#the support ticket remains unanswered.

[builtbybrokenbells]

Spitfire | vii

After days of radio silence, a heartbroken y/n makes an attempt to find comfort in the closest thing to Jake; his twin brother. Josh works his magic and manages to penetrate the tough exterior she’d been building since the big blowout. She questions her own heartbreak enough to jump on a plane to Atlanta, realizing that ending things so abruptly may have caused herself more hurt than good

Read part six here

Read part eight here

Pairing: Jake Kiszka x f!reader

Word Count: 7.6k

Warnings: sadness/depression, insecurity, anxiety, breakup talk, unhealthy coping mechanisms, long emotional talks, smoking (marijuana), crying, angst, fluff, sorry if i miss any!

howdy. i am so happy to be here again with y’all. i’ve been writing this fic steadily since I released the last chapter, and it’s gotten pretty long, so I had to split this one in half! im getting so excited for the end of this just so i can wrap it up and everyone can be happy 🤩 there’s gonna be one more after this so there’s some more fluffy smuttiness to end this saga on a high note. thanks for the support thus far, and sorry for the drama in the last chapter 😞 i promise it doesn’t last too long and it is completely cleared up in this one! as always, enjoy, be kind, and don’t mind any grammar mistakes!!

~

The days passed slowly, dwindling down into one big, long, never ending cycle. Your clothes were piling up in the laundry basket, there were empty fast food bags littering you floor, and the steady stream of unanswered texts and calls seemed to never stop. It was nearing a week since the ‘Twitter incident’ (which was the only was it was allowed to be referred to) happened, and you hadn’t broken the radio silence with Jake yet. He never gave up, though. Through everything, you did have to admire his persistence. It was the day you were originally set to fly to Atlanta, and it was taking every ounce of your strength to not tear up the plane ticket and throw it in the garbage.

Jake’s name was a taboo subject in the house, and your friends knew that. When you had taken almost permanent refuge in your bed, they had practically given up hope that the situation would ever resolve. You rarely left your room unless it was to use the washroom or grab a food delivery from the front door. Your laptop remained in your bed and you worked from there. Hiding away was easier than facing the hard conversations, you decided. You were heartbroken, definitely, but more angry at yourself that you couldn’t get over your fear and just answer his phone calls, even just to end things maturely. You’d convinced yourself it was easier to end things on a what-if, rather than a certainty.

All of the items Jake gifted you were neatly placed on your desk, his sweater on the bottom and his cologne on top. The small box containing the ring was loudly laying next to it, and the plane ticket in the envelope was gently resting at the top of the pile. You had no idea what to do with them. The sight of them alone made your stomach turn. You wanted to throw them all in the trash, or burn them, just so you never had to see them again, but there was a bigger part of you that wanted to put the sweater back on and remember him for a little while. It was a hateful battle you were fighting with yourself, and there seemed to be no end in sight. You wanted to feel close to him, but you didn’t want to think about him. You wanted to love him, but every part of your body was holding you back.

Your end of day meeting wrapped up and you closed your laptop, wondering if you would be able to get some shut eye. You were teetering between not sleeping at all and sleeping only when you shouldn’t be. As you shoved the computer to the side and turned towards the wall, you reached to the corner of the bed and pulled a pillow into your chest. It was a much neglected one, lost and forgotten in the mess of all of the others. When you buried your head into the pillowcase, your breath caught in your throat. The scent was familiar, but extremely faint. Even so, you’d recognize it anywhere. The ever so subtle hint of his shampoo dusted with the remanence of his cologne felt like a punch in the stomach. You wanted to throw it away, to get rid of it completely, but your arms wouldn’t let go. The longer you breathed it in, the more the tension left your body. Your eyes fluttered shut, feeling more comfort than you had in days.

A little while later, you woke up to the sun setting outside of your window. The golden glow cast a peaceful aura over the otherwise gloomy room. You stretched, taking in a deep breath before rubbing the sleep from your eyes. You were stiff and beyond sore from laying in bed so much. The blankets were tangled around you and your head felt a little bit clearer; it had been a few days since you’d gotten any amount of sleep that was actually restful. Unwillingly, you hauled yourself out of the bed. You found your cigarette pack and pulled out a joint, placing it between your lips. You figured that you’d be able to get some more sleep under the right circumstance.

You hoisted yourself up on the deep windowsill, swinging your legs up and resting your back against the wood. You slid the window open, feeling the fresh air hit you in the face. You let out a sigh of relief, enjoying the moment of clarity. You lit the end of the joint after you popped the screen off the window. You let your hand rest outside, trying your best to keep the smell minimal. You pulled your phone from your pocket, clicking the screen on and checking the time. Before you put it away, you attention was grabbed by your last received text message.

Twin Rockstar

Please call me, mama. I won’t tell Jake I was talking to you. Just want to hear your voice.

A feeling of guilt ran through you. You were so caught up in how you were feeling about Jake that it clouded over the love you had for his brothers. You stared at the message until the joint was burnt out, unsure of what to do. In a moment of irrationality, you clicked on his contact and hovered over the call button. After a second, you found the confidence to hit dial. It rang once, and your stomach churned with uncertainty. It rang twice, and you debated hanging up. When it rang the third time, you didn’t have time to doubt yourself, because he had answered.

“Y/n?” He breathed. You were frozen, unsure of how to respond.

“H-hi,” you eventually mustered, realizing how scratchy your voice sounded. A week of barely talking and smoking like a chimney had done your vocal cords no good.

“I can’t believe you called.” He said, sounding a bit exasperated. “I was expecting you to ignore me forever. I didn’t really plan out what I was going to say.” He gave a nervous chuckle. You weren’t sure how to respond. “Can you FaceTime me? It’s just me in my room, I promise.”

“I don’t look very presentable,” you mumbled. Josh’s heart was breaking at your sullen tone. You sounded like you barely had any life left in you.

“I think you’re beautiful no matter what.” He said. Within a second, he requested the video call. You accepted, heart aching at the sight of his face. You never realized how much he looked like his brother until now. He took in your features, the dark circles encasing your under eyes, the paleness of your skin, the bloodshot eyes. “I miss you, mama.” He said, finally. He knew better than to bring anything else up, scared it might make you end the call.

“I miss you, too.” You admitted, feeling a lump forming in your throat. “I’m uh, not sure what to say, either. Just called because I wanted to hear your voice, too, I guess.”

“That’s okay. I’m just happy you did.” He said. He was sitting on the edge of his hotel bed, holding the phone up so you could see the background slightly.

“Are you…” you trailed off, not knowing the best way to approach any conversation. “Are you in Atlanta, now?” Your voice cracked a bit as you spoke, but you cleared your throat to cover it up.

“Yeah, we got here earlier today.” He informed you. You gave a small nod. “You know, that invitation is still there.” He whispered. Your heart sped at the mention of your ticket. “It can just be me and you, we can hang out for a few days. You don’t even have to come to the show.” He explained. “Even though everything happened, you’re still my friend. I think so, at least.”

“Of course we are, Josh.” You assured him. There was no doubt in your mind that you loved him. “I just couldn’t do that to Jake.” Even as you willingly spoke his name, your heart ached. “I’d never use the ticket he bought for me and not tell him.” Josh gave a solemn nod. “Uh… how is he? Jake, I mean. I just-you know what? Never mind.” You let out a small laugh at your own stupidity. You weren’t even sure if you wanted to know.

“How is Jake?” Josh let out a chuckle, pondering his answer to the question. “Um, well, he’s pretty much unbearable to be around.” Josh said as nicely as he could. “Not very good, if I had to guess. He’s always angry, showing up late to everything and barely participating, and he doesn’t really speak to us unless he has to. He broke a string on his guitar during soundcheck earlier and just… left. Haven’t seen him since.”

“Oh,” you whispered.

“I’m not going to sit here and throw a pity party for him. I’m not gonna force you to talk to him, either. But he is miserable, and we have no idea what to do about it. It’s not your fault, though. Don’t think I’m blaming you, please.”

“It kind of is, isn’t it?” You posed the rhetorical question. “I mean, yeah, he broke my heart, but I broke his, too.”

“I don’t think any hearts were broken intentionally.” He corrected. You didn’t answer, only watched his face with a hint of sadness growing inside you.

“You guys really are twins,” you noted, talking more to yourself. He gave a small smile. “I miss him. A lot.” You finally admitted. “And that’s not like me. I don’t know what happened that day, and a huge part of me doesn’t really want to know. But there’s also this hole in my heart that I just can’t seem to fill. I’ve always been so good at shutting people out, and moving on as if they never mattered to me in the first place. I hate being love and I hate being vulnerable, but I almost miss it, now. He made it seem less than horrible.” Your voice was dangerously quiet.

“Do you still want to be with him?” He questioned. Your eyes fell to the window again, hoping to avoid his gaze.

“Yeah.” You sighed. “I’m just… terrified. Like absolutely fucking terrified. Falling for him was so easy. I don’t think I’ll ever feel this way for someone ever again. But, that also means he has the power to hurt me more than anyone else in the world. If he decided to get up and leave one day, he just walks away unscathed, and I lose a whole part of me. I don’t like that feeling. It scares the shit out of me.” You picked at a hangnail on your finger, too nervous to look up at him. “If you couldn’t tell, I hate depending on people for anything.”

“But you don’t have to depend on him, mama. You were happy before he came along, and you were happy when you guys were together. You didn’t start dating him because you were searching for happiness, but because you wanted to make him a part of your happiness.” You were mad, because you knew he was right. You hated nothing more than someone speaking reason while you were hurting. “As for the hurting you part, I know he already did. I know that it was not intentional, but he still did, and you’re allowed to be upset about it. I also know that he would never be stupid enough to hurt you again, because he’s really paying for it, now. You don’t have to be scared of him, because only thing he wants to do is love you.” You felt tears sting your eyes. “I’ve been by Jakes side his entire life. I’ve seen every girlfriend, fling, breakup and make-up. Nobody in the world has ever compared to you. I can see it just in the way he looks at you, or when he talks to you. If you want to love him, then do it. Don’t hold yourself back because you’re scared. We’re all scared of something, but all it does is ruin the chance of something fantastic.” You thought about what he said, clinging on to every word.

“He didn’t cheat on me, did he?” You seemed to already know the answer as you asked the question.

“No, he didn’t. If he did, I would have killed him, myself.” You couldn’t help but laugh.

“So in short, I just overreacted and ruined everything.”

“No, I wouldn’t say that. The internet is crazy, and it’s great at spreading rumours. If you’ve been hurt like that before, I can see why you were upset. Didn’t help that he forgot to tell you where he was or what he was doing. But it was innocent, and if you’ll let him, that’s his responsibility to explain what happened.” He said. You felt a bit of relief after days of misery. You were a bit angry with yourself for being so stubborn and not talking to him sooner.

“I think maybe I just wanted an excuse to run. I’m really good at that. It’s all I’ve done my whole life.” You admitted. “Commitment was never my thing. The only times I ever let myself get involved with someone, it ended terribly. Guess I was subconsciously trying to avoid an even bigger blowout.”

“We can always change, y/n. I’m not telling you to do anything. I just hope I’m helping make your decision a little easier. If you want to come to Atlanta, you’re more than welcome. Even if it’s to scream at him, or for closure, or even to propose to him. It wouldn’t matter. He’d just be happy you showed up. My opinion of you doesn’t change. It would suck if you didn’t get back together with him, because you’d be a super cool sister-in-law, but that’s your choice.” You both let out a laugh. “I won’t tell him we talked. I’m just happy to hear from you.”

“Thanks for listening, Josh. I know he’s your brother, and nothing will ever come between that. I’m just glad you don’t hate me on his behalf.”

“Come on, now. Do you really think I’d ever hate you? Fuck, he doesn’t hate you, either. I know he sits in his room every night and waits for you to call. Kinda sad, if you ask me.” You chuckled. “He wants to fix this. If you want to, too, all you have to do is say the words.” He assured you.

“Okay,” you breathed. “I have some heavy thinking to do.”

“Seems so, mama. Want me to leave you to it?” You knew it was probably for the best, but you didn’t want him to hang up. You missed him, even if you’d been actively avoiding him. He also reminded you of Jake, and in some sad way, it was the most comfort you’d felt in days. “I don’t have to, if you don’t want me to.”

“No, it’s okay. I won’t keep you and make you listen to my problems any longer.” You joked.

“It’s a pleasure to listen to your problems. I missed you.”

“Yeah, yeah, I missed you, too.” You smiled. “Thanks, Josh.”

“Anytime. Don’t disappear on me again, okay?” He scolded. You nodded. “And maybe I’ll see you in a few hours?” A hopeful gleam appeared in his eyes.

“Bye, Josh.” You chuckled. You wanted to answer, but you weren’t sure what to tell him. You didn’t want to get his hopes up for no reason.

“Bye, y/n. Love you.” He said as he hung up. You were left alone again, but you felt better about it than you had in a long time. You popped the screen back on your window and shut it tightly before you jumped down from the windowsill. You looked down at your phone again, seeing a new message from Jake. You read as much as you could from the notification bar, not feeling courageous enough to open it fully. But, you knew what you had to do. As afraid as you were, you couldn’t ignore Jake forever. Even if you both talked it over and went separate ways, it was better than leaving things as they were. You knew you were pushing it if you were going to make the flight, so you got ready as fast as you could.

You set your cell down beside the Jake’s sweatshirt on your desk, abandoning it for the time being. You pulled some jeans and an old sweatshirt from your closet, making your way to the bathroom. You clicked the lock behind you, studying your reflection in the mirror. You looked horrible, borderline sickly. Instead of focusing on that, you flipped the faucet of the shower on. You rid yourself of your dirty clothes, jumping in and quickly washing off the days worth of despair. When you got out, you dried off and dressed yourself. You threw on a splash of makeup, mostly just to cover the dark circles and give your skin a bit more life.

You blow dried your hair, brushing it out and styling it a bit. When you finished, you returned to your room and grabbed the card Jake had given you. You flipped it open, grabbing the ticket and shoving it in your wallet. You packed a small bag, throwing Jake’s sweater in on top of everything. You snapped open the box holding the ring and slipped it back on your finger. In a real moment of weakness, you took the cap off the cologne bottle and sprayed a single spritz on the front of your sweater. The scent surrounded you like a warm embrace on a cold day. You placed it back down and gathered your chargers, throwing them in a carry on. You packed your laptop and checked the time on your phone again.

You had an hour to get to the airport if you were going to make the flight. Jake had booked you a evening flight, allowing you some wiggle room after work. You were so thankful he did, because if not, you’d have already missed it. You slung your bags over your shoulder, quickly checking your pockets to make sure you had everything important, and walked out to the living room. When you reached the main room, Ally and Eve were sitting on the couch watching a movie. When they looked up at you, their eyes widened.

“Can one of you drive me to the airport?” You asked.

“Yeah,” Eve was on her feet faster than she could answer. Ally stood, wanting to go on the trip, too. They followed you to the door and you all filed into Eve’s car. You threw your bags in the trunk before you settled in the front seat and buckled your seatbelt. Music softly played over the speakers, filling the awkward silence as the car pulled out of the driveway. “So…” Eve trailed off.

“I know,” you sighed. “You both told me I should go. I’m stubborn and heartbroken, but you were right. I have to go, even if it’s just for closure and to give him all of his shit back.”

“That’s okay. No matter how it goes, you know we have your back.” Eve said, never taking her eyes off the road.

“M’sorry I’ve been so insufferable.” You apologized, looking out the window at the street signs passing by.

“You haven’t been that bad, really. You mostly just stay in your room. We’ve been worried about you more than anything else. I’m just happy you’re feeling better.”

“Well, that’s relative.” You chuckled. “I’ll give you a better answer about that in a few hours.” She nodded. You pulled out your phone, pulling up Josh’s contact again. You dialled his number, only hearing the phone ring for a second before he picked up.

“Missed me so much you had to call me again?” He teased.

“Seems like you missed me. You answered awful fast.” You replied, feeling a touch of your personality making its way back. “Listen, can you do me a favour?”

“Depends on what it is.”

“Meet me at the airport?” You asked, incredibly hopeful. “I should be there around 11.”

“Really?” His tone was completely different, now, excitement radiating through the phone call.

“Yeah.” You said, a smile breaking out on your face. “Don’t tell Jake, please. I just… I want to talk to him in person, and I don’t want him to put any walls up before I get there. I know I would, so…” you trailed off.

“I’ll be there. Secret stays between us. I can’t wait to see you.”

“Me, either. I’ll see you soon.” You promised.

“See you soon. Have a safe flight.” He said. You ended the call, looking over to your best friend. She was trying to hide it, but a smile was eating away at her face. The rest of the drive went by almost silently. When the car pulled into the drop-off lane, Eve turned to look at you. She reached over, placing a hand on top of yours, giving it a gentle squeeze.

“I’m proud of you.” She whispered.

“Thank you.” And you meant it. It was extraordinarily hard for you to face an issue like this. It was extraordinarily hard for you to realize that you loved him enough to want to work things out instead of disappear. You got out of the car, them following close behind. You grabbed your stuff out of the trunk and turned to face the two girls. “I love you guys. I may be back tomorrow, maybe in a couple days… who knows.” You gave a nervous chuckle.

“Whenever you do, we’ll be here.” Ally said. A soft smile formed on your lips.

“Let us know when you’re there safe, and call if you need anything. Even if it’s just to scream.” Eve chuckled. You gave them both a hug, holding on a bit tighter than usual.

“See you guys later. Thank you for everything.” You said before you turned. You didn’t let yourself look back at them, scared that you wouldn’t get on plane if you did. Once you were through the main doors, checked in and got your boarding pass. Then, you went straight to baggage, dropping your stuff off. When you went through security, they gave you no issues. You located the gate with ease, having been here a fair few times in the last few years.

You were right on time; had you waited any longer, you likely would have missed the flight. When you boarded, you took your seat and kept your backpack close to you. You pulled out your headphones, giving Josh a quick message telling him you would be leaving in a few moments before putting your phone on airplane mode. You turned on a playlist, pulling your notebook out. The flight attendant came by, checking in on you before takeoff. You asked for a coffee, hoping to be as wide awake as possible when you got there. It didn’t take long for the announcement of takeoff. You sipped on your drink, watching the sky through the window as the earth disappeared.

When you were in the air, you pulled down the tray table from the seat in front of you, setting your notebook down and opening it to your last worked on page. You figured if you had some free time, you could at least get an early start on your work.

You stared hard at your hand drawn chart, grabbing a few highlighters from your pencil case. You highlighted the curve overlaps from hypoglycaemic heart rates and voltage levels, then did the same with the hyperglycaemic measurements. Below, you made notes of the correlation and began the treacherous journey of attempting an equation to describe the relationship. Four pages of numbers and scribbles later, you were brought back to reality by the loudspeaker announcing the plane was prepared to land. The night sky was pitch black, a luminescent glow underneath the clouds from the city lights. You packed all of your things back in your bag, assuring yourself you’d get back to it later.

When the plane came to a halt, all of the passengers were given instructions on how to exit and claim their baggage. You took your headphones out, stuffing them in your pocket, standing while you did so. When you got off, you immediately looked around for a familiar face. When you didn’t see one, you made a move to grab your suitcase. You took your things and went to the main lobby, searching around like a lost puppy. You felt your hope fizzle away when you couldn’t locate Josh. Your heart sped, your brain immediately trying to convince you that you should turn around and go home, that showing up was a terrible idea and Jake wouldn’t want to speak with you. You were plagued with the worst thought of all; Jake really had done the unforgivable, and you were walking into your own grave.

You were shaken from your nervousness when you heard your nickname being called, one you hadn’t heard in days. The one that only sounded right coming out of Jake’s mouth. You looked up, eyes immediately falling on the boy you’d been looking for. A grin was plastered on his face, and he was holding his arms out to you. In lieu of embarrassment, you ran towards him and practically fell into his arms. He held on to you tightly, never wanting to let go. “Hey, mama.” Josh whispered. You didn’t reply, only soaked up the emotion from the hug. Once again, you hated how similar the twins were. If you only felt the hug, you could have sworn it was Jake, especially after going so long without his touch. “How was the flight?” He asked as he pulled away.

“I actually didn’t even realize we were about to land. Got working on my research again, just kind of got caught up, I guess.” You laughed.

“You tired?” He asked, looking over your face. You shook your head.

“No, I actually took a nap before I called you, earlier. Plus they had free coffee refills the whole flight.” He smiled, making a move to grab your bag for you. You attempted to stop him, but he gave you a look of warning. You rolled your eyes but let him take them, anyway. He nodded his head towards the door, signalling that he’d take you back to the hotel. You both left together, opting against any more shared words. He led you to a car, throwing the bags in the backseat before opening the door for you.

“Our rent-a-car for the next few days.” He said, cheerily. You had a hard time feeling so glum around him. He just produced an aura of peace without even trying. He always seemed to know how to cheer you up. You got in, immediately surrounded by the warmth of the interior. You relaxed into the leather seat, finding it much more comfortable than the airplane seats. He got in, too, starting the car with a push of a button. He pulled out of the parking lot, looking over at you through the corner of his eye. “How are you feeling?”

“Uh, nervous.” You chuckled. “Very nervous.”

“Don’t be. I promise you guys will cry for a little while and then it’ll be all sunshine and rainbows.” He smirked. You gave a small smile, unsure of how to answer. “If that’s what you want.” He interjected quickly. “If you want, you can punch him in the face.” He mimicked the action, making you laugh. “Just don’t bruise it too bad, he still has to get on stage tomorrow.”

“Can’t make any promises.” You joked. The drive was filled with silence until he pulled into the parking lot of the hotel. Your palms were sweaty, and you were scared you wouldn’t be able to force yourself to go inside. Josh parked the car, shutting off the engine and sat with you while you worked up the nerve to get out.

“You want me to bring your bags to my room just in case?” He asked. You nodded.

“That would be nice, yeah.” You choked out.

“I promise it’s gonna be okay. I’ll be right next door if anything happens. You know you have a bed to sleep in, if you want it.” He assured you. “Jakes going to be ecstatic to see you, if that’s what you’re worrying about. You could probably go up there and spit in his face and he’d say thank you.” You let out a small laugh. “Now come on, they’re no better time than now.” He reached over and pulled you into an awkward hug. You shifted, making it a little easier to return the gesture. You took a few more moments of self-reflection before letting out a long exhale and stepping outside.

Josh collected your things from the car, following behind you as you approached the building. You entered the main doors, admiring the lobby before being greeted by the worker at the front desk. You gave her a sheepish smile as Josh walked up beside you. He guided you to the elevator, ushering you inside and clicking the button for their floor.

The elevator ride seemed to be the longest one you’d ever endured. When the ding signified that the destination was reached, Josh practically had to coax you out with him. He brought you down to the end of the hallway, pointing to a door. Your eyes fell to where he was motioning. “This is it.” He whispered, giving you a reassuring pat on the back. “I’ll be right next door if you need me.”

“Okay,” you squeaked, never turning to look at him. Your eyes were glued to the door separating you and Jake.

“You’ve got this.” He assured you, keying into his hotel room. The door fell shut behind him with a dull thud, leaving you alone with your own thoughts. You wanted to run, to hide and pretend you’d never come in the first place. You were certain that if you did, you may never forgive yourself. If you ran away now and lost Jake forever, you would be miserable. You had to know for sure if you were ever going to move on.

So, you gathered up the nerve to knock. It was way more powerful than you intended. You thought that maybe you hyped yourself up a bit too much. “Fuck off,” a muffled voice sounded from the room. You rolled your eyes and knocked again. He didn’t answer, no sign of movement in the slightest. You sighed, hitting your knuckles against the door once more. Finally, you heard a slur of curse words and a few angry footsteps. When the door swung open, you could’ve fallen to your knees.

He was paler than usual, and his hair was a bit messy. He smelled like whiskey and he was wearing clothes that looked very well worn. But he was just as beautiful as you remembered, and his eyes were just as captivating.

“Hi, rockstar.” He opened his mouth to speak, but quickly shut it. He repeated the action a few times before he could produce a sound.

“Y/n,” he breathed, almost as if you were a figment of his imagination. “Can I… can I hug you?” He asked after a few moments of a staring contest. You gave a slight nod, holding your arms out. Without any hesitation, he bounced forward and wrapped himself around you, picking you up and holding you tightly. All of the emotion he’d been holding back was all coming out, now. His head was buried in your neck, breathing in the smell of your shampoo. When he set you back down, he took your face in his hands, studying your features like he had to get to know you all over again.

“I thought you… yeah.” He didn’t have to finish what he wanted to say, too scared for the answer. You shook your head.

“I was hoping that maybe we could talk,” you explained “I would really like to figure this out.”

“Yes, please. I’d like that, too.” He scrambled to the side, motioning for you to come inside. You did so, a bit of hesitancy in your step. When you were inside the room, he shut the door behind you, but didn’t approach. You stared at each other in silence, both unsure of how to begin to process the whole situation. “Did you wanna sit down, maybe?” He asked, finally stepping forward. You nodded your head, looking towards the bed. The blankets were a mess, there were clothes on the floor and a bottle of liquor on his bedside. When you approached the bed, you noticed his phone screen was on and open to your contact. You were certain he never closed it due to the amount of calls and texts you’d gotten from him.

You took a seat on the edge of the mattress while he made his way over. He picked up the mess of clothes and threw them in a neater pile by his bag at the end of the bed frame. He took a seat next to you, leaving enough space between you to make sure you were comfortable. “I’m sorry.” He spoke first. You shook your head, stopping him before he continued.

“I don’t want to hear any apologies.” You said, firmly. “To me, that only makes it seem like you have something to be guilty about.”

“Well, I do, but I don’t think it’s what you’ve been worried about.” He explained. “I didn’t think you were going to come.”

“Neither did I,” you gave a small chuckle. “Josh caught me in a particularly weak moment and I talked to him for a while. I think he helped put some things into perspective.”

“He’s got a way with words.” Jake reasoned.

“That he does.” You agreed. “I’ll decide if I hate him for it after we’re done talking.” He smiled at the joke. It was small, but even so, it looked so beautiful on his lips. Your chest ached at the sight, the melancholy finally setting in. “I want to say sorry, too, I think. I shouldn’t have just disappeared like that. It was pretty childish.” He gave a shrug, choosing not to input on the statement.

“Why didn’t you answer? Like at all. You could have told me to fuck off, and I would have been fine with it, but just… radio silence.” He mumbled.

“I was scared. Still am.” A small, humourless laugh fell from your lips. “I’m a runner. That’s what I do. I did it the night I met you, and I did it all week, and I think I still want to, now.”

“From what? I know I hurt you, and I can’t take that back, but you ran without an explanation.” You slowly nodded along to his words, your eyes falling to the floor, no longer able to look at his face.

“Yeah.” You replied. “Love terrifies me. I told you way back in the beginning that I wasn’t interested in any more relationships. The last one was really bad. I decided to give you a chance, but it wasn’t really my choice. I fell for you super fast, and then I saw… whatever that was, and I panicked. I tried to cut you out completely because I didn’t want to get hurt again. Turns out, it hurts either way, and there’s no way I could ever forget you.” You barely spoke the last part, afraid to say it out loud. “I think it was my cop out. I always look for an excuse to leave. I convince myself that running when things get tough is a way to save myself from getting hurt even more later on. Cut people out completely and act like it never happened. It’s a pretty vicious cycle.” His eyes were sad at your statement, feeling guilty for even making you think he would treat you like anyone before him.

“I promised I would never treat you like those other people did,” he reminded you “and I didn’t break it, either. Do you really think I’d do that to you?” His question was innocent, laced with curiosity, but you took the defence.

“I don’t know, Jake!” You blurted. “I feel like I know you pretty well, but I haven’t known you for that long. I don’t think you would, but I didn’t hear from you at all and suddenly the internet was buzzing about Jake Kiszka’s new girlfriend! I know I was a bit irrational, but all I could think was the worst! You’re the big rockstar, you travel the world and meet gorgeous women every day, ones that I could never compare to. I don’t know if you give the same story to a new girl in every city, and I feel so fucking stupid for thinking some insignificant girl in Baltimore could give you what you need. We dated for a month and I’ve only seen you three times! What kind of relationship is that?”

“Hold on,” he stopped you, moving closer. He grabbed your chin in his hand and guided you to look at him. “Your rockstar.” He whispered, eyes telling you more than his words ever could. “You’ve got it backwards. There’s no woman in the world that would ever compare to you. You had me wrapped around you finger the minute I met you. You’re the only girl in any city who’s ever gotten that story, and the only one who ever will. I’ve never felt this way about anybody, ever. You can’t be that blind to think you’re insignificant, y/n, especially to me. Even if I’ve only known you for a little while, you’ve become my whole world. Every word I’ve ever said to you, I meant it.” You felt the dreaded tears fill your eyes again, feeling stupid for a whole different reason. He wiped away a teardrop as it fell. “I don’t need to know you for a lifetime, or see you every day to know that I want you and I love you. You give me the world just by existing. I’ve known plenty of people, some for my whole life, but nobody knows me like you do. You listen to me talk about things nobody has ever cared to ask me about before, and you always seem overjoyed to hear it. It took me all of twenty minutes to fall for you at that bar, and I haven’t looked at anyone ever since, and I don’t plan on looking for anyone else ever again. If that’s what you’re scared of, you have nothing to worry about.” You couldn’t contain the waterfalls pouring down your cheeks. It was crazy how you’d only been with him for a few moments, but the week-long hurt suddenly seemed nonexistent. You hated to admit it, especially considering the fear of dependency, but a lot of what you needed to feel better was just simple reassurance. Reassurance that he loved you, and he wanted you, and not anyone else he was meeting along the way.

“Been waiting a while to say that?” You managed out through your cries. He laughed, admiring your ability to joke even if you were hurting. He wiped your cheeks again, looking over your face and finally feeling a shred of peace.

“Yeah, actually.” He chuckled. You reached out and ran your thumb over his cheek, allowing yourself to enjoy his presence. He leaned into the touch, showing you how much he missed it. “I’ll say it again if you want me to.” He assured you. Your thumb swooped down, outlining his jaw and then ran over his bottom lip. He pressed a kiss to it, making your heart flutter.

“That’s okay. I don’t think I’ll ever forget it, this time.” You breathed.

“As for the pictures, I can genuinely explain that, if you’ll let me.” You watched him carefully, scanning his face for a second.

“Okay,”

“By the time I woke up, I figured you were already working. I didn’t want to distract you from your very important and impressive internship.” He said, causing an eye roll from you.

“Flattery will get you nowhere, Jacob.” You reminded. He chuckled.

“I know, but I like to flatter you, anyway.” He admitted. “I know when I was talking to you the day before, you were working, and I definitely stopped your productivity. I know you’d never admit it, but I’m a better distraction than I am a help.”

“You’ve never been a distraction, rockstar.” You told him the truth. Not once had you ever felt that way about him. He gave a shrug.

“I went to get coffee and to check out the town a bit, cause I had the whole day to kill before I could really talk to you. So I found a little shop, reminded me of the one we went to the first time I was in Maryland. Did you know coffee shops are the ultimate place to run into people?” He questioned. You didn’t answer, only waited for him to continue. “As I was leaving, someone called my name. Thought it was a fan, so I turned around expecting a picture and a quick conversation, but it was someone I hadn’t seen in a really long time. My sisters best friend from like, all of grade school. I’ve known her since she was like…” he visually measured the height with his hand, stopping it when it was a few feet above the floor. “That tall.” You felt your stomach sink. “She was always at our house. I haven’t seen her since my sister graduated. Turns out she lives in Atlanta now and has a kid.”

“Jake… I’m so sorry.” You said, feeling incredibly guilty now.

“No, don’t be. I lost track of time and didn’t realize my phone was on silent. We talked for hours, got lunch and she showed me around to her favourite spots in town. Didn’t realize what time it was until she had to pick her kid up from school.” He chuckled. “Also didn’t realize how many people were trying to get ahold of me. By that point, the internet had gotten hold of the pictures of us eating together and her wearing my jacket, and it was too late. But I promise you, that was all it was. I can show you pictures from when we were kids, too, just to show you I’m not lying. I looked for some to show you while I was waiting to hear back from you.”

“No, Jake. I believe you. I’m sorry.” He ran his hand through your hair, shaking his head slowly.

“You were right to be upset. A girl you’ve never heard of wearing my jacket and the internet saying we were dating. I completely get it. If it was the other way around and I saw pictures of you with another guy, I’d probably be pretty upset, too. But y/n, you have to know that I would never do that to you. You mean way too much to me for me to just throw it away like that.” He assured you. “I just wish we talked it out sooner. It has been a terrible fucking week without you.” He was putting it lightly, knowing the days prior were way worse than he was able to explain. “But, I know why, now. And I’m not mad at you, either. It was a shitty situation and we kind of lacked in the communication department. It doesn’t change how I feel about you, and I would still really like to be with you, if that’s what you want, too.” You didn’t respond immediately. Your silence caused anxiety to spike in Jake.

“Yeah, I do want that. I’m sorry I overreacted, and I’m sorry I ran. I thought it would be so easy to cut you off and never speak to you again, because that’s what I usually do, but you’re… different. All of the stuff that usually helps me forget just made me think about you more. I think I’m really in love with you, rockstar, and I don’t think I’ve ever actually been in love before. It’s hard for me to come to terms with, because I know you have the power to take the happiness away if you decide to.”

“That’s okay.” He said, relieved you felt the same way. “We can figure it out together. I feel the same way about you, y/n. You don’t have to worry about me taking anything away from you, because you have that power over me, too.”

“Okay,” you whispered. “I think that would be alright.”

“No more running, please. You’re allowed to leave whenever you want, just don’t disappear on me again. I know long distance can be really hard, but I’ve never wanted to make it work more than I do right now. I’m not going to force you to stay if you ever do choose to leave, but I don’t want to lose you over something small, or something that we can fix.”

“Okay.” You said again, more confident now. “I don’t know how to do this properly, or how to stop being afraid, but I’m willing to try it if it means I get to be loved by you.”

“That’s all I ever want to do, y/n.” He said, pulling you closer to him. He rested his forehead on yours, not wanting to push you too far. “I promised that when you graduated for good, I’d by you whatever house you wanted. I’m going to do whatever I can to make sure that happens.”

“Me, too, Jake.” You felt your bottom lip quiver. “What did you do to me?” You laughed as another wave of tears hit you. “Making me want to settle down and have a nice house and some kids? I’ve never wanted that before in my life.”

“Guess it’s just the Kiszka charm?” He couldn’t help but laugh, too. You both fell into a comfortable silence, just happy to be loving each other again. After a moment, he broke it. “I suppose I can add taming a spitfire to my resume, now, too.”

“Only if I get to brag about enchanting a rockstar.” You both dissolved into a fit of giggles.

“In a true witchy woman fashion.” He sighed, a smile prominent on his lips. “I love you so much.”

“I love you, Jake.” You were so happy to say it out loud again. He pulled you into a kiss, holding you there and savouring the feeling. He hesitated when he parted, not sure if he wanted the moment to end.

“You’re staying, right?” He asked hopefully.

“If you want me to.” You answered, mind still cloudy from the feeling of his lips on you.

“I’d never let you go home if I could get away with it.” He pulled back, settling into the bed a little more. He held his arms out to you, silently telling you to join him. You kicked your shoes off, climbing in next to him.

“This is home.” You whispered.

“A hotel in Atlanta?” He joked while he wrapped his arms around you, pulling you into him. You audibly sighed in relief, realizing the memory of him was nothing compared to the real thing.

“You.” You corrected, relaxing into the warmth of his body. He didn’t answer, only smiled, knowing he felt the exact same way.

TAGLIST: @gvfpal @jakesgrapejuice @hellowgoodbye @ohgodthefeeling-gvf @welllauragvf

[smartcatches]

How someone get through to Qantas?

Qantas is a flag carrier of Australia. It is the largest local airline per its fleet size, international flights, and international destinations. They provide very amazing services to those who want to travel anywhere domestically and somewhere outside of Australia. If you already have purchased some, you might want to reach out to the support to know the answer: How do I speak to someone at Qantas? So that you can sort out your issues and won't create any hindrance later in your trip.

Guided procedure to how do I speak to someone at Qantas

Are you getting waiting too much when you are on phone call to airlines customer service and dialler says to press 1 , press 2 and soon and you hear those options carefully and likely hit option to get connected to representative but still there also hold time goes very high and journey queries remain unanswered Is it mandatory to do RT-PCR before boarding to Qantas flight? Even if I fully vaccinated?,If RT-PCR test report taken within 48 hours to 72 hours of departure Will it be valid or not? and looking  for how do I speak to someone at Qantas? So reach now with below ways quickly.

Via phone:

Qantas has promised to provide excellent service to each passenger that has trusted them as they have purchased tickets, so their customer support is resolving all the issues with them. So if you also find yourself in a similar situation, try reaching out to their support team at their official helpline, using which you can file a complaint or use any service. You have to call Qantas phone number at 1 800 227 4500, they are available to resolve issues and they are clearing all issues which their travelers tell them, it is very useful to try to tell them your issues using this way as this is one of the easiest ways among all the ways.

Via live chat:

There is also a facility for registering your complaints and using some of the available services using chat support. This is one of the most used processes after calling, as there are times when you are going to face some trouble trying to reach out to them. When it happens, this process comes handy in resolution. Follow these steps if you want to file a complaint.

First, you have to put URL of the Qantas website.

When the page appears, click on support, where you have to search and click on chat support.

Explain your issues to the customer support and make a submission

There is a resolution to your issues which appears on the screen

Close this window after your issues are resolved

Via email support:

You can also email the problems that you are facing regarding the services to officials email, and they are going to make sure that your issues are resolved. Email them at qantasagencyconnectnz@qantas.com.au. After you have sent your issues, wait for resolution

Via social platforms :

Social platforms are an amazing way if you are looking for that way to find your answers in the fastest manner possible, so you must first select a social platform where you are available and have a presence. You can find their official handles and try to revert your issues. They can resolve whatever you are facing regarding their services very fast, as they are available almost the whole day on social networks to ensure their passengers won't face any trouble while they use their services.

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/Qantas/

Twitter- https://twitter.com/Qantas

Linkedin- http://www.linkedin.com/company/qantas

YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/user/Qantas

Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/Qantas/

So you have learned that if there are some issues you cannot resolve, you can surely try to reach the support team using the ways explained. If you want to use services, you can try to use them using some ways, you can tell whatever your issues are to the support team, and you are good to go, as they can provide you with effective resolutions that can sort out your issues without any hassle so that you can carry on with your journey.

[dukeoftheblackstar]

[ Moving my rants from FB to here for a while so I don't accidentally block a bitch and get fired ] 08/24/22

And in comes today's dilemma of honesty or just plainly taking it with a nod and moving on. I can't deal with the whole 'fix your tone' bullshit because that's what it is; absolute bull.

Fixing my tone is just another way of telling me to suppress my emotions which clearly indicates how passionate I am about what I believe in and the authenticity of airing my concern indicates how I take my responsibilities seriously.

I don't cuss nor throw insults, but when I'm upset I'm not about to pretend that I'm not. I'm not about to shift my entire personality because how people define professionalism is so flawed that it basically means to put your head down.

I'm not soft-spoken and I'm not sorry about that either. I hate small talks and flowery sentences when we can just be upfront about things and get it dealt with. Have more room for propositions and proper talk.

More and more do I feel like this company's a fucking chore to work with. I love what I do, the task at hand, but the fucking process changes is making it difficult for us. Certain processes we could do gets taken away, updates done without prior notice, and the way unreasonable Kens and Karen's are dealt with remains primitive.

Why not stand up for us, huh? Why not tell them they didn't read the email right? Why not go after how fucking shitty they are for not watching ACTUAL LOOM VIDEOS made tailored to their concerns? WHY NOT LOOK AT THE MTHRFCKIN SCREENSHOTS, YOU DUMB BITCH?

But yes, customers are always right. No argument about this that would ever impact how the corporate runs you down like slaves because they pay your fucking bills.

...

I have to be coached for a few negative ratings because some bitch specifically said 'she thought' there was no workaround when I just gave her the fucking workaround with a fucking screenshot.

And another because our company product cannot do what she wants to, which was edit what a button would say on her checkout page. And there I was, being the even dumber bitch for trying, went out of my way to conjure a code she could use (even though we do not support coding assistance), offered it TWICE (to which she declined) went on a tirade about how our product is so shit.

THEN BITCH MOVE.

Now comes the big decision of being honest or just taking the L and moving on. And by honest, I mean really calling out the fact that:

The assigned support staff has the audacity to remind us to always acknowledge (even with a tiny emoji) call-outs and posts when I FUCKING TAGGED YOU TWICE TO MAKE A FOLLOW-UP ON THIS GODDAMN BITCH, TO WHICH YOU ACKNOWLEDGED WITH YOUR SHITTY EMOJI,BUT DID NOT FUCKING DO. OH AND DID I TELL YOU ABOUT HOW THEY'RE NOT GONNA SCRUB OFF THAT NEGATIVE RATING OFF MY GODDAMN SCORE, WHICH ELIMINATES ME FROM BEING A CANDIDATE FOR A PRIZE MONEY? BECAUSE IDK, I FUCKING NEED IT?

And then my boss. My boss is cool and kind, informative and shit. But same deal tho. You want us to always acknowledge shit, but you leave DMS the whole day unanswered? Tagged you in. Nothing. I get you have work more than us or even meetings, but a whole day tho? Even messages when I call in because I'm sick get unanswered. Cool fam. How tf am I supposed to know if I'm getting goddamn attendance points or not?

I had over forty, going fifty tickets amidst our 30-35 limit. I did chat and made no complaints from shifting my schedule from email to chat to chat to email because we had an outage. We were told to endorse potential bad - rating tickets and I did. I always do. I fucking always do because I take my fucking job seriously.

But I guess I fucking shouldn't, should I? Maybe I should just be mediocre at work and clock in between the hours I'm supposed to be and get the fuck out?

God fucking damn it, I am so fired up.

Fix my fucking tone. I'll fix your fucking face.

[sigmastolen]

i’m... back?

.

.

.

i don’t know how to feel

[notsofloofy]

Special Stage

Idol: Lee Siyeon (Dreamcatcher)

Your girlfriend knows what she was doing even before her solo stage for the online concert. She just has a great way of surprising you every time.

Warning: smut, slight choking, edging

A/n: I think we all saw this coming

☕buy me a coffee☕

You had promised your girlfriend that you would be watching the concert, even showing her the ticket you purchased just so she would stop whining at you into promising her.

Plus, it wasn’t really uncommon for you to be watching her performances and showing your support for the rest of Dreamcatcher when you had the chance.

You loved the confidence your girlfriend had whenever she was on stage, the way she easily showed off her charisma always had the effect of making your knees buckle and heat to rush through you.

But this concert... this was something you were not expecting at all because as soon as you recognized Paradise Lost and Siyeon peeling the fur coat off her shoulders, only to casually throw it aside, your heart had already jumped in your throat and you were rooted in place, eyes glued to the screen whilst your girlfriend performed it with the actual choreography of the song, her voice only making you more lost than you already were.

By the time she got to your apartment, there was already a cat-like smirk playing at her lips when she saw you staring at your laptop screen, twitter opened up with various clips and pictures of her solo stage.

"Enjoyed the show, babe?" The sudden hand on your shoulder had caused you to flinch, making her smirk widen as the same hand moved from your shoulder to your chest, her fingers teasingly tugging at your shirt as she felt you stiffening under her touch.

"Y-You were great. I was honestly amazed." You admit, though that's not exactly what she wanted to hear.

Her long nails gently scraped against the skin of your exposed neck, her head moving down just so her lips barely brushed against your earlobe. "If you think that was nice, I think you'll appreciate the special stage I had prepared for you."

"I- what?" You would have choked on your own spit by then, but you didn't want to embarrass yourself further than you already were, though she still hasn't seen your face properly.

With a small nip on your ear, a shiver runs down your spine before her lips start tracing along the side of your neck. With her nails teasing your collabones, she urges you to relax against your seat before you felt her gently bite down and suck on the juncture of where your shoulder and neck meets.

There's a satisfied sigh coming from your lips when your muscles start to slowly relax, the memory of her earlier performance momentarily slipping away as she turns your chair around so you're finally facing each other and she easily slips onto your lap, her legs on either side of you as your hands instinctively rest on her hips.

With a hum, she moves her head, nose brushing against your jawline, as her hand finally moved to grip the back of your head and you had to groan when she suddenly tugs at your hair. "As much as I loved how you couldn't stop looking, I want to hear what you really felt about the stage." She purred as another kiss met your jaw.

"It'll help me keep this performance much more interesting." She says before drawing her lips to yours, letting the kiss linger as her hips begin to slowly move against you.

Truthfully, you expected her to be tired after just finishing a concert and the fact that their dances were no joke. But she did love to prove that she had a lot of tricks up her sleeve and that she enjoyed keeping you on your toes.

When your tongue manages to slip past her lips and into her own mouth, she happily welcomes it, pulling you closer as soft whimpers began to bubble from the back of her throat and her movements begin to take a steady rhythm while you help guide her in grinding against your lap.

She breaks the kiss first, gasping when you pull her flush against your lap and begin peppering kisses all over her neck. Tilting her head back to give you more access, she squeezes your shoulder before she stops moving just so she could focus a bit.

"You gotta answer my question, baby." She laughs breathlessly and you grunt before looking up to meet her eyes, hazy and dilated, and surely filled with things you could only find out when she wants you to.

“It made me feel like you were teasing me.” You state, making her smirk as she continues to lightly massage your scalp. “I just wanted you to come home and fuck you until you’re more exhausted than from the concert.”

With your hands sliding over her ass, she gives you a light pat on the arm before you gently lifted her up, her legs locking around your waist, and then carry her to the bed where she pulls you down and forces you to lay on your back before straddling you.

“Eyes closed, baby.” She whispers in your ear, brushing your hair from your face before she was pressing a light kiss to your lips and then urging you to shut your eyes, which you do after she slides off the bed.

“What are you doing?” But your question is left unanswered until you feel a dip on the bed before your girlfriend is crawling on top of you again. “Can I look now?” You try, this time getting an answer as her hands gingerly lift your shirt off you. “Not yet.” She hums, tossing the fabric carelessly to the floor.

Her finger traces the edge of your bra, eliciting goosebumps to form on your skin, before she pulled at the strap, only to release it and snap against your skin. The sensation makes you flinch and bite your lip while she smiles above you and proceeds to take it off.

“I need your eyes open, baby.” Finally opening your eyes, you look and see Siyeon sitting between your legs, completely bare and tugging at your shorts. But what catches your eyes is the toy she has settled between her own legs, one side of it already buried. “If I only wanted you to watch, I would have had you tied up, love.”

“Strip.”

The single command makes your body move on instinct, discarding whatever was left on you until you were just as naked as your girlfriend. A satisfied grin appeared on her face as she rubbed your leg, humming as she saw just how wet you’ve been with all the teasing she’s done.

Pressing kisses along your body, her lips linger on your breasts, brushing against your hardened nipples before her tongue ran over it and causing another shiver down your spine before she’s taking one into her mouth, nipping and sucking as her hand made sure to give equal attention to your other breast.

A soft moan comes from your lips at her ministrations, her free hand parting your legs before she’s cupping your sex with her hand, running her palm over your slick heat before she let her lips finally move up to your own parted ones after a ginger kiss to your jaw.

“Such a pretty sight. Did you miss me?” She whispered against your lips and you nod eagerly. “Words, love. I need you to tell me.” She reminds you and you had to inhale sharply when her finger presses against your clit. “So much.” You breathe out and she smiles before pecking your lips and then adjusting herself between your legs.

She rubs the other end of the toy against you, lubricating it while you grip the sheets. Her eyes never leave your face even as she sinks the toy into you and she moans at the sight of your head thrown back against the pillows, pretty pink lips parted in a silent moan.

When given the okay, she starts moving her hips at a slow pace, her hands resting on your hips as she finds a steady rhythm. She lets your legs wrap around her and you eventually begin matching her pace while moans and mewls spill from your lips while Siyeon can’t help but latch her lips back on your neck, sucking at your pulse point and drawing an even louder moan from the back of your throat when you close your eyes in pure bliss.

With her movements growing faster, she fights back her own moans when she holds your body against herself, face buried to your neck while your nails run down her back, the action giving her a sense of pain and pleasure.

She’s covered a good portion of your neck and collarbones with her own marks, though. And while she knows you’ll scold her for them in the morning, she’s too busy pleasuring you to care as she places a few more.

Her thrusts are slow yet harsh, making your whole body jolt with each move. When she’s satisfied with her work, she finally returns to your lips to silence your moans, her tongue slithering into your warm mouth and tangling with your own.

You claw at her back with every wave of pleasure that washes over you, the feeling of her muscles flexing under your touch with each of her thrusts only making the coil in your stomach grow tighter.

But the sudden hand that wraps around your neck has your eyes snapping open when she breaks the kiss with a grunt. Her eyes are filled with so much mischief as she slows down enough to make you whine.

She can feel you nearing your climax with the way your walls clench tighter around the toy, and she can feel her own not too far away. But she was trying to see how well she could pull you further to the edge before she would actually give you the release you wanted.

She makes sure your eyes remain on hers when she gives your neck a soft squeeze right as she starts to move again. A thin sheet of sweat covered her body as she leaned down with a particularly strong thrust that has you gasping. “Look at me and cum when you want to breathe.”

Right after she said that, she nipped at your lower lip and gave it a tug before she leaned back and focused on building your climax back up, her other hand reaching down to rub your clit in slow and tight circles.

You could feel your back arching with the way your girlfriend was handling you. The strong and heavy thrusts and the stimulation on your clit, along with the way she was squeezing on your neck was all enough to let your orgasm come crashing down on you.

While you tried to keep eye contact with Siyeon, the pleasure had been too much that you had to close your eyes and she finally released your neck and letting air fill your lungs when you gasp.

With a few more thrusts, the blonde followed afterwards, a low moan falling from her lips as she drops her head to your chest.

The room is quiet, only your heavy breathing being audible. But with her head on your chest, she could hear as you tried to calm your racing heart. It made her smile crawl back to her lips before she slowly lifted herself off you to pull the toy out of you and then moaning softly as she took it off and lazily threw it on the floor.

Her body collapses next to your before you curl into her side, head resting on her shoulder as she reaches for the blanket to wrap around the both of you. With a kiss to your forehead, she lets out a hum before looking down at your face.

“Are you alright?” She asks softly, her fingers lightly running over the side of your neck when you drape an arm over her stomach. “Perfectly fine.” You murmur happily and she chuckles before placing a gentle kiss to your forehead, nose, and then lips.

She closes her eyes while wrapping both arms around you and making sure you were safe in them as her exhaustion finally caught up with her. “I love you.” She whispers against your hair and you smile against her neck while closing your own eyes.

“I love you, too.”

[johnkrrasinski]

𝐄𝐱𝐢𝐥𝐞

Chapter 1: You Were My Town

full masterlist // series masterlist // commission open // support my work

Pairings: Dark!Steve Rogers (in future chapters) x Reader 

Word Count: 2,061

Summary: Steve Rogers; a Hollywood A-lister and your clandestine occasional hookup. Best friends since childhood, but people change and friendships fall out. Now you were merely strangers with benefits. What happens when one day you stopped being his doormat to be a better man’s queen? The selfish Steve Rogers would not like it. How far is he willing to go to get his favorite possession back?

Warnings: smut, non-con/dub-con, dark Steve (in later chapter), angst, Steve Rogers is an asshole in this one, no redeeming qualities. (MUST BE 18+) 

A/N: first chapter is finally here!! this series is dedicated to the lovely @belovedcherry​ who commissioned this story and developed the concept. thank you for being a friend when i truly needed it. i’m really glad that you trusted me to write this story for you. with all my heart, i sincerely hope you like it. this series will be updated everyday, there will be 4 more chapters ahead. 

PICTURE EXCLUSIVE: New Couple Alert! Steve Rogers and a blondie bombshell can’t keep their hands off each other! The headline verbalized.

The notorious heartthrob was spotted leaving The Ritz-Calton Hotel in Los Angeles around 2 AM with Spanish model, Alondra Ondiviela, 28, who looked stunning in a salmon sports bra and black overall, as she walked hand-in-hand with Dusk and Dawn star, Steve Rogers.

Steve Rogers was last linked to Blade in Deep actress, Anne Amorós back in early spring this year but had reportedly split after only two months dating.

Steve Rogers has been previously linked to many gorgeous models in the past, earning him the infamous title of ‘Hollywood’s favourite ladykiller.’ Will Alondra Ondiviela be the one to finally make Steve Rogers settle down and give up his womanizer ways? Placing our bets on how long this couple is going to last!

You closed the tab on your browser as you sighed defeatedly on your couch. You laid your head back on the headrest as you shut your eyes and folded your arms against your chest. Just how many more gossip articles can you endure?

Steve Rogers was your childhood best friend and… Perhaps the only man you had ever truly loved. You knew it was nothing but sheer naivety for you to concede that. You knew it was cruel and inequitable to your heart, but, you still held on to that tiny glimpse of hope that someday, things will change. He will change. Despite all the shit he had put you through, you couldn’t abnegate yourself from him. He always lured you back in with his sweet words and sinful lips whenever you try to expel him from your door.

It wasn’t always like this. Back in kindergarten, Steve used to be this good, shy, scrawny kid who had a blistering passion for art. He was always very twitterpated by watching live shows on stage. When you were kids, Steve would try to sneak both of you into the theatre when the lights were out. Steve didn’t grow up in a very lucky family. His abusive father abandoned his mother when he was only four years old, and since then, his mom had been working tirelessly to keep a roof over their heads and fill in their fridge with food.

You, on the other hand, were a little luckier than him. Your parents had decent jobs that paid the bills well enough to survive. Whenever Steve was short in cash, you would always offer him a little bit of your pocket money or your meal. You would even offer to buy tickets for both of you so you didn’t have to sneak in and could actually get good seats. But he would always say, “well, where’s the fun in that?”

So you’d drop the topic and go along with whatever deceitful ways he had in mind. After all, he was your best friend and you trusted him. You’d rather choose the thrill of bootleg games than waiting ten minutes early before the show starts anyway. But you remember it vividly under the aura of those stage lightings and when the actors were personifying in their larger-than-life costumes, he would be so mesmerized by the show before him that sometimes he wouldn’t even say a word to you at all until it was over.

Before you went home, he and you would walk to the nearest burger place, where you would eat under the polychromatic neon sign and he would tell you, “someday, I’m going to my face on the big screen or one of those giant stages and I would make my mom proud!” he cheered. And you’d always encourage him, “…and I’ll be there to watch and clap for you in the audience.”

Rest in peace, to your naïve bravado… Little did you know, his dream was going to be your doom.

You remained closed friends as you grew up; going to the same school, sharing a few classes together, until, in high school, things began to change. He began to join auditions and taking art classes and extracurriculars. He became busier and busier every day to the point where he could only hang out with you on the weekends. That is when he absolutely had no rehearsals or he wasn’t too worn out from a week full of activities.

You also noticed the different manner and shift of inflexion when you two hung out. All he would talk about is the ‘clique’ of popular boys in school had asked him to sit with them at lunch and how the popular girls would start preening at him when he walked down the hallway. It was as if by partaking in these arts clubs, it gave him a VIP member card to get access into sitting with at exclusive spots and it upgraded his status.

He changed his looks as well, by going to the gym more often and eating more so that he would gain some muscles. He began dressing like one of those jocks and he would begin throwing in some flirtatious comments to those popular girls when they were around.

Eventually, he and you began to grow apart. It got worse when he started dating one of the popular girls, Janet, and he would ditch you even on weekends despite all the plans you had made weeks prior.

“I can’t hang out today, y/n. Janet’s parents are out of town and I think we are going to hook up in her giant pool!”

“But what about the movie that we planned to see together today? I thought you had been anticipating for it since a year ago?”

“I know, but can we just postpone it? It’s not like they are going to take it out tomorrow! We could still see it next weekend.”

“Well, we’ve bought the tickets, Steve.”

“Ah, shit, alright, I’ll just pay back the money, okay? How much are those tickets?”

“No, it’s fine, Steve. Don’t worry about it.”

“Really? You sure, y/n?”

“Yeah, I’ll just ask my mom or maybe Wanda to go see it with me. Don’t want those spoilers on the internet ruining it for me.” You chuckled hollowly. Disappointment filled up your heart but you pretended like it was alright, anyway. If Steve wanted to spend time with his girlfriend then, you had no right to stop him and force him to hang out with you.

“Ah, got it. Thanks, y/n. You’re the best!” and then the frozen seconds on the screen showed that he had ended the call.

The phone calls and text messages began to dwindle. You would often try to text or call him first but it would go to voicemail and or you would be left on read. When you were at school, Steve completely stopped hanging around you. He would rather be with his new ‘friends’ now. And he was too occupied with making out with Janet to notice you as you both walk past each other in the hall.

Wanda was your most trusted confidant and she knew about all the feelings you caged inside you for Steve. She would always be there for you when you cry over him and she would always encourage you to move on and stop trying to reach him. “You deserve so much better than this, y/n. Why would you ruin yourself for an asshole like him?”

Curse your adamant heart for refusing to listen to Wanda and take her advice. In the bottom of your heart, you knew that Wanda was right. You deserved so much better than what Steve had turned you into. You used to be this bright-eyed, rose-coloured heart person who saw your future in a radiant lustre. You were always drawn to helping people out. You used to think that maybe you’d end up being a nurse or a school counsellor, but as you grew older, gradually, you realized that there is far way more pernicious malady than physical ones.

Like the wound in your heart that Steve keeps tapping on every time he acts like he didn’t know you or he left another call or text unanswered. Every time he posted pictures of him and Janet, or him and ‘the boys’ who would walk around the school as they owned it. You had always dreaded those boys. You knew they were bad news and you didn’t want to be associated with them under any circumstances. You and Steve used to make fun of them, how much of a loser they are and how negligent they are toward their grades. But who would’ve known that Steve would turn into his own worst abomination?

Eventually, like all good (and bad) things, they must come to an end. You graduated with a 3.8 GPA and you were proud of yourself for all those times you spent being at home to do your homework and study until around 2 AM.

You were happy; you were satisfied with your grades, your parents were there, cheering for you in the audience and taking countless pictures of you when you walked on stage, and you could finally move forward to the next stage of your life. But something was missing.

“Gosh, I can’t wait to finally graduate.” He scanned the paper with a mark that mocked him in big bold red as he sat at the edge of your twin-sized bed. You had just returned from school and you had received the result of your Math tests. You luckily got a B+ but clearly, Steve didn’t acquire the same latter.

“C’mon, it’s just one bad test. It doesn’t mean that your life is over.”

“I know but, I don’t like seeing a C+ on my test, y/n. It makes me feel inadequate. Besides, I need a solid 3.7 GPA in order to get into NYU. Otherwise, I wouldn’t stand a chance.”

“Stop being so dramatic, you still have what it takes. You just need to do a lot better in the next one.”

“Yeah, I’m really gonna have to work my ass off though. Math has never been my strongest suit.”

“Neither it’s mine, but you know what? Someday we’ll wear our graduation hat and this wouldn’t even matter. You’d probably forget that you’ve ever had a C in your high school year.”

You recalled those times where Steve would endlessly talk about graduating and what would happen when both of you go on separate ways. He would tell you “don’t be silly. We’ll always be best friends even if we go to different universities. It’s not like we don’t have a phone, y/n.”

You always imagined that on your graduation day, you both would celebrate it together but of course, those dreams have long perished. Steve didn’t even have a smile on his face when your name was being announced.

He was supposed to be there, standing right next to you and engulf you in a warm, giant hug. The one that he used to give on your birthdays. But no, now, you could only watch him from several feet away farther than you both used to be. You could only hear his echoing laugh as he high-fived the boys and twirl Janet around up in the air like the happy ending in your favourite Rom-Com movies.

That should be me. Your heart cry mourned for the memories and the fractured promises. It was like there was this colossal fortress between the two of you and while you were fighting to climb it to reach him, he, on the other hand, didn’t even have the patience to wait for you.

It’s okay though. At least you had your parents and Wanda and her parents and twin brother, Pietro who adorned this special day distracting you away from the anguish of missing Steve. You were going to spend this entire day with the people who truly loved you and you loved just as equal before you had to leave for the new phases of your own lives.

You will finally move to your college dorm, have yourself a roommate, and invest your time and energy in something that you knew you were always meant to do and it excites you that your journey of helping people will start soon.

And Steve Rogers will be nothing but a consigned to oblivion memory that will sink like a battleship beneath the waves.

At least for now.

[robron1609]

Robron Week 2021 - Day 1

Meet-Ugly + "That's not an explanation."

New Beginnings

(ao3 link)

Aaron’s eyelids fluttered like a candle in the wind, the hustle and bustle of the city pecking away at his head with a sledgehammer. The bitter taste of ale, the fruity taste of wine and all the combined spices of every spirit known to man were stagnant on his tongue as he peeled his damp limbs off the leather sofa beneath him.

He let out a dry cough and it felt like someone had shot him in the brain during his sleep. But other than that, he was as right as rain.

It took him longer than he would care to admit to remember that he did, in fact, not own a single item of furniture that had even an inch of leather on it, and he lived in the in the middle of bloody nowhere where the only thing (apart from his mother) that made him shake a leg in the morning was the bellows of Moira’s cows when their troughs were being topped up.

So, there’s that.

His brain caught up and he bolted upright, his whole face moulding into a sculpture of what, where, when, how and why. He took in his brand-spanking-new surroundings; a lavish penthouse overlooking London’s skyline, decked out from head to toe in a fusion of ultra modern and industrial pieces. Not really his style, to put it nicely. It looked like something straight off the front page of one of those overpriced interior design magazines on the top shelf of David’s shop that no one ever bought.

Aaron could only hope that whoever lived here was some bloke he’d pulled in the haze of last night, if it wasn’t then… what the actual fuck was he doing here?

When the room had stopped spinning on all its axis and Aaron was eighty-nine percent sure that he would be able to hold his vomit in if necessary, he braved the hallways in search of other life. He detoured to stand in front of a back-lit mirror that had beckoned him over, and he was introduced to his reflection. It gawked right back at him, dressed in nothing but a pair of neon yellow boxers and a Scottish flag that he was wearing as a cape. The flag was fastened loosely around his neck with a frayed shoelace and there was a big tear down the centre of it.

Jesus fucking shit. Absurd didn’t even begin to cover it.

Sweat dripped down his top lip when he heard a deep voice through the wall. He teetered around the corner until he was close enough to pick up most of the words.

“I won’t be in today.” There was a pause. “Does it fucking matter?” Nice manners, then. “Look, unless you want me hurling all over the new contact, I suggest you grow a pair and attend the meeting without me.”

Aaron gripped the glossed door frame, his clammy hands squeaking on the wood as he snuck a look at who the voice was coming from. The man was stunning. He was all sun-kissed skin, choppy blond hair, and a gorgeous mouth that dipped dramatically in the corner.

“Shit!” With a jolt, the blond dropped his phone and it landed on his face with a mocking smack.

“Sorry-”

“Why are you in my house?!”

“I’m Aaron.” No shit, Aaron.

“That’s not an explanation!”

“Sorry.”

Aaron cringed. All of a sudden he was big on apologies, apparently. Blondie was now sitting up, scratching the fluff on the nape of his neck as he shuffled out of bed and adjusted his duvet accordingly whenever it slipped below his waistline. He just glared at Aaron, waiting to hear something that made sense.

“I was kinda hoping you could tell me,” Aaron said, using all of his self-control to stop his eyes from drifting downwards. “My head’s mashed. I remember being on the train with Adam and Vic, and then-”

“Vic as in my sister Vic?”

Aaron just stood there, catching flies. “I- I dunno, I think so. Sugden?”

“Uh-huh.”

Ohhhh, Robert Sugden. Aaron finally put a name to the face and felt like giving himself a pat on the back.

…..

“Here you go. Extra strong.”

"Ta."

Aaron warmly accepted the cup of coffee, the steam flying off it and dissolving in his pores. He used the piping hot liquid to swamp down some paracetamol before tightening the strap on the dressing gown that Robert had lent him a little earlier with a side-eye and a grumbled, “Make sure you give it back.”

With the current cycle rumbling the machine into the ground, Aaron glanced at the digital timer displayed on the appliance. Just forty-eight minutes until he could grab his screwed up clothes, slap them on, and leg it to the underground with his tail between his legs. The longest forty-eight minutes of his life, no doubt.

Hoping to make a crack in the ice, Robert led Aaron to the scene of last night’s crime. Through the sliding doors, across the patio and up the spiral stairs, secluded in the corner and illuminated by the steady flicker of the firepit. Robert was surprised that it hadn’t burnt out in the early morning under the April showers.

The rooftop terrace was what sold this place for Robert. It was his haven, complete with everything that made his superficial heart weep. This morning, however, it looked how he felt.

He absorbed the aftershocks of his party (shards of glass littering the outdoor table, remains of finger foods welded to the deck, and a pair of nude stilettos abandoned on the bar) and sagged. Turning thirty was dismal enough without having to clean up after his colleagues. Or, as he liked to call them, a bunch of wound up, hoity-toity pen pushers who didn’t even know his middle name���just a sniff of free booze and they were squeezing into a Ralph Laurent polo that still had the label on, and patting him on back with a bout of boisterous laughter as if they were best mates.

Wow, he was in dire need of some proper friends.

Aaron propped himself up on the bar. “Bet you don’t get tired of this,” he said, looking out at the sparkling city.

“It’s a great hangover cure,” Robert said, nursing his Americano and watching the ripples dance over the surface as he lightly blew it. “It can be lonely, though,” he admitted, unsure as to why. This handsome and hungover stranger was just waiting for his ticket out of here, he didn’t want or need to become Robert’s agony uncle to fill the time, that was for sure.

“Why’s that?”

Oh. Perhaps Aaron, for one reason or another, cared. Or he’s got nowhere else he needs to be and Robert’s left him with no choice but to sit and listen because it's the polite thing to do. Aaron looked at Robert all doe-eyed and Robert wanted to stay here until he’d told Aaron every single intricate detail of his life up until this point. But that seemed a little crass.

“Don’t know, really. I just… don’t like to be alone with my thoughts, I suppose. And being up here, well, it’s a whole lot of that.”

“I know what you mean,” Aaron said. “How long have you lived here?”

"Nearly two years on the whole." Robert calculated, Aaron giving him an amicable nod in response. Robert licked the coffee froth off his lips, clearing his throat. "I've lived in London a while, though. Since I left the village, pretty much."

"And you never thought about going back?"

"I couldn't." That would mean looking back. And after the trail of destruction he'd left in his wake, that was never going to happen. They were better off without him. Or at least his Dad and Andy were. Vic and Dianne never stopped reaching out, however, offering their support through texts and unanswered voicemails.

Aaron changed the topic, sensing that Robert's internal trip down memory lane wasn't a smooth ride. "You heard anything from Vic and Adam?"

"They were both flat out in the spare room last time I checked," Robert answered. He'd been less than pleased to find them entwined together on top of the duvet, dead to the world as Adam slobbered away on the satin pillowcase like an excited dog, and Vic let out a mishmash of unconscious sounds from sniffles to whistles, her makeup crusty and her outfit dishevelled by a night's sleep in it.

"Vic had a whole itinerary planned. Some museum, Leicester Square, and then this ridiculous hipster coffee shop near the station," Aaron said with a dreary eye roll. "Even though our train leaves just after two."

"She's just excited. She doesn't come here often."

"'Suppose not."

"Anyway, I recommended that coffee shop so you better not miss it," Robert said. Aaron snorted because of course he did. "Come on."

Robert rose, perking up a bit as he stretched his arms until they clicked with satisfaction. Aaron followed in his footsteps, literally, but they stopped in their tracks, coming face to face with a rumbled Victoria.

She looked dead and alive all at the same time as she swung her phone about. "There they are, the newly engaged couple."

Robert choked on air and Aaron gave him a splash of side-eye before snatching Vic’s phone. "What are you on about?" And Aaron had to check that the digital date displayed in the top left corner of the screen wasn't April the 1st. Nope, it was indeed the 23rd. And under that was a Facebook post on his profile; a blurry, backlit photo of him and Robert flashing the camera with two rings that didn’t even match, accompanied by a slurred caption.

yayy ENGAAAAAGED! whoop whoop!! hears to many many many many many year <3

Aaron groaned, throwing his head back in sheer embarrassment when Vic grabbed a hold of his and Robert’s left hands. Sure enough, the rings were still there. “Oh my God,” she cackled, her voice like a siren in the middle of the night. “This is brilliant. A few more of those cocktails and you’d be halfway to vegas, ey?”

Robert massaged his temples, kneading roughly at his dry skin. “Whatever’s in them is lethal,” he grumbled, peering over Aaron’s shoulder as he watched him scroll through the comments and squeeze his eyes shut in disbelief at each one.

“It’s your bar, mate. You should know what it’s serving,” Aaron said. He had a point. “Let’s just pray we left it at cheap rings.”

(Aaron couldn’t even begin to fathom at what point during the party he and Robert had fled the penthouse and ended up at a jewellers of all places. Who’d thought a proposal was the perfect end to a not-so-perfect night? Who’d taken that photo? And who in their right mind was selling giant fabric flags in the early hours of the morning? It would be a miracle if he becomes sober enough to answer at least one of those questions.)

Robert pouted. “That’s a shame. I’ll cancel the tickets to Vegas, then,” he teased.

“I dunno, I could do with a holiday just to get over the shame.” Robert grinned at the younger man’s flirty tone.

“Cheers,” Robert scoffed. Aaron handed the phone back to Vic who watched the pair with a knowing glint in her eye, her head bouncing back and forth between them.

“Only joking,” Aaron said. “Could be worse.”

Vic pocketed her mobile with a yawn and tightened her ponytail. “Right, I’m gonna drag my lump of a boyfriend out of bed and start gathering our stuff. I’ll leave you two to plan the wedding of the century, shall I?”

Vic left the rooftop, her flats scuffing all the way down the metal staircase. Robert gulped down the remains of his coffee and turned to Aaron with a smirk.

“So, fiancé,”–Aaron shot Robert a fiery glare which, if Robert didn’t know any better, would leave a bruise on his ego–“I know a great place where we can get some brunch. Why don’t we ditch Vic and Adam and I’ll drop you off at King’s Cross after.”

Aaron pulled a face. “ Brunch? I’m not paying £8.99 for a plain scone.”

“My treat.” Robert offered, hoping that would seal the deal.

“Like a date?”

“If you want it to be.” Aaron paused for a beat, not that there was ever much to contemplate.

“Fine.” Robert didn’t miss the bashful smile taking over Aaron’s face. Robert bit the inside of his cheek when Aaron began to descend the stairs. He crammed his hands in his pockets, his heart going into overdrive as he kicked his feet into gear.

[morphituu]

Milagro

Chapter 18: Back to Santa Monica

Ch: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17

Nick’s poor attempt at muffling his own hiss went unnoticed when Callie gripped his hand with a hold that could challenge an Orc’s, her forehead coming to press against his paling knuckles, gritting her teeth through the pressure.

“I’m sorry, I know these are awful,” Dr. Sangui sympathized, her hands and eyes busy behind the screen of the thin cloth draped between Callie’s knees.

“Mhm-” Callie tried to remain composed, but Nick could see the bands of muscle straining along the entire length of her legs propped up in the stirrups.

“Okay, aaand,” her doctor made quick work of her hands, followed by a few metallic clicks. “We’re done,”

Callie exhaled, her knees slapping together, whispering a soft, shy apology to Nick when she caught him shaking the blood back into his hand. He shrugged it off so she wouldn’t dwell, helping her sit up.

“Do you two have your bags packed yet?” Dr. Sangui asked after dropping the speculum into the sink and rolling towards them.

Nick snorted. “No,”

Callie flicked his hand.

“Well I think you may wanna keep them in the car, honestly. You’re about 70% effaced,” she grinned at Callie, instantly recognizing the excitement rising in her big eyes.

“What’s that?” Nick asked, feeling a little excluded from all the smiles.

“She could go into labor any day now,”

Nick’s poise flickered through a wide range of emotions just as his ears did, blindly reaching for Callie’s thigh to squeeze, but she was sure that although he would go on to tell her it was for moral support on her part, he was actually supporting himself so he didn’t fall forward onto his face.

“So he’s full term?” he cracked, grimacing at the betrayal of his voice.

“Right now his growth equates to a human baby at 36 weeks, at that stage we don’t stop labor if it comes. Callie’s body is showing all the right signs of labor preparation so I feel comfortable saying yes, he’s full term and you should have a little boy in your arms any day now,” her smile had started to break through her words, and by the time she finished, Callie was pressing her fingers over her own wide smile.

“Any day?” Nick repeated, the telling placement of his hand on his chest alerting Callie that he was leaning into breathlessness

“Yes sir, so pack those bags,” she scolded. “If you don’t have anymore questions or concerns I can get your paperwork organized and send you two on your way to get all the sleep you can.”

“Yes!” Callie clasped her hands together. “What secrets do you have to start labor?”

“I wish I had some,” Sangui frowned. “And while we’re at it, I'd like to go over our plan once more,”

“My natural birth plan?”

Nick’s glance up at her was one of annoyance; he didn’t understand why she had to be so hard-headed about this.

“Your back-up plan,”

“Assuming I even need one because I’m going to push him out,” Callie was frolicsome as ever, but her refusal to even consider the possibility of anything going south was worrisome. How would she handle the labor if it did go south?

“Seeing you wholeheartedly believing in yourself thrills me, but I need to hear you say you understand the importance of it, please . I don’t want any confusion if the time comes,”

Callie exhaled, choosing to look away from her doctors hardened, and seasoned stare. “I understand,” she established clearly, her mood having plummeted a little. “When can I cancel the c-section?”

“The second Leo is out,” she promised. “And a little personal advice from a mother of five,”

Nick’s eyes widened. Five!?

 “Walk. Walk as much as you can and let gravity do its job,”

“That’s it?” Callie muttered in disbelief.

Sangui nodded enthusiastically. “Tried and true method of evicting those little things,”

Callie looked at Nick who in turn shrugged. “Of all things,”

“Just please, whatever you do, don’t use castor oil. I cannot stand to see another baby go to ICU,” Dr. Sangui pleaded, the familiar grief lining her expression telling all the heartache she’d endured from such unfortunate events.

“I’ve heard horror stories,” Callie agreed, and once again Nick was left in the dark as he waited for some kind of hint to be provided

“Listen to them. Okay! Let me go grab your papers and you two can get going!” She chimed happily, patting Nick’s shoulder as she passed and left the room.

Callie always giggled when Nick took it upon himself to help pull her shorts up her legs, tugging them up her thighs once she was standing despite her half-hearted attempts at shoving him away. When it came to the spandex band that covered the curve of her low stomach, he’d step away knowing she liked to fold it over a particular way.

The black tank-top was pulled down, already fanning her cheeks and tossing her hair off her shoulders. A deep flush dusted her freckled cheeks, one the brisk AC didn’t even harpen.

Nick gazed up at her, admiring. Like the first time he’d looked up at a police officer at six years old, eyes wide and sparkling in wonder, he now found himself stuck in the same predicament, unable to pull from the force keeping him there. This time however, he gravitated towards it instead of ducking shyly behind his father.

His strong hands came to hold her thigh, his forehead resting there also.

It had started to hit him while basking under the warm beams of her smile; the realization that soon his world that revolved around Callie would shift, and Leo would become the center.

There were times he’d wake from hazy dreams of finding Callie sitting in their bed, whispering in mystifying talk down at her arms where little hands grabbed blindly, and where even softer cries would bring him towards her despite feeling fear heavy his feet.

Nick took a composing breath, his hands squeezing her thigh steadily. Callie’s own came to caress the back of his head and neck, but with her global stomach in the way, she couldn’t lean down to kiss him into a tranquil state. She hoped her touch gliding across his wide shoulders that expanded with deep inhales did something for him like his comforting aura so often did for her when she found herself in a panic.

Now that the power of his night terrors were failing to do harm, they seemed to switch their assault on his wakefulness the closer they came to meeting Leo. The fluttering excitement was stirring, slowly simmering into fear, the steam clouding his eyes and leaving him in a confused haze.

 What do I do if he doesn’t stop crying? How often can I hold him? What if he hates me?

Fatherhood was just around the corner, but there wasn’t much even she could do to prepare him, and the questions would likely remain unanswered until the time came for him to simply go through the motions of learning their son.

He’d started to absentmindedly draw designs across her thigh where the shorts didn’t reach, his head tilted and staring from behind his sunglasses at the woman who struggled to pay her parking ticket at the gate.

“How hard is it to press a button and swipe a card?” Callie chastised, shifting uncomfortably in her seat.

Nick shook his head. “Not like we need to be anywhere today,”

“Ross is calling and the heat is cooking me,” she whined, rallying a chuckle from him.

“Maybe it’ll bake him a little faster,”

“You got your oven mitts ready?” she cracked, and he laughed again.

The remnants of his smile lingered once looking back to the car ahead of him, his ears twitching when an alluring idea came to the forefront of his mind. “Do we have anything planned for dinner?”

Her eyes momentarily bounced around as she squinted, finally exhaling, “Nope,”

Nick grinned. “Date night?”

“Mm? What’ya have in mind?” she smiled when resting her chin in her palm and laying her phone in her lap.

“How about Santa Monica?”

Her smile wavered here and there between a scowl. “Last time we were there we got in that fight ,”

“That was last time,” Nick sighed.

“I know, okay, I just…” she fidgeted, halting her drumming fingers. “That was just a shitty day,”

Nick reached into her lap to smoothly scoop her hand into his, their fingers twining when he kissed the back of her hand, his eyes on the road as they finally made their way from the parking lot. “You know I’ll be sorry forever,”

 “Callie open the fucking door!”

The heel of her palms stayed pressed against her eyes when she shook her head, leaned forward into her own lap. “Go away Nick,” she croaked, sniffling.

“Open the door!” he bellowed, his palm coming to hit the window sill of the passenger side door.

“Fuck off! Just leave me alone!” she screamed, fresh hot tears staining her cheeks.

“I’m not going until you fucking talk to me!”

“ I don't wanna talk !” she sobbed, and continued to scream as he yanked animalistically against the handle, the truck swaying side to side. “Nick stop before someone calls the cops!”

“I don’t fucking care!” he bellowed, truly uncaring of the strangers amongst the crowds coming in and out of the piers parking lot that had stopped to watch him beat wildly against the truck. “Now open the fucking door so we can go home!”

“ NO !”

She screamed when his lightning fast strike was enough to crack the window, the soft splintering filling the silence between them now as she looked at his heaving form that looked back in shock from his own outburst.

“I know,” she used the back of her knuckles to rub his chin before he held her thigh so she could have her hand back.

“That won’t happen again, I promise,” he still reassured.

“It’s okay baby, really,” Callie’s small smile was comforting, but he knew the somber memory still made her flinch sometimes when his temper grew explosive. “It’s not like I haven’t gone apeshit sometimes,”

“Yeah but I can just pick you up and toss you aside when you start tapping into those crackhead vibes,” Nick grinned when she giggled, her soft touch tracing the back of his hand as the wind tossed her loose hair around. “So do you wanna go?”

“Yeah, one more date with just us two,” she beamed, her smile brighter than any magic he’d bored witness to.

“Are you sure you’re okay with it?”

“Oh yeah, it’s not like all the times there were bad,” she suspired, leaning closer to give him that crooked, toothy grin.

Nick could only look at her in fleeting glances, but he’d recognize that glimmer of her eyes anyday. “Like?”

“Like the ball,”

Nick swallowed. “The black dress ball?”

“Mhm,” she bit her bottom lip, studying him closely.

 “Nick stoh- stop stop I’m gonna cum I’m gonna cum!” she sobbed, thighs trembling and spread in his lap. He was buried to the knuckles in her pussy, his hand other working her flushed tits that shook with her ragged breaths.

“That’s the whole point, isn’t it?” he sneered against her hair, the shimmering black dress pooled around her waist.

The aching of her knee started to dull as she ebbed closer, her heeled foot hooked onto the dashboard and fingers dug into the fabric across his thighs, surely burning her own palms the longer he extended his torture.

His fingertips found her clit for only a moment before sliding two fingers back in, her spine arching immediately when he drummed her spot.

“Ah fuck-” she choked, curling off his body. “Nick, Nick Nick-”

“Fuck I love it when you shake like that,” he growled, teeth bared and gripping her breast tight enough to make her whimper, but it was all muted the moment she climaxed.

Callie was always a sight to behold when this moment came; the way she chanted his name until her voice broke, her hips rolling perfectly into his rhythm, and there was always the pulses of her pussy. How he could feel her slick walls milking his fingers, and could practically taste her sweet nectar he scented furiously.

“You’re fucking perfect,” he whispered, dragging his slick fingers out to rub her sensitive clit. There were a few listless jerks of her body, but Callie twisted in his hold after evening her breathing, her sore fingers curling in his shoulders to steady herself.

Her movements were wobbly and sloppy, but this night, Nick was too heated and hard to stop her from wiggling upright in his lap, and clumsily reaching down to guide his hard as rock cock inside once he’d done away with the belt and zipper.

His head hit the headrest, eyes closed and moaning against her parted lips that ghosted against his. She tasted like the champagne they’d been served in crystal glasses, her touch cold across his chest once she’d run down the length of buttons.

Every slow drop of her hips took him back in with ease, a breathless whine meeting his lips every time he filled her.

The fallen strands of her messy hair that was once pinned up in a soft french twist now tickled his cheeks as she looked down at him with balmy eyes.

Nick’s mind further unraveled when she leaned back against the steering wheel, switching to soft bounces that dropped her head back in the wake of a loud moan.

The smooth plain of her torso was bared for him to touch, his palms sliding flat up between her breasts and resting at her neck as he bucked into her sweet pussy, his own cries starting to fill the steamy space of the trucks cab.

A few snaps before his eyes brought him back with a deep flush and growing erection, his heavy eyes finding her looking up at him curiously.

“Are you daydreaming?” she smiled, poking his hip.

Nick shrugged, his knees swinging wide as he adjusted the achy hard-on in his shorts while following her to the next aisle. He quickly offered an elbow upon watching her waddle with a hand pressed into the wearied crook of her spine, still keeping a hand at her back when he reached up to top shelves for her.

“Here,” she took both of her selections and hung a bag on each of his shoulders, studying them meticulously.

“Why me?” he cocked a hairless brow.

“You’re gonna be carrying it while I’m dying of labor pains,” she grinned. “I think I like the Puma one,”

“If I’m carrying why can’t it be more me looking?”

“They don’t have any blue ones,” she pointed with a frown, narrowly avoiding the slap to her ass. “If I scream that someone from the Blue Man Group is hitting me people will come running!”

Nick chuffed, hooking his arm around her shoulders before she could slip away, hanging on tight when she tried to squirm away. She let out high pitched laughter into his chest as he shoved his face between her shoulder and cheek, all in attempts to chuff into her ear; it always made her squirm and scream.

“Cheesecake!” she finally squealed, slapping a few rounds worth of hits against his arms that didn’t phase him in the slightest. “You ruined my bun!”

“Ahh it was already fucked, c’mon fur ball,”

Now Nick barely avoided a hard punch to his arm after grabbing the bag of her choice and moving on, only coming back to her side to help her walk after she pinky promised she wouldn’t groin shot him.

“So what else?” he asked, his arm hung around her shoulders.

“Swaddling blankets. I have everything I need at home-”

Nick nearly lost his footing when his arm didn’t follow, but he quickly realized what was happening when he came to face her pinched brows and scrunched nose, the irritated turn of her jaw.

“Bad one?” he questioned keenly, glaring at a couple that murmured lowly in annoyance as they moved around a steadfast Callie at the center of an aisle.

She nodded, exhaling slowly. “Thought my water was gonna break everywhere for a second,”

Nick felt the blood come back to his face. “Wait until we’re in the car at least so I can just drive you to the hospital,”

She snickered, leaning more into his arm now as they ambled around the store.

The mostly curious, sometimes disgusted and other times intrigued gawks in their direction was for the most part ignored now; years of toughening allowed him to now brush the remarks off, but even he couldn’t resist growling lowly when the looks deviated, dragging up and down Callie, or his form. If there was ever a time Nick hated his heightened sense of smell, it was in Targets with middle aged mothers who would outwardly glare at him, but upon passing, their arousal would give them away, often accompanied by a glance over their shoulder at the beefy Orc.

“There’s another cougar looking at you,” Callie would whisper, pointing with her chin.

It’s when he’d give a small reminder to the less informed humans that he was spoken for, usually with a hand slipped into Callie’s back pocket or slyly pulling her hair back from her face to reveal the faint bite under her jaw.

“So where’re we eating?” Callie piped, gently touching a pair of thin, silver earrings whose jewels sparkled softly.

“Mariasol’s? I could go for some ceviche,” Nick’s mouth watered at just the thought.

“Oh good, I thought you were gonna be tired of Mexican after these last two weeks,”

He scoffed. “I haven’t grown tired of you, have I?” he asked against the shell of her ear, smiling when she blushed.

“Nick?”

They both turned at the unrecognized call of his name, but Callie caught the stiffening of Nick’s spine before she even had a chance to properly overlook the lean Orc woman that had called after him.

“Grohet?” Nick said, his eyes peeled.

“Yeah- hi!” she smiled, her stubby tusks barely peeking from her lips as she moved forward to hug him.

Although Nick’s embrace was stiff and half-hearted, it still shrunk Callie back to his side, unknowing where to look or how to place her hands as she took in small details of the admittedly gorgeous woman before her lover.

“How’ve you been?” she went on to ask, respectfully stepping away from him.

“Uh yeah, good, real good. God it’s been years since I’ve seen you,” Nick replied nervously, his eyes shooting to Callie’s and finding the anxiousness. “This is my girlfriend Callie,” he proudly introduced, his hand returning to the spot at her back

“The lone wolf is finally settling down, huh?” Grohet teased, shaking Callie’s hand gently.

Callie’s head cocked. Lone wolf?

 “Najbor-tuk or lavgru-mal?”

“Boy, we’re naming him Leo,” Nick went on, his chest puffing.

“About to pop then?” she asked, and although Callie nodded and snaked her arm behind Nick again with a nonchalant smile to match, she wanted out of that conversation immediately.

She didn’t need to be told to know these two had history.

The kind that made Nick fidgety, or her cock a painted brow when she spotted Callie’s obvious condition.

It also made her wonder how he’d jumped from tall, elegant Orcs with velvety voices to her stunted stature and tangly hair that even annoyed her sometimes.

God, she was almost his height and built like an Olympian-

“Maybe, but we should get going, we have a few more errands to run,” Nick’s voice broke through her thoughts, but by the time she realized she’d been glaring at Grohet, he was already shaking her hand.

“Yeah me too. It was nice meeting you, I’ll see you two around.” She grinned at Callie who could barely muster her own. Grohet strolled away leisurely, pushing her earphones back.

“I thought she moved out of LA,” he pondered out loud. “You alright?”

Callie nodded with a sour grin. “Cramps,” she lied.

“Well let’s get you off your feet then.” He offered an elbow, the couple setting off back down the aisle as Nick went on to chat about something she didn’t quite catch when glancing over her shoulder, but the mysterious woman was already gone.

It was surprising how easily he found parking this time of day, and so close, but before he could even turn off the truck, he was staring at Callie again, more notably her downcast eyes and hands toying listlessly in her lap.

“Callie,” he sighed.

“Hm?”

“Talk,”

She pursed her lips, looking at him with glossy eyes. “You never mentioned her before,”

Nick’s expression turned horrified. “Why’re you crying?”

“I’m not, it’s the fucking hormones,” she sniffled.

“What-”

“Why didn’t you ever mention her?” she questioned. “I’ve sat and talked about your exes with your mom and that one never came up,”

“She wasn’t an ex,” he intoned, resting back in his seat and turning the engine off.

“Oh bullshit,” Callie scoffed. “Just spit it out,”

He looked to her with apprehension, sighing as he said, “She was a fuck buddy,”

A few seconds of Callie’s blank mein ticked by, then a few more before she calmly situated back in her seat, holding her round stomach. “An ex would’ve been better,”

Nick sighed again, unsure of what to even say that could expel the tension, or calm the unrest in her mind.

“How long?” she asked softly.

He shook his head in uncertainty. “Five-ish months?”

Now she looked at him, her brows pulled together in mild discomfort. “How’d you two meet?”

“O-Date,”

“So it started as a date?” she whined, but Nick had grabbed her hand, turning in his seat to face her.

“She told me within ten minutes she wasn’t looking for a relationship. She only wanted sex,”

“For five months!?”

“Callie,” he stopped her rampage. “That’s not fair,”

Her brows furrowed now.

“I didn’t ridicule you for the guys you slept with before me,”

She looked down at his hand holding hers, his thumb stroking her skin. “What was she like?”

“I don’t know,”

Callie looked at him in confusion.

“It was literally just sex, we didn’t even talk. I’m surprised she even remembered my name,”

“What’s with the lone wolf thing?”

Nick looked outwards, his lips in a straight line. “It was my username…”

Callie tried, but she still giggled at it. “She’s pretty,”

Nick scoffed. “She has fake eyebrows,”

She laughed this time, bringing her forehead to rest against his knuckles. “I’m sorry,”

“Don’t be. I’d flip if one of your ex’s came strolling up like that,”

With a shrug she said, “I’m positive none of them would even come up if you were standing next to me,”

“That’s what you get when you date white boys,”

“Shut up! You fucked someone with fake eyebrows!”

Nick’s leer was menacing. “You really wanna go there?”

 “Uhh…” Callie could only utter, the sheet wrapped loosely around her bare form. “Can… are you okay? Josh-”

Fuck, was his name Josh!?

He only waved her away, his face buried in his other palm as he choked down hiccuping sobs and sat facing away from her at the end of his bed. His bony shoulders shook terribly; it freaked her out a little bit.

“Y-you can lea-leave,” he at last choked out, rising naked from his spot and wobbling out of his messy room.

She could hear him bumping against the doorframe to another room, and until she heard the door lock did she remain motionless, but as soon as she could hear his intensifying cries drowning out in the slurred words of who ever he was calling, Callie was on her feet and pulling her clothes back on with her phone pressed between her ear and shoulder.

“Pickuppickuppickup-” she hissed, yanking her jeans up her legs.

“Hey bitch-

“Rosie come pick me up,” Callie rushed, flinging her phone down only a moment to pull her shirt on.

“That was fast-”

“NO, he fucked me for three seconds now he’s in the other room crying!”

There was a long pause. “What!?”

 “Why are you making me relive that?” Callie carped.

“Cuz you reminded me of the time I rubbed off one of her eyebrows and it was horrifying,”

She managed to stifle most of the laughter, but he’d at least had the courtesy of not laughing at her when she’d first retold the tale of her flee from the boy that had started sobbing like she’d murdered his family before him, and muted her amusement.

“Are you okay?” he asked again, his hand smoothing the back of her head.

Callie nodded, the rampant thoughts diminished and Leo rousing lively after hearing his father speak. “I’m sorry,” she again said softer.

There was only a shake of his head before he closed the space between them, his lips meeting hers for confident, full kisses that made her cheeks warm. His big hands concealing her reddened cheeks only continued to warm as he prolonged the kisses, speaking softly to her in whispers only she would ever hear.

“Okay,” Nick forcefully threw the truck into park in his excitement, the pair looking out to where they’d already spotted Dinara and Oleg sitting at one of the outside patios of the bar. “Ready?”

She nodded, but didn’t move except for her leg that was bouncing like it had its own engine.

“Baby,” he held the back of her neck until she looked at him with glossy, wide eyes.

“It’s the third time,” her voice broke, quickly wiping her eyes. “What if-”

“No, we already said no what if’s. This,” he reached to place a hand over her flat stomach that would soon start to bulge. “This is it. There’s no more what ifs,”

Her lip started to tremble. “What if I lose this one too?”

Before she could even continue he was bringing her forehead against his, holding her steadfast, vanquishing all of the fear if only for a few seconds. Her grip on his wrists was tight, but he knew it was out of fear, not repulsion, and his unwavering support was what she’d need now and until she pushed this baby out despite fearing it would be ripped from her grasp like the ones previous.

“This is the one Callie,” he spoke softly, his palms moving smoothly over her cheeks. “Pick names because you’re gonna be a mom,”

She smiled, weakly, but it was still something. He kissed her head when it dropped, allowing her the minutes she needed to compose herself before they’d once again step before his parents and tell them she was expecting.

“It feels like yesterday,” he mumbled, his mottled finger following Leo.

“I didn’t think I could do it,” she admitted carefully, shame filling those big caramel eyes when meeting Nick’s bewilderment. “My body’s never been reliable,”

He couldn’t argue that. Between miscarriages and endless medicated routines that turned Callie’s body sour, the ornery temper of her womb would always seem to flare up when she least needed it.

“Baby?” he called, shrugging off his bag by the door and hanging his keys. He pushed down Pucca who excitedly pawed as his hip, shoving her wide head under his hand with a series of high-pitched whines.

“Where’s mama?” he played, but the sudden spin and glance over her shoulder Pucca shot back at him brought his teasing manner down. Nick furrowed his brows as he looked down at Pucca’s perked ears and straight as an arrow tail.

“Where’s mama?” he asked again, beelining after her when she took off down the hall, her nails ripping across the carpet.

The blood assaulted his senses before he even made it to Callie’s aid, curled up in bed under the sheets.

Pucca started barking beside her, whining when Nick whipped the sheet away to lay bare the blood pooling beneath her.

“Cal-” he gasped, Pucca continuing to cry beside them.

The stench of sickly blood still laid vivid in the meadows of his mind no matter how he fought to forget it’s odor, but a quick, and comforting look at her stomach swelled beautifully with his healthy baby brought him back from the darker corners of his mind.

“Ready to eat?” he asked.

“Yep.” She nodded, thankful to be steered away from those memories.

Nick was there as always to help her down from the high seat, his hold at her sides unmoving until she was steady and clear headed. His daily attentiveness reminded her of the faith she held in him, knowing the same strong arms that so guarded her would be where Leo would lay safely, cradled and shielded from any harm.

As she looked up at him with their hands joined, listening to him speak about the ambiance of the outside bar he wanted to sit at, she knew he’d share his thoughts and lessons with their son throughout his life, confident that the same excitement that glimmered in his eyes would grow brighter once he looked into Leo’s inquisitive eyes.

Nick took notice to her quiet stares, her brows furrowed every so slightly as she gazed, and listened, a hand rested over her stomach once sat under the warm lights lining the patio like stars.

“What?” he scoffed, his curiosity growing when she shook her head, but gave him that toothy, crooked grin.

“I just like listening to you talk,”

“Even after all these years?”

“I can’t wait to hear you talk to Leo,” she wavered, batting her glossy eyes.

Nick waved his hand, leaning his cheek into his palm shyly when she smiled adoringly at him.

But did she know how excited he was to see her with Leo in her arms? To at last give her what she’d fought for? To be lulled by the soft lullabies he knew she was saving for her son, and watch her admire the tiny hands she’d soon be able to kiss?

Nick stared at her now much in the same way she did, his heart hammering and his quiet breaths unsteady.

Could he keep her forever? Would her overflowing love for Leo leave room for him after all he’d put her through to get here?

He swallowed, smiling off her soft accusation of staring, his eyes diverting to the menus before them.

His eyes roamed over the words, but his heart was directing his attention to the question he’d wanted to hear her scream yes to that first time he’d ever spoken of his desire to make her his wife.

“They’re gonna like you,” he buoyed, snatching her hand to kiss her fingers.

“Says the one who told me how vicious your mother was when she met your other girlfriends,” she whined.

“You’re different,”

“Oh yeah? How?”

Nick sat up, inclining to kiss her sweetly once before saying, “I didn’t plan to marry any of those other girls,”

It didn’t register right away, but when it did, he saw the gravity of his words flicker across her face. First it was a loose smile, then the furrowed brows, them pure confusion, all making him smirk.

“What?” she croaked.

“You heard me,”

She situated better, scooting closer. “How’re you so confident after everything that’s happened? You never once thought we were hopeless?”

“Sure, but I never stopped feeling it. No matter what I did it’s been the same since I first saw you. Hit me like a bullet to the heart,” he explained, witnessing the glaze move over her eyes.

“Wh-” she cleared her throat when her voice cracked severely, moving her hair behind her ears. “Why?”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“Cause of the shit you’ll get for wanting to be with someone like me,”

He blew air. “I don’t give a fuck what anyone says, even if it’s our families. And it doesn’t have to be soon, hell it can be on our deathbeds, but no matter what, I’m gonna marry you one day Callie. Even if we’ve only known each other so briefly, and some of it was apart, I can’t fathom a life without you,”

She blinked away the moisture in her eyes. “You’re so sure you wanna spend that long with me?”

“Are you asking me, or yourself?” he questioned, leaning on a hand closer to her. “If you don’t want to spend that long with me, it’s okay-”

“I’m asking you. I know what I want, but do you?” she asked softly.

He kissed her again, resting his forehead against hers. “I want forever with you. Everything about you-”

“My anxiety?”

“Callie-”

“I can never give you a family,” she grieved, but he hushed her, kissing her silent.

“Anything, everything, always. You can’t scare me away,” he laughed, and so did she.

Nick glanced around. Could I do it here? There were only a few more patrons filling up the patio that late afternoon, individuals that hadn’t even given the odd couple second glances.

He looked back to Callie, leaned to the side and going on about Leo favoring her left side the past few days.

 I don’t have a ring.

That smothered his flame some, but the thought of Callie not being his in every sense possible made his heart ache, even if she was branded with his mark and carried his scent.

He gazed at the smile that had made his heart thunder to life that first time all those years ago, the freckles he’d once counted as she slept tangled in his hold. Her big eyes that twinkled with life, even in the dark.

Callie’s soft ranting about the price of an enchilada dish halted when her hand was suddenly enveloped by his on the tables surface, and as soon as she found the bubbling, skittish fear in his eyes, somewhere deep down in her heart, she knew what was coming.

“Callie-”

“Hey there! My name is Kim and I’ll be helpin’ you two out tonight,” the cheery, short statured waitress popped up, laying down coasters. “Can I start you two off with any Liquid Marijuanas or Mai Tai’s? Maybe a bottle of Black Sky for you sir?”

“Uh-” Callie started.

“Woops! Or maybe some waters? Fresh horchata? Jamaica?”

“Can we have time to look at the menu?” Nick stopped her, his agitation growing.

“For sure! I’ll swing by in a few minutes!” and Kim was off, pacing towards the next table.

Nick exhaled bitterly, letting go of her hand to open his menu again in preparation.

“What were you gonna say?” Callie asked, eyes hopeful and waiting.

 Not now, not here. I’ll take the signs. “If you minded if I drank a little,” he grinned.

The mild disappointment in her tone when she replied made him wonder if she knew what had been coming, and if she’d been hopeful for it.

Callie acted nonchalant when she leaned back in her chair, quickly changing subjects and not really letting a word in otherwise, but he understood. He knew it was so she didn’t have to argue with her own thoughts and emotions of hidden embarrassment.

Suddenly the dinner felt like it’d take too long, but a quick reminder of their last date they’d ever have as just Nick and Callie settled that impatience.

If the time he would ask could be perfect, he’d wait.

But once the food came and went, his nerves grew.

When they finally raised from their seats after talking for what felt like hours, lost in one anothers smiles and soft caresses across their hands, he found his hands starting to shake.

The sky was melting into waves of oranges and purples, glowing over the crashing waves she wanted to sit in the sand before. Nick held their shoes in one hand and hers in the other, wobbling over the warm sand until they found a spot close to the shoreline.

He made sure she was safely nestled before flopping down behind her, his legs on either of her sides and arms coming to wrap around her cool arms, her thick hair wisping in the cool breeze under his chin.

She reclined into his chest, gently shh-ing Leo when Nick brought his vivacious side out, both of them chuckling when his touch was kicked away.

Their voices and conversation dimmed with the setting sun, Callie’s heavy eyes lingering on the thin wash of water that crept up and down the beach.

Sometimes she could still hear Pucca barking and running through the shallow water, uncaring of what child she mowed down in her efforts to chase her ball. Callie didn’t think she’d ever get over the absence of her deceased companion. Her bed still sat by the hallway entrance, her bowls still below the bar.

She turned her shoulders to press her face into Nick’s chest, curling into a tighter ball.

His firm hold around her frame stirred a content moan, goosebumps firing up her arms where his hand rubbed up and down.

Nick released a steadying breath low enough to go unnoticed, opening his eyes after his small pep talk that now felt foolish. Nothing would help with this intense fluttering in his gut except her final answer, whether it be what he wanted or not.

“Callie?”

“Hm?” she lifted her nose to press under his chin.

He blinked away the heartbeat behind his eyes, licking his dry lips. “Will you marry me?”

Callie looked up at him now, and he worried she’d heard the shake in his breath after asking, but the beaming smile shining up at him after some visible tension had fallen off her shoulders made him laugh nervously, his brows starting to furrow when she didn’t answer right away.

“Yes, yes- I want to be your wife,” she sighed, her grip already moving to his broad chest.

Nick felt his heart vault back between his ribs from his stomach, a loud exhale making her laugh when she realized he’d been holding his breath.

“Did you think I’d say no?” she asked against his mouth when he started peppering her face with kisses.

“I did,” he groaned apologetically. “Every time I brought it up you seemed to hate the idea,”

“What!?” she exclaimed. “Nick I’ve wanted to marry you since we first got back together, but I didn’t trust myself to remain the person you fell in love with if I would’ve kept losing babies, especially Leo,”

“Why would I stop loving you for that?”

“I don’t doubt you, but I don’t know if you would’ve been able to live with the person I could’ve become, regardless of how much you love me. I didn’t want to disappoint you anymore,” she explained sullenly.

She tried to look down despite his hands angling her face up, pressing her cheek into his palm bashfully.

“You’d be doing me the honor of being my wife, because I don’t deserve someone as brave, and strong and fucking gorgeous as you”

“Nick stop,” she wept, his hands bringing her back when she shook her head.

“I don’t deserve you but you’re my other half, Calista. I’m not me without you. You’re my best friend, and my home. You’re my fucking girl,” his voice had started to shake again, his brows arched in annoyance that he couldn’t remain composed, but her lips sealed his when there was no more to be said. Without words she calmed the torrid emotions, reassuring that he hadn’t made a mistake in asking for her hand.

She promised she’d excel the ideal image of a wife just as he did when he swore her everlasting protection and devotion, and together they vowed the home for Leo, the love, patience, and everything else they would surround their son with as he came into this world and grew.

When their tears had dried and he again kept her tight against his chest, his flannel removed and draped over her body, she started to giggle to herself until he leaned back to look at her in question.

“You couldn’t have asked before we ran into your ex fuck buddy so you could introduce me as your fiancée?” she smiled playfully.

“Do you want me to scream it in case anymore are around?”

Her smile dissolved. “More?”

“I’m joking.” he grinned, blocking her hits against his arms and chest until he got his arms around hers to continue smothering her with kisses.

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✨🎉🔔⛪⛪⛪🔔🎉✨

i'm already writing the next chapter. it's time.

as always, thank you @rfitzhugh74​ for being the kind of best friend everyone deserves, and always helping me with this beast 💛🖤

[actuallylorelaigilmore]

Does this mean your blog is back??

IT DOES!! I should’ve messaged you when it got reactivated but things are chaotic here and I figured you’d see it when you had the time to get online. :) I submitted support tickets twice, one more specific than the other, and they reactivated me without actually responding–but I’ve gotten anon messages since explaining what happened. 

Somebody’s computer got a virus warning off a quiz post I reblogged, and they reported it (hoping the original post would be removed) and instead tumblr decided to take my blog down. When the person who reported it saw what had happened to my blog, they sent a follow up message to tumblr and my blog got reinstated. 

It in no way inspires confidence for me though in tumblr re: the criteria they use to deactivate blogs or how easily it is for a single person’s report to get one shut down–so I’m backing up every single thing from my blog that matters to me in case I have to rebuild from scratch someday. 

Today, though, we choose to celebrate my continued existence!! All of my 250 unanswered asks, 3k followers, 40 saved drafts, and 30k posts from the last five years remain on this beautiful garbage website.

[strsburn]

inked | tom holland [2]

pairing : tom holland x female!reader 

inked

summary : in which the reader works at a tattoo parlor for a living and is a bit intrigued by the oddly attractive british dude who insists on having a spider inked onto his foot.  

see also : "is that gonna hurt?" "well it's certainly not going to tickle." 

pairing : tom holland x female!reader

genre : fluff, smidge of angst, but mostly fluff

words : 800+

side notes : I'm so sorry for the delay on the second chapter, I've been super busy lately and mother nature has decided to visit so I'm also in pain lol. I hope you enjoy this series as much as I do, and I can't thank you enough for the love and support on the first part :')

as always please comment your thoughts and if you wish to be added to a tag-list for this series, send me an ask or inbox message. thanks!!

-

[chapter one]

A week had passed since your last encounter with the infamous Tom Holland. Unfortunately he had to return back to London to prepare for another tour, regarding his recent film far from home. 

 

You'd seen the many pictures and live streams he had posted to his Instagram, but all the texts you had sent him remained unanswered. You reminded yourself that he was a busy man, and he probably didn't have time to reply, but the more you saw his posts, the more your doubts grew. 

From across the counter, Liv stared at your pitiful state and sighed. You had updated her on everything that had happened the following week, and while Liv was happy for what this could lead to, she was also worried for you. 

“C’mon, Y/n. You need some fresh air.” She stated determinedly, moving from her comfortable place upon the counter top. 

You stared at her in confusion, as she made a move to flip the open sign to closed, in front of the shop. 

“What? We can’t just close the parlour.” You told her in disbelief. 

“It’s a slow day today, I’m sure the parlour can handle one day off. Besides, the boss is out of town, which means you’re in charge.” You sighed at her explanation, knowing that there was absolutely no way to back out of her escape plan now. 

With one last glance at your blank notifications screen, you tossed your phone into your purse and stood up looking to your friend Liv, with a plastered grin on your face.

“What do you have in mind?”

-

“What’s got you all pouty for, Holland?” 

Tom glanced to his left to see his co-star, and now close friend Jake Gyllenhaal looking at him with amusement. The two of them had decided to grab lunch at some pizza place, and while Tom appreciated the fresh air, he couldn’t stop thinking of you.

When he didn’t respond with his usual mirth, Jake turned serious sitting down beside him. 

“You know you can talk to me, Tom. What’s bugging you?” He asked sincerely. 

Tom glanced at him, letting out a deep sigh, his mind once again wandering to you and how he hadn’t seen you the past two weeks, much less responded to your texts, leaving a sick feeling of guilt in his gut. 

“There’s this girl,” he ignored the teasing smirk on Jake’s lips, “and I really like her, but I’m afraid she’s only going to get hurt, because of the fact I’m busy a lot and the press is constantly on my ass, you know? I just, I don’t want to put her through that.” He finally admitted to what had been on his mind, since meeting you, a sigh of relief leaving his lips at being able to speak it aloud. 

He turned to see Jake staring at him thoughtfully, his expression unreadable. 

“You are an idiot.” He wasn’t surprised at the statement, Jake was known to speak what was on his mind, and this was no different. Still, the comment had him a bit confused, and it must have shown on his face, as Jake elaborated further.

“You could have talked this out with her, she’s probably confused and hurt, and you didn’t even bother to think about how she felt?” Jake questioned. The words were ringing in his head, and Tom groaned as he pictured your face, filled with confusion and hurt. 

“I’m an idiot.” He repeated. 

“So, what are you going to do about it?” Jake prodded.

Tom, sat up, feeling rejuvenated. 

“I’m going to fix this.”

-

"Liv, I don't know about this." You tell her, as the two of you approach the entrance of the night club "lights out" the neon sign standing out against the pitch black of the sky. 

"Trust me, you need this." Liv tells you tugging you further into the club.

The music immediately fills your ears, the bass vibrating enough to send shivers down your spine.  

"I'm going to get us a drink, do you want anything?" Liv asks, her voice rising to be heard of the crowd. You shake your head, opting to stay in the corner rather than try and shove your way into the crowd. 

"Haven't seen you around before, you new?" An unfamiliar voice calls. You look to see a male no older than you, watching you intensely. His black hair falls over his blue eyes, as he clutches his glass awaiting your response.

"Yeah." You answer a bit hesitant, your eyes darting around to see if you can you find a way to escape this conversation.

You let out a sigh of relief when you felt your phone buzz in your pocket. You didn't even glance at the caller ID as you looked towards the boy who still stood by your side, his presence unnerving you greatly. 

"Sorry, uh to cut this conversation short but I need to take this." You gestured lamely towards your phone, and before he could offer another response you hurried towards the exit, your skin burning with his stare. 

As soon as you stood a safe distance from the club, you unlock your phone and glanced at the notifications screen, squinting your eyes at the brightness. 

3 missed calls from spider-boy

Why would Tom be calling me? You were both surprised and confused yet you didn't hesitate to hit the call back button, chewing on your lip as you listened to the dial-tone. 

"Hello?" 

You instantly smiled at the familiar voice, your heart beating erratically.

"Hey, stranger? You called?" You teased, hearing a shift on the other end of the line as you imagined Tom to be running a hand through his hair at the back of his neck. A nervous tick of his you had noticed.

"M'Sorry, love. And I know, that's not a good enough apology considering everything I've done. Listen, can we meet maybe? I'd like to explain myself better, i-in person. I'll even pay for the plane ticket. I just need to see you."

Your lips curled up into a smile at the nervousness laced in his tone and you couldn't resist giving in. 

"See you soon then, Holland." 

With a goodbye, you hung up sticking the phone in your pocket you headed home, a slight skip in your step. Perhaps, things were looking up. 

-

taglist (+mutuals/people who seem interested)

@blissfulparker @gioandreolli @sunshine96love @acceptance07 @marvel-lock @unholyhaz @hollandsunshine

[whiskynottea]

An Interruption in the 1st Law of Thermodynamics.

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16, Chapter 17, Chapter 18, Chapter 19, Chapter 20, Chapter 21, Chapter 22, Chapter 23, Chapter 24, Chapter 25, Chapter 26, Chapter 27,  Chapter 28, Chapter 29, Chapter 30, Chapter 31, Chapter 32, Chapter 33, Chapter 34, Chapter 35,  Chapter 36, Chapter 37, Chapter 38, Chapter 39, Chapter 40, Chapter 41, Chapter 42, Chapter 43, Chapter 44,  Chapter 45, Chapter 46, Chapter 47

AO3

@theministerskat , my Detroit airport and Ann Arbor specialist, thank you so much for your help!

Chapter 48. Closer

“Gimme a ticket for an airplane, I ain’t got time to take the fast train. Lonely days are gone – ”

“Lamb! Stop it!”

“What?” My uncle looked at me, with a most innocent face. “What’s wrong with The Box Tops? I’m trying to get you in the mood for your flight!”

“I am in the mood, I don’t need your singing to help me!” I huffed, looking out of the car window.

Will it be raining in Michigan, too?

Lamb was driving ridiculously slow, casually tapping his fingers on the steering wheel as he sang, when all I could think of was reaching the airport and getting on the plane that would take me to Jamie.

Well, I wouldn’t get exactly on that plane.

The first plane would get me to London. Then a second one would whisk me across the Atlantic to Chicago. And finally, after a third flight from Chicago to Detroit, I would finally get to see my Scot. Really see him. Run my hands through his red hair. Smell the spices of his perfume. Tickle him until he would beg for mercy. Kiss him until there would be no breath left in his lungs.

In twenty-two hours I would be standing in front of him - if I could still stand. I would most likely crawl to him, unable to move after travelling for so many hours.

I didn’t care. I would be in Michigan.

Total flying time was almost twelve hours. Total time of the journey, twenty-two. Cheap flights. Not everyone can handle it - or so I was told by Lamb.

Scot: Have you arrived at the airport?

Sassenach: Almost. You know how Lamb drives.

Scot: Tomorrow you’ll be here, babe.

Sassenach: I wish I could just apparate.

Scot: You haven’t taken an Apparition Test.

Sassenach: Since when do Gryffindors care about rules?

Scot: It wouldn’t do to get you here splinched, wee Ravenclaw witch.

I choked back a laugh that made Lamb shoot me a questioning glance. “I haven’t seen you so happy since you got your letter from Oxford. Which was almost a month ago, if I remember correctly.”

“More than a month,” I murmured. In retrospect, it seemed even longer.

The first day or two, I had spent the majority of my time on Google maps, mentally strolling around  Oxford via computer screen. Then, I caught up with a few TV shows Jenny and Joe had been raving about. I read books that had nothing to do with human anatomy and physiology and enjoyed staying at home, a cup of tea and a hardcover in my lap, the rain pelting down on the living room windows.

Joe and Gail had left for New York, their semester starting when Jamie’s had. Jenny and Ian remained in Beauly after the summer had ended. They had both accepted their offers to the University of Edinburgh and they would come back in September, which was exactly when I would be leaving for Oxford. Jenny and I talked almost every day, but I missed having everyone in close proximity. It felt as though I had been left behind.

The flight to London was less than two hours and I had resolved myself to watching a movie, when the tiny lady sitting next to me started talking. I smiled politely and nodded more times than I could count, and kept making attempts to insert my headphones while I silently prayed that she would get the message. She didn’t. Her son was graduating and then getting married and “Oh ye can imagine, dearie, how many things remain to be done!” Even if I couldn’t imagine, I didn’t need to. By the end of our journey, she had listed and analyzed them all, pausing only once or twice. Most probably to breathe, I had thought. Her enthusiasm made me smile. Her nasal voice, however, made my head buzz by the time we arrived at Heathrow. Mrs Macallan - “Like the whisky, ye ken?” - was sweet and kind hearted, but I felt lucky to be getting away from her on my next flight.

After retrieving my oversized rucksack, and bidding her farewell, I walked around the airport, absentmindedly looking at window displays and testing several perfumes. Finally, bored and tired, I searched for a quiet place to sit.

Sassenach: Seven more hours in Heathrow.

Scot: In thirteen hours I will kiss the hell out of you.

Sassenach: Oh really?

Scot: Yes. I can’t stop thinking about it.

Sassenach: Me or the kissing?

Scot: Both.

Sassenach: Hmm where are you?

Scot: Just finished up at the pool. We’re going to a place called “Fraser’s Pub”!

Sassenach: So you’re already THAT famous there?

Scot: Aye, restaurants open in my honor. I can’t help it Sassenach.

Sassenach: Snob.

Scot: Oh, is that you Ms. ‘I’m studying at Oxford, you common peasants’?

Sassenach: Ass.

Scot: THIRTEEN HOURS!!

Sassenach: Twelve and forty-five minutes 😛

Scot: I love you, got to go, the guys have started making fun of me. Ttyl?

Sassenach: Okay. I’ll be right here.

A ridiculous picture followed right after that, with Jamie’s lips so close to the camera I could hardly recognize them. Then another one, with him and John smiling broadly, heads bent together. I sent him a picture of me cuddled up next to my huge grey and purple rucksack and then tried to get as comfortable as possible, determined to get some sleep.

It seemed I was one of those people who can sleep wherever and whenever they want, not allowing anything to disturb them. Not the endless amount of people passing by, not their phone ringing, not even announcements calling their name.

When I opened my eyes, my phone had fifteen unanswered calls, nineteen unread messages, and two missed alarms. The most terrifying of all, however, was the time.

I had ten minutes to be at my gate and I didn’t even know which gate I was supposed to be at.

I picked up my bag, hoisted it unceremoniously over my shoulder and started running.

I had struggled to sleep the last two nights, the excitement of visiting Jamie making dozing off an impossible task. And now that I had a plane to catch, I fell asleep in the airport, and slept for more than six hours!

Seriously, now?

I was the last person through the boarding gate and I was the only one who went through it gasping for breath. When I finally took my seat, I checked my phone. All the missed calls and messages were from Jamie, all saying pretty much the same thing.

Where are you?!

Sassenach: Just got on the plane. OMG THAT WAS SO CLOSE! I almost missed my flight. I can actually hear my heart beating inside my chest.

Jamie replied immediately.

Scot: You scared the shit out of me, do you know that? First, I was afraid that you’d miss the flight, then I was terrified that something happened to you.

Sassenach: I’m sorry. 😞

Scot: You better be.

Sassenach: I didn’t do it on purpose!

I quickly calculated the time in Ann Arbor.

Sassenach: Are you still out?

Scot: No.

Sassenach: You’re at home? Still awake?

Scot: Yes, guess why! Because my girlfriend is crazy, and she sleeps in airports like the dead!

I saw the three dots appear, then stop. My heart thumped inside my chest.

Scot: You just scared me, is all. It took all the nerve I had to stop pacing back and forth in the room, and that’s mostly because I woke John up at least three times. I couldn’t handle it if something happened to you.

Sassenach: I’m okay. I’m sorry I scared you so. I love you. gtg! Plane taking off. ❤️❤️

Scot: I will kill you when you arrive. Even before kissing you.

Sassenach: That will make a fool of you. You’ll miss my kissing you back.

I spent my time during the flight watching movies and sleeping. No one talked to me, apart from the stewardess with the impossibly perfect makeup, who came passing by every ten minutes with coffee or tea, food, more coffee or tea …

I only had an hour layover at O’Hare International Airport and I didn’t even stop to look around. One last flight - and a short one, at that.

One hour later I landed at Detroit Metro, murmuring continuously, “I’m here, oh my God, I’m here!”

My whole body ached from sitting for so long, and walking felt like an exotic exercise. I had been right in that I would be crawling once I got here.

But then, I wasn’t. I rushed off the plane and pushed my way to the tram, jumping into a car just before the doors closed. I followed the flow of the other passengers, feeling like herded cattle, and took the escalator down to the arrivals area.

The moment the escalator brought me low enough to see out across the great open space of baggage claim I saw him standing there, tall and beautiful, waiting for me. I felt a huge smile spread across my face and mentally urged the people in front of me to move faster. Finally, a kind of magic seeped into my muscles, pushing me forward, and the only thing I could do was run to him.

I dropped my bag just before I reached him and a moment later I was jumping into his arms, wrapping my legs around his body, relying on his strength to support my weight.

A crushing hug. And then we were kissing as if we were the only people in the whole terminal. Fierce and consuming, it was a kiss that tried to make up for all the lost ones, all those we had been sending to each other during the last month, vanishing somewhere in the space between us.

But this kiss was real and hot and powerful, filling our hearts with blood again, after more than a month when distance made their beating dull, normal.

“You’re here,” he whispered. “I can’t believe you’re finally here,” he added, echoing my thoughts. “I missed touching ye, Sassenach. My arms always feel so empty without ye in them.”

I looked at him for a long moment, my throat too tight to talk.

“Come,” he said, and bent to pick up my rucksack. “We’ve a bus to catch.”

His hand was warm when he took mine and we walked together towards the shuttle pickup area. It was silly, but even walking next to him felt different. As if I couldn’t discipline my feet and each step would be the first to start a dance.

We sat in the second to last row of the bus, desperate for some privacy. His hand perched on the inside of my thigh, drawing abstract lines that were driving me crazy. I leaned my head onto his shoulder, trying to be decent, but five minutes later I was biting and sucking his neck until I felt him shiver.

“What are the plans for today?” I asked, my voice low.

“Today we’re going back to my dorm and we’re not leaving the room at all.” He shot me a naughty glance, implying that I knew exactly what was going to happen in his room.

“What about John?” I asked, frowning.

“He won’t come back tonight.” Jamie’s owlish wink and the sly grin that followed suggested that he had taken care of everything.

“I’ve turned everything upside-down for him. Trust me to make a bad first impression.”

“Dinna fash, Sassenach. Ye’re doing John a favour,” Jamie said, his lip curling up as he looked out of the window.

“What do you mean?”

“Ye gave John the perfect excuse to stay over at another guy’s place. He’s on the team, too. And I think John was waiting for an opportunity to stay alone with Hector since the first time he saw him. He hasn’t admitted it yet, but I’ve seen the way he looks at him.”

“John is gay?” I asked when he finally finished. “You haven’t said anything!”

“What was I supposed to say, Sassenach? ‘Claire, let me introduce ye to my gay roommate?’”

“Well, no, but… Anyway. And how about Hector? Do you think that he returns John’s feelings?”

“He’ll be a fool if he doesna. John is amazing. It’d be like you giving me your number and I never calling you. Impossible.”

I laughed at that, shaking my head. My curls escaped from my unruly bun, but I didn’t care. Jamie liked them down. “Yeah, right. That being said by someone totally unbiased.”

He looked out at the winter landscape for a moment. Then, his eyes were back on me and he let out a long sigh. “I’m so happy ye’re here, mo chridhe.” He squeezed my hand and bent his head to kiss me.

I couldn’t get enough of his lips.

We got off of the bus and walked quickly towards his dorm, partly because we ached to be finally alone and partly because it was freezing cold outside.

“Why did you have to come here?” I asked, feeling my nose go Rudolf-red. “Hawaii is one of the States, too.”

“Oh, excuse me Sassenach for not getting a scholarship somewhere sunny!” Jamie smiled and pulled his beanie lower, to cover as much skin as possible.

“It would be a nice change to Edinburgh,” I murmured. He just squeezed me closer to his body.

As we walked, I was fascinated by how much of the campus was woven seamlessly into the city itself. Just off the main streets that were filled with restaurants and shops, were smaller homes all in a line, and then suddenly a university building would pop up with a distinctive blue and yellow sign out front.

We didn’t stop walking fast once we pushed through the entrance doors of Jamie’s dorm. He rushed me across the lobby to the elevators, only this time I was almost sure he was moving quickly as not to be stalled by any fellow Wolverines looking for greetings and introductions.

We reached his room unnoticed. Jamie tossed my rucksack into a corner and closed the door softly behind me. I stood still, looking at the room.

His place.

It wasn’t big, and the beds and two desks made it seem even smaller. But it was cozy and clean, and had something of him that made me feel comfortable. I turned to look at Jamie, and for the first time in a month, I felt like I was home.

“I missed you, you bloody Scot.” My whisper was more than a confession. It was the profession of the gift I had been bestowed. The gift of having him in my life. Of having a home.

“I missed ye too.” He smiled in his crooked way, the way I had fallen in love with. “More than ye’d ever imagine.”

And then his lips were on mine, tender and honest. The connection we had longed for, when all we could do was rely on a screen to see each other. Now, we could feel. Our love was tangible, filling the room as our breaths mingled, as our hands intertwined, as our hearts beat together, their own song.

It didn’t take long for our kiss to turn wild.

Jamie shed the outer layers of my clothing, murmuring that I was a wee onion or something. I smiled and helped him, taking off some of his own clothes as well. It was when his hand found its way underneath my sweater that I yelped.

“Cold! Freezing hands!” He looked at me with a pout that wasn’t nearly cute enough to make me relent. “Don’t even think about it!” I said, pushing against his chest with a pointed index finger.

Jamie laughed and swiftly took me off my feet, eliciting yet another yelp from me. He lay me carefully on his bed and took off my sweater.

“No hands,” he promised, raising them in the air as he bent to kiss my neck. His lips moved to my chest, teeth softly biting my nipples, and I slightly regretted keeping his hands off the game. I needed him to touch me.

I squirmed beneath him, making my intentions obvious.

“Oh, no,” Jamie said, sucking my breast in a way I was sure would leave a hickie. “I spent so much time this past month telling ye what I was planning to do to ye when I’d have ye close again. So much time, seeing ye touching yerself and wishing it would be my hand instead of yers. I mean to take my time, mo nighean donn.”

A soft bite and a wicked grin. His eyes burned in mine.

“I mean to lick ye, kiss ye, taunt ye, feel yer smooth skin against mine and leave my marks on ye. I mean to hear yer moans and whimpers fill the room. And then, Sassenach,” he paused for effect, and I ground myself against him. We were both ready. And all the talking during our video calls didn’t go to waste, after all. “Then, I mean to fuck ye and feel ye fucking me until we canna move our limbs anymore.”

Everything went according to the plan.

Chapter 49

[squirrelly831]

Shy Girlfriend’s Inner Dancer [Mark, Jaebum, and Jackson]

Mark

When Mark was given tickets by his girlfriend, Melissa, to a dance crew dance off he didn’t think a thing of it. He knew she loved to watch people dance, but that she, herself, was too shy to dance. He also knew Melissa’s best friends were part of one of the dance crews, so he knew she wanted to be there to support them.

However, the night of the performance, Mark could not find or contact Melissa at all. His calls went to voicemail and his texts were left unanswered. As the performances began, he made his way near the front, making sure he didn’t stand out in the crowd.

The lights dimmed as the host ran out on stage, “Are you guys ready for the night of your lives?” He shouted in the mic earning him enthusiastic screams in return. “I hope you are because we got some bad ass crews with us tonight… We even got our special guests REBEL FORCE!” The chants for Rebel Force echoed through the room. Mark chanted with them as that was the crew of Melissa’s friends.

As the performances went on, it was finally time for Rebel Force. The spotlights swirled as the group of five stood in formation. As the music started, they began to dance. Mark’s jaw dropped as one spotlight hit his girlfriend’s face. She stood in the middle, closer to the end of stage. Her ringlet hair moved as she danced. He was hypnotized by the way her hips bucked before she pivoted and shook her ass at the crowd earning a scream.

Mark bit the tip of his index finger as he watched her performance. He shifted his pants uncomfortably. His eyes met hers as she swiped her upper lip and gave him a seductive wink before she moved back to formation as the song ended.

The applauds around him woke him from his gaze as the lights flipped on revealing all the members in better light. That’s when Mark was able to take in the one piece his girlfriend wore and he swallowed as he thought about how he’d love nothing more to shed that off her body. The crew waved and held peace signs as they excitedly ran off stage as the remaining crew took over. Mark made his way out of the crowd not caring about the last performance as his mind was on Melissa. He wanted to find her. He had so many questions and he wanted to get his hands on his minx. He was turned on by her performance and he needed her.

Jaebum

Jaebum was asked to be a special guest to a dance show contest. It was the preliminaries and he would be with four other judges to decide the fate of many. He was excited to go and see the talent around South Korea and he told his girlfriend, Ally, about it when it was official. He didn’t expect her to be overly excited about it, but she went really quiet when she found out and that bothered him.

He didn’t realize until the day of the preliminaries why Ally was so quiet about it. Jaebum enjoyed his time watching and passing the people he thought was qualified to move forward. The next contest entered the stage and Jaebum’s jaw dropped.

Ally was dressed in yoga pants and a crop top. She meekly made her way to the microphone to introduce herself, “Hi, I’m Ally Johnson.” She stuttered. She nervously bit her lip as a judge spoke up.

“Welcome Ally. What’s your experience in dance?”

Ally gnawed on her bottom lip as her eyes met Jaebum’s. Seeing him made her a little less nervous as she spoke again, “I started ballet at a young age then went into contemporary and hiphop in my teen years.” She cleared her throat as she tried to calm her stutters, “I prefer contemporary as I like to tell a story.”

Jaebum’s eyebrow twitched as he tried not to look shocked in case the camera turned to him. He didn’t know about his girlfriend’s dance history. He had seen her dance from time to time at home, but she would always get nervous and hold out her hands whenever she was caught. “Alright, are you ready?” He asked.

Ally took a deep breath, slipped her shoes off, and gave a short nod as she stepped away from the mic stand. Arms by Christina Perri played and Ally began to dance. The way her body moved fluidly around the stage stunned Jaebum. It was like a totally different person on the stage barefooted dancing in front of him. He couldn’t believe that the woman there was his shy girlfriend.

Jaebum watched her move, but he couldn’t just focus on her style, but also the story her told. A story of a girl who struggled to show the best to the one she loved in fear that she wouldn’t be accepted. The girl’s love one forced their way through her walls and refused to let her go.

The judges were in awe as they watched her. One of the female judges wiped her face as a stray tear fell. Jaebum’s throat felt raw as he thought of the time he struggled to break into Ally’s heart. He knew the dance was telling their story and he couldn’t help but feel emotional.

As the song came to an end, Ally wrapped her arms around her body and leaned backwards and slowly pulled up straight. The applause roared, people stood, and so did the judges including Jaebum. She walked back up to the mic. Her dancer person evaporated as she got her shoes back on and she waited for the verdict.

Jaebum was the one who announced she passed with five out of five passes. He couldn’t wait to see her that night to congratulate her.

Jackson

Bella was about to debut in a girl group under JYP. She was lucky that she was able to sign under her boyfriend’s, Jackson, company as she could be with him more. She was in the position as the lead vocalist of her group, but she had a secret talent to dance. Bella was shy when it came to dancing on stage, but when it was in a studio or at home she felt confident.

To help promote each member before the debut, JYP set up a vlog for the girls to do their own thing. Her leader, Sooyeon, typically showed off her cooking skills, the rapper, Joy, was usually with Bella or out on new adventures, and the main dancer, Maeyoung typically danced with Bella in covers or acted. Bella typically used her time on the vlog to vocal and dance covers.

At first when she did the covers, Bella would cover her face with a hat or a hoodie, but after reading the supportive comments that gave her bits of confidence. One day, she decided to dance to Dally by Hyolyn with Maeyoung as the choreography she created was far too sexual for her to do alone.

Jackson, Bambam, and Yugyeom were asked to sit in and give them critics on how they did which of course they readily agreed to.

Bella set up the camera before she stripped off her jacket which made Maeyoung holler. The guys eyed her as she threw her jacket down and tried very hard to pull her crop top down to her shorts. “I don’t get why I have to wear this…”

Maeyoung slapped her ass playfully, “Because this is a sexy dance and we gotta look the part. Everyone ready?” Yugyeom hit the recording button and Jackson played the music.

The moment the music started, Bella focused on the dance she created. Her eyes were seductive as she danced. Jackson watched her sharp movements as she dropped to her knees and threw her hair back. The guys cheered the two girls on as the leaned down to the floor with their hands pressed to the ground. Their chest barely grazed the dance floor as they moved. They exuded sexiness.

“WAHHH” the three boys shouted in shock at the two girls continued through Bella’s routine.

Jackson couldn’t keep his shock down with each new add on Bella did. He couldn’t believe his girlfriend had such a side to her. He found her sexier than before, but he also looked at her confidence as an improvement from one idol to another.

As the dance came to an end, Bella grabbed her jacket and threw it on just before she posed with Maeyoung. Yugyeom stopped the recording and the two girls threw themselves to the ground panting. Bella shielded her face with her jacket sleeves, “I can’t believe I did that!” She spazzed.

Maeyoung patted her knee in comfort as she sucked down the water Yugyeom gave her, “I’m going to get this uploaded to my laptop.” Yugyeom and Bambam helped her up and she grabbed the camera and her phone, “You coming?”

“I’ll be there later!”

Maeyoung and the two boys left leaving Jackson and Bella alone. Jackson moved beside his girlfriend and ran his hand through her hair. “You did really great on that.”

Bella peeked at him, “Really?” He nodded, “I don’t get how people make sexiness look so easy. I don’t think I did it.”

Jackson let out a low chuckle, “Oh, you were sexy alright.” His voice fell an octave. “I’m hard thanks to you…” He ran his hand up her inner thigh. His eyes darkened as they trailed up her body, “You should take responsibility for making me so hard.”

“Maybe later. I’m too sore” Bella twisted away from him as she let out a loud laugh only to earn a whine from him.

Part II || Part III

Credit to gif owners

Written & revamped by Squirrelly831

♕ REQUEST

☮ GOT7 MASTERLIST

∞ ULTIMATE MASTERLIST

[punkpanda16]

Mistakes and Miracles- ch.1

Yoongi x Reader

Word count: 3.9k+

Summary: We never know what to expect in life . Just like you never expected to be a single mother at a young age, much less come to find the father of said child is no other than you idol Min Yoongi from the worldide hit band sensation BTS. What will happen to your somewhat “normal”  life when he comes in and turns it upside down? Will you be able to raise a child with your extremely attractive bias?  

Warnings: hints at abuse, thoughts of abortion, reckless acts

Type: Fluff, angst, smut (eventually)

~Your POV~

How did this happen? One minute you are a simple girl living her life as a college student. You were free one moment and now you’re sitting in a hospital room holding a whimpering baby boy.

He was so fragile and pure...everything you always wanted but never knew you needed. He had jet black hair and small almond shaped brown eyes. He was everything good in this world and you loved him with every ounce in your body but he wasn’t yours.

He wasn’t yours but in this moment you swore to commit yourself to him and only him. He would not end up in the gutter. He would never feel the rejection his mother gave him. All he would know from now on is love.

You held a neatly folded letter in your shaky hands as you tried to soothe the crying little bundle...

Dear Y/N,

I know we haven’t known each other long but I have come to trust you more than anyone. At a time in my life when I had no one and no hope, I met you. You cared for me as if I were your family even when we were merely strangers and despite being younger than me you taught me so much about life. I only wish I could have met you sooner. Before any of this happened.

Sadly, the night we met I made a great mistake that I now have to pay for.

I thought I would be able to move on and forget about it but this thing growing inside me is a constant reminder. I found out that it, is actually going to be a boy. But to me he is still nothing. Something that will tie me down and I would I surely to hate.

I was close to getting rid of him but you convinced me to do otherwise because you said it deserved a chance to live. Now, please don’t think I am some heartless monster, he is and always will be my son, but I can’t help how I feel. You know what my past was like.

When I think of my future this baby was never a part of it. The only reason I give it a chance to live was out of respect for our friendship. That’s why he’s is yours now. I could give him life but not love.

His father doesn’t know he exists. I know I never told you who he is but I only kept it a secret because I didn’t want him to feel obligated to be with me over something so insignificant. Things were too complicated to rope him into this too. If he knew and stayed with me, he wouldn’t have loved me like I wanted. It would have been contract, not what I wanted for him, me, and this baby.

But I guess now it doesn’t matter. By the time you read this I’ll be long gone and you know if I leave you won’t find me, so I might as well tell you. His father is Min Yoongi. Yeah, the guys from BTS is the father of this baby. I didn’t believe it either but life happens Y/N and now I can’t change things.

Y/N, I beg you not to hate me, even though I can already sense how angry you are with me, because you are and will continue to be my person,my rock, and savior. You saved me from myself in more ways that you’ll ever understand. Give him the life he deserves. He is yours. Save him like you saved me. I am so so sorry. Never let him know that I exist.

-Emma

Tears began to roll down your cheeks. Pretty soon you were sobbing like the baby in your arms. How could she hate him? Her own son meant nothing to her. She had a horrible past, she herself was a was abandoned and a foster kid that suffered unspeakable abuse. It left her scarred physically and emotionally, but that was no excuse for all the pain she was inflicting on others.

She remained closed off until you met her. You saw the broken women in front of you and felt compelled to save her. You had first hand experience with abuse at a young age but lucky you had a support system that helped you. However, she was all alone. You could never forgive her for what she’s done but you understood.

Then it hit you Min Yoongi...the father is Min Yoongi!!!

~Flashback~

It was your first concert ever. You couldn’t contain your excitement when you got the confirmation email that your BTS tickets were ordered.

Now you stood in front of the huge auditorium next to thousands of screaming ARMY. It was the first time in months since BTS was in Los Angeles so you knew they were about to leave it all on stage. You could just feel the excitement building. The set was about to begin but your attention was pulled to the front of the stage where security was currently fighting with a young women who seemed to be about your age. She was walking out from backstage and seemed distressed.

It look just like another situation in which ARMY got overly excited and tried to get near the boys you all loved so much. Pretty soon she gave up and took the empty space that was next to you. She continued to frown until the boys came on stage. Her smile only grew as Yoongi introduced himself.

“Are you a Yoongi stan?” You asked.

“YES!! Look at that cute grumpy old man up there! He’s the best!How can he be so cute AND sexy?!? I swear one of these days he will get sued for attacking us with his gummy smile!” She responded with the most genuine joy and excitement.

“Right!” You responded.

“Are you a Yoongi Stan too?!” She asked and you nodded your head excitedly.

“Emma” she stuck out her hand.

“Y/N” you took her hand and shook it with a bright smile.

From that point on you knew that you would be friends. For the rest of concert you sang and screamed and cried together.The concert ended and you shared contact information promising to keep in touch. After saying goodbye she headed to an after party. She asked you if you would like to join her but you being the antisocial little butterfly you were, kindly said next time.

Next time, came sooner than expected. Not even a day later she messaged you and asked if you wanted to hang out.

Your friendship grew quickly. She was everything you wanted to be beautiful, smart, and carefree. Her bouncy Titian hair was as wild as her personality. In a short time she exposed you to things like dark parties full of hot sweaty bodies high on drugs and drunk out of their minds. You were hesitant at first but when she was by your side you felt a new sense of confidence. You socialized, danced, and started living for once in your life you let go.

However, she had a peaceful side. Something about her aura outside those parties was so pure. It was like she was a different person at night. During the day she took you to beautiful spots with amazing views where you would sit and read poetry and talk about life. She told you about her past and the horrors she endured. She was only 3 years older but she seemed to hold the answers to all your unanswered questions.

At night, she let go of all the pain with drugs and a drunken stupor. You felt like maybe it was time to fix her...well actually heal her like you were healed.

Surprisingly she never slept with any guy. She may have been drunk out of her mind but she never let that change the values she set for herself. Which is what made later events all the more confusing.

Over the next few weeks you spent more and more time together during the day you talk and listen to each other. At night you would live life her way. Slowly she opened up more and more. Then she began to see you like the little sister she never had. Pretty soon together you worked on the emotional baggage you both carried.

You were always a misfit but she understood you perfectly. She was your best friend so when you found out she was pregnant you stayed by her side.

“I don’t want it!” She screamed as she fell to the bathroom floor with tears streaming down her cheeks.

You stared at the test in your hands and couldn’t believe it. The girl who, even in her most dazed moments honorably kept her dignity, was caring a child. A child she didn’t want. But that just showed how everyone, even someone you idolize, can make mistakes.

“Em” you said softly as you sat beside her. You took her shaking body in your arms and rocked her back and forth like she had to done to you many times before. “Look, I don’t judge you and I’ll support you with whatever you decided to do but maybe you should give this baby a chance.” Her sobs began to quiet down and she looked up at you with sad lost eyes.

“Y/N do you want kids?” The question came out in broken hiccups as she tried to compose herself.

“Of course it’s been my dream since I was young. A family. Babies. It’s what I see in my future.” You replied simply.

“So that means you are passionate about that dream for your future?” You nodded.

“Okay. Now image that same passion except for the opposite. I don’t want to bring a child in this world. The world ruins things that are good and pure. We are born with hope in our eyes but the all the bad things in this world kills all innocence. You and I both know that the light fades. It dies to the point where all you can do is try to live day by day stupidly hoping things get better.”

You felt the tears pool in your eyes but you refuse to let them fall. She was right the world ruins good things but that doesn’t mean there isn’t good out there, she just had to see it at some point and that baby deserved to see it too.

You cleared your throat trying to keep your voice steady as you continued. “ Em, when the light fades you feel like you’ve died while still living. But sometimes you meet people and find a purpose and hope again. That’s what my family is to me. And my friends.”

“That’s what you are to me” she said softly.

“Yes, Em, that’s what you are you to me too. This baby can be another good thing. Even if right now you think it’s not you can at least give it a try.” You gave her a reassuring smile as you looked down at her. You could see her turning your words in her head until she finally nodded.

You stayed with your arms wrapped around her for a while. You sat in comfortable silence as you let the emotions of the day float away.

“Y/N?” Emma broke the silence.

“Yeah.”

“Will you stay with me...not just right now but through it all?” She asked nervously.

“Did you really think I was going to leave you?” You said with a small laugh. At this she let out a small sigh of relief.

You kept to your promise through it all. Every appointment. Every pain. Every sick morning. Every 3 am craving. You were there. Baby shopping and birthing class. That baby became just as much yours as it was hers. You thought the pregnancy was helping Emma. She smiled and laughed. She even stopped her late nights. She read more poetry and lived a healthier life. She seemed to really try for her baby. Up until the day the baby was born she was fine, at least in your eyes.

~Present day~

“What do you mean I can’t take him home?” You practically scream at the social worker.

“Ma’am we are doing an investigation on what happened with Ms. Rose. We can’t just hand over the baby too you. She may have left a letter saying you would take the baby but first we have to make sure you are a competent caregiver for the child.”

Competent!! Competent my ass!!! You couldn’t believe that they had taken the baby from you an hour ago and now he was being hulled to a foster home. You only got to spend 2 days with him at the hospital. They said it was “temporary” but you couldn’t risk it. Emma had told you the things that happen in those places and although you knew it wasn’t always true, you didn’t want to put him at risk. He deserved the best and you weren’t sure if that was you but you sure as hell were willing to try for him.

Lucky for you, you had friends that worked in child services. Ironically, you met them through Emma. They understood the situation better than anyone. They all knew she was not ready to have a child and that she never wanted them. They even suggested she give him up for adoption but she always refused. Now that you think about it she refused because she already had a plan for the baby, he was going to be yours. They, like she, knew that you were the best option for him. Em, may have been wild but she was always put a lot of thought in the decisions she made. Always taking into consideration the pros and cons, in order to get the best result. That’s why you were the one. No one else.

They pulled some strings and within a couple of days he was with you again. The official adoption would take some time but for now he was under your care.

The court days were the worst. Everyone used lawyer talk to basically say your ex friend was a monster. Of course, you were mad at her for what she did and for the situation she put you in but she also gave you a great gift, a baby. A baby that was quickly becoming the center of your universe. You didn’t give birth to him but he was yours. Despite all the current events, she was your friend at one point and the mother of your son, hearing her being spoken about so negatively still hurt you.

On days you weren’t in the courthouse, you spent it with a private investigator. You wanted to know if what Emma said about the baby’s father was true. And if it was, you felt it was only right for him to know. At first you were angry and didn’t want to let that deadbeat know about the baby but the more you thought about it the more it made sense. Emma never told him either out of fear or maybe because Yoongi was the first guy to make her contradict her value system. She always hated being wrong.

Emma may have done things her own way but with things she valued she thought things through. If she would have told him BigHit lawyers, Yoongi, the six boys, and the media would have been knocking on her door within days. She said she knew he wouldn’t love her the way she wanted too in the letter but the truth is he couldn’t, not with his career. His fans and the media were always waiting for him to mess up. As an ARMY, you understood why this baby would be such a scandal.

This was also a part of the reason why you didn’t want to tell Yoongi. You never wanted the baby to be just another headline on a sleazy tabloid. But, he was the father and had the right to know. He was an adult and could decide what he wanted to do. Besides if you kept the baby a secret you knew eventually it would blow up in your face. Besides, If you were going to raise him you needed to have an answer when he asked about his father one day.

And so, the process continued. During this time you devote yourself to the baby. The all nighters were rough but they helped you get your homework done. You kept going to school with the help of your family. However, you had to transfer back to the local college until the court case ended. You got your place, which was small but it was enough for you and the baby. You maintained a job in order to follow the rules set forth by the court. But every spare moment was for the baby. There were times when you thought you couldn’t do it anymore but then you would look at him and be reminded why you did it. Baby Ro, short for Baby Rose, as everyone called him, was your life. Things were so hectic and rushed you never officially got to name him. That day would come when the adoption went completely through.

Three months in you got a call.

“Ms. Y/N Y/L/N?”

“Yes?” You answered. You tried to listen to what the man was saying but you had Baby Ro in your arms crying of hunger. It was time yet again for another 4 am feeding.

“Is this a good time?”

“Umm yes, hold on.” You gently put Ro down and began to feed him his bottle. When he settled down you picked up the phone again.

“I’m so sorry. What can I help you with?” You said cordially.

“Yes, Ms. Y/L/N. I am a representative of the company BigHit Entertainment and one of my clients would like to have a meeting with you.”

In that moment your heart stopped. For some reason a deep fear began to climb to the back of your throat. It prevented you from breathing. Tears began to pool in your eyes.

“Umm...” you cleared your throat in order for your words to come out. “ I’m sorry. What is this concerning?”

“Well, I’m sorry Ms. Y/L/N but my client would like to speak to you in person. You live in Los Angeles, correct?” He said sharply.

“Y-yes I do.”

“Okay. Well my client lives here in Seoul, South Korea, but he was willing to fly out as soon as tomorrow morning to have a meeting with you, however there is a slight snag in the plan.” He said in a worried voice.

“Okay?”

“Ms. Y/L/N, my client is a celebrity so he can’t just walk around busy streets. We were wondering if you could hold the meeting on your home. For privacy purposes. Of course other staff and I will be present. Would that be okay?”

“Sir, I am well aware of who your client is. And I would be more than willing to meet with him in my home if it is necessary. However, I do have one condition.” You paused. “I will meet him alone. Later on I will have a meeting with all of you if I must but first I want to talk to him alone.” You said firmly.

He hesitated for a moment taken aback by your sudden change in behavior. You weren’t shy or nervous or scared anymore, now you were affirmative. “You see Ms. y/l/n... I-I don’t t-think-“

“No.”

“W-what?” He asked nervously.

“If my condition isn’t met then my answer is NO. I want to speak to him as a human being because this issue concerns another defenseless human being not some property. I don’t want to see checks or contracts. I want to see a pair of really eyes that hold emotion.”

He was silent for a few moments like he was asking someone around him what to do.

“O-okay, Ms. Y/L/N, we will do it your way. I will send you my information along with my client’s personal number so we can arrange the meeting, please do not share any of this information or we will be forced to press charges against you.” He said in a threatening voice.

“Very well. I’ll wait for your information.” You were about to hang up when you hear your name again.

“Ms. Y/L/N. Since we all know what this is about. Will the child be present at your meeting?” He asked hesitantly.

“If that is what your client wishes, then yes.” You answered firmly. In all honesty you were terrified. What if this man walked in and took Ro away? The fear was too immense but you knew this had to be done. Hopefully you could speak to his soul and not his stardom. Being a fan of BTS for a while you knew these boys were pure love, respect, and sunshine. However, you never know. It could all be an act for the camera. Your heart truly believed Yoongi was a good man that’s why you agreed to the meeting but the fear of “what if” was still there. Ro was your life you didn’t want to lose him especially not when you were so close to officially being his mother.

“Yes he wants to meet the child.”

“Ro”

“Excuse me?”

“We call him Ro. The people in his life call him baby Ro. If your client is going to meet him I want him to at least know what to call him.” You said coldly. Maybe if you seemed strong and cold they would be afraid to go against you.

“Very well. Yoon- I mean my client will want see baby Ro in a couple of days.”

“That’s fine. I’ll wait for you to contact me and I’ll send my information.”

“Thank you Ms. Y/L/N. We will be in contact. Goodbye” and he hung up. You put the phone down with shaky hands. Tears began to blur your vision as you look at your sleeping baby. Up until this point you saw him as only yours. But he wasn’t just yours...he was Yoongi’s son too. And Yoongi has the right to take him.

Now, it was a waiting game. BigHit eventually sent you information about the meeting. Of course, everything was very private with a lot of regulations but you understood. You would never wanted to do anything to endanger Ro, Yoongi, the rest of BTS, or BigHit. You just needed all this to be cleared up.

A few days later you received a message.

Unknown:  I will be landing tonight. I’ll be at your home around 10 am.

You: Okay. Just please inform me when you are on your way.

He was cold and direct but you knew Min Yoongi, it was all a mask he put on to protect himself from hurt. Inside he was a sweet shy human being like the rest of us. He too felt pain and anger and happiness and love. You hope the sweet shy boy you’ve seen is the one you will meet tomorrow. This was life changing for him, you knew the feeling all to well. Tomorrow you would have to be firm about what you want but also consider how hard this is for him too.

This is my first Fanfic and I will try to update once a week. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy. It gets dramatic fair warning ;).

[singingunderthecurtain]

Equivocal - III [FINAL]

Author: @loeyeolty​ AU: Non-Idol Genre: Angst Pairing: Suho x Reader Trigger Warning: Cheating, Mentions of Smut in Future Chapters Word Count: 2,349

Plot: Equivocate - the use of ambiguous language so as to conceal the truth.

“Hey, are you okay?” A bespectacled passerby pulls you to the side of the road, while the driver of the car that almost ran you over keeps screaming profanities as they pass by.

“Go easy, miss. You almost got hit by the car.”

Your face was flushed, desperate for help, “Please help me. Robbers got into my car,”

From your viewpoint, Jongdae had already taken off his white t-shirt, throwing it onto the dashboard, before taking over the fucking skank.

“Oh shit. Let me borrow your keys,” he presses a certain button which triggers the alarm in your car.

The sound of the wailing sirens startled the impudent fucking couple, Jongdae rushes out immediately in his half-naked state. Soojin hurriedly opens the side of the door, exposing her breasts onto the street.

The man behind you claps in laughter, “should we call 119?”

“No need, thank you, mister. What’s your name, by the way?”

“I’m Junmyeon. We are both wearing pink. Chanyeol’s wedding? See you...” The man walks away towards the wedding area.

You followed the mysterious guy who helped you, he sits in the farthest corner of the reception.

He looks at you above his glasses, pouring red wine. “Bride’s side, her longtime childhood sweetheart.”

He explains himself, pausing, waiting for an explanation from you.

“Groom’s side. My now ex-boyfriend is a friend of the groom.” You put much emphasis on the now.

“I’m no stranger to the situation. I actually caught the bride and her soon-to-be groom, fucking, in my car. Welcome to the dark side, honey.” He downs his whole glass of wine.

“Really?” You were flabbergasted with how much this man was relatable.

“Not really. We did not even break up, we simply lost touch. Now she’s getting married. I just said what I thought happened to you. It wasn’t a robbery, right?”

“You’re smart.” You took the bottle of wine and chugged directly from it. But Mr. Junmyeon takes it out of your hands.

“Please just let me be!” You pleaded.

“No. If you can, talk to your boyfriend right now.” He points at the now fully clothed Jongdae, standing by the door. A disheveled Hyojin runs after him, barefoot with both stilettos on hand.

“I don’t think I can!”

“You know why I’m here in the wedding?”

“Because you like pain? A masochist?” Come to think of it, why would he want to watch his ex’s wedding?

“Because I did not have any closure. At least now I know, she’s really not the one for me. Now go! Set things straight, and then I’ll give you wine.”

Is this stranger really bribing you with… Alcohol?

With a brave front, you approached Jongdae.

“Oh baby,” he smoothens the creases on his coat, “the car had problems. I’m glad Hyojin was able to help–”

“Stop lying to me. Jongdae, I know you have been fucking this… This… This thing!!!” you glared at Hyojin from head to toe, as she was still fixing her bra.

“No, baby, what gives?”

Hyojin discretely tries to walk away, but you grab her arm.

“Tell me, Hyojin...”

“He didn’t tell me he had a girlfriend!” Hyojin hisses at Jongdae.

“To be fair, I should be out of this situation. Jongdae, you lied to me!” Hyojin wiggles herself out of your control and starts ushering more wedding guests.

Jongdae refuses to meet your eyes, he fumbles at the hem of his suit in anxious guilt.

“You aren’t even sorry?”

He remains silent.

“I hate myself, Y/N. I hate myself.”

“That’s your excuse?”

He looks away.

“She was the one who started it,” his voice cracks, without a hint of guilt, “I told her to stay away but...”

“But?”

“Can we put these behind, and start over? I need you, Y/N.” the nerve of Jongdae to grab your hands and place them on his chest, where that woman’s hand have been.

His eyes were sincere, and slowly you were falling to his charms again.

“I learned, after today, that you are the only one for me…”

You roll your eyes.

“So how did it go?” Junmyeon stands up, as you walked back to him.

“He seemed sorry. People make mistakes so...”

“Well, between you and me… I’m so stupid, going to this wedding hoping that once she sees my face, she’ll change her mind.”

Although Junmyeon helped you, you laughed deep inside at the pathetic state he was in.

For them, they lost contact, and proximity is love. As for yourself, it seems that Jongdae has learned his lesson, he chose to stick with you. Right? Right?!?!

—  —  —  —  —  

You didn’t have the heart to kick him out, not until after he made you your fave breakfast: sausage and scrambled eggs.

Not until after he started bringing you to and from work again.

Jongdae was back.

He was always home.

He was always horny.

He was almost…

Too fishy.

Perhaps it’s the lack of trust from his Hyojin incident, but you never really felt comfortable with him afterward.

Whenever Jongdae would go out, you felt like he would leave you forever, to fuck another random girl on the streets.

You loved him, but you were left miserable to your own devices.

It was your birth month, and while rage cleaning the apartment, you stumbled upon two musical tickets on his desk.

You loved musicals. It was your secret joy but you never get to watch them since Jongdae prefers sexual activities rather than romantic dates.

Nanta, May 19, 8pm. You giddily memorized the details on the ticket and made a  mental reminder to yourself to act surprised once he whips them out.

That night, you felt like giving him an extra hug, cuddling him under the sheets.

“Jongdae, have I ever told you I like musicals?”

“Not really,” his reply was lackluster, sounding bored.

“Would you watch a musical with me, or should I tag a gal friend along instead? I really want to watch Nanta.” You weren’t even subtle.

“Hmm..” and he doses off.

The audacity.

May 19 came. Your birthday. No surprises. Just “Hey I need to go to Chanyeol’s, his wife is giving birth so...”

“Are you live streaming her birth? The hell why you need to be there?”

“No, but we give bro-ral support.”

Not believing Jongdae, you rush to the same hospital where apparently Chanyeol would be expecting his child. True enough, the front desk directs you to the 7th floor.

“Congratulations Chanyeol, but are you sure Jongdae didn’t pass by?”

“Yeah, he didn’t. Didn’t you come together?”

Deja vu hits you.

The three of you were alone in the hospital room, Chanyeol, his wife and you,

It would be awkward to stay any longer.

As soon as you were about to leave them, the door swings open. A familiar faced, bespectacled man, in a white coat, enters.

“Hi, I’m going to check on the mother–”

“Junmyeon?!”

“Oh… Hi!” He waves back at you. But he does not seem to recall your name. Then again you never introduced yourself to him back then, did you?

You waited for him outside the room, grabbing onto his arm as soon as he got out. “Doctor Junmyeon?”

“Yes, Miss. Who stole your car again this time?”

“You never told me you were a doctor. Your ex’s doctor, to boot.”

“I am very professional.”

“I should have listened to you, doctor.”

—  —  —  —  —

“Now he’s probably watching Nanta with some scum of the earth,” you wept. Junmyeon massages the sides of his temples, sighing.

“Why aren’t you saying anything, Doctor?”

“It’s because I’m stupid too. Can you believe I delivered my ex’s child?”

“We’re both stupid, aren’t we?”

You weren’t expecting this but, “Let’s be stupid together?” ended up the two of you grabbing drinks in some shady bar in the Rodeo drive

Spilling sorrows, him making jokes ‘The only time I saw her pussy was when she fucking gave birth to another man’s child.’, which you find inexplicably hysterical.

“What? I’m an ob-gyn, I see lots of pussies all the time, whether I like it or not?”

“Jongdae is not even an ob-gyn yet he sees lots of pussies too, whether I like it or not.” You jokingly self-depreciated your own situation.

Junmyeon turns quiet after all the pussy talk. “Well, we should probably get going. I had fun, Y/N. Take care going home.”

You could not explain how rejected you felt when he abruptly wanted to cut short your drinking session. Were you boring him out? Were you making him awkward? He walks you to your car as the driver you hired waits, his body hanging onto your passenger door.

As soon as you climbed into the passenger’s seat.

Without his glasses, Dr. Junmyeon actually looks cute. He’s too pretty for your type, though.

“Text me when you get home. Be safe.”

By some weird motion, he moves in and kisses your cheek.

“Junmyeon,” you were taken aback by the abruptness of his actions, and so was he.

“I’m closing the door!” He slams it immediately and walks away.

—  —  —  —  —

Your head swirled in confusion from what just happened. Jongdae had not returned home yet, but he managed to text you “Hey her labor is taking long. Will stay here overnight.” Which you immediately categorized as bullshit, because you went there. He was not there.

As for Junmyeon, why did he kiss you?

You texted Junmyeon.

You: sorry late text. I got home a while ago, took a shower, now I’m off to sleep. Tnx for 2night.

Junmyeon: I needed you tonight.

Junmyeon: No… Fuck.

Junmyeon: I mean I needed someone to talk to tonight, coz you know, ex-issues

Junmyeon: so thank you too

You: actually, I needed you too tonight.

You: I mean, I needed someone to talk to tonight, coz you know, asshole Jongdae issues

Junmyeon: Guess we do need each other then...

—  —  —  —  —

The next day, you get another text from Dr. Junmyeon

Junmyeon: come to my office, quick.

You: why?

Jm: I can’t really tell why it's complicated. Please wait outside my office in an hour.

JM: oh if anyone asks why you’re in my clinic, just say you have an appointment

You: Doctor, this isn’t a surprise checkup, is it? :P

Junmyeon didn’t reply. How awkward, your joke was unanswered. But seriously, you were on all levels of confused. He’s not gonna ask you to spread your legs, just because he’s a doctor right? Not that you mind at all... He’s cute after all. But you like, rough-looking men, Y/N. Like Jongdae. Rough men who give you a hard time. Junmyeon is too clean cut for you.

Nevertheless, the irony of it all, you chose a sunflower, sleeveless printed dress which flowed beautifully down your ankles. This isn’t a date. You kept reminding yourself.

You: Hey, I’m here.

You text him promptly upon arriving outside his office. His assistant, who introduced himself as Baekhyun, leads you to sit on the benches.

JM: Yes, I’ll be out in a second.

The moment the doors swung, your heart pitter-pattered. What’s wrong with you, Y/N? You expecting the same bespectacled man in his white coat, but instead.

It’s Jongdae.

Hand in hand.

With Hyojin.

“Jongdae!!!” You screamed at the top of your lungs. The two of them froze on the spot, Hyojin flinging away Jongdae’s grasp, holding onto her prominent tummy instead.

“Baby, What are you doing here?” Jongdae’s face panicked for a second but immediately reverted back to a relaxed stance. He’s so fucking good at lying you wanted to punch him right then and there.

“No. What are you TWO doing here?”

“I went to visit Chanyeol, then I bumped into Hyojin. What a coincidence right?”

“I thought you changed Jongdae,” hot tears rolled down your eyes, your chest twisted in knots in imploding pain.

“Babe I–” Jongdae runs after you, as you ran away from him.

Words could not find you now, all you wanted was to run away, forget this ever happened.

Jongdae keeps calling your name, his voice was still audible down the hall.

You felt his hand on your shoulder, forcing you to turn around.

He said your name, out of breath. You could not even bring yourself to open your eyes to his face. His stupid lying face.

He said your name again as he shook you with both hands, to which you played dead.

“Jongdae, we have nothing to discuss. I fucking hate you. You betrayed me.”

“It’s me.”

You peered open your eyes and found Junmyeon, inches away from you, the look of worry written all over his face.

“I’m sorry you had to see all of this. I was just planning on telling you but they went ahead of me–”

Someone screamed your name, looking to your right, Jongdae was catching his breath, panting to your side. Jongdae’s eyes slide to the doctor who was taking a protective position on you, with his hands on your shoulder. “Dr. Junmyeon? Y/N, who is this man to you?!” he judges Junmyeon from head to toe, brows furrowed.

“It’s none of your business, asshole.” You nodded at Junmyeon, taking his hand, walking away.

—  —  —  —  —

“Are you sure you are ready to throw away all of this?” Junmyeon stares at the trash bag, waiting by the door.

“Yup. Actually, I have always had my reservations against him. After finding out he cheated before. Believe it or not, I was sure this day was to happen.” You wiped stray tears down your cheek. As much as you tried to mentally cheer yourself up, it still hurt.

“Thanks for helping me clear out the trash, Junmyeon.”

“But I still haven’t cleared out the trash in my own flat.” He chuckles at the irony of things. “Well, I better get going, it’s getting late… So...”

With both hands on his cheeks, you gave him a kiss. Junmyeon slowly re-opens his eyes, a smile creeping up on his face.

“It’s late. You can stay here, you know.”

—END—

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[patriotnewsdaily]

New Post has been published on PatriotNewsDaily.com

New Post has been published on https://patriotnewsdaily.com/does-trump-have-the-right-of-first-refusal-on-the-gop-nomination/

Does Trump Have the Right of First Refusal on the GOP Nomination?

Democrats and most Republicans seem to believe that the 2024 presidential nomination belongs to Trump if he chooses to run.  Delaying his decision is said to be keeping all the potential presidential aspirants on the sideline.

There are three questions yet unanswered.  Will Trump decide to run?  Can he secure the GOP nomination in 2024?  Would he win the General Election?

Will Trump decide to run?

I believe he would like to run. But he would have to weigh a lot of issues before making that decision –some issues that are yet unknown or unresolved.

One issue would be his age and health.  Obviously, he would have to remain healthy and vital.  In view of the success of President Biden that issue may be eliminated – unless Biden is incapable of completing his four-year term.  Then Trump’s age would work against him. It is impossible to prognosticate on that issue.  Only time will tell.

Also weighing in on Trump’s decision to run is his political health.  What will be the result of the many law cases winding their way through the courts?  Some of the charges have to do with his pre-presidency business days.  While Trump has not been indicted in any of the criminal cases, his top financial guy, Allen Weisselberg, has – and that is VERY close to the top of the Trump organization and to Trump himself.

Democrats in Congress are going after Trump’s political hide with two investigations. 

Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s faux bipartisan Select Committee on the January 6th Capitol Hill riot is hoping to snare Trump and Republican leaders in as participants in an imaginary attempted coup.  This could backfire, however. And it is not likely to have much effect on the 2022 midterms elections since Trump is not on the ballot.  Trying to use Trump to smear all Republicans is not likely to work.  It did not in 2020 when Trump was the top of the ticket. And the GOP did very well down the ballot.

In a parallel effort, House Democrats are investigating Trump’s business interests.  That investigation gained steam when the Justice Department reversed its ruling. It now says that Trump’s tax returns must by turned over to the Congress.  There is no doubt that this is a fishing expedition.  However, as a longtime New York City real estate developer, I would be surprised that there were not at least minimal violations of the law – which Democrats will inflate into capital crimes in the court-of-public-opinion.  There are also things that could be embarrassing to Trump – or at least made to look embarrassing.

Since Congress cannot charge or indict anyone for crimes – that is the job of the Justice Department—the investigations in Congress are just exercises in politics in the dangerous court-of-public-opinion — that too often produces vigilante justice based on propaganda rather than rules-of-evidence. 

Apart from age and scandals, Trump may just not want to do it. Especially if it appears that he would not likely succeed.

Can Trump secure the nomination for 2024?

Trump would have to weigh the possibility of his winning the nomination.  It is far from assured – even though many perceive it that way at this point.  This could be a major decision for Trump and anyone who is willing to take him on in a primary.

We must remember that most Republican voters in 2016 preferred a candidate other than Trump.  He built momentum with approximately 25 to 30 percent of the vote against 15 other candidates who divided the rest of the vote.  He did not start winning a majority in the primaries until he was virtually assured of the nomination.

The so-called Trump base is 30 to 40 percent of the Republican primary voters.  Trump supporters most likely inflated those numbers to show strength. And, ironically, by Democrats and the media who want to claim that the entire GOP is a Trump cult.  I would estimate the Trump base – those who would not consider any other candidate – at more like 10 percent of Republican voters.  The majority of folks who cast a ballot for Trump in 2016 and 2020 saw him as the better option.  They voted against the Democrats more than for Trump – something he never understood.

If Trump were to face one or two strong GOP contenders in 2024 – and there are a number of them — I believe that Trump would not prevail in the primaries – and would start losing in the early contests.  The Democrats are guilty of wishful thinking if they truly believe that most GOP voters are blindly loyal to Trump – or any politician – over the all-important issues.  I do not personally know a single Trump voter who would abandon the Republican ticket in 2024 if Trump was not at the top.

Would Trump win the General Election in 2024?

I cannot make a prognostication with any level of confidence at this time.  I do know that if the choice on the ballot was between Trump and any of the likely Democrat candidates – with a continuation of the left-wing disastrous policies – I would, for the third time, cast my ballot for Trump.  If not the happiest choice, it is not a difficult one.

It is not about the man – and his flawed personality – but about the greater administration and the empowerment of Republicans in Congress – conservative Republican values being enacted by many more officials than Trump, himself.

A lot depends on how many folks like me are out there.  I do know people who voted for Trump once … and against once.  Some have told me that they voted for Trump twice.  What should concern the greater Republican Party is that I have never come across any voter who did not vote for Trump in 2016 and 2020 – or even voted for Trump in 2016 and against in 2020 – who will vote for him in the future.  There is just no way of measuring how many of them there are.

Summary

If I were to place odds on the three questions, I would give Trump only a 40 percent chance he will run.  If he did, only a 30 percent chance he would win the nomination. And a less than 50 percent chance he would win the General Election if he was the nominee. 

This commentary reflects my total rejections of the left’s mendacious narrative that the GOP is some sort of cult-of-personality.  I understand why they proffer that cow dung.  It is because they cannot win on the issues.  They have to engage in demonization and character assassination of an entire political party. And they can do so as long as they have the advantage of a corrupt and biased so-called news media giving false credibility to their political narratives.

So, there ‘tis.

[orbemnews]

Biden resists raising refugee cap over political optics, sources say The President’s hesitation comes as the administration faces heat from Republicans and Democrats for its handling of an influx of migrants at the US-Mexico border. But the situation at the US southern border is separate from the refugee program, which dates back decades and has a thorough vetting process in place for refugees overseas to resettle in the US. One Democratic aide described what is unfolding as “vintage Biden” in terms of preserving his options so that he can maintain decision-making space for the one that best suits him politically. Democratic lawmakers and advocates, frustrated with the delay, have tried to seek answers from the administration but have fallen short. When asked by reporters about next steps, administration officials haven’t provided clarity, instead maintaining that the President is committed to the issue. Last week, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Biden was committed to raising the refugee ceiling to 62,500 this fiscal year but she didn’t provide a timeline. A White House spokesperson reiterated in a statement that Biden “remains committed to rebuilding the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program,” adding that a “new Presidential Determination is under active consideration.” “In the meantime, the work to rejuvenate the program to support increased refugee admissions is well underway,” the spokesperson said. In February, the State Department presented Congress with a plan to expand the refugee cap put in place by former President Donald Trump — set at 15,000 — to allow up to 62,500 refugees to be resettled in the United States. As is normally the process, the State Department and White House had already agreed on the number. The proposal was also in line with Biden’s commitment during the campaign to raise the refugee ceiling and return the US to admitting a higher number of refugees after historic low arrivals under Trump. But with the situation on the US-Mexico border heating up, the proposal — and accompanying paperwork — stalled. Left in limbo The delay resulted in the cancellation of hundreds of refugee flights and left thousands of people expecting to arrive in the US after a years-long process in limbo. Mark Hetfield, the president and CEO of HIAS, a refugee resettlement organization, shared the story of one nearly 30-year-old Congolese woman who had been vetted and approved to fly to the US in early March. When Biden’s signature didn’t come, her ticket was canceled, and because she is now in her third trimester, she can no longer travel. Another proposal has now sprung up: The administration is considering stripping restrictions put in place by Trump’s Presidential Determination to cast a wider net of refugees who can arrive in the US, until the ceiling is raised, CNN has learned. The delay in raising the refugee cap is at odds with the goal Biden declared during his first foreign policy address at the State Department. “I’m approving an executive order to begin the hard work of restoring our refugee admissions program to help meet the unprecedented global need,” Biden said. “This executive order will position us to be able to raise the refugee admissions back up to 125,000 persons for the first full fiscal year of the Biden-Harris administration. And I’m directing the State Department to consult with Congress about making a down payment on that commitment as soon as possible.” State Department spokesperson Ned Price previously suggested the delay was due to needing to get the refugee program back into shape after the Trump administration. But while the program took a hit after years of historic low arrivals under Trump, there are refugees prepared to travel now. Refugee resettlement agencies also tell CNN that they are ready to get to work, once the administration gives the go-ahead for more refugees. Frustration continues on Capitol Hill, with Democratic senators still struggling to understand why Biden hasn’t moved forward with the Presidential Determination. Their questions to the administration have gone unanswered, leaving them to believe that political calculations are at play. The Biden administration’s discretionary budget request includes asking for additional funds to resettle a larger number of refugees, when compared with the Trump years. The disconnect between that request and the fact that Biden has not yet signed off on the refugee program proposal has been noticed by frustrated members of Congress. “I don’t know why there has been a delay on the executive orders. I keep my fingers crossed that it will be changed quickly,” said Sen. Dick Durbin, an Illinois Democrat who’s the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Pressure campaign In recent weeks, outside groups have begun a pressure and education campaign to flag to lawmakers the urgency of having Biden sign the Presidential Determination. The issue is not just about numbers. Under the Trump administration, new restrictions limited which refugees were eligible to come to the US. Moving back to a regional model, advocates argue, will help begin to correct a backlog that started under Trump. The groups “want to give (Biden) some breathing space, but it is causing some real hardship,” Durbin said of his conversations with the organizations. Democratic lawmakers worry that part of the White House’s calculation is that with the flow of migrants on the southern border, raising the refugee cap now — even though it is an entirely different program — could become a political problem. But many Democratic senators argue that it’s a separate program and should be treated as such. “The refugee issue is pretty bleak right now. We need realistic numbers. These are people who come to our country in an orderly way. … In a way, it is part of an overall strategy to prevent the unpredictable flow. The numbers are important to get at a realistic level,” Sen. Ben Cardin, a Democrat from Maryland, told CNN. As of March 31, only 2,050 refugees had been admitted to the United States this fiscal year under Trump’s 15,000 cap, according to the Refugee Processing Center, which is part of the State Department. That’s unlikely to change much unless the cap is modified, given restrictions put in place by the former administration. Sen. Tim Kaine, a Democrat from Virginia, said he was hoping to hear something soon. “Team Biden said they were going to return to a more normal posture in the US with respect to refugees, and they haven’t yet done it,” Kaine said. “If you did every program like the refugee program, people would be really happy because the level of vetting is so significant, but why is that program clamped down when people are trying to do the right thing?” Kaine said he is giving the administration some benefit of the doubt as it fills out its team, but senators are asking questions. “I have raised the issue. I don’t have a clear path on exactly what the issue is on Presidential Determination,” said Sen. Chris Coons, a Democrat from Delaware who’s a close Biden ally. “It is perfectly clear to me that President Biden’s approach toward refugees is fundamentally different from President Trump’s and both the budget requests and the policy decisions being made at the Department of Homeland Security will have profoundly different results.” Source link Orbem News #Biden #Bidenresistsraisingrefugeecapoverpoliticaloptics #Cap #Optics #Political #Politics #raising #refugee #resists #sources #sourcessay-CNNPolitics