#was an plan to make me get ready and get excited and then go out without me and so when i rang him i was angry on the phone

[mrsbuckybarnes1917]

8: SURPRISE!

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Bucky's surprise birthday party provides more surprises than you had hoped.

Word count 3.2k

Warnings: Birthday boy behaving badly, Priya is the warning here!

Erik’s sexual intervention had released you of the tension you felt whenever you were around Bucky and you realized that his birthday was quickly approaching. You made it your mission to start working on Bucky’s birthday party. The previous year he had flat out refused to let you throw him any festive gathering and you had only accepted that on one condition: he would get one this year. You had no intention of letting him wheedle his way out of it this year. He had begrudgingly agreed but only if it was something small and intimate with his friends only. 

You had given Bucky a withering look. "Trust me! I know you well enough. You’re going to like it. I promise!"

You felt like a kid in a candy store, who had been given the keys to Willy Wonka’s entire kingdom. Glee was written across your features, you wanted everything to be perfect for your best friend. Steve was your trusty accomplice and you had invited Priya into the fold as a way to make up for your misdemeanors. She had suggested that you order food from Sticks and Stones because he loved the food there and even convinced Victor to help with the catering.

A week before the auspicious day, you had pulled Steve aside to ask him if he would accompany you to pick up Bucky’s birthday gift.

"Did you find it?" Steve asked you.

"The Glenn Miller vinyl?" 

Steve nodded.

"Yeah, I found it! It’s in a vintage records store in SoHo." You smiled.

"Bucky’s going to love it. His family would play them all the time, he was such a natural dancer. It would be nice for him to do that again."

"I’m glad it’s got Captain America’s seal of approval!" you quipped cheekily.

Steve rolled his eyes, feeling relaxed and happy for once. "Do you want to go and pick it up now? I’ll drive. I can pick up my gift at the same time!"

"Oh that would be great, Steve! What did you get him?"

"You know that picture you took, the one of Bucky, you, me, Nat and Sam?"

"Yeah, I know the one."

"I painted it. There is a guy who said he would frame it and he texted me this morning saying it was ready to collect.

"Steve! I can’t wait to see it!" you squealed with excitement. "Let’s go!"

Both of you set off, climbing the stairs that led to the parking garage.

"Oh, Priya, hey! Didn't see you there!" you smiled at her as you noticed her presence at the top of the staircase. 

Priya smiled back at you tersely. 

"Everything okay?" Steve asked.

"Fine."

"Do you need a lift home?"

"No, I'm spending the night with Bucky."

"Ahh," Steve blushed at the implication of sex.

You rolled your eyes and tugged on Steve's sleeve. "Come on, punk. See you later Priya!"

*

March tenth came around quicker than expected. You waited impatiently for Bucky to arrive as his 'surprise’ party. Even though Priya was distracting him, Bucky knew about the events that had been planned. You knew he didn't like loud noises or jump scares, but he had promised to act suitably surprised.

Everything for the party went off without a hitch. The room was filled with dozens and dozens of black and gold balloons. Swing music was playing on the gramophone that Tony had purchased for the occasion. Sam cheekily had a cardboard cut out of Bucky made with his vibranium arm cut off so you could play ‘Pin the arm on Bucky’. You groaned but secretly you wanted to beat everyone.

Thor had made an appearance and was already half way through the bucketful of Asgardian ale, which he claimed to have brought for the birthday boy. Even Ayo, who you'd invited, had graced you with her presence. When she arrived, you flung your arms around the reserved Wakandan warrior. The Dora Milaje did not engage in public displays of emotion, but for you she offered a hug in return.

Things seemed to be going well. Bucky arrived with Priya and was greeted with yells and streamers. Bucky's surprise was convincing… possibly a little too dramatic, making Priya laugh and you groan exasperatedly. You stood on the side of the room watching everyone mingle, enjoying how Bucky's attention was demanded from everyone in the room. His friends were kind enough not to crowd him, or overwhelm him, but also make him feel special all at the same time.

It warmed your heart to see the light in his eyes, the enjoyment on his face. Priya was glued to his side, stroking his hair, whispering in his ear. His arm was constantly around her waist. She was the only thing that marred your perfect vision of the event.

"I am surprised that James chose that woman," Ayo appeared beside you, seemingly out of nowhere.

"Jesus, Ayo. We've talked about you sneaking around. Don't make me tie a bell around your ankles!"

Ayo smiled. "Why isn't that you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why haven't you told James how you feel?" Ayo doesn't wait for your reply. "It could be you dancing with him rather than standing here looking like a wallflower."

"Maybe you could dance with me."

"I think not, Y/N." Ayo never used your nickname.

"Way to let a girl down gently, Ayo."

Ayo just rolled her eyes at you and ventured over to Thor who was challenging everyone to a drinking contest, one which no one was engaging in. Steve was beside him, sipping the liquor carefully enjoying the buzz he rarely got to experience. Wanda and Vision were lovingly embraced in each other's arms in a corner, dancing like the rest of the world didn't exist. Nat was behind the bar serving her own special cocktails and flirting with a blushing Bruce. Clint and Laura were laughing with Pepper, while Tony, Sam and Rhodey were playing cards and making the most outrageous noise. 

You loved your little found family, even though you missed the one that brought you up. Coulson's S.H.I.E.L.D. team had inducted you into the world of violence and espionage and aliens and time travel. It was with them that you'd learnt to control your powers and become worthy to call yourself an Avenger.

Agent Melinda May was the only member of the team you saw regularly anymore since she worked close by in the new S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy HQ. She had been your S.O. for many years and held a special place in your heart, despite her prickly exterior. She often joked that you would make an excellent addition to her staff at the Academy and to ensure that you lived long enough to accept the position when retiring from ‘that Avenger gig’. 

You were brought out of your reverie about the past by Priya, who was standing on a chair shouting about it being time for presents.

Everyone cheered and you were grinning like a lunatic now. You felt excited to give Bucky your gift. The first edition Glenn Miller record was safely wrapped in a solid casing. In the Mood was the last song that Bucky and his family had danced to while he had been on leave from the War. His last happy memory of them before he had fallen from the life he had known, before he had been thrust into a world of ice and torture.

About a year ago, you had caught Bucky using your Spotify to listen to music from his childhood and had offhandedly mentioned this piece of information about his past. You kept hold of this precious tidbit for the right occasion.

Bucky had already started ripping open wrapping paper when you ventured over. Wanda had knitted him a black scarf with golden threads to match his arm, which had made him smile. Next Sam handed him a small black box which Bucky opened to find a pair of fluffy pink handcuffs.

"Thought you could use some props, spice life up a little," he winked at Bucky. Sam had a way of pushing Bucky's buttons, but you could see the mild blush on Bucky's cheeks which deepened when Priya interjected. 

"Thank you very much, Samuel, but James and I don't need such tawdry things in the bedroom."

Bucky shrugged apologetically at Sam and you wondered if he was thinking about your recent conversation.

Sam was pushed aside by Thor, who deposited a large vat of ale into Bucky's arms. "Many happy returns, metal man." He patted Bucky on the back so hard that Bucky almost dropped his gift.

Bucky was depositing the alcohol on the gift table when he was approached by Ayo. "Happy Birthday, James."

"Thank you for coming, it means a lot that you took the time."

"You look like you are doing well for yourself."

"Yeah, it’s good," Bucky smiled.

"This is for you." She handed him a simple box with padding on the inside. Bucky opened it to find a pair of ornately decorated blades made from vibranium. Everyone gasped at how beautiful they looked in the dim lights. They collapsed in on themselves and were discrete and easy to conceal. Ayo pointed out a small device which acted like a homing beacon so Bucky would be able to locate them if he lost sight of them.

"These are incredible! Thank you."

Tony didn't have many words but he did hand Bucky a beautifully ornate envelope which Bucky opened tentatively. Inside was an invitation to a magnificent moonlit dinner on a yacht on the Hudson. Bucky held the gift reverently in his hands, his vibranium fingers barely gripping, as though their strength might make the gift crumble. His eyes glistened in the party lights, a thin film of unshed tears. There had been a time where they were ready to kill each other, and even now they never spent any time alone together. You knew that this gift meant a lot to Bucky.

"Dinner on a boat? I think we'll have to pass on that, I get sea sick." Priya commented, gazing at the gift certificate around Bucky's arm.

A flicker of irritation crossed Tony's face, before he grinned mischievously. "Not a problem, it's not person specific. Manchurian Candidate here can take anyone he likes. Capsicle might not be a fan of the food, but I think Cricket would really enjoy the cuisine."

He turned to wink at you, making you blush. You couldn’t help but notice the scowl on Priya’s face, no matter how short lived it was and you knew you were about to meet your comeuppance when the glowering look she was shooting in your direction turned into a beaming smile.

"Jamie! It’s my turn, baby. I have a very special gift for you!" She hands him a thin square shaped gift wrapped in shiny golden wrapping paper. "Here!"

You felt a sudden weight on your chest, a feeling of dread washing over you. It felt like things were moving in slow motion, watching Bucky unwrap the gift. You didn’t know what you had been expecting when he pulled out a shiny record cover. It was as though someone had poured a bucket of ice water over you, except you were paralyzed. The color drained from your face as you realized what the album was.

‘The Very Best of Glenn Miller.’

Bucky’s eyes shone brightly as he dropped the wrapping paper and ran his flesh fingers over the cover reverently. "Priya," he gasped in a whisper. "I- it's perfect." Bucky wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her into his chest and giving her a long, passionate kiss. "I love it! I love you!"

You barely noticed Steve sideling up to you, you couldn't hear him asking if you were okay. That was your gift. It was yours! If you didn’t have the vinyl you’d bought and so lovingly wrapped in your hand, you’d think she had stolen it from you. It felt like you couldn’t breathe, every attempt you made felt futile, like the air around you had left the room. He had shared the same things with her, you thought he trusted you with his past, but you weren't as special as you thought you were. 

Eventually you looked up when Steve put a gentle hand on your shoulder. He whispered, almost as though his words he was about to use were criminal. "Do you remember when we were talking last week? Before we went to pick up our gifts? You don’t think she overheard us… do you? And…"

In the end, it didn’t really matter. You knew in the moment that you’d lost Bucky forever. Everything felt far away, the room was suffocating, why were there so many people? Tears burned in your orbital sockets, drowning you from the inside out. You couldn’t face them anymore, seeing the happiness on Bucky’s face, knowing that someone else was responsible for that smile, that light inside him, was heartbreaking. Ultimately, you wanted him to be happy but you wanted to share that joy with him, you wanted to be the one to give it to him and watching that mantle being taken from you and bequeathed to another person was soul crushing. Gripping your present tightly, you slipped out of the room, Steve watching your retreating footsteps with sympathy, but knowing not to follow.

A few tears escaped as you found refuge in the kitchen, but you had no desire to explain red eyes and a blotchy nose to any of the other team members or party goers, so you wiped them away angrily, taking a few calming breaths before pouring yourself a strong drink. You sank onto a bar stool, shoving the record onto the chair to your right, you had no use for it anymore. There had barely been time for you to take 2-3 sips from your drink before Bucky popped his head into the room.

"Cricket? There you are!"

"Hey Buck! Having a good time?" You plastered a smile on your face, one that didn’t quite reach your eyes.

Deception in this case was a futile attempt, Bucky was well versed in the movements of your face. "What’s wrong?"

"Nothing," you lied. "Just getting a drink."

"There are plenty of drinks back there."

He looked searchingly into your eyes and the facade you had erected was crumbling. You looked away, dropping your head to try and hide your face with your hair.

"It was just a bit much, everyone there… I don’t know, I feel a little… overwhelmed."

Too much drain of the social battery, Bucky was familiar with that. He pulled out the chair on your left, almost giving you a heart attack because you had momentarily forgotten which chair you’d left the present on.

"If you want to give me my gift here, we can do it privately. Everyone else is done," Bucky suggested, leaning towards you.

The smell of his cologne was intoxicating. Suddenly you felt angry that he was there, why couldn’t he give you a moment to grieve? Constantly invading your space, reminding you of what you couldn’t have, dangling the carrot but keeping it just out of reach. "Well you already have the perfect gift from your girlfriend, what more do you need?" You couldn’t keep the bitterness out of your tone.

As soon as the words left your mouth, you regretted them. But the damage was done. There was a deathly silence between you where you were afraid to look at your best friend. 

"You know, I thought I would have you both in my life; my best friend and my girlfriend. I feel like you’re making me choose you over her and it’s not fair, Cricket! I’ve tried, I really have but you’re making it impossible! So you know what, I’m going to have to choose Priya. At least she bothered to put some effort into getting me a birthday gift. I can have a future with her."

The worst thing about his words were the disappointment and finality in his tone. And with that he left you alone with only your thoughts for company. A storm raged inside you, a maelstrom of emotions; anger, betrayal, abandonment, rejection, loss, just outright pain. How could he? How could he choose her over you? After everything you had been through together, the bond you had forged, the absolute faith and trust you had put in each other. Did it mean nothing to him? Did you mean nothing to him?

Trudging back to your room, you sought comfort in your giant bed, hoping it would envelope you completely. Wrapping the duvet around your body and over your head, you buried your face in a pillow and allowed the tears to fall. Once the gates had opened, the trickle of tears became a flood as you sobbed into your pillow to muffle the sound.

Why did he have to choose? Why didn’t he choose you? The pain in your chest was unbearable, a physical ache that matched the emotional turmoil inside you. You had tried so hard to make things work, to give him a balance of your friendship with his relationship with Priya, but now it seemed like all your efforts had been in vain. He had made his choice, and it wasn’t with you.

As you lay there in your bed, the tears continued to flow, a never-ending stream of sadness and heartbreak. You felt like a piece of you had been ripped away, leaving a raw, gaping wound in its place. How could you move on from this? How could you ever trust anyone again, knowing that they could just choose someone else over you?

You sighed, you knew now that you would never be good enough for him. Everything you’d tried to hold on to, had done nothing but push him away. You remembered when you had first understood your feelings, you’d considered pulling away to protect yourself. But Bucky had reeled you back in, constantly asking if he had done something to hurt you. So you’d given in, telling yourself you didn’t want to hurt him. But in reality, it had been selfish, you had indulged in a fantasy and ended up hurting the man you loved and getting hurt in the process.

You startled as a door slammed shut nearby. It was Bucky’s bedroom door, you could hear Priya giggling and Bucky’s deep voice through the wall. Your body froze with shock, the last thing you needed right now was to listen to your best friend having sex with his girlfriend. You shoved your airpods into your ears and turned up one of your lo-fi playlists and closed your eyes.

The decision you should have made then, was far more clear to you now. Your friend and old superior officer from your S.H.I.E.L.D. team had repeatedly offered you the chance to teach with her at the newly formed Coulson Academy. She had taught you everything you knew and believed in your ability to impart the knowledge you’d gained to potential agents. It was time for you to take her up on this offer.

As you wiped away your tears and made a decision to move forward, you knew that it was time to focus on yourself and your own happiness. Bucky had made his choice, and now it was time for you to make yours. You couldn’t continue to dwell on what would never be, on the pain of rejection and heartbreak.

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[bombuni]

Hiii dear I’ve just found your blog today and Cant help but loving it!!!!

If it’s ok with you can you do a cat-hybrid San who is very needy (and a bit Dom) with the reader cuz he waited long hours at home for reader to get back from her job and he is also jealous

contains: kitty!san x reader, jealous san, dry humping, coming in pants lol

minors dni

It's day 6 of no you doting on him. Yes, San’s keeping track. 6 days of you working over-time and 6 days of neglect. Usually, he’s patient and well-behaved for you, but you seem to have taken his kindness for granted.

Especially now that you arrive every day talking about your newest coworker, the one who’s got you all starry-eyed and fluttering with excitement. Every time you open your mouth there’s no doubt that the name ‘Seonghwa’ will leave your mouth at least once. San thought he was just like a shiny new toy for you at first, but now you return every day with a smile and a ‘Seonghwa said the funniest thing today…’

He huffs to himself at the thought, his black tail swishing in annoyance behind him. A part of him is frustrated with himself for being so possessive, but the stronger part of him thinks of your smile and remembers all the reasons why he’s so possessive. Because you’re a precious thing he needs keep to himself.

How could you so easily forget such a simple rule? Or were you doing this on purpose? Teasing him, making him desperate and needy for you and waiting to see how long it’d take him to break? His face scrunches. No, not at all. He’ll show you what happens when you forget who holds the leash.

When you enter your apartment with the giddiness of seeing San overflowing, it ends when he’s nowhere to be found. You check all of his usual napping spots; by the kitchen window, the couch, and his bed. Your face twists in confusion, an uneasy feeling growing in your gut the more time you go without San. You pull your phone out of your pocket and immediately find ‘sannieboy’ in your phone.

Before you can press the bright green call button, although, you feel his big arms tighten around your figure. He traps you against his muscular body and if the amount of force he’s using is anything to go by, he’s planning to keep you to himself for a long while. Figures, that he’s ready to never let you go.

“You scared me, Sannie,” His breath tickles your neck as he kisses a trail from your jawbone down to your shoulder. He’d told himself he was ready for vindication the moment you entered the apartment, but your scent alone has him folding. His hand runs under your shirt and up your back, the texture of your warm skin soothing him like you’re his medication.

You can already tell somethings up by the way he mouths at you. Like your skin is the first taste of otherworldly nectar, every time. “You made me wait,” You assume San means it in an innocent way, “Oh, Sannie baby, I’m sorry. I’ve just been so busy at work, but I can spend time with you now!��

San squeezes you harder, stopping your attempt to turn around in his arms. “You-“ he pushes you up against the wall, pinning you between the white surface and his burly chest. His chest is heaving and you can feel his tail wrap around your calf, as if to hold you in place. His hips gyrate against yours and now his neediness is in a completely different context, “Made me wait.”

He uses your body like it’s his to play with, grinding his hips onto you senselessly and huffing in your ear at the friction. Hands roam your body, exploring all the parts he knows already. He pushes and pulls on you, in the way he knows you like, just so you can get a taste of the desperation he’s been feeling. His dick rubs between your panties, soaking them and making you just as needy as him now. You stumble through your words, “S-sannie, if I’d known you were in heat, I would’ve-“

His mewl cuts you off before you feel him press himself harder against you. That familiar heat boils inside of you now, the feeling all-consuming.

He shows no signs of stopping, his hips thrusting frantically to chase the sweet release he’s been craving for 6 days.

His voice comes out breathy as he keeps grinding against you, “J-just missed you so much,” He tries to bring you closer, like pressing you right up against himself isn’t enough. When that doesn’t work his hand comes to your front to pull you flush against him, ass directly on his stiff member.

San controls your movements, holding on to you tight as he forgets his strength the closer the he gets to his orgasm. He gives one final thrust, a groan coming out from deep in his body. You can feel his wet pants now, his shaking body, and harsh pants against your ear. You give him a moment to compose himself, his tail loosening it’s hold on your calf.

He’s embarrassed, humiliated with his cum-stained pants, that he couldn’t even wait to undress you. He was just too swept up in the feeling of you that half of him didn’t realize. San only needs you to get rid of the aching burn inside him, and nothing more.

You scratch at his fluffy ears as he catches his breath behind you, “Missed you too.”

San lifts his head to squint at you, “Mm…I’m sure ‘Seonghwa’ was keeping you company.”

You bite your tongue for a minute before deciding against it, “He did, but I missed my Sannie more.”

You smile innocently up at him, his twitching ears and swishing tail a surefire sign that your comment got under his skin. He’s too easy to tease. His eyebrows furrow and wiggle, like he’s trying to force his expression back to normal so you can’t see how annoyed he is by your teasing. You both know the truth.

He tilts his head, “Did he? Keep you company?”

The look on your face frustrates him, but he can’t look away. You frustrate him, but he likes the game you play. Taming and chasing you time and time again, as if you don’t come home to him everyday. He’ll keep playing with you.

[mingyuscoffee]

ten reasons to avoid cancun (teaser)

RELEASING ON MAY 30! this is just a preview.

feel free to comment if you want to be tagged when i post this!

pairing kim mingyu x fem! reader genre fluff | exes to lovers summary when your ex joins you and your friends on a week long vacation to cancun, you have no choice but to avoid and make the best of it… so how is he always next to you?

" 내가 도착하기 전까지 잘 지내고 있어야 해 지금 널 찾아가고 있어 "

— “지금 널 찾아가고 있어 (run to you)” by seventeen

1. YOUR EX IS ALSO IN CANCUN.

“We swear, we had no idea Mingyu was coming!” Seungkwan's voice was frantic, his eyes wide with genuine concern.

“Seungkwan, then tell me why my ex,” you pointed behind Seungkwan’s head to where Mingyu was standing, talking to Hansol and Jisoo, “is here, in Cancun, with us right now.”

The Cancun hotel lobby buzzed with the energy of vacationers excitedly checking in and heading out for their first day of adventure. All your friends stood around waiting for Jeonghan to finish checking in with the receptionist, while you had pulled your three friends to a secluded corner.

Maybe your best friends were telling the truth. They had been going out of their way to prevent you and Mingyu from crossing paths, but still, how was this possible?

Soonyoung, standing beside Seungkwan, chimed in, “Y/n, when we checked the group's schedule, Mingyu was the only one not available to come because of his event.”

Seokmin stepped in, his expression earnest. “We don’t know why he’s here, either!”

You sighed, feeling the fatigue from the long journey. You had arrived on a separate plane with Seungkwan, Soonyoung, and Seokmin because they had a final event for their subgroup, BooSeokSoon (BSS). Everyone else had taken an earlier flight to Cancun, and the expectation was to not see Mingyu, but it seemed fate had other ideas.

You had met all of SEVENTEEN through Seungkwan and had grown close with every member. Your relationship with Mingyu blossomed from this friendship, leading to three years of dating.

Mingyu was the love of your life, but soon it became increasingly difficult to see him due to his hectic comebacks and schedules. Both of you stopped putting in the effort, and eventually, the breakup happened a few months ago.

You were heartbroken, crying for a month, and since then, you hadn't been attending the monthly group dinners or events, trying to give yourself space to heal.

However, you had made time for your three friends.

two months ago ...

The cozy Korean barbecue restaurant was filled with the delicious scent of grilled meat and spices. The dim lighting and soft hum of conversations around created an intimate setting for your dinner with Seungkwan, Soonyoung, and Seokmin.

“Speaking of,” Soonyoung poured you a shot of soju from across the table, his face already turning red from the alcohol, “We’re going to Cancun with the other members around July if you want to join?”

Seungkwan and Seokmin studied your face silently, anticipating your reaction. They knew mentioning a group vacation was a delicate subject.

“Won’t Mingyu be there?” You drank the shot of alcohol before continuing, “I don’t think I’m ready to see him yet.”

Seokmin nudged your side, his expression playful as he tried to lift the mood. “It’s everyone except him. We saw he will be in Paris for a fashion show, so he won’t join us.”

Seungkwan focused on the grill and spoke up without looking at you. “Besides, it’s our first vacation with you! We will get busy after summer for our comeback preparations."

You sighed, looking at the hopeful faces of your friends. You knew what Seungkwan was doing; you definitely wouldn’t want to pass up a chance to relax and have fun with all your close friends, especially if it would get hard to see their faces.

Soonyoung tilted his head with a smile, his eyes twinkling with excitement. “Come on, Y/n, it’s going to be amazing! Sun, beach, and no stress.”

Seungkwan finally looked up, his expression softening. “And Jeonghan and I are planning the entire trip so you won't have to worry.”

You let out a reluctant sigh, the warmth of their friendship making it hard to say no. “Fine. Text me the details tomorrow.”

“Okay, it’s going to be so much fun!” Soonyoung cheered, raising his glass in a toast.

present day ...

“This is not going to be fun,” you mumbled while Jeonghan joined your circle and handed you the hotel keycard.

“Hey,” he pointed outside the resort view, where the ocean sparkled under the bright sun. “You won’t bump into him. Tomorrow, we’re all splitting up for activities and Seungkwan made sure to book a lot of itineraries.”

You glanced back at Mingyu, who was laughing at something Hansol had said. You took a deep breath, trying to let the calming scent of the ocean and the warm, inviting atmosphere of the resort soothe your nerves. This vacation was supposed to be about relaxation and fun, not dealing with unresolved feelings from the past.

Jeonghan's reassuring smile and the eager faces of your friends reminded you why you came. Maybe, just maybe, this trip would turn out to be exactly what you needed.

THE COMPLETED WRITING WILL BE OUT ON MAY 30!

[elly-grace]

Take me to paradise

Pairing: Joe Burrow x reader

Warning: terrible attempt at writing smut, pregnancy

Thank you @funnyjb for proof reading and the request!

The morning sun shone into the windows of the bungalow where you and Joe were staying. Yesterday was the day you finally married the love of your life. Joe and you caught a flight late last night so you could spend as much time as you could in the Bahamas.

You were excited to have Joe all to yourself, he had been a hard man to get alone recently. You roll over to face your husband, you just admire him for a few minutes before finally deciding to wake him up with a kiss.

“Well that may be the best way to be woken up.” His morning voice was extremely sexy. You knew Joe planned something for the day, but a quickie wouldn’t hurt would it? As if Joe knew what you were thinking he flipped you over so he was on top of you.

“What is my beautiful wife thinking about?”

“Just how sexy you look and sound in the morning.”

That was enough for him to start to lean down and kiss you. His lips suddenly found their way to your neck, then collar bone, then your stomach. Then he stopped and looked at you with a devilish grin.

“It’s time to get ready, we have stuff to do.”

“Joey, you can’t just make me wet then not do anything about it!” you whined out, feeling incredibly frustrated that he would do that to you. But he didn’t budge, he just kept that stupid grin on his face.

“Later baby, I promise.” he said, his eyes turning a darker shade of blue. Then you had an idea, you waited till he walked away then started to touch yourself moaning loudly. It didn’t feel as good as you were making it sound but you wanted to get his attention. When he heard you moaning he dropped what he was doing and made his way back to the room.

“Were you touching yourself?”

You look at him innocently.

“I’m not sure what you mean.”

“Don’t lie to me, you know exactly what I mean.” You could see the lust in Joe's eyes.

“So what if I was? You weren’t going to take care of it.”

That was it, he had enough of you teasing him. He pinned you to the bed and started to create friction between the two of you.

“Oh I will take care of it baby”

The tension between the two of you only grew. Joe’s look was primal, looking at you like you were his prey. The two of you had had sex plenty of times, but never once did he give you the look he was giving you now. The feeling in your stomach only gets stronger as things progress.

“Joe” you breathed out.

“Yes.”

“Please”

“Please what?”

“Please, make me yours.”

“You already belong to me”

The next day

The next morning Joe woke up before you, he walked out of your room and into the kitchen to make you breakfast. The two of you stayed in bed all day, between your rendezvous and just enjoying each other's company. Joe knew you would be sore after the day you guys had. When he finished making breakfast, he comes back into the room with your breakfast and wakes you with a kiss. You stir awake feeling his lips on yours.

“Good morning baby, I made breakfast.” he said then placed the plate on the bed in front of you he made pancakes. You smiled at him.

“Good morning Joey. Aww my favorite, thank you!”

Joe stole a pancake from your plate and started eating it. The two of you enjoyed breakfast together. You were loving having your husband to yourself, with no one else around. As the two of you finish breakfast you guys decided on going to the beach today.

You went into the bathroom to start getting ready, you had packed three swimsuits but couldn’t decide which one.

“Joey!”

“What's wrong baby?”

“Nothing, I can't decide which swimsuit to wear”

You show him the three swimsuits hanging up.

“Okay baby, let me take a look.”

He looks behind you at the Swimsuits he sees a beautiful orange ruffled off the shoulder top. He points to it, “wear this top with black bottoms.”

“Joe I’m not going to a bengals game. We're on our honeymoon.”

“Just please wear it” he pleaded with you and you gave up.

The two of you finished getting ready then headed to the beach which was private due to being attached to your bungalow.

You look up at Joe who is looking at you, you both smile at each other.

“LAST ONE TO THE WATER IS A ROTTEN EGG!” Joe screamed as he ran to the water. You laughed at your husband's behavior, but didn’t run to the water like he thought you would. Then you see him come out of the water and run back to you.

“Were on our honeymoon, lets have some fun Y/N”

“I’m good here where I can stay dry, plus I think we had plenty of fun yesterday.”

“Not that kind of fun.” he said then picked you up.

“JOSEPH LEE BURROW DON’T YOU DARE DO WHAT I THINK YOUR ABOUT TO DO!”

You yelled, smacking him in an attempt to get him to drop you. Your attempts were futile, your husband threw you into the water then got in himself. He had a smirk on his face, and started laughing when he saw your face. He thought you looked adorable when angry and you for sure were angry right now. Joe knew you wanted to tan but now you were in the water.

“It’s not funny.”

“Admit it, it kinda is. You thought you would stay dry while at the beach.”

You started to laugh with him.

“I love you so much Joey”

“I love you too.”

Your honeymoon continued to go great until the 5th day. You were violently ill, you kept throwing up. You wanted to cry but you didn’t have the energy for it. You didn’t feel like getting out of bed, didn’t feel like eating and Joe was extremely worried. Yet Joe came and offered to make you soup every hour, he was trying to give you space, not that he didn’t want to be there for you. It was because he couldn’t do anything to help you feel better which broke him.

Then it hit you, you were late, maybe your period was finally coming and just making you sick. But when you went to the bathroom and you still hadn’t had your period you go in your toiletry bag and grab a pregnancy test. You and Joe weren't planning on having kids this soon but if it happens it happens. You only had packed some because your mom told you it happens more than you'd think where the newlyweds get pregnant on the honeymoon.

You waited ten minutes and then gasped, when you looked at the test. Tears start streaming down your face, you were excited to start a family with Joe even if it wasn’t planned.

“Joey!”

Joe ran into the bathroom and saw the test in your hand and the tears streaming down your face. Taking large steps towards you he hugs you and looks at the test, then the tears brim his eyes.

“You're pregnant?”

You nodded.

“I know, we planned on waiting a year or two.”

“You're pregnant!” he spoke excitedly and picked you up and spun you around

[cassidymb121]

OMG It’s You (Part 6)

YouTube! Fem reader x Stray Kids

Summary: Y/N’s YouTube channel is taking off after her reactions to Stray Kids MV God’s Menu. Now she’s making videos nonstop along with working a full time job. What would happen if she got offered a job of a lifetime and met the boys of her succession?

⚠️Warnings⚠️: rambling, rambling, and more rambling

🏷️: @laylasbunbunny @weirdowithaphone (Taglist open)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Y/N’s POV

I knew I was in over my head doing this PO Box address. Being out of breath I walk over to my desk to turn everything on. While waiting for my computers to come to life, I sit in my chair. I was in the middle of reading an email when I got the call from the post office. Once I’m logged into my laptop, I go back to the email.

Dear Y/N,

We have been following your channel and have loved your reviews on K-Pop albums. On the behalf of everyone here at JYP Entertainment, we would like to give you exclusive access to Stray Kids newest mini album Oddinary. We’d ask that you don’t release the video until the release date. If it’s entirely possible, we’d like to have early access to the video, so that we can let Stray Kids watch it together before the release. Thank you for always supporting Stray Kids.

Sincerely,

Park Jin-young

I almost wanted to roll my eyes when he asked me not to release the video until after everyone has access to the mini album. Like I would even think about doing that anyway. I click on the attachment below where the mini album is sitting, waiting to be listened to. I look back at all the stuff that I brought back from the post office and drop my shoulders. ‘Do I want to record this video first, or wait and make a video about all the stuff I got from the fans?’ That thought alone was already making my head hurt. “On one hand, if I go ahead and listen to the mini album then all I’ll have to do is edit it. Though I’ll have all these packages and letters littering my room. On the hand, if I do the stuff from the fans, I might not be able to record the mini album video before it releases.” I say aloud to myself. I knew that sitting here any longer was going to prolong me from doing anything.

After making up my mind, I decided I’d make a short video showing all the stuff I got from the post office and then I’ll do the review on the mini album. So that way I can edit it and have it ready. Then in the meantime, I can start opening up the mail I’ve gotten from the fans. Satisfied with the plan I’ve conjured in my head, I get started on executing my plan.

Before I go any further, I type up a professional email to JYP thanking him for the access and promise to not release the video until everyone else has access to it as well.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After making a short video showing everyone how much stuff I received and a promise to do a video on me opening up the packages, I uploaded it to my channel. I pull back up the attachment to the mini album. I grab my headphones from their rack on the desk and plug them into my laptop. I do all my checks to make sure that both the viewers and myself can hear the music clearly. Once I get everything the way I like, I go ahead and get freshened up and get something to eat.

Coming back feeling lighter now that I’m clean and got food in my belly, I sit back in my chair and get comfortable. I made sure to brush my teeth and floss because I didn’t want my viewers to get distracted by something in between my teeth. Just thinking about it causes shivers to go down my spine.

Grabbing my headphones, I put them over my ears and do one last test that I can hear myself speak from the microphone. I situate myself and take a deep breath. I turn my camera on and wait five seconds before putting a smile on my face and speaking to everyone.

“Hello Lovelies! So I have some very exciting news for all of you. I received an email from a certain company and have been given early access to this artist mini album. That’s right! I have been given early access to Stray Kids newest Mini Album by JYP himself!” I start excitingly clapping to myself and smiling as wide as I can. “Now while I may be getting to listen to this early, this video will not hit my channel until the actual release date comes. Once everyone has access to it as well, then I will upload this video. As most of you know I listen to the whole album and then talk about it. What all I like about it, what stands out the most to me, etc. Still, at the end I’m going to give this album a honest review and what I would rate it from 1 to 10. So, let’s get started.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Third Person POV

The boys were called into one of the offices, and you could say that they were not feeling like this was going to be a good meeting. Even when they get to the room, they see their boss already there with a laptop. Chan getting ready to take the heat from their boss for the group gets stopped by JYP. “I didn't call you here because you did anything. I called you here for quite the opposite.” The boys were about to ask him what they were called in for, but their boss beat them to it. “I have something that I want you boys to watch. I think you will enjoy this. Just make sure to leave the laptop when you’re done and press play when you’re ready.” He tells them, leaving them with the laptop. Once he leaves the room and the boys can no longer hear his footsteps, they rush over to the laptop. They hesitate before pressing play, but what they see leaves them speechless.

It’s a video of Y/N and they see that their boss gave her early access to their comeback album. Before they get too far into the video, they get chairs so they can be comfortable while watching her listen to their music. Changbin brings up the idea of connecting the laptop to the projector so it's not crowded around a small screen. They all agree and fix everything where all they have to do is press play on the laptop. Once everything is set, Chan clicks on the play button. All attention turns to the screen showing their favorite YouTuber.

“So, Stray Kids newest comeback album is called Oddinary and I will edit in a picture of what the cover looks like.” She adds the picture of what their cover looks like before talking about it. “Just from looking at it, I would say that it looks pretty dope. Like a screen-like mannequin head with screws showing out of it. Their color scheme is green, black, silver and maybe some purple as well. The titles on the album are, in order, Venom. Maniac. Charmer.Freeze. Lonely St. Waiting For Us with Bang Chan, Lee Know, Seungmin, and I.N. Muddy Water with Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, and Felix. I really like all these song titles. I have a feeling that Waiting For Us is going to be a tearjerker, so I need to have my tissues on standby.”The boys start laughing and nudging each other. She bites her bottom lip while moving her cursor to the first song. “I’m going to listen to the songs in order, and I might save Waiting For Us last since I want to make sure Muddy Water gets a fair chance. Plus I would have a good cry at the end. Okay without further ado, let’s get started.” The boys watch and gauge her reaction to each song. She tells them that she will talk about each song after she listens to all of them. When she reaches the end, she stops from playing the last song. “Wow. I’m trying to save all my thoughts until after I listen to Waiting For Us. Why am I so nervous to listen to this? I know it’s going to be a good song, but I feel like this one might knock it out of the park.” She shakes her head. “Alright, let’s do this. I’ve got my tissues on hand.” The boys laugh with her. The music starts to play and her reaction right away changes.

Chan sees her go ahead and grab a tissue. Lee Know sees that her eyes start to look shiny. Changbin says that she’s gripping the tissue in her hand tightly. Hyunjin notices that she’s trying to keep her face neutral but fails smiling instead. Han watches as a stray tear falls down her face even though she’s happy. Felix’s eyes follow her hand as she wipes her face with the tissue. Seungmin looks as she replays the song again. I.N. watches as she closes her eyes listening deeply to the words while tears stream down her face. At the very end she takes off her headphones and looks off to the side then laughs to herself.

“I told you I was going to cry. I knew it was inevitable.” The boys smile at the girl on the screen, waiting for her review. “I’m going to give this mini album a 100 out of 10. It has some really great aspects to it. I love how fitting each song looks and feels to the title of the album. There was a reason why I left Waiting For Us last, because I knew I would fall in love with it and not want to listen to the other tracks. As it turns out I was right.” She and the boys laugh.

“One thing about listening to a song for the first time is, not all of them click with you right away. Everyone is different. Sometimes it may take a couple of listens before you think to yourself ‘I really dig this song.’ Others will like it right away. I would definitely say that I loved each song, but if there were a couple of songs that didn’t click right away were Venom and Muddy Water. Now, does that mean I don’t like those songs? No, I actually really enjoy them. That’s like the IN LIFE album. At first, The Tortoise and the Hare didn’t click with me. I loved the lyrics and the music, but there were a couple of parts in the song that threw me off. Now that song can be put on repeat and I wouldn’t get tired of hearing it over and over. Moral of all the nonsense I’m saying is that sometimes songs don’t click right away but they ended up being promising.”

The boys watching her intently wait for her final words. “I made two edits of this video since I knew I wanted to send one to the guys.” The boys freeze up as she looks straight into the camera before continuing. “Stray Kids. If you’re watching this right now, I want you to know how proud I am of all of you. You’ve come this far and you’re still doing an amazing job. You keep showing Stays each and everyday that you still have tricks up your sleeves.” She smiles at them. “Keep up the good work, but make sure you take care of yourselves. That means taking breaks, making sure you eat and getting the necessary sleep.” She points at the camera, “That means you too Christopher.” She raises her eyebrows. “Don’t make me fly over there and force you to sleep.” The boys start to tease their leader with her mocking words. He waves their hands away trying to listen to what she has to say. “Well that’s it for the video! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Until we see each other again. Bye!” She smiles waving at the camera.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(A/N: I decided to add this in because why not 🤷🏻‍♀️ The reader gets first access to Stray Kids mini album and Stray Kids get early access of the reader reacting to their newest comeback. I’ll be doing a second part to this chapter specifically to the reader videoing herself opening the packages from her fans (Including the boys 🤪)

(With a special surprise 😏)

[w2soneshots]

You’re to cute -W2S

Words: 1.0k+

Warnings: pregnancy, slight worrying.

In which Harry and the boys decide to cheer you up by planning a cute evening for you and the side girls.

a/n: I love this request, so cute🥹. Protective Harry🫶🏼. I hope you all enjoy!!🤍🧸🎀

Me and Harry have been together for almost five years now. We always knew we wanted kids so when I found out I was pregnant we were elated. It's been amazing so far. We had to wait almost 3 months to tell everyone, which was torture for Harry since he can't seem to keep his mouth shut. But once we could finally tell all of our family and friends it was amazing. I could rant to Faith about the good and bad things that come with being pregnant and Harry felt a huge weight off his shoulders.

This last six months I haven't been feeling the best. I had awful morning sickness at the beginning (which is how I knew to take a test), I'm tired all the time and the hormones have been wild. One minute I'm laughing the next I'm in tears then two minutes later I'm pissed off. But the first scan, listening to the babies heart beat, finding out we're having a little girl and feeling her kick make it one hundred percent worth it.

Today Harry had to leave for a sidemen shoot early so I woke up alone in our bed. I got up, make myself breakfast, took a quick shower then put on some comfy clothes and lay back down on the bed. I sighed as I turned the tv on, then I clicked on my favourite movie. I spent almost the entire day in bed and on the sofa which has been my daily routine for quite awhile now. I've been to lunch with Talia a few times, baby shopping with Faith and Harry always makes an effort when it comes to little dates, mini golf, bowling, stuff like that. But I've still been feeling a little bit left out.

When I finally heard the front door open I smiled. After he'd put his things away Harry pushed open the door to the bedroom. His face beamed when he locked eyes with me. "How are my girls?" He asked as he sat down on the bed, beside me. "We're good. How was your day?" I moved to rest my head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around me. "Um some of it didn't really go to plan but I think it'll make the video funnier," He replied. "Actually... me n the boys were talking and -only if you feel up to it- we were wondering if you wanted to come out for dinner and we could watch that new movie that just came out in the cinema?" He proposed.

I smiled (tho he couldn't see my face) "that would be lovely. But don't you hate movies?" "Well I don't hate them, they're just not really my thing. But if it means getting to spend time with you and my friends then I really don't mind." My heart melted at his words, then uncontrollably tears began to spill down my cheeks. I sniffled and Harry quickly brought my face up so he could look at me. "What's wrong? We don't have to go if you don't want to." He reassured kindly. "No Harry I'm fine and I really want to go, that was just really sweet." I wiped my face. He laughed lightly then pulled me into a hug.

After getting up I brushed my hair back into a ponytail then slipped on some shoes before grabbing my phone. "Ready?" Harry asked. "Yup! Let's go." I replied with a bright smile. Harry drove (for once) and we were soon outside the cinema. He held my hand as we walked into the building. I looked around and spotted Faith, Freya and Talia standing near the popcorn, along with their boyfriends and Tobi. We walked over to them and a look of pure excitement spread across Talia's face. "You look so cute! How are you?" She pulled me into a friendly hug. "Pretty good, you?" I replied sweetly. We waited a few minutes for JJ to arrive, when he did we scanned our tickets and made our way into the theatre.

The entire movie Harry's hand was intertwined with mine, while my other one sat comfortably on my little bump. "You two are so cute." Faith whispered into my ear. I looked at her and smiled. Once the credits started to play we all got up and grabbed our things. As we walked out we decided on Nando's for dinner, since there's one just a five minute walk from the cinema.

As we were walking down the pavement a pretty big group of fans surrounded us. I was quickly pushed away from Harry as I got trapped in a small sea of people. "Hey!" I heard JJ's voice call out "move!" My eyes scanned around and they met with Ethan's. He lunged forward, pushing the teenagers out of the way. Then he gently grabbed my arm and pulled me back towards Harry. Josh, JJ and Tobi told the fans to politely "get lost." While Harry fussed over if I was ok. "Are you sure? Is the baby ok?" I nodded as my heart rate slowed "I'm fine. They didn't know. It's ok." I reassured him. Since I'm not really in the public eye we decided not to tell the fans that I'm pregnant. We want to just keep it to ourselves for now, our little secret.

With Harry on one side and JJ on my other we walked the rest of the way to the restaurant. Once we got there we found a table and sat down. Then Josh and Simon went to the front counter to order. Our food came just ten minutes after we'd ordered. We chatted amongst ourselves and I talked to Faith about the crib me and Harry had just recently ordered, since it wouldn't come for quite a few weeks and we wanted to have everything finished as early as possible. Once everyone had finished we walked back to our cars, said goodbye and headed home.

"Thank you for tonight Harry." I murmured as I lay on his chest. "I'm glad you had fun it was nice to see you laughing." He replied. My eyes closed "you're so cute." I whispered. "Good night y/n. I love you." "love you too." My voice trailed off as I fell into a deep sleep.

[asunsetgrace16]

...Hey Dad, Fancy Seeing You Here ⎥ CB98

Pairing: Connor Bedard x fem!Crosby!reader

Warnings: swearing, underage drinking (at home, closed environment, limited people)

Summary: Connor and Y/N Crosby, Sidney's daughter, are in a secret relationship and are outed when she watches a Blackhawks vs. Penguins game

Notes: The italics section is the flashback to how Connor and Y/N met. This is my new longest fic, and man I got carried away writing how Y/N and Connor met. Not really proofread, so hope for the best. Requested/suggested by anonymous.

Word Count: 2.3k

It’s not exactly unexpected, for Connor Bedard and Y/N Crosby to be dating. His childhood idol, her father. Their lives are interconnected by a web of hockey players, former teammates, and friendships a mile deep. But, the caveat is, no one actually knows they are together. 

Y/N knew her dad would lose his mind when he found out who exactly her boyfriend is. From the time she was old enough to date, the rule was no hockey players, absolutely no teammates, and especially no rookies. Will he find out? Eventually, but not any time soon if Y/N has anything to say about it.

-

“I have tickets to most of the Canadian games, and I want to watch them win gold, in person. I was planning on going to the condo. No Dad, I'm fine. No, you don’t need to have Auntie Taylor come with me. I’m absolutely taking advantage of the fact that we have a place right where the World Juniors are happening. I’m seventeen for God’s sake, and I’ve been fairly independent for years. I’ll be fine.” Y/N says, on the phone with her dad. 

“I know, but you’re still my little girl. I’ll always want to protect you, no matter how old you get.” her dad, Sidney, says.

“I know dad, but this will be good practice for when I’m away at university.” She tells him teasingly.

“Uhhhg, don’t remind me.” he groans, “I trust you not to burn the place down, and try not to go overboard, with anything. The credit card for food and stuff is in the safe, and you have your own for anything else. Call me, if you need anything.”

“Thanks dad, I will.”

“Love you honey.”

Love you too, dad. Bye.”

There, that’s settled, Y/N thinks to herself. She is already in Cole Harbour, staying with her grandparents for Christmas. They already know her plans, and she convinced –not that she needed any convincing– her aunt Taylor to come with her for a girls trip. She flips her laptop open, hits play on Downton Abbey, and finishes her packing. 

“Tay, are you ready yet?” Y/N calls a few hours later. She hefts her suitcase down the stairs, shouldering a backpack.

“Yeah bug, just put my bags in the car. Bring yours out here too.” Taylor replies, “We can be on the road in twenty if we hurry.”

“Make it fifteen.” Y/N challenges with a grin.

The preliminary round of the tournament passes fast. After the shocking Game 1 loss, Canada bounces back and plows through every game afterwards. An exciting quarterfinals win against Slovakia has Canada set to play USA in the semifinals. A match up that always promises an electric game.

After the quarterfinal game, Y/N and Taylor head back to the dressing rooms and player’s entrance for a shortcut to the parking lot. They both have access, thanks to Sid. They talk excitedly about Bedard’s OT winner, a wicked 3-on-1 goal. 

“That was incredible.” Y/N exclaims. She’s no stranger to good hockey, but seeing a player that young, one her own age, to have such amazing talent is unreal to see. 

“Yes it was-” Taylor starts, but is cut off by a man in a suit stalking towards them.

“Hey! You two aren’t allowed back here. Players and staff only. Who do you think you are? Waltzing around here like you own the place? No respect anymore.” He rants before someone grabs him, pulling him away from Y/N and Taylor.

“I am so sorry about Randy. I’m Jim, by the way.” Jim apologizes, “I’m assuming that since you’re back here, you have permission. Is there something I can do to make it up to you? Wait, you’re Crosby’s daughter, aren't you? This makes a lot more sense now.”

“Yes I am, and we have permission. I can’t think of anything, it’s not necessary.” Y/N says. But Jim is determined, knowing who she is now. He offers to introduce the women to the team. They agree, and after Jim explains the situation to Randy, they all head back towards Canada’s dressing room. Talking the whole way, Jim explains that the team has a place rented for the tournament where the boys can hang out and relax. 

“If you’d like to join us, you are more than welcome. I won’t tell them who you are, I’ll let that happen naturally.” Jim says with a wink. “I want to see the look on their faces. It’s too bad your dad couldn't make it. That would really blow their socks off.” The group laughs and waits for Randy to make sure all the guys are decent, and beacons them in with a sheepish look, apologizing once again. The introduction is basic, no announcement or anything. Taylor and Y/N meet the rest of the staff first, quickly becoming engrossed in conversation. 

“So,” the head coach says, “Crosby’s daughter. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“And you.” Y/N replies.

“Coach, did you just say Crosby's daughter? She's here? Holy shit!” one of the players exclaims, joining their little group. “I’m Brandt, nice to meet you. Is your dad here, by chance?” He says, very quickly. The energy rolls right off of him.

“No, he’s not, unfortunately. West Coast road trip.” Y/N says, failing to hide a giggle. 

“Wanna mess with the guys with me?” Brandt asks, a scheming look on his face.

“Always.”

“Ok, I’m going to introduce you around, but not mention your last name. I want to see how long it takes the guys to figure out who you are.”

“Oh I like that.” They grin at each other, and make their way around the room. Before long, the whole team is standing or sitting close together, chatting with Y/N. The adrenaline can still be felt in the dressing room. 

“So how long are you in town for?” Dylan asks, “Hopefully long enough to watch us win gold.”

Y/N and Brandt exchange a look, “I’m planning on it. I don’t have to be back in Pittsburg until the tenth.”

“Pittsburg? You came all the way up here, to watch a Canadian team win? That makes no sense.” Logan wonders, looking confused.

“Oh I’m Canadian, I just live in Pittsburg with my dad. I was up visiting my grandparents for Christmas.” Y/N says. It is getting awfully difficult to keep a straight face. 

“Where do your grandparents live?” That comes from Olen.

“Cole Harbour.”

“Does that mean you've met Sidney Crosby?” Ethan asks. 

“Yup, see him all the time.” She bites back a smile. Brandt has to turn around and take a deep, shuddering breath so he doesn’t give them away. Connor sees him out of the corner of his eye. 

“Wait, you’re Y/N Crosby!” Connor says, standing up just as Y/N and Brandt burst out laughing. The rest of the boys look shocked as the two struggle to stop laughing. Connor grins, chuckling as Y/N wipes honest-to-goodness tears from her eyes. The staff and Taylor laugh amongst themselves, watching the young folks. 

“Guilty as charged.” She says breathlessly, silently wondering if Brandt is going to die of oxygen deprivation at this point. His face is pretty red. Now the questions are really flowing by the time Brandt finally regains some composure. The excited chatter doesn’t stop at the restaurant, either. Y/N and Taylor are invited to stay. As the evening winds down, Y/N finds herself with Connor, conversation flowing easily. 

“Nice goal, by the way. Dad was impressed.” Y/N says, nudging his shoulder with hers.

“Really?” Connor flushes. Cute.

“Yeah, he sees a lot in you.”

“That is…I have no words.” He admits. “Do you, um, do you think you’d want to sit with my family for the rest of the games? I want to talk to you more, and um…I’m just going to stop talking before I make a fool out of myself.”

“I’d love to.”

Connor and Y/N spend a lot of time together in the following days. She sits with his family during the final, and celebrates with them after they win gold.

“We did it!” Connor shouts, picking Y/N up and spinning her around. There is a moment when he sets her down where her arms are still on his shoulders and his hands are on her waist. The noise fades away, just the two of them in a little bubble. “Can I have your number? I’d like to keep talking to you, and take you out sometime.”

“Yeah, I’d like that.” She replies.

-

Now, over a year and 10 months into dating later, Connor and Y/N are both in Toronto for the All Stars. 

“Hey baby.” Connor says, putting his phone away when Y/N slips into the empty visitors dressing room.

“Hey Con.” She goes to him easily, settling comfortably into his open arms. He puts his chin on her head and tightens his hold on her. “I miss you.”

“I miss you too. I’m glad you decided to come.”

“Me too.” She tips her head up, meeting Connor in the middle for a sweet kiss. They go back to their hug, Y/N tucked against his chest, feeling warm again in the cold arena. They simply stand like that, swaying gently and soaking up the moment. They get so wrapped up in each other that they fail to hear voices outside the door. Connor goes to kiss Y/N again, but is interrupted by the door slamming open. Their heads snap to the door, wide eyed and scared.

“Y/N ANNA CROSBY. WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?” Sidney yells furiously, steam practically shooting from his ears like a cartoon character. Nate is standing close behind him, and Cale, Mathew Barzal, and Brady Tkachuk stand in the doorway. Connor and Y/N take a step back from each other, but keep their hands tightly clasped.

“How dare you not tell me about this. You know the rules, I expect you to follow them.”

“I-” She begins.

“And you,” Sid says, pointing at Connor, “I expected better from you. You’re a good kid, but I have rules for a reason.” Y/N grips Connor’s hand, squeezing three times. 

“You can’t control me like this, Dad. I’ve never had a real relationship because of you. So much of my life is wrapped up in hockey that it was easy to find my person there, and if it wasn’t a hockey-playing boyfriend, it was a hockey fan boyfriend which is worse. All they ever wanted to talk about was you, they never wanted me for who I am. Or you just plain scared them off because ‘no one is good enough for my daughter so why should she even bother’.” Y/N says back to him. Her chest is heaving and she is fighting off tears. 

“I can’t believe that you didn’t tell me this. How long have you two been together anyways?” Sid asks, still pissed off.

“Ten months.” Connor replies, voice strong and true despite the situation. He is nervous, of course, but he loves Y/N too much to let his childhood idol have much of an impact.

“TEN MONTHS!” Sid exclaims, incredulous that his daughter kept this secret, “Bloody hell. What possessed you to keep this from me.”

“This exact reaction that I knew would happen. I knew that if I told you when Connor first asked me out, you would flat-out forbid me to see him, and that wouldn’t have ended the way you wanted anyway. At least this way the two of us can act as a united front and you can see that this isn’t bad. We are both 18, legal adults. You can’t tell me what to do anymore.”

Sid stays silent. He is still angry, but the figurative steam has gone away. Nate and the others hover around the door.

Y/N continues, “I get it, Dad. You just want to protect me, and I love you for it. But I’m not a little kid anymore, I can’t be sheltered forever. And Connor’s good to me. You know he would be.” She takes a deep breath, “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, but I knew that if I did, you would react exactly the way you are. I wanted to be able to figure out my relationship without my dad looking over my shoulder the whole time.”

Sid’s face falls at her monologue. He can finally understand what Y/N was trying to say for years. “I’m sorry sweetheart. I had no intention for it to go that far. It is hard to watch you grow up, but I need to grow up some too and understand that you are an adult now. In my attempts to protect you, I drove you straight into what I always knew would happen. Thankfully, you picked a good one.” Sid pulls his daughter into a hug, tears threatening to fall. “I’m sorry. Please forgive me, it wasn’t fair of me.”

“Thanks dad, for apologizing. I know you meant well, but I don’t think this wasn’t the best way to get you to see my side of it” Y/N quips, a wry smile on her face. 

“I’m still pissed that you didn’t tell me, but I’d rather it was you than a lot of other guys” Sid states, reaching out to shake Connor’s hand, “but if you hurt her, I have a lot of power in this game.”

“I know,” Connor says, eyes focused on Y/N. A look so full of love even Sidney can’t deny it, “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

“Awwww.” The trio looks up to see the other four guys with their hands clasped over their hearts, cute pouts on their lips. 

“The babies are in love.” Cale says with a grin.

[k-evans-reads]

In Living Color

Chapter 26

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Previous | Main Masterlist | In Living Color Masterlist

September 13th, 2022

“Alright, cut! That was a good one so that’s a wrap for today.” 

Hearing those words was like music to Chris’ ears. He’d been on set since before the sun had risen in the sweltering Atlanta heat and he was ready to call it a day. Chris only stayed to chat with his co-stars for a moment before walking off the set, ready for a shower and quiet evening at his rental with Dodger, but he would soon find out he was in for anything but. 

Chris had made some headway through his plans when he stepped out of his set trailer, his costume long gone and instead dressed in loose shorts and a tee-shirt. He called goodbyes to everyone as he headed to the parking lot, figuring Josh and Dodger had already gone home, but soon he was stopped in his tracks. 

“Chris! Hey, hold on,” he heard Josh call, turning to find his long-time friend – and assistant – jogging over to him with Dodger by his side. 

Chris paused, letting Josh catch up to him. He could see the rest of the cast slowly making their way off set, either to the wardrobe trailer or to their own trailers, and the line of cars waiting to take them all home. “I thought you already left for the day?” He asked Josh, surprised to see him, but with a small grin as he reached down and greeted the excited, and tired, dog. 

“No, I took Dodger on a longer walk but your phone has been blowing up. Jamie keeps trying to call you and asked me to have you call him back as soon as you can,” his friend explained quickly with a serious tone.

Chris pursed his lips and furrowed his brows, unsure why Jamie, of all people, was trying to reach out to him right now. He’d kept in loose contact with Mark and Jamie since Nat moved, occasionally texting them but mainly just keeping up with them through social media and Nat. “Jamie? I wonder what that’s about?” He asked, knowing this was out of the blue. 

“I don’t know but here’s your phone,” Josh told him, handing the phone over. “Let me know later if anything is up.” 

“I will, thanks Josh,” he said with a tight grin, pocketing the 

Chris could feel the anxiety building in him as he took Dodger’s leash from Josh, thanking him again before going to the car service that the production provided and climbing into the back with Dodger sitting down on the bench seat right next to him. He clicked on Jamie’s number, returning his call as his leg bounced with anxiousness as the phone kept ringing and ringing until it went to voicemail. 

Although Chris’ brain loved to torture him with all the what if’s, he thought that this maybe was a good sign. If there truly was something urgent or earth shattering that he was so desperate to get a hold of Chris, he would have kept his phone on him and answered his call. Chris almost wanted to laugh to himself now as he relaxed in his seat on the drive back to his rental, thinking about the quirky best friends of Nat, knowing that he probably would be getting a call about something ridiculous that would make him erupt in laughter, but also remembered just how long it had been since he’d gotten those funny calls from Nat or either of her best friends, knowing that things had changed since she moved. 

He tried not to worry about it as he got to his rental and climbed in the shower, happy relax after the long day, but he had just climbed out and changed into his sweatpants and a comfy tee-shirt when his phone ran from where it sat on the bed next to his sweet pooch who was curled up. Chris grabbed the phone and put it on speaker, greeting his friend with, “Hey man, how are you? It’s been a while.” 

“It has been, but um, Chris are you on set?” Jamie asked, his voice muffled as he moved around on the other end of the call.

Chris’ brows furrowed and his hand froze on Dodger’s side, noting the urgency in Jamie’s voice. “No, I’m done for the day. I just got back to my rental… why?” He asked, his shoulder tense with anxiety as Jamie hesitated. 

The other man let out a shuddering sigh before he confessed, “I need to talk to you.” 

Chris shut his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. “That doesn’t sound good,” he murmured. 

“It’s not,” Jamie agreed, his voice turning sad and sympathetic. Jamie took a deep breath before he explained, “I was in San Francisco today and Chris… Nat is not doing well.” 

If Chris had been nervous before, it was nothing compared to the fear that flooded his body at that simple explanation. He wanted to not believe it, wanted to call Jamie a liar, that this wasn’t his Nat they were talking about. “What? What do you mean?” He finally asked, his voice unsteady and fearful. 

Jamie’s voice was low, sad, and defeated when he told him, “She’s not okay, Chris.” 

“Jamie, I need you to tell me what’s going on. I don’t understand,” Chris all but demanded him, unable to stop his brain from spiraling. Nat was…. Nat. Resilient, flexible, and strong, with a stubborn streak that rivaled his own. It was his last concern that she was ever going to be anything but okay. She’d rolled with every last one of his wild ideas, schedules, and asks of her for the last year, and he couldn’t see where anything changed to push Jamie to make this call. 

“She’s incredibly depressed, Chris. She’s super skinny, she doesn’t eat much and I found out that basically none of the office there in San Francisco hardly even know her. They said she just comes in and works all day in her office and goes to meetings and doesn’t say much and then goes home,” Jamie explained, listing off every reason that caused Chris’ heart to practically shatter. He couldn’t believe everything he’d missed, everything she’d been hiding from not only him, but her family and friends as well. His heart began to race anxiously as Jamie continued, “Yesterday night I stayed with her and by the time we went out to dinner and got back to her apartment she was practically falling asleep. She has no energy and looks like she’s going to burst into tears at any moment.” 

Chris’ mind raced as he still tried to pinpoint exactly where and when everything went south for her, knowing that he hadn’t seen all of that when he visited in early July. Sure, she’d been overworking herself, but that was a losing battle Chris had been trying to fight with her for almost a year now. All he knew was Nat being a near workaholic, and he figured with the move, she had been throwing herself into the only thing she was familiar with up there. “What’s going on? Is it something with her job? Or did something happen? She hasn’t said a word to me,” he finally answered, clearing the lump in his throat away. 

“I don’t know. I tried to talk to her and she wouldn’t say anything… you know how stubborn Nat can be,” Jamie explained with a sigh, sounding just as frustrated and concerned as Chris felt. 

Chris’ mind was still moving faster than he could catch up with, and he frustratedly admitted to the other man, “I just can’t believe she hasn’t said a word of this.” 

“I don’t know why she hasn’t but Chris, but I’m really worried about her. Things are not good and I don’t think anybody knows,” Jamie explained, sighing as he paused. “Everyone came in early this morning for a meeting so I’m going to send them all home early so maybe call her in a little while? My flight for LA is in a couple hours so she’ll be alone.” 

Chris nodded, taking note of the time on the alarm clock next to him. “I will,” he promised, knowing Jamie knew that already. 

“Chris... She’s not herself. She needs help so don’t take no for an answer, okay?” Jamie gently suggested, with more muffled sounds filtering through the call from the office in California. Chris listened intently, but his attention was split as Dodger whined nervously, looking up at his owner anxiously.  

Chris smiled sadly to himself, reaching his hand down to pet Dodger reassuringly. “I won’t. Thanks for telling me, Jamie,” he thanked the man, not knowing what he would’ve done had he not known the truth. 

As they hung up the call, Chris tried to pass the time between then and when he could call Nat in any way – turning on CNN, only to not pay attention to it. Texting Eric, asking if Nat had said if anything was wrong, only to hear “She hasn’t said anything to me, everything’s sounded okay.” That only made Chris more worried, knowing how close Nat was to Eric. She was so close to him, in a way that made Chris only hope to one day have that relationship with a child of his own. 

But it seemed like they were all in the dark, and once forty-five minutes had passed, Chris raced to open his texts with Nat. There still had been nothing since early that morning, when she liked his text about when he’d be on set that day. But he pushed down the hurt at that and instead hit the FaceTime button and called her, wanting to see her for this. 

He was thankful when Nat answered, but instead of being greeted with her face, he could only  see a ceiling. “Nattie, are you at home?” He asked, getting to the point almost immediately. He couldn’t beat around the bush with this, not when he felt like he was about to break down at any minute as he pictured everything Jamie had told him. 

Nat’s brows were furrowed when she adjusted the camera so he could see her, and he let out a sigh as he finally looked at her. He’d seen her in fleeting calls and random pictures over the last few months, but he’d never been able to see the change in her until today. The weight loss, evident in her face, the light, nearly all gone from her eyes, the way her once-fitted shirt now hung off of her shoulders, and the bags under her eyes… the ones he knew weren’t there the last time he saw her. It all hurt, scared, and alarmed him, but most of all, he felt frustrated with himself that he was too stupid to see past all reassurances to notice all these things months ago. “Yeah, why?” She brushed him off, a single brow raising. 

“What’s going on Nat?” He asked her point blank, eyes moving over hers as he stared at his phone. He could even see the way her hair was thrown up, messily, with strands falling out of her bun, slicked back against her scalp in a way that told him she hadn’t been taking care of herself there either. And he knew it wasn’t by choice. She was exhausted, something she had told him repeatedly in the previous months. He’d always brushed her off, feeling it was just her not handling the move great. But now he saw the truth, he saw it in every shift of her eyes, the slimness of her wrist as she tucked her hair behind her ear, how heavy the undereye bags were…. He hated himself most of all for missing this, letting it get to this point. 

“What do you mean?” 

“Jamie called me and told me that you’re not doing well. He said you’re depressed and that he’s really worried about you,” he explained, his voice almost clinical to disguise the sheer panic he was feeling at everything. 

Nat waved her hand, her voice small as she told him, “That’s just Jamie. You know he’s the dad of the group and he’s just worried because it’s been a couple months since I’ve seen him.” 

“Nat, if you’re struggling, you can talk to me,” Chris tried to reason with her, feeling more anxious with every dismissive comment she made. Dodger shifted against his leg, rolling onto his back as he drifted to sleep, and Chris watched Nat carefully, hoping her walls would finally go down. 

“I’m fine, it’s just different settling in here is all,” she whispered, shrugging as she glanced away from the camera. 

“It’s been almost five months though,” Chris pointed out as he arched an eyebrow. “Did it take you that long to settle in when you moved to LA?” 

She huffed out a breath, stubbornly telling him, “That was different because I met Jamie and Mark right away. You said it yourself that I just need to give it time.” 

“Is it this job? Is that what this is or is it something else? Do you miss LA?” He questioned, practically grappling at straws here. He didn’t want to push her too far, but he had to get to the bottom of this now. Nothing good would come from throwing his hands up and walking away, not when she was hurting as much as Jamie suggested. This had to get out of her system now, for both of their sakes. 

“No, I want to be here. This is the dream job. This is what I worked toward so I’m going to do it,” she explained, but he didn’t believe her. He didn’t believe her back in April, and he would never hold that over her head, but he’d lost her somewhere between then and now. Everyone had, it seemed, but the only thing he was sure about now was that Nat was convincing herself everything would get better as she clung to her work like a lifeboat. “I’m the one who wanted this promotion. It’s not that. I’m fine, Chris.” 

“Nattie, you’re lying to me. I know you’re lying,” he clarified, his voice firm as he ignored her attempts to interrupt. He looked at her dead-on, eyebrows raised as he firmly stated, “You’re lying to Jamie. You’re lying to Eric. You’re lying to me and I think you’re lying to yourself.” 

He just sat there staring at the screen as he watched panic settle on Nat’s face. Chris wasn’t even aware just how true those words were. Nat had been lying to herself for so long, ignoring everything other than putting her nose to the grindstone and ignoring her emotions. He watched as tears glossed over her eyes but he wanted to push her a little more, he wanted to get her to fully open up and he gently went on, “We’re just all worried about you. I love you Nattie and I want you to tell me the truth.” 

Chris saw her face on the screen seemingly frozen for a moment before he watched her last defenses crumble and the tears start flowing down her cheeks. Her shoulders slumped and a hand went up to rest on her face as her body shook with her sobs. He hated to see her this way, but wanted her to be open and honest, even if his heart had to break as he watched her fall to pieces. 

“I don’t even know how. I don’t know what to do,” she admitted through gasping breaths, her chest shuddering as the emotions finally came to the surface. The tears poured out of her eyes furiously, and Chris finally – and sadly – saw Nat for the first time in what felt like months. Her guard, walls, and defenses were all down, and she was finally ready to be honest with someone. 

“Just talk to me, baby,” he pleaded, desperation replacing the fear and anxiety from earlier. His heart was shattered as he watched her fall apart, wanting nothing more to pull her into his arms and tell her they’d get her through this. But he couldn’t. She was alone, truly alone, in San Francisco while he was stuck in Atlanta, with a busy schedule for the rest of the week. 

“I hate it here, Chris. I hate it so much. I hate this job and I don’t feel like anyone likes me and I have no friends and I don’t know how to do half of what I’m doing and so then I have to go home and work even more just to get caught up and I miss you so much and feel like I’m never going to see you again,” she spoke, her voice moving so quickly that she occasionally stumbled over her words. 

He watched with a frown, feeling helpless as he asked, “Nattie, why didn’t you talk to me? Why didn’t you tell me this was going on?” 

“...I tried… but you’ve been so busy,” she whispered, a hand moving to wipe her face. “And I just didn’t know how.” 

“Nat, this is just a job. If you hate it, that’s okay,” he told her, a frown on his lips. He knew it wouldn’t happen overnight or in an instant, but he was trying to get her to take this role off a pedestal and put it back on the ground. At the end of the day, it was a job, just like the film role he had right now. Was it a great opportunity for anyone to get offered it? Of course. But it didn’t mean she wasn’t allowed to change her mind, to realize it wasn’t right for her, or to walk away from it. But she needed to get there herself first. 

“You don’t understand, Chris,” she began, shaking her head as she took a shuddering breath. He couldn’t have prepared himself for what was coming when she added, “This was my dream job. This has always been the sign that I'd made it. That everything my dad worked for truly paid off. That I wasn’t the screw up little sister… that I wasn’t just a joke. And now I have it, and I hate it and I can’t seem to make it work. I failed at my dream.” 

His eyes shut and his heart was done for it as she shared that insecurity, and he whispered, “Oh Nattie.” 

Chris wanted to reassure her, wanted to remind her that this was just a job. That this didn’t prove anything and sometimes losing a dream makes room for something new but he knew that none of that would help in this moment. Right now all he could see was the love of his life on the other end of this call completely heartbroken and crying her eyes out and he felt that there was nothing he could do about it. 

“I just can’t do this anymore, Chris. I can’t hardly get out of bed in the morning anymore,” her voice crackled as she dissolved into tears once more. He felt as if his heart was being squeezed when he watched her crumble on the other side of the screen and all he wanted to do was to be able to just take this all away. 

“Nattie, baby I want you to listen to me,” his own voice was laced with emotion but he tried to speak with assurance as he told her, “I have a couple more days on set before I have the weekend off but then I’m going to come out, okay? Everything is going to be okay. I’m going to call your dad and see if he could fly down there tomorrow and be with you until I get there.” 

“He can’t, he has to work more because a bunch of people quit,” Nat muttered before seeming to slip back into her indifference that came with her depression and just shrugged, “It doesn’t matter, I’ll be okay.” 

Chris just shook his head, knowing that he wasn’t going to let her keep going this way and stated, “No, this is what got us into this position in the first place. I can’t sleep knowing you’re like this, baby. I’m going to figure something out.” 

“I don’t want you to have to do that just because I’m a mess. I just need to suck it up,” she muttered again while looking down at something he couldn’t see. 

“Natalie Marton, there is nothing in this world more precious to me than you. I don’t care if I have to drop out of this film to come be with you, I’ll do it,” he said without a second thought. This was his girl. His Nattie. The person he wanted to be his forever and he’d be damned if he let anything come between them or him being able to help her. “Just stop trying to be so strong for just a minute and let me help you.” 

Chris watched her sit there for a moment, tears still falling out of her eyes before she just nodded before he kept on, “It’s going to be okay, honey. I love you and it’s going to be okay.” 

He watched her weakly nod before he followed his instructions to get in bed and try to relax but he couldn’t do that himself. There was no way he’d be relaxing knowing that Nat was on the other side of the country, completely heartbroken and beat down. He couldn’t sit still after the call ended, and he definitely couldn’t have gone to bed after all that. Not when Nat was sitting alone, miserable, and had finally admitted what she’d been dancing around for months. 

Chris had seen a few texts pop up on his phone during the call from Eric, the messages verging on both worried and concerned, and felt that he at least owed her father some explanation after reaching out earlier. When Eric declined his call, he immediately texted Chris back, explaining that he was working and couldn’t talk but could text. While it was reassuring to Chris that he wasn’t the only one who’d been left in the dark about all of this, he felt bad for them when Eric said he couldn’t even go down to visit and help Nat out with everything this week due to a ferry driver shortage in Washington. There was no one to cover his hours and no way this emergency request off would be granted, and Chris’ brain began thinking through everything. 

Emily would understand. He’d known her and John for years, and was friends with them both. She’d been an amazing costar so far, and he’d hate walking away…. But this was for Nat. He didn’t have any immediate obligations with Netflix beyond this film, and even if he burned this bridge, it was one bridge. 

But the more he thought about it, the more he considered the strain he’d put not only his friends on the production under, but the hundreds of staff and crew on the film…. He just wasn’t sure. As he did in every situation he faced like this, he dialed his Ma’s number, hoping she’d be able to guide him in the right direction, or tell him he was being stupid and of course he should call his agent to tell him he had to leave. 

After he caught Lisa up to speed on everything, almost too fast for how chaotic the last few hours had felt, he sighed. “I’m just so fucking worried, Ma,” he told her, running a hand through his messy hair. “I’ve never seen her like this and when I talked to her it just… it sounded bad.” 

“My poor Nattie,” Lisa sympathized with the woman that she’d come to love so dearly over the course of her dating Chris. 

“I was going to fly out there Saturday morning once I’m done filming but I don’t know…” Chris truly couldn’t figure out the answer to all of this, knowing that either decision he made would hurt someone. But with Eric unable to go, Nat’s sisters having their own children and obligations, Mark and Jamie both working, and Nat having missed out on having a mom, he just didn’t see any other solution for how to help her get through this. He reached out to rub a hand across Dodger’s soft fur, needing that bit of comfort himself before telling his mother, “I’m thinking about dropping out of Pain Hustlers so I can just go out there now.” 

“Is it that bad, Chris?” 

“It’s pretty bad,” he honestly told her. Just thinking about what Nat looked like on that screen, every bit of joy and happiness that made Nat, Nat was completely gone. She was broken and Chris wanted to be there to help put her back together. “Ma, it just fuckin’ broke my heart to see her like that. And Eric can’t go because he’s working doubles because they’re already down people.” 

Without hesitation, Lisa presented her own solution, “Chris, let me go out there. I could fly out early in the morning,” 

“I wasn’t asking you to do that,” he wanted to clarify, not wanting her to feel obligated to fix all of this. 

“I know you weren’t, but I want to. I love Nattie and I’m worried about her too and I hate knowing that she’s out there all alone and dealing with all of this by herself,” she seemed to put his own feelings into words. 

A long sigh poured out of him as he ran a hand through his hair anxiously, “That’s why I’m thinking it might be better if I just drop out of this film because even when I fly out on Saturday, I’ll have to come back Tuesday morning.” He knew that he could help for the weekend, but didn’t see how this could be solved in just a few days. There was nothing more important to him than Nat and her well-being and didn’t want anything to stand in the way of him being there for her since he had missed out on doing that the past few months. 

“Honey, we both know what a big hit that will be if you drop out,” Lisa tried to bring in the reality of his obligations back up before reminding him, “I know you’re worried about Nat, but it’s going to be okay. Let’s just take this one step at a time. I’ll go out there tomorrow and then you can come on Saturday and we’ll figure all of this out, okay?” 

“I don’t know what I’d do without you, Ma.”  

And those words were even more true than he realized over the coming days. Knowing that Nat was being taken care of by his mother was the only way that he was able to stay working in Atlanta and having the realistic updates from Lisa allowed him to have the full picture of what really was going on. It brought him so much comfort knowing that Lisa was taking her to work, bringing her lunch and was with her in the lonely evenings but it still wasn’t the same as him being there himself. 

He wanted to be able to look in her eyes and hold her to know that she really was there and assure her that it would be okay, even though he didn’t feel it himself. Chris wanted to be with her so much that it hurt and the second that he was done on set that Friday night, he couldn’t wait until the following morning to fly to her and chartered a flight to take him to San Francisco then. 

Chris had texted his mom to tell her that he was coming but found out that even then, Nat had already gone to bed. He knew firsthand how much anxiety and depression could exhaust your body and he was glad she was getting rest. When finally he landed in San Francisco, he got a car to take him to the small apartment where he stepped inside and shared a long hug with his mother. There was so much to talk about between the two of them but in this moment, all that mattered was his Nattie. He needed to have his own eyes on her and quietly let go of his mother to walk down the tiny hallway and open the door to her room. 

There she was, fast asleep underneath a pile of blankets but even underneath the bulky fabric, she still looked so tiny. His heart just hurt seeing her this way but there also was a piece of him that felt more at peace than he had this entire week, knowing that he was finally able to be with her. He quietly took off his shoes and jacket, leaving them on a chair before gently climbing into bed next to her and resting a hand on her back. 

Even in the dim light, he could see her puffy eyes flutter open and without a word, they filled with tears as her arms latched around his neck like a vice. He held her tightly, breathing in her scent as his own tears started falling down his cheeks as they clung to one another in a way they never had before. Chris knew that there still was so much ahead of them, so much to be sorted out and fixed, so much fear and uncertainty, but none of that seemed to matter in this moment because he was here with her and that’s all he wanted. 

A/N: This was the final completed chapter we had from last year. While we have a halfish chapter written, we probably will not have the time to actually finish it. Let us know what you guys would prefer - a half chapter and brief synopsis of the end, a summary only (no chapter), or something else.

[tealvenetianmask]

Some thoughts on Blitz having combined type ADHD and why it matters to me . . .

First, I'm not negating other neurodivergences that he might have or other roots of his issues. I do think he also has dyslexia, and I also think his father didn't bother to get him much of an education. And yes, a lot of the traits I'm about to write about overlap too with ASD and various trauma responses. Comorbidity is real, and we're talking about fiction and only have so much to go on. Your interpretations/ways of diagnosing him are valid even if they don't match mine. Cool? Okay, let's go.

Inattentive symptoms. Blitz's plans come off as disorganized/chaotic, he doesn't do paperwork, doesn't know what insurance is, and visibly zones out during some conversations. He also hyperfocuses when something strikes an emotional cord, i.e. following M&M and looking for his sister, and can't focus on anything else. Random tangents and doodles seem to be a regular part of his workday. He can do fucking somersaults in midair but falls on his cute little face when he's not paying attention to where he's walking.

Hyperactive symptoms. He's bursting with energy and almost always seems ready to get up and go. He's randomly climbing things/sitting weird in chairs all the time, even as an adult. I thought this was an imp trait. Other imps don't do this. It's a Blitz trait. He speaks without thinking a lot and seems to process things out loud.

Strengths. He's calm and strategic in a crisis. He's creative and excited about his own ideas. He's at home in chaos and makes chaos WORK for him. He improvises. He's always wanted to be the boss of his own company and do things his own way. I love him so much. I love that being different/original/chaotic is portrayed so positively.

RSD (Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria). Without going into Blitz's everything, the gist is that behind the front that he doesn't care, Blitz is super sensitive to being rejected and spends a lot of time scared that rejection is going to happen. Look at him at the end of Ozzie's. Listen. This can be caused by A LOT of things, but it's super common with ADHD too, mostly because we have a ton of experience with being rejected and trouble predicting when it's going to happen. Among everything that's happened to him, Blitz had lots of "not good enough" moments as a kid.

There's a lot more. I was going to do screenshots but got overwhelmed by how many episodes I'd have to sift through.

Why I care:

I'm feeling well represented of course. So often, the person with ADHD in a piece of media is a kid, or if they're an adult, they're the primarily inattentive type. I'm still hyperactive in adulthood, and when I'm not masking enough, my behavior gets misunderstood a lot (some of this also comes from being a woman, but since I'm talking about a male character here . . . another time). It's fun and affirming to see a character in fiction who's not masking his ADHD much (because he really isn't good at that lol) and has a ton of issues but kind of rocks at being himself anyway.

[spctrsgf]

laser tag

summary: first date w marc BRO I NEED HIM (i'm just a girl)

word count: 1.2k

warnings: language?? i don't think this one needs any??? crazy unheard of ik i just miss my man

a/n: me spawning every three months to drop a piece ain't cool I KNOW BUT LIFE HAS BEEN SO BUSY i miss u guys i am trying so hard to be more active :((((

Marc.

Marc Spector.

His name is Marc Spector.

His name is Marc Spector, and he is downright nervous.

His palms are sweating, this is getting embarrassing. It's just a date. All he had to do is get dressed nice, the verdict being in something that he'd found in the back of his closet. It's been ages since the last time he'd needed to suit up, in not his Moon Knight getup.

He walks back to his mirror, turning to the back to make sure all of his clothing is straightened properly for what feels like the millionth time. He runs his hand down the back of his suit, bringing himself to face front and tightens his bowtie.

This is stupid. He pulls off the tie, unbuttoning the first button of his shirt and flattening it nicely against his collarbone. A tilt of his head to the clock tells him the time: 5:45. He shakes his hands out lightly, trying to muster up some sort of confidence before he grabs his keys and makes his way out the door.

He navigates his way to the place you two had picked out, nervousness bending to excitement as he sees the flashy sign. Its effervescent light is so enticing he finds himself pumping on the gas in excitement. After parking and stepping out of his car, he sees you at the door. 

Well, that's sure to stop him in his tracks.

You're dressed up in his favorite color. You’d asked him, the night before. He snorts. What a sneaky move. Your outfit fits you perfectly, and your smile when you notice him is to die for. He feels his hands getting clammy again and his cheeks dusting as he wills his wobbly knees to move towards you.

“Hi,” he drops out, nearly breathless as he comes within talking distance. You're even more stunning up close. “You look…” You smile brightly at him, your own cheeks pink as you giggle at him. “Hey, Marc. You look,” you pat his chest, pulling at the edge of his shirt. “As well.”

He shoved your shoulder lightly. “Shut up.”

“My bad, sir.” You tease.

“Don't hit me with that,” he pushes open the door to the place, letting you walk in ahead of him. “I’m paying. Could get you a shitty gun.”

You toss your head back at him with a tilt. “Please. You know I’d still be better than you.”

“Yeah, yeah. Keep telling yourself that.”

You both giggle as you make your way up to the front desk, Marc buying all of the tickets and you leaving punchy lines the whole way through. Soon enough, the two of you have been suited up and are ready to play. 

You two had decided that you would be on the same team, fighting against another sweet couple who were just as determined to win. “Marc, look at his shirt,” You point towards one of the men's shirts. “It's white. What a bold move.” Marc snorts, but you're right; the shirt glows like headlights. You can't miss it. “How good do we think he is?” He whispers back.

“Either really fast or a newbie who doesn't quite know they use UV lights yet.”

He snorts. “Laser tag newbie. Who hasn't played laser tag?”

“Not everyone.” You bump his shoulder. 

“Watch the video, baby.”

“Oh, pet names,” you giggle as you face the screen with a shit eating grin. “Didn't know we were there yet.”

“We don't have to be.” Panic flashes across his face.

“No, no. I think it's sweet.”

With that, you two go silent, both blushing from the high of your banter. You make your way out into the room soon after, settling into a competitive spirit. You quickly map out your plan to tackle the other couple based on what you had seen and previous experiences with laser tag, kicking into rapidfire excitement with Marc on your heels.

The game will start in… the automated voice booms on the loudspeaker, nearly scaring you. Marc giggles at your surprise, but a sharp slap to the side quickly quiets him. 

3…

He turns his focus to you, admiring the way your brows are furrowed in concentration and your fingers flex impatiently in time with the dart of your eyes. You're locked in, solely focused on the game.

2…

Your lips curl into a slight smile. You know he's looking at you; he hasn't quite figured out that subtlety, you've gathered. It's exhilarating, confidence boosting, to have someone so blatantly admiring you. 

1…

He realizes he's staring. That’s so creepy, he scolds himself, turning forward and remaps the room in front of him. He scouts out the best hiding spots, how to get to where he needed to go, kicking into his dump of internal lunar habits.

Fight!

He's off in a flash, bounding forward in a mess of anticipation and adrenaline. He's determined to impress you, ready to rub it in– only a little– when he places first and you second. 

Oh, is he in for a shocker.

You’ll give it to him. His moves are so smooth and calculated. He moves with the agility of a cat, dipping left and right. His eyes scan for any movement, so meticulous you’d think that maybe there was a cat up in his brain, telling him what moves to make next. But he lacks one thing. In all his glory, in all his advantages, you have one thing to top him. 

Patience. 

You pause, you don't move to take the higher ground, you crouch, and you wait. You let one of the men come forth, let him think you didn't see the way he crept behind the block to your left. You let him think he won. 

He launches forward, as you had expected, triumphant in the thought that he had captured you, unbeknownst to you. You turn, shutting one eye and slamming your finger down on the trigger button.

The shot seems to go in slow motion to you and to the man. It felt like a shot out of a movie, so picturesque that you couldn't breathe through the cliche. It blips into the plastic on his chest with a blue flicker, surprising him. You can hear his confidence shatter with the ring of the buzzer.

The man turns, heading back to his base to revive himself, only turning back once to nod with a sense of respect. You tilt your head back at him, smiling. With that, you dart off towards where you see Marc, gaping at you from behind a barricade.

Your free hand cups his cheek as soon as you get close enough to touch him, bringing your face up and just a hare's breath away from his own. “How'd I do?” You murmur. He blinks helplessly at you, barely managing to conceal his groan when you pull away from him.

“C’mon, lover boy,” you turn back, ushering him forward. “We got a laser tag game to win.” He follows you without a question nor a word, a dumbstruck smile painting his face.

He definitely chose the right person.

[jimmypesto]

in honor of boblin week being two weeks away, I wrote this little oneshot about them! ❤️ this one’s rated mature so read at your own risk, and don’t forget to participate in boblin week may 27th-31st :)

As she dashes by Bob to get to the register, the hem of Linda’s dress brushes his thigh.

“Oops! Sorry.” She says.

Bob only grunts in response. Today has been one problem after another, between burning the toast at breakfast and a cluster headache that started at noon.

Linda, as usual, is immune to his foul moods. She’s been singing all morning, so now Bob has a made up tune about lettuce in his head. Seconds after her dress hits him, his brain catches up with the oddity.

“Wait. Lin.”

Stopping on his way to the kitchen, he turns to the register where she’s standing.

“Do you have plans today? You only wear dresses when you’re going out.”

Even then, Linda’s usual dresses don’t look like this one. They’re typically tight, accentuating her hips in a way that occasionally gets her free drinks. Today, the one she’s got on is light purple and flowy. It looks much comfier than the normal attire, granting room for her body to breathe.

It’s also short. Very short. If Bob was just her boss, and not also her husband, he’d probably have her change on the grounds that the dress isn’t workplace appropriate. As it stands, however, the risk of her flashing a glimpse of skin is too exciting a prospect to pass up.

“This old thing?” Linda asks. “It’s basically the only piece of clean clothing that still fits me! Everything good’s in the laundry. Blech.”

Bob nods. If he’d woken up on the right side of the bed this morning, it’s very possible that this would be of more interest to him. Today, he’s too grumpy to fully appreciate the way the fabric of Linda’s dress stops above her mid-thigh.

“I’m washing your lazy pants, too.” She adds. “And my good nightgown, so we’ll both be nice and cozy tonight!”

She leans over the counter, cheek resting in the palm of one hand, and smiles to herself about the comfy evening ahead of them. The pose is so typical for late afternoons in the restaurant that it almost goes unnoticed by Bob.

Almost. Most days, when Linda leans on the counter and sighs with boredom, her ass only serves as a minor distraction. It looks nice in jeans, great even, but she wears them so frequently that Bob’s become accustomed to it.

“Oh my God. Lin.” He says now, pure astonishment winning out over his bad mood.

Still bent forward, Linda only turns her head slightly. She’s reached a point in the day where a countdown begins in her head: one hour til the kids get home, three before dinner, and five before she finally gets to rest her eyes.

“Hm? What is it, Bobby?” She asks, exhausted.

He stares at her ass, surprised by just how much skin her dress is showing at this angle.

“Are you wearing a thong?” He wonders.

This makes Linda laugh. The sound is airy and exhausted, like she’s long since forgotten putting on anything sexy.

“I am, aren’t I?” She says wryly. “Yeah. Like I told you, Bob! Laundry day. All my regular underwear’s in the wash.”

All of Bob’s previous worries disappear, whizzing suddenly from his memory as though they never existed in the first place.

“Laundry day, right.”

He steps forward slightly, ready to grope her exposed skin. Something stops him at the last second, his heels falling back to the same place they started.

“Yup.” Linda says, words wrapped around a yawn. “You’d think more customers’d be comin’ on such a nice day! It’s all bright and sunny out.”

Bob just blinks. As the subject of her ass soars past him, he stands paralyzed staring at it. Somehow, eighteen years into marriage, Linda’s managing to fluster him without even trying.

“Bobby?” She asks, when a few seconds pass with no response. “I said it’s nice out, don’t you think? I’m surprised there aren’t more people around.”

Concerned by his silence, she stands up straight and turns to face him. With her dress hanging modestly again, Bob is able to produce a coherent sentence.

“Oh. The weather, yeah. It is nice. Uh…you know what else is nice?”

Slipping a hand beneath her dress, he gives her ass a squeeze. Linda laughs, finally catching on to the effect she’s having.

“Oh boy. Is that what’s got you all tongue-tied? It’s just underwear, Bobby!”

He squeezes again, a little in awe every time he touches her. Maybe he takes Linda for granted sometimes. Not about the big stuff, like parenting or being his business partner, but he’s been feeling sorry for himself all day and forgetting that the oldest pick-me-up in the book is right here at his fingertips.

“It’s not just underwear.” He argues, his thumb rubbing a circle on her ass. “It’s really…nice. Your ass looks like a big, juicy…sorry. I don’t know where I was going with that.”

As always, whatever charm he has crumbles in the face of Linda and her effortless hotness.

She crosses her arms, resting her back against the counter, and pokes a finger at Bob’s chest. The simple gesture flusters him enough that he draws his hand back.

“You feelin’ alright, Bobby?” She teases. “You’re lookin’ a little flushed there.”

When she points out the blush creeping up his neck, it only makes Bob go redder. He feels like he’s back in high school, hitting on a pretty cheerleader and getting rejected. Not that he ever actually did that, but it did cross his mind once or twice.

“I’m feeling good.” He says, injecting false confidence into his voice. “I’m so good. You think we should take a late lunch break? Close the restaurant for a while?”

As he speaks, he leans his face toward hers. Then, in a stroke of terrible timing, the bell above the entrance rings suddenly throughout the room. Bob startles.

Linda smirks, leaning in for a split second before ducking out of his way. Sidestepping him, she shrugs and walks backward in the direction of their customers.

“Welcome in!” She calls out, not breaking eye contact with Bob.

Then, in a whisper meant just for him, she tosses out one last teasing remark.

“Think I should pretend to drop my pen and bend over? Might get a big tip out of it.”

Bob’s mind goes completely blank. By the time he’s processed what Linda just said, she’s already halfway toward the group of men who have just come in.

Shooting one last smile at Bob, she flashes him a wink that says their conversation isn’t over yet.

[xxspringmelodyxx]

Regrets~

Choso x reader (Hella Angst)

I’m in literal tears. Gege, literally sleep with one eye open tonight >:((((

Warnings: Contains spoilers, sad, sad, and sad

________________________

You strolled through the bustling city streets, reveling in the lively atmosphere as you searched for the perfect gift.

"So, when are you finally going to tell him? I’m losing my patience over here!" Yuki's voice burst through the phone, brimming with excitement at the prospect of you confessing your deep love.

"Easy, Yuki. I'll wait until he gets back from his trip. I can't believe you talked me into this. I just hope everything goes as planned," you replied, trying to mask the nerves creeping in.

”Oh come on now, n/n! If Choso doesn’t feel the same way about you, then I’ve been living a whole lie. I mean just looking at him whenever you are around makes me almost burst out laughing because of how red he gets. Or when he can barely come up with a proper sentence to say because he can’t think straight when he is around you. Or the fact that he gets so pissed when he sees you going on a mission with another man besides him. Or when-“

"Alright, alright, I hear you, Yuki," you interrupted, unable to suppress a laugh at her fervor. Despite her convincing arguments, doubt lingered in your mind.

"I guess it's just my own insecurities speaking."

"Tell those insecurities to fuck right off! You and Choso are a match made in heaven. If you two don't end up together, I'll lose faith in love altogether," Yuki retorted, her sarcasm laced with sincerity, eliciting a giggle from you.

"I just hope he comes back soon. It's been two weeks since we last spoke, and I'm getting restless. I miss hearing his voice and gazing into his eyes," you confessed.

"Aww, you're melting my heart over here!" Yuki cooed affectionately.

Yuki’s affectionate response brought a faint smile to your lips, momentarily lifting the heavy weight of sorrow from your heart.

“I’m serious, Y/N,” she continued, her tone soft yet playful. “You two are like characters straight out of a romance novel. It’s about time you two realize it.”

You chuckled lightly, grateful for Yuki’s unwavering optimism even in the face of your own doubts.

“Thanks, Yuki,” you replied, your voice tinged with a hint of warmth. “I needed that.”

“No problem, n/n,” Yuki replied, her voice filled with genuine care. “Just remember, whenever you’re ready to tell Choso how you feel, I’ll be here to cheer you on.”

You smiled, thanking her for always making you feel better.

As you continued to talk to her about the whole situation, you kept your eyes peeled for the perfect gift that would capture the essence of your love for Choso. And then, just when you least expected it, you stumbled upon it: a beautiful, handcrafted necklace adorned with a delicate silver charm. It was just the thing you were looking for.

’Oh, I gotta go girl. I think I just found the perfect gift for Choso.” You spoke.

Yuki’s voice echoed with anticipation as she bid you farewell. “Ooh, I can’t wait to hear all about it later! And remember, if you need any last-minute pep talks, I’m just a phone call away.”

You ended the call as you two said your goodbyes, quickly walking into the store that caught your attention.

You walked right up to where the necklace was and held it in your hand, a small smile tugging at the corners of your lips.

“He will love this.”

You made your way to the cashier, excitement coursing through your veins. This gift, you knew, would convey everything you had been unable to put into words. The depth of your love, the sincerity of your affection, and the promise of a future filled with endless possibilities.

“Oh goodness, this is a gorgeous piece. Is It for you or a lucky someone?” The cashier asked, her eyes scanning the necklace.

”It’s for someone. I hope he likes it.”

”Oh honey, I’m sure he will just love it. It is absolutely gorgeous.” She said, scanning the price tag.

”I thought so too. The perfect gift for the perfect man.” You said, feeling a pleasant warmth spread throughout your chest.

”Careful dear, keep thinking about that special boy and soon the blood will rush to your face so soon you’ll pass out.” She teased.

I looked away, a smile creeping up on my face again as I listened to her.

”Here you are, dear. I hope whoever this fine young man is realizes just how lucky he is to have someone like you.” She spoke with endearment.

I thanked her and paid for the necklace, leaving the store.

As you made your way home, the thought of finally being able to express your feelings to Choso filled you with a sense of joy and anticipation.

As you entered your apartment, the familiar warmth of home enveloped you, soothing the lingering traces of doubt and uncertainty that had clouded your mind. Settling onto the couch, you retrieved the necklace from your pocket, cradling it with your hands as you admired its delicate craftsmanship.

You decided to turn on a movie to allow time to pass, still holding onto the necklace.

—

As the movie played in the background, you found yourself lost in thought. With each passing scene, memories of Choso flooded your mind, each one a sweet, sweet reminder of the love you held for him.

Lost in the timeless embrace of cinematic magic, your fingers danced delicately over the intricate patterns of the necklace, their movements a silent testament to the depths of your affection. With each stroke, you traced the curves and contours of the pendant, weaving a tapestry of longing and devotion that shimmered in the soft glow of the room.

As the hours slipped by unnoticed, the vibrant hues of the daytime sky gradually gave way to the velvety darkness of night. A symphony of stars adorned the heavens, their celestial glow painting a breathtaking tableau against the midnight canvas. The moon, a luminous beacon of silver, cast its gentle radiance over the sleeping city below, bathing it in a soft, ethereal light.

Beneath the canopy of stars, you stepped out onto the balcony, the cool night air caressing your skin like a gentle embrace. The city below lay bathed in the soft glow of streetlights, its bustling energy now hushed in the tranquil embrace of the night.

As you stood there, enveloped in the serenity of the nocturnal world, a sense of peace washed over you, soothing the tumultuous currents of your heart. With each breath, you felt a profound connection to the universe, a reminder of the boundless beauty that surrounded you.

Leaning against the balcony railing, you closed your eyes, allowing yourself to be swept away by the symphony of night sounds—the distant hum of traffic, the soft rustle of leaves in the breeze, the occasional chirp of a cricket. In this moment of quiet contemplation, you felt a deep sense of gratitude for the simple pleasures that life had to offer.

As the night wore on, a gentle weariness settled over you, a welcome invitation to the realm of dreams. With a contented sigh, you bid farewell to the stars above, their twinkling light a silent companion in the vast expanse of the night sky.

As you retreated indoors, the soft glow of the moonlight filtering through the window cast a serene ambiance over the room, painting everything in a gentle luminescence. With each step towards your bed, you felt the weight of the day's emotions lifting, replaced by a tranquil sense of calm.

Nestling under the covers, you cradled the necklace in your hands, its delicate contours glinting softly in the ambient light. As you closed your eyes, the soft rustle of the night breeze outside whispered secrets of love and longing, a soothing lullaby that wrapped around you like a warm embrace.

With the necklace nestled beside you, its presence a silent promise of the love that lay within your heart, you surrendered to the embrace of sleep.

—

As the morning unfolded, dark clouds hung low in the sky, casting a pall over the city. The sound of rain tapping against the window panes filled the air, a somber melody that matched the heaviness in your heart.

Groggily, you reached for your phone, the soft glow of the screen illuminating the dimly lit room. Your heart skipped a beat as you saw a flurry of missed calls and messages from Yuki, her name flashing urgently on the screen.

With a sense of growing unease, you opened the messages, each one a testament to Yuki’s increasing concern:

”Y/n, I’m so sorry.”

“Y/N, are you okay? I’ve been trying to reach you all morning”

“Please, answer me. Something’s wrong.”

“I’m coming over. If you’re not okay, I need to be there for you.”

Confusion and worry knotted in your stomach as you quickly dialed Yuki’s number, the anticipation building with each ring.

“Y/N, thank goodness you called back,” Yuki’s voice trembled with urgency on the other end of the line.

”Yuki, what’s wrong? Is everything alright?” You asked, confused as to whats got her all riled up

“You mean…you don’t know?” She asked, her voice trembling and breaking.

”Know what? What’s going on, Yuki?” You asked, growing anxious as she kept quiet.

”You need to turn on the news.” She spoke quietly, almost as if she was trying to hold back a sob.

With a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach, you made your way to the living room, the rain drumming a mournful beat against the windows. Fumbling for the remote, you switched on the television, your heart pounding in your chest.

And then, as the screen flickered to life, your worst fears were confirmed. The news anchor’s voice filled the room, delivering the devastating news that Choso, the man you loved, was dead.

Shock reverberated through you, a numbness settling over your senses as you struggled to comprehend the enormity of the loss. Tears blurred your vision as you read the scrolling ticker at the bottom of the screen, each word a dagger to your shattered heart.

In that moment of agonizing despair, you clung to your phone like a lifeline, scrolling through the messages from Yuki once more. Each one a plea for reassurance, a desperate attempt to reach out across the void of grief and offer solace in the face of overwhelming sorrow.

And as you stood there, enveloped in the suffocating grip of loss, all you could do was hold onto the memories of the love you shared, a fragile beacon of light in the darkness of despair.

As the news sank in, a gut-wrenching wave of disbelief and anguish washed over you, threatening to engulf you in its relentless grip. “No… no, no, no, NO!!!” you screamed out, the words torn from the depths of your soul as if pleading with the universe to undo the cruel twist of fate.

With trembling hands, you sank to the ground, the weight of the news bearing down on you like a crushing weight. Tears streamed down your cheeks unchecked, each sob echoing the shattered pieces of your heart.

In that moment of raw, unfiltered agony, time seemed to stand still, the world around you fading into a haze of pain and despair. The reality of Choso’s absence loomed over you like a dark specter, a gaping void where once there had been love and laughter.

Clutching your phone to your chest, you curled into yourself, the ache of loss consuming you from the inside out. How could this be happening? How could the man you loved, the man you had dared to hope for a future with, be taken from you so suddenly, so senselessly?

You realized with a pang of despair that you would never get the chance to finally confess to Choso how much you loved him. The words you had longed to speak, the feelings you had kept hidden deep within your heart, now seemed like a cruel joke, forever out of reach. How could you have been so foolish, so blind to the fleeting nature of time? How could you have let fear and doubt rob you of the chance to lay bare your soul to the one person who mattered most?

Tears mingled with raindrops as you lay there, consumed by a maelstrom of grief and regret. The ache of loss tore at your insides, a relentless reminder of all that had been lost in the blink of an eye.

—

Weeks had passed since the day Choso had left this world, yet the pain of his absence remained as raw and agonizing as ever. With each passing day, the ache in your heart had only grown more pronounced, a relentless reminder of all that had been lost.

Now, as you stood before his gravestone, the weight of grief bore down on you like a burden too heavy to bear. Raindrops fell softly from the sky, mingling with the tears that streamed down your cheeks, a testament to the depths of your sorrow.

Clutching the necklace in your hand, you knelt before the stone marker, the cold, unforgiving earth pressing against your knees. The words engraved upon the marble surface blurred in your vision, obscured by the haze of tears that clouded your sight.

"I'm so sorry, Choso," you whispered, your voice choked with emotion. "I'm sorry that I never got the chance to tell you how much you meant to me, how much I loved you."

The words spilled from your lips in a torrent of anguish, each syllable heavy with regret and longing. With trembling hands, you reached out to trace the letters of his name, as if by touching them, you could somehow bring him back to life.

"I miss you," you confessed, your voice barely more than a whisper against the backdrop of the falling rain. "Every day, every moment, I miss you more than words can say. I wish I could turn back time, to tell you how much you meant to me, to hold you in my arms just one more time."

But the only response that greeted your words was the echo of your own sorrow, the silence of the graveyard offering no solace, no comfort in the face of your overwhelming grief.

With a heavy heart, you placed the necklace atop the gravestone, a small offering of love and remembrance in the vast expanse of loss.

Your trembling hands traced the outline of his gravestone, fingers tracing the engraved letters that spelled out his name. Each stroke was a tender caress, a silent tribute to the man you had loved so deeply.

Leaning forward, you pressed your lips to the cool marble surface, a bittersweet kiss that spoke volumes of the love that still burned within your heart. You, lost in a sea of grief and regret, felt the gentle touch of familiar hands on your shoulders, pulling you back to the present moment. Yuki and Yuuji stood beside you, their presence a source of solace in the midst of your despair.

“I just wish I could have told him. So that he at least knows…” you whispered, your voice trembling with the weight of unspoken words and unshed tears. The anguish in your heart spilled over, manifesting in sobs that wracked your body with each passing moment.

“He knows,” Yuki’s voice was soft yet resolute, her words a balm to your wounded soul. “Choso knew, Y/N. He knew how much you loved him, even if the words were never spoken.”

Her words hung in the air, a gentle reminder that love transcended the boundaries of time and space, reaching beyond the realm of the living to touch the hearts of those who had passed on. And in that moment, as the rain continued to fall, washing away the traces of sorrow that clung to your skin, you felt a glimmer of peace take root within you.

With a shaky breath, you nodded in acknowledgment, the weight of your grief still heavy upon your shoulders but somehow more bearable in the presence of those who cared for you. And as you stood there, surrounded by the love and support of your friends, you knew that even in death, Choso’s spirit would continue to watch over you, a guardian angel guiding you through the darkest of nights.

And as you stood there, your tears mingling with the rain that fell from the heavens above, you made a solemn vow to carry Choso's memory with you always, to honor his life with every breath you took.

For even in death, his spirit would live on in the love that had bound you together, a love that transcended the boundaries of time and space, a love that would endure for all eternity.

——————————————————————

[simlit]

Chosen of the Sun | | dawn // fifty-five

| @izayoiri | @sani-sims | @amuhav | @catamano

POLL RESULTS | Eira joins the party. Sarayn and Tayuin tie for second place and Tayuin wins on a coinflip, becoming the fourth and final member of the party.

next / previous / beginning

EIRA: I’ll go. KYRIE: Thank you, for volunteering. ELION: I’m already looking forward to it. EIRA: Tch. TAYUIN: The three of you… alone on a stealth mission? Stars above. KYRIE: Then, you wouldn’t like to make it four? TAYUIN: scoffs I’d hate to see you if I don’t. KYRIE: Thank you, Tay. KYRIE: Then it’s decided. The four of us will consult about the details. INDRYR: I’ll get to work, then. KYRIE: The rest of you, stay vigilant. Whatever ideas we have about these Knights, its only speculation. I may not agree with the Church’s actions, but I understand their worries. I don’t want to see any of you hurt. For now, don’t venture out. We’ll reconvene here once we have more information. EVE: Please, I’d like to know as soon as the plan is settled. Though, I hardly expect I’ll get much rest until this has passed. I still want to be ready in case… anything were to go wrong. KYRIE: You have my word, I’ll tell you as soon as I know. EVE: Be careful, Kyrie. KYRIE: I’ll do my best. TAYUIN: You trust that guy? EIRA: The assassin? Oh sure. About as far as I can throw him. TAYUIN: Hmph. KYRIE: Well, I guess the team is settled. Elion, we’ll be relying on you for those schedules. TAYUIN: And don’t lie. You’re not the only one here who’s done their homework. I’ll know if you’re making shit up. ELION: You are absolutely delightful, you know. Very excited for our night out. EIRA: Knock it off. ELION: Yes, darling. I recommend tomorrow, before dawn. Likely they’ll be in interrogations for a while. Whether the suspect breaks or they don’t, we’ll have an opening during witching hours. TAYUIN: The changing of the guard will follow before morning. ELION: Mm. So clever. We’ll want to be out before then. Though, it won’t be a clean exit no matter how nicely we play. TAYUIN: Even if the guards don’t see us, how are we going to trust this murderer not to run their mouth? KYRIE: Don’t worry about that part. TAYUIN: I’m worried. ELION: I’ll be very convincing. TAYUIN: Right.   KYRIE: All that matters is I get to them. Whatever happens after that… ELION: Finally willing to lie, cheat and kill to get your way, Moon Pet? KYRIE: We’re not killing anyone. But I’ll do what I must. I will find my sister, no matter who tries to stop me.

[hexagonaldecency]

I should probably just learn to say "hey this is important to me" but I am just exhausted about being excited about one single simple event as having lunch out after being too depressed to care about going to the bathroom and the people I'm going with just saying "I'm not in the mood actually" last minute

[arthur-r]

tonight is my last night sleeping in my bed. possibly for the rest of my life. and my last time in my room possibly for the rest of my life. and i want to just get a good night’s sleep to be ready for a long day tomorrow but it’s really not working out like that.

[opens-up-4-nobody]

...