#thank you again Gio!!! :D

[theblueeyedeagle]

giangio pics plz..maybe a full view of his clothes/details?

Yes of course! Thanks for sending in! I’ll always love getting shots of my favorite lad!

Gio’s freckles send tweet.

That umbrella detail was fun the first time I found it. Overall, the bottons on his coat seems fairly plain compared to the Isle Alchemist’s decorative capes and coats. (Which is fairly interesting if you know anything about the historical person he’s based on). He also looks So Comfy in those pants lol. Worn gloves. Boots with tread. Travel Guy, clearly lol.

Thanks again! : D

(Also ahem, Gio discord?) XP

[risquefanfics457]

Hi! If your requests are still open, would you be able to write Giorno x Shy!Fem!Reader where they’re childhood friends and Giorno gained feelings for reader over the years and wants to confess but doesn’t know how? Maybe reader feels the same way and wants to confess too?

Thanks!! :D

Did I spend 2 hours writing this because I got hyperfocused? Yes. Worth it? Yes.

Giorno and the reader are both 15 at the start and 18-19 by the end. ENJOY!

“Amica?” 

You knew that voice. It had Giorno all over it. Giorno and you had become friends when he moved next to you when your were both 4. He’d changed his name to Giorno, and you respected that, only his mom and step-dad called him Haruno, as he was known in Japan.

“Gio Gio?” You stepped out on the porch of the cafe you worked at, “What is-?” You stopped. Standing in front of you was Haruno Shiobana or Giorno Giovanna as he liked to be called but… blonde.

“Santa merda! Gio Gio, you’re blonde!”

“I know!” He threw his hands in front of him, “I woke up this way!”

You looked at him, gathering all the details you could. He was still the same boy. Same jade eyes, “What happened?”

“I woke up this way!” He waved his arms about, “Can we talk about this?” He pointed to his newly golden locks. It practically glowed in the sun, “Uh, I have a 15 minute break soon.” You stuttered.

“Okay, I’ll be here.” He wrung his hands and leaned awkwardly against the lamp post.

“Or you could come inside.” “I don’t have any cash on me.”

You chuckled, “I can still get you a water, on the house.”

He nodded, “Alright.”

You waved him in, “It’s not like anybody will recognise you anyway.”

“You did.” He said quietly

You blushed silently, “Be with you in a few.”

“So you woke up, and now you’re just blonde?”

“Yeah! Like my dad.” He whispers

“Whoa, you never talk about your dad.” You are even mor eintrigued now. Giorno had a peculiar picture in his wallet that he said was his biological father. The man in the picture was build strong and almost scarily so. But the defining trait Giorno knew was from that man was the star shaped birthmark on his upper shoulder. 

“I mean, I didn’t think this is what puberty did.” You teased, “What colour do you think my hair will turn?”

“Pink?” He laughed, “No, that a ridiculous colour.”

“Yeah, nobody in their right mind would have pink hair.” You laughed together.

“What would you even do if you met a dude with pink hair?”

“How should I know?” He laughed, “I’ve never seen one, and I doubt I ever will.”

“Well, you could grow it out.” You said

“I could, we could style it like those old magazines we used to read as kids.”

“I can see you in a braid.” You grin

“We’ll see.”

“Ehi! Y/N, back to work, I see you going 2 minutes over your break!”

“Gotta go.” You stand up, but Giorno stood as well, “Me as well, goodbye, Y/N.” He customarily kissed you on both cheeks, something you’d taught him a long time ago. Watching him leave, you went back to taking orders as you wished that you’d had the nerve to teach him a new kind of kiss.

A few weeks later, he stopped in again, “Amiga!”

“Hey, got money for an actual coffee this time?” You called down the stairs

“I do, but that’s not the point.” He climbed the cafe stairs to meet you, “I’ve figured it out.”

Him suddenly so close with that piercing gaze had you pull away, flushed pink. “What?” 

“I figured it out. The drug trade, everything.”

You looked quizzically at him, “You mean the mafia?”

He nodded, “I’m going to join them.”

You blinked. Wow, you’d lost it. Who knew serving 17 macchiatos in an hour would finally push your brain past its breaking pointt?

“Amiga?”

“Sorry, you lost me. What’s the plan?” You wiped down a table

“I’m going to become a gangstar.” 

You nodded, “See, I keep hearing you saying you want to join the mafia.” You shake your head.

“I did say that.” He tries to meet your eyes, “All the drug problems, the law being run by criminals, it can be solved, I can solve it.”

You couldn’t believe what you heard, “You’re 15.”

“I know. I need all the time I can get, I have to start early.” 

You put the cloth and spray down, “Tell me you’re kidding me.” You kept your voice low, you didn’t like catching attention of others.

“No, I’m finally going to do something about all this.” He took your hands in his and you noticed him stutter, “W-we grew up surrounded by people influenced by drugs, isn’t it time to do something about it?”

His change in demeanor prompted you to break out into a red blush. He wasn’t usually so… forward. It was different. You automatically sank back into your shell as red as a crab as other people stared. “Giorno, this is insane. You can’t join the mafia, it’s an early death sentence.”

“I get that, but things are different now.”

“But why you?” 

“Because kids like you and I deserved to have good childhoods.”

That struck a nerve, “Giorno, I want to talk about this more, but I need to stay focused on my job right now, I’m sorry. I’ll call you when I get home, okay?”

He took a deep breath and stepped away, ”Okay. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“It’s alright, I’m just worried about you. I care, okay?”

“I know.” He smiles earnestly, “I love that about you.”

Before you had a chance to reply or even register what he said, he was gone.

You called him that afternoon. Nothing. You called him again later that night. Nothing. You called him the next morning. Same results. Life went on, agonizingly slow. A week went by. 

You should have just told him when you had the chance.

A month. 2 months. 4… 8… a year. You gave up after 3 years…

“Andrea, I need you to calm down. The report doesn’t have to be done until noon tomorrow. You have a full day and 3 hours to draft and finish it.” You spoke on the phone to a colleague. “Yes, I’ll be in on tomorrow… no, you don’t need me to proofread it, you’re an adult, you can scan your own emails for typos.” 

A knock came from the front door. “Andrea, take a breather and write when you’re ready.” You hang up. Why your co-workers who were 5 years your senior needed you to spellcheck was beyond you. The knock came again, whoever it was, they were impatient. You checked the glass and caught a glimpse of blonde, and your heart skipped a beat. You calmed yourself and opened the door. It wasn’t him. Of course it wasn’t. A man in a green suit was standing in the doorway, “Buongiorno signora.” 

That name. He had to say buongiorno. Of course giorno was a regular word, but it followed you everywhere, and you felt your heart flop sadly every single time you heard it. 

“What can I do for you?” You cross your arms.

“My name is Pannacota Fugo, my boss wishes to speak to you privately.”

You nod, “Okay, I’m guessing you’re from a law firm or something?”

“No, signora. I am from Passione.”

Despite the decrease in crime regarding the mafia, the word stung, it was the mafia group Giorno mentioned. God, if they were looking for Giorno… but they couldn’t even ask you, you had no idea where he went either.

“What about it?”

“You may know him.”

“I don’t know anybody from the mafia, I make it my business to stay clear of their business.” You go to close the door.

“I’d reconsider. The boss says he knows you personally. I’m here to take you to see him.”

You steeled your nerves, “I said no.”

It was a skill you were working on, you’d become better at not being so shy.

“Right. Well, Giorno sends his regards then.” Fugo says and goes to leave

“Giorno?” Your heart almost jumps out of your chest, “Giorno Giovanna?”

Fugo nodded.

“I’ll get my things.”

You pulled up the a house. It was lavish, even on the outside. 

“He’s inside.” Fugo holds the car door open for you. 

In just some clothes you’d thrown on, you climbed the steps to the house. You stopped at the door. Fugo followed you and nodded to some guards who opened the door.

“Where is he?” You asked the blonde man.

“On the left.”

You rounded a corner and on a chair in a large room was a man.

“Amiga?”

Your face flushed at the sound of his voice.

“Please, leave us.” The blonde man stood. He was just as handsome as he was before, but now, toned and his blonde hair was long and braided down his back. He wore all black. You stared dumbfounded at him.

“It was hard to find you, you changed jobs.” He chuckled. That laugh made a old shiver run down your back, one you’d thought you’d lost.

You stepped back and tripped over a chair behind you. Without missing a beat, he caught you. But that didn’t make sense, he was on the other side of the room. But something caught you. You caught your balance and eased yourself up, still in shock, “You’re… here.”

He nodded with a hint of pink on his cheeks, “Yeah, I’ve been here for a few years now.”

“You… you never came back.” Your face heated up.

“I’ve been getting a handle on crime before I brought you to me. I didn’t… I didn’t want you to be a target.”

“But you could have called.” 

“I’m always being watched, Amiga. Nothing was going to be a secret these past years.”

“You’re still calling me amiga.” You said.

“Well, I thought maybe we were still friends.” He sighed hopefully

“I, I don’t even know what to think. I… I hated you. I hated that you said nothing and left. But I missed you, and I still do…” You held your head in your hands, trying to name all these emotions running through you.

“I loved you.” You finished.

He looked wistfully at you, “Me too.” 

“Well, w-what now?”

“Well, it’s up to you. We can start over, or we can just, let this go. I’ll let you go back to how you’ve been.”

There was a long pause,

“I… I want to be near you, but this can’t have just… not happened. I think-”

“So we should start over?” He nodded

“Not from the beginning.” You got closer and touched his face, “I still know you, at least I think I do. I might not, but I want to.”

He leaned into your touch.

“I still know this face.” You brushed your thumb over his cheek. You chuckled, “To be honest, I dreamed of this face.”

“Really?” He chuckled pleasently, a sound that made the butterflies in your stomach flutter

“I face I wished I’d kissed.”

“You’ve kissed my face plenty of times. You’re the one who taught me to do it.” He smirked. A vine snuck around your wrist and a flower appeared in your palm.

“Then the face I wished I kissed in more than one way.” You leaned in. You pressed your lips to his left cheek, and then the right, and as the sun made the rose coloured curtains behind you project a pattern of pink on his face, you sealed the confession with a gentle kiss on his soft lips. His hand curled around your face and tucked your hair behind your ear, “I wish you showed me this was to kiss earlier too, Amiga.” He smiled.

“Yeah, if this is how it’s going to be from now on, I’m going to need to be something more than amiga.” 

His response was quick and sauve, “Then this is the greeting kiss you should expect from now on, cara mia.”

[nicola-fiore]

𝐍𝐈𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐀 𝐆𝐔𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐍𝐀 𝐙. 𝐃'𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐋𝐎-𝐅𝐈𝐎𝐑𝐄 “Passion is a powerful force. Passion properly directed is unstoppable.”

♕ 𝕭𝖆𝖘𝖎𝖈𝖘

Name: Nicola Guiliana D'Angelo-Fiore (née Zanetta) Nickname(s): Nic, Nicky, Tesorina (only by Gio) Date of Birth: 13 June 1999 [25] Place of Birth: Milan, Italy [Italian] Hometown: Milan & Palermo, Italy Current Residence: New York City, NY, USA Occupation: Restaurateur

♕ 𝕱𝖆𝖒𝖎𝖑𝖞

Status: Married to Giovanni Fiore — June 13, 2017; m. November 27, 2023 Children: ⋆ Giovanni Bosco Fiore III (b. March 09, 2018) † ⋆ Antonio Bosco Fiore (b. August 09, 2024) Father: Antonio Zanetta Mother: Eleonora Zanetta (née D'Angelo) † Sibling(s): Lorenzo D. Zanetta

♕ 𝕭𝖆𝖈𝖐𝖘𝖙𝖔𝖗𝖞

Born into one of the most prominent families in Milan, Italy, Nicola had a very different upbringing compared to most children her age. Joining her older brother, Lorenzo, in the city's most elite private school, her father's expectations for her were far from that expected of her brother. But not in the best way. With Lorenzo as the family's natural successor, this did not save Nicola from her father's watchful eye. He wanted his daughter to join the family business, an exhausting request she had denied him time and time again. Though she respected her father and all that he has built, it was simply not what she wanted for herself. As her mother's daughter, she grew up with passions and dreams of her own, and with every intention to see them through whether her father liked it or not. But upon her mother's death, Antonio's fear of losing his children only tightened his grip on them; he used this time to ship Nicola to a Catholic school in Sicily while he had his only son shadow his every move. This meant that while he taught his son all the ways of his legal (and illegal) businesses, Nicola was left in the dark. With no knowledge that her father ran the most notorious mafia in the city, or that her brother was next in line, she knew nothing behind the reasons that left her life crumbling to dust many years ago.

♕ 𝕿𝖊𝖒𝖕𝖊𝖗𝖆𝖒𝖊𝖓𝖙

✓ devoted, protective, strong-willed ✗ impulsive, stubborn, vengeful

♕ 𝕬𝖗𝖈𝖍𝖎𝖛𝖊

N01 ⋅ N02 ⋅ J01 ⋅ N03 ⋅ J02 ⋅ N04 ⋅ N05

DISCLAIMER This account is for roleplaying purposes only and is not associated with any individuals depicted herein. All written content are original works of fiction; any resemblance to existing works and/or characters should be considered coincidental and free of malicious intent. Please do not reproduce/redistribute. Thank you.

[coffeecat1983]

Mario Bros (ft: Arthur and Marie): "Giving me a chance."

From the prompt #85 "Take my jacket, it's cold outside." as requested by my bestie (Hi fam!)

(Takes place shortly after the bros move to the Mushroom Kingdom)

     "I'm thinkin' of asking Peach on a date." The group around the table fell quiet and Mario braced himself, waiting for the twins to start in on 'plumbing her pipes' jokes.      "Sounds great, kid. You gonna invite her here?" Arthur questioned.    Mario picked at his plate. "I don't know." he replied quietly. "I'm kinda..." he openly hesitated and hunched up, something he usually reserved for his mother or for Luigi only. "I'm afraid she'll say no." he looked up. "Any ideas?" he pleaded to everyone around the table.      "I mean, you've got a good start." Tony pointed out, "You saved her entire kingdom."      "Yeah but 'date me, I saved you' feels creepy." Mario said. Tony gave an agreeing hum, thinking it over.    To Mario's surprise, it was Marie who spoke next. "You're forgetting, you've shown her that you're kind. That's a good start." she smiled. "That's what got me to go out with Arthur."    The bros looked at each other. "I thought it was because he made you that cupcake." Luigi said.      "The cupcake got me our first date," Arthur explained, "we dated off and on but didn't go steady until I was nineteen."      "What changed?" Mario said.    Marie took Arthur's hand and the couple smiled at each other. "He caught a bad cold and..."

   Marianna hummed as she fluffed up a pillow. "C'mon, lean forward." she coaxed, slipping it behind Arthur's head. He went to thank her only to break into a coughing fit.      "Don't baby him, Mar," Giovanni scolded. "What kind of fool walks home in cold rain without a coat? Did you leave it at work?"      "N-No." Arthur sputtered as he coughed again.      "Mamma Mia." Giovanni grumbled. "So what happened? You had your coat when you went to work, didn't you?"    Arthur gave in. "Marie came by to ask Joe something, I guess her mom's car is actin' up." He sneezed and Tony handed him a tissue.      "Thanks." Arthur sniffled. "It started raining and she-" he was interrupted by a knock on the door. Tony answered and stepped aside to let Marie in. She gasped when she saw the pale, worn out figure on the couch.      "Oh my God, are you okay?!" she hurried over and kneeled by him. He tried waving it off.      "I'm f-fine." he said, breaking into another coughing fit. Giovanni folded his arms. "Dang fool walked home in the rain, forgot his coat and his wallet." Marie stood, taking the coat the was draped over her arm. "But he didn't." she said. "He loaned it to me." she blushed as she gave it to Tony to hang up. "His wallet's in the pocket, too. I didn't realize it until I got home."    She kneeled beside him again and took his hand. Marianna lightly cleared her throat. "Gio." she said, urging him out the front door. Tony snickered and humming, retreated to the kitchen where he was out of sight, but secretly could still hear them.      "I can't believe you got sick 'cause of me." Marie said softly. Arthur turned a light pink, his free hand going to rub the back of his neck. As he did a few strands of hair came loose and fell in front of his eyes. Giggling, Marie brushed them back in place, making him blush even more.      "Thanks for lending me your coat. Even if it did get you sick." she said shyly.      "Ah, it was nothin'." He swallowed hard, partially from his sore throat, partially from his nerves. "Marie, I was wonderin', I mean I know I'm sick and gross and snotty and-"      "Art." she stopped him. "You wanna ask me something?"    His heart skipped a beat. "Would, would you wanna be my gal?" he closed his eyes, waiting for her rejection. Instead he felt a feather-light kiss against his cheek. He looked up as she stood, smiling at him.      "I'd love to." she was smiling at him, her own cheeks a rosy pink. "Now, you need to get better, so get some rest."    She started for the door before turning back towards him. "And Arthur?"      "Y-Yeah?" Blushing again, Marie smiled at him. "You're a really sweet guy."

   Putting his arm around Marie, Arthur kissed her cheek. "She's been my gal and my better half ever since."    Bria gagged, making everyone laugh. Arthur rolled his eyes at his daughter and lifting his glass, raised it to Mario.      "I'm tellin' ya kid, just be yourself, be nice, give her a chance to get to know you." Considering this his nephew gave a nod. "I'll try."    Once dinner was over and the family was getting settled for the night, Marie was in the bedroom at her little dressing table as she prepared to brush and tie her hair back. Coming in, Arthur stood behind her and wrapping his arms around her, kissed the back of her head.      "How did I get so lucky?" he murmured, nuzzling her neck.    She reached up, her hand resting on his cheek. "Felt nice, remembering that day." she said.

   Marie turned to leave the garage only to find it was now raining. Wind howled, whipping around the streets. She drew her thin autumn coat close, prepared to face the sudden downpour.      "Marie, wait!" Arthur hurried over, holding a heavier coat that had a hood on it. He held it out. "It's too cold out there, take my coat." he offered. "I can just get it from you later." Accepting it, she slipped it on. "Thanks, Arthur."

     "I remember how warm it felt." she said, "and it smelled like your cologne."      "Is that what won you over? My cologne?" he teased. Marie held back a groan, both from his joke and from the feel of the heat as he began nibbling at her neck. He moved up to her ear, a soft line of kisses along the ridge made her toes curl and she felt his smile.      "All this time and I can still make you quiver." he purred.      "You're awful," she muttered, turning to kiss him. "Awful and wonderful and tenderhearted..." she caught him up in a passionate kiss. "And saying 'I do' was the best thing I've ever done in my life."    Giving her one more kiss, he swept her up in his arms and carried her over to the bed.

Late that night, Marie was curled up against Arthur, sound asleep. He lay awake as he listened to her soft breathing. His mind began to drift.      "I can't stop thinkin' about her, Tony. I wanna ask but what if she says 'no'?"    Tony glanced over his glasses at his little brother. "C'mon Art, give her a chance before ya worry about that. Just be yourself, let her get to know ya."    Looking at his wife, Arthur tenderly brushed the hair from her face, being careful not to wake her. Sighing, he settled back and drifted off with one thought on his mind.    Thank you for giving me a chance.

END

By "CC"

[makeroftherunes]

Work in Progress Wednesday - New Poetry Maybe?

Well. A spectacularly unpleasant weekend left me with no time to write, so @aparticularbandit and @auburnlaughter I am once again thanking you for your patience. I am a fool who jingles miserably across the floor.

However! This week will be better, and I hope to write a lot!

Just Sitting

Monday night, D&D - Nick made a pot

of tea in Dimitri's kitchen. Elek, Masso

and I put in our orders (Gio took none)

from Dimitri's extensive tea drawer,

and then the mug selection began.

I'm partial to the "World's Best Grandma"

special, but Nick was faced with choices.

"Hey can I take this one?"

Dimitri squinted at him and shook his head.

"No, I'll have that one, it's my favorite."

I turned to see the handmade mug with

an embedded D20, that I had picked for

him for Christmas last. Even as Dimitri

smiled at me and Elek and Nick served mugs,

I began to cry. My anxieties and insecurities

momentarily burned away with the salt

- my friends, my love- they love me. I am a person

who is loved, just sitting at a table together

on a rainy Monday night, laughing at my eager tears

buried in a rose-rimmed mug and beginning the game.

Worthy, all of us.

[cindersalad]

THEY ARE IN OUR WORLD? Is there any story for the monsters? Or is it like an alternate universe?

As for the characters, I may have latched onto Kaleo for a bit, so bear with me with the possible questions! ...that I don't know rn so! May I ask for something you love about all three of them, but haven't mentioned yet?

Once again sorry it took so long to answer! I barely checked Tumblr and hadn't got time to answer, but now I can! :D

And yes, they kind of are! Gea is based on our world, but where magic is fully a part of everyday life, with all the mythology and creatures tied to it. It developed in a very similar way our world did (it's somewhat mid to low fantasy, in that sense) but many things are different, and me and Gio are working a lot on them lately to fully understand how exactly different they are. :3c

And please, do ask anything you might wish to know! ❤ I'm only happy to talk about my characters, and seeing your interest makes me feel even more happy!! 🥺 Kaleo is one of my personal favourites, he grows up so much through the stories! Despite he has to also go through some... uhm, unpleasant things...

And something I love about all three of them, you say! :3c WELL... surely, about Humbert I love the way he feels emotions and doesn't hide them. He's the opposite of toxic masculinity in that, haha, when he feels something he usually feels it strongly and won't hold back, tears included. I think he's the character of mine who is less concerned about people seeing him cry, and I love that!

Of Jacques I love his easy attitude, he's someone that adapts easily to pretty much anything because he has no problem with it. Rarely you will hear him complain, in any situation he's able to at least appreciate the experience, if anything! And Kaleo follows Jacques' steps pretty well, but the thing I love the most about him is, I think, his willingness to listen. Since when he's young in Humbert's story he knows he has a lot to learn and is willing to listen, observe, and learn. He grows so much thanks to this, and quite ironically... it's when he stops doing that that he goes through the heaviest parts of his story. But that's for another time, and for the comics, when we'll draw them. <3

[schattenmagier]

· what’s your muse’s biggest failure?

// Herself. No matter how many times she failed at something, makes her change her mind that she is the biggest failure in her life. Of course Lilli would never openly say it, but she does think so. She failed herself, and everyone around her. They couldn't meet expectations, neither as a daughter, sister, nor as a friend, so she must be the failure. At least that's what she thinks.

[lgg5989]

Church Encounters Chapter 11

Hey guys! Thanks to everyone for your continued support of this fic, @barbiewritesstuff and I are having a great time writing it. She is posting this on her tumblr as well so jump over and give her a like or a comment. We have had a few requests for side drabbles and stuff about these characters and we will be happy to answer them! Just send us asks :)

You can find the previous chapters on my Masterlist, and you can read the whole series so far on my Ao3! I made the moodboard, I hope you enjoy it! :D

Comment on my post or @barbiewritesstuff’s post to be added to the tag list. 

PS. If Glen is reading this, do you like it so far?

Tagging: @roosterscock  @sydneyhlove​

“Are you okay? Are you hurt? Why are you calling?” was the first thing Gio said when he picked up the phone. No hello, no nothing. Jake understood why he was panicking, he never usually called, but the fear in his brother’s voice was making things so much worse. 

He had woken up from another nightmare. He’d been having them nightly since the mission. Before that, it was only once or twice a week with some variety, but for the past month it had been the same every night. One minute he’s flying, happy in the air, chatting over comms and the next he’s just another body bag, laying on the cold hard floor of the aircraft carrier’s refrigerated room. Then, there’s a flag and a funeral. The Admiral gives it to his mother, while you look on, tears streaming down your cheeks, a hand clasped to your mouth. That’s where it ends, most nights, sometimes Jake gets treated to seeing you stare at the label Jake made for your hat, the label you will never sew in, because he never got the chance to even ask. 

But whatever version of the nightmare he sees, the wake up is always the same. The pain in his chest, the cold sweat, the inability to breathe. At some point the panic attacks had become a friend, because it meant the night had ended and he would get to see you again. 

Jake unlocked his phone and called Coyote, like he did most nights. It rang, and it rang, and it rang, and no one picked up. He needed to talk to someone. Unfortunately that someone couldn’t be you, he didn’t want you to worry over him for something so stupid as whether or not he asked you to marry him yet.  

His phone buzzed with a message he had been ignoring for days now. Gio had been regularly updating the family on their brand new baby Bianca, and he hadn’t been responding. Three days ago, his brother had finally shot him an, “Are you okay,” text. Trying to control his breathing, and completely forgetting the time, Jake pushed the call button. 

“Jake? Are you okay? Do you need help?” Gio asked again, speaking slowly in the receiver.

“Fine, fine. Panic -- talk to me -- at me --” he managed to stutter out between hyperventilated breaths. John shuffled around on the other end of the call and Jake could imagine him turning around the nursery, trying to figure out what to do. Unable to think of something, John recited the Our Father until his brother’s breath calmed down.

“Sorry about that, I didn’t want to call but my usual guy is busy,” Jake said, trying to steady his voice.

“Your usual guy?” John asked, sounding concerned, “Jake, how often does this happen?”

Jake let out a sigh, “Often enough.” 

“Do you need to talk?” John asked tentatively. A baby cooed on his brother’s side of the call.

“No, not near a kid,” Jake said, John shuffled again and Jake heard a door shut.

“I’m alone now. You can talk,” his brother replied.

“It’s fine, I’m fine, don’t worry about me,” Jake started, “Actually… Maybe talking’s good. It’s -- I don’t know where to start.”

“Why did you have a panic attack? Maybe start there?” John asked, his voice sounding concerned. 

“Erm, I had a nightmare. We -- err -- we had a mission not too long ago. Y/n was a spare, I was leading, it was going okay until it wasn’t you know,” Jake said, trying to sound vague, “My plane was shot. Not too badly but I was down to one engine and I had no landing gear. It’s nothing they don’t prepare us for,” he added. 

“But…” John prompted.

Jake breathed a shaky breath, “But, I almost died. I could have died and it’s only the grace of the Lord that made it so that I didn’t. And if I had died, I would have left Y/n by herself, to deal with a grief she shouldn’t have to deal with, you know?” Jake had started sobbing, “She’d get nothing if I died, Gio. Nothing. Mom would get the flag and the stuff I have in my locker at work, and Y/n would get nothing. It’s not fucking fair. It’s not -- I don’t want to die like this. I have done a lot of things I regret in my life and I don’t want to add to that list by dying without proposing.” 

Gio stayed quiet for a moment, processing the words he had just said, “Are you going to die, Bambino?” he asked, speaking in a tearful voice that matched Jake’s.

“There’s always a possibility, yeah,” Jake breathed into the receiver.

There was a pause before he asked another question, “Is she going to die, Bambino?” 

Jake didn’t reply. He heard his brother release a sob on the other end, “I say you do it then, I say you propose. You love her, she loves you. Who gives a shit that it hasn’t been long? The Good Lord doesn’t, otherwise he would have given you both nice, safe jobs. Jacob, if the Lord wanted you to wait, he would have made you both accountants, but he didn’t. So I say go for it,” Gio said.

“Okay,” Jake whispered into the phone “Thank you.” 

“Jake, I’m sorry. I didn’t think -- I didn’t realise things were so dangerous,” Gio said, “Do you often get shot at?” 

“No, not too often,” Jake said, shrugging his shoulders, “Sometimes it happens.”

“Have you ever shot at a plane?” Gio asked.

Jake stayed quiet, because if he answered, he knew what the next question would be. Sadly for Jake, not answering didn’t seem to matter, because the next question came anyway.

“Bambino, have you ever killed someone?” John asked after a moment of silence.

“Yes,” Jake answered, his body shaking with silent sobs.

He could feel another panic attack coming on as silence reigned over the call. Jake’s breaths became faster, more laboured, the pain in his chest returned and his hands started shaking. He could feel it, in a minute, his brother would call him a murderer. Gio would tell him he didn’t love him anymore, that he was a monster and he was never --

“I’m sorry,” Gio said quietly, “I love you. I’m sorry you had to do that. You’re a good man, Jacob. I’m sure the Lord put you in this position for a reason, I can’t say I understand or that I ever will but I know He has a plan for you. I’m sorry you had to go through that all the same. I don’t know how I can help, but if you ever want to talk about it, I’ll be here.” 

Jake was struck speechless, his tears from earlier drying on his cheeks and he wiped them away, “Thanks John, I’ll call again if I need to, you…you don’t know what this means to me.” 

“I’ll always be there for you bambino,” he heard his brother’s deep voice say, “Now try to get some more sleep okay?”

“Okay,” Jake said, “Love you brother.” 

“I love you too little brother, talk soon,” Jake heard John say before he hung up the phone. 

Laying back in his bed, he tucked his hands behind his head, taking a few deep breaths. He felt lighter now that he had confessed what he had done to John, and he felt more confident in his idea to propose. With thoughts of you in a white dress flowing through his mind, Jake fell into a dreamless sleep. 

—

Sunday mass came up on you quickly, the week flying by in a blur of training hops and workouts. Jake had been acting strangely since he received news of his promotion, but you hadn’t wanted to push him about what had been bothering him. He picked you up for mass at his usual time, his eyes looking a bit bloodshot and tired. 

You had cupped his cheek, concern in your eye, and asked, “Are you doing alright?”

He replied with a small smile and a simple, “Yes, baby.” 

Leaving it at that, you let him start the truck and take you to church. This week, you were trying something new. Jake had a youth ministry meeting after mass and he had asked if you wanted to sit at the front with him today. Since he had been sitting in the back of the church with you for several months now, you agreed, there had to be some kind of balance every now and then. 

Positioned at the end of the pew, Jake held your hand for most of the mass, and still gave you a kiss on the cheek as he said, “Peace be with you.” 

Once mass was over, he split off from you to have his meeting. While you waited in the greeting hall of the church, you spotted a list of sign ups for people in the parish. On it were a few different activities coming up that needed volunteers, and one of them was the church’s annual fair. 

The proceeds from the fair went towards supporting the church’s food pantry and the activities they did for the community through the year. As you flipped through the pamphlet, you saw that they needed volunteers for the concession stand. There were two slots left on the last day, which was scheduled for next Saturday night. Pulling a pen out of your purse, you wrote in Jake’s name on one slot and yours on the other. On the contact line, you wrote both of your phone numbers. Hopefully Jake wouldn’t mind that you made the plans but you figured it was a good way to get involved in the community. 

Making your way out to his truck, you opened the tailgate, hopping up to sit on it before pulling the pins from your hair. You folded your chapel veil up carefully before tucking it into your purse. Pulling out the book that you were currently reading, Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, you settled into reading getting lost in the world of Nazi occupied Guernsey and Juliet’s letters. 

Too enthralled in your book, you hadn’t realised that Jake was out of his meeting until he was pressing up against your crossed legs, “Hey mia cara,” he said lowly, pressing a kiss to your head. 

You looked up at him, dog earring the page that you were on before slipping the book back into your puse, “Hey handsome, you ready for some breakfast?”

“Always, what are you making today?” he asked, as he helped you off the tailgate and slammed it shut. 

“It’s a surprise!” you said excitedly, as the two of you climbed into the truck. 

Jake let out a small laugh, “I can’t wait, I’m sure it’ll be delicious.” 

The ride home was pleasant, as was the breakfast you had prepared, a traditional quiche. It was while you were eating that you mentioned the fair to Jake, “Oh just so you know, I signed both of us up to volunteer at the fair. I’m sorry I didn’t ask earlier but we have been free the past couple of weekends and I thought it was a good way for your kiddos to see you involved in the church.”

“That sounds great baby,” Jake said smiling, “What did you sign us up for?”

“The concession stand, we get to man the popcorn and drinks stations,” you said with a smile. 

“Which one am I doing?” Jake asked, giving you a look. 

“Well drinks, but that’s only because you are so big and strong honey, I’m sure you can handle it,” you replied, your voice teasing. 

Jake hummed, “Well, when you put it like that..” he said smiling. 

You laughed at him, smacking his arm gently, “Like you need your ego inflated any more.” 

“I’m always happy to hear you add to it,” he said, pulling you down into his lap as you tried to take the dishes to the sink. Gently he guided your mouth to his, capturing your lips in a heated kiss. The skirt you had worn to church was a flowy chiffon and you could feel his strong thighs flexing beneath you. Raking your hands through his gelled hair, you pulled him even closer to you. Jake let out a groan as he broke the kiss, “Thank you for breakfast.” 

“Of course, anything for you,” you said, placing one last gentle peck on his lips before standing and taking the dishes to the sink. 

The rest of the day went how many Sundays did, you both changed into more comfortable clothes and sat down to bible study for an hour or so before turning on a movie or going on a walk. Today, you noticed that Jake seemed a bit agitated, he was bouncing his leg under the table and tapping his pen against his chin or the pages of the journal that you had gotten him, which he never did. 

You had been re-reading the same line in your bible for five minutes before you couldn’t take any more of his tapping, reaching out, you put your hand on top of his pen. Jake looked up at you confused, and you asked, “What’s wrong? Don’t hide from me.” 

“I…um…” he started, rubbing the back of his head with his hand, looking down at the table, “Well, I just, after what happened. On the last mission. I just…I can’t live without you,” he said. 

You looked at him confused, “Why would you have to live without me?” 

“It’s not that necessarily, I just keep thinking…what if something happened to me? What if those bullets had done more damage to my plane, or what if I hadn’t gotten out of the cockpit in time? I just, I can’t leave you here knowing that I didn’t do all that I could to make you mine,” he said quietly. 

Leaning towards him, you tried to meet his eyes, “What do you mean make me yours? I am yours, since day one of this I have been yours.” 

“But legally, you’re not,” Jake said, and realisation dawned on you then, “But I don’t want to pressure you into anything, you are your own person and you don’t belong to me or anything like that. It’s just that thought that if I die, we wouldn’t have our chance together, as man and wife, as a family, and that scares me more than the dying part.” 

“Jacob Seresin, is this seriously how you are asking me to marry you?” you asked him, trying to keep some sort of neutral expression over your face. The look on his face was priceless, you couldn’t remember a time that he had looked so scared in all your life. Before he could say anything, you continued, “I love you, but I am a good Catholic lady, and you have to ask me properly, on one knee and everything,” you finished, a teasing smile spread over your face. 

The colour returned to Jake’s face and he let out a laugh, “You had me worried there for a minute darlin’,” he said, pushing a deep breath out of his mouth. 

“I’ll say yes as long as you do it right,” you told him, placing a kiss on his cheek. 

Taking your hand into his, he asked, “Well what is the right way then?”

“You’ve got to ask permission, you need a ring, and I need you down on one knee. How else can you show your total love and devotion besides kneeling to the best WSO there ever was?” you asked him. 

Laughing, Jake brought your hand to his mouth, brushing a kiss across your knuckles, “Well then mia cara, your wish is my command.” 

You felt a blush spread across your cheeks as you looked at him, “Also, the wedding has to be Catholic, but I figured you knew that already.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything less,” Jake said, pulling you towards him and into a kiss. 

Now that he wasn’t vibrating with anxiety, you both returned to your studies, smiles on your faces. 

----

Jake loved you and the thought that he could have died without putting a ring on your finger and making you his, scared him more than the thought of dying did. While you had only been dating for nine months, he knew that you were the one he wanted to marry, and he hoped that you felt the same, because he couldn’t wait any longer to start making plans to propose. 

It had all become more evident to him over the past few weeks after he received his promotion. The two of you had been enjoying lazy weekends together filled with bible studies, cooking, Mass, and binge watching shitty TV on your couch. He loved every moment he spent with you the big ones, the bad ones, and the everyday ones. He wasn’t willing to risk missing any of them any longer. 

“Can I help you, Jake?” Cyclone asked as soon as he walked up to his office and spotted him waiting right next to the door. 

The lack of proper military title in the question hadn’t been lost on Jake, and neither was the absolutely exhausted look the Admiral was sporting. The week had been long and hard, a mission had failed on Tuesday and by Friday they were hauling body bags out of a carrier. A twenty man mission and four returned, three of them injured. 

Cyclone waved him into the office, he sat himself down at his desk and opened a drawer where he took out a fifth of bourbon and a glass. He poured the contents of the bottle into the glass, filling it about halfway up and brought it up to his lips.

“If you’re here about --” Cyclone started.

“I’m here to ask for Y/n’s hand in marriage, sir,” Jake said, not even giving the Admiral time to finish speaking.

“No. Nope, not happening. You aren’t doing this here, you aren’t doing this now. You are not making me cry in my office, at work,” Cyclone put the glass down and jumped up from his chair. He walked to the coat rack by the door on which he had hung his coat and fished his phone out of one of the pockets. He unlocked it and typed something on the screen before turning his attention back to Jake, “You can both come for dinner tonight, you can ask then.”

“Sir,” Jake confirmed with a nod. He turned to leave, before his hand reached the door handle, Cyclone stopped him.

“Did she tell you to ask me?” Cyclone asked, stopping Jake in the doorway.

“No, sir,” Jake replied, “But you’re supposed to ask the father.”

“I know,” Cyclone said, “I know. I just -- I didn’t think -- I didn’t think she was serious about calling me Dad,” he finished quietly. 

“Sir?” Jake asked. 

“I’ve always considered them my girls, Jake, but I didn’t think they actually considered me their father. I thought -- I thought maybe they were just trying this Dad thing out,” Admiral Simpson admitted before taking a swig of his bourbon, “In all honesty, I keep waking up scared that they’ll stop.”

“Having a dad ain’t something you can stop, sir. It’s like the Bible says, ‘He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers,’ their hearts have been turned to you and yours to them. Nothing’s breaking you apart now,” Jake said, his hand still on the handle.

“How is it you always know just what to say, Seresin?” the Admiral smiled, “I’m happy you’re my kids’ minister, they’re growing up to be wonderful people,” he said, Jake felt himself blush. Cyclone chuckled, “And how on earth do you know so much about dinosaurs? The girls always come home telling us something new about triceratopses, T-rexes or velociraptors…”

“Big Jurassic Park fan,” Jake admitted, a large smile etched upon his own face. 

Jake finally pushed the handle down and walked out of the office. He got out his phone and shot you a text, informing you of the dinner plans before his phone buzzed in his hands with a message from an unknown number, “Seven pm sharp. Don’t be late.”

----

Jake had been to the Admiral’s house once before and while he knew the way he was happy you were there to guide him. Cyclone had texted you telling you where to park twenty minutes before they let you go. You had both gone back to yours to shower and get ready, Jake had packed a neat button up shirt and a pair of slacks inside of his duffel bag, wrapped in a plastic bag to avoid them reeking of Naval training induced sweat. 

“Do I look okay?” he asked you, checking his shirt for creases and quickly redoing his hair in the mirror. 

You chuckled a little, “Baby, you look fine. I know you’re nervous, but this is just dinner, yeah? Nothing special. Everything will be fine,” you smiled at him. 

He let out a nervous laugh, “Yeah, you’re right. It’s just dinner.”

You opened the passenger door and slid out of Jake’s truck while he picked up the bag you had on the back seat. He handed you the bouquet you had bought for Elisabeth and you both walked up the steps. Jake rang the doorbell with a slightly shaky finger. The door swung open immediately to reveal Peter with a toothy grin.

“I hope you like barbecue,” he said, bowing low as he welcomed you and Jake inside the house, “Leave your shoes on, we’re eating outside,” he said, seeing you bend down to remove your heels. 

You entered the living room undisturbed but Jake was assaulted by grinning children almost as soon as he stepped over the doorway. The girls attacked his legs with hugs, almost hitting their head on the bag, while Matthew hugged Jake’s midriff so tightly you were sure it knocked the breath out of him. 

“Jake, can you play Mario Kart with us later?” Peter asked, prying his brother away from your boyfriend

“Sure, if you don’t mind losing. Again,” he winked. 

The church had recently purchased a TV for Sunday school to allow teachers and youth ministers to set up movies for the children to watch. It had been meant as an educational purpose or a way to let the children wait for their parents to pick them up without too much ruckus, but that had flown out of the window two days after its purchase when Bob hooked up a console to it. Since then, a cut throat Mario Kart competition had been taking place that Jake had yet to lose. 

“Now, now, let the poor guy in. Let him eat before you make him entertain you,” Elisabeth appeared from the kitchen carrying a bowl of salad. She deposited it onto the dining room table and turned towards Jake, with one clap of her hands, all three of the girls let go of his legs and Jake found himself to be a free man once again. 

“These are for you,” you said, handing Elisabeth the flowers.

She smiled warmly at you, “Darling, these are beautiful. Thank you so much,” she said, cupping your face with one hand and bringing you closer to kiss the top of your head.

Jake fished the bottle of red wine from the bag, “This is for you too,” Elisabeth put the flowers down on the table and smiled appreciatively. She grabbed the bottle and with her spare hand patted him on the arm. 

Jake’s blood ran cold. She knew. Cyclone had told her and she knew.

If he hadn’t been nervous before he certainly was now. He looked around at Peter and Matthew, trying to figure out if they knew too but the boys were too engrossed in an argument about who was the fastest reader that they weren’t paying any attention to anyone but themselves.

“Honey, are you okay?” you asked, Jake tried to swallow the ball of nerves that had firmly lodged itself inside of his throat.

Jake opened his mouth to speak, but Elisabeth saved him, “I bet you’re starving!” she said, clapping her hands together “You’ll have to forgive my stalling, Beau isn’t finished getting ready yet,” she added, Elisabeth turned to you, “He takes ever so much time in the bathroom, sometimes I wonder if he’s not doing it just to get a rise out of me.”

“I would never, Darling,” Admiral Simpson’s voice rang throughout the house as he descended the stairs. He had washed away the hair gel he sported on base and applied a fresh coat, styling it much more naturally like he did for church. He matched Jake in his neat white button-up, black slacks and nice shoes, the only differentiating item being the watch. Cyclone had received a rolex from Elisabeth three years ago and had not ceased wearing it outside of base since. 

He crossed the distance between you and him, hugging you tightly and kissing your forehead before moving over to Jake. Cyclone, much to Jake’s surprise, was a hugger. You could see the slight shock on your boyfriend’s face as the Admiral opened his arms and embraced him, patting him on the back, “You okay, kid, you seem tense?” he asked, and you swore you saw Beau wink.

“I don’t think Jake’s a hugger,” Elisabeth said, taking her husband’s hand and moving him away a little.

“You’re right. I’m sorry Jake, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable,” Cyclone said, a mischievous glint in his eyes. 

I see why Bob and him get along so well, Jake thought. Both men revelled in making other people miserable for their own amusement. Bob hadn’t eased up since their conversation in Texas, he had taken a sick sort of pleasure in making a ‘waiting for marriage’ joke whenever Jake refused anything. At least Bob had the decency to say it low enough no one would hear and never in front of you. 

“It’s all good. I’m not used to it, that’s all,” Jake replied. 

“Well, now that everyone is here, why don’t you get started on the grill,” Elisabeth said, ushering her husband outside with her eldest boy. 

Once the meat had been grilled and their plates crowded with as many sides as they possibly could, they sat down to eat on the patio. It was a beautiful night, the sun had gone down early, leaving them under the night’s sky, the dinner party only lit by fairy lights strung around the garden. 

“Y/n dear, could you help me put the girls to bed?” Elisabeth asked you right as you polished off what was left of your place, “We can have dessert after they fall asleep.” 

You nodded, standing up from your chair and following Elisabeth inside to herd the girls into their bedroom. 

“So,” Cyclone said, leaning back on his chair,“I believe you had a question.”

“Yes,” Jake replied, feeling his heart beat faster and a nervous blush creep up his neck. It suddenly felt very hot, “I wanted to ask for permission -- I wanted to know if -- I would like to ask for Y/n’s hand in marriage.”

Cyclone stayed quiet as Jake gathered his thoughts, “I had a speech prepared, just to try and convince you, but it just seems so fake now… Look, I’m here to ask for Y/n’s hand in marriage for no other reason than I love her. I am so in love with her and it feels a little weird telling you this, but it’s the truth. She’s an amazing woman, she is kind, she is caring, she’s so generous and wonderful, and she keeps me grounded. I never have to doubt if she loves me and I want to make sure she never doubts that I feel the same,”

“I don’t know what I have done to please the Lord enough that he decided to bestow Y/n upon me but I don’t want to lose any time with her. Our line of work isn’t always conducive towards long life expectancies and I don’t know how much time I have with your daughter so I want to make the best of it. I want to try, in the limited amount of time I have been given to walk upon this earth, to give her the life she deserves. I want to give her the big white church wedding, the kids and the nice house, but all that, I’m afraid, starts with your blessing,” Jake finished.

“And what if I refuse?” Cyclone asked

Jake hummed, “Well, if you refuse, I may have to let Y/n know you swerved to hit that puddle on purpose. She’s still furious about that, by the way. Apparently the stains won’t come out,” he replied, looking at his superior officer with a shit eating grin. 

On that day, before he jumped in front of you to try and protect you from the murky brown waters of the puddle, Jake had briefly made eye contact with Cyclone through the windshield. It hadn’t been long, but it had been enough to see the man turn the wheel to hit the water. Jake had kept that fact close to his heart, ready to use whenever it was needed. He’d grown up with John, Tony and Maria, blackmail was a skill necessary for his survival. 

Cyclone looked at him for a long while, mouth slightly ajar in surprise before his lips curled slightly upwards in a shocked smile. He let out a breathy laugh and nodded in defeat. Jake stood up and vanished inside for a minute before coming back with the shopping bag he had carried the bottle of wine in. He fished out a plastic bag, wrapped firmly around a set of books.

“I’m thinking of quitting the youth ministry,” Jake admitted, “Not immediately, just when we get married,” he added quickly when he saw Cyclone’s surprised face, “but I know your girls will need a daily supply of dinosaur facts to keep them happy. So, here are my favourite books. You’ll need to study up,” he continued, pushing the bag towards the Admiral. 

“You won’t be needing them?” Cyclone asked, with a smile.

“I know them by heart,” Jake replied, “They like the Brachiosaurus best. You’ll find them in chapter six of the biggest book.”

Cyclone fished the book out from the middle of the pile. As he cracked open the cover, Elisabeth walked out holding a large glass tray of tiramisu, you followed a minute behind, holding a bottle of wine and a bottle of soda. Peter and Matthew were called to the table as soon as dessert had been cut up and served and wine glasses had been refilled. 

The boys practically inhaled the dessert and soon demanded seconds, as much as Jake would have liked another slice, he was out to make a good impression especially since Cyclone had yet to answer. As soon as the tray had been polished clean Peter asked for the promised Mario Kart rematch he had apparently trained for and Jake followed him into the living room where they had already booted up the console. Jake took his sweet time getting comfortable on the sofa, he stretched his arms, cracked his knuckles and his neck to make the boys laugh. Finally, his pre-game prep completed, he gave the go ahead for the race. 

The four track tournament the boys had decided on started with Jake’s incontestable victory on Grumble Volcano . Matthew had started losing by the second race, but Peter had bravely held on til the last track. Once the game loaded up Rainbow Road, Jake’s favourite track, it had been the beginning of the end for the eldest Simpson child. They were nearing the last turn of the last lap when Cyclone had entered the living room and bent low on the back of the sofa.

“Just remember I am yet to give my blessing, Jacob,” he whispered into Jake’s ear, forgetting the blackmail material he had revealed earlier in the evening, Jake drove Mario straight off of the edge of the road. 

“Beau! You did not just do that?!” Elisabeth walked into the house with a stack of plates and the empty tiramisu tray, “Unbelievable!” she whispered, “Jacob, in the kitchen please, I’d like a word.”

Jacob rose from the couch, shooting a grinning Cyclone the most evil glare he could manage and followed Elisabeth into the home’s small kitchen. 

“Don’t pay him any mind, Jacob. He’s just toying with you,” She said, opening up the dishwasher. Jake grabbed the stack of plates and cutlery off of the counter and helped fill the machine. Once done and the door closed again, Elisabeth brought her hands to her hips and looked him in the eye, “So, have you already bought the ring?”

“No, I figured I should ask for permission first,” he replied. She gave him an approving nod, before dumping dish soap in the sink and filling it with water. Elisabeth handed him a tea towel as she dunked her hands in the searing water and began washing dishes. 

“You should call her sisters.They’ll know what she wants,” she said, handing him something to dry. 

“Right,” Jake said, “How do you know that?” he asked.

“Because that’s what Beau did,” she replied, shrugging.  

“You knew?” Cyclone asked, suddenly appearing behind the corner. 

Jake saw on his face that the man had clearly thought his sisters-in-law to be steel traps, incapable of betraying his secret. He wouldn’t be making this mistake, he had met Annie twice so far and she had already divulged half of the secrets she knew to him with nothing to help but a bottle of wine. He just hoped that when he asked, Jake would be able to stall her long enough to give himself time to propose. 

“Obviously. What, did you think I thought you bought me the exact ring I wanted in the right size without doing any snooping or questioning?” Elisabeth chuckled, seeing her husband’s shocked face, she pulled her hands out of the water and dried them on the towel Jake was holding. She walked up to the Admiral and cupped his face in her hands, gently pecking his lips, “Cassie told me three hours after you called,” she added, “Why don’t you help Jake with the washing up, I’ll entertain your sons with Y/N.”

Both men watched Elisabeth walk away, stopping by the radio and turning it on to the local station before joining you and the kids on the couch. Cyclone rolled up his sleeves and replaced his wife at the sink. 

“It’s a yes, obviously,” Cyclone eventually said as he washed up the last dish, Jake raised an eyebrow, “For the blessing. I’m happy you asked, but it was entirely unnecessary. It was always going to be a yes. I might have had to think about it if it was anyone else, but for you there’s no hesitation.”

“Thank you,” he replied.

“Jake, can I give you a tip? Stop selling yourself short,” Cyclone said, putting a damp hand on his shoulder, Jake opened his mouth to say something but Cyclone interrupted, “Stop. I know you’re going to deny it, but we both know that cocky exterior is a facade. Look, the truth is you’re a clever guy, a fantastic pilot, and an amazing youth minister and I know you’ll be an even better husband and father. Just relax, enjoy what you have. You deserve it.”

“Sir,” Jake replied, staring at the dishes in front of him, trying to hold in the tears bubbling up behind his eyes.

“And for the love of everything Holy, if we’re going to be family, stop calling me sir, or Admiral. It’s Beau,” Cyclone chuckled. 

The washing up done and tidied away, the two men walked out of the kitchen just as the last few bars of To The Guys Who Date My Girls by Thomas Rhett floated through the air. 

“And now for something a little faster. I hope you all enjoy this next song, it’s a personal favourite,” the local radio presenter announced. His voice died down and Hardwood Floors by Charles Wesley Godwin began. Cyclone turned the volume up a little. 

“Do you remember the last time we danced to that?” he asked Elisabeth.

She laughed, “Yes, Mr. Two Left Feet, I remember.” 

“Hey, give him a break, a two-step’s harder than it looks,” Jake said, “Y/N, shall we show them how it's done?”

“I..I can’t dance a two-step,” you said, looking at Jake like he was crazy. 

“No, but I can and I’m leading,” Jake said with a goofy smile on his face.

Taking your right hand in his left, you settled your left hand on his right shoulder, "Ready?" he asked you. 

"As I'll ever be," you replied with a smile. Then he started moving, two fast steps back and two slow steps forward, pushing you out he spun you before pulling you back to him, your front pressed against his as he continued the dance. 

Jake's deep voice singing the song to you as he continued dancing, "Let's warm up these hardwood floors, And tonight I'll see you spin around. Take my hand, honey, let's just dance, And pretend there ain't nobody else in town…"

Cyclone and Elizabeth tried for all their worth to follow Jake's movements but they couldn't keep up with the Texas native's Texan Two-Step moves. 

"Alright Jake, we get that you're a cowboy," Beau said, laughing as he pulled Elizabeth into a slow waltz to the music.

Everyone laughed at his comment, "I don't know about that, but I'll take it," Jake said, smiling down at you. You continued dancing and Jake asked, just for you to hear, “Am I a cowboy darlin’?”

“Best one I’ve ever seen,” you said, letting out a little laugh, you could feel his chest vibrate with his own. Jake pressed a kiss to your forehead just as the song ended. The two of you said your goodbyes and Jake took you home. 

He seemed excited about something, but you weren’t sure what it was. You laid down to sleep, content with how the night had gone, Cyclone seemed to be warming up to Jake and you couldn’t be happier. With thoughts of his hands dancing over your back as you danced, you fell into a deep sleep. 

[demon-twink-sharl]

Midnight’s Hotness Rating Of The Current (2021) F1 Grid

pls don’t kill me

1. daniel. i don’t care some of y’all say he is only attractive because of his personality. he is fucking hot. he was fucking hot before i ever knew what kind of person he was. everyone else is wrong i don’t care lmao

2. charles. but in the sickly victorian boy way. as i’m sure everyone knows by now. he is the little prince of monaco and maybe all the fanfic i read abt him is making me be more biased but that’s not my problem

3. carlos. people are going to LYNCH ME for saying this. but he’s hot. hairy spanish boy. that ACCENT. he’s just cute. pls let me live-

4. pierre. yes we’ve all been waiting for that name, i’m s o r r y. i don’t think i have to explain why the stupidly pretty french himbo is hot. hot girl summer pierre can get it

5. mick. now that one MIGHT actually be bc of his personality. that and i have this weird compulsion to be loyal to the schumachers. thank my dad for it. we don’t have any shirtless pics but i just KNOW i’d be all over him

6. lewis. i’m pretty sure some people want my head for not putting him on #1 but ehh i can live with it. drop ur skincare routine king. his outfits are 🤌🏼 and his happy little smile is just 🥺 i hope i’m making myself clear here that sometimes i just wanna be a bottom

7. fernando. yes i have daddy issues. yes i made my bestie almost choke when i told them i’d want nando to rail me real good. again the spanish accent. he could read me his grocery list and i’d be turned on. i seem to have it in for the spaniards.

8. sebastian. i get it i get it. he’s not necessarily attractive in that sense. but y’all need to stop being so mean to this delightful man. listen he’s a great person and at best times he looks like a teddy bear. also might i remind u of this mans MAGNIFICENT tits? yes i want him to adopt me even if he’s only 13 years older and in no way at the right age to be my dad. everyone fuck off.

9. max. OKAY IM SORRY PUT UR PITCHFORKS DOWN. he’s ugly. i have to say it. that doesn’t mean i don’t want him to fuck my brains out. ugly people need rights too

10. nicholas. okay at first i was skeptic. and i didn’t rlly think he was attractive and in most angles i still don’t think so. but have you seen this guy SHIRTLESS??? my g o d

11. checo. i have SEVERE daddy issues. quite obviously. knock me up checo

12. george. he looks like a tory but those pics in the merc suit. hot damn

13. antonio. gio baby cut ur hair and you’d be so much higher on this list

14. yuki. i’m pretty indifferent to him tbh. he’s cute and he’s younger and shorter than me and that’s that

15. lando. i can’t believe he’s the least bad of the rest of those. unfortunately i know he’s FUCKING hung so,,,i want that. give it to me. put a paper bag over his head and a gag into his mouth and we’ll be good to go. maybe tie him up so he doesn’t get too ahead of himself

16. lance? i’m not sure at this point anymore. i like the rich bitch energy somehow but something about him unnerves me. also i heard him speak french once and wanted to chop off my ears that rlly scarred me. was hotter with the longer hair, at the moment he reminds me of my 8th grade prom date and that is not someone i want to remember

17. este. he’s,,,,fine? so awkward. idk man something puts me off

18. valtteri. just no

19. kimi. retire. im not asking anymore

20. egg. this needs no further explanation

[missn11]

Friend! Clanswap time! Imagine both LaCroix and Nines were Hecata, maybe like, LaCroix as a Giovanni and Nines as a Lamia. Obviously, as a very important necromancer, LaCroix would need to have Extremely Buff ghosts to flank him at all times. If he could have the ghost of anyone in the world to be his bodyguard(s), who would he choose? What ghosts would Nines hang onto? How would he feel/deal with the Lamia ability to make people sick? Imagine Nines and LaCroix having the ghosts fight each other like a weird ghost Pokemon battle. Ming Xiao comes out of a fast food joint with her bag of chicken nuggets and sees this ghost Pokemon fight. How would she react (especially if she was dating one or both of them)? What does Ming Xiao think of this Western necromancy?

I can't decide if the spice would be more delicious if LaCroix was Giovanni or Cappadocian. The Lamiae are supposed to protect the Clan of Death. Would Nines extra-despise Giovanni!LaCroix because the Giovanni betrayed Cappadocious? Would he feel torn because he some part of him wants to protect Cappadocian!LaCroix? Or maybe he instinctually wants to protect all Hecata members, regardless of Clan origin. Which do you prefer or is there another emotional quagmire to explore here?

Enjoy the brain teaser! :D

@badass-at-cuddling oh man this is a brain teaser but a very fun question to ponder on XD

I love the idea of LaCroix being a Giovanni and Lamia!Nines and against all odds falling for each other! XD Maybe what makes it easier for Lamia!Nines to want to be with Gio!LaCroix is the fact he is disgraced and likely excommunicated himself from the family for either his failures (LaCroix being a little too ambitious for his own good again! XD) or to get away from the family, cause ya know the Giovanni are fucked up!

But I do find that Cappadocian!LaCroix would be interesting, though he'd hate he likely looks really dead after 200 years XD and Nines would be moved to protect him, despite how annoying he is XD Maybe by the time of V5 Nines might be more willing to protect any Hecata members because of how vulnerable they are and its what he was embraced to do.

As for what kind of ghost LaCroix would have as his bodyguard(s), hmm Idk if you mean a real dead person or from the wod, so I'm going to say that they have to be at least similar in power as the sheriff is in vtmb, basically a strong and versatile fighter. (sorry I don't know too much about wraith XD) I'd also imagine LaCroix would want to have some wraiths who could also scout and spy for him as well, useful for him to get the upper hand on his enemies.

As for Nines coping with his clan weakness with making any mortal sick from a deadly disease, I think he would only feed from people he thought deserved to suffer such a fate, otherwise I think he would stick to drinking from blood bags until he got too old to do it.

Now for Wraiths, I think Nines would make sure he'd have a good variety of wraiths, ones that do actually want to hang around him, they like to give him advice, especially in his dating life! XD

Oh man, I love the idea of LaCroix and Nines having a Pokemon ghost battle in the parking lot of a freaking chicken and Ming Xiao steps out with her chicken nuggies and just gives the heaviest of sighs, cause her Cainties boys at are it again! XD

As for what Ming Xiao thinks about Kindred necromancy compared to Kuei-jin, I have no real idea tbh, I don't have all the Kindred of the East books, but honestly I doubt Ming Xiao would like how the Giovanni collects and uses wraiths even if she can appreciate their ruthlessness, it might be a step too far for her. She might be more alright about the other clans/bloodlines that use necromancy, but I'm not sure. Though she might be curious to learn more when she can.

This was a heck of a brain teaser, and it was really fun to think on it, so thank you for the ask :D

[mrsgiovanna]

Hi Bria :)

I've seen something on your timeline about one of the universes diavolo dies in, he's happy and dies naturally. Which made me wonder if Bri ever asks Don Gio to end the death loop and let diavolo die? It's just so harsh.

Sorry it's weird, I just watched part 5 again >D

Hi my sweet nonnie, awwww lol, it's not weird although my answer might disappoint you 😅

She doesn't question Giorno about it, she feels that because it occurred through GERs ability outside of everyone's understanding/consciousness (even Giorno's at that point), it must have been fated to happen in that way. It wasn't so much from a place of malice (okay maybe a tiny bit) , or that she actively wanted him to remain there, she just believed that if he deserved it/ redeemed himself in some other life, that the loop would somehow end 🤔 sorry bb

Thanks for the question my lovely, I hadn't thought of it before, I hope you're doing alright though and that you're having the best day, stay safe 🌟💖⭐💗💝💐🐞❤🕊

[mrs-hollandstan]

Hi gurlllll don't push yourself💖 if I'm not being a d*ck, can I ask for a grown up Giovanna?💖💖

There’s an awkward, slightly sexual scenario in this so tread lightly. 

"Darling." Matteo speaks softly as he pokes his head into Gio's room. She glances back at him from her vanity,

"Yeah?" He appears in the doorway, Tom following him in. A shade of red is set in Tom's cheeks as he sits at the foot of her bed and Matteo stands before her. She turns her chair, eyebrows set in a line, 

"What did you two do?" She asks. Matteo frowns,

"Nothing. No, we thought… with our combined knowledge that this conversation would be smoother. Uhm," he pulls a lipstick case from his pocket and holds it out to her, "I found this and I thought… ya know… it's completely normal to… discover yourself, of course without a partner and uhm, ya know, your mother and I and even your grandpa and grandma wouldn't… fault you for losing your allowance to pick up… tools-"

"Wait… dad, are you trying to tell me you think that's a vibrator?" She points to the lipstick in his hand. He eyes her and then the lipstick, 

"It isn't?" 

"Jesus Christ, did you even try to open it?" 

"No, I wasn't sure what was where the… pleasure part was." Giovanna rolls her eyes, snatching the tube from him and clicking it open to spread the pink color on her hand. She offers it up, 

"Its lipstick. I cannot believe that you brought grandpa in here to talk to me about masturbation." 

"I can't believe you didn't open the damn thing before dragging me into this." Tom pipes up, 

"Okay, to be fair, it would be much easier to discuss with boys-"

"Oh here we go. Dad… I would not leave that kind of stuff laying around for you to find and next time you get this wild idea, send mom." Gio states, staring up at her father with a serious, straight face. Tom stands and sighs, 

"I'd love to know where you got the stupidity from. Come in, panicking, telling me we need to have the talk with G because she's becoming a woman and you didn't even open the fucking thing." He murmurs as he leaves to room. Matteo scratches the back of his head, 

"Sorry G. I didn't mean to embarrass you." 

"I think you embarrassed yourself more. Good luck explaining this to mom." Matteo closes his eyes for a moment and sighs,

"Fuck." Giovanna giggles, 

"Better you than me. But hey, thanks for finding my lipstick." She states, turning back to her vanity. Matteo sighs again before turning to her door, 

"I wish I was a better father with this shit."

"You're my favorite person!" Giovanna yells as he closes the door and he can't help the smile.

[dongiovannaswife]

little one

this is a small follow up to Ari’s ( @softlimefluff​ ) fic —Ellie’s finally here!! :D 

cw: pregnancy related. other than that, nothing else. 

9:00 PM, Morioh. May 7.

The door opens and Giorno peeks an eye open from the couch, where he’s sitting. The twins are deep asleep on the small cribs brought there by the Foundation —from his spot, and even on his sleepy daze, he gets to see his wife walk into the room, untying her ponytail and letting her curls run down until they land on her waist, framing her shoulders and face when she leans on the couch before her, sighing with a hand over her face.

“Doll.” He murmurs in both a greeting and a call. Standing up, he steps out of the boys’ zone before walking up to her. Reaching a hand out first, he puts her hand back, kissing the back of it and mumbling against the skin of the zone he just kissed. “How did it go? Rohan was almost crying out of happiness —I barely understood your message though his excitement.”

Passing her arms around his waist and leaning her head on his chest, Lena hums, mumbling her answer from her spot. “Ellie is finally here, Gio.” And looking up, he finally gets a glimpse of her eyes; watered, tired but happy at the same time. “It’s a beautiful girl, baby. Her full name,” she blinks back tears, making her eyes focus on the ceiling in an attempt to trick her eyes into ‘forgetting they were crying’ “It’s Eliana,” a single tear runs down her cheek and Giorno’s heart skips a beat but… Shatters at once.

“Lena?” he asks, but she keeps going, grinning now.

“Eliana Reimi Kishibe.” She sobs quietly, burying her face into Giorno’s chest. A surprised Giorno can only hold her close, cradling her head into his chest in the perfect way for her to hear his heartbeat and breathing; to allow a way for her to sync her breathing with his.

Gathering his voice back up, Giorno mumbles. “How does that make you feel, honey?”

The way she rests her head on his chest seems relaxed, all her body says that, but even then, he can’t help but think of something different.

But when Lena looks back at him, all soft and happy, all he can do is melt, letting a smile take over.

“I’m so happy for them —I never expected them to name their baby like… her.”

He nods, “Yeah, it definitely surprised me too. Do you think I can go and meet her? See how’s Ariel doing?”

Lena shakes her head, breaking the hug to step into the bathroom to freshen up despite the need to sleep.

Leaning on the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest, Giorno takes note of the way she brushes her hair using only her wet fingers —starting from the ends with care. “No, baby. I don’t think you should: you can, of course, but Ari must be exhausted and Ellie too. It’s a big process for both parts, you know.”

Giorno hums, stepping into the bathroom and getting behind her, he reaches out once she’s done unknotting her hair, pulling it into a soft bun. “Mhm. Tomorrow, then.”

Lena nods, looking at her husband through the mirror. His expression while he secures the bun so it doesn’t fall off and doesn’t mess up with her hair one to behold, “How are the boys? Were they fussy?”

“Just a bit,” turning her around, Giorno soon leans his hands on the sink, leaning close so they can talk without having to lower their voices too much. “They did ask for you all day, but understood when I said you were working on something.”

She nods, looking back at where the boys are asleep. Taking Giorno’s arm, she silently guides him out the bathroom, walking up to the sleeping twins.

Sitting by them, she leans in, kissing their foreheads and laughing a bit when both sigh right after the contact, settling in.

“Are you hungry?”

She shakes her head, “Just tired.”

Giorno smiles, walking into the kitchen without a word. Coming back, he hides something behind his back with a grin. “I knew you’d say that so,” he shows her the bottle; its orange content something she recognizes immediately. “Carrot juice for my queen.”

Upon Lena’s giggle, he sits down, giving her the bottle. “I’ll take the boys to the room while you drink that, okay? I’d hate to see you sick so,” he leans in for a short peck before standing up. “Enjoy your drink.”

She nods, opening the bottle and watching through sips how Giorno moves the boys into the room.

Giorno’s thoughts are filled with wonder —Rohan had told them, in detail, how it was like to grow up with Reimi; he already knew something from Jotaro, but hearing the version from the person who was close with her had more impact.

Now, to hear that same boy had grown up, got married and named his daughter after the person who saved him, it definitely sparked something on his chest —it tugged his heartstrings to the point of admiration. Not like he didn’t respect and admire Rohan and Ariel before, but now, something felt… different. Inspiring, even.

Setting Jovi on his crib and making sure he’s warm and safe, he comes to the conclusion that he can’t wait to meet little Eliana.

Coming back into the living room, he’s met with the image of his wife lying down on the couch with Ares under her arm and the bottle of juice properly closed and on the table —almost immediately, he thinks back to the time she fell asleep on his shoulder when they were still dating: the way he blushed and got flustered over the sight of his girlfriend asleep by his side, a sight he got lucky to see every day.

“Lena,” he calls, kneeling by her side. Ares’ blue eyes give him a short look before he’s dozing off again.

“Lena, doll.” He calls again, slipping a hand to her cheekbone, where he takes the time to trace it and feel her warmth. “Let’s take you to bed, yes? And change you, you’re still in your uniform.”

“Así estoy bien, gracias.”  I’m okay like this, thank you.

How he wanted to laugh like a maniac —that was not the answer he was expecting. It was worth a reminder later.

“Eh, no, tesoro. You need comfy clothes for bed, okay? And the bed is way comfier than the couch.” Slipping his hands under her, he scoops her up bridal style, carrying her to their bedroom with only her low mumble of something he could translate to ‘you win.’

  Next morning, 8:35 AM.

Giorno’s hands are filled with presents as he walks into Ari’s room, with Westwood holding the door open and Mista helping with Dante; Lena, by the end of them, comes in with Jovi in her arms.

“Good morning, Han, Ari.” The Donna greets them, sitting down with a tired sigh. “How are you, Ari?”

“’M good,” she mumbles, trying to blink the sleep away —eyes glued to the baby in Rohan’s arms.

“I…” Giorno speaks up for the first time, setting down a smaller box on top of the multiple bigger ones. “Got a little excited and brought some things.”

“Thank you, Gio. You didn’t have to.” Rohan speaks this time, looking up from Ellie’s face to Giorno’s —the soft look in his eyes says it all when he stands, walking up to Giorno. “I want you to meet someone, Ellie.” He whispers, looking back at his daughter; even when his eyes are bloodshot and the bags under them stand out more than anything, his expression does say he’s the happiest man in the world.

“Gio,” he comes to a stop before the Don, leaning a bit so the taller man can see. “This is Ellie.”

Giorno’s smile is there before he knows it —a warm feeling spreads through his chest and being, bringing with it the need to protect and watch over her while she grows up. Extending a hand out, he slips his finger into Eliana’s hand, chuckling when she grabs at his finger, smacking her lips a few times before settling in.

“Rohan, Ariel.” Giorno calls, looking between them. “I’m her uncle now, right?”

Ariel grins, chuckling a little. Finally awake, she watches from her bed the exchange. “Yes, you are.”

“What kind of question is that, Giovanna?” Rohan teases, unable to look up from the baby in his arms.

“He’s having a moment, guys.” Lena joins in the teasing, hiding her grin when she kisses Jovi’s head.

“I mean,” Giorno finally recovers, unable to hide his happiness. “…Nevermind, I don’t know why I asked that.”

Rohan chuckles, shaking his head. Ellie moves a little upon the loss of contact with Giorno, but as soon as Rohan goes back to Ari, letting her carry Ellie, the little one settles back in, comforted by her mother’s warmth.

“Dada?” Jovi suddenly asks, pointing at Ellie and Ariel, big eyes and mouth in a perfect ‘o’.

“Auntie Ariel, buddy. And the little one is Ellie.”

Jovi nods, closing his eyes, “Niiiice.”

Giorno laughs, nodding —Dante extends his arms out to him, asking to be held.

“Woah, buddy.” Mista chuckles, letting Dante go with his dad.

Petting Dante’s head, Giorno hums in Ellie’s direction, making the boy look at her immediately. “See, buddy? Ellie’s here. Say hi to her.”

The boy nods, grinning when he looks back at Ariel and Ellie, raising his voice in excitement. “Hi, hi! E—Edlie! Awii!”

Giorno nods, chuckling and letting the boy greet everyone in the room.

Despite Dante’s voice, Giorno still looks back at Ariel and Rohan, smiling warmly at them. “Congratulations, guys.” And last, he steals a look at his wife. Almost like he’s thinking of something before he looks back in time to see the couple smile and bow their heads.

[magma-cjay]

https://www.heroforge.com/load_config%3D14083841/

(warning! some intense drama and injury, this chapter takes a bit of a turn…)

It was a pleasant sunny day on the harpies’ island, as the warm breeze gently caressed the trees. Bruno’s flock stayed back at their tree, nursing Ghiaccio back to health while the rest of Risotto’s gang hung around in the shallows curiously observing the feathered folk they hadn’t seen up close until now.

But Risotto and Bruno were nowhere to be found, for they were out at sea, trying to find some food for their newfound troupe of finned guests.

Out at sea, together, just the two of them.

Bruno wheeled circles above the ocean, gliding gracefully over the waves like an albatross, enjoying the warmth of the sun and the feel of the breeze. Below him in the water Risotto effortlessly cruised through the waves, leaping periodically out of the water like a dolphin.

It felt great for Risotto to swim around again, as he’d been cooped up in the little pool for so long. His tail felt restless and he took great joy in being in his natural environment once more, soaring gracefully through the waves as smoothly and effortlessly as Bruno did through the sky.

Risotto surfaced above and gazed up at Bruno, high up in the air, who glanced back down at him and smiled. Risotto couldn’t help but be mesmerized at the winged wonder, facing with his back to the sun, as the golden light shone through his feathers and accentuated his ethereal, majestic beauty.

But he faced his back to the sun. And he faced his back to danger.

Suddenly, to Risotto’s horror, a second winged shadow suddenly swooped down from behind Bruno, blotting out the gold sunlight. The faint rays shone through his wings, illuminating them an ominous shade of red, like the color of freshly-spilled blood.

“BRUNO!” Risotto cried. “LOOK OUT!”

But his cry came to late, and he gazed in terror at what had unfolded in the skies above, far out of reach. Helpless to stop it.

A second harpy, with a wingspan nearly twice that of Bruno’s, clutched Bruno’s wings in his talons while the two grappled midair. A piercing shriek broke the air, as falling feathers, both cream and crimson, floated downward–

And then all was silence.

The silence was broken by a loud splash as Bruno’s limp body hit the waves. Without a moment’s hesitation Risotto plunged into the depths, grabbing the harpy as he sank into the sea, clutching him around the waist as he hauled him to the surface. The other harpy had gone by the time they made it to the surface, leaving only a few red feathers in his wake. Feathers whose color Risotto suddenly remembered all too well.

“Bruno! Bruno, please!” Risotto cried, trying to keep Bruno’s head above the waves. Bruno was breathing. He was alive, at least. Risotto held him around the waist and carried him piggyback, swimming to shore as fast as he can, while Bruno’s wings, drenched in blood and seawater, trailed limply behind in the water.

The other harpies were on shore when Risotto came dragging himself up the beach, trailing a bloodied Bruno behind him. They quickly glided over at the sight of their leader, badly wounded and unconscious, but still alive.

“What the HELL did you do to him you DAMNED FISH!?” snarled Abbacchio, lunging at Risotto, who flinched in surprise. “IT WASNT ME!” he pleaded to the enraged avian. “I… saved him! You need…to help him…it was…it was…the Crimson King–”

A sudden silence suddenly fell over the entire flock, and even Risotto’s gang who sat on the beach nearby, as soon as he spoke that name.

“D-Diavolo…” whispered Abbacchio in sudden horror. “He knows where we are.”

“WE DON’T HAVE TIME!” Risotto yelled, rising to a kneeling position as well as he could on his tail, while he cradled the wounded Bruno in his arms. “Bruno’s hurt! He may be DYING! He needs help THIS INSTANT!”

“We need to take him to our healer,” Fugo added. “Giorno’s just in his hut by the stream. He’s skilled in potions and the magics of life, he surely can do something to help.”

That evening as the sun fell beneath the horizon the harpies gathered in the small, inconspicuous hut, as Bruno lay motionless on the wooden platform, unconscious.

“Is…Is he going to be okay?” Narancia asked sadly.

“He’s going to be fine,” Giorno reassured, as he applied healing salve onto Bruno’s wounds. “Unfortunately, he appears to have broken a small bone in his wing…he won’t be able to fly for another two weeks at least, before his wing fully recovers. I recommend he rest and shouldn’t attempt flying or he’ll hurt it more.”

“Two weeks?” Abbacchio snapped. “What if Diavolo comes back? He won’t be able to protect himself if he can’t fly, we’ll have to defend him!”

A loud thump suddenly caught everyone’s attention, as Risotto suddenly barged into the hut, laboriously dragging himself across the floor and panting heavily.

“B-Bruno…” he gasped dryly. He needed water, like any mer did. But he needed Bruno just as much.

The pink-winged harpy seemed unperturbed by the sudden entrance of the beached merman. He walked over to him as Risotto pulled himself toward Bruno, inch by painful inch. He picked up a flask of water nearby and handed it to Risotto.

“Here, here, have some water,” Giorno said reassuringly. “How did you even get here? What are you doing?”

“I crawled, how else,” Risotto responded, as he desperately gulped water from the flask and poured the rest over his gills and drying scales. “It took me all damn night to get here but I need to know! Is Bruno alive? How is he?”

“W-where am I…?” Bruno mumbled as he slowly stirred. “Ouch…my wing…” he complained as he sat up.

“Oh good, he’s awake!” Giorno said cheerfully. “You’re in my hut, Bruno. The others told me you were hurt so we brought you here to mend your wounds. Also, there is a merman sitting on the floor, by the way,” he added matter-of-factly.

“BRUNO!” Risotto exclaimed in a mix of relief, joy and sorrow, as he frantically squirmed towards Bruno as well as he could. From his position on the floor he could only reach Bruno’s ankles, but for him it was enough, as he embraced Bruno’s legs tightly, sobbing. Bruno gently ruffled the merman’s pale hair. “I’m alright, Riz. I’m alright.”

“Your wing is hurt,” Giorno explained. “You shouldn’t try flying for at least two weeks, give it time to rest and heal.”

Risotto smiled as he looked up at Bruno, his dark eyes meeting the harpy’s gleaming blue ones. “Then I guess it’ll be me watching over you this time. I say we’re even now, consider this my thanks,” he told the harpy, who bent down and planted a kiss on his forehead in return.

“Next patient, please!” Giorno cried out in the background, oblivious to the two’s tender moment.

Fugo walked into the hut, carrying a wildly-struggling Ghiaccio in his arms. “He’s all yours, Gio,” he sighed, exasperated.

————–

Ghiaccio grits his teeth and yells, "WHO THE HELL IS THIS FLAMINGO LOOKING BLONDIE!?"

"My name is Giorno. I'm here to heal you" "heal me?" Ghiaccio calms down a little and huffs, "didn't think bird brains like you could even do that!"

"well we can, but only certain harpies can do it" Giorno hums and takes Ghiaccios wounded tail into his hands, and begins to apply the needed salves. "This won't take long I promise, you'll be better in no time"

"well do it QUICKER! THIS FUCKING HURTS!" Ghia winces and tenses up, trying not to thrash too much in his grip.

"Patience, my salves aren't too powerful since I'm only young. But I'd say in a few years I'd be able to heal without worry of pain" and soon enough, the wound is healed. "You have to be very careful, we don't want the cut to tear the tail"

"ugh... Will I atleast be able to swim?" "Of course. Just take it easy in the water" Giorno smiles and Ghia sighs in relief, atleast his wound doesn't hurt as much as before.

[slightly-gay-pogohammer]

gIO I'm sorry this feels sudden and a lil weird but I was scrolling down dash and noticed you reblogged a post where the op is d/ead-d/yke and I gotta tell you he's a super nasty person that wrote violent lesbophobic/racist stuff on his main and on a private account ;;;c;;;/ again sorry if it's sudden, just thought I'd give a heads up ;;>;;;

OH EW GROSS THANKS FOR THE HEADS UP i'll delete that immediately!!!!!!

[let-me-write-shit]

Somebody To You: 19

Friendly reminder to please Like and/or Reblog. It helps more than you think! :)

A/N: Before you kill me at by the end of this chapter-just WAIT until Wednesday’s chapter. Promise?

Word Count: 5,972  (LONG AS SHIIIITTTT)

Click Here For Previous Chapter & Other Completed Stories

PLEASE let me know what you think

-------------------------------------------------

CHAPTER NINETEEN:

After last night’s close call, Harry had made it a point to avoid all forms of interaction that might cause sexual tension between him and Zoey. Her reaction to their almost-kiss seemed clear enough; she was not interested in him romantically. What else could he do? Stand by as his soulmate fell for someone else? Well, he had no choice. He wanted her in his life, romantically or not. He wasn’t going to lose her. So he’d step back, for their friendship's sake.

Everyone had gotten up relatively early for Zoey’s first surprise of the morning. They had made a full breakfast spread with her favorite foods: pancakes, bacon, potatoes, parfaits, and mimosas. Katie was tasked to wake the birthday girl up and when she walked into the dining room, still puffy-eyed, to see the room filled with pink and white balloons and a plate of pancakes with a candle in it, she gasped, smiling widely as they all sang to her. Cheering erupted and she tightly closed her eyes, making a silent wish before blowing the candle out, thanking everyone. They all dug in, laughing and excitedly discussing the pending plans for the day. 

“Did you ever find out if Marco and his brother were coming?” Nancy asked.

Zoey nodded, swallowing a mouthful of food, “Yeah, they’re going to meet us at the docks.”

Great, Harry thought, shoveling more food in his mouth. Aurora looked over at him and gave him a tight-lipped smile. His eyebrows furrowed, confused why she was being so nice to him lately. Sure, they had cleared the air and remained civil, but things were definitely not the same after they ended. He wouldn’t necessarily say that they were super close anymore. Maybe she was trying to change that. Maybe she wanted a stronger friendship with him. He’d find out eventually.

Quickly, everyone got changed and ready to head out on their boating adventure. Harry drove with Andy in the passenger seat while Nancy and Aurora sat middle row and Zoey sat in the third row with her sister. He’d glance in the rearview mirror every now and then to catch a glimpse of her laughing and reminiscing with Katie, having to remind himself to cool down. When they arrived they noticed Marco standing by the edge of the dock, waiting with a slightly younger, shorter-haired version of himself. He almost hoped that Marco and his brother wouldn’t have made it in time.

Everyone clambered out, a couple of beach bags in arm, heading over to greet them while Harry met with the dock manager and captain. Katie squeezed Zoey’s arm tightly and they both shared a look which Zoey knew meant that she thought Marco’s little brother was cute. Hopefully, he was just as kind, too.

Nancy was the first to reach him and they all said their hello’s exchanging their customary pecks on the cheek. When Zoey reached him his smile grew even wider as he said, “The beautiful birthday girl,” he noted, kissing her cheeks, “we cannot wait to celebrate you today. Thank you for inviting us. This is my brother, Giovanni.” 

“You can call me Gio,” the boy stepped forward, smiling, his attention lingering on Katie’s.

Zoey couldn’t help but smile, realizing that Katie would probably get her summer fling after all. Wanting to be a good wingman, Zoey wrapped an arm around Katie, her long brown hair pulled into a high ponytail like her own, “Gio, this is my little sister, Katie. I think you two are about the same age.”

“I’m eighteen,” Katie blushed nervously.

Giovanni smirked, not breaking his eye contact with her, “Yes, we are. I just turned nineteen.”

They were all greeted by the captain and were directed towards their double-deck boat. Jaws hit the floor in amazement. Never in a million years did she think she’d ever be on a yacht. 

“I thought you said it was gonna be a small boat,” Andy breathed, scanning around at the fully stocked kitchen area, dining area, several lounge areas, a large flat-screen television, and much more. 

Harry smirked, “I’ve been on bigger.”

They were instructed to have a seat at the large u-shaped couch on the main level. Zoey took a seat next to Harry, her leg pressing up against his despite all of the extra room beside her. She turned her head towards him, forcing him to look at her, as well. It was the first time they made eye contact today, and by looking into her eyes, it blew his plan on avoiding her out the window. Silly of him to think he could even try. The second her lip twitched upward into a grateful smile, he melted, his shoulders relaxing and giving her a welcoming smile back. She seemed to understand because she immediately got more comfortable, pulling her feet on the couch near her butt and looping her arm through his, hugging his bicep while the captain went over safety precautions. 

They stayed on the couch while the boat made its way over towards the small island off the coast. It was a little hard to hear over the wind whipping by their ears and the splash of the water, but they managed to talk about how beautiful their trip had been so far and their plans for the rest of the week, trying to maintain a more relaxing end of the week schedule. 

When they finally reached the island, they anchored in a beautiful cove, a few boats scattered a good distance away, as well. A large stone mountain shooting up to the sky made the scene even more dreamy, and Zoey had never seen an ocean more clear or beautiful in her life. 

Nancy was the first one in the water, diving in from the edge of the boat. “Come on! Don’t be a pussy!” she shouted back, floating on her back.

One by one everyone began peeling off their clothes and jumping in with Nancy. Harry was the first one in, looking up in time to see Zoey lifting her white swimsuit cover over her head to reveal her yellow high waisted bikini with a tied front top and ruched sleeves. She looked beautiful. And he was even more captivated by her smile as she laughed, staring down at her chanting and excited friends.

Harry knew her well. He knew that she was taking this moment in, trying to remember every detail so she’d never forget it. He knew that she wasn’t taking this for granted. He knew she was thinking back to this time last year, unable to celebrate her birthday knowing her best friend wasn’t there. She never thought she’d have a bond with anyone else as strongly as she did with Jess. She probably didn’t even expect to be making such big memories with anyone else. But here she was, in Italy, having the time of her life with new friends. Harry couldn’t help but feel proud of her and how far she’s come in a year. He only wished he could have been there for her at her worst. Then he could appreciate this moment even more. He could only imagine how Katie must feel to see her sister happy again.

After about thirty minutes of swimming, Andy and Zoey both got back on the boat to grab some food. Harry was dragged over towards Nancy and Aurora who were talking to Marco and getting to know him more. Marco reminded him an awful lot of Brett with his charisma and how easily he made friends. A pang of jealousy ran through him as the girls laughed at something he said. He noticed Katie and Giovanni talking a little further away, flirting and getting increasingly handsy as time went on.  

Harry was in the water for at least two hours by the time he decided he was hungry enough for some lunch. He went back on board, grabbing an already made sandwich and a bowl of grapes from the kitchenette and walked around, looking for Zoey. Marco, Gio, Katie, Andy, and Nancy were all talking on the couch. He decided to check the front of the boat where, sure enough, both Zoey and Aurora were laying down, tanning. Aurora was laying on her back and seemingly had fallen asleep while Zoey was laying on her stomach, facing the ocean, with a book in hand, turning the page. 

Truthfully, Harry was feeling a little bit better about Marco and his brother coming on this trip. Only because Zoey hadn’t really spent a bunch of time with their tour guide. Maybe she wasn’t falling for his charm. As he walked closer to him, he got a better look at her figure. He felt bad for looking, but he couldn’t help it. Her legs looked soft and golden against the contrast of her bathing suit. He noticed a slight red patch forming on the back of her thighs, thinking she’d probably get a little sunburn there if she didn’t reapply SPF soon. And he noticed how round her butt looked in her cheeky high-waisted bottoms. 

His eyes squinted a little through his sunglasses, noticing a little black scribble near the top of her butt, barely peeking out from the bathing suit and his eyes widened. “Zoey!” he gasped before he even had time to process what he saw.

Her head shot back, twisting her torso to look at Harry, startled, she breathed, “What?”

He smirked, bending down and taking a seat beside her. Boldly, he pinched the hem of her bathing suit bottom near the top of her butt so that her tattoo that read ‘Bite’ in a delicate script font was now visible. “Found it,” he said.

When she realized what he was talking about, she closed her book and turned to her side to face him a little more, leaning on her elbows and smirked back, “You found one.”

His mouth dropped, “There’s more? How many do you have?”

“Just one more. But you won’t see that one.”

“Why?”

Her mouth pursed as she vaguely pointed down towards her front and his eyebrows rose, stuttering and unsure of what to say. A tattoo on her ass that said ‘Bite’ made him salivate at the thought of sinking his teeth into her perfect cheek, but the fact that there was another tattoo close to her pussy and he had no clue what it was drove him crazy.

She sat up, stealing a grape from his bowl, “This is the best birthday I’ve ever had. Thank you.”

“It’s not over yet,” he grinned, scooching even closer to her so that her leg was now resting on his. 

They looked out at the sea and talked for a bit longer, trying not to be too loud in case Aurora was sleeping. Like he had suspected, she mentioned the difference in her feelings towards her birthday this year without Jess and how grateful she was to be surrounded by such great friends. Her head rested on his shoulder and he thought he could stay here, just like this, listening to her talk forever, and that would be enough.

But soon the thumping and squeaking of wet feet bounding their way over caught their attention and they turned to see the rest of their friends coming up. The noise seemed to wake Aurora, who pushed herself up and everyone sat around them.

“So Marco was just telling us about this nightclub in town that sounds amazing. He and Gio were going to go tonight,” Andy explained.

Marco nodded, grinning his bright white smile, “I think you all would like it if you’d like to join us.”

Zoey looked between all of her friends and finally met her sister's eyes which were wide and pleading. She knew that Katie was really into Gio and felt selfish for not wanting to go. So she shrugged and nodded, “Yeah, we can meet you there after our dinner reservations.”

They excitedly squealed, getting up and heading back towards the back of the boat to continue swimming. Marco smiled down at Zoey, “Will you be joining us for a swim?”

She hesitated before saying, “Sure,” and standing up. She hesitated, turning back around to Harry, “coming?”

“Yeah, I’ll be right there.”

He watched Zoey and Marco jog towards the back of the boat and he let out a sigh, turning and startled to see that Aurora was still there. He couldn’t quite figure out her expression behind the sunglasses, but he figured it was on the lines of pity, which worried him. He didn’t want her to know how he was feeling. It would make him feel like an ass. ‘Sorry we didn’t work out, but I’m really into your roommate.’ Not one of his finest moments. 

They were out there for hours, intermittently napping between swims before they finally had to head back, wrapped in their towels and exhausted from a full day in the sun. Once at the docks, they got the club information from the two Italian brothers and parted ways, heading back to the house. The sun was already beginning to set and they had an hour and a half to get ready before they had to leave for their late dinner reservations. 

“If you don’t keep your hair down for your birthday dinner tonight, I’m going to kill you!” Andy shouted at Zoey as she blowdried her hair after her shower. “You always have your hair up! It’s your birthday! We’re in Italy! Do something different!”

“I hate my hair down,” Zoey retorted, tossing it to make sure it was completely dry.

“How would you know? You never let it down? I’m getting Rory, she’ll help with it,” he decided, slipping out of her room.

She laughed, shaking her head and continuing to dry her hair. Minutes later, Aurora stepped in, already finished with her hair and makeup, still wearing a dressing robe, a curling wand in hand. The model smiled sweetly at the sight of Zoey, “I’ve never seen you with your hair down. I didn’t realize how blonde you are. You look beautiful. But I’ve always wanted to see you with loose waves, so I’ll just quickly curl it for you,” she said, plugging the wand in.

Zoey was nervous, feeling a little self-conscious at the idea of her hair being down. She always hated the way it framed her face and looked so flat at the top, but she trusted Aurora to make it look nice. It only took her fifteen minutes to put in some scattered loose curls and brush it through with her fingers, setting it with a little bit of hair spray. She turned to look in the mirror and smiled, surprised. She couldn’t remember the last time she let her hair down, let alone curled it. They were right. It looked amazing.

“You look like a different person!” Andy shouted, “Alright, we need to find you a dress that you can wear to dinner and the club. Oh! What about that white dress we got from the boutique right before we came here?”

“It’s hanging in the closet,” Zoey said, staring at herself in the mirror.

He disappeared and reappeared, draping the dress on the bed, “Alright, you finish up, and we’ll go get dressed.”

He and Rory closed the door behind them and she stared at herself for another minute or so before throwing on the smallest amount of makeup and slipping into her white midi dress with an off-set neckline and some strappy red heels before heading downstairs to check on her sister. All of the girls looked great, her sister wearing a simple halter style black dress, Nancy wore a short champagne slip with a cowl neck that looked beautiful when contrasted with her dark, curly hair, and Aurora wore a lacy, beige, wrap dress that made her look both beautiful and classy.

“Yep, we did good,” Andy said smugly, nodding his head towards Aurora who grinned.

“Who are you?!” Nancy whistled while Katie hugged her big sister. 

Harry sputtered his water as he walked into the room to see Zoey, the dress hugging her hourglass figure perfectly, her hair down, and her nose and cheeks sunkissed from the day's events. If he thought she was beautiful before, this took the cake. 

“Wow. You all look so great,” he complimented, eyeing her a little longer. 

Throughout dinner, he found it hard to focus on his food or the conversation at hand. He was too distracted stealing glances at her across the table. He wanted to blame Mitch and Adam for putting the thought of him and Zoey being MORE in his head in the first place. If it weren’t for them instigating and provoking him maybe he wouldn’t be in so deep right now.

They went around the table handing off cards and little gifts to Zoey for her birthday which included gift cards to her favorite places, a purse, a handmade photo album from Katie, which Zoey didn’t open because she didn’t want to get it messy from the food and drinks, swearing she’d look at it later, and finally a card from Harry that said ‘I O U-a shopping spree before we leave.’

“You’ve spoiled me enough with this trip,” Zoey shook her head.

“Shut your mouth, don’t be stupid. He’s offering a free shopping trip,” Nancy shoulder checked her, smiling at Harry, “she means thank you.” He laughed.

Harry had hoped that they might have forgotten about their promise to meet Marco and Giovanni at the club, staying well past they had finished their meals. But sure enough, Katie peeped from her seat next to her sister, “Gio says they’re at the club now.”

“We should probably get going,” Nancy said, followed by a chorus of agreements.

Harry drove slowly, not eager to get there. He was still tired from being in the sun all day and honestly wasn’t in the mood to get shat on by a handsome Italian man stealing his best friend away from him. But everyone else was all too eager, meeting the brothers at the bar and grabbing a few drinks before heading to the dancefloor. Seeing his friends laughing and having a good time put him in a better mood, especially when Zoey came up and grabbed his arm, pulling him towards the group. There was no way he could stay grumpy for long. He decided to let loose and enjoy his time with his friends, dancing a safe distance away from Zoey, flapping their elbows and twisting their hips to the beat of the song. He grinned widely as Zoey threw her head back in a fit of laughter while comically grinding with Andy. 

Some three songs in, she finally found her way closer to Harry. He leaned in, shouting in her ear, “I don’t recognize a single song that’s played.”

She stepped closer to him, the music and people so loud that they could barely hear each other, “Me either, but at least they’ve got a good beat to dance to.”

They were chest to chest, legs barely skimming each other as they continued dancing while talking over the music, “Karaoke would make this a million times better.”

“Oh, for sure. But not as fun as tracking me down in a dark alleyway, crying my eyes out near a dumpster,” she joked.

Harry shrugged, looking down into her eyes, multicolored lights flashing on her features he didn’t want to look away. “I don’t know. That’s the moment that started it all. I’d follow you into any dark alleyway.”

Normally she would have made a joking rebuttal. Instead, she stared up at him, her smile slowly vanishing and her eyes scanning his face, searching, longing, questioning. Without realizing, Harry and Zoey had gotten closer, and the magnetic pull between them started. The longer he looked at her face, the stronger the pull felt. He imagined kissing her plump soft lips, tangling his fingers in her hair, pulling her closer to him. He imagined slipping her dress off in search of her other tattoo. He imagined staying in bed with her all day, unmoving, and completely and utterly happy. But that image had quickly disappeared when a handsome, long-haired Italian walked up.

“Excuse me, birthday girl. I don’t mean to interrupt, but I was wondering if I could steal you for a dance,” Marco grinned between them, eyeing her up.

Zoey, flustered, looked between the two boys before stammering a quick yes and taking his outstretched hand. She shot him a tight-lipped smile as they walked away and he could hear Marco telling her how beautiful she looked. Angry, his jaw tightened and he half-stomped off towards the bar to grab another drink.

“Two,” Aurora said to the bartender making Harry’s drink as she slid up beside him.

Harry turned to look at her, a friendly smile on her face. “What’s up?” he asked.

Rory shrugged, “I was about to ask you the same thing.” When she saw his confusion she continued, “you doing okay?”

“I’m fine.”

The bartender handed them their drinks and they thanked him. She raised an eyebrow and a knowing look, taking a sip, “So you’re okay with Marco dancing with Zoey right now?”

He looked over at the two of them dancing, his hands dangerously close to her butt while her hands were placed on his biceps, both of them smiling and talking as they danced. His jaw flexed again and he turned back to Rory, his face relaxing, not wanting to admit defeat or reveal his feelings. Especially to her. “Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”

She tisked and rolled her eyes, “Harry, I know you like her.”

“How?”

Her expression softened and looked into his eyes, saying, “Because you look at her the way I wished you looked at me.”

They were silent for a moment, just staring at each other. He felt a heaviness of guilt in his chest from the words. He was hoping that he’d lose feelings for Zoey before Aurora had figured it out, but she was always very observant. He should have known she’d realize it. 

“Rory, I didn’t like her when you and I were-”

“I know,” she shook her head, smiling sweetly at him, “I’m not saying this to hurt you. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

He groaned, gulping his drink, “I mean, this sucks. I don’t know what to do. I didn’t mean to fall for her, it just kind of happened.”

“Does she know?” Aurora asked. Harry shook his head and she nodded, a pause ensued before slowly adding, “Well, you should tell her. Don’t make the same mistake you made with me.” 

Aurora patted him on the shoulder and joined the rest of their group. Seconds later a few fans had recognized him and came up, asking for a picture. He put his best happy face on and carried on a friendly conversation while trying not to lose sight of his friends. He noticed Zoey and Marco were now in a conversation with a smiling Katie and Giovanni while Andy, Nancy, and Aurora danced together which eventually changed to just Zoey and Katie talking while the rest of them danced. 

Harry had thanked the fans for their time and wished them a good rest of their night before rejoining his friends on the dance floor and even stealing an innocent dance with Katie, making sure she was having a good time on vacation so far and that her parents were satisfied with communication. What Rory said was still nagging him in the back of his mind, but at least he was in better spirits now that Zoey and Marco weren’t dancing together anymore.

It was nearly 2 AM and it was pretty apparent that everyone had passed the point of exhaustion, sweating from the humidity in the club. It was time to go. They all slipped through the crowd, people who noticed Harry patting him on his chest and saying a quick hello as he passed, breathing the fresh air as they finally made it outside. Aurora had sobered up while everyone else still had a few drinks in them and were on the tipsy side, so she took the keys from Harry and left to pull the SUV around the front while the rest of them said their goodbyes to the brother.

“It’s been so nice hanging out with you all this week. I hope to see you again,” Marco smiled.

“You’re the sweetest,” Nancy slurred, giving him a little hug. 

Marco laughed, giving his rounds of hugs and handshakes to everyone, including Harry who was pretty short with him, before turning to Zoey. He bent down, whispered something in her ear which caused her to smile and nod, and kissed her cheeks. Giovanni did the same with Katie before waving goodbye at everyone and following Marco down the street in the opposite direction just as Aurora pulled up.

Harry sat next to Andy in the very back, but the ride was silent, everyone too tired to talk. Most people headed straight to their rooms, but Harry made his way to the kitchen to grab a glass of water in an attempt to sober up a bit more. A little snack sounded good, too, so he grabbed a cookie. He heard a door open and close in the direction of Katie’s room and he turned to see Zoey walk out and notice him. 

She grinned, making her way over and whispering, “Just got off Facetime with my parents. Katie passed out.”

“I’m sure they loved seeing their daughter drunk,” Harry smirked.

Zoey shook her head and grabbed herself a cookie and glass of water, “I told them she was just tired because we’ve been swimming all day and just got back from a nice dinner. The time difference went right over their head.”

He chuckled, stuffing the rest of his cookie in his mouth. Exhaustion was weighing on him, but he didn’t want to go to bed yet. He wanted to stay up a little longer and talk to Zoey. So, he nodded towards the patio doors and asked, “Want to go outside for a bit?”

“Sure.”

The two stepped out onto the terrace and made their way to the couch that was right outside Andy’s room. There was no light coming from his patio doors. He had probably gone to sleep by now. They sat beside each other and Harry looked down at her hand that held her glass of water, noticing a thin multicolored woven band that was tied onto her wrist.

“What’s this?”

She lifted her hand to look at the bracelet, “It’s Jess’. I made it for her when we were in seventh grade. Her mom let me take it after she died. I’ve worn this every day since I got it.”

Harry’s eyes widened, “Can’t believe I never noticed it before,” he said, taking her hand into his to inspect it, “Pretty good job for a seventh-grader.”

She laughed, pulling her hand back to take a sip from her water and set it down at the edge of the fire pit, “Yeah, well, it’s my favorite piece of jewelry.”

“Which reminds me,” Harry said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small, flat box, “I do have one more birthday present for you.”

Zoey gasped and sarcastically said, “Oh my god, are you proposing.”

“Shut up, or I’ll return it,” he warned, placing the box on her opened hands. She gasped as she opened it and he explained, “It might not be as nice as your friendship bracelet, but I still hope you like it.” Zoey pulled out the thin tennis bracelet that was lined with alexandrite and peridot stones with diamonds in between them. “They’re Jess’s and your birthstones,” he pointed out.

“Harry,” she breathed, clapping a hand over her mouth, looking up at him, speechless. Her eyes formed tears. 

He knew how much this would mean to her, which was exactly why he didn’t give it to her at dinner. He didn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable for crying in front of the whole restaurant. Harry slipped the bracelet out of her grasp and wrapped it around her wrist right above the woven friendship bracelet, clasping the ends together. She looked down at it on her wrist before leaning over to hug him. She squeezed tightly, staying there for a moment. Enough for him to take in her scent; soft and warm. It drove him crazy.

“Thank you,” she managed as they pulled away, her holding onto his hands as they sat facing each other, one leg under the other so that her dress didn’t ride up too much.

Harry nodded and quickly changed the subject, not wanting her to cry, “How was your birthday?” he asked. “Everything you hoped it’d be?”

“And more,” she grinned, her eyes lighting up, “Should I go grab the photo album Katie made?”

He nodded and she skipped off in search of it, stepping back out with it pressed tightly to her chest. She plopped down on the seat beside him and opened it up to see the first picture of her as a kid with her family.

“God, you were such an ugly kid,” Harry joked.

“Hey! I just had an awkward phase. No one looks cute without their two front teeth!”

They flipped through to see more family pictures of a growing Zoey. It didn’t take long before pictures of Jess showed up. You could see the change in Zoey’s personality in the pictures as soon as Jess was involved. She seemed happier and more confident. They had a ton of pictures together ranging from before school pictures, sleepovers, beach trips, amusement parks, graduation, college parties, and more. He wondered what it would have been like to know her back then. He wished he could have met Jess so he would know what it was like to see that side of her.

When Zoey turned the page she laughed at a picture of the two girls with a boy about their age with dark brown hair and arms covered in tattoos, holding Zoey close to him in an almost headlock, “Let me guess,” he said, “that’s your ex?”

She nodded, turning the page to see more pictures of the three, “Yeah, that’s Michael. Told you he was always the third wheel with me and Jess.”

“He looks exactly like I pictured him.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, you definitely have a type.”

She looked at him quizzically, standing up and walking a few feet away towards the edge of the terrace, leaning up against the stone balustrade fence, “What do you mean?”

He was aware of how rude he was starting to sound, but the drinks in him made his nagging jealousy hard to control his tone. Every time a word came out of his mouth he instantly regretted it, but there was no stopping it. He got up and stood close to her, their legs touching, “Your type. The cliche. Tall, dark, and mysterious. Every guy you go out with looks the same. Brett, Marco…”

“Every guy? You named two people.”

“You know what I mean…”

Zoey paused for a moment, trying to stare into his eyes. He couldn’t help but notice the hurt in hers and his stomach twisted, gulping as she spoke more directly, “If there’s something you want to say, then say it.”

He thought for a moment, Rory’s words prodding at him. Did he tell her that he liked her? How? How could he tell her when it could ruin everything? What if she didn’t feel the same? 

She looked at him, waiting. She knew he was still drunk. She knew that whatever was bothering him would pass, but he had never acted so accusatory towards her before and she didn’t quite like being treated like she was at fault for something. His eyes darted all around in thought before looking at her. Whatever he was thinking about was serious and she started to get nervous as they looked into each other’s eyes. She had figured herself to be pretty good at reading signs, and unless she was mistaken, this look felt a lot deeper than just a casual glance.

They stood so close to each other that she could feel his warmth radiating off of him. His eyes kept flickering from hers to her lips and she started to feel that magnetic pull, unable to look away. Not wanting to look away. Her annoyance was quickly replaced by yearning. His lips looked soft and she wanted to know what his body felt like on hers. 

Stronger, the pull brought them closer together. She could feel his hot breath on her face now as he hovered over her. She was practically looking up at him which caused her hair to fall back. He looked almost intimidating, noticing his jaws clench and unclench. He licked his lips hungrily, his adam's apple bobbing up and down as he took a gulp. Their noses were touching now and she stifled her breathing, afraid that any sudden movement would stop what was about to happen. Her eyes began to close, the pull so strong that her abdomen began to tremble. Her lips felt numb, tingling as his lips barely grazed hers. 

He felt his large, strong hand clasp on the back of her neck and pulled her in, their lips finally connecting. She melted into him as they kissed, finally sucking in air as their tongues danced together. It felt so natural. Not forced as it had been with Brett or anyone else she’d been with in the past few months. She felt Harry relax into her and deepen the kiss by pulling her waist in closer to his while she had both of her hands on either side of his face. She began to throb, wanting more of him, pushing herself more into him, but it wasn’t close enough. It could never be close enough. She would be inside of him if she could. 

Harry had half-hoped that by kissing Zoey, it would have given him the proof that his relentless attraction towards her would magically disappear. He had convinced himself that if he just kissed her and got it out of his system, it’d all be over. But as soon as his lips touched hers, he knew. This wasn’t a passing attraction. It was the real deal. He was head over heels for this girl. This wasn’t just a kiss. This was more. He knew it. He felt it. And he knew that he couldn’t be the only one feeling this. There was something here. He had never felt so comfortable and vulnerable all at the same time. This kiss made him feel higher than any upper ever could. He needed more.

Without warning, a bright light flicked on and a deep gasp made them quickly tear apart to see Andy standing wide-eyed and startled, “Oop. My bad,” he shrank away back into his room, closing the door and blinds.

Embarrassed, Zoey turned her body to face the garden, avoiding eye contact. It was silent for a moment, both of them trying to process what just happened. He felt a range of emotions from scared, relieved, excited, and anxious wondering what was going on in her mind. There was no way she didn’t feel anything.

She finally spoke, “I have a date with Marco tomorrow night.”

Harry’s heart dropped, “What?”

She turned to look at him, woeful, “It’s a double date. With Katie and Gio.”

“Well don’t go,” he pleaded, taking her hands in his. 

She frowned, face full of regret, “I’m sorry,” she whispered, slowly backing away before turning and hurrying inside, leaving Harry outside, alone.

KEEP READING

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