#we both got drunk i got really stoned we both talked to the dudes from the second band for a WHILE and got cheap leather from em

[sofarsogoodsowhat]

AUUUUGHHHHH MY HEAD HURTS SO BAD

[eiightysixbaby]

Idk if your requests are open- Eddie and rock singer!reader? They both perform at the hideout, which is how they met, and then he finds out she goes to Hawkins High as well. Rest is up to you 😊 p

hi love! thanks for your request, I adore this! I hope you enjoy my take on it 🫶🏻

Eddie genuinely can’t believe his eyes. There’s no way - no way - a girl as gorgeous as you lives in Hawkins and he’s never seen you before. There’s no way this gorgeous girl exists and she can sing like a goddess. But, here you are, performing with your band at the Hideout on the same night he’s performing with Corroded Coffin.

You’re doing a cover of Barracuda by Heart, killing it if Eddie’s being honest. Your voice works so well for the song and your energy is so captivating, he’s actually got heart shaped eyes as he watches you command the tiny little stage. It puts the set they just played to shame, the way you draw a crowd - that isn’t just full of drunk people.

Gareth knocks his fist against Eddie’s shoulder, breaking him out of his trance. Eddie glances at him, unwilling to tear his eyes away from you for too long.

“Dude, they’re fucking amazing,” Gareth says emphatically. “That girl can sing.”

“Tell me about it. I genuinely think I found the love of my life,” Eddie replies, shifting his gaze back onto you as if to prove a point.

He watches as you belt into the microphone, finishing the song and giving an enthusiastic bow before you and the rest of your band leave the stage.

“Go talk to her, man!” Jeff encourages, leaning over the table to grab Eddie’s forearm, giving it a slight shake.

Eddie shakes his head, curly hair flopping around his face. “Nah, I dunno, man,” he starts, but the guys don’t even let him finish.

“Don’t say she wouldn’t be into you,” Gareth interjects “because she literally did a cover of Dio earlier. That girl was made for you.”

“And she’s wearing a Metallica shirt,” Jeff says.

“And I caught her watching our set,” says Grant. “But she certainly wasn’t looking at any one of us except you, Ed,” he laughs.

“Okay, alright, point taken,” Eddie snaps, raising his hands up to silence the group.

He knows he should talk to you. He knows he’ll regret it forever if he doesn’t. And yet, when he sees you sit down with your band mates at the table beside his, he feels his stomach do somersaults. Your laugh sounds like sunshine. Like butterflies and rainbows and glitter and everything good. It simultaneously makes him nauseous and elated. He feels himself go rigid with nerves as you talk mere feet away from him, rambling excitedly to your friends about how well they did up on stage. He feels himself literally turn to stone when Gareth stands up, sidling up to your table and congratulating you all on an awesome performance.

Because Eddie knows Gareth, and he knows he’s not just innocently praising you guys, no. He’s on a mission to make Eddie crawl out of his skin, and he’s about to achieve it.

“Yeah, me and my friend Eddie were just talking about how great you guys sounded. Isn’t that right, Ed?” he says, giving Eddie a wickedly cheeky grin as Eddie turns to look at him. He’d be scowling if it weren’t for the fact that you are also looking right at him.

He’s like a deer in headlights, lips parted slightly as he fully meets your eyes. He blubbers like a fish for a moment before Jeff literally kicks him under the table, waking him up.

“Uh, y-yeah, oh yeah. You guys were incredible, put us to shame really,” he forces out a laugh, tries to force a sense of ease into his voice, which is horribly ironic.

You seem to buy it, though, or at least you don’t comment on it if you can tell that he’s about ready to tunnel underground and leave this bar forever. Instead, you beam at him, a brilliant and gorgeous smile that would have his knees buckling if he’d been standing.

“Thanks, Eddie, but you guys truly killed it. We couldn’t have possibly competed with that Master of Puppets solo you delivered,” you say excitedly, talking with your hands. “I’m Y/N, by the way,” you say, leaning forward on your table, extending a hand as far as it will go for him to shake.

He totally notices how you didn’t extend a hand to Gareth, oh boy does he notice. He only sweats a little bit as he reaches his hand to meet yours, shaking it firmly. “It’s great to meet you,” he says, smiling softly, butterflies still raging in his stomach.

“You should’ve seen him when he was learning that solo,” Grant interjects, “holed himself up in his room for weeks until he mastered it.”

“Yeah, he wouldn’t do anything else but practice. I swear, he probably didn’t shower for day-” Jeff is cut off by an elbow to his ribs, Eddie turning to him with an expression that says ‘you’re dead if you keep talking’.

“Ooookay, anyways,” Eddie interrupts, his cheeks going pink.

His face feels hot as you laugh at the image his friends had put in your brain. But you aren’t truly laughing at him, Eddie can tell, and your response only affirms it. “I don’t blame you, it’s one of those songs that just infects you, right? Your hard work clearly paid off, too,” you say, still smiling brightly.

Eddie feels his nerves ease a bit, and he knows he’s in good company with you. You aren’t phased by his awkwardness, you don’t even seem to notice. Eventually, your friends and his friends all leave the tables, walking over to play some of the pinball machines tucked in one of the corners of the bar. It’s just you and him now, silence washing over the scene as he finds he doesn’t really know what to say.

“So, uh, you from Hawkins? I’ve never seen you around,” he wonders, voice cracking mid-sentence. He wants to slam his head against the table top until it cracks open, but he perseveres.

“I actually moved here at the start of summer,” you say, setting down the glass of water you’d been sipping on. “Moved in right next door to our drummer, caught him playing in his garage the one day, and the rest was history. They needed a singer for the band, and I decided, why not?” you smile, reminiscing on those first days of friendship. “Anyway, I’m due to start at Hawkins High next week for the new school year. I’ll be a senior.”

Eddie’s heart thumps in his chest at that, giddiness brewing in his chest at the thought of seeing you again. “Oh, no shit! I go to Hawkins High, too. I’ll be, uh, I’ll be doing my senior year…. for the… third time,” he winces, earning a soft laugh out of you.

“Third times a charm, isn’t that what they say?” you beam at him, resting a hand on his forearm gently and squeezing once before pulling away. Your soft eyes meet his, and he feels all of his worries melt away. There isn’t a hint of judgment in your voice, in your gaze, and it’s genuinely a weird feeling to Eddie. He feels like he could tell you anything.

God, he’s screwed.

Eddie normally hates the first day of school. Everyone bubbling with an excitement he doesn’t feel, talking to their friends as if they haven’t seen each other in ages, when this town is so small it’d be next to impossible to not have run into each other over the summer. School to him was just a place where people would pick on him, try to tear him apart, outcast him. Yeah, the first day of school has never been Eddie’s favorite day. Until today.

He finds himself getting up before his alarm even goes off, the anticipation of possibly getting to see you taking over his brain. You hadn’t spoken since that night at the Hideout, he didn’t get your number like an idiot, and needless to say he’s been dying to talk to you again. His friends gave him plenty of hell for not setting up a date with you or something, but he just couldn’t do it so impulsively. Now, though? Now, he wants to work up the nerve to do it, and he’s hoping he’ll get the chance to see you throughout the school day.

His uncle Wayne notices the unusual skip in his step, the small smile tugging at his lips as he prepares his breakfast for the day.

“What’s gotten into you, boy? Usually I’m dragging your ass outta bed so you’re not late for first period,”

“Just, uh, just excited to start my last year of high school,” Eddie says, playing it off. “One day closer to graduating and leaving that place forever, huh?”

Wayne doesn’t buy it, knows Eddie’s been dreading doing senior year over for a second time, but he doesn’t press the issue. Just gives him a slight nod and goes out to the porch to drink his coffee.

Eddie flies through his morning routine; scarfs down his breakfast, chugs a mug of coffee very ungracefully, showers and gets dressed. He puts on a Dio shirt, thinking back to the cover of Holy Diver you did with your band. A conversation starter, he thinks to himself. He grabs his keys, heading for his van with his backpack and his little tin lunch box full of drugs in tow - because, y’know, he won’t turn down the chance to make a few extra bucks today if the opportunity presents itself.

The halls of Hawkins High are bustling when he arrives, full of giddy freshmen going over their schedules with their friends, teachers greeting the students, the jocks being obnoxiously loud as per usual. But this time, Eddie doesn’t feel an overwhelming sense of dread consuming him. His eyes scan the sea of people for your familiar face, but he doesn’t see you.

He can’t really be disappointed yet - there’s tons of students here, it’s unlikely you’d be the first one he’d run into. But then first period passes and you aren’t in his class. And then second, and third. Halfway through the day, and still nothing. What if you don’t share a single period with him? What if he doesn’t get the chance to see you at all?

He trudges into the cafeteria at his designated lunch hour, mood lifting a little when he sees Gareth and Grant waving at him eagerly from the table they’d claimed.

“What’s up, man? You look a little down in the dumps,” Gareth says, frowning a little at the older boy.

“He’s sad cause he hasn’t seen the love of his life yet,” Jeff says, coming up behind Eddie with his tray of food, startling him.

“Oh shut up,” Eddie mumbles, taking his seat and pulling his sandwich from his lunch bag.

He’s not really listening to the conversation his friends dive into, he’s too busy scanning the room for you. His eyes roam over the various tables, separated into their designated cliques. He spots the band geeks, the cheerleaders, the basketball team - just the way it always is. There’s a sea of people in here but he doesn’t find the one he’s looking for. Just as he’s about to lose hope, to resign to the fact that you’ve probably been assigned to a different lunch period, he hears a familiar voice calling his name.

“Eddie?” your voice calls, and he turns in his seat.

You wave eagerly at him when his eyes land on you, and it makes his stomach flip. You look perfect, dressed a bit more preppy than you had been at the Hideout, but still not untrue to yourself.

“I’m so glad I ran into you! Love the shirt, by the way,” you tell him, and he feels his cheeks heat.

“Y/N, hey,” he says, swallowing the nervous lump in his throat. “It’s so great to see you again, how’re you liking Hawkins High?”

“Eh, it’s alright so far. The jocks are extra annoying and Ms. O’Donnell seems like she’ll be a pain in my ass, but I’ll push through,” you say, still smiling despite your complaints.

“Don’t get me started on that woman,” Eddie says, shaking his head and laughing.

You greet the rest of the guys, chatting briefly with all of them about band stuff and what classes you’re taking. Eddie watches you, listens to that gorgeous laugh of yours as you exchange banter with his friends. He’s got stars in his eyes every time you glance over at him.

Soon enough you decide you need to head back to your table, wanting to make sure you have enough time to eat your food. “It was great to see you guys again, we’ll have to get together sometime soon!” you say, waving pointedly at Eddie as you retreat to your own seat with your own friends.

Eddie wants to smack himself for not making a move, not asking you out on a date. The opportunity slipped right through his fingers. He doesn’t even need to look at the guys to know they’re all staring at him, ready to deliver various quips about how he had his chance right there.

“Don’t say shit, or I’ll make the next Hellfire campaign a nightmare for all of you,” he threatens, pointing a ringed finger at the three of them.

The table goes silent, each of the guys suddenly extremely interested in their meals, none of them daring another glance in Eddie’s direction.

The rest of the school day drags. Eddie knows he’ll see you again, he knows it wasn’t his only shot to ask you out, but he disappointed himself by losing the nerve to speak up. What if he flounders every time he sees you? What if someone else snatches you up before he can get the balls to try? He absentmindedly floats through his last few periods, staring into space as he daydreams about you.

Finally, the last bell rings, saving him from purgatory. He packs up his things and shuffles out of his classroom, ready to go home and just sleep away his self-pity.

Then, he sees you. You’re about to head out the door of the building, backpack slung over your shoulders. A fire ignites beneath his feet, a gnawing feeling that tells him he can’t let you get away this time. He picks up his pace as he heads in your direction, sneakers squeaking on the freshly polished floors. He doesn’t give himself the time to second guess it. He calls your name, and you turn, eyes shining when you realize it’s him.

“Eddie, hi, what’s up?” you ask, tilting your head to the side a little as you both step out of the way of the crowds of students who are eager to leave for the day.

“Hey, um, I was just wondering if… maybe you’d want to swing by the diner or something? For dinner tonight?” he asks, his palms sweating as he speaks.

For once, he thinks he’s made you nervous. You glance away from him for a moment, chewing your lip as you hold back a smile.

“I’d love to,” you say, and he feels an immense weight lifting off of his shoulders. He feels like he could fly right now if he wanted to.

“I can pick you up at around, say five-thirty?” he questions, waiting for your approval. He shifts his weight on his feet, hands fidgeting with one of the straps of his book bag.

“Okay, yeah,” you agree, pulling a piece of paper and pen from your backpack and scribbling your address down, handing it to him. “I’ll see you then, Eddie,” you grin. Then, you lean closer, your mouth hovering beside his ear. “Maybe after dinner you can teach me how to play Master of Puppets,” you say quietly, pulling back with a slight smirk on your face.

He doesn’t get the chance to respond before you’re gone, pushing the doors open and walking through the parking lot. He looks down at the paper you’d handed him, sparkly purple ink from your gel pen gleaming up at him.

And yeah, Eddie’s so fucking screwed with you. But there’s no way he’s letting you out of his grip now.

[sweetdreamsshifter]

Her - Damien Haas x Reader

A/N: Hey 😏 This is stupid, I know it is, but we just... We need more Damien content. Also, this is probably gonna be multiple parts, but I can only use my phone, which makes them small and sad. 🥲 But I will push for good stories still!!!

Category: Fluff, as always 🖐🙄

Y/N = Your Name; E/C = Eye Color

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

Why am I here.

The man stood in the corner of the deafening room with a cup of soda in his hand, watching the room's occupants get more and more trashed. Damien was never happier to be sober, but never more disappointed that he was alone with a group of drunks.

Suddenly, his soda was no longer in his hand, but dumped on the floor as he felt a sudden weight push him over. Instinctively he grabbed out for something, anything, to keep from falling on the sticky club floor, dragging down an innocent bystander with him instead.

As his head collided with the ground, he let out a groan of pain, groaning again and he felt a weight fall on top of him. Wait, a weight fell on top-

Damien's eyes opened in shock, meeting the E/C eyes of his poor victim.

"I am so sorry. I got pushed by someone and I meant to grab the table, but I was already falling, and I-" He was interrupted by an airy laugh and a hand out stretched to help him up, the girl no longer on top of him.

"Hey, don't worry about it, dude. I've been there. This place is too small for it's own good, it has to be violating at least ten safety codes." They laughed as they stood up, an awkward air soon taking place of conversation.

"Y'know, I was actually about to go to this nearby 24 hour cafe if you'd like to join me? I know this is gonna sound creepy, but I was watching you for a little bit, and you just seem uncomfortable or something... I don't know, this is me trying and failing to shoot my shot." The girl said awkwardly, playing with her handbag as they both blushed scarlet.

"I'm Damien." He said, stretching out his hand. The girl shook his hand after a moment of confusion.

"Y/N..." She responded, a confused yet amused smirk on her lips.

"I just figured I'd tell you before we go to that cafe, y'know?" They giggled a moment before leaving the club, conversation striking up in their walk to the cafe.

"So, what do you do, Mister Mysterious?" Y/N joked, nudging Damien with her shoulder as they neared the cafe. He let out an airy laugh before opening the door for them.

"It's a little stupid to some people, but I'm a YouTuber, essentially. I won't reveal my company yet, but you'll probably find out soon what with my blabber mouth, but I also stream and act. It's a great life, and absolutely rewarding, but sometimes I feel like I don't deserve it. That was an unnecessary detail, sorry." He scratched the back of his neck and let out a laugh as he blushed scarlet, the two getting their drinks and sitting down at near a window. Why am I so flustered today? He thought as he followed the girl like a lost puppy.

"I'm no YouTuber, but I understand that last bit. I, personally, feel really thankful for my life as well, while still feeling that sense of undeserving. I run this little bakery a few blocks away. It's all based on video games, too, which is great for me considering there's a few video game stores nearby and I've been playing games since I was a kid." Y/N rambled, Damien's heart growing as he listened to the young woman.

"Anyway, why we're you at the club tonight if you were so uncomfortable?" She asked, making him flush as he prepared his answer.

"A friend of mine told me it'd be an okay place to meet new people, and I've been wanting to get back in the dating game..." He said reluctantly, glancing up from his drink as he flushed at his embarrassing response.

"Me too, actually... Would you want to exchange numbers?" Y/N asked, her heart beating obnoxiously in her chest. Before she could even take back her words, she saw the light of a phone screen in her peripheral vision, Damien's phone waiting to have a new contact added in. She prepared her phone the same way and handed it to him, both pink in the face as they switched phones again, their contacts now housing one more person.

They continued to talk for hours more before both grew drousy. After a short walk down the street, Y/N and Damien were outside of her apartment complex, exchanging goodbyes with promises of texts and a proper date being set in stone. Before he could regret it, Damien planted a kiss on her cheek, saying goodbye again before backing down the street, not turning away until she walked in the building.

As Damien grew to know Y/N more, he'd grow to be more thankful for the stranger that shoved her into his arms, for the little coffee shop they bonded in, and for everything that was genuinely her.

[hufflepuffhollander]

off limits: tom holland one-shot

a/n | this is my submission for @chloecreatesfictions’ 1k writing challenge! i’ve never done the “brother’s best friend” trope and i def got a little too excited and carried away! real talk, this might be the cutest thing i’ve ever written

summary | as harrison osterfield’s younger sister, you’d always just seen his best friend tom as an annoying older brother. until, one day, you didn’t.

cw | tom x osterfield!reader. contains language, alcohol, recreational use of weeeed, teenage angst, sexual tension, fluff n’ stuff. 5k words.

For as long as you could remember, Tom Holland had been a stitch in your side that you could never get rid of.

Growing up as your older brother’s best friend, he was always at your house when you were children— and his favorite pastime when Harrison was boring him was to break into your room and mess with you, stealing your toys or running his hands across the piano keys when you were trying to practice in peace. No matter how many locks you put on your door just to keep Tom out, he was always able to pick them.

As you all got older, he grew to annoy you in a different way, blasting loud, grungy music through Harrison’s bedroom walls late at night or eating things out of the fridge that clearly had your name on them. Once he’d started to garner some attention as an actor, his ego skyrocketed, and somehow he became an even bigger nuisance. He dragged Harrison away from you and took him all over the world while you had to sit idly by and love your brother from a distance.

When Tom would come over now, he would talk of nothing but hollywood parties and getting drunk with the biggest a-listers when he knew you were listening. He would ignore you when he breezed past you in the hallway, and even had the audacity to go into your bedroom when you were out and smoke a blunt on your bed so your whole room smelled like a music festival when you got home; and worst of all, it was your weed.

It was sufficient to say you were Tom Holland’s least enthusiastic fan. And it was rather unfortunate, because you were a big stan of the MCU—and secretly loved getting high and watching and re-watching the spider-man movies the most. Okay, don’t make that face. They have a good storyline.

It was a regular Friday night, you were aimlessly scrolling through your phone while Harrison and Tom were getting ready to go pub hopping. Harrison always invited you, but you never took him up on his offer because you knew how flirty you got with alcohol in your system and wouldn’t dare feel that way around Tom. He was notorious for taking anything nice you said about him and rubbing it in your face for at least a week after. 

“You know you secretly love me, babe.”

You hated when he called you babe, and he knew it. But since you’d both grown up, time had done you both a favor, and there was always an air of something you couldn’t quite place your finger on whenever you interacted...the pet name just made it more interesting.

“Hey, y/n, are you sure you don’t want to come out with us?” Harrison yelled from outside your bedroom door, and you peeked your head out to respond.

“Nah, it’s fine, Haz, go have fun. I have enough uni work to keep me busy.”

“It’s a Friday night, nerd.”

You stuck your tongue out at him and smiled. “Sorry I’m not a budding alcoholic like you, big bro.”

He laughed, blew you a kiss, and he and Tom were off.

Only about an hour later, you decided to take a break from studying and light up a joint, turning on your go-to movie for background noise- but were snapped out of your vibey trance when you heard the front door swing open, and your brother’s loud, drunk voice.

“W-why are we h-home, you div,” he slurred, as his heavy footsteps start to climb the stairs. After a long moment, you heard him collapse on his bed through your thin walls, still stammering out his words. “Thomas, I promise you, I am fineeee...”

“Mate, you’re sloshed. Go to bed.”

You decided to leave them be. This was a typical occurrence- one of the boys went too hard too early, and the other had to babysit until they made it home to pass out cold, usually on the bed, or the couch, or on a good day, the floor.

A few minutes passed while you hotboxed your room, feeling amazingly relaxed, until you saw your doorknob wriggling out of the corner of your eye. Your door was locked, so you ignored it. But the knob kept twisting and falling back in place, making the whole frame shake. After a long while of witnessing a ghost try to make its way into your room, you watched your lock turn slowly and click out of place, the door creaking opened to reveal Tom, swatting at the air when a cloud of smoke greeted him.

You snapped your laptop closed before he could hear his own voice flowing out of your speakers. “Tom, for the last time, stop picking my fucking lock!” You beamed your nearest pillow at him—which he caught before it struck him—and he threw it back, hitting you square in the face. Of course.

He flashed a cocky smile. “Why? It’s so easy.”

You rolled your eyes. “I’m serious! I could’ve been naked or something!”

He just stood in the doorframe, giving you a once-over in your thin cotton t-shirt and yoga pants, and kept that smug expression locked on his face. 

“Ew, Tom, you’re disgusting. Get out.”

He decidedly did not get out, instead closing the door behind him and hopping up next to you on your bed, the divot in your mattress leaving your bodies pressed much too close together. You were met with a strong whiff of his cologne and the gin he must’ve been drinking earlier. “I’ll take that,” he muttered as he lifted your joint out of your fingers and took a puff, sucking his breath in as his lungs filled. 

Your stomach filled with a dull fire and you narrowed your eyes. “Do you mind?”

He turned to face you and blew a big puff of smoke directly into your face, the notorious smirk making its reappearance. “Not at all, thanks for asking though.”

You groaned aloud. “What are you doing in here?” he took another draw and handed you back what was rightfully yours, smoke dissipating from his mouth as he spoke.

“Haz is pissed and I’m bored.”

You relit the bud and inhaled for a long while, figuring you’d need to be pretty intoxicated to not smack him in the face if he tried to talk again. “Well, go be bored somewhere else. I was busy.”

He cocked an eyebrow at you and reached across your lap for your computer. “Doing what?” 

Oh shit. “Dude, can you not-?!” you yelped, but he had swiped it too quickly out of your grasp, and opened it up to find himself paused on your screen. You laid back on your bed so he couldn’t see your cheeks now flushed with embarrassment and grabbed your lighter from your nightstand. It was going to be a long evening.

He leaned himself over to catch your eye and had the stupidest, most prideful look plastered across his face. “Gotcha.”

You punched him in the arm as he erupted into laughter—but the anger inside you had been dulled by the weed and replaced with a childlike silliness—and you started to giggle, too. You looked up into his eyes, pupils now wildly dilated and tinted red around the edges.

“Shut up, Tom, you’re high,” you said in between chuckles.

“Yeah? Well so are you!”

You poked fun at each other for a while, suddenly in a mutually fantastic mood. You knew in the back of your mind that none of this would be happening if you hadn’t gotten stoned together, but you enjoyed the warm company anyway. 

“Well, you gotta finish it, don’t you?” he said, settling back down and fixating the computer on his lap so you could both see it.

“You really want to watch your own movie?”

“Doll, it’s my favorite thing to do.” he smiled at you.

“God, you’re the worst.” you felt some butterflies make an entrance in your chest that had never been there before.

He pressed play and cozied up on your bed, lying back against the wall with his arm lazily draped behind you. You pulled a blanket up onto your lap and had really no choice but to lean on him for support, neither of you admitting out loud that you were full on cuddling and not angry about it.

“Hey, aren’t you gonna share?” he whined, pulling at the corner of your blanket.

“Get your own,” you responded, internally high-fiving yourself for finally getting the chance to sass him back. Sure, you had your head comfortably resting on his shoulder, but that didn’t mean you were suddenly friends.

You let the movie play, the two of you blowing through the joint until it was a dwindling nub. The scene where Peter has his big kiss with MJ started, and you stifled a snigger as their lips met on the screen.

Tom had clear offense laced through his words. “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing,” you shrugged.

He sat up to look at you, eyebrows knit together in an angry pout. “Tell me.”

“I just...feel bad for Zendaya, that’s all.” you covered your mouth to keep from laughing, and his eyes rolled so far back into his head you were sure they’d be stuck that way forever.

“You’re such a brat,” he started, his ego finding its old place back in his voice. “I’m an amazing kisser. She told me herself.”

You looked away from him, taking a heavy exhale. “Yeah, whatever, dude.”

He sat even more upright and paused the movie, taking hold of your shoulder to make you turn to him. “What, you don’t believe me?”

You realized then how physically close you had gotten, as you could feel the syllables of his words in his breath hitting your face. He was doing that thing boys do, when they’re thinking about kissing you but don’t- their stares going back and forth between your lips and your eyes in a not so subtle way. It freaked you out to see him that close and personal, and you whispered back exactly what you knew would irk him the most.

“Nope.”

He moved his face impossibly closer to yours, and you felt his soft lips lightly brush over your own. You weren’t sure if this was real, or just a high hallucination, but you didn’t move away. This was entirely uncharted territory.

“Tooommmm!” you heard Harrison yell out from the other side of the wall. “Where are yooouuu?! I’m so thirsty!” Tom immediately jerked his head away from you and shook himself out of the moment. You brought your hand up to your cheek and shuddered at how hot it had become- your own body was betraying you.

“God, he’s gonna be the death of me,” Tom said, shoving himself off the bed and walking out of your room, glancing back at you for a moment and then closing the door behind him. Just like that, he was gone, and you were left trapped in your own psyche wondering what the hell had just happened.

Over the course of the next week, things has become exponentially weirder between you and Tom. He seemed to be spending much more time at your house than he normally did, even sleeping a few nights there instead of driving the five minutes back to be in his own bed. One unsuspecting morning, you knocked on your bathroom door, annoyed that it had been shut for such a long time. 

“Haz, if you use up all the hot water again, I’m gonna kill you,” you said in between knocks. You were taken by surprise when it swung open, steam billowing out into the cool air.

“Whoops,” you heard a voice say, immediately realizing it wasn’t your brother. You took a step backward to see Tom emerge, wearing nothing but a towel loosely wrapped around his waist. His hair was damp and clinging to his forehead, and he looked like some glowing magazine model. 

“Uh, sorry,” you stammered, accidentally inhaling the yummy smell of his soap and shampoo emanating off of his skin.

He noticed you eyeing him and a sly grin appeared as he rolled his bottom lip under his teeth. “Shower’s all yours, babe,” he said, bumping your shoulder with his own as he walked away. You were stuck in place and didn’t see him glancing back at you as he wandered down the hallway. 

Another day after that, Tom and Harrison were looking for a certain record to play, but it was nowhere to be found. “It might be in y/n’s room,” Harrison said, sitting back in his lounge chair. “Wanna go grab it?”

Tom coughed. “Why do I have to get it?”

“Because I’m comfortable.”

Tom felt a mix of annoyance and nerves in his chest as he walked the short distance down the hallway to your room where the door was already cracked open. He invited himself in—excitement faltering a little when he saw you weren’t in your usual spot on your bed—and started to sift through your bookshelves.

You had been in the bathroom getting dressed after your shower, but realized you left your shirt in your closet- and seeing that Harrison’s bedroom door was still shut, you figured it was safe to run across the landing into your room without anyone seeing you. In just a bra and spandex shorts that left little to the imagination, you swiftly made your way across the hall and walked through your door that was still open a crack to see Tom kneeled down as he shuffled through your record collection.

He heard your small gasp when you entered to find him, and swiveled around to you standing only a few feet away from him in the least amount of clothing he’d ever seen on you. He abruptly stood up but didn’t move, eyes sparkling as they rolled down your body.

“What the fuck! Why are you always in my room?!” You were too shocked to think about finding something to cover yourself with, and put your hands over your face, trying not to die of embarrassment. Tom remained glued to his place on your carpet, clearly at a loss for words.

“Tom, can you leave please-”

“Right, yeah, okay, uh, bye-” he hurried out of your room, swinging the door almost shut but leaving just a crack so he could speak into it.

“...I like your shorts.”

“TOM!”

He chuckled and closed the door, and you slumped against the wall, still holding your head in your hands. What was this sudden hold he had over you? And why did you love the way that he was staring at you?

That night, you had a big paper to complete, and you were perched in your bed typing away as it got dark. In between two songs on your playlist, you heard the familiar jiggle of a doorknob. Looking up over your screen, you watched as the metal turned in its socket, and heard a soft “crushed it” as the lock undid itself. Your door opened steadily and slowly, a familiar face peeking in at you.

“Hi.”

“Oh sweet jesus,” you mumbled.

“You busy?”

“Clearly.”

“Cool.” Tom let himself into your room, shutting the door behind him and sauntering over to your bed, sitting down next to you, bouncing like a little kid and singing his words. “Whatcha doooin’?”

“Homework,” you said, continuing to type and trying your best to ignore the way the sound of his voice was waking up something electric inside of you. He leaned into your body to peer at your computer screen, pretending to be interested in whatever you were writing about. His elbow got in the way of your hands, and you had to stop typing.

“Thomas, is there something I can help you with?”

“Haz is asleep,” he said, resting his head on your shoulder like it hadn’t been a week since your almost-kiss and you hadn’t been actively avoiding bringing it up.

You felt jittery. “And?”

He gently pushed your hands away from the keyboard and closed your laptop shut, giving you a sheepish smile. “Wanna get high?”

Honestly, you did.

You turned on your lamp and turned off the overhead light, put on that record he finally found, lighting a candle and then another hand-rolled blunt. This time, Tom sat upright with you perpendicular to him, your legs swung over his lap. When he made a joke, he’d give your leg a little squeeze- and whether it was purposeful or not, you were filled with schoolgirl nerves every time it happened.

All the angsty barriers built up over years of a sibling-like rivalry had come down between the two of you as you smoked together; you suddenly found all of his bad jokes funny, and he couldn’t peel his eyes away from the cute way you scrunched your nose when you laughed. Every time you exchanged the blunt, you couldn’t help but think about how his lips had just been on it a moment before yours. The night came and went, and you ended up falling asleep wrapped in his arms as he dozed off with his chin pressed to your forehead.

You both woke up at the same time in the dead of night, unsure of how late it had gotten. Still nestled into each other, you exchanged sleepy glances and no words, taking a moment to realize the position you had put yourselves in. 

Tom grazed your jawline with the back of his hand and lifted up your chin with his thumb. You let your eyes flutter shut and he kissed you in the dark for one long, everlasting moment. He pulled back from you hesitantly, leaving you breathless. Did that really just happen?

“We...we can’t,” he whispered, his words tinged with sadness.

Your heart broke for him just hearing his voice. “Why not?”

“You’re my best friend’s little sister, y/n.”

“And you’re my brother’s best friend. So what?” you were almost upset with yourself for being so vulnerable; so visibly pining after him.

“So, you’re off limits,” he said, resting his forehead against yours. 

“Says who?” 

That prompted Tom to meet your gaze again, and this time you took initiative, moving your face to his and taking his bottom lip in between yours. He took a sharp inhale as you kissed him and seemed to let all inhibition go as he put his arms around your back and pressed you into him hard, all of his pent up feelings for you suddenly flowing out of him. He kissed you in a needy, desperate kind of way, and you loved every second of it. You ran your fingers through his hair, traced his jawline, using your hands to feel every bit of him that you couldn’t before. The strangest part of it all was how natural it felt- like you had been practicing for this very moment all your lives. 

Your record had stopped spinning a while ago, the room now filled with just the breathy noises of your kisses, your contented hums and his tiny mews when you bit his lips. You were both still barely lucid, and after countless minutes of nothing but innocent kisses, you were on the brink of falling asleep again, serotonin whisking you away into dreams. Tom sighed into you, and clasped his hand around yours.

“I have to go.”

“What? Why?” you felt your heart preeminently sink in your chest; like you should’ve known this was too good to last.

“I don’t want him to wake up and find us here,” he trailed off, staring down at your intertwined fingers fiddling together.

“So that’s it?” you tried to swallow back the sudden upwell of feelings inside you.

“No, no...” his eyes filled with some type of emotional strain you’d never seen. “I- I don’t want this to be it. But I don’t want things to get...messy.”

Unfortunately, you couldn’t blame him, because you understood.

“Can you come back tomorrow night?” you whispered, very not ready to let his spot next to you grow cold.

“I don’t know...”

You looked up at him doe-eyed, cooing. “Please?”

He nodded, looking away from you before he completely caved and stayed there forever. “I’ll come back.”

He pressed one last kiss onto your lips and slowly got up, reluctantly letting go of your hand as he left your room. “Goodnight, babe.”

Hearing him call you babe, finally free of demeaning sarcasm, made your heart soar. 

“Goodnight, Tom.”

The door shut and you were left alone, the stillness of your room sticking out in sharp contrast with how quickly your heart was racing.

For the next few nights, Tom spent the evenings at your house with Harrison, waiting until he fell asleep to make his way next door to you. You’d smoke together, watch his movies—and in heated moments got a little handsy—but you never went past kissing, though you both desperately wanted to. It was too risky having your brother right next door; and you knew all too well how paper thin your walls were. But in those secretive hours after solar midnight, just being able to exist next to Tom and letting him hold you, you were the happiest you could ever remember being. The second night he left your room to let you sleep, he placed a light kiss on your forehead after he stood up that made the whole thing feel a little too...real.

The next day, you walked into the kitchen and found Harrison at the fridge. You were in a great mood for obvious reasons but couldn’t let it show. “Hey, got any fun plans today?”

He turned around after shoving a handful of grapes in his mouth. “Nope, got some admin stuff to do and gonna turn in early.”

“Oh, Tom isn’t coming over?”

“No, I told him to take a night off. He’s been smothering me, y’know?” he laughed and ate a few more grapes, but then turned to you, confused. “Since when do you care if he’s coming over?”

You swallowed, unsure of what to say. “Just want to know if I need to stay out of the way,” you faked a laugh and blinked hard, hoping he wasn’t paying too much attention to your facial expressions.

“Uh, alright then. You two are always so fuckin’ weird around each other.” He seemed to feel that was a good way to end your exchange and walked out of the kitchen, throwing a grape at you.

You rolled your eyes at your brother, but then felt the sadness bubble up upon registering that you weren’t going to see Tom tonight. But really, how long did you think you could keep this up? The feelings you were developing for him scared you, you didn’t know what to make of them; all you knew was that your days suddenly seemed much grayer without him.

Nighttime came around, and you couldn’t sleep, so you did the unthinkable and sent Tom a text. Your thumb shook as you hit send, knowing that there was now tangible evidence of the connection you’d developed, that it wasn’t just some invention of your mind.

hey, are you awake?

T: yeah, can’t sleep. you?

obviously, i just texted you.

T: shut it.

A minute passed...

T: got room for one more over there?

You smiled like an idiot at your phone.

maybe.

Less than 10 minutes later, you heard the familiar wriggle of your doorknob. You don’t know why you even bothered locking it anymore.

“Hey you,” he whispered, carefully shutting the door behind him.

“Tom, you know you could’ve just knocked and I would’ve let you in- you don’t have to keep picking the lock.”

“Old habits die hard.”

You chuckled and stood up to greet him at your door as he unexpectedly wrapped you in an amazingly tight hug. He rested his chin on top of your head and started to sway your bodies back and forth. You laid your head on his chest and said hello to his heartbeat.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it was almost hard to fall asleep without you,” he murmured, placing another one of those domestic kisses on your scalp.

“Well, now you don’t have to.” you smiled. He waddled you backwards to your bed and you sat down as your legs hit the bedframe, prompting Tom to fall onto you as you giggled into his body that was now covering your face.

“Okay, goodniiight,” he said, refusing to move. You poked at his sides making him jump, and he grabbed your waist and rolled you on top of him. You instinctively leaned down so your lips could clash together in the way you were so used to, trying hard to not confess that you’d completely fallen in love with him when you finally had the breath to speak. He pushed your hair to cascade to one side of his face, and nuzzled your nose with his own, closing his eyes and humming with a smile. “Mmm.”

“Hmm?”

“Just happy.”

You rested your sleepy head on his warm chest, and fell into a deep sleep, letting the steady drumming in his chest be a metronome to breathe to.

~

“Oh, shit. Shit shit shit.”

You woke up abruptly, the bright light of day blinding you as you tried to open your eyes to the string of expletives you’d just heard come from a familiar voice. Once you’d opened them, though, you wish you had kept them shut so you hadn’t seen who had spoken.

“Harrison?!”

He was standing in your room, peering at you with hands half covering his eyes when you realized that there was a sleeping Tom underneath you.

Your brother paced in a circle and exhaled loudly. “Tell me I’m not seeing what I’m seeing.”

You nudged Tom awake with your elbow and immediately rolled off of him, trying to hide the very obvious fact that you had slept together all night. You never let him stay the full night for this exact reason, but he had been so ridiculously happy holding you in his arms that he forgot to set an alarm to wake him at the crack of dawn and leave. You sat up straight in your bed, twisting your hair in your hands, bracing yourself for the inevitable tirade.

Tom picked his head up to see Harrison standing there with his arms crossed, and flopped his head back on the pillow. “Fuck. Hey, mate.” He tried to play it off like this was the most normal thing that could happen on a Thursday morning.

“Is this why you’re always such bumbling fools around one another? You’ve been, what, fucking each other when I’m not around?” Harrison looked like he wanted to throw up at the thought.

“Haz, no, it’s not like that,” you said, but he didn’t seem convinced. “It’s just been smoking together and cuddling, really, that’s it,” you were torn between wanting to console your brother and admitting to both him and Tom that this was more to you than that. But Tom already knew that, because it was for him, too.

Tom looked like a deer in headlights. “I’m so sorry, dude-”

Harrison walked out of the room, and the two of you were left sitting in your bed, worry filling your eyes. Only a moment later, your brother reappeared in the doorway.

“Look, you idiots, I don’t care that you’re snuggling off the clock—you’re my two favorite people in the world, and to see you together, honestly, it’s about damn time,” he started, making both your and Tom’s jaws fall slightly agape. You exchanged a knowing look. Wait, is he not mad? Wait, about damn time??

“But I wish you would’ve told me so we could all hang out together. I don’t appreciate the sneaking around.” 

You cocked your head at him, sending him a loving gaze for always just wanting what’s best for you. 

“I’m just mad you aren’t including me in your hotbox sessions, really.” He laughed and ran his hands through his hair, pulling his face back to make a wild expression.

All three of you started to chuckle out of sheer awkwardness and relief.

“Come here.” Harrison held his hands out and you both gave a mutual aww as you ran into your brother’s arms, squeezing him tight.

“I love you, big bro.”

“I know. Now I’m gonna get out of here before you start kissing in front of me, or worse,” he moaned, swiftly exiting your room. “This is gonna be the grossest thing I’ve ever seen...” you heard him say to himself as he left.

You turned to Tom, still shocked at how well that had gone considering what he was assuming would happen. You swallowed the butterflies that you’d welcomed as friends and stepped back to him still sitting on the bed, putting your arms around his neck.

“And you,” you started, swinging your legs over his lap to straddle him. “I have to confess something.”

Tom placed his hands back on your hips where they rightfully belonged and smiled at you. “I’m listening.���

“I don’t mind you calling me babe anymore.” you grinned at his face drop, obviously assuming that you were going to say something else.

“Oh, and why’s that?” he prodded.

You looked up and off to the side as you squeezed his shoulders. “Maybe because I’m just a tad bit in love with you,” you trailed off, stiff as a board at what he could possibly say next.

“Well, babe,” he put emphasis on the pet name, “That’s a relief, because I was worried I might be the only one falling here.”

You grabbed his face and kissed him, kneading his soft cheeks under your thumbs, whispering exactly what you knew would get him the most.

“Nope.”

[hangovercurse]

Ice Cold Pool

Part v of the Without You series: Colson and Y/N try to return to normal, but they still don’t know what normal actually is.

Colson x Reader

Warnings: Cursing (as per usual), substance use, people not following social distancing guidelines.

A/N: Seriously guys, wear your masks, social distance, etc. I really wanna go to a concert sometime in the next 2 years.

Word Count: 2743

| i | ii | iii | iv | vi | 

masterlist

It had been 4 weeks since you and Colson had made the agreement to just be friends. Obviously, there were some hiccups in this plan. Most notably that hanging around Colson reminded you of all the reasons you loved him in the first place, and thus all the reasons you shouldn’t hang around him.

You were glad to be back to somewhat normal. You could hang around your friends without feeling too much tension, you could talk to Casie (who wanted to know everything that happened), and you could smoke again.

That last one you probably shouldn’t have been so happy about, but after a month without weed, you needed it.

Of course, not everything was back to normal. You and Colson weren’t technically… speaking. Yet.

You said simple things to each other, “excuse me,” “thank you,” and even the occasional “bless you” after a sneeze. But you had yet to have an actual conversation since that night. When hanging around the guys, you tried to be as normal as possible, interacting with Colson as little as possible. You didn’t want anyone else to think you felt awkward, because then they would feel awkward and it would be a whole awkward mess.

Tonight, you were hoping to ease some tension between you and Colson. Trippie was releasing the deluxe version of his new album and was having a “covid safe” album release party. All that meant was they would party outside rather than inside and only invite half the amount of people that they normally would.

Against your better judgement, Slim and Baze convinced you to go.

“There’s not even gonna be that many people there.”

“And Trippie would be so upset if you didn’t come.”

“If I go, will you two shut up?”

“Yes.” “Yes ma’am”

“Don’t call me ma’am ever again, Slim.”

So, you made a plan to talk to Colson at some point that night about something other than all of your problems with each other. If and only if the opportunity presented itself.

So, there you were in an oversized Misfits T-shirt that looked like a dress on you and shorts that no one could see, a beer in one hand, and a blunt in the other. You were sitting at the pool edge, your feet dangling in the water, as you talked to Iann Dior about cheese.

You may have been pretty tipsy, but he was worse.

“Cheddar cheese is the worst possible flavor of cheese.” Iann shook his head, laughing.

“Absolutely not. You can put cheddar in dishes, and they taste great. Cheddar makes things taste better. Brie cheese is the worst cheese. It’s literally fucking moldy.” You giggled, taking a swig of your drink.

“You’re both wrong. Feta cheese is the absolute worse and no one will convince me otherwise.” Colson chuckled, sitting next to you.

“There is nothing wrong with feta cheese, you two are just uncultured.” You laughed, the opportunity you needed apparently presenting itself. You took a quick glance at Colson, who was about to dip his feet in the water. “Colson your shoes are still on.”

He looked at you confused, and you realized just how high he was. “So?” he asked and Iann laughed.

“Dude, if you’re gonna put your feet in the water you gotta take your shoes off.”

Colson broke out laughing at Iann’s comment, his whole body shaking with joy. He slipped his shoes off once he finished and dangled his feet of the edge.

“So, you really think cheddar cheese is the best cheese?” He asked, taking a sip of his beer.

“Noooo.” You whined, “I just don’t think it’s the worst kind of cheese. But obviously there are better cheeses.” You kicked your feet up, splashing Colson on accident.

He looked over at you, a mischievous glint in his eye. He reached his hand into the water, splashing water towards you. “Colson!” You squealed, laughing.

You returned the favor by flicking water at his shirt, at which point Iann left. “You get me wet and you die.” He said with a laugh.

Colson then cupped his hands together, bringing water up to your shirt and pouring it all over you, much to your dismay. Luckily, your shirt was black, but the water was still freezing. “Bro.” You pouted, looking over at Colson. He was smiling, but soon mimicked your pout.

“Aww, I’m sorry. Did the little princess get wet?” Your eyes went wide, and you slapped his chest. He grabbed your hand, pulling it up so you couldn’t hit him and accidentally pulling you closer to him. “I didn’t mean it like that!” He laughed, his hand intertwining with yours as he brought it back down.

“Colson…” You trailed off, warning him. He pouted, a sigh leaving his lips as he unlocked your fingers.

“Sorry, forgot I’m not supposed to do that.” You smiled a little, glad that things were slowly becoming normal. “I wanna go for a swim.” He changed the topic, standing up and pulling his shirt off.

“Colson it’s freezing. You’re gonna get sick.” You looked at him with wide eyes but a giggle falling from your mouth.

“Guess someone has to come in to keep me warm.” He shrugged, tugging his shorts down his legs so he was just in his boxers.

It was only at this point that you realized he was very drunk. A few moments later you felt the cold water splash your face as Colson jumped into the pool near you, coming up and running his hand through his hair.

He made his way back over to you, reaching for the beer that he left on the side of the pool. He half-stood in front of you, a needy smile on his face. “Get in the water with me Y/N.” He dragged out the last syllable of your name, causing you to roll your eyes.

“There is no way in hell I am getting in that water.” You chuckled, taking a hit of the joint in your hand.

Colson pouted, taking the blunt from you and smoking it himself. “I guess I could always just pull you in.” He grabbed your thighs and you moved backwards, fighting him.

“Colson, I don’t have a change of clothes, I’ll be cold.” You tried to squirm out of his grip, giggling.

“You can just wear my shirt or something. Someone will have something.” He shrugged, pulling you into the water.

“Colson!” You squealed before your entire body was encased in the cold liquid.

“Too late.” He said, a cheeky smile on his face. His arms wrapped around you as you turned to face the edge, ready to get out. “Noooo, you’re already in here.” He whined, dragging you towards his chest.

“Colson, it’s freezing. We need to get out.” You said, turning your head to face him.

“I don’t want to. This is the closest I’ve been to you in weeks. I just wanna enjoy this for a moment.” His head rested on top of your head, and you let yourself fall back into his chest.

You had to admit, you did miss his playfulness and his touch, and you really hadn’t been this close to him in a while. But you knew he wouldn’t be doing any of this if he wasn’t both drunk and stoned out of his mind.

You sighed, knowing you needed to end the moment, if not for your own sanity. “C’mon Col, we can’t do this. Let’s get out.”

He groaned. “We did this when we were friends before, how is this any different from that?”

You made your way to the edge of the pool. “It just is Colson.” You sighed, trying to mask the anger in your voice. You tried to pull yourself up to sit on the edge of the pool, but you couldn’t quite make it the first time. Colson, of course, took it upon himself to help you, grabbing your hips lightly to lift you up. He got out and sat next to you, both of you soaking wet.

He reached over and grabbed the shirt he was wearing earlier, passing it to you. “Here, so you don’t get sick.” He seemed to be sobering up, probably due to the cold water.

“Thanks.” Your voice was hushed, your cheeks burning with a blush that you couldn’t explain. It’s just a shirt, you told yourself. You stood up, preparing yourself to find somewhere private to change.

“Where are you going?” Colson asked, looking up at you.

“To change.” You said bluntly. “I can’t exactly strip in front of 40 people.”

Colson nodded, standing up next to you, pulling his shorts on. “Where are you going?” You asked him, a small smile on your face.

“Wherever you are.” He smiled and you rolled your eyes.

“Okay, I guess I can use you to clear my path inside.” You chuckled, starting to walk towards the crowd of people near the doors of the house. As you moved through the crowd you found yourself instinctively reaching back for Colson’s hand, not wanting to lose him as you moved through the crowd. He happily took the hint and moved closer to you, his free hand resting on your hip to help guide you to the doors, though you didn’t mind as much as you should have.

You made your way through the open glass door, suddenly very self-conscious about the clothes you were wearing and the fact that you were soaking wet. “Bathroom is this way.” Colson mumbled into your ear as the loud music blasted around you. The hand on your hip led you down a small hallway until you found the open bathroom.

You went in, turning to close the door when you saw Colson had followed you in. “I gotta change, Kells. You can’t be in here.”

“Woah woah woah.” He started, clearly offended, “You never call me Kells. That’s not allowed.” You giggled, rolling your eyes. “And I’ll just… look away.” He covered his eyes with his hands, moving his fingers to form a gap.

“Colson, seriously,” You laughed, “turn around.” He thankfully did as told, and you quickly removed the Misfits shirt you were previously wearing and replaced it with his long sleeve pink shirt. It wasn’t quite as long as the other one you were wearing, but it still went down to your upper thigh and the sleeves went far enough past your wrist for permanent sweater paws. Unfortunately, this meant you would have to keep your wet shorts on.

Upon realizing this, you let out a sigh of disappointment. “What?” Colson questioned, still facing the wall.

“You can look now.” He turned around. “It’s not as long as mine.” You pouted, stretching your arms out for him to see before flopping them back down to your sides.

Colson chuckled, “I really don’t see the problem, Y/N.”

You glared playfully, “I have to wear my wet fuckin shorts.” You whined, a pout on your lips.

“I meannn, you don’t have to.” Colson said, playfully. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding! But I don’t know what to do to help you.”

You let out a dramatic sigh, looking off into the distance. “I’m not giving you my pants, Y/N.” Another dramatic sigh. “Okay fine we’ll just go to his laundry room and through them in the dryer, okay?”

“See, you do know what to do to help me.” You smiled, grabbing your wet shirt and pushing Colson out of the bathroom.

The laundry room in Trippie’s house was surprisingly small, given his house was a small mansion. You were able, however, to close the door and pull off your wet clothes. Colson threw your shirt in the dryer as well.

You hopped up onto the washer, your legs dangling off. “You don’t have to stay, Colson.” You told him, knowing he probably wanted to rejoin the party.

“I’m good. This is much more fun than whatever’s going on out there.”

You laughed, “waiting for my clothes to dry? Whatever, loser.”

He moved towards you, his stomach touching your knees. “I’ve missed this.” He said, softly. You met his eyes with your own. “Just us doing stupid shit. Being friends.”

“We’re still friends, Cols.” You smiled, tilting your head to the side.

He sighed, “Yeah but we haven’t really been friends since…” He trailed off, but you knew what he meant. “Not real friends, at least.”

You sighed, trying to decide what you wanted to say. “I’m sorry about that. I just needed a little bit of space and it never felt like the right time to… talk. Like if we started talking in a group everyone would just think it’s weird.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” his hand reached out to touch your waist. “If anything, I should be apologizing. It’s my fault we’re stuck in this weird limbo shit anyways. I was honestly afraid the guys would kill me if I talked to you.”

“Well, good thing it’s not up to the guys anymore.” Your voice got soft as you realize how close your faces had gotten. “And we can be normal friends again.” You added.

Colson looked down. “Yeah, normal friends.” He tried to hide the disappointment in his voice but failed miserably.

“Colson, we’re just friends, right?” You asked, trying to convince yourself more than him.

He nodded, “Yeah, we’re just friends.” He looked up and met your eyes, and you could see the emotions in his crystal blue eyes. “But I don’t know that I can just be friends.” His voice was soft, making your heart sink deeper.

His head was inches away from yours, his nose almost touching your own. He leaned his head to the side, his eyes traveling your face. His lips were millimeters from yours. “Tell me that you don’t want this, and I’ll walk out right now.”

“I…” You couldn’t form a sentence with his lips so close to your own. “We shouldn’t.” You whispered.

“That’s not what I asked.” He paused, touching his nose to yours lightly. When he spoke, you could feel his words on your lips. “Do you want me to kiss you right now?”

You couldn’t answer him for a few seconds. “I don- I don’t know Colson.” You breathed out, leaning your forehead against his.

Part of you was hoping he would take matters into his own hands and just kiss you, but the other part of you knew you would regret anything that happened right now.

He jerked his head away from you, a frown etched across his face. “When are you gonna make up your goddamn mind? I can never figure out where I’m at with you.” His voice raised slightly, making you jump. “One minute we’re not even talking and the next you’re holding my fucking hand at a party. You say we’re just friends and then don’t say no when I ask if you want me to kiss you. Like what the fuck is this?” He ranted, causing your grip on the edge of the washer to tighten.

“Colson, I told you. I need time to figure all of this out. It doesn’t just happen overnight.” You tried to keep your voice calm.

“It’s been weeks, Y/N. How long do you need?”

Confusion took over your features, and then anger. “Colson do you even realize what you did? Honestly, you’re fucking lucky I even wanted to be friends. You kind of screwed me up, really bad. So, excuse me for needing time to figure out if you’re worth it or not.” Your eyes fell to the floor, suddenly very self-conscious of all the things Colson had said to you 2 months ago.

Colson scoffed, backing away from you, “Well honestly it would be a lot easier if we weren’t friends.” His words were harsh, and you were reminded that he wouldn’t change, not really. “Y/N I didn’t mean it like that.” His voice became soft, but it was already too late.

You hopped off the machine, pushing past him and pulling your damp shirt and shorts out of the dryer. With your back facing him, you pulled your shorts on and then took his shirt off, replacing it with your own.

“Y/N I’m sorry I jus-“

“No, Colson. I’m sorry. I keep forgetting that my existence seems to be the bane of yours.” You shove his shirt into his chest. “You don’t have to worry about me anymore.” You walked out of the small room and through the house, determined to call a cab home.

[explosionshark]

43. "Are you drunk?"

For pricefield or amberpricefield?

“Are you drunk?” Max keeps her gaze locked down the viewfinder of the camera, not allowing herself to glance back or give away she’d overheard. There’s been so much squabbling this afternoon, and it’s a challenge every time to do her job without obviously eavesdropping.

“What are you a cop?” Oh. Oh no. “Cause if you are, you have to tell me.”

“Chloe,” Max sighs, dropping the camera down to her chest and twisting around to see Chloe leaning heavily on a banquet table in front of an irate looking woman in a puffy dress.

“Actually, she doesn’t,” Rachel pipes in from Chloe’s elbow. “That’s a common misconception.”

“What?” Chloe says, frowning. “No, dude, on TV--”

“An undercover cop doesn’t have to tell you they’re a cop,” Rachel insists.

“Rachel, you know I’m a pharmacist,” the woman interrupts, looking confused.

“I mean, I do, but Chloe just met you and--”

“There you two are,” Max isn’t sure that interrupting is the best move, but the gradual reddening of the older woman’s face is reasonable enough evidence that it’s at least not a bad one. “Can you, uh, give me a hand? With some equipment? Outside?”

Apparently, she sounds urgent enough to really sell it, since Rachel and Chloe follow her without any additional convincing. Max waits until they’re just outside the venue to turn back and address them.

“Well?”

“Babe, that’s not even our car,” Chloe says gently, gesturing to the limo pulled up to the curb. “It’s too big, see?”

Okay, so. Chloe’s definitely drunk.

“Rachel, can you--” Max glances over in time to see Rachel sway at the lip of the curb, almost stumbling before she grabs Chloe’s shoulder for balance. She catches Max looking and grins, eyes bright and faintly bloodshot. “Are you drunk too?”

“No way, Max,” Rachel says. “We decided it’d be a bad idea if we both got drunk, so I only had like one glass of champagne.”

“Oh thank--”

“I am a little stoned though,” Rachel confides in a low whisper, leaning in close to Max’s ear, warm arms wrapped around Max’s shoulders. “Like, a tiny bit.”

“You guys--”

“It’s not our fault,” Chloe protests. “You dragged us out here and then ditched us with no one to talk to.”

“You could talk to each other,” Max points out.

“We did!”

“Yeah, we talked about how boring it was and how we needed to get drunk--”

“-- not drunk, just high--”

“Drunk and/or high to deal,” Chloe amends gamely and is rewarded with a grateful kiss to her cheek from Rachel.

“Rachel, we’re surrounded by your entire family,” Max points out. “It’s your cousin’s wedding.”

“Exactly,” Rachel snorts. “No one to talk to. Max, this sucks.”

“Ugh, I know,” Chloe whines. “God, like, the music? Why so much Polka?”

“I literally do not know,” Rachel laughs. “We’re not even Polish?”

The worst part of the whole situation is how cute Max thinks they are, despite everything else. Rachel in her pretty dress, shooting silly smiles at Chloe and Max. Chloe, looking dapper in her suspenders, crisp white shirt unbuttoned at some point in the night. Here in the parking lot with the distant crash of the ocean reaching her ears, the soft sparkly lights of the venue filtering out through the windows behind them, Max can’t help but imagine letting them drag her back to the car to drive them home.

She’s tired, has been working since six this morning, setting up and documenting the behind the scenes process for the entire wedding party. As much as she loves photography, will take any jobs that come her way to build her portfolio, weddings are her least favorite. They’re exhausting and intensive, and she has to be invisible while also being keenly aware of how much she stands out, a stranger with a snapping camera weaving between family and friends and co-workers.

But the night is wrapping up. There should only be an hour left, maybe two, and then Max can go home with a neat little paycheck and a few more references for her website, and maybe another gig lined up if Rachel’s grandmother had been serious about her ambitions for those pet portraits she’d asked about earlier.

“If you’ve had enough, I can get a car to take you back to the hotel,” Max breaks in, fishing her phone out of her pocket and opening the rideshare app. 

“Nooo,” Chloe whines, slipping forward to press a messy, sweet kiss to Max’s mouth. “We can’t leave you.”

“God, what kind of shitty girlfriends would we have to be to ditch you at my shitty cousin’s wedding?”

“Even if you did ditch us first,” Chloe points out.

“I’m working,” Max says.

“Still,” Chloe pouts.

“Oh my god,” Max mutters, trying not to smile and failing miserably. Chloe’s pout breaks into a brilliant grin and she laughs, wrapping Max up in a hug so tight it lifts her off the ground. “Camera, camera -- careful.”

“My bad, my bad,” Chloe says, gently placing Max back on the ground and giving the camera a truly unnecessary apologetic pat. “All good.”

“Chloe,” Rachel sighs, shooing Chloe out of the way and stepping into her place to fix Max’s rumpled clothes. She gently smooths the ruffled hair out of Max’s face, straightens her collar and the camera strap around her neck, and cups her face carefully to drop a light kiss to the side of Max’s temple. “Sorry, Max. Can’t mess up your lipstick.”

“It’s fine,” Max says, and it is. Even now, after all this time, any kind of kiss from Rachel still inspires that warm, floaty feeling in Max’s belly.

Rachel takes Max’s hand and squeezes it gently. “Okay, look. You can head back inside. We’re gonna behave.”

“Yeah, don’t worry about us,” Chloe nods. “We’re gonna tear it up at behaving. You won’t believe it.”

“So behaved.”

“Go do your thing, Maximilian,” Chloe says. “We’ll cool it til you’re done.”

“You sure?” Max checks again, receiving tandem nods in response. “Look, you didn’t hear it from me, but the caterers are going to restock those little cheese puff things in like fifteen more minutes.”

“Well, you’ll know where to find us,” Rachel says, tugging Chloe after her back into the venue. “Love you, Max.”

“Love you too,” Max says, pausing in the doorway to watch them disappear into the crowd. She grips the camera tighter, slipping around to get a better vantage on the dance floor, feeling warmer and lighter than before.

enjoy my work? wanna leave a tip?

ko-fi / cashapp

[joshslater]

Bulk Bucket

Similar stories and bonus material on my Patreon.

"Time's up, Parker" Ronan Parker felt a firm grip on his arm from someone who had walked up behind him and was now steering him. It was Seth Dale from the football team, though Ronan could never remember what position he played. Sport wasn't a big part of his life, and while he knew most of the players, it was mostly to keep up with the latest gossip. He had been big before the summer, but now he was huge. What had he been up to?

"Good news, Parker. We are going to help each other out." Ronan looked to his other side and saw Nigel Wilkinson, running back on the team. He too was way bigger than before. Had they been working out together over the summer? "Yeah," Seth continued, "we asked around, and everyone agreed we wanted you."

They flanked him on either side and walked him around the corner, away from the library he was heading to. "Christina started to call Brennan by the name you came up with, Brawnan. He really wanted you to help us out" Ronan felt a pit in his guts. Wherever this march ended, it would be payback time. Not being athletic enough for any of the teams, or had enough patience to really shine academically, he'd used his street smarts and social skills to be an authoritative voice on who was cool and who was a joke in the school. The jocks had decidedly been on his shit-list. Not because he really disliked them, he didn't know them, but because it was easy to come up with jokes and every other guy, and many of the girls, would happily join in for their own reasons. Some were envious, some rejected the patriarchal idolization, and some were just getting even after years of getting bullied. But now the tax was due.

Ronan didn't even try to resist. Outrun the running back? Even shake out of Seth's grip would be a feat. They exited the main building and walked towards the sports center. Ronan went through hazings he could recall and started to put them in order of suck. Tied to the flag pole would be preferable to being suspended and used as a punching bag. What about stuffed in a locker with smelly training gear? Probably depends on what gear and the size of the locker. He wasn't that big, so he could fit in all the new ones. "You're awfully silent all of a sudden," Nigel said as we crossed the concrete square outside the main building. "You don't have a new joke for us? The one about beef broth was hilarious to some." Ronan remained silent, thinking that was probably the sane thing to do. "Hey, what about the meatloaf one? People used it for weeks," Seth chipped in.

Nigel opened the doors for them, all the way to their locker room. Inside it was the entire team waiting. The moment they entered the happy banter instantly died down to silence as they walked into the room. Ronan got a shock seeing them. He recognized them all, of course, but the muscles they all packed on during the summer was unreal. Impossible even. The room was quite big, but somehow it felt very cramped with a whole football team's worth of large bodies around him. All had gym clothes on, of more or less revealing kinds. The air was damp and there was a smell of sweat and testosterone in the air. All eyes were on him, but he couldn't make out their expressions. It ranged anywhere from triumphant to muted. Jonathan walked up to Nigel with a protein drink shaker. "All there, freshly squeezed" The shaker was milky white plastic, almost opaque, with a dark, green-tinted liquid inside. Nigel gave it a few shakes. It looked to be about two cups of something sloshing around in it.

"Ok, anyone not ready?" Seth asked the room. There was a second of silence. "Let's begin then." Nigel handed over the shaker to Ronan. "Drink up, funny boy". Ronan's mind was racing. What was in the shaker? Were they trying to get him drunk, or to shit himself? He knew one thing, it would be pointless to struggle surrounded by what looked like a spartan army. Hesitantly he opened the cap, put the opening to his lips, and began to sample its contents. It was sour, it was bitter, it was salty, it was sweet, but more than anything it tested of herbs. Like someone had made a herbal smoothie with whatever they found in their garden, plus lime. "Hurry up, all of it" The liquid wasn't as thick as a smoothie, but it wasn't just water either. Ronan emptied the shaker faster, shaking out the last drops at the end as a pretend front of courage. Almost immediately a loud groan came from his intestines. Then another one. "What's that? I didn't really hear you," Seth joked, and got a murmur of laughter from the team.

Ronan felt clammy and sweaty, like the first signs of food poisoning. Apparently it showed as well, as Seth continued "Not feeling well, you say? You should take a seat." Ronan was showed down unto one of the benches by several hands. He was feeling dizzy. "It's working. Get the stone" someone said. From behind someone tied a leather strap with a stone pendant around his neck. Ronan just wanted to take a hot shower, maybe throw up, and go to bed. Sitting down they all looked even more imposing, looking down on him.

"How long until he's ready?" ask someone Ronan maybe recognized as Harry. It was hard to tell with their new bodies. "The fuck do I know, " Nigel responded. "It's not like we've done this before. Let's give it time to make sure it is fully absorbed. We have all afternoon after all."

"Let's show him what we got," Seth said to Nigel. Ronan still felt like shit, but it was kind of stabilizing. He watched as Seth and Nigel removed their shirts to show off their impossibly well-sculpted bodies. They had been regular jocks as they left for summer break, muscled for sure, but no where near this. "Ok, story time while we wait," Nigel started. "So this year the team had its summer camp over at the reservation. Pretty much the same as every year. Even if the location is different, there are the fires, the tents, outdoor sports and such. It's just that one evening one old indian dude showed up. He wasn't part of the organizers, cause we hadn't seen us before or since, but he talked about how you could channel the spirits around us. Nice camp fire story, but not much more to it. Not until a few nights later when a few of us got high and saw... Well, we realized some shit that turned out to actually work. Being a team we all did it, and perhaps a bit too much, since we ended up like this."

"The coach was fucking furious," Seth jumped in. "Turns out we got a bit greedy on strength and got way more pounds to haul across the field than we can win with, so we need to make some adjustments," Nigel concluded. Ronan started to get the picture, though wasn't sure what it would mean for him. Seth continued "We can't just give all of this back. It doesn't work like that, so we were all in agreement that the best bulk bucket to dump all the excess muscle on is you. The way you've run your fucking mouth off all last year, it sounded like a cry for help."

"Fuck it, let's do it now, " Nigel interrupted. He grabbed a wooden stick with both hands, and held it out in front of him. He closed his eyes and appeared to concentrate on something. Ronan could feel the heat building in his legs, and then tiny vibrations, like when you are pushing yourself to your limit and the muscle is about to fail of exhaustion. Then it spread upwards in his body, the heat, the vibrations, and followed by spasms. Nigel stood completely still, eyes closed, and concentrated. Then Ronan saw how Nigel slowly started to shrink. Slowly and subtly, but he was changing. From what he had been told Ronan assumed the opposite was happening to him, but he couldn't really focus enough to register that. His entire body was just a blur of vibrations, heat, and discomfort.

Then it all stopped, almost instantly. Nigel opened his eyes and inspected himself. He still looked amazing, but more appropriate for a football player his age. "Fuck yeah!" Seth exclaimed, and the entire room erupted in cheers and high fives.

"One down and the rest to go. You'll probably feel like shit until everyone who jizzed in your potion is done," Nigel told Ronan, while handing over the stick to Seth.

Ronan was wide awake and was greeted by staring into a pair of pecs as he opened his eyes. It hadn't been a bad dream after all. He really had been in that locker room for hours, getting more and more pumped with muscles as one after the other of the team grabbed the stick and spent some five, ten minutes on transferring muscles over to him. He had felt less and less sick as they progressed, but his heart sunk lower and lower by what was happening to his body. After about a quarter of them he needed to get out of his clothes. His feet hurt the most, but fabric was straining everywhere. He realized he was as buff as any of them, and by the half point he was confident he could kick the shit out of any of them, but to what end? If he ran away they would just continue anyway. Perhaps the pendant was needed, and he could rip that off, but just as Nigel said he was feeling like shit. So he stayed and went from his thin, normal self, through athletic, jock, muscular, swole, to whatever bodybuilding monstrosity he was now.

He didn't cry, that's not the kind of person he was, but he felt like he should as the now recognizable players went through his greatest hits of jock insults, and a whole list of new ones like meatpacker, swole sink, and hunkty dumpty. Harry had brought a roll of stickers from a supermarket saying "USDA Prime" and put one on his chest. After he had removed it he got another one stuck on his back, and to everyone's great amusement he couldn't reach that far back with all his new muscles. Someone had brought some clothes he could actually fit in. A pair of well worn, bulky sneakers, a pair of spandex shorts, and a stringer with the print "Size Matters", all raided from the lost and found at local gyms apparently.

A lot of the players had left after they had adjusted themselves, and the last few of them left just after having thrown the clothes at him. Ronan sat in shock and disbelief for a long while before he got up and put on the scant pieces of clothing, gathered his belongings, and started to head home. He felt off, but wasn't sure how much was residual of the tonic he drank and what was just his new normal. The way his thighs made him waddle and his chest and arm muscles made the arms stand out wouldn't go away just with a night of good sleep.

[masterkief]

request: honestly we need more ryan stuff! literally anything- my favorite stories are ones where the reader & the boy are friends (with benefits maybe idk) and everyone is basically taking bets on whether or not they'll end up together ya know? But I'll take literally anything haha

hiii @cornye-west here’s your request, I really hope you enjoy it. I tried to keep it as close to what you wanted as I could! 🥺👉🏻👈🏻💕

- -

My body was hot. I could feel the sun beating down on my tightly shut eyes and I was trying to ignore the sweat dripping down the nape of my neck. Squeezing my eyes shut tighter I searched for more sleep but couldn’t find it. A headache was beginning to creep its way into my temples giving me no choice but to force open my eyes. Taking in my surroundings I noticed an arm draped over my waist, the hand attached to it gripping my hip. Moving my head to the side, my gaze met a peaceful looking Ryan; his face buried in his pillow. A small smile pulled at my lips, but not very long before an emptiness filled my gut.

I told myself to stop letting this happen...but I always ended up in the same position.

- -

We met through mutual Twitch friends and out of them all Ryan and I clicked the most. Our relationship was the type where we bullied each other to no end. Fake fighting, telling one another we hated the other when clearly we didn’t, etc. But then...things changed. There was a particular night where everyone else had fallen asleep, leaving Ryan and I alone. Not wanting to “disturb them”, Ryan suggested we finish movie night in his room with a sly expression I’ll never be able to forget. Drunk and secretly pining over him, I agreed. One thing lead to another and before I knew it Ryan was behind me telling me how good it felt to “finally” be inside me. Now here we were a year later still randomly waking up together.

Shaking the thought from my already aching head, I slowly removed Ryan’s arm so that I wouldn’t wake him up; tiptoeing from the room for Tylenol. Closing the door quietly, I made my way to the kitchen, looking around at the destruction from last nights “wine and video game” night. Jackson was knocked out half naked on the couch cowboy hat still on, but none of the other boys were where we left them last night.

“Hi Lego.” I whispered to the pup, creeping past him. One of his eyes was open and watching me but he quickly dozed back off into sleep. Lucky him.

Making it to the kitchen without disruption, I searched for the pills; my head pounding.

“Too much wine?”

The sudden voice caught me off guard and I jumped, dropping the pill bottle on the floor.

“Damnit Matt.” I groaned rubbing my head and quickly trying to clean up the scattered pills.

When I stood back up he was leaning against the island, grinning like a fool. My eyebrows pulled together with confusion.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” I questioned, throwing a couple pills in my mouth. “You gotta problem Twatson?”

Matt snickered, pushing himself away from the island to go towards the fridge.

“How could I have a problem with someone who won me $10 last night!?”

My insides clenched and I was frozen in time trying to remember what happened.

“What?” I said blankly, not able to find any memory from last night.

Again Matt snickered as he started to walk past me, leaning in towards my ear.

“You and Ryan.” He whispered. “You guys are in loOoVeEe.”

Almost spitting out my water, I watched as he walked into the living room where Jackson was just now waking up. They high-fived each other and full of confusion I rushed towards them.

“Hold it right there Matthew.” I scolded. “Jackson hold him down.”

Eyes and head still foggy with sleep, all Jackson did was take Matt’s arm in his hand.

“You’re not gonna say the shit you just did in there then leave me hanging.” I growled sitting in Matt’s lap so he couldn’t leave, “Now spill.”

If Matt’s smile got any bigger his face would explode.

“Awh come on Y/N!” Matt moaned, “You really don’t remember?!”

Again I racked my brain, but couldn’t figure out what the hell he was talking about. I stared at him with an open mouth, shaking my head a silent ‘no’. Matt sighed and shoved me off of him so that I was now planted between him and Jackson.

“Jackson help this dang dip out.” Matt ordered stomping towards the kitchen.

“What Matthew’s trying to say,” he exhaled and took his hat off. “Is that we heard you and Ryan last night.”

My stomach dropped and my cheeks burned. Jackson’s eyes widened realizing what I was thinking.

“Oh no no no Y/N.” He chuckled, “Not that!”

I relaxed into the couch, sweat dripping down my neck once again.

“We heard you and Ryan tell each other ‘I love you’!” Matt called from the other room.

My cheeks turned a deeper crimson and I felt like I might puke.

“You’re...you’re joking right?” I choked on my words.

How could I forget telling Ryan I was in love with him?

“Nope.” Matt interrupted my thoughts as he plopped down next to me again, “In fact, we’ve been waiting for it to happen. Hence how I won $10, we took bets!”

Were Ryan and I really that obvious? I mean yeah the guys knew we were close, and randomly hooking up...but we never really made it seem like we were in love? Sure I had feelings for Ryan, how could I not? But for him to feel the same seemed assanine.

“Y/N the guy has it bad for you.” Jackson chimed in as if reading my thoughts.

“No one believed me.” Matt said, “But I know my buddy Ryan. That mope’s been in love with you since he first heard your voice over the mic.”

If my eyes got any wider they’d pop out of my skull.

“‘I wonder if Y/N likes this?’” Matt said trying to imitate Ryan’s voice, “‘I wonder if Y/N has seen this movie, I bet she’d love it.’”

I cleared my throat and resisted the urge to pass out.

“He talks about you the way he talks about the Iron Giant dude, fuckin crazzzy.” Matt continued. “On and on and on.”

Not able to stand it anymore, I let my legs push me up off the couch and towards Ryan’s room; ignoring the cat calls and whistling coming from Matt and Jackson. Slowing down as I approached the door, I stuck a shaky hand out, apprehensive to open it. Slowly turning the knob, I crept back into his room. Ryan inhaled sharply, I obviously woke him up. A sleepy smile formed on his lips and he ran a hand through his hair.

“Morning weeb.” He greeted groggily, pulling himself up into a sitting position on the bed.

I watched him intently, taking everything in. He was trying his hardest to stay awake, the sun coming through the window making him squint in order to see. His nose was scrunched to hold his one eye closed, his perfect teeth glistening in the light. My stomach was fluttering...could I really be in love with him? All this time we spent together and I didn’t even notice. I always had a thing for Ryan but the part of me that wanted to avoid heartbreak blocked out any...deeper feelings. Staying quiet I made my way to the bed. Instead of going to the side where I usually slept though I went to Ryan’s. His eyes were still heavy with sleep, but they followed me...unsure of what I was doing. Climbing onto him, I straddled his hips and let my eyes meet his. Instinctively his hands gripped my hips, his eyes now beginning to wonder down my body. I playfully slapped his cheek and forced him to look back up to my eyes.

“Listen perv.” I leaned forward and whispered into his ear.

As my chest rested against his I could feel his heart pounding. I pulled away and sat back into his lap, my hands resting on his shoulders.

“Did you mean what you said last night?”

Ryan’s eyebrows furrowed and for a second I thought maybe Matt and Jackson had been fucking with me the whole time. I know he could feel my hands getting clammy, my nerves kicking in big time. Swiftly, Ryan lifted me up and backwards off of him, my back meeting the mattress while his body now hovered over me. Tucking stray hair behind my ear, he then ran his thumb across my jawline; tracing. After a moment I propped myself up on my elbows.

“Ryan?”

He stayed silent.

“Ryan, please...” I whimpered, growing impatient.

This was the most awkwardly intimate moment Ryan and I had ever shared. The sex was always rough and fueled by alcohol and pot. I began struggling beneath him, subconsciously readying myself to run when he rejected me. Ryan snickered and squeezed my hips tighter with his knees.

“I love when you struggle Y/N.” He muttered, running a hand through his hair again. “But you know what I love more?”

My head was swirling and I was sure I died and went to heaven. I shook my head “no” and searched his face for an answer. The sly grin he once was showing slowly relaxed into a soft smile. He brushed his thumb over my lips.

“You.” He said, his voice barely audible.

Tears stung at the corners of my eyes and for a second the wave of nausea from before returned. Putting his weight on his knees, Ryan leaned down towards me..his lips ready to meet mine.

“WOOHOOHOO! OWH OWH!” Screaming, followed by loud banging on the other side of the bedroom door ripped us both from our bubble.

“Oh my god they were listening this whole time?” I groaned, covering my face with my hand. “Again?”

Lego’s barking now echoed through the house as Jackson and Matt continued to cheer. I looked back at a very confused looking Ryan, trying to ignore more embarrassment. Just looking at him brought me to an ease, setting all the feelings I had for him in stone.

“I love you Ry.” I cooed, pushing up more so I could meet his lips with mine. “But man I hate your friends.”

[bananaman-mp3]

five

mare runs away and takes injured gisa home, running away because she cant face her mom and dad and- god… poor girl. gisa was the best chance their family had to better conditions… and maybe she didnt tell gisa to do it but she was the one that asked her for help, obviously she would feel all the guilt, all of it.

she settles near a tavern and pickpockets the drunk ppl thats stumble out for a while, because she cant bring herself to go home. one of the men catches her and gives her “a silver tetrarch worth one whole crown”. naturally, mare is completely taken aback. when she asks he says that she needs it more than he does. its nice to see mare is shown kindness at last. its probably really strange for her and that why she has such a hard time thanking him.

so now this mysterious dude asks her if shes from the village and if shes going back. mare makes a show of being a little bastard by retorting like every question he asks is stupid. mare mentions she makes him nervous which hmm.

so he expresses his concern about her making everyone in the bar go bankrupt and offers to… walk her home i guess? and his name is cal! mare keeps giving himthe cold shoulder lmao. on the other hand, this guy seems nice!

she tries to shut him up when he tries to do small talk by mentioning his nice payment, and that brings her to tell him she has no job and will be drafted when she turns 18. he wonders out loud if she really couldnt avoid it. she says stealing is the best she can do, but that gisa has a job- and remembers not anymore. fuck, that hurt huh.

she breaks down and vents about how horrible she feels- for hurting gisa, for stealing from her own people, for everything shes lived through, probably. cal listens, and gives her another coin, tells her how sorry he is and goddamit im already attatched to him. also i made the mistake of opening the book on the last page and read his name yesterday by accident so i have more reasons to keep liking him. ugh.

cal leaves her at the edge of the village- it makes him uncomfortable- and she walks back home alone. she finds her dad outside- apparently for the first time in a while, checking why the powers out. we are reminded of his prosthetic(?) lung, and mare wonders if gisa will need something for her hand too, now.

they both fumble around the utility box to get electricity to work, because it broke. she mentions how both her and her dad are are avoiding her mom, how they are both tired and angry at the world they live in, until mare does something.

ive noticed this before, when she was fleeing the silvers in summerton. there was a vague allusion to the guy that attempted to drown her being electrocuted. im pretty sure it was just the mention of flashing lights or something and then the dude fainting- lemme look it up: “My head smacks the stone bottom and i see stars, sparks, before my vision clears. Every inch of my skin feels electrified.” …huh. not so subtle then, i guess. i knew bc of the description behind the book that she discovers she has powers despite being a red. but wow, electricity, huh? nice.

anyway, back to the read. she says she think she touched an exposed wire and got pricked by the thing, but the porch light lit up. it was definitely her.

she and her dad head back inside, an mare mentions how her mom would be happy hes going out. she also mentions nowadays he repairs trinkets for kids, even if he barely works. he asks her not to tell her mom. he doesnt want to give her hope that hes getting better when hes not. he doesnt think hell ever get better. thats… hm. war really does things to one. she agrees, they both wish things were better.

she feels the impotence again when seeing gisa sleep restlessly with her bandaged hand still over a pile of clothes. and at this point i realize that they probably cant even afford medicine. that hand is hurting like a bitch. and gisa has to try and sleep through it. what the fuck.

mare opens shades letter- oh yeah, that happened, even before kilorns master died -and catches the same phrase farley said in the video on her brothers letter. he is in the scarlet guard. oh…

[elentiyawhitethorn]

Sneaking Around | Chapter Nine

All of the next week passed without any problems. Aelin prided herself on being responsible, especially in the workplace, causing her not to summon Rowan to her office and lock the door. Damned responsibility.

It was now officially one week from Christmas. Work was out until after the holiday. This was Aelin’s favorite time of the year. Now some of the office gang was gathering at the bar at the end of Friday to celebrate this exciting fact. Lots of other employees had had the same idea, and Ansel was very busy. Lorcan was also excluded (that’s what he gets for working at a gym). Elide, Gavriel, and Manon were working late. Lysandra and Aedion had gone to get drinks and failed to return. Shocker.

Vaughan had just gone to the bathroom, and at this moment, Fenrys and Connall, the bastards, made an announcement. “Rowan,” said Fen, “we have a surprise for you.”

Connall continued, “You haven’t been in a relationship for, like, years.” Aelin, the only other person at the table right now, snickered at this. That is, until she tried to figure out where this was going.

Fenrys spoke again. “And so, we have arranged a date for you.”

Rowan, quite understandably, looked utterly shocked and quite a bit horrified. “Um, no.”

Connall winced. “Now, hear us out. Of course you’re angry. But. She’s hot.”

“Very hot,” added Fenrys.

Rowan scowled. “I don’t need your help getting a girlfriend, thank you. Stay out of my love life.”

“But dude,” Fenrys pleaded. “She’s a family friend, and she’s totally looking forward to her date with my lovely coworker. That’s you, by the way.”

Rowan didn’t even bother looking sorry. “I am not going on an arranged date. I can’t fathom why you would tell this woman I’m just going on a date with her. Did you seriously expect me to agree to this?”

“Okay, see,” Fenrys was pleading now. “You totally owe me-”

“For what?” Rowan intervened.

Ignoring him, Fenrys continued. “And she would be really upset if I didn’t pull through. You know, she’s not going to be in town for long. You could just put up with one date, maybe screw her, and you’ll never have to see her again.” Men. Aelin needed new friends.

Rowan sighed. He was pointedly not looking in her direction. “I suppose I feel a little bad now, but I am not going on a date with her.” Aelin could tell from his tone he didn’t feel bad at all.

Connall scowled. “Dude, what, do you have a secret girl or something?”

Rowan almost imperceptibly stiffened and didn’t answer the question. Aelin had frozen as well. Connall’s glare deepened. “Yeah, right. Don’t pretend you’re getting laid just because you don’t want to go on this date. Doesn’t work on me.”

Connall’s stupidity relieved Aelin (he wasn’t the brightest), but she lost all relaxation when she glanced over at Fenrys. He was staring at her as Connall continued to pressure Rowan into agreeing to the date.

Aelin raised her eyebrows in a What? gesture.

Fenrys just stared, until a smirk began to spread across his face. Hell no.

At the sign of Aelin’s panic, his grin grew. Fuck. She gave a slight shake of the head and prayed Fenrys had more compassion than Vaughan would in this situation. Or Lorcan. Or Lysandra. Yes, she definitely needed new friends.

Just as Aelin started thanking the gods for Fenrys’ kindness when he looked away and seemed to drop that revelation, he said, “I seem to recall winning a bet last week, Rowan. Your payment was, if I recall correctly, one favor of my choice.”

Rowan froze once again. Aelin tried not to sigh. “What the hell did you bet on?” asked Aelin in her most amused, but also I-totally-don’t-really-care voice. Fenrys seemed to have figured out what was going on with them, but Connall probably wouldn’t connect the question to anything important.

Rowan did sigh. “I don’t remember. We make so many bets.” Idiot men.

Connall sneered. “It looks like you have to go on the date. And be pleasant; she doesn’t deserve to be scowled at all night just because you’re grumpy.” Aelin, despite herself, snorted at this.

Rowan casually glanced at her and she gave a small shrug. He still hesitated. “I will go on the damned date if I really must, but are you sure you don’t want to spare me? Please, dudes?” Okay, maybe Aelin should be annoyed or jealous or whatever it is normal people feel in situations like this, but she could only bring herself to find it hilarious. She couldn’t help the chuckle that slipped out of her as Rowan continued begging.

Rowan turned and glared at Aelin, then put his gaze back on the twins. “What’s her name?” he asked the boys.

“Remelle.”

And that is how Rowan got roped into a date that was not with his sort-of girlfriend. Aelin laughed again.

-

“So,” said Fenrys, who insisted on walking Aelin to her apartment hours later. Neither were in any state to drive, she and Fen lived near each other, and Rowan didn’t want to risk being spotted with her on the way out. “You’re fucking Whitethorn,” he stated.

Aelin snorted. “Yep.”

Fenrys grinned at her. “I have a few questions. Like how long? And why?”

Aelin giggled. She’d certainly had a lot to drink. “We’re dating. Well sort of. I mean, we’ve gone on dates. And we’re in like. Like in love except it’s like, not love.”

Fenrys chuckled. “You’ve both seemed happier recently. Although we all knew you had some secret lover.”

Aelin giggled again. Beer really did wonders for her. “You’re not nice, though. You didn’t have to make him go on that date when you found out.”

Fenrys seemed quite a bit more sober than her. “I couldn’t help myself. Payback for not telling me.”

Aelin rolled her eyes, almost getting disoriented enough at this to run into the nearby streetlight. Fenrys grabbed her before she could bash her nose in.

“Did you get me all drunk so I’d spill the beans?” Aelin asked.

Fenrys chuckled. “Darling, you got drunk all by yourself.”

Aelin sighed. “Yeah, I guess so.”

Fenrys smiled fondly at her.

-

Fenrys had dropped Aelin off at her apartment and headed to his own. The rest of the walk hadn’t consisted of much questioning, which surprised Aelin at first, but when she thought about it, Fenrys always had his motives.

She was now sitting at the counter the next morning, battling the effects of last night’s drinks; namely, a migraine.

Her phone rang. Aelin picked it up to see Rowan’s name on the caller ID.

“Yeah?” she answered quietly. Ansel was still asleep.

“I wanted to ask you if you’re sure you’re okay with the date. I didn’t have a chance to talk about it last night.”

Just hearing Rowan’s voice made her happy. She didn’t care if the subject of their conversation was some “very hot” woman he was going to have dinner with.

“I’ll admit, it’s pretty weird. If she’s just going to be here for a little bit, though, it’s fine if you get roped into it.”

She could almost feel Rowan’s scowl through the phone. “Um, no, not fine. Not anywhere close to fine.”

Laughing quietly, Aelin said, “You have to admit it’s kind of funny.” When Rowan did not seemed inclined to admit anything of the sort, Aelin continued. “And you had that coming. Who the hell bets favors? You out of cash?” He didn’t respond to this either. “Oh, Fenrys figured it out, by the way. We are damned awful at keeping secrets.”

Rowan sighed. “I can’t argue with that. What did he say?”

“Well, I was rather drunk at the time, but I seem to recall he wasn’t totally horrified or whatever. I doubt he’ll tell. There were surprisingly few questions.”

“Fenrys will be the death of us, I can assure you of that. So, anyways, from Connall I have gleaned that Remelle is hot, sexy, and totally cool. He’s probably exaggerating, but either way, you needn’t feel jealous.”

Aelin laughed. “I wasn’t planning on it. I trust you. If you do cheat on me, though, I’ll kill you.”

Rowan snorted. “I believe it. I won’t, though. Well, technically, is the date in itself cheating?”

“Gods, who cares? Don’t kiss the lady, come back and fuck me. As simple as that.”

Rowan chuckled. “Your wish is my command, Majesty.”

“Dweeb,” Aelin muttered.

They planned to meet tomorrow after Rowan’s date. He was to be polite, leave, and come back to his apartment where Aelin would be waiting. He called her overprotective for wanting to check on him immediately afterwards, to which Aelin just replied he had better WiFi.

Soon after hanging up, Ansel came out of her bedroom. “Calling your lover boy?”

Aelin glanced at the ceiling. “Lord save me. Yes, that was Rowan. I suppose I should fill you in.”

Ansel said after a moment, “Um, I think that’s your queue to say something, not just stand there looking mopey. Oh no, he didn’t dump you, did he?”

A snort from Aelin. “People don’t dump me, A. I’m too irresistible.” She sighed. “Rowan is going on a date.”

“Um, what, with someone else? Wait, but you two were so good together! The slimy bastard. Didn’t he realize you were supposed to be exclusive?”

“We’ve never actually discussed that. No, he’s going on a date the twins set up for him.” Aelin recounted the evening. Ansel was laughing so hard she could barely breathe by the end of it.

“Aw, honey, he’s a gentleman. You don’t need to be worried about him cheating on you.”

“What happened to slimy bastard? And I’m not worried, by the way. I laughed too when this happened. It’s just kind of weird. And Fenrys is lucky I was stone-cold drunk last night or I would have pummeled him.”

Ansel giggled. “I want to high-five him. This is great.”

“Whatever.”

Aelin had been so confident at first, but even though she didn’t feel any more doubtful, she still felt... nervous? No, jealous. Aelin was actually starting to feel jealous of some lady Rowan was probably wasn’t even going to like that much. Hopefully.

At least this Remelle woman sounded nice. Nothing could go wrong there...

-

Aelin sat on Rowan’s couch. It was the next day, about time for Rowan to get back. She was partway through a bag of chips when the door opened.

She turned her head to see Rowan in the doorway. But he wasn’t alone. There was a very pretty woman standing next to him, clutching his arm and giving him a seductive smile.

[nahimjustfeelingit-writes]

Imagine

The Reader is a virgin and Erik gives her oral turning her out/Erik dry humping The Reader playfully

I am doing two imagines in one because I wanted to write these two together I think it fits lol. Also, it took me forever to write this that is why I haven’t updated in like three days. Very long, and very detailed. Enjoy 💖

Warnings: SMUT, Bickering, slight FLUFF, Daddy-dom, mention of blood, Virgin SMUT, dry humping. 

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“Yo, am I gonna have to pop this clown! Nigga, don’t you EVER put your fucking hands on my best friend like that. When she tells you no that means no, nigga.”

She looked at him with cautious eyes. Her best friend, Erik Stevens, was there to save the day. Thank God for him. The guy who had a death wish was pushing up on her and grabbing her ass after Y/N told him multiple times that she wasn’t interested. All she had to do was hit up Erik and he came to the rescue. He didn’t fuck around when it involved Y/N. That was his Thickums.

Don’t nobody fuck wit’ my Thickums. I will kill for her.

That’s just how it was.  Erik and Y/N  have been best friends since she met him through her brother. It didn’t take long to connect and vibe the way they both did. Tony, her big bro, died in a motorcycle accident and even though she hates to say it, that accident brought Erik and her closer. Now he was Y/N’s protector since Tony was dead. Erik is older than Tony by three years and Y/N by four.

“Aye, my fault, bruh, this yo girl?” The drunk asshole with frisky hands asked.

“Does that matter? Don’t worry about all that,” Erik pointed a deadly finger at the guy almost shoving his head back, “Don’t touch her again, BRUH, before I put you six feet under-“

“Erik!” Her prominent eyes went wide staring up at him before she mouthed let it go. Over the years Y/N gained some upper body strength with the number of times she had to hold Erik back from killing someone. The thing is, he would literally KILL someone. He didn’t hide anything from her. The times he’d been away was times when he was off doing a mercenary job adding scars to his body. He would come and go with little communication and each time felt like a hole was being drilled into her heart.

Now here he was. Back home after a couple of months. He seemed angrier than the other times he came back from a job. His eyes were stone cold and pitch black. Nostrils flared and blowing smoke like a dragon. Hennessy running through his veins. Fists clenched and veins popping out his arms. Y/N grabs Erik’s jaw to make him look down at her. When she did, his eyes seemed to soften and then a teasing smile spread across his lips.

“I’m cool, Thickums,” He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, “I won’t kill nobody tonight, I promise.”

They both had an audience at this little bar and lounge that Y/N’s friend, Paige, dragged her to. All the black people staring over at the bar to see if a fight would break out so they could record. The disgusting guy who tried to touch Y/N walked away muttering something and Y/N was sure that Erik overheard it. Pulling Y/N in closer, Erik placed a kiss to her forehead before turning her back around to face the bar. The smell of his Tom Ford cologne burned her nose. He dragged his face along her wild curly hair with his arm still around her. Y/N didn’t complain because she knew her best friend missed her and he was also very drunk. However, that wasn’t until Erik leaned against her, causing her breasts to painfully smash against the edge of the bar. He was doing that shit on purpose now.

“Erik, stop! you’re putting all your body weight on me, “ Y/N complains as she rolls her eyes before pushing Erik away.

“I miss you, Thickums. It’s always good to see my best friend when I come back home.”

“If you miss me so much you wouldn’t leave like you do, stupid,” She could feel Erik wrapping his large arms around her waist, prompting his biceps to mold into her hips. He was very touchy-feely when he was drunk and Y/N knew she was going to have to babysit his ass. No driving at all.

“Why would you drive here drunk, Erik?” She spoke with a stern voice.

“Because...I can,” He looked down at her with an elevated brow, “Why, you’re gonna punish me, Thickums?”

“If only I could tame your big ass.”

“You wish you could tame me, baby girl. So what’s really been up with you?”

She chuckled before taking a seat at the bar, “Besides the same old everyday boring shit, I’ve been getting set up with blind dates by Paige and her friends.”

“Blind dates? Really?” Erik shook his head before smiling, “And how did that go?”

“Fucking horrible. That’s all they want is sex. I don’t have time for that mess.”

Erik bit down on his bottom lip to suppress a laugh.

“What?” She asked with a bothered tone.

“I keep forgetting you still have your V card.”

She looked around her at the crowded bar to see if anyone overheard him. Blushing, Y/N takes a sip of her mixed drink. She didn’t want to get on the topic of virginity.

“Let me guess,” Erik nudged her with his shoulder, “You don’t wanna talk about it?”

“Nope. And definitely not here.”

“We ain’t gotta talk about it here we can talk on the way back to your place.”

Y/N leaned back from Erik with a playful smile, “You’re spending the night with me, bestie?”

“Only because I don’t feel like making that drive to my new spot. You gotta come through soon it’s dope.”

“Just like that Audi R8 V10 you got parked outside?”

Erik glanced over at her with low eyes and a smirk, “You love the whip, huh?”

“Love it?” Y/N’s eyes rolled with a leering expression on her face, “Love it doesn’t even describe how much I envy you right now.”

“You’re not driving my shit, woman,” Erik shook his head before waving his hand in her face, “I said no! you can’t drive for shit.”

“HERE WE GO,” Her voice grew loud and defensive, “I can drive jack ass-“

“Not when you swerve up on the sidewalk you can’t-“

“Bitch, don’t even play with me like that it was one time!”

Erik glared at her, his voice becoming deep and gravely, “Did you just call me a bitch?”

“I-Yes, yes I did.”

“You better watch your fucking mouth, Thickums. You’re lucky you’re my bestie because if not...”

Erik smirked before turning away from her. Y/N blinked at him with interest, impatience written all over her face.

“If not, what?”

“...Put my dick in your mouth to make you shut up.”

“Oh...” her skin felt like a furnace.

“See, that’s why I didn’t want to say it. You need to loosen up, bestie,” Erik nudges her shoulder playfully.

“I can’t believe you just said that to me, E,” Y/N avoided Erik’s eye. She couldn’t understand why she felt so...turned on. Maybe it was because that was the first time a guy ever said something like that to her. She wouldn’t feel so awkward if he said that to another girl but he was referring to her in that manner. Now, the wheels in her head were turning. What if Erik wanted Y/N to be his girl? What if he thought about having sex with her but didn’t mention it for obvious reasons. Y/N was so deep in thought at the bar that she hadn’t noticed Erik calling her name. It took for him to wrap his arms around her waist again and pull her close to him for her to finally snap out of her daze and come back to the present.

“Huh?” She said with a whimsical expression on her face.

“You good? Should we bounce?” Erik asked with concern. His brown eyes focused on her intently.

“Um, yeah, we can,” She grabbed her clutch from the bar, grimacing a little because it was sticky at the bottom, “let me just tell Paige and then we can go-“

“Paige ain’t worried, look,” Erik pointed to a small section near a bar on the other side of the lounge. Paige was surrounded by a few men and her other friends she brought with her. They were freak dancing and flirting with drinks in their hands and low eyes.

“Paige ain’t worried. She too busy freaking on some dude.”

“And drunk out of her damn mind,” Y/N added with a disapproving tone.

“Jealousy isn’t a good look, bestie,” Erik joked.

“Jealous? Why the fuck would I be jealous, Erik?”

“Because deep down in your virgin heart, you want to let loose and grind that thick ass on a nigga. I know you do. You ain’t even gotta front with me. I know you better than you know yourself, Thickums.”

“Clearly you don’t, because-“

“Save all that shit, ma,” Erik threw down some money that the bartender graciously grabbed before someone else did, “Let’s go. We need to have a little discussion.”

“No,” she shook her curly head, “You are drunk, I’m calling an Uber.”

“I’m not getting in the back of somebody’s car when I have my own,” Erik snatched her phone from her hand, “And I’m not drunk, just a little buzzed. I’ll finish off my bottle when we get in the house, ma.”

“Whatever,” Y/N stomped away and through the crowd, leaving Erik behind. He caught up with her and grabbed her hand, both of them rushing out of the claustrophobic lounge. Finally, outside, Y/N was thankful for the 60-degree weather because it felt much better against her skin than the 90 degrees in the lounge.

“Can I have my phone back now, DAD?”

“Not with that fucking attitude,” Erik pulled her arm like she was a bad kid, “Let’s go.”

Y/N stayed rooted to the spot. She pulled her arm back causing Erik to stumble and a black couple to walk past snickering. Erik looked down at her as if she tried to kill him. Eyes round saucers, nostrils flared, breathing heavily like a dungeon dragon, grip on her hand tighter than before, Erik was pissed.

“Y/N,” Erik looked from side to side before speaking in a gruff low tone, “Don’t make me embarrass you out here, best friend or not, I will whip that ass.”

“Okay, Killmon-“

“Say it.” Erik dared her. Y/N snapped her mouth shut before lowering her head to fight a smile. She loved toying with Erik.

“Getting on my damn nerves,” He pulled her again, “now come on before I throw you over my shoulder.”

“Fine,” She stopped with her games for now. They both walked down the street and around a corner to find Erik’s car parked next to a Subway. He unlocked the doors with a click of a button before walking to the passenger side to allow Y/N access. She slipped inside and watched Erik shut the door softly. As he walked around to the other side, Y/N opened the door again and slammed it shut. She snickered and damn near lost her breath at the way he stopped in front of the car and scowled at her. He nodded his head slowly before walking with his chest poked out to the driver's side. Y/N could not control her laughing. Hand clutched for her chest, eyes welling up with tears, breathing nonexistent. She was in literal shambles.

“WHAT THE FUCK, GIRL!” Erik growled, “You really asking for it don’t be slamming my door like that!!!!fuck is wrong with you!!!”

“You should have seen your face, oh my God,” she threw her head back, “You were ready to kill me over your whip.”

“You wanna try me again?” Erik asked with an even tone. But it was a dangerous tone of voice.

“If it makes you look all angry like a pit bull then HELL YEAH,” Y/N closed her eyes, falling into laughter again.

“I really wanna throw you over my lap and pop that big ass butt until you cry.”

Y/N licked her lips, the laughter gone and replaced with a shocked expression.

“...did you? I mean...did you just?”

Erik didn’t say a word. He started his car, turned the volume up on the radio, and focused all of his attention on driving even though his hands were itching to spank her good and hard.

“Erik?” Y/N asked with a soft tone. Still, nothing from him.

“E-Kill-I’m sorry,” She put an innocent smile on her face, “I love you, bestie, don’t be mad at me.”

“You really know how to piss a nigga off.”

Y/N beamed, leaning over to kiss Erik’s cheek, “It was all jokes, kay? I just like messing with you.”

Erik shook his head, “It’s because you know I won’t get you for it. But that’s where you’re wrong, Thickness,” Erik reaches across to the passenger side, grabbing Y/N’s exposed thigh and squeezing it hard. She swatted his hand away before kissing her teeth. Erik laughs before mushing her playfully.

“What do you mean?” She looked at him with wary eyes while massaging her upper thigh. His grip was firm.

“My best friend is too beautiful and sexy and she needs to let loose a little, cut all that shy shit out. You hear me talking to you, Thickums?”

“I hear you but I’m not following,” She gave Erik a puzzled look.

“When we get back to the house,” Erik paused for mystery, “I’m gonna teach you some things.”

“Huh?”

“You’ll see. Put your seatbelt on.”

Y/N fastened her seatbelt. She kept her eyes on Erik to see if he would break down and tell her but no, he acted like she wasn’t even there staring at him with her doe eyes. Y/N pouts, folding her arms across her chest. The silence was eating her alive. The drive felt longer than usual. As soon as they pulled into her Apartment Complex and Erik parked his car next to hers, she hopped out and walked to her building to unlock the door. Erik took his time grabbing his bottle of Hennessy to annoy her further. He even turned up the music in his car to bop to a little while drinking.

“Drip to hard/don’t stand too close/you gon’ fuck around and drown off this wave/doing all these shows/I’ve been on the road/I don’t care where I go/long as I get paid/bad lil vibe/she been on my mind/Soon as I get back/she gettin’ slayed/do this all the time/this ain’t no surprise/every other night/another movie getting made!!”

She watched Erik rap in his driver's seat, tapping her foot rapidly against the concrete with a mug on her face. She was fuming watching him have his little concert.

“Erik!!!” She yelled at him even though he could hardly hear her with that loud music.

“What’s up, Y/N!”

Y/N turned to see her neighbor, Sharnese, walking towards the building in a pair of leggings and a thin ass T-shirt with a bonnet on her head.

“Hey, Nese,” Y/N groaned, her eyes focusing back on Erik dancing in his driver's seat.

“You okay, girl?” Sharnese followed Y/N’s line of vision and a big smile appeared on her face. Sharnese squealed like a schoolgirl, jumping up and down making her titties bounce around.

“IS THAT ERIK?!”

“Yeah, that’s his annoying ass-“

“OH MY GOD ITS BEEN FOREVER SINCE IVE SEEN HIM!” She rushed towards his car. Sharnese ran around to Erik’s side, knocking on his window. Erik looked over at her before smirking, rolling his window down. Sharnese wrapped her arms around Erik’s neck before leaning into the car, all in Erik’s face, planting a kiss to his cheek. They were talking a little too close for Y/N’s liking. She was growing jealous.

Why is this bitch on my best friend like that?

Sharnese giggles then she bit her lip.

Girl, you do too much.

“Erik!!!!!!” Y/N yelled making her throat raw. Sharnese and Erik looked over at her as if she interrupted something.

“What? Let’s go!” Y/N finally unlocked the door to the building before pulling it open and stomping up the steps to her place. She was so angry that she dropped her keys a few times while trying to get her apartment door, 2C, opened.

“I haven’t seen Nese in a minute, Y/N, stop acting like that.”

She ignored Erik and walked into her place, kicking off her shoes at the door. Feeling a vibration inside her clutch, Y/N pulled her phone out to see that she’d gotten a message notification from Paige letting her know that she made it home safe with everyone.

“She was all in your face, Erik.”

“I know,” He walked to the kitchen to retrieve a few cups, “She’s cute. Pretty and ghetto.”

“Erik, shut up.”

“I don’t want her, Y/N. Stop being jealous. Every time I come home you have me to yourself. A nigga has needs too. Just because you ain’t getting none doesn’t mean I don’t want none.”

“Was that a jab at me for being a virgin?” She was truly offended.

“Let’s talk about that.”

Y/N saw Erik pouring two cups of Hennessy and apple juice.

“What is there to talk about? I haven’t had dick Erik, boo-hoo, what’s so special?”

Erik almost spilled his drink, “What’s so special? Man,” He laughs, “You wouldn’t be saying that if you let a nigga pop your cherry.”

“I don’t want just any nigga taking my virginity, my pussy is too precious for any nigga.”

“You’re right,” Erik swirled his drink around his mouth before swallowing, “That’s why I have a suggestion.”

“If it involves one of your friends, fuck no-“

“If you shut up and let me talk, Thickums, then you’ll know.”

Y/N sat down on her carpeted floor in her living room, head leaning back against the couch. She motioned for Erik to speak.

“What if...I help you out?”

“Come again?” She asked him to clarify.

“What if I am the one to...” Erik made a motion with his hands to make her catch on to what he was inquiring about. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion at that very moment. Y/N stares unblinking at Erik. Even him snapping his fingers in her face didn’t break her out of it.

“Oh my God,” Erik ran his hands down his face frustratingly, “It’s sex, Y/N, I’m asking you to let me be the nigga to pop your precious cherry.”

Still bewildered, she opened then closed her mouth like a fish in the water.

“Hello?” Erik said with annoyance, “Why are you giving me the silent treatment now?”

“Um...” Y/N laughs nervously,  lifting from the floor to take a seat while gripping the edge of the couch, “Erik...are you for real?”

“No, I’m for play,” Erik chuckles, “Yes, Thickums, I’m asking you to...let me...you know...lay that pipe.”

“Nah,” Y/N motioned for Erik to pass her his cup, “That’s enough devil juice for you tonight, bestie, you are really tripping.”

Erik threw it back in one sip before placing his cup on the coffee table, “I’m dead ass, ma, no games over here. I really wanna hit.”

“Wow. What the hell happened to you when you were gone for two whole months?”

“Nothing, I’m still the same old Erik. Just...okay don’t look at me like that,” Erik rolls his eyes, “You want me to keep it real?”

Y/N tilted her head up at Erik, “Yes, I want you to keep it real and stop messing around. You don’t play and say something like that unless you really want to do that, you get what I’m saying?”

“Yeah,” Erik lets out a breath slowly, “which is why I’m about to be brutally honest.”

“Fuck,” Y/N nibbled on her bottom lip.

“Fuck ain’t even the word, Thickums,” Erik looked over at his Hennessy, “I’m gonna need more to drink.”

“Fill mine up too,” Y/N really needed it. Her stomach felt queasy. She figured drinking Erik’s favorite drink would calm her nerves and prepare her for what this man had to say. Erik walked over with her cup and the bottle, settling next to her on the couch. He poured himself a cup, then handed her the mixture he made with the apple juice. Y/N curled up into the corner of the couch while tucking her toes into the cushion to warm them. She fixed her skirt so Erik wouldn’t have a straight-on view of her panties.

“Aight so listen,” Erik leans on his thighs while twirling his cup in hand, “I’ve thought about having sex with you on plenty of occasions but I didn’t initiate it because you’ve been my best friend since like, forever, and I just didn’t want to make the shit weird-“

“Like right now?” Y/N spoke with a shaky voice.

“Yeah...like right now. This shit is mad awkward forget I brought it up-“

“Nope,” Y/N takes a long sip before scrunching her face with disgust. Too much Hennessy and not enough apple juice.

“Don’t get scared over there cuz I know you can’t talk about sex for five seconds.”

“You’re so petty,” Y/N scowled, “Keep talking.”

“I told you I’m going to be brutally honest. And... I peep shit.”

What did he peep? Y/N sat up straighter. She felt like she was sitting in a confessional with a lie detector attached to her arm.

“For one thing, you get mad jealous when I talk to other women. Like...possessive. Two, you stare a nigga down hard when I got my shirt off and when I’m walking around in my grey sweat pants-“

“Erik-“

“Don’t interrupt me again,” He said with a husky voice. Y/N closed her mouth and listened.

“You blush anytime I make a reference to sex or compliment you, especially if I talk about your ass. You love it when I call you my Thickums. Makes you feel special doesn’t it?”

“I hate you.” She could feel her cheeks heating up. Y/N covered her face out of embarrassment.

“No, you love me,” Erik reaches across to pull her hands away, “And you have feelings for me.”

“Leave it alone, ERIK.” She was starting to grow frustrated.

“You want me to be that special nigga that pops your cherry-“

“Didn’t you pop Paige’s cherry? If that’s the case then you’re not so special, ERIK.”

Erik mugged at her, “The fuck you mean by that? I ain’t never fuck Paige. That’s a fucking insult to myself, especially this dick,” Erik pointed to the dick in question. He kissed his teeth, “Man...I can’t believe you put me and Paige in one sentence like that.”

“That’s what everybody said, Erik! And you didn’t deny it either-“

“Everybody must wanna die. I don’t like motherfuckers lying on me, Y/N. You know how I can get,” Erik’s jaw tightened, “Really? And you of all people believed that shit?”

“Because you DIDNT DENY IT.” She yelled.

“Number one, I was hardly around to deny it. Two, I don’t entertain that bullshit. It’s child’s play. Three, I would never disrespect you like that and fuck your homegirl-“

“Erik, you fucked one of my homegirls STOP IT,” Y/N laughed harshly.

“WHO?” He argued back.

“JAMILLA.” Y/N fired back.

“JAMILLA? Big titties? Chocolate? Short cut hair?”

“...Yes.” Y/N pinched the bridge of her nose. Erik was deep in thought for a second before a coy smile spread across his lips. Y/N hated his handsome smile at that very moment.

“I remember Jamilla,” Erik reaches for his cup but those dimples couldn’t be hidden even if he tried, they were too damn deep.

“She was cool,” He shrugs, bringing that cup to his lips but as soon as he looked over at Y/N’s glaring face Erik damn near spit his drink all over his crisp white T-shirt.

“Fuck you.” Y/N said with spite.

“Listen, can we just get back on topic? About you? I’m not worried about Jamilla, Paige, or Sharnese, okay? I’m worried about my best friend-“

“That you all of a sudden want to fuck?”

“It’s not all of a sudden-did you hear what I said earlier? I SAID that I thought about it plenty of times before, Thickums.”

“Well...why bring it up now?”

“Because I figured I should tell you and get it off my chest since you want some dick from a worthy nigga such as myself.”

“What makes you think it’s you that I want dick from?”

Erik bites his lower lip, “That’s really cute, ma, real cute. What other nigga is worthy? You turn down any dude that gets in your space, and I’m the only man that you’re this comfortable around. So, if that doesn’t confirm it I don’t know what else does. Unless...there are some personal reasons that you haven’t shared with me,” Erik raises a brow at her while looking at her body. Y/N felt exposed and purely shocked at Erik looking at her the way he was. All seductive and sexy.

“Admit it,” Erik pushes, “You want to lose your virginity to me but you’re afraid. You’re afraid to ask because I’m your best friend and you don’t want to make it weird and ruin our friendship. Admit it...you were saving yourself for me.”

Y/N had a vacant expression on her face. She looked away from Erik and down into her lap, twirling the ring around her finger. She couldn’t look Erik in the eyes. He was right. She was saving herself for him. She thought she could deny it for however long and hope that he would somehow make the first move on her. She hadn’t expected that day to be today. He could read her so well. Was she really that obvious?

“I don’t hear you talking, Thickums.”

“Shut up, Erik.”

“Talk to me-“

“NO!” She threw a pillow at Erik’s head, “No! I’m not saying shit.”

“Cuz’ I’m spot on,” He laughs, “I knew it-“

“Erik...shut up...right now.”

“NO. You shut up before I lay you out on this fucking couch-“

“Don’t tell me to shut up-“

“SHUT THE FUCK UP.” Erik raised his voice.

“Who are you talking to?!!!-“

Erik Damn near charged at Y/N on the couch, pinning her body down flat, bringing her arms above her head, and placing his strong body on top of hers. She squirmed, squealed, fussed, but Erik wasn’t letting go. He allowed her to grow tired so that she would have no other choice but to give in. Finally, she stopped moving and started whimpering. Erik was laid out on top of her, his crotch resting on her upper thigh. The more she made those little whimpering noises the more his dick grew. He looked down at her thigh then up into her face. She weakly met his eyes before looking away to avoid them.

“Look at me,” Erik demanded.

“No. You need to get off of me.”

“But you don’t want me to.”

Y/N moved her thigh that was directly under Erik’s crotch, giving him some friction. Erik swallowed spit. That thigh meat felt good against his dick. He went to move against her causing her to writhe beneath him, her thighs moving up and down. Up and down. Side to side. Side to side.

“What are you doing?” Y/N glanced down at her leg.

“Nothing,” Erik plays it off.

“Erik,” Y/N threw her head back against the arm of the couch, “get off of me.”

“No.”

“Pleaseeeee.” She begged.

That only made Erik move against her thigh again. Alarmed, Y/N started twisting her wrists to try and release herself from his grasp.

“What are you d-doing?” She staggered.

“Just playing,” Erik laughs.

“Playing?” Y/N watches Erik move his crotch up and down her leg.

“Erik, are you-“

“Just shut up and let it happen, Thickness,” His dick was almost at full capacity. About 95% hard. It was Y/N’s thick thighs. Felt like he was grinding into a couch cushion with how thick and soft she is. Each time his dick would rub against her, his balls would jump.

“Erik, a-are you humping me?” Y/N barely spoke. Her voice was so low in his ear. How did it get to this? One minute Y/N was calling up Erik to help her out and now he was grinding his dick against her thigh. Her face was frozen. Her limbs were stiff. She could feel that thick pole and all its length glide against her skin. Each time he came back up his dick would twist to the side in his jeans and touch her inner thigh. He was...she couldn’t find a word that best describes how big he was besides large. Enormous? Monstrous? Vast? Colossal?

“What does it look like, ma?” He bit into his lip, a soft chuckle escaping his mouth at Y/N’s expression. She was lost. Barely able to register what was happening.

“That’s what it looks like,” Y/N spoke off to the side because she couldn’t look Erik in the eye.

“This too much for you, Miss Virgin? I mean...” he swiveled his hips causing his dick to move from side to side on her thigh, “I know you’re pure and all...”

“Fuck, Erik. Please get off of m-me,” Y/N’s heart was thumping in her rib cage, “You’re drunk and when you wake up tomorrow you won’t even realize what you d-did.” She felt exhausted and all she was doing was laying there taking Erik’s assaults. He clearly thought the shit was hilarious because Y/N could tell that he was smiling in her peripheral.

“You got me over here dry humping you’re leg. Stop acting like you don’t like it and let go.”

“I can see that,” she said with an awkward tone, “Erik, I’m in literal shock right now-“

“See what? You ain’t seeing shit with your eyes looking at the wall.”

Y/N rolled her eyes before biting her tongue. She did like it. She’d never experienced it. He was centimeters away from her crotch. All he had to do was pull his pants and briefs down and there would be skin on skin humping. Y/N would probably cum right then and there from that alone. Her pussy was throbbing right now, “I have more courage to focus on the wall than at what you’re doing to me right now.”

“Thickums,” Erik whispered in her ear, “don’t you wanna see it?” Her heart stopped.

“It?” She asked with a perplexed expression.

“Yeah,” He smiled, “Tell me what it is.”

“...I don’t want to, Erik.” She shook her head, trying to force herself to breathe normally again.

“Why? Tell me, I’m your bestie.”

Why is your dick so big? Why are you making my pussy so wet? Can you please pop my cherry? I’ve always wanted this too. Erik, I’m dick-hungry and I need it. Show me?

Her eyes closed.

“Why are you so damn thick?” His breathing was ragged.

“Genetics,” she answered sarcastically.

Erik kisses his teeth, “You’re so damn uptight. Loosen the fuck up before I make you.”

“Erik, please-“

“Nah, I want you to stop acting all shy. It’s me, Erik, your best friend for like, 15 years?”

But,” Y/N licked her dry lips, “My best friend is getting...getting hard because of me. It’s...I can’t even think straight.”

Erik grabs her chin, making her look at him. When she did, she saw all of the desire in his eyes. Raw, uncontrollable, desire. It stunned her. Now, Y/N couldn’t look away. He wasn’t giving her an annoyed look like he usually would. He wasn’t ready to burst into a laughing fit as if to say “gotcha”. Y/N knew he was dead serious. She felt her body relax against his. This was Erik. She could be open with him and honest.

“Erik...,” Y/N looked from her thigh to his face, “I’m not gonna lie...I’m nervous.”

“I know. That’s why I want you to loosen up. We don’t even gotta have sex-“

“No, no. I want to.” Y/N felt her body shivering.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. I do want you to be my first. I can’t think of anybody else...”

There was silence for a moment. Erik and Y/N just stared at each other. They were silently accepting what the next move would be. Kiss. Undress. Touch. Lick. Suck. Fuck.

“I got you,” Erik kisses her forehead, “I promise it’ll be amazing. None of that wack shit. I want my best friend to have a memorable first time.”

“Okay,” Y/N spoke with a soft voice.

“Okay,” Erik let go of Y/N’s wrists above her head slowly. Her hands came down at her sides. Erik watched her for a moment to see if she would change her mind but Y/N waited patiently for Erik to make the first move. Any move. Erik’s eyes admired Y/N. Full lips, prominent brown eyes, round nose, head full of kinky curly hair that frizzed at the ends because she picked it out. Now, his eyes were staring at the silhouette of her body. Curvy, soft, chocolate. Everything that he loved. Everything he wanted to eat, suck, lick, bite, fuck. Erik reaches his left hand up to Y/Ns face. Using just his fingertips, Erik strokes Y/N from her forehead down to her chin. His thumb would delicately touch her cheek while he gazed into her eyes to watch her every reaction.

“You’re so beautiful Thickums,” Erik smiles.

“Thanks, E,” she bashfully looked down.

“Especially those lips,” Erik bit his lip, “Those lips looking really juicy.”

“Oh gosh,” Y/N giggles while biting her lip.

“Stop, STOP,” Erik deepens his voice, “I’m supposed to bite that lip.”

Y/N slowly dragged her lip from between her teeth. The moment her spit covered lip released, Erik takes his teeth to bit her lip lightly. Y/N’s body jumped. She wasn’t used to that type of contact. Of course, she kissed guys before but never like this. Erik’s lips sucked her bottom lip into his mouth. Y/N could taste the Hennessy on his tongue. His tongue was so warm and silky smooth. Each time he dragged his tongue along her bottom lip, Y/N would take her fists to grip Erik’s shirt tightly.

“You’re gonna let me stick my tongue down your throat, Y/N?”

“Y-yes.”

Erik gripped her neck lightly, taking his much fuller lips to mold with Y/N’s. He took her breath away each time he kissed. Y/N brought her hands up to hold Erik’s face, closing her eyes to relish at the moment. She couldn’t look at him while they kissed. It was too intense. Erik didn’t even speak, his body did all the talking. Grinding his iron-hard dick into her thigh, grunting into her mouth, tongue wiggling in her mouth, hands coming down to wrap around her waist, pulling her into his solid chest. He could feel her nipples through her Demi bra and thin white top.

“Erik,” Y/N stopped kissing Erik to breathe and lick her swollen lips, “I can’t believe we’re doing this.”

“I can’t either,” Erik reaches up to grab her left breast, “but I like this shit. My dick is...so stiff.”

“I know,” Y/N whispered.

“Look, let me show you.”

Erik sat on his knees. Y/N watched with low eyes as Erik unbuttons his jeans. Then comes the zipper. The one barrier keeping that long dick away from her. Erik takes his shirt to rest under his chin, his hands sliding into his jeans and briefs, pulling them down in one clean motion. Her gasp and wide eyes were the reactions that he wanted. Y/N covered her mouth, her eyes never leaving Erik’s dick. Long, girthy, smooth, groomed, chocolate, veins protruding through his skin, tip shiny from his precum, Y/N was blown away. 

“You see how hard my dick is?” Erik moved his hips to make his dick bounce, “I’m so hard, bestie.”

“Um,” Y/N licked her lips, “It’s nice, Erik...it’s...a lot of dick.”

Both of them laugh.

“Yeah,” Erik grabs Y/N’s hand, “touch my dick, Thickums.”

“I’m scared,” Y/N nervously laughs.

“It’s okay, relax, ma. Didn’t I tell you I got you?”

“Yeah…,” Y/N looked up at Erik through her lashes.

“So let me take care of you,” Erik rubs her hand with his thumb, “Here,” he spoke softly. 

Erik wrapped Y/N’s hand around his shaft. Her fingers hardly touched with her hand grabbing him. She swallowed spit, her chest rising and falling swiftly. Y/N was afraid to do anything else but the warmth and softness of his dick made her pussy convulse. Imagine all that smooth dick sliding inside of you. Covered in your cream, stretching you out, digging deeply, and making you cum and squirt. At that moment, Y/N forgot about what her fingers and toys could do. She wanted to find out what Erik’s dick could make her do. 

“Look at that little hand grabbing all this meat.”

“Fuck, Erik.”

“Don’t worry, just wait, you’ll be able to take all of this.”

“I-okay…” Y/N was unsure.

“That tight pussy can stretch, Y/N, before you know it, that pussy is gonna’ take all of me.”

She whimpers.

Erik didn’t say a word as he started untying Y/N’s long wrap skirt. He pulled the skirt from her body and stared down at a pair of yellow lace panties wrapped around a chocolate treat. 

“Mhm,” Erik took his fingers to play with the corners of the crotch of her panties, “This the pussy I’m taking, Y/N? This virgin pussy?”

“Uh-huh,” she spoke timidly.

“Uh-huh is right,” Erik leaned down to her again, Y/N’s hand still wrapped around his dick, “I’m eating your pussy too.”

“Okay, you can eat my pussy,” She nibbled on her bottom lip.

“You can eat my pussy,” Erik mocked her sweet voice, “Damn, just like that, huh?”

“Yeah,” Her voice was shaky.

“Bet,” Erik grabbed the end of Y/N’s shirt. He pulled it up past her belly and then over her bra. She had on a brown Demi bra. 

“Damn, nice full titties, ma,” He pulled down the straps and watched each fleshy mound pop out with hard Hershey kiss nipples. Y/N closed her eyes, skin heated from Erik using his thumbs to pluck her nipples and twirl them. Erik then pulled her nipples and shook her breasts, releasing them and watching them bounce. Y/N’s deep breaths became louder and louder while she squirmed beneath him. 

“Shit feels good doesn’t it?” 

“Yessssss,” She hissed.

“Ima suck em for you-“

“Please?” She reached out for him.

Erik wrapped his lips around her left nipple. He sucks nice and hard. She could feel her nipple repeatedly being pulled and suckled between Erik’s tight lips. Each nerve ending in her nipple ignited and sparked. Her thighs rubbed together, and her hands clawed his arms, mouth unhinged and stayed wide open with no sound escaping. So this is what it felt like to be suckled on? Now, she wanted him to show her right breast some attention. Y/N takes her hand to grip the back of Erik’s neck, pulling his face over to her other breast with a pout of her lip.

“Ha,” Erik looked up at her through his long lashes, “My bestie feenin’ already.” 

“It feels good,” She blushes.

“Mmm,” Erik gave her right nipple the same amount of attention while using his thumb to play with her left nipple. Y/N’s body arched and writhed. She ran her fingers through his dreads, pulling the coarse hair. He made her body tingle all over. Her toes curled and eyes rolled. If Erik kept this up she might cum. It felt that strong and good that she was ready to burst. 

“Fuck, girl,” Erik’s chin was stained with spit, “You taste like chocolate all over these nipples.” Erik licked her nipples one by one to give them equal amounts of attention. Her fingers in his hair were so violent. Erik could feel pain in his scalp as if she was trying to snatch his hair out. Y/N’s skin was at high temperature and now her thighs were squeezing Erik’s hips. 

“Chill out, Thickums,” Erik reaches around her body to pull her bra fully off, “That’s better,” his hands squeezed and massaged her breasts, “Give me a kiss.”

Initiating the kiss this time around, Y/N leaned forward on her elbows, sloppily crashing her lips into Erik’s. He softly chuckles, blowing air from his nose that tickles her upper lip. It was unhurried, steady, and gentle. Y/N wanted to learn Erik’s mouth and what he liked. Did he prefer for her to use a lot of tongue or did he enjoy the way she sucked on his bottom lip? Erik seemed to approve of whatever she did because he was grunting into her mouth repeatedly. Kissing him made her body have chills. Y/N felt like her soul was being sucked through her mouth into his from how breathless she was at the moment. 

“God,” she broke the kiss, taking in a deep breath. Erik trailed his kisses down her neck and back up over and over. Goosebumps rose over her skin and his hands stroking her shoulders didn’t help. 

“Your lips are so fucking soft, Mhm,” He nibbled on her bottom lip, “Why did you move your hand from my dick, ma? Put it back on there.”

Scared, Y/N grabs Erik’s dick again, testing the weight of it. He was so sure that she would be able to take him just fine but the more she squeezed him and lightly stroked him she started to feel apprehensive. Y/N’s hand moves down to touch Erik’s balls. She trembled, her breath coming out uneven. 

“Y/N,” Erik could feel her hand shaking around him, “Relax, baby, relax, Aight?”

“Erik-“

“Shhh, don’t talk,” Erik pulled at Y/N’s panties, “Let me take care of you, okay? That way, you’ll feel more confident to take care of me.”

Y/N simply nodded her head. Erik grabbed the sides of her panties to tug down her legs. Her knees quaked as soon as the fabric was down past her toes. She was now fully exposed in front of her best friend. Her best friend and now her fuck buddy. It was now or never. 

“Aren’t you going to take off your clothes, E?”

“Not until I’m finished with you. I want you to undress me.” Erik carefully placed his hands on Y/N’s knees, “I’m about to spread these thick thighs, ma, you ready?”

Dragging her tongue over her bottom lip, Y/N nodded her head sluggishly.

“Talk to me, ma, say yes,” Erik’s hands dragged up her thighs.

“Yes,” Erik was captivating her with his smooth voice. He can get all the pussy in the world with his voice. 

“Good girl. See? That wasn’t hard, Thickums-“

“Erik…,” She shyly looked away, “um...can you take off your clothes too? That’ll make me feel more comfortable if you're naked like me.”

“You sure?” He asked with a single brow upthrust. 

“I’m sure, E,” Y/N smiled, “Let me.”

Erik stood from the couch while Y/N sat in front of him. She helped him out of his jeans and briefs before tossing that on the floor in a wrinkled pile. Now, her fingers lightly pulled at the bottom of his shirt, hitching it up to reveal his scar covered abdomen and chest. Erik helped her out the rest of the way, pulling at his shirt from the back, then up and over his head forward. Even undressing him was stimulating. Erik was a lot of man. Able-bodied and powerful. 

“Lay back, girl, let me taste you.”

She could feel her body laying back against the couch but her mind was elsewhere. She was enthralled but at the same time, she was a nervous wreck. Erik’s strapping body hovered over hers for a moment before his chest touched her naked one. The scarring gave Y/N a pleasant texture against her nipples. His lips sucked on her throat before trailing down the middle of her chest, her belly where he licked her outie-belly button, and now all over her phat mound. She was smooth down there and could feel the moisture of his lips caressing and tasting her. She could feel her body thrusting up into Erik. Y/N’s heated eyes watched him push her thighs back gently so he could kiss her pussy lips delicately. Even when he kissed her outer lips, Erik could still taste her arousal. Sweet, syrupy, goodness. It was the natural lubricant that leaked from a virgin puss. Erik wanted to growl. 

“Goddamn,” He was fanatical, “This motherfucker tastes good.” 

“Thank you,” she withdrew her eyes from his, “It feels good...I like it…”

“How much?” Erik stroked his thumb up and down her pussy lips to rub in her natural lubricant. Each time he drew his thumb back, a slimy string would connect to the pad of his thumb from her pussy lips. Erik sucked his thumb each time causing his best friend to gasp with surprise. 

“Tell me how much, Y/N.”

“So much,” she said with a self-conscious voice.

“Girl...I’m gonna break you out of that shy shit tonight. Wait and see.”

“Erik, I’m sorry-“

“Don’t apologize. I know, baby, you can’t help yourself. I’m putting my lips on this little pussy and it’s too much to handle. Just know this though...I’m gonna make you handle it.”

“Oh,” she lets out a shaky breath, “You’re nasty, Erik.” She nervously bit into her bottom lip. He was too nasty. 

“This ain’t nowhere near how nasty I can get,” Erik looked down at Y/N’s pussy, “open these thick thighs so I can see this little pussy, okay?”

“Okay,” hesitantly, Y/N opened her shaking thighs. Erik watched her juicy peach span out for him. The sound of her wetness against the skin of her pussy when her lips spread had Erik grinding his hips into the couch cushions. Y/N’s pussy is beautiful. All that honey sticking to her clit, labia, and outer pussy lips. He didn’t even want to lick it up just yet. It was so breathtaking coated in her sloppy goodness. He remembers taking some chick virginity when he was in high school and all he wanted to do was cum. But now, he took his time to fully admire how beautiful her pure and flawless pussy is. 

“Baby girl...I don’t even want to ruin this just yet...oh my God-“

“Why?” She asked with a perplexed expression.

“Because it’s so precious, that’s why,” Erik licked his lips. 

“Well...I want you to eat it, Erik, right now, please?”

“Right now?” Erik smirked, “look at you, demanding me. How about you lay there and watch me eat this pussy. How about that? And you better not look away either.” 

Y/N gave Erik a nervous smile, “I’ll try…”

“Nah, you better do it, Thickums, you ready?”

“Yes.”

Erik adjusted Y/N’s hips on the couch. He got down on his knees and spread her legs wide. Y/N sat up on her elbows so she could watch him like he instructed her to. Erik’s hands smoothed up the back of her thighs before holding them firmly like he did when they were in the car. Pussy spread open and ready to be devoured, Erik started off by giving his best friend soothing kisses to her clit and labia. Y/N reluctantly watched Erik. She tried to pay attention but what she really wanted to do was hide her face with a pillow. She felt so exposed and watching her best friend kiss her pussy, her special place, made her want to shrink away. Erik is so intimidating and experienced, Y/N felt like she wouldn’t be able to keep up with him.

“Erik...Erik,” She called his name. He was too busy getting his lips covered in her juices. Y/N let out a silent scream when she felt the first lick. He dragged his long tongue between her inner lips and up over her clit. Erik repeated this a few times before looking up into her eyes. Y/N gave Erik a sheepish grin. 

“I like it when you say my name like that.”

He tongue kissed her outer lips on each side before placing that same kiss but slower on her clit. Erik had a finesse with eating pussy that Y/N wasn’t prepared for. He took his time to work her up to even more wetness and a powerful orgasm. Now Y/N was being needy. She could see her hips pushing up into Erik’s mouth each time he gave her attention to her clit. Even while he teased her she felt the full capability of what he could do. Erik didn’t even suck on her clit and tongue fuck her yet. 

“You like it when I do this,” Erik finally sucked on her clit and labia at the same time.

Y/N moaned, hummed, and sighed. She could only make noises. The vocabulary was a second thought. Erik wrapping his lips around her like that had her ready to scream. How could she miss out on something like that? Her clit felt so sensitive between his lips. 

“Answer me, ma, talk to me.” Erik did it again.

Y/N shook her head no with a pout of her bottom lip. 

“We gotta talk to each other, bestie. You don’t wanna talk to me?” Erik spoke with faux sadness.

“E-Erik-Umph!!” Y/N pushed at his head, “Ahhh, my God-“

Keeping her thighs back because Y/N was ready to smash his head like a grape, Erik really showed her just how nasty he could get. Erik used his whole mouth and all its skills to eat the fuck out of her pussy. He wanted his bestie to remember what that mouth could really do. Her arms covered her eyes and her teeth painfully bit into her lower lip. Erik watched her stomach flex. She was ready to fly off that damn couch. 

“Erik, Erik, Erik, Erik, I can’t, Erik,” she whispered, “It feels so good I can’t, Erik. I-Umph!, Erik!”

Erik allowed her to grab hold of his dreads to move his head while he worked his mouth. Whenever she would move his head to the left, he would take care of her there. The same thing for the right, his lips would slurp and kiss whatever he could reach. That middle is what had her moaning and groaning. That’s where she smashed his face into her pussy. His lips sucked her directly over her clit before his tongue rolled out to flick at her entrance. He felt her pussy tighten around the tip of his tongue. 

“Oh my God, ahhhh, Erik, it’s-I’m gonna cum-“

“Mhm, mmm,” He mumbled into her pussy. Erik stuck his tongue out and pushed it as far as it could go into her pussy before he started moving in and out. His tongue was so sharp, wet, smooth, warm, and textured while it fucked her pussy. Her clit didn’t feel left out either because Erik’s thumb would circle it and pluck it. 

“Oh, my goodness, Erik,” She gasped, “Erik shitttt, fuckkkkkkkkk, this is too much-“

Fingers clawing the couch, Y/N threw her head back. She wipes her face to catch the tears. That wouldn’t be the first time she cries tonight. The feeling was extraordinary. As if choking on her breath, Y/N felt her lower belly tighten and a feeling creeps up and over her skin. She knew what this feeling was whenever she rubbed her own clit. Erik reaches out to interlock his fingers with hers while he took care of her, giving his all. She fought to breathe through it all but the second her eyes rolled shut and the muscles in her body tightened it was all over. Y/N erupted into Erik’s mouth. Her fingers tightened around his and she allowed her tears to fall. 

“Good girl, such a good girl for me,” Erik praises her.

“I…” she didn’t even know where to start. 

“You came so much best friend,” Erik was amazed.

“Baby,” Y/N moaned.

“You’re a good girl, cumming in my mouth like that,” Erik soothed her pussy with kisses, “Are you gonna be a good girl for the rest of the night?”

“Uh-huh,” she cleared her throat.

“Because I gotta teach you how to suck Daddy’s dick, okay?” 

“Umph, Erik-“ 

“It’s gonna be really good, look at this Daddy dick best friend.”

Y/N lifted her head to stare at all of Erik again. He was pulsating. His dick was really struggling. Erik was much larger than before. Maybe this was his full capacity. Y/N nervously nibbled on her fingers. 

“It’s okay...it’s okay, best friend...I’m gonna take care of you, I promise.”

Erik stood up in front of Y/N. She moved her body to sit on the edge of the couch. Y/N grabs Erik’s dick, looking up at him with her innocent eyes to wait for his first instruction. 

“Good girl, now, you see Daddy’s tip,” Erik rubs it with his thumb, “suck on Daddy’s tip nice and slow for me.”

Y/N timidly wraps her lips around the head of his dick. She felt the sides of her lips stretch uncomfortably before he finally settled in her mouth. Her tongue flicked the tip to taste his pre-cum. More saliva produced after that. 

“Yeah, Good, now suck on it...don’t rush it.”

Y/N did her best and sucked lightly on Erik’s head. She worked up a slow rhythm to help herself get used to it.

“Tighten them lips, ma...yeah, just like that, good girl.”

She kept her lips snug while sucking gently. Spit drizzled to her bottom lip and fell to her chest. This was going to be a mess.

“Damn, bestie, that little mouth…you ain’t so innocent anymore.”

She was getting used to twirling her tongue around his dick and sucking on his head. Now, she wanted to give the rest of him some attention. Y/N lowered her mouth some more over him. She stopped to accommodate the amount of dick she slobbered on now. Her body jerked a little because she felt like she wanted to gag.

“Be patient,” Erik fisted her hair, “You’ll get there, ma, it’s too much for you right now. Take your time wit’ it...uh-huh, Hmph, yep, that’s what I mean.”

The sounds of her sucking made her sunken cheeks blush. He felt so good in her mouth. She didn’t want to stop. She wanted to take the challenge and fit all of him in. 

“Fuck, Y/N, look at you, still tryna’ fit more of me in there? Y/N…breathe through your nose, ma.”

She did, and it worked just a little bit. She wouldn’t be able to speak in the morning. Ten inches of dick trying to fit into her virgin mouth is a lot.

“That’s how you want it, huh?” Erik asked with a breathless voice, “okay...okay.”

Erik took over, moving his hips in and out. Y/N grabbed his thighs, closing her eyes to calm herself so her throat wouldn’t close up. She wanted to challenge herself while sucking dick for the first time. The sounds Erik made while he swiveled his hips made her pussy drip to the floor.

“That’s it, let Daddy fuck this nasty little mouth. I’m gonna turn you into a real freak, best friend. Watch how you end up. Gon’ have you sucking dick and taking dick. You like that, don’t you? Turning into a slut? That sound good?”

She nodded her head with watery eyes.

“I’m gonna train you so well. Before you know it, you’ll be able to swallow this dick just like I like. And for that puss,” Erik reaches down to slap her pussy, “that little motherfucker gon’ know when Daddy in it, have you cumming and cumming fucking with me.”

Mmm,” she whimpered.

“Your jaws are tight,” Erik closed his eyes, “Goddayummm.” 

Y/N squeezed her eyes shut. Erik was heavy and thick in her mouth. She tried to be a good girl for him but the second Erik thrust his hips she gagged around him and slipped her mouth off his dick. 

“Shit, come here,” Erik’s eyes were dark, “Nah, your mouth feeling too good right now.”

Y/N shook her head, “Erik, I can’t handle it.”

“You were just handling it,” He was desperate, “What if I went slow? I can go in and out real slow for you, okay?”

“Okay,” Y/N wrapped her lips around him again.

“YES,”  Erik growled, “Let me fuck your mouth nice and slow.”

He went at a measured pace. This also gave Y/N time to admire the faces he made. Scrunching his nose, biting his lip, licking them too. His eyes were no longer a deep brown but more of a piercing black. He looked at her like he wanted to devour her. Not once did he blink. He’s so sexy. So handsome. All that beautiful dick in her mouth. All of this man standing before her ready to turn her out. 

“Guess what?” Erik pulls his dick from her compressed mouth, “I’m this close to cumming,” He put his thumb and pointer finger together to show her how close, “If you let me, bestie, I’ll cum in your mouth.”

“You want me to swallow it?” Y/N asked while staring at Erik jerk his dick.

“Uh-huh...swallow my cum for me?” 

“Yes,” She nodded her head leisurely.

“Good fucking girl, I swear,” Erik rubs the tip of his dick against her lips, “open up.”

Y/N closed her eyes as Erik’s dick went deeper into her mouth. His hands came up to hold her face while he thrust his hips into her mouth. His mouth unhinged and his head went back to stare at the ceiling. She could hear him mumbling something. Probably saying how good it felt. Now, Erik stood still, taking one hand to palm the back of her head, using it to bob her head up and down his dick. Y/N used all the strength she had to accept his rapid pace. He didn’t care about slow and careful anymore, this big dick was about to bust. 

“Fuckkkk, girl fuckkk.”

Y/N took it up a notch and grabbed his balls to squeeze.

“The fuck- Oh SHIT!” 

Y/N’s windpipe gave way to Erik’s dick. She gagged around him.

“ECHHH, ACHHH,” Y/N gurgled. Her eyes widened and blinked when she finally felt Erik’s cum hit the back of her throat. Thick, warm, tangy, it was a new experience. Wanting to get all of him, Y/N gulped him down while jerking his dick to empty him. Erik breathes deeply. She didn’t think it would end with how much it was. 

“Girl, I swear to God,” Erik pulls his dick out, “I bust so much, girl.”

Y/N wipes her mouth, “I know, Daddy.” 

“I’m Daddy,” Erik lifted her from the couch, “That shit felt so damn good, mmm. And you’re my little girl.”

Y/N thought about that. Being Erik’s little girl. And his best friend. 

“We takin’ this shit to the bed, Aight?”

“Okay.”

Y/N covered her chest, walking past Erik with a bashful smile. Erik reaches out to lightly slap her ass. That shit jiggled like a bowl of jello. 

“Take your hands down. What I tell you about that?”

Y/N lowered her hands.

“Go and arch over the bed. Ass up, baby girl.”

He wanted it like that already? Y/N took her time walking to her room. While there, she crawled on the bed, lying flat on her belly. She shivered. Ass up? How would she be able to handle that? 

“I thought I said ass up?” Erik walked in with his dick swinging.

“Umph, okay,” with difficulty, Y/N hiked her ass up and turned her head sideways to face Erik. Erik looked over her body before his eyes connected with hers.

“Now it’s time for lesson number two. I gotta teach you to take some dick in that little pussy. That arch...that arch ain’t good enough, ma.”

Erik walked up behind Y/N, grabbing her hips. His fingers massaged her hips in soothing circles. She closed her eyes. Now, Erik’s large hands were in the middle of her back, pressing down further. Y/N clenched. She never curved her body like that. Her chest was pressed into the mattress. Her ass was really lifted into the air. She shook slightly. 

“This is how you arch. Get that ass up as far as it can go. See? This how you bring that ass north,” Erik slaps her cheeks, making them sting.

“Daddy…,” Y/N spoke weakly, “I-I’m scared.”

“Shhh, cut that out,” Erik rubs her ass cheeks, “Stop doing that. What did I say?”

“You’re gonna take care of me,” She spoke with a small voice.

“Exactly. I wouldn’t lie to you. It’s gonna be your first time, bestie, and my dick is big. Once I'm there, you’ll be feenin’ so good you won’t want me to stop,” Erik leaned forward to kiss her back, “You’ll want me to fuck you anytime and that’s cool cuz I plan on doing that anyway.”

“I trust you.”

“I swear, I promise.”

“I’m ready.” She convinced herself. 

Erik got down on his knees to spread Y/N’s pussy open. She was still very wet but he knew she would need a lot more. 

“Do you have lube?”

“Yes,” Y/N pointed to her dresser, “In there.”

Erik got up to retrieve the lube. He found it hidden between her socks and underwear. Erik walked back over to her, getting down on his knees again. He put his mouth on her pussy again to warm her up to it. Y/N reached back to grab his head. Erik slurped her up all over. She whimpered into the bed. 

“Daddy, I love it when you eat me,” She spoke softly.

Erik went crazy. Now she was getting her pussy eaten from the back. Once he started he couldn’t stop. Y/N made the sexiest noises. Erik’s tongue wiggles everywhere and Y/N’s ass rocked back. She was going to cum each time Erik sucked on her pussy. 

“Ahhhhhhhh!” She shook, “ahhhh! Ahhhh! Ahhhh!”

Like before, Erik drank her empty. Y/N pulled the covers from her bed. 

“Girl, I’m telling you,” Erik rubbed her pussy, “I’m going to fuck your little ass up.”

“Please,” She begs, “Please fuck me, Daddy.”

Erik takes his fingers, two of them, and slides them inside of Y/N. She instantly gripped him. Erik couldn’t even get his fingers out from her vice grip. He was steady with his fingers. The more he stroked, the more cream spilled from her entrance and trailed down to her clit. When it reached her clit, the fluids dropped to the bed. 

“This pussy can’t stop leaking,” Erik wiggles his fingers deep, “I’m reaching in that pussy, best friend?”

“Yesssss-“

“I gotta stretch you to fit me.”

“Please fuck me.”

“I will-“

“Please?”

“Why do you have to beg me like that?” Erik grunted.

“Because I want you to pop my cherry.”

“Y/N,” Erik slaps her ass, “Say that shit again.”

“I want you to pop my cherry, Daddy-“

“Fuck, you know how bad I want it.”

“Then get it, fuck me like a Daddy is supposed to fuck me.” 

“Ain’t shy no more. You talk like that now?”

“Mhm, please-“

“Bet, I got that ass.”

Erik opened the lube, squeezing some on his fingers. He applied it to his dick until it was fully coated before sinking those same fingers into her pussy again. He didn’t go too deep in her pussy but deep enough for her to feel him. She wanted that cherry popped it was going to be with his dick. Erik stood behind her, taking his dick and bringing it to her pussy. He rubbed it around her clit before placing the head of his dick at her entrance. He looked at her tiny fuck hole and the head of his dick was bigger than that. He would really have to squeeze in there. 

“I’m sorry, baby girl, but you have a little pussy on you and...It’s gonna hurt at first, okay? Don’t be scared, I promise I will make it better.”

Y/N swallowed spit. She was panting like she ran a marathon.

“Y/N?” Erik asked with concern.

“Just do it, Daddy. Will this help?” Y/N reached behind her to spread her pussy lips, “Is that better, Daddy?”

“Yo,” Erik shook his head, “Oh, that’s fucking better alright. Keep that pink puss open just like that and take this big ass dick, okay?” 

“Yes, Daddy.”

“Good fucking girl,” Erik takes the base of his dick, then at a slow-going pace, he pushes the head of his dick in. It felt like he had already popped her cherry with the way her body jerked and how his head went in. Smooth at first then pop it landed right inside. 

“Are you okay?” Erik looked around to see Y/N’s eyes closed and lips parted. 

She licked her lips before speaking with a hoarse voice, “Yes.”

“Okay, I’m about to put more in,” Erik watched Y/N’s pussy slowly engulfing him while her walls damn near wrung him dry. She was so wet and compressed around his thick pipe. Y/N’s hands let go of her pussy lips to reach for Erik. She had her face smashed into the bed. Erik pulled back to the tip and when he did that, Y/N clenched up and whimpered in pain.

“Ouch,” she cried, “Ouch, ouch, ouch.”

Erik looked down at his dick to see a little bit of blood. He did it. He popped her cherry. Y/N breathed so rapidly that Erik was afraid she was having a panic attack.

“Y/N are you cool? I don’t like the way you’re breathing right now.”

“I-I’ll be okay,” Y/N breathed out of her mouth, “Just...just please keep going.”

It stung, and now her pussy throbbed with pain but it wouldn’t last forever. Erik was stretching her and she wanted more. Under that pain is a tingly sensation inside of her. The reaction to the way he glided in. If that’s what it felt like she needed more of it and now.

“I popped that cherry, ma, you bled out on my dick.”

The sound of that turned her on. He took her virginity. His big dick invaded her purity. She loved it. Loved it a lot. Y/N could tell Erik did too.

“Can I see?” She asked.

Erik walked around her to show her. Covered in cream and her clear fluids with a little bit of blood on the upper shaft of his dick. No wonder she bled out as well. Erik is a big boy. She was surprised that was all that came out of her.

“You like this,” Erik smirked while jerking his dick, rubbing it in, “I like the shit too.”

“I want more,” Y/N reached back to rub her swollen lips, “please, Daddy, I want more.”

She was so excited and nervous at the same time. Erik was behind her again, fixing her arch and adding more lube. She was already so wet but he needed to be sure she would feel comfortable. Satisfied, Erik brought his dick to her entrance again, sinking back inside. Y/N clawed the bed, before turning her head to stare forward. Her toes flexed. She was stuffed full of dick. Finally, Erik had all of him inside of her pussy. 

“Goddamn,” Erik brought his hands up to rub down his face, “Hold still for me, okay?”

“Okay,” Y/N rubbed the bottom of her belly. She felt a lot of pressure there. It was this damn position. 

“Gotta pull out some so I can get back in this pussy. You have me hooked.”

Erik pulled out to the tip of his dick, then bam! He hit her again. Y/N gasped aloud. He repeated it again, his hands on her hips. Y/N could hear her wet pussy covered in lube. After Erik thrust a few times she started getting used to it, arching her back even more and moving her hips. That deep pressure made her eyes roll. 

“I’m fucking this pussy up. You ready?”

“Y-yes-“

“Damn, I’m about to show you some shit, girl.”

Grabbing the sheets, Y/N felt Erik’s hands get tighter. He pulled out again to the tip, then bam! Back in but this time he knocked the wind out of her. Her hands came back to grab his wrists. Erik pulled out...bam! Her eyes popped open. He increased with each stroke until finally, Y/N was experiencing what it felt like to be fucked by a big dick. Doing it nice and slow felt good but doing it fast felt amazing. He made her cheeks clap against him, loud moans escape her mouth, and her legs shake. He brought his hands up to her spine, Y/N’s hands falling to the bed. 

“Nope, that’s not how we arch, girl,” He barked out, “I’m fucking this little pussy don’t play with me.”

“UHHH, UMPH, AHHHH-“ 

“Pussy so tight, give me that pussy,” Erik presses in deep, “still shy, baby? You’re doing so well, such a slut aren’t you? That’s it, keep that pussy open, fuck, you look so cute when you’re struggling, desperate mess.”

“Daddy,” She moaned. Sniffling back tears, Y/N tried to be a good girl but damn he was banging that thing to death. 

“I fucking love hearing you struggle.”

Y/N was crying and drooling.

“Can you take some more?” 

Y/N quickly shook her head no but Erik lifted her ass up more and kept pounding anyway. When he did that, he stroked her G spot. Y/N couldn’t pull away even if she tried, Erik had her arms. 

“Daddy! Daddy! Please! Cum, Daddy! Please cum! I can’t take it!-“

Instead of him cumming, Y/N spasms, her eyes rolled almost to the whites and she leaked all over his dick. It happened so suddenly. She didn’t see it coming to be able to prepare herself for it. Now, her pussy felt overworked. Erik pulled his dick out of her. Y/N fell flat on her stomach while her body quivered. 

“Flip over, baby, I’m not finished with you yet,” Erik strokes his wet hard dick. 

“Daddy...I don’t know if I can take anymore.”

“You can, and you will. Flip over.”

Y/N flips over onto her back. Her curly bush was matted to her head and her face was stained with tears. Erik grabs her thighs, bringing them over his shoulders. When he did that, her pussy lips spread and she could feel it convulse with need even though it was sore and thoroughly fucked. 

“Now you get to see how my dick gets all this pussy.”

“Erik...please be gentle.” 

“I’ll try but I’m not making any promises.”

Y/N was in another dimension. Erik put his dick in and basically said fuck gentle. One clean thrust of all his long dick had Y/N gasping for air. Her hands came up to push into Erik’s chest but there was no use, her arms were like noodles. She looked around the room with wary eyes. He didn’t go too fast and he didn’t go too slow. She found herself staring down at Erik’s dick and the view had her in a trance. She would have never thought that all of him could fit inside of her. Y/N locked her ankles and wrapped her arms around Erik’s neck. She wanted to kiss him. He understood what that meant, bringing his lips to hers and took her breath away. It was sloppy and passionate while he was inside of her. The minute Erik’s hips smacked against hers loudly Y/N broke the kiss to moan. Erik took that opportunity to ruin her further. He sat up on his hands and fucked her just like he was fucking her from the back. Hard and long. 

“Erik! Pleaseee! Just cum, Daddy! Cum! It’s so big and it’s too much!” 

“Whatever Daddy wants, Daddy gets, ma-“

“Oh my God-“

“Fuck, baby, you feel so good,” Erik leans down to kiss her throat, “But you gotta stop moving and be a good girl for me, okay?”

Y/N quickly nodded her head. She wanted him to cum badly, that’s how sensitive she is. His dick would drag over her G spot, causing her to tear up. 

“Look at me.” 

Y/N looked up at Erik.

“Go ahead, cum on this Daddy dick.”

She exploded. 

“Good girl, now...let Daddy cum all over you.”

“Please-“

“Can I cum on these big titties?”

“Umph, yes-“

“You gotta say it, Thickums, tell me where you want me to cum?”

“I-I want you to c-cum on my big t-titties.”

“Yes-yes, baby, let me cum on you. Your pussy making me do this. I don’t ever wanna’ catch you giving this good tight pussy to another nigga, understand me?”

“YES!” 

“You’re mine now. Make Daddy happy, baby.”

“Fuck, Daddy,” Y/N let out a sigh when Erik slowed down. His jaw tightened right along with his balls. He was really holding off his cum to feel her more. If she was his and only his, then he would have her pussy anytime. He didn’t need to hold off when he would be cumming again because of her sweet little pussy. 

“Come here,” Erik hooked his hands under her ass, “Come to Daddy, baby.” He said with a gruff tone.

“BABY!!!”

“FUCKKKK! Y/N FUCKKKK!”

Erik slips out dragging his dick up to her breasts and shooting a hefty load over her nipples. He jerked and jerked as Y/N watched ropes and streams of cum shoot out and hit its target. He finally stopped cumming, a long string left over and oozing from his dick. 

“S-suck Daddy dick, baby girl, clean up the m-mess you made,” Erik could barely talk after that big ass nut, “Clean up your fucking mess. All this because of that g-good pussy.”

Y/N wasted no time. She grabbed Erik’s dick up, opened her lips wide, and wrapped her them around him nice and tight. She could taste his cum on the head of his dick and her cum on his shaft. Erik was covered in it all. Y/N didn’t even need to be told to grab Erik’s balls. She squeezed them while sucking his dick. Erik was still iron-hard and ready to fuck. His limitless dick wanted more and more of her. She could tell because of his pitch-black irises. The killer look in his eyes. She popped her mouth off of his dick, a long string of spit hanging from her bottom lip while her innocent eyes cowardly gazed up at him.

“I don’t know what it is right now...but I feel like thumping that ass real good.”

“W-why?!” Y/N clenched her ass cheeks.

“It’s the way you’re looking up at me, girl. I really wanna spank that ass. Make you cry.”

“Erik, no,” Y/N shook her head, “You are too much.” 

“You want it,” Erik smiles at her darkly, “You would like that, wouldn’t you? Be polite and ask nicely.” 

Y/N was back to being faint-hearted. This was Killmonger. One taste of Y/N’s pussy and now he was giving her evil looks and commands. 

“Spank me, Daddy?” She spoke with a fearful tone.

“I can’t hear you, baby, what is it that you want?”

“Spank me.”

“Turn that ass over and arch your back.”

Y/N turned over and arched her back again. She flexed her neck to look back at him. 

“That’s how I want you. Look back at me while I pop this big ol’ ass on you, girl.”

“Daddy...what did I do to deserve this?” Y/N was scared stiff.

“Making me cum like that, had a nigga stumbling over his words like you’re in charge. I’m in charge. Hear me?”

“Yes.”

Erik’s hand painfully struck Y/N’s ass without warning, “Good girl.”

She instantly screamed. 

“I’m gonna turn you into my trained little slut, do you fucking hear me?”

“Yes!” THWACK, “YES YES!”

THWACK THWACK THWACK.

“Turn your little ass out, make you a slut for this Daddy dick. This is your dick now, slut, this is what you cumming on, okay?!”

“YESS, pleaseeeee.”

THWACK THWACK. Y/N’s legs shook tremendously. She no longer has pain receptors in her ass. She was going numb to his spanking.

“You like my cum on your tits?” THWACK, “Do you like my nut on your tits?”

“Ughhhh yesssss.” 

“Daddy’s pretty little slut. Not a virgin no more, huh? I took that shit didn’t I?”

“Yesssss,” She cried.

“I popped that cherry and took that tight puss. I made that shit mine, am I right?”

“Daddy, yess,” THWACK, “Oh, gosh, Daddy-“

“Does it scare you that I could do anything to you right now? Like, take that puss again? Fuck that puss and make you scream?”

“Oh, Gosh- OH MY GOODNESS!!!” 

Erik’s dick was in her again.

“DADDY!”

“What’s wrong, baby? Finding it hard to focus?”

“Umph! Umph!”

“Yes, moan like that. Yessss, you sound so fucking sexy.”

“AHHHHHH-“ 

You know what’s good? When someone with nice big hands is making you moan while they fuck you but the second you let out a sound they immediately cover your mouth and tell you to…

“Shut up,” Erik commands. 

That’s what’s good. Y/N’s eyes rolled when Erik’s large hand with his thick fingers covered her mouth like that. Bonus points for him because he clapped that ass from the back while still keeping his hand around her mouth and the other in her hair. Now, he was putting his fingers in her mouth to make her suck on. It still kept her quiet anyway. 

Erik leans forward whispering in Y/N’s ear menacingly, “You’re fucking mines, yeah?” Y/N mumbled against his hand, “you’re a messy slut, I can feel you dripping all over me.” 

“Erik...stop,” she spoke with a muffled tone because of his hand. Y/N was done. She came on his dick again. She was afraid by the end of the night she wouldn’t be able to cum anymore. Y/N was definitely a virgin no more. Now that Erik took that pussy, she would be on his dick whenever he wanted.

“THAT'S it, baby. Feel good doesn’t it? Just needed a little more hm?” 

“A-Ah-ahhhhh,” she moaned with a struggle.

“What is it, angel? That made you feel good?”

Y/N nodded her head with a whine.

“What? Like this?” Erik thrust back in and abused her sweet spot, “You’re so goddamn beautiful. Fuck, I’m gonna cum again, girl!”

Two more thrusts in her pussy had Erik pulling out and cumming on her ass now. His dick jumped against her ass. He didn’t even need to jerk it, his hazy eyes just watched his dick jump and spurt out cum covering her ass cheeks and lower back. Erik finally grabs the base of his dick, rubbing the rest of his cum onto her ass. He stood back watching her body slump into the mattress. He was definitely weak and in need of electrolytes to refuel himself. Erik walked to Y/N’s bathroom to retrieve a warm wet rag to wipe her down. It was late as hell and she needed some rest. He would run a bath for her in the morning. He made it back into the room, sitting down on the bed next to Y/N to clean her pussy, ass, and back. As he wiped her pussy, heavy, drawn-out, gurgling noises came from Y/N.

“Wow,” Erik laughs. He laughed so hard his stomach hurt. Y/N was snoring sleep with her mouth hanging wide open. Erik put her to bed. He flips her over to wipe off her breasts. She grumbled and snorted. He forgot how much of a snorer she was. Erik pulled the covers to her bed back, picking her up and laying her in bed. She automatically curled up into a ball, snuggling her face into her silk pillow and reaching out to grab her large teddy bear almost the size of the bed that Erik got her for her birthday. 

“So fucking adorable.” He flicked off her light, pulling the covers back to lay next to her. He snuggled her close to him, his arm reaching over her bare chest to rest on top of the bear. As soon as he closed his eyes, sleep overtook him as well. 

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[devendrasbeard]

Don’t Threaten Me With A Good Time

Prompt: Gwent / Games Relationships: Eskel/Yennefer of Vengerberg Rating: E Content Warnings: Switch Eskel, Casual Sex, Pegging, Explicit Sexual Content Summary:  Just two workmates playing Gwent after closing the bar for the night. Things get heated and escalate quickly once it turns out Yennefer is a way better player than Eskel, who loves this game more than anything. Also on ao3!

Another day at The Red Dragon came to an end. Yennefer closed up the last two customers and locked the bar's door after they've left. She poured herself a shot of tequila - a little reward to wait for her till she's done with counting the money and washing the countertops.

The rustling of boxes and clanking of metal barrels from the back room made her sigh and roll her eyes. Eskel appeared in the door, carrying one keg propped on his massive shoulder and rolling another one on the floor. Being over six feet four and with a physique of a bodybuilder, he was definitely a sight to behold, but the whole "look at how much stuff I can carry at once" gig was too much of a show off by Yennefer's standards.

"You're really gonna replace the kegs at 2am now? Leave that for tomorrow and help me with the tables."

"Triss says rolling the kegs kills her back, and I'm not working this weekend, so..." Eskel shrugged and duck under the counter to replace the barrel.

"Oh," Yen raised one eyebrow. "What are you up to that's more interesting than sitting in a pub full of drunk people on a Saturday night?"

"I'm only gonna tell you if you promise me not to laugh." He peeked at her from under the counter. "And don't tell Geralt."

That sparked some interest in Yen. It could be either something extremely dumb or something illegal. Or both. She stood above him with her arms crossed and gave him a questioning look. "I can promise not to tell the Wolf, but as for the other part... well..."

Eskel huffed, having replaced both kegs, and wiped his hands on the towel lying at the counter. "Fair enough. I'm taking part in a Gwent tournament."

"What is it with you guys and Gwent?" Yennefer groaned and moved to clean the tables.

"It's fun, plus you can win some good money there - it's part of this bigger fantasy con..."

"You're really taking part in that circle jerk for nerds?" Yen interrupted him and made a scrawny face. "Nothing more boring than sitting around, throwing some cards on the table and letting other nerds cream themselves over them. But whatever drives your fancy, I guess."

"You only say that cause you haven't played with me yet." Eskel smiled at her, that big scar across his cheek stretching a little.

Yennefer rolled her eyes again. "I am sure I would still hate it."

"I could show you some tricks, or explain some of the best strategies to you..." Eskel started, a spark of excitement already in his eye.

"Alright, alright, I'll play with you one day." Yen raised her hands. "Now just shut up and help me with the cleaning."

"We could play after we're done with work," Eskel wiggled his brows.

"Please tell me you do not carry your cards around with you," Yennefer made a wry face.

Eskel grabbed his backpack and dangled it on one finger in front of Yen's eyes. "I actually do."

Yennefer groaned and moved to place the chair's on the tables, making space for Eskel to start mopping the floors. "Fine," she let out a resigned huff. "I'll play with you after we're done, just... Stop talking for now."

*****

The bar was clean and ready for Triss and Yen to open the next day, so they moved to the office in the back room. It was a pretty spacious place, with two desks, where Geralt, Eskel's brother and their boss at the same time, kept all their paperwork, invoices and such. At the far wall they have made a little social space for the employees - they brought in a comfortable couch to sit at, a round wooden table with three chairs and a small cabinet with a mini fridge and a microwave.

Eskel pushed a stray strand of dark hair from his forehead and rummaged around his backpack. He pulled out three different decks of Gwent cards, making Yennefer snort at the sight of it.

"Never thought you'd be such a nerd." She stuck her tongue out in a mocking gesture, but Eskel let it slide, his head already focused on the game.

"Okay, so you can pick your faction from these cards - I have Nilfgaard, monsters..."

"Just gimme any and let's be done with this!" Yennefer snatched the deck out of his hand and sat at the table.

Eskel sat across from her. He went through his cards with a very serious look on his face and then looked up at Yennefer. He raised his eyebrows with a playful smile. "Hey, do you want to spice it up? Like, play Strip Gwent?"

He was ready to hear a mocking comment or being straight up laughed at, but no, Yennefer leaned back in her chair and took in the sight of him. There was a spark in her eyes that made Eskel feel very naked and very small. She propped her hands on her knees, sitting up wide and grinned.

"So, here are the rules." She moved straight to business, like always, and Eskel was so ready to play. "Whoever loses a round, takes a piece of clothing off. Jewelry, piercings don't count. Pair of shoes, pair of socks - it all counts as one item. Deal?"

"Let's play." Eskel grinned and took an eyeful of her. His eyes moved down from her face to that tight T-Shirt with the bar's logo, now covered with a light leather jacket, and down to the ripped jeans. This was going to be an easy win and he was up for a delicious prize.

*****

Forty-five minutes later they were still sitting at the table, Eskel sporting only his boxer shorts and shoes, while Yennefer took just her leather jacket off. She was grinning like a mad witch and purposely fixing her eyes on Eskel's pecs.

"I don't understand." He huffed. "You said you didn't know how to play."

"Society would've been so advanced already, if only men listened carefully to women." Yennefer sighed, not without a hint of satisfaction in her voice. "I never said I didn't know how to play, I said I hated the game. And now I really hope you'll put up a show for me, taking those boxers off." She smiled playfully, placing her last card on the table.

"Fuck, lost by two points!" Eskel hid his face in his hands, only to look up at her a moment later, a menacing grin on his face. "But, well played, here's your prize then."

He circled the table, his pace calm but steady. With a swift move of his strong arms, he turned Yennefer's chair away from the table and stood between her wide spread legs, hooking his thumbs in the waistband of his boxers. She looked at him, her bottom lip trapped between her teeth, not even trying to fake disinterest anymore. Her lilac eyes were on fire and taking in every little detail of Eskel's physique being proudly presented in front of her.

She licked her lips as her gaze wandered from his face and down across his broad heavy chest, adorned with thick dark hair. He had two swallows tattooed right under his collarbones and also sported a nipple ring, that Yennefer was immediately drawn to. His abs were a marvel, like chiseled in stone, his hip bones sporting another tattoo - this time of a poison ivy. A patch of thick black hair was poking out of his boxers, and she could already see the outline of his dick perfectly. Yennefer was more than ready to start another game.

"You've still got your shoes on... So if you want to back out of it, here's your last chance." Yennefer said firmly, at the same time looking Eskel deep in the eyes and dragging a finger along the seam of his boxers.

Eskel swallowed audibly, feeling a shiver down his spine and the familiar heat coiling in his groin. He let out a heavy breath and launched himself at Yen, slotting their lips in a heated kiss. He felt her hands on his ass, slowly sneaking beneath the fabric to take a handful of his flesh. In a swift move she slid his boxers off and broke the kiss off for a moment to gaze down at his already hardened cock. "I'm starting to think you've had all of this planned out," she smiled, licking her lips. "But since you have this in store for me, I don't really mind."

Yennefer wasn't small, but Eskel still had to bend over to kiss her, so he lifted her up and made her wrap her legs around his waist. Her sweet breath in his mouth was already driving him crazy and he moved a few steps forward, laying her down on the table where they played just a few moments before.

She broke the kiss off almost immediately, placing a hand on his chest and pushing him away playfully. "If anyone's gonna be splayed on that table, it's gonna be you, big boy."

That sent a jolt of arousal straight down to Eskel's cock. He hasn't slept with a woman in quite a long time, being mostly interested in dudes, so the perspective of being bossed around by Yen made him shiver with anticipation. He locked a finger under her chin, pulling her up for another deep kiss, and then he bend over on the little table. "Go on, take me then."

*****

Eskel was on the couch on all fours, his head hanging low between his shoulders, heated gasps of pleasure escaping his pressed lips. Beads of sweat were forming along his spine, running up his back and wetting his already damp dark hair. Yennefer was sat comfortably behind him, still in her clothes, two fingers hooked inside his hole, her long fingernails grazing against his prostate. Every move of her lanky digits made Eskel moan and whine and throw his head up. His cock was painfully hard and leaking, but every time he reached for it, Yen swatted his hand away.

"Do you want me to take you apart, baby?" She cooed right into his ear, one hand massaging the small of his back, the other still hooked inside him. Eskel only nodded fervently and let out a long moan. Yennefer clicked her tongue. "Needy."

She reached for her bag and took out a simple but beautifully crafted metal dildo and weighed it in her hand long enough for Eskel to notice it. It was mirror polished, slightly curved like a bow, with perfectly round balls on both ends. Eskel swallowed hard, his voice coarse, "You carry that stuff around in your purse?"

"You never know when unexpected pleasure strikes," Yennefer laughed a pearly laugh. "And it gives my purse a mean swing when I need to knock a bastard down."

"You are an incredible woman," Eskel looked at her from behind his shoulder. "Now would you please stick it in me?"

The weight and pressure of the dildo was just perfect, hitting all the right spots inside Eskel. He tried rocking back and forth a little, along with Yennefer's movements, and it send waves of pleasure down his spine and right to his cock whenever the heavy round ball grazed against his prostate. His cock was already leaking a constant thin streak of precome and he was aching for a sweet release.

"Yen, I really need to come," he breathed, his flushed face pressed into the fabric of the sofa.

"Not till I got my pleasure," Yennefer mused and stood up, taking the dildo out. "C'mon, sit up."

She got rid of her T-shirt and jeans quickly, revealing a matching set of underwear, that was, surprisingly for Eskel, in a baby pink shade. Both the bra and panties had an intricate pattern of criss crossed satin straps, making the pieces look more like armor than underwear. Eskel swallowed thickly and ran a hand along Yen's features, caressing her side, hooking one playful finger at the seam of her panties. He looked up at her, his brown eyes meeting her lilac gaze, both equally dark with lust, and she shook her head, tipping his head up by the chin.

"I'm not stripping today," she said flatly and climbed over him, standing above his face, tangling her fingers in his hair. "You can get a taste, though."

Eskel gave her a little lick over the thin lace and satin fabric and could already taste her wetness. A little whimper left her lips and she propped her arm on the wall, her other hand grabbing Eskel's hair more firmly. He pressed kisses to her inner thighs and then again to her wet cunt, holding her by her firm buttocks, so she wouldn't fall over.

Eskel was good with his mouth. All his previous lovers could confirm that and Yennefer was no different. It took him only a few minutes to have her writhing above his head, her thighs shaking, her hand tangled painfully in his hair, as his tongue darted in and out of her sweet heat. She tasted like gooseberries and candy and Eskel found himself a bit addicted to the taste. But he couldn't wait to feel that welcoming heat around his dick, so he dared to make a move, grabbing Yennefer firmly by the hips and lowering her down, so she was sat in his lap.

She kissed him, a hard feverish kiss, her eyes on fire and her cheeks flushed a gorgeous deep pink. And then she just moved her panties to the side and slid down on his cock. The sensation of her tight slick cunt taking him in fully send Eskel very close to the edge. He threw his head back with a groan, only to jolt forward in the next moment and bury his face between Yen's breasts.

She moved up and down at a steady pace, her gaze focused on Eskel, both hands tangled in his hair. Eskel put his arms around her and started fumbling with the clasps of her bra, only to be swatted away.

"What, you won't even show me your tits?" He asked, with only a bit of disappointment in his voice.

"Nope." Yennefer's tone was firm, although her voice was already strained, interrupted with breathy huffs. "I won the game, so now we play by my rules."

In response, Eskel bucked his hips up to draw an especially long and needy moan out of her. Yen propped her forehead on his chest, breathing heavily.

"I'm tired, you move now."

He didn't need anymore prompting - Eskel just stood up, holding her thighs in a firm grip, driving into her with all the energy he had. Yennefer grabbed onto his shoulders, her long fingernails digging painfully into his flesh, and she pressed their faces together to steal one more heated kiss from him.

Eskel moved faster, each thrust of his hips hitting a sweet spot inside Yennefer's cunt, making her moan and wail like a little cat. He looked at her face - the cold and indifferent facade was long gone, replaced by watery, pleading eyes, flushed cheeks and wet lips parted in a very obscene way - and it send him over the edge.

His orgasm hit him like a wave, making him grasp at Yen's thighs even harder, drawing a hiss out of her mouth and making her bite his lip. Her quivering thighs and her pussy clenching so hard on his dick were signs Yen was very close too, so despite his tiredness and fuzzy feeling in his bones, he drove into her a few more times, causing her to make the most beautiful crying sound Eskel has ever heard.

After they dropped back onto the couch, Yennefer patted his thigh lightly, brushed her tangled hair off her face, sighed. "I still hate Gwent."

Eskel laughed. "And I still need you to not tell Geralt about any of this."

----

@witcher-rarepair-summer-bingo

[lucas-koh]

Stitches - Bryce Lahela x MC XI

Parts 1-10 linked in bio!

Only somewhat canon compliant.

Song: sex (catching feelings) - EDEN

Rating: M; sexual content, swearing, mentions of death, drinking

Word Count: 4261

Taglist: @lahellacute @lahamseiroshoe @anotherbeingsworld @fuseboxmusebox @choicesficwriterscreations @bubblelaureno @bratzlahela @eleanorbloom @bryceslahela @thegreentwin @kelseaaa || please let me know if you would like to be added to or removed from this list

Chapter Eleven: Tequila Flavoured Sutures

And ring in the New Year they did, for hours and hours and hours. There was little concern about the noise they were making due to the fact that everyone was passed out from alcohol by that point.

—-

It took almost the entire month of January until Suki had a day off, in fact, two days off. She skipped over her birthday on the 18th, opting for takeout and a movie (and not telling anyone it was her birthday so they wouldn’t make a fuss). Yay to twenty-eight. Her plans for her days off initially involved those chips and candy she didn’t get to indulge in before; but then she thought about Bryce’s words the last time ‘…and you didn’t even think to invite me?’ And immediately caved. She did want to see him after such a long time. Especially after how he was in bed at New Years…

Santa Fe: 👃yours?

Scalpel Jockey: i finish in a couple hours?

Santa Fe: cool, i’ll be there

Scalpel Jockey: 😈

So after a couple of hours Suki arrived at Bryce’s place. Pretty much as soon as she stepped through the door she was rushing Bryce’s shirt off.

“Woah, someone’s eager.”

“It’s been a little while.”

—-

A chunk of time and a few rounds later, Bryce and Suki caught their breath on his bed. Suki wasn’t ready for the night to end, she was pretty horny still, and she had the day off tomorrow, too.

“Hey,” she grinned with mischief and sudden inspiration in her eyes, she had missed out on birthday fun after all, “wanna get drunk and do body shots?”

“Absolutely,” Bryce bit his lip and his eyelids sunk with desire. Suki already knew this would be an interesting night.

They partially dressed and headed into the kitchen to grab Bryce’s alcohol. He crouched down to a little cupboard in the corner of his kitchen.

“Oh.” He pulled a bottle of rum from the cupboard. There was barely anything left in it.

“Shit,” Suki laughed.

“I can grab something from the convenience store?”

“Eh, why not, I’ll come along.”

“You don’t have to.”

“Some fresh air might be nice after all that… exertion.”

So Bryce and Suki put on the rest of their clothes and headed out to walk to the store. The late January cold was biting but neither of them noticed much.

On the walk they talked about everything and nothing, like they were old friends catching up after too long away. Suki tried to ignore the fact that their hands brushed when they walked too close together. That the cold metal of his rings sent a jolt through the nerves in her fingers. She also tried to ignore the fact that made her think about holding that hand. Back on the first day, when they’d danced to The Stone Roses, when he’d asked if she wanted to be adored and made her scramble under his gaze. And then the many times she’d gripped his hand while he was fucking her into oblivion, letting it press her own into the mattress with pressure, his fingers fitting between her own desperately and needing like puzzle pieces. Her nails digging into the back of his hand and vice versa. She remembered how that first time and all the times since their hands had felt right, like an old key and lock with a very specific shape.

Once they reached the store, they picked up two bottles of tequila, and some fresh limes.

“I’ll pay,” Bryce rushed in front of her, “I’ll keep whatever’s left over.”

“Not if we drink it all,” she teased.

“That’s 70cl each, I think not,” Bryce chuckled as the cashier put the bottles in their over-used old plastic bag for them. Suki pulled the full bag from the counter once Bryce had paid.

“Can’t handle it?”

“Thanks man,” Bryce said to the cashier and they began to make their way outside. “As doctors I think we both know 70cl is like, death limits.”

“Long term, maybe,” she shrugged. When she saw the look Bryce was giving her, she added, “I’m joking, you dumbass! I’m not sure why you even bought two bottles.”

“Eh, saves coming down here again.”

“Lazy-ass.”

They pushed open the door to step into the cold outside. Bryce shook his head affectionately and laughed at Suki, despite the conversation being barely funny.

As he laughed, Bryce stumbled backwards off the step up to the shop and into a man drinking just outside the store.

“Oops, sorry man,” he grinned an apology. It was lighthearted and accidental and that should’ve been the end of it. But this dude did not look happy.

“Hey Buddy, are you looking for a fight?”

“No, not at all – just an accident, dude.”

“Are you fuckin’ sure?” The man signalled down to the ground where a vodka bottle was smashed into large pieces.

“I’m sorry, I’ll buy you another.”

Suki was beginning to feel very stressed. Confrontation was her least favourite thing ever. She pulled one of the tequila bottles from her bag.

“Here, sir. Have this. He really didn’t mean to break it.”

“Tell your boyfriend to be more careful,” he spat.

Suki didn’t want to provoke him any more by correcting him, but she also didn’t want him to keep talking smack. Hearing this guy get so worked up over Bryce’s mere mistake was enough to give Suki a major adrenaline and confidence boost.

“He tripped, and then apologised immediately. We offered to buy you another bottle, and even offered up our own. Maybe you need to calm down.” Her voice was slightly raised and she was starting to see red from anger.

“Suki-“ Bryce started, holding a hand out as though to shield her.

But this man was very intoxicated and clearly in the mood to be a dick, because he walked over to Suki and shoved her to the floor. It was like everything was moving in fast forward because it happened in just seconds. And then all of a sudden Suki was on the other side of the coin and in slow motion, stumbling down to the concrete. In the process the tequila in the dishevelled bag in her hand also smashed through the worn plastic and to the floor and Suki, in trying to break her fall, stumbled back on her hands. She winced as her hand dug right into one particularly sharp shard of glass.

“Shit.”

The man’s eyes widened as he noticed what he’d done and the absolute rage and contempt on Bryce’s face. Bryce was furious. Suki had never seen him so mad. Not even that day he’d lost the surgery. And it wasn’t cartoon smoke-out-the-ears fury either, it was scary. Pure. The drunkard was clearly terrified by Bryce’s expression and his tightly clenching fists and he scarpered.

“HEY! ASSHOLE!” Bryce shouted after him, running down the road after him a bit. Suki was surprised at how fast he was running. He got a little ways down the sidewalk when the other man crossed a traffic-filled road. Bryce looked back and saw Suki on the floor - he knew his priority was her.

He returned to where she was now sat on the floor, examining the glass shoved into her hand and crumbs of concrete around the area, too. The aroma of tequila mixed with blood was overwhelming. Suki was honestly feeling a mixture of shell-shock and dizzy headiness.

“Fuck,” Bryce said, crouching beside her and taking her hand in his like the very limb was made of glass. “I’ll fucking kill him. Does anywhere else hurt? Are you okay emotionally?”

His deep brown eyes searched hers, desperate concern clouding them. All traces of the absolute anger of before were gone, only solicitude and tunnelled focus on the woman before him.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Maybe a bruise on my butt but I’ve had worse. What a dick.”

Bryce held the underside of her hand in both of his, securing her wrist steady, and scrunched his face up as he inspected it. “We need to get the glass out of this.”

“Easy, it’s only the one piece.” Suki tried not to yelp as she pulled the shard from her palm.

“Suki!” Bryce chastised.

“It’s all good, see?”

“I’m going to pretend you didn’t just do that after nine years of medical training.”

“It’s fine,” she assured him, hoping her eyes were telling him so too. Sure, it hurt, but it wasn’t enough to make a big deal out of.

“You should let me take you to the emergency room.”

“Bryce. It’s fine. It’s not a big deal.”

He winced as he looked at the blood still pouring from the gash in her hand. “I swear I’ll deck that guy if I ever see him again. It’ll heal much better if you go to the ER and get stitches. The last thing a doctor needs is nerve damage.”

“Bryce.”

“Fine, then you’re coming back to mine and letting me stitch it.”

“Bryce!” Suki was feeling like a broken record, but honestly at that moment, a combination of shock and the odd feeling Bryce’s eyes gave her was making it a little difficult to access her full word library.

“Don’t wear my name out,” he winked, keeping one hand on hers and placing the other round her waist as he helped pull her up from the ground. She was sure to grab the unaffected tequila bottle and limes with her functioning hand.

“I could’ve stood up by myself you know, my legs are fine.”

“I’m keeping this hand so you don’t do anything else to it,” he said, taking Suki’s wrist to hold her bleeding hand above her heart, and began to pull her along with him. She sighed but let him pull her along, anything to get him not to go after that guy. She didn’t need the further mortification.

The walk back had lost the vibe of the walk there; solemn and sober. Mostly filled with Bryce muttering things about the man and retained asking of Suki’s well-being.

Bryce held her wrist the entire way, catching most of the leftover dripping blood on his own hand.

They reached Bryce’s apartment and he unlocked the door for them, closed it behind him, and then led Suki over to the sofa.

“Stay there,” he instructed before disappearing into the kitchen. Seconds later he re-emerged with a sizeable first aid kit.

“That’s big,” Suki laughed, a little more colour in her cheeks now that they were inside, “I would say you’re compensating for something but...”

“But you know I’m not,” he grinned smugly as he perched beside her.

Bryce was ever so delicate as he held Suki’s hand and cleaned away the blood with an antiseptic wipe. She winced the first time the cool chemical wipe made contact with the gash which caused Bryce to immediately stop and look at her. She gave him a little nod to continue. He did his best to be careful as he moved the skin around a bit under his phone flashlight to see if any glass was lingering.

“I swear Suki if this heals and there’s still glass in there because you wouldn’t let me take you to the ER, you’ll never hear the end of this.”

“Fine, but I trust your 20/20 vision and steady scalpel hand.”

“As you should.”

Once the wound was clean and Bryce had checked multiple times for fragments of glass, he pulled his suture kit from the box.

Watching Bryce steady the curved needle end in some tweezers was artful. He was so practised, so sure. The way his pretty features furrowed together slightly in focus was magnetising. She was amazed at how steady his hands were, how such large appendages could look so fine and delicate. Each stitch pulled through was neat and even, Suki’s eyes flicking between the stitches and Bryce’s facial expression. It was piercing her skin but it was like she couldn’t feel it. His other hand remained beneath hers, holding it up and keeping it from shaking. Then Bryce secured the stitches and started to wrap some bandage around for extra protection.

Bryce finished off his bandaging by tucking it in at the back of her hand. He held her hand, still.

“It’s going to scar,” he sighed.

“What’s a doctor without a few scars?”

“Touché.”

“Thank you for doing this.”

“It was no question.”

Suki couldn’t help but notice the way Bryce’s thumb soothed the back of the hand it was holding. She looked up to the clock. It had only been an hour since they’d left for drinks. Eventful hour.

Eventually Bryce seemed to notice his hand and removed it from hers.

“What about those body shots then?” She smirked.

“You’re hurt.”

“It’s a cut on my hand, I was planning on doing these shots with my mouth…”

Bryce raised his eyebrows and licked his lips. “Well, we did manage to salvage one bottle.”

“Not to mention it has been secured by ‘the best surgical intern at Edenbrook’.”

“Oh you’re damn fucking right. Fine, you know how to convince a guy. We’re gonna take it careful though, okay?”

“Deal. On which I will not shake my hand.”

He laughed and got up to fetch the shot glasses from the kitchen, beckoning her over.

“The counter will be best.”

Suki laid down first, letting Bryce slip her top over her head (with which he was incredibly careful with her hand), and slide her pants down her legs until she was laying on his kitchen island in only her underwear.

“Now, this is a sight that could encourage me to be in the kitchen more,” Bryce laughed, trailing a finger up and down her arm and causing her to tremble.

“Still haven’t learned any recipes, huh?”

“No. But there’s no way in hell we’re talking about cooking right now.”

Bryce licked a finger and trailed it slowly between Suki’s breasts, then sprinkled some salt over that area. He rested the lime wedge on her stomach. Finally he filled a shot glass with the spirit and placed it in her mouth. She was trying not to laugh too hard so that she didn’t spill the tequila all over her face.

“Ready?” He smirked. She lifted her good hand in an ‘ok’ sign.

As Bryce leaned down towards Suki’s chest, his face was hungry, craving. That look was making Suki’s stomach flip all kinds of directions. He sensuously licked his tongue up between her breasts, catching each grain of salt. He laughed a little as he moved to collect the shot glass in his own mouth. Their lips touched briefly as he secured it in his mouth, then he threw his head back and downed the shot immediately. Then rather swiftly Bryce moved down to Suki’s stomach to suck all the juice from the lime and counter the sharp tequila flavour.

“Okay, that was a really good idea,” he exhaled in the way one does after a strong shot of alcohol. Bryce took another three shots from various parts of Suki’s body; for the last two she lay on her stomach and he used spots such as the nape of her neck, small of her back, and asscheek. The two of them were a messy mix of laughing the whole time, and really enjoying the whole thing.

“Right? My turn now.”

Bryce and Suki switched places, and he threw all his clothing bar underpants off towards the lounge.

Suki used her tongue to dampen the line in the middle of Bryce’s abs for the salt, balanced the shot glass precariously on the flat part of his chest, and placed the lime in his mouth.

She was slow and tantalising as she lapped up the salt, swift as she took the shot, and then there was the lime. She leant down to suck out the sour juice, but kept the lime in his mouth the entire time she drained it. It was an odd but exciting semi-kiss.

After a couple more shots Suki had a new idea.

“Wait, wait,” she laughed, a mischievous glint in her eye.

“What?”

“What if… I poured a bit on your stomach and licked it up…” she was laughing a lot, but it was obvious the idea appealed a lot to her.

“Do it.”

She placed a hand on his stomach to steady him before she planned to carefully pour the liquid over him.

“Hey, careful with that hand,” Bryce nudged, noticing it pressed flat on his body.

“Yes, yes, Dr. Lahela,” she teased.

Time seemed to fly by as the pair took shot after shot, broken up by messy intoxicated kisses, neither realising that Suki’s tolerance was far lower than Bryce’s. After losing count, they wordlessly abandoned the game, relocating to dance around stupidly in their underwear in the living room. Suki may or may not have been swigging tequila directly from the bottle at that point.

A number of songs played and then:

“I’m… pretty drunk,” Suki laughed, closing her eyes and letting herself sway a bit.

“Same!” Bryce enthused, before Suki began to topple over towards the sofa, “woah! Okay, you’re more drunk than me.” He giggled as he caught her fall. Now he was sitting on the floor with Suki’s jelly-like body in his arms. He kept a weary eye on her bandaged hand.

Yes, Bryce was drunk, but the moment he needed to be sensible or protective it was like a switch went off in his brain.

Her eyes were still shut and a blissful smile spread over her face. “Kiss me.”

Bryce leaned in and gave her a chaste peck to the lips.

“I know you can kiss better than that,” she echoed his words from their epic kiss.

“Not when you’re drunker than me I can’t.”

“Boohoo.”

“We should get you home. I’ll come with, I’m not sure I’m comfortable putting you in an Uber alone.”

“I don’t think I can walk very far, Bryyyceee.”

“Okay, you can have my bed then. I’ll take the sofa.”

“Nooooo,” she brought up her limp hands to grab either side of his face, visibly wincing a bit when the bandaged one made contact with his face. “Sleep with me.”

“Clothed? Sure.” Bryce took her damaged hand in his own and held it away from any pain risks.

“Nopeeee,” Suki’s remaining clumsy hand began to slide down Bryce’s chest and fiddle with the band of his boxers. He laughed and grabbed them both with his free hand to stop her.

“I’m not having sex with you again tonight.”

“Meanie.”

“Okay.” He chuckled again.

“But will you sleep with me? Like, to make sure I don’t throw up in the night or something.”

“Sure, miss tequila.”

Bryce stood and pulled Suki up with him, her eyes fluttering open at the movement, and supported her in the walk to his bedroom.

“Are you cold? I have some pyjamas if you’d like,” he offered when they got there, still holding her tightly to his side.

She shook her head, but didn’t seem sure. She looked up to Bryce with wide eyes and a startled expression like she was only just really seeing him.

“Bathroom,” she choked out, and Bryce rushed her towards his en-suite. He supported her all the way to her eventually emptying the contents of her stomach into his toilet bowl.

He held her hair back from her face as she very inelegantly upchucked into Bryce’s toilet a few times.

“I’m sorry,” she looked up at him, eyes wide and apologetic, “I didn’t mean to drink so much I’m just…” nervous around you. Stupidly feeling ways I shouldn’t for my fuck Buddy. Wanted you to see me as fun and free-spirited. Now I’m just embarrassing myself.

“You don’t need to explain yourself. It’s okay.”

Once it was clear nothing else was coming out, Bryce helped Suki drink from a glass of water, and briefly left the room for her to pee.

Bryce was gentle as he ran a spare (unused) toothbrush around her mouth and directed her head to the sink each time to spit.

Suki wasn’t coherent enough to ramble all her apologies and thanks’, but she was so grateful. Could this man stop being so amazing, please? I’m trying to stop being weird, here.

Eventually Bryce was able to help Suki into some of his pyjamas, somehow without looking at all. Seeing a very drunk naked girl is not the same, even if he had seen said girl naked many times prior. Then he helped her into bed and she collapsed against his pillow like a rag doll. He climbed into bed beside her, careful to keep his distance.

“Bryce…” she slurred, the sleep clear in her voice. “You’re a really great guy. I’m glad we’re…” Suki was going to say friends, but it felt wrong coming out of her mouth at that moment. “I’m glad I know you.”

“Yeah, I’m glad I know you too.” Bryce reached up a hand to stroke her cheek. She sighed into his hand, moving a bit cat-like.

“Since you wouldn’t fuck me, will you at least cuddle me?”

Bryce laughed. “Of course.”

“You are so great. So great. Great guy.” As she mumbled these words drunkenly it was clear the unconsciousness was taking over.

Bryce rolled towards her and cradled her into his chest, holding her tightly as though it had been a long time coming.

Bryce’s breaths came gently over Suki’s forehead. And after a few minutes, when he was sure she’d fallen asleep, he spoke ever so quietly.

“If only you knew what a screw up I was,” he muttered. Suki may have been drunk and spewing shit she wouldn’t sober, but her ears were working fine. And she would remember this in the morning. Despite the intoxication she knew such out of pocket words would be something she’d recall. She knew then to keep as still as she could, not alerting to him that she was awake or coherent.

—-

When Suki woke up, her pillow was hard. Her duvet was gripping her waist kind of tightly, too. As she nuzzled into the pillow her senses were invigorated with a sudden and familiar scent: suddenly most of the nights events clocked in her brain.

Sex with Bryce. Walk to convenience store. Accidental beef with drunk man. Damaged hand. Bryce stitching up said hand. Body shots. Lots of body shots. Random blank moment. Oh god - throwing up in Bryce’s toilet. Being dressed by a closed-eye Bryce. Finally falling into bed. Those words.

What the hell could he have meant by that last night? If only I knew what a screw up he was? As far as I’m concerned right now he’s an angel sent from above to deal with a problematically drunk Suki.

He was breathing gently beneath her, quiet noises at each exhale. She noticed as she listened to the rhythm of his heart, that her heart was beating in time with his.

Maybe she should’ve left. After all, she’d ended up causing a lot of trouble for Bryce. And, she’d stayed the night. Maybe if she left before he woke up it wouldn’t count that she’d broken the rule.

But before she could truly agonise over her decision, Bryce stirred, blinking awake and looking down at her.

“Hey,” he smiled. To Suki’s surprise his arm remained around her waist. Okay, I’m surprised he doesn’t hate me. Then again, he wouldn’t be the type to be open about hating someone.

“Hey,” she replied quietly, looking up at him from his chest. “So… I was pretty drunk last night.”

“Yeah. I thought I was too and then you fell over. The decline was pretty quick after that.”

“I’m so sorry. That you had to see me like that, look after me, and then I hijacked your bed too… it wasn’t appropriate of me and it was unfair on you.”

“It’s okay, Suki. You’d do the same for me. We’re friends and making sure you’re okay and looked after is important to me,” he nodded sincerely before grinning and adding, “plus, now I have plenty of blackmail material.”

“God I was awful wasn’t I?”

He chuckled.

Oh shit. “Did I say anything really bad? If I did please ignore it because I talk out of my ass when I’m drunk I’m sure it was utter nonsense.”

“If you did, I think I’ll keep it to myself.”

Ughhhhh. She groaned loudly and buried her face into his chest so that she didn’t have to see that stupid smirk. Now my mind will race about what I could’ve said for the rest of time.

Suki actually felt like hitting Bryce as his large hand slowly soothed her back.

He had to stop doing so much for her, being so exemplary, because it was adding to a problem that had been brewing in Suki for a while. He’d comforted her in the supply closet twice, he’d looked after Tommy, he’d held her hair back while she was sick and let her stay the night, and he’d stitched up her wound so carefully and precisely. He’d even nearly beat up that guy for her.

Shit. Shit shit shit shit.

She’d broken her promise, because it wasn’t just about sex anymore. Truthfully, maybe it never was.

There was absolutely no way she could swing it any longer. Suki Moore liked Bryce Lahela. As more than a friend, more than a body. She was enamoured by him, and had no clue what to do about it.

[rfamess]

This cured my boredom for a little bit. Was making a few new music playlists and thought.. hmm. I wonder what kind of music the RFA listens to? So, I made this. For no reason at all.

What Kind of Music the RFA + V/Saeran Listen To:

Saeyoung/707:

- (I always see people writing that he’d listen to all star or other cringe meme songs because that’s what seems to be his entire personality, but I like to think he has more substance than that and listens to songs that don’t have to do with memes.)

- He definitely listens to rap/hip-hop.

- Can you not imagine him driving down the road in his cars, windows down, music blasting?

- He listens to his music uber loud in his headphones while working.

- His favorite artist is probably Tyler the creator, i mean, how could you not love him.

- Listens to Mac Miller when he’s sad :(

PLAYLIST:

Who Dat Boy - Tyler the Creator

Stutter - Freddie Dredd

Evil Fantasy - Freddie Dredd

Sweatpants - Childish Gambino

Bounce - Logic

Dead Wrong - Notorious B.I.G.

Movement - Oliver Tree

Stick to Your Guns - Watsky

Both - Gucci Mane

No Sleep Till Brooklyn - Beastie Boys

Can I Kick It - A Tribe Called Quest

No Limit - G Easy

Circles - Mac Miller

Broke Bitch - TMG (lol)

Bonfire - Childish Gambino

I THINK - Tyler the Creator

Good News - Mac Miller

I - Kendrick Lamar

FACE - Brockhampton

King Kunta - Kendrick Lamar

Lovely Things Suite: Knots - Watsky

Zen:

- (Similar to Saeyoung, I don’t believe Zens entire personality revolves around musicals, he probably doesn’t listen to them that often imo.)

- I like to think he’s a... well rounded individual when it comes to music

- Listens to anything and everything.

- I could see him listening to the same music as Seven, but is also very into 70s-90s rock like the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the like.

- He runs listening to all of his music on shuffle and doesn’t have a specific playlist so there’s never a certain vibe to it— it really is all over the place.

- In addition to Seven’s playlist, here’s Zen’s

PLAYLIST:

Funny Face - Red Hot Chili Peppers

Santeria - Sublime

Badfish - Sublime

The Luck You Got - The High Strung

Dedicated to the One I Love - The Mamas and the Papas

Heart of Glass - Blondie

Come as You Are - Nirvana

Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison

Machu Picchu - The Strokes

Dirty Harry - Gorillaz

Love of Your Life - Red Hot Chili Peppers

The Adults Are Talking - The Strokes

Bailee - The Licks

Where is my Mind - Pixies

Hurt Like Mine - The Black Keys

Gap - The Kooks

Give it Away - Red Hot Chili Peppers

Take Me Out - Franz Ferdinand

Hoops - The Rubens

Conquest - The White Stripes

Ten Cent Pistol - The Black Keys

Yoosung:

- Yoosung likes more upbeat music, maybe more new age/alternative pop

- Listens to music every time he tries to study, but usually get distracted by it and starts to sing along instead of actually doing his work

- Is probably trying to branch out of his style, Seven and Zen try to convince him to listen to their favorite genres

- The three of them always argue about who has the best taste in music lol

- He’s constantly wondering if his music is “manly” enough (it’s okay yoosung it’s just music)

- If this dude gets drunk and hears any of this music he goes absolutely wild and dances all over the place

PLAYLIST:

Bambi - Hippocampus

Turn - the Wombats

Paris - Magic Man

Chronic Sunshine - Cosmo Pike

Death of a Bachelor - Panic! At the Disco

Silvertongue - Young the Giant

Brazil - Declan McKenna

Unbelievers - Vampire Weekend

Baseball - Hippocampus

Australia - The Shins

Prune, You Talk Funny - Gus Dapperton

Honeypie - JAWNY

Alien Boy - Oliver Tree

Satellite - Guster

So Young - Portugal. The Man

Blinding Lights - The Weeknd

Circles - Post Malone

Unbearably White - Vampire Weekend

Tiny Umbrella - Coast Modern

Way it Goes - Hippocampus

Electric Feel - MGMT

Jumin:

- this guy has 2 modes and that’s it: classical bitch or music that has words

- He appreciates the fine art of classical music and listens to it when he has work to get done or when he’s trying to relax.

- If he’s in a good mood he’ll put on a playlist that includes “music with actual lyrics!”

- It’s a dad playlist. Billy Joel, Billy Joel, Billy Joel, Elton John, The Beatles, Billy Joel.

- He likes Billy Joel. Jumin has a dad personality you can’t convince me otherwise lol

- He tried to branch out but can get very picky in his interests. “I don’t like this guitar riff— change it”

- Either way his 2 modes are apparent in his playlists

PLAYLIST:

Dreams - Fleetwood Mac

California Dreamin’ - The Mamas and the Papas

Don’t Ask Me Why - Billy Joel

Starman - David Bowie

Miss You - The Rolling Stones

Dancing in the Moonlight - King Harvest

Come and Get Your Love - Redbone

It’s Too Late - Carole King

Movin’ Out - Billy Joel

A Horse With No Name - America

I Want to Hold Your Hand - The Beatles

Honky Cat - Elton John

Vienna - Billy Joel

The Stranger - Billy Joel

Waltz in A Minor - Chopin

Hungarian Dance No. 5 in G Minor - Brahms

Waltz No. 7 in C Sharp Minor, Op. 64, No. 2 - Chopin

Souvenir de Paganini - Chopin

Solfeggietto in C Minor - Bach

Prelude in B Minor, Op. 32, No. 10 - Rachmaninoff

IV. Allegro Molto From Quartet - Yo-Yo Ma

La Fille Aux Cheveux de Lin - Debussy

Porz Goret - Yann Tiersen

Carnival of the Animals: VII. Aquarium - Camille Saint-Saëns

Carnival of the Animals: XIII. The Swan - Camille Saint-Saëns

Jaehee:

- We all know her obsession with Musicals (specifically zens)

- Other than this she listens to...well honestly I don’t know

- Her music doubles as something she can get hyped up with and something she can listen to to relax.

- She loves to dance, so a lot of her songs and just songs that she’ll never be able to refuse to move her feet to!

- She likes the old classics and then she likes Doja Cat. Lizzo? Queen.

- She’s a barb let’s be real please. you can never convince me that she’s not

PLAYLIST:

Adore You - Harry Styles

She - Harry Styles

Call Me - Blondie

Starships - Nicki Minaj

Hey Mickey - Toni Basil

Juice - Lizzo

Say So - Doja Cat

Voulez-Vous - ABBA

Waterloo - ABBA

Cuz I Love You - Lizzo

Killing Me Softly With His Song - Roberta Flack (LOL the memories associated with this song after Killing Stalking..... hahahaha BUT ITS STILL A GREAT SONG!)

Only - Nicki Minaj

Boss Bitch - Doja Cat

Go Your Own Way - Fleetwood Mac

Beez in the Trap - Nicki Minaj

Woman - Harry Styles

9 to 5 - Dolly Parton

Blame it on the Boogie - Michael Jackson

One Way or Another - Blondie

Tia Tamera - Doja Cat

Truth Hurts - Lizzo

V:

- indie boy indie boy indie boy indie boy

- Cmon just look at him he’s an indie boy

- If you’ve ever met a film student that gatekeeps music, they have the same exact taste but V won’t say shit to make you feel stupid. It’s just music bruv

- If you’ve ever been to an indie concert you know the fuckin dance you know what I’m talking about. he does that.

- Rolls a joint, pops the music off and he paints, does photography, whatever. Either way he straight vibes every single time the tunes come on.

- Low key thinks he has the best music taste. that’s just how dem indie kids roll let’s be real here.

- For some reason knows everything about every type of music. will spew facts about artists and songs at random

PLAYLIST:

Shuggie - Foxygen

Necessary Evil - Unknown Mortal Orchestra

Homage - Mild High Club

Another One - Mac DeMarco

Plants - Crumb

What Once Was - Her’s

Heart and My Car - Summer Salt

Cottage Roads - The Walters

Moonlight on the River - Mac DeMarco

Work This Time - King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard

Like Yesterday - Paul Cherry

Call it Fate, Call it Karma - The Strokes

Knowhere - Nick DeLaurentis

Escargot Blues - Guantánamo Bay Surf Club

A Side / B Side - Tipling Rock

Dark Red - Steve Lacy

That I Miss You - Vansire

Top Tier Love - Lonely Benson

Driving to Hawaii - Summer Salt

Taking Up Space - Mustard Service

She’s the Only One - King Guru

Saeran:

- emo boy emo boy emo boy

- We all know it

- As much as I’d love to say he listens to heavy death metal, there’s a part of my mind saying NO he’s not like that.

- Well he is, but he’s got more than a few single interest

- Probably listens to Nirvana, Cage the Elephant, anything similar

- Is always trying to listen to new music

- Kind of sick of Seven blasting his music all the time and listens to the opposite of hip hop whenever possible

- Honestly enjoys all types of music, but sticks to his favorites

PLAYLIST:

- All Apologies - Nirvana

- Angel of Small Death and the Codeine Scene - Hozier

- Soma - The Strokes

- Black Madonna - Cage the Elephant

- Hysteria - Muse

- Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High - Arctic Monkeys

- I Got Mine - The Black Keys

- Supermassive Black Hole - Muse

- Under the Bridge - Red Hot Chili Peppers

- Back Against the Wall - Cage the Elephant

- Creep - Radiohead

- Heart Shaped Box - Nirvana

- Demon Days - Gorillaz

- Bulls on Parade - Rage Against The Machine

- Matador - The Buttertones

- Holiday - Green Day

- RIP - The Licks

- London Calling - The Clash

- Loser - Beck

- What I Got - Sublime

[iffeelscouldkill]

say what we wanna do, make it all come true (chapter 1)

A/N: It is! My fic for the Fiction Podcast Big Bang @podcastbigbang! I am a bit terrified to be posting this after working on it for so long! Also this is in the running for the Longest TSCOSI Fic I’ve Written So Far (not sure if it’s the longest because I don’t remember where my wordcount is up to for Adjusting, but like... it’s long, guys). This is Chapter 1 of 3, and the remaining chapters will be posted weekly!

You can read this on AO3 where the formatting is honestly much better, but here it is on Tumblr anyway. Also, please check out the FANTASTIC artwork made for this fic by the wonderful @bluereadingdolphin and @demonic-kitkats, who are my artists for this fic and their artwork is so good, you guys, I’m in love and they did such a phenomenal job with the honestly pretty vague info they got from me 😂 

bluereadingdolphin’s piece

demonic-kitkat’s piece (from Chapter 2!)

Please give them all the love!

Content warnings: There is a relatively brief physical altercation described in this chapter, but it isn’t graphic or bloody.

Also, I play a little fast and loose with POV in this; the first section is told from Sana’s perspective, the rest from Arkady’s.

---

“Hello and welcome back to Radio Indie, Folk and Techno, also known as RIFT, where we play all the bands that matter outside of the mainstream! I’m Piper Tanaka, and I’m your co-host for this programme! I’m joined as usual by the lovely Kestrel Colvin, with Reina Sakamachi in the booth! Now – where were we?”

“You were introducing our guests for this next section,” Kestrel replied in a slightly despairing tone.

“Right! Indie fans, I am joined today by two members of the fabulous up-and-coming indie band Rumor! With me in the studio are frontwoman and lead guitarist Sana Tripathi—”

“Hey! It’s a pleasure to be here.”

“—and bad girl bassist Arkady Patel.”

“Bad girl?” Arkady repeated, sounding halfway between taken aback and annoyed. Kestrel just shook her head.

“Ignore her. She’s got a thing for a certain… aesthetic.”

Next to Arkady, Sana was doing an incredibly poor job of hiding her laughter. “It’s the combat boots,” she whispered to Arkady.

“These are practical,” Arkady told her in a tone that suggested they’d had this conversation a few times. Sana said nothing, but straightened back up with a smirk.

“Sana — or should I call you ‘Captain’?” Piper began playfully. Sana grimaced.

“In hindsight, it was a poor choice to share that nickname in an interview.”

“You know, I think it suits you,” said Piper. “There’s something commanding about your aura. Sana, you and the band — which I understand you and Arkady originally started as a duo a few years ago—”

“That’s right,” Sana confirmed.

“You’ve always had a dedicated and loyal following, even from your early days — and we’re proud to have been playing your music here on this station for almost as long — but I think it’s fair to say the past few months have seen that rocket to a whole new level,” Piper said. “You got signed to a record label belonging to the mysterious but notoriously discerning Red Gregor, are working on your second album, and played a major gig at the CUI stadium just a few weeks ago. And we are definitely going to talk later about what went down at that gig, which is already the stuff of online legend — but first I want to backtrack a little, because I think the moment that everything started happening for you was when you added a new member to your band. In the middle of a gig, if the rumours are true. Can you tell us how that happened?”

Sana and Arkady exchanged a sidelong glance, and Arkady gave Sana a tiny nod. Sana took a deep breath, and began to tell the story.

---

“Jeeter, for the last time, put the keytar away,” Arkady said irritably as she and Sana entered the draughty, abandoned warehouse that the band was using as their current rehearsal space. The acoustics were pretty weird, probably due to all the broken windows, but it was otherwise hard to beat a free place to rehearse — especially a free place with no asshole neighbours who would yell at them to turn it down and threaten to call the cops.

Admittedly, it was in kind of a rough area, but Arkady had only needed to knock someone unconscious with her bass once.

In retaliation, Brian played another bright riff on his beloved instrument, accompanied by some jazzy keyboard chords from Krejjh. The two had been jamming together before Arkady and Sana arrived. “Dude, c’mon, can’t you hear how good this sounds?” Brian wheedled. “How many other indie bands do you know that have a keytar?”

“None. For good reason,” Arkady said, unzipping her case and slinging her bass around her neck. Sana, unpacking the sound equipment, smiled in fond amusement at their well-worn argument.

“It would give us such a great edge! Totally unique. And Krejjh and I have so many ideas that would sound great with both instruments—”

“Okay, Jeeter,” Arkady interrupted him, twiddling one of her tuning pegs. “You can play the keytar. Just as soon as you find us someone else who can play the drums.” She stooped to plug her bass into the portable amplifier that Sana had just unpacked. “Or are you planning to grow an extra pair of hands so you can play both at once?”

“Oooh! No, I should have an extra pair of hands!” Krejjh immediately (and predictably) enthused. “Then I’d sound four times as awesome! Four hands, all rockin’ out!”

“I think you mean ‘twice as awesome’,” Sana told them, as Brian reluctantly put away his keytar and picked up his neglected drumsticks.

“With me, twice the hands equals four times the awesome,” Krejjh replied with irrefutable logic. Brian laughed and held up a hand.

“Dude, high five.”

Sana waited for the two of them to finish their congratulatory high-five before she called the band to order. “Okay, guys — remember that we’re only a few days out from our gig at the IGR Corp function, so we need to have our crowd-pleasers up to standard.”

Arkady immediately wrinkled her nose. “Ugh, corporates. Why are we taking money from them again?”

“Because we need to pay for rent and food,” Sana said, bluntly. “And they’re giving us a lot for it. I know none of us love playing corporate gigs—”

“Understatement.”

“—but we are living a hand to mouth existence at this point, and if I can guarantee our survival as a band by relieving some corporates of their excess funds, then I’m going to do just that,” Sana continued. She waited a beat, and then added, “Also, we’re gonna let them get really drunk and then start playing our best anti-capitalist anthems, and see how long it takes for them to notice.”

Arkady broke into a shit-eating grin. “That’s more like it.” Krejjh cheered, and Brian did a little run-down on his drumkit, hitting each of the drums in turn.

“All right, let’s start with ‘Fear for the Storm’? One, two, three, four…” Sana started strumming the intro on her guitar, joined after a few beats by Krejjh’s melody on the keyboard.

“So long, can’t dodge the dawn, red light shines on and on and on and on and on…”

---

Arkady had been on edge ever since the band set foot in the agonisingly hipster office complex — excuse me, ‘headquarters’ — belonging to IGR Corp.

It wasn’t just the fact that these guys were extremely corporate corporates, or that the whole place radiated an almost aggressively minimalist aesthetic, or that the walls were covered in bullshit, chipper slogans that were all fancy ways of saying, ‘Work should be your existence – if isn’t, you’re dead to us’ — although those things sure as hell didn’t help, reminding her of the absolute worst parts of every soul-sucking corporate job she’d worked before Sana mercifully re-entered her life and suggested they form a band.

No, there was just this weird vibe, like everyone was super on edge and trying to hide it — the higher-ups were stone-faced, muttering into earpieces or barking orders at underlings, who scurried, terrified, to carry out their wishes. And everyone else, from the tech types in plain white T-shirts and jeans to the smartly-dressed sales reps in suits, looked like they were there on pain of death. Wasn’t this supposed to be a party?

The atmosphere didn’t go unnoticed by the other band members. “Kind of a weird feel to this place,” Jeeter remarked as he unpacked his drumkit on the raised platform at the front of the ‘rec center’ where they would be performing. Normally, setting up was a noisy, clumsy affair, with the band elbowing each other, tripping over wires, and getting in each other’s way in the tiny space they were afforded in bars and nightclubs. Here, the platform that would be their makeshift stage was huge and extremely visible — but everyone was completely ignoring them. There was also very little background noise for a room packed with people, and the band found themselves speaking in hushed murmurs, almost tiptoeing around. “You’d think there would be a bit more… chatter?”

“Maybe the alcohol just isn’t flowing yet,” Sana speculated, but she sounded uneasy as she looked out over the tense crowd. Even Krejjh, with their signature hot pink, heart-shaped sunglasses perched on top of their dyed-lavender hair, dressed in a clashing, flamboyant jumble of clothes and accessories, seemed subdued.

Arkady plugged in her bass with a burst of static, and deliberately played a loud riff. Brian startled and dropped his drumstick, but not a single member of the sea of blandly-dressed IGR Corp employees flinched.

Weird.

The sound equipment was all set up, sound check performed and instruments tuned by half past, but the set wasn’t due to start until o’clock. Normally, Arkady would be making a beeline for the bar, but she didn’t really feel like rubbing shoulders with any of these weird drones. She found herself reflexively checking the exits, mentally charting their fastest route out of there in case something really fucked up started going down. Sana half-jokingly called it paranoia; Arkady called it long, hard experience.

It was on one of her scans of the room that she noticed the woman with the septum piercing. Arkady chalked it up to professional interest — as a kid, she’d picked up some extra money working as an assistant in a tattoo and piercing shop, The Landing. She’d first met Sana there when the other woman came in on several occasions to have work done on an amazingly intricate floral sleeve tattoo — her own design. Later, Sana had led a campaign to save The Landing from being shut down over a bunch of bullshit health code violations so that the billionaire Cresswin family — who owned the property — could sell it off to a shitty corporation.

The campaign hadn’t worked, and there was now a high rise office block where Arkady’s home from home had once stood. But Arkady had never forgotten Sana.

Anyway, it was definitely the woman’s piercing and not anything else about her appearance that caught Arkady’s attention first. But then she noticed that there was something off about her body language and the way she was moving — something that Arkady recognised. She wasn’t scurrying about in a panic or affecting bored disinterest; her eyes were flickering around the room, carefully monitoring the comings and goings of the other employees while seeming not to do so. There were little devices studded around the room that Arkady had clocked as security cameras the moment they entered (it was the kind of thing she made a habit of noticing), and she saw the woman glancing up at them.

She was dressed like an employee – white blouse, dark rinse blue jeans – so why was she acting like she was casing the joint? Of course, Arkady reasoned, the outfit could easily have been chosen to blend in. It didn’t necessarily mean she worked there.

“Seen something interesting, ‘Kady?” Sana asked playfully. Arkady didn’t startle, but it was a near thing; she’d been so focused on watching this woman.

Unfortunately, Sana saw where she’d been looking. “You know, we’ve still got close to half an hour before we start our first set,” she said. “You can go and mingle.”

“I’m not here to socialise,” Arkady said witheringly. “Least of all with corporate drones.” She tore her eyes away from the woman to meet Sana’s amused look.

“I’m just saying, you seemed pretty absorbed there…” Sana said, and Arkady rolled her eyes, determined not to respond to her best friend’s teasing. She glanced back at the spot where the woman had been standing and found it empty.

A second later, Arkady had found her again, weaving through the crowd with her head ducked down. She was taking an odd route across the room that Arkady realised must have been calculated to avoid the security cameras. Occasionally she disappeared, behind people or objects (like a huge, obviously fake ficus plant), but it wasn’t hard for Arkady to spot her again. Clearly there was some kind of purpose to what she was doing, but the woman wasn’t a professional.

There was an elevator against the far wall, and as Arkady watched, the doors opened and a small group of people in suits – latecomers to the party – walked out of it. The woman mingled with them briefly, and then disappeared inside the elevator. The doors closed.

Well, that had been a way to kill five minutes, but now Arkady was stuck with nothing to do again. Krejjh and Jeeter had pulled out a pack of cards, and were playing one of their weird games on top of Krejjh’s keyboard. Arkady turned to Sana, about to make another comment about how much this place creeped her out, when she caught sight of the other person moving across the room.

Judging by the expensive suit, they were a higher-up, and were taking none of the precautions the woman had when making their way across the room, which suggested that they were confident about being allowed to do whatever it was they were doing. And to Arkady, it looked an awful lot like they were following the woman she’d seen. Based on the way the suit jacket fell, she’d also bet even money that they were armed.

Sure enough, the suit called the elevator, and disappeared into it a second later. Arkady swore under her breath.

It was none of her goddamn business whether a person she didn’t even know might be in danger, Arkady told herself. She was here to play music, not to get in the middle of whatever might be going down at this godawful corporation. Which again, was none of her business anyway.

Her resolve lasted all of ten seconds.

“I’m going to get a drink,” she told Sana, and placed her bass onto its stand.

“Oooh! Bring me a cocktail – no, a mocktail!” Krejjh said. Sana just looked at her quizzically.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

Arkady nodded briefly. “I’ll be right back,” she said, and jumped down off the platform.

She wasn’t under any illusions that Sana wouldn’t notice where she was going, and just hoped that her best friend would trust her to be back in time for the set. She slipped through the crowd, following the same path that the woman had taken to avoid the watchful eyes of the security cameras.

This worked right up until she entered the elevator, where sure enough, a security camera was embedded into the top corner. How had this woman planned to avoid getting caught?

Arkady pulled out her smartphone, and began to quickly and expertly worm her way into the closed network that IGR Corp was using for its security systems. After just a few moments, she’d managed to identify the IP address that the lift camera was using, and wow, whoever had set up this system was either incredibly lazy or was trying to lay out a welcome mat for hackers. They hadn’t bothered to change the default access password.

Arkady wound back the last few minutes of recorded video, and watched as the woman with the septum piercing pressed the button for the top floor. Arkady did the same, and as the elevator moved upwards, she introduced a glitch that would cause the security camera to loop footage of an empty elevator instead of showing who was actually inside. Then she worked to edit out the archive footage of the woman riding up in the elevator, and of herself getting in.

If it turned out that there was nothing weird going on here after all, well, she’d had some fun exploiting the corporates’ shitty security system.

But Arkady was pretty sure there was something weird going on.

The elevator came to a silent stop, and Arkady silently thanked the deities she didn’t really believe in for the fact that this place was too hipster to have an elevator that made a noise when it arrived at the right floor. The doors slid open, and Arkady immediately spotted another security camera on exiting the elevator. God, these corporates were paranoid. But apparently not paranoid enough to pay their security person to do their job properly.

Annoyingly, the security cameras for this floor seemed to be on a separate network, and Arkady started another hack as she crept down the corridor, straining her ears for the sounds of a confrontation. Further down, she saw an office door swinging open, as if someone had gone through it in a hurry. Arkady approached it, being careful to stay out of sight of the doorway. Closer to, she could hear a voice coming from inside – the suit’s, if she had to guess.

“…sure CEO Golding-Frederick will be very interested to hear just what you’re doing in her office, Ms. Liu.”

“Seiders, I can explain,” the woman – Liu – replied, her voice high with tension. “Project ADVANCE – it’s not what we’ve been told. The company is using it to-”

“What the company may or may not be doing with Project ADVANCE is not your concern,” Seiders said smoothly, over her, “and is a long way above your pay grade. But I’d be very interested to learn where you got your information from.”

“Do you know what’s going on at this company?” Liu demanded, outraged. “And that’s – you have no problems with what they’re doing?”

The closed network for the top floor of the building was much less of a pushover than the elevator, and Arkady kept half of her attention on the conversation inside the room as she worked to find a flaw in the system. Finally, she made it in, and began trying different password combinations for the camera in the hallway.

“It’s not my job to ask questions, Ms. Liu,” Seiders had been saying. “Neither is it yours. And if you value your job – not to mention the safety and security of your loved ones – you’ll step away from that computer, and go back downstairs to the party.”

“Are you threatening me? Are you threatening my family?” Liu demanded. “No, I’m not going to stay silent about this. Someone has to take a stand against what this company is doing. And if anything happens to me, that’ll only raise more questions.”

“We’re very good at making those questions go away,” said Seiders, and Arkady heard Liu suck in a breath. She moved so that she could see inside the room and shit, that was a gun. Arkady rapidly began calculating her angle of attack. “Didn’t you ever wonder what happened to Connors from Engineering?”

“That’s not – you can’t just make a person disappear,” Liu said, desperately. “I – I have insurance! Documents that I’ve sent to a friend of mine. If I don’t check in with them in two hours, they’re going to send them to a journalist contact, and it’ll be all over the press in the morning.”

Arkady could hear the lie in her voice so clearly, and she knew Seiders could, too. “If you had enough evidence to be worth a damn, you wouldn’t have broken into this office,” they replied. “I’m going to ask you one last time. Step away from the-”

Arkady slammed into the room, deliberately making as much noise as she could to draw Seiders’ attention. She took two, three steps towards them and grabbed their gun hand, forcing it down and towards the floor. She managed to hook one arm around their throat, pulling back and applying pressure. Seiders choked, struggling and jerking against Arkady’s grip. With the hand that was holding their gun hand, Arkady twisted and pulled their fingers open, causing the weapon to drop to the floor.

“Liu, grab the gun!” Arkady ordered. She saw the other woman yank something out of the computer that looked like a flash drive, stowing it inside her blouse. She dove for the gun at the same time that Seiders managed to thrust an elbow back, driving it into Arkady’s midsection.

All the air left Arkady’s lungs and as she struggled to draw a breath in, Seiders took advantage of her loosened grip to twist free. They grappled with Liu for the gun, but Liu succeeded in kicking it away, where it spun underneath a nearby cabinet. Then Arkady was on Seiders again, jumping onto their back and choking them.

She heard the sound of running footsteps, and someone else burst into the room. Arkady didn’t get a chance to see who it was before Seiders slammed their head back, knocking into Arkady’s and making bright white lights explode across her vision. She dropped to the floor and staggered, trying to clear her head.

She heard an oof and a thud, and blinked rapidly, sure that she would open her eyes to see Seiders bearing down on Liu – or worse, standing over her unconscious body.

Instead, she was greeted with the sight of Seiders crumpling like a sack of potatoes as Sana flexed her fist, having delivered a powerful uppercut that knocked them out cold.

Silence reigned for a few seconds, broken only by Liu’s sharp, panicked breaths. Rubbing her head, Arkady said, “Hey, Sana.”

“The next time you decide to go off on a rescue mission,” Sana said, wryly, “you could at least tell me where you’re going.” She frowned as she took in Arkady’s dishevelled state. “Is your head all right?”

“I’ll be fine,” said Arkady. She was more concerned with Liu, who looked like she might be on the verge of a panic attack. “Hey, uh, it’s okay. We took care of them.”

“Who-” Liu managed, taking deep breaths in and out, clearly trying to steady her breathing. “Who are you?”

Sana smiled at her, warm and reassuring. “My name is Sana Tripathi, and this is Arkady Patel. We’re-”

There was a noise that sounded not unlike a herd of elephants storming down the corridor, and Arkady closed her eyes. She had a bad feeling she knew what was about to happen. Sure enough, in the next second Krejjh and Jeeter clattered through the door in all their clashing multicoloured glory: Jeeter in his signature loud paid shirt and those stupid khakis, and Krejjh with their… everything. Most of the clattering was coming from Krejjh’s many bangles.

“Cap’n Tripathi!” Krejjh said. “We’re here to assist you with – oh my god, are they dead?” They stared at the unconscious form of Seiders on the floor.

“They’re not dead, they’re just unconscious,” Arkady said, irritated. “Did you two really take off without anyone to watch the equipment?”

Sana turned back to Liu like nothing had happened. “We’re the band,” she finished succinctly. “I’m the guitarist and lead singer, Arkady here plays the bass, and Krejjh and Brian are our keyboardist and drummer.” She indicated each of them in turn. Jeeter waved, and Krejjh saluted for some reason. “And who are you?”

Liu blinked at her. “You… you just saved my life, and you don’t even know who I am?” she said. “Why would you do that?”

“For one thing, because you’d probably be dead if we hadn’t,” Arkady said. “You’re welcome for that, by the way.” She pulled out the phone to finish the hack on the security cameras that she’d started before she entered the room.

“I – no, I know that. I’m not ungrateful,” Liu said, sounding a little stung. “I’m just a little… in shock. My name is Violet Liu,” she added to Sana. “I, uh, work in IGR Corp’s neuroresearch division.”

“Good to meet you, Violet Liu,” Sana said, sounding like they were old friends catching up at the bar instead of total strangers talking to each other over an unconscious body. “’Kady, are you erasing the security footage?”

Arkady nodded.

“Good; Brian and I will carry our friend here,” Sana indicated Seiders with her foot, “into the hallway. I think I noticed a closet there we can hide them in.”

“Uh… are you guys really the band?” Liu asked, as Sana and Jeeter – who was much stronger than he looked – bent down to pick up Seiders. “You seem very…” She struggled to find the right words. “…good at this.”

“We have some unorthodox skillsets,” Sana said, beaming and dimpling at her. “We don’t normally make a habit of rescuing people in the middle of a gig, but Arkady has a soft spot for damsels in distress.”

Arkady fumbled her phone, and nearly dropped it. “Sana,” she hissed, mortified. Sana, who was already partway out of the door, winked and disappeared into the hallway.

After a moment, Arkady realised that she and Liu were the only ones in the room, Krejjh evidently having decided to go along and supervise, or something. She refocused her attention on the hack she was carrying out; she’d managed to hack the hallway security camera, and was erasing the footage from that, but she still needed to do the one in the office.

“Uh…” Liu awkwardly broke the silence. “Is there anything that you need me to…”

“Is anyone likely to be monitoring the security cameras in real-time?” Arkady asked her. The question came out sounding a little harsher than she’d intended, but it was hard to be diplomatic when she was focused on trying to break into a security system. Also, it was a little annoying that Liu apparently hadn’t thought about security cameras beyond the ones on the ground floor.

“N-no, the system is all automated,” Liu replied. Well, that was something, at least. “I, uh, I do have a virus that I was planning to use on the security system that would corrupt the footage. I just needed to find an access point.”

Fine, so there had been a plan of sorts. “This is quicker,” Arkady told her. “And the way I’m doing it, it won’t be so obvious that someone has tampered with the footage.”

“Thank you for that,” Liu said, quietly. “And thank you for – I mean, you don’t even know me, but you came up here to help me. Why?”

Arkady shrugged, keeping her shoulders hunched and avoiding Liu’s gaze. “You looked like you were in trouble,” she said shortly. And that was the office camera done. Arkady resisted the urge to change the password to something rude, and withdrew from the network. “And I don’t like corporations. What were you trying to do, blow the whistle on them or something?”

“Um, I-”

Before she could explain, Sana poked her head back into the room. “Arkady, are you done? Because I don’t think we should be hanging around up here.”

“I’m done,” Arkady said with a nod, pocketing her phone. The two of them joined Sana, Krejjh and Jeeter in the hallway.

“We need a plan to get Violet back downstairs and out of the building without her being seen,” Sana said quickly. “’Kady, do you think you two can make it out in fifteen minutes?”

Arkady huffed. “I can hack the security cams, but I can’t actually make us invisible,” she pointed out. “People are gonna notice us. If we waited until you guys started the set, then we might have a better chance, while everyone’s attention is on the band.”

“Listen – it’s not that I don’t really appreciate the help,” Liu cut in. Her face was set, like she was preparing to go to the gallows. “But none of this needs to be your problem. It’s my mess, and I can get myself out of it. You guys should go and start your set.”

“Oh, pshaw!” said Krejjh. “We’re not just gonna leave you to the bears!”

Jeeter smiled. “To the wolves,” he corrected Krejjh.

“Are y’sure? Because bears can be pretty terrifying.”

“We’re not about to abandon you now,” Sana said to Liu, gently. “Between the five of us, I’m sure we can figure out a pretty good plan.”

“Can’t we just pretend to be loading something into the truck?” Jeeter suggested. “And Violet can help us? We could give her a band jacket – make her look like she’s with us-”

“It’s too bad you don’t play!” Krejjh said to Violet. “We could add you into the set. The ultimate entourage!”

“Uh…” Violet said (at the same time as Arkady said, “Camouflage.”) “I mean, I do play something? But you guys already have a drummer.”

“Wait, you’re a drummer?” Jeeter said delightedly, as Krejjh straightened up so fast that Arkady thought they’d pull a muscle. Even Sana looked interested. “Are you good?”

“Have you ever played with a band before?” added Sana.

Liu smiled and shrugged awkwardly. “Well, drums aren’t really a solo instrument, so yeah. I used to jam with some friends in high school, and played some underground rock concerts in college. I was never really with a band – we just sort of used to form collectives based on who was around and wanted to play. It was fun, though.”

She’d avoided answering the question about how good she was, Arkady noticed, which probably meant she was good and was being modest about it. Goddamn it.

“So if, hypothetically speaking,” Sana said, “you joined a set without having rehearsed any of the music beforehand, would you be able to figure out a drum part?”

“Okay, hold on,” said Arkady, before Violet could respond. “Don’t you think IGR Corp is going to notice that one of their employees has just… joined the band?”

“We’ll swear up and down that it isn’t her,” Jeeter said. “And even if someone figures it out, what are they gonna do about it in front of everyone?”

“But wait, what about you?” Liu asked Jeeter. “Wouldn’t I be putting you out of a role in the band?”

“Nah,” Jeeter said happily. “I brought my keytar!”

“Oh my god,” Arkady groaned. She could tell when she was fighting a losing battle, but it didn’t stop her from making one last, token protest. “This is going to sound really goddamn weird.”

Sana grinned at her. “Well, you wanted to annoy some corporates,” she pointed out. “What better way to do it?”

---

The problem was, the new line-up didn’t sound weird at all.

It sounded good.

Liu, hastily disguised with an old band jacket and a spare pare of Krejjh’s sunglasses, fitted in with their set like she’d been rehearsing with them for weeks – months even. They did a quick sound check, Jeeter looking far too delighted as he amped up his keytar. Sana gave her usual cheerful introduction into the microphone, introducing the band as Renegade, the name they adopted for corporate gigs (Arkady was even more glad of it now, since it would make them harder to track down later). After a lukewarm reception from the assembled employees (none of whom seemed to notice, or care, that the band had grown an extra member), they launched into their first number, a reimagined cover of ‘What Shall We Do with the Drunken Sailor’.

It started off with Sana singing alone, before Krejjh joined in, their voices singing in close harmony, and then Arkady and finally Jeeter, the harmonies becoming increasingly layered as they went. The addition of the keytar made the song sound futuristic, almost the kind of thing you could imagine crews of space explorers singing together as they made their way into the unknown.

Liu picked up the beat easily, and as the song unfolded Arkady suddenly realised she could hear a fifth strand to the harmony, weaving in and out of the other voices, soft but distinctive: Liu was singing.

They moved on from the conventional crowd-pleasing openers to a more eclectic mix of songs, including some punk and anarchist numbers. Each time, Arkady was sure that the choice was going to throw Liu off, but she adapted smoothly to each one, altering her style to fit the vibe of the song. In one of the louder, heavier songs she even threw in an impromptu drum solo that had Krejjh whooping at the keyboard and Sana laughing as she riffed on her guitar.

Sana threw Arkady a look as the song ended, and there was a light in her eyes that Arkady knew far, far too well. It was the same light that Arkady had seen when Sana tracked her down at her latest deadbeat job and persuaded her to quit and start playing music with her; the same light that she’d had when they met Brian and Krejjh a year later and Sana had decided to turn their duo into a band.

Sana wanted Liu to join Rumor. And Arkady couldn’t even think of a good argument against it, apart from the fact that they barely knew anything about the woman other than that she could play the drums. And that she was a corporate, which Arkady thought was important not to lose sight of, even if Liu wasn’t on the greatest terms with her employer any more.

Speaking of which. Arkady was on high alert throughout the whole set, constantly scanning the crowd for signs of trouble, anyone who might be looking too closely at Liu or showed signs of moving towards the elevator. As they’d been setting up, Liu had told them that Seiders was middle management: someone who outranked her, but not someone who held a position of particular influence within the company or had the ear of the CEO. Someone who had ambitions above their station. It didn’t mean no-one would notice them missing, of course; but it meant that they might be someone who, for instance, would go after a rogue employee without notifying their superior, hoping to reap all of the credit.

The band moved into their final number, ‘Landers Never Stand Down’ – one of Sana and Arkady’s early compositions, whose lyrics Sana had written as a tribute to The Landing, and her and Arkady’s shared history. Normally, Arkady would object to wasting it on a corporate audience, but tonight, it felt like the right kind of ‘fuck you’.

“Landers never stand down,

Landers never bow,

Landers never stand down,

We don’t know how…”

They wound up the song in their usual fashion, repeating the chorus and getting fiercer and more defiant with each repetition, before ending in a final blaze of guitar chords.

“Thank you, everyone, you’ve been a wonder to perform for!” Sana said into the microphone as the chords faded away. She said the same thing at the end of every gig, but it had never felt more like a colossal understatement. “We’ve been Renegade, and we hope you have a great night!”

There was a small scattering of applause. Sana beamed out into the audience again, and then turned away from the microphone, sliding the power to ‘off’. “Well, that was-”

“Attention, all IGR Corp employees,” came a voice over the loudspeaker system. Sana froze, and Liu, who’d been leaning over to say something to Krejjh, paled visibly. “Please stay where you are. We will be carrying out a routine attendance check. Please do not exit the building.”

“Attendance check?” Arkady repeated.

“It’s a standard employee procedure,” Liu explained. “To make sure everyone’s… accounted for at corporate functions. Supposedly they’re optional, but it looks really bad if you’re not there and you don’t have a reason.”

“Do we think there’s a chance this is linked to…” Sana gestured towards the elevator. Liu shrugged helplessly.

“It could be, but even if it’s not, they’re gonna discover that Seiders is missing pretty quickly. And that I’m… unaccounted for.”

“Don’t worry,” said Jeeter, reassuringly. “We’ll figure out a way to get you out before that happens.”

“Dashing escapes are our speciality!” Krejjh contributed. This was true; the band hadn’t always played at the most above-the-board venues, and there’d been more than a few times they’d needed to get the hell out of Dodge before things got ugly. Well, uglier.

Sana nodded. “For now, just keep packing down, like nothing’s wrong,” she said.

As Krejjh packed down their keyboard and Jeeter helped Liu to disassemble the drumkit, Arkady said to Sana, “I’ll go with Liu, and we can sneak out a back entrance-”

Sana shook her head. “It’ll be more suspicious if we’re not seen leaving as a group.”

“We’ll just say we’re going to the bathroom,” Arkady said. “We’re allowed to do that, aren’t we?”

Sana started to reply, but then stopped, squinting at something on the other side of the room. Arkady tried to follow her gaze, but couldn’t see what she was looking at. “What is it?”

“I thought I saw…” Sana shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. Let’s try the front way first, and if they won’t let us leave, we’ll get creative.”

Unsurprisingly, when they carried the first load of equipment over to the rec room entrance, two stoic-looking IGR employees blocked their path, bouncer-style. Arkady eyed one of them, pretty sure she could take her in a one-to-one fight.

“Sorry, we can’t let you leave while an attendance check is ongoing,” said the employee, with a bland detachment. “Company policy.”

“It should only take about an hour,” the other added. “You can enjoy the free refreshments while you wait.”

An hour? Even if they hadn’t had a very pressing reason to get the hell out of there, Arkady would have been looking for the nearest fire escape to break out of. They were just supposed to cool their heels at IGR headquarters for an hour?

“Can we not at least load our equipment into the van in the meantime?” Sana asked reasonably. “This is a very heavy amplifier…” She made a show of struggling with the amp she’d been lifting with ease a few seconds ago, and Arkady suppressed a snort.

One of the corporates had opened their mouth, looking like they were about to object, when a friendly voice spoke from behind them. “Is there a problem here?”

They all turned to look at the person who’d spoken, and Arkady carefully masked her surprise: the tall, dark-skinned man dressed in an expensive-looking suit jacket, T-shirt and jeans combination was none other than Red Gregor, a close friend of Campbell’s. They’d met him once or twice, but what was he doing here?

“Who are you?” asked Corporate One, audibly unimpressed.

“Theodore Gregor; I’m the band’s executive producer,” Gregor introduced himself smoothly, handing Corporate Two a business card. Their eyes widened at whatever was written on it. “My clients have another engagement to get to tonight, so you can understand why it’s very important they be allowed to leave promptly. Additionally, their contract stipulates that they’re only obliged to perform for your company until-” he made a show of checking a gold watch, “-nine-thirty P.M., after which time we’ll need to bill you for every additional half-hour. Will your supervisors be signing off on the additional expenses?”

Corporates One and Two were visibly thrown by the torrent of information. Krejjh made a noise that was hastily stifled, while Arkady did her best to look bored and important.

“I… no, let me just contact my superior to get you the all-clear,” said Corporate One, reluctantly. “Johnson will help you to load your equipment into your…” She eyed the band’s battered van, visibly out of place in the parking lot full of sleek cars. “…vehicle.”

“Great!” Sana said brightly, handing the amplifier to Corporate Two, who took it and staggered slightly. As Corporate One spoke into a walkie-talkie, Sana and Red Gregor strode quickly ahead, the rest of the band trailing behind. Arkady lengthened her steps to catch up with them so that she could hear their quiet exchange.

“…doing here? Did Campbell send you?” Sana was asking Red Gregor.

“In a manner of speaking,” Red Gregor said. “He talks about you so much, I wanted to come and hear what all the fuss was about. Love the new line-up – you guys sound completely different to when I last heard you play.”

“It’s kind of a new thing,” Sana admitted. “New as of… today. I can fill you in, it’s just a long story.”

“I can’t wait to hear it,” Red Gregor said, and Arkady remembered that she’d liked him, the couple of times that they’d met. She could see why he and Campbell were good friends. “But let’s focus on getting you out of here. I’m guessing you need an exit?”

“And fast,” Sana agreed.

“Well, fast’s your speciality,” Red Gregor said with a grin. Sana smiled back at him, and Arkady wondered if Red was basing this off stories from Campbell, or if he and Sana knew each other better than Arkady had realised. It was a strange thought to have in the middle of everything.

Sana unlocked the van and slid open the back door. While Krejjh, Jeeter and Liu loaded their items into the trunk, overseen by Corporate Two, Red Gregor pretended to help Arkady and Sana with their instruments.

“So what now?” Arkady asked Sana. “I think I can probably take Johnson.”

“Arkady, you’ve already been in one fight today,” Sana said, disapproving.

“What’s your point?”

“I have a more bloodless suggestion,” Red Gregor said. “You’ve got a few pieces of equipment left in the venue, right? I’ll go back inside with Johnson to ‘collect’ them, say we’re going to check their supervisor has given you the go-ahead, and you guys make a break for it. I’ll bring the equipment in my car and meet you at the dive bar, half a mile down the road.”

“Are you sure you’ll be able to get away? What happens when they realise we’re gone?” Sana asked.

“I’ll come up with something,” Red Gregor assured her. “Just focus on getting yourselves out of here.”

He walked over to Johnson, who was slightly bemusedly watching Jeeter and Liu (who were clearly stalling for time) rearrange pieces of the drumkit in the trunk, and took him by the arm, steering him back towards the building and talking rapidly all the while.

“As soon as they’re out of sight, everyone needs to get in the van quickly,” Sana instructed. “And hang onto something. Okay? Now!”

Krejjh slammed the trunk of the van shut and everyone piled into the back without a word of protest. Arkady jumped into the front as Sana slid into the driver’s seat, reversing out of the parking space like a shot and executing an alarming hairpin turn to get them onto the road. Liu cried out in alarm, not used to Sana’s driving, and Arkady hung grimly onto the handle on the inside of her door.

“Everyone okay back there?” Sana asked, peering into the rearview mirror.

Arkady looked back to see Jeeter and Krejjh scrambling to put on their seatbelts, each of them having thrown an arm over Liu to keep her in place. “Oops, sorry, I forgot we don’t have a seatbelt for the middle!” Sana said cheerfully as they thudded over a speedbump. Liu closed her eyes. “There’s normally only four of us.”

“It’s not far to where we’re going, right, Captain?” asked Jeeter.

“Just a half mile down the road,” said Sana. “Red Gregor’s going to meet us there with the rest of the equipment, as soon as he can get away.”

“What was he doing at the gig? Did Campbell tell him where we were?”

“I think so. He said that he wanted to come and hear us play,” Arkady said, watching buildings blur past on either side of them. “I guess it was lucky he did.”

“We would’ve figured something out,” Krejjh said confidently.

“Uh, who’s Campbell?” Liu asked, cautiously opening her eyes again.

“He’s our… manager? Kinda?” Krejjh replied. “He doesn’t tell us what to do or anything, but he has a lot of contacts, so he gets us most of our gigs.”

“Contacts in the music industry? Or contacts in like… events venues, bars and clubs?”

“Yes,” Krejjh said helpfully.

“He just has a lot of contacts,” Jeeter said with a smile. Arkady smirked at Liu’s look of consternation.

“Tonight’s gig did not come through Campbell,” said Sana, spotting the dive bar Red Gregor had specified and indicating to turn off the road. “We got it through an agency, Fowleys. I guess that’ll teach us not to go outside Campbell’s network.”

“Hey, it worked out!” Krejjh said. “We got a new drummer out of the deal.”

“Well, for tonight, at least,” Sana said, now reversing into a parking space. “I gotta say, Violet, the way you fitted in with our sound? That was amazing. Our set sounded better than I could’ve imagined.”

Liu blushed. “They were great songs,” she demurred, as the van came to a stop.

“Too bad it was wasted on IGR Corp,” Arkady remarked, undoing her seat belt as they all climbed out of the van.

They got a table in the corner of the dive bar, which was pretty full and made it easy to blend in. As Sana went to get them all drinks, Krejjh and Jeeter started up some kind of nonsensical word game. Arkady and Liu glanced at each other occasionally, but otherwise sat in awkward silence.

Finally, Arkady asked something that had been on her mind since she intervened in the confrontation between Liu and Seiders, though it had taken a back seat to more pressing concerns. “What was it you were trying to get from that computer, anyway?”

“Sorry?” Liu asked, looking away from Krejjh and Jeeter, where she’d been listening in on the game with a slightly baffled expression.

“In the CEO’s office,” Arkady clarified. “I saw you take a flash drive out of the computer. What were you trying to get?”

“Oh,” Liu said, drawing out the little drive from inside her blouse. “Yeah, I was… trying to copy some files onto it. I’m not sure how much I got, though – I had to pull it out before the transfer was complete, and I think they’re encrypted.”

“What kind of files are they?” Arkady asked, thinking that she could probably break the encryption in an afternoon. Maybe less.

Liu hesitated, and Arkady narrowed her eyes. “You’re not still trying to protect your company, are you? In case you don’t remember-”

“No, no,” Liu said quickly. “I just – I’m not sure if it would be safe to tell you. Safe for you,” she added. “Right now, you have plausible deniability if anyone questions you. You genuinely don’t know what’s on this flash drive. So maybe it would be better to keep it that way.”

Arkady was a little bit pacified by that, but still – “Considering I’ve already aided and abetted you, I think that ship has sailed,” she pointed out. “No-one is going to believe I did it without having any idea what you were up to. Which I’m fine with,” she added, as a guilt-stricken look crossed Liu’s face. “I made a choice to help you, and so did the others. But I may as well know what the stakes are.”

“Yeah, that’s… fair,” admitted Liu. Next to her, Krejjh was doing a fairly poor job of pretending not to listen in. “They’re blueprints. My company – the company – has been developing… do you know what IGR Corp does? What kind of a company it is?”

“Some kind of a tech company?” Arkady said. She vaguely remembered Sana saying something about that when they got the gig. She hadn’t really been paying attention to the details.

Liu nodded. “Smart technology – specifically, smart home technology. We produce – I mean, they produce things like smart security systems, smart doorbells, systems that can detect when someone has a medical emergency. Systems that are designed to help keep people safe.”

Arkady had to work to keep from grimacing. She wasn’t sure that being monitored by a computer 24/7 fitted everyone’s definition of ‘safety’, but maybe Liu had never had cause to doubt that the people with power had her best interests at heart. Lucky her.

“But then,” Liu went on, her voice bitter, “I found out that the latest product we were developing – the one that was supposed to make everyone’s lives so much easier, so much better – is being created as a surveillance device. To eavesdrop on people and send their data back to the company. And I know that a lot of smart devices have audio capabilities, but – this was hardwired in. Impossible to disable. And this weird, secretive new division of the company has been set up to process the data.”

“What are they gonna do with it?” Arkady asked.

“Who knows,” Liu said. “They could be collecting it for the government, but – I think it’s more likely they’re just planning to sell it on to the highest bidder.”

Arkady’s eyes narrowed, and she wished that Sana had brought the drinks already so that she’d have something to down.

“You know,” Liu said, her voice suddenly much softer. “I, uh. I still haven’t thanked you properly for, uh, well-”

“O-kay!” came Sana’s voice, loudly, as she finally arrived at their table carrying a small tray laden with glasses. “Sorry for the delay, guys, there was a heck of a crowd up at the bar. Also, the bartender was really interested in talking to me while he pulled these drinks.” She made a wry expression, her dimple deepening in one cheek. “Cheer up, ‘Kady, I’ve got your favourite-” She slid a pint glass of raspberry ale in front of Arkady.

“Thanks,” Arkady mumbled, not looking at Liu.

Red Gregor arrived not long after, having apparently evaded IGR Corp by pretending that he was going outside to look for the band, and then driving off with the equipment before anyone realised what was happening. Sana passed him a drink from the tray; no-one asked how she already knew his preferred drink order.

“So look,” said Arkady, after they’d done some small talk and toasted to a successful getaway (Sana’s idea, of course). “Not that we didn’t appreciate the save earlier – you had pretty good timing – but why’d you go to all the trouble of coming to an IGR Corp function just to hear us play? How did you even get in?”

“I know a lot of people,” Red Gregor said mysteriously, with a fluid shrug. “As for why I came – you probably don’t know this, but I’ve been getting into the music biz lately.”

Arkady tried to remember what ‘biz’ Red Gregor had been in before, and couldn’t. He was one of those people who seemed to do a bit of everything.

“That’s awesome!” said Krejjh, looking delighted. “Are you going to start a band? Or manage one?”

Red Gregor smiled. “Actually, neither. I’m starting a record label,” he said. “And I want to sign you guys to it.”

Liu choked on her drink; Jeeter said, “Wow, really?” and even Sana looked taken aback. Clearly this hadn’t been the answer she was expecting.

“Us?” she said, as if Gregor could have meant anyone else. “As in…” She gestured around the table, including Liu.

Red Gregor nodded. “Look, your new sound is like nothing I’ve ever heard from a band before,” he said. “Campbell has always spoken highly of you guys, and I really liked your originals the last time I heard you perform. But with this new line-up? I think you could become really big. If that’s something that you want, of course.”

Sana sat back in her chair, looking thoughtful, while Krejjh looked practically ready to vibrate out of theirs with excitement. “That would be a pretty big step for us,” she said. “Not that we wouldn’t love – more exposure, better opportunities-”

“Gigs in legal venues?” put in Jeeter.

“More above-the-board performances,” agreed Sana. “But we’ve only played once with this new line-up. We don’t know for sure if we can replicate that – and I mean, we’d be asking Violet to just drop everything and join us full-time-”

Red Gregor held up his hands. “Like I said, it’s completely up to you,” he said. “I’m not here to pressure you into something you’re not ready for. But don’t underestimate yourselves. I wouldn’t be offering if I didn’t have faith in you guys.”

Sana looked around the table, taking in the mixture of expressions, ranging from Krejjh’s eagerness to Liu’s uncertainty to Arkady’s… Arkady didn’t know what her face was doing. “We’ll have to put it to a vote,” she said, predictably. “And if any of you need more time to think this over-”

“I’m in!” Krejjh said instantly. “We rocked tonight! I want to keep on rocking that hard. And we should totally record an album.”

Jeeter smiled fondly. “I’m on board with anything that will let me keep playing the keytar,” he admitted. “And I thought we sounded pretty awesome, as well.”

Sana looked at Liu. “Violet, you’re the one who this would be the biggest change for,” she said. “The rest of us are already playing in a band full-time. Well, with the odd side gig,” she added, because yeah, they did not yet make enough money from performing to cover the bills. “You barely know us, and you’re not under any obligation to stick around – or to switch careers.”

Liu gave a slightly broken laugh. “Well, I don’t really think I can go back to my old one,” she said. “That option evaporated as soon as one of my colleagues pulled a gun on me. Not… sure I’ve really had time to process that yet.”

Sana nodded. “If it’s too soon-”

“But no amount of processing is going to make my situation any different,” Liu went on. “I could try to get another job in my field, but… IGR Corp is a pretty well-known company. Word’s going to get around that I’m untrustworthy, especially if they put it about that I tried to steal corporate secrets.”

“They can’t do that,” Sana said immediately. “I used to do some union work; whistleblowing is a protected activity, and it’s against the law for them to blacklist you – to make it more difficult for you to obtain future employment.”

Liu smiled slightly. “I don’t think IGR Corp are too concerned with breaking the law,” she pointed out. “I appreciate it, but… this isn’t my first experience with a hostile work environment.”

Okay, so maybe Arkady should take back her earlier thought about Liu never having had cause to distrust the people in power.

“Besides, I haven’t even blown the whistle on them yet – I’m not sure if the information I have is worth anything,” Liu said, a little grimly. “And anyway… I think it’s time for a clean slate. So, if you’ll have me… I’m in.”

Which just left Arkady. She could see how pleased Sana was that Liu was willing to join the band full-time, even though she was trying to hide it. Krejjh and Jeeter, too, were excited – and not just at the prospect of getting better gigs and earning more money (though that was a very appealing prospect).

The fact was, Red Gregor was right – they’d sounded like a completely new band during their performance. Arkady had always liked their stuff (of course she did; she’d even co-written some of it) but the new sound gave it a flair she hadn’t even realised it had been missing. As much as she couldn’t help thinking of the dozens of ways this could go wrong, she wanted them to keep sounding like that. She wanted to see what else they could do.

“‘Kady?” asked Sana.

Arkady took a deep breath. “Sure. Let’s do this.”