know that you'll never be alone again, and together, you'll face whatever challenges come your way, both inside and outside the ring.

[lostusagis]

@jiraipink asked:

"Oh um. I just thought it was really cute. I adore your way of thinking. O-Oh! Thank you! Don't worry your secret is safe with me, Mui." She even does the whole zipping lips gesture and takes the cream puff, before taking a happy bite out of it. Sitting closely next to him. "I never thought of it that way before. Now every time I want some cream puffs, I'd think of puff puff action eheheh~! I think that's so cute! I hope you don't mind me using that phrase to you? I think it's fun to use that just between us. Like friends saying inside jokes that's out of context to everyone else except us hahaha." Despite him appearing unbothered, she still felt a little anxious. Staring down at her bitten cream puff; studying the creamy thickness inside the doughy pastry with a pensive expression. "But you know I... I really care about your feelings, so... If I hurt you, or you feel you're being mocked, you'll... let me know, right? I-I'll stop and say sorry and never tease you again if it's something you're really not comfortable with me doing. I promise. I like playing with you, but... if I'm the only one having fun, then it's not fun at all. I want to have fun WITH you, Kamui." She wipes off a piece of cream that was near his lips with a napkin she took out from her Kuromi bag and mournfully smiles at him. "You're... my favorite person. I know that being friends means there's bound to be some hurt sometimes, despite being so close and so happy with each other. Honestly? It's one of the reasons why I found it hard to be friends with people. I had a distrust with anyone who tried and hated myself as well at the thought of ever hurting them, so I always kept everyone at arms length. I had a terrible experience with friendships, so... I never wanted to feel that pain again and kept running."

She thought back to how things used to be between them and then how they started putting in the effort of being better friends with each other after he regained control of his Yato blood. It was on that day that started it all. A new beginning for them. "But with you... With you I... I could trust you. I knew what I got myself into when I decided to be your friend. I knew the risks, but... something told me deep down that it'd be okay. That we could mend things together and overcome anything. We've come a long way and been through a lot, after all... Eheheh. Have you ever wondered why I was acting incredibly shy and awkward with you at first? It's because I wanted to be careful and kept worrying if I bothered you. I really, really didn't want to mess up being friends with you. It had been a long while since I've made a friend that I had forgotten what it was like to be friends with someone. To feel so happy with someone." Namida places her hand that's adorned with the matching friendship bracelet atop his own that's also adorned with the bracelet she made for him. "I want to be someone you can trust, rely on and be the happiest with. Share all your secrets with, be vulnerable and feel safest with. Like a best friend should be."

She shyly looks at up him tenderly stares for a silent moment, as if desperately searching for his soul deep in those ocean blue eyes of his, before continuing. "You're so special to me, Kamui... I-I'm sorry for rambling there, it's just... If I lost you because of what I said or did..." Tears began to well up in her eyes as her face tightened and teeth clenching. Frowning lips quivering. "I don't want to lose you... So please... Please be honest if I hurt you in any way... I want to try and fix it. I want... to be with you forever." Sniffling ensues at just the mere thought of Kamui cutting ties with her. Her name "Namida" matching up with her emotions right now: tears. Deep down, she's actually a big crybaby who gets emotional easily. Droplets of her tears falling down on her cream puff.

Kamui just kind of sighs due to her finding his ignorance 'cute'. He does smile at her, since it was nice to know she wouldn't tell anyone any secret he'd share with her. He wasn't one who trusted so easily, only able to name three people he actually wholeheartedly trusted. Her included in that circle.

The way she used that term though, earned her a laugh. It was hard not to find it funny given that he knew what it actually meant now. Kamui really wondered why it was even called that. It was so misleading, for him anyway.

''Sure, go ahead. It'll be entertaining to see what kind of reaction people will have if they overhear us.'' He'd take another cream puff, munching on it contently. Although, the Yato noticed the change in her demeanor and wondered what was wrong. Kamui does tend to be careless with words, and assumed maybe he slipped something out that could've upset her. At least, until she started talking about what was on her mind.

He hadn't even noticed he had food on the side of his mouth, up until she cleaned it for him. Kamui still retained the habit of eating a bit messily.

The words she'd say to him, really had him taken back. It honestly.... meant a lot that she cared about his feelings so much, to be that antsy over upsetting him. Luckily for her, only CERTAIN things would really get under his skin, but not a lot. His feelings weren't easily hurt. But, he would recall that time he had been mad at her. Over something petty. So much so, he didn't want to be taken care of by her despite his sickened state, and likelihood of dying had he remained in the sun any longer. But, they were able to talk things out at least. Kamui was happy for that, she's definitely been the reason he'd be more wary of how he spoke. Given that he had upset her when calling her a crybaby.

There was a smile, ever so full of warmth and gentleness. One reserved for her alone, when he'd look down at their hands. It was as if on instinct, he'd lace their fingers with each other.

''Hey....'' He put aside the box of cream puffs, so he could caress one side of her face. His thumb brushes away tears from her eyes,

''You won't lose me. Nothing you say will ever get me to stop annoying you.'' He'd stroke her cheek gently with his thumb still. His gaze taking in the sight of her, the face he'd always have on his mind. Always thinking about her, always wanting to be around her. He really wished he knew what this obsession stemmed from, wishing he could understand more. The thought of losing her would make a tightening pain in his chest ensue.

Hopefully that'll never happen. Losing someone. . . . so precious to him.

''You should already know it takes a lot to truly piss me off. Even if you'd tease me, I really wouldn't mind. You should see how my men are sometimes, they say a lot of annoying crap. It never actually bothers me though.''

Has he ever truly been upset with her before? Kamui couldn't really think of anything. At least not before they became friends. Although, not even back then too. It was merely slight annoyance, but nothing major. It was interesting that she'd constantly talk back to him without any bit of intimidation. Hence why he kept on and on and on when it came to getting on her nerves.

''Don't apologize, but also. . . don't feel like you have to walk on eggshells around me either. You can feel comfortable joking around with me, and even if something crosses the line, which I doubt would ever happen, you know I'm always honest with you. You're one of the few people I'm like that with.''

Eventually, he'd pull her onto his lap, her back against his chest and he'd hug around her waist and rest his cheek against her shoulder.

''I'm really distrusting myself, maybe not as bad as your reason but... it sucks when you put all your faith in someone who promised something extremely important to you, only for them to lie constantly, and screw you over.'' His grip on her did tighten when thinking back to childhood memories.

''But... I trust you. I trust you a lot. I know you'd never betray me.'' He was assured of that much given everything that's happened between them thus far.

''You make me so happy.... you make me forget about all the bad things that'll often go through my mind. You....'' Crap, he was trying to keep himself together. He swallowed thickly.

''A-Anyway. . . .'' He'd heave a shaky sigh for a second. ''Don't stress so much about upsetting me alright? If anything, we can just talk it out afterwards anyway. We've done that before, haven't we?'' Lips pressed against her cheek, gaze retaining warmth when looking at her.

''I'll always be there for you, no matter what. I promise. You're MY favorite person as well, and I'll do anything to make sure we can stay friends.''

[jedi-in-crocs]

Unintended

Summary: Bexley and Frankie have been married for a few years. They've never really thought about kids. They lived nextdoor to their best friends Jon and Zara. After years of trying to have a baby Jon and Zara decided that they would ask Bexley to be their surrogate.

"Families don't have to match. You don't have to look like someone else to love them" - Leigh Anne Tuohy

Part One: Surrogacy

Frankie had been unusually moody this morning he barely kissed Bexley goodbye as he left this morning. Bexley being the overly concerned overly worried person that she is texted him numerous times throughout the morning: "are you sure you're okay?" "is there anything I can get you at the store today? "

She knew it was bad if it was just a simple "no". As the day worn on she didn't bother him much. Bexley sat in her office designing a floor truss when a soft knock startled her out of her trance. Zara her best friend was standing there with a huge grin and two Starbucks drinks.

"Z! You scared the crap out of me!"

Zara smiles and hands her an iced coffee.. "well I was in the neighborhood getting my hair done and I thought I'd drop by to say Hi and bring you a pick me up" she says swinging her long braids . Bexley couldn't help but notice the K-flex on her arm. But she didn't say anything.

Bexley takes a drink "hmmm lookin' good! Hot momma!"

She quickly saves her work as Zara sits on the chair in Bexley 's office

"I wish I was a momma. " Zara sighed and looks down at her drink.

"It'll happen for you. I know it will. And you'll have a baby that Auntie Bex can spoil rotten" Bexley said turning around to face her.

Zara clears her thoughts and says "What are you and Frankie doing tonight? Its short notice but Id like to invite you guys over tonight for dinner. "

"We don't have anything planned. He's in a mood today but if it's free food and beer he'll be down." Bexley smiles

Well, I better get back home and get things ready see you guys at 7ish?" Zara says getting up and walking out of Bexley 's office

"Sounds good. Text me with what I can bring. Thanks for the drink." Bexley says Zara smiles and heads off.

Bexley pulls her medium length brown hair back in a clip and continues to work. It was unusual that Zara showed up randomly at her job like that. She checked her phone to see if she had missed a text from her but nothing.

Frankie works as an EMS helicopter pilot for the hospital. Jon worked with Frankie as a flight nurse. Bexley usually got home before he did.

Later that evening Frankie was on time she was sitting on the couch with one of their dogs, Daisy. Frankie came in grumbling under his breath. "Honey?" She said and she got off the couch and put the dogs out. He did say anything.

He plopped on the couch massaging his temples. Bexley walked over and sat beside him and said, "Baby, Are-" before she could get out the sentence he cut her off

"What Bexley?!" Frankie said with a raised voice.

"Nothing... I was just wondering how your day went" Bexley said sitting next to him... She took his hand "I'm sorry for whatever I did... I don't know what I did but whatever it is I'm sorry baby."

"Everything and everyone's pissing me off today. No matter what I do or go I can't shake off this crappy feeling. I just wanna be angry and snap at anything that moves." Frankie said before exhaling loudly. "It's not you baby." He said in a calmer tone

"Good.... Jon and Zara invited us for dinner and beers tonight. If you don't want to go I'm sure they'll understand" she said

He groaned. He hated social interaction when he is in his moods. After a few seconds of silence he spoke.

"Only do it for the alcohol because it's a good way to blow off steam...but I'm not gonna pretend that I'm interested, nor am I gonna be polite. I'll also just stare into the distance with a pissed off look." Frankie said

Bexley rubs his arm... "It'll be fine... Drink a few beers and watch the game. Watch Tom Brady lose again".. she says trying to make him smile.

"Don't mention that man's name... But yeah I do love watching him lose. It's satisfying." Frankie said as a small smile formed on face "But what if I can blow off all this anger another way? If you catch my drift?" He added, his smile turning into a smirk

She met his smirk "Oh? Well it's only 5:30. We don't have to be over there till 7"... She said rubbing his thigh.

"I think we can find something to do to kill some time." Frankie said before leaning in and pulling Bexley closer as he began to kiss her neck passionately. His breathing getting heavier and more passionate as he did.

"Hmmmm baby... That's my man...." She says purring. She pulled herself onto his lap.

Frankie continued kissing her neck. One hand gently massaging her hip while and other ran through her hair. He was in the zone now, and the only thing he was thinking about was the gorgeous woman sitting on his lap. "I want you." He whispered softly in her ear before gently bitting her earlobe.

"Hmmmm then have me. I'm a buffet for you baby" she said in a low voice

He smirked and looked into her eyes. "I plan on taking as much of the buffet as I can." He said before scooping her up from his lap and carrying her bridal style to their bedroom. She giggled as he carried her upstairs. He kicked their bedroom door opened before laying Bexley down on the bed. While staring at her with pure lust in his eyes. He kissed her deeply and passionately as he laid next to her, a hand caressing her thigh.

"Ohhhh... Hmmmmmm" . She moaned softly and pulled at his flannel shirt He sat up and ripped off his flannel shirt before moving his hands up her body to the hem of her t-shirt, pulling it over her head before looking at her body with pure admiration. He loved this woman with everything he had. "God you are so beautiful." He said admiring her body. She blushes a bit and pulled out her hair tie letting her brown hair fall. He gently ran his fingers through it and tucked a few strands behind her ear. "So beautiful." He whispers leaning in and placing tender kisses on her neck. He started peppering kisses down her body till he reached her stomach, his hands gently massaging her thighs and hips.

"Hmmmmmm. Mmmmmm". Bexley moaned as he massagd her thighs and hips. She sat up unhooked her bra and tossed it near the hamper. He couldn't help but smile into her skin as he kissed. Pulling her closer as he did. The feeling of her soft and warm skin against his was soothing to him. And he wanted her closer, more and more and more. He kissed and bit his way down her body, stopping at her hips and staring up at her. The sight of her taking him breath, she was so beautiful. He leaned up gently kissed a sensitive spot and then began slowly removing her jeans. She raised her hips letting him remove her jeans. He threw her jeans to one side of the room as he continued to kiss his way down her body. His hands holding her hips as he finally reached her panties. He stared at her for a moment before his kisses continued down her body. He was in no rush, he wanted to explore every bit of her body and worship her in a way she deserves.

She sat up and unzipped his pants... Reaching to palm at his crotch. Frankie let out a moan as he felt her hand against his crotch. He stared into her eyes, his own dark and filled with pleasure as she touched him. He leaned down and began trailing kisses on her neck as he gently removed her panties, his need for her only growing.

"Ohhhh... Baby"... She moaned softly

He groaned in pleasure as she said that, his hand gently gripping her hip and pulling her closer, needing to be as close as possible to her. He whispered softly onto her skin "You are so beautiful. So perfect. I love you." He said as his hand gently massaged her inner thigh, his lips never leaving her skin.

"I love you too" she said wrapping her arms around his neck.

He pulled her as close as possible, his hands gently roaming her body as he pressed his lips against hers. He kissed her passionately and lovingly, his tongue gently massaging hers as he deepened the kiss, the need for her and her taste was stronger than ever. He was addicted to her, he couldn't get enough. He moved his body to hover over hers, his kisses still full of passion and need as he laid her down on her back. He pulled her to the edge of his side of the bed holding her legs open her back flat against the bed. Frankie looked down at her, his breath catching in his throat as he stared at her. There were no words to describe how beautiful and sexy she looked. He was mesmerized in her, in the moment. He held her legs gently, staring down at her for a moment before gently sliding into her. He groaned at the feeling, his senses going into overload as he tried to not lose himself in her.

They both moaned loudly almost in unison. He groaned as well, the feeling of her was overwhelming to him. He started moving slowly, his pace gentle and tender as he kept a loving hold on her thighs. He looked down at her and watched her face as he gently moved in and out, the way she moaned and writhed beneath him only making him need her more. She held the edge of the bed as he held her legs thrusting into her. He stared at her as he thrusted, a bit of sweat already formed on his forehead. His breathing got heavy and more labored as the feeling of pleasure in his body got stronger and stronger. He whispered softly between breaths "I love you. I love you so much."

"Hmmmm.... That's it baby" she moans..... " I'm getting close"

Frankie could feel her body become tense and he felt himself nearing the edge, and he wouldn't last longer. He looked down at her intensely, watching as she got closer, his breath getting heavier and his grip on her legs getting tighter. He whispered softly "I love you. I love you. I love you." He whispered with each thrust as he moved. His eyes full of love and lust and need for her. He could feel himself reaching the edge. As he felt himself get closer he quickly reached for the condoms in his nightstand. He quickly grabbed a condom from the nightstand and tore it open, his breaths coming out in heavy puffs. He rolled it on quickly, but without taking his eyes off of her. He needed her, and needed to see her as he came undone.

She pants.... "I thought we were out..."

He groaned as he began moving again, this time with a bit more needy and aggressive as the need was growing so strong by now that it felt like a primal need now. The sight of her beneath him brought on a wave of want and desire that he needed to act on. "I got a new pack. Needed them soon I guess." He grunted out between breaths. He held her legs and thrusted in deeper. He just needed her so badly.

"Ohhh... You... Really... Ohhhhh did... Hmmmmmm" she held on to the bed as be kept thrusting into her deeply.

He groaned and his breaths got heavy and more shallow as he moved. He wasn't going to last long. He was so close. And looking down at her made things even worse and he groaned loudly. "I can't... Baby I.. I'm gonna.." He panted deeply through breaths and words.

"Come baby... Ohhhh baby I'm there ... " She moans and pants

He groaned loudly at hearing those words and as he looked down at her. The image of her and the words leaving her mouth sent him over the edge and he moaned loudly as he came undone, he tightened his grip on her legs as he panted heavily with each breath. She lifted her hips as her climax followed right after.

He panted heavily, his breaths coming out in exhausted puffs as he looked down at her with a tired yet satisfied look in his eyes. He gently let go of her legs as he slowly pulled out, breathing hard as he did. "You're incredible." He said before leaning down and kissing her.

"Hmmmm".. she kisses him back

He walks into the bathroom to take care of the condom. She follows him in there and turns on the shower. He steps into the shower and leans his back against the wall as the water runs over him. The steam rising up in the shower and the warm water relaxing his muscles. He stood there for a few moments, enjoying the feeling of the warm water before wrapping his arms around Bexley's waist and pulling her close, her back against his chest and his chin leaning into her shoulder. "Thank you." he whispered softly before placing a kiss on her skin. "Of course baby... What are wives for? She says with a grin. He sighed deeply and held her closer, enjoying the intimacy and the feeling of holding her so close. They stood like this for a few moments till he pulled himself away and grabbed the loofah and poured body wash over it before running it over her body, gently massaging it into her skin as he did. "I don't do this enough. I need to spoil you more." He mumbled with a tired and guilty look.

"You spoil me enough. I'm happy with our life. " She said confidently.

He smiled and planted a gentle kiss on her shoulder before continuing to massage the body wash into her skin, paying extra attention to her shoulders and back. He held her as close as he could as he did, still feeling somewhat guilty over the earlier argument and how he snapped at her. "I still feel like I don't do enough. Especially not with how hard you work. You're always taking care of my cranky old ass."

She giggled a bit "I love you and I know I can be cranky when that magical time of the month is happening"

He couldn't help but chuckle at that. She could be pretty grumpy during that time, but she could only take so much before she exploded. It was cute to watch her get all "grouchy" and her cheeks puff out, and she was adorable when she was trying to be angry but just ending looking cute.

"You're still adorable no matter how bitchy you get." He said while pressing another kiss into her shoulder.

"I'll take that as a compliment, by the way. I like this new shower head you got" she said

"Yeah it's a good one, better water pressure, saves a bit of water too." He said as the continued washing her body. He was taking his time, he wanted her to be as relaxed as possible. They still had plenty of time, and nothing but time. And he wanted her to enjoy it. He ran the loofah along her ass before crouching down to wash her feet.

After their shower she dries her hair as he gets dressed. She starts to curl her ends with her curling iron

"Hey did Jon act weird at work today?" She asked

He put on his favorite jeans and a t shirt and sat on the bed as she did her hair. He started rubbing the lotion onto his skin as she asked her question.

"Not that I noticed, why you ask?" He said, shrugging slightly. He was more concentrated on thinking about what the hell to say to them later on, and the possible scenarios, the anxiety wasn't making him feel great.

"Zara just popped in my office today. She brought me Starbucks normally she'd text me if I was busy. But she said she had gotten her hair done but she had on one of those kflex things like she had had blood drawn. " She said turning off the curling iron. She started to put on a bit of makeup.

Frankie looked puzzled by this and tilted his head slightly, wondering what they both could be up to. He kept rubbing lotion into his arms as he thought, slightly wondering what it was about. "That is weird, sounds very suspicious. What could they be up to?"

"Maybe another round of those fertility shots? They've been trying for like 5 years now. I think she's losing hope" Bexley said applying her blush.

Frankie sighs deeply. He feels bad for Jon and Zara, the both really wanted kids, but so far they haven't had any luck with it. And the fertility shots were the last hope, from what he knows. "Maybe it is, those two have really been wanting kids, I hate seeing them so disappointed."

"I know.... I wish there was something I could do for her... You know? She's been my best friend since we were in Pre school. " She said

He placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I know you do. You've always looked out for her, and would never want to see her being hurt." He knew how much Zara meant to her, and how badly she wanted her to be happy. He wished there was something he could do as well but, if those shots didn't work then there wasn't much that anyone could do. "Just be there for her if it doesn't work. She'll need you."

"You know I will be" .. she reaches to hold his hand... " Hey by the way did you let Jasper and Daisy in? "

He took her hand and held it in his as he stared at her with a puzzled look on his face. He didn't let the dogs in, so why was she asking? "No, I haven't let them in yet. They're still outside. Why?"

"Oh shit. They've been outside all this time" their eyes widened. Frankie made a mad dash downstairs and swung the back door open.

Frankie's heart sank at that as he opened the backdoor to see his two dogs sitting there, both looking tired and thirsty. He felt guilt and shame hit him like a train as he took in the sight of them. "Daisy! Jasper! Oh you two I'm so sorry!" He said as he knelt down to hug them both and pat their heads and bellies. They both jumped on him and immediately licked his face and whined. The pit/lab mix Jasper was so excited but the first thing Daisy, the English bulldog did was go directly for the food dishes. Bexley comes downstairs putting on her earrings

"My poor babies" . She said.

Frankie looked at Bexley, with Jasper still in his arms as she went over to check on the dogs. "I can't believe we forgot them." He said softly as he patted Jaspers back. He felt horrible about forgetting and he was certain that these two would never let him forget it.

She sighs and fixes their food. "That's what happens when you're having kinky hot sex" she said with a smirk

Frankie chuckled and nodded as he gave Jasper a tight squeeze. "You ain't wrong about that." He said with a smile, feeling some of his guilt disappear seeing the dogs happily eating their food.

She exhales a bit for relief.

"You ready to head next door?" She asks putting her phone in her purse.

Frankie stood up sighed. "As ready as I'll ever be." He said softly as he started to the backdoor, the anxiety and nerves building up in him.

She gives a half smile and holds his hand and grabs her purse. Frankie takes her hand and holds it tight, giving it an extra tight squeeze. The moment he had been dreading had come, and there was no more avoiding it. He took a deep breath as he headed out the door.

After dinner and beers and the Chiefs beating the Buccaneers 26-7 Frankie was in a my h happier mood.

Zara brought in a lemon cake in the living room for dessert and after she had distributed the slices her and Jon sat across from them and Jon turned off the TV. Zara took a deep breath and said "So this was more than just a dinner tonight."

Frankie had his arm around Bexley and he nodded as Zara spoke, the anxiety immediately rearing its ugly head. He sighed as he looked at her, bracing himself for the conversation that he knew was going to follow. Zara held Jon's hands and spoke nervously

"As you both know we've been having a lot of issues over the years conceiving. And I recently found out that I wouldn't be able to carry a baby to term"

Bexley said "I'm so sorry.There has to be other options for y'all right?"

Zara sighed deeply and nodded, trying to hold back her tears. "I don't know. We've about tried everything we can. My doctor said the best option left is to get a surrogate." She said softly as she rested her hand on Jon's.

Zara reached over and held Bexley 's hand "we want you to be our surrogate"

Frankie looked stunned.

Frankie's jaw dropped as she heard Zara's words, his eyes widening as he stared at the both of them. He couldn't believe what he had just heard, his heart pounding so loudly that he swore they could hear it. He sat there in silence for a moment before finally finding his voice. "What...?"

Jon spoke up "look I know this is a major thing to ask. It's tremendous. If you need time to think about it.. we understand "

Bexley shook her head and said "No, I don't need time. I'll do it."

Frankie looked over at Bexley as she answered. He wasn't sure what to think of this, he was happy that she was so on board with this, but at the same time he was scared. Having a child is a huge responsibility, and to have his wife carry that responsibility was scary. He gently squeezed her hand as he looked at Zara, still somewhat stunned by the whole situation.

Bexley spoke with confidence "I'll do it. I'll do anything to help you. I promise you both I'll keep your baby safe and healthy until it's born. "

Zara started crying and immediately hugged Bexley tightly, tears streaming down her face. "Thank you.. thank you so much." She said between sobs as she held on to her. Jon was just as grateful, holding on to her hand as well and he was looking a bit misty eyed himself.

"I love you Zara" Bexley said softly still hugging her tightly.

Zara pulled away from the hug and wiped her tears away as she smiled at Bexley. "I love you too." She said softly, her voice still somewhat shaky. As the emotion began to subside a bit, Frankie took her hand in his again. His heart was still beating loudly, but not as fast as it was, and he was slightly calmer now as he took it all in.

Bexley wiped her tears as they sat back and finished dessert. Zara gave her the specialist's number so she can start making her appointments.

Frankie and Bexley walked home in slight silence, hand in hand as he tried to process the events of the evening. The idea of having a baby was a lot to process, but having been raised on the idea of family being the most important thing, it had crossed his mind numerous times over the years, so the idea wasn't foreign to him. He held her hand tightly, glad that she would be beside him as they went through this new journey. They walked in their house being greeted by their dogs .

"Frankie? You've been quiet" she said

Frankie smiled as he saw Jasper and Daisy, both of them running up and jumping up on him, their tails wagging wildly. He gave them both a pet before they ran off to their beds. He looked over at Bexley and nodded, realizing he had been quiet the entire walk home. "Yeah, sorry. Just a lot to take in you know?"

"Yeah it is. Remember how I said that I wished there was something I can do?" She said leaning against the kitchen counter.

Frankie nodded, remembering their conversation in the shower earlier. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze as he listened. "Yeah, I do." He said softly.

"This is what I can do. I'm not 30 yet. I'm healthy I can do this for them" Bexley spoke with such bravery it was inspiring to Frankie

Frankie looked at Bexley, seeing the determination in her eyes. She was a strong and healthy woman, and he knew that she would be able to carry the baby for Zara and Jon. He gave her a small smile and nodded, knowing that she was more than capable of doing this. "You're right. You are healthy and you are strong. I know you'll be able to do it for them.”

"How do you feel about me doing this? Be honest" she said still holding his hands

He took a deep breath and looked her in the eyes as he spoke. “Honestly? I’m scared. It’s a big responsibility and it’s gonna be tough to see you go through the pregnancy. But at the same time, I’m proud of you because you’re doing this for them. And you’re doing what needs to be done. Even though I’m scared, I know you’re stronger than anyone I know, and I trust you to bring this baby into the world.” she pulls him closer.

She nodded and spoke softly.. "I know it's scary. We have never talked about kids of our own."

Frankie looked down at her. He had often thought of a future where they had a family, but never brought it up with her because he didn’t want to pressure her. "Yeah, we never really have. I would be lying if I said I didn't want us to have kids of our own someday."

"Yeah... I'd like one or two someday. I just figured if it happens it happens." She said with a shrug.

Frankie nodded as he listened to her, feeling relieved that she was interested in having kids. He felt a sense of relief hearing her say that. He took her hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze, looking into her eyes. "Yeah me too. I'd love to have a family someday with you. Hopefully it happens for us."

"I know it will baby"she said with a gentle smile

He smiled softly as she spoke, feeling his heart flutter as she said it. "You really think so?" He said softly, feeling hope begin to build up in him but also fearing that it may not happen.

*Of course". She says wrapping her arms around his waist. Frankie placed his arms around her, holding her close as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "I sure hope you're right, baby." He whispered softly, his lips brushing against her hair.

"I love you... Thank you for your support and respect " she said looking up at him with admiration.

Frankie smiled as he held her close, feeling his heart swell with love as she thanked him. "I love you too. And you're welcome, baby. I know how much this means to Zara and Jon, and I respect that. And I respect your decision to be their surrogate."

She lays her head against his chest and closes her eyes. Frankie held her close, gently rubbing her back as she laid her head against his chest, feeling her body relax against his. He gently kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes, savoring the moment with her.

Part 2 coming soon

[gay-otlc]

Won't Fall In Love At The End- 4

Get Rana some fucking therapy

@xanadaus @an-ungraceful-swan @novaliae @gaslight-gaetkeep-gayboss I think you guys wanted to be tagged sorry if you don't want to be tagged

By the time Saturday afternoon rolls around, Rana has still not entirely convinced herself that this will be fine and fun. Rana’s dad drives her to the address that Asher texted, and once he’s met Ms. Siegal for long enough to be confident she’s not a serial killer, he leaves. Aziza has gotten there before her and is eagerly taking a bite of Asher’s mom’s challah. Ms. Siegal offers Rana some. Luckily, she’s been over at Eva’s house often enough to have tried challah before, and knows it’s a texture she doesn’t hate, so she accepts the offer.

“It’s nice to meet you, Rana,” Ms. Siegal says. “I wasn’t sure Asher would ever find someone to date.”

“Mom.”

“We weren’t sure Rana would ever date someone either,” Aziza says.

“Aziza,” Rana groans, exchanging a look with Asher. They both still haven’t found anyone to date, not for real. 

Asher glares at their mom, and then says “You look nice.”

“You do too,” Rana says, and it’s true. They’re wearing a suit jacket and a skirt that reaches their knees. Their necktie is the same shade of green as Rana’s dress- she remembered them asking about the color of her outfit, because couples should match, or something.

Couples.

She knows that’s the point of fake dating, to pretend to be a couple, but the word makes her a little bit squeamish to think about. 

“You two are cute,” Aziza says, as the doorbell rings and Ms. Siegal moves to let Eva in. Rana’s discomfort has moved past “a little bit squeamish” into “vaguely nauseous” territory.

“They are,” Eva agrees, walking in. “Imagine not being tragically single.”

Rana almost laughs. She can’t imagine herself not being single, genuinely not single. That’s the problem. 

“If you’re sad about being single you could just, like, ask someone out,” Asher says. They understand sadness about being single about as well as Rana does, she guesses.

Eva sighs dramatically. “She’s straight.”

Rana looks at her feet. After eating lunch with Abigail for a few days, she’s noticed that Eva’s hypothesis about Abigail’s sexuality might not be entirely true. From the details she’s gathered about Abigail’s camp girlfriend turned long distance girlfriend turned ex girlfriend, Rana doubts she means “girlfriend” in a platonic, straight girl way. But that’s not her information to tell Eva about, so she stays quiet as Eva laments. 

It’s kind of funny to watch Eva’s face as Abigail arrives. She’s in a suit with a red necktie, her shoulder length hair tied back, and for the first time, Rana understands how Eva finds Abigail so attractive. She still doesn’t understand why Eva is actually sad about not dating Abigail, but Abigail is, objectively, very hot. 

She arrives with Xavier, who has on a blue button down shirt and a bow tie decorated with dinosaurs. Rana has no particular desire to ever wear a bow tie, but if she did, she would definitely steal that one. 

Eva’s eyes narrowed, looking between Xavier and Abigail. She opens and closes her mouth a few times, and then Aziza jumps in, saying they both look nice and are they going to homecoming as a couple?

Xavier and Abigail exchange a look, and then burst out laughing. “We’re both gay in opposite directions,” Abigail explains finally, and Eva nearly chokes on her sip of water.

The Eva-pining-over-Abigail rants are probably about to get even more annoying.

No. Wait. She’s not supposed to think that. Eva’s her friend, and Rana wants Eva to be happy, and she should listen when Eva talks about her feelings. 

Being a good friend is hard, but if Rana wants to hold on to the few friends she has, she should probably do her best to be one.

Asher checks their watch. “Where’s Daniel?”

“He’s late for everything ever,” Xavier says with a shrug. “While we wait for him, can I ask the names of these new people? I’m Xavier.” 

He glances over at Aziza and Eva. Eva is still recovering from the shock of realizing Abigail is gay, so Aziza introduces herself first. 

“And I’m Eva,” she says weakly.

Abigail smiles at her. “My name’s Abigail. Nice to meet you.”

Eva blushes bright red. “I. Uh. You too.”

Rana seriously does not understand crushes. Saying “nice to meet you” is a very normal thing to say. It’s not anything special, just someone being polite. It doesn’t seem worth blushing over.

The doorbell rings, and Asher rushes over to answer it. “About time,” they tease as Daniel steps in. “You’re our ride, man. We need you to be on time.”

He holds his hands up. “Sorry, sorry. I’m here now?”

“I can’t wait until another one of us is allowed to drive around other people,” Asher grumbles. “A more punctual person.”

“I’m allowed to!” Abigail says indignantly.

“You don’t have a big enough car,” Xavier tells her, and she rolls her eyes. 

“Technicalities. We’ll just stuff some people in the trunk, it’ll be fine.”

“I don’t think that’s safe,” Rana points out.

Abigail shrugs. “We’ll vote. Least liked member of the group gets the trunk.”

Rana stares down at her feet. The likelihood that she’d get voted least liked member of the group… about a hundred percent. She knows things are rarely one hundred percent likely, but this seems like an exception. Abigail and Xavier and Daniel, they probably don’t like her at all, and definitely not more than the others. They just tolerate her, since she’s Asher’s fake girlfriend.

She bites her tongue as Daniel says “Or we could give everyone a seat, because my car is big enough.”

“I don’t trust that car,” Xavier says. “It’s like a million years old.”

“It works!” Daniel scowls. “Insulting my punctuality is one thing-”

“-Because it’s a true insult,” Asher cuts in. 

“But insulting my car is where I draw the line! Jerry may be old, but he’s a good car. Don’t be mean.”

“You named your car Jerry?” Aziza asks.

“Jerry is a fine name! Stop judging me and my car!” 

The group laughs, except Rana, whose mind is still spinning around we’ll vote, least liked member of the group gets the trunk. Had Abigail been looking at her when she said that? Maybe Rana was imagining it, or remembering wrong, but she probably was. 

The group files out the front door, and Ms. Siegal insists on taking photos before they leave. The big group photos are okay- even though they probably all wish I wasn’t part of the group photo- but then Ms. Siegal grins and says “Everyone out except Rana and Asher. Time for a picture of the couple.”

“Mom,” Asher protests.

“Asher,” she repeats back in the same annoyed voice. “I’m a mom. You’re my kid, going to homecoming with their girlfriend. I want pictures of you two.”

Asher rolls their eyes.

“Step closer to her,” Ms. Siegal directs. “Put an arm around her. Stop glaring at me and try to look happy to be with your girlfriend.”

Rana forces a smile. She’s not happy, not enjoying this at all, but she does have a lot of practice making her face look the way it’s supposed to look. So she pretends it’s not gross to stand so close to Asher, looking so… couple-y, and smiles for the camera. 

Finally, mercifully, Ms. Siegal is done snapping photos, and she orders everyone to be safe as they pile into the car. 

Rana feels like she’s underwater. Which, on paper, shouldn’t be a bad feeling. She likes swimming, likes the ocean and its plants and sea creatures and ecosystems, but now she just feels trapped, like waves keep crashing over her head and she can’t swim away. Waves of least liked member of the group and they all wish you weren’t part of the group and try to look happy to be with your partner. 

Asher taps her shoulder and leans in close. “You okay?”

“Get a room,” Aziza teases, before she could say anything.

Rana considers how it looks from the outside; a caring partner, leaning in to whisper sweet things to their girlfriend, maybe give her a kiss. It feels like everyone is looking at her and seeing the wrong thing, and she knows that was the point of fake dating, that they would see her as a normal person who dates people, but that’s… not… right.

That feeling is added to the waves that relentlessly wash over her, that feeling that everyone sees her as someone she’s not, and she wants them to because they probably won’t like it if they see her as someone she is, but at the same time, feeling invisible is…

She doesn’t know.