#they were like 'oh sorry man! i don't have my debit card with me :('

[666writingcafe]

The Three Demons and MC Have Arrived in London

Author’s Note: “Lucifer” = “Satan (Lucifer)", "Satan” = “Lucifer (Satan)”

"Mmmm!" Mammon moans happily. "That's good...real good! Man, the human world totally has the best dark beers!"

"Remind me again: when did we agree that stopping at a bar was a good idea?" I ask. "I thought we were supposed to meet the witch. Besides, Mammon seems a bit young to be drinking alcohol."

"Now listen!" Mammon slurs those two simple words. "How old do ya think I am, anyway?"

"Do you honestly want me to answer that question?"

"Don't make assumptions based on how I look! I'm way over 5000, y'know. Way over!"

"5000 months old, perhaps," I mutter.

"Exactly how long do you two plan to hang around here goofing off?" Satan asks impatiently, putting an end to our conversation. "Come on, time to get moving."

"What?!" Mammon shouts. "But I've still got a lotta drinkin' to do!" I pat his hand.

"Maybe later, big guy," I tell him.

"Or he can do all his drinking now, and we'll just leave him with the bill," Lucifer replies. "The entire bill." That gets Mammon to change his tune real quick, causing me to roll my eyes. Once our tab is settled, we head off to Kings Cross Station to catch the train that will take us to the witch.

"Hey, MC!" Mammon calls when we've paid for our tickets. "Check it out!" He points at a nearby concession stand. "This place is selling official Wizarding World of Harry Potter merchandise!"

"I didn't know you liked Harry Potter," I reply.

"Like it? Oh, MC, I love it! It's my favorite human world book series of all time!" Mammon gasps. "I just realized: this is actually one of the locations where the movies were filmed, isn't it?!" I nod my head, but he doesn't appear to be paying any attention to me as he points out the different candy that appeared in the movie franchise.

"I can't not buy these items!" Mammon exclaims right when Lucifer approaches us.

"And who exactly do you imagine is going to pay for them?" he asks menacingly.

"Well, if we were able to stop through my place, I would have been able to grab my wallet, which had both my debit card and some human world money in it, and then I would be able to purchase some items myself," I reply, the attitude in my voice not fully registering in my head until the words have left my mouth. Lucifer sighs.

"I'm sorry, MC. If we were able to make a pit stop, we would. Tell you what: why don't you pick out something that the four of us can have as a way to remember this trip?"

"Oh, so it's totally fine if MC gets something, but the minute I even think about buying something, you give me crap about it?!" Mammon exclaims. "That's unfair!"

"MC's the exchange student, not you," Satan responds. "Whether we like it or not, part of Lucifer's job is to ensure that MC's stay with us is as pleasurable as possible. Since MC wasn't able to grab a whole lot of their things before they arrived, then it's only fair that they're able to get something here, if they so choose."

"Actually, I kinda like the look of this keychain," I state, holding one up for the brothers to see. "It's a chocolate frog that looks like it's made out of real chocolate." When none of them reply, I quickly add,

"It's not that big of a deal. If you guys think it's dorky--"

"If that's what you want, then we'll get it," Lucifer interrupts. "Make sure that there's at least four of them, though."

"There is."

[blackhakumen]

Mini Fanfic #966: Among Falsehood (Ace Attorney)

Dead Body(s) Report- YaBoiWocky and Klavier The Rocking Sensation

Ema: Well, damn. Look like one of the killers aren't messing around this time.

Trucy: I know, right? ('Sniff') Look at how they massacred my Wocky-Kins.....

Ema: My boyfriend was murdered too, Trucy.

Trucy: Yeah, but at least you guys are veterans at the game. This is Wocky's first night playing and he's still confused.

Ema: I mean.....You're not wrong, but- ('Sigh') You know what? Forget it. We're already starting to waste time as it is. Who found whose body?

Pearl: I've found Wocky's body near the....laboratory area, I think? I'm not sure what it's called to be frank.

Apollo: Was it the Mid Base Scan area?

Pearl: Probably? ('Sigh') I don't think I know anything about this area too well.......But who was following me when I was going to the room to report?

Apollo: Were they coming from behind you or from specimen?

Pearl: I believe it was from below....into that area.

Ema: So into specimen then.

Pearl: Yeah.

Apollo: Well, I was in the admin room the entire time in case anyone's wondering. But I did see two people standing in mid by, lab area for a few seconds before one of them disappeared, so.....

Athena: Ooh! Before I forget, I can vouch for Vera being cleared cause after I walked out of the trash bin area, I saw her made her way into room.

Vera: (Messages "It's true" on the Who is the Imposter Screen)

Ema: Alright. But did anyone of you seen the Fop's body passing by by any chance?

Athena: Not really, no.

Vera: (Messages "I can't say that I have I'm afraid")

Trucy: I was doing my own task at the weapons' area. It's easy as it always been

Ema: Was it the Astroid one?

Trucy: Yep!

Ema: Shit you're lucky. It took me minutes to finish that stupid debit card task. I hate it.

Vera: (Messages "Same lol")

Ema: See? Vera gets me.

Trucy: Of course she does. She's a treasure~

Vera: (Messages "😊")

Apollo: Alright. The vote is about to end in twenty seconds. Should we skip the vote entirely?

Athena: I think it's Trucy!

Pearl: ('Sigh') Yeah.....

Trucy: Excuse you, Athena!? And who just said "yeah" to voting me off!? Pearly?

Pearl: No, sorry! Sorry! I meant "Yeah, we're skipping the vote". Not the other way around.

Trucy: Okay! Cause....I was actually to throw some virtual hands uo in here!

Apollo: (Starts Snickering Along with Everyone Else) Virtual Hands? How would that even work?

Trucy: I.....I have no idea, but I can assure you that they're very effective attacks! And it'll come directly to a certain Little Miss Tiger Pants over-

Two Gray Among Us Guys Pop up under Trucy's Name.

Apollo: Well, whaddya know? (Snickers Some More) It looks like two people wanted you gone after all.

Pearl/Athena: (Burst Out Laughing)

Trucy: ARE YOU KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW!? WHY!?

Vera: (Giggling Softly)

Ema: (Starts Snickering as Well) Maybe your "Virtual Hands" might have been a threat in their eyes.

Trucy: Well, fuck all of you! I'm innocent!

Ema: With that sailor mouth of yours?

Trucy: I'm young woman, Ema Skyes! I can say whatever the hell I want!!-

One and a Half Minutes Later......

Dead Body Report- PearlyBeloved

Ema: Alright. So I found Pearls' body at the laboratory section at the top right by the showers. It's a shame she wasn't able to get herself clean in time. She would've been the squeakiest grape pretzel of all.

Apollo: You know, I'm gonna be honest, that pretzel actually looks great on her among us man.

Athena: I know right? It's her cute pretzel hair never left.

Apollo: (Snickers a Little) Yeah. So you said you found her at the showers, Ema?

Ema: Yep.

Athena: You wanna know who hit the showers?

Apollo: Huh?

Ema: What?

Athena: Sailor Mouth Trucy~

Trucy: And guess who was nowhere near the FUCKING body, Thena!?

Apollo: .......Jesus, Trucy.

Vera: (Messages "Oh Dear....")

Trucy: I just got done finishing that stupid fucking maze thing, which is by far my least favorite task by the and-

Ema: Okay, I'm just gonna vote Trucy off already, based on the language. (Votes for Trucy)

Apollo: (Immediately Burst Out Laughing Along With Athena and Vera) Ema, what the hell are you doing!?

Trucy: WHAT!? EMA!!!

Athena: (Giggling Up the Storm) Oho my God!~

Trucy: Ema Skyes, why!? WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME!?

Athena: I'M NOT ACTUALLY SUS OF TRUCY WRIGHT!~

Trucy: THEN WHY DO YOU KEEP SUSPECTING ME!?

Athena: CAUSE IT'S FUNNY!?~

Apollo: It kinda is honestly.

Trucy: DON'T START WITH ME RIGHT NOW, APOLLO JUSTICE!

Ema: Listen, I'm a normal ass person who's bored! I vote whoever I want and it's Little Miss Sailor Mouth in blue.

Trucy: REALLY!? Okay. First off, you're a detective with a lab coat!

Ema: Not a very well known one.

Trucy: SO? THAT STILL MEANS SOMETHING!

Ema: Ehhhhhhh.....

Trucy: WHATEVER!

Athena: (Starts Laughing Some More)

Trucy: And second, how you're gonna sit here and complain about my language when the majority of you people, minus Vera and maybe Pearly, cuss just as much as I do, if not more!!? Huh!?

Apollo: (Trying his Hardest to Contain More of his Laughter) I mean, shit, you're not wrong, but-

Trucy: SEE!? Polly curses too and he's supposed the most mature one out of the two of us!!!

Apollo: Well, I'm older than you, so....

Trucy: POLLY!

Apollo: Alright! Alright! As much as I would love to debate more on the morality of our use languages, the time is about to run out in here and we still have two killers are still at large.

Ema: Oh shit. I didn't think about that.

Trucy: OH YA DON'T SAY!!?

Apollo: Fifteen seconds remaining!

Athena: Let's just vote off Ema already, shall we?

Trucy: Yeah. Let's! Cause I am upset tired, stressed, and about to cry right now thanks to that madwoman.

Ema: Fair mad woman.

As the gang cast their votes, it is shown that Ema has one vote while Trucy has all three.

Apollo: Oh no.

Trucy: WHAT!? NO!!!

Athena: (Starts Snickering Once More) So much for that I guess.....

Trucy: WHAT THE FUCK!?

Ema: That's unfortunate.

Trucy: YOU'RE HAPPY, EMA?

Trucy gets ejected

Trucy: Now I'm in the pool of lava, dying thanks to you! ('Knees Slap') FUCK!

Back at the Anything's Wright Agency......

Trucy: (Closes her Laptop Before Groaning and Covering her Face in Annoyance)

Wocky: AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHA!

Trucy: (Immediately Turns Next to Her Boyfriend While Pouting and Sitting on the Sofa Together) Wockyyyyy!~ Our friends are my making fun of me, it's not funny!

Wocky: (Tries Calmong his Laughter Down) Sorry! Sorry! It's just.....(Wipe a Tear From his Eyes) ('Whew') Hearing you cuss up a storm like that is the most funniest shit I've ever seen in my entire life.

Trucy: ('Sigh Heavily') Well, I'm glad I was able to make you laugh at least. I'm still mad.....

Wocky: (Scootches Over Trucy While Placing his Arm Around Her Shoulder and Giving her a Reassuring Smile) Hey, if it makes you the slightest bit better, I still think you're cutest girl in the world, sailor mouth or not.

Trucy: (Smiles Softly at Wocky's Words Before Hugging him Lovingly) You're so sweet~

Wocky: Not as sweet as you~ (Guves Trucy a Kiss on the Lips) Wanna go back to the game? I'm pretty sure everyone is done by now.

Trucy: Nah. They can play the rest without us. (Starts Snuggling Onto Wocky) I wanna watch TV and cuddle~

Wocky: Whatever you say, my Magical Princess. (Turns the TV on With the Remote)

Trucy: (Giggles Softly) Magical Princess~ I love it!~

@apollo-justice-for-all

@cyber-wildcat

@keyenuta

@26shann

@ma-lemons

@caleb13frede

[sukkadeservedbetter]

It’s Different.

Pairing: Tom Holland x Reader

Summary: After a dramatic and traumatizing experience at a gas station, things with Tom hit different.

Warnings: Mugging/Robbery

Word Count: 2.6 of fluff

You’ve always been oddly comforted by the smell of gasoline. Anything that smelled like a car garage had always left you with a sense of euphoria: new tires, exhaust pipes, and metals. It wasn't something you could really explain, but as the faint smell of gasoline entered your nose after a horribly long day at work, you welcomed it.

Your mother always told you not to let your mileage gauge get below 50 miles, but you never listened to her. Tonight you got to the gas station with 10 miles left. Tempting the fates was becoming a little hobby of yours—at least when it came to getting gas. Mainly because you hated pumping gas. It wasn't hard, or even a lot of work, but you always realized you needed gas at the worst possible times. Like tonight, for example. You didn't have anywhere to be, but you were tired. You debated whether you wanted to prolong getting into your comfy clothes tonight or wake up earlier tomorrow in order to fill your stupid car with gas. In the end, prolonging rest now seemed a whole lot better than waking up any earlier than you needed to tomorrow.

You begrudgingly dragged your exhausted body out of your car. It wasn't all that late, but the sun had gone down behind the hills and a faint wind nipped at your neck and cheeks. Summer was officially over, but the remanence of long, warm nights hung in the faint pink glow of the horizon. You scrolled through your phone mindlessly as your car's tank filled agonizingly slowly. You heard your mother's voice telling you that you should always wait in your car while pumping gas at night, just in case. You shook off her words. You lived in the sleepiest part of L.A. where nothing even remotely interesting happened. It was all families and Instagram models here—not crackheads and gangs.

The gas pump clicked, letting you know you were finally done with this heinous chore. You placed the pump back in its holster and finished up paying on the pin pad. As you pivoted on your left foot to turn around and hop into your car, you felt cool metal press against the back of your skull. Your throat closed immediately. The pounding in your chest became overwhelmingly loud. Your ears rang and everything began to slow. Whoever was behind you spoke, but you couldn't hear anything.

They teach you about the "fight or flight response," but they never tell you about the third reaction in response to fear: freeze. You wanted to scream, or run, or kick, but you couldn't do anything. Your lip began to quiver as you cursed yourself for never listening to your mom's advice. The person behind you grabbed onto your arm so hard you yelped.

"Shut the fuck up!" The voice yelled. It was deep and gravely. "I said, give me your money and I won't have to use this." You heard the sound of his gun cocking and you let out a silent wail.

"I don't have anything," you plea, putting your hands up to show you were literally empty-handed.

"Do you think I'm a fucking idiot? Where is your purse? In the car? Walk." The man shoved you towards your car. Your mind raced with possibilities of how to get out of the situation. You quickly realized that you were either going to have to give him your money or he would shoot you and there was no in-between. For a moment you let yourself hope that someone would save you in a damsel-in-distress moment, but you knew that real life wasn't a fairytale, and knights in shining armor were far and in between in L.A.

The man turned you around and shoved you against your car door causing you to wince. When you saw his face you let out a sob. He was wearing a Spider-Man mask. Your mind went straight to Tom. You and Tom had been friends for years. You knew he was kind and good, but you couldn't help but associate him with the mask and that made this situation so much worse.

"Now, give me your money so I don't have to blow your fucking head off," The man sneered. You gulped as you turned around to open your car door. The man placed a harsh hand on your hip as you bent over to reach for your purse. Your throat closed up again thinking about what he might do after you give him the money. You grabbed both your debit and credit card out of your wallet. In a stroke of dumb luck, you remembered something from a John Mulaney special you had watched with Tom a while back.

"Here. Fetch!" You yelled as you turned around and chucked your cards as far away from yourself and the car as you could. The man shoved you into your car, causing you to hit your head, as he ran towards your cards which were now scattered about 20 yards away. You slammed your door shut and drove away quickly, hoping he wouldn't shoot towards your speeding car. You felt numb. Your body shook as you drove. You wanted to go home and sob, but you knew you had to go to the police station first.

The police station took forever. You sat in a boring room that was too bright and too cold as you listened to a policewoman talk you through the process of filing a report. You weren't fully there and if she had asked you to repeat what she was saying you wouldn't have been able to. After what seemed like forever, the police let you go. You got in your car and stared forward mindlessly. Where were you supposed to go? Home was the obvious answer, but you didn't want to go back to your dark and lonely apartment after what had happened. Every time you blinked you saw Spider-Man holding a gun towards you.

You realized that you wanted to see Tom. Tom always knew how to make you feel better and after being terrorized by someone who looked like Spider-Man, Tom's happy-go-lucky attitude and soft British voice was something you craved. You checked the time to find that it was nearing 11:30. Tom might not even be home, but you didn't care. You considered calling him first, just to see if he was home, or wanted to see you, but you were already outside of his apartment before you could truly comprehend that you were heading to him.

You stood with shaking hands outside of his building. As you pressed the call button for his apartment, you became instantly anxious. What if Tom didn't want to see you? What if he had someone over? What if—

"Hello?" Tom's voice rang from the speaker. You let out a shaky sigh of relief. At least he was home. "Hello?" Tom asked again.

"Oh, uh. Hi, Tom..."

"(Y/N)? What're you doing here?" He didn't sound upset, just confused.

"I, uh... can I come up?"

"Yeah, of course!" The door buzzed and clicked open. You pushed the ornate gold handle and began bounding up the stairs. You should've taken the elevator in your state, but you didn't want to wait. Your heart was pounding as you climbed to the ninth floor. By the time you got to Tom's apartment, you were out of breath. You took a moment to compose yourself before you knocked. Tom opened the door with a sideways smile. Upon seeing his face you immediately crumpled into his arms and started sobbing. You hadn't processed what had happened yet, but seeing Tom all soft and warm in his hoodie and sweats made you feel safe.

Tom grabbed you just before you hit the floor and wrapped you into a tight hug. You knew he was probably scared and confused, but you couldn't stop crying long enough to explain yourself. You were ugly crying. There were snot and tears coming out of and your jagged breaths made you feel as though you could vomit. Tom didn't say anything he just rubbed your back and pulled you onto his couch.

"I'm-- I'm so... so sorry," You choked out.

"Shhh, it's okay," Tom comforted. "It's alright, Darlin'." Even upset that pet name made your heart swell. "What's going on?" Tom asked. You took a few seconds to gain some composure. You sat up and wiped the tears from your face as best you could. After a few seconds of uneven breathing, you began to tell Tom what happened. His brows furrowed and his grip on your thigh tightened as you told him how this stranger attacked you.

"I didn't mean to bother you so late I just... I didn't know where to go," you said as you concluded your story.

“No, it’s okay! I’m glad you can here. You’re always welcome here. You know that.” Tom pulled you in for another tight hug. You breathed in his cologne. The familiar scent sent your brain back to last spring when the two of you couldn’t keep your hands off each other. Tom wasn’t just a friend—or he was, but with benefits. Two years ago after a bad break up and a lot of tequila the two of you first hooked up. After that, it became custom for the two of you to get together whenever you were both single and in the same place. It wasn’t constant and both you had been in and out of relationships since you first hooked up, but when it happened it happened—no questions asked. A part of you often longed for something more, but at the end of the day, you were just happy to have someone like Tom in your life.

You looked up at Tom through glassy eyes. You wanted nothing more than to kiss him. Tom had always been good at reading you even if you swore you had a great poker face. Tom placed two fingers under your chin and tilted your head so that your lips met his. It was a soft kiss, nothing particularly special, but behind it was all the care in the world and it was mutual. You break apart after only a few seconds.

"I hope that makes up for that asshole using my likeness to mug you." You let out a shaky laugh.

"It did. Thank you."

"I cannot believe the wisdom of John Mulaney came to you in your moment of crisis," Tom laughed.

"Actually, I think it was Detective J.J. Bittenbinder's wisdom," you teased. As you moved to sit completely upright you winced.

"You okay?" Tom asked, suddenly worried.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm good. That guy just rattled me around a bit. I'll be fine." You were lying. You would be fine, but your hip and back and arm hurt like hell and you didn't want Tom to worry.

"Okay..." Tom said, obviously still unsure. "Do you want to shower? It'll help you relax."

"Yeah, that would be really nice." Tom helped you up from the couch. You followed him to his bathroom with his hand interlaced in yours. You forgot how attractive an attentive/over-protective Tom was.

"You can get in. I'll go grab you a towel," Tom said. You didn't really respond so much as nod, but you knew he knew that you meant, "sure, thank you." You quickly stripped yourself of your clothing and stepped into the steaming water. You winced and cowered away from the water as it hit your forming bruises. You looked down at the marks on your arm and hip which were already red and swollen. The faint outline of fingers traced over your hip. Looking down at the marks, you wanted to cry again, but you knew that there was no point.

You heard the bathroom door open again and could just see Tom's figure from behind the fogged-up glass door. You closed your eyes and let the water pour over your face. When you opened your eyes again Tom's figure was closer to the door, but this time it was devoid of clothing. The door opened and Tom stepped in silently. You turned around to face him.

"Hi," You whispered.

"Hi. This okay?" Tom asked. You nodded, but you suddenly felt the need to cover yourself. You couldn't figure out why you felt so exposed. Tom had seen you naked plenty of times, but this felt different. This was so much more intimate. Normally when you were naked in front of Tom alcohol was involved and during the times it wasn't your exposed body was veiled by the haze of lust and need. Now there was nothing to conceal your skin or your bruises.

Tom's eyes immediately went towards the mark on your arm. He lifted it up to see the bruise better and felt like you could see his heartbreaking as his face crumpled at the sight. "Baby..." he whined, pulling you in for another hug. Your breath caught in your chest at the pet name. Tom never called you 'baby' except for during sex. You (along with most other girls) were always 'love' or 'darling", but this time he called you baby. It felt different.

Your wet body pressed against his. You had never showered with Tom. It was nice. It wasn't sexual like you assumed it would be. In fact, for once, Tom wasn't trying to make an intimate situation sexual at all. Tom pressed a wet kiss to your forehead. "I'm so sorry," he said against your hair.

"It's fine," you mumbled back. Tom turned you around so that your back was now against his chest. You felt his fingertips skim over what you assumed to be various bruises on your back. Without warning, Tom brought his lips down to your shoulders and peppered open kisses across them. He brought his arms around your waist and you bit back a huge grin. Either subconsciously or out of habit leaned your neck to the side to give Tom better access to your neck. Rather than giving you a hickey like you expected him to, he pressed a soft kiss to the exposed skin and turned your head back to meet his lips.

This kiss was different than the kiss you shared on the couch. This kiss was slow and deliberate. Tom slipped in just enough tongue to give you the chills. You could've stayed in that moment forever, but you knew all too well that all good things must come to an end. After what seemed like hours you and Tom stepped out of the shower into the foggy bathroom. Tom wrapped a towel around you, kissing your forehead again in the process. You internally groaned at the thought of putting your jeans back on and going home. Like always, Tom was one step ahead of you.

"Do you want to stay?" Tom asked, but it wasn't like he normally asked you. Something in his voice was different. "I could stay on the couch if you want the bed to yourself, or you could have the couch. I just..." He was nervous.

"You don't need to sleep on the couch," You said, calming Tom's nerves. "You just have to let me borrow a t-shirt."

"Deal." Tom handed you one of his shirts. You slipped your panties back on and let Tom's shirt engulf your figure. It smelled like him. By the time you were finished drying your hair, Tom was already in bed. He was awake, but barely. You slipped into bed next to him and kissed his cheek.

"Thanks, Tommy."

"Of course, (Y/N)." You had ended your nights so many times in the same way in Tom's bed, but when he wrapped his arms around your waist and kissed your shoulder, something felt different.

——

A/N: This is loosely based on an experience I had a few months back and while getting gas I got inspired! Lemme know what you think :)

[i-run-with-a-wolfpack]

I Can't Help But Wait

Embry/OC, mature rating

4 - Tying the Knot (part 1 of 2)

Embry's POV - 

"Where are you going?" I whispered, my throat raspy from just waking up.

I opened one eye when I felt Nicolle wriggling in my arms. "Go back to sleep," she laughed and lifted my arm off of her. "I have to open the store today."

"Five more minutes," I groaned as my hands snaked around her waist and dragged her body back to mine. "Please?"

Nicolle sighed deeply. "You do this every morning."

I shifted my body on top of hers, nestling between her thighs and pushing her t-shirt up to kiss her stomach. "It's because you're always trying to leave me."

"I have to work," she breathed as she buried her fingers in my hair and pulled me up to her eye level.

"Call off. We can spend the day together," I begged shamelessly. "I need you." 

I kissed the tip of her chin when she arched her back and her head pressed into the pillow. "Not today," she whimpered.

I pushed my hips forward, shoving my rock-hard morning wood between her legs. I woke up needy and wanting her badly… pretty much like every morning for the last six months.

Too bad we were both dressed and this morning was like every morning since that night on the couch. She said no. Her face said it all. She still wasn't ready. I was tired of that look, tired of her not trusting me. I didn't know why we hadn't had sex yet. She moved in with me months ago and it didn't make a difference. 

The answer was always no.

Even when I kissed her neck in that special spot she liked, the answer was no. Even when we both were completely naked and I was hovering outside her wet warmth, the answer was no. 

We had both become pretty skilled in getting each other off every other single way, but I had never been inside her and it was killing me.

"I could," she offered as she slipped her hand inside my boxer briefs. 

I pulled her wrist before she could grip me, clenching my jaw out of pure frustration. I rolled off of her and stared up at the ceiling. "You should get ready. You don't want to be late for work," I sighed, never making eye contact.

"Embry," she whined as she rolled onto her side to face me, "you know I love you, right?"

I sucked in a deep breath and pressed a kiss to her forehead before climbing out of bed. "I should get up too. Paul needs me early today," I told her before padding off to the bathroom and taking a cold shower. 

As I was finishing my shower, Nicolle came in to brush her teeth. I yanked a towel off the rack and began drying my body. The fact that she never took her eyes off of me, didn't go unnoticed. Attraction wasn't the issue. I removed the towel from my head to find her openly staring at my body.  Most days I would have made a smartass comment and tried to get her back into bed, but today I just didn't have the heart.

I was starting to lose hope that she would ever want me the way I wanted her. 

I left Nicolle standing there as I stomped to my dresser and found some clothes for the day. I pulled on some boxer briefs and a pair of work jeans before sitting on the edge of my bed with a pair of socks in my hand. I felt the bed dip ever so slightly as Nicolle sat next to me. "Are you mad?" she whispered as her fingers shifted through my still damp hair.

"Of course not," I huffed. I snatched a t-shirt from the closet and set off for the kitchen.

Truth was, I was mad. I wanted more. It had been nearly a year since I walked into that bookstore and my whole life got turned upside down. I had done everything in my power to show Nicolle my love for her. We were compatible in every way.

Except for sex.

"Do you want coffee?" she asked when she found me packing my lunch. 

"I don't care."

Once my food was packed securely in the cooler I take to work, I began toasting some bread. My shoulders were tense as I stood at the counter waiting. 

"Here."

I looked over to find a full thermos of coffee sitting beside my lunch box. I watched as she poured her own cup into a travel mug and added her favorite creamer. "Ready?"

I nodded as I buttered the toast and handed her half before making our way out to our Jeep. 

"What are we doing this weekend?" she asked happily.

A sense of dread took over as I remembered exactly where I was supposed to be this weekend. "Well...I'm supposed to go to this thing, but...we could skip it."

"A thing?" Nicolle laughed as she finished her toast and sipped her coffee. "Could you be more specific?"

I ran a hand through my hair and shrugged my shoulders. "It's a wedding...on Saturday." 

Nicolle gasped. "Really? Oh that sounds so fun! Don't you wanna go?"

"You want to?" I replied skeptically. I had been avoiding asking her for quite some time. And although I know most girls loved weddings, somehow I didn't think she would want to attend this particular one.

"I'd love to," Nicolle gushed, going on to recall the last wedding she had been to. "Is it a pack member?"

"Yeah...it's Brady."

"Oh."

"But like a I said, we could skip it," I offered weekly.

"You mean, I could skip it and you could go alone?"

I reached for her hand and held it in mine. "No...I mean if you don't want to go then neither of us will."

Nicolle glanced down at our intertwined fingers and sighed. "Why do I always get the feeling you don't want me around your friends?"

I pulled up to the bookstore and put my Jeep in park. "That isn't true. Those guys get rowdy when we are all together. And it will be worse since they're drinking. I just wanted to spare you."

"Okay," she replied quietly. "I better go."

I pulled on her hand and waited for her to make eye contact. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for being an ass this morning and not asking you to go to this wedding. Will you go with me? We can dance and you can meet some more of my friends."

She shrugged and turned away from me, but I never let her hand go. "Please, honey. Let me make it up to you."

When I leaned over and pressed kisses to her neck, she finally relented. "Fine. But you're not leaving me much time to get a dress."

"Go today," I suggested, slipping my debit card into her purse and smiling brightly at her.  "Call Kim or Emily and go after work."

Her face brightened a little and she kissed me goodbye. I watched her open the store and throw a little kiss to me before I drove off.

When I arrived at Brady's, the rest of the crew was already there and Paul didn't waste any time giving me shit for being late. I tuned him out as I got busy with my portion of the landscaping task.  The house turned out amazing and with these extra touches, it would be perfect for Saturday.

But their lawn was the least of my worries. As I watched Brady's fiancée flutter about the backyard, ironing out more last minute details, I wondered if inviting Nicolle to this wedding was really the best idea.

Nicolle's POV - 

"So what are you really afraid of?"

I sighed as I sifted through another rack of dresses in the third store we had been in. "Who said I was afraid?"

Kim sighed and slammed her hand onto her jutted hip. "Who are you fooling? I know you. You're scared of...something, but I don't know what."

I continued to browse as she continued to scold me. "Embry is perfect. He loves you. You guys are living together. He's been so patient with you. So what's the problem?"

I sighed again as we made our way back out to the sidewalk and onto another dress shop. We had been looking for an hour with no success. I was beginning to lose hope completely. "The problem is me," I whispered. "I just...don't want him to be disappointed."

Kim laughed. "I'm pretty sure you could just lay there and he would be thrilled." I looked up to see her wiggling her eyebrows and I couldn't help but laugh at her.

"Come on! Guys expect things and he's not a virgin."

"He's not?" Kim scoffed dramatically. "I can't believe it!"

"Shut up!" I scowled, playfully beating her with a hanger. "There is just a lot of expectation there. What if I'm terrible? What if I can't...you know...get him off?" I whispered.

"Girl, please," she groaned. "You already said you guys have been messing around for months. Has he ever complained about what you've done so far?"

"No...but…"

"No buts," Kim insisted as we wandered over to the lingerie section. "You know that boy is butt crazy in love with you, you're sexy as hell, you're only lacking confidence."

I raised my gaze to find her holding up a sexy teddy with garters and stockings. I shot her a look but she only shoved it at me more insistently. I lifted the panty to find the center part was open. "What the…"

"Their crotchless," she retorted happily. "You like it?"

"Ummm... maybe in another color?" I smiled weakly.

…

The next few days went by quickly. After my talks with Kim during our shopping trip, I made up my mind that after the wedding, I would stop being afraid and give myself to Embry. Just the thought of it had me so nervous and excited. I tried not to worry about his expectations and just concentrated on being happy with the man I was made for. 

When we arrived at the wedding, I noticed how jittery Embry was. I hoped it wasn't because I was finally going to meet all his friends. Or that he was embarrassed of me for some reason. I hooked my arm around his bicep as he guided me to the backyard and I took in all the beautiful decor. "This is so pretty," I gushed. I loved all the twinkling fairy lights, pale pink roses, and all the tiny details.

"You guys made it!" Seth exclaimed as he wrapped me in a huge hug. I had only met him twice before but his bubbly attitude was infectious. He released me and gave Embry a handshake/bro hug that had me giggling. "I really thought you wouldn't come, since…"

"Yeah, I decided to bring my girl out and meet the rest of the pack," Embry interrupted before Seth could finish his thought.

I saw the pair exchanging glances before soft music began to play and Seth excused himself. "He's one of the groomsmen," Embry explained as we found our seats.

"How come you're not in the wedding?" I asked quietly as the procession began.

Embry shrugged, distractedly glancing around. "Me and Brady aren't that close. He's got Collin and Seth standing up with him. That's all he needs." 

Embry's reasoning made sense, but it still bothered me how nervous he was acting. My mind wandered off thinking what could be bothering him. I didn't want to ask or start an argument, especially today of all days. It's not like Embry knew what I had planned for later or what I was wearing under my new dress.

"You look really beautiful, Nicolle."

I was fiddling with my hands in my lap when Embry wrapped an arm around me, his other hand covering mine and intertwining our fingers. "That dress is really something."

I leaned over to whisper into his ear, "I can't wait for you to take it off later."

I cupped my hand around his jaw and held his gaze. "No more waiting. I'm ready, Embry."

His Adam's apple bobbed in his throat a few times and I think he forgot to breathe. He pulled me close and buried his nose in my hair. "Do you mean it?" 

I nodded and pressed a kiss under his ear. "Later. I promise. But you have to dance with me, okay?"

Embry gave me one more squeeze before he released me and we stood to watch the bride come down the aisle.  I held Embry's arm tightly, feeling so elated that I thought I might drift away.

The service was beautiful. They had a wonderful mix of traditional as well as Quilete customs. I loved weddings and this one was especially romantic. Secretly I couldn't wait to be swaying in Embry's arms later under the twinkle lights. 

"So do you, Brady Fuller, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife…"

I smiled up at Embry, seeing the tenseness in his jaw and his laser focus. Suddenly I was back to wondering what had him so on edge.

"And do you, Casey Waters, take this man…"

My stomach twisted at the mention of her name. That name I had seen on the medicine bottle in Embry's bathroom six months ago. The name his packmates were so careful not to mention in my presence. The name of the woman who's shadow I had been living in for months. 

Embry turned to look at me, his expression full of remorse. When he reached for my face, I twisted away from him and rushed away, luckily not making too much of a scene because we were seated at the end of the aisle and the wedding party processing back down the aisle had everyone's attention.

I blinked back tears as I rushed to the reception area in search of a drink. "Can I get you something to drink?" the guy behind the bar inquired. "White wine?"

"That sounds amazing," I grumbled as he began to pour.

"You okay?"

I took my wine and stumbled away from my prying cousin. "Go away, Kim. I'm in no mood to talk."

"He should have told you," she sighed as we sat around a large fire pit.

I stared at the flames as she continued to talk to me, finally giving up and wandering back to her boyfriend. I stood up to get a refill on my wine, but stopped when I caught a sight that made my stomach turn. 

"You know they're just friends now, right?"

I looked over to find the groom himself standing next to me. He had his eyes trained on his new bride and my boyfriend. "I don't really know anything, Brady. I didn't know you were getting married until a few days ago. I didn't know you were with...her. I was completely blindsided."

"Well, I know we haven't met before, but I know lots about you, Nicolle."

"You do?"

He turned to face me as I looked up at him. He smiled brightly as he held his hand out. "I'm Brady. It's nice to meet you, Nicolle."

I laughed as I shook his hand. "I don't mean to be rude, but…" I paused as I glanced over at Embry and saw him hugging Casey. "Doesn't that bother you?"

Brady released my hand and shook his head. "It did. But it doesn't anymore."

"Why not? What if they got back together?"

Brady chuckled lightly as he wrapped his arm loosely around my shoulder. "They won't."

"How can you be so sure?"

He leaned a little closer and sighed. "Because he loves you."

….

"I was hoping we would get a chance to talk."

I looked over my shoulder and saw Casey gazing out at the dance floor. All the guys had a beer in their hands and were singing, "Sexy and I Know It." She stepped up next to me and I couldn't help but be jealous of her dark hair and flawless skin.

"Congratulations. I met Brady. He's really nice."

The wide smile on her face when I mentioned Brady was unmistakable. "Embry is a good guy, too. Are you guys arguing?"

I shrugged and suddenly felt ashamed that I had been keeping my distance from him all night. And I wasn't sure I wanted her to know why I was mad. "He just kept some things from me. But we'll work it out."

She nodded and looked around. "This will be you and Embry soon. Has he asked you to marry him yet?"

I blinked back a few tears and shook my head. "We're not...really there yet. Maybe someday."

"I'm glad he has you."

"You are?" I scoffed. "Why?"

"Embry felt really guilty when we broke up. I didn't handle it as well as I could. I always knew what I had with him was temporary, but when he imprinted on you, I thought my world was coming to an end."

I faced her now, suddenly feeling guilty for the pain they both went through just so Embry and I could be together. "But you found Brady."