#surf shops near me

[sundazs]

Ultimate Destination for the Best Women's Bathing Suits Nearby

Experience unparalleled quality and selection with SunDaze Surf's premium women's bathing suits range. From classic cuts to trendy designs, find your perfect fit and elevate your beachwear game effortlessly. Discover the excellence design of womens bathing suits near me!

[aotearoasurf]

Try These Innovative Lodging Trends

Enter the ever-changing accommodation world! No more generic hotel rooms or vacation rentals. Today's travel scene features innovative accommodations that offer more than just housing. Unusual settings and transformative retreats provide fresh possibilities. Hold on as we explore interesting new accommodation in Northland trends you must try! Get ready for an unforgettable journey!

Negotiating Different Accommodations

Do you tire of staying in the same hotels when traveling? Well, let's explore varied accommodations and experience something unusual. Many possibilities, from treehouses and yurts to luxury glamping tents and tiny homes, will elevate your holiday experience.

Choosing eco-friendly, sustainable hotels is a trend. Creative spaces use renewable energy, reduce waste, and encourage sustainability. Besides a delightful stay, you'll help the environment.

An authentic cultural experience can be had by staying with locals and learning about their lifestyle. Farm stays and room rentals offer a more authentic and meaningful travel experience.

Finding Luxury in Unconventional Places

Staying in fancy hotels and cookie-cutter resorts is boring, so try something new. When you can have the best, why settle? Hotels that combine luxury and adventure are becoming more popular.

Imagine sleeping in an underwater hotel suite with stunning marine life views or a magnificent treehouse high above the forest canopy. These are some examples of how hotel providers are redefining luxury with unique experiences.

Glamping blends camping with five-star resort comforts. Relax on plush beds under canvas walls, surrounded by nature, while enjoying private bathrooms and excellent meals.

More luxurious alternatives include castle stays and old houses become boutique hotels. These hotels have unmatched grandeur, history, and service.

Sleeping under the stars in a translucent bubble dome or waking up to ocean views from your cliffside home are memorable experiences that ordinary hotels cannot equal.

nvention!

Benefits of Women's Wellness Retreats

Women's wellness retreats are popular for individuals seeking a time out from daily life. A friendly and compassionate environment allows women to focus on their physical, mental, and emotional health at these retreats.

Unplugging and reconnecting with oneself is a major benefit of women's wellness retreats. Notifications, emails, and social media updates flood us in today's fast-paced world. Retreats let participants disconnect from technology and be present.

Focusing on self-care is another benefit of retreats. Women prioritize others rather than themselves, leaving little time or energy for themselves. Through yoga, meditation, spa treatments, healthy meals, and personal growth workshops, wellness retreats prioritize self-care.

Additionally, these retreats empower women by connecting them with others who share their aims. These events create a supportive environment that helps attendees feel understood and validated in their well-being journey.

Modern Women's Retreats Transform

Women typically multitask in today's hectic society. Modern life can be daunting with career and family pressures. Transformational women's retreats help.

These retreats allow women to escape their regular routines and soak up a nurturing and supportive environment. The room for self-reflection, growth, and renewal is important. These retreats offer comprehensive therapy with carefully selected wellness, mindfulness, and self-care modules.

Transformative womens retreats in NZ can help you renew your spirit or find your life purpose. Yoga and meditation retreats in beautiful settings and empowerment-focused trips to enhance confidence are all offered.

Transformative women's retreats bring together people with similar goals and challenges. Shared experiences strengthen and bond participants. These links can become lasting friendships and support networks after the retreat.

Find the Best Surf Shops Near Your Beach Home

Visit the greatest surf shops on your coastal hideaway tour. For beginners and pros, these stores have everything you need to enjoy surfing.

Surfing aficionados will find great boards, wetsuits, instruction, and local knowledge at these surf shops. They feature high-quality gear from reputable manufacturers to provide you with a memorable surfing experience.

Surf shops aren't only about products—you can experience the area's thriving surf culture. Friendly staff love surfing and want to teach guests like you.

[stevieschrodinger]

I do not have time to write this, but I really need to write it down.

All the events of Stranger things happen as normal - one crucial difference, Eddie gets involved, but not in the same way. He's an innocent by stander who never made friends with the kids. He's a vague background character to the action. He's an extra on set, effectively, and when he drops out of school and leaves town abruptly, someone might notice, but no one really questions it.

Years later, the only thing that feels real about the whole thing are the scars Steve still carries on his body. Sometimes, sometimes, he has to call Robin, just to check it was all real. That he hasn't lost his mind. He still flinches when a light flickers, to this day his ears ring for hours after a loud noise. He has headaches.

The only people he can talk to about it are Robin and the kids; but he feels bad. The kids aren't kids anymore, and they all seem to have just...gotten on with their lives. Seemed to have grown and evolved past it all, even though Steve regularly still wakes in the night, sweating and fighting with his bed covers. He doesn't put that on them, he sounds happy on the phone, and he is, loves hearing about their lives, their relationships, their plans and their own kids.

Robin has a girlfriend, she's happy and settled. Steve's the only one who seems...stuck. Like he cant move past it. He bums around. Stays with Nancy for a while, then Robin. Visits Argyle, makes loose acquaintances and sofa surfs. Drifts, aimlessly, through life.

It's about time in his cycle to visit Robin, but the relationship is serious this time and she nags him to find his own place to stay near by - loosing patience with him when he fails to be motivated and finding it for him herself. It's tiny, the kind of place where the bed is also the couch and the TV rests on a short run of kitchen counter because there's no where else. Feels okay though.

Steve gets a job. Spends a day on foot, door to door, walking through town; lands in a record shop of all places, even though CD's have now well and truly taken hold and vinyl isn't much of a thing. It's dark inside, the walls painted black, the bare brick red. A couple of people browse through, but Steve heads right for the counter.

There's some screamo rock stuff playing that Steve doesn't recognize, but it's quiet, so it's okay.

Behind the counter, someone Steve half recognizes from another life. Eddie Munson, Freak of Hawkins High. What are the odds.

Eddie isn't who Steve remembers. He's angry now. Bitter. Has a horrible scar that creeps up his neck and onto his face, pulling the corner of his lip down. Steve does his best to ignore it. Begs for work.

Eddie employs him, but only because he thinks it's fucking funny how far the king has fallen. Now the king works for the jester.

Steve does his best at the shop. Cleans a lot. Gets on well with the customers, charms plenty of sales.

Eddie walks with a cane and seems to hate everyone and everything; but nothing so much as a cold morning. Seems to be in more pain than usual.

Steve wants to ask, Eddie tells him it was an animal attack. In 86.

Steve's seen some of the scars by now, caught glimpses of how bad Eddie was hurt; helped Eddie even when Eddie was spitting angry about accepting any help.

What the fuck kind of animal could do that much damage in Hawkins?

You wouldn't believe me if I told you.

And Steve puts it together then, instantly and viscerally realizes in his bones what must have happened. No one ever believed Eddie. Why would they? How could anyone think that monsters coming out of the walls, out of the floors, out of glowing red portals could be the truth?

And Steve says, did it's face peel apart like a flower?

And then he tells Eddie. He tells Eddie everything. He shows Eddie his own scars. Tells him about every monster they ever come across. It was one of the demo dogs. Like Dart. Steve knew it must have been, but Eddie confirms with a description.

And then Eddie cries, because he finally has a explanation. He's not crazy. For the first time in his life, someone believes him.

[featherandferns]

daylight - two

jj maybank x fem!reader | part 2 of the daylight series | read part 1 here

content warnings: drinking, mentions of sex

word count: 3k.

blurb: you join jj's friends at the chateau and find yourself playing hot seat.

“No.”

“Come on! It’s cute!”

“I mean this with all due respect: burn that top.”

Rolling your eyes, you look down at your t-shirt. You’d thrifted it from a shop near the harbour. Born to fish, made to work. You thought it was hilarious, and it was washed and worn-down into comfort. Stretched at the collar and slightly big on your frame, you fell in love. Mimsy? Not so much. 

“It’s funny. I think it’ll go down well,” you tell her, keeping it on. You tuck the front into your pair of shorts before sitting down at your desk. Grabbing your hair brush, you begin taming your hair. 

“This is the first time you’re meeting hot-mechanic-man’s friends and that’s what you’re wearing?” Mimsy says, disapproval heavy in her voice. “God, you really are lost without me.”

Mimsy had dubbed JJ ‘hot-mechanic-man’ after you recounted the story from two nights ago, when your car decided to call it quits on some random country road. All you’d done was tell her his name and that he was from the Cut, and she’d stalker master-minded her way to his Instagram. It was just as you had pictured it to be. Snaps of him surfing, some shirtless (score), and photos of him smoking. His friends were on there too. You’d counted it as homework for tonight in your sleuthing. John B with a head of brown-ish hair, curled and fairly long; Kiara with a brimming smile and ‘save the turtles’ branded backpack; Pope with his awkward grin which did not match his well-toned body. They seemed fun from the photos.

There was a video on his Instagram which you think Mimsy might have watched fifteen or so times. It was of JJ shot-gunning a beer with John B, stood in a yard beside a campfire. You’d watched it too, eyes fixated on his bobbing Adam’s apple, and promptly clicked out of the video. So, despite your teasing, you were grateful for Mimsy’s talents. 

“How’re you getting there? Parents giving you a ride?”

“I’ll skate,” you say. 

Mimsy nods. “Is it a good skate scene out there?”

“S’alright,” you shrug. Flashing her a smile through the camera, you say, “would be better if you were here.”

“Yeah, well, most things are,” she jokingly returns. The smile that follows is solemn. The two of you missed each other like crazy. 

Mimsy looks past the camera into a mirror and continues working glitter onto her eyelid. It sparkles against her tanned skin. She's going out tonight to your usual haunt. Fake IDs got you into a social-club style bar in your local area, where most of your friends went. You missed the smell of liquor that clung to the walls and that uncomfortable tackiness of the floors. 

“You nervous about meeting his friends, then?”

“I guess,” you say. “Kinda nervous about meeting him again.”

“Yeah, hot guys will have that effect on you,” Mimsy returns with a cheeky grin. 

Rolling your eyes, you go to fire something back but get interrupted by a crackled yell through the speaker. Mimsy turns around in her chair, towards her door, and hollers back to her mother in Spanish. 

“Pol el amor de Dios,” she mumbles as she turns back to the camera. “Sorry, babes. Gotta go.”

“Have fun!” you grin. 

“Oh, you too,” she returns with a telling wink. Then she clicks off the screen. Your room is unnaturally quiet without her voice and company.

Checking the time, you get to your feet, pull on a pair of beat-up Reboks, and grab your bag and penny board. Jogging down the stairs of the two-story home, you call out to your parents. Your dad mumbles his reply just as you slip out the door. You take off down the street and head towards the address JJ text you. Your backpack is heavy with beer cans and unopened chips, and your cased digital camera. It felt wrong to leave your house without some form of camera: polaroid, digital, disposable. You were attached like a child to a safety blanket. 

As you pull onto the road which supposedly leads up to John B’s house, the amount of tarmac depletes. Making the rest of the way on foot, you’re only semi-cautious as you start down a dirt trail to an old fish shack that’s only just visible through overgrown shrubs and trees. The echo of energetic chatter which carries to you calms your worry. You round the corner to find JJ stood on top of a tree stump, arms expanded as he tells a story. When his eyes catch yours, he stops mid-sentence and jumps down. 

“Yo! You made it!”

The rest of the gang turns as JJ bounds over to you. He grabs you by the shoulders and coaxes you into the gathering. 

“This is the girl I was telling you guys about,” he says to his friends. 

They nod, wave and smile their greetings. JJ stands behind you, hands planted on your shoulders, and announces your name like you’re visiting royalty. 

“That’s John B, Kiara and Pope,” he introduces. You think you do a good job acting like you’ve never seen any of them before. 

"You're the damsel in distress JJ's been telling us about?" Kiara asks.

Laughing, you say, "that's not how I'd describe myself but sure."

The group smiles. John B nods down at the penny board you’re carrying. “You skate?”

“No, no, I just carry it around for street cred,” you dryly return. Pope sniggers. 

“See! Told you she was funny!” JJ says. He makes his way to the beer cooler. “Beer or seltzer?”

“Beer,” you reply.

He tosses a can to you like he did at the garage. You catch and crack it open, and then take the empty lawn chair beside Kiara. She’s sitting crossed legged, nursing a bottle. The only lighting comes from the porch behind you. Everyone is sat in a wonky circle, lounging in their various seats. JJ has claimed the hammock. Chickens coo in a run not far from the group. The marsh water near John B’s home soothingly laps at the land. Crickets and owls accompany the quiet hum of music playing from a beat-up Bluetooth speaker. 

“You came at the perfect time,” Kiara tells you. “JJ was just telling us a very interesting story.”

“Thank you, for that,” he replies, gliding past the almost-insult. “As I was saying, Priss snuck outta the party and nobody knows where she's at, right? Then, I'm heading out and guess who I fuckin' see her mackin' on? Fuckin' Bradley G.”

"You're so full of shit," John B snorts, shaking his head.

"I swear on my life! I swear on my God blessed grave, Priss and Brad G hooked up at that keggar the other night!"

You glance at JJ's friends and nobody seems very convinced.

"You're not allowed to go to parties unsupervised anymore," Pope says in a matter-of-fact manner.

"Shut up, Pope. Like you ever go to parties anyway," JJ mutters before taking a hefty swig of his drink.

Rolling her eyes, Kie looks to you. “Anyway. JJ says you’re new to Kildare?”

“Yep,” you reply. 

“Where abouts you living? On the Cut?”

“Yeah, about ten minutes from here, actually,” you say. “Thanks for letting me hang with you guys by the way.”

“Course,” she smiles. 

“Oh!” You suddenly remember your bag. Delving in, you produce two large bags of chips. “I brought snacks and drinks too.”

John B gets up and gladly takes the beers from you, placing them in the cooler with thanks. Kie tosses a bag of chips to JJ before opening the other, offering it around.

For a while there’s little chatter as you all relax. Kie hums along to the Bob Marley song that plays and Pope reads. John B’s head is reclined back, eyes shut, and a cloud of smoke sometimes billows out from the hammock cocoon JJ’s placed himself in. It’s reminiscent of how your friends used to be back in Vancouver. Chilled and cool, no pressure. 

JJ breaks the quiet with a groan, shifting to sit up. “A'right. I’m bored. Let’s play a game or something.”

“Not strip poker again,” Pope demands. 

“Oh come on! Why not!?” JJ protests. 

Kie rolls her eyes. “Because you’re a card shark.”

“And because you always end up getting your dick out,” John B tags on. You snort into your can. 

“Alright, alright, what then? I can’t be arsed setting up beer pong,” JJ grumbles, plopping himself down in a seat just opposite you. 

“What about hot seat?” you offer. The group looks to you. 

“Hot seat?”

“Yeah, it’s when someone sits down in a chair and they’re grilled for five minutes by the group. Any questions, no rules. If they don’t wanna answer, they drink,” you explain. “It’s fun.”

“I’m down,” Kie shrugs. 

“Me too,” Pope agrees. John B nods. 

JJ gets up, grabbing another abandoned seat (I mean, are these things multiplying?) and placing it in view of everyone, mimicking that of a courtroom layout. 

“Alright, who’s first?” he asks. After a round of highest-lowest, Pope winds up in the hot seat. He shifts nervously as Kie readies her timer. 

“Ready? Go!”

With that, an influx of questions follow. They range in severity: some joking and trivial and others bordering on existential. Pope drinks only once when asked if he’s into anybody, and before more prying can follow, the timer goes off. 

“Now you get to choose who goes next,” you explain, somewhat giddy with the others. 

“John B, you’re up,” Pope prompts. They swap seats and the group eggs the brunette on as he steels himself for questioning. The timer starts and the questions begin. 

“Blow job or hand job?”

“Blow job,” John B answers JJ. 

“Dogs or cats?”

“Dogs.”

“Do you think the Royal Merchant is real?”

“Damn straight,” John B replies. You frown. Royal Merchant? 

“Hottest girl in the county?”

John B deliberates. When he seemingly can’t decide, he takes a drink. More silly questions follow, most of which stem from JJ, and the group starts to crack up. The alcohol helps, easing everyone out of any boundaries. When John B’s round finishes, it’s followed by Kiara. She takes a joking bow before hopping into the seat. She’s calm and collected under their scrutiny. Rolls her eyes at JJ’s prying queries and entertains your own curious questions. From the way the group answers, and what they answer, you gain a better sense of their personalities. JJ is the next one up. He throws his hands up as he walks over, as if he’s heading into a boxing ring. He then man-spreads in the seat, shorts hitching up his muscular quads, and vapes as Kiara resets the timer. As your eyes skim up and down his body, they return to his face to find him watching you, amused. 

“Timer’s going,” Kiara says. You snap your eyes away from his.

“Favourite sex position?” John B asks. 

“Damn, that’s a tough one,” JJ replies. His finger swipes his lip almost tauntingly as he deliberates. You’re shamelessly intrigued. “Toss up between doggy and missionary.”

“Weed or beer?”

“What!? That’s evil!” JJ argues. “Weed, I guess.”

“Surfing or fishing?”

“Surfing. No! Fishing. No, no, wait…Can I choose both?”

You chorus with the others: “drink!”

He does as he’s told, swigging back his can. Nods when he’s done to prompt another question. 

“If you could travel somewhere in the world, where would you go?” you ask.

JJ looks to you. His answer comes quick. “Anywhere. Fuck it - everywhere! I’d go to Mexico, and then Brazil, and then Argentina, and then I’d go to the Caribbean islands to see what’s happening there. And then Japan and China and all those places, and then a little backpacking stint around Europe and stuff. Finish off in Africa with the elephants and shit.”

The group hums their approval. As you glance around, you get the sense none of them have been very far. Neither had you. The farthest you’d ever been was North Carolina. Your family had never ventured out of Vancouver before; the only reason your parents had settled on North Carolina was because of your dad’s ties. He was born here and grew up not far from Kildare, in Wilmington. You think he might have been chasing nostalgia when he announced that you were all moving to Kildare. 

“You into anyone right now?” Pope asks. 

“Why? You offering yourself up?” JJ teases. Pope rolls his eyes, mumbling jerk under breath. “Yeah, I am.”

“Who?” Kie prompts, curious. 

JJ’s eyes flash back to you and a telling smirk sneaks onto his face. “She already knows who she is.”

The group’s low whistles and ‘oo’s aren’t the only cause for your flushing. JJ’s stare is too. It flits down your figure tactfully before returning to your eyes, smirk only wider. You clear your throat, press your legs together and sip your beer. The timer goes off. 

“Who’s up?” John B asks JJ.

“New girl,” JJ replies, clearing the seat for you to take his place. You gladly do so, laughing at the applause and whoops that come from the others. 

“Do your worst,” you grin, squiffy from the beers.

Kiara starts the timer and the gang comply with your request. 

“What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?” 

You bark out a laugh at Pope’s question. “Shit, starting off heavy. Um…Crashed my friend’s bike.”

“As in push-bike?”

“As in dirt bike,” you cringe. “Brand new dirt bike.”

“Damn, that is rough,” John B chuckles. 

“Thing you like the most about yourself?”

“We talking physically or...?”

“Intellectually,” Kiara clarifies. 

“And physically,” JJ happily tags on. 

“Physically? My wrists, I guess. Don’t ask, I know that’s weird,” you laugh. “And intellectually…” Your eyes downfall to the grass ahead as you ponder. “Maybe my faith in others? I always try and see the best in people.”

Kiara nods, content with your response. 

“What about the thing you dislike most about yourself? Intellectually, that is,” Pope wonders. 

Your smile twists. “My faith in others.”

It was a double edged sword: you’d learnt that the hard way. You wash down the memories with a swig of beer. 

“Body count?”

The sudden change in tone makes you laugh.

“You can’t just ask a girl her body count!” you exclaim through your giggles. JJ exaggerates his shrug. 

“Why the hell not!? Anything goes right?”

You shake your head with a smile. As you sip your drink, you stare JJ down. 

“Alright, favourite sex position then,” Kie says.

You comply with that question. Grinning, you say, “cowgirl. Or reverse cowgirl. Either, really.”

John B whistles as Kiara teases, "okay, girl, okay."

“If you had to hook-up with anyone here, who would it be?” JJ asks. 

Laughing, you look to the sky as you toss back your head. “I met most of you guys like two hours ago!”

“Going off first-impressions, then,” JJ says. You can hear the grin in his voice. 

There’s an obvious answer, at least to you. It’s the blonde who you’ve spent the whole night trying not to stare at. His rugged handsomeness and bedroom eyes mixed with the sheen of daytime sweat and sunscreen that settled on his skin, bathing him in beauty...Fuck, it’s not fair people like that exist. You want to know the recipe God used to make him. Want to keep it to yourself so he can’t make it anymore.

Fixing your posture, you train your eyes on JJ. Then, you take a long, long sip of your drink. Kiara laughs under her breath with John B. You swear you see JJ’s demeanour darken. It’s like a game of who can break first. In the end, it’s you, thanks to the surprise of the timer. 

“That’s time…”

“John B. Get your butt back in this chair,” you say, getting to your feet.

He does as asked whilst you return to your old spot. When you glance up, you find JJ watching you. There’s a shadow of a smile on his lips and a barely-there expression on his face, but you can’t decipher what either means. There’s something uncomfortably familiar about it though. Reminds you of the same type of smile you saw almost a year ago, back in Vancouver, on a different guy's features. You look away and wash it down with your drink.

The game eventually dies down after two more rounds, without you or JJ returning to the hot seat. By now everyone is bordering on drunk.

The energy has amped up and the atmosphere is upbeat. As Kie, Pope and John B fall into a loud debate about something or other, JJ finds the spot next to you. He nudges your leg with his. 

“You good?”

“Yeah, I’m good,” you smile. “Thanks for inviting me along tonight.”

“Course. You thinking you might a Pogue?”

“Maybe, maybe,” you reply non-committedly. You take another sip of your beer. 

“Look, uh, I’m sorry if I weirded you out at all tonight, with all the hot-seat things,” JJ randomly says. 

Frowning, you look at him. “It didn’t weird me out. I told you that at the garage, didn’t I? That it doesn't bother me?”

“Yeah, but, after tonight…Just don’t want to make you feel weirded out around me,” he replies. 

It’s sweet that he cares about that. JJ seems the kind who talks first and apologies later. Whilst you know half of it's joking, you appreciate him checking that you’re comfortable with it. You’d had flirty guy friends before. Hell, you had flirty girl friends too. Mimsy, to name one. Maybe the different thing here was that you wouldn’t exactly turn JJ down. It wasn’t him that was keeping you at bay.

“Nah, you’re good,” you say. Glancing down, you watch your sneakers fidget in the grass. “I just, uh…I just have a lot going on right now and I don’t wanna jump into anything. Even if it’s casual, you know? At least not until I figure things out a bit more and get settled.”

It’s only half of the truth. There was something deeper holding you back. You could feel it now, creeping up behind you, always looming since December.

But you just met JJ. He didn’t owe you anything the same way you didn’t owe him. And trauma dumping isn’t the most certifiable way to make friends. 

“Nah, I get it,” JJ hums, nodding. “Sides, if you’re gonna be one of us, we have rules.”

“I’m sorry, you have rules?” you snigger, looking to him. 

JJ laughs. “Alright, alright, I know it sounds intense but hear me out! They’re to keep the peace and stuff. Keep us together.”

“That’s sweet. I, too, often trap people into friendships with rules,” you sardonically return. JJ nudges your leg away in joking disapproval. You laugh. “Go on, then. What are these rules? Should I get a notebook or…?”

“Alright, rule number one: no pogue on pogue macking.”

“Macking?”

“Kissing. Hooking up. That sorta thing,” he explains. 

Pursing your lips, you nod. “Guessing that came about after your collective balls dropped and you realised Kiara’s hot?”

JJ doesn’t speak but his silence is answer enough. You laugh. A particular outburst from Pope catches your joint attention. John B and Kiara fall into hysterics and you smile at their joy. It distracts JJ from further rule-telling. Reaching down into your backpack that’s nestled under your seat, you fish out your camera and settle it on the trio. You snap a few shots. They’ll look perfect with a black and white filter. JJ watches you flick through them. 

“You a photographer or something?”

“Kinda,” you reply. “I do it for fun, mostly.”

“Wanna take one of me?” It seems a rhetorical question.

Chuckling, you lift the camera and snap a shot of a grinning JJ. In one hand he holds up his drink and in the other he makes a surfer symbol. It’s cute. Shows his dimples and crowsfeet by his eyes. It reminds you why you were so infatuated by him at the kegger. The way the camera paints him is like a Monet. Before you can protest, JJ takes the camera from you and turns it. You complain as he snaps a shot: it feels unnatural being on this side of the lens. You snatch it back. 

“Dickhead.”

“What? You look cute! Especially in that shirt - I fucking love that.”

You try to hide your fluster by placing your camera back. JJ gets to his feet. Offering out a hand with a smile, he helps you up. The casual touch somehow feels like you're shaking on something. An agreement, to be simply friends, at least for now. So, passing a smile and naturally retracting your hand from his, you follow him to the others.

“What we talking about?” JJ asks.

“Oh, shit! You guys have got to hear this story!” Kiara struggles out.

They all shuffle to make space for you and JJ. John B wordlessly offers you another can whilst Pope recounts his tale. As you settle into laughter with the others, cracking up at JJ’s teasing of his awkward friend, you find yourself happy with the thought of becoming a Pogue.

read part three here!

taglist:

@princessuki21 | @psyches-reid

[princessbrunette]

how do you think kittyreader and jj met?

‧₊˚ 🐈‍⬛ ✩ ₊˚ 🪽 ⊹ ♡

you literally meet at the store. you’re doing your grocery shopping, padding around silently, deep in thought the way you always are— until suddenly your train of thought is broken by a voice, super animated and boyish. it attracts your attention instantly and you round the aisle, finding the source as you listen to him ramble to his friend who stood nearby.

jj stands, comparing two different cans of soup in his hand. “dude, i don’t care if this one has more veggies in it— it costs like, way too much.” he doesn’t notice you, but how could he— you barely make a sound with your movements, quick and nimble. his brunette friend stood near by responds dryly, telling you he’s used to the blondes indecisiveness.

“well you need the vegetables. you’re the one who keeps complaining about stomach aches, it’s because you live off hash browns.”

“i can’t afford it, bro.” the blonde argues as you check him out. he’s completely poguey in nature, sun damaged hair stuffed under a backwards cap, a tshirt with some kind of surf brand logo on it, board shorts and sneakers. basic, but something about him enticed you.

“so pay with pennies. i know you have them, your pockets are jingling.” the brunette friend pipes up, voice muffled as there was now an entire aisle separating the two of them.

“if i pay with pennies again the checkout lady is gonna deck me in the face.” the blonde complains before finally doing a double take, having no idea where you came from. you stare up at him with wide, guiltless eyes and he blinks at you before whipping around, twisting his body to see if there was someone stood behind him. he returns his gaze to you in confusion.

“y— are you watchin’ me?” he asks, voice lilted in that kind of gentle and non judgemental way that made you melt. he seemed friendly, like he really didn’t mind. you nod, before pointing at the beaded black and white bracelet on his wrist.

“i was looking at that. i like it.” you state simply. he blinks at you for another second before whipping it off his wrist and dangling it infront of you.

“you want it? can have it if you want.” he shrugs casually and you grin, wide eyed and excited as you pluck it from his grip and pull it onto your own wrist. “got a name, kittycat? didn’t hear you come up. you’re stealthy as hell.” he turns his body to you, setting one of the cans of soup down.

you tell him your name and he approaches your space, sticking a hand out for you to shake. “well, it just so happens that’s my favourite name.” he grins, and you look down at his hand curiously as you shake it — not letting go for a few moments.

“i like your hands.” you tell him honestly, looking back up at him. he’s blinking again, as if your innocent bluntness was constantly throwing him off.

“i…like your face.” he responds, the two of you gripping eachothers hand for another few moments. like that, he’s smitten.

‧₊˚ 🐈‍⬛ ✩ ₊˚ 🪽 ⊹ ♡

[rafey-baby]

hidden 3

cw: outlaw!rafe being his usual self, hostage situation, mentions of murder, pogue!reader having some sexual awakenings & some backstory on rafe

wc: 2.3k

hope u enjoy xx

part 1 part 2

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  

The following morning, her eyes groggily open in her own bed; covers tucked over her shoulders and head comfortably propped up by her pillow. She finds herself perplexed, doesn’t know how she ended up here since her last coherent memory from last night is sitting on the passenger seat of Rafe’s truck and letting her heavy lids close for what was originally supposed to be a few minutes.  

Her sock-clad feet pad over to the living room where Rafe is rummaging through some of his papers and whatnot; appearing as busy as ever.  

”Why don’t I remember coming home last night?” She stops to stand next to him. 

”Cause you sleep like a fucking rock. Had to carry you to your room,” he sounds disinterested, not even bothering to lift his head from the piece of paper he’s pinching between his fingers. Upon closer inspection, it appears to be some sort of a contract; letters unfortunately too tiny for her to be able to read from where she’s standing. 

“Oh. Thanks?”

Instead of leaving her passed out in his car like she would’ve assumed, he tucked her into bed? Maybe he owns a heart, after all.  

“It’s whatever,” he dismisses her while reading something over; seemingly deep in thought.  

“Do you— do you need help with that?” 

“Nah, I’m good,” his hand lifts up to scratch at the back of his head before he scribbles something down.

”Right…” she trails off, apparently rooted in her spot and unable to move.  

”Did you want something or what?” His tone is suddenly exasperated, eyes finally flickering up to peer into hers along with his brows raising expectantly.  

”No, I just…are we going somewhere today?” She can’t help but feel a little out of place in her own home with him there; almost as if she’s waiting for his next command to know what to do next. It makes something peculiar swim in the pits of her stomach.  

”Nah, just have to go over these. Can you, I don’t know, go to your room or something? You’re bothering me with your staring,” he grumbles and shifts into a more comfortable position on the couch; not sparing her another ounce of attention.  

”Okay,” she mumbles, a frown taking over her visage.  

Honestly, she’s not entirely sure what she’s supposed to do now. Normally, she’d go to work at the surf shop near the beach but since Rafe so kindly took her phone and texted everyone in her contacts about a family emergency that would take some days to sort through, she can’t exactly do that. And besides work…well, she doesn’t really have much else going on in her life. It’s sad, really, how a literal criminal forcing his way into her house is the most exciting thing to happen to her in the past few years.  

All things considered though, she doesn’t mind living a quiet life in the Cut, just sometimes wishes she didn’t feel so…lonely. And don’t get her wrong, she has friends, she just sometimes yearns for something deeper than fun boat adventures or getting high with her feet dangling over the dock while a tangerine-colored sunset paints over the horizon.  

She’s always had this dream of traveling around the world or simply just somewhere that wasn’t the Outer Banks but her parents never had the money for it. Therefore, she settled and learned to earn a living by herself in order to keep a roof over her head.  

And she’s been content with her simple life, even considers herself to be happy but then she sat on Rafe’s lap and at the realization of him getting hard from her unconscious rubbing against him felt butterflies in her belly, maybe for the first time in her life. It was something she thought only happened in movies yet there they were; their fluttering wings poking at her core like some vicious reminder that she hadn’t let someone make her feel good in ages.  

Truth be told, she grew tired of guys not being able to make her come because they didn’t understand her needs; didn’t even bother to find them out which is why she sort of lost hope for the whole thing altogether. But then Rafe steps inside her home uninvited and is nothing but mean to her and suddenly she...

It's wrong.

It doesn't make any sense yet she still can't help but feel a certain pull towards him whenever he's close. And she doesn't like it one bit; wants to forget about it as quickly as the thought breaches her mind.

It's far too complex for her perplexed mind to grasp onto, which is why she confuses it for insanity; simply decides that she’s going crazy. And maybe she is, because why else would she suddenly care for Rafe? Why is a hidden part of her heart beginning to harbor gooey, fond feelings for a killer who’s technically holding her hostage? 

She’s sure her muddled brain is going to explode if she thinks about the matter any longer; instead opting to take a long, scalding shower due to the clothes she’s been wearing since yesterday starting to stick to her sweaty skin and making her feel even filthier than she already does. 

Unfortunately, the steaming water doesn't quite wash away the ache between her thighs.

She’s in the middle of pulling a shirt over the damp strands of her hair when harsh knuckles rap against her bedroom door and Rafe enters a second later; not even bothering to wait for a response.  

”Change of plans—” his words die down on his tongue when he notices her current state.  

”Rafe, what the fuck?” She quickly adjusts the hem over her waist, painfully aware of the fact that she’s not wearing any pants and his eyes are now fixed on the lace of her panties practically on show for him. 

”Why are you just barging into my room like that? I could’ve been naked!” She complains before snatching a pair of shorts off her floor; tugging them over her hips.  

”Shit, wouldn’t have minded if you were. Got a nice ass for a Pogue,” he shrugs while sporting an irritating smirk that makes her glare at him.  

”And you’ve got no manners for a Kook. Except, I’m not surprised,” she rolls her eyes when he feigns shock; exaggeratedly dropping his jaw.

”Puppy’s getting angry, huh? Where’s this attitude coming from? Thought you were still scared of me?” He belittles her with a condescending tinge in his laugh. 

And she’s about to respond when out of the blue the ring of her doorbell reverberates around the house.  

They both tense.  

“You’re expecting someone?” His tone turns bleak, frigid; inducing shivers to litter across her arms as her head turns towards the source of the sound.  

”N— no. I’m not,” she stutters because truthfully, she doesn’t have a clue as to who could be at her door in the middle of an ordinary Tuesday.  

”Did you fucking call someone?” He takes a threatening step towards her and she panics.   

”No! I promise, I didn’t. I don’t even— you literally have my phone, remember?” She tries to fruitlessly defend herself.  

”I swear, if you’re lying right now—”  

”I’m not, okay? I didn’t call anyone!” She reassures once more, although it seems like he’s not even listening anymore. Therefore, she tries to be logical. ”I should— I should go and see who it is, right?” 

The icebound water in his eyes bores into her as he weighs out his options. 

”Right, right. Yeah, you should do that," he finally settles on. "But if you even consider telling them anything, I swear I’m gonna fucking find you, you understand?” He grits out into her face and she flinches when she can feel his harsh breaths hit her mouth with each syllable.  

She quickly nods before teetering towards the entrance of her home and twisting the lock with precarious fingers.

Soon, she’s standing in front of two men wearing police uniforms. 

”Oh, sorry for the wait. Was um…in the bathroom. How can I— uh, help you?” She tries to appear unfazed; inhaling slowly and doing everything she can in order to not look as guilty as she feels. 

”We apologize for the inconvenience but we’ve been assigned to ask around the island in order to locate a criminal who’s potentially a threat to our entire community,” one of them says and she thinks his jaded eyes are peering into her soul and seeing right through her rickety facade. 

”Have you seen this man recently?” The other guy dangles a picture of Rafe in the air. She takes a moment to properly look at the photo as to not answer too quickly.  

“N— no, sorry. Can’t say I have. Why? Who is that?” She bats her lashes in confusion as her poor heart thuds in her ribcage. She wonders if they can hear it. 

”This is Rafe Cameron. You might’ve heard about Cameron Development? He became the owner after his father’s death a few years back. And now we have reason to believe that he’s the main suspect for the murder of a fellow officer,” he states with a serious expression. 

”Oh, that’s…that’s terrible,” her eyes widen in shock because she had no idea Rafe was a Cameron. Of course, she’d heard everyone talking about what had happened with Ward Cameron and the rumors surrounding the gold but she’d never cared enough to dig through for more information about the rest of his family.  

”Seems like the apple really doesn’t fall far from the tree considering what Ward did to Sheriff Peterkin,” the one with the piercing stare snickers and her brows furrow because she doesn’t think the topic is all that hilarious.  

”I remember watching that in the news when it was all happening. Didn’t you guys also arrest an innocent Pogue with no actual proof?” Her question is sharp because the whole case still itches her in the wrong way. 

”That was— listen, I wasn’t even here back then, it was all very tragic. But the investigation on this case is still ongoing and we have a reliable witness claiming they saw Rafe dragging something heavy near the ocean the night before we found the body washed up on the shore. And according to multiple sources Rafe was the last person seen with our coworker at the island club a few hours prior to his death,” the guy explains and she momentarily wonders if they’re even allowed to share this much classified information with her.  

”Right. Well, I really wish I could help you but I unfortunately haven’t seen him,” her teeth sink into the inside of her cheek and she wonders if they can tell that she’s lying. 

“At this point, it seems like no one has. We’re suspecting that he might’ve fled the country. Anyway, we’ve got orders to search every house but honestly, we don’t think he’d be on this side of the island. So, we’re not gonna waste our time on that. Call this number if you notice anything out of the ordinary, though?”  

”Yes, of course. I really wish there was more I could do to help. Hope you guys find him soon,” she offers them a tight smile.  

”We’ll do our best,” they assure her before the door finally closes.  

Her back slides down against the wood as her labored breathing begins to slow down. She closes her eyes in a moment of relief until she feels Rafe’s presence interfering with her peace.  

”Who knew you were such a good liar? Shouldn’t believe everything you say too easily then, should I?” His gaze travels down her form and he genuinely seems impressed.  

”You killed a cop?” She decides to ignore his teasing. 

”Relax. He was a sleazy bastard who was helping me with some side business and became too greedy. What can I say? Don’t like being used. But believe me, he was not a good person,” he answers her question, maybe for the first time ever. 

”Right, right,” she tries her very best to understand where he’s coming from but she doesn’t think she’s ever going to be able to justify ending someone’s life with such indifference. In her opinion, he doesn’t have the right to decide whether someone gets to live or not; no matter how good or bad of a person they are. 

”Listen, I didn’t mean to do it, it just…happened, okay?” He tries to explain himself and he almost sounds vulnerable. She nearly feels bad for him.  

”You know, I could go to jail for helping you!” She snaps when frustration bubbles to the surface instead.  

”Calm down, Pup. You’re not going to jail, alright? And watch that fucking tone, yeah?” His hands rest on his head as he begins to pace around the hallway.  

”I just— cops don’t care about Pogues. If they find out I lied to them they’re gonna put me behind bars cause unlike you, I don’t have the money to bail myself out,” she tries to pointlessly reason with him.  

”Already told you, nothing’s gonna happen to you, okay? Now can you shut the fuck up so I can think?” He demands, halting his movements.  

”Did they, uh, tell you anything?” He speaks up again and she tells him everything she remembers from the brief conversation while he mulls over his situation. 

”Right, right. So, they don’t actually have any real proof about me killing the guy? Just speculation,” he confirms.  

”I guess, yeah? But I don’t know if they even know all the details about the case,” she offers in response and can practically hear the wheels turning in his head.  

”They didn’t happen to mention who the witness was?”  

”N— no, why?” Her voice wavers as she swallows around the question. 

He lifts his head to inspect her reaction when he seems to have finally conjured up some sort of a plan to clear his name.  

”Think I’m gonna have to pay him a little visit. And you’re gonna help, aren’t ya?”

She would very much like to find out whatever sin she committed in a past life that weighed so heavily that it made her end up in a position as wretched as this one.

[redvelvetcupcakes21]

Santa Monica is cool and stuff, but have you ever gone to the beaches in Ventura? Zen AF.

Here's some beach fluff.

Buck and Tommy were all too thrilled to be up at 7 am on their day off.

Only because they had plans for today.

Amazing and, hopefully, fun plans.

"You guys are amazing to agree to watch them." Hen told them sincerely as she and Maddie watched as Mara and Jee excitedly hugged Tommy and Buck.

"Yeah, we can't thank you enough." Maddie added, hands over her heart as she watched Tommy pick up Jee.

"Thank us for watching our favorite nieces? Please. " Tommy playfully scoffed. "This has been the one thing we've been looking forward to all week." Tommy admitted, patting Jees back in comfort as the little girl rested her head onto Tommy's shoulder.

Buck looked at his sister who was trying to not coo at the sight. He was fighting the same issue, watching his neice and his boyfriend snuggle was making his heart skip beats.

"Tommy's right," Buck added, smiling softly at Jee and Mara, who was holding onto Buck's arm and dozing off since it was still so early for them both. "We’ve been excited to babysit the girls, we've got everything we need." He pointed towards his sister, "including snacks!"

Both women rolled their eyes at him, but Buck shrugged it off. "What about Denny? He really didn't want to come?"

Hen gave them an apologetic smile, "As much as he actually did want to come along, his school is taking part in a robotics competition and Denny wanted to go since apparently robot fighting is rumored to be expected." Hen explained, rolling her eyes at Buck's excited look.

"Robot fighting versus beach day. Totally get it." He joked.

"Karen and Chim should be able to get the girls by tomorrow morning, that still works?"

Tommy gave them a thumbs up, while Buck nodded with an excited grin. "Works perfectly."

Maddie and Hen gave both men a "Thank you" before kissing both girls goodbye, reminding them to be nice to their uncles before leaving.

"Okay!" Buck clapped his hands together excited, "Who's up for some strawberry Frenchtoast before we hit the road?"

"Me!"

"Meeeeeee!"Jee popping right awake had Tommy laughing as he followed Buck and Mara into the kitchen.

After breakfast, the four of them got into Buck's jeep and started the drive up north.

Fortunately, driving up from Tommy's house is easier since they avoided all the traffic coming into LA.

The first spot was a small beach by Harbor Village, Tommy and Buck were able to set up a spot close to the water with Mara and Jee's help.

(Jee, ever the little helper, got upset that she couldn't carry the beach chairs to show she was just as strong as her uncle Buck and uncle Tommy)

Buck helped Mara get her swim cap on as Tommy laid out a blanket and got the toys they had bought for the girls specifically. Both men were also adamant about sun block for both girls, spraying a liberal amount on both their nieces (and themselves).

Both men took turns sitting on the beach and watching over their things as they took the girls out into the water. With Buck getting each girl to paddle board with him and Tommy showing them how to surf. Both girls ended up playing in the water for a long while, squealing happily as the water splashed around them. They made sand castles, played around with a volley ball, and took lot of pictures to send to Karen, Hen, Chimney, and Maddie.

Before long it was nearing one and all of the snacks were gone. "Who's up for some burgers?" Tommy asked the crew as he and Buck helped the girls into some shorts and hoodies. They had managed to get their stuff back into the jeep (and collected half of the beaches sand too).

"Me!" "Me, I'm really hungry!"

Buck picked up Jee and pointed towards the small gathering of restaurants that were walking distance. "Theres a old school burger shop that has milkshakes." He told them in a sing a long voice. "Does that work?"

Mara nodded excitedly at that, "Yes! Can I have a strawberry milkshake?" She asked politely.

Tommy felt his heart lurch out, he had seen how comfortable Mara was getting with not only the team but with them specifically. She had taken a while to open up to Buck and himself, understandably, but now? He would refuse to admit to anyone but Buck about how it almost had him tearing up at how Mara felt safe and comfortable with them now.

"Of course you can, Mara." He told her gently, holding out his hand for her to take, leading them towards the restaurant.

After lunch they headed over to main street, letting the girls burn their energy off as they walked down the street and into shops that interested them.

(Did Tommy and Buck buy each girl a new coloring set, stickers, and their own individual ukulele? Yep!)

They drove further up till they made it to Santa Barbara. The girls loved the water, again asking both men to take them paddle boarding and surfing.

Buck felt more relaxed as ever as he watched Tommy play with the girls, laughing as the girls tried to tackle Tommy into the water.

Buck felt his heart skip a beat again, he rubbed his chest. He could feel his eyes sting as he thought about Tommy and him having kids, giving Mara, Denny, Jee, and Christopher a few new cousins to play with.

He hadn’t spoken to Tommy much about them having kids, but he knew Tommy wanted kids. He knew how much Tommy adored all the kids from the 118 and his own nephew and niece (Buck had met Theo, age 3, and Harley, age 6 via zoom and saw how much they meant to Tommy).

It was something they both wanted, Buck was only a little bit doubtful about it being something that Tommy wanted with him.

After enjoying tacos for dinner, the group made their way to the ice cream parlor, Buck knowing how crowded the town got crowded in the evening opted to hold a table in the courtyard for them. He took Jee with him and left Mara and Tommy to order their ice cream.

Ten minutes later, a very smiley Mara and a red faced Tommy came towards them, each carrying a cup of ice-cream in their hands.

"Hey uncle Buck, guess what!"

"What?" Buck quickly gave Jees ice-cream to her since his little niece was making grabby hands towards the dessert and looking annoyed.

"The cashier at the ice-cream shop thought you and uncle Tommy were my dads. It was cute, they told uncle Tommy that we're a cute family."

That explained Tommy's red face.

"That was sweet of them." Buck smiled, he looked up at Tommy again, giving his boyfriend a hopeful smile as the four sat to eat their dessert.

By the time they got back to Tommy's place, it was late and both girls were passed out asleep.

"You think about one day doing this with our own kids?" Tommy asked, almost hesitantly as he carried a sleepy Mara while Buck carried Jee into the house.

Buck was sure this time that his heart melted at that, he took a moment to catch his voice. "Every day." He answered softly.

Morning came way too fast for everyone in the house, Tommy and Buck were still dealing with two very tired girls.

"I can drink a little coffee, can't I uncle Tommy?" Mara asked, eyeing the steaming cup that Buck had placed for Tommy and himself.

"Nooo." Tommy stressed, moving the cup away from Mara. "You get some non caffeine drinks, I've got juice, milk, chocolate milk, or I can make you smoothie."

Mara pouted at that but answered "Smoothie please."

"You too Jee?"

Jee shook her head no, "I want juice please!"

They were in the middle of eating when the doorbell rang, "I know who that is." Tommy got up, "Take your time eating, I'm sure Chim and Karen could use some breakfast."

"Is that why we cooked enough to feed an army?" Buck joked. He smiled at the two girls before noticing their downtrodden expressions. "You two okay? What's up?"

"Do we have to go?" Mara asked, "Can't we stay one more day?"

"Pleeeease!" Jee added, "I want to have more fun."

Buck pressed his lips together momentarily, one to keep from smiling so hard and two, to keep from crying at how much his nieces adored them.

"You guys are always welcome here, yknow that." He reminded them, "What if I talk to your parents about having an uncles' day once a week? That way you guys can spend some time with us?"

Jee clapper her hands together and Mara nodded, all smiles as Chim and Karen came into the kitchen.

"Hey mom, uncle Buck said we could do a uncles day every week!" Mara said excitedly, running up to Karen and the Chimney for a hug hello.

"Did he now?" Karen looked almost smug at that, she knew how much of a softie Buck was. "I think that's a wonderful idea, right Chim?"

Chim picked up Jee, tickling her side, "Hey, if Buck and Tommy are up for it, you won't find me complaining."

After breakfast, Tommy and Buck hugged the girls goodbye while grappling with Karen and Chim bemoaning for buying them a jeep full of toys and books ("You try telling Mara and Jee no after they tell you that you're their favorite uncle!" Tommy complained after receiving the glare from Chim when he saw the ukulele).

The house became all too quiet too quickly. Tommy took Buck's hand and led him toward the living room, pulling the man onto the couch for cuddles.

"So, still want kids then?" Buck asked, rubbing his hand up and down Tommy's arm.

"With you? Of course I do."

Buck felt himself melt into Tommy's hold finally, content and safe about their future.

"I do have a question for you though, a pretty important one." Tommy admitted after a beat of silence.

He sounded serious and anxious enough for Buck to sit up and turn to look at him.

"O-okay." Buck stammered, his nerves fraying as he watched Tommy carefully for any signs of what the queation could entail. "What's the question?"

Tommy let out a happy and content sigh, taking a hold of Buck's hands, and then got down on one knee...

[warping-realities]

Found Family

The sun was pouring through the dusty window of an old SUV, driven by a beautifull woman in his late thirties. But that light didn’t seem to warm the sour expressions of a couple of boys sitting in the car. The reason for their attitude was right outside the window, in the beautiful coastal town they’d just moved to. After a long and messy divorce, Amanda Sullivan (formerly Williams), the boys’ mom, decided it was time for a fresh start. Being an amazing cook, she chose to move to the picturesque beach town of Santa Maria, where she spent most of her childhood vacations, and open a restaurant there, bringing her kids, Robert and Benjamin, along for the ride. The two weren’t exactly stoked about the whole moving thing. They were in their senior year of high school. Robert, older than his brother by about ten months, had tons of friends and a sort-of girlfriend. Ben, on the other hand, had a tougher time at school and had never dated, which might make someone think he’d be more open to changes, but in reality, it was the opposite; he was even more pissed than his brother because it meant leaving their dad behind. He was always closer to his father than his brother. Amanda's second pregnancy, a few months after the previous one, was complicated and the boy was born prematurely. He remained small for his age, and his father was always his protector. At least he could count on having his brother in the same class to help him. That oddity made his classmates call them twins and the nickname stuck. Everyone called them that, except for their father, who always seemed to have a slight preference for his youngest son. A father who was distant and absent, but still their dad, and he knew the distance would only make things worse.

“Come on, boys, I know you’re bummed, but I promise you’re gonna love it here. I had a blast when I was a kid and loved it even more when I came back to find our new home and the best spot for the restaurant. By the way, this is the first thing I wanna show you: the restaurant space is right over there, close to the beach.” A smiling Amanda said, looking at her two grumpy kids, who got out of the car and followed their mom to an alley near the beach, filled with little shops. The restaurant that their mom had worked so hard to open was situated between an ice cream shop and a surf store.

“So, the place is perfect, right?” She asked in an excited voice toward her kids, who stared back at her with little enthusiasm. “You guys could at least pretend to be happy for me.”

“They won’t need to pretend for long, I’m sure they’ll feel at home in no time.” Said a cheerful male voice. The three members of the small family turned toward that voice and were faced with a handsome guy. He was sitting in front of the surf shop, with a surfboard beside him, in his 40s, with the sculpted physique of a hard-working man, long blonde hair, and a bright smile, radiating the energy of a guy who, despite his age, was still living life to the fullest. “Guys, this is Sean Hale, he’s been a great friend, helped me a lot with everything around here.”

“Happy to help, Amanda, it wasn’t long ago that Ollie and I were in the same boat, and we would’ve loved to have some friendly faces around. Speaking of which, here comes the devil. The boys and their mom turned in the direction Sean was pointing and saw what looked like a younger version of him, in the late teen years. The kid, Olliver, had the same blond hair, an enviable physique, and a youthful vibe.

“Hey, Dad! Mrs. Sullivan! Great to see you again, and I see you finally brought the twins with you. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, guys. I know you’re not super hyped about the move, but Santa Maria is a magical place.” The two boys exchanged furtive glances, how the hell did this random dude know so much about them? Quickly, those looks turned angrily toward their mom, as if Amanda had been trash-talking them to her new friends. More pissed off than his brother, Benjamin spoke the first words of his day, although far from friendly.

“Fantastic, Mom, not only did you drag us to the other side of the country, but you also share our private stuff with the first people you meet.” He turned back toward the car, not even glancing at Sean and completely ignoring Olliver’s outstretched arm in a failed attempt at a high-five that was awkwardly met by a shy Robert.

“Hey, um, Ollie? Sorry about Ben’s behavior; just because we didn’t wanna move doesn’t mean we have to be rude to those who welcomed us so nicely. Also, I apologize to you for my brother’s attitude, Mr. Hale.”

“You can call me Sean, Robert, that’s what everyone calls me. And I get it; all this change can be a shock. It’s a shame Benjamin stormed off like that; I would’ve loved to explain to him that I’m not a complete stranger, actually, your mom and I have known each other for many years here on this beach, when we were younger than you guys are now. And we’ve crossed paths again over several summers until she never came back.”

“I had college on the other side of the country to attend, then there was the wedding and the kids, and my ex-husband hates the beach... but the truth is, when everything changed, I ended up being drawn back here, it was almost like a magnet pulling me back to Santa Maria.”

“I get you; when my wife passed away last year, I felt the same. I sold everything I had, moved here with Olliver, and opened the surf shop. I’ve always been passionate about the waves and have been bringing Ollie every summer to teach him how to surf, so it felt natural to open the shop and teach the sport to the tourist kids.”

“You surf, dude?” Olliver asked Robert.

“I can barely swim, Olliver.”

“You can call me Ollie or bro; our parents are old friends, we don’t need formalities. And about not knowing how to swim, let me help you; in no time, you’ll be owning the waves, and trust me, girls love a surfer, even if it is useless to me”

“Um, I’ll think about it, Olliver.”

“No thinking, and call me bro, bro. Let me show you our boards; I bet you’ll wanna grab one and jump in the water as soon as you see them.” Olliver said, dragging Robert inside the shop.

“Ollie, since you’re going in, ask Harry to come here; I’ll need his help unloading Mandy’s stuff.”

“Yeap.” Responded his son, already inside the shop.

“Sean, there’s no need for that; we can handle it ourselves.”

“I know that; from what I gathered, you’ve been managing on your own for a long time, even before the marriage ended, Mandy. But it doesn’t have to be like that; I’m here for you guys.”

“That’s really kind of you, Sean, and I can’t deny the truth in your words, it’s been so tough. Rob is upset, but that should pass soon, but Ben... Ben is different; he still misses his dad a lot, my ex was his idol, so being left behind... he’s really mad, and how does he deal with that? He refuses to admit his dad’s abandonment, so he chose to take that anger out on everyone else, including me.”

“That’ll pass, believe me; if you want, I can try to help, or maybe Ollie; the age proximity might make things easier.”

“Would you do that?”

“Sure, I’ll ask him to drop by your house tonight, if you don’t mind.”

“Of course, I don’t mind; I’m really grateful.”

“You don’t need to thank me; it’ll be a great pleasure.” Sean concluded with a radiant smile.

…..

“This is the last one, Mrs. Sullivan.” Said a huge black young man, with a contagious smile, as he dropped the last box at Amanda’s new house. This was Harrison, Sean’s surf shop employee. A young man with massive muscles but an easy laugh and a laid-back vibe, evidenced by his head full of dreadlocks. It was a big shock to discover that a guy that big was only nineteen, having just graduated a few months ago with Olliver. But despite his size, the kid was so friendly and cheerful, exuding so much happiness that even Ben let his guard down a bit when he met him at the beach.

Speaking of Ben, Harry, as he preferred to be called, turned to him. “You’re a senior, Ben? So you’ll be classmates with my brother Micky; I think you guys could hit it off. You both give off the same vibe.”

“Um, thanks.” Ben replied, at least acknowledging it, before heading inside the house.

“I wonder what that vibe would be. Crybaby teen?” commented a much friendlier Robert, who quickly hit it off with Harry and Olliver and started to think that maybe this whole moving thing wasn’t so bad after all.

“I’d say more like a future family killer.” Harry replied, smiling, giving Rob a high-five.

The end of the day didn’t have any other significant events, being filled with the work of organize the house, which was already furnished. Thanks to the chores, even Benjamin loosened up a bit and started chatting, still a bit grumpy, with his mom, while Robert seemed like a different person, chatting excitedly at dinner about thinking over Ollie’s offer to learn to surf.

“You’re a terrible swimmer, Rob; just because you wish for something doesn’t mean you’ll get it, bro!” Ben commented with the first smile of the day.

“I think you’d be surprised at the power a wish has.” Someone said at the dining room door. Standing there was Olliver Hale in all his golden glory.

“Sorry to interrupt, but the door was open, Mrs. Sullivan. My dad asked to see if you needed help with anything.”

“Ollie, sweetheart, don’t worry, you’re very welcome; we’ve got everything sorted. Since you were so kind to come here, would you like to have dinner with us? Tonight I made my famous bolognese lasagna. Since I’ll be serving lighter dishes at the beach, if I were you, I wouldn’t miss out.”

“Oh, I certainly wouldn’t, excuse me.” Said the kid sitting next to Benjamin, who then stood up and stormed out, irritated, without saying a word.

“A tough crowd.” Olliver joked.

“What do you mean by that?” Robert asked.

“My dad asked me to come here and try to befriend you guys to make things easier for both of you. But from what I can see, Benjamin isn’t interested.”

“He’ll get over it; it’s just that things have been intense the last few months.”

“I get it, bro. And until then, I can dedicate all my time to you. Speaking of which, stop by the shop tomorrow after school for your first surf lesson.”

“Hey, I said I’d think about it, Ollie.”

“And I said don’t think. So, no arguments, surf lesson tomorrow afternoon. Wow, this is the best food I’ve ever had, Mrs. Sullivan; trust me, I’ll be spending a lot of time here. A new bro and food like this, I’ll be calling your place home soon.”

…..

Ben woke up with a bitter taste in his mouth after his impromptu exit from the dining room the night before; he locked himself in his room, kicked the bed, lay down, and cried himself to sleep, mad about his situation, missing his dad, and also embarrassed about his attitude toward Olliver. He and his dad seemed like cool guys, but they represented everything he hated most at that moment. Still, he would have to apologize to them for his behavior.

After a quick shower, he got ready for school and headed down to the kitchen for breakfast. And to his surprise, he found himself face to face with Olliver, in an animated conversation with Rob. “I can’t wait for my first class, bro. Surfing is so awesome...”

“What’s going on? What are you doing here?” Benjamin abruptly interrupted, suddenly abandoning all thoughts of apologizing.

“Enough, Ben. Ollie stayed up late last night chatting with me, and I invited him to sleep here. We all get that you’re bummed, but that doesn’t mean you have to be rude!”

“Until yesterday, you didn’t want to be here either, and now you’re all happy and making friends; I thought we’d find a way to go back home.”

“Grow up, Benjamin; this is our home now, you said that yesterday, just because you wish for something doesn’t mean it’s gonna happen.”

“Bro, chill. Ben, can I call you that? I understand what you’re going through; when my mom died and my dad decided to move here, I wasn’t happy either, and I’ve known Santa Maria my whole life, but let me tell you, it’s a magical place...”

“Magical place, you’ve told me that already. And look, I’m sorry for my behavior, but... Hey, there’s someone at the window!”

“What?” the other two boys said in unison, turning to the kitchen window, but there was no one there.

“Ben, just apologize and we can move on with our lives.” Rob said to his younger brother.

“But it’s true, there was a black kid standing right there...”

“Alright, the choice is yours, bro.”

“But I...”

“Ollie offered to give us a ride to school; grab your stuff and let’s go; he’ll pick us up when we’re done so we can start surfing lessons.”

“I didn’t agree to that, and besides, I’d rather go to school alone.” Ben replied, leaving without having breakfast.

“A really tough crowd.” Olliver commented, watching the other boy leave the room.

Ben almost regretted refusing Olliver’s ride; it was tough finding his way to school, but he finally made it. The first days of school are always the same boring routine, and Benjamin thought he could count on Rob, but at that moment, he wanted to be as far away from his brother as possible, sitting as far from him as he could. Throughout their lives, they’d always been there for each other. But now Rob was a traitor, selling out for a friendship with a brainless surfer and the promise of learning a sport he had no talent for. And thinking about how much water his brother would have to swallow, with a certain malicious satisfaction, he scanned the rest of the room. To his surprise, sitting right in front of the class, looking at him with an unreadable expression, was the kid he saw at the window during breakfast.

Ben found out the kid’s name was Michael, but he had to wait until the end of class to ask what he was doing at the window in the morning. Which wasn’t an easy task, since the kid seemed to disappear from the world, leaving the classroom as soon as the bell rang. It was only during the period before lunch that he finally got his chance, when he walked into the classroom and saw the kid again and chose to sit next to the classroom door, blocking him from leaving without passing Ben. And that’s exactly what he did; when the kid walked past him without saying anything, Ben pulled him aside, trying to get some answers. But he was caught off guard by the kid’s expression; there was so much fear in his eyes.

“Let me go, please, I promise I’ll stay away, don’t do anything to me, I swear I’ll stop trying to figure it out...”

“Figure out what? What are you talking about?”

“I saw you with them yesterday at the beach. You’re one of them.”

“What do you mean by ‘one of them’? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“If you’re not one of them yet, you will be soon; you’re too close to them. Now let me go.” The other kid finished, breaking free and running away.

“Michael, come back here, MICHAEL!!! What the hell is going on?”

……

Ben decided to ignore his brother’s text messages, first asking about lunch and then what he was doing after school. He also ignored his mom’s worried messages, opting to walk along the beach in an attempt to figure out what the hell was happening. It wasn’t until Amanda left an angry message saying she was really worried about him and that if he didn’t show up in the next fifteen minutes she’d call the cops, that a reluctant Benjamin called her to say he was heading home.

After a long lecture about her son’s childish behavior, she informed him that she would be staying late at the restaurant preparing things for the opening that would happen that weekend, but that there was food ready and that Rob was already home. With one last motherly plea, she asked Ben to make an effort to at least sort things out with his brother since apparently, that wasn’t going to happen with her anytime soon.

Sighing heavily, Ben entered the living room of the house, and upon doing so, received the biggest shock of his life. Sitting at the table, studying, was Rob, but this wasn’t the same Rob from that morning. Shirtless, with the sun-kissed skin of someone who spends a lot of time outdoors, extra pounds of muscle, and light blonde hair almost golden, anyone would think it was another person, but the face and aura were all Rob, altered, but still him.

“What the hell happened to you, Robert?” Asked a truly desperate Ben upon seeing this totally strange version of his older brother.

“What happened is that I got tired of waiting, bro. If you don’t wanna hang out with me anymore, fine. So, once you grow up and stop acting like a crybaby, you can come talk to me.”

“I... I’m not talking about that, Rob. Your hair, your skin, your muscles, how did this happen?”

“Dude, this is what happens when you go out and live your life. If you had gone surfing today, I would’ve shown you how great it is.”

“But that’s impossible... Rob, there’s no way such a change can happen in a single day.”

“What are you talking about, Ben? Of course, it can’t happen in a day. I’ve been surfing for almost a year now, ever since our parents split and I moved in with Uncle Sean.”

“Uncle Sean? Rob, that doesn’t make sense. Sean isn’t our uncle, and we moved here yesterday. We met him yesterday. None of this makes sense.”

Apparently, Ben didn’t make sense to this different Rob either. Because he stared at Ben with a look that was probably a mirror of what Ben had at that moment. And with a sigh, he finally said, “Alright, Ben, if that’s how you want things, fine. When you’re ready, you can come talk to me, bro. I’m your brother, we are the twins, try to remember. I’ll always be here for you, as long as you don’t push me away like you’re doing now. I’m done studying, I’ll go help Mom with the restaurant stuff. Don’t wait for us, but if you decide to be yourself again, stop by to help; we’ll be really grateful for both decisions.” Concluded Rob, getting up, putting on a shirt, and walking out the door without looking back, leaving a stunned Benjamin standing there with his mouth agape in the middle of the living room.

….

Ben needed answers, more than that, he needed a way to get his brother back to normal so they could get out of there together. Talking to their mom was out of the question; she was probably the first one to be... dominated? Hypnotized? One person popped into his mind. Michael, he knew what was happening and thought Benjamin was part of it. He needed to find Michael and convince him to tell him everything he knew and fast.

The next morning, he woke up before sunrise, after a sleepless night where he had to pretend to be sleeping when his mom came to say goodnight. He hated doing that to her but wasn’t sure if she was infected or not; unlike Rob, she hadn’t shown any significant changes in behavior or appearance, unless you counted her sudden desire to settle in Santa Maria, which, despite his disapproval, was nothing compared to what happened with his brother.

Sneaking out quietly to avoid being seen, he headed to school, praying that Michael hadn’t freaked out enough to decide to skip classes. Apparently, some higher power heard his prayers, as Michael not only showed up for class that day but after a bit of persuasion agreed to talk to Ben. In an empty classroom, Ben started his plea for any kind of answer.

“I swear I’m not infected or zombified or whatever the hell is going on, but they took my brother and maybe my mom too; you’re the only one who seems to know something about what’s going on, so please, help me.”

Michael looked at Ben with unreadable eyes for a few seconds before sighing and speaking. “Okay, let’s say I believe you; what happened to your brother?”

“Long story short. My parents split up last year, after which my mom got it in her head to move us here and open a restaurant by the beach, dragging my brother and me along with her. Something neither of us agreed to. We didn’t even like the beach. Until we arrived here two days ago at least, when Rob started hanging out with Olliver Hale, and since then he’s been acting different, but that’s not the worst part; he seems different and acts like things have always been this way. Calling Olliver’s father ‘Uncle’ and we barely know the guy.” Benjamin replied in one breath, afraid of sounding ridiculous. But Michael just asked another question: “Have you met my brother, Harrison?”

“Harrison? Harry? The surf shop employee? Wait a minute, are you the Micky he was talking about?”

“No one, no one has ever called me that, at least not until a few months ago. So, please, keep calling me Michael. But yeah, that Harry. So let me tell you my story. Although I still don’t have the slightest idea if you have bad intentions...”

“I promise I’m not lying; you saw my brother at the kitchen window yesterday, and don’t deny it, because now I’m sure it was you. Wait until he shows up at school, and you’ll see the difference in him. Believing me is your choice, but you heard my story. I think I’ll lose my mind if I don’t understand what’s going on.”

“Then I’m sorry to disappoint you, because I don’t have the faintest idea of what’s going on. I can only tell you what happened to me. But before I continue, you told me you met Harry. Take a look at this photo here and tell me what you see.” Michael said, handing Benjamin a worn-out photo. It was a picture of two skinny Black boys, both wearing glasses; one of them was clearly Michael, while the other could be some other brother or close relative, as the resemblance was striking.

“Benjamin, you’ve met Harry; now I present to you Harrison. We took this photo together a few months ago; it’s worn out because I keep it with me so often just to make sure I’m not crazy.”

“I don’t get it; this isn’t possible...” There was no way the kid in the photo was the giant Ben knew, even with steroids; there was still the height issue, Harry was at least a foot taller, and the hair, hair like that doesn’t grow overnight, even if it was some kind of wig...

“Think, Benjamin, you just told me about your brother; I’m telling you what happened to mine. I thought finally someone would believe me; you have no idea how many times I’ve tried to show this photo, without success, but no one believes me. It’s not like I have many people to support me; since our parents died, it’s always been Harrison and me, taking care of our grandma. Even so, I thought someone would remember, that someone would look at the photo and help me. All the other photos and videos show Harry, not Harrison; for some reason, only that one remained. But people think I’m trying to pull a prank or something stupid like that.”

“Michael, that’s not possible; no one changes that much...” Ben repeated.

“Your brother hasn’t changed?”

“Yeah, but he’s still... him. Maybe he already gained those muscles and I didn’t notice, and his hair might be dyed, and he could have a fake tan... maybe this is all a huge prank in response to my behavior... and maybe you’re in on it too; yeah, confess, Harry asked you to do this, didn’t he?”

“Don’t try to rationalize, Benjamin; I tried, and it just frustrated me even more; there’s no space for reason in what’s happening. But there’s an easy way for me to prove to you that I’m not messing with you. Tell me, have you seen your brother today?”

“No, that’s impossible; there’s no way this is real. You’re joking; you’re all joking. I get it, I’ve been unbearable the last few days, but doing this to me is bullshit. Stop messing around, Michael, I promise I’ll go home and apologize to my mom and Rob, and then I’ll apologize to Sean and Olliver too.”

“No, don’t do that; they’ll find a way to grab you too; I’ve been feeling that they’re close to getting me; I feel it’s an increasing attraction every time Harry is near me or when I get close to his work; they want you too, and if they took your brother and your mom, they definitely want you.”

“Why? Why us?”

“Because you must have something they care about. Let me finish my story. It all started when the Hales moved here a few months ago. Harrison was almost done with his last year, probably would’ve been the class speaker and would’ve landed a scholarship at a good college. He worried about what would happen to me, being left alone at home with a sick grandma. But I always told him those were opportunities he couldn’t miss. But then the Hales showed up, and Olliver became Harrison’s classmate. And my brother felt attracted to him like a moth to a flame. After that, everything happened so quickly; one moment Harrison was going to college, the next he was kissing Olliver Hale, talking as if he’d known him for years, and finally... finally he was Harry, like you knew him, that mountain of muscles, all smiles and joy, without a care in the world other than surfing, working a mediocre job, dating the owner’s son, and... me, I guess. Harry seems to like me just as much as Harrison liked him, but I... I can’t like him back... I need my brother, not him.”

“Wait a minute, you’re telling me Harry and Olliver are together?”

“Seriously, out of everything I told you, you choose to worry about two dudes being together?”

“No, that’s not it; do you think this... thing... happened to your brother because Olliver was into him? Because Sean seems pretty interested in my mom; on the day we arrived, I watched them from a distance, and he was flirting with her the whole time. Still... I don’t know what to say; I want to believe you because you believed in me, Michael, but this is too much.”

“Do you know where your brother’s locker is, Benjamin? Let’s go there.” Concluded Michael as Ben nodded.

There were still a few minutes until the bell, but standing in front of Rob’s locker was a big blonde kid with his back turned to the two approaching. When he turned around, Benjamin was even more surprised than the night before. It was Rob, but not really. This Rob looked way more like Olliver Hale’s younger brother than Benjamin’s brother.

“Good morning, bro, good morning, Micky. So good to see you guys getting along; if I’d bet with Harry, I would’ve lost!”

“R-Rob?”

“Sorry, bro, but I gotta head to football practice. Mom and Dad will be stoked to know you’re making an effort just like Harry, Micky, as long as you guys aren’t up to anything! See you at lunch, Ben?”

“I don’t...”

“No, no, bro, we’re having lunch the three of us, and after school, I wanna see you two at the shop. Mom and Dad had to leave town and won’t be back until tomorrow, so we can do something just us. I wanna introduce you to someone important, bro. See ya, please don’t leave me hanging.” And he walked towards the classroom, leaving behind two stunned boys. “What the hell was he talking about, about Mom and Dad? Our dad’s not here; he’s on the other side of the country, and they’d never hang out again, not after the divorce.”

“I don’t know, but I bet you’ll figure it out soon. And did you see how he talked to me, like he knew me, and I can assure you I never spoke to him in my life.”

“This whole situation is so complicated... At least we have proof we were telling the truth. Which leaves us with one question: what the hell are we gonna do about this?…” Michael and Benjamin decided to keep as far away from their brothers as possible until they had some idea of what to do; the problem was precisely that: they had no clue what to do. They vaguely discussed the possibility of investigating the surf shop, but that would put them directly in the enemy’s den. There was also the issue that, even if Michael wasn’t affected yet, that didn’t mean the same would happen to Ben, especially with him being so close to the center of everything. The two skipped lunch, and after class ended, Ben ran home, stopping to grab something to eat and locking himself in his room, hoping to avoid any conflict. Unfortunately, as soon as he got home, he found himself face to face with an irritated Rob.

“I don’t know why I was so dumb to think things were getting better, bro. I thought that after our talk yesterday, you’d make an effort to try to adjust, and when I saw you and Micky together, I thought you were finally starting to accept that this is our new reality.”

“Rob, how can’t you see what’s going on? You’ve completely changed!”

“Enough, Ben. I get that you’re bummed because our mom decided to move back in with my dad after all this time. But I want you to remember I was by your side when Ollie decided to move in with our dad because his relationship with your dad was crap. I stuck around for you. I expected the bare minimum of effort from you, just a little gratitude!”

“Rob, let me...”

“No, let me tell you something. My dad may not be your dad, but our mom decided to go back to him for a reason, and yeah, Ollie and I are super happy about it, and I repeat, we understand why you might be feeling bad. Ollie felt the same way when Mom married your dad; I was too young to remember, but I bet I felt the same way too. So, we get it, bro. And I’m sorry, but your dad’s a piece of work; he doesn’t give a damn about you, but my dad is here for you, just like he is for Ollie and me, if you let him.”

Ben was once again stunned by what he heard, to the point of standing there in the middle of the room, speechless, just staring at what should be his brother. “You’ve got nothing to say, Benjamin? Great! Then you can go to your room and lock yourself in there like you’ve been doing for the last few days. I was gonna introduce you to Jessica tonight and then take you to your first beach party, but you don’t deserve any of that.” Not knowing what to do, Benjamin went to his room, sat on the bed, and cried, for his brother, for his mom, but also because that distorted version of Rob was speaking the truth: his dad didn’t give a shit about him. And, most likely, Sean Hale would be a good dad, so maybe... But before he could finish that thought, he was distracted by a noise outside his room. Standing at the window, just like the first time he saw him, was Michael, waving and seemingly asking Ben to meet him outside the house. Benjamin quietly slipped out to meet his new friend.

“What? Why the hell are you here? You could’ve sent me a message.”

“I did! I sent several messages; when you didn’t reply, I decided to come find you. Sean’s out…”

“Yeah, I know, and apparently now he and my mom are the parents of Rob and Ollie. That’s what Rob was talking about this morning when he said Mom and Dad were leaving for a day. Dude, this is so fucked up. I lost my brother!”

“I know, I’ve had that same thought for months. Look, Harry asked me to go to some kind of party on the other side of the beach; Olliver and your brother are going too. With Sean out, this is our chance to at least check out the surf shop; it’s a long shot, but…”

“But it’s all we’ve got. And besides, I don’t know how much longer I can take this; I was about to give up when you showed up.”

“I know, I almost agreed to hang out with Harry when he hugged me. Dude, I just want my brother back.”

“And what’s worse is that they seem so happy.” Ben said, pointing to Rob leaving the house at that moment, accompanied by a pretty girl, both smiling and radiating total happiness.

“Dude, it looks like his hair grew even more in the last few minutes; this is so…”

“Fucked up, I know. Let’s go.” …

The two boys ran to the beach, with Michael leading Benjamin to the back of Sean Hale’s surf shop.

“How are we gonna get in?”

“I grabbed these keys when Harry hugged me.” Michael said, showing a set of keys with a mischievous grin, the first one Benjamin had seen. As soon as they entered the shop, Benjamin turned to Michael again and asked, “So, what are we looking for? Some kind of device, a spell book, some alien goo?”

“Maybe a bit of common sense?” Interrupted a deep, serious voice. Standing in front of the two, with an irritated expression, was Harry. “Boys, you’ve crossed every imaginable line. Michael, it’s about time we caught up, bro. Benjamin, your brothers are waiting for you in front of the shop so you can settle in too.” He said, holding Michael by the shoulders.

Benjamin took a good look at his friend’s face and, with an apologetic expression, ran out the back door. And he ran, ran until his legs hurt so much he forced himself to stop, collapsing in the sand and crying for the second time that day. And that’s how he stayed for hours until he fell asleep in the sand.

It was late evening when he was awakened by a deep voice. “Finally I found you. Hey, bro, what are you doing here? I know things aren’t great, but I thought we were friends; you know you can always count on me, Benji.” Benjamin, wiping the sand from his eyes, found himself facing a muscular black kid who looks... just like his brother.

“Mi-Michael?”

“Micky, dude. Don’t say it like we don’t know each other our whole lives.” Ben didn’t even try to argue this time, too worn out from all the weirdness; he just turned and run again. However, when he arrived at the main street he came face to face with Rob and Ollie waiting for him.

“Thinking about sneaking out again? No way, little bro. We’re going home; Dad wants to talk to you, and I can add that I’ve never seen him like this. Good luck.” Thinking it was better to just get it over with, Benjamin gave up and followed them...

Benjamin stayed quiet during the whole journey, he didn’t wanna argue with anyone; besides, he felt overwhelmed by equally large amounts of shame for ditching the closest thing to a friend he’d made in this town, guilt for what had happened to that person, and anxiety about what would happen to him. All of this was made worse by the fact that this new version of Michael - Micky - was nothing like the Michael Benjamin had known; Micky was cheerful, playful, and outgoing, and genuinely seemed hurt by being ignored by his supposed best friend. It was unbearable how nice he was, to the point that Ben couldn’t help but return the hand touch and the farewell hug offered by him when they finally reached their destination.

“See ya, bro. Chill, everything will be alright.” That was Micky’s farewell phrase. Before Robert turned to Benjamin.

"Benji, I don't know what's happening to you, but I'm really worried, bro. This isn't you, talk to dad and let him help you, little brother. I want my twin back." And then he hugged him, easily wrapping Benjamin's body with his long arms, and as much as he wanted to get away, he felt comfortable in that place. His brother smelled of coconut and salt, but underneath it there was still his own scent, which Benjamin knew so well.

Wiping away the new torrent of tears, he turned around and without looking back entered the house. As he entered the living room he found himself facing Sean Hale, sitting shirtless on the couch with a worried look on his face.

What do these people have against shirts? Was the first thought that crossed Benjamin's mind before he was hit with another feeling: the most intense anger he’d ever felt in his life. Standing in front of him was the guy responsible for the absurd situation he was in. But before he could say or do anything, Sean turned to him: “I think I owe you an explanation. I’m really sorry, Benjamin; it’s all my fault, I didn’t think it was necessary. But apparently, just like your buddy Micky, you have this crazy resistance to change, and for things to go the way they’re supposed to, changes need to be embraced.”

“You know when I’m gonna accept that? Only in your wildest dreams.”

“It’s funny you mention my dreams, Benjamin, because my part in this story actually starts with my dreams. My dreams of a big, happy family. But this story, our story, goes way back. Do you know why this town is called Santa Maria, Benji?”

“Don’t call me that, and I don’t care what this town’s called; I just want my brother and my life back.”

“And you’ll get it if you listen to me. Santa Maria was the name given by Spanish conquistadors to this land in an attempt to assimilate the native peoples into the Catholic faith when this part of the country was still under Mexico’s rule. When they got here, they heard a legend about a local female deity. A woman whose son had been killed and who, in her grief, threw herself off a cliff into one of the caves along the coast. Over time, this cave became a pilgrimage site for native women seeking help with their children. For Catholic preachers, the association with the Virgin Mary was obvious, and so a church in honor of the Mother of God was built on a hill, giving the town its name. The church was destroyed when the region was integrated into the United States. But secretly, over the years, countless generations of mothers sought out the old cave, praying to the virgin or the mother of the legend to intercede for their kids. When you’re a mom and you need divine intervention, the source of that intervention doesn’t matter.”

“I don’t get where this is going...”

“Please, just chill, Benjamin; you’ll understand soon enough. Your mom and I actually met when we were kids on this beach, and we heard all about the old legend together. Our paths diverged; your mom met your dad, and I met Lilly, my late wife, although, at this moment, that story is being rewritten, and soon I’ll forget it, which hurts me so much. But this is the path Lilly set for us. She and I came here every summer for our vacations. The tradition continued after Olliver was born, and the three of us were really happy here. But about a year ago, around the same time your parents started the divorce process, something terrible happened to us. Olliver came out, which wasn’t a problem for us; parents usually know about these things long before their kids, and we’ve always loved him as he is. But not everyone’s like that. One day, those who were supposed to be my son’s friends pulled what they thought was a prank on him, basically a huge act of homophobia. Ollie didn’t take it well, and one thing led to another, in this case, a beating followed by a coma. You have no idea how horrible it is to see your kid lying unconscious, fighting for his life, with doctors saying there’s no chance of survival. It tears you apart inside.”

“I’m really sorry to hear that, Sean, but I still don’t get what the point of all this is...”

“Hang tight, I’ll get to that part. Over the years, my wife also heard about the legend, and in her desperation, she went to the mother’s cave to ask for help. But the legends she heard were wrong; they spoke of blood sacrifices, of one life for another... and in her hopelessness, Lilly jumped into the abyss.”

“Oh my God.”

“Yeah, a terrible, sad decision, I think she decided she couldn’t live without our son... But her sacrifice awakened something, or someone. Santa Maria really is a magical place. And you and I both experienced it. The next morning, Oliver woke up, and within a few days, he was literally brand new, healthier than ever, stronger, taller. And only I seemed to notice. As for Lilly, her body was never found. I thought I’d never set foot on this land again, but a strange feeling in my chest, like a pull, kept bringing me back here. Until I finally gave in and came. The day my shop opened, that pull reached its peak, guiding me to the cave. And inside it, kneeling in prayer, was your mom, asking for help with her kids. So I knew what to do; I approached her and offered the help she needed. At that moment, I didn’t know something like what’s happening now was possible. Of course, not long after, Ollie met Harrison, and suddenly, I had an employee named Harry who was also my son’s boyfriend. Still, when you guys came here, I thought things would just flow naturally. But I realized I was wrong again when I watched the transformation happen with Rob, with a new set of memories about him entering my head, first of him knowing me his whole life and moving in with me right after Amanda’s divorce. Then the memory changed again, Rob and Olliver became my sons with Amanda, as if Lilly had never existed. At the same time this situation infuriated me, it also scared me. I looked for your mom at the same time she was looking for me, and when we were together, we both felt that pull again, so we came to the same conclusion: we should go to the cave.” He sighed and looked at Benjamin, his eyes sympathetic. “Now things get really complicated, Benjamin. When we arrived at the cave, both Amanda and I were overtaken by a force, something much bigger than the two of us. We were invaded by alien memories, of a mother hugging her son and her lover, both dead, in that same cave, and jumping off the cliff. Then, countless mothers kneeling there, begging for their children, the intervals between those visits getting longer and longer. Until the consciousness that was there fell asleep. Then, Lilly... I was forced to witness the prayer and sacrifice of my wife, Benjamin. In her final moments, she didn’t just pray for our son’s life but also for my happiness, so that I could find a family like I always wanted. She shouldn’t have done that; Lilly’s sacrifice gave the entity more power than it had in centuries, and it used it. It found another desperate mother seeking help and put her in my path, ensuring that Lilly’s last wishes were fulfilled. Ollie is happy with the boyfriend he always wanted. Harry never had the courage to come out until he met Ollie and always worried about leaving his brother alone with a sick grandma when going to college. Your mom wanted a stable father for her kids. Rob wanted friends and a girlfriend. Micky wanted a brother he could connect with. And me, I just want a family, a big happy family. So now it’s your turn, what do you want, Benjamin?”

“I want my dad back, my brother, and the life we had.”

“I figured you’d say that. But that’s not possible. The entity can’t grasp the concept of love between a father and son. The father of her son was the one who killed him when he found out about his relationship with another man. She made it very clear to me that I only got what I wanted because it was what was best for your mom and our kids. But understand, Benjamin, the power from Lilly’s sacrifice is running out. That’s why she summoned us to the cave; she doesn’t have much time to fit you in. I’m afraid your dad’s absence in the last few months is a side effect of my wife’s desire. Your mom would’ve liked to be here and tell you all this in person, but she took the first flight back to her old city this morning, trying to track down your dad, and she was successful... Benjamin, I’m sorry, but he doesn’t remember you or your brother; he’s got another family and another life.”

“No, no, you’re lying.”

“Look into my eyes, Benjamin. I’m not lying. I care about what happens to you just like I care about my other kids. Understand, the entity can’t be guided or have its power reversed. At this point, I have two sets of memories in my mind; in one, I’m the father of two boys; in the other, I have three. Your mom is going through the same thing; she’s desperate, Benjamin, please accept what’s being offered to you!

“I don’t know...”

“You want a dad and a mom who love you and are by your side; you want your brother by your side. Even if the flow of events were reversed, it wouldn’t happen the way you want, Benjamin; your dad and mom weren’t happy in their marriage. They were hurting each other, and if you’re honest with yourself, you’ll admit they were hurting you too. So I’m begging you, let me be the dad you so need. I want the set of memories with the three boys to be real. I’ll also be letting go of an important person in my life; Lilly will cease to exist for me, but it’ll be worth it; you’re worth it.”

“I... I...” Unable to respond, Benjamin closed his eyes and just nodded as he felt the tight embrace of strong arms around him...

…..

The sunlight streamed through the kitchen window of a big beach house, lighting up the space and an eighteen-year-old kid busy preparing breakfast for the rest of his family. This kid had golden hair like the sun shining on him and a smile so bright. He seemed carefree, humming a happy tune while setting the breakfast table. Distracted for a moment while making pancakes, he didn’t notice the handsome blonde man standing at the door, watching him with an admiring smile. “Good morning, Benji!” said the man, finally deciding to interrupt the kid.

“Dad, you scared the hell out of me.”

“Watch your language, kid.” replied the dad, still smiling. “It’s just that you remind me so much of your mom when she cooks.” Of his three children, Benji was the most physically similar to him, a little shorter than his brothers and with a more robust build. But his behavior was all Amanda.

“Someone had to learn how to cook since you and none of my brothers can whip up a dish that doesn’t make everyone sick.”

“Oh, the harsh truth. Speaking of your brothers, where are they?”

“Ollie hasn’t woken up yet, and Bobby spent the night with Jessica, so it looks like it’ll just be us for breakfast.”

“Couldn’t ask for better company, son. So, what’s on your plans for today?” said Sean, stacking pancakes and pouring a generous amount of syrup on top.

“Nothing much, Bobby will meet me here so we can go to school together, Micky will meet us on the way. This afternoon we’re gonna surf, and I promised to help Mom with the restaurant tonight.”

“Hey, how come I don’t get a hand at the shop?”

“Because you’ve got an employee and your two other kids to help you with that, and both of them are incapable of frying an egg so that’s up to me. Aaand do I need to remind you I’m already giving surf lessons to the younger kids with Micky?

“Alright, you win. You win.” Sean replied, still smiling.

“I always win, Dad; Mom always says I’ve got your face but her brains, and her brains always beat you.”

“Smart woman. But we’re talking about you, kid. And I just want you to know I love you tons and I’m super proud of you, son. You’re everything a dad could want.”

“I love you too, Dad, and I couldn’t ask for a better one.” Benji replied, finishing his meal in a hurry and getting up from the table.

“What’s the rush?”

“We gotta swing by Micky’s place before school, and you know how he is; he can take longer than Ollie in the morning, and I don’t wanna be late, we have football practice.”

“I get you’ve got a busy day, but stop by the shop before heading to your mom’s restaurant.”

“Sure, see ya later, Dad.”

He said as he ran out of the kitchen. In a few minutes he was back with his backpack on his shoulders and heading out the door to meet his brother who was waiting for him on the sidewalk. He was followed the whole time by the gaze of his father who, upon seeing his sons greet each other with the greeting of the moment, could not resist calling them, making them both turn around.

“Boys!!! Before you go, where’s my hug?” He asked, which was met with all the affection from his sons.

…..

That afternoon, Sean and Amanda were at the beach, watching their three sons running after each other like they were still little kids, the resemblance between them was so strong that anyone looking from the outside might think they were triplets. It was only on closer inspection that an outsider would realize that one of the boys was slightly older than the other two. After Ollie they had longed for a girl, but But what was the surprise for both of them when they discovered that they would be parents of twins? The pregnancy had been complicated and they had gone through some tough times but somehow everything worked out and the boys were now grown men or should have been...

“Looks like these kids are never gonna grow up.” Sean commented to his wife.

“What did you expect? Their dad never grew up.” was Amanda’s cutting reply.

“Ouch! That hurt.”

“Stop whining. You know very well I prefer it this way. I wouldn’t have married you for almost twenty years if I didn’t love that goofy surfer vibe of yours.”

“So, no regrets about not going to college to be with me?”

“You know I don’t regret it; I have everything I could want, a job I love, three wonderful boys, perfect copies of their dad, the love of my life. I’m sure some higher power guided our destiny. And you, aren’t you happy with everything we’ve achieved?”

“I’m the happiest man in the world. And I’m super grateful for everything we’ve got. I think even in other lives I wouldn’t find a better family.”

…………..

One last word

So, this is a revised repost of a story I've always liked but didn’t get much attention around here, maybe 'cause it ain't an erotic story. Anyway, since most of my work is that kind of stuff, I rewrote this one so none of the characters are underage. If you’re older, you probably caught the 'The Lost Boys' vibe in this story, and yeah, that was totally my inspo. That was one of my fave flicks growing up, and being the weirdo I am, I always hoped the vampire boss would win and the kids would join his fam so they could all be happy draining blood on the California coast. My story ended up being way less bloody, of course, but still, it’s kinda how I wished the movie would’ve wrapped up. Judge me if you want!"

[souperbloom]

would you be able to write smth with ash or luke abt him and reader trying to get pregnant and they lowk discover he has a breeding kink?? i feel like both of them r the type to want to be fathers so bad so the idea of putting a baby in their girls sends them fckn insane

wrote (most of) this request in the Bahamas, thought i’d put my own spin on it. felt hashtag: inspired.

enjoy <3

————

island time. [A.I.]

🦜 honeymoon!Ashton

freshly married and lost in paradise, you and your husband Ashton make a brand new discovery on your picturesque Caribbean getaway.

a/n: god this is literally the most domestic shit i have ever written (but also not at the same time???) i need to be put down after this one

CONTENT WARNINGS: smut’n’fluff!, brief mentions of drinkin’ & smokin’, exhibitionism/semi-public sex, dirty talk, trying for a baby/mentions of pregnancy, breeding kink (duh.)

the end counts as cockwarming? eye-d-kay!!

WORDCOUNT: TBD

⋆⭒˚｡⋆

Light peeks through the silky white curtains of your honeymoon suite, waking you up with the sunshine splashing against your cheeks. You close your eyes tighter, hoping maybe for a second you’d be able to lull yourself back to sleep.

In your daze, you swing your arm over to the side of the mattress, expecting to feel another body lying there. But rather than a broad, sleeping giant, you’re met with a fist full of bedsheets.

You mumble to yourself, finally cracking open your eyes to see that your newly wedded husband, Ashton, was nowhere to be found.

You let yourself sit up fully, only to find a stripped comforter, and a small piece of notebook paper folded neatly in half resting on the pillow beside you.

"Gone surfing. Meet me down by the beach. Love you. x"

That was all that was written, aside from the little animated surfer drawn on the corner of the paper holding his hand in a shaka, and a little speech bubble that read: “Cowabunga, baby!”

You giggle down at the comic, your heart already feeling so full from how amazing this honeymoon has gone so far. It was only day three of your dreamy fifteen-day getaway.

You’d originally agreed to ten but of course, Ashton convinced you otherwise.

It didn’t take long to shimmy out of your pajamas and into that new bikini Ashton had insisted on buying you, down at the little gift shop in the town square. When he saw how your eyes lit up after seeing it on the mannequin, he knew he couldn’t have you go another sunny beach day without it.

So, he snuck down to the gift shop that same night after you went to sleep, and left it beside your pillow the next morning.

The sun had already been up for a few hours, reminding you how surreal it felt to be in such a beautiful, tropical place. Now, as a married woman.

Even the simple task of waking up and rolling out of bed had you feeling like an entirely new person. You were grateful for the days passing slowly, being able to spend much needed quality time with your husband, Ashton.

It still felt crazy, calling him that.

Once you freshened up, lathering lotion on every exposed area of your body and tying up your hair for better access to the sun, you headed down to meet Ashton at the beach.

The crisp morning breeze made you grateful for Ashton’s long sleeve henley top that you had decided to throw on as a coverup, shielding your new bikini from the hotel lobby employees and saving the view for the one who really wanted to see it.

The scent of his cologne lingering on the shirt was a plus, too.

You made your way down the stone pathway towards the beach, already having an idea where your husband would be. It didn’t take long to spot his overgrown chestnut mullet blowing in the breeze, chatting up the bartenders that were working the early morning shift.

As you near, you notice the wetsuit draped on the back of his bar seat, surely used to surf and dried off by now. You creep up to him slowly, taking in the sight of his sandy, bare back and slightly sunburnt shoulders.

The bartender notices you before Ashton does, so you press your index finger against your lips to tell them to keep it a surprise. Although Ash doesn’t drink, he’d made it his mission to befriend every single employee at this resort; just one of the many quirks of his kindhearted soul.

Without a word, you get close enough to latch your arms around his neck, attacking him with a bear hug. Slightly startled, Ashton’s head whips around knowing it was you, yet just double checking to be sure.

"Ah— there’s my beautiful wife," he murmurs sweetly, before slapping a wet kiss on your arm, "G’mornin’, gorgeous."

"Good morning to you too, handsome."

"Y’know, I don’t think I’ll ever get over being able to call you that,” His eyes peer over at your head resting on his shoulder, and you look back with the same amount of love and adoration.

"Get used to it. But don’t wear it out," you jab.

As your arms are still locked around him, you look down and notice the smoke funneling up between his body and the bar.

"Bright and early, huh? A joint to start the day," you hum to him, as he twists around to pull you between his legs.

"You know what they say about the early bird, sweet pea."

There was comfort in knowing that everyone at this bar knew you and Ashton, already having made accordance with each of them. He knew all of their names, as did you. He also snuck around and told them all of your favorite drinks when you weren’t around; Ashton was making it impossible for you to ever want to leave.

"Got a surprise for you." Ashton grabs the bartender’s attention with a quick, yet polite, whistle. He orders you a breakfast mimosa, which makes you giggle, speaking on the fact that you hadn’t even eaten breakfast yet.

"And what might that be?" You ask, traipsing your finger along his thigh right next to the hemline of his navy blue swim shorts, "Is it another bikini? Because I’ve already got one of those."

"No, it’s much better than a bikini— But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t hoping to see that bikini on you right now." He grabs your hips, pulling you to sit between his legs on the barstool.

You chuckle quietly, satisfied to know him like the back of your hand. "Well, I guess today’s your lucky day."

After a few minutes of back and forth with your bartender friend and a couple of weak sips to your mimosa, Ashton pats your hip as a signal for you to dismount the barstool and follow him.

He’s very quiet in doing this, giving you shoddy answers to your curious questions and leaving no room to the imagination as you walk hand in hand along the beach.

"I’m gonna cover your eyes at some point, but promise me you won’t start screaming for help or anything like that," He jokes and you scoff, squeezing his hand tightly.

"I would never. Plus, what’s a surprise without a bit of kinky blindfolding?"

"Mimosa’s doing its job already I see," he says with a grin, “Maybe I won’t need to cover your eyes— you’ll be seeing stars by the time we get there."

"Are you calling me a lightweight? You’re the one that’s trying to get me drunk at ten in the morning!"

You’re starting to reach unfamiliar territory on the beach now, watching the beachgoers slowly dwindle to only a few straggling joggers and surfers.

"Nobody’s trying to get you drunk, sweet pea. You just gotta learn to let loose... I thought I’d give you the upper hand and start your morning off with a drink. You’re on island time now."

You shrug as if to say, fair enough, before Ash pulls you tightly into his side. He locks his arm around your head, using his palm to cover your eyes and his body to guide you to the right place. You lose your balance at the sudden loss of vision, but Ashton is right there to catch you, letting you fall into his chest with a giggle.

"Shit, no warning? What the fuck kind of morning have you been having?"

You could practically hear his smile without even having to see it, "A great one. And it’s about to get even better."

A few more steps are taken before Ash is pulling you back to stop you from walking any further. You noticed that he had walked you into the sand, rather than the pathway you had been on the entire time.

"Okay, just a few more steps— easy does it…" He’s holding up your temporarily ailed body, walking you through soft tropical sand. There were moments where you’d misstep, sending your feet tripping right out of your sandals and leaving Ashton to come to your rescue.

"I promise I’m not drunk, my God… Don’t know what’s gotten into me today," you try to cover up your wave of embarrassment with a giggle, and Ash laughs along.

"No worries— Take one more big step for me, okay?"

You take one final comically large step into the sand, and stop when you feel his body come to one as well. His large hand over your face was undoubtedly making you sweat, but you didn’t really have the heart to tell him.

"Are we here?"

“Mhm," he coos, "You ready, sweet pea?"

"As ready as I’ll ever be," you smile.

Suddenly, his hand lifts from off of your face. You’re first met with a blinding light, but as your eyes adjust, you start to take in the scenery.

A lush, empty plot of beach with scattered palm trees and bushes. The crystal clear water blended in with the sky, not a single cloud throughout the entire shoreline.

You look around, confused for a moment, wondering why Ashton had brought you to a random empty plot of beach.

"Did you just walk me in circles to show me what I’ve been seeing for the last three days?"

Ashton lets out a snort, his hands finding your hips in front of you before he places a gentle kiss upon your lips.

"You’re funny. Turn around."

With his hands to help spin you, you turn around, faced with something you had been begging for since the moment you touched down in the Caribbean.

A private cabana.

"No. Fucking. Way!" You squeal excitedly, accidentally ripping yourself from his grasp to run up to the three little steps, "And here I am sounding like a fuckin’ dickhead—"

Ashton shrugs, "You learned from the best… Go ahead. Check it out."

He stands cross armed with a smug smile, watching you run laps around the cabana. You take in the dark wooden support beams and blue linen that surrounded them. There was a sheer white curtain in place of a door, and fairy lights strung on the outside. You’d seen them around the beach in the passing days, but you swore this was prettier than any of the ones you’d seen so far.

"Ash, it’s fucking gorgeous!" You gush, standing to the side of it and hugging one of the wooden beams.

"Wait ‘till you see the inside. C’mon," he holds out his hand walking towards you, and you take it gleefully. When you make your way up the steps, Ashton pulls back the curtain and slides them open just enough for the two of you to walk in.

A king sized beach bed sat between two wicker bedside tables. Sun rays shone through the straw roof, leaking light onto the power blue sheets

And on one of the little beside tables, two breakfast plates.

"So, you did have a reason for getting me that mimosa," You chuckle, fluttering down onto the bed while still taking in the interior.

"I had good intentions… Too bad you drank the whole thing before we got here,” says Ashton, plopping down next to you.

"If I’m on island time now, why wait?"

Ashton snakes his arm over your shoulder, the two of you watching the palm trees sway in the late morning winds, and listening to the ocean crash against the shore. You lean your head on his shoulder, taking in a deep breath.

"This is just— beautiful, Ash. Thank you for doing this."

"Anything for you, sweet pea. Making you my wife was only half the battle. You know I’d give you the world if you asked. A beachside cabana is nothin’."

Your heart swells at his kind words, feeling so overflowed with love that you have no choice but to tackle him onto the bed with a kiss.

It’s slow at first, his lips slotting against yours quickly and finding the rhythm you claim. But as your tongues entwine, the kiss deepens. His hands find your waist, pulling you onto his lap and spreading his legs to give you a place to rest your hips.

"Baby," you hum, giggling while Ashton’s lips are occupied by the nape of your neck, "What about breakfast?"

"Breakfast can wait. You're only thing I wanna’ be tasting right now."

Although flustered by his words alone, you pull away to look at him, a soft sigh escaping his lips at the lack of you. You proceed whack him on the chest, trying to keep alive the magic of the beachside cabana without getting too distracted by your hunk of a husband.

Well, at least not just yet.

”Breakfast cannot wait! Don’t let my friskiness ruin the amazing morning you planned. We’ll get back to it soon enough."

His bottom lip is caught between his teeth in a pout as he is about to protest, but you cut him off with a disapproving gaze.

"You had me last night and you still want more?"

"Always want you. This is nothing new."

The way he seamlessly draws you back into a kiss seemed impossible, how suddenly you were pulled right back to where you, your body, and mind were last night.

And the night before. And the night before that.

Your heart begins to race when his teeth sink into your bottom lip, pulling down agonizingly slow and testing every last bit of your decorum. You whine into him, gripping his chest so roughly that little crescent etchings are left in the place of your fingernails.

"Ash—," you whimper, barely pulling enough air from your chest to utter his full name.

"I hear you baby, I hear you…"

Ashton could tell you were getting greedy, from the way your hips ground down into his. How the friction of his bulge held captive in his swim shorts was giving you just the right amount of pressure you needed.

You didn’t care about a good breakfast, or why Ashton was refusing one. Not anymore. You didn’t care about anything.

Except for him.

The kiss picks back up and suddenly, you weren’t even sure how, the henley top that was once clad to your back was now strew across the floor. Ashton’s hands roamed up your sides, grasping at your ribcage as you continued to swivel your hips.

"So fuckin’ perfect—" Ash mumbles, in a dreamlike state that made his gritty voice sound even deeper. Music to your fucking ears. "And, you’re wearing the hell outta’ that bikini."

"Whatever my husband wants, my husband gets," you muse, bottom lip tender from the incessant nipping.

After a few more minutes of tender kisses and tugs at your bikini strings, Ashton's motions had grown more ravenous.

"Well, your husband wants you to take it off," he teases, continuing the soft banter from before and shifting the both of you up towards the headboard.

"I think that could be arranged," you reply, watching the little streaks of sunlight from above create patterns across his bare chest, "Wanna do it for me?"

"You know I fuckin' do."

He couldn't get the words out fast enough before he was pulling the strings and the bikini top was falling between your bodies, exposing your bare chest to his hungry, wandering eyes.

"My god, that never gets old," he gawks, reaching his hands up with no time to waste and taking your nipples between his fingers.

The action alone draws a moan from the back of your throat, and makes you grind down onto his hips hard enough to feel his hard-on practically popping out of his swim trunks. It had been a long and rather busy few days out on the island with Ashton. And you'd be lying if you said that the two of you weren't on a... mission.

Is it really that cliché to try for a baby on your honeymoon?

"Baby," you moan, breathless, smitten, "please. Now. We— we have to—"

Ashtons eyes widen at your subtle command, shoulders tensing at those subdued words and piecing together exactly where your head was at.

"Yeah, yeah... I've gotcha sweet pea."

It was your turn to be the dominant one now, ordering him around with your eyes as he slowly lifted you off of his hips and began to slide out of his swim trunks. You sat and waited patiently, perched on your knees with a wicked smile.

Ashton's excitement at your tries for pregnancy never failed to make you swoon; could've been because you were ovulating, or because you were so infatuated with the idea of starting a family with him. Either way, neither of you were complaining.

"Lay down f'me?"

His words break your spell and suddenly you're following his command. You shift and rest your head against the fluffy down pillows, running your hands along your chest towards your midriff.

Ashton’s blistered palms make headway up your thighs, prying your legs open like he was parting those crystal blue waves you’d been swimming in all week. His eyes feast on your sprawled out figure, examining each and every dip and curve.

"God, you’re beautiful. Could’ stare at you all day, sweet pea." He breaths shakily, his head sort of reeling, like a mental game of ping pong. He wasn’t sure where to start with his pretty girl, and it was so, so obvious.

"Don’t have time for that baby," you purr, watching him slither around you delicately as though you were made of porcelain, "Need you— now."

"You need me now? Since when did you start calling the shots around here?" Ashton chuckles, the shade of his honey green eyes slightly flickering to that of a foggy forest.

Right as you’re about to open your mouth to reply, his grip on your thighs tightens. You help out in pleasure, then quickly clamp your lips shut as he settles himself between your legs.

His chest presses against the sheets and his face is now inches away from your core, pulsing and aching through your swimsuit bottoms and practically screaming for his attention.

"Such a pretty angle. Love seein’ you like this," he drawls, his gaze pointed at where you needed him most.

A gentle whimper gets caught behind your teeth as you attempt to shift beneath him, only making that grip he had on your legs tighten just a bit more.

"Tryin’ t’ fight your way out of this, aren’t you?" he mocks, moving his hands to the inside of your legs and firmly pressing your knees down to the mattress, "You can’t go all shy on me now, sweet pea."

There was something predatory about the way he was acting; stalking like he was on the hunt for just a bit more than the feeling of you wrapped around him. He wanted to savor this moment, this fun little game of cat and mouse.

"Ashton, please," you beg.

Either he was choosing to ignore you or he didn’t hear it at all, but your plea remained empty as his head ducked down to press a kiss below your naval.

"Gonna’ fill you up real’ nice..." he groans into your flesh, teeth nipping at the delicate skin, "Would you like that? Want me to fill you up with my cum, baby?"

You nod sheepishly, resorting to tucking your bottom lip between your teeth as his teasing continues.

"Gotta use those words, beautiful. I know you’ve got a mouth on ya’."

"Yes," you blurt, "I’m— I’m ready. Please, fill me up baby, please."

His eyebrows raise in amusement and the death grip he once had on your knees finally loosens. He uses his arms to stalk towards you, crawling up your body so that the two of you met at eye level.

"Say that again for me?"

As you open your mouth to repeat the words that descended your husband into madness, you feel a broad hand sneak between your legs and push your swimsuit bottoms to the side. His finger slips between your dripping folds, running a line up and stopping to gently toy with your clit. The steadfast eye contact remained.

"Are you paying attention, sweet pea? I said, say it again."

You stutter for a moment, unable to coherently collect the words on your tongue as he continued to tease you. "Baby please— Want you t’ fill me up—"

"Gonna’ make you mine, sweet pea. I promise. And since I did it already then fuck it baby, I’ll do it again."

His tip prods at your entrance while your eyes frantically dart across the various features on his face. You watch his plump lips part slightly, and the notch in his brow grow more prominent as he savors that first stroke.

The two of you sigh in unison, in bliss, at that first initial feeling of him filling you perfectly. He has no choice but to gaze into your eyes, the ones that had been looking at him with equal admiration this entire time.

"Fuck, baby— so fuckin’ tight n’ ready for me, yeah?"

His starting thrusts are slow, each stroke hitting deeper within your lower abdomen and creating pressure throughout your entire body. You hold your breath, savoring that feeling before letting it out with a labored groan.

"F-feels so good, Ashton. Can— can feel you everywhere."

What you were saying hardly made any sense; but that never mattered to Ashton. All he knew was that the feeling of his cock meticulously hitting that sweet spot every time was enough to get you buzzed.

Love drunk, if you will.

"Takin’ my cock so well. Like such a good girl. How fuckin’ perfect you are, baby— and you’re all mine."

The eye contact between you was blazing, the heat radiating off of his cheeks flushing against yours. You could barely keep your eyes open as his hips began to snap faster and faster, his breathing becoming more gritty and labored.

"Ashton, baby, oh my God— please—" you cry out, the wooden bed frame now shaking and whacking against the walls of the cabana with the force of his limitless thrusts.

"Feels good, sweet pea? Gonna fill you up with my fuckin’ cum, baby. Gonna fill you up n’ fuck it into you nice and deep. You’re mine. All fuckin’ mine."

You take your hands and cup his face, watching his pupils bounce as his lips weave into a wicked smile. Sweat slicked his forehead as he looked down on you, eager to please you and so satisfied with the way you’d been falling apart.

"Fuckin— touch yourself. Please, God— touch yourself for me, pretty? Wanna hear more of those sweet sounds you make."

Your jaw drops, as does your hand from his cheek. Your hand then moves to finds your clit in record time, and you begin to rub it in quick circles. The simple action causes an electric shock to run down your spine, only amplifying the pleasure going forward.

"Gonna cum together, yeah?" asks Ashton, who had resorted to tucking his head into the crook of your neck and occasionally biting down on the meat of your collarbone, "Gonna’ cum with my girl— fuck, baby. You feel incredible."

"Mmmh."

You only find enough strength in you to hum as the speed of his thrusts increases. It was hard to take your eyes off of him and surely the feeling was mutual; it had become a competition of who could look at the other with the most love and devotion.

"Fuck, I’m close—" Ashton blurts, his voice weakening, "Ready for me, baby?"

"Yes, yes, yes, fuck yes," you cry out, still pawing circles at your clit as the rhythm you once claimed grows sloppy.

"Want you t’ feel my cum so deep inside you, my girl… Been so fuckin’ good t’me. Always are."

The two of you groan, loudly. It echoes and bounces off of the quaint walls of the cabana as Ashton finally releases inside of you. You could feel his liquid pooling, mixing with the juices of your own arousal and God, did it feel incredible.

A collective sigh is shared not long before Ashton dips down again to place another kiss onto the sweet spot of your neck, "Ashton, baby— oh my God."

"Gonna’ put that baby in you, sweet pea. Can fuckin’ bet on it," he states. A groan mixed with some sort of pathetic whine as he slowly pulls half of his length out of your pussy.

Right as you’re about to let out a sigh of relief, he rams himself back into you.

"Fuck!" you cry, pinching your eyes shut for the first time since this whole ordeal has started. He was awfully cocky about it all but then again, it wouldn’t be Mr. and Mrs. Irwin without a bit of a boast.

"Feel that? That to me feels like a success," Ashton gloats, his eyes mocking your tightly knit brows and scrunched up nose.

A chuckle falls past your lips as you relish in the feeling; you and your husband becoming one soul. You can’t seem to get your attention to stray away from the mousy brown curls that had flopped out of their style and into his eyes. How obscenely intimate it felt to be this close to your husband in all of his glowing, sweaty, post-sex glory.

"That doesn’t mean we can’t try again tomorrow," you tease him, brushing a rogue curl from his eye, "We’re still here for another week and a half."

"If it were up to me, we’d do this every day. But, I don’t wanna wear you out. Husband and wife now, yanno? Gotta make sure you can, uh— keep up."

The two of you chuckle and sigh, basking in the feeling of his cock still buried inside of you and sharing the love of the intimacy.

"Hey, I think I could keep up with your beastly self. You’ve just gotta give me the chance to prove it."

Ashton spares you a warm smile, the same smile that won you over the first time you’d ever met him.

"I love you, baby."

"God, I love you more."

⋆⭒˚｡⋆

[bullet-prooflove]

The Weight of Water: Daniel LaRusso x Reader

Tagging: @kmc1989@kiwiwatermelonsuger@sadgenderfluidmaniac@junghwansy2k

Summer School Series:

Part One: Summer School - Daniel's excited to meet Anthony's new art teacher.

Part Two: Dirt - Daniel learns more about you and your business.

Over the course of the summer Daniel starts to learn more about you, it’s snippets of conversation in between picking up Anthony and dropping him off but he enjoys the time you spend together. The glimpses of you he gets to see.

It’s through one of those conversations that he learns you surf every morning. You come into the studio with wet hair, the scent of the ocean clinging to your skin and he can’t help but ask what you’ve been up to.

“You should come with me one morning.” You say as you carefully set out the tools on your desk. Anthony is already at his workspace, combing through the box of cogs, selecting the different sizes he’ll need for his next project. He’s become one of your most diligent students over the summer. Excited to be there, the last to leave, always peppering you with questions. “Being on the water, its therapeutic. Good for the soul.”

“I haven’t done anything like that since Sam was a kid.” Daniel tells you, his palm rubbing over the back of his neck. “We gave it up when she got into volleyball. I used to really enjoy it.”

“My friend owns a surf shop near the place I go, she’ll let you borrow a surf board and wet suit if I ask nicely. She lets me store my board there.” You say as you turn to face him, your voice lowering so Anthony doesn’t overhear. “Besides it might be good for you to take a beat,  do something for yourself.”

Daniel crosses his arms over his chest as he leans back against your desk with a sigh. He can’t remember the last time he did something that didn’t involve the kids, the dealership or the dojo. He loves all three but there’s a responsibility that comes with them, he always has to be present and focused. There’s never time to just take a breath.

“Does it show?” He askes quietly, his gaze coming to rest on Anthony as he sorts through his equipment.

“You have this little furrow right here.” You say, your fingertip rubbing lightly over the space between his eyes. “I’m scared it’s going to become permanent.”

The edges of his mouth turn up into a small smile as he captures your hand in his. His thumb caresses your palm as he looks down at it.

“The kids are at Amanda’s tonight, I can come with you tomorrow morning if you’re up for the company.” He says, looking down at your linked fingers.

“I am.” You tell him, squeezing his hand lightly. “I’ll text you the time and place.”

***

Daniel doesn’t remember the last time he was at the beach, the house he used to live in with Amanda had a pool so they never ventured outside of the neighbourhood unless it was to the country club. He hasn’t been back there since the divorce because those people were always more Amanda’s speed than his.

It’s only with hindsight that he sees how much his marriage changed him. Her aspirations became his, together they build an empire, a successful life for their kids. He doesn’t know when they fell out of love, only that he woke up one morning and realised he that he couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a conversation with the woman sleeping next to him about anything other than the kids. They’d tried dating after that and discovered it was the only thing they had in common.

So they’d made the decision to uncouple, divide everything in half and coparent the kids. Amanda still lives in that house in Encino Hills, they’d both thought it was better for the kids that they have that consistency. Daniel’s moved to a smaller house a couple of blocks away, with a reflecting pool and grass that he likes to feel under his feet first thing in the morning.

That’s what he thinks about when he’s out on the water with you that morning, the changes in his life, how he’s happier now than he’s ever been. There’s no roles, no assumptions, no responsibilities out here, he’s just himself in its rawest form and he finds that liberating. He watches you as he sits on his surfboard and lets the waves lap against him. You’re a natural in the water, catching waves as if you’re attuned to the whims of the sea, laughing when you bail. There’s an authenticity in you that calls to him, you never try to be anything other than yourself and he can’t describe how attractive he finds that.

“This is the most fun I’ve had in a long time.” He tells you in the aftermath. The two of you are standing at the back of your Jeep, wetsuits unzipped and rolled down to the waist. He’s dabbing himself off with towel while you’re drinking from a bottle of water.

It does something to him seeing you in that sports bikini, the way it clings to your form, covering your assets. It has a skull and a couple of roses on the front in a similar style to those that are inked into your upper arms. He had no idea you had tattoos until today, he wants to chase his fingers over them, ask you what they mean but he holds himself back, he always does.

“We’ll have to do it again sometime.” You tell him as you pick up your towel to dry off your hair.

“I’m free tomorrow.” He tells you with a boyish grin.

It becomes a standing thing between the two of you then. On mornings he doesn’t have the kids he’s with you at the beach, it’s usually followed by coffee and breakfast at the café on the corner. His days feel happier, his life full. He talks about the books he’s reading, the podcasts he’s listening too, the lessons he’s trying to instil in the kids, both his own and the ones he teaches at his dojo.

This, he realises is what he was missing from his relationship with Amanda, the sense of connection, the individuality. With you he’s his own person, an entity that exists outside of all the roles he plays. He doesn’t disappear, the way he did in his marriage. He thinks about asking you out, telling you he wants more but there never seems to be the right moment.

The end of summer art show, he promises himself. That’s when I’ll do it.

Of course, he’s Daniel LaRusso and his life…

It never works out the way he planned.

Love Danny? Don’t miss any of his stories by joining the taglist here.

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Like My Work? - Why Not Buy Me A Coffee

[joelswritingmistress]

You Scare Me Professor (Chapter 57 - The Final Chapter)

Summary: The reader is taking graduate classes at a local university in the wooded upstate New York. She is drawn to her professor, Dr. Joel Miller, though she is also inherently aware that he has something dark about him that she can't quite put her finger on. As the reader's attraction grows deeper, she has to decide whether to endure the danger or run away as fast as possible. 

Pairing: Professor Joel Miller x f!reader 

Healing. There would be an infinite amount of healing to do; though over the next six months there were little victories that aided in the process. Will plead guilty. It was an act that everyone was shocked about and ultimately it spared Carol a lot of extra heartache that she didn’t deserve. The evidence was already stacked against him, but now that Will admitted guilt, Carol would not have to sit on a stand as a defense lawyer grilled her and tried to twist her trauma around. For that, everyone was thankful.

Upon a leave of absence for the remainder of the school year, Carol returned to her job in September. In turn, she received a standing ovation from the student body and gained the full support of the staff there. Again, another part of the healing process. I knew Carol was hurting, but she persevered and thrived in her profession. She was going to make it because that’s what women like Carol did. They rose above. They made it.

“She even started coaching volleyball,” Joel informed me. “She was all-state in her younger days.”

Joel. My Joel. I had no issue calling him that all the time now. I tried to prove him wrong every day, and after a little bit of time and a lot of convincing I think it’s clear to him now that I will forever keep his secrets.

He went into a temporary retirement, and I changed my mind and pursued the rest of my Master’s Degree online. Without having to twist my arm too much, Joel convinced me to travel a bit to get away from New York State for a short while. It was therapeutic, to say the least.

I allowed him to take me to Nashville near the end of the summer, and then over to the Grand Canyon. We spent two weeks exploring California, extending our stays from a little ranch near the Joshua Tree, up to San Diego where I unsuccessfully tried surfing and concluding in wine country as autumn really set in. We hiked Washington State, made our way to Yellowstone Park, spent a few romantic nights on Lake Michigan before making it back to the East Coast in time for Halloween, where we crashed the small city of Salem, Massachusetts. It was the perfect ending, really.

Joel found us some cheap masks, and we blended in with the crowds that literally paraded every downtown street in the area. It was welcomed chaos and we spent the day taking pictures with spooky characters, sharing laughs, having some drinks and waiting in lines to slink into shops littered with folklore and magic.

When a light rain began near nightfall, Joel towed me away to a rooftop bar at the top of our hotel where he’d made a reservation earlier in the day. A gentle pitter-patter on the roof of the outdoor patio where we sat was relaxing. It was soothing music to our ears after a day of crowds.

From where we towered above the world, we could see two lighthouses in the distance over the blackened water. Below, people still gathered by the masses for whatever attraction, bar or restaurant they were seeking - if anyone.

“Here are your drinks.” A waitress came back to our two-person, high-top table with a pair of martinis and I sighed as she walked away.

“Ready to go home?” Joel asked, smirked as he placed a hand gently on top of mine.

My fingers squeezed around his and I nodded. “This has been a wild ride.”

“Happy Halloween.”

I grinned again and raised my glass. “Happy Halloween.” Our glasses tapped together and Joel leaned two-thirds of the way across to peck my lips. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” He kissed me another time and then settled back in his chair. At the same time, we took sips from our drinks and I felt my body relax.

“This has been great,” I told him, unable to think of another adjective. “It really revived me.” I gave a nod and looked him in the eye. “How do you feel?”

“A lot better.” He grinned and added, “Thank you for sticking by me. You had every right to run in the opposite direction. You still do.”

“Dr. Miller,” I said sternly, making him chuckle. “I’m going to need you to stop trying to convince me to leave you. Unless you’re secretly trying to get rid of me.” I sipped on my cocktail and kept my eyes on his.

Joel leaned forward, never breaking eye contact. “I would never want that.”

“Then stop saying things like that,” I ordered lightheartedly, leaning back toward him just a little bit.

“Okay,” he agreed, “I’ll work on it.”

“Thank you.” When he lingered, I leaned forward and left a long, closed-mouth kiss on his lips. When I pulled back he was grinning and I chuckled.

“I’m thinking the exact opposite of that, actually.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“I want you to be with me forever.”

I felt a blush form on my cheeks and I couldn’t help but smile wider. When Joel leaned back, reaching a hand into the pocket of his khaki pants, I felt like my body went numb. And then he pulled out a small, black box and pushed it across the table. I was frozen. My eyes were glued to the box and if it was anything other than what I thought it was, I knew it would be like a kid opening an empty box on Christmas.

“What’s this?” My words barely made it out past my lips.

Joel’s eyes remained on mine as he opened the box. My eyes dropped, staring at the silver ring in the center of it. A Diamond sparkled even in the dim lighting.

“Marry me,” he said quietly, linking his hands to mine on either side of the ring.

“Marry me.” I repeated the words to myself to make sure I heard them right. “Marry me.”

“Marry me,” Joel said again.

My gaze found his again and finally the tears that welded up in my eyes were tears of joy. “Okay.” I laughed and cried at the same time, “I’ll marry you.”

“Yeah?” He kept his voice quiet as mine grew louder, drawing a few glances from other patrons in our direction.

“Yeah.” I giggled and put my face in my hands as I continued to cry at the same time. “Yes.”

“Are you sure?”

“Joel!” I popped my face up. “Yes! Yes!” People were staring at us now and Joel looked around the immediate area, giving a wave and a smile before returning his attention to me. He reached for the ring in the small, black box and slid the ring on my finger.

I jumped up from my seat and I couldn’t help it. I rushed around the table and threw my arms around him, pulling him in to kiss him hard.

“I thought Halloween was a fitting night for us to get engaged,” Joel admitted, holding me close as he spoke in my ear. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

“It’s perfect.” I whispered back, holding him close as my fingers gripped the hair on the back of his head. “I love you.”

“Did you two just get engaged?” A female voice shouted from a few tables away.

We both pulled back, still holding onto one another and I responded by showing off my ring. “Yes.”

The costume-clad crowd in the immediate area all began to clap and I couldn’t contain my wide, beaming smile and the tears that continued to fall. When a waitress got wind of it, she brought us over a bottle of complimentary champagne.

“I know it hasn’t even been a year since we’ve known each other,” Joel said, “But life is too short to wait. You changed my life, (Y/N). I’ve never loved or trusted someone more than you. I don’t want to ever risk letting that go.”

“I know how you feel.” We shared another kiss and then took our glasses toward the edge of the balcony that overlooked Salem. I couldn’t help but smile to myself.

A breeze passed through and made me shudder, causing Joel to pull me close.

“Any regrets?” He asked.

I smiled up at him. “None, whatsoever.”

**Thank you everyone for following this story. I appreciate everyone reading, reviewing and following. It made it fun to write. This is the longest story I've ever written and it's been fun because people were interacting and guessing whole the killer was and I loved it. It made it great for me, as a writer. So THANK YOU!

@untamedheart81 @suttonspuds @cesspitoflove @michilandcof @grogusmum @morallyinept @akah565 @brittmb115 @magpiepills @poodlebae @gobaaby-blog-blog @mermaidgirl30 @mandojojo @shotgun-shelby @itscatrodriguez-thepearl @macaroni676 @smolbeanzzz @bandluvr97

[wafflesex]

Spoilers for Floyd's Stitch Event SSR

I wrote this all down in a hurry so certain nuances aren't 100% accurate, but this is the gist of Floyd's Stitch vignettes! It starts with Floyd surfing. Azul and Jack tell him it's time to head back to the cottage but Floyd complains about wanting to do an activity that can only be done at nighttime. This is when he gets the idea to make fireworks! He goes to Stitch's spaceship and asks him to turn any excess scrap metal into a fine powder. Floyd: A'ight, time for Dr. Floyd to experiment! This will be yellow and this will be red... Aha~ I did it! I'm a genius~ Stitch: ? Floyd: Are you interested in what I'm making? This is called a "flying jellyfish." Oh wait... what's it called on land again? Ah! That's right. Fireworks, fireworks! D'you know about 'em? (seems to be a reference to Part of Your World: "... What's that word again? ... Streeet~") Stitch helps Floyd make a ton of fireworks. As they build, he tells Stitch about Jade.

Floyd: You know, a long time ago, Jade and I went to the beach to watch the fireworks. Jade's my brother. Stitch: Ohana! Floyd: Hm? Jade's not a flower. He's the same moray mer as me. ("hana" means "flower" in Japanese, so whenever Stitch says "ohana," everyone thinks he's saying "flower") Floyd: Didn't I tell you? I'm a merman. I used to live in the sea before I went on land. Back in elementary school, I secretly went up to the beach to see the fireworks. Dad and mama always used to say "It's dangerous for kids to go alone, so don't go anywhere near the coast." Stitch: GRRR! Floyd: Nah, it's been a long time since merfolk and humans have been afraid of each other. After the sea princess and the land prince got married, merfolk come and go as they like. But little merfolk shouldn't wander close to shore alone because they could be swept away or beached. Floyd: Adults can survive that alone, but not a kid. Anyway, there's lots of shops for merfolk along the coast now. They're like the cottage we built where they stick out into the sea. They sell things like hoodies and accessories. ... My parents have several shops like that. Floyd: Those are for the grownups to go near though, not children. ... But Jade and I used to go to the beach a lot anyway and not tell our parents. I mean, when someone tells you not to do it, you want to do it anyway, don't you~? Stitch: WEHEHEH Floyd: There's tons of rare stuff by the coast. Flying jellyfish are our favorite though. Watching 'em from the sea is the best! They light up like stars on the black water, the reflections are so sparkly... It's like swimming through the nighttime sky! Floyd: Stitch, you came from space, right? You should try swimming in the starry sky then! Even going from sea to land was exciting for me. I'd always be like "What's this?" or "Is that guy really like that?" It would be cooler if I could go to space. I'd get to see even more! Floyd: Are there other aliens in space like Stitch and Gantu? Ahhh, if I say I met an alien on a deserted island, there's no way Jade would believe me. "It seems as if Floyd had a very unique dream," he'd say.

Floyd: So since I'm going back to school soon, make sure you come and play, Stitch, ok? And bring a really weird alien with you! Liiike... an evil genius scientist who created you or a guy with one eye or spies who like to disguise themselves! Something like that. (very obviously a nod to Jumba, Pleakly, and Cobra Bubbles in Lilo and Stitch)

Azul shows up and asks how the firework arrangement is going. He's surprised to see A LOT of fireworks. Floyd: This is the sparkler type Azul taught me how to make and this one is a disc that rotates. But THIS square one is a design of my own!

Azul: Floyd's original fireworks arrangement...? I hope it doesn't spontaneously explode. Floyd: Don't worry, don't worry~ It's made properly with magic.

Azul: Honestly... when he has a "I want to do this" attitude, Floyd's focus is incredible. I hope it can always be like this, especially at work. Floyd: Enthusiasm got me hungry. Can you guys help me carry the fireworks? We'll hide them on the beach and surprise the others~

Back at the cottage, everyone sees all the lights are off. Floyd and Stitch have also given them buckets (I'm assuming to extinguish the sparklers afterward.) They're then led to the beach. Jack: You're not planning on surfing at night, are you?

Floyd: Buuu buuu~ (buzzer sound) The correct answer iiis... this! A large orange firework shoots up into the sky and explodes. Lilia: What a marvelous fireworks display! Floyd, how did you prepare all this? Floyd: Stitch turned the junk parts into a powder~ Everyone: YOU MADE THEM? Floyd: Stitch, bring me the rest of them, ok? Jack: Uwa-! You mean the big pack Stitch was carrying was full of fireworks?! Floyd: Yup~ I wanted to do this at night so I made 'em in my downtime earlier. Grim: Whoa! With this many, we could play all night long! Lilia: These long and narrow ones are handheld fireworks... But what's this square one? Floyd: That's my original one~ You do this and then you put this away-- Goldfishie, gimme some fire! Riddle: Don't go using people like matches. Honestly... There~! Floyd's firework explodes and it's a gentle rain of blue and white sparks and stars.

Everyone: Woooow~!! Floyd: Right? Aren't the reflections of it on the nighttime water pretty? Ace: Floyd-senpai is really freaking incredible~! You're a genius! Can I light one up too? Floyd: Go for it~ Do as many of them as you want. Lilia: Ohh! This sparkler lets off a green color like Diasomnia! Jack: And this one is yellow... Amazing. How did you change the colors? Riddle: This is my first time doing fireworks. So, I just light the tip of this stick on fire? Azul: Inside Mostro Lounge, it's common for us to set up fireworks on cakes and for celebrations. ... So it's refreshing to do it outside like this instead. He then walks over to Floyd who is quietly watching everyone else play.

Azul: Even though you were so enthusiastic about making them earlier, you're not doing a firework yourself. Floyd: Mm, now I feel like watching instead of doing. Azul: I didn't think you were the type to get all sentimental while watching fireworks. Could it be... that if Jade was here, you would do them then? (he has a mischievous smile here, so he's probably trying to embarrass Floyd) Floyd: Why're you talking about Jade? He's probably running the Lounge alone right now so I'm gonna hear a lot of complaints when I get back. I'll hear that instead of "I wish I could have been there~" Anyway, isn't it more fun if he and I do our fun things separately and then come back with souvenirs and stories? If you like those stories, then you'll wanna visit those places. If you don't like 'em, then you won't go. Floyd: Jade is the same as me. With mountain climbing, one day he got hooked on it and started doing it alone. It's always more interesting if we do different things separately from each other. Besides... if we were together 24/7, I think things would be pretty bad between us.

Floyd: In the past, it was common for us to get into big fights and beat each other up. Azul: The way you brothers quarrel truly is ferocious. I was terrified the first time I witnessed it. Floyd: It's been a long time since it's been like that. When we get serious with each other, I know my life's in danger~ Well~ If I have to fight, then I'll do it~ Riddle: HEY, STITCH! GRIM! Don't go fighting with fireworks!

Floyd: Oh, looks like Stitch is having a good time! I'll join in too! Azul: Fu~ Doing something like this at night on this island certainly is refreshing. A fun game that sparks and pops at the tip of your fingers... huh... Are you satisfied, Floyd? Floyd: Ehh~? You think I'd be satisfied with only this much? Azul: Yes, that was a stupid question, wasn't it... By tomorrow you'll be looking for another stimulus.

Floyd: Hmm what should I do tomorrow~? Doing this on a deserted island is really rare, you know. So I wanna do something that'll make Jade say "Please take me with you next time~" Play, rampage, do whatever I want! Gotta enjoy myself so much that I don't have time to be bored!

And that's it! Very happy to have more crumbs of tweel lore......

[ghostwnby]

Crashing Tides

Authors note: So remember about 3 or 4 ish months ago I said I was working on a surfer shop worker!Daniel + moody rich 19 year old!Max age gap romance fic? Well, surprise! After a billion years the first part of it is finally here. I'm not 100% happy with it but I decided to finally just say fuck it and bite the bullet with it. I am hoping to write more in the future about this au but in the meantime if you have any suggestions or ideas about this au please feel free to share them with me :) my asks are always open <3 otherwise, I hope you enjoy!!

Warnings: language

Word count: 2,029 (2k)

----

The warmth of the Australian sun beats down harshly on Daniel’s skin as he tries his best to dodge and weave through the crowded boardwalk, not wanting to run anyone over with his bike. He wipes the layer of sweat that had gathered on his forehead off on the back of his hand, cringing slightly at the sheer amount of it. 

He silently regrets not taking a shower before leaving the house, but at this rate, with the amount of people blocking his way, he was going to be late.

Damn tourists. 

He can hear his boss, Mark, now: "Look, who finally decided to show up! I’m glad you think this company runs on your schedule.” He rolls his eyes at the mental image of the older Australian man passive-aggressively scolding him. You would think a person who owns a beachside surf shop would be more laid-back, but no. Ever since his wife left him last summer, his boss has been nothing but a crotchety old man. And trust me, Daniel has tried many times to invite him out to bars to be his wingman for the night, but every time he offers, he gets immediately shut down and scolded for even offering. 

Sorry, he was just trying to be a good co-worker and get his boss some stress relief in the form of a one-night stand with a beautiful lady. 

Pulling up to the shop, Daniel rushes off his bike, hastily reaching into his bag to grab his bike lock and securing it to the pole near the side of the building. Once secure, he practically bolts into the front entrance of the shop, accidentally slamming the door open a bit too hard for his liking, causing a few customers and his coworker, Lando, to perk their heads up and look in his direction. 

“I know. I know. But technically, I’m early. I still have a minute until I’m supposed to be here.” Daniel says matter-of-factly, shining a bright smile at the younger man as he walks up to the front counter that his co-worker is lounging lazily against. 

“You're cutting it close, mate.” Lando comments as he glances up at the shark-themed clock on the wall. (What? His boss might be an ass, but at least he’s an ass with good taste.) 

10:59 am

Lando shakes his head. “I don’t know if you want to push your luck too much. Mark is in a pissy mood today.” He explains.

Daniel rolls his eyes. “When is he not?”

Lando glances over his shoulder, making sure the door to the manager’s office is shut before whispering, “I don't know, mate; he seems grouchier than normal. Like something’s really ticked him off.” 

Daniel raises an eyebrow at the younger man. He opens his mouth to respond, but before he can, the door of the manager’s office slams open, revealing his boss on the other side.

“Speak of the devil.” Lando whispers as both of the men straighten back up as their boss steps out of his office. 

"Daniel, I'm so glad you finally decided to join us for your shift that you were scheduled for.” Mark greets, scowling at him.

“Good morning to you too, Mark.” Daniel says, not bothering to hide the sarcasm that coats his words. The older man scoffs at him, rolling his eyes in a way Daniel can only describe as Oscar-worthy with how dramatic it was. 

“Whatever. It’s not like I have been waiting for you all morning to get your lazy ass here.” Mark hisses, motioning his hand to the shark clock on the wall. 11:00 am. Daniel has to repress the urge to roll his eyes. He’s been there for less than 2 minutes, and he’s already having to deal with Mark’s bullshit. That has to be a new record. 

"Sorry, I wasn’t here earlier. Emily decided to have a breakdown this morning about having to stay with my parents for the day.” Daniel explains half-heartedly, knowing no matter what explanation or excuse he gives the older man, he’s not going to be pleased either way.

“Well, maybe you should invest in some parenting classes then since you aren’t doing a great job at controlling your kid.” Mark sneers, “You know what? Never mind, I don’t care at this point.” 

Daniel can feel his frustration growing by the second. Honestly can’t he just back off? He’s here, isn’t he? It’s not like he’s one of the only workers there, besides Lando, who does his job. If it wasn’t for the fact that the pay was nice, Daniel would have been out of there the second Mark started acting this way last summer. Plus he’s been working at the surf shop for almost 5 years now and what has he gotten for it? Nothing except for the temporary title of shift lead whenever Mark isn’t there. 

As if he can sense the tension in the air between the two older men, Lando decides to speak up. 

“Oh uh..by the way, Mark, this dude called earlier. I think he said his name was Jos? He said his son would be here around 11:30.” 

Lando and Daniel both watch as Mark inhales deeply as if Lando’s words were the most aggravating thing he has ever heard. 

“That brings me to my next point. A friend of my old man asked me to hire his son for the summer while they are vacationing here.” Mark explains. Daniel and Lando share a confused look. Mark continues, “The reason why? I have no clue. Something about how he wants his son to learn what the real world is like even though his pocket money is more than what we all make in a year combined.” 

Daniel raises an eyebrow at him, “And you just agreed? Just like that? Who’s going to train him?”

Mark smirks devilishly, “Well that’s where you come in Daniel.” 

“What do you mean ‘that’s where I come in’?”

“Well, you are always complaining that you’ve been here the longest and still haven’t gotten any type of raise or promotion. Well here you go, I’m promoting you to training associate. You are in charge of training the kid and also keeping an eye on him and making sure he doesn’t get into any trouble.” 

Daniel can’t help but feel the heat of anger from earlier rise beneath his skin. “So you expect me to not only train this kid I’ve never even met but also babysit the little brat as well? What the hell do you think I am? A damn babysitter?!” He snaps, crossing his arms and scowling at the older man. 

“I’m nineteen. I don’t need a babysitter.”

All three of the men snap their heads back towards the front door, only to see, who Daniel presumes is the kid Mark was mentioning, standing in the entryway. Daniel blinks as he tries to take in the teen’s appearance. He doesn’t look like any nineteen-year-old Daniel has ever seen. Sure, he has semi-smooth skin, with a blemish here and there, and an overall youthful glow about him but for some reason, something’s off about him. Maybe it’s the way his shoulders are a bit broader than his own or how his jaw is a bit too sharp for Daniel’s liking. Either way, he doesn’t like it.

“Max! I didn’t expect you to be here so soon! Is it 11:30 already?” 

Daniel glances at the clock on the wall. 11:09 am.

The teen trudges over to the front counter where the others are standing and crosses his arms. “My dad said I should show up early just in case you guys were busy or something. But, by the looks of it, you aren’t and are instead talking bad about me behind my back.” Max explains, not bothering to hide the annoyance in his voice. 

Daniel looks over at the teen, studying his face more intently now that he is standing next to him instead of a few feet away at the door. His brow is furrowed. His pale skin is tinted with a shade of pink from the harsh Australian sun. There is a collection of freckles that are scattered across his jawline and up to the middle of his cheek, with a single one lying on his upper lip. He notices now that the teen is just a bit taller than him. Not by much but enough to make Daniel even more wary than he was before. 

Mark shakes his head, “Please forgive my employee, Daniel, here Max. He has had a bit of a rough morning so his mood isn’t the best right now.” 

‘The only reason why I have had a rough morning is because of you jackass.’ Daniel thinks to himself as he shoots a glare at his boss. 

Max rolls his eyes, “Whatever.”

Daniel and Lando exchange glances once again, as if to telepathically ask each other if this is what they are really going to have to deal with for the next two and half months. 

The sound of Mark clearing his throat makes the two of them look up towards their boss. 

“Anyway, as I was saying. My employee, Daniel here, will be in charge of training you and just overall making sure you're settling in here nicely.” Mark explains, clearly trying to skip over the part where Daniel called Max a brat that he has to babysit. 

Daniel shifts his eyes over to the teen next to him. Max doesn’t look impressed. He still has his arms crossed and his lips have formed a tight line of annoyance. Honestly, Daniel can’t blame him. If he was in his shoes, aka if he was a rich kid who probably hasn’t worked a day in his life and his parents suddenly made him get a job at a dingy old surf shop while they were on a  summer vacation, he would be pissed too. 

There is a beat of awkward silence that fills the air between the four. 

“I’m guessing this is the part where I introduce myself?” Lando chuckles awkwardly, drawing the other’s attention to himself. Max stares at him silently, as if he is waiting for the other to say something else that will ultimately aggravate him even more. 

“I’m Lando. I started working here about a year and a half ago. I go to the university just up the street. I usually work in the mornings because I have night classes.” He explains. Max doesn’t say anything, instead, he sighs, uninterested. 

Lando scratches the back of his neck awkwardly, “Uh..When I’m not working or in class you can usually find me in my dorm playing video games.” The mention of video games makes the teen’s ears perk up with interest.

“You play video games?” Max asks in a slightly less annoyed voice than before.

“Yeah! I play all sorts of games like GTA, God of War, and F123. I actually stream my gameplay on Twitch with my friends from time to time. You should join sometime. I bet it would be really fun.” 

Daniel doesn’t know if it’s the heat getting to him or what but he swears he sees the faintest hint of a smile on Max’s face when Lando mentions him joining him in a gaming session. 

“I’ll think about it.” 

Seemingly pleased with the exchange, Mark claps his hands together like a coach trying to round up his team for a debriefing after a game. “Alright, now that introductions are out of the way, Max, how would you like to follow Daniel around for today to get a feel of the environment and how things work around here?” 

Daniel can feel the teen’s eyes on him before he even turns his head. His stare is as cold as ice and Daniel worries that if the teen doesn’t look away, he might burn a hole through his head. 

The universe must have been on his side because just as Daniel thought he would never look away, Max shifts his eyes toward Mark. The stare he gives Mark is just as cold. 

“Whatever.” 

“Perfect. Now let’s get started.”

[ofnightshadeandthornyroses]

Of Those That are Sanguinary    Pt.1

Eager to shed blood; bloodthirsty.

The Lost boys x fem! reader

A night on the boardwalk is what you needed.

Endless hours and constant double shifts at the diner you worked was making you waste away. Your boss was okay enough but the clientele wasn't guaranteed and you're coworkers – to put it kindly – are mostly cunts.

The diner's closed down for a gas leak and now with a few days off you get to finally come down and get to enjoy the veiw the diner over looks up close and personal.

A veiw you have yet to even bare witness to since you moved here.

You didn't know where to go or what to do first. There were so many stores, stalls, rides, and shows. You just might be here your whole time off. One might compare you to a kid in a candy shop with the way you went around the shops and stalls, looking and trying things out. At one stall you found a metal bat broach with red gems for eyes. When trying to look at the others you just couldn't get that bat off your mind and got it. It looking good with your patch jacket was a plus. After checking some jewelry stands and acquiring some more accessories you head to one of the many food stands near the stage and grab ice cream. Going to the railing to hopefully enjoy your sweet bovine tweet with a show, you're suddenly stopped. Its one of the surf nazis that would would sometimes poke around the  diner.

"Well hello~, didn't know you could dress up so...nice." He says as his eyes rake over your mesh shirt over your bra with your patch jacket zipped only just under. You could practically feel slime from his gaze go over your shorts and fishnets and into your boots. You smiled sickeningly sweet at him, "and I didn't know you made such a great wall."

You go to move a round but he follows. You feel like something else is watching you. "Hey come on. Ditch the ice cream," he leans in and grabs his dick through his pants, " I have something else creamy for ya."

You smile again though this time now thoroughly pissed. "You know you're mighty pretty." you place your curved finger under his chin "I wonder, if I cut you open would your insides would reflect it?"

You bring out your switch blade and poke the case into his gut, thumb above the trigger.

His face screws up, suddenly perplexed. He starts backing up hands raised, but he's ruined your little state of bliss and now you're gonna fuck with him.

"Whoa baby I didn't mean anything. I was-"

"What's wrong baby I thought you wanted to play? Me thinks red might be your color."

"Crazy bit-" You press the trigger, your blade shooting out though not touching him due to the distance he's so conveniently created. It has the desired effect though as the sleez ball quickly walks away.

Now satisfied and in a better mood you practically skip to the railing and sit on it quick to lick the drippings of your now slightly melted ice cream.

You hear them before you see them. The sound of chains and laughter building off of eachother tunes you in and tunes you out of the show currently on stage. You try and ignore it, focus on the blaring music and head bangers, but the sound behind you kept pulling at your mind.

The sound of melodic laughing in different ranges blending together, chains clinking, and leather rubbing together created a sort of siren song that wouldn't get out of your head. You finally spare a glance behind you and see the four infamous bikers of the Santa Carla Boardwalk. Three were playing and pushing eachother around while the other would join with a chuckle and words, deciding instead to walk with a cool stride.

You don't know when your glance turned into a stare but at some point you locked eyes with baby blue. And now they're moving towards you. Oh to everything unholy they're moving towards you!

You're stuck in your spot looking at baby blues and they're about fifteen feet away when five groupies seemed to spawned and stalled them enough for you to get out of your trance like state and find an exit.

Down two sets of stairs left you leaning on a pillar under the boardwalk wondering what the hell just happened. Your heart feels like it's going to pump right out of your chest and your brain felt like it was filled with warm cotton. 

You needed to cool down, to clear your head. To think.

You hear yelling to the side of you. About forty feet away and walk towards it, eager to get your mind off of something other than baby blue.

The sight before you is one of the surf nazi from before and a child in a dated jacket.

"I didn't mean to, really!" The little boy was held in his grasp by the front of his jacket. The evidence of the argument on the front of the surfers denim jacket in the form of what appears to be smashed ice cream.

"That's still doesn't matter when we told you to stay off the board walk! You and those freaks you hang with!"

You had enough at this point. "Seriously? From creeping on women to picking on tots. Is there anything you can't do?"

You put a mocking tone to your voice and bat your eyes with a smirk.

"Oh God it's this crazy bitch again. Look this isn't your business."

"A big greasy pig picking on a kid is what I consider my business." "Excuse me cun-" You punch his throat while he was busy getting in your face. He finally let go of the kid as he fell.

"You good, kid?" As you help him up and he brushes of the sand. "Yeah. I'm Laddie, thank you." "YN, and don't thank me yet, you still need to get away." With that he leaves with a wave and runs off.

You hear the man cough and get up from where you left him.

"You fucking bitch, I'mma get you." You take out your switch blade and he throws a punch. You duck and get him between the ribs and pull while grabbing his throat and squeezing just hard enough. " You're so convenient, you know. I really needed a distraction." You stab again and again puncturing his lung.

Certain that he couldn't scream anymore, you took off your stainless clothes and you got on top and went to work slicing down the middle of his body.

You skin his chest in two equal parts as well as the skin as his thighs and take you excess safety pin from your jacket and pockets and arrange an cut pieces of skin in the vision of your current muse.

Before you go you pick up your knife one more time, reaching into the thigh.

— • — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — • —

Laddie ran about the boardwalk searching for the boys. It was a while ago he left the girl under the boardwalk and longer since he last saw them and him and his treat ran into a surf nazi. He finally saw them nearing their bikes looking like they took a quick wash in ocean and a flight telling by their damp hair. They must have fed already.

He tries to stop too late and crashes into Paul.

"Whoa little buddy! Where's the fire!" Marcos head pops out from behind him and they start leaning on eachother.  "Yeah and why weren't we invited!" Suddenly they all stop and take notice as breeze comes by along with the unmistakable smell of blood, in mass quantity.

"Where-" Paul starts but Laddie stops him, his mouth going a mile a minute. "Wait! There was a surf nazi I ran into with my ice cream and he threatened me under the boardwalk and then this girl, she came and punched him right in the neck! Her name was YN and now she there with him! I did smell some blood after I left so I don't know if-"  Dwayne cut him off with a hand an his head. "Okay bud, where did you say this happened?" "Under the boardwalk, that way, near the stage." Laddie points and David puts his cigarette out and says "What'd say boys? Wanna ride?"

A chorus of yeahs and woops followed as the boys got on their bikes and rode towards the smell of blood and Laddies directions.

[missmouse43]

Jiara Ficlet #10

Word Prompt: Late (Read on AO3)

This random word prompt was going to be used for an accidental pregnancy or smut. I went with the smut. I know what you people want :P (I wanted it too)

Established Jiara, Post-18 month time jump, Making out, Sexual touching.

JJ gets handsy. JJ gets bossy. Kiara's just trying to get to work, poor thing.

549 Words

❗SMUT AHEAD❗

-

Kiara giggled as JJ’s eager hands pulled her back to him, never letting her get more than a few feet away from him before pressing his incessant lips onto hers. He gropes her ass, trying to deepen the kisses, but Kiara won’t yield to him so easily. Her mind’s still on getting out the front door.

“If I’m late for one more shift, they’ll never let me hear the end of it,” Kiara cautions even as JJ’s fingers teasing the underside of her breasts send a pleasureable tingle straight to her core.

The surf shop never had less than three Pogues occupying its space at all times. They’d manage without her for a little while longer.

“I’ll make it worth your while,” JJ promises lowly, lips migrating to the corner of her mouth.

Before she has the chance to respond, JJ cups her flushed cheeks and backs her into the wall, kissing her hard as his body covers hers. He slips his thigh between her legs, and Kiara anchors her hands on his sides, opening for him willingly when his tongue demands entry into her mouth.

“I really... have to... go,” she pants against his lips in between pauses for breath.

“Be quiet,” JJ demands and tugs her hips forward off the wall. He uses the tip of his boot to nudge her feet further apart before popping open the button on her shorts and making quick work of dragging down the zipper.

In one fluid motion, his dominant hand slides in and disappears under her panties. He quickly locates her clit, and Kiara’s feeble protests die in her throat along with any and all rational thought. She gasps, then falls silent with her mouth in a soft ‘O’ shape as he rubs against her, their faces mere inches apart, breath puffing hot, eye contact smouldering.

He dips a single digit between her soft folds, finds moisture gathering near her entrance, and coats his index finger before trailing a slick path back up to her clit. She’s slippery and easier to manipulate now, and JJ works her over with quick, tight circles and a fair amount of pressure. Her knees buckle in direct response to the change in sensation, and she instinctually arches her back in order to grind her pelvis against his palm.

One hand finds his shoulder for balance while the other curls slim fingers around the wrist buried beneath her waistband. It’s fast, dirty, and completely self-indulgent on JJ’s part, driven by the sole purpose of disheveling her groomed appearance and convincing her to stay.

“Jayj,” she gasps again when his fingers change direction, then she forfeits eye contact by tipping her head back against the wall and closing her eyes as her laboured breath continues to build in urgency.

JJ smirks at her surrender before diving in and kissing along her neck, licking up to her jawline, and gently nipping at the thin flesh. She whimpers when his lips cover hers once more and reels him in tight by the fabric of his t-shirt.

She’s nearly a half hour late to her shift. Needless to say, Kiara won’t be winning any employee of the month awards any time soon.

And so the reputation of the tortoise and the tortoise continues to live on in infamy.