#Austin Texas Poster | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

pascalpvnk · 6 months

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Pour Choices // You & I

pairing: bartender!joel x f!afab!reader

summary: Austin, Texas was never a dream destination for you, however your work trip there might’ve changed your perspective of the Lone Star State, and it absolutely was not work related.

word count: 6.6k words (oops…)

warnings: 18+ MDNI, fluff, smut (dubcon [both drank alcohol], handjob if you squint, oral [f receiving], fingering, unprotected p in v sex [wrap it up!], Joel has had a vasectomy, premature ejaculation, double creampie, alluding to aftercare), possibly ooc, no outbreak AU, Joel is 36 with no specified age for reader, reader described as a woman, use of she/her pronouns, minor body descriptions (reader described as having curves, reader has hair long enough to grasp/pin up, reader is shorter than Joel, he picks up reader for like half a second), time jumping (indicated by solid orange divider), religious euphemisms (?) from Joel (i know that man has religious trauma), alcohol consumption, food consumption

a/n: hello! I know this is a long time coming but she’s finally here. thank you for being patient with me during this writing process and thank you to those who helped and encouraged me! a special thanks to @delicaatefl0vver for beta reading and supporting and adding to my thots. welcome to the rebirth of my fanfic writing. I hope you enjoy xx (dividers by @/saradika)

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Sat in the corner of the rustling bar, you were sipping on your Manhattan. The drink tasted medicinal, not how you’d usually prefer it. You had watched the young bartender pour heavy on the vermouth, but chose not to say anything. Red lipstick stained the rim of your glass with each sip of the cocktail. The whiskey mixed in and the maraschino cherry garnish were its only saving graces.

A low hanging light illuminated a warm hue across your features. You were surrounded by classic Texan bar decor and architecture; high ceiling rafters, support beams strung with fairy lights, the walls packed with framed posters of all varieties, the occasional beer branded neon sign, and license plates tacked up behind the bar. Two televisions sat flush against opposing walls, both playing a pregame show of Rangers highlights as they counted down to first pitch. The air was thick as the feet of the patrons shuffled around and chair legs scraped against the wood finished floors. Groups of friends, couples, and everyone between flooded through the doors, ushering themselves to an empty table or stool at the bar. Being there on a Friday night right as the outside rush hour died down was a bold choice, but you had one goal in mind.

The moment the music changed from country to rock and roll, you knew it was time to set yourself out to accomplish it.

The click of your high heels contrasted from the stomp of sneakers and cowboy boots. Glass in hand and head held high, your heart was pounding so hard in your chest, you felt it in your throat. You sure as hell weren’t living up to your stoic, stone cold hearted reputation back home. It’s almost as though your heart thawed in the Texas heat. Though your heart changed with the state, your attire didn’t. You stuck out like a sore thumb among the other consumers in your black maxi dress and perfectly pinned up hair. Some eyes gazed towards you, but you were set on finding one pair in particular. The set of eyes that were darker than the coffee he brewed, but the same ones that looked like honey when the sun was setting. The eyes that were facing away from you at the bar as you found a stool. The ones that snapped up towards you with one word.

“Texas.”

You called for him like a melody. Your throat immediately felt dry as a lump formed. He either felt the same way you did or it was a one off fling. You were hoping it was the former. But…it had been two years since you met, so there was a decent chance he was the one that got away.

The way his muscles tensed under his tight Henley gave away that he recognized you simply from your voice. Those beautiful eyes met yours, and his jaw went a little slack, the corners of his mouth curved.

“Evenin’, Miss New York,” Joel drawled, leaning against the counter. “How are ya, darlin’?”

Joel’s mind was preoccupied before he had seen you the first time, filled with important nonsense that about drove him up the wall.

Gotta make the next schedule. What time is that birthday party Sarah wants t’go to? Wonder if Tommy would be willin’ to take her. No, he’s workin’ on a job site out of town. I need to find someone to cover part of my shift so I can take her. Gotta pay the rent for this month. Can’t keep running the bar if s’gonna be slow like this and that bastard won’t cough up his half of it. God dammit.

“Welcome in, what can I get for ya?” The southern man drawled absentmindedly, tossing a rag over his broad shoulder. The moment his eyes caught yours, his worries washed away. He was only interested in you and your big, beautiful eyes and bright, red lips.

“Whiskey on the rocks. Make it a double please,” you practically sang to him…or at least it sounded like music to his ears. Your ID slipped out of your billfold with ease, and you slid it across the bar as you took a seat. Joel examined the horizontally wide piece of plastic, deciding it was real, especially for a lady ordering a whiskey. A lady from New York, no less.

Joel took in your features for a moment, noticing the difference in your attire and even your accent compared to the other bar patrons. Your beauty was striking to him, making all of the women he’s seen come in flee his memory. He repeated your name over and over in his head, wanting to know how it felt on his tongue. To say he was intrigued would be the understatement of the year.

“You got it, sweetheart,” he said, his voice deep and smooth. He poured a generous portion of whiskey into a cut crystal glass and added several cubes of ice, then slid it over to you with a smile. He leaned forward to rest his arms on the bar, eyes lingering on your curves. "So, what brings you in here tonight? The Big Apple too small for ya?"

“Work,” you responded simply, taking a sip from your drink. He watched as your eyes raked down his frame. There was no visible emotion behind them, so he was unsure if you were checking him out or simply giving him a once over.

Joel’s eyes on the other hand drank in your features, not even attempting to hide his gaze. It lingered across your chest and the way your dress contoured your breasts so perfectly. He was damn near drooling at the sight of you taking down your whiskey better than he would. Your face remained expressionless, zero signs of your mouth twisting in distaste. The simple action had him hooked.

He cleared his throat and began polishing some glasses as he continued to have small talk with you.

“Care to elaborate?” He asked, lining the cups along the bar as he shined them one by one.

“Flight just landed. I checked into my hotel and dropped off my stuff. Wanted to take a walk around to see what this city has to offer and I landed here,” you shrugged, taking another drink of your whiskey. “Nice place, are you the owner?”

“Co-owner, yeah,” Joel chuckled. “So I take it, your work stuff starts tomorrow? Or are you drinking on the job?”

“The former,” you smiled softly. “I’m not trying to get fired, they barely trusted me to come out here in the first place.”

His head nodded gingerly. He couldn’t quite tell if you were shooting him down or just quiet after a long day. He wanted to know more. Wanted as much information that he could get from you without coming off as a creep. Deciding to take a minor risk, he continued conversing with you.

“What kind of work are ya doing all the way out here, hm?” He asked politely, restocking the freshly polished glasses back on their designated shelves.

“My uh…my peer, I suppose, is on maternity leave and she represents most of our buildings in Texas. I’ve been doing most of the work over the phone but one of the Austin buildings required a visit. A lot of incident reports to go through.”

The whiskey in your glass was almost gone and he could tell it was opening you up a little bit. First time in the whole conversation you said more than what his question asked for.

“Darlin’, that’s some big wig stuff, and yet you make it sound so inconspicuous,” he drawled, a low rumble of laughter rolling from his chest. “What field are you in? Or is it top secret?”

“Oh! I work in HR,” you let out a small laugh. “Probably should’ve started with that.”

He smirked at how you fumbled over yourself, admiring the way your smile folded the skin around your eyes and exposed a dimple. He could definitely tell he was breaking down your stone wall. His eyes took you in once more. Your lip prints stained red on the once clean glass, immediately grabbing his attention. Arousal shot through his body, directing into his pants. That’s not something he knew he was attracted to.

“Need another, ma’am?” He asked politely and swallowed hard, attempting to look anywhere but your chest. You accepted his offer and opened a tab. Joel was thanking his lucky stars that the universe brought such a beautiful woman into his bar that night. Thanking fate for having him cover this shift.

“Well, I’ll leave you alone, miss. Just holler if you need another drink or y’wanna close out. My name’s Joel,” he smiled with his boyish charm, flipping his towel back over his shoulder before reluctantly diverting his attention to another customer in need.

You stuck around for a bit, snacking on peanuts and watching the baseball game running on the television. Joel felt your eyes burn into the back of his head as he worked.

It was innocent to start. He popped tops off of beers, poured shots, and shook cocktails all while his cheeks burned pink under the heat of your gaze. Then he intentionally reached up to the top shelf more often, flexing his muscles and letting his shirt ride up his back to grab your attention again and again. It became increasingly difficult for you to peel your eyes off of him the more you drank.

And he noticed.

A couple hours passed, and before you knew it, the clock was nearing midnight. Joel walked around the bar, going to each empty table and wiping them thoroughly. He restocked everything as most of the small crowd filed out. He took a look at you from the front door, admiring the curves that were hardly hidden under your snug dress as you watched the TV mindlessly.

“Well darlin’,” he began as he approached the bar again. “I don’t know what time you have to work in the morning but it’s getting late. Wanna close out your tab?”

“I s’pose so,” you chuckled, copying his accent a little by accident. Your tired, drunken smile made his heart flutter.

A small smile plastered itself across Joel’s face as he ran your card. He let it process, grabbing both receipts and scribbling something on them.

“Can I call you a cab, sweetheart? They aren’t driving around all the time like they do back home for you,” he offered, handing you the merchant copy receipt. He crossed out all of the options to tip, just requiring your signature. You tried to protest, but he silenced your argument.

“Yeah,” you hiccuped. “That would be nice, thank you.”

Joel examined you cleaning up your peanut shell debris as he called for the cab. You signed the receipt, and slid his copy back across the bar. He noticed your subtle smile as you noticed ten digits written neatly on the customer copy.

The line went dead when the conversation concluded, and Joel put the phone back on its charger. He noticed how you folded the receipt paper and tucked it safely into your clutch along with your debit card.

“Cab should be here in ‘bout ten minutes. Um,” he cleared his throat. “If ya need someone to recommend restaurants or if you want a tour of any sort, I hope that’ll come in handy.”

Joel gestured towards your clutch, the current home of his phone number. He wanted to ask you out, so so badly, but you were intoxicated and he didn’t want to give a bad impression. If it was meant to be, you’d take the initiative, at least that’s what he told himself.

“I bet it will,” you openly flirted. Joel knew better than to return the sentiment, but it was so damn difficult. His mama would’ve smacked him upside the head if he had, and that was enough to stop him. All he offered was a smirk before turning away and gathering dishes to be brought back to the pile of other used utensils.

“D’ya need a water or anything?” Joel asked, already reaching for a clean cup. You nodded and he filled the glass first with ice, followed with water and a straw. Laying a napkin on the counter, Joel gently set your water down with a close lipped smile.

“Thanks for stopping in, darlin’,” he said just loud enough to be heard over the rock music he had playing. “Get back to that hotel of yours safely, alright? Don’t wanna hear about Miss New York on the news. They never show anything positive nowadays.”

“I wouldn’t dare,” you chuckled, gathering your things to leave after drinking most of the glass. He took these moments to really take you in, dramatically telling himself that this could be the last time he’d ever see you. Last time he’d witness your cherry stained, stunning, yet intoxicated smile, your soft skin, and those gorgeous eyes.

His admiration was interrupted by the honk erupting from the impatient taxi driver’s vehicle outside. You turned on your heel, offering a ‘goodnight, Texas!’ before walking out the door. Joel scrubbed a hand across his beard, huffing a self deprecating laugh and a muttered ‘shit’ before continuing to close up shop. He beat himself up internally while cleaning the dishes until his phone buzzed. He dug the device from his pocket, flipping it open to see a text from an unknown number.

“Didn’t end up on the news. What a bummer! Maybe next time ;)”

Joel smiled to himself, tucking his phone back into his pocket. He finished his closing tasks and made a little to-go Shirley Temple mocktail for his daughter. Before exiting the building for the night, he turned off the glowing ‘Pour Choices’ sign and locked the door behind him. His smile faded as he left his bar behind, remembering his life’s reality and his responsibilities. Those stressors sat heavy once more upon his shoulders until he fell into a deep slumber that night.

Your first full day of work was exhausting to say the least, and the small hangover you suffered did not help one bit. And whoever decided you should come to Austin in August had become your own mortal enemy. You’re used to your mild summers back home, not sweating so much that your clothes stick to you uncomfortably. But the thing that bothered you the most was the imminent, distracting thought of Joel, especially as the sun retired behind the horizon. The way the fabric of his shirt pulled taut around his thick biceps and how they flexed every time he mixed up drinks. You had watched him use his charm to get tips practically thrown at him by the other patrons, he really put that handsome grin to work.

You were alone in your hotel. There wasn’t a scheduled dinner with your team, so you sat in bed watching Scrubs reruns and eating what constituted your dinner: cheese, crackers and pepperoni slices you picked up from the grocery store. A little disassembled charcuterie board if you will.

Beckoning your attention, your phone buzzed against your nightstand. The caller ID had your heart pounding against your chest. Joel. It was almost like he could read your mind.

“Hello?” You started, wiping the crumbs off of your fingers and lowering the volume on the show.

“Evenin’,” he drawled out your name. His voice came across gruffer and frankly hotter over the phone than in person. The way it fed directly into your ears had a chill running down your spine.

“Night off?” You asked nonchalantly, a sad attempt of remaining mysterious, knowing if he was sat next to you, you’d melt into a puddle.

“Mhm,” he hummed, pausing for a moment and chuckling quietly. “Sorry for callin’ late. I’d text but that would’a taken me a decade. How was today? Hope that whiskey didn’t ruin your morning.”

The smile you sported grew in size. It felt nice having a normal conversation that wasn’t work related…even if it was with someone you just met.

“It was good! Busy but good. I had a headache but nothing I couldn’t handle. It’s stupid hot here though, didn’t appreciate that,” you hummed to yourself in thought. “Nothing much happened, lots of meetings. Now I’m just hanging out in my hotel. How about you?”

“Same here, nothin’ much. Are ya doing anythin’ or just wallowin’ in your loneliness?” He teased, testing the waters a little. You wish you could see his face. See whether he was sporting a shit eating grin or if he was gnawing on his lip nervously.

“Ha-ha,” you shot back, pressing your cell between your cheek and shoulder to stand up and settle near the window. “I’m watching TV and eating my nutritious dinner of cheese, crackers and pepperoni, thank you very much.”

“Dinner?” He scoffed. “Now I think you need'ta hustle on over here and have a real meal. You can’t possibly be callin’ all ‘f those HR shots with that diet, hm?”

You gotta give it to him, you aren’t that smooth on a whim, that takes practice. Looking out at the Austin skyline, you snickered to yourself and leaned against the window’s frame.

“C’mon, I have almost all of my food groups in front of me, I don’t think that’s too horrible,” you retaliated jokingly. “What do you have to offer, huh?”

“Well you got me there, darlin’. I do have wine if you wanna round out your meal,” he offered. You could hear faint tapping coming from the line. He was nervous.

Considering the proposal, you decided to take it, despite your early morning and full day approaching. Joel offered to pick you up so you didn’t have to pay for another cab and you gratefully accepted. You quickly got changed back out of your sleepwear into something almost equally as comfy and perhaps a bit more revealing.

So you find yourself sat on Joel Miller’s couch. The ride was fine, you chatted like before, but with a bit more direct flirting. You observed his spaces. His truck was simple, a little, beat up pickup, but you were sure it got his work done. There were scuff marks from tennis shoes on his dash. Your mind wandered as you imagined if they were from a friend or former lover, but you didn’t let it bother you.

There was a little pine tree air freshener hanging from the rear view mirror. The smell of its woody scent combined with his warm, leathery cologne and a hint of Irish Spring all flooded your senses. And god, he didn’t just smell good, he looked so good.

Joel looked perfect in the driver’s seat, his biceps straining against his smooth skin as he gripped the wheel, prominent veins popping through his forearms. Looked so cozy in his small kitchen, pouring both of you a hefty glass of rosé. His hands enveloped his cup entirely as he brought it to his plush lips. The way they framed his teeth when he smiled down at you gave you heart palpitations.

And even sitting comfortably in the corner of his L-shaped couch, Joel continued to look amazing. His leg was crossed over the other, creating the perfect shelf on his knee for his wine. Those arms stretched far across the back of the couch as he fidgeted with a loose string stuck on the cushion. Everything about him screamed disciplined. The way his spaces were mostly neat, organized and decently decorated added to your observation. He belonged here, and it seemed like he worked hard to get the things he earned.

The casual facade you had faded away the longer you chatted about your lives and sipped on your glasses. Topics like work and hobbies came into conversation, and you learned that Joel liked to play with guitar and sing a little—only when he was alone of course. Then you began talking about more personal matters, like your relationship statuses.

“You’re kidding!” You exclaimed, feeling warm from the wine in your system. “You don’t have a girlfriend or anything?”

Joel chuckled and shook his head down at the couch. You watched as he observed the cushions-worth of space between you two. By that point, you were fully turned ninety degrees to face him in conversation, your legs tucked comfortably under you. Your face felt hot as you wielded the half empty, stemless wine glass.

“What about the kid in your pictures? Is she your niece or something?” You were referring to the framed photos both nailed to the wall and decorating the table in his entryway. Most of them contained himself and the child, whether she was celebrating with a soccer ball and a trophy or blowing out candles on a cake, her wild curls spilling every which way from her party hat.

“Nah, she’s all mine. My Sarah turned fourteen a few weeks ago,” he smiled to himself, making your heart clench and pound against the confines of your ribcage. The proud look he had on his face told you about everything you needed to know about his relationship with his daughter.

“Fourteen? You don’t seem old enough to have a teenager,” you chuckle. “Where is she tonight? Seems like you got the house to yourself.”

“Why I'm flattered. She’s got a friend’s birthday party sleepover thing. That’s why I had to take the night off. I’m her personal chauffeur, of course,” Joel offered a curtsey jokingly.

Your smile widened as you brought your now second glass of rosé up to sip once more. You don’t care to ask about Sarah’s mother, it was a personal matter and possibly a sensitive subject.

A comfortable silence fell between you as you looked at one another. You watched the automatic rise and fall of his chest and the way his cheeks burned from your gaze. His chocolate eyes bore into yours, melting your heart without even trying. His exterior was gruff and masculine but he had proven time and time again that he was probably one of the kindest men you have met. Must be that southern charm and hospitality, but man was it addicting.

“What?” He barely asked above a whisper, copying your actions with his wine. His attempt to hide his smile behind his clear cup obviously failed. His blush spread down his neck and you could only imagine if it went any farther down. Your thoughts of Joel were beginning to become tainted by your blooming arousal. You wanted him. On top of you, under you, you’d take anything and the growing wetness pooling in your panties was evidence of that.

“Can I be blunt, Joel?” You grinned as you sunk a bit further into the cushion against your side. He responded with a hummed ‘mhm’ so you’d continue, bringing his hand back into his lap. The fabric of his joggers barely contained his strong thighs, making it more and more difficult to contain your urge to see what else lied beneath his pants.

“I really wanna kiss you,” you admitted cheekily, fairly certain that he was thinking the same thing.

“Oh, do ya now?” He smirked, leaning over to pluck your glass from your grasp and put it safely on his coffee table along with his own.

“I think you’re a little mind reader,” Joel continued. “‘Cause I was thinkin’ the same thing. Bet those pretty lips are real soft.” His hand found your waist after you confirmed he had consent as he guided you onto his lap. You hummed contently as you draped your arms over his shoulders, toying with the stray, chestnut curls at his nape.

“What happened to Mr. Shy Guy, huh?” You teased, letting his calloused hands explore the expanse of your back as your lips ghosted over his.

“Not shy, just polite, sweetheart,” he rasped before closing the gap between you two. His palms were flush against your lower back, radiating heat through the thin material of your shirt.

You melted into him, bodies pressed as close as possible without your knees sinking between the couch cushions. Lips slotted together and hands wandered as you filled all of your senses with Joel. His tongue was stained with a familiar smoky taste, which was definitely not coming from the wine

“Why do you taste like whiskey?” Your mouth formed a smile against his matching one. His hand cupped your cheek as a chuckle rumbled deep in his chest.

“Had some before I called ya,” he admitted bashfully. “Doesn’t matter now.”

In an instant, he was kissing you once more with increased passion, making you completely forgo the subject. His tongue flicked into your mouth, teasing the delicate skin on the inside of your lips. He gripped at your hips, trying to pull you closer to him but your legs protested against his furniture.

“Scoot forward,” you mumbled against him. And he did what he was told. His hips shifted forward, granting you more room to sit directly on his lap. Sighs were drawn from both of you as you settled back into each other, his cock already half hard under you. Your fingers messed with the hair behind his ears, earning a pleased moan from him.

“This doesn’t have to go anywhere if you don’t wan’ it to,” he panted between kisses. Just above a whisper, you uttered, ‘I want it,’ and Joel’s hands took it as permission to explore further down your body, palming at your ass through your shorts.

A whimper slipped between your lips into Joel’s, and he swallowed it whole. He pressed your body closer to his, your clothed sex dragging over his sweatpants. His cock twitched up in response to your mouth finding his jaw, his short beard scratching against you.

“Lemme take care of you,” you mused, bringing your hands up the sides of his face. He relaxed back into the couch, his blunt nails pushing under your shorts into the meat of your bare thighs.

You started by kissing his lips once more, then the two prominent patches of missing hair on his chin, and made your way down to his throat. His adam's apple bobbed under your touch as pants grew tighter on him.

“Knew you’d have the best lips, fuck,” he mumbled as you licked up the side of his neck, his pulse racing under your tongue. “Can’t wait to feel your pretty pussy ‘round my cock, sweetheart.”

“Patience, handsome,” you whispered into his ear, your breath sending chills through his body. He let go of your legs as you bunched his shirt into your palms, sitting up to help remove it. Hair scattered sparsely on his chest, pausing on his upper stomach only to come back thicker as it disappeared into his boxers.

Your palms dragged down his torso, skimming over his nipples and ribs as he naturally recoiled from the stimulation. You gently kissed and sucked at his collarbone so it could be hidden away under his shirt. Color rose to the surface of his skin the more you worked at it, flattening your tongue against it once you decided your mark was left properly.

Joel was breathing heavily under you, his hands snaking under your shirt to your breasts. Your nipples were already pebbled through your bralette, becoming unbearably hard the moment Joel started running his thumbs over them. He gently pushed your shirt and bra above your tits, leaning forward to bring one to his mouth as his hand toyed with the other. His tongue lapped your skin, rounding the hardened nipple and sucking it back slightly. An image of him doing the same to your clit had your eyes rolling back with pleasure.

“Joel,” you mewled as he switched breasts. He spread his saliva around your areola as he picked up his ministrations on the other. A groan vibrated against your skin as your nails raked down his happy trail.

“Wanna suck your cock,” you continued, holding onto the waistbands of his pants and underwear. His unused hand covered yours entirely, pushing it down to free his throbbing cock from its confines, the tip weeping with precum. Never in your life had you seen a dick so big before, and you couldn’t wait for it to split you in half.

“I won’t last a minute in your mouth, sweet girl,” he drawled, reaching back up to leave a chaste kiss on your lips. “Don’t wanna come before you.”

Spitting onto your fingertips, you mixed it with the slick seeping from his tip then dragged it down his shaft, squeezing it in your palm on the way back up. Joel groaned into your neck. He wedged his hands back under your top, lifting it over your head and forcing your hand to leave his cock.

“Need’ta taste you first,” he muttered, his amber irises completely eclipsed by his pupils. Joel removed you from his lap and laid you down onto the couch. You watched as he settled between your legs and hooked his thick fingers into your bottoms, licking his lips. Raising your hips, he pulled everything off of you, leaving you bare. Cool air hit your glistening pussy, sending a shiver up your spine. You whined out his name after he stared at you for a moment.

“What?” He cooed, smoothing his hands over your inner thighs. “Wan’ me to touch ya, hm? Fuck you with my fingers ‘n stretch that pretty pussy out? Maybe suck on your clit. S’that what you want, darlin’?”

You nod your head furiously, dying with anticipation to have his hands, mouth, something on you. Wordlessly, your foot hooked around the back of his leg as you attempted to pull him closer to you.

“Ah ah,” he tsked. “I think ya gotta ask for it, honey. Ask for it nicely.”

“Fuck,” you whined with desperation. You could feel your arousal dripping down your ass and ultimately onto the couch. “Please fill me up, touch me, taste me, whatever you want.”

“Good, so good f’me. Open up,” he encouraged, slotting his first two digits between your lips. He spread them on each side of your tongue. Saliva collected on his thick fingers as you swirled your tongue around them in figure eights. A groan rumbled in Joel’s chest.

“Yeah I’m gonna put my cock in this pretty mouth next time, baby. Feels perfect on my fingers,” he grumbled. His fingers came out of your mouth with a pop, a string of spit connecting him to you.

Joel finally slipped his fingers through your swollen folds, teasing your entrance and collecting more slick. His fingertips circled lightly around your clit, drawing a broken moan from your throat. His free hand tapped against your hip, signaling you to raise them with an ‘up.’ He grabbed a throw pillow and positioned it under you. You relaxed your already trembling legs, and he had barely even touched you.

He settled onto his stomach, spreading your legs apart as far as they’d go. A pointer finger breached your entrance as he kissed the seam where your thigh and pussy came together. Soft moans escaped you as you carded your fingers through his curls. His smug eyes met yours as his tongue moved everywhere but your clit. He looked better than ever between your legs, and you didn’t know that could be possible. His teasing was deserved for what you were doing previously, but it was agonizing.

“Please, Joel,” you groaned. “Please gimme more, I need you.”

Obliging to your request, Joel added another finger into your cunt, curling them both and stroking your g-spot expertly. All of the air left your lungs the moment his flattened tongue finally found your clit. Joel’s groan vibrated throughout your entire pussy, adding to each sensation deliciously. It didn’t take much more for your legs to start shaking and squeezing his head between your thighs, a hot sensation bubbling in your lower belly.

“Fuck, I’m gonna come, don’t stop,” you cried, grasping Joel’s hair much tighter than before. He suckled your clit and flicked his tongue over it with a moan, sending you flying over the edge. Your walls fluttered around his fingers and he rode you through your high. He kissed your trembling thighs until they relaxed, his unmoving fingers still stuffed inside you.

“God, you’re even sexier when you come, sugar. Taste even sweeter too,” he hummed, shifting himself up your body until his lips found yours again. He tasted still of whiskey but with a mix of your arousal.

Joel brought his now soaked fingers back into your mouth to replace his tongue, urging you to suck all of your spend off of them. You hummed around his digits and wrapped your quivering legs around his waist.

“And you were preachin’ to me about patience,” he teased, removing his fingers and stroking his cock a couple times. He was sitting up and resting on his heels, looking like pure sex. His proportions were perfect, he was broad and you’d happily let him crush you under his weight.

“It’s hard to be patient when you look at me like that,” you muse, pulling your bottom lip between your teeth. Joel snickered quietly, dragging his nails over your inner thighs. Goosebumps followed behind his light touch and your legs twitched when he got close enough to your sensitive core.

“So,” Joel began, settling comfortably on top of you and kissing your jaw. “I haven’t been with anyone since I was tested last n’ I’ve had a vasectomy. But I’ll gladly get a condom if ya want me to.”

“Hmm, a gentleman,” you grinned, your fingers finding their way back into his hair as you enjoyed his affection. “I’m clean and more than okay without it.”

Joel slotted his cock into your slit with a smirk, groaning at the new sensation. His tip nudged at your clit with each pass, earning moans from both parties.

“Almost came all over this couch with you clenchin’ ‘round my fingers like that, honey,” he drawled. “Fuck, ‘m not gonna last long.”

You gave him a reassuring kiss as you wedged your hand down between you two. Lining up his tip with your entrance, you watched as he disappeared into your welcoming cunt. His face pressed into your neck as he slowly sank into you, anchoring himself with his hands planted on your waist and thigh. Strings of profanities left him as he stretched you out, the pressure you felt quickly morphing into pleasure.

“Shit,” you hissed when he bottomed out. “Feels so good, Joel.”

You urged him to continue, and he complied. Starting slow, he pulled out halfway and pushed back in to test the waters. The drag of your core had his toes curling. He wasn’t lying when he said he wouldn’t last long. His cock swelled in you after a few minutes as he panted into your neck.

“Fuck, fuck I’m sorry,” he grunted.

“S’okay, come for me, Joel. Please,” you consoled him, wrapping your legs around his hips tighter. He spilled into you, the sticky fluid coating your inner walls. Your nails dragged along the expanse of his back as he caught his breath.

His face emerged from the crook of your neck, flush and sweaty. He tried apologizing once more but you shushed him. Your lips met again as you grasped his dampened curls, pulling at his locks harder than before. Cock stiffening up again, Joel resumed thrusting into you slowly. A squelching sound emitted from your pussy as his pace quickened.

“Joel,” you gasped, tangling yourself around him tighter. He took it as an opportunity to scoop you up and change positions, sitting on the couch and giving you the freedom to ride him.

“Wan’ you comin’ on my cock, beautiful,” he moaned. His calloused fingertips circled your clit as he fucked his load deeper into you. You bounced on him, his cock spearing you. The tip hit your g-spot with each thrust. Stars sparkled in your vision as you clenched down on him hard.

“C’mon, use my cock, make yourself come. That’s it, fuck.”

His hips bucked up to meet yours halfway, the sound of skin slapping echoing throughout his living room. You were a moaning mess, chanting his name haphazardly. Your walls clamped down around him and milked any remaining cum from him as you both reached your second peaks.

“Christ,” he groaned, stilling inside of you. The mixture of your fluids seeped from your fluttering hole. Joel smoothed his palms over your sweat slick back, peppering kisses along your shoulders and collarbone. Praises flew from his mouth like a prayer and you were his goddess, all his to worship.

Joel used his sweatpants to catch any leakage as his softened cock slipped out from you. He took his time with you, helping you regain your composure with more kisses and lingering touches. You followed him to his room where he properly cleaned you up and gave you a Texas Longhorns shirt and boxer shorts.

“You’re more than welcome t’stay,” Joel offered. “Or I can drive ya back. Your choice, sweetheart.”

Your arms snaked up and around his shoulders, stretching yourself up on your tiptoes. A smile crept onto your face as Joel held you steady by your ass. You peeked over at his unmade bed with only two measly pillows, one of them crumpled up in the middle of his bed. A shy smile adorned his face as you refocused on him. He was going to be the death of you.

“Set an alarm and take me to bed, cowboy.”

Late into the following evening, you found yourself back in Pour Choices. A lingering soreness twinged between your legs the entire day. You weren’t there to drink. You wanted Joel.

He started his usual greeting until he realized you had stepped through the doors, another black dress clinging to your body and lips stained a deeper shade of red than before.

“Hey, darlin’,” he smiled breathlessly. You sauntered over to the bar, leaning in close and cutting to the chase in a seductive whisper.

“I’m gonna sit in the corner and wait for you to close up. Wanna return the favor from last night.”

Joel can confidently say that was his quickest close of his career, and you can just as confidently state that you successfully returned the favor, covering that poor man with crimson lip prints. He’d never complain about the physical reminder of you, using it as inspiration on the nights he craved you while you were away. He never thought he’d go from having everything from you for a couple weeks to having nothing for over a year.

“Wasn’t sure if you were gonna remember me,” you smiled softly, a twinge of sadness in your eyes. He chuckled and shook his head, grabbing a new glass and some ice.

“I could never forget you, sugar,” he smirked, grabbing a top shelf whiskey and pouring it into the glass. The crackle of the ice drew your attention. You were always a sucker for whiskey. He remembered.

“On the house, darlin’. Want me to take your other drink? Doesn’t seem like you enjoyed it,” Joel pointed to the condensation lined cup with the half dranken Manhattan. “I know you’re not the sipping type of gal.”

“Yeah, thank you,” you smiled brighter as he took away the used cup. “Y’all don’t make Manhattans like they do back home,” you jabbed, taking a big gulp of the chilled whiskey. Those familiar lip prints stamped on the glass.

“But,” you continued, glancing at his bare ring finger. You observed the sprouting grays in his sideburns and deepened creases on his face, seeing the effect that the last two years had on him. “Y’all have something that New York doesn’t.”

You traced the rim of the glass, trying to pick up any emotion from his expressionless face. He did however crack a small smirk at your comment and leaned against the bar with both hands. Suddenly it felt like everyone else disappeared and it was just you and him in the moment.

“Hm, and what’s that, sweetheart?” He leaned closer and replied softly, but just loud enough for only you to hear.

“You, Joel.”

to keep up to date on upcoming parts, follow @pascalpvnk-writes and turn on notifications. thank you for reading!! <3

#joel miller x reader #joel miller #joel miller fanfiction #pedro pascal #pedro pascal characters #my writing #fic: you & i

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inkbyajm · 6 months

Text

of kindling sparks

masterlist: part 1 part 2 part 3 part 4 part 5 part 6

pairing: joel miller x f!reader

tropes: fluff, slow-burn

warnings: 11 year age-gap (reader is 23, joel is 34)

word count: ~6000

author’s note: so this chapter as well as the next one basically serve as one long exposition before the main story (aka the prequel). i realise this is lengthy as hell but i needed to flesh out the relationship between joel and the reader for the upcoming chapters to hurt, you know?

(p.s. there's mention of joel carrying the reader. i know some people might be put off by this, but joel is quite buff. i mean the man works in construction, i promise he can handle carrying an adult for less than a minute)

————-　❈　————-

The air was getting chillier, the change of seasons not going unnoticed. (Y/N)'s focus was razor-sharp as she drove through the streets of Austin, making sure to take in the ever-changing leaves on the trees she passed by. As an exchange student, it wasn't cheap to be renting a car, and the money her parents were generously providing her could only last for so long. She desperately needed another source of income. Her prayers were answered the week prior when she stumbled upon an advertisement near the exit to her university. It was for a babysitting job with a decent pay and convenient working hours. She wrote an email to the address written on the poster:

Dear Mr. Miller, Is the babysitting job still available? I'm a student currently on an exchange program at the University of Texas. And while I haven't had prior experience in babysitting, I used to be an assistant teacher in a kindergarten. I'm very good with children and at keeping them alive (this is a joke, but I am pretty responsible, my mother can attest to this). If there is any need for it, I can also cook and clean up after each visit. Thank you for your consideration and I hope to hear from you soon!

Sincerely, (Y/N) (L/N)

To which, much to her surprise, she received an answer shortly after:

Dear Ms. (L/N), Yes, the babysitting job is still available. It's for my 12-year-old daughter Sarah. And while I appreciate all that you have to offer, there's nothing much to do but keep her alive, so your skill would be useful here. You can come by our house on 1411 Sullivan DR any day of the week after 5pm, we'll go over the details then. If you're still interested, you'll be able to start right away. See you soon!

Best regards, Joel Miller

After half-an-hour of driving, the house finally came into view. Just as she parked the car in the vacant driveway, and before she went to meet some stranger she hoped wouldn't turn out to be a creep, the girl gathered her wits and courage with a clasp of her hands, a deep breath, and a firm nod as if to say 'There's no going back now, and if I die, it is what it is'.

Her three knocks on the door were followed by a long pause which made her believe she had arrived either at the wrong time or the wrong house. But as she was about to turn around and flee in embarrassment, out came a middle-aged man with disheveled hair.

"Hello. Is this the Miller's house?"

"Yes, hi! I am so sorry I kept you waiting. (Y/N), right?" he said, wiping his hands on a rag.

"That's me."

"Great. I'd shake your hand, but mine are a bit dirty. Please, come in." he stepped out of the way to let her walk further into his home.

It was decently spacious and cozy, which temporarily put her at ease. They walked through the living room into the dimly lit kitchen. It smelled of spices and garlic.

He gestured around, "Welcome to our humble abode. Pardon the mess, I didn't exactly have time to tidy up," While it wasn't exactly messy, they could benefit from an extra set of hands. "You said you weren't from around here?"

"No, I'm quite a long way from home," (Y/N) said, taking a seat at the dining table. "I wanted to see other places, gain a bit of independence. Austin was one of the first to accept me, and since it seemed like a fine city to live in, I packed up my things and arrived at the beginning of summer."

"I'm Texas born and raised myself. Wouldn't dream of living anywhere else. How old are you exactly?"

"Twenty-three, sir."

He proceeded to rummage through the fridge that was almost full. "Alright. Would you like a beer, then? And please, call me Joel. You're making me feel old."

"Right, Joel. And sure, I'll have one if you do."

Joel handed her a cold bottle as he sat down across from her. She was familiar with the brand, they served it at the bar she worked at part-time on weekends. For the next hour-and-a-half, the two discussed (Y/N)'s life, her studies, Joel's job as a contractor, and Sarah. At some point, the attacks on 9/11 came up, unpacking the nation-wide terror they had brought. She recalled the panicked calls she received from her parents, begging her to come home. She had to explain that she was alright, that there was nothing to do about it now, and that she couldn't leave the city when she had already formed ties and taken on responsibilities.

Just as Joel was getting into another anecdote from Sarah's childhood, they heard keys jangling in the front door as it opened and shut.

"Speak of the devil. Done playing already?"

A soft voice rang through the house, "Yeah, I'm really tired." Then a pigtailed girl stopped abruptly at the entrance to the kitchen. She was wearing a soccer kit, carrying both a purple backpack as well as a blue duffel bag.

"Sarah, this is (Y/N). She's gonna be your nanny from now on."

The little girl hesitated at first, then gently approached the table and extended her small hand for her to shake. "Nice to meet you." she said with as much courage as she could muster, earning a smile in return.

Getting up from his seat, Joel kissed his daughter's head and told her food was ready, which prompted the child to run upstairs to her room. Feeling like it was her cue to leave, (Y/N) followed suit and slung her bag on her shoulder.

"Would you like to stay for dinner? I'm not much of a chef, but I have to admit I make a mean chili." said the man, pointing at the steaming pot on the stovetop.

The smell of a homemade meal was making her mouth water, but she hadn't known them for long enough to get comfortable. "Thank you for your hospitality, but I should really get going. I have some reading to finish before morning."

The two made their way back to the front door. "Alright, then. I'll see you tomorrow afternoon, yeah?"

"See you tomorrow, Mr. Miller- Joel, sorry." she corrected herself, waving him goodbye as she swiftly got into her car and began the drive back to her apartment. She hadn't even begun the job, yet (Y/N) couldn't help but feel giddy about her small success.

————-　❈　————-

A couple of months had passed and (Y/N) was really enjoying her new gig. Sarah turned out to be the sweetest girl the young woman had ever had the pleasure of knowing. She wasn't fussy or troublesome, was very well-mannered, oh-so-friendly and kind, and a fan of using sarcasm here and there, which seemed to be something she picked up from her father. Joel, too, was accommodating to the new addition of their little family. (Y/N) could sense, however, that he was somewhat more reserved - closed, even. It was harder to get to know her employer, but she didn't mind, these things took time.

Leaning against her car, the young woman read her copy of 'Pride and Prejudice' for the 4th or 5th time. Something about it brought her great comfort, especially during the colder months. The festive season was quickly approaching and she wasn't sure if gifts would be appropriate so early-on in her employment. She had zoned out for so long, she didn't have time to register her name being called nor a pair of arms swiftly wrapping around her waist.

"Hey, kiddo." she laughed, hugging the curly-haired girl back.

She let go and stared up at her babysitter with her big round eyes. "Did daddy send you to pick me up?"

"No, I just finished classes and thought I'd swing by."

"What are you reading?"

(Y/N) turned the book to show the cover, "Pride and Prejudice. It's an old book."

"What's it about?"

"Uh- well, it's about a lot of things, but mainly it's the story of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy who have to overcome their differences to end up together. Hence the title."

"That sounds kind of interesting."

"Yeah, but it takes a lot of hatred and pettiness to get there."

The little girl shook her head in disapproval, "Adults. Why do they have to complicate things?"

"Alright, wise one. Get in before you get cold."

The car ride gave them more time to bond. They sang to Sarah's favourite songs and talked about whatever was on the little genius's mind. It was a unique experience for both of them, two feminine energies collided, something each of them longed for dearly.

At home, (Y/N) spent a significant amount of time helping Sarah with her homework: a bunch of English grammar exercises, essay writing, as well as some algebra. Following their arduous work, the girls decided they deserved some fun and made creamy pasta (one of Sarah's favourites) for dinner. Whilst waiting for the patriarch to come home, they got comfortable on the couch to watch 'Mrs. Doubtfire'.

Unsure if she should speak during the movie, Sarah poked her babysitter's arm. "Do you have siblings?"

"I don't, no. Why do you ask?"

"I don't have any either. Do you ever get lonely?"

(Y/N) wasn't sure where these questions were coming from, but she decided to entertain them anyway. "I used to, growing up. Though my parents did a very good job at making sure I felt loved at home. I miss them a lot, but I'm happy here too."

There was a long pause as Sarah was visibly deep in her thoughts. "I never knew my mom," It shouldn't have shocked the young woman, she assumed Joel and his wife had separated after noting the absence of a maternal presence in their home, but it still came as a surprise. "Daddy said she had her own reasons and that they both agreed for me to live with him."

"Adults always have their own reasons for things, even if it may seem dumb. I'm sure it was a very difficult decision to make for her and that she loves you very much."

"I don't think about her often anymore. My dad can be busy, but he does a good job. He comes to every game, takes me to fairs and carnivals, helps me with school projects. He's also extra cool on vacation."

Something about her remark pulled at (Y/N)'s heart. "I see. He seems like a really great dad." The girls went right back to watching Robin Williams dance around while doing chores, as if they hadn't just touched on a thought-provoking subject.

It was almost 11pm and Joel was nowhere to be seen. Instead of letting the girl pass out on the couch, (Y/N) let her hold onto her back as she carried the sleepy child all the way to her room. Making sure all was right, she put her to bed, closed the window, turned on the night-light, then made her way towards the door.

"You're really cool," Sarah said sleepily with her eyes closed. "I hope you stay for a long time."

No compliment in the world could compare to a kid's heartfelt approval. "I hope so too, sweetie. Good night and good dreams."

Walking back downstairs, the young woman took one look around the house and decided she could pass the time cleaning up here and there. She started by tidying up the living room: folding the throws, fluffing up the pillows, putting the board games back on the bookshelf. Then she moved onto the kitchen where she took the trash out, scrubbed the surfaces clean as silently as she could, put the leftover pasta away, and washed the dishes. Satisfied with her work, she went back up to Sarah's room to leave a glass of water by her bed in case she got thirsty in the middle of the night.

In a house that was dead silent, she heard heavy footsteps. In a short panic, she grabbed a pair of scissors that were lying on the desk and crept up closer to the door. The steps were agonisingly slow and calculated. The woman felt like she was in a slasher movie. Babysitters always die first. The only indication she had of the intruder's whereabouts was from the shadow that was created by the light from the kitchen. This is what you get for not turning on every single light in a house where you're all by yourself. One of the most important rules in horror movies, she thought. The shadow approached closer and closer to the door, and just when she hoped the distance was close enough, she leapt out of the room and went straight for the stranger. Unfortunately, her blow was blocked and her body pushed up against the wall. In a blink, she realised what had happened.

"What the hell, Joel?" she whisper-shouted.

"(Y/N)? What are you still doing here?"

"Doing my job. Couldn't let Sarah stay all by herself with no indication of when you'd be back. That would be irresponsible of me."

He let go of her arms, lazily rubbing his face. "You're right, I'm sorry. I got held up and my cellphone died. I'm so exhausted, I completely forgot you were here."

"It's all good, I didn't hear you arrive either," she paused, noticing the blood running down his left hand. "Oh my God, Joel, you're bleeding!"

He looked at the wound like he hadn't even felt it until then, "Oh, this is nothin'. I had worse accidents at work."

"Still, it could get infected. Please, take a seat in the kitchen, I'll be right back."

She went straight to the bathroom to fetch the first-aid kit. It was essential to know where it was, what it had and how to use everything as someone who had to watch a small human being. She went back downstairs to start working on Joel's injury.

"I'm so sorry. I was so caught up in my own mind, I thought you were an intruder, and it was the only weapon at hand-"

"Please don't apologise. It was my bad, really. I should have announced myself," he spoke as he watched her gently clean the cut with a saline cleansing wipe. "Can't blame you for doing your best to defend yourself. Takes courage."

(Y/N) realised that upon closer inspection, her employer was quite handsome. Dark messy hair, a somewhat upkept beard, broad build, crow's feet that indicated how often he smiled, as well as nose wrinkles that indicated how often he frowned. She carefully applied medical tape to close-off the wound and went to put the kit back where it belonged. On her way down, she noticed him looking around in slight confusion.

"Did you…clean the house?"

"Oh, you know, just lightly tidied up. I'm not a fan of leaving the places I stay at messy. Kind of a habit," she noted the silence and her hands instantly became cold. "God, I'm sorry. Again. I- I didn't even ask if you were okay with me touching your belongings, I got-"

"No, you're good. You're good. Don't sweat it. It's just that," Joel chuckled at her need to be so polite after months of working together. "You didn't have to do this. I can't ask you do to things that aren't part of your job description."

"I know. And I don't mind. Really. It's not like I'm playing Cinderella day and night," she said as they shared a laugh. "My job is to take care of a kid and the environment plays a big role."

(Y/N) picked up her bag, ready to leave for the night, "See you on Monday, Joel."

He reached out to touch her shoulder, then just as quickly removed his hand as if she had burned him. "Uh- do you- are you- um," She looked at him with furrowed brows, it's almost as if he was…flustered? "What are your plans for Christmas? Or, you know, holiday season? If you celebrate anything at all-"

"I won't be able to fly out to see my family this year, so I haven't made any other plans yet. Why do you ask?"

The man scratched his neck sheepishly, only then realising how long he had kept her standing on his porch when it wasn't exactly warm outside. "Would you like to celebrate with us? Sarah would be ecstatic to have you."

Warmth blossomed in her chest at the sudden invitation. So gifts are appropriate. Noted.

"I would love to celebrate the holidays with you guys. But only if you don't mind."

"I don't mind."

"Excellent, then I'll be here."

"Great."

"Good."

They stared at each other for way too long, the nanny realised, bearing the slightest of smiles. "Well, then. Good night, Mr. Miller."

He shook his head at her teasing tactic, "Drive safe, Ms. (L/N)."

There she was again, driving back to her apartment, giggling to herself like a maniac and for what? They invited her to celebrate a holiday. People did that all the time. Office workers, family members, casual friends, new and old lovers, it was truly nothing exceptional. But to her it felt different and she couldn't tell if it was because Sarah liked her enough to want her there or if it was because it came from him. Christmas was three weeks away. Three. Weeks. Away. Gifts. She needed gifts. What would she give them? What did they like? It came to her that she didn't know them that well, which meant she had some investigating to do in the little time she had left for shopping.

————-　❈　————-

When Christmas finally came, (Y/N) simply could not contain her excitement. She thought long and hard about the presents she would give the Millers, and while they may have appeared simple, she hoped that they would be appreciated. She personally wrapped them up in brown paper and decorated them with stamps, ribbons, and tags, firmly believing in the art of gift-wrapping. Austin had yet to see snow, she didn't think it would ever happen, yet the city was nevertheless bursting with festive spirit. Various lights decorated the trees and bushes in public parks. People hosted diverse markets in the streets where they sold artisanal goods and delicious foods. (Y/N) had gone ice-skating with the Millers a couple of weeks prior. Joel was as bad as she thought he would be; Sarah, however, was a natural. They enjoyed a lively Christmas parade that same day.

After parking in front of the house that was very tastefully decorated with her help, the young woman made her way towards the door, her homemade chocolate tarte in hand, and knocked, taking a second to register a male voice she did not recognise. The door swung open to reveal a man not much older than her, wearing a plaid shirt and dark blue jeans.

Looking her up and down, the stranger gave her a smirk, "And who might you be?"

"Hands off the babysitter, Tommy!" she heard Joel yell from deep inside the house.

"Ah, the famous babysitter!" he exclaimed, opening the door further. "Please, make yourself comfortable."

It smelled of oven-roasted turkey, of cigarette smoke, and of pine from the christmas tree. She found all of them moving about the kitchen: cutting vegetables, setting the table, washing the dishes. She felt like she'd arrived a tad too late.

"Can I help with anything?" she said, awkwardly standing in the middle of the room.

"Nah, everything's good to go," Joel replied as he scrubbed the remaining pots, "(Y/N), this is Tommy, my brother."

Said brother took her hand and placed a tender kiss on the back of it, "Very nice to meet you." Sarah couldn't hide her look of disgust if she tried.

"I didn't know Joel had a brother."

"You didn't tell her about me?" Tommy asked in exaggerated disbelief.

"Was I supposed to? Didn't know I was running a datin' agency."

"Thought that was part of the deal when we agreed to be each other's wingmen."

"Mm, don't recall us ever doing that."

"Well, we did. Spiritually. When we went to Buddy's Place? It was just around the time when Cat-" Tommy's monologue cut short with one sharp glare from Joel. (Y/N) could practically taste the tension emanating from him. Not a big fan of reminiscing the past, she noted.

"You know what, it's no problem. It's the perfect occasion to get to know each other, eh?" the younger brother flashed her a smile. They sure had impressive genes in this family.

Once the eldest Miller was done cleaning, all three adults cracked open a few cold ones to start off the evening. Tommy had the brilliant idea to teach Sarah a few card tricks, peaking their guest's interest.

"What are you teaching a 12-year-old cards for?" (Y/N) amusedly asked. Sarah seemed excited, she was one of those kids who loved to learn, it didn't matter what it was.

"First of all, every member of the Miller family knows how to play cards, we start young. And second, if not me, then who?" He made a good point. Tommy was, after all, the fun brother. "Wanna join in? I'm told I'm a great teacher."

She caught onto the subtle flirt and found herself wanting to return the energy. He was tall, he was dark, he was handsome. He smelled of cigarettes and beer with a hint of citrus notes. Not bad with kids but he wouldn't want any of his own anytime soon; very friendly, which for him also meant outgoing, ballsy, and prone to getting into trouble; charming to the point that he might seduce a few dozen women in one night; funny enough to make people like and maybe even trust him. She didn't mind flirting, but that was the extent of her intentions, and something told her Tommy Miller felt the same way.

They spent some time watching as Tommy performed the most outrageous tricks seen to man, to which his sole excuse was "I'm a bit rusty". He also tried to teach Sarah the art of cheating which, much to his disappointment and sorrow, his niece refused to take part in for moral reasons. (Y/N) noted the elder Miller's absence and excused herself from the oh-so-riveting demonstration of a disappearing card to go look for him. After searching the kitchen, his bedroom, as well as the garage, she stepped outside with a throw blanket and found him sitting on one of the patio chairs.

"What are you doing here? You'll get cold." he said, glancing at her from the side.

"I'm tougher than I look," she answered, nevermind the blanket tightly wrapped around her frame. "Came to keep you company."

"Who said I need any?" She sensed a hint of a playful tone.

"I don't know, you look awfully lonely sitting next to that empty chair." This earned her a light chuckle as she sat down. He didn't look very warm with one hand in his jacket pocket and his collar lifted up to his chin. She proceeded to awkwardly move her chair closer to his and slowly, as if dealing with a wild animal, reached out to wrap the throw around both of them, thankful that it was big enough for the job.

Sensing how still and tense he was, (Y/N) felt the need to talk to lighten the mood, "So, do you always sit outside all by yourself? In the dark? And in complete silence? Brooding-"

"I get the picture, and no," he took a sip from his bottle. "Sometimes I like to sit in my car."

He was capable of humour, which was a refreshing discovery after countless weeks of being formal. She understood wanting to define clear boundaries between employer and employee, but when she was essentially tasked to bond with his child and regularly invited to family activities, the lines naturally blurred, and her curiosity intensified.

"Who's Cat?"

Joel was silent for a second, then let out a reluctant sigh, "Cat was…a girl I knew way back when I was young."

"You're talking like you're in your 50s."

"I'm 34 to be precise, but fine, back when I was younger," he said grumpily. "We dated for a bit, then we didn't. That's how it went with most women I met."

"Oh, is this a Casanova situation?"

"No, more of a 'not ready to commit to a kid' situation," The silence that followed was loud, (Y/N) didn't want to make a sound, afraid he'd realise what he was doing and shut himself off. "I was 21 when Sarah was born. She's the joy of my life, I don't know what I'd do or where I'd be without her, truly. But...it was hard back then for a single dad with a newborn. Never went to college, had to take on side jobs to sustain both of us. My love life wasn't exactly a priority, and when the opportunity presented itself, they fled as soon as they heard the mention of a child."

The next question was risky, but she couldn't think of anything else, "So you haven't dated since your younger days? Not even the hot single moms in your area?"

This made Joel laugh heartily, a sound she loved to listen to, something she wanted to hear more often. "Not really. I mean I've flirted here and there, but Sarah and I are good the way we are now. She's my priority, and I want to make sure my partner's good to my kid too, you know?"

"If you don't mind my asking, what happened to Sarah's mom?" (Y/N) probed further, "Sarah told me-"

"Nothing happened. She left and that was that." The wall was back up. You pushed your luck.

Luckily for them, Sarah called for everyone to play cards. Which was then followed by board games. What they discovered that evening is that (Y/N) was either incredibly skilled at them or simply unbelievably lucky. She and Tommy got on well, making innocent physical contact here and there, high-fiving each other, sharing a lot of laughter, too much laughter for the man that sat across from them. Joel wasn't jealous, he was never jealous, but the sight didn't make him feel happy either.

After a while, the oven beeped, indicating that the turkey was ready. The four of them prepared the table with bowls of salads, bread slices, side-dishes, making space in the centre for the bird accompanied by roasted vegetables. (Y/N) joined in their prayer before they dug into their food. They shared all sorts of life stories: Tommy's time in the army, the most frustrating clients Joel had ever had, more embarrassing anecdotes from Sarah's childhood, funny and dramatic events that occurred while (Y/N) was on vacation. The young woman then brought out the tarte she'd made for the occasion, much to everyone's delight. It was as silky as she hoped it would be, tasting notes of coffee in her chocolate dessert covered in walnut crumbs. The ambience was relaxing, they sat under the dim light of the scented candles dispersed throughout the kitchen, bathing in the sounds of laughter and utensils scraping against the food on their plates.

When all was devoured, they moved the party back to the living room and Tommy decided it was time for presents. Sarah received hers first, which turned out to be a collection of CDs of her favourite musicians from Tommy and a skateboard she'd wanted for a long time from her dad. She hugged each of them very tightly, already excited to put both of her new belongings to use. Then it was Joel's turn to unwrap a brand new wallet gifted by his brother (apparently, he had complained about his old one he owned for more than a decade) and a second-hand guitar from Sarah that she acquired from a friend's cousin then paid for a cleaning by a professional with her own pocket-money (with a little help from uncle Tommy). Tommy received a steel lighter from Joel, who claimed the custom engraving – a hand-drawn cowboy hat on the front and T. Miller on the bottom – was Sarah’s touch. Just when everyone thought they were done, (Y/N) cleared her throat, calling for their attention, whilst dragging her bag closer to where she sat on the floor.

“I brought gifts of my own.” She declared and pulled out a box and gave it to Tommy, whom she'd met only hours ago. “I’m sorry, I took this just in case someone else would be here, but I wish I had gotten to know you sooner to customise the present to your taste- “

“Oh my sweet God,” he muttered, staring at the large crystal bottle of whiskey. “This is one of the fanciest kind around, it ain’t fuckin’ cheap either!”

“You’re lucky Tommy here is a whiskey connoisseur.” Joel said from his laid-back position on the couch.

The younger brother engulfed her in a warm hug soon after, “You got my taste just right, sweetheart, thank you.”

The room was silent as she extended a purple envelope to Sarah, who sat across from her. It didn’t seem all too exciting. The kid in question opened the envelope, eyeing her babysitter, who herself seemed a bit nervous. The silence in the room was suddenly broken as the 12-year-old squealed her hardest squeal, forcing both Millers to cover their ears.

“It’s two VIP tickets to the Halican Drops concert in Houston next year!” she exclaimed, launching herself at the now grinning woman. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

“How’d you get those? I thought they were sold out.” her father asked, clearly having gone through the struggle of standing in long queues to make his daughter happy.

It was difficult to breathe with a prepubescent child sitting in your lap as she held you in a death-grip. “I have an old friend who happens to work at the venue.” she replied, accepting the kiss on the cheek from Sarah who sat back on the ground, practically buzzing as she stared at the pieces of paper in her hands.

Lastly, (Y/N) got up to stand in front of Joel as he looked up at the object she extended in complete surprise.

“You really didn’t have to- “

“Just open it.”

So he did. What he found inside was a Prussian blue knit scarf.

“I noticed you never wear one, and it’s pretty chilly out, so I figured I’d knit you one myself. Finished it just in time a couple of days ago. The color looks flattering on you.” she explained, blushing deeper and deeper with every word. She failed to notice that he, too, was heating up.

“Well, I’ll be damned. This woman can bake, she can knit, she’s smart, and she plays cards like a pro. I mean what can’t you do?” And while she knew Tommy was teasing, she couldn’t help but redden even more.

“I’m pretty proud of my mixing skills,” she added, making him pause with a face that read ‘no way’. “I’m a bartender on the weekends.”

She had barely finished her sentence when she yelped as Tommy scooped her up and over his shoulder. “That’s it! I’m taking this one with me. It was nice to see ya, big brother!”

(Y/N) squealed and wiggled around as much as she could to try to get him to let her down whilst Sarah did her best to save her friend by clinging to one of her uncle’s legs in protest. It was one chaotic scene unfolding in front of Joel, who had not moved from his seat, still staring at the scarf in his hands as he ran his thumb over the soft wool.

After all that excitement, the household members spent a few more hours watching ‘Home Alone 2’ and ‘Jingle All the Way’, DVDs Joel had bought earlier that week. During the viewing, he caught himself glancing at the woman curled up against the arm rest less than a few feet away from him. She remained completely oblivious, amused by the tomfoolery happening on-screen. He left the room for a moment to dispose of his empty bottle in the kitchen. On the short way there, he realised he was slightly tipsy. While he was rummaging through the drawers, he heard someone come up behind him.

“Looking for this?” he turned around to see (Y/N) holding up the bottle-opener. She walked up to the counter and opened the bottle in his hand, brushing her cold fingers against his warm ones in the process.

“You’re cold.” he commented bluntly.

“Yeah, my extremities get cold easily. That’s why I walk around in gloves and thick socks as soon as the temperature starts dropping.”

She threw away her own empty bottle and swiftly turned around to walk back into the living room, when she felt his hand wrap around her wrist ever so gently.

“I didn’t get to thank you back there. You know, for the present?” he spoke softly, giving her a rare smile. “It was real nice of you.”

She noticed the way his pupils were slightly wider than usual and his stance that seemed to swing back-and-forth ever so subtly. “Joel, are you…are you drunk?”

“It takes a lot more than a few bottles of IPA to get me there. I’m just fine.” he whispered, for what reason she wasn’t sure, then unexpectedly walked up the stairs to his bedroom. He didn’t leave her to contemplate her next actions for too long because he emerged not even a minute later, holding his right hand behind his back.

They found themselves standing closer than they should have, but neither of them seemed to care as Joel revealed the mystery object.

“Merry Christmas, (Y/N).”

It was the most beautiful edition of ‘Jane Eyre’ she had ever laid her eyes on. Red leather hardback with golden accents all over it, including the fore-edges, it looked like something out of a royal library.

“How did you know?” her question was vague, but she knew he knew what she meant.

“Sarah told me about the books that you like, said you haven’t read this one in a long time.”

Her warm embrace came to him as a surprise, but in the state of mind he was in, not only did he accept it, but it felt good, it felt right to hug her back.

“It happens to be one of my favourites, so thank you. Really. For all of the things you’ve done for me so far.”

The two held onto each other for longer than needed until Tommy’s call brought them back to reality. The other Miller eyed the returning pair suspiciously as they took their respective places on the couch and went back to watching the movie in comfortable silence. Only he noticed the red book in her possession and fought hard to stop himself from smiling.

Later that night, after all the dishes had been washed, the leftovers put away, and the only child put to bed, Tommy reluctantly sat in the back of the cab Joel had called for him. I am not fetching my brother from a jail cell on Christmas Day, he'd told him. When he walked back into his home, he saw a sleeping figure on the couch, covered by one of the throws.

He went into his bedroom and took no more than 10 minutes to replace all of his linen with fresh ones from the closet in the hallway. He wasn’t going to let his guest sleep on a couch, especially not under a row of windows or next to the entrance door. Carefully picking her up, and she was one deep sleeper, he made his way back to his bed to lay her down on the new sheets.

My extremities get cold easily.

He changed his usual blanket for a thicker one then grabbed a pillow and went to make his bed downstairs. He picked up the scarf lying on the coffee table once more and unfolded it entirely, only then noticing the tiny initials embroidered in grey into one of the ends – J.M. Upon an even closer inspection, he realised it smelled of vanilla and flowers.

————-　❈　————-

masterlist: part 1 part 2 part 3 part 4 part 5 part 6

tags: @elliaze @joeldjarin

#joel miller fanfic #joel miller fanfiction #joel miller one shot #joel miller x reader #joel miller fluff #joel miller x fem!reader #joel miller x f!reader #joel miller x you

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goddesspharo · 4 months

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Seems ill-advised, tbqh.

"You don't want to hear the kinds of questions I've got."

#hannix

[Send me the first sentence and a pairing and I'll write the next five.]

"You don't want to hear the kinds of questions I've got."

Natasha rolls her eyes and warns Jake not to make her regret bringing him home for Thanksgiving. She's still not sure that they're quite there yet, but it's not like she can uninvite him now. He had looked so pathetic last week when he told her that "The Seresin Family Hang-sgiving" was canceled this year because his parents needed to use up the tickets to Venice his sister had gifted them two anniversaries ago before December so he was probably going to stick around North Island and hang out at The Hard Deck with all the other lushes who had nowhere else to go. Natasha had been perfectly content to ignore how mopey he looked – after all, wasn't celebrating Thanksgiving akin to getting waterboarded for a dude who tried to stay away from carbs? – but then Bob flashed her a pointed glare like she owed Hangman something just because he'd dragged her to his family's ranch in Austin for The Fourth.

She didn't, of course, because Jake was so Rah Rah Rah about Texas that it wouldn't take much to get an invite to his hometown so he could wax poetic about Longhorns football and fried okra until the cows came home for tipping. But there was the small matter of Jake getting on top of a coffee table before the Summer Seresin Scavenger Hunt began and declaring to his entire extended family that he was "boo'd up" as if the thing that their relationship was missing up until that point was a heavy dose of mortification. Nat still hasn't forgiven Payback for expanding Hangman's musical horizons even though he's probably right that it's better than Jake donning a cowboy hat so he could make a Patsy Cline reference instead. For that alone, Natasha should've let him flounder in California while everyone else went back home, but rather than disappoint Bob and have to hear about it for the next half dozen training sessions, Natasha went against her self-preservation instincts and invited Jake to have turkey with her family in the suburbs of New Jersey.

She knew it was a bad idea the moment she asked and has only doubled down on that impression now when encountering the wild gleam in Jake's eyes as he looks around her childhood bedroom. Natasha's never been happier than at this moment that she took down the extremely embarrassing boy band posters from her walls the first time she came home from college. All that's left now is a cherry-picked altar of her accomplishments. There are honors society certificates on her walls and her diploma from Stanford, medals from swim meets and a gleaming golden soccer ball perched on top of the MVP trophy she got when their team won nationals after the favorites got disqualified on a technicality. Jake takes in the framed pictures spanning Natasha's life and photobooth strips with her friends taken at a mall kiosk when they cut class to go see Step Up. He looks mesmerized as he practically bounces on the balls of his feet while soaking up all these snippets of who she was before he met her.

The quiet gets to be too much so Nat finally relents and says, "You get one question."

Jake looks like Kevin McCallister let loose at Duncan's Toy Chest, unsure of what to do with all this newfound freedom as his eyes trail along from wall to wall before stopping at the picture of Natasha with her date at prom.

"Where's all your debate team stuff?" he finally asks.

Natasha grins. Sucker.

"I wasn't on the debate team."

"Wait a minute. You made it seem—"

"I'm just naturally gifted at arguing with you."

"Flag on play, Trace! I should get another question."

"Should've gone with a sure thing," she says with an unapologetic shrug. "I really thought you'd ask if I still had the outfit from my very brief stint as a cheerleader."

She can feel him grinning when Jake leans in, his breath hot against her ear as he asks with all the excitement of a kid on Christmas morning, "Well, do you?"

Natasha makes a mental note to kill Bob when they get home.

#ask me things #i lied when i said five sentences #population of one on this island of extremely niche interests #top gun #hannix #*#please note that i am making a thinly veiled reference to yellowjackets any time i make a reference to high school soccer

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yesadanlerma · 2 years

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June 27, 2022 - My Most Viewed Image this Past Week @FineArtAmerica, "Morning Light in Barton Springs Greenbelt, Austin Poster" ( circa 2021 ) #AustinTexas #AustinPhotography

Last week my most viewed image on Fine Art America was an Austin sunset image ( circa 2017 ) and this week a recent 2021 early am summer shot, "Morning Light in Barton Springs Greenbelt, Austin Poster" - an image I captured in the greenbelt on....

Morning Light in Barton Springs Greenbelt, Austin Texas Poster @Felipe Adan Lerma https://felipeadan-lerma.pixels.com/featured/morning-light-in-barton-springs-greenbelt-austin-poster-felipe-adan-lerma.html*Poster also available at Primal Gallery, Texas Last week my most viewed image on Fine Art America was an Austin sunset image ( circa 2017 ) and this week a recent 2021 early am summer shot,…

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#Austin Photography #Austin Texas Poster #Barton Springs Greenbelt Poster #My Most Viewed Images at Fine Art America #Photography by Felipe Adan Lerma #Violet Crown Greenbelt

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agirlwithdemonblood · 1 year

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Celebrity Next Door - Chapter 13

Pairings: Jensen Ackles & Reader (Read as first person!)

Series Summary: Moving to a new location is difficult but living next to somebody you’d never expect to meet, and catching feelings? That’s damn near impossible to comprehend.

Chapter Summary: We made it to Texas, and the trip wasn’t what I expected.

Warnings: Mentions of anxiety, mentions of cheating, mentions of domestic violence, fighting etc.

Series Masterlist here! Main masterlist here!

If you would have told me six months ago that I would be traveling to Texas with the love of my life on an impulse trip because he wanted to “show me something” I would have called you crazy. If you would have added in the fact that this person was a extremely famous and well loved celebrity, I would have straight out told you to fuck off.

But here I was, in the middle of an airport with Jensen, buying round trip tickets just so he could “show me something.” It was absolutely absurd how fast my life changed and how much. A normal person would hear our story and think one of two things, a) That I’m a gold digger after his money and/or fame, or b) I was in love with who he was on the outside, not the inside.

But him and I knew that none of that was true, I loved him, he loved me, and I just want to add in that I tried very, very, hard to pay for my own ticket but Jensen was a proper gentleman. After a few light arguing, he insisted he paid since it was his idea in the first place.

We boarded the plane nearly as soon as we got there, another perk of being a celebrity I guess, and after a quick half an hour, we were on our way.

To Austin, Texas.

As soon as we landed, we were non stop. I grabbed coffee while Jensen rented a car and soon enough we were on our way to…. wherever we where going. I knew we were close to what he wanted to show me by the way his shoulders tensed and the anxious look on his face. I was worried for him, was he nervous about showing me something or was he worried about seeing something?

His hands gripped the steering wheel tight, mine moving quickly on top. He offered a small smile as his other hand turned down the radio. “I’m sorry, I’m probably acting a little weird.”

I shook my head and smiled reassuring towards him, “No, you just seem nervous. Are you okay?”

He nodded and lifted my hand, kissing the skin softly. “I will be.”

It didn’t take long for us to get to our destination.

He pulled into the driveway of what seemed like the biggest house I’ve ever laid eyes on. My mouth dropped open as I tried to take it all in, it was gorgeous. The entire house was filled with white and creme looking bricks, lots of massive windows everywhere, and probably the greenest lawn I’ve ever seen.

I stepped out of the car, Jensen quickly following, as my eyes glanced everywhere before I turned towards him. “Is this… Who’s house is this?”

He smiled nervously as he stepped forward, holding onto my hand tightly. “It’s mine, it’s where Danneel and I used to live.”

I nodded and, pulled him in for a tight hug. “Is this why you were nervous?”

He shrugged and led me towards the door, taking his keys and unlocking it before letting me step inside in front of him.

If I thought the outside was beautiful, I don’t even know how to describe the inside of this house.

It was full of light and felt homey, and the entire house was basically wood. Wood walls, wood beams, wood floors. It was something you’d see on pintrest, your dream home. I never thought i’d be able to see something like this in person.

I blew air out of my mouth and turned towards Jensen, “Wow. This place is amazing.”

He smiled and nodded, “Thank you. We put a lot of work into this house, you should have seen it before. The previous owners had a real 90’s vibe going on in here.”

I laughed and shook my head, eyes trailing over the posters, photographs, shelves full of amazing little items, it was like I was seeing a total new side to Jensen, like I was in his mind.

I turned towards him and frowned when I realized he still had the same anxious and nervous look on his face. Stepping closer, I cursed at myself for making such a big deal about this place when he took me here for a reason. “I’m sorry, you brought me here to show me something and I kind of got carried away about this place, eh?”

He shook his head and smiled small, “No no, it makes me happy to hear that you like it. It really does. It means you like me.”

I nodded and leaned on my foot to kiss his cheek, I really do. Is that why you brought me here?”

He shrugged nervously as his hand came down on his neck to scratch the skin. “Uh, sort of. Yesterday we talked, or sort of fought, about how there was nothing keeping me in LA. So I wanted to show you why I haven’t returned, and not wanting to come back….”

I nodded and let him lead me around the house, his anxiety rising with every step. We stopped in the kitchen first, and I waited anxiously to see why he brought me here.

He cleared his throat and shook his head, “So this is the room where our problems started and the relationship started to come to an end. I just came from filming when she started a fight about nothing. It was so stupid, I missed her the whole time and she just wanted to yell at me for coming home late. The fight escalated and she told me that there was no point going to auditions anymore because I was going to be a one hit wonder. The fact that supernatural ended meant my career went with it.”

I looked around and frowned, nodding for him to go on.

“It was out of the blue, we were fine for one minute, and then I left for two weeks and she was just cold. Empty. Unforgiving.”

I stayed silent, letting him get it all out. Because I knew nothing I could say would ever make those wounds heal, it’s something that really hurt him and he needed to realize for himself that it wasn’t true.

We walked to the glass room in the back which looked like a green room. I stood center, watching him look around and visibly cringe at the memories in his head. “This is where one of the worst fights of my life went down.”

“The kids went to their cousins for a sleepover and after I dropped them off, I came back, D was in here cleaning up and I offered to help her. She made a comment about how I should be doing everything since I’ve been at home slacking off. The argument started from there and just… escalated.”

I could see him spacing out, the images of whatever happened playing in his head causing the color to drain from his face. I stepped closer and placed my hand on his, apologizing when he jumped.

He smiled sadly and moved to sit on the couch, pulling me down next to him.

“Sorry. Anyway, it escalated and she went absolutely crazy. She started saying I was a horrible dad, a useless husband. She started attacking my weight and my age and just purposely beating me down. I said some unkind things back, you know how I get when I’m defensive, but I shouldn’t have. And she ended up losing it. She started to throw stuff, and without thinking she threw a liquor bottle at me, hitting me right in the shoulder. I had to go to the hospital and get a few stitches, but it was the mental guilt she put me through, blaming me for pushing her to that point. I couldn’t tell anybody because I was ashamed that I did that, drove her that crazy.”

I swallowed hard and bit my lip, tears threatening to pour out at everything he’s been through. It was no wonder why he was so shut down, so bitter with the world. His hand squeezed mine as he stood, frowning towards me. “I know this is depressing so I’m sorry. I have one last stop.”

He took my hand and led me to the final destination, down the hallway in a corner. He pushed open the little black door at the end of the walkway and urged me to step in. I walked inside to what clearly was his bedroom, and looked around. I had to hold back the amazement gasp that wanted to escape because my god, I’ve never seen a bedroom so beautiful before.

He stepped in after me, clearing his throat as he leaned against the wall by the door. “So this is where it all ended. I came home early which D didn’t expect and… I came here. This is were I caught her fucking one of my friends.”

My head spun and I faced him, mouth gaping open in shock. He nodded understandably and shrugged, “At that point I was just… done. I blamed myself for so long during this marriage, I thought I was the problem, I beat myself up, and I really tried to do everything right. When I saw her here with him, I knew it wasn’t me. I packed up my bags and I left.”

I bit my lip hard enough that it should have drawn blood, tears where going to pour any minute and I didn’t think I could stop them. He turned toward me, brushing my hair out of my face to gaze my reaction, frowning when he saw the look on my face.

“Oh shit, I’m sorry. Are you okay?”

I nodded as the tears started to fall, quickly placing my hands over my face to try and hide it. “Yeah… I’m good I’m sorry.”

“You don’t need to apologize honey, tell me what’s making you cry. Should I have not told you that much? I know it was a lot…”

I shook my head frantically and faced him, sobbing when I got a look at his concerned face, wet eyes staring back at me. My hand reached up to his chin, brushing my thumb over his lip gently. “Oh god no, you didn’t do anything wrong. I’m just…. Fuck I’m just so sad that you had to go through that. I’m so angry and sad and I just can’t…”

He wrapped his arms around me tightly and he rested his chin on my forehead, holding me until the tears finally slowed. After a while of silence, he finally cleared his throat, “I don’t want you to feel bad for me. I don't want you to cry over what I’ve been through. I know you will because you have a heart of gold, but I’m okay. I’m more than okay. I brought you here to show you that I stayed in LA because I wasn’t ready to come back.”

I finally understood exactly what he was feeling, the memories were way too painful to deal with, I wouldn’t be able to come back and face this either. And every moment I’ve seen him cold and bitter, angry and scared, it all made sense.

“There is another reason why I brought you here though…” he whispered shyly.

I smiled and nodded for him to go on. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes like he was mentally kicking himself for being so nervous.

“You were right when you said that I should be here, it’s not fair for my kids to live in two different places, and i would be able to spend more time with them if I moved back here, and I don’t want to put you in this position or pressure you or anything..” His words started speeding faster than his mouth could contain, his chest heaving slightly.

I laughed lightly and placed my hand over his heart causing him to look towards me. “Slow down, whatever you want to say just say it okay?”

He took another deep breath and nodded, “I want to move back here, with you. I know you said that you don’t want to be the reason why I don’t move back, but if you want to stay in LA, i want to stay there with you, i’ll make everything work with my kids, I just want to be with you.”

I stared back in shock as the words left his mouth, he froze and the colour started to drain from his face. “If you want to move somewhere else though, not in this house, I’d understand, i just want you here with me and I know-”

I leaped forwards, one hand landing on his mouth to help him stop panicking. He stopped and took a breath while I smiled back at him. “We are moving here. You and I.”

I released my hand and this time he stared back in shock, blinking a couple times like he didn’t hear me properly. “R-Really?”

I nodded, “Yes! I love you, and I love your kids. I don’t want to be without you. Also, if YOU are comfortable and okay with living here, I’d love to share this house with you, it’s too beautiful and filled with your personality to give up.”

He nodded and blinked, pushing his head down slightly. My finger moved to his chin to lift his head, and that’s when I spotted the stray tears from his eyes. “Jensen don’t cry. What’s wrong?”

He shook his head and chuckled lightly, “I thought I was going to lose you, I didn’t know you’d agree.”

“I’ll follow you anywhere Jensen, you know this. I just have one favour to ask before we make the plan to move…”

He nodded, urging me to go on.

“I want to go home to New York to visit my parents, to share the news with them, and I’d like to bring you and the kids, if that’s alright with you and Daneel, I can ask her if you don’t want to. I also just need a bit of time to sell the townhouse and find a new job.”

His hand was tight in mine, “Don’t worry about a thing, we will do whatever you need. I’ll clear it with De, and you can take a break from working until you get settled here, find whatever you want to do. There are some good insurance firms here or other opportunities if you wanted to change career paths.”

My heart pounded with excitement as I looked around the room, the room that was now Jensen and I’s. It was a huge step but I would take all the steps as fast as I could if that meant i could be with him forever.

Thank you for reading! Stay tuned for more chapters! Hit that like button, reblog and comment your thoughts! Feedback is my fuel <3

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dontmeantobepoliticalbut · 1 year

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Just five months after the Robb Elementary School school shooting in Uvalde, the worst school shooting in Texas history, the pro-gun Gov. Greg Abbott won the race to keep his post by a landslide.

Critics slammed Abbott following the shooting on May 24, criticizing the Governor for blaming the shooting — which killed 19 children — on gang violence and mental-health concerns of the shooter.

Beto O'Rourke, who challenged Abbott in the race, ran on a mandate to raise the minimum age to purchase an AR-15-style rifle. Many of the families directly impacted by the shooting hoped he'd be the next Governor of Texas.

He'd previously accused Abbott of inaction following the Uvalde shooting, saying, "You are doing nothing. You are offering us nothing. You said this was not predictable. This is totally predictable when you choose not to do anything."

Indeed, in June 2021, Abbott signed a law allowing people to carry handguns without licenses.

"Texas will always be the leader in defending the Second Amendment, which is why we built a barrier around gun rights this session," he said at the time.

The families sat at a Uvalde bar and grill on election night for a results party, eagerly awaiting the election news, according to the Texas Tribune. But when news outlets announced that Abbott had won big and retained his support in Uvalde County, with more than 60% of voters backing the Republican, disappointment descended on the party, the Texas Tribune reported.

"Unfortunately, 21 people dead doesn't change people's minds," Jazmin Cazares, 17, whose 9-year-old sister, Jacklyn, was killed at the Robb Elementary school shooting, said, the outlet reported.

Veronica Mata, a kindergarten teacher, chimed in, "Everybody has the right to vote for whoever they want, we just hoped that they would see where we were coming from and see what we wanted to change."

Berlinda Arreola, a grandmother of 10-year-old Amerie Jo Garza, who was killed in the shooting, said, "The only thing that is going to change people's minds is when it happens to them."

Kimberly Garcia holds a poster of her daughter, Amerie Jo Garza, who was murdered during the mass shooting at Robb Elementary, during a March For Our Lives rally on August 27, 2022 in Austin, Texas. Brandon Bell/Getty Images

THE FIGHT GOES ON

John Lira, the Democratic candidate who lost his challenge against Rep. Tony Gonzales for a Texas congressional seat, joined the families at the watch party.

According to the Tribune, he described O'Rouke's loss and Abbott's win, as "crushing" but said, "it just means that the fight goes on."

"This community, these families, they fought their ass off for change, for a new vision, for somebody that will listen to them and be responsive to them and what happened to this community," he added.

Writing on Twitter, Kimberly Garcia, the mother of Amerie Jo Garza, said, "one thing is for sure, I will NEVER stop fighting for my children and yours."

Some more messages from Uvalde:

#us politics #news #2022 #school shootings #mass shooters #mass shootings #gun control #gun violence #gun rights #uvalde shooting #robb elementary shooting #gov. greg abbott #beto o'rourke #2022 elections #2022 midterms #business insider #twitter #tweet

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affiches-concerts · 11 months

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The Runaways at the Armadillo World Headquarters in Austin, Texas on February 15, 1977. Poster by Sam Yeates.

#Sam Yeates #The Runaways #1977

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savage-kult-of-gorthaur · 1 year

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LET'S PARTY LIKE IT'S A BIG BOYS RECORD RELEASE PARTY -- AUSTIN, TX STYLE!

PIC INFO: Spotlight on a 1993 BIG BOYS record release poster for "The Fat Elvis" and "The Skinny Elvis" CD/cassette compilations on Touch and Go Records. Artwork by Lindsey Kuhn.

I have these both on CD, and I like the "Fat Elvis" better, not gonna lie. "Fun, Fun, Fun" is all I'm gonna say, and it ain't gonna be found on the "Skinny" comp.

Source: www.etsy.com/listing/1287169508/1993-big-boys-record-release-poster-by.

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wardenparker · 2 years

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Starting Over - Epilogue

Marcus Pike x female reader Co-written with @absurdthirst

Recently arrived in Texas and only slightly removed from his divorce, Marcus finds himself smitten with the women at the housewares store that is helping him furnish his new Austin condo. It becomes a more complicated situation than he could have expected, but Marcus has never been one to shy away from a challenge when love is on the line.

Rating: E for Explicit Word Count: 4.7k Warnings: Marcus will never lose his pregnancy kink, biting, cursing, fingering, sex in the same house where children exist, vaginal sex, unprotected sex,].But really, this is just pure domestic bliss. Summary: Mornings are always a little bit hectic in the Pike household, but you and Marcus manage to find time for yourselves amongst the chaos. Notes: This has been the most marvelous journey, and we are so *so* grateful to everyone who came along with us. With surprises at every turn and a truly evil villain, this story was a joy to write from start to finish. 💖✨

Ch 1 ~ Ch 2 ~ Ch 3 ~ Ch 4 ~ Ch 5 ~ Ch 6 ~ Ch 7 ~ Ch 8 ~ Ch 9 ~ Ch 10 ~ Ch 11 ~ Ch 12

Marcus wakes up with a small smile on his face. The house is silent, except for the sound of the condenser for the air conditioning turning on up in the attic. The light filtering through the edges of the curtains is still soft, making him grateful for the fact that he woke up and got to spend a moment just watching you.

Ten years. Ten years today he had officially made you Mrs. Marcus Pike, in the library of the inn that his father had announced was his wedding gift to the two of you at the reception. The same inn where tonight the annual owner’s celebration would be held. A fancy way of getting an anniversary party and catering to the bustling business that you and your management team had grown.

You are tucked into him. Your shoulder bare where your tank top strap had slid down. Sleeping naked wasn’t an option when there are still children that like to sneak into the bed in the middle of the night. But for now, the large four poster bed only holds Marcus and his bride. “G’morning love.” He whispers softly, pressing a kiss to your warm skin. “Happy anniversary, my beautiful wife.”

“Hmmm?” Being a mother of four with a business to run and a sheepdog to keep track of, you’ve learned to be a light sleeper. Marcus’s voice in your ear is far sweeter than the dream you were just having about Einstein eating all the fallen fruit from the trees in the garden until you had a dog drunk on fermented apples, and you float back to reality with a happy sigh. “Happy anniversary, my wonderful husband.”

After so many years together, Marcus always marvels at how well you fit him. Your body has changed, softened, and expanded after housing, nourishing, and birthing his four children and yet you still feel the same as the first night he rolled you under him. He rolls you underneath him now, grinning when his half hard cock immediately presses against your sleep heated core as your legs open for him. Nose dragging against your cheek, he grinds into you. “Should we try to make number five?”

“I knew you’d never stop at four.” You grin against his lips, reveling in the way your body still responds to him automatically no matter how much time as passed. Fifty years from now, you’ll still open up for him like his favourite flower. “Singing Jackie to sleep last night made you want a baby again, didn’t it?”

“Mmmmhh maybe.” He kisses your jaw and starts scattering kisses down your neck. “Miss seeing you pregnant too.” He admits, hand gripping a handful of your generous hip and moving to caress your empty womb. “Look like a goddess more than usual when you’re carrying my baby.”

“Flattery, Chief Pike, will get you everywhere…” Moaning softly when he bites down on the juncture of your neck and shoulder, you squirm under Marcus’s bulk and your hips buck upward toward his hand. “I could forget my pill for a while…” You have loved carrying your children. Watching them grow has been more wonderful than you ever imagined. “See what happens…?”

Marcus pulls back and searches your face. “Really?” He had been halfway teasing when he had brought it up, but the way his cock twitches tells you that he likes the idea. “Baby, I don’t want to push you into something like that.”

“You’re not.” Leaning up to kiss him, you could not possibly love him more than you do in the small moments like this. “If it doesn’t happen, it wasn’t meant to be. But if it did? That would be pretty wonderful.”

“I’ll leave it up to you.” Marcus decides. “If you stop taking the birth control, you stop taking it.” He bites his lip and smirks down at you. “Although I still want to fill you up right now before the kids wake up.”

“God yes.” A few movements are all it takes to pull your tank top over your head and start wiggling out of your shorts. “The sun has risen and the Pike-ettes won’t be far behind.”

He snickers and leans back, dragging your panties down and off your legs before he starts to push his boxers down. Sex after having children is always a race against the clock. Sometimes not successful when someone starts banging on the door when he’s balls deep and three or four thrusts away from cumming. Or even worse when he does cum, and you don’t when someone interrupts. “So we need to make sure we don’t make too much noise.”

“Secret sex.” Every stitch of clothing is flung off the bed quickly, with the knowledge that your youngest and most easily woken child is right next door. “You think you can fuck me into this mattress quietly, baby?”

“I don’t know.” His fingers are already between your thighs, touching you in a well-choreographed rhythm to make sure that you are wet. “This little pussy has been known to make me moan.” He giggles quietly at his own rhyme. “Very loudly.”

“Fuck, Marcus.” His name sighed out into the crisp fall morning might be one of the best sounds in the world, and your hips roll against his hand eagerly as another moan builds.

“Ah ah ahhhhh.” Marcus teases, leaning in and kissing your jaw again. “Gotta be quiet, baby. Gotta make you cum before the kids wake up.”

“Marcus…” Squeezing your eyes shut and taking a long breath, you shudder under him when his fingertips start rubbing tight circles over your clit. “Fill me up, baby. Please.”

“With pleasure, baby.” Marcus lets go of you so he can shuffle forward and wraps his hand around his cock. The gold of his wedding band flashes, and he grins at you. “Ready sweetheart?”

“Always.” There really haven’t been that many times in the history of your relationship where you haven’t been ready for him with even just a few kisses, which is how – you joke – you ended up with four kids so close together in age.

“God, I love you.” The way he feels about you is a million times more intense than that first time he had told you those words. Lowering himself onto you and lining up, his lips connect to yours as he starts to push into you slowly with a low groan of pleasure.

“Love you, too.” The way your back arches off the bed is both pleasure and the need to be as close to him as humanly possible while he fills you inch by glorious inch. “More than a—anything. Oh fuck.”

“Ssssssshhhhhh.” Marcus coos, lips curved against your skin as he bottoms out and just rests for a precious few seconds before he starts to move.

Biting your lip to keep quiet will undoubtedly result in having a fat lip at the party tonight and you can’t have that, so you pull Marcus close with both hands as he starts to move and seal your lips to his with everything you have. Shifting slightly under him lets your legs part wider and his cock hit a little deeper, and you moan into his mouth quietly.

It doesn't matter how often, or how infrequently this happens. The two of you try to keep your sex life from wanning under the pressures of four kids and a dog, an inn and Marcus's career – but sometimes it happens. It doesn't matter though, if you fall asleep before he can get to the bedroom or Johnny wanted to sleep with Mommy and Daddy and it turns into all four children piled into the bed with toes and elbows finding their way into his ribs and back. When you do come together, it's always magical. "Love you." He breathes into you, taking your hand and pressing it into the bed as he rocks into you with quick, measured thrusts.

“So much.” Every sharp snap of his hips punches the air from your lungs in a way that leaves you both breathless and seeing stars, and you wrap your legs around his waist to dig your heels into his ass, spurring him on that much more. If you could call his name out and moan as loud as you wanted, you would be blowing the roof off the house already.

God, he loves you like this. It doesn’t matter how many times he’s been buried inside you, he loves it. His free hand caresses you, stroking your skin from your neck and down over your breast, squeezing your hip and then down to where your thigh wraps around his waist. “Fuck, baby. So good to me. So perfect.”

“Just for you.” Whispered into the morning air, you just know the look on your face is as full of pure love as it ever has been. Not everyone might consider these moments pure necessarily, but they are the times when there is nothing in the world except you and you love of your life – and that is as beautiful a thing as you can possibly think of.

“Cum for me baby.” Marcus begs, knowing that it’s not going to be long before the day pulls you away from each other. Even though he has the day off, you have to get up and be adults. Be parents. He slides his hand between the two of you to rub your clit, desperate to feel you clench down on him.

It’s not a request he ever has to make more than once. After more than ten years together, he knows your body as well as he knows his own and exactly how to touch you to make you shatter for him. It only takes six or maybe eight more thrusts for your body to reach that breaking point – bearing down on him like a vice at the same time that you feel lighter than air. You have to clamp your free hand down over your mouth to keep from calling his name into the quiet morning, though, and the way it darkens his eyes even more translates directly into how harsh his thrusts become as you fall apart.

Marcus breathes out heavily, clenching his jaw as he works you through the fluttering of your cunt around him. His thrusts becoming frantic and deep until he’s whining your name quietly in your ear, grinding into you while he throbs. Pumping you full of molten heat with every pulse.

“Fuck, I love you.” With your arms twined around his shoulders, you hold him close until your heartbeats are approaching normal again. Dusting kisses along his jaw and neck and back up to his cheeks, you giggle slightly when he huffs in your ear. “Happy anniversary, my love.”

Marcus smiles, kissing your ear and pulling away right as there is a loud thump down the hall. “Perfect timing.” He chuckles, winking at you. “Happy anniversary.”

“Mooooooom!” The unmistakable sound of your indignant seven-year-old daughter’s voice sounds from the hall. “Johnny’s being mean!”

“Aaaand they’re off.” You roll your eyes as Marcus lifts himself off of you, managing to kiss him once more before he climbs off the bed with a groan to grab your bathrobes from the closet door and toss you yours.

Pulling his boxers back on, Marcus shrugs into his robe, tying it as he walks to the door, his feet echoing on the polished wooden floor. He looks back at you to make sure you’re covered before he opens the door. “How’s he being mean, pumpkin?” He asks with a grin on his face at the two siblings staring each other down in the hallway.

“He took Kiki and he won’t tell me where she is!” Amelia insists, pointing at her older brother accusingly. At seven, Amelia still kept the lavender and gray stuffed puppy that had been nestled next to her hours after birth, everywhere with her at home. Johnny’s bad habit of stealing and hiding the toy to annoy his new sister had started early on.

“John Andrew.” Marcus rarely raises his voice with his kids, but his tone is deliberate, in that I’m disappointed kind of way. “Did you take Kiki?” The way his oldest son refuses to meet his eyes tells him yes, but he wants his almost ten-year-old to admit it.

“Amelia farted on me before bed!” Johnny defends, and you swear you came out into the hallway at the exact perfect time to test your ability not to laugh at your children’s antics.

“If she did, then she should apologize.” You tell both kids, amazed you can keep your tone even. “But that’s not a reason to take Kiki.”

Amelia Rachel Pike was extremely stubborn at times, but the need to have Kiki back was apparently worth the humiliation of apologizing to her older brother. “I’m sorry.” She huffs, rolling her eyes in a way that has Marcus rubbing his jaw so he can smile without being caught by his children.

“Mel, that’s not nice.” Marcus chides. “We need to respect body functions, but let’s not weaponize them, okay?”

“Okay.” Amelia pouts up at her father, but nods. “Can I have Kiki back now?”

Glancing past her to your oldest son, you fix him with your best disappointed Mom expression. “Johnny?” You nudge him expectantly.

Clearly still not happy, but unwilling to disappoint both his parents, he huffs and jerks his head. “Kiki is napping with Buster.” While he was too old for baby toys, his own puppy still had a place of honor in a box under his bed. Marcus didn’t rat him out when he would come home late and find his oldest snuggling his stuffed animal when he came to check on him like he did with each child every night.

Amelia takes off like a shot, whipping around the hallway corner to skid into her brother’s room and rescue her precious puppy from her toy box prison. A soft woofing comes from the room beside you, as all the yelling and accusing has clearly woken Einstein from his place on the floor in front of your youngest’s toddler bed.

“I got it,” you tell Marcus quickly before ducking into Jackie’s room to say good morning. “Hey sunshine.” Your little girl’s eyes are already open as she basks in the sunbeams that have made it all the way to her mattress. Einstein is up in an instant, right at your side and nudging your hand for scritches. “Morning Einie. Did you keep Jackie safe last night? I bet you did, since you’re such a good boy.” The dog had taken in each of your kids like puppies – from the instant they came home from hospital until they were old enough to be steady on their feet, he kept careful watch over each of them.

Morning in the Pike household is like a well-choreographed disaster, but Marcus loves it. Leaning against the doorway to watch you pick up the youngest, watching as she snuggles into you immediately. “Einstein, you want to go outside?” The dog immediately perks up and races over to Marcus’s side. He hadn’t felt comfortable with a dog door and the pooch was well trained to alert them if a nighttime romp in the yard was needed, but it was rare.

“Will you knock on Neil’s door and make sure he’s up?” You ask Marcus before he can disappear completely down the hallway with Einstein at his heels. The younger of the two boys is the only non-morning person out of all the kids, and Neil tends to sleep until his siblings wake him up on most mornings. Not that that ever takes long.

“Sure thing.” Rapping his knuckles against the door of the third child’s bedroom door, Marcus chuckles when he hears the loud groan on the other side. “Go ‘way!” He opens the door and sticks his head in the room. “So that’s a no to pancakes this morning?”

"Pancakes?" Neil is suddenly sitting up in bed, rubbing his eyes eagerly and reaching for his glasses. "Pumpkin pancakes?" The second the weather started to get chilly again each year, Neil wanted everything pumpkin. You liked to tease him that it was because he was born on Halloween, but he just insists that it's because it's tasty.

Marcus chuckles again and nods. “Mixed it up last night so it’s all ready to make.” He promises, smiling fondly at Neil as he scrambles out of the bed. “Ah ah, make your bed, okay? I’ve got to let Einstein out and then the pancakes will be on the griddle.”

"Okay Daddy!" Neil doubles back to make his bed and is done in time to meet you in the hall as you walk past his door still carrying Jackie in your arms. "Morning, baby." Your free hand reaches for his, and just like that both of your youngest children are going to be fully attached to you until you manage to pry yourself away after breakfast to take an insanely fast shower and get dressed for the day. "How'd you sleep?"

“Good.” Neil is probably the easiest of all of them to go to bed, loving to sleep. He had made Marcus nervous with how little he moved when you were pregnant with him.

"You excited to see Grandpa and Poppy today?" Giving the grandfathers distinct names had been something that seemed a lot trickier than it ended up being, since John – as the oldest – had started calling your father Poppy very early. Each of the kids had picked up on it in turn.

“Yes!” Neil crows excitedly. He loved when both his grandfathers were here. He always got to have extra sweets when they are around, so he thinks they are solely responsible for that.

"Yes!" Jackie echoes her brother happily, still nuzzled into your side.

"Yes!" You grin, turning your head to leave a kiss in Jackie's curls. They're just like her father's and you love how much she looks like Marcus in almost every way.

******

Downstairs, Marcus has already let Einstein out, chuckling to himself when the dog immediately darts over to his area to sniff and do his business before he turns back and starts getting things ready for breakfast. Pouring juices and setting out the pancake batter you had mixed up last night before pulling down the griddle and putting it on the stove to warm up. “Babe! Does Jackie want a bottle?” He calls out. The youngest still sometimes wanted a bottle of milk more than anything else and neither you nor Marcus saw a problem with it. “Or does she want her big girl cup?”

“What do you think, sweetie?” You ask your youngest on your hip.

She’s slightly noncommittal at first, but the sight of Daddy at the griddle in the kitchen makes her decision much easier. “Imma big girl,” she says determinedly.

“We’re going with the big girl cup,” you tell him with a grin. You swear, none of these kids can resist pancakes. They’re just like their father that way.

“Big girl it is.” Marcus winks at Jackie and moves over to the cabinet to grab the sippy cup that allows her to feel like the older kids and still lets things stay relatively clean if she knocks it over. “Scrambled eggs too, honey bee?”

“Yes, pwease!” Jackie bounces excitedly in your arms when Einstein comes trotting back inside, and you set her down to cuddle with her full-grown dog at about the same time that Amelia reappears clutching her stuffed one. “I see Kiki has survived her kidnapping unharmed.” You offer your pouting older daughter a hug and press a kiss to the top of her head.

“Yes.” If possible, Amelia’s lower lip pokes out even more dramatically. “Johnny’s a butthead.” She huffs. Marcus coughs to cover up his laugh and quickly turns back to the stove.

“Mel…” The soft warning tone in your voice is well-practiced at this point, but you’re biting the inside of your lip to keep from laughing like Marcus did. “What have we said about name calling?”

“He’s a thief.” She insists. “Daddy should arrest him.” Marcus doesn’t say anything but does turn around after he’s composed himself to lift a brow of prompting at his oldest daughter. Blowing out a sigh, she relents, “‘name calling is never the answer. Be the bigger person’.” She recites, having heard it many times before.

“There we go.” Reaching out, you rub Amelia’s back gently and offer her a smile. “Want to help Mommy set the table, honey? Daddy’s making pancakes before we go see Grandpa and Poppy.”

While you have guest room available, both men were booked into a room at the inn, not wanting to impose on your anniversary. “Yay!” Amelia squeals happily, lighting up and nodding. She rushes over to the table to carefully put KiKi in her chair before coming back over to you.

It’s a little like an organized hurricane to get the table set, drinks out, syrups and butter ready, and all the kids sitting patiently in their seats, but it’s the kind of beautiful cacophony that you wouldn’t give up for the world. A scoop of eggs and a couple of pancakes for each kid and they’re barely hanging on to self-control to wait for you and Marcus to sit down before they start eating – Daddy’s pancakes are just that good.

The six of you at the table is what Marcus loves most. Taking a moment to watch the kids as they inhale their food while he sips his coffee and looks over at you.

“Love you.” Mouthing it at him across the table, you look around at your little army of craziness and smile. You’re absolutely not taking your pill for at least a little while, just to see if it happens. One more Pike-ette sounds like a perfect, weird, crazy, wonderful blessing.

“Love you.” The words are mouthed back with a wink, and he sighs happily. Unable to have imagined how amazing all of this would be. Normally he would be rushing through his breakfast to head into work, dropping Johnny, Amelia and Neil off at school on the way if they were ready by the time he was. This morning is just relaxingly slow, falling on a teacher workday that was very convenient for the Pike family.

For as long as cooking and set up takes, breakfast is inhaled quickly and you’re hustling all four kids back upstairs to get dressed before too long. The three older ones can get themselves ready, but you take the time to get Jackie into a cute little plaid dress that Naomi and Madi has given her for her last birthday and fix her unruly hair in thin little pigtails before she insists that she wants to go play with her siblings. That’s your cue to make sure Johnny is dressed and ready and to put him in charge of his youngest sister just until you and Marcus are cleaned up and ready to go.

Marcus loads the dishwasher and wipes down the dozens of drops of syrup on the table to make the kitchen appear normal before he heads upstairs to get himself ready. Today will be a flurry of activity, like it always is, but it will be worth it.

“Not bad timing this morning, all things considered.” You’ve just stepped out of your five-minute shower when Marcus comes into the bedroom and shuts the door behind him.

“Could have been a lot worse.” Marcus grins, kissing you and patting your ass over the towel wrapped around you. “I better jump in the shower though.”

“When are Naomi and Madi and the kids landing?” Your best friends had moved to New York a few years ago for Madison’s work and happily settled into busy life in the big city, but they never missed your anniversary party. It was your once a year if-all-else-fails excuse to see each them and their two sweet little kids. Marcus had been texting with Madison last night when they got their travel plans straight as you had been making dinner.

“In about an hour.” The short flight from New York to D.C. wasn’t bad, but traveling with little ones was always a nightmare. “They wanted to make sure to give plenty of time for the kids to nap.”

“Smart.” The dress you had put aside for today still won’t be what you wear to the party tonight, but it’s professional and comfortable and pulls over your head easily as Marcus gets in the shower. The biggest benefit of the day really is that home is so close by – when you are finally able to sneak away to change into your party dress you can do it from the comfort of your own room.

“I’m going to take the kids out while you go over to the inn, okay?” Marcus calls out over the noise of the shower. “Need to pick up your gift.”

“Babe!” You stick your head into the bathroom and huff at him. “Telling you we don’t need to do gifts this year truly means nothing to you, doesn’t it?” Of course, it had been later that same day you said it when you had come across the perfect anniversary gift for him while browsing through some online shopping, so you can’t exactly get too indignant.

“It’s our tenth anniversary!” He protests. “I was never not getting you something.”

“I love you, too, baby.” His gift had been delivered days ago, and is currently stashed at Alana’s house for safe keeping because Marcus has a key to your office and the inn, thus making sure that you’re never able to hide anything from him properly.

He chuckles as he shuts off the water and steps out from the shower, steam swirling around him as he reaches for his towel. “Figured you could knock out the morning meeting and say hi to your dad before the kids run amok.”

“I have morning meeting, florist set up, and a touch base with the kitchen team to make sure we’re ready for tonight.” As the steam abates, you steal a quick kiss before going back out to the bedroom to sit at your vanity where all your jewelry, make up, and hair things live. “The ballroom should have been rearranged by the night crew last night, and the band isn’t loading in until an hour before.”

“Alana told me that there were a lot of tickets sold.” Your anniversary had been turned into a grand event, and he was proud of how popular the events at the inn were becoming.

“When I checked last night before I left, we were almost sold out.” It is no small point of pride for you that the inn has reclaimed some of its former grandeur since you became the owner, and especially that the anniversary celebration had become a huge DC social event. Politicians had made it an event to be seen at, but in the last few years your inn has become known for celebrity sightings, too.

“I’m so proud of you.” Marcus is, he will sing your praises to anyone and everyone he can.

“Be proud of me if I can manage to keep my shit together in front of Lin Manuel Miranda tonight without fangirl-ing too hard.” You laugh, shooting him a grin. “Thank you, baby. I’m proud of you, too. Climbing the ladder like you did was a hustle and you worked so hard to become section chief.”

“You were a big part of that.” He reminds you. “You had to shoulder a lot of the burden at home so I could do it.” It deserves another kiss, and he comes over to give it to you as you are putting on your makeup.

“And I would do it all over again.” As if to make your point, you pick up the prescription compact with your birth control from your vanity top and tuck it into the top drawer of the vanity. “I think actually I will do it all over again, actually.”

“Really?” Marcus’s eyes widen slightly in surprise. He had honestly wondered if it was just the moment, but he would never turn down an opportunity to have you carry another baby if you wanted one.

“Yeah.” You nod, feeling your smile spread almost shyly. “I mean hell, we have the room, right? And anyway.” The wink you throw him when he leans in to kiss you again is teasing. “You have a history of knocking me up extremely fast. So let’s see what happens.”

______

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