#we can figure out a visitation schedule later

[izzy-b-hands]

My doctor messaging me at 12:30 in the morning to tell me she wants to do a telehealth visit abt the side effects I'm having with my new Lamotrigine dose (including worse insomnia than my usual insomnia, as u may have guessed lmao) is. something.

[novaursa]

A Union of Ice and Fire

- Summary: After your mother, Queen Rhaenyra, approves of the marriage between you and Cregan Stark, you marry under watchful eyes of gods of old. And one week later, a raven arrives carrying dark news.

- Paring: velaryon!reader/Cregan Stark

- Note: reader is referred to as Y/N, is only daughter of Rhaenyra and her second born child. The reader is also a dragonrider. These events happen right after The Dragon and The Wolf. For the full list of my works visit my blog. The list is pinned to the top.

- Rating: Explicit 18+

- Word count: 4 663

- Tag(s): @sachaa-ff @21-princess

- A/N: since the last part have gotten more then a hundred likes in less then 24 hours, here is the continuation of it. Your guys are awesome. I have not slept for days as I'm trying to push everything out on schedule, but you are making it all worth it. ❤️

The godswood is still beneath a canopy of winter's fading touch, its ancient weirwood tree standing tall and ominous. The red leaves shift in the cold wind, whispering the secrets of ancient times as you, Y/N Velaryon, stand before it. You can feel the eyes of the old gods upon you, watching from within the carved face, its mouth twisted in a silent scream. The eyes of the heart tree, pools of deep crimson, look upon you with an intensity that sends shivers down your spine.

You are dressed in the finest gown Winterfell could muster—one that suits both a dragon’s daughter and the lady you are to become. Your gown is silver and red, reminiscent of your lineage, shimmering in the dim light of the godswood. Your silver hair, braided with strands of black wool, cascades down your back, and a simple circlet rests on your brow, a mark of your high birth and future station as the Lady of Winterfell. You feel the weight of history and duty pressing down on you, yet within that weight lies a spark of something new—a bond forged with the North and the man who now stands beside you.

Cregan Stark, Lord of Winterfell, is a figure of rugged strength, his presence commanding yet not overbearing. He wears a heavy black fur cloak over his dark grey tunic, the stark wolf sigil prominent across his broad chest. His dark hair is tied back, exposing the harsh lines of his face—his strong jaw and storm-grey eyes that have a softness only you seem to have unlocked. Though his expression remains solemn, the corners of his mouth twitch as he glances at you, the unspoken warmth between you growing stronger with every passing moment. 

You stand together in front of the weirwood, surrounded by the Northern lords who had pledged their loyalty to your mother. Despite their stern faces, there is respect in their eyes. These are not men given to idle chatter or false pleasantries. They value loyalty, honor, and oaths—things your union represents.

The wind howls softly through the trees as the words are spoken. An elderly man, one of the old greybeards Cregan trusts, steps forward to perform the ceremony. He bears the weight of tradition in his voice as he begins, "Before the eyes of gods and men, here in the presence of the Old Gods, we witness the union of Lord Cregan Stark and Lady Y/N Velaryon."

The words reverberate through the godswood as the old gods bear silent witness to this union. You feel the chill of the North seeping into your bones, but beside you, Cregan’s warmth is a constant presence. He takes your hand, his grip firm yet gentle, a silent vow of protection and partnership. You look up at him, catching his eye, and in that moment, everything else fades away—the whispers of the leaves, the weight of duty, even the biting cold.

He speaks his vow, his voice deep and resonant, “By the laws of gods and men, I take you, Y/N Velaryon, as my wife. In the warmth of summer and the depths of winter, I am yours.” His eyes remain locked on yours, and there is no doubt in his words—only sincerity.

You return the vow, your voice clear and strong despite the flutter of emotions within you. “I take you, Cregan Stark, as my husband. I am yours in joy and sorrow, in strength and weakness, until the last breath leaves my body.”

With those words, you feel a binding, something deeper than mere words can convey—a connection woven with the strength of dragon and wolf, the blood of Targaryen and Stark, old and new. The old gods seem to hum in approval, the wind growing still for just a breath as if the gods themselves acknowledge your vows.

A simple silver ring is placed upon your finger, and you do the same for him with a band of dark steel, forged in the cold depths of the North. The greybeard raises his hands to the sky, sealing your vows. “It is done. By the Old Gods, let this union be blessed.”

Cregan leans in, his breath warm against your cold cheeks, and presses his lips to yours—your first kiss as husband and wife. His kiss is firm and sure, unyielding yet tender, a promise in itself. The lords of the North around you nod in approval, murmuring words of congratulations, and you are aware of the new title you carry now: Lady Stark of Winterfell.

The feast is held in the Great Hall, warmth radiating from the roaring hearths. The long tables are set with rich food—roasted meats, thick stews, and dark bread—simple fare compared to what you’ve known in King’s Landing, but rich in flavor and warmth. The hall echoes with laughter, the booming voices of the North pleased with this rare celebration in the harshest season.

You sit beside Cregan at the high table, your hand resting near his, fingers occasionally brushing as you speak with those who come to offer their congratulations. The conversation flows easily now, the tension of duty replaced with the comfort of companionship. Cregan leans in at one point, speaking low enough that only you can hear. “I never expected that a dragon would bring warmth to Winterfell, but here you are.”

You smile softly, feeling that warmth within you too. “And I never imagined the North could feel like home,” you reply, and there is truth in your words. Despite the cold stone of the castle, there’s a fire kindling here, one that grows every time your gaze meets his.

As the night deepens and the mead flows freely, the toasts begin. The lords raise their cups, shouting their oaths of loyalty to House Stark and to the new Lady of Winterfell. Cregan raises his cup as well, his voice clear over the noise, “To my wife, Y/N, who brings fire to this cold land. May our union stand as strong as the walls of Winterfell and burn as bright as the flames of a dragon.”

The hall erupts in cheers, and you lift your cup in return, the warmth of the mead settling in your chest. Your gaze meets Cregan’s again, and this time, the unspoken promise between you is undeniable.

This is just the beginning—a union of ice and fire, of dragon and wolf. And as you take another sip, the sound of laughter and joy surrounding you, you can’t help but feel that, together, you might just weather whatever storms the gods have yet to send your way.

The Great Hall of Winterfell buzzes with life as the feast reaches its height. The low, flickering light from the blazing hearths casts dancing shadows over stone walls, illuminating the gathering of lords, bannermen, and their kin. The long tables are laden with Northern fare—boar roasted to perfection, trout caught fresh from icy rivers, steaming bowls of mutton stew, and bread so dark and hearty it could sustain a man through the longest winter. Jugs of spiced mead and strong ale are passed freely, filling cups to the brim. The warmth of the hearths contrasts sharply with the cold that clings outside, yet the room feels alive with the camaraderie of the North.

You sit at the high table, beside your new husband, Lord Cregan Stark. The feast is different from the courtly banquets you grew up with. There is little of the polished elegance and courtly games found in King’s Landing—no fine silk hangings or delicate dishes of fruit and honey. Instead, the feast here is raw and primal, filled with the hearty laughter of men and women who understand that life is a harsh, fleeting gift, to be savored when they can.

The Northern customs are as stern as the land itself. Men challenge one another to bouts of strength, arm wrestling contests, and tests of drink—seeing who can down the most ale without falling over. Women engage in singing competitions, their voices strong and clear, carrying the melodies of old Northern ballads. There’s a rugged, unrefined beauty in the festivities, a sense of unity born from shared hardship and deep-rooted traditions.

A few of the Greybeards who pledged to your cause earlier have gathered near the hearth, exchanging old tales of battles and victories. Occasionally, their eyes glance your way, nodding approvingly, as though silently acknowledging the part you now play in their world.

As the night deepens, you feel the weight of more eyes upon you, lords and ladies watching with growing anticipation. The atmosphere shifts subtly, laughter and talk giving way to murmurs. You can almost sense it coming—the bedding.

The first to raise the call is Lord Umber, his face flushed from drink, his booming voice ringing out across the hall. “It’s time!” he bellows, slamming his fist on the table. “Bring out the bride and groom to the bed! Let’s show the lady how it’s done in the North!”

The hall erupts with cheers and laughter, the men pounding their fists on the tables, ready to tear away the finery and see the marriage consummated in the rough, loud tradition of the North. A few women cackle, egging the men on, while others smirk knowingly.

You tense instinctively, your eyes darting to Cregan. You see the storm flash in his grey eyes, a deep frown pulling at his features. He stands, and the hall quiets, expecting him to give in to the custom, to allow the lords their entertainment. Instead, he raises a hand, his voice cutting through the din like a sharp blade. “There will be no bedding tonight.”

A ripple of disbelief courses through the crowd, followed quickly by grumbles of dissatisfaction. Lord Umber, unsteady on his feet, glares at Cregan with drunken indignation. “What’s this, Lord Stark? Denying tradition? Are we to let the lady keep her gown on, untouched and unproven?”

Cregan’s gaze hardens. His voice remains calm, but there is steel beneath the words. “I am Lord of Winterfell, and I will not have my wife paraded like some prize sow for your amusement. The old gods have blessed our union, and that is enough.” His tone brooks no argument, and a dangerous quiet settles over the hall.

Lord Bolton leans forward, his voice dripping with condescension. “It’s not the way things are done, Stark. We’ve had our feast, our drink, and now we demand our right to the bedding ceremony.”

Your heart pounds in your chest as you stand beside Cregan, lifting your chin proudly. “There will be no ceremony, and I stand with my lord husband in this. I am not some maid to be stripped and gawked at for your sport. If any man thinks he can force his will upon us, then he can come forward now and see what the Midnight Fury and Winterfell’s wolves think of it.”

The hall falls utterly silent. Your words, carrying a trace of the Valyrian fire that flows in your blood, hang in the air. The image of your dragon, Thraxata, looms over their thoughts, the Midnight Fury’s violet eyes mirroring yours. Your defiance reminds them that you are no meek Southern bride, but a daughter of House Velaryon, with the blood of Rhaenyra Targaryen in your veins.

Cregan’s hand subtly brushes yours under the table, a silent reassurance. His voice, now low and firm, cuts through the tension. “Any man who wishes to question me can take it up tomorrow in the courtyard. We can settle it with steel if words are not enough. But tonight, I will not have my bride humiliated.”

Several of the lords look away, muttering into their cups. Lord Umber slumps back into his seat, cursing under his breath. None are fool enough to challenge Cregan, not with his hand already resting on the hilt of his sword.

One of the women, Lady Mormont, raises her cup with a grin. “Well spoken, Lady Y/N. I’d wager no man here could match your fire, dragon-born as you are.” Her toast is echoed by a few others, and slowly, the hall returns to its revelry, though the grumbling doesn’t entirely fade.

You share a look with Cregan, a silent understanding passing between you. He inclines his head slightly, a ghost of a smile on his lips, before he stands again, addressing the hall. “The night grows late. My lady and I will take our leave. Enjoy the rest of the feast.” With that, he offers you his arm, and together, you leave the hall.

As you exit the Great Hall, the distant sounds of merriment and music follow you down the stone corridors of Winterfell. The cold air bites at your cheeks, but you feel warmth bloom in your chest as Cregan’s hand covers yours, holding it close. He leads you through the winding halls, the firelight casting long shadows along the ancient stones.

When you reach your chambers, Cregan pauses at the door, turning to face you fully. There’s a softness in his eyes now, the hard edge he wore in the hall melted away. “Thank you,” he says quietly, his voice warm and sincere. “For standing with me back there.”

You squeeze his hand gently, meeting his gaze with a smile. “We stand together now, Cregan. In all things.”

He nods, a small, genuine smile tugging at his lips. “Then let’s face whatever comes next together—wolf and dragon, side by side.”

With that, he opens the door, and you step inside, ready to begin the next chapter of your shared life in the North. As the door closes behind you, the echoes of the feast are left behind, and all that remains is the quiet of the night and the warmth of the partnership you’ve begun to forge together.

The chamber is dimly lit by the soft glow of a single hearth fire, shadows dancing across the stone walls. The furs piled atop the bed emit a faint, musky scent of the North. The air is heavy with the lingering warmth of the feast, yet there is a different tension in this room—a tension born not of duty or politics, but of anticipation.

Cregan’s eyes are on you, dark and intense as he moves closer, the depth of his gaze sending a shiver down your spine. There’s no rush in his movements, only a measured patience as he approaches you, one hand gently cupping your face, thumb brushing your cheek. His touch is warm against your cool skin, rough from years of sword work yet unexpectedly tender now. He studies you as if memorizing every detail—the gleam of your violet eyes, the curve of your lips, and the cascade of silver hair that falls around you like moonlight.

"You’re certain?" he murmurs, searching your gaze one last time, his voice a rumble that’s both reassuring and laced with a restrained hunger.

You lift your chin, meeting his eyes with unwavering confidence. “I’m no fragile maiden, Cregan. I won’t break. I know what I want, and I want you.”

There’s no fear in your gaze, only want—raw, unfiltered, and clear as dragonfire. A dark chuckle escapes him, his fingers tracing down the side of your neck, making your breath hitch. “Dragon’s blood runs in your veins. I should’ve known better than to treat you like some delicate thing.” There’s admiration in his voice now, mingling with desire.

He moves behind you, fingers deft as they untie the laces of your gown, the fabric slipping from your shoulders with a whisper. You don’t shy away, holding his gaze in the reflection of the mirror across the room as he lets the gown fall to the floor. The firelight catches the contours of your body, accentuating the smooth planes of your skin. You stand bare before him, unabashed and fierce, a vision of Valyrian beauty—both alien and mesmerizing in this land of cold stone and shadow.

Cregan’s eyes darken as they roam over you, a mix of reverence and primal hunger in his gaze. “You’re a sight to behold, Y/N. Fierce and untamed—a dragon among wolves.” His words are heavy with the desire he’s been holding back, and there’s a certain awe in how he takes you in, as though every curve and line is something to be worshiped.

You reach out, tugging at his tunic, impatient now. “Enough staring, my lord. I need you.”

There’s a flash of amusement in his eyes, quickly followed by understanding. He obliges, undressing with practiced efficiency, discarding his layers until there’s nothing between you but the warmth of your shared desire. His body is strong, every muscle honed from the harsh life of the North, but it’s his eyes—dark, stormy, and focused solely on you—that make your pulse quicken.

When he finally steps forward, he pulls you into a kiss that’s anything but gentle. It’s heated, his lips firm against yours, claiming and giving in equal measure. You answer with equal fervor, fingers threading through his dark hair, pulling him closer, wanting more. The kiss is a battle of wills—passionate, wild, neither of you holding anything back.

His hands move to your hips, lifting you with an ease that speaks of his strength. He carries you to the bed, laying you down on the soft furs as he leans over you, his weight pressing against you in a way that feels comforting, possessive, and thrilling all at once.

His hand trails down your thigh as he settles between your legs, eyes locked onto yours as he positions himself. There’s a pause, a moment where he searches your face for any sign of hesitation, but all he finds is your unwavering gaze, filled with want and a flicker of challenge.

“Hold on to me,” he whispers, his voice rough as he begins to push forward, entering you with a deliberate slowness. There’s a sharp sting as he breaks through your maidenhead, but you bite down on your lip, refusing to flinch. Your legs wrap around his waist, holding him close, adjusting to the sensation as he stills, giving you time to accommodate the fullness.

His forehead rests against yours, breath ragged as he murmurs, “Easy… I don’t want to hurt you.”

The pain gradually subsides, replaced by a deeper ache that burns with need. You move your hips slightly, testing the new feeling, and when you find pleasure laced within the discomfort, you whisper, “Move, Cregan. I can take it.”

He grins, a low, appreciative sound rumbling in his chest as he begins to move, slow at first, letting you guide the rhythm. The first few thrusts are measured, careful, but soon the pace quickens as the heat between you builds. You meet him thrust for thrust, each movement sending a jolt of pleasure through you, until the initial discomfort fades entirely, replaced by a growing intensity that coils in your belly.

You clutch at his shoulders, nails digging into his skin as you encourage him to go faster, harder. “More,” you gasp, voice breathy as you ride the wave of sensation. He obliges without hesitation, his control slipping as the primal side of him takes over.

It’s wild and untamed, your bodies moving together in a rhythm as old as time itself. The room is filled with the sounds of your shared passion—breathless moans, the rustle of furs, the slap of skin against skin. There’s no pretense, no holding back. It’s raw, a clash of fire and ice, of dragon and wolf.

Cregan’s grip tightens on your hips as he drives deeper, his breathing harsh and ragged. “Gods, Y/N, you’re—” He breaks off, unable to finish as he loses himself in the pleasure, his focus entirely on you, on your gasps and the way you move beneath him.

You arch against him, chasing the rising tide within you, each thrust bringing you closer to the edge. “Don’t stop,” you pant, your voice a breathless plea.

When your release finally crashes over you, it’s powerful, your entire body tensing as you cry out his name, fingers digging into his back. The sensation is overwhelming, pleasure radiating outwards as you tighten around him. Cregan’s control shatters as he follows you over the edge, a deep groan rumbling from his chest as he spills inside you, his pace faltering, then stilling as he buries himself fully in you.

For a moment, the world is nothing but the sound of your shared breaths, harsh and uneven, as you both come down from the intensity. He collapses beside you, pulling you against him, his chest rising and falling in time with yours.

You’re both silent for a long while, simply savoring the closeness. Eventually, Cregan presses a kiss to your forehead, his voice a low murmur in the quiet room. “You’re everything I didn’t know I needed, Y/N.”

You smile against his chest, content in the afterglow. “And you’re everything I knew I wanted.”

The night stretches out before you, the fire crackling softly, and for now, there’s only warmth—no cold, no politics, no war—just the shared comfort of two souls bound by desire and destiny. As you drift into sleep in his arms, you can’t help but feel that this is just the beginning of something wild and fierce, something that can withstand even the harshest of winters.

The sun hangs low in the sky, casting long shadows across the snow-covered courtyards of Winterfell. The icy air bites at your cheeks as you walk through the godswood, hand in hand with Cregan. The week since your marriage has passed in a blur of quiet moments, shared laughter, and the gradual weaving of your lives together. In those precious days, you’ve come to find comfort in the North’s cold embrace, and in the steady presence of the man who has proven himself to be more than just your husband—he is your equal, your partner, your anchor in this unfamiliar land.

But that newfound warmth shatters with the arrival of the raven.

You’re back in the Great Hall, lingering by the hearth, when the doors creak open. A servant rushes in, holding a sealed scroll. You don’t need to see the wax to know who sent it—your heart tells you. The servant approaches, bowing low as he hands the message to you. The dark wax bears the three-headed dragon of your house, sealing the words of your mother, Queen Rhaenyra.

You break the seal with trembling fingers, your pulse quickening with a nameless dread. Cregan stands beside you, his brow furrowed as he watches your face closely. He knows by the change in your expression that whatever this message holds, it isn’t good. 

The words on the parchment seem to blur as your eyes scan over them, each line a knife driven into your chest:

Lucerys Velaryon is dead. My sweet boy was slain by Aemond Targaryen, along with his dragon, Arrax. He did not survive the fall into the storms of Shipbreaker Bay.

The world tilts beneath you, and it’s as though the breath has been stolen from your lungs. Your vision narrows, the words echoing in your mind until they’re the only thing you can hear. Lucerys is dead. The little brother you helped raise, who smiled so sweetly, who always looked up to you with those wide eyes filled with trust and affection—he’s gone, stolen away by your cousin’s cruelty and Vhagar’s monstrous power.

Your hand loosens, and the letter slips from your grasp, fluttering to the ground. You’re dimly aware of Cregan’s hand on your shoulder, his voice low and steady, calling your name. “Y/N? What is it?” But you can’t form the words. The grief wells up inside you, sharp and overwhelming, until it’s too much to hold back.

Your knees buckle, and suddenly you’re sinking to the floor, your body trembling uncontrollably. Tears blur your vision, hot and relentless, as sobs tear from your throat. It’s not the delicate, quiet grief of a lady; it’s raw and fierce, like the storm you imagine your brother faced in his final moments. The cry that escapes your lips is a mixture of pain and rage, the sound reverberating through the Great Hall, silencing all who might hear.

Cregan is at your side in an instant, dropping to his knees, pulling you into his arms. “Y/N, what happened? Tell me—what did the message say?” His voice is firm, but you can hear the worry in it. He’s never seen you like this, never seen you break. You’ve always been the dragon’s daughter—strong, unyielding. But right now, you feel like nothing more than a shattered, grieving sister.

You choke out the words between sobs, your hands clutching at his tunic as if he’s the only thing keeping you tethered to the world. “My brother… Lucerys… He’s dead. Aemond… Aemond killed him. He’s gone, Cregan. My little brother is gone.”

Cregan’s arms tighten around you as he processes what you’ve said. For a long moment, he’s silent, his jaw clenched, his eyes darkening with anger. When he finally speaks, there’s a steel in his voice that matches the ice in his veins. “The bastard. Aemond will answer for this kinslaying. I swear it.” But even his promise of vengeance can’t reach you through the fog of your grief.

You bury your face in his chest, letting the tears flow freely, uncaring of who might see. You’ve lost people before—friends, kin—but this is different. This is your brother, your sweet Lucerys, who still had so much life ahead of him. He was just a boy, trying to do his duty, and he was cut down for it. The injustice of it burns like acid in your veins.

Cregan doesn’t let go, even as your sobs wrack your body. He holds you through it all, his large hands rubbing soothing circles on your back, his presence a steady rock amidst the storm of your grief. He whispers soft words meant to comfort, though you barely register them, lost in your sorrow. “I’m here,” he murmurs. “I’m here, and I won’t let you face this alone.”

Minutes pass—or maybe it’s hours—before the tears finally subside, leaving you hollow and exhausted. You pull back slightly, looking up at Cregan with tear-streaked eyes. There’s no judgment in his gaze, only unwavering support and a simmering rage on your behalf. His thumb gently wipes away the last of your tears, his expression softening.

“You’re not alone, Y/N,” he says quietly. “I know the North is not your home, but I am. I will stand with you, no matter what comes next. We’ll face it—ice and fire, dragon and wolf. Aemond will pay for what he’s done.”

You swallow hard, nodding, though your voice is barely above a whisper when you finally speak. “We’ll make them pay, Cregan. For Lucerys, for my mother’s grief… for all of it.”

There’s a hardness in your words now, a resolve born from the depths of your pain. You may be grieving, but beneath that grief lies a core of molten steel—a fire that won’t be quenched until justice is done.

Cregan leans forward, pressing his forehead against yours, grounding you in the warmth of his presence. “When the time comes, we’ll fight—together. Until then, rest. You’re stronger than you know, Y/N.”

You nod, though the weariness of grief still clings to you. With Cregan’s help, you rise to your feet, your legs shaky but steady enough to stand. As you take a deep breath, you feel the fire rekindling within you, fueled by the love you have for your family and the support of the man who now stands at your side.

You may have broken in this moment, but you won’t stay broken. You are a daughter of House Velaryon, a granddaughter of House Targaryen. You are forged in fire, and though grief threatens to consume you, it also gives you strength.

The war has only begun, and you’ll see it through. For your brother. For your family. For all those who stand with you.

[gi4hao]

🗓️ ᡣ𐭩ྀི ˎˊ- anniversary dates with seventeenྀི

hyung line version! (scoups -> woozi)

had a really sunny weekend so please enjoy these sunshine-fueled scenarios!

— seungcheol

turns out your anniversary took place during a vacation together, a week-long holiday near the beach. on the d-day, he refuses to say anything about his plans, no matter how many times you ask, to the point where you end up blindfolded as he leads you to his surprise. when you take the blindfold off, the only thing you can see is a white boat awaiting on the shore. at first you’re scared he might have actually bought the boat, but he ‘only’ rented it for a private dinner. the sun has just started to set and you’re glad to have picked one of your cutest outfits because you just know he’s going to be taking as many pictures of you as he can. you might be admiring the sunset, but he'll be admiring you the whole time.

— jeonghan

he truly racked his brain to find the per-fect date idea. on the day, he keeps you guessing with more than vague hints (like “we talked about doing that one day” as if you didn’t talk about literally doing everything together). but he’s confident in his surprise and rightfully so: at first you think it’s just a regular picnic, which would have been fine on its own, but as more people start to gather around you, you realize that a lantern festival is actually taking place here tonight. together, you scribble your wishes and dreams for the future on your lantern. and you love how he’s not even trying to hide what he’s writing: one thing about jeonghan, he’ll never try to conceal anything about his feelings for you.

— joshua

this one has a proud smirk plastered on his face the entire morning, hinting at a surprise. you get in his car around 9am and drive for about twenty minutes until he stops in front of a fancy looking building. “you know how we always talk about moving to a bigger apartment yet never actually visit anything? well i figured today would be the day…”, he tells you excitedly. and it’s only when the realtor meets you on the street that you realize joshua has actually booked a visit. more than one, in fact: throughout the day, you visit four apartments, walking from one to the other hand in hand, already fantasizing about what life is going to look like for the two of you.

— jun

both having a busy schedule, you recently told jun you missed having a proper dinner together and it’s given him the best idea for your anniversary: a nice dinner together without the practical difficulties of going to a fancy restaurant. when you come back home that evening, you find your place tastefully decorated with various candles, flowers and fairy lights. as for jun, he’s done his hair the way you like it best, dressed in an outfit you love, wearing the same perfume from when you first started dating. with a sheepish smile, he guides you to the balcony where the table is set, revealing the stunning city view from your apartment.

— hoshi

his plan for today is to make you feel as loved as ever, and that requires day-long dedication, starting with mandatory prince.ss treatment all morning. around 11, he tells you it’s “time to go” although you still have no idea what he’s talking about. but a 45 minutes drive later, you can make out the blueish color of the sea in the horizon. with him by your side, you know it won’t be just any beach day: picnic on the sand, a long walk along the shore spent saying “look, it’s us!” when you see two relatively close rocks, and most of all, soaking up the sun together in the water, all while being that clingy couple who cannot stop swooning over each other.

— wonwoo

this morning, wonwoo wakes up particularly early to cook breakfast for the both of you. you’re already awake by the time he’s done, but he looks so adorable trying to balance the tray while opening the door with his foot that you pretend like you’re still asleep. later, he surprises you with a gift which looks… a bit odd. you didn’t really expect a QR code. but you scan it anyways, and then everything starts to make sense: the QR code brings you to a website, a shelter website more specifically. “are we…”, you start, a huge smile already on your lips. “going on a shelter date to get a cat? absolutely”, he replies, glad you’re enjoying his surprise as much as he hoped.

— woozi

to him, this is the perfect day to show how much your relationship means to him, because he fears you might not know it well enough (you do). so he’s got a little something prepared… the first part of his plan is to fake an apology: “i’m really sorry, i completely forgot…”. second part is to say he’ll take you to movies another day, which you accept, still half-upset. and finally, last part is to welcome you home on the d-day, takeout ready on the table but most importantly, with a homemade outdoor cinema right in your backyard. thick mattresses, fluffy pillows and a large white screen facing a brand-new projector, he went all out to make sure you feel as cherished as he always does.

REQUESTS ARE OPEN!

[mapiforpresident]

Can you please do an Alexia x reader x child? Maybe its the child's first day of preschool or something? Thank you!!!

Off to Preschool

Alexia x reader x child

Summary: Its your sons first day of Preschool and your wife is not handling it very well.

~~~

You and Alexia had been married for six years now. You had met when you transferred to Barcelona, and she immediately fell in love with you. She had proposed to you on a vacation to Greece four years ago. You didn't think it was possible, especially when she is grumpy, but you continue to fall more in love with her with each passing day. Three years ago, you expanded your family when you welcomed your baby boy Leo. He is the best son you could ask for, and you love seeing Alexia be a mother. Leo is a mini Alexia in almost every way, and when you don't find it frustrating, it is incredibly adorable.

You had found out you were pregnant with your second child three months ago. Leo was very excited to be a big brother, and you and Ale were very excited to expand your family.

It was today, though, that Leo would officially start preschool. You wanted him fully in preschool when you get into your later months of pregnancy and when you first had the baby. Alexia agreed with the idea but was also a nervous wreck. Normally, you took Leo with you to practice, and one of you or a teammate would watch him, but with having another baby, you figured it was time to start him in a school with a regular environment. This would be Leo's first time not being with his parents, Alexia's mom and sister, or close friends. He had grown up constantly surrounded by friends and family, so Alexia was nervous for him to be away from them without anyone familiar for the first time.

You and Alexia had toured this preschool and decided it was the best one for your energetic son. It had a large outdoor playground and many hands-on learning activities. Leo was very excited after his visit and learning about all the things he was going to get to do.

You had to leave in an hour to drop him off. You decided today was going to be his first day because you and Alexia both had a rare day off in case anything came up, and you needed to go get him.

Leo was currently sitting on the couch eating a bowl of fruit and watching his favorite cartoon, practically bouncing up and down with excitement.

You stood in Alexia's arms in the kitchen as she voiced all her concerns like the overprotective mom she is.

"What if he gets hurt, or sick, or needs another set of clothes? Oh god, what if another kid is mean to him? What if he has an accident? He has only been potty trained a couple of weeks. What if he can't nap, and it throws his schedule off? What if he..." Alexia looked very stressed as she ranted, her arms practically clinging to you. Your presence was the only thing keeping her from fully panicking at this point.

"Hey, hey, hey. It's ok, amor. Breathe for me, please." You told her as you tried to calm her down a little. You watched as she took a deep breath and then held her face in your hands, moving her so she was looking directly into your eyes.

"Everything will be ok, amor. Leo is a very smart kid; he knows how to advocate for himself, and if anything happens, they will call us immediately. It is only a ten-minute drive, and we can go pick him up." She nods, feeling a little more reassured, especially by how confident you sounded that he would be ok. Alexia looked over to her son and saw how excited he looked and remembered how for the past couple of days all he could talk about was how he wanted to go to preschool.

Feeling the gazes of his mamas, Leo turned around on the couch, kneeling and leaning over the back. "Mama, Leo go to school now," Leo asked in his adorable little voice.

"Soon, bebé. Why don't you run upstairs and get your Spiderman backpack so we can make sure you have everything you need," Ale replied as Leo jumped off the couch. He brought his now empty bowl and used the stool you had in the kitchen for him to put his bowl in the sink. You ruffled his hair as he raced passed the two of you upstairs after saying, "ok, I be wight back." You were still working on his pronunciation of the letter "r."

"See, amor, he is going to be just fine. Why don't we have a relaxing day while he is gone? We can go to that cafe that is a block over from the preschool that we have been wanting to try, and then we can go for a nice walk. There are a couple of stores I need to go to. Leo needs some new pants because he is getting so tall, and we still need to buy a double stroller for when the baby comes," you said to her as you pecked her lips.

"That sounds good, amor. We will be right by the preschool in case anything happens, and I can spend a whole day alone with my sexy baby mama. I don't think we have spent a whole day alone since before Leo was born." She leaned down to peck your lips again as you heard Leo race down the stairs with his backpack on.

"I want kiss too, mama."

"Of course, mi bebé," Alexia said to him as she picked him up and placed kisses all over his face. You loved watching them both as they giggled and Leo wriggled in his mother's grasp.

"Mommy, save me, mama attack me," He squealed out as you reached out and took him from Alexia's grasp, joining in the laughter.

"Do you want to wear your Batman or Superman shoes today?" You asked him as you set him down and checked that everything was in his backpack.

"Superman," He yelled as he raced off to put his Velcro shoes on.

"On the other feet, mi amor," Alexia called after him as she went to help him.

You grabbed his backpack off the counter and went to get him a sweatshirt, knowing it was a little chilly today, even though he most likely would refuse to put it on.

"Ready to go?" you asked him after you had put on your own shoes. He nodded his head enthusiastically as you opened the door heading towards the car.

Alexia lifted him into his car seat. "Leo try, mama." Leo told her, attempting to buckle himself in. Ale chuckled as he somehow got it twisted around his arm, helping him start over before he finally buckled himself with a triumphant grin as he said, "Leo big boy."

"You are, baby," You replied from the front seat.

~~~

About an hour later, you and Ale were sat in the cafe you had talked about earlier, you thoroughly enjoying your kid-free meal and coffee, relishing in the calm atmosphere and having one-on-one time with your wife. Ale, on the other hand, was a nervous wreck, biting her nails and checking her phone every two seconds to make sure she somehow didn't miss a call from the preschool.

"Amor... amor..... amorrrrrrrrrr," you said to her. She finally glanced up at you, seeing the small smile on your face.

"What?" she asked as she asked confused why you were smiling and staring at her.

"He is ok, mi vida. He is probably having the time of his life doing a science experiment or kicking a football on the playground."

"I know, I know, I just can't help but worry. He is my baby boy, and I can't stand the thought of something happening to him."

"How about after we pick him up, we take him for ice cream at the park? We can even invite Mapi and Ingrid. I haven't seen baby Hugo in a few days. Maybe he'll take his first steps today; Ingrid said he was really close."

"That's a good idea, amor. I will text Mapi right now. Leo will like that too; they have the chocolate ice cream that he likes."

The two of you finished your coffees and pastries, enjoying your time together and laughing at memories you have shared like your first date and your very awkward first kiss.

You were incredibly grateful for the love you and Alexia shared and how much you balanced each other out. You both couldn't believe how amazing your little family is. You loved Leo so much and were excited to see him become a big brother.

[1d1195]

Most III

Read Most here | ~ 6.1k words

From me: I might be changing this from 5 parts to 6 parts 🎉 I wanted to get further in this section, but felt like a good place to stop as well.

Warnings: I think this part is more fluffy than the last couple, but of course there's some angsty stuff hiding in here too.

Summary: There are about 200 question Harry wants answered. But he can barely ask one because she's home. She's got a lot of worries. But maybe most pressingly, is finding out if Harry's moved on.

*Six Weeks Earlier*

Addie and Carter were arguing over the inconsistencies of the movie they were watching with what was recorded in history. Addie was obviously winning. But she thought Carter just liked to see her riled up, like to have her argue just a little because she got so excited when she did. She was so passionate, and it made Carter’s face glaze over as she showed off her expertise.

As they quietly bickered on the sofa, she was at their little kitchen table.

She was looking at apartments for rent near her mom because Addie was probably holding out on asking Carter to move in solely because of her. There weren’t a ton of options—no real surprise on her end. She didn’t want to live in the same town as her school as she thought of post-graduation and how it would be flooded with students, and she thought that parties outside her apartment wouldn’t be conducive to writing the next best-selling romance novel. (If she could muster the strength to go through such a feat.)

Her quest brought her to another search engine, and it seemed as if it was the holy grail. Reasonable rent, new building, new appliances, semi-walkable—it seemed too good to be true.

It was. Truly.

There was one issue. But only one. Her browser’s location services were majorly off course—the last time she visited the website must have stored her old info. Back when she thought she was going to have to find a place of her own because her mom was going to move away, and she was going to need a way to stay close to Harry.

The location was the life and town she left behind were part of the new building’s address. Her email pinged with a message regarding her schedule for the semester. All online classes so she could focus on working and writing as much as possible.

For a second, she forgot. Forgot all about her heartache and the pain she probably caused. He was probably over it by then. She hadn’t forgotten, but she figured three years later, he must have. But there was this pull on her chest to call him. To tell him about the place. Hi baby! I found a place for us to live. Do you like it?

With a shake of her head, she pulled herself out of it and examined the floorplan.

Addie and Carter were still debating. “—The American Revolution is constantly blown out of proportion,” she told him knowingly.

It pained her to interrupt, but it was now or never. “Do you guys think I should still jump?” She asked quietly. They both turned to her. Tilted their heads in curiosity. Almost simultaneously. Carter turned away first, pausing their movie and Addie was already crossing the room to look over her shoulder.

“Oh,” she blinked. “Oh,” she looked at the address for the apartment building. “You... you want to go back?”

Carter followed over and smiled, sat next to her, squeezed her arm. “That’s awesome,” he smiled. “Of course we—”

“What about your classes?” Addie frowned. “We’re supposed to have a year.”

“Well, I can’t keep living here when you’re days away from asking Carter to move in,” she rolled her eyes. Carter chuckled.

“I’d pick you over him,” Addie grumbled.

“Hey!”

“Oh please,” she laughed shaking her head. “I would never make you make that choice... don’t you want to have weird shower sex without me around?”

Carter smirked, his cheeks turning red slightly as he looked at Addie knowingly. “Told you that you were too loud,” he winked, kissed her cheek, and headed to the kitchen to start something for dinner.

Addie glared at him for implying it was her fault. Then she stage-whispered. “He does this thing where he turns me so that the angle—”

“Addison.”

The girls giggled. Then she turned to her laptop again. “My schedule just came through. My classes are online... there’s no apartments by my mom or aunt...” she swallowed feeling the anxiety creep up from her stomach. It moved to her chest, then her throat making her voice quiet. “I just think... if I go now... and I see that he’s moved on then I can... I can too. A reset.”

Addie stared at someone who was sure to be one of the most beautifully talented, insanely intelligent, and incrediblysuccessful authors of the 21st century. She was so honored to have her in her life and be her best friend.

Even if she was an idiot. “You really think he would have moved on?” She wondered.

She shrugged, hovered her mouse over the link to apply for the apartment. “Wouldn’t you?”

There was a pause as Addie watched her. “I’m going to run to get some ingredients,” Carter said tugging Addie toward him for a swift kiss. He grabbed his keys off the counter, then kissed the top of her hair as well. It made her blush because quite frankly, other than flirting at the restaurant, she hadn’t had physical male affection in years and even Carter’s assuring hand squeezes made her a bit flushed at times.

There was nothing at the store; he didn’t need ingredients. She and Addie had gone shopping the day before for all the food they could ever want (at least for the week). But Carter was perfect, and he knew when they needed their girl time.

Addie took the notebook that resided at the end of their faux-dinner table. She kept it there for inspiration. She never knew when the mood would strike to write something and since her best writing was often done at the table—be it essays, some of her favorite ideas, or just a grocery list where her handwriting looked nice—she liked to have something to work from when she was stuck for a thought. Addie lifted the cover slowly. Her heart took off, terrified of someone else seeing her most personal thoughts. But instead, she stayed silent, and Addie pointed to the inside cover.

A heart with her name and Harry’s written in the center took up majority of the space.

“When’s this notebook from?”

A brief pause as she tried to date it from visual and handwriting. There were so many notebooks she owned it took a moment to figure out which was which. “I was... ten,” she swallowed.

Addie nodded and went to the coffee table. She removed a cup of tea off the cover, a few hundred rings lined the blue cover as if it were truly a coaster and not one of the notebooks that would be in a museum about her famed author-life hundreds of years from now. “When’s this one from?” She asked and held out the nearly identical inside cover—another heart bearing two names.

She didn’t need much time to identify this one—it truly was her favorite. The evidence and words that reflected the first time Harry told her he loved her were written within the pages. “Sixteen.”

Then she went to the bookshelf tucked in the corner of their main room. This notebook was wedged between copies of novels she refused to part with, even though they hadn’t been read in years and they weren’t necessarily her favorites, but they were a part of her love of writing and books throughout school and home: Of Mice and Men; Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry; Perks of Being a Wallflower; The Kite Runner. Books she didn’t think of as romances but books that made her feel. The purpose of the notebook that resided among those titles was to remember those feelings even if they were painful. “This one?” She wondered.

“Eight,” she whispered. She started that one when she read her first Babysitter’s Club novel. “But I wrote in it last week too,” after she finished Where the Crawdads Sing.

There on the inside cover was the same heart and same names as every other notebook.

“What about the one on your nightstand, for your dreams?” Addie asked.

She blinked, looked at her lap. Twenty-one... I bought it last week when I filled up the one before it that I used for dreams. I liked the green and gold pattern. It reminded me of his eyes. But Addie already knew all that. There was a picture of Harry on her fridge. The two of them on his final day of school, her arm around his waist and his draped around her shoulders. They were just kids there. Unknowing that a year later she would break both their hearts. Sometimes she looked at that picture and wondered what it would be like if she didn’t leave. Maybe she would still be in the very same spot. Because Harry would have grown tired of her and their hum-drum life.

“I know I didn’t move on, though, Addie.”

“He didn’t either,” Addie put her notebook back safely between The Princess Bride and My Antonia.

“Addie... you don’t know him.”

“You don’t write fifteen notebooks worth of love poems about a man that doesn’t love you even half as much. Even if he loved you an eighth the amount that you loved him, you would still have the greatest love story ever,” Addie was confident. Watched her friend wordlessly as she processed all that.

After several more seconds of silence, she finally answered her. “Twenty-seven,” she mumbled.

Addie stared at her in awe. She loved Carter, but truly, her best friend had the greatest love story she had ever heard. “Yeah, exactly.”

Her attention went back to the available apartments. She frowned as she looked at the screen. “They’re all fifth floor,” she closed her eyes. It seemed like an obstacle set out to change her mind. “Maybe I shouldn’t do it.”

Addie was back at the table and pushing her hands out of the way. “So you don’t go on the balcony. It’ll be fine. You’re not going to live there so you can lounge and sightsee the view, anyway. You’re going so you can go back to him,” she reminded her. Not quite ignoring her fears but making sure they didn’t hold her back. Addie clicked the link for the first apartment and began typing in her information as if it were her own; she wrote that she was ready to move in within a month. “What if he hasn’t moved on? What are you going to do if you’re wrong and I’m right?”

It seemed impossible. Harry was beautiful, loving, so kind. Perfect. Why wouldn’t he have moved on?

There was this little flutter in her chest. It felt the way birthday candles flickered when everyone was singing, and the cake was brought to sit before the guest of honor. She grabbed the book at the end of the table and jotted a note down about how hope was often described as a flicker of light in the dark. When all seemed lost. But no one ever mentioned how darkness often came right after a birthday wish. How hope was really nothing more than a flameless candle.

Because of what she just wrote, she blew out a deep breath. “I hope you’re right,” she whispered as she closed the notebook again hoping her wish would come true.

*Present*

It felt like he couldn’t get back to the station fast enough. He left his coffee behind in the truck; only two sips taken from it. But it turned out it couldn’t compare to the adrenaline he felt then. He left his wallet behind in his locker. That didn’t matter, either. He didn’t need it.

Nothing else mattered.

He barely said goodbye to anyone and left his coworker to tell the rest of the shift why he was rushing to get out of the station. Normally, he took off his uniform before leaving but the thought of not seeing her, or that she was already gone had him sprinting to his car in the lot. Instead of his change of clothes he remained in his standard-issued navy-blue pants and the flame-resistant boots. Fortunately, he chose the station’s T-shirt and not the more formal button down for the day. It was the smallest bit more comfortable and slightly less ridiculous to be out and about.

Maybe she was just a figment of my imagination. He thought to himself. But his partner saw her. So unless he was projecting said figment...

She really was home.

To further his torture, his car and flow of traffic refused to go faster than the speed limit. It was utterly infuriating for his cause. He wanted nothing more than to just be there beside her. Nonetheless, he returned to where he last saw her car; turned right onto the street at the light and drove until something looked like she could be there. His heart was racing faster than it had in years. Adrenaline and excitement rushing through his body, making him sweat with anxiety. But it felt good. Like it was the best thing. It felt like he had just finished running. It was pure joy.

She was home.

There was an apartment building that seemed entirely too tall for their town. But he pulled into the lot wondering if he could identify the car that he saw on the road. He pulled into the spot beside it once he saw it, his heart in his throat. Harry took a deep breath, closed his eyes and tried not to panic. Scaring her off was his worst fear and if he did so, he might lose his mind worse than he ever had.

There was a metallic sound that hit his ears as he opened the door. Like the way a garage door opened. By the end of the lot was a storage pod, door open, and the sight of her from behind. Harry thought he was going to cry but he swallowed the emotion down. Slowly, he walked over, still terrified to scare her.

She disappeared deeper into the pod, and he heard a crunching, scraping sound. As he approached, he realized she was trying to maneuver a loveseat sofa out of a truck all by herself. There was a small dolly on the ground outside the storage pod entrance and Harry wondered if she seriously intended on lifting all the heavy stuff on her own like this.

“Fuck,” she hissed. The end of the sofa she was holding simultaneously dropped to the floor of the truck. “Stupid fucking—”

“Are you okay?” Harry asked instinctively. He went right into the storage pod as if he was moving in alongside her and was joining her because he had stepped out to grab something from his car and was just returning. It wasn’t the grand reunion he had planned, but to be fair, he hadn’t really thought about this moment in a long time.

Even the way her voice sounded when she cursed was sweeter than he could have imagined. She stuck her finger between her lips due to whatever injury she had inflicted upon herself. She shook her head with irritation. “I swear I’m a magnet for those stupid staples they put on the fabric and frame,” she inspected her finger and then pinched it into her hand. Effortlessly, he grabbed her hand. Like he hadn’t missed a day of touching her. He cupped her hand in his, inspected her finger himself. “This is like the tenth time this has happened to me.”

“I think y’need a new couch then, kitten,” he chuckled. It wasn’t his intention to just fall back into the way it was before she left. But it was without thinking—instinctive and natural. It made her heart ache to hear her pet-name from his lips. She sighed and gently tugged her hand from Harry’s and shook her hand, ridding herself of the minor pain. Harry turned and looked at the variety of furniture within the storage pod. Given he had been to her house no less than one million times, he recognized the couch he had also grown up with. The coffee table that they put their feet on when they watched movies. The table in her kitchen where he had so many dinners with her, he couldn’t count it. “Y’mum coming back?” He murmured terrified to hear the answer but desperate to know why he was seeing her in the flesh after all the years between them.

She shook her head. “No... she’s living closer to my aunt now in this tiny one-bedroom place. So, she had a ton of extra furniture. This is all hers. I’m just picking what I like best.”

His heart felt like it was going to explode out of his chest and jump into hers and live there, the way it was supposed to for all this time. “Y’moving back?” He tried to keep his voice even, so it didn’t sound so hopeful in case he was wrong. But he hoped. He hoped so badly.

“Yeah,” his heart swelled as she nodded shyly. But then her face contorted into a strange expression. Harry tried to place it but he hadn’t ever seen it on her face. Especially not in front of him. Was it...anxiety? About him? That seemed wrong. “Um... if that’s okay?” She asked looking at the ground briefly before gazing back at him.

Why she was asking didn’t bother him nearly as much as it should have. How she could possibly think he was going to decide such a fate was beyond him. But he was immediate in his answer; anything to get rid of the weird expression on her face that made him realize she was thinking about how she needed permission to live in the same town again. He nodded quickly. “’Course!” He almost shouted it. Cleared his throat awkwardly. “I mean... s’not my decision really... but... It’ll be... nice t’have y’back,” he was so worried he was going to scare her off. He was glad he wasn’t holding her hand any longer because he was sure his hands were sweating something fierce.

“Yeah? That’s good. I’m...” she took a deep breath. “I’m really glad I’m back,” she looked at him with those beautiful eyes that he loved more than anything. That gentle smile that made his heart race.

“Good,” he murmured because if he said anything more, he was worried he would cry or ruin whatever moment of bliss this was. She was real and in front of him.

“Can I help y’move this?” He asked.

“Absolutely not,” she shook her head.

He frowned and tilted his head at her. “You are obviously getting off work and I have made you do way too many furniture moves over the years and I don’t think it would be—”

Harry pulled his phone from his pocket and sent a message to his group chat with their friends. “The rest will be here in a bit.”

“No, they’re not,” she looked alarmed. “Harry, you’re joking.”

“Y’know them, kitten. They’re going t’be so excited—”

“Harry, they hate me.”

They didn’t have a lot of time alone. Harry gave them a forty-five-minute window to themselves. It wasn’t much, but he didn’t want to overwhelm her.

Professing his undying love for her after their time apart and begging for her back... he was hoping he wouldn’t manage that in forty-five minutes.

But the idea that anyone could hate her, when he was so completely, wholly, unbelievably in love with her even after three years of not speaking and nothing but memories replaying in his head... “They don’t hate you.” She looked at him nervously, like when they joined a lake party and people pressured her to jump off the plateau leading to the water. “Kitten,” he shook his head. “They missed you. They’ll be thrilled to see you.” She shrugged, unbelieving. “I promise,” he assured her and began distracting the pair of them before he said something ridiculous (even though I love you was so close to the tip of his tongue, it was absurd).

Harry took the end of the sofa that had snagged her finger. “Can y’jus’ guide it for me, kitten?” He asked. She nodded and helped get it off and onto the dolly. It was something small, but an effortless reminder that they worked so well together. They barely spoke, practically reading the other’s mind after all this time as they maneuvered the couch out of the storage pod. Once on the dolly, they made their way for the building in silence. “Elevator?” Harry asked. She nodded, continuing the comfortable quietness. “What floor?” He asked.

“Fifth,” she wrinkled her nose in distaste.

His eyebrows rose in surprise. It felt like a hug that she hadn’t got from him in a long time. The feeling that he remembered something about her. Which was ridiculous—she remembered everything about him. “Y’didn’t ask for a lower floor?” He pouted.

“There were none,” she frowned.

“M’surprised y’agreed.”

“It’s a new apartment building,” she shrugged and shook her head. She felt like an idiot for saying that to him. He probably knew it was a new building. Probably did the safety inspection himself. “Anyway, there weren’t many options around here...” It took every bit of Harry’s crumbling restraint to not invite her to move in with him right then.

He missed her. That went without saying. Worried he would still say something outlandish, likea marriage proposal, he broached a different topic. “How... how was school?”

“Really good. But I only have a semester left because I took all the summer courses,” she explained. “They’re virtual and I... I really missed it here... so I figured... I figured it was time.”

His heart leapt. Praying that he was one of the things she missed but desperately clung to his semblance of coolness. “Miss Smarty Pants,” he murmured with a smile. Then she laughed. Harry thought he was cured. All that time between them was nothing. She laughed, she smiled. She was his best friend. She seemed older, more mature, and somehow more gorgeous than he could have ever imagined. In fact, she was so pretty he felt his mouth move before he could think about it.

“Y’look beautiful,” he couldn’t help but say it as they got to the floor and she gestured down the hall for her apartment.

“That’s very sweet. I lost a lot of weight running around campus and work without a car,” she admitted. “Well... enough weight to...”

Harry sighed, shook his head. Wishing he could squeeze the insecurity out of her like a wet sponge. “Your weight has never had anything t’do with why y’were beautiful, kitten.”

The way her cheeks turned pink made him feel sick. Didn’t people compliment her while she was gone?

Fortunately, he didn’t have to suffer thinking about her lack of compliments for long. “You look great, Harry. But you always did. It was incredible seeing you on the firetruck,” she smiled fondly. “I’m... I’m really proud of you.”

The very pride she felt went directly to his heart, swelled in his chest, and bloomed warmth all through his body. Once more he tried to feign his excitement and overwhelming urge to wrap her in a hug he decided to distract himself. “Where do y’want it?” She took a deep breath and shrugged.

“I don’t know... maybe... against this wall for now, I can move it later.”

“Don’t hurt yourself, love,” he frowned as he settled it into position. He was already worried about how he would manage to invite himself back into her apartment to prevent any self-injury—especially from the staples in her furniture.

“I won’t,” she promised. “I was... going to have Lauren come by once I get settled a little bit. She could help.”

“S’nice. I see Lauren a lot at the coffee shop. M’sure she’ll be happy to see you,” he smiled sweetly.

With the sofa in place, it felt the slightest bit awkward. She worried she would do something insane, like kiss him and put her arms around him like she was his necklace. So instead, she thanked him. “Thank you,” she sighed. “For helping.”

“Of course, love. M’happy to see you. S’been...” he trailed off and shook his head. “Where’s the rest of your stuff?” He asked curiously. He also asked so he wouldn’t continue the end of his sentence about having not seen her in ages.

“Ugh,” she groaned and rubbed her hands over her face. “My storage unit is delayed naturally. There was a mix-up and it’s on it’s way cross country currently, no way to stop it so it’ll be...” she shook her head. “Ages. Until I see it. Fortunately, I have a good chunk in my car... but all my books, shelves, a ton of stuff I’ve collected since college. I don’t even have a glass to offer you a water,” she pouted.

He chuckled. “Oh... s’okay. M’fine, kitten.”

“It’s the principle of the thing, Harry.”

He smiled and looked around again. “S’nice here. The balcony is pretty.”

“I guess... but I don’t plan on going on the balcony unless necessary... this fear of mine is ridiculous. Can’t even enjoy all 804 square feet of it.” She glanced out the door to the balcony. “I don’t think we ever had a building this tall around here. The view, from what I can see, is so pretty. A new way of seeing our pretty little town like this.”

Harry’s heart fluttered erratically over the way she said we and our. But he tried not to panic and instead made himself useful. “Do y’want t’go out there t’get a better look?”

She shook her head. “No way. I’ll probably hyperventilate or throw up or something equally embarrassing.”

He snorted, smiling easily. “I’ve seen you throw up before,” he reminded her.

“I’m well aware, Harry,” she groaned. “That was so gross. Literally the worst. I don’t know why you stayed.”

“I agree it was the worst, but because I thought y’were dying. Not because y’were gross or anything,” he shrugged. “C’mon, I’ll show you,” he moved next to her at the window and unlocked the slider, pushed it out of the way. She watched him step over the little threshold and held his hand out to her.

It was the reason she couldn’t go on a roller coaster by herself or jump off the rope swing at the lake like all their friends did in school. She couldn’t help her mom hang up Christmas lights on the house and always paid Harry to do it for her. Her fear of heights felt irrational. Only a small percentage feared it. Harry was always quick to remind her that the small percentage still accumulated to hundreds of millions of people.

But even still, he held his hand out, waiting patiently and expectantly. Somehow, it was the easiest thing in the world to trust him. The feeling was electric, holding his hand. It was as if no time had passed at all. As if she had said ‘see you tomorrow’ instead of, ‘it’s too far for us.’

He squeezed her hand as she took cautious steps onto the balcony. A measly hand hold. Harry had touched and kissed parts of her that would never see a drop of sunlight but somehow the way he held her hand was more intimate. His palm pressed to hers, warm and familiar. His thumb stroked the back of her hand. It was perfect. It was slow and felt so safe. It was unreal how easily it was to revert to the time before. Harry was there, so she was going to be okay.

“Watch y’step,” he said softly. “S’a little uneven there,” he scuffed his shoe on the floor. “S’probably a support beam,” he explained. She nodded.

“I’ll have to put a little patio rug out here and a table and chairs so no one trips.”

“That sounds so cute. Can y’put a grill out here?”

“A grill?”

“I don’t know. I was thinking about that pound cake bread y’like with the strawberries? Or jus’ marshmallows.”

She smiled eager to hear more about what he remembered and what came to mind so readily. “Uh... I have to read the lease agreement. I’m not sure. Probably a fire hazard. Wouldn’t want you rushing down here because of me,” she giggled.

He smiled and squeezed her hand. He glanced back over the railing and admired the view for a moment. “M’not sure about the whole town, but a good chunk of it.”

“Is that the fire station way back that way,” she pointed and then put her free hand on the railing. Harry stood beside her, following the direction of where she pointed, proud that she was able to stand there without fear it seemed. It made him happy she still felt safe with him. “Yeah, I think so... Mum’s house is...” he pointed the other way. “Y’see the blue house? Four streets back from that.”

“Cool,” she grinned. “Do you live with her still?”

He chuckled. “No... I live...” he squinted a bit and pointed back towards the fire station. “You see the shopping plaza?” He asked. She nodded. “Two streets behind it. The small one.”

“It’s cute... I think,” she giggled again which made Harry chuckle quietly. “I like the trees.”

“I want t’put a hammock in and—” he released her hand to speak and gesture what his plan was with two of the trees in his yard. But she gasped the second he released her hand. Nearly tripped as she stumbled back away from the railing. Harry caught her around the waist before she could fall on the uneven ground. “Hey, careful—”

“Don’t let go,” she reminded him turning toward him slightly but trying to maintain as much distance as she could; given he was holding her around the waist, and she refused to let go. It wouldn’t be fair to him to get too cozy in his arms the way she would have a few years prior.

“Oh,” he swallowed. His heart raced with nerves and anxiety. Part of him felt shame for not realizing what that would do to her. He should have known. He knew how nervous she got about heights. Especially from the level they were on. “M’sorry, kitten.”

She swallowed; her cheeks turned a soft shade of pink. “No, I’m sorry. I was just... I don’t—”

“No, s’okay,” he promised. “I won’t let go,” he assured her and took her hand again (even though he would have preferred to have her stay in his embrace). “I wasn’t thinking.”

She bit the inside of her lip. “It’s not your fault.”

“No, but m’sorry. Didn’t mean t’scare you, love.”

Harry was way too nice. If he was smart, he would have pushed her off the side of the balcony for making him so sad the last few years. “It’s really okay, Harry. I know you didn’t—”

“But I should have—”

“Harry,” she squeezed his hand silencing his sentence. “You don’t need to apologize. I promise. I’m just nervous, you know.”

It was quiet and Harry sighed. “Yeah, I know.”

They could have stayed on that balcony for the rest of their lives if it meant Harry was going to hold her hand and they would stay rooted in that spot. They were silent and watched their not-so-little town, filled with bustling cars and people. “It feels bigger,” she whispered.

“Well, y’did go t’a school with the population of sixteen people and a moose.” The laughter that came from her mouth was like pure magic. Harry swore he never heard anything sound so sweet.

Once they both stopped giggling, she wanted to know more about his hammock and what he planned to do with his yard and other things. She wanted to hear about his career and school and everything in between. As she was about to ask, Harry saw the cars pull into the lot.

Sarah and Eleanor in one vehicle, the boys in the other. “C’mon,” he murmured and pulled her back inside. Silently, they made their way down in the elevator to the parking lot once more. The five of them were grouped together near the back of the two cars, huddled together conferring.

“I bet it’s a creepy shrine. Like he’s going to do a séance to get in touch with her,” Louis suggested.

“She’s not dead, Louis,” Eleanor rolled her eyes. “I’m just worried that he’s finally gone off the deep end,” she frowned.

“Well, it can’t be worse than him asking Lauren where she is all the time,” Sarah grumbled bitterly. Mitch put a hand on her back and gently rubbed the bitter tension from her muscles soothingly.

“Who knows, but he asked for us to bring him pizza, so that’s a good sign, right?” Niall asked.

“They’re going to hate me,” she whispered under her breath as they approached quietly.

“Shh,” he squeezed her hand.

“Can I just say that I’m really worried we’re going to have to call the authorities about him?” Louis asked releasing a massive breath, like it was painful to say the words out loud.

“No, I was thinking the same thing,” Sarah nodded in agreement. “It’s right around the time she left and you know how he gets—”

“The first year was the worst,” Mitch reminded everyone.

“You guys really thought I would text you and tell y’where t’find m’body?” Harry asked. They all turned to the pair of them. Their words disappeared into the air. Silence spread between all of them.

“Holy shit,” Louis whispered.

“Pretty weird of him to ask you to bring pizza if that were the case,” she swallowed nervously. For her whole life these people were her best friends and she abandoned them as much as she abandoned Harry, their town, and everything that was good. She looked at the five pairs of eyes that were unblinking as they processed what was happening.

Niall dropped the pizza. “Oh my God,” he was first. He broke into a quick stride and wrapped his arms around her the way Harry dreamed of doing for the last forty-five minutes. He kissed the side of her head and Harry was just so overwhelmed with jealousy he tried to focus his attention on anything but the way he felt utter dread seeing Niall hold and kiss her the way he had ached to do so for the last three years. “How are you, princess?” He asked.

“I’m okay, how are you?”

“Out of the way!” Eleanor hip-checked Niall before he could answer and wrapped her arms around her the same way that Niall had. Further fueling how jealous Harry was. “Make yourself useful, Niall. Order more pizza!”

“I don’t even have plates or enough seats to have you all in and—”

“Did you think we would get all fancy?” Sarah asked and gently pushed Eleanor aside to get her own hug. “We’ll sit on the floor and eat off the boxes.” Mitch was next and murmured something in her ear that Harry wanted to know desperately, solely because her cheeks turned that pretty shade of pink so much.

Louis was last. Because as hurt as Harry was, Louis was a close second. All of them mourned for their friend in their own ways—even though she wasn’t truly gone. But naturally they put their own grief aside for Harry. But she was back now. Sure, Harry was ready to forgive her instantly, but Louis would be a harder sell it seemed. “Hi,” she whispered. Louis looked at her pensively, making her gulp.

“Hi,” his voice was curt and filled with distrust.

She looked at the ground. “Pretty crazy about Messi, hmm?” She looked back up at him.

“Don’t tempt me, darling,” he grumbled and finally pulled her into a hug. He kissed the side of her face and held her for a long time. Louis also whispered something in her ear, and she nodded against him.

“Well,” Eleanor clapped her hands together. “I was wondering why Harry said we needed to wear comfy clothes. Point us in the right direction, babe. Let’s get you moved back home.”

“You okay?” Sarah asked quietly, taking up the rear with Harry as they moved toward her storage pod. Peppering her with questions and falling back into old jokes and laughter within seconds.

Harry nodded, his heart finally started to feel whole. “Yeah," she turned back and met his gaze with a gentle smile. A smile that made him melt and feel like he could fly if she asked. "Finally.”

--

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[fairykingjing]

Trafalgar Law X F Reader - Do Barmaids Belong with Pirates?

Here's that Law fic I promised, got another Zoro one coming later this week! Enjoy friends!

Summary: It’s the morning after a night of fun with a pirate captain who frequented the bar you work at. Only you realize you’re still on his submarine, and they already left town.

Warnings: morning after sex fic, both reader and Trafalgar Law are drugged with an aphrodisiac, intimacy is implied to have happened but nothing explicit is stated, angst, fluff at the end

WC: 1841

You wake up with a groan, your head pounding from one too many drinks last night. You expect to see sunlight streaming through a window, but you find yourself in a cool, dark room. There’s a chill in the air as you realize you don’t have your clothes on. You get up and fumble for a light switch, just to see that you are still on the Polar Tang, and metal walls surround you. Memories of last night come flooding back, and you recall some of what happened.

Trafalgar Law and his crew had come by your bar again, ready to unwind with a round of drinks. Every time he visited your island, you felt his eyes staring at you wherever you went, but you never tried to say anything. A pirate captain of his caliber was not someone you wanted to mess with. His crew had been goading him into asking you out, apparently he had a thing for you, not that you ever would have known. He was a very attractive man, but a barmaid from a small island had no business being with a man like him. Still, you were friendly with him and his crew, a little flirty even, and after your shift ended they invited you to join them.

Someone had shoved a drink in both yours and Law’s hands, and you both downed them without question. That’s where everything gets fuzzy. You remember feeling heated, and you could no longer keep your eyes off Law. He was feeling the same. You recalled walking back towards his submarine, and after that it goes a bit blank. You scrunch your face in concentration, trying to remember any small detail, but you can’t. It’s at this point you see that your clothes are in a pile on the floor and you scramble to put them on. You put two and two together and figure that the two of you must have had sex, and he just left you to find your own way off his ship. Pulling the door open, you make your way towards the closest sound of voices.

As you step out into what appears to be the control room, you feel all eyes shoot to you, and a collective “oh shit” is shared among the crew.

“D-does Law know you’re here?” someone asked.

“I… I don’t really know,” you answered. “I don’t even know what happened last night after I boarded the sub. Everything’s foggy.”

“Well we better find out quickly, because we left port over an hour ago!” they exclaimed.

“What!?” you shouted.

Suddenly a strong presence was felt, and you turned timidly to see that Trafalgar Law had entered the room. “What’s with all the commotion?” he demanded. He scanned the room, eyes landing on you and widening in realization. You were still on his ship. He had meant to wake you up when he did, but he had an urgent matter to attend to, and he completely forgot you were there.

“Shit,” he groaned. “This cannot be happening right now.” He walked over to you and pulled you aside. “Look, I don’t know what happened last night, but I suspect someone on my crew used a lust potion on us. I’m sorry, but we’re on a tight schedule to get somewhere so we can’t turn around to drop you off. You’ll have to stay on board until we can get to another island and book you passage back to your home.”

“Uh, okay, that’s fine… I guess…” you said quietly. You were too flustered to argue or demand he take you back now. And what’s this about a lust potion? How long would you be stuck on his ship?

“Since this is mine and my crew’s fault, we’ll provide room and board, and we’ll figure out passage back to your island when we can,” he explained.

You could only nod your head before he whipped around to his crew and began scolding them. “Who the hell put a lust potion in our drinks last night?” he demanded.

“I-it was me, c-captain.,” someone stammered. “But we all had the idea! We know you’ve had your eyes on her for a while now but you refused to say anything to her. S-so we decided to take matters into our own hands.”

“Did any of you stop to consider whether or not my feelings were reciprocated?” Law sighed, rubbing his temples. “Or did you just assume she felt the same way.”

The same way? So he does have feelings for me, you thought to yourself.

“I.. well, she was being pretty flirty with you, so we assumed she did,” someone else answered.

“She’s a barmaid! It’s her job to be flirty! Especially with pirate captains who might have a lot of money,” Law explained.

You were left standing there awkwardly, not sure if you should leave the room or not. It seemed clear that Law did at one point express feelings for you. And while it was true that you were flirty with all the men at the bar (you had to make a living somehow, can they blame you?) you always felt it was different with Law. Still, you weren’t dumb enough to think there was anything special going on. Every interaction was a transaction, and you knew it. Or at least you thought you did. If Law had feelings for you, should you say something?

You cleared your throat and eyes turned to you again, and it was almost like Law forgot you were there a second time. “Fuck, sorry,” Law said quickly. “Bepo will get you set up with somewhere to sleep, and find you a change of clothes.” With that he quickly stormed out of the room, and you were left standing there awkwardly again.

“Sorry about all this,” the Mink you would come to know as Bepo spoke up. “C’mon, let’s get your stuff sorted out.” The two of you left the control room, down a long hallway as he pushed open the door to a small room with a bed in the corner. It wasn’t much, but it would do. “This is just a spare room, but it should suit your needs for now. There’s a change of clothes on the bed, but they might not fit you.”

“That’s okay, I can make do,” you assured. Stepping into the room, you quickly shut the door and peeled yesterdays clothes off. A shower would have been nice, but given the circumstances you won’t complain. You put on the spare clothes, just a plain gray shirt and some long black pants, but they fit you well enough. As you exited the room, you saw that Bepo was waiting for you.

“How about I give you a quick tour of the sub?” he offered. “Then we can get some food.”

“Sounds good to me!” you agreed. He led you along the sub, pointing out areas you could go, and the ones you were strictly to avoid.

“This is Captain Law’s office. Definitely don’t want to go in there,” he cautioned. “Honestly, it might be best if you just avoid him for now.”

“Yeah, he seems like he could use some space…” you nodded in agreement. As you turned to walk away, the door to Law’s office swung open and he stepped out. You squeaked and shrunk back, not wanting to be near him until you had sorted out your feelings, and not sure if he was still pissed off from earlier.

“Ah, there you are, would you mind stepping into my office for a chat?” he asked calmly. You nodded, and stepped into his office nervously. He called out a thanks to Bepo and shut the door, strolling over to his desk. He motioned for you to sit in the chair opposite him, and feeling as though you had no choice, you sat. Taking in your surroundings, you noticed his office was immaculately kept, neat stacks of papers in piles around the room, and several filing cabinets with a variety of labels, several indicating they contained medical records of his crew. “Now, to discuss a plan for getting you back to-”

“Do you like me?” you blurted out. Your face flushed in embarrassment as you realized what you just said.

“Why would you ask me that?” Law questioned. “We really need to get back to-”

“Just answer the damn question, Law,” you demanded. “Please. I know what I heard...”

He frowned, clearly you were not willing to back down from this. Figuring truth was the best option, he answered. “Yes, I’ve found myself drawn to you. Every time my crew and I visit the island, I can’t help but go to the bar you work at. Something about you catches my eye. Does that answer your question?” Now his own face is flushing. He certainly didn’t want to say any of this stuff to you, despite its truth, but he was between a rock and a hard place with nowhere else to go.

“Y-yes, it does,” you reply. “Why did you never tell me?

“Because what would a barmaid want with a pirate?” he answers dryly. “Besides, you have plenty of men who come and go, you can always find someone else.”

“Oh…” you said softly. “I never wanted to tell you anything either, because what would a pirate want with a barmaid? You have plenty of other islands to go to, you can always find someone else.” You looked down at your feet, wishing you were anywhere but here.

“You’re right,” he murmured. “I could find someone else. But I don’t want someone else.” He stood up now, walking out from behind the desk and over to you. You stood up too, looking up at him nervously.

“W-who do you want then?” you whispered. You swallowed thickly, anticipating his response. You wouldn’t believe it until you heard it from his mouth.

“You, obviously,” he chuckled. He brought his hand up to softly caress your cheek, and before you could say anything else he pulled you in for a soft kiss. You were surprised, you never would have expected this, but you quickly reciprocated the kiss, deepening it. Moments later, you heard cheers coming from the doorway to his office, and you both pulled back with a startled laugh.

“I guess this saves you the trouble of telling your crew?” you offered.

“Yeah, I guess that’s one way to look at it.” he sighed. He would have to have a talk with his crew later about the importance of privacy. But that could wait.

“So, about that passage back to my island…” you began. “Is it too late to change my mind?”

“Of course not,” Law reassured. “I think it’ll be nice having you on the sub.”

“It sure will!” Bepo cheered. He ran in to pull the two of you into a big bear hug. You let out a squeal at the surprise hug, but you smiled big. You thought barmaids didn’t belong with pirates, but maybe this once, she could.

[raya-hunter01]

Not My Sister's Keeper Pt. 6

Roman X OC(Kara)

Jey Uso X OC (Tia)

Rating: 18+

Warning: Smut; sex, fluff, couple arguing, Jealousy, infidelity, pregnancy

Roamn’s wife recently left medical school and returned home to save her marriage. Upon her return, she finds out things are not what they seem. Her sister is pregnant by her best friend Jey Uso, who is also Roman’s cousin, and her husband is acting suspicious.

What happens when a conversation overhead on a baby monitor blows her world apart?

Six Months Later

Pensacola, Fl

Roman's House

That’s it….Ten years and it’s over just by signing some papers," I said as my mom sat beside me while I looked at a copy of the divorce papers.

“Roman, you messed up and what you did was unforgivable. This is all that should matter to you right now,” my mother said placing Logan in my arms as I sat her on my lap.

Her little smile as she put her tiny fist in her mouth made my heart smile.

 “I know princess, granny needs to hurry up your bottle, don’t she?” I said chuckling as she laughed at the sounds coming out of her mouth as I gently bounced her on my lap.

“Granny only got two hands and she’s coming.”

“I’m just kidding Ma, I’m happy you here and don’t know what I’d do without you and Ma Rebecca. I just hoped that Kara and I could have work things out, it wasn’t supposed to be like this.”

“Son, I’mma need you to snap outta this because this little girl needs her father, and she needs you focused on her. She already ain’t got a damn mama if we keeping it real,” my mom said cutting me deep with her words, but it was true.

I had got Tia transferred to Raw to get her outta my hair, which has been a godsend. She sees Logan whenever the mood hits or she needs something. She still won’t sign over her rights…

“I am focused on her. I’ve gotten my schedule lighter. She going to start traveling with me..I got that part mama; I just need Kara now.”

“Roman! Kara is not going to help you raise a baby that is not only a reminder that you betrayed her, but its mother is her sister! Now you starting to scare me with your delusion. It’s over son and you set this all in motion…

"Mama, I know-"

"Deal with it and figure out a way to get that fool to sign over her rights. Hell, call your lawyer back and tell him you want to go for full custody and don’t give her no money,” she said, giving me Logan's bottle before leaving the room without another word.

“I guess it’s just us, huh, baby girl?” I asked feeding her as she gripped my hand greedily sucking her bottle

Taking my mother’s advice, after feeding Loogan and burping her, I quickly shot my lawyer a text to go ahead with getting Tia served.

Hopefully, he could get it done today before she leaves out for Raw later on today.

After laying Logan down I went on Instagram and saw Jey had posted a live and had pinned it to his page. Being nosey, I clicked on it and instantly wished I didn’t.

Jey was filming the highway, the road almost seemed deserted the Boston skyline in view. I knew it well from the few times I had visited Kara.

As I was about to get off, I heard a familiar laugh as Piece of my love by Guy began playing in the background.

“It's 5 am, we out here Boston! What ya’ll know bout ridin’ round the city, listening to dat good old school music, just vibin’ wit yo’ people,” he said turning the camera on Kara who was driving and dancing in her seat.

“You can have a piece of my love,” she softly sang shooting Jey a quick glance with a smile when she saw he was recording her.  

“It’s waiting for you,” Jey said slyly finishing the lyric without missing a beat as Kara laughed and turned her attention back to the road shaking her head.  

“You ain’t ready for this Mr. Fatu,” Kara muttered under her breath as I growled.

“A’ight now, you know I stay ready,” he said chuckling, turning around showing Trin asleep with her head in Jimmy’s lap. “What’s up ya’ll,” Jimmy said nodding his head to the music.

Damn, I kinda miss the days of my cousins and I traveling and just vibin' without a care. It made the time go by and if I’m honest I missed them all.

“We’re almost there,” I heard Kara say as Jey flipped the camera to show his face. “A’ight, we out ya’ll, we gettin' ready to turn it in. Been a long ass flight, and we bout to all get some sleep,” he said abruptly ending the live.

“Motherfucker,” I whispered trying not to disturb Logan as she slept.

He just won’t give up, what right did he have even being in the car with her? A car I paid for…Sleeping in the house I’m paid for…

Damn, why couldn’t he stay away from her?

---

Kara’s Condo

Boston, MA

Kara’s Pov

“Jey, if you ask me one more time if I really want to come tonight I’mma slap the fuck outta you,” I said as he held his hands up in surrender.

“Aye, I just don’t want you to be uncomfortable. I know Tia gon’ be there,” he said as I shook my head.

“I’m going to watch your Raw debut, I ain’t worried about Tia and whatever drama she got going on,” I said reassuring him as he gave me a hug.

“I’ll see you later,” he whispered giving me a kiss on the cheek

“Ya’ll drive safe, I’ll see you in a bit,” I said as he picked up his bag, heading for the door.

“Sis, you comin’ right?” he asked as Trin smiled.

“Yes, I wouldn’t miss it. I’ll ride with Kara over there,” she said as he gave her a thumbs up before leaving.

“He’s such a goof, should have seen him in the car rental place,” Trin said as I laughed pouring us a glass of wine.

“Trin, he means well, don’t do him like that,” I said as she chuckled.

“I know he does and look at you defending your man.”

“He isn’t my man Trin.”

“You know I can’t wait for ya’ll to finally get together. Especially since you’ve already test drove the merchandise.” Trin said as I coughed, almost spitting out my wine as she laughed.

“I can’t believe you,” I coughed as she shrugged her shoulders.

“Aye, just calling it like I see it. You were riding him like you were at the rodeo weren’t you?”

“It was good too…Ugh, see, I hate I even told you. Now I’m thinking about it,” I laughed as Trin sipped on her wine unbothered.

“I’m just sayin’ if you need that itch scratched, Jey’s a willing participant.”

“Trin, in all seriousness though, I’m just trying to focus on getting back to me right now. I got a lot of shit to process before I even think about being somebody’s girlfriend.”

“I get it, you don’t want to take that energy and resentment into a new relationship,” Trin said as sighed in relief, someone finally got what I had been trying to say.

“Speaking of Roman, these the divorce papers, huh,” Trin said picking up the stack of papers off the table.

“Yep, it’s a done deal. I can breathe now,” I said sitting next to her and sipping on my glass of wine.

Roman and I went through therapy as suggested by our lawyers. It was terrible but I made it through. Roman was upset that I still wanted to go through with the divorce, but he didn’t contest it anymore.

“I can’t believe he sent you flowers,” Trin said reaching over to look at the note that was attached to the bouquet of red and white roses.

“Thank you for trying, I know I didn’t deserve it. Just know I will always love you and I’m always here. Maybe we can be friends someday -Roman.”

“Damn……Do you think you’ll ever forgive him?” Trin asked as I sighed putting down my glass.

“I think I forgave him the moment he broke down and cried in therapy about what happened. The more he talked, the more I realized at first, he was a victim in Tia’s game.”

“I can see that, but what about after the first time?”

“That’s where he has to take accountability, he made some choices that he’s going to have to deal with the consequences of and it’s no longer my problem,” I said as Trin nodded in understanding.

“Now…Tia on the other hand, I’m avoiding that bitch like the plague tonight. I don’t want to go to jail,” I said as Trin laughed.

“I feel you cause even though I got bail money you too cute for jail,” she said as I held up my glass and we toasted.

“Here’s to Jey and a night of celebration,” I said honestly happy for the first time in a long time.

I was going to see Jey tonight and for tonight none of the drama with Tia mattered. This was about Jey and his new beginnings as a singles wrestler.

-----

Monday Night Raw

Jey’s POV

“Man, I can’t believe I’m here,” I said nervously pacing as Jimmy shook his head at me.

“Aye, calm down and enjoy this moment. You gon’ be fine,” he said as I saw Tia coming over.

“Ah hell,” I whispered as Jimmy turned around chuckled. “You already know she gon’ try you.” Jimmy whispered as I rubbed the back of my neck.

“Man, I ain’t got time for this shit,” I whispered as Tia smiled walking past Jimmy as if he wasn’t there. “Well hello to you too, Tia,” he said as she shot him a sly smile before turning back to me.

“Hey, Jey long time no see,” she said with a flirty smile.

“You just really have you no shame,” Jimmy asked as she rolled her eyes at him.

“I’m just talking to him, no harm in that,” she whispered as I looked at her in disbelief.

“Jimmy, give us a minute, Uce,” I said as he got up and left us alone.

“Jey, I just thought since you’re going to be on the Raw brand we could catch up some time,” Tia said as I looked at her like she was crazy.

“Uh, I don’t even like you like that,” I said as she walked closer.

“I’m just trying to welcome you to Raw, I know it gets lonely on the road. Maybe we could reconnect and make some magic happen,” she said touching my chest as I backed away.

“Tia, I think you need help…Like mental help, your obsession with Kara and the people she loves ain’t normal,” I said trying to wrap my brain around how crazy she was.

“I’m not worried about her, I know I’m the better woman and you know it too,” she said trying to put my arms around her as I backed away with my hands in the air.

“Look, don’t ever try me like dat ever again. You know I love Kara and unlike Roman I’m hip to your bullshit. Stay away from me and Kara,” I said as she frowned.

“Kara don’t love you, if she did, ya’ll would have been together years ago,” Tia said spitefully with a smirk.

“Tia tend to your own business, and be a mom to your child. You know the one who hasn’t heard from you in months while you parade on this show and in the streets like a cat in heat,” I said as the smirk fell from her face.

“I have settled that with her father and it’s none of your concern. Still, Kara’s lap log I see,” Tia said as I chuckled.

“Still jealous of your sister, I see,” I said as she slapped me.

“Tia…… Get some help,” I said taking myself out of the situation and walking away from her. “Jey! I’ll see you soon, the road gets lonely!” she yelled as I kept walking.

I needed to get ready for the show and I didn’t have time for her craziness.

“Hey, what was all of that Jey?” Tom, who was one of the higher ups asked, stopping me before I got to my dressing room.

Great, the last thing I needed was him taking this back to Paul causing an issue. I just got here and didn’t need no drama.

“Uh, just some personal stuff, but I took care of it,” I said as he nodded. “Well, that was really unprofessional how she was acting. That was sexual harassment.”

“Look, I gotta get ready for the show. It’s all good Uce, I took care of it” I said trying to get him to drop the subject, but I knew by the look on his face it wasn’t going to be the last I heard about it.

---

Monday Night Raw

Kara’s POV

“Mom, you don’t have to throw me a party,” I said as Trin, and I pulled into the building.

“Sweetie, you got accepted back into medical school. We are celebrating and that’s final,” she said as Trin smiled.

“You know we game for barbecue, yo’ daddy can throw down. I’ll get Jimmy to do that Samoan dish you like too,” Trin added.

“The one with the pineapple chicken?” I asked as Trin nodded… “Oh, I’m there,” I said as Trin, and my mom laughed.

“Thanks for the reinforcements Trin. Sweetie, Logan will be here on Friday, but if you’re uncomfortable Janice can get her,” my mom said as I sighed.

“Mama, I will be fine. I know it’s your weekend to have Logan I wouldn’t do that,” I said as the line got quiet.

“I don’t want you to be overwhelmed baby,” my mom said as I gave Trin a small smile.

“It’s ok mom, don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”

“Enjoy the show baby, and I’ll see you Thursday, love you.”

“Love you too mom,” I said, hanging up and taking a deep breath.

“You know it’s ok to not be ok,” Trin said as I parked the car.

“I’m ok…I just don’t see myself being heavily involved in Logan’s life. Does that make me a terrible person?” I asked as Trin looked at me with a sad smile.

“No, it makes you a person that has been hurt and your feelings are valid, but I also know you.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means if that baby needed anything you would make sure she had it,” Trin said as I bit my lower lip trying not to cry.

“I would, but I don’t see myself babysitting and doing all the other auntie stuff, it would be a constant reminder of everything,” I said as Trin nodded.

“Maybe as time passes you will feel different,” Trin said as we walked towards the talent entrance.

“I don’t think so Trin, even though she’s not to blame for what her parents did.” I said as Trin showed her ID and we got our passes from security.

“Well, let’s just enjoy tonight and worry about everything else later,” Trin said as we headed inside to get ready for the show.

“You won’t hear no complaints from me,” I said happy we could just go enjoy the show. No more Roman, Tia, or Logan talk.

------

Monday Night Raw

Jey’s POV

Man, the crowd is on fire and rocking, but it’s only one face I’m looking for right now and I can’t find her. Finally, after Sami left the ring, I spotted Kara in the third row wearing my hoodie.

Trin was beside her in a ball cap and her reading glasses, I had to give it to them they blended in well with the crowd. I’m glad too because the last thing I wanted was someone to take pictures of them and posting it online.

I can see the headlines now “Roman Reigns ex-wife attends Raw with TNA superstar Trinity.”

Getting out of the ring I signaled for Kara to head backstage as she nodded and whispered to Trin.

Once I saw them grab their things, I slowly made my way up the ramp. Everything was finally sinking in as the crowd continued to sing my music and I wanted to take it all in.

Tonight is something I will never forget, giving them one final wave I went backstage into gorilla and was met with a round of applause.

“Welcome to Raw Uce!” Cody said giving me a hug.

“Thanks, man I’m glad to be here, Uce,” I said looking around for Kara but didn’t see her. Where are they? I know they had their passes.

“Hey, don’t freak out, they made it back. Kara just didn’t want people in ya’ll business. Go down the hall and make a right, she’s there waiting for you,” Cody said as I smiled.

“Aye, good lookin’ out Uce,” I said shaking his hand before going to find Kara.

 Rounding the corner, there she was leaning up against the wall with her hands in her pockets.

“How did I do?” I asked as she looked at me with a smile, running towards me and jumping in my arms as I held her close.

“Amazing, I’m so proud of you,” she whispered against my ear as I sighed holding her tighter.

“Thank you for ridin’ wit me and believin’ in me.”

“E le aunoa ma le faavavau” she said as felt my heart swell.

“Always and forever,” I said as she looked at me with a shy smile.

Our moment was short lived as I saw Jimmy and Trin heading towards us. “Aye, that was awesome Uce,” Jimmy said as put Kara down and Trin came over to give me a hug.

“Alright now brother-in-law. That’s what I’m talking about.”

“Thanks, sis,” I said watching Kara as Jimmy put his arm around her as she welcomed his embrace, leaning her head against him.

 Releasing Trin from my embrace I saw a look of confusion pass Kara’s face for a second before she tried to play it off.

I looked over my shoulder and there in the corner hiding behind the curtain was Tia.

She was watching Kara like a hawk, almost envious. Something was wrong. Something wasn’t clicking in Tia’s head.

“She just won’t get the hint, huh?” Jimmy asked as I shook my head signaling for him to shut up.

“Get the hint about what?” Kara asked as I lightly pushed Jimmy.

“I handled it, why you even had to bring it up,” I hissed as he shook his head.

“Look at that fool over there staring at us, does it look like she understood what you said,” Jimmy countered as I sighed.

“I handled it, Uce.”

“Uh, can somebody tell us what’s going on?” Trin asked as Kara looked at me.

“Look, Tia came on to me, I shut it down, we exchanged some words and that was it,” I said as Kara chuckled, shaking her head at Trin, who seemed nervous.

“Now, remember what we talked about earlier Kara,” Trin said as Kara looked at her with a smile.

“Oh, I remember, I’m just gon’ go holla at her for a minute…. Excuse me,” Kara said walking towards Tia who was smirking.

“Kara it ain’t worth it,” I said as she walked up to Tia. “Hey sis, long time no see, it’s been about what…Six months,” Tia said with a smile.

Kara’s POV

“Yea, it has, and I see your still up to the same bullshit,” I said wanting to smack the smirk off her face.

“What? I just offered Jey a good time, the road can be stressful, especially on the man. You know that better than anyone right?” Tia asked as I chuckled at her lame attempt to rile me up.

“You should know by now offering your services to taken men never works out in your favor though, does it? I mean you get so desperate you let men call you by their wives names while they fuck you.” I said not caring who knew at this point.

“Damn…You get down like that Tia?” Jimmy asked as Trin sighed. “Jurdy, I’ll fill you in later, be quiet," she whispered as Tia had the nerve to look embarrassed.

“He’ll come to me…They all come to-”

“Look, I’mma keep it short and sweet because I don’t have time for your games.”

“Oou lil sis is hot because she knows if I want Jey, I could take him.” Tia said as I chuckled as I felt Jey behind me.

 “Keep your distance, Tia,” I said as she rolled her eyes.

“Oh, please,” she muttered as I felt the urge to knock her ass out.

 “Tia! Come near him again, and that last ass whoopin’ I gave you will feel like a walk in the park…Try me.” I hissed as Jey gently grabbed my hand unclenching my fist.

“Kara, let’s go” Jey said as I refused to move. “I look forward to it,” Tia taunted as Jey shook his head trying to put a little distance between me and Tia.

“Man, gon’ wit dat bullshit, Tia. You done did enough now,” Jey said as I stepped into her space as she nervously bit her lip.

“I’mma stomp yo’ ass in the ground, keep coming at me like you crazy.”

“Aye, Tia, I know you a couple chocolate chips short of a cookie, but you better find you something safe to do. That ain’t the move baby girl,” Jimmy said as Tia growled.

“I hate you bitch!”

“Hate….Nah, you love me….Love me so much you wanna be me and apparently want every dick that’s ever been inside me too,” I said casually as Jey cleared his throat putting his arm around my waist trying to hold me back.

“Been inside you! Twin, you done hit the homie and ain’t said shit!” Jimmy exclaimed as Trin sighed.

 “Jurdy, read the room, keep up, and shut the hell up,” she said as Jimmy got quiet.

“You nasty bitch!” Tia shouted as I smirked at her. “Nah, that would be you and your sour-ass pussy,” I said, as Jey pulled me close steering me away from Tia.

“A’ight, let’s go ma. We need to talk,” Jey said as I looked back at Tia as a stagehand approached her.

“Tia, bossman wants to see you,” he said as Tia plastered on a smile following him.

“I’ll see you soon Jey,” she laughed as I tried to get out of Jey’s embrace.

“Fuckin’ parasite,” I hissed as Jey pulled me into his locker room, locking the door behind us.

“Are you done?” he asked as I rolled my eyes irritated as hell.

“No…..She always is up to something, I just don’t understand,” I said as Jey took off his black jacket, tossing it on the couch.

Damn, he looked fine as hell…Focus Kara, you're mad right now.

“Don’t let it bother you, the stuff she doin’, it don’t even matter.”

“What do you mean it don’t matter? “I asked as a look of determination adorned his handsome face as he slowly came towards me, almost like a lion stalking its prey.

“You ain’t slick, you know what you be doing wit ya chest and tattoos all out,” I said as he laughed. “I'm serious, you can stay over there, sir.”  His smile making it hard for me to stay angry.

“I ain’t doin’ nothing,” he whispered closing the distance between us as I tried to remain strong.

 “Yes, you are, Jey,” I whispered, feeling like my heart race as he caressed my face with his hands. Closing my eyes, I felt the tension leaving my body simply from his touch.

“I’mma need you to realize something important,” he said as I melted even further into his touch.

“What do I need to realize?” I asked, his lips dangerously close to mine. “I only want you; I’ve always only wanted you,” he whispered our lips meeting in a searing kiss.

It had been six months since the last time our lips touched and the

Feeling lightheaded I clung to him as our tongues fought for dominance, with Jey winning in the end as I whimpered in need.

He had me Feenin’ for more as we reluctantly parted to catch our breaths.

“Kara, you ain’t gotta worry about Tia, I ain’t Roman. I ain’t jeopardizing being with you for nobody,” Jey said reassuring me as I nodded.

I didn’t know how much I needed to hear that until now.

“Jey, I don’t want you to feel obligated to do all this. Visting me every week, being there-” I started as he cut me off with a gentle kiss.

“When you’re ready, I’m ready. I ain’t goin’ nowhere,” he whispered wiping my tears I didn’t even know had fallen.

“You ain’t gotta cry no more, I got you….Until my last breath, I got you.”

“I know,” I whispered leaning against his chest enjoying being wrapped up in his arms.

Damn her..Damn me for allowing Tia to rile me up. I was making strides, but everything still had me fucked up.

Damn Tia and Roman for that matter….

“Do you want to go out with us to eat?” Jey asked as I chuckled looking at him. “Nah, ya’ll can go eat, I got to finish an assignment. Someone had me chauffeuring them around this morning before daylight, even had to take them at a rental this afternoon,” I joked as he laughed.

“Aye, we said thank you. But real talk, tomorrow I wanna take you out and spend some time wit you before we leave out on Wednesday,” he said as I smiled, actually looking forward to it.

“I’mma hold you to that,” I whispered, ignoring my vibrating phone in my back pocket.

-----

Kara’s Condo

Roman’s POV

“Pick up the phone Kara,” I muttered dialing her once again as it goes to voicemail.

“It’s your girl Kara, I’m busy so leave your message at the beep and I’ll get back with you.”

“Kara, just please call me back..I..I need to see you.”

Ending the call, I dialed her right back but this time it went straight to voicemail.

“Did you just ignore my call? Are you with him?…..You are…. Your with Jey ain’t you? Is he kissin on you?......Is he holdin’ you like I used too, dickin’ you down like me. Hmm….Hmm…..Answer the damn phone Kara!” I yelled, hanging up trying to calm myself down.

I tried to wait, but she playin’…Pulling out my spare key to her condo I let myself in.

Did she know I had a key? No…. But that is beside the point.

I felt resentful as I took in how she had the house decorated so welcoming.

“My beautiful family tree,” I muttered reading the letters above the painted tree on the wall of the living room. Pictures of her parents, her brother, even pictures of her and Jey throughout the years. Hell, Jimmy and Trin made the family tree wall.

“I can’t believe this shit,” I hissed, walking into Kara’s bedroom, getting even more pissed seeing Jey’s bag beside her bed.

“In my fucking house,” I muttered looking around the room.

That live from Jey rattled me so much this morning, I charted my jet this evening and flew straight here.

He really been in here, layin’ in this bed with Kara…My Kara…. I don’t give a damn what no divorce papers say…She’s still mine.

I needed to know how deep this shit was getting between Kara and Jey and I needed to know now.

Fucking him one time to get back at me is one thing but actually being in a relationship with him is taking shit too far.

 Hearing the door open, I sat in the chair by the bed. I didn’t care who was with her, we were going to talk.

“I’m fine Jey, I just got inside,” she said as I snarled. “I’m going to shower and finish up my assignment. Just bring me back a fry and a ginger ale. I’m not that hungry, it’s late.”

“Really? Oh, he just Mr. perfect, huh. Doin’ late night ginger ale runs,” I seethed quietly hearing the happiness in Kara’s voice.

“Ok I’ll see ya’ll in a few,” she said, ending the call as I heard her moving around the hall.

“That man,” I heard her sigh as I felt the jealousy within me burning deep.

I had to stifle a groan as she opened the door and I saw she had taken off her shirt. “What tha shit!” Kara screamed, covering herself with her shirt as I stood up.

“Kara, where you been?” I asked as she looked at me in confusion. Almost like she thought she was hallucinating.

“What the hell are you doing in my house Roman?!” Kara yelled turning on the light.

“I wanted to see how your little visit with my cousin was goin’ but you ain’t answered my question. Where you been, because Raw ended about two hours ago?” I asked, walking towards Kara as she put her shirt back on.

“First of all, who da fuck do you think you are! We’re divorced, where I am and who I’m with is none of your damn concern. Now how did you get in here?!” Kara yelled pissed off as I scoffed.

“I had this made before the landlord gave you the keys. I mean did you really think, I was gon’ let you be out here and not check in on you.” I said as she reached for the keys, but I put it back in my pocket.

Kara’s POV

“This ain’t checkin’ in, this is stalking. You shouldn’t be here at all! Give me the keys Roman!” I yelled, still in shock I had found him in my bedroom, sitting in here like a fuckin’ serial killer.

“Have you slept with Jey since that night?” Roman asked as I looked at him like he was crazy.

“That is none of your business, give me the key, Roman!” I yelled as he ignored me.

“Not until you tell me, then I’ll give it to you.”

“Have you been drinking?” I asked, smelling the alcohol on his breath as he came a little closer.

“I ain’t drunk, I am in control Kara. I got this shit, I only had a brandy on the plane.”

“I can’t tell you flew from Pensacola to Boston to ask if I’m fucking your cousin,” I said as he rolled his eyes.

“Are you fuckin’ him, it’s a simple question?!” Roman yelled as I sighed rubbing my temples.

“Answer me, Kara.”

“Do you see a ring on my finger..No you don’t because I am single. You made sure I became single when you stuck your dick in my sister and got her pregnant!” I screamed as Roman came even closer.

“Are you fucking Jey? It’s either yes or no Kara.”

“It’s none of your business, just give me the keys and leave Roman.”

“Just answer the question, Kara!” Roman screamed as I looked at him like he was crazy.

“Roman, I’mma need you to calm do-”

“I have tried and tried to get back together wit you and this is the thanks I get!  You out here with him in MY HOUSE that I’M PAYIN’ for!” Roman ranted as something inside me flipped.

“It’s MY HOUSE and I don’t owe you shit! Get out!.....Now Roman!”

His arrogant stance as he refused to move pissed me off even more. He really thinks he can control me..

“I ain’t leavin’ till you answer me,” he said as I nodded in understanding.

“Ok, I see I’mma have to remind you with who you dealin’ wit,” I said leaving the room.

“Where you goin’ Kara, I aint done talkin’ to you,” Roman said walking behind me as I went into the kitchen.

“I told you to get out, but you trippin’. You trippin’ hard but let me help you out, let me get on your level,” I said reaching in the drawer pulling out my large chef’s knife as Roman growled in frustration, but backed up a little.

“Really, so you gon’ stab me Kara?” he asked as I pointed the knife in his direction.

“Roman I promise you, we gon’ be on an episode of The First 48 if you don’t leave the keys and get outta my damn house!” I screamed as he sighed, reaching in his pocket putting the keys on the counter.

“Kara, we need to talk about Je-”

“I don’t want to talk to you…I want you out!” I cried as Roman sighed, turning around to leave. A wave of relief washing over me as I heard the door close.

Trying to control my tears I tried to take a few deep breaths as I looked at the keys on the counter.

He really had keys made to my house and came in here trying to tell me what to do.

Another reason I didn’t want his money everyone was advising me to take. He thinks he owns me.

“Definitely getting the locks changed,” I whispered heading to lock the front door, stumbling back in shock seeing Roman with his hands up in the air being held at gunpoint by Tia.

“Oh, hey sis, come on in and join the party, I mean you are the guest of honor after all,” Tia said as Roman looked back at me. His remorseful gaze pierced my soul as she smiled, pointing the gun at me.

"Oh, my God."

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[bisexualchaosdemon]

His Brother's Real Laugh

(A look at Andrew and Aaron pre 'It runs in the family')

A little over three years after graduating from PSU, Andrew gets a call from Aaron. It isn't one of the scheduled times they usually have calls, but Aaron is calling to see if Andrew can visit soon. Andrew is in the car before he has even hung up, never mind that his twin lives two states away.

Unsure of how to react to Andrew appearing his doorstep mere hours after Aaron asked him to come, Aaron points out that he is meant to be at practice with his fancy Pros Exy team. Andrew flipped him off and didn't bother with a proper greeting either, "What's wrong?"

"What?" Aaron frowned, confused. "Nothing is wrong."

"Something must but up if you couldn't tell me on our normal brotherly bonding call." Andrew insisted.

"It wanted to speak to you in person, but nothing's wrong," Aaron sighed. "Just come in, I'll make coffee."

"If you try to give me decaf again, I'm going to kill myself on your wife's nice white rug." Andrew warned.

Aaron laughed as he led the way to his small kitchen. "I made sure we had regular coffee when you said you were coming and hung up,"

Andrew nods and watches Aaron make their coffee. Katelyn doesn't appear to be home, but it's not unusual for their schedules to shift out of sync with their medical school graduation now less than a year away. And Aaron didn't look upset or hurt at all; just a little nervous.

Andrew allowed his brother a moment to collect himself, just until they sat down with their drinks. "What's going on, Aaron?" He asked again.

"Kate's pregnant," Aaron answered at last.

Oh. Andrew had not been expecting that. He didn't react outwardly, unsure what reaction was appropriate here.

"Is this good news?" He asked.

"I think so?" Aaron shrugged. "I've spent the last week freaking out, in all honesty. We are meant to finally be starting our careers now so the timing isn't ideal, and after everything with Tilda... But, I think it's good, yeah. I think I can do this, if it's Kate I'm doing it with."

"If anyone can pull off becoming a doctor and a mother in the same year, it's Katelyn." Andrew acknowledged. As much as he had hated Katelyn at first, he had come to understand why Aaron loved her over the years. They weren't besties, but Andrew had been Aaron's best man when they got married.

"She is a force of nature," Aaron smiled into his coffee. The twins have never, and would never, admit that they shared a love of fiery redheads.

"And you are more capable than you give yourself credit for," Andrew said. "I know you can do this, irrespective of timing or what happened in the past."

"I–" Aaron blinked at Andrew in surprise. It was a minute before he was able to answer, "Thank you."

Katelyn came home later on while they were chatting, and Andrew extended her that same congratulations. She thanked his brightly as she came to join them, plopping down next to her husband and putting her feet in his lap. Aaron started rubbing them without even pausing their conversation.

"You don't need to thank me for the truth." Andrew gave him a small, rare smile. "Congratulations, Aaron."

Aaron insisted that Andrew at least stay the night once they were done talking. Andrew agreed after texting his own husband to assure the silly rabbit that he was actually alive, if in a different state than when they last spoke. And that he hated him, after Neil had responded with something sappy in Russian.

It was the next morning that Andrew had suggested Aaron and Katelyn move to be in the same city after graduation. He could see the surprise and hesitation on their faces and held up a hand to stop them responding. They had nine months to figure it out, but he wanted to help if he could and he missed living in the same state as his brother. He just wanted them to consider it for now.

They put a pin in the topic there. They talked about other things over the coming weeks instead. Any high or low, Andrew listened to anything Aaron wanted to talk about. He even ordered food to be delivered to Katelyn a couple of times when Aaron was worried she wasn't taking enough breaks from studying but didn't know how to help.

So when Aaron's name popped up on his phone the same afternoon he knew Katelyn's first ultrasound was due to take place, Andrew was on high alert immediately. "Is something wrong?"

"What?" Aaron was just as confused as he had been last time Andrew greeted him in that manner.

"Katelyn had her scan today and you are calling," Andrew explained. "Is something wrong?"

"No," Aaron breathed out the slightest chuckle. "No, not wrong."

"But there is a reason you called," Andrew prompted, not quite a question.

"Yeah, uh," Aaron sounded dazed. "We're having twins."

Things so rarely went well for the Minyard twins, it was a startling relief that Aaron wasn't calling with bad news. He was just calling to freak out about the shock of finding out he was having twins when he only just stopped panicking about having one kid.

"Maybe it runs in the family," Andrew remarked. He thought Aaron having twins was objectively hilarious.

"Maybe the universe is just fucking with us," Aaron suggested with a playful groan.

And Andrew laughed. A real, genuinely happy laugh. Aaron had never heard his brother laugh like that before. "Us? No, this one is all you, brother mine. I've never been so happy to be the gay twin."

And then Aaron was laughing too. "You're the asshole twin, is what you are."

[harryforvogue]

a blurb where harry is a big schedule guy and yasmine is a big "it happens when it happens" girlie. they fight (sorta).

***

Harry and Yasmine have never lived with other people after moving out of their homes, and they alternated whose place they’d be staying at back in graduate school. It was always an unspoken rule that if Harry was at Yasmine’s house, she was the boss. And vice versa. 

But now that they're living together, how are they supposed to adjust and split responsibilities? More importantly, how the hell are they expected to create a rhythm?

Harry is a very structured person. Gets out of bed at a certain time, has lunch at a fixed time. Dinner as well. He considers himself a pretty laid back guy too. He’ll skip cooking some days to order takeout – or swap his laundry days with his bedsheet changing days just to switch things up. Yasmine calls him a relentless Aquarius. He's not supposed to be offended, right?

He’s always known that Yasmine is… less serious about all that. So, really, he always knew what he was getting himself into. Especially when it’s nearly 11 on a Sunday and Yasmine’s still buried in the sheets, gripping him tight to keep him from slipping out of bed despite his groaning about how he just wants to take a shower and eat something. (Probably the worst habit of Yasmine’s is skipping breakfast nearly every morning and that’s just not something he’s going to stand by.)

After graduation, Yasmine and Harry are employed at different universities, and the first few months are filled with settling into their new jobs. Their work hours are very similar, with the exception of Wednesdays where Harry has a later recitation class to teach. Regardless, Harry went into the new job with the mindset that he’d always get all his work done on time so that he and Yasmine could focus on figuring out the layout of their place still. Not to mention, Harry’s dedication to at least 2 dates a week (and going grocery shopping is NOT a date no matter how much Yasmine insists it is). 

He has a calendar in his office above his desk that tells him what days he needs to get his deadlines done so that he and Yasmine can have some time for themselves. He crosses out all the things he gets finished and circles the days he’s free.

Yasmine is the opposite. She always gets everything done, but it’s never as planned as Harry. She has the ability to sit down and bang everything out in one day … and also the ability to procrastinate until the night before.

It’s baffling to Harry. Harry’s routine is annoying to Yasmine. Really – where’s the fun in all that planning? And what if something suddenly comes up and there’s no wiggle room to fit in a doctor’s visit or something just because you’ve meticulously scheduled all your work to be back to back on weekdays.

This comes up one day when she’s working and he’s bringing her dinner to her study.

Harry pulls up a chair on the other side of her desk with his own plate. “Yasmine.”

“Mhmm.”

“If you’d gotten this done yesterday, we could have gone to the shop you wanted to visit.”

“We can go during the weekend. I can’t just align everything with your schedule to free up some time.”

Harry smiles, but it’s clearly tense. “We get home at the same time, Yas. If we can just finish all our stuff for the next day of class before, say, 5pm, we have the rest of the day to be together. Doesn’t that sound great?”

Yasmine glances up at him over her glasses. “I don’t want to do more work as soon as I get home though. I want to relax.”

From Harry’s face, she knows he’s thinking about the hour-long nap she took on their couch as soon as she came home. 

“Right, but. Now it’s almost 8 and we won’t make it to the store on time.”

“We’ve got weekends for that.”

His mouth twists into something that’s very much not a smile. “We’ve got other stuff to do over the weekend, remember? We agreed on two dates a week–”

“No. You decided that.” 

Harry stops. He tilts his head back to look at the ceiling in an attempt to calm himself down. When he looks back at her, he reaches across, shuts her laptop in a not-so-nice way and says, “What?”

Yasmine crosses her arms over her chest and leans back in her chair. “Well, you said the two dates thing. I think going to the shop counts as a date.”

“Going shopping isn’t a date. Having a romantic time out is a date.”

“Any time I get to spend with you is a date, Harry. It's about being with you, not where we go.”

“Have you maybe considered that I want to take you to restaurants and little getaways simply because I enjoy them too? That I like to see you have fun with me?”

Yasmine sighs and takes her glasses off. She rubs her eyes tiredly. “You clearly have a certain work ethic. And there’s nothing wrong with that, but I don’t. I get my work done when it gets done and I don’t want this structured, super formal scheduling of our time together. We live together, Harry. I see you all the time. Isn’t that enough?”

He doesn’t say anything for some time, but it’s clear he’s taken aback.

“It’s not enough,” he says, anger in his voice. “It’s not nearly enough. We’re dating, Yasmine. We’re not roommates.”

Yasmine blinks. “We technically are roommates.”

He runs a hand through his hair. Yasmine knows she's pushing him more than necessary. "Don't do that."

“All I’m saying is that I don’t want to schedule times with you. Won’t that be boring? Like, oh! It’s 6pm! Gotta go watch a movie with my boyfriend. It’s 7. Gotta have dinner. It’s 8, we should probably have sex before we get too tired. I’ve never had that type of schedule and I don’t want to.”

“It’s efficient.”

“I’m not having sex with you at 8pm every night just because it’s efficient. What -- are you going to break up that time too? 15 minutes for foreplay, 10 minutes for--"

He looks really mad now, his eyes alight. “That’s not what I mean! I’m saying that if we’re on the same wavelength – if we’re getting all our work done on time, then we can spend time together. That’s all! You're being way too difficult just for the sake of disagreeing with me.”

Yasmine frowns deeply. “Why don’t you adapt to my schedule then? I get all my work done too. I’ve got Saturday and Sunday’s open too – just like you.” From Harry’s expression, she exclaims, “See? It’s not about our time together. It’s about us sticking to your routine.”

Harry pinches the bridge of his nose. “We live together now. Don’t you think we should have some sort of rhythm? Be in sync?”

“That’s boring Harry!”

“It’s–”

“Don’t you dare say efficient!”

“It is!” Harry stands, putting distance between them. “This is ridiculous, Yasmine. And you have no right to say that I’m only making you adapt to my way of living.”

“Why can’t we live my way?”

“Because you don’t have a way! You get up and you just make things up! I can’t do that. I want to have breakfast together, lunch together and dinner together. I don’t want to be eating alone while you’re working just because you didn’t want to finish everything before 6. This past week alone, we’ve yet to do anything but ask about each other’s day because when I’m working, you're not, and when you’re working, I’m done with everything. You see the problem?”

Now, Yasmine can handle Harry when he gets like this. She’s put up with him before – and she’d be lying if she said she doesn’t see his point. He wants to spend time together as a couple. And he’s figured out a great way to clear up time for himself. Now he wants her to follow his regimen.

But the thing that makes Yasmine get angry is his volume. He’s got no right to yell at her.

And, okay. He’s not really yelling. He’s just annoyed and getting his point across loudly. But, it’s too late.

“Clearly we’re not going to do anything together tonight so why don’t you just let me finish my work and then we’ll talk about this later.”

Harry grabs his dinner and starts to leave her office. “No, we won’t be talking about this because by the time you’re done, I’m going to be asleep!”

“Well maybe don’t sleep so early?” she snaps back.

“Why should I change my schedule to match yours?”

“That’s exactly what I’m telling you!”

“You don’t have a schedule!” Harry says, visibly trying to keep his head from exploding. “You do things whenever you feel like doing them. So whenever you realize you’re more than a roommate to me, find me.”

He shuts the door behind him, leaving Yasmine alone in the room.

***

Harry can hold a grudge.

Yasmine, as fiery as she can get, has harsh anger hangovers. Once her anger at Harry is gone, she goes to find him. Sure enough, it’s late and Harry’s already in bed.

So she gets ready for bed too. And when she slides in, she waits for Harry to say something. He must still be angry because he doesn’t say a word. Doesn’t even turn to give her a kiss.

Yasmine sighs to herself. He’s the one who never likes to go to sleep angry, so she inches closer to him and rests her head on his shoulder. “Harry.”

No answer.

“Harry?”

Nothing.

He’s not wrong, but she’s not either. So she sits up and pokes his biceps hard to wake up just in case he’s already out. When he offers her nothing, she huffs and rolls her over him, looking at him sideways with half her body draped over his arm. 

“Hey.” She goes back to poking, this time on his face. “Hellooooooo.”

“What are you doing?” he grumbles, turning his face away. Yasmine finishes rolling over so she’s now on his side, looking up at him. She nearly tumbles off the side of the bed, but Harry’s quick arm on her waist prevents that.

"Yasmine," he hisses.

“Let’s talk about it.”

“I don’t want to. Go back to your side."

“Oh come on. No going to sleep angry, remember?”

“I’m not angry. I’m annoyed. We can definitely go to sleep annoyed. In fact, I can't think of anything else I'd rather be doing."

“Hmm, no we can’t.” She tangles her legs with his. “Harry. Look. I understand what you’re saying. But I’m not going to apologize. I don’t think we’re that type of couple that needs to do everything together.”

“Not what I was saying but thanks for showing me you were listening."

She rolls her eyes. “I get that you want to spend time together, but don’t you think blocking out certain hours of the day is kind of ridiculous? It's so military."

"Military?"

"You get what I mean."

“Yasmine, if you had a 9 to 5 job, what time would we have to be together?”

“That’s not fair considering we don’t have 9 to 5s.”

“Say we did.”

“We’d have time after 5 and weekends.”

“Wouldn’t that be a schedule?”

“Well I don’t imagine we’d do something every day. I love you, but I do need to be away from you sometimes.”

Harry’s jaw tenses. He closes his eyes again. “Goodnight.”

“Hey wait, I didn’t mean it like that!” Yasmine laughs, throwing her arms around his neck. “I only mean that we’d get sick of each other.”

“I’d never get sick of you.”

“You’re saying that now but if we’re attached at the hip, then I’m totally sure–”

Harry’s eyes open and he grabs Yasmine’s face, tugging her close. “Never,” he says, voice deathly quiet. “I’d never get sick of you.”

She stops laughing, eyes wide. Something flutters in her chest. And…elsewhere too.

"Fine," she says, all breathily. "It would be a schedule, but only because we'd have no other option. We have flexibility as professors. We have more time, but more work load we bring home. It's not the same thing."

The hand on her waist tightens and suddenly she’s beneath him, his entire body hovering over hers. He lets go of her face, but leans down to kiss her instead. She holds him tight, her fingers tangled in his long curls that keep falling into their faces and tickling them.

“Harry,” she murmurs against his mouth. “Why are you so worried about us spending time together, hm?”

“I haven’t had a single meal with you all week, and I just remembered that you spent Sunday catching up on work, which is unfair because I forced myself to finish all my work so that I could have time for you. I don’t want to be the only one doing that.”

Yasmine sighs. “Harry, I’m not working just to avoid you.”

“I know that. And I know that us living together is enough for you. That sleeping and waking besides me is good, but it's not nearly enough for me.” Then, quietly, “I’m being petty about how you get your work done. But Yasmine, I didn't ask you to move together with me just so I could see you every day. I want a life with you." He traces her cheek gently, kissing the corner of her mouth. “And you’re right – we don’t have a 9 to 5 but is it so wrong for wanting to cut out a part of my day just for us? No talking about work. Just you and me, with a lot of this, preferably.” He kisses her again.

She's getting all mushy inside again. “It’s not wrong,” she whispers. “It’s not.” She wraps her legs around him, making him lean all her wait onto him. He holds his out against the mattress to stop himself.

“Don’t wanna hurt you.”

“No. Lay on me."

Harry does so, just for a total of five seconds until she’s gasping for air. Satisfied, she rolls out from under him and lets him lay comfortably. She straddles him then, bracing her hands on his chest. “Okay, let’s come to an agreement.”

Harry runs his hands up and down her thighs. “Let’s.”

“How about this: no talk of work after 7.”

“6.”

“Done.”

“And I will try my best to finish all my work by then also, but in the event I cannot due to circumstances overlooked in your calendar, you have to leave me to finish up so that I can come back to you as quickly as possible.”

“Done. And on weekends, nobody works. Don't bring any of it home on Friday. Not even a mere word about it.”

“Unless absolutely necessary.”

He pins her with a stern look. “I’ll be the judge of those conditions.”

“Anything else, professor?” Yasmine grins knowingly down at him, drumming her fingers against his chest.

Harry pinches her side. “And I will be a little less annoying about the whole two date thing.”

“And I’m sorry that I’ve kind of neglected you all week.”

“Thank you.”

Yasmine blinks expectantly at him.

He says, “Oh, are you waiting for an apology from me?”

“That would be nice.”

“Is that right?” 

She feels a thrill rush up her spine. “I’d appreciate it.”

“Yeah? Would you, baby? Good to know.”

“Or you can make it up to me in a different way.”

He shrugs. “Sorry. It’s almost 10. I’m strictly a no-love-making-past-eight-pm kinda guy.”

Yasmine sighs. “What a shame. And to think I went through all this effort coming to bed without a bra or underwear on in hopes I’d get to–”

Harry sits up and wraps his arms around her, roughly pulling her down into bed. “C’mere.”

[eddiexmunsonlover-archive]

One Step Away From You (Chapter 14)

BSF!Eddie Munson x PlusSize!GF!Reader

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Chapter Summary: With Spring Break comes college visits and free time to spend with your friends and boyfriend. Giving the party the carefree spring break they deserve <3 WC: 6.4k Warnings: MDNI 18+ ONLY. S4 rewrite. Filthy smut. Squirting. Fingering (fem receiving). Unprotected piv. Creampie. Explicit language. Lots of pet names used. Fluff and comfort. Hints of the uncertainty of the future, but mostly just fun times with the group and Eddie. Series taglist: @eddie-is-a-god @siriusmaraudeers @amandahobblepot @littlexdeaths Shout out to @londonfog-chan for giving me some brilliant Dustin ideas! So sorry this chapter took longer than usual to get out, but I hope y'all enjoy!

Friday, March 21st, 1986

In between your afternoon classes, you diverge from the hallways to the outside courtyards for a cigarette. Greeted by the sight of two of your younger friends sitting by the payphone. Reading their demeanor and tone of voice, it’s easy to tell they’ve gotten nowhere on the mission Eddie gave them.

“No luck?” you ask, coming to stand beside them.

“No” Dustin sighs, hanging his head.

“It’s hopeless. I mean, why can’t they just reschedule the ball game?!” Mike whines, hands thrown out in frustration. You scoff out a laugh with a shake of your head.

“Oh, come on. Far more people, including the school board, are involved in the scheduling and financing of our school sports. You think they’re going to reschedule for our little DnD club?”

Mike knows you’re right, but he can’t shake it off.

“Well then why can’t Lucas just skip? He’s been sitting on the bench this whole season anyway! I mean, he’s putting that stupid game before us!”

You take a seat on the bench next to them with a sigh, drawing another drag from your cigarette.

“Lucas… is on his own path right now. He’s doing what he thinks is right for him. Whether we agree with it or not, he’s gotta figure it out for himself.”

They take your words in silence, struggling with the helpless feeling of the reality of it all.

“Still, we’ve had no luck finding a sub. We’ve tried every clique and club. I tried asking Max.”

“I even tried asking Nancy!”

“Nancy? I respect the effort, but you didn’t actually think she’d do it?”

“No, but I had to try!”

You and the boys sit in silence, as they hang their heads, your eyes roam around your surroundings. Students mulling about between classes. 

“You know, I think you’ll find the perfect sub if you look just a tad bit farther.”

You give them a smirk when they turn to you, a soft nod of your head in the direction of Hawkins Middle School only a yard away.

Their eyes follow the direction before turning to each other.

“Holy shit, you’re a genius!” Dustin exhales, jumping from his seat and wasting no time in beginning the short run across the parking lot with Mike in tow. 

“You can thank me later” you mutter with a smile, taking the last drag of your cigarette.

“This is Hellfire club, not babysitting club.”

“I’m 11, you long-haired freak”

“My, my. The child speaks. So, what’s your name, child?” Eddie pushes, rising from his throne to approach her. 

“Erica Sinclair” she declares unwaveringly.

“So this is Sinclair’s infamous sister.” Eddie remarks in amusement.

“He’s sharp.”

You watch with your arms crossed, enjoying the back and forth. Looking at Erica in admiration and pride, always so confident in herself. When Eddie gives a look to quiet the older members  laughter, your expression doesn’t waver, biting your bottom lip to stifle your grin as you watch how it all unfolds.

“What’s your class and level? Level one dwarf?”

“My name is Lady Applejack. And I’m a chaotic-good half-elf rogue level 14 and I will sneak behind any monster you throw my way and stab them in the back with my poison-soaked kukri and I’ll smile as I watch them die a slow, agonizing death. So, we gonna do this, or are we gonna keep chit-chatting like this is your mommy’s book club?”

Eddie slowly backs away from her in surprise, though keeping a stone straight face. You have to keep yourself from breaking out into applause right before his head slowly tilts your way, surveying you with narrowed eyes.

“Let me guess. You babysat this one too, hmm?”

“She already had the fire in her, just helped teach her how to wield it. That’s all.” You offer with a nonchalant shrug, grin becoming harder to bite back.

You watch the smirk slowly spread across his lips before he turns it toward Erica, finally extending his hand to her in truce.

“Welcome to Hellfire”

As you expected, Erica turns out to be a great sub, securing Vecna’s defeat in an electric campaign. You’re all smiles, hooping and hollering as you meander down the halls, trailing behind the rest of the club with Eddie. Your cheers soon blend in with that of the other student’s departing from the basketball game as you enter the parking lot. A win for the Hawkins Tigers as well, you can only assume.

You spot the basketball team rallied around each other across the parking lot, catching onto one particular face as he looks among your club with an expression you clock right away.

“Hey, give me a minute. I’ll catch up, alright?” You quickly tell your boyfriend when Lucas’s eyes land on you.

“Alright, hurry up.” Eddie offers you a sweet smile and a peck on your lips before joining the rest of the club.

You gesture your head toward a vehicle close by, blocking the view from the rest of the team.

Lucas manages to slip away without any of them seeing you.

“I take it you guys won?” you ask excitedly, trying to pull a smile out of his down wrought expression.

“Yeah, finally got pulled from the bench. I made the winning shot.” He answers with a half smile.

“Lucas! That’s great, man. Congratulations!” Your enthusiasm and smile is genuine, pulling a bashful one from him before his eyes waver toward the club, his little sister among them.

“I take it you guys won too.” he remarks, smile faltering. You don’t need to turn around to see where he’s looking.

“Hey. I’m sorry none of us were able to be there to watch you. I wish I’d of seen it, I really do. But you know how Eddie is, it’d take an earthquake for him to cancel Hellfire. Shit, he’d probably still have it even then.”

“Yeah, I get it.” His eyes fall to look down at his shoes, sadness seeping into his voice.

“Lucas. I understand what you’re doing, why you’re doing it. I do. Even if it means associating yourself with the people that bully us.” Your gaze flickers over to the group of jocks as his head hangs. You pull his attention to look back at you with a gentle squeeze of his arm. 

“Hey. We care about you, and we’re always gonna be your friends. You’ve gotta do what you think is right for you. Just… don’t forget who you are in the process, alright?” You plead to him with your eyes, hoping he understands you.

“Yeah, alright.” Lucas nods, offering a weak smile of acknowledgement.

“Now go on, go celebrate with your team. And please, make smart decisions.”

“Alright. Thanks, Y/N.” You pull a real laugh from him, watching as he waves bye before going to rejoin his team who welcome him back with cheers and open arms.

You let yourself observe for a few seconds before you go searching for your own group. Soon finding your boyfriend waiting at the van.

“Come on, pretty girl. We’ve got a whole van load of people to drop off.” He remarks with an unamused expression.

You climb in, laughing as you see all 6 of the other members piled into the back.

“How the hell did I get roped into this again?” He questions you after climbing into the driver's seat with keys in hand, the excited chatter of the club quickly overtaking the confined metal box on wheels.

“Oh I don’t know, because you’re an oh-so generous Dungeon Master and friend?” you sweet talk him with a flutter of your eyelashes and a squeeze of his jean-clad thigh. His eyes follow your hand before looking back up to you with a raised brow.

“Let’s uh, get them home as quick as possible, yeah?” He determines with a quick glance to the back of the van, hastily inserting the keys and starting the ignition. Your giggles join the sound of the squealing tires and club members' mingling as he burns rubber leaving the parking lot.

Eddie was already planning to spend all night with you in his bedroom ahead of your plans to depart with your mom in the morning for a weekend college visit. His plans are now only solidified by your teasing nature that you take far too much pleasure in.

The club members are left at the end of their driveways with a parting cloud of dust.

Barely an hour after departing Hawkins High, Eddie has you stripped and spread open in his bed.

His bare chest is pressed against your side as his tongue swirls with yours and his hand slides between your legs, fingers teasing your clit. Switching the amount of pressure his fingers apply on your sensitive bud, from calloused pads barely ghosting over your clit to applying full pressure, just to tease you. Getting you closer and closer to the edge before pulling back, chuckling in the way your body chases the pleasure, pushing your pussy against his hands for the friction.

“Eddieeeeee, stop being mean”

“I’m not being mean, sweetheart. Just love the way you whine for me when I tease you.”

He gives in to you, no longer teasing as his finger circles your clit just the way you like it. Making you purr for him, moaning into his mouth. One of your hands is lost in his hair as the other grips his bicep. Your leg hoisted over his, keeping you spread open to his liking, full access to play with you as he pleases.

He groans as his fingers dip down to slide into your soaking wet pussy, thumb taking the place to rub circles into your clit.

“Can’t believe you’re gonna deprive me of this sweet pussy for two days… now that’s mean” He mumbles against your lips.

You can only respond in the form of pathetic whimpers, he turns you into mush and he knows it, loves it, craves it. You deepen the kiss as your walls flutter around his thick fingers slowly sliding in and out of you. His fingers slide over a particularly sensitive spot, pulling a high-pitched moan from your lips, your pussy tightening around his fingers.

“Mmm, is that your spot, baby?” His fingers rub over it again, pulling another moan from you. “That feel good?” he practically moans, watching your face twist up in pleasure from his touch.

Your head nods fervently, your grip on his arm tightening.

“Fuck, yes. Right there, baby.” you manage to get out through gasps, letting your head fall back as the pleasure courses through your body, a pressure building in your core.

Eddie quickens the speed of his fingers thrusting in and out, pushing up against the spongy spot at the top of your walls. A trail of wet, open mouth kisses are dotted all over your neck and chest as your breaths quicken with the unrelenting pace and pressure of his fingers.

“Fuck Eddie, feel like I’ve gotta pee” you whine out, feeling the build up of pressure in your core like it’s about to burst.

“S’okay, baby. Don’t hold back, just let go. I’ve got you.” he pants against your ear.

Every muscle in your body begins to tighten, your thighs shaking as you reach your breaking point. With your eyes squeezed shut, all you can hear over your moans and panting is a gushing wet sound mixing with the thrusts of Eddie’s fingers.

“Holy shit” the muffled sound of his voice breaks through the ringing in your ears as you ride out your high. “Fuck, you just squirted for me. So fucking hot.”

His mouth is back on yours in a heated kiss. When your lips part, you look down to see the evidence of your newly found ‘skill’. A wet spot on his sheets right between your legs.

“Shit, Eds. I’m sorry”

“Sorry? For what?” He asks incredulously.

“For staining your sheets” You say with a light laugh, nodding your head to the big wet spot below you. His eyes follow yours to the stain before looking back to you with a big grin,

“What do you say we make some more, huh?” A soft kiss, sucking your bottom lip between his. “Think you can do that again for me, baby?”

He doesn’t need an answer before he’s moving from your side to between your legs, hovering over you.

“I didn’t even know I could do it in the first place.” A heavy sigh parts from your lips with a laugh, finally catching your breath before your boyfriend sets on stealing it away from you again.

He kisses you for a few moments, letting his stiff cock rub against your pussy, covered in your slick and juices, amping him up even more. His hard, thick cock sliding inside you with no resistance, making his eyes roll back at the feeling. The feeling of your perfect pussy, and how wet it gets just for him.

His hands hook under the back of your knees, holding them back as far as he can. The force lifting your ass off the damp sheets beneath you. The position helps his cock get closer to lining up against your sensitive spot. He doesn’t waste time taking it slow, he knows he doesn’t need to.

Your pussy already soaking for him, he starts his thrusts hard and deep. Watching your puffy lips wrap around him, sucking him in. The squeals of pleasure falling from your lips each time his hips connect with yours.

The feeling of him inside you, the way his cock stretches you no matter how wet you are is enough to drive you crazy, turn you into a moaning mess beneath him. The position does help for his cock to just barely nudge against your g-spot with each thrust, but it’s not enough and he knows it.

In a second he’s snatching a pillow and moving your ankles to his shoulders.

“Lift your ass up for me”

You use his shoulders for leverage as he shoves the pillow under your ass before his hands are holding your legs back again. Leaning down to give you soft, sweet kisses while his cock is stuffing you so deep his tip nudges against your cervix. Before you can grasp onto him he’s leaning back again, picking up where he left off.

The added pillow was the perfect touch, making your toes curl with each thrust of his cock that rubs against your spot just right. You grip onto the only thing you can, the sheets underneath you while he aligns the direction of his thrusts with your moans, finding the perfect angle and rhythm to send you unraveling beneath him in mere minutes. 

“Gonna make you feel so good, baby” he moans, feeling you tighten around him with each bump of his cock against your spongy spot. The familiar sensation, pressure in your core begins to build again.

One hand leaves the back of your knee to gently push down on your mound, adding to the pressure building in your core, making sure his cock hits your g-spot with each thrust, his thumb reaching down to rub your swollen clit. 

“Fuuuck, Eddie! Oh my god!” You nearly scream out, the pleasure taking over your body is overwhelming, it’s intense, and feels so fucking good. 

You can feel tears falling out of the corner of your eyes and landing on the sheets below you, the squeaking and scraping of the bed frame against the floor.

“That’s it, baby. Give me what I want. Squirt all over my cock for me” He sputters through moans and pants, taking everything in him to hold back his own orgasm till he gives you your second.

He knows just what you need, just what to say, that final push to send you plummeting over the edge. You yell out as you fall into your second orgasm of the night, taking over all your senses. Your free leg tightening around his back, your walls tightening around his cock, everything in your body tightens as your orgasm rocks through you. It’s the hardest you’ve ever cum in your life. 

As soon as Eddie feels your wetness gushing around his cock, he immediately falters. Holding himself deep inside you as he groans out while his cum fills you up. A sensation you’ve quickly grown to love and crave from him.

His body relaxes onto yours, your hands embracing each other.

“Jesus Christ, Eds!” You groan out between attempts to catch your breath.

“You did so good for me, sweetheart” He mutters against your ear, making you involuntarily clench around his sensitive cock. He lets out a soft hiss, pulling himself out from inside you with a chuckle. “I wonder how many more times I can make you do that…”

“Oh my god, you’re trying to kill me” you whine out before joining in with his laughter.

“Just like making you feel good, making you cum for me.” His lips trail up your jawline. “I’ll let you rest for the night, but I won’t be satisfied until this bed is covered in your stains.”

“You’re a very depraved man” you chuckle, playfully slapping his arm before his lips meet yours again.

Staying tangled in his embrace for the remainder of the night, through your slumber and until the morning comes.

With a parting kiss… or two, lingering hands on your sides that don’t leave until you move from his grasp, you depart from Eddie in the early hours of Saturday morning. He watches from the porch like a sad puppy as you walk to your trailer and depart with your mother in her station wagon for a weekend trip to visit Ohio State University.

A subtle seed of doubt is planted in that moment.

The drive to Columbus, Ohio is far from the worst, only a fraction of the drive to Virginia. You occupy your thoughts and attention to the unfamiliar route, passing towns, cities and landmarks you’ve never seen, small talk with your mother, and singing along to the songs on the radio carrying you along on your journey.

Your visit at the college isn’t bad either, by all accounts it goes rather well. A vast campus with classic architecture in a big, new city. You’re impressed by the academics, the sense of community, and the countless opportunities offered in the state’s capital. It’s clear the university holds promise for you and your future, but as you roam the campus you can’t rid yourself of the emptiness that comes with the prospect of attending there. 

4 hours away from your home, from your friends, from Eddie. 4 hours of distance is nothing compared to the 11 that previously separated you, it’s true. Still, the idea of parting ways again so soon after finally getting to the point in your relationship with Eddie that all these years have been building to, years of yearning and heartbreak… it’s not an idea you’re ready to accept.

You feel every minute of the 4 hour drive back to Hawkins. Every minute of distance that would be between you and your life at home as you know it. It doesn’t warm you up to the idea anymore than when you were at the campus. 

Neither does the sight of your loving boyfriend and best friend, waiting on his porch with a cigarette for your arrival.

Wrapping your body in his strong, warm arms and your lips with his, softly rocking you side to side in the embrace.

“Miss me?” you tease, looking up into his chocolate eyes.

“Every second you were gone, baby.” He mutters in a husky tone, meeting your lips again for a long, sweet kiss. Whisking you away into Wayne’s trailer, intent on not letting you step foot outside it again for the remainder of the day.

Having the whole week off for Spring Break opens up an abundance of free time, and you don’t know any better way to spend it than with your boyfriend and group of friends. On your days off from work, you’re free to get lost in any adventure imaginable, no matter if it was spending your Monday at Dustin’s with your friends playing his Atari all day, going to the movies and shopping with Steve and Robin on Wednesday, or a day at the lake on Friday. It’s a small taste of what’s to come for summer, freed from the confines of school. The last truly ‘free’ summer you’ll have before adulthood and all that comes with it.

Friday, March 28th, 1986

What was meant to be a fun, relaxing afternoon with your friends at Lover’s Lake is off to a rocky start. Rather than take the road you and Eddie had taken before that leads right to the waterfront, Steve listened to Dustin’s insistence on parking at the entrance that many hunters in the area used, a mile of trails between your cars and the lake.

No big deal, nothing wrong with a little hike. That is until the two leading the group, Dustin and Steve, begin bickering over the location of Skull Rock.

“Dude, I’m telling you you’re taking us the wrong way.”

“It’s north, I’m positive!” Dustin asserts, flashing Steve his compass.

“You do realize Skull Rock is like a super popular makeout spot.”

“Yeah, so?”

“Yeah, well it wasn’t popular until I made it popular. I practically invented it, you’re going in the wrong direction.”

“Yeah Dusty, don’t you know Steve is the ladies man of Hawkins? You think he wouldn’t know where Skull Rock is?” You tease, Eddie and you trailing behind them.

“Yeah, and he’s right. You’re definitely going in the wrong direction.” Eddie asserts, earning a 

“Thank you!” from Steve.

You spare a side-ways glance to Eddie with a cocked brow.

“And what would you know about the most popular make-out spot in town?” You question.

“I’ve been there for the occasional deal, that’s all” He declares with his arms raised. “I promise, lovebug.” He finishes, wrapping an arm around your shoulder.

“Ugh, no. Not that one.” You laugh despite your face scrunching up.

“You know, no matter how much you say you don’t like one, it still puts a blush on those cute, chubby cheeks.” He asserts while leaning closer to your ear, his hand reaching up to pinch your round cheeks. You quickly swat it away.

“I’m going to fuck you up, Munson.” you threaten, all talk and no bite. Smile still plastered on your face.

“Oh that’s alright, darling. I’ll find one you like eventually.” 

You roll your eyes, playfully nudging his side as you divert from the path Dustin was leading to follow Steve.

It’s a little game Eddie’s been playing the last few days, trying out different pet names on you to find one that sticks, one that feels right. It’s his own new loving way of teasing you, reveling in the reactions he gets out of you and how flustered the names make you.

“Oh Boom! Bada Bing Bada Boom! There she is, Henderson! Skull Rock in your face, man. Your stupid, cocky, little face.” Steve exclaims, opening the clearing of tree branches to reveal none other than Skull Rock.

“Alright, easy tiger.” You chuckle, patting Steve on the shoulder as you pass him to survey the famous sight.

“You knowwww” Eddie begins, creeping up next to you. “We can make this our new spot, honey bunny.”

You can’t help but laugh, shaking your head before meeting his eyes.

“Honey bunny, huh?”

“Oh, yeah. It’s perfect for you. Honey, cause you’re so sweet” His hip bumps yours. “And bunny…well, cause of the way you ride m-” Your hand flies up to cover his mouth, but you can still see the shit-eating grin underneath.

“Not in front of the children, Edward.” You teasingly scold him, wide-eyed. Removing your hand when a quick look around shows the others in their own conversations, Steve and Dustin still arguing.

“Oh yeah, that’s the one.” He smirks, holding your hips before placing his lips on yours.

“Ahem. I know I said this is a makeout spot but uh- you don’t have to take it literally.” Steve chimes in from behind Eddie, who instantly flips him the bird.

“Don’t gotta be jealous, Stevie.” Eddie teases when your lips part, turning to face Steve with a cheeky smile.

“I’m not jealous” Steve scoffs, arms crossed against his chest.

“Alright, alright. We’ve seen Skull Rock, now can we actually get to where we came here for?” You ask, stepping around Eddie to face Steve.

With that, your group is back off into the woods. Dustin and Steve lead the pack again, still arguing about Skull Rock as you head in the direction of the lake.

Upon reaching the water, you have the whole afternoon to spare. You and Robin sit on the pier, dipping your toes in and gossiping about your lives. You listen to her ramble about her crush that she can’t do anything about, being a supportive, understanding friend. Watching Steve, Eddie, Dustin, Lucas throw around a football on the shore line. You, Robin, and Max walk along the water searching for cool looking rocks to take back home with you.

“Man, we should’ve brought our bathing suits” Steve remarks, hands on his hips as he looks out at the soft waves on the lake.

“Shit, we could still strip down to our underwear and hop in” Eddie looks at you when you scoff. “Oh come on, honey bunny. Why don’t you hop in?” He flashes a bright smile at you as you give him an amused look, arms crossed.

“Yeah right, that water is freezing. I’d like to see you do it first.”

“I’m sure you would” he replies smugly with a wink, earning a light-hearted eye roll.

“Should’ve brought some fishing rods too.” Lucas adds.

“Shit, I don’t think I’ve ever been fishing before.” 

“Well hell, kid. You don’t need fishing rods to catch a fish.”

You all watch in curiosity as Eddie grabs a sturdy, fallen stick and whips out his pocket knife, sharpening one end of the stick until it’s sharp and pointy.

“A spear… you’re going to catch fish with a spear?” Dustin questions with zero faith in his dungeon master.

“Worked for the cavemen” Eddie shrugs, taking off his shoes and socks, rolling up his jeans before he begins wading off into the water.

It’s dead quiet as you all watch him, intently staring down at the water with spear in hand, ready to strike in a split second. When he does, none of you expect the fish that he pulls out of the water at the end of it. He looks back to you all with a self-satisfied smirk.

“Looks like we’re having fish for dinner, sweet cheeks.”

“Oh, there’s no way in hell.” Steve quips in disbelief, rising to his feet.

“You’ve gotta teach me how to do that!” Dustin mutters in bewilderment. 

Soon, Eddie’s fashioned spears for all of you. Knee deep in the lake searching for fish to catch. Light laughter and mutterings of profanities floating across the water.

While half of you aren’t lucky enough to imitate Eddie’s catch, Steve and Max end up catching fish of their own.

You spend the last hour of sunlight making a small fire to cook the three fish you caught, half of you watching in disgust, the other half watching in interest as Eddie cleans them.

“I didn’t take you for a fisherman, Eddie” Robin comments in surprise, watching his effortless movements.

“Well, my Dad and Wayne have done their fair share of fishing trips, some of which I was dragged along to.”

You sit in a circle around the dying fire, eating your fish and watching as the sunset paints a cascade of colors in the sky, reflecting along the water.

When darkness falls around you, the group makes the trek back through the wooded trails with flashlights in hand, laughing as Eddie tries to spook the younger kids, making up ghost stories about the surrounding woods.

A quiet sigh of relief falls among the group as Eddie’s van and Steve’s BMW finally come into view.

“So, you guys excited for your trip to Indy tomorrow?” Steve asks, fishing the keys out of his pockets.

“Wait, you guys are going up to Indy?” Dustin nearly stops in his tracks.

“Yeah, bright and early. I’ve got a college visit up at Indiana University.”

“Mhmm, we’re gonna do some exploring, go to some record shops, make a whole day of it.” Eddie shares as he stands behind you, wrapping his arms around your waist and pulling you against him, chin resting on your shoulder.

“Shit, can I come too? Heard there’s this really cool, big comic book store up there!”

“I don’t know, Dusty. I don’t think your mom would be crazy about the idea.” You say regretfully, face twisting in uncertainty.

“Are you kidding, my mom loves you!”

“Yeah, she hasn’t seen Eddie’s driving though.”

“Excuse me, we always get where we’re going in one piece.”

You laugh, playfully nudging him with your elbow when his fingers tickle your sides before you bring your attention back to Dustin.

“Ugh. I don’t know, maybe next time okay?”

His head hangs with a small nod.

“Okay…”

“Oh god. Don’t guilt trip me, Henderson!” You plead, feeling the regret already seeping in.

“No no, it’s okay.” He sighs. “Guess I’ll just spend my day at Family Video harassing Steve.”

“Ha yeah, we’ll see how well that works out for you.” Steve scoffs.

You part from your friends with a hug and wishes for a safe trip for the two of you before climbing into the van with Max in tow to head home to the trailer park.

Another night falling asleep in Eddie’s arms, filled with excitement for a full day of adventure planned for just the two of you.

Saturday, March 29th, 1986

The ringing of Eddie’s alarm clock comes far too soon, waking you both from your peaceful slumber with groans and yawns. 

“Just 5 more minutes..” Eddie mumbles as he buries his face in your neck. You giggle, running your fingers through his hair.

“5 more minutes turns into us being late, love.” 

As you part from his grasp to look for your change of clothes, he releases a pitiful ‘Hmph’ before joining you to scuffle around his room, looking for any decent clean clothes he has.

Shortly after as the sun rises in the morning sky, you load into Eddie’s van to begin the hour and a half drive up to Indianapolis. Rubbing the sleep from your eyes, blasting the radio, and singing along to Keep on Loving You by REO Speedwagon as you pull onto the main highway. 

Once you’ve gone a fair distance, your head rolls against the headrest to look at Eddie.

“I’m gonna need some caffeine soon, babe.”

As soon as his head turns to meet yours he releases a big yawn, shaking his head with a laugh.

“Shit, me too.” His eyes search for exit signs on the side of the highway. “There’s a McDonald’s at the next exit, we can get some breakfast?”

As his head turns to look at you, he catches movement in the back of the van in his peripheral.

“Oooh some hash browns sound good!” Dustin’s head pops up between you from his previous position laying in the back of the van.

Both of you nearly jump out of your seat, screaming at the unexpected third voice joining you in the van. 

“Jesus H. Christ!” Eddie yells, white knuckling the steering wheel as he jerks the van back into the lane, beginning to veer off toward the ditch on the side of the road from the distraction.

“What the fuck, Henderson?!” you exclaim, looking back at him in disbelief as he only meets you with a wide, toothy grin.

“What? I decided to take matters into my own hands! Have you ever known me to take ‘no’ for an answer, hmm?”

“Yeah and you almost just got us killed!” Eddie argues, taking deep inhales through his nostrils to calm himself.

“Well, maybe you should’ve been paying better attention to the road rather than ogling your girlfriend.” Dustin retorts with his signature cocky tone.

You see Eddie bite his lower lip, taking everything in him to not flip out. Your hand reaches to squeeze his thigh, letting him focus on the road before turning back to Dustin.

“How did you even get in here?”

“Well, someone leaves his van unlocked at night. I biked over at the crack of dawn, hid my bike behind the trailer and climbed in through the back.”

Eddie’s eyes meet yours, shaking your heads in disbelief. You can’t help but laugh.

“And Steve says he’s always the babysitter…” You mutter with a sigh, looking out the window as Eddie takes an exit ramp.

“Hey, I’m not a child!”

“No, but you are a minor that I am now responsible for watching over in a big city!”

“Okay, look. I promise, I will be on my best behavior. I’ll be right by your side the whole time!”

“Oh, I feel so much better now!” Eddie announces sarcastically. You smirk at him before rubbing a hand over your face exasperatedly.

“So… about those hash browns”

Your moods eventually lighten with the greasy fast food breakfast, caffeine, and the dwindling miles separating you from your destination.

Eddie’s fingers stay firmly entwined with yours throughout the campus tour, walking the pathways and exploring the buildings. A mere mile from the heart of the city, its tallest buildings are visible from nearly any spot at the college.

You’re not sure if it’s merely the effect of having Eddie and Dustin with you as you explore one of your prospective colleges or your faint familiarity with the city you’ve visited on occasion, but you find yourself at total ease. Effortlessly imagining yourself attending there, walking down the street to explore shops after classes, making the manageable drive back to Hawkins on weekends to visit your loved ones. 

You don’t want to be rash and get your hopes up considering you haven’t gotten any acceptances yet, but it feels good here.

As promised, after your tour is done and the campus efficiently explored, the 3 of you make a day out of exploring the rest of Indianapolis. 

Stopping at a cute little coffee and bakery shop, eying the multitude of fashion stores that line the streets. Finally finding the comic book store Dustin had mentioned, far bigger than you ever imagined and spending over an hour inside browsing the comics and action figures. You’d even found new figurines and dice for DnD that Eddie quickly scooped up, excited for another little project of painting the new figurines for the next Hellfire campaigns.

Then, to the part you and Eddie were looking forward to the most, visiting the biggest music store in Indianapolis that just so happened to have a Guitar Center right next door. Perusing the aisles of vinyl records and cassette tapes, snatching up Ozzy Osbourne’s new The Ultimate Sin album as soon as you see it, after weeks of waiting for it to arrive at Hawkins’ stores. You and Eddie even found merch for Metallica’s new Master of Puppets album, both eagerly grabbing a new t-shirt. Dustin finding yet another Weird Al shirt to add to his collection.

Next, you marvel at the shiny, brand new guitars lining the walls of Guitar Center. Setting your sights and hearts on the next ones to be added to your collection. You and Dustin watch as Eddie tests one out, smiling widely and headbanging along as he plays Master of Puppets, a song you’ve witnessed him spend the last few weeks trying to perfect. 

Though you end up leaving the guitar store empty handed, both you and Eddie leave with the image of your next guitar seared into your minds, the next thing you save up your money for.

With sore feet, all your objectives crossed off and the sun setting, the three of you climb back into Eddie’s van to head home. As soon as the van merges back on the highway, you slide your new Ozzy tape into Eddie’s radio, providing the soundtrack to your drive home. You all nod along and headbang to each passing song.

The last song, A Shot in the Dark begins to play and immediately pulls you in.

But a shot in the dark

One step away from you

Just a shot in the dark

Always creeping up on you, alright

The words of the chorus linger in your mind as Ozzy’s voice carries into the next verse. You know it doesn’t reflect the real meaning of the lyrics by the musicians, but as you mull them over you can’t help but think about your relationship with Eddie. What it took to get to where you are now, the time and feelings, the risk.

The risk it took for Eddie to pick you up and take you to the lake that night, hoping he’d get you to open up to him. The risk it took for you to finally lay it all out, your feelings and love for him. Neither of you knowing where it would go, if the risk would be worth it. It was a shot in the dark.

One step away from you. That’s how it truly felt before that night. 

You and Eddie had always been so close, but your hidden feelings were lodged right in the middle. A dark, looming bubble of words and feelings left unsaid wedged between you, keeping you apart. 

One step away.

A bubble that needed to be burst, popped to get to where you are now.

Your eyes trail from the road to your boyfriend next to you, nodding along the music.

The happiest, and closest you’ve ever been.

That whole time, one step was all it was keeping you from what you both always wanted. 

One step, a shot in the dark you’re so glad you both took that night.

When the chorus comes back around, you sing along as your hand reaches out for his. He turns to you with that loving smile, fingers wrapping around yours and resting on the middle console between you.

[another-lost-mc]

Bedside Manner

Beel gets sick and both of you are in denial.

Beelzebub x gn!Reader

SFW // Content: (Domestic) Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Friends to More-Than-Friends. Family dynamics, other demon brothers/characters mentioned, brief descriptions of minor illness. 4.9k words.

It’s not unusual for you to visit Beel when he has Fangol practice after school. You’ve taken an interest in his hobbies and he keeps you up to date with his practice and game schedule. Sometimes you leave the RAD campus later than his brothers; it makes sense for you to wait for him so you can both walk home together.

Today, you stayed behind to review instructions for an upcoming assignment. You can hear distant sounds from the Fangol field while you scribble a few notes into your workbook. When you’re finished, you wave goodbye to the professor and head outside to find Beel.

When you arrive, your attention is immediately drawn to a small group of players gathered around one of the bleachers. Someone notices your approach and waves you over; the frown on his face worries you.

You have a bad feeling already but when you get closer, you realize something is going on with Beel. His voice has a slight wheeze like he’s having trouble catching his breath and he looks awful. His face is pale except for the flush tinting his cheeks, and his skin is tinged a sickly shade of green. You don’t think all the sweat dotting his hairline is from practice, either.

His teammate pulls you aside. “He nearly collapsed during the last set of drills—“

“I did not!” Beel insists weakly from his seat, but the tremor in his voice is hardly convincing.

“—and we’re sending him home for the day. We don’t want to worry about him losing consciousness before he gets there.”

You glance at Beel and try not to panic. “What’s wrong with him?” He eats so much food but you can’t imagine it’s food poisoning from lunch that afternoon. Only Solomon’s cooking is horrible enough to upset Beel’s stomach, and he’s in the human world right now.

His teammate shrugs. “Probably just the flu. He should be fine in a few days but he needs to rest.”

You’ve heard of the Devildom flu, but Beel has never been this sick before and you’re more than a little anxious.

Beel sits with his head in his hands while most of his friends disperse and go back to their drills. The thought of walking home with him alone makes you nervous - there’s no way you can help him if he does pass out.

You touch his shoulder gently to get his attention, and you can feel the chills raking through his body. “Are you okay, Beel? Ready to go home?”

He looks up when he hears your voice, but his attempt to smile at you looks more like a grimace. “Yeah, let’s go,” he mumbles as he stands up on shaky legs. He takes an ambitious step forward but he stumbles, and he sits back down when his lingering teammates prevent him from falling over. 

Right - walking home alone is a no-go, then.

You look through your bag and pull out your D.D.D. “Don’t worry, I’ll figure something out.”

The House of Lamentation (8) You: Is anyone still at RAD, or close by? Mammon: Nah, I’m on my way to a photo shoot. Leviathan: I’m checking out the new gacha machine downtown but I’m not far. Satan: I’m in the school library. You: I’m at Beel’s Fangol practice and he’s sick. He needs help getting home. Leviathan: On second thought, I’m actually very busy right now. Satan: Seriously? Leviathan: I don't want to die if Beel falls over and crushes me! Satan: And you think it would be better for Beel to crush MC instead? Lucifer: It seems like I should put parental controls back on the Akuzon account. Leviathan: Wait, I’m on my way!

Despite Levi’s initial protests, he arrives on the Fangol field not long after Satan does. They manage to keep Beel upright for the walk home while you continue texting Lucifer about his condition. Belphie is waiting anxiously at the front door by the time you arrive, and he helps his brothers take Beel to their shared bedroom.

You deposit your school bag in your room and head to the kitchen. Lucifer is cooking tonight and he happily accepts your offer to help (and your company); you’re worried about Beel and need a distraction. He tries to soothe your anxieties - it’s not much worse than a human cold, he’ll be better in a couple of days - but Lucifer’s words are a poor comfort to you.

You can’t help but think of Beel, one of the strongest demons you’ve met in the Devildom, literally brought to his knees before you by something like a cold. It’s more upsetting than you want to admit and you have no idea how you can help him.

Dinner that night is a quiet affair and it’s odd. Mammon isn’t home yet from his modeling gig and Beel is resting in his room; their absences are noticeable. The others don’t seem to mind, but you miss Beel’s vocal enthusiasm while he eats - he’s always complimenting the food and he’s so appreciative of whoever cooked that night. 

Lucifer sets aside a plate of food for Beel and you offer to take it to him. When you knock on his door, Belphie’s quiet voice beckons you inside. He looks at the plate in your hands skeptically, but shrugs and goes back to reading the book in his lap.

Beel groans and rolls over when he hears you enter the room. His eyes brighten when he sees you, but he shakes his head at the food you’ve brought him. You hoped he would be willing to eat something, even if it’s just a small amount. Belphie offers to dispose of the plate for you and leaves the room.

When you’re alone with Beel, you sit on the edge of his bed and hold his clammy hand in yours. He squeezes your hand back, weaker than you expect, and you realize you’re uncomfortably close to crying for some reason.

“Is there anything I can get you?” you ask him worriedly. 

He shivers under his pile of blankets. “Maybe some soup tomorrow,” he croaks. “I don’t want anything right now.” He doesn’t say anything else as his eyes slip shut and his head tilts to the side.

Belphie returns and goes back to reading his book, but you don’t notice when he glances at you occasionally from the corner of his eye.

You remain at Beel’s side until his grip on your hand grows limp.

You: Are you still in the human world? Solomon: For the moment. The meeting took longer than I anticipated and I have a few more errands to run before I return to Purgatory Hall. Why? You: Can you pick up a few items for me? I’ll pay you back. Solomon: No need to pay me back if you agree to have dinner with me instead. I have a new recipe I’d love to make for you. You: Oh. You: How about lunch at Hell’s Kitchen next week? I might be too busy in the evenings if Beel is still sick. Solomon: You drive a hard bargain, my dear. Send me your list and I’ll see you soon.

The next morning you head straight to the kitchen so you can start preparing homemade soup for Beel. It’s a recipe that you used to make for yourself back home. You hope it’s more enticing to him than the heavier Devildom fare his brothers might try to feed him; you want to avoid a repeat of last night’s dinner attempt.

Solomon did as you asked and bought all the human world items on your grocery list, including enough ingredients to make two large batches of chicken soup. You offered to give him a small container of soup when it’s ready, as a token of appreciation, and he readily accepted.

It’s supposed to be Mammon’s turn to cook today, but he won’t have to worry about dinner because there’s going to be enough soup for everyone. He got home late from his photo shoot last night, but you think he can still handle making a simple breakfast on his own.

You’re chopping onions, carrots and celery for a mirepoix base when Mammon finally drags himself into the kitchen. His hair is sticking up all over, and dark smudges from the eye makeup he didn’t remove before bed make him look like a very fetching raccoon. 

“Good morning, Mammon,” you say cheerfully.

He mumbles something that you think is supposed to be a greeting, and he starts making breakfast - sort of. He tosses a random assortment of whole fruits onto a plate and puts it on the table. He grabs a loaf of bread, looks back and forth between the bread and the toaster, then he unplugs the toaster and puts that on the table too.

“What are you doing?” you ask him curiously while trying not to laugh.

“They can make themselves toast,” he yawns. “I’m going back to bed.” He shuffles away and you can hear the faint sound of his door slamming not long after.

You decide to take pity on him and help him out since you’re already in the mood to cook. It’s not too much extra work to cut up the fruit he picked out and make a fruit salad with it. You make a pan of scrambled eggs with a sprinkling of Hellfire cheese. Finally, you put the toaster back in the kitchen where it belongs.

You’re buttering toast when the other demon brothers start to trickle in (Mammon excluded, of course). Satan makes a beeline for the coffee maker while Asmo offers to set the table. Lucifer doesn’t look impressed when you explain why you’re making breakfast instead of Mammon.

When they’re all seated at the table, you give everyone a head’s up that you're making a human world soup recipe for dinner that evening. Belphie looks like he wants to say something, but when you raise your eyebrow questioningly he just smirks and takes another bite of his toast.

You also mention that the other items Solomon picked up for you - a case of ginger ale in the fridge and a box of saltines in the cupboard - are off-limits. There’s a low grumble of complaints about that. But when you remind them that you helped Mammon make breakfast for them, they know better than to squander their good fortune.

(Lucifer makes a note to speak to Mammon about his abuse of kitchen appliances later.)

The Angels (3) Simeon: Good morning. Luke: We heard you’re making soup from one of your human world recipes! Simeon: Solomon told us about it this morning and he’s very eager to try it. Luke: Simeon wants to have some too. He and Solomon argued because Solomon doesn’t want to share. You: I can bring enough for all three of you. Simeon: That would be wonderful, thank you. You: You know, all this cooking has put me in the mood for some freshly-baked cookies. Luke: You got it!

While the soup is simmering on the stove, you visit Beel to see how he’s doing. Belphie’s been doing his best to keep him hydrated, but he’s still reluctant to eat very much of anything. He’s sleeping when you check on him; Belphie invites you inside but you don’t want to wake him by accident. 

“I think he was asking for you earlier,” Belphie mentions off-handedly when you’re about to leave. “I told him you were going to bring him lunch and he went back to sleep.”

You go back to your room and relax. You wonder why Beel asked for you, and you ignore how nice it feels that he did.

The Royals (3) Diavolo: It’s been a while since I’ve had the chance to visit with you. Diavolo: Do you have any plans this afternoon? You: Beel isn’t feeling well so I’m helping his brothers care for him. Diavolo: That’s all the more reason for you to enjoy a well-deserved break. You: Let me guess - someone told you about the soup. Who was it? Diavolo: No one. Barbatos: Luke told us about it earlier, my Lord. Diavolo: One of the angels might have mentioned it in passing. You: I can come for a short visit after I stop by Purgatory Hall. I have extra soup I can bring for both of you. Barbatos: I’ll have tea and sandwiches prepared for your arrival. Diavolo: I look forward to seeing you.

The soup is finished and you’ve portioned everything into containers just before lunchtime. You label three of them for the freezer and set them aside. You have one large container ready for your friends in Purgatory Hall, another container for Diavolo and Barbatos, and the rest are for Beel and his brothers.

Belphie sends you a message letting you know that Beel’s awake and is willing to try eating something. You prepare a tray with a small bowl of soup, ginger ale from the fridge, and a handful of saltine crackers. You pass Belphie on the way to their bedroom - he yawns and tells you he’s going to the attic to sleep.

When you enter their bedroom, Beel is propped up with a bunch of pillows against his headboard. He looks a bit better than he did last night, but not by much. You set the tray on the nightstand and pull over a chair so you can sit next to him.

“How are you feeling today?” you ask quietly. 

He turns away from you and coughs. “Not bad,” his poor voice croaks. You can’t help but smile when his mouth twists into a pout at the way his voice sounds. 

“I made you some soup,” you tell him when you set the tray on your lap for him to see. 

“You made this for me?” His eyes widen a bit and he stares at you.

Your face feels warm all of a sudden and you look down and stir the soup to distract yourself from the sensation. “Of course. You asked for soup last night and this is what I like to eat back home when I’m sick.”

He looks stunned by your admission, like he has trouble believing you would do that for him, but he accepts the tray you slide onto his lap.

You explain the items on his lunch tray: the soup (“It’s sort of like a roasted roc soup”); the ginger ale (“It’s a little sweet and bubbly”); and the saltines (“They’re bland but easy to eat when you don’t have an appetite”). He’s so genuinely interested in what you’ve prepared that it makes the effort feel worthwhile.

You can tell there’s a problem right away when he picks up the spoon and tries to eat. His hand is shaking slightly - from hunger or exhaustion or both - and a little bit of the soup spills back onto the tray. He drops the spoon with a frustrated grunt and exhales; you hate the way you can hear his lungs rattle when he tries to breathe too deeply. You help steady his tray when he coughs.

He’s visibly frustrated and he looks away from you like he’s ashamed. “I can’t even hold a spoon properly, and you made this for me.” He grumbles under his breath about wasting your time and wasting the food you made him.

You motion for him to move over a bit, and he shimmies his hips so you can sit on the edge of the bed. You lift the spoon with a bit of soup, blow on it gently to cool it, and hold it in front of his mouth. You hope he doesn’t think you’re treating him like a child. You decide these are special circumstances because you know he’s normally a very proud and capable demon.

He doesn’t hesitate though, because he opens his mouth and swallows the soup down. You freeze in place, worrying whether or not his stomach can tolerate it, if he even likes it–

But he smiles a true, genuine Beel smile for the first time in what feels like ages, and you can’t help the delighted chuckle that escapes you. When he nods, you lift another spoonful to his lips. You help him slowly eat his meal. When you leave his room nearly thirty minutes later, Beel is sleeping contentedly and the dishes on his lunch tray are empty. 

Once Beel is fed and resting again, you deliver soup to your friends at Purgatory Hall and the Demon Lord’s castle. Luke hands you a giant tin of cookies before you leave, and Barbatos packs up the leftover sandwiches for you to take back to the House of Lamentation. You put your goodies in the fridge with the small hope that Beel might be better enough to have some with you in a day or two.

When it’s time for dinner later that evening, you return to Beel’s room with another tray of bland food and warm soup. You decide to take a larger portion of soup this time and hope his appetite has improved since lunch.

You enter his room and notice that Beel is awake - and still looks quite unwell - but he seems happy to see you. Belphie is nowhere to be seen.

You sit on Beel’s bed again and feed him spoonfuls of soup at a slow, steady pace. His throat doesn’t sound as raspy, and he tries to make small talk between careful sips of his dinner. It takes a little longer, but he finishes the bigger portion of soup without a problem.

You stack the empty dishes on the tray and stand up, but his hand suddenly reaches out to you - he can’t reach your arm, so he grasps the hem of your shirt instead.

“Wait,” he murmurs suddenly. “Can you stay for a while?” The look in his eyes is pleading, and you assume he’s lonely from being stuck in his room. Since he’s gotten sick, he’s only had you and Belphie for company. Most of his brothers have stayed away to avoid getting sick too, and Beel hasn’t been using his D.D.D. much since he’s spent most of the day sleeping.

Whatever his reason is, you’re happy to stay and visit longer if he’s feeling sociable. The joy that flickers across his face when you sit back down makes you feel shy all of a sudden.

You don’t talk very much though - he’s still coughing and he seems exhausted again. He smiles and thanks you quietly when you offer to get him some more water, or when you lean over and fluff the pillows propping him up. You sit in comfortable silence.

When he’s ready to sleep for the night, he rolls onto his side and stretches out his arm so his hand is palm-up next to yours. You lace your fingers together, and he squeezes your hand so carefully - whether it’s because he’s still weak, or if he’s trying to be especially gentle with you, it’s hard to say.

His eyes close and he starts to snore lightly, and he doesn’t hear your whispered promise to return tomorrow before you finally leave his side.

While Belphie and his brothers are eating breakfast together the next morning, you put your breakfast on a tray alongside Beel's and head to his room. When you get there, he’s already awake and sitting up in bed. You can tell immediately that he’s feeling better - his skin doesn’t look as green as it did, and his eyes seem clearer and more alert.

He sent you a message earlier that morning asking if he could try some different foods today. You made yourself some oatmeal with cinnamon and chunks of poison apple; you sliced the rest of the apple for Beel.

You take your usual seat on the bed beside him and balance the tray on his lap. You eat a few spoonfuls of your own breakfast first while he reaches for an apple slice and takes a hesitant bite; when he manages to keep it down, he eats the rest quickly.

When he's ready to eat his soup, you pick up the spoon out of habit and he waits expectantly, opening his mouth when you bring each spoonful of hearty soup to his lips.

“The soup is almost gone,” you mention casually while he sips his ginger ale and nibbles on some saltines. “Two big pots doesn’t last long when it comes to feeding a bunch of demons.”

He has a bashful smile on his face. “I still can’t believe you went to that trouble for me,” he admits. He nods towards the soup in your hands when he’s ready for more.

“I was scared when I saw how sick you were. I don’t mind doing things like this for you, if it helps you feel better.” The confession feels intimate and you smile bashfully. 

He catches your gaze when the bowl is empty and he’s finished eating. The look in his eyes is startlingly intense, but when you think he’s about to say something, he shakes his head. 

“I’m still hungry. Is there more soup left?”

It’s the first time he’s asked for seconds of anything since he got sick and you can’t help the silly grin that spreads across your face.

“Of course there is!” You tidy up a bit and put all the other empty dishes on the tray. 

“I’ll be right back,” you promise when you head to the door. “Don’t go anywhere!” You wink at him playfully and rush off to the kitchen.

By the time you return with more food, Belphie is back from breakfast and stretched out on his bed. He and Beel are talking about him going to school next week.

“There's no need to rush,” you warn Beel gently when you sit back down on his bed. “Take a day or two off if you need it. I can always bring you your homework so you don’t fall behind.”

Same as before, you help Beel eat his second helping of soup. Belphie makes a surprised noise across the room but you don’t bother glancing over - you’re too focused on making sure you don’t spill anything on Beel or his bed.

What does concern you is the new flush spreading across Beel’s cheeks. Did he push himself too far this morning?

The bowl is nearly empty when you set it on the nightstand. You raise the back of your hand to Beel’s forehead, as pointless as that is - demons have different body temperatures than humans do. You have no idea whether or not his temperature is in a normal range, but you’re still concerned for him.

“I should let you sleep, I don’t want you to overdo it.” Beel looks like he wants to argue but you reach for his hand. “Take it easy. I promise I’ll be back with your lunch later, and you can text me if you need anything.”

You gather the bowl and turn towards Belphie who looks utterly amused for some reason. You wish he’d take Beel’s condition just a little more seriously. 

“He’s flushed again, can you make sure he’s not getting another fever?” you ask him. 

“Oh, I think he’s just fine,” Belphie muses with a smirk. You have no idea what that means, but you wave goodbye to them both and head to the kitchen to tidy up.

Once you’re gone, Belphie glances at his twin who is determined to avoid eye contact with him all of a sudden.

“So, how’s that ‘fever’ of yours, Beel?” Belphie asks innocently. 

Beel throws a pillow at his brother’s face with surprising strength.

Despite your initial worries, that morning seems to be the turning point in Beel’s recovery. When you bring him lunch a few hours later, he’s sitting up in bed reading a sports magazine. You plate up the remaining soup and saltines, plus a generous portion of fruit salad. You set his tray on the nightstand so you can go back to the kitchen for your own lunch.

He’s already spooning soup into his mouth hungrily when you rejoin him. His hand isn’t shaking like it was before, and you’re so happy to see him acting more like himself. He’s not coughing as much now, and it’s enjoyable to eat a proper meal together again.

Beel makes quick work of his lunch. His face falls with obvious disappointment when you remind him that the soup you made is all finished. You hand him half of your sandwich in consolation - leftovers that Barbatos gave you yesterday - and he wolfs it down. 

By dinner time, Beel is up and shuffling around the house - a bit slower than usual, sure - but you’re amazed at how much better he’s doing. Belphie comes to your room to see you while Beel showers in the bathroom down the hall.

“This is typical for demons,” he tells you with a shrug. “Once the worst passes, it doesn’t take long for us to bounce back.”

“I’m glad he’s feeling better.” For reasons you don’t quite understand, or maybe you do but you don’t want to admit them to Belphie, your eyes tear up. It’s like an emotional dam bursts inside you, and tears start rolling down your cheeks.

You think Belphie’s going to tease you, but he wraps you in a hug instead and lets you cry into his shoulder. “He’s lucky to have you,” he murmurs. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t forget it.”

House of Lamentation (8) Satan: How are you feeling tonight, Beel? Beelzebub: Better. I’m starving. Satan: It’s my turn to prepare dinner. Is there anything in particular you want? Beelzebub: A Gigadeath burger. Leviathan: LOL Beelzebub: With extra cheese. Satan: That’s not what I meant. Beelzebub: And a large milkshake. Beelzebub: Actually, make that two Gigadeath burgers. Satan: Forget that I asked. You: You should’ve known better. Lucifer: Indeed.

Nearly two weeks after he had the flu, Beel is rummaging in the kitchen for something to make for dinner. He just got home from practice and he forgot it's his turn to cook tonight.

Any lingering symptoms of the Devildom flu have long since passed, and he’s back to his regular club activities. He doesn’t get sick often which is why the severity of his initial symptoms caught everyone off-guard. The first day or two are still a hazy blur of disjointed memories, but there’s one thing he does remember with clarity above all else.

He ignores Belphie’s teasing and not-so-subtle hints about you, and your feelings for him, and his feelings for you. Beel tells his brother he doesn’t want to misinterpret how sweet and loving your gestures felt when he was sick; Belphie tells him he’s an idiot and that he’s in denial.

Sure, you took care of him when he was sick, but only because you’re a thoughtful person. You made him food because it was a way to show him you care. When he saw you tear up on the sidelines of his first Fangol practice after his illness, it was because you were thrilled to see him back to his normal self.

You’re just a friend, Beel thinks. A kind, warm, beautiful friend.

But he secretly likes the way you spend more time in his room now, and how you invite him to the kitchen and teach him more about your favourite foods. You accompany him when he goes shopping for snacks after school. You always offer to share what you buy for yourself, and he does the same for you.

On a particularly warm day, he took you to a diner after class and ordered a large sundae for you to split. You didn’t notice there was chocolate lingering at the corner of your mouth. He pointed it out to you before he did something selfish like swipe it away with his finger, or his tongue.

You’re just a friend, he reminds himself more and more often these days.

Beel doesn’t learn until later that you agreed to a lunch date with Solomon in exchange for the ingredients you needed to make his soup. He spent most of that night complaining to his brother about that damn sorcerer taking advantage of your generous nature.

Belphie just smirked at him with a mischievous twinkle in his eye, and he suggested that Beel make his move before someone else does.

Maybe he is in denial.

His stomach grumbles hungrily and he has to shove aside thoughts of you so he can focus on making dinner for everyone. He checks the cupboards and fridge but nothing catches his interest. He’s starving, but he’s not sure food is the only thing he wants anymore.

He opens the freezer and notices a stack of containers he doesn’t recognize. They’re pushed to the back like someone was trying to hide them on purpose. He grabs one and stares at the label written on the lid:

Beel’s Soup ♡

He puts the container back in the freezer and heads straight to your room.

The Demon Brothers (7) Beelzebub: Can someone cover cooking duty for me tonight? Lucifer: This is sudden. Why the change of plans? Beelzebub: I’m taking MC on a date. Mammon: Wait, what?! Satan: Have fun. Asmodeus: Aww, they’re so cute! ♡ Leviathan: Gross. Belphegor: FINALLY.

Read more: Beel Masterlist | Obey Me! Masterlist

[pascalcampion]

Under the Boardwalk.

I was at Lightbox a few weeks ago and I bumped into a friend I hadn’t seen in a while. ( hey Francis! We need to do lunch) He was laughing because he said that he had just seen a trailer for this thing I did some work on years ago. It took me a minute to realize he was talking about Under the Boardwalk. Movies do take a while to get done.

Anytime I see a movie in a theater that doesn’t come from Pixar, Disney, Illumination or Dreamworks, I clap my hands in my mind. It is SO hard to get to the finish line. Each movie that you see is the result of a series of small miracles.

I did a couple months of work on it. I was think it was in preproduction at the time. It was called Jersey Crabs at the time and there were only three people on it. At least, I only met three.

There was Chris Zibach, Ericka Stewart and David Soren.

I had just come off of two rather long and hard productions and I was a bit burned out about Art direction, production design or just… design in general.

When I first got an email about this, I wasn’t sure. But I went over to Paramount to meet with all three of them.

And you know what? They were fantastic.

Ericka was the producer and she had this no nonsense approach. Tell me your price, I’ll tell you if we can do it, if not we’ll figure something out. Boom. Done. She cut to the chase and any time I had a question she would reply within the hour. Her feedback was always short and precise, and she was always encouraging. After I was gone, she emailed me a couple of times to follow up on this or that. She didn’t leave any loose ends AND, something that is absolutely remarkable in this industry, she would reply to emails. She didn’t simply reply when she needed something, but when I would ask her if I could send recommendations, or if there were any other projects going on, she would send me an email back. I think the longest it took her to reply was TWO days, which is incredible.

Chris Zibach. It wasn’t immediately clear what Chris’s role on this was. I knew he was an artist. I had met him a few years prior while visiting a friend at Dreamworks TV I think. He was quieter than Ericka. Not sure if he was shy or I was simply too aloof for him to talk to me. For whatever reason, when I saw him, I thought of Tim Burton. Maybe the genius in him? Not sure. Later, I learned he was the production designer. I was surprised because that is something I typically learn on the first meeting. I was also unsure of his role because I hadn’t seen any of his work before and he didn’t act like any of the production designers I had met before. He wasn’t bombastic or sure of himself. He wasn’t trying to win me over with his talent or past battlefield experiences. He was humble. Yes, I think that’s probably the right word. Humble. But at the time, I couldn’t figure out if it was humility or something else.

It became clear after the first few designs of his I’d seen and especially after I had done a sketch for a moment that I couldn’t quite picture. I wasn’t understanding what they were looking for and Chris did this thirty second sketch that was SO clear, SO readable and SO easy to work with, and I was. OH! Ok.. he’s the real deal.

I love Artists like him. I wish I had worked with him more actually.

And, David Soren, the director

That was such an interesting meeting.

You know how sometimes you are hesitating on a project and you meet the team and all of a sudden it all flips? That’s how it was for this. I didn’t know what this story was based on, I didn’t find crabs particularly interesting, and the story, as it was pitched, wasn’t what I gravitate toward.

But David, wow. He had this energy in the meeting, this confidence. He was good at talking but he could listen AND hear you. He could also answer questions. Any type of question regarding the art, the story, the schedule, the planning. I didn’t know much about him but I came away very impressed.

I gave it a shot and now, I feel I was lucky to have been asked because, even if I was only on this for a very short while, it was one of those candy like work experiences. All good, nothing bad. Short and sweet and really fun.

There was a moment when I was drawing this big long scene that was supposed to be in the middle of a battle and I stopped, look at it and laughed on the inside because I had just realized I was being paid to do this and THIS was SO much fun.

I don’t know what my job was, what I was supposed to bring to the project. I didn’t understand why they had me do these designs when Chris’s work was so different and so unique already, but all three did a good job at quieting those thoughts.

I was working from home and they were on the lot. If I remember correctly, they would send me emails to broadly tell me “ There is a flood there, there is a battle there, there is club, a hotel, etc etc” and I would just do some images on what I thought it could be.

They already had some character designs, and Chris had done a few images, so I wasn’t totally going from nothing.

Each time I would send a set of images, I would get an email back the same day or the next day from either Ericka or David telling me something nice. Never from Chris though. I always wondered why but now I am realizing it was because he was too busy getting the whole thing off the ground.

I would get notes sometimes but not very often. Chris would do little drawers or notes on my images and, again, they were always minimal except for that one set piece and always clear.

I don’t know what the movie is like. I was still working on this when I started with the Peanuts Special which would occupy my life for the next three and a half years.

But I do know that I remember this as a very fun, loving and carefree work experience, which have not come around very often in my career.

Thank you Ericka, Chris and David.

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[writingonleaves]

how can you look so peaceful when you know i'm gonna leave - joseph woll

pairing: joseph woll x original female character

warnings: swearing, fluff central, talks of marriage, barely proofread

inspired by + title: "staying" by lizzy mcalpine

word count: 2.1k

author's note: a short love letter to long distance relationships, which, while brutal, are beautiful in its own way. a love so soft that its meaning transcends distance ... it's possible folks! i've lived it! wanted to put something quick out to get back into my writer brain again. i hope you all enjoy this one <3

Goodbyes are par for the course for Evangeline Patel and Joseph Woll. 

Their first real one was when they weren’t even dating yet. Something more than friends. Something just below commitment. It was after their sophomore year of Boston College, when Joseph went back home to St. Louis and Evie went back home to New York. Evie hadn’t wanted to let go as Joseph lingered by the door, having helped her pack stuff into her car. 

They were dating a year later during the second real goodbye, when Joseph’s BC season ended and he went to Toronto. But that time they had plans of visiting each other’s hometowns in the summer and the goodbyes felt more like promises and not finalities. 

When two collegiate hockey players date each other, they get more comfortable being apart than together with opposing practice and game schedules. But everyone knew, even at the start, that Evie and Joseph wouldn’t ever be driven apart by distance. 

And that stayed true through every ‘goodbye’ and ‘see you soon,’ whether literal or figurative. Through when shoulder surgery sidelined Evie and her dreams to go professional. Through when Joseph signed his deal with Toronto and Evie stayed at BC. Through when Evie’s post-grad journey took her back home to New York. 

They’ve passed every test thrown at them, every obstacle tossed in their way. As heartbreaking as it sounds, goodbyes are a part of what makes Evie and Joseph work. 

Because when they finally say hello again, it always feels like the first time they locked eyes, during a meeting during their freshman year when all the student athletes were gathering together.

Tonight, after spending their sixth year anniversary, they’re on the precipice of another goodbye. Joseph has to go back to Toronto for training camp and the Leafs don’t play the Rangers until late January. Evie always spends the holidays with her family, and Joseph has always respected that. 

Four months. They’ve done worse. But the familiar heaviness settles in her stomach as she curls up in bed, reaching out to place a stray hair back where it belongs. He looks at her in a way that makes her feel like nothing and no one can hurt her. 

It’s been that way for six years and she’s so lucky.

He narrows his eyes playfully, tapping his pointer finger gently on her forehead. “What are you thinking so hard about?”

Evie sighs with a wistful smile. “Nothing.”

“Oh really?”

“Yeah.”

He leans forward to press a kiss on her forehead. “I know you’re lying. Tell me.”

She relents, “I love you.”

“I love you too, baby. That’s what you’re thinking about?”

She shrugs. “Do you ever think about what life would be like if we didn’t have to be apart so much?”

“All the time,” he says. “I probably wouldn’t be as upset coming home after a loss.”

Evie chuckles, but that’s not what she means. “I mean, like, I don’t know. If you had thought about breaking it off when you went to Toronto or when I went to New York or…”

Joseph’s eyebrows furrow. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”

Shit. “No, no! Not at all. Sorry. I probably should’ve brought that up more gracefully.”

He grins. “That’s okay. You rarely think before you speak. I know that.” He earns a light slap for that. “But to answer your question, no. Not really. Even among all the uncertainties of going to Toronto, you were always the constant. I knew that no matter what changes would come, I’d always want and need you to be in my life.”

She feels her heart rush with emotions. Even after six years, he can still make her feel like a lovesick idiot. “How did you know that early on?”

He rubs her shoulder with his thumb. “You make my brain calm down. Even on our first date, my hands were so sweaty and I didn’t know if you were gonna think dinner was too cheesy but you just made me feel so at peace.”

“It was cheesy,” she points out as he lightly pinches her skin in retaliation, which makes her laugh. “But it was you. So I didn’t care.”

“Talk about cheesy,” he snickers. “But yeah. I never had a doubt. I knew that even though it was very likely we wouldn’t live in the same city, it would be worth it. It was more if you wanted it.”

“What do you mean?”

He swallows. She plays with his fingers, something that always calms him down. “Well, when I first went to Toronto, I wasn’t sure if you’d want to, you know, keep this going. And I would’ve understood. You were gonna be at BC another year and then be who knows where and I could’ve moved around at any moment. Not being able to give you that stability…it’s still something I worry about.”

“I think we’ve made it work this long,” she says playfully. 

“We have, and I wouldn’t change it for anything,” he assures. “And usually, I’m fine. But, you know, on the days I miss you more than usual, the thought creeps into my head.”

She catches his hand that’s been rubbing her shoulder and places a kiss on his palm. “Honey, I appreciate the concern, I really do. But I knew what I was getting to. And I’m still here, aren’t I?”

“I feel very lucky that you are.”

Sap. Evie lays back down on his chest. “That still doesn’t mean this gets easier though.”

“Yeah. I know.”

She glances around the room, stopping at momentos she’s collected throughout the years. The BC flag she has hanging above her door. The puck for the first goal she ever scored for the Eagles on the corner of her desk. A stuffed elephant Joseph won her in an arcade four years ago. A cork board filled with scraps of memories, tickets to concerts, boarding passes and little notes she’s gotten from friends and family. 

Right in the center is a ticket to Joseph’s first game in net for the Leafs. November 13, 2021. She’ll never forget it, getting special permission from her coach to meet the team at New Hampshire the next day for their game so that she could go up to Buffalo to catch the Leafs play the Sabres. 

Her eyes then scan to the bouquet of lilies on her night stand, courtesy of Joseph from when they stopped by a flower shop yesterday. Then to the duvet that he had gifted her for her birthday last year because she needed a new one. 

And then finally, to him. Those blue eyes that always hold so much warmth. The eyes she immediately saw when she woke up from her surgery, a professional hockey career officially out of reach. The eyes she always looks for in a room, whether he’s there or not. 

“Hi,” he says softly.

“Hm?”

“Lost you for a minute.”

“Sorry,” she shakes her head. “Were you saying something?”

“Nah,” he says with a smile, kissing her forehead. “Four months isn’t too bad.”

“Joseph,” she deadpans. “It’s not great either.”

“I know,” he murmurs. “I’m just trying not to be sad about it now because I know it’s inevitable. You think it would get easier after six years.”

“I hope some of the Toronto jobs I applied to get back to me.”

He sighs and she can’t blame him. It’s a conversation they’ve had multiple times. “Me too, Eve. But-”

“Go where the job you want takes you, yeah, I know,” she finishes for him. “But I’m ready for a change. And I miss living in the same city. Or country. Even that’s a start.”

Joseph snorts. “Yeah. That would be nice.” He reaches over to dim the lights. “Well, if anything, I’m glad we get to at least spend anniversaries together.”

She hums. They miss out on a lot in each other’s lives — her birthday which is in March, various holidays, Valentine’s Day — but anniversaries are in the summer. And that can be theirs. 

Sometimes Evie does wonder what life would be like if they weren’t dating. If she hadn’t taken the chance and asked for the shy, cute boy’s number. If she hadn’t realized at a BC men’s hockey game that the goalie in net was so talented that she couldn’t take her eyes away. If she hadn’t said yes to going on the first date. By then she had already known he was on his way to Toronto sooner rather than later. And she still said yes. 

She went to her childhood best friend’s older sister’s wedding a month ago. Her and Joseph have talked about marriage — they’ve been dating for so long it would be strange if they hadn’t — but it wasn’t until Paige and Taylor were saying “I Do” as they put rings on each other’s fingers, Paige’s jumpsuit and Taylor’s dress flowing gracefully with the wind, did Evie look at her own ring finger for a split second and yearn for something for the first time. 

Well, he’s leaving tomorrow. Might as well bring it up now. 

“You know, if we want to get married eventually, we probably should be in the same city.” She holds her breath, waiting for his reaction, fiddling with her necklace. 

(It’s a silver maple leaf charm that Joseph had gotten her right before he left for Toronto. Evie hasn’t taken it off since.)

“You’re my favorite person in the world.” He rushes out, almost like he’s stumbling over his words. But they’re no less genuine, eyes wide and cheeks the slightest bit red. She loves all of him, but she loves him the most like this. When he’s completely vulnerable, no filter and only hers. 

She has to share him with a whole city who lives and breathes hockey. He does a good job of reminding her consistently that even with all that, what’s theirs is theirs and always will be. It’s moments like these when she remembers. 

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. And I also know you very well,” He taps his finger on her forehead. “Just be patient, baby. It’s coming.”

She decides to act dumb, hoping she’s not clamming up. “What’s coming?”

Joseph snorts. “Yeah, nice try.” He takes it a step further, taking her left hand and rubbing her ring finger smoothly. “I knew I wanted to marry you the second your eyes opened after your surgery.”

Evie’s not sure what to be shocked at first. The fact that he immediately picked up on her signals or what he just said. She blinks. Surgery. Her shoulder surgery. Which was-

“That was like, five years ago.”

He shrugs before taking a deep breath, and she knows he’s also thinking back to that time. She didn’t know it at the time, but they’ve talked about it since. Joseph had been downright terrified, sitting in the waiting room for hours while Evie was in the operating room. He had flown to New York specifically to be by her side when she woke up. They hadn’t even been dating for a year and a half at that point, and he still says it was one of the scariest moments of his life. 

“Why then?” She asks. She has to know. 

He smiles softly. “I know it was stupid, and the success rate of that surgery is so high, but I was so, so afraid you wouldn’t wake up or it wouldn’t be successful. Then when you woke up and I saw your eyes, I realized that I don’t think I could go through my life without seeing those eyes. I guess it’s kinda cruel that I don’t literally get to everyday, but you know what I mean.”

“Oh,” she mutters. Because what else can she say? “So you do want to get married.”

A pause, then a bark of laughter. “Of course I want to get married.” She must flinch because Joseph immediately softens. “Sorry, babe. I’m not making fun of you. I just-I thought you knew. I’ve wanted to marry you for a long time. We’re just, you know, we’re young and I knew neither one of us wanted to be married young even though we could’ve been by now.”

Evie bites her lip. “You know that I don't need a ring, right?”

“I know,” he says with a warm smile. “But you’re getting one anyways. Soon. I promise. Can’t let you slip away that easy, eh?”

“First of all, I know you play there, but you’re not Canadian so stop with the ‘eh,’ he snorts before she continues. “Secondly, you kinda have had me for awhile now. Don’t think I could slip away even if I wanted to.”

He laughs before turning serious, placing a soft but poignant kiss on her lips. “I love you. I’ll miss you.”

“I love you too,” Evie says, biting her lip as she wipes a tear from his cheek. “I miss you always.”

(Three months later, Joseph proposes during sunset in Boston, echoing to their very first date when they had dinner and walked by the Charles River during sunset. Five months later, Evie gets a job offer in Toronto.)

~*~*~

tag list: @ru-kru, @bunbunbl0gs (lemme know if you wanna be added!)

[brostateexam]

Have not been saying much for a while because everything is hard.

I. My BiL has had c diff three times now and after the third time the oncologist decided to take a damn the torpedoes approach because they were wasting weeks that should have been devoted to chemo because he was too sick and too weak to withstand outpatient treatment. I haven't seen him irl since December but my mom says he looks rough and if his immune system is so messed up that he keeps getting c diff idk that I really want to visit him. What if I get him sick?

All of this is background to me, though, because mostly I'm invested in my sister. She wants to divorce him. He needs to be better enough that she won't face ostracization for doing so. I am invested in him getting better enough for that to proceed for her sake.

II. Something about my relationship with my mom has been bothering me and I finally figured out what it is: everything is equally important to her. She doesn't prioritize anything. If I am having a tough time and ask for help she'll say "well I'm busy every day this week but I can come over next week in Thursday for ninety minutes" and then when she comes over I ask her what she was up to, both to make conversation and because I'm nosy, and it's like... she volunteered for a clothing drive at the synagogue. She went grocery shopping. She went to a farmer's market. Thanks for fitting me into your schedule, I guess! Glad to know I am on the same level as farm fresh tomatoes.

III. I have been having a really tough time of it for the last few months. The vacation in Mexico was... Not restful. Shane had a seizure on the plane and I spent the first two days managing logistics related to that (and navigating the extra ~$2k I spent covering his medical costs while on the trip). His back is still fucked up almost two months later and so I get to do extra housework and chores because he can't lift or bend without being in pain.

IV. Resultant to III, I had a really awful period of about a month with an online friend who started being super short and terse with me because I've been around online less. It was really clear he felt like I was ditching him to go hang out with my cool friends or something, instead of the reality of the situation: I'm cleaning litter boxes and doing yard work and changing the sheets on the bed aka #livingthedream. I told him about all the stuff that was going on but it was clear he didn't believe me or resented my absence nevertheless. This came to a head with me basically texting him an essay about why he was being a bad friend. In a turn of good news, he listened, and apologized, and we mended fences. That was nice because I just don't know how much more bad news I can take right now.

V. I've been struggling with work but really it's just. My boss. My coworkers like me. My project sponsors like me. My skip level likes me. My exec likes me. It's just him. We don't have a good relationship and I don't know how to fix it. I don't know that it is fixable. This is a problem because this is the guy I need in my corner to advance my career and I don't know that he'll do that for me. The alternative is leaving my company, which sounds attractive on paper but in practice the job market is so so bad and it's just so discouraging. The idea of a new job sounds incredible. I wish I could do that. Maybe even a career change.

VI. Unfortunately, that's not gonna happen because of financial pressures. NGL, as much as I like my house (and I do -- I love its little windows, I love my pink dining nook and green bedroom, I love the mature fruit trees and pretty backyard full of wildflowers), I wish i had the cash in hand, instead. I feel trapped here, and like I'm making the most of it. That's a shit feeling to have.

VII. I've started regaining weight. Not a lot. Fifteen pounds since October. But it's scaring me. It's making me wonder if this whole surgery thing was pointless because I can't seem to stop myself from wanting to eat myself to death. So I'm trying to beat it back without resorting to "diet culture behaviors" (read: disordered eating) and that's tough.

There could be a separate post for things that are going well perhaps, but this is what's going not so well and it feels like a lot. Sometimes it feels like too much.

[apomaro-mellow]

Whatever Stevie Wants 7

Part 6

The week leading up to Corroded Coffin being back on the road was filled with family time. Steve wouldn’t be without his mates the entire time, there were a couple of dates on the schedule where it was decided he’d take a plane out to meet them. They’d be in California, recording the stuff they’d been working on in their downtime and then promoting said album on the usual circuit. That included a few performances on some talk shows.

Steve already had his calendar updated and was counting the days even though they hadn’t left yet. But then the day came and Steve couldn’t scent them enough. He had his arms wrapped around Gareth, rubbing their cheeks together.

Eddie was sitting on the floor, both of Violet’s hands in each of his, watching as she wobbled on her legs, clearly trying to figure them out. She hadn’t taken her first official step yet, but Steve felt that it was incoming.

Eddie looked her straight in the eye. “Vi, I love you but if you take your first step while I’m gone, you will be disowned.”

Steve giggled against Gareth’s neck. “I don’t think you’ll have much control over that.”

“I can try!”, Eddie exclaimed. “Daughter of mine, don’t have any milestones. Stay exactly the way you are until I get back, okay?”

Jeff rolled his eyes as he bounced Vanessa in his arms. She was fighting a nap. They all finished saying their goodbyes, the band getting in a ride share and heading to the airport. Steve waved until they were out of sight. 

-----------------

“And they’ll be gone for a while”, Steve said before taking a sip of his drink. He was nursing a mocktail while his mother sipped on some wine.

“You’re going to take care of the girls on your own? Our offer to hire a nanny still stands”, Margaret reminded him.

“Thanks, but we don’t need a nanny. There’s still Eddie’s uncle and Jeff’s mom. We’ve still got the twins outnumbered”, he joked.

He had met her for an aperitif. It was the sort of thing he would have been expected to do before striking out on his own and living the struggle life. And now he could that again since he had four sugar daddies.

“Still, for the sires to be absent for so long-”

“Please. Please don’t act all high and mighty now. There were whole weeks when I didn’t see dad. Or you.”

“But you weren’t alone. You had a professional. She was probably better at child rearing than even I.”

Steve didn’t even engage. He knew she couldn’t name any of the nannies who had ever watched him. But she let that part of the conversation go, turning it instead to whatever networking his father was doing. Steve didn’t care. But he knew it was important to his parents and he was trying to keep that olive branch extended.

So when she invited him and the twins to visit, he accepted. His parents were currently staying at a villa belonging to a friend. The twins were old enough to handle some light travel. And it would give Beatrice and Wayne a week off from raising their grands.

-------------------

“How long will you be staying?”, Eddie asked, his voice coming from the speaker of Steve’s phone.

“About three days”, Steve said. “Give or take. It’s not like I have anywhere to be.” He was in the middle of packing his own suitcase. The girls’ things were already packed away in a separate suitcase.

“Um, did you forget that you’re supposed to be cheering on your favorite band when they blow the roof off the Shaney Harris Show?”

“Oh? Is Daft Punk performing?”

“Ha ha.”

“That’s not until the week after. I’ll be there. I promise”, Steve said, closing his case. And he still intended to call or text often and he had been doing since Eddie and the others left. Losing the physical part of their relationship tugged at his heart, but the trade off was seeing pictures of them in their element. 

Beatrice helped Steve buckle the girls into their carseats and Wayne packed up the trunk. He said his ‘see you laters’ and then he was off. Violet was the most talkative, babbling to herself while watching the scenery go by. Vanessa slept for most of the ride but once she woke up, she started vocalizing too. Sometimes it seemed like an exchange but mostly they were competing against each other.

The trip took a couple of hours and even though it wasn’t that arduous, he was glad when he arrived just to get the girls out of their seats for longer than a diaper change. The villa wasn’t as big as the Harrington estate that he’d grown up in. But it had similar qualities. It was lavish and extravagant but had no personality.

When he drove up, it wasn’t his parents that came out first but a middle aged woman in soft clothing. He was confused as he got out of the car until he saw his mother appear.

“That’s Eleanor, you can give the children to her. And Javier will take your bags.”

Steve was about to question who when a man suddenly appeared by the trunk. He let out a sigh as he hit the button to open it but kept the back doors closed.

“Mother, I thought this was a visit.”

“It is.”

“For me and the girls. I don’t need to leave them with Eleanor. No offense, I’m sure you’re a lovely woman.”

“Nonsense. She lives for it and it’ll give you and I time to catch up. I can show you around”, Margaret said.

Steve crossed his arms. “I’m not leaving my pups with a stranger.”

Margaret scoffed and rolled his eyes. “At least let her help you bring them inside.”

He could concede to that and he entered the villa, holding onto one carrier while Eleanor carried the other. The next few days went about as Steve expected. He couldn’t come down to meals in just anything. No, he tried that with just a shirt and jeans and his mother started to set out clothing for meal times. Button ups and slacks.

His mother also had several little outfits for Violet and Vanessa. They were cute, if cumbersome. Big, fluffy dresses as if they were dolls. Steve put them on once to humor her and take the pictures, which he sent to his pack. But they weren’t the best sort of fashion for infants who were learning to crawl and determined to learn to walk.

Steve was starkly reminded of the life he’d left behind when during the second night, he put his pups in the sink to give them a bath.

“Steven Philip Harrington!”, his mother gasped. “What are you doing!?”

“Trying to wash two very slippery otters”, he said, momentarily forgetting who he was talking to.

“In the sink!? Have some dignity. That’s what Eleanor is for.” Her hand was against her heart like the shock was that much for her and Steve suddenly had the image in his head of her literally clutching a pearl necklace around her neck.

“I’m capable of bathing my own children”, Steve said while Vanessa splashed around. He was rinsing Violet off and in his focus, he didn’t see the look his mother gave.

The rest of the visit was similar to that. Despite saying they wanted to get to know the girls, his parents kept trying to pawn them off to Eleanor. They said they wanted to learn more about him and his new life and pack but every conversation was like they were trying to squish him back into the box he’d been in before leaving home.

Steve sighed as he laid in bed, bringing a handkerchief that Eddie had scented to his nose to ground him. He was fine. He had a pack that loved him, pups too, and friends. Robin had literally compared the girls’ dress pictures to American Girl dolls. Even he had to admit they were adorable.

But tonight was his last night here. By this time tomorrow, he’d be back in his own nest. 

--------------------

The morning sun filtered through the window and Steve woke up with the birds singing. He yawned deeply and rolled over. Two seconds later, he realized how odd it was that he woke up to sunshine and bird song and not two pups crying. His mother insisted that there was a perfectly good nursery in the villa with fine cribs and Steve had relented.

He preferred having his pups close in a new environment, but he at least had a baby monitor to let him know when they needed him. But he didn’t hear anything. Steve rubbed his eyes and sat up. It wasn’t impossible for them to still be sleeping peacefully, but he’d feel better once he had eyes on him.

But as he got out of bed, he felt a wrongness. He rubbed his eyes again and his vision cleared and he wasn’t in the guest room at the villa. His breath got short as he was met instead with his childhood bedroom.

“No, this can’t be happening.” He opened the curtains and saw the same view he had for the first eighteen years of his life. His breathing got short. “My pups…my babies.”

He nearly tore the door open and rushed out, opening every door, trying to find them. “Vanessa! Violet!” He knew they couldn’t call back but he was also in panic mode.

“Steven, cease this racket”, his father said, already dressed in a suit for breakfast. “Now come on, your mother is waiting.”

“Why am I back here? Where are my pups!?”

“Don’t raise your voice indoors!”, his father roared, finger in Steve’s face.

Years ago it would have gotten him to submit. But not when his daughters were nowhere to be seen. He would tear this house apart if he had to.

“I’ll scream and shout until someone calls the cops! How did you get me here? Why did you bring me here and where. Are. My. Children?!”

“Honestly, can’t we have a quiet morning?”, Margaret complained, coming into the hallway. “You’ll see your children in time Steve. Now get dressed for breakfast and we’ll talk.”

“I’m not-!”

“You heard your mother.” Layton put an arm around her shoulders and they walked down the hall towards the stairs and Steve wanted to scream, to rip his hair out, to take an axe and destroy everything. But he couldn’t do any of that until he knew where his babies were. He went back to his bedroom and checked for any of his belongings. The clothes he’d brought weren’t here, nor was his cellphone. And the corded phone he used to have in his room was gone too. 

He fell to his knees and buried his face in his hands, allowing a few sobs before noticing the outfit hanging on the door of his closet. A pale blue button up, khaki pants. He took a deep breath and stood up. This was insane, even for his parents. But he would endure it for the sake of his real family.

Part 8

[suzuran777]

Review: Ooe trial version (Adelta)

A few days ago Adelta released the long-awaited trial version of their new game Ooe, so I really wanted to write a (short) review about it! The full game was originally scheduled to be released this summer, but it looks like we will have to be patient for a bit longer as the new release date will be somewhere in fall later this year. I have been following updates about this game for about three years now, so I don’t mind waiting a little longer! You can read a bit more information about the plot and the characters in one of my earlier blog posts here. To summarize, the game takes place in the 30th year of Showa (1955) and focuses on protagonist Oosaki, a detective who travels to the remote island of Ooejima after receiving a request from a client to visit the island and attend a ceremony on his behalf.

The trial version covers the first part of the game, up until the first “incident”. Oosaki has no friends or family, and lives in a boarding house in Suga, a short walk from Hiratsuka station near Kamakura. His boss Shinkiba, who runs the detective agency, informs him about a request he received from a client. The client, a man who calls himself Shizuma Daiba, asks Oosaki to attend the memorial service of actress Ooe An on his behalf. Originally, it was Daiba’s father who received the invitation, however he fell ill shortly afterwards. At first Daiba wanted to go in his place, but his father warned him to send someone else instead. Oosaki assumes that the person who invited everyone to the island is a relative of the actress, who passed away three years ago. Even though Oosaki never met her, he remembers reading news about her death.

After a few more meetings, Oosaki makes preparations to travel to Ooejima. The island belongs to the Izu Island group and is located near Hachijojima. Originally, it was used as a military base during the Second World War, however after this it became uninhabited. Even though he has never been there, Oosaki knows about the island because his grandma who raised him was originally from this island. He always felt like he had to visit the island someday, as if it was calling for him. On his way to the island he meets Ariake, who’s also travelling to Ooejima for the memorial service. He's surprised to find out Ariake’s grandmother is also from the island, and similar to Oosaki, it’s his first time actually going there too.

After arriving, they head to the Mikazuki inn, where they meet a trembling man trying to defend himself with a knife, who later introduces himself as Funeno. He also meets Shimbashi, a writer who uses overly polite speech who’s staying at the same inn. The next day, he meets the other group of people who are staying at a different inn (Takeshiba, Shijoumae, Hinode, Aomi and Shiodome). When the ceremony is about to start, they realize that the person who invited them to the island isn’t there. A monk called Toyosu was sent on their behalf. After the ceremony they have dinner together, but when Funeno is asked to join them, he seems to be expriencing some kind of flashback, and starts shouting at them. Embarrassed by his own reaction, he immediately leaves the room.

Shortly afterwards Shimbashi, who always skips his meals, walks in and asks why Oosaki and Ariake are trying to prank him by playing creepy music at the inn. Confused, they follow him. Soon enough they find a record player in a small hidden room near the stairs. At first they think Funeno did this, but then they find his dead body in Oosaki’s room. They meet up with the others and Shijoumae suspects it was a suicide because sleeping pills were found near his body, but Oosaki isn’t convinced. Aomi points out that the telephone has also been destroyed with an axe. Shiodome insists that they at least finish the ritual for Ooe An, which requires burning a straw figure to send off the spirit of the deceased. Even though nobody really feels like doing this anymore after Funeno’s death, they try to collect the materials required.

While the others make their preparations, Oosaki thinks about who the culprit could be. He suspects Shimbashi, Toyosu, Shiodome and Ariake, as they came with him to Mikazuki inn. As they finish the ritual by burning the straw figure, they realize that someone swapped it with Funeno’s body. Afterwards, Shiodome reveals that all this time he actually had Funeno’s invitation letter. One thing Oosaki didn’t know is that all the letters were swapped, and that the invitation letters also included a list of crimes the other person had committed. In Funeno’s case, he killed his younger sister. They decide to return each other’s letters, however because Oosaki doesn’t have one, nobody seems to have Shimbashi's letter. Shiodome tries changing the topic, but Oosaki is determined to find out who killed Funeno, and that’s when the trial version ends.

Thoughts & Impressions After waiting for this game for a long time I was so happy to finally see all the characters interact with each other! The trial version was pretty long too, it took me over 6 hours to finish and I think I read pretty fast, so it might be even longer. I have so many theories about what could possibly happen next but it’s hard to put it all into words! The music, art and story are all amazing so far. It's interesting to see how some of the characters already know each other too, although most of them only met at Ooe An's funeral years ago.

One thing I was thinking about is that Funeno was extremely nervous whenever he was talking to Oosaki (who introduced himself as Daiba) and also knew that they had each other’s invitations, so I think he got the invitation of Daiba’s father. Oosaki mentions he never saw any invitation, so I think it was never shown to him, probably on purpose... I am curious about Ooe An too, the game mentions that she committed suicide by burning herself. However, when Oosaki asks Shimbashi what kind of person she was, he doesn’t really answer and laughs when Oosaki assumes she was an innocent girl. Takeshiba mentions that some theorize that she never actually died, but Shijoumae (a surgeon) and Ariake (who works at a funeral home) both saw her body, so they find that hard to believe.

So far I think my favorite character is Ariake because he's very cute (some of the other characters also agree lol), but honestly everyone seemed interesting. I wonder if Hinode will ever talk because his voice actor is still hidden. I'm also interested in Daiba and why him and Oosaki look identical, they do both have family members from Ooejima, so could they actually be related? In a lot of the promotional material Daiba was introduced as a side character, however it looks like the game does have an additional route (the website says 9 routes + α) so maybe we will get a Daiba route too. For now I will try to be patient until the full game's released in fall! I'm hoping they will show us some other details like the opening movie soon.