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cleosdiary · 7 months

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Chelsea’s Journal Entry

2/4/22

Another boring day at work and another boring dinner party. That's all it ever seemed to be these days, monotony. I was so tired of the endless routine that seemed to be my

life these days.

Being a single 30 year-old woman and a corporate accountant wasn't exactly the high profile exciting life I envisaged when I was at UM. Pompous senior accountants and executives seemed to have a way of ruining that theory.

Mr. Buntine, the CEO, has particularly requested that I attend tonight's dinner, asking that I take particular care to entertain Mr.

Cleo Goldman, who he was trying to entice over to our company. God, another stuffy old drone was all I needed!!

I headed out of the office about 6.00pm so that I had enough time to get home and shower and change before the taxi arrived at 7.00 pm

to pick me up.

I quickly bustled in the door to my apartment. Stella my cat was waiting to greet me. Leaning down and picking her up I said "Stella, I'd rather spend my evening with you". I knew though that life wouldn't be worth living tomorrow, if I couldn't tell Mr. Buntine

Knowing I was on a tight schedule, I quickly fed Stella and made my way to the shower. Standing under the steaming water was rather refreshing and had my skin tingling and awake in seconds.

I lathered my skin and as my fingers glossed over my breasts a yearning settled upon me. I rolled my nipples between my fingers and felt the sensation flow through my body, as my nipples became rather erect. It had been a while between drinks, if you know what 1 mean!

I knew that I didn't have time to stand there and satisfy myself, not that I would call masturbation total satisfaction anyway. It would just have to wait until later. I quickly stepped out of the shower, toweled myself down and padded naked into my bedroom.

Leaning on the wardrobe door, not at all enthusiastic about the eve-ning, I scanned my vast array of clothes and wondered what I should wear? Glancing about the room, I spied myself in the full-length mirror and began to analytically appraise myself.

I was only 30 years old and kept myself in very good shape. I was physically fit and enjoyed sport, such as tennis and yoga. I had shoulder length dark black hair, silky caramel skin and deep green almost oval shaped eyes. My breasts were rounded, but not too large, 32C. I had a rather curvaceous figure, definitely not model material, but I guessed I looked passable in most clothes I chose to wear, from the smart office suits to my casual weekend jeans and t-shirts. I was 5 feet 5 inches tall.

Standing there assessing myself I started to think "I'm only 30, 1 should be able to dress like I am only 30 and I am tired of dressing to please all the tired old bored men, who think you should be demure and basically seen, but not heard"

With a moment of abandonment, I withdrew a little black dress from my wardrobe. It wasn't exactly totally inappropriate, but at least it was sexy, if not a little revealing. It had narrow straps, which met the bodice just above the swell of my breasts. Although it wasn't really low cut, with my pushup bra it certainly gave me a nice cleav-

It tapered into my waist and molded my hips comfortably and fell to about three inches above my knee.

What the hell, I'll give the old boys something to ogle. As long as one of them doesn't go and have a heart attack, Mr. Buntine will never know. I'm sure stuffy old Mr. Cleo would think it totally inappropriate to mention my dress sense to Mr. Buntine and after tonight I'm never likely to see the old guy again.

After my moments of teasing in the shower I was feeling a little brazen and decided to wear some sexy lingerie. I opened the drawer and tossed a few items around, wondering which I should wear. What's it matter, really, who's going to see it, I said to myself. That's right I thought, "WHO IS GOING TO SEE IT?" What the hell, I grabbed my wondabra and a little black "G" string. I slipped into my dress, stepped into my christian louboutin, dashed on some make-up and lip-gloss and was ready for my BIG night out, with my boss's old school boys.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Arriving out the front of the 5 star restaurant I once again groaned about the evening ahead. I steeled myself against the smell of cigars, musty old suits and intoxicated old men and their toffy nosed wives and made my way inside.

I stood in the foyer scanning the crowd inside for familiar faces. I spotted old Mr. Augustus, but he'd hardly recognize me, as he can't see passed the end of his nose. There was Mr. & Mrs. Cardinal. The latter dressed to the nines, with her regal nose stuck in the air. I really was dreading making my way inside.

I was trying to fix a smile on my face, one that didn't look totally false, before

trying to find an excuse not to enter too?"

stepping on in, when a voice beside me said "Beautiful dress”

the man beside me must have been 5’11the biggest shoulders I had ever seen. His eyes had a glint as he gazed down steadily into mine. He was the most attractive latin man I had ever laid eyes on. He gave the impression of being solid rippling muscle. He was smartly dressed in a tailored black suit, but gave the impression he'd be more comfortable without one.

Glancing inside and surveying the crowd, he asked me "How did you get conned into attending a dinner with a heap of old folks?" Throwing caution to the wind I said, "I'm on a mission at the re. quest of my employer to sweet talk some old boy called Mr. Robin. son into joining our company."

He laughed out loud at that and I asked him why he was here? He said, "I couldn't think up an excuse quick enough to get myself out of it."

I asked, "Well, seeing we're both here under duress do you think we should make our way in together?" With a dash of ceremony, my newfound friend placed his arm out for me to take his elbow.

By the way he said, "My name is Cleo and you are?" I quickly replied, "Chelsea, Chelsea Anderson to be precise."

Cleo replied with a laugh, "I am very pleased to make your acquaintance Chelsea Anderson." The glint in his eye and the easy smile on his lips was almost breathtaking.

We'd no sooner entered the dinner room when Mr. Abernathy from our legal department called Cleo over and extended his hand

"Ahhh, Miss Anderson, I see you've already made the acquaintance of Mr. Cleo."

Oh god, I could have died. Hadn't I just stood in the foyer and told this man I was here to sweet talk him and called him an "old boy." I wished the ground would open up and swallow me. A reflex action made me attempt to pull my hand away, but I realized Cleo was gently gripping my hand, preventing me from leaving his side

My eyes flew up to his eyes and my checks were burning. There in his eyes was that glint that i seen carlet in the foyer. He was laughing at me, but was certainly enjoying the moment.

Cleo replied to Mr. Abernathy, "Yes, it was my pleasure to bump into Miss Anderson in the foyer." Looking down at me he continued.

"It does look like tonight is going to be enjoyable after all!" Again, my cheeks were red hot.

As chance would have it we were seated directly opposite during dinner and for some inexplicable reason our eyes kept meeting across the table. It didn't matter who we spoke with, our eyes kept wandering back.

I glanced up at one stage and his eyes were almost penetrating tight through me. It almost took my breath away. So much so that I took a large intake of breath. His eyes quickly diverted to the swell of my breasts. There was that ever present glint in his eyes again as he looked back into my eyes again. Oh no, I could feel myself blushing

again.

It was during dinner that I learnt that Cleo was an international banker and Mr. Buntine was pursuing him in a bid to represent him. How or why I had never heard of him before I'll never know.

He was a very impressive looking man and had the smooth casual style of someone very confident within himself, but didn't appear to have an arrogant disposition at all. He was obviously well educated and easily made conversation with everyone at the table.

It was the glint in his eyes and the raise of his eyebrow, whenever we caught each other looking towards each other that really had me mesmerized.

Cleo leaned across the table towards me and asked if I would care to dance. How could I refuse, not that I wanted to anyway, in front of everyone else? We stepped out onto the dance floor and he quickly engulfed me in his huge arms. He was a sensational dancer, gliding easily across the floor.

At the end of the first dance the band moved into a slow waltz and

Cleo pulled me tight against him. Our bodies seemed to melt gether as we gently swayed together.

I relaxed in his arms, but our bodies were touching from shoulder to knee. Before I really realized I had done it my body was push up close and hard to his, almost grinding my hips against his pelvis I heard Cleo chuckle and he leaned down and whispered in my ear

"You keep that up hun and I'll have to drape my jacket dor the front of me before I can return to the table."

I quickly tried to break away, not daring to look up into his eyes, but Cleo’s arms held me tightly pulling me even closer into his body. could now feel the definite hardness of his penis pushing against m stomach, as we continued to sway to the rhythm of the music.

All too soon the song finished and we parted slightly. Mr. & Mrs.

Cardinal were right beside us. Mr. Cardinal stepped forward and suggested we change partners for the next dance. It was my turn to chuckle, as I saw the fleeting glance of panic cross Cleos face.

I glanced up into Cleos eyes and gave him a quick wink, as Mr.

Cardinal swept me away across the dance floor.

After the song had finished, Mr. Cardinal led me back towards the table. As I headed towards my seat, I heard a whispered voice say,

"Don't think you can get away that easy."

Cleo draped his jacket over the chair and sat down again. Once. again seated opposite each other we couldn't keep our eyes off each other. There was definitely something happening between us. It was instant attraction. This big bear of a man just took my breath away and my heart was hammering in anticipation of what was to come.

Mr. Taylor, who sat beside me, was trying to engage me in a deep conversation on all the political woes of the world, when I jumped as if being scorched by a branding iron. "My Dear, is everything alright", he quickly asked? With a laughing that even sounds light and brittle to

me I answered quickly, "Everything was just perfect"

Cleo had removed his shoe and was trailing his foot up the inside

I could feel myself tensing all over, but it was a wonderful feeling. It was really quite exciting playing this private little game. Cleos toes were very definitely between my thighs now, inches my legs slightly apart. His toes continued to climb higher and I parted my legs even further to accommodate him.

Every fiber of my body was alive now. It was like I was electrified.

Wriggling in my seat I inched my skirt higher, so Cleo wasn't restricted in the path he was traveling.Higher and higher his toes traveled. I had to control my breathing, as my heart continued to hammer inside my chest. I was becoming very aroused and knew that I was starting to moisten between my legs. A little throbbing between my thighs was beginning to hap-

pen.

I knew Cleos leg must almost be stretched to the limit, but he still hadn't reached that magical spot. I slid forward in my seat using the excuse of reaching for the wine bottle to refill my glass.

For the first time Cleos toes reached that now electrified place between my legs. A small sigh escaped my lips, as his toes brushed my panties, but I quickly covered it with a yawn.

I placed a hand down below the table, as I tried to remain interested in Mr. Taylor's conversation. I grasped Cleos foot, guiding his toes with my fingers, so that they were now pushed up firmly against my

His wriggling, stretching toes gently began to massage my cunt, as I pressed harder against his toes making them massage and cares me in all the right places. I knew I was extremely aroused now and chat a very damp spot was forming between my thighs.

I could feel my checks burning and an odd glance from Mr. Taylor told me i wasn't answering his questions with any kind of sense.

That couldn't be helped. I couldn't concentrate on anything but Cleos toes.

The glint in Cleos eyes was now matched by a cheeky grin, but 1. could tell that he was more than a little aroused too. He was breathing a little hard too.

Just as quickly as Cleos foot had arrived, it left. I quickly looked towards him, as I heard him say "Miss Anderson, you are looking quite flushed. It is a little warm in here. Perhaps a walk around the grounds might cool you off?"

He leaned behind himself and grabbed his jacket before he stood, draping it across his lap. It was an unusual action, but one I instantly understood. He was as equally aroused as me.

I quickly accepted the offer of a walk in the grounds, but making sure to adjust my dress before standing.

We almost strode towards the exit, bustling out the door. We descended the steps two at a time and rounded the corner into a quiet alcove. Before I could utter a word, Cleo grabbed me and dragged me into a deep embrace. Our hands were ravishing each other's upper bodies, as our lips locked and our tongues devoured each other's mouths.

We broke apart, both panting heavily. Cleo said, "Damn, you're a minx. I wanted to lean across that damn table and drag you onto my lap."

almost fell towards him, breathless saying, "That's nothing. I thought I was going to have an orgasm right in the middle of a conversation with Mr. Taylor."

Our hips were grinding together and our hands roved over each other's bodies. My chest was crushed against his, as we pushed hard against each other. I could feel his swollen cock throbbing against

me, almost bursting from his pants.

I slid my hand down and stroked his throbbing cock through his pants. He moaned deeply. "I'll be damned if I am not going to take you here right now, Miss Anderson."

I felt the skirt of my dress ride up over my hips as his huge hands frantically grasped at me. He was fumbling in his haste trying to remove my "G" string, when with a quick rip he tore it away and tossed it into the bush beside us.

I quickly grabbed at his pants and unzipped them, diving my hand inside. Oh my GOD, his cock was enormous. I struggled to release it from inside his pants. With frustrated hands I quickly dragged his cock out. Looking down I gasped, he must have been 8" long and my hand couldn't even circle his shaft. It was big and light brown and throbbing and veiny and the most awesome sight I had ever seen.

We stood for a second, his hands fondling the cheeks of my ass, when with a rush I said, "God, just fuck me with that HUGE COCK"

He quickly spun me around, so that my shoulders were against the brick wall and lifted me so easily into the air, like I weighed noth-ing.

My legs locked around his waist, and I reached between us and grasped his cock.

With a moan he said, "If you don't hurry up woman 1 am going to cum where I stand."

I furiously guided his cock to my eagerly awaiting and very swollen lips, as his hands on my hips thrust me down. It was like being impaled by this huge black serpent.

grabbed his shoulders and pushed down hard, driving him deep inside me. As he began to drive even deeper inside me, my shoulders hit against the brick, but I was almost oblivious to the pain.

"I need you to fuck me HARD," I moaned, as all 8" drove inside me. His hands were pumping my hips up and down his shaft.

"My GOD woman you're so fucking hot don't think I have known a woman to be so aroused," he panted.

We were as one, pumping, thrusting and groaning in unison. His lips were against my ears and I could feel his breathing as he said, "I'm going to explode inside you, like i've never done before?

I could feel my orgasm mounting deep within me, as with each stroke of his cock, he rubbed hard against my clitoris. I dug my fingernails deep into his shoulders and rammed down hard against his cock. Cleo knew instantly that I was almost beyond the point of return.

"Tell me how much you want me to fuck you," Cleo groaned out in my ear.

"Fuck me so damn hard. I want you to feel my orgasm quiver all the way down your shaft," I eagerly replied.

Faster and harder we thrust until I could no longer control my or-gasm. My legs locked hard around his waist. It took every ounce of my control not to scream out in ecstasy when my shuddering orgasm ripped through my body.

"Oh Godddddddddd, I am cumming," I moaned.

Cleo pumped harder as each wave of my orgasm wracked my body with spasms. I felt Cleo's body tense and his cock swell inside me, as with one long hard final driving thrust his own climax erupted inside me.

His body shuddered and he groaned from deep inside his throat,

"Ohhhhh Christ, ohhhhhhhh Christ." It was almost as if he was in pain.

My head collapsed on his shoulder, but my legs were still wrapped tightly around his waist. I wanted to savor the moment, his softening cock still deep inside me, as my heart started to beat less erratically Moments later we untangled, and Cleo gently lowered me to the ground on shaking legs.

He quickly put his semi-soft cock away, as from around the corner we heard voices, where moments before we couldn't have cared less.

The front of his pants were soaked wet with our combined juices. I adjusted my dress, but without panties I could feel the sticky moisture between my legs.

We leaned against each other both totally breathless from our expe-rience. I looked up to see that glint was still in his eyes. I hesitatingly asked him, "What now?"

"What now," he asked. "I can tell you what now. I am going inside to tell the dinner guests that you aren't well, a bit breathless, and I am going to see you home."

"And the minute I get you inside the limo, that your boss so kindly provided, I am going to repeat the exercise, until this time you beg me to stop."

I threw back my head laughing and said, "You, Cleo , can fuck me all night long and I'll still beg you for more."

#journal #late night #latina #erotxcism #adult entertainers

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jerzwriter · 3 years

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Delaying the Inevitable - Chapter 21 Almost...

Book: Open Heart 3 (Post Series)

Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x MC Tobias Carrick x MC

Rating: Chapter: Teen

Summary: Extended Series WIP – Love Triangle. In this chapter: Ethan, Casey & Tobias must face each other at work again; Ethan has a heart to heart with Naveen; Festive preparations begin; Casey makes a discovery; Casey and Tobias….

Category: Extended Series (WIP)

Warnings: Language (I’m sure at some point… it’s me)

A/N: Shorter chapter (well, for me). I had to break the original chapter into two parts due to time constraints, plus I it was just becoming too long. So last week's Sunday Six will be in next week’s chapter. Also, "To Make You Feel My Love" will not play into this chapter, but the next. Next week will be on schedule (maybe even a little early.) Since the new chapter wasn't out yet, I did not do a Sunday Six, but I will get a sneak peek for the next chapter to you by Wednesday, the latest.

A/N 2: Ethan fans should be happy; he is coming around. But it’s a journey, don’t expect miracles… although, the season of miracles is fast approaching in the story. 🤔Which leads me to – Christmas. This chapter (and the next) will have a lot of Christmas themes. Please note it is only being celebrated in a secular fashion that is consistent with traditions in Boston/US.

A/N 3: This note remains: A reminder, it’s a triangle folks. That means more than one love interest.

A/N 4: Totally not necessary to listen, but as I wrote some of the parts for Casey & Tobias, I could not get this song out of my head, so I thought I'd share it with you. There are many versions, but this is one of my favorites: This Christmas. I hope you enjoy!

CHARACTERS BELONG TO PIXELBERRY STUDIOS

If you wish to be added or removed from tags, please let me know. Comments and reblogs always appreciated. 😊

Tobias grumbled as he opened his eyes, awake much earlier than he intended. Why did he keep putting this off? That one damn strip of curtain hadn’t closed right since he moved in. It constantly let the early morning sunlight in, interrupting his already limited sleep. No more excuses, this weekend, he was doing something to fix it. He was about to swing his legs off the bed and attempt to close it when soft mumbling from the other side of his bed reminded him that he was not alone. A bright grin spread across his face, and, suddenly, neither the faulty curtains nor a lack of sleep mattered anymore. She rolled over and nuzzled her head into his shoulder, and wrapped her arm across his chest.

“Good morning, baby,” she smiled.

“With you here next to me, it is an undoubtedly good morning. I’m sorry about that light. Does it bother you?”

“Mmmhhhh, nothing bothers me as long as I have you, T.”

He leaned over and kissed her head, “I feel the same way about you, Casey. You have no idea. But I’ll still fix it this weekend. Me missing sleep is one thing, but now that I have this beautiful angel sharing a bed with me, well, it is quite another.”

“Well, you don’t have to worry about that!”

“Why? Please tell me you aren’t planning on staying in your room, now that we’ve finally….” he asked nervously.

“No, it’s not that, it’s just….”

“Just what?”

“It’s just that your alarm is going to go off in 3, 2, 1….”

Riiiiiiiiinnnnngggggggg…

Tobias jumped out of bed, pulling the sleeping mask off of his eyes because, yes, that damn curtain didn’t close right, but, unfortunately, everything else was a dream.

Knock, knock, knock.

“T? Are you awake?”

“Yeah, one sec!”

He threw on his sweatpants and rushed to answer the bedroom door.

“Hey, what up, Case?”

“Are you OK? You were making a lot of noise in there.”

“Uh… yeah… uhm, did I say anything?”

“You said a lot of things. I just have no idea what.”

“Oh, thank God.”

“Wait, what?”

“Oh, nothing. I was dreaming. I guess I was rambling in my sleep. So what’s up?”

She stood before him, shifting her weight between her two feet nervously, but she couldn’t bring herself to speak.

“You’re scared.”

“What, NO! I’m not scared.”

“OK, you’re… worried?”

“No. It’s more like scared,” she said, pushing past him and collapsing on his bed. “Maybe I can call out?”

“OK, so what do you do tomorrow?”

“Call out.”

“And the next day?” he laughed.

“You have friends at Mass Kenmore. I can transfer my residency. Come on, T! Help me.”

“I am,” he said gingerly, sitting down next to her because even under these innocent pretenses, the idea of being in his bed with her was a bit overwhelming, especially after that dream. “I’m helping you by not letting you run away. Let’s get through this day, and once we do, tomorrow will be easier, and the next day, easier yet.”

“Mmmm. That’s all well and good,” she said, rolling onto her side and leaning on her elbow, “Do you think there is any chance Naveen just told him to take another week off or something.”

“Nope.”

“How do you know?”

“Because Naveen sent me a text telling me he wants to meet with me. He also wants me to set up a time to talk to Ethan today.”

“Oh, fuck, you’re going to the principal's office.”

He chuckled, “I hate it when you’re so adorable.”

“Hmmm… yeah, Casey being a wuss is so cute.”

“HEY! Casey is NEVER a wuss. But she’s allowed to be human. Now, go get dressed; we’re late enough.”

“I hate it when you're this bossy!”

“That’s a shame. Some women in my past really liked it. It was fun.”

“You are… you are, ugh….”

She threw a pillow at him and left the room.

_________________________

Ethan had not spoken to Naveen since Thanksgiving Day. Sitting in his office, he felt like he probably should have, but he wanted to focus on what Naveen asked him to. He chuckled because, of course, Naveen would understand in these circumstances.

“Ethan!” Naveen greeted, “It’s good to have you back!”

“Well, considering my behavior when I was last here, I am pleased to hear you say that.”

“Well, while I was certainly not happy with it, I’m well aware that life happens, and we all have our moments. That said, we have to get beyond them. So, tell me, how was your visit with Alan?”

Ethan smirked, “As if he hasn’t filled you in already.”

Naveen smiled in acknowledgment, “Well, two fathers have to do their part to keep their son on track.”

Feeling like a fool, Ethan hung his head. Naveen was not wrong. He was blessed with two men, one a father by birth, one a father by choice, and they both loved him unconditionally. He also had Casey. HAD. She would have stood by his side through hell and back, but she learned the hard way that she only had a fifty-percent say in that matter; and he was learning the hard way that, when you continuously throw someone away, in time, they may not return. She had granted him chances many times in the past, but his choices were catastrophic this time. Allowing the actions of a woman who was unable to love him to force him to dismiss the one who did so with such passion and adoration, he had yet to grapple with the full impact of it. But at least Alan and Naveen still had his back. And he was determined to mend the bridges he damaged with them.

“I am immensely grateful to the two of you. I could say my father has no choice in the matter, but my mother has proven time and again that biology doesn’t mean that you have to stay. Both of you have made a deliberate choice to be there for me and to…” his voice cracked, “to love me, and I want you to know how grateful I am.”

“Oh, my boy. There is no need to thank us. That is how love works. How many times have you refused to give up on me when you could have. I’ll always do the same for you. But, there are more unpleasant matters to discuss.”

“I know.”

“Your team, son, and the patients you serve. They cannot be impacted by the troubles you are having, nor by the team's dynamics. If you feel you cannot function now, then perhaps we should consider a temporary leave.”

“I don’t think that will be necessary.”

“Well, if things improve, I certainly won’t force it. But, I would like to ask you to get counseling, and I do have the ability to make that contingent on your employment, but I don’t want to do that, Ethan. Have you… have you reconsidered.”

“I have given it thought and,” he sighed, “I’m not in a place where I am open to it, and I feel that would make it an exercise in futility at this point. You can mandate it, but will I gain anything if my heart is not in it.”

“And why wouldn’t you try?

“I wouldn’t try because… I’m not ready to try.”

“Sometimes, if we force ourselves to do something, eventually, we hear the lesson even if we weren’t fully listening.”

Ethan looked up, tears brimming in his eyes, “Naveen. I’m not ready. I’m not ready to face the consequences and, right now, I feel it may even do more harm than good. Do you understand that?”

“No. To be honest, I don’t. Aghh… but, against my better judgment, I am going to give you 30-days. If I see an improvement, professionally and personally, I will not mandate it within that time. But if I don’t, you’ll leave me no choice. I hope you’ll decide to go on your own at some point. Until then, I’m always here for you, and I’m happy to see that you’re receptive to that once again.”

Ethan smiled because, although he was no longer the man he was just months before, he wasn’t who he was a week ago, and he was proud of that improvement.

“Now, about the team. It is a mess. Casey, Tobias… you can’t be warring with them. I’ll need to make changes if you can’t all work together.”

“In fairness to them, they did nothing wrong. They never acted unprofessionally, and they never did anything to antagonize me. I have to accept that responsibility. I need to talk to them both, and, honestly, I dread it on several fronts but, it’s necessary.”

“Yes. It is. I have invited Tobias to the meeting, I’d like to talk to you both together, but you should speak alone as well. As to Casey, I’ll leave that up to you if you want me involved.”

Ethan sighed, “I’ll talk to her alone and… if needed, I’ll bring you in. I think it’s best she continues to report to you, at least for the time being.”

“I agree. And I think it’s best I at least have a hand in overseeing Tobias until you’re … on track… as well. Are we in agreement?”

“Yes, we are.”

“Very well. Ah, my assistant just notified me that Tobias has arrived.”

“I guess I need to bite this bullet.”

Naveen smiled. “You do.”

Tobias stuck his head in the office, a bit surprised to see Ethan there.

“Oh, Dr. Carrick, please, come in. Take a seat.”

“Thank you, Dr. Banerji. Ethan.”

“Tobias,” he nodded.

Once Tobias was seated, Ethan addressed him directly.

“Before we begin, I need to say that I am … I apologize for my behavior last week… I … It was based on a gut emotional reaction that, frankly, was out of line, and it certainly was not professional. Whatever any of our feelings may be in a personal capacity, they cannot be brought here.”

Tobias appeared surprised and looked between Ethan and Naveen, trying to discern if he was sincere or put up to this.

“Well, I appreciate that Ethan, and, to be honest, while I did not instigate the altercation, I could have handled it better. I could have walked away. I felt I could handle it professionally and, as the results show, I did not.”

“Well, I appreciate both of your candor,” Naveen interjected. “And I expect you to work together to determine how you will be rectifying things going forward. You have an obligation to the hospital and your patients. If I see you not fixing this, I will. Now, I think we’ve said all we need to; for now, you’re both free to go.”

“Naveen, could I ask you if I can use this space, privately, for just a moment to speak with Dr. Carrick? It will only be a few minutes.”

Naveen looked nervously between the two before agreeing. “I will be right outside.”

Ethan turned to Tobias, his expression unreadable, and Tobias kept on a poker face as well.

“Tobias, right now… in light of… (sigh)… I don’t know where things stand with us. We have recently moved toward being friends again, and I want us to be, but now… I …”

“Now, I have told you that I am in love with Casey. So, this makes for a challenging, an uncomfortable situation.”

Ethan didn’t answer.

“For what it’s worth, I have tried not to have these feelings, Ethan. But, it’s not something you just turn off. I didn’t ask for them, and I cannot snap my fingers and rid myself of them.”

“But you can choose whether or not you act on them.”

“And, to date, I have not. For what it’s worth, it’s taken more fortitude than I ever thought I had in me, but I have not.”

Ethan stood up and walked to look out the window.

“In advance, I know I have no right to ask this, so if you chose not to answer, I accept that, but… do you plan to?”

Tobias rubbed his eyes and shook his head. “Plan to? No. Promise not to? I’m sorry, Ethan, but I can’t commit to that. I don’t intend to, mostly because I never want to put my friendship with Casey in jeopardy, but I’ve never felt like this before, and I can’t make any promises. I hope you understand, having this level of honesty with you is difficult at best, but I feel it’s better than lying.”

“Did you love her… did you love her before… she and I were over?”

Tobias stayed silent at first.

“I did. But I never disrespected what you had. At that point, my answer to your question would have been no. I would have never dreamed of pursuing Casey. But, Ethan, you are the one who let her go. Forced her to go. I can’t be responsible for what you did. Especially when I begged you to fix it.”

Silence descended on the room again. It was as if each man was absorbing the previously hidden truth. Now that it was released into the open, it could never be taken back.

“Thank you for your honesty, Tobias. I’m not happy, but you’re not wrong. I let her go, and if she moves on with you or someone else, that is just something that I have to accept.”

“I never wanted to hurt you, Ethan. That’s not what this is about.”

“Oddly enough,” he chuckled, “I believe you..”

“Well,” Ethan began again, “why don’t we get to work. I guess… you and I … we have to see where things settle. I don’t hate you, Tobias.”

Tobias half smiled, “I don’t hate you either, bud… Ethan. I don’t hate you at all. But I’ll reserve “buddy” until a day I know that you want to hear it.”

Ethan nodded, “That sounds good, Carrick. That sounds good.”

____________________

Casey was purposefully lurking in the hallway near Naveen’s office. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Tobias walking down the hall. He smiled when he saw her, and she motioned toward a vacant patient's room.

“So,” she asked tentatively, ‘how did it go?”

“Far better than expected. I mean, I’d have liked some time alone with Naveen, but I can always arrange that.”

“Wait, weren’t you with Naveen?”

“Yeah, but Ethan was there too.”

Her eyes went wide, “Oh. And, uh, how did that go?”

Tobias looked down with her, a tender look on his face. If you only knew, sweetheart.

“It went far better than expected. I hope this leads to… well, working together without incident but also to some sort of healing.”

She smiled, “So do I.”

She reached over and hugged him, without even realizing she was doing it. Her eyes widened as her head lay on his chest, suddenly feeling like she should almost apologize. Tobias’s hands remained at his sides for a moment, a little taken aback that she hugged him, so spontaneously, at the hospital. But he quickly closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around her. Some moments he felt like his feelings for her were so intense that he would explode, and this was one of those moments

There was a crashing sound at the door as Maureen walked in to set the room up for a new patient.

“Maureen!” Casey said, pulling away from Tobias. “Oh, uhm, Maureen… this isn’t what it looks like, it….”

“Casey,” she smiled, “you don’t need to give me an explanation.”

“Oh, but I, ah... I do.. ahh….” She found herself at a loss for words.

“Maureen, I think we do. Casey and I were just dealing with a difficult situation. We’re friends. That’s all. We’re just friends.”

Case felt herself go tense. He said it so sharply, so convincingly, and she was taken aback by how much it hurt her to hear it.

“It’s just the rumor mill, and I know you know what happened with Ethan and me and, I don’t need….”

“Guys, relax. I will admit, I listen to the rumor mill, but I never add to it. I know you’ve been friends for a while. But, be careful, others won’t be so kind.”

“Thank you, Maureen, it’s appreciated,” Casey smiled.

When they stepped out into the hallway, Casey had tears in her eyes; it was clear she was on the verge of crying.

“T, I’m, I’m so sorry, I don’t mean to cause you any…” she wiped her eyes to stop a tear from falling.

“Hey, Casey,” he said. He jerked forward for a moment before stopping himself. He just wanted to comfort her so badly. “Casey, you have absolutely nothing to apologize for. Please tell me you know that.” “Mmmm. Mmmm-hmmm,” she answered, “Mmmm-hmmm, I know. I… I…” she looked up at him and smiled, “Why don’t we just get to work, OK?”

“OK?” He said, barely a whisper, as she turned and rushed away.

____________________

The day was almost over, and Casey had successfully avoided Ethan. She had under an hour left, and she was genuinely looking forward to a quiet night at home. Even though she felt like she needed to address her awkward encounter with Tobias this morning, it was something she was having trouble understanding herself. She was almost on the elevator when he called to her.

“Casey. Casey!”

She turned around slowly. Well, on an up note, she could just get this over with today. She plastered on her best fake smile.

“Hi, Ethan.”

“Hi, I hate to bother you, but could we go to the office? I promise not to take too much of your time.”

“Sure,” she said, turning on her heel and making her way down the hall, Ethan at her side.

Walking together in the hallways used to be a challenge. Their desire to hold each other's hands never went away. They knew they were probably standing a bit too closely, and most of the time, the smiles on their face alone gave the gossips something to talk about. And here they were today, still providing fodder for the gossip mill. Only now, it was because of the way they stood so far apart, their stony expressions as they glanced straight ahead, the fact that there was no interaction between them at all. Casey could see several staff members smirk at them, at her in particular, as they passed them. She learned to ignore it as much as possible, but it still hurt. She resented Ethan for it, even though she knew she was just as much at fault. She couldn’t wait to go public, but that is when she thought that he was her forever. It felt so cruel. Three years, three years of a silent love they shared, only to have it fall apart a mere six months after everyone finally knew. God, she felt like a fool. So many people reveled in it. Some thought she wasn’t good enough for him, and others were jealous. Whatever the reason, she found it shocking how many reveled in her heartbreak.

They made their way to the office, and Casey headed for the chair across from Ethan’s desk, but she turned around when he sat at the conference table. She walked back and sat across from him. She noted that he looked disappointed that she didn’t sit next to him. He had pushed the chair out for that purpose. Sorry, Dr. Ramsey. That’s not happening. Not right now.

“Casey,” he stated, “I am sitting here feeling very embarrassed and like more of a fool than you can imagine.”

She remained silent while looking at him. Well, over his shoulder, actually, she still couldn’t bring herself to look directly in his face.

“I was wrong the other day, and I was quite cruel with the things I said, the insinuations I made. I know an apology won’t cut it, but it’s what I have to offer you right now.”

“OK, apology accepted. Do we need to discuss anything else?”

“Well, yeah… I … I also need to figure out how we will be able to work together. You know how valuable you are to our team, and our patients need you. I don’t want you to feel like it’s uncomfortable to be here.”

“Ethan, stop. Please. For the time being, there is no way that it will be comfortable for me. We may be quite far away from that. Who knows if it will ever be. For now, though, I’m here, and you’re here, and we just have to make it work. But don’t ask me to profess that it is, or that it will be, easy. Because it’s not.”

“Fair enough. I know that after we… after we broke up….”

“After you broke up with me! Please, get that right and say it properly. I’m sick of hearing it any other way.”

“OK. I… I know I paired you and Tobias on most cases, but I thought perhaps I should rotate them. I don’t expect you to partner with me unless necessary, but maybe with Harper a bit more, and Tobias can be with me a bit more… just to try to get back to normal.”

“You’re the Director of the team. Do as you see fit.”

He smiled weakly, looking down. “Just one more thing before you go.”

“Yes.”

“I’m, I’m sorry for how badly I hurt you, Casey, I….”

She abruptly jumped up from her seat.

“No. No, Ethan. You don’t get to do that. Not now, certainly not here.”

“I’m sorry, I just, I never realized how bad….”

“You didn’t? You didn’t? Because if I had done to you what you did to me, how do you think it would have impacted you? How would it have felt to have the one person who promised to love you, to protect your heart, decided to shatter it… for no reason. Ethan, I wasn’t hurt. I was nearly destroyed. I credit my loved ones, my friends, for helping me to stay afloat. I’m stronger than I thought. I’m grateful for that, but I’ll never be grateful for how I had to learn it. Now, look, I wish you no malice, but I am nowhere near prepared to have this sort of a conversation with you and, I beg you, please don’t force me to.”

“Of course. I’m sorry, I won’t let it happen again.”

She gave him a forced smile and quickly ran out of the room.

Ethan remained seated, just staring at the chair where she had been sitting. He recalled the way her eyes used to light up when she saw him. God, it went back to when she started at Edenbrook, her first day at the vending machine with him, and almost all the times after. And now, he saw the dread on her face every time he approached her. The worst part of all, he couldn’t blame her. Not one bit. And now, Tobias loved her. He shook his head. What did he expect? Maybe he didn’t think it would be Tobias, but he knew it would be someone, and he should have known it wouldn’t take long. How does anyone know Casey and not love her? Falling in love, it’s an easy trip. This is what he wanted, and now, he had to learn to live with his choices. With his poor, regrettable choices.

____________________

Casey could smell the aroma from the moment she stepped off the elevator. Tobias was making chicken pot pie. For all that he raved about his eggplant parmesan, Casey would sacrifice several people she loved for his chicken pot pie. It was that good. But he was making it on a “school night,” as he would say. Unusual. She opened the door and headed to the kitchen.

“Hey, T. Are you making… wow you are! This is such a nice surprise.”

“Hey, kid,” he smiled. “I know you had a rough day, and I wanted to do something to make you smile.”

“Well, you do have a way of making me smile. I hope you know how much I appreciate it.”

“I do. So, why don’t you rest and….”

“Tobias, I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“For.. for the weird way I interacted with you today. I don’t know what came over me.”

“I told you earlier, you have nothing to apologize for. You got rattled. It’s understandable. Can we please file this under F for forgotten?”

“We can.”

“Good. Now, I can still hug you, right?”

“God, I hope so,” she said as she walked into his arms. “It’s just been a draining day.”

“Well, go sit on the couch. What do you say we take dinner in front of the TV today?”

“We can do that.”

Ten minutes later, they were sitting on the floor of the living room, enjoying their meal. There was over 3,000 square foot of condo surrounding them. There were numerous places to sit and eat, but this had become their little thing.

“Hey, did you see we got our invites to the Edenbrook Holiday party?”

“No, I didn’t see them yet. When is it?”

“In two weeks. A little early this year. Apparently, they figured they’d get a better turn out, fewer people having days off and all.”

“Oh, that’s good. You’re going, right?”

“Yes, I planned on. I’m assuming you are too?”

“Oh, yeah. My friends would kill me if I didn’t. Are… are you bringing anyone?”

“No. No, I mean, it’s a work event. There is no need. Right?”

“Yeah. Right.”

“I, I assume you’re going stag as well. I mean, it’s just an assumption, but….”

“Oh, yeah. Definitely. I mean,” she laughed nervously, “could you imagine.”

“Well, it would be your choice.”

“I know. But I’m going to make the most of it. I think I’ll go dress shopping with the girls this weekend. Go all out. How about here. What do you normally do here for the holidays? Do you put up a tree?”

“It’s my first year in this place, but I hadn’t thought of it. I guess I could call someone and have some decorations brought in.”

“Wha… what? Brought in? What kind of talk is that? The only ones bringing in decorations will be you and me. What are we, royalty?”

He laughed, “I have never had anyone around who cared about the holidays, not since I was home with my parents. This is a little new to me.”

“So that settles it. We’re both off Saturday night. After dress shopping, we will be getting a tree.”

“I love it when you're bossy!”

She shoved him playfully but didn’t retort. Probably because she was exhausted, he could tell just by looking at her eyes.

“Hey, Case, go to sleep, hun. I’ll clean up. I can tell you're spent.”

“You don’t mind?”

“Not at all, get.”

“OK, I owe you one.”

“You don’t owe me a thing.”

“Good night, T, and thank you.”

Casey felt a feeling of melancholy as she walked down the long hallway that led to her room. She sat in the shower and turned on the hot water. God, she loved this fancy bathroom with its built-in shower bench. She was way too tired to stand. As the steam enveloped her, her mind kept wandering back to the hug she shared with Tobias in the kitchen. Then it traveled back to the awkward one, that turned simply lovely, then around to awkward again this morning. Thinking of it made her smile, but the smile quickly faded.

We’re friends, that’s all. We’re just friends.

Those words he spoke played on a loop in her head. Every intonation etched in her memory. Tobias had always been kind to her. He was always flirtatious and affectionate, not only with her but with everyone. Why did she allow herself to think that he might feel more for her? And, why did she even care if he didn’t? Oh, she knew why. She knew very well. But it wasn’t important, at least that’s what she kept telling herself as she attempted to drift to sleep that night. It didn’t matter if he didn’t want her. She didn’t want him. Right?

______________________

Dress shopping with Sienna and Jackie was precisely what Casey needed. Silliness and laughter followed them everywhere they went. After trying on what felt like 1,000 dresses, Casey selected a stunning burgundy velvet gown. It was honestly spectacular, although she felt a little embarrassed about how she came to make her choice. She admitted, to herself only, that she recalled a drunken conversation she and T had with Bryce a long while ago. Tobias had mentioned that he loved velvet dresses. Not only did they look beautiful, but he insisted it was so much fun when he rubbed the fabric and whatever was underneath. She also knew burgundy was his favorite color. I’m such an idiot. She thought. He’s not going to be rubbing your dress, Casey. He’s not your date, Casey. You’re losing your mind, Casey.

“Casey. Casey. Casey.” Sienna snapped her fingers in front of her face.

“Oh, oh! I’m sorry, what?”

“The waitress,” she said, pointing, “standing right there. You ready to order?”

“Oh, just a grilled cheese. Thanks.”

“You have been zoning out a lot today, girl. Everything ok?” Jackie asked.

“Oh, yeah, I guess I’m just tired. Especially today, trying on so many dresses. It does get exhausting after a while.”

“Well, it was worth the effort because, damn, girl… yours is fiiiiinnnne. You’re going to turn every head in the hospital that night, and I say, WORK IT.”

“Thank you, Jackie!”

“Hey, Casey, do you want to come over tonight? We can watch movies. I’ll make you dinner; it’s been forever,” Sienna asked.

“Oh, I’d love to, but Tobias and I are going Christmas tree shopping.”

“Oh, you and Tobias are going to get a tree! Oh, maybe I should tag along! We need one too!”

“No, Sienna!” Jackie exclaimed. “Aurora and I already told you. WE will pick out the tree. Our tiny apartment cannot handle the 7-foot monstrosity you’d probably come home with. Besides,” she smirked, “we don’t want to intrude on a potentially romantic evening.”

“Oooooohhhh, right!” Sienna smiled.

“Guys. I’m going to get a tree with Tobias. There is no romantic evening.”

“Casey, I think it’s time you opened your eyes. The man has got it bad for you! And… I think you might have a little something-something for him too….”

Sienna’s eyes widened, but she didn’t say a word as her eyes shifted back and forth between her two friends.

“I’m not entertaining this conversation again, Jackie. Tobias and I are friends. Period.”

“Does everything have to be this dragged-out drama with you? It took three years to come around and admit you and Ramsey were a thing. Do me a favor? Let’s not relive that, OK?”

Casey sat back in her chair and glanced up at the ceiling, a bit exasperated.

“Jackie… OK. I have feelings for him. OK. I do! But, I don’t think….”

Jackie had already spit out her ginger ale.

“FINALLY! Admitting it is the first step! Sienna! She admitted it…wait… you’re not surprised! You knew! You two have been keeping secrets!!!”

“Not for long, and I swore her to secrecy.”

“Casey, GO FOR IT. The guy is like in love with you, and he’s so good to you. And oh my God, you would look SO amazing together. And I just have this feeling… I bet he’s an animal in bed.”

“Oh, Jackie!!! Stop it!”

“Casey, I have to interject here. I think he likes you at least as much as you like him, if not more. Why not… go for it. I mean, you have this incredibly sexy gown, and we have a big old gala, and you’re both going alone….”

“And I can’t believe I’m going to say this corny Hallmark shit. It should be Sienna, but maybe a little Christmas magic….”

Casey sighed, “If it’s meant to happen, it will happen. If it’s not, it won’t. I’m not forcing anything. Now, if we could get the bill… I have a Christmas tree shopping date tonight.”

“A date! You heard that right, Jackie. She said a date!”

“That’s not what I, ugh. Waitress!!!!”

__________________

Casey and Tobias burst through the door with a 10-foot tree in tow. They were both hysterical, laughing at all the crazy maneuvering they had to go through on the subway, city streets, lobby, and elevator to get this into the apartment. Tobias thought it was a crazy idea at first, but now he just loved it.

“So, now that we carried the Rockefeller Christmas tree up here, what do we do with it?”

“Uhh… we put it up and decorate it. T, how long has it been for you.”

“Oh, Jesus Case, usually when a beautiful woman is asking me that question, it is not about when I last put up a tree,” he laughed.

“Oh?” She said, blushing, “Well, I’m sure the answer is never too long on that one!”

“In the past, no, it wasn’t… and that is the most I am going to say on that matter,” he chuckled. “Come on, let’s get this bad boy in place.”

Together they got the tree into its stand, and now the branches were settling. Tobias was becoming giddy. Casey had no idea he would get into the holiday spirit so much. Honestly, he didn’t know it himself.

“We should probably put on some Christmas music, right?”

“That sounds good.”

“OK, I’ll get it set up right now. Oh, and cookies, I have Pillsbury cookie dough in the fridge. Sugarcookie dough! Should I make some?”

“Sure, we can pretend we’re Santa, and it is Christmas Eve. You’re getting into the spirit, Carrick! I am loving this!”

“Well, this is fun! Can we decorate the tree tonight?”

Casey laughed, “It needs to settle, at least a couple of hours. But we will probably be asleep by then, so why don’t we plan on doing it tomorrow night? But, if you want, we can put the lights on before we go to bed tonight?”

“OK, we can do that! But wait, we don’t have lights.”

“Well, you’re in luck because I have some! They’re packed in a box in my room. How about I go get them, and you make us some cookies?”

“Deal and deal. Hot chocolate or milk?

“Why not both?”

Casey entered her walk-in closet. It was about the size of her old bedroom. There were only four boxes of seasonal items that she hadn’t unpacked yet. She grabbed the one with tiny Christmas tree’s drawn all over it – that was Sienna’s way of labeling the boxes for moving.

A goofy grin appeared on her face when she saw the first item, a silly Santa hat with reindeer antlers sticking out the side and tiny fairy lights adorning them. She had to get another! Considering how much Tobias loved photo booths, she was confident he would love this. There is no question about it. They could take a zillion selfies. This was going to blow up Pictagram! Underneath the hat was the jumbled mess of Christmas tree lights.

Oh, detangling the lights. My least favorite part of the holiday decorating.

But she was sure that she and Tobias would make it fun somehow. They always did. She carefully lifted the lights out of the box, not wanting to damage any bulbs. She noticed something else at the bottom and did a double take. She put down the lights and let out a deep sigh lifting the elegant box in her hands. She had completely forgotten about this. It was a Christmas gift she had purchased for Ethan earlier in the year.

He often talked about his favorite vacation. He visited Venice, Italy, around the holidays about five years ago. While there, he was fortunate enough to see a special performance of La Traviata at the Teatro La Fenice. He always told her it was the most magical night of his life until he met her. The performance was recorded that evening, and he had tried tirelessly to find a copy, but he was never successful. Casey searched and searched, and she squealed when she finally found it. She was so excited when it arrived that she almost gave it to him there and then. But when she thought of his face opening it next to the Christmas tree, she decided it would be worth the wait. Lesson learned. Don’t wait. Who knew when she packed the gift away that Ethan would leave her just a week later. She was supposed to be unpacking this box at his place, but… well… it was an old story. She didn’t know what to do with it now, so she put it back in the box for safekeeping until she could give it more thought. This also reminded her, she needed to get Tobias a gift too. She had no idea what to get him. It was time for a call to Vivian.

She returned to the living room with the lights in hand, and Tobias’s face fell.

“We have to detangle those, don’t we?”

“I’m sorry to say, we do.”

“And then we have to wrap them, evenly, around the tree, right?”

“Yep, hoping that no bulbs go out in the process.”

“This is coming back to me; this is why I thought we should hire people for this.”

“I think we can manage together,” she smiled.

“Yeah, I think you and I can manage most things together pretty well.”

“We do make a good team.” She looked down and blushed, “But these lights may put that to the test. Let’s reconvene later this evening to decide for sure.”

“Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m putting $20 on us,” Tobias smiled.

Once again, they proved to be an excellent team. By the end of the night, the tree was perfectly lit, perfectly adorned with lights. It looked spectacular against his wall of windows with the Boston skyline twinkling behind it.

The two of them sat next to each other on the couch, perfectly stuffed with cookies, cocoa, and milk, and stared at the beautiful sight together.

“You know, nothing in the world makes me happier than when the Christmas tree is the only light lit in the room. It’s just… magic.”

Magic is any room with you in it, Casey. He thought.

Everything was perfect. Well, almost. Each of them imagined how it could be just a little more perfect. He could have his arm around her. She could be nuzzled up against his chest. He could be kissing her forehead and, when it was time to turn the lights out, they could be heading to the same bedroom. That would be perfect. At the exact moment, they turned and gazed into each other’s eyes.

Tobias felt his heart racing. Casey’s flesh just tingled, but she smiled shyly and quickly turned away. Tobias looked down at her hand, remembering how warm it felt in his as he held it for most of the ride home from her parent’s home. But Casey had initiated it… while she was asleep… and he didn’t even know if she was aware that it had happened. But it did. And to him, it was one of the most magical things that ever happened to him.

“The tree looks so beautiful,” she said.

Not as beautiful as you, Casey.

“It does. We did a good job.”

“You’re right; we always do,” she smiled.

They faced each other again. Their faces were no more than a foot apart. Each felt as if a magnet was drawing them to each other. They could honestly feel the tension in the air. Oh, just give in. Each of them thought.

Then he turned away.

“Well, it’s late….”

“Uh, yeah, it is. We should go to sleep, I guess.”

“Yeah,” he said, standing. “Oh, look, you left your new dress hanging on the hook in the hallway. Let me get it. You should put it in your room, don’t want anything happening to it.”

When he got to the dress, curiosity got the better of him. He smiled sheepishly as he unzipped the garment bag.

“T! Are you peeking at my dress!” Casey giggled.

“Hey, it’s not a wedding gown! And I’m curious.”

His breath clinched when he saw the stunning burgundy velvet gown before him.

“Wow, now that’s… something.” He reached forward and touched the fabric… “Velvet.”

Casey's cheeks turned almost the same color as the dress.

“Yeah, it’s very popular around the holidays.”

Tobias swallowed as he zipped the bag back up. He took it off the hook and then draped it carefully over Casey’s arm.

“Well, I can’t wait to see you in it.”

He stared at her for a moment before whispering, “Good night, Casey.”

He leaned over and placed the gentlest of kisses on her forehead. Casey’s heart almost stopped. But Tobias knew his resolve was virtually gone, so he anxiously turned and began walking down the hall.

Casey watched him as he retreated down the hall.

“T!” she called, almost desperately.

At the door to his room, he turned to her.

“I… I didn’t get to say good-night. Goodnight.”

The sweetest smile crossed his lips. “Goodnight, princess. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Casey cradled the gown in her arms and headed to her room. She hung the dress on the back of her door before walking over and collapsing on her bed. She stared at the ceiling and lamented every single opportunity that she let pass her by tonight.

Just across the hall, Tobias laid flat on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He cursed himself for each time he could have told her, could have kissed her. So many chances were given to him, but he didn’t take a single one, and he wondered if he ever would.

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whitestaghere · 4 years

Text

Love finds a way - Edmund Pevensie x reader (one shot)

Thought I'd do a one shot for Edmund. I know its not been that long, but I missed writing again. I hope you all enjoy this! ❤️

Warnings :- none

Fluff 💕

Late. That's what I was. Late.

I was running as fast as my legs could take me. My friends and I had planned a picnic since it was finally the weekend. And today of all days, I just HAD to wake up late.

Finally arriving at the park I bent down hands on my knees, trying to catch my breath.

Looking around I tried to spot my friends.

"Y/N!! OVER HEREEE!!!" I glanced behind me, to see my friends waving me over.

Jogging upto them I gave them a lazy smile.

"Hey y/n!!" Julie chirped, skipping towards me and pulling me into her embrace.

"Wow... well somebody looks like she ran the Olympics," Kyle laughed. "And look those eye bags."

I rolled my eyes taking a seat next to him, "oh why don't you just shut up." At this he poked my side. "Hey don't snap at me! I was just messing around y/nnn!!" he whined flinging his arm over my shoulder. Lips in a pout. I couldn't help but laugh ruffling his hair.

Julie gave me a soft smile, "had a long night?" I nodded my head in response. She scooted next to me leaning her head on my shoulder, "don't overwork yourself sweetie." By now, the two knew me like an open book. So it was easy for them to know how I feel in just seconds.

Kyle nudged me, "yes, it's the weekend! Lighten up girl! We're free from school work and you, from the student council. Now it's just time for you, me and Julie."

He interlocked hands with mine and Julie. I smiled, "thank you.. you always know how to cheer me up." Honestly I couldn't be more thankful.

Julie pinched my cheek scooting in front of us, "so what do you guys want to do??"

I shrugged. "I'm hungry.." I eyed Kyle who was rubbing his stomach.

Julie furrowed her eyebrows, "Seriously? Kyle, we just got here and the first thing you want to do is eat??

"Well, I don't know Jules!! It's called a picnic for a reason you know? You come and you eat. By the way, where is the food?" he raised an eyebrow.

"You don't just come and eat!! The food will be brought out at the right time!" she snapped back.

This was not anything new of course. It was part of our friendship to argue like this. It was obviously all fun and jokes. I smiled to myself, watching my friends bicker. That is, until someone else caught my attention.

To be more precise, him.

And by him I mean Edmund. I had got to know him through Kyle and ended up catching feelings for the boy.

Kyle on the other hand predicted this would happen and was literally celebrating the day I admitted it. But even though I had met him a couple of times, we had never really had a proper conversation apart from the regular 'hi's and byes'.

Well back to the present situation. He was sitting a little further away from our spot, along with his mother and his siblings; clad in a pale blue shirt and brown jeans. Short brown wavy locks blowing lightly in the wind.

He began to laugh at something someone said and oh God was it adorable. I couldn't take my eyes off him, not that this was anything new. I was so busy admiring him, I hadn't even realised that my friends had stopped their bickering trying to grab my attention.

I only snapped back into my senses the second the the boy locked eyes with mine. He gave me a soft smile waving at me and for some reason I looked away at once, feeling the heat rise upto my cheeks. Facepalm.

Y/n you're supposed to wave back.

"Y/N?" Julie placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Huh, yes? I'm sorry I-I umm" I cleared my throat, "I wasn't following.." My gaze instinctively flickering towards his direction and back at my friends.

This of course not going unnoticed by them. Specially Julie, as she was sitting right infront of me.

Following my gaze she looked back at me with a smirk, "oh I see what's going on here."

Oh no.

Kyle glanced between us tilting his head in confusion, "I- I don't think I'm following.."

Julie chuckled shuffling to the side to give Kyle a proper view, not so subtly pointing towards him. Now realising what was going on, the once confused look was replaced with a sly grin.

He eyed me wiggling his eyebrows, "ooh lala.. I didn't know Edmund was here." The two exchanged mischievous looks. I had mentally prepared myself for the teasing already.

"Oh y/n... this is just ridiculous! Would you just stop staring at him like that and just go talk to him for once?" Julie nudged me.

"She's right you know.. you've been crushing on him for ages now. And all you do is stare. Try to make conversation!" I could only look down in embarrassment, blushing wildly. Normally I'd brush it off, but now that he's right there I just can't.

"Y/N! HE'S LOOKING THIS WAY!" Kyle whisper-yelled waving at them.

Almost immediately my eyes shifted back towards him. He was indeed looking this way, my gaze locking with his. This time mustering all the courage in my body I waved back at him, to which he returned a smile.

"Awww," Kyle poked my cheeks. "Our little y/n is in loooooove!!!"

Julie scooted over next to Kyle grabbing his hands, "don't do that Kyle!! He might get the wrong idea and think you both are a thing." He widened his eyes and dramatically pulled away.

"Oh come on you guys.. don't be silly," I mumbled under my breath but loud enough for them to hear.

"What do you mean don't be silly?" Kyle raised his eyebrows. "You can't fool us, we know you're totally whipped for the boy!"

"What? NO! That's ridiculous.. I-I- he doesn't even know me to begin with."

"Yeah you know that won't work anymore since you said it yourself that you like him.." Kyle grinned.

"And not all love stories begin with two people knowing eachother you know?" My face began to heat up at the mention of 'love'. Julie continued. "Also come on, it's so obvious he likes you too."

"Does not.." I sighed.

"OF COURSE HE DOES! Have you noticed the million times the boy tries to make conversation with you and how he looks at you?! Only for you to be a coward and find someway to avoid him. Don't even make me bring back the school talent show incident."

I shuddered just hearing her say it.

>> Flashback <<

The school's annual talent show.

My friends and I were performing a song, and Julie just had to suggest that we wear heels. Me being the person who had never worn heels before, tried my best not to fall face forward. But I suppose luck was just not on my side today.

Kyle had helped me backstage, way before the event even began. Which I found a little wierd, since there was so much time and I could've just stayed in the waiting room. He held my hand all the way so he could keep me from tripping.

The day before the show, I had been ranting about how excited I was to see Edmund, and that's when Kyle had got a little idea at the back of his mind.

That leaves us here; we were backstage. "Thank you Kyle.." he smiled at me. "Anything for my beautiful best friend." I blushed at his words nudging him, "oh shush.."

He smirked at me.

"Umm.. Kyle? W-whats with that look?" he laughed, "I'm supposing someone would be really happy to see you today."

That's when it clicked me. This is why he brought me here this early. Heart beginning to race, I scanned my surroundings immediately and that's when I spotted him.

Oh lord.

Edmund smiled making his way towards us. I gasped and quickly began working on an escape plan. Seeing the back door just on Kyle's opposite, I decided to make a run for it. I was just too shy.

"Hey Kyle, hey Y/N!"

"Oh hey Ed! Y/N was just waiting to see yo-" Kyle trailed off processing the situation, "Y/N NOOO!! COME BACK HERE RIGHT NOW!"

Yep. I made a run for it.

But remember when I said luck wasn't on my side today? Well yes, I managed to trip. I guess I kind of expected this; because how could a person who has never walked in heels before, ever be able to run in them?

I tripped and toppled over into a basket of clothes. Thank god it was big enough, or else who knows what worse things would've happened.

Kyle running upto me and helping me up while Edmund made his way towards us. I could hear the children around me laughing. All I could do was look away in embarrassment. Kicking off my heels I pushed past Kyle before Ed could reach us and rushed out of the hall. Oh that is, before glaring at Kyle.

End of flashback

Julie leaned back to the tree, "I don't see the point of you looking at eachother but not making a move for it." Kyle nodded in agreement, "though Edmund is trying.."

I looked back in his direction. I've got to admit, she does have a point. But I guess this comes with my anxiety. The reason why I cannot resist getting embarrassed and trying to run away. Thinking I'd get flustered, say something dumb and make a fool of myself.

Kyle abruptly stood up, waving at them. "Let's go over to them."

They looked our way waving at us.

Oh no. This is not good.

Peter, the oldest, stood up immediately motioning them to follow him. He began to jog in our direction, Edmund right at his feet.

Feeling like my heart would rip out of my chest I stood up by instinct only to be pulled back by Kyle. Giving me a devilish smirk he whispered into my ear, "oh no y/n.. not this time."

"Hey there!" Peter exclaimed. "We didn't notice you lot here until Edmund told us."

Kyle laughed, "neither did we.. it's great to see you all here." The boys busy engaging in a conversation of their own, I tried to keep my eyes away Edmund.

Lucy and Susan waved at Julie and I, coming over to start up a conversation. While talking I couldn't help but notice Edmund, Peter and Kyle sneaking glances in my direction. I was fighting to hold back the blush rising upto my cheeks. Deciding to brush it off, I listened to what the girls had to say.

"It's so great to see you after so long y/n!" Lucy gave me a hug. Hugging her back I smiled softly, "I'm sorry I couldn't come see you both sooner.. my schedules been so packed lately."

Susan nodded her head, "I heard. The student council has a lot of work going on at the moment." She placed a hand on my shoulder giving me a warm smile, "don't stress yourself y/n.."

Susan and Lu have always been like sisters to me even though I wasn't that close to Peter and Edmund. Hearing Susan's words really made me feel so much better.

A short timeskip (😂) >>>

"Excuse me girls, Y/n.. could I have a word with you?" Kyle interrupted. I nodded my head excusing myself and following him.

"Where are we going Kyle?"

He kept silent eyes focused ahead of him.

"Kyle???" I grabbed onto his arm, "where are you taking meee??" I whined.

"Just follow me.. I have something to tell you," I noticed how he tried to hold back a smile.

Walking further away from our friends we stopped by the water fountain. "Did we have to come this far?" He swiftly turned around to face me at once giving me a sharp gaze; me jumping back in shock at the action.

"Edmund likes you."

"What?" Did I just hear him say what I think he said? I'm pretty sure I'm just hearing things now. Maybe it's because Edmund was with us.

"Edmund likes you," he repeated emphasising his words. I scanned his face trying to see if he was joking or not.

He had to be messing with me right now. There's no way Edmund would like me.

I faked a laugh at him rolling my eyes, "haha very funny.."

"Y/n I'm not joking okay? He told me.. he really did," Kyle looked at me with a straight face. It looked rather believable but what if he was just joking?

Okay I can't take this anymore. At this point, he's messing with my feelings.

"Listen, Kyle.. I'm not buying this okay? If this is your way in pulling a prank on me. I'm not listening." Not wanting to hear anymore of this I turned around, getting ready to leave. But a strong grip on my wrist held me from leaving.

"Kyle no..." I trailed off, turning around to face him I widened my eyes in shock.

Now in Kyle's place stood Edmund.

I jumped backwards letting out a little yelp, "Edmund I-I." Looking around me I saw that Kyle had made his way away from us; pulling a thumbs up at me. I did not expect this.

"Y/N?" feeling my face heat up, I reluctantly shifted my gaze to Edmund. My eyes connecting with those chocolate brown eyes. My throat suddenly went dry.

The situation I was in, made my heart pound against my chest so hard. My crush was standing infront of me and what made me even more flustered? He was holding my hand. And boy were his hands soft.

It took everything in me not to go intertwining our hands together.

"Y-yeah?"

"Y/N, is it true?"

I gulped, "sorry I-I don't think I'm following?" Of course I knew what he was talking about.

"That you like me?" the expression on his face unreadable. I couldn't tell if he was going to be mad at me or happy. He looked at me with his piercing gaze, clearly waiting for an answer.

I can't lie to him.

I don't want to lie to him. I want him to know how I feel. But at the same time, I was scared that maybe Kyle was joking and this was all a prank. And I don't want to lose what Edmund and I have right now.

But my feelings decided to take over.

"I-I... please don't be mad at me. Umm.. yes it's true," I looked down at my hands, not wanting to meet his eyes. Nothing. No response. I knew it, it was too good to be true. All I wanted to do right now was go home and lock myself in my room. I wanted to cry so bad.

"I'm sorry. I-I have to go.." voice cracking. Once again, turning on my heels I walked away from him.

I expected him to hold me back. But no. My vision became blurry with the tears threatening to fall. I knew it. He didn't feel the same.

Just when my tears began streaming down uncontrollably, I bumped into something.

Oh great. Now you have to embarrass yourself infront of him too. I stumbled back losing my balance, bracing for the impact of the hard ground.

Only, I didn't feel anything. No pain.

I slowly opened my eyes, locking eyes with none other than Edmund. I gasped. Apparently, the something I had bumped into, was him. He had managed to wrap his arms around my waist, holding me steady.

Slowly helping me up he averted his gaze scratching the nape of his neck.

"Thank you.." I mumbled looking at my feet.

Suddenly I felt his large hands cup my cheeks, wiping my tears away.

"Y/n.." he whispered.

I looked back at him, his gaze so soft.

"Edmund I'm so sorry.."

"No no shh.. don't be sorry, what do you have to be sorry about?"

I opened my mouth to reply, but he gently placed his index finger on my lips. I felt like my heart would explode at this point.

"Y/n, I'm sorry I let you walk away like that. I just.. I couldn't believe it. That you actually like me."

I tilted my head in confusion.

He chuckled softly, "Y/N I like you too. Heck with it, I think I just might be in love with you."

Okay now I'm sure I was hearing things.

"R-really?" pinching myself just to make sure I wasn't dreaming, I whinced.

He chuckled. Nodding his head smiling softly, "I always have. Since the day Kyle introduced us. I felt so comfortable around you. I.." he took a deep breath, "I kept my feelings to myself because I thought you didn't feel the same. I was afraid of the rejection."

"Why would you think I'd reject you? "

He laughed, "well.. everytime I'd try to talk to you, you would run away."

At that, Julie came into my head. She had told me exactly that. I felt a pang of guilt. That was on me.

"I'm sorry.. I really like you too Ed. I was just so scared you know?"

Now it was his turn to look at me in confusion, "scared of what?"

I sighed, "I wanted to make a first good impression, I thought I'd make a fool of myself infront of you.."

He hummed, "well forget that now. You don't need to worry about making a good first impression on me anymore. Because I think you're just amazing." I felt my cheeks heat up once again.

"Y/N?"

"Yes Ed?"

"Since the feelings are mutual, would you do me the honour and let me court you?" I smiled nodding my head. My heart was fluttering with joy.

He wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me towards him and into his embrace, "finally.. I can do this and call you mine. I love you y/n."

Wrapping my arms around him I nuzzled my head into the crook of his neck, "I love you too Ed."

Pulling away I giggled. I was so happy. The moment I had been dreaming of for so long, finally came true.

Gazing into each others eyes we burst into giggles. "You don't know how happy I am right now," Edmund mumbled, leaning his forehead against mine.

"Oh would you both cut with the cute talk and kiss already?!" Peter yelled suddenly. We were so caught up in the moment we hadn't even noticed our little audience.

Lucy was squealing in joy while the others were giving us knowing looks. Like they knew this was going to happen all along. Which they actually did. Kyle winking at me, I really have to thank the guy I thought.

I turned back to face Edmund, who had his eyes on me already.

He cleared his throat, "c-can I?" He looked so flustered. Giggling I stood on my toes pecking his lips. When I pulled away I couldn't resist the urge to laugh.

His lips parted, eyes wide and pupils dilated. And the next minute he leaned down locking our lips together once again the two of us smiling into the kiss.

Well what do you know? Love finds a way..

Hey there everyone! I hope you all enjoyed this! Please send in requests guys, my inbox literally has flies in it 😂❤️

Love you all and stay safe ❤️

#edmund pevensie #edmund x reader #edmund pevensie x reader #edmund pevensie imagine #king edmund #peter pevensie #susan pevensie #lucy pevensie #prince caspian #narnia aslan #narnia #chronicles of narnia

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addictofsupernatural · 5 years

Text

The Outsiders (pt. 1)

Zed Necrodopolous x reader

Z-O-M-B-I-E-S Fanfiction

Summary: When you moved to Seabrook to get away from the drama of your past, you meet a sweet zombie who you can't get enough of.

Word Count: 1999

When you moved in with your aunt and uncle, they warned you that Seabrook was different. Your two cousins had also made this seem very important to know. It was a perfect place with perfect people, who scorned the ones that didn't fit it. Not that you cared. You were used to being different.

They also told you about the zombies. When your aunt spoke about them, it was with with pity, while your uncle talked about them with disgust. She was a clothing designer, and he was a zombie patrol policeman. It was partly her job to make the zombies' special clothing, and it was his job to patrol zombietown at night.

In all honesty they just peeked your interest. They just seemed like normal people that weren't recognized, and you thought about what it might be like for them to be outsiders as well.

Your mother had taught you that life is too short to care what people think, and that being mean to people was useless. So you put a smile on and tried to be happy with your new life. Maybe something good awaited.

You put on your white t-shirt and dark red skirt, and walked to school. As you headed to school, you saw your uncle on the zombie side of the fence for the school entrance. He got reassigned to watch over them. One of the zombies were looking at their class schedule, when it flew out of his hands and slid on the floor and through the fence. You picked it up, smiling at him as you went on your tippy toes to give it to him. "Here you go."

"Thanks." He smiled, and looked very handsome in your opinion. "I–"

Your uncle banged on the fence. "No trying to grab humans. Don't make me have to take you downtown."

"No, officer I was just trying to–"

"Zip it zombie. Leave the humans alone."

"No," you said. "He wasn't doing anything wrong. I was just handing him his paper."

"I don't care, get inside." Your uncle stared daggers into you.

"But–"

"I know you're new here, but I'll only say this once. When an adult tells you to do something, you do it. No questions asked. Maybe you weren't taught that where you're from, but things are different here." Your smiled quickly faded as you put your head down and walked inside. He didn't have to say that.

Zed watched you leave with a frown on your face. He didn't know who you were, but it still hurt him to see your smile leave like that. "Little piece of advice." The guard said. "Don't talk to the humans. Don't try to be chummy friends, because you can't. At the end of the day, she's normal and you're not." Zed didn't say anything as he went inside with Bonzo and Eliza.

As you walked with your head kept down, you accidentally bumped into a blonde girl. "Oh, I'm sorry!"

She kindly smiled at you. "It's okay. I'm Addison."

You nodded and smiled. "Y/n."

"So, are you gonna try out for the cheer squad?" She seemed very excited.

"Um, no." You tried to say kindly. "Don't get me wrong, I love dancing, but cheerleading isn't really my thing." She frowned and looked confused. "But I'd be more willing to help you out if you need a partner to practice with anytime."

Her smile perked up again. "Oh, that's so sweet. I would totally love that!" She excitedly took your hands. "Come on, you should meet Bree."

Into middle of first period, an alarm started to go off, and everyone began to panic. On the wall it said Z | ALERT and was flashing red, but you didn't really know what that meant. When you got out to a hallway, the zombie from before came running up in a panic. "Can you hide me somewhere?"

"Um." Was all that came out of you before you looked at a zombie safe room, grabbing his hand and you both going in. It was pretty much pitch black, and you led him to a wall for both of you to sit down on the floor. "So, I'm guessing the alarms are from you?"

You heard him let out a sigh. "I didn't mean to scare that girl, she just freaked out when she saw me. This wasn't really how I wanted my day to go."

"You mean you didn't want an angry mob of people after you?" You asked in a playful sarcastic tone.

"Well," he said. "Not like this."

"What?" You laughed out.

"I'm trying out for the football team today." He felt you get closer to him, and felt calmer. You didn't fear him. "I don't know if I'll make it, considering how my day's gone."

"No, I'm sure you'll make it! Everyone's really excited for the cheer tryouts, so pretty soon there'll be a whole swarm of people cheering for you when you make it."

"And what about you?" His voice became a little softer.

"Well, cheerleading isn't for me. I was hoping they'd have a dance class, but they don't. But hey, I wouldn't mind cheering for you at your games. Just in the crowds."

You turned your head to his dark figure. He chuckled, before saying, "I'm Zed."

"I'm y/n."

Just then the lights came back on and you saw his handsome smile, causing you to smile back. He was about to say something, when you both heard, "Y/n! There you are!"

You turned to see Addison with four other cheerleaders. "Gross!"

"Zombie germs!"

One of them tugged you away from Zed. "Look here Zombie, if one of my cousin's friends are caught around you again, it's going to get ugly. And as you can see, that's not in the cards for me." You looked at Addison, who said nothing. They then tugged you out of the room and away from Zed.

They dragged you to their trophy room. "Listen new girl," the main guy said. "We don't support freaks, and neither should you. You could maybe be cool if you tried out for the cheer squad. And lose that outfit. It's a little too dark for Seabrook. Speaking of outfits, you look like you could rock a cheer outfit."

You didn't want to be rude, so you responded with, "Um, that sounds pretty cool. I'll think about it."

The cheerleaders began to laugh. "Oh new girl, I like your humor. We'll see you there. C'mon cuz." They all then left.

At lunch you began to walk towards Addison, but she was bombarded by more cheerleaders, so you decided to not go over there. You looked around, and saw that someone had spilled their lunch all over the cafeteria floor. Principal Lee saw and groaned. "Can someone please go tell the janitor to clean this mess up?"

"I can!" You said eagerly. "I really don't mind."

"Well," she said, smiling as she looked you up and down. "It's nice to see such bravery for this school. He's in the basement." You smiled and nodded, heading over there. You walked down the stairs happily with your lunch tray.

Zed was excitedly telling his friends about you. "Yeah Bonzo. She even said she'd cheer me on at games. I'm really pumped right now, and I think she likes me."

"Yeah right." Eliza said. "It's just because she's new. Once she figures out that humans don't like zombies, she'll probably stay far away."

Zed gave Eliza a look before their teacher said, "Woah, there's no human students here."

Everybody turned to see you nervously standing there with your lunch tray. "Um, there was a spill in the cafeteria." You quickly set your tray down to hold the door open for the teacher. You then brought your tray over to Zed and his friends and smiled. "Hey."

"Hey." He looked surprised, but eventually smiled back.

"Is it okay with you guys if I stay here for lunch?"

Zed was about to speak, but Eliza cut him off. "You should probably stick with the cheerleaders if you really want to make the squad."

"Oh, I'm not a cheerleader, and I don't really wanna be one." You said as you sat down next to Zed. "They're a little too much for me. I probably wouldn't enjoy it. You should do something because it makes you happy, right?"

Eliza stared at you, but had a small smile on. "Um, yeah."

You turned to Zed. "So, I never apologized for the security guard."

"Oh, yeah. Did you know him or something, cause he was kinda being a jerk to the both of us."

You looked down, and felt heat spread onto your face. "Um, he's my uncle. I just started living with him and his family over the weekend. He's a bit stiff with me since we don't really see eye to eye on, um..."

"Zombikas?" Bonzo asked.

"Yeah. Sorry." You quietly said.

"So what if he finds out that we've been talking?" Zed asked.

"Then we'll just make sure he doesn't." Bonzo and Eliza gave each other a look as you and Zed smiled at each other. "So, I could go to your football tryouts after school. Maybe walk home together afterwards?"

"Really?!"

You shrugged. "Yeah. I don't have much going on after school anyways."

"Yeah, that sounds awesome. You could see me do thang in person."

You giggled, and the bell rang. "Okay, I gotta go. But I'll see you at the football field after school." You waved to all of them and hurried up the stairs.

As you were about to go to class, your cousin pulled your arm. "What were you doing in the basement?" She asked.

You shrugged and grinned. "Got lost. Oops." You then walked into class.

After school you walked to the football field and found him waiting for you at the bleachers. "You came." You nodded. "Okay, now I have to be extra awesome." You giggled and sat down as he grabbed your arms, gently squeezing. "Wish me luck!"

"I will." You then watched him play, and he was actually pretty good. He was good at dodging people, and was pretty fast as well. He excelled at the drills, though he dropped to the ground and rolled in a fit of dramatics. You laughed, yelling out, "You can do this Zed!"

He was still on the ground, but gave you a thumbs up. After a bit everybody lined up to see if they made it. The coach talked, and everybody looked pretty happy. You saw him and Zed talking before Zed walked over to you. You smiled and offered him his backpack, but your smile faded as you saw the disappointed look on his face. "I didn't make the team." He said. "Principal Lee thinks I shouldn't even leave the basement for school."

"Zed, I'm really sorry to hear that."

"Don't be. It's the story of my life." He said frustratedly.

You gently hooked your arm around his as you both walked together. "I'm sure at some point you'll be on the football team. Once people see how awesome you are."

He smirked at you. "Yeah, you're right. Well, I guess for now only you'll get to see my awesomeness."

You chuckled. "I guess so." You both fell into comfortable silence until you said, "I thought you were pretty good, by the way."

"Thanks, but I kinda wanna see you in action."

You laughed. "Um, I don't think I'd do all that good in football."

He laughed too. "No, I meant dancing. You said you liked it, but I haven't seen you dance yet."

"Yet?"

"Yeah. We'll go dancing together at some point. It's just a matter of time." You looked down with a flushed face, grinning. "So, why did you move in with your aunt and uncle?"

"Um, they're the only family I have left now." He stared at you. "I'll explain another day." He nodded.

You both then made it to the border of Seabrook and Zombieland. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow. Maybe we'll even have a day where people aren't trying to pull us apart."

You chuckled. "Wouldn't that be something."

He grabbed your hand and spun you softly. "Until next time."

You smiled and began walking the other way. As you buried your hands in your face and hopped around to calm yourself, Zed was silently jumping and fist bumping the sky. You thought about what he said, and decided that you would do something for this school, and it involved dancing.

---

Author Note: Please let me know if I should keep going with this, or if you maybe wanna be tagged if I end up making a series.

#zed zombies x reader #zed zombies #zombie zed #zombies #zed necropolis x reader #zed imagine #zed x reader #z o m b i e s #zed necrodopolis #zed necrodopolis x reader

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katedrakeohd · 4 years

Text

A Very Merry Birthday (5)

[Masterlist]

Hey let's make this a wacky drabble. This week's prompt #80 Stop looking at me like that

Word count: 2000

Cast of characters: Drake, Kate, Preston Davis. (OC)

Rated PG: talk of mature themes, sexual innuendo

Tagging:

@wackydrabbles @darley1101 @sfb123 @mom2000aggie @fluffyfirewhiskey @jovialyouthmusic @sirbeepsalot @kingliam2019 @no-one-u-know @nikkis1983 @glaimtruelovealways @texaskitten30 @bbrandy2002 @marshmallowsandfire

After exiting the stairway, Drake and Kate make their way down the hall to their room. He looked at her nervously as he dug into his pocket for his room key, "Are we really going through with this threesome thing?"

When they arrive at their door, Kate steps in front of Drake. Cupping his face in her hands she pulls him in for a kiss, her voice low, "Yes, we are. I'm only going to turn 27 once and I want it to be special."

Drake smirks against her mouth and mumbles as their kisses continue, "What's so special about turning 27?"

Kate caresses the back of his neck and runs her fingers through his hair, "Nothing really, but do you know what?"

"Hmm?"

Kate runs the pad of her thumb across his bottom lip, and then licks her own. "I can still taste myself on your mouth and I like it."

Drake presses the room key into her hand and with the other hand goes into his jacket, making sure to slide his palm across her breast before retrieving his phone from the inside pocket.

"You go on into our room, and I'll give Preston a call."

Kate chuckles, "Be nice to him, and please tell him again that I'm sorry for hurting him."

"I will."

…

Preston is sitting up in bed in his underwear and a t-shirt, with a small bag of ice wrapped in a pillowcase nestled against his groin. The pain had pretty much subsided by this point, but he wanted to make sure there was no chance of swelling. This hadn't been his first blow to the nuts, but knowing how it felt didn't make any time it happened again any less painful.

Beside him on the bed is a half eaten sandwich on a plate that he had ordered from room service. It was still early in the evening and it bothered him to not have anything to do. If they were back home at Valtoria there would still be another two hours in his work shift. Back at home these were prime party hours and he'd have guests to keep tabs on with his usual crew of guards. If it was a quiet evening with no guests, he'd walk the halls and then patrol the perimeter outside and use the time to go over the next day's sentry and active guard schedule in his head and get some welcome fresh air.

Once a month there would be an evening poker game amongst the senior staffers, which occasionally the Duke would join in on if the Duchess was away, but mostly it was a fun and casual night for the staff to tell funny anecdotes at their employer's expense.

Tonight, after clicking through the limited channel options on his room's TV, he had resorted to browsing the social media on his phone. Thankfully the hotel had free wifi. Reaching over he grabs the last part of his sandwich and takes a bite, and then another to finish it. Now that his hand was free he shifted the ice pack to the side and gingerly fondled himself through his underwear. The ice had left him temporarily numb, but there didn't seem to be any unusual swelling so he transferred the ice pack over onto his dinner plate. Laying his phone on his chest he planted his hands on the bed and carefully scooted his ass down the bed so he could lie down on his back. With a sigh he folded his arms behind his head and stared up at the ceiling.

After a few minutes of studying the crown moulding and lamenting the Ravenhurst's poor choice of wallpaper, he closes his eyes out of boredom. Out in the hallway he can hear the muffled voices of people approaching his room, expecting them to fade as they pass by. But this time they don't. Listening intently he recognizes the low tones of Drake's voice, and the faint inflection of Kate's laughter. So Mr. and Mrs. Smith, or Jones or whatever are back from their dinner date. Hope they had fun.

There's the click of a door opening and closing and then the muffled footfalls of someone walking away, punctuated by the creek of the wooden floorboards under the carpet. Preston turns his head to look toward the door, curious. Pulling his hand out from behind his head he reaches for his phone before it can slide off his chest.

…

Drake shoved one hand in his pocket as he paced back and forth in the hallway, looking down at his phone. Of course it had to be the pocket with Kate's panties in it. He bunches them in his fist and sighs in frustration as he picks Preston's name out of his contact folder. How in the hell do I call someone and invite them to be the third person in a sexual situation? Especially when I really don't want him there in the first place? I could lie to her and say that I asked Preston and he declined. Yeah right, Kate's like a human lie detector and would know I'm not telling the truth.

He presses the message icon on his screen and then stops to lean against the wall. As awkward a conversation this was about to be, it would be better conducted quietly.

The Duke:: Hi Preston, how are you feeling?

There's a brief pause and then Preston responds,

Preston:: I'm doing ok. How can I help you Sir?

The Duke:: I have an unusual request. You're free to decline if you don't feel up to the task.

Preston:: Ok. That's not suspicious at all. 🤔

The Duke:: First some questions. And again you can choose not to answer if you feel they're too personal.

Preston:: Should I be worried? This isn't some dangerous mission is it?

The Duke:: That all depends on how you behave.

Drake grins to himself and rubs his jaw as he waits for Preston to respond. The seconds tick by and then Preston answers.

Preston:: Are you out in the hall?

The Duke:: yes

A few seconds go by and he hears a door open and he looks up to see Preston pop his head out into the hall.

"Pssst. Over here," he whispers.

Drake pushes away from the wall and tucks his phone into his back pocket. He looks quickly up and down the hall before walking over to Preston's room. He takes in his underdressed state and then grins at him, "You're going to think I'm crazy."

Preston steps back to let Drake step into the room. "Now I'm really curious."

Drake stands in the middle of the room feeling awkward, knowing he still had to ask the questions he had on his mind. Preston gestures toward the chair for Drake to have a seat, but he shakes his head.

"I'd rather stand." I'm too nervous to sit down. "But you might want to sit."

Preston shrugs and then sits down on the end of the bed. "What's on your mind, Sir?"

Drake doesn't know where to start. Just get the personal questions out of the way, you idiot, before you chicken out.

Taking a deep breath in Drake forces himself to push aside his nerves and decides to sit down after all. He pulls his phone out of his pocket and then leans forward to rest his elbows on his knees. "Ok, then. Question one. Are you currently in a relationship?"

Preston's eyebrows shoot up in surprise, "Uh, no. But why -...?"

Drake holds his hand up to interrupt him, "Just bear with me and then I'll get to the point."

Preston tilts his head, frowning, but crosses his arms and then waits.

Drake scratches the back of his head, trying to find the words to ask the questions on his mind before he gets to the invitation from Kate.

"Are..are you straight? Gay? Something else?" Drake stammers, feeling anxious.

Preston can't help but laugh, "Are you asking me out on a date Your Grace?"

"I...just answer the question."

Preston shrugs, noting the nervous bounce of Drake's knee and the way he kept averting his eyes. He also couldn't help but notice that his shirt was half unbuttoned already and his hair was slightly messy. "I'm straight...I guess."

Drake looks up, "You guess? Either you are or you aren't. Stop looking at me like that."

"Well when you get right down to it, these days when you're lonely enough and looking for that kind of pleasure a hole is a hole. If you understand what I mean? Between two consenting adults of course."

Drake wasn't expecting that kind of answer from Preston, and he's suddenly reminded of his own 27th Birthday. But he had one last question before he mentioned the threesome idea. Taking a deep breath he thought about Kate, and how she was expecting Preston to come back with him.

"Well, if you're thinking straight, I want your honest opinion about something."

Preston wasn't sure where this was going, but this had to be the strangest conversation he'd ever had with any boss he's ever had. Was it even ethical to have this kind of conversation?

"Ok, sure. What do you want to know?"

"How do you feel about my wife?"

Preston wasn't sure how to answer that sort of question without getting a punch to the face. She'd already slapped him and mashed his nuts with her knee, but being the one to escort her to the restaurant had been exciting to say the least. He wasn't sure if he'd interpreted her suggestion correctly, that he should get handsy with her in order to get Drake's attention, or not. Or perhaps he had gone too far. He was certainly confused as to why Drake would show up in his room and start asking personal questions. He decided to keep his answer as ambiguous as possible.

"She's a beautiful woman, and a man would have to be blind not to desire her."

Drake nods, appreciating his answer, "Go on, I think there's more you want to say."

Preston's eyes narrow and he feels uncomfortable with Drake's tone of voice, "If you're trying to lead me on into admitting something as some sort of trap, I'm not falling for it. I was following her orders…"

Again Drake interrupts, "Yes, I get that. What I really want to know is if you enjoyed touching my wife like that?"

Preston carefully considers his answer. Yes, he had liked being able to touch her. But acting like a total ass had earned him a slap and a knee to the groin, and he knew that wasn't acceptable behavior. Kate didn't deserve to be grabbed like that. She had looked like candy wrapped in a red satin bow, and damn she had smelled like it too. He'd love to be lucky enough to have a woman like that. She would be like a gift, one he could unwrap everyday and never get tired of finding the same thing waiting for him on the inside.

"No, I didn't. K...Mrs. Walker shouldn't be touched that way without permission. It was wrong."

Drake's phone chimes and he checks it. He has a text message from Kate.

Kate:: have you asked him yet?

Drake:: getting there, be patient.

Drake looks up from his phone. "Smart answer. Now how would you like the chance to make it right?"

His phone chimes again.

Preston chuckles, "What do you mean?"

Kate:: this kitty Kat is getting awfully lonely over here, and with an itch that needs to be scratched. It would be a shame if I had to handle it on my own. 😽😈

"Kate...Mrs. Walker, wants me to invite you over to our room. For some fun."

"What sort of fun?"

Drake's phone chimes again.

Kate:: tick tock, Walker. Are you two coming over to play?

"The naked kind."

Preston laughs, "You're right. I do think you're crazy."

Drake stands up. "Well are you in, or not?"

Preston shrugs, "What the Hell, I'm in."

#drake walker #choices #long post #drake x kate #theroyalromance #Henry Cavill is Preston Davis

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