I wish I could tell the original artist that this drawing permanently changed the entire direction of my life in 2009. I want to shake their hand, look them in the eye, and admit I would not be who I am today if this drawing didn’t exist.

EDIT: Original artist is @ivynajspyder !!!!

So I have this idea for the longest time now and I would like to see if you can make something out of it 😂

STORY TIME! Marley has something similar to the witches trial going on and witch!reader runs away to Paradis, joining the scouts and she and levi get all lovey dovey. After a while, they discover that she's from Marley and think that she's betraying them, so they make a pact with Zeke to give her back in exchange to leave Paradis alone. Soon everyone realize that she didn't betrayed them and was about to be burned. Fluffy ending where she's saved or angst 😈

wooooow i'm buYING IT!!!!!! i love witch concept omg, i hope you like it!! <3

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❁ levi x witch!reader

❁ mention of death, witches trial, death by burning, stitching :'), mention of con sex, season 4 and manga minor spoilers.

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You were only five when they burned your neighbor in the public place. It was a cold day, your mother's arm around your shoulders, her gaze searching silently the other witches of your coven. They were looking at their friend, their superior, being licked by flames. But she was totally straight, her eyes fixed on the cardenal. He was smiling.

Now you're running out of Marley. The trials are more and more popular. They judged half of your coven. Your mother told you to leave, to use your power to escape. So, after taking something to eat and a cape, you started running. Running until you saw the ocean. You look at both sides, making sure there’s no one around you, before closing your eyes and concentrate in the sound of your crow, possessing it’s body. You start to fly, searching land to stop at. You look around, a little island can be seen some kilometers away. You’re tired oof running, but you think you can arrive there. You keep flying, more and more tired. You’re near, but you can see tents in the beach. There are tents. And people. Your mind starts to panic. Transforming in front of this people will make you suspect. You look to the little forest near the beach. It seems empty. You fly towards there, really really tired. You start to notice how your body gets heavier. And, faster than you thought, your human body was back, making you fall into the ocean. The water enters on your nose and ears, and makes your dress heavier. You swim, but you’re so tired, and your head hurts because of the impact. You let your body connect with the sea, the waves hugging you. 

“Please, take me to that island, mother Ocean.” the salty waves start to rock softly, making you near to the beach little by little. Your eyes start to close, the sweet movement of the sea relaxes you. You’re so tired...

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“It’s a girl, captain.” You hear the voice of a boy near. Also, some people mumbling around. You start to open your eyes, finding a girl pointing you with a gun. The boy who talked, extremely tall, looks at you again. “She’s awake.” There is a lot of people around you. Boys and girls, all dressed in black, are talking about the girl that appeared on the sea.

“Who of you took her out of the ocean?” a deep voice is heard. You stay quiet, the brown-eyed girl keeps pointing her gun at you. A man enters your vision camp. His grey eyes examined you from above. His gaze was serious.

“I did.” a black haired girl talked. “What should we do with her, Captain Levi?”

Levi looks at you, and you keep your eyes on his. His eyebrow raises.

“Should we kill her?” a boy says.

“No! we should interrogate her!” someone says. 

“Tsch, shut up you all.” The man keeps looking at you. His sharp features make him look so attractive... “From where do you come?” he asks. You have to think, or use your powers. It’s highly improbable that they count with another witch on their team, so no one is going to notice how you research a close town. You choose a blonde boy. You concentrate in his brain, searching info. Armin. 19 years. Shinganshina district.

"Shiganshina district." you say. Levi looks at you, trying to know if you’re telling the truth. He clicks his tongue. The blonde boy looks to the girl with a scarf, and she looks to a long-haired boy next to her.

“Do you know her?” Levi asks. The three of them shake their heads, but it was easy to change their opinion. 

Change people’s memories is not that hard for a witch of your level. Just making your face appear in one of them’s memories.

“Oh, I know her!” the long-haired boy talks now. “I think her family lived behind me.”

Levi looked at him, and then back at you.

“Sorry for you, but you can’t go back to Shinganshina. You’ll have to stay here for a bit.” A person with glasses shows behind him.

“Levi, let me talk to her.” they ask. He helps you to get up, but you still feel the gun pointing at your back. “I’m Hange Zöe, the Commander of the Survey Corps. You’re in our camp, near the coast. Since we don’t have information about you, you’ll be held here. You can choose to be helpful for us, either training with our soldiers to help us, or doing some paperwork or cleaning. I’m sure Levi can help you in any way.” The man keeps being on your side. “Then, what do you choose?” They ask, smiling at you.

“I work as a tailor, so I guess I can help with...”

“Oh, so you can sew wounds!” They say.

I wasn’t going to say that... you think for yourself

“Well, I only sewed clothes, but...”

"We need help with that, so you'll stitch the survey clothes and soldiers!" they say. Levi sighed and then reached your back with his hand.

"I'll show you your dorm."

Since a lot of soldiers where living there, as Levi told you, you got a shared room with a couple girls of the military. Sasha Braus and Mikasa Ackerman where your new roommates. Mikasa is really aware around you, just in case you're a traitor. Sasha, in the other hand, is really close to you, although she was the one pointing you with a gun. The first weeks you stayed there, it went really well: Sasha showed you the camp, presented to you the people and sat with you for eating. You tried to not use your powers that much, just in real emergency cases. All this time, you felt gazes on you, curiosity or hate gazes, but one was more heavy than others: a pair of intense grey eyes. Levi Ackerman had his eyes on you since you arrived here, months ago now, maybe because he's a Captain and has to neutralize every single danger he sees. Maybe that's why you feel him when you eat, run or work. He also goes and sits near to you, doing paperwork while you sew someone's coat.

"You're good. I'm sure your stitches won't leave a scar." he says. You keep sewing the coat, this time is Connie's coat. His gaze totally fixed on the letters he has on his hands. He has been looking for you for half a year now. He also has a strange flirty game on going, he likes to get closer to you and look at your body, but then he acts cold for a while. You sigh.

"I don't think so..."

Unfortunately, you had the opportunity to try on him days later, after an attack. His back needed stitches. So, there he was, half undressed and covered on blood, waiting for you to start bounding him. You started to pass the sew. The sensation of the needle trespassing his skin was horrible, but you tried to make your best. He didn't say a thing, with a piece of cloth in his mouth. You felt his jaw bitting the cloth with strength, trying not to move. You thought his endurance of pain is in levels you didn't know a human could reach.

You could have cured him with magic, but if they know it, they'll probably send you back to Marley, if they don't kill you in the moment. Once you finished, he stayed there, sitting, with some saliva dripping from the corner of his mouth after releasing the cloth. He passed his hand fast, cleaning it.

"Try not to move..."

"I got my skin stitched a hundred times and fought five minutes after." he says. "But thank you."

All the hours he spent by your side, doing paperwork and that stuff, you realized you found him attractive. His voice, his grey eyes, the way he looks at his friends. You want to be looked that way.

No, you want more.

Maybe it was a stupid idea. But you felt so attracted to him, like if his aura was calling yours. Your hand reached his back, the way his muscles tense with the touch. He looked at you from above his shoulder. You traced a little drawing on his skin, a no-sense form down his back. Surprisingly, he didn't ask you what the hell where you doing or moved away.

You wanted to know if he was even just a bit interested in you, but using magic will break totally the moment. So you kept moving your hands on his skin. It was warm, almost hot. He sighed. His hands dropped the shirt he was about to put on, and his muscles started to relax. At the same time, you got closer to him. Maybe he needed to unburden. Maybe he has been there for months, in need of a girl like you to help him. Your hands moved to his shoulders, dangerously near his neck. He raises his head, eyes closed. He's enjoying it, no doubt. His bony hands are now on his legs.

"Captain..." you ask quietly. "Are you feeling good?" he hums in answer. His back is totally relaxed now, and his eyes are still closed. The way he has his head, thrown back, lets you see his adam's apple, another attractive point of him. You wanted to kiss the point of his neck where it connects with his shoulders. His lips, always on a inexpressive facade. You wanted him to be a mess, asking for more. You wanted his bony hands marking your waist and his fingers ruining your hair. "Do you want me to stop?" your voice goes out like a whisper. He breathes in, deeply.

"No." His voice is raspy. He looks at you again, his grey gaze shining with... maybe interest? curiosity? desire? Maybe a mix of those three. "I never got someone to massage me after a battle. It feels nice."

Your heart skips a beat when you hear that. Was it your opportunity to tell him you feel attracted to him?

If it wasn't, you didn't care.

"Well, I could do this to you a hundred times, Captain." Your hand goes up and down his back, being careful with his stitched wound. "I was getting kinda confused, Levi..." you say. His back tenses again, but he lets you continue. "Why do you lend closer to me, but then act cold for days? I never got it." He takes a deep breath again.

"I'm a Captain. I'm in charge of a full squad of humans. Really good but kinda dumb humans." he says. "They're my responsibility and my team. I can't get distracted and lose a single one of them." he says. You nod, understanding.

"Wow, that's..." That's exactly how covens work. In Marley, witches are the worst of the worst. And the Island people, demons. You thought maybe you're not that different, after all. "That's amazing, Levi."

His eyes shot open after hearing that. You weren't telling him his sword abilities are amazing or his control of the ODMS. You were telling him his way, his human being, was amazing. But he called you a distraction. You stand up. But his hand reaches your wrist.

"Oi." he calls you. "Come back here."

"I don't want to distract you, I understand your..." his voice interrupts you.

"You asked why I always act cold with you, right? Because if I didn't have to go and kill those damn titans and marleyans I would had kissed you a while ago." he says. So, after all, he does found you interesting, at least.

Your mum always said that a boy only wants a girl because of sex. That's why she obligated you to wear vanila perfume, one that she made. It shows you the true intentions of the people around you. You concentrate on Levi's aura.

You're not going to lie. Levi's aura is a bright red. He finds you attractive, and now he wants you. But even your aura looks like that.

So, two adults that want each other, what could go wrong?

That's why you kissed him. His lips quickly adapting to your pace, owning the kiss. He catches his breath.

"Are you sure about this?" his voice is even lower, his eyes darker. You nod. He caresses your blushed cheek with his thumb. Minutes later, your dress was mixed with his shirt, as well as your breath was mixed with his.

"Your back..." you told him. He was above you, so attractive. His sharp jaw tensed when your bodies touched.

"My back is fine." he says.

His hand traveled down your waist, your hands tangled on his hair, and his name was just a repetition on your mouth.

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Next morning, Levi is still asleep when you wake up. His handsome face is close to yours, and one of his hands rests in your back. You get up silently, dressing fast. You search your necklace, the one with magic properties.

"Searching this?" he asks. Your necklace is on his hand. "Witch." he adds. He gets up, totally undressed, and takes his pants from the floor. Starts to pull them on.

"N-no, you're..."

"We have been in a lot of missions on Marley." he says. "And all the prints in the streets advertised people about women with this necklace." he gets closer to you, really close. His eyes are fixed on yours. "Did you bewitched me?" You shake your head. Twice.

"I didn't"

"I've heard some witches work for Marley's government as spies." he says, looking at your necklace. "Are you also fucking the Marleyan commander?" he asks. He was being mean. "Lucky you, a man is coming later from Marley. Maybe if I give you to them, they will stop attacking us, hm?"

He was angry. He has his reasons.

He wanted to stop talking when he saw the first tears running down your cheeks. He wanted to stop, but he couldn't. He was angry, thinking you bewitched him.

"You slept with me because you witches need a intimate bond to enter on my brain, right?" you shake your head again. He was so wrong, you never wanted to hurt him.

"Levi, I..." he put your necklace on his pocket. You were weak without it.

"Tell that to Zeke."

Zeke Jaeger.

Was him the same Zeke?

Zeke Jaeger never, never, absolves a witch.

"But he's going to kill me." you cry. Levi keeps getting dressed normally. He doesn't say nothing. How could he be so blind? Your necklace was always there, when he was cursing on your neck because of how good you felt. It was there.

But he found it this morning, when he moved and collided with your body.

Zeke landed on Paradis that afternoon. Levi told Sasha to look up for you, and the girl had his gun pointing at you since you came back from Levi's tent. Sasha and Mikasa didn't believe him.

"But if she is a spy, she should have tried to enter the archives or get information from Hange or Armin."

"And she even cured Levi a couple times!" Mikasa says.

Levi thought about it when you were going back to Marley. The pact is done, but, making rewind, you were never a dangerous person. Even Sasha asked you from where you were and she told Levi you were escaping from Marley! He's feeling bad now. He should had listened to you. And, fuck, he had your necklace. You were so easy to kill now. He knows they were going to judge you tomorrow morning. If they're fast enough...

"Damn!" he yells. Hange, sitting on the desk next to him, gets surprised. Levi goes out of the tent without a word, entering the cantina, where Sasha talks with Niccolo, adoration on his eyes, and Mikasa tells Eren to eat more. He searches the crowded table.

"Jean, Mikasa, Sasha. We're going on a mission."

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Moving on Marley at nights is so easy. The amount of drunk people and drunk guards is huge, so entering the prision is quite easy for Paradis' demons. Guided by Levi and his blades, the other ones enter on the prision were you're kept, your arms and legs bonded to a corner. Levi runs on the corridor, searching your cage. He found you easily: your pretty body snuggled on a corner and your low crying sounds making his heart break.

"Y/N!" Sasha says quietly, but with happiness.

"Sasha?" you ask. You see her ponytail bouncing behind her. And also all the other's figures.

They came. For you.

Even Levi is there.

His gaze is low and he's not looking at you in the eyes, as he usually do. Sasha looks around and tells Jean to look to the other corridor. Mikasa and Levi examinate the door.

"It's closed with magic." you whisper. "A witch that works for Marley did it. That's why there's no place for a key." Levi keeps looking at the ground.

"Isn't your magic strong enough to undo it?"

"They made me enter here without my necklace. They know it has all my power inside. Without it, I'm a human."

Levi reaches his pocket quickly, taking out the blue necklace.

"Oh, Captain you have it!" Mikasa says. Levi nods in silence, putting his arm between the bars. You get up and walk towards him. Your hands are really close, but you'll never be close enough to touch him. He swings the collar towards you and you take it, putting it around your neck once again. You feel how magic runs again on your veins.

"Are we going to see how she makes magic?" Jean says, truly amazed.

"Is she going to shine or transform?" Sasha asks at the same time.

"Now you should be able to open." you say. Jean and Sasha look at the other.

"What? Without thunders or lights?"

"Well, she's bleeding." Mikasa says. It's true that unmaking a curse is more tiring than making one, and the ones made to capture are really strong. That's why your nose is bleeding a bit. Once you're out, Levi takes a tissue for you.

"Thanks" you whisper. He also takes out a letter, written with his elegant handwriting. "For Zeke" it prays.

"No one in this door. We can leave." Jean says.

Outside, Levi takes you from your waist, and elevates the two of you with his ODM.

"Sorry." you both say at the same time. You let put a little laugh. "I should have told you the truth."

"You deserved to be listened." he says. His face is buried on your hair. He has you by his side now.

"Tie?" he laughs a bit.

"Tie"

After this, Zeke found the letter, of course. He was there, at Marley, getting angry because of a girl with a dangerous necklace.

Necklace that is stored in a drawer, while your head rests in the Captain's shoulder, back again at Paradis.

The Traitor Queen (The Bridge Kingdom | #2) [Danielle L. Jensen]

started: May 08, 2021 finished: May 08, 2021 rating: 4.5/5

review:

so we got the utter heart break of Aren finding out about Lara's betrayal in the first book and we get the impact of it here.

i'll start from the beginning, which is where i partially have issue with. the book begins with Lara having fled Ithicana and Aren captured by Lara's father and in his compound in Maridrina. we get a brief kind of recount of what happened in the world between The Bridge Kingdom and The Traitor Queen, but just like how i was still kinda confused about how the world was set up in the first book, i was still a little confused about all the events that happened between the books. to be fair Jensen does a solid job of making me forget that i was confused in the first place. the couple time characters either reflected on the 'past' or were informed about the events that happened after Lara left Ithicana (or Maridrina at very beginning) it wasn’t the clearest explanations?? not the best way to phrase it but idk how else. like the writing was fine and understandable but i didn’t feel like there was enough explanation of the events between books to make me fully understand what happened. that's not to say there was nothing to fill in what happened, maybe im just (which is highly likely) because i just wanted more. ahh ok so i think the best way i can describe it is that there was a surface level explanation of the events that supposedly occurred between the first and second book but not anything more in depth in detail. which considering im a very detail person, i want to know everything there can be known, i want everyone's full history and actions and rationales and intentions and everything else about all the main characters. and i don’t think that it’s actually a fault of Jensen in this or the first book but it’s just what i ideally want out of a perfect book.

anyway other than me being a picky bitch and just wanting more when i like a book, broooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo it’s so good.

i mcfucking loved the tension between Lara and Aren after she organizes his rescue. but before that --

THE REST OF THE SISTERS.

one of the first things i said to my roommate when i was reading the first book was "i cannot wait until all the sisters come back and completely fuck up their father" anD GUESS WHAT??!?!?!?!

THEY FUCKING DELIVERED SO GODDAMN HARD

it was perfect that there was one sister who was super against what Lara did and came to Ithicana to murder the King and Queen (but ultimately failed and was killed by our Queen Lara). the rest of them living in small groups but never too far apart from each other - perfection, just perfection. them being 100% down to infiltrate their father's compound - beautiful. them willing to rescue the man they were all trained to hate and want to kill because Lara loved him??????? THE LOVE BETWEEN THE SISTERS - THE SHARED PAIN - THE RIDE OR DIE MOTHERFUCKERS THAT THEY ALL (minus the one Lara kills lol) FUCKING ARE -- I LOVED IT SO MUCH AND I WAS SO HAPPY IT PLAYED OUT PRETTY MUCH EXACTLY HOW I WANTED IT TO

i loved Lara sailing to Ithicana's island of Eranahl to talk to Ahnna about freeing Aren and her actually sailing there all by herself proved how dedicated she was to saving him. i just loved how the first book drives home just how terrified Lara is of the open sea and how it is the only thing that scares her and the only time she sails be herself in the second book (bc we know she fled from Ithicana by island jumping) is to save Aren.... and Ithicana but mostly Aren. its shown time and time again how much Lara came to love Aren and how much she was willing to risk or give up just to save him. TEH FUCKING ANGST      I LOVE IT  !!!!!!!

so yeah i just really love the dynamic between Lara and Aren in this book. they both know that they cannot continue to be together after Ithicana is free but they desperately want to. they've grown to love each other and despite Lara's betrayal, they both trust each other. but like for his country, Aren cannot recognize Lara as the Queen of Ithicana or his wife anymore. bro that scene broke me. it came right after Lara tried to leave Aren and he was essentially like "no it’s not safe here for you to go now, im keeping you with me". so yeah Aren having to admit that he doesn't recognize Lara as anything anymore HURT. and i loved how Lara was also hurt by that. they love each other so much but their situation and the world want to rip them apart :(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((

the final battle was confusing and seemed a bit fast but ultimately so satisfying. i guess it kinda started with the battle on Gamire Island when Lara got injured saving the life of Taryn, Aren's cousin she has befriended in the first book when she was Queen. also Lara saving her was just big proof to the rest of the Ithicana that she was there to fight to right her wrong and get their freedom back.

anyway so Lara gets injured and it was so sad to see how she knew she was seriously wounded but didn't believe that she was allowed to ask for help from the people whose lives she helped destroy and ended up going off on her own. it was so heartbreaking when Aren went to go patch up Lara and end up caving into sleeping with each other. he promised her that they were leaving in the morning and that she could rest then he went back to camp and realized that he could never leave her if he didnt in that moment and told them to get ready to leave - i started crying so much. bc when Lara woke up to everyone gone she thought that that was the plan the whole time and that Aren lied to her to leave her and then she was hit with the fact that it was Eranahl that was being attacked, and put away all her heartbreak and was determined to sail there to help against the Maridrina navy.

how she realized that it was her father on one of the ships and dueled him - so god damn hot. her swimming through the shark infested water to get to Aren????? ughhhhhh im crying. her up against the portcullis telling Aren to leave so he would live??? im crying even more. Aren desperately trying to save her bc he knows he cant live without her???????????? im bawling. her waking up in the bed she's familiar with?? im hopeful. Aren telling her about the trial by sea (and sharks) method used in Ithicana and how she passed so the sea has determined Lara is innocent and loyal to Ithicana????? IM BAWLING AGAIN  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i mcfucking knew that it had to end with Lara and Aren ending up together but i didnt know how it was going to happen. and while i wish the trial by shark thing was mentioned in the first book -- like the game they play at snake island with the running through the snakes and climbing up to the bridge and how that was called back to in the second book where Lara had to do the challenge to help free Ithicana. like that little game was a significant scene in the first book with Lara kind revealing her abilities with a bow and arrow and a little bit of Aren's recklessness, want to show off to Lara and how he was as a child. point it is served a purpose and it was a great scene and situation to call back to in the second book, but with more at stake this time. so i would have liked to see someone in Ithicana just mention the trial by sea idea in the first book. i mean when it was revealed i still teared up bc like yeah but i think it could have been a cool thing that was not quite foreshadowed but referenced at an earlier point.

tl;dr - the love between the sisters? perfection. the love between Lara & Aren? heartbreakingly beautiful and such a satisfying arc <3

Strawberry Kisses: The Night Before

Marcy’s roommate, who is dating Sungjin, takes her to a get together with Day6. There, she’s informed that someone in the group likes her, but she couldn’t depict who.

A/N: I could write this forever, I love Marcy and the boys. I’m in the process of making Part 3 (currently unnamed), but will not be posted as quickly as Part 1 and 2 (but it’s my goal). Also, low-key had my own housemate be the inspiration for Marcy’s roommate (because she’s a trip and I adore her).

Warnings/Themes: This is more plot and fluff than smut, but does have some spice. Heavy petting, dry humping, some dirty talk, praise, marking (overall pretty light compared to the last chapter)

Word Count: 5.1k 

I have nothing to be worried about. My best friend, Seo Yeon, or So-Yo, is taking me to a party at her boy-toy’s place. She’s been seeing this guy who’s a leader of a Korean rock band that is currently stationed in the states, don’t ask me how, she can’t even explain. I met this guy a couple times, as well as his bandmates and they’re pretty great. Their music is phenomenal and their personalities are outrageously fun. Her boyfriend, Sungjin, may be goofy, but he has a good head on his shoulders and is gradually making So-Yo a better person. Not saying she was a bad person, but she’s becoming a happier and healthier version of herself. Overall, he’s someone she needed and I cannot be more grateful for her relationship with him.

The others, on the other hand are all eligible bachelors and So-Yo wants to set me up with one of them so bad. Sungjin wants to stay out of it, but that’s because he knows something, but won’t tell me what it is. So-Yo thinks it’s because some of the members might like me more than they lead on.

Like I said, I only met the whole group a couple of times and I treasure every single one, so if the choice was mine, I don’t know who I would pick. They all gave me their numbers, but the other guitarist, Jae, texts me the most, but it’s mostly exchanging memes. The bassist, Brian or Younghyun, who has the stage name Young K, but no one calls him that, is by far the prettiest boy, and he is quite the gentleman to me, but he’s still kind of shy. The keyboardist, Wonpil, is an absolute sweetheart and always finds a way to make me smile, but at first, he was too timid to even look at me without blushing. Lastly, the drummer, Dowoon, still struggles with his English, but the last time I saw him, I helped him out a bit and he’s such a goof ball it was hard to concentrate.

Tonight, could make things different. So-Yo encouraged me to bring my swimsuit, in case we want to take a dip in the pool at their place. I chose to wear something slightly out of my comfort zone: a black lacey romper that could easily pass as lingerie. Instead of my usual jeans and a t-shirt. I didn’t intend on wearing something different, but So-Yo encouraged me to show some of my wild side that we missed so much.

I keep bugging So-Yo to tell me who likes me, the curiosity is giving me nostalgia to high school. She won’t tell me, because she doesn’t know for sure, but she knows Sungjin does. I ask her to butter him up so he could tell her, but sadly he’s not that dumb to fall for that.

We head over to their place. I’m extra nervous to go, not only because I’m wearing something different, but one or more of the four bandmates likes me. Holy shit, what if all of them like me? I’d like to think I’m a delight, but it would make sense on some of them. Wonpil is a blushing/smiling buffoon, Dowoon is super silly shy boy, Brian is a suave mysterious man and Jae is a humorous dork. I pull out my compact mirror to check out my makeup. I went with a nearly bare face, due to us probably going swimming. Of course, I put on waterproof mascara, but I still wanted to look a bit “natural”.

“You look fine”, So-Yo compliments me as we walk down the hallway to their front door.

“Fine might not do it. I’m solving the mystery on who likes me, if any, till it kills me”, I groan. I stuff my compact in my little backpack, between my extra pair of panties and my swimsuit.

“I mean, they all like you, Marcy, but if any of them like you? I already told you, I don’t know, but I have a strong guess who does”, she shrugs.

“Who?”, I whisper.

“I can’t confirm anything, it won’t be fair to the guy. I could be wrong”, she slaps my arm.

“But tell me who you think?”, I beg. So-Yo knocks on the door.

“I’m not telling you shit, because I love you and I love these boys. Would I love for you and one of my boys to be together? Hell yes, but I can’t tell you who to choose”, she whispers. Tell me who to choose? So, does everyone like me then? Sungjin answers the door and welcomes us with big warm hugs. He’s definitely a teddy bear. I hear Jae in the kitchen shout for us. We all head to the kitchen, where we’re summoned, and see all of the guys leaning against the counters/appliances. They obviously had some drinks before we got there.

“We’re starting with some shots. We all need some time to chillax”, Jae welcomes us with some shots of clear liquid, probably vodka.

“Shots? Oh shit, you guys haven’t seen Wild CC yet”, So-Yo laughs before accepting the shot. The boys are intrigued.

“There’s a Wild CC?”, Brian chuckles before sipping out of his red solo cup. So-Yo nudges my arm.

“It’s been a long time since she’s seen Wild CC, but I still got it in me”, I bashfully accept the shot glass.

“Do you?”, she squints her eyes at me. Jae gasps. I scrunch my nose, pouting and take the shot like a champ. The shot was definitely not vodka. If there is one thing So-Yo and I bond over, it’s bets. The boys cheer for me as Jae pours me another one.

“Get it, C!”, Dowoon cheers. He calls me C, because it was difficult for him to say my name, so he gave me the nickname “C”. Jae tends to call me Mars, Brian calls me Marcy or my full name, Marcella, while Wonpil and Sungjin also call me Marcy.

“Did you eat before coming?”, Sungjin asks, being the dad of the group. So-Yo whispers to him. He exits the room, slightly worried.

“He’s going to order some food. Go meet your bachelors”, she whispers to me before taking her shot and following Sungjin, taking our bags with her. Now, I’m left alone with four beautiful Korean men.

“Am I going to take shots alone?”, I incite a group shot. The boys lift up their shots.

“May friendships never die, work hard play hard, hugs not drugs”, I toast before tapping my shot to the counter and shooting it back. They all laugh from my toast. At least I get them to laugh. The shots are getting tougher to take, but dammit, this is helping my nerves.

“Another”, I tap my glass to the counter, asking for a refill.

“One more, then you’re taking a break”, Brian puts his hand on my back, concern in his voice. I inhale sharply. He’s hugged me before, but his hand is touching my exposed back, his fingertips burning against my skin.

“Of course”, I smile at him. We all prep for another shot.

“May the memes be dank, music be fresh, and sex be mind blowing”, I pull straight out of my ass, avoiding eye contact with all of the boys. They are taken by surprise over the sex portion of my toast. I take my shot and look at them. I shrug my shoulders and they take their shots. So-Yo comes back to the kitchen.

“Holy shit, how many did you guys take?”, she questions.

“I’m on my third”, I give her the sign for three, so far not feeling any effect.

“I’m so fucking proud of you, but let’s sit down before it hits you all at once”, she gestures for me to exit the kitchen. I follow her out of the kitchen and straight to the living room.

“So, I got some tea from Sungjin”, she whispers. Shit, so that’s why she pulled me out of the kitchen!

“Like what?”, I silently squeal.

“So, they all really dig you, don’t worry about that, but he definitely knows of two of them who were bickering earlier about which one you like more”, she confesses.

“Which one I like more?”, I point to myself. She nods and sits me down on the couch.

“I don’t even know which one I like more”, I mumble to myself.

“Come on, there has to be one of them you like more”, she scoffs at me.

“Sort out the pros and cons and I’ll go grab us some snacks”, she blows me a kiss before heading back to the kitchen. I hear her chat with the boys in Korean. That sneaky bitch, I love her. Pros and cons for the boys? Well Younghyun/Brian is stunning, always finds the right things to say, and looks out for me, just like a minute ago. Cons? He can be pretty uptight, can’t read his face, and is almost too pretty to be single, if that is a con. Jae is funny, extra, adorable, and is always down for something stupid. Cons, he might be a little too extra, a little too loud, and I have yet to see his serious side more than once. Wonpil is a sweetheart, looks good in any outfit, and is lowkey teaching me piano. Cons, he is still too shy around me. Dowoon is goofy, has the best facial expressions, always finds a way to make me smile. Cons, is still too shy around me, similar to Wonpil, and his English is very beginner so it would be difficult to communicate with him at first.

I hear my name within their conversation in the kitchen. I peak my head in.

“Talking shit?”, I spook So-Yo.

“No, I was just telling them about your progress in grad school”, she pulls out of her ass. They all give me a round of applause. I squint my eyes at her. She gives me a little wink.

“Bullshit she told you, but thank you guys”, I thank them while I do a botched curtsy.

“To break the ice and to get to know each other. Let’s play a game of truth or lie”, So-Yo changes directions, showing her inner camp counselor.

“It’s where someone in the room says something about themselves or something that has happened, could be true or made up, hence the name. The rest of the group has to guess if it’s true or a lie. If everyone gets the answer right, the person telling the truth or lie has to drink. If the group splits answers, whoever is wrong drinks. It’s simple”, So-Yo explains the game then translates in Korean. They all seem pretty excited to play. We all crowd the counter to make ourselves some mixed drinks to use for the game. We all stand in a circle in the kitchen with our drinks. I wanted to stand next to So-Yo and Sungjin, but she low-key puts me in between Jae and Brian while she stands on the other side of the circle. They are both so fucking tall compared to me, I’m feeling intimidated.

“Since I suggested the game, I’ll go first. Marcy is the first friend I made in the US. Truth or lie”, So-Yo starts off the game. Nearly everyone says truth, except for me and Jae. It was a lie, I was the second friend she made in the US, but our friendship is the longest. The losers take a swig of their drinks. We go along a circle for more truth or lie.

“The longest sleep I ever had was fifteen hours. Truth or lie”, Sungjin contemplates. We all say lie, which was correct. He laughs and says he never counted the longest sleep he ever had and takes a big gulp of his drink.

I keep my eyes on So-Yo to avoid looking at the boys. Brian nudges my arm.

“Are you ok?”, he worries. My grip on the cup tightens. I nod. He puts his hand on my back again, this time his fingertips feel like ice against skin.

“Don’t tense up, we’re all friends here”, he mouths. I hold the cup up to my face to hide my blushing cheeks. He flashes a smile at me.

“You’re cute when you’re shy”, he whispers before putting his hand in his pocket. Say what? Did I hear him correctly! It gets to my turn and so far I learned that Wonpil can’t lie to save his life, reminds me of myself, while Brian can lie through his teeth, proving my theory of him being mysterious.

“Marcy, truth or lie”, So-Yo purses her lips. All eyes are on me.

“What could I say?”, I try to gain inspiration.

“Be bold! Bet you won’t say something crazy”, So-Yo raises an eyebrow. Bitch knows how to get me. Everyone ooo’s at me, acknowledging the challenge.

“Fine, I’ll go bold”, I mumble.

“I play your songs as background noise while I masturbate. Truth or lie”, I shrug. So-Yo falls to her knees laughing. That bitch knows it’s true. There are mixed reactions around the room. Wonpil is blushing more than me, nearly turning as red as our cups. Dowoon didn’t understand the question so Jae explained it to him in Korean, resulting in him taking a huge gulp of his drink. Brian taps his leg nervously. Jae squints at me, trying to see through my poker face. Jokes on him, I can’t lie to save my life and today they’re going to learn that. Sungjin just does his iconic “what the fuck did I just hear” look at So-Yo, who is still on the floor laughing, this time nearly crying.

“Is it the truth or is it a lie?”, I ask the room.

“Which songs?”, Jae incites more information.

“Which songs I play? Well, Shoot Me, Time of Our Life, Dance Dance, I Wait, How Can I Say, Chocolate, I can say more if you want”, I list.

“Oh, it’s definitely a lie, you can’t masturbate to those songs”, Jae shakes his head.

“I didn’t say I masturbate to those songs, I play those songs in the background”, I explain.

“Dowoon?”, I ask for his answer.

“Truth”, he hesitates.

“I’m saving you for last, everyone is just going to copy you”, I point to So-Yo.

“Sungjin?”, I gesture to the sweet teddy bear who desperately wants to give me the disappointed dad face.

“Lie”, he shakes his head, sipping his drink.

“Lie”, Wonpil avoids eye contact with me. That poor boy must be dying of embarrassment. I guess he doesn’t want to accept that I listen to his singing while I pleasure myself. Oh well.

“Brian?”, I twiddle my thumbs.

“Lie”, he smirks at me. Sucker.

“So-Yo, what is it, truth or lie?”, I point to my best girl.

“It’s the fucking truth! Drink up!”, So-Yo cheers. Everyone exclaims their non-belief.

“She’s my roommate, you don’t think I won’t notice that shit? Let’s just say, she’s not quiet”, she teases before sipping her drink. I gasp. Jae and Brian look at me, wondering what I’m going to say next. 

Realizing I completely embarrassed myself, I scurry out of the room. I should just go. I lost my chance, I should’ve just stayed home. I fight the urge to cry as I run to the bathroom. My hands grip onto the sink, having water run to fade out the noises of me almost crying. The more I think about it, the worse it gets. I didn’t realize how tipsy I am till I look at my hands and notice how much I’m swaying. I should just go home and sleep, forget this night happened.

I hear a knock on the door. I fan myself to dry any tears.

“Yes?”, I ask, hoping my voice didn’t crack. The door creaks open.

“Marcy. It’s just me”, Brian whispers. I turn my back to him.

“I could be peeing, what the fuck”, I laugh, wiping tears off my cheek. Brian closes the door behind him.

“I learned that you can’t lie. Also, you would’ve actually yelled at me if you were”, he laughs before hugging me from behind. His arms wrapped around me makes me feel so secure and safe.

“Talk to me”, Brian whispers, putting his head on my shoulder.

“Did I fuck myself up by telling you guys about the thing?”, I hesitate.

“Don’t overthink it. It’s flattering, actually”, he chuckles. Thinking of him taking this as a compliment makes me giggle. Of course, out of all people, confident Brian would take this differently. Or he’s just saying this to make me smile.

“Let’s go swimming. We all need to cool off”, he squeezes me tighter. I grab his forearm and rub my thumb against his skin.

“Thank you”, I whisper. His heartbeat pounds against my back.

“We’re all friends here”, he mumbles. He kisses my head and storms out of the bathroom. First, he puts his hand on my back, calls me cute, comforts me in the bathroom, and now he kisses my head! I may be a dumb bitch, but I’m not that dumb.

Where did So-Yo put my bag? I peak my head out of the door, hoping to see it close by. I notice Sungjin and So-Yo sitting in the couch, giving each other googly eyes, already dressed in their swimsuits. Gross, but I love them so much. I find my bag by the corner of the hallway where the bathroom is. I manage to snag it without being noticed.

I change into my swimsuit, feeling more vulnerable. Stepping out of the bathroom, I’m welcomed by So-Yo.

“I got more tea”, she whispers. I’m all here for the tea!

“I know the two who were bickering”, she recalls the conversation from earlier.

“One of them has to be Brian, we just had a moment in the bathroom”, I gesture a hug.

“Oh”, So-Yo eyes widen. Oh?! Is one of them not Brian?!

“Do you like Brian?”, she mouths. I blush.

“Maybe I do?”, I shrug.

“That’s a yes”, she smiles at me.

“Why, who’s the other person?”, I slightly panic.

“You really haven’t noticed the way Jae looks at you?”, she expresses her shook face. I grab the door frame beside me.

“What?!”, I exclaim. 

Sungjin walks in and gathers us to join the rest of the group at the front door. Brian raises his eyebrows, seeing me in my bikini for the first time. Wonpil’s eyes widen. Jae does a little shuffle in place, trying not to look at me. Looking at these boys in their swim shorts makes me want to audibly whine “why the fuck are you all so pretty?!”. Why the fuck do they all look so good? To stop myself from staring, I keep my eyes on So-Yo. Sungjin hands So-Yo and I some towels and leads all of us to the pool on the roof. I leave my phone to charge, also to not get it wet.

It’s Jae and Brian that like me? No fucking way. Brian is at least flirty, Jae hasn’t shown any sign of him liking me. Oh shit. I forgot about the late night texting of random shit, shower thoughts type of dumb topics. I am truly a dumb bitch.

We get to the pool and it’s deserted. Jae swoops me in his arms and carries me to the edge of the pool.

“Jae!”, I squeal, terrified of him dropping me.

“I’m not going to drop you”, he cackles.

“Good”, I huff.

“I’m taking both of us in”, he shouts before jumping into the pool. I splash at him when we get to the surface. Everyone joins in on their own. Brian giving an expressionless face. Oh no, does he think I like Jae? Wait, do I like Jae? I swim to So-Yo. I try to be quiet enough for Sungjin to not notice.

“What do you mean by the way he looks at me?”, I whisper.

“He looks at you like you two are in a fucking Disney film”, she scoffs.

“Do you like him?”, she continues.

“I don’t know” I mumble.

“You’re still wondering who likes you?”, Sungjin chuckles. I shush him, trying to not catch the others attention.

“She knows it’s Brian and Jae. She can’t pick which one she likes”, So-Yo informs him. He gives me his “I really want to give you advice” look.

“It’s ok if you don’t know right away. When you know, you just have to talk to them”, he shrugs. I groan.

“That’s the hard part”, I mouth.

“Take each of them out on a date. See who you like more”, she suggests. This is getting overwhelming.

“A date?”, I exhale. I hear Brian call for me from a distance. So-Yo nods at me while I swim to the direction of his voice. Brian is sitting at the shallow end with the rest of the guys.

“We want to get to know you some more”, Jae grins at me. Oh Lord, they know I masturbate with their songs playing in the background and they still want to know me? Fuck. Maybe I am a delight.

“What do you want to know?”, I nervously rub my hands together.

“What was the weirdest nickname you ever had?”, Jae takes over with the questions.

“Weirdest nickname. I don’t know what would be considered weird”, I wonder.

“Tell them about Strawberry!”, So-Yo shouts, slowly swimming her way to us.

“Strawberry?”, Wonpil asks.

“Oh, goodness”, I laugh, hiding my face.

“Tell us about Strawberry”, Brian looks at me, eager to know.

“So, when I was really little, I really liked this boy. Probably my first crush. One day, he confronted me about my crush because his friends were teasing him about it. I was blushing so hard that my face was all pink, and back then, my freckles were more noticeable, so the boy told me I looked like a strawberry. Some kids overheard and proceeded to call me Strawberry. The name stuck all throughout my school years, it fucking sucked but looking back at it now, it’s cute. I don’t mind it anymore”, I share. Everyone was all awing my story.

Sungjin runs out of the pool and rushes downstairs. So-Yo reminded him about our food, that’s why. He gets back to the roof and tells us food is ready. We all groan about leaving the pool so early, but there’s food, we can’t complain too much.

We go back to the apartment and stuff our faces with food, sobering up pretty quickly. We exchange some stories, some laughs. So-Yo turns on a movie to keep us occupied till we get tired. 

Sungjin was nice enough to tell us we’re staying the night, there was no way we were going to go back home in our condition. Brian offers his bed for me, saying he’ll take the couch. What a gentleman.

After the movie, it’s time for all of us to go get some sleep. Dowoon stays up to play some video games. Wonpil gives me a hug goodnight, which is shocking, and heads to his room. Sungjin and So-Yo head to his room, waving good-bye, while So-Yo gives me a wink. Jae hands me my phone that I nearly forgot about, for once.

“Night, Strawberry”, he sticks out his tongue. I pretend to hit him with my phone. He dramatically flails in pain as he goes to his room. Then there’s just Brian and I. He escorts me to his room. He digs around his closet and tosses me a t-shirt.

“It’s good to sleep comfortably”, he smiles. I look at the shirt, loving the material. It’s a simple white tee but the material is soft and smells beautiful. I grab my bag and pull out my extra panties so I won’t have to wear dirty underwear to bed. Brian notices the panties and blushes. I don’t recall him ever being flustered.

“Thank you so much for tonight. We should do this more often”, I sigh.

“We should. Sweet dreams, Marcy”, he bows his head and leaves his room, giving me privacy to change. I strip out of my swimsuit and into this heavenly shirt and clean panties. Fuck, I love this shirt. I take a whiff of the scent and holy shit I’m swooning. It smells like his cologne, but also smells clean, basically smells like boy.

I crawl into bed, absorbing myself in his soft sheets. I imagine him sleeping in this bed and it brings butterflies to my stomach. I hear a knock on the door.

“It’s your girl”, So-Yo whispers before opening the door. I wrap myself like a burrito.

“You’re loving his bed without him in it? That’s sad”, she cackles. I shush her to keep quiet.

“I can call him in, he’ll be happy to be here seeing you be a caterpillar”, she giggles.

“Do it, you won’t”, I groan at her before I spread out the blanket. I turn off the light so I can actually sleep. So-Yo didn’t close the door, that monster. Whatever, I’ll sleep through it. I roll around to find the best position to sleep.

There’s another knock on my door. I grunt to show a lack of interest in talking. I didn’t hear anything afterwards, it must’ve been my imagination. I feel a dip in the mattress.

“It’s just me”, Brian whispers, scaring the shit out of me. I flip over and see him perfectly from the moonlight glistening him.

“Holy shit, she did call you in”, I mumble. He chuckles under his breath.

“May I?”, he lightly tugs on the blanket. Don’t have to ask me twice! I flip open the blanket for him to crawl inside.

“Can we snuggle? You can say no”, I test the waters.

“You don’t have to ask”, he cackles before taking me in his arms. Fuck, I really needed this. In this snuggle party: I’m on my side, facing him, while he lays on his back, one arm supporting my head and the other is wrapped around my waist. Out of impulse, I put my leg against his, almost putting it between them. My silky smooth leg low-key rubs against his leg hair. Wait, is he wearing just his underwear? Dare I check?

“Are you just wearing your underwear?”, I mumble.

“Shorts”, he whispers.

“Are you wearing just your underwear?”, he turns the direction to me. His heart is nearly pounding out of his chest. It’s interesting that he gives off his confident exterior, but his heartbeat says otherwise.

“We’re not talking about me here”, I tease. He combs his fingers through my hair.

“Thank you for being comfortable with me”, he whispers. His voice is different. Not the cute, handsome voice that I’m used to. This voice is deeper, solem almost. My hands were wrapped around myself to be a little mummy, but I slowly unraveled to place one hand on his chest and the other rubbing my knuckles on his cheek. How am I nervous around you, but am still so comfortable? I can still see him perfectly from the illumination of the moonlight. He’s even more handsome than I could imagine.

“Brian”, I hesitate. He turns his head and gives me a peck on the lips. I lay there speechless over him taking the plunge that I was going to do.

“You do look like a strawberry when you blush like that”, he scrunches his face. I grab his face and kiss him back. He pulls me by the waist to get on top of him. I sit on his lap, loving the loose clothing keeping us from touching skin to skin. I continue kissing him, slowly rolling my hips. He grabs my hips and guides me to a perfect rhythm. His dick gets hard in seconds, teasing me from how close it is to me.

“Oh, fuck”, he moans.

“You feel so good”, he whispers.

“Do I?”, I tease. I put my hand under my crotch to palm him through his shorts. His moans turn into a raspy growl. He flips me over so that I’m on my back, having him hover above me. His hand goes straight to my folds, his index finger doing a long strip along me. I groan from the contact. His mouth latches to my neck, ferociously kissing and sucking, as if he’s hungry for this. His heavy petting is making me weak. I continue to palm him, feeling his dick twitch from my contact.

“You’re already so wet for me. Fuck”, he moans against my skin.

“Brian, please”, I manage to speak.

“Tell me what you want, baby”, his voice deepens.

“I want you”, I whine. He bites down on my neck, definitely going to leave a visible mark that will be noticeable in the morning. He slams his clothed dick on me, rubbing himself against my wet panties.

“How do you want me?��, he continues. His pace quickens.

“I want you inside of me”, I moan in his ear. He groans and pulls himself away from me entirely, sitting beside me with his knees to his chest.

“No, not like this”, he brushes his hair back, wiping the sweat off his forehead. I sit up and nudge his arm.

“What’s wrong?”, I mumble, trying to keep my composure.

“You’re my friend. Friends don’t do this”, he pants.

“Brian”, I grab his hand.

“I just need some time. I know I like you, I like you so much, I just need some time to know if I want a relationship yet”, he confesses. I’m still compiling what the fuck just happened, but I’m flexible.

“I understand”, I smile. He’s very open with me about his past relationships, which I am very thankful for.

“If you don’t want to wait, I understand”, Brian starts to ramble. I never saw him like this, collapsing. He always looked to have his shit together, but seeing him this way, being human who can break, is cleansing. I squeeze his hand to get his attention.

“Let’s just get some sleep. We can talk about this later, alright?”, I suggest. He nods and lays back down.

“Would you still want to cuddle?”, he murmurs. I get all snuggly in his arms.

“You don’t have to ask”, quoting him from earlier.

“We have a small concert tomorrow night if you want to come. We snagged a ticket in case you weren’t busy”, he invites. I bury my face in his chest.

“I’d love to finally see you perform live”, I scrunch my face.

“Perfect”, he chuckles before getting into a deep sleep.

There’s no fucking way So-Yo is going to believe this shit. No, no, I shouldn’t tell her, not till him and I talk for real about what’s going to happen with us.

He looks like such an angel, doesn’t even snore. I hope we can move on from this, my feelings for him become even more clear, reflecting on how he was with me earlier tonight and just now. I wonder what he has in mind for our conversation.

King of My Heart - Three - B.H.

Summary: Cassidy King is an Olympian. Four years ago she competed in Rio. Unfortunately, she didn’t live up to expecations. Now she’s preparing to go to the trials to compete again in Tokyo. After four years of swimming with a team that doesn’t feel like a team, she’s finally found a friend. Ben Jones is also preparing for the trials, and he’s felt like an outcast in other ways. With a dual-citizenship and a quiet personality, their teammates treat him like he doesn’t deserve to compete for Team USA. Together, they’ll push each other harder and faster to perfection.

Pairing: Ben Hardy x OC

AU: Collegiate/Olympic Swimming

Word Count: 6.5k

Warnings: swearing, alcohol consumption, violence, sexual harassment (commentary)

A/N: Thank you as always to @bensbuttercup for this beautiful moodboard and for hyping me up. Thank you to @hollandlovely for beta reading for me!

Over the next few weeks, Cassidy fell into an easy routine. Finals ended and Gwil left town for his summer internship, leaving Priya alone to devote all of her excess ‘must care for something’ energy to her succulents and Cassidy. Cassidy found herself not having to pack or make her own food because Priya made so much for her, and in return she felt she should support Priya through the end of the softball season.

“Hey do you want to come to Priya’s softball game tonight?” Cassidy asked Ben as they walked to practice one day. With no classes to attend afterwards, they walked in their swimsuits, towels around their waists and swim bags on their backs. “Gwil always used to go and now he’s gone and she’s been cooking all this food for me,” Cassidy held up the tupperware container she was eating oatmeal out of the punctuate her point, “and I thought I’d go support her.”

“Okay if I go to your roommate’s softball game,” Ben started, “you have to come to my roommate’s baseball game with me. He’s been dying for me to go to a game.”

“Hey I like baseball,” Cassidy shrugged. “Baseball pants look nice.”

“You literally hang out with me in a speedo all the time,” Ben laughed, sounding only a little offended.

“Yes, and you look fantastic, Benedict,” Cassidy joked, reminded of how Ben said his roommate liked to call him by any full name except his real one. “But I’m tired of your ass and I need to see other asses to feel fulfilled.”

Ben rolled his eyes and sighed. “Fine I understand,” he pouted. “But I won’t be happy about it.”

“Hey, we’re not dating,” Cassidy pointed out.

“Yet,” Ben said with a grin. He reached for Cassidy’s hips and she dodged away, squealing as Ben lunged after her, catching her around the waist and swinging her around in a circle.

“Hands off, Jones,” she laughed as he set her on her feet again, and swatted him away. “We’re just training.”

“Yes this is how I treat all my training buddies,” Ben said with mock-seriousness as he reached to open the door for Cassidy, who sniffed haughtily and sailed past him.

“I’ll see you in the pool.” Cassidy paused at the locker room door, glancing over her shoulder to smile at Ben. In the fluorescent lighting, his blond hair, spiked up on one side from sleep, seemed to shimmer like pool water in the sun. His lips slowly curled up into a smile, before he disappeared into the men’s locker room.

The tile was cool under Cassidy’s feet as she walked across the locker room, her flip flops slapping against her heels, the sound echoing throughout the room. It seemed emptier now. Most of the girls went home for the summer, training with summer teams. It cleared out the locker room for the famous swim camp the university hosted for high school swimmers, known for the severity of its training. Cassidy herself had attended every summer since she turned 12.

She remembered the first time she’d stepped into the locker room at Texas. Feeling small compared to the older girls who walked by with Longhorns on their caps. Goosebumps had sprung up all over her body, but what was really fear could be easily passed off as cold.

Now when she walked in, it just felt familiar. The pale orange tile on the walls was a comforting sight. She dropped her bag on the bench in front of her cubby, and hung her towel on the hook, trading it for her mesh bag of gear, paddles and a pull buoy. Her goggles and cap tucked into her swimsuit. A water bottle ready to be filled at the fountain by the pool with the coolest water. As always Cassidy was prepared.

Ben stepped out of the locker room and found Cassidy already filling her water bottle at the fountain. A big grin stretched across his face. He couldn’t help it. It happened every time he saw her. Walking up behind her, his own water bottle in his hands, he could see her goggles threatening to fall from where she’d tucked them into her swimsuit. He couldn’t get the words out before they fell, but he managed to lean down and catch them at her knee, saving them from getting scratched on the ground.

“Seems like I’m always saving your goggles,” he said breathlessly as he stood up, dangling them by the strap in front of her face.

Cassidy snatched them from his hand. “Need I remind you that you made me drop them the first time?” Ben leaned his elbow on the water fountain, looking up at her with an affectionate smirk.

“Guess I just have that effect on you,” he teased. Cassidy splashed him in the face with her water and he shook his head, wiping the cold droplets from his eyes.

“Bastard,” she muttered. “I hate you.”

“No you liiiiiiiike me,” Ben said, smile stretching into a grin as Cassidy rolled her eyes. He’d been enjoying making fun of her for her admission of feelings. In truth, it seemed like she was trying to pretend it had never happened, and banter was the only way to get her to show him it was still true. He needed to be reminded of her feelings or it felt like he might die of anticipation for when they could actually be together.

“We’re just here to practice, Jones,” Cassidy reminded him as she screwed the lid onto her water bottle and walked towards lane 4. She’d moved over to practice next to Ben in the last week. Talking over one lane line was easier than two.

“Calling someone by their last name is peak flirting, King,” Ben called over his shoulder as he filled his own water bottle. He was so distracted watching Cassidy bend over and sort through her bag that he overfilled it and water sloshed over his hand.

“Who knew you were such a sappy romantic?” she answered dryly.

“Yeah Ben, who knew you had the hots for Cassidy?”

Ben whirled around. Nobody else was supposed to be there. Nobody else practiced in the morning.

Hunter Davis and Oliver Young were standing there, still in their warmups, arms crossed. Hunter’s blonde hair was spiked up with gel, as if he wasn’t even planning to practice, and Oliver’s dark hair was wet, like he’d just showered.

“What the fuck are y’all doing here?” Cassidy nearly spat. A bright red anger spread across her face under her freckles. Her fingers balled into tight fists, but Ben could see her entire body shaking, either with frustration or nerves, maybe both.

“Oh you know,” Hunter sneered, “we figured if we started practicing in the morning like Jones, we could get you to help us out.”

Ever the sidekick, Oliver piped up from slightly behind Hunter. “Like you did for Lochte at the games,” he taunted, miming a jacking off motion into his mouth. “Like you’re doing for Jones now.”

Ben saw it happen in slow motion. He froze. Powerless. A cold shiver went down his spine as he saw Cassidy pull back her fist and slam it into Oliver’s eye socket. He went down like a sack of flour and Cassidy turned to Hunter. She grabbed his shoulders and kneed him so hard in the balls, Ben winced, watching Hunter’s eyes water.

Cassidy leaned over him and hissed, “you know that rumor isn’t true, and if you know what’s good for you, you’ll stop perpetuating it.”

This time, when Casidy drew back her arm, Ben darted forward and grabbed her,  wrapping one arm around her waist, the other across her chest, but her right arm still flailed, and her elbow knocked into his cheek.

“Let me go!” she cried, struggling against him, her other elbow digging into his stomach. He backed up and felt the block behind him, an idea popping into his head.

“Cassidy calm down,” he grunted, one last attempt. “You don’t want to do this.” But Cassidy kept kicking, so Ben turned, lifting her off the ground and tossing her into the cold water with a splash.

The cold water washed over Cassidy’s face, and she came up spluttering, spitting water out of her mouth and brushing loose strands of hair off her forehead. With a deep breath, and the cold water surrounding her, she felt calmer. What had come over her? Who was she, going around hitting people?

“I’m sorry,” she whimpered, watching Hunter and Oliver pick themselves up, a black eye already blooming on Oliver’s face.

“What’s going on here?” Tears pricked the corners of Cassidy’s eyes as she looked up to see Coach’s disappointed face looming down at her.

Both Hunter and Oliver began talking at once.

“We just wanted to practice in the morning!”

“Cassidy punched me in the face!”

“We didn’t do anything!”

“She just went crazy!”

Coach cut them off with one sharp grunt. Hunter and Oliver fell silent. Cassidy swam silently to the edge and rested her chin on her hands.

“I’m sorry, Coach,” she murmured. “I can train at my home pool for the rest of the summer. I know fighting is against the rules.”

Coach looked back and forth between Hunter and Oliver and Cassidy. He raised one eyebrow at the smug look on Hunter’s face, and the way Oliver sneered at Cassidy. Finally, he turned to Ben.

“Ben,” he said softly, “you witnessed this?”

“Yes sir.”

“Okay,” Coach nodded. “Davis and Young, wait outside my office. I want to talk to Ben.” He turned to Cassidy, a soft look in his eyes. “Cassidy, just go ahead and do your workout. I’ll talk to you last.”

“Yes sir,” Cassidy nodded, unable to meet his eyes. She knew for sure she was off the team. Hunter and Oliver’s testimonies against her were airtight. Nothing Ben said was going to change that, and nobody ever listened to Cassidy.

Begrudgingly, she pulled herself out of the water and reached for her cap and goggles, but she struggled to pull her cap over her wet hair. On top of the slick silicone, her fingers shook. She tried three times before Ben took the cap out of her hands. He slipped it over her head, catching all her curls. When she looked up, his green eyes were wide.

“It’s gonna be fine,” he promised, squeezing her hands once before turning away and trailing after Coach and the other boys.

Cassidy pulled her goggles over her eyes after a quick glance at her workout sheet, and dove into the cool water. Every stroke was hard. Every kick was a struggle. Her body wracked with sobs as she tried to swim, stopping every few strokes to clear her goggles, fogged up by her tears.

Continuing to fight through her warmup, her hands shook. She could barely keep her fingers together to cup the water. Her lungs burned with every breath and underwater she released the air with small whimpers that reached only her ears. She knew she should stop swimming. It was getting harder and harder to take in a breath. Her chest burned with the effort, and her arms flopped against the surface of the water.

She needed air, and rest, she turned on her back, opening her eyes. The ceiling lights went in and out of focus as she sucked air into her lungs, but she felt herself sinking. Her eyes fluttered shut. The water lapped at her face, some droplets spilling into her mouth. With one last deep breath, she relaxed. Just as she slipped under, she heard Ben scream.

“Cassidy!”

The water enveloped her completely, like a soft bed she could rest on. Bubbles escaped her open mouth as she sank beneath the surface, letting her arms float up, her body relaxing completely for the first time in about a decade. I’ll just sleep here.

She barely noticed the muscled arm wrap around her chest. Someone kicked her up to the surface. Her chin bounced against her chest as they broke into the air. A hand gripped her chin and tilted her face up, the back of her head resting against her rescuer’s shoulder. She drew shallow breaths. Slowly, she peeled her eyes open and turned her head slightly, catching a flash of blonde hair in the corner of her eye.

“Ben,” she croaked weakly. The arm around her chest tightened as she went limp again, unable to keep her eyes open.

Ben turned her around as they reached the wall, lifting one of her arms into the air, and a hand closed tight around her wrist and began to lift her. Someone else grabbed her other wrist and caught the strap of her swimsuit, hauling her out of the water. Her legs banged against the wall until someone gripped the back of her knees and laid her out on the tile.

“Cassidy,” she heard Ben’s voice as someone peeled her goggles and cap off her face. She wrenched her eyes open to see his worried face right above hers, blocking the fluorescent lights from the ceiling.

“Hey there, Jones,” Cassidy managed. She stared, half-lidded at his lips, watched him chew his lower lip with worry.

“You scared me, King,” he whispered, leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead. His hand found hers and he entwined their fingers, squeezing tightly.

“Sorry,” Cassidy murmured, squeezing her eyes shut as she started to sit up. Ben sat back on his heels and helped steady her as a pounding headache overtook her. “I don’t know what happened. I was really upset and I was crying and I couldn’t breathe and--”

“Breathe,” Coach knelt down on her other side and put a hand on her shoulder. “I think you had a panic attack.”

“A panic attack?”

Coach nodded. “I’m sorry, Cassidy. I shouldn’t have left you alone like that. Not without talking to you first.”

“I just,” Cassidy shrugged, “I got overwhelmed because I know it’s my last time to swim here.” Coach looked confused.

“Why would it be your last time to swim here?”

“You’re kicking me off the team aren’t you?” Cassidy asked incredulously. “Violence is against every policy.”

Coach softened and chuckled a little bit. “Getting upset when someone sexually harasses you isn’t against team policies.”

“What I--”

“Ben told me everything,” Coach assured her, giving her shoulder a squeeze before stepping back. “And I think Davis and Young have something to say to you.”

Ben still held Cassidy’s hand as she looked up. Hunter had stripped down to his speedo, and was soaking wet. That was weird. She looked up at Ben, his blonde hair still completely dry.

“Wait,” Cassidy held up her hands. “You jumped in to save me?”

Hunter shrugged. “I was a lifeguard in high school. And you’re my teammate.” He looked down sheepishly, not meeting her eyes. “I wasn’t going to let anything happen to you.”

“And we’re really sorry,” Oliver added. His bruise was getting worse, his eye swelling up. She’d really socked him. “You don’t have to forgive us, but we shouldn’t have harassed you all this time.”

“We’ll tell everyone to stop spreading the rumor,” Hunter promised, finally looking Cassidy in the eye. “And we wanted to tell you that we think you’re a great swimmer and you’re going to do the US proud at the Olympics.”

“I--” Cassidy was at a loss for words. Her mouth gaped open. “Uh, thanks guys.” They both nodded and turned to go. She looked over at Coach with one raised eyebrow. “What did you say to them?”

“Told them if they ever wanted a chance to train here again they better apologize to my best swimmer,” Coach grinned. “And that if they ever harassed a woman like that again I’d personally castrate them.”

“And they’ll be gone for the rest of the summer,” Ben added. He tried to hide the grin on his face, but couldn’t.

“They might have made the trials but they have no right to train here after that sort of behavior,” Coach confirmed. “Cassidy, why didn’t you tell me what was going on?”

Cassidy shrugged. “I guess I figured, this is kind of a boys club and nobody would take me seriously.” She might as well be honest. Coach was the type who could handle that. He looked down and sighed.

“I’m sorry you felt that way. I let you down, Cassidy.”

“I know you won’t let it happen again,” Cassidy said.

“I sure won’t,” Coach chuckled. He shook his head and stood up. Ben followed, pulling Cassidy to her feet. He clapped his hands together. “Okay, you are now obligated to take the rest of the day off.”

“What about workouts?” Ben asked. Cassidy elbowed him lightly.

Coach shook his head. “Nope, I insist you go have some fun instead. Start your taper early.” He began walking towards his office. “If I see either of you two here for the rest of the day, I will actually kick you out. Go!”

Cassidy didn’t have to be told twice. She dragged Ben towards the locker room and dashed into the women’s with a quick squeeze of his hand before she let go. Like she was afraid Coach was going to come in and tell her it was a joke, she gathered all her stuff and ran outside. Ben was already there, leaning against the wall, his towel slung low around his hips. When he saw her, his lips split into a grin.

“Took you long enough,” he teased.

“Shut your mouth or I’ll shut it for you,” Cassidy answered quickly. Then she went bright red when Ben smirked at her.

“Only if you shut it with your lips,” he said hopefully, reaching down for her hand. Cassidy wiggled away from him.

“Keep it in your speedo, Jones,” she muttered. “Remember the rules.” She turned and began to walk away.

“But we have the day off!” Ben whined. He caught her wrist in his hand and pulled her back against him, wrapping his arms around her waist. “Plus it was super hot watching you kick ass like that.”

Cassidy slid her hands up his chest to hold onto his shoulders, lifting her chin to look into his eyes. He looked so hopeful, chewing nervously on his lip.

“Ben,” she sighed, “don’t you think it’ll be so much more worth it if we just wait until we’re done with all the stress of the trials and everything?”

Ben sighed. “Okay.” He squeezed her hips. “Is this okay though? Touching you?” He gave a little smile. “‘Cause I don’t wanna give this up.” He reached up and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, burying his face in her wet hair. Cassidy wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her ear against his chest so she could hear his heart pound.

“C’mon let’s go,” she said, pulling away. “We have an entire day just to hang out.”

“Lead the way,” Ben responded, letting Cassidy take his hand for the walk back to their building.

--

An hour and two showers later, Ben sat back against Cassidy’s pillows as she put some product in her hair. He watched her scrunch the curls back to life, humming along to whatever song was playing in her head. Her tattoo stretched and warped as she used the muscles in her shoulder, and he suddenly got curious.

“Did your tattoo hurt a lot?” he called. She looked over at him and smiled.

“Thinking of getting one?” she asked. She lined her finger up with the arch of her eyebrow and ran it back to part her hair, giving it a few final scrunches before she walked over and flopped down on her stomach next to Ben.

“Once I go to the Olympics.” He shrugged, still staring down at the rings on her shoulder. He reached a hand out, then pulled it back.

“You can touch it,” Cassidy flipped her hair off that shoulder, “I don’t mind. But it just feels like normal skin.” Ben reached out, his fingers shaking slightly, and lightly ran the pad of his index finger around the ring closest to him. Tracing each ring one-by-one, Ben smiled.

“You didn’t answer my question,” he reminded her as he sat back again. Cassidy, seeming to find this distance unbearable, rolled on her side, facing away from Ben, and scooted back to press herself against his side. He swallowed, but got the hint, and turned to wrap his arms around her, inhaling the scent of her hair product. It smelled like coconuts.

“I can only describe it as a cat scratching a bad sunburn,” Cassidy mused. “The one on my ribs hurt a lot more.”

“Why a shark?”

“They’re the greatest predators in the ocean,” she explained. “And they’ve been around forever. Longer than trees. I guess I kind of want to be a shark.” “You are,” Ben murmured. He slipped his arm under her waist and linked his fingers together over her tummy, tugging her closer. Cassidy turned over in his arms, her wet curls sliding across Ben’s nose and making him sneeze.

“Bless you,” she murmured. She stared either at his chin or his lips, Ben couldn’t tell.

“Thanks,” he muttered back, wishing he could just lean in and kiss her, but he jumped when thunder rumbled outside. Cassidy scrunched up her nose and giggled, tucking her face into Ben’s chest as her shoulders shook.

“You afraid of thunder, Jones?”

“I don’t like sudden noises,” he said sheepishly. As the thunder crackled again, this time louder, Ben involuntarily fisted Cassidy’s tank top in his hands, all his muscles tensing up. “You think the game will get rained out?”

“Nah,” Cassidy mumbled. “It’ll be over in an hour or so and the field will dry out by this evening.”

“Okay,” Ben sighed.

As the thunder got louder and more frequent, rain began to pound hard against the windows. Cassidy gently ran her fingers up and down Ben’s spine to distract him, but he was still jumping with every crack. Eventually, she shoved away from him and sat up, arranging her hair around her shoulders.

“I need it to dry nicely for the game tonight,” she explained. “You can put your head in my lap if you want. I’ll play with your hair,” she offered. Ben smiled softly and she blushed lightly under her freckles. His eyes fluttered shut as soon as he felt her fingers in his hair. The pads of her fingers drifted over his scalp. He hummed softly, then louder in protest as her hands left his head.

“Hey,” he said quietly, his mouth half turned into her thigh.

“I was just grabbing my book,” she explained, settling back with only one hand in his hair now. Her thumb traced the shell of his ear and her fingers drifted up and down the side of his neck.

“Read to me.” Ben could see the edge of the book in his vision, recognizing the word ‘Quidditch’ in the text, and wondered which Harry Potter book she was currently reading. She didn’t start at the beginning for his benefit, just pulled out her bookmark and expected him to pick up the story where she had left off.

Her voice was low and steady. Ben thought to himself that he’d never be able to listen to an audiobook again after being spoiled by her soothing voice. He felt the back of his scalp tingle, the warm feeling spreading around his brain, even where her fingers weren’t scratching his head.

“Harry did not think he could stand another full-House tryout. With a sinking feeling that had little to do with Quidditch, he cornered Dean Thomas after Transfiguration one day. Most of the class had already left, although several twittering yellow birds were still zooming around the room, all of Hermione’s creation…”

Cassidy didn’t realize she’d fallen asleep until she woke up with Ben’s arms wrapped tightly around her waist, and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince resting half-balanced on his head and her chest. She gently lifted the book and marked the page before setting it on her nightstand. Ben’s shoulders moved rapidly up and down, his eyes moving back and forth under his eyelids, deep in REM sleep. Cassidy wondered what he was dreaming about, for he was clutching her so tightly.

A red bruise was beginning to form on his cheek and Cassidy remembered that she’d whacked him with her elbow when he stopped her from punching Hunter. Reaching up, she gently prodded at the bruise, watching it go white and then back to red. Ben barely twitched. Heavy sleeper apparently. Hesitantly, she reached out and played with a curl that had fallen over his forehead. Ben woke up, half sat up and looked around, bleary-eyed.

“What time is it?” he asked, his voice low and full of sleep. Cassidy grabbed her watch from the side table as he slumped back down into her lap.

“5pm,” she laughed. “We slept all day.” That explained the pain in her neck. She tilted her head from side to side and felt the satisfying pop.

“Should head over to the stadium soon,” Ben murmured. He made absolutely no movement to get up and appeared to have no intention of letting Cassidy get up either. “I need to go to my apartment first and grab something to wear.”

“And we have to pick up Joe,” Cassidy reminded him.

Ben groaned and turned over to look up at her. “Do we have to bring him?” He whined, “he’s so annoying.”

“Oh come on,” Cassidy shoved him off so she could get up and head over to her closet, “I want to meet him. He can tell me all the wild stories about you.”

“There aren’t any,” Ben said defeatedly. He rolled over and buried his face in her pillow.

Cassidy smirked at him and pulled her tank top over her head to trade it for a camisole from her dresser. In her closet she found a Longhorn baseball jersey and shrugged it on before taking off her pajama shorts and trading them for high waisted denim shorts. She tucked her cami in, but left the jersey loose and hanging open.

“You look really pretty in burnt orange,” Ben commented when she came out.

“Thanks,” Cassidy blushed, unused to someone complimenting her genuinely. Usually it was just the fake teammate way after she swam well, or the fake girl way when she dressed up at team dinners. Ben seemed genuinely in awe of her, his lips parted slightly as he watched her pull on a pair of Adidas sneakers.

“I don’t know anyone else who looks pretty in burnt orange,” he said as he stood up. He reached out and tugged on a curl, making it spring up. “It brings out the auburn in your hair.”

Cassidy looked down at her feet as Ben found his slides that he’d tossed aside. Since they’d worked it out, they’d been napping together when they could and somehow managed to keep it pretty platonic. But lately, Ben had been acting more and more like her boyfriend, showering her with compliments, calling her “babe.” Cassidy wasn’t sure how she felt about it.

When he put his arm around her in the elevator, she wanted to shrug it off, feeling like he was weighing her down. As much as she loved touching him, and as much as she wanted to, she felt her focus shifting. Pre-Ben, her mind had always drifted to the pool in spare moments. Now she daydreamed about him. Snuggling with him. Dancing with him. Kissing him. He never left her thoughts. It was incredibly overwhelming. So much so that he felt invasive.  She’d always been on her own. Nobody ever spent time in her personal space. Squaring her shoulders as Ben unlocked the door to his apartment, she shook her head to clear her thoughts. Maybe seeing where he lived would help.

Ben’s apartment looked remarkably like her own, but without her grandmother’s sofa or chair, and the kitchen was on the other side of the door. A stack of dishes in the sink and a pile of sneakers and slides in the corner signaled that neither of them tidied up much. They had a television with an Xbox and a PS4. Presumably each of them had brought one. If Ben was embarrassed by the mess, he didn’t show it, just marched to the closed bedroom door and banged his fist against it.

“Hey! Joe! Be ready in 5 minutes, mate!” He huffed and turned back towards Cassidy. “It’ll be like 10 minutes now.” Cassidy nodded and followed him across the living room.

Ben’s room was considerably neater than the communal area, even cleaner than Cassidy’s room. His floor was clear, devoid of clothes and pillows. A UK flag and a Longhorn flag hung side-by-side on one wall. A corkboard covered in pictures was one of the few personal touches. Cassidy felt drawn to it. She wandered over to look, wondering what Ben’s family was like. She picked out a boy who looked like his brother, and a sister. His parents appeared only once, but maybe they just didn’t take many photos. Mostly it was littered with old heat sheets, Ben’s name highlighted in blue, first place ribbons, some dating all the way back to the mid-2000s. Maybe he didn’t keep everything, but everything he did keep seemed important to him. The medals he did have displayed were shiny and the ribbons pressed.

Ben appeared from his closet in a burnt orange polo shirt and khaki shorts, a pair of sneakers in his hand. A baseball cap stuck out of his pocket. Upon seeing it, Cassidy realized she’d left her sunglasses in her apartment.

“Fuck,” she muttered. “Forgot my sunglasses.”

“Here borrow mine,” Ben told her, tossing her a pair of Ray Bans that were sitting on his dresser. Cassidy stepped past him to the bathroom so she could see them in the mirror. Satisfied, she nodded and pushed them up onto her head until they were outside.

Joe was sitting at the breakfast table when Ben and Cassidy stepped back into the living room.

“Took ya long enough,” he huffed. “I thought you said 5 minutes.”

“Cassidy this is Joe,” Ben said, stifling a chuckle. Cassidy looked him up and down as she shook his hand. Hair just a few shades darker than her own, mischievous eyes, wide smile. She liked him right away. “Nice to meet you,” she told him.

“Likewise,” Joe wiggled his eyebrows, “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Oh?” Cassidy looked at Ben, who looked like he wanted to pummel his roommate. Cassidy believed he could. Joe was shorter than she was.

“Moving on,” Ben clapped his hands together, “everyone have their student IDs?” Cassidy pulled out her phone to check if it was still tucked into the pocket stuck on the back. Joe opened his wallet and showed he had his. Ben grabbed his out of his swim back and tucked it into his wallet.

The trio left the building and stepped into the blinding golden light of the setting sun. Cassidy slipped Ben’s sunglasses over her eyes and Ben pulled his hat out of his pocket, adjusting it low on his forehead to shade his eyes from the sun. He looked very frat boy in his polo shirt, and Cassidy found it incredibly cute.

It wasn’t a long walk to the softball stadium, with Joe chattering away about something that had happened in the dugout at his last game. Cassidy was surprised he had the night off, with the upcoming College World Series, until Joe mentioned that with their loss last night, his season was actually over. He seemed incredibly unbothered by it. His carefree attitude was infectious, and he soon had Cassidy laughing over stories about Ben.

“Oh yeah he’s always going on about you,” Joe laughed, reaching up to cover Ben’s mouth as he tried to protest. “Going on about how hard you work, how much he wishes he had your discipline,” he dropped his voice, “how pretty you are.”

“That’s enough,” Ben said, shoving Joe with his shoulder. “I don’t tell embarrassing stories about you in front of girls you like.”

Cassidy blushed as Joe exclaimed, “Ha! So you do like her!”

“I think she’s well aware of that,” Ben said quietly, looking at Cassidy over Joe’s head. A soft smile played at his lips.

Joe let the topic drop as they scanned their IDs to enter the stadium. It wasn’t large like the baseball or football stadiums, but it was open seating for students right behind the Longhorn dugout.

“Anyone else want a beer?” Joe asked. Cassidy and Ben shook their heads. “Oh come on,” Joe continued, “live a little.”

“We can’t drink,” Cassidy explained. “Not while training.”

Joe groaned. “Will both of you promise to please have a drink for me in Tokyo once you win your gold medals?” He walked away without an answer and Cassidy looked up at Ben, who shrugged.

“He’s like that,” Ben chuckled. Cassidy giggled back. She liked Joe. He was clearly a good roommate for Ben, balanced, got him out of his head, the way Priya did for her. Cassidy studied Ben’s face. She liked the way he was looking at her. Standing there with his hands in his pockets, his chin tilted down, but his green eyes aimed right at her. Had he always looked at her like that? Stealing glances out of the corner of his eye maybe? Watching her swim?

She reached out for his hand. “Let’s go get some nachos,” she suggested.

“Wow,” Ben’s eyes went wide, “Cassidy King eating junk food. I never thought I’d see the day.”

“Come on you dork,” Cassidy laughed and tugged him along behind her.

Softball wasn’t a popular sport to watch during the regular season. The student section was surprisingly empty and most of the seats nearby were filled with enthusiastic parents cheering for their daughters. It wasn’t hard to find three spots right behind the dugout.

“Priya!” Cassidy called as she leaned over the rail. Priya was walking out of the dugout and turned around, raising her face mask. A grin stretched across her face and she waved her gloved hand.

“That’s Priya?” Joe asked as they watched her step behind home plate for the first inning.

“Don’t even think about it,” Ben hit him on the arm with the back of his hand, “I don’t think her boyfriend would appreciate it.”

“I was actually going to say I heard she’s a really good catcher who gets her pitchers through some really tough games,” Joe huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. “But yeah, sure, I only look at girls ‘cause I think they’re hot.” He sipped his beer and sat down.

Cassidy tsked at Ben and joined him, putting her feet up on the rail as she balanced the nachos on her knee. Ben reached over to take one, his elbow across the armrest, touching Cassidy’s thigh. She nearly jerked away in surprise at his public comfort with touching her, and had to catch the nachos before they fell. She tried to relax, training her eyes on the field as the pitcher wound up and threw the first pitch. The ball smacked into Priya’s glove.

--

Seven innings, two plates of nachos, three hot dogs, and two beers later, the Longhorns were up three runs to two over the Horned Frogs. Cassidy cheered loudly every time Priya was at the plate, or tagged someone out at home, but when her best friend wasn’t playing, it was boring to her, and she found her eyes wandering.

Every time she glanced over her shoulder, she found a cute guy in a Longhorn dad hat looking back at her. Warm, brown eyes met her over the rim of a can of Blue Moon. Cassidy knew enough to know Blue Moon was a pretty hipster beer. But this guy seemed like just a regular preppy dude in khaki shorts and boat shoes. And he was heading her way. And sitting in the seat next to her. And offering her his hand to shake.

“I’m Blake,” he said by way of greeting. Cassidy shook his hand.

“Cassidy.”

“You into softball?” he asked, resting one ankle on his other knee as he leaned back, sipping on his beer.

“My roommate is the catcher,” Cassidy explained. “Priya Sharma.”

“Oh cool,” Blake nodded. “My buddy’s girlfriend plays so he drags me to games sometimes because he doesn’t want to come alone.” Cassidy wrinkled her eyebrows. Gwil never seemed to have a problem going alone. She thought it was odd that a boyfriend wouldn’t just support his girlfriend openly. Like he needed backup somehow. Blake was already moving on, “what do you do? Play any sports? Or are you more of an academic?”

“I’m an Olympic swimmer,” Cassidy told him. She crossed her legs towards him, leaning on the armrest between them. “Swam the 200 breastroke in the Rio games.”

“Oh wow,” Blake’s eyes went wide, “that’s super impressive. You going to Tokyo?” He rested his arm across the back of Cassidy’s seat, but didn’t touch her.

“Yeah, uh,” Cassidy pointed her thumb over her shoulder at Ben, “Ben and I have been training together. We both qualified for the trials.” She nudged Ben with her elbow until he turned around. “Hey this is Blake, he’s asking about Tokyo.”

“Hey man,” Blake reached out for a handshake, which Ben took, his eyes steely.

“Hey.”

When he dropped his hand, he rested it on Cassidy’s knee. She frowned and reached to push his hand away, but instead, he interlocked their fingers, holding her hand in a white-knuckled grip. So tight Cassidy could barely bend her fingers.

“Oh sorry,” Blake immediately stood up. “I didn’t realize.” He was gone before Cassidy could get another word out. Cassidy turned to Ben, staring at him open-mouthed. He was watching the field intently, his jaw set, his lips pressed into a thin line.

“I’m gonna say this as calmly as I can,” Cassidy inhaled deeply, “what the fuck?”

“He was hitting on you,” Ben said calmly.

“He was being friendly, Ben,” Cassidy corrected. She yanked her hand away and turned to face him. “And what business is it of yours?” Her pulse raced, heat rising in her ears.

Ben shifted in his seat, still not looking at her. “Cassidy, please.”

“Please what?” Cassidy hissed, attempting to stay calm. “You have absolutely no right to act like that. Grabbing my hand? Not letting me go? That’s real immature.” She breathed hard, her fingernails digging into her palms as she clenched her fists.

“Cassidy I just don’t want--”

“Want what? For me to have friends other than you? For me to talk to guys other than you?”

“Will you let me fucking finish a sentence?” Ben nearly yelled. And there it was. His anger finally boiled over. Cassidy looked around to see people staring, Joe was chewing on his lip, distancing himself from them. She turned back to Ben and looked him straight in the eye.

“You’re not my boyfriend, Ben.”

Then she stood up and walked out of the stadium.

--

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Masterlist

@sweet-ladyy inspired me to include discussion questions at the end of every chapter like she does in MOTH (go read it because it’s really good)

Discussion Questions:

Do you think Coach did the right thing even if it wasn’t technically following the rules? Were Hunter and Oliver’s apologies enough for you? Why do you think Cassidy fainted? What about Cassidy and Ben’s relationship? Are they basically dating like Ben thinks? Or do they not owe each other anything like Cassidy thinks? Was Blake flirting or just being nice? What are your opinions on Cassidy and Ben’s fight?

Taglist: @benhardy-1 @joalsglasses @fixedonroger @rogahhtaylahh @fierce-bab @d-r-e-a-m-catchme @emypia @lakef @claluni @ramibaby @anxious-diabetic

Bad Girls Club (Branjie) Chapter 2 - Joley

a/n: you can also read on AO3

“Why am I keeping watch, again?” Brooke Lynn asked in an anxious whisper, looking over her shoulder every few seconds as they walked, as if she sincerely expected someone to jump out of the bushes and catch them.

A’keria rolled her eyes. “Because you’ll take the least heat if you get caught,” she explained, murmuring to herself that letting her tag along was a bad idea and, “If Vanjie wasn’t so horny, we wouldn’t be stuck with her…”

“Both of you shut up, we’re almost there,” Vanessa snapped, the group of five pushing forward until they reached their destination.

Under the moonlight, the lake was beautifully illuminated, bringing a calm, picturesque frame around it. At the right angle, it could’ve been the stock image for a postcard. And it was quiet – a drastic contrast from every other moment of the program – only the sound of crickets and frogs filled the air. Truly, it felt like the only good and pure location they could reach for miles.

Then the girls began stripping and ‘pure’ was promptly removed from the descriptors. That had been the plan – sneak out after dinner for a late-night skinny dip, an act of rebellion both towards the program and the societal constraints that led them there in the first place. It was a moment to be fun and free – they would be damned if they didn’t jump on the chance.

“Hey Vanj, do you think the water’s clean? I bet it’s full of—Vanj? Vanjie?” Yvie made a couple of attempts to get the other girl’s attention, waving her hand in front of her face, before realizing why she didn’t stand a chance.

As soon as Brooke Lynn started undressing, Vanessa was a goner. Her gaze instantly fixated on the statuesque silhouette, watching the way the moonlight bounced off her porcelain skin, the way her toned muscles flexed as she moved. It almost felt too good to be true to be able to get to see her naked like this, so open and exposed.

“Would you like a bucket for your drool?” Scarlet teased, bumping shoulders with Vanessa and bringing her back to Earth, reluctant as she may be.

Vanessa rolled her eyes and shoved her away. “Eat me, bitch.”

“Uh-uh, you’ve got the wrong white girl.” She smirked before following Yvie and A’keria down the dock, a blissfully oblivious Brooke Lynn following the three of them with Vanessa on their tails.

Splash after splash, each girl descended into the freezing lake water, all of them doing their best not to squeal at the jarring temperature change. They all swam to the edge, giggling and catching their breath.

“Why does swimming naked feel so good anyway? Like, I feel like that’s objectively weird, but it’s nice,” Brooke mused, propping her arms up on the grass and looking back towards the main grounds.

“Freedom,” Vanessa offered as an answer. “We got full control of our bodies, choices, it’s like sticking it to the man and shit.“

The other girls nodded in agreement. “That’s so profound, Vanjie.” Yvie toed the line of sincerity. “But we better wrap this up fast if we wanna escape with our lives.” And with that, they all pushed themselves out of the water and towards the pile of their clothes. The fabric clung to their wet bodies, but nobody seemed to mind, still reveling in the experiences all the way back to their respective rooms.

“You know,” Brooke started as she changed into her pajamas. “I felt like I got a lot closer to everyone. It felt like a summer camp moment.” She smiled as she towel-dried her still damp hair. “Is that lame?”

Vanessa chuckled fondly. “Nah, that’s sweet. Don’t tell no one I said that though,” she told her as she got into bed. Honestly, she kind of loved that cheesy holding hands around the campfire bonding she was talking about. “You feeling less boring now, at least?”

Brooke Lynn beamed proudly as she tucked herself in. “I do! And I’m gonna help you too next time. You know, with getting authority figures on your side.”

“We make a good team.” She hummed sleepily before her eyes shut.

——

“I’ve seen you staring at me, Vanjie,” Brooke Lynn cooed as she sauntered towards her. “You like what you see, baby?” She had Vanessa trapped on the bed, hovering over her with a wide smirk.

And Vanessa was helpless, frozen with no desire to move. She gazed up at Brooke with wide eyes, her heart racing. “Yes” was all she had managed to get out before Brooke’s lips were on her neck, hands roaming up and down her body. She shuddered as her smooth, slender fingers trailed down her torso until they hooked into the waistband of her pajama shorts, starting to tug them down and—

That fucking alarm. Vanessa groaned into her pillow, her arm flapping around blindly until it landed on her phone to shut it off. It was as bad a punishment as everything else in this goddamn program. She rolled onto her back reluctantly and noticed that Brooke Lynn wasn’t even in the room, let alone her bed. And, considering the wetness that had pooled between her thighs overnight, she was more than a little relieved.

“Oh good, you’re up,” Brooke chirped as she returned to the room – hair in a high ponytail and dressed in a sweat-stained tank top and shorts. “I just went for a jog. I would’ve invited you, but you looked so cute and peaceful.” She hummed as she got changed. Truth be told, she would have been far too distracted to get any actual exercise in had Vanessa accompanied her. Being around Vanessa in general was distracting if she thought about it – not that she would ever allow herself to.

Vanessa put on her most convincingly nonchalant smile as she swung her legs over to dangle off the side of the bed, toes just grazing the wooden floor. “Yeah, set my alarm like you been telling me, thank god.” She confirmed as she did her hair. “Did you do any of the assignments for today?” she asked offhandedly – anything to distract herself from that dream.

“I did and you can copy whatever you need to.” Brooke shrugged.“Yeah? You don’t have some sort of fuckin’… moral issue with it or whatever?” Vanessa asked with a laugh as they headed towards the other building.

Brooke shook her head. “Listen, I know we’re all here for the same reason, to stay out of trouble. No one gives a fuck if we actually learn anything as long as we don’t make any fuss,” she explained. “Everyone cheats to get ahead in private schools. Better grades get bigger grants, it’s the name of the game, babe.” Not leaving room for a rebuttal, she made her way into the classroom with her breakfast bag in hand.

Vanessa had to consciously close her mouth as she stared after Brooke Lynn. She blinked rapidly and pattered after her. Was that side of her there the whole time? Suffice it to say, more than her interest was piqued.

“How have you been holding up, honey?” Nina asked as Brooke perched herself on her desk. “I can only imagine this has been a bit of a roller coaster for you.”

Brooke laughed dryly, staring off in front of her. Roller coaster was one way of putting it, sure, but a tornado might be more accurate. “That’s one way of putting it.” She sighed, then looked towards her. “Can I ask you something?” After the teacher nodded, she continued. “How do you feel about summer flings?”

“Why, what have you heard?” Nina’s eyes darted back and forth anxiously.

While Brooke did often confide in Nina, the opportunity to deflect and distract was just too good to pass up. “Oh my god, do you have a crush on someone? Here? Who? You have to tell me,” she insisted, bouncing excitedly.

Nina, of course, instantly regretted jumping to conclusions. In retrospect, it was glaringly obvious that the student had come to her to discuss her own matters of the heart. Great. Fantastic. Well, there was nothing else she could do but bite the bullet and confess. “Your home ec teacher, Monét. I don’t know how or why it happened but… Well, I guess it started over a group discussion over how we were going to structure our classes, and we both got mad about how some of the people in charge were talking about you guys. She’s so passionate about making sure you guys still get to be teenagers, it’s so sweet.”

This was thrilling for Brooke Lynn. Some high schoolers might find it weird or gross to know about their teachers’ love lives. There was always that moment when a teacher would come to class visibly pregnant and after the excitement died down, the class was left with the thought of someone fucking them raw. But she didn’t see Nina as a teacher, or any authority figure, really. She was more of an older sister or cousin, a friend with more life experience. So, to find out she was going through such a similar issue? It was nearly too perfect.

“That’s so cute, I’m gonna die. Does she know? Does she like you?”

“Oh, I regret this already.” Nina chuckled dryly and hid her face in her hands. “You know I have no idea when someone’s flirting with me, Brooke. I have no idea.” She lamented before bolting upright. “But don’t you dare try to meddle in this shit.” Her eyes narrowed at Brooke, trying her best to look stern and serious towards someone that was physically incapable of being intimidated by her.

Brooke Lynn gave an exaggerated roll of the eyes. “Fine, fine, I’ll be good. I promise.” She raised her hand to swear and hopped off the desk. “I’ll get out of your hair. I promised Vanessa I’d teach her how to skip stones by the lake during rec time anyway.”

Nina cocked her head to the side curiously. “Mateo? Your roommate?” She leaned forward. “Is that, perchance, who you were going to ask me about in regards to a summer fling?”

“Hey, don’t try to deflect onto me.” Brooke laughed despite how red her cheeks had turned. “Good luck with your teacher crush!” she called out, already halfway out the door.

——

“On Ms. Monét? Deadass?” Vanessa asked as she and Brooke Lynn walked towards the lake. Occasionally their hands would brush against each other, but they would always stop just shy of letting their fingers interlace. “That’s fuckin’ wild. You know, she and A’keria been real buddy-buddy, I could have her put in a good word if—”

“Don’t you dare!” Brooke laughed. “She’ll lose her shit if she finds out I told you, let alone have it spread around,” she explained, stopping when they reached their destination. “It feels different in the daytime, doesn’t it?”It was the same lake that they had all been naked in the night before, but it may as well have been another body of water entirely. It was still serene, but it had a vibrant hue and warmth that retreated into the shadows when the sun went down. Now, it’d feel wrong to interrupt that scene with nudity – not that either would be opposed to watching the other strip down in better lighting.

Brooke Lynn crouched down, picked up a smooth stone, and walked towards the edge, stopping about a foot before the land meets the sea and waited for Vanessa to join her. She handed her the rock with a smile. “I want you to give it a try on your own first,” she instructed, taking a few cautious steps back.

Vanessa hurled the stone into the water like it’d just catcalled her from across the street. It didn’t skip, instead crashing into the water with a splash. Even though she doubted that she did it right, she still turned to Brooke with a toothy grin. “How was that?”

“Angry,” she answered, giggling softly. “Like the lake owes you money.” It took a couple of moments to procure another stone that could get the job done, and Brooke placed it gingerly in her hand. “Okay, I’m going to get you in the right position.”

And Vanessa was about to make some sort of sexual innuendo, but then Brooke got behind her and wrapped her arms around her like the pottery scene in Ghost and words were suddenly unnecessary. She felt her hand move from her shoulder to her wrist, placing her arm just so. Vanessa bit her lip – Brooke’s body was pressed right against her from behind, the taller girl manipulating her stance and sending her heartbeat into overdrive.

Was it actually necessary for Brooke to be all up on her like that? No, but she wasn’t about to point that out any time soon. “Perfect.” She took a step to the side. “Try it now.”

To her pleasant surprise, Vanessa got the stone to skip four times before it was submerged under water. “I did it!” Her face lit up with excitement. She turned to Brooke, eyes wide and sparkling with joy. “That was so fucking cool!”

Brooke’s smile reached her eyes as she watched Vanessa bubble over with enthusiasm. “God, you’re so adorable.”

“Huh?”

“I said… I think I heard the bell. We better head back inside.”

——

It was just past one in the morning and Brooke Lynn was wide awake, staring silently at the ceiling. She couldn’t pinpoint what exactly was preventing her from sleeping but avoiding talking about her growing feelings for the girl in the bed five feet from was probably playing a role in it. And normally she avoided staring at her for long, but her brows furrowed, and she rolled onto her side when she heard Vanessa mumbling because she swore, she heard her name somewhere in the otherwise unintelligible noises.

Vanessa lay with her head pushed back into her pillows and her back curved up, though being under her blanket it wasn’t fully visible. That was necessary, as she was doing more than just arching her back under the covers. Her hand was hidden inside her shorts, two fingers pressed against her clit and rubbing in increasingly fervent circles. The other hand moved up under her tank top, groping her breasts and tweaking her nipples, anything to get any more stimulation. Her eyes fluttered shut, letting her imagination take over and her hands do all the work.

For the most part, Vanessa was biting down on her lip, but whenever they parted, soft, breathy moans escaped. But that wasn’t all – when she tilted her head towards the wall, “Fuck, Brooke…” slipped out in a whimper. It devolved back to heavy breathing as her fingers moved down, pressing into her pussy as she only continued to work herself into a frenzy.

Brooke’s eyes shot wide as she flopped onto her back, feeling a blush spread across her face and down her chest. There was little room for misinterpretation – Vanessa was getting off and thinking of her. Her mind went wild with curiosity – was this the first time it happened? Or the more pressing question – what specifically was she imagining? She was hit with the intense desire to run over and act out whatever fantasy was eliciting those pretty moans from Vanessa.

Vanessa pushed her face into her pillows when she found it more difficult to stay quiet. Her hand left her breasts, allowing her to focus on pumping two fingers in and out, bucking into her own touch, chasing the sensation. Her hips started to jerk unsteadily and her teeth gnashing at the pillowcase just to keep herself quiet. And within a few minutes, she was still and silent. Her breathing evened out and she was out cold.

God, if Brooke was having trouble sleeping before, it would be impossible now. It didn’t seem real – maybe she was delirious from lack of sleep. Or maybe she was projecting, some wishful thinking perhaps. Either way, she was left with a hot, throbbing sensation that wasn’t about to go away any time soon.

“Fuck it,” she muttered, hand going into her pajama bottoms and eyes closing. Feelings could wait until the morning, she needed this now.

For the Hozier ask thing: No Plan, Be, Talk

- No Plan - Do you believe in a pre-determined purpose in life?

No, but I think it can be helpful–for some people!–to think and act like you have a pre-determined purpose, as long as you’re not too rigid about it. Sometimes the random twists and turns of life just get overwhelming, you know? And you need to weave them into some sort of pattern–“A, B, and C all happened in order to lead me to D,” or “Despite X obstacle, I know I’m meant to accomplish Y.” Humans are pattern-finding creatures–that’s why we like stories so much. I can’t imagine getting through life without periodically making it into a story, whether you actually believe in some divine Plan and Author or not. (This is reminding me once again of that Brian W. Foster lyric I’ve become obsessed with: “And if it wasn’t designed, then I’ll be damned if I ever know why.”)

Though honestly, for me? The opposite is true. I’ve faced, and continue to face, so many mental-health barriers to having the kind of life I’d like to have, and I’ve fought (and continue to fight!) such a harrowing, hard-scrabble fight to make that life happen anyway. It’s a massive struggle, it’s ongoing, it’s every day. It’s exhausting and humiliating and entirely without dignity. So the thing that I like to tell myself about the life I want? Is that I wasn’t meant to have it. Some particularly nasty gods have played a trick on me since birth, crafting a person for whom friends/romance/productive work/artistic fulfillment/Happiness are impossible–and day after day, I’m fighting them, trying to prove them wrong. Clawing and biting at them with everything I have in me. Forcing my way out of their boxes, grasping at what I want, and spitting in their eye for good measure.

I’m sure my preference for this narrative says something about me as a person, but I leave that up to you, anon!

- Be - Have you changed much as a person in the last year? 

…I literally don’t know where to start.

In August 2018, I wasn’t married yet. I lived in a small town in New Jersey with my parents and sister, and was desperately terrified of moving (permanently) anywhere else. I had completed two master’s degrees just a few months before, but I’d never had a full-time job, and I was 250% convinced (for the aforementioned mental-health reasons, and a chronic physical illness to boot!) that I could never, ever have one. Oh, and I’d just gotten back from a visit to my former roommate (which remains the last time I saw her, not counting Skype), and I was suffering constant agony over the intense, passionate, mutually pining, emotionally needy, co-dependent mess that was that relationship.

And now?

I’m married. I live in Boston, in an apartment where I’ve paid 100% of the rent for the past six months (though that will soon be changing!). I have a full-time job that has challenged and transformed me in ways that I could not possibly have imagined six months ago. Like…literally could not have fathomed. Outside the scope of my brainpower. Beyond my wildest dreams.

I’m the head of my department…because I’m the entire department. I do heavy-duty customer service. I interact with dozens of strangers every day–children, teens, and adults–and I usually do it without a whisper of social anxiety. I pick up my desk phone when it rings. I make phone calls when I have to. I send and receive dozens of e-mails a week. I manage a budget! I place orders! I schedule programs! I answer reference questions! I operate and troubleshoot various forms of technology constantly, and teach others how to use them. I reason with, joke with, assist, educate, entertain, chastise, and discipline 20+ rowdy teenagers ON A DAILY BASIS. There have been many days, and once an entire week, when I was literally in charge of my entire workplace and everyone in it. And it was all still functioning when my boss got back.

…And it’s actually really timely that I should write about all this now, because I’m smack-dab in the middle of an extremely daunting work task, one that’s causing my ADD to kick my ass to hell and back. And I’ve spent the past few days wondering just how fucking desperate this place must have been to hire someone who’s been wretchedly sobbing over her utter lack of focus and organizational skills for almost 30 years. So it’s…quite the morale-booster to look at these paragraphs about just how goddamn far I’ve come in a year.

…Also, Ex-Roommate and I have gone no-contact, and most days, I don’t think about her. And if I do, it doesn’t hurt so much.

- Talk - What’s your best friend like? 

I have three (3) best friends, and they are MY WORLD, so get ready for this.

(1.) My husband. We’ll call him Kit, which is, in fact, a name he often goes by. He is a Gemini, which I mention only because he’s a very classic Gemini: bursting with curiosity, interested in everything, with a dizzying array of hobbies and interests that seem to change and shift by the moment. He teaches science, and used to teach history. He loves camping, sea shanties, Lawrence of Arabia, board games, and tabletop RPGs. Being a teacher, he’s had the summer off, and he’s spent it being a house-husband: cleaning our apartment, buying all the groceries, doing my laundry an embarrassing number of times, and cooking me dinner every single night. He loves being useful to people and making people happy. He’s terrific at long-term planning, but has no sense of time, and he’d be late to everything without my intervention. We have separate bedrooms, and mine is obsessively neat, and his is…not. He was once bitten by a squirrel that he was hand-feeding on the Boston Common. A few days later, he received a serious electric shock from a string of Christmas lights, and the bandage he’d placed over the squirrel bite was burned black instead of his hand. This perfect balance of cursed and blessed is, in a way, all you really need to know about Kit.

We love to watch movies and TV shows together and discuss/analyze them obsessively. We love to have looong philosophical discussions and/or debates. We take walks, we get Italian food and/or ice cream far too often, we go on jolly road-trip adventures, and we read out loud to each other. He’s currently reading me Charles Dickens’ Our Mutual Friend, which I have read before (twice) and he has not, because I love it so intensely, and I know that he will too. He’s the best person on earth to discuss virtually anything with, to be honest. He’s my DM in the best D&D campaign I’ve ever been part of. I’ve just made a new D&D character, although I don’t have a campaign for her yet, and Kit cannot stop lavishing praise on her and getting excited about her…even though she’s a hobgoblin, and he spent a significant portion of a recent car ride passionately arguing with me about the viability of hobgoblins as player characters.

He is absolutely extraordinary at admitting when he’s wrong, owning it fully, changing his opinions, pursuing personal growth, and just becoming a better and better person all the time. And I’m so damn honored that I get to be here for it.

(2.) We’ll call my second best friend Unicorn, which is a multilayered inside joke.

I met Unicorn during my freshman year of college. We lived on the same floor. I was the odd woman out among my suitemates because I had crippling social anxiety; he was the odd man out among his because he was gay. Somehow we started watching movies and TV shows together, and it became our Thing; I think our current marathon record is six or seven movies in a row. We’re both from New Jersey, and he still lives there, and there are few places in the world I feel safer than on his giant couch, in front of his giant TV, with snacks and glasses of Limeade close at hand, and his neurotic little dog nosing about. He has a pool, a massive movie collection, and an encyclopedic knowledge of state politics, because he works as a full-time environmental canvasser. His hours are absolutely terrifying, as are the physical and social demands of his job, but he still finds time to run a D&D campaign for his coworkers, and to visit the rest of us in Boston at every possible opportunity.

Unicorn is barely a month older than I am (a fellow Leo, though I think it suits him a hell of a lot better than it suits me), and he understands me in specific ways that the other two members of our little quartet just can’t. We get each other’s humor, we have similar tastes in men, we both love to swim. When the four members of our found family are all together, he is invariably the only person who notices all my little puns and innuendos, and laughs every time.  He listens to me, and asks me questions, in a way that no one else in the world quite seems to do. He made a speech at my wedding that reduced me to a blubbering mess. And, most importantly of all: He started inviting me to our college’s LGBT group when we were juniors (right after Kit and I started dating), which was how I met my third best friend, and how we all became a family.

(3.) I’m going to refer to Best Friend #3 as “Dragon,” because…he loves dragons, and because he was Unicorn’s roommate when I first met him, and it keeps the mythological-creature theme going. …And once again, I don’t know where to start, so I’m going to go dig up an old post I made about Dragon, copy and paste it below, and then figure out how to elaborate on someone who both my husband and I have identified as the best human being we have ever met.

This is a friend who invites the whole gang of us to his apartment for entire long weekends, and cooks for us, repeatedly. Who hosts “fake Christmas” every year, complete with a tree decorated with blue and silver ornaments because he is Jewish, and made all of us hand-stitched, personalized stockings, and fills them with gifts and sweets purchased specially for each of us. Who once baked me a cake just because I was coming to visit him. Who organized and directed my entire move from New Jersey to Boston because his Tetris-like car-packing skills and his utter laidback unshakable calm in the face of any task are absolutely unparalleled. Who is a goddamn wizard at literally everything, from cooking and baking and sewing to Photoshop and graphic design to painting D&D miniatures to putting together elaborate cosplays to theater tech to writing and research to courageous and tireless activism to law (did I mention he’s a lawyer?).

…That was my old paragraph, so let me add a few things. I can’t emphasize enough how much he carries that aura of calm and kindness and competence about him at all times. Never in my life had I had a cooking/baking experience that didn’t stress me out until Dragon let me help him make an entire dinner and various desserts for our friend group, and it was just…so chill. So well-organized and perfectly timed, but without ever feeling like those things took any effort whatsoever. He was so kind and patient with me, demonstrating each task step by step, then being entirely confident in my ability to perform said tasks, and never trying to nitpick at the way I did them or take them over himself. Part of his job involves teaching, and I know he must be fantastic at it, because no one else has ever been such a soothing balm and a stimulant (both at once, somehow!) to my poor, tormented ADD brain. Someday (maybe soonish!), our whole found family is going to live together, and the thought of being around Dragon all the time just makes me weep with joy. And did I mention his sweet, child-like enthusiasm for holiday celebrations and ghost tours and spooky TV shows and musicals and fantasy novels and text RP and all other Best Things? (Ok, he also loves dogs and Marvel movies, and I love neither, but I forgive him for this.)

Oh, he also officiated my wedding. And he also had top surgery today, and I have maybe never been this happy about anything ever, what an auspicious day to finish this post!

1st day: Soulmates AU

Hey! here’s the first thing for the @sledgefuweek

I really hope you like it! :”3

“Mère s'il te plait, non”  Merriell pleaded from the back seat of the car,  he really didn’t want to go, it was just a stupid camp that the little kids loved, but he didn’t, he enjoyed being in the bayou hunting small frogs and insects, or spend whole days trying to look for a crocodile, but leaving terrified and crying when it moved.

Those were holidays to live with nature! Not what was announced in that gray brochure.

“Meriell, you know why you are here” his mother said with a slightly irritated tone, she loved her son, but sometimes he could be a bit exasperating “You know that I don’t like that all day you outside, and you don’t even spend time with other children, you spend it alone in the river doing who knows what things, son, this will be good for you, you will meet new children, you will make new friends, maybe even someone else will like the things that you, and, you don’t know, what if one of those nights where the girls go to the boys’ camp you meet your soulmate!, Merry, don’t you want to see the colors?"his mother finished seeing him in the rear view mirror, Merriell had just thrown himself dramatically on the couch, pretending than he had not heard anything.

And thats was the way they expend the last hours, Merriell doing tantrum and his mother supporting him.

Finally they arrived, it was a small summer company located in Alabama, on the banks of the Mississippi River, the place was really nice and cozy, there were small cabins where there was room for 4 children, and each had a small space outside where children could play or making bonfires, and even with all that Meriell was still adamantly denying the idea that he would spend 3 whole months there.

———————-

His roommates were not really unpleasant, on the contrary, he liked them very much, they were nice, they did not bother, they did not make any mess, they did not make a noise and this was because Merriell was the only boy who had the fortune to have a whole cabin for him alone.But wasn’t he there to make friends?The days for him were slow and strangely painful, in spite of doing activities that he would do in Louisiana (like swimming in the river, or hunting small insects, for example) he didn’t feel well, he missed his home more than one day he would arrive to imagine, he missed Louisiana,  missed than he could speak French and be understood,  the smell of the beignets that flooded his nostrils every time he went out of home,  missed hearing stories of Budu sorcerers, and even if he could not sleep for those stories, he loved it! He missed his mother, his grandma and everything that could be related to home.

So much was his despair that one day he exploded, he started crying inconsolably at lunchtime, and he really did not care if there was someone near to him, if he felt bad nobody would worry, so what if he relieved himself while everyone ate and laughed ?

"Hey, are you okay?” said a voice to the side of him, but Merriel paid no attention, he was more focused on his own cry.“Hey, chill” said the boy with the voice he had heard, feeling as he sat next to him and patted his back, Merriell, who had not heard him, turned in bewilderment towards him, he was a boy of his age, like everything else, and well, he had a light gray skin, a hair with a shade a little stronger than his skin, and he really could not give more details out of that, when all are gray they all look the same.

However, this one was very different from the others, maybe it was because he was the first boy who approached him

“I know that the food is terrible here, but it’s not like crying either” he said with a very contagious small smile “Oh, sorry, how can I be that rude, my name is Eugene, Eugene Sledge” immediately Eugene took Merriell’s hand and squeezed gently in a friendly greeting.“My name is Merriell, Merriell Shelton, I know Merriell is a girl’s name, but I’m not blame I didn’t choose the name, and if you ask, I cry because I miss my home” he said with a smile while with the back from his hand he tried to dry his tears.

“I think Merriell is a nice name” Eugene answered cheerfully “I understand you, I miss my home too.”

"Where do you come from?” Mer asked excitedly, maybe he was  from New Orleans too.

“From mobile” Eugene answered.

“And where is that?”

“Right here, in Alabama”

Well, at least Merriell did not feel so bad anymore. He had the consolation that someone who could walk home had the same nostalgia he had.

“And you?” Eugene asked again

“From Louisiana, in New Orleans”

“I’ve always wanted to go there, how it’s there?” Eugene asked excitedly

“Well, you know, everything is very gray and black and white”

And both laughed for the answer.

——————————-

Meriell and Eugene had understood each other very well, even Eugene had changed his cabin so that he could be with Meriell, so Mer woulndn’t feel so lonely.

They talked about everything, they were great friends, they were very close to each other, they talked about their family and friends and their lives in their corresponding homes.

There Eugene discovered that Meriell didn’t have a father, that his mother had done everything alone, and apparently she had done a very good job, she had a wonderful and charming son.

And Meriell discovered that Eugene had a father who was a doctor, his mother was a housewife, and his brother had fought in the war, but he had also discovered that Eugene had a heart murmur, so he coud never do the activities that needed a great physical effort, that’s why he had always considered his best friends to books, he did not need to run, he just needed to be sit and had a great imagination and although the child always said it wasn’t serious, Mer always could see some concern in his eyes when he spoke of his heart.

One day Eugene decided to participate in a game, it was not very rough but even for a completely healthy child it could be exhaustive, they had to run for a while, then pass some obstacles and finally swim a bit until reaching the goal, after all it was the last week, and Eugene didn’t want to return home without having participated in anything.

So,they stardted together, first everything was fine,they were playing competing with the other, seeing who could run faster, and Meriell knowing that Eugene had never  exercised in his life at times let him take the lead, he liked the way thet Eugene smiled victoriously every time he passed Shelton.

But the problem came when they reached the end of the obstacles, almost to get to swim, he saw how the whitish skin of Eugene became whiter than usual and after a while, Gene fell completely unconscious to the ground, Meriell alarmed, called the guys than was supervising everything, which quickly took Eugene to the small health center that was there, and from that moment, until he knew that his little friend was well Meriell hadn’t been able to stop crying.

A few hours later Eugene left the little health center, physically he looked good, but in his eyes, Mer could see a great defeat, but Gene was happy that his friend waited for him all that time, so he decided not to regret anymore and go directly to his cabin with Shelton.

That same night both decided to make a fire outside in their respective hut, Meriell was in charge of bringing the wood and Eugene to light them, they got some marshmallows and twigs to be roasted, and so, in the cold night, under a starry sky they sat around the fire to roasting marshmallows.

The conversation wasn’t very fluid between the two, and it was totally understandable, Eugene had had a bad day so Snafu tried to take the reins of the conversation.

“Gene”

“What happens?” answered the boy who had been concentrating on roasting his marshmallow

“What do you think of the soulmates, you know, of the colors and all that?”

“I do not know, I’ve always had a theory and maybe it’s silly but what if when you kiss your soul mate for the first time is when you can see the colors?” said Eugene as he continued to see how little by little the marshmallow  burned, there was a certain bitterness in the boy’s words, which intrigued Shelton.

“Can you see them?” he asked curiously without taking his eyes from Sledge, and although his vision was only concentrated in black and white and nuances of these, he could see how Eugene’s face was getting a little darker on the part of his cheeks, maybe Gene could see and that was the right way to see them.

“No” He replied with some disappointment and then gave a little sigh “And you?”

“Neither” And as if the conversation had ended at that moment, Eugene turned to concentrate on roasting his marshmallow, Snafu just looked at him, why was he so happy that Gene still did not see the colors?

“Gene,” he said as he stared at the light-gray boy, who quickly returned his gaze.

“What happens?” he asked now giving his full attention to Snafu, who felt the heat rise to his cheeks, and there a terrible feeling entered to him, the doubt, was really worth the risk?

He hesitated a few seconds.

The shame, it invaded him, the simple thought was already strange by itself, why did he want to check the theory than Eugene said before ? Why with him?

His head tilted down for a few moments, but when he could lift it up again he could see the angel in front of him.

Cute eyes, soft hair that smelled like shampoo in the morning, a particular smell of raspberry jam, a soft and smooth skin, in conclusion, Eugene was the person he would love spend the rest of his life.

So, was it worth it?

Totally.

“Close your eyes for a moment” Merriell said as calmly as he could but deep down he knew he had sounded desperate he knew it because of the small laugh that Gene let out, but he had closed his eyes, Merriell slowly started walking to where his friend was, and then stopping inffront of him, he breathed deeply in a vain attempt to calm his heart, bowed enough to be able to be at the height of the face of the ginger boy, placed one of his hands on the cheek of the other boy feeling as he shuddered a little for his touch however he still didn’t open his eyes, and little by little was bringing his face closer to Eugene’s.

“Please, let this work” he said to himself, little by little he closed his eyes and slowly closed the distance between himself and Eugene.

And then he did it.

First his breaths collided and little by little he turned his face, pressed his lips against his friend’s, who shuddered slightly when he kissed him, and prevented him from leaving when he tried to separate, hugging him tenderly while trying to do a little deeper and lasting the kiss, swithout losing the initial innocence of it.

And so they continued until they couldn’t take it anymore and they had to separate for a breath of air, Merry was ready now, and little by little he opened his eyes, with the fear of not being able to see them yet, of the terrible disappointment that he would feel… But no.

And when he opened them completly, he could see them.

And, indeed, they were beautiful, they were better than he had heard all his life, they were striking, strong, full of life, not like the gray with which he had grown up, but the best thing about being able to see them, is that with them he could appreciate better the sweet boy who was in front of him, who kept his eyes tightly closed as he was afraid to open them and find everything gray again.

“Gene, Gene, open your eyes” said the brunette trying to hold back the tears of emotion that threatened fiercely to come out of his eyes and roll down his cheeks “Eugene, you have to see them, they are precious” and then little by little the other boy opened his eyes, at first he seemed confused, he blink a couple of times trying to make his eyes to adapt as fast as possible, he directed his gaze to Meriell’s face, and a smile was drawn on his face, the most beautiful ever seen before, as if he had discovered the eighth wonder of the world, his eyes had a beautiful brightness, and his emotion could only be compared to the first man who entered Tuntankamon’s tomb.

“Merriell” He said smiling, gently stroking the opponent’s face with his fingers as he was trying to check that everything was real “Your eyes, your eyes, they are precious, I do not know, they are like …” he said trying to look something that resembles, but simply couldn’t do it, how do you describe something so sublime? And desperate continued searching until they found their answer above their heads “They are as if venus and Aphrodite had wanted to portray their beauty and the sky in 2 crystals and then put them in your eyes” he finished saying with that smile that characterized him so much .

For his part, Merriell could feel the heat returning to his cheeks, causing him to look away a bit and Eugene was fascinated by the change of color on his face, he saw it as a wonder, because that was for him, he felt as the hand of the ginger forced him to turn around, to steal him a tender and soft kiss again, which was guided by the inexperience and the innocence of both, little by little they separated, to then explode both in small laughter.

“I really did not think it was true” Eugene said between laughs “I did not think I would find my soul mate with a kiss, no, I thought than didn’t had a soulmate” he finished with a warm smile, Mer just smiled, leaning back on his side in the grass, tapping the ground to tell him to do the same order than Eugene obeyed, they stayed a while looking at each other, enjoying the view in front of them, enjoying the colors and details that they had not seen before because of their lack of color, as for example, Gene’s eyes were the color of the wood that was burned in the fire and their hair to the fire that left this.

But little by little Sledge’s beautiful smile faded, which obviously worried Merriell “what’s wrong?” he asked worriedly, feeling involuntarily the expression on his face became a worried one.

“Nothing … Just what, what will happen now? What are we going to do now?”

“What do you mean”

“In a few days this summer camp will end, you will go back to Louisiana and I will to Mobile, and then it will be years before we can meet again, and if I die Mer?, and if in reality that murmur in my heart indicates something more serious?, what will we do? ”

He had to admit that it had been painful, enough to make his eyes mischievous and now new bitetr tears rolled down his face, and he didn’t know what had been worst, the fact that all those things could be true or the fact that Eugene had gone from being so happy to crying.

“Eugene, look at me,” Meriell said softly, Eugene’s eyes fell on him.

“If we walk away, I promise I’ll look for you, I do not think Mobile is that big.” He smiled slightly, to which Gene also smiled “and if something happens to me, maybe you think that I betrayed you, that I lied to you, but believe me that I will fight every day to meet you again, you will be angry with me, maybe you will think that you just didinterest me,

You could hate me.

You will even forget me.

But in the next life, you will find me.

And you know what?

We will love each other again. ”

And just as Shelton began his confession of love, he closed it, with a kiss full of all the love and sweetness he had to give to hist little ginger pretty boy.

Dumb Ducks in the Water: Part 14

IT’S FINALLY HERE. Three actual years later, but it’s here.

A lot has happened in my life for the past three years and, to make a long excuse short, I was doing a lot of life questioning and dealing with events. And once I got out of my dark cloud, I decided to return to this fic while returning with my own writing projects. So I’m here to finish this fic, though I’m not sure how long it will take (I hope within a year?)--I’m just promising not to go MIA again, is all.

Anyway, some notes on this chapter:

- Listen, I did NOT plan on returning when the 3rd season of Free! came. This is pure coincidence, honestly. That being said, SO MANY THINGS HAVE CHANGED. Side characters have personalities now... Isuzu exists (I’ll have to, at some point, change Yukiko’s name)... People are in college now... Anyway, I want to remind folks that I started this fic in 2014/2015 and I’m trying to stay true to that, so anything that doesn’t match up with the current season is kind of like oh well for me.

- This chapter features tweets. Yeah. I used some website that make them look like they were written in 2009, lol, but we’re just gonna go with it. Also, want to give a shoutout to my best friends, who spent like five hours coming up with the twitter handles.

- Speaking of which, trigger warning possibly: cyber bullying (?) and rumors. Now, I generally try to keep this fic lighthearted, so I am also touching the mentioned subjects in a lighthearted manner for the most part, but I also know that if what happens in this chapter ever happened to me in high school, I would have been mortified. So I tried to respect that and take it a little seriously, which also pertains to the rest of the plot--but this is still Dumb Ducks. No PSAs, just some self-awareness.

- I am a little worried the quality is not up to par with this chapter because it’s been a while and I just wanted to get this chapter over with because I’d rather write other scenes, so I’m super sorry if it’s only sort of funny/cute or too serious. It’ll be better next chapter! (Which hopefully comes out by December?)

Anyway.

Start from the beginning or go to the handy-dandy tag page and pick up where you left off.

Enjoy.

------

It was still Tuesday.

But worse yet, it was time for him to face the swim team.

And to be honest, if you asked Nitori, that was kind of bullshit.

There he stood, observing the pool of sharks in the distance just waiting for him to make a move. A whole lot of damage had been done in the past eight hours since Rin shouted a profound WHAT THE FUCK at Nitori and Momo’s dorm doorway, which immediately stirred up a banana telephone game of epic proportions throughout Samezuka Academy. Pair that with the fact that both of the dimwits were publicly announced to head to the principal’s office together and that something amiss had happened in the cafeteria last night—and boy, oh boy, were the rumors trending the social sphere like something straight out of Nitori’s nightmares. They had gone viral, top of the chart gossip among their peers, who were all too ready to roast the couple into infamy.

It all started with a tweet.

Some rando on the basketball team had overheard Rin catching Nitori and Momotarou getting caught in an explicit position at their dorm, and what with the rumors of Samezuka’s swim team having more tea than a J-drama now stirring, this caught the attention of several bored teenage boys before classes had even started.

The sports news network was simple. Basketball passed the rumors around to get some details. One teammate asked who found out about this and were replied to with the captain caught them. Another asked, which one’s the captain?? And another replied, the guy who cries all the time.

Once the rumors spread over to other sports teams at the academy, the Samezuka Swim Team Thot Conspiracy began. It was the volleyball team who mentioned that both Nitori and Mikoshiba were sent to the principal’s office that same day, as sourced by a classmate in Nitori’s homeroom. A peculiar detail because how did the school find out about what the couple was doing in their bedroom? Did someone rat them out?

Then someone on the tennis team who was also in the culinary club mentioned, I heard they got caught doing shit in the cafeteria.

Cue the controversy.

This made folks on the baseball team wonder just how many times the two had done it and bets were being taken about when the relationship started. Someone on the bicycle team hashtagged the gossip thread as #bombezuka, which set off a flurry of well-intentioned, damage control tweets from students who didn’t want the reputations of Aiichirou Nitori and Momotarou Mikoshiba to get tarnished.

Things like who cares if they’re banging and let them live in PEACE to they’re not gay and who are we even talking about flooded social media circles as the rumor spread outside of Samezuka’s sports clubs and into the general student body. Did things get out of control? Naturally. Details were being made up, people weren’t entirely sure who was involved in the cafeteria fucking, and lavish erotic assumptions about who had the biggest dick energy on the Samezuka swim team were battling it out for all of this side of Japan’s internet to see.

One person assumed the captain (Rin) was angry because he was in a secret love affair with “the silver twink” or something. Another person insisted, Mikoshiba-san has been bragging about being with Nitori-san since last weekend. Another student saw them nuzzling faces on the metro train, claimed they were on a date. Oh, definitely, said another, saw them on the beach making out.

Eventually someone had the nerve to try to confirm some things with the swim team by messaging Toru Iwashimizu, who only responded:

But because Iwashimizu had responded, the #bombezuka thread had popped up on the rest of the swimming team’s Twitter feeds, who righteously had mixed reactions of freaking out to defend their teammates’ honor and freaking out because their suspicions had finally been confirmed.

To no one’s surprise, Nagisa Hazuki caught wind of the frenzy, despite being from another school entirely.

And with Rin Matsuoka’s name mixed in with the rumors, it did not take long before six degrees reached his younger sister Gou, who could not believe what had unfurled throughout the day without any comment by her brother. In a desperate attempt to get him to notice the Twitter storm, she tweeted:

The only silver lining of the tweetastrophe was that at least no one was being inherently meanspirited about the potential lust blossoming between Nitori and Momotarou, which was partially due to the swimming team’s notoriety. On paper, sure, the swim team was the pride and joy of the Samezuka Academy, but that’s not why they were famous among their peers. They were famous because the rest of the school viewed the swim team as a group of guys obsessed with swimming. They did nothing but swim. The whole point of the indoor swimming pool was for the team to practice even during the winter—when they didn’t even have to swim—or whenever it rained.

Barely anyone knew anything about the students in the swim team, so many folks figured they had the stock personalities of a school of fish. All going for the same goal to be a professional athlete and not much else. They were untouchable; their schedules surrounding practices, training camps, and swim meets, with not much room for dating in between. The only other thing people knew about them was their annual tradition of hosting a maid café at their school’s cultural festival, which no one could reasonably explain.

That was it. Listen, people figured if there was ever going to be a scandal coming from the swim team, it was probably going to be about some guy shooting up steroids in the locker room or wearing unapproved swimsuits for better aerodynamics in competitions or maybe even something crazy like the students were all brainwashed and manufactured into disciples of Poseidon himself to carry on the legend of Samezuka forever. They weren’t known for actual drama, not even while people heard about Rin Matsuoka swimming for some other school’s team halfway through a competition for some reason last year (that was weird, but okay) or even this year when some folks whispered about Sousuke Yamazaki having a hurt shoulder and, like, that was sad, but he still swam in the championship, so other students figured it wasn’t so bad. Hell, if you even heard about those two so-called incidents, you had to be real close to the swim team—and the fact of the matter was, what happened in Samezuka’s swim team generally stayed with the swim team.

So, when rumors spread about last year’s swim team captain’s little brother possibly dating this year’s captain’s ex-roommate, who some said might be next year’s captain, too, things got a little bit juicy.

To the student body of the Samezuka Academy, this was like finding out the royals were having incestuous affairs behind the castle doors, which got people thinking: maybe the reason no one had ever heard of the Samezuka swim team dating anyone outside of school was because maybe the swim team was dating… each other.

Yet, while folks were reveling in the swim team’s supposed love triangle plot twists, it was all at the expense of Aiichirou Nitori’s dignity. People were quick to forget that. It was one thing to be teased by his teammates about possibly dating Momotarou, but to witness his reputation get warped into being the promiscuous sexpot darling of the swim team was a level of humiliation Nitori had never known. He read tweet after tweet, seeing his name become the butt of a thousand jokes by students who he had never heard of, let alone spoken to.

It was a wild exchange. There were positive messages at first that called him cute, saying no surprise he’s dating someone, remembering him as the second-year breaststroke swimmer, saying how quiet in school he was, saying how small he was, saying well, if he’s still on the swim team, he must be good, right? They said he must be flexible, then mentioned Momo and Rin and Sousuke and Seijuro and damn near any teammate people saw him with at some point during the school year. They got more invasive, calling him relay boy, and assumed he was experienced, assumed he was bottom, assumed he was easy.

He cried about this, locked his dorm room and wept at his desk as he used his laptop to delete his Twitter and turn all his other social media accounts private before the gossip switched platforms. And once it was done and he could finally use his phone again without notifications stalling the system, Nitori stared at his last text message, one from Sousuke that read, emergency meeting at the pool now.

There stood Aiichirou Nitori at the entrance of the indoor swimming pool, with eyes puffed red and swollen, just like his ego.

“I hate this,” he muttered, his voice hoarse.

No one wore their swimsuits, which was good because like hell was Nitori going to do some goddamn laps after all the bullshit he went through today. As he sauntered down the gym in his hoodie and sweatpants, he looked down at the tile floor and listed the day’s events in his head. He woke up at 5:30 in the morning, broke into the cafeteria to smuggle in paper cranes, got caught, kissed Momo, had a nice breakfast, kissed Momo again but in his underwear so Rin could catch them—and thus the downward spiral set off. Today was the first day he started his first relationship. He should have been happy. It should have been a good day, really. But all Nitori felt was tired.

He was so, so tired.

“Honestly, fuck ‘em,” said Toru Iwashimizu, who sat at the edge of the pool with his feet dipped in the water. “Summer break is coming up anyway. They’re going to forget all about this.”

Most of the swim team sat down on the floor as a huddled group, with a few teammates just off to the side by the pool edge or by the wall. Nitori couldn’t bring himself to make eye contact with anyone, knowing what had been rumored, but he saw someone approaching him and stepped back.

“Nitori-senpai?” whispered Momotarou, still in his school uniform. Not because he couldn’t get into their dorm room to change clothes, but because he chose not to.

“Where were you?” asked Nitori. He looked up at Momo then, pointing an incredulous glance at his manic kouhai, and didn’t care if anyone noticed their confrontation.

There was no question that Nitori-senpai looked like a wreck. His eyes were bloodshot, his nose and lips cracked at the irritated dry patches he must have wiped too many times, and his skin dulled from exhaustion. Once he found out about all the rumors, Momo’s first reaction was to go straight to his dorm room and talk with Nitori, but when he heard his senpai’s sobbing and how obviously hurt he was, his next impulse was to stop the madness. For the past twenty minutes, Momotarou went to several sports teams and people whose names he recognized in the tweeting threads and made a small statement to each of them in person. He needed to come up with a better solution, he knew that, but it was all he could think of for now.

He told them, you have hurt someone I care about.

“I was trying to fix this,” he told Nitori, even though he also knew the concept of fixing their shattered reputations might have been impossible by now.

“How could you possibly fix this?”

“Oy, Ai,” interjected Rin, who like the rest of the swim team had been taking note of Nitori’s dejected state. “That’s what we’re all trying to do now. Come up with a way to fix this mess.”

Fix messes, huh, Nitori thought. It seemed like he was always caught in some mess that needed to be fixed, at least for the past four days. Eventually the escalation must stop and crash, that’s what he was learning. He just never thought it would crash on him.

Nitori looked up to evaluate the rest of the team, taking note of their worried yet puzzled expressions as they looked back at him. He saw Minami and Uozumi sitting up against the wall, their lips pursed as if holding back their own commentary until they felt safe to do so. Off to the side, where most of the team sat, lied Nakagawa on his back and yet he averted his attention up at Nitori, then began to sit up when he noticed Nitori staring down at him. Iwashimizu took his feet out of the water and turned toward Nitori, sitting cross-legged and cross-armed. They looked guilty, or maybe Nitori just wanted them to feel that way. He wanted to blame them for their casual teasing as some sort of fuel for the rumor fire, even if he couldn’t prove it as the catalyst to the day’s events.

There was a moment when he wanted to blame Rin for shouting so loud that morning, for getting involved, for being so known at school. It didn’t last long, though, because even with everything that had happened, Nitori couldn’t muster up the nerve to blame his senpai for caring about him and his reckless behavior. As he looked Rin directly in the eyes, Nitori noticed the accountability Rin felt for his part of the scandal, how much of a captain he looked during this crisis—if you could call it that, Nitori wondered, feeling dumb. God, he felt so dumb, standing dead center at an emergency swim team meeting—a meeting—over rumors about him fucking—fucking—Momo.

Over fucking Momo.

When it came to Momo, his anger was complicated. It wasn’t the rage of someone who felt betrayed or even the kind of frustration someone felt because of how stupid their friend was. His fury was much more personal, a fury that made him obsess over every bad mistake he made in the past few days because of Momo’s whims and how any sane person would have said no, would have said the line was being crossed, would have realized they were setting themselves up for a messy catastrophe, but not him. Truth was, as Nitori realized it after sobbing at his desk, that he was, in a way, having fun. And the reason he was mad was because it had been spoiled.

He looked back at Momo and weakly raised his hand with his fingers twitching in frustration, pulling the air as he pulled his thoughts together.

“Nitori-senpai,” said Momo, who stepped closer ready to accept any punishment he was about to be given. “I’ll do whatever it takes to fix this.”

Yeah, he got anxious. Yeah, what they were doing was stupid.

But it was fun.

Nitori got mad because he hated how everyone wanted to rewrite his memories. They weren’t there watching the sunset at the beach with Momo while eating ice cream after a day of dancing and shooting water guns. They weren’t there going into downtown to shop for origami paper and eating lunch while binge-watching anime in their dorm room, just hanging out together and enjoying each other’s company for like twelve hours straight. They weren’t there eating breakfast in a little kitchen shop, planning dates and dodging bashful glances on the morning of their first kiss. They had no idea how much of a big deal it was, how it felt, that first time. All they had was this idea of who they were—just a couple of zany kids, off to the side, doing nothing important, just messing around. Who were they to try to tell Nitori the story of (maybe) the first time he fell in love?

Momo and his big mouth, his stupid ideas, his dumb heart.

Nitori dropped his hand. He took one step forward and plopped his head onto Momo’s chest, letting out a deep sigh. First day of a relationship and he was mad. God, he felt so dumb.

“Is it worth all this?” he said to Momo. “How long are we going to hide this secret?”

This secret, of course, referred to the surprise party they were planning, which had clearly become the bane of their existence. What started out as a prank turned sentimental gesture had wildly spun out of a control as the basis of their public outing for all to jest—and there was still another half of the week to go through before it was even supposed to happen.

Yet, given the rumor situation, when the swim team heard “secret,” a slight misunderstanding prompted folks to speak up.

“Oh, well, you don’t have to hide anymore, Nitori-san,” said Minami from the back, a little preemptively. “We’re totally cool with it.”

“Uh,” Momo stuttered, looking down at Nitori, who merely closed his eyes and sighed further. “That’s not—”

“That’s right, Ai,” said Rin. “We’ll make sure this doesn’t get out of control.”

Sousuke also chimed in with a supportive, “You’re not alone.”

And while it was sweet how quickly the Samezuka Swim Team turned into the Momo-Ai Defense Squad, hearing the phrase you’re not alone had channeled the exact reason Nitori was furious in the first place. He wasn’t alone, was quite prophetically forced to not be alone—when that’s what he wanted. He gripped Momo’s shirt, tugged down at the neckline as his silent call for freedom, and whispered into Momo’s ear, “Fix this.”

As more teammates spoke up to lend their support, it dawned on Momotarou that despite the fact that there was no real plan on how to come out as a couple since they were originally just rolling with the team’s own suspicions, this was probably not it. This was not how anything was supposed to go. He wrapped his arms around Nitori, feeling his senpai give in the embrace and start to choke up. Things had gone too far over nothing and no amount of white lies could change the fact that Momo, frankly, messed up.

“Stop,” he announced, then groaned as he gave in to surrender. “We were just trying to plan a party.”

Huh?

Even Sousuke, who was helping plan the party, wondered why the flustered ginger had snapped out and revealed the party plans. Collectively, no one on the team could tie the connection between Momo and Ai’s relationship outing and a… party? Unless, maybe it was a coming out party? Were they gonna be that elaborate about announcing their relationship? Wouldn’t that be a little much? Was that even a thing?

“What are you talking about?” asked Rin.

But the truth had to come out, and so with Nitori still in his arms, Momo exasperatedly confessed, “It started with the bread, but then you saw the bread, so then we couldn’t use it anymore, but I didn’t want to give up on—well, see, I was trying to plan a surprise because, come on, look at this pool, it’s so big! Like, how am I supposed to be at this school and not put stuff in it, so then why not origami cranes? No one can get mad at origami cranes—because they’re beautiful—and it’s barely a prank if there’s 5000 origami cranes—I mean, that’s practically art—like, honestly, I think it’d even be a good idea for the summer festival, just putting it out there because I’ve been working really hard on making them, you can ask Yamazaki-senpai, who—actually—is the reason we started planning a party. Yeah, ugh, because it was just a really good idea and we couldn’t explain why we are on the beach on top of each other—but nothing happened! We weren’t even thinking about that yet! We were just having a good time and then Yamazaki-senpai was like oh, what are you doing, give me my radio back, you’re planning a party, right? And we were like, yeah, that’s a great idea because it was, so then we had to go through with it, which is why we were always together, but then everyone kept thinking we were together together because we took a shower together and like, yeah, okay, so I checked Nitori-senpai out, but who wouldn’t? Look me in the eyes and tell me you wouldn’t—no, you can’t, because Nitori-senpai is an amazing person who deserves to be checked out and, you know what? I’d do it again, honestly.”

Momo took a moment to breathe.

“Ugh, not that it matters,” Momo continued, his confession getting louder, “because then everybody was getting suspicious because of how much we hung out and Yamazaki-senpai couldn’t take the cranes to the cafeteria, so we had to, and the freaking cafeteria manager came in too early, so we had to run and run and it was sunrise and Nitori-senpai looked beautiful and, like, that was the moment—I couldn’t just not kiss him, especially after last night’s failure, so I did and it was great and today was supposed to be a great day because today—TODAY—was the first time I’ve ever kissed someone and today was supposed to be special because I asked Nitori-senpai out on a date and he said sure and I was,” Momo panted before he calmed down and finished, “I was really happy about that.”

Nitori looked up at Momo, then softly uttered, “Momo-kun…”

“I’m angry, too,” said Momo, meeting Nitori’s gaze. “I ruined our first day.”

The team stood there, stunned.

It was a lot to digest, particularly since Momo gave no context to anything he said, just spouted out a stream of consciousness that only select people could put together in a coherent timeline. But while some team members were trying to figure out the missing details, Rin—who felt he understood most of the Momo speak—hesitantly spoke up and said, “So, you two were planning a party here in the gym?”

Momo and Nitori nodded.

“And you knew about this?” Rin asked, turning around to Sousuke.

“Yup,” he said.

“But you two,” Rin turned back to the frazzled couple, “weren’t dating until… today?”

“Right,” confirmed Momo.

“But I saw… you both… this morning,” said Rin, trying to make sense of the lewd scene he walked in on earlier in the day. Who hooks up on the first morning they’re together?

“We were trying to distract you,” explained Nitori, who stood straight while still in Momo’s embrace and motioned his hands toward their intimate hug. “And it worked really well because we ended up distracting the whole school.”

“I can’t believe this.” Rin threw his head back, trying to be respectful toward his kouhais’ newfound relationship, but also absolutely using every fiber of his being to contain his frustration over the day’s events. “You guys literally test me every goddamn day.”

Sousuke chuckled, covering his mouth with his hand.

“What are you laughing at?” snapped Rin. “This is a disaster!”

“Yeah.”

Still waiting for an answer or a punchline, Rin bucked his shoulders for Sousuke to continue.

To which he shrugged and said, “Oh, nothing. I just think they’re funny.”

“Oh my god,” groaned Rin.

A sense of freedom washed over the two kouhais, who both took in a relieved breath about not having to keep up the lies anymore. They looked at each other then and sort of smirked at each other. Nothing was fixed by confessing about the party and, now that they confirmed they were interested in each other, the dating jokes were probably only just beginning, but it was their truth and they just wanted to live in it. For a moment, neither of them wanted to feel anxious about what was going on around them, even as the team shouted more questions about why were they throwing a party in the first place or why were they showering together if they didn’t like each other then or why would they go to these extremes, dear god, and why weren’t they answering?!

Toru Iwashimizu, who knew very well that today was the first day of their relationship, called out to the team, “Let them have a day, guys. We’ll rag on them later.”

All Momo and Ai wanted was a simple moment together.

-

They lied on Nitori’s bed together on top of the sheets, facing each other with a quiet acceptance. So much chaos in one day, but for a moment, it didn’t matter. They could just enjoy being near each other. Give them a chance to get used to each other. Be with each other.

“I’m sorry I ruined today,” said Momotarou.

Nitori reached his hand out to Momo, twiddling their fingers.

“You didn’t really,” he said, accepting that fact. “You didn’t start those rumors.”

They scooted closer to each other, enough to press their chests together and nuzzle their necks like swans. Let them feel each other’s heartbeats, that’s all they wanted. Just enough to hear that they were still excited about each other even with clothes on, that their breathing was still deep for each other because they were comfortable in each other’s arms, that when it got quiet it was intimate, not awkward. Maybe they couldn’t have a first day, but they could have a first night.

“Can we kiss again?” asked Momo, who gently tucked some fallen bangs away from Nitori’s face in case he said yes and who noticed the faint blush creeping up his senpai’s ears.

“Sure.”

Their noses bumped, as they realized they weren’t sure how to tilt their heads for a kiss in bed. A soft giggle slipped out as Nitori pointed his finger to the right, and they both adjusted their heads for a second try. A sweet kiss for an evening, involving parted lips and heated cheeks.

Just a moment to relive that morning, that’s all they wanted.

Another kiss.

Camp Swan Chapter 11

Summary:  Virgil hates camping. He especially hates summer camp. There’s too many happy counselors. Campers pretend to like him, but then turn around and shove him into the lake when the adults aren’t looking. His roommates hate him, and he comes to find out that his parents just wanted him out of the way so they could go on their own vacation. He doesn’t want to admit that the food isn’t that bad, or that the activities are actually pretty fun. Or that his roommates aren’t actually the worst. And some of the counselors aren’t that bad… But summer camp is still the worst.

A/N: Look what story came back from the grave. I'm really sorry for leaving this fic for so long. Honestly I needed to walk away from it for a while. I wasn't getting inspiration for it anymore and there were so many other ideas for other stories that I wanted to focus on. I'm trying to get back into this story and hopefully continue it. I won't be sticking to any kind of update schedule because I learned quickly that those just don't work well for me. Just thank you guys for your support on this, I'm really glad you love it as much as you do. Enjoy :)

Warnings: cursing, bullying, physical fighting, near drowning, blood mention, description of bruises (as always if i missed anything please let me know) 

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Tag List:  @princeyssash @alwaysmy-lilith @protecterofalltheaus @irish-newzealand-idian-dutch @dan-yuna @kittenvirgil @prettygirl0223 @helloisthisusernametaken @tripleaaaqueer @lilbeanblr @ilovemygaydad @kai-dot-jpg @chemically-imbalanced-romance @pattongirl @littleoptimistme @ccecode @demonickittykat @samidaboss3

Virgil stood in front of the mirror in his room and winced at the sight of his chest and ribs. The bruises were healing, but slowly. Now they were a disgusting yellow color, and still hurt to the touch. He shoved his shirt down, turning from the mirror to straighten up his bunk.

“Hey Virgil!” Patton called, poking his head into the room. “Wanna come play freeze tag with us?”

“What are we? Twelve?” Virgil asked.

“Oh, c’mon kiddo it’ll be fun!” Patton exclaimed. “Besides you can’t stay cooped up in this cabin all the time.”

Virgil sighed, and turned around to sit on his bunk. “No offense but I’d rather avoid any kind of exercise if I can help it.”

Patton’s shoulders slumped, and Virgil felt a twinge of guilt. He’d been trying, really trying, to not push the others away as much. It was the least he could do after what Patton had done for him the other day. Still, though, it was hard to be around them sometimes. Roman was still trying to get him to go on “adventures” with him and making him weird gifts, Logan never seemed to be able to take any form of a joke without ruining it, and Patton was just a little...much sometimes.

“Well, we’ll be on the main field if you change your mind,” Patton said. Virgil just nodded, and the other boy left.

Virgil sighed and finished straightening up his corner of the room before heading out of the cabin himself. He figured he’d go hide in the arts and crafts room for the afternoon, at least until a counselor kicked him out. He’d figured out that Frank usually stayed away from the building, if he could help it. If Virgil could get there without any confrontation, then he’d be safe. With multiple counselors there to watch over everything, it should be safe.

“Hey Virgil!”

Virgil stopped and looked up. He realized he’d been passing the main field on his way to the arts and crafts building, where the freeze tag game was in full swing. He could see his roommates, Travis, Rose, and a few other campers all running around, laughing and cursing at each other as they played. Alyssa and Cassie, though, seemed to have paused to wave at him.

“Want to come join us?” Cassie called.

“I’m good,” Virgil called back, saluting them and turning to walk away.

“Wait!”

Virgil sighs but turns around as Cassie jogs over to him. She smiles and puts a gentle had on his shoulder. “I think you’ve got company,” she whispered.

Virgil looked over his shoulder and saw Frank and his friends not too far behind him. They looked innocent enough, seeming to be headed in the opposite direction as him. Virgil tensed as Cassie squeezed his shoulder in reassurance.

“We saw them following you,” Cassie said. “Where are you going anyway?”

“I was going to the arts and crafts building,” Virgil muttered.

Cassie nodded and bit her lip, looking over at where Frank and his friends had barely moved. She shook her head. “They’re idiots if they think this’ll work,” she said with a sigh. “Come join us Verge. I know it’s probably the last thing you want to do, but there are a ton of counselors acting as refs for the game. Plus, you’ll be with all of us. They won’t touch you so far in the open.”

Virgil nodded, and Cassie gave him a reassuring smile, tugging on his arm to pull him towards the field. Alyssa was waiting on them and she shot Virgil a smile. “Finally going to join in on the fun?” she asked in a teasing tone. Virgil shot her a small playful glare, but he couldn’t help but be tense.

“Don’t worry about them,” Alyssa muttered as they walk towards the game. “Frank’s an idiot on good days.”

Virgil tried to take their words as comfort, but he just couldn’t. Something told him that it was just a matter of time before Frank got his revenge on Virgil for ratting him out, and there was little Virgil would be able to do about it. A part of him hoped that Frank would just put him out of his misery already.

Then again, that didn’t mean Virgil was just going to let himself walk into it. He looked over his shoulder and saw Frank glaring at him. They made eye contact for a moment, and Frank sneered before he led his friends away. Well, at least Virgil was safe for now.

“Virgil!” Patton exclaimed, running over to him. “I thought you didn’t want to play.”

Virgil scratched the back of his head. “I uh…I changed my mind,” he muttered.

Patton grinned, his eyes lighting up so much that Virgil felt bad for lying. Patton grabbed Virgil’s wrist, pulling him further onto the field. “Well then come on! Right now, Rose is ‘it’ and she does not mess around!” with that, Patton took off running, dragging Virgil with him.

After the game, all of them collapsed on the field, breathing hard from running around so much. Virgil, despite his reluctance, had found himself having a bit of fun, especially when Roman was ‘it’ since for some reason the other boy decided that Virgil would be his main target. Virgil had gotten revenge on him, though, tagging Roman far too easily during his own turn.

“Well Verge,” Patton said, nudging Virgil’s shoulder.

“It was alright,” Virgil said, falling onto his back and trying to catch his breath. He was hot and sweaty and honestly desperately wanted water.

“I didn’t know you would be that fast, Virgil,” Logan said.

“Ditto.” Logan was probably the best out of all of them at escaping, yet he was also good at catching people. They’d had to stop because Logan was just being plain unfair by being good at freeze tag. Virgil, however, had been at a close second.

Virgil hadn’t had that much fun in…well in a long time.

“Alright guys,” Thomas said, walking over to them. Virgil hadn’t even realized he’d been one of the counselors watching the game, but he walked over with a wide smile on his face. “Glad you’re all having fun. Now how about a nice swim to cool off?”

Roman jumped to his feet. “We get the lake today?”

Thomas laughed. “Yes, Roman we do. Along with your cabins,” he looked at Alyssa, Cassie, Travis, and Rose. “We can go as soon as you guys are changed,” Thomas said to Virgil and his roommates before he walked off to join his counselor friends.

“Alright!” Roman exclaims. “Come on guys, lets go!” he took off running towards the cabin, nearly knocking over a group of younger campers on their way to the stables.

Virgil just watched his roommate as he ran and disappeared behind a cabin. “Should we be concerned?” He asked to no one in particular.

“About Roman?” Rose asked. “Always.”

By the time Virgil, Logan, and Patton got back to the cabin, Roman was already in his swim suit and he was spraying sunscreen over every part of his body.

Virgil coughed as he entered the room. “Dude, do that outside.”

“No need already done,” Roman said, throwing the sunscreen onto his bed. Virgil rolled his eyes and went to get his swimsuit.

“So, what did you mean about us having the lake?” Virgil asked. “I figured you could just go swimming there whenever you wanted.”

“Camp Swan works on a sign-up system,” Logan explained, “if a cabin wants to be able to swim in the lake during their free time, the counselor has to sign up for it. That way the lake isn’t overcrowded with every camper here. Usually there are seven or eight cabins worth of campers every afternoon, and with how many campers there are here, it’s sometimes hard to get a slot to the lake.”

Virgil nodded. He had to admit that he wasn’t exactly looking forward to this. Weren’t there a lot of bacteria and stuff in lakes? And fish? And besides he’d have to have his shirt off and the bruises hadn’t healed…

“I think I’ll stay here,” Virgil muttered, his hand dropping from his swim suit, which he’d half pulled out of his bag.

His roommates all looked at him. “Why?” Patton asked, sounding disappointed. “Don’t you want to go swimming? We haven’t had a chance since camp started!”

“I’m not much of a swimmer.”

Logan frowned at him, giving him a knowing look. Virgil gulped and looked away. “You guys have fun.”

“No, I will not let you miss out on this!” Roman exclaimed. “It’s just swimming!”

“Perhaps it would benefit you, Virgil,” Logan said coolly. “You do not even have to get in the water.”

Virgil chewed his lip. He really didn’t want to have to answer questions about his bruises, but he was finding it harder and harder to argue with them. The thought of being stuck in the cabin by himself, for once, didn’t sound that appealing.

“Come on kiddo, it’ll be fun!” Patton exclaimed, giving him wide, puppy dog eyes.

Virgil sighed, remembering what Rose had told him the other day. He still, technically, had a favor he owed her, and if going to the stupid lake would do that then he supposed that he didn’t have a choice.

“Fine,” he muttered, “but I’m not taking my shirt off.”

As it turned out, none of his roommates were going to go shirtless either.

When they got down to the lake, after meeting up with their friends, Patton had immediately jumped into the lake, followed by Roman, both without taking their shirts off.

“What on Earth are they doing?” Rose asked, shaking her head before raising her voice. “You’re going to ruin your shirt Roman!”

“It’s not important!” Roman called back. “Besides! I’m doing everyone a favor. Everyone would swoon at my fantastic body.”

Rose just shook her head and mumbled something about idiotic brothers before taking off her cover and running to the dock before jumping into the lake. She immediately swam over to her brother and started splashing him.

“Are you getting in Verge?” Alyssa asked. She’d already taken off the t-shirt and shorts that covered her swim suit. She had on a blue and black two piece that covered most of her stomach, though when she raised her arms he noticed the start of a white scar on her stomach. He quickly looked away before she noticed. They all had something to hide, evidently.

“Probably not,” Virgil said.

“Why?” she asked, sounding nothing but curious.

Virgil shrugged. “I don’t really swim.”

“Meaning that you can’t?” Cassie asked, joining them. She wore a yellow bikini that stuck out against her dark skin, looking as comfortable as if she were still in shorts and a t-shirt. It was his goal, he decided, to be as comfortable with his body as Cassie was in that moment.  

“I can swim,” Virgil said. “I just don’t like to.”

“Fair enough,” Alyssa said, pulling up her hair. “What about you Lo?”

Logan shrugged. “I might.”

“Progress,” Cassie said with a teasing smile. “If either of you decide to jump in, I challenge you both to a race. I’ve been working on my stroke.”

Alyssa rolled her eyes and pushed Cassie towards the water. “Just because you’ve been swimming with Lyndon doesn’t mean that you’re better at it,” she said, her voice fading as the two of them walked away.

“Who?” Virgil asked Logan.

Logan shrugged. “Perhaps one of their school friends.”

Virgil blinked. He hadn’t thought about that. For a moment, he forgot that he and everyone else her had a life outside of this camp. He forgot that everyone didn’t just know each other at home.

Logan set down a towel and sat, his eyes scanning those around him. Virgil sat next to him. “So. You don’t swim either huh?”

“Not really,” Logan said. “Though it can be good exercise, I don’t particularly enjoy swimming in lakes. I’d prefer a pool that is kept clean and does not impose a risk to my health.”

Huh, Virgil thought to himself, we have more in common than I thought.

For a while, Virgil just watched the other kids. Like Logan said, there seemed to be quite a few more cabins here, but it seemed just enough that the lake didn’t feel overcrowded. Virgil saw some kids give them all jealous looks as they passed, headed to the quieter side of the lake to relax.

Virgil turned his attention back to their side of the lake and watched as Patton and Roman splashed each other. Rose had gone to join Alyssa and Cassie, and he spotted Travis swimming over to them.

They all looked…well, happy. Like they were having the time of their lives.

“You look like you wish to join them,” Logan said.

Virgil blinked and looked away. “No, just watching.”

“Virgil you’re a terrible liar.”

He looked up at the other boy who was studying him like a scientist would an undiscovered specimen. “What?” Virgil asked, squirming a little.

Logan sighed and shook his head. After another moment of silence between them, Virgil cleared his throat. “Are you the one who convinced Roman and Patton to wear shirts in the water?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Logan you’re a terrible liar.”

Logan’s lips quirked up at that and he turned to look at Virgil. “I noticed how uncomfortable you looked at the prospect of swimming and I figured it might be because of your situation, so I told Roman you were probably self-conscious about your body—I apologize if that was too personal—and he and Patton agreed to wear their shirts to make you more comfortable.” Logan shrugs, like it was no big deal.

Virgil gulped, looking away as he blinked back sudden tears. He didn’t know why that had made him so emotional. Probably because no one had ever really done anything like that for him. “Thanks, Lo.”

“You’re welcome.”

After that, the silence was more comfortable. The two of them were enjoying each other’s presence and just watched the other kids. At least until Roman came jogging over to them.

Virgil noted that him wearing a shirt made zero difference since he decided to wear a white shirt. He was soaked, the shirt completely see-through. “Come on you two,” Roman says, putting his hands on his hips, “come swim with us!”

“No thanks,” Virgil said, scowling up at him.

“Oh, what’s the point of coming down here if you’re not going to swim?” Roman asked. Then he smirked at Virgil and put his hands on his hips, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “I bet you can’t beat me in a race.”

Virgil rolled his eyes. “Why would I want to race you Princey?”

“Because you know I’d win.”

Damn him.

“You’re too much muscle. You’d sink,” Virgil said, knowing full well that wasn’t how physics worked. The insult sounded nice to him, though.

Roman frowned at him. “You’re clearly just intimidated by my fantastic body and therefore don’t want to embarrass yourself by losing to me.”

“Don’t try to sound smart, it doesn’t look good on you.”

Roman gasped dramatically. “How dare you! Everything looks good on me!”

Virgil smirked and rolled his eyes. “Keep telling yourself that Princey.”

“I feel like I’m watching a disaster in slow motion,” someone—probably Rose—muttered. Virgil hadn’t seen her get out, but when he glanced over he saw Rose and Patton standing off to the side.

“At least they’re talking,” Patton muttered to her.

“Admit it,” Roman said. “You’re too scared you’ll be beaten by me. I am the best after all.”

Virgil curled his fingers into fists and got up. “You know what Princey? You’re on, and I’m going to beat your smug ass at your own game.”

Roman grinned triumphantly. “Then we shall race!”

Damn him and his dumb smugness and his stupid shit-eating grin and…and…

Virgil completely fell for it.

He glanced over at Rose and Patton, who looked highly amused and like they were trying not to laugh. Rose caught his eye and shrugged, wearing a smirk that matched Roman’s.

Damned siblings.

Virgil walked down the dock and jumped into the lake beside Roman. Behind them, their friends had all gathered. Alyssa, Cassie, and Travis having noticed them and swam over to see what was going on.

“Decided to join us Virge?” Alyssa called.

“Decided to wipe the smugness off of Roman’s face,” Virgil said back.

“Ooohhh a race!” Cassie said. “I call racing the winner!”

“No worries, Cas, you can get your revenge on me soon,” Roman said with a wink, making Cassie roll her eyes and Alyssa bite back a smile.

Th two boys lined themselves up, and Cassie counted down for them to start. When she got to zero, though, Virgil quickly splashed Roman before hurling his body forward to start swimming.

It didn’t take long for Roman to catch up to him, though Virgil was not one to let something like this go. He pushed himself like he’d never done before just to stay ahead of the asshole.

In the end, though, Roman still won, but just by a hair.

“Ha!” Roman says, shoving his hair out of his eyes. “I won even after you cheated!”

Virgil shrugged. “It was worth a shot.” He glanced at Roman, who was still grinning triumphantly, before sending a big wave his way.

Roman’s head whipped towards him, though Virgil tried to look nonchalant. “You little…” Roman grumbled, splashing Virgil back.

“Hey!” Virgil exclaimed. He couldn’t help the fact that he was laughing a little.

They continued their splash fight, their friends at this point having swam away to get away from it. Eventually, though, Roman held up his hands. “Alright! Alright! I concede!”

“Ha, never thought I’d hear that from you,” Virgil says. Now he was the one with the triumphant smile. Roman makes a face at him before turning around to search for where their friends had gone.

Looking around, Virgil saw that Patton and Logan were sitting on a dock a few yards away, their feet dangling in the water. Cassie and Alyssa were swimming with some of their other friends, Travis among them. They seemed to be playing some kind of game involving a beach ball.

Suddenly, Roman whirled around. “Ow! Virgil, dude, I know I beat you in the race but that doesn’t mean you need to pinch me!”

Virgil blinks and look back at him. “What are you talking about?”

Roman scowls. “Something just pinched me.”

“Wasn’t me,” Virgil says. “I’m over here, you would’ve—OW!” Virgil whirled around, trying to see what had pinched him. The water wasn’t exactly the cleanest, so it was a little hard to see. Virgil could feel the current around him though, like something was swimming around him. “Uhhh, Roman there aren’t piranhas in this lake are there?”

“Nonsense,” Roman says, “they wouldn’t let us in the lake if there were.”

Virgil felt another sharp pain in his side, and this time he felt the fingers as they twisted his skin. Panicking, he shoved at the hand that was near him. He glanced over at Roman, but he was still a few feet away, looking concerned. “It’s a person.”

Roman’s eyes widen in understanding and he swims closer to Virgil, reaching out as if to grab Virgil’s hand, then seemed to think better of it. “Come on we should get to—” Roman yelped and Virgil quickly followed as he felt someone grab onto his leg and pull him under.

Twisting to try and get out of this person’s grip, Virgil looked around to see who was pulling him down. He couldn’t say that he was surprised to see Frank glaring at him, an iron tight grip on his ankle.

What the hell? Was he trying to drown Virgil? Was he that angry at Virgil? How did he even get over here without anyone noticing?

Another pair of hands grabbed onto him, yanking on his shirt. Virgil tried to twist out of their grip, but between desperately kicking at Frank and his shirt being literally ripped off of him, and the lack of air, he was starting to get really disoriented.

Something sharp and painful scraped against his chest and he gasped instinctively, sucking in water that he immediately tried to cough out. He felt the panic overtake him and he struggled more, his body screaming for air.

Suddenly there were arms wrapping around him, yanking him out of Franks grip and pulling him to the surface. For a moment Virgil wasn’t sure what was happening, all he cared about was getting air back into his lungs. Before he knew it, he was being dragged onto shore and lied down on his back. He was coughing, his body trying to expel as much water as possible.

“Virgil! Virgil can you hear me?” This was Roman, leaning over him with a panicked face. Virgil pushed him out of his personal space, propping himself up on his elbow, still coughing.

Someone slapped him on the back, which hurt slightly now that his skin was bare. Once he could breathe again, he looked up. His roommates were all kneeling around him, all of them looking concerned. Alyssa, Cassie, Travis, and Rose were standing above them, glaring at anyone who tried to come close to them to see what was going on. Thomas was kneeling over him, looking like he was on the verge of crying.

“Oh my goodness, Virgil, are you okay?” his counselor asks checking him over. His eyes land on Virgil’s chest and they widen.

Looking down, Virgil could see the healing bruise as well as some newer ones forming, but there was also a red scratch across his chest, a thin line of blood coming from it.

Thomas just stared at the injuries for a moment, then he pursed his lips. “Virgil, are you okay?” he asks is a more calm and gentle voice, one that unnerved both Virgil and the other boys around him.

“Y-Yes,” Virgil stutters, pushing himself to a sitting position.

Thomas nods. “Good. You three, get back to the cabin,” he points to Roman, Logan, and Patton. “You,” he looks at Virgil, “come with me to the infirmary so that scratch doesn’t get infected.”

None of the boys argued. Patton helped Virgil to his feet, then gave him a small hug before following Roman and Logan towards their cabin.

“Virgil…” Cassie starts, but Thomas puts a hand on Virgil’s shoulder.

“Your counselors will take you back to your cabins,” Thomas says. “You should go find them.”

Hearing the dismissal, the other campers nodded and, after giving Virgil a mixture of concerned and supportive looks, they went to do as Thomas says.

“Come on Virgil,” Thomas says, leading Virgil away from the lake.

Chapter 12

10, 15, 16, 36, 39

10. Name a dog 

OLIVIA!!! Beautiful angel Olivia who sits right in the doorway to the main office at camp and is the most beautiful doorstop/welcome mat I have ever seen I love her 

15. what’s a question you constantly get asked? 

Um? Hmmmm. I don’t really get asked a lot of questions. I do exchange the ‘how was your day’ thing with my roommate just about every day so that I guess. ‘CLAIRE HOW DARE YOU’ is another pretty common one (usually @letmetellyouaboutmyfeels

16. If you had to get a tattoo right now, what would you get and where?

I’VE ACTUALLY THOUGHT ABOUT THIS. I’m pretty sure that at some point I want to get the Arkansas River (specifically the section in the Headwaters area between Railroad Bridge and Parkdale) tattooed along my spine. Each rapid will be marked but not named, with an extra mark for the ones I’ve swum (there are 7, but it being an extra mark will give me a chance to add more if I swim more, which I hope I don’t, it’s not particularly fun)

36. what do you think you’d be arrested for? 

Well if Madison got mad enough I’d probably be at least taken in for questioning after being unable to restrain her from murder. But she’d have to be really quite angry because she is smol and she may have more martial arts training than me but I do have some

39. describe your aesthetic

I really don’t know how to answer this question but I’ll take a stab. Comfy chair, cold feet, a good video game, crying over fictional characters, finally getting the posters to stay on the walls, and the Arkansas River at 2200 cfs

Camp Counselor AU

Nelix Week day 5: Roommates.

Read the whole month on AO3

Roommates

“Why are you doing this, again?” Gabriel asked as he and Felix followed the Gorilla down a dirt road surrounded by pine trees.

"Work experience. Because it gets me out of the house. Because the program came highly recommended by my guidance counselor at school. But to be honest, the thought of seeing you surrounded by nature while dropping me off was more than enough."

"This is a waste of your time. You could have spent your summer studying or practicing your violin."

"Yes, seeing you, saying that, with actual trees behind you is worth all the sunburns and bug bites and screaming children this summer could possibly give me."

At the door to Felix's cabin Gabriel said his goodbyes.

"You'll be calling for a ride home within three weeks," was Gabriel's last words before leaving with the Gorilla.

The cabin was small, six sets of bunk beds lining the walls with lockers and a clothes hanging bar against the back wall. Felix took the top bunk in the back left corner and unpacked some of his things into one of the lockers. He was reviewing his schedule for the rest of the first day when the door banged open again.

"Why are there rocks everywhere?"

Felix looked up to see a very frustrated young man lugging a pair of suitcases and a sleeping bag behind him up the steps into the cabin.

"Are you Nino?" Felix asked, reaching to hold the door open for the newcomer.

Nino looked up and forgot the toe he had stubbed on a rock outside the door, and how tired his arms were from lugging his bags around, and that the sun was giving him a headache. The exact words that entered his mind the moment he saw Felix Agreste were, "Oh no, he's hot."

"Here, give me a bag," Felix said, reaching to help. Somehow this resulted in both of them dropping all of Nino's belongings on the floor.

"Well now I'm glad I left my laptop at home," Nino muttered, picking up a bag and lugging it to the top bunk in front of Felix's.

"I would hope so," Felix said. "There's no internet signal in most of the buildings and we weren't supposed to bring them anyway."

"Why not? I didn't bring it because I didn't want some punk kid breaking it. I didn't know we weren't supposed to."

"You seem ill-prepared," Felix said, setting Nino's second bag on top of the row of lockers.

"This was not my first choice summer activity," Nino said. "Sorry, I didn't catch your name."

"I would have given it if you had answered when I asked yours."

He's hot and kind of a jackass, Nino thought. "I'm Nino. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you," Felix said, trying not to roll his eyes at the obvious sarcasm from his co-counselor. "I'm Felix."

"Well, Felix," Nino said, climbing up on top of his bunk and starting to make his bed. "What did you do wrong to spend a summer in Hell?"

"I'm here voluntarily." Felix climbed to his bed to see Nino better. "I like working with kids. I want to be a teacher someday."

"Fair enough. Ugh, is it always this hot in here?"

"I brought a box fan, but it won't do much," Felix said. "But I hear it cools off at night. Why are you here, if it wasn't your first choice?"

"My parents basically said that I needed to get a job and get out of the house more, and most of the places I applied wouldn't take me, so here I am." Nino sat back against the wall behind him. "It's not that I don't like kids, and I get to teach some of the music and drama classes, which will be fun. But I'm more of an air conditioning and wifi guy than campfires and swimming in lakes."

Felix nodded. Maybe this grouch he was rooming with wasn't quite as unpleasant as his first impression would have him believe. "I'm sure I'll have trouble adjusting to the accommodations, but I'm just as happy with a book in the sun as a book inside."

"I'm a Kindle guy myself," Nino said. "You ready to head down to orientation?"

"Sure," Felix said, grabbing his sunglasses. "I look forward to working with you this summer."

"You too."

/*****/

“Felix!” Nino yelled from the middle of the cabin. “You are the only person in the entire camp who irons their clothes. Why are you also the only one unable to understand that you can’t leave wet towels in the middle of the floor or open boxes of candy in your luggage?”

“My personal appearance and the amount of experience I have keeping my own environment aren’t in any way related.”

“I’m pushing you in the lake at the swim race tomorrow.”

“Jokes on you, we have opposite schedules tomorrow. I’m at the crafts table while you’re at the lake.”

"Then who's gonna remind you not to glue your hand to your shirt again if I'm not there?"

/*****/

"Nino," Felix whispered, trying not to alert the cabin full of half asleep nine year old boys. "Are you awake?"

"No."

"Nino, there's a spider over my head and it's horrifying and I seem to be paralyzed by fear."

"Fine, give me your book," Nino said, dragging himself from his sleeping bag to climb across the gap to Felix's bunk.

The loud "thunk" of the book smashing into the spider made three of the boys scream.

/*****/

"What are you doing?" Felix asked, holding out the ice cream cone he had bought for Nino.

"If I stand in exactly the right spot on top of this picnic table I get enough of a signal to check Twitter."

"You have a problem."

"I'm aware." Nino felt something cold hit the side of his hand. "When did I get ice cream?"

"You have a serious problem."

"I know, dude."

/*****/

"Sit with me at the bonfire."

Felix had crept up behind Nino and leaned forward to whisper in his ear. Nino didn't jump like he'd hoped, but he did shiver when Felix's breath hit his skin.

"And why would I do that?" Nino whispered back, watching two of their campers try to skip rocks while two others competed to see who could scream louder.

"I'll share my s'mores with you."

Nino wasn't sure if Felix was being intentionally suggestive or if his mind was making everything dirtier, but he knew there was no way he was sitting with anyone else that night.

/*****/

"It's been four weeks," Felix said, leaning over to Nino's bunk. They now slept so that their heads faced each other, making it easier to talk without disturbing their campers.

"It's the middle of the night, Felix," Nino said, squinting at him through sleepy eyes.

"My father said I'd never last three weeks."

"We'll celebrate this weekend when the kids are gone," Nino said. "We'll plan it in the morning. I swear I'm excited for you, but I'm going back to sleep now."

/*****/

"Why are you even here if you can't follow basic instructions?" Felix snarled. "Did it not occur to you that despite how dull your job is, it is actually important to get it right?"

"Felix what the hell?" Nino said, trying to be quiet so he didn't get in trouble for swearing in front of campers again. "You can't speak to people like that."

"She almost handed Greg a plate with strawberries on it," Felix said. "Even after he handed her the meal card that said he was allergic. Even after he said out loud 'no strawberries'. I still had to turn around and see her almost hand him a plate with strawberries."

"Okay, go take a walk," Nino said, putting a hand on Felix's shoulder and guiding him to the door. "No harm was done, and I've got this from here, okay?"

"Watch her," Felix said, glaring back at the lunch lady.

"I will."

/*****/

"How is it that every Friday I can't wait for the kids to leave, but every Sunday morning I can't wait for the new ones to get here?" Nino asked, sitting next to Felix on a log overlooking the sun setting on the lake.

"I don't know, but Saturday evening is definitely the magic spot between the two," Felix said. He stole a glance at Nino's profile before looking back at the oranges and reds and purples before them.

"You need to up your sunscreen game, bro," Nino said, reaching a feather-light finger over to brush against Felix's cheek and down his nose. "You'll be a lobster before the summer's over."

"Maybe you're just making me blush," Felix said, catching the hand and holding it between them.

/*****/

"Felix, stop buying me ice cream," Nino said, flopping onto his back in the grass of the athletic field. "I'm going to get fat."

"You swam so much today, I seriously doubt that," Felix said, not looking up from his book. "Bobby, don't throw the ball at people's faces!"

"Are we supposed to be teaching them anything right now?" Nino asked, looking at the group of campers running wild with a variety of kickballs, soccer balls, and baseballs.

"I now declare this free play time," Felix said with a sweeping gesture with the hand not holding his book. "The ones that need to blow off steam will tire themselves out, the ones that need to rest will sit in the shade and gossip." He looked up from his book to sweep his gaze over Nino's form next to him in the grass. "You're definitely not getting fat. And I enjoyed watching you swim today."

"Yeah?" Nino pulled his hat over his face but it didn't hide his smirk. "Maybe we should go swimming together on Saturday."

"Maybe."

/*****/

"What's the first thing you'll do tomorrow when you get home?" Felix asked as they packed up as much of their belongings as they could on their last night, the last set of campers having left that afternoon.

"Nap, then eat something that doesn't smell like the kitchens here, then go online and become a lump on the couch until my brains fall out my ears. You?"

"Shower in a shower that has water pressure, nap, and then go to the library."

"Cool," Nino said, zipping his bag halfway shut. "And what about the day after that?"

"After that?" Felix asked, stretching idly as he pretended to think. "I was thinking of you."

"Cool," Nino said, crawling up to his bunk.

"Cool," Felix said, walking over to shut off the light.

Nino reached out and pulled Felix to him by the front of his shirt for a kiss.

“Cool.”

Pool Party Crashers (Who Invited You?)

Summary: All hell breaks loose at Izzy’s first off-campus pool party!

Pairings: Dad! Bucky X Izzy  

OFC: Reader, Little Stevie, Nat, Wanda, Steve, Sam, Tony, Maddie, Aurala, Zach

Word Count: 1,913

Warnings: NONE

A/N: Thanks again to @shy2shot for the prompt. 

Prompt: “While at a party, you hear screams coming from the main floor and you see flashing lights out of the window. You assume the party is getting busted. What walks through the door is much worse than a police officer.”

Izzy and Maddie settled into college life. Between classes and on campus social activities, she rarely spoke to her family. Their sophomore mentors understood leaving home for the first time made the young freshmen homesick.

The upperclassmen had ice cream socials, movie nights, shopping trips, and group meetings to allow the freshmen a chance to voice their opinion about whatever’s bothering them. Izzy vented about her aunts and uncles, the Avengers. She didn’t want anyone to shun her because sometimes, they were a bit over the top. The other students chimed in how cool it was to have Earth’s Mightiest Heroes for family. Izzy talked about her life in Stark Tower and her dad, James Buchanan Barnes. No one had a negative comment about the former Winter Soldier. One of the students wanted Captain America’s autograph!

Meanwhile, Bucky felt lost without hearing from Izzy. Yes, she’d send a text every now and again, but he wanted to actually hear her voice. Y/N assured her anxious husband Izzy was just fine. College life is different from high school. It proved to be quite an adjustment.

Stevie, on the other hand, loved being the only child at home. He and Bucky went fishing, camped out in the backyard under the stars, and much to Y/N’s dismay, Stevie rode on the back of Bucky’s Harley Davidson.

Sitting in the common room, Bucky stared at his cell phone. Y/N walked in and shook her head. “James, what are you doing?”

“I haven’t heard from Izzy in 3 days. What if something’s wrong? Do you think Hydra found her?”

Bucky began hyperventilating. Y/N rushed to his side, rubbing circles on his back.

“James, breathe sweetheart.” Her soothing voice coupled with deep breathing calmed the flustered dad.

“Baby, Izzy’s doing well. She’s busy with classes and social activities.”

“What kind of social activities? Wild parties and drinking?” Bucky jumped up, stalking towards the garage.

Y/N had enough. She caught up to her husband staring him down. “James Buchanan Barnes! You need to calm down!!” Her voice boomed. “OUR DAUGHTER DOES NOT DRINK, NOR DOES SHE ATTEND WILD PARTIES!!!”

Bucky’s eyes were wide and his mouth shut tight. Y/N shot daggers at her husband. Stevie thought it best not to say anything. He and Sam played Minecraft on the new XBox One S.

“Mom’s really angry at dad. I’m staying out of her way.” Stevie stuffed a handful of popcorn in his mouth.

“Yeah, Bucky messed up big time. Serves him right.” Sam didn’t have an ounce of sympathy for the beleaguered super soldier.

After the tongue lashing from his wife, Bucky decided it best to go and workout. Y/N was on the warpath! Good thing Steve, Tony and Wanda were out running errands. No one stood a chance with her wrath.

Y/N and Nat sat at the kitchen island, watching Stevie and Sam play video games.

“What did you do with Barnes?” Nat smirked.

“He’s in the gym pouting and taking his frustrations out on an innocent bag.

In the meantime, Izzy and Maddie were planning to attend their very first college pool party. One of the upperclass students, Aurala, invited some freshmen over to her house for food, fun, swimming and most importantly, NO ALCOHOL!

But, what would college be without a keg or four, right? A few fraternity members decided it would be cool to crash the party and bring beer. Aurala’s parents trusted her to be responsible and not have anyone over with drugs or alcohol.

Izzy couldn’t believe she and Maddie were invited. To say they were excited didn’t come close. The ecstatic young ladies went shopping for new bikinis, towels, flip flops, and lip gloss.

A nice freshman, Zachary, had his eyes on Izzy. He was handsome, courteous, and highly intelligent. Y/N met him and approved of their friendship, but kept it from her overzealous husband.

The day of the pool party, Bucky phoned Izzy. “Hey sweetheart. How are ya?”

“Dad! Hi. I’m fine...you?” She sounded nervous and Bucky picked up on it.

Perplexed, Bucky furrowed his brow.“Buttercup, is everything alright?”

Maddie motioned for Izzy to calm down. “Yes daddy. We’re on our way to the gym. Gotta keep my body in shape.”

Bucky choked, “WHAT!!! NO ONE IS WATCHING YOUR BODY!!”

Izzy and Maddie could hardly breathe from laughing. “James Barnes, calm down!!!”

“Wait a minute young lady. Did you just call me by my first name?”

“I sure did. Stop being so overprotective. Maddie and I are fine. Now, I love you. Give my love to everyone. Smooches.”

Throwing a pillow at her flustered roommate, Maddie scolded Izzy. “You have no earthly idea how to lie? Your dad is NOT dumb. He’ll figure out what we’re gonna do and mess it up.”

Izzy groaned, “I’m sorry Maddie.  Maybe he’ll forget about it?”

Looking at each other, “Nope...he won’t!”

To a “normal” parent, it probably would’ve been overlooked. But, to James Buchanan Barnes, he knew something wasn’t right. Taking his concerns to Steve, they devised a plan to discover what Izzy was hiding.

POOL PARTY FUN

Zach, Maddie and Izzy arrived at Aurala’s home via taxi. It wasn’t far from campus and they split the fare.

Ringing the doorbell, Aurala greeted her guests. The excited threesome were led to the pool area. A rousing game of volleyball was taking place in the pool, while some played ping pong and video games.

Zach chased Izzy around the deck; Maddie joined a few of her classmates in the pool. Things were going great until a few frat boys decided to crash the gathering.

POOL PARTY RUCKUS

Aurala, visibly upset, told the rowdy bunch to leave. She didn’t want any trouble. Adhering to her wishes, they left, but decided to return unbeknownst to her.

Some of the older girls and guys started drinking and everything went downhill from there. The party spilled out into the back and side of the house.

Izzy, Maddie, Zach and some other attendees decided it best to go upstairs and sit this out, while Aurala tried to calm things down.

Well, by now, no one was paying any attention to her. Someone brought a beer bong and a round of “chug-a-lug”  began.

Suddenly, blue lights flashed throughout the house. Everything went silent. Zach thought it was the police. Nope! It was James Buchanan Barnes, Steven Grant Rogers, Edward Anthony Stark and Sam Wilson, piling out of two SHIELD vehicles.

What ensued next was like a scene from “COPS.” You could hear the “Bad Boys” theme as the fierce foursome entered the premises.

Steve, dressed as Captain America, asked where Aurala’s parents were.

“Th-they’re not here. W-we were fine until some frat boys crashed.” Aurala was visibly shaken.

Growling, Bucky called Izzy. “Isabella Marie Barnes, get down here now!!”

Zach and Maddie looked at Izzy, “Oh shit. You’re in trouble now.”

Pushing herself off the floor, Izzy and company made their way downstairs. Tony and Sam were chastising the crashers, Steve spoke to Aurala’s parents via phone and Bucky waited for his beloved daughter downstairs.

Leaning against the wall with his massive arms folded, Bucky narrowed his eyes at Izzy. Zach wanted to introduce himself but thought it best not right now.

Feigning innocence, Izzy looked at her dad with puppy dog eyes. “D-dad? Wh-what are you doing here?”

“Where do I begin? First, you sounded a bit off when we spoke. I knew you were lying. Second, the tracker in your necklace alerted me to trouble. Shall I keep going?”

Izzy became enraged. “YOU PUT A TRACKER IN MY NECKLACE??!!! C’MON DAD!! GIVE ME A BREAK!!” She stomped outside by the pool, burying her face in her hands.

It hurt Bucky to see his daughter upset. Sitting in the deck chair next to her, Bucky reached out for Izzy’s hand and she pulled back.

“Dad, when will you ever trust me? Yes, I lied; yes, things got out of hand; yes, I’m kinda glad you showed up. But, I’m in college now. How long before you let me go?”

The hurt on Izzy’s face broke his heart. “Sugar Plum, this is a new experience for me. Ya see, I never dreamed I’d ever be worthy enough for a girlfriend, much less a wife and kids. You, Stevie and your mother are my heartbeat. Should something happen to ya, it’d kill me. Please forgive me. I just love’ya so much.”

A tear rolled down Bucky’s jaw. Izzy scooted over for him to sit next to her. “I’m so sorry. I know you worry about me but you have to know I’d never do anything stupid like drink alcohol or do drugs. We were having a really good time until the frat boys showed up. Aurala asked them to leave and they came back.”

“I’m just glad you’re alright. Just don’t lie to me baby. Makes me think you don’t trust me.”

Hugging her dad, “Only if you’ll cut me some slack. Trust me to do what’s right. I’ll never do anything to put myself in harm’s way.”

Nodding, Bucky agreed, “I’ll try. Don’cha lie to me again.”

Zach walked outside and cleared his throat and extended his hand. “M-M-Mr. Barnes? H-hi my name is Zachary. I’m a friend of Isabella’s. N-nice to meet you sir.”

Bucky flashed his metal hand but thought better. “Nice to meet you son. James Barnes.”

Looking between he and Izzy, “Is he your boyfriend?” The word caused bile to rise in Bucky’s throat.

“No dad. He’s a really good friend. Mom liked him the minute they met.”

Eyes bulging, “Your mom knows about him and I didn’t??”

Izzy simply kissed Bucky on the cheek. As the crowd dispersed, Maddie, Zach and Izzy were taken back to campus.

Tony made certain the dean would hear about the frat boys antics and they would be dealt with accordingly.

Steve, Tony and Sam waited by the tinted window SUV as Bucky escorted Maddie and Izzy to their dorm room.

Maddie thanked him for coming when they did. Things could’ve really gotten out of hand.

“I’ve had an eventful night dad. Think I’ll shower and go to sleep. Uh, I appreciate you guys showing up. Please give me a chance to prove to you I’m responsible.”

Kissing the top of her head Bucky replied, “It won’t be easy, but I’ll try. I love ya so much baby girl.”

Giving Bucky a huge hug, “I love you so much Daddy Buckwoo. You’re the best.”

Two lessons were learned from this:

First, NEVER lie to your parents; especially if they’re a former master assassin with  endless tracking resources. Communication is key!

Finally, trust your daughter to be responsible. You raised a young lady with high moral values. Your baby bird has left the nest. Allow her to fly!

“The Pattern Aggrandizment of Self-Delusion.”

Is There a Term for Convincing Those Around You of The Obvious, Then the Obvious Thing Doesn’t Happen?

Yes. It is called “The Pattern Aggrandizement of Self-Delusion.”

I have been in a near constant state of awakening and suicidal ideation, but really, who hasn't been?

Anyway, one of the realizations I had sprang from the analysis of my accrued data metrics that addressed “whether or not”, in aggregate, “listening to my ‘gut' had the generalized overall result being beneficial, certainly positive, and nice feeling upon post examinations of my necessarily subjective experience of the undocumented events as remembered after the fact".

What I learned was ‘jaw dropping.’

The unqualified result was that, astoundingly, I had never listened to my gut up until the age of 46, and my life had generally been a sucky experience, BUT, since then, while being in the most chaotic time in memory, it has also been the most mind-bogglingly creative and satisfying time I have ever lived!

The crises personally and country wide were seismic! In many, many ways I was the same me, but in a different place and time. The question then occurred to me, "what is the most consistent random thing to occur in my life?”

Without hesitation, the thought manifested within my expansive mind, “420”.

Now mind you, I am not a pot smoker. Sure, in the past I liked to “loosen the screws", but for me the experience was “losing the screws altogether. Has anyone seen my glasses? How about my keys?”

You feel me.

Since I was 16, you would not credit as believable how many times I have wondered,” what time is it?”

Looked at the clock, and, you guessed it, exactly 420.

It happened so much that I have been using it as a running joke for over 10 years now. Even going as far as to text my partner every time it happens to try and share the weirdness of it. It did not even occur to me to wonder, “I wonder what it could mean in relation to April 2020?” prior to last Nov.

When it did, the first thing I thought was, “I wonder if that is when I am going to die?” My ‘gut’ reacted when I considered it. So, I considered it more.

Now this is the part of the story where it REALLY starts to make sense. When I was 22, and just out of the Marines, Texas had just started the state lottery. Looking at the odds of winning, it occurred to me that the best random odds one could have would be to pick one set of numbers at 21, or 22, then play those numbers with odd regularity until I died at 127, and have a better chance of winning than any other strategy.

Let me tell you, I was SO impressed with myself. Especially when each number I chose had a special significance. OF COURSE, I told my family, my friends, strangers, little children, EVERYBODY about my brilliant plan. I talked about it so much, my friends and family knew my numbers without the need for hints.

After two weeks of being fully the most annoying pleasant intellectual in all West Texas, my roommate and I were parked in front of The Colonial at 9 pm. Terry was in the store, and my gut went crazy!

I had the darndest feeling that I should buy a ticket, BUT I only had 5 dollars and we were headed to the dollar theater to watch a movie. $1 to get in. $2 for a large soda, and $2 for a hotdog or nachos. So, in weighing my desires, I found getting a soda and hotdog outweighed my need to buy a lottery ticket, and realize again I was paying “the poor man's tax” as my father was want to call the lottery.

OK!

I had decided.

Shut UP gut!

Then Terry got into the vehicle.

“Aren’t you going get a lottery ticket??” He asked significantly, leaning over towards me and wagging his eyebrows to indicate he was only half mocking my intellectual prowess, which was profound, yet untested at such a young age. I then had to explain to him my well-reasoned excuse not to purchase a ticket, even repeating my father's moniker for the gambling game.

“Alright!” Terry said, and we went to the movies.

In those days, the theater would put up the numbers next to the movie screen on drawing nights. I was watching the trailers when Terry punched the holy living hell out of my shoulder.

“What the F Ter-,” Terry interrupted my indignant anger, “Look!” he said loudly, pointing. Following his pointer finger I saw at the end of it, my lottery numbers. Loud, recriminations ensued.

That was my first gut failure and will long live in the annals of family history of missed chances.

I have had many times from then to my present 47 years where, every time I ignored my gut, I later learned I should have listened to my gut. It was with this infallible information in hand last Dec, I decided TO follow my gut for ONCE in my life. Further, I decided to combine it with another observation regarding my life.

That observation was my life seemed to, without intent, be the most cliché life that I am aware of. So much so, that if I am in an unusual situation, or witness to one, and I can think of an absurd situational cliché similar to what I am witnessing, then further picture an even more absurd cliché that involves me, then it will probably happen, and then leave where ever I am because I am tired of experiencing absurd clichés in my life. Really.

As a brief example of what I mean, I have actually been in a situation where a hot, beautiful, younger woman was BEGGING me to be with her, and my response in that moment was, “No, not until you tell me something personal about you. It can be made up, I don’t care, but it has to sound personal.” To which she said, “Shut up and GIVE it to me!” I then responded with, and I am completely serious, I said, “But I want to get to know you as a person!”

Really? What!

And I meant it! I realized the irony of the situation as well as the cosmic humor of the organic interaction.

My friends said that I could get struck by lightning on a cloudless day. It was so ridiculous, even my friends and family could only agree with the sentiment.

Back to 420.

So I combined “Cliché” with “420” and came up with the conviction, not mere supposition, but conviction that the “Big One” was going to happen in the San Francisco Bay area on, you guessed it, 4/20/20.

For those too busy for historical references, “Big One” in this context refers to a geological tremor, of OMG proportions. If I had lost some of you to a more debauched definition for “Big One” when associated with San Francisco, no worries, I added some useless but fun filler for the rest of us to read until you came back from your “wonderings”. We are not judging.

Welcome back!

I further backed this up with a dream I had my first night in the area. I dreamt that I was on a roof with another guy and water was swiftly rising up and overtaking us, and I was yelling, “which way do we swim for the Berkeley Hills?!”. Not a normal dream, but one of those super lucid, real feeling ones.

I had had 5 of them in my life. One of THOSE 5 was a dream where I standing on a cliff on the west coast overlooking the ocean, and there were meteors, several of them trailing huge smoke trails behind them, and I said in the dream, "And behold, a mountain was cast down from the heavens, and this is the 6th seal”

I quietly began telling friends and family and those I like to go camping or be out of town on 4/20. Hell, I was so convincing, my sons and partner were trying to help pack so we could get on the road at 2 am on 420! It was such a mess despite all efforts, I took that as a sign I should just chill and not drive to the border of OR to wait. The border of Oregon, OF COURSE because, during our research, we discovered that our RV Trailer Park of extravagant plushness, was encircled on three sides by liquefaction zones. LIQUIFACTION ZONES! We were also within a 15-minute walk on our other side to the Hayward Faultline. As well as 5, not 4, not 6, but 5 volcanoes that had active within enough historical time, to add a nice hysterical flavor to our familial rash of survivalist instincts!

Did I really want to see if, in another cosmic cliché, I was a prophet?

“Oh man. Please no. Not in the middle of a pandemic with apocalypse feelings like this happening with everyone in twenty-seven social interactions I had been having lately. I even read a couple chapters of Revelations. The only thing more catastrophic than reading revelations with serious intent to understand is our local crazy on the street corner not carrying an “end is nigh” sign. OMG, he is carrying a sign! I will get burned at a stake for sure!”

I reasoned one of two things were going to happen come 4/20/20.

One, my talent for identifying unusual, but true patterns in meta social data was more that I wanted to actually have, or two, I had a lesson to learn and needed to reevaluate some of my life choices.

Not doing anything would be irresponsible, where doing something COULD save some lives. If nothing happened, no real trouble for anyone, and I didn’t broadcast across the internet, and set myself up for being an I-D-I-O-T publicly. Only privately, and within a small circle of people who would either need to be stopped from making more of my prophetic powers than is seemly, or hopefully, they could accept the above reasons as fair, and let me learn said lessons without too much joking about Nostradamus or even considering crossing a pandemic border to then go into a more serious lockdown for 14 days of shame, or anything. I mean, I DID tell them the same thing as in this paragraph BEFORE 420, so I have a very reasonable, and self-evaluating insanity.

YAY!

*my partner says I must inform y’all that we had actually been planning a trip to OR for many months before our invisible stalking COVID frenemy began crawling up both legs at the same time

It being June 8th now, you can figure that I learned the lesson of not associating entirely subjective experiences into any kind of designation of anything prophetic or inane. Trust me, I am not that guy, which is exactly why the whole collection of things felt MORE probable. People were like, “Man, Adrian is saying this. Shit! Maybe something IS going to happen!”

Yeah Something happened. I realized my hair was not on fire, and humans are silly as hell. Oh, I made up the term up top. Seemed in keeping with the tongue-in-cheek feel I was going for.

Pattern Aggrandizement of Self-Delusion in no way whatsoever, needs to be credited to me when bringing up who coined the phrase, but if absolutely necessary, you may use Sabrina Siebert, 42, from Troy Michigan. She IS the boss. I merely dictated this answer.

*OOOOwwwww

**she is giving the evil eye, but smiling, and denying, and now looking down at her phone. Mission accomplished.

Feedback in comments! THANKS!

Respectfully,

A. Yobi Blumberg

#veteranartist #voctrbe #veteranwriter #ptsdtherapy #thetruth #hmor

answer ALL those questions BIH 1-97 or however many there are

Great panini Michelle... every damn time...1. Would you have sex with the last person you text messaged?Uhhhhhhhh yeah2. You talked to an ex today, correct?Idk I guess technically?3. Have you taken someones virginity?Lmao nope4. Is trust a big issue for you?YEAH WHOO BOY YEAH I have a lot of issues and trust is a huge one5. Did you hang out with the person you like recently?Yes yup I definitely did. She told me I looked pretty and it was the first time I've ever been sure she was flirting with me. 6. What are you excited for?Going back to school holy shit. I've had a countdown going. I move back in at the end of the month. I can't fuckening wait. 7. What happened tonight?I told myself I was going to shower and clean my room but instead I'm sat here watching dan and Phil games videos?8. Do you think it’s disgusting when girls get really wasted?I don't think it's disgusting I just worry for their safety. I'm the mom friend that takes care of the lightweights. 9. Is confidence cute?Hell yeah10. What is the last beverage you had?Brisk iced tea with lemon 11. How many people of the opposite sex do you fully trust?I wanna say like three. I don't have an exact count because I've managed to direct my daily life to have very few males and I can only think of three men I regularly interact with. 12. Do you own a pair of skinny jeans?Yeah and my fuckin thighs are wearing a HOLE IN THEM which means I need to order a new pair but they're EXPENSIVE and I hate CAPITALISM 13. What are you gonna do Saturday night?That's a good fucking question. I have nothing planned, nothing to do within walking distance, and no license. Probably masturbate in all honesty. 14. What are you going to spend money on next?Well I just spent like $150 on an old navy order today so probably not clothes Oh you know what I need a new bookbag so probably that. IKEA has some good ones. 15. Are you going out with the last person you kissed?The only person I've kissed was for a scene in acting class so no. I had a really elaborate dream the other night where I was kissing my crush but alas also no. 16. Do you think you’ll change in the next 3 months?Oh for sure. 17. Who do you feel most comfortable talking to about anything?Honestly???? Reese. 18. The last time you felt broken?This is more or less a weekly to daily occurrence but the most intense instance I can recall was Saturday night at my cousin's wedding! Being most likely the only gay person out of a group of 300 people made up of mostly married couples with children was absolutely horrific because as soon as one cousin gets married the aunts start placing bets on who's next and each time I'm closer to the top of the list. Combine that with varied intrusive thoughts and you've got a lovely shitstorm of self loathing!!!19. Have you had sex today?Not ever m'dude20. Are you starting to realize anything?That if I want to be less anxious when shopping for clothing, I need to only shop at places that actually cater to my body type aka I've just accepted that I have a mom body and will always look better in well made and sort of pricey old navy clothes over cheap shitty forever 21 clothes. 21. Are you in a good mood?I'm kind of eh. All I've done today is watch the MSNBC news cycle for hours on end and that was really depressing and anxiety inducing but I've isolated myself in my room for a bit since then and had a nice salami sandwich so I've mellowed. 22. Would you ever want to swim with sharks?Hell yeah. Sharks are nowhere as violent as media portrays them and need to be protected like any other species. Also I went to the aquarium yesterday. 23. Are your eyes the same color as your dad’s?Yes between my parents I got pretty much all of my father's genetics and it's really funny. 24. What do you want right this second?Someone to cuddle with because I realized when I was staying at a hotel that I literally can't sleep unless I'm holding something and every single night my body pillow is a little bit more pathetic. 25. What would you say if the person you love/like kissed another girl/boy?Fuckin jokes on you she's married 26. Is your current hair color your natural hair color?Technically no. I mean I am a natural blonde but currently I am several shades blonder because my natural shade is on the darker end of the blonde spectrum and I'm so pale that I need to lighten and warm it up from time to time so I don't look like a less stylish Addams child. 27. Would you be able to date someone who doesn’t make you laugh?That's a hard fuckin pass m828. What was the last thing that made you laugh?I answered this before but I've laughed again since then soS A N D R A29. Do you really, truly miss someone right now?Yes. 30. Does everyone deserve a second chance?Yes, as long as they are actually willing to modify their behavior/habits/what have you. Life is a learning curve. I believe in third chances too, under the same conditions. At some point, however, you have to acknowledge that some people just will not change and it isn't worth the energy you're investing to try and force it. Then it's time to cut bitches off lmao. 31. Honestly, do you hate the last boy you were talking to?My brother is walking a fine line right now. He's a shit head but I don't hate him. 32. Does the person you have feelings for right now, know you do?I think so. 33. Are you one of those people who never drinks soda?Cherry Pepsi flows through my veins. 34. Listening to?I've honestly been listening to the original London cast recording of The Witches of Eastwick the musical on repeat for like a week? That and the original cast recording of Sunset Boulevard. Which reminds me, I downloaded Dangerous Liaisons...35. Do you ever write in pencil anymore?Yeah... do people like... stop writing in pencil at some point? Y'all hate erasers????36. Do you know where the last person you kissed is?Probably somewhere in Pennsylvania where I left her. 37. Do you believe in love at first sight?Maybe chemistry at first sight? I think you have to know a person before you can love them. Chemistry doesn't have to be romantic either, I think it's just a significant reaction. I'm a fan of hate to lover arcs in fiction. Cough cough swan queen. 38. Who did you last call?Probably my brother to tell him to preheat the oven. 39. Who was the last person you danced with?My aunt when she was trying to convince me not to leave the wedding reception even though I was dead on my feet and dissociating so hard I felt like I wasn't in my body40. Why did you kiss the last person you kissed?Because that's how Phyllis Nagy wrote the script. 41. When was the last time you ate a cupcake?The wedding reception. It didn't have frosting because my brother brought me a fucking cupcake without frosting. 42. Did you hug/kiss one of your parents today?No43. Ever embarrass yourself in front of a crush?Countless times! I'm strong but clumsy so when she asks me to move things for her it's like a 50/50 chance I'll drop it. She never makes fun of me though. 44. Do you tan in the nude?I don't tan period because I am pasty and extremely at risk for skin cancer *finger guns*45. If you could, would you take back your last kiss?If by take back you mean literally take it back by purchasing the full play to read it 46. Did you talk to someone until you fell asleep last night?I usually do47. Who was the last person to call you?Idk probably my dad to tell me to preheat the oven. 48. Do you sing in the shower?Am I even showering if I'm not singing49. Do you dance in the car?I'm generally pretty cramped in most cars so no50. Ever used a bow and arrow?Yes! I'm a pretty decent archer. 51. Last time you got a portrait taken by a photographer?Probably my headshots that I got when I was doing my dance photo shoot senior year. 52. Do you think musicals are cheesy?I'm a theatre major what fucking kind of question is this. In this house we respect triple threats. And have a healthy fear of the wrath of patti lupone 53. Is Christmas stressful?Half my family is EXTREMELY Roman Catholic and a quarter is Jewish so if it's not stressful it's definitely complicated 54. Ever eat a pierogi?Fuck yes holy shit we had a cooking unit at camp and they'd make staff lunch and they made pierogies from scratch like dough potatoes and all and I swear I nutted. 55. Favorite type of fruit pie?Lemon meringue. Oh fuck elies mom made such good pie last year. 56. Occupations you wanted to be when you were a kid?Forensic examiner! I wanted to do autopsies! Like deadass I wanted to be Doctor Jan Garavaglia from the discovery channel. Also retrospectively definitely had a crush on her. That was when I was in like elementary school though. In middle school I wanted nothing more than to be an Imagineer and design attractions for Disney. 57. Do you believe in ghosts?I'm from New England. Next question. 58. Ever have a Deja-vu feeling?Yeah holy shit I see stuff from my dreams a lot. 59. Take a vitamin daily?These strawberry flavored fuckers for hair skin and nails they're so good!60. Wear slippers?Not so much at home but at school I practically live in them because our dorm is always disgusting 61. Wear a bath robe?Yes I have a super fluffy long one62. What do you wear to bed?Ideally nothing but I have to wear clothes because my room gets too hot to sleep with the door shut so normally a t shirt and underwear and then I keep shorts or sweatpants by my bed so I can put them on quickly if I have to leave my room. Plus I have a roommate at school so no naked napping there either. 63. First concert?Probably one of the free concerts Eight to the Bar used to do in my mom's hometown64. Wal-Mart, Target or Kmart?Target I'm a loyal Pinterest mom65. Nike or Adidas?Neither. Whatever is on clearance at Kohls. 66. Cheetos Or Fritos?Cheetos. I'm not a fucking heathen. 67. Peanuts or Sunflower seeds?No. Cashews. 68. Favorite Taylor Swift song?LOVE STORY (The og country version) IS THE REALEST BOP IVE EVER HEARD69. Ever take dance lessons?Hahaha only 16 years of them70. Is there a profession you picture your future spouse doing?Something creative. Strongly probably theatre related. 71. Can you curl your tongue?Yeah72. Ever won a spelling bee?No but I performed a song from The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee73. Have you ever cried because you were so happy?Short answer yes. Long answer: please see my post on Tired Thesbian about Indecent directed by Rebecca Taichman and written by Paula Vogel 74. What is your favorite book?To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf75. Do you study better with or without music?With, but it has to be instrumental. I really like film scores; Cracks, The Hours, and the Mildred Pierce miniseries are my favorites. Honorable mention for Carol. 76. Regularly burn incense?Not allowed to. 77. Ever been in love?Yes. 78. Who would you like to see in concert?Fleetwood Mac/Stevie, Celtic Woman, Dolly Parton, Florence + The Machine. That's the non showtune half of my music taste. Isn't it an unsettling combination. 79. What was the last concert you saw?I don't really go to music concerts but I went to the so you think you can dance tour a couple years ago. 80. Hot tea or cold tea?Porque no los dos 81. Tea or coffee?Porque no los dos 82. Favorite type of cookie?I'm a slut for shortbread but that's more of a biscuit soooooo Oreos. 83. Can you swim well?I've never drowned 84. Can you hold your breath without holding your nose?People can't do that?85. Are you patient?I guess so86. DJ or band, at a wedding?Dj BRUH 87. Ever won a contest?I won a writing contest in eighth grade!88. Ever have plastic surgery?No but I'd love to get some for various reasons. And when it comes down to it, we really shouldn't judge others cosmetic choices be they hair color or plastic surgery. Insert Dolly Parton. 89. Which are better black or green olives?Olives are evil and I was once locked out of my dorm room over this argument90. Opinions on sex before marriage?Holy fuck heterosexual culture is wild isn't it91. Best room for a fireplace?Already answered 92. Do you want to get married?Maybe not married but certainly in a committed long term relationship. To quote Lily Tomlin, I'm not particularly keen on imitating heterosexuals. Holy fuvk that took like a full hour

Peter Pan Imagine/ His Daughter

“If you are taking requests right now, can you do one where the reader is Pans daughter? One days she shows up in NeverLand and pan doesn't realize it's his kid because her let her when she was so little, but she knows it's him. She hugs him and tells him she forgives him and then he realizes it's her. I don't care about the overall plot, but can you make it really sweet and lots of fluff? Thanks!”

Warnings: Fluff/ daddy issues?

Pan’s view

“Dad!!!”  was the last thing I herd before my whole life changed.

It all started when she came to Neverland, my daughter, of course I didn’t know she was my daughter, until , well , lets start from the beginning

Y/n was a bright, full of joy , and burst of bubble little girl, she was the best thing that happen to me...

“Daddy! The lost boys are playing unfair!”you yelled

“Well how about you and me go tough em out ?” Peter said as he handed you a wooden sword, making you instantly smile and getting you all happy again.

You loved your dad, he was the best thing and the only thing you had. Your mother was not there, he never explained why, but you were far too young to understand anyway, but all in all you loved having your dad and your lost boys.

Mornings were your favorite, you woke up next to your dad, he would most likely be asleep, even you would wake up earlier than Peter Pan, you were his daughter after all.

You crawl out of bed like usual, trying not to wake up your dad, once you’re in the clear, you change into your adventure clothes, and off you were, you made friends with the creatures on Neverland, such as the birds, the fishes, and the mermaids who would constantly take turns on during your hair, you loved Neverland, and it loved you back.

“Hey there!” you would say as you would get close to the birds, you would feed them bread every single day, making them happy as they tweet and hop around your hand.

The fish were a bit different, they didn’t want food, they wanted to swim with you, you would dive in and make un realistic fish movements, you dreamt of being a mermaid while you swam along next to them, make believing your arms were covered in scales, and your hair was lushes and long.

Speaking of mermaids, they were your last stop,

“Hello Y/n!” they would all yell, so happy to see you

They were who you spent the longest time before you went back to your dad,

You would talk about girl stuff, about your hair, makeup, clothes, and the boys in Neverland, of course the boys were like your brothers so you didn’t take part in that conversation, you usually left when that topic came about.

Back to your dad’s room it was, were he was just waking up.

Pounce!

You would jump on him

“Ahhh!” he’d say making it feel like you were actually scaring him, but this would be your daily routine, but he always made you feel like you scared him.

“What are you doing princesses?” he said

“Did I scare ya?!” you asked

“Of course you did! You’re the scariest thing princess warrior ever!” he said 

“Haha I know right?!” you would jump on the bed with excitement.

“Let’s get ready for the day okay?” he said

“Good that” you said with a thumbs up

Your mornings consist of sitting on your dads lap while eating oatmeal, and listening to him talk about what are the plans for today.

You sit quite and watch him, he always hand one hand around your waist and the other pointing here and there.

After breakfast the boys had chores, you were too young for chores so you stayed with your dad, unless you asked to wonder else where, but you normally stayed by your dads side,

Lunch was more chaotic, you were lucky to even sit down, the boys grab their lunch and left, the boys had chores and duties, and while you tried to keep up, you were only so little.

Nights were more chill, the boys were settled down , and your dad finally had time to talk to you about your day.

Neverland was your home, your heart, your world, and you never wanted to leave.

One day it didn’t feel the same, the way your dad treated you, it seemed like he didn’t care, like he didn’t want you around.

“I have to give her an other chance at life Felix.” Peter said

“What are you gonna do?” he asked

“I have to take her to an other world, a world were she will learn, go to school, have a real life.” he said as he ran his fingers through his hair.

“When are you gonna do it?” Felix asked

“After her 8th birthday, she has to go.” he said, clenching his hand, and looking down, he never wanted you to go, but he wanted a better life for you.

You wake up to breakfast in bed

“Gee whats this dad?” you asked

“It’s your birthday princess, you get breakfast in bed, now eat up, you got a big day ahead of you!” he says

He walks out and starts to set up banners and streamers, balloons, whatever he wanted because he was king and he had magic.

Your day consist of going to the lake, you loved the lake, you would jump and dive in the water, not a car in the world, Peter would be so happy that you were happy, you all laughed and had a good time, you played games such as Marco Polo, chicken fight, and splash fight, the regular stuff.

Later that night you guys made a campfire, roasting hot dogs and marshmallows, and talking nonsense at the mid hours of the night.

 Eventually you guys packed up and went back to the camp site, the boys mostly stayed up telling ghost stories but you fell asleep in Peter’s arms, he held you all the way, and brought you back to your bed, he rubbed your face and kissed your cheek’s.

“Dad loves you okay? Always remember that.” he said as he whisper, almost in tears, it was time he let you go, he waved his hands and you were gone, Peter never cried, but he cried that night, you were literally his everything, and he had to do what was best.

8 years has passed, your 16, you live in a town called StoryBrooke

 You go to school, have a job as waitress, and live with a couple roommates, life was good but you weren’t happy. You knew there was more to life, more to this, you never knew your parents, if they were alive or dead, but you always wanted to know, so you went to the smartest person you know , Rumple.

“You want to know who your parents are?” he asked

“Yes, I need to know.” you said a little eager.

“Well , what do you have for me?” he asked wickedly

“W-what do you mean? I’m just 16.” you said a little scared

“To get, you must give first.” he said

“Fine uhm, you can have whatever you want.” you said folding your arms

“Let me have whatever is most precious to you.” 

“I was left with nothing.” you frowned

“Fine! Then you’ll be my assistant.” he smiled

“Deal!”

You soon find out your dad is Peter Pan , the Peter Pan.

“I need to go to him, I need to find out why he left me, what I did.” you begged Rumple

He gave you a potion that opened a portal, the portal to Neverland.

You go in holding your breath, almost shaking.

You step foot on Neverland and it all comes back to you, the smells, the atmosphere, noises that the creatures make.

You make your way to the camp site, realizing how you forgot how big this place really was.

You hear the lost boys chatting and being loud, same, they never changed.

That’s when you see him, his dirty blond hair, strong arms, and that smile that made your heart soar, your dad.

“Dad!!” you yelled

Peter turns around, with such a confuse look

“Who?” he said as he cocks an eyebrow

You run up and hug him, wrapping your arms around him and holding him tight.

Peter with his hands in the air looking at his fellow lost boys for answers. They just look around as well, being very confused.

“I missed you so much!” you say

“Who are you?” he asked

“I’m your daughter.” you smile

Peter doesn’t look too happy, “Look I don’t know what joke this is, but it needs to stop, I don’t know where you care from, who you are, but I have never seen you in my life.”

“No you have to remember!” you say kinda loud, more loud than you should’ve

“I don’t know you.” he says bluntly

“But, but..” you say

“Lost boys, take her away please.” he says

Two lost boys grab each side of your arms, escorting you out of Neverland

“Wait dad you have to remember!” 

“I don’t know you..” he said but more sad

“You remember I was here! The mermaids, the birds, the lake trips! You don’t remember?!”

Peter just looks at you sad shaking his head

“Dad please!” you yell crying

He was shocked , someone with such passion for him, so much care, and he knew nothing about them, it threw him off.

“I WAS YOUR PRINCESSES!” you yelled

And just like that it was like someone turned a light switch on him and he remembered you. 

“Oh crap!” he said out loud “Y/n!” he yelled as he ran to you

The lost boys let go of you and you both ran to each other, he held you supper tight and you just cried in his arms

“I’m so sorry princess, I’m so so sorry.” he just said rubbing your head, feeling like complete crap.

“It’s okay I forgive you. Just don’t ever leave me.” you said with your voice breaking.

“You guy’s, this is my daughter, Y/n, she’s the princess of Neverland, and she stays here, and only here, with us.” he says as he holds you tight.

The lost boys cheer and you and your dad are reunited with each other , and he never left your side again.